Surprise!
Let's take a few questions...
Who is Melanie? Is she a Mary-Sue?
No, she is not. She's a character I developed to give the British six some air time and some good quality plot time... since all they were really doing is walking around doing nothing. Mel serves as a wrench between Ron and Hermione and later Percy. There is a reason he came along with all of this too. She'll be developed in the plot more, I promise.
Is Dawn going bad?
Let's just say she's been "triggered".
I can feel something about to go down... what is it?
Since you asked me nicely, I'll tell you. I'm raising another dead character back from the dead and they come back extremely evil, as an agent of the American Ministry. Who can you possibly think of that could come at a worse time than this? They'll be reintroduced in Chapter 17/18.
Why is Ron cheating on Hermione?
Let me put it this way; I've never been a huge Ron/Hermione fan. I know a lot of people are. So that's why I'm sticking Ron with the newly created Mel. It'll create a lot of trust issues between him and Hermione, unfortunately. In the end, I promise all will be well again.
I'll start asking you questions soon... see how you like them!
And since we all need a little humor...
In the next few chapters, I'll be holding up my end of the bargain and introducing the fine lady who titled this story. So... watch for her!
- - - - -
Chapter 16
The Magical Gourd Society
- - - - -
It was loud and noisy in the Cafeteria room that night. As Melanie walked in, she saw Harry Potter and his friends sitting at a table across the far corner. She spied Ron and her heart sped up slightly. For some odd reason, she'd developed a crush while watching him fall flat on his rear end every time he took one tennis shoe-clad step onto the ice.
Hermione Granger was with him now, and she held a possessive hand on his arm. As they spoke, he bent his head down to hear her talk, and she dropped her head onto his shoulder, squeezing his arm.
A white-hot bolt of jealousy flashed through her as she grabbed a tray roughly and scooped spoonfuls of food onto a plate without noticing what she put on. Hermione was still hanging on Ron and he looked pleased with her attention.
It was puzzling for her as she turned and headed toward them, only to be thwarted by Jenny, one of Tara's other Slayers, who was waving her madly over to the table, her loud Irish voice rising brassily over most others.
"I heard they were together," Jenny was saying smugly as Melanie sat down. Jenny smirked at Mel. "I'd watch my back if I were you."
"What are you talking about?" Melanie asked lightly as she finally discovered what she'd put on her plate and began pushing it around.
"We heard you had a date with the Weasley boy," Rona, the eldest Slayer at that particular table, gossiped, digging into her salad. "From what his sister was telling us, he's been seeing Hermione Granger for nearly four years now."
Melanie gasped, spitting out her water across her tray. The din in the room receded at once as she choked out, grabbing a handful of napkins to wipe the water from her tray. "Oh, God," she muttered. "He told me they were just friends."
Rona arched her perfect eyebrows and pointed her fork in the direction of Ron's table. "Do they look like just friends to you?"
Melanie watched with a sinking feeling in her stomach as Ron and Hermione left, hand-in-hand, oblivious to the attention the nine Slayers at one table were paying them. She closed her eyes and shook her head, her memories bringing her back to the afternoon. "It felt so real," she whispered, opening her eyes and turning back to her friends. They were stunned to see tears sparkling in her lashes. "He didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd betray."
"Oh, God, Mel," Rona said softly, covering Mel's hand with her own. "What did he do to you?"
"Nothing," Melanie finally said, shrugging. "He didn't make a move on me... all he did was be himself... and I guess that's when I realized it was him I had a crush on, not Harry Potter."
Her gaze turned toward the doorway, where Ron and Hermione, still hand-in-hand, had stopped to talk to Tara, who was walking into the Cafeteria, a large weapons bag in one hand. Ron volunteered to carry it over to their table and Mel quickly averted her eyes as Ron hovered over them. "Ladies," he greeted, nodding at each one. "Melanie..."
Just listening to the way he spoke her name was making her eyes glisten again. As she turned to look at him, he'd already left the cafeteria. But Rona was gently poking her, handing her a slip of paper. "It's from Ron."
Melanie opened the letter and read it. It was a lunch invitation that weekend. Just the two of them. No friends, no evil rumors and most of all, no Hermione Granger.
- - - - -
Xander opened the front door to his apartment, glancing around. The wedding was less than two weeks away and their preparations were nearly complete. He was exhausted after pulling three night patrols in a row. And because he taught basic weapons training for military gear, he had had a full array of classes as well.
He glanced in the empty bedroom and quickly undressed, pleased he would get at least a few hours of sleep before Wednesday approached. As he lay his head down on the pillow and closed his eyes, the front door to the apartment burst open. Before he could muster the energy to look up at the intruders, he felt cold hands on his face and some fabric being stretched across his eyes. Smothered giggles sounded all around him as his arms were wrestled roughly to his back and handcuffed.
