Disclaimer: Breaking News! In a surprising turn of events it seems that I don't own the BtVS or Harry Potter series. As astonishing as it may be, the information has been confirmed by several correspondents. More later on this disturbing issue. Now onto the weather with Peter McLiar. Peter, what's in store for us this week? Well Alexis its seems…
A/N: I'm gonna be starting my job this upcoming week, so updates will take longer to put up than before. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I need money. Now I want to rant just a little, not at any of the reviewers, just for the sake of my sanity. In every Faith fic I've read, or story's where she has a part at all, the girl is just dripping in leather. Now, I've gone through several of the books I have, looking at pictures of the dark slayer, and in very few is she wearing leather. In fact, she usually stuck to tight blue jeans and a tank. Feeling confused, any one care to help?
A/N2: I don't know how many of you read the BtVS novels, but I've takin a bit from one of the. It's called "The Book of Fours" by Nancy Holder. It's a very good read, and you should all pick it up. That said, I've twisted the book only slightly, but as you know by now it's best just to go along with whatever I say.
TO THE REVIEWERS:
Silver Warrior- I'm sorry that you don't like Ginny/Draco, but it's what works for this fic. I agree that there is nothing to support the pairing in canon, but that's what I love about fan fiction, it doesn't have to be supported. I could write a Harry/Pansy story if I wanted to, even though I don't. Furthermore, I'm not setting up a Ron/Hermione, while I am a fan of the coupling, its not in my plans. Each will get there own Scooby, and I've hinted to which in earlier chapters. I hope you'll still read because I enjoy your reviews and love hearing your opinions.
Renna-Not quite sure what I have planned for Faith, several routes I could take, but she will definitely be closest with Willow and Ron. I've found, from personal experience, that something like getting absolutely drunk with two people you don't know, makes for some close bonds. That's why I did that, Faith needed some friends, and now she's got two.
Sloane Miette- Happy you enjoyed the chap. 'King Weasley' is a reference to the fifth book, you may remember 'Weasley is Our King.' Ron's tattoo will be something that Draco will get a lot of laughs out of.
Tanydwr- Lesley, Faith's watcher, has a very bright future ahead of her, as Willow and Ron will now be there to help with the Kaskistos issue. And I wouldn't be surprised if 50 was less than human.
ON WITH THE FIC
Chapter 9
Buffy could feel two pairs of eyes watching her as she sat in the backseat of Giles' small European made car with Draco. They were the same eyes that had watched her since leaving her apartment in L.A., though the expressions portrayed through each set were entirely different. The first pair, light blue in color, were warm and loving, belonging to a man who was overjoyed to have his Slayer back with him. The second, a remarkable emerald green, looked at Buffy with much curiosity, and the Slayer could feel them searching over her face. To say the least, she found it extremely annoying. Not Giles stare, as he was a father to the girl, so it was appropriate. Not to mention he couldn't look at her for too long, he WAS driving the car.
No, it was this Potter kid that was pissing off the young blonde. At first Buffy had found it cute how intrigued Harry was with her. He was a handsome man, so it didn't bother her much that he was looking at her. But that was forty-five minutes ago, and Buffy was beyond agitated with the supposed "Boy Wonder." It was about time someone set him straight, or so Buffy felt. However, Draco seized the opportunity to embarrass the dark haired wizard before the Slayer had the chance.
"You know, Potter," the white haired wizard started, "it's not as if she can't see you staring at her through the mirror. Frankly, it's a bit disturbing, so maybe you should give it a rest?"
Harry flushed and tore his eyes away from the mirror, "I wasn't staring, Malfoy, I was just…looking," he ended lamely, searching for an appropriate reason for him to be gazing at the girl. "It's my first time meeting a Slayer, is all, I was wondering if there was anything that distinguished them."
Giles gave a bit of a snort, "If there was the Watcher's Council would have heard of it by now. A Slayer can come in any race, any size, any anything so long as it's a girl. There was myth about a mole, but it's never been proven."
Buffy decided it was time for the girl in question to enter the conversation, "My first Watcher told me about that. He said the mole on my back showed that I was the Slayer, and I told him it was the beginnings of skin cancer. The only thing giving us Slay-gals away would be the strength and speed."
"Speaking of Slayers," Harry began, happy to have the conversation of a safer subject, "how's Willow coming along with her search?"
"What search?" Buffy questioned, not liking the sound of Slayer, search and Willow all in the same sentence. It would be just the Slayer's luck if her best friend was already in trouble before she even reached Sunnydale.
Giles smiled softly at his charge's concern, "The search for you. You see I asked Harry and a few of friends to help us look for you. As you already know, there are now two Slayers, even after…" he trailed off, feeling that prior occurrences were still a tender issue for Buffy.
