DISCLAIMER: The characters aren't mine. I'm borrowing them from the esteemed Joss Whedon and J.K. Rawling. I'm not making any money off this; in fact, if I didn't do this, I could probably get better grades and make more money someday.
SPOILERS/BACKGROUND: Everything from BtVS Season 1 to Season 6, AtS Seasons 1 to 3, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Reviews always welcome!
CHAPTER 51:
RETURN TO SUNNYDALE
"Can you be a little sloppier, please?" Anya asked frumpily.
Giles and Faith looked over to where the vengeance-demon-turned-cashier stood in the entrance to the training area in the back of the Magic Box.
"Uh, 'sloppier?'" Faith asked.
"Yes. Clumsier. Less capable."
"I think I'm missing the point of this," Giles said.
Anya held up the weekly ledger. "We're taking a loss for the third week in a row. Business was much better when there was evilness going on on a daily basis."
Faith laughed, and started to take off her boxing gloves. "I'll get right on that," she said, pulling a quarterstaff off a weapons rack on the wall.
"Oh, and news just came in from the underground, something big's going on over in England. No one could give me any details, but the demons talking about it sounded really scared, which is probably going to hurt our profits even more. But I thought you might like to know, anyway."
Giles rolled his eyes. "Yes, Anya, thank you for telling me." Anya turned and strolled back into the showroom; they heard her start complaining to Xander a moment later.
"You wanna call up your friends overseas for a chat?" Faith asked.
"It's about two in the morning in England right now," Giles answered.
"So? They've gotta have someone up at this hour."
"Well, perhaps," Giles muttered. "Probably an intern or something." Nonetheless, he turned as if to head for the showroom and the phone.
Suddenly, there was a popping sound in the air behind both of them. Faith spun and brought the quarterstaff up, and there was a sharp crack as the staff riposted off a polished black staff in the hand of her assailant. A moment later, however, she relaxed, noting that the polished black staff was actually the handle of a broom, and the slender blonde holding it was rather familiar.
"Nice to see you again, too, Faith," Buffy quipped.
"Hey B!" Faith answered. "Fancy meeting you here!"
"How've you been?"
"Five by five," Faith answered. "You?"
Buffy grinned. "Five years younger, but still prettier than you."
"Hmm," Faith mused, reaching out to put a hand to Buffy's forehead. "Must've caught something over there."
Buffy turned to the bystander in the room. "Hey Giles, bloody splendid to see you again, old chap."
Giles was still sputtering with surprise, but he seemed to be getting over it. "Ah, yes, well … I wasn't quite expecting this, but … and you have the shoddiest English accent I've ever heard," he finished peremptorily.
Buffy laughed. "By which you mean, 'good to see you again, too,' right?"
"Hey, what about Red?" Faith cut in. "Is she …"
"Five by five," Buffy answered. "She flew out with me over the Channel to give me a little boost getting back here. Apparently we're not supposed to do this teleporty thing while in England."
"Apparating," Giles explained. "You're supposed to have a license."
"Yeah, anyway, that's what she said, but apparently it's OK in international airspace. Got me. Anyway, she should be along …" Buffy was suddenly interrupted by another popping sound that came from the showroom out front, and she startled exclamations from Xander and Anya were clearly audible through the door.
"Sounds like right about now?" Faith surmised.
"Sounds like," Buffy agreed.
Moments later, Anya and Willow came hustling in through the door into the practice room. "We have a vis …" Anya trailed off as her eyes came to rest on Buffy. "I guess make that two visitors. Now business is going to be really bad."
Faith chuckled. "Where'd Xander go?" she asked.
"Getting Dawn, she's down in the storeroom."
"Sweet, everyone's here!" Buffy exclaimed.
"That's not entirely unusual for us, Buffy," Giles pointed out.
"Yes, we really ought to start charging them rent," Anya added.
"I own the place," Giles reminded her.
"Well, we could give you a discount for that."
The sound of running feet reached them, and a moment later, Buffy found herself immediately wrapped in a tangle of Xander and Dawn. She returned the hugs warmly. It was good to be back.
