TITLE: Family Ties
AUTHOR: Methos (methos@btinternet.com)
DISCLAIMER: All things BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, Harry Potter, Hogwarts and all that belong to J K Rowling... nothing is mine, only the extremely twisted idea...
=/^\=
"Yes, yes... I'm coming," Giles shouted out bitterly as he whipped his dressing gown around himself as he made his way clumsily down the stairs, the annoying ring of the telephone having woken him up from a rather sound night's sleep so he was looking forward to explaining, in detail, how annoyed he was at being woken up at this ungodly hour.
Half of him was hoping this was actually Slayer related somehow, since Buffy and Willow had gone to college they had both seemed to have moved on with their lives somewhat, not needing him anymore. This was fine with him for the most part, he was happy for them both as they both seemed to actually be progressing as people along with progressing academically.
The other half of him knew that Buffy or Willow would only call at this late hour if it were a dire emergency, even in his sleep filled mind he knew they if that were the case, they would have come over in person to see him, whatever had happened, they both knew he was still there for them both no matter what.
"Do you have any idea what bloody time it is?" Giles bit out as he picked up the phone, all pretence at finding out who it was first now gone from his mind.
"Rupert Giles?" An official sounding English voice came back over the line, shocking Giles somewhat. Of all the people he expected to call, someone from the Council was not on his list. For them to call would have to mean Slayer business, which either meant Buffy, or something had happened to Faith.
"Yes, who is this?" Giles asked, a bit more awake now as he flicked on the side lamp and sat down ready to talk.
"This is Detective Todd of the Kent Metropolitan Police," The voice explained before continuing. "I do apologise for calling at this hour."
"Is there something I can do for you Detective Todd?" Giles asked, his brain trying to figure out exactly why someone from the Kent police force would be contacting him at five am.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news Mister Giles," Detective Todd continued after a brief pause. "Normally we would have sent someone around to talk to you in person, though we were unable to reach the Sunnydale Police Department for some reason."
"News?" Giles caught on to that bit of information, ignoring the comment about the local police here, he knew how useless they were, as it was night here, they were all probably safe at home for the night and the police station closed up and locked down.
"It's about your sister Mister Giles," Detective Todd started slowly.
"Sarah?" Giles asked, clutching the phone tightly now. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm afraid Mrs Granger and her husband were in a car accident earlier today Mister Giles," Detective Todd explained, the sorrow in his voice trying to convey over how sorry he was that they were having to do this over the phone. "I'm sorry to have to inform you like this, but neither of them survived."
"Sarah"¦" Giles whispered out as the phone dropped from his hand, cluttering on the desk with a loud noise in the emptiness of the room.
Detective Todd's voice came through the line for a few more minutes, repeating his name and expressing how sorry he was, when no reply came back from Giles, the handset wend dead, leaving the soft dial tone coming from the small speaker alone in the room with the soft sounds of tears coming from a man who had just lost the only family he had left.
=/^\=
"Albus, are you sure?" Professor McGonagall asked, the shock in her voice carrying over the room with ease as Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly at her.
"I'm afraid so Minerva," Dumbledore said with sad eyes. "The muggle police department contacted the Ministry Muggle Relations department this afternoon, they verified it for themselves."
"An accident?" Professor McGonagall asked, then returned to her seat when Dumbledore nodded at her again.
"It appears so," Dumbledore nodded slowly as he stood up from his desk and moved around it to stand in front of her.
"That poor child, she needs to be informed of this, what would this mean for her schooling?" McGonagall asked, worry for her student now at the forefront of her mind. "Where will she go?"
"All is being taken care of," Dumbledore said reassuringly. "A family member has been contacted, her only family now. She will be leaving the school early this year to arrange things with him, I believe that is best."
"Quite," McGonagall nodded in ascent to his arrangement. "When are you going to tell her?"
"I would like you to be the one to inform her," Dumbledore said slowly. "I believe it would be best coming from someone she can talk to about things like this."
"Why yes, of course, I'll inform the girl immediately." Professor McGonagall nodded as she rose from her chair. "This is going to break her heart the poor child."
"Her friends will be there to help her," Dumbledore said knowingly. "They will be strong for her."
"Aye," McGonagall nodded slowly as she paused before leaving the room. "Her new guardian, is he a Wizard?"
"I do not believe so," Dumbledore said slowly, stroking his beard in thought. "As far as I know, Miss Granger is the only witch or wizard in her family."
"That might be a problem then, how are we going to explain things to him, especially in her state, self-control and keeping the truth from him will prove difficult for her." McGonagall explained her thoughts.
"All in the fullness of time," Dumbledore nodded. "Please convey that I am here if she wishes to speak to me, though I do believe she may rather come to you for that."
Professor McGonagall just nodded at this last bit of information before she moved to leave the room, leaving Professor Dumbledore to see to his arrangements for Miss Granger to leave the school early this year for grieving.
=/^\=
"Ah Xander," Giles smiled at the young man as he opened the door and stepped aside wordlessly with an invitation inside. "Good."
"Hey, what's the what?" Xander asked with a smile as he walked into the main room of Giles' place to find Buffy and Willow already sat there on his couch.
"Well, now you are all here I can begin," Giles smiled softly as he took a seat opposite where Buffy and Willow had sat down, and where Xander was now perched on the arm of the sofa next to Willow.
"I wanted to tell you all together, so there would be no calls of favouritism or the such," Giles started to explain. "I have come to quite enjoy all of your company over the last several years, and it would be amiss for me to leave without at least saying something."
"Leave?" Buffy was the first one to voice her thoughts. "You can't leave Giles, I need you here."
"Kind of you to say," Giles smiled at her. "But the truth is, you haven't needed me for quite some time now Buffy. You are your own woman, your own Slayer. There is little else I can teach you now."
"But"¦ where are you going?" Willow asked in a quiet voice, the thought of losing Giles, the man who had practically been a mentor to her, scaring her more than she would like to admit.
"I have to return home," Giles explained sadly. "There was"¦ an accident; my sister and her husband were killed. Their daughter is the only family I have left now, and she will need me more than any of you do now."
