Okay. So. When did I post last...ten days ago. A LOT has happened to me in the last ten days! Last time I posted I'd noted that my ENT released me to return to work. Went back to work Monday (24th) and nose was bleeding again by Wednesday (26th) evening, so I went to the ER...and guess what, the only solution was to repack my nose (both nostrils this time). Called Kaiser the next day to get another ENT appointment and schedule a primary care doc appointment...they could see me 5/1 (ENT) and 4/28 (primary). Saw primary and she put me on blood pressure meds and iron. That evening (that was Friday), I felt so dizzy that I thought I was going to faint, so I called 911. Spent another seven hours in the ER (in the hospital a mile from my house), then they said they (Kaiser) wanted me transferred to the Kaiser hospital ER for a blood transfusion...so at just before midnight an ambulance showed up and took me to the other hospital 30 mins away. On Saturday morning, they did the blood transfusion...then released me. The DH picked me up around 1030am. I was pretty much bedridden all weekend. Monday morning (5/1) I had to drive back to Kaiser to see the ENT again. Pulled out packing. Not bleeding, so no cauterizing this time. But no real solution except to keep my BP down. I feel okay today, but...I'm just scared. AND...I have a freaking COLD! *SIGH* More doctor's appointments coming up. Thursday (5/4) a blood draw, next Tuesday (5/9) primary care doc again...and another one soon (I can't remember when though). Fun times! *SOB*

Okay, enough of that! Special thanks to nerdalertwarning, Last Divine Shadow, Sharie, kayleerenea, chao-hellsing, coffeegoddess, and guest for taking the time to give me some feedback. Whether it's about the chapter or about anything else, it is MUCH appreciated and sometimes the only reason to hope things are going to be okay.

Chapter Forty-six
Accidental Mayhem

As soon as their visitors were all gone—except Edmund—Vin and Sophie yawned, then retreated to their bedrooms. Buffy wasn't sure if they were getting dressed to go out or if they were too exhausted from the evening's encounter and were napping. Either way, she and Edmund were left alone in the lounge to talk.

For a few minutes, they both sort of just sat there in silence—and then there was a knock at the door.

"What now?" Buffy said with a sigh as she hefted herself up from the sofa, wondering if the Giles had changed their minds about leaving Edmund or if maybe one of the Travers had returned—for some godforsaken reason! Part of her thought she should let the sisters know, but she figured she was capable of handling either of the elder Travers if she had to. And, if it was Edna and Rupert, she supposed she could run up and get one of the sisters.

Edmund got up with her. "I probably shouldn't have stayed," he commented, thinking that maybe Buffy hadn't really wanted him to, but had asked to be polite.

Half way to the hallway, Buffy stopped. "What?! No. Of course you should have stayed. I wanted you to stay," she insisted.

Edmund frowned. "Hmm. I suppose I thought you might want an evening alone."

Buffy snorted. "Boring," she said. "Really, it's okay. And, if you recall, I suggested it."

"True," said Edmund as he followed her, somewhat reassured.

At the door, Buffy reached for the handle and pulled it open—then stared. "Oh. Um. Hi," she said, surprised at who was there.

Behind her, Edmund stared at the person who stood on the other side of the threshold, frowning a bit at the boy with flaxen hair, ice-gray eyes, and a very pale complexion.

"Hello again," the blond said.

Buffy frowned. "Hey. What are you doing here?" she said without stepping back to allow him to enter.

Primly, the boy adjusted the robes that hung over his arm and glanced at the boy standing behind Buffy—he didn't look very welcoming—then looked down at her and said, "May I come in?"

"Oh. Um. Yeah, you should come in," Buffy invited, pulling the door open wider.

"Buffy don't!" Edmund hiss-whispered, grabbing Buffy's arm.

Buffy looked at Edmund and grinned—then whispered, "He's not a vam...um...I mean, some vagrant, Edmund. This is Abraxas Malfoy...he goes to my new school."

Edmund nodded sheepishly, then stepped forward. "Oh. Hello. I'm Edmund Giles," he said, holding out a hand.

