Just wanna say a massive thanks to Becks89 who has agreed to be my beta and has been loads of help!
Review please!
Thanks to:
CelticHeiressFiona – that was a typo on my part which I've now changed but nice one for noticing!
Razeil Tepes – Spike may feature later in this fic
Tracey – the whole Dawn thing is a bit of a grey area but I'm going with the monks didn't know that Buffy wasn't actually a Summers so made dawn out of her but inserted her into Buffy's life as the daughter of Hank and Joyce.
The-tulip – argh I think we got our wires crossed a bit! Sorry, I was looking for someone to beta my story. I'd like to beta yours but I really don't have the time right now
Just me – the cousin thing was a typo and has been changed
Goddessa39 – yeah that's pretty much it. Dawn's pretty difficult to fit in but I'm going with her being made out of Buffy but as the daughter of Joyce and Hank
Becks89 – thanks so much for being my beta, you did a fab job. I checked with the mothership and she seems to think trumping is an expression so I'm gonna stick with it. Basically it's means beating everything else. I think I'll wait til you're back before I send you the next one as it still needs a few finishing touches.
Also: Erak, veri-interesterin-speciesamin, General Mac, WhiteWolf 3, Jackie, Damia – Queen of the Gypsi's, Stephanie04321, Silver Warrior
Chapter 6
Harry woke early the next morning and dressed quickly. He stuck his head out of the door and peered into the living room. Only Dawn was up and she was making breakfast for herself.
"Morning," Dawn called brightly and Harry emerged to see his cousin – or whatever she was – pouring honey onto a stack of waffles. He grinned at her awkwardly.
"Help yourself to whatever you want," she said offhandedly, sitting down at the breakfast bar and tucking in. Harry poured himself some cereal and joined her. Harry wasn't entirely comfortable around her but she seemed to have none of the same qualms as she started chatting to him immediately.
They were deep in a discussion about whether Hogwarts was more dangerous than Sunnydale High when Buffy emerged from her room. She smiled to see Dawn and Harry talking. After helping herself to some cereal she joined them, listening to them talk as she ate.
"Sunnydale High was on the hellmouth," Dawn interjected, stabbing a bit of waffle with her fork. "You can't beat that; every little thing that happened was magnified. This girl got ignored by everyone and so she turned invisible. That doesn't happen at just any school."
"But Hogwarts is made of magic," Harry reasoned. "There's always the risk of something going wrong and you losing a limb. I haven't gone a year there without putting my life in danger at least once a month."
"But Sunnydale has vampires and a whole lot of them. They love it there. And it has one of the highest death rates in the world. Well it did before it collapsed."
"But Hogwarts has gigantic spiders the size of horses in the forest," Harry said trumping everything. "And they eat people."
"That's a good point," Buffy commented lightly. Dawn threw her a sour look.
"I don't know why you're agreeing, you nearly died pretty much everyday you went to Sunnydale High," Dawn said coldly. Buffy shrugged.
"Yeah but never from being eaten by a giant spider," she remarked. "A giant snake a couple of times, yes, but no spider."
"Harry, did you ask Buffy about her vampire boyfriends?" Dawn interrupted loudly. Harry began to feel distinctly uncomfortable. "Did she tell you about how she went out with two of them?"
"Well you'd know about dating vampires wouldn't you?" Buffy said sharply and then looked like she regretted it. Dawn's cheeks reddened and she pushed herself away from the counter and stood up, storming off into her bedroom. Buffy gave Harry an apologetic look before following her.
-
"What are you playing at Dawn?" Buffy said in a low angry voice, closing the door behind her. Dawn sat on her bed, staring angrily at the floor.
"I'm not playing at anything," Dawn said frostily, meeting Buffy's glare with equal anger. "What you said was out of order."
"And you telling Harry I had a yen for dating vampires wasn't?" Buffy intoned furiously. Dawn didn't respond but her eyes glittered with anger. Buffy stared at her for a few moments and then softened.
