by Lisette: Lisette_an@hotmail.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.  I claim ownership solely of the story idea - no profit will be made by this.

Author's Note: I guess I'm feeling way generous after all!  Even though I hadn't planned on it, I couldn't resist dropping you another chapter - and don't worry, I'm hoping to have a great weekend!  It's the overall 28 hours that I'm going to be spending in the car in a matter of three days that has me wincing.  My sister better love me a LOT! ;p Anyway, a huge thanks to Rosie for catching my curse gaff on the previous chapter (fixed and updated) and to Mountain William and Angel for pointing out the "kiss my ass" slip. *grins* For those of you wondering, yes, Buffy wants to KICK Moldy Wart's ass, not kiss it.  I don't know about the rest of you, but when Mountain William pointed that out to me I nearly fell out of my chair laughing!  OOPS!  I guess that's what being your own beta reader does to you.  Anyway, on that note I'd also like to send out a huge thanks to Kiwi, Rob, jezowen, Claddagh, Harry, SparkySparkles, X-Lander, Lynn, and WhiteWolf 3. 

buffy addict: After this chapter, I guess there's no hiding it any longer.  Sorry if this disappoints, but yes, this story has become an official Buffy/Harry pairing.  Then again, I'm hoping that the plot line is still interesting enough to hold your attention.  After all, it's not always about the romance but about the intrigue as well - the romance is just an added bonus in this case! ;p And you've found many other Buffy/Harry pairings? *laughs* All I ever seem to find these days is Willow fics when it comes to the HP verse - I suppose the Wiccan connection is just too much of a thing for most to pass up on.  Anyway, on with the fic!

"I'll lean on you and you lean on me and we'll be okay."
-Dave Matthews Band-

    With the warm spring sun beating down on the heads of the teens, Buffy could almost believe that she was back home in Sunnydale, California.  Almost.  But instead of the mixed smell of the sea salt and the lingering ozone and pollution that drifted over from her birthplace of Los Angeles, all Buffy could smell here was the clean and unpolluted air of the northern Scottish lands that surrounded them… at least, she was pretty sure that the castle was located in northern Scotland.  She was still a bit fuzzy on all of the details - like how exactly a place like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could go undetected by the rest of the muggle population that had to surround them.  Sometimes, she could almost believe that they were in a different universe or alternate reality.  Well, as long as Willow didn't show up in skanky clothes and with a vampire visage, she was all good.

    "So, this Haggard person is half giant, right?" Buffy asked, shaking away her musings and turning back to the friends that escorted her across the green expanse that surrounded Hogwarts.

    "Hagrid, and yes," Hermione quickly agreed as she absently tucked an errant auburn strand behind one ear.  "Hagrid's mother is a full giant and his father is a wizard."

    "Which means that no, you can't slay him," Ron added, grinning innocently at her and ignoring the small blonde's scowl.  "Hagrid is the Care of Magical Creatures professor and the groundskeeper here at Hogwarts," he explained, his red hair all but dazzling in the bright afternoon sunshine.  "Ever since You-Know-Who came back, Hagrid's been going back and forth between here and the giant community, trying to keep peace between them.  It's because of him that the giants haven't joined with You-Know-Who yet."

    "Which is why I haven't met him yet," Buffy added, smiling softly as her eyes drifted across the lawn and locked on the small cottage that they were rapidly approaching.  In the past month or so since she had been at Hogwarts, she had given little thought to the deserted, strange looking cottage that rested on the border of the school grounds, right next to the Forbidden Forest.  Now, though, it was obvious that the cottage's owner had returned as, despite the warm afternoon, a small plume of dark smoke drifted lazily out of the small chimney that adorned the patched roof.

    "You'll like Hagrid," Harry assured from beside her as his hand automatically found her own, interlocking her small fingers with his - Ron and Hermione thankfully staying quiet at the sight.  To be honest, he wasn't quite sure when he and Buffy had begun holding hands as they moved side by side, but it seemed so natural that he hadn't bothered questioning it.  Luckily, neither had anyone else - yet.  In the case of Ron, Harry was sure that his silence had more to do with his girlfriend than anything else.  Nevertheless, Harry was grateful for it as it allowed he and Buffy to... well, to just be.  Shaking away his thoughts, Harry beamed down at the small blonde at his side.  "Hagrid was the person who first fetched me from my aunt and uncle and introduced me to the wizarding world.  He's been a good friend of ours ever since."

