A/N: Loads of people asked about the pairing and I'm sorry but this is definitely not gonna be a Buffy/Sirius fic. I've done loads of them and now it's time for a change. The pairing is between two choices which will become clearer later.
Also the age thing which someone commented on, this fic is set a few months after the end of season seven but still somewhere before Angel takes over Wolfram and Hart. I've moved things along a bit so Buffy is twenty eight which is necessary for the timeline.
Thanks to:
Chrios – sorry, Sirius is just the godfather, the nephew thing was just a typo which has now been edited out
Thecharmedone - thanks for your support. I love Buffy but she isn't perfect. She's got a lot of resentments and unresolved issues in this fic; some of it is down to guilt but letting Sirius go to Azkaban wasn't really her fault as you'll see. But she definitely has faults.
Tanydwr – I agree but Buffy never was that comfortable about her friends fighting with her, so her sister fighting would also not be a good thing for her. Also from her point of view, the fight should've been down to other wizards, not her sister.
Erak – there's one set pairing which is almost definite but not Buffy/Sirius I'm afraid. Dawn will be making appearances.
Just Me – there will be a Sirius Buffy confrontation pretty soon but it won't be in Sunnydale as you'll see pretty soon. But I'm leaving Buffy as not a witch though I like the idea and might write a fic with her as a witch sometime. It's just I've got this whole plot chart which I can't be bothered to change! And thank you, it's really good to be back.
Also: CelticHeiressFiona, CharmedChick, irismoon, White Wolf 3, Morph012, Draco's Slytherin Vampiress, CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, captuniv, gaul1, Talum, Kiara-Zzyopen, manticore-gurl071134, Charmed-angel4, vixen519, Botticelli'sVenus
Chapter 2
-Post Becoming Part 2-
'You walk out of this house; don't even think about coming back!'
Buffy closed her eyes as if they could push out the painful barrage of memories that were currently assaulting her mind. She sat on the edge of her bed, careful to avoid making too much noise. She felt like she was sinking into the darkness of her mind and all she wanted to do was claw her way away from her thoughts. So much was lost and so much was broken.
Buffy stood up and busied herself with her bag, hastily stuffing clothes in, all the while keeping an ear open to listen for Joyce's footsteps. When she was finished, she carefully placed the note on her bed, straightened it, letting her fingers slide over the cool paper as if leaving some imprint of herself on it. Then, she grabbed her bag and vaulted out of the window, sliding down the roof and hitting the ground below silently.
She took one last reverent look at the house behind her, the home that had been hers for the last two years. Then she turned her back on it, turned her back on that life and strode across the garden. Vaulting over the fence, she landed in the deserted street outside.
She reached to her neck, fingers found the intricate gold chain and tugged, a curious glowing green stone falling out. Buffy looked at it, a curious reverent smile finding her lips and then gripped it tightly. She was gone before she could blink.
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Buffy stumbled down the street, the strap of her bag digging in to her shoulder painfully. Rain drizzled on her, the sky a murky grey but Buffy liked it. It was wrong for the sun to shine, impossible that it could.
It was early morning but there were plenty of people around but she fought her way through the crowd eagerly anticipating reaching her sisters house. It was the only place she could think of to go, somewhere where she didn't have to deal with what had happened, and where no one could look at her like she'd lost everything that mattered.
She neared Godrics Hollow and noticed that there was an unusual amount of people out for the time of day, women in dressing gowns and hairnets talking to their neighbours in hushed voices on street corners.
'The Potters…….just the little boy yes…..'
Buffy's eyes widened in fear as the fragments of conversation echoed in her head. Pushing her way past the women and ignoring their irritated tuts of disapproval, she broke into a run. She turned the corner and then stopped.
The house was in ruins, decimated completely. The house with its big back garden and huge fireplace where a variety of strange and wonderful guests had arrived. Where she had finally been at home, with her sister after all these years. The house where Harry lived, their perfect little family making Buffy wish she could be normal, and have a life like her sister. All gone, the memories wiped out by what stood before her. Buffy dropped her bag suddenly; it fell to the floor and was left behind forgotten as she paced towards the house. A lone figure stood on the pavement; a lone figure clutching a baby to his chest. Buffy stumbled forward, her legs carrying her of their own accord.
"Sirius-" the word lingered on her lips and he turned. The tears on his cheeks were all she needed but she still went forward, legs carrying her over rubble, furniture, dust. She tripped and nearly fell a few times but her legs wouldn't let her stop for long.
She saw him first and fell to her knees beside his prostrate body. It was cold when she put her hand on it, eyes slightly open, a look of slight shock on her brother-in-laws face, a wand clutched in his now rigid fingers. James, who had always looked out for her, always welcomed her into his home and had become like the brother she'd never had.
But she couldn't linger by him, once again her legs were carrying her forward, regardless of the fact that her mind was screaming no. And there she was, a crumpled form looking so defenceless and vulnerable, something Lily had never been. Lily had always been strong, a fighter in her own right. But she had been reduced to something didn't know now, something so foreign that for a wild moment Buffy thought it couldn't possibly be her sister.
