You’re Going

The rest of November went by as quickly and quietly as it possibly could have.

Marcus Flint was never found guilty of letting the Death Eaters into the school on Halloween night, and Oliver had nearly put his hand through a wall because of it.

For many, the announcement of the Yule ball was a welcome distraction from Halloween’s events.

The slayer-in-training, the demon seer and the warrior were no exceptions to this.

Harry and Ron circled each other on the mats in the training room a week before the ball.

"Forget it, Harry. I’m only going to the ball to play."

"And you’re taking Hermione. And you’ll have a lovely time. And if you don’t, I’ll kill you."

"Do you even remember last year’s ball?"

"Ron. Krum’s not here. Get over it."

"I don’t wanna go."

"Tough shit."

"Hey!" Faith cried. "No potty mouths in the training room unless you have a grievous injury."

"Ron, don’t be a prat," Draco called. "Just go with her and get it over with!"

"You going with Evelyn?"

"Maybe," Draco nodded.

"Hey, if she says no, and Hermione says no, I’ll be your date," Ron joked.

"Oh, Weasley," Draco said in his best falsetto. "How romantic!"

"Y’know I wonder if you actually have a penis when you use that voice," Ron mused.

"Because our Ronnie’s all full of romance," Harry snapped, ignoring Ron‘s jab. "Or he would be, if he wasn’t such a ruddy great prat!"

With that, Ron tackled Harry to the ground. "Take it back!"

"Ask Mione to the Yule Ball!"

"Take it back!"

"I can’t take it back when it’s true, Ron," Harry drawled. He shoved his red-headed best friend off of him with his feet. "Just ask Hermione to the bloody ball, will you?"

Draco got down on one knee in front of thin air. "Mione, I know I’m a ruddy great prat, who gets unreasonably jealous at everyone and everything, including that cockroach that climbed up your arm the other day, but will you do me the complete honor of being my date for the ball. Please? Pretty please? With chocolate frogs and Bertie Bots on top? I’ll be a good boy, I promise!"

Ron and Harry both got to their feet. Ron looked quite bitter.

"Let’s get him," Harry voiced casually.

Ron gave out an agreeable snarl in response.

They both leapt on Draco, who began to scream and yell and curse up a storm.

Faith blinked. "Okay. I’m going for a coffee break, guys. Don’t play too rough.

None of them paid any attention, of course. Faith just sighed and left them to their own demented devices.

"I’m Gred."

"I’m Forge."

"It’s corking to meet you!"

"Absolutely corking!"

"Corkingly spiffing, even!"

Dawn backed away a little. "Buffy…"

The two boys smiled at her.

Buffy glared suspiciously at the Weasley twins. "Stay away from my sister."

Xander Harris grinned. "I like them."

"Thought you would. They‘re names are actually Fred and George," Buffy replied. She blinked when she saw Faith walking through the halls with a large mug in her hands. "Faith?"

"Hey, B," she replied, walking over. "Xander, Dawn. Good to see you guys."

Dawn waved and Xander nodded.

"Aren’t you on training duty this morning?"

"Yep. Harry and Ron tag-teamed Draco just for fun. I’m heading back down there now."

"You mean they’re beating one of their friends up?" Dawn asked. "That’s kinda wrong, isn’t it?"

"Harry and Draco are not friends," Faith replied. "They’re two kids who are forced to work with each other. And Ron’s… Ron."

"…And this is the training room."

Gunn looked around. "This is nice. I like this."

"And those are Harry, Ron and Draco… Harry and Ron, what are you doing to Draco?"

"Beating ’is poncy arse!" Ron cried.

"What did he say?" Fred asked.

Gunn shrugged. "Beats me… or the blond apparently."

Angel crossed his arms. "Where’s Professor Morgan?"

"Professor Morgan?" Gunn snorted. "Damn. That‘s just funny."

"She went to get coffee," Harry told them.

Angel sighed. "On your feet, you three."

They got up and stood before the three adults, Ron standing in-between Harry and Draco.

"Guys, this is Charles Gunn, and Winifred Burkle. Gunn, Fred, these are Harry, Ron and Draco." Angel sighed. "What have I told you about training in your pajamas?"

"Would you rather us be naked?" Draco asked. He reached for the elastic top of his gray sweat pants, but was slugged in the arm by Harry.

"Oy! Watch it, Potty!"

"Make me, Veela-boy!"

Draco growled, and lunged, just missing Ron. He knocked Harry to the floor.

Angel sighed and pulled the boys apart.

"I’m hungry," Ron announced.

"You’re not done for the morning," Angel replied. "Breakfast after training."