    Smiling softly, Buffy allowed her gaze to drift back to the cottage that they were rapidly approaching.  Despite her relatively short time at Hogwarts, she already knew quite a bit about Hogwarts' groundskeeper.  After all, there didn't seem to be very many stories that didn't involve the half-giant in some way.  Not that the fact was too surprising.  As Buffy had quickly come to learn, while not the stereotypical American family, the people that resided in Hogwarts were the closest thing that some of them had ever had to a family - especially in the case of Harry.  There was Sirius, the godfather and main paternal figure, Remus, the professor, mentor, and favored uncle, the entire Weasley family, which provided the mother and the siblings amongst another father-figure, and then there was Dumbledore, the mentor and eccentric grandfatherly figure.  Where exactly she fit into the picture was still up in the air, she realized as she shot their clasped hands a side glance.

    "Oh yeah, I'm sure we'll be like Giles and obscure demon texts," Buffy returned flippantly after realizing that they were still waiting for her to respond, gently squeezing Harry's hand - only to hastily bluster on at his confused expression.  "I'm sure we'll get along famously," she tried again, attempting her best British accent and failing miserably as everyone shared knowing looks.  How odd to think that they could do such a thing after only really knowing her for a little over a month.  Then again, seeing as how they pretty much made up the extent of those that were around their age, maybe there was little doubt that such a closeness could be formed in such little time.

    "I rather think that our accents are a little more polished than that," Ron returned dryly, raising his eyes to the heavens in a silent plea.  "To think that after your many long years with Giles that you would at least be able to suffer us through a decent rendition of our impeccable and intelligent-sounding-"

    "Well that would require talking, wouldn't it?" Buffy quipped, forcing a bright smile even as she resisted the urge to pound her head against the nearest wall at the thought of her watcher.  It had now been over two weeks since she slipped Giles the sleeping potion and they had yet to hold a civil conversation... or rather, any sort of conversation that didn't revolve around the necessities of life.  In addition, he had also taken up the habit of guarding his food and drink very closely and even worse, quite obviously.  It was embarrassing as well as a slight against her that she couldn't ignore.  So yes, she did betray him by slipping him a drug to free her up for patrol, but she was only doing it to protect him.  And in the end, this small betrayal was so insignificant compared to the time when he betrayed her for the Council over a year ago.  And did she hang onto that grudge?... well, maybe privately, but she certainly didn't parade around his mistakes for the rest of the world to marvel at.  And besides, he didn't even have the excuse that his actions were for her protection.  His actions almost got her killed.

    Sighing, Buffy wearily lifted one small hand and pinched the bridge of her nose as she fought off the anger that was even now threatening to consume her.  This wasn't the time to get all bent out of shape - again.  She'd have the chance to work out her aggression on some poor hapless demon later that night.  Luckily, further thought on such matters were quickly shoved aside as the large door to the cabin opened before them, releasing a hairy man from its dark depths who could only be described as... giant.  Gaping openly, Buffy froze in her tracks as her eyes drifted over his shambled clothing, thick and wiry hair, and beady black eyes that narrowed and then widened in recognition of the teens that were spread before him, a large smile hidden amongst his black beard.

    "I was beginnin' ta wonder when ye'd be comin' ta visit me," the large, half-giant boomed as identical smiles lifted the lips of the Hogwarts' teens as they quickly hurried forward, dragging Buffy along and only pausing as they closed the distance between them, necks arched back to meet Hagrid's eyes.

    "Hello, Hagrid," Harry greeted, grinning from ear to ear as he withstood a mighty clap on the shoulders from the gameskeeper.

    "We only got word that you arrived back from your travels this morning," Hermione added, a small frown pulling at her lips.  "Which reminds me, where have you been?"

    Customarily ignoring the girl's question, Hagrid sighed softly.  "Aye, an' tis good to be back, right ye are," he agreed, smiling slightly as his large boarhound burst from the darkened cabin, woofing appreciatively at the group and clamoring around them to be recognized.  "Easy now, Fang," he ordered gruffly as the dog nearly bowled over a petite blonde who seemed to be wearing some of the strangest clothing he had ever seen - which was saying a lot, considering the half century that he had been around.  "An' who might yer friend be?" he asked, smiling warmly as Harry straightened, nearly beaming as his hand found the girl's and pulled her to his side.

    "Hagrid, I'd like you to meet Buffy Summers," Harry stated proudly, grinning as Buffy craned her neck back to meet the half giant's eyes.  As the shortest amongst them, she was by far the most disadvantaged by Hagrid's large height.  Actually, Buffy was probably about the same height he had been when he had met Hagrid all those years before.

    "Buffy, ye say?" Hagrid asked, scratching his chin through his bristling beard.  "Well that's an odd name, that one is."

