This is about three weeks past due… it's not the longest chapter, either, but at least there's action, angst and anger… the best you can get from any good fanfiction!
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Chapter 4
Barriers
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It was just after eight in the morning when Buffy arrived at Grimmauld Place with Oliver Wood, both of them looking rather happy given the fact they were about to be separated for the next four months. Only Hermione was awake, sitting in the dining room, staring at the dancing red flames as Buffy walked inside, her face full of concern.
"Hermione?" she asked softly. "What is it?"
"Nothing," she replied, with the faintest shake of her head. "Really, it's just… silly…"
Laying on the table next to her hand was a letter. Reaching forward, Buffy picked it up. "May I?"
Hermione nodded, her eyes still staring forward. "You're not going to believe what you read."
Buffy read the first few lines and with widening eyes, set the letter aside and grinned. "Probably not, but you deserve a hell of a lot of congratulations for that. Head girl, huh? Just like my mother."
Hermione let out the teeniest of smiles as she looked down. "I got this letter the day before Harry and I… before we…" Her face slackened slightly as she shrugged. "It really doesn't matter."
"Does he know?" Buffy asked, taking the seat across from her. "Because he should. You are just one of the most important people in his life, Hermione."
"We both know who really matters," Hermione said, a tint of bitterness in her voice.
"He means a lot to me," Buffy admitted, leaning on her elbows. "But you've known him your entire life at Hogwarts. I've had one year. I'd like to make sure he stays around when I get back. I know you're loyal to him. He means the world to you, and maybe someday he'll see that you really mean the world to him. I know you'd love nothing more than to profess your undying love and loyalty… but for now…" Her voice trailed off. "I guess it's time we all go our separate ways."
"How are you and Oliver staying together?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I love him," Buffy said, her gaze unwavering. "For now… it's enough. I've been through apocalypse romances and romances where my date actually gets attacked… but for now, it's all I need. I know someone is here for me when I get back. I don't know what's going to happen or how it's going to work out, but in the end I'm coming here. To home."
"There's more than just Oliver here waiting for you," Hermione said earnestly. "If it means anything…"
"You're like my partner in crime, Hermione," Buffy said, grinning. "How could I forget you?" Then her face sobered as she reached into the pocket of her jeans. "I know I said I was going to stop buying you things, but I saw it at Diagon Alley a few days ago and well, considering you made Head Girl and conveniently forgot to tell me about it… well…"
"I told you to quit buying me things," Hermione said, taking the small, wrapped gift. "It's not like I'm a deprived Muggle."
"You're kind of like the little sister I've never had," Buffy said, watching Hermione unwrap a small black leather case. "It's just as fun to shop for someone as it is to shop for yourself, you know."
"I'll believe you," Hermione said, opening the case. "You got me a compass…"
"In case you ever needed to find your way," Buffy said blithely.
Hermione glanced up at her. "Do you not know that these don't work at Hogwarts? It's all in Hogwarts, A History."
Buffy was smirking at her now, looking rather amused.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Hermione asked, realization flashing in her eyes.
"Yup," Buffy grinned.
"You knew all along this wouldn't work!" Hermione said, her tone accusing.
"Yup."
"So, why did you give it to me?" Hermione demanded.
"The top unscrews and opens to a secret chamber. It's useful storage, really," Buffy explained, reaching across the table and plucking the compass out of her hands. She gently unscrewed the top and set it down. As she moved, the light fell across her tattoo, showing the soft red scar just under her skin. Hermione stared at it a moment and shifted, frowning.
"It's…" she said, attempting to find something to say. She tried to force her eyes back to the compass lying all picked apart on the table, but all she could see was the burning red Dark Mark on the young woman's arm. "Does it hurt?"
"Sometimes," Buffy admitted. "It changes colors a few times. Normally when danger lurks, it'll turn green. I don't know too much about how it works, but it's a damned good tracking signal." She covered the Mark with her right hand and straightened. For a moment, an awkward silence fell between them.
Footsteps sounded outside the room as Sirius walked into the dining room, looking sleepy and disheveled. He blinked when he saw Buffy and Hermione sitting at the table, staring down at their hands. "Good morning!" he said briskly, walking past them.
"Good morning," both replied, somewhat unenthusiastically.
"Why the long faces?" he asked, frowning as he disappeared into the pantry.
"I'm about to leave for a country I don't even know the language of," Buffy replied, leaning heavily on her arms. "That and the fact I'm leaving everyone when…"
"It's dark times, Sirius," Hermione said, her eyes full of concern as she gazed at Buffy. "I don't think any of us should be separated."
He emerged a few minutes later, looking thoughtful as he set an armload of groceries aside. "If I'm not mistaken, didn't you choose Bulgaria?" he asked, setting a large slab of bacon aside.
"You're not mistaken," Buffy said. "It's best if I just get away for awhile."
"You're one of the strongest weapons our side has," Sirius said acutely. "To lose you before the end of the war could be disastrous for Harry and for everyone else fighting here."
"I know this," Buffy said in a voice of determined steel. "I don't want to leave anyone… it's just I have to do this. It's safer for Harry. I'm just… I can't be here. I choose my duty above my family, and it's something I've done before and it's probably something I'll always have to do. I was chosen for a reason, Sirius. Maybe it's because I'm the one that has to make these hard decisions that kill me every single time."
Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but a different voice from the doorway said, "Sirius, lay off."
It was Molly Weasley.
"Molly," Buffy said, glancing up.
"Oh, good morning!" Mrs. Weasley said, walking over and cheerfully sitting down at the table with the other two women. "I trust you slept well, Hermione? And how about you, Buffy? I… oh, what's this?" She had just found the still-open Head Girl letter on the table and glanced at it, her eyebrows slightly raised. When she saw the crest and the emblem, her face broke into a wonderful smile. "Oh, Hermione! Well done!"
"What has our dear Hermione done?" Sirius asked, his voice muffled from behind an armload of pots and pans that he dropped on the table in front of him, breathing hard.
