Chapter 41
If Wishes Were Stars
- - - - -
"Oh no," Buffy gasped, pushing her hair away from her face with shaking hands. "Giles, did they say who it was?"
"They said it was Peter... or... something," Giles replied with concern, seeing the startled look on her face. "Or..."
"Percy?" she asked in a tight voice. Giles understood immediately; Percy had called Buffy his best friend. It clearly wasn't a one-sided relationship the way Buffy was acting. The only time he had ever seen her look like this was when one of her best friends was in danger, Willow or someone. Or, he thought with a pang, Jenny.
He saw her get up from the table and hurry out of the kitchen, presumably to change.
Buffy raced upstairs and stopped right before her own room. She was standing in front of Sirius's room. He couldn't have gone with the Weasleys, could he have? She knocked and heard a hoarse voice on the other side say, "Enter!"
Buffy pushed open the door and saw Sirius sitting by the window, staring out at the stars. She stepped inside. It was very cold inside this room as the fire hadn't been lit yet. His eyes were glistening as he stared out, not even acknowledging her presence.
"Sirius," she said quietly, walking over towards him.
"I heard about him," said Sirius, not pulling away his gaze. "The others... they went to him."
This was exactly what Buffy needed to know. She turned to leave, but he started talking again.
"It's really too bad, you know, how you never knew your father."
"I... I guess," Buffy said, not really knowing what else to say.
"You look like him, and Lily, too. They would have been so happy to know that you'd returned to your roots."
This was definitely not what Buffy wanted to talk about. Sirius obviously didn't know her real reason for leaving. And it hadn't been to get to her roots. She pulled her gaze away, trying to stop the sinking feeling inside of her.
"There were other reasons," she finally said.
"There always are," Sirius said darkly. His eyes clouded over, but he still didn't retract his gaze. "Sometimes it just takes some getting used to."
"You're not the only one who's had to come back from the dead," Buffy said quietly. "You'll manage. You're strong, right? A Wizard. Harry spent so much time looking up to you. It's time you prove yourself to be the man he knows you are. Being weak isn't going to do anything except get you killed again. And neither of us wants that."
Sirius turned to look at her. Standing in the light emanating from the hallway, she looked as though she were glowing. "Is that what you did?"
"Redemption's a bitch," Buffy said with a half-smile. "But I'm trying. It's not as easy as popping pills, but... it's time I became what I was chosen to be."
"No more hiding," Sirius replied.
"No more hiding," Buffy confirmed. She hesitated a moment before turning away. "I should get to the hospital and see him..."
"They're at St. Mungo's," Sirius replied, his gaze turning back to the window.
"Thank you."
Buffy closed the door softly behind her, silently kicking herself for berating Sirius Black the way she had. She didn't know the man; what right did she have on preaching to him?
But still, no one else in the world knew how it felt to reawaken from the dead like they had, except vampires, and they really didn't count, because they weren't alive.
She opened her own bedroom door and stood in the doorway for a moment, her body reacting to the warmth and beauty this small room had. As she pulled off her blouse, she was overcome with emotions she hadn't felt in a long time.
It was anger, so powerful it was making her shake. Quentin Travers knew her weak spot in this world. He knew where she was vulnerable. He may or may not have been behind whatever attack Percy had been involved in, but until she knew, it was going to be torture. The thought of it was making her so cold...
She knew she really couldn't go anywhere until someone came for her; she had no clue where St. Mungo's was. She could try the Floo network, but her senses were telling her to sit back and wait. Pulling a long red blanket over her shoulders, she walked back to the drawing room and curled up on an armchair, her lips curving into a smile as she recalled that just an hour before, she had been sleeping with Oliver Wood...
Pulling her hand out from under the blanket, she surveyed the ring thoughtfully. It certainly did look like an engagement ring. Smirking, she thought about what Harry or Ron or even Ron's brothers would say if she told them it was. She really couldn't, she decided. It seemed as though it should be something between her and Oliver. And then she wondered if it would bug her if it had happened in Sunnydale.
What was she doing? Was she really this emotionally close to another person who knew who she was? She knew she hadn't fought much in this world, hadn't really been strong. Until the resurrection spell had been cast the night before, she hadn't felt this much power in her blood. But it was there, biding its sweet time for her to release it all over again. She felt her eyes close as dreams of home came washing back over her...
Not more than a few hours later, she felt herself being prodded awake. "Go away," she muttered, pushing the arm away as she made to cover herself more tightly.
"Buffy, wake up!"
It was a very insistent male voice.
"Please, Buffy, wake up!"
"Get away," Buffy muttered angrily, pushing the arm away again.
"Step aside, Harry, we'll handle this," came a bemused tone.
Buffy had the strangest sensation that her body was floating into the air. It took her a moment to realize she was being carried. Downstairs.
Her eyes flew open and she let out a shrill scream until a hand came out of nowhere and clamped itself over her mouth.
"Bloody hell! She'll wake the whole house!" came Ron's voice from somewhere above her.
Buffy's scream caught in her throat.
"Do you have her?"
Buffy found her body twisting again as her feet hit solid ground. Lifting sleepy eyes, she saw Harry standing in front of her. Ron was walking around her. And apparently it was the twins who had carried her, once again, in this mansion of a house.
"What's going on?" she asked in a civilized voice, running a hand through her wild blonde hair, the blanket fluttering to the ground.
"Oh..." It was Ron's voice, and it was full of awe. Buffy saw Harry lurch at her and gasped, but he only grabbed the blanket from the floor and quickly wrapped it around her.
"What is it?" Buffy asked, fumbling to grab the blanket.
"Buffy, you might want to try clothes," Harry said, as though he couldn't believe what she had just done. Buffy opened the blanket, stared down at the small red slip she was wearing, and let out a tiny squeal. Harry and Ron exchanged a look, both of them trying desperately not to laugh.
"Knew I'd forgotten something. Excuse me."
She ran up past the twins and didn't stop until her door was locked and magically sealed. It was then that she pulled off the blanket and realized she hadn't changed out of the slip she'd worn underneath her blouse and skirt. "Bloody hell," she moaned, repeating Ron's words. She was sure as hell glad that Fred and George hadn't caught full sight of her in this. Their best view would have been from behind and it really didn't offer the best view. Turning a bright, delicate shade of pink, Buffy pulled on a regular sweater and a pair of trousers, making it back downstairs in five minutes time.
She had pulled her hair into a long ponytail as she bounced off the last step. "I'm ready to go! Where are we... going..."