But it was, and she knelt beside her, turning over her body with one shaking had. She was pale, eyes closed, mouth ajar like she was about to speak but of course she wasn't. The rain drizzled on her face, tiny raindrops pattering down on it. Buffy tried to wipe it with her sleeve but it was useless, everything was now. She clung to her sister's cold slender body as she wept; holding it tightly to her as if there was something to gain from it. In that one night everything was lost. Angel was gone, Joyce, her friends and now James and Lily. She had nothing left.
When she was finished, Buffy wiped her face with her wet sleeve and stood up, taking one last lingering glance at her sister. Then she turned and climbed out of the wreckage. She had one thing left. She had to be strong now, for Harry, if for nothing else.
"Give Harry to me," Buffy said, commanding her voice to keep steady. Sirius turned to her, fear was in his eyes, but right then Buffy didn't give a damn. She didn't know him anymore; he had been transformed from a familiar face into something alien and threatening.
"Give him to me," Buffy said again, shaking slightly from the cold and her grief. "He's my nephew Sirius, give him to me." Sirius didn't speak but clung to his nephew.
"God damn it Sirius!" Buffy yelled suddenly, furiously. "Give him to me before I have to pry him from you. It's over."
"He's my godson," Sirius said coldly, fear disappearing from his eyes.
"And a nice life you'll make for him Azkaban," Buffy said scathingly. "Because that's where you're going isn't it?" It was a cheap shot but it worked. The fear flickered back into his eyes before the shutters went down.
"I'm not letting you take him back to America," Sirius said bitterly. "He belongs here, with me and Remus and other wizards. I can take care of him, I can be his family."
"What part of you doesn't understand?" Buffy yelled back at him. "You – are – going – to – Azkaban. You're dead Sirius, or as good as. No one's gonna believe you; they all think you were the secret keeper. I wish I could help you but you know what my word's worth. It's over. Give Harry to me. I'm his family; I'm all he has now." Sirius turned his back on her, still holding Harry and rocking him gently.
"I can't," Sirius said brokenly. "He's all I have left."
"He's all I have left too," Buffy murmured. "I need him Sirius, give him to me."
"What happened?" Sirius asked, still not relinquishing his grip on Harry. "Did something happen?"
"Angel……Angel is dead," Buffy said, her voice trembling and a few tears escaping. "I need Harry, Sirius please."
Sirius turned to her, looking like he was going to say something, and then Buffy remembered who he was to her. Her friend and someone who had loved Lily just as much as she did. Someone who needed her help. But before he could speak a loud crack sounded and they both turned to see who had just apparated.
"Hagrid," Sirius said a trace of fear once again in his voice. Buffy didn't understand why, she glanced at him but he was staring straight at Hagrid.
"Is it true?" Hagrid asked anxiously. Wordlessly Sirius nodded. "Lily and James, I can't believe it." He too climbed through the wreckage, reaching the bodies. Ever so carefully he lifted Lily, carried her body and placed it next to James. Then he clambered back over the ruins, brushing away his giant tears.
"Yeh have ter give Harry ter me," Hagrid said slowly, looking at Sirius. "Dumbledore's orders. I have ter take Harry ter him." Now Buffy understood.
"He's my godson Hagrid," Sirius said, holding Harry tightly, too tightly as he woke up and began to cry. "Lily and James would have wanted him to live with me….or Buffy," he added grudgingly.
"Be tha' as it may," Hagrid said apologetically. "I'm jus' doin' what Dumbledore said. I'm sorry Sirius, Buffy. I'm sorry."
"Please Hagrid," Buffy pleaded. "Just leave him with me. I'll keep him safe."
"I can't Buff," Hagrid said sadly. "Dumbledore said to bring him directly to him." Very slowly he came towards Sirius and took him from his arms. Sirius kissed him on the forehead roughly before he turned away to stare up at the steely sky.
"Take my motorbike," he said quietly. "It's safer for Harry. I won't need it anymore."
Buffy stared at his tense back before coming forward to Hagrid.
"There's nothin' I can do," Hagrid said before she could speak. "Look, Dumbledore didn' know yeh'd be here. Maybe he wants Harry to go ter you. Go and see 'im."
Buffy nodded, tears now dripping down her cheeks. She leant forward and kissed Harry's cheek gently before Hagrid stood back and apparated away.
Buffy stared at the spot that they had been for a long while after they were gone. Then she turned and stared at Sirius' back again.
"Is there anything I can do?"
He didn't turn to her and she stood nervously, not knowing what to do.
"There's nothing."
"You could run," Buffy said, words now struggling to come out. She was so tired.
"There's no point, I can't run forever." The words sounded hollow and were quickly swept away by the cold wind. "I'll find Peter, that's the only chance I've got. Don't worry about me."
"I'm….I'd better go," she said quietly. He turned around and looked at her. His complexion was pale; he was scared of what they both knew he was facing. Buffy came towards him and stood in front of him. Tentatively she put her arms around him and after a pause he slipped his around her waist. They clung together for a long time, finding solace in each other that they knew wouldn't last long.
