Author's Note: As always, my beta Grace rocks my world. She's been with me for almost the entire journey and I wouldn't have come this far without her. Through a hectic and sometimes muddled beginning to this bittersweet end, I owe you so much. From the late night idea throwing to her pages of notes and questions, it has helped me more than you can possibly know especially in the past year since I've been treated. And if thanking her isn't enough, I have to thank Aly, too. Her persistent nagging about two certain characters has definitely led to this moment.
x-o-o-x
Chapter 18
You Are My Enemy
x-o-o-x
"It is a sin to believe evil of others, but it is seldom a mistake."
- H.L. Mencken
x-o-o-x
Percy and Emma stood in silence, staring at the slip of paper on the floor between them.
"How long has that been there?" Emma asked in a breathless voice. Taking a deep breath, Percy bent down to retrieve the scrap.
"I don't know," he said quietly. "I… I didn't know this existed."
"It was right there," Emma said, lifting her hand to point at what remained of the tarnished drawer. "Why would they go to the trouble to destroy one drawer? There are fourteen others right there. What was so important about this one?"
Percy shrugged as he inspected the drawer, handing the note back to Emma. "I'm not certain, but I think this is where all correspondence was kept between Minister Fudge and the foreign offices."
"Including Bulgaria?"
Percy sighed and nodded. "Likely Bulgaria."
Emma glanced back down at the scrap of parchment again. In large italic letters the script read, 'detain Slayer by necessary means'. "Do you think the Minister knew of this?"
"I'm almost certain he did," Percy replied, running a hand through his hair as he leaned against his desk. "But…" His memory took him back to just mere moments before the attack on the Ministry. Minister Fudge and Dolores Umbridge had been inside his office discussing Buffy. They had been the first to know that Buffy had been attacked. He could only assume that the Minister had known about the plan to keep Buffy 'detained' at whatever cost.
"Why her?" Emma asked in an angry voice.
"Because she was so close to all of us," Percy whispered in realization. He glanced at Emma, horror flashing in his eyes. "To me, to the school, to Harry…"
"But we both know she didn't do anything wrong!" Emma snapped.
Percy scoffed as he pushed the decrepit drawer shut with the edge of his foot. "Aside from giving her soul to the Dark Arts to become the ultimate Slayer? She scared a lot of people with that stunt."
"Percy," Emma replied in an aggravated voice. "You are her best friend. You have stood by her countless times when they questioned her identity and then again when they questioned her sanity. But when word gets out that the Ministry was responsible for her poisoning—"
"Whoa, whoa," Percy murmured, glancing at Emma. "Slow down, Em. What are you saying? Do you really think--?"
"I really do think," Emma said seriously. "If they wanted to keep her detained, it would make sense they would poison her. Mr. Giles did say that the man who attacked them both wore no Dark Mark. He could have been contracted by a foreign agency. Perhaps he was in league with Voldemort, we don't know. The Ministry has been under fire lately because of its inability to protect its public. What will happen to the credibility of the Ministry when the public discovers that it turned on its own hero's family?"
"I don't know," Percy said honestly. "I really don't. I wish I had the answers…"
Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder. "Percy, they need to know the truth."
"I can't do that to her," he said nervously. "Not now… not after she's been through so much."
"She deserves to know the truth," Emma shot back. "Percy, this isn't just some little thing. This is people's lives we're talking about here. Were you not the one who said you would do anything for her? How will she look upon you when she believes that you were part of the very institution that betrayed not only her brother, but her as well? You know what Umbridge did to Harry and you did nothing to stop it!"
"I was… that was a long time ago, Em."
"Nevertheless," Emma replied, sounding close to tears, "she needs to hear it from you. Tell her that the Ministry was the one that took her to Bulgaria and likely poisoned her. You didn't know anything about it!"
Percy stepped away from her, away from the entire mess, blinking hard as he thought. "They were worried about her," he murmured. "The day of the attack, they were talking about her attack. They said that they needed her out of there. They wouldn't have done this. They couldn't have done this."
"If it wasn't Minister Fudge, it had to be someone from this office," Emma replied coldly. "We both know that there were Death Eaters and they were close to Fudge. Maybe it was Malfoy or Travers, I don't know. But don't justify this attack through her."
"They could have attacked the Ministry to ascertain her location…"
"They had someone on the inside," Emma murmured. "They had to have. Perce, you need to take responsibility for this."
"But if she believes the Death Eaters poisoned her, then her anger will be rightly just towards them."
"You're forgetting one thing, Percy."
He glanced up at her through his glasses. Her face wore a tired, sad expression as she leaned against the file cabinet. "What?"
"She's one of them. Whether you want to accept it or not, she bears that Mark. We have to believe that they wouldn't do anything to harm her. They have no reason to. If she believes that the Death Eaters were the ones that attacked her, then they win. When he activates the Slayers, do you have any idea where that anger is going to go? The entire world would be screwed because nobody has the power to stop that kind of anger. Nobody. Not even Harry, her own brother. That power almost killed her the last time it was activated."
"What would you have me do?" Percy asked in a low voice.
"Tell her that someone in the Ministry wanted her down, wanted her out. You went to rescue her because you believed that it was wrong. And I know that you're a puppeteer of this Ministry and I get that. I really do. But you have to take one for this."
"She may never forgive this government," he said, his tone shaking.
"But she may someday forgive you." Percy turned sharply to Emma, who wore a small smile. "You befriended her when she first came here. You stood by her when she went through the trials. You never left her side. Don't make that mistake now."
He chuckled as he turned back to the window, watching as the fake sun shone into the office. Drawing a deep breath, he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension melt away. "You're right. Since when have you been so brilliant?"
"I guess you never noticed," Emma replied with a wry grin as she glanced at the papers scattered on the floor. "I should be getting to my own office."
"You wouldn't leave me with this mess now, would you?"
"I guess I'm not in a rescue mood today," Emma replied with a laugh. "Besides, it'll give you something to think about other than all of this." She moved towards Percy and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "It'll be a nice change to see a man clean for once."
"You torture me," he groaned.
"But you like it," she replied cheerfully, removing her arm from his shoulders and sweeping from the office. Percy watched her go, thoroughly bemused. Since when had he valued her friendship? At Hogwarts, he didn't know she existed. And now, he couldn't imagine a day without her.
x-o-x
"Well, well, look who it is."
"It's good to see you, too, bro," Faith grinned, neatly stepping out of the fireplace at Grimmauld Place. She looked fondly around the dining room, her eyes leveling on Remus Lupin. "Hey, Loony."
"Hello, Faith." Lupin sounded bemused today.
"So, what's the what? Why the call?" Faith asked, walking over and dropping down into a seat, which squealed in protest. Sirius sat down next to her, reaching for his tea. "You got some big end-of-the-world plans or do you just really miss your baby sister?"
"A little of both, actually," Sirius replied, rolling his eyes. "Actually, it's about—"
"Faith!"
Faith let out a small squeal at seeing a tall, brooding brunette and a smaller, peroxide form hovering in the doorway. "You're back!"
