Chapter 37
Falling Stars
x.0.x.0.x
"Wh-What?" Faith managed to gasp out as people were still staring at them curiously. Buffy just gasped and clasped a hand over her mouth.
"Oh, my God," Buffy squeaked out.
"I was sorry to summon you, Faith, but I had to tell you immediately and in person," Professor Pryce said quickly, realizing that both women would soon go into shock unless he explained further details.
"H-How?" Buffy stammered, still uncomfortably aware they were in the Great Hall. Professor Pryce took notice of this and led both women into the Entrance Hall. "W-What happened?"
"It was Voldemort," Professor Pryce said darkly. "The traitor from inside the Council struck. Voldemort's Death Eaters attacked and without magic, the Watchers didn't stand a chance. Every single active Watcher had been called for an emergency session regarding your disappearance," he continued, his eyes falling on Faith.
"Oh, God," Buffy said, glancing at him quickly. "Y-Your son? Giles?"
"They're in England, but they're safe," Professor Pryce said quickly. "They didn't get there in time. In fact, they witnessed the worst of what happened."
"Oh," Buffy said, swaying on the spot. She sank down onto the stairs, hugging herself tightly. "Oh, God..."
"When you say destroyed," Faith said, looking at the Professor with a worried look on her face. "What do you mean?"
"They're all dead," Professor Pryce replied bluntly. "Tortured and mutilated and..." His voice was cut off. "My daughter was among them."
Buffy lifted eyes filled with shock as she met her Professor's gaze dead on. "Do... do we know who... who betrayed them?"
"No," Professor Pryce replied, shaking his head. "The one person we suspected was killed in the attack. In fact, he was among the most brutally beaten. Once they were all killed, the building was blown up, and the mark of the Dark Lord appeared above it." He brandished a copy of The Evening Prophet. The article was titled, "Muggle Landmark Attacked, Hundreds of Muggles Dead".
Before Buffy could reply, the doors burst open and Harry came out, followed by Ron and Hermione. He froze when he saw the stunned looks on both Buffy's and Faith's faces.
"What happened?" he asked, turning to Professor Pryce, who looked as though he were about to collapse.
"Do they all know?" Professor Pryce asked Buffy sharply.
"Yes," she croaked.
He told them what had happened. Harry's eyes widened while Hermione gave a horrified gasp, her hands covering her mouth in disbelief. "A-All... dead?" she whispered, mortified.
"Professor," Buffy said quietly from behind them, "Giles could have been there, but for some reason, he wasn't..." She swallowed hard, unable to shake the feeling that something had just changed her life forever. Harry moved to sit beside his sister, hugging her tightly. She clung to him, drawing his warmth into her cold body. She was shaking as she pulled away, turning bereaved eyes to her Professor.
"Is there anything we can do?" Faith asked, knowing this was the exact same question Buffy had on her mind.
"We should... we should go and... identify the bodies," Professor Pryce said reluctantly. Faith swayed herself and dropped down next to Harry, running trembling hands through her hair.
"Oh, my God," Buffy echoed, turning to the doors, which were still closed. Muffled laughter and conversations sounded from behind the heavy doors. "Does Dumbledore know?"
"Not yet, but he will," Professor Pryce said brusquely. "Can you meet me in his office in fifteen minutes?"
"We will," Faith assured him as she turned to Harry and his two friends. "Ron, right? You're Peter's brother?"
"Percy," he corrected with a shrug, "and yeah, I am. Why?"
"Can you get him please? And maybe B's boy, too. They need to know where we're going."
Ron and Hermione disappeared while Harry was still rooted between the two women, still lost in their own shock, grief and horror.
"All those Watchers," Buffy said, her voice tearful. "All those Watchers are all dead, Faith. The ones that threatened us. The ones that beat us down... all of them, except for..."
"I know," Faith said, her voice strong, although her hands were still shaking. "I know, B."
"I feel like this is a nightmare that will never end," Buffy said, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.
"Do you need anything?" Harry asked quickly, realizing the two Slayers might want to be alone.
"We're good," Buffy said, giving him a shaky smile. "Harry... I don't know how long we're going to be..."
"I know," he said, reaching down to hug her again. "I love you, Buffy. Just know that when everything gets dark, there's still people waiting for you here."
"Thank you," she said, giving him a genuine smile.
Before Harry could return to the Great Hall, the doors burst open and Percy, Ron, Hermione and Oliver all stumbled out, the two eldest boys looking alarmed.
"What happened?" Percy asked loudly as the door clanged shut behind them.
"Sit down," Faith said coolly, jumping up from her spot so that Percy could sit down next to his best friend. She moved over to Harry, which was oddly comforting for her.
Buffy managed to spend only a moment telling them what had happened, but Harry didn't want to hear it twice. His stomach was twisting, turning and shuddering at her words. Voldemort had attacked the very heart of what Buffy and Faith stood for. They were Slayers. They needed the Watchers to help train and guide them. Without the Watchers...
"Voldemort knows," Harry said boldly, causing both Slayers to glance at him in surprise.
"You're right," Faith said with an odd shrug. "He probably does."
There was a moment of tense silence before Buffy stood up, brushing the dust from her robes. "We should go," she said, gesturing to Faith before drawing her hand to her own chest and dropping it, her gaze dropping down to the floor. "We have to go there."
"Why?" Percy asked, gazing at both women in concern. This was something far above and beyond what he would expect Slayers to have to face. "Why do you have to go?"
"It's what we do," Faith said, dropping a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Peter. We'll come back in one piece."
"It's Percy," he said with an apologetic smile.
"Watch your back," Harry said, giving his sister one last smile before dragging Ron and Hermione back into the Great Hall. Percy followed, leaving Oliver alone with the two women in the corridor.
"I'll be upstairs," Faith said, disappearing quickly.
Buffy was still shaking when Oliver wrapped his strong arms around her, drawing her to him. He felt every bit of her pain as she held onto him. "I wish I could comfort you without sounding stupid," he finally said, pulling back and seeing the tears in her eyes.
"You can't," she said, shaking her head. "Some of them may have been bastards and deserved everything coming to them, but this?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe they're all dead..."
For the first time in their relationship, Oliver felt a rift between them. He reached for her and pulled her back into his embrace. His hand gently stroked her blonde hair. "Be careful, please," he said, tilting her face to his. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you." His lips touched hers, and he was relieved when he felt her respond, drawing him closer to her. After a minute, she pulled back, and he smiled at her sparkling eyes.
"No matter how dark it gets in my brain, you always make it better," she said, smiling up at him. "I... I..."
He rested his forehead against hers. "Shhhh," he said, closing his eyes. "Just go and do what you have to do. I'll be here waiting."
"I know," she said with a relieved smile. "And I understand."
They kissed once more and she disappeared, following Faith. He watched her go, slightly startled by that look in her eyes just a moment before. Had she been about to tell him something?
