Author's Note:
This is a nice, extra-long chapter covering a few aspects we haven't seen yet. Act one is in Sunnydale. Act two is with the Order. Enjoy!
- - - - -
Chapter 17
Objects In Motion
- - - - -
Faith crept along in the darkness, holding the stake to her side. She crouched down low behind the headstones, keeping her focus on the two figures that moves quickly through the darkness.
She flipped over the headstone, landing easily between the two vampires. She kicked at one while easily staking the other. The second vampire flew through the air and crashed into the masoleum. Faith was on him in a second, but was easily kicked back. She landed hard on the ground. Getting back to her feet, she held the stake out over her shoulder.
"Who are you?" the vampire asked, spatting at her feet.
"Don't ask," she said, thrusting forward, the stake easily penetrating his chest. "Won't tell."
As the vampire turned into dust, she straightened, stretching her arms lazily over her head. "That was fun," she sighed, turning around and walking out of the cemetary again. It was the fourth vampire she'd killed tonight. Buffy hadn't been kidding. The Hellmouth was certainly active.
She made her way back to headquarters, which was technically Giles' apartment. She really didn't care where Wesley, her superboy Watcher happened to be. She trusted Giles. He had saved Buffy's life before. He was integral in this city. She had a feeling that Wesley couldn't find his way out of a large cardboard box even if the exit sign was set in neon lights.
She opened the door, less than surprised to see the former Watcher and all of Buffy's friends inside, researching. Faith had asked they look into connections between the Magical world and any prophecies regarding Slayers. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they hadn't gotten very far. Even Willow looked confused as she sat on her knees, hovering over the small coffee table.
"What's up?" Faith asked, knowing full well what they'd say. She dropped onto the chair opposite Xander and crossed her legs, reaching for one of the books on the floor. She really didn't feel like reading it, but it was better than sitting in enraptured silence while everyone else looked things up for her.
"How did it go?" Giles asked, glancing up at her.
"Dusted four," she said cheerfully, opening the front cover. "You guys find anything interesting?"
"There was one thing," Willow said, handing her a second book. Faith took it and glanced inside. "It explained the whole prophecy process. It's done by someone called a Seer. Seers foretell these prophecies and they're held in little orbs and are held in safety. The thing is, there really is no connection between the Slayer and the Seer, except they both possess mystical powers."
"There's something else," Faith muttered as she flipped through the pages. "There has to be."
"Don't worry, Faith," Xander said from the couch, where he and Cordelia were still reading from thick black editions. "We'll find all of this out."
"I have to find out what's been happening to me," Faith muttered, jumping back to her feet, feeling restless. "I have to know why Buffy and I keep having the same dreams. And this prophecy... I have to know if I'm a Black."
You truly are your father's girl.
Sirius had been looking at Buffy when he'd said this. Was he directing the comment to her as well?
Faith had never met her birth Father. It wasn't that she didn't want to. It was because she had been the product of a one-night stand in Europe years before her mother told her the truth. On her deathbed, Faith's mother had told her everything. It had been a year before her calling, Faith remembered bitterly.
Her mother had met this man in France, she'd said. They'd fallen in love while Faith's mother had studied in Paris. She returned to Boston lost, meek and pregnant. Her rich parents disowned her. Faith's mother became an alcoholic and a drug addict. She'd spent hours passed out in bed, so high she could barely breathe. Faith remembered when she was a little girl, seeing her mother dancing around in a circle, a glass of scotch in one hand and a joint in the other.
Faith remembered her mother's last words. She had loved Faith's father. He had been more than a long line of men in her life. He had given her something more. But the day after she'd told him she was pregnant, he'd disappeared. She'd been cornered in an alley in London by three men. That was the last thing she remembered.
From what Faith had heard of her mother's past life before France, she was a very different person than the person who'd returned pregnant. She was a fighter. She loved life and the thought of doing drugs and alcohol was preposterous. Something had happened that cold night in London seventeen years before.
And Faith was going to find out what it was.
"Oh!" Willow suddenly gasped, sitting up straight. "Oh... oh... oh!"
"What is it?" Faith asked, glancing at the redheaded girl in alarm.
"The Seer gets her powers from mystical forces!" Willow said, reading from the thick black book she'd pulled off of Cordelia's lap.
"We already knew that," Faith muttered.
"No!" Willow gasped. "Just listen! 'The Seer's power is taken from mystical forces known by that of a demon.' It all fits!"
"What fits?" Faith asked, feeling lost.
Giles decided to take over. "Assuming that the power of the Slayer comes from the same powers as that of a Seer, then it would make sense that the both of you would be having these prophetic dreams."
