Crossovers

She looked around warily, piercing pale green eyes glowing in the dim. When she had gotten hit by a spell that seemed to merge with another one meant for someone else, she hadn’t expected to be transported somewhere else entirely. And this somewhere else was a…Cemetery. It was quiet at any rate. The advanced tempus she pulled up made her do a double take though.

It had been 2014 not an hour ago for her. And suddenly she was back in the noughties? She checked her body over and- no, still the unaging body she’d had before. Was this some sort of joke, a cruel cosmic twist? She ends in what might as well have been a coma for years, wakes up only to find her body cannot age and then manages to get involved in a torrid battle only to be tossed back in time? Bad enough that she had eaten Tom’s soul. Whatever sliver had been left of it, and had his knowledge and experience in her. Bad enough that her family had aged while she slept. Bad enough that Lilac, her twin, had aged and started her own family. Bad enough those damned trinkets followed her around-

The stone had embedded itself into her somehow when she slept. The wand that she had snapped in half had likewise been inside her. The only thing that remained a separate entity, or had the illusion of being a separate entity, was the cloak. It appeared as she willed it and she could wear it as she used to. But even that was just a veneer, since she could just as easily use its ability without pulling it into the world.

The stone sat quiet and serene inside her, the wand was always eager to aid her magic, giddy to be of use and the cloak was a warm long time companion.

She hadn’t told anyone. Not that there was much a chance to anyways. She woke up and nothing fit right. She had been Sleeping Beautied only a scant few weeks after Voldemort’s final fall while she wrestled with the heavy weight of his life’s knowledge and had been caught unawares. And waking was…

Thirteen years was a long time to sleep. Missed time. Her parents, Paddy, they had been overjoyed to have her back. Her sister relieved and ecstatic to have her awake and in her life again. Her niece and nephews excited to meet her.

Three years awake and nothing felt right. They had thought perhaps her body not aging had been a result of the spell that put her to sleep. But every time she’d get checked, it was always the same. Her body was stuck at seventeen for the first two years. Only a specially tailored potion her mother and father, with the help of Snape, had concocted together let her body age one measly year. It stopped working after that. It left them at a loss, and her at one too.

She had tried to adjust to life after such a gap of time. Worked for a little while helping out her father and Paddy in their joke shop for a few months before the Unspeakables swooped her up. Worked for them for a little while too, where Tom’s knowledge came in especially handy and the anonymity was a blessing. Her family didn’t know she was in the Unspeakables of course, it was a very hush-hush department. She sighed and decided she’d best try to figure out where she had been deposited, now that she knew the when.

xXx

She was in the U.S., only…There was no M.A.C.U.S.A. around. Further experimentation, and then spells using the power of the elder wand inside her, had yielded…Unfortunate results.

She wasn’t in the same dimension. And not even the powers of the elder wand could open a rip between worlds to take her back. She may have shut down and hidden herself in a stranger’s tomb for a little while as she tried to come to terms with this new upheaval. And then she might have eventually destroyed that tomb and escaped away.

xXx

There was something vaguely compelling about Sunnydale, she decided as she hauled the strange book-bag on her back. Whether she was drawn by the unusually high amount of cemeteries or the multiple deaths that seemed to haunt the area as a whole. She was young looking enough that she could easily slide her way into Sunnydale Highschool where there was something vaguely interesting according to the ever energetic elder wand. At least without any magical societies as she knew them, there was no one to stop her from replicating the currency or forging papers as she needed, stealing things as she wanted and befuddling her way to owning a house. Her scars were hidden under a charm so she didn’t attract undue attention and her thick glossy black curls fell in pretty heaps all down her back when it was down but she had opted to pull it all into two side-buns. She even had a classic fringe going on. The clothes that seemed popular with the youth around were what she chose from. She was petite but she had full hips and a leggy frame and the green and blue plaid miniskirt really showed it off and her short-sleeved snug black turtleneck was tucked into it. With her rich sandstone skin and vibrant mint green eyes on a pretty face, she knew she was very attractive even if she was a titchy bint. Especially for a group of adolescents. This would hopefully ease her into coasting by on the social aspect, tagging along other attractive social children that would keep her apprised. Any sort of group of people, adult or child or adolescent in between had thriving pockets of gossip and it would be so much easier to have it all gathered for her as needed.

And lucky lucky for her, she was scouted out right away. Cordelia Chase was beautiful and knew it well, and knew to recruit other beautiful people close to her. She had found her and immediately made herself a friendly, useful figure and was charmed with her accent all on top. Better still was the wealth Violet boasted and how impressionable she seemed, being new to the U.S. and its trends and fads after all. Less pleasant was the casual cruelty of teenagers, especially well-off beautiful ones. Even in such a lovely school as this one, there was an unfortunate sense of hierarchy. She offered a boy a plaster when he skinned his arm but the boy was immediately mocked by the Cordettes she found herself inducted in. Jesse was apparently one of the bigger losers of their grade, alongside his two friends. She was then praised for being such a kind soul, but that she didn’t need to help out losers like him. It had her contemplate branching off from them entirely.

Such snotty young women.

She held off for the moment though. That and they all seemed starry-eyed by the petnames that slipped from her mouth. Luv, luvvy, darling, pet, those sorts of casual things.

The library, while not nearly so expansive as Hogwarts, had an array of interesting texts. She hadn’t yet met the librarian somehow, despite her interest taking her into the library during the four free periods she had wrangled for herself. She did manage to talk to one of the ‘losers’, a quiet girl named Willow. She was able to suitably distract the Cordettes from targeting other students as much by regaling them about her old boarding school in Scotland, doctored tales of course. The distraction might not last for all that long but Willow had noticed and earnestly thanked her one day. She liked the feel of the girl, something told her to keep an eye on her. She trusted her gut for the most part.

And there had been three dead bodies casually listed in the morning rag that got delivered to her tidy home in the first weekday of her stay, so there was also that.

But only a few weeks into her tenure as a sophomore of Sunnydale, she wasn’t the newest new kid anymore.

xXx

She rubbed Aura’s back absently as she shuddered again. “Why was he in my locker?” she lamented again. It was fascinating that finding a dead body in a teenage girl’s locker was handled so casually here. The lingering presence of death around here swirled with something mystical in nature. Perhaps that’s what made the community so blithe about it all? The magics of this dimension were different than the kinds of her own home and it was certainly interesting to see it at work. The only thing to happen was that gym was canceled for the day. No one going home, just the locker room shut off for the rest of the day and physical education becoming a free period. Well, that and the girls that had been in the room had to see a crisis counselor which was really the most involved anyone really got about it.

It was just a little bit later that she stood quietly inside of the library, listening in on a very interesting conversation. And she wasn’t the only one.

Slayers and Watchers.

A plethora of trauma and magical creatures out to ruin day to day life? Teenage girls with a burden too great for them thrust upon them for no discernible reason?

How nostalgic. She did make sure to scoop up those books the librarian (who she still managed to avoid entirely somehow) had tried to give to Summers to take with her though after Willow’s friend wandered out and while Mr. Giles was off after that new girl.

xXx

If there was anything to be said about the Bronze, it’s that the bands are usually good and that it was, frankly, the only club in town. And since it was the only club in town, made from a warehouse, it didn’t turn anyone down as long as they paid a tiny little fee to get in and had an I.D. that was only glanced at.

(And if she had a little weakness for the guitarist of the usual band because of his long wavy dark hair and lean frame, or his face that reminded her of Paddy, that was her business thank you. She and her sister knew very well he and their father went behind their mother’s back when they were born to have she and Lilac blood-adopted so they were Paddy’s daughters too anyways. Their mother had been reportedly furious at it but it meant that they had two doting daddies so she and Lilac had never seen the problem.)

And in the flush of people, she would occasionally find Willow or one of her friends and she could talk to them for a little while without the Cordettes looming over them. Tonight however, all of the Cordettes were packed together, pretty and unapproachable.

“Bad luck, old boy.” she offered Jesse a consoling smile as Cordelia led her court away after he so boldly asked her to dance. She wondered that he never seemed to learn. “Chase isn’t the sort you’d want to…Well, chase.” she said with a sly wink, reaching up to pat his shoulder before flowing through the crowd to catch up to her social group and seamlessly blend back into them.

And then Summers nearly staked Cordelia. More concerning, she was looking for Willow. Violet was rather fond of Willow as it were, and if this…Vampire slayer was looking for her, it either meant she suspected Willow (which was a bizarre thought) or there was a vampire targeting Willow. Violet didn’t much care if Willow was a vampire or not, but she did care if she was being targeted by one. Perhaps she should give the girl a protection amulet? Before all that though, she slid away from the frothing murmurs of the Cordettes to slide after Summers. Bizarrely, when she spotted the other girl she also saw Giles.

She did however walk right past another vampire, a pretty blonde Jesse was trying to chat up.

Poor boy seemed to have rather bad taste in women. She debated on following Summers and making sure Willow wasn’t on the menu or staying and making sure Jesse wasn’t on the menu. But while she liked Jesse well enough, she talked to and liked Willow more.

xXx

“Just tell me where would Willow go?”

“…You’re serious.”

“Willow left with a strange man. Headed off towards the nearest cemetery for some reason. I was going to call the police but…They really don’t do much around here and I’m not sure they’d get there in time.” Violet neatly inserted herself into the conversation.

“The nearest cemetery? Where’s that?” Summers turned resolute eyes onto her and she wondered if she and Lilac looked like that once. So young, so fresh-faced and righteous. Ready to throw themselves into the thick of things to protect others.

“I’m almost as new as you.” she begged off, “Harris could get you there. You will make sure she’s alright won’t you? That man had seemed off.” she presented herself nervously.

“Willow will be alright.” Buffy said firmly before turning steely eyes to Harris who looked a little more serious at the ‘strange man that seemed off’. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Violet watched them leave, cocking her head to the side before putting her cloak to good use and trotting after them.

xXx

She was led to a mausoleum, because of course she was. And interestingly, a plain stake was able to kill the vampires of this world. And not leave a body behind. Not even the clothes he was wearing. Their faces also grimaced strangely when they were ready to feed apparently. How terrible for them. Willow and Xander supported Jesse as the two blondes engaged in fisticuffs and…

Well, to be entirely honest Violet wasn’t impressed. The female vampire seemed just so…Droll. She leaned against the wall, hidden from it all. Things got at least a little more interesting when Summers was grabbed by the scruff of her neck like a naughty kitten and then tossed aside. This new character at least brought a little interest. She’d been debating and just going back to the Bronze. Or, perhaps, checking on Jesse who was apparently bitten.

But watching this Luke person backhand Summers in a wide swing made her burst into a peal of laughter on accident. Beneath her cloak, it wasn’t heard though she did feel a little bad about laughing at all. And she could always go to make sure the woman didn’t catch up to the three humans but…This was a little more interesting. The talk of a Master and Harvest were also curious.

At least until something seemed to burn him after he’d tossed her into the stone and she kicked him off before speeding out and away. She eyed him for a moment. Should she stay or go? Stay here and potentially follow this vampire back to wherever he came from or go and make sure Summers was able to protect the three losers? Well the last time she opted to go, Jesse ended up bitten anyways so she decided on staying.

xXx

She made a golem-doll for these purposes- it would go to school in her place, passively living her life and collecting information until she returned. She hadn’t used it yet here but she knew these structures worked well and they’ve yet to fail her yet. The Master seemed almost…Cartoonish. It was some kind of charming actually and she smiled, finally somewhat entertained. She had been perfectly content to just sit with the muggles and watch the fascinating amount of death happening around her but it had quickly become dull. This sort of excitement was much nicer, she decided.

She had known there were demons and vampires from her brief runaround after initially being deposited in this dimension, though. Which, here, were some form of demon? The books she was commandeering from the library without checking out sometimes contradicted one another and it made cross-referencing a pain.

But the demons were fascinating. And perhaps, aliens? Again, there were some contradictory theories in the books.

They were what seemed to be the equivalent of Creatures and Beasts and Beings here mostly. Safely hidden in the heavily guarded and veiled home she had made for herself, in a secret space accessed by a tall mirror in her bedroom that led to a mirror copy of her much more muggle friendly one. The windows were charmed to show storms because it was what she preferred, and there was no door out since the house was really just sewn into creation between the fabric of the world so to speak. But in it had wonderful demonic flowers and smaller animal-like demons. Lower ones, more like pets than fully sentient creatures. One had seemed, at first glance, like a regular if not particularly large breed of domestic house cat. Her boy could become much larger, more the size of a lynx and when he was threatened, his yowls were more like a psionic blast. He also was able to carry young- she had three kittens now as well. The females were the larger of the species she was quick to find out, and had thicker tufts atop taller ears. Their claws looked like they were made of metal and hidden in the thick scruff of fur were barbs that stood straight and emitted some sort of mist that pacified whatever inhaled it. Even more, the females had two sets of shining black eyes.

The father’s name was Mittens for his cute little white gloves and socks, and he was black otherwise with a white patch on his chin. His fur was luxurious and silky. He had one son, who was named Teacup since he hid in her tea set once from his more roughhousing sisters. He was tuxedo as well. The girls however…Bluebell was blue. A deep sapphire blue coat. And Snowbell had managed to be something like a tortoiseshell. Only in blue and black and white. She still wasn’t sure how much larger they would grow but only a few weeks had them larger than their patient loving father.

Mittens and Teacup both were sweet and docile pets. Bluebell and Snowbell were more rambunctious and they demanded affection rather than bask quietly in it.

And then there were the snakes.

She’d found four different varieties so far, and that was in the U.S. alone. The largest had apparently come via illegal pet trade from somewhere in Africa by what little she remembered of it when asked. And she was massive, not so large as a basilisk but large enough that her cute boa-like face was easily larger than Violet entirely. Violet suspected that she was worshiped before being stolen to be sold off to some wealthy swot, and she seemed to live entirely off of water. Salt, fresh, ice, snow, any form of water. Her scales shone in beautifully between the crystal reflective blues of warm oceans to the stormy grays of storm roughed waves, the soft seafoam green or the murky green of swamp water all down her body. She was clearly a water serpent and she had made her mirror-cellar into a huge water land because of it. Different sections had different…Biomes, she supposed, since she had loved them all. She, like most snakes, did not have or care about a name. That didn’t stop Violet from calling her Lotus anyways.

Another was about the size of a reticulated python in a swirl of pinks and reds. He was apparently a fertility demon even though he much preferred lazing around and sunning like any regular snake. His venom was where the fertility came in and also acted as a sort of aphrodisiac, though he himself was sterile and uninterested and he fed on sexual energy. Whether it was human, animal, demon didn’t matter. He was a little more finicky to feed but that stop-over with an incubus a few years back had been enough to keep him going so far so she didn’t think he needed much to go off of for long periods of time. Or he was somehow feeding off of Sunnydale as a whole, he wasn’t particularly specific on how far his range for feeding was to his physical body and she decided to go ahead and call him Eros.

The third was masquerading as a piece of jewelry in a flea market she had come across, a look of platinum with gleaming black eyes. It was sexless, and had needed a good cleaning which resulted in a shower of praise and the little thing slinking around her throat and latching onto his tail contently in a choker.

She decided to call it Cuddles. Cuddles didn’t really seem to do much, but apparently if whoever has Cuddles in their possession and lets it get to a state of disrepair or lets it get dirty or grimy they get bitten. And suffer horribly. Being treated well meant he coughed up precious gems sometimes. Which…Was a little bizarre but she didn’t mind she supposed.

The lack of communication between them and a serpent probably didn’t help so at least Cuddles was able to tell her when it wanted to be cleaned- which was daily. Sometimes Cuddles curled around her neck, sometimes around her wrists, a few times it even shrunk down to wrap around a finger.

The fourth was a slim thing mimicking a Formosa odd-scaled snake that she came across in yet another illegal trader. Except that was only one of his forms and he was actually what she would consider a Naga. A very handsome thing with the lower half of a snake and the top half of a human, with features just inhuman enough to catch ethereal beauty that she had named Adonis. Perhaps his long lashes or his tangle of long thick hair, perhaps the corded muscle in his humanoid top half. Nagas don’t have belly buttons or nipples, and the color of their scaleless torsos in their larger form tended to easily separate them from humans when they attempt to hide their lower halves. He was a grayish color, and his scales still had that iridescent shine sliding down his back and on his tail. He was a very affectionate companion and what she might call a himbo. Their human-like torsos tend to be larger than a human but smaller at least than a half-giant which meant tiny Violet felt even smaller when he wanted to cuddle and coil around her. He was absolutely enamored with Lotus as well, and she was curious about if Lotus would mate or not, since he certainly seemed interested in it. He didn’t seem to have a set cycle for mating anyways but she did learn he had the hemipenes common to snakes. And that he most certainly was willing to lay with her.

She blamed Eros and her own foolishness for spilling the venom she milked on herself for it. At least he wasn’t the strangest demon she’d ended up laying with, and that her body was far more durable than a muggle’s. Or, really a human’s in general.

Her secret mirror home, and the magical and demonic things she hid there aside.

She’d been more or less avoiding vampires after she had met that one. Called himself a loner and had been with her a week or two, seduced her, knew she was an immortal (fellow immortal, he called her). She’d been worried they would all be so charming and wonderful but he seemed like an outlier so far. She didn’t know his actual name, she only referred to him by sweet nothings.

What a man.

And her demonic lovers all aside, Sunnydale while it drew her in had been a bit boring. There had been other places that had that same sort of…Charge and energy to them but she had finally on a whim gotten closer to one in Sunnydale. Besides the copious cemeteries and regular deaths of the small tidy town and the occasional resident having been affected by the latent magic surrounding the place, there wasn’t much happening. She hoped this Harvest business would be more what she had been expecting coming into the muggle side of Sunnydale. And what a chance indeed that she chose Sunnydale just before this all important Slayer chosen-one stumbled into town as well! This would liven things up, she suspected.

She briefly apparated home to change her clothes from what she’d worn to the Bronze and to check on her multitude of demonic pets and florals and had to wriggle her way out of Adonis’s happy embrace.

He was easily the clingiest of them all besides Cuddles. And rather dumb, but he was sweet and it was endearing all the same. She grabbed a few books too, to keep her entertained in the lulls of activity. There didn’t seem to be much to do down there besides monologue and sit around. Not that she didn’t enjoy Master’s monologues from what she had seen of them so far.

She had briefly thought of freeing Jesse but…Well he was just one human boy and unfortunately for him, humans were such easy prey. Besides, they were going to use him as bait for Summers and maybe this time there would a more impressive fight to watch. She certainly hoped so at least. For the moment she sat up on a perch overlooking where the Master’s throne sat. A soft dark blanket protected her fishnet covered legs in the pvc-shiny black hot-pants she chose to wear and her hair was braided back in a Dutch braid crown. The bell sleeves of her sheer black blouse reminded her of the robes she used to wear with the lacy bandeau top under it. Sleek, tall stilettos made her feel rather sexy.

She’d never gotten to wear things like this when she was really a teenager. Paddy would have had kittens, for all his old photos had him in punk-rock clothes and the girls on his arms in even more revealing clothes. Well…That and, they were in the midst of war when she’d been that age.

Those thoughts were unpleasant though.

Also unpleasant was that Summers hadn’t even come down to face the Master and had apparently escaped to the surface without a fight at all. He wasn’t discouraged however, the Master.

She was at any rate. A group of vampires unable to even draw her in further when she was underground in what was more or less their well traveled lair? Sloppy behavior. They didn’t even try to block off potential escape routes before turning Jesse and chaining him up for bait and had no traps aside from having the boy use their rescue mission to try to corner them. Dull. The Master’s mutters when he had dismissed them agreed at least. She was almost tempted to actually get involved on their behalf.

There was an interesting moment at least with Luke with a few fanatic if not erotic tones over it when the Master deigned to share his blood with him. The semantics of their show for her, and of this vessel thing, seemed a little wonky but she still wasn’t entirely grasping the strange and different way magics moved here. It did seem to swirl around the two unnoticed anyways, an old archaic blood ritual. Only, without quite the pomp that she typically associated with rituals.

More, they were going to the Bronze. Since it was the only consistently busy place in town after dark, and easy place to have a whole host of people all lumped together so tidily.

So she swallowed what the golem-doll had learned, took a moment for the faux-memories to settle into knowledge and in her fetching outfit met the Cordettes that had come out for the night after swapping her stilettos for a shorter set of platforms.

If she smiled when the lights turned off and Luke showed off his showmanship when they stormed into the Bronze then it was too dark to see any of it. She cloaked herself again, stepping back and leaning against the wall to watch.

She didn’t enjoy watching people get slaughtered. Just the same, she didn’t find it particularly unpleasant anymore either. Whether it was something the ambient magic was doing to her, absorbing the leftovers of Tom’s soul or her work in the Department of Mysteries was anyone’s guess. Maybe it was all just Violet, no longer bound back by the ties of her beloved twin and darling family, back to the quiet surviving Freak before she’d been reunited with them. Maybe it was because this wasn’t her dimension. Maybe it was those three trinkets that refused to leave her influencing her, or her own immortality. Violet didn’t know the answer.

She would watch. She might pick favorites, and maybe favor enough that she would get involved. The future was unpredictable, flowing and changing with every little thing after all. It was why Lovegood had been so…Other. Seer sight meant they were never really connected or grounded to the reality as it went around them. Too busy seeing everything that could have been or that might be and how they splintered and changed.

Philosophical murmurs of the mind aside, it was even better that many of these people weren’t really strangers. She was somewhat invested in the people here. Cordelia, for all she was a spoiled tart, was sharp-eyed and good at reading people. Jesse had been a witty boy before his soul was slathered in vampire blood. Willow, who had almost been eaten before, was an adroit young woman that Violet was sure had something more to her.

She would have definitely been in Ravenclaw. For all her fellow ‘Claws had seemed ‘dry’ and bookish, they weren’t so noble or concerned with could and should like the other Houses. Bending and breaking rules for the sake of research and knowledge, for the fascination of the things around them and to understand them was what drove her old House.

The other Cordettes that deferred to Cordelia, Harmony who was a vain and cruel girl at times could be exceptionally socially savvy when it suited her. Aura, who heard more than most and was able to discern what was rumor and what might have a grain of truth. Aphrodesia that could network the best of them, somehow with her hands dipped in almost every other social group in their small school. Blue who managed to mosey her way into personal records by charming secretaries and staff…

She associated with these people. And she watched and listened to the Master and his ilk, always interested in coming across covens and their traditions.

By the time she was done daydreaming, Summers had made her way inside and Luke had decided not to eat Cordelia in favor of paying attention Buffy. Which was nice, it wasn’t like she particularly wanted Cordelia to die.

Vampires seemed to have a bit of a tunnel-vision and obsession problem in this dimension. She wondered if they did in every dimension or she just happened to stumble into one that also gave them that trait.

It let Harris start to funnel out the trapped humans since Luke was so unerringly focused on Summers even though he had a duty for his beloved Master to complete. She snuck along the wall while Harris distracted Jesse and stealthily returned to the senses, uncloaking herself and grabbing Cordelia’s arm, hushing her and covering her mouth when she almost let out a shriek to drag her back and away. Luke was just holding onto Summers, really drawing it out for no reason and she frowned. This Harvest thing wasn’t going to be happening was it? She pulled a shaken Cordelia away to the exit, sneaking past the distracted vampires.

Or the ones left anyways.

Luke failed, she already knew. The Master wasn’t going to be happy. If only Luke hadn’t been so preoccupied with Summers, she thought neutrally, the building power flowing from him back to the Master would have only needed perhaps one more victim. He wouldn’t be at his most powerful but it would have been enough for whatever the old hungry ‘door’ needed. She was sure it would open to one of the other planes of the dimension. Where back home it had been the realm of the fae who were connected, sometimes more like Eldritch abominations, it seemed here these doors, these portals led to wherever the demons made their homes. She wasn’t sure why they were so eager to spill into the human world but supposed that was to their discretion and not hers anyways.

xXx

She found herself wearing red and gold and thought her parents, all three of them, would have loved to see her in it and Lilac would have teased her for it. Their parents might not be so happy with how short the skirts were or that she would be flipping in the air and showing off the attached knickers like cloth beneath it. Lilac on the other hand would have laughed herself silly to see her trying out for this…Cheerleading thing. They didn’t have such a thing in Hogwarts at all, really the only times to see something like it were at professional quidditch games. To think of it, there weren’t very many clubs that promoted physical activity and exercise in Hogwarts besides quidditch.

The vampires had somehow been blamed on rival gang activity. Somehow. In the tiny town of Sunnydale, a lot of things seemed to be blamed on gang violence. She supposed it was nicer to be ignorant as a powerless human than to acknowledge stronger more dangerous predators lurking around. Either way, Violet was already guaranteed a spot via her connection to the Cordettes. Less Cordelia this time, more that one of their older sisters was holding the tryouts. It was just a handy bonus that she was athletic and especially bendy and limber and wasn’t going to just be one of the ground pom-pom shakers that bounce around a little without doing the real athletic work.

And then a girl’s hands caught fire at the tryouts. Seemed like excessive sabotage in her opinion and too potentially permanent. Could have made her slip and roll an ankle or something if they were going to jinx her, no need for all the dramatics. Practically broadcasting that it was a jinx and not just a simple slip-up.

This mystical accident didn’t stop the tryouts at all anyways aside from cutting off the first day of tryouts.

One girl had knocked Cordelia down and oh, was she unhappy about that. Poor girl had all the grace of newborn calf when her feet left the ground, routine was spot on aside from that fudge-up.

xXx

She frowned. Cordelia was being befuddled. Or something like it anyways, and Violet didn’t very much like that and promptly broke the weak spell with a decisive snap early in the morning. Something seemed to rebound like an elastic pulled but it didn’t do anything to her or Cordelia, so Violet didn’t really care.

She did care about why they were dissecting frogs in class. She didn’t mind it at all, having been used to cutting open preserved animals and parts for potions ingredients since she was old enough to hold a knife to help her parents with potions. But she still wasn’t sure why they had to explicitly know the anatomy of a frog of all things.

Life went on. Someone’s mother died, some girl who hadn’t made the team and apparently they found strange dark memorabilia in her home. The daughter was incredibly distraught and confused and had said, supposedly, that her mother had stolen her body. Which meant her death returned her to it and slung the girl’s soul back into her proper body. Interesting. She assumed it was the girl’s mother who had jinxed both that Amber girl and then Cordelia. Violet breaking that spell had instead put the misfortune onto the woman dabbling in things she had no business partaking in against young teenage girls if the backlash was enough to kill her or eject her soul from her daughter’s body and her daughter’s soul was able to return to its proper place. Well it was over anyways and Cordelia had managed to pass her driving test this time. She’d flunked twice already beforehand and even if she only tried this time because her parents dangled a shiny expensive new car in front of her at least it was done. Better yet, Amy was apparently with her father now and was much happier. Murmurs that the mother was a cultish abuser kept anyone from coming down on Amy at least so all’s well and ends well.

