Author's Note: Everyone deserves something a little dysfunctional. This chapter is a mixed pot of just about everything.
x-o-o-x
Chapter 17
I Am Your Sister
x-o-o-x
"Our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive."
- Don Miguel Ruiz
x-o-o-x
As soon as Buffy and the others left the Entrance Hall, the familiar murmur of voices overtook them, silencing only as the door closed behind them.
Buffy could barely catch her breath before she let out, "That was…"
"Strange," Emma finished, tilting her head as she considered what she felt walking through those doors again. "It looked smaller."
"It seemed darker to me," Oliver agreed, leaning against the wall and pushing his hands into his pockets. "Like there weren't as many candles."
"I lost count at three hundred," Percy said dryly, watching as Buffy joined Oliver at his part of the wall. His eyes watched as Buffy casually slipped her arm through his, her fingers circling the wrist. "I felt like it was… less intimidating somehow."
"That's considering until last year you were only there to arrest Dumbledore and expel Harry," Buffy commented, sighing at the memories.
"Seems like so long ago," Percy replied.
Emma walked over and sat on the floor near the stairs. "I thought I was done with this place."
"Sometimes," Buffy murmured, her eyes staring at the ceiling and finding herself half-wondering if it had always been so high, "I wonder why I left."
There were voices behind a doorway suddenly. Emma quickly scampered to her feet and backed away as the door leading to the Slytherin dungeons banged open. Two figures slipped through. One was someone Buffy didn't recognize. The other set Buffy's Slayer-sense into a frenzy.
The figure turned to sneer at the figures lounging in the Entrance Hall until she recognized the blonde one staring right at her. The sneer fell away and she found her body freezing. The other figure was male and brushed past her into the Great Hall.
"No way," Emma murmured, taking in the shape of Faith Landing standing in the hall in Slytherin's green-and-silver colors.
"Unbelievable!" Percy gasped, pulling Emma back beside him out of instinct. Emma gave him an annoyed look as she pushed his arm away.
This, however, didn't seem to faze Faith a bit. Her eyes were glued to Buffy's. "Looking good, B," Faith finally said, moving closer to the group. Percy and Emma backed away. Oliver even cleared his throat and took a protective step forward. Buffy, on the other hand, released his arm and gently nudged him away as she moved towards her sister Slayer.
"You're looking quite student-like yourself, Faith."
"What can I say? I make this look good," Faith replied, glancing down at the shapeless robes and the loose blouse that did absolutely nothing for her figure.
"I didn't know you were back."
"I didn't know you were back," Faith retorted, a dark shadow passing her face. "Someone could've told me."
It seemed that there was a silent understanding passed between them, something that existed since they first met. Last year they had grown closer than ever, mainly because they shared a dark destiny. But now… Faith was wearing the Slytherin colors and walking around with the reattached chip on her shoulder. There wasn't a Witch or Wizard in Slytherin that hadn't gone bad. Mostly, she had hoped that if Faith ever found herself wanting to become a student again, she would have chosen Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, something unassuming that would allow Faith to thrive. Watching Faith in Malfoy's house brought painful memories of her own year at Hogwarts, something she wasn't willing to face all over again.
Faith watched Buffy, hating how the young woman looked. She looked… different. Pasty wasn't quite the word. She looked starved. Or maybe she just needed a good poke and a bit of a loosening of the stick firmly up her behind. But nothing compared to the way Buffy looked at her. There was fear in her eyes, like Faith wasn't something she expected. Buffy wasn't what she expected, either. Since finding out Buffy was in a coma and basically near death, she expected someone a little more pissed off at the world. Instead, this passive Slayer was a little… unsettling.
The doors behind Faith opened and Professor Dumbledore stepped out. He keenly looked at Faith over his spectacles before resting a hand on her shoulder. "Ms. Black, if you would. You have little time before your first lesson."
Faith forced herself to swallow before turning away from the Slayer, breaking eye contact. "Yes, sir," she said, giving Professor Dumbledore a slow nod before pushing her way into the Great Hall.
Before the Headmaster could open his mouth again, Buffy felt her own curiosity piqued. "What is she doing here?"
The Headmaster closed his mouth and fixed Buffy with a stern gaze. "If you would come to my office, my dear, I believe an explanation may be in order."
Buffy watched as the old man walked serenely down the corridors. With a heavy sigh, she followed, hearing the footsteps of her friends behind her. She couldn't blame them; they had to be as curious about this as she was.
x-o-x
Within a few moments time, all four were settled in Headmaster Dumbledore's office. He sat down in his chair comfortably, his eyes scanning each of his former students before he held up a hand. "Much of this can be reserved for the Order, but I do have two questions, both of which I am certain you will answer."
"We'll try our best, Sir," Emma replied.
"Did he say Order?" Oliver asked, frowning. "I was never asked to join any Order."
"Don't worry," Percy said darkly. "I was never in the Order either."
Emma's look was decidedly smug as she eyed both men.
"Mr. Weasley, you have attended Order meetings in the past with Ms. Summers," Dumbledore reminded Percy gently while trying to overlook the daggers Oliver was currently sending to his girlfriend. "Ms. Summers is not at fault for this, Mr. Wood. I asked her before her mission to Bulgaria to maintain her silence."
Oliver took a deep breath and nodded, though he really didn't understand why he'd been left out of this.
"Now, Ms. Summers, welcome back. You may be wondering why I use your former name instead of your true one…" His eyes twinkled at the smile on her face. "I daresay that you will be yourself again in no time. I will ask you however… where is Mr. Giles?"
There was a moment of silence as the four exchanged looks. "We… we don't know," Emma replied, glancing at the Headmaster. "He ditched us right after we arrived back in London."
"I assumed he went to his former flat to clean up and stuff, but we haven't seen him," Buffy said, shaking her head.
A grave look crossed Professor Dumbledore's eyes before he turned back to them, adding another bright smile. "I see you have returned together and have looked after one another. I would expect nothing less for Gryffindor behavior. I would assume you've been made aware of the circumstances for the magical world being on its highest alert?"
