Chapter Three - Sundown

I see it around me, I see it in everything / I could be so much more than this / I said my goodbyes this is my sundown / I'm gonna be so much more than this.

With one hand high, you'll show them your progress / You'll take your time, but no one cares / No one cares.

I need you to show me the way from crazy / I wanna be so much more than this...

--Jimmy Eat World - "My Sundown"

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

"Hufflepuff!"

The Great Hall applauded as Mary Zane was sorted. Professor McGonagall took the hat and stool away as Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Another year about to begin and I have a few start of the term announcements to make. The Forbidden Forest is, as the name suggests, forbidden. Under no circumstances should a student wander there, especially after dark." His gaze drifted towards Harry, Hermione, and Ron, who were each trying to look as innocent as possible. "Should problems arise, I ask that you look to the school prefects and the new Head Boy and Head Girl, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger." There was a short applause. Hermione beamed. "There are also two new professors this year. As you may have noticed, Professor Snape is not here. He will not be returning until January." Whispers broke out at every corner of the room.

"Snape's not here? This is GREAT!" Ron exclaimed.

"Quiet please! Quiet!" The room went silent again. Dumbledore chuckled. "Until he returns, the new Potions professor and head of Slytherin house will be Professor Rayne."

Buffy, who was sitting next to Professor McGonagall, went alert. She threw a glare down the table. A just as surprised Ethan Rayne glared back.

"Our second new professor will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Though she may look young, do NOT, by any means, underestimate her abilities. She is highly qualified for the job, I can assure you. Please welcome Professor Summers."

Buffy stood up to a very shocked group of students, some of which, she realized, were probably as old, if not older, then she was. Buffy's blonde hair was in a ponytail and she was wearing black jeans, a white tank top with a jean jacket over it and sneakers. Her silver cross - the one Angel gave her - was hanging around her neck.

"She looks young enough to be a student." Ron said.

"She is young enough." Harry said. "She's seventeen."

"Seventeen!" Seamus exclaimed.

"She's cute." Neville said blushing slightly.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

Dumbledore was about to sit down when Hagrid cleared his throat. He was standing near the door with a girl, about seventeen, with long dark brown hair, brown eyes. She caught Malfoy's eye immediately.

"Ah, here's our new student. This is Faith Morgan. She will be assisting Professor Summers, but will also be attending certain classes with the Slytherins."

Buffy eyed Faith suspiciously. There was something about her that struck a chord of familiarity in her mind. Faith caught Buffy's eye and winked and went to sit down at the Slytherin table right next to a very pleased Draco Malfoy.

"I believe that is all. Let the feast begin!"

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

"Gryffindor First Years, follow me please!" Ron called. Harry and Hermione waited to speak with Hagrid.

Buffy walked over to Ethan with her arms crossed over her chest. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ethan stood up. "Nice to see you too Ms. Summers."

Buffy scowled. "Not likely. Are you trying to make my life a living hell?"

Ethan laughed. "Heavens, no. I actually had more fun watching Angelus do it."

Buffy paled slightly and fought back the urge to punch him. "If you mention that to ANY of the students, I will have you thrown in prison myself, don't think for one second that I won't. I know your past just as well as you know mine."

Ethan fought to keep a straight face. "I'll keep that in mind." He walked off. Buffy stood watching his back, malice in her eyes.

"'Ello 'Arry. Congratulations on Head Boy."

Harry smiled. "Thanks Hagrid."

"So," Hagrid asked, holding the door for Harry and Hermione as they walked out into the hall, "what do you think of Professor Summers?"

"Buffy? She's a bit...young."

"A little too young." Hermione said. "Hagrid, she's seventeen. Doesn't that seem a bit - odd to you?"

"Her assistant too." Harry added. "Faith wasn't it?" Hermione nodded.

"Now see here you two. Both of these girls are completely qualified for this job. Faith has had plenty of training and Buffy has over two years of field experience. They're the Chosen Ones - "

"Chosen?" Harry asked.