Mr. Weasley had joined them, his face was very grave. The others were all disappearing back into the Floo network.
"Buffy, you might want to sit down for this," he said, pulling out a chair and offering it to her.
"If you have something to say, just say it," Buffy said, crossing her arms.
"Very well," Mr. Weasley said, taking the chair for himself instead. "At about nine this evening, we got a call from the Ministry of Magic saying that there had been an ambush. Percy and his team had been sent to recover some informational scrolls that had been taken by Bellatrix Lestrange during her last visit to the Ministry itself, about six months ago. But somehow the Death Eaters had been alerted to it. There were only ten Wizards sent in on this team to recover them..."
Buffy closed her eyes. She could see Percy surrounded by nine others in Wizarding garments, all of them fighting and dueling with people they couldn't yet see.
"They were ambushed, picked off one by one. Percy managed to get out with his life, and two others escaped with him, with the information we needed to get back. I don't know how long they had to decode the old relics and runes on those scrolls, but if they had, then your brother's prophecy would be known to them by now. Not only are the prophecies taken with the orb, but they are also put to written word. During your brother's move at the Department of Mysteries last year, two scrolls were taken, both with enough information to tell You-Know-Who what he needed to know in order to face Harry. We don't yet know if he knows this information, but Percy was... shall we say, curious enough to find out. He sent back one of the Aurors with the information and he and the other went back to find out if they could discover what had been taken from them."
"Was anything taken from them?" Buffy asked softly.
"Percy hasn't yet been able to say," Mr. Weasley said sadly. "They were caught. From what I could tell, they've been tortured."
An intense hatred rose within Buffy as her eyes narrowed, her senses telling her exactly what she needed to know: Quentin had been behind this attack.
Mr. Weasley noticed the dark look in her eyes, but didn't break contact. "His counterpart was killed, but they managed to rescue Percy before he divulged any further information. From what they've been telling us, he was under the Imperious curse, and the Cruciatus curse as well. They may have used a truth potion him which wouldn't have given much away had you not told him anything."
Buffy immediately felt a deep stab of guilt, her body tensing with panic. Percy was the only one who actually knew every detail of her life. He was as good as her best friend for pity's sake. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she gazed at Mr. Weasley earnestly. "Please tell me they didn't get anything off of him," she pleaded quietly.
"They didn't," Mr. Weasley assured her. "He was rescued before they could. But he's in bad shape now. The curses have left him weak, and they must have tortured him for hours..." There was a deadened, sad look in his eyes now that took Buffy's breath away.
"Is he... he is going to be all right, won't he?" Buffy asked in a tense whisper.
"We don't know," Mr. Weasley said, the voice appearing in an echo inside Buffy's head. "All there is now is time..."
Oh, my God, Buffy thought to herself, feeling as though she were frozen to the ground, her eyes full of startled tears.
"Can I go to him?" she asked with a tight smile.
"You're one of his closest friends," Mr. Weasley said, offering her a hand as they both approached the quiet fireplace. "I would ashamed if you didn't ask to go."
Buffy took her Floo powder with trembling hands, but before she could leave, a heavy hand fell on her shoulder and she turned to see Sirius Black standing there, a pitying look in his eyes.
"Sirius," Mr. Weasley said with a curt nod.
Buffy gave Sirius a tense smile to show that she appreciated his support as she stepped inside the fireplace, turning a questioning gaze to Mr. Weasley.
"It's St. Mungo's," he said with a small smile.
Buffy repeated his words and was gone in a flash of green.
- - - - -
"Oh, she's here! Harry, your sister is here!"
The moment Buffy re-emerged onto solid ground, she felt a hand clasp over her own as she was tugged into a small waiting room.
It took her a moment to get used to the bright lights, with small green and red bells hanging from them, until she fixed her squinted gaze on Molly Weasley.
It had only been a few hours since she'd seen the woman, but Molly had been deflated somewhat. She looked as though she'd been crying...
"Where is he?" Buffy asked sharply as she felt a hand close around her own. She turned and saw Harry smiling down at her and felt relieved to find her brother standing there, giving his hand a squeeze.
"Oh, Buffy," Mrs. Weasley said in a tearful tone, throwing her arms around the younger girl and pulling her close.
The only time Buffy had ever been hugged like this was by her Mother, or Joyce... well, she still considered Joyce to be her Mother...
"Everything's going to be all right, Molly," said Buffy, stepping away, feeling slightly awkward. "You'll see."
"Hey, B," said Faith, appearing suddenly over Mrs. Weasley's shoulders, her face white. "If you wanna go and see him, well, I'll go with you."
"I'll go," said Harry coolly, stepping up to Faith. "I am her brother."
"Oh, really, Luke Skywalker," Faith said, crossing her arms. "Seeing I'm as good as her sister and I've known her longer..."
"You guys, please," she said, frowning slightly, wondering why Faith and Harry had gone from being all soft and romantic to being almost squabbling siblings. "I'd like to see him for myself, thanks."
"It's right that way," Mrs. Weasley said in a shaken voice. "I'll come with you, show you the way."
It was a long walk, full of anticipation and, Buffy thought to herself, pain. They finally reached a heavily-guarded corridor. One of the medical personnel turned to Mrs. Weasley while looking inquiringly at Buffy. "Family only," he said firmly.
"She is his family," Molly said with a curt nod, the double doors opening and Buffy was finally able to be let inside.
Although there were four beds in this ward, only one of them was occupied. Lying in the middle, looking very pale and near death as he slept, was Percy Weasley.
Buffy felt her breath catch in her throat. "Oh, God," she whispered.
"Go on, now, dear, that's the way," Mrs. Weasley said, gently pushing her forward before taking a few steps back to give her third eldest son and one of his friends their due privacy.
Buffy walked gingerly to the bed, her mind reflecting a decade back and seeing her own cousin lying there, dying. It was this nightmare all over again. Someone she loved was going to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it...
She reached down and took his hand, flinching when she felt it was as cold as ice. It was also covered in blood which appeared to be his own.
He reacted to her touch, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal his stunning blue eyes, which turned to her. The corners crinkled in recognition, but his face barely moved. "Elizabeth..."
"It's Buffy, you idiot," she said, gently sitting down next to him, keeping his hand firmly in her own powerful grip. "You're looking... terrible..."
"Thanks..." he said, closing his eyes once as he took a deep, shuddering breath. "Are you..."
"Oh, I'm good," Buffy assured him, lifting her free hand to touch his cold face. He seemed to react to it, his face moving with her hand. "You're so cold..."
