by Lisette: Lisette_1@lycos.com

Legalese: The television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all related characters and material belong to Joss Whedon and UPN.  All things Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling.  In addition, some of you may recognize some quotes from "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks.  His amazing words can only be claimed by him.  I, therefore, claim ownership solely of the story idea - no profit will be made by this.

Author's Note: Once more a HUGE thanks to all of you who are reviewing this thing - and you guys are blowing me away!  Hot dang!  You're making it difficult to hang on these chapters and not just keep posting every few hours!  I'm so eager to hear what you're thinking on this!!  A big thanks to Tara, scarlett, X-Lander, poppie, lala, Midnight, Empress, manticore-gurl, Molly, Saturn Maiden, lilgrl4rmheaven, Lady Lana, Cassie-bear01, Hey, and Angel!  And to all those that asked about the character Angel... *grins* I know I use this response too often, but you'll really have to keep reading to find out.  I don't want to spoil anything!  And as for the question about the HP ages, as I stated in the first chapter, this takes place immediately following (well, three months following) Twist of Fate and during HPs 7th year, thereby making Ron and Hermione eighteen and Harry seventeen.  And as for the other individual questions:

Harry: Keep reading and your questions will be answered!

Rosie: Nope, Magnus Fletcher is an OC - however there is a Mundungus Fletcher in the HP-verse - no relation.

DragonGal: Thanks!.. I think! ;p And now let's just see if I can slip into the HP verse.

ash: Keep reading for your answer!

Majin Gojira: Warning duly noted.  And as for the Wiccan reference - I guess just my take on how Willow can be so uber-powerful in later seasons.  Just allows a firmer blend of my 'verse with the real world seeing as how we don't really have to worry about real life wiccans ending the world - theirs is a religious belief.  Someone asked me a few days ago in an email whether I thought Willow's wiccan magic would be more powerful than wizarding magic, and to them I replied that it depends.  If you were to put a wizard against a wiccan in any other place but the Hellmouth, say in Orlando, Florida, for example, the wizard would still be able to call upon the magic that's within them while the wiccan would be unable to draw any magic from a non-magical place.  However, if you were to put Season 6 Willow against an average wizard on the Hellmouth.. well, who's to say who would win that battle!  Certainly not me for I don't claim to be an expert on either.

iamthemann: Glad to see that you're still reviewing and I'm glad you're enjoying things so far.  As to your questions - to start, my universe has gone a bit AU bbecause of everything that happened while Buffy was in the Centre's hands.  My Willow hasn't been touched by the darkness as in the real show.  Oz never left her, Buffy never died, and she never had a chance to truly explore or be tempted by the magics.  I don't want to spoil the story by saying what will happen with her character in this story, so I guess you'll have to keep reading - but even though she may drop to the background of the fic for quite a long time, her character won't be forgotten.  None of them will.

And now, on with the fic!

"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go,
We take a little of each other everywhere."
-Tim McGraw-

    "So you weren't kidding when you said you didn't have a lot to pack," Faith commented as she idly draped herself across Giles' bed.  "Why didn't you say something?  I would've hit the mall with you - got you some real clothes!"

    "Faith," Xander interrupted, his eyes dropping down to her scanty ensemble, "leather is hardly considered 'real' clothes in the opinions of the general populous."

    Smiling wryly, Buffy tuned out her friends' mock-quarrel as she slowly moved back and forth from the closet that Giles had cleared for her and to the small duffel that rest beside her friend.  Things had been rough at first between the brunette and the rest of the Scoobies, memories of past betrayals still too close to the surface, but with Buffy's example and determination, all hurdles were crossed as the group once more accepted the brunette back in their midst.  Frowning softly, she realized that in many ways, Faith was now a much bigger and streamlined member of their group than she was.  There was just too much in her past that stood in the way.  "Nah, I had enough," she finally added when a lull fell in their argument, realizing the double entendre of her own words.

    "At least it makes for light travel," Xander offered as he watched Willow help their friend pack.  "Is that what you're wearing?" he asked.

    Frowning slightly, Buffy looked down at her simple white long-sleeved shirt and the blue jean coveralls that all but hid her slim form.  "I don't know," she murmured, her expression faltering.  "What do you wear to a prestigious wizarding school in England?" she asked, forcing a small smile.  "England... I've never even been to Canada," she smirked.  "Plus, I don't really own any tweed," she mock-fretted.

    "You look fine," Willow quickly assured, gently squeezing her friend's arm.

    "Oh, and you forgot a shirt," Xander added, lightly jumping to his feet and snatching up the blouse that had been hidden in the corner.  Smiling slightly, he tossed the garment to the blond slayer, and reacting on instinct, she caught it easily.

