Disclaimer: I am not Joss Whedon, nor J.K. Rowling.. I am me.. I own nothing, but some of the plot and saying.. lol
Author's note: Thanks for all the positive response to this so far. I would like to say that I know I am spelling some of the spells wrong(hopefully that is fixed)and I am sorry, but this is a fanfiction, please don't beat me up cause of that. Also, there is a reason that I have Buffy in the sixth year and it will all be revealed. I promise! Little hint.. timeturner and advanced aging. Thanks to Buffy2theSlayer! Happy Graduation!
Chapter 3
Buffy walked into the kitchen and stared at the room that she had come to know so well. She could feel the tears well up in her eyes and she did nothing to stop them as they began to make their descent down her face. She couldn't imagine her live without her mother, but now she had new men to take care of her, but that did not dull the pain in her chest.
"I am sorry, Buffy," Remus murmured as he crossed the room and held her, he wasn't sure were he should place his hands so he kept them by his side. Buffy never seemed to notice as the tears slid down her face. He could feel the hot, wet tears soak into his shirt. He felt so useless, but there was nothing he could do, except hold her and he would do it. "I know you wanted to be alone, but I couldn't stand to hear you hurting anymore. One of the side effects of being supernatural being." Buffy nodded her ascent.
"I know." She remembered when she had first became the slayer, she could hear her parents arguing down the hall and what they were arguing. They would argue about the money being spent on her, the number of fights that she was getting into at school. She withdrew into herself even more because of this and she couldn't even explain it to her parents.
"Crying will not solve anything," Snape said when he entered the room. He didn't want to be around the mutt any more, but the truth was he couldn't stand to see her hurting and if she was mad at him then the hurt couldn't be as bad. He knew that he could anger her with a few words and he wasn't surprised when he heard her snarl back,
"I'm sure these emotions are foreign to you," Buffy replied back, without looking up at Snape, "Any emotions are foreign to you, but they are rough and hard, but you deal with them." Remus carefully put his arms around Buffy's back, hugging her tightly as he glared at Snape, as was his right. He may not know Buffy that well, but he knew her well enough to have fallen in love with her in a daughter sort of way.
Snape eyed the wolf and felt a little resentful towards him. He wanted to be holding her tight and comforting her. Why hadn't she come to him? He shook himself out of his thoughts and continued to watch the two. The way that Remus was holding her was like a father would to a child, Snape could live with that. He would not live with the mutt holding onto her, he couldn't stand to think of the mutt touching her, although Buffy seemed to agree with this sentiment.
"We're done," Giles said pulling everyone out of their thoughts. He crossed the room and pulled Buffy into a hug, before whispering in her ear, "Why don't you go pack what you need, I'll give the Scoobies a call." Buffy nodded quickly, walking up the stairs to her room. She knew that she did not have a lot of time, Giles had placed a charm upon her mom to make her sleep until they left the house, but Buffy couldn't stand being there for too long, without breaking down again. She walked quickly to her closet and began packing.
"It would go faster if we used magic," Snape offered as a way of apology. Buffy seemed to sense this and nodded briskly. She would point to the things that she wanted to keep from this life and Snape would quickly pack them. "I am sorry about what I said."
"I know." She replied, grabbing Mr. Gordo and stuffing him into one of the trunks. "How are we going to take all of this stuff with us." Buffy asked, she had accumulated a lot of things in the eighteen years, no make that sixteen years. It was so hard for her to think of herself as sixteen, again. She was far more older than sixteen anyways. Giles and Snape seemed to realize this, Remus was well on his way, but Black had a problem with accepting this. He was always questioning a decision when she made one. He hoped he fell into a somewhat peaceful setting soon, because she would be back at Hogwarts soon and that meant that she would be back to patrolling. Giles had not allowed her to slough in that department. After teaching her wandless magic, he had begun to incorporate magic into their training sessions, telling her that she would never know what she would encounter in the Forbidden Forest.
