Presents, prophecies and Weasleys, oh my!
(edited to remove legal stuff)- - - - -
Chapter 10
To See the Light
- - - - -
Once the Council members had left, Buffy and Harry retreated back into the warmth of their small flat. Harry moved to his bed where his boxes and packages were waiting. Buffy stood behind him, chewing nervously on her fingernails.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," she said anxiously.
"Don't worry about it," he said, smiling at her. "It was bound to happen sooner or later." But what they had exactly come after her for remained a complete mystery.
He decided to open the gift from the Order first. He was surprised when he found a single key. It had a letter attached to it, which told him that it was another Gringott's key and that his gift was inside there. Harry had a fleeting suspicion on which vault this was and carefully tucked the key and the letter it had come with inside his trunk.
The gift from Ron and Hermione was a small jar of Floo powder. There was also an album of pictures. Harry's eyes began watering as he realized they had been taken from Grimmauld Place the year before. "Here," he said huskily, handing Buffy the album.
Buffy gasped when she realized the pictures were moving. She tried poking the moving figures, yet all they did was smile and wave. The first image was a picture of a man she recognized as Sirius Black. Harry was next to him, grinning and waving shyly. On Harry's other side was a man she didn't recognize. He had dark hair though and there was a level of darkness in his eyes she couldn't place. "These images are moving," she breathed.
"The pictures in this world move," Harry explained with a small smile. "It's part of the wonders of magic."
Buffy turned back to the picture and sat next to him, pointing to the man. "Who is this?"
"Remus Lupin," Harry replied. "I told you about him, haven't I? He was also a good friend of Dad's."
Buffy turned back to the album and began flipping through it. There were exactly sixteen pictures, each one of them had been captioned with moving objects. Little sketched and doodles danced around the pages, and on some of the pages, a few voices actually came out.
Harry, meanwhile, moved to open the package he'd gotten from his sister. The first item on the top was another photo album. He laughed at the irony of it all and opened it up, pleasantly surprised to see an album full of stationary pictures.
He reached inside the box and pulled out a small box. He opened it and felt his eyes tear up again. It was a beautiful chain. At the end of it was a locket. Prying it open, Harry felt his eyes tear up again. Buffy had taken the images she'd gotten from the adoption agency and the images she'd collected and had shrunk them to size. It was a very touching gift.
There were other small gifts inside the box. He laughed as he pulled out a small plastic dispenser with a head the shape of a Wizard's. Buffy explained that it was a Pez dispenser and showed him how to use it. There were several new outfits inside, which he was relieved to see, since he was still wearing Dudley's old castoffs.
The last gift made him truly feel as though he were about to cry. Buffy was watching him as he lifted it out. It was a framed picture of his parent's wedding. Although Buffy wouldn't have been able to notice, Harry grinned as the figures all danced in little circles, lifted large flutes of champagne and sang in tiny, shrill voices full of joy and celebration. It had most likely been one of the best days in their parents lives. Buffy laid a hand on his shoulder and he placed his own over hers. "Thank you," he said, glancing at her with genuine appreciation in his eyes. "Thank you, so much."
It had meant a lot to Buffy to find this image. It had taken a long time to search for it. When she'd found it, she'd had it framed and had promised to deliver it for Harry.
"I'm glad you liked it," she said, standing up.
"Me too," he admitted, setting the frame aside lovingly. "Do you... do you want to open my O.W.L. scores with me?"
"Owl?" Buffy asked with a slight frown.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "They're separate letters. O.W.L. It stands for the Ordinary Wizarding Level tests. It's a series of exams a Wizard or a Witch takes at the end of their fifth year."
"Oh," Buffy said, sitting down again. "Bring them over here."
Harry seized his envelope and walked back over, sitting down next to her. As he opened the envelope, Buffy was staring at the crest on the back. "That's pretty," she said, pointing it out.
"It's the Hogwarts crest," Harry said proudly as he unfolded the letter.
"How are you scored on these tests now?" she asked him curiously.