“Lance, luv, did you want to work on the English project tonight or the weekend?”

“Oh, uh…T-tonight’s fine I guess.”

“Excellent. Your house or mine?” she asked the boy. He was normally the punching bag of Kyle and his posse of useless wastes of skin but he wasn’t dubbed a loser by the Cordettes so he at least only had to worry about one annoying group of antagonists in his day-to-day.

xXx

The death of a teacher was unfortunate and worse, Cordelia had been the one to find the body. That meant her and Aura had both been so unfortunate and she wondered if the next one in the school would be found by another Cordette and then they would have to see a crisis counselor too. On that note, they had a new teacher and frankly, she was a demon. Not that it was much Violet’s business she decided easily. She seemed to know that Violet wasn’t quite…Mortal? Human? Or at least not like the other students she was around which fit in the handful of other demonic entities hidden as humans in Sunnydale. Either way, she was particular about mantids. Violet had never been much an insect person but she knew her niece kept them. Pink ones, pretty and fickle about their mates. They did have unfortunately short life spans though which was why Heather had been so eager to breed them and keep them. Violet knew there were more magical varieties that would last longer but most of those weren’t authorized to keep as pets and were protected. Or, illegal to take out of their country of origin in fear of escaping and becoming invasive.

Either way, she reckoned she could respect a woman just trying to ensure her children’s safety and getting a good meal. Maybe not targeting teenage boys but that didn’t much concern her anyways when her friends were all girls; the Cordettes and her pseudo-friend Willow.

Independent and sexually confident women aside, death was so common in this town that Cordelia easily brushed the worst of it off. Aura had been shaken for a few days but had tanked on regardless. What an interesting town.

She supposed the demons thought so too.

But not even three days into things and Ms. French was gone. But she had left behind a few…Gifts.

And Violet couldn’t just let them hatch in the school where they would be young and vulnerable against frightened students.

xXx

She hadn’t checked on the Master since Luke’s failure and was surprised to see that he had more followers again. Where did he find them? There was another prophecy or something that he was on about now, something about a great ally and she wondered what all his book was promising him. That…Harvest thing apparently came every century but she supposed being stuck underground for so long would make anyone antsy to get out. Her pen flowed in her pleasant script via a handy charm that Paddy made her and Lilac promise not to let her mother know about over her newest homework assignment.

The classes were…So dully muggle. But she of course hadn’t had a muggle upbringing after a certain age and hadn’t ever followed up on the subjects she had learned while she was in the muggle side of thing and had needed to…Borrow enough knowledge to see her through schooling without being bothered or consumed by studying. And by borrow, she meant she burrowed into someone else’s mind. Or several someone elses, and essentially copy and pasted their knowledge to her. It was a painful process for them because her magic was forcibly flowing through their muggle minds and grabbing relevant information which left their minds raw and feeble for a time afterwards. Not like it killed them or caused anything lasting though so her conscience was clear there at least. That and the charmed fountain pens and graphite pencils kept her from having to toil over things herself and left her plenty of time for other things.

Like reading those fascinating books from the school library, including the ones hidden in the back behind a locked door. Or sitting here and being able to watch the Master wander around which was more interesting than it sounded.

For all his callous cruelty and drive to murder all humans or living creatures or something, he was almost endearing. She supposed that was what made cult leaders dangerous though. Tom had been handsome and could be very charming back when he looked human, very suave. This Master, while a bit brutal in punishments sometimes, had a sort of…Whimsy to him.

She did eventually tune back in when they brought a child in.

Oh. Oh dear. There had been many laws against the vampiric siring of children back home. Perhaps things were different here- the vampiric strain certainly was, given that they were more or less parasitic demons that took over the human’s body and used them as a host. Or something like that? The books were still just dreadfully inconclusive the more she read them.

This boy was the Master’s Anointed One.

xXx

“Why don’t they have a reptile room?” she wondered.

“I think it’s shut down or something. Ever since that one guy got bit and died.” Blue told her idly, offering a piece of vivid blue bubblegum. It was the same kind that gave Blue her nickname in the first place since it also constantly turned her tongue blue. Violet had always had a rampant sweet tooth and happily accepted the treat, eyes wandering. There was a certain…Feeling when it came to demons, or something that had more demonic tinges. And there were animalistic demons or was demonic magics happening near them here somewhere in the zoo. But she did already have four cats and four snakes and several mantid eggs that have yet to hatch already, and she had been careful in selecting them to be her companions…

“But when don’t people die in Sunnydale?” she scoffed.

“Well we’re not dead yet.” Aphrodesia said breezily, flicking her deep red ginger hair back and Violet gave her a cheeky grin.

“I suppose there is that at least.” she agreed teasingly. “The hyena house is down right now too isn’t it?”

“They’re in quarantine or something, they just came in. I guess they have to get used to being in a zoo or something?”

“Hm. What a shame.” Violet blew a bubble idly before it popped. “Hyenas are such interesting creatures I think. You know, in experiments spotted hyenas out performed even chimpanzees when it came to collective or group problem solving. And chimpanzees are considered some of the most intelligent land animals. It’s also female dominated, the spotted ones, and males that come into the clan are the lowest caste under even newborn cubs because the mothers that dominate it strictly enforce it. Well, for the spotted ones at any rate. The other three breeds of hyena, the brown, striped and the aardwolves are male dominated and I don’t know as much about them. And they had such cute fuzzy looking ears.” she smiled sweetly and then paused.

Oh. Something mystical was afoot somewhere in the zoo.

And it was getting back to the bus that certain people really stuck out to her as having a sort of…Taint wasn’t the right work. Murky magic sinking into them slowly was a longer but more apt way to put it. Kyle and his three hanger-ons and…Harris, the one that was always with Summers and Willow. Bizarre.

Well, since they haven’t gone on a murderous rampage yet she didn’t much care. She was more interested in the training the Master was giving to that boy Collin.

She used to know a boy named Colin. He followed her sister around for ages and ages and apparently while she was sleeping Lilac had actually fooled around with him for a time. Violet couldn’t see it at first. Until she saw how absolutely fit and mellow he’d become and then she stopped teasing Lilac quite so much. She still did of course, even though he’d toned down the star-struck puppy act during the war.

Or. She used to tease Lilac about it.

Unpleasant memories and feelings aside, as long as they weren’t bothering her she didn’t much care what they did.

xXx

Finding herself pushed against a wall, alone, in the girls locker room with an unusually randy Rhonda Kelley had not been on the agenda when she woke up that morning. That strange magic that was on her and her friends and Harris had seeped in more now which she assumed was the reason. She blinked up at the taller girl after her mouth had been thoroughly and hastily explored by her tongue and met hungry gleaming eyes and a hand already in her knickers.

xXx

“You did seem unusually bold.” she allowed, tilting her head to the side. Rhonda winced nervously. When she had quietly and very hesitantly asked to speak to her alone between classes, Violet had already surmised it was about the two times Rhonda had accosted her and the one time she had attempted to and been turned down. She no longer had that magic about her, so she supposed it was ejected or cleansed or something. “I suppose I didn’t really reject you anyways, much as I was surprised.”

“I uh…Didn’t really give you much room to actually object.” she gave an awkward little cough and ducked her head. “I really…I don’t know what I was thinking, it was like I was…Almost someone else.”

“You and your friends were behaving more of complete asses than usual.” she said easily, leaning against the lockers behind her. She watched Rhonda wince and seem to shrink on herself. “People thought you’d gone and started using drugs.”

“What?” her head snapped up in alarm, “N-no, I wouldn’t- we wouldn’t-”

“I figure that. You’d have some terrible withdrawal symptoms or still be acting that way if you were. And to your credit when I did turn you down that one time in-between you did respect it and didn’t try to force anything. I’d have been more forceful stopping you if I didn’t consent.”

In that she would have knocked the magic out of her. She suspected whatever had been possessing her knew it too, if it got on her bad side.

“A-and you won’t…Won’t tell anybody?”

“What I might do with a paramour is my business alone.” she raised her brows and stared down her nose at the other girl. “I don’t kiss and tell, Kelley.”

“R-right. Uh…”

“Well I’ve got to get to class now.” she allowed, stepping past. She didn’t particularly mind the way Rhonda had roughed her up, more used to stronger things like the borrowed power Rhonda had showing her a good time in this dimension. At the same time she wouldn’t miss it either. Their piggy mascot hadn’t lasted long and it took away Principal Flutie. She had liked Principal Flutie.

Hopefully the next one would be good.

xXx

“Willow! I feel like we never get the chance to talk anymore.” Violet greeted the girl in the library. “How have you been holding up? I know Kyle and his ilk had Harris for short time.”

“Oh…No, everything’s okay now.”

“I had figured. Rhonda, she had come to me and apologized for her beastly behavior.” she mused.

“Rhonda? Did she do something to you?” Willow frowned, pushing a smooth straight lock of her red hair back.

“Nothing I couldn’t put a stop to, don’t worry. I am also glad to see it wasn’t drugs. But I know Harris is one of your friends. And Lance is an acquaintance I partner with on English projects so I’m glad their entire band of merry assholes seem to have changed their ways. And I think Heidi converted to being a vegetarian.”

“Y-yeah…They uh- remembered what they did?”

“Yes?...Are you alright? You’re looking a little…Green about the gills.”

“Willow, did you- oh. Hey. You’re uh…”

“Violet.” she provided for the boy before turning her attention back to Willow. “I’d best be off, Cordelia wanted us all prompt to cheer practice for a new routine of yelling and shaking pom-poms and I mostly came to return a few books people left lying about in school. Ta, ducky.” she gave a little wave, and on her way out managed to bump into the librarian. “Pardon me, Mr. Giles.” she said smoothly, flowing around him in a smooth two-step twist and trotting off. She had considered dropping from the cheerleading thing but her golem-doll was more than up to snuff for games when she was busy watching the Master train and condition young Collin. Or when she just wanted to stay in at home to read peacefully curled up with Mittens and Teacup and a nice lavender or chai blend.

Speaking of the Master, he was getting tired of losing so many of his coven so consistently. Violet supposed it had been some time since he last hatched a plot against her, being so busy with Collin as it were.

xXx

Summers was proving herself quite capable. Good for her, from a former chosen one to another dimension’s chosen one. She wasn’t close to the girl, hasn’t yet shared a single word with her besides back when at the Bronze but she was Willow’s friend and regardless of the different circumstances, Violet could respect the immense pressure of being a chosen one in secret. No one had known, not even her beloved parents, that she had been not just a horcrux but the center of a prophecy.

Dumbledore kept it all close to chest and the fame of defeating Voldemort went to her parents and their ingenious mix of blood and sacrifice ritual as well as using Uncle Petey as a ‘sniveling cowering’ mole back in the day. How anyone could see Head Auror Uncle Petey as sniveling or cowering, Violet had no idea. She supposed back then his soft round face and big blue eyes and small stature might have tricked some, compared to her rowdy fathers and wily handsome Uncle Remus. As well as how short he was compared to them too.

(She’d seen the photos. And then been horribly ashamed of the small infatuation she had on a young Uncle Moony while Lilac had suffered a minor crisis over how handsome Paddy used to be. At least Violet hadn’t had wet dreams about one of their fathers. She supposed being young and with a wash of hormones the image of a good looking man could do wonders. Or maybe that should have been the hint that she preferred inhuman lovers and that Lilac had a thing for long hair and rebel-punk aesthetics.)

Still, with the Master’s Three gone now it left Darla. Darla being the disappointing blonde from what felt like way back when but was really only when Summers first arrived that Violet first saw her. She was eager to get rid of Summers but given the record of killed vamps the Master had been weary of sending her out to her potential death. She was a favorite one, had been around for quite a long time and had a history with the Master’s Brotherhood. And given that she wasn’t the most physically imposing of vampires and that strength seemed to mean nothing to Summers and her cohorts as it were, Darla decided to employ a different tactic. It was the first shred of sense she’d seen yet of the vampires that tried to go head to head with Summers. She wasn’t sure how effective it was going to be, but it was something at least.

That there was a cursed vampire involved was also a new development. Darla seemed familiar with him anyways, and her plot involved him. When he’d been actively helping Summers with the steady decimation of the vampire community in Sunnydale. So throwing that particular variable in seemed a little risky to Violet and that perhaps Darla was a little stuck on having known this cursed vampire in the past, who was once part of this coven. Which was a folly.

A folly soon proven when she found herself ‘dusted’. And this Angel fellow most certainly not wanting to come back ‘into the fold’.

Poor Master. He loved his family, for all they needed to be corrected sometimes.

She supposed she shouldn’t be so sympathetic, given her life above but watching him teach and mentor Collin and having been a little fond of him from the beginning gave her a little bias. Even if he would kill all her friends if he did ever get out which…She was starting to doubt he would. From his incompetent followers to how Summers was growing into a more capable young woman, to the cursed vampire helping her and the librarian and his…Watcher status to guide her. And having been stuck down below for so long, Violet wasn’t sure the Master would be able to adjust to life above the surface or that he could bring about these…Old Ones from their neighboring dimensions with a teenage Summers, the Watcher and a cursed vampire so easily stepping on all his plans anyways. His coven, for however old some of the members may be, weren’t particularly powerful in terms of magic ability or intelligence. Which really was a shame. There was so much potential in Violet’s opinion.

Supposed it wasn’t very lucky that a chosen one happened to have come into town either. She was either a hurdle for them to overcome or they were a lesson for her to overcome and Violet was thinking it was in Summers’s favor at this point. She was a teenage girl who apparently only awoke as a Slayer not that long ago and regardless of the enhanced strength and the gifted ability with combat and weaponry, she was still just a teenage girl.

And given Violet and Lilac’s own teenage years…Well. She didn’t have much hope for the Master no matter how entertaining he is or his surprisingly meaningful and excellent parenting skills could be. But if, or more like when at this point, the Master was slain or subdued, what would come next? Sunnydale was a nexus of magical and mystical powers and like any of the others she’d skirted around in her travels, it would attract the supernatural and magical creatures that roam around under the noses of blissfully ignorant muggles and affect the muggles exposed to it. The Master just had a bit of a stranglehold on the vampires who had claimed the territory for now. Once he was gone, presumably others would come in without the leader of the Aurelius swatting them all out like naughty children. For all the other vampires could come and go and he was stuck, they were all so heavily dependent and reliant on the Master. She could only imagine how lost they’ll be (the ones left from Summers’s crusade to kill them all) should or when the Master was gone.

The Master was infuriated with Darla’s loss, devastated. Even more at the loss of Angel and his betrayal, even if he wasn’t really working with them before anyways. At least Collin was able to lift his spirits.

xXx

“I’ve never been particularly…Involved with these boxes.” Violet frowned. “Back in my old boarding school, we didn’t have any…Electronics at all. No internet or…Tellies and certainly not computers.”

Chizpurfles, while they usually fed on ambient magic, were perfectly happy to eat and then short-circuit electronics and they were always where magic was. It was just an unnecessary pain for years and years. Of course by the time she woke up, there were cellular call devices more or less copied from the muggles but made with magic in mind. She knew about some things before hand, the WWN and the like, all crafted for use with magic. But when she woke up it was still more efficient to do things with magic rather than things like…Scanning books, or figuring out code or the like. They had processes for that long before the muggles and their computers.

“Sounds like the Dark Ages.”

“Well it was a restored castle in Scotland. We did get to wear short schoolgirl outfits though and long socks and cheeky underthings.”

Usually with robes over them but they used to leave them open anyways. Abruptly she remembered getting caught by Snape giggling about thongs with some of her classmates and then her mother suddenly doing all her underthing shopping for her.

Which had catapulted her into a terrible and long standing crush on the man somehow. Finding out later that he regularly ingested small amounts of vampire blood to keep himself from keeling over via potions accidents and then later service as a spy probably also had something to do with it.

He spent his time locked up in potions labs now, tinkering and creating to his heart’s content without having to worry about children blowing themselves up. He did however end up turning, so he still looked the same as when she was a student the one and only time her mother had brought her to him to plea for his help to get Violet to age when she and her Potter father were stuck.

It sent her little crush roaring back to life and the master at mind magics likely very well knew it by the way he’d watch her warily. As though she was going to just jump his bones and shag him wherever he stood in the times she visited him after by herself.

(Which…She wouldn’t have minded doing, if she thought it wouldn’t be awkward counting the long standing friendship with her mother and his old flame for her. At least he’d gotten over it to resume a quiet friendship with her. He kept letting Violet in when she visited him though so she felt like he might not have declined her advances if she had tried. If she had a little more time, she might’ve.)

The teacher that led the computer labs was a kind enough woman and all, had some sort of strange tangy feeling about her, but Violet would always prefer magics to electronics. She supposed in the case of the muggles, they of course didn’t have such things before.

It was why later in the week she trotted up to Summers and Harris. “Hullo, ‘scuse me but…You’re Willow’s friends and you are around her a lot more than I am. Does she…Seem to be acting oddly?”

“She met a boy.” Harris was the one to answer, a little sulkily.

“A boy?” she frowned. “I suppose it’s serious? She missed…Quite a few classes this morning. Not something I’d think she would normally do.”

“He’s uh…Online. I’m sorry, you are?” Summers asked before squinting at her. “You look familiar…”

“I pointed you in the direction of the graveyard that strange man took Willow to sometime ago. I assume that since you all came to class the next day things worked out alright. I’m also in cheer, and in two of your classes.” Violet explained to her easily and she blinked a few times in shock.

“Oh- oh wow, I’m sorry I probably sound like such a-”

“No, no, I know I can fade into the background a bit.” she assured the slightly taller girl with a kind smile. “I also tend to be overshadowed by Cordelia.”

“Cordelia? You’re friends with her?” Harris’s expression was a grimace and really, she understood. Cordelia wasn’t always the most pleasant person to be around but she had her shining points.

“She isn’t always so terrible, I promise.” she sighed. “Well, I just wanted to make sure Willow was alright. And I mean…Not to be rude or, doubt Willow’s judgment but…Oh I suppose it isn’t really my place and all but the last bloke didn’t seem to turn out so well.” she shrugged. “Sorry, I’m sure you’ll keep an eye on her. Ta, luvvies.” she smiled and wandered off.

“Who was that?” Summers’s voice echoed to her enhanced ears.

“Violet Potter. Willow talks to her in the library sometimes, apparently. And before you ask, she is probably not related to Giles. I uh…Asked.” she heard before getting to her next class. Things had been strange the past week, and it all had to do with electronics. She was glad she didn’t have any besides a landline in her home. She had another golem-doll, this one looking more like a mix of her mother and sister that answered any calls and to assure any muggles that might come over she wasn’t an underage girl living all alone. Even had a bedroom prepped and quiet job ‘out of town’. It was also one of the security measures on her house, should anyone get past the other security measures and actually get into her house.

Willow seemed down for a few days after- suppose that online boyfriend didn’t work out. Oh well.

xXx

“Talent…Show.” Violet said dubiously. “We didn’t have those at my old school.”

“You didn’t seem to have a lot of things at your old school.” Aura pointed out and Violet sighed.

“Well at least I’m having new experiences I suppose. Er…Who told Cordelia she could sing, by the by?”

“Cordelia told Cordelia she could sing.” Aphrodesia rolled her eyes. “At least she’s confident.”

“You sure you don’t want to be part of it? You played the harp once when I came over, that was really cool.” Aura tried to cajole her and Violet hummed. “I don’t think anyone else here can do that.”

“The harp?” Paige, another Cordette looked to her curiously.

“Yes, I learned the harp and my sister preferred the cello. My, ah…My godfather can play the violin but he prefers bass guitars.” she fiddled with the locket she only just got comfortable wearing. Inside was a picture of her parents, the three of them on one side waving to her with loving looks, and in the other half…She and her sister just after the Final Battle, grinning together and grimy but victorious and still alive. She had another pendant too- one with Lilac, her husband and three kids in it and the other with her three parents again, older and more subdued but still with those warm loving looks.

It hurt to look at them. It had hurt too much at first to wear them when she was first torn away. Slow little steps, she told herself. It was why the golem-doll at home wasn’t just a copy of her mother or sister. If it were, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to handle it. Making it just a bit wrong, not quite right to be either of them was the right way to do it.

xXx

“It feels odd to have a harp here.” Violet sighed, pushing it on the small wheeled dais. She paused at one of the demonic students, peeking at his empty hat and cheap plastic ‘magic wand’. “I’m not sure I’d want a live rabbit in a cloth hat. They’ll eat right through it.”

“O-oh uh…Potter.” he greeted nervously. Most demons tended to know she wasn’t human, but weren’t usually too clear on what that meant for them. She didn’t usually go out of her way to do things like that for the demons around her and the magically affected muggles didn’t seem to notice the difference at all, or be able to tell who was a demon or not, like that visually invisible girl that hung around in the ceilings. “Yeah, I think he keeps escaping.”

She pushed her harp a bit farther. “You’ll need to bind the legs to keep them from escaping or reinforce the trap. Hat I mean, of course.” she smiled at him. The blond looked at her and frowned, leaning closer. “Mr. Giles is heading the Talent Show. I’d be careful, he seems to know quite a lot about...Magic tricks.”

“Thanks Potter.” he muttered. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Hm. Good luck.”

He was practically leaking demonic energy lately and something about it reminded her of a snake getting ready to shed its skin. She wasn’t sure what that entailed, but Marc had never been much interested in things besides dating cute girls and taking weekend surfing trips before. He was very mellow usually.

“Oh, and…Marc. I think that…Dummy has been peeking around.” she added in and he huffed, glancing over at where Morgan was. He teamed up with she and Lance sometimes in group projects in English and she had a bit of a soft spot for him. And then she heard Cordelia begin to sing and she winced. “Really, who ever told Cordelia she could sing?”

“Can say that again.” Marc cringed. “I wouldn’t worry about the dummy. Good for nothing but firewood.”

xXx

“Hello Principal Snyder. Come to see the performers?” she asked perkily. He liked the cheerleaders, liked the exhibition of school spirit and liked those who were model students, obedient and unopposing. As far as anyone knew, Violet was all of those things. He didn’t like children much at all but he could tolerate the ones that seemed to fall in line quietly. “I’d never been in a Talent Show before. We didn’t have them back home I’m afraid so this is an exciting new thing.”

Her voice was just loud and carried enough to alert everyone in the back that their new, stricter principal was afoot. He blathered something with praise in it before going to poke around at the other students, pleased at their participation and how cowed they were.

Never let it be said she didn’t do anything for her fellow students.

At least the cursed dummy was kind of funny. Poor Morgan.

When it was her turn and she went out onto the stage, she saw Willow and her two friends there with Mr. Giles. Willow waved at her at least and she smiled and waved back.

xXx

“So you’re actually joining? I thought you said you get stage fright?” Violet said as she pulled a hairpin out to reposition it. To think of it, she has yet to wear her hair down since coming to Sunnydale. Considering how long and thick it was though, she didn’t want it tangling and catching on things. The Potter curls were obstinate like that.

“It’s a punishment from Snyder.”

“Can he do that? Force you I mean? Doesn’t seem right.”

“Exactly!” Harris was quick to agree.

“So what are you three doing then? Maybe a comedy skit? Dramatic poem reading with two of you acting it out? Oh, Summers, you were good with form in cheer, something with that?”

“A dramatic scene actually.”

“Dramatic scene? So you need to memorize lines? Sounds droll.” Violet hummed, setting her hands on her hips. “Willow, ducky, can’t you play piano? You don’t have to look at the crowd if you’re too busy looking at the pages right?”

“And what, we’ll sing along?” Harris’s face screwed up.

“Musical accompaniment doesn’t always mean song.” she raised her eyebrows. “Showing a silent scene to music could be an easy way to, one, not look at the crowd for Willow, two, could show off a ‘deep and meaningful’ meaning and three, means you probably won’t crash and burn horribly at the actual show.”

“I-I’m not sure I really feel…Comfortable trying to play in front of people…Where they can hear me and see me…”

“Put up a screen and have a light give you a silhouette for the music behind whatever these two would be acting out. It’ll be ‘artsy’ and dramatic.” she waved a hand around and then paused with the others when a whistle came about.

And the dummy was hitting on them. Them being the girls, not Harris.

“Wow, Shay. Gotten rather bold.” she teased even as Willow was getting up.

“Morgan, you’re really getting good.” she praised as she got closer. “Where did you come up with that voice?”

“It’s…Kind of an imitation of my dad.” it sounded more like a question than an answer in Violet’s opinion.

“Sounds real.” Summers was next to join the conversation.

“It is real.” quoth the dummy. “I’m the one with the talent here. The kid’s dead weight.”

“Very bold and very frank.” Violet grinned, tossing her hair back. “I like it.”

“Well gee, I like you too toots. How about you and I do a lil’ rehearsin’ on our own honey? How about you Red?”

“Toots! I’ve never been called that before.” she said in delight.

“Hey,” Harris called over in warning.

“You know what they say. Once you go wood, nothin’s as good!”

“Oh, he’s an absolute delight!” Violet laughed. She wasn’t sure what he wanted here, or if he was just something Shay happened to pick up or if he really did have something to do with Marc, but he was certainly entertaining in the meantime. It was good that it seemed to take Shay’s mind off of things too, whatever it was.

“Okay Morgan, we get the joke. Horny dummy, ha ha, it’s very funny but you might wanna consider getting some new shtick.” Summers was less impressed. Suppose because she really thought quiet awkward Morgan Shay was the one saying it all. “Unless you want your prop to end as a duraflame log.”

“Oh a little bit of raunchy humor would go a long way in this Talent Show I think.” Violet piped up in Shay’s defense and Summers frowned at her. “It’s not overly crass or demeaning so far for a bit of funny, he’s just taking the piss. And with people participating like Cordelia and her singing…” she raised her brows meaningfully. “I’m not sure if you’ve really heard it before but some laughs and comic relief would be in dire need I think.”

“What, you like pick-up lines like that?” Harris asked her incredulously. “And what is…Taking the piss?”

“Well, thank you for hurting my feelings Harris.” she gasped in mock-hurt. “Maybe I like a bit of humor and rascally confidence every now and again.” she turned her nose up and then grinned. “And taking the piss, you know like…” she twirled her hand for a moment, “I think around here I heard, taking the mickey? Just some banter with a little bit of bite you know, nothing serious.”

“Taking the mick.” Summers corrected.

“Right yes, sure, that. The lingo here is a little different and I’m still getting used to it.” she shrugged. “Idiom discrepancies aside, give what I said earlier a little thought if you don’t like your dramatic scene thing. Just a thought. I better get back to my harp now, Marc’s rabbit is on the loose and I don’t trust those sharp little teeth around a string instrument. Good luck all, ta.” and she floated off after patting Shay’s shoulder.

