Connections

Chapter 10








Harry and Buffy watched as Xander went from room to room, murmuring to himself
and studying everything around him. Buffy was awed by the weapons and the
tapestry that they had come around. Harry was laughing and pointing out the
stairwell that led to Trelawney's tower and the portrait of the Mad Knight that
had once guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor tower. Both Buffy and Xander
laughed when he told them some of the crazy things the Knight did.

He then led them through the dungeons and up to the next level. Everyone in the
hallways stopped to watch as rooms opened themselves for him. Of the three, only
Harry was startled by this. He knew that this was not normal. Both Buffy and
Xander were too enchanted by what was going on around them to notice the
startled looks on everyone's faces.


When they walked into the main hall Xander and Buffy grinned at one another,
before lying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. Their laughter filled
the hall. Severus, Spike and Angel stood silently absorbing the sound of the
young people's laughter. It had been so long since either vampire or human had
heard sincere laughter out of the three younglings. Harry couldn't believe that
he was actually lying on the floor between Xander and Buffy and cloud watching
in the great hall.


"Bloody hell, Potter, what are you doing?" Draco asked, amused.


"Buffy, Xander, what are you doing?" Giles asked, confused.


The three young people li fted their heads and looked at the others. "We're
cloud gazing," Buffy answered, with a giggle at the looks on her friends' faces.
Xander laughed and lifted up onto his elbows.


Giles wasn't the only one to stare in stunned silence. There was joy in their
eyes. Joy and hope, something that they couldn't remember seeing in far too
long. "Where's Wils?" Xander asked.


"She's resting. Madam Pomphrey has found the spell being used and the Headmaster
knows the spell to counter its effects," Severus told them.


Buffy, Xander and Harry all jumped to their feet. "Can we go see her? Is she
awake or still asleep?" Buffy and Xander asked as one. Giles sighed as he saw
the guilt fill their eyes.


"She's asleep,you can see her tomorrow. For now, continue to explore and try to
stay away from trouble," Giles told them.


"We try to stay away, but trouble's tricky and can track us down wherever we
trail," Xander told his mentor teasingly.


"Xander!" The Sunnydalerl sal said as one. Xander just laughed wickedly, before
grabbing Harry and Buffy and rushing out of the hall before Dawn hit him for the
rhyming.


Harry and Buffy laughed as he dragged them around. The group from the wizarding
world gaped in astonishment as the hall doors flew open for the retreating trio.

"Uh, when did the doors start doing that?" Ron asked as Draco helped him sink
onto one of the benches.


After they were gone Mione laughed again, "Those three will certainly keep
things interesting around here."


"Ha! Wait till Willow wakes up and feels better. No one will stand a chance
against them!" Dawn said proudly. Spike and Giles groaned in unison.


"I apologize in advance for the loss of your sanity. I do not know about Mr.
Potter, but my three can cause dementia just by babbling at you," Giles said
with a sigh. Those that knew the three Scoobies snickered in agreement. The
Wizarding world would never know what hit them.

tbc....