Chapter 15: The Hits Keep Coming

*****Sunnydale*****

Buffy still had trouble believing what she was seeing. The teacher came and told her that Angel wasn't Angel but Angelus. It couldn't be true, but then Faith pushed Angel. Now, they were fighting, and Buffy was frozen in shock. How did this happen? Surely, the teacher was wrong. No one would create a curse with a loophole. What kind of idiots were they?

She charged toward Jenny and did something she had never done before—put her hands on another woman in anger. Her hand went around the woman's neck, and she gave a slight squeeze. "Why in the world would your tribe curse him with a loophole and never tell him? How do they not get that Angel didn't do anything to anyone? It's his demon! If Angel finds happiness, freeing Angelus in no way punishes the demon responsible for killing a member of your clan!"

Jenny Calendar looked at the slayer, whose rage was focused on her, in surprise and a little fear. She didn't think the girl would really hurt her, but it was intimidating. "I wasn't alive then. Nor my grandparents. I can't say. You know how some thinking and traditions are back then. Rational thought isn't always a part of it. Romani people are more passionate than thoughtful," she admitted.

Buffy stepped away from her and looked over a Faith, who seemed to be holding her own with Angelus.

"I like this slayer. She clearly loves being a slayer, not like Little-Miss-Stick-in-the-Mud who bemoans her calling all the time," Angelus said in a mocking tone. "It's so tiresome to feel sympathy for any super strong human who says, 'I'm so tortured with my superpowers and mystical destiny!'" The last line was said in a mocking imitation of Buffy."

Buffy's face flushed at his words. It was hard to realize that all of her exchanges with Angel would've been heard by his demon. Everything that Angel knew, Angelus now knew.

She took out her wand and held out her hand. "Ignis," she uttered as a ball of fire appeared.

Angelus' eyes widened in concern. Would she actually set him on fire? He wasn't going to stick around to find out.

Faith dodged a blow from the vampire and moved to hit him, but he ran off. Then she looked at saw her sister slayer with a fireball in her hand. "That's cool as shit! You could just burn up a vamp with one of those!" she exclaimed in admiration.

Buffy let the fire go out and nodded. "Yes. That's what my father does, but it's not much fun that way," she admitted.

Faith laughed. "I totally get that," she said.

Buffy turned to Miss Calendar. "So curse him back," she ordered.

"The old ways are lost to us," she said. "The magic that did that was the combined power of all our tribes. No one alive today knows the spell or has the magic to do it."

"I know lots of witches and wizards," Buffy said. "I'm a witch myself. Find the spell, and I'll make sure we have the magic."

"I don't know if they'll let me," the woman hedged.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "Listen, lady. Do you get how my life has been?" she asked. "I died last May, and Kendra was called. When my friend and Angel revived me, they split the slayer line. Kendra didn't last six months, and now Faith is called in her place. My adopted dad was tortured and beheaded by Angelus' protegee, Spike, who has aligned himself with a very powerful evil Wizard in England. I have a battle on two fronts, and now to lose Angel. This is bad, very bad. Angelus was the very worst of the Scourge of Europe. Surely, you know that?"

Jenny nodded. "I did," she said.

"A classmate of mine was murdered by Spike since I let two brothers come fight on the hellmouth, and one of them managed to kill Spike's lover Drusilla," Buffy shared. "Spike is out for blood. If Angelus joins him, there's no way they won't work to make me suffer even more than I already am."

"Damn, B, your life is not the privileged private school fun I thought it would be," Faith remarked.

"No, it's not," Buffy said flatly. She turned to walk home, and Faith kept pace with her.

Faith was silent as she didn't know what to say to the girl. She wasn't at all like Faith expected. Faith's first-time having sex wasn't much fun, but she didn't have the bad luck that Buffy had. It was so unexpected that Faith didn't know what to say. Then she offered, "My first time was pretty crappy, too."

Buffy was silent a long moment, and then when they made it to her house, she stopped and looked at Faith.

"That's the thing, Faith. Mine was beautiful and perfect," Buffy said softly, closing her eyes at the sweet memory of it all. "Then I wake up to find my lover is dead, and I accidentally killed him."

Faith watched her walk away, knowing there was nothing she could say to make her feel better.

Severus, like always, was up waiting for his daughter while her mother slept. "Is everything all right?" he asked, sensing something was amiss by her demeanor.

