Welcome Aboard!
Hannah swept into the Council with her thousand sun smile firmly in place. She was going to Greece with Blaise Zabini. She was also going to tell Rupert Giles she accepted his job offer.
“Hello, Daisy. Glorious day, don’t you agree?”
“Um...”
“Is Mr. Giles in his office?”
“I..”
“I just saw him going there,” a slayer offered.
Hannah turned. “Meredith. How fortuitous.”
Meredith’s eyes went wide.
“I am going to be in Greece for several days with Blaise Zabini, but I would like you to know that I shall be looking for you when I return. We have a lot to discuss, I think.”
“We do?”
“And these are for you,” she said, handing Meredith a tin.
“You’re going to Greece with Blaise?” Daisy asked. “So you...”
“Recall every damned thing I love about him? Why yes, I do.”
Daisy actually shouted and jumped up, giving Hannah a hug. “I know he can be a bit of a jerk, but we were all hoping it would work out.”
“Oatmeal with butterscotch chips!” Meredith shouted. “How did you know?”
“We’ll discuss that when I return,” Hannah said, heading for Giles’ office.
She almost skipped the whole way there.
“Hello Anya,” Hannah said. “How are you today? These are for you.”
She took another tin from her bag and handed it to Anya.
Anya leaned her head back as the Ministry Liaison--well, ex-Ministry Liaison--handed her a tin. “What’s this? It’s not my birthday.”
“No, that’s January 8th. They’re just because. I felt like baking, and I’m going to be working here now, and I remember my boyfriend, and he’s taking me to Greece. Things are very good.”
She had heard about Willow pulling another memory mix-up so she was glad that was resolved. “Oh yes. I’m glad your memory returned. The same thing happened to me, except I thought I was getting married to Giles but that he was leaving me. It was all so dramatic.” Anya looked in the tin. “Cookies! Or biscuits. Or whatever the hell you want to call them! Thank you!”
“You thought you were going to marry... Giles?” Hannah said, snickering. “Not that there’s anything at all wrong with him, but you two are so... well, different.”
“And you’re not dating your polar opposite?” she asked before stuffing a cookie in her mouth. It was peanut butter, but a creamy peanut butter and still a bit gooey. “We didn’t know we were different at the time. None of us knew who we were. Damn, these are good.”
“Point taken,” Hannah said. “And thank you. I’m glad you like them. Is Mr. Giles in? Meredith mentioned she saw him walking this way.”
Normally, she would check his schedule, read off a note card or two, and then double check with Giles himself, but since he had just walked in and she didn’t want to get crumbs on her notecards, she waved Hannah through.
“Thanks for the cookies,” she said, her mouth full.
Hannah stuck her head in the office. “Hello, Mr. Giles. Anya waved me in, but if this is a bad time, I can return later.”
“No, It’s perfectly all right. I’m just pulling together some talking points for a call with the Americans. It’s very good to see you again.” He smiled.
“First, I brought you these,” Hannah said, handing him yet another tin she had pulled from her bag. “And secondly, I would like to discuss taking the job you offered, but not straightaway, as I’m bound for Greece currently with Blaise.”
Giles blinked, accepted the tin of biscuits and tried to sort out what the blonde had just said. “I take it that you mean that you will not be able to start your new position immediately, as you have things that require sorting.” He grinned. “May I also take it that the memory charm has been reversed?”
He opened up the tin and pulled out an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, much like the ones his gran used to make when he was a boy. “However did you know?”
“I know a lot of things I probably shouldn’t yet. We can thank Astoria Greengrass for that. I’m meant to be a watcher. I’m meant to have Meredith as my first slayer. I’m meant to be close with Draco and Oz and marry Blaise and have his children, and I know some of this has changed already just by my knowing it, but I can speak Italian now and Chinese. And I know how to fire a crossbow. It’s all very odd, but yes, I recall Blaise. I recall every bit of everything, and it’s absolutely taxing.”
Giles sobered up a bit. “Do be careful. Prophecies have a way of biting you in the arse.” He took a bite, and continued, “Watching a Slayer can be taxing as well. This one has just lost her watcher, and she may not be ready to be assigned to another so quickly. A few more weeks most likely won’t make much of a difference for her after losing George. I came in almost a year after Buffy lost Merrick, and she was not ready to pick up a stake much less take orders from me... And I still don’t think that Faith has recovered after losing her first watcher.”
“Well, it should be left up to her,” Hannah said. “I did tell her I wanted to speak to her upon my return, and she didn’t seem opposed to the idea. Of course, I have just plied her with biscuits. Which is also how I got past Anya without being peppered with questions. I know Alice has been working with Draco a bit and Hiran has taken up her staff training with Basil and his slayer.”
He had a look.
“I asked Pevensie.”
“Of course you did.” He took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “Regardless of Meredith’s feelings on the matter, she will need a new watcher and we will make sure she has one. I only mentioned it to you because you may not want to step into that on your first assignment. I can tell you from experience that it will take a delicate hand until she settles in.”
