Where Will You Go, Part II
Rating: PG to PG-13. Nothing but a little swearing, mind.
Beta: Grace, who deserves a hell of a lot more than I've given her. I'll take her skiing when she crosses the border. And it's a promise.
Summary: It's been one year since the Watcher's Council took her life away. Now that she has the chance to go home, how far will she go to hold onto the one thing binding her to the world of magic - her brother? Coninuation to Where Will You Go.
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. Joss Whedon owns Buffy and Angel. So anything you recognize probably belongs to them.
Chapter Note: A year after leaving, Buffy returns to California.
- - - - -
Chapter 51
I Shall Return, Part Two
- - - - -
It was a typical Sunnydale night in late summer. The flowers were, for the most part, blooming, despite the recent lack of rain. The grass was mostly brown, except for a few patches of green where happy people broke the water ban in an attempt to freshen up their lawns.
It reminded Harry a lot like Surrey, except for the fact that there seemed to be an insane amount of mystical energy in the air. That and they seemed to speak a language that was quite unknown to him in the oddest accents. It sounded like English, but it wasn't the English he was used to.
What he didn't expect to see his first night in a new country was a figure flying in a perfect arc through the air before landing on a crumbling gravestone.
"Harry, get down!"
He instinctively dropped to his knees as he peered around another headstone, his eyes watching as a dark-haired woman picked herself up from the ground and growled, "Oh, you are so gonna get it."
Harry turned to the woman who had spoken to him. She was crouched beside him, her hazel eyes filled with a light he hadn't seen in them for quite some time.
The woman leapt over the gravestone and managed to lunge at both of the attackers. Her movements were well practiced and rhythmic; they were as fluid as poetry. She had dusted one, when two more came out of nowhere. Harry felt his heart tighten when he saw them look at each other before turning to the unsuspecting Slayer unleashing ever holy hell on the last of her prey.
But the woman next to Harry had leapt up, and with a display of speed and grace Harry wasn't sure she had possessed, she was throwing herself into the fight, literally.
Faith finally realized that her back had been turned to two other vampires and staked the nearly unconscious vampire at her feet before turning and tossing her stake through the air. "Buffy!"
Buffy caught it and systematically took out both vampires with a little cry of triumph.
"Gotta say I like your timing, B," Faith said, quickly extending her hand as the other woman slapped it. "You look good."
"You don't look so bad yourself," Buffy said with a quick, teasing smile. Faith looked almost the same, except her hair was a bit longer.
Harry figured it was safe for him to stand up and did so. Faith noticed him immediately and turned with a questioning look to the blonde standing slightly behind her. "Are you crazy? You're given his life to protect and the first place you take him to is a cemetary?"
"Hey, I'm seventeen now," Harry protested as he stepped around the headstone. "I can take care of myself."
"Oh, really?" Faith asked, a slow smile spreading across her face at the sight of something behind Harry. Buffy just stood behind her, gaping slightly, her eyes widening.
Harry felt a cold hand touch his shoulder, and as he turned, a fist collided with his face. As Harry fell aside, his attacker bellowed and groaned as he was thrown backwards with a righteous, "Bloody hell!"
"Hello, Spike," Faith said, walking over to where Harry and a platinum-blonde in a long black leather coat were lying on the ground. She bent down and helped Harry to his feet. "You okay, Little P?"
"I'm..." Harry was at a loss for words at what he really was. His gaze was instead fixed on the vampire squirming at their feet. It didn't help that Buffy had run over to him and pulled him a few paces back, her eyes full of rage and recognition. "What was that?"
"Ever heard of a neutered vamp?" Faith asked playfully, watching as the blonde struggled to his feet, one hand clasped to his temple. In a show of what Buffy would normally call showing off, she kicked his legs from beneath him. The man landed spluttering back onto the ground.
"Oh, right, let's all play a right little game of Kick the Spike," the voice muttered.
"Spike," Harry muttered, remembering something Buffy had told him about some blonde-haired vampire that was supposedly working for the good guys now. "I've heard of you."
"And, you!" Spike said, pointing at Buffy as he unsteadily walked towards her. "I thought you didn't play with Hellmouths anymore."
"I got a sudden calling," Buffy said with a sweet smile as she twirled the stake in her hand.
"Who's your pimp?" the blonde asked rudely, gesturing lamely towards Harry, who felt himself straighten and his eyes narrow.
"He's anything but, you perv," Faith said, walking past Spike. "But if you want intros, I'll do the show. Spike, this is Harry Potter."
"No... way..." Spike said in his distinguished British accent as he looked from Buffy to Harry. "Those two, are they hitched?"
"Oh, ewww!" Buffy said indignantly as she took a quick step away from Harry.
"You're not batting for the other side, are you, pet?" Spike asked her, his face full of worry.
"He's her brother, you dumbass," Faith said, rolling her eyes.
"Oh!" Spike said, pressing both hands together under his face as he contemplated the family resemblance between the two. "I must say, for being of the same bloodline, you two don't look a thing alike."
"Thanks, Spike, you really know how to cheer a girl up," Buffy said sarcastically.
"I wasn't up for the cheering bid," Spike said, rolling his eyes. "I've been trying to find this wench for the past two days who keeps avoiding me." His eyes turned scathingly over to Faith. Harry bristled behind Buffy and took a step forward.
"Just watch who you call names," Harry snapped.
"Big britches takes a bite," Spike said, smirking at Harry's outright indignation on Faith's behalf. "Someone here likes a little Slayer."