"It's almost over..." Percy said in a weak voice, turning back to her. "Soon, it will be..." He swallowed hard, his eyes losing a bit of their luster.
"No, it won't be," Buffy said with a tight smile. "I'm not going to lose you. I am not going to watch you die. I am going to find a way to save you."
"You are... you were... my best friend..."
"Don't talk to me like you're going to die," Buffy said forcefully. "Because we both know you're not. I know you can fight this Percy... so, fight it. I'll be right here, watching over you..."
"It's over," Percy said, a thin stream of red coming from the corner of his mouth, leaking down to the white pillow behind his head and the white sheet covering his battered form up. "It's over, Buffy... you and I both know... this is how it ends..."
"It doesn't end like this," Buffy said bitterly, holding onto his hand a little tighter, his eyes reacting with a wince. "It never ends like this..."
And how many times had it ended like that? Five, ten, a hundred? Buffy had been watching people die for how many years and yet it had never hurt her like this before. Angel had been different, but he had been her first ever love. This was beyond watching Jesse or Kendra die. This was beyond anything she had ever felt before. It was torture.
Quentin had played her perfectly. Even if he hadn't been involved in Percy's torture and abuse, he had been there watching it, knowing it would strike into the very heart of what a Slayer stood for.
Because that is what it was, her humanity was at stake. She was going to watch one of her best friends die and it was going to break her.
But Quentin didn't know this Slayer. He didn't know that watching death only made her stronger. This tragedy was never going to happen again if she could help it.
And Percy was going to survive this. She would pull out Willow's wandless magic if she had to; Percy wasn't going to die. Not like this. Not when he had finally seen his true colors. Not when he was a hero, and her hero, after all.
"Buffy... I... I just had to let you know..."
"No," Buffy said quickly. "There is nothing you can say that won't sound like a goodbye, so don't say anything. Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."
Bending down, she pressed her lips against his cold forehead. Standing up, she let go of his hand, watching as his eyes fluttered close and a funny breath emanated from him. She waited a few moments longer until he was sleeping before she pulled back into the corridor.
All at once, a powerful emotion overcame her and she grasped the doorway for support. Lifting grieving eyes, she found Faith's. The other woman was standing ten feet away, looking as though she wanted nothing more than to slay some evil foe and call it a night.
"It ends here," Buffy said angrily, pushing herself up into a standing position. Striding past Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, she met Faith and took her by the arm. "I don't care how long it takes or how hard it is, Faith. It ends here."
"I know," Faith replied easily. "Do you not think I don't know what he meant to you? All I had to do was see your face and I..."
"We can help him, Faith. You and I, together."
"Magic," Faith gasped. "You want to solve this with magic? Buffy, this is above and beyond what Slayers are... you can't be serious!"
"I am," Buffy said firmly. "Because I... I can't do this anymore... I-I can't just sit back and let him die..."
"Buffy, this is exactly what Quentin wants," Faith said earnestly. "He wants to find you. He wants to kill--"
"I know what he wants," Buffy snarled, pulling away from Faith so abruptly the other girl gasped in surprise. "He's not ever going to get my soul. He's toyed with me for the last time. He took the Watchers out, knowing full well he must've got Giles and Wesley, too. He took my best friend and now..." Her eyes drifted over to Harry, who had wandered out in the hallway to see what the commotion was. "He'll come for him."
"This is exactly what he was going on about," Faith said, rushing after Buffy as she strode from the corridor, nearly knocking two men in long white cloaks aside. "Buffy, he wants you to do this. He wants you to go bad. He wants that dark power... I don't know why, but he wants us evil."
Buffy froze and turned around to look at Faith, who looked close to tears. "My parents are dead, Faith, because some madman Hitler decided my brother held the key to saving the world. I was chosen to save the world. I choose to. If not today, what happens then? If Quentin gets near Harry, he'll kill him."
Faith bit her lip and looked down. "Buffy, I know this, but you have to use your brain."
"How many times does this have to happen before it gets wrong, Faith? Kendra, Angel, all those kids who died their last day of high school... when does it all go right?"
"It never does, B, ever," Faith replied with a pensive expression on her face. "No matter how much we keep fighting, it never goes away. Not now, not ever. You can't save everyone."
"I have to save him," Buffy said as she fell back against a wall. "I'd never forgive myself if I didn't. It'd just remind me of how I failed to save Angel in time... all the blame, all the guilt, it's coming back. I have to save him. I have to save him..."
She slid down the wall, her arms going to encircle her knees.
"All right," Faith finally said, realizing she was giving in to something she felt so strongly against. "If you really feel that if by saving him you're saving yourself, I'm all for it, B. After all, I talked you into saving my brother's life. Why not save Percy's?"
She held out a hand for Buffy to grasp. Buffy took it and felt herself being pulled to her feet. "Are you sure?" Buffy asked.
"Hey, we're the chosen two. We alone have a lot of power to do shit in which no one in this world apart from us can begin to understand," Faith said, gesturing to the medical people walking back and forth and talking in loud, urgent voices. "They think that there's one bastard out there capable of destroying the world, right? Did we not just kill a huge snake six months ago?"
Buffy grinned. "You sound like Willow."
"I guess Red's starting to rub off on me," Faith replied breezily as they both turned about and started back down the long corridor towards Percy's room.
"I guess Quentin will probably be watching what we do," Buffy said, not really caring about it anymore. "But he ought to know one thing."
"What's that?" Faith asked curiously.
"This bitch is back," Buffy said firmly, causing Faith to look at her in surprise and with a sort of fierce pride that the Slayers had for each other.
They passed Harry and Ron, who were looking at Faith dumbfounded, and at Buffy, who stepped up behind her. They both wore resilient, determined expressions, looks that Harry knew he should be afraid of, but for some odd reason, he wasn't afraid anymore.
Somehow he knew Buffy would make something right. She certainly looked as though she had a lot on her mind.
"What's up?" Faith asked nonchalantly.
Ron and Harry exchanged an amused look. "Mum and Dad went in to see Percy... he wanted to see them before... before..."
"Ron!"
Buffy glanced up and saw a taller version of Ron at the end of the hallway, beckoning his youngest brother forward.
"Oh, God," Buffy managed to gasp out as she recognized Bill waiting patiently for Ron, who jogged to catch up with his brother.
Everything, every moment, every memory caught up with her at once.
"You should go too, B," Faith said, nudging her along. "You were his best friend."