"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded sleepily.
He heard a giggle nearby that sounded like Willow. What was she doing in his room at four in the morning?
"Get him up! Get him up!" another voice chanted. Xander recognized Buffy's tone.
Before he could open his mouth and demand again what was going on, a strip of tape was fastened securely. He felt someone kiss the tape and pull back. "See you Friday, sweetie."
"Cho?" he mumbled behind the tape as he was force-steered out of his apartment, down a long hallway, through the elevator and outside. He could hear the rumblings of a car engine as he drew closer and finally stopped as they seated him inside.
"Ready to go?" Willow asked as she slammed the door on the blindfolded and silenced Xander.
In the darkness, Buffy turned to Giles, handing him her jeep keys. "Don't lose him now."
"Do you have everything?" Cho was asking Tara, who nodded, holding up a large bag.
"You'd better get going," Faith said softly. "Your flight leaves Friday at noon."
"Right," Tara said as she opened the passenger door and climbed inside. "All right, Xander?" she called out. She had to restrain her laughter at his furiously muffled reply. "All right!"
Giles got into the driver's seat and pulled the Jeep down the long, twisting driveway of the Slayer's Academy. A large red van pulled out behind them. "We'll untie him once we reach the sanctuary," he said quietly to Tara, who had pulled out a spell book and was reading. "Do we need any extra supplies?"
"No," she whispered back, trying to ignore the sound of Xander struggling in the backseat. "We have the gourd, we have the herbs and we have the incense. I think we're all set."
"Good," Giles said, casting a quick glance at Xander, who was undoubtedly glaring at him through the bright purple fabric of his blindfold, "because the sooner we get him there, the less he'll struggle. He can't meditate much if he's chafed."
Tara couldn't restrain her laughter this time, which led to more thumps and groans from the backseat. "Ouch," she said sympathetically, reaching for him. He must have seen a glimpse of her hand or at the very least a shadow of it and moved away, shouting behind the duct tape.
"Hold on, Xander," Giles muttered, stepping on the gas pedal.
- - - - -
It seemed like hours to Xander before the Jeep finally pulled off the road and came to a stop. After some muted talking between the driver and passenger, Xander heard the unmistakable scrape of car doors opening and felt the cold air on his face.
"Where are we, Siberia?" he muttered behind the tape.
A gentle hand pulled on his arm and he heard Tara's voice, sounding a bit mystified. "Come on, Xander... we'll untie you out here."
"Joy," he scoffed, yet allowed himself to be led away.
He stopped when she stopped and he could feel her untying the blindfold. Behind them, he could hear gravel crunching and knew another vehicle was approaching. He waited until the blindfold and tape were both gone before looking around. "What is this place?" he asked, astounded.
It was the most peaceful view he had ever seen. It was lush and green. They were in the mountains someplace but where, he couldn't figure out.
"I hope you like it," Tara said from behind him, removing the handcuffs.
"I do," he said, his voice in awe, "but I'm not sure I understand why you had to kidnap me from my own apartment and drag me out here."
"It's part of the ritual," Giles admitted, raising his arm in greeting to the other Watchers who were now gathering in a large circle around them. "It's been quite the tradition over all these years for Watchers entering a state of matrimony."
"Oh my God," Xander said, realizing how serious Giles was. "No, seriously, Rupert... I don't need any more meditation about this. Do you remember the last time I meditated before my wedding? I walked out on the bride."
"I do remember," Tara said softly, taking a book from Giles and opening it. "But this is part of a new American Council of Watchers order."
"Whatever," Xander sighed, giving up. "Do I get chained to a tree next? Or how about thrown into a river tied to an anvil?"
Giles looked up from his book, somewhat less than amused. "Actually you go into the wilderness until you find your spirit guide."
"My spirit guide?" Xander asked, incredulous. "Is that my inner demon just dying to get a few extra ya-yas out before I'm married?"
"No," Tara replied, shaking her head and beckoning all of the other Watchers to come forward. "It's a ritual though passed down by the old-style Watchers and even the guardians for millennia."
"I never would have guessed," Xander said dryly, until his eyes found something one of his fellow Watchers was pulling out of the box. "Oh, look... the magic gourd. That brings back some memories."
"Xander," Giles said, his voice clearly stating how fed up he was with Xander's witty sarcasm, "please, just walk due north. When you see an animal coming that doesn't attack you, talk to it. You'll understand."