"We're scored on the levels on which we perform both a written test and a practical exam," Harry explained, showing her his first score. "See? There's an 'E' beside my Transfiguration test. It means I've done Excellent."
"I get it," Buffy said, as he handed her the paper and closed his eyes as though he didn't want to look at it just yet. "What am I looking for?"
"The number at the bottom," he said grimly.
"The one that says twelve?" she asked him simply.
His eyes snapped open and he pulled the letter back, letting out a loud whoop. "I did it!" he gasped, throwing his fist in the air. "I've done it! I've done well on my O.W.L.'s!" He turned and hugged Buffy spontaneously, not even caring what she thought. To his relief, she hugged him back as tight.
"Congratulations," she said with a pretty smile. "You completely deserve something fun now."
"More?" he asked. After breakfast in bed, enough presents to satisfy Dudley, a wonderful day wandering around London and a great conversation with his sister, he knew that he shouldn't expect more. This really had been a great and very perfect day.
Buffy walked over to the television set and held up a video tape. "I rented a film. We can make popcorn or something and just relax."
That beat depressing conversation, Harry realized as he changed into his pajamas. He had felt slightly awkward the first night walking around in them in front of Elizabeth, but he began to realize that it didn't matter. They were blood relatives.
After picking a blanket from his makeshift bed, they both settled on the sofa. The microwave behind them popped popcorn and she soon returned with a large bowl and two large classes of soda.
"Which film is this?" Harry asked, accepting his glass.
"The Wizard of Oz," Buffy said, sitting next to him and handing him the remote control with a bit of flourish. "If you'll do the honors..."
He grinned and pressed the Play button. As the movie began, Harry began to feel very thankful. He'd found a sister, his real sister. It was his birthday. And for the first time in a long time, he wasn't thinking of anything dark and depressing.
He was truly happy.
- - - - -
Faith and Buffy were walking in the dark room again. Both women were carrying crosses made from silver. They appeared to be checking behind different items in the room, as though searching for someone.
"I could have swore I saw him over here!" Faith said in a misty voice. She leapt over a chair and began crawling around on all fours underneath another row of seats.
Buffy crept down the stairs, holding her cross out like a stake. "He fell over there... so where is he?"
"He's out of the abyss," Faith said, blinking as she looked up. "Can't you feel it? Can't you hear his voice?"
There was a whisper in the wind. It sounded like someone was moaning the same few words over and over again. Buffy lifted her head and listened, a soft breeze blowing her fair hair around her face. "I can hear him," she breathed.
Faith jumped up and the two women rushed down to the veiled opening. The dais was quiet now, and the only sounds were the murmurings behind the veil.
"I can hear you," Faith said quietly as both women began walking in a tight circle. "We can hear you."
"We've come to help you," Buffy said, her voice sounding as misty and soft as Faith's. "We've come to save you."
Hear me. Feel me. Save me.
"We're here, Sirius," Buffy echoed. "We're here for you."
Faith brandished her cross and held it out over the veil. "Tell us what we have to do," she begged him.
"No," Buffy whispered. "This isn't it. It's another riddle. Somewhere in this building his spirit is trapped and only..."
"It's the blood," Faith whispered. "It's always the blood."
"It isn't mine," Buffy whispered. "My blood belongs to the deceased."
"Not your blood but his," Faith admonished her.
"Harry's," Buffy whispered and suddenly, it came into her head. "The blood of the living, the corporeal form of his most beloved family..."
"It is not I," said Faith with a whisper, "for he knows not I exist."
Buffy turned to Faith just as the other Slayer glanced at her. For a moment, neither one of them said anything.
And, in two cities across the world, both Slayers sat up, gasping.
Buffy nearly kicked over the empty popcorn bowl as she jumped to her feet. The only light in the room was the static light from the television set. Evidently, the film was over, as she and Harry had both fallen asleep on the sofa. She checked to make sure she hadn't disturbed him. He was still sound asleep.
She quickly took several deep breaths, trying to figure out what her dream had meant. All she could remember was the cross. The top part had been removed to become a knife.
