Sorry for the wait. There is lots more to come when I get to write it, like I say like every time!! Sorry! Anway, hope this will please you wonderful reviewers, and whoever it was that suggested Draco was turning into a rily-esk character… I am making a major effort to reverse that!! I HATE Riley!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh! Draco will not be turning into Riley No chance! Riley is and always will be mini spike, so thanx for bringing that to my attention!! On with the story then… Cos no one's been bugging m about this at all… no… especially no one called Rebecca… ( note the REALLY heavy sarcasm!) I guess I should be thankful for the support! Lotsa reviews please!
Chapter 33
Due to baffling Quidditch rules, Gryffindor had still won the game despite the disappearance of their seeker, and the snitch with him. This put the entire house in great spirits, but gave Draco a serious problem, as he got an elbow in the ribs every time he tried to show it as a bad thing. Harry and Ron continued to attempt to trick Faith into revealing the identity of the mystery guy, but to no avail. Faith trained hard almost constantly, even outside of her training sessions with Wesley, and could frequently be seen running round the Hogwarts grounds barely even working up a sweat. And thankfully, no one disappeared or got kidnapped for three whole weeks. Faith was growing almost as impatient as the curious group of students, which over time had expanded from the trio, Dawn and Draco to often include the Weasley twins and Ginny too. (though Fred rarely managed to actually look at Faith without blushing- making endless fun for his brothers and sister) The dragon expert still had not arrived, and all Dumbledore said was that he would come soon.
The fifth years waded through mounds of homework, Hermione actually congratulating Dawn (to the boys' horror) on figuring out how to write two essays simultaneously by using her Wiccan telekinesis. A quill was easy to lift this way, and with some practise, the control came quickly too. The hardest part was thinking of the two subjects at once and not getting them muddled up. But when Ron suggested that dawn could do one of his essays this way too, he got a swift slap around the head from his oh-so-loving girlfriend.
So three weeks after the quidditch match, the fifth year group found themselves shocked that they had a Sunday afternoon completely free. Even Hermione had to recheck her immaculate timetables and diaries, and still came up empty.
"So, we've done all our work?" Dawn said as if it was the most ridiculous suggestion anyone ever made.
"Yeah." Harry said, a little bemused.
"Weird." Ron murmured, "I've not felt so free since the summer!"
Hermione laughed,
"I told you that if you followed my schedules and did all your homework when it was assigned…" She began, but the others groaned.
"Shut up, 'mione." Dawn said in the nicest possible voice. Hermione scowled, but accepted it, and they all headed out of the common room together.
As they came down the stairs into the entrance hall, they met Draco, who smiled,
"Guess what?" He asked Dawn.
"You have no work left for the first time since the summer." She replied. His face fell.
"How'd you know?"
"Same with us. Teachers musta gotten lax this week." Harry said. Draco shrugged and glance around. Dawn smiled,
"She's training." She said. Draco heaved a sigh of relief and slipped an arm around the girl's waist, making time or a scowl at Ron for the hell of it. They made their way out onto the lawn, and sat on the grass in the afternoon sun, looking down to the lake. They talked and joked, and, to Harry's annoyance, the two couples kissed more than a few times. Draco could almost feel the other boy's temper flaring while he kissed Dawn. So he kissed her again.
It was while Harry was averting his eyes from the others that he saw Faith and Wesley walking down the lawn from one of the other castle exits, apparently unaware of their audience. He told the others, happy for a reason to break them apart, and the group watched as slayer and ex-watcher stopped a little way from the lake. Wesley produced his wand, and conjured a strange, silvery cloud. As they watched, it formed into the shape of a person, without features or details of any kind. Faith looked a little taken aback, but didn't hesitate to react once the figure began to move. It soon became apparent that this was a magical attack dummy. Faith fought against it without having to worry about hurting it the way she would with a sparring partner, but it actually fought back, unlike a punch bag or regular dummy. Apart from Dawn, none of them had really seen Faith in full action- the thestral/ polgara incident being an unusual instant, and each found themselves gasping- even Draco, as she jumped, rolled, flipped and spun between hits in what was almost a dance. Now and then Wesley would throw her a weapon, which she would catch without taking her eyes off the advancing apparition, but the problem with weapons was that this thing did not die. It just kept coming, and Faith often discarded the weapons in favour of fighting hand to hand- it made it easier to keep going as she needn't worry about the weigh of a weapon, or its position during her acrobatic displays. Dawn was the first to see the real danger. Faith would not give in. She would never tell Wes to stop the dummy, and Wes wouldn't stop it until Faith said she'd had enough. So what if she got too tired? What if it got though her defences? Would Wes dare to call it off when he knew she would be furious if he did it too early? What if he was unsure that she had really lost? So while the others thought it was an excellent display, Dawn, knowing the two people better than her friends did, was getting more and more agitated.
None of them noticed the man approach them from behind. They all leapt out of their skins, drawing wands and spinning round when he spoke,
"Who the hell is that?"