"But I’m hungry," Ron whined. "And Mione’s probably waking up about now."

Draco made a kissy noise, and it was Ron’s turn to make a leap for the blond slayer.

"Hermione… isn’t that a David Bowie song?" Lorne asked, walking down the steps of the Dungeon.

"Letter to Hermione," Draco and Ron replied in unison.

"Oh, that’s right," Lorne mused. "Great song. Hi, guys."

"’Lo, Lorne," Ron replied.

"Who’s he, again?" Harry asked.

Angel sighed. "Harry, Draco, this is Lorne. Lorne, you’ve met Ron. These are Harry and Draco… who are still trying to swipe at each other. Stop it!"

At that moment, Faith came rushing down the stairs, past Lorne, and grabbed hold of Draco’s thin, green t-shirt, pulling him away from Angel and Harry. "Malfoy. How many times do I have to tell you? If you’re gonna go for somebody like that, fist him. You’re not a girl! Don’t use your nails!"

"Faith, they shouldn’t be trying to beat each other up in the first place," Angel remarked. "They’re supposed to work together. Remember?"

Faith sighed. "What time is it?"

Gunn gently took up Fred’s arm and looked at her watch. "Six thirty in the morning."

Faith whipped around, and stared at Gunn, Lorne and Fred. They looked tired and disheveled from the trip. She didn’t remember how they said they were getting to Hogwarts, and it didn’t matter. She launched herself at Fred and wrapped her arms around her.

"Holy shit! Do you know I completely forgot you guys were coming?" Faith asked excitedly. "Crap! Why didn’t it dawn on me when I saw Xander and Dawn?"

"Because it’s six thirty in the morning?" Gunn suggested.

Faith hugged him next, and then Lorne. "Where the hell is Cordelia?"

"Willow grabbed her," Fred replied. "They should be catching up soon, though."

Faith sighed. "Why don’t you three animals go upstairs and grab some breakfast?"

"Cause Professor O’Brien told us not to," Ron grumbled.

Faith whipped around to face Angel. "What have we said about driving them too hard? If they’re hungry, let them eat. You know when they get hungry they get cranky, and when they get cranky, they annoy the hell out of everyone around them."

"Thanks bunches, Professor Morgan," Draco grumbled.

"So… any cute boys here?"

Willow snickered at Dawn as they walked with Cordelia through the halls. Classes had long ended, and Dawn had really enjoyed roaming around, and meeting teachers and students alike. Seeing her older sister handle classes of kids was especially amusing, and she was surprised at how easily instructing a class came to Angel.

"There are plenty of cute boys… but they tend to be kinda taken," Willow replied.

"What’s up with the influx of red-heads?" Cordelia asked. "You must feel right at home."

"The Weasleys?" Willow snickered. "Yeah. They’re great. They want to take me to their house for winter break as their ‘American cousin’ and see if their mother notices I’m so not related."

Dawn snickered, but stopped, and stared at something in the distance. "Hot guys," she squeaked.

Willow blinked and looked up to see Ron, Harry, Draco, Seamus, Lee and Dean lugging instruments and mics through the halls. She

shook her head. "Four out of six are taken, Dawnie."

Dawn pouted. "Lemme guys, the blond, the red-head, the brunette and the bespectacled one?"

Willow nodded. "Yep. Pretty much. Oh, and I think Lee’s been seeing a Hufflepuff of some sort. But… I could possibly try hooking you up with Dean."

"What are you saying, Lorne?" Angel asked, getting up from the desk in his office.

"I’m saying that something not good is going to happen at the Yule Ball," Lorne replied. "I walked into a band practice for the Yule Ball and heard Ron singing. Angel-Cakes, you can’t let those kids go."

Angel sighed. "It’s out of my hands, Lorne. They’ll go if they want to."

Lorne sighed. "Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Angel didn’t get a chance to reply. Buffy rushed into the office. "Angel! There you are, thank god! I need your help!"

"What is it?" he asked, walking over to her, putting his hands on her arms.

"I just remembered. The boys need suits!"

Angel blinked. "Beg pardon?"

She gave him a distraught look. "For the Yule ball! Harry, Ron, and Draco, and probably their friends need suits!"

Angel blinked. "Oh… I thought it was something important."

She glared.

"Not that this… isn’t important, it’s just that… well, I thought someone was dead or-"

"Morbid much?" Buffy asked. "Listen, Angel, love of my, you’d be the best boyfriend ever if you’d take them shopping tonight."

Angel blinked again, and shook his head. "No."

"Please?"

"No, way, Buffy. That’s not happening."

"But you have good taste!"

