Author note: We are quickly coming to the end, guys. How weird is that? Just five more chapters and this baby is done!
Chapter fifteen took me over a year and a half to write. I couldn't get it out. I knew what I wanted to happen, and while this wasn't the hardest chapter of the fic to write, it was the most emotional. I was able to write it after my grandmother passed earlier this year, and I think my grief pretty much made the whole fic take a nosedive in the happy department.
My take on Buffy's heaven is not like any I've ever seen. It's simple, because I don't think Buffy would want anything complex. For those of you asking for Spike or Angel, sorry. They don't fit into my world at all. I love them both, but I couldn't stand Spike after he became Buffy whipped and season four of Angel destroyed my love for that character. As a result, I don't write them well.
Thanks to the wonderful reviews, and I hope you like this chapter. Things pick up and are very paced from here on out. I have a couple of more surprises up my sleeve, including three character appearances that no one is expecting. :)
As always, love to Jacy, my wonderful beta. Happy reading!
…………………….
Draco stared in shock as Joyce Summers smiled at him and went back into the house. He couldn't catch his breath. This was going to be much harder than he first thought. Belatedly, he realized Buffy was already half-way to the porch.
"Well? Are you coming?" she asked before turning back to the house.
He followed and met her at the front door, which was left open from when Joyce had opened it. Buffy slowly pushed it open all the way and stepped through. Draco followed and took a deep breath. Something was different, but he couldn't put his finger on what.
"It's just how I remembered. Completely perfect." Buffy walked over to the stairs and smiled when she inspected the railing.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked, making sure his tone wasn't mocking. This was going to be a very difficult time for Buffy, and if he could make it easier on her, he would.
Buffy rubbed her hand along the wooden banister. "There are no nicks in it. The wood is smooth. At…" she paused, thinking of the right words, "Back at home there, every time I walk down the stairs I feel a mark or a scratch and remember some demon or vampire or some fight that happened that knocked me against the wood. Here, there are no slices from swords or rough spots from stakes. There are no blemishes. It's like it never happened."
Draco stared in silence at Buffy, who was still feeling the cold banister. When her eyes moved from the stairway to the living room, his own eyes followed and he began to notice differences. The furniture was brand new, without any marks. The window hadn't been repaired numerous times with various marks on the wood. The curtains didn't have scorch marks and there were various breakables around the room that wouldn't have been put out if this had been the other Sunnydale.
Then he began to notice other things that were missing. Pictures. In the other house, there were photo frames scattered everywhere. Here, the only photographs were of Buffy and her mother. There was no Dawn, no Giles, no Willow, and no Xander.
Suddenly, he realized what had been different about the house. There was no magic here. It was completely Muggle in every way. There were no protection charms, no flow of magic, no fingerprints from Willow's magic on the walls. It felt oddly bare.
"It really is like it never happened," he murmured, looking back at Buffy. She was staring at the living room as if it was foreign, her hand on the doorway the only thing holding her up. "Buffy? Are you all right?"
"I don't want to go back," she said softly with tears in her eyes. "It's going to hurt too much. Please don't make me. Don't make me go back."
Her cries broke Draco's heart and he couldn't find the breath to respond. It was almost as bad as Harry's cries after Ginny had been possessed and killed. The pleas to let him kill himself had been unbearable in the beginning. He was tempted to give in just to stop her tears.
Draco was saved from having to reply when Joyce appeared behind Buffy. The concern on her face was intolerable, and he had to look away.
"Buffy? What's wrong?"
He heard Buffy let out a sob and had to close his eyes in pain. Draco glanced up when he heard shuffling feet. Joyce had turned Buffy around to face her and had her daughter's face cupped in her palms.
"Tell me what's wrong, Buffy."
Buffy took a deep breath and attempted to calm down. The tears slowed. "I'm just really glad to be home, Mom."
Draco finally gathered the courage to speak to Joyce and stepped up behind Buffy, not missing the accusing glance that was sent his way. It was actually a look he was used to from mothers, but in the current context, it nearly made him wilt. "It's just been a really hard journey, and I know Buffy's relieved to finally be here."
Joyce's protective demeanor didn't calm with his words, and he honestly hadn't expected them to help. Buffy stepped away from her mother and wiped the tears from her eyes. "He's telling the truth, Mom. I guess I'm just a little emotional."
