A Second Chance
Chapter 29 – Talking to a mirror.
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
Sirius was a mess. He didn't know how much longer he could linger on without going crazy. After Amy's prank with the seaweed, Sirius had promised himself payback. And he had. Tried that is. But the payback...well, whatever he tried to throw at Amy, somehow it managed to come back and bite him in the ass. He became the victim of his own pranks. And that was not something he enjoyed. At all.
"How does the bloody woman do it?" He muttered, as he paced around in his room.
'I so need a plan. An amazing plan worthy of Sirius Black...' he thought. And thought. And thought some more. But whatever he came up with, was brushed aside. The pranks the marauder had played on the female occupation at Hogwarts wouldn't work, because Amy refused to scream, be scared, mad or even cry. Other pranks wouldn't work either...Amy could have been the fifth marauder easily. She never backed off from a challenge, and some of the pranks she'd played on Sirius...well, each one of them was worthy at least an Order of Merlin third grade. Not that Sirius would ever admit it, of course.
Suddenly, he stopped pacing. And smiled. The smile grew to a grin. And the grin turned into a bark of laughing. He'd always known he was a genius! Why didn't he think of this before? This way, he'd find her weakness... (she's GOT to have one, right?) and from there, he knew he could come up with something! Not even Amy would manage to get out of this one!
Amy was quietly walking into Sirius room. Not to play a prank, but to make peace. To be honest, she was kind of tired of their prank war by now. Especially as she was empty on ideas. And Sirius never managed a comeback, and no comebacks...well, it wasn't fun that way. She didn't have anything to egg her on.
As she entered, she entered darkness. Complete darkness. As she tried to flick the lights on, nothing happened.
"Okay, Sirius, this isn't funny. Quit whatever prank you're trying to play, and come here so we can talk." No answer. "I promise I won't throw a dung bomb at you." Still no answer.
Amy blinked, letting her eyes get used to the dark, and saw the door to Sirius wardrobe glide open.
Amy raised her eyebrows. "Hiding in the wardrobe, are you Sirius? No need, I'm not here to prank you."
When nothing else happened, Amy rolled her eyes, and took two quick steps to the wardrobe, throwing the door open. Amy screamed.
Amy didn't know how long she'd been screaming, when someone dragged her away from the wardrobe and almost threw her out of the room. There, she fell into a limp formon the floor, sobbing. She was vaguely aware of someone screaming 'Riddikulus' from inside the room.
Sirius had been waiting for Amy behind his door, in the corner, when she'd entered. He'd almost let out a snort when she said she wasn't here to prank him. Right. When she'd moved towards the wardrobe, he'd barely been able to contain his excitement. Finally, he'dfind outwhat Amy feared. He could finally be the prank master again. Nothing could've prepared Sirius for the sight that met him when the Amy's Boggart became visible for him. Nothing. Sirius had expected a ghost, a skeleton, hell, even a clown or a mouse. Not this. Nothing like this.
There hung a man. Sirius didn't recognize him, and he was glad he didn't. For awhile, he thought he was going to throw up. Where his right eye should've been, there was an empty depth, blood falling from his eye socket. His left eye was hanging on a single thread, it seemed as if it could fall out any second. It also looked liked he was letting out a silent scream of pain, from the mouth which had been cut so badly that it only looked liked a line of skin. Sirius could only stare. For several seconds, he just stared, unable to move. He was barely aware of Amy screaming, until her scream grew desperate, almost like sobs. Then he woke up from his trance, ran towards the wardrobe, and dragged her away from the sight, out of the room.
After he'd defeated the boggart, he went back out of the room, watching Amy, laying in a heap on the floor. He didn't know what to do. So he did the only thing he could do. He sunk down to his knees, and hugged her. Hard.
"Faith!" Someone called behind her. Faith didn't turn around. She knew who it was.
"Faith!" Someone gripped her shoulder, and forced her to turn round. "Faith, look at me."
Faith raised her eyes to those amber eyes she knew every single spot of by now.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Faith muttered.
"How long are you going to keep avoiding me?"
"Until forever, why?" Faith said stubbornly.
Remus sighed, and pulled his fingers through his graying hair.
'Damn he's sexy when he does that...'
"Because we need to talk. And I'm sorry, Faith, but forever is a very long time. A time I don't have. I want to talk. Now."
"Then talk. Who's stopping ya?" Faith said nonchalantly.
"You! I won't stand here like an idiot, talking to a wall. Because that's what you are right now, Faith. A wall. A bloody wall. And if anyone saw me talking to a wall, they'd believe me to be more mental than I already am."
Faith almost let out a smile at this. Almost.
"Fine. I'll listen."
"Good."
Silence.
Faith raised an eyebrow.
"So?"
"Shut up, I'm thinking."
"About?"
"About what I'm going to say. Just give me a second."
So Faith waited. And waited.
"Are you done thinking yet?"
Remus groaned.
"No. But I'll talk anyway." He opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. "This was so much easier when I practiced in front of the mirror..." he muttered.
Faith blinked.
"You practiced in front of your mirror?"
Remus glared.
"So what? I'm not good at this stuff!"
Faith couldn't help it. She laughed. And laughed.
Remus scowled.
"Fine, laugh at the miserable werewolf..."
"I'm s-so-sorry...I just...m-mirror...!" Faith snorted.
"Are you done yet?" Remus asked impatiently.
Faith coughed.
"Yes. Sorry. Go ahead. Talk. Pretend I'm a mirror."
Pause. Another laugh attack.
Remus sighed.
"Fine. Faith, the lesson last week..." Faith stopped laughing.
"What about it?" she asked, in what she hoped was a casual tone.