Willow just nodded at this, not knowing quite what to say. Even Buffy seemed a little shocked and saddened by this, her petulant outburst earlier now put in its place by Giles explaining why he had to leave.
"Back to the motherland then Giles?" Xander nodded with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes, quite," Giles smiled at him, nodding towards him in thanks for the attempt to diffuse the small amount of tension in the room. "I confess I will miss you all greatly, and if I could stay, I would."
"Its family," Buffy said with a small smile. "You'll write though right, and call, they have phones there right?"
"It's England Buffy, not the stone age," Xander grinned at her.
"Quite," Giles smiled at the fact that Xander had defended his home country for once instead of mocking it. "I will of course send you all information on how to contact me should the need arise, I will still be there for you all if you should need me. This is just something"¦"
"We get it Giles," Willow said with a smile. "Like Buffy said, its family. So you're like your niece's guardian now?"
"Yes, I would suppose so," Giles smiled as he took off his glasses and started polishing them with his shirt. "Though I should imagine after looking after you three for this many years, one teenager shouldn't be that much of a problem."
"A teenage girl?" Xander grinned at him. "You have my sympathies Giles."
"Yes, well," Giles frowned over at him, though truthfully he had been thinking the same thing. He had no idea how to take care of a fourteen year old girl, the closest thing to a daughter he had ever had was Buffy, and he didn't take charge of her until she was sixteen. He didn't even know if his niece would remember him at all, it had been that long since he had actually visited or spoken to his sister.
"Oh, how old is she?" Willow asked enthusiastically.
"Fourteen I believe," Giles smiled at her. "Yes, she would have been fourteen earlier this year."
"She lost her mom and dad at the same time?" Buffy asked in a small voice, not wanting to upset Giles over the loss of his sister any more than it had already obviously affected him.
"A car accident," Giles nodded slowly. "Hermione was away at school when it happened; I'm told she attends a boarding school in Scotland somewhere."
"Hermione?" Xander asked, turning the name into a question. "Do all you people have such weird names?"
"Xander!" Willow huffed, reaching over to slap him on the arm for such a question.
"Hey, it's a valid question," Xander shouted, moving away from Willow's incoming hand and nearly falling off his perch as he did so.
"Her name comes from Shakespeare if you must know," Giles said wearily, having already known that Xander, if not Buffy, would have asked about her name sooner or later. It wasn't exactly a household name in England, and one he had never heard of being used in America so far. So it was natural they would be curious about the unusual name.
"When do you have to go?" Buffy asked, looking up from where she had been staring at the floor in thought.
"I have arranged a flight for Friday evening," Giles said with a small nod.
"But"¦ but that's in two days," Willow exclaimed.
"There are things that need attending to," Giles said sadly. "Her husband, Tony, was an only child. As such, it falls on me to arrange things for Hermione. It wouldn't be kind to leave things such as funeral arrangements to a young girl, bad enough she has to experience this kind of loss so young, I would not leave her to deal with this alone for any longer than necessary."
Buffy, Willow and Xander all nodded at this, not knowing what else to say. There was nothing they really could say to that, it was the sort of thing they'd never even thought about, how to plan a funeral, everything that comes with it, how to arrange everything and deal with solicitors and such.
Willow was the first one to act, standing up from where she was sitting she moved over to stand in front of Giles and leaned down to pull him into a hug. "I'm sure you'll be a great dad Giles." She said as she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you," Giles let out a small laugh as he stood up to hug her back. "I will miss you all, even you Xander." He smiled as Buffy and Xander moved forwards, Buffy including herself in the hug first while Xander stood back awkwardly. "You will all take care of course, and contact me should you need me."
"You too Giles," Buffy said as she hugged him tightly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall freely. "If you need us, just call and ask alright?"
"Thank you," Giles smiled as he hugged the two girls even tighter, moving his head so he could keep eye contact with Xander even though he wasn't including himself in the hug. "You are all more than I could have hoped for, I'm so proud of how strong you have all turned out." He smiled as tears started to fall from his own eyes.
Even Xander's eyes were starting to get teary as the group hugged as shared their feelings for the first time in what felt like years, they were family, maybe not by blood, but by everything else that mattered.
Organising a group dinner for the next day came easily for them, one last get together before Giles left. Giles had made them all promise it would be a happy affair, not filled with tearful goodbyes or asking him to stay. He knew they would all respect this, he had a new family to consider now, and one young girl who would need him more than his chosen family did now. And he would be there for her no matter what.
=/^\=
Professor McGonagall swept through the halls of Hogwarts, for the first time since school began actually ignoring any students who were in the halls or talking when they should have been studying or in class.
All she was thinking about was how to break the news to Miss Granger, she'd gone over the words several times in her mind, trying to find the right way to say it, but no matter how she tried to reword it, it always came out the same.
There was little she could do about it though, merely cushioning the blow and offering to be there for her when she broke down, as she knew she would. In a situation like this, there was not much else to be done, the news had to be broken to her, and there were only so many ways you could tell a young girl that he parents were both in a fatal accident without it seeming like you were beating around the bush.
She paused outside the room for a moment, knowing full well that Hermione was in there, with Harry and Ron no doubt, sitting towards the front of the class with Professor Lupin learning about the dark arts.
She took a deep breath, composing herself before opening the door and moving quietly inside the room. The subject matter for the day appeared to be vampires, the different kinds of vampires were illustrated on the blackboard at the front of the room, with moving pictures depicting the various types of vampire the students might encounter, from the demonic variety through to the Transylvanian pure blood vampires, and finally the sparkling, glittery "˜Tinkerbelle vampires' as Professor Lupin had named them, with an accompanying photo of a male vampire in sunlight, shining like a disco ball and preening towards another man.
"Professor McGonagall, is there something you needed?" Professor Lupin asked from the front of the class, breaking her out of her thoughts and causing all the students in the class room to turn around to look at her.
"Might I borrow Miss Granger please," McGonagall announced clearly. "Bring your bags and books please." She said before stepping out of the room before anyone else could say anything.
