A Second Chance
Chapter 5 – Love sucks.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling. I don't own anything.
TIMELINE: AU. Set ten years before (Around 1988) "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone", during and after Harry Potter book 5, "Order of the Phoenix"(2003). During and after BTVS season 7, "Chosen". Pretend HP book one happened in 1999 during Buffy season three )
SUMMARY: BTVS/HP crossover. After James and Lily reappears, seemingly alive and well, mysterious things start to happen. New allies are made, prophecies revealed...and people keep rising from the dead. What's going on? And what has Voldemort got to do with it? Are the Scoobies and the Potter's second chance at life enough to stop the Dark Lord from spreading darkness across the country? Or is the world in need of more miracles?
PAIRINGS: Too many to count.
Thanks to my beta: Charmed Chick
TO MY REVIEWERS: YOU ARE ALL SO SWEET! LOVE YOU ALL! REVIEWS MAKES ME HAPPY! THIS CHAPTER WILL CIRCLE MOSTLY AROUND THE SCOOBIES AS PROMISED! (MOSTLY WILLOW.) HOPE YOU'LL LIKE IT!
Willow was sitting at a windowseat in the Hyperion, deep in thought. Her mind drifted back to the strange visit they'd had two days ago.
Flashback
Willow jumped five feet up when a loud bang woke her up of her meditation. She opened her eyes and stared at the stranger now standing in the middle of the room. He wore half-moon glasses, and looked very old, yet wise. With him, were Lily and James.
Willow went up to them.
"Hi! You're back! Are you okay? Of course you're okay, or you wouldn't be back. Is your son okay? Yes, he must be since you're smiling and is this a friend of yours? Should I get Buffy? Okay, I'm babbling again, but it's good to have you back because we don't really know you, even if it feels like we've known you forever, you know? Okay, I should really stop now."
Willow took a deep breath, and turned to the old man.
"Hi. I'm Willow Rosenberg."
"And I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardy. I have heard great things about you, miss Rosenberg," Dumbledore said, smiling, making Willow blush.
"Oh. I don't know. I'm definitely nothing special..."
"Yes, you are, indeed. You are very much special, Miss Rosenberg, just as your friends are special."
Willow was deeply embarrassed now, and hastily changed the subject.
"What can I do for you, mr Dumbledore? Do you want to talk to Buffy?"
"Actually, I was hoping for a conversation with all of the – is it 'Scoobies', you call yourselves?"
Willow nodded shyly. Standing in front of this man made her automatically shrink back into her old, High-School self.
"Very well – the Scoobies. Could you be so kind and assemble your friends here, so I may have a word with them?"
End Flashback
After that, Willow had gone after the scoobies. They'd had a long talk with Dumbledore – a very interesting talk. Dumbledore had offered them a place at Hogwarts, where they could teach the students in different subjects they'd had experiece in.
The newly-called slayers would go with them, and would be offered a place as students in a new 'house' – 'Bufaxawidaan'. At Hogwarts, they could get a magical - as well as martial - education, before graduating and starting their Slayer duties, and maybe have another job alongside, in the magical world. The Scoobies gladly accepted. They would also help with the Vollemopp-crisis – or whatever his name was...it really was ridiculous, as Buffy so nicely had pointed out.
Dumbledore had also hepled them greatly with other things, such as a location for the new Watchers Council. Willow smiled. Yes, Dumbledore was definitly something special, just as Buffy, Xander, Giles and Dawn – and Anya was definitly special. Yes, they were all special. Her mind drifted away. Ms. Calendar, Kendra, Spike, Molly, Amanda...Tara. They'd all been special. Vi, Rona, Shannon, ...special. Faith, Robin, Kennedy...Kennedy.
Her mind darkened when she thought of the slayer, and her mind once again drifted away.
Flashback
"So, you accept my offer?" Dumbledore asked.
"Hell yeah!" Faith said. "Nothing here anyway".
"Well, actually, there are some problems," Buffy said.
Faith cursed.
"I knew it!"
"There is another active Hellmouth now since the Sunnydale one was destroyed, probably in Cleveland, so somebody should go there, keep things under control."
"Yes, of course. And I am sure there will be no trouble finding someone, considering I see some doubtful looks," Dumbledore agreed, lookingthrough his half-moon glasses over the assembled Slayers.
"Yeah, why would we go help with a maniac-wizard? It's not really our area, is it? We slay vampires. And, not to be rude, but...a magical school? A little bit too much Science-Fiction if you ask me," Kennedy said.
"Well, nobody asked you." Faith said, which earned a glare from Buffy, but she couldn't help but think Faith was right. Kennedy was acting like an idiot.
