Onec again, lack of net and personal time has lead me to take this to a
whole new level.
One question and then I'll get into it:
What is this American Ministry of Magic? As one of the reviewers stated, it is a bit darker than Wolfram & Hart. I wanted something that's darker than Angel ever encountered, or it'd all be over before they'd have a chance to explain what the hell they're doing to everyone, including precious Dawn. To save another question, she will start to wake up in this chapter, because she's reunited with her high school sweetheart, literally. Anyway, the American Ministry NEVER wanted these two to have contact again. I think the biggest question of all is... is the American Ministry against the British one? The answer is revealed in this chapter and the next...
I know this chapter is shorter, but it's better than none at all.
- - - - -
Chapter 11 Held Under Lock and Key
- - - - -
Harry found Hermione out by the stables. She was leaning against the fence, staring off into the distance, her eyes locked on the mountains, a slight smile on her face. She seemed to start when he approached, the grass making soft noises under his footsteps. "Hey."
"Hello," she said in greeting, returning her gaze.
"It really is beautiful here," he said, taking a moment to take in all of the natural beauty surrounding them. "I'd say she made a perfect choice for this."
Hermione nodded, her eyes still distant.
"I'm going to take a hunch on what I think you're thinking," Harry said, standing next to her and hoisting himself onto a fence post. "You're wondering if we're doing the right thing coming here."
"Are we?" Hermione asked softly. "I mean, this is great and all, because we've never been here... but is this what we really needed to do? Or are we just trying to make ourselves feel better because it wasn't our responsibility, at least, not this time."
"Hermione," Harry said in a low voice, "I watched Cedric die. I have watched too many people suffer because of the stupid things others have done to lord over them. Someone took Dawn and they transformed her into..."
Hermione turned to him, placing her hand on his knee. "I know, Harry. I just hope we can do something about it before it's all too late."
"We'll have to see if Draco can get through to her first," Harry replied. "I can't believe I'd ever hope he'd do something right, because that would have meant at one time he'd best me... but now..."
"Everything's changed," Hermione agreed. "We've changed... this is all so... odd."
"Stranger things have happened," Harry surmised, glancing toward the other end of the fenced area, where the Slayers, young and old, were gathered around the stables. "But this is still a great place to have a school."
"I completely agree," Hermione said, as the two began walking away from the others. "I think I might go and take in that equestrian class. It might prove useful."
"Or you could prove yourself to be a complete mockery," Harry joked.
And even though he paid for it as she hit him across the arm, he grinned nonetheless, relieved to see her smiling sincerely for the first time since they'd arrived in the United States.
- - - - -
"Where are the others?"
"They're outside in class."
"So we're alone?"
"Just the three of us."
Buffy lead Draco into the library and closed the heavy doors behind them, locking them securely into place. "We wouldn't want any interruptions when you make first contact."
"Right," Draco said, his eyes no longer on the Slayer but on the figure sitting calmly before the massive fireplace, her eyes staring lifelessly into it. "Dawnie?"
Buffy stood back as Draco stepped toward her, kneeling in front of her, his hands on her knees. Her eyes continued to stare at nothing, her face not registering his existence, his touch, or even the sound of her own breathing.
"Dawn, I know you're there. I know you can hear me, but even if you can't talk to me, or see me... I know... I know..."
His voice choked up and he exchanged a glance with her sister. "Why is this so hard?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"Now do you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing?" she asked, a sharp edge to her voice.
He nodded and returned his gaze to Dawn. "There has got to be something inside of you that can sense what I'm saying and I hope that whatever that sense is, it's listening. I need you to understand that I am so, so sorry for what I have done to you. I never intended any of this to happen. I know when you told me you were pregnant, I promised I would stand by your side, but I let you go. My Father made that decision for me---"
As Draco droned on explaining his actions to Dawn, Buffy turned and rummaged through the maternity section of the library. She would to catch up on her readings now that Dawn was a mother and she herself was an Aunt.
She had felt it before. Sheer determination. She was absolutely determined to bring those who had put Dawn in this state to justice. And she was even more determined to reunite Dawn with her child. If Draco was here as the Father, that was just an added bonus.