"Well, it seems you are on reprieve from today's test Hermione," Professor Lupin smiled at her. "Though the homework for today is two pieces of parchment about the different varieties of vampire and how to defend yourself from each of them."
"Thank you sir," Hermione nodded as she collected her books and put them inside her bag. Both Ron and Harry were looking at her, wondering why she had been called out of the class room. It was very unusual for another professor to interrupt another class, especially to call a student out of the middle of one.
The entire class watched quietly as Hermione walked up through the centre of the room towards the back door where she slipped out quietly.
"Now, where were we?" Professor Lupin smiled as he got back to the lecture at hand. "Yes, the types of vampire and how to detect them. Can any of you give me three ways to detect any one of these types of vampire?" He asked, looking around the class as a few hands shot up. "Yes Miss Amber?"
A pretty blonde girl at the back of the class stood up, her robes showing she belonged to Slytherin. "The demonic variety, they're repelled by crosses, holy water and fire."
"Good good," Lupin smiled. "Now, can any of you tell me, which of these three does not affect one of the other types?"
Only one or two hands came up slowly this time, not as sure or enthusiastic as before. "Mr Edwards?" He asked, looking at a Gryffindor boy in the second row.
"Holy water sir, it doesn't affect the glitter vampires,"
"Absolutely correct," Professor Lupin nodded with a smile, causing the student to let out a sigh of relief. "Holy water doesn't affect the Tinkerbelle variety of vampire, nor are they affected by sunlight. It's widely believed, hence the name, this is because they are not true vampires, merely a sub species of muggle that bred with"¦"
His words died off as a cry of anguish came from outside, followed by the unmistakable sound of crying, crying and screaming "˜why' at such a volume that it permeated through the thick wooden doors of the room.
Both Ron and Harry immediately snapped their heads around to the door, knowing instinctively that it was Hermione's voice and crying they could hear. Both of them torn between running to their friend's aid and respecting her enough to leave her until the class was over so they could find out what had happened in private.
They both knew Hermione wouldn't want her business going around the school like common gossip, so for now they both stayed in their seats, waiting for the end of the class so they could go and find out what had happened. Both of them were trying to figure out exactly what had happened that could make Hermione cry like that, the last time either of them had seen her cry was when Ron had upset her in their first year, and even then it hadn't been that loud or emotional.
"Bet its Malfoy," Ron whispered over. "He's probably done something; you know what he's like."
Harry just shook his head back, he knew that sound, that cry, that tone of scream. It was one of loss, not just an emotional response. Something told him something was very wrong here, and that Hermione would need them both to be there for her, whatever it was that had happened.
=/^\=
Giles let out a soft sigh as he settled into the plane seat for the long flight back to England. Everything was taken care of, his belongings were boxed up and being shipped back to his family home the next week via courier service. He'd only arranged for the essentials to be brought over, his books, clothing and guitar, a few personal affects. While he hadn't set foot in his family home for over fifteen years now he knew it would have been taken care of in his absence for his eventual return.
The last time he'd actually been home was for his father's funeral, after that he'd locked the place away. Throwing dust sheets over all the furniture and making sure the premises were secured with locks as well as the standard spells for all Watchers ancestral homes.
He'd made sure the small flat he owned in Sunnydale was paid up, offering it to Xander and the girls to use. He knew they would take care of it, and that way he knew he would have somewhere to return to should he ever be needed back in Sunnydale.
That way Xander had a place to call his own and could move out of his parent's basement at last, giving him a bit more security while finding his own way in the world. Buffy or Willow would more than likely move in there with him, a way to save money through their first year of college, it was the least he could do for them all.
It wasn't long until his thoughts returned to little Hermione, fishing his wallet out of his pocket he unfolded the photo he had of her. It was an old one but the only one he had of her. It must have been taken when she was about five or six, her brown bushy hair waved out and past her shoulders, while his sister Sarah, and her husband stood in the background, both with their arms around her, the pride as she showed off her certificate for first prize in the junior school science fair.
He wiped a stray tear away as he ran his thumb along the face of his sister; he hadn't spoken to her in so long, now he would never get the chance again. He would do the right thing by her though, take Hermione in and give her the best life he could. She was his responsibility now, and while he'd never actually had a family of his own, he knew he would do everything he could to protect the young girl who was now in his care.
He assumed Hermione's school had been contacted and been made aware of the situation, aside from the brief contact with Detective Todd and another lengthy call with the Granger family lawyers regarding their home, guardianship of Hermione and other arrangements, he hadn't actually been given that much information about Hermione or the school she attended.
He did hope however that she had been notified, as he wouldn't like to have to be the one to explain what had happened to her. He wasn't even sure if she even knew about him; he'd spoken to Sarah a few times in letters and on the phone, but had never spoken to Hermione directly. Given how awkward the situation was going to be, the thought of having to break the news to her about her family would make it almost unbearable.
"Good afternoon, this is your pilot speaking,"
Giles raised his eyebrow at the cheery sounding voice coming over the plane intercom, drawing his thoughts away from his young niece and her family.
"We expect to be landing in London on schedule, wind conditions are favourable and flight time should be just under eleven hours."
Giles nodded at this information as the plane started to level off from its take-off thrust. The plane was happily quite empty; it seemed not that many people wanted to go to England just before winter hit, so he'd been able to book a relatively cheap flight with room to spare.
Allowing himself room to stretch out he fished his carry-on bag from where he'd stowed it underneath his chair, placing it on the chair next to him so he could fish out a book from inside. The bag had several of his favourite books inside, along with some journals he could work on translating for the long journey over.
Opening the first page of "˜A Midsummer Night's Dream' he tried to loose himself in the words, knowing it was Sarah's favourite book and play made it the obvious choice to read as he made his way back to England, that and it was quite lengthy so it should take him at least a few hours to make his way through the entire first edition, including play notes and directions.
Sadly the book didn't hold his attention as much as he could have hoped, the words and overall flow of the play kept reminding him of Sarah, how they'd used to read to each other growing up, how they always used to love going to the theatre together and rebelling against their father.