"She made Head Girl," Mrs. Weasley said proudly, a motherly twinkle in her eye as she held up the letter for Sirius to read. "Isn't this just wonderful? I feel like my own daughter just made Head Girl. With Hermione as Head Girl and Ginny as Prefect, I feel that both of my girls are in quite the position of power, wouldn't you agree, Buffy?"
"Oh, yes," Buffy said, grinning. "I'm proud of my girls."
Hermione beamed at them, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. "I would really rather you not broadcast this around," she said, slipping the letter back inside her robes. "The last thing I need are more Percy jokes on me… again!"
"It's quite all right, dear," Molly assured her, patting her hand. "Do we know which boy made Head Boy yet?"
"No," Hermione said, frowning. "I'm sure that if either Harry or Ron would have made it, they would have told us by now, right?"
"Unless they weren't sure who made Head Girl," Buffy replied. "They might have waited to see who made it before broadcasting it, you know? I mean, what if Pansy Parkinson or Padma Patil had made it? I know Padma's not so bad, but Pansy? Ouch… I'd feel bad for whoever made Head Boy in that case." She stood up then and walked around the end of the table, helping Sirius get breakfast together.
"You may be right," Hermione said, her nose wrinkling. "I really hope that foul cow Parkinson doesn't get anything after last year or the year before! It serves her right to lose Head Girl!"
"Come on, keep speaking your feelings," Buffy said, her eyes sparkling as she mixed a large bowl of eggs as Sirius kept adding spices to the mixture. "Don't hold back on our accounts."
"Ooh, if I could just get my hands on her neck…" Hermione began, her eyes twinkling as she gazed hard at the table.
Ten minutes later, the kitchen was filled with the smell of cooking breakfast. Others began to wake up and filter downstairs, yawning and stretching as they entered the dining room hopefully. Oliver reappeared with Emma, who had just arrived, pulling off her overcoat and complaining about the latest heat wave to hit London.
"It's absolutely dreadful outside," Emma said, dropping into the chair next to Buffy. "All sunny and warm… I suppose it must be close to thirty degrees outside, wouldn't you think?"
"Don't ask me," Buffy said, shaking her head as she pulled her coffee lovingly towards her. "I can't do the math to convert."
"How did you get here?" Emma asked her, accepting her own cup of coffee from Oliver, who was serving them. "And since when did you convert him into the domestic diva? He'd look kind of pretty in one of those Muggle French maid costumes, wouldn't you think?"
"Maybe for a Bachelorette party," Buffy mused thoughtfully, her thumb circling the rim of her cup.
"As in a pre-wedding party?" Emma asked lightly, her eyes glancing at her friend hard.
Buffy grinned. "You don't miss a beat, do you, Em? Maybe someday we'll be attending a Bachelorette party for someone other than just me."
"Right," Emma said slowly, watching as Oliver sat down across from them, a mug of tea in hand. "Because you're probably the closest one to the altar, despite the fact you'll be three thousand miles away by tomorrow morning."
"I arrive in Bulgaria before sunrise," Buffy said, opening up her travel itinerary in front of her. "I meet with the Bulgarian Ministry and then they'll take me to my new pad. I'll meet my team Monday night and then we'll be getting to work. Apparently Bulgaria has a serious vampire threat, which makes me job all the easier. Can you imagine how much fun it'll be to kick all those asses? I won't even need magic… just my good, old Slayer strength." She gave a thin smile as she fingered the tiny blue gem she wore on her neck. "No more little stones to hide away my power anymore, no sir-ee."
"Breakfast is served!" Sirius announced, approaching the table with platters of food. Both Emma and Buffy stood up and, tucking her travel items away, helped Sirius serve a loaded table of hungry Order members.
"This is the best 'Get the hell out of my country' breakfast I've had in awhile," Buffy said enthusiastically as she buttered her roll.
Harry, sitting at the end of the table next to Ron, glanced down the long board at his sister, who was talking to Emma and Oliver, looking relaxed, refreshed and, dare he think it, excited about the opportunities opening up before her. He was quite sad that she had chosen to leave him at a time like this, but he knew her heart was in the right place. She was doing this to protect him because even now he could see the faint outline of the Dark Mark on her left arm under her white blouse.
He thought about Professor Snape then, and his stomach gave an almighty lurch. Their Potions Professor had been an outcast most of his life, but even more so now with the Dark Mark. Voldemort had just given his sister the same lonely life sentence and watching her pretend to act normally was rather painful to him. He was going to have to say goodbye to her in only a few hours and he wasn't looking forward to it.
He didn't notice Hermione staring at him, but when he felt her eyes and glanced at her, she was busying herself with her bacon and eggs.
After breakfast, Buffy stood up, setting down her empty coffee mug. Everyone glanced up at her, some curious and others sad. They knew what was to come and after a year of getting to know her were rather hesitant. But she gave them a brave, tremulous smile and sighed. "I know that despite the fact I've only got a few hours left here, there's no where else I'd rather be. This has become a second home to me, and you all my family. I just wanted you to know that. Molly, Arthur, thank you for taking me into your home last year when I was new and wet behind the ears. All of you Weasleys have been a blessing, and I wanted you to know that. Emma, Oli… could a girl ask for better friends? And…" There was a tear fluttering on her eyelash now as she turned to Harry. "Harry, could a girl ask for a better brother? I know it seems stupid I'm leaving you all, but if I had a choice…" Her voice broke then, and Emma gently tugged her back down into her chair.
Sirius was gazing at her thoughtfully, a slight smile on his face. "You're doing the same thing your Mother would have done," he said, bowing his head slightly. "You can ask for no higher praise than that."
"You know how fantastic it has been to share my room with you," Ginny commented, grinning. "It was like getting a third big sister… and that's not something I've always had with six older brothers."
"Hear, hear!" Ron said gloomily, glancing around the table. Fred and George were already at work in Diagon Alley and wouldn't have the chance to say goodbye to her, which he supposed was a good thing. They had a tendency to completely bring everyone to either peals of laughter or bursts of tears at the drop of a pin.
Emma had wrapped her arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Don't you start talking like you're not going to come back," she said, giving the smaller girl a good shake. "That's just jinxing your luck into saying you won't come back."
