in fact, break down from exhaustion. This means updates will happen, just not on a weekly basis. But in a couple of chaps I'm going to bring up the reason why the story's named 'Sisters to the Core,' which means I'm planning the grand finale to the story. Lyrics are from Stevie Nicks's Crystal. Ignore them if you must, but I love them.
AN2: I got myself a beta. Yay on Chrios and everyone give her props cuz ya know she's going to be great. I don't know why, but I felt the need to announce this to all of my readers. Don't make fun. Hope you like the chapter cuz it was fairly effortless to write. XOXO. Reviewers get double on the hugs. (I'm corny, you know you love it)
-start lyrics-
Do you always trust your first initial feeling?
Special knowledge holds truth bears believing
I turned around
And the water was closing all around
Like a glove
Like the love that had finally, finally found me
Then I knew
In the crystalline knowledge of you
Drove me through the mountains
Through the crystal-like clear water fountain
Drove me like a magnet
To the sea
-end lyrics-
Chapter 16: Missed
"Are you okay?" Draco asked Buffy as they window shopped down a crowded street in London, where they'd decided to find appropriate attire. Draco was already clad in a shirt and pair of pants from the Gap, which was their third stop of the day. And Buffy, who was not being shy about the way she spent her money, had acquired a new dress for herself in the process. The weather was pretty good for mid- October, and none of the girls were minding showing off a little skin, Willow included.
"Perfectly perfect. Why?" Buffy knew she was glowing, but she figured why not? The man she loved was standing beside her, and willing to move to the other side of the world in order to see to it that she was happy. She had plenty of friends to surround her so that she would never be unhappy. Most of all, though, she was shining her radiant smile wherever she went because the man that she loved felt the same way about her and wasn't afraid to admit it.
"I don't know, you're just acting odd is all." his eyes turned upward as if contemplating something before grounding themselves once more in the world around them by staring at Willow and Tru, who had found a shoe store and were at present accosting the cute salesman with questions about sales.
"Shouldn't we be leaving soon?" he asked, noticing that the watch on Willow's arm read noon. Tru sighed, putting down a pair of pink Roxy flip flops moodily.
"I s'pose." Willow was even easing her way away from Spence, the clerk, who looked rather depressed about her doing so. Poor Willow hadn't a clue and gave him a goofy smile. She'd never know that he had thought she was attractive.
"Let's hit it then." Buffy said energetically, ready to get a move on.
"Why are you so happy?" Tru asked, looking back wistfully towards the sandals in the window before continuing, "You're never this giddy."
"What? A girl can't be happy about finally going home after a couple of months away? Geeze." Even though she acted mad, nothing in the world could make Buffy frown at that moment. Not even Voldemort himself. Something just felt right about this.
"Anyways." Willow spoke loudly, "Let's get somewhere secret-like so we can get with the magics and go home." Her temperamental voice gave no room for Tru's arguments, which held fast in her throat. Buffy flashed Draco a grin before heading towards an empty alley. Draco shook his head, confused about the attention he was getting, but not complaining because it wasn't like it was unwanted.
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Harry looked at the slightly crumpled note in his hand addressed to Hermione and let out something that sounded like a sob. He knew he should have seen this coming. Dumbledore had hinted about what he'd done when he found Ron knocked out on the lawn, but Harry hadn't thought about how such a thing would impact her. How could he have known?
'Thank you for being my sister. You were always so nice to me, and I'm sorry that I let you down. I love you, and I don't want you worrying about things that you shouldn't be. Dumbledore's assured me that I'm not welcome at Hogwarts so I'm going to where I'm needed. Please write me if any of our friends wake up. You know where I'll be. I left a pair of leather pants for you too. Something to remember me by.'
A heart followed by an oversized signature covered the bottom half of the page. Harry wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been so hasty to say goodbye. Would she still be there? Or would there be another letter addressed to him, saying that she loved him and not to worry?
"What are you doing?" he asked Hermione, watching her with some amount of interest as she searched the envelope for something that wasn't there.
"She left me something." she mumbled, not really paying attention. Finally she drew her attention towards the pair of pants, shoving her hands into each of the pockets. Her fingers closed on something, a piece of paper. Pulling it out, she examined it thoroughly before laughing and tossing it to Harry. It was a photograph of a man in a tweed suit cleaning a pair of glasses with an arm coming in from the side to make a peace sign behind his head. On the back there were a few words in Buffy's handwriting which read, 'All hail tweed. Rupert Giles, 1999.'
"So." he said, wondering what the picture meant.
"So, this is where she went. I thought she would go to my parents or to her adoptive mum or dad, but it didn't really add up. I knew she'd leave me something."
"What are you planning on doing about it, then?"
"Find her of course." she looked at him as if he was stupid, so he elaborated.
"And after that? Are you planning on dragging her back? Or are you going to stay with her in Sunnydale and live happily ever after? You'll be expelled for sure if you go to America without permission, and you know Dumbledore'll never allow you to go."
"To hell with him." she said, raising her voice more than she needed to, "She's my family, Harry. I looked at her like she was beneath me for a really long time, and I was wrong. I can't just sit here and watch my life pass by knowing that my twin's out there with no one but..."
"But who? Tru, Draco, and Willow went with her. She has friends, Hermione. And she's obviously forgiven you since she wrote that letter. There's no reason for you to get into trouble because of a..."