"It does?" Xander asked blankly.
"Yeah!" Willow said. "The Slayer must have some mystical energy that comes from a demon. It does make sense." She glanced at Giles. "This could be the reason why Buffy was chosen even though she didn't know who she was. It wasn't random. It was foretold." Her eyes dropped back down to Faith. "You weren't called first, but Kendra was. She probably didn't have any contact with the magical world. She couldn't have been a part of it. When she died, you were called. You were only sixteen. And you may have a connection with the magical world."
"I was trying to see if I could figure it out," Faith replied. "I have never really cared about my Father. Now I don't know if I can live another day without knowing my Father. How can I know who I am when I'm stuck in Sunnydale?"
"The only way that you could have made this prophecy would be if you were of the same bloodline," Willow said, reading on further. "Buffy is a Potter. She had this dream because of the deep connection between the Potters and the Blacks. You would have the blood only if you were either a Potter or a Black."
"I'm definitely not a Potter," Faith replied, sitting down again and kicking her boots up on the opposite arm of the chair. "But I have been wondering if I'm a Black."
"Then you two were already connected," Willow said, her eyes sparkling. "And you didn't even know it."
"But neither did she," Cordelia protested, taking her book back from Willow.
"She does now," Faith whispered, putting things together in her head. "She just can't come out with it though, can she? Wesley said the Council will never stop hunting her until she's dead."
"But why kill her?" Xander asked. "Why would they kill her?"
"She's a rogue," Cordelia replied in her deadpanned tone. "They don't have a choice."
"It isn't just that," Faith said, realizing this. "It's because she's a Potter. Someone there knows who she really is. They know what this means."
"Right now the Council hasn't a clue where she's disappeared to," Giles said, removing his glasses and setting them on the desk behind him. "Neither do we." His eyes met Faith's. She chose to keep quiet, although she knew exactly where the other Slayer was from their dreams.
"If she were to use her Slayer powers," Xander said slowly, "the Council would know it."
"She'd be killed," Faith replied. "And her brother along with it."
"This is hopeless," Cordelia said, tossing the book off of her lap again. "Buffy is damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't. What choice does she have?"
"She's going to have to hold out for now," Giles replied. "Although I think there is something we can do for her. I used this drug as a muscle relaxant and sedative during her trials with the Council. If we can create this mixture, perhaps she can lay low long enough so that we can figure things out here. We may not be able to have much contact with her, but we can certainly let her know we're still here. We're still behind her. Because she's still a Slayer and not even the sodding Watcher's Council can take that away from her."
"You want to make her weak?" Willow asked in a small voice. "Because the last time I checked, she wasn't too happy with that arrangement."
"She knows she can't stand out," Xander replied sadly. "She has to do something. We're giving her that choice."
"We're making her weak," Faith said, glancing around the room. "If that were to happen to me, I would be flipping out."
"You'll get your chance when you turn eighteen," Giles told her, replacing his glasses. "Right, now. You ought to check in with your Watcher, Faith. See if you can find out if they've found her yet. While you do that, we'll be researching the drug here."
"How are you going to get it to her?" Faith asked curiously.
"Well," Giles said slowly, turning to Willow, "how would you like to take a little trip to England?"
Willow's face broke into a bright smile. "I'd love that, Giles! All those English folk! It'd be awesome!" Her face softened. "You know I'm in. This is our chance to see if Buffy is all right."
"Good," Giles said, turning to the rest of the group. "Continue the research. If Buffy should contact us, tell her nothing of our plans. And we shouldn't tell her about Joyce, either." He paused and turned toward the other Slayer. "Objects are in motion now that can't be meddled with. There are forces at work here, working against us."
"These objects in motion... they're killers, aren't they?" Faith asked softly. Giles sighed and didn't reply. Willow looked around with her sad eyes as she glanced from Faith to Giles. Xander didn't say anything except to clear his throat uncomfortable. Cordelia reached across the couch and took Xander's hand. There was a moment of silence.
Faith nodded as she stood up. After saying goodbye to the group, she left the apartment and set out to find Wesley, the dork she had for a Watcher.
Faith was glad she was staying with Joyce Summers. And after Cordelia Chase had lost her home, Faith had talked the other girl into moving into Buffy's old room. Joyce seemed to enjoy having both girls around, but Faith knew better.
Joyce had nearly collapsed after Buffy's departure and deportation. She'd been devastated when the daughter she considered her own had been ripped away. The only thing holding her together was the sheer determination of Buffy's former Watcher and her small group of friends who were fighting day and night to bring her back to California. Joyce still had her touch-and-go moments, where she'd be locked in her bedroom for days on end, refusing to go to work or even eat a meal. There were days where she seemed like a ghost, touching things that had once belonged to her beloved adopted daughter.
