Chapter 50
I Shall Return
- - - - -
"So, this is how it ends, huh?" Faith asked as she and Buffy got out of their taxi, staring at London Heathrow Airport glimmering before them.
"It doesn't end here," Buffy said firmly as the driver got out to help Faith get her bags from the trunk. He cast them both a suspicious look as Buffy paid him and the two were caught up within the queue walking towards the grand building looming before them.
It was one week after Buffy's trial had ended. The Ministry had been almost desperate to get rid of one of the Slayers. It had been their insistence that Faith leave immediately.
It was a cool, very foggy February morning, one that suited both of them just fine. Because it was finally their turn to say goodbye. They hadn't spoken to one another at all this past week, which meant that these last few minutes were worth everything.
"That's not what I meant," Faith said under her breath as she latched onto Buffy's wrist and pulled her aside. "Buffy, you know I love you. I respect you, too, sometimes. But I know how you are and how you get. And with all of this crap at the Ministry going down, I know that you're not just going to take it. I wouldn't."
"Maybe I should be glad I'm not you," Buffy teased, throwing an awkward glance at the two black cars parked across the street. There were unidentified Wizards walking around them, she knew. She just couldn't tell who they were, they were dressed so damned well. "And you know it won't end here. You're going back because your brain apparently didn't function or something. But it doesn't end here. I mean, we're still the Chosen two until one of us... well, you know."
"I'm just worried that the next time I see you, you'll be in a box," Faith said boldly, not drawing her gaze away. "That's me worrying, for no apparent reason... I must get it from my brother."
"I imagine it was hell to say goodbye to him this morning."
"It was worse," Faith said, and felt tears prickling behind her eyes. What was it with her that had turned her into such a human faucet? "I told him I'd be back though, so I'm hoping it was some consolation. At least he knows his sister will be alive at the end of things." Her voice was very bitter now and she turned away from Buffy. "I can't say the same for your brother, though. He's seen you dead once already."
"You made this choice, Faith. It was your choice to make," Buffy said reassuringly. "You're about an hour away from getting on that plane, so now is not the time for regrets."
"It doesn't matter," Faith snapped angrily. "If I didn't make it, I could do something really stupid. I'm not well-liked in this world; I get that. Harry means a lot to me, and you do, too, obviously. I have to get out of here until things calm down. I don't want to put anyone in danger. It's not our jobs to put lives in danger, B. You've been a Slayer longer. Tell me you still believe that."
"I know I believe that," Buffy said uncertainly. "But I also believe other stuff I never thought I'd once believe. Everything Quentin said about us is true. So is everything the Ministry told me about me."
"We're evil... I still can't believe we're evil. That's what Slayers are. Demons. No matter what you make of it, that's our nature. It's in our blood. Our destiny is to flock to the darkness. That's why so many Slayers have died so young; they were unwilling to go that far. I don't want to face that darkness... who would?"
"I've been there," Buffy said, a shadow passing over her face. "It's our job, Faith. It's our nature. We were chosen to fight it, not side with it."
"But they think that's all we'll ever do," Faith said quietly, watching Buffy's expression carefully. "Isn't it? All we'll ever be is the evil duo bringing pain and misery and I can't pretend I want to be a part of it. The Slayer inside of me is dying for a good fight. Instead of unleashing my demon here, I prefer to do it where it'll do more good than harm."
"We have power, Faith... we just have to make sure we balance it with the good," Buffy said, even though she knew she was rather unconvincing. Faith believed that magic was bad and could only lead to darkness. Even Buffy had to tell herself that her words held little meaning. The Ministry was telling her she'd never be the normal person she'd once was. "It's just a curse of the power."
"You heard what Quentin said the first time, 'there is no good or evil, there is only power'. That was before you impaled him with his own sword, I might add."
Buffy chortled and crossed her arms, staring at the other Slayer standing six feet in front of her.
It seemed as though the Slayers had come to their own parting.
"Buffy, I want you to watch your back. I know how bad it can get in there. I know it's sort of weird that everyone thinks you're a psychotic lunatic, but it's only normal," Faith said, tapping her skull with her index finger. "It just reminds me of that one story with you trying to stake Cordelia. Why you never did is beyond me."
Buffy smiled just then. It had been awhile since she'd been able to smile like that. She also laughed, something that wasn't forced or sarcastic. Faith felt her own grin split her face.
"I don't know, Faith," she finally replied, shaking her head. "I just have a lot to deal with, you know? The Ministry wants me to toe the line and be a good little demon. The school has been all not-friendly with their attitudes and the only people who will talk to me still are the stupid future Death Eaters of England. Well..." She paused as she cast a glance behind her. "Them and Percy."
"Not to mention that boy you've become so crazy about," Faith said in a sugar-coated voice. "He'll get over himself. He should have realized that Slayers carry power, like He-man."
"Do you think he'd get it if I tried explaining it that way?" Buffy asked with an innocent expression on her face.
"Might help if you had the action figures," Faith said, shrugging.
"I'm coming back this summer," Buffy finally said after a few moments of awkward silence. "I'm coming back to see my Mother."
"I'm glad you've accepted the fact she still is your Mother, no matter what your last names are," Faith replied softly. "I'll be waiting for you. I'm pretty sure I can round up an apocalypse to keep you on your toes." She looked worried for a moment. "Are you sure the Ministry's gonna up and let you leave?"
"It's one of the things I've fought hard for," Buffy said with an ironic smile. "Little do they know that as Harry's only surviving magical family member, Dumbledore's blood charm has ensured that Harry is protected in my care. If he's at the Hellmouth, he's safe. Oddly enough. We both know it's about as safe as jumping into a cobra tank."
"Sometimes it's about as safe as offering yourself to a starving lion," Faith agreed with a chuckle. "But chalk it up to irony. You, the one the Ministry is so worried will kill your own blood, saving him from the big bads by taking him home with you. And you won this argument?"
"I had a little help," Buffy said with a sigh. "Wasn't much, but it was enough."
"I know you're probably going to be grilled to insanity by that creepy Ministry guy this afternoon. Don't take any crap from him, B. If he threatens to kill you, again... I'll come and take him out myself." She gave a quick look around them to make certain that no Wizards had overheard her. "Or, I'll sic Giles on him."
"Imagine the possibilities," Buffy said, an expression of dreamy non-concern falling across her eyes. "You know, now that you're going away... I'm pretty sure these next few months are going to be boring as hell."
So, this was Buffy's big plight. A guilt-trip on Faith. Faith bitterly cursed her tear ducts for ever figuring out how to function as emotion welled within her. Without warning, she threw herself into Buffy's arms, holding the other Slayer tightly in her grasp.