He couldn't help it. Draco snorted. Buffy elbowed him in the stomach, and when he looked up, Joyce's mild glare almost made him wince. Looks like he was getting off to the same start he got with most mothers he met.
Buffy seemed to notice the tension between her mother and Draco. "You said you were setting the table? What's for dinner? Do you need any help?"
Joyce kept staring at him for a few moments before turning to her daughter with a smile. "No thanks. You two just sit down at the table and I'll be right there. What would you like to drink—oh, what terrible manners I have." Her behavior completely changed as an easy smile graced her face and she held out her hand. "Joyce Summers. Buffy's mother, but you already knew that."
Draco smirked as he lifted the hand Joyce meant for a shake to his lips. "Pleasure, Mrs. Summers. Draco Malfoy."
His antics worked beautifully. Buffy rolled her eyes and her mother blinked in surprise. The manners never ceased to soften the coldest of glares.
Joyce pulled her hand back slowly and Buffy sighed. She waved her hand in front of her mother's face to get her to focus. Joyce quickly composed herself. "Well, what can I get you to drink, Draco?"
"Water will be just fine. I don't want to inconvenience you, Mrs. Summers," he replied with a charming smile.
"Oh please, Draco, call me Joyce." She smiled at him and went back towards the kitchen.
As her mother started to leave, Buffy huffed. "I'll take a water too, Mom!" She didn't know if her mother even heard her. She turned to Draco with a glare. She'd never seen her mother get so flustered about a boy, and this was heaven. Could she even have naughty thoughts about one of her daughter's friends? What kind of heaven was this? "How the hell did she go from hating you one minute to oogling you the next one?"
"It's a gift," Draco said flippantly as he went into the dining room. "Don't worry, it's only temporary. She'll go back to hating me during the second course of dinner." If he looked down the small hallway, he could see Joyce working in the kitchen. The dining room itself looked spotless with a newer addition. There was a hutch filled with delicate crystal china, something that wouldn't have lasted a day in the current time.
"Well don't use it on my mother. It's icky." Draco sent her an amused glance and went back to looking around. When Joyce started to bring in food, Buffy went to the bottom of the stairs to yell for Dawn to come down. She paused with one hand on the smooth banister and stopped. Draco was staring at her with pity in his eyes and Buffy hated it. So she had forgotten it for a moment. She'd forgotten she was in heaven. If there was one thing she didn't need right now it was pity.
"Buffy?" Joyce asked as she looked into the foyer. "What are you doing?"
Not wanting to give away the truth, Buffy flashed a small smile at her mother and went back into the living room. "Nothing, Mom. I just debated going upstairs to change but decided what I'm wearing is fine."
If Joyce thought this out of place, she didn't show it, and the three of them sat in an uneasy silence through the first course of the dinner, which was a light salad. Draco was two bites into the main course when Joyce broke the silence.
"So, Draco, I noticed your accent. What brings you to America all the way from Britain? I'm assuming your British," Joyce asked nonchalantly.
Draco's eyebrow went up when he looked at Buffy, who just made a face at him. He had done this often enough to know when a mother's curiosity could no longer be contained.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm British. My family hails from Wiltshire. It's located in southwest England. Stonehenge and Salisbury are actually in Wiltshire. It's beautiful country. As for my trip to the States…" he trailed off, looking at Buffy. Draco couldn't very well say Giles had brought him over, or that he was first here to help Willow with her dark magic addiction. He also had no prior knowledge of Buffy's life before the day he arrived except for the bare basics. Saying they met earlier and were reuniting was too risky.
"He's here because I asked him to be, Mom," Buffy quickly interrupted. She'd been thinking about what to say to this question, and she could only hope she pulled it off. "I'm, well, I'm sick. It's nothing serious, though."
Joyce's attention when from Draco to Buffy immediately and she put her fork down. "Buffy, why didn't you tell me? Why would you keep your health from me like that?"
"I didn't want you to worry, Mom, and it's not that bad. I should be good as new in a few months. Besides, Draco's the best specialist for this area. I mean, he flew all the way from England."
Draco interrupted her before she dug the lie too deep. "It's true, Mrs. Summers. I wouldn't be here if I didn't know with absolutely certainty that I could help, and I can. You have nothing to worry about."
Joyce didn't look convinced. Her eyes flip-flopped between Buffy and Draco. Worry was clear on her face. "I don't know. What's wrong, exactly? And how are you paying for this?"
