Eight.
"MOM! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Buffy rushed to her mother's side. The others looked on in concern.
Joyce was sobbing, "It---it's Dawn. She---she..."
"Where is she? What happened? "Buffy cried.
"She ran away." Her mother whispered brokenly.
Buffy's eyes widened, whispering, "What? When?"
"She---she left this." Joyce handed her a letter. Buffy opened it furiously, quickly reading its contents then turned to the others.
"We have to stop her. She can't have gone far." Buffy said in a hard voice. She told her mother, "Mom, stay here. We'll handle this. Spike, stay on guard, in case Dawnie decides to come back."
Spike nodded, "Okay, Slayer."
Buffy turned to Anne, "Do you have something we could use to speed up the search?"
Anne nodded, extracting her wand from the back of her jeans. She flicked it and commanded, "Accio brooms! "
Three wooden broomsticks flew straight towards them, straight from Anne's attic window. Tossing Giles her car keys, Anne said, "I only have these three, but we could use my car as well. Giles, you drive my car and search to the north. It has a disillusionment charm in it so it won't be spotted in the air. Buffy, Willow, grab a broomstick. Let's go."
Giles, Angel and Oz climbed on the black convertible and in no time, they were soaring off into the night. Anne gave the two girls quick instructions in broom flying. She conjured three black robes, directing them to don one in order to blend in the night darkness.
As they were about to fly off, Spike called out softly, "Be careful, luv."
Anne turned and gave him a small smile, "Don't worry. We'll be back soon."
"Bring back my baby." Joyce whispered, leaning on Spike for support.
The three of them kicked off from the ground and soon, they were soaring several feet above Sunnydale. Buffy and Willow soon got the hang of flying, making smooth swerves and turns as they went. "I could definitely get used to this." Willow exclaimed.
"Let's split up. We'll get to cover more ground that way." Anne shouted.
Buffy nodded, moving towards the south direction. The two witches each took the last two directions, scanning the ground carefully for a wayward runaway teen.
It was Willow who first found her. Dawn was huddled in the middle of a circle of hooded figures, cowering in fear and too terrified to scream for help. Willow concentrated hard and focused on sending Anne a message. I found Dawn! We need help! Hurry! She focused to send her thoughts to the other witch, unaware that the hooded figures sensed her and were now gathering beneath her.
The cold came so suddenly. Willow felt her energy being drained from her body, the darkness suddenly swallowing her wholly. The shadowy creatures held their heads up towards Willow, reaching their arms out as if to embrace her fall. She fought against the shadows, struggling against the fierce cold and misery that enveloped her. Voices started to sound off in her head, taunting... screaming their disgust... harassing her... cruel laughter...
Anne and Buffy arrived just in time to see Willow start to fall. Buffy sped towards her falling form, lunging forth to catch her before the black creatures could grab hold of her. Anne turned furiously at the hooded shadows and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
A brilliant figure of a unicorn galloped towards the dark figures, causing them to back off. The unicorn continued to charge on them until it finally drove them away, carrying the cold darkness with them. As the darkness disappeared, so did the bright unicorn.
Buffy slowly floated down, carrying the unconscious Willow. She laid her friend on the soft ground, slightly tapping Willow's cold cheek to wake her up. She looked up to see Anne gently approach the shivering Dawn, still cowering in fear.
"Dawnie? It's me, Anne. Shhh... it's alright. Everything's fine." She crooned, her arms encircling around Dawn as the young girl grabbed her around the waist and held on for dear life.
Willow started to come around, shivering as she sat up. Buffy rubbed her arms comfortingly as her friend fought her tears. She turned to Anne and asked, "What were those things?"
"Dementors, guardians of the wizard prison Azkaban."Anne replied in a soft voice, yet her tone held a steel edge to it. "They've abandoned their duty and now have joined Voldemort. Evil can be seductive to dark creatures such as those."
"God! My head hurts." Willow groaned, her eyes taking on life once more. "I could hear screaming and ... and awful images swirled around my mind..."
"Cold. Cold as death. The pain, the dark was unbearable. It was as if I could never be..." Dawn choked, still sobbing in Anne's arms.
"That you could never be happy again?" Anne supplied for her. She turned to Buffy's concerned gaze and explained, "It's what Dementors do. They suck out the life force of everything around them, leaving their surroundings miserable and devoid of happiness."
