Title: When the Sun Sets into Night

Author: Jacy (rememberingnyc2001@yahoo.com)

Pairing: Ron/Dawn

Genre: BtVS/Harry Potter

Rated: PG

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to the goddess J.K Rowling. Buffy belongs to Joss Whedon...and I own the keyboard.

Distribution: Ask and you shall receive :)

Feedback: PLEASE!!

A/N: TNL scenario #4 - Hogwarts is destroyed and/or Voldemort regains his power in the wizarding world. The HP witch/wizard of your choice is effectively exiled to the Muggle world, and, of course, ends up meeting one of our Scoobies somewhere. What happens?

Another fluffy one-shot written for Jinni :). Takes place after Season SIX. Willow came back at the same time, but nothing with the First or the potentials or any of that happened. Xander is with Anya (don’t ask me where he’s gone, he’s just not here…) and Spike left Sunnydale after Buffy turned him down yet again. Ron, Hermione, Buffy and Willow are 22. Dawn is 18.

~**~

The sky was just changing from blue to red. The colors of the sunset shone in the sky, and Dawn smiled as she swung back and forth on the tire swing in Sunnydale Community Playground. She was much too old to be sitting in the middle of the park on a summer night rocking back and forth on a tire swing, but at the moment, she could care less how childish she looked. The park was closed, there was no one else around – she was alone. Just her and the sunset. Until…

Dawn heard a loud pop behind her and let out a yelp, promptly falling off of the swing. Her legs were caught in the middle, but she was sprawled on the ground. She glared at the person behind her, hand over her heart. “Jesus Ron, how many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that?”

Ron smiled and offered her a hand. “Let’s see now, if you count the last hundred times, this would make it a hundred and one so maybe I’ll get it next time?”

Dawn glared but took the hand offered to her as he hoisted her up. She ended up back on the tire swing, feet swaying slowly. Ron watched her stare off into the distance before he asked, “What are you staring at?”

Dawn still rocked back and forth. “The sunset. It’s just so peaceful and quiet – not something you usually see around here.”

“What, the sunset?”

Dawn smiled and said, laughter in her voice, “No, the peace and quiet.”

Ron laughed, knowing exactly what she meant. She’d never forget the day Ron Weasley showed up on her doorstep with his sister and bothers, Ginny, Fred, George, and Charlie, and a friend of theirs, Hermione Granger. Willow knew Ginny from her stay in England with Giles and the coven (her mother was one of the witches that worked with her) and Buffy couldn’t say no when they said they needed a place to stay, and fast. As they explained, a friend of theirs, Harry Potter, had gone up against Voldemort – and lost. Being that the only person who could defeat the Dark Lord was dead, many wizards and witches were forced to flee, and others were exiled. The remaining Weasleys and Hermione were among those who voluntarily disappeared to the Muggle world. Ginny knew that Willow would let them stay with her, and she was right – after hearing their story, Buffy couldn’t say know, and welcomed them with open arms.

That was a year ago. One year and many crazy experiences later, the wizards and witches were a permanent part of the Sunnydale group and couldn’t have left even if they wanted to – which they didn’t. As it turned out, many of those exiled from the wizarding world were drawn to the Hellmouth, (“No surprise there,” as Buffy once commented,”) and they’d met up with some people that they knew.

Fred and George were able to sell some of their products in The Magic Box and moved out to live with a few friends of theirs. To everyone’s shock, Charlie and Buffy were very fond of each other and were now sharing a bedroom, together for six months. Knowing Willow’s history, Hermione was able to open up about her relationship with Harry, how much she loved him, and what she wished she could do to Voldemort and every Death Eater that dared walk the earth and cross her path. The two hit it off very well and, to Ron’s very badly hidden shock (he’d dated Hermione for a few months their Sixth Year), the two witches started dating – it was four months that Saturday. Ginny moved out to live with her boyfriend of two years, Neville Longbottom, who she’d been ecstatic to see turn up in Sunnydale a few weeks after her.

This left Ron…and Dawn - neither with a significant other, both too shy to admit that they had feelings for the other. Needless to say, the sexual tension between the two friends was mounting and if Ron didn’t say something soon, Dawn swore to any deity who would listen that she was going to grab him and kiss him senseless, consequences be damned.

“So,” Ron said sitting down next to her on one of the wooden blocks connecting the swing to the jungle gym, “you see Paul at all lately?” Paul was Dawn’s sad attempt to try and get over Ron – it hadn’t worked, and they broke up after less then a week. Ron couldn’t help the cold edge in his voice.

Dawn shook her head. “No. We broke up yesterday night. It just wasn’t working out.” Dawn took a deep breath. It’s either now or never… “I kept thinking about someone else.”

Ron sat up straight looking hopeful. “Really? Who?”

Dawn looked down at her feet and then back at Ron. She bit her lip.

He nodded, understanding. “You mean, you…”

Dawn nodded. “Yeah,” she said quietly. He didn’t say anything and Dawn was getting nervous. After a few more moments of silence, Dawn sighed. “You know what? Forget I ever said anything.” Dawn grasped the rope holding up the swing intending to pull herself up. She got her legs out and was now straddling the swing but was stopped from getting any further by a pair of hands at her wrists.

Dawn watched as Ron stepped in the middle of the swing, his hands still at her wrists. “Ron, what are you – “ He silenced her with a kiss.

Dawn’s mind was racing as she felt his hands let go of her wrists and reach up to cup her face. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled his head down closer to hers deepening the kiss.

When air became a necessity, Dawn pulled away and leaned her forehead against his. “For how long?” she asked breathlessly.

Ron kissed her again softly. “Since we went to that club for the first time…what was that – eight months ago?”

Dawn nodded. The first time Dawn took Ron and his friends to the Bronze was a night to remember. Buffy and Charlie got thoroughly drunk, thus resulting in much making out in an empty corner and pretending to forget in the morning. “You were dancing with Hermione and all these people were just watching you,” he kissed her again, “and – I don’t know. Something just clicked. You intrigued me. You’re just so beautiful.”

Dawn blushed hoping he couldn’t see. The sky was now black and filled with stars. There was a full moon.

“And you?” Ron asked, brushing a stray hair out of her face.

“Same night actually. You were watching my sister and Charlie, laughing at the way they were trying to keep their hands off each other. It was the first time I’d seen you laugh, even just seen you smile, and I realized that I was starting to fall for you. I asked Buffy for advice and thought she would freak at the idea, but she thought it was cute.” Dawn made a face and Ron laughed. “I suppose its better then her hunting you down and trying to kill you.”

“I’d like to think so,” Ron commented before catching her eye and kissing her again.

“So does this mean we’re…?” Dawn’s voice trailed off but her eyes looked hopeful.

“I’d say so – yes,” Ron said and smiled. He pulled her to her feet and sat down, legs in the middle of the swing. Dawn sat next to him, legs draped over his over the side. She leaned her back against his chest and he put his arms around her. She smiled contentedly.

They spent the night kissing and watching the stars, happy to finally find someone to call their own.

~* End *~