Faith was seriously considering doing the hardest thing she ever had to do. In the four months she'd lived in the Summers household, she realized that she was coming to regard Joyce as a mother. She really didn't have one, and Joyce was a wonderful person. Buffy had been the luckiest girl on the face of Earth until she'd realized that she had a different family five thousand miles away.
Buffy had been her sister, Faith knew. They were deeply connected by their love for Joyce and their duty to save the world. But now Faith carried the weight of the world on her own shoulders. It was a hard choice for her to make, but she knew that the benefits would be completely worth it. Without Buffy in town, she had no competition. She had friends. And she had a woman she could look to as her mother and a man she could regard as her mentor. Giles could never be the Father Faith had never had, because she didn't even know he existed.
She was almost willing to believe the whole stork story now. It had been something Faith had heard from her Mother when she was only six. She had been brought on this Earth via a stork.
But Faith knew that Joyce would need professional help before long. She'd been in contact with a psychotherapist for a little over a week now. She just had to talk to Cordelia one night when Joyce was at work. Once they agreed to it, they would ask that Joyce meet with the man a few days a week until the issue of Buffy's deportation passed.
Wesley's apartment came into view and Faith crept up to the window. He was on the telephone and he sounded obliquely aggitated. "No, I haven't bothered on asking Faith where she was. I haven't had very much control over my own Slayer. It's not like she would give that sort of information out. Besides, how can she tell--"
There was another loud speech on the other end before Wesley interrupted, looking furious. "If you don't think I can do my job, then send someone else to do it!"
That was a good plan, Faith realized. Wesley may be as dense as a conifer, but he wasn't that stupid. He knew that Faith was acting out on purpose. He didn't know that the Slayers had been sharing dreams and prophecies. If he knew, then Faith's own life would be in danger.
Wesley slammed down the phone and reached for a large black bottle. Faith rolled her eyes. He was beginning to act like her Mother.
In her brain, a plan was beginning to form. She knew she had to get to London. There was no two ways about it. She had to get to Buffy. Once they were together, everything would be all right again. She would have her sister back. And she could look into her lineage again. Faith knew that she was risking the exposure of Buffy as the true Slayer, but she knew that two Slayers against a large group of Council Watchers was going to be an easy fight. She knew she'd have to lay low and play the weakling. It wasn't something she was willing to do, but it was almost killing her knowing that Buffy was in a lot of pain. She'd lost her family and her friends and the only person who survived a massacre five thousand miles away was a sixteen-year-old boy that Buffy had called her brother.
But first Faith had to ditch her Watcher. She didn't know how she could do it. She could leave him with Angel. That was definitely a good possibility.
The plan was still forming itself in her brain as she rang the doorbell. She heard Wesley cry out inside and he answered the door, aiming a stake toward her neck. "Oh, Faith! Thank God it's you!"
He looked as though he either wanted to cry or hug her. Faith knew she would absolutely break his neck if he tried either and he stepped back, glancing at her. "Come on it, come on in!"
He grabbed her hand and practically threw her into the room. She sat down edgily, glaring at the Watcher with contempt in her eyes.
"Anything to report?" Wesley asked cheerfully, taking out his Watcher's diary and holding a pen at the ready.
"I dusted four vampires tonight," Faith replied blandly. "And you're a moron."
He stopped short of writing that bit down and glared at her over his spectacles. "I beg your pardon?"
"You didn't think I could hear you?" she asked, arching one eyebrow. "I'm a hell of a lot better at my job than you think, Wes. I may be the only Slayer left on your non-existant payroll, but I refuse to take any crap from you or that monkey you report to. In my mind, you're all a bunch of idiots. Don't forget to write that down. I'm not saying any of this for laugh value."
Wesley nearly dropped the diary. He had never heard her speak out like this. She was always calm and receptive to Council orders. Now she sat down, looking at him with hate in her eyes. She hated him. She really, really hated him.
Something was up with her, he thought, glancing at her with suspicion flashing behind his glasses. "What are you planning?" he asked in a low, waspish voice.
The look disappeared off of her face immediately and it became a blank, pale mask. "What makes you think I'd plan anything, Wesley? I'm your Slayer, through and through." She suddenly adopted an alluring look and stood up. There was a different look in her obsidian eyes now; she had finally figured out the last part of her plan.
"What are my orders, Wes?"
