Chapter Five - Almost Paradise

Once upon a year gone by / she saw herself give in / every time she closed her eyes / she saw what could have been / well nothing hurts and nothing bleeds / when covers tucked in tight / funny when the bottom drops / how she forgets to fight... to fight

as darkness quickly steals the light / that shined within her eyes / she slowly swallows all her fear / and soothes her mind with lies / well all she wants and all she needs / are reasons to survive / a day in which the sun will take / her artificial light... her light

and it's one more day in paradise / one more day in paradise / it's one more day in paradise / one last chance to feel alright... alright

--Vanessa Carlton - "Paradise"

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

Dawn pressed on the brake and her car skidded to a halt. She jumped out of the car and ran with Hermione to the Medical Wing of the WIL hospital.

Dawn saw Sirius sitting in one of the waiting rooms. "How is he?"

Sirius stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know Dawn. He's unconscious."

Dawn leaned against the wall for support. Her knees felt like they were going to buckle under her.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Harry is fine."

"I know, but where is he?"

Sirius sighed. "Investigating. This was a magically created fire and a very deliberate attempt to kill or hurt the three of you. Not even magic could put out that fire. It had to burn itself out."

"But who would want to do something like that?" Hermione asked.

"The copycat."

Sirius just looked at Dawn.

"I mean, isn't it obvious? Who else would try to kill three of the best agents in the WIL, all of which played a part in Voldemort's downfall?"

"There's something else." Harry said, walking over to the three of them. He was covered from head to toe in soot and looked completely worn out.

"What else?" Dawn asked swallowing.

"In the back of the house - someone left us a message in the dirt. And they know about the prophecy."

"What did it say?" Hermione asked, fearing the answer.

"Seven demons destroy the dawn and the son."

Dawn's head was spinning. Harry put a hand around her waist to steady her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She took a few breaths and shrugged Harry off when she saw the look of pain and loathing on Hermione's face. "I want to see Ron. Can I see him?"

Sirius gave her a look. "Are you sure that's such a good - "

"Sirius, please?" She pleaded. "I need to make sure he's okay. Please, just for a few minutes."

Sirius just nodded and led her down the hall. Dawn was shaking from head to toe. Sirius held the door open for her as she stepped inside. She brushed away a tear and sat down on a chair next to the bed.

"Hi Ron." She said, hesitantly taking his hand in hers. "I love you. I just don't know where to go with these feelings I have for Harry. I didn't mean to act, I swear. It just happened, and I'm so sorry."

She bent her head down to meet her hand and cried, remembering the last conversation they had in over two months.

~* August 17 *~

Dawn swallowed. Her face hadn't regained any color. She couldn't speak. There were no words to fix this.

Hermione backed up a step with a hand over her mouth. She turned around and ran up the stairs.

"Hermione, no!" Harry ran up after her.

Ron just stared at Dawn. "How could you?" He asked, finally finding his voice.

"It isn't what it looked like." She said, voice breaking up with sobs already, knowing he wouldn't believe her, couldn't believe her.

"I don't know what it was supposed to look like, but what I saw was my girlfriend kissing my best friend." He turned around running a hand through his hair. He spun back around to face her. "Is this what you've been doing? All those nights I saw you gone - "

"No. No." Dawn shook her head violently. "We haven't, I swear. That was the first."

"And that's supposed to make it better Dawn? I trusted you, and this is what I get in return?"

"Ron, please - "

Ron held up a hand. "Don't. Even. Try. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to speak with you right now." He took a breath. "I need a break. I need time to get my thoughts together. I need some time alone. And maybe you can sort things out."

Dawn's face fell. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Ron looked like he might start to cry. "Yes. At least for now. I love you Dawn. But you need to decide how you feel about me."

Ron turned around and walked up the stairs. Dawn's legs gave out from under her and she fell to the floor sobbing. Ron waited until he got outside before he let his own tears fall.

~* Present *~

"I love you." She whispered.

Ron stirred slightly and Dawn gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. She went outside and Hermione was standing against the wall, obviously waiting for her turn to go in.

"He's waking up. Someone should be there when he does."

"Why don't you stay then?" Hermione asked, a lot more bitter then she meant to be.

"Because I don't know if he wants me there right now. At least I know he won't push you away." Dawn walked down the hall and called back, "Tell Sirius I'll be in my office."

Hermione just watched her leave before stepping into the room. She sat down in the seat Dawn vacated.

Ron awoke with a groan. "Dawn." He whispered.

"No. It's me."

Ron opened his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a train."

Hermione laughed silently.

"Dawn was here. I know she was."

"She left. She wasn't sure you'd want her here."

Ron groaned. "Great." He looked up. "I didn't over-react did I? I did the right thing?"

"Yes, you did the right thing."

But both of heir faces showed they were having second thoughts.

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

Harry went to meet Dawn in her office. He heard the furious typing of her fingers on the keyboard of her computer.

He knocked before opening the door.

"C'mon, I know you're here somewhere."

"Dawn?"

Dawn shook her head. "I know I saw part of that prophecy somewhere. I just can't remember where."

"Dawn."

"And, it's sort of important, y' know, considering someone's trying to kill you - "

"Dawn."

"And I just want to make sure I'm not over-reacting."

Harry closed her laptop. "Dawn." He looked into her eyes. "Calm down. You're over-reacting."

Dawn just shook her head. "He doesn't want me. He could have died and I wouldn't have been able to tell him I love him. And he doesn't care."

She started crying and Harry pulled her to him. "You know that's not true. He cares. He's just hurt."

"But I love him."

"I know." Harry closed his eyes and whispered, "I know.

"Dawn, are you - " Buffy stopped when she saw Harry and Dawn together in her office.

