A/N-Enjoy.
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Buffy woke up early that morning stretching out languidly and yawning. She looked over at her watch and smiled hopping out of bed and taking a quick shower. She skipped down stairs smiling at the Dream Team.
"Hey guys!" She greeted sitting next to Harry. The three exchanged glances and Harry smiled down at her watching the many colors the fire reflected off of her golden hair.
"You're much cheerier this morning." Harry commented.
"What do you mean?" She asked obviously confused.
"Last night, you know you were a bit upset?" He asked watching her face intently. She continued to give him a confused look until it dawned upon her. It hadn't been a dream.
"Oh." Her smile was long gone. 'Death…My life as a slayer.'
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have-" He started realizing he had upset her.
"No, no It's okay I'm just… I thought it was a dream, a nightmare, I guess not." Buffy replied taking a deep sigh. They all exchanged quick glances.
"What were you so upset about?" Hermione asked all three leaning in slightly. Buffy leaned back hoping the couch would eat her whole.
"I can't... I don't want to talk about it." She said weakly. They sat in silence. "I don't know about you guys but I'm kind of hungry." Ron's stomach growled on cue. "Well, okay now I know." They all laughed at the expense of Ron, but he did not seem to mind.
"Come on lets go before everyone else vacuums up the food." Hermione suggested standing up and making her way to the portrait hole.
"Don't have to tell me twice." Ron replied. And with that they were out the door.
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"Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you guys." Buffy said when Willow and Xander walked up to her.
"Xander likes food, you do remember that right?" Willow asked. This earned a small smile from Buffy.
"Hard to forget. So... What is Cordelia doing here?" She asked suddenly when seeing the girl conversing with her crush. "Doesn't she have some important cheerleading…thing?" Willow shrugged.
"You'd think, but a little after you left... Well she and Xander began to get along VERY well." Willow whispered and Buffy's eyes widened and her jaw fell open.
"But... He hates her, you hate her!" She said turning to Xander who merely shrugged.
"She's a good kisser." He replied making the two girls faces turn repulsed.
"Alas teenage love, how romantic, so what about smurf boy?" Buffy asked causing Xander to laugh at the reference. Willow scowled,
"He's not a smurf." She replied defensively,
"No? He's blue and small." They both burst back into obnoxious giggles.
"Laugh it up. He's sweet, oh and he's a werewolf." Willow said nonchalantly. Buffy blinked at her red headed friend.
"Huh?"
"He was babysitting this kid who liked to bite; turns out he was all grrr-y. So once he was bit he was grrr-y too." She said in her Willow like way. Buffy nodded,
"That explains it all. So, are you guys here to stay? Or was it just a stop by to tell me, ' hey you're going to die see you never ' thing?" They both frowned.
Willow gave Buffy her best sympathetic face, "We're here to stay. Giles wasn't lying when he told Herhiney-"
"Hermione-" Corrected Buffy.
"All that stuff." She rolled her eyes.
"Well, you guys are going to love it here." She said looking back at her other friends who seemed to be listening to Cordelia intently.
"If she tells him something bad she'll regret it so much." Buffy threatened remembering her poor relationship with the gorgeous brunette,
"You like that guy?" Xander asked incredulously. He still had a slight crush on the blonde.
"No! ... Okay maybe a little." Willow's eyes lit up.
"Witchy love! How cute, you guys can have kids and they would be all magic like and-" Squealed Willow before being interrupted,
"Whoa there Wills decaf is your future friend. I can't even tell him I like him. Plus that's not such a great idea. My life is a bit complicated; I don't want to drag him down with me. Especially since..." She wondered off a haunted look coming on her usually cheery face. Willow put a calming hand on the blonde's shoulder,
"I don't care what Giles say's, there has to be someway to get around this prophesy." Assured Willow, Buffy opened her mouth. "Other than you quitting." Buffy sighed,
"We can do research I guess... Let's not talk about it I just want to be happy today if that's not too much to ask for? Come on lets go interrupt their conversation before Cordelia convinces them I'm some leper." They walked towards the Gryffindor table and Buffy nodded towards Cordelia.
"What has she told you?"
