A Second Chance
Chapter 19 – The Weight of the World.
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
"Buffy!"
"Huh?" Buffy woke up from her trance she'd been in since her mom had asked her to make the hardest choice of her life.
Joyce smiled sadly.
"I hate to ask you this, Buffy, but the PTB can't wait forever. They need your answer now…"
"Oh…right." Buffy looked at the waiting place. She knew she wouldn't pick that…no, it was between going back, or Heaven. Buffy looked longingly forwards, where she knew peace awaited her…freedom. Then, she turned to her right. It felt so cold. Dark. Like the Earth…so full of war…and pain. Was she really needed there?
'…I've done my duty…and I died while doing it…Isn't my work done already? I've carried the world on my shoulders way too long…isn't it time for someone else to carry that burden? Can't the Slayers manage without me? One more or less, what does it matter? I wasn't even meant to come back!'
Buffy took a deep breath, and started to walk towards the light...her fredoom...
It had been quiet for awhile now. Charlie couldn't hear any conversation behind the closed doors where Buffy was. He moved away from Dawn who'd fallen asleep beside him, and walked up to the door and put his ear against it, listening for sounds. He could hear small whispers, and then, suddenly, a loud beep. Dawn woke up with a jerk, and Charlie jumped away from the door.
"W-what's going on!" Dawn asked, scared. Charlie shook his head. He had no idea. He opened the doors, and ran inside, Dawn slightly behind.
"Giles! What's happening!"
"We're losing her!" Giles said, and Charlie felt how all the color drained from his face.
"Please, move away!" A medi-witch said, and pushed Giles aside.
Dawn felt how her eyes started to fill with tears.
"NO! BUFFY!" She screamed, and tried to loosen Charlie's grip around her shoulders, but he refused to let her go to her sister.
"Dawn, no…" Charlie said.
"SHE NEEDS ME! PLEASE…" Dawn started to sob against Charlie's chest. He swallowed. He wanted to cry too, but he needed to be strong. Giles had turned against the wall, refusing to show his face, refusing to show what he felt.
"No, Dawn…we need to let them do their work…" Charlie said, swallowing hard, his eyes never leaving Buffy's pale face.
"SHE WON'T LEAVE ME!" Dawn was hitting him now, angry at him, angry at the world…angry at her sister for leaving her to cry alone.
"IF SHE HEARS MY VOICE…I KNOW SHE'LL COME BACK!"
"Dawn…"
"SHE PROMISED TO STAY! SHE DOESN'T WANT TO DIE! SHE WANTED TO LIVE! SHE PROMISED SHE WOULD SHOW ME THE WORLD!"
"Dawn…"
"BUFFY!"
"Mr. Weasley, if you can't make her quiet, we must ask you to take her out of here!"A nurse demanded. "We can't work in this noise!"
"Dawn, please…" Charlie begged. It was so hard...he just wanted to cry...
"NO, BUFFY! WAKE UP! COME BACK!"
"Dawn…" This time it was Giles who spoke. His eyes were filled with held back tears.
"I'm taking her out…you can stay," he said. Charlie nodded, and let go of Dawn. Giles led her out of the room, even though Dawn both kicked and screamed. Even after the doors had been closed, Charlie could hear her scream her sister's name.
Charliesank down on a chair in a corner of the room, and tried to ignore the sounds. The beeping still hadn't stopped…
Charlie buried his face in his hands.
'…Buffy…please…fight…come back!'
"Willow…sweetie…"
Willow and Tara were still sitting at the Quidditch pitch.
"T-Tara…I-I'm…" Willow sobbed.
"Shh…don't talk…just, listen, okay? What you did…it's…" Tara tried to find the right words, but found none. What did you say to someone who might have killed her best friend?
"It…it won't go away…" Willow sobbed.
"What, Will? What won't go away?"
"T-the pain…it hurts…"
"It will hurt, Willow… you're hurting right now…everyone is hurting right now…but it's good… that it hurts. That means you can still feel," Tara said.
"I-is B-Buffy o-okay?" Willow asked.
Tara closed her eyes. She didn't know.
"I don't know, honey, but…if we walk up to the castle…"
"No!" Willow exclaimed."No walking. Just…just stay here…"
Tara sighed.
"Alright…we'll stay…a little longer."
It was once again quiet. The only sound was Willow's sobbing, and Tara's deep breaths.
She didn't know how to handle this. Willow had done something horrible, and Tara wasn't even sure she was able to forgive her. But she had to comfort her…make sure she didn't do anything stupid…
"Willow?"
No answer.
"Just…just listen, okay? You don't have to answer, just listen." Tara took a deep breath again. "I…I need to go up to the castle…I need to know what's happening, I can't - "
She stopped herself at the middle of the sentence.
' - I can't stay here with you right now…I'm not even sure if I know you anymore, Willow…If I want to know you anymore…'
"Willow, please…"
"I-I…can I stay?"
Tara sighed.
"I can't leave you here alone, Willow…you need to go up to the castle with me…now."
Willow didn't move for a long while, but just when Tara thought she would have to talk to Willow again, she stood up.
"Good," Tara said slowly. "Just…one step at the time, okay?"
Willow nodded, but refused to meet Tara's eyes.
"Good…alright…one step…two step…No Willow, keep going - " Tara sighed when Willow stopped. "Come on, you can do this, okay? Good. Three steps…four steps…"
Tara had a feeling it would take a long time before they reached the castle. And the pain in her chest refused to go away...
The beeping suddenly became stronger, more intense, and Charlie looked up at Buffy's pale form.
"What's happening?"
"Her heart stopped…O'Donnel! Give me - "
Charlie didn't hear the rest. Buffy…no…please no…
"Mr. Weasley, I have to ask you to leave! Mr. Weasley!"
Charlie didn't hear. His eyes were glued at Buffy's still form…hoping maybe she would open her eyes if he wished it enough. But she was completely still.
Faith and Remus were still sitting at the head table along with Professor McGonagall who was taking deep, calming breaths, James had started to pace. Lily was biting on her fingernails out of nervousness.
'Why can't somehing happen…?'
As if someone heard her, Faith's head suddenly jerked up from Remus shoulder.
"Faith?" Remus asked. "Are you alright?"
Faith could only shake her head.
"No...I'm-I'm not alright…" She looked up, and everyone was surprised to find tears in the Slayers eyes. "Buffy's dead…She's gone…" She took a shaky breath.
"You can't know that," James tried to assure her.
"I just…I just know. She's gone!" Faith exclaimed."GONE!"
"Her heart's still not beating…I get no response…we've lost her." The medi-witch turned to Charlie.
"I'm truly sorry."
Charlie shook his head.
"I-I don't believe it…you must be able to do something!"
"I really am sorry, but - "
"NO!"
The witch turned back toward the other workers with a sigh.
"Cover the body…I - " She was interrupted when the apparatus started to beep with a regular sound again.
"What the…?"
Buffy opened her eyes with gasp.
A/N: I hope you don't hate me for cutting the chapter there, but I thought it was the perfect ending!LOL. I hope you can wait for the next…it will probaply be up before you know it! (I was thinking about posting the second chapter of OotB tomorrow or Wednesday, and another chapter of BtWVS at Thursday or Friday…so next chapter of this story will probaply be up during next Sunday or something.) Hope you can wait and that you're having a good 2005 this far! REVIEW!
/Ida