"What are you doing here anyway?" Faith asked Spike, looking thoroughly annoyed. "I thought I told you to stop coming to the house and to stop following us around."
"I need protection, love."
"You need a leash," Faith replied sweetly. "Preferably one that'll put you in direct sunlight."
"Keep playing it, love, keep playing it."
"I think we're done for tonight, Faith," Buffy said pointedly. "As much fun as it is to kick Spike's ass... well, I'm here for two weeks. Better luck next time."
"Oh, sod off, Slayers!" Spike grunted angrily. Buffy put a hand on Faith's arm and then walked back to Spike, decking him across the head and sending him to the ground.
"That's for hitting my brother, you good-for-nothing ponce!"
As the three stalked off into the twilight, Spike's astonished comment followed them, "Since when did she learn a funny word like 'ponce'?"
"So, Spike's been giving you a lot of trouble," Buffy said a few moments later as they walked back onto the main road and headed towards town.
"He's just annoying now that he's fangless," Faith said, rolling her eyes. "It's nothing, really. The government group stuck a chip in his head. It gives him migranes when he hits people." She turned to Harry with a concerned look on her face. "Did he hurt you?"
"Not really," Harry said, touching the spot where the vampire's fist had made contact.
"And you!" Faith said, turning to Buffy with an aggravated look. "When did you guys get in town?"
"About two hours ago, by the nice Greyhound," Buffy said, crossing her arms. "And, to answer your next question, no one knows we're here, except my boss and Harry's Headmaster."
"That's very... covert, B. I'm proud of you. Damned proud." She flashed a smile at Harry. "How's it been, Little P? It's been about a month since I got that last owl."
"It's been busy," Harry said, making a face. "Buffy's had to stay around all summer because of, well, me, really. We've been living in London."
"And what do you do when Buffy sits around and knits by the hearth all day?" Faith asked him seriously while trying to cover the laughter just dying to burst out.
"I don't even know how to knit, D," Buffy snapped, playfully slapping the other Slayer's shoulder. "So, where're you taking us?"
"I think you know the place," Faith said, and she met Buffy's eyes.
"Oh, dear," Buffy said, stopping. Harry and Faith both turned to look at her. "Am I really ready for this?"
"B, after you killed Angel, you skipped out and she welcomed you back."
"That was two months, Faith. Not a whole year."
They didn't say anything else. The houses were more numerous now. Faith and Harry were talking about the last owl he'd sent. Buffy just walked on, feeling that even though she was in familiar territory, it was still completely different.
Fifteen minutes later, they reached the familiar house. For a moment, Buffy just stood there and stared at it, too overcome to speak.
"I bet you never thought you'd see it again, huh?" Faith asked softly from behind her.
Buffy shook her head. Faith gave her a little nudge and Buffy felt her feet moving onward.
Faith grinned as she reached for her keys, but Harry pushed her hand aside and shook his head ever so slightly. Reaching over, he tapped on the doorbell.
Buffy froze, not really knowing how to react to the familiar sound.
She saw a light flicker on inside. Which well-respected mother wouldn't be awake and snapping on lights in Sunnydale at one in the morning?
"I hope we didn't wake her," Buffy said as she heard footsteps shuffling.
"Don't worry," Faith assured her from somewhere behind her.
Buffy was about to utter another protest when the door opened in front of her, and her words literally fell away.
Joyce Summers was standing in the bright light of the entryway, staring into a face she had known for so long. "B-Buffy?" she asked hesitantly.
"Look what I found Joyce, wandering on these dangerous roads all by her lonesome," Faith said cheerfully, trying to drag Harry closer, no matter how much he dug his heels into the deck.
For a moment, the only thing the two women could do was stare at one another.
"Is it really you?" Joyce asked her in a hushed voice. "Because I had this dream... and this is exactly what happened..."
Buffy cut her off by rushing at her and folding her in an embrace so warm and touching it made tears come to Harry's eyes. He knew what it felt like to have love like that; their Mother had to much love in him, it was overwhelming.
"I'm really here," Buffy whispered into her adoptive mother's shoulder. "Really." She pulled back and took Joyce's trembling hands into her own and brought them to her face. "In the flesh."
Joyce gave Buffy a loving smile until her eyes caught onto the figure standing next to Faith. "Is that..."
"Joyce, I want you to meet my brother, Harry."
Harry had never felt more stupid about walking into a house before. As Buffy looped her arm through his with a distinct look of pride on her face, she turned back to Joyce, who had one hand covering her mouth, the other was reaching out to touch his forehead.
"May I?"
He barely moved his head as her fingertips brushed his scar. "I guess we all have some of those," she said tightly, turning to step aside so that the others could come in.
"Come on in Faith, and we'll see about giving these weary travellers passage for tonight."
"If you could be so kind, Joyce," Faith said, stepping in and closing off the rest of the world behind them.
- - - - -
Harry walked around the guest room, which had to have belonged to a girl. There was the smell of some fruity perfume in the air. There was a poster of the Indigo Girls on the inside of the door. Even the comforter on the bed was a pale pink.
His sister was really going to torture him with this trip.
"I hope you don't mind our accomodations," a voice said softly from a doorway. Were there two into this room?
"Uh, no, not at all," Harry said quickly.
"Your accent is very striking," the woman said with a pleasant smile as she walked inside.
"I find yours hard to understand."
"That's because you're English," Joyce said with a wry smile. "I was thinking of getting new bedding in this room, anyways. Faith has termed herself an interior decorator of sorts, now. Maybe I'll just unleash her in this room."