"I shouldn't 'a said that. Don't ask me any more! If you want answers, ask them. I 'aint sayin' nothin'."

Hagrid walked away, leaving a very confused Harry and Hermione behind.

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

Buffy opened the door and came in wearing a tank top and sweatpants. "Tada. Just little old 20th-century me."

Angel looked at her, concerned. "Sure you're okay?"

"I'll live."

Buffy walked over to him, and he sat up on the bed. "I don't get it, Buffy. Why'd you think I'd like you better dressed that way?"

Buffy sat down next to him. "I just wanted to be a real girl for once. The kind of fancy girl you liked when you were my age."

Angel laughed at her. "Oh, no."

"What?"

"I hated the girls back then. Especially the noble women."

Buffy nodded. "You did."

Angel nodded. "They were just incredibly dull. Simpering morons, the lot of them. I always wished I could meet someone... exciting." Angel looked her in the eye. "Interesting."

Buffy moved closer to him. "Really? Interesting how?"

Angel tried not to grin. "You know how."

"Still, I had a really hard day. You should probably tell me."

Angel smiled and drew nearer. "You're right. I should."

Buffy got closer. "Definitely."

They kissed gently yet passionately. Buffy cradled his face in her hands.

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

Buffy awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. She groaned. 6:30 was an ungodly hour to be getting up, even for a professor. Buffy jumped out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She let the hot water run down her back and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes.

She wished she could just forget him. Forget his smile, forget his kisses, forget the tingles that she felt whenever he touched her. Forget the feeling of desperation and guilt she felt, desperation for him and only him, guilt for wanting him back when she had worse then just ended his life in the first place. She wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear. It was 7:15 before she turned off the water, wrapped herself up in a towel, and went to go get dressed and ready for her first day of classes -

As a professor.

Wasn't that a scary thought?

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

"Double Potions. With Slytherins. Even with a new professor, we still have to deal with the greasy gits on an almost daily basis." Ron groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

"What about Professor Rayne?" Hermione asked shifting her books in her arms. Harry took them from her without a word and Ron had to bite back a comment. "I mean, he and Professor Summers have only known each other for a day and they seem to hate each other. She sees red whenever he merely walks into a room."

"Maybe they know each other from somewhere. Hey, maybe he dated her mother and cheated on her or something."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You sound like a Thursday morning soap opera, Ron. I highly doubt that's the problem."

Harry held the door open for the two of them and they stepped into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where, to all of there disappointments, Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were already sitting. Ron groaned and the three of them sat down on the opposite side if the room as far away from Malfoy as possible.

Buffy smirked when she walked into the classroom and saw the look if loathing on all five of the student's faces. She smirked even more when she saw Faith sidle up to Malfoy, obviously flirting.

Faith and Buffy had a friendly talk earlier that morning. Faith, like Buffy, was a slayer, thus clearing up that weird feeling of familiarity she experienced when Faith entered the room.

"I've heard all about you, B."

"Have you?"

"Oh yeah, loads of stuff, like how you stopped your boy from ending the world."

Buffy had shifted nervously in her seat. "Don't worry about it. And I don't know if anyone told you - "

"Secret identity gal? Yeah, I know."

"Good."

And now, they were here, teaching a class - rather, Buffy taught. All Faith had to do was "assist" - a.k.a., throw knives and attempt to beat Buffy to a pulp for "demonstrations."

All in a day's work.

Buffy waited for the rest of the class to file in before she started speaking. She perched herself on her desk and Faith sat down next to Malfoy.

"Welcome to your first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I'm Professor Summers, but do me a favor, and call me Buffy, okay? I'm not your elder, and I wouldn't want to have to call all of you Ms. or Mr."

Malfoy's hand went into the air.

"Yes.Draco?"

Malfoy smirked. "Yeah." He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. Buffy was very suddenly reminded of Spike - the posture and the ever- present sarcastic drawl screamed William the Bloody. "How old are you anyways Buffy?"

