How efficient am I!? *grins* But I wouldn't be able to post this much if it wasn't half term, and I was actually doing any of my homework… oh well. Two days is enough for 5 different bits of homework, right? Oh dear…
Chapter 38"Faith, that gorgeous red head is outside." Maya said as she appeared in one of the inside pictures. Faith looked up, frowning,
"What gorgeous redhead?"
"I think he's a Weasley- tall, muscley, very red head…"
"Oh. Charlie." Faith said with a grimace. "Ok, let him in." Maya grinned, and disappeared again. The portrait swung open, and Charlie entered, glancing around.
"Wow." He gasped.
"Yeah yeah, it's great. What do you want?" Faith snapped.
"I just wanted to see if you were ok."
"Told you already. I'm fine." She said shortly. "An' I'd be a whole lot better if people would just stop askin' me that."
Charlie sighed,
"For Merlin's sake Faith, maybe I don't know you all that well, but I do know that you are very far from ok. You're holding in your feelings, and it's dangerous!"
"Oh great, another person to give me a friggin' lecture on what's best for me! You don't know me AT ALL Charlie! You don't know what I've seen, what I've done! You don't have the slightest clue, and yet you think you can tell me what I need!?"
"I know enough, Faith! Dumbledore told me the basics, and I really don't care! What I care about is the fact that the person I'm meant to be working with is so wrapped up in her own feelings that it could compromise the whole situation! How the hell am I supposed to trust you and work with you if you wont tell me anything!?" For a moment, Faith had no comeback. She'd recently said something very similar to Wesley, and hated that Charlie had thrown her own argument back in her face. She turned to face the window angrily.
"It's more complicated than that, Red. You don't understand…"
"Then explain it to me." Charlie said softly, coming up behind her. Faith could smell him, feel his warmth… and more than one part of her wanted to lean back against him, just let herself drown in him. But no. She couldn't. She had never taken guys very seriously, and she had to work with this one. She couldn't go making things even more awkward than they already were… of course it had nothing to do with the fact that this guy seemed to be one of the few decent men on the planet… no. Just business, no more.
"No!" She exclaimed, more in answer to her own thoughts than his statement.
"Faith, you have to release! You have to let it out sometime, or you'll just pop!"
Faith spun round again, a dangerous flash in her eyes.
"You don't get it, do you?" She growled, "I'm a bad person, Charlie brown. I'm not a good little girl…"
"Dumbledore trust you…"
"That doesn't change what I've done. You couldn't begin to imagine…"
"Stop it!" Charlie yelled, startling her. "You can't just keep on trying to scare away every person that tries to help you! I'm not gonna run away, Faith! You have to let it go!"
"You want me to release?" Faith snapped, "You want me to let out my frustration? You couldn't deal with either of my favourite ways, Charlie boy."
"Oh really?" He retorted, "Why don't you try me?"
"You so don't want that." Faith spat. She was furious, but inside, she was quaking, knowing that the point she had reached was on the verge of letting go. She didn't want to do this! Not with him!
"Yes I do!" He cried, "Let it ou…" Faith grabbed him, her mouth meeting his, shoving him backwards onto the bed at the same time. He pushed her off a bit, looking shocked.
"You wanted me to release?" She said in husky whisper, straddling him.
"Yes…" He replied, a little shaken.
"So what's the problem?"
"I…"
"Aw… Charlie boy scared?" She teased. "You want me to…" But he stopped her, kissing her again. "That's more like it." She whispered.
Faith lay in her bed, covered pulled around her. She looked at the man lying beside her, asleep. He really was very handsome. A tear threatened to fall from Faith's eye, but she held it back, closing her eyes. This was a release, nothing more. This meant nothing. She turned over, looking away.
Charlie awoke slowly, and smiled. He knew that the night before hadn't started out so well, but the rest had been just fine by him… he looked over the woman beside him, and frowned. Just above the line of the covers, he could see scars on her back. Only just healed, and very severe looking. Thinking she was asleep, he reached out, gently touching. Faith flinched away, sitting up abruptly.
"Sorry." Charlie said quickly, "I didn't mean to startle you… just, those scars…"
"What about 'em?" She snapped.
"Well, how did you get them?"
"Polgaras." She replied. "First time." He now noticed a jagged mark on her arm too, and as she followed his gaze, Faith shrugged, "Second time."
"But… didn't you go to Madame Pomfrey? She can fix up stuff like that in no time."
Faith rolled her eyes.
"Every one keeps saying that- as if I've never been hurt before! This is nothing. I've had a hell of a lot worse…" She swallowed, "I've done a lot worse." She wished immediately that she hadn't said it- she didn't even know why she had.
"Faith… what is it that bothers you so much all the time?" He asked it quietly, and so simply, as if it was just an every day question.
"Charlie, don't…" Faith found that she felt very tired- she didn't want to yell at him. She was more scared of the look in his eyes if she told him. He noticed it. Her eyes were full of sorrow, regret and shame. He reached out, taking one of her hands in his own before she could pull away.