"We are going to shrink everything so that it will fit in our pockets." Snape said, drawing Buffy out of her thoughts. She had looked like she was a million miles away and he didn't want her to be too caught up in her memories she would have the time during her stay at Grimmauld place. Although once the children arrived she wouldn't be so lucky. He wondered briefly how everyone would take to her, she was far more mature than them, Ms. Granger would be the likeliest choice for a companion for Buffy, because she was far more advanced than other students, like Buffy.
"Spiffy," Buffy replied, giving the room a once over, she noticed a picture of her friends and her, including Faith. Her plans resounded within Buffy's mind and she was thankful that she was a slayer, because it gave her the natural ability to block any attempts at a forceful entry into her mind, she could allow someone in, but they needed a key of sorts, even in her sleep. She became excited as she thought of the trick that she was about to pull on them, but she tampered down on that.
"Are you ready?" He asked and Buffy nodded quickly, "Evanesco," Buffy watched as the rest of her life disappeared, like she had never been there or had belonged there. Snape watched the sadness flicker across her face and put his arm around her, she buried her face into his side as he shrunk her suitcases and levitated them into his pocket. Not wanting to, but knowing they needed to leave, he lead them down the stairs and into the kitchen were Black, Giles, and Remus were waiting.
"Ready?" Giles asked and Buffy nodded. "I have called a Scooby meeting and we are running ahead about a half an hour."
"Good," Buffy replied, "we need to go to the hospital first."
"Are you hurt?" Black asked, glaring at Snape, "What did that bastard do to you?" Black was immediately dangling in the air, by his foot, Buffy began to bounce him like a yo-yo, where he came dangerously close to the ground.
"When are you going to learn that I can take care of myself?" she asked, she allowed him to get dangerously close to the ground before slowly dropping him on it. He fell with a thud and rubbed his head painfully, "Besides I need to see someone."
"Are you sure that is a safe idea?" Giles asked, knowing whom the only person was in the hospital that Buffy could possibly want to see.
"Do we have a choice?" she replied with a grin and Giles shrugged. "That's what I thought."
"I would like to know who we are going to see," Black asked and Buffy shot him a glare.
"You don't deserve to know." She replied, before turning to her watcher, "can we apparant?"
"Yes," Giles replied and everyone prepared to do so. He moved to take a hold of Buffy, but Snape had already grabbed her and apparanted away to the hospital. Sighing, Giles followed suit, he didn't like it, but he was unwilling to spoil what happiness she may come into. But if he hurt her, no matter of heaven or hell would stop Giles from getting his revenge. Taking one more look around Giles, apparanted away. He appeared beside Snape, but Buffy was no where near them, she had already taken off towards Faith's room.
"I got this," Buffy said as they reached the hospital room that Faith was in. Giles gave a look of doubt, but Buffy smiled, "I'm just a holler away."
"Alright," Giles said, "I don't like it, but I will deal with it." Buffy nodded before entering the room. She looked around the room and noticed that Faith was by herself. She wondered if this was the mayor's doing or the watcher's councils, probably a little bit of both of them.
"Silencio," Buffy murmured after the door closed, she could feel the magic hum and she gave a happy dance. "Fidelis," she said pointing to herself. She knew what she was doing. Buffy had come up with a plan, but first she needed to make sure that her location was an unknown. She would allow Giles into her secret, but she would place the charm on him as well, so that he would not be able to give the information out. She had learned, innocently, from Dumbledore that this was how he had made Grimmauld place disappear from the wizarding radar. She had just done this to herself. "Finite Incantatem," Buffy watched as Faith slowly opened her eyes.
"Come to finish me off, B?" Faith rasped out, she could feel the numerous tubes sticking out of her arms and wondered what Buffy wanted, the golden slayer.
"No," Buffy replied, pulling out Pensieve of her first meeting with Voldemort, "I just want you to look at something and understand. Silently Faith touched the Pensieve and was immediately sucked in. She didn't know how long she was there, but when she came back, Buffy was waiting for her.