He took another bite. His mood was improving. He was beginning to suspect that the biscuits were dosed with something, perhaps the elixir to induce euphoria.
“How long will your trip be?”
“I’m not entirely certain. I would venture to say several days at the very least. You see, I have never been to Greece. But no more than a week. He has obligations, as do I now. And I assure you, Mr. Giles, that Meredith will receive a delicate hand. I am quite ready to step into a difficult situation. She needs me, and I am ready to be needed.”
Giles nodded and finished his cookie.
He reached down and pulled a new hire packet out of his desk drawer and handed it to her. “When you come back from Greece, I want you to come and find me, and we’ll do an assessment of your skills. You will have most likely have some additional training with Alastor and Vi to shore you up in any areas which you are lacking.” Giles looked at her. “While you’re here, we should discuss salary and benefits.”
“Excellent,” she said, “Do go on.”
“We base our pay scale on the educational system here in the United Kingdom, seeing as we are, at least on paper, a school. We start the equivalent of a newly-qualified teacher at the top of the scale at £32,000 per annum, or about 6400 Galleons. Obviously, if you prove to be more qualified, we will negotiate with you. We also provide health care in house should you choose to use it, a retirement package, and disability insurance. The information on the last two items are in the package.”
Hannah blinked that was nearly double what she had been making for the Ministry.
“Well, um, thank you. That will be quite fine. I don’t require much. I... good heavens, thank you. I look forward to being here.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He smiled, but sort of painfully, as if something unpleasant had crossed his mind. “You may come to think of it as hazard pay.”
Hannah chuckled a little. “Don’t fret about me, Mr. Giles. I plan to do my best to stay alive and in good health. I know what I’m getting into. Though the last time I jumped in with both feet like this against darkness I hadn’t been that long out of wearing pigtails.”
He raised an eyebrow and then smirked. “You still aren’t that long out of wearing pigtails.”
“I still wear them on occasion,” Hannah quipped returning his eyebrow and smirk herself.
He removed his glasses, drew out his handkerchief, cleared his throat, and began to polish the lenses. “Yes, well, perhaps that should stay between you and Mr. Zabini.”
She turned bright red. “I wasn’t referring to that. Good grief. If it’s quite all right, I’ll be going now.”
She got up so fast that she knocked over her chair.
“Oh bother.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s nice to finally be on the other end of one of these exchanges.” He rose. “I was also testing the possibly that you are the only other person on the planet whose mind is not continuously in the gutter. Welcome aboard, and have a good time in Greece.” He extended his hand.
Hannah accepted his offered hand with a smile. “Thank you, sir.”
“Hello, Daisy. Glorious day, don’t you agree?”
“Um...”
“Is Mr. Giles in his office?”
“I..”
“I just saw him going there,” a slayer offered.
Hannah turned. “Meredith. How fortuitous.”
Meredith’s eyes went wide.
“I am going to be in Greece for several days with Blaise Zabini, but I would like you to know that I shall be looking for you when I return. We have a lot to discuss, I think.”
“We do?”
“And these are for you,” she said, handing Meredith a tin.
“You’re going to Greece with Blaise?” Daisy asked. “So you...”
“Recall every damned thing I love about him? Why yes, I do.”
Daisy actually shouted and jumped up, giving Hannah a hug. “I know he can be a bit of a jerk, but we were all hoping it would work out.”
“Oatmeal with butterscotch chips!” Meredith shouted. “How did you know?”
“We’ll discuss that when I return,” Hannah said, heading for Giles’ office.
She almost skipped the whole way there.
“Hello Anya,” Hannah said. “How are you today? These are for you.”
She took another tin from her bag and handed it to Anya.
Anya leaned her head back as the Ministry Liaison--well, ex-Ministry Liaison--handed her a tin. “What’s this? It’s not my birthday.”
“No, that’s January 8th. They’re just because. I felt like baking, and I’m going to be working here now, and I remember my boyfriend, and he’s taking me to Greece. Things are very good.”
She had heard about Willow pulling another memory mix-up so she was glad that was resolved. “Oh yes. I’m glad your memory returned. The same thing happened to me, except I thought I was getting married to Giles but that he was leaving me. It was all so dramatic.” Anya looked in the tin. “Cookies! Or biscuits. Or whatever the hell you want to call them! Thank you!”
“You thought you were going to marry... Giles?” Hannah said, snickering. “Not that there’s anything at all wrong with him, but you two are so... well, different.”
“And you’re not dating your polar opposite?” she asked before stuffing a cookie in her mouth. It was peanut butter, but a creamy peanut butter and still a bit gooey. “We didn’t know we were different at the time. None of us knew who we were. Damn, these are good.”
“Point taken,” Hannah said. “And thank you. I’m glad you like them. Is Mr. Giles in? Meredith mentioned she saw him walking this way.”
Normally, she would check his schedule, read off a note card or two, and then double check with Giles himself, but since he had just walked in and she didn’t want to get crumbs on her notecards, she waved Hannah through.