And then not long after she was done a quick polish of her instrument, there was a scream and a dead body. In the girl’s locker room, again.

It was the ballet girl, Emily, and her heart was cut out of her chest.

xXx

“Emily? Didn’t know her too well, but knew she was looking forward to performing. Her parents…I can’t even imagine.” Violet frowned. “Her brother was coming up from college to see it. This town…Really puts the twelve cemeteries to use.” she said grimly. Willow and Co., or she supposed Slayer Summers and Co. were making their way through the other Talent Show teens. She knew because earlier she saw Harris talking with Cordelia about it. During cheer practice.

Cordelia, for all she sometimes made fun of them, wasn’t particularly cruel or vicious about it. She’d even seen her acting civil and speaking with them before, the ‘losers’, when others weren’t there to mock them.

“And was…Did Morgan seem suspicious to you at all?” Harris went on. At this point she seemed to be one of the last ones to be interviewed and had both Harris and Willow. Probably because she was classed as Willow’s friend.

“Shay? No more than usual but I mean…Given the tumor and all…”

“What?”

“You didn’t know? Morgan, he…It probably isn’t my business to say, but Morgan’s got a brain tumor. He’s supposed to be getting surgery at some point in the next few months. I know after the rehearsal he had to go spend time in the nurse’s office to lay down for a little while.”

“After rehearsal? Like, right after rehearsal?”

“Yes? His mother came to pick him up when all of the…When they found Emily. I’m sure this stress isn’t good for him either.”

“How’d you know about the tumor? Doesn’t really seem like something to tell people.”

“Hm? He’s friends with Lincoln- Lance, you know? And when we need groups, he lumps with us in English. He’s a little awkward, and sure maybe a little weird right now but I imagine all the stress and doctor visits haven’t been easy on him. If…You need proof or something you can always look in the student records. Not sure why you would need it but…” she shrugged. “If someone’s saying things about him just because he’s a little bit of an oddball, just doesn’t seem right not to set things straight. He’s not a bad kid. He’s just trying to live as normally as he can right now.”

xXx

“Brain tumor?” Marc frowned.

“Yes. I assume you needed a healthy heart? Was the knife just to throw people off?”

“No, when I have human skin, I’m a human. And all that entails.” he sighed in frustration. “Sure as hell worth it though.”

“Hmm…Did you need any other organs? If you do, I’d recommend getting them outside of the students. A few more savvy humans are suspicious.”

“What, even with the knife? I came to Sunnydale ‘cause it’s a Hellmouth, death all the time. I thought it probably wouldn’t stand out too much with all the others around.” he ran his hand through his hair. “Stupid puppet. Should’ve just killed him.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, me and a couple others I was in a gang with back when, some jerk tried to kill us all and we thought it’d be funny to turn him into a dummy and the only way to break the curse was if we were all dead.” he rolled his eyes. “Fuckwad managed to kill the rest of them.”

“Gonna skip town?”

“Not until I get a brain. This body is almost done for and I…Kinda wasn’t paying attention to the time to stock up beforehand.”

“A brain?”

“A young brain. A healthy smart young brain.”

“Mm. I could…Grab someone outside of town? Maybe it’ll pull the puppet off your tail, think you tried to run.”

“Yeah? And what do you want in return?”

“For you to please do a better magic act in the show.” she said with exaggerated bats of her lashes. “That and, I’d rather not have Shay involved in all this anymore. His mother made me snacks once.”

“You get me a brain and I’m golden for another seven years.”

xXx

“Two towns over someone was scalped and their brain was stolen!”

“Yeah, my dad said it looks a lot like whoever attacked Emily!”

Violet hummed to herself quietly as she made her way through the halls. The news had spread like fiend-fyre and Marc was happily human.

“Should we still go after them?”

“If they’ve already got the heart and brain…”

“Sid’s already on their tail.”

She smiled a little wider as she passed the library.

“You’ve got a set date for the surgery?” she asked later in English class.

“Y-yeah. Mom’s glad we finally got it pinned down.” he smiled.

“That’s great, man!” Lance punched his shoulder gently.

“Yeah…I uh, have to step out of the Talent Show though. Got another doctor’s appointment.”

“That’s alright. To be honest, that dummy kinda creeped me out.” Lance told him.

“He was alright. I uh…Don’t have him anymore though.”

“A little old talent show doesn’t mean much in the face of an upswing, I think.” Violet smiled.

xXx

She leaned over curiously. “So you’re the one making all the fuss? You seem a little young to be in highschool.”

A young boy looked up at her nervously and she circled around him.

“You’re certainly no demon, dear. You…Where’s your body? Do you need help finding it?”

“I- I know where it is.”

“Hm…Is it…Not in a safe place?”

“I…”

“You are casting very powerful psionic power just by not being in your body.” she explained to him. “And it seems to be…Warping the physical world. On people’s fear. Did something terrible happen to throw you out of your body?” she asked gently and he flinched. “And Laura…She’s in the hospital. What’s your name sweetheart?”

“Billy. Billy Palmer.”

“Billy.” she hummed. “By chance, the same Billy that was in the paper the other day? In a coma?”

But then he seemed to hear something, a look of fright crossing his face and he ran off. She frowned after him and not five minutes later, was pulling the fuzz and frizz of Cordelia’s hair back in two tight French braids and producing a hat that complimented her outfit for her. What a dull nightmare to have. She supposed if someone prided themselves in their appearance so much, or took quite so much care of her beloved hair, it could be understandable. Lavender Brown, as she recalled, almost murdered the Weasley twins in the Great Hall when they messed with her hair products and as she was given to understand, still had yet to forgive them.

At least it wasn’t something truly awful, like a slasher killer from the cinema she supposed. Which reminded her, hopefully this would all be over by the time she Lance and Morgan went out to see the recent creature feature the cinema was promoting, a slightly older film. Those two developed a love of supernatural horror flicks, and then reminiscing on all the weird things in Sunnydale afterwards. At least they had a sense of humor about being in mortal danger all the time.

She wondered if other people were as confused about the strange dream-like stream of events happening lately, or if everyone here had been so conditioned to accept horror that they carried on and hoped it didn’t target them specifically.

She, of course, was safe. Her mind was a steel trap, not just from practicing mind magics but from various little rituals and spells done to ensure the privacy and secrecy of Unspeakables and the knowledge they possessed. The wafting wave of energy the boy’s psychic power had was nothing but a gentle pond, still and harmless.

Unfortunately, that big man that was attacking people was like the kelpies lying in wait in said pond. Billy Palmer was harmless but the things his power brought about weren’t so much. She found her day of classes sidetracked with how many people’s bad dreams were getting in the way and she wondered if she should have just sent her golem-doll doppelganger in and gone to hang around down in the crypt.

Just when giant bugs were flying around, things seemed to just…Shift.

The psionic energies Billy was unconsciously manipulating were gone and peeking around, no one was malformed or running around screaming in abject terror anymore. Summers and Co., if record indicated.

At least she’d be able to enjoy Killer Klowns from Outer Space now.

xXx

Billy Palmer’s coach was imprisoned for being an abusive sack of shit. If she cast a little charm or two or seven to make sure he’d suffer, that was her personal prerogative. She also wasn’t happy with the parents of the team he coached when the children were cautiously speaking out and that their clueless or uncaring parents were so easily assuaged with the waste of human skin saying the bruises came from practice and not to worry.

But Violet had always had a little bit of a soft spot for children and had always been absolutely livid at child abusers and negligent parents or guardians anyways.

Having lived with Aunt Petunia until she was seven might have had a hand in that. She still hasn’t entirely forgiven her parents for that and she doesn’t think they’d ever forgiven themselves either. Thinking she was dead and not checking their own trees for confirmation were their own faults and she was left to suffer. Supposed at least the crazy woman who sent her there after stealing her was suffering at least. And so were Petunia and Vernon. Awful, terrible people. She was smaller than her own twin sister because of it, and had been on the verge of organ failure. There was only so much magic and potions could do in the face of overworking and starvation on a young body.

It took a long time to be able to trust her parents. Not forgive, never that. If it weren’t for Lilac, she might never have trusted them at all, never given them any chance at all.

She missed them.

She was thankfully distracted from her homesick loneliness when the May Queen competition and Cordelia’s running for it.

And then her dunderheaded boyfriend was attacked. At least it wasn’t another dead student.

Either way, warmer browns and tans was on the agenda for the Cordettes for this May Queen thing and Violet was a little iffy on that. She’d never thought lighter or non-monochrome colors like that were her…Thing. And she might have been able to get away with a minty green like her eyes, but Cordelia wanted soft warm. No blues, greens, purples, and no red. Her dress would be pretty in what she might call a pale nude color with a pinkish bottom half and while none of them could have that color, they were looking for creamy colors that were darker so Cordelia could stand out more. Aphrodesia was going for a warm butterscotch color that looked nice with her red hair and freckles, Aura had found a peach shaded dress, Blue had decided on topaz, Paige managed to get a more gently cinnamon-brown dress. Freesia had originally wanted a cream colored dress but it was too light and had instead gone for a clay-tan color that looked especially fetching. Harmony was the only one allowed to wear something pink.

They did help her find a dress to wear though from the small catalogue sent by the company she was commissioning it from. Cordelia’s off the rack horror stories and how back with her family every piece of clothing was tailored via magic might have swayed her. From the Pantone pallet that the girls chose their own colors from came creamsicle orange that ended up looking very nice against her skin was the end result. The colors aside the dresses were all very different, with different embellishments. As long as nothing looked too similar to Cordelia’s dress, it was whatever they wanted. For Violet, for example, there was a strapless sweetheart top and her back was entirely exposed. The skirt fell down with gauzy fabric in a gentle way that she knew would twirl beautifully. A silky fabric thinly lined the top and back edges in a slightly darker shade and the bodice fit was of course quite snug. She would never have the largest chest but she did have an admirable enough amount of cleavage and her appeal was more in her full hips, jiggly but toned arse and strong legs. And it did make her arse look fantastic. Aura’s dress with the halter-top style focused more on showing how slim she was, Aphrodesia’s was more saucy with a slit up the leg showing off the hard work from track. Blue’s more well endowed chest was of course capitalized on while being kinder about her softer body and Paige’s dress had shiny sequins all down the skirt. Freesia had lacy embroidery.

And then Harmony was pushed down the stairs, and that put a little more of a damper on things. First Cordelia’s boyfriend and then her very bestfriend? Still, later in the night it didn’t stop them from helping Cordelia with her dress. She wasn’t sure why they were doing it in the school- wait no, it was to compare the dance decorations to make sure it wasn’t too ugly for Cordelia’s tastes. Paige was on the planning committee and had a hand in the planning after all.

Two men in suits with the same steely feel of a few other men in suits she had met before were prowling around. They tended to find handy affected humans to take in and train in some shady secret part of the government. They tended to watch over Hellmouth areas and other places where the magic tended to mess about with things, scouting out people. She had almost been scouted but a few dozen confounded agents and a particularly vicious transformation spell one time meant they learned to leave her alone. They didn’t seem interested in the Slayer thing though, so perhaps they were drawn by the stories of floating bats and people that might be invisible?

xXx

She almost choked out a teacher now, the one due to be helping Cordelia. She meandered through class and when Cordelia pulled her aside, directed her to the library- Buffy and the three ‘losers’ hung around there most of the time.

“And…Cordelia.”

“Yes?”

“Try…Not to be alone anywhere for now. Mitch, Harmony, the teacher…I think it’s clear someone has it out for you right now.”

“Y-…Yeah. That’s what I wanted to talk to Buffy about.”

“She is certainly capable. If you don’t mind, I’ll walk you to the library.”

“You…Know where it is?”

“I like the library. So many fascinating books there.” she smiled. “It’s how I know Summers and her crowd spend so much time there. You could always stand to take after that example. No one seems to take their study dates with you seriously.” she scrunched up her nose.

“They’re too busy trying not to offend me or offering to just do it for me.” Cordelia rolled her eyes. “You’re not like that.” she noted then with a frown.

“Well how are you supposed to learn if everyone does it for you? You’re a capable girl, Cordelia, it’s just that everyone around you pampers you too much to actually see that.” she said. “If you’re not told you’re wrong, how are you to know you’re wrong and correct yourself? How can you grow when you’re being stifled by yes-men all the time or shielded away from things by people who hang around you because you have social status? Utter buffoonery in my opinion. Lonely too. At least when I was-…” she almost said when she was her age. Oops. “By the time I got to boarding school I had been reunited with my family and had a twin sister. My family, as I said, is rather well off and loving but the pressure and the people who flocked to me and my sister because our parents were well known…It was lonely, trying to find people who cared about us and not just our names or our parents or the money we had. At least we had eachother most of the time.”

“I’m…I’m an only child.”

“Worst of all.” she shook her head. “I know we’re not as close as some of the others, Cordelia, but you are my friend you know. I hope you feel like you can talk to me about those things if you ever feel like it’s too much. Oh look, the library. Will you be alright going in by yourself? I know you and Summers aren’t uh…The closest.”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be alright. I need to do things for myself after all, right? No having people doing everything for me?” she smiled and Violet grinned back, dimples appearing.

“Right on, darling. Just…Have someone accompany you back. Independence aside, it still isn’t really safe right now.”

“You be careful too. And…Thanks Violet.” she smiled more sincerely.

“Anytime, Cordelia. You were my first friend here and all.” she sent a teasing look over her shoulder as she turned and Cordelia made her way into the library. Violet hummed, set herself under her cloak and eavesdropped.

Suppose they didn’t even notice their invisible girl Marcie in the room with them, following Cordelia.

xXx

“Are you daft? She’s invisible, not intangible.” Violet huffed, finally annoyed enough that she sprayed neon blue paint on this Marcie girl and bound her with a handy rope for them. Kidnapping Cordelia after her heart-to-heart with her and during Summers and her own heart-to-heart with her was just bad timing and terribly rude. She had originally decided to leave it to Summers and her friends but frankly got impatient.

She was close enough now that she would actively participate to keep her friends from dying or getting too badly hurt. Which was good, she decided, since it meant she was settling in and putting in roots or something.

“And you, stop gasping, I didn’t put any on your face and it doesn’t give off fumes, you naughty girl.” she scolded. “Drugging people? Choking them out, beating them with a baseball, throwing them down stairs? You’re lucky Harmony didn’t break her neck, lucky these two weren’t allergic to what you put in them, lucky that teacher didn’t have a heart attack or bad lungs. You could have murdered them and then you wouldn’t just be tied up like this, I can assure you that.” she scowled down at her.

“V-Violet?”

“I had wanted to trust in your abilities Summers, given you’ve been doing so well with everything up to this point but Cordelia is my friend and you were all taking too long.” she frowned. “I think you would have stopped her or at least captured her if you were given a little more time but…Well, you were both drugged beforehand and she was going to maim Cordelia for slighting her.” she jerked the end of the rope the girl was on, jostling her. “Vengeance seeking aside, you’ve caused some ruckus but I suppose at least no one died this week.” she sighed in frustration. “Which, again, is more luck than anything. Trying to teach people when you’re just a student as well, how vain.”

“I’m not the vain one here, I-”

“You found yourself invisible, blamed this invisibility on the people around you and researched and concocted a plan to maim the people you felt were at fault like some avenger from a gritty novella. They have family and loved ones, you had family and loved ones and rather than going to them- they were desperate and there’s no way you didn’t notice the posters they put up- you decided to focus all your attention on revenge for teenage slights.”

“You don’t understand, I had nobody here and it’s all-”

“All their fault? All Cordelia’s fault? All her fault specifically that you hung around alone, that you shunned other classmates in your attempts to blend in with a popular crowd, mocking other students and making yourself so forgettable as one of the people who hung around Cordelia and Harmony like a shadow that latent magic made you invisible? Cordelia might not always be kind, and neither are our friends in the Cordettes, but blaming your own inability to take rejection and find your niche elsewhere when it was made clear you wouldn’t be accepted in the Cordettes isn’t her fault. I’ve spoken to your mother, you know. You were obsessed with popularity, brushed off your bandmates who did want to be friends with you but you were too busy following Cordelia and stewing in dejection when you didn’t get your way. I can’t blame you for going to desperate measures when you were rendered visually invisible. But becoming a violent girl obsessed with Cordelia in a new way and pretending that you’re doing it in some sense of twisted justice for yourself? Absolutely not, you petulant little girl.” she shook her via the rope again. She was crying now and Violet frowned. “But…At least you didn’t kill anyone I suppose. And turning invisible at what should be the height of your teen years certainly can’t be blamed on you either. I don’t think you did what you should have done in the situation, but…I do suppose I can see why you did what you did. Not on the maiming Cordelia part, why couldn’t you just…Pants her or something in front of a crowd? There’s no need to permanently disfigure her.” her anger roiled up again. “Using your invisibility to take secrets and sneak around, I can’t say I’d blame you for that. But telling Cordelia to be grateful that you were going to disfigure her? Saying Summers should have understood but was just like ‘the others’ for wanting you not to carve into someone’s face? Acting all high and mighty when you had them weakened and drugged but crying like this when you yourself were caught?” she kicked the girl to the floor. “You’re petty. You claim that she deserves to suffer, but only because you were rejected by her.” she accused the crying girl. “And you don’t want to face the consequences of your actions. Being upset and humiliating people who you felt wronged you, I wouldn’t have cared about it. Actively attacking them? Especially when one of them is a friend of mine and then having the audacity to act like you’re the victim? Of being turned invisible, of being rejected, sure. But when you hospitalized a boy for dating her, shoved her friend down a set of stairs, choked a teacher just for being a little biased, did- whatever it was you did to make Giles and Harris and Willow so late to the party…Drugged and kidnapped Summers and Cordelia with express intent to do harm…”

She sneered angrily.

“You want to be seen? To be noticed? Fine.” she snapped her fingers and the magic that had coalesced around Marcie Ross to render her invisible to the eye dispersed. “Have fun when you’re imprisoned and your face is all over the newspapers.”

The suits wouldn’t be interested in her now that she wasn’t invisible and she wouldn’t be able to escape persecution for at least drugging and kidnapping Cordelia and Summers. She also, as a precaution, locked away the knowledge she had on Summers and Giles and them in case she got any ideas. She glared down at her angrily before turning over to Cordelia and waving a hand to heal and clean the cut on her face before turning a vile glare back down on the girl on the floor.

“You say that Cordelia was self-absorbed. But you were the one who originally put her on a pedestal just like everyone else. Cordelia never physically assaulted someone for saying things behind her back. And you know damn well there are people in the school who hate her, hate that she’s so popular, hate that her family is well off, hate that she’s pretty and that she tries so hard to achieve that small town fame. She’s heard them. She knows they’re there, and she knows what people call her. Slut, skank, stupid whore, bitch.” she leaned down. “Just because she’s popular, just because there are people who adore her doesn’t meant there aren’t people who would tear her down in a heartbeat for those things, just like what you want to do. Because they’re bitter, because they want what she has, because they want people to look at them the way they look at her. Selfish, self-absorbed reasons. Blaming her for their own shortcomings. Like you. Blaming her for how hard she works to feel seen, even if they only see a pretty girl who switches boys like shoes and uses her parents’ money. Blaming her for taking care of her hair and makeup, for caring about her appearance- when people place her value on the way she looks. You think it’s so wonderful, being pretty, having a little money behind your name? Not knowing who stays around you hungry for power or money or fame through you? For knowing that to some of the people around you that you’re nothing but a way for them to feel important themselves, that they don’t care about you at all? For being nothing but a pretty face or another way to brag to their friends? Do you think it’s fun, never knowing who you could trust with your secrets, who would mock you and blackmail you for them, for a little more popularity, for a little more power? Think it’s fun to always have to hide parts of yourself in case one of the people who call themselves your friend betrays you?” she straightened up again.

“I don’t hate you for thinking Cordelia’s life is nothing but glamour and fun. I hate you for thinking you had any right for attacking her for those things. I hate you for attacking her because you were jealous of her. I hate you, not for hating the image you have of her built up in your head, but for justifying hurting not only her but the people around her and thinking that you’re some hero for it. You’re not. You’re nothing but a violent stalker obsessed with her. I didn’t know you before Marcie. I felt bad for you, talking to your mother. But this? Now? I hate you, Marcie Ross. I see you now, and I hate you.”

“Nobody move!”

The two suits chose a spectacular time, Violet thought to herself, crossing her arms over her chest. If Summers hadn’t escaped from her bonds and she hadn’t have intervened, Cordelia would have already been maimed.

“She isn’t invisible anymore.” she called to them, narrowing her eyes. “So she’s of no use to your ilk and your…Rehabilitation.”

“And you are?”

“Violet Lyra Potter.”

“Ms. Potter.” another suit stepped forward, waving off his colleagues. “Come with me, if you please.” she was led a short distance off. “I assume you had something to do with Ms. Ross’s return to vision?” he asked quietly, peering down at her.

“And I assume my move to Sunnydale is a need-to-know sort of thing?”

“Your existence is a ‘need-to-know sort of thing’.” he raised his brows at her. “We weren’t expecting you to get involved with other…Mysterious incidents.”

“And I wasn’t expecting to get stalked by government agents but here we are. I’ll say it again- keep your sort away from me and everything will be fine. Try to…Accost me again, and things will not be so fine.”

“We’ve…Learned.” he said primly.

“That also means I expect you’ll stay out of Sunnydale as long as I’m in it.”

“Sunnydale is a-”

“Is my home now.” she cut him off. “You’ve yet to bother the other inhabitants and I assume that is because they aren’t of interest.”

“The other inhabitants, as you say, aren’t dimension hopping witches with death powers. You can hardly blame us for wanting to keep an eye on things.”

“I can and most certainly will. This little chat aside, the girl will be facing prison time and will not be receiving any light treatment and questions about the secrets she found while she was invisible.”

“And I’ll assume aside from making her visible again, you did something to keep the secrets she has to herself?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.” she stuck her nose up. “Now if you don’t mind, take her off to the police and tell them she drugged, kidnapped and attempted to assault these two girls.”

xXx

“I’d been keeping an eye out, I suppose.” she said primly, sitting in the library after the coronation and she was more or less tugged away. “You lot aren’t exactly subtle sometimes.”

“And…Making Marcie not-invisible?”

“Oh, just dispersing the magic that collected around her to make her invisible in the first place.” she waved off easily. “Easy paltry thing. I still can’t believe that you didn’t think of throwing paint or powder or something to see her.” she sighed.

“We uh, we were a little preoccupied.”

“Oh yes. You three were suspiciously absent at the Bronze.” she frowned. “What happened there? I assumed it was more of Marcie’s meddling?”

“Wait wait, you…Dispersed the magic making Ms. Ross invisible?” Giles put things back on track. “You can manipulate magic?”

“I imagine any witch could in some capacity, yes.”

“Witch? Wait, witch like Amy’s mom-?” Willow piped in, alarm crawling up her features and Violet snorted.

“No, of course not. She was a…Well, she was more a sort of…Wiccan. She didn’t have her own power, I mean, she called on others to use their powers.”

“And you…Don’t need to call on others.”

“No. No, I do not.” she tilted her head to the side. “I have my own…Magical core.”

“Speaking of Amy’s mom…Did you have…I mean, anything to do with that?”

“All I did was break a spell that she put on Cordelia. Given that the last one to be jinxed was set on fire, I didn’t want to really know what they wanted with Cordelia. I think the spell she was attempting to cast on her was a fatal one and it flung her soul back to her rightful body and that let Amy’s soul back into her own body.” she shook her head. “She seems much happier with her dad now at least.”

“So…What now?”

“What do you mean, what now? We carry on.”

“What, like before? Like none of this ever happened?”

“Yes? I’ll still keep an eye out and intervene as I feel necessary but so far, you’ve all been doing very well for yourselves.” she shrugged. “I suppose if you ever want to specifically ask for my help, I’d probably give it though.”

“Can you make me more handsome?” Harris was first to respond and she smiled at him.

“I could make you into a toad if I wanted to.” she said amusedly.

“Alright, okay, no asking for magical makeovers from you, got it.”

xXx

“Cordelia, I wanted to give you this.”

“What’s this?”

“A protection charm. You know, in case anything…Bizarre happens again.”

“I love this color- is that-”

“Carnelian and citrine, yes.” Violet smiled and hummed for a moment. “Ear cuffs are all the rage right now but it can also turn into a ring, toe-ring or anklet as needed.”

“…So you really…Are into like, occult stuff huh?”

“Cordelia. I am ‘occult stuff’.” she told her patiently. “Don’t worry about it too much, I’m not some old hag or something cursing people into frogs. Just, of course, keep it quiet. Would sound a bit weird trying to tell people about things like invisible girls and magic wouldn’t it?”

“…Thanks, Violet.”

xXx

By the time the dance was closing in on them, Cordelia had started dating Kevin. He was popular, but he wasn’t a slimy loser and he and Cordelia really connected to one another, not just dating because they were both attractive and popular. Violet was glad for it, given the string of shitty boyfriends she’d had in the time Violet has seen and from what she heard from the other girls.

On a side note to Cordelia’s improving love life, the Master was practically giddy and the vampires under him were feeling confident for it. Something was going to happen soon.

The earth shaking and moving was blessedly unfelt in her solid magically reinforced home at least.

“Should we be casually in school like this? With those cracks in the walls and floors?” she asked idly.

“At least the dance isn’t being held here.” Aphrodesia pointed out and Violet had to agree with that at least. “Oh…Look at that.” she pulled Violet and Aura over slightly to hide.

“Summers and Harris?”

“Look at that face- oh! He totally asked her to the spring fling. And she said no.” Aura surmised off of facial expressions and the way Harris stormed off.

“I mean, Buffy’s weird but she’s hot. Did he think he could actually bag her?”

“I thought Xander and Willow were dating?” Paige came up behind them.

“Much as Willow might want to.” Violet snorted. “He just asked Buffy.”

“Yeah, I’m on ‘Desia with this one. Did he actually think he had a chance?”

“Doesn’t look the type to take rejection well either.”

They laughed a bit more and went off to their classes.

xXx

She fidgeted. This wasn’t just one or two people around town. This was a group of students slaughtered for…Fun. One of them was Kevin. Cordelia was devastated.

She breathed in, breathed out.

They didn’t like garlic. They didn’t like crosses. They didn’t like fire. They didn’t like holy water. And she was sure there were a whole bunch of spells she knew that would shred them to pieces.

She decidedly didn’t like them attacking her school.

She perfected her lipstick and let a few of the shorter curls that would frame her face bounce out of the French twist she had finessed her hair into, looking at her reflection for a few quiet moments.

She liked the Master and had been watching at first because she was bored, then because she was a little fond and then because of Collin. She hadn’t minded his followers roaming around killing those who wandered around at night.

