Chapter Seventeen - Fate
What ravages of spirit / Conjured this temptuous rage / Created you a monster / Broken by the rules of love / And fate has lead you through it / You do what you have to do / And fate has led you through it / You do what you have to do
--"Do What You Have to Do" - Sarah McLachlan
"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Buffy. Happy Birthday to you." Buffy smiled to the chorus of applause and whoops as she closed her eyes and blew out the candles.
"What'd ya wish for?"
"You know the rules Dawn - I can't tell you, or it won't come true." Dawn narrowed her eyes.
Gryffindor decided to throw Professor Summers a HUGE Birthday bash in their Common Room. Dean created a banner that flashed "Happy Birthday Buffy" in maroon and gold.
"Presents! Time for presents!"
"Dawn, you're more excited about this then me."
"Do you want them or not?"
"Bring on the gifts."
Dawn shook her head. "This is from me. I saw it in the Magic Box before we left and I had to buy it - well, I begged Anya, but I still bought it."
Buffy opened the box to reveal a small rose quartz on a silver ring. Her name was engraved on the side.
"Wow - Dawn, it's beautiful."
"And I have the matching one, see?" Dawn held up her right thumb.
"Thank you." Buffy hugged her.
"Me next! Me next!" Willow said jumping up and down.
"Ok Will."
Willow pulled a VERY large, flat, square-shaped - thing - with a pink ribbon around it from behind the couch.
"This is from all of us. We all chipped in and made this for you. It took a while and some money, so don't expect anything else missy." Willow said, shaking her finger.
"The suspense is killing me. Let me see already!"
Willow and Xander turned the gift around and said "Ta da!"
It turned out to be a picture frame with a collage of pictures and birthday wishes from all of them - Buffy, Willow, and Xander at the Sunnydale High library, Faith and Buffy at the Bronze, Angel and Buffy at the prom, Giles, Joyce, Dawn, Tara, and Anya in Buffy's living room. The centerpiece was a group picture they had taken the day they all arrived at Hogwarts right in front of the castle. Buffy felt tears well up in her eyes and she abruptly brushed them away.
"It's - I - " She didn't know what to say, so she pulled Willow into a hug. It ended up being a huge Scooby group hug, which was met by another round of "Awes" from the surrounding Gryffindors.
"Alright, enough mushy stuff." Buffy said. "It's time to party!"
As if on cue, all of the torches went out.
"Or, not."
"Buffy, have you ever considered NOT celebrating your birthday?" Xander asked.
"The thought has crossed my mind. I can't see a thing. Someone help me out."
Harry muttered, "Lumos," and his wand filled a corner of the room with light. Some of the other students followed.
"Thank you." Buffy sighed. "Alright - Dawn, stay here. I'm gonna go check this out."
She grabbed Xander's arm and motioned for he and Willow to follow.
"Here we are again. The three original Scoobies." Xander said as they began walking the halls.
"Looks like all the lights are out everywhere. Can't they just light the torches again?"
"Have you seen the size of this castle?" Xander asked
"Did you miss the part about the wizards?" Willow retorted.
"Good point- ow!"
"What?"
"I stubbed my toe."
"I wish I could see." Buffy said frustrated.
Suddenly, the hallway filled with light.
"Let there be light." Xander said.
Buffy was suddenly attacked from behind. She went to throw the guy off her back, but was having difficulty.
"A little help here." Xander hit the guy and Buffy was able to roll out from under him. She had a stake at the ready when she saw the guy's face.
"Spike!"
"Bloody hell - do you mind reminding me why I let you torture me?"
"Do you mind reminding me why I don't stake you?"
"Chip in the head?"
"I'll have Xander do it."
"You barely put up a fight slayer. I think you're going soft."
Buffy threw the stake and it lodged itself into the wall behind him.
"Come again?"
"Ok, I underestimated you. You know, for a bound slayer, you sure have a rather pesky amount of that bloody superstrength."
"How the hell do you know about the binding spell?"
"The little bit."
Buffy scowled.
"I hate to break up this lovely reunion but shouldn't we be getting back?" Xander asked.
"Yeah." Buffy turned to Spike and pulled the stake from the wall. "One wrong move and you're dust. C'mon."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I didn't think you'd mind."