Buffy took one step forward. Turning back, she glared at Faith resolutely. "No," she said quietly, reaching over and grasping Faith's hand. "This ends now."
Both Slayers charged into the ward, the entire Weasley family turning as one to see the two women standing just inside the door. It was then that Buffy's resolution broke down.
She felt herself stepping forward as Mrs. Weasley walked over, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"I just thought it... it's time..." Molly said softly, her eyes filling with fresh tears.
Buffy didn't answer her. Instead, she stepped between Fred and George and bent down, touching Percy's cold face. His lifeless eyes stared upwards, boring into a ceiling. His breathing was very shallow and ragged.
It was time. It was her time.
She leaned down and lifted one of his cold hands, holding it between hers. Sensing what Buffy was about to do, Faith stepped forward and gently pushed Fred aside to stand behind her sister Slayer.
"What is she doing?" Buffy heard George ask in confusion from behind her.
"What are you doing?" It was Ron's voice now, and it was directed at Faith.
"Magic," Buffy whispered, calling upon her own strength. She felt something flow through her, as though it were cleansing her. She felt something go through their intertwined fingers and as soon as it had passed, she lowered her head and gently placed Percy's hand across his chest.
"He's breathing better," Mrs. Weasley observed, watching as Percy blinked, the lifelessness dying from his eyes. Her eyes lifted to gaze at the Potter girl, who was still watching over Percy carefully.
"He is," Buffy said, turning to grasp Faith's shoulder.
"You did that?" Mrs. Weasley asked, seeing the pleased look on the Slayer's face.
"It's what we do," Buffy replied.
"Why would you do that?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Hey, enough questions," Faith said briskly, glaring at Ron before turning back to Buffy. "You all right, B?"
"Yeah, I'm just..." But before she could tell them what she was, she fell forward, once again into the arms of Fred Weasley, who had positioned himself to catch her.
"I got her," Faith said coolly as Buffy attempted to straighten herself out. "The juice just drained her, that's all."
"What was that?" Ginny asked in wonder, staring at Percy, who's color was starting to return to his very pale face.
"It was something you won't understand," Faith said sleekly as she gently pulled Buffy from the room. "Excuse us."
Once out in the hallway, Harry met them, looking panic-stricken. "Oh, no!" Harry murmured as he saw the look on his sister's pale face. "He's dead, isn't he?"
Faith shook her head as voices emanated from the room; the Weasleys were getting closer.
"All of a sudden, just like that, he sprang back to life!"
"I have never seen anything like that before."
"And you were saying that she didn't like him, Fred."
The doors burst open and eight Weasleys, all of them looking very relieved, walking back into the small waiting area, where Harry and Hermione had been waiting.
"What happened?" Harry asked them as Faith tended to Buffy.
"She brought him back," Ron said, still staring at Buffy. "I don't know where the power came from, but she brought him back."
"It's on sale, four for a dollar," Buffy moaned as Faith helped her sit up.
"That was some power, B," Faith said, her eyes shining.
"I felt yours, too," Buffy replied.
"No, you didn't," Faith said quietly. "I was there, but it was your power and your strength that saved his life. Look at it this way, your heart saved him."
"And here I thought I was losing my humanity," Buffy said weakly as Harry gently leaned down and hugged his sister. "I'm all right, Harry... just a little tired."
"What a Christmas," Faith said, falling onto the sofa next to Buffy. "Do you remember last year?"
"Oh, you mean with the snow and the whole blackout thing?" Buffy asked, giggling. "Oh, yes... I'll remember that one. But this is one big one. It's not every day that you bring your brother back from the dead and save your best friend's life."
"No," Faith said, her nose wrinkling with silent laughter. "It really isn't."
And both Slayers started laughing, a loud, hearty laugh that caught the attention of everyone in the room. Harry just stared at both women as though they were mad before Buffy hugged him tightly to her.
"That, my dear Harry, is what you call ironic," Buffy snickered.
"I think it's best if we get back to Grimmauld Place and get some rest," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "I hope you don't mind the company, my dear."
"Not at all," Faith said pleasantly. "The more the merrier I say!"
"You are extraordinarily like your brother," Mr. Weasley said, eyeing Faith. "More than I think you know."
"I've got a few months now to figure it out," Faith said pleasantly.
"Maybe not," Bill said slowly, turning to regard the woman he'd just met a few hours before at dinner. "How old are you, exactly?"
"I'll be seventeen in April," Faith said defensively.
"You're only sixteen?" Harry asked Faith in disbelief.
"Yeah, I am," Faith said, her jaw thrusting out menacingly. "What's it to you?"
"You're too young to join the Order," Buffy said, catching onto what Bill and Mr. Weasley had been thinking. "Isn't she?"
"About four months too young, I'm afraid," Mr. Weasley said with a sympathetic smile.
"Aww, is ickle Ronniekin's girlie a wittle baby?" Fred teased a bright-red Ron.
"This ickle girlie is about three seconds from smashing your face in if you use that voice around me again," said Faith sweetly, jumping to her feet, her fists at her sides.
"Ahem," Ron said, quickly stepping between the two and taking Faith's arm. "Faith, what did we talk about?"
Faith pouted and looked longingly into Ron's face. "You told me I couldn't beat your brothers up if your parents were present... yeah, yeah. You and your rules. You're no fun."
Ron looked relieved as he directed Faith away from his older brothers, who were still looking at Buffy with some concern.
"Really, guys, I'm all right. I just think I need some sleep."
"We all do," Mrs. Weasley said in a pointed voice. "Harry, take your sister back through the Floo. Make sure she gets in bed."
"I will," Harry started before Fred and George stood up.
"We'll go with," Fred offered Harry.
"We'll make sure Teeny Tiny gets in bed," George assured his mother.
Ginny and Hermione stood up. It was the first time Buffy had seen Harry's other best friend and she offered the girl a smile. Hermione grinned back as Ginny and Hermione sportingly agreed to go with.
"Oh, don't let us stop you," Faith purred, her head still on Ron's chest, waving the bemused group on.
"We'll be along," Ron said vaguely.
Buffy smiled as she leaned her head against Harry's shoulder, amused that only an hour or two ago, she was worried about their reactions to seeing a silly ring on her finger. She held her hand to the light, gasping when a second hand grabbed hers.
"What is that?" Fred asked savagely.
"A gift," Buffy said, turning her smirking face to his.
George gasped indignantly. "No one proposes to our Teeny Tiny without permission!"
"Yup," Harry chuckled into her ear, "they're back to normal."