"They never left."
Faith glanced at the scowl on Sirius's face and jabbed him with her elbow as she brushed past them. "That isn't very hospitable now is it, Mr. Black?" She let out a long breath as she faced both vampires. "Have you heard?"
"That she's awake?" Angel asked. "Yes, your brother was kind enough to inform us."
"Yeah, what the big emotional lug is saying is that we want to see her, pet," Spike replied, cheerfully barging into the dining room and taking a seat on Sirius's opposite side. "Just to make sure for ourselves that she's good and all."
"Oh, she's great," Faith sighed, taking the seat next to Remus. "She just full of greatness. Unless you're like, you know, breathing. While I know you aren't, but damn! Something went down and she's taking it hard. I don't think she's all together up there."
She noticed that Remus seemed to be paying attention to what she was saying. Sirius was pointedly seducing his tea and was completely ignoring the vampires who had long since worn out their welcome. "You feel she's been through a traumatic event?"
"She's gone through them before," Faith protested. "Back when she killed Angel."
There was a pause before Angel crossed his arms and frowned. "She's right."
"No," Remus said quietly. "She isn't. Buffy is a resourceful girl—"
"Forgive me for saying this, Moony, but you don't have a frickin' clue what you're talking about," Faith snapped. "There's only one person in this country that has a clue what she went through."
"Willow," Angel said simply.
"Willow," Faith agreed. "And before you go on with your we-all-love-Buffy-because-she's-Harry's-sister bit, you have to remember that she was a person eighteen years before that, too. She killed Angel here and she managed to make it through."
"Faith—"
"No," she said sharply, turning at her brother's voice. "No. Let me say this. I need to get it out. Buffy's just a girl, you know? She's luckier than most because she's got this gift. She doesn't exactly love the job, but it's become a part of her. Enter young Potter. Girl's got a whole new life to worry about. So she does the school thing. She finds out that the Slayer is a bit darker than even black mojo and gets tagged for it. So now the bad guys want her to be one of them, the good guys want her to be one of them, but she isn't, you know? She's in a grey area."
"Does this diatribe have a point, Faith?" Sirius asked, massaging his head.
"I'm getting to it," Faith said, glaring at her brother. "She's got mojo and this gift and they sort of balance the other out, dark and light. But then someone decides to play with her and knock her out for a few months. What happens when she wakes up? She's a girl with no gift and little mojo. Something happened to her. Something big… something that broke her."
"You think she was tortured?" Angel asked quietly from his corner.
"By the good guys," Faith replied, leaning back in her seat, her rant done.
There was a ringing silence for a moment before Spike scoffed. "You've got to be bloody joking."
"No joke," she said seriously.
"What do you mean it was the good guys that tortured her?" Remus asked mildly.
"You've got no love for the Ministry, Moony. They ostracized you, had you hated enough to quit the Hogwarts gig. Imagine when someone with as much power as a Slayer comes in and threatens them with power. What do they do? They knock her out and leave her down."
"You are aware that you are accusing the Ministry of doing exactly what you say they did," Sirius said quietly.
"I don't have to accuse them," Faith snapped. "I know it's the truth. The Ministry doesn't deserve her. They don't deserve our help. They crossed a line here. She was doing the right thing. And when she finds out—"
"You're going to tell her?" Angel asked quietly.
"Damn right."
"Does your Watcher know?"
"I overheard him and Giles talking about it," Faith explained. "I came to my own conclusions."
"It's that bloody git, isn't it?" Spike asked. "The redheaded one with the hidden horns?"
"The one who supposedly loved her enough to go and save her life? You bet. He probably wanted to hide her away in that hellhole until the dark guys were toast. But that's not gonna happen now."
Angel sighed and dropped his head back on the wall. "I knew her returning here was a mistake."
"Do you… do you honestly realize what you're saying?" Sirius asked, flabbergasted. He loved his sister, certainly. But this was almost too much.
"You both know that the Ministry can't be trusted," Faith replied calmly. "They ostracized Moony, but you Sirius? They turned you into a fucking scapegoat. They didn't bother to consider for one damned second that you were innocent. Nope, they just threw you into Azkaban with those dementoids and threw away the key. They have no considerations for the heroes. They just break them and use them and throw them away. Say Harry does what he tries to do. He wins the final battle and all. Who will take credit for that victory? The government. Because that is what they do best."
"What are you suggesting?" Spike asked.
"We change the rules," Faith said simply. "We take it our way. We have two Slayers, two vampires and two witches. That leaves them with jack squat in the supernatural aside from the heavy mojo. We've been playing by their rules too long. And I'm sick of it."
"What about Harry?" Angel asked. "He does factor into the final battle significantly. We can't leave him unguarded. Even Buffy isn't unhinged enough to let that happen."
"We take him with us," Faith replied. "He probably hates the Ministry as much as we do. This was all about him in the beginning."
Remus and Sirius exchanged an uncomfortable look. They both knew that Harry's feelings towards the Ministry of late had cooled, but would he ever truly leave Dumbledore? Neither one chose to voice this concern and held their silence, waiting to see what would happen next.
Spike was staring hard at her. "I never knew you had it in you."
"What can I say?" Faith asked, tipped her chair back to lift her feet onto the table. "I'm feeling mighty rebellious of late."
"I'd say the Slytherin spirit is deep within you."
"I'd say it was a factor, yes," Faith drawled. "The problem is—"
"We'll go to Willow," Angel said suddenly. "We'll let her know what's going on. Then we'll snoop around, see what the underworld has got for us."
"Our very own playground," Spike murmured, his smirk growing.
"When the time comes, we'll act on Buffy."
"Let me worry about her," Faith assured Angel. "She's my sister. She'll listen to reason."
"There are those within that school and within the government who will not wish her to leave," Remus pointed out.
"I'll deal with them too, even if I have to kill them." At their surprised looks, she added, "What?"
"You may still need help," Sirius said, leaning onto the table. "You might be able to use the Order—"
"Absolutely not," Faith said sharply. "Do you know who's even in the Order? The Weasleys. Who, the last time I checked, like the new government. I don't trust them. I'm not too sure about the one who's the head of the Order, either."
"He can be trusted," Remus said quietly.
"You don't seem to get it, do you?" Faith asked, turning on him. "This was never about you. You can throw all your little magic people at us you'd like, but it doesn't change the fact that this is over. I'm done pretending I even care about this magical world. The only person who means anything is Harry Potter." She turned on Sirius. "You're his godfather. You'd give your life for him. So would I. We have ties over here, sure. But we're done waiting to see how your people could screw us next. Either you fight your own war and stop whining about people dying and actually do something or get out of our way."
Rising, she turned to Sirius. "Was there anything else, dearest brother?"
"No." He was quite taken aback by his sister's anger. It seemed as though Buffy's return had shaken the younger Slayer more than he knew.
"Good. Angel—"
"We'll take off after sundown," Angel replied, his eyes shifting to Sirius. "We do thank you for your hospitality, even if all we've been doing is giving you grief."
