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Giles pulled Buffy aside before the students could return to their dormitories after dinner.

“I’m really not sure whether to congratulate you or tell you off for what you did today,” Giles said.

Buffy grinned and leant against the wall of the corridor.

“He deserved it. No matter how you look at it, he deserved everything he got. Plus…did you see the looks he was giving me at dinner?” Buffy said with a giggle.

He scowled a little at her and looked down with fatherly concern.

“You must learn to control your temper,” he said.

She rolled her eyes but nodded anyway.

“I know. I think I went a little overboard. But…I think he got the message,” Buffy said.

“I’m certain he got the message. What exactly did he say?” Giles asked curiously.

“When you asked how to repel vampires, he said Hermione’s last name,” Buffy explained.

Giles’ eyes flashed angrily.

“See? Totally deserved it.”

“Just be careful Buffy. That boy is bad news.”

“Plus the resemblance to Spike is just way creepy,” Buffy said.

Giles smiled a little nodding his agreement.

“I think you may have made a friend for life in Hermione though,” Giles said. “She seems like a good sort to have around.”

“Except for the fact that her best friend is Harry Potter,” Buffy said.

Giles face fell a little. “Oh. That does make things…awkward. How did you know about him?”

“Hard not to find out,” Buffy said. “In the six weeks you were teaching me about the magick world, you never even mentioned his name.”

“I had hoped not to,” Giles admitted.

Buffy sighed and pushed herself off the wall.

“G’night Giles,” she said quietly.

He watched her walk down the hallways, disappearing from view.

“Goodnight Elizabeth.”

She didn’t know how she’d managed to finally lose the group of people who ha followed her around all morning, but she finally found herself walking the corridors alone. She could hear footsteps behind her, quiet ones, as though they were trying to sneak up on her. Draco. Buffy sighed and turned to him when she sensed that he was directly behind her.

“What do you want Ferret Boy?” she asked.

He went a shade of pink and his eyes narrowed into slits.

“You think you’re so good, don’t you?” he asked. “Think you’re so great just cos you’ve got sheep following you around like little puppies.”

“Sheep don’t generally act like puppies,” Buffy said calmly.

Draco’s eyes flashed again, hating that he was losing the verbal match between them. He glared down at her, drawing himself up to his full height to try and intimidate her.

“I’d like to see you beat me when you don’t have your precious Professor watching over your shoulder,” Draco said.

“Trust me when I say that you don’t want to see me beat you. Cos when I do, it’ll be painful and bloody,” she assured him. “You won’t come out on top, I can guarantee you that.”

“I’d like to test that theory,” he said, bringing his face so close that they’re noses were almost touching.

“Strength alone,” she said. “No wands.”

“Afraid you’d lose in a proper duel?” he asked snidely.

“Just thought I’d give you better odds. Easier to beat me with your hands than with your wand,” she said.

He stepped back and pulled his cloak off, removing his wand and putting it aside. He waited for her to do the same. She shrugged and removed the black cloak, taking out her wand and putting it beside his.

“What are the terms?” Buffy asked, rolling up the sleeves of her blouse.

“First one to have their back flat on the ground loses.”

“And what does the winner get?” Buffy asked.

“They don’t get harassed,” he stated. He looked her up and down, thinking that the fight wouldn’t even last twenty seconds.

“And the loser?”

“Takes whatever insults they’re given. No reactions, no retorts,” he said.

“For how long?”

“A month,” he said.

Buffy grinned, thinking that this could work to her advantage. “Deal.”

The two shook hands and stepped back. Their eyes met, and Draco’s lips curled into a dangerous half-smile.

“Three…two…GO!”

They circled each other, Buffy waiting for Draco to throw the first hit. At least that way she could honestly say that he had started the fight. That and it gave her the advantage of gauging his strength and him not knowing that she could not only fight, but fight extremely well.

Draco threw a fist towards her, Buffy ducking it easily. He wasn’t trained in fighting, that was obvious. He was in a standard boxing position, his fists at the ready. Buffy rolled her eyes as he tried again.

This time, however, she caught his fist and squeezed his hand hard until she heard his knuckles crack under the pressure. She let go and watched as he clutched his injured hand to his chest. He glared and angrily threw another punch at her. She ducked again and went into a spinning kick, sweeping his feet off the floor, making the boy land painfully on his back.

“I win,” she declared easily. She walked over to their cloaks and placed it around her shoulders again, putting the wand back into it’s home in her cloak. “Maybe we can try again in October.”

She walked off before Malfoy could even get back on his feet.

“He’s still staring at you,” Hermione whispered.

Both Ron and Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy staring, not glaring, at Buffy. The blonde girl just smiled and continued eating her dinner as though she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Maybe he finally learnt his lesson,” Buffy said.

No one knew about the fight they’d had, and Buffy had no intention of telling anyone. It would only garner the question, where had she learned to fight, and she couldn’t afford for that to happen.

