She'd finally caught up to the witch.

Being a muggle and not someone who was supposed to know about the wizarding world, she didn't have access to wizarding areas even if she was aware of their existence. So, she'd had to wait for Hermione Granger to come to her.

And come to her she did.

Well, indirectly, of course.

She hadn't actually come to her.

She wished it was that easy.

Ironically, Hermione Granger could have made her come to her if she'd wanted to. She did not have such powers herself. It would certainly be nice if she did for a multitude of reasons. She thought this despite the fact their abilities made her uncomfortable. There was nothing identifying them as being a witch or wizard so as a muggle you'd really have no idea if someone was doing something. And with the Statute of Secrecy in place, muggles weren't even aware there were witches and wizards! That was the part that made Lydia most uncomfortable.

There was a diner not far from her parents' home that Lydia had suspected she'd come to eventually. Employees and a manager recognized the family as having been frequent guests. A generous tip to the manager ensured she'd be called when the young witch did come in. It had taken a little over a month after the wizarding world's final battle and the defeat of Voldemort, but she had finally shown up.

Unfortunately, the Watchers Council had been a bit busy with their unexpectedly soulless Angelus and Acathla issue to even try to offer assistance with the wizarding war. Immediately following that being resolved, they had to contend with a missing Slayer issue. The wizarding world had been on their own. Voldemort wasn't a demon or vampire so he really wasn't on their radar anyway. They would have, of course, offered assistance if asked and they were able. The request hadn't been made, though.

Horcruxes.

Who knew?

It would certainly be something that should be documented. A first hand account would be better than just hearsay and guessing.

She waited until Hermione had the cup of tea and piece of pie she must have ordered to take a seat across from her. She slid a business card toward the witch across the table at the same time as the witch wordlessly cast something. A shielding charm Lydia assumed. Impressively quick response, especially remembering where she was and that her wand could not be drawn here.

LYDIA GRAHAM

RESEARCHER

WATCHERS COUNCIL

LONDON

44-020-38323832

Miss Granger regarded the card but did not touch it and then glanced at her. She sipped on the cup of tea, appearing casual but Lydia saw a look in the young woman's eyes that betrayed not just experience. But death. Violence. Fear. And the knowledge that she could defend herself at the expense of someone else's life if she had to.

Things this almost nineteen year old shouldn't have so much knowledge of. The researcher felt the charm recede and dissipate, and breathed a little easier. This witch could have easily gotten defensive and harmed or killed her. She had spent the last seven years embroiled in a war. She'd dropped off the radar for the past ten months or so, so Lydia had no idea what her recent experiences had been. She imagined it wasn't something good that had caused her to disappear as she had last summer. Lydia knew her skills were honed to the fight first, ask questions later plan for survival these days.

"What can I do for you, Miss Graham? If you're looking for information I'm on my personal time here. I'm sure the Prophet or something would be a better source of information anyway."

"I know that you are, that's actually why I'm here. I wouldn't have approached you in the wizarding world. I doubt very highly any other source could provide me with better information than you. That is why I'm here, Miss Granger. I have not come seeking anything from you. On the contrary, I have come to this diner to offer you a job."

The witch's eyebrows arched in question. Lydia remained quiet, sensing somehow she would not win if she didn't let this witch suss things out for herself.

"I haven't finished school."

She nodded.

Good. That was an excellent initial response to the offer and renewed her confidence in selecting this witch to make an offer to.

Just as she expected it to be, this witch's first priority was her learning, school. Lydia had told her superiors this, they'd scoffed at her for thinking so. She'd assured them that despite her young seeming age Lydia was not wrong in her assessment of the young woman. She was glad to see she was not wrong in this. She wouldn't be here, truthfully, if she thought she was. She wouldn't have pushed so hard to get this witch. She'd put her reputation on the line suggesting her, and Lydia Graham did not do that often. It would not look good if she did and turned out to be wrong. She was the first female Graham ever to be regarded as highly as she was by the Watchers Council.

"My research indicates that this is merely a formality. We would assist you as well in sitting your NEWTs."

Hermione's eyes widened a fraction at Lydia's mentioning NEWTs. A muggle should not know about NEWTs. Lydia didn't imagine many people surprised Hermione Granger, she was pleased she was among those few. She cast a spell Lydia noticed, imagining it was something to keep their conversation private.

"And what would this job entail?"

Lydia could tell by the witch's eyes that she was more than just curious.

She was interested.

Lydia knew she'd have one chance at this. If she failed, she doubted Hermione would be found easily again. Because if she failed she'd likely return to the wizarding world to do whatever it was she was going to start on there.