"That you attacked her with a stick." Hermione replied. Buffy's eyes widened,
"It was an accident." She stated pointedly giving Cordelia a 'don't make me hurt you' look.
"It was awful, my life flashed before my eyes! So, Harry, you play any sports? I mean you'd have to being your shape and all." She gave him her winning smile, Buffy glared at Willow.
"You just had to bring her along?" She whispered to the red head whom simply smiled and flushed.
"I thought you were my girlfriend?" Xander asked his flirtatious girlfriend.
"Actually I play Quidditch, Buffy does too she's great at it." Harry said giving Buffy a joking wink.
"Your making me blush." She replied jokingly flipping her long golden hair.
"Am I the only one who has no idea what you guys are talking about?" Asked Cordelia.
"No." Came three replies. Buffy smiled at Harry,
"I love how I'm the one who actually knows what's going on!" Harry smiled at the blonde knowingly before launching into an explanation about his favorite subject Quidditch.
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"Wait? So, we're going where?"
"Hogsmeade." Hermione replied folding more of Buffy's clothes that happened to be lying around. "It is actually quite enjoyable there's Honeydukes and I can show you the shrieking shack!"
"Don't tell me! A shack that shrieks?" Buffy teased, Hermione simply rolled her eyes. "Man, you Europeans suck at naming things."
"Really, Buffy?" She asked emphasizing the blonde's name. Buffy simply pouted and Hermione took another article of Buffy's clothing and began to fold,
"Gee mom thanks for messing up my mess!" Buffy joked snatching her shirt from Hermione, who in reply huffed,
"Honestly, you think I enjoy folding your clothes?" Hermione asked,
"Yes." Replied Buffy raising her eyebrows at the honey eyed teen,
"…Damn."
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Harry and Ron sat in the common room waiting for the girls and decided while waiting to play wizard's chess. Before Harry knew it he had lost most of the pieces on his side of the board.
"One day Ron…One day." Harry said watching his Queen get demolished. They heard the voices of Hermione and Buffy descending the girl's dorm,
"It's about bloody time." Ron called earning two glares from the girls as they were in full view. Ron laughed, "Nice hair Hermione." He said jokingly.
Her eyes narrowed even more at the red head boy, "Nice face Ronald." She replied making Buffy shake her head and hold back a laugh,
"Sorry, we got into a clothes fight consisting of me unfolding them all and Hermione almost crying." Buffy explained, "So, ready to go and show me this Hogsbeer?" She asked. Harry burst into hysterics. She closed her eyes momentarily, "It's not Hogsbeer is it?" She asked,
"Nope." Replied Hermione with a big grin plastered on her face as well. Hermione and Ron tried to contain the laughter unlike Harry and Buffy rolled her eyes,
"You can go ahead and laugh at my expense." She told them.
And so they did…The entire way to Hogsmeade.
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"OW!" Buffy exclaimed with wide eyes and a hand held up to her cheek,
"What?" Harry asked concerned looking at the golden haired beauty for any injury,
"I tink eht jus expwoded ehn mah mouf!" Said Buffy holding up a red piece of hard candy having a hard time saying her words with any articulation. Harry looked at the box containing the same red hard candies and shook his head,
"Buff, next time you see candy labeled 'exploding candy' that should give you an idea." He explained cupping her cheek and trying to soothe it. Buffy froze feeling the warmth emitted from his hand and before thinking pressed her cheek more deeply into it. His green eyes softened and as his eyes connected with her own before either could really think they both moved in,
"What are you two doing?" Ron asked, the two ripped away from one another and quickly looked toward the ground.
"She hurt her mouth." Harry explained,
"Uh huh." Replied Buffy not wanting Ron to tease her way of talking at the moment.
"Right." Said Ron slowly winking at Harry who in turn blushed a deep red.
"I cannot take any more of this; can we please go somewhere we can sit down?" Asked Hermione from behind Ron clearly not aware of what had just happened.
"Fine by me." Harry quickly said slipping away and outside the store.
"What's his problem?" Asked Hermione, Buffy merely shrugged.
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The four went to the Leaky Cauldron and sat down. Before Buffy could even glance at a menu Harry ordered four butterbeers.