"You know why I can't," Faith told her once they'd separated. "It's too dangerous. I'm not going to risk Harry's life like that. I can't risk going all wiggy and all murder-happy."
"You really like him, don't you?" Buffy asked, tilting her head as she considered the younger woman. "I just can't figure out why you gave him up so easily."
"I gave him more," Faith said with a tight smile. "Hermione's a good girl. She'll take care of my Little P. And if she doesn't, well... that'll be for time to tell."
She turned away and stared at the crowds still going in every direction. "I should go..."
"Faith..."
"I'll be back, B," Faith assured her with a hasty smile before Buffy could get all emotional at her again. "I promise you that someday when all of this is over, I'll come back. I'm going to find Sirius again. And we'll be the family I know in my heart we can be. All non-dysfunctional and shit. Really, Buff... don't worry about me..."
The tears had started again, but as Buffy stepped towards her, Faith took a few steps back. If she strayed from her resolve now, she would never get on that plane.
"Sunnydale needs me," Faith finally said with a crooked smile. "It needs you, too. It'll welcome you back with open arms when you finally decide to make your stand and return home."
"Loads of vampires and demons, oh joy," Buffy said sarcastically. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at the dark eyes still staring at her. "Are we all right? I mean, are we cool?"
"Yeah," Faith said, with her infamous half smile. "We're just five by five."
She turned and walked away.
It was the hardest thing she had ever done, she decided. She was leaving because she knew she was a threat to Harry's life. She was leaving because she was scared of her own powers. She would only come back once the one person who could call upon her and her powers was dead. Dead and burned or whatever. She would accept a vial of ashes to prove that. Oh, yes, she would.
She paused at the security gate and turned back to see if Buffy was still standing there. But the elder Slayer had already left. She was gone.
Several Ministry Wizards had walked up to her, wearing everything from neat suits with matching ties to jeans and casual button-down shirts. She was surprised they had a fashion sense at all, with all of the long, boring robes she knew they wore to work.
They escorted her outside and told her that a taxi was waiting to take her back to the Ministry. She had one last meeting with Cornelius Fudge and then she was returning to Hogwarts. Her week-long suspension was over. She was finally free to be a student again and have the chance to get at least a small part of her life back.
She had walked a few more blocks when she saw a cab waiting for her on the corner. She lifted her arm, but the door opened and a familiar redhead stepped out. She nearly burst into tears when she saw Percy's drawn face.
He had been waiting for her.
Every moment of this past week had been spent reminding herself of how evil she had been when she'd been in that citadel. At least, for a while anyway, Faith had been there to watch her back. Now that she was well on her way to boarding a plane back to Los Angeles, Buffy had felt alone walking in a hostile world that didn't understand things like magic or Slayers.
She still had one person. And he was holding out his arms to her now. She walked into them, feeling relieved to hold onto someone, to let out some of the frustration and hopelessness she'd been feeling.
They separated after only a minute and he held the door open and she slipped inside, noticing that the driver was an older Wizard in long, emerald-green robes. "Stylish," she muttered as she buckled herself in.
"It's going to be all right, Buffy," he said soothingly, reaching over and clasping her shoulder. "You'll see... you'll see..."
Frankly, Buffy was uncertain how things were going to be now. As they drove back to the Ministry in silence, Buffy eyed the Ministry Wizard driving the cab and smirked; Percy really did have the best contacts.
"How did I get so lucky to have such a good friend like you?" she asked him with a tiny smile.
"I guess it was fate, or karma, or something," Percy said pompously. "It's not as though everyone gets to be friends with a Potter."
"You're such a prat, Perce," she said, smiling through her tears.
"Why, thank you."
Buffy just rolled her eyes, leaning her head against the fogged window, watching as London flew by as their car drove into the seedier neighborhood. It was nearing noon and Buffy realized that she really wanted to be back at Hogwarts now. She didn't want a confrontation with Fudge or the rest of his idiotic Ministry Wizards. No matter what they had to say.
She couldn't exactly make a quick getaway since she wasn't exactly allowed to use the Floo system on her own, anymore. She was going to have to ask about that. Who in their right mind would think 'Ministry of Magic, London' could mean 'Big Bad's Evil Palace-o-Torture'? It was ridiculous.
They arrived at the Ministry and used the visitor's entrance to get inside. Buffy opened her mouth to ask about what the poor taxi driver was going to do, but Percy just hushed her and pulled her inside the telephone booth.
Less than twenty minutes later, she was sitting in the now-familiar office of Cornelius Fudge as he glowered at her. But she wasn't going to stare at her knees and make tiny whimpering noises at his threats anymore. She wasn't going to sit there and play the pathetic, self-pitying hussy. Nope, that had been last week's Buffy. This week's model had had a few hours of pain and torture too many.
The first thing she asked when he sat down was, "Are you ever going to let me get back and forth without a babysitter?" She swallowed as he paled and looked up at her quickly. "Mind you," she interjected, "it's nice you gave your big assistant the job, but I'm sure he has more important things to do than walk around with the deadly Potter all day."
He looked as though he were trying to puff himself up, the poor man. "Well, this past week has been rather silent for you..." he began.
"Look," she said, as she suddenly found her left hand to be of great interest. "I don't think you have to worry about me going around and chopping off heads when the only place I've been besides here is the bloody school. How much more do I have to prove to you people?"
"Well, I..."
"And on top of that, you called me a bloody Death Eater! Now everyone in my school thinks I'm going to be the next Dark Lord because I'm all tattoo-ey and evil and I scared a bunch of people who should know what's going on around them!"
"See, that's the thing--"
"What really irritates me is that I was face-to-face with this guy, he tortures my head, gives me this blasted tattoo and then you act as though I meant for this to happen! Hello, I got out of there alive without getting myself really, really dead. I think that should prove I'm not about to hand anyone over to those horrors."
Fudge didn't bother saying anything this time. His mouth just kept opening and closing like a goldfish.
"I'm not saying that I didn't do anything wrong. I know I did. I took out a bad guy, going against the Slayer code that says killing humans is bad. I have the rest of my life to remember that. But if you don't give me some room to breathe, the rest of my life might come crashing down to an end a hell of a lot sooner than I want it. I have aspirations now, sir. I have a future, and right now I feel like all of these rules and restrictions are holding me back. They are, and it's good."
She clenched her fist and set it in her lap.