Sirius gave him a pained smile. "I do appreciate the fact you've been utter pains in my ass for the past few weeks, but the company was enjoyable." He cast a look at Remus, whose jaw had dropped. "But you're still my best mate, Moony."
"What are you going to do?"
"My job," Faith said, moving towards the fireplace. "I was brought to Hogwarts for my own protection. But I don't think that's gonna be a problem anymore. They're the ones who are going to need the protection once I'm through with them. I've got Harry and Buffy to watch over. It'll keep me busy. I can play student in the meantime."
"I think it'd be wise if you didn't mention this little insurrection to the Order," Spike added, turning to both Sirius and Remus. "We don't know how they'd react."
"They'd probably knock us both out again," Faith sighed.
"And Buffy?" Remus asked lightly. "Will you speak with her before the Order meets?"
"I don't think so," she said, her smile widening as she saw the flash in Remus's eyes.
"Now who is playing whom?" he asked mildly, but there was a hint of anger in the premature lines of his face. The thought of Dumbledore's trust betrayed by an unknown pawn irked him.
"You started it," Faith deadpanned as she took the Floo powder and threw it in the fire. "Slytherin Common Room, Hogwarts." Turning back, she gave both vampires a respective smile. Her eyes hardened when she turned to her brother and his best mate. "Love you, bro." A moment later, she disappeared.
x-o-x
"Hermione, I didn't know you were here."
Hermione set aside her book and glanced up as Harry walked into the Room of Requirements. "I just came early to do a bit of light reading. You?"
"I was thinking about the next meeting."
"Of Dumbledore's Army?" she teased, getting to her feet and setting the book aside. His eyes, which had been lingering around the room, landed on the book.
"Is that the one?"
"That's the one," Hermione breathed. "You just have to see it, Harry. It's beyond incredible. Some of these Wizards know their craft. And I believe it may be of use to you."
"Of use," Harry said humorlessly, sitting on the edge of the table and watched. "Have I said anything about how of use I feel lately?"
"Harry…" Hermione began.
"No, really. My big sister comes back and she says maybe three words to me and disappears. The world is falling apart and yet here I am, not even willing to do anything about it."
"Harry, you can't save everyone," Hermione said, getting to her feet and moving to the table where he sat, his eyes closed and a heartbreaking look on his face. "You can't save me. You can't save Ron. You can't even save Buffy. We're not the ones you have to worry about. People are dying and yes, I'll admit that it's hard to just run out and start war, but maybe it's time we do."
He opened his eyes and looked at her. He felt something of old feelings stir within him, reminding him of why he had fallen for her in the first place. "I'm not ready."
"You don't have to be ready, Harry. Do you think anyone was ready when this whole thing started? Voldemort is evil. He makes the rules as he goes along. He's baiting you. Both you and Dumbledore. Sooner or later, this will have to end."
"I know," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders. "But how am I going to ask my friends to die for me? It's breaking my heart right now asking you."
"We've been through so much together," Hermione agreed, feeling rather warm that she was so close to him again. "You've taught me so much. But you know that Ron and I are with you to whatever end, right?"
Harry gave her a brilliant smile, tears shining in his deep eyes. "I knew you were my best mate for a reason."
Hermione gave a laugh as he hugged her. She struggled to keep the flutters from her abdomen as she pulled away. "I can't believe we're going to save the world."
"It seems so small, doesn't it?" Harry agreed, chuckling.
"Your sister does this every year it seems."
Harry knew in his heart the time had come to talk to his sister and get everything in the open. He would deal with that after the DA meeting which was starting at any time. He had called them there, hoping to speak with them before the Order met later. "I think she's pretty good at it, when she's not dying."
Hermione moved away from him, retrieving the book. "I still think this will help," she said, changing the topic of their conversation.
"What have you found?"
"There's this guardian spell that uses old magic from the Earth. There's another that's a shield charm used to protect against fire. There are so many things in here… like making your own luck? Professor Snape has us creating the Felix Felicis, but this is a more subtle form of luck without some of the dramatic ingredients—"
Suddenly feeling like he could listen to recite the greatest spells and potions the book had to offer all day, Harry leaned back against the wall, drawing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. It was one of the things that endeared her to him so much, the fact that she had such great passion when it came to books.
x-o-x
As the meeting of Dumbledore's Army was underway, Buffy was curled up on one of the oversized wicker chairs in Hagrid's hut, listening to the half-giant tell his own heroic and less-than-thrilling tale of trying to find a mate for his elder brother Grawp. As much as it compared to her own love life at times, the story was quite frightening. But Hagrid seemed in an enlightened mood today, so she let the man talk. She knew she had the Order meeting later that evening and was looking forward to it, preparing to return to the Order again. When asked why she was so adamant, she wisely said she had her reasons which none seemed to know about. She hadn't yet told anyone about her dreams and, if she was lucky, she would take them to her grave. Hagrid had already said he wasn't going to the meeting tonight, so she wanted to catch up on all of Dumbledore's latest news before she headed out.
She was spared by a sudden knocking on the door to Hagrid's hut. The half-giant stood, nearly spilling the small bucket he was drinking from. "Who's there?"
"It's me, Hagrid," came a feminine voice.
"Rudding right," he muttered, stomping over and pulling the door open. "Oh, Nymphadora, come in, come in. We were just having a drink."
"We?" she asked shortly, glancing around the hut. As usual, Fang was in his corner with his head down, sound asleep with a puddle of drool around its jaw. There were two bats hanging upside down, both sleeping. It was then a figure lifted its head from a chair and looked at her. "Oh, Miss Potter."
"Hi, Tonks," Buffy said cheerfully, swinging her legs over the side of the chair and standing up. "How've you been?"
"Rather well as of late," Tonks said, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. "I had been looking for Wesley, err, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce."
"Haven't seen 'im," Hagraid said, glancing at the blonde. "All right?"
"I'm good, Hagrid," Buffy said, patting the man on his elbow, or what little of it she could reach. "I'll catch you later, right?"
"You are always welcome, Buffy," Hagrid said, cheerfully closing the door behind the women.
"So, I guess I'm going with you to this meeting?" Buffy asked, jogging to catch up with Tonks. The older woman looked somewhat flustered and was panting. Her dark eyes sought out the Slayer and she frowned, realizing the woman wasn't even out of breath and they were trekking up the sharp side of the hill to Hogwarts.
"What?" Tonks gasped, clutching her hip as her breath hitched. "Oh, the Order. Yes, yes, of course, you are welcome to come with me."
"Thanks," Buffy said cheerfully, looking around the late-winter scene and pulling the wool coat she wore tighter to her body. "I haven't seen much of my friends lately. Percy and Emma have returned to work at the Ministry and Oliver's off visiting his family." She gave a nervous chuckle. "I've been thinking about returning to London."
"Why would you do that?" Tonks asked as they began the slow ascent back to the castle again.
"Have you ever felt like you weren't welcome?" At Tonks' dark smile, she shrugged. "It's something like that."