The wind swirled around them, making them look up and find Anne's car hovering directly above them. Giles settled the car on the ground, noting their pallor. "What happened?"
Anne shook her head, "We'll explain later. Bring these girls home, quickly now. I'll do some rounds on my broom and make sure everything's safe." She nudged at Dawn, leading her towards Buffy who was standing uncertainly by the car. "Go on. She's still your sister, after all. If not by blood, then by fate."
Dawn nodded then made a beeline for her sibling. Anne smiled as the two sisters hugged, a warm feeling stole over her chest. Everything's right in their world again. For now.
************************************
"HOW DARE THAT SLAYER MEDDLE WITH MY AFFAIRS? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND MY KEY NOW?" Glory ranted, throwing and smashing everything she could grab into an unyielding wall. She grabbed one of her minions by the neck and screamed, "I HATE THIS DIMENSION! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I WANT MY LIFE BACK!"
The small female minion swallowed then hastened to calm her mistress, "Your most gracious Glorificus, there is no need to fret. We will find your key and you shall return and rule the hell-dimension once more. The Slayer will simply be a nuisance you could easily get rid of. She is no match to your power and beauty, O most wonderful Glorificus."
Glory seemed mollified somewhat. She released her trembling minion and continued to pace around the room, "You're right. You're absolutely right. "
She walked towards her overflowing closet, absently inspecting each article of clothing. She muttered, "Where could those stupid monks have hidden my precious key? "
The air crackled at once with magical energy. Glory frowned, surprised at the audacity of the creature that was producing this. She raised her eyebrows as a loud crack exploded and four black-hooded men appeared before her. Her good-for-nothing minions cowered behind the large sofa, peering inconspicuously at the sides.
One man stepped forth and gave her an evil smile, "What would you need a key for, if you could make use of your power in this world?"
Glory replied haughtily, "And who might you be? I have no need for human visitors at this time of night." She licked her lips, "Although, I guess I could make use of a midnight snack." She advanced threateningly.
The men stood undaunted. "That is not necessary. I shall prove that our proposition is most beneficial and highly attractive to a powerful goddess such as yourself."
Glory stopped, her interest piqued. "Proposition?"
The man removed his hood and faced her squarely. Lucius Malfoy smirked and said in a sardonic tone, "Why don't we discuss it over tea, hmmm?"
**********************************
Two weeks have passed since the incident with the Dementors. Life had pretty much gone back to normal for everybody, or rather, as normal as it ever could be for them.
Anne managed to blend inside the Scooby gang, routinely alternating for Giles in training the young Slayer. She worked alongside Angel in training the Slayer during patrols, testing her resourcefulness and reflexes. She and the vamp helped Buffy tone her instincts and senses, helping her anticipate a series of attacks before they were carried out.
She also took it upon herself to educating Willow, whom she discovered possessed great talent in potion making and showing hints of the makings of a great Charm master. They even drove her convertible one night into London to buy a wand at Ollivander's, the only reputable wand shop Anne knew of. On impulse, she even bought brooms for the redhead, Buffy, Dawn and even Anya. Anne explained that these could very well be used in emergencies, as demonstrated the night Dawn attempted to run away.
Owls continued to come and go, carrying letters from various members of the Order, written in heavy code so as not to be deciphered easily. Hermione also kept a running report on the goings-on in Hogwarts, causing her to feel guilty for abandoning her beloved students at this time of uncertainty. The young girl also related how Harry still harbored resentment at her for leaving so suddenly, making her feel all the more guilty for doing so.
One day, an unexpected package was dropped off via the owl network. Anne discovered that her old African friend, one she had met during her travels, had finally sent her the spell she has long been searching for. It couldn't have arrived with greater timing, though it would require several more days of work from her. No matter, she would have to shift some of the load on Giles and Angel to work on this special project. She intended to perform it as soon as possible. And for that, she would have to enlist Buffy, Willow and Anya's help...
Through all that was happening, she and Spike managed to find the time to renew the bond between them. Anne insisted that Spike move in with her permanently, since she had more rooms than she knew what to do with anyway. The others gave a token of protest, especially Giles. But Spike was secretly pleased at this arrangement, knowing he was being given an opportunity to be closer to his beautiful black-haired witch.