Her voice was different. It was dripping like black velvet, and there was no mistaking the look on her face. She looked like a cat who was ready to pounce on its prey.
"Continue your nightly patrols," Wesley said, now feeling more confused than ever. "Report back to me every night. I have to maintain these records for Quentin and the rest of his group."
"Right," she said, giving him a slight bow. "I'll be off, now. I need to go home."
Home, she thought as she left Wesley and that immaculate apartment behind. It was one place she actually felt at home. That little house where Buffy spent the last three years...
Faith walked around the house and up towards the back door when she heard screaming inside. Abandoning her cool pretense, she ran inside to find Cordelia bending over a near-catatonic Joyce.
"Oh, my God," Faith gasped as she bent down on the other side of Joyce. "Joyce? Joyce!"
"Mrs. Summers, can you hear me?" Cordelia asked, her voice lost in her sob.
"Help me get her up."
They both managed to stand her up and get her into a recliner in the living room. Her gaze was still blankly staring out over their shoulders.
"When I got back, I found her sitting on the kitchen floor against that island," Cordelia said in a tiny voice. "Sh-She wasn't moving. I didn't even think she was breathing!"
"She's catatonic," Faith said in a low voice. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card. "Cordelia, we have a choice to make. Buffy's not here, so we have to act in Joyce's best interest."
"What are you talking about?" Cordelia asked as she took the card from Faith. "Doctor Joseph Levine, Psychotherapy?"
"She needs help, badly," Faith said in a low voice. "If she doesn't get it soon, she's going to die. Buffy would want her Mom to be strong."
"That's the thing though," Cordelia replied, still staring at the card. "Joyce isn't Buffy's mom. And she has to realize that."
"She's dying, Cor," Faith said, touching Joyce's cold face with a trembling hand. "We have to help her. This is the only way."
"No," Cordelia said, standing up and facing the other Slayer. "Our best bet would be for Giles and Willow to kidnap Buffy from the the land of Gileses and bring her back home."
"That isn't an option," Faith said quietly. "Don't you get it? If Buffy were to come back to California and if Wesley were to see her, Buffy would be killed."
"Then we really do have no choice," Cordelia said sadly, dropping the card. It flipped over and over as it gently fell onto the cold floor. "What do we do now?"
"Call for an ambulance," Faith replied, straightening. "We need to get her emergency assistance before we can even begin thinking about her mind."
Faith wrapped her arms around herself and walked outside. She was still standing on the front porch when the paramedics showed up ten minutes later. Joyce was brought out on a stretcher. Her eyes had been thankfully closed, but she was still so quiet and not moving.
"Excuse me," a voice said in front of her. "Do you wish to ride with her?"
"I'll do it," Cordelia volunteered. "I'm family, too."
Faith gave her a tight smile. "Watch over her, for the both of us."
"I will."
Faith watched as the ambulance backed out of the driveway and disappeared into the night, its red and white lights flashing high above her head. She sighed and sat on the porch railing, trying to ignore the feeling of loss inside of her.
It had been bad enough when Buffy had left. Now it was almost worse without her around. Joyce was falling apart, even though Giles and Buffy's superfriends were working day and night to get her home.
She felt happy with her decision to help Joyce. It was the least she could do. Joyce treated her as though she was a daughter.
Walking back inside, she locked the door behind her. It was late, probably closing in on midnight. She sat down on the sofa, feeling exhausted. But her mind was working perfectly, stretching out her plan before her.
She had to get to Buffy. Then she could figure things out later.
But there was one thing she could do for Joyce first. It went beyond getting her psychiatric help. It was something deeper. Joyce believed she had no daughter. Faith was about to give her a daughter in return for the one that had been ripped out of the Summers home. And then she was going to go on the hunt for her own birth Father.
She just had to get rid of Wesley first.
As she continued thinking, she fell asleep. Curled on the sofa under a small quilt that had dropped from the back of the soft fabric, she closed her eyes, lost in a dream about a blonde-haired Slayer and a man who had never been so proud of his daughter as he was then.
Because, for just a moment, Faith could have sworn she was the daughter of Sirius Black.
- - - - -
Buffy was perched happily on the grassy knoll behind The Burrow, studying the notes Hermione had spent a day making her. They were really fantastic, since everything she read was sinking in.
She didn't know she'd ever find the subject of water plants fascinating. But they were.
There were a few other books next to her. Once or twice she'd stopped to look something else up. She didn't make any notes, however. There were some things she just wasn't used to yet. And trying to operate a feather and a jar of ink was one of them, especially since she was studying outdoors. She tucked back a lock of blonde hair, realizing how glad she was to have it back.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all taking a study day. They were sitting at one of the tables Mrs. Weasley had set outdoors. They were hidden by the many stacks of books Hermione had dragged out, much to Ron's horror.