For a moment, Abraxas stared at the extended hand—then reached out and took it. "Good evening," he said, stepping forward and into Buffy's residence when the other boy moved back. He then looked at Buffy. "I do apologize for dropping by unannounced."

Buffy smirked. "I didn't realize you knew where I lived, Brax," she said, knowingly—obviously he'd followed her!

Abraxas huffed. "Must you call me that?"

Buffy shrugged. "Well yeah, since I know how much is bothers you...I definitely must," she said, still grinning.

The blond rolled his eyes. "You are so..." He shook his head and allowed his words to trail off, then let out a sound of exasperation.

Buffy laughed. "I try," she said, glancing at Edmund. "I've only just met Abraxas and he can be a little uptight."

Abraxas snorted. "I am not!"

Buffy laughed again. "Yes...you very much can be," she insisted.

Taking in the look on the other boy's face—and Buffy's clear delight at his irritation—Edmund struggled to hide a smile of amusement.

"Anyway, let's go into living room," she said, looking at Edmund. "And sit down."

Edmund nodded and led the way—but frowned when they entered the lounge. "Do you think you should let Aunt Vin and Sophie know that we have another visitor?" he suggested—thinking that Buffy had far too many gentleman callers for a girl her age.

"Hmm. Maybe, yeah," she said. "I guess I'll just...run up and tell them."

Edmund nodded.

Buffy looked between the two boys. "Have a seat, if you'd like and...I'll be right back."

Abraxas nodded, then eyed the mustard yellow sofa and sat down, watching as Edmund did the same.

"So, how did you meet Buffy?" Edmund asked as soon as he was sure Buffy was out of earshot—quite aware that he sounded like a concerned parent. Or a jealous suitor.

"Oh. I encountered Summers and Riddle whilst we were in Knockturn Alley. She was incensed over the treatment of a house-elf," Abraxas said with a smirk. "They must not have servants where she comes from." Or can't afford them, he thought to himself as he looked around the room. It was a decent house, but nothing compared to the one he lived in. "She was quite upset."

Edmund narrowed his eyes, not having any idea what the other boy was talking about. What was a house-elf?

Abraxas seemed to sense he'd made a mistake and frowned—remembering that Buffy had let slip that she was Muggle-born. "Are you a relative of Buffy's?" he asked, curious about the girl and wondering who this Edmund was to her.

Edmund frowned. "For all intents and purposes," he answered vaguely, giving the other boy a clipped nod.

Abraxas frowned. "What does that mean?" he pushed, deciding that directness was best in this situation.

"Buffy lives with...aunts. My aunts, so...we are not technically related," he said, not wanting to give the blond boy anything.

Abraxas hmm'd. "And your aunts...they are friends of Buffy's parents?"

"Not exactly," said Edmund. How did one explain Buffy's presence here. "It's complicated. I will leave it for Buffy to explain if she wishes to."

Abraxas nodded. "I see. So Buffy is your aunts' ward. She is your cousin, of sorts," he deduced.

Edmund sighed. "I suppose so, yes," he said, wishing the blond boy would just drop it. "Although, we are not related by blood." He wanted the other boy to know that he and Buffy were close—that he was not just anyone to her—but also not truly a cousin either. But he also wanted him to stop asking questions.

And Abraxas wanted to know more about their Muggle background—it was both interesting and revolting to him—but couldn't figure out how to phrase it without insulting the Muggle boy, as that could quite possibly upset Buffy. And it would definitely anger Tom Riddle if he found out.

When he found out, Abraxas corrected himself, knowing that Buffy wouldn't hesitate to tell him. He wondered if there was any way to talk her into keeping his visit to herself—but quickly decided that wasn't likely. He could already tell where the girl's alliances lay. He was still confused by the connection between his housemate and the strange American girl—who'd seemingly just dropped in out of nowhere and wasn't related to anyone that he could tell. Strangely enough, the two were oddly close, he knew that much!

Then Buffy breezed back into the room—she was more like a whirlwind, Abraxas decided, surprised that the curtains didn't blow around as she entered. Her reappearance caused both boys to stand up again.

