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Chapter 5 - Big News When they reached the dining room, it was quieter than before, mostly due to Buffy's abrupt exit. The twins were busy formulating a plan of some sort, judging by the looks on their faces and their hushed muttered. Hermione was holding a conversation with Ron, though Ron seemed to be the one doing all the talking; Hermione kept looking at the ceiling, presumably towards where Buffy's room was. Mrs. Weasley, in all her motherly and loving instincts, looked terribly distressed and kept wringing her hands, and Arthur was split between comforting his wife and speaking with Lupin. None of them seemed to notice Sirius and Buffy until the former cleared his throat, drawing their attention immediately.
"Molly," he said conversationally, a protective hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I'd say it's about time for dessert." Mrs Weasley smiled brightly and moved off to get the food, while the others looked a bit uncomfortable. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Guys, I left the dinner table, I didn't die." "Well in that case," George said quickly, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
"We'll just have to fill you up on dessert," Fred finished, in a similar position to George on Buffy's other side.
"To make up for the dinner you lost." "Fatten you up." "Try some of these." "NO!" several people bellowed at once, making Buffy laugh loudly. "Do not eat anything that they give you. At all." The twins looked slightly put out. "Damn," one muttered, quiet enough to only be heard by Buffy. "Come on, it's not dangerous. We really need to test out the Skiving Snackboxes, and ickle Ronnikins and his friends wont bite." Hermione fixed them with a withering look that made Buffy almost proud. "Ron's told me about those. They give you nosebleeds and make you vomit just so you can get out of class." "It's ingenious really," one twin began. And the world was back on its orbit, full of happy, laughing people - in one house of the world, at least.
-
At the end of the week, Hermione announced that Buffy was done with the basics of all her courses, which ultimately pleased the older girl (though she had a sneaking suspicion that it was mainly due to the fact that they just didn't have time to dwell on simple things). Buffy found that, once she had mastered the easiest work, namely: first year studies, it wasn't all that difficult to move through the other years. They were almost halfway through the important parts of fifth year (which Hermione also found incredibly interesting, as she hadn't had time to memorize the course books yet) when Buffy made an announcement of her own.
"You're on your own tonight," Buffy said, quite suddenly, as the two exited the house that night. Behind them, Lupin let out a strangled noise.
"Buffy, do you really-" "Think that's necessary?" she interrupted him. "Yes. Yes, I do." "But Buffy, I've only just started!" Hermione protested, finding the thought of fighting alone rather daunting and not something she wanted to face just yet.
Buffy put her hands on Hermione's shoulders and stared her in the face. "Hermione, when I started out, I was just as old as you, and there wasn't another Slayer to watch my back all the time. You need to be able to look after yourself, just in case I'm notÂthere sometime. I have faith in you." Hermione swallowed and nodded, not finding the sentiment overly comforting, but she had tried to argue with Buffy before. It just didn't work. And she knew, as much as Buffy had implied that she wouldn't help, that if things got really bad, the older slayer wouldn't hesitate to jump into the fray. The two had become close enough in their time together, with the tutoring and training, but Hermione always felt like she was missing a part of Buffy's life, something the older girl was deliberately holding back. In fact, a whole lot of somethings that the older girl was holding back. But she had learned early on not to question when Buffy withdrew. Certain topics were simply taboo.
Unknown to Hermione as they trekked through the streets, similar thoughts were plaguing the mind of Buffy as well. Something had happened that night, something big. It was so sudden and overwhelming that for a second, Buffy had thought for sure it was the apocalypse. Sirius had quickly informed that it wasn't, but she still felt uneasy. Whatever was going on, it was important, and, though she was unofficially part of the Order, no one would tell her. Many of them swooped off instantly to some unknown place, leaving the others to wonder after them. Buffy wasn't particularly pleased, and had taken her anger out on Kreacher, which made Hermione incredibly angry, but ultimately put Buffy (and therefore everyone) into a much better mood.
