Sorry I've been slow updating, but I've been mega busy lately
Dragon Faere - Lol I wrote the beginning of this chapter before I got your review!
Chapter 9 - Dan
The next morning at breakfast, before they left for work, Sirius told Buffy about his friend that was coming to visit him at Hogwarts.
"We met when I'd just escaped Azkaban, and was on the run," he explained, " I visited all over Europe, then I went to America and Asia after that, you know to keep moving. Anyway, I cam across this wizards colony while I was there, really deep, monk types. They gave me a place to stay and there was this other bloke staying there, Dan. He was the only one who I could really relate to. Anyway, he couldn't make it to the wedding, but he really wants to meet my new wife, so I've invited him to come to Hogwarts. I just got an owl last night to confirm he's coming, this evening."
"I'd like to meet him," Buffy mused, "Must be a pretty strange guy to live with monk types for a long time. From my experience of them, they are pretty freak some."
"No, Dan was really nice, he was American actually," Sirius protested. "He was strange, but in a good way, kind of kooky actually."
The school day passed without much event for them both, Giles held his first Watcher class, much to his delight, and he proved to be a talented teacher. After dinner, Sirius and Buffy awaited the arrival of Sirius' friend from Asia in the Great hall, where they would meet then travel to Grimmauld Place. Sure enough, at seven on the dot, the flames thickened, and a man climbed out from the grand fireplace. He straightened up, and brushed soot from his ginger hair, then looked up at the couple.
"Oz?" Buffy gasped.
"Buffy?" he said questioningly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously. "I mean, why…what?"
"This is Dan," Sirius interrupted, "You two know each other?"
"Yeah, he was a Scooby for like four years. This is Dan?" Sirius nodded.
"Oh my god, this is incredible!" Buffy brushed her hair back from her face impatiently, "To think that you are here and we are here and then you know Sirius and wow. Just wow."
"You are here?" Oz asked quickly, "All of you?"
"Yep, me, Xander, Cordy, Willow, Faith, Giles and Dawn," Buffy confirmed, "I can't believe this, the others are gonna freak when they see you!" She grabbed him into a bone-crushing hug.
"Buff," Oz said, "I kind of liked breathing." She let go of him laughing.
"It's good to see you Dan," Sirius said, also hugging him, "Ho have you been?"
"Not bad. Those monks really grow on you," Oz said enigmatically, still just as Buffy remembered him. "Do I get to meet your wife now?" Sirius and Buffy exchanged smiles.
"You're looking at her," Sirius said with a big grin. Oz looked more animated than either of them had ever seen him.
"You two are married?" Oz shook his head. "It's such a small world. My congrats to the both of you."
"C'mon," Buffy grabbed his arm. "We have to go see the others." Oz followed her through the castle and into the academy.
Buffy walked into the teachers lounge, where the Scoobies, minus Dawn, were all sitting.
"You guys are not going to believe this," She began, "Look who just showed up!" Oz came into the room behind her, followed by Sirius.
"It's the O-man!" Xander exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"
"Long story, friend of Sirius', came to meet Buffy, didn't know she was her," Oz said in and explanatory way. "Hey Wills." A big smile grew on Willow's face as she jumped up and gave him a gigantic hug, knocking of his feet.
"You're here, it's you," she sniffled. "I missed you."
"Hey don't cry, I missed you too," he said. They both got up, and he was greeted by the rest of the Scoobies.
"So what are you guys doing here," Oz asked, sitting next to Willow.
"Well, it all began two years ago, when the First Evil began to kill all the Slayers……." Buffy began.
"You mean you guys are now the big -in-charge watcher types?" Oz asked. "And, you activated all the slayers in the world?" He shook his head. "And I thought blowing up the mayor was cool in my day."
"So why where here," Buffy finished off, "It's our second year, we did the whole fighting-Voldemort-to-ward-off-our-impending-doom bit, then we got married. Simple really."
"It's late," Giles announced, "And we have classes to teach tomorrow, well today now." They all reluctantly got up.
"Oz, you're coming to stay with me and Buff," Sirius said, "Willow…you come too. I know you two have a lot of catching up to do."
The four of them used the fireplace to Floo to Grimmauld Place.
On returning to Grimmauld Place, Sirius and Buffy quietly went up to bed, leaving Oz and Willow to themselves.
"What happened to Tara?" Oz asked softly, "Is she at Hogwarts too?" Willow's eyes filled with tears.
"She was killed," Willow said in a shaky voice, "This guy who had been trying to kill Buffy shot Tara as well. Buffy was saved but it was too late for Tara. Then the bad stuff happened." She swallowed hard, and looked at Oz.
"I'm going to tell you what happened, and I totally understand if you want nothing to do with me after you hear." She took a deep breath. "In the run up to Tara's death, I got carried away with the magicks, used them too much, got addicted. Tara broke up with me because I had been lying to her about using it. Then I went to this dark magic guy, and almost got Dawn killed in the process. So I quit, and me and Tara got back together, but an hour after that, she was shot and died. After that it go bad. I lost control, in my grief and embraced the darkness. I killed Warren, the guy who shot Tara. I tried to hunt down Andrew and Jonathan, Warren's sidekicks and I fought Buffy, and Anya, nearly killed them. Then Giles showed up, I took his magicks, but the goodness made me see the pain in the world. I felt everyone, and how much they were suffering. I tried to end the world, but Xander came and showed me that there was something to live for, purely by still loving me even after what I had done. I'm sorry for what I did, but I can never take it back. Never." Tears slipped down her face, and she let them fall.
Oz looked at her pensively.
"I still love you." he said simply. "I have since I met you, and I always will, no matter what you do." He brushed her tears from her face, then gently kissed her.