Upstairs, Buffy and Faith met Professor McGonagall at the stone gargoyle leading to Professor Dumbledore's office. Buffy quickly introduced them as Professor McGonagall gave the password and the passageway opened.
Never in her entire teaching career had she felt sorrier for a student than she did now. From what Minerva had been able to gather from Lincoln Pryce, Watchers were like blood relatives to these Slayers.
Faith was still trembling as they were shown into the office. Neither Professor Dumbledore nor Professor Pryce were present, which made Faith breathe easier.
It was her fault, she realized. Had she not come running to England, the Watcher's Council would never have been called, and they would all still be alive. The traitor wouldn't have had reason to act, and Giles and Wesley wouldn't be facing the scars of seeing some of their closest friends blown apart and then blown up. Faith felt her breath catch in her throat.
"It's going to keep coming and coming, isn't it?" she asked Buffy shakily. Buffy gave her a sympathetic look. "This is... all my fault. If I hadn't come to England..."
"They would have come for me," Buffy said firmly. "This wasn't your fault, Faith. He-Who... oh, stuff it, Voldemort has destroyed so many lives and families... he killed my parents and he destroyed your family. It makes perfect sense he'd go to the one power the Muggles had going for them..."
"All those Watchers," Faith muttered under her breath, running a hand through her dark hair. "Just when I thought life couldn't get any more normal..."
"It's been the story of my life here," Buffy said with a sigh. And then she did something Faith wasn't expecting. She was laughing. "I just sent Giles a letter last week! I was telling him he shouldn't worry and that we're both fine."
Faith found herself chuckling despite their dire situation. "Oh?" she choked. "I suppose the Watcher's Council recalled them when they found out where we were!"
Buffy dropped her head onto her arms and sighed deeply. "They most likely did."
"I was thinking that if this... um, Voldemort hadn't taken out the whole Council, they would have come for us," Faith said, still giggling. She finally stopped dead cold when she realized what that meant. "Oh, damn it!"
"Faith?" Buffy asked, lifting her head and glancing at the other Slayer. "What is it?"
"They were coming for us," Faith realized. "Voldemort saw this and... what if he knows that we're the chosen two? What if he... saved us?"
"What?" Buffy asked in disbelief. "You-know-who actually wants two of the most seriously powerful girls alive?"
"Wait," Faith replied, shaking her head, "you have a good point."
"Besides, it was his Death Eaters that attacked," Buffy said softly. "You know, the ones we told you about?"
"They were likely under his orders though," Faith grumbled as the door behind them opened, admitting Professors Pryce and Dumbledore, both of them looking very grave.
"I will speak to your Professors about you missing classes the next few days," Professor Dumbledore told Buffy, who stood up slowly, Faith following suit. "And I have agreed to have someone from the Ministry cover Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Great," Faith said, crossing her arms. She tried to smile, but it wouldn't form on her face. "I..."
"We should probably go," Professor Pryce interjected quietly.
Buffy and Faith didn't move as Professor Dumbledore lifted an old show from his desk and pointed the tip of his wand at it. "Portus," he whispered and it glowed for a moment before becoming quite still.
"Portkey," Faith said, walking over and taking the shoe the Headmaster was handing over to her.
"You only have a minute," Professor Dumbledore said, standing back as Buffy and Professor Pryce moved to touch it. "Just a finger will do. It'll take you to the... remains."
Buffy found her chest constricting painfully. She didn't want to leave the comforting halls of Hogwarts, but she knew she was needed elsewhere. Before she could react to anything else, really, the felt the irresistible tug forward and all faded to darkness.
x.0.x.0.x
It was dark when they hit solid ground again. Faith knocked into Buffy and they both fell over onto the ground. Faith groaned as she pushed herself back into a sitting position. It was then she noticed she was staring into her own reflection from a shattered pane of glass. She felt Buffy gasp next to her and lifted her gaze.
The remains of a once-beautiful building glowed in front of them. What was worse was that there was a bright green figure towering over the remains. It was in the shape of a skull with a snake coming from its mouth.
"It is the Dark Mark," Professor Pryce explained as both women rose, their eyes wide. They didn't see two other people swooping down upon them until they heard their voices.
"Buffy! Faith!"
Buffy tore her gaze from the horrifying scene. "Giles!" she cried out, launching herself forward. "Giles!" She reached her former Watcher and threw herself into his arms.
He was startled to see the Slayer was in tears when she pulled back. "Wh-When he'd said that all the Watchers had been killed--"
"We were lucky," Wesley said, stepping around Giles and gazing at the blonde Slayer. "Our flight got in late."
"It was a simple twist of fate," Giles replied as Buffy stepped away from him and they turned as one to gaze at the remnants.
"Or else it was carefully planned," Buffy said under her breath as she gazed at the skull floating serenely in the sky, as though mocking the horrors which lay beneath it. "What is that thing?"
"The Dark Mark," Professor Pryce said dryly after shaking hands and greeting his eldest son. "You-Know-Who's supporters always marked an area they had... taken care of. In the days of old, it terrified those of us who looked upon it and knew that inside would be..."
"Hands," Faith said quietly, bending down on the ground. Near shattered panes of glass, there was a hiss of an explosion as sparks showered down upon her. She didn't seem to notice as there was a large quantity of human hands stacked in a neat pile. "Someone... there are hands..."
Buffy gently pulled Faith away from the human remains, turning back to look at Giles, as though waiting for Orders. Here she was, four months without seeing the man, and every time something like this happened, he was her rock in this world. He offered her a hasty smile and bowed his head slightly.
"The Aurors will be coming at any time," Professor Pryce said, stepping in front of the two former Watchers.
"Lincoln, I think it best they not get involved," Giles said clearly, anger ebbing at his tone.
"Rupert, right now, we need the best. Those are Watchers in there. Those are our friends, and our family... my daughter is in there. We need the best trackers in the world and right now," he said, lamely gesturing at the two Slayers, barely holding onto their sanity as it were. And yet he saw Buffy straighten and meet his gaze head-on.
"Giles, a human being did this. I know that there are rules to what Slayers can and cannot do, but since the people who threatened our lives are dead, then... I guess I'm back on a job. I want to do this. We want to do this. It's not the best job in our description, but it's what we do."
"Very well," Giles said with a heavy sigh. He had seen his Slayer so determined before only twice in this lifetime. Once was when she had discovered a Prophecy might end her life. The other was the time she had gone to kill Angel, leaving Giles and the others in the Library with Kendra, the forgotten Slayer who had died a painful death.
Buffy nodded and turned back to Faith, whose eyes were still on the glowing building. "Faith, listen to me. You can do this. You have to be strong. You're a Slayer. You--"
"I got the pep talk the first time around, B," Faith said with a tentative smile at the other Slayer. "Just point me in which direction to go."
Professor Pryce approached them. "I do wish to caution you that what you will see is not something you wish to. There are a lot of mutilated corpses inside, some that you might even recognize. My best guess would be to identify who you can and then we will be able to contact their families. The Aurors will be arriving any moment, so you best hurry quickly."
