Chapter 42
A New Dream
- - - - -
The rest of the week passed far too quickly for many tastes, including Buffy's, who was beginning to like the feel and comfort of staying locked and safe inside a warm, cozy house.
It seemed as though all of the Weasleys had enjoyed their stay. They left Ginny and Ron three days before they were to return to Hogwarts on the memorable evening in which Percy returned home, looking much better, although he was still a bit pale.
Buffy had greeted him happily, and appeared to be the only one. Percy certainly wasn't expecting a huge hug from Faith, but it wasn't completely unwelcome. Buffy had spent most of the previous afternoon telling Percy about everything that had been happening since his attack.
She told him about Sirius's return and the spell they had performed, and how it had been so wicked and powerful it had scared her. Percy was there to comfort her in the ironic situation that they were both in. He was alive because of her power, and it was something he was more than thankful for. She told him about the growing relationship between Harry and Hermione, something Percy had laughed about, making Buffy stop talking instantly.
"What is it?" she asked him, giving him a strange look.
"You honestly didn't see that coming?" Percy asked her with a chuckle. "Oh, Buffy... I may know because I have spent more time around them... they were always so perfect for each other."
"What?" Buffy asked incredulously. "How is it that I didn't know about this?"
"You know it because you feel it," Percy said, his voice dropping to its usual serious-filled tone. "I've just known both of them longer. Well, Hermione and I have always gotten along, but as for Harry and I, well, you know that story..."
"A little too well," Buffy had said, relaxing against his legs. "So... you've known about Harry and Hermione, but I bet you never would have guessed this about your brother Ron..."
The gossip had continued for hours. It had been great fun talking with Percy. He almost made a valuable substitute for Willow. He had been amused when she'd given him a bottle of nail polish, which led to a conversation which had happened well over a year before when Xander had ended up painting both sets of toenails for both Willow and Buffy.
It had been a memorable night. A long time ago.
Buffy sighed wistfully, wondering where their wonderful winter break had gone. It had surely been eaten up in the homey atmosphere surrounding them. With a small groan, she rolled over in her bed, her hand searching for the textbook she'd been reading the night before. Her hand passed over the smooth cover and she lifted it back up, flipping through a few pages until she realized she hadn't read this far yet.
How she was starting to get tired of all this learning!
She sat up, tugging down her satin teddy as she fetched her wand from the floor. Propping her Charms textbook against the small table that served as her desk, she was working on the Banishing charm when a sharp knock sounded at her door.
Buffy nearly dropped her wand, instead choosing to toss it onto her bed along with her Charms textbook. "Come in!" she shouted, looking around wildly for a blanket or a robe, anything to cover herself up with.
The door creaked open and Harry peered inside, smiling as Buffy wrapped herself in her red satin robe before sitting down on the end of her bed.
It was their last night in Grimmauld Place. And, judging by the scatter of textbooks, parchment, quills and the remains of objects Buffy had been practicing her work on, she was making the best use of it.
"I'll clean it up," she said, seeing the look on his face as he took a tentative step inside the room. "Really, I will."
"Are you all right?" he said, noticing suddenly that while it was still before dinnertime, she was dressed in what he deemed inappropriate to be wearing in the company of grown men. She was also acting like what Faith had called a 'space cadet', obviously not all put together.
"I've just spent the past eight hours studying, Harry," she said, not bothering to stifle a huge yawn. "I finally got all my extra work done, and I was working on a Banishing charm when you arrived."
"That's advanced spellwork," Harry said, eyeing her carefully. "Are you sure you're ready for that yet?"
"Oh, I have to be," Buffy said, collecting her wand from under a mound of blankets and sheets. Lifting it in the air, she twirled it between two fingers, her eyes on her brother. "Professor Dumbledore wants me to take two N.E.W.T. tests."
"H-He does?" Harry asked, who had been wondering why their Headmaster had made such an impressive visit the night before.
It was the first time Sirius and Dumbledore had been in contact since Sirius was brought back. It was also the first time Harry had heard Faith using the word, 'space cadet'.
Professor Dumbledore had then asked to speak with Buffy, who had agreed. After what seemed like the shortest conversation she'd had with him on record, he'd departed. Buffy had been gazing around with a terrified look on her face, as though the world were about to come crashing down on them.
Now, he knew why. Apparently the thought of taking an advanced test scared her.
"Which subjects?" Harry asked curiously.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts for one, and he thought I should be caught up in Charms by then, too."
"I see what's going on," Harry said, giving her an infuriating I-know-something-you-don't look.
"Do you want to tell me?" Buffy asked in frustration and she lifted Harry's old Standard Book of Spells, reading up more on the Banishing Charm.
"I believe it has something to do with what Professor Dumbledore is planning for you outside Hogwarts," Harry said patiently. "You know, after you graduate."
"I already graduated one school," Buffy said in a moody voice as she flipped a page, glaring down at the tiny words. "All of this learning is going to make my head explode."
"We had Career Advice last year," Harry offered her another tantalizing clue. "One of the professions was as a Vampire Hunter."
Buffy nearly dropped her wand. "And what, praytell, would that require?"
"Top-level N.E.W.T. scores in Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry said with a broad grin. "That and some tactical training, too, which I know you've already done. You must have been training for a long time in, err... that town you came from in California." He was picking at a loose thread on her comforter while she stared at her textbook, frowning deeply.
"You're not wrong," was all she said before she stood up. "Would you believe I've never even thought of a career while I was here? I just thought it would be school piled onto heaps more school. I didn't realize careers started so young."
"You're best friends with Percy," Harry grumbled. "Surely he must've told you by now that he started at the Ministry at the ripe, tender age of seventeen."
"Now that you say it, he did mention something like that," she replied, lifting her wand.
Harry gasped and moved away from her bed. "Watch where you're pointing that thing! You could take somebody's eye out!"
Buffy gave him a bemused smirk. "Well, then, stay away from my wand." With a wicked smile, she practiced the wrist flicker and was finally able to banish a single red rose from on top of her nightstand onto her pillow.
"Hmmm," she said with a dreamy smile as she set aside her wand and lifted the rose to inhale its sweet scent.
"You and your boyfriend," Harry muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Buffy asked, giving him a smarmy grin, although he knew she'd heard him, with that advanced hearing ability of hers and whatnot.
"Which anniversary is it this time?" Harry asked with a groan.
"Oh, our... err... fifth?" Buffy replied with a slight frown as she replaced the rose back with its bouquet. "Not like it matters anyway. How are we getting back to Hogwarts in the morning?"
He watched as she started neatly piling stuff back into her trunk.
