Thanks to everyone who reviewed:
Becks89 – thanks again for the dedication. I'd really like another update since the last one was so good!
Queen Sereya
SPASH Panther – yes, Buffy is going to England as you'll see. As for Dumbledore, you'll see in about two chapters!
Saavik
Christiana – yeah it might be difficult fitting him in, I shall have to see. And I like the opinion of my reviewers, it's better than mine most of the time!
Dannii
Nobody…- lol all the questions, you'll have to be patient! Everything will be answered soon…
Harmoni9
Miz – we won't be seeing the scoobies for a while, though I may bring in one or two later. Right now it's just Buffy in England.
Draco-FutureBF
Erak
FairyDragon – I'm sorry but there just won't be Tara. I love her too, but I love Oz more so I'm gonna leave him in Sunnydale with Willow.
Midnight
Jess S1 – this won't be an all angst fic, don't worry, it's going to be difficult for Buffy to be all depressed with such a change in her life and the excitement of all the new people. But it's not all going to be light either, Buffy's gonna go through a lot. Just bear with me!
ScruffyWes- you will have to wait and see about Sirius…though for definite he will be in this fic one way or another…..
Chapter 3 – Leaving
"What?" Willow exclaimed.
"I'm going to England," Buffy repeated patiently. "I've written back to Remus Lupin, he's going to meet me there and then take me to Sirius' home." On saying Sirius, she nearly faltered, nearly slipped, but she held onto the composure she'd gained, she needed to get through this.
"But why?" Willow said her mind whirling. "Are
you sure this is good idea?" Buffy nodded.
"I need this," she said, swallowing
hard. "I have to get away; I have to be out of here, out of this house. I need
to be where he was, so I can finish this, get some closure on it. I won't
forget him ever, I'll never do that, but I'll be able to stop myself from
losing it. And maybe I can help them; Sirius would've wanted me to look out for
Harry."
Willow looked at Buffy's determined face and
realised that she was right, she did need this.
"If I leave now I can be there in a few
hours," Buffy said. "Let me go Willow." Willow nodded mutely, eyes filling with
tears again. Buffy smiled a half smile.
"It'll be okay," she said softly. She
dropped her suitcase and enveloped Willow in a crushing hug. A few tears
slipped down her cheeks, dampening Willows shirt. She pulled away and held her
by the shoulders.
"Take care of yourself," she said firmly.
"I won't have time to say goodbye to Xander: tell him what happened and that I
love him. And Giles, fill him in; tell him I'll write to him. I'll write, I
promise and who knows, if the English people are mean then I'll be back soon."
"Sirius wasn't," Willow said
automatically, and then wanted to curse herself when she saw Buffy's eyes cloud
over.
"We'll miss you," Willow said hastily.
Buffy smiled again and then hugged Oz. They shared tiny grins and then Faith
and Buffy hugged, something Faith didn't normally like but really appreciated
this time.
"Be careful B," Faith said. "Watch your
back."
"I always do," Buffy murmured. "Take
care of them for me. And take care of yourself. I'll miss you too." Faith
smiled and Buffy picked up her bags and walked out into the balmy air.
Buffy got a
bus to LA. When she got off the bus it was dark and she trudged out of the
station, pulling her suitcase behind her. She reached the exit and a man stood,
leaning against the wall waiting for her.
"Angel," Buffy said softly.
"Willow called me, she said you could
use a friend," Angel said, looking down at Buffy with the same penetrating
stare he always used when he looked at her. Buffy nodded and Angel gestured to
a black car parked nearby.
"Borrowed it from a friend," he
explained and Buffy slid into the cool black interior. Angel got in and started
the engine, pulling away from the bus station. They drove in silence for quite
a while, Buffy staring out the darkened windows at downtown LA.
"Rough time?" Angel said, breaking the
silence.
"Roughest," Buffy said, feeling herself
tear up at the gentle sound of his voice.