"What the hell was that?" Faith asked and Buffy smiled, knowing that this was Faith's turn to shin.
"This is your chance to shine." Buffy replied with a smirk. "I have a proposition that you might be interested in."
"I'm listening."
"I want you to become the slayer," Buffy began.
"It's a little late for that," Faith replied with a smirk.
"of the Hellmouth." Buffy said, "I just found out…" Buffy quickly laid out everything for Faith, who absorbed it all.
"So you want to replace everything you've done with me?" Faith asked wondering if this would work.
"Not so much," Buffy replied, "I want you to take the fidelius charm on you. It will allow you to retain all of your memories, but you will not be able to share them with anyone, unless this person already knows me, so the gang." Buffy had been working on modifying the charm to allow her to do this. She wanted to keep her friends, but she knew that she would need to modify the memories of the men that came with her. She had been trying the obliviate one rats and stuffy, but she wasn't sure about people.
"Why?" Faith asked finally, she knew that Buffy didn't do anything without a reason.
"I believe in you." Buffy replied, "I saw one path and you saw another, if I hadn't been here you would have chosen the right path, there is only supposed to be one slayer at a time and it gets confusing when there is two of us."
"Why help me, though?" Faith knew that she and Buffy had their differences, especially after she had tried to kill Angel. She wasn't sure whose side she should be on and didn't understand how Buffy could trust her this much.
"Because I can see myself in you." Buffy replied and she left it at that, she didn't need to go any further, after all they are sisters.
"How do you know I won't go to the dark side again?" Faith asked, she could still feel the yearning to be dark, but there was something holding it back.
"Because you know that you will be the only thing stopping the evil this time. There won't be me here to help you, you will be on your own, with a new watcher and the new Scooby gang." Buffy replied softly, she knew she was giving her life to Faith, giving her a chance to make up for what she did, but it was up to Faith.
"I'll do it." Faith said suddenly, "Put the charm on me,"
"Fidelis," Buffy murmured and Faith could feel something hit her and wrap itself around any and all memories of Buffy. "I modified it." Buffy said proudly as she watched the spell mingle with Faith's aura. The girl had darkness, but it wasn't as nearly as tainting as Faith thought it was, it was like a small spot, that was slowly being absolved.
"Now what?" Faith asked getting out of bed, she looked at the gown she was wearing and then at Buffy with a look of despair. She was not going out to meet anyone dressed like this.
"Now you change and we go meet the Scoobies," Buffy replied, handing Faith a package that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Faith grinned at Buffy as she pulled a pair of black leather pants, a red halter top, a thong, platform shoes, and socks. "Hurry up." She called over her shoulder as she walked out to meet the men.
"How did it go?" Giles asked as Buffy stepped out of the room, "Is she…"
"Awake and willing," Buffy replied, she watched the look cross his face and knew what he was thinking, "The watcher's council will be sending a new and young watcher to help Faith through this. She is willing to try this and get through this, without another slayer here to be compared to." Giles nodded slowly, knowing that what she said was true.
"Awake and willing for what?" Sirius asked, he didn't think awakening the dark slayer was a good idea, but everyone was more intent on listening to the child than him.
"To be the good slayer," Buffy replied shortly, she didn't like she had been named after this man, he did not seem to care for her too much, he was still living in the past. She understood he had been framed, but that didn't give him the right to live on in the past. He needed to grow up and begin to live in the now.
"How can you trust her?" Black asked, Remus silently agreed, but he wasn't about to voice that opnion.
"How do you trust Snape?" Buffy replied back, smiling at Snape when he flinched to let him know that she understood.
"I don't," Black replied at the same time Remus replied, "He's changed."
"So have I." Faith said stepping out of the room. Black snapped to attention as the darker slayer entered into the conversation, "Hey G-man,"
"Hello Faith," Giles replied slowly, he looked to Buffy and saw her give Faith an encouraging smile.
