A/N: Writing this not five seconds after finishing ch 3. Its now 4:57 am and I'm officially nuts. Anywho. We got several possibilities for the heir. . . .ok, well two. Xander or Faith. Faith or Xander. Both fit the Black mo. HMMM. Just hafta read ta find out. (Darklight, we have an answer to the heir of the Noble House of Black question)

Chapter Four: God, Clueless Much?

Xander Harris didn't really hate Cordy. Loathe her, yes. Hate? After all they'd been through . . . . how he wished the I Hate Cordelia Club still existed. The founding members were him and Wills, and Jesse. He grinned over at her. Yeah, that ship had sunk quicker than - well a boat.

During all his internal thought process thingy, he hadn't noticed that she had continued speaking. He was wondering why she was gonna kill Giles, though.

"You would know about that whole 'exaggerating' thing. Boy, did I ever do it while I was dating you." She cast a quick glance down to his waist and back up again.

"Hey! That wasn't called for, or nice either." He said, jumping back from her.

"Yeah, well Life's a bitch, ain't it just?" She kept her eyes down, her spirits not even really rising when she picked on him.

He noticed something off about her. Giles hadn't been forthcoming man with why she wanted someone. He smiled softly at her.

"It's been a rough year. On all of us."

She smiled at him. This wasn't the same kid who'd crushed her heart almost six years ago. No, he was different. Just cuz he was different though, didn't mean she was gonna let him off so easily.

"Please, Xander. I never thought I'd see you all in touch with your feminine side."

Gloves were off. She was gonna be bitchy old Queen C? He was gonna be stupid and witty old Xander.

Ok, that just made him seem like his old high school self. Great. Five years later, and he was still a bumbling moron. Some people do grow up, don't they?

"Well, now then. You're going to introduce me, aren't you, Cordy?" A female voice popped in from her left side. Her hair was a metallic looking orange.

"Oh, Tonks, my lame ex-boyfriend Xander."

"I'm just going by Xander now, I've left off the lame ex-boyfriend now."

Cordelia glared at him as Tonks led them to a nearby table. She loved Xander, but he could be so damn annoying.. She felt a teeny tiny twinge at picking on a half blind man, but she was over that in a heartbeat.

"So, why are ya gonna kill G-man?"

"Because I asked him for help and he sends Loser boy."

"Major offense taken at that, and no, that'd be Andrew." He sat across from her and looked back at the door. "And Giles didn't send me, he sent her." He jerked his head back at the woman who entered the pub right then, and Cordy felt her jaw drop.

"He sent a psycho slayer to help me." She said in utter disbelief.

"Once again, no. That'd be Dana. This is Faith. She's good now." Xander quipped.

"Hey, princess. Long time, no demon possession." The newcomer quipped, as she squatted down into the free seat.

"Faith. . . how nice to see you're free of prison. I see it got rid of the skanky ho look you had going for you."

"Yeow, and she comes up scratchin'"

"Yeah, four months in a coma will do that for you."

"Try nearly a year. That really screws up the reflexes."

Cordy thought for a minute while. Then turned, confused at Xander.

"If Giles sent Faith to help me with my situation, then why the hell are you here? To torment me, like some disgusting male idiot?"

"Hey! and no. I have other business. I'm supposed to meet some Nymph here on business."

Tonks brought her head up quickly. No. It couldn't be him. . . but then, Dumbledore had said the heir was younger than Sirius. And he looked a little bit like him. . . just a tiny bit of course, seeing as they would be -. Wait.

"Nymph. As in Nymphandora. As in Tonks?"

"Wait, stop. What happened to Jessica La Velle - Harris?" Tonks asked suddenly, remembering the names Albus had shown her.

"My mother? Died, about four months ago, her and my father."

"What?" Cordy shrieked.

"Not everyone fled Sunnydale, Cordy. Some hardheaded fools stayed. Mom and Dad were two of them." He said, softly. He looked up at her. "Yeah, they went out drunk and bickering over who messed up their lives. I'm sure they both realized that it must be the son they've always adored who were to blame." He noticed the pity faces on the two women, and the rolling of Faith's eyes as he continued. "Others . . . died during the . . ."

"Anya. . . Where is she? Aren't you two like attached at the hip?"

Faith went very pale and gave Xander a worried look. He'd been fine for a little while. . . then after about seven shots with her and Buffy, he'd broken down. It was a hard thing to face, the death of a loved one. Faith remembered feeling that way when her mom had died. Xander gave a small smile as he looked up at Cordy.

