A/N: Thanks to my wonderful reviewers:
harrypotter-fan15; potter-man1; Lita of Jupiter; Erynwen; Lady Cinnibar; athenakitty: maybe, eventually.....; amythest; Lunarian; Lunawolf; Trixi Hellfire; Iz: I know, I was so pissed when they killed off Tara! It was unfair ... she and Willow were together again and happy and then BAM! she's gone! It was awful; silver lining3; Authoress: I can't think of any right now ... there was a good fic awhile back, but I believe the author discontinued it. If you find any good HP/BtVS crossovers, please tell me; LoonyLoopyLisa; and Griever-lme: see below ;^)
CH10: A Ship Set Out To Sea
"You're very good."
Harry looked up abruptly and saw Dawn regarding him with great interest.
It was a few days later and Harry was working on his fencing technique in Buffy's backyard. For a town that was suppose to be jumping with demonic activity, things were suspiciously quiet.
"Thank you," Harry replied. He watched Dawn as she examined a few of his daggers with longing. "I could teach you if you want."
"Really?" she said hopefully. "You'd do that?"
"Sure." Dawn squealed and threw her arms around Harry, pulling him into some sort of victory dance. When she had calmed down, they began.
"Okay, well, we can't start you with a sword like this, so ...." With a flick of his wrist, Harry made the sword disappear.
"Wow! How do you do that?"
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"You know what. Make the sword disappear. You did the same thing after .... " Dawn trailed off.
"When I first got here?" Harry suggested.
"Yeah."
"It's a simple spell, not that big a deal."
"I wish I was magical," she said enviously.
"It's not all it's crack up to be," he said sardonically, but then brightened. "Let's get to work."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You didn't mention how hard this was going to be!" Dawn whined, but Harry just shrugged.
"You didn't ask." He collected the practiced swords. "That's enough for today."
"Thank god."
Draco stuck his head out the open kitchen window. "Hey, you two. It's time for lunch."
"What's the deal with Draco anyway? Why did he join the Council?. I mean, you two seem really close, so you should know .... " Dawn asked as they made their way back into the house. "If you don't want to tell me - " she hastily added.
Harry laughed. "No, it's okay. What to say about Draco .... Well, we've known each other since we were eleven, but ... "
"But?"
"We despised each other. We were kind of rivals in school .... "
"You're joking!"
"I kid you not."
"But you two are best friends. How could you go from hating each other to they way act now?"
"Look, it's not my place to tell you. You'll have to ask Draco for the details, but ... he has some 'family problems' and when I left the wizarding world, he came with me."
"Oh." Dawn looked thoughtful. "Was he seeing anyone back at Hogwarts?"
"Oh my bloody god. You have a crush on Draco?!?"
"Keep it down," she hissed.
"I can't believe this," Harry whispered.
"He's so cute and charming and has such perfect lips and a cute as - "
"Okay, spare me the details." He shuddered. "Bad mental images."
"Well, was he?" she prompted.
"He was dating this one girl named Pansy" Dawn eyes widened "but that's way over now." "Yes!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What have you guys been up to?" Draco asked as Harry and Dawn entered the kitchen.
"We were having this long, meaningful talk about - " Harry smirked as Dawn elbowed him.
"Harry's teaching me how to fence," she interrupted.
"So," Draco began, his eyes glittering. "Harry's been showing you his sword?"
Harry snorted. He expected Dawn to blush, the way Ginny used to around him, but he was disappointed.
"Jealous?" she purred.
"No, no. I know for a fact that my sword is way longer."
"How do know this?" Harry asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"I measured it," Draco said, matter-a-fact. Dawn erupted into giggles.
"I'm going to go take a shower. I feel strangely violated now," said Harry as he left the room.
"You know you want me," called Draco.
Harry peered back around the doorframe. "Dawn, the bathroom in this house does have a lock on it right? I have a feeling I'm going to need to keep out intruders." Dawn nodded through her laughter. "You two stay here. I'm sure you'll find away to let out all of your pent-up sexual frustration, Draco."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry entered the trio's attic apartment to find Alex sprawled out on her bed, reading. Harry snuck up behind her and jumped on the bed.
"Harry!" she shrieked.
"Hiya, Flame!"
"What are you doing?"
"Testing the bouncy-ness of your bed. What's it look like I'm doing?"
"You're dripping on my book," she complained. Harry shook his head like a wet dog.
"Better?" he asked sweetly.
"Couldn't you just have used a drying charm?"
"Where's the fun in that?"
"You are being annoyingly cheerful today."
"You know you love me."