Buffy tuned out Percy's monotone as her thought fell back to Giles. Where was he? All he had said was he'd find them soon, but he hadn't said a date or time. In fact, he'd looked anxious. Why hadn't she picked up on it? Was she so into herself and her boyfriend that she was neglecting her Watcher? What sort of Slayer was she?
It was then she noticed that her friends were standing up, looking relieved. Dumbledore said something about apprising them more during the next Order meeting. When Oliver opened his mouth to protest, Professor Dumbledore kindly intervened and invited him to the next meeting if he wanted to come, but suggested that he might not find it useful. Oliver seemed to bristle at that and marched out of the office without a backwards glance. Buffy was on her way out when she heard a kind voice calling her back. She turned and saw Professor Dumbledore beckoning her back. At Percy's worried look, Professor Dumbledore excused him. She heard the door slide shut behind her as she sat again. The Headmaster also sat, but when he spoke again his tone of voice was completely different.
"I am concerned about your Watcher."
"I am, too," Buffy sighed, glancing up. "I've been such an idiot. I'm so wrapped up in Buffy stuff that I completely forget the man saved my life. I should never have let him leave, especially when there are so many out there looking for me. They probably know by now that we're back in the country—"
"Ms. Summers, the fault is not your own," Professor Dumbledore said firmly. "At least, not entirely. There are bigger concerns at the moment. You have missed much while you were, shall we say, asleep."
"I realize that," Buffy murmured.
"Unfortunately, time is no longer on our side. Lord Voldemort will soon know that you've awakened. He will move soon, I fear."
"What makes you so sure he won't wait?" Buffy asked. "I mean, I know he has followers along with the Dementors, the Inferi, his Death Eaters…"
"You don't know him as I do," Professor Dumbledore replied. For the first time, Buffy noticed the deep lines of age that surrounded his eyes. He looked wary and tired, every bit the old Wizard he was. But this was not the time for him to be weak. He was their great general, leading them into battle. He had to hold it together. "You and your sister Slayer are his weapons. To possess you both would bring him immeasurable power, seeing as how close you both are to the one hope our world has left."
Buffy heard her parents' voices in her head and closed her eyes. "You won't have to worry about me, sir."
His eyebrows lifted as he surveyed the deadly serious expression on her face. "You do know what your destiny entails?"
"Every bit of it," Buffy said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "But let me make this absolutely clear to you. What I just went through… I never want to be a part of that. What they did to me… how far they were willing to go… I'd die before I let myself hurt my brother. If it happens, if he activates me or pushes a switch or whatever he's going to do, I'll destroy myself to save him. My parents died for him to give him something, to give him a future. What right do I have to take that away from him?"
Professor Dumbledore let out a long breath and glanced down at his fingers. They were pressed together in a small triangle on his desk. He fought a smile as he glanced up at the young woman. Every uncertainly from the year before was gone. Every last trace of anxiety was gone. Her hazel eyes reminded him so dearly of her father's. But the darkness in her face intrigued him. "You speak of—"
"I don't know where the hell I was," Buffy replied sharply. "I'm not really sure I was dreaming. It was real. It felt so real. I was in this world and I was me and my parents were there. So was Harry and we actually had a sister, Dawn. There wasn't any of this, but they were there and I…"
"They?" he asked lightly.
"The Death Eaters," she spat out. "And when you speak of them committing torture and cruel acts upon humanity, let me tell you I get it. Message sent, perfectly clear."
Professor Dumbledore was watching her carefully. Her agitation was growing and he quickly stepped up to quell it. "Ms. Summers…"
"I can't tell my friends what I've been through because they wouldn't get it. The only people who get are the ones who've been through this before. You know what I mean. You have to. It's… it's going to be bad, isn't it?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded gravely. "This may not be a fight we can win. Many have already died. Hope is fading fast."
"No," Buffy said resolutely. "No. We can't let that hope fade."
"The longer this war is prolonged, the worse things will get," Professor Dumbledore said softly. "If we let things sit too long, we will lose this war. This school will be under Lord Voldemort's control and the world of magic will be his to control."
"I don't accept that," Buffy said flatly. "And you don't either. Otherwise you wouldn't have brought Faith here. You know she's a danger to Harry but still, she's here. And she's in Slytherin?"
"That was the choice of the Sorting Hat and not my own choice," Professor Dumbledore said. The Sorting Hat lifted its point up, eyes peering over the brim to the two talking below before relaxing back into its subtle position. "I believe it was her choice to return and her reasons were true."
"Harry," Buffy scoffed.
"It was either him or Sirius," Dumbledore replied gently. "Frankly, I see the latter."
"Right, because Faith would leap to save her brother when she can trounce mine," Buffy said dryly. "I don't think Faith is here for her brother. I think she came for mine. In case you haven't noticed—"
"I am well aware of the connection between them," Dumbledore said sharply. "Do not underestimate an old man's mind. Perhaps it would be good for them both."
Buffy eyed the Headmaster with growing alarm. Since when did a Slytherin seem good for a Gryffindor – not looking over her own instance with Draco, anyway?
"Perhaps this is something you care to bring up with Faith yourself," Dumbledore said, rising from his chair. "Until then, you are welcome to stay at Hogwarts, though I believe you have a home of your own in London. Should you decide to look after your brother and your sister Slayer, you may. The Order will meet Friday evening to discuss what options we have. It would mean a great deal to many if you were to be there." At seeing the look on her face, he added, "Students will not be invited. You may choose to share what you will if you must."
"Even Faith?" Buffy asked, wondering if Dumbledore would shut Faith out of her own home.
Professor Dumbledore gave her a slight smile as he gestured to the door, which was slowly turning into its opening. "Even Faith."
x-o-x
Wesley was curled up in a comfortable chair, a book settled on his lap. Despite the fact that his Slayers had regarded him as an inexperienced ninny, he was ready to show he was anything but. And yet, Faith was in class everyday, so he spent his time in the Hogwarts library reading. On other occasions, he would take a walk down to Hagrid's hut and visit with the gamekeeper. He really had no desire to go to Hogsmeade despite who invited him. A cup of tea with a certain Auror would cheer him up greatly, but he had more important things to think about.