"Miss me?" she asked.
Xander grinned. "'course, Buff. Faith just isn't as cute as you."
"Faith's been awesome," Dawn came to the brunette Slayer's defense. "She isn't such a mom about bedtimes or cleaning."
"Man, I can't buy a break tonight!" Faith threw up her hands as Buffy turned a reproving stare on the younger Slayer. "Maybe I'll just take tonight off."
"Yes, you should do that," Anya added enthusiastically. "It would be good for you. You could use a break."
"Now, now, Faith, you've done a fantastic job, but evil doesn't exactly take holidays on the Hellmouth," Giles broke in gently.
"Really? I thought this was the evil vacation hotspot."
"Well, that way, perhaps," the venerable Watcher admitted. "Though perhaps not this summer."
"Aw, shucks, G," Faith grinned.
"So it's been all quiet on the western front?" Buffy asked.
"Not entirely," Faith answered, at the same time that Dawn piped up, "Faith's been seriously kicking ass."
"Dawn Summers!" Buffy snapped. "Where do you hear these words?"
"Hmm. TV, radio, school, movies …"
"Well, who taught you to talk like that?"
Dawn gave a helpless look at the brunette Slayer, and Buffy followed her gaze, wrinkling her nose.
"All right, I have definitely been away too long."
"Yes, you have," Giles added with a fatherly smile. "But Faith has been doing a marvelous job here. Things might not have been completely quiet for her, but they've been quite quiet for the rest of us."
"I guess that's the best compliment a Slayer can get," Buffy answered empathetically, turning a more sympathetic look on the raven-haired Slayer across the room.
"Certainly the best one I've gotten tonight," Faith laughed. "Though things have actually been pretty quiet overall since Willow nearly destroyed the world last May … oh, yeah, thanks for holding back on that one," she added towards the redheaded Wiccan, who had moved to one side and was quietly enjoying the conversation.
"Oh, that's right, how is that going?" Anya asked. "I've trying to figure out how much insurance this place needs."
"Anya," Giles said reprovingly.
Willow laughed lightly. "No, no, it's OK," she said. "Well, I think I've learned how not to destroy shops and planets. Still kinda working on palaces."
"Well, that's OK, I don't have one of those."
Buffy grinned wickedly. "True. But she does." Willow blushed and shrugged modestly.
"What!" There was a chorus of voices as everyone started talking at once, which went on for some time before Buffy could get everyone quieted down again.
The other Scoobies listened, wide-eyed, as Buffy and Willow recounted the highlights of the summer's events. Buffy glossed over some of the less pleasant details about her capture, but was surprised at how much she was able to say about it; talking with Dumbledore and Draco had been more help than she had realized. Willow managed to say more than Buffy knew she was comfortable with about how dark she had gone again for a few brief hours earlier, but she could see that the others at least mostly believed her when she said she had worked it out of her system at last.
"Man, sounds like I was working in the wrong place," Faith said as they drew to a conclusion.
"We heard something big was happening over there," Giles added. "I suppose we should have known you two would have been involved."
"Welcome to the exciting life that is us," Buffy admitted wryly. "Fun just follows us everywhere."
"Except that there's normally not a palace waiting at the end," Xander added.
"Well, true, there is that," Buffy admitted. "Though actually, that's kind of one of the things we wanted to talk to you guys about."
The others waited, and Giles arched an eyebrow at them inquisitively.
Buffy took a breath. "How do you guys all feel about a little change of scene?"
"You sure you're going to be all right here by yourself?" Buffy asked.
Her sister Slayer looked across the terminal of Sunnydale Municipal Airport at the crowd of familiar faces and their hastily packed luggage. They were all smiling and joking and constantly pressing Willow for more stories of England and Hogwarts.
"I think can handle myself," she answered. "Sounds like business is going to be awfully slow for the next few months, at least. Demons haven't been running for cover like this since Glory died."
"Willow's shielded the house with the strongest stuff she knows, which is some pretty kick-ass stuff at this point."
Faith grinned. "Now, B, where'd you hear that kind of language?"