"Who are these hunky men?" Faith asked Buffy, trying to hide how scared she was feeling at that moment. She let her eyes look across the men assembled. She eyed the dark potion master and instantly connected to the man. She noticed how he stood protectively beside Buffy, glaring at her, that wasn't something B had mentioned. She looked over Remus and stopped short, "Werewolf."
"Do I have a sign on my forehead?" Remus asked annoyed, this was the second time a young girl had said that to him in a week, before anything else. Buffy and Faith chuckled softly.
"It's part of the slayer package," Faith replied as she turned her attention to Black. He noticed there was something off about him, she looked to Buffy for help.
"He's a dog." Buffy replied.
"As are all men." Faith said and the men looked slightly annoyed.
"No," Buffy replied with a laugh, "he can turn into a dog."
"Really?" Faith asked looking at him with a new interest, "Cool. Can you teach me?"
"Ahh, Faith, Buffy," Giles said looking at his watch, "It is time to go." The slayers nodded as one, turning as one they walked out the front door of the hospital, Buffy filling Faith in on everything she needed to know, "females," the other men nodded in agreement as they followed the men out.
By the time that they had reached Giles's flat, the two slayers had discussed everything that had happened to Buffy and why Faith had done what she had done. They discussed the ascension on both sides.
"Buffy!" Willow exclaimed rushing to give her friend a hug, Xander doing the same, Oz nodded to Buffy, until they noticed that they had visitors.
"What is she doing here?" Xander asked eyeing the dark slayer with suspicion. Faith stuck her tongue out at him and Buffy rolled her eyes. Giles began to raise his wand and point it at the Scoobies.
"Stupefy," Buffy whispered and watched the selected men go rigid, going over to Giles she took his wand, "Finite," Giles fluttered to live while still trying to cast the spell. "I'm sorry Giles, but I couldn't let you do it. I need your help."
"Buffy what is going on?" Willow asked as she eyed her best friend.
"It's a long story," Buffy replied, eyeing her watcher with a pleading look.
"Buffy just found out she was a witch created to destroy everything good and these guys were sent her to erase her memories from you so that you would be safer." Faith said laughing at Buffy's disgruntled expression. "She awoke me so that I could make up for my misdeeds and help to save the world."
"Oh." Willow said, Oz nodded, and Xander eyed the slayer quietly.
"How do we know she won't betray us?" Xander asked quietly, Willow and Oz quickly nodded.
"I have asked her to allow me to place a charm on her, which is now what I am asking all of you to do." Buffy replied, speaking to the Scoobies and Giles. "I have modified a charm that will ensure that not one of you can speak about my location, except to each other. If there are listening devices or someone invisible, you will not be able to do it either. You won't be able to discuss what we have done or what we will do with anyone but ourselves. Someone will not be able to read your thoughts about me or make you tell about me, no matter what. They will not be able to lift the charm, only I can do that." Giles looked subtly impressed. He knew that she had been locking herself up in the room learning spells, but he had never thought she was so advanced.
"I'll do it." Willow replied, Oz nodded, Xander nodded and looked at Buffy, they really looked at her and saw how powerful she had become.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me, dear girl." Giles said and Buffy shrugged.
"I didn't think you would allow me to do it." She replied and he nodded, because it would not have been allowed by the Order of the Phoenix.
"I'll do it." He said too. "But what about them?" He nodded to the stunned men. Buffy realized what he was asking.
"We obliviate them or they join the charm." Buffy replied and went first to Snape, undoing the spell on him.
"You could've warned me," He snapped, "You know I would have said yes." He moved to stand by the other Scoobies. She nodded her thanks to him. She hadn't wanted to obliviate him, but with the modified spell even his master would be unable to read his thoughts.
"Remus?" she asked quietly as she undid the spell on him. He nodded slowly, looking at the group of students that had helped Buffy through her early years.