    "Like Hagrid isn't?" Buffy retorted dryly, long-since accustomed to the reactions that her name brought about.  Then again, anything was better than going by her given name of Elizabeth.  It was far too formal of a name for her likes.  Whenever she heard it she felt like she was only five and visiting her senile grandmother once more - before aforementioned senile grandmother passed on, that is.

    At Buffy's words, Hagrid felt his smile grow larger as a booming laugh echoed across the grounds of Hogwarts.  "Aye, that it is," he quickly agreed, his eyes crinkling slightly before turning back to lock on Harry.  "She's a firecracker, that one is," he added, watching as both teens flushed at his words.  "Well, what brings ye ta Hogwarts?"

    "Buffy's the Vampire Slayer," Ron quickly broke in, offering his first words to the half-giant and completely missing the way that Buffy habitually shuddered at the name.  "She's been patrolling the Forbidden Forest for the past month or so."

    "The Slayer, did ye say?" Hagrid returned, his expression turning thoughtful as his eyes took in the small girl once more.  "Well yer a wee thing, aren't ya?  Didn't know tha' Slayers came tha' small."

    "Oh, we come in all shapes and sizes," Buffy assured, eyes sparkling as she squeezed Harry's hand.  He was right, she did like the half-giant.  After all, despite his intimidating appearance, he obviously had such a gentle character that it was impossible not to be charmed by him.  What wasn't to like?  "If you're going to be back here for awhile, maybe you'd like to come on patrol with me some night?"

    "Aye, it's been a long while since I've visited me friends in th' forest," Hagrid agreed, a small smile lifting his lips as his dark eyes turned to the dark reaches of the wood just beyond his little cottage.  "Aragog hasn' been givin' you no trouble, then?  He an' 'is kin don' usually like strangers in their parts."

    "Can't say I've met your friend," Buffy returned, frowning softly, "but Firenze sent word to the locals to give me a wide berth when I go and play in the Forest - safer for everyone that way," she explained lightly, blushing slightly as she remembered, once again, her first night when she managed to bring down Professor Lupin himself.

    "So how long will you be staying?" Harry asked, redirecting the conversation as his eyes returned to his friend.  He really had missed Hagrid, for just seeing the half-giant roaming the grounds of Hogwarts during the odd hours of the day added a bit of normalcy to a place that had been so disrupted in the past few months.

    "Can't rightly say," Hagrid returned with what was supposed to be a small shrug, but of course looked monstrous on the half-giant.  "Until Dumbledore needs me ta go ou' again - although, I hope I can stay long enough ta see ta Berry."

    "Berry?" Ron returned, his facing paling as he shot his friends frantic glances.  After all, a new friend of Hagrid's never really promised positive things for the rest of the world.  Memories of Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts in his first year of teaching were still far too recent.  "Who's Berry?"

    "I'll show ya!" Hagrid quickly boomed as he clapped Ron so hard on the back that he was sent careening into Buffy and Harry.

    Wincing, the teen slowly massaged his aching shoulder before following the half-giant around the side of the cottage and to the small pen that sat behind it... the small pen that was currently housing an animal that he had never before seen and one that most of the others had only seen in books or movies.  "What the-"

    "A bear?" Hermione squeaked, answering Ron's question before he could even fully form it.  "Hagrid, where on Earth did you find a bear?" she asked, her wide eyes locking on the sight of the massive grizzly bear, lying on the ground on the other side of the pen.

    "I found 'im in me travels in... well, I can't rightly say," he mumbled, frowning at the girl before climbing over the fence and moving to the bear's side, beckoning for the teens to follow.  "He was hurt real bad by a hunter and I though' I'd see ta fixin' 'im up," he stated, his voice proud as he finally tore his eyes away from the wounded animal to the three teens that had joined him, albeit very reluctantly.  Three teens.  Confused, Hagrid turned away from the Hogwarts trio and located the small blond, still safely located on the other side of the fence from where she watched them all with wide green eyes.  "It s'alright," he called out, unwittingly drawing attention back to the girl whose face was growing paler by the minute.  "Berry won't hurt'cha.  They're very gentle by nature an' only attack when they're threaten'," he said, smiling brightly as the girl seemed to shrink even further away from them all.

    "Buffy?" Harry asked, hesitantly taking a step towards her even as she took a step back, her muscles tensed and obviously warring with herself.

    "I'll... I'll catch up with you guys later," Buffy forced out, plastering on the smile even as she felt as though she was breaking on the inside.  "It was nice meeting you, Hagrid," she added before turning back towards the castle.  And even though her body screamed at her to run like she'd never run before, she forced her body to ignore her heart's cry and instead forced her step to remain slow and even.  She had lost control of herself once already in front of these people... in front of her friends.  She wouldn't do it again.  Couldn't.  But God... the bear...