"Right," said Faith firmly, grasping Buffy's elbow and pulling her right to what had once been the entrance to a magnificent building, the Watcher's Council. "Right..."
They both stared into the uninviting abyss that awaited them.
"So, do you want to go first?" Faith asked, a hint of anxiety in her voice for the first time. "Or shall I?"
"Let's do this," Buffy replied, stepping underneath a beam that hung tentatively in midair. It looked like the remains of the doorway, some elaborate metal that gleamed as flames danced around its edges.
"Damn," Faith said, her voice a low hiss as she glanced around the front entryway. There were remnants that this was a beautiful and very powerful place to be, just by glancing at the twisted shards of metallic pots for plants and shards of glass from the revolving doors and the crescent-moon-shaped half desk which still stood, mostly solid, despite the glass cracking on the smooth surface.
"Wow," Buffy gasped, her hand passing over the surface of the desk. It was then she noticed the person behind the desk. She was still in her chair, but the chair was facing the other way.
"Buffy," Faith said, in a voice of sharp anxiety, "don't!"
It was too late. Buffy turned the chair around and let out a shrill gasp as she stepped back, nearly toppling into the glass desk as another line above them exploded, sending showers of sparks descending down on them.
There was a woman sitting in the chair, but she had no eyes. Nor hands. Nor, would it seem, a heart. It looked as though it had been ripped, still-beating, from her chest.
"She's got something on her lap," Buffy said quietly, moving to lift the object and hold it to the small bit of light in the room there still was.
"What is it?" Faith asked.
"Hang on," Buffy said with a sigh as she pulled out her wand and muttered, "Lumos!" The object was suddenly filled with light and her eyebrows snapped down in confusion. "It's a key."
"A key?" Faith gasped, wondering what sort of significance a key had to this disaster.
"Meaning it opens something over here?" Buffy wondered as she stepped around the woman's body and stopped in front of a large file cabinet. Bending down, she tried the key in all three fitted locks. It didn't work.
"Maybe it was a key to those doors," Faith said, pointing to the twisted shards of glass that had once been the beautiful entry.
"Those were electronic, I think," Buffy said with a sigh, pushing the file cabinet over in frustration. "This is useless!" Nevertheless, she pocketed the key.
Faith walked by the cabinet and gave it an almighty kick. As she did, one of the drawers burst open and papers came spilling out. "B, wait!" Faith shouted as she bent down, quickly piling the papers in her arms. "Do you think we should just leave these here? If the Ministry gets a hold of them--"
"What are they?" Buffy asked, turning back.
"Just... papers," Faith said vaguely, her eyes narrowing as she attempted to read them. "Can you swing your wand tip over here? Thanks. I just..." She stopped when she noticed a list of names. "It's a list of names... I think we just found their directory."
She handed Buffy a small catalogue.
"This'll only make it easier," Buffy said, flipping idly through the pages.
"Easier how?" Faith demanded, now pulling everything out of the broken drawers.
"It makes it easier to identify the bodies," Buffy said clearly as she watched Faith with something like amusement. "Just make sure there isn't something we really want in there."
"We can't exactly bring the Council down if they're already dead now, can we?" Faith replied with a hint of sarcasm as she pulled out a book of matches. "No, unless you want the petty cash box, which I am keeping out just in case there's something else inside of it, I'm burning these. Who knows what sorts of records the Watchers have on us."
Striking a match, she dropped it into the center of the pile. Buffy returned a moment later with a bottle of scotch in her hands. Faith looked at her curiously.
"For the fire, moron," Buffy said, rolling her eyes as Faith had uncapped the bottle and tipped her head back, as though to drink from it.
"Oh," Faith said, smirking as she dumped the bottle around the fire. For a moment, the two Slayers stood there, watching it burn.
"We should move on," Buffy said over the crackling flames.
A great gust of wind blew through the building. Faith involuntarily shuddered. "Where to?"
"We should try the conference room," Buffy replied, holding her wand tip to the directory. "According to this page here, it was right down the hall."
As they walked on, Buffy felt the little hairs on the back of her neck start to creep upwards. She felt chilled as she touched the old door leading into the conference room and stiffened when it fell away, opening the mortifying scene before them.
"Christ," Faith whispered from behind her.
Buffy and Faith had seen a lot in their Slayer days. They had seen death and had been the cause of some of it. They had fought to save the world. They had stood against immortal dangers and it all came down to this very moment, as the people who stood for what the Slayer really was lay broken and bloodied in this room.
The door fell of its hinges, the sound making both Slayers gasp.
Yet neither one of them could pull the energy to walk inside.
"Is this the work that we do?" Faith asked in a hushed voice.
"I'm beginning to think this is beyond," Buffy said, her own voice full of emotion as she took the precarious first step into the room. Another shower of sparks fell upon her and she lifted her arm to protect her face. Faith followed behind her. Their eyes fell onto each and every Watcher's.
Faith stopped near one of the figures and tipped her face to the light from Buffy's wand. "It's Caroline Mann."
Buffy recognized the horrible woman who had threatened her life so many times and felt a sense of both satisfaction and revulsion. The woman who had been so dreadful to her had been repaid in full. The only problem was, so had everyone else.
Her eyes fell on another figure. "Oh, my God," she whispered as she got down on her knees and gently pulled a body from underneath a table. It was a woman's body, and she was still wearing a nametag. "It's Wesley's sister. Daphne." She turned around to look up at Faith, whose face mirrored the same horror and shock reflected in the older Slayer's.
"What... what are we doing here?" Faith asked uncomfortably. No matter how much she despised that puny Watcher, he had done a very decent thing to let her go to England to find her family.
And yet, this was another family that had been torn apart by war, by suffering. Faith pulled her eyes away and closed them.
"Looking for survivors," Buffy said firmly, rising back to her feet and glancing around the room. "I... I think that we... we should split up."
"Are you mad?" Faith gasped, looking around the room uneasily.
"It'll get the job done faster and then... then we'll be able to get the hell out of here."
"R-Right," Faith managed to chortle out as she drew out her own wand. "What's the spell for lighting up the tip again?"
"Lumos," Buffy whispered.
"Right," Faith replied, staring at her wand. "Lumos!" Nothing happened. "Lumos!"
Again, nothing.
Buffy sighed and pulled Faith's wand from out of her hand. "Lumos." The tip began burning a very bright blue and she handed it back to Faith. "Be careful, all right?"
"Where are you going?" Faith asked.
"I'll check upstairs, you sweep this floor. If you see anything mildly of interest, scream or something. I'm hoping the Aurors will get here before the Muggle police and such -- would you get that blasted thing out of my eyes?"
"Oh," Faith said, pulling her wand tip away from a blinking Buffy. "Sorry. Main floor sweep. Gotcha."
Buffy was still seeing stars as she exited the conference room and started taking the stairs slowly, her mind going over every incantation she had ever learned and every martial arts move she had mastered.