"I know that it might take some time for you to trust me again, but if you don't give me anything, there's no reason why I should expect you to trust me. I need your faith, your belief, your... whatever it's called. And before you tell me that I'm out of line and desperately need to face a psychiatric ward, believe me, I know the drill. I've been saving the world for five years now. Five years... not a lot of Slayers live that long to tell the tale. I can be all redemption-y and atoning for what I've done for another five years... or I could be killed tonight. I just want you to know that I'm a loyal fighter for the good guys, no matter what the demon inside of me says. If he wants to party, that's his choice. But he has to get through me first. And I can psychobabble that sorry demon back inside my gut if I have to."
"Well, Miss Potter, I have been waiting for you to say something like that."
She blinked. "You... you have?"
"When I first met you seven months ago, I half expected you to start throwing a tantrum and saying how much you despised the decision other people had made for you. Once you'd found out how I was involved in your brother's... disappointing fifth year, I half expected you to be, shall I say, gung-ho about it. What I have found is the maturity of someone who has faced a lot of bad things and has had some good come of it as well." He glanced up at her. "This past week you have shown amazing courage in not throttling those of us who have been critiquing you. You have come to prove to me that you are not only a loyal person, but loyal blood. You have quite a lot to be going about right now. You still have five months left of your magical education. Once that is complete, I would be honored to see you challenge yourself to become all that you can be."
He gazed at her almost fondly for a moment before sitting down. "This past week hasn't been easy on us, either. Criticizing you to the point of cutting you down completely is not the most pleasurable thing to do, especially when many of us had had such a great first impression."
He gestured towards the door. "There is the door, Miss Potter. I believe you know your way back to Hogwarts. I will have Percy follow you, because I know how close you two have gotten these past few months. I can only hope your friendship will weather this storm ahead of you. Good day."
She stood up and walked towards the exit, pausing a moment to turn back to look at the Minister of Magic. "Thank you," she said quietly.
Percy caught up with her outside the office and led her immediately to the Floo fireplaces and stood in line with her until she reached the front of the queue. They didn't say anything.
They didn't need to.
Percy gave her another hug and said, "Goodbye, Buffy," before disappearing. Watching him go, she finally walked to the empty fireplace and removed her last remaining handful of Floo powder.
She stepped inside the fireplace and threw it down, watching as the soft crystals spun around before the warm, green flames overtook her.
"Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts," she said.
And she disappeared.
- - - - -
Harry was waiting for her when she returned.
"Have a nice trip?" he asked her as he helped her out of the fireplace.
"It was probably better than some," she admitted while staring at the floor. Now that they were face-to-face, she suddenly felt as though she'd swallowed tar. "Can we talk or are you... busy?"
"I was hoping I could ask you some things. I spoke with Faith last night when she told me she was leaving for California."
"Oh... right." How could Buffy have forgotten this?
"Are you all right?"
"I'll be okay," Buffy said, and in all honesty, she felt okay. So, she'd been at school for a week but she hadn't really been involved with classes or anything. She'd spent more time at the Ministry than she had at Hogwarts lately.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked her as they settled on the sofa in front of the fireplace she had just walked out of. Or, in true Buffy-style, stumbled out of.
"This," Buffy said, reaching for her left sleeve. As she rolled it up, he reached out and touched her arm, but then recoiled when he saw the Dark Mark imprinted on it.
"What? How in the bloody hell did that get on your arm?"
"From what the Ministry has been able to tell me, it's a battle scar," Buffy said bitterly, inspecting the silvery tattoo under the warm firelight. "I know it looks like I'm some evil whore for Voldemort, but I really can tell you I'm not." Her face twisted into a dark mask. "I never thought I'd be so glad to meet the monster who killed our beloved parents, but I was when he decided to offer me the deal. I told him to bite me."
"Well, if you said it that way, I'm sure he would have been rolling on the floor in hysterics," Harry deadpanned. Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at him.
"Honestly? I told him I was a Potter and it meant something. It does mean something to be one, doesn't it?"
"It's something about bravery, or so I thought."
"Maybe I shouldn't be a Potter."
"It doesn't matter what you are, Buffy," Harry said, placing his hand over her Mark and glancing into her eyes. "You're still a part of this world, even if you didn't want to be. You're my sister and I think you're beginning to realize at this moment that it's a hell of a lot of responsibility to be getting on with."
"You're not wrong," she said with a sigh.
"What did the Ministry tell you?"
"Well, first they told me that Faith was so against wanting to put her life on the line for our dear parents' killer that she wanted to leave. They told her she should. I think she told you that much. And then they told me that they wanted me to do some stuff for them."
"Like what?" Harry asked, genuinely curious now.
"It was something about spying," Buffy said, waving this notion aside. "It won't happen until I finished school anyway. Like they'd try anything now with me by your side, Dark Mark or naught." She frowned at her arm suddenly. "I really hope you don't mind that your sister is some sick and evil twisted--"
"But you're not!" Harry protested. "Are you?"
"It's about time I told you this, Harry, because I just found out a week ago myself," she said with a sigh, turning to face him. "It's time I told you what I should have told you the moment I was revived."
"You mean when you woke up? But you were so weak and pathetic then!"
"Thanks a lot, you dope! I was trying to gain the confidence to tell you what I was about to say and then you had to start in with me on that?"
"Sorry, sorry... please, continue. It's absolutely fascinating."
And she told him. She told him about the three 'wise' men who came at Voldemort's call to tell her who she really was. She told him about Hermione's charm, although Harry knew a lot about it now, no matter how angry he was with her. She told him about being a demon.
She told him everything.
- - - - -
Upon leaving Gryffindor Tower behind, she pressed a hand to her stomach. She was starving. But the prospect of eating with a hostile crowd wasn't appealing to her at all. Sighing, she forced herself to go, anyway. She would sit at the end of the bloody Slytherin table if she had to.
There was a small crowd of older Gryffindors standing inside the Entrance Hall, talking and laughing as they left the Great Hall. Buffy saw her roommates and stared at them, half-curious to see their expressions and their attitudes, and half dreading it.
Tess and Yasmine exchanged a dark look and stalked past her. Buffy walked downstairs, looking sadly back at them. She was halfway down when a hand clasped over her upper arm.
"You got a sec?"
Buffy turned to see Katie standing there. Emma was right below her, telling some of the guys that they'd catch up. Katie led Buffy down to a corner of the vast hall, Emma following close behind.
"We owe you a bit of an apology," Emma said, shifting uneasily from foot to foot.
"You don't owe me anything," Buffy said, her voice cool. "I'm just not going to simper and take it anymore, that's all."
"It's getting disturbing watching you make nice with the Slytherins," Katie said, glancing over her shoulder as the door leading down to the dungeons burst open and a throng of Slytherins entered the Great Hall.
