Chapter Twenty-Five: A Christmas Morning Story
Disclaimer: I don't own characters from Buffy or Harry Potter. It's as simple as that. It's fun to play around with them, though.
Spoilers: Harry Potter through the end of Deathly Hallows, but set before the epilogue; Buffy starting near the end of the Season 4 episode 'The Harsh Light Of Day'
Feedback: Yes, please. Anything you can tell me will be appreciated, even if I'm too introverted to always respond.
Author's Note: Hello, again! Christmas has come early, at least in this story anyway. I warn you ahead of time, this particular chapter is going to be about as sappy as it can get. But it's Christmas! I think I should be allowed at least one... or two... chapters a year where I can totally and shamelessly pour on the sweetness. This next line will reside in the feedback bit above after this... If you've got any questions about stuff I write in here, like names or what something may mean, feel free to ask in a review or in an email. I'll be happy to answer, within reason. Can't go giving away some of my secrets now, can I?
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He would have liked nothing more than to cash in the rain check Hermione had produced on their way to dinner at Hogwarts, but she continually insisted they put it off until later.
He had been right when he thought Hermione would grill him over his decision to transfer to England without telling her. She wanted to know if his friends were aware, as she would hate to think he had just done it spur of the moment.
He explained that it was on his mind from the minute she left, and he'd hoped to arrange something before he'd had to go to Califia Academy. As soon as he'd gotten her recommendation letter, he'd gotten help from Giles in drawing up a letter to Headmistress McGonagall in regards to attending Hogwarts instead.
"What about Buffy and Willow? Do they know about this?" Hermione asked.
He nodded, "Yeah, they know. They were a little hesitant at first. Willow made me promise to visit as often as I can afford, and Buffy wants me to be on call in case another apocalypse breaks out, but they decided to support my decision because it's what I really want."
Hermione tried not to look so green at the mention of an apocalypse, "Just how many of those apocalypses have you dealt with?"
He just shrugged, "A few, I guess. It's kind of this yearly thing for us."
She looked at him seriously, "Are you certain about this, Xander?"
He continued to assure her that he'd put a lot of thought into his decision, "It's not just so I can be closer to you, though that's part of it. I've heard you talk so much about Hogwarts and how good the teachers are there... and I realized how far behind I am in everything. I'm going to need that if I'm ever going to catch up to you."
She just beamed at him and threw her arms around her neck. She kept being amazed by this young man. She felt guilty about often comparing him to her previous relationship with Ron, but she couldn't help noticing the stark differences between the two. They both had their childish sides, but Xander's was tempered with a maturity beyond his years.
Facing the dark as he had couldn't not change you, and left her wondering just what about Ron had really changed over the course of the war. Unlike Ron, Xander seemed to have developed a thirst for knowledge directly related to her, and was striving to live up to a standard Ron had no interest in approaching.
They'd already had their own wonderful Christmas celebration, coming downstairs Christmas morning to find a stash of presents from their friends under the tree. He got a few introductory magical items from Harry and Ginny, who didn't quite know him well enough yet to get him anything particularly personal.
He was amused to find a pair of knitted sweaters, one bearing a large X across the front while the other featured an A. It came with a letter from Mrs. Weasley explaining that she didn't know if he preferred going by Xander or his given name, so she'd simply knitted him two. Hermione gave him a sympathetic look, knowing he was just as unfortunate as the rest of them in receiving Molly's homemade gifts.
George Weasley had sent him a grab bag from Weasley Wizard Wheezes that had a little bit of everything in terms of magical mayhem. He noted a few items he'd like to put into a care package for an old acquaintance by the name of Parker Abrams. That'd teach him not to bail on the Buffster.
When they finally finished opening their gifts from everyone else, they were ready to present their gifts to each other. She anxiously snatched up her gift for him, painstakingly gift wrapped, but was a little upset to see nothing left under the tree.
He indicated for her to go first, so Hermione handed him a somewhat bulky package which was revealed to be photo album containing all sorts of wizarding pictures of the two of them he wasn't aware had been taken. She explained, "I ended up borrowing a camera from Dennis Creevey, who runs a wizard photography studio on Diagon Alley. After that it was just a matter of slipping into my pensieve and taking pictures of some of my favorite memories. Both from my time over in America and this last week."
He was touched by it and had to fight back tears, both of joy and of laughter, as he saw a picture which featured Giles' living room and all his friends lounging about without a care in the world.
He immediately remembered that day perfectly, as it held one of their more amusing training sessions, "Wasn't this the day when I was levitating a teacup and ended up tipping it over into Giles' lap?" She nodded.
"He started shouting and ran about the room... with a gigantic stain across the front of his trousers!" She exclaimed. They both shared a laugh at the memory and he gave her a meaningful kiss in thanks.
It came time for Xander to give his gift to her his present, and he surprised her by getting up and approaching a nearby window, "I have to admit, this present is a little bit for the both of us." With that he opened the window long enough for the most beautiful owl to come fluttering into the room and land on the arm of the sofa.