Buffy nodded her head silently, remembering Kendra and the many things surrounding her death. All these thoughts contributed to the growing doubt in Buffy that she wouldn't be able to adjust to living on the Hellmouth once more. Filing those fears away, she moved to the discussion at hand, "So what does that have to do with Willow?"
"Well you see," Harry started, as he cleaned the frames of his glasses, "we did a spell to locate the Slayer on a map of the States, and we received two results. There wasn't anyway to distinguish which was you, so Mr. Giles and myself went to L.A., while Willow and my friend Ron went to Boston."
"Boston?" the blonde screeched, causing Draco to jump in his seat beside her, "Giles, why did you let Will go to Boston? She's never been to Boston! And I doubt Boy Wonder's friend has either. Which leads me to believe that my closest friend is like four thousand miles away, with a stranger, on her way to meet another stranger. Both strangers possessing abilities far beyond her own."
The Watcher rolled his eyes, "Buffy, do you honestly think I would send Willow to the East Coast without her having a basic knowledge as to where she was. She is 'Net girl,' and you know as well I that Willow if fully capable to handle herself," Giles finished talking down to the girl slightly.
"Alright, I'm sorry," Buffy admitted, "but she's Willow, I'm allowed to jump to conclusions for Willow. Have you heard from here at all since she left?"
"As a matter of fact, I have," Giles relayed. "Ron and Willow were able to find the other Slayer, Faith, on their first night in Boston. Of course, the tracking spell probably came in handy. Nonetheless, they are now staying with Faith's Watcher, Ms. Lesley night, whom I spoke to last night in order to confirm Willow's story.
"So as you can see, Willow is in good hands. She's suppose to call me at some point this afternoon to tell us Ms. Knights decision on whether or not her and Faith will be coming to Sunnydale," Giles ended. Buffy looked extremely curious, it would be very interesting to have another Slayer around. She remembered how serious and diligent Kendra was, and hoped that this other girl was a bit more laid-back.
Draco chuckled, "I still can't believe there are two Slayers. It makes you wonder why the Council never tried something like this before. They could have had a whole army of Slayers by now." Buffy shot a glare at the wizard to her left, causing him to stammer out a more understandable response, "It's good that they didn't though, that's just plain sick. Killing off Slayers and bringing them back, just so that they could have more."
Giles was less worried about the ethics of the present conversation, and stayed focused on something else the boy had said, "How do you know about the Council? I thought all you wizards didn't believe in Slayers, thought it to be a myth."
"No, I've known about the Slayer since I was a boy," Draco stated, moving on to elaborate, "My mother's sister, India was a Slayer. The family didn't talk much about her, she was taken away to be trained when she was eight. Her last name was changed, to Cohen, I believe. Died in 1996, got hacked apart by something nasty." He didn't seem very phased by what he just said. Nor should he be, Draco had met his aunt only once, and it was after she called. India had demanded to see her family one last time, she knew that Slayer's didn't live long. She had been a nice women, and the memory was pleasant, but Draco didn't have a deep enough bond to get overly upset by her death.
"I didn't know you're aunt was a slayer, I didn't know you had an aunt. Hell I didn't know there was a slayer until last week," Harry said softly, rather amazed by everything going on. The emotion was becoming all the more frequent for the boy since arriving in America, more precisely Sunnydale.
"Well, you never asked, did you?" Draco replied in a sharp tone. It was obvious to Buffy that the blonde by her side felt left out among Harry and his friends. That included Ginny, while the Slayer was sure the pair had a great relationship, she couldn't help but wonder if Draco was still seen as the evil Slytherin prick, even after all he had done. The boy's presence was taken for granted by the Trio.
Giles cleared his throat, "You said she died in 1996?" Draco nodded his head wordlessly. "So that would make your aunt, Buffy's predecessor. Quite the coincidence."
Harry was the one to snort this time, "How many are we up to now, 15? 20? I swear one more twist of fate and I'll begin to wonder whether this is Southern California, or the Twilight Zone." Giles chuckled, while Draco didn't understand the pop culture reference, and Buffy just didn't get what Harry was talking about.
"What twists of fate?" the Slayer questioned, with narrowed eyes. She didn't like happenstances because they usually turned out bad for her.
"Oh nothing bad," Giles assured, developing a gleam in his eye that was more commonly associated with Xander. "You see Ron, the boy accompanying Willow to Boston, and his sister, Ginny," he paused making sure Buffy was still with him. The librarian didn't know of Draco's relationship with the other four wizards, nor did he know how much Buffy was aware of. At her nod he continued, "it seems that they have some relations in these parts."
