Title: Destiny

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Hermione's dream is all from the episode 'prophecy girl'

Spoilers: Set soon after 'The order of the Phoenix' and after the end of season one Buffy, major spoilers for 'prophecy girl'

Summary: Hermione has a change of destiny after the events of the episode 'Prophecy Girl'

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Chapter One: The one in England

Destiny. Funny thing really. The idea that your whole life was mapped out before you were even born. The logical side of me doesn't want to believe it, but the logical side isn't reigning here. I have a destiny. It all started the night I had that dream.

A small blonde girl in a beautiful white dress and a black leather jacket walked through the shadows holding a crossbow a young boy pointed down and then left in silence. The girl walked into a room lit by hundreds of candles

"Welcome" said a male voice. It seemed to be coming from all around her.

"Thanks for having me" said the girl

An ugly man stepped into the light to look at her.

"Y'know, you really oughtta talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage" said the girl

"Oh, good" said the man "The feeble banter portion of the fight. Why don't we just cut to the...

The girl spun around and launched a bolt in the direction of his voice. With lightning reflexes the man caught it in mid-flight right in front of him at chest level. The girl quickly reloads the bow.

"Nice shot" he said "You're not going to kill me with that thing."

"Don't be so sure" said the girl

"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you? You are not the hunter. You are the lamb"

The girl slowly walked around, searching for her opponent. She came upon a rotten body but continued her search.

"You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide" she called out

"I'm waiting for you. I want this moment to last" he called back

"Well, I don't"

She searched for a few moments longer, then the man appeared next right behind her.

"I understand"

She turned around and the man knocked the crossbow out of her hands and grabbed her neck She managed to knock his hand away and started to run but he held his hand out towards her and she froze, caught by some unseen power. She looked back at him and he walked towards her. He removed her jacket the girls breathing had grown heavy with her fear.

"You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything" he lowered his voice to a whisper "You're the one that sets me free! If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that"

The girl couldn't move she knew she was about to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it the man bent down and bit her neck drinking her blood down, but not draining her fully.

"Oh, God! The power!"

The girl fell as he let go of her.

"And by the way" he said as she fell face down in a pool of water. "I like your dress"

She had woken with a start. Tears in her eyes at seeing the blonde girl fall. She had felt some connection with that girl and when she woke she couldn't push it all away as just a dream.

I had that dream again, several times actually. Sometimes I was just a spectator, not even there, just seeing it all unable to help. Other times I was the blonde girl. I felt her confidence fade to fear and at the last minute that fear become acceptance when I knew I was going to die. It was like a relief, getting to rest at last.

I wasn't sleeping well but it went unnoticed with my friends. They'd dealt with too much tragedy already. The first time I had the dream it was nearing the end of term anyway. Two weeks later I was home from the boarding school I had spent the year at. My parents did notice a change in me, but they put it down to stress from exams and decided if I needed to talk about anything with them I would when I was ready.

I was out walking one day. I did this a lot, trying to clear my head and enjoying being alone after spending so much time surrounded by other people. I love my school but it's hard to get any time for yourself. Caught up in my thoughts I walked into something. "Sorry" I said to the man in the tweed suit. I tried to keep on walking but he stepped into my path. "Miss Granger, I've been looking for you" he said.

I froze. How did this man know my names? Why would he be looking for me? I wondered if he was a deatheater. Maybe he wanted to use me as leverage to get to the people they really wanted. The man looked entirely too muggle though. He was in his late forties with greying hair, and the tweed suit looked like a second skin. He looked too comfortable in it, not like he should have been wearing robes. Either way I didn't trust him, so when he asked. "Can we go somewhere to talk more privately?" I turned and ran.

I blame hanging around with Harry for making me so paranoid, or maybe I'm finally learning Professor Moody's constant vigilance. Or it could be that I was a defenceless sixteen year old girl out alone and he was an older man who seemed to know me even though I didn't know him and asked to talk to me privately. In other words maybe it was common sense kicking in.

Whatever the reason behind it I turned and ran, not stopping until I got home. That was actually a little strange in itself. I don't run a lot and home was quite far away, but I was only a little tired.

I thought about telling my parents about the man but decided not to. I didn't want to worry anyone and if it was magical related they wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. The following day I heard from the man again. I got a letter in the post. I don't usually get things in the muggle post; most of my mail comes via owl, so I was suspicious straight away. I opened the envelope to find a simple handwritten note inside. It read:

Dear Miss Granger, Pleas meet me today at 'Sticks and Scones' on olive street at one. I understand your hesitation yesterday but I promise that I mean you no harm. I hope this public meeting place will make you feel safer because this matter is of the utmost importance. Yours Sincerely Adrian Grant

I almost laughed that he described me turning and running as fast as I could because he knew my name as 'hesitation'.

"What's that?" asked my mum from the opposite side of the breakfast table.

I shoved the letter in the back pocket of my jeans. "It's from a friend at school, another muggle born" as soon as I started lying I knew I was going to go. "She's visiting some relatives near here and wants to meet me somewhere in town at one" I continued, wondering when I had got so good at lying. Probably form hanging around Ginny, lies just seemed to come to her so easily. "You don't mind if I go do you?"

"No" she said. "Have fun"

At one I arrived at the small busy café. Adrian Grant was already there so I went and sat in the chair opposite him, making sure my wand was easily accessible, if the worst should happen I could defend myself.

"Thank you for meeting me her Miss Granger" he began. I just nodded, not really knowing what to say. He continued. "I'm aware of your, special gifts, and of course, the school you attend, so I trust that you're aware of the existence of vampires and other demons"

The place was noisy and everybody was busy with their own conversations, so nobody heard what he was saying in a quiet voice but me. My first thought was to leave. I was worried that he knew I was a witch but curiosity kept me in my chair. I just nodded again. Which he again took as a sign to continue.

"Have you ever heard of the slayer?" he asked. "Possibly referred to as the vampire slayer?"

"No" I replied.

He nodded. "I didn't think you would have. Well, in every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer. When one slayer dies another rises. Each slayer is aided by a watcher. A mentor who will train and guide her"

I'm often described as clever, more often than that I'm described as a know it all. On the whole that's pretty true, so when I said "I don't understand" it wasn't because I didn't realise what he was saying, it was simply because I didn't accept what he was saying. I didn't want to.

"The slayer is a warrior for good. She has increased strength, equal to that of a vampire, heightened senses, agility speed, accelerated healing. She uses these gifts to fight the forces of darkness" he explained, thinking I didn't understand the concept of the slayer.

"No" I said. "I don't understand what all this has to so with me" My mind was racing with every possible explanation other than the obvious one which I refused to believe. Maybe this man wanted me to be watcher, a mentor to a slayer. Perhaps he wanted me to do a spell to track the slayer.

"Hermione. You are the slayer" he said shattering all my hopes that it could have been anything else.

And there it was. My destiny, all because a petite blonde girl half way across the world drowned in a pool of water. Buffy died and now it's my turn to fight

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An: I am either going to leave this fic as a one shot or carry it on depending on how people like it.

If I continue then it will probably be Buffy and Hermione fighting their own battles for a while, but dreaming each others. Buffy will not realise Hermione exists and Hermione will think Buffy died for good before she became slayer.

So what do you think? Should I continue? Please review.