"I have a condition," he said quietly and Buffy nodded slowly, "I want to know about your life. What it was like as the slayer." Buffy felt the pain course through her as it always did when she thought of the people she could have saved. She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm.
"It's okay," Faith murmured, "You can't save everyone, but you can save those that were meant to be saved." Buffy nodded slowly, she knew, now, that Faith was plagued with the same thoughts she was.
"Alright," Buffy replied softly, before turning to Black, "And you?"
"Of all the idiotic things…" his words were cut of as Snape cast a silencing charm. He glared daggers at Snape who shrugged, smirking slightly.
"This is not the time to yell at me," Buffy replied softly, "Every minute we spend here the more time that Voldemort has to find me. Now that he knows that I am alive he will spend every waking moment looking for me. When he doesn't find me, he will realize one of two things, I am at Grimmauld place and being hidden or I am on a Hellmouth somewhere that allows a new sort of protection." Sirius realized why Giles was so willing to trust her instincts, she knew her stuff, "I am sorry that I am not what you were expecting, but I need you on board or I need you to forget, the choice is yours."
"Speaking of locations," Snape asked suddenly, "Why wouldn't he just use blood magic?"
"Because I used the Fidelius charm on myself and only a select people can find me." Buffy replied and Sirius suddenly realized how well thought out this all was. Like she was a general in an army and in a way she was.
"Even with the charm he should be able to find you." Remus said softly and Giles began to smile.
"This has something to do with the modifications that you made, doesn't it?" Giles asked and Buffy nodded slowly.
"It is sort of like the charm that Dumbledore used to protect Grimmauld place," Buffy said and Remus's eyes widened in shock as he realized what she had done when she had weaseled the information out of Dumbledore. "I sort of used my blood and created a charm that would confuse anyone trying to locate me, without my permission. Think of my blood as Grimmauld place," she stated and Snape looked fairly impressed with the amount of effort she put into this. Black looked at her through new eyes as he processed this information. "Well?" she asked him softly and he slowly nodded. Snape took of the silencing charm, somewhat disgruntled that he had to do so.
Everyone formed into a circle and waited for Buffy to do her stuff. The Scoobies were waiting their turn to ask their questions. They wanted to know who the men where with her, they looked like nothing they had ever seen before. Buffy seemed to be able to control the powers she had just come into, with more vigor than anyone thought.
"Fidelius." Buffy murmured and everyone could feel the power flow through the room. Now that Faith wasn't in the mix, she could watch Buffy. The power that Buffy was using came to her and flowed through her. Faith watched as it twined with her aura, stealing from it, but never dwindling her life force. The others felt the power wrap around them and go directly where it was intended to her memories, binding them.
Snape felt her brush his mind and his eyes sought hers. She smiled at him and opened her mind to him. He saw flashes of her life, her leading in battles, her school time, her friends, and the time she spent creating the charm. She broke the connection and he felt a rush of loss at this. He knew that she had taken his memories, the darker ones; he seemed somewhat lighter than he had in ages. He didn't have the constant nagging of guilt and he looked at her questioningly.
"He bespelled you to feel guilty," Buffy replied, he thought she meant Voldemort, but she had known the spell signature anywhere, it was Dumbledore's. A million thoughts ran through her mind, but the most predominant was why. She didn't understand what he thought he would gain from an Order member that felt guilty all of the time.
Did you know that Dumbledore bespelled you? Buffy sent to Snape. He looked at her in shock, before quickly masking it and shaking his head in a negative. All the guilt, everything, was due to him. Why would he does this to you?
Probably to amplify what I was feeling when I first joined, Snape replied, while looking interested in the chatter that Willow was causing with her questions to Giles. He probably wanted to make certain that I would join the Order.
But why leave it on for so long? Buffy thought back. Why not take it off when you had joined?
To ensure my place? To make sure I didn't start to enjoy it? Snape thought as he began to question what had happened as well. He wasn't sure what Dumbledore was up to, but the old man would have a good reason, of that he was sure of.