"The Knight Bus," he replied with a doleful smile. "I think you'll like it."
"It's not like an amusement park ride from hell, is it?" Buffy asked him carefully, slipping a stack of Charms notes back inside a small leather folder.
"Well..." Harry said slowly.
"Fred and George told me," Buffy said with a smirk. "You don't have to cover for their stupidity, Harry. I was thinking at first, how can a bus be a horrid ride from hell? And then I realized, hey, this is the magical world... I honestly don't think anything could surprise me anymore."
"You'd be surprised," Harry said with a sigh, bending down to collect a quill that had rolled underneath her bed. He came back, frowning, a sheathed knife in his hand. "I didn't know you had an obsession with cutlery."
"It's a weapon," Buffy said, snatching it from his palm and staring at it lovingly for a moment before tucking it deep inside her trunk, inside her plain black robes.
"Weapon? You didn't mention anything about weapons when you told me you were a Slayer!"
"Oh, dear, God!" Buffy moaned as she turned to look incredulously at her brother. "Faith and I have been training in that little room across from yours and Ron's bedroom for the past week, with weaponry, and you couldn't figure out why?"
"I figured a pike or a nice bow," Harry mumbled. "I never thought anything as tiny as a knife would do."
"You have no idea how much power that little blade has," Buffy said, and an odd shiver passed over her face. "It can save one's life. It saved mine before."
He was staring at her again and she shrugged, not really wanting to get into that story, but she was seeing she had little choice now that she brought it up.
She told him many stories that evening, from the last fight of her and Angel with their swords to the day Giles presented her and Faith with matching knives, Buffy losing hers in a fight which nearly killed her. It was a fight delivered expertly by Trick, the evil Vampire who had been working for the Mayor before they had discovered his true intentions.
"So, you're skilled," Harry said an hour later as they were walking downstairs for dinner. "I get that. But why knives?"
"Everything is a weapon Harry when used correctly," Buffy said with a sigh as they bounced down the last few steps. "I could even use your left shoelace as a good weapon."
"You can?" Harry asked, following her into the dining room, where Sirius and Lupin had attempted to cook a decent dinner.
"Oh, for sure," Faith said, coming up behind them with Hermione in tow; Ron and Ginny were helping Sirius heave an enormous pot of stew onto the table. "Do you have any idea the mileage that thing would get? Perfect tool for asphyxiation."
Hermione giggled slightly, but the sound died in her throat when Faith turned cold, obsidian eyes on the younger girl. "What, you don't think I could try it?" Faith asked innocently.
Hermione let out a choking cough, shrugging helplessly while Buffy rolled her eyes and sat down in front of them.
"Faith, how about we not go about scaring the nice people?" she asked kindly. "They don't need to know we can strangle our enemies and lop off their heads with shoelaces."
"Right," Faith said, dropping in the seat across from Sirius, who gave her a dark look. "What's with you, bro?"
"I just don't think that encouraging my godson to do these horrific things will get you anywhere," Sirius said stubbornly.
"There's a surprise," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "Relax, will you? I'm not going to corrupt your precious godson to worship Buddha or anything immoral, so quit confronting me every friggin' second."
Sirius blinked benignly and said nothing.
There was an awkward silence around the table for about two minutes before Hermione cut in, although it was almost as if she were afraid of her own voice. "So, Buffy, did you get all your work done?"
"I did!" Buffy said happily. "Those twenty six inches of advanced Charms notes helped me loads, Hermione. Thanks for keeping them."
"I knew they'd come in handy someday," Hermione said pleasantly. "I suspect you now know why Professor Dumbledore wants you to take these two N.E.W.T. tests, right?"
"Something about going to work at the Ministry, I think," Buffy shrugged. She wasn't about to let on what Harry had told her until she realized it was truth herself. She couldn't get her hopes up.
Because, despite feeling uncertain about her future, she was slightly excited that she might finally get to use her skills on something that mattered. Becoming a Vampire Hunter was exactly what she needed to get her skills homed in again. In just six short months, this dream could come true. She just had to work her ass off until then.
"Have you given any thought to the future, B?" Faith asked her, taking a bite of her stew. "Ooh, this is good, bro. You're gonna have to teach me how to do this stuff."
"It's called cooking, Faith," Sirius said sarcastically, turning curious eyes back on the elder Potter. "Have you thought about your future, Elizabeth?"
Buffy frowned. Sirius was worse than Percy in the fact he had to be told several times a day to use her nickname, but he refused, saying it was a name that James adored and therefore he had a right to use it.
"I was thinking a Vampire Slayer, but there's really no job description for that here," Buffy said nonchalantly, dipping a bit of roll into her stew. "I figured I could get a desk job like Percy's."
"Oh, there is no way a sister Slayer of my line is going to sit behind some old boring desk until she's too old and nowhere near as nimble as before!" Faith said incredulously. "Although I suppose you could always be a Watcher."
"There's an idea!" Buffy said with a smirk. "I never figured a Slayer could be a Watcher."
"Don't knock it till you try it, you she-Giles," Faith said with a quiet, wicked grin.
"I do believe you can go into professional hunting of dangerous and lethal creatures," Lupin interjected as both women turned their smirking faces to his. "And since Vampire hunting is your calling, you might as well make a career of it."
"Now that our dear Headmaster wants me to ace the N.E.W.T. tests in both Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms, I might stand a chance, right?" Buffy asked him casually, stirring her untouched stew. She was starting to get used to Sirius's cooking, and it scared her. It reminded her of Cordelia's.
"You must have some skill if you've survived this calling for... how many years now?" Lupin asked her.
"It's been about five now," Buffy said with a wry smile as she set her roll aside. "Five long, lonely years... but... not so lonely anymore." She looked at the concerned faces smiling at her from around the table. "This feels like I'm here with my family... it's kind of comforting. And sort of freaky."
"I know how you feel, B," Faith said with a pitying smile. "I never thought I'd have a family again after that disaster with the Landings and that crap I went through with my foster fam... well..." Her eyes met Sirius's cold, dark gaze. "Maybe someday I'll truly feel I have one again."
Lupin had been noticing the animosity between Faith and Sirius. He wasn't about to trust someone who had just barged into his life, claiming to be his sister. She had changed the entire house and had turned it into something he would see as a home, and not a prison. She was very strong and extremely agile. Not to mention she had a wicked sense of humor, and she shared his curiosity and it appeared as though they both shared the family trait for being reckless.
Faith saw Sirius as a big brother she couldn't touch. Ever since she brought him back, the excitement was gone, and it was filled with trepidation. She had to tell him about her life, but where would she start? With the girlfriend of her other brother pretending to be her mother after receiving a memory charm that would completely adle her brain? Or the fact that her foster family abused her and nearly drove her to suicide? Or the fact she was a Vampire Slayer with an early death sentence? They really weren't appealing choices.