Minutes later, Fred was carrying a very indignant Buffy into her bed again. He turned a slight shade of pink as she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Fred," she said, their faces mere inches apart as he pulled away.
"Y-You're welcome," he stammered, straightening. Harry and George were standing right outside. He felt his own heart beating oddly hard in his chest as he bent down, his lips brushing her forehead.
As he closed the door separating them, he heaved a great sigh. Whatever feelings he thought had passed on clearly hadn't, but she was sporting a very large and very pretty ring. It could only mean one thing: she was in love with another man.
"I'm going to bed," Fred told Harry and George, waving good night to them before wandering past Sirius's room towards the stairs and climbing them to the landing of the third floor.
What had that been about? Out of the blue, she'd hugged him, an embrace he'd truly never had before. It had been warm and wonderful and... he felt his heart clench painfully. Buffy was clearly smitten with Oliver Wood, who had been a friend of Percy's. She had just used some weird sort of magic to save Percy's life. Everything Buffy was wrapped up in Percy, who was clearly smitten with the Potter girl. It was a long, drawn out love triangle that was never going to end.
And it had just gotten more complicated. After swearing off his feelings to her months ago, they had just been reaffirmed in the three minutes she'd been in his arms, holding onto him, laughing. And the moment when he'd pulled away and saw her eyes, so sleepy yet so full of warmth, life and passion... he just wanted to stay with her. He wanted to sleep with her in that bed, to feel her warm body next to his, to feel her eyes on his come morning, sparkling with the same warmth and passion...
He opened the door to the room he shared with George and heaved a sigh as he glanced around. It was one of the few bedrooms that had been finished. Painted a brilliant red with two large beds standing on opposite ends, it was a stunningly pretty room. It showed a true Gryffindor spirit.
He walked over to the bed he'd used the night before and fell across the top of it, his thoughts becoming too jumbled to separate out anymore...
Downstairs, Buffy had rolled over onto her side, pulling her blankets around her tightly. A slight smile graced her features as she fell asleep.
Faith opened her door an hour later, closing it carefully behind her. The moonlight was spilling in one of the windows, illuminating Buffy's bed. The girl was wrapped in her thick blankets, sound asleep. Faith walked over, her feet bouncing quickly off of the cold floor, and slid into the bed next to the other Slayer. After the night before, it was almost comforting to be sleeping here again; it took all of the nightmares away...
- - - - -
The next morning, after a hasty breakfast, the Weasleys and the Potters, with Faith Black in tow, returned to St. Mungo's to check up on Percy. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley asked Buffy to accompany them, since none of the other children seemed too concerned about the brother they had once dubbed a 'blacks sheep'. Buffy frowned at the twins as she followed the elder Weasleys down the corridor.
Once inside the room, Buffy felt her heart beat painfully against her chest as she walked inside, not knowing what she'd find or what to expect, really... for all she knew, he could have died during the night...
But he was there, propped up on his pillows, his eyes closed. When he heard footsteps, his eyelids fluttered open and he smiled in recognition. "Mother! Father!" There was a definite look of surprise now. "Elizabeth?"
Mrs. Weasley started crying in relief as she hugged her third eldest son. "Oh, thank Merlin! We didn't think you'd live out the night!"
"Neither did I," Percy said weakly as his Mother pulled back, only to be replaced by his Father, who kept going on and on about their squabbles the year before and how difficult it had been for both he and his wife to accept the fact that something might have happened to Percy and they would never have had the chance to make up or say goodbye.
After a wonderful ten minute reunion, Percy's parents left, leaving him alone with Elizabeth Potter.
She looked stunning that morning, in a green sweater, her hair piled on top of her head in a style of elegance only she could embellish. She walked over and stepped into his arms, feeling them tighten weakly across her back.
"It's good to see you too, Perce," she said, rubbing his back lightly as she pulled back, sitting down next to him. "You look better."
"I feel better," he said, taking her hand. "And I know it's because of you. You saved my life last night, didn't you?"
"It was nothing, Percy," she said with a bright smile.
"It was something, though, Buffy," Percy said with a slight frown. "Why would you choose to use that power?"
"Because I'm sick and tired of living by other people's rules," Buffy said, choosing her words carefully. "I'm tired of watching my friends die. You're one of the closest I have in this country, Perce. Watching you die was like watching a piece of myself go along the way... and I... I couldn't live with myself if I had let you go..."
"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," Percy replied, squeezing her hand. It was then he noticed his fingers were biting into metal and gemstone. He lifted her hand and stared at the beautiful stone sparkling on her ring finger. "Would you look at that..."
"It's not an engagement ring, Percy," Buffy said with a teasing smile. "It's just a Christmas present."
"It's still quite extraordinary," Percy complimented, smiling as the ring reflected some of the light from the bright candles floating above their heads. "Just like its bearer."
"You're too sweet," she said sarcastically, leaning forward to hug him again just as the rest of the Weasley clan hustled in, all of them making happy remarks at seeing their brother alive.
"I'll leave you be with your family now," she said into his ear as she pulled away. "Get better now."
"I will," he promised her as she walked out of the room, earning a strange look from both Fred and George as she passed them.
Harry was waiting for her in the waiting room with Hermione. Faith had decided to spend the morning with her brother and had not come.
"How is he?" Harry asked, seeing the pleased look on her face.
"He'll be all right," Buffy said with a huge smile. "He's going to be just fine."
During the next week, Percy continued to improve. Buffy spent increasing amounts of time locked in her bedroom at her desk, blissfully completing her homework assignments.
The day before New Year's, Buffy had had to say goodbye to Giles. It was hard. She and Faith both accompanied him to the airport, where they'd spent ten minutes saying goodbye.
Buffy had given him a few things for her Mother.
"She'll really appreciate this gesture, Buffy, I can assure you," Giles said, leaning down to hug his first Slayer one last time. "And we will see one another again, dear Slayer."
"I hope so," Buffy said with a charming smile. "I'm coming home this summer, you know, to hang and stuff. I figured Harry might want to meet Joyce."
"I'll be coming, too," Faith replied cheerfully. "Where one Slayer goes, the other isn't too far behind!"
"I'll keep that in mind," Giles replied with a chuckle as he held onto Faith. Pulling back, he glanced at the two extraordinary women. "You are both such amazing girls, I hope you realize that. I hope you see how truly lucky and blessed your lives really are. You both have been reconnected with families you never suspected exist in this world. You both have truly amazing brothers of whom I've been spending a little bit of time with. And you'll always have each other." He paused and glanced down at the suitcase in hands, as though thinking his next words through.