"Have you heard of the Slayer, Hermione?"

The witch paused for a moment, seeming to think, and then nodded. "Yes, vampire slayer, one at a time to defend the world against demons and vampires. When one dies, another is called. Always a youngish girl."

"The company that I work for," she said, tapping the card still on the table. She found it interesting that the witch still hadn't even touched the card. "We oversee the Slayer. We have a dormant demon that we need assistance with. We want to ensure it will, in fact, remain dormant."

"Okay."

"I have reviewed your school records and I think this position would be right up your alley, Hermione. No hands on. No more battles. You'd do the research to help the current Slayer and her Watcher fight the threats she's facing. To this point there have been dark witches, not of Voldemort's level I assure you, students possessed by hyenas, a preying mantis shapeshifter known as a She-Mantis, a robot, an ancient demon trapped in the intranet, an invisible girl, a group of people physically becoming their Halloween costumes, an ancient mummy coming to life, an attempt to create a zombie, and many other things beyond simply vampires."

She paused, letting that all sink in.

"And those are just the ones her Watcher actually reported to us. So, clearly there are other threats that we investigate as well. We also do more than just what the Slayer needs. We'd also like to find out if vampires could come up with something akin to horcruxes of their own. The Slayer can only be in one place and she tends to be assigned an area that's a known hotspot. The current one is located where a hell mouth is, which is pretty much exactly as it sounds. However, evil still needs to be fought as best as those of us not slayers can, you'd help with that. We have potential slayers and aspiring watchers around the globe. You're still saving the world, but without getting your hands dirty. So to speak," she said, eyes dropping to the visible scar at the witch's neck.

Lydia knew there were others.

This was the tricky part.

She wasn't one hundred percent certain Hermione Granger wouldn't want to be hands on. She had to imagine after seven years of that she'd be ready for some work that wouldn't put her in harm's way and yet still contributing to saving the world from evil. Yet she knew that some people preferred action to research.

She collected her thoughts, reminding herself that she was not wrong about this witch. She had done extensive research upon hearing about her for a reason! Her composure and confidence regained, she proceeded with her attempt at enticing this witch to come work for them.

She slipped a piece of paper across the table. Hermione took it, unfolded it, and her eyes widened more than just a little at the pound amount written on it. Lydia smiled inwardly at that. This wasn't a nineteen year old who'd take the money she earned and spend it on fifty pairs of shoes. She might spend it on books, but they'd no doubt be books that would help make a difference.

"That's just to start. Full benefits and compensation for things such as a cell phone. You can have your personal cell if you want it, most do to keep Watchers Council business separate but I also realize you've been out of the mainstream world for a while so probably don't have much use for a personal one. An initial wardrobe overhaul. That's not normal, but I understand the past year has been interesting to say the least. Add to that you haven't spent much time in the muggle world for years. I thought that might be a bit of an added enticement. Like I mentioned, there are things to research worldwide as evil doesn't just go where the Slayer is, so travel is always on the table as you may need to go look at various things. An added benefit of you being magical is that we can get you to hotspots faster via portkeys. A furnished apartment would be at your disposal in the Council facilities unless you'd prefer something off site. I would recommend staying on site until you ascertain this is indeed the job for you. You can stay on site as long as you want, though, there's no expectation for you to live off the premises. Many don't. The facilities are state of the art and comfortable. I wouldn't say that they're luxuriously furnished, but they are nicely outfitted. On site there is a cafeteria available from six o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock in the evening, a decently stocked cooler with sandwiches, salads, yogurts, and such for after hours eating, accessible with a credit card. We also have an internal card similar to an ATM card that you can put money onto and use. Only at the cafeteria, but we have crazy hours sometimes so it's a nice option to have especially for someone like you who may not have a credit card at your disposal. We also have the ability of depositing your checks directly into your Gringotts account if that's the route you wish to take. And last," she said with a smile. This would be the big one, Lydia knew. "You will have all of our applicable texts at your disposal to assist you in trying to reverse the memory spell you cast on your parents."

Yes, the Watchers Council knew about that, too. She wasn't sure how that bit of magic had escaped the Ministry of Magic's notice, but it had shown up on their radar. She liked to think at the time that muggles were getting attacked with such horrifying regularity that the Ministry dismissed it as accidental or something when they showed up at the Granger home to find it empty. She wanted to believe they'd actually investigated magic of that magnitude being used. As well as checking to see if the Grangers were okay.