"Really?" Buffy perked a bit, loving even the slightest bit of gossip, "Who is it?"
"Oz," Giles stated, receiving a look similar to his own at the news. Draco, though not knowing the boy personally, seemed very fascinated.
"What?" Buffy questioned, then shook her head, "No, I mean how. How are they related to Oz?"
Harry smiled, and took it upon himself to tell the story. Giles was driving the car, and it wouldn't be good if they got into a car accident only a half-hour from home.
"This is nice," Ginny stated. Oz, Xander, Hermione and herself were all soaking up the sun at one of California's many beaches, this particular one situated on the Hellmouth. But with the sky clear and blue, the sun beaming down onto the sand, and the water looking cool and inviting, it was without a doubt, nice.
Xander and Hermione were off frolicking in the water, while the youngest Weasleys lie on a blanket, an appealing looking picnic set in front of them. With Giles, Willow, Harry, and Ron all gone on the quest for Buffy, the teens had nothing better to do than play in the sun like all the other normal boys and girls. It had been a long time since any of them had experienced "normal."
Oz smiled to his twin, "It is." It was his second day without Willow and the only reason he wasn't sulking in a dark corner was because of this wonderful being he had come to know as his sister. The thought of it still got to the werewolf every now and then. Oz had a family, a new name, a whole new list of possibilities for his future. And with all this came many questions. What was his family like? When would he meet the many other Weasleys? Would he go to live with them? Was he a wizard too? Who took him as a baby? Who the Hell was he now? Not Daniel Osbourne, and therefore, he wasn't Oz.
"You're still Oz," Ginny interrupted her brother's worries, "No one is expecting anything from you, other than just to be you. Yes, the family wants to meet you, but it's nothing to fret over." Ginny paused, thinking about the many questions on Oz's mind, he wasn't the only one troubled by some of them.
"And everything else?" The elder twin prodded, sensing the discomfort from the girl.
She sighed and put her head on the werewolf's shoulder, "I don't know. I know that my parents would love to have you with us, that I would love to have you with us. But I also know that you have a life here, including that last year of school because you managed to get yourself kept back. Honestly Oz," Ginny shook her head a bit. Her brother was one of the most intelligent people she had ever met, counting Hermione, it didn't make sense for him to be repeating his senior year. "Whatever your decision, I'm with you, and not just in to figurative sense. Don't look at me that way, I've only just found you, and sure I may not have actually known you existed, but I knew you weren't there," the redhead paused frustrated, "Oh I'm not making any sense."
Oz gave a soft chuckle, "Sure you are, or at least I hope you are, because I get it. I've read stories, saw movies, and heard songs all talking about this hole inside a person. That someone was missing a part of themselves, and finally found that part in someone else. Always thought it to be a load of crap, so when you came along I was kinda stunned. But I wasn't at the same time, cuz it was like 'Whoa, I know this girl, I know that me and her are the same.' I didn't know you weren't here, until you were."
Lifting her head off Oz's shoulder, Ginny turned to her brother, "Have I told you how much I enjoy having someone around who understands me? Because I do, you're the best twin ever."
The black-haired teen smirked at the girl, "I'm pretty sure Fred and George are going to disagree on that." Ginny had taken in upon herself to have Oz as acquainted as possible with the brothers he had yet to meet. It wasn't until describing the boys to her newest sibling that she realized how different they all were, excluding Fred and George. Though those two had a brand of rowdiness that none of the other Weasley boys could compare to. Ron, as mature as he wanted to seem, would always be a kid at heart. Percy had a stick so big up his ass that it should hold a world record, the family never completely got over his betrayal. Bill had grown out of his "rebel without a cause" phase, much to Mrs. Weasleys delight, and got married. He met his wife, Cecile, in Romania, and were engaged mere months after. Ginny would be an aunt in two months. As for Charlie, he was still the eldest and least sure of the future.
"Someone else has to understand you, Gin. What about that guy, Draco?" Oz implored, focusing his searching eyes on the girl. The girl who was now smiling brightly.
"Draco? He's wonderful, everything I could hope for. And Merlin is he gorgeous…" Ginny trailed off, momentarily interrupted by thoughts of a white-blonde boyfriend. Coming out of the daze, she continued, "But he doesn't always understand. He still insist that I have no reason to hang-out with Ron and his friends. Draco will never comprehend that they're my friends as well, and if he'd only give them a chance, they could be his too.
"What about you," Ginny turned her eyes back to Oz, having been staring off into the ocean while speaking of her boyfriend, "Does Willow grasp every little thing about you?"
Oz smirked a bit, "I don't think it's any of my sisters business what Willow has been 'grasping', little or not."