His eyes moved to a shadow that crossed his path. He set the look aside and leaned forward, recognizing the figure. This is the one he had been fantasizing about, the one that bumped the rating of his dreams to adult. There she was in all of her purple-haired, Technicolor glory.
"You know," he said drolly, watching as the figure moved along the shelves to his left, "you really do stand out."
"Not my intention," came the whispered reply. His lips curved into a smile as Tonks slipped from the stacks and moved closer to him. "I'm working."
"As am I," Wesley said, indicating the book. It was a clever text on the workings of supernatural beings. Of course, the Slayers weren't mentioned. They hadn't been mentioned in any of the dozens of books he'd checked – and most came from the restricted section. But he had another reason for researching other than picking apart false legends in school textbooks. They involved an amulet given to his Slayer by the American Wicca and her friend.
"I'm working harder," Tonks said, cheerfully knocking into a table and sending a few other books flying to the floor. She ignored them as she took the cushy chair across from Wesley, gazing at the unshaven man in front of her. "You look dreadful."
"It's what every gentleman wants to hear in the morning," he said dryly, giving her a pointed look. She looked charming as usual. Dark eyes in a heart-shaped face framed by that hair… she was every bit as delicious as she appeared in his dreams.
"Sorry about that," Tonks said, breaking eye contact and gazing at her nails instead. "I heard there's another Order meeting at Sirius's on Friday."
"You heard correctly," Wesley confirmed. "I still won't forgive you for the crack on my appearance, however."
Tonks blushed, the pink hue adding life to her otherwise pale face. "I did say I was sorry."
"Maybe I don't accept that," Wesley teased, enjoying the flush slowly working its way down her neck.
The woman cleared her throat and forced herself to look away. Maybe this was the reason she had been avoiding Hogwarts. Since they spent time together at Christmas, things had seemed more awkward. Maybe it was because of Remus. Things between both men were cool at their best and she couldn't fault either of them for their taste. She decided to throw in the other piece of gossip she'd heard on her way up from Hogsmeade. She had actually seen it herself, but hadn't really done anything. After all, there were more important things to see to.
"I also assume you haven't been told about Buffy," she said, leaning back in her seat, her arm edging an oil lamp closer to the end of the table.
"I haven't been told anything," Wesley said, leaning forward and setting the book on a nearby table. "What do you know?"
"She's back," Tonks said happily. "She walked into the school not an hour ago before Dumbledore whisked her away to his office."
"Has Faith seen her?"
"I don't know," Tonks replied. "I would assume she hasn't because I don't think Buffy was in the Hall for more than a minute or two."
Wesley ran his tired hands over his face. "I would hope that we would have a few hours' peace before those two are back at it again."
"What makes you so certain that they'd start rowing?" Tonks asked him lightly. "I thought you told me they were sisters in the cause."
"They share a sisterly destiny, yes," Wesley replied with a groan. "But Buffy is a graduate from Gryffindor. Faith is a Slytherin, rooming in the house that Buffy detests. And, in case you haven't noticed, your cousin hasn't exactly been Gryffindor-friendly as of late."
"I am aware of that," she said softly. "Perhaps they can work past that."
Wesley scoffed under his breath. He was reminded of when he first met the Slayers. Buffy had wanted to kill him and Faith… well, Faith had just walked right out. Now, Faith was his charge actually listening to him and training. He wasn't sure what Buffy was going to do. Part of him wanted to see her while the other part wanted to steer clear. He would just have to wait until she came to him – providing she figured out he was there. For now, that was safest. He had more than enough to handle with one Slayer. Having both in the same place again was as effective as painting a target over the school.
x-o-x
Faith, on the other hand, was staring at her roommate's watch during the horridly boring Charms class, desperate to get out. She was half-considered ditching classes but forced herself to endure one torturous hour after another. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great fun either. Both McGonagall and Flitwick seemed oblivious to the fact that her entire world had just turned upside down. Or had it just righted itself? She didn't know anymore.
Something that Harry said about her being the head Slayer echoed in her mind. Something about responsibility, wasn't it? Yeah, right. Like she could ever handle that sort of responsibility. She was more of the middle-of-the-road take-it-as-you-go types. Maybe that was what Harry was attracted to. Maybe he liked that she didn't follow ordinary rules. If she still followed rules, she'd be back on the Hellmouth whining about not being here. Instead, she was exactly what she had sworn to herself she'd never be again: a student. Not only that, but she was a student actually enjoying doing student-like things. She liked sitting in class listening to semi fascinating things. If only they had done this back in her Boston schools, maybe she would have stayed in instead of dropping out.
Her best class was easily Herbology. She didn't need magic in order to plunge her hands into blood-red earth and dig out magical seeds that sprouted into albino pumpkins. She certainly didn't magic to knot up the spider-like ferns that kept copping a feel. She didn't have to feel like such a dunce like she did in Charms. She didn't really know why they let her sit in on these classes anyway: her magic wasn't just ineffective, it didn't exist. She stared at Juliet as she held her wand, her attention focused on the empty goblet in front of her. She was supposed to charm the goblet into filling itself nonverbally. At least Professor Flitwick had stopped giving her a goblet to practice on.
She let out another long breath, her hands tapping the table impatiently. They had an hour to go in the double period, but she didn't want to be here. She was tired. Wesley had had her in the Dark Forest patrolling until the middle of the night. By the time she'd dropped into bed, the first edge of pink had appeared on the horizon. Yawning, she forced her attention back to Juliet. The goblet had filled itself with something delicious and steaming. Faith inhaled the smell as Juliet sat back in her seat, pleased.
"What is that?"
"Hot mead," Juliet whispered back, grinning. "You ever had it?"
"No," Faith replied, snatching the goblet and risking a sip. It tasted like mead, all right. She handed the goblet back, swallowing. Hot beer did nothing for her.