“That’d be nice,” Ron commented. “We’ve been trying to get him off our backs for four years. You come here, and he’s already off you back in under two days.”

The door to the Great Hall opened and Hagrid entered, his footsteps loud and booming. The entire hall went silent. It wasn’t often that Hagrid entered in that manner. Harry looked at his friend quizzically, but Hagrid kept a straight and serious face.

He walked up to the Teacher’s table, approaching Dumbledore.

“There’s a slight problem in the Forest,” Hagrid whispered.

Of course, his version of a whisper meant that everyone in the Hall could hear it.

“Perhaps this should be left to a different time, Hagrid,” Dumbledore said.

“Sure. But I just thought you oughta know…” he dropped his voice even lower so that no student could hear. “There’s a nest of vampires in the Forest, snacking on the centaurs.”

Buffy held back a gasp, her eyes meeting Giles’. He shook his head, and Buffy tried to look as though she hadn’t heard what the Giant had just told the Headmaster.

“Hey, you’re meant to have good hearing,” Ron said, looking towards Buffy. “What did he say?”

Buffy just shrugged. “Must be selective,” she said.

Ron sighed and went back to his food, somewhat disappointed.

Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands twice, getting everyone’s attention, albeit very nervous attention.

“I’d like for everyone to return to their dormitories at once. No one, and I repeat no one,” Dumbledore emphasised, sparing a glance at Harry, “is to be out of the dormitories tonight. Unless you wish to become very much dead, I’d suggest you stay in your rooms.”

The Hall burst into a bout of noise and the Prefects quickly led their houses to the dormitories. Buffy hung back looking at her Watcher. He nodded and she followed him into the Teacher’s sitting room where the staff of Hogwarts had congregated.

“Are you certain this is safe?” McGonagall asked, looking towards the small blonde girl whom was about to be sent into the Forest. “She’s…she’s only a child.”

“Be that as it may, Professor McGonagall, she is perfectly capable of handling herself,” Dumbledore replied.

“But to send her out there alone…”

“She won’t be alone,” Giles said, stepping forward.

Dumbledore nodded and Buffy and Giles left the room, walking swiftly down the corridor. Their footsteps were in sync and they looked the part of a well practised team. Giles ushered her into his office and closed the door. He opened up the heavily padded trunk and motioned for Buffy to select her weapons.

“You brought all of them?” Buffy asked.

“Every single one,” he replied.

“How’d you get them through security at the airport?” she asked curiously.

He gave her a sly grin. “Magic.”

Buffy laughed and moved forward to grab a small crossbow, two stakes and a bottle of holy water. She picked up a small bundle of clothing and looked at Giles.

“Don’t suppose we’ve got enough time for me to ditch the skirt?” she asked.

“Oh, uh…of course.”

He left the room for a moment, allowing Buffy to change into a pair of black leather pants and black combat boots. She quickly yanked off her cloak and the red and gold striped tie, tossing them onto the chair at Giles’ desk.

She swung the crossbow over her shoulder, adjusting the strap so that it sat in the middle of her back, and tucked the stakes into strategic places over her body. One resting at the back of her pants, and the other down the gap in her boot between the leather and her ankle.

She opened the door and looked to Giles.

“Let’s go.”

Giles nodded and again they headed down the hallway, Slayer and Watcher once again.

“To your rooms now please,” yelled one of the prefects. “Quickly!”

Harry grabbed Hermione by the arm. “Where’s Buffy?” he asked.

Hermione looked around at the thinning Gryffindors. “I don’t know! I didn’t see her follow us out.”

Harry paled at the thought. “You don’t think…I mean…she wouldn’t have…”

“Gone into the Forest to try and stop whatever it is that has Hagrid, of all people, worried?” Hermione asked.

“But she said she didn’t know what Hagrid had told Professor Dumbledore,” Ron said.

Hermione just looked at him. “And I suppose you’ve never told lies either,” she said.

Ron flushed a little.

“That doesn’t mean she’d go after whatever it is,” Harry said, trying desperately to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

Hermione turned the sceptical gaze to her other best friend. Harry sighed and closed his eyes worriedly. He’d said barely two words to the small blonde girl and here he was nearly giving himself cardiac arrest over her.

“I’ll get my dad’s cloak then shall I?”

The three of them moved down the corridor underneath the cloak. Ever since Ron and Harry had started having strange growth spurts, they’d had troubles hiding all three of them underneath it.

“If we get caught, we are gonna be in serious trouble,” Ron whispered.

“I have to know that she’s alright,” Harry said.

Ron sighed and the trio continued on down the corridor towards the DADA room. They saw Professor Giles standing outside his office, leaning against the wall, tapping something against his palm. It looked to be wooden, though it was too thick to be a wand.

Harry’s breath caught in his throat as he saw Buffy emerge from Giles’ office wearing…were those leather pants? Harry looked to Ron who seemed to be just as transfixed by the blonde girl. Hermione rolled her eyes and tapped Ron’s open jaw to close it. It fell open again straight away.

