Because Faith came to town early, there's no interaction with Kakistos. I could still bring him in like I did in "Welding a Family", but I just did that. I won't be. Also, Angel is a vampire, so things are different. Spike is dead. This season 3, therefore, will deviate a lot from BTVS canon.
This chapter checks in with Hogwarts as I know some readers were interested in that.
Chapter 5: Hogwarts Check-in
******Hogwarts******
Willow was excited to start her first day of her seventh year at Hogwarts, but she did miss Buffy so much more than she thought she would. Considering they hadn't been in the same house last year, she didn't think it would bother her this much. She had Luna, and Xander was still here. However, Buffy was the first girlfriend that she had ever made, her anchor, a port in the storm even. To not see her every day was hard.
Luna managed, though, to make her smile daily.
"Don't worry, my hell baby friend," she said as they walked to their Ancient Rune class. "The slayer will be fine this year."
"Are you saying that because you believe it to be true based on who she is or because you have seen it?" Willow asked. Luna was the most powerful seer that Willow had ever met, and she never dismissed her ramblings like so many others did.
"Both," Luna said, patting her arm.
That did reassure her, and she went to class feeling better.
When she met up with Xander at lunch, he was missing both Buffy and the twins. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table with him, which was her norm at lunch. Often, Luna joined her.
"It's not the same without the twins," Harry said.
"They were my best mates," Lee said, looking glum.
"I can finally sleep at night in peace," Seamus remarked. He was a favorite target of the twins besides Ron.
"Very true, but I miss them like crazy," Ginny added. It was especially hard for her because Ron was gone, and the twins were so far away. If it wasn't for her housemates and Harry, she didn't know what she'd do.
Harry reached over and took her hand. They had been spending more and more time together, but they weren't officially dating. However, his feelings for her were stronger all the time. The first school dance that came up, he knew that he would be asking her to go with him as his date. There was no doubt in his mind that she would say yes, and it alleviated all the stress he normally got when it came to asking out a girl. With Ginny, things were just so natural and easy because she was a part of him. She felt the pain that he did. She had been touched by both the darkness of Voldemort and death of Ron.
"I got a letter from them, and they are loving the hellmouth," Hermione said. "Opening day was a smash. Cordelia brought in a lot of her school chums."
"She is very popular," Willow said, not surprised.
"Even the town's mayor dropped in to wish them success," Hermione added.
"That was nice of him," Willow said.
"When are quidditch tryouts?" Lee asked Harry. He was team captain that year.
"Saturday," he said. "So if anyone wants to practice, I have the pitch reserved at four every day this week."
Xander's eyes lit up. "That's awesome! I'm totally going to make the team," he said. "If I do, I'm thinking about inviting my parents and spilling the beans, just so Dad can see me play! He always wanted me to play football because he was a jock in high school."
"He might have a heart attack if you tell him the truth," Willow said. "Your mom will for sure!"
"Yes, but then they'll be excited—Dad will anyway. Quidditch is even cooler than American football. He's going to love it," Xander said with confidence. "You can explain everything to them."
"Great," Willow muttered. "Might as well tell them that Sunnydale is on a hellmouth and Jesse was killed by vampires, too."
"Probably," Xander said, ignoring her sarcasm.
"They don't know?" Lee asked.
"No, we keep our parents as ignorant as possible," Xander said. "It makes life less complicated."
"Xander's parents might deal with it okay. Cordelia's parents were great," Willow admitted. "However, mine are clinical psychologists."
"What's that?" Seamus asked.
"It means they are scientists of human behavior, so they will think we've all gone nuts or they have," Willow said.
The Hogwarts natives laughed. "How could they find magic unbelievable if they see the proof?" Hermoine wondered.
"They will rationalize it away," Willow said. "We've seen it happen too many times in Sunnydale."
Xander nodded. "That's true," he added. "Buffy once fought several vampires, including a beast of one, in front of most of the high school at the Bronze, and the next day at school, it was said that she fought some gang bangers she knew."
"No way!" Lee exclaimed.
"That's barmy!" Seamus added.
"It really happened," Willow told them. "Giles says that's what people do when trying to cope with something that is too terrible to fit their world view. They find a way to rationalize it away."
"Muggles are weird," Seamus said.
"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Xander protested, throwing his roll at housemate, who caught it and ate it.
Xander laughed. Then the conversation moved to quidditch strategy, and the girls began talking about their classes.
Willow knew that even though she didn't have Buffy here, things were going to be okay. However, she was looking forward to Buffy's visit the following weekend.
