Title: Good-bye Hellmouth, pt 14
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"You wanted to see me, Dumbledore?" Faith asked entering the older wizard's office only to fine the members of the Order sitting in a small circle. "Meeting?"
"Come in, Faith." Albus gestured.
"Why?" Sirius spat. "She's one of them." He added glaring in her general direction.
Faith swiftly moved towards him, but was stopped when she saw someone that she knew. Very well. Taking a glance at Albus he nodded and gestured for her to sit. Slowly she sat in the first available chair – which happened to be next to Sirius and James – and ignored the glares she received from the two ex-Gryfindors.
"What news do you bring?" Albus inquired.
"You can't expect me to share it with these people." Faith scoffed. "They'll never believe their end is closer than they think."
"Faith."
Faith closed her eyes. "Pettigrew is dead." After a few loud bursts of exclaims Albus quieted them down in order for Faith to continue her story of information. "He snitched, Voldemort killed him."
"My lord." She greeted kneeling in front of him.
"He is close." Voldemort informed her.
Faith internally frowned as she nodded, "My lord, forgive me for asking, but are the Potter's really a necessity?"
Voldemort stared at Faith for several long moments before dropping his gaze. "Are you doubting me?"
"No, my lord." Faith uttered. "I just wondered. I meant no disrespect."
"I suppose I should include you in on the plans." Voldemort commented softly. With riddles he explained his plan, and she was by far more confused in this conversation than she'd ever been while in the same room as Albus Dumbledore. She memorized the plan, hoping that she'd be able to analyze it later.
There was a moment of silence after he finished his plans before Faith suddenly understood. He didn't have a plan, rather than a foolproof battle tactic. "That is brilliant, my Lord."
"Thank you, child." He smirked, raising his wand watching as she prepared herself for the sharp pain that was coming because of her questioning. The curse flew and hit her hard, knocking her off her feet.
Faith was pulled out of her memories because someone touched her shoulder. She opened her to see concerned black orbs staring at her. "Severus." She whispered confused, realizing that she was shaking like a leaf.
"Don't think about that now, Faith." Severus warned, understanding what she might have seen knowing that she was with Voldemort for several days. He could see that she was shaken up but also noted that she took a deep breath and returned to the confident Slayer he'd known for almost five years.
Faith nodded her head. "Lily catch." She threw a bottle of something towards the redhead, who caught it easily. She then passed a similar bottle to James. Seeing his look she commented, "It's not poison, if that's what you're thinking."
"What is it?" Lily asked for her husband.
"Polyjuice potion." Faith answered simply.
"Who?"
Faith stood up and began pacing. It was something she got from Severus when he'd be in his lab thinking of how to develop a stronger potion or develop the Wolfsbane for Remus, though he'd deny it to anyone who pointed their fingers at him. "Lily, James – Severus and I were trying to develop practical potions or make them better. One of the potions we talked about was the polyjuice. We debated the components of original potion and made them better."
"I didn't know you were going to experiment on that." Severus replied. "The components that we debated on adding would increase the potency of the potion. In effect making it last longer and better than before."
"I tested it on myself, its effective and doesn't ware off in an hour, but lasts as long as the drinker likes, because there's an antidote." She continued pulling out two more vials. "This potion will give you enough time to resituate yourselves in safety and attempt to get a new secret keeper or whatever it is you'd like to do."
"So who are we?" Lily asked. "And what about you-know-who?"
"Let me worry about the dark Lord. Lily –" Faith paused. "James you'll be disguised as Perseus Evans, which took me several weeks to get the DNA correct, so you're welcome."
"Considering that Perseus is me I could have given it to you quite easily." Severus commented so only Faith could hear him.
"Shut up, Sev." She retorted tiredly.
"Faith."
"Lily, give me a strand of your hair." Faith interrupted quietly, not looking at anyone, preferring to rub the tension out of her forehead.
"No." Several voices shouted within the room. "You can't be thinking of this madness." Lily exclaimed standing up as best as she could being several months pregnant. "Severus?" She pleaded looking at Faith's closest friend on the Light side who wasn't looking at anyone but Faith with an unreadable expression on his face. "Buffy?" She tried, looking at the slightly shell shocked blond slayer.
"I think it's an excellent idea." Commented Albus who had remained silent up until now. His blue eyes more stern than they had been in a long while behind his half-moon framed glasses.
"What?" Lily exclaimed glaring at the older wizard.
"Buffy shall take the polyjuice potion." Albus stated and before Faith could interrupt or counter he held his hand up and added, "Faith you are tied to Tom and therefore he'd see through the polyjuice potion."
"Right, didn't think about that." Faith conceded.