"Anya. . . was one of those others. She . . . she died. In the battle."

"Xander, I'm so -"

"So , what's this with demon possession?" He said, quickly changing the subject.

"Oh, yes, Thanks, Faith."

"No prob, princess." She gave her a grin. Faith leaned back and called the bartender over, asking for a beer.

"It's, well, cuz I'm a seer and I have visions and junk. So, I needed to be a tiny bit demon or my head was gonna explode. . . so I became a higher being, and my body got hijacked by a bad demon. But I'm all fixed up now." She said, smiling.

"Oh. You were - sorry, still are a higher being?"

"Well, not really. . . kinda, sort of, I - oh, shut up Harris." She snapped, smacking him from across the table. On his blind side.

"Hey! Don't pick on the one-eyed boy."

"Yeah, C, that's tacky. Like kicking a puppy." Faith said, grinning.

With that, Tonks finally snapped out of her stupor. She looked up at Xander. She needed to get this done with eventually.

"Would you come up to my rooms for a moment?"

They all spun to face her.

"WHAT?"

"That's a little fast, Tonks. Even for Slut O Rama over there."

"Bite me, 'higher being' Barbie."

"I'm sorry, I have one eye, did I hear you right?"

She blinked in confusion. And then realized how that must have sounded. She shook her head and grinned at them. She leaned in, and spoke so they could only hear her.

"It's just that this is a rather delicate issue, and I'm not sure if the pub is the appropriate place to have it."

"Oh."

"Right."

"Yeah."

She rose and grabbed the keys from Tom. She handed him a piece of parchment. Leading the way, Tonks made her way upstairs. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * * * *

Albus Dumbledore sat in the hallway, staring at the portrait of Mrs. Black. There were faint traces of a spell lingering in the nail polish remover. So, Ms. Chase was holding back something after all. He hoped that it was not of an evil nature, and found himself knowing that it wasn't. He quickly penned another missive as he reread Nymphandora's note. Yes, his hopes were very high indeed.

* * * * *

Xander, Faith, and Cordy all sat facing Tonks as she paced the room. She'd told them all that she knew about the situation. And now she was waiting for one of them to say something.

"Well?"

"I'm the legitimate son of a bastard daughter, who's half-brother died, and you need me to keep a doorway open?" Xander asked slowly.

"Yes."

"And you're my cousin?"

"Sirius and Mother were cousins, so we're third half cousins." But they both looked incredibly confused by that.

"Say yes, or his head's gonna explode." Faith said quickly.

"And Cordy's half-nephew was my half-uncle's godson?"

"That's about right."

"That makes Cordy and I . . ."

"Absolutely nothing but exes." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Right."

Cordy paced. They were gonna see if Xander could 'work a wand', (yeah, that got goofy grins out of both Faith and Xander). And then they were gonna go see if he could access the Black family home.

"So, are you at least willing?" Tonks asked nervously.

"Sure."

* * * * *

Tonks led the three of them down to Diagon Ally. Faith and Cordy were in the back while Tonks told Xander all about his uncle and the family.

"So, whadda ya need someone for, Princess?"

"Oh, my nephew. He's like the walking target for the bad guys. I kinda need someone to, keep a protective eye on him. Someone who can help me beat the ever loving shit out of anyone who even looks at him funny." She said brightly.

"Wizards, they're kinda like, not human?"

"More than you're average bear." She said, hoping Faith would get the hint.

"Kick not kill?"

"That's a good motto."

"I'm five by five," She gave Cordy a funny look, "Unless you were thinking more along the lines of a blonde buddy."

"I think I could stand to not have her here."

"Yo, whatever you want." She grinned again, "Just don't expect me to call you boss."

"Hey! I like the ring of that!"

"Whatever, C, but you can dream on."

Tonks smiled as she turned into Ollivanders. She replayed the note in her mind.

Nymphandora,

Take the three of them to Ollivanders. Mr. Harris should be checked to see if he is capable of using a wand. Ms. Chase, if my theory is correct, has a bit of demon essence in her. She of course, will sustain a wand. The other girl may as well be tested. Bring him here tomorrow at ten o'clock.

A. D.

Yes, this was certainly getting interesting.

A/N 2: Ok, a bit shorter than the last chappie. But hey. I got two chapters out, I'm all proud (need a moment.) All right. Darklight, sorry it's not Faith, but she is here to help Cordy. Just don't get too used to this whole we all like each other from Faith and Cordy. AS always, how'd I do? Good, bad, or just plain ugly?