    Feeling her breath catch in her throat, Buffy looked down at the tee-shirt, the pale blue material consuming her vision.  She had thought that she had burned that shirt, or at least gotten rid of it for good.  When she had gone shopping with Giles after being released from the hospital, the shirt had found its way into the pile of things to purchase.  Later, back at his apartment, the mere sight of it had sent her into one of the fits that she so despised.  Even now, she could hear their voices calling out to her, taunting her and laughing mercilessly as their blows rained down upon her body, reveling in her pain.  In no time the pale blue tank and scratchy pants would be covered with her blood, only to be replaced later by a similar pair... always that same shade of pale blue.  Always covered in her blood, the material doing nothing to hide her cuts and bruises... hide her pain.

    "Buffy!"

    Startled, Buffy's eyes snapped away from the garment, wondering how long she had been lost in her memories that time as she took in her friends' worried gazes.  "I... I never really liked that shade, anyway," she finally murmured, smiling weakly as she quickly shoved the offending garment into Willow's hands.  "You keep it," she added, forcing a brighter grin that no doubt looked grotesque on her pale features.  With shaking hands, she quickly turned away from the questions in her friends' eyes and zipped up the bulging duffel.  With a pained smile, she was about to throw it over one shoulder when Xander quickly heaved the bag.

    "Did I say light travel?" he joked as he smiled timidly at the blonde, relieved to see the thanks in her eyes.  If there was one thing that they had learned over the past few months, it was that pushing Buffy to talk about what had happened, pushing her to talk about where she went when her eyes glazed over and her memories took over, would only push her away further.  Instead, she seemed to prefer their blind sightedness to her new quirks.  And if it meant making Buffy happy, Xander was willing to do anything.  "Shall we?" he asked, quickly leading the way back downstairs.

    "That was quick," Giles observed from the living room as the teens rejoined him and Samuel, his eyes drifting over the solemn parade.

    "Weapons?" Buffy returned, her eyes skipping over the two bags that rest against the far wall, wondering how she could have missed them before.

    "Already packed," her Watcher assured, nodding towards the larger and bulkier of the two.

    "Good," Buffy murmured, obviously distracted as her eyes swept over the room.  "Then can you guys hang tight for a few minutes?  I.. I need to go say goodbye to someone," she added, not waiting for a response as she headed towards the door.

    Puzzled, Willow and Xander were about to start after her when Faith held up a hand, stopping them with the small gesture.  "Let her go," she murmured knowingly as she watched her sister slayer disappear out the door.  "This is something she needs to do alone."

    Sighing softly, Buffy slowly made her way across the grassy grounds, the bright sun casting the familiar world into doubt.  She wasn't accustomed to making this trek under the light of day, and the shadowless grounds were throwing her for a loop... as were the birds twittering in the trees above and the sounds of children filtering in from a nearby park.  When she normally made this voyage, her world was covered in darkness with only the creatures of the night creating their own quiet symphony.

    Pushing those thoughts aside, Buffy slowly faltered and then stopped before a familiar granite tomb.  The simple sight of it was enough to take her breath away as Buffy slowly slipped to the ground, her legs curling beneath her as she gently placed the simple bouquet of wild flowers on the grave before her.  "Hi Mom," she whispered, her words catching in her throat as her eyes traced the familiar name etched forever in granite.  "I-I know that I said I wouldn't be back until tonight but... something has come up," she explained as her hands idly drifted over the green grass.  "I have to go away for awhile, to England," she murmured.  "I don't know how long I'll be gone, or if I'll even be coming back," she admitted, "but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye."

    "You see," she began anew, "I... I can't do this.  I can't just go on, day after day, when I see the ghost of you everywhere."  Sighing, she slowly turned her head away, her eyes drifting over the other graves that littered the area.  "Sometimes my grief is just too much, and even though I understand that we're never going to see each other again, there's a part of me that wants to hold onto you forever - that begs me to never leave you here alone," she murmured, eyes returning, as always, to the simple gravestone.  "It took me so long to get here to see you, and it would be easy for me to do that - to never leave, because leaving you might make you go away," she added, picturing her mother's beautiful hazel eyes in her mind - before grimacing as her mother's image slowly rippled until her smiling face was one filled with the pain of death.

    Look away.  Oh Baby, just please look away.

    "I - I don't know if the dead can come back to this earth," she whispered, brushing away the tears that threatened to fall, "and move about unseen by those who loved them, but if they can, then I know that you'll always be with me.  You're not gone forever," she murmured, her tone hardening with a fierce desperation for her words to be true, "no matter where I go.  You're standing beside me, helping to guide me toward a future that I can't predict."