Her eyes settled on a book titled "First Year Mothers" and she pried it from the stacks and meandered to the leather couch behind Dawn, while Draco was gesturing toward the cold fireplace, his eyes wide with emotion.
"--- I tried to reach you, Dawnie, I did. Your sister tells me she got all of my letters, but I just couldn't ---"
Not knowing how much more of this she could tolerate, Buffy lifted the book and hid her face behind it, trying to concentrate on the words printed in large, purple lettering.
Draco suddenly stopped talking altogether. "Dawn? Dawnie?"
The book fell from her hands.
Dawn was blinking now and there were tears in her eyes. She seemed unable to move, except for the grave emotion now spreading across her face.
Buffy rose and stepped toward them, seeing Draco put his arms gently around Dawn, feeling stiff as a corpse in his arms, but he could feel her heartbeat.
"Did you hear what I said, Dawnie? I love you and I'm so sorry for what I put you through. And I promise we're going to find our baby, I promise!"
Buffy had tears in her own eyes as Draco let go of her.
Dawn's eyes seemed to unlock from their empty, vacant position and meet his. Her face was still twisted and full of sorrow, but her eyes held something else. Hope.
"I-I-I'm sorry," she stammered.
Draco was in awe as he rocked back on his heels, seeing Dawn staring at him, crying and apologizing. It was too much for him. He gently touched her face. "We're going to find out who did this to you, too," he promised in a grave voice, much bolder than he truly felt.
As he moved away, she let out a small sigh and returned her gaze to the fireplace, the tears on her face drying away.
Buffy took Draco's arm and lead him a distance away. "That was awesome," she said, smiling at him. "But we need to do more for her. Why did she apologize?"
"She probably felt she'd done something wrong," he said softly, his eyes still on the younger Summers girl. "Do we know who's doing this to her?"
"They beat us down."
Slowly, they both turned their heads back toward Dawn, who lifted her face again, a look of sheer terror in her eyes. "They took us away."
Draco moved back to her, taking her hand in his. Buffy stood just over her left shoulder, her gaze strong and headfast. "Who did this?" Draco asked, his voice just above a whisper.
"They said..." Dawn said, her voice strained from lack of use, "we belong to them."
Buffy straightened and turned away, her eyes suddenly full of fury. "The American Ministry," she hissed, seeing the look of complete surprise on Draco's face as Dawn said the exact same thing.
"They said we needed to be purified."
The words chilled Buffy to the bone as she gave Draco a look that said plainly he should leave Dawn alone before she relapsed into another form of catatonia.
Draco was visibly shaken as he returned to the Slayer's side. "What in the hell did they do to her?"
"We'll find out soon enough," Buffy said. "But first we need to find my Watcher. And we're going to tell him everything. And then we're going to find our little friend Dr. Cretin. I think he's going to have an amazing story to tell us."
- - - - -
"He didn't break until four hours into our little interrogation," Spike muttered darkly as he sat across from Giles and next to Angel at the same time Buffy and Draco were seeing Dawn. "Bloody bloke did all he could to hold on."
"Is he still alive?" Giles asked in a sharp voice, echoing in the small metallic office Angel used at Wolfram & Hart.
"Oddly enough, yes," Angel replied. "We used as many evil things as we could between the two of us that would keep our souls intact."
"That'd be a rotten bad thing if you two did lose your souls, I quite agree," Giles replied, crossing his arms. "What have you learned from the good Doctor?"
"For one thing, he's not human," Spike replied. "We could decipher that without one of Willow's blood-code charms. We think he's from another dimension of demons that are sent to do dark medical stuff. Like torture a human being into a virtual state of catatonia."
Angel continued quickly. "He was transported to someplace in Colorado about three weeks before Dawn returned from... wherever she was. He was contacted and put under contract by the American Ministry of Magic."
"Did you two bother asking him what exactly that organization was?"
"What it is, you mean," Angel continued briskly. "And yes, we did."
"He says that it's basically a few American witches and wizards that sit in a quaint little office somewhere between here and Colorado, smoking wizards pipes and playing wizards' chess," Spike replied.
