Sorry sorry sorry it's been so long. I had exams and my life has suddenly got seriously hectic-try doing a 4 day Gold DofE hike, having school and homework, going to Bristol uni open day, having a fire at school and having talks to prepare for all 4 subjects writing your uni application all in one week. It's not fun and it leaves no time for fanfiction but I'm back and this is a chapter I've been so excited about 'cause you find out who the person Buffy saw is.
Feely: I wont leave you waiting too much longer-two more chapters max before they meet. Also I completely agree with you about the pairings thing you said I just find stories where pairings don't change all the way through a bit unrealistic so no pairings are permanent in this story…or maybe they are…
Tanydwr: Hope your GCSEs are finished now, I think most are. Harry will not be whiney he's kinda grumpy at the moment and I guess he will be for quite a bit of this story but he's most definitely not weak and Buffy is not going to be there to protect or patronise him.
I was really surprised about the no. of people who said the person was Ethan Rayne-you'll have to find out in a sec but someone/people kind of got it right so well done to that person.
Thank you thank you for reviews I love 'em and someone said they had forgotten the beginning so here's a very quick recap:
Recap: The full prophecy: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…to a mother whose blood runs in her child of darkness. The one with strength unseen, the one who will be forsaken by their world yet will return to it. One whose life hangs in the balance of light and dark who will fight every day as is their calling…To the mother who defied the Dark Lord three times a child who was scarcely there, never theirs yet who they will love forever and always." Dumbledore did not tell Harry all of it.
Joyce's brain tumour disturbs a memory charm on her which Pettigrew performed so that she forgot her life as Lily Potter. At St Mungo's the spell is removed but there is also one on Buffy. This can't be removed because she is also under a curse which removes her (as Hope Potter) from living memory. This curse can only be removed by the death of the person who performed it which no one knows. Buffy and Dawn go to Hogwarts while Lily remains in St Mungos's. Harry is at Grimmauld Place because the charm that makes him safe at the Dursleys is no longer effective, there he mourns the loss of Sirius and berates both himself and Dumbledore. Dumbledore talks to Fudge and end on unfriendly terms, we learn that Fudge has Faith working for him. Buffy fights Glory and gets badly hurt, glory wants the key and is working with Voldemort, merging with him to return his strength as the 1st does with Caleb. Dumbledore and the Summers/Potters talk a lot and he learns Buffy is the Slayer. Snape reveals that Voldemort, whohas since trapped Glory in a painting and asked Wormtail to dispose of it, is trying to ascend and Dumbledore sends Buffy to get the Sword of Adonis which is essential for the ascension, he talks to Lily whilst Dawn returns to Hogwarts and talks to the sorting hat…oh and by the way Harry has just received his OWL results. Whew that's rather a lot for 13 chapters.
On with the next one…and ooh it's pretty long.
Who am I?After Dawn had left Dumbledore continued to talk to Lily. They had fifteen years of catching up to do and though Dumbledore was slightly wary of relating all that had come to pass it seemed that Lily wanted to know and for his part the wizard was extremely curious about Buffy's life. Though he could not read Buffy's mind it was not difficult to sense the great weight of responsibility she shouldered nor the combination of great love and sadness inside her. Though he would have preferred to obtain information straight from the slayer Dumbledore recognised that the quickest was would probably be to ask her mother, who was fortunately someone he was only too willing to talk to.
Lily lay back on her pillow, having just absorbed the story of the Philosopher's stone and let out a deep sigh.
"I can't believe how alike they are," She said and Dumbledore did not need to ask who she meant.
"Buffy has similar adventures no doubt."
"Not that she tells me about them." Lily said, not entirely without bitterness. "I'm surprised she told you at all."
"Actually she tried very hard not to, it made me rather curious. Dawn was the one to let her sister's status out the bag and Buffy did not seem too pleased. I gather her work is rather secretive." Lily nodded, the corners of her mouth twisted into a wry smile.
"Very."
"She did not even tell you how she died." Dumbledore said gravely, not questioning, rather stating an unwelcome fact. "However you knew that she died?"
"Not until Faith showed up."