One beautiful Sunday morning, the five Scooby girls decided to treat themselves to a day-off of unadulterated shopping and pampering. They were enjoying the wonders of a Japanese rose-filled hot spring when Dawn suddenly asked out of the blue, "So have you and Spike boinked yet?"
"Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed as Willow and Anya snickered.
Anne felt her face suffuse with a hot red color, replying in a stutter, "Uh... what---what do... you... uh, mean, Dawnie?"
Dawn continued, impervious to Buffy's glare, "What do I mean? I mean, hey, come on! You and him... living all alone inside that big house... with only three animals as chaperons...duh!"
Anya chimed in, "Yes! Tell us of the orgasms you've been having!"
Anne squeaked, "Anya! Crude much?" She used Buffy-slang unconsciously, covering her face with her hands. When she peered at her friends' faces, they were looking at her expectantly.
Buffy asked eagerly, not minding that she was the one who first protested earlier. "Well?"
"Spike and I ... haven't had orgasms yet." She spoke quietly. " We're just friends, is all."
"How could you say that?" Willow cried. "Don't deny that you've been totally in love with that man for more than a century! How could you stand it?"
Buffy nodded, "You have got to do something to make him fall for you, once and for all."
"In other words, SEDUCE HIM." Dawn said firmly. Buffy turned to her in shock, "DAWN!"
Dawn groused, "What? It's not like I'm an innocent in the ways of the world! And, hello? I'm so-oo way older than you now." She grinned smugly.
Buffy narrowed her eyes, "NOT old enough to be saved from mom's punishments when she hears about this..."
The idea appealed to Anne. How many nights have she lain in bed, wide-awake with nothing to alleviate the void inside her? How many nights had she tortured herself of images and fantasies concerning a certain bleached blond vampire? How many nights had been wasted unfulfilled, her body quivering with the need to be with him, to be close and intimate with the one man who could heat her blood so instantly?
"But... how? I have absolutely no experience in deliberate seduction." Anne half-protested.
The three female sported knowing smiles, " Ahh... Anne Sinclair, you just got lucky 'coz that happens to be our specialty. Here's how you do it..." And in the middle of the steaming pool of hot spring water, Buffy, Willow and Anya instructed Anne to the intricacies of female seduction.
"MOM! What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Buffy rushed to her mother's side. The others looked on in concern.
Joyce was sobbing, "It---it's Dawn. She---she..."
"Where is she? What happened? "Buffy cried.
"She ran away." Her mother whispered brokenly.
Buffy's eyes widened, whispering, "What? When?"
"She---she left this." Joyce handed her a letter. Buffy opened it furiously, quickly reading its contents then turned to the others.
"We have to stop her. She can't have gone far." Buffy said in a hard voice. She told her mother, "Mom, stay here. We'll handle this. Spike, stay on guard, in case Dawnie decides to come back."
Spike nodded, "Okay, Slayer."
Buffy turned to Anne, "Do you have something we could use to speed up the search?"
Anne nodded, extracting her wand from the back of her jeans. She flicked it and commanded, "Accio brooms! "
Three wooden broomsticks flew straight towards them, straight from Anne's attic window. Tossing Giles her car keys, Anne said, "I only have these three, but we could use my car as well. Giles, you drive my car and search to the north. It has a disillusionment charm in it so it won't be spotted in the air. Buffy, Willow, grab a broomstick. Let's go."
Giles, Angel and Oz climbed on the black convertible and in no time, they were soaring off into the night. Anne gave the two girls quick instructions in broom flying. She conjured three black robes, directing them to don one in order to blend in the night darkness.
As they were about to fly off, Spike called out softly, "Be careful, luv."
Anne turned and gave him a small smile, "Don't worry. We'll be back soon."
"Bring back my baby." Joyce whispered, leaning on Spike for support.
The three of them kicked off from the ground and soon, they were soaring several feet above Sunnydale. Buffy and Willow soon got the hang of flying, making smooth swerves and turns as they went. "I could definitely get used to this." Willow exclaimed.
"Let's split up. We'll get to cover more ground that way." Anne shouted.
Buffy nodded, moving towards the south direction. The two witches each took the last two directions, scanning the ground carefully for a wayward runaway teen.
It was Willow who first found her. Dawn was huddled in the middle of a circle of hooded figures, cowering in fear and too terrified to scream for help. Willow concentrated hard and focused on sending Anne a message. I found Dawn! We need help! Hurry! She focused to send her thoughts to the other witch, unaware that the hooded figures sensed her and were now gathering beneath her.
