It's really difficult writing about a time that has already happened, and it's difficult to not try and adapt my writing to that, but I have tried. When I saw this episode, I was really annoyed at the way Xander, Willow and Joyce laid into Buffy, and Buffy just took it, so I changed it.
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Chapter 15
Buffy
entered Giles' home, following him, with her Hogwarts friends following behind
her. Willow and Xander stood up quickly as they saw them enter.
"Buffy we are so sorry," Willow burst out. Buffy held up a hand.
"Guys could we have some time," she said
to the others, and Moody, Dumbledore and Harry left, followed by Oz and
Cordelia, Cordelia insisting she wanted to listen but being ushered out by Oz.
"We're sorry," Willow repeated. She
didn't look at Buffy, but the floor. "We didn't know."
"It's
okay," Buffy assured her. "I'm not blaming you for what you said. In a way
you're right, I have been selfish. I shouldn't have like I did without word,
and I can't blame you for feeling the way you did. But it wasn't as simple as
that.
"We get that now," Xander said, with a
rueful; smile. "You did good, kid, It must've taken a lot for you to do that.
"You're not wrong," Buffy admitted. "But
I'm doing okay. Hogwarts is great and so are the people." Xander and Willow exchanged yet another glance.
"What now?" Buffy exclaimed good
naturedly.
"Well, that Harry guy is a
bit….well…mean," Willow said. "I mean when we showed up without you he pretty
much freaked out." Buffy laughed.
"He's been a really good friend to me at Hogwarts." She said. "I told him about Angel and all that, so he kind of knew the full story. He understands what it's like, he's really important too, like Slayer important." Xander raised sceptical eyebrows.
"Just try and like him for me, okay?" she said
in a strained voice. "I wish you could meet the others too, you'd really like
them I think." They digested this, then Xander broke in.
"Are you going back?" he asked quietly.
Buffy looked at him for a long moment.
"Yes," she replied simply. "Sunnydale
has a slayer for now, and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment yet. I'm
still healing, and I'm kind of enjoying not being the chosen one, but the
protector of the chosen one. It's refreshing."
"But what about us?" Willow said in a strange croaky voice.
"You know I love you guys," Buffy said openly.
"But this is something I have to do. And I'll still see you, I'll come visit
and you can come to see me at Hogwarts. Maybe without me around, you'll stop
getting hurt."
"But where's the fun in that?" Xander
exclaimed. "They whole cool slaying gig made me feel manly. Even Cordy stopped
mocking me!"
"Buffy has to go back," Giles said quietly, speaking for the first time. He cleaned his glasses yet again. "There's no where she can do more good than Hogwarts. From what Dumbledore has told me, they have a war on their hands. And the only one who can end it is Harry Potter. He's going to need all the help he can get."
"I have the apocalypse experience down," Buffy quipped. She suddenly sighed.
I have to
go see my mom again," she said softly. "I can't leave like this."
"She called you know," Giles poke up.
"She was worried about you." Buffy stood up, and left the house, to travel to
her mother's house. The others rejoined Giles, Willow and Xander.
"We'd better get to our motel,"
Dumbledore said.
"Come over tomorrow," Giles said. "We can give you the Sunnydale experience." They agreed, and Harry, Dumbledore and Moody left the house.
Buffy
stretched luxuriously the next morning. It felt good to be back in her own bed,
in her own room, even if it was just for a visit.
"Morning Buffy," her mother said,
bustling into the room with a tray holding breakfast for her. "Sleep well?"
Buffy smiled in reply and took the tray. She and her mother had talked again
last night, and everything was tentatively okay between them
"There's nothing like your cooking," she
declared as she tucked into her eggs. Joyce sat down on the edge of her bed,
and reached out to tuck Buffy's hair behind her ear fondly.
"I was thinking that today we can go
hang out with all the others," Buffy said conversationally, through a mouthful
of eggs. "All of the Hogwarts people too, so you can see who I've been with.
You're going to love Dumbledore, he's the greatest." Joyce nodded.
They all met at Giles', Harry, Dumbledore and Moody having spent a night in the town motel. After much deliberation, they decided to spend the day divide between the miniature golf course and various other tourist treats. What they were really looking forward to was the evening, where Buffy was going to take them on patrol with her.
Buffy
stayed close to her mom throughout the day, wanting her to forgive her and
understand what was happening in her life. Joyce got on well with Dumbledore as
Buffy had predicted, but was amazed at his revelations about the magical world.
Xander and Willow made an effort to talk to Harry, and harry, regretting his anger of the
previous night, was polite back to them. The whole group found the mini golf
experience funny, Moody had no conception of muggle games, and Buffy had to
teach him to exercise restraint when his first hit ricocheted off of the
fibreglass castle and hit the course attendant in the mouth.
That night, Buffy sent her mother home, feeling she wasn't quite ready for her
to see a slayer in action and she set out for the cemetery, accompanied by
Harry, Moody, Dumbledore, Willow and Xander.
"I used to patrol like every night,"
Buffy explained as they walked there. "Sunnydale's so hot with demonic badness
that I had to."
"But we did
it while Buffy was gone," Xander said helpfully. "We had this whole cool radio
thing going on. My hook was nighthawk."
Presently they arrived at the cemetery, and Buffy led them in, surprised at how
familiar it seemed.
"And now we wait," she said. "There's
always something." They stood in a loose group talking quietly, when Buffy
suddenly hushed them. She listened carefully, then, without warning, a male
vampire jumped out from the shadows, grabbing Buffy and throwing her to the
floor. It turned to the rest of them, but Buffy was up quickly, and kicked it
in the stomach, sending it reeling backwards. Out of the shadows another
appeared. Buffy took them both on at once, kicking one, while blocking a punch
from the other. She was kicked to the floor once, but got up and carried on
fighting.
"I can't get a clear shot," Moody growled,
frustrated, with him wand raised. "If I try and hex them, I might get the
girl." Dumbledore was watching them through narrowed eyes.
"I think she'll be okay." Buffy moved
quickly and deftly, attacking them with as much force as she could muster. She
had the upper hand for a while, and staked one of them, and then turned to the
other. Before she could react, it kicked her, sending her flying back against a
nearby headstone. It leapt over and Buffy fought from the ground.
Suddenly a
woman came running up, pulled the vampire off of Buffy and tackled it herself.
She staked it quickly, as Buffy was getting to her feet.
"Who are you?" Buffy said, as the girl
dusted her hands off.
"Buffy, this is Faith, the new Slayer," Willow said quickly.
"Oh," Buffy said, suddenly distracted.
"I wondered when I'd meet you."
"Buffy right?" Faith said, with a quick smile. "Good to meet you B." She walked off, leaving the cemetery.
"Well that
was interesting," Buffy said with a forced smile. "Kind of weird seeing someone
doing my job." She frowned in the direction of the girl's departing back, then
led them deeper into the cemetery.