"Why would you feel you were unwelcome?" Tonks asked politely as they reached level ground again.
Buffy sighed as she paused, turning back to stare at the dying sunlight. "It's just this feeling I'm getting, you know? I've been away for some months now and, to me, it seems like just yesterday. I know things have changed but am I that out of the loop? Am I that far gone?"
"I'm really not the one you should be asking," Tonks said uncomfortably, pushing open one of the side doors and stepping into a corridor. Once inside, she shook the snow off of her coat.
"I wish I could explain it," Buffy said, feeling a desperate need to suddenly talk. Why she was suddenly so comfortable with talking to who she felt was a stranger she didn't know. It certainly beat trying to explain this to Faith or Giles or Harry or any number of people she felt a connection to. "I feel like I'm a ghost, drifting from corridor to corridor. Part of me wonders if I'm even alive. My senses are just buzzing but I don't know what to do about them. The end of the world is coming."
"You don't know that," Tonks said, not really believing her words but knowing that she owed the Slayer at least the comfort of them. "And you're a Slayer. Apocalypses are your specialty."
Buffy scoffed and folded her arms, using her foot to push the door shut behind her. "It just doesn't seem real."
"None of it seems real," Tonks whispered, closing her eyes and turning away from the Slayer. "Most of us have spent our lives preparing for this and yet none of us seem ready to face it head-on."
"But you're asking my brother to risk his life—"
"This wasn't our call, Buffy," Tonks said as they walked through the corridors towards the main staircases. They quickly stepped on as it began to move across, forming a bridge with another staircase. They quickly traversed it as the case continued to move to the opposite end. "This is prophecy."
"I don't give a damn about prophesies," Buffy muttered bitterly as they continued to walk. "How can you ask a seventeen-year-old boy to give up his life for this?"
"How could your Watcher have asked a sixteen-year-old girl to die because a stupid prophesy foretold it thousands of years before?" At Buffy's sigh, she continued. "Your brother is our last hope. I hope one day you can understand the lengths we have gone to in order to protect him."
Buffy bit her lip, closed her eyes and nodded. "I think I do know."
Tonks shook her head sadly. "I don't think you do."
At the next junction, they ran into a pair of men walking towards them. One dropped the book he was carrying and the other put a hand to his chest in surprise. "Nymphadora," Wesley gasped, bending down to retrieve his book.
"Look what I found," she said cheerfully, canting her head towards the blonde who walked next to her.
"Buffy," Giles said, nodding at his Slayer who respectfully nodded back. "I thought you would be at your brother's meeting."
Buffy cast a look at the groups of students milling around them, completely unfazed by the four adults standing in the juncture. The relief at seeing her Watcher alive and well was evident in her gaze. "I was thinking about it. But I'm more concerned about tonight's meeting."
"That's only a few hours away," Tonks added.
"We were not invited to any meeting," Wesley said in a tone that clearly stated he did not like being left out of things.
Buffy opened her mouth to invite him when Tonks cut in. "I'm sorry that the Watchers haven't been invited," she said hastily. "But it may be a good idea if you would acquiesce and not attend the meeting." Buffy closed her mouth and looked at Tonks in surprise. Wesley frowned slightly and Giles sighed, reaching up for his glasses.
"Tonks, that's rude," Buffy said, sounding surprised at the Auror's actions.
"I had no intention of being rude," Tonks said smoothly. "But considering the circumstances, perhaps it would be best that—"
"So, Giles," Buffy said, cutting off Tonks with her high-pitched, cheerful tone, "wanna crash a party tonight?"
The Watchers exchanged an uncomfortable look as Buffy and Tonks glared one another down, Auror against Slayer. It was obvious the clear victor just by brute force, but in a battle of wills it was Buffy who first turned away. "Buffy, could we talk?"
"Of course, dearest Watcher," Buffy said, giving Tonks one last wounded look before joining her Watcher as they disappeared down the corridor. Wesley waited a moment longer before turning accusatory eyes to the young woman who stood beside him, holding her breath and waiting for this very moment.
"I do not understand what your issues are but I suggest you clear them out before you speak with her again," Wesley said, glaring at Tonks who seemed to draw up to her full height and meet his gaze haughtily. "To incur the wrath of a Slayer, no matter which, is a foolish deed and one that would see you dead!"
"I'm related to one Slayer and the other didn't seem much of a threat," Tonks said, smothering a yawn. "It would be nice to light a fire beneath her again."
Wesley's gaze darkened as he stared off in the direction the Slayer had gone. "Give her time."
Giles and Buffy had just reached the end of the corridor when suddenly reached over and hugged her Watcher. "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked, awkwardly patting her back as she broke away from him.
"What you did, saving my life and everything." She gave him her pretty smile and shrugged. "Pretty much everything you've put up with since you were dragged to Bulgaria."
Remembering what Quentin had told him, Giles swallowed uneasily and attempted to downplay his role in her rescue. "It was nothing, really."
"It means a lot to me," she said quietly as she moved on, staring at the few snowflakes that drifted down from the massive windows looking outside. "I saw my parents again."
"Buffy?" Giles asked, approaching the Slayer, but her voice was so quiet he wasn't quite sure she was speaking at all.
"Where I was and what happened to me isn't important," she said softly. "But the people in my life who aren't here anymore… they matter to me. And they reminded me that the most important thing in this world is to live in it. There are people here who matter, particularly one person. If I have to give my life for that one person, then I'll do it."
"Buffy, there is a good chance that none of us will make it out," Giles said, feeling that the opening had come at last. "But if there's one thing you've taught me in the past few years, it's that you won't stop fighting until the evil is gone or until you're dead. Not even that silly Mark on your arm will change that. Even though you aren't the same woman who went to Bulgaria, you are still my Slayer and I am extraordinarily proud of you."
Buffy blinked at the sudden tears in her eyes and turned to her Watcher. "Now that means a lot to me," she whispered. "I know I haven't been the same since I woke up, but there's still hope for me, right?"
"There's always hope for you," Giles said, unable to stop a smirk from his face, "and there always will be."
"I'll try not to take that as an insult," Buffy said dryly, slowly pulling her coat from her shoulders. As Giles opened his mouth to talk again, a loud voice echoed down the corridor, drawing Buffy's attention. "Hold that thought," she continued, taking a few steps and shouting back a reply. "I suppose I should motor. I'll see you after the meeting?"
"Yes," he sighed, watching his Slayer take off towards the teacher's lounge where the voices were undoubtedly coming from. He had no desire to sit in another bureaucratic disaster of a meeting listening to good fighters do nothing again. He missed being a part of this, he thought sadly. The apocalypse gave him meaning and it gave his Slayer fire. Maybe the reason she was back after all was to light a fire beneath her again because she sure as hell wasn't ready to fight now.
x-o-x
Willow and Tara had just left the student union on their way back from a late-night film festival. Smothering a yawn, Willow breathed in the cold air and wrapped her coat tighter around her body as Tara fell into step next to her. They'd both been silent for awhile, but after their busy scheduled had kept them apart since before winter break, they'd finally found a chance to get together and do something fun for a change. It was then that she felt a chill at the base of her spine work its way upwards. She reached out and took Tara's arm, causing the older girl to gasp. "What?"