"Dad's paying," Buffy interjected quickly, knowing her mother wouldn't even try to contact Hank to make sure it was the truth, even if she could do so in heaven. If this was her heaven, Hank Summers sure as hell wasn't in it.
"And this is just a precaution," Draco said, catching on to the lie Buffy was telling. "Your daughter hasn't gotten sick iyet/i. Mr. Summers contacted me as a preventative measure. You really have nothing to worry about."
After pondering what they said and giving them both a long stare, Joyce went back to eating dinner. While she was looking down at her plate, Buffy and Draco shared a look of relief. That was too close for either of them.
"And you'll be staying in a hotel for the duration of this visit?" she asked after a moment, and Draco froze. He'd just assumed he'd be staying at the Summers' house, because he'd gotten a good look at some of the local hotels. He'd rather sleep on a couch than sleep in those hell holes, and he hated sleeping on couches.
"Mom, don't be ridiculous. He's staying here. What if I need him in the middle of the night or something?"
Draco quickly pulled a spoon he had yet to use under the table. Hoping that this heaven didn't mess up his magic, he pulled the wand from use arm holster and held it under the table. Using non-verbal magic, he transformed the spoon into his fail-safe back-up plan.
Joyce gave her daughter a look that said she knew exactly what Buffy was trying to pull. "You'd need him in the middle of the night? For what, Buffy?"
Buffy froze. She was on the spot and couldn't think of anything to say. That had come out terribly wrong. If she denied it too quickly, it would be damning, and if she didn't deny it, her mother would throw a terrible fit.
To her surprise, Draco started to laugh. "You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Summers. I'm already taken." Draco help up his left hand and showed off a shining silver wedding band.
Buffy's jaw dropped as she looked at the ring. Draco wasn't married, so where had he gotten the ring? Had he been saving it for when he and Pansy tied the knot? It looked natural on his finger, like it was made to sit there.
Joyce smiled brightly. "Oh how wonderful! What's her name?"
This time, Draco was the one that froze. He hadn't really thought that far ahead, and by Buffy's look, she was waiting just as much as her mother to hear who he was apparently married to. Saying Pansy would bring about horrid results with Buffy and he didn't dare risk naming someone from Sunnydale in case Joyce remembered. He knew he was going to regret this.
"Blaise," he replied, and watched in satisfaction as Buffy started to choke. "Her name is Blaise."
"Oh how nice," Joyce said, oblivious to Buffy surprise. "Do you have any children?"
Draco did not like where this conversation was going, but since he was already going to hell for claiming to be married to Blaise, he figured he should go all the way. "Twins. Little hellions, actually. Pansy and Harry."
Buffy couldn't hold in the laughter any longer. Joyce was mortified on her daughter's behalf and quickly admonished her for laughing. Not wanting to delve into possible embarrassing topics again, Joyce turned back to her dinner, and Buffy and Draco proceeded to glare and mouth insults to each other when she wasn't looking. Dinner finished quickly, with less awkward conversation, and the plates were put away. Buffy and Draco went into the living room since Joyce insisted upon doing the dishes herself, and letting Buffy entertain their guest. What actually happened is they glared at each other the entire time they sat on the couch, arms crossed and shoulders tense.
When Joyce entered the living room, Draco quickly rose to his feet. Buffy followed at a slower pace, rolling her eyes.
"Well, I have an early day at the gallery tomorrow, so I'm going to retire for the night. Draco, you're welcome to the guest room while you're here. Buffy can show you where everything is."
"Of course. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Mrs. Summers, and for the warm hospitality," Draco said with a smile that Joyce returned. "Have a pleasant evening."
Buffy and Draco watched as Joyce went up the stairs and waited until the door to the master bedroom closed. Buffy turned to him and mocked, "Have a pleasant evening."
"Oh sod off."
"iHi, my name's Draco and I'm married with twins./i"
Draco sighed and started towards the stairs. "Shut iup/i, Summers. I did the best I could under the circumstances."
"Yeah, which include somehow getting a wedding ring," Buffy said as she followed. They quieted their voices as they neared the top of the stairs. "Where the hell did you get that anyway?"