"She is pretty good," Harry said with a smile; Faith had torn apart her family home at Grimmauld Place because she had thought it looked as though her family had worshipped snakes. "She tore apart a house."
"She didn't tell me that much," Joyce said, a politely puzzled expression in her eyes. "Then again, she hasn't told me much of anything about England at all."
"Oh," was all Harry could think of to say. He sat on the end of the bed, cringing in disgust at the pale pink. Joyce Summers was looking at him, with an almost motherly expression, a small smile playing around her lips. Feeling slightly self-conscious, Harry ran a hand through his wild dark hair and forced a smile onto his face. "I'm sorry we woke you."
"I'd just gotten home," Joyce said, setting a stack of pillows down next to Harry before joining him on the bed. "The gallery had a new opening tonight and I was there for the after party. Nothing really exciting, despite the fact I love my work."
"We had a very boring flight to San Fransisco," Harry said with a yawn. "I think Buffy slept the entire way. She was quite busy last night..." He let his voice trail off. Joyce probably didn't have a clue about Buffy's life and Harry was certainly not about to talk about her.
"Was she Slaying?" Joyce asked.
"No," Harry said, almost laughing. "She was with a friend of hers last night."
"Was it a boy?" Joyce asked curiously.
"I'm really not the one to tell you this," Harry said, almost pleading with her to stop asking questions.
"I'm sorry," Joyce said, giving him a fond smile. "Even though I've just met you, it feels like I've gained a son, you know?"
"I've never had a mother," Harry said quietly. "I guess that makes us even."
Joyce gave him a comforting smile and rose. "I expect you'll be wanting to get some rest... I imagine everyone will hear that you two are in town and will want to come by and see you."
"How many people are we talking about?" Harry asked, starting to worry now. Buffy had told him that her popularity in Sunnydale had been lacking, but the thought of waking up to a house full of people was unnerving, especially since this was still his first night in the bloody country.
"I'm sure you've met Mister Giles and Willow and Xander," Joyce said with another smile. "I haven't seen them in a few months myself. It'll be good to have the whole gang back under one roof again. Get some sleep, Harry. I'll see you in the morning."
Across the hall, Buffy was changing while Faith sat on the bed she was sharing with her sister Slayer. Her eyes immediately fell on the familiar tattoo imprinted on Buffy's left forearm.
"What?" Buffy asked, pausing as she pulled on a long-sleeved pajama top.
"I was kind of hoping you'd have found some way of getting rid of that," Faith said, pointing to Buffy's arm while holding up her own. "There's only so many tales a Slayer can tell before people get suspicious."
"I haven't really given it much thought," Buffy said, staring at her tattoo for a moment before covering it. "It doesn't bother me as much as it used to."
"Are you kidding me?" Faith asked, outraged. "It prickles and stings and it glows and it's just bloody annoying. And you're closer to the source."
"I deal," Buffy said tightly as she did up her buttons before turning. "Besides, the whole point of me becoming a huntress was so that I could get away from the evil man who wants to kill my brother. Again."
Faith's eyes darkened in concern as she glanced at the door. Harry was maybe fifteen feet away. "He looks so sad."
"He's had a hard few months," Buffy replied as she sat on the bed and crossed her legs. She looked rather uneasy.
"Aside from the attacks?" Faith asked in surprise. There was a muffled hooting noise in the corner and she rose, walking to a large, elaborate white cage. Making shushing noises, she pushed a few owl treats into the bird's food dish before pulling back.
"Yeah," Buffy said, now stretching her arms over her head. "He's sixteen, you know? I remember being sixteen. I died and everything."
"So not funny," Faith said, blinking as she leaned across to turn on the small lamp on the nightstand next to the bed. Rising, she snapped the room light off.
"I'm serious," Buffy said. She wasn't smiling. "He and Hermione have gone through a lot."
"Did she do something stupid?" Faith asked, bristling. "Because you know I'll take care of her if she tried anything--"
"It wasn't like that," Buffy said quietly. "Hermione helped me out before we went on that... that mission. You know how it went. She's been hurt by it, too. I don't think she knew how far it would go... and it scared her. I'm not saying everything has been kisses and puppies between them. More like snakes with sharp fangs. I think that's part of the reason why he was glad he wasn't returning to the Burrow." A sad look came across her face. "I don't know if they're going to make it."
Faith leaned over and patted Buffy's arm. "And how are you doing?"
Buffy smiled and looked down. "Almost a year now," she said proudly. "Just when I thought there was no hope for me... he was there."
"It's still that weird Oliver guy with the Scottish accent, right?" Faith asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yes, it is."
"Anything good I should know about?" Faith asked curiously.
"You have far too little romance in your life if you want to know about mine," Buffy smirked. "It's been good."
"Is he good?" Faith asked, grinning.
"Oh, you're just as bad as those blasted twins!" Buffy gasped as she lifted a pillow and started beating Faith over the head with it. Faith quickly retaliated and soon they were both out of breath, laughing and panting. "He's good," she finally muttered, her face beet red.
"He had to be something for you to get all hot and bothered," Faith said with a wink as she replaced the pillows on the bed. "How's he feeling about you spending two weeks in California?"
"Ten days," Buffy reminded Faith with a smile. "And, he'll get over it."
"We'll have to get you something saucy to bring back to him," Faith suggested with a smirk as she tucked her legs under the covers. Buffy eased herself in the bed next to her and leaned against the mountain of pillows.