"I suppose when people who you thought were friends start talking in broad daylight about you being a cold-blooded killer, you start to get choosy," Buffy said, rolling her eyes. "Look, if you want to know what happened, I'm pretty sure someone has a clue, so go ask them and stop playing with me. I haven't eaten since last night and I'm starved."
Katie caught her arm again before Buffy could leave. "We still owe you an apology."
"You know," Buffy said slowly, "I thought you Gryffindors valued friendship and bravery, companionship and camaraderie. Guess I was wrong."
"Buffy, wait," Emma said, grabbing Buffy's other arm. "We've been stupid... I know. A lot of weird stuff has been happening lately, and you're a big cause of it."
"Gee, I feel loved," Buffy snorted, running a hand through her hair.
"We didn't mean to follow it," Katie said quickly. It was taking the combined strength of both her and Emma to hold Buffy to her corner, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Buffy broke through their feeble defense. "We should have been a little bit more, well, intelligent. What you did probably sucks."
"You have no idea," Buffy said with a dark smile.
"I know that most of the school thinks you're scum right about now," Emma said, biting her lip.
"Except the Slytherins," Katie reminded her. "But they don't count."
Buffy gave them both a cool look. "At least they haven't shunned me."
"We're on your side," Emma said, breaking all pretense of wanting to be nice. "Even though we haven't acted like it lately... we're still on your side."
"You... you are?" Buffy asked doubtfully, finally stopping her half-hearted attempt to get these two women away from her.
"For all it's worth, Buffy... even if the rest of the Gryffindors and the rest of the school hates you for what you've done, you still have a friend here," Katie said, and Buffy glanced at her, remembering those words.
"Actually, you have two," Emma said with a smile of fierce pride. "We can defend you from all the evil morons and mutterings."
"Oh, the world is doomed," Buffy said with a bemused smirk. "Okay, fine... how about a truce? I still need a few days to accept an apology and probably about a month to forgive stuff."
"A truce?" Katie asked.
"What? You're both not that oblivious to Muggles, are you?" Buffy asked in disbelief, glancing from Katie to Emma.
They both stepped aside, but instead of letting her walk past them, they each took one of her arms and led her into the Great Hall. "As much as you love to tease us, Buffy... it'll take us a few hours to get this truce through our thick, discriminating skulls."
"Speaking of being thick," Buffy said with a frown as she glanced at the empty Gryffindor table, "didn't you guys already eat?"
"Like we're going to let you sit with those Slytherins," Emma said, glowering at the sea of green and silver on the other side of the room. "Hell, no."
"You're much too good for those idiots," Katie said, grinning at her as they both sat her down in the middle of their empty table. Buffy dished herself up and started eating.
"After a week of crappy Ministry food, this stuff is incredible," Buffy said as she finished her stew.
"Are you going back to the Ministry?" Katie asked her uncertainly.
"No," Buffy said, swallowing. "I do have a meeting with Dumbledore though... and..." Her eyes searched the few remaining bodies in the Great Hall. "Have you guys seen Oliver lately?"
"He hasn't been around much," Emma said, looking at Katie. "We figured you two had called it quits or something."
Buffy nearly coughed up the pumpkin juice she was drinking. "What? Did he tell you something? I don't know what's going on..."
"He said he'd be back this afternoon," Katie said quickly, glaring at Emma from across the table. "You should try his room when you're done."
"I think I will, thanks."
After she'd finished eating, Buffy walked up to the Headmaster's office.
Professor Dumbledore was waiting for her when she knocked on his door. It was just after lunch. She and Harry had spent a good hour talking. And then she'd told him she needed to see the Headmaster.
She sat down in the chair he offered her. He ever offered her tea, but she declined with a shake of her head.
"I understand that you will return to your lessons tomorrow. It must have been a difficult choice for you to make, given your reputation as an outstanding student has been tarnished as of late."
She winced. That was one way of putting it.
"I'm going to try and fix things," she assured him quickly. "I promised the Ministry I would at least try and get through this year without doing any more damage. Once that happens, you'll be free of troublesome Buffy."
"It isn't that I'm worried about the school," the Headmaster told her with a slight smile. "I am more concerned for your future than this educational institution. We are well protected, even if you do decide to retract all of the advanced magicks again."
Buffy turned a slight hue of pink before continuing. "I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life, you know? Faith went back to being the Sunnydale Slayer and I'm pretty much throwing my mercy to the dogs. I don't like begging, but if I have to, then, so be it."
"I don't think it will come down to that," Professor Dumbledore said, staring at her more intently now. "I assume you do wish to take your advanced N.E.W.T.s and then apply at the Ministry?"
"Do you think they'll hire someone who just turned evil?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"I am not the only one who believes in second chances," Professor Dumbledore said lightly. "Shortly after your return to Hogwarts last night, the Minister of Magic came into contact with me. He wished to discuss your future should you pass your exams coming up in the next few months." He paused here. "He had spoken with some of the Aurors and they believe that you should seriously consider the position they have offered you."
"A vampire hunter," Buffy said, shaking her head in amazement. "I can do my calling professionally, get paid for it, and still be around others in a civilized manner. It would be desirable, but you and I both know they offered me a pretense."
"That they did," Professor Dumbledore replied. "Have you thought about it?"
"I spent most of the night going over it in my head, and it didn't make a lot of sense, you know? What they've asked me to do is play with fire, and as much as I love being action Buffy, it's scary to know how close I'll come to going over the edge. I've already lost control once. I don't want to do it again. It ends up hurting the people that I love." She looked up at him and gave him a tired smile. "That's why Faith left, you know. She didn't want to hurt anyone, least of all, Harry." Buffy blinked and turned away, her hand clasping over her mouth.
"It is quite all right to have feelings, Miss Potter," he said, approaching her and laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It truly means you have a heart."
"Sometimes I wonder," she said with a sad smile. "I've just seen too much, done too much... I wonder if it'll ever end."
"End?" he asked, looking puzzled as he returned to his desk.
"You know, the bad guy dies and we get to party," Buffy said quietly. "Like when we finally get a moment to breathe. It's happily ever after. I've done some amazing things with my life and even though I'm a huge part of that, I wonder what comes next. I've already graduated from school once only to come to school again. And now I have the rest of my life to think about and it's scary, you know? I always expected I'd go to college and find something to do with myself, law enforcement or a prison guard or something. Maybe I could teach art classes where the little kids could make me stakes."
She chortled at the mental image suddenly springing into her head.
"Now that I'm a part of this world, things have changed. I get the chance to be who I was destined to be. It's sort of cool because I don't have to be invisible anymore. I can finally be me."
"This was one of the reasons why I presented you with this opportunity in the first place," the Headmaster said, smiling. "I think you would make an outstanding Ministry employee, even with your background."
