The Eighth Weasley

The Eighth Weasley - Chapter Thirteen

Fond Farewells

Notes: Sorry to any Draco fans (and Collie! :-P). More Draco-bashing ensues here.

And Bob shows...erm...face again. Just thought I'd warn you. Also, this is another of those short chapters cos I'm lazy and its been a long day. (And I'm actually meant to be writing to papers for uni just now...oh bugger...)

And wow - I feel brainy. I just realised that Diagon Alley is a play on the word diagonally... is there a significance there? Hmm...time for me to whip out the old psychoanalysis books.

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"You sure you're going to be okay, Will?"

The pack of semi-magical beings were gathered on the pavement outside the front door of The Leaky Cauldron, cases, bags and boxes being loaded into the back of a single black cab.

Buffy had already dived briefly into the cab to claim one of the fold-down seats, before jumping back out to say her farewells to her friend, much to the amusement of the cabbie.

The youngest Weasley nodded, embracing her friend tightly. "I'll be fine." She looked back at her parents, standing in the doorway of the Leaky Cauldron and smiled. "Mom and dad'll make sure I'm okay."

"They better," the Slayer gave them a look, then smiled faintly. "Sorry I couldn't stay longer, but duty calls..."

"And you were asked to leave the area," Anya put in helpfully. "I don't think that the nice wizards were very pleased that you beat some of them up, although that white haired one was annoying and I think I would like to hit him."

She was wearing a new set of expensive, fashionable clothing, her highlighted hair done stylishly and expensive jewellery visible at her neck and her ears. Several rings lined her hands.

Next to her, Xander looked scruffier than ever, wearing his multi-layers of baggy t-shirt and shirts, that hung passed the waistband of his loose jeans, the frayed ends of which trailed along the pavement.

If anything, they looked an even odder couple than before.

That was clearly something, which was beginning to rankle Anya. She had tried to gently suggest that her boyfriend would looks less...cheap if he went and bought himself some decent clothes.

Unfortunately, Xnader was comfortable the way he was.

The mild bickering had exploded in a blazing row several days before, which had come to a head when Anya had stormed out of their room and down to the pub, where she proceeded to get very drunk and terrified Tom with stories of her life.

She was still there when Professor Dumbledore had shown up to save the barman's sanity, letting her pour forth her woes on his sympathetic ears, before seeing her back to her room, where Xander was waiting with an apology for upsetting her.

It was simply very sad, the old wizard had noted to the muggle, that yet another difference had been forced between them, when they were finally overcoming the obstacles that had caused them so many problems already.

Xander had been unable to disagree.

In this case, it was the money.

Apparently her witch's fortune, amassed over a millennium, had left her incredibly wealthy, barely a handful of the gold coins paying for a whole new wardrobe and four full vaults still waited to be tested to their limits, while Xander lived in a basement and worked in low-paid part-time jobs.

A full sack of gleaming golden Galleons had been hauled up to the muggle- wizard currency exchange, near the entrance to Diagon Alley and the small, squat Wizard in the booth had almost wept when he saw how much she had wanted converted.

He had tried to convince her that she didn't need as much, but an hour long lecture from the former vengeance demon had otherwise convinced him that she did need all the money and that she needed it now.

She had got it, as well, in time for their departure, which was - as she had pointed out - due to Buffy being evicted from the magical area.

"Well, yeah..." Buffy reluctantly admitted.

It had taken almost a week for any wizard in the Ministry to get up enough nerve to actually dare to approach her after the incident with Malfoy and his two cronies in Knockturn Alley.

"No one told me I wasn't allowed to kick his ass again, though..."

The most recent Minister of Magic, Aristotle Wilson, had eventually been informed of what had happened and - although the smashed wand of Malfoy provided some feeble evidence against the arrogant young wizard - he had solemnly told the Slayer that she would have to leave Diagon Alley, after complaints about her behaviour from a Mr. Malfoy and friends.

Standing in the private parlour, beside the fireplace, he had been accompanied by the cool-faced Malfoy. The Minister had been sincere and genuinely apologetic about everything, making Malfoy utter a thoroughly unconvincing apology to her.

She had accepted the reasoning given to her, warmly smiling at the Minister and cheerfully saying that she was just doing what she thought was her duty. The Minister had seemed very surprised by her attitude, clearly expecting her to react violently and unreasonably.

The young man with the cold smile and pointed face had been sneering at her, as the Minister left with an apologetic look on his face. The Minister had also added - sweetly, she thought - that she would no doubt be welcome, again, under less fraught circumstances.

However, as soon as the charming older Wizard had departed the room, Malfoy had strutted across the room as if he owned it, towards her and made some pointed remark about muggles going back to where they belonged and directed a very insulting comment at her.

It was a stupid thing to do.

Of course, that was a second before she knocked half his teeth out.

Giles could not have been more relieved that his wand was functioning once again, freezing her with an Impedimenta spell, before she could do more damage to the young man sprawled on the floor at her feet.