"I'm sorry Sirius," Buffy said quietly. "I wish I could help. I'm sorry." Sirius didn't reply, just rested his chin on the top of Buffy's blonde head.
"I'd better be going," Buffy repeated before pulling away. She regarded him for a few moments. "I'll see you around…..or maybe I won't…..but take care."
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"Harry-"
Harry broke his transfixed gaze over the lake to see his two friends approaching him. Dusk was heavy over the sky, a blanket of darkness covering the sun and its warmth.
"You must be freezing," Hermione commented, handing Harry a cloak which he gratefully threw around him shoulders.
"I hadn't…….noticed," Harry said haltingly, resuming his staring at the lake with renewed fervour. "I was just thinking….."
Hermione looked at him anxiously while Ron also stared across the lake as if he was trying to spot what had fascinated Harry.
"About You-Know-Who?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Not really," Harry said after a pause. "About my Aunt. Dumbledore wrote to her, I'm going there for the summer."
"All summer?" Ron asked in a horrified voice, dragging his gaze away from the lake.
Harry frowned.
"I don't know," he said dejectedly. "I suppose I'll be there all summer, I mean she lives in California."
"Do you know what she's like?" Hermione asked, sitting down next to Harry. Ron followed suit. Harry sighed.
"Not a clue," he said tiredly. "Dumbledore said she's not like Petunia but he hasn't seen her for over twelve years. It's just so strange; I can't quite get my head round it. I mean for nearly all my life I've been stuck with the Dursleys when I could've been with Buffy. And no one told me she even existed! Everyone knew, Sirius, Dumbledore, Lupin, but no one told me."
"You would've just got your hopes up," Hermione said reasonably. "She does live on the hellmouth like Sirius said."
"Yeah but why now?" Harry said irritably. "I mean she still lives there so why is it okay now?"
"Probably because of You-Know-Who," Ron said thoughtfully. "I mean the Triwizard was really tough, maybe Dumbledore just wants to give you a break."
"Maybe," Harry said moodily. "Maybe he's just using me because he wants Buffy's help again."
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"Moony," Sirius greeted Lupin with a friendly hug when he burst out of the fireplace into Lupin's tiny flat.
"Padfoot, old friend," Lupin said good-naturedly. "I take it things have begun? The Order's come together again?" Sirius nodded, flopping down into one of Lupin's worn arm chairs.
"They were ready, they were reading the signs just as we were," Sirius said tiredly, casting a hand over his eyes carelessly. "A little surprised to see me but determined all the same. Dung tried to flog me a couple of dodgy broomsticks but I declined."
Remus sat down in the other chair and picked up a poker to stoke the dwindling fire. Sirius looked suddenly alert and sat forward in his chair.
"Has Dumbledore contacted you?" he asked in a low voice. Remus shook his head slowly. "Well, you're not going to believe this but Dumbledore's sent Harry to Buffy for the summer."
"Buffy?" Remus exclaimed loudly, brandishing the poker wildly. "What the hell's he done that for?" Sirius shook his head irritably.
"Not a clue," he said grimly. "I tried to talk him out of it but you know Dumbledore. He had his 'I know best but I'm not telling you why' face on." Remus stared into the fire pensively.
"Do you think it has anything to do with Voldemort's return?" he asked tersely. Sirius smirked bitterly.
"Buffy won't help us if that's what you mean," Sirius said harshly. "Dumbledore's a fool if he thinks she will. Maybe if he hadn't kept Harry from her….but not now. She made up her mind about us when Lily died."
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"Tell Kennedy that's not what I want," Buffy said irritably, gesticulating wildly. She paced the apartment, her mobile phone clamped to her ear. "Look, Will, I know she's your girlfriend but that doesn't give her rights over the other girls. I've had some complaints. You're the one in charge down there and you make sure she damn well knows it."
Giles watched as his slayer listened intensely. Warm Roman air drifted through the apartment, the balcony doors thrown wide open.
"You broke up? Oh Willow I'm sorry…..Look I'll move her, she can go to Cleveland, she won't be able to move with Faith on her back……No I want to do that, I only left her there so she was with you……okay I'll call you when it's sorted…….love you too…..bye."
She pushed a button on her phone and placed it on the coffee table.
"Kennedy has been throwing her weight around," Buffy said in answer to Giles' questioning glance. "She and Willow have split and I'm gonna send her to Faith for some…discipline. Should be good for her."
"I agree," Giles said. "Now we need to discuss the slayers in Africa. Xander said he's having trouble with finding a-"
The doorbell rang cutting him off short.
"I bet that's Dawn," Buffy said annoyed. "She said she was staying at Gianna's. She must've forgotten something. And her key apparently."
She strode to the door and opened it wide.
"Do you have any idea what the time-" Her voice died in her throat as she beheld the man who stood on the threshold of her apartment and a hand flew to her mouth.
"Hello Buffy," Dumbledore said quietly.
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