"If you finish that sentence I will slap you." her tone was harsh and threatening, "Just because you feel like you're to blame doesn't mean you get to bash her. You can follow me, or you can stay here. The decision's yours." With that she left the Common Room and made her way up the stairs to the Girl's Dormitory. Harry leaned his head back. Would it really do any good to show up and apologize for dumping her? Draco had gone, which meant he was probably comforting her at that very moment. It's just the type of thing he'd do. Buffy's vulnerable, might as well pounce.
A vision of Draco wrapping his pale fingers around her waist blurred his vision and
he snapped his eyes shut only to find that the image was clearer behind his lids. Buffy was
laying in a bed with Draco, his shirt abandoned on the floor. And they were kissing. Oh,
they looked like they were doing more than that for a moment, then he pulled away,
whispering something to her before covering her up to go to sleep. Harry felt like he was
standing right next to her. He could feel her breath upon his fingers, and he wanted to
touch her face just to see if she was real. Then she said five words that made him cringe.
"And I've always loved you." for a moment a hope lingered that perhaps she'd
been staring at him when she said it. But no. She tightened her grip on Draco's hand,
looking right through Harry as if he wasn't even there.
"Depressing, isn't it?" a teenage Tom Riddle said from the chair in front of him,
fingers laced in his lap.
"You're not him. Voldemort could never get into Hogwarts."
"I'm a ghost if you will. I'm Voldemort and not at the same time. It's a complicated process, it would be best if you do not try to understand for once."
"And what are you doing here?"
"What you saw was no dream, it's reality. Run after her like a fool if you must,
but know that by doing so you're only making the clock tick faster."
"Why is she so important to you?"
"She's a Slayer, Harry. Think for once. You have feelings for the girl, which is
understandable. However, your emotions have always made you weak. They blind you.
Sooner or later Buffy will turn. And I'll be there the second it happens." Riddle stood,
nodding a goodbye to Harry
"Pleasant dreams." he whispered finally and disappeared. Harry's first instinct was to run to Dumbledore, but that wouldn't work now. Buffy was already evil in his eyes. He wouldn't see the information as useful.
Then there was Hermione who would tell him to go to Buffy right away and tell her what Riddle said him. This was probably the most plausible thing to do, but Harry had never been one to think rashly about his decision making. Like Riddle explained not two minutes earlier, he was ruled by his emotions, which were often not connected to his brain in any way. And right now they were telling him to stay put. But, the ghost's speech still fresh in his mind, he chose another road. He was going to go to Sunnydale.
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Buffy gave herself a once over, much to the amusement of her three spectators,
before knocking on the door. She sighed, not knowing what else there was to primp. But
why was she primping? It was just Giles. He'd love her no matter what she looked like.
Reaching out, she tapped her fist against the hard wood. A masculine voice called out 'one second' in a plainly British voice, and Buffy was already at ease. Something about him had a way of making her feel better about everything. No one could die, no world could end, as long as he was there to look out for her.
"Yes?" opening the door he let out a small gasp as he looked at the four of them. It took a moment, where Buffy absent mindedly shuffled her feet, for him to gather up enough wit to give her a bone-crushing hug.
"Dear lord, I was so worried. Dumbledore stopped contacting me and I thought something was amiss. Are you quite alright?" he asked the question and paused for a response, but still he did not let go.
"Buffy?" he didn't understand why she hadn't answered.
"Air." she breathed and he laughed, embarrassed, as he set her free.
"I'm fine, Giles. No sweat." she answered, a little teary eyed and clutching her throat as she felt a cough coming on. Giles moved to the back of the group and went through the same process with Willow.
"Glad to be missed." she said, fiddling with a strand of red hair. Her eyes were watering as much as Buffy's were.
"Well, come in. Come in. I'll make tea." Buffy did laugh then. It was good to be
home. It took some time after the introductions and such to explain what had happened
over the course of the months that they hadn't seen each other. Giles cleaned his glasses,
muttering something about a passage and a biography and an antidote.
"So it can be fixed?" Buffy's voice was filled with hope.
"Yes, yes it can. I know a poison quite like it which the Watcher's Council uses with the Slayers to see what type of skills they possess without their natural ability of strength. I believe if I tweak it somewhat I may get some results. I promise I'll get you back to normal, Buffy. It just might take some time."
"Well, what do we do until then?" Tru asked.
"I say we party." Buffy shrugged and smiled at her friends.
"We did pick up some great outfits earlier." Willow agreed, gathering up some of her bags. Tru and Draco were still lost, not knowing what they were talking about.
"Feel free to use the rooms upstairs and down here to change." Giles added.
"Where are we going?" Draco asked.
"You guys just put on some slutty clothes upstairs and we'll go."
"What do you mean SLUTTY?" Draco's face was beet red, but Tru had already made her way up to Giles's bedroom.
"Just put something on and don't complain." Buffy said tiredly. Looking over to Willow, she noticed that the red head was on the phone.
"Yeah, we're back. I missed you. Listen, we're heading off to the Bronze and I was wondering if you wanted to come. Practicing. No, you don't have to do that. I'm sure. Well, if you're sure. Okay. See you Oz." she hung up and raced into the bathroom to change yelling something that sounded like a mixture of 'YES' and a squeal. Buffy looked down at herself and took a dress out of her American Eagle bag.
"You don't mind if we stay with you, do you?" she asked Giles who was pouring himself another cup of tea. He smiled and looked up at her with all of the love and adoration that a father would have for his only daughter.
"You're always welcome here. I'm glad you're back." his face softened even more as he said it. Buffy gave him a quick hug and headed off to put her dress on. This was going to be a night to remember.
AN: Alrighty then. Feedback is a good thing. Opinions on how many deaths should happen between now and the end of the story would be great. I've already planned out two, but there may be more. My love to all. TTFN.