“Thanks for the cookies,” she said, her mouth full.
Hannah stuck her head in the office. “Hello, Mr. Giles. Anya waved me in, but if this is a bad time, I can return later.”
“No, It’s perfectly all right. I’m just pulling together some talking points for a call with the Americans. It’s very good to see you again.” He smiled.
“First, I brought you these,” Hannah said, handing him yet another tin she had pulled from her bag. “And secondly, I would like to discuss taking the job you offered, but not straightaway, as I’m bound for Greece currently with Blaise.”
Giles blinked, accepted the tin of biscuits and tried to sort out what the blonde had just said. “I take it that you mean that you will not be able to start your new position immediately, as you have things that require sorting.” He grinned. “May I also take it that the memory charm has been reversed?”
He opened up the tin and pulled out an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, much like the ones his gran used to make when he was a boy. “However did you know?”
“I know a lot of things I probably shouldn’t yet. We can thank Astoria Greengrass for that. I’m meant to be a watcher. I’m meant to have Meredith as my first slayer. I’m meant to be close with Draco and Oz and marry Blaise and have his children, and I know some of this has changed already just by my knowing it, but I can speak Italian now and Chinese. And I know how to fire a crossbow. It’s all very odd, but yes, I recall Blaise. I recall every bit of everything, and it’s absolutely taxing.”
Giles sobered up a bit. “Do be careful. Prophecies have a way of biting you in the arse.” He took a bite, and continued, “Watching a Slayer can be taxing as well. This one has just lost her watcher, and she may not be ready to be assigned to another so quickly. A few more weeks most likely won’t make much of a difference for her after losing George. I came in almost a year after Buffy lost Merrick, and she was not ready to pick up a stake much less take orders from me... And I still don’t think that Faith has recovered after losing her first watcher.”
“Well, it should be left up to her,” Hannah said. “I did tell her I wanted to speak to her upon my return, and she didn’t seem opposed to the idea. Of course, I have just plied her with biscuits. Which is also how I got past Anya without being peppered with questions. I know Alice has been working with Draco a bit and Hiran has taken up her staff training with Basil and his slayer.”
He had a look.
“I asked Pevensie.”
“Of course you did.” He took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “Regardless of Meredith’s feelings on the matter, she will need a new watcher and we will make sure she has one. I only mentioned it to you because you may not want to step into that on your first assignment. I can tell you from experience that it will take a delicate hand until she settles in.”
He took another bite. His mood was improving. He was beginning to suspect that the biscuits were dosed with something, perhaps the elixir to induce euphoria.
“How long will your trip be?”
“I’m not entirely certain. I would venture to say several days at the very least. You see, I have never been to Greece. But no more than a week. He has obligations, as do I now. And I assure you, Mr. Giles, that Meredith will receive a delicate hand. I am quite ready to step into a difficult situation. She needs me, and I am ready to be needed.”
Giles nodded and finished his cookie.
He reached down and pulled a new hire packet out of his desk drawer and handed it to her. “When you come back from Greece, I want you to come and find me, and we’ll do an assessment of your skills. You will have most likely have some additional training with Alastor and Vi to shore you up in any areas which you are lacking.” Giles looked at her. “While you’re here, we should discuss salary and benefits.”
“Excellent,” she said, “Do go on.”
“We base our pay scale on the educational system here in the United Kingdom, seeing as we are, at least on paper, a school. We start the equivalent of a newly-qualified teacher at the top of the scale at £32,000 per annum, or about 6400 Galleons. Obviously, if you prove to be more qualified, we will negotiate with you. We also provide health care in house should you choose to use it, a retirement package, and disability insurance. The information on the last two items are in the package.”
Hannah blinked that was nearly double what she had been making for the Ministry.
“Well, um, thank you. That will be quite fine. I don’t require much. I... good heavens, thank you. I look forward to being here.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He smiled, but sort of painfully, as if something unpleasant had crossed his mind. “You may come to think of it as hazard pay.”
Hannah chuckled a little. “Don’t fret about me, Mr. Giles. I plan to do my best to stay alive and in good health. I know what I’m getting into. Though the last time I jumped in with both feet like this against darkness I hadn’t been that long out of wearing pigtails.”
He raised an eyebrow and then smirked. “You still aren’t that long out of wearing pigtails.”
“I still wear them on occasion,” Hannah quipped returning his eyebrow and smirk herself.
He removed his glasses, drew out his handkerchief, cleared his throat, and began to polish the lenses. “Yes, well, perhaps that should stay between you and Mr. Zabini.”
She turned bright red. “I wasn’t referring to that. Good grief. If it’s quite all right, I’ll be going now.”
She got up so fast that she knocked over her chair.
“Oh bother.”
He chuckled. “I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s nice to finally be on the other end of one of these exchanges.” He rose. “I was also testing the possibly that you are the only other person on the planet whose mind is not continuously in the gutter. Welcome aboard, and have a good time in Greece.” He extended his hand.
Hannah accepted his offered hand with a smile. “Thank you, sir.”