Harry glanced up at these words and stared at Buffy's face. She was still smiling, but it was rather forced. She was trying so desperately hard not to cry and he felt his heart go out to her as he stood up, walked around the table, and stopped at her chair, hugging her from behind. "You have no idea what you've done for me," he said quietly. "When I had no one, you came out of nowhere… and I just wanted you to know that had you not come when you did, I would probably be dead right now."
"Oh, Harry," Buffy said, her voice lost in a wail. Turning, she hugged her brother tightly.
"I don't want you to say goodbye," he told her firmly, taking Emma's words to heart. "Because then I'll start thinking you won't come back and I'll lose you… again."
"You won't," she said, her voice firm as she pulled back, looking resolute. "I'm coming back. I promise I won't—"
"What did I say?" he asked impatiently, prodding her shoulder. "No more goodbyes. Besides, I can't stand to see you cry."
She nodded, taking a deep breath before giving him a tight smile. "You're right."
"I know I am."
"Smartass."
"That's a new one," he said reprovingly, wrinkling his nose.
"Dork," she added, leaning over and mussing his already messy hair.
"You could use a non-Yankee insult, you know," he said, grinning.
"Alright," she said, and added, as though it were an afterthought, "you sodding ponce."
"That's my sister," Harry grinned, patting her shoulder. "You'll do all right if you keep talking Buffy-speak."
Her shoulders slumped slightly. "Don't remind me."
He caught Ron's eye and look away before he could start laughing.
Sirius was just starting to clear away the table when the doorbell rang. The absence of Mrs. Black's usual shrieks and screamed insults were gone, leaving just a heavy dong behind. Mrs. Weasley rose to get the door as Buffy sat down again. Harry went immediately to get her more coffee. Molly returned a few minutes later, grinning as Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt all walked in, beaming. "We have company!" she announced, watching as her children and Hermione quickly stood up, clearing away their spots for the newcomers.
"My mum would have come had she not been working this morning," Emma told Buffy. "She works as Head Librarian for the largest Wizarding Library in England, you know."
"I didn't know there was a Wizarding library," said Buffy, frowning at the fact she had no idea what Emma's mother did. She knew from previous questions that her Father had died from an attack on the Order nearly twenty years before, before Emma had even been born.
"Oh, yes," Emma said, grinning enthusiastically. "Mum says she'd rather have me work there than at the Ministry, but since I got in already, it's kind of hard to say no."
"I sure as heck wouldn't say no," Buffy replied, recalling all of the hours spent in Sunnydale High's library with Giles and the rest of her friends. "You get to work where all the action is."
"If action is walking around and stamping flying purple airplanes with approval, then I've got all the action I need," Emma said sarcastically. "Although I did apply for a position in the gaming department, but I haven't heard back from them yet."
"You will," Buffy assured her. "We all start in life at the bottom."
"And you're going to be hunting vampires in Bulgaria while I'm still trying to get the purple ink from underneath my fingernails," Emma said with a sigh. "Explain to me how you got so far off the bottom."
"Fate, opportunity and a little thing I like to call destiny," Buffy said, crossing her arms. "I was chosen for this life, Em… I didn't exactly get a choice when my first Watcher told me how to kill a vampire."
"True enough," Emma said, leaning back in her chair as Harry returned with Buffy's coffee. "I suppose the entire Ministry will be looking for their little moments when they can finally gain back the trust of the Wizarding community."
"It's really a mess, isn't it?" Oliver said from across the table. "The Ministry, I mean. I've only been there a few times this past week, and everyone is worried about defection in the ranks."
"Which resorts me to stamping the company memos," Emma said gloomily.
"That's exactly what they're worried about," Oliver said, his eyes narrowing. "They're worried that job satisfaction is going to drop to a point where a large number are going to walk out. We don't have much for unions over here, unless you're a sporting team, so the best you can hope for is to stick it out."
"Would you like my job?" Emma asked, her tone sarcastic. "I don't think anyone who can think, walk and talk would want it."
"You're just a few months out of Hogwarts," Oliver pointed out.
"And my dilemma continues," Emma replied, rolling her eyes. "Look, Oliver… you got it easy. You get to go off and play Quidditch and live happily ever after. Buffy here gets to go and kill demons for a living. I get to sit around and stamp memos. That doesn't leave a lot of room for hero-ship."
"You're right," Buffy said softly, disrupting the growing argument.
They both turned to look at her. Harry dropped into the corner chair, glancing at his sister.
"I am?" Emma asked softly.
Buffy nodded. "There aren't enough heroes in this world. I mean, there's Harry who has to save the world or die trying, right? And then there are people like me who fight because I was chosen to. There are also people like you who want to do something good for the world but find themselves at a dead end. You're not stuck in the middle of nothing until you realize that half of your life has passed you by and you're still at the beginning. Every world needs a hero, Emma. Everyone needs a hero. I've always been one because I was chosen to be. Well, I'm not."
"Of course you are," Harry said quietly. "Do you know how much you've done in your life?"
"Four years of slaying vampires isn't my idea of a hero," Buffy replied.
"What are you talking about? Of course it is!" Emma said, aghast.
"You know what defines a hero for me?" Buffy asked, sounding irritable. "A true champion is someone who wants to make a difference, who never gives up, and who gives everything they have no matter what. They rise above their human weaknesses and they're strong enough to admit why they've failed. To me, that's what a hero is." She turned to Emma. "You know, you don't have to look at life as something you've lost. If you can find a way to see that you're gaining something, that's incredible."
"Since when did you get all thoughtful?" Oliver asked, watching her, an expression of pride on his face.
"I've been spending far too much time around you," she replied, her lips twisting into a smirk. Turning back to Emma, she added, "Don't look down because you're not doing what you want. You still have the rest of your life ahead of you."
"I guess," Emma admitted. "It's just that… what this world needs is an organized team to fight off the growing bad guys and well… all they really have is the Order."
"There you go," Buffy said archly. "You belong in the Order and you know when the time comes they'll need you. They'll need all of us. And we're doing this for him." She put her arm around Harry and dragged his chair closer to his. "He's the big gun we all need, and we watch his back. We stop for nothing until this darkness is gone, and we can finally live in peace again."