He motioned into her bedroom and closed the door, pulling out his wand and putting up a silencing charm. If anything, his magic was much more responsive in this heaven, and he was grateful for it. It would make his job much easier. When Draco turned back to Buffy, her arms were crossed and she was tapping her foot impatiently. Undoing the transfiguration charm on the ring, it quickly turned back into a spoon.
"You made a wedding ring out of a spoon?"
"Obviously," Draco said. "Now, I want to check how I did on your aura before you go to sleep tonight. I was so rushed I don't know if I got everything."
Buffy sat on the bed when Draco motioned her to and he sat across from her. "You might fall asleep, or feel really drowsy. That's normal. And you might feel a little warm."
She waited while he got situated on the bed and took a deep breath. No matter how much she trusted him, she was always nervous when magic was done on her.
But she didn't have to worry anymore, because she closed her eyes and felt warmth and comfort. She was safe, and she could sleep.
………………………….
They'd been in this place for a little over a month, and it was driving Draco mad. He still played the courteous guest when Joyce Summers was around, but it was getting harder and harder to remind Buffy why they were here, and that they would be returning home in three weeks. At the beginning of their time here, Buffy claimed time moved exactly the same as it did on earth as it did in her heaven. She had been dead two months, and had been in heaven two months.
The time was affecting her. Draco had dropped Pansy's name a few days earlier, and was met with a curious glance and an inquiry on who it was he was talking about. That worried him. Saying Dawn and Willow's names still brought recognition, but it was becoming harder and harder for her to remember the details.
But for all the bad parts, Draco could see a real change in Buffy. Without the worry of the supernatural, her life was more controlled and normal. She didn't go on patrol, she didn't sneak out late at night. In this heaven, she worked with her mother at the gallery part time, and relaxed the rest. Draco had accompanied them, with Joyce delighting in his knowledge of fine arts. It was during these times that Joyce confined in him about Buffy.
Small insights into Buffy's younger years were revealed. Where the weapons and magic books were kept in the house at Sunnydale, an upright piano was pushed against the wall in heaven. Joyce claimed she wanted Buffy to learn piano as a way to funnel her anger into something positive after leaving Los Angeles, but her daughter didn't have the patience to learn.
Buffy had been a cheerleader in Los Angeles, but didn't like to dance anymore unless it was without thought in a club. The Bronze was still open in Sunnydale, but it seemed here there was no such club. In fact, Buffy didn't have any friends here, and it seemed she liked it like that.
It was this knowledge that led him lurking around the city while Buffy and Joyce were working at the gallery one afternoon. The town was vastly different than the brief glimpses of Sunnydale he remembered. There had been no apocalypses to contend with, and demons didn't pillage the town when they thought they had a chance. The original high school still stood, and the Magic Box was back to its original state before Willow had destroyed it.
There was only one cemetery, and it was familiar to Draco. It was the one he'd been bitten in and also the one Buffy was buried in over a year ago. Weaving through the tombstones and mausoleums, he came to stop in shock.
Buffy's tombstone was still here.
The ground wasn't fresh, and the tombstone looked like it had weathered a bit. Draco ran his hands over the stone and knelt down, feeling the grass. Unlike the other places in the town, magic danced along the grass and dirt. He could see it weaving through the soil and rock below, making a loop over Buffy's name carved into the stone.
Standing abruptly, Draco knew how he'd make her remember and focus on why they were here.
……………………….
Joyce was in bed and so was Buffy, but as Draco crept out from the guest bedroom, he saw the light in the master bedroom on underneath the door. With a wince, he cast a silencing charm on the floor so he wouldn't make a noise. It had taken him a week to prepare for putting his plan into motion. Getting Buffy out of the house was harder than he imagined, and with her and her mother attached at the hips, it was difficult, to say the least.
As he slipped into Buffy's room, he cast another silencing charm and moved about freely. Buffy was asleep in her bed, and sleeping peacefully. It made what he was doing so much harder.
Draco shook her away and had to duck the punch that was thrown his way. She might not be a slayer in heaven, but she still had the reflexes for it. He waited for her to properly wake up before starting. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the light, and Draco didn't miss the momentary panic in her eyes.
She was starting to forget him. It was taking her longer to remember his name, and that seemed like that was all she could remember. He'd pulled out his wand to do a charm the other day and Buffy stared at it like she'd never seen him with it before. She was forgetting magic even existed.
"Draco? What's going on?" she asked, her question finishing with a yawn. "Go to bed."