She only hoped the Death Eaters were gone. She knew she didn't have the magical powers to expel them. She had reflexes, and those were good in a fight, only for a while.
With a sigh, she reached the second floor and looked around, feeling her heart thumping painfully in her chest. Swinging her wand tip back and forth, she used her Slayer senses to search for anything that would signal anyone had survived this massacre.
But there was nothing, except a coldness that seemed to spread through the dismal remains and into her system, clouding her senses. Not that they had been used a lot, but she was certain she would have been able to sense something, anything, really.
Faith moved stealthily below. Her wand hand trembled as she pointed it into rooms. "H-Hello?" she asked, communicating the only way her fuzzy brain would allow, and that would be to alert survivors that help was indeed there.
But instead, her senses picked something else up. Whether it was just a whisper in the wind or the wind rattling the beams that hung six feet precariously over her head, the Dark Mark shining still brighter directly above her, she wouldn't know.
There was someone moving inside the remains.
Faith immediately dropped her wand, the light dying instantly as it fell into a ravine of rubble. Her fury over what had happened was starting to return. The Slayer inside of her was back.
She took one step forward, her senses tingling. There was someone moving around. It had to be someone with a wand, too, since there were even more green sparks adding to the brightness of the mark now directly above her head.
She was going to make them pay for what they had done.
But she never got another word out as something slammed into her, knocking her into the remains of the wall. She crashed through and landed in another room. With a groan, she flipped back to her feet until she saw her wand lying near her feet. Triumphantly, she pulled it up and lifted it to face her attacker.
"You," she whispered, recognizing the face holding a wand straight at her heart. "It was you!"
Without warning, a deep voice cried out, "Impedimenta!" and Faith was blasted off of her feet. She landed painfully on her side and before she could even begin to get up, he delivered a blow to her head. Faith crumpled unconscious onto a pile of rubble.
"Good to see you, too, Slayer," the voice hissed, kicking her roughly once before removing the wand from her fingers. "Nox." The blue light died out. "Never saw a squib like yourself before, Faith. You are going to regret ever walking onto this miserable island, I can assure you of that."
He stepped away from her, hearing the floorboards to the right creak slightly. The delicate, hungry smile intensified on his face as he realized who this other person must be. "And behind door number two is the other one..."
One story above him, Buffy stopped. Had that been a voice down below? From what she had seen out of the only window she'd managed to find intact, people were Apparating to the top of the hill. There was no doubt the Ministry was waiting to see whether or not the two Slayers could find anything first.
Suddenly, she felt a jolt in her stomach. Faith was in danger. She turned around and was halfway to the stairs when she saw someone standing on the top stair, smiling serenely at her.
"Quentin?" she gasped.
x.0.x.0.x
Professor Pryce had just finished greeting a large team of Aurors who had arrived. They were all staring thunderstruck at the remains of the large building, with the Dark Mark still burning very brightly over it.
"There are people in there," one of the Aurors said.
"Yeah," Lincoln replied dryly. "They're Slayers. They'll sweep for survivors or any remaining Death Eaters and they'll come back out."
Giles stood a few feet away, feeling something in his stomach. He didn't like it. It was like a sense of foreboding, but why would he feel this way... if... his Slayer wasn't in danger?
Something was wrong, Giles realized with a jolt. He turned to Professor Pryce, who was trying to convince the Aurors to stand back and give these Slayers some space.
"They're the best in the world at what they do," Professor Pryce said dryly as he turned around at the sound of a serene hoot.
It was a small minute black owl. She landed on his arm, a tiny roll of parchment stuck to her leg.
"This is Elizabeth's owl," Lincoln said softly, removing the parchment. The owl pecked at the hat on top of his head, as though it were offending her, before taking off. For some odd reason, she landed on top of Wesley's shoulder and steadied herself, throwing her reproachful eyes back to the offending Professor.
"What is it?" Giles asked.
"It's from the school," Professor Pryce said softly. "It's from the Weasley boy. He must be using Onyx so that Elizabeth can correspond with them."
"I don't see why they would, considering their lives are possibly in danger," Giles retorted. Wesley joined them then, looking slightly fearful of the owl looking at his ear as though it would love nothing more than to peck at it.
"You should send a message back and instruct them not to worry," Wesley told his father.
"The reason why they are sending this is because they care about what happens to the Potter girl," Lincoln told Giles coolly. "I know that she had this whole happy life back in California, but here she has blood. A brother who loves her and friends that would probably not be very happy if I didn't respond to this letter immediately." He excused himself and walked away.
The feeling in Giles' stomach intensified. Something was wrong inside the building. The Aurors had pulled back, giving the Slayers their space. But Giles was beginning to believe that those two girls now needed the Aurors more than ever...
x.0.x.0.x
"Yes, Potter?"
Buffy was frozen to the spot. He was holding one wand up at her and twirling the other one idly between two fingers in his opposite hand, looking at her the same way her own owl sometimes did.
Suddenly, she knew. She knew he was the one behind it. The one bastard who had tried to take everything away from her was the same person who had just tried to kill her...
"Why?" she asked him, her voice steady, although her hand holding her wand down at her side shook slightly. The one man who had created what the Slayers really were, what they really stood for, had betrayed them all. "Why?"
"Because the time has come to show the world who has the real power, Potter," he said, sneering at her slightly. "Come off of your high horse, Buffy. You know as well as I that this world isn't divided by loyalties and goodness. It's power. There are those that have it and there are those, like these unfortunate souls, who didn't."
"These were your friends," Buffy choked out, trying to justify what she meant by glancing helplessly around her. "They were your brethren, and you let them die! How could you do this? What kind of a monster are you?"
He turned to his left arm and pocketing Faith's wand, rolled up his sleeve and showed her the deeply red mark on his forearm. It was identical to the mark in the sky.
"Y-You... you're one of... them?" Buffy gasped.
"I was trying to protect you from the truth," Quentin said coldly, staring at her dull, useless eyes. "You think that this world is so perfect, Potter. You think that good always triumphs over evil and that you can always go home to your lover's arms and everything will be all right. In this world, it doesn't exist. There is no such thing as good or evil. There is only power. I found mine twenty years ago. And I do believe you are beginning to see your own."
"The only thing I see is me killing you," Buffy said angrily, feeling the rage well up inside of her, as though it were a dam struggling to burst free.
"Ah-ah-ah," he said, shaking his wand at her. "That's where you're wrong, you see. You're not a killer, Buffy. You're a Slayer. That's not a license to be a killer."
"Things change," Buffy said, lifting her chin proudly. "Who's to say I can't land you in a plot six feet under now? What's to stop me from hurting you?"
"You are," Quentin said softly. "You're at a crossroads now, Slayer. The people who have been protecting you for years, myself included, were working for a great Power, a new purpose."
"That Power killed my parents," Buffy said, her voice a low, threatening hiss. "I think it's time I return the favor."