Together alone in her office - was she crying?

Dawn pulled away when she saw Buffy standing in the doorway. She dried her eyes. "Yeah. What is it Buffy?"

"Umm - Sirius wanted me to tell you that Ron is awake and that he's going to be fine. And also," She pulled a piece of parchment out of her pocket. "This came for you."

Dawn took it from Buffy and recognized the very tidy handwriting right away. By the look on his face, so did Harry. Dawn stood up and walked over to the corner of the room so she could read it. She took a few panicked breaths as she read. 'Why am I panicking? This is good - isn't it?'

Dawn,

Meet me at the park near your house tomorrow before work. I need to speak with you, because if I don't do something, then nobody will, and you know it just as well as everyone else.

- Hermione

Dawn folded up the paper and put it in her back pocket.

"Well, who was it from?" Buffy asked.

Dawn shrugged. "Hermione. She just wanted to let me know that Ron was alright."

Harry nodded, but Buffy arched an eyebrow.

Because she knew that Dawn was lying.

And she was doing a damn good job of it.

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

"So, Buffster, what are you going to do? She has to work things out - you know that."

Buffy sighed into the phone. Dumbledore had set up a room in the castle where Xander and Willow could use their cell phones to keep in touch with Buffy if they so chose.

And boy, were they abusing that luxury.

"I don't know Xand. I wish that I could just snap my fingers and make everything okay. But I can't. It's like Senior year all over again. And I'm STILL caught in the middle of everything." She slumped down onto the couch.

"Yes, and everything was okay between Willow and Oz, wasn't it?"

"What about you and Cordelia?"

Xander laughed. "Cordelia was the female equivalent of Draco Malfoy, and the last time I checked, Hermione wasn't dating Draco."

"No, Ginny is."

"And that was information that I was wondering about, and now I know, so thank you."

"Xander," Buffy said warningly.

"Sorry, but you know what I mean. This is Harry and Hermione we're talking about. Best friends. Very much in love. And Dawn and Ron? That WILL work out. Don't worry so much Buff."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks Xander."

"No prob. Now I'm gonna go before Anya wonders where I am."

Buffy laughed. "Okay. Say hi to Willow for me."

"Will do."

Buffy hung up and got up, bumping face-first into Angel.

"Ow." Angel said laughing.

"Sorry Angel. My mind is elsewhere."

He wrapped his arms around her. "That elsewhere wouldn't happen to be upstairs in your bedroom would it?"

"Mmm depends. Is Riley up there?"

"WHAT?!"

Buffy giggled crazily. "I'm sorry, I just had to do that."

"You'll pay for that one little girl."

"Little girl?!" She screeched as Angel picked her up and carried her up the stairs. He threw her onto the bed.

Angel leaned down and Buffy sat up and gave him a passionate kiss as she unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt.

"Let me show you how much of a little girl I'm not." She whispered seductively.

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

"The Prophecy of Seven." A figure in a billowing black cloak paced back and forth in a dungeon. "This gets more and more interesting every time you come back with information."

"So this is helpful?" Another person asked.

"Very." The figure in the cloak turned around. "And the fire?"

The person smiled evilly. "Sealed with a message. Just as you asked."

The cloaked figure nodded. "Perfect. Now, about the key..."

"The power has to come willingly."

"Well then," the cloaked figure said, a look of sheer malice coming over his shadowed face. "We'll just have to make her give it up then, won't we?"

Their high pitched laughter filled the night.

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

Harry awoke sweating. He looked around. It took a few second for him to realize where he was.

After the fire, Angel had suggested that Harry, Hermione, and Ron move in with Buffy and him for a while. None of them were very quick to agree, but they were all compliant after much convincing from Sirius.

Hermione was in Willow's old room. Ron was in the guest room.

Harry ended up on Dawn's floor, much to the annoyance of Buffy.

Harry glanced up where Dawn was still soundly sleeping. He stood up and made sure that she was alright. The steady rise and fall of her chest told him that she was fine. Harry placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She stirred, but did not awaken.

"Do you love her?"

Harry was startled and glanced up. Ron was standing in the doorway.

"Do you love her?" Ron asked again.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly - I'm not sure Ron."

"Because I do. And this is killing me."

Harry stepped out the door and closed it so that Dawn wouldn't awaken should they start arguing.

"It's killing her just as much as it's killing you. More. Do you know what she told me? She's losing herself. Ron - " He sighed, exasperated. "She doesn't know what to do. She's lost and all she wants is for you to take her back."

"I can't just do that. This doesn't just go away."

"Who said it had to? No one said that this was going to be easy. It's something you have to work through that's all." Harry looked up at the ceiling and then back at Ron. "I kissed her. I initiated it. She asked me not to, and I kissed her anyways." Ron's hands were balling into fists. "She kissed back - I'm not going to lie. But she pushed me away, because all she could think about was what this was going to do to you."

"Then why did you kiss her Harry?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Honestly? I don't know. I was - I was falling for her Ron, I won't lie. Even while I was kissing her, I was yelling at myself, wondering why I was there kissing Dawn when I should have been home kissing the girl who I love more than anything else."

"I don't know where to go with this Harry."

"It's not me you should be talking to, Ron. It's her."

"I - I can't."

Harry shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"What's that supposed to mean? I don't even know why I'm letting you lecture me. You have to talk to Hermione just as much as I have to talk to Dawn."

"Ron - I - I've tried. I can't."

Ron glared. "Then suit yourself."

He spun around and went back to his room. Harry turned around and laid back on the floor. He sighed.

'Is it possible to lose everyone you love in a single second?'

He, more than anybody, knew the answer to that question.

A resounding yes.