She was scared. She, Faith, was scared for the first time in her life. With Buffy and Harry and the others going back to their precious school, she and Sirius would be forced to live in this huge, homely house together.
And she had no idea how they would connect on life. Sirius was probably going to connect more with Buffy, since the girl was a living witness of what it was like to be dead and then suddenly be alive again. They both adored Harry, and it was clear by the looks Sirius had been giving her this past week that he adored the small-boned blonde, too.
Buffy was just someone who could get under anyone's skin. It had been a reason for her popularity in Los Angeles. It had been a curse since she was a hidden identity in Sunnydale. But with her true condition covered and sealed in England, the normal girl inside of Buffy had peered out from the dark cloud that Sunnydale had been and had infested itself into nearly everyone.
She was like a beacon for light and laughter and all things pure and good. No wonder she had someone so head over heels in love with her he could barely remember his own name. No wonder she had such great friends like the old Watcher slash Professor and the Minister's own assistant to look out for her. Not to mention all of those fatherly, protective looks Sirius and Lupin kept sending her... Buffy was well-received and well-loved in this world.
And they'll all remember me as the girl who kidnapped her, Faith thought moodily as she stared into her empty bowl before turning to eye Buffy and her untouched dinner. "Aren't you hungry? A bitty thing like you has got to eat. Your boy would kill me if you came back to him all skeleton and bones."
Buffy turned a deep pink and stared at the stew before sighing. "No offense, Sirius, but your cooking reminds me of this own really bad cook I knew from California."
Faith swallowed hard. "Oh, Cordelia? She's gotten better. She used to make loads of meals for us and your Mom."
After she'd said that word, she wished she could take it back. Both Sirius and Lupin turned sharp eyes to her before glancing back at Buffy, who was playing with her roll, not really paying attention to any looks she was on the receiving end of.
"Buffy, I'm sorry... you know how my foot is usually living in my mouth, and--"
"No, it's all right," Buffy said, dropping her roll. "I think I'm just going to go to bed." She stood up, nearly knocking her chair over in her haste to get away from the table. She had finally gotten dressed while she'd been talking to Harry, and even after wearing all of these nice, new clothes for less than an hour, they would shed again. "Thanks for dinner, Sirius and... well... good night."
Faith made to go after her, but Harry put his hand on her arm. "Just let her go."
Faith moved her arm away from his, trying not to be aware that her skin tingled whenever he still touched her, and apparently he seemed oblivious to this as he was helping himself to Buffy's bowl. Rolling her eyes, Faith started gathering the dishes and easily lifted the heavy pot to the sink.
By keeping herself busy, Faith realized it was harder to think about things that could upset Buffy. Obviously talking about Joyce was still a touchy subject, no doubt about it.
Upstairs, Buffy gently closed her door and moved to her wardrobe, undressing and stepping into a clean nightgown, watching as the filmy silk ended around her knees. Gently fixing the straps, she stepped aside, taking her Muggle clothes and folding them away, for a time when they would be used again.
It was then she caught her own reflection in the mirror. Her reflection had tear-filled eyes and a very dark, very bitter smile.
How was it that Buffy felt this strongly about Joyce now even though she had forced her so horribly from her mind before?
Because I've gone through some pretty tough changes in my life, Buffy told herself. I'm in love and need a mother's guidance. I really never had a true Mother like Joyce and I probably never would again. That and she helped me through the Angel disaster... I just wish she could help me with what's to come...
Making a mental note to write to Joyce on the next opportunity, Buffy moved to her bed and gazed at it before sitting down. It was getting cold in her room again. With a wry smile, she aimed her wand at the fireplace and after two short blasts, bright flames flickered to life, filling the room with comforting warmth.
She had enough Father figures in her life. There was Giles, Professor Pryce, even Lupin and Professor Dumbledore to the slightly extent, and now Sirius. She didn't really have any Mother figures, except Mrs. Weasley, but Molly was more like a sisterly aunt.
She smiled fondly as she thought of Oliver's family. His female relatives were incredible, she thought with a sad smile. She loved his Aunt Georgette, who would be the perfect aunt for herself. His mother was quite different, Buffy thought, but then again, whose mother wouldn't be protective of their firstborn son?
If only she'd gotten to know her true Mother, her real Mother. Lily Evans was everything Lupin and Sirius had been telling her and more. She was kind, and loved, and compassionate and everything else. Buffy was proud to be called a child of such a loving person. Lily loved life and she embraced it above everything else. Buffy had been doing the same, trying to live out her life as normally as possible.
The only problem was, it was all a lie.
Buffy had been chosen for a greater purpose than to open her arms to the vivacity of life. She had been chosen to defend the world. So had her brother. She wondered what her parents would think of her then. Would they love her and support her in these life-altering decisions? Or would they be as brash and concerned as Joyce had been? Somehow, she came to think of Lily more as Joyce in that manner. Joyce would have forced Buffy to think rationally.
Even as she sat in the middle of her bed, Buffy felt the power within her. It was stronger than life. It was in her blood, surging her, empowering her. It was giving her reckless thoughts she knew she shouldn't be having. But with it held some caution.
And it brought her thoughts to her Father. Harry often said how proud he was to be James' son, instead of being Lily's. Buffy could see why Harry wanted to be a goody-goody daddy's boy. Harry had also said that she looked like their Father as well, especially when she'd worn her hair black. She touched her golden hair, which had grown out far too long for her own liking. It was nearly halfway down her back now. It was still very light and fairly golden in shade, which is why she loved it so much. Pulling her long golden hair away from her face, she put it in a rubber band and stood up.
And she started meditating, using the strange chi-like movements Angel had taught her two years before. It was comforting, standing here moving like this.
It was the perfect movement to help her find her center and to help her achieve perfect balance between the normal girl who'd finally won out over the morbid Slayer, still buried deep within.
There was a soft knock on her door. Opening her eyes and moving back into a normal, standing position, Buffy quickly summoned her robe to her and was knotting the tie around the waist when Hermione looked in. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," Buffy said, offering the girl her desk chair. "What brings you to my humble abode?"
"I kind of miss sharing a room with you," Hermione admitted. "You kept things exciting."
"Sort of like what Harry does for you now?" Buffy asked lightly, earning a well-placed slap on the shoulder from Hermione. "Hey, I only speak the truth, Granger. My brother is crazy for luuurve."
"He's... what?"
"Oh, for a Muggle, Hermione, you certainly are dim."
