Chapter 16: Visitors

Disclaimer: All belong to other people
Title: Deuce's Child
Author: Kate R.
Rating: Teen to adult
Pairings: Giles/Ethan, Angel/Wes
Fandoms: HP/Buffy/Angel I think for now
Summary: A voice from the past changes Lucius Malfoy and the lives of those around him. (AKA, Suppose everything wasn't as it seemed?)


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The day after Dawn sent Hyperion was Saturday. She was out practicing with her broom, that was not made for Quidditch, and just enjoying the speed she got out of it. She knew some of the people from the House Quidditch Team were watching her but she had no real interest in playing. She noticed Professor Flitwick watching her, the way her broom handled, and then he'd sketch something down. Dawn then remembered the conversation the day they'd bought the school stuff about what had been said about her favorite teacher and Head of House: he'd designed brooms at one time. And he's said something about designing Dawn a real racing broom. Dawn slowed down a little so he cold see how every part of this broom worked. She didn’t like the way the overhang made the broom wobble a little. For Quidditch, it was fine but for broom racing, no. It wasn't aerodynamic and it caused a bobble. Racers apparently went faster than Quidditch players.

Dawn saw something over his shoulder that caused her to grin and she banked the broom to com in for a landing: Angel was approaching with Spike, Giles, Ethan, and Wesley. Dawn had to see this reunion so she landed. He looked up at her, questioning why she'd stopped and she pointed over his shoulder. He turned, saw Angel, and stared. When he registered that he was, indeed, seeing his former student, he smiled.

"Liam," he whispered. His voice was thick with emotion as he looked at one of his greatest students.

"Hello, Professor Flitwick," Angel spoke. "It's . . . it's good to see you, sir."

"No 'sir', Liam," Flitwick reminded him, "I told you what you could call me."

"Y-yes, yes you did," Angel stammered a bit. And then he dropped to his knees and hugged his teacher tightly. "You were a million times the father he was."

Dawn had a feeling he'd whispered something else but Professor Flitwick said nothing; he just stroked Angel's back and hair soothingly.

"It's all right, Liam," he said, "You're a vampire. You do what vampires do. There is nothing to feel guilt about when being true to your nature. And you didn't kill me."

"I was a sadist," he gasped, and Dawn saw the blood tears he was crying.

"Yes, you were," Filius spoke, "But you aren't now. You're you, Angel, Angelus, Liam, all pieces of you. You have to accept them all or you'll tear yourself apart. And that won't help your friends, will it?"

"N-no," Angel told him, pulling back. Dawn saw his amazement that Professor Flitwick did not hate him. There was no censure in the teacher's eyes, only the kindness that Dawn had grown accustomed to seeing since joining his house.

"Then you must embrace all that you are, Liam, my boy. And no matter what anyone else says, I will always be proud of you. I always was."

Angel nodded and got to his feet, he found himself smiling for real for the first time in years. Not even Buffy had made him smile like this. He felt pure joy and happiness yet he didn't double over in pain. He looked up and smiled at the sun.

"Why aren't they burning, Giles?" Dawn asked looking at the two vampires.

"A charm to keep them safe here," Giles told her. "Angel wanted to come immediately and I knew he needed to see Filius. There was healing needed for him that I knew only Filius could give him."

"Did you get my letter then?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, I did," Giles spoke. "None of us were best pleased by Albus' latest stunt. Did you write your father?"

"He'll be here soon," Dawn told him. "He said Draco and I should Floo him when you guys got here."

"What the hell," Ethan muttered.

"Ethan?" Dawn asked.

"That's not a dog," he told her, gesturing to Professor Lupin and his pet walking the grounds.

"I know," Dawn told him, "He's a wanted man who was wrongfully convicted. He's here to keep us all safe from Ron's rat."

"I see," Giles mused while Spike finally came over and grabbed Dawn in a crushing hug.

"Miss you, Bit," Spike told her. "Keepin' an eye on Sunnyhell via some magic I know. Somethin' bad is brewin' there but I don't have the power to stop it. None of us do."

"Not even Ethan?" Dawn asked.

"No, Bit, We thought the Hellmouth was closed but there's someone keeping it alive. She's drawin' off it now," Spike sighed sadly, "An' she's gonna get swallowed by it. If she does what I have a really bad feelin' she wants to do then the cost may well be her life. An' if not hers, someone else's."

"Is there anything that can be done about it?" Dawn asked.

"No," Ethan spoke finally, "To disrupt the spell now, the one she's been building without anyone's permission, just taking things from each person still there, it could kill innocents. I may be crazy at times, Dawn, but I would never disrupt this kind of spell, even though it is the blackest kind there is. Too much can go wrong. But we are waiting and we will stop her right after she does it."

"I thought you didn't care about . . ."

"I am Chaos, child," Ethan told, "The very nature of which contradicts itself. And even I am not stupid enough to interrupt this spell."

"How do you know you'll be able to interfere?" Dawn asked.

"She is arrogant and high on her power," Giles spoke, "She will want us to know what she did and be in awe of 'her' power. What she can do, what she wanted to do, no matter the excuse."

"Giles?" Dawn asked.

"I have seen the kind of carelessness and no, I don't mean Ethan," Giles spoke. "If anything of all of my gang Ethan was the most cautious because of what he deals in."

"Who then?" Spike asked. "You never said how you can predict so well what she's gonna do."

"Me," Giles admitted. "It took Filius here and Dawn's father to help me all those years ago. She may be too far gone. If she completes this spell, if she doesn't turn back, there will be no way back for her because she will have broken the Rede, Path and Laws to the nth degree and Hecate only forgives so many abuses."

"Necromancy is an automatic 'three strikes' unless that is your natural power. It is not hers," Ethan spoke, "But lets not borrow trouble. There is still time for her to turn back. Tell us about what's been going on here."

"Call your father, first, Dawn," Angel spoke. "And then let's go have that tea."

"Agreed," Ethan spoke. "Remus, Snuffles, come along."

Remus nodded and they followed the group inside. They picked up Draco since this involved his family too, and gabbed Harry as well. It was obvious Giles and Ethan knew of the Potters. They also knew of the Longbottoms because Neville was tagged, too.

Once in Filius' rooms, Draco walked to the fireplace and tossed Floo Powder in.

"Father, they've arrived," he called.

The fireplace turned green a moment later and Lucius and Narcissa stepped out.

"Old Home week," Ethan spoke softly as everyone say down for tea, "So, Dawn, you said something bad had happened, care to explain now?"

"The Headmaster tried to kill Professor Flitwick at dinner the other night," Dawn spoke.

"WHAT?!" Angel roared.

"Ooh, someone's in truh-uh-ouble," Spike sing-songed.