The girls eyes grew big, and she slapped the werewolf on the arm. Only to join him in laughing afterward. "Daniel," she feigned scolding him, "you know full well what I meant. If mum had heard you just now, tsk tsk. When did you get such a filthy mind?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "Always been there. Just never got around to saying the things I think."
"Of course not," Ginny agreed rolling her eyes, "that would take more than three words per sentence. Now answer my question mister, or I'll curse you."
Oz through his arms up in mock surrender, "Okay, okay. Willow tries, she does, and I love her for it. But I don't know if she will ever fully get me, and I don't think I'll ever truly know her."
"So you love her?" The witch asked in a soft voice, she knew the answer of course. Partly because she could hear it in his head whenever Willow was near, or on his mind. But also because Ginny could relate with that emotion.
He nodded his head, suddenly very sincere, "Bit too much if you ask me. And you?"
"More than the infuriating bastard will ever know."
"Can't wait to meet him."
"Oh, he's bound to make an impression."
It was deathly silent, and whether that was more frightening than the pursuer, the girl waist deep in water didn't knew. The hunt had been going on for nearly and hour, and fatigue was beginning to set in. Her hunter be anywhere, and that was a chilling thought, because he was merciless, and would do whatever it takes to catch his prey. That fact became evident from prior incidents.
The girl whirled, hearing a soft splash from behind, but no there was nothing there. Her opponent was very clever in the means of pursuit, he seemed to know what her weak points were. And it was one of those flaws that cost her the game, for she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice her attacker coming up from below the water. He tackled her with a quickness neither knew the boy possessed, sending both into the water. The girl let out a shrilling scream.
Managing to pull away from the boys grasp, she stood to confront him, "Xander!! I specifically told you I didn't want to be dunked, so what did you do? You spent the last thirty minutes chasing me!"
The brunette cocked his head to the side, not so much in confusion, but because we was taking in the sight of a Hermione soaking wet, "I'm trying to see the problem here, I seriously am, but…" Xander got a silly smile on his face, and was gone to the world. That is until the girl he was staring at smacked him off the side of his head.
"Do try to pay attention Xander, not just… ogle," its was Hermione's turn to trail off, as she too realized that her companion was incredibly appealing, especially with his shirt off. Snapping out of her reverie, the witch tried to resume her glare at the boy, and when it became obvious she couldn't, Hermione stormed out of the water, arms folded across her chest. Why? Because she's Hermione, and acting this way is, like, her job. Or at least that was Xander's thought on the subject, as he followed the girl back to the sand.
"Hey, hang on," he called out, trying to catch up to his witch. 'Whoa, my witch? There's a new thought.' She spun to look him head-on, face flushed, and eyes refusing to look Xander in the eye.
"What?" the bushy haired teen asked, gaze to the sandy ground. The last thing she needed was to get into the conversation her and this wonderful specimen of a man were about to have.
Taking her hand, Xander sat them both on the ground. He caressed a shell in his hands, tracing a path a long its grooves with his eyes, and fingers. As he felt the need to look anywhere else, but her, while saying this. "Hermione, I, uh…Christ I'm bad at this," shaking his head he tried again, "I kinda have a thing for you. I know we just met, but the past couple of days have been great. Spending time with you, getting to know you. Even hearing about how you and Ron used to date, it was fun, no matter how jealous it made me."
"Jealous?" Hermione questioned, she too looking at the shell in Xander's hands. She put a hand on top of his, turning the shell over, both of them now toying with it.
Xander nodded his head, a cleared his now dry throat, "Yea, the thought of someone else with you, someone else touching you. I don't like it, I don't want anyone but me touching you." His eyes grew wide and he tried to cover up, "That came out a lot dirtier than I meant it."
Hermione stifled a laugh, "Oh, it's fine. I knew what you meant. I feel it too, even after only knowing you for a couple hours. When I thought you were with that girl, Cordelia? It felt like my stomach dropped a mile."
"And the stomach is directly related to the heart," the boy added with a smile, as the pair were finally looking at each other. Dropping the shell, he took her hand, "So do you wanna…you know?"
The with widened her eyes in horror, "Xander! I may like you but I will certainly not…you know…after only a week!"
Xander gave a similar reaction, "Wait a minute I wasn't talking about sex! I was asking if you wanted to date or something. I've never even had sex!"
She faltered off her anger, a soft smile taking place once again, "Oh, well that's just fine. I mean the dating part, not that it isn't great that you're a virgin. Well maybe it isn't great for you…I'll just shut up now."
The brunette let out a deep laugh, and through an arm around the girl, "You know this is the funniest conversation I've had about my sex life."
