A/N: Okay, timeline wise, Amy got knocked up as a rat ( I know NOTHING of animal conception - I only know human conception, so yeah ) late season five, early season 6, summer before book three, so when Sunnydale went bye-bye, it was the end of book five shortly after it. So Harry's all grown up in this one. And the Dream Team has graduated, Voldemort is gone, and I'm making Dawn a year younger than she was on BtVS (she's roughly the same age as the Dream Team)
Chapter One
September 13, 2005 - Harrison Township, Michigan
The rain dripped down over the windows. Three little children were playing with some blocks. They were happy, pretty children. The boy had dark green eyes and dark brown hair. So did the little girl. It was the third child who was strikingly different. Her hair was platinum blond, and her eyes were an icy blue color. Their mother simply smiled. She had been blonde, and it only seemed natural that one of her three children would be blonde as well. Amy was collecting the dinner plates as her children were entertaining themselves.
She had once thought of them as horrible, painful reminders of her rape. And then Tara Anne had squeezed her finger in her tiny hand. She saw them as the beautiful creation that they were. Now they were three. It was amazing how big they'd gotten.
She side-stepped Andrew to get to Jimmy. Her little boy. She vaguely wondered if he would take after his father. But instead she saw her own father's features, and her own in little Joy. Tara Anne was a contortion of people. People had commented that she had the grin of Xander, the eyes of Spike, the hair of Buffy, the wit of Dawn, the smarts of Willow, and the ability to make Andrew seem cool.
It was the fact that she was such a blend of personalities that stuck Amy as odd. She had no idea what their father came from, or what he was like. She could see sparks of different people in her. People Amy couldn't recognize because they weren't people she knew. And she knew that they came from his life. She pulled her son and daughters into her arms. They were her life. They were her passion.
There was knock at the door. Amy turned to the door. A slender brunette made her way to the door. Dawnie had really matured in the past two years. Willow followed her. She pulled open the door.
"Yes?"
"'Allo, I'm looking for a Willow Rosenburg?" A red-haired man said this in a British accent.
"Hold on." She looked at the man and the three figures behind him cautiously. It was late and there was no guarantee that they weren't vampires. "Willow, there's someone at the door for you."
Willow had been standing in the room with Amy, her eyes going to the small children she had grown to love. And the woman she had learned to be friends with again. She went to the door, and instantly recognized the man.
"Hey. Charlie Weasley, right? You were in the Magic Box, in Sunnydale. You were looking for Draken Weed."
"I also had a rat. Scabbers. Rupert told me that you were all living here." His hand passed over the threshold and both girls sighed in relief.
"Come on in. What are you looking for?" Willow said. A dark haired man and another red-head man and a woman with thick brown hair followed behind him.
"Giles told us about your rat. The one Scabbers - attacked." The younger red-head said.
"Amy?"
Amy's ears perked up. It was an old rat habit she'd wished she'd never acquired. Andrew stood behind her as she rose. Tara Anne slipped through her mother's arms. On uncertain feet, she made her way to the doorway. Amy began to follow the little girl, but felt as if she were held back somehow. Andrew had gathered the other two into his arms as he watched the little girl maneuver her way through the crowd at the door. She stood before the dark haired man. She grabbed his jeans, and visibly flinched. Her eyes met his and they both began to cry. Instead of running away, the little child sought comfort in his arms.
The man tried to wrench himself free of the little girl, one hand working to remove her the other furiously swiping at the tears. Amy looked surprised. Tara Anne rarely ever cried. And she was so shy, never taking to strangers, like Joy did. She turned to Willow. But it seemed as if the rest of the 'grown-ups' were frozen. She watched as her daughter lifted a small chubby hand to the man's face. His body stilled as he felt her hand on his cheek. She smiled, sadly, her little finger wiping away his tears. She grinned at him mischievously, as she released him and raced back to her mother.
Amy picked her daughter up. Tara Anne laid her head on her mother's shoulder. She turned to face the older man, Charlie.
"I'm Amy Madison."
"We were unaware that you had a child." Charlie said.
"I have three, actually. This is about Peter?" Her eyes focused on the dark haired man. He had noticeably flinched at the mention of his name.
"It does have to with Pettigrew. May we speak to you privately, Mrs. Madison?"
"It's Ms. Madison, but you can call me Amy. Yes, just let me put the kids bed."
Andrew had already taken Jimmy and Joy up to the nursery. She carried Tara up for bed. Fear washed through her. She had heard the story of the evils Peter had done. A group of wizards had told Giles, who had told her. Apparently, Giles hadn't told them that he had impregnated Amy. She was so afraid that her innocent children would be put into danger by the wizards downstairs.
Andrew noticed the tension and fear in her eyes. He took Tara from her arms and put the child into her bed.
"Oh, Goddess. Andrew -"
"They won't hurt the triplets, Am. Don't worry I- I wouldn't let them." He paused for a second. "Buffy or the rest of the slayers or Willow wouldn't let them hurt or take them."
Amy smiled at Andrew. He was always selling himself short. But he'd given her the perspective she needed. That was when she did something rash. She leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. He seemed shocked. She giggled at the face he made.
"Thanks, Andrew. Can you keep an eye on them, make sure they don't sneak down there? I need to figure out what they want."
"Sure. I'm their Nana." Andrew said laughingly, until he caught the look Amy was giving him. "You know, like in 'Peter Pan'. I look out after the triplets. Like the big St. Bernard, Nana. I'm also comically drawn." The look didn't go away. "Now I know I'm a nerd."
She laughed again. "You're not a nerd. At least not anymore. You know how much I appreciate what you do for the triplets. You're like a father to them."
"But I shouldn't be." When he saw the hurt look in her eyes, he tried again. "I mean, they and you deserve a good man. A man, a father who hasn't killed."
"Why not? Their birth father was a murderer. I did horrible things. Do they deserve a better mother? You've been there for them for so long now, Andrew. I don't know what we'd do without you."
Amy made her way back downstairs and went into the living room. It was gonna be a long night.