He'd finally relented and gone back to the family, becoming a Watcher like his father had always wanted, it was his deathbed request so to speak, so it was something he felt honour bound to fulfil. Sarah had found her escape; she had been living a wonderful life as a dentist, such a normal job. A loving husband who worked with her, their own dental practice and a daughter.
Sarah had been blessed with everything that he had wished for her, and secretly still wished for himself. A life away from family obligations, a life of her own. He hadn't even seen her at their father's funeral, he'd made it perfectly clear that Sarah had been cut out of his life altogether, and while he had been welcomed back when he agreed to re-join the Watchers Council, Sarah had never been forgiven for walking away from the family.
He spent a lot of the flight wondering what Hermione was actually like. Had she inherited her parents' intelligence, her mother's whimsy and imagination? Or was she more into books like Tony always was and loved numbers and pure science, facts and figures that could be accounted and verified. Did she have a boyfriend at school, what subjects she was taking, had she even thought about her O-Level or GCSE subjects, as they were now called, yet?
So much was running through his brain that in the end he decided to just close the book, reclining back in the chair he just watched the view go by outside, what little there was of it at this altitude. Letting his thoughts drift back to growing up with Sarah, giving her away at her wedding, his pride in her when she'd graduated university and founded her own practice.
The happy memories came easily for him as he drifted to sleep, fully intending to sleep all the way through to Heathrow so his body clock wouldn't be too far out from the time zone there. Dreaming of memories and what his niece was like, the dreams formed of a happy, confidant young girl, fully immersed in books at a normal school, happy in life, with good friends and not a care in the world.
=/^\=
"Ahh Miss Granger, do come in," Dumbledore smiled from behind his desk as he saw Hermione knocking at his ajar door timidly.
"You sent for me professor?" Hermione asked as she came into the room, her book bag left in her room this time as she was on a free period.
"Yes, yes, I wanted to inform you that arrangements have been made for you to return home next week." Dumbledore explained.
"Sir?" Hermione questioned. "What about school?"
"Your teachers have agreed to send work by owl, they are all confident that you should have no problems passing this year with the work you have done already. Tests can be arranged to be held at the Ministry headquarters at the end of this year." Dumbledore explained with a sad smile. "I do believe a lot of the teachers will miss you though."
"Sir, I can"¦" Hermione started to protest but was cut off by Dumbledore raising his hand.
"The reason for this, is that due to muggle and wizard law, you are still too young to be here without consent from your guardian." Dumbledore smiled at her reassuringly as he explained. "Your parents signed your invitation to attend Hogwarts at the start of your first year, normally that would be enough."
Hermione just nodded, another painful reminder that her mum and dad were now dead. As if she didn't have enough reminders already, the photo of them all together as a family beside her bed was enough to send her to tears most nights.
"The Ministry has learned that muggle law has passed guardianship to your uncle," Dumbledore said as he picked a piece of parchment off his desk and looked at it over his half-moon glasses. "He should be arriving in England this week."
"My uncle?" Hermione asked, wide eyed. She couldn't remember any uncles; her dad didn't have any brothers or sisters, and Grandma and Grandpa Granger died when she was young. Her mum never spoke about her family, so she'd just assumed that she didn't have any either. She'd never met anyone from her mum's side of the family, no uncles, aunts or grandparents stuck out as ever visiting or being mentioned. "Arriving?"
"Hmm, a Doctor Rupert Giles," Dumbledore nodded as he read the name from the parchment. "A muggle professor of some description, your mothers' brother it seems." He smiled before reading down the parchment a few inches. "It seems he lives in America by all accounts, though is moving back to England to take care of you."
Hermione just nodded at this, not knowing what else to say. She didn't even know she had an uncle before, now she was going to live with him. A muggle as well, did he even know about wizards and witches, even have any clue about magic at all.
"Professor McGonagall will go with you," Dumbledore smiled at her. "Monday morning, that will give you the weekend to spend with your friends before you leave."
"Thank you professor," Hermione said in a small voice, not trusting her voice to go any higher in case it broke with sobs.
"She will approach the subject of magic and your continued education with Mister Giles," Dumbledore explained. "I know this is a difficult time for you Miss Granger, so if there is anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to call upon me."
"Thank you sir," Hermione nodded in the same small voice. "Is that all?"
"Of course," Dumbledore smiled at her. "My door is always open should you need to talk, I'm sure Professor McGonagall has told you the same."
He nodded towards her as she graced him with a small smile before leaving the office, closing the door behind her as she left. Thoughts about her uncle and how he was going to react to having a witch in the family were now in forefront of her mind, what he like was, what would it be like living with him. Could he handle having a witch as a niece or would he freak out like Harry's aunt and uncle had done. Where were they going to live as well, would he be moving in to her parents' house with her, or did he have his own house here. The fact he'd come over from America as soon as he'd heard lent credence to the idea that he had his own place over here, but aside from what the thought and could piece together, she knew absolutely nothing about the man she was just being handed over to.
She couldn't help but imagine what he was like, and why her mum had never mentioned him to her as she walked back to the Gryffindor common room. Her mum must have had a good reason not to talk about him with her, or she would have talked about him before.
Had she ever received a letter from him, a phone call, a Christmas card? She couldn't remember ever receiving one from any uncles, though the name uncle Rupert was ringing a bell somewhere in the back of her mind, a vague memory from when she was younger, nothing that she could remember for definite though.
She froze mid step as she turned to another corridor, did he even know about her, did he know he was her niece, what if her mum had never told him about her either. Or was he as smart as her mum was, Professor Dumbledore said he was a professor of some sort and called him Doctor, did that mean he was a teacher somewhere, maybe he taught at a school in America, or would he expect her to move to America with him.
All these questions and more raced through her mind as she forced herself to keep walking towards the common room, her brain racing as she tried to picture what her uncle Rupert was like, she couldn't even picture him in her mind. He was her mum's brother, so he probably looked like her somewhat, but nothing was jumping out in her mind about him. She was left with just her imagination to fill in all the gaps about a man she'd been told precious little about, and who she was going to meet and live with, in just two days' time.