"Faith." Dumbledore repeated ponderously. "Buffy mentioned her though she did not seem keen to pursue the subject."
"She wouldn't be. Faith is…complicated. I mean it's not her fault but she has done terrible things." Lily shuddered at the memory of Faith in Buffy's body and was comforted by the fact that the girl she had once liked so much was in prison.
"Who exactly is Faith?" Dumbledore asked and Lily looked into his familiarly intense face, no trace of a smile was present in his piercing eyes.
"That is a very good question. I don't think I know the answer."
"Buffy said something about her being the other something." Dumbledore offered as a prompt.
"Oh well she's the other slayer but that's not…oh that's what you meant." Dumbledore's eyes widened behind his half moon spectacles.
"Of course. When one dies the next is called. Dear me I wish I knew more on this subject, my resources are frustratingly vague. You said Faith did terrible things?" Lily nodded also unsmiling.
"They call her the rogue slayer. I don't know the entire story but she tried to kill my daughter and that's enough. She's dangerous, she knocked me out, she has killed." Dumbledore's piercing gaze grew even sharper.
"A dark slayer once again." He murmured. "It seems history does return full circle. Where is she now?"
"Prison." Lily stated matter of factly.
"Azkaban?"
"No, no. Somewhere near LA I think." Lily said. "She deserves it don't get me wrong but there's so much going on inside that girl. You think you know someone but you never really do, do you? Not until you've been in their skin and walked around for a while." Dumbledore was reminded of just why he liked Lily then, her ability to understand another person's perspective even when drastically different from her own was just one of the many characteristics that had made his decision to have her as head girl so easy.
"You can't know everyone. Sometimes you just need to make sure that you know the people who are important to you. I thought I knew you, James and Sirius well. It was only after I lost each of you that I realised I did not. So, with your permission I would like to rectify part of my mistake. Tell me all about you."
"Well that's a bit vague headmaster, you were always so precise I thought you knew the answers to your questions beforehand. What's different now?" Dumbledore looked humbly down at his hands.
"I must confess I often do know the answers though recently I have found myself to be at a severe loss for them. Slayer lore is not a speciality of mine, nor do I know anything about the Summers family. Why don't you tell me about Joyce, Lily? She's a part of you and I want to know you." Lily smiled at the man who had been so much more than a father to her than her own and began to talk. It was a relief to pour out some of the feelings she had kept bottled inside for so long. Though she loved Buffy she had often refrained from releasing her troubles onto shoulders already so overburdened. For the first time since Buffy's revelation of her calling she had someone who wanted to know about her, who could take care of her in a way that did not make her blood run cold with nervous fear. She could explain, to someone un-related to slaying, how worried she was for her daughter's safety and the helplessness she felt being unable to aid her. They talked and talked as old friends do and Lily began to feel more and more capable of combining the worlds of Joyce Summers and Lily Potter. Dumbledore grew happier, knowing that Lily truly had returned and though she was now Joyce Summers as well the two really weren't that different. It felt like hours later, though it was not nearly so long, that Dumbledore was politely but firmly ushered out of the ward by healer Thinkley and after offering his profuse thanks once again to the Healer he departed by the nearest fireplace.
On arrival back in his office Dumbledore was met by a sight he had not expected to see. Dawn was sitting, hands clenched, on a stool with the sorting hat over her eyes and was apparently in deep conversation with the ragged accessory.
"A ball of energy? Too destroy the world?" Dawn said incredulously.
"Not to destroy the world dear. To merge worlds." The hat replied in what was meant to be a comforting manner but had no effect on Dawn.
"So destroying the world is just on the side then?"
"The key is not evil Dawn, unless it is in the hands from which it must be kept."
"How did you?" Dawn began but the hat cut her off.
"Know? I can see everything in your head Dawn, I can see every memory and I know whether they are true or not. I can see every emotion, every bond to another and I can see your history, your long past in every form you have assumed. I can see your alarm and your disgust-" This time it was Dawn who cut the hat off by tearing it off her head and throwing it to the floor.
