Title: This is My Life, pt 2
A.N. Still in Faith's POV
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I was aware that someone was following me, but the demons I'd been speaking of earlier had decided to come for a visit. Right now I was recalling the Professor that I'd gotten rid of because Wilkins wanted me to.
All so that he could ascend and become something more powerful than one could ever imagine. He said that he'd share the power and glory with me, but somewhere I doubted him.
"How can you say that after everything we've been through?" Wilkins asked matching my quick pace with little effort.
"Because I can." I answered lamely. "You never truly wanted me to be there for you on the day. You only wanted me to follow behind you blindly."
"You never followed blindly." Wilkins retorted simply. "You were too smart of a girl for that. I taught you well."
"You taught me nothing." I snapped.
"How can you say that?" He questioned. "I gave you the thing you were looking for. Hope."
He got me there. All I had wanted was someone to care about me and replace what I had none of. He did that. "You may have lifted me up when I was down, but you did nothing but watch as I slowly killed my soul."
"What good is a soul?" He questioned. "Oh right, so that you can feel and be important. Is that what Buffy would have wanted or you."
"Leave her out of this." I growled.
"You're still angry with her." He practically jumped for joy. "Good. She isn't what you want to be because you'd always be pretending to be something you're not."
"Or something that you wouldn't want me to be." I said slightly bitter.
"You wouldn't have wanted me to help you fight yourself, or your destiny." He told me becoming serious once more. "You've got to be who you are Faith. And this isn't it." He continued gesturing around. "Cooped up isn't for you."
I stopped walking and turned on him. "If this is someway you think I'm going to –"
He held up his hands. "Where's the respect for your elders?"
I cocked my head to the side before saying, "I figured that was for the living."
The shape changed once more to the Buffy Summers' from her dream. "You can't hide who you are, Faith. Nothing but a murderer."
"I may have been a murderer, but not anymore."
"You'll always have the thirst to alter someone's life." The shaped changed to Angel. "To feel someone's life slipping away is like a drug."
"Wasn't it you that said that I could change?" I questioned the form of Angel.
"You'll never be able to rest in peace." Said the shape of Buffy. "It'll eat at you, try to claw its way to the front of your mind."
"Faith?" An outside voice called.
Shaking away the images I turned to see worried green eyes. My hand went to my head as I let out a frustrated sigh. It's been getting worse as of late and it'll probably continue the more I'm around these kids. "I'm fine."
"If I believed myself every time I said that I would be naïve." He said before adding, "Or dumb. In either case I've seen too much to be either so do you want to talk about it."
"You couldn't possibly understand." I snapped wishing I had control over my tongue. He looked hurt but nothing that he couldn't recover from. "As I said before sometimes demons shouldn't be let out."
"Demons?" He questioned.
Crap! I shouldn't have said anything. I tried to turn away but he grabbed my arm seemingly trying to get me to talk to him. Harder than I meant to I pushed him against the nearest wall. "My demons will not be let out." I growled at him. "Not now, not ever."
His eyes looked at me calmly before speaking. "It appears they've already come out."
My eyes widen slightly before narrowing at him. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know that you need someone to talk to." He answered simply. Damn him and damn Angel.
"He's got a point." The figure was back as Angel again.
"I didn't ask you." I growled at the demon in my memory.
"You never do." Angel replied simply. "But you've got to let someone in. And scaring the boy isn't going to get him to leave you alone. He'll become so curious to know why you're here or what you're hiding he'll go to great lengths to find out."
Harry seemed to know that I wasn't talking to him, but I could feel the fear and worry coming off him in waves. Slowly I let my arms dropped to my sides.
"I'm sorry Harry." I replied taking a step back. "Go to class." I added walking in the direction of my tower. I could feel his eyes on me until I turned the corner. I didn't stop, nor did I look at what was happening behind me. I could see someone walking beside me but I ignored it.
The day seemed to travel within hours. Dumbledore had supplied me with a training bag so that I could take my anger and frustration out on it. It was very therapeutic and very dented. Today however I ended up smashing it against the wall as the demons kept talking to me.
I didn't immerge from my tower until almost diner time. As I walked down the hallway I ran across the blond from this morning. "Draco." I called and watched as he turned to face me. If I was going to help the students might as well start with the ones that are damned.
He looked at me with curiosity in his pale eyes as I drew closer. I noticed two tall boys flanking his side waiting for some kind of order. Gee, Buffy Summers' much? I mused to myself.
"I'm Faith." I introduced when I was close enough to him. He was a lot taller than me standing nearly the same height as Angel. Damn vampire always coming to my thoughts.
