Hello all! Here's the next chapter for ya. The next one will be up on Sunday, I promise.
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Part Fifteen
The next morning, Draco wandered into Dawn's office and sat in one of the chairs looking pensive. He looked impeccable, as usual.
"You're up early," Dawn commented. "I figured you would have slept in since we were out so late."
"I always get up early," he said as he banished the images of Dawn's body as she had danced the night before.
"Ok. Is there something wrong, then? Oh wait, never mind," she corrected herself. "There's nothing wrong."
"I'm a little confused by something," he confessed.
"About what?"
"How many active slayers are there?"
"That we know of? Over a thousand. There could be others. The system that was used to detect potentials wasn't perfect. Buffy's a good example. They had no clue about her until she became one," Dawn explained.
Draco nodded thoughtfully. "And how many watchers are there now?"
"A couple hundred. Why do you ask?"
"So there aren't enough watchers for all of the slayers?"
"No. That's why we've been so busy recruiting. The ones who had passed the activation age are usually trained enough to not need a watcher and then most watchers have more than one slayer. But there are a lot of slayers who need a watcher and don't have one."
"Then I still don't understand why they won't give you a slayer."
"Because I'm not eighteen - I thought I explained all of this already?" She asked.
"But if so many need help, why won't they let you help?" He asked, still clearly confused.
Dawn's eyes narrowed. "You're worried about those girls."
"What?"
"You're worried about all those slayers not having someone to watch out for them. Admit it."
"I'm not worried about anything," he protested. "Those girls could all die for all I care."
She stood and crossed over to him. "But you do care. You care about those girls."
"I do not!" He insisted, standing up to look her in the eye, she was as tall as he was.
"It drives you crazy that those girls need help and we don't have the means to help all of them."
"You foolish girl. Why do you think I would care about a bunch of muggle girls?"
Dawn laughed. "Because I can see it in your eyes. You care about more things than you're willing to admit. That's something you've been trying to hide from you father for all these years. You care about those muggles that you're suppose to hate."
"I do not," he cried in desperation.
"You keep telling yourself that, ferret-face."
He stepped so close to her that their noses were nearly touching. "I don't care."
"And denial is not just a river in Egypt."
The blond growled and before he knew it, he closed the distance and soundly kissed her.
Dawn gasped at the action, allowing his tongue to plunder her mouth. Just a second later, she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The sheer fire behind the kiss was enough to make her knees go weak and a warm sensation to pool in her belly.
Draco, himself, was lost in a sea of whirling emotions and sensations. This beautiful woman who had tortured him for so long had unleashed feelings that he thought he had buried in his youth. She allowed them a release that he could never find before and he clung to it with all the strength he had.
The sound of an alarm cut through their senses and broke them apart. "What's that?" He asked in a husky voice that caused a shiver to go down Dawn's spine.
"We're under attack." She ran to her desk and pushed a button that was hidden underneath the ledge. A wall swung open to reveal weapons. She grabbed two swords and handed one to him. "Stay here."
"Like hell, are you nutters? I'm going with you."
"Fine," she said, realizing this was not a time to argue. "Do you have your wand?"
He rolled his eyes. "I don't go anywhere without it. I'm a wizard for Merlin's sake."
The two dashed out into the lobby to see a group in black robes and masks with a strange silver design on them. They all carried wands and were casting curses on anything that moved.
"Friends of yours?" She asked.
"Deatheaters," he said between clenched teeth. Pointing at one of the far side of the room he said, "And that one is my father."
"How can you tell? They all look the same."
"Believe me, I'd recognize my father anywhere."
Flashing him an encouraging smile, she said, "Why don't we see if we can convince him that escaping from prison was a bad thing?"
Draco wearily sighed as he looked out the window of Angel's office. The fight had been short, but intense, and had left him drained. They had incapacitated several of the intruders, but, unfortunately, his father had escaped. Angel was currently getting hold of Dumbledore and left Draco alone in the room with Dawn.
He heard a hiss of pain from beside him and he turned to see Dawn shift uncomfortably in her chair. "You ok?"
"Damn, that hurts. What did you call that curse again?" She asked, her face pinched tight from the pain.
"The Cruciatus. It's one of the Unforgivables."
"I can see why," she said dryly.
"You shouldn't have done that," he said.
Dawn opened one eye to look at him. "Done what?"
"Took that curse for me. I don't deserve it," he said softly.
"You're the only one here who knows the counter curse, dummy. Had to take it for you so you could release it." She smiled weakly at him, "And you do too deserve it."
He was about to protest when Buffy and Giles entered the office. The blond looked expectantly up at them.
"Dumbledore believes you should return to the school, it is no longer safe for you here. And I agree with him," Giles said. "He'll be here momentarily. You should go pack your things."
Draco nodded and stood to leave.
"Buffy, go help him," Dawn said.
"But Dawnie, you're hurt," the slayer protested.
"I'll be fine, but he has a lot of stuff to pack. Besides, I have Giles here to keep me company," Dawn assured her.
"If you're sure," Buffy said, a little hesitant.
"Yes, now go." When the two blondes left, Dawn looked at Giles. "When Dumbledore gets here, I need to speak to him alone."
"About what?"
"If I wanted you to know, I wouldn't have asked to speak to him alone, now would I?"
Giles sighed and said, "You need to learn to start controlling your tongue, young lady."
"I know, it's a failing," she said simply. Then she turned the puppy dog eyes on. "Please Giles. It's really important."
"Fine. I'll go see if he's here," the watcher said in exasperation.
Dawn smiled softly to herself and closed her eyes as she tried to get her aching body to relax. The curse had been extremely painful, even her eyelids hurt, but it had been worth it to see Draco hovering worriedly over her as he released the curse.
"You wished to speak to me, Miss Summers?" Came Dumbledore's voice from the doorway.
"Yeah, can you shut the door please?"
The wizard did so and sat in a chair next to her. "What seems to be troubling you?"
"Are you sure we aren't pushing Draco too hard, too fast? I feel awful about prying into his life," she said a little sadly.
There was a slight twinkle in his eye as he answered her. "I believe you are doing quite well. I've seen many changes in his behavior since the two of you began writing to each other. However, if you wish to ease up slightly, then there should be no harm in that."
She mulled over his words before saying, "But I feel like this is awfully deceitful. I mean, we're trying to change him."
"No, my dear, we're not," he gently corrected her. "The Draco Malfoy who entered Hogwarts seven years ago was not the same little boy I had met in the years preceding. He had learned at an early age how to hide his true nature until it was all but lost to him. We are merely helping him to remember it."
A small appeared on her lips. "He's remembering it," she said quietly.
"Now let me give you something for the pain." He pulled a small vial out of the folds of his robe and handed it to her. "Drink this."
Not questioning him, she pulled out the cork and dumped the contents down her throat. Her face twisted in disgust as she swallowed. "Yech. That was gross. But hey, I feel better already."
"Good. Let's go find Mr. Malfoy shall we? So you can say goodbye."