"How much coffee have you drunken?" Severus inquired softly.
Faith looked up at him before looking at her fingers. "Oh, lots." She said giving up on counting her fingers to focus on the problem at hand. "Buffy, catch." She said before tossing the vial to the blond slayer. "I'll see if I can accompany him to the house so that I can help. But you'll need to be careful, because he's at his peak right now."
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Faith walked out of the office as soon as Dumbledore dismissed the meeting. She heard her name being called and tried to ignore it, but sighed and stopped when the voices continued to call out. She turned to find Sirius, Lily, James and Buffy walking towards her. "Yes."
"Peter's dead." Lily said.
Faith nodded.
"How?"
"I would assume the killing curse." Faith retorted before sighing. "Honestly, Lil, I don't know. I was –" she paused, as if searching for a word to describe it, "busy." She looked away before hugging herself as if shielding herself from the harsh words she expected to hear.
"Busy doing what?" Sirius spat. "Being a lap warmer –" He cut out by Faith's hand slapping his cheek.
"Don't talk about what you don't know." She growled warningly. "You don't know what I've been through to protect you, Lily, Harry and James." She glared. "The things I've had to do, the deaths I've got hanging over my head because I couldn't save them. The fact that I tried to commit suicide over all the pain and suffering I've seen and done. What about the constant fear that Voldemort will pierce my carefully laid barrier and find out that I told Dumbledore everything I've found out?" She paced. "Did you know that anyone who betrays or tries to leave the ranks of Voldemort's dies but I take that risk every time I return to him?"
"I don't know why you're trying to win this bunch over, Faith." A silky voice pierced through the slayer's tangent. "After all they're world is black and white. They don't deal with what we do."
"Shut up, Snivilus." Sirius snapped.
"Names at such an age? Honestly." Faith mocked. "Such an example for your godson." She continued in spite of the looks she was receiving from Lily and Buffy. "Merlyn willing, he'll turn out like Lily."
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Buffy sighed again as she glanced up at the clock. Nope, she thought, it's not broken. Faith should have been home, she promised to be home tonight so that they could patrol together. Something that they hadn't done together in a while because of Faith's duel responsibility with the Order and Voldemort.
Buffy wasn't sure how she felt about Faith being in more danger than normal. Sure she knew the slayer's life wasn't a piece of cake. She'd died saving the world and not just once. No she'd died twice and she knew Faith had been in bad shape after the death of Allen Finch and had probably been close enough to death to call forth another slayer.
She knew now that Faith was a better, stronger person because of the fall – just like she was stronger after her deaths. It was odd how the slayer's lives could be so different and yet so similar at the same time. Sighing she stood and exited their overly quiet flat and walked with poise down the streets of London.
Seeing a gang of vampires, she knew it was going to be a long and lonely night without the brunette staking vampires by her side. With that last thought of her sister slayer, Buffy jumped into the fray and began fighting the gang of vampires.
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Severus heard the incisive and slightly annoying knocking on his door. Sighing loudly, in the quiet room, he stood leaving his student's papers none graded on his desk. Once the door was opened, he saw one person he never expected to come to him and yet it made sense.
"Have you seen Faith?" The blond slayer questioned, not waiting for a greeting of any kind.
"No." Severus answered, stepping aside allowing the blond to enter his office. "I'm sure she'll turn up."
"Yeah, that's what I thought too." Buffy agreed. "But, I haven't seen her since the meeting and usually she'll come home after a few days. But it's been over a month."
Severus realized that she was right. "I'm sure she's just doing something for the dark Lord."
"She would have sent word." Buffy countered. "Look, I understand if you can't tell me anything, but I've got to know that she's okay."
Severus nodded. "I'll inform you the moment I hear something about her."
"Thank you." She said before leaving alone in his private office.
It was several weeks and an Order meeting later – which to his and Buffy's disappointment she didn't make an appearance – before Severus heard anything about Faith. "Faith." He greeted the soaking wet slayer that was currently standing in the dungeon hallway.
"Sev." She greeted, shivering in the cold and dampness of the castle.
Severus opened his arms allowing the slayer to gain the obviously needed comfort she was seeking. "What's wrong, Anam Cara?" He asked before suddenly realizing that she was crying softly. "Anam?"
"I've got a problem." She sniffed pulling away slightly, her eyes puffy and red. "I'm pregnant." She whispered.
"Are you sure?" He asked hesitantly.
"Pretty sure." She answered. "I've checked at least fifty times."
"Is it the dark Lord's?" He asked after a few moments of silence, his brain moving about a mile a minute trying to process what she was saying.
"That would be the least of my concerns." She muttered. "Voldie's child I could handle." She added. "But his, I can not."