Buffy had decided to give them some space. She needed the space herself, considering she had a lot of work to catch up on.
She continued studying until late that afternoon, only pausing when she heard a loud pop, followed by a second one. The twins had purposely Apparated there since they knew she wasn't yet used to the sound.
The truth was, she was used to it now, yet she gave a little jump and a gasp of fright all the same. They both grinned at her in greeting, and then scowled when they realized she was studying.
"Nine days until the start of term and she's still got her nose buried," Fred said dramatically.
"We'll leave you be, then," George said, gazing at her for another moment before hurrying off after his brother.
Buffy decided to take a break, since she'd been studying all morning and throughout the afternoon. Arching her back, she began stretching. She felt her muscles cramp from not being used. It was the one thing she missed.
Standing up, she tilted backwards until she'd completed an easy backflip. She did another one, hearing her back crack again. After she straightened, she tilted to her left, flipping a quick cartwheel.
She could feel her muscles springing to life, as though they'd been waiting forever to be used in this manner again. She moved to the right, eager to continue her flips.
She didn't realize that Harry and the others were watching her.
"She's very spry," Ginny commented behind her History of Magic essay. She set down her quill and watched as the older girl completed a series of front flips.
"Not to mention graceful," Ron said, his voice holding a bit of awe.
Hermione was staring hard at her. "Was she some sort of gymnast? Or is she really athletic? She's too tiny to be very much of either."
Harry realized that he had held out far too long on his two closest female friends. "She is that athletic because she has the power to be," Harry started. Both girls turned back to him, Ginny looking slightly puzzled and Hermione pleasantly surprised. "She's actually a lot more mystical than you think."
"She has powers she already knows about?" Hermione asked sharply.
"She should," Harry replied. "She's a vampire Slayer."
"A Slayer?" Ginny asked in surprise. "Wow."
"I thought they were myth," Hermione said in confusion.
"So did I," Ron admitted. He wasn't about to tell Hermione that Harry had told him the truth a few weeks ago. "But... look at her. That flexibility is almost... unnatural."
Harry grinned as he watched his sister bend nearly the entire way backwards before executing her final flip. She then smoothed her blouse, sat down, and picked up her notes from Hermione again.
"A Slayer, eh?" Hermione asked softly.
"Now don't go all academic and start asking her all of these questions," Harry warned her. "I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be so happy if she knew that a lot of other people did. She did say it was a secluded lifestyle."
"No wonder she looks so at peace here," Ron said, staring at the blonde as she continued her work. "She probably wasn't allowed to have a real family."
Harry watched as his sister studied before turning back to the dreadful essay he was forcing himself to work on. Although the trio had received their O.W.L. scores at the end of July, they still had to finish their summer holiday work.
Mrs. Weasley came outside then, a large tray floating in front of her. "I figured you could use a bit of juice in all of this heat," she said, handing them each a glass. "Although you might want to clean up, soon. Arthur just sent an owl from the Ministry. It appears as though we'll be having company for dinner tonight."
She glanced up toward the blonde sitting a good distance away, buried in her reading. "See that she gets this, will you?" she asked, handing Harry a second glass for his sister. She then returned inside to prepare dinner.
"It is close to evening," Hermione said, checking her watch. With a yawn, she closed her book and began gathering her things. The rest of them followed suit. Harry went to get his sister.
She glanced up as he approached, smiling. "I was wondering when you were going to come and bug me," she said, teasingly.
He dropped on the ground next to her, handing her the glass. "Some juice, courtesy of our wonderful house mum."
Buffy took it and sipped it. "I'm still getting used to the whole pumpkin deal," she said. "I think we should teach her to make lemonade. It's better for warmer, nicer summer days."
"What are you studying?" he asked curiously.
She showed him the book she'd been reading from. He was surprised to see it was a Quidditch book. "Are you fancying learning the sport?" he asked.
"I'm just reading up on it," she said lightly, sticking a small bit of paper inside to mark her page and closing it.
He felt as though she were being secretive again. When he'd asked about her and Percy, she'd just smiled and had changed the subject. Fred and George were hounding him nightly, desperate to determine her affections.
"What is going on between you and Percy?" Harry asked as lightly, his fingers clenching the grass.
She sighed and glanced at him. "You really don't like him, do you?"
"He was part of the plot last year to get me expelled," Harry said bitterly. "Twice."