And by a seventeen year old girl. Hermione Granger had been on their radar prior to that incident. That, though, was when Lydia had known without a doubt that this girl was who she wanted. She'd had to wait, though, for her to finish her schooling. Being muggleborn she thought she'd be easier to tempt to come work for them. She'd still be involved with magical things, just in a different manner than Hogwarts taught.

And then Angelus and Acathla coincided with the end of the Wizarding War.

Well, it was fate.

Or perfect timing if one chose not to believe in such things as fate.

"I…"

"I see a lot of myself in you, Hermione. I think you'd be a good fit. We do a lot of good and in our division there's little chance of getting in harm's way. Unless you wanted to be on the front line, but I suspect you won't at least for a while."

"Well, that's certainly an upgrade from the last seven years," Hermione said, regarding the business card still on the table and the slip of paper. Lydia was certain she had the young witch's attention and interest. Could she close the deal, though? She liked to think the incentives she mentioned were more than sufficient to entice her to at least check out the job. Get a tour of the building or something. She'd heard stories of Hogwarts' library, but the Council archives weren't chopped liver either.

Hermione eyed the woman sitting across from her. She was attractive, appeared to be early to mid thirties, looked well put together, and was offering her a job where she'd get to use her brain to do good. Her input would help save the world without having to do any fighting.

It was like a dream come true.

And really, what did she have to look forward to in the wizarding world? She did her part to ensure Harry Potter survived to get to the final battle and helped them defeat Voldemort. She hadn't known until a little over a month ago that doing her part meant leading her best friend to slaughter.

Her thanks?

They were questioning whether she should have to take a seventh year instead of just sitting her NEWTs. As if Hermione Granger wasn't prepared to sit them. She'd had hours and hours while on the run to study for them. Not that it was nothing but fun and games on the run, but she'd used what time she had to study. She was not going to miss out on her NEWTs! She was ready, but no one seemed to listen to her.

And her parents.

The one person she'd told about what she had done, hoping for help with retrieving them, threatened to imprison her if she told anyone else. She hadn't done anything unforgivable! She'd saved their lives. Professor Snape had reassured her of that fact while she sat with him after the final battle.

She sighed.

The thing was, despite the war she had truly grown to love the magical world. And her friends. It would be hard to leave it, but she admitted a break would be … nice. Time to collect herself, time to figure out if the magical world was really where she belonged.

When she was eleven and received her Hogwarts letter she assumed she'd finally found it. The missing piece. That place where she would no longer be an oddity. She'd been disappointed with a few exceptions. She honestly wasn't sure anymore if she truly belonged there, and that part made her somewhat sad. It was that sadness, and the memory of being threatened with Azkaban, that led to the next words out of her mouth.

Okay, and maybe there was a little curiosity about the fact the Slayer was real. She'd read about her when researching vampires, but assumed she was a made-up thing vampires used to scare one another with stories of.

"No time commitment?" she asked, running a finger over the business card she still hadn't picked up.

Okay, maybe the amount of money she'd written on the paper had something to do with it, too. She didn't have parents to support her anymore! She didn't have a job! What was she going to do? Live off of Harry Potter for the rest of her life? Ginny wouldn't appreciate that, and honestly Hermione knew she couldn't do that. Harry would do it, happily, but she wasn't built to take advantage of someone's kindness.

"No, if after our research into Acathla and helping us locate our missing Slayer you want to part ways. No harm, no foul, and you'll get a job reference from the Watchers Council to add to your CV as an independent researcher. As well as your NEWT scores."

"You need a witch or wizard to locate her," Hermione said, realization dawning on her.

She'd mentioned the dormant demon but not the missing Slayer until now. Something told Hermione the missing Slayer was actually their priority. A dormant demon, if they had possession of it and they were the good guys. It was out of harm's way. Of course, if the wrong person got curious about it they could be looking at the world being in danger again.

She had run across the name Acathla in her research of magical creatures somewhere along the line. Something about sucking the earth into Hell and a knight stopping it from happening or something. It didn't sound very pleasant, which was the reason it stuck out to her. She only remembered the one reference and if it was what she was remembering. Well, knights suggested medieval times, so several hundred years ago. So, yeah, she could see wanting to ensure he was truly incapacitated if someone had recently decided to try unleashing him again.

She liked the world she lived in not being a part of Hell, thank you very much.

"We do," she said.

She loved the magical world. She truly did, but she realized that after essentially seven years of being in danger and at war she could maybe use a break, some time away to figure herself out. Harry Potter had been led around by the nose for years for the sole purpose of being killed. She was still coming to terms with that.