"You grew up in California, the land of valley speak, oh, Miss Sanctimonious one."
"Oh, what?" Buffy asked with a confused smile.
"Never mind," Hermione said, waving the thought away. "Listen... I know classes start up again on Monday and you'll be working hard to keep your grades up now that you finally have a purpose in life..." She giggled inwardly at Buffy's hearty scowl. "I heard through the grapevine that is Cho that you were teaching practical defense to her Ravenclaw friends."
"I suppose you want in, too," Buffy said, sitting on her bed again.
"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I was just going to ask if I could perhaps accompany you to training."
How in the hell did she know that?
"I heard Professor Dumbledore talking to you," Hermione admitted, seeing the incredulous look on Buffy's face. "I heard that he wants you to begin your training again so that..."
"So that I can become the perfect little Slayer I was chosen to be," Buffy finished for her, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I got that memo. Why would you want to watch me train?"
"Forgive me for being so forward," Hermione said, smiling slightly, "but there isn't a lot written about Slayers or their lore. I happen to adore a good book, but if there is one thing being a Gryffindor has taught me, it is that curiosity has its virtues."
Buffy shrugged, impressed by the girl's boldness. "You're not wrong," she said again, giving the other girl an inquisitive look. "You're one of the smartest people I've ever met, Hermione, and I've been around some pretty smart geeks before. If watching me train will held you understand a Slayer better, then by all means, you're invited. Just don't bring Harry with you. I really don't need to see my brother watch me sweat."
"Okay," Hermione said with a smile as she stood up. "Well, good night then."
"Yeah," Buffy said, turning away from the door as Hermione stepped out of it. "Good night."
Harry was waiting for Hermione in the hallway.
"So, what were you two talking about?" Harry asked her suspiciously as they made their way into Hermione's room that she shared with Ginny. Ginny was still downstairs with Faith, so Harry knew he had Hermione all to himself for a little while.
"It was nothing, really, just girl talk," Hermione said casually as she sank down on her bed, feeling sleepy. She'd spent most of the day studying as well.
"Really?" Harry asked her with a suspicious look. "Because when your two minds get together, something dangerous happens."
Hermione had the grace to look mortified. "Whatever do you mean?" she asked him innocently, her eyes wide.
Harry pounced then, his fingers tickling her ribcage and her arms. She shrieked with laughter. "Harry, stop!" she laughed.
"Not until you tell me the truth!" he chortled, feeling immensely satisfied for torturing the girl squirming in his arms.
"Harry!" she laughed. "Please, stop!"
He released her and the laughter died in her throat. He wasn't aware of how close their faces were until he leaned down, nuzzling her neck. "Do I get a prize now?" he breathed into her ear.
She shivered, something he caught quite easily. "Consolation, only," she teased, grinning as he straightened up to glare mockingly down at her.
"Oh, your insults just touch me right in the--"
The rest of his words were cut off as her arms snaked around his shoulders and brought his face down to hers.
When Ginny came up an hour later, she was feeling quite miserable. She had been without her own boyfriend for two weeks now. It was starting to make her feel all empty inside. And it didn't help, when she opened the door to the room she shared, that Hermione and Harry were all private with their relationship, prefering to take it to her room. Turning a bright shade of magenta, Ginny grabbed her train case and backed out, hoping that Harry would be gone by the time she returned.
But when she did, Ginny found that Harry and Hermione were in each other's arms, sound asleep. Pulling a thin blanket from the couch under the window, Ginny covered them both, smiling softly. How she had once longed that it would be her in this embrace and stared enviously at her friend for a moment before turning to shut off the lights.
The next morning dawned cold and snowy, as usual.
There was also utter chaos, something Faith cheerfully implied was related to the film, 'Home Alone'. The only problem was, it was a position she would soon find herself in. Or, at the very least, home alone with a brother who hadn't been able to look her in the eye yet.
She was going to force him to look at her, even if she had to beat him into submission to do it. And then they were going to talk like two very mature adults. If she didn't get an irking to beat him first.
Buffy was the first one packed and sitting in the dining room, much to Faith's surprise. Buffy was usually the slowest one, but for some odd reason, Buffy was nearly bouncing on her heels, anticipating the return to a school she had come to know and love.
"I'll never understand you," Faith said grumpily as she handed Buffy a plate of scones and a cup of leafy tea. "I made it myself."
"I'm impressed," Buffy said, adding marmalade to her scone before biting into it. "Not bad, Little B."
"Kindly do not call me that," Faith said, wincing.
Buffy just giggled. Faith stared at her incredulously. She didn't know Buffy could act so, well, girlish. It was starting to unnerve her.
"You're all excited about going back to high school again, huh?" Faith said as she dropped down in the chair across from Buffy.
"Well, even if I'm learning only minimal magic, it's keeping me grounded here," Buffy replied, chancing a sip of tea and nearly gagging at the bitter taste. "Urgh."
"I wanted to talk to you about the magics, B," Faith finally said, glancing down at her hands. "Don't expect too much from them. They've got a lot of firepower and I don't want to see you bringing yourself down."
"I'll be okay," Buffy said with a stern smile as the sound of shrieks and laughter sounded above them. "Okay, so I'm no expert yet, but I promise that I'll be keen and watchful to the black stuff, okay? That's the best sort of promise I can give you."
"Good," Faith said moodily. "The last thing I want to do is crack your wand in half. It's too damn pretty."
"Thanks," Buffy said, stuffing the end of the scone inside her mouth and chewing blissfully. "This was better than what your dear brother made last night."
"I think you insulted him by not eating his cooking," Faith said with a slight pout. "And you're the one he likes."
"He'll like you, too, Faith. Just give the man a chance. He was brought to life two weeks ago and he didn't know you existed. Just give him a chance to get to know the real you."
Faith snorted. "Oh, right. All I have to do is mention any moment from my dream and my dear brother will become my dearly departed brother once he lynches himself just to get away from his psycho looney sister!"
"You have been spending far too much time around Cordelia," Buffy said, looking frightened at the notion. "That girl does things to your head."
"Yeah, well, what can I say?" Faith asked, taking Buffy's empty plate and rushing it back towards the countertop. "I'm easily corruptable."
"Is that even a word?" Buffy asked with a slight frown.
"You got me," Faith chuckled. "I just heard it from Miss Knows-too-much upstairs about an hour ago. Apparently Ron walked in on the fact that your brother and our dear Miss Granger spent the night together."
Buffy nearly dropped her mug. "They... what?"
"Oh, relax, B! Like Harry would do anything like get all pelvic with a girl. That's something his sister would have done."