"Are you going to stay on my bed all day? 'Cause you're kind of sitting on my legs."
"I'm quite comfortable actually," Harry said, skirting the question. "Whatcha reading?"
"'A Tale of Two Cities'."
"A Muggle book, right? Is it any good?"
"Yeah. It was my mother's fav - " Alex stopped abruptly.
"Flame?" Harry asked, all humor gone. "What happened to your parents?"
"It's nothing .... " she protested weakly.
"Alex?" he asked softly.
"They -they were ki-killed. By vampires. They murdered our whole town. I was in the school at the time. A magical public school. And they came .... they got all of my friends, too. They got everybody. I only just made it out alive." She wiped her eyes on Harry's sleeve. "That's why I joined the Council. I need - I need to stop them. I won't let it happen to anyone else."
Harry let her cry into his arms the rest of the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At dinner, Buffy had an announcement for them.
"You three have to blend in here, in as many ways as possible, right?" Without waiting for any assent, she continued. "It looks odd to have teenagers just lounging around all day long, so ..... "
"You can't be serious!" Alex exclaimed, eyes widening in realization.
"I am." Buffy took a deep breath. "You have to face one of the biggest evil's Sunnydale has - high school."
"A Muggle high school?" whispered Draco fearfully.
"You start Monday."
Harry took in the horrified faces of his friends. "We're doomed."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Harry,
I don't have many things to tell you, but there is one thing you need to know. One big thing.
~You are not going to believe what happened, Harry!~
Cho, I'm telling this story.
~Soh-ry!~
Anyway, yesterday morning, Ron came into the Great Hall and -
+He was being git-like as usual. At least now we know why.+
*You're getting ahead of yourself, dear brother. Harry doesn't know yet.*
+You're right, Fred. We have to explain first - +
I'll be the one doing the explaining! As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, -
*Don't need to be so pushy about it, Nev!*
Give me my quill back!
+Yes, oh Great King of the Plants.+
Ack! There's the bell. Hold on, Harry, I'll write more in Potions....
Finally, no Twins or Cho in this class. I should have never told them I was writing you a letter.....
(According to school rules, I had to confiscate this from Mr. Longbottom and give it to his head of House. I'm sure Minerva will want to write something, too, but by looks of it, if Neville doesn't get this back soon he will spontaneously combust. His potion is about to .... I hate teaching children .... Anyway, hello Harry. And say hi to Draco.)
Well, now this letter is being brought to Professor McGonagall. I'm never going to get to finish it am I!
[You'll get it back in a minute, Mr. Longbottom. Hello Harry, how are you? And Draco? I hope you two are being careful, wherever you are. And that you are having loads of fun. But mostly keeping out of trouble! And don't give me anything about 'Trouble being your middle name' because I know for a fact your middle name is James.... Oh, Neville has to go to DADA now. Bye.]
If those two take this letter from me as well I will hex someone -
{How's hunter life suiting you, Harry? I know Minerva will have already .... er, written you the riot act, so I won't even tell you to be careful .... Oh, Sirius wants to write something. He's working as my assistant right now ... I'll just hand over the quill.}
#Thanks, Rem. Kiddo! What's up? Getting into lots of trouble I hope. And I saw what Minerva wrote above, I'll have to tell her that Potter is actually a synonym for trouble, so at least your last name means trouble. Anyway, we all miss you here - #
Finally! I had to wrestle the parchment away from Sirius. Thankfully, Professor Lupin gave me a dictation quill - it writes what a person says - so now people can just talk while I'm giving my story. They'll probably both end up on here somewhere ....
'Hey, Nev? Why are you talking to your homework?'
I'm not talking to my homework, Seamus. I'm trying to dictate a letter.
'Oh. To who?'
Harry, if you must know.
'Really? You know where he is?'
No, but my owl does.
@Why would you write to him?@
He's a friend, Ron. He used to be yours too, if you can remember that far back.
&It was only last June.&
My point exactly, Dean.
@Well, tell the prat we don't miss him and that we hope he falls off a really high cliff@
This is a dictation quill, Ron. He can hear what you are saying.
'Hiya, Harry!'
&Don't listen to Ron, he's still sore about the Hermione-thing&
@I AM NOT! What do I care if she continues to pine after that arsehole@
Which is the whole point of my letter, Harry. Ron and Hermione got into a big fight yesterday because she won't go out with him since she's "in love" CoughYeahRightCough with you. Of course, Ron's pissed (at you) and thus, the git-ness. Well, I better send this before someone else gets hold of it.
Bye Harry!