"I quite expect the next few months will be very difficult for both of you. I don't yet know what Quentin is planning but since I have known him for a long while, I can assure you it isn't anything good. Wesley will be returning to Los Angeles as soon as he and his father have enough time to take care of his sister's will and everything. I expect you both will train and do everything necessary to cope with the difficult days ahead. I don't know what to expect, but I can feel that there is a growing darkness in this world."
"We feel it," Faith assured him. "And we'll keep up with the training, you know? I've got the room and Buffy's got Professor Seriously-Needs-A-Scratch. We'll be fine. We're cool."
"I never had any doubt," Giles replied, leaning over to hug them each one last time before sighing. "I expect to see you both in about six months."
"You will," Buffy said, shooing him along. "You'd better go or you'll miss your flight."
Giles turned back, opening his mouth.
"Would you just go?" Faith laughed as Giles closed his mouth, looking highly affronted as he turned on his heel and marched away.
"That man gives me such a bloody headache," Faith groaned as she and Buffy left the airport.
"You know that's why we love him," Buffy said with a happy smile.
New Year's Eve was great fun, even by Buffy's low standards of living in a secret house. They ended up playing a game Faith had bought which was a Wizard's version of Trivial Pursuit. It was great until one person got a wrong answer and had to complete one of the challenge cards. Buffy went so far as to swallow a pillar of fire before gleefully quitting the game.
Fred and George had given her more chocolate-spun sugar quills. She sucked on the end of one while watching Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Faith play the horrid game. Bill and Charlie had both gone back to work, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were downstairs with the rest of the Order, which had come over for their first meeting.
Buffy saw that Sirius had come back upstairs and lifting her champagne flute, made her way down the hall. Sirius was just about to go into his bedroom when he saw Buffy standing there. "Want to come in?" he offered, holding the door open as she slipped inside.
He closed the door behind them.
"How was the meeting?" she asked, taking one of his armchairs with flourish, sipping her champagne.
"It was the same old," Sirius said, waving an impatient hand. "I'm still trying to get used to all of this."
"I feel your pain," she said, setting her fluted glass aside. "I've spent the last six months getting used to this."
"Harry told me some things about you," Sirius said quietly.
"He did?" Buffy asked, turning to regard the older man curiously. "And what did he say?"
"Something about questioning how powerful you really are."
"So you lot were talking about me," she moaned, reaching for her glass again.
"You were invited to the meeting," Sirius reminded her gently. "Remember? You're of age."
"I'm not going to any meeting without Faith," Buffy growled.
"Which is a pity, since your guy has been sighted," Sirius said, watching her face carefully for a reaction. He found it quickly. She gasped and looked up at him.
"Seriously?"
"Do you think I would lie to you?" he asked slowly.
She shook her head. "Okay, so maybe I misjudged the Order." She sighed and drained her champagne. "All I know is that it's the start of a New Year."
"It's only about ten minutes away," Sirius said, checking the clock on the mantle to his fireplace.
"So, it is." Buffy's face was completely hidden in shadow now as she stood up. "I should probably be going..."
"Wait, Elizabeth..."
She half-turned to face him. "Yeah?"
"I'm glad your friend is recovering."
"Me, too," Buffy said with relief.
"But you know where that power will lead you."
"So I've heard."
"You need to watch your back, Elizabeth. I don't want you to get hurt. Your Father would be most disappointed if you did."
Buffy smiled as she left the room. "Good night, Sirius."
"Good night."
She walked back into the drawing room, surprised to see that Bill Weasley had joined them, followed by a stunning blonde-haired woman he introduced to both her and Faith as Fleur Delacour.
"Nice to meet you," Buffy said, smiling at the striking woman, who repeated her words and shook her hand firmly.
"Six minutes!" Faith announced, passing out noisemakers. Fred and George sniggered as they spotted two of their own, which would sprout pink and blue bubbles when used.
"What is it you do?" Buffy asked while Fred poured her another glass of wine.
"I work at the Ministry with the Beauxbaton's league," Fleur shouted back.
"Do you know Georgette Saniex?" Buffy asked her, leaning into Fleur's side so that they could hear one another.
"She was a few years above me," Fleur said with a laugh. "How do you know 'er?"
"I know her nephew," Buffy said with a wicked grin, as Harry shouted out, "Five minutes!"
"Excuse me."
Buffy made her way downstairs, wrapping a bit of garland around her head. She collected two more champagne flutes and listened to the noisemakers blaring upstairs with a grin on her face. They really were the wild, wacky bunch.
As she walked back upstairs, her thoughts turned to Oliver. She wondered what he was doing at that very moment, and wished he could be there with her and her friends and family as they celebrated the New Year. She sighed wistfully.
Handing out a flute to Bill and Fleur, Buffy joined the twins, who had started a one minute countdown, handing her back her noisemaker with a wink. After eyeing it with suspicion, she took it.
Harry and Hermione sat on the edge of the circle, their arms wrapped around each other. Faith was sitting on Ron's lap on a couch, trying to fasten a party hat on top of his unkempt red hair. Ginny was sitting on the couch across from them, singing under her breath. Fred and George were acting a little too tipsy as they uncorked another bottle during their countdown. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had just walked into the room, both of them sporting party hats and noisemakers, looking excited.
Buffy edged away from the twins and sat down next to Ginny, who grinned at her.
Fred moved around the room, pouring a bit of champagne for everyone.
"Hey, everyone, look who's here!" Hermione said, pointing to the doorway. Buffy and Ginny both craned their necks to look. Lupin and Sirius had both walked in, but with them were... bloody hell...
Buffy leapt to her feet just as bits of confetti came bursting out of the small cones set out across the room.
"Happy New Year!" Faith shouted above everyone else as many voices joined to sing 'Aude Lang Sine'.
"Oh, my God," Buffy cried, brushing past Lupin and taking Oliver by the arms as they spun around to the corridor outside the drawing room. "You're actually here! Right now! Oh!"
"Yeah, well... you've got good friends," Oliver said, hugging her tightly. "Besides, how could I miss your first New Year's in our country?" He took the noisemaker from her hand and slipped it in his mouth.
"No!" Buffy cried, realizing what he had done. "That's a--"
He blew into it.
"Shit," Buffy muttered under her breath as bright pink and blue bubbles started flowing from Oliver's ears, the end of the noisemaker, and even from behind his eyes. Pulling out the maker, she tried in vain to restrain her laughter as she took his hand and pulled him inside.