Faith managed to duck the flying teacup in time, laughing as the perfect red china shattered on the granite tiled floor. "Gee, thanks, B. I only have like twenty of these left."
"I'll break some more for you if you keep suggesting what I think you're suggesting."
Faith snorted again as she started mopping up the tea now spreading across the floor. "You're a royal pain in the ass, B."
"Thanks, Little B... I'll keep that in mind." She quickly swept out of the room laughing as Faith threw the rag after her.
An hour later, the entire group was finally ready to go. They all wore long traveling cloaks, since a hard snow was swirling outside in brisk winds. Buffy felt chilled just standing next to the door, and she was reluctant to leave this warmth behind.
Lupin and Tonks had arrived ten minutes earlier to accompany them to Hogwarts. Sirius was staying put in Grimmauld Place, mostly because he didn't want the rest of the world to know he was alive, yet. He wanted to have more time to himself, to gather his thoughts and more to the point, figure out who the hell this woman who kept calling herself his sister really was.
Buffy dragged her own trunk and stepped outside, almost wincing as the blast of cold air hit her. California, this was not. Pulling her cloak tighter around her, she walked to the curb, Grimmauld Place slowly shrinking behind her. She finally turned to see Lupin and Tonks leading Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron to where they stood.
"Okay, seven little penguins all in a row..." she muttered, wondering what was going to happen next.
She certainly wasn't expecting a big purple, triple-deck bus to come hurtling out of nowhere, spraying both her and Hermione with an icy, murky blast from its tires.
"Ick!" Buffy cried as she glanced at her brand new traveling cloak, now covered in mud and grime. "This is just too not nice."
Hermione was trying in vain to laugh, but all that came out of her mouth was an indignant gasp as the door opened and Stan Shunpike stepped down.
Lupin quickly ushered everyone inside. Buffy was amazed to see that instead of normal bus seats like a normal bus would have, there were disorganized couches and armchairs crammed underneath the windows. They all managed to find seats near the back and Buffy sat down, waiting for the worst to come.
It did, in one unpleasant jolt. She cried out as the bus stopped all of a sudden, slipping right off the seat and was halfway across the floor when Lupin stepped over to help her up. Now her new khakis were covered in the disgusting mud that'd been sprayed on her.
Reminding herself to kill the driver when they got off, she was consoled very slightly.
Harry, however, had a new topic of interest. "Faith brought to my attention Buffy that your birthday is only a few weeks away."
"Yeah, you're not wrong," she said vaguely, struggling to hold in her breakfast as the bus jolted in and out of the long lines of traffic. "Oh, I hate those twins!"
They arrived at Hogwarts more or less in tact. Buffy was still feeling quite shaky as she stumbled off the bus, grumbling suspicious phrases under her breath which sounded like, "I am going to kill those two... those two are dead! Oh, yes, they are so very dead..."
Lupin took the opportunity to pull Harry aside, casting a concerned look at the elder girl, who was dragging her trunk up, ignoring everyone else.
"Harry, I want you to be careful around your sister."
Harry certainly hadn't been expecting this. He turned questioning eyes to his former Professor. "Why?"
"For one thing, she's in a foul mood as it is," Lupin said, a smile playing around his mouth. "But the thing is, Harry... she has a vendetta now. It'd be best not to get in the way of that."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, while Tonks hugged Hermione and Ginny goodbye and turned to them.
"It may have been a personal attack on the Minister's junior Assistant. I'm pretty sure that given her nature, she won't just sit back and wait for the Ministry to take action; she'll do it by herself."
"Oh," Harry said, glancing back up the hill, where Buffy was prying the gate open and was walking through. "Well, I'll watch my back, then."
"Good, because the last thing we need is for you to suddenly get reckless and get yourself killed before you do what has to be done," Lupin said, clasping Harry's shoulder. "Good luck, Harry."
Which left Harry with Ron following the girls up into the school.
Once they reached Gryffindor Tower, Buffy was most pleased to see a small black owl flying gracefully through the air. Onyx landed on her shoulder and dug in her claws slightly, hooting almost sarcastically. Buffy gently stroked her own, making little kittenish purring noises towards it.
They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. For a moment, no one did anything; no one knew the new password.
"Hey, you made it!"
It was Emma Vance and Katie Bell, making their way up from the Great Hall and brunch.
"I suppose you all want the new password, right?" Emma asked, laughing at all five faces staring at her blankly. "It's 'fainting fancy'. I see you got your owl. She's been waiting here since about mid-morning for you lot to get back."
"She has?" Buffy asked, holding out her arm as Onyx obediently flew and landed on it, staring at her with pale ice-blue eyes. "She hasn't got a letter."
"I think her cargo is more important," Katie said, hiding her giggle behind her cupped hand.
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked as Hermione gave the password and the group of seven trooped inside the warm, comforting Common Room.
Just as she was about to sit down, she was attacked by another small, feathery object that twittered excitedly around her head, and more specifically, her arm. "What the hell is going on with these blasted owls?"
Emma couldn't contain her giggles any longer. "Oh, Buffy, she's close to laying eggs!"
"WHAT?" Buffy asked, astounded as she saw Onyx giving her an ever-innocent icy-blue stare while Ron plucked his own owl away from them, Pigwidgeon hooting serenely over Ron's closed fist. "Wait a minute..."
"Well, at least one Potter and Weasley got together," Katie said over her own giggles, trying in vain to stop laughing.
"Oh, my God... Onyx!" Buffy gasped incredulously. "You're supposed to deliver mail, not go around chasing after the little boy owls!"
"Especially Pig!" Ron said, waving his fist around, Pig still hooting. "How long has this been going on for?"
"It's been going on since Emma sent that package to her parents," Katie explained, sitting down next to Buffy. Onyx obediently hopped over to Katie's shoulder, then, without warning, pecked at her hair. "So, about... oh... two months?"
"Oh," Buffy sighed, looking pityingly at her poor owl, still pecking at Katie's head while the other girl shrieked and laughed. "Well, at least my owl got some." She turned around to cast a narrowed-eyed glare at Pigwidgeon. "But don't you think you'll ever get away without a talk, Mister Pig."
Then, seeing the irony in her own statement, lapsed into helpless giggles. Hermione was the only other one who knew where it had come from and snorted.
"Would you care to explain that?" Ginny asked carefully.
"It's from a children's movie," Hermione said, waving her hand impatiently. "I can't believe your owls mated."
"As I said, it's about time one Potter and one Weasley got together. Even if they have feathers," Emma said seriously as she pulled Katie's hair away from Onyx's testy beak. "Shoo... go back to your mistress."
And Onyx returned to Buffy's knee.
