Chapter 6
I leaned back on the couch and tried to stretch out while Sirius ran around the room and the kitchen and upstairs and outside telling everyone over and over again that he was finally free. It would have been annoying, but he kept switching back and forth between his dog form and nothing's cuter than a really happy dog running around chasing it's tail.
"Sirius Black!"
My eyes snapped open when I realized I had nodded off. Buffy was on the couch adjacent and Xander was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the same. Faith was nowhere to be seen and the only other figure in the room was the floating head in the fireplace.
Hold on.
"Sirius!" The head yelled again.
Sirius in his big black dog form lopped into the room, stood in front of the fire and barked. He twisted in a circle and barked again.
Once I got a second look at the face I could discern it was female. "Oh stop it. And change back to your normal form so we can talk."
He listened like a good dog ... yeah, right.. "Molly, I'm free!"
The lady, Molly looked really worried. "Sirius, we all thought you had died. Harry was in a state."
That stopped the happy Sirius from bobbing around. "I'm going to see him tomorrow, Molly, at Kings Cross."
"Well we are all glad you are back and safe. And if you ever do anything so stupid again I will chain you up in the attic with the ghoul."
I couldn't see him smile, but I knew it was there all the same.
"I love you too, Molly." Then as an afterthought. "Can you tell me where you are all at."
She nodded. "The same place, dear."
"Really I would have thought..."
"Dumbledore put a memory charm on him and placed him out of reach."
"Damn," Sirius swore, "I would have liked to ring his scrawny neck myself."
The big head tried to look around his body. "Is that someone behind you, Sirius?"
He stepped aside. "Some new friends. You'll meet them tomorrow. They'll be coming to Hogwarts."
"Well, put them to bed and quit boring them with your running around my home. Use the kids beds they won't be needing them. Ron and Ginny are with me."
He nodded. "Thanks, Molly."
With that the head disappeared.
I looked back at Buffy and Xander. They were sound asleep.
Sirius looked to me. "Come on, to bed with you and your friends."
I thumbed toward Buffy. "They're already asleep. I'd hate to wake them."
He smiled. "No problem." He took out his wand and gave it a flick and a swish. "Wingardium Leviosa."
Buffy's body began to float off of the couch and toward the stairs.
"Cool!" I whispered. Great, now I'm sounding like Faith.
*******************
The next morning the gang was all sitting around the breakfast table eating what appeared to be biscuits. Sirius was in front of the sink scrubbing a pan when he noticed me.
"Morning, Willow. Have some scones before we leave. I want to make sure we make it to King's Cross before Harry, and we have to stop off and buy everyone some robes so you don't stick out of the crowd."
"Hey Wils." Buffy smiled. "Sleep good?"
I nodded and sat at the table. "Where's Faith?"
Xander thumbed out back. "She's been out there all morning flying around on a broom."
Off in the distance I heard a very distinct. "WAAAAHOOOOO!"
I laughed. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that she's liking this universe."
Buffy looked outside from where we sat. "Think we can leave her here?"
I choked down a biscuit and some really weird pale orange juice type stuff that tasted nothing like orange juice. Before I knew it Sirius was shooing us off to gather our stuff and yelling to the back yard. "FAITH!"
A few seconds later she was at the back door. Her hair was windswept and her cheeks red from exhilaration.
"Hurry up and grab your things."
"Are we going to Diagon Alley?" She asked.
"Um... yeah. How did you know?"
Faith set the broom she had been riding against the wall. "'Cause, chief. After the introduction of a new character and once the initial danger is over, it's time to go to Diagon Alley." She paused and grabbed a biscuit. "'Sides, yesterday someone said we had to buy some clothes to blend in."
She smiled and sashayed her way passed me. "Mornin', Red."
Sirius shook his head in defeat.
I hauled the strap of my carry on
