Title: Rebellion
Author: Wildecate
Email: wildecate@hotmail.com
Summary: Draco Malfoy rebels.
Notes: Set post BTVS S7 and post ATS S4 and definitely post OOTP.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.
Notes: I’ve had some reviews from people who don’t like the way I’m portraying Arthur Weasley so let me get something straight. My intention is not to portray him as a bad guy. The point is, is that Giles was a Slytherin at Hogwarts. He was one of Lucius Malfoy’s friends at school and he was a Death Eater. This would make him a bad guy. And even if he isn’t one now, Arthur Weasley would always think of him as a bad guy. All Weasley wants to do is to protect his children, Harry and Hermione. He cannot bring himself to trust Giles, even if Dumbledore does. What he does, he does out of the want to protect his family and friends and not because I think he’s a bad person. Please don’t persecute me for this.
Notes2: Apologies for any historical stuff which is wrong. Sorry if the last few chapters have been more exposition than anything else but it all needs to be done for everything else to make sense. There is a statement in this that people may disagree with but I’ll explain why I think it is Giles that saved Willow from herself. Anyway, I hope y’all enjoying it.

After two days of being cooped up in the house Willow was about ready to go stir crazy. She longed to get out into the world and feel the air on her face. As it was, she was sitting in the room she shared with Dawn watching the rain pour down outside. She drummed her fingers restlessly on the glass, clicking her nails on the window pane. There was a quiet knock on the door and Giles opened the door, greeting her with a smile which quickly turned into a frown when he saw her expression.

“I don’t remember it raining this much the last time I was here” Willow said, turning away from the gloomy day outside. With a flick of her hand the lights came on the room and Giles’ frown deepened.

“Oh come on. It’s OK if they don’t see me. And there’s only you and me here in this room.”

“All the same Willow, I think I would prefer it if we didn’t tempt fate.”

She pouted at him but he made her promise not to use it, even in the house.

“It’s only another day Willow.”

“Yeah, well, at least Dawn is getting some benefit out of this. She’s really improving with that wand of Hermione’s.”

Giles noticed the bitterness in her voice and sighed. It was bound to come eventually. He knew that sooner or later she would have found out about this world and she would hold him responsible for not involving her earlier. He blamed himself for not spotting her earlier, for not getting her proper training. Look where it had led. When he had seen her in the magic shop that day he had seen himself at a young age. He would never forgive himself for this. Willow might blame herself for losing control but he blamed himself for losing her. He should have kept a closer eye on her, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened. He saw the hurt in her eyes that he had shut her out from this magical world that he had once been a part of.

“Yes, perhaps when things calm down a bit I’ll bring you both back here. I think you would both benefit from some time here. And perhaps some training for Dawn.”

“How about some training for me?”

“You don’t need training Willow. Not any more.”

“But once I did. Giles, why didn’t you tell me?” Willow laid a gentle hand on his arm and he saw that she wasn’t angry with him. Just hurt that he had shut her out. He had shut all of them out. This was a part of him that he had not been prepared to share. Willow might be ashamed of her behaviour after Tara’s death but Giles had twenty years of bad behaviour to regret. He looked up at her and she saw the pain in his face.

He was embarrassed. He was ashamed.

“I have a right to my secrets as well Willow” he whispered “and I couldn’t. There was so much to contend with. Always another demon to fight, another fight to the death. I kept telling myself that I would tell you later, tell you afterwards. But I never had the chance. And you learned so quickly. Eventually I told myself that you didn’t need to know. I’ll always regret not telling you sooner.”

He seemed so lost. So lonely. Willow hugged him closely, sorry that she had brought him to this.

“I’m so sorry Willow. I should have brought you here long before, given you the opportunity to learn.”

“It’ OK Giles. You were a good teacher.”

“No good enough, was I?”

And she saw in that moment that he had never forgiven himself for letting her slide into darkness, that he blamed himself as much as she blamed herself.

“Giles, it’s OK. We’re fine now, aren’t we? You’re not a Death Eater or whatever they’re called and I’m all green eyed today – see?” she turned her face up to his and he saw the unshed tears glimmering in the eyes that had remained unchanged over the last seven years. The innocent girl he had met had grown into an experienced and powerful woman but her eyes were still those of the child he had known. Only when she was angry, truly angry and accessing the Dark Arts, did they darken to black.

