Chapter Four - Don't Say a Word

Does this anger you? I see your temper flaring Like a short fuse placed too close to a flame I'm cool as ice You don't faze me Does that bother you at all?

--"Cool as Ice" (by me - check my website for the full poem)

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

The Great Hall was buzzing with activity that afternoon. A Sixth Year Gryffindor announced that Professor Summers and Professor Rayne had been enemies in the past, and everyone was currently trying to figure out why.

Imagine their surprise when said professors came walking through the doors of the Great Hall together, Professor Dumbledore in tow.

Ron turned to Ginny. "I thought you said that Marigold told you that Professor Summers and Professor Rayne hated each other?"

"She did! She said she caught the two of them arguing last night outside of Dumbledore's office. Something about 'not feeling like being possessed' and 'not feeling like dealing with a lovesick seventeen year old.' She said it was weird - like they had a past"

"So why are they walking in here together?" Ron asked.

"Maybe they made some sort of agreement not to fight or something"

"Maybe" Hermione said, although she had a strange feeling that there was something the new professors weren't telling them.

And she'd be damned if she'd be left in the dark.

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

"Who can tell me how a vampire is created?" Buffy asked, pacing the front of the classroom. "Anyone?"

Nobody, not even Hermione raised her hand.

"C'mon, somebody has to remember" She perched herself on the edge of the desk.

A single hand rose in the air - it was Malfoy's.

Buffy sighed. "Yes Draco" She said wearily. In her first week, she had learned that when Malfoy raised a hand, it was to do one of two things - make a sarcastic comment, or annoy the hell out of her.

"A vampire is created when a human drinks the blood of someone who is a vampire already. The vampire who made the new vampire is called a sire"

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "That's right" She shook her head. "I'll give ten points to Slytherin if you tell me what you're up to"

Faith hit his arm, shook her head and mouthed, 'Don't.'

Malfoy pulled his arm away and said, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Whenever you make a comment in this class, it's always to be sarcastic, or to try and prove that you can piss me off, which you have not succeeded in yet. You are obviously trying to get on my good side for some reason, and it's not working. What do you want?"

Malfoy opened his book to Chapter Twenty. "I read ahead in the homework, and I was wondering why you skipped over pages 220-225"

Buffy shifted in her seat. "No reason really. I just don't think those pages were important"

"What's he doing?" Harry whispered to Hermione out of the corner of his mouth. Hermione shrugged.

"They'd have to be, considering they all deal with the same vampire; I believe he was called the Scourge of Europe" Malfoy smiled as innocently as possible. "Why would you skip such an important part of a chapter?"

Faith put her head in her hands. "Now you've done it Malfoy"

Buffy was glancing around the classroom. All of the students had looks of confusion on their faces. There was a reason she skipped over that chapter. That reason was partially because it was about Angel, but also because she was shortly mentioned, not by name, but by calling. The last thing she needed was someone to put two and two together and find out who she was - or what she was.

"Because I did not think it was necessary. If you want to study it so much, research that for your project. We will learn about the Scourge of Europe later on when we study William the Bloody. Until then, drop it Malfoy" The last words were spoken with an authority she hoped she wouldn't have to express.

"But, Professor, I - "

"That's enough Draco! Twenty points from Slytherin if you keep it up"

Faith shook her head. Malfoy gave in. "Fine"

"Good. Now, can we - " A bell rang signaling the end of class. Buffy sighed. "Alright, remember, the homework is due next week"

The class filed out of the classroom, leaving Faith and Buffy alone.

"You know B, we need to talk"

Buffy jumped off of the desk. "About what?"

"Angel"

Buffy sighed. "I - I know. I just - " She shook her head. "It hurts too much"

"I know it hurts. But I can't keep Draco at bay - "

"Draco huh?" Buffy said smirking.

Faith smiled. "Yeah. Got a problem with that B?"

"I doubt he does. It's obvious he wants you"

"Who could resist this?"

"You're pushing it Faith"

"Sorry - no I'm not"" They laughed, but Faith sobered quickly. "Seriously though, I can only hold the kid off for so long. Sooner or later, he is going to figure things out. You already have that Granger girl on your ass about being the slayer. It'll only be a matter of time before she figures both of us out. So tell me. Anything. Please?"

Buffy motioned to a chair. "Sit down. You'll be here a while"

Faith sat. "I have plenty of time to spare"

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

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were sitting in the library reading over the list of possibilities for their research assignment.

"These are all so long" Ron complained.

