Extended
version includes an extended scene between Dawn and Ginny. An added scene is a
conversation between Professor Summers and Professor Snape.
- - - - -
Chapter 24
A Walk in the Clouds- - - - -
Easter holidays came with a rush of force. The fifth years had an enormous
amount of homework do to in preparation for their OWLs, but it was nothing
compared to the amount the sixth and seventh years received.
But some students found that the week of break was not the time to spend on
homework and studying. Many students were to be found outside and by the lake,
where the unusually warm weather brought an early Spring.
Harry, Ron and Hermione found themselves sitting beneath the same tree that
Harry had seen his Father sitting under in Snape's pensieve. While Harry and
Ron wanted to talk about Quidditch, Hermione sat across from them shaking her
head and a textbook at them, demanding to quiz them in the harder aspects of
Transfiguring a pocket watch into a spool of thread.
But what Harry was almost afraid to tell them about was the amulet. Finally, he
decided to talk about it one afternoon the day before the end of break. It was
a warm, sunny day, as much of the week had been, and for once Hermione didn't
bring her overloaded bookbag with her. He was somewhat glad that Ginny had
returned after lunch to the library, looking slightly stressed out. He would
talk to her later, but for now, he wanted to face his two best friends and tell
them.
Their reactions were something that he might have expected. Hermione's eyes
grew wide and fearful, and her voice shook when she asked her first question.
Ron was silent, staring at Harry with something like muted respect.
"Harry, why didn't you tell us?"
"I didn't know how," Harry replied honestly. He picked at a newborn blade
of grass, averting their eyes. "How I can tell you two what I'm about to
face when I nearly got you both killed last year?"
"It doesn't matter," Ron said quietly, his hand lightly touching his
neck, where just a few weeks ago he had hovered near death. "You just told
us. And now we have to figure out what to do."
As they continued their conversation, a figure watched them from high above
inside the library. Ginny sighed and pulled away from the window and warm
breeze and retreated back to her table, a large stack of books to explain
various Potions in her arms.
At the other end of her table, Dawn Harris was looking through Ginny's career
advice booklets. "I never would have thought there are so many fascinating
fields," Dawn said quietly when Ginny sat down.
"There really are," Ginny enthused as she scanned a bit of parchment
and sorted through the books.
"Have you ever thought about what you wanted to be?" Dawn asked as
she picked up a brochure about Muggle Relations.
"I want to go into finances, like my brother," Ginny replied as she
opened one of the books and scanned the index. "Harry has his heart set on
being an Auror though, so I'm not going to ignore it completely. Have you
thought at all about it?"
"No," Dawn said, her brow furrowing as she sorted the brochures
before handing the folder back to Ginny. "I plan on going back to California
as soon as the year is over... and what happens from there is... sort of in the
future, you know?"
Ginny sighed as she closed the book. "It's so odd, planning your future
career when in a short month or less you could be dead. I mean, what's the
point?"
"The point is that no matter how bad things get," Dawn said
earnestly, "there is always a silver lining to any cloud. You can't get
much worse than this."
There was a dark look on Ginny's face. "Did Harry ever tell you about his
godfather?"
"No," Dawn replied, shaking her head.
"I thought Harry was at his worst when Cedric Diggory, you heard of him by
now I'm sure, died. And then Sirius was killed last year. He's had nothing but
bad and worse for nearly three years and the last thing he needs is to know
he's facing another uphill battle, more death, more pain. He doesn't have any
silver lining. His release... is death..."
"Death is a gift," Dawn finally said, "that's what my sister
told me. Her gift to the world was death. She died to save me."
"Your sister?" Ginny asked, perplexed. "I never knew you had
one."
"I did," Dawn said, forcing herself to stick to her cover story.
"But technically, I'm an orphan. Just like Harry."
Ginny was surprised to see the flicker of pain cross Dawn's face as she folded
her hands. "I'm sorry, Dawn," she said softly. "I didn't
know."
"Nobody does," Dawn replied in a voice as soft as Ginny's. "Not
even Draco."
Ginny made a note on a piece of parchment before turning back to Dawn, who was
twirling a pencil in her fingers. Something that Harry had told her suddenly
connected in Ginny's mind. "Are you planning on staying with Draco when
you leave?"
"I don't know," Dawn said in a moody voice, setting the pencil down.
"Now that I've met him and have some real friends... and I'm not
surrounded by a big girl's club... maybe I don't want to leave at all."
"I don't like Draco," Ginny said honestly, "because he's said
some horrible things about my family, some of which you probably heard when he
kept saying all of those things about you... But he seems happy... which is a
big deal, because he's never happy unless someone else is miserable. He's
really growing up."
"Some people think he's just the same old Draco," Dawn said sadly. "I really think he's changed from the Draco I knew. Maybe that's because I just care a lot about him."
Ginny leaned forward with a twinkle in her eye. "Are we actually talking about boys?"
Dawn suddenly grinned. "I kind of miss my friends from home because that's all we did. Nope, no intelligent conversation for Dawn. But I'm really glad we're talking about this, because it's about to get a whole lot darker."
