Order of Things
Summery: It's been 5 years since Buffy Summers and co. fought the First Evil in Sunnydale. So, maybe it's high time she wound up in another adventure. But the rules have changed without her realizing it, and where once it was the slayer's job to save the world, it now falls to another. Buffy will have to find out just what her part in this apocalypse is, before it's too late. Btvs/HP
Pairings: Remus/Buffy (the only pairing going at the moment.)
Timeline: Set before the beginning (during the summer) of the 5th book for the Harry Potter universe and 5 years after the final episode of season seven for Buffy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Buffy belongs to someone other then me and even the plot of this Fic is intersected with actual dialogue and situations from the book "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." All I ask is that you don't sue me. Thank you.
Concerning the Buffy and Harry Potter Universes: Buffy is 27 years old, and Remus is (only just) 37, Sirius (who is the older of the two) is 37 as well. Buffy is spending the majority of her time in the Wizarding World, so the others (Willow, Xander, Giles, Dawn, ect.) aren't going to be around much. As for Harry, this fic takes place parallel to the fifth book, following the adventures of Remus and Buffy as they work for the order. At certain times the two 'stories' will connect and things will start sounding familiar as I start taking bits and bites out of book 5. Some things are going to change, others will stay the same. On an important note, I love Sirius Black, I love Remus Lupin, I love Buffy Summers and I love Harry Potter, these are my Now, finally, let'smain characters. Lets all be clear on that from the start! get on with the fic!
Note to my Beta Reader: I've been informed that I didn't give my 'fabulous' absolutely 'spiffing' beta reader any love. So here is her love. Kim, my sister is my beta reader. She is wonderful and I thank her very much. Even if she is an opinionated, bossy, stubborn bitca of a sister. So thanks.
Chapter 6
Show and Tell
And she screamed a little more. The furry black rat in her palm was dead; it was very, very dead.
So not just a little dead, then?
Buffy dropped the rat and backed up, her eyes wide. The entire table was on its feet, and Sirius, without Buffy holding him back, began to throttle Kreacher. Remus had seemingly vaulted the table, because he was there at her side in an instance. The elder Weasley, Arthur, was trying to pry Sirius of the sputtering elf. One of the twins was scooping up the dead rat and taking it away. Molly was standing with Ginny in her arms, who was sobbing openly. Ron seemed stuck between helping his father, and helping Sirius.
"Buffy?" Buffy lifted wide eyes to Remus.
"ewww" she whimpered.
Remus folded his arms around her, which was when she realised she was trembling slightly.
Buffy watched as Kreacher finally scampered from the room, gasping for breath. Sirius watched the house elf go with murder in his eyes. Buffy detangled herself from Remus' arms and took a steadying breath.
And then laughed.
Every one turned in surprise, but Buffy just couldn't stop. What a show she put on! Mucus demons, bah, bring 'em on! But hand her a dead rodent a send her into a hissy-fit that rivalled ice queen Cordelia Chase… on a bad day.
Buffy, wiping tears from her eyes, noticed that the kids, Ginny (who admittedly was still crying a little) Ron and the twins had begun to laugh as well.
"Oh, man." Buffy gasped. The adults had apparently just seen the funny because they'd begun to laugh as well. Well, everyone, except for Sirius.
"Oh Sirius." Exclaimed Buffy, "come on!"
The dark haired man blinked.
"Some big strong Slayer I turned out to be. I'm not saying it was pleasant or anything, but there wasn't any harm done."
Sirius didn't look all that convinced.
Sirius still seemed to have a large grey thundercloud looming over his head when he, Remus, Tonks, Buffy and the elder Weasley's stepped into the order meeting later that night.
The room was one of the most recently cleaned. Remus told her in an undertone that they used to use the small first-floor parlour before then, but it wasn't quite big enough. The new room was just as dreary as all others in Grimmauld Place, but it was much bigger. An ornate chandelier in the center of the ceiling cast gloomy shadows over the walls and peoples faces.
Sirius' face was pale and grim, his lips a severe white slash across his face. All the humour had drained from the man. As always, it was startling for Buffy to see the usually exuberant man brood.
The Order of the Phoenix meeting got under way quickly; it consisted of a lot of people Buffy didn't know talking about a lot of things that made little to no sense to the frustrated slayer. Situated between Sirius and Remus she listened to the proceedings with only half an ear, the other half was caught up in the men's running commentary.
