Title: Duct Tape
Author: Cataclysmic
Rating: PG- may go up later
Pairings: None yet. BS/DM past.
Time line: post S7, Harry Potter 12-13 years after graduation, no OoTP events.
Summary: "Duct tape is like the force, it has a Light side and a Dark side and it holds the Universe together." Laney Summers the result a one night stand her mother had after losing her lover, receives a unusual letter addressed not to Laney Summers but to Laney Malfoy her world is set to turn upside down.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, props or places that have previously been seen in either BTVS or Harry Potter.
"Duct tape is like the force, it has a Light side and a Dark side and it holds the Universe together." - Unknown
Chapter 2: Of Letters.
Laney looked up at her Grandpa Giles her eyes wide with confusion.
"Giles, what is this?" flapping the letter in her hand in his direction, it was so much easier not to add Grandpa to his name every time she spoke to him, generally she only called him that when she was in public or wanted something. She was hoping he would have an answer, after all Grandpa Giles always seemed to know what was going on. Hopefully he would know what this was all about as well.
"Open the letter it will explain everything better than I can"
Well that was better than nothing she supposed.
Eyebrows furrowed in confusion Laney turned her attention back to the letter in her hand. Noting the wax seal on the back of the envelope Laney ran her fingers under the edge hoping that it would open. The seal broke surprisingly easily. The seal should have been her second clue that something strange was going on, the first having been the owl but she was too caught up in her confusion over the name on the front to contemplate possible implications.
Her eyes widened slightly as she read the letter.
Ms. Malfoy,
You have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…
As she scanned the letter she still could not find the answer to her primary question. What was with the Malfoy business and was this a joke? to a kid who had grown up with demons, vampires and magic the idea of a magic school was slightly strange but not awe inspiring. The likelihood of the letter being a practical joke though, an elaborate joke to be sure but a joke none the less was however incredibly higher. Especially with all the strange whacked-out people she knew.
Laney raised her eyebrow, not really convinced with the letters authenticity, after all who would address a serious letter to Laney Malfoy when everybody knew her name was Laney Summers.
"Giles that still doesn't explain why the letter is addressed to Laney Malfoy."
The front door of Cleveland House banged open as Faith returned home laden with a bag of groceries. Kicking the door shut behind her Faith dropped her keys on the table by the door and made her way through the dining room towards the kitchen where she was surprised to find Giles cleaning his glasses and Xander reading from an ancient looking piece of paper.
Faith took a deep breath before entering the kitchen, polishing of glasses and ancient looking book, paper or manuscript could not lead to anything good in her book.
She had settled down a lot in the last decade or so, yeah she still thought dusting vamps patrol and guys were the best parts of her day but apocalyptic events were no longer any fun in her opinion. She had too much to lose now. Like Lanes.
"What's up?" Faith asked as she dropped her burden off on the island of the kitchen table before perching herself said table facing Giles and Xander, their faces painted with serious expressions. Lanes was there as well she noticed, which could be a good or a bad sign. She must have missed spotting Lanes on the way in, sometimes the girl could remain as unnoticed as a fly if you weren't looking for her, years of eavesdropping practice and spying was her guess. She knew for a fact Lanes had found a way to get past the advanced senses that were often present in Cleveland House, and that was only because she had been late once and had caught her outside a door.
Faith was extremely surprised she could have missed Laney today though; she had never ever seen her this excited before, though she was restraining herself. It surprised her she was still sitting still she looked that excited. They had been here a while by the looks of things. Xander and Giles seemed a little off, worried and confused respectively. The ancient bit of paper seemed to be the responsible party, as they all seemed to be sending it glances every so often.
Faith had to admit, she was curious it wasn't often you came across something that got Laney this excited or Giles confused. Xander she could understand, a lot got him worried these days, he had never really been the same after Anya died.
Xander smiled at her slightly, reassuring her that this was nothing of apocalyptic proportions, as if she couldn't have guessed already and passed her a few sheets of the ancient looking paper, which was seemingly addressed to Laney…though…she didn't know what that Malfoy thing was about
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?" she finally asked raising an eyebrow. "Never heard of it"
"What I wanna know is what is with this Malfoy business?" Xander piped in.
"Maybe they sent it to the wrong person?" Faith suggested with a shrug. Laney looked slightly disappointed at the idea.
Everyone looked to Giles, he was the man with the answers after all. Well he usually had the answers anyway, and it never hurt to ask Giles.
Giles sighed "I believe it to be a genuine offer" Giles finally replied. "My elder brother was schooled at Hogwarts, and I believe the letter found the right owner had it not I believe the owl would have returned the letter to the school."
"So it's legit." Faith asked
"Yes Faith it is a legitimate offer"
"Though for the life of me I cannot think why she would get an offer from England, it is general practice for the child to be schooled in their home country." Giles continued
"Hang on a sec" Faith said after a pause "Did you say owl?"
Laney pointed to the corner where the owl who had delivered the letter was perched.
"Owl." she stated.
Faith looked at it with open curiosity.
"So you're telling me that an owl carried that ancient looking paper here all the way from England?"
"Parchment, Faith, Parchment and yes."
"Must have taken some stamina." she commented.
"So, what about this Malfoy thing?" Xander asked slightly annoyed at being left out of the conversation. "What does that mean?"
"Well I am not entirely sure how wizarding post works, I was never very close to my brother and after his death I had no contact with that world whatsoever, however the use of the surname is obviously significant in some way."
No one thought to mention Laney's father, so far as they were concerned Laney was a Summers, her mother had not been married to her father so that made her a Summers. The thought crossed their minds of course but no one, including her mother had known her fathers name, not even his first name. As far as they were concerned her father did not exist. Laney Summers had no father. She had something better, multiple father figures.
"Just to be sure the voice of reason has spoken here" Xander put in "A school that no one but Giles has heard of sends Lanes a letter inviting her to a magic school in another country that doesn't usually offer places to foreigners, as far as we know. Not only that the letter isn't addressed to Laney Summers but to Laney Malfoy, is anyone but me thinking this is just a little bit suspicious?"
"We hear what you are saying Xander…" Giles said
"But?" he asked knowing there would be a but, there was always a but.
"But I believe it should be Laney's decision."
Faith nodded in agreement "Lanes?"
"I want to go." Laney said determinedly, knowing that despite it being her decision whether or not to go by choosing to go there would be strings attached.
Giles, Xander and Faith frowned, they knew her to well and had already guessed what her answer would be but that didn't mean they weren't holding out hope.
"Well Laney if this is what you want…" Faith started, "You are going to have to get some serious training done before you go, never know what might go down with those magic types"
Giles continued "And there will be conditions and precautions you understand?"
Laney nodded to both of them, nothing she had not expected.
"OK why don't you head up to your room and start packing while we make the arrangements. You will need to be in England in a week's time at least." Giles said
"A week!" exclaimed Faith "cutting it a bit fine aren't they?"
Giles frowned at her. Laney made her way up the stairs she heard them continue the conversation behind her.
"But England, G-Man, I don't know…" she heard Xander continuing, "And what about this Malfoy thing?" Xander piped up as the door closed.
"We will have to find the answers when we get there."