"What do you expect? She's giving us until December to do it" Harry glanced over at Hermione, who was regarding her paper with confusion. "Choose yet 'Mione?"

"Huh?" Hermione was startled. "Oh, sorry Harry" She shook her head. "Not yet. I'm a bit torn between the one about all the vampires and the one about the slayers"

"Choose the vampires, 'Mione. It'll be easier" Ron said, finally deciding. "I'm going to research ghosts and poltergeists. Harry?"

"I was thinking about doing the one about slayers"

Ron shook his head. "You're both crazy, but if that's what you want, go right ahead"

Harry nudged Hermione's arm. "So how about it? We'll research together?"

Hermione looked up at him and smiled. "Okay"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Just go out already" He grumbled.

Harry heard the comment and hit him in the arm. Hermione, confused, looked at both of them suspiciously

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

"Wow"

"Yeah"

"Wow"

"Yeah"

Buffy had just finished telling Faith the whole story between her and Angel, beginning with their first meeting when she first arrived in Sunnydale, and ending with sending him to hell in August. To most people, that whole year would be a blur. But for Buffy, the memories were as clear as they were the day they were occurring. She couldn't hide behind the lies because she clearly remembered the truths.

"I don't know what to say, B" Faith said honestly.

"Except?"

"That I'm sorry this had to happen. What else can I tell you? Life's a bitch and then you die"

Buffy cocked her head to the side. "Tell me about it"

Faith walked out the door, Buffy in tow. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Buffy shrugged. "Try to get on with my life. If that's even possible. Maybe find someone new" She smirked and Faith stopped walking. "Speaking of someone new" Malfoy was walking towards them down the hall.

Faith smirked and Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go see if I can owl Giles. I'll see you later" She arched an eyebrow and walked past Malfoy without a word.

Malfoy kept his eye on Buffy's back as she walked away. "You know, I really don't like that girl"

"Why is that?"

Malfoy shrugged and the two of them headed off towards the Slytherin Common Room. "She's just too much of a good girl for me. I like the rebels. People who don't play by all the rules"

Faith smirked and put her arm around Malfoy's shoulder. "Don't underestimate B. She might surprise you one of these days"

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

Buffy landed a punch to the vampire she was fighting. She kicked his legs out from under him and impaled the stake through his heart. The vamp that was with him went after Buffy, who threw him over her shoulder and onto a pointed branch sticking up in the ground. He exploded into dust.

"Never underestimate me boys" She said cracking her neck.

"I never did"

Buffy whipped around in a fighting stance and didn't relax a bit when she saw Ethan Rayne walking towards her.

"You know, you really shouldn't sneak up on people like that"

Ethan smirked. "Why? What are you going to do?"

"This" Buffy hit him in the nose with the heel of her palm. He let out a yelp.

"Damnit slayer! I'm not going to attack you!"

"Tell me that again, and maybe I'll work on believing you" She relaxed into a more comfortable position. "Why are you here?"

"We went over this already"

"No, I went over why I'm here, and we went over why you're taking Snape's place. But we never went over why, of all the people on the face of this god-forsaken planet, you were chosen to trespass on my turf"

Ethan sighed. "Alright. Alright" He sat down on a fallen tree stump. "Last year when I left Sunnydale, I came to Hogsmeade"

"That wizarding town the kids go to every once in a while?"

"One and the same. I was - " He sighed. "I'm honestly not sure what I was doing. Needless to say, I got into a bit of trouble with some old friends of mine who wanted me to join up with them. Said they could offer me power if I followed their master"

"Voldemort"

Ethan looked up. "How do you know about that?"

"I have my sources. But go on, this is getting good"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Yes, well, I informed them that I follow no one. When one of then brought up one of our past little callings of Eyghon, I told him that I broke off from the old group a long while back, and that they were all dead, except for me and Ripper. I tried to just shove him off, but he decided that I knew too much, and offered me an ultimatum - follow or be killed"

Buffy was intrigued. "So what happened?"

"Well, let's just say that after a fairly large scuffle, Snape offered to help me get out, but only if I came to this bloody place to teach until he returned. Said he had some business to attend to, though he refused to say what. So I agreed, not realizing that I would end up meeting the slayer. Again" Ethan smiled. "Was that what you were expecting?"

Buffy shook her head. "No" She sighed. "Look, I'm willing to come to a truce with you. I won't bother you, you won't bother me, and we'll all get out of this happy"

"Done. But how do you expect to keep your identity secret from them?"

Buffy shrugged. "The same way you're keeping your past a secret, Rayne. Don't say a word"

:: Chapter Five ::