"Didn't think I'd mind? Dawn, Spike is in love with me. I'm marrying Angel. Plus, he is just an added difficulty I don't need to deal with."
"Sorry. I told him about the binding because he asked about it. He said he felt some weird disturbance with my aura or something, so I told him why. And he wanted to come protect you."
Buffy sighed. "Well he's here - wait a sec? Where'd he go?" Buffy and Dawn searched the room, but came up with nothing.
"He's gone." Dawn said.
Buffy shook his head. "Leave it to Spike. All right, come on. Let's get back to the Common Room."
Neither of them ever noticed the letter addressed to Buffy on her desk.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Spike made his way to the front steps. He did his job. And now it was time to leave.
Spike turned around and faced the doors.
"Happy Birthday slayer. Hope you live to see the next one."
He spun around and walked off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Buffy walked back from the Common Room giddy from the few glasses of champagne she had - the bottle was a gift from Giles.
"So how was your birthday?" Angel asked her.
"A little slow." She slid her hand up the back of his shirt. "But it'll pick up."
"I hope that's not the champagne talking."
Buffy used her other hand to undo his belt buckle. "Let's find out." Buffy kissed him, slow at first, but growing with passion as they went on. Angel fumbled for the doorknob to their office. They finally got it open and locked it behind them.
Buffy couldn't keep her hands off of Angel. As far as she was concerned, this was the best gift he could ever give her. All she wanted was him.
Buffy pulled away momentarily to take a breath. "I love you. Angel, I love you so much."
"I love you too."
"Then kiss me." She pulled his mouth to hers and instead of moving towards the door to their bedroom, they banged into the desk. Spike's letter slid to the floor unnoticed.
"Do you plan on ravaging me right here?"
"Sounds like a plan." Angel pulled her to him, but Buffy pulled away and put a finger to his lips.
"Bedroom. Someone could walk in on us here."
Keeping her finger on his lips, they made their way to their bedroom. When they were finally inside, Angel pulled Buffy to him while his hands roamed elsewhere. Buffy was barely able to kick the door shut behind them.
(~* A/N: I'll be ATTEMPTING to write the NC-17 version of this scene and the one from Halloween. I'll let you know whether or not I've been successful. I'm not very good at it. If I don't like it, it won't go up. *~)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next morning was like hell and a half. Buffy woke up after her alarm and Angel was twenty minutes late to his first class of the day with the Ravenclaw fifth years. He couldn't even think up a plausible excuse for walking in so late.
"I - " He sighed and Giles smirked.
"Woke up late?" Giles said smiling.
Angel gave him a curt glare and Giles continued with his lesson on the First Slayer, satisfied that he had successfully pissed Angel off.
~* Meanwhile, in Muggle Defense Class *~
"No Sarah, you're dropping your shoulder again." Faith scolded a Hufflepuff sixth year. "Watch." She guided Sarah's arm in a punch that could probably break someone's jaw.
"Now, try AGAIN." Sarah did, and did it right.
"Good! Now go work with - " Faith cut herself short when she felt the ground shake.
"Did you guys feel that?"
Suddenly, it felt like the whole castle was shaking.
"Everybody, near the walls and the doorways! Go!"
The students scrambled to find a "safe" spot.
"Faith!" Buffy ran into the dungeons and over to Faith who was standing near the far wall.
"What the hell is going on B?"
"Earthquakes - never good. I've only experienced two, and they both signaled an apocalypse."
"Just fucking perfect!" Faith screamed.
"We need to get the students out of here and to the Great Hall. Dumbledore wants them all in the same room." Willow said, coming into the room.
"Alright. Will, take the kids to the Great Hall. Do a head count as soon as you get up there - there's forty of them. Kids, STAY TOGETHER. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT go wandering off. Faith, you're with me."
"Got it."
As soon as Faith and Buffy stepped into the hallway, the earthquake stopped. There was silence throughout the whole castle.
"I think it's over." Faith said.
"No. This is the calm before the storm."
That's when Buffy noticed the Death Eaters on the front lawn.
"Oh my god." Faith said, looking out.
Buffy's face was grim as she said, "It has begun."
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