"There's something behind us," Willow whispered, her mind immediately thinking vampire. She reached deep into her coat and found the stake she always kept with her. Though Oxford was hilariously devoid of demonic activity, she knew that one way or another a vampire would wind up on campus at some point. She drew the stake out, ready to pounce when she heard a twig snap to their left. Tara jumped over, knocking the stake from Willow's hand. As it clattered to the ground, Willow spun around, reaching to punch at the vampire behind them. Her scream caught in her throat as she recognized the familiar form of Angel behind her. From their left, Spike meandered out, giving Tara a good once-over.
"Angel?" she asked softly.
He glanced at Tara; the witch glared right back at him. She wasn't backing down from this one. The past few months spent learning about both worlds she was now accustomed to had taught her that much. "We need to talk," he finally said, gesturing to the patch of woods behind them.
"What is it? Is it Xander?"
"No, pet, but it wouldn't be such a bad notion to call him on this, too."
This took Willow's attention as she looked from Spike to Angel. "What's going on?"
"It's Faith."
x-o-x
Harry found himself strangely moved as he glanced over the Room of Requirement, filled with his friends and those he never took the time to get to know. He felt slightly guilty at that, but strangely comforted by their unfamiliar faces nonetheless. It meant that more than just his friends were willing to stand with him in this battle. They didn't know what he was going to ask from them. He didn't even know how to ask it of them. All he knew was that the time had come to try.
"Thanks for coming." Their only response was a half-dozen tense smiles. His eyes searched the room. Faith wasn't there, but Juliet had assured him (through Ron) that Faith wasn't present because she was serving extra classes for skiving off so many when Buffy had first returned. He glanced curiously between Ron and Juliet, looking for something, but found that there really wasn't anything there except for petty bickering about their Houses. His eyes flitted over to Ginny, who gave him an encouraging nod. Hermione wore a pensive expression, though she seemed to know what he was going to say. His roommates watched him with a somber expression. His support came from Ron; the intense look never left his eyes, but there was a hint of anxiety there as well.
"When we first started the DA, it was meant as a way for you to learn to defend yourselves in order to pass the O.W.L. for Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry began. "Well, most of us have passed our O.W.L.'s and don't need the study anymore. Some of us will need to pass the Defense N.E.W.T. in order to continue on to Auror training, but what point is there if the world will just blow in our faces? As we continue on day to day, Voldemort is getting stronger." It was a mark of the integrity of the DA that not one of them winced when he said the name. "Each day he takes a piece of our soul and reminds us that until he is dead the world isn't safe. In a few months, several of us will leave this castle, perhaps forever. What sort of world are we walking into? It isn't safe. It isn't secure. It sure as hell isn't ready for us. We deserve to have a future in a world that's safe from Voldemort's power. Whether or not he can truly ever die is nothing that you will ever need to worry about. But what you do need to worry about is what I'm going to say next.
"The future of the magical world is at risk from Voldemort's evil. He has the power to corrupt and destroy everything that our parents and our parents' parents fought for and died for. Are we really to let that happen? The world is ready to fall to him. One more disaster will turn even the most conservative heart to his power because he promises safety. He promises. His promises are poison! He promised to kill me! He has failed. Every single time that Wizard comes against me, he failed. One thing that a dark Wizard hates more than anything is to fail. I promise you that those who have died will not have died in vain. I promise you that this world will be safe for your families and for your children and for your futures. But this is not a battle I can win alone. I need your help."
"We're with you, Harry," Ginny said softly, her eyes shining with pride.
Ron glanced at his sister with a little smile and grinned. "Right on."
"We won't let you down," Neville said, attempting a smile. There were other murmurs of consent as dozens of eyes turned back to their leader.
"You joined this club because you believed I had something to teach you," Harry continued, feeling emboldened by the support of his classmates, his peers, his friends. "In reality, I've taught you everything you need to know now. Everything you've learned at this school has brought us to this point. You are my friends, my family. Now this is the part where you make a choice. We know that Voldemort will come. I am still a threat to him, as is Dumbledore. As long as we remain alive, there is hope for the future. As long as we are both at Hogwarts, it is a target. But what he won't count on is us. It is your choice whether or not to stand with me, but I implore you to choose wisely. This won't be an easy task. If you are of the faintest heart, the door is there." He gestured towards the door, which seemed to appear out of thin air.
He waited a few moments, but no one moved. Not even Juliet, though she stared longingly at the door for a moment before turning defiant eyes back to him.
"We meant what we said, mate," Ron said. "We're with you."
"I want you to know that this decision today alone defines you as heroes. There is a chance that you may die. We all might. It's the gift we get for being human, for being mortal. But in the end, we will be left standing because there is no other alternative. If we all die, the world will fall to darkness. Our futures will no longer exist. You've made your choice now. And this is mine: I'm done waiting. It's time to fight. Whatever dark creatures he has for us, we're prepared to face them. We just became an army." He glanced around the room at faces full of confidence and determination. Feeling a hint of pride at a group originally created for this same reason, he added, "Any questions?"
x-o-x
Buffy navigated the crowded hallways at Grimmauld Place, finding her backside smashed against a wall as she slid along it, ducking her neck out of the way to avoid any of the grumbling portraits. She saw that there was a group of people moving upstairs and heard a voice calling her name from the other end of the hallway. It took her a moment to realize it was Emma. The taller girl fought her way through the crowd until she reached Buffy's side, panting. "Oh, it's been absolutely insane!" she moaned, flinging her arms around her friend. Buffy giggled and held her back before taking her by the hand and dragging her upstairs. Once they reached the sitting room, Buffy again saw how different it was as she took a seat in a cushy armchair. Emma propped herself on the chair, stretching.
"How was work?"
"Excellent," Emma scoffed. "I spent most of my day tagging missing files again."
"Sounds sweet," Buffy commented, drawing her legs beneath her and turning so she could see Emma. "I once again spent my day wandering the castle."
"You could come back to work you know," Emma suggested slowly. "I mean, you still have a job."
"Do I?" Buffy asked, surprised. "I thought that considering my entire team was dead, I'd be held for questioning."
"But you were unconscious so none of that was your fault," Emma pointed out.
"Knowing the Ministry, they'd make anything up," Buffy shrugged, her eyes going to Tonks, who had just entered. She wasn't alone. A tall, dark-skinned man in long purple robes was behind her. His eyes widened when he saw Buffy sitting in the chair and he quickly drew Tonks aside to speak with her. Buffy's attention, however, was claimed by the next person who walked in. "Molly!"
"Buffy!"
Jumping up from her chair, Buffy embraced Molly Weasley, feeling somewhat lighthearted and much happier than she was moments before. Molly gave her a motherly hug and smiled at the younger woman. "Are you all right?"