Xander felt slightly affronted as he headed due north, listening to the chanting and the scraping of wood against the gourd. He wandered over a patch of grass and across a small creek bed which had since dried up. He felt as though he'd been here before although this was the first time he'd even seen it. "All right, mister animal. We might as well get this over with."
But there was no wildlife to be found except a small creature slithering across a log wedged into the old basin.
"My creature is a rattlesnake?" Xander blinked in confusion. "There has to be a mistake."
And yet the snake sat up, if one could do such a thing, and turned to him, his tongue flittering about, feeling the air around him.
"Isn't this ironic," Xander muttered as he moved closer a few precious steps. "Um, hello there."
The snake used its head to flick a place on the log beside it. Xander knew he was in darker waters when he sat down on the other side of the snake, which slithered onto his lap, looking up at him with one large unblinking eye.
"I hope you realize that you can kill me in one strike," he said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice in the hope of not offending a creature that could kill him in one blow. In his mind, he was recounting the occurrences of snakes in England, and had heard that one such serpent, known as the Basilisk, could kill by sight. It just seemed ironic that out of every creature he could have had, out of every thing he could have imagined talking it, it was this. A deadly, poisonous snake.
"Can you understand me?" Xander asked the slithering beast. It seemed to nod at him, winking its one eye. "All right... what do I have to do."
The snake suddenly slithered off his lap and onto the green grass. It turned, as though beckoning him forward. "Okay, so I follow you," he said, walking as fast as he could to keep up with the serpent which seemed to be bringing him further and further into the wilderness.
The snake finally stopped at a large pond, where several geese were soaring away. Xander walked over and stared down at the water, seeing a reflection of himself. "Okay... now what?"
No sooner had he spoken those words did the water suddenly ripple as though a violent wind was ripping from the caverns surrounding them.
"I get in," Xander said, understanding. After kicking off his shoes, he stepped in, fully clothed. He stopped when he was about halfway in, almost afraid to take another step. Deeper... deeper… The wind seemed to be chanting at him now, while the snake gleefully shook its rattle, sounding unnervingly like that ridiculous gourd.
And suddenly all sound faded. He was up to his shoulders in cold pond-water and suddenly his life began to flash before his eyes.
Remember.
"I do," he said, and suddenly everything faded to black.
- - - - -
It was just past daybreak when Xander returned to the van. He had a pensive, almost peaceful look on his face. And he was dripping water and various plants from his clothes.
"How was it?" Tara asked sleepily, standing up and pulling out a blanket, wrapping him within it.
"Insightful," he replied, sitting down next to her. "When do we get to go?"
"As soon as the others have their eight hours," Tara replied. "I waited for you all night... I don't think Willow would have forgiven me if I hadn't... or if something had gone wrong..."
There was a different light in his eyes now. It looked as though he were scared.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she pried gently.
He shook his head and sighed. "There really isn't anything to talk about. I went, I fell asleep, and I had an odd dream... I woke up and here I am now."
There was that light again. "What was the dream about?"
He sighed again. "The future," he replied lightly, "what it could be if I made some choices the wrong way again."
"What do you mean?" Tara responded curiously.
"I really don't want to get into it... but it was a lot about Anya," Xander replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I mean... according to that... she was in there... and I was trapped between two lovers."
Tara looked even more confused but it wasn't nearly how Xander felt.
- - - - -
Melanie was waiting outside the administration building, stretching to go on her usual early morning run.
Behind her, the sunshine was soothing her jangled nerves. She rubbed her eyes sleepily, having gotten up an hour before she was used to.
And there was the issue of the letter that was still stumping her. After all, Melanie knew that Cho was taking Hermione and Ginny both to New York. Melanie had declined the visit, and now she was glad she did. After all, Melanie was like a little sister to Cho.
She took off, enjoying the cool breeze and warm sunshine as she ran around the paddocks.
It had been two days since she'd first met Ron Weasley. At first, her major object of affection had been Harry Potter, whose good looks accentuated his hero worshippers. But Ron had fallen below her radar. She wasn't sure why. All she knew was that she was dying to spend a day with him when none of his other friends were around.
It was turning into more than a simple crush. Ron was invading her dreams and her sleep was beginning to suffer. Every time she caught sight of that gleaming red crop, her heart started beating a bit faster.
But the rumors were still there, that Ron and Hermione were very close.
And this weekend, she would set the record straight, once and for all.
- - - - -
To be continued...
Chapter 17 - Cho and friends head to New York City!
Chapters 18 & 19 - One of their own is raised from the dead to create havoc... new relationships are born and others start to fall apart...
Chapter 20 & 21 - The wedding of the century is about to begin... if only the chaos would end!
And after that... well... the American Ministry is about to hit up again with its darkest and most evil plot yet!