"And then what? You'll see where that darkness leads?" Quentin asked, bemused. "Come now, Slayer. Are you really that weak? Are you going to just jump back into battle?"
"I can now," she said, waving her wand in boredom. "After all, you killed those who threatened my life. And you know I'll die to protect Harry. He is all I have in this world."
"Is he now?" Quentin asked, meeting her gaze dead on. "And what about this chap I've been hearing about? The one who has such strong claims to your heart?"
Buffy felt her breath catch in her throat.
"And those friends of yours. One of them is quite the jackass and goes by the name of Weasley, does he not?"
This was more than enough. Her eyes resembled molten lava as she met his gaze again. "If you go near me or mine again, I'll destroy you. And you'll find out what a Slayer really is."
"That's right," he said, looking positively gleeful about this, "I will. Because do you know what lies beyond the anger? It's hate. It's fury. And it's darker than anything my Lord holds dear in his vast, growing numbers. Imagine if he were to harness that power..."
"That'll never happen!" Buffy snapped, raising her wand to point it at him again. "That will never, ever happen."
"I know," Quentin said sadly as he touched the tip of his own wand again. "Which is why I have to kill the Slayers. New ones will be called, of course, but they won't have any connections to this world. And without Watchers, they'll die. The entire Slayer line will be destroyed. And my Master will reward me with more than I ever dreamed possible." He was smiling serenely at the Dark Mark, burning so brightly above their heads.
"Do you like my Mark?" he asked her curiously. "Not many do, I suppose. They all run away from it, as though it were something to be feared. I suppose it is... because hundreds are dead around here. Don't bother looking for survivors. My boys and I made sure none were left alive."
Buffy was shaking again. But the look in her eyes was clear. She had to end this, now.
But what she really capable of taking a human life?
Quentin sensed her dilemma and laughed sharply. "This is where you and I differ, Potter. I can easily take your life and the life of Miss Landing down below. That is of no consequence to me. But I reckon you won't take my life unless you were, well, forced to. Nothing of the matter, really. I just want you to taste a bit of the Power you have so fearfully denied yourself of." He pointed his wand straight at her. "Crucio!"
Buffy felt pain like she could never believe. She fell sideways to the ground, screaming and twitching as what felt like needles penetrated her skin, causing her to writhe in agony. A moment later, the spell was lifted and, panting, Buffy lifted hateful eyes to Quentin.
"Do you really have a death wish?" she panted.
He smirked at her, as though mocking her indecisiveness. "No, my dear, I am afraid that right is solely belonging to you. Your brother is used to losing his loved ones to the cause... I am certain your death will affect him greatly. And he will fall easily to my Master." He lifted his wand again. "Avada Ked--"
His voice was suddenly cut off as a figure threw herself into him.
Buffy gasped as she saw Faith punching and kicking Quentin with all the cold fury she possessed.
"Faith, no!" Buffy gasped, dropping her wand. She grabbed the other Slayer and pulled her back.
"Damn it, Buffy, let me go!" Faith screamed. "He just tried to kill you, you idiot!"
"A Slayer is not a killer, we have to remember that," Buffy said, holding onto Faith with all of her might as Quentin staggered to his knees, sneering at the two Slayers, completely unglued in their moment of separation. He saw the lust and the anger in Faith's eyes. But Buffy's were wide and fearful.
He smiled. His Master would be most pleased about this.
"You should have let her kill me, Buffy," Quentin said, smirking at the older Slayer, who released Faith and collected her wand with a bloody hand. "It would have been awesome for the source of your power, do you not agree?"
"What, you want us to 'be all that we can be'?" Buffy demanded, aiming her wand at him. "What are you really after, Quentin?"
"There was a time when you had great respect for my authority," Quentin said, seemingly far more amused now that he had two very pissed off Slayers glaring daggers at him. "I suppose all of that has been wasted now."
"You son of a--" Faith said, lurching at him again.
"Faith, no!" Buffy screamed, darting forward. But Quentin was faster. He lifted up his wand, and almost lazily, said, "Crucio!"
Faith screamed and fell to her knees as the pain overcame her. Nearly a half mile away, dozens of Aurors turned their heads when they heard the sounds of painful screams coming from the debris.
"Faith?" Giles muttered, taking the first few steps down the hill.
Faith was holding herself, sobbing as she glared up at Quentin, rage in every line of her face. "You... you bastard..." she managed to gasp out. "I... I hate you..."
"Bad enough to kill?" Quentin demanded.
Buffy took a step in front of Faith, positioning herself between the younger Slayer and the evil man that she had come to respect far too much in her life. "I think you need to get out of here before the Aurors come." It was as though an invisible torch had been passed from one Slayer to the other. Buffy had been afraid that she would be risking other lives in dealing with the Council. Now, it could very well be her life she was giving to him. She wasn't about to show him the satisfaction. This was her fight now.
"Do you think I'm afraid of them?" Quentin asked softly. "No, you see, I am not. I am part of a great plan for the future and I will not let a gang of crackpot Ministry Wizards destroy it for me. Nor can I let the failure of killing the two thorns in my side stand in the way." He lifted his wand, but with her own reflexes, Buffy was ready. She threw Faith aside, and would have been successful in outrunning his hex had the floor not given away.
Faith started screaming, "No! No!"
Buffy fell and landed hard on her back. She groaned and glared up to where the Dark Mark seemed to burn even brighter. She noticed that it was Quentin's wand aiming feeding green sparks to the dangerous mark. There were voices approaching, yet she felt a great surge of pain. There was something impaling her.
Faith knew it was up to her to stop him. She leapt to her feet and turned, kicking out at him. He managed to avoid her, until she flipped upwards, both of them spilling to the rubble, and nearly crashing through. Her hands scratched at his robes, ripping open the pocket holding her wand. With her wand back in her hand and Buffy's wand safely at her feet, she aimed it at Quentin. "You're finished," she said, a look of fierce pride on her face.
"Oh, no, my dear," Quentin said with an evil grin as he lifted his wand again. "This is only the beginning."
Just as Aurors stormed the rubble, Quentin Disapparated, leaving Faith to stumble and fall to the ground as the pain from the Cruciatus curse overwhelmed her. She heard voices below and crawled to the opening to see Giles and Professor Pryce standing over Buffy, who had been impaled by a sharp metal rod that was sticking out of her side.
"Oh, God," Faith whispered as she fell weakly onto the ground, her breath blowing bits of dust across the floor.
She felt a hand touch her some time later. "Faith?"
She opened her eyes and felt gentle hands pulling herself up to a seated position. She blinked when she realized an owl was sitting serenely on her knee. The entire situation seemed so surreal that she just wanted to black out again. She turned to look up at Giles.
"Buffy?" Faith managed to choke out. Her mouth was very dry.
"We've got her outside," Giles said, attempting to get Faith to her feet. The owl hooted indignantly and moved to position itself on Faith's shoulder.