"In other words, he doesn't know anything," Giles concluded quickly. "That's a lot of bloody good capturing him has done."
"But what little we found out about this Ministry is the good we have found in contacting them," Angel replied, pulling out a small device and handing it to Giles. "We have to teleport in order to get anywhere near the American Ministry. Apparently they have agents who have been scouring the countryside looking for Dawn's family, but because of the protection charms Willow put up around here, they couldn't find Buffy."
"This puts both Buffy and Dawn in a greater danger than I thought," Giles frowned. "What else did you learn?"
"Only a trained witch could teleport to these coordinates," Spike offered.
"Or a trained hit-demon," Angel said darkly, "especially one under the contract of a certain Wolfram & Hart."
Giles' hand fell onto the table. "Are you meaning to tell me that your law firm has been involved with the American Ministry of Magic?"
"They're not," Angel replied, with certainty in his tone now. "I asked around and figured that the Senior Partners are from Hell itself and really don't pose much of a threat to the American Ministry. They probably collaborate on occasion, but as much as a definite partnership, they're probably competitors for demonic business."
Giles sighed. "So where does this leave us?"
A knock sounded at the door. Spike rose to get it while Angel bent closer to Giles. "We have a plan that will send Willow to the American Ministry, strictly reconnaisance."
"I believe we should come up with a better plan," Giles said hastily. "Because by now they would know that Willow is in league with the Slayer."
"What about Tara?" Angel asked.
"We'll discuss this later," Giles said, putting matters to rest as Spike cleared his throat loudly from the corner of the room.
"I am pleased to announce that a Mr. Bennett has arrived from the American Ministry of Magic," Spike said in an overly cheerful voice, taking a step aside and leaving an older man dressed in a crisp Armani suit with a patent leather briefcase standing in the light emanating from the hallway.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen!"
As he stepped forward, Spike closed the door and locked it behind them.
- - - - -
To be continued...
Chapters 12 & 13 -- Mr. Bennett has a new story; Dr. Cretin is held as a prisoner; Dawn moves; Xander and Cho continue making plans.
One question and then I'll get into it:
What is this American Ministry of Magic? As one of the reviewers stated, it is a bit darker than Wolfram & Hart. I wanted something that's darker than Angel ever encountered, or it'd all be over before they'd have a chance to explain what the hell they're doing to everyone, including precious Dawn. To save another question, she will start to wake up in this chapter, because she's reunited with her high school sweetheart, literally. Anyway, the American Ministry NEVER wanted these two to have contact again. I think the biggest question of all is... is the American Ministry against the British one? The answer is revealed in this chapter and the next...
I know this chapter is shorter, but it's better than none at all.
- - - - -
Chapter 11 Held Under Lock and Key
- - - - -
Harry found Hermione out by the stables. She was leaning against the fence, staring off into the distance, her eyes locked on the mountains, a slight smile on her face. She seemed to start when he approached, the grass making soft noises under his footsteps. "Hey."
"Hello," she said in greeting, returning her gaze.
"It really is beautiful here," he said, taking a moment to take in all of the natural beauty surrounding them. "I'd say she made a perfect choice for this."
Hermione nodded, her eyes still distant.
"I'm going to take a hunch on what I think you're thinking," Harry said, standing next to her and hoisting himself onto a fence post. "You're wondering if we're doing the right thing coming here."
"Are we?" Hermione asked softly. "I mean, this is great and all, because we've never been here... but is this what we really needed to do? Or are we just trying to make ourselves feel better because it wasn't our responsibility, at least, not this time."
"Hermione," Harry said in a low voice, "I watched Cedric die. I have watched too many people suffer because of the stupid things others have done to lord over them. Someone took Dawn and they transformed her into..."
Hermione turned to him, placing her hand on his knee. "I know, Harry. I just hope we can do something about it before it's all too late."
"We'll have to see if Draco can get through to her first," Harry replied. "I can't believe I'd ever hope he'd do something right, because that would have meant at one time he'd best me... but now..."
"Everything's changed," Hermione agreed. "We've changed... this is all so... odd."