"You can't see anything about me. You don't know me." Dawn yelled before whirling around and seeing Dumbledore. Her eyes widened and Dumbledore saw the tears glistening in them before they fell. He opened his arms and Dawn instinctively fell into them, sensing safety in the envelopment of long purple robes.
Yet again we jump back to Buffy.Previously:
To Buffy's left was a large diamond paned window, so grimy that barely any light broke through. In front of it was a cube that seemed to be made of crackling blue energy. Inside the framework of electricity was a sword, not just any sword though. It was silver and pointy like almost any other with a blade that looked sharper than Buffy cared to test on a person yet the energy seemed to be radiating from it and the handle was bejewelled with all manner of precious stones that drew Buffy's eyes like the crystal Giles had once used to hypnotise her before the watcher's council's test on her eighteenth birthday. Buffy dragged her gaze away from the scintillating colours reflecting off the sword and saw one person she felt might warrant experimentation with the sword. One word escaped her mouth before it fell open.
"You!"
The familiar figure was clad in typical leather trousers and a vest top that was as tight as a second skin. Her dark hair fell in waves against skin that was starved of sunlight and her teeth showed up starkly white against dark red lips that curled into a self-assured smirk.
"Crashing the party B? Or did you get an invite from someone?" Faith looked over to the glittering sword then back at Buffy whose jaw worked furiously to recover the power of speech. "Shit. You here for You-Know-Who? Does that mean you're the bad slayer now? Does that mean I'm the good slayer now?" Buffy's indignation jolted her tongue out of temporary retirement.
"Yeah. You're the good slayer and I'm working for an evil basically immortal, not quite human guy who's trying to ascend and become a pure demon." Buffy's response was heavily loaded with sarcasm which only made Faith's grin widen further as she casually cracked her knuckles.
"Ok. Point taken. So who're you working for then?" Faith asked nodding her head in acknowledgement of the truth Buffy was driving home and crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't work for anyone." Buffy said firmly through semi-gritted teeth, her hand clamped tightly around Dumbledore's wand. "You on the other hand-"
"B," Faith interrupted. "D'you think I'd work for a guy who talks to snakes?"
"Actually, I would." Buffy countered. "Two serpentine bosses in a row, not that surprising." Faith frowned not understanding what Buffy was saying but she wouldn't reveal any weakness and wouldn't ask Buffy what she meant. The blonde slayer however could tell and gave her own, relatively feeble grin. "You never knew did you? You're precious mayor didn't even tell you what he was gonna turn into."
"A snake huh," Faith mused. "Wow, would've like to see that. Might've done if you hadn't stuck that knife in me. Did a pretty good job actually, I still got the scar. Wanna see?" Buffy gave a short laugh.
"You never change Faith and neither do you're bosses. Looks like Mr Evil Wizard didn't plan on letting you in on the action either." This time Faith understood Buffy's insinuations perfectly and though she couldn't deny them (her sore backside was testimony to their truth) she didn't have to like them. Faith sprung at Buffy but the blonde slayer had a wand and had been told how to use it.
"Petrificus Totalus," Buffy yelled and by the miracle of slayer aiming with weapons the jet of light that emanated from Dumbledore's wand hit Faith squarely in her lower torso. Unfortunately Buffy's lack of magical experience stopped the spell from taking complete effect but it did enough. Faith's legs which had been at right angles to each other, one parallel with the floor as she kicked out, snapped together so that she once again landed on the floor with a thump and a cry of
"Shit." This time however Faith continued her rant. "Shit B what the…shit." Faith tried to stand up and immediately fell down again. "Fucking hell, those pokey sticks replacing stakes now?" Faith asked Buffy who smirked and twirled the wand in her fingers.
"Nope but I'm thinking I might get one." Buffy strolled over to the sword's cage but when she got within a metre of it the crackling blue power pulsed and an invisible force lifted Buffy off her feet so that she flew through the air and landed with a thump on the floor next to Faith whose grin returned.
"Looked like you're boss ain't told you much either B."