"Grrr."
"Seriously, though, I'll be fine. 'sides, sounds like they could use a Slayer's help over there, too."
Buffy nodded. "Hate to be stealing the whole gang from you, though."
Faith shrugged. "Hey, I've got the house, I'm out of the slammer, got a little stash coming my way, and I'm still prettier than you," she finished with a grin. "I'll be all right."
"Hmm. Something must be going around over here."
"Oh, whatever," Faith laughed. "Go be a Brit."
Buffy wrinkled her nose at that, but gave Faith an appraising look, as though seeing something else on the tip of the other Slayer's tongue.
Eventually, Faith shrugged resignedly, stepped forward, and gave Buffy a tight hug. "Come back and visit, all right?"
Buffy grinned. "I'll have Draco set up one of his little teleporters."
Faith's eyes widened approvingly. "Yeah, you know, I always wanted one of those for Christmas."
"Consider it an early present. For taking good care of my house."
Faith laughed. "My house now, B," she reminded her sunny-haired friend.
Buffy laughed as well. "You're going to be fine. At least until the Council sends another Watcher."
Faith rolled her eyes and made an exasperated sound, but there was less heat behind it than there would have been only weeks earlier. "Hey, you never know, sounds like they're coming around. The new guy they have in training sounds like he's pretty cool. Plus, sounds like they're finally opening their wallets a bit and putting their money where their mouths are."
Giles had called the Council earlier, finally getting through on the third try; the phones had been ringing off the hook in their London headquarters ever since the battle at Malfoy Manor earlier that night. Giles had been immediately been put on conference call with nearly the entire organization while he, Buffy, and Willow explained to them what had happened at the manor, and what was happening now. One of the younger Watchers—considered the frontrunner for Faith's new appointment now that she was out of jail, though internal politics had delayed the decision for months—suggested that they buy off the remainder of the Summers' mortgage and set Faith up with a trust fund to keep her from needing to work, and the normally miserly Travers and his cronies in the inner circle of the Council had been basically been shouted down when they tried to object. It had been a brief but memorable moment.
"Maybe," Buffy added cautiously. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Well if they don't, you bet I'll let you know."
"Absolutely."
The loudspeaker crackled to life. "Final call, flight thirteen to Los Angeles."
"Guess that's my call," Buffy said.
Faith smiled. "Go on, get out of here … don't want you to miss your connection."
"Right," Buffy sighed, beginning to back away.
"And find some way to get on the phone over there, too, magic or no magic," Faith added as she began to back away as well.
"I will," Buffy promised, turning and heading back towards her friends, all waiting to board the plane. Faith waved once and called out a last farewell to the group as she headed back up the terminal towards the exit.
"One redeye express to Los Angeles," Xander announced proudly.
"And they do have peanuts," Dawn added.
"Ooh, I'm liking this already."
"But no chocolate frogs," Willow added sadly.
"Chocolate frogs?" Xander asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Dear me, it's been a while since I had one of those," Giles mused, drifting off into reverie.
"We'll get some in London," Buffy promised.
"Chocolate frogs?" Xander repeated.
"Chocolate frogs," Buffy repeated. "They're just … well, frogs. Made of chocolate."
"I see."
"Is that how they got the name?" Dawn asked innocently. Buffy made a face.
"I think we should get on board," Anya interrupted. "I want to see my palace."
"Hey!" Willow said, her face the picture of mock-indignation.
"Well, Willow's palace."
Willow smiled again.
"I think we're gonna be staying at Draco's for a while," Buffy added. "But yeah, let's get on board."
"And it's off to the wonderful world of Giles," Xander announced expansively, and the Scoobies laughed and boarded the gangway.
"Are we there yet?" Dawn asked as the jetliner taxied to a halt at the international terminal at Heathrow.
"Yes, yes, welcome to the wonderful world of Giles," the aged Watcher announced pleasantly. Being back in England seemed to be having an effect on him already.