Hermione was even questioning whether Headmaster Dumbledore had even liked Harry or if it had all just been a ruse, part of his scheme to get him to the final battle. It was a stroke of luck that he hadn't died. Hermione knew it, she wasn't sure who else did. She wasn't confident Harry totally understood how close he'd come to not being here anymore.

That thought made her heart hurt. A world without Harry just wouldn't be the same.

Using her brain without worrying she was going to die sounded so appealing right about now. Being able to research how to return her parents' memories without ending up in Azkaban was an added bonus.

How did they know?

She took a sip of her tea, looking around the diner she'd come to with her parents so many times over the years. She could look at just about every table, and even a few seats at the counter, and remember a time she'd sat at each of them over the years.

They were going to give her resources to research returning her parents' memories. Something the magical world didn't seem to want to let her do. It probably scared them that at just shy of eighteen she'd been able to do it.

One entity was offering her prison and absolutely no assistance

One entity was offering her the chance to take her NEWTs, apparently assuming she was ready for them, and resources. She imagined with those resources would be at least some assistance. Plus they were going to pay her and provide her with a place to live.

It wasn't a difficult decision to make. She wanted her parents back. She wanted her NEWTs.

She had earned them, damn it.

"I'll take the job," she said.

"Okay. Tell me when to meet you and …"

"I'm ready now," she said, gesturing to the beaded bag beside her. She had everything she needed right here next to her. "I have everything I need. I will need to send a letter to the Ministry, declining their job offer."

The woman, Lydia, smiled with a nod.

"Of course, we have owls and I will see to it that you have one of your own in the event there is personal correspondence you'd like to send. Well, let's go then," she said.

Lydia set enough money on the table to cover Hermione's bill and a generous tip she noticed. Hermione paid attention to things like that. Her parents hadn't spent their money willy nilly, but they had imparted on Hermione that people working as servers relied on tips.

She followed Lydia out the door, glancing at the diner with a heavy sigh. She hadn't had much time the past eleven months since she altered their memories to truly miss them until the last month or so since the final battle. Their house had been destroyed. This diner was about the only constant thing from her life that she had anymore.

She wanted her parents back! She missed them.

Within a week she was outfitted in a complete wardrobe that actually fit her. She tried not to grimace at how thin she'd gotten the past eleven months. Yet at the same time her body was filling out in ways that she kind of liked. How odd.

She had a two-bedroom flat that was in the residential portion of the Watchers Council's building. The flat wasn't huge or extravagant but it was furnished as Lydia had promised comfortably. She had enough room to spread out. She imagined after months of living in a tent while on the run she'd be doing a lot of spreading out for the next little while.

It was furnished, but Lydia told her if she wanted to replace a picture with something else or whatever to just tell facilities and they'd come collect whatever she didn't want of the Watchers Council's property. To this point she hadn't done anything personal to it, other than her bedding and towels. Yes, she could use a drying spell, but there was still something about getting out of a shower and surrounding herself with a comfortable, plush towel that was nice.

The beginning of her second week Lydia treated her to a spa day. An unnecessary thing maybe, but Hermione had never had every inch of her tended to before. It was rather heavenly.

Lydia had saved the coup de grace for last, though. The library and files she had access to. The books had to stay in the library, but it was all computerized so she could bring it up on the computer in her flat if she needed to. They recognized there were people like Hermione who preferred an actual book when possible. She would have to scan her badge to get in and out, but access to the library was twenty-four / seven.

There was training, getting her authorization and clearances, and familiarizing herself with the building and the archives.

So it was about a month after she'd started she finally got to what they'd hired her to do.

Acathla.

After a week of researching everything she could find on Acathla (she'd even visited a muggle library and did internet searches to be sure she had been as thorough as possible), Lydia brought her to see the stone-encased demon. She cast every spell she knew on it, detected no life-force or break in the stone surrounding it.

Whatever spell the vampire had been trying to do, it had ended and was not completed. There was no sign anything was going to be coming out. There was no sign that the spell was still active, just waiting for the final incantation to be said or performed.

Lydia had filled Hermione in on the story of the vampire with a soul who had lost it for a few months and during his time without it set to unleash Acathla on the world. The vampire with a soul had been the Slayer's boyfriend. No one knew how Acathla's rise had been stopped, only that the Slayer and Angelus had fought in a mansion the vampire had been living in. Acathla was once again completely stone despite the spell having been started and both the Slayer and her vampire lover were gone.

"Well, Hermione, you have certainly helped ease our minds on this matter."

"Where will you keep him?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know. He'll be kept in a secure site with limited access."