"Just as long as I don't turn evil again, I'm all set," Buffy said, forcing another smile. Her stomach was beginning to squirm. Damn, she was beginning to hate it. It was as though it were telling she how stupid she was do say something she probably wasn't going to mean. Well, she meant it now and if she had to cut out her bloody organs to make them understand, so be it.
There was no denying the force within her, the strength just dying to burst out, literally. For one peaceful moment, the Slayer had been free, breathing her last breath in the instant before the portkey had taken them back. But the stupid orb had taken her away from her moment of sweet release, and she'd been forced back into a body with a very powerful demon. It was unnerving and agitating. It was also undeniable.
She rose quickly, not wanting to dwell on the dark thoughts anymore. "If you don't mind, sir, I would like to return to Gryffindor Tower. It's been quite some time since I've been able to be around my own classmates."
"Of course, Miss Potter," he said, and she said goodbye and left his office.
He'd been studying her intently for the past quarter of an hour. She was quite unsettled. He knew she was worried. He was worried about her, too. It was an extraordinary mark of that woman to be so concerned with others when her own life had just collapsed from beneath her.
One this was for certain. Voldemort would be calling for her, and Dumbledore would finally get to see her true strength in whether or not she could resist him. She had already shown loyalty to him and to the world by not falling under the Dark Lord's advances.
Buffy walked through the hallways, finally feeling as though she'd accomplished something useful. She'd spoken to two of the people she'd wanted to. Now she just had to find the third and final one.
He wasn't there when Buffy knocked once, twice, three times. She knew him well enough to suspect he didn't lock his door. He hadn't.
She walked inside, feeling the cold again. She still felt thoroughly depressed about this entire situation and she wanted to clear things up. Her conversation with Harry and Professor Dumbledore had taught her that much.
She just wished she could make things up with Oliver. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she knew she had, by getting up and leaving without so much as an explanation. And the first time he saw her upon her return, she had been dead.
It was far too much to think about now. And she was still too tired.
She felt empty as she dropped her cloak on the back of his single chair and walked to his bed. She could hear reflections of her happy laughter and her inane giggles as they had wrestled so many times there. She could hear his voice, in that damned accent of his, telling her, in no uncertain terms, how crazy she drove him.
She sat down on the bed and brought her head down upon a pillow, inhaling its sweet scent. It was enough to push her senses into overdrive as she closed her eyes.
She didn't remember dreaming, but she saw herself in the Citadel, holding a sword in her hand and glaring at her prey stalking around her. She was calling them on, taunting them. One struck and she ducked his blow, only to lift her sword and slit him from the navel across his chest to his shoulder. He gasped in surprise as he fell to the ground and she screamed.
A hand came out of nowhere and clamped itself over her mouth. Buffy gasped as her eyes flew open and she sat up, only to hear a muffled shout in front of her. She would have screamed had the hand not been covering her mouth. Recognition flashed in her eyes as she launched herself into Oliver's arms, holding as though she never wanted to let him go.
"Buffy, as much as it excites me to see you in my bed in the middle of the afternoon, what are you doing here?" he asked her as he gently detached her arms before she strangled him.
"I had to see you," Buffy said, disappointed tears filling her eyes. "Things have been so distant between us lately."
He gazed at her sad face before turning away. "I realize that we're both at fault for that."
"I don't want it to be," she said, understanding the time had come to put everything on the line. "I know it's never going to be just perfect again, but I... I love you more than I've loved anything before sometimes and it's scaring the hell out of me."
He looked up at her, surprise in his blue eyes. "After everything that has happened, you still..."
She nodded and stood up, facing him. "It scares me sometimes, knowing how I feel and how far away you've been... I just wish I could touch you."
He reached down and took one of her hands.
"I had to see you tonight to tell you how I really felt and to ask you if there is any way we can make it up, because I don't want to lose you. You've got to be one of the best things that's ever happened to me. But I'm not going to let you break my heart if you can't... I know what I am and you know what I am... if you want to walk away from this now... I don't think I could hate you."
She was crying now. It was so beautiful to see someone so powerful just break down in tears as she had done. He reached out with his free hand and gently stroked the tears away.
"I know what you are," he said, his gaze meeting hers steadily. "It scares me a little."
"Join the club," she said, giving him a half-smile. "I know it's a lot to ask, because I'm not exactly the perfect or normal girl. I've never been anything close to it until I got here."
He drew her close and kissed her softly. It was very chaste and it was over in the blink of an eye. As he pulled back, he saw the look on her face change. She looked as though she would collapse if he said what she thought he was going to say next. But he didn't. He just held onto her for another moment before pulling back.
"Knowing that you aren't perfect, it makes me realize I've fallen even more for you," he said at last.
There was confusion in her eyes as she glanced up at him.
"Don't doubt me or my intentions," he said, smiling slightly. "And I promise to never doubt yours."
She smiled through her disbelief. "You're not going to walk away?"
"How could I?" he asked softly. "We've been through this amazing thing together, and I'm not one to leave. I couldn't do that to you any more than you could do it to me."
Her smile widened. "Really?"
"We're in this together," he said, taking both of her hands now. "Till the end."
"Does that mean you'll forgive me?" she asked hopefully.
"My dear girl," he said, pulling her back into his arms. "I would love to just see inside that head of yours sometime."
She laughed. It was a pretty odd sound coming from her. "So, we're good?"
He was looking at her strangely. "I think you can say that, yes," he replied quietly. "I don't want to get all possessive or anything..."
"No," she said, tilting her head. "But it'd be a nice change of pace, you know?" She gently detached herself from him and sat back down, wrapping her arms around herself.
"You cold?" he asked her as he sat next to her. His eyes fell onto the Dark Mark on her bare arms as she shivered slightly.
"A little."
"Allow me." He stood up and took out his wand. A moment later, the fire was blazing, bringing much needed warmth to her body.
She was still in a complete state of disbelief. Oliver had forgiven her for walking away. He still considered her to be his.
It was so liberating to her knowing she wouldn't have to walk away this time. He turned to pull away, but she reached out and put her hand on his leg to steady him. "No," she said quietly. "Please... stay..."
The look on his face was worth the effort. He looked at her, at her tattooed arm on his. The look in her eyes was so intense, it nearly took his breath away. "Buffy, I--"
She cut him off by kissing him. It wasn't one of their usual embraces, either. This had much more fire and passion than he knew she had. Well, of course she had it. He just hadn't known what a kiss like this was like, until now.
He found his hands sliding up her arms and dipping into her hair, drawing her closer to him. He felt his heart quicken as she drew in a breath, their embrace growing even more passionate.