"I wonder what they'll look like," Buffy mused out loud as she stroked her owl, which was hooting softly.
"What who'll look like?" Harry asked his sister in confusion.
"The little baby owls," Buffy said, cooing at her precious Onyx in her lap. "I mean, Onyx is, well... blacker than black and Pigwidgeon is... well... tiny. I wonder how they did it..."
There was a moment of awkward silence before Ron interjected, "Eww, Buffy! Gross!"
- - - - -
It had been nearly four hours since Buffy and the others had left Grimmauld Place. She had been in the entrance hall, taking down the merry decorations she'd spent hours putting up for Christmas.
Now that everyone was gone, however, they just didn't belong there anymore.
And could this house feel even emptier?
Sirius had returned to his room the moment Harry was out of sight. Faith had rolled her eyes and set to work on de-Christmas-ifying the house. Undecorating was becoming a common theme, Faith smirked to herself as she gently set another long row of twinkle lights in a trunk at her feet.
She just wished her brother was around to keep her occupied. There were only so many songs she could sing loudly in the hallway, with the portraits all glaring at her and plugging their ears.
"Woman, you have as bad a tone as you have skills with a wand," her dearly departed great-great-grandfather had commented.
Faith had answered him by wrapping his portrait in a lovely red velvet blow and kissing it. "Then don't listen! If your great-great-grandson wasn't being such an ass, he'd be down here entertaining me right now."
"I do believe he spends his time in that room you made, pining away his own life and thoughts... you shouldn't have brought him back from the dead, Delita... he'll just bore you to death here as it is..."
"Oh, shut up!" she said, glaring at Phineas Nigellus, who just blinked and smirked over the red velvet bow.
"Mark my words, child... there is nothing for you there."
But there had to be, Faith thought, angrily ripping down another string of white lights. As she wrapped it around a book of cardboard, she found herself dreaming of the first real conversation she could have with him. He was going to believe that she was his sister. He was going to say, 'Thank you for saving my life, sis'. And then they were going to get along like those mushy Potter siblings.
However, since he was still acting like he had a stick up his ass, that wasn't going to be the case, obviously. She was going to have to coax him out of his room somehow, and she decided to explain her situation to the talking dead relatives hanging on the walls to see if they could come up with any ideas to get him to talk to her.
It had been her great-aunt Lucinda who came up with the most amusing response. "Bar the entrances and torch the place," she said, adjusting the fluffy red bow she wore on top of her long black curls. "That's how I met my future husband. It also was the method of the proposition."
"And you enjoyed it," a biting voice said from across the narrow hallway as her husband glowered in his own portrait.
Lucinda smiled sweetly at him. "Of course, love."
"I don't think me burning the house will get Sirius to talk to me," Faith snorted, although the idea had its merits. But she'd just spent the better part of a month and half ripping this place apart and restoring it to her own liking. There was no way in hell she was about to burn it down.
"You could try drugging him," Lucinda's husband said, trying to save his grace and restore his dignity while his wife lifted one of her black lace glove-clad hands and smirked proficiently behind it. "He'll probably tell you everything then."
"Okay, so where are vials of Veritaserum when I need it?" Faith asked sharply, finally taking down the last string of lights. "Do any of you have any ideas that do not get me committed for trying to murder my brother just weeks after I brought him back?"
"The direct approach would probably suit the both of you," Phineas drawled from the end of the hall.
"I thought I told you to shut up," Faith muttered as she finally closed and sealed the trunk.
"What?" Phineas asked, looking wounded as he blinked at her. "You're brash, he's reckless, it'll be the perfect match."
"You should tell him the truth," the witch next to Lucinda said as she looked up from the mirror she spent more than twenty hours a day staring at.
"He'll run for the hills," Faith sighed. "Oh, that'll be a cheerful conversation. I was his baby sister, abused and tortured since she was a baby. Not to mention the fact I was meant for a ritual sacrifice. It doesn't bode well for me here, Aunt Glelandra."
"You should have spoken to Nymphadora," the witch continued. "She is another one of your living relatives. That, and your Malfoy relatives."
Faith felt herself bristling. "I'm related to those horrors?"
"Most pure-bloods are, dear," Lucinda said, smiling comfortingly.
"Come here, child," Glelandra said, glaring at her sister in the portrait next to her. "Delita, your mother was an evil woman whose highest level of respect for you was that of a child's sacrifice. She was about to sacrifice her only daughter for the Dark Lord. Your brother died after risking his own life to save yours. You were given a second chance at it, no matter how bad it was."
"You don't know how bad it was," Faith said bitterly, lifting the trunk and walking down the hallway. "You don't know the hell I had to live through for all of those years."
"Then maybe it would comfort you to know that your brother feels exactly the same way," Phineas said slowly.
Faith dropped the trunk, glaring at her great-great-grandfather with her hands on her hips. "Just what do you mean by that?"
"Sirius hasn't been living a perfect life as you so perfectly have claimed he has," Phineas drawled. "He has spent twelve years in prison for a crime he never committed. So before you go off on all of these assumptions, you two really just need to sit down and talk."
"You're right," Faith grumbled as she lifted the trunk again. "I hate all of you for not being here in person to help me, but... I gotta respect you for all your deadness and whatnot. Thanks, guys."
"Anytime, my dear," Glelandra said, waving the mirror gaily after her great-niece as Faith swept out of the entrance hall. "Anytime."
"Delita?"
Faith nearly dropped the trunk again. "Sirius... what... can I get you anything?"
"No, no, nothing," Sirius said briskly, waving his hand impatiently. "It's just that... I heard voices. Do we have company?"
"Yeah, a bunch of dead relatives that like to yak too much sitting on the walls," she said, before turning back to him. "You look terrible."
He glared at her a moment before he did something she wasn't expecting. He grinned.
"Have you seen your reflection in a mirror lately?" he asked her, the grin not leaving his face.
"Our dear Aunt Glelandra stole mine," Faith mumbled, rolling her eyes. "I've been working my ass off down here while you've been locked up there playing hooky."
"Playing what?" Sirius asked her curiously as Faith brushed past him, hoping to get to the attic before she dropped the trunk again.
"Never mind," she said, finally reaching the door to the storage room and opening it. "I was talking to the portraits."
"They'll corrupt you if you're not careful," Sirius said quietly from the doorway.
"I can take care of myself, you know," Faith said, pushing the trunk with the rest of the Christmas decorations, and the fiber-optic Christmas trees she'd purchased. "Being a Slayer, and all."
"I was wondering if you were ever going to tell me about that," Sirius said slowly.
"About what?" Faith asked, turning around and giving him a blank look.