But not only did they kill Kevin, Cordelia’s sweetheart, but now Willow was traumatized as well.

And now this new event might actually release the Master’s beloved Old Ones and they might try to wreck up her town.

It wasn’t to be had. She made sure her makeup was spot-on, a little shimmer in the oil she used after her bath making her skin gleam attractively and then slid on her heels. She didn’t have a date waiting on her at least, which was swell enough for her she supposed.

When she got to the school, she found Summers’s group and Ms. Calendar in the library.

“Ah. Signs of the impending apocalypse?” she asked calmly.

“Buffy’s-”

“Off to fight the good fight, potentially killing her in the process? That sounds about right for a Chosen One. I assume she went to follow the Anointed One to the Master?” Violet mused aloud. She blinked around at them. “And what are all of you doing here then? Have you set traps for his cult of vampires already? He’s going to be trying his hand at opening the Hellmouth if he gets out of his crypt.”

“How do you know about all of that? We’ve only just…”

“Because I’ve snuck into their lair of course.” she said easily, sashaying closer. “I’m surprised it hadn’t been trapped- the exits I mean. It’s what I would have done if I really wanted to tamp down on the local vampire population. They can’t stand daylight, go out and surround their exit points in garlic and crosses and holy water. Maybe throw a Molotov cocktail or a few down there, catch them on fire perhaps.” she said idly as she rolled out the bag she had with her.

“What’s…All of this?”

“Oh, you know. A few precautions.” she said easily. “Don’t mind me, by the by. Continue on with whatever you were planning. Though…I understand Summers not being here but where is Harris?”

They exchanged looks but didn’t say anything.

“Right, well. If you need me, I’ll just be checking something real quick.”

Not fifteen minutes later when she came back, only Giles was present. She looked around with a frown. “Something you need?” Giles asked distractedly.

“Where are Ms. Calendar and Willow?”

“They’ve gone to the Bronze.”

“To the spring fling? Why?”

“To get them out of the way of the Hellmouth.”

“Then…Why would they go to the Bronze?” she was entirely lost on why they would be telling the teenagers there unless it was to…Try to get them out of the city entirely?

“Because that’s where the Hellmouth is.”

“No it’s not?”

“What?”

“The Hellmouth isn’t below the Bronze. Did you…How in the world did you come to that?”

“That’s where the Master sent his envoy for the Harvest-”

“Because he needed blood from his Vessel and the only place consistently busy and crowded during the night in Sunnydale is the Bronze. Not because that’s where the Hellmouth is.”

“Then…Where is it?”

“Mr. Giles. We’re standing over it. And…Ah. The Master is free.”

xXx

“You could have done so much, Master.” she sighed. “But instead, you decided to lollygag. I understand you might want to draw this victory of yours out and all but…You could have won already. You didn’t even properly kill Summers. She was only dead for a minute before being resuscitated. Her soul still thrives in her body.” she said serenely. “Maybe if this had been done sooner, I would have let it happen.” she looked out into the night for a moment. “You could have done so much.” she said again as she lit him in fiendfyre, a winding serpent of brilliant green fire wrapping around him, his shrieks of agony echoing in the air as he fell through the ceiling and conveniently landed on a broken wooden railing. His bones remained when he faded and she stared down at his skeleton idly for a moment before the door slammed open. She turned to see Summers. “Welcome back to the living, Summers. I’m sorry you didn’t get to experience death as the next great adventure it’s meant to be, but I’m rather glad to see you alive all the same.”

“You- the Master?”

“His bones are the only thing left of him.” she turned her gaze back down and quashed her fiendfyre. “I suppose his being a king has something to do with that.” her head tilted to the side before she turned back to look at Summers who came to stand beside her. “I like your dress.” she complimented, snapping her fingers and drying both it and her hair.

“Thanks.”

“…You know, Summers…Death, for a Chosen One can be a tricky thing, even if you weren’t dead for long.” she said as things were calming down.

“Sound pretty confident about that.”

“I suppose I do.” she answered noncommittally. “Because I am. You could have been dead for seconds, or you could have been dead for years. But you came back. It changes people. Whether for better or worse is up to the individual I’m afraid. I’ve yet to be disappointed in your progress however.” she sighed. “Well, enough somber talk. I think we should head down now, don’t you think?” she turned to the door. “And…Summers?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“…For what?”

“It’s hard to knowingly walk to your death because a prophecy told you that’s what needed to be done. Especially as a teenage girl with the weight of millions of lives on your shoulders. Thank you.”

“…You sound like you know what it’s like.”

“Hm…Once upon a time. Before I came here.” she admitted softly. “So all the more when I say it, and I’ll say it again. Thank you. And I’m sorry you had to do that.”

“No one…No one ever told you they were sorry did they?” she asked and for a moment, Violet stopped. It was pretty clear she wanted to swerve the attention away from her and Violet couldn’t really blame her after an ordeal like dying and then coming back.

“…They celebrated. They cheered.” she waited at the door down. “My parents, my sister were relieved to have me back. But it was prophecy. It had to happen, he had to kill me.” she turned to Summers again. “No, Summers. No one took the time to tell me it shouldn’t have been me, that just because there was a prophecy that I would have to willingly sacrifice myself or the world will fall down all around us. Every trial and setback, every challenge and fight I’d gone through before all led up to me walking to my own slaughter. I had to die to kill my prophesized enemy and he had to be the one to kill me. And I accepted it. I would die, but so many would live. I would die, but everyone I loved would be safe from him and his followers. I didn’t think I would live past the battle. I didn’t plan for it. I had accepted that I would need to die in the short time I had before it needed to be done. That part, once I did that it was easy. It was living after that, that was the hard part.” she sighed through her nose. “It’s hard to cherish life when you had already accepted the end of it. Harder still were the nightmares that came. Come on, Summers. I’m sure the others are waiting downstairs.”

xXx

“Place is a mess isn’t it.” she said after they’d gotten their quiet talk done and a plan of action was settled. She snapped her fingers, glass reforming and shelves aligning and mending back together. Books that had fallen were neatly put back on their assigned shelves and the dust and rubble flowed back into the cracked ground to neatly make everything neat and tidy again. It was as if nothing had happened at all. The Master’s bones were strung up in a display case that popped up from the ground.

“I bet cleaning day at your house is a breeze.” Willow said faintly, the weight of what had almost happened settling more now that the adrenaline was almost all gone.

“It would be, if my pets weren’t always making a muck of things.” she sighed. “Right! I’m dolled up, Summers has got a tousled hair look and a fabulous dress, let’s get to the Bronze!”

xXx

She hummed as she danced around the house before being caught in Adonis’s coils. She was dragged closer for him to cuddle and she sighed happily as she made sure she still had room to play with the yo-yo she’d been given. Things had been so quiet lately, the vampires were much more subdued with the death of the Master, the demons had been quiet after the mess of the spring fling and summer was upon them. And no one in her immediate friend group had died! Wonderful things.

Summers had gone to spend the summer with her father. She supposed after dying briefly that she would love to spend time with her family members. Still, school would be resuming once again in what felt like a short two and half months at this point and the calm peaceful summer would be over. At least a little chill in the air wouldn’t be remiss, she thought. California was so incredibly warm all the time it felt like. For a little while, she wondered what her family was doing but didn’t let the thoughts linger. No need to get all maudlin when things had been going so well.

Mostly. Morgan’s moved away after his surgery. His parents didn’t want to stay in such a dangerous town anymore, especially after the group murder of the audio club he only missed by virtue of a check-up. And Freesia’s family moved too after they found out she was up the duff. A few other families left as well but they were of course replaced with people who saw the cheap real estate and brushed off or decided to brave the ‘gang activity’ since it had calmed down significantly so far. Not disappeared of course. And since she wasn’t hanging around in the crypt nearly as much she had taken on the business of fixing up a motorbike. By which she meant enchanting it mostly of course. She and Lilac had never been as invested as daddy-Paddy but sometimes they’d be enlisted in helping him fix up his bikes and had been taught how to handle and ride them, much to their mother’s consternation. Still, she wasn’t the most…Knowledgeable on the muggle bike market especially given this was a different dimension and quite a few years back from her own. So she went to a place, threw some money around and was the proud owner of a Kawasaki ZX-79. It had lime green and purple though, so she’d had to change that. Soon fire red metal flakes shimmered and she thought it was much sexier this way.

Of course her sleek helmet matched. The only real problem with riding her new pretty set of wheels was her love of miniskirts and bare legs, mostly.

Oh, she did also buy a car. Mostly for her golem-mum figure but that she could use freely when she wanted to drive her friends around or something when a motorbike just wouldn’t make the cut.

Well, then that turned into two cars, one in specific mind for the golem-mum if hers ever needed ‘repairs’ and also because the first car she’d liked was only a two-seater. The Porsche 911 Carrera RS. It was wonderful in almost black blue with high gloss and she thought it looked much cuter than some of the…Other two-seaters. Had more of a charm in her opinion.

The other was a New Beetle and apparently it wasn’t technically on the market yet? For all people were apparently frothing at the mouth to have them, talking with a few enthusiasts told her it was mostly a lemon but was ripe with customization potential. Honestly she just thought it was cute, all round and sweet. And then there was interior mods she got to look at and throw more conjured muggle money at. Her pretty Porsche had fine all white leather interiors and she didn’t really care how much money it cost her since for her, muggle money had no real value. There were no Ministries or M.A.C.U.S.A. or whatever with laws against it here, nor precautions for it either. She could have a sprawling mansion if she had the inclination. As it were she was considering moving house to something smaller. The layout of her mirror would remain the same since the hidden pocket it was in was connected to the mirror, not the house. She didn’t need a five bedroom, three bathroom house to herself. She’d just given the realtor she hired money and sent him off, not really taking care or caring about what he chose for her. She had charmed cleaning things that kept her house in tip-top shape when she didn’t feel like using spells and charms to do it herself.

Potential for moving aside, the entirety of the Porsche had clean white leather interiors and suspended headliners in brilliant blue on the ceiling, and the entire car was packed with so much magic it might as well have not been muggle made at all. Her beetle on the other hand was a little more…Fun, cute, whatever.

The exterior had a pearlescent, iridescent sheen over a pearly white paint job with a matte finish. The interior was dainty blush pink and the seat covers were thick plush faux-fur and the ceiling had starlight ambient lights on it and some white leather in the console between her front seats and in place of floor mats. Her steering wheel also had the pale pink faux fur cover and it dwarfed her hands in it. And her sweet girly beetle was also so jacked up with magic that she suspected it could survive explosions with not a scratch or stain on it. There would be no keying her cars, or her motorbike that was for sure. But the getting and customizing and enchanting of her vehicles made her want to do a little more.

As in, moving house. She hadn’t really cared for the muggle side of her home, so most everything felt sort of generic. If she was really going to settle in, she might as well have a go at making her house a home or some rot. She would give a go at it.

Not like there was any shortage of homes for sale in Sunnydale.

xXx

A more manageable three-bedroom, two and a half bath was soon in her family name. Her old home had most of the magical protections stripped so as not to bring about too much suspicion but it sold for quite a pretty penny by her zealous realtor. There was an in-ground pool in the back and a helix staircase up to the second floor balcony that led to the master suite. As in, her room. The basement was finished unlike her last home. The windows were also much bigger, most of them almost floor to ceiling entirely in huge blocks of square that spilled in so much light. She felt free to use darker or more saturated colors in response.

The kitchen had black terrazzo walls with lovely green, copper and golds on it and extended to the countertops seamlessly and her cabinets were all deep jade green. Her appliances- the oven and stove top, the fridge, the microwave oven that was set in the wall- were all shiny black. Her floor tiles were high gloss, very shiny black as well and around her island (that matched the cabinets and counters of course) had tall ‘ghost’ chairs-stools. Transparent mostly but hued in sunset orange. Her sink was copper. She liked it quite a lot, actually. The shiny black floor tracked the entirety of the house.

The sitting room had deep peacock blue-green walls that were glossy and reflected light prettily. A very plush rug spanned most of the floor space in this room in vivid white. She had a white leather lounger but the tufted sofa was velvety and jewel-blue and there was a heavy glass coffee table involved. There was a comfy double-chair in black suede. Alongside a few plants here and there of course, and the white bookshelf that spanned an entire wall behind the sofa. Across from the sitting room was the dining room and long heavy dark blue curtains kept the arch leading into it sectioned off. The oblong table was glass-top with copper legs and the dining chairs had the same metallic copper legs and comfortable white upholstery. There was a plain round rug under the ten-seat table and a clean white china cabinet was displaying black or blue sets of plates and bowls. The walls were navy blue. There were a few paintings in the colors of the rooms with brighter blues and orange hues but the real show stopper was the dark mirrored ceiling. The loo, or half-bath as it were, had striking emerald tiling three quarters of the wall, while what was left was white alongside the ceiling. The toilets were all black in the house as well. The sink was a regular white countertop with some storage underneath as might be needed, the actual appliance black like the toilet.

The basement was an open space that she wasn’t entirely sure what to do with yet, given she had her potions room and other more magical rooms hidden in the mirror so for now it was left as it was with its dark floor and plain pale gray walls.

The two bedrooms upstairs were technically guest rooms as of now, though one was her golem-mum’s. Even though she didn’t need to sleep or eat and without being interacted with or given orders, neatly stored herself in the small coat-closet by the front door. One done in gray and soothing blue and mature, the other in a louder teal wallpaper. Both had ‘queen’ beds in them and the teal room’s bedframe had a trundle bed, which was also a queen. The bathroom upstairs was much the same as the one below, except that it had a shower and tub and that the counter was a ‘floating’ one that didn’t have cabinets. The showerhead and pipes were black, and the tub was in the same emerald green as the tiles were. A hamper neatly slid under the floating counter had been charmed to wash, dry, iron and fold clothes, whereupon they would be placed in a white wicker basket on a side table just outside of the bathroom. The walls in the hall, much like the one downstairs, was the same as the sitting room. Shiny dark peacock blue-green. Rug runners were white, like the ones downstairs as well.

Her room, the master suite was a mixture of things she saw and liked, things she saw in the rags her friends read and the things she’d seen in the cinema. For example, a pure white ‘shag’ rug dominated most of the floor and she did give in to getting a stereo and CD rack.

The wall her bed was against was nothing but one huge mirror and her bed had a silk covered clamshell headboard. And it was huge and round and on a small platform.

It had been a find in an antique shop some time away from Sunnydale but reupholstering the frame and headboard in black and her sheets were black satin. Her bedding was otherwise pure white, and she did have a luxurious black faux-fur throw blanket. And on faux-fur, she had those…Bag-chair things, three of them, with smooth soft black faux-fur covers. Her clear acrylic desk had a white fluffy rolling desk chair. Her walls were pale aquamarine and she had track lights that let off pink and teal lights and turned her room pretty wicked looking in neon glows in her opinion. She also had two wall mounted lava lamps because Dudley had one once but he broke it immediately and she had thought it was pretty while it had worked. She had a walk-in closet and she used a silver large-sequin curtain in place of a solid door.

Her special mirror stood in her walk-in closet too, given it might seem a little silly to have this one and the huge wall-length one in her main room.

The bathroom had soft pretty candy-heart pink in place of emerald green in terms of the tiles but the style was the same. And instead of white on the remaining wall and ceiling, there was reflective black to match the clean black floor. The floating counter was also shiny black and her own small hamper was under it that would feed directly to her closet and she had a glorious black soaking tub. The showerhead and all were pale metallic pink and so was her sink. Fluffy black towels sat on a small shelf and the mirror was a big circular one with vanity-style lights on the rim. In a small drawer connected to the counter had her silk hair bonnets for sleeping and the ones for the shower when it wasn’t a wash day. Oils and creams and lotions made themselves at home here and she was very happy with it overall.

There was a sliding pocket door out to the balcony. Colorful inflatable outdoor furniture sat at the ready and a small magazine rack next to a suspended chair had the word search and crossword paperbacks she’d been playing around with lately. And of course, there was the helix staircase down to the first floor and the glass sliding doors to the kitchen.

The hedges and shrubbery were all neatly trimmed and beautiful and the grass was resplendently green and uniform around the white marble encircling the pool in a wide lip. There were some of the same bright inflatable furniture down here as well and also pool floats! She also had an outdoor mini-fridge and big fancy grill.

She would need to host a pool party before summer’s end, she decided. Though she would need to lock off all of the upstairs rooms outside of the bathroom, and her shed-sized greenhouse considering how much larger it was on the inside.

xXx

Cordelia’s hair was lighter and she had a fringe by the time school started up again. She had been talking about it during the summer, but it was a little different to see it now. And on haircuts, Harris got one as well that didn’t make him look as awful in her opinion. She might deign to start calling him by his name now. Willow’s hair was a little shorter, and Summers who had finally returned had a haircut as well. Violet personally only trimmed her own fringe back to an orderly straight fashion. She had to use a charm in order to make it fall flat into the fringe but she knew it brought out her eyes even more so it was fine by her. Back when she was really a teenager, she and Lilac both had kept their hair shorn in curly pixie cuts to keep it all out of the way and so they didn’t have to waste time on maintaining their curls. Waking up to find her hair had been growing the entire time she was asleep (nails too, but they trimmed those regularly at least) had only made her go to have it layered and trimmed. The longest of her hair fell just under her hips when before the longest it had ever been was to her shoulders. Lilac had shaved the sides of her head so she had a wild curly mane of a Mohawk, having finally embraced the punk style she had always wanted but they never had the time to explore. There had always been other things going on to keep them from branching out in style as teenagers. Her husband had a Mohawk, but much longer, and their wardrobe combined was a sprawling mass of ripped clothes, leather, chains, spikes and studs. Paddy had gone for more a rocker look when he was a teen but Lilac had embraced a more hardcore style. She had more tattoos covering her skin than scars when Violet woke up, and many many piercings. It was why Violet had so many ear piercings, a tongue piercing and a nostril stud now, not to mention bars through nipples, and why her handful of tattoos were also hidden under the same charm as her scars. She’d gotten them all with Lilac, as a new bonding experience.

Lilac and her blossoming into adulthood aside, Violet couldn’t quite bring herself to cut her hair besides trimming her fringe. It was a heavy weight that required regular maintenance and she usually kept it all up anyways but…She really liked it.

Well, she understood a little why one of Cordelia’s nightmares was her hair going wild. If she suddenly woke up with a pixie cut like she used to have, she’d be devastated. Not so much because she didn’t like the style, but more because she wanted to keep her hair long.

Violet cared about how she looked, and took pride in how well she presented herself. There was a time when the only clothes she was allowed to wear were her muggle cousin’s cast-offs, and a time where they were on the run and dirty, grimy, sweaty and in worn down run-down clothes. Having the power, the time and the means to look nice, to pretty herself up meant a lot to her. Lilac took pride in her own style, in the piercings, tattoos, clothes and accessories. It was a far cry from Hogwarts uniforms and whatever they could scrounge up to wear on the run.

Either way, the first few days back to school were quiet aside from Collin planning something to do with the Master’s bones. Violet had been a little distracted to be honest and the ritual he planned on using was a dud anyways from what she had seen of it and anything they would use those bones in regardless would be useless. The fiendfyre had destroyed anything that might have let them be used for magical purposes. Speaking of the Master, Summers was distant but that was to be expected Violet imagined.

Well, distant was probably a nice way to put it.

The sass and witty teenage rebellion was more like mean spirited and sullen defensiveness, from what she’s seen so far.

And now she was…Ohdear. Violet watched her dance provocatively with Harris. In front of Willow who still had that unfortunate infatuation with him. And in front of the cursed vampire she was just talking to, the one that had a hand in helping her around Sunnydale.

This wasn’t looking very good. Violet threw back the rest of her screwdriver and wondered if saying anything would even reach the Slayer right now. She had Lilac for the longest time, but going out to her death had hurt them and the bond they had. Violet knew she needed to, and so did Lilac but she had…She had wanted Lilac to fight it. Not just accept that she was going to lose Violet. Not just accept that Violet would be going and wouldn’t be coming back.

For the few weeks after the Final Battle, Violet wasn’t in a good place and had distanced herself from everyone. Hurt, upset, bitter and with the confusion of trying to assimilate Tom’s knowledge and experience while keeping herself afloat amid nightmares that he would come back again. She didn’t want help. She wanted to be left alone. Alone, where she wasn’t endangering her friends just by existing. Alone, where her family wouldn’t just miserably accept that she was going to die alone at the hands of the Dark Lord. Alone, which shouldn’t have bothered them anyways since they expected her to die in the battle, were along her thoughts back then when she actively avoided them. She wouldn’t- didn’t accept advice given to her by anyone at that point.

And then she was Sleeping Beautied. Thankfully before she blew up at her family and things had been so different when she woke up that it had sort of…Died, that anger and bitterness. It still existed, but not the hot brand anymore, now just an old faded scar. And her own trauma aside, Summers was a far different person than she had been, and regardless of similarities had gone through different circumstances. How she was processing what happened was hers and hers alone, whether it was unhealthy or destructive or not. Given Collin and Absalom though, she was a little weary about how Summers would hold up in any new plots that weren’t just a few feeding vampires here and there. She had the physical prowess and power, but brute force and resolve wasn’t going to be able to bust through every challenge.

She was worried that Summers might need to find that out the hard way before she really stepped back and confronted what happened to her in a way that would let her move on and past it. And the hard way with things as they were meant danger. Not just to Summers.

Not that Violet would try to tell her any of that. As she was, Summers wouldn’t listen the same way she wouldn’t listen to anybody back then.

At least the band was good tonight she thought as Summers sashayed her way out.

No, she thought again critically as she looked at Willow’s expression, at the way Cordelia was watching with disapproval, at Angel’s tight jaw and at Harris standing where Summers left him. No, this wasn’t looking very good at all. Cordelia followed her out.

xXx

She tapped her foot impatiently, displeased. She should have put a tracking charm on that charm she made for Cordelia. It would hopefully keep her safe wherever she was. And it wasn’t in the crypt. Locating charms and spells were always off around her, the natural miasma of energy distorting those spells that meant going on a wild goose chase. Tracking charms on the other hand…

She sighed through her nose and looked up when Summers came in, hopping to her feet.

“Cordelia’s gone, hasn’t gone home, doesn’t have a boyfriend right now and the last time she was seen,” Violet narrowed her eyes before Summers could get a word in edgewise, “Was when she came out after you at the Bronze last night. And considering it wasn’t ten minutes after that Aphrodesia left and Cordelia’s car was still there, I don’t like the possibilities.” she stared at the slightly taller girl with a cutting edge in her eyes. “If something happened to her when you couldn’t have been far off, Summers…I wasn’t going to say anything about your recent Buffy-knows-best-fuck-all-the-rest behavior and the way it’s affecting the people around you but Slayer or not, you won’t like the outcome if you keep on acting this way and I don’t mean from me.” she said darkly before twirling and storming off. She knew Collin and Absalom, and most of the other local vampires under them, weren’t spending as much time in the crypt anymore, but she wasn’t entirely sure what they might want with Cordelia either, or if it wasn’t another demon that decided to grab her beneath Summers’s nose.

Irritated, she summoned her golem, shoved on a cloak with a charmed hood that hid her face and vaguely disguised her voice and slid down into the sewers, slaying the serpentine demon there in her fury when it tried to stupidly eat her and pinning one of the vampires that were roaming.

“The Anointed One, Collin, did he have any humans stolen to attract the Slayer?” she demanded and he hissed in her face. She sneered, backhanding him with enough force to knock some of his teeth out.

The enhancement rituals she found and used in the Unspeakables combined with whatever the three trinkets had done to her in her sleep made her….Well. Enhanced. Strength included. He moaned piteously when she hit him again and then shook him, ripping his shoulder open.

“I don’t know!” he cried out, “I don’t know, I was here with Lurconis!”

“Lurconis?...That snake like thing?” she frowned. It was true that the Master, and now Collin after him, had a few vampires that hung about with a few select more powerful demons in Sunnydale and they usually followed them around instead. She dropped him, waving an arm and healing him, including regrowing the fangs she knocked out as she turned away and ran a hand down her face. “Well he’s dead now, you can tell that to whomever else was sent to accompany him.”

“D-dead?”

“He tried to eat me and I’m already in a bad mood.” she whirled to hiss at him and he flinched back and cowered. She eyed him before rolling her shoulders. “He’s gone, take your compatriots and return to the coven.” she commanded him. “And when you get there…Make sure they don’t touch a hair on Cordelia Chase’s head.” she lifted a hand and lit in in a brilliant blue flame. “Or everything goes up in smoke.”

xXx

“Let me.” Violet spoke up and a spell whizzed past Summers to collide with the female vampire, making her scream in pure unadulterated agony. Summers, Harris and Angel were suitably startled to see her appear, or at least someone in a cloak that showed no distinguishing features and under a charm that made her voice impossible to place and her ‘accent’ disappear. It also had a fun little charm that made her seem taller and a bit broader, very much separating small Violet from Unspeakable Jaffa (she loved that Unspeakables could pick such silly codenames. She used to have a colleague called Dippy and another called Bubbles). She stepped forward and broke off the spell. No longer than fifteen seconds after all and even that was usually pushing it. “Let’s try this again, madam.” she said softly in the silence. “Where does Collin and Absalom have the humans?”

The vampire shuddered and convulsed as the aftershocks pulsed through her. Violet hummed gently, stepping around where Summers had frozen and physically hauling the vampire clumsily to her feet.

“If you don’t tell me,” she whispered in her ear, “I’ll just rip into your mind and steal what I want to know. And it will be even more painful than what I just did to you.” she leaned back and let the woman drop again, watching neutrally as she cowered away from her. Her identity was safe in this cloak. Harris wasn’t smart enough to connect the dots, Angel didn’t know about her at all she suspected, and Summers wasn’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box, especially not in a crisis to try and figure out who she is. She hadn’t seen the Master drenched in fiendfiyre and she imagined no one said anything about it either, probably under the impression that the fire was from something else.

And such was how they came to an abandoned warehouse. One of them anyways, there were a surprising amount of abandoned places in Sunnydale.

And getting in without immediately being spotted or noticed. Were vampire senses dull in this dimension? Snape would notice someone coming in if only for the swirl of their scent.

(Her mother smelled like wildflowers in bloom and quill ink drying on parchment. Violet, she got him to admit, smelled like vanilla chai and something deep and dark like a thick rolling fog.)

Perhaps it was the ritual items set around that blocked some of their senses, Violet thought generously. Regardless, she had told that one vampire that Cordelia was not to be touched. Either they dismissed him (which she felt was likely- she hadn’t left any marks on him and they had no real proof it was her who killed off that sewer-demon) or they ignored her warning. Worse that they had Willow up there. The ritual wouldn’t take, she knew that, but that didn’t change that they had stolen them with the intent to kill them in a resurrection ritual.