Hermione nodded at that. She imagined Acathla wasn't the only thing they had stored in such a site. That kind of gave her the creeps, thinking about a warehouse or something with artifacts like Acathla. She had to assume their secure site was in actuality that.

"Are you ready for the next phase?"

"Yes," she said.

The next phase was retrieving their lost Slayer. She was glad the fate of the world took precedence. Then a missing slayer from her assigned area could be detrimental to the world, too.

"Los Angeles?" She thought that's where Lydia mentioned she'd be going.

"That's where we think she went. That's where she's originally from. We suspect she would have returned to what she knew. We've supplied you with a list of friends, places she frequented, and where we think a slayer might naturally be attracted in a city with a demon population as big as Los Angeles'. It may take you a few weeks to get a feel for things, but I'm confident you will. We understand when you do find her that you're not going to be able to approach her immediately. We don't want her to run somewhere we have no clue where she is. We want her back in Sunnydale. We'd truthfully like to know what she's doing. Is she still human? We have no idea if she's alone or if Angel is with her. There's a list of butchers we know of in that area that ask no questions if someone wants to purchase blood. They might know if someone fitting his description has been buying blood."

"All right," Hermione said.

"There will be a portkey waiting for you in your flat. It's unauthorized so you can activate it whenever you're ready. ‘Operation Sunnydale' is the activation code. Your hotel information and a Council credit card for your use will be beside it. I don't see you taking advantage of that, but unfortunately some have in the past. So we will want receipts for any expenditures."

"Of course. Thank you."

"Oh, and Hermione," Lydia said as Hermione turned to leave.

"Yes, ma'am?"

Lydia smiled. "Lydia, please."

"Lydia," Hermione said with a smile. It was sort of nice to not be so formal about everything.

"You'll find a leather satchel by the door outside your flat. I'd strongly encourage you to take the time you need to place whatever charm is on your current bag on that one and use that instead."

"Oh, yes," Hermione said, blushing. "Sorry. It was all I had at the time…"

"I'm not judging or making fun, Hermione. I assure you. Just as we owe Buffy, I'm first in line to acknowledge we owe you a debt for helping to save the world from Voldemort. However, Buffy is seventeen to your almost nineteen. We need you to appear to be exactly what you are, a young woman."

"Got it," Hermione said, biting her lower lip. She wasn't sure what typical upper teenaged women did. Then, the Slayer probably didn't either when it got down to it.

She returned to her flat then after a stop in the cafeteria to get enough takeout to sustain her for the rest of the evening. If she had to replace her beaded bag it wasn't going to be a quick process.

The leather satchel was nice. Very nice, and not at all hideous as the beaded bag was. She could understand why the substitution was requested. She left her flat and went to a training room she knew was nearby. There was enough room in it for her to unload everything from her bag. She took a running inventory so that she knew exactly what she had and what she'd likely need to replace.

Healing potions and things like gauze and bandages were about all she was really low on.

That was thanks to working her arse off to bring Severus Snape back from the dead.

Of course she was going to be in muggle Los Angeles so she wouldn't be able to use magical means of healing anyway. She made a list then of all muggle first aid supplies she might need. She could buy them when she got to Los Angeles.

She stopped as she was putting everything in the new satchel after ensuring the undetectable extension charm was in place and effective.

How was Severus Snape?

She'd have to check in with Los Angeles' magical community to see if they had any reports from wizarding London. The battle against Voldemort was a pretty big deal so she'd expect they'd be reporting on the various aftermath from the end of the war even as far away as Los Angeles. She preferred not to think about why it was only Severus Snape she wondered about. She knew Harry was fine. Ron? He was probably in a Ministry alcove snogging some low-level assistant.

It had only been about a month, but did they know that she was gone? Did they wonder where she'd gone? What did it say that the only one she seemed to miss was her former professor? She knew that she was the only one he'd tolerated the presence of in his recovery room. So he apparently hadn't minded her company either.

As ironic as that was. She certainly hadn't expected it!

She breathed heavily, returning to the task of ensuring the satchel was full and the beaded bag was empty. Trying to figure out Severus Snape would be impossible. She imagined people would be writing articles and books about him attempting to do just that for years to come.

She'd really need to go through and find some place permanent to store some of the stuff from her parents' house. It just didn't need to be carried around and risk being lost.

She returned to her flat then, setting her alarm for six hours later so that she could get some rest before leaving.

"It had to be a portkey."

Of course she had no idea how else she thought she'd get to Los Angeles, California. She was a witch, they weren't going to pay for muggle airfare to get her there when they had a nearly instantaneous and free way for her to travel across an ocean.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com