"Could you give me a break for one second? I know this is hard for you; it isn't exactly easy for me either but it's really hard on Harry. I'm not asking you to forgive me, but at least give him a chance to actually like us before we start shouting the odds at each other over waffles. "
Dawn stared at her wordlessly for a long moment and then her face softened.
"Does he mean more to you than I do?" she asked quietly. Buffy stared at her and then reached out a hand to push a strand of Dawn's hair back behind her ear gently.
"Dawnie, I love you so much, you know that," she said gently. "No one is gonna replace you, ever. You are still my sister and I feel the same love for you I always have. But Harry is also very important to me too, and I think he'll be important to you too. He's never had anyone, but now he's got us and he needs us."
Dawn hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
"Let's make the little time we have left together decent okay? Show Harry what being a Summers is okay?"
Dawn looked away.
"But you're not a Summers."
"I am your sister," Buffy said insistently. "Your mother was my mother in everything but genetics. Our blood is the same, it has to be or I couldn't have closed the portal with it. You have to remember that." She sighed. "I know it's not gonna be easy and there's a lot of stuff that has to be said but there just isn't the time right now. You're leaving today and I don't want you to go away hating me. When you get back we'll talk, properly, and I'll explain all the 'whys' and 'wherefores'."
Dawn nodded and pushed back her hair roughly. Buffy bit her lip and went to hug her, but Dawn held her at bay.
"Not yet," she said gently. "I can't right now."
-
Harry didn't know what Buffy had said to Dawn but when they emerged things seemed better between them. He didn't know how much better because he didn't know them together when things were good but he hoped it wasn't far from this. He hated to be the reason that they weren't getting along.
The day sped by quickly, Dawn packing, Buffy and Giles discussing business and Harry feeling a little lost. He attempted to keep up with the business they were discussing but generally it involved people he didn't know and demons that he had no clue about. Eventually he went to his room and began to do some of his homework. He was just in the middle of a difficult essay on the uses of unicorn tail hair in potions for Snape when Buffy stuck her head into his room.
"Giles and Dawn have to go to the airport," she announced. "Coming?"
He nodded dutifully, putting his books aside and joined them in the hallway.
"Got everything?" Buffy asked Dawn. "Weapons, books, clothes, shampoo?" Dawn screwed up her face to think and then nodded.
"Check to all of the above," she said brightly.
Buffy picked up her case and they made their way downstairs where they hailed a taxi to take them.
Harry stared out of the window silently as they travelled, eyes moving over the various sights in the same way they had just the previous day on the way from the airport. He felt so lonely and was longing for Ron and Hermione to talk to. It was so difficult being away from his friends in a place where he had no clue what was going on and where, despite what Buffy said, he didn't feel wanted.
The airport loomed ahead of them and watches were checked, making them rush. Dawn and Giles hastily checked their luggage and then turned to Buffy and Harry for their goodbyes. Harry shook Giles' hand politely and then was hugged tightly by Dawn. Buffy and Giles hugged. Dawn looked hesitantly at Buffy before throwing herself on her with a hug. When they separated, they both looked a bit teary eyed.
"I'll probably see you in Cleveland," Buffy assured her; brushing back Dawn's hair from her face. "Harry and I will go out there when you and Giles get there. It won't be long."
"Promise?" Dawn asked and Buffy nodded smiling.
"Be careful," she said softly. "Do what Giles' says and don't take any risks."
Dawn nodded and then stepped back.
"Bye," she said quietly, a sad smile on her face. She took one last look at Buffy and then turned and she and Giles were lost in the crowds.
Harry looked at Buffy who was staring at where they had just been with a stricken look in her eyes. She closed them and then shook herself, turning to Harry with a bright smile.
"We haven't been apart for such a long time before," she said apologetically. "And with everything that's gone on….it's just a bit hard, that's all."
Harry nodded and they began to walk towards the exit.
"I'm sorry about today," Buffy said suddenly. "You must've been bored out of your mind, I mean you were studying! It's just I had some stuff to talk through with Giles, and Dawn had to pack and…..well, anyway, it's just you and me now and I have all the time in the world to devote towards getting to know my nephew."