A big black man, who Remus identified as Kingsley Shacklebolt, stood and addressed Dumbledore for what felt like hours. He was a ministry Law enforcer that was in charge of recapturing Sirius; he was also a man who was breaking regulations; rules and laws right, left and center, all at the prompting of one man.
Dumbledore sat in the centre of all this madness like the grand poo-ba. When he spoke every person in the room sat and listened in rapt attention, when they spoke to him they did so derectly and with reverence. Dumbledore was a leader in every way. His opinion was gold to the Order. His word was final. And in every way Buffy was envious. As well as wary.
Never, as the Slayer, had she been followed so blindly. Never had her opinion or word been given such weight. It chafed in a way that made her feel small and petty. Why should she have been followed so blindly? Better to be a part of the group then to be vilified as the leader when the going got tough.
Hadn't she learned that lesson years ago? Better to be in the line of supporters, then to have to face the recriminations of the peanut gallery when the shit hit the fan. Because it always did. Buffy had quite enough of being the leader; she was ready to let someone else take the reins for once. Let them deal with the fallout; she wasn't interested anymore.
Was she?
"Buffy" Sirius spoke sharply into her ear and poked her hard in the ribs. The blonde came back to the present with a start to see that the entire room was looking at her. For a horrible moment she was back in a Sunnydale High classroom, caught unprepared for the thousandth time by a scowling teacher, just waiting for the opportunity to give her another detention she would manage to miss somehow. Shaking the awful apparition out of her head, Buffy met Dumbledore's amused gaze.
So nice to see you're enjoying yourself.
The moment stretched on uncomfortably for a few more seconds until Buffy spoke, her voice forced into a lightly teasing tone.
"Could you repeat the question?" She paused, shrugging sheepishly, "old habits die hard, I guess." She saw Sirius wince out of the corner of her eye.
Or not.
Dumbledore cleared his throat and chuckled a little. His eyes gleamed brightly in the light of the brass lanterns.
"I believe the headmaster was merely inquiring as to ant of your… recent developments."
Oh, well, if that was all… talk about sticking your foot in it. Buffy pinched Sirius hard in the leg when he couldn't resist a snicker at her expense. The black haired man yelped loudly and the room shifted its attention. Remus stayed wisely silent on the issue.
Buffy stood slowly, her eyes momentarily meeting those of the man that had spoken. He was tall and dark with slick, greasy black hair that hung limply down to his jaw and had eyes that were as coal, burning black with disdain. He was wearing black robes that rose all the way up his neck. He was –as was most of the order, to Buffy's annoyance- taller then her by more then a head. Still though, the sallow man, who ever he was, didn't intimidate Buffy. .
"Right," she said, "Okay, I guess I could fill you all in on all the latest demon activity in London."
"I believe," said the sallow one, in a voice that was almost as oily as his hair, "you might wish to leave the relevant information gathering to those of us with… experience in such things."
Remus and Sirius tensed beside her, but she didn't even look. To say that Buffy was surprised by these words would have been a mammoth understatement. The blonde had thought that the rest of the Order had been informed of her- specialized background. One look at Dumbledore told Buffy that this was not the case. The old codger was sitting quite silently, his face a mask of pure, unashamed, amusement. Well, that at least explained the looks she'd gotten when she'd entered the room. But damn the man for putting her on the spot like this.
"What experience would that be?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Just because you happen to look like a member of the walking undead, doesn't necessarily mean you'd know one if it wasn't in the process of sucking you dry. Why don't you leave the demons to the expert, and sit your moody ass down."
The man's eyes narrowed and he seemed to be considering attacking her, but whether that would have been with wand or fist she'd never know, because it was only then that dear old Dumble decided to step in.
"Peace Severus." He said, standing.
"But headmaster! Surely this- this muggle- should not be allowed to-"
"Hey, who are you calling-"
"PEACE"
Buffy and Severus glared at each other heatedly, hardly even seeing the rest of the Order looking on with surprise, curiosity or in Sirius's case, not a small amount of glee.
Buffy looked away when an older man walked into the room suddenly. His appearance gave her the distinct impression that life had chewed him up and spit him out. More then once. He had a severely scared face and a nose that was missing a large chunk from it, he also had a bright blue glass eye that rolled in his head like a deranged version of one of those cat toys she'd seen Dawn tinkering with earlier in the year.
As he walked into the room and then to his seat, she realized that one of his legs was missing, and in its place was a wooden substitute with clawed foot. In his left hand he held a walking stick, so that when he walked the wooden foot and cane thumped against the floor alternately.