"Vin and Sophie were already quite aware that we had a guest," said Buffy, smiling at them. "They were napping, but...I guess their wards flickered when Abraxas entered and it woke them up. Um. Sophie said they 'swooshed.'"

Edmund chuckled. "That sounds like Aunt Sophie."

Buffy nodded.

Abraxas blinked. "Wards?" he queried. He was under the impression that Buffy's family were Muggles. She'd admitted it. What was this talk about wards?! Were these aunts witches?

Buffy waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah. Vin and Sophie are keen to keep out the uninvited," she said with a laugh. "But, you know, I invited you, so..."

Abraxas nodded hesitantly. He wanted to ask more questions, but wasn't sure how to do so without seeming either stupid or as if he were prying—even though he desperately wanted to pry. Instead, he said, "I see."

"And they were...all right with you having another guest?" asked Edmund.

Buffy shrugged. "They didn't seem as if they weren't okay with it," she said. "I mean, it has no affect on them, so..."

Edmund wanted to argue that a girl her age shouldn't be left alone in a room with two boys—or one, for that matter—but he wasn't about to argue against himself having time with Buffy without a chaperone. He just wished this time alone with her had not be invaded by this wizard boy.

"So, to what do I owe this visit, Abraxas?" Buffy asked bluntly—then continued when the boy suddenly looked a bit panicked. "I mean, I don't mind. It's just...I've only seen you in Diagon Alley and...well, I just left you there. Why are you here?"

Abraxas glanced at Edmund, then back at Buffy. "I'm afraid I have no excuse other than that I was curious about where you'd come from," he admitted.

Buffy's brows raised. "So, what you mean to say is that you followed me home," she said. It was not a question. She'd known that he'd followed her.

Abraxas looked uncomfortable—and didn't respond, because she clearly wasn't expecting an answer.

Buffy smirked, then shook her head and tsked. "Creepy much? What will Tom say, I wonder," she said—mostly to herself.

Devious little bint! he thought to himself, his eyes narrowed on her. "You don't have to mention it to him...if you don't wish to," he said instead.

Buffy laughed. "What you mean to say is that you don't wish me to tell him. Why is that, I wonder. Maybe I should owl him about it immediately."

Abraxas stared at the strange girl. "I shouldn't have come," he said quickly, glancing at the door, then standing.

Buffy smiled again. "Don't be silly, Brax. Sit down. I'll make tea and we can all have a nice chat. You can satisfy that overwhelming curiosity you seem to have," she said. Then she glanced at Edmund. "I know you didn't want any earlier, but...would you like some tea now?"

Edmund had been watching the exchange between Buffy and the blond boy, confused a bit by the way they interacted, but interested enough to want to continue the conversation—despite the fact that his alone time with Buffy was being interrupted. Nodding, he said, "Yes, of course, Buffy. Would you like help in the kitchen?"

Buffy shook her head. "Naw," she said, waving her hand, "I'm doing quite well with the tea now. I mean, it's not rocket science, right?"

With that, she turned and swept out of the room, leaving the two boys alone again. Neither of the boys were very happy about it!

"So, you followed Buffy home?" Edmund accused, his brow raised with obvious irritation.

Abraxas frowned. "Well, I...I was curious, you see," he all but stammered.

"I do see and it's rather disturbing," said Edmund, wondering if this sort of behavior was acceptable in the wizarding world. To him, following a girl home was a good reason to call the police. He was just about to say so when there came a firm knock, knock at the front door—causing both him and Abraxas Malfoy to tense up.

"Edmund," came Buffy's raised voice from the kitchen, "would you mind getting the door?"

Standing, Edmund left the lounge and hurried down the hall to the front door—and was surprised to find the Travers boy there. "Hello," he said—without opening the door wide enough to let him in. He'd not been fond of him upon first meeting him and didn't like that he was back now. "May I help you?"

Kieran Travers eyed the Muggle. "I seem to have left one of my gloves behind," he said. "If you'd fetch it, I'll be on my way."

Edmund stared at the young wizard, neither wishing to allow him entry, nor wanting to fetch anything for him.

