This is sort of a half-chapter... a reflection of sorts to go through the events of the past year in a nice Christmas-y montage where realizations are made and lives are changed forever.

This nice, shorter chapter is just an add in to the next, which will contain Christmas and the Yule Ball. I felt like there needed to be more... something other than what's to come. So here is a nice short piece of it. Until then...

A letter to the reviewers down below...

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Chapter 15

Life, Laughter and the Infamous Tea Cozy

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Two days after Thanksgiving, Buffy's suitemates were still groaning from the amount of the food.

"I can't believe you ordered two turkeys," Tara groaned that morning as she settled in her usual chair and reached for the Daily Prophet. "And all those fixings..."

"Mmmmm," Willow moaned as she took her usual seat beneath the window and picked up a pillow and hugged it. "And the pudding... I love tapioca pudding."

"I have to say it went rather well," Buffy said, sounding a bit more cheerful as she set down her briefcase, which was barely managing to stay latched because of the papers sticking out of it. "But now, it's Saturday, and I have a lot of work to do."

"Reminisce all you want," Willow said which a hearty chuckle as she reached over and grabbed the teapot from the tea tray that had been delivered to their room. "Do we have any more of those little almond wraps?"

"You'll have to go down to the Kitchens if you want one," Buffy sighed as her briefcase sprang open and mounds of papers flew out. Whisper hooted behind them incessantly. "Shush!" she cried out. "Or I'll start feeding you my students homework."

"Um, Buffy," said Tara, casting aside the Daily Prophet and dropping to her knees to help collect all of the papers. "Don't you think this is a bit rash? I mean, having essays on the anatomy and physiology or a vampire is okay, but having an essay on the origin of the shunning spell?"

"I'm just doing what the lovely Ministry laid out for me," Buffy retorted, rescuing a stack of papers from under the table.

"Talk to Giles," Willow said gently. "He should be able to pull some strings, now that we know what he's doing..."

Buffy turned her head so sharply Willow nearly fell backwards. "It was just a suggestion," she muttered softly as she returned to her chair. Buffy paused a moment, thinking.

"You're right. How is the school going to be prepared for what's coming if we don't have anything going for us?"

"And Buffy, not to be rude or anything," Tara said, backpeddling slightly, "but other than Thanksgiving, when have you spoken to Dawn? I know she has to pretend that you're not sisters and all... I still can't believe you got her here for Thanksgiving around Quidditch and everything. What did you do?"

"When there's a Wil, there's a way," Buffy said with a slightly smile. "Willow and I came up a plan to kidnap Dawn when Willow discovered that she needed to serve detention that night anyway. And she ended up coming here instead..."

*** Two Days Earlier ***

"I can't believe you found out I had detention for being like two minutes late to Arithmancy," Dawn snapped as Buffy marched her down the corridors, heading for the suites. "And I can't believe that after everything you've told me about pretending to not know you, I can't believe you've made me..." her voice died out when she saw who was standing by the suite. "Xander?"

Buffy grinned. "And when we're in the halls, Dawn, it might be best if you call me Professor Summers, or at the very least, Anne."

"All right, Anne," Dawn echoed as they stepped through the door. What she saw shocked and surprised her, since their suite was full of the smells of a delicious, home-cooked meal.  The entire living area had disappeared, replaced by two long tables, now full of happy, chattering Slayers. Over the fireplace was Willow, prodding a cauldron with her wand. And behind them, hoardes of house elves came forward, with platter after platter of turkey, potatoes and the rest of their Thanksgiving meal.

"Buffy..." Dawn gasped, but words failed her. Tears sprung to her eyes as she saw familiar faces turning to smile at her. Feeling herself being swept up, she saw Xander and hugged him back with every ounce of energy she had. "I-I don't believe this!"

"Believe it, Bit," another voice replied as Faith came forward, a large pitcher of water in hand. "Big sis hid this from all of us for like the past month."

"Not all of us," Wesley said from his spot at the table, next to Giles.

"Thank you, Wesley," Buffy grinned as she took the pitcher from Faith and began filling glasses. "Help yourselves everyone."

It was then that Dawn noticed that maybe a dozen Slayers, including Faith, were present. "Where are all of the others?"

"On duty," Faith replied, taking the seat next to Giles. "But it's nice to eat something that Kennedy hasn't charred, you know?"

Dawn was still feeling touched as she loaded her plate with as much food as could fit on it. As she ate, she tuned in slowly to the chatter going on around her. Buffy, Willow and Xander were discussing their first Thanksgiving without her mom, back when Giles lived in the apartment. Since she'd been away that year, Dawn listened to them talk about a Native American attack and making snide jokes about Xander's syphilis.

It was then that Xander set down his goblet, a strange look overcoming his eyes. "I think we should make a toast, everyone. But it should mean more than just us clinking glasses, because I think we all know how much we've already lost this year." He turned to Buffy. "But sometimes," he continued, turning to Tara. "People can surprise you in ways you never thought possible. And those that you think you've lost, have returned. Maybe they aren't here now, but they are there."

Buffy listened to Xander speak and felt herself tear up.