"Who's the bird?" Faith asked, rubbing her aching sides with dusty hands.
"Buffy's owl, Onyx," Giles replied. "We were about to send her contact at the school a message when we heard you screaming..."
"Oh, my God," Faith whispered, as the memories of the past hour came rushing back at her. "Giles... he... he betrayed them. H-He killed them."
"Who?" Giles asked softly, seeing the horrified expression on Faith's face.
"Quentin Travers," Faith whispered. "H-He kept goading us into killing him... he was torturing us... playing with us..." The tears had started again as brutal memories of her foster father returned and she turned away abruptly, only to be gently pecked at by Onyx. "You have to send the owl back to the school... they'll be waiting to hear what happened to her... to us. Please... she has people there who love her..."
Giles understood that Buffy had close connections, namely her brother... but he didn't know about any of the others.
He helped her over the threshold and soon they were spilling out into the night. It had grown very cold and tiny snowflakes were spinning through the air.
Her eyes fell on the fallen figure of her sister Slayer. She cried out and ran to herself, shoving Wesley away from her. "Buffy? BUFFY? Oh, God..."
Buffy was bleeding from the side, and there was another deep cut across her neck. There were towels pressed to these wounds, but they had been stained red. "Hold on," Faith urged her, as Buffy's glassy eyes stared helplessly at her first ever real snow. Her eyes had been dulled by shock, but they were full of a sort of surprise as tiny snowflakes landed on her skin, water droplets running off of her as though she were just a--
Faith pulled away angrily as the owl went soaring off into the night; Giles had just finished his note to Harry and whoever the Weasley boy was.
"Tell me more about Buffy's friends," Giles implored her.
"There's Harry, her brother and his friends," Faith replied quickly. "And then there's her roommates... one was Katie something-or-other and... oh, does it really matter now? What about Quentin? And all of the Watcher stuff from inside the building?" She had a feeling that Giles was trying to stall her, but she wasn't going to buy into it. Not now.
"Wesley and I combed through it while you were unconscious," Giles replied with a sigh, taking off his glasses and wiping the snow from them. "We collected what we could and destroyed everything else. We're here to burn that bloody place to the ground."
"And can someone get rid of that?" Faith demanded, pointing to the Dark Mark, which was starting to fade slightly.
"It'll wash away," Wesley said, joining them. "I believe we have everything here we can get, Rupert."
"It really is all a bloody shame," Giles said in a tired voice as he replaced his glasses on his face. "A lot of those Watchers were good people. They were decent and they really stood for something good. Some of them were heartless bastards, but... in the end, they went out with a fight."
"Some of them looked like it," Faith admitted. "And some were just... just..."
"You don't have to, Faith," Giles said quietly. "You've just been through a lot..."
"Don't you understand, any of it?" Faith gasped. "These people are dead, Giles. They were your colleagues, your friends! You expect me to sit back and let their deaths be in vain when the monsters who killed them roam free? I don't think so!"
"You have to Faith," a different voice said as Professor Pryce appeared, looking even more exhausted. "We nearly lost one Slayer tonight. If you go after Quentin now, as you have no experience with that wand, he would kill you."
Faith sat down on the frozen ground, feeling as though her heart was going to shrink. "How bad is Buffy?"
"She'll recover, but it'll take a while," Professor Pryce admitted. "I heard from the school that you have a safe house."
"It's my family home," Faith replied with a nod. "She can stay there. I have a room for her and everything. But won't she be missing a lot of classes?"
"True," Professor Pryce said heavily. "And I know that you have advanced healing powers, but that won't help you when it comes to this." He pointed at Buffy, still being attended to by Apparating Wizards. "As soon as we have a portkey made up, you and Buffy will return to Hogwarts. Buffy should be treated by Madam Pomfrey before she is released into your care. And I am quite certain there are those who will be worried about her."
"Your work here is done, Faith," Wesley said gently. "You have to let it go."
Faith shook her head angrily. "No," she spat bitterly as she leapt to her feet, nearly throwing all three men back. "You know why? I trusted that man with my life! He just betrayed you all and spat on you."
"The time will come, Faith, but it isn't now, not when we're one Slayer down," Giles said in exasperation. "Buffy needs you to be strong now and not reckless."
Faith sighed and felt the crushing weight of defeat come over her. "All right," she said quietly as she made her way back to Buffy. One of the Wizards stepped back, handing her the same boot.
"This will take you to the hospital wing at Hogwarts. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall have been alerted to your arrival, as well as Madam Pomfrey. They will be waiting for you there."
"Okay," Faith said, taking the book and wrapping an arm gently around the shoulders of the weak Slayer. "Hang in there, B. We'll be home soon."
In less than a minute, the two women disappeared, reappearing almost an instant later on the cold hospital floor inside Hogwarts.
Faith blinked up into the sharp, bright lights as the medical team was spurned into action. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled aside by two Professors. One was the Headmaster, giving her a complicated look. The other was a woman she hadn't met yet, older in years, but stern looking. She looked slightly like her foster grandmother, with curt eyes sparkling behind square-rimmed frames.
"Your owl arrived about five minutes ago," Professor Dumbledore said as he offered Faith a chair. She sank gratefully into it. "I would appreciate if you could tell us your version of things before we hear a version from the others."
Faith turned and glanced curiously at the other woman. "Who are you?"
"I am Professor McGonagall, head of Buffy's Gryffindor house," the woman replied with a soft sort of smile. "I also teach Transfiguration."
"Oh, that's... cool... I guess, if you're into that sort of thing," Faith replied with a slight frown. It was almost surreal to have four or five Wizards working on Buffy while she sat here and explained what had happened to her.
It took less than fifteen minutes to tell the story of how they had found the Council's headquarters in ruins and had later found Quentin Travers. She told them how they'd found bodies. And she told them about how Quentin had taunted them and had later tortured them to the point where he had almost killed a Slayer.
It was so hard for her to even think about the sort of power Quentin had exerted. She didn't know that kind of power existed. Sure, she had Slayer strength and senses and those incredible reflexes, but it wasn't the sort of power she wielded naturally. This sort of power had been natural to him. It was haunting to see it waved around like that. Chilling, really. Especially if he had always had that sort of power.
No sooner had she finished her story did the sounds of pounding footsteps stop right outside the doors to the hospital wing. There was the sound of a hammering fist on the door and Professor Dumbledore sighed and moved to open it.
Faith bent her head and ran her hands over her face, knowing she probably looked terrible. What she wanted more than anything at that very moment was a long, hot shower to wash away the dirt and the pain she was still feeling. She turned around to look at who had walked in and winced, her hand moving to her bruised ribs from where Quentin had kicked her.
Professor McGonagall was eyeing the younger girl in curiosity. She was a strong girl, and no doubt a Black, but there was something about her. Something powerful. And yet she seemed to close to collapsing, so close to admitting defeat...
Harry ran into the room, looking around. "Where is she?"
Professor McGonagall moved up to intercept him when Faith looked up, her bloodied hands still pressed to her side. "She was wounded."