    Sighing softly, Buffy slowly climbed to her feet, idly wiping the grass from her pants before reaching one hand out and laying it tenderly on the warm granite.  "Thanks, Mom," she whispered, her voice soft, "for giving me so many happy memories," she murmured, despite the fact that it was still nearly impossible for her to picture anything else but her mother's death at this point.  "Thank you for loving me," she pushed on stubbornly, "despite what I became... but most of all, thank you for understanding that there will come a time when I can eventually let you go."

    With a soft nod, Buffy slowly bent down a pressed her lips against the warm granite, a single tear trailing down her cheek and falling on the grass that grew above her mother's final resting place.  "You'll be okay here, and I'll never forget you.  I'll try to come back to you.  I love you," she whispered before slowly turning away.   

    A heavy silence had fallen upon the room in the time since Buffy had returned from her goodbyes.  While she had been gone, the apartment had seen a whirlwind of activity as Giles finished the business of closing down his apartment for what could potentially be quite a long time.  Maybe forever, even though none would admit to it.  Instead, both Willow and Xander had endured Giles' tour of the apartment, pretending to take note of which book should be boxed with which over the next few week and which company they should contact to ship the rest of his important possessions to him in England.  For now, only the essentials would be accompanying he and Buffy on their trip.  And in truth, there simply wasn't enough time for anything further.  Then it was Faith's turn to endure Giles' tour of which books would be left for her coming Watcher, the man finally, reluctantly, pressing his keys into her open hand to be passed to her new Watcher upon their arrival.

    "And I expect to find my home in the same working order upon my return," he had added, a frown pulling at his lips as Faith's grin only grew.

    "Sure G, whatever you say," she had chuckled, all the while throwing devious looks to the two remaining Scoobies.

    However, since her return only minutes before, there was nothing left for the group to do but say their goodbyes.  "What happened to Mr. Fellows?" Buffy asked, knowing that she was only delaying the inevitable as her eyes took note of the missing Brit.

    "He was called away on urgent business," Giles explained crisply as he lifted his small duffel of personal items and moved it to the center of the room.  "But don't worry, he and I went over everything before he left."

    Shrugging her small shoulders, Buffy slowly moved to foot of the stairs and lifted her duffel to her shoulder before scooping up the heavier bag of weapons, carrying them easily and depositing them besides Giles' bag.  "Then I guess that's it," she murmured, her eyes skipping around the darkened apartment.  "We should get-"

    "But it's almost lunch time," Willow quickly interrupted, pointing to the clock that was mounted on the wall behind her, pausing as she noted the small hand pointing to the ten.  "In like two hours," she amended with a small frown, "but maybe we should eat lunch now?" she suggested, her eyes betraying the real reason behind her query.  She wasn't driven by hunger, but merely by the need to hold on a little longer.

    Sighing softly, Buffy slowly shook her head as she met her friend's green eyes.  "No, Willow, it's time to go," she murmured.  She knew that if they didn't leave soon - leave now - it would only get harder.  "Besides, I'm sure we can grab something on the way to LA."

    "We're not going to LA," Giles interrupted as he watched the display behind saddened eyes.  Truth be told, Buffy wasn't the only one that was finding it difficult to say goodbye.  Try as he might, he had been unable to prevent any of the teens in the room from worming their way into his heart.  Oh, he had tried to stay distanced from them all as the Council demanded... but with teens like these, it was impossible.  He was going to miss them all terribly - even Xander.

    "What do you mean?" Buffy broke in, her brow tightening in confusion.  "How else are we supposed to get to England?  'Cause last I checked, that was the closest international airport."

    "We're not flying," Giles continued, smiling vaguely at his slayer's confusion.

    "And not that I have anything against a cruise," Buffy continued, shooting a confused look to her friends, "but for the big hurry, isn't that going to take-"

    "Buffy, we're taking a portkey."

    "A what key?" Xander asked, looking at the Watcher as though he had grown a third head.

    Smiling softly, Giles nodded towards a small silver thimble that he held in a handkerchief in one hand, a parting gift from his friend.  "A portkey is a normal item that has been enchanted.  Once we touch it, the portkey will instantaneously transport us to just outside the gates of Hogwarts."

    Eying the small object doubtfully, Buffy slowly shrugged her shoulders.  "Whatever you say," she said simply before finally turning her eyes to her friends.  It was strange to think that for months they were all that she could think of - the only thing that kept her going even when the will to live had left her far behind.  And here, only three months after finding them again, she was leaving them once more - this time of her own free will.  Silently, she couldn't help but wonder if Jarod accidentally put her brain back wrong when he was playing God with her fried synapses.  "Then I guess this is it," she murmured as Willow all but bowled into her arms.  Surprised, it took Buffy a moment before her own arms wrapped around the taller girl, squeezing her for all that she was worth.

