Chapter Seven - The Storm

"Not everything is gonna be the way you think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right it all comes down on me
Please say honestly you won't give up on me..."

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

Willow and Xander were standing at the diner waiting for everyone to arrive. The rest of the Scoobies were heading down from Hogwarts about a half hour later, with the exception of Faith, who was staying behind to meet up with Oz. They were both heading down much later.

Once Buffy and Angel arrived with the Sunnydale and LA groups, it was like mass chaos.

"It's the Sunnydale High Class of 1999 reunion! C'mere and give Xander a hug Cordy!"

"Why you?" Cordelia quipped.

"Hey!"

After everyone settled down a bit, the group, (which consisted of Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya, Buffy, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Dawn, Ron, Harry, and Hermione) headed into Margarita's Diner.

The dinner was surprisingly calm. Everyone was, for the most part, civil, besides the usual friendly banter that always passed between the group, although Buffy noticed that Dawn was unusually quiet, and Ron had barely said a word. Hermione and Cordelia were getting along perfectly, and Harry and Wesley had found something to talk about.

It was only a matter of time before something went wrong.

"So, Cordy." Xander said smiling.

Cordelia was laughing at something Hermione said when she turned to Xander. "Yes, Xander. What is it you want?"

"How's LA been to you? Still as tactless as ever I've seen?"

"Sorry, tact is just something that I don't do."

"So I've noticed. And how exactly did you end up wooing our dear stuffy watcher here?"

"I am not stuffy!" Wesley protested. Dawn rolled her eyes and Hermione started giggling.

Cordelia sighed. "Sheer luck I suppose. What about you an Anya? When's the wedding?"

"Last July?" Anya offered.

Cordelia feigned shock. "And I wasn't invited?"

"A sad and resounding NO." Xander said.

Ron glanced at Harry and they were both holding back laughter.

"Xander Harris, a woman would have to be crazy to kiss you."

"Then that must add three at this table to the crazy list."

"Three?" Anya asked, putting a hand on her hip and arching an eyebrow.

"You, Cordelia, and Willow."

"You kissed Willow?!" Anya protested.

The smile was slowly but surely fading from Dawn's face. 'Not now, not now, not now...'

"Years ago, Ahn. As in 'Cordelia and Oz' years ago."

"Oh. So it wasn't recently? Good. Because that would have been one too many cheating relationships - "

"Ahn, pass me the salt please!" Xander said, attempting to cut her off.

"Huh?" Anya looked at him "Oh right. Here." She handed it to him. "What was I saying?"

"How much you loved the potatoes." Buffy offered, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Are you sure that was - "

"YES." Cordelia, Buffy, and Willow said together.

"Oh." Anya shrugged. "They are pretty yummy."

The damage had already been done, however, and tensions were running high yet again. Dawn glanced down at her lap and then at Ron, who was moving the food around in his plate. She sighed and grabbed her jacket off her chair.

"Dawn, where are you going?" Tara asked.

"I need a little fresh air, that's all." She said, putting on her jacket. "I won't be long."

Dawn glanced at Harry who was awkwardly sitting between Ron and Hermione. As she passed his chair, she dropped a slip of paper in his lap.

--Of all the things to bring up...come out and talk with me?--

Harry pushed his seat out and wordlessly slipped from the room to follow her. Angel followed him with his eyes, and then watched for Ron's reaction. Because he knew it was coming, knew it like he knew the back of his hand. And he could tell Buffy sensed it too.

Ron glanced at Hermione, and nodded his head, narrowing his eyes. He tried to ignore it, to pretend that the two of them out there alone didn't bother him. But he was nowhere near succeeding.

Ron glanced at Hermione and whispered, "How can you pretend not to care?"

"Don't do this now Ron. Please, not here." Hermione pleaded with him.

"I can't - I can't Hermione!" And in a state of fury, he got up and followed them out.

"Ron, no!" Hermione threw down her napkin and ran off after them

Buffy glanced at Angel. "We're about to experience the big bang, aren't we?"

Angel shook his head. "Afraid so."

"You mean, they're going to deck it out?" Xander asked. "Now?"

"Dawn Marie Summers!" Ron's voice carried across the clearing.

Buffy pushed her seat out. "That answer your question?" She glanced at Angel, and the entire group got up to follow the four teens outside.

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

"Dawn Marie Summers!"

Dawn spun around upon hearing her name. "Ron. What are you - "

"So, once wasn't enough? You have to do this to me again?"