It was Hermione's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Does the subject come up often?"
"You'd be surprised. And what about you? What's your…status?"
"Aren't you just dying to find out."
A/N: I'm gonna be starting my job this upcoming week, so updates will take longer to put up than before. Sorry for the inconvenience, but I need money. Now I want to rant just a little, not at any of the reviewers, just for the sake of my sanity. In every Faith fic I've read, or story's where she has a part at all, the girl is just dripping in leather. Now, I've gone through several of the books I have, looking at pictures of the dark slayer, and in very few is she wearing leather. In fact, she usually stuck to tight blue jeans and a tank. Feeling confused, any one care to help?
A/N2: I don't know how many of you read the BtVS novels, but I've takin a bit from one of the. It's called "The Book of Fours" by Nancy Holder. It's a very good read, and you should all pick it up. That said, I've twisted the book only slightly, but as you know by now it's best just to go along with whatever I say.
TO THE REVIEWERS:
Silver Warrior- I'm sorry that you don't like Ginny/Draco, but it's what works for this fic. I agree that there is nothing to support the pairing in canon, but that's what I love about fan fiction, it doesn't have to be supported. I could write a Harry/Pansy story if I wanted to, even though I don't. Furthermore, I'm not setting up a Ron/Hermione, while I am a fan of the coupling, its not in my plans. Each will get there own Scooby, and I've hinted to which in earlier chapters. I hope you'll still read because I enjoy your reviews and love hearing your opinions.
Renna-Not quite sure what I have planned for Faith, several routes I could take, but she will definitely be closest with Willow and Ron. I've found, from personal experience, that something like getting absolutely drunk with two people you don't know, makes for some close bonds. That's why I did that, Faith needed some friends, and now she's got two.
Sloane Miette- Happy you enjoyed the chap. 'King Weasley' is a reference to the fifth book, you may remember 'Weasley is Our King.' Ron's tattoo will be something that Draco will get a lot of laughs out of.
Tanydwr- Lesley, Faith's watcher, has a very bright future ahead of her, as Willow and Ron will now be there to help with the Kaskistos issue. And I wouldn't be surprised if 50 was less than human.
ON WITH THE FIC
Chapter 9
Buffy could feel two pairs of eyes watching her as she sat in the backseat of Giles' small European made car with Draco. They were the same eyes that had watched her since leaving her apartment in L.A., though the expressions portrayed through each set were entirely different. The first pair, light blue in color, were warm and loving, belonging to a man who was overjoyed to have his Slayer back with him. The second, a remarkable emerald green, looked at Buffy with much curiosity, and the Slayer could feel them searching over her face. To say the least, she found it extremely annoying. Not Giles stare, as he was a father to the girl, so it was appropriate. Not to mention he couldn't look at her for too long, he WAS driving the car.
No, it was this Potter kid that was pissing off the young blonde. At first Buffy had found it cute how intrigued Harry was with her. He was a handsome man, so it didn't bother her much that he was looking at her. But that was forty-five minutes ago, and Buffy was beyond agitated with the supposed "Boy Wonder." It was about time someone set him straight, or so Buffy felt. However, Draco seized the opportunity to embarrass the dark haired wizard before the Slayer had the chance.
"You know, Potter," the white haired wizard started, "it's not as if she can't see you staring at her through the mirror. Frankly, it's a bit disturbing, so maybe you should give it a rest?"
Harry flushed and tore his eyes away from the mirror, "I wasn't staring, Malfoy, I was just…looking," he ended lamely, searching for an appropriate reason for him to be gazing at the girl. "It's my first time meeting a Slayer, is all, I was wondering if there was anything that distinguished them."
Giles gave a bit of a snort, "If there was the Watcher's Council would have heard of it by now. A Slayer can come in any race, any size, any anything so long as it's a girl. There was myth about a mole, but it's never been proven."
Buffy decided it was time for the girl in question to enter the conversation, "My first Watcher told me about that. He said the mole on my back showed that I was the Slayer, and I told him it was the beginnings of skin cancer. The only thing giving us Slay-gals away would be the strength and speed."
"Speaking of Slayers," Harry began, happy to have the conversation of a safer subject, "how's Willow coming along with her search?"
"What search?" Buffy questioned, not liking the sound of Slayer, search and Willow all in the same sentence. It would be just the Slayer's luck if her best friend was already in trouble before she even reached Sunnydale.
Giles smiled softly at his charge's concern, "The search for you. You see I asked Harry and a few of friends to help us look for you. As you already know, there are now two Slayers, even after…" he trailed off, feeling that prior occurrences were still a tender issue for Buffy.