"As I said, he'll get over it," Buffy said with quiet resignation.
"You two living together yet?" Faith asked as Buffy yanked back half of the covers over her own body.
"Not really," Buffy said, turning slightly pink again. "But he's not really far away, either. His brother and sister are home now, so he wanted to get away..."
"Your bed must be really comfortable," Faith said with a grin, and paid for her snarkiness by getting hit sharply across the shoulder. "I was commenting on your bed, B, not the person lying in wait inside of it."
"You're as bad as--"
"Those redheaded knickers, yeah, I got the picture the first time, B."
There was a pause.
"I wonder what they'd be like."
She was rewarded with another hit.
"Good night, Faith."
"Night, B."
- - - - -
Harry was jostled awake the next morning by movement. Someone was jumping on his bed, and he opened one eye, spying a blonde-haired figure in bright peach-colored pajamas jumping around him.
"Come on, Harry, get up! It's almost nine, you lazy ass! Get up!"
He quickly closed his eye and turned over with a slight groan. This was just asking for trouble as he felt her pounce on top of him, her fingers tickling every single inch of him she could reach under the fluffy pink comforter.
There was the sound of many females laughing from the other side of the room. He froze and opened both eyes. Who else was in there? As he sat up, he nearly knocked his sister over, but she leapt gracefully off the bed and offered him her hand.
"Happy birthday, Harry!" she shrieked, throwing herself at him with a wild hug.
More laughter. His eyes turned to the door. And he found himself turning pink.
There to witness this humiliating moment was none other than Faith, Willow, Joyce Summers and some brunette that Harry didn't know. She was taller and had a long mane of black hair, quite like his. She was also dressed rather stylishly, too, he decided. Aunt Petunia would like her.
His eyes turned back to his sister, who was now grinning at him and pinching his cheeks.
"Okay, B, I think you've tortured the boy enough," Faith said, chuckling as she let Joyce into the room. Harry looked up to see a loaded breakfast tray being placed on the nightstand beside him.
"Is this some new tradition?" he asked Buffy suspiciously as Joyce lifted the silver top off an impressive-looking omelette and pancakes.
"Mom always cooks best," Buffy said with a fond smile at Joyce. "Come on, Harry, get up. You're hanging with the girls today."
This was so exactly what he wanted to do. Spend the day with his sister and her old-time friends, discussing the old times and other friendly things. He scowled at her, and her response was to ruffle his already slept-in hair. Grinning, she left the room.
Faith was the only one that didn't leave. She just stood by the doorway, smirking at him. He finally decided to ask her about it. "What?"
"You look far too pink for your own good, Little P," she said, walking over and sitting on the end of his bed.
"Why do I have the most embarrassing sister in the world?" Harry asked with a groan. "She's been spoiling me all summer... all this Muggle shopping and trips and everything..."
"I think she kind of adores you," Faith reminded him as she sampled some of his bagel. "Hell, she's even learned to cook for you... that's got to be something."
"I do most of it," Harry told her with a chortle. "I can't let her near the microwave, even. She burns popcorn."
"That's our B!" Faith said, taking the entire half she'd just sampled from. "I hope you don't mind me pestering you."
"Not at all," Harry said, swallowing his omelette. "I kind of missed you."
"Awwww," Faith said, pinching his cheek slightly. "I kind of missed you too, you little brat."
He nearly choked out his orange juice.
An hour later, once he'd showered and dressed in one of the many new outfits his sister had bought him, he walked downstairs to find the entire living room full of people, all of them chattering happily. Many looked at him when he walked in, and he turned a slight shade of pink when he realized that all but two were women.
He recognized Giles and Xander both. But there were six women sitting in the living room, and it was beginning to make him feel uncomfortable.
"I suppose I'm on intros," Buffy said, standing up. "Everyone, this is my brother, little Harry Potter." She winked at him as he scowled at her. "And Harry, this is everyone. I think you know everyone except Cordelia here." She indicated the brunette he'd seen a few hours ago. "She actually sleeps where you did last night. And this other brunette is Amy, a friend of Willow's." She pointed to the girl sitting next to Willow, looking rather shy and anti-social. "You know Faith and Willow and you met Joyce last night. I don't think you want to meet me though."
"I did last year, and that was already one time too many," Harry replied tartly.
"Score one for Little P," Faith said, giving him a quick high-five as Buffy turned to her, frowning.
"We were just discussing last night's patrol when you walked in," Willow said, grinning at Harry. "It's good to see you again, Harry."
"I must be getting to work now," Giles said, rising. "We'll see you later." Xander tagged off after him as they both left. Joyce made some comment about needing more tea and quickly saw them both out.
"All right, ladies," Buffy said, turning to the women in the room in a rather military-like manner. "Our mission today is to make sure this man has as much fun as he possibly can."
"We could take him to the Bronze!" Cordelia suggested, looking at everyone for approval. "I haven't been there since we went to LA."
"T-The Bronze is still there?" the girl named Amy asked Cordelia curiously, peering from where she'd had her face buried in her knees, her arms clasped tightly about them.
"Yeah!" Willow said brightly. "We'll go there tonight though. I think we should show Harry our mall..."
"The remains would be cool, too," Faith said with a shrug.
"I think he'd have way more fun in LA," Cordelia replied with a very Faith-like shrug. "When are you planning on going down there?"
"This weekend," Buffy replied with a smile. "That is, if you don't mind me going to see my adoptive father."