“OK” he said, taking a deep breath.

“Right, is there anything you think I might need to know before we go any further?” she gave him am impish grin.

They sat on the bed in silence for a moment and then Giles spoke.

“There is something you need to know.”

Willow looked at him enquiringly but what he said wasn’t what she had expected.

“I always thought if I had a daughter, she might be something like you. I have watched you grow, I’ve seen you deal with death and pain, I’ve seen your smile light up a room. I’ve seen you do some bloody stupid things but I’ve seen you do some amazing ones as well. I am very proud of you.”

Her smile glimmered in the dim afternoon light. “Well, since we’re in the mood for confessions I have something to tell you too.”

Giles raised an eyebrow but she continued, her hands on his, the pale skin a contrast against his roughened tanned hands.

“I guess you know what a special person Buffy is. Brave, beautiful, funny, all save the worldy. Xander didn’t even look at me when she was around. Only Oz did. And you. You made me feel important. Needed. Special. My mom and dad weren’t around a lot but I always knew you were there if I needed you. And I guess when it mattered, even when I thought I didn’t need anyone, you were there. You risked your life to save me. And I never really said thank you for that.”

“You don’t have to say it” he said but she put her hand up and continued.

“I know, better than anyone, the risk you took carrying that sort of magic. I may not have understood then but I understand now.” Willow ran out of words to explain how she felt, but she knew Giles know what she was trying to say. She gave him a tiny smile and shrugged. “I love you too.”

Giles and Willow spent the rest of the afternoon in their room, talking over old times, laughing over past jokes and teasing each other. They shared their memories, Willow telling Giles about Oz and Giles, for the first time in as long as he could remember, speaking of Jenny.

When Dawn came in after spending the day with Hermione and Ginny having impromtu magic lessons, she found them seated companionably together on the floor, in front of the fire, deep in conversation.

“Where have you two been all day?” she exclaimed.

“We have been here, as you can see” Giles gestured expansively to the room and Willow, who was lying on the floor, her head resting on his leg. Dawn had never seen Willow look so relaxed and Giles looked younger than his years. They looked like old friends who had rediscovered each other.

“Hermione has been teaching me some more charms with her wand. When can I get one?”

“We can’t go to Diagon Alley on this trip I’m afraid Dawn. I promise to bring you back when things calm down a little.”

“Can’t we get one in LA?” she asked, her face falling like a little girl denied a new toy.

“The best wands are bought from Ollivander. And he is here in London. I’m sorry to make you wait Dawn. But I think it safest.”

She pouted a little, reminding Giles of Buffy when she didn’t get her own way but nodded, resigned to having to wait for her shopping trip.

“I assume dinner is ready” Giles said and Dawn nodded.

He followed the girls downstairs and took his place at the end of the table. Harry and Hermione were already sitting at the table with Ron, all eagerly talking about something new which had cropped up at work. Molly and Arthur Weasley had stopped by that evening for dinner and Arthur, if it was possible, was even more jumpy that ever.

Dawn, Giles and Willow stayed silent through the meal but listened silently.

“There’s been a sudden influx of Death Eaters in London. Voldemort has them searching for something, some special source of power that he hopes to use against Dumbledore.”

Arthur and Molly’s gazes slid straight to Willow and she flushed suddenly under their severe scrutiny. Giles caught Willow’s embarrassment and wished he could deflect their disapproval. He wanted to show them the Willow that he knew not the frightening witch they perceived her to be. But Hermione’s next words made his blood run cold.

“It’s an ancient power. Something incredibly powerful. Not a witch or a wizard but something else. Voldemort can’t figure out what it is just that he knows he wants it.”

“How do you know this, Hermione?” Ron asked, picking at his dinner.

Hermione had the grace to look discomfited. She fidgeted for a moment and then answered the question. “I…um…happened to be walking down a corridor when a meeting was taking place. I happened to overhear a conversation which caught my attention.”

“Hermione!” Harry was surprised “You eavesdropped on a Ministry meeting?”

“We were a bad influence” Ron said in awe.

“I did a little research as well” Hermione began but Ron interrupted her.

“There’s a surprise”

She shot him a bored look but continued to the growing interest of the Weasleys and the mounting horror of Dawn, Willow and Giles.