Ginny shrugged. "It's usually Hermione I'm talking to, and you know what she's like."
"I think I do," Dawn replied, picking at the folder absentmindedly. "I'm talking about really caring for a guy that your entire House despises."
"It beats
worrying about the end of the world," Ginny said with another shrug.
Dawn stared at the table for a moment before she started chuckling. "This
is really apocalypse talk, isn't it?"
Ginny found herself relaxing as she set another book aside and reached for one
off the top. It was easier to laugh than it was to talk about such serious
issues.
And Dawn reached over, grabbed a book off the top of Ginny's stack, and began
flipping through it.
- - - - -
"Hi. I wasn't sure you would come."
"Oh... I had my doubts... and second thoughts about my doubts, and thirds," Tara said as she sat down across from Willow on the grassy lawn, which rippled in the wind.
"I just figured, you know, since it was such a nice day and all, you might enjoy a little... picnic?" Willow asked tentatively, handing Tara a bottle of water. "And the House Elves were so generous to pack it for me... and I know that Buffy is busy doing her own thing, with Angel and Spike and all..."
"It's so weird to see him again," Tara said, reaching into a bowl of fruit and pulling out a slice of apple. "Both of them, really."
"I didn't know you'd remember Angel," Willow said, unwrapping a sandwich. "It's probably been years since..."
"I only met him once," Tara admitted. "After I first came to UC-Sunnydale. I had business with some family down in Los Angeles, and I met Doyle, and he told me about the vampire with a soul."
"That's our Angel," Willow said. "Um, Tara..."
"I-It's okay, really," Tara said, taking another apple slice. "I know I haven't been honest with you at all this year."
"I haven't been completely honest with you, either," Willow admitted in a low voice as she set her sandwich aside. "After you died... or when you left... whichever happened... I went to a really dark place."
"I felt it," Tara whispered, her words just catching the wind. Pain filled her face as the events from two years ago filled her memory. "I was contacted by the Ministry three days before I 'died'. They told me that I was to come to Britain and put some sort of charm on me. After the coroners took my body... members of the American Ministry met me at the morgue and somehow managed to wake me up from a deep sleep. I was gone the next day. They managed to replace my body with a pretty good replica of..." her voice trailed off as she noticed Willow's face. She was crying.
"Tara," Willow said, trying in vain to brush the tears away, "oh, God, Tara... why didn't you tell me anything was going on?"
"They said that the Dark Lord had returned," Tara said in a tearful voice, "and that unless I returned to England, it would put my family, what remains of it, anyway, in great danger. And I couldn't let you get hurt..."
Willow was too choked up to speak and spent a second twisting the cap off of her water bottle to buy her another few seconds time. She finally took a deep, shuddering breath and said, "It took me a long time to get over you."
"I knew you would," Tara said. "For all that you knew, I was dead and never coming back."
"I thought that I was over you... I thought that I could just be with Kennedy and that everything would go away, but seeing you again... I feel you, Tara. Not just by my side, but you're in my soul. You've become this piece of me that will never fade. When you died, it was empty, broken, useless... and now that you're alive again... I feel whole..."
Tara was watching Willow carefully as she took her own sandwich out of the basket. "So what happens now?"
"I don't know," Willow said softly. "We have yet another apocalypse to deal with... and right now, we have that to deal with... what comes after... if we live, I can figure it out then."
Tara suddenly reached across the blanket and took Willow's hand. "No matter what happens to us out there, Willow, I will find you again. I will always find you, no matter where you are."
Willow smiled and squeezed Tara's hand lightly before turning back to the food. "We should hurry. The students might get suspicious."
Tara grinned.
And they returned to their picnic lunch.
- - - - -
Although the weather outside was warm and windy, it did nothing to warm the dungeons, which remained as cold and dank as ever.
Buffy was sitting in Professor Snape's classroom, the two vampires sitting across from her. On her left side was Faith. On her right side was Cordelia.
The vampires had just finished recounting their tale on how they had got to England in the first place, by hiding aboard a cargo plane to London and then meeting Giles at the airport had secured a portkey to bring them to the Hogwarts front gates.
That had been the night before they had jumped out at the Slayer and her friends.
Faith stood up as soon as Angel stopped talking. "That was fascinating," she yawned with a long stretch. "Can I go?"
"Yeah," Cordelia said, suddenly realizing what Faith was thinking and practically flying to Faith's side. "It's too cold in here for us... we'll be outside if you need us."
And she tucked her arm through Faith's and the two practically bolted out the door in the back.
"There is something to be said for tact," Angel said lightly, watching the expression on Buffy's face change from a casual interest into something like masked horror.
"They knew what they were doing," Buffy said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms, "you have to give them that."
"Put you in a tight bit of a spot though," Spike said in his taunting voice as he glanced around the dungeon. "Where are we anyway?"
"Severus Snape's classroom," Buffy replied in a firm voice. "He teaches Potions."
"Ahhh," Angel said, exaggering the word to its fullest, his eyes alight.