"Edmund, who's there?" Buffy said, coming up behind him and taking his arm—then staring at the boy on the other side of the door. "Oh. It's you. What are you doing back?"

Kieran huffed. "I've left something and I've asked Giles here to retrieve it for me."

Buffy snorted. "He's not your errand boy, Kieran!" she snapped. Then, pulling the door open, she continued. "Whatever it is that you've left here, you'll have to come in and get it yourself."

Edmund reluctantly stepped back as Buffy flung her arm up and gestured for the other boy to enter the house.

Kieran stepped over the threshold, but waited for Buffy to lead the way. For a moment, Buffy just stood there.

"Right. Um. This way," she said as she started down the entry hall. "As it happens, we have...company." When they entered the lounge, Abraxas stood up and stared for a moment—then nodded.

"Travers," he greeted.

Kieran's expression quickly shifted from shock to curiosity. "Malfoy," he said with a nod. "What brings you to Soho?"

Abraxas smirked. "Buffy, of course."

Kieran glanced at Buffy, then back at his housemate. "Hmm."

"And you?" Abraxas asked.

Kieran glanced around, then seeing what he'd come back for, he crossed the room and picked up a glove—it had dropped on the floor next to the table. "I came back for this," he said, holding it up briefly, then stuffing it into a pocket. "And now that I have it, I'll just—"

"I was just fixing tea," Buffy said quickly. "Would you like some too, Kieran?" She didn't know why she was asking. To be polite, she reasoned—even though the boy hadn't been.

Kieran looked undecided—then gave a clipped nod. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt...since I'm already here."

Buffy snorted, then reached out and grabbed Edmund's sleeve. "Help me?" she said, giving him a gentle tug.

Edmund nodded. "Of course," he said, following her when she left the room.

Out in the hallway again, Buffy said, "Um. I'm going to run down to my room for a sec...would you mind turning the stove back on and taking out another teacup? I'll be right back." She didn't wait for a response, but instead just raced down the stairs to her bedroom.

In the kitchen, Edmund did what she'd asked of him—and was surprised that she returned before the kettle started to whistle.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Do you think I should go up and tell Vin and Sophie that Kieran's back?"

Edmund shrugged. "Perhaps. Although, they probably already know."

"Right. Wards," said Buffy. "This is turning into a party. I wish there were snacks."

Frowning, Edmund turned toward the cooker and picked up the kettle. So much for having an evening alone with his friend. Now he had to share her with a couple of snobbish wizard boys. One he'd not liked much upon first meeting him and the other little less than a stalker—in his opinion!

"I'd planned on patrolling, but...this is fun too," Buffy said to fill the silence—then opened the refrigerator to see what there might be inside.

Glancing at her, Edmund said, "Fun?"

Buffy shrugged. "Interesting, I suppose would be a better word. What's Kieran's deal, do you think? Other than being a complete doofus."

Edmund shook his head. "I really couldn't say, Buffy," he said. "As I've only just met him."

"Oh. Right," she said. "I think he's weird. Sort of...creepy." She wrinkled her nose.

Edmund snorted. "Aren't they all a bit...odd?" he asked, hoping that he wouldn't offend her.

Buffy laughed. "I suppose...a bit," she said. Then, turning to look at him, she bit her lip. "I've...um...sent an owl to Tom. I was going to anyway...to tell him your parents brought over information about his family. But I added that Abraxas and Kieran are here."

Edmund's eyes widened. "You didn't mention me?"

"Oh. Yeah, you too," the Slayer said. "But mostly about them."

"That ought to please him," he said sarcastically, feeling an odd sort of affinity with the boy who'd captured Buffy's affections. He hated him and yet...understood him. Sort of."

Buffy laughed again. "I'm thinking not," she said. "Should we make a bet about whether or not he shows up too?"

Chuckling, Edmund shook his head. "Oh, he will most definitely be here," he said. "I think the bet should be on the length of time it takes him to get here."

Buffy grinned. "What's your prediction?"

Edmund glanced at his watch. "Thirty to forty minutes," he said.