"He wants to make amends, Harry," she said gently. "He really isn't that bad of a person. Well, he can be irritating every now and then. But he's a good guy. And he's a good friend."
"You're friends?" Harry asked, as though daring to believe she'd finally told him the truth.
She nodded. "That's all. Friends." A dreamy look suddenly crossed her face. "He's done a far better thing than I think I'll ever realize."
"What did he do?" Harry asked.
"It was his suggestion to go to London," Buffy replied happily as she let her brother help her to her feet. "Everything good that happened was due to him."
"But you just went to the bank and to a few Muggle stores, right?" Harry asked as he followed her down the hill. She turned back, frowning slightly at him.
"We did that, yeah," she finally said, happily walking inside the house.
We?
"Who were you with?" he asked, following her upstairs.
"No one," Buffy said after thinking a moment, retreating through the door to the room she shared with Ginny and Hermione.
He waited as he heard her talking to the girls. Laughter came from the other side of the room. He finally conceded defeat and walked up to his own shared room. The twins had already changed for dinner and were going through the orders they'd picked up from Diagon Alley that morning.
They pounced on him the instant he stepped inside the door.
"So?" Fred asked.
"So what?" Harry replied irritably.
"Did you find out?"
"About her and Percy?"
"They really are insufferable," Ron agreed, seeing the look on Harry's face.
He decided to tell them the truth. "She's not with Percy," he replied. "She says they're only friends."
George looked like he'd just won a million galleons. Fred was looking pleased as well as he thumped Harry on the shoulder. "Thank you, dear Harry!" he said happily.
"Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a Teeny Tiny to annoy."
They both snickered and left the room.
"Now they're off my back," Harry said cheerfully as he changed his shirt. Ron was looking at him with something like amazement.
"But they'll be on her back side," he muttered. "I'm not sure if you did them a favor or not. She's not going to know what's hit her."
"I have a feeling she'll deal soon enough."
Buffy had just finished telling Hermione and Ginny about her conversation with Harry. When she'd finished, they'd asked her why she'd never told them she was a Slayer.
"I guess I really must suck at undercover," she said, surprised.
"We didn't mean to violate that," Hermione said quickly.
"I'm just surprised you didn't have me figured out," Buffy said with a smile at the younger girl. "You are the smartest person I have ever met... and I have met quite a few smart ones."
Hermione looked gracious. She'd felt closer to the older girl since Buffy had gone into details of her day in London. From what she could tell, the girl had a serious crush and it was only going to grow.
There was a knock on the door and Ginny stood up, moving to the door. "Oh, it's you," she said shortly, opening the door to admit Percy.
"Percy," Hermione said with a cold nod.
It had taken Buffy all of three weeks to figure out that he wasn't the most liked person within the Weasley family.
"Mum asked you both to go downstairs," he told Hermione and Ginny. They nodded and brushed past them.
"Did she really or did you just make an excuse to see me privately?" she asked.
"I could have invited you into my room," he said, sputtering. "But mainly I wanted to give you this. Hermes brought it with the post when I got home just now. It's probably from you-know-who."
She laughed as she took the letter from him. "Did you know that Fred and George and probably the rest of your family think we're... sneaking around?"
He looked at her, feeling highly affronted. "I could never see you like that!" he said, aghast.
She giggled. "I like you too, Perce."
He left, still wearing a strange look on his face. She heard gasps and more yelling from outside the door and realized the twins were there. With a sigh, she hid the letter under her pillow before opening the door.
"Fred, George," she said tiredly, closing the door behind her. "Leave him alone. There's nothing going on here."
He gave her a grateful look and walked toward the landing.
"We've been trying to find that out for days," Fred said, without a hint of apology in his voice.
"We could have asked her," George pointed out.
"You should have just asked me instead of involving Harry," she chastised. "And leave Percy alone. Even if you don't like him, he doesn't deserve that."
"Right," George said shortly.
"So, Tiny," Fred said, throwing an arm around her shoulder and marching her toward the stairs, "why have you and our beloved older brother been spending so much time together anyways?"
She managed to avoid answering the question as they reached the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was there, platters and bowls of food floating around her. "Everyone's outside," she said. "Go on out, you lot."
Fred and George marched Buffy outside, finally releasing her once they realized that three people had joined the table. There was another round of friendly greetings and hugs.
But it wasn't until Harry and Ron joined them did Buffy finally realize that everyone knew these three newcomers. Harry took her by the hand. "It's all right," he said. "They're members of the Order of the Phoenix."
She tried to smile, but her mouth just wasn't about to work. "Hello," she said quietly as their faces turned expectantly to Harry. They clearly expected him to introduce the girl.