"Take a hint, Malfoy," he said coldly, down to the youth, who was scowling up at him. "You've made an enemy of the Slayer and when you make an enemy of the Slayer, you've made an enemy of her friends too. Powerful friends at that." His smile was cold and chilling. "You don't want to be on her bad side. Or mine."

"The Slayer? Do you think I'm stupid?" Malfoy had spat disdainfully, wiping trickles blood from his mouth and wincing. "Everyone knows she's just a legend conjured up by Wizards to stupify stupid muggles."

"If that's the case," the former Watcher had smirked. "Explain how this sweet little muggle with no magical abilities kicked the arses of you and your friends."

"We were drunk," Malfoy said quickly, a little too quickly. "We fell over, before she touched us, but this was the easiest way for us to get rid of her." There was a flash from Giles' wand that had sounded as a resounding crack, sending Malfoy hurtling against the musty, yellowing wall and pinning him there.

"She," he said quietly, holding the younger Wizard against the wall with the spell and pointing to Buffy, "is the Slayer. She is under my care and protection and she has friends you really wouldn't want to piss off if you had half a brain cell. I would have thought your dear daddy would have taught you not to pick on people more powerful than you."

"See me quaking, old man." Malfoy was dropped to the floor in a tangled heap of robes.

Giles had smiled down at him. "You should, you stupid little boy," he said, his voice carrying a dangerous note. Bending and catching the youth's arm, the former Librarian gripped it tightly as he hauled him upright. "You have no idea what you're dealing with." His wand seemed to have vanished, as his fist met the young man's jaw. "And don't insult her again," he added, releasing Malfoy's arm and letting him fall to the floor, leaning heavily against the wall. "It's frightfully rude."

Picking up the frozen Slayer under his arm, he had hastily carried her - unprotesting for once - out of the quiet room, before she broke through the spell and went back to finish the job.

The last thing he had seen, when he shut the door, was Draco Malfoy scowling darkly after them.

Xander laughed weakly. "Buffy, you really have a way with people."

He was helping Giles to load the black cab up. The Englishman's supplies included numerous brown paper bags, knotted in the corners, and parcels wrapped in brown paper and bound with string, containing all manner of herbs and items for potions.

"Hey, Giles was the one who broke his jaw." The Slayer pouted, but it gave way to a wry grin.

"That might have been the case." Pushing a large, canvas satchel into the boot between two cases, Giles straightened up and adjusted his glasses. "But I-I-I still claim that I had a-a perfectly good reason for responding with violence."

"Yeah...you didn't like the guy," Buffy replied for him.

Willow couldn't help laughing. "You guys are terrible."

"But you're going to miss us, right?" the blonde said.

"How could I not?" Willow's eyes filled with tears. "Its going to be so weird...a slay-free summer for me..." She hugged her friend tightly. "You don't get killed or anything! I'll be writing to you all the time."

"What about me?" Xander opened his arms and promptly found them full of half-laughing, half-crying red-haired Witch.

"Of course I'm going to miss you, Xan." She hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hey!" Anya protested, grabbing Xander's arm to pull him back from the red head. "You already have a cute werewolf boyfriend. Leave mine alone!" Both Xander and Willow looked at her and she gave him a sheepish look. "Oh...right. Saying farewell doesn't mean you want to date her. I forgot."

"Its okay, Anya."

"It...it is?"

Willow nodded. "He is your boyfriend, after all." To the former demon's surprise, she - too - received a warm hug from the Witch. "Look after him, okay?"

"Okay!" Anya nodded enthusiastically. "Now I'm glad I got a present for you, since we're leaving you behind."

She vanished back into the Leaky Cauldron for several seconds, Willow suddenly very nervous. The millennium-old girl may have been around for a while, but her gifts tended to be... outlandish at the best of times.

"Xander...?" Willow began to ask, but the look on his face said he had less idea than she had.

Emerging, a large cube-shaped bundle almost obscuring her face, Anya eagerly thrust it into Willow's hands, the bright green wrapping bound with a gaudy golden bow. "Be careful!" she added quickly. "You don't want to break it."

"Can I open it now?"

"Of course," She gave her boyfriend a coy look, as she added, "I want to see you pretend to be pleased with it, like Xander does when I give him a gift."

Even more dubious, the youngest Weasley sat down on the step of The Leaky Cauldron, her parents standing just inside the door, and ripped the paper off the large object, which transpired to be a brass cage, complete with a...

"Oh my God!" Willow squealed. "An owl! You got me an owl!"

"I know I did," Anya nodded patiently. "That's what I asked the shop keeper for. I would have been very irritated if he had given me a cat."

"Wow! Anya! This is great!"

The sandy-haired girl looked surprised. "You do like it?"

"Its perfect," Willow was staring in at the small barn owl that was blinking at her out of large, golden eyes. Placing the cage on the step, she stood and quickly hugged the former demon again. "Its great! Thank you so much!"

A pleased look spread across Anya's face. "Xander," she murmured, when Willow stepped back from her. "I'm feeling strange...all tingly and warm. Is it normal to feel like that when you give a gift and someone reacts correctly to it?"

"Yeah, honey," Xander nodded, hugging her.