-
All the time in the world, yeah right, Harry thought sullenly. A week had passed since Dawn and Giles had left Rome and it had been a slow one. The days hadn't been so bad; they were filled with sight seeing, walks, lunches and other touristy things. Buffy was friendly and kind, wanting to hear all about his life and his friends and telling him about her own life as the Slayer. He noticed she carefully avoided talking about his parents or anything to do with her own involvement in the Wizarding world and he resented this. She was the best source for information about his parents and yet she was withholding everything. And he got the feeling there were other things she was withholding, things that were getting to her, certain subjects she would avoid that were nothing to do with Lily. It was something he only saw when they weren't talking, her face would close over and her pain would be etched over it. He had no clue what it was, but his aunt was struggling with it.
The nights were worse. A few times it had been okay; he and Buffy had stayed in, settled on the sofa with a big bucket of popcorn and had watched old movies, an oddity to Harry as he had never watched much TV with the Dursleys. And those nights were nice and warm, filled with mindless chatter and the warm feeling that you get when you were with family and for a short time at least you were safe.
But there were the other four nights. Buffy was a busy woman, he had discovered. They would eat together and then she would have to go out and be the slayer. He didn't know what that involved but for him that meant a night alone in the apartment, just him and the TV and his homework and letters written to his friends back in England. He hated those nights so much, just him and his thoughts, things he didn't really want to deal with right then. No one to talk to, no one to keep his mind off of things. He had asked Buffy if he could go with her but she always said no, brushing him off with something about how she had to keep him safe. He knew that she had to go, but he wasn't a child, he thought angrily, it wasn't as if he didn't know what was out there and how to protect himself. He could even help her but she didn't seem to think he was capable of that. So he was left alone, waiting for Buffy or sleep, whichever came first.
A week after Dawn and Giles had left; Buffy took him out for dinner. He knew it was an attempt at placating him but he still felt bitter. They chatted idly over three courses with an underlying tension which neither one of them addressed until they got coffee.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said suddenly. Harry, who had been staring into the depths of his coffee, looked at her sharply.
"About what?" he asked innocently, even though he knew exactly what she was talking about. Buffy looked uncomfortable.
"About this week, you know, me having to go out and stuff. I'm sorry I had to leave you alone so often."
She stared at him but he ignored her, waiting for her to talk and wanting to see her squirm.
"Not being a very good godmother am I?" she said glumly. Harry began to feel sorry for her. He badly wanted this to work and now he could see in her eyes that she did too.
"No, look, its okay," he said suddenly and she smiled.
"Come on, I've left you home alone four nights this week," she said ruefully. "That's hardly good."
"Let me come with you," Harry said eagerly. "I can fight, I could help you."
"Absolutely not," Buffy said firmly. "I can't put you in danger like that. It's my job not yours. I can't imagine what it would be like for me to go to England and tell them you'd been killed out on patrol with me. They'd kill me."
"I can do it," Harry insisted.
"But I can't," Buffy said honestly. "I don't know that I can protect you."
"I can protect myself," Harry said hotly. "All the other times – it's always just been me. No one protects me when I really need it…"
He lapsed into silence, cheeks reddening. Buffy looked at him with concern but he avoided her gaze.
"You can talk to me you know," she said quietly. He looked at her finally.
"There's nothing to talk about."
Her gaze was sceptical but she didn't pursue it and soon then paid and left the restaurant. They walked home, the night having fallen while they ate and the moon shining down on the cobblestone street. Night was when Rome became truly alive and the streets were vibrant with life. They, however, walked in silence, a discomfort growing between them as they continued.
They reached the apartment and just as she was unlocking the door, Buffy turned to Harry.
"Don't push me away," she said gently. He stared at her wordlessly and so she opened the door and reached for the light switch, stopping just before it when she realised the lights were already on.
"I thought I-" she began absently, stopping when her eyes moved across to the sofa where a man sat. Harry peered over her shoulder and his eyes fell on the same man.
"Jesus Christ," Buffy swore loudly, throwing up her hands in exasperation. The man looked over at them and grinned at his godson.
"Good to see you too Buffy," Sirius said mockingly.
-