"I'm here if you need me, if you need a
friend," Angel murmured and Buffy nodded.
"I know," she said. "Got plenty of
those. Only thing that I want, I haven't got." They fell silent again and Buffy
felt guilty that she had been so blunt.
"I'm sorry," she said finally.
"It's okay, I understand." Angel
reassured her. "You're dealing." The rest of the journey passed silence, and
Angel stopped the car where Buffy requested.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
"I wish I could be more help," Angel said, his
eyes searching hers. Buffy sighed.
"I wish a lot of things," she said
quietly. She got out of the car and Angel retrieved her suitcase out of the
boot.
"Take care," he said and she nodded,
gave him a half smile and walked off, pulling her case behind her.
Luckily, Buffy was able to find the Floo station she had used before. She almost broke down at the sight of the place, a place that held her and Sirius in it, but she leant against the wall and regained her composure. Then, she passed though the fire, speaking the words 'Diagon Alley' as she did.
She landed
hard, whirling out of the fireplace in a mist of ashes and soot. When she
stopped herself, she brushed off the clothes and looked around her wearily. She
had visited Diagon Alley once before, with Sirius three years ago. It hadn't
changed much, the cobbled winding streets were still the same with the small
Victorian looking shops and the large white marble building that was Gringotts
Bank. Buffy looked around her, she had told Remus Lupin to meet her here
tomorrow and needed somewhere to stay.
"Excuse me?" she said politely to a
brunette witch, standing nearby. "Is there a place I can get a room to stay in
around here?" The witch eyed her muggle clothing warily and Buffy realised she
should have worn the robes she had bought years ago in Hogsmeade.
"They have rooms in the Leaky Cauldron,"
she replied, gesturing to a nearby pub and Buffy nodded, thanking her. She
picked up her suitcase and walked into the pub. The toothless barkeeper that
she had seen the last time was still there, busily pouring drinks for the
customers that requested them.
When the queue had cleared, Buffy stepped up to the bar.
"I recognise your face," the barkeeper
said conversationally and Buffy nodded.
"Yes, I've been here before," she said
casually. "I was told I could get a room here?"
"Certainly miss," the barkeeper replied. "My
names Tom, will it just be for the one night?"
"I don't know to be honest," Buffy
confessed. "One night definitely, after that, I don't know." Tom nodded.
"The room will be ready in a few
minutes," he said, nodding at a young man who disappeared upstairs, to get
Buffy's room ready she presumed. "Would you like something to quench your
thirst while you wait?"
"Ummm…..yeah I'll have a……cherry syrup
and soda," Buffy decided, consulting a menu and when the drink arrived she was
pleased to see it had a small cocktail umbrella in the glass. She picked it
out, tucked it in the hair band that held her hair in a pony tail and drunk her
drink.
Once finished, the porter carried her case upstairs and she settled into her
new room. It was dark but the large windows let in the moonlight. A medium
sized bed was made with clean sheets and a blanket and a cupboard for clothes
was against the wall with a mirror on the front.
Buffy threw herself back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling which was white
and painted. She breathed deeply, today had been a long day and she was tired.
Every little thing seemed like a struggle, she was a stranger in this country
without Sirius by her side, helping her through. She wanted to cry again, she
wanted to give up but she knew she couldn't. She'd hang on until tomorrow,
she'd meet Remus Lupin and then if that was it she could do what she wanted.
But she owed it to Sirius to meet him, meet Harry and help in anyway she could.
It was so hard though.
With a deep sigh, Buffy got herself up. She changed into her flannel pyjamas
and pulled out her ponytail. Standing in front of the mirror, she brushed her
hair out in long measured strokes.
"Lovely dear," the mirror said sleepily
and Buffy jumped and then stared.
"Did you just-?" she stammered.
"Of course dear," the mirror replied,
sounding even dozier and then Buffy thought she heard it yawn. "Night, love."
Buffy frowned then shrugged and climbed into bed.