AUTHOR: Methos (methos@btinternet.com)
DISCLAIMER: All things BtVS belong to Joss Whedon, Harry Potter, Hogwarts and all that belong to J K Rowling... nothing is mine, only the extremely twisted idea...
=/^\=
"Yes, yes... I'm coming," Giles shouted out bitterly as he whipped his dressing gown around himself as he made his way clumsily down the stairs, the annoying ring of the telephone having woken him up from a rather sound night's sleep so he was looking forward to explaining, in detail, how annoyed he was at being woken up at this ungodly hour.
Half of him was hoping this was actually Slayer related somehow, since Buffy and Willow had gone to college they had both seemed to have moved on with their lives somewhat, not needing him anymore. This was fine with him for the most part, he was happy for them both as they both seemed to actually be progressing as people along with progressing academically.
The other half of him knew that Buffy or Willow would only call at this late hour if it were a dire emergency, even in his sleep filled mind he knew they if that were the case, they would have come over in person to see him, whatever had happened, they both knew he was still there for them both no matter what.
"Do you have any idea what bloody time it is?" Giles bit out as he picked up the phone, all pretence at finding out who it was first now gone from his mind.
"Rupert Giles?" An official sounding English voice came back over the line, shocking Giles somewhat. Of all the people he expected to call, someone from the Council was not on his list. For them to call would have to mean Slayer business, which either meant Buffy, or something had happened to Faith.
"Yes, who is this?" Giles asked, a bit more awake now as he flicked on the side lamp and sat down ready to talk.
"This is Detective Todd of the Kent Metropolitan Police," The voice explained before continuing. "I do apologise for calling at this hour."
"Is there something I can do for you Detective Todd?" Giles asked, his brain trying to figure out exactly why someone from the Kent police force would be contacting him at five am.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news Mister Giles," Detective Todd continued after a brief pause. "Normally we would have sent someone around to talk to you in person, though we were unable to reach the Sunnydale Police Department for some reason."
"News?" Giles caught on to that bit of information, ignoring the comment about the local police here, he knew how useless they were, as it was night here, they were all probably safe at home for the night and the police station closed up and locked down.
"It's about your sister Mister Giles," Detective Todd started slowly.
"Sarah?" Giles asked, clutching the phone tightly now. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm afraid Mrs Granger and her husband were in a car accident earlier today Mister Giles," Detective Todd explained, the sorrow in his voice trying to convey over how sorry he was that they were having to do this over the phone. "I'm sorry to have to inform you like this, but neither of them survived."
"Sarah"¦" Giles whispered out as the phone dropped from his hand, cluttering on the desk with a loud noise in the emptiness of the room.
Detective Todd's voice came through the line for a few more minutes, repeating his name and expressing how sorry he was, when no reply came back from Giles, the handset wend dead, leaving the soft dial tone coming from the small speaker alone in the room with the soft sounds of tears coming from a man who had just lost the only family he had left.
=/^\=
"Albus, are you sure?" Professor McGonagall asked, the shock in her voice carrying over the room with ease as Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly at her.
"I'm afraid so Minerva," Dumbledore said with sad eyes. "The muggle police department contacted the Ministry Muggle Relations department this afternoon, they verified it for themselves."
"An accident?" Professor McGonagall asked, then returned to her seat when Dumbledore nodded at her again.
"It appears so," Dumbledore nodded slowly as he stood up from his desk and moved around it to stand in front of her.
"That poor child, she needs to be informed of this, what would this mean for her schooling?" McGonagall asked, worry for her student now at the forefront of her mind. "Where will she go?"
"All is being taken care of," Dumbledore said reassuringly. "A family member has been contacted, her only family now. She will be leaving the school early this year to arrange things with him, I believe that is best."
"Quite," McGonagall nodded in ascent to his arrangement. "When are you going to tell her?"
"I would like you to be the one to inform her," Dumbledore said slowly. "I believe it would be best coming from someone she can talk to about things like this."
"Why yes, of course, I'll inform the girl immediately." Professor McGonagall nodded as she rose from her chair. "This is going to break her heart the poor child."
"Her friends will be there to help her," Dumbledore said knowingly. "They will be strong for her."
"Aye," McGonagall nodded slowly as she paused before leaving the room. "Her new guardian, is he a Wizard?"
"I do not believe so," Dumbledore said slowly, stroking his beard in thought. "As far as I know, Miss Granger is the only witch or wizard in her family."
"That might be a problem then, how are we going to explain things to him, especially in her state, self-control and keeping the truth from him will prove difficult for her." McGonagall explained her thoughts.
"All in the fullness of time," Dumbledore nodded. "Please convey that I am here if she wishes to speak to me, though I do believe she may rather come to you for that."
Professor McGonagall just nodded at this last bit of information before she moved to leave the room, leaving Professor Dumbledore to see to his arrangements for Miss Granger to leave the school early this year for grieving.
=/^\=
"Ah Xander," Giles smiled at the young man as he opened the door and stepped aside wordlessly with an invitation inside. "Good."
"Hey, what's the what?" Xander asked with a smile as he walked into the main room of Giles' place to find Buffy and Willow already sat there on his couch.
"Well, now you are all here I can begin," Giles smiled softly as he took a seat opposite where Buffy and Willow had sat down, and where Xander was now perched on the arm of the sofa next to Willow.
"I wanted to tell you all together, so there would be no calls of favouritism or the such," Giles started to explain. "I have come to quite enjoy all of your company over the last several years, and it would be amiss for me to leave without at least saying something."
"Leave?" Buffy was the first one to voice her thoughts. "You can't leave Giles, I need you here."
"Kind of you to say," Giles smiled at her. "But the truth is, you haven't needed me for quite some time now Buffy. You are your own woman, your own Slayer. There is little else I can teach you now."
"But"¦ where are you going?" Willow asked in a quiet voice, the thought of losing Giles, the man who had practically been a mentor to her, scaring her more than she would like to admit.
"I have to return home," Giles explained sadly. "There was"¦ an accident; my sister and her husband were killed. Their daughter is the only family I have left now, and she will need me more than any of you do now."