"Um, right," Harry said, struggling for a way to explain this. "Buffy, meet Remus Lupin, I've told you about him, Nymphadora Tonks, and Alastor Moody."
"Hi," she said, nodding at each person Harry pointed to.
He took a deep breath. "And Lupin, Tonks, Moody... this is my sister, Elizabeth Potter."
Buffy saw the three of them glance at one another in confusion. But soon it was Lupin who rose and extended his hand toward her carefully. "It's a great honor to meet you," he said in an easy voice. Although his face was lined and his eyes appeared tired and weary, he was still relatively young and handsome. Buffy recalled Harry saying that he had been friends with both Sirius and her father at Hogwarts.
"It's an honor to meet you too," she said shyly. "I heard rumors that you knew our father well."
Remus nodded, his eyes shining slightly. "You do have a resemblance to him. I can see it in your eyes."
"You should have seen her with short black hair," Ron said, coming up on the other side of her.
"She was a dead ringer for James," Mrs. Weasley agreed. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes as she offered the trio the last few seats, which just happened to be across from the members visiting from the Order of the Phoenix.
They asked her a few questions as they treated themselves to a delicious five-course meal. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were gracious hosts, and their six children present behaved normally. Or, at least they did until Fred and George decided to set off some of their own fireworks and accidently set the tablecloth ablaze.
As the sky was filled with stars and sparks, Buffy sighed, leaning into the table. She was perfectly content to live her life the way it was. In just a week and a half, it would all be changing over again, just when she'd gotten used to living at The Burrow with a wonderful family. She'd gotten to know Harry better, which was the main reason she'd agreed to come.
But, now that Harry's attenion was diverted to the sparkling sky, Remus Lupin leaned closer to the young Slayer. "We have been in daily contact with the Ministry of Magic so we know your deal, Miss Potter."
She looked relieved. "Oh, thank God."
"None of us even had the inkling that you existed," Tonks said, her eyes on the younger girl. "But from what we hear, you have mystical superpowers and the powers of a seer."
This was beginning to get irritating. "I am not a seer."
"Anyone who makes a prophecy is," Moody growled.
"We do realize that you have Harry's best interest at heart, but I wanted to assure you that we had the same intentions," Lupin said cheerfully. "We really had no idea that Harry was being mistreated at home. We heard you took care of the situation."
She blushed slightly, remembering that morning. "Oh, that..."
"You removed Harry from a bad situation," Tonks said. "We're grateful for that."
"I'm just grateful that the Council from hell didn't find out," she grumbled, scowling.
"We heard you were enrolled as a student at Hogwarts," Lupin said. "You should have no problem disguising yourself as a normal student."
"But I'm not normal though," she said with a sigh. "Am I?"
Lupin bowed his head slightly. "You are not. You truly are your father's daughter."
This took Buffy's attention. Sirius Black had said the same thing in her dream. She gave him an edgy smile and glanced down. She felt a hand drop on her shoulder and turned.
"Teeny Tiny, little blonde," Fred said cheerfully, practically pulling her backwards from her seat.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked indignantly. George took her by the other arm and she felt her feet moving backwards, although her mind had been left at the table.
"Giving you a gift," George said, handing her a tiny silvery orb.
"Here," Fred said, taking his wand and prodding the edge of it. "Throw it in the air."
She threw it. It went far higher than she even anticipated and suddenly, there was a loud bang and silver sparkles formed streams of words.
"Wow," she whispered, watching as the silver stars streaked across the sky. "I hope the neighbors don't mind."
"They expect fireworks from here," George said with a wink.
Uh-oh, she thought to herself. George was still expressing himself through the oddest ways, including this little silver orb. "It's beautiful," she told him with a smile.
He leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. She felt his hand brush her hair from her shoulder as it settled in the center of her back. "Glad you liked the show," he breathed.
Her body tensed as he pulled away. Why did he have to make things so damned complicated for her?
Once the fireworks had faded, Mrs. Weasley brought out fresh berries and cream. They all began talking about the next Hogwarts year and Buffy felt herself caught up in the excitement of it all. She eagerly leaned into the conversation, especially when Lupin and Tonks started talking about their own experiences.
When dinner was over and darkness had fallen, Buffy sleepily stood up, stretching. "I could fall asleep right here," she said with a yawn.
"Do you need a hand?" Fred asked her teasingly as he passed.
She glared at him as she followed him inside. "No, I really don't."
What she didn't see was George coming up behind her. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up. She gasped. Fred turned around and, grinning, took her feet. "What are you doing?" she asked, laughing as they hauled her up the stairs. It was the weirdest feeling, seeing the steps underneath her, but not feeling them.