The thought of living past Voldemort and past the darkness brought a smile to each of their faces.
"There is always hope," Buffy added, watching Emma's wistful smile. "Just think about how much you want it."
"I'm really going to miss you," Emma said softly.
"You'll have Katie and Percy around," Buffy replied gently. "Don't worry… I won't be in Antarctica or something. I'll find a way to make contact."
"It's going to be a lonely life," Harry added.
"It will be, but it's nothing I'm not used to. I get a team of fellow demon hunters, and this is something I'm going to look forward to," she replied, grinning. Seeing the wary look on Harry's face, she added, "Please don't worry about me. Worry about you. This is your last year, your test year, and you have so much left to learn and to do. You'll be fine, Potter. You'll always have these people watching your back. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need to, because now that the Order and the Ministry are working together, there shouldn't be any more barriers or boundaries."
"We all know how it turned out the last time," Harry said, a small trace of bitterness in his voice. "Fudge didn't believe me, the entire Ministry mocked me and when the truth finally came out they were all ignorant about it."
"It happens, Harry," Buffy said gently. "It always happens to the best of us, you know. We forget to thank the messenger that's trying to kill us."
"You don't have to be sarcastic about it," Harry grumbled.
"I wasn't," Buffy replied, lifting her mug and sipping. "See, the thing is, you get used to one lifestyle and then this big evil group swoops in and takes that lifestyle from right beneath your feet. Well, they really didn't have any legal issues with it all, but they were offering me a chance to meet this other lifestyle I never knew I had. So, when the big evil group blows up, everyone looks at the Slayer like… why couldn't I stop them, even though they tried purposely to destroy my life? There you go, and that's calling thanking the messenger that's trying to kill us."
"That made no sense to me whatsoever," Emma said, blinking. "Then again, you do have a particular way with words, Buff."
"I know," Buffy said with a dramatic sigh, "but I like it. It keeps me unique."
"Bizarre is more like it," Harry replied, his nose wrinkling. "Then again, it is your gift."
"I'll have to agree with the brother, there, Buffy," Emma said, grinning at the look on her friend's face.
"I'm not going to sit here and listen to you both attack me," she said at last, crossing her arms huffily.
"I think you hurt her feelings," Oliver said, adopting a baby-voice that was quite dreadful as he smirked at the other two. "Little Buffy doesn't like her feelings to get hurt."
"Little Buffy kicks the ass of anyone who calls her little," Buffy said, her eyes narrowing as she regarded her boyfriend for a moment. "You don't get a get-away-from-a-serious-ass-kicking-for-free card just because you're dating the said ass kicker."
"I suppose not," Oliver said, still smirking. "But d'you know, you're quite adorable all indignant."
Harry made a violent hurling noise, causing Buffy to smack his shoulder, her eyes never leaving Oliver's face. "Nope, I'm not buying it. Cute with the sucking up, but still… I'm not really buying it. It was an excellent try though. Keep working on your sarcasm and maybe, just maybe, I'll believe you."
"You abuse sarcasm," Emma replied, laughing. "What's to say the rest of us cannot compete?"
Buffy shrugged. "I like my sarcasm. It's like my best friend who doesn't have another brain."
This time, Harry carefully avoided Emma's eye.
The rest of the Order approached them then, starting with Lupin. Buffy stood up to talk with them, leaving the others sitting around the table. As soon as Buffy was out of earshot, Emma turned around to face Oliver. "So, how was last night?" she asked, her voice half-teasing, half-serious.
"Perfect," he admitted. "It was absolutely perfect. I wouldn't have changed it for anything."
"Did you… ask her anything?" Emma prompted delicately.
Harry glanced from Emma to Oliver, trying to figure out what one was saying to the other.
"No, I did not ask her anything," Oliver said, his voice dropping so not to be overheard by the Weasleys, already speaking with the Order, or by Lupin, who was talking to Sirius right behind Emma and Harry. "I'm going to wait and see how things go after she gets back."
"That may be best," Emma said grudgingly. "I was just hoping you would at least be romantic your last night in England."
"I was romantic!" Oliver protested. "There were candles and flowers and dinner… not to mention…"
"You bought her clothes, didn't you?" Emma asked suddenly. "Damn, I knew you would! You're too predictable."
"I'm what?" Oliver asked, sounding aghast. "What did I do now?"
"You bought her clothes!" Emma said, as though trying to explain this concept to an unruly four-year-old. "You bought your girlfriend clothes she didn't pick out herself."
"Is this a problem or am I being attacked because I wanted to do something nice?" Oliver asked, looking more lost than before.
"Oh, my," Emma said, leaning across the table and patting his hand. "At least you still got the rest right."
"I don't know what the problem is," he began hotly, but Harry quickly spoke up before they could start arguing again.
"Drop it," he said coolly, spotting Buffy laughing at something Tonks was saying near the doorway. "Before you know it, she'll be gone and all of this arguing would have been over something as stupid as buying her… what did you buy her, anyway?" he asked curiously.
Emma gave Oliver a triumphant smile. "Told you it was a bad idea. Next time, try listening to Katie and I when we're trying to give you sound advice!"
Oliver just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Harry. "It was a blue dress. Willow helped me pick it out."
"Willow… helped you pick out a dress… for my sister?" Harry asked, his eyes widening. "Wow."
"What's wrong with that?" Oliver asked in frustration. "I happen to think it was a great idea!"
"I don't know about you," Emma said sadly, shaking her head. "I mean, you're a beautiful person but your tastes are a little… eccentric."
"Speak for yourself," Harry said, frowning as he glanced at her.
Before another argument could come up, Sirius stepped in, taking Buffy's coffee cup. Harry immediately fell silent and turned back to where his sister was now standing next to Hermione, her arm around the younger girl's shoulder, her eyes proud and her lips beaming. Hermione appeared to be glowing and Harry found himself eyeing her before turning back, sighing.
He didn't realize that both Emma and Oliver had been watching him. They exchanged a long look before Emma finally turned to him. "I'm guessing something happened between you and her."