"No way!" Buffy barked. "It'll take that bird at least half that time to get to him and if he were to leave exactly at the time it arrives, which would be impossible...with the sneaking out and all...it would take him at least that time to get here...depending on the trains. I'll say...at least an hour...if not an hour and half," she countered. "Do you think we can keep them here that long?"

Edmund chuckled again. "Do you actually want to?"

Buffy shrugged. "Not particularly, but...it would be fun to see their faces when Tom walks in. I don't think he's going to be very happy." She turned and looked into the fridge again. "I wish there was something I could offer them...snacks-wise. It would be easier to keep them here if I fed them."

Edmund grinned, then opened up a cupboard and pulled out a tin of cookies. "Vin and Sophie hide the biscuits here," he told her.

Buffy's jaw dropped open. "All those nights of me wanting something sweet and they've had cookies hidden the entire time?! Sneaky little witches, they are! I will have to do a better job of searching the kitchen."

Edmund laughed.

"Okay. Why don't you take them to the first floor lounge, since there are more places to sit," Buffy suggested. "And I'll be up in at minute with the tea and cookies."

Nodding, Edmund left her to put everything on a tray.

~oOo~

On the other side of the river, down in Lambeth, Tom had returned to Wools—just in time to prevent Mrs Cole's ire. Still, she was irritated, if not angry. She'd been waiting for him, it seemed. She'd been in her office, but stepped out into the entrance hall just as he'd closed the front doors.

"I didn't think you would make it back before we locked up for the night," she said.

Tom cocked his head and narrowed his dark eyes. He'd been trying to keep to the rules—though, much to his frustration, she kept adding to them. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Mrs Cole," he said, nodding politely. "Buffy and I got caught up and...I had to rush back."

Mrs Cole hmm'd. She was suspicious of him and everything he did. She always had been—and she didn't like the idea of him being out, running around the city, especially with a strange American girl.

"I think it's time that girl's aunts called on me," she said.

Tom nodded. He could see the woman was impatient—with him as well as the situation. To be honest, he didn't blame her. The situation with Buffy was odd and he was surprised he was being permitted to see her at all—let alone leave the orphanage daily. Mrs Cole had requested that the sisters called again and they hadn't. For all she knew, he and Buffy were telling her lies.

"I will speak to them next time I see them," he said, hoping that would reassure the woman.

She pursed her lips. "See that you do, young man!" she snapped, then turned on her heel and walked away.

Tom watched her go, then instead of going into the dining hall for dinner, he went up to his room. He wasn't hungry and he doubted that Mrs Cole would come to look for him any time soon—even if he chose to stay in his room all night.

That had been the idea—to stay in his room reading until he felt tired enough to go to sleep—but that's not what occurred. Instead, when a tapping on the window sounded, Tom stood up and looked outside. It was one of the McOwls!

Frowning, he opened the window to allow the owl inside, then took the letter that the owl was holding.

"Go! You silly bird," he said, making a shooing motion, then closing the window after the owl had left.

Quickly, he scanned the short note, grinding his teeth at what read—not at all surprised when the note burst into flames in his hands. He held the burning paper until it reached his fingers, then dropped it on the floor and stepped on it.

Furious, Tom started to pace—and the next thing he knew, he was on the front step of the sisters' house, staring at the closed front door. Shocked—and nervous—he glanced around and sighed when he saw that no one seemed to be about.

For a few moments he considered knocking, then changed his mind and put his hand on the door handle. He had, after all, been invited to come over at any time. And so he entered without knocking.

~oOo~

It was approximately fifty minutes after bringing the tea in that the front door opened and closed—none too quietly—and in walked Tom Riddle!

"Buffy?!" he called out.

Abraxas visibly cringed—he was ignored.

Her brows raising, Buffy glanced at Edmund. "I wasn't expecting that," she said.

"Expecting what?" asked Kieran—he was ignored.

Edmund shook his head. "Neither was I," he admitted. "Who won?"

"Won what?" Abraxas asked—he was ignored.

Buffy shrugged. "Not you," she said. "It's past the time you bet on."

"Well, it's much earlier than the time you predicted, so...not you either," Edmund countered.