Not to be had, that. So she threw blue fire.

The blue fire, as of which she had not named, was unique in that it specifically hopped from target to target. Unlike wild fiendfyre which did its level best to escape control and devour everything and anything, this blue fire was content to go from one point to another as directed and let itself die out when its intended targets were gone. A swift motion of the hand had the four strung up undone and gently floating down, a protective bubble cropping up as the vampires around frenzied in the fiery confusion. Summers was already moving, staking those who hadn’t been caught alight yet and Harris and Angel rushing to her dome. It absorbed them harmlessly and she trotted over as well, watching the vampires fall all around them and then cloaking herself from sight as the unconscious started to wake. Ms. Calendar would know who she was, Giles was intelligent enough to put things together and so was Willow. Cordelia might suspect her on the grounds of being the only witch she really knew. She watched Absalom steer Collin away to hide idly as vampires tried to and failed to get inside the bubble of protection she had cast while Angel had gone out to assist Summers.

Absalom died. Rather anticlimactically and Summers took the sledge to the Master’s bones, cried and was held by Angel and that was that.

Collin…Wasn’t happy.

xXx

Apparently, killing Lu the sewer demon made someone unhappy. Suppose he did play some part in the demon community or something and was a deal maker. Whatever, not like Violet really cared anyways. What she did care about was that someone had tried to track the magic that killed him. Which was to say, her magic. She knew there were a few other wixen sorts around Sunnydale but hadn’t really thought much of them, case in point Amy’s mother. So she followed the string of magic that was trying to tag her own and found a small demon. And that small demon was working with…The Mayor of Sunnydale. She shouldn’t be surprised that someone in some amount of power had connections or deals with demons, especially on a Hellmouth. Perhaps she should find the suits, see what sort of information they might have compiled on Sunnydale residents of note. Or she supposed she could actually involve herself in the mystic community of Sunnydale besides the occasional chat with Marc or other less friendly chats with vampires she’d had so far. Get information from them about Mayor Wilkins. And speaking of Mr. Wilkins, he was very, very old. He was a sorcerer as well, and had made deals with apparently more than one demon in town by the thin strings of magic connected to him when she used the hidden clear eyelids that let her see such things.

Another handy find from the Unspeakables that made working with mysterious and potentially dangerous magical artifacts much easier. Usually.

Either way, she waved off the magic trying to pin to her own as the minor annoyance it was and decided that she would become a little more involved in Sunnydale’s less human community.

xXx

Cleo, a hairstylist, was introduced as Marc’s cousin and was a sort of cousin. In a demon species manner of sort. There were also a few bars that catered to demons and vampires that had wards and spells to keep humans out of it, and a few places that welcomed all sorts quietly. Willy’s was the place to get most information, according to Cleo. But that she should be careful, because he was Willy the Snitch and anything that would get him a dime was fair trade to him.

Which meant Unspeakable Jaffa to her. Willy was a human, and did also serve human patrons but it was still a real hub for demonic gossip and knowledge.

And the provided knowledge on Mayor Wilkins too, a whole pamphlet for a lump sum of thirty easy dollars. That no one questioned a suspicious robed person bode well enough for her she supposed. He was the founder of Sunnydale and remained in a consistent position of power from brokering with local demons. There were murmurs of him trying to ascend into an Old One, somehow, but so far nothing solid on that front besides a few whispers. Skyler claimed to have interesting books at least, and offered to sell them for quite a pretty amount of money. He wanted out of Sunnydale, and he wanted out with a comfortable nest egg on his hands.

She was a Ravenclaw, for all she’d grown up and decided that she was perfectly comfortable knowing enough to be comfortable nowadays. She bought out all the books he had his grubby little hands on, along with the strange talismans and the odd cursed jewelry set or two and he got out of dodge. Apparently he sold something to the good mayor that was a cheap knock-off or something and he wanted to be long gone before the man cottoned on. More reading material never hurt anyways.

xXx

“Science Fair.” Violet said, raising her eyebrows.

“Lemme guess,” Aura smiled, “You didn’t have things like this in your old school?”

It had become a little bit of a running gag among her friends by now. Her Cordette friends, she means.

“Well no. We had…Several science related classes of course, but nothing quite like this.”

“Doesn’t matter anyways, only nerds compete for real.” Paige rolled her eyes and then eyed Violet. “So don’t enter it like it’s something you actually want to do.”

“But it seems rather interesting?”

“Nerds. You may be crazy smart and all, but you’re not all…Like that.”

“Like that?”

“Nerdy. Geeky.” her nose scrunched up. “I mean, the books all the time thing I think we can all accept as a British thing since that weird librarian is all crazy for books too but joining the Science Fair for fun? Are you gonna join the chess club next?”

“My sister was always better at chess than me.” she said. But that was because she would fight against one of her closest Gryffindor friends, a one Ronald Weasley and he was some sort of prodigal master at chess. He would be hailed a god in a chess club she suspected, while also being on their ninny rugby team since it seemed like the most violent sport they offered as a club activity here. It was surprising how much he suited his stay-at-home mother role in comparison sometimes. “But at least I always beat daddy.”

To be fair, her Potter father always got too impatient and daddy-Paddy always tried to encourage his pieces to rebel against the monarchy.

“Ugh…” Paige threw her hands up in defeat. “So you’ve got a couple different languages under your belt, you can play a very snobby instrument, you read books like, all the time, you can play chess, you’re rich and you’re hot and have a cute accent? What kind of unfair world is this?”

“Anyways, you can’t be a hot nerd.” Aphrodesia said breezily and Violet tilted her head to the side. “No, why are you doing that? That’s the ‘I disagree’ way you tilt your head.”

“Is there so many ways I tilt my head that you might name them?” Violet asked, a grin quirking up.

“Yes? So, out with it.”

“With what?” she played coy.

“You thinks nerds can be hot.”

“I think there are several people you might call a nerd or geek that can be very physically attractive, yes.”

Coming to mind immediately was Roger Davis. He practically rivaled Hufflepuff heartthrob Cedric Diggory in his fanbase in Hogwarts. He gave her a quill once and she sold it for a stupid amount of Honeydukes chocolates. At least Uncle Moony was as happy as she was that there were weirdo collectors, and that she shared.

“Then they’re not nerd or geeks, they’re just smart hot guys.”

“Aren’t nerds and geeks then just smart people?”

“It’s not the same and you know it.” Aphrodesia huffed. “So, what are you thinking on doing anyways? I’m doing something with pyrex and vegetable oil, I saw some video about it.”

“I’m doing magic mud. I saw a thing online where you can make it glow in the dark or under black lights.” Paige offered up.

“My brother said to put a gummy bear in potassium chlorate so that’s what I’m gonna do.” Aura shrugged.

“…He did say that it needs to be in a liquid state, and that it should be in a safe environment right?” Violet asked and Aura grinned at her.

“He sent a video, so I know what happens. What about you Violet?”

“And don’t make it anything too crazy. It just needs to look not lame.”

“So I just need something that looks pretty?” Violet asked and Paige nodded seriously.

“Alright. Then the Briggs-Rauscher reaction should work well enough for that I think?”

“The what?”

“It’s a chemical reaction focusing on iodine and it spins beautifully between blue and yellow. It’s an oscillation of two forms of iodine-”

“Alright, okay, we don’t need to hear about it.” Paige covered her mouth and Violet smiled underneath her hand.

“Why are you so against learning?” she asked when she was allowed to speak again. “Learning facilitates all the change in the world, you know, from chemical reactions that give us knowledge on sickness and illness to building the foundation of technology as we know it today.”

“I thought you didn’t like computers and stuff?”

“I can’t understand much about them, no, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t revolutionized the way modern life is evolving.”

“You’re lucky you have a cute accent.” Paige told her. “Otherwise we would have definitely made fun of you by now.”

“Then I shall be ever so glad I was born under the Queen’s English shall I?” she teased. “That might be an interesting idea though. Researching how different dialects affect the communities back home and how they develop.”

“Yeah no,” Paige rolled her eyes. “You said something about swirly colors?”

“Something to that effect I suppose.” Violet snickered. “Is there a specific reason he’s taking pictures of every girl that walks by?”

“Cause he’s a creep?”

xXx

“The Bride of Frankenstein.” Violet sighed.

“Huh?” Willow blinked at her.

“It’s on the cinema this weekend. Watching old horror movies isn’t the same without Morgan.”

“Morgan? Morgan Stacy?”

“Yes. He moved during the summer, you know.”

“He did?”

“I mean, since he only barely missed getting mauled to death last year at the audio club, his parents decided that Sunnydale a mite too dangerous.” Violet frowned. “And all the better for him I suppose, to recover somewhere less likely to be attacked by the mystical. Lance and I haven’t been having as much fun with him gone though.”

“You…Go out to movies with Lance?”

“And we used to have Morgan as well.”

“Are you dating?”

“What?”

“You and Lance?”

“Certainly not.” she raised her brows. That would be terrible, considering Lance was gay and Violet wasn’t really up to being a beard. “We…Really aren’t eachother’s type.” she said. “Anyways, Bride of Frankenstein is on for this weekend but we’re not sure we’ll go. What about you ducky?”

“Oh, someone was digging up bodies so we think they might be trying to create a zombie army.”

“Sounds like a classic Sunnydale weekend.” Violet mused. “I suppose bringing about a zombie army is much different than bringing back the dead in resurrections and revivications. Zombies are something of undead flunkies I imagine. Any sort of revival tends to always come out a bit off, as far as I’ve read. Speaking of zombies, the movie right after Bride of Frankenstein is some zombie sort. How fitting.”

Nothing like the vicious inferi aside from their undead origins, though they weren’t particularly intelligent either, what she’d come across on zombies was unflattering in most every way.

“Weird timing.” Willow agreed.

“Mm. Well, I’ve got to run. Cheer practice tonight.”

xXx

She hummed quietly to herself as she stepped off to her pretty Beetle, briefly calling out a goodbye to Cordelia when she stopped, key in hand. Someone else was in the parking lot with them. Harmony and Aura had already drove off together. She lowered her hand, and turned over to watch over Cordelia but it was Angel. Ah, probably looking for Buffy then. She got into her car and parked just off, hiding the car under disillusionments and waiting just to make sure nothing untoward happened.

Only for Cordelia to cleverly hide in a dumpster when she was being followed but then accidentally finding a body. Or, parts of a body and Violet flew out of her car to help her out as Angel did the same.

“What?” Angel’s brow scrunched up at the sight of her.

“I thought I’d hang around, make sure she left alright. She’s been kidnapped more than once you know.” she offered before making their way into the school and then to the library because that was inevitably where Summers and her friends ended up on nights they went out to do things. Cordelia was dutifully pressed tight between them, one arm around Angel’s and a hand tightly wrapped with hers as they waited.

It didn’t take too long at least and there was a minor macho-man thing between Harris and Angel and a little accusation flung around and Giles interrupted before it could get ugly at least. To be honest, she sort of zoned out of it, being reminded of Hogwarts days with hormonal insecure teenagers all around her. After that minor spat, they shared what information they had altogether, which unfortunately disproved previous assumptions.

“So much for our zombie theory.” Willow said.

“So much for all our theories.” Giles corrected and Violet chose this time to pipe up.

“Maybe a Frankenstein’s monster situation?” she asked the room at large, still sitting and half reclined on the table. “If they’re picking pieces and parts and discarding the others I mean.”

“And what, creating the perfect woman?” Harris snorted and she grinned, dimples and all.

“I might start calling you by your name if you keep so succinctly figuring things out, Harris.” she sat up and hopped to her feet, smoothing down her cheer skirt. “Those parts were taken from more than one girl and maybe all together could make a whole girl but…Some pieces were missing. Unless someone’s making macabre taxidermy art pieces, I mean.”

“Or they’re eating them.” Willow suggested. The conversation that followed was interesting enough at least, along with a solid lead. Or, a lead. Cordelia of course was having none of it. Which was understandable, especially with the bath and burning clothes given she was in a dumpster with decaying body parts in it. Harris being sarcastic wasn’t very thoughtful of someone who’d been in a dumpster filled with chopped up pieces of young women, and learning that it was possibly done by a student of the school that she goes to. So Violet said so and followed with the question, “Would you like to sit in a dumpster of body parts just outside school where someone you might see in class everyday could have been the one to put those parts there after digging up their bodies? Mind you now, these parts are beginning to decay as well.”

“Ugh, yeah alright I get it, it’s gross.” his face twisted up. “And kinda…Creepy.”

Cordelia did manage at least to get Angel to escort her home and then there was locker searches to be done. To be said, it didn’t paint two particular boys in a good light.

xXx

She cheered with the rest of the girls, but Cordelia had almost been late. When she was theapex. She knew she should have waited for her, she seemed a little frazzled when she first came out onto the field. She resolved to talk to her after the game.

And then Cordelia went off to get a drink, a little off kilter, and didn’t come back.

She was so glad she had gotten around to putting a tracking charm on that charm. She left a golem in her place and quietly began tracing them, bumping into Summers and Epps.

“Violet?” Summers asked, “No whatever, have you seen Cordelia?”

“She went for a drink, never came back.” Violet said tersely. “Why are so many people so eager to kidnap Cordelia? It’s becoming a very unpleasant pattern.” she frowned. “She had seemed a bit off kilter when she came out. What happened?” she asked suspiciously.

“No time to explain, we have to find her!”

“Obviously,” she drawled in what was possibly her best impersonation of Snape. It didn’t have the same impact since his voice was so much lower and all but she gave it her best. “C’mon, I’ve put a…Tracker in a charm I gave her in case something like this happened again.”

“You put a tracker on her?”

“With how often she’s been kidnapped or abducted?” she said sharply in response, “And almost killed since I’ve known her? Yes, Summers. I put a tracking device on my friend who seems to be in trouble every other week.”

xXx

“You what?!” she hissed in fury.

“I promised him-”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what paltry promises you made, her life is not yours to give! Those girls’ bodies were not yours to desecrate as you pleased! You arrogant little toe-rag, I should cut you up and see how you like it!” she snarled. “Your brother was dead, you should have left him dead, you idiot boy!” she ranted as she. “Life and death are not playthings that you get to just abuse because you can!”

“He’s my brother! Everyone loved him, everyone-”

“He’s dead, you absolute bastard!” she snapped back at him. “You had no right to meddle with his death and afterlife just because you wanted him back! And to then commit to a plan to create him a companion?! How dare you!” she slapped him, barely keeping it moderated enough not to actually hurt him besides a stinging red mark before twisting on heel and grabbing Summers.

“Tell Xander and Willow what’s going on,” Summer threw coldly over her shoulder.

Seeing Gittleson holding up an instrument clearly meant to cut off Cordelia’s head filled her with fury. A moment later and there would have been very serious damage done to her friend. Gittleson tried to throw his blade at Summers but his aim was slightly off, for one, and Summers had better reflexes and he tried to hide himself immediately. And while Summers was talking, she slid into the room.

There was decay in the elder brother’s body. His soul was barely attached as it were and she narrowed her eyes at the abomination. When he went to grab a knife saying he wasn’t finished with her (Cordelia) yet, Violet took the time to grab and pull the gurney Cordelia was strapped to safely out of the way, a flick of her wrist getting rid of her bindings as she helped her sit up and dragged her off to the corner of the room. The gurney was shoved off and she watched it knock a container of gasoline over as Summers and the older Epps boy fought. Gittleson had decided this was the time to properly flee but he tried to leave in the direct path of Epps, who grabbed and threw him, knocking him out cold. The next tussle between Summers and Epps sent him stumbling back and knocking the tray with the open flame on it directly into the puddle of gasoline and it was about then that Harris came to the door of the room.

“Buffy!”

“Get Cordelia out!”

“Can certainly do that,” Violet muttered, hauling the other cheerleader up by their tightly held hands and having Harris quickly usher them out of the room. She heard the fire roar suddenly and glanced back before Giles and Willow came to join the party. “Gittleson is out cold just inside the door!” she told them sternly and dragged Cordelia out of the building.

It didn’t take long after that for the rest of the Slayer group to come out as well, with Gittleson, and for firefighters to come to the scene. Cordelia had some singe marks here and there, but she was fine and after a little while her parents came to whisk her away.

A fire was probably the most mundane ending she’d seen yet, and only someone who was already dead had died this time. And thankfully enough in the confusion, no one questioned that Violet was there and at the game at the same time. But mostly that no one died this time.

She doesn’t count vampires as being unequivocally dead exactly, for all that their human bodies had ceased living more or less. The vampires here still had souls that were drenched and hidden beneath the demonic parasite that made their homes in them after all, and why Angel could have been cursed at all to have his more or less overpower the parasite within him. It didn’t mean vampires lost all sense of personality, exactly, just most of their sense of humanity. It was all still there. Just swathed and hidden away.

Well…Angel also had something wonky with that curse of his, did something bizarre to his soul. She hadn’t really been around him enough to really examine it but there was something weird going on there, she just knew.

Much unlike the vampires back home, she thought to herself. They were still themselves entirely, just wired a little different to accommodate a new diet and the looming almost immortal lifespans ahead of them.

Almost, of course, because they could still be killed.

Still, it wasn’t as if vampires were heedless of any sort of morals or ethics, warped as they might seem from a human’s point of view these days. Just the same that there were humans and wixen who had their souls very apparent and thriving but were completely immoral or sadistic.

Person to person basis and all.

She stretched a bit before trotting off to her neatly parked beetle that she had decided to call Shimmer for the rainbow sheen on the matte pearly coat. Her bike was given the name Leo, and her Porsche Helena.

Later she got a pretty nice grade for her Science Fair project which was really just an explanation of what the Briggs-Rauscher reaction was with a little demonstration.

xXx

“We were a boarding school out in the middle of Scotland.” she said. “A parent-teacher night would be very difficult to arrange.”

“What about before you went to your boarding school?”

Ah, her years in muggle education.

“Well, before my family found me I had lived with my…Aunt. She and her husband were busy with their son and usually didn’t attend anything for me. And after I was found, there was a…” she frowned. “Well, the boarding school. It was a…Premier school, my old one.”

The reason there were ever so few students every year considering how far the range for Hogwarts students was, the same with Dumrstrang and Beauxbaton, was that it was selective in who they invited. There had to be a certain amount of magical power, a certain all rounded magical ability and it only really accepted human students, with a very few cases were like Uncle Moony’s or Hagrid’s. Many of the magical folk didn’t have the magical ability and became specialists under masters, apprentices and protégés to one niche magic. It tended to follow family lines as well, which meant Purebloods going for generations upon generations.

“Whoa. Even Cordelia, whose parents have crazy money, can’t put Cordelia through a private boarding school.”

“Hm…Well, it helped that my father’s family had been in attendance for years and years.” she mused.

“So what made you and your mom move here anyways?”

“Yeah, anyways?”

“Ah. Bit of an accident actually.” she sighed. “It’s mostly for mum’s job though.”

“Hey, you said you have a sister right? And you mention your dad a lot too.”

“Oh they’re…They’re still back home. My sister is married and has kids, and my dad has been running a joke shop with my godfather as a sort of side-business so they’re wrapped up over there for now.”

“As a side business?”

“Most of our income comes from long held stocks and management of those stocks, as well as a few patented products that give us coin.”

Her great-grandfather’s portrait in the larger ancestral Potter home boasted a life as a potions creator, and a rather prolific one at that. They’d had money beforehand of course, hands dipped in shops and a few other patented things but what had really set them off was his potions. Her father’s novelty and joke shop sold rather clever things that he, Paddy, Moony and Petey think up and make happen though they keep the best things quiet. In recent competition of their shop was Fred and George Weasley’s own joke shop that culminated in them constantly going against eachother to grab more attention with increasingly outlandish and sensational products.

(Those daydream things the Weasley twins sold in the Wonder Witch line had been a secret pleasure to buy until Moony busted them. Their mother was sympathetic at least, given they’d snuck one or two for her too and all three of them were labeled traitors.)

“The novelty shop is more an indulgence for my father after his stint in law enforcement.”

Uncle Petey had sailed with flying colors to the top of the Auror line of power and while the daddies had tried and stuck to it a few years after Tom’s first fall, they had apparently been rather miserable about it until Petey practically kicked them out and reminded them about an old dream they, the Marauders, had in Hogwarts. Which was a shop full of the things they made, pranks and clever things alike. Technically speaking, the shop belongs to the four of them together and they contributed things all the same but it was daddy and Paddy that ran the shop.

“Your dad was a cop?”

“Well…For a short time. He didn’t much like it- not the type to take orders and rules very seriously. And unfortunately, being part of law enforcement doesn’t have any effect on the laws. A take orders and keep quiet position more than a very righteous one.”

“And now he owns a joke shop.”

“He likes it a lot more.” she shrugged.

xXx

“Doing up the lounge? Into a comfortable space for adults?” she blinked. “Well that should be easy enough. Did he give you a budget for your refreshments?”

“Uh…No?”

“…You mean to tell me he expects you, or your parents, to foot the bill for refreshments?” Violet twisted her lips in a frown as she readjusted a pin. Her hair was in high braided buns today and she thought they were exceptionally cute with the fluffy pale pink scrunchies. Went well with her soft pale pink choker and white belly button bearing top, and the pale pink skater skirt. Soft, sweet and fairytale pink. “Ridiculous. Leave the refreshments to me then, Summers, I’ll have it catered.”

“What? No, no I couldn’t do that, and Snyder said-”

“Snyder is a child hating bully, Summers. He never said anything about using outside resources to accomplish this task that he gave you with only three days of preparation for and left to two students with their enrollment on the line.” she tilted her nose in the air imperially and stared the blonde down. “And if he does try anything, we can point out that this grown man threatened two students with expulsion to prepare the school for a teachers night instead of handling it himself.” she huffed. “Sheila won’t be of any help anyways. She doesn’t care if she gets expelled and doesn’t care that you both might get in trouble.”

That being all said, she liked Sheila in that she seemed like a young woman version of what daddy-Paddy was like in his school years. Vicious, rebellious, and with a noted dislike for authority figures and most adults. That she shared her cigs and rollies a few times might have helped too of course. She’d even hosted the girl for a week when her aunt had to take care of something out of town.

“I was afraid of that.” Summers winced and Violet rolled her eyes. “I’ve got Slayer things to worry about, I can’t help if I skip sometimes!”

“Ah yes, and that.” Violet mused. “I’ll get refreshments, I’m sure your friends wouldn’t mind helping with the banners-…Or. Maybe that’s not the best idea.” she frowned. “I do have four different free periods during the day though, I could easily slap together something classy and not too…Adolescent. And the lounge…” she hummed. “Most of that would simply be cleaning and where to put the banners and set up the goodies.”

“You don’t have to do all that, I-”

“You are the Slayer and have bigger things to worry about than a man-child taking out his issues on teenagers and a few banners to get expelled over. It’s been some time since something has really happened and frankly, I don’t trust it. You leave the lounge and all to me, Summers. He shouldn’t be using you and Sheila as labor and money to do what should be taken care of either by staff or delegated to one of the extracurricular groups when all he really has is some no-shows and a few petty school fights. Now, stabbing a teacher with pruning shears I could see trying to punish though.” Violet hummed to herself. “Besides, I’ve never made banners before for my school. It’ll be another new experience to be had. You wouldn’t deprive me of it would you?” she grinned, dimples and all. Summers smiled back at her gratefully.

xXx

“Spike?” Jaffa frowned as she read a few files that had been procured for her. Connected to Darla, who was apparently a much more badass character than she had suspected before. Well, that wasn’t entirely right. Violent and eager to exercise their superior powers against weak mortals who could do nothing to really retaliate against a band of bloodthirsty vampires didn’t really constitute as badass. It just seemed in poor taste. Regardless, she had been well known but perhaps, Violet thought, too much hubris. Which really seemed a terrible trait for most of the vampires here.

Excluding that one man of course. He was really something else.

Seductive mysterious strangers aside.

This Spike person had come to town. Which meant a nuisance for Summers. Good that Violet already forcibly took over the parent teacher night preparations, since she was sure he was going to stir up trouble and it was about time that something had happened outside of the regular attacks and the like that came with being on a Hellmouth. More irritating, however, was St. Vigeous that would be coming up. And more irritating still, a deranged Seer-like gifted vampire who had also been part of Darla’s group came with. To be perfectly clear, outside of Lovegood who she was barely friends with in the first place, Violet had no love for Seers. Fluid was the future, and when prophecies and the like were made, it was usually self-fulfilling. Lovegood was only really tolerable because she didn’t try to steer people to fit what she felt was the best outcome, which was a real issue with many well-known Seers. Her Seer abilities were more on the length of feeling than visions- and Violet hated visions. Which, this Drusilla was said to have. Not to be had, not to be had. Was Violet going to murder this Drusilla vampire? Really, she was mad. Mad, murderous, and gave out visions. Whoever she had been before was dead after all, and it was clear she’d been tortured to insanity. Really, she thought viciously, it would be merciful to let her soul be set free and cleansed before rotating back into someone new.

She tamped down her more aggressive thoughts after a moment of letting them stew.

She would let it go for the moment, and see what Summers and friends would do. For now, she would focus on parent-teacher night.

Her golem’s name was Marigold Potter, and she wore deep blue, classy things. She would be wearing pearls, a set that Violet had gotten when she woke up from Narcissa. They were real pearls and had to be seen to regularly and Violet quite liked them.

That they came with a note of apology that her son had married while she slept had been nice as well. She wasn’t sure what the woman thought they had- a few tumbles together hardly a couple makes after all.

Well, no. She knew why the woman thought she should be consoled that her son moved on. Mainly because he very clearly didn’t move on. The few times she’d seen him, she’d have to have been blind not to see the longing, yearning looks. She had no clue when he had gotten so smitten with her when in school they had both been clear that it was a fling, something to experiment with.

Then again…Gabrielle had given her those side long looks as well. Despite being two years younger, the woman looked older than her now of course, and had always been a little in awe of her after that disastrous tournament. They’d also seen eachother a few times after she woke up, a cuppa here and a date there. Then again, Warrington had also been an old schoolmate, a few years above her, that she had casually pulled a few times too. She almost once tumbled into bed with Longbottom too, when they’d gone out drinking before and it was only her sister snatching her away that had stopped them.

Thinking of it, Snape and Riddle were the only dark haired men she really found herself especially attracted to but Riddle was also just exceptionally handsome. Moony’s hair was more a golden brown than anything too.

Her preference for blonds aside.

She would need to prepare for this St. Vigeous night. The participating vampires would be rabid by the time the night came, and she already read about last year’s event. Usually they spread the occasion around to avoid too much suspicion, but with the Master gone she didn’t think it would occur to move the event someplace not Sunnydale. It might be written off as another gang related problem at this point, since they hadn’t practiced the feasting night in Sunnydale in quite a long, long time but that still would cut a bloody swathe through quite a chunk of the population of Sunnydale.