The cold came so suddenly. Willow felt her energy being drained from her body, the darkness suddenly swallowing her wholly. The shadowy creatures held their heads up towards Willow, reaching their arms out as if to embrace her fall. She fought against the shadows, struggling against the fierce cold and misery that enveloped her. Voices started to sound off in her head, taunting... screaming their disgust... harassing her... cruel laughter...
Anne and Buffy arrived just in time to see Willow start to fall. Buffy sped towards her falling form, lunging forth to catch her before the black creatures could grab hold of her. Anne turned furiously at the hooded shadows and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
A brilliant figure of a unicorn galloped towards the dark figures, causing them to back off. The unicorn continued to charge on them until it finally drove them away, carrying the cold darkness with them. As the darkness disappeared, so did the bright unicorn.
Buffy slowly floated down, carrying the unconscious Willow. She laid her friend on the soft ground, slightly tapping Willow's cold cheek to wake her up. She looked up to see Anne gently approach the shivering Dawn, still cowering in fear.
"Dawnie? It's me, Anne. Shhh... it's alright. Everything's fine." She crooned, her arms encircling around Dawn as the young girl grabbed her around the waist and held on for dear life.
Willow started to come around, shivering as she sat up. Buffy rubbed her arms comfortingly as her friend fought her tears. She turned to Anne and asked, "What were those things?"
"Dementors, guardians of the wizard prison Azkaban."Anne replied in a soft voice, yet her tone held a steel edge to it. "They've abandoned their duty and now have joined Voldemort. Evil can be seductive to dark creatures such as those."
"God! My head hurts." Willow groaned, her eyes taking on life once more. "I could hear screaming and ... and awful images swirled around my mind..."
"Cold. Cold as death. The pain, the dark was unbearable. It was as if I could never be..." Dawn choked, still sobbing in Anne's arms.
"That you could never be happy again?" Anne supplied for her. She turned to Buffy's concerned gaze and explained, "It's what Dementors do. They suck out the life force of everything around them, leaving their surroundings miserable and devoid of happiness."
The wind swirled around them, making them look up and find Anne's car hovering directly above them. Giles settled the car on the ground, noting their pallor. "What happened?"
Anne shook her head, "We'll explain later. Bring these girls home, quickly now. I'll do some rounds on my broom and make sure everything's safe." She nudged at Dawn, leading her towards Buffy who was standing uncertainly by the car. "Go on. She's still your sister, after all. If not by blood, then by fate."
Dawn nodded then made a beeline for her sibling. Anne smiled as the two sisters hugged, a warm feeling stole over her chest. Everything's right in their world again. For now.
************************************
"HOW DARE THAT SLAYER MEDDLE WITH MY AFFAIRS? HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO FIND MY KEY NOW?" Glory ranted, throwing and smashing everything she could grab into an unyielding wall. She grabbed one of her minions by the neck and screamed, "I HATE THIS DIMENSION! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! I WANT MY LIFE BACK!"
The small female minion swallowed then hastened to calm her mistress, "Your most gracious Glorificus, there is no need to fret. We will find your key and you shall return and rule the hell-dimension once more. The Slayer will simply be a nuisance you could easily get rid of. She is no match to your power and beauty, O most wonderful Glorificus."
Glory seemed mollified somewhat. She released her trembling minion and continued to pace around the room, "You're right. You're absolutely right. "
She walked towards her overflowing closet, absently inspecting each article of clothing. She muttered, "Where could those stupid monks have hidden my precious key? "
The air crackled at once with magical energy. Glory frowned, surprised at the audacity of the creature that was producing this. She raised her eyebrows as a loud crack exploded and four black-hooded men appeared before her. Her good-for-nothing minions cowered behind the large sofa, peering inconspicuously at the sides.
One man stepped forth and gave her an evil smile, "What would you need a key for, if you could make use of your power in this world?"
Glory replied haughtily, "And who might you be? I have no need for human visitors at this time of night." She licked her lips, "Although, I guess I could make use of a midnight snack." She advanced threateningly.
The men stood undaunted. "That is not necessary. I shall prove that our proposition is most beneficial and highly attractive to a powerful goddess such as yourself."
Glory stopped, her interest piqued. "Proposition?"