Neville
harrypotter-fan15; potter-man1; Lita of Jupiter; Erynwen; Lady Cinnibar; athenakitty: maybe, eventually.....; amythest; Lunarian; Lunawolf; Trixi Hellfire; Iz: I know, I was so pissed when they killed off Tara! It was unfair ... she and Willow were together again and happy and then BAM! she's gone! It was awful; silver lining3; Authoress: I can't think of any right now ... there was a good fic awhile back, but I believe the author discontinued it. If you find any good HP/BtVS crossovers, please tell me; LoonyLoopyLisa; and Griever-lme: see below ;^)
CH10: A Ship Set Out To Sea
"You're very good."
Harry looked up abruptly and saw Dawn regarding him with great interest.
It was a few days later and Harry was working on his fencing technique in Buffy's backyard. For a town that was suppose to be jumping with demonic activity, things were suspiciously quiet.
"Thank you," Harry replied. He watched Dawn as she examined a few of his daggers with longing. "I could teach you if you want."
"Really?" she said hopefully. "You'd do that?"
"Sure." Dawn squealed and threw her arms around Harry, pulling him into some sort of victory dance. When she had calmed down, they began.
"Okay, well, we can't start you with a sword like this, so ...." With a flick of his wrist, Harry made the sword disappear.
"Wow! How do you do that?"
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"You know what. Make the sword disappear. You did the same thing after .... " Dawn trailed off.
"When I first got here?" Harry suggested.
"Yeah."
"It's a simple spell, not that big a deal."
"I wish I was magical," she said enviously.
"It's not all it's crack up to be," he said sardonically, but then brightened. "Let's get to work."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You didn't mention how hard this was going to be!" Dawn whined, but Harry just shrugged.
"You didn't ask." He collected the practiced swords. "That's enough for today."
"Thank god."
Draco stuck his head out the open kitchen window. "Hey, you two. It's time for lunch."
"What's the deal with Draco anyway? Why did he join the Council?. I mean, you two seem really close, so you should know .... " Dawn asked as they made their way back into the house. "If you don't want to tell me - " she hastily added.
Harry laughed. "No, it's okay. What to say about Draco .... Well, we've known each other since we were eleven, but ... "
"But?"
"We despised each other. We were kind of rivals in school .... "
"You're joking!"
"I kid you not."
"But you two are best friends. How could you go from hating each other to they way act now?"
"Look, it's not my place to tell you. You'll have to ask Draco for the details, but ... he has some 'family problems' and when I left the wizarding world, he came with me."
"Oh." Dawn looked thoughtful. "Was he seeing anyone back at Hogwarts?"
"Oh my bloody god. You have a crush on Draco?!?"
"Keep it down," she hissed.
"I can't believe this," Harry whispered.
"He's so cute and charming and has such perfect lips and a cute as - "
"Okay, spare me the details." He shuddered. "Bad mental images."
"Well, was he?" she prompted.
"He was dating this one girl named Pansy" Dawn eyes widened "but that's way over now." "Yes!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What have you guys been up to?" Draco asked as Harry and Dawn entered the kitchen.
"We were having this long, meaningful talk about - " Harry smirked as Dawn elbowed him.
"Harry's teaching me how to fence," she interrupted.
"So," Draco began, his eyes glittering. "Harry's been showing you his sword?"
Harry snorted. He expected Dawn to blush, the way Ginny used to around him, but he was disappointed.
"Jealous?" she purred.
"No, no. I know for a fact that my sword is way longer."
"How do know this?" Harry asked, trying to keep a straight face.
"I measured it," Draco said, matter-a-fact. Dawn erupted into giggles.
"I'm going to go take a shower. I feel strangely violated now," said Harry as he left the room.
"You know you want me," called Draco.
Harry peered back around the doorframe. "Dawn, the bathroom in this house does have a lock on it right? I have a feeling I'm going to need to keep out intruders." Dawn nodded through her laughter. "You two stay here. I'm sure you'll find away to let out all of your pent-up sexual frustration, Draco."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry entered the trio's attic apartment to find Alex sprawled out on her bed, reading. Harry snuck up behind her and jumped on the bed.
"Harry!" she shrieked.
"Hiya, Flame!"
"What are you doing?"
"Testing the bouncy-ness of your bed. What's it look like I'm doing?"
"You're dripping on my book," she complained. Harry shook his head like a wet dog.
"Better?" he asked sweetly.
"Couldn't you just have used a drying charm?"
"Where's the fun in that?"
"You are being annoyingly cheerful today."
"You know you love me."