"Something did," Harry said with the clear air of not wanting to discuss it further. She looked far too cheerful to be as miserable as he felt. While she'd spent her days locked in her room reading Merlin-knew-what, Harry forced himself to act normally around the rest of the household. Being with Ron made things easier, he'd decided, recalling all of the afternoons spent playing Wizard's chess or launching mattresses down the steep flights of stairs at Grimmauld Place. Buffy had come once to sweep Hermione away for an afternoon and when Hermione had returned, she'd looked somewhat happier.
There was a friendship there that Harry wasn't too willing to doubt had started when the two had been trapped together by Death Eaters. They'd nearly been killed together. On top of that, there was the issue of Hermione dating Buffy's younger brother. Lastly, the issue of Hermione being the one to tell Buffy how to find Quentin was, above all, the reason why they were so close. Buffy had become one of the most mistrusted people at Hogwarts while Hermione had finished off the year in her withdrawn shell. And yet, despite the fact that they had been in life-and-death situations, there was a deep bond between them. Harry could see it. Harry could trust it. He knew that if Buffy was in trouble, Hermione wouldn't hesitate to save her. The same held true for Hermione, he figured. Being trapped in a water hole together against their will had changed their relationship for the better. Or maybe the fact they'd shared a room for a good, decent part of the summer. Whatever the reason was, he stared at Hermione and Buffy with a sad smile on his face, wishing fervently that things could be different.
How could things be different when he was so cold inside? He knew he didn't want to break things off, but since Hermione had confessed her role in Buffy's abduction months ago, there had been a growing chasm between them, one that should never have been there in the first place. Had he not been the boy-who-lived and the boy-who-was-expected-to-kill-to-live, he would have taken the situation more lightly. He wanted first and foremost to protect her. He loved her, but to him, she was as close to him as a sister. Yet, despite everything they had been through, he still loved her.
It broke his heart to see her hurting. This cheerful façade just confused him. Why was she so happy to stand next to the woman about to leave them all? And why couldn't he tell her how he truly felt? He held back, knowing that if she knew, she would want to make this decision for herself. But he knew what he had to do. He wasn't going to get anyone else killed because of it. He'd learned that lesson from Sirius' death, and was strangely fortunate that the living Black daughter had come forward to help him return from behind the veil. The thing was, there was also Faith.
Faith was definitely getting to him. She'd gotten to him from the first time he'd laid eyes on her. And, according to many at Hogwarts who'd only caught glimpses of her, she was apparently rather appealing. She was also very close to Buffy as the two shared a destiny. They were even closer now that they both bore the same Dark Mark. They were as close as sisters as well.
This made Harry even more miserable. He loved Hermione and wanted to protect her. Yet, Faith gave him a great reason to just throw caution to the wind and go with his instincts. He didn't think he'd ever meet anyone new that would make his everything tremble. She was a pure-blooded witch, too, something the Malfoys would even smile upon. And yet, she was one of the rare squibs, someone completely unable to do magic given their family history. It was quite hilarious because she was a powerful little spitfire out in the open as a Slayer but as a witch, she was almost nothing.
But to Buffy, she was almost everything. She was her equal, and as someone who was rather unique in this world, having an equal balanced everything out.
"Miss me?" a voice asked as Buffy dropped back into her chair, having wrestled her cup away from Sirius.
"Oh, yes, loads," Emma said sarcastically. "You were gone all of six minutes, you dope."
Buffy turned slightly pink as she practically inhaled her coffee. "You're not so smart without your wand now, are you?" she asked teasingly.
"Oh, whatever!" Emma exclaimed, setting up yet another mock-argument.
And yet, as Harry watched the time fly on, he didn't want this morning to end.
But the morning soon disappeared and soon the door opened for the fourth time that morning, this time admitting Percy Weasley. "I just called for a Ministry car. They should be along within a few minutes," he announced to Harry as he ran a hand through his curly red hair. He suddenly appeared to be nervous.
"Thanks for that," Harry said.
"No problem," Percy replied with his reassuring smile. "It was quite… worth…" His voice trailed off as he saw Buffy walking downstairs, both Oliver and Emma behind her. A large group of people were emerging from the basement dining room, all talking in moderated whispers about their latest move abroad to contact a foreign wizard.
Buffy had caught his eye and froze on the steps. Her eyes met Percy's and for a moment, time seemed to stop.
"Are these your bags then?" Oliver asked, stepping around her and bringing her attention back to the present, where three neat bags were lined in the hallway.
"Yeah," Buffy said, finally withdrawing her gaze. "Yeah… those are mine."
Her movements were jerky now, almost as though she were so excited to move and dreading it at the same time.
"Don't worry about those," Sirius said gruffly as he lifted one of her black suitcases. "Remus and I will take care of these."
"Oh… wow… thanks," Buffy said, stepping back as both men lifted the luggage and dragged it towards Percy and Harry. "Now that I feel completely useless…"
"It's okay," Emma said, rubbing Buffy's arm soothingly. "Just let them do something nice for you."
"I do things right for myself," Buffy said, an edge to her voice. "I don't like it when others to things for me."
"You'll get used to it someday," Emma said, looking at her friend as she finished walking downstairs. Harry and Percy made their way down the hall and met them at the foot of the stairs.
"Hello, Elizabeth," Percy said in a very serious voice.
"Hiya, Perce," Buffy said, giving him a fond little smile. Without waiting for a pause, she walked over and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She smiled slightly when she felt his own arms tighten around her smaller frame. They really didn't need to say anything anymore. He was her closest friend in England and leaving him behind was going to be hard enough.
Harry watched them, imagining this to be how he might say goodbye to Ron for an extended period of time. They wouldn't be able to say anything because all of the words had already been said. They would just shake hands and try to be civil about it.
When the pair finally split up, Harry saw Buffy's face. She wasn't crying nor was she close to it. Percy rested his head against hers for a moment, speaking softly before she looked up at him and, biting her lip, nodded. And then she pulled away.