If only she'd taken it from Goddricks Hollow!
She felt her breathing return to normal. With a heavy sigh, she moved toward her tiny bedroom and began searching through the few things she'd unpacked. She finally found what she was looking for.
It had been a gift from Faith. A long, beautiful silver knife. She could feel its power as she drew it under her nose, inhaling the sweet scent of metal. It was the one weapon she had brought with her, the last remainder of her Slaying. She felt almost sad as she returned it to the small suitcase it had been carefully packed in.
The small glow-in-the-dark alarm clock blinked up her, reading that it was nearly four in the morning. Buffy rose and returned to the living room, snapping off the television. She had half a mind to wake Harry and help him into his own mattress, but decided against it. She then returned to her own bedroom and fell on her mattress, kicking aside bags full of new clothing.
Lying flat on her back, she could think clearer. It was so strange. This was the fourth dream about Sirius Black she'd had. It was the third dream that Faith had been in. But it was the first one in which she finally realized something.
Maybe, just maybe, Sirius Black was still alive.
- - - - -
Harry was pacing around the small flat, all of his things packed neatly in a corner near the fireplace. He'd received an owl nearly two hours before letting him know that their fireplace had been plugged into the Floo network for the afternoon.
Buffy's bags had been packed and were sitting next to Harry's.
Where she had gone that morning, Harry didn't know. She had just apologized to him and said she had a few errands to run. He'd quickly packed and made his own lunch. His sister was going to cut it close, he realized. They had less than an hour before they would be expected at the Weasleys.
When she'd asked how all of their luggage was going to get there, Harry had told her that a few of the Weasleys would gladly come through and help them out.
Obviously, she hadn't known what he'd meant.
She burst through the door twenty minutes later, looking harried. She was carrying a large paper bag and wore the most curious expression on her face. What Harry didn't know didn't hurt him, she realized. She set down her bag near the rest of her things, cast a worried expression at the fireplace, and turned to Harry.
"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, brushing past him to stare into the refrigerator for a moment, "that I had a few errands to run." She paused as she closed the door and stole another glance at him. "Elizabeth Potter at your service," she said, spinning around. "How do I look?"
"You're not Buffy anymore?" Harry asked curiously. She shook her head. "You're Elizabeth... my sister, aren't you?"
"Elizabeth Anne Potter," she said with a quick, mock bow. "But, you can still call me Buffy. So, now that we have about ten minutes, what can you tell me about the Weasleys?"
"They're nice folk," Harry began. "The parents are Arthur and Molly. Arthur works at our version of a government office known as the Ministry of Magic. Molly is a homemaker. They have seven children, six boys and a girl. Bill is the oldest. He works with Gringotts, which is the Wizarding bank. Charlie is the second eldest. He works with dragons in Romania. The next boy is Percy. He's a bit of a prat, really. He moved out of his parents house because of some other issues last year. I'm sure you'll find out more. Fred and George are twins. They're about your age, actually. They're eighteen. They own a joke shop. And I should warn you never to take and eat anything they give you. The last boy is Ron, who's my best mate. And Ginny's the youngest. She's... a friend, too."
"Just a friend?" Buffy asked lightly, her eyebrows nearly disappearing into her hairline. Harry blushed slightly and looked away, nodding.
"Just a friend," he confirmed. He took a moment to look at his sister, who looked as though she'd spent the entire afternoon shopping. She wore a long, decent skirt with heeled boots. She wore a striped blouse made of some shiny material and her hair had been weaved back into a sleek bun at the nape of her neck. She looked nice and elegant and he knew the Weasleys would approve. "I should probably tell you that they just think you're my guest. They don't know you're my sister. Or, at the very least, the Weasley children don't. As far as I know, it's only the four youngest at home. I don't think Bill lives at home anymore. And I'm pretty sure Percy is still being a bit more of a prat. I don't know where Charlie is, but he's probably still in Romania."
Buffy gave him a nervous smile and he began to feel for her. She was really dodgy about meeting any more Wizards. "I think I'm about ready."