Clunk, Thump
Clunk, Thump
"Ah Alastor," Dumbledore greeted cheerfully.
The man's good eye was on at Dumbledore, but the magical one was fixed on Buffy. The slayer shifted uncomfortably under its gaze.
Can I just say... ghuuuh!
"I think introductions are in order." The flamboyantly dressed elderly man said, clapping his hands together.
Buffy could have smacked upside the head him when he turned to her. What did he want her to say?
"Umm… right." Buffy stammered. The look of superior satisfaction on Snape's face grated on the blonde's nerves. "I'm Buffy- I'm… Buffy Summers." She paused, feeling as if she was back in collage, facing an angry professor and a hall full of hostile students.
"I'm, ah… well." Her eyes roved the room landing on a pair of warm amber eyes. She felt her spirits boaster; there was a warm smile on his lips.
"The Vampire Slayer." She said, her eyes catching Severus's. "So if its demon related I'm the person you're to see… and you won't find anyone with more experience then me," she added pointedly.
"I'm sorry," Severus snorted. "Are we meant to be impressed? There are hundreds of slayers now, thanks to some half-witch and a meddling entourage. Most of you're kind wouldn't know a pure demon from a half breed vampire."
Buffy hated to admit it, but she was impressed. Most people didn't realize that the old ones were the only full demons. That the ones that were left from the 'old days' were all tainted in some way or other.
"What do you know about it?" Buffy asked curiously. She could see from the looks on Sirius's Tonks' and the Weasley's faces that they hadn't realized, as of yet, that Buffy was no newbie Slayer. The only ones who seemed to know the truth were Dumbledore and Remus.
"All that any of us know," Severus answered. "That the real slayers, the two eldest of your kind, closed the Hell-Mouth by sinking it into the earth, for god knows what reasons."
"You really shouldn't talk about things that you don't understand."
Severus continued, undaunted.
"One is psychotic and the other more myth then human. They say she was killed and raised from the dead, twice. Stories to tell poor muggle children, if you ask me."
"Wow," Buffy said sarcastically. "You sure told me. Now let me tell you!"
Buffy stood facing off with Severus, the rest of the Order looking on with avid interest. Albus Dumbledore was looking entirely too amused in the corner of the room, absolutely content to be ignored. Remus was hiding a smile behind a hand, a habit that Buffy would have to break him of. Sirius was perched on the edge of his chair, ready –and hopping for- an all out brawl.
"First, let's get something straight. That psychotic Slayer happens to be a… well, okay maybe friend is too strong a word, but she's a Slayer, and that demands a certain amount of respect! Yes, she's made some crappy choices in her time, made her share of mistakes, but she puts her life on the line nightly for this world. She has more then made up for her indiscretions, even if she'll never believe it." Here Buffy paused; she and Faith would never see eye to eye. There was too much past there for them to be friends. But she respected the older Slayer, and she believed that the same could be said in return.
"Now, that 'half witch' happens to be a supper powerful Wicca that saved all your sorry asses when she activated the potential Slayers to fight The First. You do know The First don't you? The First Evil, non corporeal, super-chatty-bitch that decided it was going to suck the world into a premature hell."
A few of the Order members shifted in shock at her words. It was a lot to take in. She wondered what they would think if they knew just how many close calls there had been in the last 11 or so years alone. Severus was looking more and more pissy as she spoke, so she continued.
"What else, ah yes. I think you called them the 'meddling entourage.' Look, they might not of been wizards or witches, most of them didn't have super powers or nifty destiny's… but they still fought. They fought even when they didn't have to. They fought by my side on the mouth of hell, not because they had some preordained destiny or fancy title but because it was the right thing to do. I didn't have a choice in the matter. I had to fight. But if I hadn't had them at my side, I wouldn't still be here today"
Buffy took a long deep breath. Ouch that hurt. Suddenly she couldn't help but think back to the others, standing on the porch… stony expressions.
Tonks half raised from her seat. "Are you saying you're…?" She trailed off, eyes wide. Buffy smiled and shrugged.
"So, maybe just a little bit more human than myth, after all." She said sheepishly.
Note: Yay. Fun. Thanks for all the reviews! Once again, take a second and tell me what you think. It'll make my year. Also, drop by my Live Journal for reviewer responses, (it's the homepage link on my info screen) Hope you enjoyed, ttfn.