"What are you 'ahhh'ing about?" Buffy asked, stretching.
"She had a look in her eyes when she said his name," Angel said in the direction toward Spike.
Spike grinned. "She definitely had an expression."
Buffy froze in midstretch. "Please don't make me have to stake the both of you," she said in a dangerous voice. "Now that I have full wand capabilities, that would only be too easy."
"You could kick our asses," Angel suggested.
"She'd have way too much fun with that though," Spike said with a frown. "So would you."
"She's so much cuter kicking your ass," Angel grumbled good-naturedly.
Across the table, Buffy rolled her eyes but said nothing.
"Didn't we have a meeting this afternoon with Giles and some of the other uppers at the Ministry?"
"I think we told them we'd show up," Spike replied slowly.
"I should probably go, since I'm the head of our little group and all," Angel replied, making to stand, but Spike put a firm hand on his arm.
"If its the amulet they want to discuss, it'd be better if I went."
"Could be a good idea," Angel said appreciatively, his eye on Buffy.
Spike saw where Angel was looking. "On second thought, maybe it'd be best if you went instead."
"Oh, no," Angel said lightly as he drummed his fingers on the table. "I'm the boss, right? I'm delegating to you."
"But you wanted it," Spike replied in a testy voice. "Right, Buffy? Buffy?"
She was staring at some point over his right shoulder, suddenly looking mystified. Angel and Spike both turned to follow her gaze and saw a shadow disappear along the corner wall. "Who's that?" Angel asked curiously.
"Severus," Buffy said, standing up. "Look, you two decide whatever you want. I need to speak with him before he goes into that staff meeting. I'll see you tonight, right?"
"Uh, yeah..." Spike said, his voice trailing off as Buffy ran out of the office and up the stairs.
"Were we just ditched for the Professor?" Angel asked, awed.
"Yeah, I think we were," Spike said quietly, his eyes showing his own surprise.
"Well," Angel surmised as they both retreated further down the dark corridor toward the underground entrance and their portkey, "she always likes her men a little dark."
"The stupid ponce," Spike said, followed by a long string of verbal curses.
"Yeah," Angel said as they both ducked inside the entrance and started making their way downward toward the remains of Hogsmeade. "I was just thinking the exact same thing."
- - - - -
Buffy crept along the outer wall until she saw a familiar shadow lurking around the opposite corner. "Severus," she said, stepping around that corner.
He glanced up at her with smoldering eyes. "Professor," he said curtly, beckoning her to walk with him down the corridor. "I have created the Potion you requested."
He handed her over a large vial.
"You didn't have to come all the way down here to give it to me," Buffy said, pocketing the Potion. "But I appreciate the gesture."
Severus cast her a sideways glance. "All the same, I wish to inquire about your company."
Buffy had a slight idea where this was heading. She had heard from some of the other faculty members that Severus was acting a bit too soft on her. And when she'd asked him for the Potion for the amulet, he'd been downright nice. Was it possible that a man with such a cold, stony heart was finally letting it thaw? To her? "Ask away," she said quickly.
"I am sure by now that you know how I feel about your class," he said, his dark voice mysterious as always. "I am sure you also know that my… dislike for all Professors in that class has changed ever since you took the helm."
"I thought it had," Buffy said softly, glancing up at him. "You have given me nothing but kindness ever since I picked up this position, Severus. You have been so noble and so… almost sweet. I know by listening to the other Professors that this isn't your true nature. This means you either really like me or else you're trying to kill me. As for Spike and Angel, they're friends from California. We've worked together for some time now. I trust them with my life and I hope in time you'll be able to do the same."
"Perhaps," he said, his voice thawing slightly. "I just wanted to make sure you concurred with their involvement in our situation."
"They've been in another apocalypse before," Buffy assured him. "But I promise you, I won't them interfere in any other things."
"Such as," he began, taking a step toward her, his hand reaching for her shoulder. Before he could touch her, he pulled his hand away, shaking his head, as though he couldn't believe what he'd just done.
"Our friendship," Buffy said quietly, almost disappointed. She reached over and put her own hand on his shoulder. "You're an invaluable friend, Severus. I hope you know that."
He watched as she retreated down the corridor back toward her own suite.
"I just wished I knew how much I was valued," he said darkly, turning around and sweeping back toward his dungeons. Inside, the two vampires regarded him quietly.
Severus gave them both a dark look and slammed his office door behind him.
- - - - -
Harry had just fallen asleep in his squashy armchair when Ginny suddenly shook
him awake. He blinked up at her and then realized that something was wrong and
sat up quickly. "What is it?"
"You told me that Professor Summers was looking for a Hogwarts Slayer,
right?" she asked excitedly, taking the seat next to him. "What if
she was just following a Slayer here?"
"Yeah," Harry said, sleepily rubbing his eyes and then following her
train of thought. "Yeah..."
Ginny looked as though she were about to burst and said in a rush of air,
"What if the Hogwarts Slayer is Dawn Harris?"
- - - - -