"I will not force anyone to come to Hogwarts, even if it would be most appreciated."
"Well, I know I won't. School for another seven years? I think I'll pass – especially if he's the principal." Kennedy said.
"Shut up, Kennedy," Vi retorted.
Willow couldn't believe what she heard. Was Kennedy really this stupid?
"Well, maybe you should vote about it?" James spoke up. "Those who won't come to Hogwarts can go to Cleveland instead."
"Nobody asked you". Kennedy snapped.
If looks could kill, Kennedy would've been dead by now. Almost every Slayer looked at Kennedy like she was crazy, and slowly edged away from her while the Scoobies glared daggers at the newly-called Slayer.
Lily looked uncomfortable, and James angry, even if he didn't answer.
"I think that's an excellent idea," Buffy said. "Wverybody who wants to go to Hogwarts, raise your hands."
"Does this look like kindergarden?" muttered Kennedy as sherolled her eyes andcrossed her arms in defiance.
Buffy decided to ignore her, even if she wanted to say something in retort. Instead, not surprisingly, Faith did.
"Well, I thought you WERE in kindergarden, Kennedy".
Kennedy's eyes narrowedand she was just about to retort, when Willow spoke up.
"Stop fighting! Could we just vote?"
"Yes, please, stop," Giles said, "I'm getting a headache".
"No, please don't. It's so funny. And if somebody gets killed, I could eat the corpse." Harmony said, which earned adissaproving lookfrom Angel.
"And so we vote," Robin said quietly, deciding to end thediscussionbeforeit could get out of hand once more."Everybody that wants to go to England, pleaseraise your hands."
More than half of the Slayers raised their hands, among them Vi, Shannon and Rona.
"Great! Now that that's settled..." Buffy said, but was once again interrupted by Kennedy.
"What's settled? I don't want to go to Cleveland either. I want to go home."
"What are you?Three?" Faith exclaimed. "You sound like a child begging for candy."
"At least I haven't killed anyone," Kennedy retorted.
It became deadly quiet, and everybody watched as Faith's faceturned whiter and whiter. She closed her fists, looking ready to strike Kennedy down, but instead, she turned on her heel and left.
"Was that necessary?" Buffy said, angry now. "You really don't have a heart, do you?"
"I knew you all would take her side! You 'Scoobies' just think about yourselves! Has anybody asked what we want! We don't want to go to Cleveland and another Hellmouth, and we really don't want to go to England and fight another man's war!"
"Speak for yourself!" Vi said, and lots of agreements were heard.
Buffy was shocked. She had known the lesbian Slayer couldbecome really frustrating to be around, but that she acted like this?
"Listen to yourself, Kennedy!" She said."We fight for other people all the time. We fight for having a future. We won't have a future if another Hellmouth is opened, or if this Vollymopp-person takes over the world. What kind of name is 'Vollymopp' anyway? It's ridiculous!" She turned to Dumbledore, James and Lily, who all had problems in keeping their faces straight, even in this serious atmosphere.
"It's 'Voldemort'", Lily corrected gently.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Anyway, not the point. Kennedy, you are a Slayer. It is your destiny to fight for this world."
"Fight for this world?"Kennedy snorted."What do I get for that? A lot of bruises and a bad back at thirty? No, thank you. I can form my own destiny. I fought against the First, and I won. I don't owe the world a thing."
"WE fought against the First, Kennedy. WE won," Buffy snapped."YOU didn't. Actually, you weren't even there when the fight started -
" - YOU told me to go with Willow! You think I enjoyed sitting on my ass watching her doing some crazy, foolish magic-mojo, when I could've been fighting?"
Willow couldn't believe this. Was this really Kennedy? Her sweet girlfriend? Suddenly, she couldn't keep quiet.
"If I'm not completely mistaken, Kennedy, it's thanks to ME you even have your powers. It was thanks to MY crazy, foolish magic-mojo you're even alive! Without your Slayer-powers, you wouldn't have survived down there. I think you - "
" - Red, why don't you just shut up?" Kennedy interrupted.
Willow closed her mouth, too shocked to keep talking.
"I'm not gonna take any shit from anyone." Kennedy continued."Not the bad-wicca-wannabe, not the all mighty-Buffy, not the one-eyed-captain: 'I'm the best-friend-of-the-year-winner', not the dark Slayer, not anyone. I'm done with helping. From now on, I fight on my own terms, and I'm going back home." Kennedy walked towards the door, there, she turned around and stopped.