Buffy glanced at the man she had come to love and trust so completely and collapsed, falling to her knees as sobs shook her form.

Alarmed, Severus moved to gather her in his arms and held her. "What happened? Who hurt you? If it's that vampire, I will kill him!" he snarled.

Buffy cried even harder as she shook her head. Finally, she wiped her eyes with his robe and looked up at him.

"Angel is dead. Only his demon remains," she said. "I didn't know." Her tears kept her from saying more for a long time.

When Severus finally pulled the story out of her, he was dismayed. Her mother needed to be the one to help her as he felt woefully inadequate to discuss such a delicate matter. However, he could promise one thing: "Don't worry, my dear. We will find a way to get Angel back."

Magic had caused her to lose the vampire she loved, so he would find a way to restore him even if it was a foolish path.

*****Days Later*****

Buffy brought George and Fred to the Order of Phoenix meeting and listened in silence for his parents to yell at them. Okay, mainly Molly yelled, but her husband nodded in agreement.

"You won't keep us out of this," George said, giving his mother a dark look. "Ron is dead because of us. We have a right to be in on whatever plan there is to avenge his death."

"The Order is not about vengeance," his head of house said. "It's about protecting others against the dark times we live in."

"Well, it's good that our goals align," George said grimly, "because killing Spike will protect others."

"You know we have to do this," Fred added. "We lost Ron."

"No, you didn't. He died because of her!" Molly exclaimed pointing at Buffy. "If she hadn't come to Hogwarts, my baby would still be alive!"

"Considering he kept company with the danger prone and not so bright Potter, you can't actually know that," Severus said, glaring at the woman.

"This is not Buffy's fault, and accusing the girl already traumatized is not going to help the situation," Giles said.

"She just told us that because of her loose morals, we now have to worry about this Angelus!" Molly said.

"That's enough!" Sirius said, glaring at his friends. "That was low and beneath you, Molly. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"When you bury a child, you can judge me!" Molly said.

Albus finally stood. "No one is judging anyone here," he said. "We know the pain you feel, Molly, as we all loved and cared about Ron. We know that the pain of a mother and father is even ten-fold. We do understand that. However, you are not the only one to know loss. Buffy Anne is not even an adult and has lost much. It is not her fault she was called. There were many of us that decided it was a good idea to take students to the hellmouth. Your husband was there and saw firsthand the experience the students got."

Arthur Weasley nodded somberly.

"No one could have predicted the events that would unfold," Albus said. "The twins should be allowed in. I also believe that all the children of the hellmouth be welcomed. Sixteen is old enough to fight."

"You know Harry and Hermione will want the same thing," Sirius said.

"They have enough to worry about," Albus said. "We cannot allow anyone under sixteen as it will just continue. Ginevra then will insist on being included, and it will go on and on."

After a bit more time discussing the matter, a vote was taken. The twins, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia were all allowed into the Order if they so wished to be.

As they left the meeting, Buffy said to the twins, "I'm not sure why it was so important to you to be in the Order as they don't seem that effective."

"You just don't have enough experience with them to know," Severus said. "They are the only group that Voldemort and his followers ever feared."

Buffy went back to school and tried to get into the swing of things. She and Cedric went to Hogsmeade again, and he was such a nice guy. However, Buffy was too traumatized by Angel's death.

"Cedric, I really like you, but the man I loved in America died recently," she shared without details. "I'm just going to need time."

"It's all right, Buffy," he said, giving her hand a friendly squeeze. "We can just be best mates. You're a nice girl, and I enjoy your company."

Buffy felt grateful for his friendship. He had no real expectations, so she felt no pressure from him.

*****A Few Weeks Later*****

Hogwarts went on with classes even after Ron's death hung over the school. His loss, of course, was mostly felt in his house. The Gryffindors would manage to get through a day, but then someone would glance at Harry and Hermione and see the that their third wasn't there. The smiles would leave, and the laughs would be cut off.

Harry and Hermione didn't know how to keep going, and they clung to each other like never before. Hermione would cry herself to sleep or wake her roommates up with her nightmares about Ron's death. No one was getting any sleep. More than once, she'd fall asleep in the common room against Harry's shoulder, allowing their housemates to finally rest. It was a rough time for the entire house.

Ron had been Harry's first friend, and he missed him every hour, especially in classes they shared. Sometimes, he'd find himself turning to share a comment with Ron and remember that he was gone. It was like he died all over again during those times.