Fred and George were still staying rather close to Buffy, though she honestly felt that they were only flirting with her for the sake of flirting, which suited her fine. It was hard to get any privacy though, and even worse trying to get out of the house with Hermione at night. She started to wonder if the boys ever slept at all, but quickly squashed the thought as a vampire jumped out at the group.
He didn't seem to notice Buffy and Lupin, who hung back a bit to give Hermione room to fight, only went for the small brunette. Buffy, putting herself in the vampire's position, could see the logic in it, really. Any vampire would be able to sense the wolf in lupin, they didn't want to attack him, and though Buffy was smaller that Hermione, she was much more confident, something vamps didn't usually go for when given a choice. So they chose Hermione, but it was the wrong choice anyways.
A brief scuffle ensued, starting with the vampire gaining the upper hand. Hermione, not used to being on her own, had hesitated, allowing the vampire to take a swipe at her. For a moment, Buffy had been afraid that she would have to get involved, before Hermione made a sweeping kick at the vampire's ankles, sending him off balance. She attempted to plunge her stake into his heart, but he blocked the wooden weapon, throwing her off balance and stumbling backwards. Hermione barely managed to dodge a punch, and returned with a powerful punch to his abdomen. Lupin cringed as Hermione's foot came up sharply to connect with the vampire's groin. In a few more moments, she had staked him.
Hermione leaned back on a tree, catching her breath. It never seemed to take so long with Buffy. Then again, things were a lot easier when you had someone to back you up. But she allowed herself to feel a swell of pride, knowing that she had done it herself, without help or support. She had officially proven herself.
The only problem was: now she had to prove herself three more times.
-
When they reached the house three hours later, Hermione leant heavily on Buffy's shoulder, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. A vampire had taken a swing at her, not with his own fist, but with a dagger. The cut was deep, but it would heal, and it was the last thing on the young slayer's mind at the moment. She had dusted six vampires that night, before Buffy had called an end to the solo fight and brought Hermione back to Grimmauld place. But anyone within a mile radius could see the beacon of pride surrounding them. Nothing could bring down their spirits.
They walked into the house and immediately started work on Hermione's leg. They could hear voices in the other room, and Buffy wondered for a second what they were talking about this early in the morning - it was 2 am. She didn't dwell on it as she cast about for potions ingredients and Lupin pulled out his wand. They rolled up Hermione's pant leg, which caused Lupin to cringe slightly: the wound was bad. But it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.
"Oy, what happened there?" George asked, eyes wide, as he strode into the hall. Hermione instantly pulled down the leg of her jeans, but the damage was done. George rushed out of the room and returned with Fred. "C'mon then, 'Mione, show us again," he urged.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "George is having hallucinations again, Fred, you'll have to forgive him," she said icily.
Fred looked hurt. "Honestly, 'Mione, I'm insulted that you think my intelligence is thatÂlow." "Oh, just let us see it," George begged. A glint came into his eyes. "Or we'll tell Harry all about it. D'you want him to know all about Hermione's late-night adventures?" In a second, Buffy was in front of Hermione, holding the younger girl back, but it didn't stop Hermione from sending a worthy death-glare.
"You wouldn't tell him anything!" she hissed. "Because Dumbledore's so bloody uptight about anything we tell him to the point where he's barely even speaking to us and is probably going to hate us all at the end of the summer!" "Down, girl," Buffy said, pushing Hermione back down into her seat. The younger girl scowled, crossing her arms. Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Dramatic much?" "Everyone knows she fancies Harry," Fred said casually.
Again, Buffy found herself holding Hermione in her seat. "I do not!" Hermione retorted swiftly. Further banter was cut off when Ron came into the kitchen, fighting off a large mass of white feathers.
"Oy! Gerrof!" Ron shouted at what Buffy now recognized to be an owl. Hedwig: Harry's owl - Buffy had seen the bird a few times since the Weasley's and Hermione had come to Grimmauld Place. Finally, Ron managed to wrestle Hedwig away from his face, but she kept pecking his arm. "Stupid bird!" Hermione was on her feet instantly, trying to help Ron and ignore the pain in her leg at the same time. It proved rather easy: focussing her attention on Ron and Hedwig made her forget about her leg. A simple yet highly effective solution. However, one that didn't last long, as Hedwig stopped attacking Ron quite suddenly to stick out her leg at Hermione. There was a note attached.