Buffy nodded her head silently, remembering Kendra and the many things surrounding her death. All these thoughts contributed to the growing doubt in Buffy that she wouldn't be able to adjust to living on the Hellmouth once more. Filing those fears away, she moved to the discussion at hand, "So what does that have to do with Willow?"
"Well you see," Harry started, as he cleaned the frames of his glasses, "we did a spell to locate the Slayer on a map of the States, and we received two results. There wasn't anyway to distinguish which was you, so Mr. Giles and myself went to L.A., while Willow and my friend Ron went to Boston."
"Boston?" the blonde screeched, causing Draco to jump in his seat beside her, "Giles, why did you let Will go to Boston? She's never been to Boston! And I doubt Boy Wonder's friend has either. Which leads me to believe that my closest friend is like four thousand miles away, with a stranger, on her way to meet another stranger. Both strangers possessing abilities far beyond her own."
The Watcher rolled his eyes, "Buffy, do you honestly think I would send Willow to the East Coast without her having a basic knowledge as to where she was. She is 'Net girl,' and you know as well I that Willow if fully capable to handle herself," Giles finished talking down to the girl slightly.
"Alright, I'm sorry," Buffy admitted, "but she's Willow, I'm allowed to jump to conclusions for Willow. Have you heard from here at all since she left?"
"As a matter of fact, I have," Giles relayed. "Ron and Willow were able to find the other Slayer, Faith, on their first night in Boston. Of course, the tracking spell probably came in handy. Nonetheless, they are now staying with Faith's Watcher, Ms. Lesley night, whom I spoke to last night in order to confirm Willow's story.
"So as you can see, Willow is in good hands. She's suppose to call me at some point this afternoon to tell us Ms. Knights decision on whether or not her and Faith will be coming to Sunnydale," Giles ended. Buffy looked extremely curious, it would be very interesting to have another Slayer around. She remembered how serious and diligent Kendra was, and hoped that this other girl was a bit more laid-back.
Draco chuckled, "I still can't believe there are two Slayers. It makes you wonder why the Council never tried something like this before. They could have had a whole army of Slayers by now." Buffy shot a glare at the wizard to her left, causing him to stammer out a more understandable response, "It's good that they didn't though, that's just plain sick. Killing off Slayers and bringing them back, just so that they could have more."
Giles was less worried about the ethics of the present conversation, and stayed focused on something else the boy had said, "How do you know about the Council? I thought all you wizards didn't believe in Slayers, thought it to be a myth."
"No, I've known about the Slayer since I was a boy," Draco stated, moving on to elaborate, "My mother's sister, India was a Slayer. The family didn't talk much about her, she was taken away to be trained when she was eight. Her last name was changed, to Cohen, I believe. Died in 1996, got hacked apart by something nasty." He didn't seem very phased by what he just said. Nor should he be, Draco had met his aunt only once, and it was after she called. India had demanded to see her family one last time, she knew that Slayer's didn't live long. She had been a nice women, and the memory was pleasant, but Draco didn't have a deep enough bond to get overly upset by her death.
"I didn't know you're aunt was a slayer, I didn't know you had an aunt. Hell I didn't know there was a slayer until last week," Harry said softly, rather amazed by everything going on. The emotion was becoming all the more frequent for the boy since arriving in America, more precisely Sunnydale.
"Well, you never asked, did you?" Draco replied in a sharp tone. It was obvious to Buffy that the blonde by her side felt left out among Harry and his friends. That included Ginny, while the Slayer was sure the pair had a great relationship, she couldn't help but wonder if Draco was still seen as the evil Slytherin prick, even after all he had done. The boy's presence was taken for granted by the Trio.
Giles cleared his throat, "You said she died in 1996?" Draco nodded his head wordlessly. "So that would make your aunt, Buffy's predecessor. Quite the coincidence."
Harry was the one to snort this time, "How many are we up to now, 15? 20? I swear one more twist of fate and I'll begin to wonder whether this is Southern California, or the Twilight Zone." Giles chuckled, while Draco didn't understand the pop culture reference, and Buffy just didn't get what Harry was talking about.
"What twists of fate?" the Slayer questioned, with narrowed eyes. She didn't like happenstances because they usually turned out bad for her.
"Oh nothing bad," Giles assured, developing a gleam in his eye that was more commonly associated with Xander. "You see Ron, the boy accompanying Willow to Boston, and his sister, Ginny," he paused making sure Buffy was still with him. The librarian didn't know of Draco's relationship with the other four wizards, nor did he know how much Buffy was aware of. At her nod he continued, "it seems that they have some relations in these parts."
"Really?" Buffy perked a bit, loving even the slightest bit of gossip, "Who is it?"