Lorne snorted. The couple stared at him.

"Sorry," he voiced.

"Lorne, you do it," Angel said.

"No, way. I don’t want them to go in the first place," Lorne replied.

"Oh, they’re going," Buffy said darkly. "They’re going and they’ll like it. This is going to be the best Yule ball ever, do you hear me?"

Lorne blinked. "Wow."

"Angel, you and Lorne are taking them suit shopping, or you’ll be sorry," Buffy said, poking Angel in the chest. "Very sorry." She turned on her heels and stormed out.

"It’s a simple plan, really. Nothing too elaborate. Just need some rope and a sock, is all. Oh, and you lot."

Draco smirked. "I’m in."

Evelyn nodded. "Yeah, me, too."

Harry sighed. "He’ll kill us later."

"I agree with Harry," Neville voiced. "Won’t he be mad?"

"But won’t it be worth it?" Ginny asked.

Dean grinned. "Ginny’s right. It will be worth it. Let’s do it."

Katie smiled at George and Fred. "I knew you boys were evil, but this…"

Angelina nodded. "Bloody brilliant, in the words of our victim."

"What about you, Torianna?" Fred asked. "You and Seamus in?"

"Hell, yeah," Seamus cried. "Wouldn’t miss it!"

Fred and Gunn each had one of Wesley’s wrists, and were dragging him out the main entrance of Hogwarts.

"I have papers to grade," he told them. "I don’t have time to play!"

"English, you may have spent your whole life here, but I haven’t. I have never seen snow before. Neither has Fred. We are going out in it. We’re makin’ snowmen, we’re building forts, and we’re having snowballs fights. Now."

"This is childish!" Wesley cried.

"Wesley, stick out of butt!" Fred cried. "Oh! We can use it for one of the snowman’s arms!"

Wesley sighed and let himself be dragged.

"What’s going on?"

"We’re playing in the snow!" Fred cried to Cordelia.

The former May Queen blinked as she watched them walk out. "Wait for me!"

Ron was at it again. Piano set up, music in front of him. His friends were all around him, doing homework, playing exploding snap and chess. He was in the middle of his warm-up scales when a tall brunette sat down beside him on the bench.

"Hi. I’m Dawn. What’s your name?" she asked.

"Ron," he muttered.

"Hey, we rhyme," she giggled. "Cool. You play this often?"

He didn’t reply, just kept playing.

"Uhm… hey, I wouldn’t bother him when he’s-"

Evelyn was too late to warn the girl. Ron had made his way up the piano keys, and knocked her off the piano bench. She squeaked and stared up at him in shock.

He stopped playing, and looked down at her curiously. "What’re you doing on the floor?"

"Here, lemme help you up," Torianna said, walking over. "Sheesh, Ronnie, don’t you ever pay attention?" she helped Dawn to her feet.

"Was that my fault?" Ron asked. "Hell, I’m sorry… what did you say your name was?"

"Dawn." she sighed.

"Word of advice," Torianna said. "Don’t try talking to him when he’s sitting there. He wouldn’t know you from his mother when he’s playing. He‘s very rude! I‘m Torianna."

"Dawn."

"Oh, hey you’re Professor Summers’ kid sis, right?" Torianna asked. "Cool."

"Yeah, sometimes," Dawn nodded. "Who are you?"

"Torianna."

"It’s nice to meet someone who’s not in their own little world."

Ron sighed. "Sorry."

"Dawn! There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!" Buffy rushed in. "I have to talk to you. Let’s go."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Buffy, I’m trying to socialize!"

"There’ll be plenty of socializing later," Buffy promised. "Come on."

Dawn sighed and shrugged at Torianna. "Sorry. Freak of a sister." She was dragged from the Gryffindor common room.

Torianna sighed, and went back to her seat next to Seamus. Ron went back to the piano.

Fred and George smirked at each other, an they both dropped their text books on the floor of the common room.

The group got up, Angelina holding a rope, Katie holding a sock. They stood behind Ron at the piano. He stopped playing and turned to face them.

"What’re you lot doing?"

"NOW!"

They jumped on him. All of them.

"GAH! WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Ron! We want you to ask Hermione to the Yule ball," Evelyn informed him. "Now hold still."

"I’ve already asked Susan Bones!" Neville cried. "I’m loads more cowardly than you are!"

"It’s not hard," Seamus said as they fought to tie the red-head up. "Here, now, listen. Torianna, will go to the Yule ball with me?"

"Sure," Torianna smiled.

"Here’s another example," Draco said. "Evelyn, do you want to go to the Yule ball?"

"With you?"

"No, with my mother," Draco snapped. "Of course with me!"