"I'm peachy," Buffy replied cheekily, dropping back into her seat. Moments later, Lupin arrived. She gave him a bright smile and a happy wave. His eyes were wary as he nodded at her before turning away. Buffy was puzzled; he had barely been able to meet her gaze and it looked like it was torturing him to do so. Her eyes then switched to Sirius. He didn't meet her gaze at all. He simply mumbled a greeting before joining Remus at the wall. Confused now, Buffy curled back up in her seat, Emma's comforting hand on her shoulder.
She was surprised to see some of her old Hogwarts friends present. Katie Bell arrived with a young man she named Roger Davies that Buffy didn't know. Percy came a few moments before the meeting began, slipping in with his elder brother Charlie. At last, Professor McGonagall stood up. She was the only faculty member from Hogwarts present and it was on good authority she was there to speak for Dumbledore, who was being keeping with matters at Hogwarts.
"Good evening," she said gravely, glancing at the faces surrounding her. It hadn't been for months that the entire Order had been gathered and, once again, a decision needed to be made.
As McGonagall spoke, Remus watched through heavy eyes as Buffy hung onto her every word. Each count of horror against the magical world was like a blade twisting into his gut. He'd rather be with the werewolves under Voldemort than to face this agony of knowing that Buffy was again an unwilling pawn in a game of espionage. "Perhaps we should say something to her," he said quietly to Sirius, who just blinked up at him.
"And what do we say?" Sirius whispered back humorlessly. "Your sister Slayer's been playing you to spy for her?"
"You and I know very well that Faith is considerably high on Buffy's list of people to listen to," Remus hissed back. "She may not listen to us."
Sirius searched the room until his eyes landed on a certain Weasley. "She'll listen to him."
Remus's eyes followed Sirius's until they landed on Percy. His eyes narrowed as he studied the young man sitting between his elder brother and his mother. "We could ask him."
"We should warn her, though, somehow," Sirius admitted. "She needs to know Faith is—"
"Excuse me, gentlemen, but did you have anything to say?"
Both Sirius and Remus looked up guiltily, reminiscent of the days when she had yelled at them for talking in her classes. "No, ma'am," they both replied as they exchanged a wicked grin. This was just too ironic – to be critiqued for talking in his own house in front of his own teacher. Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at that.
Buffy found her attention ebbing away. Her thoughts were on Harry, whom she had seen as she had dashed off to her meeting here. He had been on his way back from the DA meeting, looking thoroughly victorious about something. She had told him to come to her room later when she got back and they would have their long overdue talk.
Finally the meeting came to an end. She had been privileged to an hour or more to horror stories of what Voldemort had done. Assignments were tasked to determine his movements, from Remus Lupin wandering back into the werewolf den to the promise of Severus Snape tracking the movements of Death Eaters. For a second, it struck Buffy odd on how her former Potions professor hadn't been to the meeting. Emma was told to keep an eye on the Wizengamot (which apparently she had been assigned to do before) and others were given tasks as well. Buffy felt left out when McGonagall told her that she had enough on her plate to be forced to deal with more. She was the first one out the door to the meeting. She was really trying to figure out why she was there in the first place. Sirius was something of a surrogate brother to her, but if he couldn't even look her in the eye, he wasn't worth her time.
Imagine to her utter surprise the two figures waiting for her downstairs in the parlor.
"Teeny tiny!!"
Buffy let out a mortified gasp as a pair of arms came around her waist from behind and lifted her into the air. "Fred? George?"
"That'd be us!" Fred said, lowering the Slayer down and spinning her around to give her a proper greeting. "You're back!"
Buffy felt considerably lighter as Fred's arms tightened around her. "It's good to see you guys, too," she said with a watery laugh as Fred pulled back, only to be replaced with George. He actually had the gall to lift her off her feet as he held her. She was smiling at both when she saw their freckled, grinning faces beaming back at her. "You have no idea!"
"We've missed you," Fred said, giving Buffy's arm a halfhearted punch. "It's like half of our soul died or something."
"Maybe half of yours," George grumbled, giving Fred a dark look as he patted Buffy's head. "But our biggest git of a brother returned you to us."
"Not unspoiled, though," Fred said, giving Buffy a sharp look-over. "You're awfully peaky."
"I've got a good metabolism," Buffy protested, crossing her arms.
"Definitely have that attitude," George sighed.
"We might have to lobotomize you," Fred grinned.
"You want my brain?" Buffy asked with a sharp laugh. "Take it. Please. It's yours."
"She's our Teeny Tiny," Fred said happily to George as they both took turns hugging her again. From the upstairs landing, Sirius and Remus exchanged a dark look.
"We cannot tell her now," Remus said calmly, watching as the three began their light, playful banter again.
"How thick were we to feel that she would leave our world with friends like these?" Sirius asked, gesturing down below. They didn't notice Percy and Emma talking quietly as they walked past them. Percy told Buffy he'd see her back at the school as he had to grab his belongings before heading back to London. Buffy told him that she'd catch up before turning back to the Weasley twins.
"They certainly had been down of late," Molly commented, seeing the darkly pensive look on Remus and Sirius's faces. "Hopefully this will cheer them up a bit."
"I think we all need a bit of that," Remus agreed as he looked around the dimly-lit corridor. "I think a good night of sleep would suffice me tonight before I head out again tomorrow." He touched Sirius's arm. "Good night, mate."
"'Night," Sirius replied, turning back to the melee downstairs. His heart felt much lighter at watching their banter. He just knew Faith's plan to rip Buffy away would fail if the Weasleys had anything to say about it. It seemed like they all had a small, yet significant, piece invested in the Slayer's life.
x-o-x
Faith had been sitting in the library for the past few hours, twirling a quill in her hands as she stared hopelessly at a book. And not just any book; this book was supposed to answer all of her questions. But as much as she wanted to learn why Muggles appreciated things like answering a telephone or reading a newspaper without magic, she just couldn't bring herself to care. The dark thoughts had been whispering in her head all day but she hadn't yet brought them to be.
She felt her senses tingle and knew that there were vampires around. They were likely her vampires, there to back her up when she made her move. For some reason, she could feel them differently than other vampires. Maybe it was because she was friends with them, she didn't know. But she felt them. They were inside the castle. That thought alone made her smile.
Giving up the homework for a bust, she shoved the book back on the shelf and grabbed her bag, flouncing out of the library. Madam Pince's cold eyes followed her out. She pulled her bag over her shoulder, wondering if she could talk Malfoy into going out with her tonight. He'd been doing that for the past few nights, just a short little patrol. But as he was her only family at the school, she figured that he should have the chance to get to know his cousin better.
But her footsteps were halted by a familiar voice speaking from the Entrance Hall. Her eyes followed the shadows as she heard Percy bragging about the Order and his special assignment.
A cold fury like none other crept inside of her. The bag fell dully from her shoulders. She waited a moment longer until he turned the corner and saw Faith standing there in the middle of the hallway. Next to him was Emma Vance, looking haughty and smug. Percy suddenly looked nervous, his mouth closing and his shoulders slumping.