Willow just nodded at this, not knowing quite what to say. Even Buffy seemed a little shocked and saddened by this, her petulant outburst earlier now put in its place by Giles explaining why he had to leave.
"Back to the motherland then Giles?" Xander nodded with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yes, quite," Giles smiled at him, nodding towards him in thanks for the attempt to diffuse the small amount of tension in the room. "I confess I will miss you all greatly, and if I could stay, I would."
"Its family," Buffy said with a small smile. "You'll write though right, and call, they have phones there right?"
"It's England Buffy, not the stone age," Xander grinned at her.
"Quite," Giles smiled at the fact that Xander had defended his home country for once instead of mocking it. "I will of course send you all information on how to contact me should the need arise, I will still be there for you all if you should need me. This is just something"¦"
"We get it Giles," Willow said with a smile. "Like Buffy said, its family. So you're like your niece's guardian now?"
"Yes, I would suppose so," Giles smiled as he took off his glasses and started polishing them with his shirt. "Though I should imagine after looking after you three for this many years, one teenager shouldn't be that much of a problem."
"A teenage girl?" Xander grinned at him. "You have my sympathies Giles."
"Yes, well," Giles frowned over at him, though truthfully he had been thinking the same thing. He had no idea how to take care of a fourteen year old girl, the closest thing to a daughter he had ever had was Buffy, and he didn't take charge of her until she was sixteen. He didn't even know if his niece would remember him at all, it had been that long since he had actually visited or spoken to his sister.
"Oh, how old is she?" Willow asked enthusiastically.
"Fourteen I believe," Giles smiled at her. "Yes, she would have been fourteen earlier this year."
"She lost her mom and dad at the same time?" Buffy asked in a small voice, not wanting to upset Giles over the loss of his sister any more than it had already obviously affected him.
"A car accident," Giles nodded slowly. "Hermione was away at school when it happened; I'm told she attends a boarding school in Scotland somewhere."
"Hermione?" Xander asked, turning the name into a question. "Do all you people have such weird names?"
"Xander!" Willow huffed, reaching over to slap him on the arm for such a question.
"Hey, it's a valid question," Xander shouted, moving away from Willow's incoming hand and nearly falling off his perch as he did so.
"Her name comes from Shakespeare if you must know," Giles said wearily, having already known that Xander, if not Buffy, would have asked about her name sooner or later. It wasn't exactly a household name in England, and one he had never heard of being used in America so far. So it was natural they would be curious about the unusual name.
"When do you have to go?" Buffy asked, looking up from where she had been staring at the floor in thought.
"I have arranged a flight for Friday evening," Giles said with a small nod.
"But"¦ but that's in two days," Willow exclaimed.
"There are things that need attending to," Giles said sadly. "Her husband, Tony, was an only child. As such, it falls on me to arrange things for Hermione. It wouldn't be kind to leave things such as funeral arrangements to a young girl, bad enough she has to experience this kind of loss so young, I would not leave her to deal with this alone for any longer than necessary."
Buffy, Willow and Xander all nodded at this, not knowing what else to say. There was nothing they really could say to that, it was the sort of thing they'd never even thought about, how to plan a funeral, everything that comes with it, how to arrange everything and deal with solicitors and such.
Willow was the first one to act, standing up from where she was sitting she moved over to stand in front of Giles and leaned down to pull him into a hug. "I'm sure you'll be a great dad Giles." She said as she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you," Giles let out a small laugh as he stood up to hug her back. "I will miss you all, even you Xander." He smiled as Buffy and Xander moved forwards, Buffy including herself in the hug first while Xander stood back awkwardly. "You will all take care of course, and contact me should you need me."
"You too Giles," Buffy said as she hugged him tightly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall freely. "If you need us, just call and ask alright?"
"Thank you," Giles smiled as he hugged the two girls even tighter, moving his head so he could keep eye contact with Xander even though he wasn't including himself in the hug. "You are all more than I could have hoped for, I'm so proud of how strong you have all turned out." He smiled as tears started to fall from his own eyes.
Even Xander's eyes were starting to get teary as the group hugged as shared their feelings for the first time in what felt like years, they were family, maybe not by blood, but by everything else that mattered.
Organising a group dinner for the next day came easily for them, one last get together before Giles left. Giles had made them all promise it would be a happy affair, not filled with tearful goodbyes or asking him to stay. He knew they would all respect this, he had a new family to consider now, and one young girl who would need him more than his chosen family did now. And he would be there for her no matter what.
=/^\=
Professor McGonagall swept through the halls of Hogwarts, for the first time since school began actually ignoring any students who were in the halls or talking when they should have been studying or in class.
All she was thinking about was how to break the news to Miss Granger, she'd gone over the words several times in her mind, trying to find the right way to say it, but no matter how she tried to reword it, it always came out the same.
There was little she could do about it though, merely cushioning the blow and offering to be there for her when she broke down, as she knew she would. In a situation like this, there was not much else to be done, the news had to be broken to her, and there were only so many ways you could tell a young girl that he parents were both in a fatal accident without it seeming like you were beating around the bush.
She paused outside the room for a moment, knowing full well that Hermione was in there, with Harry and Ron no doubt, sitting towards the front of the class with Professor Lupin learning about the dark arts.
She took a deep breath, composing herself before opening the door and moving quietly inside the room. The subject matter for the day appeared to be vampires, the different kinds of vampires were illustrated on the blackboard at the front of the room, with moving pictures depicting the various types of vampire the students might encounter, from the demonic variety through to the Transylvanian pure blood vampires, and finally the sparkling, glittery "˜Tinkerbelle vampires' as Professor Lupin had named them, with an accompanying photo of a male vampire in sunlight, shining like a disco ball and preening towards another man.
"Professor McGonagall, is there something you needed?" Professor Lupin asked from the front of the class, breaking her out of her thoughts and causing all the students in the class room to turn around to look at her.
"Might I borrow Miss Granger please," McGonagall announced clearly. "Bring your bags and books please." She said before stepping out of the room before anyone else could say anything.