"It tastes better in the bottle," Juliet teased as Professor Flitwick stopped in front of her. He asked her to do the counter-spell which Juliet was all too happy to do. Faith let her eyes wander instead over to where the Gryffindors were sitting. There were seven of them in this class, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hermione was sitting there with her own full goblet wearing a smug look, as usual. Faith wondered what was up with that. The girl took such pride in being a superior know-it-all that it seemed to annoy her best friends more than anything. But she did notice that the girl looked more relaxed. She even teased Ron as the red-faced boy prodded his still-empty goblet with his wand. Harry sat on Hermione's opposite side with a filled goblet talking happily with Neville Longbottom who sat in front of the trio. She sighed as she took in the look on Harry's face. It was joy. Pure joy.
How she longed to feel that wonderful about something again.
"Hey." Juliet's elbow had found her ribs. Faith massaged her side as she glared at her friend. "You need to pay attention."
"To what?" Faith asked irritably. She turned back in her seat to find Harry staring at her. She quickly broke eye contact and looked back to Juliet, reaching for the goblet. "Why don't you show me how you did that?"
"Now she wants to learn," Juliet sighed dramatically as she turned her attention back to the task. But she couldn't resist a smile. She'd heard through the grapevine (basically the Patil twins) of the predestined hormonal exchange between her friend and roommate and the chosen one. Well, they were both chosen. It didn't mean that they really had to act so bloody stupid about it. It was obvious Faith had a thing. Usually when she had a thing, she took it no matter the cost. Harry Potter happened to be her thing. Why she wasn't taking him was beyond her.
Besides, she thought as she eyed a frustrated redhead below, she had her own thing to worry about. As his eyes met hers, she positioned her wand to show him exactly what to do before raising her eyes to her goblet. Her focus found the task and moments later she heard the splash of liquid inside her goblet. She knew he was still watching her. She only hoped he would be able to get it. Stupid, proud Gryffindors.
At last the class came to an end. Faith was given more reading to do (she still had about four books waiting for her down in the dungeons) and she happily left the classroom behind. Juliet tagged along with her, though her attention was diverted elsewhere. As they passed the courtyard, she caught a sole figure out by the fountain. Her feet stopped walking. She heard cries of annoyance as students were forced to go around her, in their hurry to get to the next lesson. Faith suddenly didn't care much for Muggle Studies. Her eyes were on the figure sitting at the fountain staring off into the distance. Faith took a deep breath and figured that the time had come to set her pride aside. This was her sister. This was her moment. She stopped in front of Buffy, finally capturing her attention. Buffy lifted a thin hand to hide what little sun peered through the dreary fog and stared up at her. "Hello, Faith."
"Hello, yourself."
x-o-x
Buffy had been wandering around Hogwarts for a few hours. She knew that students were in classes and she respected that. But she felt out of place here. It seemed so different.
She walked through the case where special awards for school services had been handed out. Her hand trailed on the glass as she read Cedric's name inside. She gave a soft smile as she remembered the way he looked at her, the way he held her when she was down…. No, she couldn't think of that. That never happened. No matter how real it was, he was a figment of her imagination and he was dead. Her father's name was also there. She thought of her father then and shook her head again. It was getting harder to get the mental images of her parents from her head especially as they hadn't been her parents. Oh, in name and physical characteristics maybe but…
From there she had moved onto the science lab. She had never spent time in here as it was mainly used for those taking some science class. Or maybe it was used by the medical staff. She wasn't sure why there was a room full of telescopes and chalkboards and boxes labeled 'science' for. She had never bothered to ask.
The medical wing she passed rather quickly. After waking up and dying in her dreams, both times in a hospital, she'd seen enough of them to last her a good long while.
She rode the moving staircases a few times until she was sure that the portraits on the walls were making fun of her.
After that, she began to wonder where her friends had gone. She was sure Percy had slipped off to the Ministry while she was occupied. She couldn't fault him. That was his job and his responsibility. She supposed Emma had gone with him. She had worked at the Ministry when the attack came. Oliver was probably off making contact with his family. She thought of his family for a moment as the staircase clicked into place. She stepped off and down another corridor, spying the fountain in the courtyard. Dreary sunlight filtered through the fog. It was still chilly outside, but she chose to risk it. The cool air felt refreshing on her skin.
She sat, listening to the sounds of the crows in the distance. She wasn't a big nature-girl, but she did occasionally enjoy this. Okay, so this wasn't the nice California weather she was used to. She much rather preferred her March instead of this frozen tundra. But it wasn't only the weather that concerned her; it was the air. The air itself seemed brimming with evil.
A bell tolled in the distance. Her eyes watched as students passed in the corridor, hurrying away from the cool air. Her eyes stared off into the distance. She could almost see her own golden hair bouncing along as she teased Emma or Katie about something. They were with her, chatting about classes or boys or Hogsmeade, this and that. It seemed like such a simpler time back then.
The gravel in front of the fountain crunched softly. Her senses were alerted to the presence of someone with a lot of power. Her eyes shifted. A hand lifted up to shield what little sun there was from her eyes as she gazed at her sister Slayer. "Hello, Faith."
The figure dropped down on the cold concrete next to her. "Hello, yourself."
"Did you fancy a nice winter stroll or did you actually want something?"
"No, I just came here for myself," Faith replied casually, watching as the last stream of students disappeared. The bell would toll again but her Muggle Studies professor could stuff it for all she cared. This was between her and B. "And for you."
"I'm touched, really, but—"
"No, really. I want this out in the open," Faith replied, sounding amused. Buffy turned her attention to her sister Slayer. "So, let's start over again. Hi, my name is Faith Landing but I go by my alias Delita Black. I'm a Slytherin because that stupid hat thought that I would be a good person to prove my house wrong. Silly little thing, eh?"
"If we're being so proper," Buffy replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm Buffy Summers. I also go by Buffy Potter. I'm a Gryffindor graduate and an outcast, a pariah, a Slayer and fortunately a survivor."
"Now that we got that out of the way," Faith said, jumping to her feet. "It's frickin' cold out here. Let's go inside!"
"Aren't you going to get in trouble for missing classes?"
"This is me you're talking to," Faith replied, tugging Buffy's arm as they walked back into the warmth of the corridor. They continued for a little ways until they found an unused classroom on the ground-level floor. "I quit going to school two years ago. I'm amazed I've lasted this long."
