Harry Potter and the Vampire Slayer
The Dream
Chapter Eight
by: Miss Witch
Rated PG
Summary: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what's going on by now.
Disclaimer: I know nothing, I own nothing. Blah, blah, blah. Don't sue!
Spoilers: This takes place before Season 4 of Buffy, and after -Goblet of Fire
Distribution: If you've had my permission before, knock yourself out. If you don't have my permission, you've just to ask.
Feedback: Does the word "Duh!" mean anything to you?
Notes: Believe it or not, I actually used a Latin translator to create the spells. I don't know if I'm using the words correctly, but at least I'm not just making them up.
When Giles entered the training room, he found Buffy beating the stuffing out of the punching bag. Literally. The seams had split under her assault and Giles could see the material that had once been inside now spilling out.
With a scream that came from deep within her soul, Buffy kicked the bag. Such was the force of her blow, the chain holding it to the ceiling broke and the bag went flying across the room. Giles was torn between amusement and worry.
"Obviously, I didn't attach it firmly enough." he said softly, causing Buffy to whirl around. She stared at him, chest heaving from exertion. Giles pointed his wand at the punching bag.
"Fodio arca reparo"
Buffy watched in amazement as the cotton stuffing was sucked back into the leather punching bag and the seams sewed themselves back up.
"Capistro firmus" reattached the bag to the chain hanging from the ceiling. Giles smiled at Buffy. "Hopefully that'll hold."
"Giles…"
"I'm sorry, Buffy." Giles interrupted. "I had no idea." Buffy launched herself at him, burying her face in his robes. Giles brought his arms around her, holding her close as she began to sob.
Giles knew there was nothing he could do to soothe his Buffy except to hold her.
"I'm so sorry." he whispered over and over against her hair. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I don't want you to demonstrate for the other 2 classes." he told her. Buffy pulled away.
"What?" she asked in disbelief. She wiped the tears from her face with her hands. "Why not?" Giles looked at her incredulously even as he handed her a handkerchief from within his robes.
"Why not?" he asked. "Why not? Because you just had to fight a vampire version of me to the death. Because you practically obliterated the punching bag." Giles gestured toward the now repaired bag. "Because you're standing here, in my arms, crying your eyes out." he told her, his voice rising in volume with every reason. "I'm not going to put you through that again."
"Damn it! It's what you asked me to do!" Buffy yelled. "Face my fear. And I did it!" she pointed out. In frustration, she turned away from him. Giles moved closer and put his hand on her shoulder.
"I don't want to have to watch you do that again." he admitted quietly.
"Because it wore your face?" Buffy asked. Giles stepped closer to Buffy, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. Deep down, he knew that this was completely inappropriate for a Watcher/Slayer relationship. [To hell with appropriate] he thought. He needed the physical contact, and he was pretty sure Buffy did as well.
"No, because you were forced to fight something that wore my face." he said. "I'd say the same if it'd been any one of the others." he assured her. Buffy closed her eyes.
"I have to do it again, Giles." she insisted. "I have to, because the other classes will be expecting it." She turned in his arms. "If Dumbledore heard about it, everyone else has too. I refuse to look like a coward."
"Buffy…" Buffy reached up and placed her fingers on his lips.
"It's decided, Giles." she told him. Giles nodded in defeat and placed his forehead against hers. Buffy looked up and saw the sadness in his green eyes. [Now or never girl] she thought briefly. With a slight tilt of her head, she covered his lips with hers.
Buffy felt Giles jolt in surprise and steeled herself for him to pull away. Instead, he pulled her closer, moving his lips against hers. The kiss lasted for several minutes, and just as Buffy was preparing to take it further, Giles raised his head.
"Buffy, we shouldn't be doing this." he whispered. "You're upset and just looking for comfort."
"True." Buffy whispered back. "But, I've wanted to kiss you for a long time, Giles." Giles was so stunned that he took a step backwards, out of her arms.
"You have?" he asked. Buffy nodded.
"How 'bout you, Giles?" she asked. "'Cause it really seemed like you wanted to kiss me too." Giles shook his head.
"It's not right, Buffy." he told her, moving away from her. "You need someone your own age."
Rather than arguing, Buffy smiled at him. The fact that he hadn't answered her question hadn't escaped her.
"We better get to class." she said, linking her arm with his.
[Nap.] Buffy thought. [I wonder if I can take a nap.] Buffy was tired. Physically and emotionally. After fighting a vampire Giles twice more, she just wanted to eat her lunch and crash.
"Hey Buffy!" Buffy looked up from the lunch she was pushing around on her plate, but not really eating.
"Hey Harry." she greeted, trying to infuse some enthusiasm into her voice. Harry smiled sympathetically. He sat down across from her at the table.
"Are you alright?" he asked her, his voice filled with concern. "I heard you fought the boggart for two more classes." Buffy snorted with laughter as she picked up her pumpkin juice.
"That didn't take long." she muttered. "Class has only been out for 10 minutes." Harry grabbed a couple of rolls off a plate.
"Good news travels fast." he said, ladling soup into a bowl. Buffy looked up to find him grinning at her. "Amazing how that boggart just happened to land on Malfoy's desk."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Buffy said in her best innocent voice. It was Harry's turn to snort.
"Do you know how upset that Fred and George are that they missed Malfoy getting beat up again?" he asked.
"There was no beating up." Buffy clarified. "The boggart landed on his desk and there was a minor scuffle in it's removal from the desk."
"It had nothing to do with the fact he'd voiced the opinion that it was too bad you couldn't stake the professor for real, I'm sure." he said. Buffy's face turned bright red with anger at the memory of Malfoy's callous statement. She looked over at the Slytherin table where he was sitting with Crabbe and Goyle with narrowed eyes. Draco looked up and met her gaze. For about 10 seconds. Then he looked everywhere but at her.
