Chapter Four - I Know and Happy Hunting
At four o'clock that morning, Buffy and Angel got up for their shift in the
hallways. They started walking and ended up outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"You're awfully quiet tonight" Angel said just to break the silence.
"You're not so talkative yourself"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"About what?"
"You know what"
They locked eyes. "Angel - " Buffy sighed, frustrated. "I wasn't - I wasn't
where everyone thinks I was after I died. I wasn't - "
"I know" Of all the answers she had imagined him giving her, that one was not
one of the options.
"Pardon?'
"I said I know"
"I heard what you said. But how - "
"Had a little run in with our friend Spike a couple of weeks ago. After
pummeling the hell out of each other, your names just happened to come up"
"Uh oh"
"Yeah. He told me that he had...feelings for you" He balled his hands into
fists. "Needless to say, I wasn't thrilled. But then he told me something that I
will never forget"
~* Flashback *~
"She still loves you, y' know that don't you?"
"She does?"
"Oh please, like you didn't know. She pretends that she loves these other
blokes, but her heart has always belonged to you. I guess I chose the wrong
slayer, aye mate?"
"Yeh"
"Maybe I should go after Faith"
"Don't even go there"
"What? I've always had a thing for the crazy, murderous fiends"
"Spike" Angel said dangerously.
"Sorry. All right mate. Best be off" Spike got up to leave, but he turned back
around.
"You know, she wasn't in hell when she dies. She was in heaven. Or at least
where she thought was heaven"
"Spike, not that I don't want to know, but - why are you telling me this? We're
not exactly the best of friends"
"I'm not telling you as a friend. I'm telling you as someone who just realized
how stupid he's been all this time. I'm telling you that way if she seeks you
out for comfort, which we both know she will, you'll know exactly why she's
acting the way she is"
Spike turned around and started walking away. "We're both love's bitches" Spike
called back. "At least one of us can get what they want"
~* End Flashback *~
Silence ensued after Angel finished talking. Buffy wanted to say something, but
had no ides what she should say. She murmured something under her breath.
"What was that?"
Buffy turned towards Angel. "I'm so scared. Every time I wake up and realize I'm
still here and not there, I shudder. I just wish - "
A sudden loud noise cut her off.
"What the?"
"I sense kids out of bed" Angel smirked.
"My spider sense is tingling" She pointed towards the door to the bathroom. "In
here"
Buffy and Angel silently slipped into the bathroom and stood on opposite sides.
Buffy stick out her foot and, just as she suspected, she heard a loud "Oof!"
"Ron, you stupid git! You tripped again!"
"I'm sorry 'Mione, but my shoe untied"
"Guys" Harry tried to get their attention.
"Klutz! You should have tied the tighter!"
"Guys"
"Shut up!"
"Guys!"
"WHAT?!" They both shouted at the same time. Harry pointed at Buffy who was
standing with her arms crossed across her chest.
"You three have some major explaining to do, and it'd be in your best interest
to be better at lying then you are at sneaking around if you want to get away
with this"
They all glanced at each other and sagged with defeat.
"Angel, keep an eye on the halls, will you?"
"Angel?"
"That's Professor Angel to you Mr. Weasly. My office. Right now. Move"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The three students sat awkwardly in Professor Summer's office. There were still
signs of a new professor - half empty boxes loitering around the room, books
strewn about everywhere. There was a book on her desk with the title "Propheticia"
with a pentacle on the cover. Professor Summers moved it out of the way and sat
down.
"Explain" The one word launched a million explanations.
"Well, we were - "
"You see, we needed - "
"There was this thing we - "
"Stop, stop. You're making me crazy" Buffy threw a paperweight back and forth
between her hands.
"You were following me, weren't you? And don't lie - I'm the mistress of
sneaking out in the middle of the night, getting caught, and getting away with
it"
"We were following you" They all said in unison.
"Why?"
"Well...Harry's been picking up on bits and pieces of your conversations with
Professor Giles and Professor Morgan and such and some of it was really - odd"
"And you were hoping that by following me you could figure out what it all
meant?"
Hermione nodded.
Buffy smiled. This girl reminded her so much of Willow in high school. She had
the desire to be bad, but the same desire to be honest when caught being bad.
Buffy shook her head, still smiling.
"You three are too curious for your own good. There are things that I and the
rest of the other professors are going to speak of that you are going to hear
and wonder 'what language are they speaking?' Because that's all it is, really,
another language to learn. But some of the info you may find out you may not
like. Therefore, don't bother asking me about what you heard because I won't
answer any of your questions"
Hermione nodded. Harry and Ron glanced at each other, disappointed.
"Well, it's 5:45. Why don't you thee hang out here for the next fifteen minutes
and then go back to your dorms?"
"You mean, you're not going to give us detentions?" Ron looked at Harry who
shrugged.
To their surprise, Buffy laughed. I'll have you know that I was the queen of
sneaking out of the house for one reason or another. Giving you a detention, or
taking away any points would make me a hypocrite. I'm not here to be Ms. Stern
Authority Figure. I'm here to be a professor and a friend"
"What if I don't want a friend?" Harry asked defiantly. He wanted to see how far
he could push Professor Summers before her line was crossed.
Buffy smiled. "I said I was a friend. I never said I was yours"
She smiled wider at the three Gryffindors' shocked faces.
"Oh, I'm taking off five points by the way - "
"You said no punishment!"
"For getting caught Ron. You gotta learn how to sneak around and NOT get
caught"
"So you're telling us to sneak around?"
Buffy leaned back onto the desk. "In my six years in Sunnydale, I've learned two
things. One, never trust anyone but your friends, because even they aren't what
they seem. And two, sneaking around not only makes you stealthier, but it helps
you discover information you wouldn't know otherwise. I'll let you play around
with that for a while"
"You know, you're more like your sister then you think. She said the same thing
to me this afternoon about a Hellmouth. What in Merlin's name is a Hellmouth?"
"Everything Dawnie knows she learned from me. And in answer to your question,
here's another thing I've learned. When in doubt, research. So I'm going to
conveniently drop this pass to the Restricted Section of the library on my way
out, and when I see that it's missing, I'm going to assume that I either dropped
it or gave it to a student, both of which will be correct"
Buffy opened the door and sure enough, she dropped the pass on the floor.
"Do me a favor though. Don't come seek me out if you don't like everything you
find. And I mean that" She smiled.
"Happy hunting"
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