A Second Chance

Chapter 15 – Tara's life in a nutshell.

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

Buffysprinted up to the hospital-wing, faster than she'd ever run before - Madame Pomfrey wasn't even close to catching up.

Buffy's heart was beating fast, and all her thoughts was a blur in her head. She just knew they had to save Tara -if she died, Willow would truly be lost.

'...And we who thought the black magic was gone forever, after she activated all the potentials...'

Buffy reached the door to the hospital-wing after what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a matter of seconds. However, it took almost a minute until Madame Pomfrey showed up, breathing heavily.

'...Please, don't let it be too late, please...'

"I think that…"

"One person's energy can suck the power from an entire circle. No offence."

"Well, maybe we could…"

"Yeah, Tara?"

"Guys, quiet. Do you have a suggestion?"

---

"…I'm definitely nothing special."

"No, you are."

---

"You said recon, you're like cool monster fighter."

"Well, technically Faith is a monster and as far as fighting, I'd be lucky to bruise her face with my fist."

"Oh."

"What?"

"Face punching, I'm not so good with the whole…"

"Swimming?"

"Violence."

---

"I am, you know."

"What?"

"Yours…"

---

"I want my room to be Willow-friendly."

---

"I understand. You have to be with the person you l-love…"

"I am."

---

"What do you see?"

"Willow hand."

---

"…You learn her source and we'll introduce her to her insect reflection...That was funny if you've studied Taglarin mystic rites and... are a complete dork..."

---

"A little thing. See, thing is, a little thing gets bigger. You don't catch the little thing and then boom, you've got this whole huge thing. Nooo!"

"Oh dear…"

"Not them! With the... the... little thing! They can't... can't break up!"

"I think..."

"They have a... a... beautiful love!"

"I think they'll be fine..."

"Mmrccllvv."

"What?"

"A miraculous lo-- lo-- love!"

---

"There's a world without shrimp? I'm allergic."

---

"Oh, baby, want me to rub your tummy? She likes it when I ... stop explaining things."

---

"…People do strange things when someone they love dies. When I lost my mother, I did some pretty dumb stuff like lying to my family and staying out all night."

"Buffy's boinking Spike."

"Oh. Tara's right. Grief can be powerful, and we shouldn't judge..."

"What, are you kidding? She's nuts!"

---

"It's dirty. It's all dirty. And all over me. Dirty, dirty, bad. Bad!"

---

"Come on! I'm never gonna get anything killed with you lot holding me back!"

"I thought… the big ones tire more easily…"

"No, that's over-the-hill shopkeepers."

"I'm fine. I just need to need to… die… for a minute…"

"It was that powder you blew at him made him rabbit out."

"It's Sobri root! It's supposed to confuse him but it kinda just made him peppy. It's not supposed to mix with anything -- do you think he might be taking prescription medication?"

"Yeah. That must be it."

---

"Excuse me? Who made you the boss of the group?"

"You did."

"You said Willow should be boss."

"And you said let's vote and it was unanimous."

"And you made her this little plaque that said "boss of us" and put sparkles on it…"

---

"Oh, you got butterflies baby?"

"More like bats.

"Nobody messes with my girl."

"Tara, nice axing."

"My first."

---

"Hey, Will, this is me. It doesn't all have to be good and fine. This is the room where you don't have to be brave. I still love you. If you're worried you can be worried."

---

"Those boys really thought I was hot?"

"Entirely."

"Oh, my God. I'm cured! I want the boys!"

---

"And you can't imagine what they see in you?"

"I know exactly what they see in me. You."

---

"I lived my life in shadows..."

---

"…You did it the way you're doing everything. When things get rough you, you don't even consider the options you just, you just do a spell. It's not good for you Willow. And it's not what magic is for."

"But I just wanna help people."

"Maybe that's how it started, but you're helping yourself now. Fixing things to your liking. Including me."

"Tara, no."

"I don't think this is gonna work."

---

"I had…a…muscle cramp…Buffy was helping."

"A musclecramp? In your…pants?"

"What? It's a thing!"

"Right…"

---

"Must be some late night-activity to keep us busy."

"How's that cramp Spike? Still bothering you?"

"What? Oh, yeah…?"

"Maybe you wanna put some ice on it?"

---

"Hey."

"Look at you. All coming out of class and everything."

"I do that sometimes. Usually at the end part of the class."

---

"There's so much to work through. Trust has to be built again on both sides. You have to learn if...if we're even the same people we were. If we can fit in each other's lives. It's a long and important process and... can we just skip it? Can... can you just be kissing me now?"

---

Your shirt...

---

Tara woke up with a gasp. Sweat was treaming from her forhead, and she felt sore all over. She tried to sit up, but had to lay back down when she felt a stab of pain.

"Ouch..." Tara tried to focus her eyes on somehting, but everything was so foggy. She blinked a few times, but it wasn't helping.