"And your ex," Cordelia reminded her.
"Right," Buffy said, quickly brushing that comment aside. "All those opposed to great fun? Great! Let's go!"
They took Cordelia's car, which she said was a gift from her boss in LA. It was a black convertible and Harry was soon wedged into the backseat between Amy and Willow. Cordelia, Buffy and Faith were all wedged in the front, where Cordelia was driving.
"Did she have this car before?" Amy asked as she buckled herself in.
"No, this car belongs to Angel," Cordelia replied as she pulled on a pair of sunglasses.
"She doesn't really remember much about anything before," Willow shouted out at her as the car took off with a squeal of the tires.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, afraid his voice was going to get lost in the wind. Cordelia's driving was like taking some horrifying amusement park ride.
"I was a rat," Amy told him.
Harry's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Oh."
Harry's legs were shaking once he got out of the car. "This is going to be so much fun," he said dryly as Faith looped an arm over his shoulder.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," Willow said from behind him. His eyes widened in horror as Faith dragged him across the parking lot and into the Sunnydale mall.
- - - - -
"I don't suppose that was so bad," Harry said as he and the others walked down one of the nearly abandoned streets. It was nearing six o'clock and they'd been out for hours. After a few hours of shopping with the strangest sort he'd ever been around, Faith finally convinced the others they needed a break and caught a matinee. Afterwards, they stopped at a street vendor for an ice cream. They were on their way back to the car now.
"We never showed him Sunnydale High," Cordelia said in weak protest as they finally got to the car.
"We might as well just swing by," Willow said, frowning at Amy's confusion. "She doesn't exactly know what happened either."
"Because, hello, I was a rat," Amy said, blushing and looking down. She reminded Harry of Ginny and how she used to be around him.
Buffy and Faith were talking quietly again as Cordelia pulled him aside and gave him a look of appraisal. "He's not club-ready enough, is he?"
"Probably not for LA," Willow said with a grin. "But he'll do fine here."
"Can you dance?" Cordelia asked him.
"Err..." was his reply. The last time he'd done anything like dancing had been the Yule Ball in his fourth year, being steered around like a show dog by Parvati Patil. Instead, he shook his head. "Not well."
"You'll learn," Cordelia replied.
Fifteen minutes later, they were all standing before the wreckage of a large high school.
"What happened here?" Amy gasped.
"Buffy blew it up," Willow said automatically.
Buffy glanced at her, pouting. "Did not."
"Fine. Giles blew it up."
That was that. After a quick tour of the inside of the building and walking over some very questionable wreckage (Buffy said it was fried Mayor and it took him a moment to finally figure out what that meant), they were back in the car and heading towards Rovello Drive.
He walked into the house and breathed in the wonderful scent of a delicious dinner. After surviving all summer on his own crappy cooking skills, he was thrilled to see a table full of delicious California food.
Amy disappeared then, saying she had to go home. Willow offered to drive her, but Amy said she'd rather walk. Everyone else gathered at the table and began enjoying a wonderful dinner.
It really was as good as it smelled, Harry decided as he patted his full stomach after third helpings of everything. Even the blueberry pie for desert was wonderful. He felt well-rested and a bit sleepy, but was jerked awake when Faith clapped his shoulder so roughly, he nearly went face-first into his own plate.
"I think it's present time," Buffy said with a wicked grin as she disappeared from the room.
"Oh," was all Harry could say as he glanced at the many faces grinning at him. He was starting to feel sleepy and stupid.
Buffy returned a few minutes later with Joyce in tow, both of them carrying several large parcels. Harry turned red again when the women around the table started unearthing large bags full of frilly tissue paper and shiny, sparkly bows.
"Mine first," said Faith, shoving a small package in his hands just as Buffy dropped her load on top of the table and turned to help Joyce with hers. Harry really wasn't used to all of this birthday attention. Hell, he wasn't used to being surrounded by several women at the same time who actually liked him.
He opened his package from Faith and saw, to his everlasting surprise, a mirror. He glanced at her in surprise, but she was grinning cheerfully at him. "You got me a mirror?" he asked her.
"They're not that big with the vampires," Faith replied with a shrug. "I actually got the idea from big bro... he said that he gave you a two-way mirror. I finally found two more. Or, rather, Red did." She glanced at Willow with a bright smile. "This way, we can keep in contact so our owls don't go on strike for all the writing we're going to do."
Harry found a sudden lump in his throat that wouldn't go away.
"Th-Thanks Faith," he said, managing to find his voice as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't think she knew what this meant to him.
He was jolted out of his thoughts by a package suddenly dropping into his lap.
"I realize that Buffy has no style sense whatsoever in England," the girl named Cordelia said. She gestured to the large box she'd just dropped in his lap. "Open it."
Her gift was... shoes. Harry blinked as he glanced down at them, trying not to laugh. He heard Buffy giggling at his right and desperately wanted to slap her across the shoulder for it.
"Thank you," he said, giving Cordelia a genuine smile, which she returned in her five hundred megawatt style.
"You're welcome!" she said.
Willow's present turned out to be something he wasn't expecting. It was a small glass unicorn. There were two of them in the polished rosewood box and he lifted one out.
"There's one for you and one for Buffy," Willow explained, reaching across the table to take the other one from the box. "I belong in this coven, see, and we've been doing some transdimensional exploration, and during one of our visits, we came across this protection charm. Buffy told us your scar warns you of trouble. Well, when you're in trouble, this unicorn comes to life. When she's in trouble, the one you have will warn you."