"That's good," Harry said as he recognized a familiar sound near the fireplace. "Here they come."
More green flames exploded at the base of their fireplace. Soon, a figure stepped from the fire. Buffy stared at the figure with wide eyes, not daring to believe that this was the second time she saw someone step from inside of it.
Harry grinned at the figure, who grinned back. "Hey, Ron," he said easily.
Ron was staring around the room, his eyes finally falling onto a neatly dressed blonde standing in front of the fire. She gave him a tentative smile and the grin slid right off of Ron's face. "Who is that?" he asked, curiously.
"I'll tell you when we get back," Harry said, handing Ron one of Buffy's suitcases.
"Fred and George are on the way," Ron said quickly. And, sure enough, there was a pop as one twin stepped out of the fire, followed quickly by the other.
Buffy noticed that they were identical down to every freckle. They both grinned at her and she could feel some of the anxiety wearing away. "Hi," she said with a very shy, little wave. They both started collecting luggage before stepping back into the fire and disappearing again.
Soon, it was just her and Harry. He walked over and peered into the fireplace before tossing in a handfull of Floo powder. Ron had just spent the past ten minutes explaining to her how to use it. She appeared more curious than scared as she stared at the green flames.
"It's just like stepping into a warm bath," he said convincingly, "really."
She took a deep breath, gave him a brave smile, and stepped inside, holding the large bag and her small suitcase. "The Burrow," she said clearly. Suddenly the world began to spin away. With a cry of alarm, she closed her eyes, feeling her body spin faster and faster until the nausea started. She didn't even realize she was slowing down until a pair of firm arms grabbed her and pulled her out.
She landed, hard, knocking over the person who'd pulled her out. She quickly jumped to her feet, brushing the dirt and ash from her brand new skirt. She then let out a tiny yelp as Harry appeared with both the cage and his broomstick. She would have fallen over again had it not been for that same pair of arms which held her up. She looked up ever so slowly, her eyes appraising the firm body holding hers. Until she saw his face.
She gasped and pulled back, nearly knocking into Harry, who had stepped out of the fireplace. She blushed and quickly began brushing the ash from her clothes until she realized that he had dirt and ashes all over him that she'd brushed on. "Sorry," she muttered, moving to stand in front of him, her fingers hastily brushing the dirt from his clothes.
His eyes were full of amusement as she pulled away. They changed as they looked at her. As she stood in front of Harry, the three Weasleys began to realize that their eyes were somewhat similar. Hers held more brown, but they had a bit of green in them as well.
Mrs. Weasley suddenly entered the Kitchen and let out a small cry. "Oh, Harry!" she cried, rushing to him and throwing her arms around his back. "It's so wonderful to see you! Fred, George, Ron," she said, acknowledging each one of her sons with a nod. They were still staring at the small blonde woman desperately trying to clean off her clothing.
"Hello, Harry!" a jovial tone came from the other end as Arthur Weasley entered the Kitchen. He stopped suddenly when he saw the other woman. "And hello to you, too," he said quietly. This must be the woman Dumbledore had told him about.
She glanced up and forced a hasty smile. "Oh, hi," she said shyly, tucking a lock of flyaway hair behind one ear. "Sorry about my appearance. It's my first time travelling through a fireplace."
"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked, turning to the younger Potter. "Aren't you going to introduce us to your guest?"
Harry turned and smiled at his sister, taking her hand and pulling her to stand by his side. Her height barely reached his, even though she wore those strange heeled boots. "This is Elizabeth," he said, gesturing toward the others standing around them. "Elizabeth, this is Ron and Fred and George and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."
She nodded at each one of them, her eyes silently taking in each figure, hoping to remember their names five minutes from now when her nerves returned. "Hello," she murmured, her eyes falling back on one of the twins, who'd managed to grab her from wherever she had been. His front was still covered in dirt and ash. She made a mental note to apologize for that later.
They were still staring at her. There was another shriek and a third woman entered the room, throwing herself into Harry's arms.