"How in the hell do you manage?" Buffy asked as she sat down at a table, rubbing her hands together to warm them. "I mean, you don't exactly have the magic bug."
"There are classes that aren't all juicing with the mojo," Faith replied. "I mean, I've got the gardening class which is cool. I get to beat up plants. There aren't many people who take pride in that."
Buffy looked amused as she rested back in her chair. "Only you, Faith."
"Muggle Studies is interesting if you want to learn about what you do. There are only so many pictures I can draw of someone answering a telephone. I can't draw more than stick figures. So I figure I can take my Acceptable and move on."
"Have you done any career planning?" Buffy asked. She sounded genuinely interested.
Faith frowned. This was the first time that anyone had shown an interest in her life beyond Hogwarts other than her being a Slayer. Wesley had been talking about preparing for a life like Buffy's, but she didn't want that. Buffy's life as an outcast was crude and lonely and was definitely not something the elder Slayer deserved. She was better than that. She had earned more than that. "I was thinking of being a little school teacher. Give me one of those rulers and those miniskirts any day. I figure if I can charm a naughty professor or two, take 'em for a ride…"
Buffy crossed her arms and leaned back. "I'm being serious."
"So was I. I have no idea what I'm gonna do when I get out of here. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not you."
"Hmm. I think I got that memo from your accent."
"I have an accent?" Faith inquired.
"You don't sound like anyone here."
"Didn't notice," Faith shrugged. "I guess I'm just trying to blend in."
"See, that's the thing I don't get about you," Buffy replied, tapping a finger to her chin. "You seem so cool and five-by-five about everything and yet you don't exactly blend in. If anything, you stand out. Maybe you like it when you're out."
"But I'm not of the out. I'm in the in. I want to be out of the light for once," Faith whined as Buffy rolled her eyes again. "That made no sense."
"When was the last time you slept?"
"I think I got about two hours last night," Faith replied, stifling a yawn. "Wesley kept me out pretty late."
Buffy suddenly sat up in her seat, her eyes sharp and direct. "Wesley? Wesley's in England?"
"Yes and yes," Faith said slowly. "You didn't know, did you?"
"I've been kind of out of the loop lately due to my being in a coma and all."
"It's done wonders for your complexion."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Faith glanced down at the table and noticed she was absentmindedly rubbing her thumb along a ridge. "As for your job, did you ever find out what happened to anyone else on your team?"
"No."
"No?"
Buffy glanced down and shrugged. "I haven't seen or heard from Giles since two days ago," she sighed. "When we got off the plane in London, he just vanished. I don't know. I'm worried about him. I need to talk to him, clear this all up."
"What do you think happened to your team?"
"I think they're dead."
"That's not very optimistic."
"Never said I was."
"Ooh, B… not very Gryffindor of you."
Buffy was quiet for a moment before she started laughing. "And why did you get sorted into Slytherin?"
"I personally think Dumbledore hates me."
"He doesn't hate anybody. If he did, he wouldn't have let Voldemort in as a student all those years ago."
"He was a student here?" This Faith didn't know.
"About fifty or so years ago. A young man by the name of Tom Riddle. He was in your House… I can't believe that no one mentioned it. Draco finds it a pride thing."
"Yeah, about Malfoy…"
"The way that everyone back then thought he was all special made some kind of wonder, but that's just them. Personally, I never respected anyone in Slytherin."
"Gee, thanks," Faith said dryly. "I would also appreciate you not going around dissing my family."
Buffy waited for a beat before coughing, "What?"
"Malfoy, yo. He's my cousin. Well, sort of… I mean, his mother is my first cousin making him my family."
"That's just..."
"Sick? Duh. But I think he got over his little crush on you a long time ago."
Buffy's face was somber. "You didn't see the way he looked this morning."
"I thought he was going to cry," Faith admitted, leaning back in her chair so the front two legs lifted from the ground. "You almost made my Slytherin prince cry."
"I bet I could find more than one way to make him cry." There was that challenging gleam in Buffy's eye again. This was the one that made Faith proud of her. Why wasn't she normally wearing it? Faith didn't know. She didn't understand why Buffy was so casual about her reappearance. They had a great reason to get rid of her but here she was back; there was fanfare, hugs and relief. But there was little else. There wasn't any question as to why this had happened to her. There was no question at all in her eyes, no fire, not anything.
"Don't make me hurt you."
"Faith, please."
"What? You think because you've been sleeping all these months that I've been sitting on my ass doing nothing?" Faith asked incredulously.
Buffy was quiet for a moment before she stood up. Faith glanced up at her. The gleam was gone from her eyes. It was replaced by… fear? Sadness? Regret? What was this?
"B?" she asked tremulously as Buffy began to pace in front of her. "What is it? What happened?"
"It was a dream," Buffy said calmly, facing Faith with resolution in her eyes, "and nothing more."
"A dream?"
Buffy gave her a humorless smile. "It's why I didn't wake up. I was lost and I needed to be found."
"You were lost?" Faith asked, arching one eyebrow as she tipped forward in her seat again. She could hear chairs scraping the floor on the level above them but ignored the sounds. Buffy was definitely troubled with something.
"It's nothing."
"No, it isn't. Not if this is bothering you so much," Faith snapped, getting to her feet. "I think what you saw is getting to you."
"It'd get to you, too," Buffy replied coolly.
"Maybe if I knew what it was, I wouldn't be so—"
"It was like living a dream life," Buffy said quietly, her voice hidden by Faith's rant. The Slytherin shut her mouth and watched as Buffy sat down again, her eyes on the table. "I was happy there. It all made sense. I had my perfect family with my parents and my brother and my sister. I was engaged, I had a job, I was a hero and I felt like I was free."
"But…?" Faith asked curiously.
"Perfection isn't always real, Faith," Buffy said sadly. "It falls apart when given the right chance. The Death Eaters were there and they killed me."
Faith eyed her sister Slayer warily for a moment until Buffy met her eyes. This was the truth; every damn word of this was the truth. "Buffy, I—"
"There isn't anything to say," Buffy said simply. "I lived that and now I'm back and things don't make sense anymore. I don't know why I'm alive."