"Not by much," argued Buffy.

"Comparatively speaking, I'm closer," he said.

Buffy's eyes widened. "By five minutes!" she said.

Abraxas and Kieran glanced at each other, then back at Buffy and Edmund. "What bet?!" they asked in unison. They were ignored!

"Buffy?!" Tom called out again.

Buffy harrumphed. "I guess it's a draw," she said—then turned toward the open doorway and loudly said, "Up here, Tom!"

Wasting no time, Tom marched down the hallway, then up the stairs and entered the lounge, his eyes flashing hotly when he entered the room and came face to face with Buffy, Edmund, and two of his classmates. All of them were standing now.

Abraxas looked nervous. Good! He should be nervous! Tom thought.

Kieran's eyes were wide. "Riddle?" he said, nearly cringing.

"Travers," he ground out. He glared at them, then looked at Buffy. "May I speak with you?" he asked her.

Buffy shrugged. "Sure."

When she didn't move, Tom took a deep breath. "In private?" he said, gesturing toward the room that was his.

"Oh. Yeah. Come on," she said, signaling that he should follow her. Before they could go three steps though she stopped and looked at the other three. "Um. You guys can just...you know, continue our chat. We'll be right back."

Glaring at his housemates once again, Tom followed Buffy out of the lounge and into his room—his door slamming after he'd passed through the doorway.

Buffy stopped then and spun around. "Geez, Tom, no need to slam the door," she said.

"I didn't!" he snapped. His words were punctuated by the lights in the room flickering.

Buffy laughed. "You might be losing your hearing then, because the door slammed. Look at it. It's closed."

He didn't bother to look back at he door. He knew it was closed. He'd wanted it closed, but he hadn't touched it.

"And I'm sure Sophie won't appreciate the slammage, since she's on the next floor up napping! Or... trying to," Buffy barked, pointing at the ceiling.

Sighing, Tom ran a hand through his always tidy hair—ruffling it a bit. "Buffy, I didn't slam the door," he repeated. "I didn't slam it in the same way that I didn't take the train to get here."

Buffy blinked. "Um. What? How did you get here then...if you didn't ride the train? You couldn't have walked. You got here way too fast."

"I didn't walk and I didn't run. And I didn't ride the train!" he said. "I just...appeared here. On your front steps."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Oh! Then you did that Appearation thing that Mr Travers did when they left here earlier? That's nifty!" She grinned. "I sooo want to learn how to do that."

Tom shook his head, almost frantically. "No. I don't have an Apparition license, Buffy!" he said. "And I...I don't even have my wand with me."

He started to pace and Buffy watched him. Then she figured it out—he was afraid he was going to get in trouble for using magic outside of school again. Reaching out she grabbed his hand and forcibly turned him toward her. He tried to fight her for a second, then gave up.

"Hey. Relax. I've read about this. It's that accidental thing, right?" she queried.

He snorted. "Accidental magic is what small children do before they're old enough to have a wand," he argued. "It isn't what a fifteen year old wizard does. The Ministry won't—"

"That's usually true," Buffy interrupted, squeezing his hands to try to get him to focus. "But...it can also happen to someone who's upset. And you're very upset."

"I am not upset!" he snapped, yanking his hands from hers.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh really? Then why'd you storm in here and practically drag me out of the room?"

"I didn't...I mean...I..." he stammered—then he looked away and sighed. After taking a few steadying breaths, he looked at her again. "How is it that you can do this to me?"

Buffy shrugged.

Tom huffed. He was very frustrated. This girl had turned his world upside down! Sighing again, he tried to focus. This was different because they weren't alone. Not only was Edmund here, but...so were a couple of his housemates. "Why are they all here?" he growled.

Buffy sighed too. Now they were getting somewhere. "Edmund was here with his parents when I arrived home. They'd come with someone from the Watcher's Council and someone from the Ministry. Brothers by the name Travers. The Ministry brother brought his son. Kieran. Obviously you know him."

Tom nodded.

"They left first. Kieran and his dad, I mean. Then the other Travers guy left. Then the Giles left, but not before leaving me with some information for you," she said, hoping to redirect Tom.