    Unnoticed, tears began sliding down her cold cheeks as Buffy quickly wrapped her arms around her slim form, willing the shaking to go away.  Willing the weakness to go away.  But it wasn't that easy.  It hadn't been that easy since everything had changed and that was what drove her anger to new levels most nights.  A slayer wasn't supposed to be weak.  They weren't supposed to cry and break down at the sight of harmless, every day things.  And if they were, no one should see it because the world needed to believe that the slayer was strong.  But even though she knew that - knew it better than anything else... she also knew that such control had been lost to her.  The months of torture that she had endured at the Centre's hands had scarred her too heavily for words to heal - perhaps for anything to heal.  It was a bitter pill, and one that she was only beginning to swallow.

    So lost in her thoughts, Buffy didn't even hear the other person approaching until Harry was gently pulling at her elbow, quietly asking her to stop and turn towards him.  Releasing a sigh that was more sob than breath, Buffy lifted her red-rimmed eyes and met his own emerald gaze, filled with such concern that it warmed her broken heart even as she stepped into his silent embrace.  And then, before she even realized what she was doing, Buffy felt the quiet sobs shake her shoulders as Harry held her, saying nothing and allowing her to release the pain in the only way that was available to her with no demon nearby to slay - in the way that she had been avoiding for so long.

    And as the Slayer cried in his arms, Harry felt a wave of emotion so intense that it was hard for him at first to put a name to it.  Anger - there was definitely anger as he silently raged against whatever muggles had done this to her.  Had so effortlessly reduced the proud slayer to the fragile person that she had become.  Oh, she was still as lethal and determined as they came - a warrior to be reckoned with... but on the inside, everything was so precarious that it physically pained him to see her in so much pain.  And the way he held her nearly screamed of his desire to shelter her and protect the small girl from any further pain - a wish that many had held for the petite slayer over the years, but something that few were able to truly give her.  And then... there was also the sprinklings of something that was more than mere affection, but something he dared not call love for no other reason than how much that thought truly frightened him.  Frightened him because of what it meant to the present, and more importantly, what it meant to a future that was so impossible for either.

    Sighing softly, Buffy slowly pulled away from Harry's comforting embrace, her eyes refusing to meet his and instead resting on her small hands.  These hands had seen years of combat and many more years of heartache.  Much of the death and destruction that forever circled her life were caused by these hands.  It was these hands that would haunt her.  "I killed it," she finally murmured, surprising them both with her whispered words as she finally lifted her gaze and met Harry's troubled green eyes.  "They probably starved it, or beat it or something, but when they let it into the room with me... I had no choice," she whispered, her eyes dropping back to her deceptively small, innocent looking hands.  Funny, for how could a hand be innocent or guilty?  Yet in her case, her hands screamed of their guilt.  "I had no weapons and the bear was trying to kill me so... I killed it.  I killed it with my own hands," she murmured, weakly trying to resist as Harry forced her chin to rise until her eyes were locked with his once more.

    "You didn't have a choice," he whispered, his voice firm and daring her to argue.  "You said so yourself that you didn't have a choice."

    "I know," she murmured, her green eyes blinking shut and breaking their connection as she pulled forward until she was wrapped once more in his warm embrace, her cheek cushioned against the soft wool of his black robe.  "I'm sorry... I just... seeing the bear, it just brought it all back.  It was so unexpec-"

    "Shh," Harry whispered, holding her even tighter against him as she buried her head against him.  "You don't have to explain.  You never have to explain," he added as he held her close, absently brushing a soft kiss against her forehead and comforting her in the only way that he knew how, all the while unaware of the eyes that watched them both.

    Frowning softly, Giles watched this exchange through shuttered eyes from the roof of the astronomy tower high above his slayer and the young wizard.  He had escaped to the highest tower in hopes of finding clarity for his struggle with his ward, only to have his eyes alight upon the two far below.  He had witnessed Buffy's hasty departure from Hagrid's cottage and had recognized the stiff tilt to her shoulders all too well.  Something had brought her back to the cold place that the Centre had created for her, and he almost winced as Harry hurried to catch up with her.  He had been expecting his slayer to shove off his advances and attempts at comfort in the same manner that she had continuously done to both he and her other friends in the weeks after her return to them - he had not expected her to turn and nearly fall into his embrace.  While a part of him rejoiced at seeing his slayer finally receive the comfort that he knew she so desperately needed, another part of him stiffened at the thought that the comfort she had refused from him and her friends was coming at the hands of a boy that was closer to a stranger than any of them.  It hurt to know that perhaps she didn't need him as much as he needed her.

