Title: Mirror, Mirror
Author: Scyllablue
Fandom: BTVS/Harry Potter crossover
Pairing: Angel/Riley
Rating: FRAO
Summary: When Spike finds a magical mirror he reveals a world Angel never knew existed and the truth of who Riley Finn really is.
Disclaimer: Obviously I do not own. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Warning: AU obviously. Some cursing, some sex, some gratuitous bending of various universes.
Author's notes: Oh my goodness, not another lame attempt at wedding HP/BTVS! Yes, folks, it is lame, but I had fun, so suck it up! When this story takes place Harry and his friends are around 21. He has fulfilled his destiny to defeat the dark wizard Voldemort and is now a teacher. Snape did not invent a means of controlling the werewolf's insanity but in fact cured lycanthropy for afflicted wizards. As this story largely focuses on the BTVS characters I will not be giving great attention to the HP universe beyond what is needed. If anyone wants to see who I picture while writing there are BTVS and HP scrapbooks up at my LiveJournal, under my penname. A good friend was happily shredding my stories when she commented on the similarity between a couple of characters and so this idea was born. Curse you, P.
ARARARAR
He found it down in the basement of the mansion, a box of junk left over from shriveled ol' great-grand daddy's time. A mirror was bloody useless for a vampire and he tossed it in the junk pile, dismissed until a few minutes later. The box had yielded nothing more interesting than a fancy silver dagger. Might earn him a few pints. Straightening up with a perfunctory balls scratch his eye caught on the squarish upside down mirror, seeing a bit of yellow sticking out of the backing. Never one to leave the unknown alone he snatched the frame up and tugged the bit of paper free.
First his eyes widened. Then he giggled, softly like a child would with a wondrous new treat. The giggle quickly grew insidious, however, as his malicious little mind seized on a brilliant thought.
ARARARAR
"The book is there on my desk. Thank you, Riley." Giles' voice followed the young man into his office. The girls had all stared open mouthed at each other when the Englishman asked Riley to venture into his inner sanctum, but honestly, what did they expect? He was living here; did they think Giles kept him locked in his room until they came over?
Though perhaps that wouldn't be such a horrible fate compared to having to suffer through these nightly "research" meetings. Willow and Tara were diligent, but Xander mostly just stuffed his face with free food while Buffy seemed more interested in flirting until it was time to kill something, an attitude she disturbingly shared with Spike. Who flirted with Xander, not him, thankfully. Riley was pretty sure he'd have a brain aneurism if that scrawny little shit ever made googlie eyes at him. Though it would relieve the tedium of thumbing through archaic texts while fending off Buffy's amazingly dexterous fingers.
The book was where Giles said, sitting innocently beneath a stack of Alchemy scrolls. Turning back to the door Riley jumped, startled to see a familiar face. "Hostile 17," he hissed, recognizing the trademark black trench coat and chipped black nail polish, "what are you doing?"
Spike quickly tucked the mirror he'd thrust in Riley's face behind his back, gracefully sweeping an arm to invite Riley to pass. "Sorry, luv, thought you'd want a hand wiping off that smudge of brown."
"Bi- Fuck off, Spike." Riley purposively shoved the vampire on his way past. Why had he supported not dusting the annoying little Englishman?
"Oooh, the Boy Scout used a naughty word," Xander laughed behind Spike's back, watching the taller blond disappear back into the living room. Before the vampire could stop him the young man plucked the mirror from his grasp. "What's this?"
"Don't!" Too late, Xander stared at himself in the silvered mirror, expression bemused. His lover quickly it snatched back, careful not to look himself. Shoving the mirror into an inside coat pocket he frantically searched the boy's eyes for any telling signs of bewitchment.
"Spike?" Xander nervously tried to lean away, but the blond grabbed his face, bringing them nose to nose.
"Feeling any different, pet? Any sudden cravings for cornfed US grade?"
Jerking away Xander scowled. "What are you on? What was that mirror?"
Spike stared at him for another long minute before he suddenly smiled, his relief near palpable. "Nothing, pet. Don't worry your pretty head over it."
Still suspicious but not wanting to fight over it Xander pecked his love on the tip of his pert nose. "Well, behave, awright? Riley is trying to get along and Buffy is just waiting for an excuse to try and stake you."
Spike hummed and nodded, but Xander's words went largely ignored. He was so going to enjoy this spot of revenge.