"Nothing at all to do with it." she bit out. "That's my story and I'm sticking to it." Harry and Buffy sat in silent solidarity.
"Still, it wouldn't have been too awful if the boggart had bitten Malfoy." Harry told her. Buffy smiled at her plate.
"Wouldn't have sucked." she agreed, giving Harry a grin. "Giles wouldn't have liked it though."
Ron and Hermione walked dup and sat on either side of Harry. Ron's eyes were shining with admiration.
"Buffy," he said breathlessly. "you were absolutely brilliant today in class." Buffy smiled a thank you at him.
"Did you know that the boggart would be Professor Giles?" Hermione asked as she filled her plate with food. Buffy gave a shake of her head, making it clear she didn't want to talk about it.
"Buffy!"
[Oh no.] Buffy thought as Xander came running toward the table, Oz and Willow behind him. [I don't want to rehash this again. I can't.]
"Are you ok?" Xander asked in a breathless voice. Buffy nodded, pushing her plate away.
"I'm fine." she said, standing abruptly. "I'm wiped. I'm gonna crash for awhile." The gang watched in puzzlement as she rushed off.
"What was that all about?" Xander asked, piling food onto a plate. Willow stared at Buffy's retreating back.
"Is she ok?" she asked Harry. Harry, who'd been watching Buffy run off as well, jerked his gaze to Willow.
"I don't think so." he said, softly. "Buffy had to fight the boggart two more times."
"Both times it was Professor Giles." Hermione added. Willow was confused and just a little hurt.
"Why didn't she want to talk about it then?" she wondered out loud. Harry looked at the door Buffy had left through, then at Ron and Hermione.
"Sometimes there are things too painful to discuss. Even with best friends."
Giles walked through the corridors to his room. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice several of the female portraits winking at him, trying to get his attention.
It had been painful to watch Buffy fight the boggart. Not because it had been himself. But because he knew how hard it must have been for her to do it. Over and over, he'd forced her to face that horror. [What kind of person am I?] he asked himself in disgust. [Force her to fight her greatest fear, and then take advantage of her by kissing her when she's most vulnerable.]
Giles silently berated himself as he strode down the hallway. He hated the fact that he'd asked her to fight the boggart. He should have known better. Buffy's fears made most people's look like a walk in the park.
"Well, well, well." A slick, slightly slimy voice stopped Giles in his tracks. "You've made quite the impression with your little Slayer and her friends." Giles turned and found Severus Snape, the Potions teacher. He was a rather tall man with somewhat greasy black hair and a hooked nose. Giles brought himself up to his full height.
"Don't let Buffy hear you calling her 'little'." Giles warned, somewhat coldly. "She's rather sensitive about her height."
"Tell your little Slayer to stop harassing one of my students." Snape said, eyes narrowed. "If it continues, I will notify the headmaster." Giles raised his eyebrows.
"Maybe you should tell Mr. Malfoy not to antagonize a Slayer." he suggested.
"That is not the point." Snape sneered. Crossing his arms, Giles feigned an interest in his fingernails.
"It's exactly the point." he said calmly. "It's pretty simple, Severus. Draco antagonizes, Buffy retaliates." Giles grinned at Snape. "And she's extremely creative and physical in her retaliations."
Turning on his heel, Giles continued on his way, laughing silently as he went. He and Severus had never gotten along, and it didn't look like that would change any time soon. Giles couldn't say that it bothered him all that much.
Draco Malfoy had been antagonizing Buffy every opportunity he got. Not the wisest decision Draco had ever made. Buffy didn't react well to people messing with her. Giles supposed that Lucius Malfoy would be contacting Dumbledore about it, but Giles wasn't about to reign Buffy in.
Exhausted, Buffy made her way up to her room. A headache was blooming behind her eyes, and she just wanted to lay down. The common room had been empty, with everyone being at lunch. Something that Buffy had been eternally grateful for. She wasn't sure how much more attention she could take that day.
She certainly didn't want to discuss the fact her boggart had turned into Giles one more time. It had been hard enough to face it a second and third time, and Draco Malfoy and his snide little remarks hadn't helped much. Buffy paused on the stairs, closed her eyes and imagined her fist in Malfoy's face. Smiling at the image, she continued up to the room.
Sitting on the bed, Buffy slipped her shoes off and gave a sigh. Her head pounded, so she pulled the velvet curtains, enclosing her in darkness. Head on her pillow, Buffy curled up and fell asleep instantly.
Buffy found herself in a strange house she'd never seen before. It was shrouded in darkness, and she could just make out the outline of a hallway. She jumped at the sound of a snake slithering by her feet. It hissed as it passed, and, filled with dread, she slowly followed it.
As she walked, the house melted away, and Buffy found herself following it through a moonlit field. Looking into the sky, she saw the full moon hanging above her. It illuminated strange looking stones, set in a circle. It strongly reminded Buffy of the pictures of Stonehenge she'd seen.
Just within the circle of stone were hooded figures, each standing in front of one of the strange stones. They chanted something Buffy couldn't understand. A chalice or cup of some sort was pasted from figure to figure as they chanted.
Buffy moved to the middle of the circle. She spun around, trying to figure out what was going on, and who these people were. As she completed the turn, a tied and bound figure had appeared in the center of the circle.
"Harry?" Buffy asked. Harry was gagged, but his eyes opened wide with fear as he looked over her shoulder. Whirling around, Buffy found herself face to face with a tall figure. It was white as bone, it's face flat and snakelike with burning red eyes. There were slits where his nose should have been. It reached toward her with long, talon-like hands.
"Ah, the final ingredient has arrived." he hissed.