Harry turned eyes to Faith. "That's what the owl said," he said in a cool voice. They heard Professor Dumbledore talking to others behind the doors and he soon stepped through them, cutting off the conversations and once again throwing the room into a shuddering silence.
He nearly did a double take when he glanced at Faith. One of her eyes was starting to blacken. Her jaw was swollen and her lip was cracked into two. Her hands and knuckles were bloody, and she kept wincing as she felt her ribs. "Are you all right?" he asked her softly.
"I'm five by five," she said, tilting her head towards him. "As for B, she took a big hit. They're trying to patch her up now. It's best if you give them a little space."
"W-What happened to her?" Harry asked anxiously, glancing from Faith to Professor McGonagall and back again. "I was sitting in the Common Room and suddenly my scar..."
"You felt it?" Faith asked in wonder as she reached for the boy, touching his face with her bruised hand. He didn't pull away as her cold fingers probed the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
"I felt her pain," Harry said in a low voice, as though it were causing him even more to admit this. "I felt the pain of falling... of being... tortured..."
"It was the Cruciatus Curse," Faith said slowly. "At least, that's what I was told. Damned useful, even for him..." Her voice cut off again and she ran a hand through her wild dark hair. She turned to Professor McGonagall. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but could you point me in the direction of a shower? I'm beat, but I want to clean up first, get all this blood off of me."
As Professor McGongall was explaining to Faith where to go, Harry reached out and caught her arm. "There was the Dark Mark, wasn't there?" he asked in a shaking voice.
Faith reached out and clasped his shoulder. "Get some sleep, Potter. Buffy'll need you in the morning." She swept out, walking out of the hospital wing and into the hallway, where a small group of people were standing around. She was relieved to see that Professor Pryce was one of them. She was beginning to trust the older man. She noticed that they all seemed to start moving towards her when she closed the door, but Professor Pryce stepped in front of them.
"Leave her be... she's had her own share of death tonight."
He couldn't have been more right, Faith decided, moving along. It wasn't until she saw Buffy's new guy, whoever he was. It had been Oliver something, right? Or was it Oscar? She moved towards him. He was very pale and looked very distraught. She put her hand on his shoulder and he turned to face her, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the other Slayer.
"Is she... going to be all right?" Oliver asked in a cracked voice.
Faith nodded. "She'll be fine. I just wanted you to know..." But there were no small words of comfort. There wasn't anything, really. She just hugged herself and moved along; following the directions the older woman had given her.
The shower felt wonderful, the hot water flowing over her body. She moved her bruised hands up to her face and was startled to find that her face was as bruised as she felt. She stood in front of the mirror for a few moments, examining the dark marks across her ribcage and down her side. Her left eye was black, and the left side of her jaw had been bruised and was swollen. The corner of her lower lip had been split.
She dressed in the hospital gown and robe that Professor McGonagall had given her and made her way back to the wing. She was surprised to see Harry waiting for her.
"Potter," she greeted with a weak smile. She knew why he was there. He wanted to hear her version of the story.
On their way back, she told him, ending with, "It was the bravest thing I ever saw. The fury in her eyes about the way he talked about you... it was something I've never seen before. She loves you, Harry."
"I know," Harry said, and he was surprised to feel the tears welling in his eyes. "I was just so scared... they said she'd been injured. I sound the alarm... and, well, you saw them all."
There were only a few people loitering by the doors when Faith and Harry returned. Faith recognized Percy's little brother and a mousy-looking girl with a prissy face and wild, bushy brown hair. Oliver was also there. She was sort of startled to see that Percy wasn't.
"Where's your bro?" she asked Ron directly. His eyes widened when he saw her black-and-blue face.
"He went to send off letters to the family," Ron said, his eyes taking in her own battle wounds. "Were you attacked?"
"You could say that," Faith muttered bitterly. "Anyway, I'm going in there, and I'm going to sleep. I suggest you all do the same."
As she turned towards the hospital doors, she caught sight of thousands of snowflakes swirling outside. "Would you look at that?" she asked in wonder.
"It's been doing that for hours," the girl next to Ron said as Harry joined her at the window.
"It's so beautiful," Faith whispered. "It'd be Buffy's second snowfall ever. I wish she was conscious enough to see this."
"She'll see more," Harry replied as Faith suddenly hugged him. "Whoa..."
"Am I not allowed to hug a sister's little bro?" she asked, teasing him with a light punch across the shoulder as she waved to the others. "Good night, all."
She walked back into the room and proceeded straight to Buffy's large bed. She sat down on top of it, laying down next to her sister Slayer. Buffy's eyes were closed now, her face a patchwork quilt of bumps, bruises and welts. "Hey, B," she said, dropping down next to the sleeping girl. "Do you remember the first time we ever fought side by side? It was a ride, remember? And Trick? Don't tell me you forgot about him..." She continued jabbering, bringing up her fondest Slaying memories, of everything from the first vampire nest they'd taken out to their defeat of the Mayor just months before.
Within minutes, both Slayers were soundly sleeping under the watchful eye of Madam Pomfrey who, despite her dislike for the other Slayer, was starting to realize that there was more to her than met the eye.
x.0.x.0.x
Chapter 38... rest and recovery... and revelations.
Chapter 39... the prophecy
To the Readers / Reviewers:
Surprise! It's a Monday update because I got this chapter back from my beta earlier, and since she actually liked it, it didn't require many re-writes! So, since today is my one day off this week, I offer you this chapter and its many notes.
I know, I'm bad doing the whole downfall of the Council thing FAR too soon, but it works with the plot... just stay with me on this one!
boo23 -- that would seriously be nice, considering I've really only ever posted on this site. Or else it was archived somewhere else. I might have to consider that.
AnitaBlake/BuffyFan -- you might just get your wish! I've had some ideas floating around now... it might actually happen. I would really like to finish up to my endpoint in this story though first. I only have, what, 14 chapters to go till I take a break from it? I've been writing this bugger since June. It deserves to take a vacation from itself, too.
Panther28 -- Well, I had to destroy it, you know. Nah, it was more like since Buffy was in this false sense of security, something huge had to pull her out of it. Ta-da! Enter a massacre. I envision Faith and Sirius's reunion (whenever it comes) to be sort of on the side of funny. She didn't know him except through Harry and Lupin. And he didn't know she existed! But the house will be a welcome change. I just felt she needed to do something with her time since Buffy was in school, and not wanting Faith to be all "yippee! Magics!" I pulled her away from it.
mj -- Yes, I remember you. And, while what you are saying is true, it's not entirely true. She's made herself a few enemies, and they'll start emerging soon enough. And I do promise to cut the PDA (public displays of affection, or as my beta puts it, ackness). The next chapter should pretty much throw them back into Slaying. Buffy has the urge, but she's been playing it safe, trying to be all "normal". Faith, on the other hand, waged war on her family's house to get her slaying kicks in. And you're probably right. The Daily Prophet probably has written about her. I just haven't written it in. Haven't thought about it, really. Oh, how I thank you for your critique! I needed a good kick in the head to finally realize what was going wrong. So. Slayage, check. No more mushy romance scenes in public, check two. Thank you for reading this, though. And I'm glad you're finding parts of it you do enjoy.