Hermione looked briefly around the room; everyone was a bit surprised at how Hedwig simply stopped. Hesitantly, the young brunette reached her hand out and took the parchment. She got paler and paler as she read the few scribbled lines. When she had finished, she dropped the parchment and looked at Ron.
"What happened?" Buffy questioned, looking from Ron to Hermione and back again. Lupin and the twins had disappeared in the ruckus.
"Did you know about this?" Hermione asked Ron quietly, seeming to miss the fact that he hadn't read her letter. It didn't matter anyways.
"What happened?" Buffy repeated, a bit firmer this time. She didn't enjoy being ignored.
"Not till Hedwig got here with the letters. Exact same one for Sirius and I. Apparently Mundugus Fletcher skipped out on watching Harry; you should've heard mum screaming at him. Where were you, anyways?" "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Buffy demanded, rather loudly this time, standing up and looking very dangerous, despite the fact that she was the shortest person in the room. Ron, who had until then managed to avoid Buffy's intimidating moods, was rather surprised, and took a step back. Hermione mentally cursed herself for ignoring the older girl; she knew full well what happened when Buffy got upset.
"There was an attack," said a voice behind them. Sirius stood in the doorway, looking more worried than Buffy ever remembered seeing him. "Harry was attacked by Dementors." "And Dementors are...?" Buffy questioned, sounding only slightly less irritated.
"And she's going into her seventh year?" Ron questioned, seeming to get his courage back up.
"Stuff it, Weasley," Buffy shot back, not even glancing at him. "Sirius? What's going on?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Ron, Hermione, go upstairs to bed. You'll hear about this in the morning." Ron looked about to argue, but Hermione silenced him with a look. They walked out of the kitchen, followed by Hedwig, who didn't look too happy (if owls could really look happy at all). Hermione neglected to mention that she was just as qualified as Buffy to hear what was going on, since no one but the Order knew about her new destiny, and she didn't want Ron asking questions.
After they'd left, Sirius sat down and motioned for Buffy to do the same. He didn't even try to hide how upset and worried he was. Whatever Dementors were, Buffy was sure they didn't just randomly attack people. The fact that they attacked Harry PotterÂof all people wasn't a coincidence either. Voldemort was making his first move, and it had the Order up in arms.
"Dementors," he began. "Are the guards of Azkaban, the wizard prison where I was held. They're the worst things you can imagine. When they get close, everything gets cold. They glide around, robed in black, and you never see their faces - assuming they have any - past the hoods, and sometimes you can see their sickly-pale "skin" if they really want to freak you out." "But what do they do?" Buffy pressed. So far, they just sounded like a cross between the grim reaper and a vampire, which honestly didn't scare her that much. Very little in this world did.
"They suck the happiness right out of you, it's like food for them. They force you to relive your very worst memories. And sometimes... they kiss you. That's what it's called, when they suck your soul right out. And you aren't dead, but you're certainly not alive." Sirius shivered. "They almost did that to me once, and it was the scariest moment of my life. And the way it sounds now, they tried to do that to Harry." Buffy's next question was simple and blunt, a window to her Slayer-self. "How can I kill it?" "You're not likely to come across any Dementors the Ministry'll just let you kill. And the danger's passed for Harry, so it's really not-" "How can I kill it?" Buffy interrupted. "Don't make me ask again." Sirius sighed. "I don't think they ever actually die, per se. But there's a very difficult spell to get rid of them. Harry's beaten a few that way: used it tonight. It's called a Patronus. Maybe we'll teach you sometime." Buffy nodded absently. "So how're you holding up?" she asked quietly. It was hard for her to see Sirius like this; he tried not to let her know when he was upset, and he usually did a good job. But when it came to Harry, Buffy had realized that Sirius wasn't as strong. She knew part of it was because he really cared for Harry, but she was sure there was something more, something she just couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Honestly? I'm alright, I just hope Harry's the same. The poor kid's holed up with family he hates, worried every day about a powerful wizard that no one believes is back, dealing with friends that can't tell him anything that's going on, and then he gets attacked! We'll be lucky if he even speaks to us at the end of the summer." Buffy smiled wryly. "That's what Hermione screamed at George earlier. Or Fred. I can't keep those two straight." "And how are they treating you?" Sirius asked, trying (and failing) to get his mind off Harry. He knew that there was nothing he could do now. "Are they bugging you?" Buffy laughed a bit. "No, they're not bugging me," she replied. "They're cool." "And the age thing...?" "I'm embracing my seventeen-year-old self," Buffy replied.