ARARARAR
Three days later Angel carried the post into the main research area where Wesley was happily cross referencing. "Wes, did you ask for a book from Giles?" The box looked book shaped and the return address was the older Watcher's, but the labels had been typed.
The young Englishman barely glanced up from his reading. "No, but maybe he thought it was something we'd need. Go ahead and open it?"
"Sure." The vampire easily ripped open the cardboard, eyebrow raising to discover a mirror. An old, silver tarnished mirror. Rubbing his thumb down the side Angel's eyes flashed yellow as the surface suddenly rippled, a vaguely familiar face briefly staring back at him.
When the silence stretched on too long Wesley finally looked up, adjusting his glasses as he stared at the frozen man standing a few feet away. Angel seemed quite intent on the object in his hands, but it was the feverish glint to his eyes that yanked the young ex-Watcher to his feet. "Angel?"
The large vampire did not respond. Reaching his side Wesley tried to take hold of the dark framed object, but the best he could manage was tilting it so he could see just what had his friend enraptured. "How odd," he murmured.
To say Giles was surprised to open his door to Angel and his young comrade Wesley was certainly an understatement; both usually practiced the courtesy of phoning before descending on their hellish hamlet. Wesley's mumbled vaguely worded response to his raised eyebrow mollified him somewhat: they were here on the trail of a vision. Letting them enter he didn't think much of Wesley's question as to who was presently in residence. Angel and Buffy were still barely speaking to one another, which might present a further complication to the swift completion of their mission and summary exodus.
"Young mister Riley Finn is currently renting a room, otherwise the others are at work or campus." Giles frowned at the look his visitors exchanged. Angel had yet to say a word aloud but his expression spoke volumes. Unfortunately, Giles did not know the language. "I assume you came to me for help and not out of a sense of courtesy that did not extend to a phone call?"
Wesley jerked his gaze from Angel's, nodding sloppily. "Yes, yes, of course. My apologies. We are, um, that is, Cordelia was not specific, but the threat was, ah, large, tentacles?" He glanced briefly at Angel, but the large vampire was sniffing the air. "Blue?"
No wonder they had driven down; Giles would have hung up on them on the phone. "Blue and tentacles? Did she perhaps see the victim?"
"Hmmm, yes? Why don't we start with some of the volumes you have that I do not? It was very dark in Cordelia's vision," Wesley lamely defended.
"Imagine that," Giles muttered, but he gamely led the younger ex-Watcher into his library. He wasn't surprised when Angel did not follow, familiar with the vampire's disinclination for research.
ARARARAR
When Giles had allowed him to move into his house after learning the young man was recklessly camping out on the demolished school grounds Riley had been grateful. By nature he was a neat person and he did not mind Giles' occasional moodiness, affording them to cohabitate easily. His childhood and chosen career had taught him to live with all manner of difficult people. Giles had even permitted him to install some simple exercise equipment in his attic room. He used the training room in the basement every day, alone and sparring with Buffy, but he liked the privacy of his room. Just a simple pull-up bar but the methodical exercise was calming, letting his mind drift. With the added foot restraints he could even pretend to be Luke Skywalker, though he usually did a quick rep of curls before the blood rush gave him a headache.
Arms folded over his chest he was doing just that when he heard the front door bell ring. Relaxing back down he brushed his fingers across the wooden floor, listening to hear if anything was amiss. The Initiative wasn't supposed to know where he was, but they'd worked out a warning system if needed and the blond's eyes flickered to the innocuous, palm sized river stone on his nightstand. A soft word from Giles and the stone would start glowing a bright red.
It was still grey. He could hear the muffled sound of voices, but no yelling. People did come around to visit Giles; for magical consultation or just to chat. No one regular visited; Riley had learned that after overhearing a grey haired old lady talking about dragon bile for arthritic joints. What was worse was when they came for dinner or lunch and Riley had to sit there, acting politely quiet and ignorant of what they were talking about unless they were civil enough to discuss non-magical stuff. Not that Riley was inclined to talk after he'd realized many of Giles' guests thought the young man was his lover and the Englishman did nothing to disabuse them of the notion. Part of his cover Riley assured himself, but couldn't help the permanent blush and soft stammer whenever any of Giles' dinner guests tried to teasingly draw him into conversation with sexual innuendo.
Riley went back to his curls.