BD Kitten -- Why, thank you :) My ideas come from everywhere, actually. Whenever I get an idea, it goes on a stickie, which goes to my wall. It's something I started doing in college and I still have a habit of doing that. My beta also helps, because I'll tell her what I want to do, and she'll tell me that it's either a good idea or it needs something else to back it up. For example, this chapter. My beta recommended I actually add in that goading stuff to make it seem like he wanted the Slayers to go all dark and murder a human. It sets up for the next plot. The whole darned scenario is like a movie in my head when I write it, but sometimes all the dots don't connect. It's nice to have my beta around to connect them for me.
BA Shipper 99 -- Because I can. I can leave you with any cliffhanger I wish. Heh. I am going to go with the request of another person and NOT bring Angel into the story, but I will use him as her happy memory... for now, anyway. We don't know if Wood knows about Angel yet. As for Harry finding out about Buffy's "dirty secret life", heh, which one would that be? Oh, Buffy can't keep acting innocent forever. I think the only person who really knows about that is Percy, shock of shocks. Well, him and Draco... {insert drama here}
Nobody -- Interesting alias, I might add. It gives you mystery. To answer a few of your questions... Remus/Faith? Unlikely. That would be like Buffy going for Ron, which is more likely. Anyway, no romance between Faithy and the Moony. Heh. The First is not making an appearance in this story; the Council was destroyed on Voldemort's orders for a reason. The reason was partially explained in this chapter and will be brought up again soon enough. What happens to Draco... good question. I'm deciding on a few things. More than likely it's going to end with him being in some sort of pain, because he liked Buffy. And she doesn't like him like that. So, that's that. But he IS evil and manipulative, and he still hates Harry... so will he use Buffy against him again? Unlikely. But, he can use Faith... next. Harry and Hermione... hehehe. Oh, God... could I go any slower with this pairing? It'll be resolved mostly around Christmas. Ron is... well, Ron. I'm just giving him time to earn his own backbone... which he will. Cho is probably someone I'll bring up again. Especially when Harry and his darling Hermione go public. Right? As for Sirius, well... that's yet to be decided. He's finally a free man and he's about to meet the sister he never knew he had. That's enough for one man to handle, especially one coming back from the dead, right? Oops, I already said too much...
Goddessa39 -- I will most definitely be writing a BA crossover in the future. I really wanted to do one, I just didn't have many ideas... but now, they're starting to flow a bit. Draco won't always be good. In this fic he's good because he likes something. When he doesn't get what he wants, he becomes a... err, insert-your-favorite-naughty-word-here. I think Buffy/Draco would work ESPECIALLY if she has the whole dark-Slayer from Season 3 thing going for her. Or something else. He is capable of acting human, especially when he bests Harry at something. As for Draco/Faith, not in this fic. They're bloody related... so... eww? And yes, the Council was destroyed by Quentin Travers and the amazing squadron of Death Eaters for reasons we don't yet know. We'll find out though, really. It was sort of hinted at. I'm keeping Professor Pryce good. They need a good guy on their side and although he seems as incompetent as Quirrell, he does show quality. Buffy won't always be on her pedestal. This chapter was a turning point in which Buffy realizes that not everything is perfect in this little world she's created for herself, and she has enemies that are going to fighting to bring her down, and sadly, Draco will be one of them. It's the whole, very mature "if I can't win her over, I'll have to bring her down" mentality. Did I say Buffy could cook? Eeeep. Scary thought. And Faith only decorates because what else is she going to do in her spare time? Knit? I like Lupin too, but as I stated somewhere above, not a love interest for Faith. He's like an uncle to her. Scary, scary, scary. Okay, note over.
{Yes, I realize these notes are firgin' long!}
Emba -- I like Percy and Faith, too. I'm very proud of Faith. I think she'll be a great character down the line. Does anyone else like nice, non-psychotic Faith? Heh. I won't write them as a couple though. I sort of have someone else in mind for her, if she stayed coupley enough to get there.
Des Felidra -- That was my real reason. I mean, phoenixes come back to life, why not Buffys too? Crappy paradigm, I know. As for Mercedes Lackey, no I haven't. But I probably could. I have been spending far too much time at the library over the summer, reading anything I could get my hands on. I wonder if it comes in Audio. At my job at night, I listen to a lot of audio books. I'm starting to LOVE the Wood thing, and I'm writing it. Yeah, I know their relationship keeps DRAGGING on, but I do know that it's heading somewhere good. I don't want it to end up like her and Riley, which would be bad. Bad! Bad, bad, bad.
StarBella -- I'm glad you liked it! As for Draco, you'll have to wait a few more chapters for him to become "bad", but he will. I've just got WAY too much plot to throw him in there, too. It has to be naughty Draco-ness. Oh, yes, there is fun to be had there. Percy will never be together with Faith, no matter how cute they seem. Or how much they piss each other off. The next chapter should give an explanation of that... {feels wicked}. As for a Weasley, Fred would be good... but! You'll just have to wait and see... :)
AlixMM -- Well, Faith was always the "red" kind of girl, or so I noticed. I'm sure Buffy'll convince her to change some of the colors around. And you are right, it would make it more uniform. Good suggestion! =) Next, this chapter explained what happened to the Council. Depressing, surely, but true.
Kel – I think Harry will always be a jackass to Malfoy. Things could change but in my story, they'll stay the same. Heh. Yes, you need a dictionary. Your words are awesome! Someone asked me a question the other day about what I thought of this one book, and I said it was heaped with packed Oliverness. I don't think that word'll EVER get out of my vocabulary. And, you have a point. YOU could provide some nice cozy comfort to our heartbroken friend… hmmmmm. Hehehe.
I'm actually starting to write faster now. I've just started Chapter 40, which is something I really want to sparkle. I think they've had enough angst for now. I want to bring lightness and laughter back into the mix, and I am attempting to do so. Of course, it helps that Fred and George will be back in the mix, because they add hilarity to anything they're in. I've shipped off Chapters 38 and 39 to Grace, but I'm not expecting them back quickly, since I know she's busy with reality now.
Okay, so, the next chapter will hopefully be posted before the weekend (yay! Weekend!) so I can run around and play for awhile. The countdown is five weeks from Monday (the horrors!) and already I'm all yeee. Sorry for the odd use of adjectives, but... yeah... anxiety. Nerves. All are combining here!
Thank you dearest readers (and reviewers!). I know this was another potentially dark chapter, but it shows you where the fic is going, right? Right? Sort of. I suck at this sometimes :) If you'd like to review, I'd love it. It might help ease my growing AAAAH's. Trust me, it would.