They quickly disembarked and picked up their scarce luggage; they had left a great deal behind for Faith, and Willow had teleported the rest of their luggage ahead of them to spare embarrassing questions about large quantities of medieval weaponry and rather unusual-looking brooms. From there, they headed out through another door, where a familiar young wizard with unkempt hair was waiting near the end of a long crowd of people. Willow smiled; he was holding a sign that said "Countess Marvolo."
"'morning," she greeted him, dropping a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Though I guess it's afternoon, here."
Harry smiled. "It is indeed. Never thought I'd miss a Hogsmeade visit to go to London with Draco Malfoy."
Buffy laughed. "This summer keeps getting weirder and weirder."
"Wait 'til school starts."
"So you're young Mr. Potter," Giles said, stepping forward. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, too," Harry answered politely. "And please. Call me Harry. Snape calls me 'Mr. Potter.' Usually means I'm in trouble."
"You usually are," Willow reminded him. Harry made a pouting face at her, and she chuckled.
"So where is Draco?" Buffy asked.
"Waiting with the car," Harry said with a mischievous smile. "I think he's still trying to admit that he likes it."
"Likes what?"
"You'll see," he said, and beckoned them to follow him outside.
"Oh, you're kidding!" Willow gasped as they came outside.
"I like him already," Anya added.
"Can I keep it?" Dawn asked.
"It isn't Draco's," Harry said, approaching the door of the Rolls-Royce Phantom stretch limo waiting for them at the curb. He adopted a mock-haughty expression. "The lord Malfoy would never dream of being seen in any Muggle transportation." With that, he pulled the door open to reveal the aforementioned Slytherin boy, who was happily helping himself to the contents of the limousine's refrigerator, and had poured everyone a classic Pimm's Cup as a welcome.
"Oh my gosh," Buffy laughed as she led the group into the limousine. The interior was plush and spacious, even more spacious than the exterior, if that were possible—which Buffy now knew actually was. There were regal black leather seats, and two refrigerators; the second looked like it had gone where a TV would have been. Draco handed her the cocktail tray, and she passed it on.
"Hey, it's England, I'm allowed!" Dawn complained when Giles tried to pass the tray across her to Xander, and she helped herself to one.
Harry grinned and picked up a small phone by his seat, another roguish grin spreading across his face. "Driver, King's Cross, if you please."
The black plate over the window from the rear of the limo to the front rolled down, and a familiar face turned around to give Harry a mock-reproving stare, his half-moon spectacles pulled forward on his nose. Buffy and Willow collapsed in a fit of laughter at the sight of Albus Dumbledore in a chauffeur's hat, though he was still wearing his enormous purple robe. The image clashed horribly and was completely Dumbledore. Buffy could see a small part of the back of someone else's head in the passenger's seat in the front, too, but not enough was visible to make him out at first; he looked familiar, though.
"'Driver,' Harry?" he asked, drawing another gale of laughter from the two girls, as well as Harry. Draco and Giles smiled wryly.
"Is this yours, professor?" Willow asked.
"Mine, actually, lassie," said the other man in the front seat, who turned around to reveal the wizened face of Nicholas Flamel. "Built 'er in 1910. She transfigures and upgrades automatically at the beginning of each new model year," he added proudly.
"I so need to work on my Alchemy," Buffy mused, looking around as Willow made the introductions all around.
"So … we're heading back to the school?" Willow ventured.
Draco shook his head. "My family's carriage is waiting at platform 9¾," he explained. "Couldn't rightly bring it into the middle of Muggle-ville."
"'Muggle-ville?'" Dawn asked.
"Let it go," Harry interrupted. "Anyway, we'll drop the rest of you off there, then take Willow on to the Ministry for some legal stuff. Registering you as an Animagus, getting your Apparating license, officially transferring the estate back to your name, that kind of thing." His smile broadened. "Plus I think Fudge wants to get on your good side, since you're going to be the biggest shakeup among the great families since Voldemort's revolt. The Prophet's already going crazy." Willow grinned and shrugged.
"You sure you don't need my help?" Anya asked. "I'd hate for anything to happen to my palace. Your palace," she added as an afterthought.
"You have a law degree?" Draco asked.