When they reached her room, they set her down. "I hope you enjoyed the ride," Fred said, bowing toward her.
"I hope you didn't mind it," she teased, hitting him in the shoulder playfully.
He grinned at her. "Have a good night, Elizabeth," he teased, walking onward.
George came up behind her, his hands on her waist. She yelped as he easily lifted her up and placed her directly in front of the door. "To bed, Potter, before I carry you in there, too."
"It'd be like going over a hearth," she teased as he saluted her, disappearing into the darkness.
Grinning, she walked back into Ginny's room. The only problem was, now that she safely sealed out of sight of those prankster twins, her mind came back to the letter.
As she sat on the bed and reached for the letter, the door opened and Hermione came in, a bit red in the face and laughing as Harry and Ron passed behind her. Ginny came in a moment later, a squirming Crookshanks in her arms.
Buffy tried to hide the better from sight, but the other girls had already seen it. They both glanced at her questioningly.
"Hermes brought it," she replied, opening it and pulling out the single page of parchment inside. She started to read it.
Buffy --
I just wanted to thank you for that memorable after in London. I was pleased that I got to spend an entire afternoon in your company. I just wish it didn't have to end. It was a lot of fun getting to know you. I hope I get to see you again.
I'm writing this because I couldn't stop thinking about you today. Even when we spent the entire day training, it was hard to get you off of my mind. I hope you don't see me as a stalker now, although I bet I irritated Weasley enough to be considered as such.
I'll be seeing you,
Oliver.
"Buffy?" Ginny asked in an amused tone. "Who's it from?"
"Three guesses," Buffy said, setting down the letter in her lap.
Hermione smiled as she sat on her bed, petting her purring cat. "He must really like you if Percy is actually okay with it."
"I've already told you guys," Buffy said impatiently. "I like Percy as a friend. He doesn't see me any other way. I'm probably the sister he's never had."
"Hey!" Ginny shouted, tossing her pillow across the small room.
"Kidding, kidding," Buffy said, laughing as she tossed the pillow back.
But, she thought, as she climbed underneath her warm covers and closed her eyes, it really was awesome that he had written her. He couldn't stop thinking about her. The thought just made her tingle.
There was still the issue of the Weasley twins. She would have to deal with them and tell them the truth. It was the only way she could escape the ebbing feeling of guilt. She really liked Oliver, and while those Weasley twins were cute and all, they made great friends.
Oliver.
Deep down, she hoped she would see him again, too.
- - - - -
Chapter 18... Diagon Alley!
Chapter 19... One last weekend at The Burrow.
To the Reviewers:
Oh, that was hard writing the Sunnydale scenes. There's more of those to come, too. Giles and Willow will show up in a later chapter briefly. I had to rewrite nearly the entire first half, but I nipped it. I hope you guys like it.
Miracle -- It wasn't meant to be confusing, I'm sorry it was. Since this isn't a romance, it'll be obvious soon enough. She's got her eye on just one guy, no matter how difficult any Weasley makes things for her.
StarBella -- Oh, your comments made me laugh. Somehow I really don't see that happening. But it would be fun wouldn't it? Well, you'll see one of their little moments in Chapter 18 or 19, I can't remember which.
Vld -- I have never even read the books... so I was really confused by your review. As for the DADA Professor, I was thinking of someone connected to Wesley, but not necessarily him. Unfortunately, I've never seen Angel past the second season and I really don't know how his relationships with his family have progressed or even if they've been in contact with the Council or not. I think you know where I'm going with that.
kped -- Yep, he followed her. Hehe. Your "Follow that cab" thing made me think about that Sesame Street cartoon, "Follow that bird".
Faith. I spent a long time deciding how I wanted to play her lineage out. It'll be fun times.
I update fast because these chapters are already written! I'm quite a ways ahead (in chapter 22 now). This is going to be one heckuva long story, and I want to post it all before I either start job training or else go back to school. So I'm writing ahead, since I've got this nice overnight job where I can write all night. And my beta works fast.
The only problem is, I have too many ideas flowing through my head. I have a wall of post-its with notes on them. I only take them down as I use them. For example, Faith and Cordy finding Joyce semi-conscious. When I had my long weekend, there were even more.
The next chapter will be posted before the weekend, probably on Friday. I think I need extra chapters for my notes because some of these are getting kind of long. The next few chapters are some of the longest I've written. And the Order will return. I don't know when. Probably in a mid-20's chapter.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your reviews! Ice cream all around! Or those little frozen juice thingies...