"You. Slayer. I really don't know what that means except there's two of you and you have a particular of fondness for weapons I'm quite afraid of."
Faith smiled. It truly lit up her face. "I'd love to tell you about it," she said quietly as she stood up. "But I'll only do it if you tell me something about yourself."
"What did you have in mind?" Sirius asked as she locked the storage room before walking back down to the third floor again.
"Harry said you could turn into a dog... I'd love to hear the story behind that. I've always loved dogs. My Mother was a bitch and never let me have one. And the day my foster family would let me get something I wanted was a day when Hell would freeze over. So, basically... my brother is a dog."
"You really want to hear about it?" Sirius asked cautiously.
"Duh!" Faith said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I have the whole History-of-Sirius book to help guide me along here. I need some help if I'm supposed to figure out who my brother is."
There was a pensive look on Sirius's face as he stared thoughtfully at her. "I think that's the first time you mentioned anything good about me in the present tense."
"It is?" Faith asked, feeling confused again.
"Yeah," Sirius said with a smile. It really made him look younger when his face relaxed like that, she thought fondly. He really looked like her older brother rather than her grandfather or something, now. "How about we go downstairs, I'll make you lunch, and we'll exchange a few stories."
"I got a better plan," Faith said, pushing on his chest to slow down his progress to the Dining Room. "How about I make us lunch, you get us water, and then we'll talk."
"What do you have against my cooking?" Sirius asked, looking wounded as the siblings entered their dining room.
"No offense, big bro," Faith said, casting him a sympathetic look, "but your food reminds me of this girl I knew in California. Either you're out of practice, or you're a really lousy cook."
- - - - -
Monday dawned as bright and beautiful as the day before, Buffy thought as she fastened her cloak tightly and stared at her books piled inside her leather book bag. With an excited smile, she heaved her bag over her shoulder and ran downstairs to meet with her roommates before heading to breakfast.
The Great Hall was loud and chaotic as usual. Buffy joined the group of seventh years eating at their usual spot at the table and found herself looking down the table at her brother. He waved to her and grinning, she returned the wave.
It seemed as though everything had gotten back to normal.
There had been a tearful reunion the night before in their Common Room when Dean Thomas had returned and Ginny, who had been watching everyone at Grimmauld Place acting like a group of inane lovebirds, finally had her boyfriend back. It was all Ron could do to not slug his roommate in the face as he hugged Ginny right off the ground and swept her away out of sight.
Harry and Hermione grinned at each other, their long robe sleeves hiding their clasped hands.
Buffy seemed oddly alone, although she was sitting between her two roommates, who were catching her up on all of the Hogwarts gossip. They had both been gushing over Buffy's Christmas present, until Buffy told them both that was exactly what it was, a present and nothing more.
This had disappointed them some.
Katie and Emma were both chatting with Yasmine and Tess this morning, and their sixth roommate, a pretty dark-skinned girl named Monica.
Her smile fell slightly when she saw the dark look she was getting from the Slytherin table.
It had been the one thing she hadn't missed. Well, Draco was the only one out of the lot of them she could tolerate, if only for a short time, but the others... she caught sight of Montague and Warrington's sneering faces and let her own lip curl.
Emma stopped talking and noticed her roommate was glaring coldly across the Great Hall. "We forgot to tell you about that lovely bunch, anyway."
"What about them?" Buffy asked, still giving Warrington a haughty glare before turning her attention to her roommate.
"Well, it was about you, somewhat," Emma said hesitantly.
"I don't care if Draco dances around naked in a tea cozy," Buffy said firmly. "I like where I am and I love who I'm with, so they'll just have to get over--"
"It's not about lust and love and all that romantic crap those Slytherins don't have a clue about in the first place," Emma said, waving this bit of information aside. "No, it's about the fact that you have a lot of power..."
"Power..." Buffy mouthed before raising her gaze to meet Draco's. The look in his eyes was clear.
"He didn't," she said in a cold, level voice.
"He knows something he isn't letting on," Emma said, returning to her bacon and eggs. "Come on, Buffy, eat something! We have Care of Magical Creatures this morning and it's down at Hagrid's. You'll freeze without proper nourishment!"
Buffy managed to finish her oatmeal, now fully aware of the haughty, arrogant looks she was receiving from the Slytherin table. They were beginning to make her feel uncomfortable, but she never tore her gaze away, confident and unrelenting.
Just then, she caught sight of Professor Pryce leaving the faculty table. Realizing she had something she wanted to talk to him about, she excused herself from her own group of friends and dashed out of the Great Hall to talk to him.
"Hey, Buffy!" Laurel Wood called. Buffy beamed at her in her haste.
Professor Pryce was smiling at her as the doors swished shut behind her. "I figured you would come... you had that look of wanting to ask me something terribly important," he commented dryly as he took in her wild blonde hair and her slightly pink face.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's just that... I've decided I want to be a Slayer again. I'm allowed now, right? No more evil Watchers to hold me back, save one... and he's a dead man walking..."
"Buffy, need I remind you--"
"Revenge gets me nowhere except dead, blah, blah," she said coolly. "You might want to save that lecture, Professor. I got it already from Giles."
"Right," Professor Pryce said, straightening. "So you're talking about--"
"I'm talking about the training and the learning and the preparing," Buffy replied swiftly. There were footsteps on the other side of the door and she was afraid someone would walk out and overhear them talking about Slayers, something she really didn't want to explain to anyone at this point in time. "It's time I returned to what I was chosen to be."
"You've made your choice," he said under his breath. "And thus my direction was complete. We'll discuss your situation later."
Students were now spilling out, gazing curiously at the Professor and his pupil engaged in direct conversation the first day back from Winter break.
"When?" she asked him curiously.
"You have class with me this afternoon, right?" he asked, frowning. Buffy nodded. "I'll come up with something then. Until that time..." His eyes drifted over to two girls in long winter cloaks, waiting for Buffy by the heavy oak doors. "You'd best get to class, Potter. I'll see you later."
And Buffy had no choice but to turn around and walk out into the cold, January sunlight with her roommates in tow.
- - - - -
Chapter 43... As usual, it's a Buffy-birthday surprise... twisted the wrong way.
Chapter 44... the tale of a Slayer, a Witch and an old Ford Anglia.
Eight chapters to go till breaky.
To the Readers / Reviewers:
I think I accomplished what I wanted in this chapter. Bringing Sirius back WAS huge... but, now he finally got a piece of the candle. I brought him back for both Faith AND Harry. And now you start to see why he's all dopey.