It really was an ingenious idea and he thanked her.
Joyce gave him her gift next. Besides a new winter coat, there were portraits and masks and other various pieces of artwork. Buffy had told him that Joyce owned a gallery, and this was truly a thoughtful gift.
Buffy's gift was last. It was a dagger, much like that of hers and Faith's. "Your other gift is at Hogwarts," she explained as he sheathed the knife. "And it's kind of from both Oliver and I."
"You two are shopping for gifts together now?" Faith asked, smirking.
Buffy scowled at her. "Sometimes," she said defensively.
"Well, as much as I love watching Buffy's little brother get plenty of expensive presents, are we Bronzing it or not?" Cordelia asked.
There was a squeal and the sounds of chairs moving on the wooden floor as everyone stood up. Harry found himself sitting alone in his chair as the others disappeared. Joyce reappeared for a moment to see Harry sitting there, looking bewildered, the unicorn still prancing back and forth in his open palm.
"You'll get used to it," she said as she sat down, setting her stack of dishes on the table. "Everything is usually pretty high-energy around here."
"I've spent the last year getting used to it," Harry said ruefully. "It's just that... I haven't had a birthday like this since last year and before that, my birthday was pretty much forgotten. Having Buffy around is different."
"She always was a different kind of girl in her own special way," Joyce said fondly as she stood up again. "You'd better get moving now or you'll be left behind."
"What? Oh, right," he said, gently putting the unicorn back in its box and lifting the box of shoes from his lap. He walked into the living room and saw Willow standing there. There was the clattering of footsteps on the floor above them, mixed with the sounds of Cordelia and Faith shrieking at each other.
"They never really got along until they both lived here," Willow said softly, glancing upstairs. When the three women reappeared, they all resembled something Harry had seen from one of Hermione's books on Muggle clubbing. Willow was the most conservatively dressed, something she assured him was her choice.
They left then, taking the black convertible again. Once at the Bronze, Harry found himself looking around with keen interest. There were over a hundred people crammed inside dancing and sitting in front of a dance stage. A band was already there and playing.
They finally found two tables and wedged them together. After about ten minutes, they were joined by Xander, who looked exhausted from a full day's work, yet smiled at Buffy.
"Do you know how to dance?" Cordelia yelled at him over the sound of the loud, fast-paced music.
"Uhhhh," was Harry's response. He didn't have time to say anything else as Cordelia grabbed his hand and yanked him onto the dance floor.
"Just put your arms up and wiggle!" she said, and he found himself lifting his arms in the air, feeling quite stupid. He noticed Buffy, Willow and Xander now sitting alone at the table, since Faith had followed them out.
It was nice seeing that trio together again.
"Harry!" Cordelia screeched, laughing. He realized that the music had stopped, and he was still doing some weird sort of goldfish flop with his arms swaying in the air. His face now a bright shade of magenta, he lowered his arms and pulled down the hem of his shirt, clearing his throat. Faith was doubled over with laughter behind him.
A slow song struck up. Harry glanced back at the table and saw Cordelia claiming Xander for a dance, leaving Buffy and Willow alone.
"C'mon, Little P, it's just you and me," Faith said, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.
He hadn't been this close to her since he'd kissed her, and that seemed like ages ago.
She used her hands to direct his. He found himself pressed up against her with her arms locked around his neck in a vise-like grip.
He caught Buffy's morose expression and felt slightly sorry that she didn't have someone to dance with. Willow was there at least, and it cheered him up slightly. It was then that Faith tightened her grip and Harry, feeling as though he would suffocate if he didn't at least put forth a good effort, turned back to face the shorter girl beaming up at him.
"Do you know how long I've waited to dance with you?" she asked in a soft voice. This wasn't the Faith he knew at all. The Faith he knew was quirky and quite sarcastic. This new Faith with the soft dark eyes and tender smile was completely terrifying.
"Uhhhh," was all Harry could say, again.
"It was worth the effort anyways," Faith said with a sigh, as they continued to sway to the music.
Buffy was sitting through her fourth slow song when she rose, bringing her glass back to the bar for a juice refill. She took it and decided to go upstairs. It felt almost like she were walking through some distant memory, of her life before she was Elizabeth Potter and the life as she knew it now. Faith and Harry were still dancing, and the sight of it brought a tender smile to her face. If only her own boy was there to share this with her...
She shook off the thought, but as she turned to the catwalk, the tattoo on her arm gave a particularly painful throb. She gasped, and some of the couples standing around her gazed curiously at her. She averted her own eyes and pushed her way to the railing to see Faith rubbing her arm, Harry's arm wrapped around her to protect the other girl from view. His opposite hand was on his scar, and the look on his face suggested that something painful had just happened.
Something had happened. Buffy, feeling herself slip into the action-girl role she was destined for, pushed her way downstairs and met Faith and Harry on the edge of the dance floor.
"I felt it, too," Faith moaned as she glanced at the tattoo. "It's getting darker."
Buffy lifted the sleeve of her own tunic top and held her arm out next to Faith's. The tattoo, which was usually a few shades darker than the color of her skin, was now a brilliant shade of red.
"That's got to be the understatement of the year," Buffy muttered, covering the tattoo up again. Seeing the look on Harry's face, she gazed at him, concern flashing in her eyes. "What is it? Are you okay?"
"I felt... Voldemort is happy. Something that he wanted to happen has happened, and this makes him happy," Harry said, touching the lightning-bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. "I think he's killed someone."