"Well you seem to know me." He started before pointing to his left and right saying, "This is Crabbe and Goyle."
The boys grunted in response to the introduction and I raise a questioning eyebrow looking at them. "I wondered if I could sit with you tonight." I replied getting to the point of my calling out to him.
He looked at me for a moment before saying; "Weren't you with Potter earlier?"
"I was." I replied, no use in denying it.
"We don't let Gryffindor wanabes sit with us." Draco told me glancing at my 'muggle' outfit. I suddenly felt embarrassed as I had few clothes to wear especially after being a coma for the time I was.
I crossed my arms over my white long sleeved shirt trying not too look how I felt at the moment. "Red and gold aren't really my colors I prefer green and silver." I was trying to be symbolic, which thankfully he got.
"Alright." He replied glaring at Crabbe - or was that Goyle – to move over so that I could walk next to Draco. Together the four of us walked into the great hall. And like earlier it went deadly silent only this time it was as though no one was breathing. I looked up to see Dumbledore looking at me curiously.
Draco led me to the table and introduced me to his lackeys. I nodded to each in turn before turning to a quiet boy that Draco hadn't introduced who was sitting on my left. Leaning over I introduced, "I'm Faith."
The boy looked up at me and nodded before returning to his food. He was a young boy couldn't have been more than thirteen. He had black hair, hazel eyes and was on the thin side but still nourished.
I felt several eyes on me so I looked up. Harry was watching me with questions in his green eyes and his friend Ron was practically glaring daggers at me. Something had to be done about this. They're children not pure evil.
I looked up at the head table where Dumbledore waved me over. Rolling my eyes slightly I leaned over to Draco and replied, "I'll be right back."
He looked at me and saw that I really didn't want to leave but he noticed Dumbledore was watching them carefully. "Alright." He said before turning back to his food.
I stood with grace and ease and walked towards Dumbledore. Everyone's eyes were on me as I made my way over to him. "You wanted to see me, Albus?" I asked as I stopped in front of him.
"Yes." He replied before gesturing to his left and right. "This is Minerva McGonagall of Gryffindor house and Severus Snape of Slytherin."
"Nice to meet you." I told them my eyes remained on Severus' longer than on Minerva or Albus. I felt something familiar with him. I knew I was crazy, what's his excuse?
"I wondered why are you sitting with young Malfoy?" Albus asked getting my attention put back to him.
"Is there something wrong with that?" I questioned slightly angered.
"Not at all." Albus replied calmly. "It's just that –"
"You think that Harry Potter's the only one in this school that needs protection." I finished for him before questioning, "What about those that are condemned?"
"Condemned?" Minerva questioned.
"Yes condemned." I repeated. "I've been out of the tower for less than twenty-four hours after being driven over the edge and I can see the same thing happening to several students." I ranted. "And no one's doing a thing to stop it."
"Faith –"
"If you want someone to turn a blind eye to those that truly need help and guidance get Buffy Summers because she'll do EXACTLY that." I interrupted. "If you'll excuse me –"I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see the quiet Slytherin boy standing there.
"You believe in us?" He questioned quietly.
I looked at him in surprise that he spoke before looking over at the Slytherin table that was watching curiously before saying, "Somebody has to."
He looked up at me with his hazel eyes before saying, "Then why are you going to abandon us?"
I felt cold water pour over me as I realized what I was doing. I was doing what Buffy had done to me after I joined the mayor. I turned to Dumbledore before turning back to the boy. "I don't want to leave, but several professors and other houses have already condemned you –"
"How do you know?" Harry questioned coming up next to me.
"Wasn't it your friend, Ron who was glaring at me for sitting next to Draco Malfoy a Slytherin?" I questioned. "I've heard stories, Harry and the way people talk about the Slytherin house it's like the minute that hat yells out 'Slytherin' everyone classifies them as evil."
Harry looked at me before glancing at his head of house. He seemed torn as to what to think he'd been told for six years that everyone in Slytherin goes evil and here I was telling him otherwise. I could see confusion in his eyes.
"Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere." Severus said after Harry looked away from both Minerva and me.
"Excellent suggestion, Severus." Albus jumped in.
The thirteen year old had attached himself to my side but I didn't mind much. I could tell he'd had a hard life so held out my hand for him to grab. He looked at me in shock before grabbing it. I looked towards Draco who was smirking at me.
"Shall we?" Albus questioned causing me to focus once more on the head table. I shrugged so Minerva, Severus and Albus stood up as I held my ground with my little Slytherin. Together the six of us, apparently Harry didn't want to be left out of this conversation, walked towards Albus' office.
End pt 2