"Oz," Giles stated, receiving a look similar to his own at the news. Draco, though not knowing the boy personally, seemed very fascinated.
"What?" Buffy questioned, then shook her head, "No, I mean how. How are they related to Oz?"
Harry smiled, and took it upon himself to tell the story. Giles was driving the car, and it wouldn't be good if they got into a car accident only a half-hour from home.
"This is nice," Ginny stated. Oz, Xander, Hermione and herself were all soaking up the sun at one of California's many beaches, this particular one situated on the Hellmouth. But with the sky clear and blue, the sun beaming down onto the sand, and the water looking cool and inviting, it was without a doubt, nice.
Xander and Hermione were off frolicking in the water, while the youngest Weasleys lie on a blanket, an appealing looking picnic set in front of them. With Giles, Willow, Harry, and Ron all gone on the quest for Buffy, the teens had nothing better to do than play in the sun like all the other normal boys and girls. It had been a long time since any of them had experienced "normal."
Oz smiled to his twin, "It is." It was his second day without Willow and the only reason he wasn't sulking in a dark corner was because of this wonderful being he had come to know as his sister. The thought of it still got to the werewolf every now and then. Oz had a family, a new name, a whole new list of possibilities for his future. And with all this came many questions. What was his family like? When would he meet the many other Weasleys? Would he go to live with them? Was he a wizard too? Who took him as a baby? Who the Hell was he now? Not Daniel Osbourne, and therefore, he wasn't Oz.
"You're still Oz," Ginny interrupted her brother's worries, "No one is expecting anything from you, other than just to be you. Yes, the family wants to meet you, but it's nothing to fret over." Ginny paused, thinking about the many questions on Oz's mind, he wasn't the only one troubled by some of them.
"And everything else?" The elder twin prodded, sensing the discomfort from the girl.
She sighed and put her head on the werewolf's shoulder, "I don't know. I know that my parents would love to have you with us, that I would love to have you with us. But I also know that you have a life here, including that last year of school because you managed to get yourself kept back. Honestly Oz," Ginny shook her head a bit. Her brother was one of the most intelligent people she had ever met, counting Hermione, it didn't make sense for him to be repeating his senior year. "Whatever your decision, I'm with you, and not just in to figurative sense. Don't look at me that way, I've only just found you, and sure I may not have actually known you existed, but I knew you weren't there," the redhead paused frustrated, "Oh I'm not making any sense."
Oz gave a soft chuckle, "Sure you are, or at least I hope you are, because I get it. I've read stories, saw movies, and heard songs all talking about this hole inside a person. That someone was missing a part of themselves, and finally found that part in someone else. Always thought it to be a load of crap, so when you came along I was kinda stunned. But I wasn't at the same time, cuz it was like 'Whoa, I know this girl, I know that me and her are the same.' I didn't know you weren't here, until you were."
Lifting her head off Oz's shoulder, Ginny turned to her brother, "Have I told you how much I enjoy having someone around who understands me? Because I do, you're the best twin ever."
The black-haired teen smirked at the girl, "I'm pretty sure Fred and George are going to disagree on that." Ginny had taken in upon herself to have Oz as acquainted as possible with the brothers he had yet to meet. It wasn't until describing the boys to her newest sibling that she realized how different they all were, excluding Fred and George. Though those two had a brand of rowdiness that none of the other Weasley boys could compare to. Ron, as mature as he wanted to seem, would always be a kid at heart. Percy had a stick so big up his ass that it should hold a world record, the family never completely got over his betrayal. Bill had grown out of his "rebel without a cause" phase, much to Mrs. Weasleys delight, and got married. He met his wife, Cecile, in Romania, and were engaged mere months after. Ginny would be an aunt in two months. As for Charlie, he was still the eldest and least sure of the future.
"Someone else has to understand you, Gin. What about that guy, Draco?" Oz implored, focusing his searching eyes on the girl. The girl who was now smiling brightly.
"Draco? He's wonderful, everything I could hope for. And Merlin is he gorgeous…" Ginny trailed off, momentarily interrupted by thoughts of a white-blonde boyfriend. Coming out of the daze, she continued, "But he doesn't always understand. He still insist that I have no reason to hang-out with Ron and his friends. Draco will never comprehend that they're my friends as well, and if he'd only give them a chance, they could be his too.
"What about you," Ginny turned her eyes back to Oz, having been staring off into the ocean while speaking of her boyfriend, "Does Willow grasp every little thing about you?"
Oz smirked a bit, "I don't think it's any of my sisters business what Willow has been 'grasping', little or not."
The girls eyes grew big, and she slapped the werewolf on the arm. Only to join him in laughing afterward. "Daniel," she feigned scolding him, "you know full well what I meant. If mum had heard you just now, tsk tsk. When did you get such a filthy mind?"