She hugged Molly and Arthur, thanking them again for everything they'd done. She even hugged Ron and Ginny. When she got to Hermione, her resolve not to cry nearly destroyed her perfect control as she held onto the other girl. "Be safe," she whispered. "And don't stop believing in yourself."
"I won't," Hermione said softly. "And don't stop believing in you, either."
"I'll try," Buffy said dryly, wiping at her damp eyes before pulling away. Behind them, Remus announced that the cab had arrived.
Outside, it was still rather hot. Buffy found herself longing for the cool interior when the door closed behind her, the house shrinking into oblivion as she walked towards the bright yellow car waiting to take her straight to London Heathrow and away from this place she now considered to be her home.
Oliver stood by her side, her hand in his, comforting to no end. At the end of the walk, she turned to him and for a long moment he held her in his arms, not knowing quite what to say. When they pulled back, he blurted out, "Did you like the dress?"
She smiled at him. "I liked the dress."
"Are you certain about that?" Emma asked, coming up on the other side of Buffy and hugging her friend tightly. "I really wish that Katie could be here, too, but she can't be. So this is a hug from both of us."
"Thanks," Buffy said, watching as Sirius and Remus loaded her luggage into the trunk.
As soon as the trunk door closed, she felt as though the end had finally come. Her hands started to shake as her emotions caught up with her. They both walked over and hugged her briefly, although Sirius took an extra moment with her.
At last, it was just her and Harry.
"Don't," he said, taking a deliberate step away from her as she reached for him. "I don't want to hear anything sounding like a goodbye, remember?"
"Oh," she said, her arms dropping down to her sides. "Right."
"You're about three seconds from pure waterworks as it is," he commented dryly.
"Oh, shut up," she said, and despite his reservations, she threw her arms around him. She was rather pleased when he held her back. "I expect to see you alive in a few months."
"I was about to say the same thing," Harry commented into her shoulder.
"I'd better see you, or else I'll take on the big bad myself," she added, pulling away. "Be good now, Harry."
For a moment, they just stood there before Buffy pulled back, running a nervous hand through her hair. "I guess… I'll be seeing you."
She got into the cab then and closed the door, refusing to even look behind her as the house and its occupants vanished as they drove away. She couldn't look back.
It was time to move on.
"I was asked to give you something," the cab driver said, glancing at her resolute face in the rear-view mirror. He nodded to the box sitting on the seat next to her. "That's for you, Miss."
Buffy leaned over and gently untied the bright red ribbon. Pulling off the shiny gold box top, she grinned when she saw the contents inside. No matter how far away there were, Fred and George Weasley could still make their names well known. They hadn't forgotten her after all, but in their usual style had made this trip all the more worth it.
"Thanks," she told the cab-driver. She wasn't certain whether or not he was a Muggle or a Wizard, so she hid the contents from him, looking at the vast range of sweets and reading materials packed haphazardly within. Tucked within the bottom folds of cardboard, she found a note.
She read it, occasionally laughing, but as she set it back inside the box and replaced the top, she was fighting hard to hold in her tears.
Oh, she was going to miss those twins.
- - - - -
Harry closed the door softly behind him after bidding the others good night. Walking over to his bed, he cast a surly glance at Ron's empty bed before changing into his pajamas and getting into bed.
All throughout the house, the others were moving on despite the fact that one of their ranks had left them. Emma had left almost immediately afterwards, Apparating back to her mother's workplace. Percy had returned to work.
Everyone was trying to act as normally as they could.
Harry had found that it was even harder.
Mrs. Weasley had announced that they were going to Diagon Alley in the morning to get their books. For the first time, he and Ron glanced at their book lists. What they saw made Ron groan.
"For years and years she's talked about this book and now they actually expect us to read it?" Ron glowered, glaring at the book list. "I mean, it's Hogwarts, A History!"
"I wonder what class it is for," Harry replied, frowning as he glanced at his class list. "I mean, I don't have History of Magic anymore and neither do you."
"Maybe it's light, extracurricular reading," Ron had suggested.
There was a knock on the door and Ron called, "Its open!" as Ginny entered, looking rather excited.
"I just found something out," she said, her voice full of hushed anticipation. "Hermione made Head Girl!"
That explained why she was so smiley and glow-y, Harry realized, scowling. She'd made Head Girl, just like his mother. But as he examined the contents of his booklist, he realized there was another package just waiting to be opened. When Ginny saw it, her smile doubled.
"It's just fate," she said dramatically, giggling and sweeping out.
Harry just scowled at the Head Boy badge in his hands. "Why did it have to be me for? I'm not my parents!"
"Take it, mate!" Ron said enthusiastically. "I mean, you only spent the past seven years earning it!"
Maybe, just maybe, he had.
That night a party was held to celebrate the fact that Harry and Hermione had made Head Boy and Head Girl. As the others spread about talking about the wonders of Hogwarts in the last year, Harry felt hollow inside. His sister wasn't here to share in this joy. She wasn't going to know he had made Head Boy, just like their father.
After dinner though, he'd gone straight to bed. Lying on top of the covers of the newly-redesigned room by Faith, he glanced at the small red twinkle lights along the ceiling. It was too warm to light a fire, but the twinkle lights filled the room with a soft, reddish glow that made it seem even warmer. It was a beautiful room and Harry was glad he was able to stay here.
He fell asleep, his dreams melting away.
He was walking through a narrow hallway. There was a light at the end and he found himself walking outside into a cemetery. There were two figures standing there and when they turned to him, he was astonished to see that they were his parents.
"Harry, come and see," Lily Potter said, lifting her arm to beckon Harry forward.
He walked forward and stepped underneath her protective arm, finally getting a chance to see what he was looking at.
When he saw it, he gasped.
It was a headstone, reading Elizabeth Anne Potter.
"What happened to her?" he managed to gasp.
"She died," James Potter said tragically. "She died to save the world, again."
"She needs to stop doing that," Lily said in a tired tone. "It's getting quite frustrating to see our daughter in Heaven so many times."
"So many… what are you talking about?" Harry asked.
"She died to save you, Harry, before the end came," James explained.