*****A Few Days Later*****
Buffy, Cordelia, and Draco each had a study hall the last period of the day, so they were able to leave school at two. This was the weekend they would get to go to Hogwarts and turn in their homework, get more work and see their friends. Since London was eight hours ahead, they could take exams Sunday morning as Albus had agreed to oversee them the weeks that professors gave tests in their classes. It gave them Saturday and some of Sunday to visit with their friends. They would get to have breakfast with them on Monday before taking the Floo back to Buffy's. Cordelia and Draco left clothes and their Sunnydale school bags at her place, so they could stay with her if they wanted. It would be in the middle of the night. They would decide if they wanted to go home or stay with Buffy. Either way, they were prepared.
Of course, Draco didn't really have any Hogwarts' friends to see since he had become a pariah in his house. Only Blaise was ever somewhat cordial to him since Voldemort was killed and several of their housemates' parents in the attack at his family home, and he wasn't particularly looking forward to being back at Hogwarts. It was entirely too far away from the delectable Faith. Ever since the party at Buffy's the previous weekend, the pair had been inseparable. Draco was in lust like he had never been in his life. The slayer was one potent girl. Just one smile from her sent his pulse racing. That dimple should be registered a lethal weapon. The thought that his father would hate him being with a magical creature who was not a witch didn't even cause him to lose any sleep.
When he once asked Faith if she wanted to use his wand to see if she could be a witch like Buffy, she snorted. "No way in hell," she said. "I am plenty powerful enough. I am hot as hell. I kick ass. Sure, the fact that B can turn in a dragon is cool as shit, but it's a bit of an overkill. I am more than enough just the way I am. If it's not enough for you, then that's your problem."
Although she was glaring at him when she said it, Draco could sense a tiny bit of uncertainty in her, so he quickly pulled her into his lap (they were at his house). "I could care less," he assured her. "I was just curious to see if all slayers could, is all as you and Buffy are uniquely in existence at the same time."
"That's true," she said. "But some mystery is good for a relationship."
He agreed as he found her immensely confusing as well as fascinating every day.
Now they went through the floo into Dumbledore's office.
"Good evening, everyone," Albus greeted them. "How are you all?"
"Very well, sir," Draco said.
"Wonderful," Cordelia said, flashing him a smile.
"Great," Buffy said, hugging him. "We got to slay some zombies last weekend at my house when they crashed my party."
"Really? You will have to tell me all about it," he said.
"It's like two o'clock back home, so can I tell you now?" Buffy asked.
"I believe the Gryfinndor Tower is expecting you," Albus said. Since Severus resigned as Slytherin Head of House and in light of all the problems that Draco had before they left, it had been decided that they would stay in the Gryfinndor Tower when they came in twice a month. It had the most graduate the year before, so it had the most room, especially since it lost three Weasleys. Draco would share a room with Harry, which neither particularly liked, but the two had gotten used to the other in light of their Buffy connection.
Buffy and Cordelia filled the headmaster in on the mask that drew zombies to the party and how her parents came in just as the mayhem was at its peak.
"I wish that I might have seen Severus' face," Albus remarked, smiling at the thought.
"I was just glad that I could honestly say it wasn't my fault this time!" Buffy said, grinning. "And I got to break one of Mom's hideous art pieces with no consequences!"
They laughed at that.
"It was a great party," Draco said, remembering it with personal fondness.
"You are enjoying your time in the States?" Albus asked Draco a bit surprised the purebred was acclimating so well.
"I am loving it," Draco said with a rare genuine smile.
"Draco likes it for a much different reason," Cordelia said with a smirk.
"He is dating the other slayer, Faith," Buffy shared.
"Oh?" Albus said. "That is wonderful news." Lucius would be turning over in his grave at the thought, and it amused Albus greatly. It was long past that the Malfoy bloodlines got some new blood entirely.
"She is the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen," Draco remarked with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. Albus was very pleased to see Draco looking so much better than when he had left a month ago.
"She is Draco's age," Buffy said. "A great fighter. She's from Boston. Loves being a slayer. Very different from me."
"I am glad that she is there. The hellmouth is very dangerous," Albus said.
"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Buffy shared. "Guess who we discovered is evil in our town?"
"Who?" he asked, smiling. These children were never dull.
"The mayor. Mayor Wilkins must be a warlock of some kind because he has been alive since the town's founding," Buffy said.
"The town was founded in the 1800s," Cordelia added.