His hand drifted down to her back and held her to him. She wasn't going anywhere. His lips traced a small line along her jawbone and down her neck as she moaned softly above him.
Her own hands had worked to unfasten his cloak. As it fell away, she started undoing the buttons on his Muggle shirt until he felt his bare skin beneath her touch. For a moment, time seemed to stop as she pulled back and they gazed at one another. This was one step further than they had gone, but it wasn't exactly where they wanted to stop. They both knew what was to come and if they didn't stop now, they never would.
Feeling as though he should attempt to be the gentleman, he looked her in the eye and said, "Buffy, I--". But, once again, she cut him off with her lips, her hands sliding around his neck as they tipped backwards on his bed. She was still on top of him, but as soon as he got the feeling back in his body, he was going to move her.
He felt himself give into her, and she had fully given herself to him. The minutes passed quickly, but they were too involved with their own details. Most of their clothing had disappeared as they were lost in themselves and the tangle of a blanket around them.
By mid-evening, most of the candles had worn down to their ends. They were both dozing, his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her to him. He opened his eyes and smiled at her back as he started kissing across her shoulders. She stirred and turned in his arms to face him.
"This is different," she said, smiling. Her eyes were truly amazing sparkling like that. He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.
"See? I'm not evil," he said, pulling her closer.
She beamed at him. He kissed her and then rested his forehead against hers. Her fingers came from under the blanket until they met his chest. "And your heart's still beating... must be a lucky Buffy day."
"I think everyday should be a Buffy day," Oliver teased as she rolled her eyes and sat up, pulling most of the sheets with her. "Hey!"
She started giggling as his arms grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down to him. The laughter caught in her throat when she saw his eyes.
"I've never felt anything like this before," he said seriously.
"So, you're not going to run away, try and kill my friends and hurt me in the process?" she asked.
"Well, I can try to run away. I'm probably not going to be able to kill any of your friends because they'd hex me if I tried, and if I hurt you, I'd have to start cutting off these body parts I've admired so much."
"You really live up to your surname, you know that?" she asked, arching one eyebrow playfully.
"Get back here," he growled, flipping her over as she giggled.
He paused a moment. "Someday, it could be your surname, too."
She looked up at him with shining eyes. "Oli, we were just kidding around with your family... you know we're too young, right?"
"We won't be forever," he said as he dropped back down next to her. She quickly snuggled back to him and draped him in her sheet. "And I was being serious."
"You really think of me as long-term girlfriend material?" she asked, feeling slightly surprised. She should have known that this talk would come up after having such... excitement. Hell, she already thought of herself as a long-term girlfriend. She just never knew how much farther it could go.
"After tonight, I'm starting to think anything is possible," Oliver said, trailing a hand down her arm. "I'm certainly willing to see where it goes from here."
"Everywhere," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him down to her. "It goes everywhere."
- - - - -
Monday morning was bright and beautiful for a late winter morning.
For Buffy, it felt as though she had just woken up a whole new person. After a quick shower and a mad dash to Gryffindor Tower despite the hoots and catcalls, Buffy was ready to face what came ahead for her. For some odd reason, she felt better knowing that she still had a Gryffindor friend, her brother didn't hate her for being a total psychotic, and that the Ministry wasn't walking on eggshells knowing she was going to turn back into a psychotic.
She smirked when she noticed Oliver waiting for her in front of the Great Hall. His eyes held something much different than the adoration she had seen in them before. There was love, yes, they'd never had much of a problem with that. But last night had been a revelation to them both, that something good was happening between them, and it wasn't going to go away.
He was also enduring the taunts of her roommates, specifically Katie and Emma, who had always been on Oliver-watch to torment him.
This morning was no different.
"Good morning," she said with the sweetest smile as she approached them.
Katie and Emma turned to look at Buffy in disbelief. She hadn't gone back to their room all night, and until now they'd been teasing Oliver about her spending the night with him.
Well, at least they were right one time out of the thousand they tried.
Oliver opened his arm to her and she ducked underneath it, giving both of her roommates that sickeningly sweet smile.
"Oh, dear," was all Emma could come up with as Oliver and Buffy exchanged a bemused grin before heading off into the Great Hall together.
"Do you suppose something happened last night?" Katie asked her as they followed them.
"Obviously something happened," Emma said, eyeing her friend and roommate carefully. "Just look at her. She's glowing."
"People do tend to do that before they start trying to pick us off," came a haughty voice from behind them. Emma turned to see Tess, Yasmine and their sixth roommate standing there. "Obviously she's poisoned you with some delusions of grandeur." The other seventh year Gryffindors chuckled, but Emma rose to her full height.
"You know what, Tess? Grow up. Stop acting like an insecure little brat because you can't handle the truth."
Tess's jaw fell open and Buffy turned to regard Emma in a new light.
Well, there was one Gryffindor who hadn't lost her backbone.
The day passed rather quickly in Buffy's opinion. Professor Lupin had picked up on Professor Pryce's old lessons and was teaching them some defensive hexes. It was rather interesting material, and Buffy, back to wanting to be her old bookworm-y self, couldn't wait to read up on them.
Potions was nothing short of torture in her opinion. Since she spent it with the first year Gryffindors and Slytherins, she had every right to call it torture. She walked over to Laurel Wood, who gave her an appraising sort of smile. And then she invited Buffy to sit with her and her best friend, Natalie Johnson's little sister Andrea.
Professor Snape was teaching them about sleeping potions that day, and Buffy found her mind wandering to what was surely going to be another normal Monday night. They had their first Quidditch practice of the year, since the game with Slytherin wasn't until the end of March, now. Slytherin's game with Ravenclaw was supposed to take place that weekend, but since Draco had been restricted from playing, well... the team had to forfeit.
Hufflepuff was playing Gryffindor in three weeks, and Buffy was intending on being ready for them. What surprised her is that, despite everything that had happened, she was being allowed to play Quidditch.
After Potions ended, Buffy walked up to the front of the class. "Um, sir... I wish to discuss with you the make-up work you've assigned."
"Have a seat, Potter."
She sat down.
"I know that you have asked that Malfoy not be reinstated as your tutor, and I shall respect your decision," Professor Snape said, looking at her. "I expect you to have all of this work done within one week. Can you manage that?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you." She rose, but before she left, she turned back. "Excuse me, Professor, but I believe you were the one who suspended Draco from playing Quidditch, right?"
He nodded, looking slightly annoyed. She didn't blame him.
"Is there any way you could un-suspend him?" she asked.
He looked slightly surprised by her change of heart. "Why would you want to take back his punishment?"