"No," Draco replied, his voice steely. He already knew he was going to have to be harsh. "You're forgetting the entire reason I've risked my life to do this, and I'm going to remind you."
She sensed the change in his tone and acknowledged it with a frown. "What are you talking about? You're here helping mom with the gallery. I don't need to be reminded."
His eyebrow went up. She had completely forgotten everything.
"I'm here to save you, remember? Potter and Pansy are grounding us. Giles took Willow to meditate and Xander took your sister, Dawn."
His words only confused her more. "Who are you talking about? What are you talking about? Did you drink tonight? Let me get mom. She'll help."
When Buffy got out of the bed, Draco grabbed her arm in a steel grip as she passed. If he had done so in Sunnydale, she would have thrown him across the room. Instead, she only looked at him in shock with a bit of fear thrown in.
"Let go of me," Buffy said slowly, but Draco refused. He pulled out his wand and brought Buffy close. She started to fight against him, but he strengthened his hold and Apparated them to the graveyard.
Buffy stumbled from his grasp and fell back onto the grass. He wasn't prepared to feel her blind panic and terror, something he'd never seen her show. It made the shadows darken around them and the air heavy with dread. For a small moment, Draco closed his eyes and let the horror coil around him. The juxtaposition of the place they were in and her emotions waged a war inside of him. He could taste the fear and dread as it rode along the breeze and brushed his cheek.
He snapped his eyes open and took a deep breath to calm himself. He hadn't gotten that close in a long time, not since he'd found Amy. It almost hurt to push it away.
"What are going to do to me?" Buffy asked nervously, her back against the tombstone. "Why would you bring me here, of all places, when you iknow/i how I feel about it!"
Draco was confused. "What are on about? It's a graveyard. Merlin knows you've spent enough time in them."
"No! They terrify me! Can we go? Please? I promise I'll never tell mom you brought me here or how we got here or anything." The terror he felt was real, and it puzzled Draco more than he cared to admit.
"No, I brought you here for a reason. You've forgotten. You've forgotten everything, and now I see why it was so hard when you came back from the dead. I'm going to rectify that. We may be in your heaven, but in two weeks we have to go back to your hell. You need to be ready."
Buffy's breathing was coming in shallow, ragged pants. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not dead. I'm alive. I'm here with mom and I'm alive."
Draco crossed his arms and motioned behind Buffy. She slowly turned to see the tombstone she had been leaning against. When she read the name, she let out a small scream and scurried away as quickly as she could. When she finally found her footing and tried to run away, Draco grabbed her by the arms and turned her around to face the headstone. iHer/i headstone.
"You died, Buffy. You died to protect your sister, your friends, and the world. But they couldn't let you stay dead, so Willow brought you back. But it wasn't finished. In order to protect them yet again, I'm helping you."
Buffy fought against him, her strength leaving her as tears started to form in her eyes. Draco just tightened his grip.
"But you're forgetting, and so I'm here to help you remember. This was you, Buffy, but you're going back, whether you like it or not, and if you don't start focusing on why we're here, it'll be hell all over again. Now, does any of this ring any bells?"
It was quiet in the graveyard except for Buffy's crying. When Draco felt all of the strength leave her, he stopped holding her close and she fell to her knees. When her crying stopped, Draco noticed something strange. All the magic that had been on the grave was now weaving itself around Buffy.
He could see it spinning around her, the golden light arching up from the ground and entwining itself around her. In a sudden blaze, the magic was gone, all traces of it removed from the earth, but Draco noticed something different about Buffy.
Her shoulders tensed and her spine straightened. Draco slowly backed away and gave Buffy her space. She quickly stood and dusted her pajama pants off where she had fallen. After a few moments of staring at the grave, Buffy turned.
Who he saw in front of him was not the woman he'd been staring at the past few weeks. This was Buffy Summers, the Slayer. She was the reason he was here. "Thanks. Let's do this."
Draco nodded and the two of them started to walk away from the grave. Suddenly, Buffy lashed out and punched him in the arm. "Son of a ibitch/i, what was that for?" he asked as he rubbed his bruised arm.
"For kidnapping me in the middle of the night, you freak," Buffy retorted as she kept walking.
He just rolled his eyes and followed.
…………………………….