There was no warning creaking of the door or floorboards before a heavily muscled arm clamped across his chest just as he was coming back down, pinning his arms. "What the hell?" he exclaimed, twisting wildly. His military cut hair was too short to get a good handhold, but his attacker wasn't deterred, brutally strong hand closing around his jaw and wrenching his head around to seize his mouth. He was being kissed, by a guy, and he didn't know if that was worse than the voice in his head that traitorously sounded like himself remarking at how good the guy was at it.
ARARARAR
Downstairs Giles froze at hearing the muffled shout from above before turning his incensed gaze onto his companion. Wesley tried to affect an attitude of confused innocence, but Giles was not fooled. Before the other could attack Giles froze him in place with a snarled spell. "If Angel has harmed that boy I am holding you both responsible," he warned before running from the room.
Riley was jerking his legs, trying to get the safety catches to release, but the manufacturer had obviously never considered this scenario. His mouth was sealed by firm lips, distorting the words he tried to shout. The arm around his chest tightened, his attacker taking an easy step back to draw Riley's legs straight and cut his leverage. The foot restraints creaked in protest, a sentiment his ankles echoed. His feet were starting to go numb, blood circulation cut off by the hard leather clamps never meant to bend to such an angle.
He couldn't see the man holding him, adding to his fear. His attacker was nuzzling his neck and he could feel the bony ridges that screamed 'vampire!' Terror squeezed Riley's throat, choking his voice. How had it gotten into the house and past Giles? The vampire was growling, but wasn't biting, holding the young man just tight enough to restrain his struggles. "f-fahh!" Riley squeaked, mortified to feel a hand grope his crotch, gently squeezing and weighing through the cotton of his sweat pants.
"Stop!" he yowled, bucking and twisting as much as he could, which proved no deterrent at all. Fingers trailed up under his t-shirt and then back down, slipping under the waistband of his sweats. Head forced to the side by the face rubbing against his vulnerable throat he couldn't see the hand make its journey but he felt it, cool and manly large close around his semi-hard penis. Riley whimpered, closing his eyes when he heard the growling change pitch. He needed to escape, consequences be damned. "Fi-"
"Angel! Get away from him now!" Giles' voice had never sounded so welcome, but then the name he called penetrated Riley's relief.
"A-Angel?" As in Buffy's idolized undead ex with a soul?
"I will not warn you again, Angel," Giles snapped. "I have a crossbow aimed at your back and I will shoot you."
"Then you also mean to kill the boy?" The vampire finally lifted his head and ceased his rumbling growl. "To spare your life you'll need to make a kill shot and we are heart to heart." Giles cursed softly, eliciting Angel's dark laughter. "Come around where we both can see you."
Giles' aim did not waver as he slowly circled the two men. His blue eyes briefly met Riley's, but the young blond could not keep his gaze, not with Angel's hand rhythmically massaging his cock as the older man could now clearly see. Riley didn't think he'd ever stop blushing.
"Would you?" Angel jerked his chin to Riley's feet.
After a tense minute the older man nodded. While Riley's ankles were screaming he also didn't like the idea of the vampire getting full liberty to his person. Slowly Giles reached for the snap buckles, his other hand holding the crossbow steady. "What is going on, Angel?"
Riley groaned as blood rushed back into his feet, the tingling rush of pain briefly whiting out his senses. Oh man, he was never doing that again. A deep voice was shushing him, sounding very like the earlier growling through the pounding of his blood. It wasn't until the pain in his feet dropped into a dull throb did he realize the vampire was stroking his cheek while talking to Giles. What was worse was he was allowing it.
Angrily jerking away Riley again tried to free himself, but Angel's arm across his chest barely twitched. "Let go of me already!" They were of the same height, probably within a pound of each other and Riley was completely helpless pitted against the vampire's inhuman strength.
"I can't do that," the vampire calmly answered. "Did you permanently injure Wesley?"
"No," Giles sighed, slowly lowering the crossbow. "Something has happened, I take it?"
Angel nodded, absently petting the fuming mortal in his grasp. "Why don't we all go downstairs? Riley needs an icepack for his ankles."
"Riley needs to be put down and given some space," the blond grumbled.
"Riley, I would like to examine your," Giles tiredly began, at the same time that Angel decided to become agreeable and happily said, "Okay," and stepped back.
"Fuck!" Riley yelped, crumpling to the ground as his ankles gave way. Okay, he had not realized Angel had been holding his weight. Ow, ow, ow. No big bad tough guy here, that fucking hurt!
TBC.