Buffy shrugged a shoulder and said nonchalantly, "Seventeen."

Malfoy nodded. "So, explain to me - how exactly are you qualified for this job then? I mean, really, seventeen? You can't have had that much experience."

Faith was biting back laughter. It came out as a mad coughing fit.

Buffy hopped off of the desk and eyed Faith who got up and grabbed a set of five throwing knives from the floor. She stood in the back of the room and Malfoy watched as the knives whizzed past his head and at Buffy. Buffy blocked all of them except that last, which she caught by the blade and hurled at Faith, who caught it by the handle. Faith walked back up to the front of the room and put the knife on Malfoy's desk.

Buffy crossed her arms. "You were saying?"

Malfoy shrugged. "Nothing more to say here."

"Good. Any other questions that aren't about my qualifications? No? Good. Now - on to what we're learning this year. Unlike your other professors, I will be beginning the year with a research assignment."

The class broke out into shocked whispers.

"Faith is going to hand out a list of possible topics. I want you to choose one and research it. This will not be due until before the winter holidays, but I want a very thorough report, so you should get started now."

Faith handed out the sheets and Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"Yes Hermione?"

Hermione leaned forward. "The fifth topic says 'Discover the name of one slayer and research everything you can about her.' But, aren't slayers a myth?"

Buffy eyed Faith who rolled her eyes. "If that's what you believe, then choose another topic. I'm not out to prove you wrong - unless you'd like the challenge."

"I think I might." She said, giving Buffy "the resolve face", a striking similarity to Willow.

"If that's what you want - enjoy what you find."

Buffy smiled at Hermione's confused face.

"The list of choices is pretty much a sum of what we will be learning this year. We will begin with vampires, going into depth about a particular few, continue with werewolves, a topic I have heard you all know a lot about, a surprisingly long study of demons, and a study of slayers - both facts and fiction - right before Christmas. Any other questions or concerns before we get started?"

There were no questions at all. An awkward silence hung in the air.

"None at all?" There was still none. "Okay then. Let's get started. Vampires - who can tell me how a vampire is created?"

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

* How did it go so fast? You'll say as we are looking back and then we'll understand - We held gold dust in our hands, in our hands... *

Buffy was sitting in the Bronze curled up on the floor. Angel was holding her in his arms. She held his hand in hers and traced the lines of his palm with a fingertip.

"That song." Buffy's voice sounded distant, even to her.

"What about it?" Angel asked, running his hand up and down her arm.

"It sounds so sad. So - painful."

* Sights and sounds pull me back down another year. I was here. I was here. Gaslights

glow in the street, flickering past. Twilight held us in her palm as we walked along... *

"You mean like you feel."

Buffy let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Yeah. Like I feel." She turned her head up to kiss him. Angel kissed her softly. She relished in the familiar feeling of his lips on hers.

Buffy pulled away, but Angel left his hand on her cheek.

" I love you Angel."

"I love you Buffy."

* Letting names hang in the air. Autumn knowingly stared. And the day that she came. I'm freezing that frame. I'm freezing that frame.... *

"Then don't go. Don't go away again."

Angel softly stroked her cheek. She nuzzled into his hand. He picked up her other hand and kissed the ring there.

"Soon baby. I promise."

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

The dream world slipped away faster then Buffy could try to grasp hold of it. She tried to hold the images, but they were already fading, though the feelings were still as fresh in her mind as ever.

*How did it go so fast? You'll say as we are looking back and then we'll understand...*

"That song..." Buffy got up and went into the next room. The music got louder as she moved closer to her desk, closer to that picture.

Buffy picked up the picture and moved it aside.

*We held gold dust in our hands....*

Buffy sighed. It wasn't her dream -

She left her radio on.

*In our - *

Buffy cut off the song and went back to bed, not sure if she felt better or worse then before.

:: Chapter Four ::