"Stranger things have happened," Harry surmised, glancing toward the other end of the fenced area, where the Slayers, young and old, were gathered around the stables. "But this is still a great place to have a school."
"I completely agree," Hermione said, as the two began walking away from the others. "I think I might go and take in that equestrian class. It might prove useful."
"Or you could prove yourself to be a complete mockery," Harry joked.
And even though he paid for it as she hit him across the arm, he grinned nonetheless, relieved to see her smiling sincerely for the first time since they'd arrived in the United States.
- - - - -
"Where are the others?"
"They're outside in class."
"So we're alone?"
"Just the three of us."
Buffy lead Draco into the library and closed the heavy doors behind them, locking them securely into place. "We wouldn't want any interruptions when you make first contact."
"Right," Draco said, his eyes no longer on the Slayer but on the figure sitting calmly before the massive fireplace, her eyes staring lifelessly into it. "Dawnie?"
Buffy stood back as Draco stepped toward her, kneeling in front of her, his hands on her knees. Her eyes continued to stare at nothing, her face not registering his existence, his touch, or even the sound of her own breathing.
"Dawn, I know you're there. I know you can hear me, but even if you can't talk to me, or see me... I know... I know..."
His voice choked up and he exchanged a glance with her sister. "Why is this so hard?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"Now do you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing?" she asked, a sharp edge to her voice.
He nodded and returned his gaze to Dawn. "There has got to be something inside of you that can sense what I'm saying and I hope that whatever that sense is, it's listening. I need you to understand that I am so, so sorry for what I have done to you. I never intended any of this to happen. I know when you told me you were pregnant, I promised I would stand by your side, but I let you go. My Father made that decision for me---"
As Draco droned on explaining his actions to Dawn, Buffy turned and rummaged through the maternity section of the library. She would to catch up on her readings now that Dawn was a mother and she herself was an Aunt.
She had felt it before. Sheer determination. She was absolutely determined to bring those who had put Dawn in this state to justice. And she was even more determined to reunite Dawn with her child. If Draco was here as the Father, that was just an added bonus.
Her eyes settled on a book titled "First Year Mothers" and she pried it from the stacks and meandered to the leather couch behind Dawn, while Draco was gesturing toward the cold fireplace, his eyes wide with emotion.
"--- I tried to reach you, Dawnie, I did. Your sister tells me she got all of my letters, but I just couldn't ---"
Not knowing how much more of this she could tolerate, Buffy lifted the book and hid her face behind it, trying to concentrate on the words printed in large, purple lettering.
Draco suddenly stopped talking altogether. "Dawn? Dawnie?"
The book fell from her hands.
Dawn was blinking now and there were tears in her eyes. She seemed unable to move, except for the grave emotion now spreading across her face.
Buffy rose and stepped toward them, seeing Draco put his arms gently around Dawn, feeling stiff as a corpse in his arms, but he could feel her heartbeat.
"Did you hear what I said, Dawnie? I love you and I'm so sorry for what I put you through. And I promise we're going to find our baby, I promise!"
Buffy had tears in her own eyes as Draco let go of her.
Dawn's eyes seemed to unlock from their empty, vacant position and meet his. Her face was still twisted and full of sorrow, but her eyes held something else. Hope.
"I-I-I'm sorry," she stammered.
Draco was in awe as he rocked back on his heels, seeing Dawn staring at him, crying and apologizing. It was too much for him. He gently touched her face. "We're going to find out who did this to you, too," he promised in a grave voice, much bolder than he truly felt.
As he moved away, she let out a small sigh and returned her gaze to the fireplace, the tears on her face drying away.
Buffy took Draco's arm and lead him a distance away. "That was awesome," she said, smiling at him. "But we need to do more for her. Why did she apologize?"
"She probably felt she'd done something wrong," he said softly, his eyes still on the younger Summers girl. "Do we know who's doing this to her?"
"They beat us down."
Slowly, they both turned their heads back toward Dawn, who lifted her face again, a look of sheer terror in her eyes. "They took us away."
Draco moved back to her, taking her hand in his. Buffy stood just over her left shoulder, her gaze strong and headfast. "Who did this?" Draco asked, his voice just above a whisper.