"Hmmm," Albus said, stroking his beard. "He could be a wizard, not a warlock. He might not necessarily be evil. One must not assume. Has he done anything particularly evil?"
"Well, no," Buffy said. "But no one leaves Sunnydale even though all these bad things happen. That's always been suspicious. If he was putting the whammy on people, wouldn't that be why?"
"Possibly, but we often obliverate muggles to keep them from being afraid. It doesn't make us evil," he pointed out.
His comments were working to confuse Buffy. "I will talk to Giles about it and see what he thinks," Buffy said.
"I know he is looking forward to see you," Albus said. "He has missed you very much."
Buffy grinned and led her cousin and Draco out of the headmaster's office.
Albus looked at his ever-watchful phoenix. "She is probably right. It is a hellmouth. The mayor is most likely evil," he remarked with a sigh. "I wish that she could be safe here at my school. I wish that they all could be. I miss them." The slayer's impact at his school was not something that would go away. In fact, she had pushed back against being removed from their house on the weekends when they came in. He had compromised and told her that they could eat their meals with their house. Cordelia, in particular, had made genuine friends in the Slytherin House.
Albus just did not trust the snakes. At his core, he was a lion, and the harm they had done Draco was shocking, and he had once been revered in their house. Of course, Buffy could handle any of them, but Albus didn't want Draco to be alone in Gryffindor, so he felt making the girls join him was the best solution. Draco would've felt worse if his cousin and Buffy weren't with him there. Albus knew that the Sorting Hat wanted to put both girls in that house to begin with anyway.
"It is good that they are here even if it is just twice a month," he told Fawkes.
Back at the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and Xander were all waiting up for them.
Hugs and greetings were exchanged. Draco nodded at everyone and asked Harry where he could put his bags.
"Come on," he said. "I'll show you."
Harry took him to his room.
"How are you?" Harry asked.
"Smashing," Draco said. "Sunnydale is great. American schools are easy. The students are very nice and welcoming."
"That's good," Harry said, surprised to see Draco so happy. The guy was right down miserable when he left. Of course, his father had just died.
"How are your classes?" Draco asked.
"Good. Professor Giles is teaching a new elective class on demons that I'm in. It goes over all the stuff the DADA can't go over," Harry said. "It's really fascinating."
"We get all that stuff live and upfront on the hellmouth," Draco said. "It ruins clothes. Some demon blood not even magic can get out."
"Really?" Harry asked. "That's not in the books."
"I wouldn't think Professor Giles' books would know that," Draco said.
"You're probably right. Did you know that there are demons that aren't evil?" Harry said.
"Actually, I did," Draco said. "Faith, the other slayer, said that her watcher told her that. If they don't try to kill her, she leaves them be."
They joined their friends, who stayed up an hour talking with them. Buffy snuck over to Ravenclaw and ran into Willow, who was already on her way to see her.
"I can't believe you're finally here!" Willow gushed. "I miss you so much!"
Buffy hugged her. "I know! I miss you, too! Did you get my letter?" she asked as they walked back to the tower.
"I did. I can't believe you're dating a member of a band. I'm so jealous. He sounds amazing!" Willow gushed.
"He's really smart and self-contained," Buffy said. "I don't have to hide who I am since he's a werewolf."
"I told Xander, and he said that you always go for the bad boys," Willow shared.
"Hey, Oz isn't a bad boy. He just beats to his own drum," Buffy said.
The two friends were very happy to be able to gossip together like old times.
The next day, Cordelia was welcomed back in the Slytherin House with open arms.
Pansy, Daphne, Tracy, and Millicent surrounded her, taking turns greeting her.
Millicent gave Buffy a warm smile. "It is good to see you, Buffy," she said.
"Thanks, Millie. How have you been?" Buffy asked.
"Good. Things have been weird. So many of us don't have a father at home. Some of us feel okay about it. Some of us are upset," Millie admitted.
"How do you feel?" she asked. Millie's dad had been shot by Wesley at Draco's house during the last battle.
"A part of me both hates Professor Wyndam-Price and is grateful to him," she shared and then looked around to see if anyone else heard her confession.
Buffy pulled her in for a hug. "That's understandable," she said. "You can love him because he was your father, but not like who he was."
Millicent's eyes filled with tears, and she wiped them. "I really wish you were still here," she said. Although she liked Cordelia, Buffy was the one who made her feel the best about herself, who noticed her first and made her feel less ugly.
"I'm here now," Buffy said. "Let's get some breakfast. I'm starved. Then I have to check in with all my professors and turn in all the work I've done and get more."