It was moderately sized with an overall brown color, with a oval head, and dark brown eyes. The brown plumage was heavily spotted on the breast and belly with the most striking series of white splotches that gave the bird the impression of having just stepped off of a canvas.
It's eyes were looking at her with a regard which made her fondly remember Hedwig and she couldn't help how watery her eyes started to get.
He smiled at her reaction, moving back over to sit beside her while the owl hopped along the back of the couch to rest on top of it, right between them. Hermione was looking at the owl fondly, and he could tell the owl was quickly growing attached to it's new owner as well. She gently reached up and stroked her plume, and in return the bird nipped at her gently. Xander couldn't help but smile, "I'd like to introduce you to Perdita."
Hermione's attention snapped to him, a look of awe on her features, "I got a little help with the name, thank Giles for that. He knows way too much about Shakespeare." He scooted a little closer and took a turn showing affection to the bird, "She's a strix, um, a strix accidental... shoot, I can't remember what the store owner called her."
"Strix occidentalis." She corrected out of habit, "A spotted owl. But they aren't native to Europe..."
Xander looked quite proud of himself, "Very true, but the owner at Eyelops received the wrong shipment, one that was meant for a shop near Califia. He was getting ready to send them back when I showed up. I saw the leaflet that said where they were native to and I just knew I had to buy her. I know you said you always wanted an owl but never got around to buying one. Well, I took care of that for you. She's sorta my familiar, but I don't think there's gonna be an issue over sharing."
Crookshanks, who had so far given them a great deal of privacy around the flat, appeared as if out of thin air to inspect the newest addition to the household. Both animals stared at each other for several moments, before the half-kneazle gave an approving meow in response to Perdita's greeting hoot. Crookshanks then disappeared again as he knew his owner was about to thank the young man in a way he didn't care to see. Even Perdita hopped so she was facing away from the impending scene.
And thank him she did, snogging him for several minutes until the desperate need for oxygen drove them apart. He grinned and wondered if that was his promised 'snogging of a lifetime' but she read the thought in his eyes and shook her head, her devious grin lighting up her face. He was so in trouble when it finally came around.
When they finally had had enough of the kisses, at least for the time being, Xander looked down for a minute, "I'm sorry that this gift is technically for me, but I'm still getting to know all about you and figured I'd go with an option that didn't involve a stereotypical book gift."
She shushed him, "Xander, Perdita is a wonderful gift, I wasn't lying when I said I was always quite jealous of Harry and his owl Hedwig. I don't mind at all that she's your familiar, besides I must have mentioned that ages ago! The fact that you remembered shows how much thought you put into it, which is what matters."
He grinned and looked to Perdita, who had turned back to them after the talking had resumed and gave her a little nod. She took flight and headed into the bedroom for a moment, before returning with a package in her talons which she dropped in Hermione's lap. Hermione looked dumbfounded, as Xander pulled an owl treat from his shirt pocket and gave it to Perdita.
He looked to her again and indicated with his eyes that she should open it. She did so delicately, as if expecting the gift to explode. The paper was discarded to reveal a long, black velvet box. Hermione gasped, before Xander took it from her and opened it towards her. Resting inside the box was a spectacular looking silver necklace with a dangling pendant featuring a pair of sapphires one above the other.
The grin on his face would likely have to be surgically removed, but it just couldn't be helped. The tears she had fought earlier began flowing unchecked now, and he kissed a few of them away before accepting their existence.
He himself had to wipe his eyes before he began to speak, "This is the more personal gift I was determined to get, and pretty much cleaned me out for the second time this year. I sold the Chevy, and a few of my other collectibles in order to afford it. I think it's totally worth it, though.
"The jeweler called this an Everard's Ever Expanding Necklace, created by a guy who was a Headmaster at Hogwarts, I think he said. What's so special about it is that it, uh, expands. The jeweler explained that, when given as a gift from one person to another, the necklace gains a copy of the recipient's birthstone every year on their birthday after it's given." He was about to continue when Hermione interrupted him.
"But there are two stones on here already..."
He looked at her with mock scolding, "If someone would let me finish, I'd get to that." He smiled to show it truly was just a jest, before taking an awfully long time to continue. When he finally found his words again, he began again, "When giving the Ever Expanding Necklace to person that they're in a romantic relationship with... instead of one stone each year, it will gain two... each of their birthstones."
Hermione looked at him in wonder. And the tears flowed anew. She kissed him ferociously, and he once again wondered if this was his rain check, but he dared not ask.
She finally had the breath to say, "This is beautiful, Xander... absolutely gorgeous." She looked at the stones in reverence, running her thumb over the pair, "Sapphire is your birthstone? But you weren't born in September..."
He smiled again, "Correct. I was born at the end of April, not on the first like my dad loves to claim, and apparently the classical birthstone for that month is also a sapphire... I suppose that fits, huh? Two peas in a pod... kinda." They both shared a laugh, "Another selling point for the necklace was that, as it acquires new stones the positions all rearrange and form a new shape. I thought that would be really cool."
Xander couldn't help but stare into her eyes as he helped her fasten the jewelry around her neck, "Do you ever wonder if we're getting sickeningly sweet?"
She simply kissed him and laughed, "Not really."