A/N: Aw, come on people! Review! I finally updated this one.

Chapter Three…A Hard But Nice Dinner

"Has anyone seen Sirius?"

Buffy looked away guiltily at Albus's question, though it had been directed at Remus. She watched him. He had been the one to find Sirius, and help him. He had gone to Buffy afterwards, asking her what had happened to make her do what she'd done. She'd admitted that she had lost her temper, something that happened often, but not to that extent. She had asked Remus not to mention it to anyone, which he had agreed not to do. He was really a sweet man, Buffy saw, and his handsome but worn face was lined gently from hard times she knew she should not ask about. His lips were quicker to smile than frown.

She wondered about him. His strangely very golden eyes held secrets and worries, she could see, and many, many dark memories. She knew enough not to ask. She herself would not want someone questioning her about her own past events.

"He…is not feeling well. He's resting." Well, it sounded like part of the truth.

Smiling tightly in thanks, she stifled a sigh. Already she could tell the people round the room, a good portion of them, didn't like her. Remus, Molly, Albus, and Tonks seemed the only ones who did, or they were at least polite to her. The others clearly didn't trust her. She was, after all, American. She could tell they believed because of where she had grown up, she didn't understand the extent of their problems. She wanted to tell them that she had suffered too, in this war, and had not just been a pampered Calli girl, which they obviously thought she was.

She knew that she would need to earn their trust. Maybe, in time, she would. But as of now, they were acting as though she were the Dark Lord himself.

Breathe, she told herself. You know they aren't acting that badly.

"So how long have you been an Auror?" Kingsley asked. He clearly didn't completely trust her, but he was polite at least about it.

She frowned. How long had she been one? It felt like it had been ages. "Well, I first became an official Auror when I was eighteen. That was eleven years ago. I've been one ever since."

A light murmur went round the table. They were shocked, she could tell. Eleven years was a long time, they clearly thought, especially for someone like her, an American woman.

She wasn't insulted by this, though. She knew, was she in their position, she would feel exactly the same way. After all, it was dark times now, and you couldn't be too careful nowadays.

Harry had been silent through all this, hadn't spoken to her once since he'd arrived an hour ago. She didn't blame him; she wouldn't know what to say either, were she him. His friends, however, were quite talkative.

"What's it like in America? Are there any magic-learning schools?" Hermione, a pretty girl with bushy brown hair, asked, clearly interested.

Buffy, who had just taken a bite of the honey turkey Molly had made, swallowed, pondering how to answer this. "Well, I don't know exactly what you want to know, but I lived in a town called Sunnydale. I was born there, and my parents had already been there for at least three or four years." Her eyes teared slightly at the mention of her parents.

Harry took notice of this but still kept quiet, content with just listening.

"It's not a big town, compared to other places in California, but not small either. I lived in an all muggle part, which was kind of hard at times, but it was all right."

She went on, not noticing when Sirius stepped in, staying at the doorway. "There's a club down the street from my house. The Bronze. I used to go there when I was a teenager, just to hang with other kids. I could pretend I was a normal kid there." Too late did she realize she had spoken too truthfully.

Hermione tilted her head. "You don't like being a witch?"

Buffy looked at her, the sighed, deciding to just tell her. "No, it's not that. It's just…my parents…they were…Aurors too. They came here, to England, when I was nine. They had been asked to help fight against…Voldemort." Most flinched at the use of the name. She noticed Harry didn't, but he had a far-away look in his eyes.

"They found him. Their group had heard gossip about his whereabouts. Only thing is? It wasn't normal gossip. They were supposed to find out, were supposed to go there." She blinked a tear away. She had to stay strong. Crying would make her seem weak, and that would not help her in this situation.

"Were they killed?"

"Instantly," she answered. "All of them."

Hermione looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

Buffy waved her apology away. "No, it's all right. Really. Now, you wanted to know about my school?"

The girl nodded, letting her change the subject. No one saw Sirius watch the woman, a strange expression on his face, before he walked away.

"Well, I went to Madame Nadine's School for Witches, about an hour away from Sunnydale…"

Buffy helped clear the table. It took much begging, because Molly believed guests shouldn't have to do that. She finally caved in when Buffy pointed out that Molly was, too, a guest.

Placing two plates in the already half-full sink, she turned to go back into the dining room, stopping when she found Sirius there. She watched him wearily, unsure of what he wanted.

"Mind if I help, Molly?"

Molly looked at him, then nodded. "More help would be nice."

Buffy felt Sirius follow her into the other room. she lifted up tow more plates, watching Sirius do the same.

When she started towards the door, he stopped her. "Buffy, wait."

She halted, rolling her eyes before turning to him. She expected him to be angry, seeing as she had hexed him, after all. Instead, he looked sad. She wondered why. "What?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, then repeated this. Finally, he said, "I'm sorry."

Confused about why he would apologize, she set the plates back down. "About what?"

"Buffy," he stared at her. "I'm sorry, OK? I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. It's just…and I'm not trying to justify what I did…I didn't know whether or not I could trust you. The way you came in, like you owned the place…I just…" He faltered.

Buffy knew he meant it. She could see it in his eyes. She just wondered what had changed, to make him sorry.

Sirius seemed to know what she was thinking, because he said, "I heard you. At dinner. You really changed most of their views of you, you know. And mine. You spoke truthfully, left nothing out. Had you lied, or kept secrets, they…we…still wouldn't trust you so much. But you spoke with your heart, and made me see I was wrong. And I was being a slimy git. I feel so better than Snivellus." At her questioning look he added, "Severus Snape."

Buffy felt her lips tug upwards. Snivellus. That was rather appropriate for the mean, greasy-haired man, who clearly not only thought her untrustworthy, but obviously didn't like her at all. Period. Throughout dinner, he had looked bored whenever she had spoken, and, once they were done, had left swiftly. "Snivellus?" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I like that."

Relief spread along Sirius's face. He grinned. "Made it up myself, when I went to school with him."

He refused to let her help anymore. "Go get some rest," he said. "I expect you've had a rather hard day. Tomorrow will be better." And with that he carried more plates away.

Buffy stood there, shocked, her impression of him rapidly changing. Guess he isn't such a jerk after all. She smiled with relief.

He was right. Tomorrow would be better.

She knew it.