"Oh, you're awake. Now, just lie still, dear," a voice said.

"What? Wh-where am I? What ha-happened?"

"You're at Hogwarts, and you were badly hurt. I hoped you could tell us what happened. It's a wonder you're still alive."

"TARA!" Someone suddenly screamed, and Tara turned her head against the voice. It was a girl, obviously, with brown hair, that much she could tell. The girl squeled, and hugged her carefully, and as she started to babble, a small memory woke up in the back of her head.

"D-Dawn?"

"Yes! Oh, Tara, we're so glad to have you back!"

"W-we?" Tara asked confused, still blinking. Everything became clearer now, and she could see Dawn's face without the annoying fog.

"We." Tara turned her face towards the door, where Buffy, Xander, Anya and Giles stood, and smiled.

"Hi..." Everything seemed to work out for the best. Or...maybe not...

"Where's W-Willow?"

"I thought you would know that better than us." Giles said, smiling sadly.

Tara searched her brain for more memories. Suddenly, everything flooded back to her. When she died, the waiting place, the spring ...Voldemort...the torture...Willow...oh no, Willow!

"We have to get her back!" She exclaimed, desperately.

"I am afraid that is easier said than done, Miss Maclay," another voice said. This one, Tara didn't know. She looked up at a man with a long white beard, and couldn't help herself.

"G-Gandalf!"

The man chuckled.

"No, my dear, I am not Gandalf, although I've had a great deal of conversation with him in another realm. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you are spending your time at the moment."

Tara's head was spinning. A magic-school? She felt really exited, and it was with a great deal of self-control she stopped herself from asking a lot of questions. Instead, she decided to ask another, if not even more, important question.

"What about Willow?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly.

"I am afraid we have no idea about Miss Rosenbergs whereabouts. Severus Snape, a spy among Voldemort's forces, only knows that miss Rosenberg left five hours ago. He doesn't know why, but I have my suspiscions."

"What suspiscions?" Tara demanded. "Tell me!" Was Willow in danger? Or in trouble?

"Miss Maclay, do you know why Voldemort did this to you? It was him, was it not?" He asked kindly over his half-moon glasses.

Tara shuddered at the memory. Steel entering her body...scream... - propably her own...

She swallowed, and forced the memory away, and focused on what Voldemort had said before the torture.

"Y-yes, i-it was. It w-was o-on h-his or-orders...He s-said s-something a-about m-m-making it l-look like it was a-a S-slayer who did it..."

Dumbledore sighed.

"I was afraid of that," he said."Miss Maclay, we believe Voldemort has fed Willow lies, saying you were killed by one of the Slayers. That would mean she is most likely on her way here, to seek revenge."

Tara looked horrified.

"She'll kill Buffy..."

" - Not just me," Buffy added. "Faith too. And the other Slayers."She stopped herself. "Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot you didn't know about - "

" - It's o-okay," Tara exclaimed."I know...I saw what ha-happened."

"You did?" Xander asked. "How?"

Tara smiled a little.

"A l-long story. But I-I guess it was some kind of after-life m-magic. I watched th-through a spring of some k-kind."

"Magic. Of course." Dumbledore said. "Miss Maclay, we believe the only way we can stop miss Rosenberg from doing something stupid, is to make sure she sees you. And hears the truth. From you. We hope it will bring her back to us. However, there's a prophecy that has been half fulfilled," he said, and watched Tara over his half-moon glasses. "It speaks about Willow, turning dark, and that the light will be lost. But Miss Summers believes there might be a way around it. The prophecy only speaks about turning dark, it does not, however, speak about her staying dark. So we may have a chance. Do you think you can manage?" He asked.

"I-I do. I-I have to h-help Willow."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Very good. Now rest for a moment, and we will get back to you when the time has come."

Willow showed up in Hogsmeade with a 'pop'. The teleportation had taken longer than she expected - probably because she had tried to apparate into Hogwarts directly, but because of all the protection spells and other shielding spells, that hadn't been possible, and she had ended up slightly in the wrong place; Dublin, Ireland, to be exact.

Willow smiled cruelly. She didn't need anyone. Tara was dead. Again. Tara. Her Tara. They had been together, if only for a little while, and then she had been taken away again.

By the Slayers. By -

" - Buffy..." Willow felt how her eyes turned even darker than before at the mere thought of the Slayer. "Always putting her nose in all the wrong places. But it ends now."

Willowsmiled again, and started to soar over the ground towards the castle, electricity sparkling even more fiercly around her hands.

Buffywould pay.

A/N: Okay, I know, mostly things from old episodes, and some of you might find it boring, but I really liked all those quotes. I actually had all of Tara's quotes written down, but I took away half of them. It had been to much, right? Anyway, I put them there since I didn't plan the end of 'Willow's evilness/goodness' until next chapter, and if I hadn't put them there, the chapter would have been too empty –four pages would have been too short. Hope you liked, and please REVIEW!

/Ida