Buffy and Giles worked hard on their sparring/self-defense class before dinner. They went from three days a week to five. Initially, Giles wasn't going to make Buffy be that involved, but after all that had happened, she wanted to be there. The twins came and committed with an intensity that was disturbing to all who knew them. Only Buffy, Harry, and Hermione really understood why they were so focused.

The twins were not the laughing cutups that everyone was used to. There was no jokes or quips; their silence was right down eerie. Death had marked them, and their classmates knew they would never be the same.

*****Valentine's Day*****

Cordelia had never gotten so many gifts for Valentine's Day. It seemed that every eligible boy in her house either genuinely felt compelled to give her a token of their affection or were forced to by their family. It made her grin. Of course, Xander's chocolate frog made her laugh. He'd given one to each of them at breakfast. Of course, it would be cruel to give a chocolate frog to Willow, so he created a flower in his herbology class and gave it to her.

The twins, however, did not give her anything. Although she hadn't really expected them to, she still felt bad about the way things had ended with her and George. Now the once smiling teen just looked grim and too serious all the time. It made Cordelia incredibly sad. As a child of the hellmouth, she and her friends had a somewhat glib attitude about death. However, she couldn't spout off her normal quips around George.

Taking a yellow rose from the many flowers she'd been given, she walked over to the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, George," she said. The teenage boy looked up at her and nodded.

"Hello, Cordelia," he said.

Fred started to say something, but he decided to let his brother handle this one.

"I wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day," Cordelia said, handing him the yellow rose.

"Thanks," he said, looking surprised.

"How are you?" Cordelia asked.

He shrugged. "I'm okay," he said. "How are you?"

"Good," she said. "Trying to be there for Buffy. I'd like to be there for you, too. Can we take a walk this evening after supper?"

George looked at her a long moment before shrugging. "I guess," he said.

Cordelia flashed him a wide smile that still caused his heart to race, and he scowled at her. Why did she still affect him? She walked away before he could tell her that he changed his mind.

"She's trying to be a friend. You should let her," Fred advised.

"I got enough friends," he said.

"Well, you have to start somewhere," Fred pointed out. "Mum and Dad started off as friends."

Their attention was distracted by Buffy's outraged cry of dismay.

Willow had just finished telling Buffy what her dragon egg clue meant, and she was marching up to the staff table with an angry glint in her eye.

"I don't know what the hell is wrong with you people," Buffy began while both her parents protested her language and tone. "Sorry, Mom, but when you hear what the next Triwizard clue is, you'll be yelling to. They are going to take you and most likely and endanger your life under water of some kind."

"What?" Joyce said, looking at Severus.

"Why do you think this?" Severus asked.

"Because Willow deciphered the clue that was in the dragon's egg," she said. She glared at Dumbledore. "I will cause some physical pain to anyone who dares risk my mother's safety. Do I make myself clear?"

"Buffy Anne, you cannot threaten the headmaster," Severus said.

"Hundred points from Slytherin for such insolence," Minerva said, frowning in disapproval.

Severus glared at his colleague but didn't protest.

"I promise you that no one is in any real danger," Albus said.

"I don't care," Buffy said, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "My mother better not be part of any thing. Do I make myself clear?"

Albus nodded. "I understand. I will make sure that your mother is not a part of the competition," he said.

Satisfied, Buffy walked away. Cordelia and Draco were both dying to know what was with her dramatics.

"You are so bloody brave," Draco said, after she shared her conversation.

"I suppose, but it's also that I could give two shits about this stupid competition that I didn't even enter myself in," Buffy muttered.

"It's good that Will figured out the clue," Cordelia said. "The house will look good anyway."

Buffy rolled her eyes. Then she looked down at the gifts that were everywhere. "What's with all the gifts?" she asked. "It's not my birthday."

"It's Valentine's Day, Buffy," Cordelia said. "Did you forget?"

"I am trying to burn the date from my memory," she muttered as she opened up a box of chocolates and ate a piece.

"Do you like them? Father said they were the most expensive in the store," Draco said.

"Oh, this is from you? That's very sweet of you, Draco," Buffy said, giving him a smile. "How's your dad? Did they let him out of wizard jail?"

"I would've told you sooner, but you've had a lot going on," Draco said.

"I know," Buffy said with a sigh.