“It’s an ancient power, a source of magic, protected for thousands of years by monks, worshipped by them. About four years ago the Ministry monitored a situation in a town named Sunnydale, in America. The source or, for want of a better term, the Key, was distilled into human form to hide it from the eyes of the goddess Glorificus. Glorificus was banished from her hell dimension, doomed to wander the Earth in the body of a young male and had her powers bound whilst in this form.”

“This sounds like a more than a little research Hermione” Harry said sounding unsurprised but his girlfriend shrugged.

“You know. Once I start I just can’t stop.”

“So, tell us more about this Key thing.” Ron was fascinated.

“Glorificus overcame her human prison and began her search for the Key. She intended to return to her dimension, even if she had rip this one to shreds to do this. She carried out a ritual which would mean her use of the Key would enable her to return to her dimension.”

“What kind of ritual?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know” said Hermione, frowning, “the information was sketchy at best. From what I can tell, the ritual began and the Key was used to open an interdimensional portal. Somehow, the reports don’t say, the portal was closed and the human form of Glorificus was killed which meant that she died as well. There haven’t been any more reports until now. Somehow the Key has resurfaced in London and Voldemort can sense it. He’s sent everyone he can after it. ”

“I wonder how they used the Key to open the portal” Harry mused.

“Bloodletting.”

Everyone turned to look at Dawn as she spoke in a hollow tone of voice. She stood up and lifted her sweater up, revealing the thin white scars that stood out on her brown belly.

“Glory used my blood to open a portal to get to her own dimension. In doing so she would have brought all the barriers between the dimensions and released all sorts of creatures on the world.”

Hermione stretched out her hand as if to touch the scars but pulled her hand back at the last moment. Harry stared at the young woman whom they had all taken for an innocent child. Her blue eyes were vacant as she spoke.

“For the portal to be closed, the blood had to stop flowing. My sister, Buffy, leapt into the portal and it was her blood that closed it.”

“What happened to her?” Hermione whispered.

“She died.”

“Oh god” Molly couldn’t help herself. “You poor child. To lose a sister.”

“But, I don’t understand” Ron said “You’ve talked about Buffy. She lives with you in LA.”

Willow sheepishly put up her hand “That would be my fault” she said.

“I think you’ve got some explaining to do” said Arthur glaring at Giles who had remained silent through this revelation.

“It wasn’t Giles’ fault” Willow said “He didn’t even know. I did it on my own. I thought, we all did, she was in Hell. I brought her back. I didn’t realise she wasn’t.”

“Where was she?” Harry asked but the look on Willow’s face told him everything. “Not in Hell?”

“Nope” Willow put her arm around Dawn’s shoulders in comfort.

“I am the Key. It’s my power that Voldemort has sensed and is searching for.”

“I thought it was you” Arthur said to Willow before he could help himself. She shook her head.

“Why? Willow can’t even perform a spell.” Hermione was confused.

“How do you think I brought Buffy back, Hermione?” Willow asked.

“You’re a witch?”

“She’s more than a witch. She’s The Witch. The Ministry kept it quiet but two years ago a power rose that rivalled Voldemort himself.”

“That would be my fault too” Willow said but she showed no shame or embarrassment. She had dealt with this and she could face what she had done unafraid. Everyone at the table stared at her, Arthur and Molly in fear, Hermione, Harry and Ron in curiosity.

“Wow, you lived in a scary place” Ron said frankly.

“You have no idea” Willow smiled “It was a Hellmouth, a mystical convergence. For reasons that I’m not going to go into, I delved into the Black Arts, almost brought the world to an end. But at the last minute I was saved.”

“You were?” Hermione was rapt in Willow’s story. “Who by?”

“Giles” Willow’s warm smile lit up the room and all the incredulous stares switched from her to Giles who instantly went red.

“So what happened yesterday when you used my wand? You couldn’t do the spell.” Hermione turned back to Willow who smiled at her and pointed a finger at the cup in front of her. It moved up into the air and hung motionless above the table.

“You….you don’t have a wand!” Ron said in shock.

“I’ve never needed one” Willow said simply.

The silence which filled the room after this statement was unbreakable. Harry, Ron and Hermione couldn’t take their eyes off their new found friends.

“Is there anything else we should know?”