"That's not going to be fun," Millicent said.
"Nope," Buffy told her.
She ate with her house, and Draco joined her. They had decided lunch would be spent at the Gryfinndor table with Xander and Willow, who was normally there anyway. Then at dinner, Xander and Willow would join them at the Slytherin table.
Draco was surprised that both Theo and Blaise wanted to talk to him at breakfast.
"How is America?" Blaise asked.
"Are you and your mother really living on the hellmouth?" Theo asked him.
Draco could not believe both of his former chums were addressing him, and he looked between them both. Crabbe and Goyle saw the pair speaking to Draco as they sat across from him and decided to sit on each side of Draco, further shocking him.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"Are you and your mother really living on the hellmouth?" Theo repeated.
"We are," he said. "Cordelia lives in a very large mansion, so we decided to stay with her instead of getting our own place since Mother only plans on staying for a year."
"Do you like it?" Blaise asked.
"I do," Draco said.
"Meet any pretty girls?" Vincent asked.
"Actually, yes," Draco said. He pulled out the cell phone he had. Of course, it didn't work, but it had some pictures on it. Mainly, he wasn't going to be separated from Faith without being able to look at her whenever he wanted.
"What is that?" Blaise asked, curious.
"It is a mobile phone," Draco said. "You can take pictures on them or videos. There's no signal here, of course, but, until the phone runs out of battery, I can look at my pictures. I kept it off last night, so it should stay charged for several hours."
"That's amazing," Vincent said, looking at the picture. "Who is that?"
"This is my girlfriend, Faith, the other slayer," Draco announced.
"I wanna see!" Gregory demanded.
The phone was passed around, and then Theo swiped it accidentally and the picture changed to one of Faith with Harmony. "Who is the golden angel?" he asked.
"That's Harmony—a classmate and friend that Luna predicted would die on graduation if she attended the graduation ceremony," Draco said.
"That would be a true tragedy," Theo said. "She is stunning."
"She is beautiful," Vincent agreed.
"Muggle, huh?" Blaise said.
"Of course," Draco said. "She fancied me, but I was a goner the first time Faith flashed those dimples at me."
"Is she more powerful than Buffy?" Theo asked.
"I don't think anyone is," Draco remarked with a shrug. "Faith doesn't care. As she says, she kicks ass, is hot as hell, so what more could a bloke want?"
The guys laughed. "I guess America is treating you better than this place ever did," Blaise remarked.
Draco showed them a picture of his car. "Eventually, I will get my driver's license, and I will get to drive this car that Mother bought me," he said, showing them.
"That is yours?" Theo asked, impressed.
"You own a muggle car? Does is fly like the Weasleys?" Gregory asked.
"No, Uncle Snape would kill me if we tried to spell it to do that," Draco said, chuckling. "It's enough fun without going in the air." He explained how cars worked and what made a sports car so amazing. How expensive it was and how fast it went.
Buffy had to interrupt. "What are you guys talking about?" she asked.
"He is telling us about his automobile," Theo said. "Have you ridden in it?"
"I have," Buffy said. "It is very beautiful."
"I call it his penis mobile," Cordelia added with a grin.
Draco gave his cousin a dark look. "You drive enough, so you know that you love it," he said.
"Well, as soon as you pass your test, it's all yours," she said sweetly. "Let's go. We have a lot of professors waiting on us."
Draco was glad that his return to Hogwarts was a lot nicer than his time there the past few months.
*****Two Days Later*****
They had a great visit at Hogwarts. Giles disagreed with Dumbledore and told Buffy that she and Faith should keep the mayor under surveillance. See if he had any vampires in his employment. Loaded with too much homework, they returned through the floo with Severus waiting up.
"Was all well?" he asked.
"It was great!" Buffy replied, hugging him.
"It is one a.m.," he said. "You really should try to go to bed."
"We just got up and had breakfast," Cordelia told him. "Can we go patrol?"
"I suppose," he said. "Stay together and be careful." He went back to bed.
"I guess I can see you home then," Buffy told them.
"Might as well go there first and hit the graveyards on my side of town," Cordelia said.
"Sounds like a plan," Buffy said.
Draco gathered up their things while Buffy got some weapons for them. They walked out to Draco's car and tossed things in the trunk. Before they got in, a voice said, "So where did you disappear to for the weekend?"
Buffy looked up and saw Angelus leaning against the tree.
This confrontation was inevitable, but why would he pick now to reveal himself?
*****Chapter End*****