"What's the problem?" she asked sweetly, taking a step forward into the light to better show off the stunning silver and green of her Slytherin uniform. "Afraid to talk to little ol' me?"
x-o-x
"I'm glad you came to talk to me," Wesley said, pressing a hand to his aching head and willing his migraine to dissipate. "But I don't know what we can do about Faith or Buffy at this point. We have no right to infringe on their lives."
"We have to do something," Willow said in a low voice, wishing that they'd been able to find Giles before this little meeting. "I mean, she's out for blood."
"What do you mean?" Wesley asked.
"Wes, did you tell her that the Ministry was the one that poisoned her and left her for dead in Bulgaria?" Angel asked outright.
Wesley shook his head. He didn't remember any conversations with Faith on that subject. "Of course not."
"She overheard you speaking to Giles," Willow said heavily. "She formed the conclusion on her own."
"What?"
"She's not an idiot, mate," Spike said, examining a heavy golden statue on Wesley's nightstand.
"It wasn't that. It was about the Ministry part. How does Faith know?"
"She doesn't." The voice was from a single figure hovering in Wesley's doorway. Both vampires immediately stepped forward, baring their fangs. The newcomer didn't even blink as she turned a tired gaze to Wesley. "You want the truth about what happened that night?"
"What…?" Willow asked, rising to join Wesley. Tara was still seated in the only chair in the room, looking thoughtful.
"Do you know what happened to Buffy in Bulgaria?" Wesley asked, floored.
To his surprise, Tonks nodded. "There was an order for the Slayer to be taken out no matter the cost."
Wesley took a step back, allowing the vampires to come forward and make their usual threats. Willow glanced at the Watcher and saw the emotions cross his face before turning back to Tonks. "You were the one who tried to kill her?"
"We never meant to kill her," Tonks said, glancing down at her feet. "The orders were to take her out. And the Wizards who smuggled the poison down were killed in the attack on the Ministry."
"You're an idiot," Tara said softly, drawing Tonks' attention. "You're a fool and an idiot for thinking that you could control her destiny."
"Tara?" Willow breathed, unable to take the anger on her friend's pretty face.
"She's right," Tonks said desperately. "But you have no idea how deep the resentment is for this decision. If there was any way to undo it, it simply can't be undone."
"You agree with this… arrangement?" Angel growled, taking another step closer.
"I had nothing to do with this," Tonks replied hotly. "It was told to me. And she must never know."
"If you think we're going to let this stupid government play tricks on my best friend, you are sorely mistaken," Willow replied coldly, standing toe-to-toe with the older woman. "We were strong way before we ever knew of you. Don't think that just because you've been honest with us does that mean we like you." Her eyes turned to Wesley, who was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. "Faith knows the truth. And when she finds someone else who knows, God help them."
x-o-x
Percy felt his heart beating painfully in his chest as Faith moved closer. She was like an animal on the prowl. Her eyes never left his face, nor did the hungry, wolfish look disappear. Her eyes glittered in the soft light around them, but there was no love in her eyes. There was nothing at all.
"I asked you a question, Peter," she sneered, pausing to stare at him. "You've got nothing to be afraid of unless you want to own up to anything."
Oh, Merlin's beard, she knows! Emma thought in panic. She turned to Percy to relay this, but the Wizard wouldn't even look at her. The color was slowly draining from his face. "I have nothing to say to you," he said in a carefully controlled voice.
"I bet you don't." Faith turned to Emma. "And what about you, darling? Have you anything to tell little ol' Faith?"
"Nothing," Emma whispered. "Nothing at all."
"Well, then, let me tell you a little story," Faith replied smoothly. "I have this friend, see? And we, like, have this sisterhood thing going on because we both have the same destiny. Lots of killing with an expiration date that's in the not-quite-distant future? Yeah. So we do our job better than anyone. We find out we've got family on this miserable lump of land. And then we find out that the government full of supposed good guys was the ones that tried to have my sister killed. That doesn't bode well for those that won't own up to what they know."
Percy stared at her in disbelief, shaking his head. "I have nothing to say to you," he spat out.
"Oh, really?" Faith asked casually, pushing herself off from the wall. "Because I made myself a little promise. I said that when I found out who had done this treachery, I'd kill them." There was a beat as Percy blinked. "I guess that means that I get to play now."
"Don't think about it," Emma said, holding out her wand, aiming it at the younger Slayer.
"Ooh, look at who's wearing big sister's clothes now," Faith squealed in delight, hardly flinching at the sight of the wand. "You want to kill me? Go for it. I doubt you'd live till morning. If they don't kill you, B will."
Emma sighed and lowered her wand.
"What do you want?" Percy asked Faith.
"What do I want? That's such a funny question. See, I'm a kind of girl who loves the violence. So, buckle up, birdies because violence is anticipated." With a quiet grin, she rushed them. Emma gasped as she was pushed away, colliding with the wall. The wand slipped from her hand and rolled away. She turned her head to see Percy fly through the air in a graceful arc before landing on the cold marble. Faith was on him in seconds. Emma opened her mouth to scream for help but she found she couldn't. She watched as Faith straddled Percy, her hands clenching his coat as she slammed his head into the floor with such force she knew there would be marks on both come morning. A moment later, she punched him, a right hook that sent his head snapping the opposite way with a sickening crack. Emma found her voice again and started screaming.
"Help! Attack! Help!"
She was afraid for her life now. Her wand was only ten feet away but at the rate Faith was going, she knew Percy didn't have much time left. She pushed off from the wall, diving for her wand. Her fingers wrapped around it and she cried out "Stupefy!"
Faith groaned as the spell hit somewhere above her right head, striking the wall. With a hiss she turned around, pushing Percy's barely conscious body to the ground. Emma was on her feet as Faith reached her, ready to defend herself. Instead, Percy moaned as he pushed himself to all-fours and got to his feet painfully. "Faith!"
The Slayer turned, eyeing the Wizard with only the slightest hint of respect. "You got balls, Weasley. That much I'll give you."
"No," Emma wept, afraid for what was to come.
As Percy attempted to fight back, it was clear that when it came to brutal force, Faith was a clear victor. Emma could only watch as Percy's body snapped back and forth from the force of the blows. Finally, Faith gave one to the upper chin that sent Percy to the ground. And then she started kicking him, his body flipping around, leaving deep red stains on the floor from the blood. Emma used the distraction to call for help using her wand.
After Percy was down, Faith turned back to Emma, who trembled at seeing a Slayer's true anger. "Is it true?" Faith asked quietly.
"Is what true?"
"Do you really think me for an idiot?" Faith asked coldly. "You knew about the attack?"
Oh, Percy, why didn't you say anything? This could have been avoided!
"Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you," Emma snapped, coming forward with her own fists out. Percy hadn't moved from his spot in over a minute and it was beginning to terrify her.