"Harry! Oh, Harry! I'm so glad you're here!"
"Hello, Hermione," Harry said quietly, watching as she pulled back, grinning at him. Her grin held as she caught sight of the woman standing over his shoulder. Harry turned and took Elizabeth's hand again. "Elizabeth, this is Hermione Granger, one of my two best friends. Hermione, this is Elizabeth Potter. My sister."
"Your... sister?" Hermione echoed softly. "Harry... you don't have a sister!"
"I do," he said, stepping aside so that Elizabeth could take a few steps forward. "And her name is Elizabeth. She's standing right in front of you."
Hermione looked at Elizabeth as though trying to decipher who she was. "I... I don't believe it," she stammered. "Harry actually has a sister?"
Elizabeth nodded. "He does. If you want the proof, I have it. I'm the firstborn of James and Lily Potter."
"Extraordinary," Mr. Weasley said from the corner. He moved closer to her, his eyes taking her in. "When Dumbledore came to the Order and told us to expect a surprise... well, now! This certainly is quite a surprise!" He glanced at his wife, who stepped forward quickly.
"Forgive us, Miss Potter," she said, bowing her head apologetically. "I feel guilty that we haven't welcomed you properly."
"That's all right," Elizabeth gasped, continuing to brush off her clothing. "I just wrecked your nice... clean... home..." Her voice died as she saw her surroundings for the first time. "Whoa."
The house had a warm, old-fashioned style to it. The first thing she noticed was a chair in the corner. It was rocking back and forth with a large dishcloth hanging midair, tiny knitting needles above it working hard. She blinked again and turned to the other side. Two small soapy brushes had descended from a shelf above them and were now scrubbing the floor near her feet.
She yelped and jumped back, nearly falling into the fireplace again. A hand reached out and took hers. "Thanks," she muttered, straightening.
Mrs. Weasley gestured her into the small kitchen and Elizabeth walked inside, looking around. Her hands touched the different objects working magical charms. Two knives were chopping beans and carrots. Potatoes were washing themselves in a sink. And cuttlery was sorting itself back into a drawer. "When I thought that this world existed... I never imagined this," she whispered.
"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" Mr. Weasley asked proudly from behind her. "It isn't much, but it's definitely home."
"It feels like a home," Buffy said, turning to smile at the two Weasley parents. "Thank you for inviting me here. It's been a long time since I've felt like I was at home." There was a dark glitter in her eye again as she turned back, her hand trailing through a bit of water. Taking one of the towels, she began scrubbing at a few remaining patches of ash on her skirt.
Harry walked up behind her. "They've taken your things up to the bedroom the girls share. I hope you won't mind rooming with Ginny and Hermione."
"I... of course not," she replied quickly, tossing the towel aside and glancing hopelessly at her skirt, half of it patched with wet spots. "Maybe I shouldn't have worn black?"
"Here," Harry said, taking one of her shaking hands. "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping." He led her to the stairs, where the boy Harry had introduced as Ron was waiting.
"You're really his sister?" he asked incredulously.
"I felt exactly the same as you when I found out," she replied, extending her hand. "And I feel like we need a proper introduction."
He shook her hand, his face reddening slightly. "Nice to meet you," he echoed as she brushed past him. Harry followed her until they reached Ginny's room. Ron knocked and the door creaked open.
Hermione pulled open the door and welcomed Elizabeth inside. There was another girl sitting on one of the three beds crammed into the room. "Hi," she said, jumping up. She was a tiny redheaded girl with brown eyes and an adorable smile. "I'm Ginny!"
"I'm Elizabeth," Buffy said, bowing her head slightly and shaking the younger girl's hand.
"Hermione just finished telling me who you were," the other girl said shyly. "This is my room. Mum and Dad put you in here, I hope you don't mind. The farther you are from Fred and George's room, the safer it is."
"Oh," Elizabeth said with another nervous look inside the room. Her voice shook slightly as she continued. "I mean, I don't want to impose on you or anything."
"You're not," Hermione said, growing even more curious about Harry's sister. "Why don't you come on in?"