"Didn't you know?" a cool female voice asked as Faith joined them. James and Lily both turned to smile at her. "The enemy was too strong for her to withstand his advances. She came back onto to be abducted into his circle of power. And when the time came to kill you or not, she killed herself instead. She was tortured into insanity, lost to an unknown ailment lost in her mind. When the end came, we were forced to go against her."
"That wouldn't happen to her," Harry said forcefully. "She's a good sister. She's a good person."
"Good people don't go around getting the Dark Mark imprinted on their arms, do they?" James asked cheerfully. "Well, that's it. We're done here."
"No, we're bloody not!" Harry said, stepping away from his mother's somewhat strangling grasp. "How could you be so nonchalant about this? She was your daughter, for Merlin's sake!"
"She brought this on herself," Lily said in a tragic voice, despite the fact she was smiling. "Come on, James."
Then, she paused, to turn back to her son. "Are you coming?"
"Where are we going?" Harry asked, confused.
"To Heaven, silly," James replied, leaning over to ruffle Harry's head. "Your sister was banished to a fulfilling life on that hellish plane on Earth and you're now here with us… forever."
"I'm… dead?" Harry echoed.
Faith walked over to him. "Don't be so disappointed," she said soothingly, slipping her arm through his. "I'm not."
"It's just that… how did I die? When did I die? Is Voldemort dead? Is—" His voice was cut off as Faith pressed her hand to his mouth.
"No more questions," she purred, staring to pull him along after his parents. "This is the world we made, Harry. This is how the world ended up. It isn't anyone's fault. It was fate, with maybe a bit of destiny thrown in."
"Did she… did she get her happily ever after?" Harry asked hesitantly.
He saw Faith hesitate. "Some happily ever after," she grumbled. "How many people did she have to lose in the final fight to get to you? Her last thoughts were of you…"
"I thought you said we were in Heaven," Harry said, feeling lost.
"We are," Faith replied, and as she spoke, her voice became misty. "She's not."
He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was gazing at the dark ceiling above his head at Grimmauld Place.
- - - - -
Buffy sat up quickly, trying not to gasp. She'd been sleeping for the past few hours, curled contentedly in her seat on the flight from Amsterdam to Sofia. She would then take a Ministry-provided vehicle to their base in Sofia, get her orders, and later meet with her new team in Nesebur.
She blinked as the dream came back to her. Every single dream was getting stranger.
But this was the first time she had ever dreamt about her parents.
Before she realized it, her vision was blurred.
They had come to her to try and give her advice, but never to speak so calmly about what would happen once this war was over. Buffy had proven her loyalty to the magical world and that meant she was no Death Eater. But what if Voldemort saw her as a defection, someone who had been asking to be in the inner circle but had spied instead? It brought her comfort to know that in Bulgaria, she couldn't hurt anyone.
That didn't mean the dreams would hurt any less.
- - - - -
It was a warm and windy night in Sunnydale. It had been a rather boring evening, Faith decided as she kicked an empty pop can back and forth over the pavement.
It had been a typical week in the land of Sunnydale Faith thought with a snort. It had been a full moon weekend, so that had been a busy few nights. Coupled with the extra vampires hanging around for the end-of-the-summer parties they were so fond of made her life a little more interesting. The only thing that could be potentially considered interesting was the dream she'd had the day before. Creepy thought it had been, it really stopped to make her think about the future. In that future, she'd been dead. And she'd been with Harry, which suggested, among other things, that they'd died together. It was probably because Hermione had caught them and killed them both, she thought snidely.
What she wouldn't give to just test this theory out right now. It was far too dead around here, she thought gloomily. It was just getting worse.
Saturday night was as boring as it could possibly be. She would even give a lot of money to see Spike right now. She could take him on, goad him a little and make him sweat it out while she blew off some steam. She had other ideas floating through her head, but the idea of taking any one of them on made her blush.
She would start laughing then. Since when did Faith Landing, the coldest human being on earth, develop such feelings? Since she'd met that brother of hers, she decided wryly, giving the can a good kick in the opposite direction. It was nearing ten o'clock, and she'd already been out since just before dinnertime. It would probably be best to just pack it in, give a quick report to Giles, and go on her merry way. Joyce should be home from work by now. They could grab a cup of hot chocolate and gab for a while before turning in. It would be like every other night this past summer before the end of summer rush.
It was then she noticed someone was staring at her. Her eyes narrowed as her hand slid into her waistband, unearthing her stake. She spun around, her stake flashing through the air just as a figure collided with her, sending both of them tumbling to the pavement.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" they both yelled. Leaping to her feet, Faith retrieved her stake and glared at Spike, who was getting slowly to his feet, his hand clutching his head.
"I'm doing my job," Faith replied smugly.
"And you need someone to watch your back," Spike retorted.
"I don't need anyone and I sure as hell don't need you," Faith snapped, gesturing with her stake. "So get that through your thick skull before I decide to get hostile."
Spike just regarded her and it took her a moment to realize that he'd run into her for a reason.
"This isn't about boredom, isn't it?" she asked darkly.
"No, love, certainly not," Spike sighed, crossing his arms over his leather overcoat. "It seems as though the demon underworld has been aware of a presence hunting out the one Slayer left. The curious thing is that they were asking for one Delita Black."
Faith's eyes widened. "What do they know, Spike?" She was walking again, moving towards Giles' as fast as she could. "What did they tell them? Who were they?" There were very few people who knew who Delita Black was… and she knew that a large majority of them were evil.
"They were men that claimed to be looking for one of their own," Spike said. "There were two groups, both with those long cloaks."
"What were they told?" Faith asked, her voice rising along with her temper.
"What's this all about?" Spike asked, frustration clearly sounding in his voice. "Is this another game, pet? Because I don't like it when you come play beat-the-Spike for information and—" His voice was cut off as Faith seized him by his lapels and physically lifted him from the ground. There was such fire in her eyes that he felt his hands tremble. As much as he longed to throw her off, he held his tongue until she released him.
"What do they know?" she asked in a calmer tone.
"They know that you're here," he said, taking a step away from her. "They know who you work with… and they'll be coming for you."
