Present:

Blaise looks at the picture that was taken that day. The day that they beat the First in Sunnydale. The day her life had taken a turn for the better. After she had come out of the office with Giles and Wesley, they had explained to everyone about the Wizarding World. The girls had drawn her into a group hug when she was explaining everything that was going on in her world, and why she couldn't go home. When they had broken apart, Fred took the picture. All the Slayers. They looked happy. Not a care in the world.

She sighs thinking of all the girls. All the Slayers from that group are still alive, but many have died over the years. Fighting evil is not an easy business.

Blaise flicks through her photo album a little more. The picture of her and Charlie Weasley is next. Charlie became her Watcher a month after the final battle. He arrived in Cleveland, and Blaise had almost died. A Weasley as her Watcher. She couldn't believe it. But he is good, taught her, trained her, and even fought side by side with her. He still is one of the only Watchers to do that.

The next photo makes Blaise laugh. It is a photo taken the day the other Slayers left Cleveland. They were happy. Blaise, Vi, Rona, and Kennedy were smiling at the camera after their last training session together. It had been hard for the girls to split up, but they had to. Kennedy went with Willow to Brazil. Vi had to head to London; the vamp problem in East London seemed to be getting worse. Rona had been dispatched to Africa, with Xander at first and then alone to help at the regional center there. And Blaise, as promised, stayed in the US. At the Hellmouth in Cleveland to be exact.

Blaise closes her photo album and puts it in her bag and starts to peel some of the pictures off her walls. She can't believe she is leaving her room of five years. Cleveland hasn't been all that bad. Dawn had left at first to stay with Buffy in Rome, but after a year had missed the states too much. Buffy had let her come back to Cleveland. Xander had gone to Africa at first, but after the center there was initially set up, he also came back to Cleveland too. He was able to get a glass eye at one of the Hospitals in Cleveland, and joined a successful construction company.

Her family has become Xander, Dawn, and Charlie. The Watcher's council is now paying watchers and Slayers, so they never have to worry about money. Both Dawn and Blaise have ended up getting into a muggle university for anthropology and mythology, the language skills they learned over the years from translating ancient texts finally paying off. Overall, it had been a good five years. Aside from the big bad of the week, it had also been quiet. Boyfriends had come and gone, no one really special to Blaise yet, and also younger Slayers had come to train for some time, but nothing all that special had gone on.

"Blaise, you ready yet?"

Blaise jumps about a foot hearing the voice behind her. "Bloody hell Charlie, thought you knew better then to sneak up on a Slayer!"

"If that Slayer had paid any attention over the last five years, I wouldn't have snuck up on her, she would have known I was coming," Charlie teases her grinning. "But in all seriousness, how are you holding up?"

"I'm ok. I think I can handle this now," Blaise says faking confidence. The Ministry of Magic had gotten in touch with the Watchers and asked them to send some of the senior Slayers to help in the fight against Voldemort. The war is going to end soon, and the Order of the Phoenix needs help. The Slayers are hoping to tip the scales. Blaise isn't happy about going home, but Xander, Dawn and Charlie are going with her, plus she will be seeing some of her friends for the first time in five years.

Charlie pulls her into a hug, he has come to have a brother sister relationship with Blaise over the last five years, "It's going to be fine Lai, I wouldn't worry about a thing, you're a Slayer, you've proven yourself so many times. It won't matter that you used to be a Slytherin. I promise."

She rests her head on his chest, "you can't promise that Char." Then she pulls back, "but you are right, I'm a Slayer, I can do this."

"That's a good girl," Charlie says to her, "we're leaving in 15 minutes, will you be ready?"

"Just have to put that stack in and put my laptop in my case." She looks around the room, "The movers will be able to get the rest."

"Ok," he says and leaves her again to her thoughts.

She finishes putting the last bits in her suitcase and then packs up her laptop. After moving that all into the hall she looks around her room one last time. All of her stuff is in the boxes. It looks so empty. She shakes her head and moves into the bathroom. It had been shared with Dawn until Dawn and Xander moved into the master bedroom two years ago. It hadn't surprised Blaise that they got together. It had been a long time coming. But since then, she had only shared the bathroom with visiting Slayers. The two new Slayers wouldn't be moving in for a few more days, they were waiting until all of the old stuff had been moved out.

Blaise looks at the mirror above the sink. She doesn't feel older. She doesn't feel as if she should be 20. Everyone tells her that she looks so much older, but in her lightweight black sweater, blue jeans, and black boots she didn't feel older. It is an outfit she would have worn at 15. The only difference is that she had dyed her dark hair to have an auburn tint in it. But it is still curly and long. She sighs as she hears her name being called from downstairs. "Guess this is it," she says to her reflection as she turns and walks out of the bathroom.

Grabbing her two suitcases, backpack and laptop case (even though she knows it won't work at Hogwarts), she walks down the stairs. "I'm jealous of Slayer strength right now," Xander quips while struggling with one of Dawns heavy suitcases.

"I can help you if you need me too," Blaise says grinning at him.

"No, have to keep some of my manliness in tact you know."

Blaise nods, she expects that answer. "Xan, you know you and Dawn don't have to come, I mean you only stayed here in the first place because Buffy asked you too, and then because of Dawn, you guys can do whatever...."

"Blaise," Xander says looking straight at her, "You are my friend, Charlie is my best friend, but most of all, in the last five years, we've become a family. I'm not letting my family go into danger without me. Never been good at that. There wasn't a decision or even a discussion. We knew we were going to come."

Blaise nods and only displays thanks by the light grin. Xander acknowledges that with a grin. They continue into the living room where Charlie and Dawn are waiting for them. Charlie grabs his wand and starts shrinking all the suitcases, and Blaise pulls her wand out and does the same. When everything is done and placed in their pockets, Charlie pulls out a box and opens it to reveal a Slytherin patch from a uniform.

"Dumbledore has some sense of humor huh?" she says laughing lightly.

They all grasp the patch on the count of three and wait for the pull. As Blaise feels herself being pulls she remembers how much she hates portkeys and closes her eyes. When she opens them she looks around to see Professor Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts, and many familiar faces.