"Not all the Giles left," he hissed dryly.

"No. Obviously, they allowed Edmund to stay," she said. "And don't growl and hiss at me like that!"

"I'm not!" Tom growled.

Buffy snorted. "Liar!" she said. "Edmund is my friend. I wanted him to stay so I'd have company. Vin and Sophie were planning to go out again, but...they haven't yet. They needed a nap, I think, after all the company. That Ministry Travers guy is like, a bit of a jerk," she said, nodding as if that made her statement more intense. "His brother was less jerky...and suggested wards to keep people from coming and going right in to and out of the house. Vin and Sophie seemed interested in that. Anyway, then Abraxas arrived and shortly after that, Kieran returned. He'd dropped a glove in the living room and came back to retrieve it."

Tom frowned. "And why exactly did Malfoy show up?"

Buffy shrugged. "Beats me," she said. "He all but admitted that he'd followed me, but...be nice. He hasn't done anything bad."

Tom growled a bit more.

"Oh stop," she scolded. "And let's stop arguing. Did you come all this way to argue with me?"

He shook his head. "I don't wish to argue with you, Buffy," he said.

Buffy smiled. "Then stop," she said, reaching out and taking his hands again. Then another thought occurred to her. "Is Mrs Cole going to be furious if you're not there in the morning?" she asked.

Tom took a deep breath. "I don't care," he said. "The only thing I care about is not having my wand. And I can't go back tonight anyway, because I Disapparated from there without leaving a way to get back in. I'm stranded here."

Still smiling, Buffy said, "Totally not a bad thing. Plus, we have everything you need here."

"Except my wand," he said dryly—and with obvious frustration.

"Except your wand," she repeated. "But hey, we have several of them here, so..." She shrugged. "Maybe mine will like you as much as yours likes me."

Tom glanced up at her wand. When she mentioned it, it lit up and started to spark prettily, lighting up her face. He'd never thought about using another's wand. But instead of an outright no, he nodded and said, "Perhaps."

~oOo~

When Tom and Buffy reentered the lounge, they were surprised to find Vin and Sophie in the room.

"See, I told you that they'd be fine in there," said Sophie, grinning. "Good evening, Tom."

Tom nodded. "Good evening, Sophie. Vin," he said, nodding at both women. "I do apologize for dropping by unannounced.

Vin chuckled. "How many times do we need to tell you that you're always welcome here?" she said. "If Sophie had her way, we'd keep you here." Vin frowned at her wording. "What I mean to say is, we'd both like to keep you."

Tom nodded. "Thank you."

"Are you two going out?" Buffy asked.

"We were," Sophie started.

"Then Edmund's parents showed up with the Travers and exhausted us, so we decided to take a nap instead," said Vin, dropping into a chair.

"But now we're awake again, so..." Sophie said with a shrug. "I suppose we're going out."

"Well, I ought to be going," Kieran said.

Abraxas nodded. "Me too," he said quickly.

Tom glared at the both of them, knowing that they were just trying to leave before the sisters left, so that they didn't have to deal with him. But he'd deal with them later. They knew he would.

And then there was another knock on the front door.

"Oh! For the love of Hecate!" Sophie burst. "Who could it be now?"

"I'll get it," said Buffy. But first, she reached out and took Tom's arm and squeezed it briefly—hoping to silently reassure him that it wasn't an owl from the Ministry. How could it be, he'd done nothing wrong! It was an accident that he'd magically appeared all the way across town and, if those silly men who worked at the Ministry didn't understand that, then...they had another thing coming!

And then she practically danced out of the lounge, singing, "Who can it be, knocking at my door? Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more..."

"She's very...odd," Kieran Travers remarked when Buffy's voice could no longer be heard.

Abraxas nodded. "She's definitely...unique. I wonder if she'll be sorted into Ravenclaw," he said, his eyes avoiding Tom.

Ravenclaw?! Tom's mind burst. That was the last House he expected she'd go into!

~oOo~

Thank you again to those of you who post reviews/comments! It lifts the spirits significantly on dark days!