"If you are so stupid you're going to take orders for the rest of your lives, good-luck. I'm done. And Red – I'm done with you too. Fun while itlasted though." With that, Kennedy walked out.
It was quiet for a long time. Buffy looked worridly at Willow, who really couldn't be sorry. Kennedy wasn't a big loss, obviously. She could do better. She deserved better.
"Is there anyone else who feel like 'the-bitch-of-the-year'?" Buffy asked.
"No...but...some of us would like to go home and visit our families before going to Cleveland or England,"a short Slayer called Melissa said. "We want to help, but I'm not sure everyone would need to go to Cleveland. Thereare a lot of other places in need of Slayers, right? Some that are closer to our homes."
Buffy nodded in agreement.
"You've got a point," she said."We should split the rest of the gang up. How many want to go to Cleveland?"
Six slayers raised their hands, along with Robin.
"Okay, that's great. Robin, from now on, you are in charge of the Cleveland-Slayers. Report to the Watchers Council once a week, and keep diaries on your activities. Until the Council is rebuilt, report to Giles." Buffy commanded.
"How many want to go home and stay there?" Three slayers raised their hands.
"All right, the town you live in, will now be your patrol area. You are in charge of yourselves until we've found watchers for you. Keep a journal on what you do, how much you slay and how often. Report in once a week. You don't need to keep your personality as a Slayer secret anymore: Your families has right to know, and family could be the difference by staying alive and die. Those of you who wants to go home, and then go to Cleveland or England, go there, talk to your families, and then come back here. You've got one week."
Most of the slayers got up and left. Xander took notes on who went home and decided to stay, and those who went home but would come back. Robin took the Cleveland slayers with him – Xander took their names too. The new Watchers Council should have things under control, without being barbaric.
End flashback
Willow sighed. England. She was going back to England, were she'd spent some time with the coven. Her thoughts were interrupted by Buffy, knocking on the door.
"Hey, can I come in?"
Willow smiled.
"Sure".
"So..." Buffy said carefully. "How do you feel about Kennedy?"
"Nothing, except disappointment. I can't believe how she treated you... Faith... all of us. If I didn't know better, I would say she was possessed".
Buffy laughed.
"Yeah, maybe. But I think we saw a side of her we haven't met before because she's been hiding it. She needed us. Now she doesn't. Sure, in Sunnydale, I saw some bitchy attitude shine through from now and then, but I just thought it was frustration."
"Yeah. I don't think I ever loved her. Not like Oz...or Tara."
"I know what you mean. I loved Riley. But not like Angel. Spike...I'm not sure I loved him, but I think I might have learnt to, if given enough time, you know?" Buffy asked. She was quiet for awhile.
"I told him, you know. That I loved him. Right before he died. I'm not sure if I meant it, or if it just was out of gratefulness that I said it. And now I'll never know."
They were quiet once more, before Willow spoke.
"Love sucks".
One week later, they were all getting prepared to leave. A wizard had showed up at Hyperion, ready to take them with portkey back to England. It wasn't James, Lily, or Dumbledore. Dumbledore was busy, and Lily and James wanted to spend time with Harry at Grimmauld place. Instead, Remus had gone.
He sighed, and looked around. At the entrance, a blonde was sitting behind her desk, filing her nails.
She looked human enough, but Remus was far from sure. Being a werewolf, he could smell and feel things others could not. And the woman...well, she didn't smell...alive. But Remus was too respectful to ask. If she lived with the Slayers, she couldn't be evil, right?
And who was he to talk?
"Hey! Rimmus Loopy, right? Buffy said you'd come to pick us up!" A brunette walked in, dressed in black leather pants, and a red top. Her hair fell in small curles at her shoulders.
"I'm Faith. Nice to meet ya." They shook hands.
"Remus Lupin," Remus corrected with a smile.
"Oh. Sorry about the 'Loopy' thing. Don't really pay much attention sometimes."
Remus grinned inside. This girl was...interesting.
"So...what do you do for a living?" Faith asked, trying to build up a conversation while they waited for the rest of the gang to show up.
"Oh, I'm a professor. Not getting many job-offers, but - "
" - How come?" Faith inquired.
"You don't seem too bad."
Remus laughed.
"Well...it's not because I don't have brains enough, if that's what you mean. It's more in the...soul."
"If you tell me you're a vampire with a soul, I'll smack ya," Faith warned. "'Cause we've had enough of them for a lifetime."
"Huh?" Remus blinked in confusion."Umm...no, I'm not a vampire," he then added.
"Oh. Good. So...what are you?" Faith asked, giving him a curious look.
"Um...well..." Remus suddenly felt uncomfortable. What if Slayers saw werewolves like dark creatures andkilled them?
