Chapter Two - Soon

Is that why they call me a sullen girl - sullen girl / They don't know I used to sail the deep and tranquil sea / But he washed me shore and he took my pearl / And left an empty shell of me.

And there's too much going on / But it's calm under the waves, in the blue of my oblivion.

-- Fiona Apple - "Sullen Girl"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy quickly snuck up to her room and started throwing clothes into a duffel bag. Only the bare necessities - if Mr. Gordo was considered a necessity. She left a letter for her mom on her bed, along with letters for Joyce to give to Willow, Xander, and Giles.

Buffy took one last glance around her room before climbing out the window and out into the night.

~*~*~*~*~*

"Thank you for riding Flight 777. Please keep your seatbelts fastened until the plane comes to a complete stop."

Buffy was staring at the ticket in her hand that Sari had delivered to her as she walked off the plane.

"Platform 9 ¾...well, if owls can deliver mail..."

"Ms. Summers?"

Buffy looked up into the face of a man who was - well, there was no better word for him - a giant. However, coming from the Hellmouth, this wasn't too much of a surprise.

"That's me. Buffy Anne Summers." She stuck out her hand.

"Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts." He shook her hand and was not surprised that, for once, she didn't cringe under his grip. In fact, hers probably rivaled his.

Hagrid chuckled and Buffy smiled. They began walking.

"So, Ms. Summers - "

"Buffy. Please, call me Buffy."

"Alright - Buffy. What's it like."

Buffy was confused. "What's what like?"

"Being the slayer."

Buffy cast her eyes down. "Oh. It's - emotionally exhausting, for lack of better description." She looked up at him. "How many people know that I'm the slayer?"

Hagrid smiled. "Just the professors. An' me an' Filch o' course," Hagrid added.

Buffy smiled, but it was painful. 'Back to secret identity gal,' she thought, while she said out loud, "Good."

~*~*~*~*~*

After sitting for a few fun-filled hours with Hagrid in the Hogwarts Express (she still couldn't believe she had run through a wall), Buffy sat outside of Professor Dumbledore's office waiting to speak with him. She was a bit nervous, but excited at the same time.

Dumbledore opened the door, his eyes twinkling. He appeared to her as a friendly old man.

"Professor Summers - or, would you prefer Buffy?"

Buffy smiled. "Please, call me Buffy."

"Of course. Please, come in."

Buffy stepped into Dumbledore's office and suddenly stopped in her tracks. She sighed. "I'm in trouble aren't I?"

Giles nodded. "More then you know."

"I had assumed that you told Mr. Giles about your acceptance of your position here. Given the circumstances, however, I can understand your decision not to."

Buffy glanced at Dumbledore, startled. "How do you know that?"

"Lucky guess, tipped off by a certain Romany friend of mine."

"What are you two talking about?" Giles asked, frustrated.

Buffy sighed. "Angel - Angel wasn't - he - he was - " Buffy stumbled over her words and swallowed tears. "Angel has his soul. Willow's spell worked. But it was too late. And I had to kill him."

Giles didn't know how to react. He finally understood Buffy's reaction to the entire situation. "I'm sorry - "

"Don't." Buffy said. "I needed to get away and I knew that if I told everyone that I was coming, I would be convinced to stay. There's nothing left for me in Sunnydale anymore. I love Willow and Xander, my mom, you. But - I need some time to get my life back together. It isn't you. It's me. Please make them understand that."

Giles could do nothing but nod.

"Buffy, Professor McGonagall is going to show you to your room. Rupert, a word."

Buffy turned around, but not before stealing a glance at Giles. She walked out, shutting the door behind her.

"Good lord." Giles said, sitting down.

"I agree with you completely." Dumbledore said, sitting down across from him. "Buffy is in a state of denial." He looked up at Giles. "This is good for her. I will watch out for her. Trust me."

"It's not you I don't trust Albus." Giles said, taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "It's not you I don't trust."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Professor McGonagall took Buffy to a room in one of the towers. "This is your office. Your room is located behind the tapestry on the right wall. You may create a password if you'd like. I assume you will be alright?"

"Huh?" Buffy shook her head. "Oh, yes. I'll be fine."

Professor McGonagall put a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "You've been through a lot. Get some rest. The students will be arriving tomorrow."

Buffy nodded and gave McGonagall a half smile. "I will. Goodnight."

McGonagall walked down the stairs and Buffy turned towards the picture on the door. It was of a unicorn drinking from a brook with a fairy on her back. The fairy was moving about and suddenly turned to Buffy. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to tell me your password?" Her voice was soft and radiated pure magic.

Buffy thought for a moment. "Sorry! Umm..." She smiled. "Seraphim."

"Seraphim? Like the angels?"

Buffy smiled wider. "Yes. Like the angels."

"I like it!" The fairy said excitedly. "Okay - Seraphim it is!" The fairy did a little flip in the air and the door clicked open.

Buffy pushed the door and walked in to her office. It was fairly large with bookshelves lining one of the walls and a mahogany desk in the center. On the right wall was a tapestry with a maiden and a unicorn on it. Buffy pushed the tapestry aside to reveal a door, she guessed to her room. She pushed that door open and had to bite back a gasp.