“Was she carrying a crossbow?” Hermione asked.

“Was a bit busy checking her arse out to really notice,” Ron replied absently.

He was hit in the arm for the reply and the trio moved down the corridor. The had to quicken their pace to keep up with Buffy and Professor Giles and they had troubles remaining silent.

“They’re going into the Forest,” Ron whispered.

“She’s crazier than I thought,” Hermione whispered. “We should go, guys. This is dangerous. You heard what Dumbledore said.”

“We’ve come this far,” Harry said. “We’re going to find out.”

Ron groaned silently but they continued on, walking into the Forest, only just able to make out the two figures walking ahead of them. The conversation from the two people in front carried through the silent air.

“How many exactly do you think is in the nest?” Buffy asked.

“Ten…maybe twelve,” Giles replied.

The trio exchanged confused looks. Nest?

“What are they doing out this way anyway? It’s not like anyone comes in here,” Buffy said.

“I suppose they think they can catch one or two students who fancy themselves brave,” Giles replied.

There was a startling amount of noise that seemed to be heading directly towards the clearing that Buffy and Giles were standing in. Ron, Harry and Hermione clutched the Invisibility Cloak tighter around themselves.

Buffy reached for her crossbow, aiming it towards where the sound was coming from.

A creature jumped out from behind the shrubbery, half man, half horse. A centaur. It stopped short in front of Buffy and Giles.

“What are you running from?” Giles asked.

The centaur looked over it’s shoulder. “Them!”

‘Them’ turned out to be a group of ten men, their faces deformed, ridges formed over their eyes, their teeth elongated into fangs. Vampires.

The trio watched in amazement as Buffy took aim with the crossbow and fired a bolt, sending it directly into the heart of a vampire. The trio nearly yelped in fright as they saw the vampire turn to dust. Ron saw that Hermione was very close to screaming and held a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.

They watched as Buffy reloaded the crossbow and let off another shot, dusting a second vampire. What amazed the group even more was that when two members of the group lunged towards them, both Buffy and Professor Giles were more than ready for them.

Buffy ducked under the vampire’s fist, kicking the vampire behind the knees, sending it sprawling to the ground. Before she had a chance to dust it, one of it’s friends took it’s place, jumping towards her. Buffy quickly retrieved the stake from behind her back and shoved it through the heart of the vampire. Three down.

Giles backhanded one of the vampires, sending it stumbling backwards into two of its friends. Whilst the three vampires were trying to regroup, Giles swiftly staked two of them. The third one grabbed his wrist and threw Giles towards one of the trees.

He hit his head hard, dazing him. Buffy yelled out his name in a panic and positioned herself in front of him while he tried to regroup.

Three of the remaining five decided that teamwork was the way to go to defeating these two. They hadn’t counted on the petite blonde being a staunch protector and quick with a stake. Eight down.

The two remaining vampires hissed angrily, annoyed that their group had been practically obliterated within seconds.

“Slayer,” one of the accused angrily, it’s voice a harsh whisper.

“Vampire,” Buffy replied, the two of them beginning to circle her. She kept her eyes on them, making sure that Giles was still safe behind her. She yanked her crossbow off her shoulders and threw it at Giles’ feet.

“We’ll make you pay for that,” the other said angrily.

“Uh huh,” Buffy replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “Well, why don’t I just stake you, and we’ll call it even?”

The two vampires lunged at her simultaneously. Buffy stepped back, letting the two vampires accidentally tackle each other. They growled angrily and turned to look at the small girl.

“Geez guys, can’t you take your little lover’s spat elsewhere? I’ve gotta be up early tomorrow,” she complained.

“Not if we kill you first,” one of them growled.

“Yeah, yeah. You guys so need to think of better threats. I’ve had a fifteen year old evil git giving me better threats today. And I hafta say, he fought better than you which is definitely saying something about your fighting skills,” Buffy said.

One of the vampires was dust before anyone besides Buffy and Glies knew what was happening. The older Englishman stood up, crossbow in hand, another bolt in place. He aimed it at the remaining vampire.

Buffy had a random thought pass through her brain. No weapons…no friends…no hope. Take all that away and what’s left…

The vampire attacked recklessly, scared by the sudden lack of support and back-up. Within seconds the vampire was dust.

Buffy grinned up at Giles.

“Go us,” she said.

Giles rubbed the back of his head. “Except I somehow managed to get knocked out once again,” Giles said.

“Wouldn’t have been the same if you hadn’t, Watcher-Mine,” Buffy said.

Giles smiled at the endearment. She hadn’t called him that since she’d found out about not really being the Slayer. He handed her back her crossbow and the two of them left the clearing with ten piles of dust beginning to blow away in the wind.

The trio could only exchange frightened glances before running back to the castle before they were caught out of bed.

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