"They said..." Dawn said, her voice strained from lack of use, "we belong to them."
Buffy straightened and turned away, her eyes suddenly full of fury. "The American Ministry," she hissed, seeing the look of complete surprise on Draco's face as Dawn said the exact same thing.
"They said we needed to be purified."
The words chilled Buffy to the bone as she gave Draco a look that said plainly he should leave Dawn alone before she relapsed into another form of catatonia.
Draco was visibly shaken as he returned to the Slayer's side. "What in the hell did they do to her?"
"We'll find out soon enough," Buffy said. "But first we need to find my Watcher. And we're going to tell him everything. And then we're going to find our little friend Dr. Cretin. I think he's going to have an amazing story to tell us."
- - - - -
"He didn't break until four hours into our little interrogation," Spike muttered darkly as he sat across from Giles and next to Angel at the same time Buffy and Draco were seeing Dawn. "Bloody bloke did all he could to hold on."
"Is he still alive?" Giles asked in a sharp voice, echoing in the small metallic office Angel used at Wolfram & Hart.
"Oddly enough, yes," Angel replied. "We used as many evil things as we could between the two of us that would keep our souls intact."
"That'd be a rotten bad thing if you two did lose your souls, I quite agree," Giles replied, crossing his arms. "What have you learned from the good Doctor?"
"For one thing, he's not human," Spike replied. "We could decipher that without one of Willow's blood-code charms. We think he's from another dimension of demons that are sent to do dark medical stuff. Like torture a human being into a virtual state of catatonia."
Angel continued quickly. "He was transported to someplace in Colorado about three weeks before Dawn returned from... wherever she was. He was contacted and put under contract by the American Ministry of Magic."
"Did you two bother asking him what exactly that organization was?"
"What it is, you mean," Angel continued briskly. "And yes, we did."
"He says that it's basically a few American witches and wizards that sit in a quaint little office somewhere between here and Colorado, smoking wizards pipes and playing wizards' chess," Spike replied.
"In other words, he doesn't know anything," Giles concluded quickly. "That's a lot of bloody good capturing him has done."
"But what little we found out about this Ministry is the good we have found in contacting them," Angel replied, pulling out a small device and handing it to Giles. "We have to teleport in order to get anywhere near the American Ministry. Apparently they have agents who have been scouring the countryside looking for Dawn's family, but because of the protection charms Willow put up around here, they couldn't find Buffy."
"This puts both Buffy and Dawn in a greater danger than I thought," Giles frowned. "What else did you learn?"
"Only a trained witch could teleport to these coordinates," Spike offered.
"Or a trained hit-demon," Angel said darkly, "especially one under the contract of a certain Wolfram & Hart."
Giles' hand fell onto the table. "Are you meaning to tell me that your law firm has been involved with the American Ministry of Magic?"
"They're not," Angel replied, with certainty in his tone now. "I asked around and figured that the Senior Partners are from Hell itself and really don't pose much of a threat to the American Ministry. They probably collaborate on occasion, but as much as a definite partnership, they're probably competitors for demonic business."
Giles sighed. "So where does this leave us?"
A knock sounded at the door. Spike rose to get it while Angel bent closer to Giles. "We have a plan that will send Willow to the American Ministry, strictly reconnaisance."
"I believe we should come up with a better plan," Giles said hastily. "Because by now they would know that Willow is in league with the Slayer."
"What about Tara?" Angel asked.
"We'll discuss this later," Giles said, putting matters to rest as Spike cleared his throat loudly from the corner of the room.
"I am pleased to announce that a Mr. Bennett has arrived from the American Ministry of Magic," Spike said in an overly cheerful voice, taking a step aside and leaving an older man dressed in a crisp Armani suit with a patent leather briefcase standing in the light emanating from the hallway.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen!"
As he stepped forward, Spike closed the door and locked it behind them.
- - - - -
To be continued...
Chapters 12 & 13 -- Mr. Bennett has a new story; Dr. Cretin is held as a prisoner; Dawn moves; Xander and Cho continue making plans.