"Okay, Draco, I’ll go with you," Evelyn said.

"What about you, Ginny?" Harry asked. "Would you be my date for the Yule ball?"

Ron growled. His hand shot out and smacked Harry.

"OW! Right, then! Well deserved for not asking you first."

"Damn right!" Ron yelled. "Lemme go!"

"Not until you ask that poor girl!" Katie yelled back.

"This wouldn’t be so hard if you’d just hold still!" Angelina cried.

"Yeah, come on, Ronnie, stop struggling," Fred said.

"This is for your own good," George said.

When all was said and done, Ron was hog-tied and being hauled off to the girls’ dorm.

"Yes," Ginny said.

"Yes what?" Harry asked.

"Yes I’ll go to the Yule ball with you."

Ron began to struggle. His yelling was muffled from the sock in his mouth.

Harry smiled. "Great."

Torianna opened the door to the room she shared with Hermione and Evelyn. "Hey, Mione."

"Hello," Hermione replied from her spot sitting on her bed surrounded by books.

Ron was tossed into the room, and the door was slammed shut.

Hermione blinked at the bound red-head, and snickered.

Ron glared at her. "Hu funnu!" he cried through his sock.

She sighed and took the sock from his mouth. "What happened?"

"They hog-tied me and shoved me into your room," he replied.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Right. You knew that."

"Why?"

"Because they want me to ask you to the Yule ball."

"Ron?"

"What?"

"Why haven’t you yet?" she asked.

He sighed as she untied him. "Because of last year."

"Ron, Krum’s not here," she informed him, pulling away the last of the ropes.

"But-"

"Ron," she took his face in her hands. "Krum’s… not… here."

He sat up, her hands still on his face. "Mione, will you go to the Yule ball with me?"

"…Not doing this when he’s too nervous to sleep with her," Fred grumbled.

Angelina smacked him.

The lot of them had sat themselves in front of the bedroom door.

"That’s something he’d better not be afraid of," Draco grumbled, glaring at Harry. "Never teaming up with him again."

"Liar," Evelyn snickered, cuddling close to him.

"Don’t do that," Seamus said. "It’s sickening."

"What’s this?"

The group looked up to see Faith standing there, her hands on her hips.

"Hey, sis!" George cried.

"Hey!" Faith snapped. "I’m still your professor. You don’t get special treatment just because… because…"

"You’re snogging our brother?" Fred offered.

Faith only faltered for a moment. "Who in the room?"

"nobody," the group chorused.

She rolled up her sleeves. "If you guys don’t movie, I’m gonna-"

They cleared out of the way and Faith kicked the door open.

Ron and Hermione jumped apart and to their feet.

She looked at them she looked at the rope and the sock on the floor. The couple was bright red.

"Alright, Romeo and Juliet, out in the hall."

They rushed out and stood with the rest of their friends.

"Now. One of two things happened here. One: Ron and Hermione got frisky- and kinky- and the rest of you have developed one hell of a sick fetish for listening in. Or, two: This was all Fred and George’s idea."

No one spoke.

"To avoid scandal, I’m gonna go with number two, take ten points from the Gryffs, and eight from the Slyths, give the twins a nice healthy detention, and let this go. Sound good to everyone? Good. Those of you with testicles: OUT OF THE GIRLS’ DORM!!"

Faith sighed and left the girls’ dorm, herding the boys in front of her into the common room, where Buffy was waiting.

"Sup, B?"

"I need your help," Buffy replied.

"I don’t believe this. Holy shit."

"Don’t swear," Hermione scolded.

Faith shook her head. "I can’t believe I got roped into this."

They were standing in a large department store in London, she, Buffy, Dawn, Cordelia, Willow, Tara, Fred, Hermione, Torianna, Evelyn, Angelina, Katie, Pansy, Millicent, and Ginny. All had at least one dress in their arms.

Hermione sighed, and looked down at the two she’d picked. One was a long-sleeved pristine white that seemed very chaste. Too chaste. Her parents would approve. The other was blue, with a square neck that had thick straps instead of sleeves. It was long, and she really liked it. Her parents wouldn’t.

All of the sudden, the white dress was plucked from her grasp.

"Hey!"

"Hermione, no," Evelyn ordered. "There’s no way I’m letting you go looking like the Virgin Mary."

"I…"

"It was something your parents woulda liked?" Torianna asked. She had an armful of different orange dresses.

Evelyn sighed, and held out her collection of eclectic black dresses she’d picked up from all over the store. "How thrilled is my dad gonna be about any of these? Do I care? What did you wear last year?"