"What?" Dawn looked both shocked and hurt. "Ron, you can't possibly think - "

"Oh I think. I think a lot. I think that Harry has been comforting you through all this, and you've both been doing god knows what else."

"You know that's not true Ron! We weren't coming out here to do anything! I needed to talk!"

"You could talk to me!" He shouted. Hermione went to put a hand on Ron's shoulder, but he hastily shoved her off.

"You're the one who said you needed a goddamn break! Well congratulations Weasly, because you've received it!" Their voices were rising steadily, one after the other.

"So you go after my best friend?"

"It was once Ron! Once! I gave up on that long ago, but you accusing me of doing other things is not going to help anybody!"

"So you're telling me you don't have feelings for him?" Ron noticed the rest of the group crowding around them. "C'mon Dawn, share with the class. Do you love Harry? Do you?!"

"You'd better stop before you say something you're going to regret," Dawn said, teeth clenched, glaring at Ron.

"Regret? REGRET?! You want to talk about regret? I don't regret anything I've said to you Dawn Summers, because the only thing I'll ever regret is falling in love with you!"

The group was dead silent. Ron was shocked - had those words really flown out of his mouth? Apparently so.

Ron looked at Dawn, who was in a state of disbelief. She balled and unballed her hands into fists over and over again. The tears were already spilling down her cheeks.

"Then I guess this is it then." Her voice was shaky and broken with unreleased sobs. "But I wish that you would change your mind. Because the only thing I'll ever regret is making you stop loving me." Dawn turned around and sped away. Ron watched as she walked up to the Shrieking Shack -

And saw the shadow creep up behind her far too late.

Dawn stood sobbing, when she heard a voice from behind her. "Are you sad, love?"

"Just leave me a - " She stopped and her eyes widened. "Oh my - " She didn't even have a chance to scream as the person knocked her out. By the time Ron reached where she was standing, the person disappeared.

And he took Dawn with him.

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

Dawn woke up with blurred vision. She went to rub her eyes, but found her hands firmly bound behind her.

"Damnit. Okay, you can do this." Dawn closed her eyes and tried to focus her power, just as Harry has taught her, to break the bonds. "C'mon, break."

"It won't work."

Dawn looked up as another person entered the room. He was wearing a black cloak that covered his face, but he had a familiar build. She recognized the voice, but her mind was still too cluttered from being knocked out for her to place it.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, fear never creeping into her voice.

"Ah yes. Brazen." He brushed a finger over her cheek. "Just like your sister."

Dawn turned her head away.

"I want what is yours to give, Dawn. I want your power."

Dawn glared maliciously up at him. "Never." She spat.

"I believe you will reconsider. Not that it matters. I'll kill you anyway, but your decision will make the choice between a fast death, or a long, drawn-out, painful one."

Dawn's face never wavered. "Your threats are empty. I'm not afraid of you."

"Ah." The man tsked. "That's where your mistake lies. It's not me you should be afraid of. It's my master."

As if on cue, another man walked through the door. Dawn's eyes widened. "Malfoy?!"

Lucius Malfoy grinned evilly. "Nice to see you again Ms. Summers."

"How the hell did you get out?"

"Simple." Lucius leaned in close to her face. "I was never in." He turned around and began pacing around the dungeon. "You see, when I saw the Dark Lord near defeat, I got out of Hogwarts as quickly as possible. I gathered followers and continued the work that my master never finished." He stopped pacing and turned to face Dawn. "Which includes you."

Dawn continued glaring as he walked towards her. "You have an immense amount of power, dear girl, more then anyone could ever dream. And I want it."

"Tough shit." Dawn spat.

Lucius slapped her, hard enough that her lip bled and her cheek stung. "You are at a disadvantage girl. You can't use magic. I can. I am going to kill you whether you like it or not. But as my - " he paused, " follower here said, it is your choice between an easy death or a rough one."

"What? You can't threaten me yourself?" Dawn quipped. "You have to get one of your pathetic lackeys to do it for you?"

The man in the cloak chuckled. "You are a foolish little girl."

Dawn suddenly recognized the voice. She recognized the build of the person. It was all clicking together - the fire, the deaths, the "man on the inside" - it was all clear as day.

"You son of a bitch." She said, close to a growl.

The man laughed as he pulled the hood off of his head, revealing his identity, and confirming Dawn's suspicions.

"You really need to stop trusting people Dawn." Riley said laughing, but he suddenly became serious and put a hand violently around her throat. "It could get you killed one of these days."

:: On To Chapter Eight ::