"So you can act like a seventeen-year-old, but we can't treat you like one?" Sirius asked, sounding slightly amused.
"Yea, pretty much," Buffy replied, winking. Then she shrugged. "I mean, it's getting harder to detach myself from it all. I remember everything I did after 17, but it's getting... I don't know. Sort of surreal. Like it was all just a dream, and I only thought it was real. Very wiggy." "I'm sure," Sirius replied dryly, starting to smirk. "So the twins aren't bothering you then?" Buffy shook her head. "Nah. Well, it's kinda hard to get out of the house when they just poof up beside me all of a sudden. Cool trick by the way." "Apparating? You should ask Dumbledore if you can get your license, you're old enough." "You think I'm ready for that? Isn't it s'posed to be kinda hard?" "Well, the twins got it, didn't they?" "You don't have enough faith in them. They're not really as dumb as they let on." "I'd be surprised.
"I bet you would." Sirius laughed briefly, making Buffy smile. At least she'd gotten him to laugh. "So, we'll ask Dumbledore, see what he says. It would be really useful in any case." Buffy nodded. "Yea," she said, around a yawn. She smiled a bit sheepishly. "All this excitement has made me tired I guess." Sirius smiled and stood up with her. "Have a good sleep, k?" Buffy nodded. "Will do."
Chapter 5 - Big News When they reached the dining room, it was quieter than before, mostly due to Buffy's abrupt exit. The twins were busy formulating a plan of some sort, judging by the looks on their faces and their hushed muttered. Hermione was holding a conversation with Ron, though Ron seemed to be the one doing all the talking; Hermione kept looking at the ceiling, presumably towards where Buffy's room was. Mrs. Weasley, in all her motherly and loving instincts, looked terribly distressed and kept wringing her hands, and Arthur was split between comforting his wife and speaking with Lupin. None of them seemed to notice Sirius and Buffy until the former cleared his throat, drawing their attention immediately.
"Molly," he said conversationally, a protective hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I'd say it's about time for dessert." Mrs Weasley smiled brightly and moved off to get the food, while the others looked a bit uncomfortable. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Guys, I left the dinner table, I didn't die." "Well in that case," George said quickly, throwing an arm around her shoulders.
"We'll just have to fill you up on dessert," Fred finished, in a similar position to George on Buffy's other side.
"To make up for the dinner you lost." "Fatten you up." "Try some of these." "NO!" several people bellowed at once, making Buffy laugh loudly. "Do not eat anything that they give you. At all." The twins looked slightly put out. "Damn," one muttered, quiet enough to only be heard by Buffy. "Come on, it's not dangerous. We really need to test out the Skiving Snackboxes, and ickle Ronnikins and his friends wont bite." Hermione fixed them with a withering look that made Buffy almost proud. "Ron's told me about those. They give you nosebleeds and make you vomit just so you can get out of class." "It's ingenious really," one twin began. And the world was back on its orbit, full of happy, laughing people - in one house of the world, at least.
-
At the end of the week, Hermione announced that Buffy was done with the basics of all her courses, which ultimately pleased the older girl (though she had a sneaking suspicion that it was mainly due to the fact that they just didn't have time to dwell on simple things). Buffy found that, once she had mastered the easiest work, namely: first year studies, it wasn't all that difficult to move through the other years. They were almost halfway through the important parts of fifth year (which Hermione also found incredibly interesting, as she hadn't had time to memorize the course books yet) when Buffy made an announcement of her own.