"You don't think you're important to us, to me?" Faith asked. "No, B. You're alive because you wanted to be."
"Something like that, yeah," Buffy replied. She didn't have the heart to say that the only reason she was alive was because her parents came to fish her out from her subconscious wounds. "I just wish I knew more about why I was hit, you know?"
"I'm just glad you're back," Faith sighed, moving over to Buffy and leaning against the table. "Things have been rough. People die. Things change."
"The Ministry?"
Faith chuckled as she nodded. "Yeah, the Ministry. That was just the beginning. There have been attacks almost daily. People are afraid to leave their homes, much less open their doors to strangers. Death Eaters are reported as walking down streets killing at random. The giants have been making a mess out of the south. The Dementors are breeding which is just perfect because all we need are more baby Dementors crawling around, and—"
"I get it," Buffy said in a tired voice. "Things have been bad."
"But not anymore," Faith replied. "You're here now. The light's off of me."
Buffy almost started laughing. "What, so we're trading responsibility now?"
"I wasn't made to be the chosen one, Buff. We're supposed to be the chosen two."
"As in chosen destiny?" Buffy asked, pushing her chair back. "That's a laugh."
"Come on, B—"
"No, you come on," Buffy replied, turning to face Faith. "I am your sister. Do you hear me? In everything but blood, I am your sister. That means we share. This thing on our arms? We both have that." At Faith's wince, she ploughed on, cutting off Faith's retort. "This means that we're both in this up to our pretty, pretty heads until the end. This means that Harry is the most important thing to us. He has to have our protection." At seeing Faith's stunned expression, she frowned. "What?"
"The mark on your arm may have been given as a gift to you, but I'm not sure about mine," Faith said, making a mental note to show Buffy the letter from Evan Rosier later. "As for Harry needing our protection, I'm the last person to be around him right now."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I, well… he… and I… well…" She rolled her eyes, hoping for the blonde to catch on. As Buffy's eyes widened, she hoped the elder Slayer was on the mark.
"You mean, you two… no way! No way!"
"But then I said no, we can't be together. I was destined to kill and he's destined to live and it just wouldn't work out." She knew her excuse was lame, but it was better than explaining the whole damn thing out now.
"You remember Angel? Tall broody guy with the forehead? The one that I almost killed because I loved him just that much? Yeah… this is starting to remind me of that."
"How are Harry and I reminding you of Angel?" There was another thing she needed to tell Buffy about, Angel being in England and all.
"Forbidden love, all mystical and fiery and yet…" Buffy gave her an appraising sort of look. "Do you like him?"
"Angel?"
"Harry."
"Well…" She couldn't lie to Buffy's face about this. She knew the truth was in her eyes. She looked down and scuffed the toe of her shoe into the floor which was proof enough for Buffy's question. "If I say yes…"
"I'll be relieved."
"Really?"
"Really. You I can tolerate. I'm not sure about those other Gryffindor girls just waiting to get their claws into him."
"Really?" Faith sounded worried now. Had she pushed Harry just far enough to go for someone else?
"Trust me, I lived with them for a year." Buffy sounded amused again. "And… I don't think you're wrong about the other thing. You two had this thing even before I left, before that whole mess with Hermione started."
"I think she's still in love with him."
Buffy's expression was all she needed to know that she was right.
"And, speaking of love, are you and—"
"We're together," Buffy said quietly. "It's just… it feels different now. Everything's changed."
"Tell me about it."
"Faith," Buffy said, suddenly taking Faith's hands. The other woman was so surprised she jumped from where she was leaning on the table. "Don't worry about Harry because we both know that if he wants you, he'll get what he wants. It's sort of your way, too. As for this whole living and dying scenario, his only way out in this world is to kill Voldemort. Don't be afraid to risk something to get everything, even if what you're risking is your heart."
"That was almost touching," Faith replied softly, taking her hands from Buffy's. "Almost award worthy." Swallowing hard, she decided to confess at least part of her sins. "While you were gone, Angel and Spike were in England helping me train."
A gentle smile lit Buffy's face as she noticed the uncertain look on Faith's face. "You really are finding your place in this world, aren't you?"
"I didn't want this," Faith confessed again, gesturing to the walls around her. "Do you really think I wanted to butt in and take your place? You're my sister, B. You're my family. We've got this huge thing and we should be dealing with it, but we're not. We're here because of one magical whiz kid and some prophecy that doesn't even concern us. Do you really think I'd be here if it weren't for him? I don't want to be here. I don't know magic. I can't even get my wand to work! But here I am!"
"This school shunned me after my stunt last year," Buffy said, glancing around her with a fond look. "I remember sitting at the Slytherin table because they were the only ones who would talk to me. That was when I found out who my friends really were. I found that maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright. We would get through this in one piece. But now…"
"People are going to die," Faith surmised. "It'll probably be us. It could be Harry. The rest of the world could fall, too."
"Is Harry even ready for this?" Buffy asked. "I mean, does he even know how huge this is? Everyone is freaking out about all of this bad happening and now the only one who can save us all is a seventeen-year-old Wizard."
"I think what freaks you out is that this could be the end of the world and you're not invited to the party."
"I think I'll crash it," Buffy replied, a small smile lighting up her face.
"Yeah. And when we get called to his evil's service…" Faith let her voice trail off.
"I have no problem with telling him to go to hell," Buffy snapped. "After what those Death Eaters put me through in that dream it'll be a delight to watch him stew. I hope Harry liquefies him."
"Lovely mental picture, that."
"Thank you."
They were further interrupted from their conversation by the timely arrival of Peeves. He stared at the two for a moment before uttering in his usual cackle, "Two little maniacs locked in a room, just like years before. A Potter and a Black, a Potter and a Black…"
"Thinks he means my dad and your brother?" Buffy asked as they moved past Peeves out into the corridors.