A few hundred feet away, Buffy walked into Hogwarts with Professor McGonagall. Both women were talking about the recent snow and the possibility for ice that night. It was then that both women were distracted by the voices filtering in from their right. They could also see shadows on the stairs. "Oh, no," Buffy whispered, moving to her right. Professor McGonagall used her wand to send a message to Dumbledore before following the elder Slayer.
"Have you sunk that low, Faith, that you beat on those of us that are smaller than you?" Emma asked. She was buying time for help to arrive and she knew it. She wasn't prepared for the sudden slap across her cheek that sent her reeling. She slammed into a table, a lamp falling harmlessly to the floor. She touched her bruised cheek and lifted wounded eyes to Faith. The dark Slayer wore a soft smile which broadened when a sudden figure rounded the corner and stopped suddenly.
"Faith?" Buffy asked weakly, glancing at the blood staining the floors. Percy's form was prone on the floor and Emma was a few feet to her left huddled over a table, a hand on her cheek. "What the hell is going on?"
"Why don't you ask your so-called friends?" Faith asked, stepping aside to give Buffy access to Percy. Giving her sister Slayer a startled look, she shot forward towards Percy. "Of course, when I say what I have to say, you won't touch him again. If ever." Percy moaned and moved on the floor, reaching for his broken, bloodied glasses. "You, a great heroine of darkness, were poisoned. I know that's the reason you hold back, why you're a lost little lamb afraid of becoming something more than what you are. You're also my sister and sisters tell the truth." Her eyes went to Emma. "Was the Ministry of Magic responsible for sending Buffy to Bulgaria for the purpose of poisoning her?"
Percy winced at the cold tone in Faith's voice but couldn't do anything more than raise his head. "Yes," he murmured.
Buffy blinked once, a sudden look of understanding crossing her face. "I should have known."
"And now you do."
There were more footsteps as Professor McGonagall arrived. She clutched at her chest before turning to a haughty Faith. "Miss Black, explain yourself!"
"I don't have to. He just did it for me," Faith said, waving a lazy hand at Percy. There were more footsteps as Buffy was joined by the pair of vampires and the pair of Wiccas. Her eyes crinkled as she greeted the newcomers.
"I don't know why I ever came back here."
"Buffy, it isn't too late to leave," Angel said quietly, moving into the room. His eyes showed little compassion for Percy or Emma. Emma slowly moved towards Percy to check on him.
"The Ministry of Magic in which you have placed your trust has screwed you over and over again," Faith announced to the room at large. There were other shadows approaching, but she wanted this to be heard, even if it got her expelled. "The time has come, my sister, to choose between your friends or the ones that betrayed you."
Buffy turned uncertainly to Faith. "I don't… I don't understand."
"I'll make it simple," Faith replied, crossing her arms as she stared back at Percy. "This man befriended you and yet he admits that the Ministry poisoned you. B, you knew his position. You knew he had power. If he had that power, he would've known about your exile. You can't trust them to make the same decision for Harry, even after he was tortured by that Umbridge."
"She's right," Spike said, lingering in the shadows. "You can't trust any of them."
"Buffy, please," Emma whispered, appealing to the Slayer's humanity. "He needs help."
"Is that what they teach at this school?" Faith asked softly. "It seems to me that they teach students how to become enemies. Look at my house. We're all a group of students studying Dark Arts because we want others to suffer. Is this the future you want?"
Buffy couldn't believe what was happening. Part of her always knew that the Ministry would take measures to make sure that she was out of Harry's life, but she never knew that they would spring that poison on her. After what she had gone through in her dreams, she didn't want to be betrayed again, toyed with by one side or another. Even if Percy hadn't known, he was playing her. Faith was playing her. They were all playing her. It was too much for her to handle.
"I can't do this," she whispered, backing away from the scene. A trembling hand lifted to her mouth as the bile shot up her throat. Seeing her best friend at the mercy of her sister was not something that she wanted to happen, but it was inevitable. Both had their loyalties and it seemed like their common goal had come to an end. After what she had gone through in her alternate reality, she didn't want this again. "I'm sorry, Faith."
Faith could only watch as her sister Slayer turned around and fled through the small gap of people, the sound of her footsteps melting away. Her eyes turned to the Headmaster, who observed the scene solemnly. "Filius," he said, addressing Professor Flitwick who had also come down, looking tiny as he stepped around the people jammed in the corridor. "If you could help Mr. Weasley to the infirmary? Ms. Vance, if you would accompany him…" He suddenly appeared tired as he turned to the audience. Two vampires, two women whose magic came from the Earth and a dark Slayer. All five were staring at him with varying degrees of anger. "If you wish to speak of betrayal, speak of yourselves first."
"I was not about to let them break her," Faith said calmly, her anger spent. "The Ministry betrayed her and he knew it." Her finger pointed to the floating stretcher now bearing Percy's body. "He deserved everything he got for being too cowardly to tell her the truth."
"I find it strange that we have come to the point where we fight one another instead of our enemies," Professor Dumbledore said softly. He turned to the others. "If you could please leave, I wish to speak with Ms. Black myself." He waited until their footsteps had faded before turning to Faith. "Why did you not come to me?"
"I should think the answer is obvious," Faith replied. "I don't trust you. I know Sirius didn't because of what you made him go through." She watched as the older man closed his eyes and bowed his head. "You and your followers speak of action and yet you stand by as hundreds of innocents die."
"The time for action has come, Faith, but it will not be while we stand and accuse each other of treachery." His voice became deep. "You are not unintelligent. You know the true reason why Buffy would have been poisoned and held under. That was not a call of mine. In case you have forgotten, the Ministry has made many an enemy. I am not your enemy."
"I don't think you really get it," Faith said, crossing her arms. "My loyalties aren't to you or any other moron. They belong to Harry."
Dumbledore suddenly gave her a small, benevolent smile. "Perhaps that is all that matters," he said quietly. "But it is enough for now. Come… we must have a long discussion about you attacking Ministry officials within my walls."
"You're expelling me, aren't you?" Faith asked.
"I have no reason to expel you unless you wish to attack me personally," Dumbledore replied. "However, if the Ministry wishes to press charges for harassing one of their officers, I don't have any say in that."
"I'll just set Buffy loose on them," Faith said with a small, wicked smile. "That ought to shake her up."
The Headmaster cast a long look down the corridor, his gaze suddenly strained. "We need to give her time to adjust to the truth. Perhaps it was all she needed to return to her old ways. I, for one, would not wish to be on the receiving end of her anger."
x-o-x
The wind whipped her hair around her face, but she didn't make any move to brush it back. The school that had seemed like such a safe haven was now a jail cell with four walls closing her in. She struggled to contain her tears. She knew that she should be worried about Percy, but the fact that he may have known about her attack and hadn't said a word to her hurt. She couldn't deny it. Her friends standing behind Faith as she brought Percy down also hurt. Both sides were playing her. Both sides wanted a piece of her.
But, as she continued on her way, walking into nothingness, she knew she had nothing left to give them; all of her anger was already reserved for another.
x-o-o-x
Next chapter: Faith gets romantic; Buffy rants; Wesley yells; it's about the mushiest chapter I think I've ever written.