Bothersome.

There was also another thing about this Spike that caught the eye. Three Slayer deaths. Two, really, but turning the other and then having her killed because…Well, Slayer-vampire and the Watcher Council didn’t like that.

Ah, and another thing. This Council. The more she heard of it, the more she wanted to tear it down. That was for another day, she supposed.

Spike, back to Spike. He killed two more thoroughly trained Slayers with more time, training, knowledge and experience under their belts. This was…Aggravating. She wasn’t really friends, per se, with Summers. But she was, maybe just a little bit, rooting for her so to speak. She might not always like her, or some of her choices, but she appreciated her determination to power through things and to work hard to protect people.

Was it still incredibly irritating that a bunch of stuffy old men (mostly stuffy old men) hunted down mostly teenage girls and taught and trained them to kill vampires with the expectation that they would do so readily, throwing away their lives in the process when there were very clear weaknesses that vampires had? When they knowingly sent young women out to their deaths to do their dirty work for them? When they could kill vampires without stealing girls and telling them that it was on their shoulders to protect the world from vampires or some other rot?

She had a few opinions on things of that nature, yes.

She sighed to herself as she delicately cleaned the pearls and made sure the small knots between them were secure to keep them safely on their string to keep from rubbing against one another. It was soothing to do the work by hand on occasion. Her golem was also particularly handy in that she wasn’t human whatsoever, and if there were for some reason an attack on her, it would protect herself and the people around her as necessary.

“Now, shall it be trousers or a skirt?” she mused to herself as she peered through the closet.

In the end it was a deep blue silk blouse with pale beige suit for Marigold, trousers pressed cleanly.

xXx

She smoothed down her creamsicle orange miniskirt, a white short sleeved turtleneck tucked in. She had many short sleeved and sleeveless turtlenecks, to be honest. It sort of stuck with her. Her hair today was in a bun, two small braids feeding into it on the sides of her head. Her nails matched her skirt, and thigh-highs were sheer white and her chunky heels were white too. Her satchel was soft dreamy peach colored. Her earrings were all soft rose-gold, along with her nostril piercing and the tongue piercing and her eye-shadow was dreamy soft cream colored with full cat-eye eyeliner. She’d been feeling very light and pastel lately, since she had worn that dress last year it had opened up more colors into her wardrobe.

She fiddled with the delicate bracelet for a moment before spotting Sheila.

“Got a pack to make up for,” she grinned at the girl and she grinned back as Violet threw her a fresh pack. “Heard you might finally get expelled?”

“Psh, if they haven’t already, they won’t.” she said confidently. “No matter what that uptight asshole says.” she rolled her eyes. “Summers wanted to actually do this stupid parents night thing.”

“Not to fear, I’ve taken over all that. Be no fun if he really did try to get rid of the school’s best troublemakers. Who else would I smoke with if that were to happen?” she peered around. “No boy?”

“Nah, he got boring.” she snorted as she smacked and then opened so they could sit and smoke. Teachers and staff generally didn’t come to this spot, leaving it a safe area to smoke at without being interrupted. She lit hers and Violet’s as they sat together. “Probably heard already but I finally got that fucking dick with the pruning shears. What I really got called in for.”

“I did hear. What did he do this time?”

“Dumbass actually thought he could root through my purse to make sure I didn’t have smokes on me. Ass.”

“You know he emptied out Aura’s purse once in class and dumped the whole thing out. Everyone saw her tampons and she left in tears. I still can’t believe he wasn’t fired over it to be honest.”

“He’s such a creep. He never goes after the guys, it’s always girls.” she grunted in displeasure. “Trying to look through their shit, always talking down. Does anyone ever listen about it though? No, of course not.”

“Out of all the teachers that get killed around here, it’s a wonder no one’s thought to off him by now. Especially after the whole,” Violet waved her free hand, “Hanging out with that twat with the sexual assault accusations.”

“Fucking right? I think he’s too disgusted with women to ever try touching one but I mean come on, that doesn’t mean he’s not a misogynistic fucking waste of air.”

“No no, he got turned down by that one secretary remember? I think he just has a thing for old women, but also is incredibly misogynistic. Or maybe…Mummy issues. Shouldn’t be allowed to be a teacher anyways.”

“Yeah. And you know the school is compensating him for this shit too? He’s not quitting either. He’s out right now but they said he’s still planning on coming back.” she scowled. “Tch. Like yeah, I know I’m not a fucking grade-a student and all but I’m not to only one to have problems with that dickbag. They keep dismissing everything for him. And they wonder why I always skip his class.”

“I mean, you skip a lot of classes.”

“Well it’s all dumb shit anyways. I’m just gonna end up being a mechanic with aunty, I don’t need to know why some dead guy wrote about fucking farm animals. Like what’s that got to do with literally fucking anything?”

“Hm…” Violet exhaled smoke easily. “I love reading. I don’t love teachers trying to tell me what they think an author was trying to portray. I’m not an idiot, I can read context clues without having my hand held like a toddler.” her nose curled. “Especially when they have us read such heavy handed pieces that depict something that is clearly written from a point of view of old white men. I really don’t like most old white men.”

“The fucking worst.” Sheila agreed. “Hey speaking about shitty old white guys, I saw that one teacher eyeing you like you were some thug. Same one that watches the black kids and treats the Asian kids like they’re fucking spies and the latino kids like they shouldn’t be here. You want something done about him?”

The strange distinction of Asian here to mean Oriental was still a little jarring, and a little befuddling. It usually took her a moment or two to remember that odd distinction.

“Don’t worry about that piece of work.” she said primly. “He won’t be a problem much longer.”

“My dad was one of those kinds,” she scowled. “Same kind that beats their wives. Glad he’s fucking dead.”

“Mm. Unfortunately, it’s not the first and I doubt it’ll be the last time someone decides they don’t like me because of my skin.” she peered down at her brown skin. Her Potter father’s family came from northern Ceylon, or now more officially known as Sri Lanka, with a long Sinhalese line behind them. Her skin had been another way to insult her when she lived with the Dursleys. While she had many of her mother’s looks, it was all too easy to separate her even more from them because her skin was different to theirs. A large number of the more powerful Pureblood families, most especially the Sacred Twenty-Eight (which was a fucking lie anyways, they had muggle blood in their lines they just blotted it out, and they had creature blood in their lines, they just erased that fucking history) were largely fair skinned. Only a few weren’t. Outside of that, there were still largely pureblood or half-blood families that were more diverse but not very many held the same amount of power. She had been called Paki more than once and not just during her awful time with the Dursleys, and it still stung deep and raised a boiling anger in her.

“That’s bullshit.” Sheila grumbled bitterly on her behalf.

“It is.” she agreed easily. Bitching and venting and generally talking about these things was always easier with someone else who had in some way faced discrimination. Sheila’s family was poor, her dad was an abusive fuck when he was alive and her mother traumatized and quiet. The only adult figure she really cared for was her aunt, who took over her care when she was young after her father died and her mother lost their home. Even in Sunnydale, bright and pretty with trimmed lawns and pristinely clean streets, had a few unfortunate class divides. Most of the Cordettes lived in a healthy, happy household with married parents, whether they were adopted or otherwise, and it was sometimes harder to relate to them when for the first eleven years of her life she had spent in rags, kicked around and used as free labor by her aunt and her family. Brushed to the side, neglected, mistreated. She couldn’t really relate to her sister, father or mother in that way, or uncle Petey. Moony understood some of the isolation aspect but as awful as his parents were, they had still wanted the best for him and still loved him as much as they did him wrong. Paddy was able to relate a little more with the emotional abuse, but he’d never been starved and while he’d been hit a few times, had never been beaten. It was still traumatic and awful but there were things that he blatantly, but gently told her he wouldn’t be able to understand about the things she went through. He still listened to what he could but even that wasn’t much. He got upset. And when he got upset about things like that, he got especially vicious and it was hard for him not to be able to take out that anger on the people responsible and it left him to stew so she didn’t often confide in him.

In Ravenclaw it was a little easier at times, and easier in Hogwarts in general to find people she had an easier time relating to.

Not that she liked much talking about those things in the first place, but it was easier to do with someone who had gone through discrimination and hardship when they were young than anyone else, especially ones closer to her age.

And for all she was technically a grown woman, even if her body was permanently at eighteen nearing nineteen, it was still easier now to relate to children and teenagers who had been through things than it was to connect to people her actual age. Maybe it was the coma, maybe it was her appearance, maybe it was just Violet herself. She sympathized with them more than adults.

But then, she had never really trusted adults. Perhaps being in such a young body would make that permanent as well. People she knew and grew with, watched from their teens were different and maybe that was hypocritical of it but she supposed it didn’t really change how she felt. She might get over it eventually, given that she would be able to watch everyone grow and die out and grow again.

“Wanna go start a fire in the dumpster by the science room?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

xXx

“I have the faintest feeling that feasting night won’t be the real upcoming problem.” Violet mused to herself. “And I do always trust my gut on these things. What do you think Mittens?” she asked the cat contentedly kneading her leg, comfortably in her lap and purring up a storm. “You’re right of course.” she agreed solemnly as she stroked along his fur. “I shouldn’t doubt myself. As always Mittens, your counsel is invaluable.”

He let out a trilling, singing meow.

The next day she hummed as she showed the tidy banners she’d made up, pleased with the compliments she was given.

“Sheila was a no show? Did you expect her to come?” she asked. “The Fishtank was raided again last night, so I doubt it if she was hanging about there again.”

“I was right.” Willow said brightly.

“She has a rather predictable habit.” she smiled at the redhead. “Anyways, here’s a list of the foods. I can’t believe Snyder didn’t even think to say anything about potential allergies or dietary restrictions to take caution of.” she huffed. “There are also a vegan and vegetarian friendly bit and the like as well and it’ll all be labeled of course. Oh, and I brought table linens to cover up these cheap things.”

“Linens? Like actual cloth?”

“Yes?”

“Right. Anyways, you wanna help me cram French tonight?” Summers turned to Willow and Violet tuned out for a minute as she checked over the food list again. At some point Ms. Calendar and Mr. Giles made their way over and she perked up as they addressed them and told them about the latest research. “Let me guess. He didn’t make balloon animals.”

“Not quite.” she turned back into the conversation when she heard it was about Vigeous. “He was a rager, berserker, whatever you want to call it. The night in specific is something of a national holiday to Aurelius and the more traditionalist vampires, meant to commemorate the terrible slaughter he caused, most notably in Edessa and Harran but those weren’t the only spots where he destroyed everything in his path. He and his ilk are legendary for what he’d done in that specific wave, and how he gained the Saint part of his title. In the three days before this holy feasting day, the traditionalists will be fasting, practicing self-mortification, and reciting chants in order to froth themselves up to a rabid state in order to properly honor the day. Looking into a few records has them moving away to different areas for this particular holiday but with the Master gone and Collin more or less in charge, I don’t think they’re going to think it through to try to take their hunt elsewhere.”

“Yes. That.” Giles frowned. “Might I ask, how-?”

“Well you’re not the only one who can read, Mr. Giles.” she raised her brows at him. “I asked around a little, got a few new books. Figured it was too quiet lately. However, given the luck of Sunnydale in general, I’m not sure the mayhem will wait that long so personally, I think it best to be prepared for anything in the meantime. It is also partially why I took over preparations here.” she waved around them to the tidy lounge area. “One thing less to worry about is a little more attention to things elsewhere. Oh, if you need to quickly cram a bit of French, I happen to know a few spells that might help. Mind, this isn’t something I’m offering lightly and not something I’d be willing to do normally. But I do know the weight of pressure of potentially disappointing your mum, so I’m willing to help a little bit.” she crossed her arms. “Quite a lot of pressure to deal with as it is, a little spell to help your comprehension of French wouldn’t hurt at least.”

“Is that how you know so many languages?”

“Of course not,” she waved off flippantly, “The spell only really helps to transfer things I already know, and I learned French from my godfather. The other languages were from other family members and family friends, and traveling during hols when I was still in school.”

And Riddle. He knew three languages aside from his native Queen’s English and she was already fluent in French by the time she got his knowledge and comprehension. It was still two more she didn’t know before though.

“On a side note, you will be as fluent in French as I am but it will give you a headache for a few hours.”

“Sounds like cheating.” Harris grinned. “Think you could use that spell on me? Girls love a guy who can speak French to them all romantic like.”

“I don’t think it’s cheating at all. Why would you not be happy to be at least bilingual? It’s another way to communicate and one language barrier that you wouldn’t have to worry about anymore.” Violet mused. “Summers?”

“But won’t it be suspicious if Buffy is suddenly fluent in French?”

“Well not if she starts improving subtly.” Violet pointed out. “Messing a few things up on purpose here and there and gradually getting less wrong answers.”

“That’s all well and good but the night of Saint Vigeous-”

“Is still a pressing concern, of course.” Violet interrupted smoothly, “Which is why it’s all the better to use the spell, learn French and worry about one less thing.” she nodded triumphantly. “Regardless if Summers’ grades in French might seem insignificant in comparison to you, it doesn’t stop the pressure of trying to keep up on grades and other social and academic pressures she’s facing.” she raised her brows. “It does mean that all the more there should be preparations made, garlic and holy water and crosses hidden places everywhere and all,” she frowned, “And preferably setting up those kinds of traps in their most recent lair in an effort to stymie what we can, and in the places most likely to be populated that night. That being said, not every vampire follows those old holidays so the usual rounds will still need to be seen to but there won’t be nearly as much activity if Collin is honoring the holiday.” she tapped her nails on her arm. “Not only that, but I’ve got the strongest feeling that things might go pear shaped before then.” she tilted her head to the side. “Which does remind me, actually, Willow, Harris, what do you carry on you? Have you protected your houses?”

“Uh…”

“Garlic juice spray bottles, stakes might be a little more fussy but get a few crosses. Say they’re a fashion statement if you really need to for jewelry, or. Well, garlic juice for you I suppose Willow. Rings and necklaces I think would be best for that kind of thing, punch a vampire, cause a burning pain. If you could somehow…Oh yes, holy water as well.” she thought aloud. “Vampires also seem to be entirely obsessed with biting near the neck as opposed to any other major artery,” she went on. “I don’t think that’s the easiest one but I suppose in regards to subduing prey, going for the neck would be more effective as it were. And of course, they hate fire. Butane torch, pipe lighter or zippos maybe and something to light with. Canister of hairspray or body spray, like Sheila uses?” she mused more to herself. “Or just overclock one, might get away with a sealed water gun and a lighter.”

Piers was a fuckwit little bastard but he was awfully handy. And the only dark skinned friend Dud had as a child, for all that she knew he suffered from side-eyes as much as she did in the largely pallid Privet Drive. His parents were nice though. And for all Piers was an awful toe-rag most of the time, there were times he showed her things when he wasn’t hanging about with Dudley. Overclocking a lighter was one of them. Mucking with a water gun to turn it into a homemade flamethrower was another. Or using an aerosol can with an attached wick to make one. Or emptying a small fire extinguisher he might’ve stolen from primary and turning it into a flamethrower.

Piers really just liked fire, mostly and it was something to bond over, aside from his parents being nice to her. Most especially because they no doubt heard the whispers that were especially murmured about her skin and the Dursleys pale and blond family. The Polkiss parents and Petunia’s friend Yvonne were usually the ones who minded her when the Dursleys needed her elsewhere or traveled for holiday.

While she knew quite a lot of spells with fire, and enjoyed them quite as much as her sister did (fire as a bonding theme was nice) that wasn’t really an option for muggles.

“You uh…Know a couple different ways to set things on fire huh?” Harris said with a quick, nervous grin. She waved it off easily.

“Back before my parents found me, the family that would sometimes mind me had a boy my age and he loved fire.” she offered succinctly. “Nowadays of course, I know a great many spells for fire which suit me just fine but they’re not really an option for you lot. Hair spray, Willow doesn’t use it, might get away with Harris but at that point might as well just use body spray. Could get a body mist and just switch the liquid to something a little more…Or just one with a high alcohol content. And lighters are everywhere, so that at least won’t seem suspicious.”

“That boy, what happened to him?”

“Hm? Last I heard he was a serial arsonist but professionally he does wood burning art. He hadn’t been caught yet as far as I know though.”

“Great, that’s just…Peachy, Potter.” Harris offered up in return to that tidbit of knowledge.

“I don’t think he’s hurt anyone at least, he’s careful about that.” she mused with a frown. “I wouldn’t really know, I don’t talk to Dud much. My cousin, whose family I lived with for awhile.”

Eventually they had finally come out of the closet and gotten married, which scandalized Marge who he’d been living with after his parents were put away for a while and who he’d kept the relationship from until she got the wedding invitation. Until she finally apparently admitted that she was trans. Which…Vernon knew and openly accepted. Petunia had not been rude per se, or even disapproved but had been stringent in keeping that from Dudley.

That Dud had wrestled with internalized homophobia for years and years as a result because his parents were incredibly intolerant about pretty much everything else and the name-calling trends in school had been very very unfortunate, but that didn’t mean she really…Liked Dud to say. He was still a berk as a child and said awful things but they did occasionally see eachother for a cuppa after she finally woke up and they filled eachother in on their lives. He and Piers had even adopted a baby, naming her Daisy and Violet had played with her once or twice. He was much better now, though he still had regular counseling sessions and did confide that he was very nitpicky about his neat freak habits, a holdover from Petunia. Piers was also a lot more mellow, though he still of course loved fire.

Lilac didn’t see why Violet had gone out to see him, and neither did a spiteful daddy-Paddy. Stag-dad hadn’t understood but accepted it easily enough. Moony had been approving, but weary about the whole…Muggle thing. He did seem to understand that sometimes seeing Dud, and Piers and his parents both, meant something to her now that they were grown and changed and matured. Even if it was a little weird to try present herself to Mr. and Mrs. Polkiss when she still looked so young. They hadn’t questioned it at least, but were happy to see her living well after the horrible scandal surrounding the Dursley household so many years ago.

Mum had mixed feelings, but after an awkward meeting was relieved to finally and truly meet her only nephew when he wasn’t a berk anymore. So that was nice at least.

Those things weren’t really…Relevant anymore.

Better not to think about it, she told herself resolutely. She would just have extra cuddle time with Mittens and Teacup when she got home. Or maybe distract herself with someone if she could find someone at the Bronze tonight.

“Preparation is all well and good, but when it comes to the active combat Buffy must fight alone-”

“Says who?” Violet whipped her head around to pierce Giles with a sharp stare. She knew it was particularly soul-searing, had been told several times. She got the general intensity of her sour look from her mum, but with how pale and striking her eyes were she had been told it was like a magnified version of it. “Sure, a stake to the heart needs practice when it comes to moving targets but fire, holy water, garlic juice, crosses- those are all things anyone can wield. If you really want to get fancy, there’s guns with hollow points that could probably be modified appropriately, or just put holy water or garlic juice in a squirt gun. Vampires are fast and strong, but they have the terrible hubris of humans being so easily physically outmatched that they forget they can be fought against. Setting up traps, putting up protections doesn’t all require a Slayer, and trying to put all the pressure of combat and the weight of the fate of the entire world as though there aren’t so many vampire and demon hunters out there with more experience no matter how gifted Summers might be is cruel and frankly, a disgustingmanipulative thing to do.” she ended in a hiss. “Just because she is physically strong enough and has the natural talent to be able to combat vampires does not mean that training and knowledge can’t level the playing field somewhat for other people, Mr. Giles, which I suspect you should already know. It is widely known this is a Hellmouth- if your Council are so concerned about it, why wouldn’t they send more hunters here? This doesn’t need to be Buffy alone against everything. It’s grotty to put that all on a teenage girl.”

At this point Giles had hunched a bit and put his hands up in a sign of no harm. She eyed him for a moment more before huffing.

“She might be able to handle fighting vampires much easier than most others, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else is inherently incapable in general. Harris is brave and can actually do some combat. Messily, untrained, but he can and he’s quick to think on his feet. Willow is of course, an astute person who can hack into information that would be hard to get with a keen eye for things that might be important both of which besides how adroit she is and as anyone will say, knowledge is power. Ms. Calendar here has proven adept in helping as well. You of course, are well learned and there is the matter of all of those weapons that yes, I am very sure you can use. Buffy doesn’t have to shoulder every little vampire responsibility by herself. If asked, I am willing to give my assistance. If it involves Cordelia, I likely will involve myself anyways. If one of my other friends gets thrown in the crossfire, I will still involve myself. There’s more than just Buffy here, Mr. Giles, and you shouldn’t forget that just because Buffy gets the weight of being a Slayer. Frankly,” she made a sour expression she just knew, “I’m not sure why you aren’t also training Willow and Harris in the use of at least a few of those weapons in case of something happening, given that they’re also usually involved in all the mess that Sunnydale likes to throw around. Or, taking time to educate one of them or at the very least, Willow in some of the more obscure lessons of demons and vampires since Summers is busy as it is trying to balance stake-outs, patrolling, trying to study for classes, trying to attend those classes, and trying to keep her mother from grounding her all the time.” she crossed her arms. “They’re together almost all the time anyways, if Summers can’t keep the knowledge or have time to learn it all, at least one of them can in her place. They’re a team, you know.”

Then she turned and shot a clear spell at Snyder who had been quietly, suspiciously listening in. The rest of the group tensed up at the sight of him.

“You heard nothing of this conversation, Summers made these banners by hand and is getting a second opinion on their design, and you are very busy and must get back to your office.” she intoned and he blinked slowly, nodding as though his head was too heavy to move and then she snapped her fingers. He startled, frowned at them suspiciously and then began a brisk speed walk to his office.

“Did you just hypnotize Snyder?” Harris was the first to break the quiet, turning to her with excitement in his eyes.

“Something like that I suppose.” she raised her brows before rolling her shoulders. “Right, Summers, do you want to French spell or not?”

“Uh…Sure.”

“Excellent.” she stepped a little closer, reaching up and pressing the pad of her index finger to her temple. “This might…Tingle for a little while, and then the headache will come.” she warned before casting and watched Summers jolt and then a furrow formed between her brow. It didn’t take long and she stepped back, quickly reaching up to tap at Harris’s temple to do the same and then Willow’s quickly as well, just to have the whole set.

“Ugh, whoa, didn’t think when you said headache it’d be like this,” Harris grit his teeth as he quickly pressed his palms up to his head. Willow frowned too but wasn’t having as much trouble.

“Well, the more basis you have in the language, the easier it is. Willow knows quite a lot more than either of you, so it’s easiest on her. You I don’t think knew much at all so it is a little more intense on your end.” she shrugged. “It’s also more or less merging an entire language, including the written and what slang and general dialect I’m personally familiar with into a seamless knowledge within a very short amount of time. Your brain is merely working harder to compensate for this sudden flush of knowledge. Either way, I better get going. Ta, luvvies.”

That Willow had an intense ability to comprehend things also made it easier on her, but she didn’t think saying that would make the other two feel any better about it.

xXx

She hummed as she wandered over to Summers, who was eagerly filling out whatever assignment she’d been given in French. “It settled well?” she asked.

“Shit!” Summers startled and it pulled a smile from her as the blonde turned in her seat holding her chest.

“You should really wear a bell sometimes.” Willow smiled at her.

“Could wear a choker with a bell. That sounds kind of cute.” she mused. “The French?”

“Oh, yeah!” Summers brightened up. “It’s way easier to do this stuff now! And the headache went away pretty fast.”

“Wonderful news. Anyways, the lounge is pretty much set by now.” she preened. “And while I couldn’t change the unfortunate walls and floors, I do think it’s a little less…Generic now.”

“Schools almost always look the same.” Summers rolled her eyes and she hummed.

“My old boarding school was a renovated castle out in Scotland.” she offered and watched Summers blink at her while Willow leaned forward in interest. “Stone everywhere, towers, dungeons. Secret passageways and hidden rooms.” she reminisced. It was hard to ever go home during winter hols when there were things to explore. Especially since her family had missed so much time with her and wanted her to go home to them and it was a fine line to try to stay a year or two before the war well and truly broke out again. “That said of course, it wasn’t entirely renovated in the sense of daub on the walls and paints, just that there weren’t crumbling walls or broken down stairs and the like.”

“Don’t know what that is, but it sounds really cool.” Summers smiled. She smiled back, dimples and all which was about when Harris came over and cajoled them into dancing. She waved them off, sitting herself properly at the table.

A powerful vampire. Which, she supposed, made sense. He killed Slayers before after all. She swished her drink for a moment, sipping at it thoughtfully. He hadn’t yet attacked anyone which meant he was likely just watching for now and really, that didn’t bode well anyways. She tapped at her thigh with stiletto nails in glossy pearly white that matched the pearl studded pins keeping her hair up, and a few of the pearl studs in her ears and the stud on her nose. Her dress was a strong royal purple, short and with a lovely swishy miniskirt and she had a boxy denim jacket over it. The back had a long twining echis carinatus snake on it. While her parents had been wary, and cautious about her Parseltongue, the portraits of older Potters had been absolutely gleeful about it. A few of them also had the ability and it was a way to connect more with the family that came before her.

That snakes in Hindu generally were symbols of death and infinity but not feared or seen as repulsive and that the Potter family had some distant roots in the religion was also extremely relieving. Most especially when arrogant Purebloods and prejudiced white English folk tried to spout lies and ridiculous things just because she could talk to snakes.

That and regardless of how Lilac felt about most Slytherins she had to interact with in school, she did think snakes were pretty wicked and had never made Violet feel ashamed or awkward about the ability like her parents accidentally did. And had loudly ranted about how the gift of Parseltongue was a bit more common and seen as a great gift in a lot of Asian cultures and had very pointedly pointed at her own arm and explained that they were in fact Asian.

She got detention for causing a commotion in the Great Hall but it was relieving still to have had her sister’s support when it got out that she was a Parselmouth. And of course, Padma and Parvati’s. Padma she was already friends with in accordance to sharing a dorm with her, and Parvati was more Lilac’s friend but they had all bonded stronger over that particular incident.

Regardless, the snake depicted on the back was a tiny snake with a cutely rounded snout. It was also one of the Four and could be found in Ceylon but was probably easier to find in India. Deadly, small and the threat display was absolutely charming.

She wasn’t allowed to take any of the ones she’d met in Ceylon home with her, since they were incredibly deadly and all, but they left an impact nonetheless.

She tapped on the binder the girls had left out for a moment as she felt this Spike fellow stalk in a slow half circle. He had briefly paused near her, something flickering uncertainly but his attention had moved back to Summers. When he went to another vampire, she slid from the seat and slithered closer to the three teenagers. She sidled up to Willow, giving her a supportive nudge with her shoulder. The slender girl gave a half-hearted grin back. For all Harris was much more actively protective over Willow, and they were closer than ever it still wasn’t at the tipping point of a romantic relationship. Might not ever get there, but that didn’t much do much for the way Willow felt. She swayed her hips, pulling Willow to do the same- while the redhead didn’t have the generous hips and arse Violet did she could move just as sinuously if she tried. Perhaps she could convince her to do yoga?