"Beats me."
x-o-x
Despite their best assumptions, Harry was taking measures to ensure that he was prepared for the last battle when the time came. That night promptly after dinner Harry bade Ron and Hermione farewell as they trekked back to the Common Room to complete copious amounts of homework. He, in turn, headed to Dumbledore's office. As usual, the Headmaster was waiting for him. He stepped inside the office and waited until the doors were sealed before taking his usual seat.
Dumbledore gazed gravely at him before looking down. "I trust that you have spent sufficient time with your sister."
"Err…" The truth was, he'd only spent a few moments with her that morning. He'd had classes all day. He also heard Faith had disappeared from her lessons after her first few in order to spend time with Buffy. He'd seen them together in the Great Hall parked at the end of the Slytherin table. Neither one was saying anything, but he figured it was the comfort of knowing that the other was alive that meant more than anything.
"I am concerned for her."
"What about, sir?" Harry asked politely. He had arrived for his lessons, not to spend quality time gossiping behind Buffy's back.
"Her return was welcome to many, I fear, but not to all," Dumbledore said heavily. "There are some who wish she remained asleep until your battle was over. But that is not to be the case. She will likely join in the fight at your side. You'll be hard pressed to find another like her, unless you look to her sister Slayer."
Faith wasn't someone Harry wanted to particularly discuss at that moment either, so he kindly brought the conversation back to the lesson.
"Yes," Dumbledore said, rising from his chair and gesturing towards a small pot set on a table near the corner. A slight silver vapor was rising from the pot as was the dreamy aura of mixed thoughts. This was Dumbledore's Pensieve, the place where thoughts were stored and kept for later. Harry had been taking small journeys into the past, seeing Voldemort in his past form as Tom Riddle. They were just about to embark back to the time when the Chamber of Secrets was last opened. Harry wasn't eager to take this trip back – he had confessed to Dumbledore in their last meeting that he had seen this time period after reading Riddle's journal back in his second year – but this was something that had to be done. This was his history lesson.
Taking a deep breath, he prepared to return to a time before he or his parents existed.
x-o-x
Even after three months of being abroad, the Ministry still looked relatively the same as the day they'd left it. Percy and Emma walked through the Atrium, staring at the efforts that had been made to restore it to its former glory. The golden fountain had been removed. The bank of elevators had been replaced. Only half of the fireplaces seemed active. The marble tile had been redone, looking all shiny and new. The air was thick with the smell of fresh paint. But most of all was a row of desks with armed Wizards awaiting them near the shaft that led to the other levels.
"Wands, please."
Percy and Emma both surrendered their wands. The ceiling was only partially repaired, large pieces still missing. The lights which had once lined the ceiling were still out. Light was being cast from hundreds of candles resembling Hogwarts' Great Hall.
Once they had been cleared, they both strolled to the row of elevators. One was active, run by another Auror. Both Percy and Emma entered and Percy gave the orders for the Minister of Magic's office. Once the lift reached that level, they were subjugated to another search before they were allowed into the hallway.
"This is a bit much, don't you think?" Emma asked him in a low voice. There were Wizards milling about, replacing panels on the enchanted walkway. What had once been a wall on either side had turned into a tunnel. They stared at the curved ceiling above their heads, the sun sparkling high above.
"I think it looks nice," Percy replied, squinting as he fixed his eyes on his former office. "Ah, here we are."
Emma took a deep breath as she walked inside. The office was empty for the most part except for two older Witches. Both glanced at Percy in surprise before exchanging a look. Percy greeted both warmly and moved to his makeshift desk, left the way it was from months before except for the copious amount of parchment atop it. The window behind his desk was completely hidden by stack after stack of parchment. Emma stopped on the other side, watching as Percy shifted his parchment and rubbed his hands together eagerly. "I think you're right at home," Emma teased after another moment.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" Percy asked irritably.
"Ha ha," Emma murmured, glancing around. "Who did you find to take over as Minister of Magic?"
"I selected someone a great deal of Ministry employees voted for," Percy muttered as he began shifting aside large stacks of parchment. "He's from the Scottish regional offices. He's very… er…"
"Are you looking for something?" Emma asked, watching as Percy all but shoved a sheaf of parchment off of his desk in order to look through the stacks of paper underneath it.
"I left it here," Percy murmured to himself. "I could have sworn…" With a frustrated sigh, he stormed to the Minister of Magic's office and pushed the door open. Emma glanced over at the two women who were staring after Percy's shadow fearfully before moving to the exit. Emma hid a chuckle as she walked over to the overflowing file cabinets. Part of her was amazed that the records hadn't been touched.
Well, she thought after a moment, all but one of the drawers was untouched. She bent down and traced her fingers along the charred metal from the third drawer. She pulled it open, finding nothing but ashes inside. A single page of torn parchment rested atop a stack of ashes. "Percy?" she called, taking the paper and rising. She heard the man muttering behind her. "Perce?"
"What?" he snapped, storming out of the Minister's office. His face was red half out of frustration and half out of his efforts. His eyes went down to the torn scrap in her hands. "What is that?"
Emma's hands were shaking as she handed it over to Percy. Her eyes had darkened and had fixed into a deadly serious look. "You tell me."
Percy took the page and read what little was on it. Blinking, he glanced up at Emma, whose glare had turned fiercer. "Oh, Merlin…"
Emma just shook her head, her lips tightening as Percy glanced down at the page again. He couldn't even will himself to hold it any longer as it slipped from his fingers, tumbling to the floor.
x-o-x
Rupert Giles returned to Hogwarts late that night. He arrived with the Knight Bus – it had been his first time riding it – and was greeted at the Hogwarts gate by a group of Aurors. After convincing them he really was who he said he was, he was allowed in. Hagrid, the gamekeeper, allowed him entrance. Giles strolled up to the castle with the gamekeeper before taking a short detour and heading for a mug of mead. He had never spent much time with Hagrid, he'd only met him once during his last visit, but the half-Giant seemed pleasant enough.
It was nearing the middle of the night when he finally reached the castle. The caretaker opened the door, glowering at Giles the entire time as the man moved into the castle. After asking for a room to stay at, the caretaker went off grumbling into the darkness. A cat darted between his legs and Giles found himself wishing he despised felines.