"It's all right," Harry said quietly, gently pushing her inside the room. But before he could follow her, both Ginny and Hermione seized one his arms and pushed him backwards back into the hallway.
"Sorry, Harry," Ginny said, panting slightly as she and Hermione pulled back. "This is girl's only."
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but they'd both just walked back into Ginny's room, locking the door behind them. "what was that?" he asked blankly.
"Don't ask me, mate," Ron said, stopping right next to him. "They're sure acting odd."
"I just hope they don't do anything stupid," Harry echoed, remembering his last few moments at the Dursleys.
Ron shrugged and they both headed up toward his room.
Inside Ginny's room, Buffy had moved toward a third bed that had her luggage piled on top of it. She began removing things from her paper bag and spreading them on the bed. "I hope you don't mind if I change," she said quickly, noticing that both girls were staring at her, "but I'm not really used to wearing wet clothes."
"Oh, go ahead," Ginny said. Both she and Hermione turned away as Buffy pulled on another skirt and shirt. When she was finished, she stepped over to the poster they were both staring at.
"What's this?" she asked, watching as seven figures on what appeared to be broomsticks soared around what looked like a flossing wand.
"Quidditch," Ginny said, looking at her. "Have you not heard of it?"
"Nope," Buffy said cheerfully, walking back over to her luggage and sorting through it all.
"You're American, aren't you?" Hermione observed.
"I am," Buffy said, pulling out a compact mirror and checking her hair. She groaned when she realized that it had fallen out of place during her travels in the fireplace.
"How can you possibly be Harry's sister?" Ginny asked, chewing on her lower lip.
Buffy paused, nearly dropping the mirror. "I'll show you," she said in a shaky voice, opening the front flap of her suitcase and pulling out her adoption documents. She flipped through the different papers before pulling out her birth certificate and handing it over to Hermione, who was curiously looking over the other papers.
"Do you mind?" she asked, her eyes on the documents.
"Not at all," Buffy said, handing her the folder.
Ginny took the birth certificate and stared at it. "So, it's true," she said quietly. "You really were adopted when you were a baby."
"Our Aunt Petunia confirmed it," Buffy said in a heavy voice as Hermione began going through the documents. "Those are just clippings and the official documents. Most of the other things are still packed away."
"How did you find out you were adopted?" Hermione asked curiously.
Buffy's heart sank. This is what she had been afraid of. She looked away, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She hadn't told Harry the true reason she'd come to him in the first place and she certainly wasn't going tell his friends first. She finally decided she'd tell half of the truth.
"My mother... my... adoptive mother decided to tell me on my eighteenth birthday," Buffy finally said, her voice growing stronger. "She had been holding onto my birth certificate... I guess I never realized I hadn't seen it before."
Hermione gave her a sympathetic look. "It must be difficult to find out that you're from a whole different family."
"It's been odd," Buffy surmised. "I think I'm starting to get used to it, though. At least, I thought I was..."
They watched as she continued searching inside one of her bags for something, all the while talking to them, her voice muffled by her concentration. "So, what's your deal?" she asked, turning to look at Hermione. "Harry didn't tell me much about you, Herm... Herm..."
"Her-my-oh-nee," Hermione said with a quick grin at Ginny. "And I guess I'm a bit like you. I come from a family of Muggles but was quite pleased when I received my letter." She noted the look of confusion on the older woman's face. "To Hogwarts," she clarified.
Buffy smiled, looking at her lap. "I guess I am a bit daft when it comes to things like this," she said softly. "And I wouldn't say that everyone I knew was a Muggle..." She stopped right there. She'd almost spilled about Willow. And that was definitely off-limits when it came to describing her old life. She forced a tight smile and turned back to accept the folder from Hermione with a quick "Thank you".
She was rescued from having to divulge more information about herself by a sharp knock on the door. Ginny rose to open it and another brother stepped in. Buffy had no idea who this was, but he had to be a Weasley; their red hair was almost a tell-all.