She peeked over under her lashes and watched Spike freeze under her side-eye.

Bleach blond hair. Pretty face.

He didn’t pause for long though. He knew she wasn’t quite human, but like most everyone else she met, couldn’t quite pin what that meant. Probably assumed she was another demon in hiding.

“Where’s the phone? I need to call the police, some big guy out there started to bite someone.” he said nearby and wow, no subtlety at all for one.

Summers of course was immediately alert and headed out quickly. She raised her brows. She still wasn’t sure why someone called the Slayer wouldn’t have adapted some sort of sensing ability but supposed that didn’t really matter anyways. She watched a smug gleam in his eye as he stepped away again and nudged Willow before following Summers out, batting away a few wandering hands as she got outside. She smoothly slid around, grabbed the frightened girl’s arm and tugged her back to the relative safety of the crowded club and her friends whilst the vampire was distracted and looked over just in time to watch Summers get thrown into a garage door. Willow and Harris came out as she sent the girl in.

“A stake would be nice!” Summers growled in a high tone between continuous punches to the large vampire’s face. Harris was the one to quickly get on that, dashing off with Willow as she led the shaken girl to her friends. She leaned against the wall in a shaded area and saw Spike standing off as well when she got back out. He’d taken note of her a little warily, she’d seen.

She watched the bigger vampire finally think to get out of the continuous face punching hold she had on him and watched her go down for a moment after he did a spin and punch. The vampire of course, decided to take a moment to talk at her instead of actually attempting to kill her while she was briefly downed and disoriented and so she felt he very much deserved the kick to the cranium he got for taking the time to blather.

“Spike! Gimme a hand,” the vampire kept his eyes on Summers but by then Harris was already tossing Summers a stake and poof went the vampire.

Which prompted Spike to come out with a very sarcastic applause. She straightened up, brushing down her dress and trotting forwards. Willow had also come back out and stood close to Harris. “Nice work, love.” he drawled.

“Who’re you?” Summers asked, keeping sharp eyes on the newcomer.

“You’ll find out on Saturday.” which really meant that she was absolutely going to tell them who he was when he was gone.

“What happens on Saturday?”

“I kill you.” he said seriously. And with that, walks off.

“What a charmer.”

xXx

“Spike? That’s what the other vampire called him? A little unorthodox.”

“My nephew has a lizard named Spike.” Violet trotted into the library. She wanted to check the lounge again, perfect a few little things. Cast a few protection charms and then plopped a tidy pink binder on the table. “He also bites people, but he doesn’t drain their blood and murder them. That aside, your Spike was part of a merry band of violent fuckwits that tore through Europe back in their younger days. One of his sires was Darla- one of the vampires you offed last year. With him is usually Drusilla. Darla and her then partner had tortured her to madness after she caught their eye with her gift of visions and turned her. Which is to say, she’s nutters but has a few visions, sees a couple could-be things. If you’re asking me,” her lip twitched in a snarl for a moment before she smoothed her expression, “I personally would take out Drusilla as soon as possible. But back to Spike, he has two, three if you count it, Slayer deaths under his belt.”

“He…He’s killed Slayers before?” Willow winced.

“Yes. I can’t imagine what brought him to Sunnydale necessarily. Darla’s death was a fair time ago, maybe the Master’s death?” she mused. “Or maybe he was just running around and thought to drop by.” she shrugged. “Either way, he’s going to be a little trickier than the average pompous bottom feeders you usually have to deal with. Oh look,” she said blandly, “A visitor.” she turned and there was Angel, frowning with a furrow between his brows. “I’ll suppose you’ve come to warn them about the newest resident? A one, William the Bloody?”

“William?”

“Spike is a…Well, an apt name I suppose.” she turned back to the table and flipped open her binder. Immediately Ms. Calendar backed away, a green tinge to her face. “Given his proclivity for railroad spikes. Very…Driven when he puts his mind to something. In that he won’t really stop and slaughters whatever might get in his way.”

“So he’s thorough. Goal oriented.” Harris offered up, resolutely keeping his eyes away from the gory photos in her pretty pink binder. It was faintly vanilla scented.

“Orientated.” she corrected idly. “He hasn’t murdered you on the spot though, or tried to fight you yet and with St. Vigeous coming soon I’d say this is actually a little bit of a boon in terms of giving us some amount of time to prepare. That is, if he’s not trying to pull a fast one and try to lead you off to assume he’ll attack on St. Vigeous or that something else won’t come up that might pit him against you before then. I’ve taken the liberty, by the by, to bring a few things with me.” that said, she dumped her bag out onto the table. Cans, lighters, flame torches, a few water guns, small cross jewelry and the like alongside suspiciously large canisters and containers of liquids labeled as holy water or garlic juice. “And I’m going to teach you very quickly how to jury-rig a few homemade flamethrowers. Oh, those three by the way, those body mists are actually holy water and very concentrated garlic juice in that one. Those other ones are just very flammable.”

“How did you fit all that into that?” Harris asked sensibly.

“Well Harris, how did I misdirect Snyder or teach you French in almost an instant?”

“Can you do that to my bag?”

“Sure, Harris but not right now. These smaller water guns I figure will be easiest to carry around without incurring too much suspicion and I may have…Reinforced them a little bit. Stand back fang-face,” she said idly to Angel who was still skulking with a frown. “Don’t want to accidentally hit you.” she said before picking up the transparent bright pink one with the glitter in the plastic mold. “This little pretty will spit fire for about 2.7 meters and I won’t be showing you that in here obviously.” she set it down, “This one is just the same, but it’s lime green and doesn’t have glitter in it.” she slid them to Willow and Harris. “And these, because I figure it might seem a little strange for our two staff members to be hauling around plastic water guns.” she slid a tube of expensive looking lipstick over to Ms. Calendar and then a fancy fountain pen over to Giles. “Lipstick is a twist, and the pen is pressing the ‘G’ there, and for both you’ll need to actually remove the caps. Both of which will not just come off if you might drop it in your purse or wallet or bag. Now, if you don’t have access to those things but might instead have access to these things in a situation, I am going to give you a very quick little crash course in how to use these things to make a flamethrower. Oh, and this fire extinguisher is also actually a flamethrower, I figured we could hide it here as a back-up option just in case there’s another attack on the school.”

xXx

Jaffa’s boots were steady on the ground as she surveyed a few different entrances, pleased that they were so distracted in their chanting and fasting that she was able to cover so many of them. They wouldn’t stop all the vampires, but it would cut down the numbers Collin amassed in the meantime. There was a human down there, which was a little odd considering Collin had decided to full throttle follow tradition in regard to St. Vigeous but she didn’t think much of it to be honest. She shrugged to herself and, pleased with her work, decided to check in one a few familiar bars to get the recent news. Well, when it wasn’t about the demons getting fussy that the vamps weren’t taking their celebrations elsewhere this year and would no doubt be wiping out a portion of their own meals/customers.

She hummed to herself quietly the next day, having some lovely lavender earl grey while around her, stakes whittled themselves in a bobbing circle. She smiled a little wider as the heroine of the current novel she was reading beheaded yet another enemy. Cordelia was being taught what Violet had shown them last night in the library with the fire and given her own water gun that wasn’t a water gun at all.

Violet was wearing a one piece, a wide-legged suit type one piece whose top was a sleeveless turtleneck. It was navy blue, and soft pale whitish cream colored camellia blooms skirted the hems of the trousers. The dainty tied scarf was the same pale shade and really popped against her skin and the dark blue. The thin waist belt was black leather.

“What did you say this punch was again?” Cordelia asked as she took another sip of the cup she’d commandeered from the lounge. “It’s so good.”

“The one you have is the starfruit and strawberry.”

“I like the mango-cherry-dragonfruit.” Willow offered up about her own. There were some juice mixes, and there was a coffee maker with a much nicer brew than the swill to be found at the grocer. And of course, there was the water dispenser that was already there in the lounge.

“I don’t know what this is, but I do like it.” Harris raised his own cup.

“Papaya, pineapple and lemon. Those juices also have the benefits of being very good for the body’s health. The parents are arriving about now.” she hummed as she checked a quick tempus. “If you wanted to perhaps waylay your mother.”

“Can you just like, I dunno, do your thing again and make him just avoid my mom and not maybe expel me?” Summers winced.

“He wouldn’t have been able to expel you anyways Summers, Sheila and I already talked about what would happen if he did.” she waved off easily. “As for not talking to your mother, he will be busier with the wealthier parents at first so I wouldn’t immediately worry about it.”

“You talk to Sheila?”

“We go out for a smoke every so often.” she shrugged.

“You smoke?”

“When the fancy strikes.” she waved off before putting her book away. “I’ll tell M-…Mum to engage him for a while, that should handle things there.” and the stakes danced and twirled their way into a neat pile before she put the book into her bag. She toed it under the table. “Anyone else going to meet their parents?”

“I uh, I’ll stay here. Don’t need to hear about my grades again. Anyone feels like bringing me another one of these so I don’t have to though…” he trailed off.

“I’m coming.” Willow got up and Summers looked like she was cringing at the thought but got up all the same.

xXx

“Do we even need to be here at this point?” Cordelia huffed, snacking on a few more of the cut peppers.

“I mean, free food, good drinks, I don’t have to listen to Mrs. Brockle complain about how awful I’m doing in chemistry…” Harris pointed out, pleased enough to watch the floating weapons polish themselves.

“And there is always the chance that the vampires might attack sooner than expected.” Violet pointed out, eyes not straying from her hand sewing.

“Yeah, and that.” Harris pointed to her before fiddling with the lime green fire gun again.

“St. Vigeous isn’t until-”

“And that is if they don’t get it into their heads to attack now, or a few can’t manage the fast anymore and slip out for a kip.” she pointed out before setting the floppy eared bunny plush she was working on down and letting the needle and thread continue without her manually doing it.

“Geez that’s weird.” Harris said but was still pretty unerringly watching in fascination.

“Anyone need more refreshments then?”

And out she went with three orders for drinks and more brownies, since Harris inhaled all the ones on the smaller platter she brought for them singlehandedly.

Marigold knew when to put on the grand stoic Lady who commanded attention well enough at least and distracted several teachers and parents alike for some time wherever she glided off to.

Violet, of course, was a perfect student. Most especially so under the sharp dark green eyes of Marigold, if the way her literature teacher was fidgeting meant anything.

Soon it was winding down and Snyder was turning switches and oh, Summers looked forlorn and her mother looked quite stern-

And then vampires burst through the windows.

Marigold of course worked seamlessly quick in getting and escorting people away in a swift, safe manner. If any vampire got too close of course, they would find themselves thrown back with several distinctly muay thai moves. Were they stronger than any human’s? Of course they were, Marigold was a golem. Which was to say, she didn’t have to worry about the people Marigold had rounded up to protect.

Summers threw a chair and that somehow managed to knock back Spike and then had the comedic effect of acting like a domino and knocking down the ones behind him.

Unfortunately, this window wasn’t the only one that vampires decided to pool in from.

Marigold was quick to lead them away from the immediate danger but then someone grabbed Cordelia-

Oh wait, no, Willow clocked the vampire across the face with a bust. Excellent.

“This is the worst game of tag,” she muttered under her breath, invisibility sliding over her comfortably. Immediately, several spells shot out and, as the trio says, dusted at least a dozen vampires. Away from the frantic gaze of the muggles of course and she crept along, getting rid of several more along the way.

These vampires weren’t nearly as physically enhanced as the kind she had back home were. Only enough to be able to attack and subdue humans, but not break through a door? Awful.

Then the lights went out, and emergency lights came on in a few places. Aggravating, that meant the phones were cut.

Her robe swirled around her, making her taller and broader, hiding her voice and she crept along silently, a stinging hex making Spike drop the man he was hauling around with a hiss. She knocked the man out, put him in a protective shimmery bubble and sent him safely out to be found by Marigold.

“What?” the blond vampire snarled, holding his hand and twisting this way and that. “What was that?”

“I- I don’t know!” her nose curled up a bit before she slid past them to get back to where she knew Cordelia and Willow were hiding in a closet, using a spell to protect the door from, say, a hungry vampire. Blocking off the scent of humans entirely wouldn’t work considering older scents from students and janitors were overlaid and even if the vampires here didn’t seem to use their superior sense of smell much at all, it was better to be safe considering two people she liked were hiding within. Dulling the awareness that there was a door here at the moment was the better of the two options. Satisfied that they were in a place safe to ride out whatever else may happen for the time being, her next goal was the library.

xXx

“Sit.” Marigold said coldly and the short tempered principal rounded on her, wound up and irritable. This was, Marigold would guess, a fair reaction to the stressful situation they were in. She couldn’t exactly tell them that they were in safe hands with her, she was still supposedly just one human woman no matter what martial arts skills she had.

“This is my school-” he began but she stood from where she was leaning against a desk to stare him down. The cold look on her face made him falter.

“This school is under siege from dangerous individuals. We are, at current, cut off from contacting any outside sources and in a secured room. We shall remain here until the threat has been taken care of.”

“And when’s that gonna be?” a jittery man demanded anxiously, “I can’t wait in this room anymore, I gotta get out of here!”

“Sit. Down.” she snarled at him and watched him make a small sound, dropping onto a chair. “Someone opens that door, we’re vulnerable. We don’t know if there are more waiting in the parking lot or outside of the building. Until we have a reliably safe way of getting out, we are staying here.”

“You let that girl go out-”

“I trust that girl to take care of herself more than I trust a group of frantic staff, guardians and parents all scrambling out to become easy pickings.” she rebuffed. Marigold didn’t much like dealing with people in this manner- she was far more content to simply wait in the cupboard at home for Violet to call on her, or to entertain her guests when she had parties or gatherings. This would not stop Marigold from doing as she was bid, to protect the humans under her care for the moment. Even if she did think they behaved oddly. She supposed it was a fault of humans in general, or that perhaps Sunnydale with its latent magic soaking everything might have made them odder still. Her head turned sharply as the continuous banging of a body against the door paused.

Ah. Looks like someone wised up to the ax she’d seen earlier just beside the door. She hadn’t had the time to grab it in the commotion of trying to keep track of several hysteric men and women. The anxious man and principal headed to the window, throwing it open when the door split enough to just see the edge of the hatchet, yanking and pulling and she lurched forward to grab the younger man back and away from the window when a gnarly snarl came in as Snyder tried to help push him through. She threw him back as Mrs. Summers pulled the principal back so she could shut the window properly amidst more hungry snarls from outside. She turned back to the man now shivering fearfully on the floor while Mrs. Summers got down to comfort him. Marigold eyed the door again but abruptly it stopped and she heard a cut off choking noise.

She could feel Violet’s magic beneath the protective layers of her special robes. Being that she was a golem made with her blood, tied to her magic, she and her personal golem were perhaps the only things besides the three gifts that would be able to pinpoint her. She paused outside the room and the cloak that hid her was pulled off and away. And then she heard something smash through the ceiling and she and Mrs. Summers both crowded the small hole made from the hatchet.

“Buffy? Honey, are you alright?”

“I’m fine mom,” the blonde assured the woman. Marigold assessed Violet. She looked vaguely annoyed, likely with the situation at hand. She had done the decorations and catering so nicely as well, it was a shame it was all ruined. At least they made it through the actual parent-teacher conference.

“You girls need to get out of here, we’ll be fine,” Mrs. Summers implored.

“Sheila.” Violet turned her head suddenly. “Your aunt isn’t here.”

“She was busy working on a new car. Big paycheck for it. She didn’t even know about the parent’s night, and any letter they sent went to mom’s place anyways.” a girl outside their limited scope of vision said calmly. She watched Violet’s face change slightly, the minuscule tightening of her lips and eyes. Marigold recalled the Sheila girl as the one who stayed a week when her aunt was briefly out of state. Loud, playful, and particularly flirty with boys. And remembered the daily calls with her aunt and the loving smile that would appear on her face when she quietly spoke with the woman, and the jubilant excitement when the woman came home. For all that their house had all the luxuries, Sheila had been quick to go back to the small, cramped home she and her aunt shared. By the look of Violet’s face, and the energy that felt much the same as the vampire that had been at the door, the girl had been turned.

Violet would not want her killed if she was still sensible. The way the demonic blood flowed smothered many of the more human parts that would prove irritating to the general survival of a vampire but that did not mean they always suppressed everything in a person.

Violet would never admit it, but if the girl died she would be morose. For all that her creator liked to distance herself from humanity as something not human, she struggled with the deaths of those near her. It would hurt her to see the girl she commiserated on with several problems and struggles struck down or gone beneath the demonic blood. Marigold would prefer that not to happen, if only for Violet’s peace of mind.

“Sheila. I think you should go. It isn’t…Safe here.” Violet said slowly, eyeing the girl and turning to her. Marigold felt the miasma of her power swirl slightly, brushing against and swaying the girl.

“We can’t just let her go outside, there’s more out there,” Summers argued quietly and she watched Violet spare a glance back at her, and then she glanced at Marigold.

“Then I’ll take her somewhere safe.” Violet said gingerly. “Have you seen to the library?”

“Yeah. They’ll take care of them once it’s safe to open the doors. Giles can get them out.”

“I’ll leave that to you then, and take her somewhere.” Violet nodded and Summers frowned at her for a moment, clearly wrestling with the thought of them wandering off on their own while there were vampires prowling around before she finally nodded.

“Stay there, and don’t open the door until I say it’s safe, alright?” Summers turned back to her mother and turned, Violet stepping the other way to grab Sheila. She felt the brief crack of her creator apparating away and not long after, coming back without the docile and dazed Sheila.

xXx

She sent a blast that knocked Spike back away from Angel and Harris, hidden again from the senses after she found them via Spike punching the cursed vampire and going on a tangent. The cursed vampire and his much weaker power from drinking stale old blood decided to tote around a nice fresh snack in an attempt to stall or trick the blond, while he still had a few flunkies around him to boot.

Not very smart, in Violet’s opinion but to be fair Angel didn’t seem like the sharpest knife on the block from what she’d been able to see. Or maybe it was whatever was mucking around between the vampiric blood and the actual curse placed upon him. A twirl of her fingers set a few of the bottom feeders alight in a playful bouncy blue flame.

“What in bloody-” she heard Spike hiss, spinning and backing away from the brief screams of his lackeys before they burst into ash and dust.

To be honest, she might have let Spike and Angel fight if it weren’t for the danger Harris was in. She had no doubts that Spike would have won. She reached out and yanked Harris away from the vampire, making him stumble to his arse and give a pained grunt.

“What the hell is-”

“Something grabbed me!” the teen yelped and she rolled her eyes. It seemed it was always theatrics, getting involved in Sunnydale.

“Come out! Now!” Spike roared furiously. For a moment, she wondered if that ever really worked and blasted him backwards again, watching as he crashed into the doors.

“Think we should uh…”

“Yeah.” and Harris and Angel both scrambled out and away. Just in time, Violet thought to herself, for Buffy to show her face. Spike stood again, shaking himself off.

“When I find you…” Spike threatened in a low growl.

“You shouldn’t have come here.” Summers said with an appropriate solemnity. Spike froze a moment, looking at Summers and a dark smirk flitted across his face.

“No, I suppose not. Messed up your doilies didn’t I?”

Violet felt her eye twitch and she waved a hand, smashing him into the lockers to the side. Summers jumped back warily, startled.

“Is- is someone here?” Summers called out cautiously.

“You mean that wasn’t you?” Spike grunted as he stumbled to his feet again and Summers turned her attention back to the vampire, getting into a stance in case he tried to attack. He held his head for a few moments. “Well that’s just wonderful.” he grit out, “This Slayer has friends. What is it, a contract with a demon? My my, what a rebellious Slayer you are.”

“What?!” Summers snapped irritably, looking around but keeping most of her attention on the vampire in front of her.

“Or maybe a magic user? Have to be some strong magic to hurt me like that.”

“Magic?” she released her tense form for a moment, confused before her eyes widened. “Magic!”

“Yes, that is what I just said. Not the brightest are you?”

Violet scoffed and swept past them both to get to the closet Willow and Cordelia were in, deciding that Summers would be enough to drive him off now that he was at least a little roughed up and no longer had the extra bottom feeders around him. Only to look back over after a few minutes to see Summers on the ground, Spike over her with a board and then Mrs. Summers hit him with the hatchet. She slapped her hand over her mouth to stop the laugh that tried to burst out.

The thunk noise his head made absolutely tickled her pink. She was going to put that memory in a phial, she decided.

“You get the hell away from my daughter.” Mrs. Summers said, all the resolution of a woman protecting her child solidified in the lines of her body and the set of her mouth. Summers was able to get to her feet.

“Women,” Spike snarled before finally fleeing away. Mrs. Summers let out a sigh of relief, setting down the hatchet.

“No one lays a hand on my little girl.” she told her daughter and Violet felt like she was intruding for a long moment as they grabbed eachother. She returned to opening the door after undoing the charms that kept the door safe, having taken off her cloak when the mother and daughter left.

The police outside were as useless as they ever were.

xXx

She followed Cordelia around the museum, peering around at the bones all slid up on display, briefly waving to Willow and Harris when their own ringleader talked with Cordelia. She had declined the situation of a foreign exchange student, busy enough as it was with Sheila skulking and sulking around her house. At least she was appeased by the blood pops and even better that Violet was able to tinker around a little bit with the demonic blood that made this world’s vampires. And to untangle the sire magic from her as well, which was a delicate process, alongside working on a charm to let her walk about in the sun so she could go back to living normally with her aunt. Sheila was still Sheila, even if Violet had to tweak with a few magics in her blood to make sure she wouldn’t get overwhelmed by the demon blood later on. She couldn’t absolve her of the vampirism completely, but she could make it as unobtrusive as she could.

Sheila, naturally, won’t be returning to school. For the best.

But until she finished the charm to keep her safe, Sheila would remain at her house for a little while. Her aunt was able to be soothed with a tale about licking her wounds after a rough break up, but the daily calls persisted.

It did mean nicking quite a lot of blood in order to keep making blood pops but better that then having her really attack and potentially drain someone completely. For all Sheila was a wild child, she was no murderer.

Probably. Depending.

She would be terrified if her aunt found out anyways. At least this cultural exchange thing was distracting enough, along with a dance. A dance where people would get to wear ethnic outfits in an attempt to urge them to learn and embrace other cultures.

She already decided that wearing an osariya was the way for her, one of the more modern midriff bearing ones. And she could finally use some of the jewelry she’d been hoarding. As long as she avoided the ones indicating marriage, it would be fine. She didn’t often wear traditional garb, but she had a handful of times.

Well. That and the curse she could feel swelling around in the Incan exhibit. She strayed from where Cordelia and the others were giggling over their pamphlets, peering down at the plate like object the desiccated girl held in interest. It was absolutely swathed in rune work. She raised her brows at it but dutifully left it behind when Aura called for her.

xXx

Harris, she noted, had terrible taste in women. This…Girl, at least, seemed to take very real wonder in everything. If she had been more or less entombed and bound to suffer silently, unmoving but awake the entire time, Violet could see why she was so dazzled by everything. And Cordelia, unsurprisingly, wasn’t very happy when Sven didn’t turn out to be a chiseled, cinema-lead worthy boy. But she was at least mostly over Kevin by now, and had started seeing some band boy or something. It left at least many of their fellow Cordettes impressed with how handsome he was and also particularly sympathetic to poor Sven.

And really, the poor boy, having to deal with Cordelia like that. She hoped the Chase parents were at least kinder.

It also left Violet feeling sympathetic towards Willow as well, with Harris hung up on ‘Ampata’.

And sympathetic towards the princess. As long as she didn’t try to kill off her friends. Another project perhaps…

It was October. The more things to distract herself with, the better.

xXx

She murmured under her breath as she stared at the mass of magics strung around the piece of the seal in the library. She couldn’t free the princess without untangling some of the forces that took her youth and preserved her in a desiccated state. There were no demons or gods entangled in it- this was an unnecessary sacrifice of a young girl, and it made Violet as angry as it ever did, the blatant exploitation of young girls.

“Ms. Potter.” Giles greeted her in surprise. She didn’t spare him a glance, carefully sifting through the magic she could see through the clear membrane eyelid hidden beneath her regular one. “I see you’ve found the seal.”

“Awful fucking bit of an ancient people torturing a pretty young girl for no reason, yes.” she bit out. “They chose her, took her, and performed rituals to ensure that she would be preserved forever for their god, to protect this stupid ball and chain seal. Their mountain god was likely a spirit, a sort of nature spirit like thing that took their worship for itself. She outlasted it, most likely. The only thing this seal does is steal and drain whatever life energy she has. Bluntly put, it’s a gluttonous black hole that should be fucking destroyed. Unfortunately, if we try to just break it more that won’t do much for the curse on her now. There are some delicate strands in here that need to be untangled.”

“It sounds like you…Are sympathizing with this mummy.” Giles said cautiously and she sat up straight, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Does it sound familiar? A young girl, a chosen one, forced into a duty she never asked for, never wanted. Except not only that. No, she had to sit and wait and watch the world go by her, trapped, unmoving, unable to speak, unable to do anything but sit silent and weak beneath the force of this Black Arts abomination.” she hissed, very nearly going Parseltongue for a moment. “So yes, Giles, I am sympathizing with a girl out of time, forced to do something that cut her life short and is now just trying to live the way she was never given the chance to. If I can get this stupid curse untangled, I might be able to free her of it entirely and she’ll be able to be a normal human girl. They cursed this girl.”

“She is responsible for the death of-”

“And Angel has killed far more and yet he’s still brooding around isn’t he? Spike, Collin, the rest of the Sunnydale vampire covens, they all murder people on a weekly basis and they haven’t yet been eradicated. There are just normal, boring humans who go out and murder people. This girl drains the force out of people because if she doesn’t, she goes back to being under the thrall of the curse. After centuries of it, I can imagine she’d be very eager to avoid it. And don’t act like living on a Hellmouth at all doesn’t put people in danger of death by just proximity.”

“You are attempting to justify murder-”

“No, I am vilifying the people that used Black Arts to curse a girl into an eternity of torture and pointing out the hypocrisy of accepting Angel, who is cursed, and wanting to stop the princess who is cursed rather than even considering helping her. I’m sure you’ve read that lovely history of Angel’s.”

“This and that are two entirely different things-”

“Oh of course, pardon me, one is an old vampire with the deaths of perhaps millions on his hand, who helped in the rape and torture of the mad prophet Drusilla, and the other was an innocent girl cursed for eternity!”