After a few minutes, he was shown an empty room. It was actually the size of a closet. Giles called a happy farewell to the bitter man before tucking himself into his room. After setting his bag aside, he pondered for a moment. Making up his mind, he left the room. He was halfway down the corridor when he suddenly ran into another figure moving quickly towards him.
"Wesley!"
"Mr. Giles!"
Both men stopped moving and stared at one another for a moment. Giles quickly cleared his throat and stepped aside, allowing the younger man to pass.
"I heard you had returned," Wesley said with a frown.
"I just returned now," Giles stated. "I'm sorry if I gave you a fright."
"Yes," Wesley frowned. "Quite."
"Would you happen to know where Buffy is staying?"
"I wasn't aware she was staying at Hogwarts," Wesley replied, closing the book he'd been reading and hugging it to his chest. "Faith told me that she spent some time with her this afternoon but she said that things seemed oddly distant between them."
"My Slayer just spent the past five months in a coma," Giles replied quietly. "Of course she's going to seem distant with reality. The last time either of us checked, you were both safe in California."
"Safe?" Wesley scoffed. "Right. I was kidnapped by the wholesome good guys and locked in a room under intense questioning. The only time they let me out is when the Ministry of Magic was attacked. For what reason, I cannot begin to fathom—"
"I believe it has something to do with the Slayers," Giles cut in smoothly. "Specifically, I believe it has to do with Buffy."
"Why her?" Wesley asked curiously.
"She's Harry's sister."
"Faith is a Slayer, too," Wesley replied.
"Yes, I know she is also a Slayer. But Buffy is different. The Ministry wanted to keep her hidden, so they improvised a brilliant strategy to send her thousands of miles into the middle of nowhere."
"Faith returned here without any trouble," Wesley said, his brow furrowing. It seemed incredible that the Ministry of Magic would have so much interest in keeping Buffy hidden while Faith was allowed to thrive under the safety of Dumbledore's thumb. "As did I once I was made aware that Faith had returned to this world."
"I'm assuming that Faith came back for the same reasons Buffy did," Giles sighed.
"No, I'm pretty sure that she came back for Harry," Wesley chuckled. "And yet…"
"The Ministry of Magic doesn't care about Faith like that," Giles said, interrupting Wesley again. "They never did. Why they focused their attention on the elder Slayer I don't know."
"Do you mean the Death Eaters?"
"No," Giles said, shaking his head. "I'm speaking of the Ministry of Magic. I'm beginning to think they were the ones responsible for sending Buffy to Bulgaria and then poisoning her."
"Why would they do such a thing?" Wesley asked, horrified. "She is quite on our side."
Giles glanced at the younger man before swiping his glasses from his face to clean them. "She may be on our side, but so were you. Why did they feel the need to bring you to England and keep you under quarantine?"
"Perhaps they were worried that whoever murdered my father would return?" Wesley asked lightly.
"That could be one guess," Giles said darkly. "Or perhaps it could be that your father was her last Watcher and before that, you were named her Watcher."
"But… but she quit the Council."
"How would the Ministry know?"
"Buffy would have told them. She's not an imbecile."
Giles rolled his eyes as he pushed his glasses back on. "She's no idiot, that much is certain. But not everyone in the Ministry would have been aware that Buffy was out of the Watcher's Council. There are those inside the Ministry who are friendly to her. The young Weasley comes to mind. But, there are others in the Ministry who would see her become a Death Eater."
"The man who rescued me," Wesley uttered softly, "said that I was allowed my freedom because I was a Watcher. I'm almost certain he was a Death Eater."
"That makes sense…" Giles said slowly.
"It just doesn't make sense. Why would the Ministry want Buffy out of England? And why would they go to such lengths to keep her out of this war? Are they so certain she would answer to Voldemort that they deemed her a threat?"
Giles couldn't say anything. He remembered what Quentin had told him the night before. His hands began to tremble as he pushed them into his pockets. If the Ministry had been the ones to poison Buffy and he had saved her….
"Perhaps this is a discussion best kept for morning," Giles said brusquely. "We should get some rest. Morning will come soon."
"You're quite right. Good night, Mr. Giles."
"Good night, Wesley."
Giles turned and walked back to his door, pushing it open. Once inside, he let the door close before pushing back against it, pulling his glasses off. Inside, he could hear his mental barrage. You fool, he heard his conscience whisper. You may have condemned her to a terrible fate.
As Wesley sped past, opening the book as he made his way to his door, a figure slipped out of the shadows. Faith had just returned from 'hunting' as she liked to call it when Wesley and Giles had run into each other. Buffy's verbal concerns about Giles suddenly made great sense.
Buffy's incarceration suddenly made sense. The Ministry had no idea what to do with her. They thought she was just some cannon ready to roll off the rack and make a splash? Why not ship her off to Bulgaria and be done with it?
But the part that disturbed her more was Wesley's question: why would the Ministry do such a thing? If they had poisoned Buffy… that must mean that everyone inside the Minister's secret circle would have been aware.
Anger as she hadn't felt for a great long while began to fuel her inner fire. Her eyes blazed as her hands curled into fists. Percy Weasley. The man had snuggled up to the Slayer to gain her trust before betraying her so wholly. She fought to breathe as she thought of his good intentions and how much she hadn't trusted him in the beginning, how much she still didn't. She had considered him someone who just had a petty crush, but perhaps this was something more. She had always thought he was sketchy, always thought he was capable of something like this. Hadn't Harry told her what Percy had done to him? All of a sudden, it made perfect sense that Percy was capable of such deception.
She stole down to the dungeons, sneaking around corners to avoid Mrs. Norris and the prowling caretaker always on her heels.
As she pushed her way into her room, she felt like tearing the room apart. Her anger was driving her energy which was suddenly exploding. She sat on her bed, her mind already formulating a plan. The next time she saw him, Percy was a dead man. She was going to make him pay for betraying her sister.
x-o-o-x
Next chapter: The last meeting of the Order of the Phoenix as well as another glimpse of Dumbledore's Army.
Author's note: Things are starting to pick up again. This story is finally on its closing course… there are only seven chapters left! I hope to have this story done by May. Honestly.