Title: Good-bye Hellmouth, pt 13
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Somehow, Faith found herself sitting at small side room within the Leaky Cauldron celebrating the new year with ex-Gryffindor's that were friends with Buffy, James, Lily, Remus and Sirius. She glanced around the room, thankful for the shadows that covered her from the mostly indifferent glances from Potter and Black."Faith." A familiar voice greeted. "Why are you sitting here all alone rather than joining the party?"
"Drinking."
"I see that." He muttered, noting her empty tankards that equaled seven becoming an even eight as she downed the last of the firewhiskey in her current mug. "But why?"
Drowning memories, she thought wryly. "Because I can."
Remus internally sighed. He'd noticed how the past four years had changed this particular slayer. Buffy seemed all right, if not troubled by her sister slayer – but Faith had been put through so much and she seemed that she was troubled beyond belief. While he knew she's not the type to open up, especially not to him, he still hoped that he could distract her from her problems – if even for one night.
Remus saw another tankard appear in front of the slayer and reached for it. "I think you've had enough, Faith." He told her as she turned her murky brown eyes on him.
"Give me the whiskey, Remus." She ordered in a low voice.
"No." He punctuated his defiance by flinging the glass across the room, shattering and spilling the whiskey, immediately causing everyone to pause in their celebrations to watch the brunette's argument.
Faith stood up, followed by Remus, getting really close to the werewolf before whispering only loud enough for him to hear, "You have no idea what you're up against, do you Lupin?"
Calm and collected Remus met her enraged eyes that were also begging for something, but before he could read in to it, it was covered up. "Why don't you tell me?" He requested softly.
"The whole world is upon my shoulders." She whispered. "I'm this close to braking and I'm tired of being the strong one and the one that's beaten for every thing I do. This world will die, Lupin, make no mistake about that." With that she brushed past him and was halfway to the door when he called out.
"What happened to Peter?"
She stopped dead in her tracks; she heard Buffy and Lily gasp, along with Sirius and James. Slowly she turned her head, her eyes locking onto Remus, but not before meeting Buffy's concerned hazel ones. "Accusing me of something, Lupin?" She inquired. "Because they," gesturing towards Black and Potter, "usually attack without asking questions."
"I'm not stupid, Faith." Remus replied. "You're hiding something and it's killing you."
"What do you care?" She spat. "I'm a Slytherin."
"You were."
Faith cocked her head to the side. "Then is now, isn't it Lupin?" She questioned. "I'm the enemy, remember. Everyone's been saying it since Buffy and I came here." She reminded as she slowly approached him, reminding him of an animal stalking its prey. "I could kill you before you'd even realize it." She smirked at the irony.
Amber eyes held onto her stormy brown as he commented, "But you wont."
She raised a hand, noticing that he didn't shy away from her, her fingers bushing away a strand of honey brown hair away from his face. "How naïve." She commented sadly.
"It's naïve to follow Him." He whispered so only she and Buffy could hear. He wasn't prepared for the slap that struck his cheek. When he looked up at her, he noticed her brown eyes were wide and she was stepping backwards, preparing to run and as she did, he followed her.
Before she could apparate away from within a darkened alley next to the pub, he caught up to her and pulled her into a comforting hug. Then he braced himself and apparated them both somewhere as the rain started to come down, drenching the two.
"Talk to me." He pleaded softly. "Tell me anything." He added, watching as she pulled away and started shivering from the cold or being frightened – he couldn't tell.
"I can't." She whispered hoarsely. "Just hate me like your friends, Rem. Please, it's easier."
Sighing, he took mercy on the brunette slayer and gestured for her to follow him. He took her into the bathroom, gave her a towel and left for a moment returning with a change of clothing for her. "Shower, I'll have some coffee ready for you when you get out."
"Make it tea."
A smile slowly appeared on his face before he nodded. "Get warmed up." He suggested, turning and leaving when she nodded.
"Oh Ani, hold me!"
"Whoa!" Ani exclaimed jumping back hitting the glass door. "What's with the dress?" He asked noticing the dress once he was comfortable with the distance from the unfamiliar woman.
"What's wrong with my nightgown?" The woman asked before questioning, "It emphasizes my fatness, doesn't it?"
Down pregnant woman he thought. "No! No, I've just never seen a nightgown such as that." There aren't any sharp, shiny objects around here, he wondered cautiously looking around, gotta keep it away from the hormonal pregnant woman.
"You don't love me cause I'm fat!" She accused.
"Uh," He tried. "Let's talk about this later. I've got a thing – so I've got to go to this – thing." He stuttered. "Right." He added turning to walk through the door.
"It's Obi Won, isn't it?" She hissed.