"Professor Dumbledore did me a great favor by not expelling me after my... rather embarrassing stunt," she replied. "I figured that if people like us get second chances, maybe it's time to give others the same opportunity, too."
He nodded, looking pleased. "I shall consider your request, Potter. It will no doubt bring Draco within your debt."
"I don't want him in my debt," she said coolly. "I want him out of my life. And it's easier if he doesn't hate me for ruining his. I thought that you of all people would understand this, Professor."
He nodded again. He gave her a calculating look, his thumb and index finger tracing his chin. "I will consider it," he finally said. "Please have both essays to me one week from today. Oh, and Miss Potter..." She was already halfway out of the dungeons when she turned back. "We will talk soon about... these events. I think it would be in both of our best interests when we do."
She gave him a bright smile. "Thank you, Professor. I think it would help us both out." She turned and left, the door slamming behind her.
Lunch was a quick affair. She sat down with her brother and his friends. Harry and Hermione were still talking, but there was a distinct coldness between the two. She made a point to ask Hermione about it before Quidditch practice.
Harry also announced their next D.A. meeting was on Wednesday night.
Buffy and Hermione finally met up in the queue before their Ancient Runes class.
"I don't know why I'm still taking this," she said, grumbling as she speed-read all of the chapters she'd missed.
"I'm fairly certain you won't be expected to have all of the work in," Hermione said in a worried voice. "But we do have an exam on Thursday."
"Now, why doesn't that surprise me?" Buffy asked, grumbling.
Her free period had never looked brighter. She hitched her now very heavy bag onto her shoulder and walked out towards the Library. She only stopped when she heard a drawling voice behind her. Damn it. She'd forgotten they had the same free period.
"What do you want, ferret boy?" she snapped, turning around to face him.
"I wanted to look at the woman who just gave me back my life," Draco drawled as he circled around her, coming to stop within her eyesight.
"I didn't do it for you," she retorted. "I did it for me."
For a moment, they stared at one another. Her gaze was supercilious and cold. His was calculating and almost kind.
"Will you stop looking at me like that?"
"My Father sends his regards."
This made her stop as she turned and looked up at him again. "Your... Father, did you say?"
"Yeah, one of those Death Eaters whose ass you kicked. Twice."
"I didn't mean to--"
"He was also the man who tried to stop you from killing your former Watcher."
Buffy stared at him a moment. How dare he bring this up in front of her?
"I don't want to hear about it."
"Well, maybe you need to."
"Excuse me?"
"From what I've heard, you're some all-powerful superhuman who doesn't give a damn about good or evil," Draco hissed. "All I know is that if you decide to get your gun again, those precious friends of yours will turn away from you."
"Leave me alone," she said quickly and turned, trying to hurry away. His footsteps jogged after hers.
"You'll lose everyone, everything... Weasley, Wood... no matter how close they get, no matter how much you care... you'll still hurt them."
"Can't you be someplace else?" she asked angrily, trying to stop the flood of tears to her eyes.
"In the end, that's all you'll ever be. It's how you've lived. It's how you'll die. Alone."
"Please, go away," she said, her voice not nearly as forceful anymore.
"But you'll never be alone, will you? There are still those of us who respect you because of your blood, but not only that. You have power, too. There are those of us who'll stand by your side even when the worst comes."
She turned to him, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Just stop," she pleaded.
"It's what you are," Draco said seriously. "It's how you'll die. You're alone in this world while you're up on your high-and-mighty ass, Potter. It's your choice, but remember this: they'll never forgive you if you turn again. No matter how much they love you. No matter what."
Buffy didn't say anything. She didn't need to. She knew the demon lived inside of her. It was poisoning her mind, as it was doing at that very moment. "You're right," she said in a tight, emotional voice. "But there's one thing you didn't account for. I'm still a Potter. And that means a hell of a lot more than you'll ever conceive of."
Turning, she walked away. He didn't follow her. He smiled. He'd said what he had to say.
Instead of going to the Great Hall and dinner, she went back to Gryffindor Tower and changed into her Quidditch things and seized her Nimbus 2001. It seemed like only yesterday she'd bought it. Things had been so different back then.
It wasn't as cold as she thought it would be outside. She found a nice seat in the stands far above the pitch. The floodlights came on, illuminating her few teammates with light. She was glad that they couldn't see her.
"Are you all right?"
Buffy nearly jumped out of her seat. It was Sirius.
"I'll be okay," she said, giving him a shaky smile. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm five by five, whatever that means."
"You've already picked up Faith's lingo. How utterly strange."
"She's a strange girl, that sister of mine. Must be why I love her."
"It's probably why I love her too," Buffy said with a sigh. "I miss her. I really wish she hadn't left."
"I know why she did."
"So do I."
"Do you regret it?"
For a moment, Buffy thought about it. Did she regret Faith's choice? One of them had to be on that plane going back to California. Buffy knew it would have hurt her immensely to turn away from everything and everyone.
"No," she said quietly. "I can't regret it. Not now."
"Just look at them all down there," Sirius said, gesturing as Harry and Ron walked out onto the field. "All happy, shiny people. They're all special, in their own way, no doubt. The thing is, not one of them will ever know."
"Know what?" Buffy asked him curiously as he leaned back into the darkness.
"It's harder for the rest of us," Sirius told her. "You and I both know what death feels like, how sweet the abandon and release of everything is. We've tasted it. And they'll never know."
Buffy was slightly confused as she watched the rest of her teammates talking on the pitch below. "Maybe they won't, not yet anyway, but--"
"They'll never know how tough it is for people like us, Elizabeth. I was accused of your parents' murders and you've got your own problems. Everyone does," Sirius said quietly. "We're paying for the rest of our lives for making the right decision. We both know that what we did was the right thing to do in the end. And they'll never know. But I do. I see it in your eyes and it's the same thoughts that haunt me night after night. It doesn't make us special; it makes us different than them. We hurt because we've seen what peace looks like. We've been so close and yet there is a lot holding us back. I look at you and I see your Father smiling back at me and maybe if things were different, you would be together with the rest of your family now. It takes an enormous amount of strength to come back from where you came from. It isn't normal and it's not reality. And I don't think I've ever been prouder of anyone else."
Buffy felt tears brimming in her eyes as she smiled at him.
"That's what sets us apart. It isn't the evil or the power. It's our heart. I've seen yours. And while we're so close to giving everything up, that's our gift to the world. You're not normal, Buffy. You'll never be normal. They'll love you and they'll hate you and they'll do everything they can to destroy you. That's why you'll never be normal. You're above that. You've proven yourself to them before and you'll do it again, and again... and maybe someday they'll believe it. They'll see what I see: a lonely woman searching for her place in this world. She's been wronged and she's done wrong, but there's the thing. She's been doing this for five years and she's still alive. There's really nothing else they can look at. If you were normal, you'd have been dead a long time ago. And that makes you extraordinary."