"You're on your own tonight," Buffy said, quite suddenly, as the two exited the house that night. Behind them, Lupin let out a strangled noise.
"Buffy, do you really-" "Think that's necessary?" she interrupted him. "Yes. Yes, I do." "But Buffy, I've only just started!" Hermione protested, finding the thought of fighting alone rather daunting and not something she wanted to face just yet.
Buffy put her hands on Hermione's shoulders and stared her in the face. "Hermione, when I started out, I was just as old as you, and there wasn't another Slayer to watch my back all the time. You need to be able to look after yourself, just in case I'm notÂthere sometime. I have faith in you." Hermione swallowed and nodded, not finding the sentiment overly comforting, but she had tried to argue with Buffy before. It just didn't work. And she knew, as much as Buffy had implied that she wouldn't help, that if things got really bad, the older slayer wouldn't hesitate to jump into the fray. The two had become close enough in their time together, with the tutoring and training, but Hermione always felt like she was missing a part of Buffy's life, something the older girl was deliberately holding back. In fact, a whole lot of somethings that the older girl was holding back. But she had learned early on not to question when Buffy withdrew. Certain topics were simply taboo.
Unknown to Hermione as they trekked through the streets, similar thoughts were plaguing the mind of Buffy as well. Something had happened that night, something big. It was so sudden and overwhelming that for a second, Buffy had thought for sure it was the apocalypse. Sirius had quickly informed that it wasn't, but she still felt uneasy. Whatever was going on, it was important, and, though she was unofficially part of the Order, no one would tell her. Many of them swooped off instantly to some unknown place, leaving the others to wonder after them. Buffy wasn't particularly pleased, and had taken her anger out on Kreacher, which made Hermione incredibly angry, but ultimately put Buffy (and therefore everyone) into a much better mood.
Fred and George were still staying rather close to Buffy, though she honestly felt that they were only flirting with her for the sake of flirting, which suited her fine. It was hard to get any privacy though, and even worse trying to get out of the house with Hermione at night. She started to wonder if the boys ever slept at all, but quickly squashed the thought as a vampire jumped out at the group.
He didn't seem to notice Buffy and Lupin, who hung back a bit to give Hermione room to fight, only went for the small brunette. Buffy, putting herself in the vampire's position, could see the logic in it, really. Any vampire would be able to sense the wolf in lupin, they didn't want to attack him, and though Buffy was smaller that Hermione, she was much more confident, something vamps didn't usually go for when given a choice. So they chose Hermione, but it was the wrong choice anyways.
A brief scuffle ensued, starting with the vampire gaining the upper hand. Hermione, not used to being on her own, had hesitated, allowing the vampire to take a swipe at her. For a moment, Buffy had been afraid that she would have to get involved, before Hermione made a sweeping kick at the vampire's ankles, sending him off balance. She attempted to plunge her stake into his heart, but he blocked the wooden weapon, throwing her off balance and stumbling backwards. Hermione barely managed to dodge a punch, and returned with a powerful punch to his abdomen. Lupin cringed as Hermione's foot came up sharply to connect with the vampire's groin. In a few more moments, she had staked him.
Hermione leaned back on a tree, catching her breath. It never seemed to take so long with Buffy. Then again, things were a lot easier when you had someone to back you up. But she allowed herself to feel a swell of pride, knowing that she had done it herself, without help or support. She had officially proven herself.
The only problem was: now she had to prove herself three more times.
-
When they reached the house three hours later, Hermione leant heavily on Buffy's shoulder, trying to ignore the pain in her leg. A vampire had taken a swing at her, not with his own fist, but with a dagger. The cut was deep, but it would heal, and it was the last thing on the young slayer's mind at the moment. She had dusted six vampires that night, before Buffy had called an end to the solo fight and brought Hermione back to Grimmauld place. But anyone within a mile radius could see the beacon of pride surrounding them. Nothing could bring down their spirits.