    Sighing softly, Giles closed his eyes against the sight and slowly turned away.  There was work to be done and it didn't do for him to dally up on the tower.  No, there was work and with work came blessed relief from his doubts and fears - from his anger at Buffy's actions.  For his own guilt at his own betrayal that Buffy continued to throw in his face.  If only she realized that his guilt and his betrayal went so much further then the day he turned against her for the Council.  She had forgiven him for that, but would she forgive him the knowledge that it was the remnants of that drug that enabled all that she had endured at the hands of the Centre?  That it was ultimately because of him and his betrayal of his slayer that allowed her to be drugged by them to the point where she could do nothing but endure their daily beatings and cruel taunts.  Even if she could, Giles didn't dare let go of his anger at her own small mistake for the fear that he'd find out.

    Willing his face into an unreadable mask, Snape watched as the others attended to the Dark Lord.  Voldemort had only been under his trance for a few moments, but as the others helped their Master back to his throne, Dumbledore's willing spy couldn't help but wonder what information Voldemort had learned from Harry Potter this time.  Whatever he learned, it couldn't be good, and since the snake-like king of their entourage was smiling in a way that chilled the blood of many, Snape knew that it couldn't be good for their side - not at all.

    Sighing, Severus Snape slowly melted back into the shadows of the cavernous room, his eyes alighting and then skipping past the various faces that he had come to hate more than anything.  He walked a perilous line in his double dealings - a line that had become even more narrow due to the link that the Dark Lord shared with Potter.  After all, how long would it be until Voldemort learned of his double dealings during one of these visions?  He knew how much Potter and his little friends despised him and he carried no doubt that the trio were bound to celebrate his absence from time to time - what if they chose to mention his spying ways while Potter was carried by whatever fierce emotion had been enabling the connection as of late?  No, it seemed as though it had been better for Harry to maintain his monotonous existence that carried no surge of emotion, whether good or bad.  And since the Lord had stopped even conferring whatever knowledge and plans he made with the others for fear of Harry overhearing... well, there truly was no point to his continued presence there.  If anything, day by day it was becoming more apparent that the greatest thing he could do was to warn the others as to what kind of information Harry was providing - before it could be put to use.  No, it seemed indeed that the time had come.  It was time to go home.

    Stooping low to reach the large, ornate fireplace that graced one of his office walls, Dumbledore reached into a small jar and pinched a handful of a fine, grainy powder between his forefinger and his thumb.  Then, with a measured toss he released the powder into the softly crackling fire before him, the flames instantly doubling in intensity as their green light washed over his aged features.  "Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, Alastor Moody," he stated, his voice summoning his old friends until one by one their heads appeared in the flames before him.

    "I trust you carry better news than last we gathered," Arabella answered at once in between muffled cooing to what had to be one of her many cats.

    "That would depend solely on how you look upon it," Albus returned with a small smile as he stepped back, allowing the three heads to look upon the faces of those gathered with him.  Of course there was the usual assortment of witches and wizards, such as Minerva, Arthur, Molly, Sirius and Remus, but the one that the others obviously hadn't been expecting was the very large and towering form of one Rubeus Hagrid.

    "So the lad has returned to the fold then?" Moody asked, his piercing eyes roving over the half-giant's form.

    "Welcome back, lad, welcome back," Fletcher called out, a crooked grin lifting his thin lips even as Hagrid seemed to blush beneath their piercing stares.

    "And what news do you bring us of the giants?  Perhaps vows of assistance in our fight against our common enemy?" Arabella asked, her expression belying the hope of her words.

    "Nay, I'm afraid not," Hagrid responded, rubbing a hand over his thick and wiry hair.  "I spen' a lot of time with me mother an' th' others, an' while they were willin' ta listen, th' giants have long memories, they do," he stated, his voice turning uncharacteristically grim.  "They still remember th' persecution of their kind at th' hands of th' wizards and they refuse ta aid us," he finished, watching as the face of every single witch and wizard gathered began to crumble beneath his heavy words.  "But," he added, a hesitant smile lifting his lips, "they 'ave promised me not ta involve themselves in th' fight at all.  They willnae join with You-Know-Who."

    "So the giants will remain neutral in this battle," Mundungus summarized, a thoughtful frown pulling at his lips.

    "Well, that's something, at least," Remus added, sharing a look with the others.  "If only all of our news could be so easy."

To be continued...