Title: A Broken Beginning Ch 5

Author: Nicki C.

Email: Nimacu@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: "It's all been done before"- Barenaked Ladies.  I don't own Buffy.   Nor do I own the world of Harry Potter.  They both belong to Joss and J.K.

Summery: Something happens that causes the Scoobies to head to England.

Feedback: I used to think that I didn't need it and it wasn't very important, but then I got some and I really liked it, in fact the more feedback I got the more I wanted. I think you get the idea.

Setting:  Ok, this is set during the middle of September. Harry and the gang are in their sixth year and in the Buffy verse it's set after a couple of weeks after episode 7.3, after that it's AU.  Willow has been home recovering from the loss of blood.

He sat huddled by the fire trying to stay warm. This morning if someone had asked him if he'd be in the middle of Kyrgyzstan, a country until today he'd never heard of, he'd have said they were crazy.  But here he was, in the middle of the Tien Shan range; looking for what was supposed to be Voldemort's ultra-secret hideout.  But all they'd managed to find was a few mountain goats and an empty cave that might at one time been able to provide shelter to a large group of dark wizards.  But he'd bet fifty galleons they had never been there at all. 

The day had started out so nicely too. He'd been in Los Angeles, California for almost a week investigating another lead on the Dark Lord's whereabouts that had turned out to be false.  The night before he'd written out his report about what he'd found or in this case hadn't found. Then when then when he was eating breakfast this morning an owl had arrived telling him he was to stay in California on other business until further notice.  Apparently they thought there was still a good chance that Voldemort would be hiding in a little town that sat on top of a Hellmouth.  Apparently due to mystic convergence it made it almost impossible for other wizards to detect what was going on in the town; thus making it the perfect place for the Dark Lord to hide. 

Charlie had arrived in Sunnydale late in the morning.  He hadn't been very sure about where to start looking in the town; the only advice he'd been given was be on the look out for anything out of the ordinary.  He had decided that he needed to go a place where he could hear the local gossip.  He wasn't that familiar with American Muggle's but he'd noticed that in Los Angeles there were lots of these little restaurants called 'Coffee Houses' and that they were always packed with people.  So when he'd arrived in Sunnydale his first stop was the coffee shop in town.

Charlie shook himself out of his thoughts, this wasn't how today was supposed to turn out, it seemed like he said that to himself a lot these days.  He knew that joining in the fight against Voldemort was the right thing to do, but sometimes he wished he could just be back in Romania, he'd trade anything to be back there working with the dragons.   It was funny how life was full of Catch-22's; he'd taken the job in Romania so that he could make a name for himself apart from his family; he didn't want to be just another Weasley.  But the fact that he was a Weasley is what brought him home and to the Order of the Phoenix; he had to do his part in the fight against Voldemort; to protect his family. In the beginning he'd been able to stay in Romania, but he'd known when he volunteered it might not always be that way.

"I'm getting homesick, I must be really tired," Charlie said to himself.  He put out the fire and headed into his tent. "Why must we use Muggle tents?" He thought to himself as he lay wide awake in his sleeping bag.  He knew that it was important that he use the least amount of magic possible while hunting Voldemort; after all being able to detect magic goes both ways and his job was to locate Voldemort not to catch him. Still a few basic comforts would be nice.  "Time to think about something pleasant, that'll help me get to sleep."  As he fell settled down his thoughts drifted to someone he'd met earlier in the day while we he was watching the coffee shop. 

He'd been sitting in a booth watching and listening to all of the occupants of the little restaurant; considering the town sat on a Hellmouth all of the conversations were all incredibly pleasant and vapid.  He wondered how bad could this place be if everyone was so happy?  And just as he was about to give up the hope of anything-extraordinary coming out of his visit, she walked in.  He could swear the moment he saw her, his heart stopped.  She was beautiful; he knew he had to meet her.  Quickly he scanned the people she'd walked in with for anyone who could be a jealous boyfriend.  Luckily the only person who sat down with her was a young brown-haired girl.  He'd checked his breath on his palm, checked his hair in his spoon and got ready to head towards her table but as he was getting up he realized that the woman was getting up from her table and walking towards him.

"Not from around here are you?" She had said.   He hadn't been able to come up with a witty answer or a coherent thought so he just sat there like a stupid git staring at her.

"Anybody from where you're from ever tell you it isn't polite to stare?"  She asked

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, my name's Charlie, and yours?"

"Buffy."

"I'm from England, I'm here on some business."

"What kind of business would bring an Englishman to Sunnydale?" Well she certainly didn't seem shy with the questions.

"I'm doing some research."

"I bet I can guess what your researching." She'd been flirting with him he couldn't believe it.

"Why don't I take you out to dinner tonight and I'll let you guess to your heart's content"

Charlie remembered hearing her mutter something about it being daylight so he couldn't be that bad.  She'd looked up at him then smiled and agreed to meet him at the Bistro for dinner at five.  It really was too bad that he'd never been able to make it; as soon as he'd arrived back in his hotel room an owl had arrived urging him to apperate immediately to Kyrgyzstan.  She'd seemed special; hopefully they'd get a chance to meet again someday. 

"Wishful thinking" Charlie murmured as he finally fell asleep.