"Charlie!?" Ron exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Ron's older brother had both hands held up in surrender. "Guys, it's ok." Ron continued lowering his wand. They all did the same. "This is my brother, Charlie." He said to Dawn and Draco.
"You guys a bit on edge?" Charlie asked.
"A little." Ron said with a sheepish grin, "Lots going on here at the moment."
"So I've heard." He looked at Dawn and Draco in question.
"Oh." Ron said, "This is Dawn and Malfoy."
"Malfoy? As in Lucius? Draco Malfoy?"
"Yes." Dawn said sternly, before even Draco could defend himself, so he settled for scowling. "Draco Malfoy, my boyfriend." Charlie looked down at the girl. She was wearing a Gryffindor scarf, he noted, and sitting with Ron, Harry and Hermione. Charlie frowned,
"Ok then…" He shot Ron a look that meant 'tell me later'. Then he returned his gaze to the fight by the lake, "So who is that?"
"That's Faith." Said Ron off handly, "What are you doing here, Charlie?" Charlie tore his eyes away to look down (but not much) at his brother,
"I came to help out. Dumbledore said you had a monster problem."
"You!? You're the mystery help they've been talking about?" Ron exclaimed.
"Yes, Mr Weasley." Said Dumbledore, joining them. "I'm glad you could make it." He greeted Charlie, shaking his hand. Ron looked baffled, and a little annoyed that the great mystery was just his brother.
"I was just asking," Charlie said, "who that is?" He indicated the slayer.
"I already said, that's Faith." Ron snapped. Charlie gave him a withering look,
"Who is?"
"She is a slayer." Dumbledore provided. "After her kidnap by Voldemort, she helped save Miss Summers and has now agreed to stay and help here. You will be working with her."
Charlie looked down the lawn again, to where the silvery man was trying to throttle Faith, who was flat on her back. He winced as she kicked him hard between the legs and threw him across the grass.
"A slayer, huh? Interesting."
Down by the lake, Wesley squinted up the lawn, noticing the group.
"Faith." He said to the girl who was now straddling the apparition, pummelling it. "I think our guest may have arrived. Dumbledore and Dawn's group are watching you."
"Great, I'll give this dragon expert a demo!" She said back, snapping the figures neck with triumph. It clicked it's neck back into position and threw her off. "No fair!" Faith yelled at Wesley. She'd been fighting this damn thing for ages, and was getting more than a little pissed off. "Screw this." She said, and snap kicked it in the chest. The silvery man flew backwards, landing with a splash in the lake, where it began to disintegrate. Faith grinned at Wes and started up the lawn.
"Ah, yes…" Wesley murmured forlornly, "They don't much like water…" Faith ignored him.
"Well done." Dawn called as Faith approached. Faith smiled a real smile at Dawn's complement.
"'s no biggy." Faith shrugged. Then she turned to Charlie. No one introduced them. There was something in each of their stance which told the group nothing they said would even be heard. "So you gotta be Charlie." Faith said.
"And you must be Faith." He replied, offering a hand. Faith looked him over appraisingly, then shook his hand.
"Welcome to Hogwarts… where you send your kids if you don't want them back at the end of term." She smiled wryly.
"I know the place. I went here for seven years." He said.
"And you're still alive?" Faith said in mock shock. Charlie grinned. He liked this girl. But he was surprised that even Dumbledore had not interrupted her, or attempted to introduce him.
"Is dinner some time soon?" Charlie asked in general, desperate for a reason to drag his eyes away from Faith's deep, dark gaze.
"Yes. In a few minutes actually." Dumbledore replied. "There is a seat at the teachers table for you." Charlie nodded, but could say nothing before Faith said,
"I think I'll sit with Dawnie today. Lovely as you teachers are, I need some real conversation."
"As you wish." Dumbledore replied.
"I was about to say I'd prefer to sit with Ron and the others." Charlie said, "I've not seen him, Ginny and the twins since the summer."
"Very well." Dumbledore smiled, "I shall see you all later." He made his way up to the entrance hall. Faith raised her eyebrows and followed, with a quick,
"I'll see you guys in there, I need a shower." Dawn watched her go before turning back to the others. She looked Charlie over. He was tall, with red hair like the rest, and very good looking. Dawn had watched his eyes just as Faith had left, and no matter what he claimed, she was sure that hadn't been what he was about to say.
After dinner, the whole group headed towards the Gryffindor common room. But Faith and Charlie said their goodbyes at the portrait hole. When Faith set off for her own room, Charlie walked beside her. When she reached her door, and he stopped too, she frowned,
"Look, dude, do you want something?"
"Huh?"
"This is me. Why'd you stop?" She jerked her head towards Maya's portrait.
"Oh… I didn't realise. Good night then." He walked off a little way before stopping again.
"What?" Faith exclaimed.
"This is me." He said, mimicking her motion to the next portrait along, and grinning.
"Oh. Night then." She murmured, before whispering her password and disappearing within. Charlie shook his head and chuckled.