"I don't have a boss." Buffy said strongly "Oh and by the way I know exactly what to do." She pulled a piece of folded parchment from her back pocket and unfolded it to reveal several words and phrases written in violet ink. Buffy casually twirled the wand between her fingers and mused, "which one to try first? Accio." She cried pointing the wand at the sword which lifted up but crashed into the crackling cage sending sparks of blue energy racing around the room, one of which was so close to Faith's head that the paralysed slayer was forced to lie flat on the floor to avoid it. "Oops." Buffy said innocently. "Not that one I guess." Faith looked in disbelief at Buffy and levered her torso off the floor with some difficulty.
"oops?!" She repeated and Buffy grinned."
"Reducto," She tried and a blast of light shot at the sword but was deflected by the blue energy and once again Faith was forced to duck. "I like this game." Buffy said as Faith swore badly. She picked another spell on the parchment, "Deflecto." This time as the bolts of what seemed like electricity flew away from the sword a gap formed in the cage, large enough to pull the sword through. Faith struggled to her feet and bunny hopped towards the sword, dodging the flying sparks. As soon as she reached her arm forward to reach the sword she found herself once again on the floor, nursing her backside. Buffy grinned again and this time the summoning charm worked perfectly, the sword flew into her hand and she held it up looking at the reflecting colours the blade created. It seemed that the blue light was being fragmented into all the colours of the spectrum whilst the jewels glinted enticingly. Buffy was so focussed on the beauty of the weapon that she did not notice Faith's second attempt to grab it. She moved the sword to catch more light and by doing so unintentionally moved it out of the way of Faith's grabbing hand as she lunged for it. Buffy looked at the slayer lying at her feet, the biggest smirk yet on her face.
"So. Wanna tell me who you're so keen to get this sword for then?" Faith's silence only further convinced Buffy that she was working for Voldemort. "Right. You wont talk. Ok then you can come with me instead."
"Uh B, in case you hadn't noticed I'm kinda short on the leg functions. Unless you free 'em I'm not going anywhere."
"Wrong again Faith." Buffy said and pressed a bottle top between their palms. A moment later Faith felt an unexpected jolt behind her navel and she was whisked away, spinning quickly through tight, dark spaces.
Faith and Buffy appeared in Dumbledore's fire just in time to see Dawn run out of the door.
"Dawn." Buffy called but too late as the door closed behind her sister's rapidly retreating back.
"The little 'un?" Faith commented in surprise, bunny hopping out of the fire place. "Brat's growing up." Buffy's gaze had moved to Dumbledore's face which was pensively watching Dawn but he turned to look at the slayers as Faith spoke with a small frown between his silver eyebrows.
"Ahh Buffy and Miss-?"
"Name's Faith. Just Faith." Dumbledore raised those fine eyebrows in mild surprise, indeed the unexpected was not proving so unbelievable any more.
"So this is Faith." Dumbledore mused.
"Heard of me have you?" Faith said smiling her flirtatious smile, head tilted.
"Yes." Dumbledore answered seriously.
"You been re-telling old tales B? You always were so fond of our adventures." Faith said lightly but both Buffy and Dumbledore continued to look stern.
"Lily has." Was all Dumbledore said and though Faith did not understand, Buffy did.
"So you know why we have to…lock her in a dungeon-a castle has dungeons right?…or gag her or something." Buffy said but to her surprise Dumbledore plucked his wand from her waistband and pointed it at Faith (who winced) saying "Reverso incantatem" and Faith found that she could use her legs once more.
"What?" buffy cried. "Dumbledore she's evil a murderer and working for Voldemort."
"Indeed. Three very serious charges." Was all Dumbledore was able to say before Faith interrupted. She had been momentarily stunned to realise this was Dumbledore. Fudge had described him as a bumbling busybody but after a nonebt in his presence Faith could tell Fudge was wrong. "I'm not working for snake guy."
"And the other points."
"Weeell" Faith wheedled. "I'm not evil … any more."
"Snakes are Faith's speciality." Buffy stated to Dumbledore who was still looking far calmer than Buffy felt.
"Indeed. Please sit down." The headmaster said pulling up two chairs one of which Faith sat on. Buffy however remained standing.
"You gotta be kidding me." She said indignantly. As if he hadn't heard her Dumbledore began reciting words Buffy had heard once before.