Her room was beautiful. There were dark wood floors and a bed with deep blue sheets, pillows, and curtains. A window on the left looked out onto the moonlit grounds.

Buffy kicked off her shoes and began to unpack when she heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

"I don't know your password." A voice said.

Buffy put down the picture she was holding and went to open the door. A girl, who couldn't have been much older then Buffy was, stepped into the office. She was tall, had long, wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and curves to die for.

"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger. I'm Head Girl. Professor Dumbledore asked me and the Head Boy to come a day early to show you around the school, but he's not here yet." Hermione was looking at Buffy with a question in her eyes. Buffy arched an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare, but - you're Professor Summers?"

Buffy grinned. "Yup. But please, call me Buffy. Professor makes me sound a lot older then I really am."

"How old are you - if you don't mind me asking."

"Seventeen."

Hermione shot Buffy a look of shock. "Seventeen? You're old enough to be a student here! I'M about to turn seventeen!"

Buffy shrugged. "Well, Professor Dumbledore seemed to think I was qualified for the job. I'll take his word for it."

Hermione was still gaping and Buffy laughed. "Let me get my shoes and you can show me around."

Hermione blinked. "Huh? Oh - right."

Buffy giggled as she went back to her room to put on a sweater. As she slipped on her boots, she sighed. "How are you going to pull this one off Summers?" she grumbled.

Hermione was looking around Buffy's office. She picked up a picture on the desk of six people, she guessed were friends of Buffy's. One had hair that could rival any Weasly's.

Buffy stepped out and watched Hermione regarding the picture. Buffy stepped up behind her. "Ready?"

Hermione jumped and put a hand over her heart. "Don't do that!"

Buffy cocked her head and picked up the picture.

"Are those your friends?"

Buffy nodded and bit back tears. "Yeah." She pointed to each person as she spoke. "That's Willow and Oz, Xander and Cordelia, and...me and Angel."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Buffy traced the frame with a fingertip. "Sort of."

"Bad break up?"

Buffy laughed silently. "You have no idea."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"And this is the - "

"Hermione!"

Hermione had just pointed out the Forbidden Forest, a place Buffy kept filed away in the back of her mind to patrol later, and was about to show her the Quidditch field when a boy ran up to them. He had messy black hair and amazing green eyes.

"Harry!"

Harry gave Hermione a hug. Buffy couldn't help but notice the sparks flying between them.

Hermione pulled away and walked over with her arm linked in Harry's. "Harry, this is Buffy Summers."

"Nice to meet you." Buffy shook his hand.

"Buffy's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

Harry was taken back. "Oh. But - no offense but - how old are you?"

"Seventeen." The two girls said together.

"Oh - wait - seventeen?"

"As in the number that comes after sixteen and before eighteen, yes." Buffy said grinning.

"You could be a Seventh Year." Harry stated.

"I'm well aware of that...Harry was it?"

"Yes."

"Well Harry, I can assure you, I am more qualified then you know." 'Much more qualified,' she mused wryly.

"I was just about to show Buffy the Quidditch field." Hermione said.

"The what-itch?"

Harry grinned. "Come professor. Time for your first lesson in the best sport in the world."

Hermione groaned and Buffy laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy stood watching the water of the lake ripple. She saw her reflection, above which the moon was shining. She looked away and when she looked back, Angel was standing behind her.

"You always look so beautiful in the moonlight," Angel said, slipping his arms around her.

"Is this real?" She asked, closing her eyes.

"No. It's only a dream, baby."

Buffy clasped her hands in Angel's and he slipped the clauddagh (sp?) ring back onto her finger, heart facing her. She had taken it off the night before she left for Hogwarts and put it in the top drawer of her nightstand.

"Wait for me." Angel whispered near her ear. He kissed her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair.

Buffy sighed and pulled his mouth towards hers, but he pulled away.

"Soon, baby. I promise."

Buffy looked back into the water - it was just her and the moon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Buffy woke up to a knock at the door.

"Buffy?"

Buffy groaned and looked at the clock - 5:00PM. Was it really that late already? She slipped a large Sunnydale High sweatshirt over her head and walked over to the door. She opened it, yawning. "Hi Harry."

"Professor McGonagall asked me to come and get you. The students are arriving in an hour." He paused. "Were you sleeping?"

Buffy nodded. "It's the time change. Must be jet lagged." She lied.

Harry nodded, still suspicious, but shrugged off his thoughts. "Okay. Well, I'll see you in the Great Hall."

He was about to walk out when Buffy called him back. "Harry?"

Harry turned around.

"Do you think that the students are going to accept me as a teacher?"

Harry smiled. "If they can accept a werewolf, they can accept you. I promise."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks. Now, leave me alone so I can change."

Harry grinned and shut the door. Buffy leaned against it and closed her eyes. "You can do this, Buffy. You can do this."

But Angel's words were still ringing through her head.

"Soon, baby. I promise."

Buffy looked down at her hand and wasn't surprised to see the ring there, exactly where Angel had placed it. Buffy sighed and walked off to her room to change.

:: Chapter Three ::