Kel -- Malfoy has to go down. He just has to. He's too peachy in my opinion. Thus, he shall. And the only reason Percy survived was because my Beta told me I couldn't kill him... otherwise, her powers would have failed to bring someone back to life, which would have been more, bigger issues, blah blah blah. I'm glad you enjoyed it though... it'll be the last Oliverness scene for a while... some people need a break before their teeth crack.
BA Shipper '99 -- Angel returns over the summer, I can promise you that. I'm just trying to update as fast I can to do what I promised. 50 chapters isn't the end of this story, it's strategically impossible, unless the Slayers just killed everyone and said, "So, this is how it begins...". I'm not that sadistic. Nor am I that insidious. Not yet, anyway. And, ahem, not engaged. Don't plan on engaging them, it's just TOO quick. Really. They're not even physical partners yet. Not that they would be, but... crap. Sirius's part was mentioned a bit in a nice, longer chapter here. I would double update, but I'd have to write it first... takes time. :)
lost angel92 -- Percy's all right, yep... for now, anyway :)
Emba -- the Percy thing was unbelievably hard to write, for some odd reason. Well, he reminds me of my future brother-in-law, and that's beyond scary. See? You're supposed to like Percy, because he's not just an evil prat who wants to take over the world... or so we all think. I really hope he's redeemed in the books, because if he isn't, then he'll be my Percy (or version thereof) forever.
Panther28 -- I always thought of Faith as being a few years younger than Buffy. I mean, Eliza was only 16 when she portrayed Faith, so... I don't know. I'm just using my poetic license and say she'll turn 17 like in the early part of April. Fan privilege or some such nonsense.
Goddessa39 -- Angel will be making a return trip though, when Buffy visits during the summertime. I could yank 'I Will Remember You', but that'd be torture for all BA fans, so... heh. I'm just thinking she'll visit her dad and run into Angel. Awkward conversation will ensue. As for trying a fic with Kendra, well... that'd be an awesome part of the BA fic. Maybe not in a crossover setting though, but the power of three... crap, more plot bunnies. And I'll get on the BA fic after the wedding... there's just way too much going on right now for me to get everything in. But I do have ideas. Oh, yes... there are those.
MaLooLa -- well, thank you for that compliment! I like going slowly, too. I think some people believe I'll just stop after 50 and there'll be no more story. But, nope, there is still more story to be had.
Evil Buffster / StarBella -- Yeah, I know. More action coming sooneth, I promise. And serious!Buffy will turn back into normal, playful!Buffy. Heh. I don't know where that came from. As for Sirius being on drugs... well, now that you mention it... it does become a plot point later on. As for killing Percy, I just couldn't do it. I wanted to. I really, really intended to. But I figured that if the Slayer used her power to save a human life, it'd ring some bells in some evilies heads and they would start to think, 'new power in town'. Hence, more danger, action, etc. I know Buffy/Oliver seem perfect. Which is why I had to throw a Weasley in there, for now. Next chapter is the chapter in which you'll get your wish... as Buffy does something Buffy shouldn't do... but, hey, it's her birthday. Quentin will get what's coming to him. He's going to die. He's a dead man walking. He's going to be a bloody pulpet of ash and cinder by the time Buffy's done with him. The only problem is... Voldemort wants her to kill him. I say nothing more about this now. As for kicking someone, my mind flashed back on Dawn kicking Buffy in 'Chosen', followed by "dumbass". That'll work its way, I think. Fred deserved that moment for what's about to come. Really. I'm doing something I don't believe in doing, but it has to be done. That way, fluffy!Oliverness can become angsty!Oliverness. I think it'd be cute to have a jealous Buffy and a jealous Oliver. And, there were a few puns back in this chapter. I think so, anyway. I'm trying to lighten her up, really! Okay, end comments for now.
jess -- the next few chapters will answer that. I just had to kick the Potters out of the house first.
Stella7 -- Wish granted! Like, in the next chapter, even.
phoenix83ad -- I know I did some things wrong, but yeah, you'll probably be laughing at me down the road. I wanted Harry to believe in someone. Sort of like the helplessness Hagrid felt after losing Buckbeak in book 3. It was rushed, but it was for a reason. One, I had no idea of the direction this story was going to take. Two, I slowed things down a lot. Three, you're probably going to kill me with nipicking all the loopholes I know exist. I just hope you don't get any evil shovel ideas by the time you're done, and I do thank you for reading!
Okay, so no Angel for Buffy's nineteenth. He really didn't play a part of her birthday on the show (which, if I recall this birthday, was some party in which Giles felt completely left out, Ethan Rayne turned him into a demon, and blah blah blah). I am bringing him back though.
Also, some of you have expressed concerns that this fic is ending after fifty chapters. It's not. I can't end it physically after fifty. I have it planned right now through at least sixty and even then it's getting hard to see an ending in sight. I'm taking a break for a wedding. The wedding is the second weekend of October. I'm writing this fic as fast as I can (and accurately, too, which is shocking since my Beta's notes are almost as long as the Chapters themselves) because I promised fifty chapters before I took a break. It's not the end of the story. There will not be a sequel. I just need a few weeks to get back on track, adjust to new life, and then I'll start writing it again. As far as I can tell, I'll probably start adding to it again sometime in early November, unless I get really ambitious. That way, people can catch up reading. Will I leave the last chapter as a cliffhanger? Sort of. It's just so that you would want to read more when I continued it.
Chapter fifty, which is actually partially written, will be the beginning of April. I'm planning on continuing this fic through the next year, but there will be large leaps in time (which I had to do, otherwise your eyeballs will be falling out by the time Chapter 110 - Couldn't Think of a Creative Title Name came out describing the NEXT Christmas). So, yeah, big plans. I know what I want to do. I just have to get there first. So if you want to know anything, ask away. I might be in the giving mood to give some information out. I just wanted to say that Angel is returning (horror of horrors) during their summer visit. Why? I wanted Buffy and Joyce to reunite. They've been separated for too long now. One reviewer asked me if Joyce would have cancer... I cannot answer this yet, because I don't know... but... yeah. Ask questions. It gets my brain thinking. I don't know about Dawn yet. I'm tempted, but unless a muse tells me how to incorporate her in a way that won't totally be cliche, I'm thinking it won't happen.
Next update is probably going to be soonish. I did get both chapters back from Grace who deserves a lot of hugs right now, but I have some rewriting to do. Not to mention I haven't even started Chapter 44 yet. Urgh, me! So, say, mid-week again. I'm on a forced vacation, so I'll take what I can get! :)
And, seriously, a hundred reviews in about five to six chapters? I'm weeping with joy! I love you guys! And you, and you, and you... oh, if only I could hug each and every one of you!! And I know there are readers out there, too. I hope you're liking what you read!