"Well, it seems you are on reprieve from today's test Hermione," Professor Lupin smiled at her. "Though the homework for today is two pieces of parchment about the different varieties of vampire and how to defend yourself from each of them."
"Thank you sir," Hermione nodded as she collected her books and put them inside her bag. Both Ron and Harry were looking at her, wondering why she had been called out of the class room. It was very unusual for another professor to interrupt another class, especially to call a student out of the middle of one.
The entire class watched quietly as Hermione walked up through the centre of the room towards the back door where she slipped out quietly.
"Now, where were we?" Professor Lupin smiled as he got back to the lecture at hand. "Yes, the types of vampire and how to detect them. Can any of you give me three ways to detect any one of these types of vampire?" He asked, looking around the class as a few hands shot up. "Yes Miss Amber?"
A pretty blonde girl at the back of the class stood up, her robes showing she belonged to Slytherin. "The demonic variety, they're repelled by crosses, holy water and fire."
"Good good," Lupin smiled. "Now, can any of you tell me, which of these three does not affect one of the other types?"
Only one or two hands came up slowly this time, not as sure or enthusiastic as before. "Mr Edwards?" He asked, looking at a Gryffindor boy in the second row.
"Holy water sir, it doesn't affect the glitter vampires,"
"Absolutely correct," Professor Lupin nodded with a smile, causing the student to let out a sigh of relief. "Holy water doesn't affect the Tinkerbelle variety of vampire, nor are they affected by sunlight. It's widely believed, hence the name, this is because they are not true vampires, merely a sub species of muggle that bred with"¦"
His words died off as a cry of anguish came from outside, followed by the unmistakable sound of crying, crying and screaming "˜why' at such a volume that it permeated through the thick wooden doors of the room.
Both Ron and Harry immediately snapped their heads around to the door, knowing instinctively that it was Hermione's voice and crying they could hear. Both of them torn between running to their friend's aid and respecting her enough to leave her until the class was over so they could find out what had happened in private.
They both knew Hermione wouldn't want her business going around the school like common gossip, so for now they both stayed in their seats, waiting for the end of the class so they could go and find out what had happened. Both of them were trying to figure out exactly what had happened that could make Hermione cry like that, the last time either of them had seen her cry was when Ron had upset her in their first year, and even then it hadn't been that loud or emotional.
"Bet its Malfoy," Ron whispered over. "He's probably done something; you know what he's like."
Harry just shook his head back, he knew that sound, that cry, that tone of scream. It was one of loss, not just an emotional response. Something told him something was very wrong here, and that Hermione would need them both to be there for her, whatever it was that had happened.
=/^\=
Giles let out a soft sigh as he settled into the plane seat for the long flight back to England. Everything was taken care of, his belongings were boxed up and being shipped back to his family home the next week via courier service. He'd only arranged for the essentials to be brought over, his books, clothing and guitar, a few personal affects. While he hadn't set foot in his family home for over fifteen years now he knew it would have been taken care of in his absence for his eventual return.
The last time he'd actually been home was for his father's funeral, after that he'd locked the place away. Throwing dust sheets over all the furniture and making sure the premises were secured with locks as well as the standard spells for all Watchers ancestral homes.
He'd made sure the small flat he owned in Sunnydale was paid up, offering it to Xander and the girls to use. He knew they would take care of it, and that way he knew he would have somewhere to return to should he ever be needed back in Sunnydale.
That way Xander had a place to call his own and could move out of his parent's basement at last, giving him a bit more security while finding his own way in the world. Buffy or Willow would more than likely move in there with him, a way to save money through their first year of college, it was the least he could do for them all.
It wasn't long until his thoughts returned to little Hermione, fishing his wallet out of his pocket he unfolded the photo he had of her. It was an old one but the only one he had of her. It must have been taken when she was about five or six, her brown bushy hair waved out and past her shoulders, while his sister Sarah, and her husband stood in the background, both with their arms around her, the pride as she showed off her certificate for first prize in the junior school science fair.
He wiped a stray tear away as he ran his thumb along the face of his sister; he hadn't spoken to her in so long, now he would never get the chance again. He would do the right thing by her though, take Hermione in and give her the best life he could. She was his responsibility now, and while he'd never actually had a family of his own, he knew he would do everything he could to protect the young girl who was now in his care.
He assumed Hermione's school had been contacted and been made aware of the situation, aside from the brief contact with Detective Todd and another lengthy call with the Granger family lawyers regarding their home, guardianship of Hermione and other arrangements, he hadn't actually been given that much information about Hermione or the school she attended.
He did hope however that she had been notified, as he wouldn't like to have to be the one to explain what had happened to her. He wasn't even sure if she even knew about him; he'd spoken to Sarah a few times in letters and on the phone, but had never spoken to Hermione directly. Given how awkward the situation was going to be, the thought of having to break the news to her about her family would make it almost unbearable.
"Good afternoon, this is your pilot speaking,"
Giles raised his eyebrow at the cheery sounding voice coming over the plane intercom, drawing his thoughts away from his young niece and her family.
"We expect to be landing in London on schedule, wind conditions are favourable and flight time should be just under eleven hours."
Giles nodded at this information as the plane started to level off from its take-off thrust. The plane was happily quite empty; it seemed not that many people wanted to go to England just before winter hit, so he'd been able to book a relatively cheap flight with room to spare.
Allowing himself room to stretch out he fished his carry-on bag from where he'd stowed it underneath his chair, placing it on the chair next to him so he could fish out a book from inside. The bag had several of his favourite books inside, along with some journals he could work on translating for the long journey over.
Opening the first page of "˜A Midsummer Night's Dream' he tried to loose himself in the words, knowing it was Sarah's favourite book and play made it the obvious choice to read as he made his way back to England, that and it was quite lengthy so it should take him at least a few hours to make his way through the entire first edition, including play notes and directions.
Sadly the book didn't hold his attention as much as he could have hoped, the words and overall flow of the play kept reminding him of Sarah, how they'd used to read to each other growing up, how they always used to love going to the theatre together and rebelling against their father.