"She makes choices now from her heart…She judges with her heart, she knows when one is truly redeemed. She is a light fighting the darkness every day and will accept only those who are of light to gain her trust, and her respect."
"Yeah but I don't trust Faith." Buffy said firmly.
"Yet you brought her back to Hogwarts."
"Yeah for you to get info out of, not because I want to be partners with her again. Believe me that did not end well."
"There is a reason the sorting hat said those things about you. Redemption is not easy but nor from what I have heard would it be to keep a Slayer in prison." Faith looked at the floor. Buffy did not answer, Angel had told her briefly what had occurred in L.A. and if she was completely honest with herself she had missed the feeling of synchronised slaying, she just didn't trust Faith, she was not even sure if she wanted to. "So Faith, if you are not working for Lord Voldemort who are you working for?" Dumbledore asked, Buffy still worried about the fact that he was so quick to trust the dark slayer, when he couldn't possibly know all that she had done. Faith was shaking her head firmly.
"Nu uh. You ain't getting that outta me."
"Who. Are. You. Working. For?" Buffy repeated slowly leaning over Faith and looking straight into her eyes. "C'mon you want us to believe you're not in league with the bad guy again, tell us already. Who's your boss?" But Faith was still shaking her head and to Buffy's great surprise there was fear, true fear in her eyes.
"I-I can't. He'll-I'll remember…" Faith trailed off and Buffy looked at Dumbledore in confusion.
"You were threatened?" Dumbledore asked. "Please it is most important that you tell us, only through that can I help. Who will do what to you? I assure you no one will know."
"He-he-" Faith gasped and Buffy stared. She had never seen Faith so distraught. Her usual policy of denial had been replaced and the hard exterior she displayed had been torn away to reveal a fragile child, because that's all Faith really was. 'What' Bufy wondered 'could possibly have such power to reduce the tough as stone bad girl almost to tears only by its memory?' It seemed that she was about to find out.
"They, they were tall and black, with cloaks. I felt-They were…cold." Faith shuddered and Dumbledore looked up sharply.
"Someone brought dementors?" Faith too looked up at the wise old face above her, at the blue eyes that were the key to a soul rich with knowledge and power yet still learning and slowly nodded before she burst into tears that poured out the anguish of the memories she had been forced to relive.
FlashbackFaith had been doing pull ups on the bar out in the exercise yard. She was alone as usual, the other inmates swarmed like flies around her but none bothered her or spoke to her-they hadn't since the first week when she had shown them what she could do. A guard walked over to her but she didn't see him until he spoke from behind her. Always on edge Faith spun around, arm outstretched and in a second the guard was flat on his back.
"Oops. Didn't see ya there." Faith said, lucky that the guard was one of the more lenient ones. "Whatsup? You need another door bashing in?"
"There's someone to see you." The guard replied and Faith looked at him in a disbelieving way. "Seriously."
"Yeah. Someone's dragged their asses all the way to this shithole to see a lowlife convict like me." Faith scorned.
"Yeah actually. Someone pretty important too. I gotta cuff you."
"What? No way." Faith moved her hands quickly out of the guard's reach.
"C'mon Faith don't make this a hassle my orders're from the top."
"The governor?" Faith said still disbelievingly but the guard nodded. "But no cuffs." She looked at his face, a face that wasn't particularly strong, the face of the sort of person she would have scorned not too long ago, before she had been in Buffy's skin, before Angel. "Fine whatever." The guard snapped the cuffs closed and lead Faith from the gawking eyes of a hundred or so other women into a room she had never seen before.
"I'll wait outside." The guard said when Faith was in the room and closed the door behind her. Faith looked around, closed doo;, guard outside, no windows, handcuffs and something evil definitely very close by. Faith smelt a rat but the only person in the room was most certainly not a vampire. He was wearing a pinstripe suit with the buttons done up wrong and a lime green bowler hat.
"Nice hat." Faith said by way of introduction. "What d'you want?"
"Your services actually." The portly man replied in an English accent. "Or rather I require them as I am sure you will provide them."