They walked into the house and immediately started work on Hermione's leg. They could hear voices in the other room, and Buffy wondered for a second what they were talking about this early in the morning - it was 2 am. She didn't dwell on it as she cast about for potions ingredients and Lupin pulled out his wand. They rolled up Hermione's pant leg, which caused Lupin to cringe slightly: the wound was bad. But it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.
"Oy, what happened there?" George asked, eyes wide, as he strode into the hall. Hermione instantly pulled down the leg of her jeans, but the damage was done. George rushed out of the room and returned with Fred. "C'mon then, 'Mione, show us again," he urged.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "George is having hallucinations again, Fred, you'll have to forgive him," she said icily.
Fred looked hurt. "Honestly, 'Mione, I'm insulted that you think my intelligence is thatÂlow." "Oh, just let us see it," George begged. A glint came into his eyes. "Or we'll tell Harry all about it. D'you want him to know all about Hermione's late-night adventures?" In a second, Buffy was in front of Hermione, holding the younger girl back, but it didn't stop Hermione from sending a worthy death-glare.
"You wouldn't tell him anything!" she hissed. "Because Dumbledore's so bloody uptight about anything we tell him to the point where he's barely even speaking to us and is probably going to hate us all at the end of the summer!" "Down, girl," Buffy said, pushing Hermione back down into her seat. The younger girl scowled, crossing her arms. Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Dramatic much?" "Everyone knows she fancies Harry," Fred said casually.
Again, Buffy found herself holding Hermione in her seat. "I do not!" Hermione retorted swiftly. Further banter was cut off when Ron came into the kitchen, fighting off a large mass of white feathers.
"Oy! Gerrof!" Ron shouted at what Buffy now recognized to be an owl. Hedwig: Harry's owl - Buffy had seen the bird a few times since the Weasley's and Hermione had come to Grimmauld Place. Finally, Ron managed to wrestle Hedwig away from his face, but she kept pecking his arm. "Stupid bird!" Hermione was on her feet instantly, trying to help Ron and ignore the pain in her leg at the same time. It proved rather easy: focussing her attention on Ron and Hedwig made her forget about her leg. A simple yet highly effective solution. However, one that didn't last long, as Hedwig stopped attacking Ron quite suddenly to stick out her leg at Hermione. There was a note attached.
Hermione looked briefly around the room; everyone was a bit surprised at how Hedwig simply stopped. Hesitantly, the young brunette reached her hand out and took the parchment. She got paler and paler as she read the few scribbled lines. When she had finished, she dropped the parchment and looked at Ron.
"What happened?" Buffy questioned, looking from Ron to Hermione and back again. Lupin and the twins had disappeared in the ruckus.
"Did you know about this?" Hermione asked Ron quietly, seeming to miss the fact that he hadn't read her letter. It didn't matter anyways.
"What happened?" Buffy repeated, a bit firmer this time. She didn't enjoy being ignored.
"Not till Hedwig got here with the letters. Exact same one for Sirius and I. Apparently Mundugus Fletcher skipped out on watching Harry; you should've heard mum screaming at him. Where were you, anyways?" "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Buffy demanded, rather loudly this time, standing up and looking very dangerous, despite the fact that she was the shortest person in the room. Ron, who had until then managed to avoid Buffy's intimidating moods, was rather surprised, and took a step back. Hermione mentally cursed herself for ignoring the older girl; she knew full well what happened when Buffy got upset.
"There was an attack," said a voice behind them. Sirius stood in the doorway, looking more worried than Buffy ever remembered seeing him. "Harry was attacked by Dementors." "And Dementors are...?" Buffy questioned, sounding only slightly less irritated.
"And she's going into her seventh year?" Ron questioned, seeming to get his courage back up.
"Stuff it, Weasley," Buffy shot back, not even glancing at him. "Sirius? What's going on?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "Ron, Hermione, go upstairs to bed. You'll hear about this in the morning." Ron looked about to argue, but Hermione silenced him with a look. They walked out of the kitchen, followed by Hedwig, who didn't look too happy (if owls could really look happy at all). Hermione neglected to mention that she was just as qualified as Buffy to hear what was going on, since no one but the Order knew about her new destiny, and she didn't want Ron asking questions.