"I'll try contacting Percy in the morning, since it's the middle of the night over there now," Buffy assured him. "Don't worry; if something happened, we'll figure it out."
"It always helps to have connections," Faith agreed.
The three of them returned to the table where Willow was passing around another tray of drinks. "It is true we're legal overseas?" she asked Harry curiously.
"You are, at least," Harry said, running his hand over his bangs, as though trying to iron out his forehead.
"Huh," Willow said, grinning. "I'll have to remember that."
"Willow!" admonished Buffy as she took the seat next to her brother. "Since when have you been of the naughty? You don't drink!"
"Ever been to a Stevenson Hall party? They only had one every night of the week," Cordelia said, rolling her eyes. "I went to like four, with Xander, of course."
"Oddly enough, you just drank water," Xander pointed out, reaching into the middle of the table for a basket of pretzels. "It was Willow who drank of the mulled beverages."
"You had beer?" Faith asked, eyeing Willow with newfound respect. "I have to say I didn't see that comin', Red."
"Beer is good, in moderation," Willow replied, taking her own handful of pretzels. "Too much can transform you into a monster."
"Hear, hear!" Xander said, pounding Cordelia's water bottle on the table top. "At least, that's what my three weeks as a bartender taught me."
"If you're looking for something new to try, you could always come to London and hang," Buffy said, sipping her juice. "I don't start work for another few weeks yet and Harry's going to spend some time with his best friend."
"I was hoping to spend some time with Sirius," Harry told her. Faith looked pleased at this.
"Yes, you go and see that drippy brother of mine, and remind him that if he gets in trouble, he's facing castration."
Harry choked into his cup while Buffy giggled next to him. This time, he did slap the back of her head, earning an obnoxious "OW!" and a return hit.
"As much as I'd love to cross the pond and hang with one of my bestest friends, I couldn't afford it," Xander said sorrowfully.
"I think we can work something out," Buffy said thoughtfully, biting into a pretzel. "Besides, Wil's gonna be over all the time."
"It'll be just like Sunnydale, only we'll be surrounded by people who can speak like Giles!" Willow said excitedly.
"Speaking of Giles," Buffy said slowly. "What's up with him? He seems different lately."
"I think you ought to ask him yourself tomorrow," Faith said, before Xander could speak up. "But for now, let's hit the dance floor, yo! The band's actually good tonight." She latched onto Harry and dragged him behind her. Xander and Cordelia followed soon after.
"Not having a boyfriend sucks," Willow sighed.
"Having a boyfriend conveniently eight thousand miles away is worse," Buffy replied with a slight pout. "But just think of all those hotties at Oxford, Wil. I have some mean friends too, if you'd like a blind set-up."
"Are any of them as cute as Oliver?" Willow asked innocently.
"I am going to make sure you are never bored in England," Buffy said with a cheerful smile. "Some of Oli's teammates are adorable."
"I'm so excited!" Willow said, clapping her hands with anticipation. "In ten days, I'll be gone out of Sunnydale!"
"And you'll be stuck in the land of the weird," Buffy said dryly.
"I wonder if Oxford has a coven," Willow mused thoughtfully.
"If they do, you'll be the first to hear about it," Buffy replied, pulling the basket of pretzels closer to both of them. "If not, trust me. I know magic. My friends know magic. We can be your coven."
"No offense, Buffy," Willow said delicately, "but I would like to work with wiccans, like me. You know, those of us who don't use wands." She stared pointedly at Buffy's slacks and the other girl winced as she reached down and grasped the handle of her own wand.
"It's no problem. I got it," Buffy said. "I'm not that stupid, you know."
"Well, maybe, maybe not," Willow said playfully, earning herself a retaliatory hit. "Hey!"
"Look at them out there, so happy and cheerful," Buffy said with a sigh, staring at both dancing couples.
"If I didn't know any better, Buff, I'd say Harry's been taken," Willow commented, eyeing the dancing duo over the top of her cup.
"I know he and his girlfriend have been having more than their fair share of problems lately, but they just started talking before we left Hogwarts. And I love Hermione as though she were my sister, too." Her gaze was sad as she saw Faith and Harry share a laugh. "They do look good together though."
The group left at the stroke of midnight. Cordelia drove, and dropped off Xander first, followed by Willow. They all returned to the Summers' residence.
Harry was feeling very drowsy now. It had been a spectacular birthday, even though he had spent it with his sister and her friends. He walked upstairs and nearly collapsed on his bed, only to hear the door close behind him.
He glanced up with sleepy eyes and saw Faith standing there.
"You know, Harry," she said, advancing on him slowly. "I made a decision about six months ago for the both of us, and right now I'm wondering if I made the right one."
"I don't know," Harry said quickly. "What decision--"
"I gave you up to her," Faith replied, crossing her arms, standing at the foot of the bed now. "I'm not going to lie to you. I like you. I really do. But I'm not the kind of girl who goes around breaking other people up. I don't want that stain on my hands. I know this other girl likes you 'cause I've met her. And if it doesn't work out... well, I'm not going to proposition you now. But I think you already know, because whatever we have, it was out there tonight, dancing. Even Willow thought we looked good together."
There was the sound of gleeful laughter in the next room.
"I told Cordy to share the room with B tonight," Faith said, sitting on the very end of the bed Harry was still lying on. "I don't think she'd be very comfortable sharing this bed with you. Which leaves you and me..."
