Epilogue

Title: A Holiday Fling

Summary: Buffy Summers and Harry Potter are over worked. They meet on holiday in Hawaii, and fall in love. But will their pasts keep them from being together?

Disclaimer: I own Adrienne, Belinda, Andre, and 'The Black Rose'.

Author's Notes: This came to me when I was listening to Dido's song 'Sand In My Shoes.'

Epilogue

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~One Year Later~

Harry traced the features of his golden goddess sadly, before turning back to the third year class. "So you see, a Slayer is born for only one reason, to fight evil. Her path is a lonely one, she cannot love, for fear of giving the Darkness yet another thing to use against her. From the moment she is awakened to the moment she dies her life is not her own, it is the Earth's."

"However," A voice said from the door, "all that changed with a Slayer named Buffy Anne Summers." Buffy stepped into the room. "She was different. Never found by the Council of Watchers, she was an ordinary girl up until the day she came into her ability.

"So, instead of a hardened warrior, used to solitude and willing to do her duty, there was a bubbly California girl, most popular girl in her class. Even after her old life deserted her, she refused to conform to the Council's ideal, refused to allow the Darkness to rule her life.

"Her friends, humans with no powers other than a good conscience, helped her to fight evil. Buffy died, twice, but still she kept fighting, knowing she was the only one who could. Until one day, her best friend, a Wiccan of unimaginable power, awoke the Slayer in every Potential, freeing Buffy and Faith, the last Slayers to be awoken in the traditional way, to teach them.

"However, Buffy became too involved in teaching the new Slayers how to protect themselves, so her friends forced her to take a holiday." Buffy's green/gold eyes were fixed firmly on Harry's face as she told her story.

"On her holiday, Buffy met the most wonderful man, caring, brave, intelligent, funny, and, most importantly, handsome." A couple of students giggled.

"Like her, he had spent most of his life fighting against evil with the help of his friends. They made a pact, not to talk about their past at all, both of them knowing the sadness that lay in it, and not wanting to ruin their holiday. They spend a glorious two weeks together before Buffy got a call from her Wiccan friend, telling her there was a new Big Bad that needed to be defeated.

"Although she didn't want to leave, Buffy went back to Cleveland and fought the demon, rescuing Faith at the same time. She then set about putting her affairs in order, and, one year later, having taught Faith and the other Slayers everything she knew, she headed for England to find her love.

"She was too late. The man who lived at her love's address was his cousin, a horrid man, eaten away with jealously. All was not lost, though, for in his raving, he told Buffy where she could find her love, and so Buffy got her sister to make a portal into Hogwarts. I hope you can forgive me, Harry."

Harry turned to his students. "Class dismissed. Off you go." He waited until all the third years had filed out before speaking to Buffy. "You realise the whole story's going to be all over Hogwarts by the end of the day."

"Really? The grapevine must be very slow, then." Buffy joked.

Harry didn't laugh. "You look different." He said. "Your hair's longer."

Buffy touched the back of her head. Her blonde, shoulder-length hair now reached her waist, and was plaited. "Yeah, I let it grow." She said uncomfortably.

"You're paler too."

"Not so much sun in Cleveland as there is in Hawaii." Buffy bit her lip. "...Can you forgive me, Harry?"

"You just disappeared." Harry replied. "Not even a note. I had no way of knowing what happened to you."

"I left a message at the front desk for you." Buffy protested.

"I didn't get it."

"So you don't love me anymore?" Buffy asked, voice trembling.

Harry turned away. "It was just a holiday fling, Buffy. Like you said, love never entered into it."

"Stop it." Buffy whispered. "If I walk out that door, Harry, that's it. The end. I'm never coming back."

Harry wavered. He wanted Buffy to know how he felt, but he didn't want her to leave. "I do love you." He admitted gruffly.

"Then why..."

Harry sighed. "You just left, Buffy. I had no way of knowing what happened to you. I've had no word from you for over a year. Did you really think that I'd welcome you back with open arms?"

"I sent dozens of letters to the only address I could find, a Number 4 Privet Drive." Buffy returned. "I never got an answer."

"That's because I haven't set foot in that house since I turned 17." Harry paused. "Did you really send letters?" He couldn't conceal the desperation in his voice.

Buffy nodded. "Of course." She walked over to him, cupping his cheek in her hand. "I love you, Harry Potter. I thought about you every day. I just...I might need to go back to Cleveland on occasion to help, ok?" Hazel eyes pleaded for him to understand.

"So long as you take me with you," Harry said, "I don't care."

Fin
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Sand In My Shoes-Dido
Two weeks away it feels like the world should've changed
But I'm home now
And things still look the same
I think I'll leave it to tomorrow till unpack
Try to forget for one more night
That I'm back in my flat on the road
Where the cars never stop going through the night
To real life where I can't watch sunset
I don't have time
I don't have time

[Chorus:]
I've still got sand in my shoes
And I can't shake the thought of you
I shake it all, forget you
Why, why would I want to
I know we said goodbye
Anything else would've been confused
But I wanna see you again

Tomorrow's back to work and down to sanity
Should run a bath and then clear up the mess that I made before I left here
Try to remind myself that I was happy here
Before I knew that I could get on the plane and fly away
From the road where the cars never stop going through the night
To a life where I can watch sunset
And take my time
Take all our time

[Chorus]

I wanna see you again
Two weeks away, all it takes to change in time around by falling
I walked away and never said that I wanted to see again

[Chorus x2]

I wanna see you again
I wanna see you again