"What?" He asked, turning to face her. "No." At least I don't think so. He added mentally, before looking through the memories present for him. WHOA! H.O.M.! I can't be doin' him, can I? Shuttering from the last thought he shook his head. "I've got to go and talk to Obi Won about this – thing."
Before she could say anything Ani rushed towards the door. Throwing the large wooden door and crossing the threshold he ran into. "Anakin, my boy."
"Ah! The H.O.M.!"
The door closed silently, allowing the slayer to look around the small bathroom. There wasn't much in the room, a bottle of shampoo, conditioner, his razor, toothbrush and toothpaste and soap. There was a dull looking gray carpet that covered the dingy white tile.
Not thinking too clearly, she reached for the razor blade, holding the thin piece of metal in her hands, which seemed burning hot against the cold metal. Walking carefully towards the tub, she started running warm water. She watched as the tub began to fill up before stopping the running water, without stripping her clothing she climbed in with the razor still in her hands.
The screaming began, the begging, the pleading began to play within her mind. All those that begged for mercy, all those she couldn't save before they died began replaying in her mind – haunting her mind. Slowly she ran the blade across one wrist, watching as the blood slowly poured out, staining the water pink.
Little by little, the cuts she inflicted upon herself made the pain slip away as she slowly began losing her strength, relaxing against the porcelain tub. Just as she was letting herself go, she faintly heard the door slam open and her world went black.
After pulling her out of the red stained tub, Remus held the slayer close, trying to get the multiple wounds to stop bleeding before he apparated them to St. Mungo's, he himself covered in her blood. "Help! She's bleeding badly and I can't get it to stop! She's going to die!"
"Calm down, sir." A healer commented, examining the wounds before leading them quickly into the other room. "I'll need three vials of blood-restoring potion to start with. Sir, do you know if she's had any mental or physical problems in the past to cause her to do this to herself?"
"She's been going through a lot of changes." Remus answered. "Please just save her life."
"That's my job." The healer commented before escorting him out. "You can see her when she's stable. Until then, you'll need to wait out here."
Remus took to pacing in the waiting room before he suddenly thought of Buffy, Snape and Malfoy. With resolve he floo-ed each of them, telling them all about Faith's whereabouts'. Malfoy and Snape were in the middle of an elaborate party when they were notified and Buffy had just gotten home.
One by one they entered, Buffy upon seeing Remus' ragged clothing stained in blood rushed to the werewolf's side and pulled him into a hug, where he began shaking. "Shh, it's okay Remus. I'm here."
"Lupin, where is she?" Asked the pompous voice of Lucius Malfoy.
Remus pulled back, looking at the three men standing in formal robes – two he knew to be Lucius and Severus, the third he didn't recognize. "She's getting treatment." He answered softly.
"What happened?" Asked the unfamiliar man, his voice low, as he stepped closer to the pair. His enraged eyes, being the only form of emotion that emitted from the man, as his other features were strikingly handsome and cold.
Remus glanced at Buffy, whose hazel eyes seemed to be asking the same thing. "She had eight tankards of firewhiskey and wasn't herself. I took her somewhere to get cleaned up and she –" He turned away from the enraged eyes, only to be turned back by the darker man. "She cut her wrists." He finally whispered. "I knew something was wrong, so I went to check up on her and she didn't answer my calls so I went in to find her submerged in her own blood."
The unknown man released Remus and turned to go down the hallway to find Faith. "Sir, you can't go back there!" Called one of the nurses. The man ignored her and entered the room and saw all the potion vials they used were lying around and there was no sign of breathing from the brunette slayer.
Carefully he walked over to her, placing a hand on her breast, murmuring some words repeating them until he felt her heart begin to beat underneath his hand. His hand moved from her breast down to her hand, pulling it up to his lips as he called her back, "Faith."
Her eyes fluttered open, seeing a pair of intense jade eyes glancing down at her. "My lord." She whispered.
"Why?"
Her mouth opened and closed before she spoke, "I'm sorry, my lord, I don't know what I was thinking. The insanity has been calling and over took me. I didn't mean to be weak."
"Come."
"But –"
"Come." He stated with more authority helping her up, knowing she was feeling weak and knowing she needed his strength to lean on. Before he walked them out into the waiting room he gave Faith his cloak so that she could warm up. Once out in the waiting room they heard the healer telling them about their loss. Buffy noticed first rushing over to the brunette.
"Don't you scare me like that again!" Buffy cried, wrapping her arms around her sister slayer.
"I'm fine, Summers." She smirked remaining ridged trying not to look for comfort with the blond slayer. "Don't worry 'bout it."
Buffy pulled away, hurt evident in her eyes, until she saw a shimmer of shame inside Faith's before she nodded. "Keep it that way, McRae." She stated before approaching Remus. "Come on Remus."