In the two weeks since Buffy had re-awoken, they'd accomplished a lot. Draco was satisfied that Buffy's aura was back to the way it should be, and her mind was sharp as ever. He claimed it was almost as difficult to penetrate as Harry's and that was a feat in and of itself.
But today was a difficult day. Today was the day they returned. Since she knew it was coming, when her mother asked if she wanted to go to the movies, Buffy declined. Draco was giving her space, and she appreciated it. Because today she had to do what she'd never had the chance to do. Say goodbye to her mother.
Glancing at her watch, it was almost time. Her mother was preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Buffy walked in slowly. "Mom? I have something to say really quick before I go."
Joyce turned around with a smile on her face. "Going somewhere? Oh, if you're going downtown, I need you to take some things by the gallery for me."
Buffy shook her head and tried not to cry. "No mom. I'm not leaving for a few minutes. I'm going to go. As in away. As in I don't know when I'll be back."
Her mother's face slowly went from amiable to concerned. "Buffy, I don't like this. You know I hate it when you joke around about leaving again. Don't do this to me a second time."
"You know I wouldn't joke about running away. I don't have a choice, Mom." Buffy walked into the kitchen fully and stopped in front of her mother. "I have a gift that was given to me, and even though it was the best gift I've ever gotten, I have to return it."
Joyce just smiled at her again. "Oh, Buffy. The mall is closed today, you know that. You're being a little melodramatic about a simple return, aren't you?"
Buffy was getting frustrated. "No, Mom. It's not that kind of gift. You don't understand."
"Buffy." She looked to her right and Draco was standing in the doorway. She was running out of time. With a deep breath, she turned back to her mother.
"I love you, Mom. I always have. I wish we couldn've spent more time together. You were gone too quickly. Raising Dawn has been hard. I didn't think I'd get through it. And I couldn't do it like you could. I don't know how you managed to raise me through the circumstances, but you did. I just wish you would have been there to help after I came back. It would have been easier."
To both Draco and Buffy's surprise, Joyce's smile became sad. "Oh sweetie, you did just fine. Dawn's growing up to be an amazing woman, and you did your best with Willow. She's getting the help she needs now, and that's what's important."
Buffy stared at her mother in shock. "You… knew? This whole time?" She was taking deep breaths and trying not to have a heart attack. "How? Why didn't you…?"
"Of course I did." Joyce smoothed a tear away from her daughter's cheek. "I've always watched out for my baby girl. Just because I wasn't there in person didn't mean I wasn't watching everything you did in spirit."
Buffy paused and sent her mother a slightly nervous look. "Wait, ieverything/i?"
Joyce pretended to think but eventually smiled. "Well, almost everything. Some things are private."
She sighed in relief. "Thank God."
Joyce and Buffy laughed before they were interrupted by Draco's slight cough. They both sobered and turned to each other. "When you're done being the protector, I'll be here waiting to protect you."
Buffy's tears returned at her mother's words. "I don't want to go."
"I know, sweetie, and I don't want you to either, but I know you'll come back to me someday. And until then, you be brave and you live. For me."
Buffy gave her mother a hug that probably hurt, but Joyce didn't protest and hugged her back just as hard. When they separated, Joyce smiled at Draco. "You take care of my baby girl, and give Blaise my best."
Draco winced as the two women laughed. "Blaise isn't—"
"Oh I know, but the story was very amusing."
They all laughed and went to the front door. With another goodbye hug to both of them, Joyce opened the front door and the two walked out. When the door closed behind them, Buffy felt the breath leave her lungs.
Draco turned to her with his own sigh. "Are you ready? Put your back to me, just like we did before we left."
Buffy looked up at the house one last time before closing her eyes and stepping back into Draco's arms. She felt the hum of his magic and felt their connection zip up her spine. After taking a deep breath, she felt the air get knocked out of her lungs, and then nothing but darkness.
……………
Draco coughed as he landed on the ground on his back. "Well, while that was a better way of getting here than the way we left, it still isn't all that pleasant."
He stared up at the midnight sky and the twinkling lights, waiting for Buffy to reply. When it was still quiet, his quickly turned his head to both sides before sitting up. She was nowhere around. Panic started to set in. Something had gone wrong.
As he stood and spun around to look for her one last time, he paused. In front of him was Buffy's gravestone, and Draco started to shake when he realized he could faintly hear screams coming from below the earth.
…………….
End of chapter. Don't kill me? Please?