    "I understand why you're going," Willow whispered, tears trailing down her cheeks as she said goodbye to her best friend.  "Just don't be gone so long this time," she added as she pulled away, a small smile bravely fighting for dominance.  It was a teary smile, but a smile nonetheless.

    "I'll try," Buffy said, knowing that was the extent of the promise that she was able to give.  "And tell Oz that I was sorry I couldn't say goodbye," she added before she was being turned and felt herself being buried in Xander's embrace, the lanky teen all but dwarfing her as his head bent down towards her golden tresses.

    "We'll be waiting for you to come home," he said, knowing there was nothing else he could say to convey the hurt that was building within him at seeing her go.  They had survived, barely, without her these past few months, and Xander knew that life would continue on without the blonde slayer... but that didn't mean that they had to enjoy it.  Frowning softly, he slowly pulled away, her green eyes shining back up at him.  "And if you come back sporting some new tweed, we're going to have issues," he added, forcing a familiar smirk in the Watcher's direction.

    And then, as she was freed and the two teens turned to wrap their arms around the sputtering Watcher, Buffy was left with her sister slayer, the brunette standing before her with an expression that seemed to say that she didn't give a shit what happened.  After all, if she allowed others to see the hurt, then that would leave her open to further damage.  But Buffy knew better.  "You'll take care of them for me, won't you?"

    "No worries, B," Faith replied easily, a small smile lifting her lips.  "We're five by five - the Hellmouth won't even know what hit it."

    "You're going to surprise them all," Buffy returned, smiling slightly before quickly leaning forward and hugging the slayer tightly, obviously surprising the girl.  And even though the embrace wasn't returned, Buffy knew how Faith was feeling.  After all, the time that she had spent in Faith's head had been telling for both Slayers.  There were no longer any walls or pretenses to keep either Slayer from seeing everything there was to see of the other.  No more secrets.  Buffy was able to see Faith's empty childhood, the rejection of her mother, the death of her first watcher, and all of her insecurities when faced with the tight-knit Scooby gang.  In turn, Buffy suspected that Faith had seen all that Buffy had faced, from her parents' divorce when she was younger, to her first watcher's death, her own death at the hands of the Master, sending Angel to hell, his resurrection.... and her mother's murder as well as all that she had endured while a captive of the Centre.  Neither was a pretty picture, but Buffy realized that these glimpses into the most hidden parts of each other's mind had connected the two slayers in a way that the mere bonds of sister slayers had never united them before.  She also knew that she was leaving the Hellmouth in safe hands.  There was nothing left for her to do there.

    Meanwhile, Giles allowed himself to be crushed between both Xander and Willow, the teens clinging to him tightly.  Although part of him rebelled at such... affections, another part quietly reveled in it.  After all, after so many years, each of the teens had found a place in his heart.  He had looked out for them all for so long, knew so much more about their lives than their own uncaring parents... he would miss them too.

    "Take care of her for us, Giles," Xander stated quietly, not intending for the slayer to hear his muffled words.

    "And make sure she gets better.  I miss her," Willow admitted quietly before they both pulled away, forcing small smiles for the two slayers that watched their display with unbridled amusement.

    "Yes, well," Giles said, clearing his throat loudly before nodding once to Buffy, "we should be off."

    Nodding slowly, Buffy made herself promise that she wouldn't cry as she quickly lifted the two remaining bags, slinging a strap over each shoulder.  Idly, she realized that they were probably going to draw stares wherever they arrived.  After all, it probably did look a little ridiculous, what with Giles carrying one small duffel while Buffy, a mere portion of his height, shouldered two heavy packs as though they were nothing.  Shrugging lightly, she realized it wasn't to be helped.  Instead, Buffy stepped beside her watcher and reached for the thimble the same instant as he.  And as their fingers brushed against the cold metal, it felt as though something grabbed a hold of something deep inside of her, just behind her navel, and pulled with a force that took her breath away.  A second later and they were gone.

    "Goodbye," Willow whispered to the empty space, Xander's heavy arm falling over her small shoulders.  "And be careful," she added before silently following the two remaining Scoobies to the front door.  Pausing, she looked back at the darkened and empty apartment.  Already it felt different.  Wrong.  And somehow Willow knew that it would never be quite right again until both Giles and Buffy returned to them.  "Hurry back..."

To be continued...