He shrugged his shoulders, "Always been there. Just never got around to saying the things I think."
"Of course not," Ginny agreed rolling her eyes, "that would take more than three words per sentence. Now answer my question mister, or I'll curse you."
Oz through his arms up in mock surrender, "Okay, okay. Willow tries, she does, and I love her for it. But I don't know if she will ever fully get me, and I don't think I'll ever truly know her."
"So you love her?" The witch asked in a soft voice, she knew the answer of course. Partly because she could hear it in his head whenever Willow was near, or on his mind. But also because Ginny could relate with that emotion.
He nodded his head, suddenly very sincere, "Bit too much if you ask me. And you?"
"More than the infuriating bastard will ever know."
"Can't wait to meet him."
"Oh, he's bound to make an impression."
It was deathly silent, and whether that was more frightening than the pursuer, the girl waist deep in water didn't knew. The hunt had been going on for nearly and hour, and fatigue was beginning to set in. Her hunter be anywhere, and that was a chilling thought, because he was merciless, and would do whatever it takes to catch his prey. That fact became evident from prior incidents.
The girl whirled, hearing a soft splash from behind, but no there was nothing there. Her opponent was very clever in the means of pursuit, he seemed to know what her weak points were. And it was one of those flaws that cost her the game, for she was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice her attacker coming up from below the water. He tackled her with a quickness neither knew the boy possessed, sending both into the water. The girl let out a shrilling scream.
Managing to pull away from the boys grasp, she stood to confront him, "Xander!! I specifically told you I didn't want to be dunked, so what did you do? You spent the last thirty minutes chasing me!"
The brunette cocked his head to the side, not so much in confusion, but because we was taking in the sight of a Hermione soaking wet, "I'm trying to see the problem here, I seriously am, but…" Xander got a silly smile on his face, and was gone to the world. That is until the girl he was staring at smacked him off the side of his head.
"Do try to pay attention Xander, not just… ogle," its was Hermione's turn to trail off, as she too realized that her companion was incredibly appealing, especially with his shirt off. Snapping out of her reverie, the witch tried to resume her glare at the boy, and when it became obvious she couldn't, Hermione stormed out of the water, arms folded across her chest. Why? Because she's Hermione, and acting this way is, like, her job. Or at least that was Xander's thought on the subject, as he followed the girl back to the sand.
"Hey, hang on," he called out, trying to catch up to his witch. 'Whoa, my witch? There's a new thought.' She spun to look him head-on, face flushed, and eyes refusing to look Xander in the eye.
"What?" the bushy haired teen asked, gaze to the sandy ground. The last thing she needed was to get into the conversation her and this wonderful specimen of a man were about to have.
Taking her hand, Xander sat them both on the ground. He caressed a shell in his hands, tracing a path a long its grooves with his eyes, and fingers. As he felt the need to look anywhere else, but her, while saying this. "Hermione, I, uh…Christ I'm bad at this," shaking his head he tried again, "I kinda have a thing for you. I know we just met, but the past couple of days have been great. Spending time with you, getting to know you. Even hearing about how you and Ron used to date, it was fun, no matter how jealous it made me."
"Jealous?" Hermione questioned, she too looking at the shell in Xander's hands. She put a hand on top of his, turning the shell over, both of them now toying with it.
Xander nodded his head, a cleared his now dry throat, "Yea, the thought of someone else with you, someone else touching you. I don't like it, I don't want anyone but me touching you." His eyes grew wide and he tried to cover up, "That came out a lot dirtier than I meant it."
Hermione stifled a laugh, "Oh, it's fine. I knew what you meant. I feel it too, even after only knowing you for a couple hours. When I thought you were with that girl, Cordelia? It felt like my stomach dropped a mile."
"And the stomach is directly related to the heart," the boy added with a smile, as the pair were finally looking at each other. Dropping the shell, he took her hand, "So do you wanna…you know?"
The with widened her eyes in horror, "Xander! I may like you but I will certainly not…you know…after only a week!"
Xander gave a similar reaction, "Wait a minute I wasn't talking about sex! I was asking if you wanted to date or something. I've never even had sex!"
She faltered off her anger, a soft smile taking place once again, "Oh, well that's just fine. I mean the dating part, not that it isn't great that you're a virgin. Well maybe it isn't great for you…I'll just shut up now."
The brunette let out a deep laugh, and through an arm around the girl, "You know this is the funniest conversation I've had about my sex life."
It was Hermione's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Does the subject come up often?"
"You'd be surprised. And what about you? What's your…status?"
"Aren't you just dying to find out."