She smiled wider through her tears as she leaned over the seats and embraced her brother's godfather.
"I needed that," Buffy said, quickly wiping her eyes.
Sirius was gazing down at the field. "I never told your brother how much he looks like James when he flies. I think he'd be proud of both of you."
"I should probably get down there."
"You probably should. Oh, and Elizabeth?" She turned back to look at him. "Don't tell anyone I was here. It's bad enough I'm still dead. I don't want to be seen yet though. Soon, perhaps. Very soon."
"Of course," Buffy said, giving him a parting smile as she walked through the stands and onto the grounds.
She stopped just shy of the pitch. Harry and Ron had brought the trunk out. Everyone else was playfully arguing about one of the new plays Katie had created over winter break. Everyone was dying to try it out.
Buffy took one step into the light and grinned as she crossed the pitch, feeling the comforting eyes of Sirius Black upon her. He would never know how much his words had meant to her, especially after Draco had spoken his own. There were enough people in her life now that even if she did do something stupid, there were a few who would stay with her to the end.
Sirius knew what it was like. He would definitely be one of those people. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of him before. Percy wasn't going anywhere; she knew that. And if Harry ever gave up on her, it would be after they both had died after living long, fulfilling lives.
She had her problems coming. She had her enemies near. She would just have to face them when they surfaced.
It was time for her to live again.
"Oi, Potter! Are you going to stand there all night, or are we going to practice?"
Buffy grinned at Katie as she caught the quaffle Ginny had thrown at her.
"Let's do it."
- - - - -
Randomness:
There were a few snatches of conversation from 'Chosen' and 'Potential' in this chapter. Just had to throw it out there.
I owe Grace a huge amount of gratitude and I don't if there are any words to say to those of you who've stuck with me these past few months, reading and reviewing. Thank you. If you have anything you want to say, anything at all, I'm open to your words of wisdom and your critiques. It can only help this story grow up.
And, I have to comment on your comments.
Emba -- Well, not necessarily ALL of her friends, ala this chapter. But enough to seriously degrade her popularity, not that it was anything big anyway. I see Buffy sitting at the very last seat of the Slytherins eating by herself while the rest of them just stare at her. And she knows a few classmates, like the infamous seventh year dream-team of Warrington and Montague. I made Montague re-take the seventh year after the fifth book when he was jammed in a toilet. Why? It gave me another Slytherin to work with. And thank you for your wonderfully kind words.
Kel -- They don't really "gain" a Slayer, they just sort of adopt her into the 'So, you want to be a Death Eater?' club. Because of what she decides to do once she gets out of school, she's going to be spending a bit more time with them, too.
Nobody -- I wonder what firewhiskey would taste like... I'm thinking cinammon-y whiskey, but wouldn't that be gross? And then I had a bad mental image of regular whiskey mixed with Reddog (weird bubble gum soda sold in those old-fashioned stores around here). Hmmmm.
StarBella -- oh, Buffy knows what she's doing. And she does defend herself a bit in this chapter. She's just doing this thing called growing up. Weird, really.
electric pancake -- geez, three reviews? Okay, I'll comment. Five by five simply is Faith's way of saying, I'm okay, don't bug me. I think, anyway. I love translating language phrases. I remember when an Irish counterpart and I skipped into a chatroom at one point and we just let loose an entire babble of German translated from French or something that made no sense and confused the hell out of the patrons. Oh, the glory days of my youth. That was like five years ago. I wouldn't suppose unplottable houses are listed. But Faith probably had a record that says, "Hi, I live in this house". I have to stop using redundant phrases. I had so many of them in this past chapter I ended up rewriting a crapload of it. As for posting it today, it either meant once I got home from work (so wee hours of Thursday morning), or before I left, which is mid-morning Thursday. I don't know. The strange thing is, one of my best friends from elementary school was named Melissa, and she's a bigger Buffy fan than I am. I'm relatively sure it wasn't her who complimented my suckyness either, since she has a better grasp of the English language than that, considering how bloody proper she is. I know many Melissa's, some good and some evil. And I'm kind of happy my middle name ISN'T Melissa, since I already have three very feminine names in mine. Even my last name is girly. And I shall divulge my adopted middle name is Jayna, from the ever boring Jayne.
Next comment: Buffy wasn't tried by the entire Wizangamot. And Dumbledore wasn't there for reasons explained at the end of the Chapter; he was telling the school about her. Not that she's evil or anything, but to treat her with caution and to explain the night's events. Quentin never got evil in the Buffy-verse. I just made him evil.
Vld-- Sequel? Nah, I'll just continue writing it. I'm too lazy to bother with a sequel. I have a point at which I'm ending. It just depends on how many chapters it takes to get me there. And, ooh... if I decide to use Ripper on Fudge... I'll have to credit you with that one... it's making me think.
sparky24 -- If you've read this chapter, yeah. Oli finally got it through that thick yet amazingly suave skull of his. It may seen bad to continue on, but... yeah. I still have battles planned, an apocalypse to divert and some serious ass-kicking to do. Not to mention redemption, and a lot of it. A California visit. And I'll stop there.
DarkAngelMali– Yeah, sadly. I should be back within a month though. I hope it won't be longer, although knowing reality, you never know. And thank you )
Athene Saile – Gah. I was planning on her visiting the source of all despair. But that is a good idea.
Lost angel92 – thank you muchly )
Lady Mione – They have a lot to deal with, don't they? Those poor Potters. If only they knew what awaits them…
Raiining – You probably won't get to this chapter for awhile yet. I just hope you're still enjoying it when you get this far. It's going to continue on, too. I'm thinking this is the story that'll never end. I do thank you for reading it though. And, in your bio it states you're a country girl going to college in a city… that was my life story up until last May, when I moved back to a nice cottage by the lake. Really, being from the country does something to you. I just had to add that on there.
All other comments to be answered upon the story's return.
Oh, and I was planning on asking if anyone is doing the NaNoWriMo thing (National Novel Writing Month). I've heard of it but haven't done it before… it sounds interesting. I just don't know how many other people think it is!
I don't know when the next update is going to be. The best guess-timate is next month, early-wise. I've just got far too much coming along now to sit down and write for how many night hours straight. That and a week's worth of vacation is really going to be so completely nice. I hope you all enjoy a fantastic October. Be good, be safe! :) (I'd add be sober, but yeah... my brothers really don't follow that.)