He'd finally relented and gone back to the family, becoming a Watcher like his father had always wanted, it was his deathbed request so to speak, so it was something he felt honour bound to fulfil. Sarah had found her escape; she had been living a wonderful life as a dentist, such a normal job. A loving husband who worked with her, their own dental practice and a daughter.
Sarah had been blessed with everything that he had wished for her, and secretly still wished for himself. A life away from family obligations, a life of her own. He hadn't even seen her at their father's funeral, he'd made it perfectly clear that Sarah had been cut out of his life altogether, and while he had been welcomed back when he agreed to re-join the Watchers Council, Sarah had never been forgiven for walking away from the family.
He spent a lot of the flight wondering what Hermione was actually like. Had she inherited her parents' intelligence, her mother's whimsy and imagination? Or was she more into books like Tony always was and loved numbers and pure science, facts and figures that could be accounted and verified. Did she have a boyfriend at school, what subjects she was taking, had she even thought about her O-Level or GCSE subjects, as they were now called, yet?
So much was running through his brain that in the end he decided to just close the book, reclining back in the chair he just watched the view go by outside, what little there was of it at this altitude. Letting his thoughts drift back to growing up with Sarah, giving her away at her wedding, his pride in her when she'd graduated university and founded her own practice.
The happy memories came easily for him as he drifted to sleep, fully intending to sleep all the way through to Heathrow so his body clock wouldn't be too far out from the time zone there. Dreaming of memories and what his niece was like, the dreams formed of a happy, confidant young girl, fully immersed in books at a normal school, happy in life, with good friends and not a care in the world.
=/^\=
"Ahh Miss Granger, do come in," Dumbledore smiled from behind his desk as he saw Hermione knocking at his ajar door timidly.
"You sent for me professor?" Hermione asked as she came into the room, her book bag left in her room this time as she was on a free period.
"Yes, yes, I wanted to inform you that arrangements have been made for you to return home next week." Dumbledore explained.
"Sir?" Hermione questioned. "What about school?"
"Your teachers have agreed to send work by owl, they are all confident that you should have no problems passing this year with the work you have done already. Tests can be arranged to be held at the Ministry headquarters at the end of this year." Dumbledore explained with a sad smile. "I do believe a lot of the teachers will miss you though."
"Sir, I can"¦" Hermione started to protest but was cut off by Dumbledore raising his hand.
"The reason for this, is that due to muggle and wizard law, you are still too young to be here without consent from your guardian." Dumbledore smiled at her reassuringly as he explained. "Your parents signed your invitation to attend Hogwarts at the start of your first year, normally that would be enough."
Hermione just nodded, another painful reminder that her mum and dad were now dead. As if she didn't have enough reminders already, the photo of them all together as a family beside her bed was enough to send her to tears most nights.
"The Ministry has learned that muggle law has passed guardianship to your uncle," Dumbledore said as he picked a piece of parchment off his desk and looked at it over his half-moon glasses. "He should be arriving in England this week."
"My uncle?" Hermione asked, wide eyed. She couldn't remember any uncles; her dad didn't have any brothers or sisters, and Grandma and Grandpa Granger died when she was young. Her mum never spoke about her family, so she'd just assumed that she didn't have any either. She'd never met anyone from her mum's side of the family, no uncles, aunts or grandparents stuck out as ever visiting or being mentioned. "Arriving?"
"Hmm, a Doctor Rupert Giles," Dumbledore nodded as he read the name from the parchment. "A muggle professor of some description, your mothers' brother it seems." He smiled before reading down the parchment a few inches. "It seems he lives in America by all accounts, though is moving back to England to take care of you."
Hermione just nodded at this, not knowing what else to say. She didn't even know she had an uncle before, now she was going to live with him. A muggle as well, did he even know about wizards and witches, even have any clue about magic at all.
"Professor McGonagall will go with you," Dumbledore smiled at her. "Monday morning, that will give you the weekend to spend with your friends before you leave."
"Thank you professor," Hermione said in a small voice, not trusting her voice to go any higher in case it broke with sobs.
"She will approach the subject of magic and your continued education with Mister Giles," Dumbledore explained. "I know this is a difficult time for you Miss Granger, so if there is anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to call upon me."
"Thank you sir," Hermione nodded in the same small voice. "Is that all?"
"Of course," Dumbledore smiled at her. "My door is always open should you need to talk, I'm sure Professor McGonagall has told you the same."
He nodded towards her as she graced him with a small smile before leaving the office, closing the door behind her as she left. Thoughts about her uncle and how he was going to react to having a witch in the family were now in forefront of her mind, what he like was, what would it be like living with him. Could he handle having a witch as a niece or would he freak out like Harry's aunt and uncle had done. Where were they going to live as well, would he be moving in to her parents' house with her, or did he have his own house here. The fact he'd come over from America as soon as he'd heard lent credence to the idea that he had his own place over here, but aside from what the thought and could piece together, she knew absolutely nothing about the man she was just being handed over to.
She couldn't help but imagine what he was like, and why her mum had never mentioned him to her as she walked back to the Gryffindor common room. Her mum must have had a good reason not to talk about him with her, or she would have talked about him before.
Had she ever received a letter from him, a phone call, a Christmas card? She couldn't remember ever receiving one from any uncles, though the name uncle Rupert was ringing a bell somewhere in the back of her mind, a vague memory from when she was younger, nothing that she could remember for definite though.
She froze mid step as she turned to another corridor, did he even know about her, did he know he was her niece, what if her mum had never told him about her either. Or was he as smart as her mum was, Professor Dumbledore said he was a professor of some sort and called him Doctor, did that mean he was a teacher somewhere, maybe he taught at a school in America, or would he expect her to move to America with him.
All these questions and more raced through her mind as she forced herself to keep walking towards the common room, her brain racing as she tried to picture what her uncle Rupert was like, she couldn't even picture him in her mind. He was her mum's brother, so he probably looked like her somewhat, but nothing was jumping out in her mind about him. She was left with just her imagination to fill in all the gaps about a man she'd been told precious little about, and who she was going to meet and live with, in just two days' time.