"Are you going to stay on my bed all day? 'Cause you're kind of sitting on my legs."
"I'm quite comfortable actually," Harry said, skirting the question. "Whatcha reading?"
"'A Tale of Two Cities'."
"A Muggle book, right? Is it any good?"
"Yeah. It was my mother's fav - " Alex stopped abruptly.
"Flame?" Harry asked, all humor gone. "What happened to your parents?"
"It's nothing .... " she protested weakly.
"Alex?" he asked softly.
"They -they were ki-killed. By vampires. They murdered our whole town. I was in the school at the time. A magical public school. And they came .... they got all of my friends, too. They got everybody. I only just made it out alive." She wiped her eyes on Harry's sleeve. "That's why I joined the Council. I need - I need to stop them. I won't let it happen to anyone else."
Harry let her cry into his arms the rest of the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At dinner, Buffy had an announcement for them.
"You three have to blend in here, in as many ways as possible, right?" Without waiting for any assent, she continued. "It looks odd to have teenagers just lounging around all day long, so ..... "
"You can't be serious!" Alex exclaimed, eyes widening in realization.
"I am." Buffy took a deep breath. "You have to face one of the biggest evil's Sunnydale has - high school."
"A Muggle high school?" whispered Draco fearfully.
"You start Monday."
Harry took in the horrified faces of his friends. "We're doomed."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Harry,
I don't have many things to tell you, but there is one thing you need to know. One big thing.
~You are not going to believe what happened, Harry!~
Cho, I'm telling this story.
~Soh-ry!~
Anyway, yesterday morning, Ron came into the Great Hall and -
+He was being git-like as usual. At least now we know why.+
*You're getting ahead of yourself, dear brother. Harry doesn't know yet.*
+You're right, Fred. We have to explain first - +
I'll be the one doing the explaining! As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, -
*Don't need to be so pushy about it, Nev!*
Give me my quill back!
+Yes, oh Great King of the Plants.+
Ack! There's the bell. Hold on, Harry, I'll write more in Potions....
Finally, no Twins or Cho in this class. I should have never told them I was writing you a letter.....
(According to school rules, I had to confiscate this from Mr. Longbottom and give it to his head of House. I'm sure Minerva will want to write something, too, but by looks of it, if Neville doesn't get this back soon he will spontaneously combust. His potion is about to .... I hate teaching children .... Anyway, hello Harry. And say hi to Draco.)
Well, now this letter is being brought to Professor McGonagall. I'm never going to get to finish it am I!
[You'll get it back in a minute, Mr. Longbottom. Hello Harry, how are you? And Draco? I hope you two are being careful, wherever you are. And that you are having loads of fun. But mostly keeping out of trouble! And don't give me anything about 'Trouble being your middle name' because I know for a fact your middle name is James.... Oh, Neville has to go to DADA now. Bye.]
If those two take this letter from me as well I will hex someone -
{How's hunter life suiting you, Harry? I know Minerva will have already .... er, written you the riot act, so I won't even tell you to be careful .... Oh, Sirius wants to write something. He's working as my assistant right now ... I'll just hand over the quill.}
#Thanks, Rem. Kiddo! What's up? Getting into lots of trouble I hope. And I saw what Minerva wrote above, I'll have to tell her that Potter is actually a synonym for trouble, so at least your last name means trouble. Anyway, we all miss you here - #
Finally! I had to wrestle the parchment away from Sirius. Thankfully, Professor Lupin gave me a dictation quill - it writes what a person says - so now people can just talk while I'm giving my story. They'll probably both end up on here somewhere ....
'Hey, Nev? Why are you talking to your homework?'
I'm not talking to my homework, Seamus. I'm trying to dictate a letter.
'Oh. To who?'
Harry, if you must know.
'Really? You know where he is?'
No, but my owl does.
@Why would you write to him?@
He's a friend, Ron. He used to be yours too, if you can remember that far back.
&It was only last June.&
My point exactly, Dean.
@Well, tell the prat we don't miss him and that we hope he falls off a really high cliff@
This is a dictation quill, Ron. He can hear what you are saying.
'Hiya, Harry!'
&Don't listen to Ron, he's still sore about the Hermione-thing&
@I AM NOT! What do I care if she continues to pine after that arsehole@
Which is the whole point of my letter, Harry. Ron and Hermione got into a big fight yesterday because she won't go out with him since she's "in love" CoughYeahRightCough with you. Of course, Ron's pissed (at you) and thus, the git-ness. Well, I better send this before someone else gets hold of it.
Bye Harry!
Neville