CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: MORE LETTERS
Wednesday, 10th March 1999
For some strange and unknown reason, the library was unusually loud, and both Buffy and Hermione were having trouble concentrating on the textbook in front of them. Hermione sighed with frustration. They weren't getting anything done.
"You wanna head somewhere quieter?" Buffy asked.
Hermione nodded, trying to think of a suitable location for their studies. Anywhere they went would probably be just as noisy.
"Any suggestions?" Hermione asked.
Buffy thought about it for a moment before coming up with the most private place she could think of.
"We could go back to my room. It's just me in there, no one else," she offered.
Hermione looked intrigued at the thought of a single room. She nodded, curious about the Slytherin Common Room as well as Buffy's room. She'd only heard second hand reports from Ron and Harry about what the Slytherin Common Room was like, and she wanted to see it for herself.
The girls made their way out of the library and down towards the dungeons were the Slytherins dorms were. "Promise you won't tell anyone the password?" Buffy asked in mock-seriousness.
Hermione just grinned. "Don't worry. You're secret's safe with me."
Buffy shrugged. "Pure-blood."
Hermione scoffed as the door in the wall opened, and they were led through a corridor and into the Common Room. Hermione stared around in fascination, taking in the darkened room. It was the same size as the Gryffindor Common Room, but it didn't have the same warmth that they had. It was cold and dark, and even though the fire was going, Hermione still felt slightly chilled. She shivered and wrapped her cloak closer to her body.
"Yeah, it's kinda freezing down here," Buffy said with a chuckle.
They made their way to the girl's rooms, stopping at the last room in the corridor. Buffy opened the door and gestured for Hermione to enter. The Gryffindor girl looked around in awe, jealous of the private sanctuary that Buffy had in the single room.
"Wow…this place is amazing."
Buffy grinned and walked towards the bed, kicking her shoes off before sitting cross-legged on the mattress.
"I didn't like being by myself at first, but after hearing the complaints about snoring and dirty socks, I'm kinda glad that I'm not in with anyone else," Buffy admitted.
Hermione wandered over to Buffy's training section, and the Slayer winced. She'd forgotten how curious Hermione had become in regards to the Slayer topic.
"What's with the punching bag?" she asked.
Buffy shrugged nonchalantly and began spreading their books out on the bed.
"I like to work out. Just to stay in shape, y'know."
Hermione nodded, the wheels in her head turning. She'd been thinking about Buffy and where she fit in at Hogwarts for a long time. She'd become especially curious since Sirius had explained that his old Hogwarts friend had become a Watcher whom Buffy knew. The only loophole in Hermione's theory was that Buffy had said that she'd known two other Slayers, and that the current one was in California.
"What's her name?" Hermione wondered, startled to realise that she'd spoken out loud.
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"The Slayer," Hermione clarified. "What's her name?"
Buffy's eyes darkened a little. "Faith."
Hermione tried to read Buffy's expression, but found herself slightly disturbed by what she was seeing. It was the same look that Buffy had had in her eyes before she'd shoved the sword through the vampiric boggart the week before.
"You two didn't get along I take it," she surmised.
Buffy shrugged and forced herself to relax. Hermione noticed the difference immediately, and if she hadn't seen the angry flash earlier, she wouldn't have thought anything of Buffy's reaction.
"We weren't the best of friends, no. But…sometimes we were friends."
"What about the other one? You said you'd known two Slayers."
"Yeah. Kendra," Buffy said sadly. "She was killed, what…two years ago now. She wasn't exactly a people person y'know. Slayers, they're usually brought up pretty strictly. No contact with their family, or with friends, so…her people skills kinda…well, sucked to be perfectly honest. But she loosened up after a while. I really wish she hadn't died."
Hermione moved towards the bed and took a seat on the corner, looking over the books, ready to get back into studying. Before she could settle herself completely, a tapping at the window startled both of the girls. Buffy stood and moved to the window, opening it, surprised by the large owl that flew into her room, a small brown package attached to its leg.
She untied the package, petted the owl and closed the window when the owl flew away.
"You mind if I open this now?" Buffy asked.
Hermione shrugged and gestured for her to go ahead. Buffy settled herself back down on the bed and ripped the package open. Several letters fell out as well as Kendra's lucky stake, Mr Pointy. She grinned as she picked up the weapon, forgetting that Hermione was staring at her curiously.
"Is that a stake?" the Gryffindor girl asked.
Buffy looked up and then paled considerably. She didn't know how she was supposed to explain that one. Attached to it was a note with Willow's handwriting on it.
'We figured you could probably use a weapon, and what better weapon for the true Slayer than Kendra's and your lucky stake. Luv, the Scoobies.'
She peeled off the note and quickly folded it, placing it aside. She handed the weapon to Hermione who took it with great care. She studied it carefully before handing it back to Buffy.
"It is, isn't it?"
Buffy nodded. "Where I come from…we face a lot of bad things. Vampires being some of them. It's kind of an in joke…always be prepared. Scout and Scooby motto."
"There's something you're not telling me," Hermione said, looking the Slayer directly in the eyes.
Buffy looked back at her unflinchingly. Merrick and Giles had schooled her in the art of keeping calm even when you were seriously uncomfortable with a situation, and she'd perfected it over the years.
"There's a lot of things that I'm not telling a lot of people," she replied easily.
Hermione paused before finally nodding. "At least you're innocent. That's something."
Buffy grinned happily. "Makes my life far simpler," she agreed.
"You know, if I wasn't extremely sure that you weren't lying about the Slayer being in California, I would have thought that you were a Slayer," Hermione said.
Buffy forced herself to laugh. "Where would you get that idea?"
"Well…you know a Watcher, you can sword fight. You killed a vampire, even if it was just a boggart. You've met other Slayers, and you're friends sent you a stake as a gift," Hermione said. "It all adds up."
"Well, I can guarantee you that Faith is out there somewhere with her Watcher, doing the Slayer thing," Buffy said, thankful that she at least didn't have to lie about that. "Plus, you know how it goes 'one girl in all the world'. Can't argue with that."
"Can I ask…Dumbledore said that you were innocent, so…and don't take this the wrong way or anything, but why aren't you going home?" Hermione asked curiously.
Buffy shrugged. "It's complicated."
"Because of Malfoy?"
"There's that. There's other stuff too."
"Like that?"
"That's the complicated part," Buffy replied. "Honestly, I'd tell you if I could, but the bigwigs don't want me saying anything, so…their wish is my command."
Buffy rummaged through the spread of letters on her bed, not wanting Hermione to ask her anything else. Hermione seemed to get the message, and Buffy just smiled as she took in the familiar handwriting of the gang. Her mom, Giles, Angel, Willow, Xander, even short notes from Oz and Cordelia. She flipped open the one from Giles and read it quickly, knowing that his would be the one to tell her the most useful information.
Buffy,
Dumbledore has been in contact with us and has told us the wonderful news. We were all truly heartened to hear that you've been proven innocent. The only trouble now is convincing the Council of it. Fear not, we will have you home safe and sound as soon as we can.
Fondly,
Giles.
She grinned, thankful that the Gang finally believed her innocence. She put the other letters to the side, and looked back at Hermione, ready to study.
"Should we get back into it?"
Hermione nodded and hunched over one of the books on the bed, settling herself in for several hours of undisturbed studying.
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Mega thanks for all the reviews!! Very glad you guys are still liking this fic.
SNEAK PREVIEW: Pansy finally tries to exact her revenge.
Toodles.