"Ah. I think I like it." She gave the witch a faint smile. "You have no excuse not to write to us now, Willow," she said, her voice filled with mischief. "You can write and tell us how much you miss us all and how bad the weather is."

"Don't worry," Willow smiled back. "I will."

The couple got into the cab after one last hug, followed by Buffy.

A cry from inside the bar made the blonde freeze and she looked around as Tom hurried out, something large and round held under his arm. "Miss Summers! I hoped I would catch you before you left!"

"Hi Tom." She smiled up at him from inside the cab.

"I hear you made a friend while you were here." He brought the round object in front of him, revealing the mirror from her bedroom. "Um...Bob insisted that he wished to join you on the way back to America."

"You're letting me take Bob?" A delighted look crossed the Slayer's face. "I thought he wasn't allowed to leave."

"Well, a mirror singing 'Nine hundred and ninety nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine green bottles standing on the wall' for an hour without ceasing does tend to change your mind, although I would understand if you wish to leave it," Tom gave the mirror a dark look, when it giggled. "I hope you're very happy together."

Buffy accepted the large, round mirror with an ecstatic grin. "Thanks!" She reached up to kiss Tom on the cheek. He blushed to the tips of his ears. "And don't worry about Bob. It'll behave."

"You might have to shrink it a little to get on the hair-o-plans," he added in an undertone. "And if he annoys you, you could always break him. Into a lot of small pieces. Really."

Buffy patted the mirror fondly. "I don't think I'll be needing to do that, Tom," she said with a wide smile. "Will, I, Bob?"

"You are the fairest of them all, Buffy."

"See, Tom," Buffy grinned again. "We understand each other perfectly. Nothing to worry about," Tom shook his head and chuckled to himself before turning and hurrying back into The Leaky Cauldron.

Standing beside the cab, Giles paused to embrace the youngest Weasley. "You have fun for the summer, Willow," he said softly. "Molly and Arthur...they're good people. They'll take care of you."

"I know, Giles," she replied quietly, holding onto him for a long moment. After all, he was a surrogate father to her an now, he was going to be...gone. "Look after the others for me, okay?"

He nodded once, joining the trio in the cab, as Oz slowly approached her, taking both her hands in his. "You're going to be fine here, Will," he said, his voice as low and calm as ever. "You know where to find me, if you need me to come."

"Back to Tibet, huh?"

He had spent several months there in the previous year, learning to control the wolf in him - during their temporary separation after the Verruca incident - and they had discussed the idea of him going back, to complete the training he could receive.

"No time like the present," He gave her the smile that only he could.

Tears seeped from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks, as she kissed him fiercely. Pulling him close to her, she pressed her face against his neck, hugging him tightly. "I'm going to miss you, Oz. I'm going to miss you so much."

"Likewise," he murmured against her cheek. "You just learn magic, Will. I'll be back before you know it." Drawing back from her, he kissed her gently, once more. "Enjoy your time with your family," he said softly. "I love you."

"Likewise," That drew a small smile from him, as he reluctantly backed into the cab, his fingers lingeringly touching her. "Bye, Oz."

Tears were streaming down her face and her parents moved forward to embrace her comfortingly, as the door of the taxi cab shut and her friends waved through the windows, the engine starting.

Waving until the cab vanished around a corner, Willow hastily wiped her face with the back of her shaking hands.

"Are you all right, dear?" Molly asked, touching her daughter's shoulder.

"Yeah...I think so."

When her mother gently drew her into her arms, the tears Willow thought she had managed to quell started afresh and she felt Molly's hand gently stroking her hair and heard her mother's voice murmuring comfortingly.

***

After almost an hour of arranging herself and making sure she hadn't forgotten anything, Willow joined her parents by the fire in the parlour, wondering what they were going to do about travelling back to their home.

She didn't even know where that home was.

Yes, she had read about it in the books, but she wasn't exactly sure of where it was located, in relation to Diagon Alley.

"Ready, dear?" Molly asked, smiling.

Willow looked down at the dish of silvery-green powder her mother was offering her. "Uh...huh?"

"Floo powder." Arthur explained, dashing a handful of the stuff into the crackling flames, in the wide fireplace. They immediately sprang higher, turning a brilliant green colour. "You throw some in, step into the fire and say where you want to go."

"We're going to 'The Burrow'." Mrs. Weasley reminded her. Her father took her bags and her owl with a smile. "You father'll show you what to do and then we can follow him."

They both watched as Mr. Weasley stepped into the flames and loudly and clearly called out "The Burrow" before vanishing in a whooshing swirl of green smoke and flame, along with all of Willow's possessions.

"Does it hurt?" Willow inquired, nervously eyeing the flames that had turned back to their normal colour. They looked a bit too hot and fiery for her liking and she really didn't want to step into them.

"Not at all dear." Molly replied, offering the pot again. "Just speak clearly and you'll get there right away."

Hesitantly, Willow took a handful of the green, dust-like powder and tossed it into the fire, stepping in quickly. The flames ticklishly licked her ankles, ash and smoke making her eyes water, but she called out as loudly as she could.

"The Burrow!"