“The curse of his has given back his soul-”

“Vampires aren’t soulless to begin with!” she whisper-shrieked at him furiously. “They are wired separately and are, in some individuals, overwhelmed by their vampiric nature, but they still have souls! Would you say a human serial murderer has no soul in the literal sense? More human characteristics are watered down but it doesn’t mean they’re gone! What Angel has is some other form of soul magic that’s actively changing or adding something else to him!”

She froze for a moment before swearing at herself. Of course! That’s what it was! By what few accounts there were of him, he had been a drunkard, whoring himself about and wallowing through his days. That was who he was as a human. What he shows and sees now was a sliver piece of another soul bound to be the dominant soul regardless of whose body it was originally.

But this horcrux would have been used as a punishment for whomever it was the soul shard originally belonged to.

The problem then becomes, where is the rest of the soul? It couldn’t move on to the great recycling bin of reincarnation or limbo when a piece was still on the earthly plane, so to speak.

It did also bring up the complication of Summers and her apparent attraction to him, given that he wasn’t really Angel at all. But giving the body back to who really was Angel was a problem as well, given he was a pillaging raping murderous bastard. And not to mention what seems to have been a melding of some sorts, given that the confused sliver of soul seemed convinced that he was in fact, the pillaging bastard known as Angelus. She shook her head. She would work on this first, and then she could focus on Angel and his curse. She turned back to the bit of seal and its mess of magic. She was on a bit of a time limit with the princess after all. She blinked again to bring down the membrane to see the magic again, carefully prodding at it to see for any looser ends with which to unravel it.

“And what would you know of soul magic?” Giles asked her wearily and she huffed impatiently, not bothering to look towards him.

“I was an unwilling recipient of it.” she told him bitterly. “Could say that really spiked my interest into the subject. Ah! Found you, you little bastard,” she grumbled, delicately pinching at the end of the magic. It squirmed in her grasp and tried to steal her own life energy but well…

Violet wasn’t really alive in that sense. It did nothing, and since it wasn’t made to try to drain anything but life energy, it didn’t try to latch onto her magic which might have actually done some sort of damage to her, given how very Black this artifact was, and how old it was. She heard Giles practically crash into a table behind him. Could he sense the movement of the magic? There had been the strange feeling about him, somewhat like the one she got from Willow only…Subtler and with something on him that tasted rather…Terrible when she poked into it a little more. She’d never really bothered to look too much into it. Perhaps she should.

“Shouldn’t you be heading for the dance?” Giles asked, strained and clearly wanting her to stop fiddling with the old magic.

Violet was already dressed, vibrant colors and batik patterns, large jewelry pieces. “I’ll get there,” she said easily, “But I’d rather take care of this first. I’m not sure how often she needs to replenish the life energy this hunk of rock steals from her so the sooner this is done, the better for everyone.” she glanced over at him, “Once that’s done, I can find her and set her up somewhere safe for a normal life. Can’t really have that on a Hellmouth.”

“And how are you so sure what this mummy wants is just a normal life?”

“It’s really what any Chosen One wants.” she said softly, concentration on the wriggling strands of magic to gently tug out of the knots it was in. “Being a Chosen One isn’t a choice, and while Summers has stepped up to the plate it doesn’t mean that going through with the prophecies and rituals isn’t damaging or full of hardships when all she ever really wanted is to just be normal, to be able to enjoy her life without constantly having the weight of her people or the world while everyone around her tells her that she must do it alone. That it is her duty to do it. Exploitation. If she tries to speak out against it, accused of not loving her people or just being taken forcibly to complete something she never wanted any part of. To deliberately force that upon someone, to force it upon a teenage girl…Of course she wants to just get out and away from it. Of course she’d take the first chance at freedom and being able to choose for herself what she wants to do, and be able to do things that she couldn’t because of someone else telling her that she was the only one and that she must. Summers might be fighting now, but I’ve read the files. I’ve seen how fast these Slayers die, sent out on their own just because they have the power. Sent out and with no support given to them, no one to fall back on because it is her duty alone when there are others that could help her, that could provide the support and team that she needs. I talked about it before. Slayers have the power but it doesn’t mean they are the only ones able to do anything about it. And it’s disgusting to tell them they can’t, that it is purely on them and them alone.”

“…You sound passionate about it.”

“I would suppose so.” she agreed easily, very carefully wriggling one particular strand loose.

“And you said you were involved in soul magic before?”

“Through no choice of my own.” she scowled but kept her hands steady and seamless in their gentle unknotting.

“Could it be that you…Are the soul reincarnation of a Slayer?” Giles asked very carefully and she paused what she was doing, taking her hands away as she burst into laughter at that.

“No, Mr. Giles, I can certainly say that I am not.” she managed to get out between heaves of laughter. “Just the same that the princess is not a Slayer but is still a Chosen One. Not all Chosen Ones are Slayers.” she shook her head, a smile quirking her lips now as she returned to the seal. “And before you ask, my duty is already done and over with, the prophecy I was part of fulfilled. If I sympathize a little more with young girls being forced to be a Chosen One, that’s because I had also been forced to be a Chosen One. The circumstances might be different, and we are different people, but I know how crushing that pressure can be and how lonely it can feel. So being able to free one girl from it? Of course I’d try to. Ah-ha, got you now.” she grinned a little viciously and a burst of air flushed through the room angrily and she scoffed at the paltry bluff.

“I-I don’t think you should play around with that-” Giles stuttered and she wanted to scoff again. She yanked the end of the thread of magic that held it all together, pleased when a faint wail died out and the magic circling and saturating the rock faded away to nothing.

“There we are. Now, Marc promised me a dance so off I go.” Violet leaned back, pleased to have it done.

xXx

“This golem has passports, legal files, papers, money, everything you need to start up a fresh new normal life.”

“And…And Xander?” the girl asked hesitantly.

“Harris is tied in with Sunnydale at this point. There will be no chance for a normal life here on the Hellmouth. Think of this as another normal teenage girl experience, loving and losing. You wanted to see New York properly anyways right? Harris wouldn’t leave here.”

Besides that Summers found the desiccated remains of who should have been her cultural exchange student and that she was no doubt rooting around for her now, regardless that the princess was no longer cursed. And if Summers knew, no doubt the other two knew now as well. No, much better and much safer to get her out without all the pomp Summers and friends would bring in a confrontation. The princess’s new name was Dayana. Mostly because it’s been so long she didn’t remember her name.

“There are a few things about you that I couldn’t change or that were permanently changed with the curse they put on you.” Violet went on seriously. “Your strength, you seem to have a good grip on altogether. You still have that. You’re going to be a little sensitive to anything tainted by the Black Arts, given you were under the curse of one for so long but really, all that does is tell you where to avoid I guess. The golem can take care of near everything- and will. She will be your aunt, and while she might seem a little…Doll like or blank at first, give it a week or two and she’ll assimilate and grow warmer. She’ll learn and grow and help guide you.”

“I am truly free?”

“Yes. You can live your life however you see fit, make your own decisions.” Violet smiled the Dayana got teary eyed, grabbing her in a tight hug while thanking her.

xXx

“You really, truly have the worst luck with women don’t you Harris?” Violet mused.

“Did you really send her off just like that? No consequences?” came the angry rebuff and she eyed Harris for a moment before brushing down her dress. It was silk, shimmery blue and she had a white-wash denim jacket over it. “Giles said you broke whatever was on the seal. That you were gonna find her and send her away.”

Violet thought to herself for a moment before saying “She asked about you. I figured Summers had found out by then and warned you, so I thought it would be safest to waylay any goodbyes.”

“She killed people!”

“There have been seven reported deaths in the past three days, Harris. None of which from her.” she raised her brows. “She cried when she really understood she was no longer under that curse. Was so grateful to finally be free from it. She also asked me to pass this along to you. I haven’t read it.” she pulled out a neatly folded letter. “She writes wonderfully, amazing she picked it up so fast.” Violet mused. He stared down at it with a hard frown for a moment. Violet sighed, grabbed his hand and pushed the letter to him. “Really, the worst luck with women.” she shook her head and went off.

xXx

She groaned, stretching out in the luxurious soaking tub. Sometimes she almost felt odd seeing her scarred and inked skin anymore, especially since Sheila was staying over. She did finally perfect that charm, and she sent the girl regular blood-pops now that she was finally back with her aunt. Marigold actually had a task to do outside, regularly now in that she collected the blood for said blood pops. Cordelia had a new boy, but that was to be expected. She wasn’t sure how she felt about underage girls dating frat boys- what she’d heard about them didn’t exactly sound very appealing or pleasant but she supposed it was another part of the experience. Sheila was a lot less full of aggression now that she wasn’t in school anymore. Violet was pleased that Cheryl didn’t have to lose the girl she saw as her daughter, and that Sheila was happier now. Dayana sent her a postcard pretty quickly, and she was settling in very happily as well.

There were still of course other things to worry about- Spike, Willow’s unfortunate crush on Harris, Cordelia hasn’t been kidnapped in a while so she was probably due by now, Angel and the horcrux. Sunnydale misfortune in general. Aura and her pregnancy scare, Aphrodesia and her mixed feelings on her brother leaving for Canada to be with his long distance boyfriend. Blue and her discovery of her parents habit of swinging and the small crisis she was having over that.

Violet was tempted to try to explain the relationship her parents had, stag-dad, daddy-Paddy and mum but…

Well, that daddy-Paddy and mum basically shared stag-dad and shared a comfortable platonic co-parenting relationship while stag-dad was romantically involved with both could be a little bit mindboggling for some people. It was always an awkward conversation at Hogwarts anyways. Besides, this and that were different in that daddy-paddy was another parent and not some swinging couple that swaps partners for jollies, completely different things.

Most of her friends in the Cordettes were dating again and had tried more than once to introduce her to a friend or cousin or brother.

She turned, frowning before peeking over at one of the baskets. She lazily lifted her hand and out came a shimmery pink toy. There was glitter in the silicone.

Regardless that she was older than the lot of her friends, she still very much didn’t want to end up pulling an underage boy to fool around with. It felt a tad too icky to her and besides Rhonda she had avoided getting involved with teenagers entirely. For now she would calm down a bit, relax, and treat herself pretty.

Especially since Halloween was creeping ever closer. No good had ever much come from it, she had found, and she felt even more wary with Sunnydale luck mixing with her own.

Eventually she did leave the comfort of her tub, pleased and mellow.

Her school day was normal, Cordelia was studying up on dating and attraction tips that she felt the other girl didn’t really need in order to impress her newest boyfriend. Summers was pining over Angel.

It was more when she was leaving the school that things got a tiny bit more interesting in a mundane sort of way. She trotted up to Summers and friends, startling all three in the process and smiling.

“You really gotta start wearing a bell.” Harris said, strained as he held his chest. At least he seemed to be in a better mood now than when Dayana left.

“I’ll take it into consideration.” she grinned at him charmingly.

“I don’t trust that look.” he said with narrowed eyes and her grin got a little sharper, a little bit meaner.

“Good lad.” she praised. “So, how have your days-”

“C’mon, Richard and his fraternity brother want to meet you two,” Cordelia came up, grabbing hold of Summers’ arm and Violet’s.

“Well, I don’t wanna meet any fraternity boys.” Summers answered back but Cordelia was already pulling them down.

“And if there was a god, don’t you think he’d keep it that way?” Cordelia shot back at the blonde.

“I believe we were dawdling!”

Richard, Violet noticed idly, was incredibly handsome. Much more handsome than her lead singer ex-boyfriend.

“Hi sweetheart.” he began smoothly, starting with Summers and Violet watched the way Cordelia’s lips pursed a little bit. “I’m Richard, and you are?”

One of those kinds of boys was it? What a waste of a pretty face, she thought uncharitably. And of course, she might be biased in that Cordelia obviously wasn’t pleased. To be fair, Summers clearly wasn’t impressed either.

“So not interested.” and Cordelia grabbed her arm when she tried to turn away. Violet leaned back and watched silently.

“She’s such a little comedian.” Cordelia grit out, yanking her to stay in place.

“What, she likes to play hard to get?”

“No, Richard. I think you’re playing easy to resist.” the other boy in the car came out and around and when Summers tried to walk away again, the boy was quick to follow after her, “Feel free to ignore him. I do all the time.” she heard before her attention was once more drawn back to Richard.

“And you, doll?”

“Violet.” she offered a brilliant, beautiful smile with dimples. It was the same one that made Gabrielle melt and Draco tremble and quiver where he stood anymore. He blinked and she watched the interest blossom across his face, something dark in his eyes that she really didn’t like the thought of Cordelia being around.

“Ooh. An English girl.” he smiled, flashing his own dimples at her charmingly.

“Born and raised.” her head tilted slightly as she shot him a playful grin.

After a bit more chatting, the friend came back and they went off.

“I don’t like him.” she declared.

“Seemed to be getting along with him just fine.” Cordelia grumbled bitterly and she frowned at the girl.

“He’s a waste of a pretty face.” she told the taller girl. “He was thereabouts chatting me up right in front of you! And he used you to pull both Summers and I over, where he very clearly hit on Summers when she was very obviously not interested! Not the type to be in a relationship with.”

“Oh, what would you know? You haven’t dated anyone since you came here!”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t see red flags popping up around a man who chases after high-school girls and flirts with his high-schooler girlfriend’s friends. In front of her.”

“He’s just playing suave and cool.” Cordelia waved off.

“Mm.” Violet hummed dubiously.

xXx

“Go to a frat party?” she mused. “Well sure. I suppose it’s something new to try.” and all the better she could keep an eye on Cordelia.

“Great! Now I just need to get Buffy…”

xXx

Her heels were stiletto, pretty strap back dress in deep darker jade green silk that made her eyes especially more striking than usual. Her hair was in one long braid twisted into a crown, only baby hairs curling delicately at her forehead. Her makeup was precise and smoky. She chose to wear a nose ring rather than her usual nostril stud in platinum to match Cuddles who wrapped securely around her throat, head sat in the hollow of her throat. Cordelia ditched them pretty quickly to hang out with Richard and it didn’t take long for Summers to wander off either.

She was distracted soon enough though because, “Harris?” she called and watched the boy spin, blinking at her and then raising his eyebrows at her, looking her up and down.

“Wow. You sure look…Good.”

“Thank you.” she stifled a chuckle. “And how did you get into the party?”

“Ah, you know.” he strolled closer, “Open windows are just open opportunities. Ooh, what are those?” she watched Harris follow a platter of more snacks and shook her head. Something about Harris let him neatly fit himself into things. A rather invaluable trait. She briefly spied Summers dancing with a boy and she was at least smiling a bit and peeking over, Harris had two girls at his side, using his unwitting boyish charm to unwittingly charm them. And then she spotted Richard and two other boys watching him and then proclaiming him a new pledge. She sidled up and Richard put on a charming smile for her, attention diverted.

“Richard, would you happen to know what these nice red drinks are? I think they’re rather lovely.”

“Well I’m sure we can get you another.” he obliged, smacking his hand back into one of the nearby boys. “Go get the girl another one would ya?”

“Uh, yeah sure.” the taller one stumbled over his words before quickly turning to do as bid.

“Real leader huh?” she flashed her dimples at Richard and he responded in kind.

“Kinda runs through the family. These guys, they need a little direction you know? You enjoying the party, doll?” he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulled close to his side. He wore cologne that smelled like it was tailored and she appreciated that he didn’t stink of booze at least. “And have I said you look gorgeous tonight?”

“Real silver tongue too.” she teased flirtatiously. “I can see why Cordelia is so hung up over you.”

Cordelia preferred shallow relationships, most especially after Kevin. Handsome, money, smooth talker. The kind she can discard a week later and feel nothing over because she was never really that invested in the first place.

“Over my money you mean.” he rolled his eyes. “Nice necklace.” he complimented idly. “You…Like snakes?”

“Oh yes. I’ve got several at home.” she smiled, reaching up to stroke at the delicate metal. “You know, in Hinduism the snake is seen as a symbol of death and infinity.”

“Must not be too popular.”

“Not at all.” she peered up at him through her lashes. “They are very honorable creatures. Do you like snakes Richard?”

“I respect them.”

“A wise choice.”

xXx

“(I had wondered where my friends had gotten off to.)” Violet hissed in a sensual sibilant tongue. The demon twisted, attention immediately on her, and with his attention, the attention of the others in the room. “(I suppose I should have expected something new to threaten them.)”

“Get her!” came the command from the boy she was sure had been dancing with Summers earlier.

“Wha- no!” Richard cried out, “I wanted her!”

“Violet! Get out of here!”

Violet kicked a boy hard in the chest as he came up to grab her, easily throwing him back and knocking the others down with him before slowly making her way down the stairs to look around idly.

“(Three young girls as sacrifices?)” she hissed.

“(In return for wealth and protection for those who summon me.)” the demon responded. “(The tenth night of the tenth month, for the ease of their puny human minds to remember.)”

“(An easy deal for you then? Free food for a bit of paltry human wealth.)”

“(It is a profitable contract to have.)”

She stepped on and over the bodies of the young men on the ground, ignoring their groans of pain from the point of her stilettos. The demon slithered to rise above her.

“(I’m afraid I’m going to have to interrupt. Two of those girls are friends of mine. And well, I have no care for the wealth and success of these frat boys.)”

“M-my lord, what should we-”

“Silence!” he snarled at the man who cowered back and away with Richard, them and the third boy the only ones not laid about on the floor from their unfortunate charge at her. “(I have been summoned, and I intend to eat. What would you offer me in turn?)”

She smiled prettily and reached out, sending a pulse of strong, swirling magic around the demon who shuddered in pleasure at her deathly magic caressing his own demonic magic.

“(I shall keep you for three days and three nights.)” he commanded. “(In turn, I shall fill my belly with the incapable fools that summoned me.)”

He waved an arm and she watched as the three girls were once more rendered unconscious.

“(They shall not remember this night.)” he told her, reaching out and grabbing her arms, pulling her further into the room and enough that he looped his long tail around her legs. Then he struck out, grabbing one of the boys and messily devouring him, and then grabbing another and another, and another still. The rest of the frat boys were all silent and petrified, those that were conscious, pushing back as far away as they could and wide eyed. He wrapped around her again, arms pulling her closer still. “You have disappointed me. Here is an Exalted One, and you did not think to bring her to me.” he reprimanded them harshly.

“W-w-we-we didn’t know, my lord!”

“Hush!” he snapped. “I shall take her with me, and this shall be my payment. Those creatures you have brought me will only remember that they had imbued your alcohol and slept. They shall not remember my name, and they shall not remember this place. Take them away.”

“Y-yes my lord.”

“In three days and three nights, the Exalted One shall return.” he went on. “And your families will prosper all the more for it. (Come, to my lair.)” and with that, she was dragged down into the chasm.

xXx

She stumbled to her feet, blinking blearily before setting herself upright.

“She’s back!” came the herald and immediately, a warm blanket was being wrapped around her and she pushed her hair out of her face to look around her dazedly. Nervous faces all looked back at her. Richard and his friend among them.

“Next year, just send me a memo. People are going to get too suspicious if three more girls keep going missing around here.” she said, wrapping the blanket around her naked body more securely.

She hadn’t realized oviposition was something her body could do, but in the den of a snake demon, supposed it helped mold her body. And three days and three nights passed much differently in his lair than in the human world for all that it would have only been three days and three nights on the human plane.

“Of course, Exalted One.” came the jittery obeisance. She hummed to herself.

“Has anyone come sniffing around? In the form of perhaps, a redheaded girl and a librarian?”

“They came to collect the girls.” someone offered up immediately. “They were…Suspicious.”

“Yes, that does seem like them. I assume Machida’s influence was able to sway it away from here?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent.” she stretched. “Now, if someone could show me to the nearest shower that would be appreciated.”

xXx

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Oh yes, much better.” she assured her friend. “I heard that missing girl was found?”

“Yeah, and she doesn’t remember like, anything about the week she was gone except she got drunk at a frat party. Hey, speaking of parties, Cordelia broke up with that college guy she was seeing. Apparently he left her passed out in some room and kept partying. And Xander was at the party too I heard?”

“I saw a picture of him in a wig and a bra.” Aphrodesia giggled. “But she said you were at that party too. You didn’t get sick from like…You know…Someone putting something in your drink or anything right?”

“No no, I think one of the hors d'oeuvres just didn’t agree with me.”

“That’s a relief at least.”

xXx

“Angel, Cordelia.” Violet stepped up to them, smile maybe a little bit strained.

“Whoa. You look a little…” Cordelia tapered off for a moment.

“Yes, I know. Unfortunately there’s not much makeup can do about my expression. Halloween isn’t my favorite.” she winced.

“Really? I would have thought you’d be all over it.” Cordelia frowned, giving her a pointed look.

“No. No, Halloween has never had anything good in store in my experience.” she said sourly. “And with Sunnydale being what it is, regardless that the usual fare will be forgoing the day itself, I’m a bit afraid that this year won’t be an exception.”

“The usual fare?”

“Ah. The less…Human population.” she told the other girl. “Halloween is a sort of holiday in that they really don’t come out over here. It’s not quite Samhain but then I suppose it’s the thought that counts.”

“Samhain?”

“Samhain is a Gaelic tradition and one that’s still seen to today. It’s mostly about the end of the harvest season. And for some, Calan Gaeaf the next day as well.” she shook her head. “Regardless, all that really needs to be said is that the modern United States version of the holiday is very…Different.” she looked around at all the tacky decorations. “Weren’t you meeting Devon?”

“Nowhere to be seen.” Cordelia pursed her lips.

“Ah. And I take it Summers had an emergency stop by.”

“Likely.” Angel grunted.

“Mm. Ah- there she is now.” Violet perked up and watched Cordelia frown, shooting a quick glance at Angel who really, only had eyes for Summers. “C’mon, Cordelia. I want to try a pumpkin roll.” she grabbed the girl’s arm, waved for Summers attention and then presented Angel before dragging her taller friend away.

“Hey, I could’ve totally-” Cordelia whispered.

“Angel is a vampire.” she cut the girl off. “And he’s got his eyes set on Summers.”

“A vampire- what, but-”

“He was cursed, that’s why he hasn’t tried to murder any of us.” she explained. “Anyways, I figured you should know since you swore off older men.”

“Older? How much older?”

“Centuries, pet.” she grinned at the look that scrunched up Cordelia’s face. “I say leave the star-crossed lovers to themselves.”

xXx

“Chaperoning? Should they really be leaving that kind of responsibility to highschool teenagers?”

“I mean, it’s just babysitting.” Aphrodesia rolled her eyes, dragging her away for the moment. The next time she passed by, she had met with Summers and friends, and was summarily roped into the volunteer work (albeit she wasn’t particularly opposed to it to be honest.). Perhaps this will make for a lighter Halloween memory than most of the others she had.

xXx

“A costume shop. How…Cute.” she mused to herself. This too was part of the ‘experience’ according to several of the other girls. She would have just made her own otherwise, but this was, in its own way, fun. A grin split her face when she saw a gorgon wig with plastic snakes. A few charms and they’d be far more dashing, she suspected as she picked it up. Some sort of latex or rubber, since the snakes bobbed and moved when she moved the piece.

Healing blood on one side, poison on the other, the stony gaze, the snake hair. This one didn’t seem to favor some of the art that depicted them with wings at the temple which was fine by her. She could use this either way.

Cordelia was in a skintight leopard costume the next day. Violet chose a more modern clothed gorgon, the snakes charmed to look much more realistic and utterly black, with pretty pale green eyes like hers. She wore a cropped leather jacket, dark sunglasses (which was well enough with the sun still out) and for once, she wasn’t wearing a skirt but long shiny black pants that clung to her skin and knee high boots. A depiction of wings on her back on the leather jacket paid a little homage to some of the designs that had them with wings.

Summers, she saw in the foyer, was dressed in a pink dress that was very pretty, Harris was in fatigues and she was pretty sure the covered ghost was Willow. But soon she got a group of five children, all dressed up and she grinned at them, pushing down her sunglasses to wink at them.

The next two hours of time she had was probably the most pleasant Halloween she’d ever had, watching the children tromp off for candy and showing off their goods proudly, bartering between them for favorites. She of course did bring candy for them as well, treats and goodies which were very well received. The youngest one was shy and held her hand for most of it.

And this was all wonderful-

Until a widely cast spell turned several children into whatever it was their costumes were portraying. She snarled as something latched onto her own costume, and she could feel a change rippling through her. She was however, fast enough to keep the spell from affecting her children, two of them who the spell was trying to connect to. The snakes of her hair became very real, hissing angrily from where they were bound in a scrunchie in response to her own agitation.

She quickly guided the children away from the pandemonium, summoning Marigold out to help corral. She took over the children Violet was minding and started amassing more as Violet sprinted off in her heeled boots.

xXx

“Summers?” she murmured, dashing after the girl. “Summers!” the running girl glanced back but screamed at the sight of her, tripping over her dress and falling to the ground.

That…Wasn’t quite the reaction she expected. She quickly ate up the ground between them to where Summers was staring at her fearfully, and…There was no recognition whatsoever. Violet frowned.

“Begone demon!” she practically sobbed and- oh. Oh dear.

“Summers…You don’t recall a one, Violet, do you? Perhaps Willow, or…Xander?”

“I- I do not know these people demon! Please, do not come any closer!”

The speech patterns were of course not quite right, so the general characteristics and knowledge probably came from the quality of the costume and this one, while very pretty, wasn’t accurate. So neither would this separate persona be. Violet took a moment to breathe in deeply. If Summers was functionally useless under this spell…

If the actual demons came out to see what all the ruckus was, most especially the vampires, this could be a very unpleasant night.

It had been going so well, she mourned slightly.

“Wonderful. C’mon Summers, to your feet. We need to get you somewhere safe.”

“S-safe?”

“Well you’re certainly not safe out here are you?” she groused, grabbing the girl’s hand and pulling her up.

xXx

She shrunk and hid behind her in fear upon Cordelia, Harris and Angel and Violet frowned.

“Is that- is that an actual gun Harris?”

“Lady you’ve got snakes on your head.”

“Ah, and as astute as ever. Where’s Willow?”

“She went off to get help.” Cordelia cut in quickly.

“Ah. Giles then. What are you cowering from Summers?”

“V-vampire.” she whispered fearfully and Violet stared down at her hunched form behind her for a moment incredulously.

“Yes? Well look at him, he’s not raving for your blood like a madman!” she chastised. “Have a bit more faith Summers, Angel means you no harm. Probably the only vampire you can trust actually.”

“R-really?” the dark haired version of Summers peeked around her nervously and seemed to have silent eye conversation for a moment before she slowly got back to her feet, sending him a tentative smile and he gave a relieved one back.

“Alright, so lady with snakes on her head; friend.” Harris muttered.

“Aw, Harris.” she set a hand over her heart, the long claws clacking slightly against eachother. “I’ve always wanted the confirmation of our friendship.”