"Hey hey what kinda services you talking about?" Faith retorted suspiciously but the man laughed genially.
"Dear me you are cynical. Just a little job, something quite in your line of work I should imagine."
"And what line of work would that be?" Faith said cautiously and he laughed again, not a full hearted laugh but a chortle that made Faith very sure she didn't like the man.
"Well you're the slayer or so I've been told."
"Hey d'you wanna keep that voice down a –hold up how'd you know that?" Her visitor smiled infuriatingly.
"Irrelevant detail. You will come to England with me tonight and you will fight the Dark Lord."
"problems with the plan pinstripe man. One the 25 to life sentence Behind bars. Two there is no way I'm going to watcher land and three I don't do other people's work any more. I'm not fighting this dark lord 'cause I don't fight the good fight any more. You want one of the white hats, not me." Faith turned away but the man spoke again.
"You will come."
"You think you could make me? You think you could force me to do anything? I'm the slayer."
"But we all have our weaknesses." He moved around to the door and twisted the handle behind his back. Faith turned to watch but felt an extreme chill as the door opened. A wave of revulsion washed over her and she sank to her knees.
'We alone here Professor?' she heard her voice asking and she remembered the elderly bachelor's voice. His innocence as he replied and she pulled out her knife, glinting as she turned it over in her hands and then his terrified voice. 'I'll scream' and her cool response. 'Who wouldn't?' Then the slash of a blade and the blood on her hands, the blood that never came off no matter how hard she scrubbed. Buffy's voice as she tried, 'You don't get it. You killed a man' but worst of all her response. 'No you don't get it. I don't care.' The lies and deceit that covered and the dirty feeling inside…that was the worst but the feeling was lifting and warmth was returning. Faith sat up realising that she had been lying on the floor, covered in a cold sweat.
"So you will come."
"Or what?" Faith asked, thinking she knew what was coming but not realising the full horror of the threat.
"Or I transfer you to Azkaban."
"What's that?" Faith asked warily.
"A prison. Not like the cosiness of this one though." Faith couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this, "A prison guarded by those creatures, all day every day forced to relive your worst memories. Now I don't know what they are but from the way you were shaking I'm guessing they weren't too pleasant."
"I'm not leaving here." Faith said defiantly and the man smiled a self-confident smirk.
"Oh really." And the cold started again. Faith curled up against the wall whimpering as she saw a tall, dark man advancing on her. She was four years old and he stank of stale alcohol. His eyes were bloodshot and he loomed over her and leaned forward so his breath fell on her ear. 'You worthless piece of shit' he whispered. 'I'm gonna teach you a lesson you won't be able to remove from your backside for a month' and he pulled off his leather belt and brought the silver buckle slapping down towards her as she cowered. The words of Gwendolyn Post that made her feel so alone and the realisation that she would always be-she would always be the second slayer until Buffy died and then more came. The poisoned arrow hitting Angel as Buffy leant over him, the second arrow leaving her boy, Angel staggering backwards 'Gosh. That one wasn't a blank. - Let the games begin.'Wesley's turn, 'I was your Watcher, Faith. - I know the real you - and even if you kill me, there is just one thing I want you to remember. You - are a piece of sh..
Yet there was more, and more. A screaming started and Faith knew it wasn't hers. She recognised the feminine voice, the cry of pain was etched in her memory forever but locked away deep under the stuff of daily survival. It was her watcher, her first one as Kakistos tortured her. Faith could see blurrily in front of her the monstrous form of the massive vampire, could hear his cruel voice as he taunted her. 'You will die Slayer, but she will die first.' The blood, massive amounts as he ran a metal comb down her watcher's arms, then her torso and her screams as salt was rubbed in the raw wounds. The crackling flames as he tied her to a stake, a wet rag over her heart so it would continue beating as she was burnt alive then silence as he turned to face her, paralysed with horror and unable to help. Her heart thudding as she turned and ran, like a coward from the charred remains of her best friend and the laughing figure of her killer. Then that laugh returned in a darkened alley, 'gonna need a bigger stake slayer' Kakistos mocked but Faith could not stake him, there was to be no happiness. Instead the stake was to pierce the heart of a human, the start of the descent into darkness. Her own voice cutting in as her heart bled from the blood on her hands, 'I'm evil! I'm bad! I'm evil! Do you hear me? I'm bad! Angel, I'm bad! I'm ba-ad. Do you hear me? I'm bad! I'm bad! I'm bad. Please. Angel, please, just do it. Angel please, just do it. Just do it. Just kill me. Just kill me.'