"Hey!" Willow said, as she entered the room, several bags soaring in the air in front of her. When she saw Remus, she stopped, and the bags fell to the ground.
"You're a werewolf!" She exclaimed.
"Huh?" Faith asked, dumbly. "He is? I mean, how did you know?"
Willow rolled her eyes.
"Hello? Dated one!" She exclaimed, looking as if this was the most normal thing in the world.
"And...?"
"Alright, I read his aura...it's a bit golden, actually," Willow confessed, smiling at Remus.
"So...do you have a problem with werewolfs?" Remus asked, worriedly.
"Nah. They're just fuzzy once a month – or, technically three, but hey! Who's counting?" Faith ¨said with a grin.
"Obviously you do". Willow said. "No, no need to worry," she contuned, before frowning."If you don't plan to cheat on your girlfriend because you've met another wolfy," she continued. "Because then I may get a little cranky. And a cranky Willow – not of the good."
Remus shrugged.
"Well, I don't even have a girlfriend, so..."
"You don't have a girlfriend?" Buffy exclaimed, as even she walked in. "How can you not have a girlfriend? You seem sweet enough. Sure, some grey straws, but that makes you cute. And you can't be more than fourty." She frowned. "Or maybe you can be more than forty...? How old did you say you were?"
"Buffy, leave the poor man alone." Giles stepped in. Remus let out a sigh of relief. He didn't come here to discuss his age or his lovelife - or more like lack thereof.
"Hello. I am Rupert Giles,"Giles introduced himself, shakinghands with the graying man."And please, try to ignore the Americans," he added under his breath with a smile.
"Hey! I happen to like America, thank you very much!" Buffy protested."It's better than the land of tweed, to which we will be going. You don't wear tweed, do you?" She continued, worriedly.
Remus smirked a little.
"Well, I guess some of us do, but far from all".
"Thank God! One tweedy man is enough. Not that G-man wears tweed anymore, but, well, you know what I mean." Xander came in and joined them. "So, why don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Umm..." 'Not again,' Remus thought.
"He's a werewolf," Faith said, seemingly to think that was explained it all, and was a good excuse for being girlfriend- and date-less.
"Oh! You don't happen to know a Daniel Ozbourne, or Oz, for short?" Xander asked.
"Umm..." 'Please, someone save me.'
"Guess not. Too bad." He frowned."It would've been nice to talk to him for awhile...I so need some cool male company...Andrew and Giles are far from enou - "
Giles coughed and gave Xander a frown, trying desperately not to take the one-eyed man's sentence as an insult.
"Could you please get the other Slayers, Xander, so we could leave this bloody hotel? Harmony gets on my nerves."
"Oh, somebody is homesick!" Dawn, who had come in, teased. "And what did I hear about someone being a werewolf?"
Giles rolled his eyes.
"Dawn, let me introduce Remus Lupin."
"Hi! So you're the fuzzy one? Cute enough," Dawn said, looking Remus up and down, as if he was someone on display for the world to see. Remus felt himself become really uncomfortable now. Was it hot in here?
"Dawn!" Buffy said, even though she'd said something like that earlier. "Isn't he a bit too old for you?"
"Huh? Hell yeah!" Dawn exclaimed with a grin."Doesn't mean he can't be cute though!"
"That really made me feel younger," Remus mumbled under his breath. Only Faith, who happened to stand closest, heard.
"Don't worry, Wolfy. It's not bad being older. It means you're more experienced. Not that I've anything against younger guys, but older guys can be very..." Faith left the last sentence unfinsihed, and waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Remus felt how he started to blush. What had he gotten hinslef into when he'd said yes to getting these 'Scoobies'? Oh, yes. He was going to regret this. Well, one thing was at least for sure - Hogwarts would never bethe sameagain.
A/N: So, how do you like? Think I was too harsh on Kennedy? Didn't really like her attitude in the series - she was all right sometimes, but overall...nah. Maybe I would have liked her if she wasn't dating Willow, and maybe not. I think Willow deserves so much better...and hopefully, you will be pleased with my choice for her pairing.
Hoped you like me introducing Remus...love Remus! Hope you don't mind much Remus! It will be a lot of Remus! Love teasing Remus - Remus is a Cutie! (I feel a bit sorry for him in this chapter...getting attacked by the Scoobies - poor guy! That's why I wrote it - I know, I'm evil. In my imagination, he doesn't look like in the movies AT ALL, by the way) I love the one I plan for him too, so hopefully, the pairing will work out! Keep reading, and keep reviewing!
/Ida