"And a business degree. A lot of demons do," Anya explained dismissively. "Contracts, networking, all that kind of thing. Good stuff to know. D'Hoffryn paid for a lot of us to go to night school."
"Wait, you're a lawyer?" Xander asked, suddenly wide-eyed.
"Not for a while, Xander."
"Guessing it's a little dated?" Buffy asked with a grin.
"Columbia, class of 1884," Anya announced proudly.
Willow laughed. "I'll be fine. I'm not even really taking anything, just putting my name down so no one else can."
Minutes later, the limo pulled up in front of King's Cross, and Buffy, Draco, Giles, Dawn, Xander, and Anya emerged. Willow scooted over to the rear door to say farewell.
"See you at the manor, I guess?" she asked.
"Yep. Doesn't sound like we're going anywhere. Lots to do in a week," Buffy answered.
"All right then. Giles, Dawn, Xander, Anya … everyone …" Willow trailed off for a moment. "… thanks for coming. Really."
A round of sentimental farewells followed before Willow retreated into the limousine; Buffy and the others waved a last farewell as the car headed off in the direction of the limousine. Then she turned and led the others into the station.
"Bless me, it's been a while since I've seen that," Giles said as they approached the barrier onto platform 9¾. Buffy enjoyed the reactions of the others as Draco stepped ahead and vanished into the pillar. They recovered quickly, though; they had seen far stranger sights over six years on the Hellmouth.
Their reactions were substantially more pronounced when they saw what was waiting for them on the other side.
Platform 9¾ was largely empty, as the next train wasn't for more than an hour. The few witches and wizards that were there, however, were gawking at the sight of what had to be Draco's family carriage, waiting in a small, flat greensward just past the end of the platform. It was wrought of polished black wood and inlaid with an intricate pattern of sterling silver, accented with emerald and adamant. A team of four majestic silver pegasi were hitched to the front, and Buffy recognized the house-elf Zog acting as the footman. Another one was waiting with the reins.
"Oh … wow …" Dawn breathed.
"That about covers it," Draco answered with a light grin.
"I'm liking this part already, too," Anya said, giving the carriage an appraising look.
"Is that one of those little gremliny things you told me about that I've got to supervise?" Xander asked.
"Yup," Buffy said with a quick nod.
"Don't worry, they're quite capable," Giles assured him.
"Absolutely," Draco added. "I'll get you the schematics as soon as we get back to the manor."
"All right," Xander shrugged. "Guess I should learn not to be surprised after everything we've been through."
They quickly piled into the carriage, and were quickly on their way. The takeoff was so smooth that they barely noticed that they were airborne. Within minutes, they were streaming northwest over the maize and green checkerboard of the English countryside, chattering and bantering as they hadn't since Buffy actually had been sixteen. Buffy sighed as she looked out of the window at the countryside streaming by below them, Draco's arm around her waist and her friends beside her. The last few months had been hell, and she had a feeling that she was going to have some troubled dreams in the nights to come, but it was good to feel confident once again that, in the end, everything was going to turn out all right.
A/N: Sorry this chappie was so long in coming! It's actually been written for a little while, I just keep forgetting to upload. I keep starting too many new projects and not finishing old ones. Hope I was able to make it worth the wait!
Coming Soon: Epilogue (yes, all good things must come to an end someday): "Inauguration." Draco—the real one this time!—is christened Lord Malfoy at last; Faith takes over the Hellmouth full-time; Buffy and the Scoobies settle in for a little extended stay in the HP-verse; Lucius gets his justly deserved comeuppance.
Sneak Preview:
"Ah, good afternoon, fair ladies," Draco said airily, giving them a graceful bow as they approached. He seemed to be in a wickedly good humor.
"Countess Marvolo," Harry announced, his grin broadening, clearly in a voice designed to be heard by whoever was in the tent; he seemed to be in a rather pompous mood at the moment as well. "And my lady Slayer," he announced, seeming to enjoy that even more. Buffy broke out in a laugh; she had never expected to be addressed like that, and even less so by Harry Potter.
"All right, what's the what here?" Buffy laughed.