"But –"
"Remus." Buffy warned, getting a confused look from the werewolf before nodded and followed the blond out.
The healer had turned, gawking through the slayer's exchange, seeing a very alive slayer and finally uttered, "But it's not possible. You were dead."
"Must have been magic." Faith laughed before exiting the hospital with the healer calling after her. The four people walked out into the streets of London before apparating back to Malfoy Manor. "I can't go in there." She said stopping suddenly.
Voldemort waved his hand, cleaning her up and changing her ragged clothing into fine robes of midnight blue. "You will accompany me." He stated holding his hand out.
Faith glanced down at her robes, which had a low cut front and fit like second skin before reaching out and accepting Voldemort's hand. The four entered the ballroom, everyone glancing at them, Narcissa approaching them. "Welcome Faith."
"Thank you, Narcissa."
Faith spent the rest of the evening with Voldemort, dancing and having a good time with those that were her friends and fellow death eaters. That night, she stayed with the Malfoy's, but wondered out into the early morning. She'd stolen a bottle of Ogden's and drank the whole bottle before grabbing another, followed by another. By four, she was thoroughly drunk wondering the streets in her leather pants and black tank top with a half empty bottle of muggle whiskey in her hands.
Somehow she ended up on top of a brick building watching the sun coming up. She must have woken up one of the tenants of the building because the person was approaching her. A few feet away, the steps stopped. "McRae?" A surprised voice inquired.
Faith turned to see a pair of dark gray orbs and bedraggled dark hair. "Sirius Black." She greeted stretching her arms above her head, her shirt creeping up a bit, stumbling a bit before catching her balance. "The dog star." She muttered, laughing lightly walking towards him.
"You're drunk."
"As a skunk." She laughed a bit more before tripping over her own feet only to be caught by Sirius.
"Let's get you home." He muttered, lifting her onto her feet and walking her towards the ladder. He paused in his steps as she stuck her heals into the ground. Turning to face her he noticed that she was trying to lock eyes with him. "McRae?"
"You have such dark eyes." She whispered. "So closed and mysterious."
Sirius was confused, even more so when she pulled his head towards her, placing her lips upon his. Unsure what to do, his body made up his mind and he accepted her. He blindly guided her towards his apartment, with a bit of stumbling but nothing major, practically slamming the door behind him.
Faith felt hot, and began trying to touch anything cool, pulled his night robe exposing his chest, feeling the cool skin underneath, before forcing the robe off his broad shoulders. Sirius was by no means stilled in his actions began to touch exposed skin, before releasing his lips to pull off the tank top, leaving her bare topped to his lusty eyes.
In a stumbled mass they fell upon Sirius' bed, continuing to take what the other had, but giving only so much of themselves for fear of being burned. In a tired, but satisfied, heap they fell next to each other and almost instantly to sleep. It was several hours later that Faith felt the burning sensation on her arm, causing her to shoot straight up, only to get dizzy and exclaim, as she fell backwards onto the soft pillow, "Shit mother fucker."
"Is that how you start every morning?" Came an amused question.
Faith slowly turned her blurry eyes to look into tired gray orbs. "Tell me I didn't get pissed and sleep with you?"
"We did more than just sleep with each other." He mused, pulling her closer.
The burning sensation pulled her fully out of his arms and out of bed only to sit back down.
"What's wrong?" He inquired, pulling his body closer to her.
"Damn hangover." She muttered standing again, this time to look for her clothing. "It been nice seeing you again, but I've got an appointment to keep." She said, pulling her clothing on in a hurry. She was half way out the door when he grabbed onto her left arm.
"I knew it!" He exclaimed, glaring at the dark mark before turning his angry eyes on Faith.
"It's not what you think, Black." Faith grunted, feeling another wave of power. "I'm a spy against him." She gritted, painfully. "Now let me go, so that I don't die."
"Where's Peter?"
"Your rat is against you." She shouted. "I can't believe you trusted him so much as to hand Lily and Harry to him." She continued, angry beyond belief. "He tried to kill me, so I nearly kill him. But then he had to scream mercy saying he knew where the Potter's were and was spared but not for long."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he's going to crack and be dead." She growled before apparating away, the pain in her forearm being too much to bear. "My lord." She greeted kneeling in front of him.
End pt 13
SweetiePie15 - Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the story. Nice to have your feedback about what Lily and James should have for a second child.
BobtheAlmighty - Thank you! I'm glad that you've enjoyed my plot, I'm enjoying writing it. I tried not to get too much into relationships, there were several times (this chapter could be construted)when that became iffy, but it pulled through nicely - to date. Thank you again, I hope that you continue to read.
Faith16