Chapter 9

What Might Have Been

"Joe, wake up." Joe muttered and rolled over. He did not however wake up. "Joe Theresa's on the phone." Joe's eyes snapped open and he sat up, wide awake. Then he glowered at the person speaking to him.

"Now that's just weird." he said.

"Got you up didn't it." Theresa grinned.

"And what pray tell," he asked, "Is the oh so urgent need to awaken?"

"Oh, nothing much, just a little thing like the premier."

"Oh holy crap!" Joe squeaked and leaped out of bed. Theresa laughed.

"Jesus, you just squeaked!"

Halfway into his pants, Joseph Macleod grinned. "I haven't done that since I was five."

"I remember. You were so cute." She sauntered over to him and kissed him. "Groom first, then dress. Can't have the director looking like he just got out of bed, almost being late to his own premier."

He straitened to his full height and looked at her imperiously. "I can do anything I like woman!" She giggled. He was so silly when he did his Caveman routine. "Besides," he said, looking at his bed hair in the mirror. "It looks indie."

Willow and Tara sat nervously in the limo that had been sent to pick them up from the hotel. Buffy and Dawn were in another, and Xander and Anya were in another. She didn't know what to expect. They were just going to see the movie, why were they in limos?

"Why are we in limos?" she asked aloud.

Tara smiled and stroked her lover's hair. "Because Joe said so."

Tara had never met Joe, but Willow had told her a few stories about him after they'd received the invitation. She remembered how Joe was to hear Willow answer Buffy's phone. In short order they'd driven to LA, where Angel had generously given them accommodations in his way too large Hotel. In fact, he'd kinda opened it up to many people, all of whom Willow remembered, either from High School, or from her week as a PA on the movie that they were now on their way to see.

Angel had declined the offer of a limo, though Lorne had taken his spot in short order. Giles was due to arrive as well, there would be a limo waiting for him at the airport.

"I can't believe the studio sprung for all these limos." Joe said, straitening his tie.

"You couldn't believe Warner Bros. bought the movie either." Theresa reminded him. "And who do you have to thank for that Mr. Big Shot?"

"That would be you." He kissed her quickly, intending to get right back to fixing his tie (damnable things), but she grabbed hold and made it a long, hard kiss. Suddenly, she let go. "Crap we're gonna be late!"

Willow tried to ignore all the cheering, but was never the less overwhelmed by it. Lorne was loving it, even singing a few bars of the song he'd provided for the soundtrack, and signing autographs. At least he was actually involved in the movie. She and her friends were merely the basis that most of the characters were based on. She looked up at the marquee where an oversized version of the movie poster was hanging.

"Welcome to the Hellmouth" it proclaimed in fiery letters. An artists rendition of Sunnydale High School (looking more like the school where 90210 took place) sat below the title with the requisite pictures of the stars' faces arrayed below it. There was Cordy, and Ben, Joe, and a bunch of other people she didn't know. None were big name actors. Joe had told her he'd envisioned this as a small independent movie. Instead-

"Willow!" at first she'd thought someone in the crowd knew her name, but then she saw who had called out to her.

"Oz?!" she answered, surprised.

"Hey." he said, joining the pair. Tara looked leery for a moment, but then recovered. After all, the first and last time he'd seen her he'd lost control and attacked.

Oz introduced them to his girlfriend, and they went in together.

Joe, still being tired from the pre-premier party the night before fell asleep on the way, his head resting on Theresa's shoulder, but he felt, just before he drifted off, her shift him so his head was in her lap, and her fingers begin to stroke his hair.

It had been a long strange trip since high school. Theresa and he had been together ever since he'd saved her from Angelus, and then immediately thereafter from Oz during his first full moon. They were king and queen of Prom, and he suffered through his first year of college without her, as she was a year younger than he.

Then the year after she and Mickey had graduated, they'd begun production on Welcome to The Hellmouth. At first it had been a small independent film, but thanks to Theresa's tireless and covert efforts, Warner Bros. had seen an early cut of the film, and loved it. And now it was a huge end of the summer blockbuster.

The shouts of the crowd outside woke him, and he stepped out of the limo, joining the stars, and major techies of the film. Ben grinned at him and brushed a hand through his own hair, signaling that his nap had undone his careful grooming.

Joe grimaced. "Great. That's gonna be page one on Variety."

"Don't worry about it." Mickey said. "It looks indie."

"Harry!" a distant voice called. "Harry Potter it's time to wake up!"

Harry groggily sat up in bed and reached for his glasses. Hedwig screeched a morning greeting as he stumbled out his door to the bedroom.

After a shower and a pointless combing of his hair (it still refused to be tamed) he dressed and came down for breakfast.

"It arises." Lily smiled at him. "I was afraid I would have to magic you out of that bed."

Harry smiled. "Morning Mum, what's for breakfast?"

Neville Longbottom endured a hug from his mother at the platform. Thankfully his father refrained from embarrassing him, and merely wished him luck in this, his final year at hogwarts. His mother started to cry, though she tried to hide it. She was an Auror after all. He'd noticed she got emotional every time he went off to school. Very embarrassing.

He pointedly ignored a smirk from Ron Weasley as they boarded the train.

"Your mother's worse than mine Ron." he said. "So don't even start."

"Fortunately for me," Harry said, waving to his father from the window. "My mom's nothing like that so I can make fun of you all I want."

Tbc…