"Who's?" Severus asked. "Anam?" He questioned when she turned away.
"Faith, you're alright." Lily supplied, having come to ask Severus for a potion. The redhead was round and obviously with child. The redhead was nearly in her final month of pregnancy and was preparing for the birth of her second child. She and James agreed to wait until the birth to see what the sex of the baby. Somehow it was more exciting that way.
"Cara." Faith began. "I'm going to lie down." She didn't wait for a response, heading to his private chambers and into his room. She felt safe within the darkness of his rooms and allowed herself to feel the burden.
In Severus' office, both Lily and the aforementioned wizard stared at the retreating body of the dark slayer. "Not a word to Buffy."
"But Severus." Lily protested. "You promised."
"I said if I heard anything I'd inform her." Severus corrected. "As it is, Faith is obviously upset and does not wish to be found by anyone but me." He continued ignoring her piercing look. "Lily."
Lily glanced towards the door Faith had just gone through, before meeting the dark eyes of her friend and potions master and nodded. "Not a word."
It was several hours later that Faith woke feeling a presence in the room with her. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Severus lying next to her. Relaxing she moved towards her friend, finding comfort in his sleeping state and quickly finding that sleep over took her.
They both awoke at the same time, but neither spoke for a long time. Finally, "Morning."
"Is it really?" Severus retorted dryly.
"Unfortunately," Faith began, "yes."
"How," Severus smirked, "dreadful." At which comment Faith rolled her eyes. "Hungry?"
"Famished." She answered along side of her stomach growling. Slowly the pair got up, Severus handing Faith extra clothing she'd left in his possession before ordering food from the house elves to bring to his chambers as she dressed. Once she came out, he noticed how she seemed to glow with a different radiance than normal.
They ate in silence.
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It was several weeks later that he sat down next to Faith who was gazing out the pseudo window. "Faith." His voice was soft and silky, and very comforting to the unusually quiet brunette. "You don't have to tell me who the father is if you decide to go through this." He began softly.
His words were meant to be comforting, but all the denial she'd put herself through was released. She paled at the thought of telling anyone about her pregnancy, knowing that was what he was going to say given the chance. Severus aside, she couldn't imagine telling anyone about her predicament. "I can't." She stuttered. "I just can't." And with that she was running through the door and he followed, albeit slower, knowing she was in pain as she ran out into the downpour.
He could tell she was upset and not thinking too clearly, and tried to keep her in sight for fear she'd do something irrational and damaging seeing as she's already tried to kill herself. He stopped her from apparating away, knowing that if she did he'd have a hell of a time trying to track her.
"Faith, Anam, listen to me." He pleaded holding her arms in his hands. "I know it must be hard on you to rely on someone else, but don't you see you're killing yourself with this burden?" He yelled over the rain that was hitting them with a vengeance soaking them completely. "Please. Don't fight this alone. You're all I have, the only one I can trust."
"You'll hate me." She sobbed.
"Faith, Anam Cara means something to me. I may not understand or like the things you do." Severus began. "But I could never hate or abandon you."
Faith choked on the words that were coming forth, until she could no longer bare it. "It's Black." She said. "It's Sirius Black's."
"Oh, Anam." He breathed, pulling her into him once more knowing of the animosity between the two while they were all at Hogwarts. It was as if he personally sought her out, more so then than now, because he didn't understand her.
Slowly he maneuvered her back into his chambers, where he cast a warming and drying charm on the shivering slayer. He also gave her a calming drought mixed in with a sleeping drought before tucking her into bed. Once he was sure that she was sleeping he swept towards the fireplace and floo-ed out of Hogwarts.
End pt 14
Author's Note: Anam Cara is roughly translated 'Soul friend' from Celtic. I thought it was important to show the friendship between the two spies now that they know about each other.
Allen Pitt-Hmm, now that would be interesting taking the new Potter baby to the "future".I did actuallyharbor the thoughts of Faith's father being a wizard, but as my muse would have it - I didn't find a good place to "drop the bomb", but there's still a possibility that Faith is connected somehow to the wizarding world. Thank you for reviewing, sorry it took so long to get back to you.
Lightdemondarkangel - I'm so glad that you're really into this story! I'm so very sorry it's taken me so long to update. I hope you enjoy what's to come! Thank you againfor reviewing!
General Mac- Thank you for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
sweetypie15 - Thank you so much! I'm so very glad that you've continuously reviewed and kept with this story!I'll try to finish it up soon so that I won't leaveanyone in too much suspense. Hmm, I'm sensing another story idea brewing where we focus on Harry and his sibling's interraction with eachother as they muddle through life. We'll see. Thank you again for reviewing!