Faith was still kneeling on Ron, kissing his pale, freckly cheeks with her dark red lipstick, leaving dark marks imprinted on it. Harry and Hermione had exchanged a meek little kiss. Ginny was looking forlorn without her own boyfriend around, casting a furtive glance at Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had just shared their own embrace. Any everyone turned to welcome Buffy and Oliver into their group.
Or, mostly everyone, anyway. Fred and George were regarding Oliver coolly.
A few hours later, Buffy and Oliver walked downstairs, hand-in-hand. "I can't believe you're going already," she said with a slight pout.
"I'll see you in about four days," he teased, wrapping his arms around her and resting his cheek on top of her head. "You don't know how right this feels..."
"I feel kind of sneaky, since everyone else is in bed," Buffy replied from underneath his chin, giggling slightly.
"Yeah, well, there's just one thing left to do."
"What's that?" Buffy asked, pulling away from him, looking confused.
"Come on," he said, taking her by the hand. He led her to the front door and they walked out into the early, pre-dawn chill. The first stretch of dawn was seen on the horizon, just a pale grey line.
"It's sunrise," Buffy said in surprise.
"I'm thinking of it as the first sunrise of a new year," Oliver teased, wrapping his arms around her from behind, smoothing the long quilt.
They had just spent hours talking in her bedroom. Which had led to other things. They hadn't done anything bad, but it had certainly made Faith blush when she'd walked in around two in the morning. After falling asleep in each other's arms, he had awoken at nearly five, saying he should probably be getting home.
It had been Faith who contacted him, inviting him to their New Year's party. Since he still had family in town, he hadn't been able to come to much of it, save the last moment before midnight. It had been wonderful though, seeing his girlfriend so terribly happy in this house, which was stunning and beautiful. Just like the woman staying there.
They watched, quietly, as the sun rose above the horizon. With tears freezing to her eyelashes, Buffy turned to face him and he kissed the tip of her nose. "Happy New Year, Buffy."
"Happy New Year, Oliver," she replied, grinning.
As he bent down to hug her, Giles' parting words came back to her, warning of darkness and death in the year ahead. Hopefully he had just been as ominous and dramatic as usual, but she really didn't think so. She pulled away from Oliver and stared at the house behind him, her lips curving into a smile.
It really had become her secret sanctuary.
They walked back inside.
"That was refreshing," Buffy said, her teeth chattering. She was suddenly feeling quite sleepy and stupid, although the after-effects of the champagne could have been causing this feeling. "Are you... are you sure you want to go home?"
He turned around, the smile disappearing from his face. "I suppose I could stay awhile... I am my own grown man, after all..."
She slipped her cold hand inside of his. "I've got a bed upstairs with my name on it."
"You're so cute when you're sleepy," he said, kissing her.
"I'm cute all night long," she teased as she gently as they retreated back upstairs, eager to rest in order to prepare them for the day ahead.
Her room was surprisingly warm, since there was only a bit of a fire still going. She pulled off the blanket, leaving her small red nightgown underneath. Moving to her bed, she sank down on the covers, feeling warmth spreading through her body as Oliver's arms encircled her waist, his chin resting against her shoulder.
"Buffy?" he murmured sleepily from behind her.
"Yeah?" she asked, a hint of a smile curving her lips, although her eyes remained closed.
"Is this really proper and all? Because those Weasley twins looked like they wanted to deck me one last night..."
"Oh, shut up," she yawned, snuggling deeper into him as they both drifted off to sleep, which took a surprisingly short amount of time.
- - - - -
Chapter 42... the gang returns to Hogwarts.
Chapter 43... once again, the reason why Buffy can never have a normal birthday.
To the Readers / Reviewers:
That Chapter wasn't so bad now, was it? Hehe... okay, they'll get back to Hogwarts this next chapter, I promise. Like, five chapters after they left, they finally get back. I just had to slow things down though and let the plot develop. It's my way. I had to include one last Oliverness scene in it, because I don't know when they'll be coming back… but… yeah. More notes on the bottom.
StarBella -- I know! I had to do one though, evil as it may have been. As for the meet-the-family scene, I know! It was one of those I-HAVE-to-write-it scenes. It turned out better than I thought! And I wouldn't mind a couple of Slayer prezzies. Just odd Christmas cuteness! Faith is going to get a lot of things out of this world... the lucky duckling.
AlixMM -- Thank you :) And yeah, Faith will be celebrating a birthday. I've decided to stick her in May, which would still make her sixteen. Weird, considering Buffy is nearly nineteen, but not unexpected. Her birthday will probably be touched on.
Anita Blake/Buffy Fan -- Tell me about it! I'm trying to write as fast as I can, and then I end up slowing down. I know, I know, Percy's a prat and he has everything coming to him, but I hope this chapter proved differently.
Anne -- I know, but I wanted to "wrap" up that storyline slightly so I can get to some better ones... hopefully ones that don't give you a toothache. And as you can see from this chapter, he caught a huge break, the form of his friend, who happens to be a wicked powerful Slayer.
CapriceAnn -- Sorry, dear, I had to. As you can see from this chapter, everything turned out all right, for the most part. And they did get some New Year's stuff in, so I ended the chapter on a high note, right?
Stella7 -- oh, God, no. The day I write out their engagement is the day I write their first sex scene, which I have a feeling is coming out sooner than I expected. And I think Sirius was out of place, watching from behind a window or something at a scene which was pretty surreal to him. He has his sister to kick his butt back into reality. That should be fun reading there. Harry and Hermione are coming right up! I just had to wrap up the whole Buffy/Oliver storyline first, which concluded for a while at least in this chapter. Poor Ginny, her boyfriend is SO far away... whatever shall she do? Hurricane party? Sweeeeet! I'm there.
Goddessa39 -- Oh, beat me over the head all you want. I'll still do a BA. I have to. It's in my nature now. Joyce will slowly be brought back into the story come summertime. She is, after all, an adoptive mother, and a protective one at that. I want to give her and Faith more interaction too, since Faith never really had a mom.
Kel -- Okay, fine. Draco can be miserable and lonely until I can actually write him in with Buffy at some point, but not in this story because my Beta would freak out. Fred and George will be back at some point. I just wanted a little bit of lighter fun for all, and they really provide adequate entertainment. I hate pulling them out, but since their new arena is a joke shop and all, you really can't expect them to lie waiting forever. Okay, so they'll be back next chapter. No more distance.