After they'd left, Sirius sat down and motioned for Buffy to do the same. He didn't even try to hide how upset and worried he was. Whatever Dementors were, Buffy was sure they didn't just randomly attack people. The fact that they attacked Harry PotterÂof all people wasn't a coincidence either. Voldemort was making his first move, and it had the Order up in arms.
"Dementors," he began. "Are the guards of Azkaban, the wizard prison where I was held. They're the worst things you can imagine. When they get close, everything gets cold. They glide around, robed in black, and you never see their faces - assuming they have any - past the hoods, and sometimes you can see their sickly-pale "skin" if they really want to freak you out." "But what do they do?" Buffy pressed. So far, they just sounded like a cross between the grim reaper and a vampire, which honestly didn't scare her that much. Very little in this world did.
"They suck the happiness right out of you, it's like food for them. They force you to relive your very worst memories. And sometimes... they kiss you. That's what it's called, when they suck your soul right out. And you aren't dead, but you're certainly not alive." Sirius shivered. "They almost did that to me once, and it was the scariest moment of my life. And the way it sounds now, they tried to do that to Harry." Buffy's next question was simple and blunt, a window to her Slayer-self. "How can I kill it?" "You're not likely to come across any Dementors the Ministry'll just let you kill. And the danger's passed for Harry, so it's really not-" "How can I kill it?" Buffy interrupted. "Don't make me ask again." Sirius sighed. "I don't think they ever actually die, per se. But there's a very difficult spell to get rid of them. Harry's beaten a few that way: used it tonight. It's called a Patronus. Maybe we'll teach you sometime." Buffy nodded absently. "So how're you holding up?" she asked quietly. It was hard for her to see Sirius like this; he tried not to let her know when he was upset, and he usually did a good job. But when it came to Harry, Buffy had realized that Sirius wasn't as strong. She knew part of it was because he really cared for Harry, but she was sure there was something more, something she just couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Honestly? I'm alright, I just hope Harry's the same. The poor kid's holed up with family he hates, worried every day about a powerful wizard that no one believes is back, dealing with friends that can't tell him anything that's going on, and then he gets attacked! We'll be lucky if he even speaks to us at the end of the summer." Buffy smiled wryly. "That's what Hermione screamed at George earlier. Or Fred. I can't keep those two straight." "And how are they treating you?" Sirius asked, trying (and failing) to get his mind off Harry. He knew that there was nothing he could do now. "Are they bugging you?" Buffy laughed a bit. "No, they're not bugging me," she replied. "They're cool." "And the age thing...?" "I'm embracing my seventeen-year-old self," Buffy replied.
"So you can act like a seventeen-year-old, but we can't treat you like one?" Sirius asked, sounding slightly amused.
"Yea, pretty much," Buffy replied, winking. Then she shrugged. "I mean, it's getting harder to detach myself from it all. I remember everything I did after 17, but it's getting... I don't know. Sort of surreal. Like it was all just a dream, and I only thought it was real. Very wiggy." "I'm sure," Sirius replied dryly, starting to smirk. "So the twins aren't bothering you then?" Buffy shook her head. "Nah. Well, it's kinda hard to get out of the house when they just poof up beside me all of a sudden. Cool trick by the way." "Apparating? You should ask Dumbledore if you can get your license, you're old enough." "You think I'm ready for that? Isn't it s'posed to be kinda hard?" "Well, the twins got it, didn't they?" "You don't have enough faith in them. They're not really as dumb as they let on." "I'd be surprised.
"I bet you would." Sirius laughed briefly, making Buffy smile. At least she'd gotten him to laugh. "So, we'll ask Dumbledore, see what he says. It would be really useful in any case." Buffy nodded. "Yea," she said, around a yawn. She smiled a bit sheepishly. "All this excitement has made me tired I guess." Sirius smiled and stood up with her. "Have a good sleep, k?" Buffy nodded. "Will do."