"Talk to me." He said.
"But…" She began.
"Faith."
"It's not that simple!" She snapped, dropping her gaze. "What am I supposed to say? Huh? The reason I'm grumpy is that I constantly see dead people in my mind? The reason I barely sleep is that when I do I dream about those same people? People I killed, Charlie! I'm a murderer! That's what you spent last night with! A sick, disgusting, waste of space that was too weak to even kill myself when I should have!"
"Don't say that!" He said angrily.
"It's the truth!"
"No! I mean don't wish your-self dead, Faith. Is this why you don't let people in? Because you don't believe they can care for you, because you don't yourself? Dammit, Faith, look around! Look at Summers- she totally adores you and you just brush her off every time. Dumbledore trusts you with the lives of every child in this school! And I…" Faith chanced a look up, into his eyes, and was shocked. He didn't look disgusted at all. Just sad… "I care about you, Faith. I don't give a damn that you didn't tell me all this, because it makes no difference. I know who you are. I've seen the goodness in you."
"But…" Faith began, shaking her head, "All the stuff I've done…"
"Doesn't matter." He cut in. "You had some bad circumstances, and made some bad decisions. But if I remember correctly, You Know Who took you from prison, where you were by choice. He tortured you, almost killed you, and you still refused to join him. You saved Dawn's life. You fought of those Polgaras when they attacked that class. What you were means nothing. What matters is what you are."
"But that is what I am!" Faith retorted, close to tears. She pulled her hand away. "You should go now." She said quietly.
"Faith…"
"Now!" she cried. Charlie sighed, but got up, collecting his strewn clothes, and dressing quickly. Faith refused to look at him. He went to the door, pushing it open, but paused,
"I'm still here for you." He said, "Always." And he left. As soon as the door closed behind him, Faith collapsed on the bed, tears finally flowing.
"There there." Maya said from a near by portrait.
That night-
"We're gonna get caught!" Dawn squealed quietly.
Draco grinned,
"I thought you were the fearless Snape attacker?"
"Not so much!" She replied. "I was in a very bad mood!" He rolled his eyes, and put a finger to his lips. They continued along the corridor, but just before they reached the next corner, Dawn's eyes widened, and she pulled Draco behind a statue. Before he could ask why, heavy footsteps reached his ears, and he peeked carefully round the side to see Faith practically marching round the corner. He raised his eyebrows. She was dressed all in black, including a slim leather jacket. Her eyes looked dark from makeup and she was just re-tucking a stake into a jacket pocket. He looked a question at Dawn, who shrugged. As Faith approached, they heard a small voice coming from near her… from the paintings?
"Just think about this!" It said.
"Already did, Hun." Faith replied without turning her head.
"But- it's dangerous! Sneaking out on your own…"
"I'm a slayer, Maya, danger is what I was made for."
"But not like this! Not when you're like this!"
"Great thing about being a slayer- killing monsters is comfort food. You should know that as well as anyone."
"Yeah, Faith, but he was right! You should talk to him, not sneak out to go vamp hunting!"
Him? Draco mouthed to Dawn. She frowned and shrugged.
"Leave it, Maya. I need to slay something- it's been boring around here for a while."
"You managed without vampires in prison!" Maya argued when they'd just past the statue. Faith smiled wryly,
"Only cos of the large number of demon inmates trying to kill me."
"Faith…" Maya whined. Suddenly Faith came to a stop, and Maya smiled, "Thank you." But Faith just turned slowly, with an odd look on her face, and strode over to the statue, grabbing Dawn's arm and pulling her out. She smiled hopefully. Faith raised her eyebrows at the hand clamped in Dawn's. Dawn yelped, and let go, letting the arm swing back behind the statue.
"You dude's aren't the brightest, are you?" Faith scolded. Draco came out with a scowl on his face. "What were you doing with Dawn behind a statue in the middle of the night?"
"What's it to you?" Draco retorted. Dawn sighed- Draco had gotten so used to Faith recently that he'd lost his fear of her, and back came the bad boy. Unfortunately, when you get to know Faith really well, you realise that's the worst thing to do. Draco found himself against the wall with hand dangerously close to his throat.
"What's it to me? It's a slimey little sh*t behind a statue with my fellow slayers little sister. That's what it is."
"Faith…" Dawn protested. But Faith ignored her.
"So what were you doing?" She asked again.
"Nothing." Draco replied, "I was just…" Faith's eyebrows went higher, "Escorting her back to Gryffindor tower." He finished. Faith smiled, and backed off.
"Right answer. Go to bed- both of you." She turned away, and although Dawn desperately wanted to say something about Faith sneaking out, she knew pushing it was not a good idea. And besides- fighting did seem to de-stress Faith a bit. She took Draco's hand again, and they started off towards the tower. Faith watched them to the corner, and then rejoined her original course, much to Maya's annoyance. But neither of them noticed the other person out and about tonight as he followed silently.
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cue dramatic music. Reviews please! If I'm gonna get slaughtered for lack of homework, (all for you!) I think I deserve reviews. Lol.