Nobody -- Yeah, that last chapter was just fluff and kittens... oi.
Athene Saile -- It's sort of the reaction I was going for... life goes on, reality bites, etc. Buffy had the most fantastic night of her life (or one of them) and she comes crashing back to reality. And then she has to deal with everything that's on her shoulders, which is what this chapter did. A perfect two-part chapter than kind of makes you think, "gee, what is that Slayer thinking?". Just my line.
Emba -- Buffy/Oliver has grown on me, too. It wasn't what I was looking for, but it actually fits! Halle! Ron/Faith was just sort of something I'm playing around with. If it works, it'll work splendidly, because of their "tortured" lifestyle. Pairing her with Harry would have worked for me, except I believe he belongs with Hermione. Why? I've spent way too much time listening to the HP books on Audio and it's a feeling I get. It kind of helped that the last movie pushed me towards these thoughts. Fred and George rock my world, which is why I HAVE to bring them back. As for Percy, I know. But Buffy wouldn't let her friend die without a fight, now, would she?
Supergoat's Sidekick -- I think Faith and Sirius have to sit down and just talk about anything, even if it's the weather, because then they'll agree about something. They already have Harry in common, because Faith obviously has feelings for him (even if she's pining away after Ron) and he's Sirius's godson. That's a starting point for them anyway... I think my fans are going to make me write an Oliverness sex scene too. I might make you wait for it though. Ooh, evil thoughts, evil thoughts... hehehe. Okay, no more evil thoughts. And yes, as you can see, Buffy made everything all right... notice, it's her first time doing it in this story, really. Well, she brought Sirius back, but she lost to Quentin. This was a small and very minor victory against someone she now has a blood feud with. Slayage is on the way, as both women will be training for their own showdown of things. I like your lengthy reviews. They're fun to read!
lostangel92 -- thank you :)
Scary Vampress -- why, thank you! And, yes, Percy!
electronic pancake -- good golly... I think your review was the longest I've ever gotten for anything. I am really sorry that my little author's note title looks like yours. It's been developing. If I took it from you, I'm sorry. I just needed something, and unless it's in Latin or some other foreign language (like Polish!), it'll never be truly unique. I had to do something different than what I've done with my other stories, and it fit. So, I bow down to you and apologize completely. I don't think it's bad for all Americans to find out they're British. Just in Buffy and Faith's case, to find out they could be potentially like Giles... you see where I'm going with this, right? As for the painting, it was super Slayer strength. That and the fact I'm making Faith a squib (non-magic person born to a magical family). Yes, Buffy sucks at writing letters. I'm reminded of a quote from an earlier Buffy episode, "English... they give you credit just for speaking it, right?". That's our Buffy. But since Giles made a return appearance, I guess it was a dually noted heart attack! Buffy/Oliver have just entered their comfort zone... so trust me, awkwardness to come eventually. I need to step away from that couple for awhile; they're giving me a toothache! Buffy is NOT irresistable. She'll have her fair share of enemies by the time I stop writing. It could always be the Slayer-verse magic, you know. StarBella's protective Draco is about to turn nasty again. I love him evil and I cannot help myself! Lastly, taupe is a brownish-grey color. I had to do something that looks smashing with red, and since our floor is taupe tile, I used the color. Oh, and you can ask all the questions you want... they open my eyes to the inevitable doom I'll be forcing this world into.
And to comment on your other two rather lengthy reviews, thank you. I promise to un-de-soap-opera-ify this soon enough. I just had to get the teenage hormones and angst out of the way. The whole "five by five" concept was Faith's "I'm all right with everything, I don't give a damn, whatever" line. It just fit there. And I always thought Quentin should get more evil, and there was a 'Travers' listed in Book 4, during the Pensieve chapter, so I just lapped it up there. It took me a moment to find the goldfish comment, but I did. In the episode 'Passion', Angelus leaves Willow a gift of fishies on a string. It reminded me of something my brother did to me once, so I included it. And you bother with reviewing because you're a nice, eloquent critiquer. I think. It makes perfect sense, really. And to comment on Faith's height, she's about as tall as Buffy is, if not an inch or two taller. Harry is by no means a giant, so I'd say they're the same height when she's NOT wearing boots.
Buffy has nothing against Osiris except she's wary of pursuing the "dark" arts of magic. Faith will turn out to be a squib, save her Slayer abilities, so Faith is sort of the Tara-character in the Buffy-Faith saga. If Buffy uses too much magic, Faith will call her on it. Faith's decision to go for Ron was sort of made out of the whole she-femme thing. I don't know how long it'll last... probably won't last forever. Ron's turning into a bit of a womanizer, eh... As for Percy, well... he's redeeming himself for the evilness that ensued in Book 5. It'll all come down to a good-hearted row soon enough.
Yeah, it does seem a little too perfect, right? Heh. This is Buffy's life and therefore Murphy's law applies. When something goes wrong, it tends to stay wrong. Sirius coming back had nothing to do for my satisfaction. It was for Faith's sake and for Harry's. Quentin is an evil bastard and he did something totally unprecedented and he will pay for what he will do in the future. As for the fifty chapters thing, it won't be the end of this story, not by a longshot. No, I just need a break from this fic for a while. Until about November, I'm thinking. Why? Well, this wedding is a good excuse. That and I'm still trying to get into graduate school. As for going to Australia, I would love to, especially when winter finally comes here (I think it'll start snowing here any day now, it's been so frigid). I apologize that this chapter didn't have much action, but the future ones will.
Wow, long comment. Sorry about that! But thank you for your many long reviews. It means a lot you've read these chapters through.
Feely -- I did break up Faith and Harry, because my Beta threatened me with decapitation if I wouldn't. Honestly, Faith went after someone her own age. That is something I'm worth exploring somewhat, but with him at school and her stuck in a house with a brother who's not altogether there, it might not last as long as some of these nice readers are hoping it does. That and Faith has something else up her sleeve... Since I've been watching these nice Angel reruns on TV, I have noticed there is sparkage between Faith and Wes... that might have to be explored further in this story, when the time comes, anyway.
Okay, so this chapter completely ripped off of "Same Time, Same Place" from Buffy, Season 7, when she was just 'giving her powers away'. Only she used it to save Percy's life. And, yeah. It reawakened certain Slaying powers within her... powers she won't be able to shut off until her vendetta is satisfied...
Next chapter will be posted after this weekend's activities, providing my beta ever gives it back. Urgh. I love you, Grace… but sometimes… nah, just kidding. Lots of luck to you, deary.