"He's paying restitution and is confined to the home for five years," Draco said. "Professor Wyndam-Price and Giles both shared how mother and I freed Harry. Father did welcome the Dark Lord, but he didn't actively kidnap Harry nor allow harm to come to him."

"He better stay on the right side, Draco," Buffy warned.

Draco nodded. "I know," he said.

"He will," Cordelia said. "I told him that I'd personally curse his ass if he invited anymore dark cronies into my aunt's house."

Draco grinned. "She did, too," Draco said. Cordelia had gone home to America for Christmas, but she had dinner last week when his father was released.

Buffy allowed herself to be distracted with their conversation and her gifts from her housemates. She felt a little funny getting so many, but Pansy assured her that it was normal.

Cordelia loved being so popular again and was trying to decide who she wanted to accompany her to Hogsmeade that weekend when she somehow partnered with George during dueling club.

"Where's Fred?" Cordelia asked.

"He's spending time with his girl," George said.

"Good for him," Cordelia said. She was glad that Fred had allowed himself to date someone. His life shouldn't revolve around his loss, and she really wanted George to be able to find some peace.

Then she listened to Buffy instruct them to put away their wands.

"What? Why would we do that?" Hermione asked.

"It's time for that exercise you hate," Buffy said, winking at her. She passed around some swords. "Don't worry, Giles already did the magic spell to keep you from cutting yourself."

The students all smiled at her way of talking, used to it for the most part.

Cordelia was very excited as she loved swordplay. It seemed to come easily to her—much to George's surprise.

"I didn't know you knew how to use a sword," he observed as he worked to block her swings.

"Not much before this class, but it seems to be one of the easier things," she said. "It's fun." She watched Buffy demonstrate how to disarm an opponent, and then she easily disarmed George.

George finally offered her a smile. "Well done," he said.

"Thanks," Cordelia said, suddenly feeling shy with him. It seemed like it had been forever since she'd seen him smile. "Do you think that we can be friends again? I really miss you."

George sighed. He didn't want to fight with her, but her rejection had really hurt him. "I don't know Cordelia. I didn't want to be just your friend," he said.

"How could you expect any woman to choose between you and Fred?" she pointed out. "You're not being fair. I could never come between you guys."

"No one could come between us," he said, giving her a puzzled look. The idea was so preposterous.

"Well, that was my concern. You two are so great, and I really like both of you," she said. "But you were the only one I kissed."

George's eyes widened as he realized what she was saying, and he wanted to say more. However, Buffy gave them an annoyed look. "What's the deal? Fight or get out," she ordered.

"Man has she gotten bitchier lately," Cordelia muttered.

"I think she's just passionate about training," George said.

"Hey, I love her. She's my family," Cordelia said. "I know better than most what she's going through."

George nodded, picking up his sword to engage her again.

Cordelia was just glad that they cleared the air.

*****Dinner Time****

Joyce smiled warmly at Severus, who was wearing the new set of dark blue robes that she'd bought him for Christmas with the watch she'd gotten him for Valentine's Day.

"You look very nice," she said as she took his arm to walk into supper together.

"Only because of you," he said. He bent slightly to drop a light kiss on her lips. "You are the loveliest professor to grace these halls."

Joyce leaned into him. "It's really nice having a Valentine for a change. It's been a while," she said. He had given her roses in the morning and a special perfume that he'd created just for her. It was the most wonderful scent, and his creativity made her giddy.

"You smell divine," he muttered as they walked inside.

"Thanks to you," she said.

Both looked to see where Buffy was sitting and saw her at the Gryffindor table.

"I wish she'd stop sitting there," he complained.

"You know she won't," Joyce said.

"I know," he said. "I blame you. It's your fault she's so fair minded and without any understanding of her place."

Joyce laughed.

Buffy glanced up, looking at her happy parents. "Snape is smiling. Ron would be really disturbed at the sight," Harry observed.

Hermione smiled. "He so would," she said. "But he did enjoy your mother's art class a lot."

"I miss him, too," Buffy said. "We'll make Spike pay. Don't worry."

"They are a sweet couple," Willow agreed. She was sitting next to Buffy while Xander was across from her. The twins next to them and Cordelia was on her other side directly across from George. Hermione was next to Willow and Harry was across from her beside Xander. Of course, Neville was on Harry's other side.