"We know we have a hell of a battle to face. We already did and we won. But this is different. This isn't the First Evil anymore. This is someone willing to be the new First and creates its own evil. It has an army and right now, we're the only army that the world has that can stop this force. I think we should toast to life... and death... because without those we've lost, we would never have made it this far."

"Hear, hear!" the table chanted as glasses clinked.

Buffy wiped her eyes quickly on her blouse before returning to her cranberries, only faintly listening in to the conversation. She could feel Dawn and perhaps Giles watching her, but only she knew the full extent to which Xander had said. Spike had saved all of their lives, but he wasn't here to sacrifice this time. He wasn't going to be there to save the world. He wasn't going to be there to give her strength.

But there would be time for him to return...

*** Three Weeks Later ***

Dawn and Hermione had just finished discussing the latest chapter assigned to them in Arithmancy when Harry and Ron approached, looking very excited about something. Harry sat down and took out a small package, which he handed to Dawn. Dawn glanced at him in surprise. "What is it?"

"You asked for one, didn't you?" Harry grinned. "You told me you've never seen one of these before."

"Oh!" Dawn gasped, quickly pulling off the lumpy brown wrapping to find... a tea cozy. "Oh... um, thanks, Harry!"

"Anytime," said Harry, turning to Hermione. "They've put the post up about the Yule Ball."

"Really?" gasped Hermione, looking as excited as they were. "Any idea who you're taking yet?"

"I do," said Ron, sounding somewhat confident. Although his eyes were on Dawn, he focused his attention to Hermione. "Would you like to go, Hermione?"

She looked rather flattered. "Don't you remember the last time you asked me?"

"You went with Krum," Ron said between clenched teeth. "I figured I would ask you before anyone else had the chance to. That's all."

"Who are you going to take, Harry?" Dawn asked him curiously.

"Yeah," Hermione said, turning away from the red-faced Ron to look at Harry. "Are you going to ask Cho?"

"I don't know who I'm going to ask, except that it won't be a Patil twin or Cho Chang," Harry replied heavily. So much time had passed since he'd felt anything real toward Cho.

"Wait... you and Cho went together?" Dawn asked slowly. "She never told me that!"

"What?" Harry asked, surprised. "I figured she would be babbling about me and her to everyone."

"She's a private person," Dawn replied as she stood up, shoving her large Arithmancy text back into her bag.

"Who are you going with?" Ron asked, mostly to keep the attention from himself and Harry.

"Don't you know?" Dawn asked in mild surprise. "I'm going with Draco."

As Dawn swept away, all three of them stared after her in awe.

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Harry sat on his bed for a long time that night, staring at the window at the snow gently falling outside. Just last year, he was so excited for Christmas to come, so that he could return to the Burrow. But so much had changed.

He quickly undressed and slipped into his pajamas, then got into his warm bed and pulled the drapes around him, listening to the sound of his own mild breathing...

A knock sounded somewhere in the distance. "Harry?" a voice shouted jovially as the door was pushed open. "Harry! Wake up! It's Christmas!"

It was Sirius Black.

Harry stood up from his four-post bed, confused as he stumbled down the steps before finding himself in the Great Hall, which had been set up with the largest Christmas tree imaginable, twinkling with real golden faeries.

"Merry Christmas, Harry!" a voice said softly and Harry felt strong arms circle him from behind. But before he could turn to see who the feminine voice belonged to, Sirius returned with a large package.

"Sit down, Harry! You have presents!"

But Harry was focused on the man behind Sirius, and the woman now walking from a door that had suddenly appeared. "Mom?" he asked in ragged confusion. "Dad?"

A soft hand fell onto his shoulder and he saw a ribbon of vivid red hair in his eyesight. "Ginny?"

"What, you didn't think we'd have your girlfriend over for Christmas?" his mother, Lily asked, looking mildly insulted as she handed him a cuppa. "Ginny, dear, forgive our son. We knew he had some brains, but obviously not enough."

Next to him, Ginny giggled.

"But... how can this be?" Harry asked, his voice sounding far away. "You're dead..."

"Do we look dead to you?" his father, James asked with a loud laugh, turning to Sirius, who was hell bent on opening a bottle. "Want some help with that, Padfoot?"

"Padfoot..." Harry said... and then he realized...

Harry awoke suddenly, feeling very confused. It was strange, seeing his parents and Sirius in his dreams. But the weird thing wasn't seeing them, it was seeing Ginny.

"Ginny," he whispered, laying back on his pillow. He had known her for years... but really... was there anything there?

He would have to throw caution to the wind and find out tomorrow.

Whenever that came.

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To be continued...

Chapter 16 -- Christmas and the Yule Ball.

To my faithful reviewers...

I know that you asked for more Spike and Angel.. they will be appearing when needed. I do, however, have one reservation. Draco. I know he's a great bullying git and we'll finally see how much in the near future. When Alpha asked me the significance of the tea cozy, I directed her to that Buffy episode where she said she wanted a tea cozy, but not knowing what it was. I figured it would fit in nicely here.

Thank you for your encouragement and reviews!