Faith bit back a feeling of panic as she glanced around the street, trying to get a bearing on why her senses were suddenly on overdrive. "This can't be happening," she muttered, finally turning back to look at the vampire.
"They said they would go after the brains," Spike replied, enjoying the fact that his information was riling up the Slayer who sought out to make his life a living hell.
"But Willow's in London," Faith replied, still turning in a tight circle, her hands moving to push her hair off her sweaty face. "That would lead them right to Giles." She froze suddenly and without warning, took off running down the street.
"Faith, wait!" Spike shouted, tailing after her.
If they had come for her at last, that meant that the war had started. She ran quickly towards the complex where Giles lived, only stopping when she saw how pleasantly serene the entire building was. There was a family on the deck celebrating the birthday of a small child. Even from this distance, she could see the child in the arms of a man leaning over to blow out the candles. On the other side, in the apartment above Giles', she saw a figure watering plants, dead petals floating like pink snow on the sidewalk below. In the grass to her left, two teenage boys were walking a pair of teacup Chihuahuas. Pushing past the boys, she raced down to the bottom level and glanced at the door.
It was just slightly open.
She heard Spike coming down the stairs behind her as she crept forward. The only weapon she had on her was the stake. She wasn't even carrying the cellular telephone Cordelia had practically shoved in her hand.
Her hand was shaking as it reached towards the door.
"Giles?" she called softly, nudging the door open. "Giles?"
The door opened to reveal his entryway and living room. Instantly, her senses alerted her that something was terribly wrong.
"Spike," she said, beckoning him forward. But his eyes were on the spot right above the door, and his eyes were widening with sudden realization.
"Get down!" he shouted, turning away.
The next few seconds passed as though they were in slow motion. Faith glanced up to see a small black box and a green light that had just gone to red…
She had just turned her heel when the bomb exploded behind her.
The entire outer wall burst outwards, sending Faith and Spike towards the fountain as the balconies above collapsed under the weight of the structure as it disappeared beneath the ignited foundation.
The first explosion set off a greater one as the entire building burst into flames, thick black smoke hurling into the sky.
When the debris stopped falling, there was nothing but an eerie silence before the wail of a siren broke the night.
- - - - -
Chapter 5… Was Faith attacked by the good guys or the bad guys, and was she targeted at all? Wesley has a premonition and Buffy meets her new team. On top of that, the Hogwart's Express rides for the last time…
Chapter 6… Harry gets a dark surprise. Willow's new house-mate is anti-magic. Draco starts his latest plot…
- - - - -
Chapter Notes
This chapter took forever to write, literally a month. It isn't that I didn't know what I wanted to happen because I did. I just had to focus on getting the point across the best way I could. The first bit written was the Faith and Spike bit, too.
Happy New Year! I know I basically disappeared because my stress levels were going far too high… but hopefully now I can stick this out. Two jobs and hockey season has started. I'm still aiming for 25 to 30 chapters. I know how I want to end it, and I'm aiming for it. I know I have outstanding gifts, and they will be done in time. Please be patient with me… I hadn't looked at this story for about three weeks before I decided I wanted to actually finish a chapter. I'm such a bad writer, sometimes.
I do hope you all had a fantastic holiday season!
Reviewer Comments
Thank you very much for all of your comments and reviews!
Anita Blake/Buffy Fan: Thank you muchly!
The Lady Morgaine: I could just completely let my thoughts go and tell you who Harry ends up with, but I won't. It's a really hard choice, considering both women are incredible women. It's such a dirty shame that there's the possibility that neither will make it…
Sparky24: Harry broke up with Hermione to protect her. This chapter deals with more of that aftermath. Hermione thinks that Harry's got a thing for someone else, which is the reason why it happened. Two separate reasons, and two very confused teenagers going through normal teenage angst. I can't say whether or not it'll be permanent, because they'll definitely have their moments, but, alas… I'll shut up now.
CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little while for a Buffy/Oliver reunion. She's about to leave England for awhile, and he's off to play Quidditch. But absence makes the heart grow fonder and one way or another, they will be reunited. It's like the video playing in my head. One of my writing friends wrote a rather racy fiction with Buffy in it for another fiction series the Guild I belong to is working on… and damn, did it make me blush. I think I need to read more racy. But it's definitely a promise that you'll have it!
Goddessa39: I shall email you email addresses if you wish. I won't put them here because chances are, they'll get fudged. Buffy/Oliver was a challenge from Grace who happens to like Oliver, and she figured they'd be cute together. They'll have an ending, but I can't really say it's very happy right now. I have much more plotting to do, and yet… I know how I want it to end, and they will have a semi-happy ending. Hermione is going to end up with someone… right? Maybe… It's really Harry's decision, because he's once again torn. But that's just our Harry. And Ginny is going to end up with… yeah, if you couldn't figure it out from this chapter, she and Dean aren't together anymore. Which leaves Harry… or… Yeah. She'll end up with someone, and it isn't going to be Draco. Speaking of Buffy/Angel, I posted my latest fiction, which I think you partially inspired. Not so much with Buffy as it is with Angel and their daughter, but that's just my opinion.
DarkAngelMali: You lucky little duckling! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, and I hope you're not too shadow-frightened anymore! I remember being like that after I saw this one Twilight Zone… scary.
Electric pancake: You pretty much got the fact I'm not British, didn't you? Hell, there's no English in my ancestry… it's all eastern European. I'll go back and fix it when I do have the time. And, if I can remember correctly, I did read your story before my time decided to collapse on me. Thank you for your well-balanced review!
Internal-Dragon: Oh, I've always been a nerd… it's somewhat of a pride point. As for Harry/Faith, it's certainly in the realm of a possibility, isn't it? I mean...
I am going to try and update this again this week, but I make no promises. I'm about half done with a Dance update, too. Not to mention I'm inviting you all over to Forget Not This, which I have posted concurrently with this, and is the novel-sized sequel to When the Time Has Passed. I've got quite a few new projects coming, too, including an original works which has been forever in my mind and is just dying to get out.
Thank you for being such wonderful readers, reviewers, etc! You are all totally awesome! I also hope you're enjoying your New Year!
Edited to repair both a date and future spoilers.