Harry's eyes widened as he forced himself to sit up. The thought of sharing a bed with any girl other than Hermione made him feel very uncomfortable. And yet, this was Faith. They were friends, sort of. Well, there were hormones involved, too, but that just made things even more complicated. Sighing, he started unbuttoning his shirt and Faith grinned.
"I promise I'll stay on my side of the bed," she said, rising and grabbing the things she'd brought in with her.
A few minutes later, Harry had changed into his pajamas and glanced around the room. His birthday presents were now stacked on the desk and the floor surrounding it. Faith returned a few moments later and all thoughts of brand-new shoes escaped his head.
He forced himself to calmly walk past her and locked himself in the bathroom, breathing hard.
Faith really wasn't playing fair, walking around in a nightgown like... whatever it was. Underwear is what Ron would have called it, and Harry was even more revolted to realize that Ron had seen Faith dressed this way. Shaking his head incredulously, he brushed his teeth and returned to his room. Only the light on the nightstand was on, and Faith was buried under the fluffy pink sheets. Her arms were clasped around a pillow and she looked pale and drowsy.
"Did you have a good birthday?" she asked, looking up at him with those dark eyes of hers.
"Oh, yeah," he said as he sat down, taking his glasses off and setting them on the nightstand. "It was fantastic."
"Good," she said, watching as he got into the bed and turned off the light. That was when she rolled over. There was a small pause as she stared at the wall, her eyes glistening. "Harry?"
He didn't answer. She rolled back over and saw that he was already sleeping. Propping herself up on one arm, she traced his face with her fingertips.
"I wish life was fair," she whispered as she pulled her hand back. "But it's not always. I wish I could be there for you, because I know B won't be... but that's life. It's not always fair." Sighing, she dropped herself back onto her pillow and silently watched him sleep.
- - - - -
Chapter 52... a visit from the fireplace; Los Angeles and Hank Summers beckon.
Chapter 53... returning to England...
- - - - -
Questions
These were things I thought I'd answer before I continued writing. This chapter was just a light-hearted attempt to get back into the story. I hope it worked. But my beta-reader, the ever-lovely Grace gave me a list of questions to answer, considering some of you might have these questions, too.
1. Is anyone going to die? Yes.
2. If yes, who will die? I can't tell you yet.
3. Will Faith ever go back to England? Yes, she will. And she'll have a reason to.
4. What will happen with the Ministry? At some point, there will be a new Minister of Magic, and the reason for that is coming soon.
5. Is this part going to be as long as the first? No. I suspect it's because the final battle will be the end of this story. I do know what's going to happen. And I plan on ending on a 'happy' note, if such a thing can exist.
6. Are there any new characters? Remember Cynthia? She's back! There may be a few others, but no one to really take a spotlight.
7. Are any of Buffy's old classmates returning? Yes. Emma Vance and Katie Bell will be in this story, along with a few of the Slytherins - think Warrington and Montague.
8. Are the chapters going to be as long? Some will be, I'm afraid, or it'll be 200 chapters before this story even ends!
9. Are Buffy and Oliver going to stay together? A long-distance relationship only works if both people work hard enough to make it work. They'll try.
10. What about Harry and Hermione? Their relationship is headed into troubled waters, again. Faith is waiting in the wings, along with a surprise guest.
11. Is Ron going to find love? Oh, yeah... he'll get his shot and meet his match.
12. When is the war going to start? The war already started. This first chapter just hinted at yet another battle. Things are going to go from bad to worse soon enough though.
13. Will there be a half-blood prince? Um, no. That's a little too complicated even for me.
14. Who is the 'other' from Harry's prophecy? Is it Buffy? There is another, and it isn't Buffy. It is someone Harry knows, however.
15. What about Ginny? Is something big going to happen to her? Ginny is... Ginny. And yes, something big is about to happen with her.
16. Willow's coming to England, right? Yes, she is. She's going to go to Oxford, so she'll be within hailing distance. As for bringing Willow into a relationship, maybe. I have one or two people in mind.
17. Are we ever going to find out more about Snape? Yes. His entire storyline will play itself out.
18. What is Sirius going to do? You'll find out soon enough.
19. Is Harry going to die? I can't tell you that.
20. Do the Slayers have a prophecy (as was hinted when they created Sirius'!)? I can't tell you that, either.
21. Buffy graduated, right? Yes, she graduated. She's been staying in London because of Harry. As soon as Hogwarts starts up again, she's off to do Ministry work, which will be explained soon enough.
22. Will Buffy ever return to Sunnydale? I'd like to say yes, but the problem is, there might not be a Sunnydale left for her to return to... that's all I'm saying on the subject!
Any questions? Comments?
I know how I want to continue and eventually end this story. While a part of it will be sad, I want to end it happily. Doing that means it'll end with either a wedding or a leaving ceremony or something. I have certain scenes playing out in my head (which is always fun), and I hope to have them written down. I can't say for certain that everyone is going to survive this, because not everyone will. I hate killing people. I've been asked why I will, and the only response I can give you is that this is war. Bad things happen to good people. I can't say if any of my main characters are going to die yet. I think the only person who does know is Grace, and she's been sworn to secrecy.
I invite your inputs and such, but please be gentle, as I'm only getting back into this story. There are only two Sunnydale chapters, since the rest of the story is more important. I do thank you for continuing to read this story, as it has become my baby project. I want to continue updating every week, but who knows what'll happen. I'm working on the NaNoWriMo project, too, and taking a break from fanfiction and working on some original fiction. It's been, needless to say, interesting.