Owls started delivering more Valentine's gifts around the large room. Buffy had gotten a few more from the Gryffindor table as even Neville had given her a token. His shy smile had prompted Buffy to lean over and kiss him on the cheek. He was so adorable—his blush even more so.

The twins got her a pair of daggers. "Where in the world did you get these?" Buffy asked in surprise when she opened them.

"One from each of us," Fred said, winking at her.

"We went to the bad part of Diagon Alley," George said.

"It's very amazing of you," she said. "I feel funny getting all these gifts. I didn't buy anyone anything."

"George said just looking at your beauty is gift enough," Fred said. His new girlfriend Angelina wasn't too jealous about Buffy since everyone was in awe of her new status as vampire slayer. He gave Angelina a wink and blew her a kiss to reassure her. Angelina, in return, gave him a cool nod.

"I did," George said, smiling at Buffy in the new subdued way he and his twin now possessed.

"Don't make me sick," Xander said, making a face.

"For real," Cordelia said, rolling her eyes. She was trying not to be jealous but not doing a very good job.

Buffy laughed as she started to open the last box. "Who's this from?" she asked.

"I didn't see," Harry said.

"I believe the owls dropped it off," Hermione said.

Buffy frowned. Everyone she knew was there except for Draco's parents and Sirius.

There was a folded piece of paper and another smaller box. She opened up the paper and saw it was a drawing of herself sleeping naked.

"To my sweet Valentine. See you soon, lover," was written at the bottom of it.

"Who's it from?" Xander asked, grabbing the paper to look at it.

"Angelus," she said, grabbing the paper back.

"Was that you naked?" George asked, his eyes wide.

"Naked? Buffy's naked?" Harry asked.

Buffy muttered the fire spell and burned the drawing.

"Don't open the box," Xander said. He stood up and waved at Professor Snape, who'd noticed the fire and was already watching.

"I have to, Xander," Buffy said.

"No, you don't," Cordelia said, grabbing the box. She stood and spotted Buffy's parents directly behind Buffy.

"What's wrong?" Joyce asked.

"Angelus is in town," Buffy said.

"Oh, God," Willow said, feeling terrified.

"How do you know?" Severus asked.

"He drew me a picture and wrote me a note," Buffy said.

"Is that why I saw fire over here?" Severus asked.

Buffy nodded.

"Here's the gift he sent her," Cordelia asked.

"Give it to me," Severus said.

Cordelia handed to her uncle.

"I want to know what it is," Buffy said.

"You don't need to know," Severus said. "You know that whatever he sent is meant to hurt you. How about we not give him the satisfaction, okay?"

Buffy reluctantly agreed and let her father take it away.

Severus whispered words to Giles as he handed it to him.

Giles and Wesley quietly left the dining hall and went to Giles' office.

"What do you think is in it?" Wesley asked.

"Not a bomb," Giles said. "Probably something bloody. He is a diabolical vampire."

When Giles opened it and saw a bloody heart, he was not at all surprised. "Just what I figured," he said.

"Do you think he killed someone Buffy knows?" Wesley wondered.

"We can't say for sure," Giles said. "Let's not share this with any of the children. They've been through enough."

"Angel is in town. That's bad for everyone," Wesley said.

"Yes," Giles said grimly. Who knew how he would try to hurt Buffy next?

*****Many Miles Away*****

Spike smirked as he watched Angelus show his boredom as the wizards kissed their Dark Lord's pansy ass. Sure, the bloke was good with the torture, but he wasn't creative at all. To have Angelus back, though, made him excited again.

"These wand wizards are so boring," Spike muttered. "They can't be that powerful, or they'd find a way to get in that castle they call a school."

Angelus grinned. As soon as Buffy left town, he knew that he had to get to the UK and reunite with Spike. His old mate was in rare form. "Killing her dad and sending her the head made me real proud," he told Spike.

Spike preened under his grandsire's rare approval. "Just doing what you taught me," he said. "Dru's dead. They have to pay."

"Well, killing their baby brother was a brilliant move," Angelus said. Spike had really stepped up his game. "Dru would be very happy to see the lengths you're going to."

"Without my dark queen, all I have is my vengeance," Spike said.

"We'll show these wizards how to really bring terror on the populace," Angelus said.

Fun times were ahead—at least for them.

Buffy and her friends, though, wouldn't find anything coming their way very fun.

The thought made Angelus smile.

*****Chapter End*****