Hermione sighed. "Blue… but it wasn’t revealing or anything! Not like this one!"

Torianna sighed. "It’s not like it’s smutty. Try it on."

Ginny was lifting a green dress to herself. She sighed. "These all look way to long for me."

"We’ll get them hemmed," Cordelia reassured her. "No one’s dress is the right length at first, trust me."

Ginny smiled, and ran into the dressing room.

Pansy sneered at the dress choices. "These are horrid."

Faith rolled her eyes. "Aw, come on kid, there has to be something you like."

"These are dirty Mudblood clothes! What would my parents think?" Pansy asked.

Hermione flinched at her words.

Torianna stood frozen. "What did you say, Parkinson?"

"What’s a Mudblood?" Fred asked Willow.

"It’s a nasty name for a Muggle-born person," Willow whispered back.

"Oh," Fred replied. "That’s not very nice."

"You hear me, Lupin. Got a problem?"

"Yeah, big one," Torianna replied, pushing the other blond girl. "An’ it’s you and yer big mouth."

"Hey," Buffy snapped. "No brawling in the department store! God."

"Hermione," Willow said, waving the girl over to her.

Hermione walked over. "Yes, Professor Rosenberg?"

Willow sighed. "It’s just Willow, remember?"

Hermione smirked. "Yeah, okay. What’s up?"

"Well… I was wondering… how are your studies going?" Willow asked. "I mean… you’re not-supposed-to-be-studying studies?"

Hermione sighed. "They’re going alright. Why?"

"Well… I was gonna tell you… if you need any help, Tara and I would be happy-"

"That’s alright," Hermione cut her off. "I’m doing just fine on my own. I’m getting the hang of it fairly quickly."

"Well… okay," Willow shrugged. "If you ever need-"

"Right. I know." Hermione smiled and went back to stand with Torianna and Evelyn.

"Well. That went… how did you that go?"

Tara sighed. "I wish I could say that it went well but…it really d-didn’t."

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," Angel commented.

Lorne smirked. "Not sweat, Sweetie. These boys were easy."

Angel sighed. "Buffy’s gonna kill us."

Lorne thought about this. "Yep."

"You’re dressing them up like Bugsy Siegel’s mafia?"

Angel shrugged. "We were looking through this store… and they were vintage, thirties and forties, and the boys really liked ‘em, so…"

"So they’re going as the Hogwarts Mob? Angel, that’s ridiculous!"

"It was Lorne’s idea," Angel informed her. "And… the boys liked it, so…"

Buffy sighed. "Fine. Fine. As long as they have suits."

Angel sighed. "So… Buffy… you wanna… I don’t, go with me to the Yule ball?"

She blinked. "That’s a silly question."

He smirked. "It’ll be like Prom… without the hellhounds."

She laughed.

"So… I was wondering… if you didn’t have anyone to go with to the Yule ball…"

Faith smirked. "God, you’re cute."

Charlie sighed and turned slightly red.

"I gotta go with you just because you’re so damned cute."

"You and I are so going together."

Wesley laughed at Cordelia. "Yes, because we make a lovely couple!"

"It’ll be funny!"

"Just as long as we don’t share another electrifying kiss," he muttered sarcastically.

She swatted him, and they both cracked up.

"You know you’re the only one I’d ever consider putting a monkey suite on for, right, baby?"

Fred snickered. "Yeah. It’ll be fun though. I mean, I actually have a date to a school dance!"

Gunn snickered. "You don’t go to school here."

"Doesn’t matter," Fred replied. "School dance. And I have a date."

He laughed at her, and she shoved snow into his face.

"Aw."

"Is that a no?"

Willow giggled. "No, dummy, that’s a yes! Oliver, of course I’ll be your date! It’ll be so much fun!"

Oliver smiled widely. "Great!"

"And I even got a dress today! Oh, it’s so pretty, you have to see!" She dragged him off to her room, and he sighed.

"Women."

"So, Dawn officially has no date to the Yule ball. Tara tried to hook me up with that Dean guy? Turns out he’s got a date. Her name is Hannah Abbott. What kinda name is that?"

"Sounds like she should live in Sunnydale," Xander commented. "Dawnie, I don’t have a date, either. Why don’t you and I go together. I can be your older man! You’ll be the envy of all these stuffy British chicks."

Dawn sighed. "No thanks, Xand. I’ll be okay. Besides. Aren‘t you going with Tara?"

Xander shrugged and smiled. "I can pimp."

She stared at him a moment before cracking up. "Oh, my god! Don’t ever… ever say that again!"

Xander cracked into a smile.

:: On To Chapter Twenty-three ::

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