"Mum and Dad are decorating for a surprise party for Harry," the boy said to his younger sister in a lower voice. Then, straightening, he noticed the blonde-haired girl sitting next to where Hermione was standing. "We haven't been introduced yet. I'm Percy."
"Elizabeth," Buffy said calmly, making no move toward him.
His eyes widened quickly. "Oh, you're Harry's guest!" he said, surprised. "I was wondering who you would be."
"She's more than his guest, Perce," a different voice came from the hallway as the twins were on their way downstairs. "She's his sister."
Percy looked even more shocked as both Hermione and Ginny dissolved into giggles and followed Ginny's older brothers out. Buffy stood up and walked to the door, which Percy was still holding open. "I'm not going to tell the story again," she said, walking past him, "so you'll just have to wait your turn."
"I just wasn't expecting that," he said, trying again.
"Nobody was," Buffy said, glancing back at him. "I don't think I was prepared for what was to come. I thought I was just an ordinary Muggle but... I guess I'm not." A dark look came into her eyes as she realized the irony of the situation. "I'm just getting used to it."
"It isn't hard," Percy said, following her downstairs. "I'm sure you'll adjust well."
"I've had a week of pretty shocking things," she said, laughing as she reached the bottom and paused, staring into the kitchen, where wands were being waved and decorations fluttered in the air. Mrs. Weasley was ordering everyone to carry things outside. "I guess now I'm feeling a bit homesick." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I miss my mom."
Percy gave her an encouraging smile as he walked around her. Buffy followed him to where Ginny was holding the door open. A large, ginger cat darted between their legs as it ran out the backdoor and into a beautiful backyard.
There were two large tables and enough magical decorations to make her second-guess her thought that she was coping rather well.
These things just take time, she decided as she joined the rest of the group. Harry appeared a moment later and after singing a rousing song of 'Happy Birthday', Harry sat down, looking as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Buffy moved behind him and hugged him tightly, laying her cheek on top of his unruly dark hair.
His arms clasped hers as she released him, sitting next to him and eyeing the table with shining eyes. There was a huge, delicious looking birthday cake. It was covered in red frosting and tiny red letters spelling out his name. There were dishes and dishes of sweets. She noticed that the twins were exchanging bits from each dish and replacing them after prodding the items with their wands. She accepted a plate from Mrs. Weasley with a smile and stared.
The cake was changing colors.
Maybe this was going to take some time after all.
- - - - -
Chapter 11... Buffy turns to Arthur in the hope of helping explain her dream; Harry adjusts to life at The Burrow.
Chapter 12... Another meeting...
To the Reviewers:
Hmmmmmm. Buffy at Hogwarts... well, now. It'll be explained in Chapter 11, I swear. I can just say that it will be a distinct possibility.
And we're STILL in the early part of August and this is, what, Chapter 10? This is probably going to be the longest thing I have ever written.
Why didn't Harry open his presents first? I don't know. I wanted to spread it to two separate chapters. I don't know why. Quite possibly the dramatic effect.
As for the Buffy-ship (it's a relentless topic, isn't it?) - Malfoy was one of the first people I considered because, well, it'd be fun to write for them. But, it's not who I ultimately chose. Although it would certainly add a bit of a mystery to the whole durned storyline, wouldn't it? I'm absolutely laughing at your comments, because you really seem divided. I wish I could just tell you what I'm planning, but... I can't. I think I'm even beginning to change my own opinions. And I refuse to stick her with Percy... although that could be a good plot point later on... hmmmm.... As for pairing her with a different Weasley (see Chapter 12 for vehement details), she's only 18. But... as you'll read... grr... I want to tell more... but, I'll take Grace's advice and just won't. And when some of you begin to realize it, you'll see I blame a few readers for putting this idea in my head. Don't let this chapter fool you.
Next chapter to be posted Monday/Tuesday. I'm still intending on three to four updates a week as long as I keep writing ahead (I'm currently in the middle of Chapter 14).
Oh, and I promise Quentin will get his just reward. To quote 'Aladdin', it'll be his eternal reward.