"We can drink?" She asked in a hushed tone. Ron smiled,
"It's not real alcohol." Ron explained.
"Oh well usually when one puts the word beer into the name of the beverage one would assume-" The drinks arrived and the three quickly picked their own and sucked at it like nectar while Buffy stared at it with distaste. "Can't I just get a coke?" She asked earning three headshakes.
"It's good, don't worry." Harry reassured her still not meeting eye to eye with the blonde.
She nodded and took a sip of the drink apprehensively. Needless to say it was gone in less than a minute. The three of them; Buffy, Ron, and Harry began discussing Quidditch and Hermione would lend a comment now and then. A shadow of a female silhouette intruded their table and as they looked up they saw who it was interrupting their talk of Quidditch.
"Harry?" Asked Cho with a shy smile. Harry looked up into the eyes of his crush and felt himself begin to blush. "Can we talk?" Cho asked looking around the table politely. Harry nodded eagerly and Buffy felt as though her heart might explode as his green eyes seemed to melt into Cho's brown eyes. She tried to calm herself, 'it's nothing, a congratulations at winning or a question about Charms…' She watched as the two stalked off to a dark corner,
"Wonder what that's about?" Hermione asked looking toward Buffy and putting a friendly hand on her knee under the table. Buffy merely shrugged,
"Oh please, they are quite obviously getting together. About time I say." Ron commented earning a glare from Hermione.
"Yeah." Replied Buffy, "About time." She watched as Cho folded and unfolded her hands and switched her body weight between each leg. She watched how the tip of Harry's ears blushed and the nervous look etched on his face. She made herself look away as the two hugged and Harry made his way back to the table.
"So, what you two lovebirds talk about?" Asked Ron giving his friend a cheeky grin who in reply blushed scarlet and shrug,
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased the redhead, who scoffed in reply,
"Come on mate, you have to tell us!" He pried,
"Really not necessary." Hermione muttered in an attempt to hint this was not the time.
"No. We're all friends here. Harry can tell us these things, right?" Buffy tried to hold in her bitterness, but suddenly felt furious and betrayed.
"Well…" Harry began suddenly feeling quite nervous under the glare Buffy was emitting his way.
"Well?" She asked urging him to continue,
"Well she likes me and I like her back." He stated glaring at Buffy for making him feel bad about his happiness. She simply stared at him tears threatening to build in her eyes; she kept them at bay and gave Harry her best 'eat shit and die' smile,
"Great, you two belong together." She spat standing and hurrying out the store.
"What was her problem?" Harry asked bewildered earning an eye roll from Hermione.
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After the three arrived back at the castle they learned Buffy had gone up to bed. The Dream Team sat in the common room enjoying the company of one another when hearing the portrait hole open. They looked up and were shocked to see Dumbledore. They all stood and noticed the grim look on his old face.
"What is it Dumbledore?" Harry asked slightly alarmed.
"Not here." He replied glancing at the other curious spectators. They followed him out and continued to walk silently after him as they made their way to his office. They took their seats looking at their headmaster with concern.
"I'm afraid we have some bad news. You know of the prophesy Harry?" The boy nodded. "We've come to learn it will be happening sooner then we thought. You see, there's a vampire, a master vampire, who's come and joined alliances with Voldemort. He's stronger then we hoped for with the new help and will strike soon. And with this vampire here, chances of you being the victorious one are slim." He told him honestly. Harry sat and took all this new information in.
"I'll have to fight a vampire too?" He asked overwhelmed feeling fear take a grip of him.
"No need to worry of that Harry, we have our resources. We had predicted that the battle might be soon, but not this soon." Dumbledore said petting Fawkes in a calming effort.
"Resources?" Asked Hermione speaking up with curiosity,
Dumbledore smiled cryptically, "We have a vampire slayer on grounds Miss Granger. We will notify her as soon as we can."
"A vampire slayer?" The three simultaneously asked with confused looks.
"Yes, quite capable if I do say so. Our main priority is preparing you for Voldemort." Replied Dumbledore.
Harry fidgeted nervously, "How soon are we talking?" Dumbledore sat in silence for a moment before speaking.
"By the end of this school semester."