"Just stop it." Faith sobbed. " Please. I'll do anything. Just stop it."
"Fudge." Dumbledore said as Buffy stared horror struck at the tears falling down Faith's face.
"I-I didn't know. I-"
"I suppose we will need an extra bed made up." Dumbledore said and snapped his fingers. Without warning a loud pop sounded. An exceedingly ugly creature appeared, bulbous eyes and a large nose with what seemed to be a tea cosy on its head. Buffy yanked the knife from inside her jacket and lunged at the creature but Faith jumped out of her chair and reached an arm out across Buffy to block her path.
"Whoa B" She said and the creature's tennis ball eyes widened further.
"Miss saved Dobby's life." It squeaked looking at Faith with adoration. "Miss helped Dobby."
"Hey, better than killing right?" Faith said casually, embarrassed by the gratitude of the creature who was now bowing humbly at Faith's feet.
"Dobby is a house elf." Dumbledore explained. "I am sorry I did not warn you."
"Hey we're all alive right." Buffy said looking at the elf who shrank away from her.
"I-indeed Miss."
"I'm sorry Dobby." Buffy said sincerely walking towards him but Dobby cowered and with a squeak disappeared only to reappear behind Faith, clutching her leg. "I swear, you save the world what five times and the first time you make a mistake you're the bad guy."
"Welcome to my world." Faith murmured and Buffy stopped talking. There was a pause until Dumbledore broke the silence.
"Dobby could you make up another bed in Gryffindor Tower please."
"Certainly sir." The elf bowed with deep respect for Dumbledore and then to Faith. "Thank you Miss. Dobby will not forget your bravery, your selflessness, your honour." Buffy could only stand with her mouth open as the elf disappeared with a crack after sharing these sentiments. Faith turned to Buffy.
"Wow. I might be popular here…where is here?" A brief explanation followed and then Buffy led Faith to Gryffindor Tower. Conversation on the way was strained. "What're you doing here?" Faith asked Buffy who sighed.
"It's a long story."
"Isn't everything." Faith retorted. "Give me the Cliff's notes."
"Mom under a memory spell, actually a witch, came to this school, got a brother who comes here now."
"Wow that was the notes form." Faith commented needing absolutely no slayer intuition to allow her to see the gaps in the story. "How's your mom?" Faith still felt guilty about the harm she had done to Joyce, someone who had genuinely liked her and accepted her into her life, even been grateful for her.
"IN hospital."
"Demon?"
"Brain tumour."
"I-" Faith started but Buffy cut her off.
"Here we are. Password's Scooby Doo."
"You're kidding me." Faith said and Buffy grinned wryly as the fat lady swung open. They walked through the common room and up the spiral stair case. The door to the dormitory was closed.
"Odd." Buffy said as she pushed against it.
"Uh Buffy-" Faith said looking down at the ground. She didn't need to continue as Buffy too caught sight of a dark red puddle spreading slowly under the door.
"Dawn." Buffy whispered and Faith's mouth dropped open.
"Get away from the door."
"What?"
"Get away from the door." Buffy stood back and Faith ran at the wood which splintered as the door crashed from its hinges and Faith landed catlike inside the doorframe.
Apologies for the bad language. You can't really have Faith without some swearing can you?
Ooh and look out for a one-off piece I'm in the middle of writing called 'Your deepest desire.' It's a Harry Potter piece about the Mirror of Erised and what characters see in it now. If there's a particular character you'd like to see then let me know. Oh and also I don't know if anyone's read 'A SLayer's daughter' but if you have I started the re-write. Chapter 1 is brand spanking new.
Please please please review! Did you like the Faith dementors bit? How 'bout Dobby?