A/N: Howdy there. I know I haven't been on here forever, and I know I should be seriously groveling right now for not updating at all. But I'm back, and that's all that matters... right? Updating will take a while, everything's hectic at the moment, but I love writing so bare with me. Anyways, it might not be the longest chapter, but here ya go.
EXPLANATION OF LAST CHAPTER:

Okay, so after the kissing scene between Buffy and Harry in the library, Buffy ran out of the castle to think. She runs into Spike, and finds out that Xander and Angel are bad vamps. She runs back to the castle just in time to see poor Ron (the red-headed boy) die from a vamp bite. Angel and Xander decide to play mind games on her to make her choose between her sister and boytoy. She decides the easiest to get to first would be Harry, and saves him, injuring her hand in the process. Hermione gets bitten barely, and Buffy saves her ass too. Then there's a fight, the two vamps die,
Spike comes to the rescue, and they all lie down together to rest and cry and morn. Next morning Buffy is in Harry's bed with Harry next to her. She remembers how Harry saved her while she was held prisoner by the Ministry of Magic. She feels perfectly content for some reason, but we as readers have no idea how she could be happy knowing her best friend just died. Harry is also very cheerful, although he should also be sad. They talk, but don't bring up the fight. The scene ends in a kiss. Next day Will and Buff are leaving to get dresses for the upcoming ball, and Spike goes up to them. He's confused about why the two aren't sad, just like we the readers are. He asks them about Xander, Ron, and Angel, but they don't seem to recognize the three people, let alone remember the fight the night before. What could make them forget? A curse? A spell gone wrong? Some sort of apocalypsy crap? Read on to find out!

STORY:

Chapter 11: Confessions

"They did say it was a costume ball, right? I don't want to look like an idiot." Tru said. She had met up with Willow and Buffy after they had arrived at Hogsmeade. Now they were searching a story called "Fairy Tails" for their dresses.

"Yes," Buffy said, holding a gold corset to Tru's chest, "Dumbledore said it was a Halloween thing. I have no idea how he decided that we should have a Halloween party when it's only the third of October, but whatever. I'm not going to complain." She looked at Tru as if sizing her up for the perfect outfit. Tru rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you go help out Willow? I'm quite capable of finding clothing for myself." Tru said, annoyed.

"Will's already got her ensemble, but I guess I could leave you alone. I'm just a fashion freak is all." she said, shrugging her shoulders and wandering off looking at the shirts and skirts. It took a couple of hours of searching (and a lot of dressing room fits where Buffy had to be reminded many times that she was not fat, it's just that clothes made for twelve year olds could not be worn by seventeen year olds) but finally the hunt was over. All three girls had the perfect things picked out.

"What should we do now?" they asked, lugging more than fifty pounds purchased items with them. Closing their eyes so they couldn't see the interesting sales going on around them, they soon found Harry and Hermione in some sort of place that looked like a bustling coffee shop.

"Bloody hell, did you buy the entire store or what!" he yelled, not believing that they could get so much stuff. Silently, Buffy noticed Hermione packing up in the background, trying to leave before she could be noticed. Shaking it off, Buffy unloaded her things along with the other girls,
making sure no one saw what was in the bags. Willow and Tru saw that they should leave the couple alone and ran off to look at broomsticks.

"Miss me?" she asked, walking over to Harry and wrapping her arms around him.

"More than you know." he answered, pulling her close and burrying his head in her hair. He kissed her neck, and she nudged him with her head.

"Hmm, maybe I should go away more often." she purred, and he pulled away suddenly.

"It's bad enough that you're a Slytherin and I can't see you for half of the day. We're separated plenty by our houses! Don't make it worse. Any more alone time and people will start thinking I'm single!" Buffy started laughing as he said it.

"We wouldn't want that now would we?" she said, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. He smiled slyly.

"Are you going to show me the dress?"

"Uh! It's supposed to be a secret, remember?"

"Fine, have it your way. Thank goodness costumes are optional for us. I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't. Probably would be going looking like a pirate or something."

"You would have been a cute pirate," Harry eyed her skeptically, "Okay, maybe you would have looked like a homosexual pirate, so what." She let out a giggle, and sat down quickly.

"You're impossible, you know that? I can't take you anywhere. Make me look like a bloody idiot, you do."

"Wow, you sounded really British right now!"

"What a surprise. You expected Chinese?" more giggles came.

"No, you just don't have a big accent usually. I think I like accents." he joined her at the table and she cuddled up to him.

"Ya? Shoul' probably use it more often then. 'Specially if it makes you American blighters go crazy. Don't know why I didn't bloody think o' this before."

"Don't overdo it Romeo." she said, glaring at him for making fun of her. He kissed her and she was back to her cheerful self.

"You know you love me." he said jokingly. Buffy stared at him long and hard, contemplating the statement. Did she? She trusted him fully, and he wasn't exactly easy on the eyes. But did she love him?

"I... I think I do. I love you, Harry." she said softly. He barely heard her say it, but the important thing was that he did. More than a little surprised, he looked long and hard at her too. After everything he'd been through, he couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather be with.

"I love you too Buffy." he said, and started stroking her arm. If anyone in the place had been looking they would have seen a couple sitting together, the girl's eyes closed, face glowing with a radiant light that only comes to those who are completely content with their lives at the moment. They would have seen her huddled close to the person next to her, and that the guy had one arm around her and the other was holding her hand. They would have noticed that he had a baffled but loving look on his face as he thought about the future, taking small glances at the girl every once in a while. This is exactly what Lucius Malfoy saw, and what (not surprisingly) he reported to Voldemort.

"The plan is working as you desired milord. None of them remembered a thing from the other night except for the vampire who should have cought the trail I left at Hogwarts and will be arriving shortly. Potter is infatuated with our young Slayer, and the dance that they are to attend is two days hence. What do you wish for me to do milord?"

"Whhhen Wwwwiliam arrivessss sssend hhhhim in. Go watchhh thhem fffor now. Make sssure thhhey do not fffind out whhhat'ssss happening, and whhen thhhhe time issss righht placce the ssspell on her." Voldemort said to his follower who quickly obeyed.

AN: So please review. It'd be nice to here from people like Chrios, Zayra, and wyverna again. ; ). C-ya!