"Ever since then, you've been avoiding me."
Faith started to shuffle with her feet nervously, a trait Faith had never had before.
"The things you said..."
"I said a lot of things," Faith muttered stubbornly, and Remus sighed again.
"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"
No answer.
"Very well. You said some...things...about me - "
" - Sorry." Faith hastily added.
"Sorry? Faith, you've got nothing to be sorry for."
Faith looked up, blinking.
"I don't?"
"No! I was...honored...and...moved...by some things you said about werewolves. And one special thing you said about me really got stuck on my brain..."
Remus grew silent, waiting for Faith to get the hint and continue. When she didn't, Remus just smiled. He lent forwards bit, kissing Faith softly. Faith forgot everything else, and returned the kiss after a moments pause. It was their first kiss in public. (Although the corridor was empty so it wasn't really public anyway.)
Remus looked into Faith's eyes.
"I love you too," he said quietly.
Faith walked into her Fighting skills class she shared with Buffy with a stupid smile on her face. She couldn't help it. It was stuck on her lips like glue. Buffy cast her a questioning glance.
"Where have you been?" She hissed. "The lesson started almost thirty minutes ago!"
Faith smirked.
"Sorry. Rem and I were keepin' ourselves busy in the empty corridor on the third floor."
Buffy blinked. Then her face turned into one of disgust.
"Oh, Faith, gross!"
"Well, you asked!"
"Yeah, but do you have to be so...so..."
"Honest?"
Buffy glared.
"Whatever. Okay, class! Since Faith has finally arrived, we can get on with the lesson. Yes, Hermione?"
"Does that mean we can't ask any more questions?" She asked, clearly disappointed.
"Yes," Buffy said. Faith gave her a questioning glance.
"Since you didn't show up, I had to keep them occupied with something else. So I let them ask question about my life on the Hellmouth."
"Ah." Faith suddenly got some evil in her eye.
"Hey, did Buffy tell you what she wanted for a song on her wedding?"
Faith..." Buffy said warningly.
"Or about that time she had a memory loss and decided to call herself Jo...umph!" Buffy had covered Faiths mouth with her hand. She had to remove it however, when Faith bit down. Hard.
"OWW! Faith!"
"You've only got yourself to blame, B."
Buffy glared.
"How do you know about those things anyway? You weren't there."
Faith just smiled sweetly.
"Dawn. And Spike."
Buffy turned her eyes to her sister, who gulped.
"Anyway, where were we? Oh, right. Last lesson, you saw a bit of a display on what you are going to learn in this class. Today we are gonna start with the basics. Pair up, two and two."
Faith watched critically when the students started to pair up with their friends. Gryffindor and Gryffindor, Slytherin and Slytherin.
"No, this won't do." She suddenly spoke up.
"Faith!" Buffy hissed.
"Trust me...I know what I'm doing." Faith whispered.
"That would be a first..." Buffy muttered.
"Alright. Why is everybody in their houses? You're sharing this class, right? So what's the point in keeping the class divided in two? Then you could just as easily have one class each.
"Let see..." Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Yeah, this can work. Draco."
Draco Malfoy looked up as his name was spoken.
"Yes?" He sneered.
"Why don't you pair up with Dawn?"
"Faith, no!" Buffy hissed. "What are you doing? Do you want them to kill each other?"
"I said 'trust me', right?" Faith mumbled. "Besides, remember what the talkin' hat said?"
Buffy blinked.
"Were you listening?"
"Well...no, but Rem repeated it to me afterwards."
"And you listen to Remus," Buffy smirked.
"Something like that, yeah. Anyway, it said something about 'putting away your grudges'. And that's what I'm doing. Putting away their grudges."
"Or killing each other in the process..." Buffy muttered, but didn't comment on it more.
"Draco, get your ass over to Dawn's place now!"
"I'm not pairing up with her! She's mad!" Draco exclaimed.
"Well, good. Then you can share your madness," Faith said calmly.
Draco didn't move.
"Forget it."
"Fine." Faith snapped. "The door is there, Mr Malfoy, I trust you can find your own way out."
Malfoy gaped like a fish.
"You can't throw me out!"
"Yes, she can, and she will, literally, unless you move over to where Dawn is standing." Buffy put in.
Draco grudgingly did as she said, swearing under his breath.
"Okaaay...Hermione, Pansy."
Hermione paled, but did as she was told.
"Crabbe, Neville."
Neville's eyes grew round, and Buffy stared at Faith as she was crazy.
"Okaaay, Faith, I get this about putting away your grudges and stuff, but really. Do you want to quash Neville to death?"
Faith sighed.
"B, you know as well as I do that in battle, you don't get to choose your opponents. And mostly, they're way bigger than you. And besides, Crabbe might be bigger, but he sure as hell ain't smarter. Sorry 'bout that, Crabbe," she added, but it didn't seem like Crabbe had noticed.
Buffy sighed.
"I know...but remember that if anyone get killed, it's your fault."
"Always my fault, B," Faith said chirpily.
"Ron, Blaise."
"Goyle, Dean."
"Millicent, Lavender."
The pairing continued normally, until...
"Harry...why don't you pair up with one of us, eh?"
Harry gulped, and Buffy gave Faith another look.
"What are you playing at?"
"Well, if this kid is gonna fight Vollymort, he needs more challenge than his fellow students." Faith shrugged.
"You can pair up with him, 'cause I can't hold back."
Buffy glared some more.
"Aye, aye, captain..." she muttered.
A/N: Another chap up! -Does happy dance- I was afrid this would have to wait to the weekend, but since I had a four hours break at school, I was able to write this. Good, huh? Until next time, please review!