The man removed his hood and faced her squarely. Lucius Malfoy smirked and said in a sardonic tone, "Why don't we discuss it over tea, hmmm?"
**********************************
Two weeks have passed since the incident with the Dementors. Life had pretty much gone back to normal for everybody, or rather, as normal as it ever could be for them.
Anne managed to blend inside the Scooby gang, routinely alternating for Giles in training the young Slayer. She worked alongside Angel in training the Slayer during patrols, testing her resourcefulness and reflexes. She and the vamp helped Buffy tone her instincts and senses, helping her anticipate a series of attacks before they were carried out.
She also took it upon herself to educating Willow, whom she discovered possessed great talent in potion making and showing hints of the makings of a great Charm master. They even drove her convertible one night into London to buy a wand at Ollivander's, the only reputable wand shop Anne knew of. On impulse, she even bought brooms for the redhead, Buffy, Dawn and even Anya. Anne explained that these could very well be used in emergencies, as demonstrated the night Dawn attempted to run away.
Owls continued to come and go, carrying letters from various members of the Order, written in heavy code so as not to be deciphered easily. Hermione also kept a running report on the goings-on in Hogwarts, causing her to feel guilty for abandoning her beloved students at this time of uncertainty. The young girl also related how Harry still harbored resentment at her for leaving so suddenly, making her feel all the more guilty for doing so.
One day, an unexpected package was dropped off via the owl network. Anne discovered that her old African friend, one she had met during her travels, had finally sent her the spell she has long been searching for. It couldn't have arrived with greater timing, though it would require several more days of work from her. No matter, she would have to shift some of the load on Giles and Angel to work on this special project. She intended to perform it as soon as possible. And for that, she would have to enlist Buffy, Willow and Anya's help...
Through all that was happening, she and Spike managed to find the time to renew the bond between them. Anne insisted that Spike move in with her permanently, since she had more rooms than she knew what to do with anyway. The others gave a token of protest, especially Giles. But Spike was secretly pleased at this arrangement, knowing he was being given an opportunity to be closer to his beautiful black-haired witch.
One beautiful Sunday morning, the five Scooby girls decided to treat themselves to a day-off of unadulterated shopping and pampering. They were enjoying the wonders of a Japanese rose-filled hot spring when Dawn suddenly asked out of the blue, "So have you and Spike boinked yet?"
"Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed as Willow and Anya snickered.
Anne felt her face suffuse with a hot red color, replying in a stutter, "Uh... what---what do... you... uh, mean, Dawnie?"
Dawn continued, impervious to Buffy's glare, "What do I mean? I mean, hey, come on! You and him... living all alone inside that big house... with only three animals as chaperons...duh!"
Anya chimed in, "Yes! Tell us of the orgasms you've been having!"
Anne squeaked, "Anya! Crude much?" She used Buffy-slang unconsciously, covering her face with her hands. When she peered at her friends' faces, they were looking at her expectantly.
Buffy asked eagerly, not minding that she was the one who first protested earlier. "Well?"
"Spike and I ... haven't had orgasms yet." She spoke quietly. " We're just friends, is all."
"How could you say that?" Willow cried. "Don't deny that you've been totally in love with that man for more than a century! How could you stand it?"
Buffy nodded, "You have got to do something to make him fall for you, once and for all."
"In other words, SEDUCE HIM." Dawn said firmly. Buffy turned to her in shock, "DAWN!"
Dawn groused, "What? It's not like I'm an innocent in the ways of the world! And, hello? I'm so-oo way older than you now." She grinned smugly.
Buffy narrowed her eyes, "NOT old enough to be saved from mom's punishments when she hears about this..."
The idea appealed to Anne. How many nights have she lain in bed, wide-awake with nothing to alleviate the void inside her? How many nights had she tortured herself of images and fantasies concerning a certain bleached blond vampire? How many nights had been wasted unfulfilled, her body quivering with the need to be with him, to be close and intimate with the one man who could heat her blood so instantly?
"But... how? I have absolutely no experience in deliberate seduction." Anne half-protested.
The three female sported knowing smiles, " Ahh... Anne Sinclair, you just got lucky 'coz that happens to be our specialty. Here's how you do it..." And in the middle of the steaming pool of hot spring water, Buffy, Willow and Anya instructed Anne to the intricacies of female seduction.
