And We're Off

by Xandra Z

Post-Chosen, Willow and Xander have been invited to teach at Hogwarts. The two best friends on a new mission to teach teenage witches and wizards the finer points of Defence Against the Dark Arts.

6. Chapter Six

Sorry this took so long, explanation below. Again every please of feedback makes me wanna write more.

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. I wish they were but they just haven't come true. JK Rowling and Joss Whedon still own them.

And We're Off (6/?)

Summary: Post- Chosen, Willow and Xander have been invited to teach at Hogwarts. The two best friends on a new mission to teach teenage witches and wizards the finer points of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Xander discovers something important about his past. (won't be for a while and i don't want to give it away)

Spoilers: Harry Potter books 1-5, Buffy 1-7 and maybe a couple of Angel references (sorry just happens).

Parings: Willow/?, Xander/?

Rated: PG-13, still not sure yet, may get higher. It's only 13 for my tendency for having people curse and drink a lot.

Chapter Comments: Sorry this took so long, family came to visit and then there was a family emergency. Hopefully the next chapter will be quicker to write.

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Chapter 6: Hogwarts part 2

Snape was happy not about this. He knew the rest of the Professors had offered to give Xander lessons to help him reach some level of understanding in every subject, but he had refused. For the moment he first laid on them he was determined not to like them. They were no more than children to him and would be teaching the subject he had always wanted to teach. But Dumbledore had ordered him to teach the boy so now Xander Harris was sitting in his classroom, moments from blowing up his caldron. "Don't add that yet!" Snape snatched the vial away from his hand.

Xander jumped back. He couldn't do this. All Snape had done had open him a big and told him to make the potion. Now every move he made Snape was staring down his back and making him more and more nervous. He closed his eye and looked over his potion again. He had forgotten to add the Charess Root before the Marridet oil. If he had, he would have been in trouble. "Thanks" he said unconvincingly. Xander felt like he was in chemistry all over again but at least Willow was always his lab partner and the teacher wasn't scary either. He didn't even know what he was trying to make.

He needed to measure out some of the leaves but kept getting distracted by Snape's presence. All through high school he could never concentrate with the teachers staring at him. He was so grateful when Willow came down to the Dungeon, her robe sweeping behind her. She started wearing her robes more in more, Xander couldn't get used to them and thought they were too confining. "Can I help you?" Snape said finally leaving Xander to meet Willow at the door.

"Yes," She answered him trying to sound friendly, "I'm in need of some Navitas Root. The store in town didn't have it, so I order it but it will-"

"You wish to take what I have in my stores." He interrupted, rather aggravated.

"Borrow and replace what I have taken, once mine has arrived." She corrected.

He thought for a long minute. "Very well." He was also ordered, by Dumbledore, to be civil to them. He glanced towards Xander handing Willow the vial he took from him earlier, "Don't let him blow up my classroom while I'm gone." He stormed off.

Willow went and sat down next to Xander. "Why did I agree to this?" He asked her. "Why did I agree to learn all this stuff? Dark arts, daemons I know? But this, this is chemistry!"

Willow patted him on the back. "Well, let's see what you got. What are you making?"

"I'm not sure anymore. I mean it's not as if I can't figure it out. It's just he's always breathing down my neck. My first three potions blew up."

Willow started organizing his ingredients. "This is a good start but the heart of potions is to know all the ingredients and what their properties are and how they react to each other."

"Like chemistry. You know I sucked at that." Xander hunched over the table.

"Well, you just need to get past this lesson and I'll teach you the rest, okay? Snape doesn't seem to be doing any of the important stuff. But it would be rude to just quit considering he finally offered to teach you."

"We'll this wouldn't real work if one of our co-workers didn't hate us." He looked down at what she did to his work space. She separated and measured out everything he would need and put it in order.

"So now all you need to do is follow what the book wants you to do with them and don't worry what he does." Xander nodded.

Snape returned and handed her the jar of Navitas Root. "Thank you." She took it from him. "I'll bring back what's left." She head for the door, "Good luck, Xand. Come find me when you're done." She waved as she left.

Snape sauntered back over to Xander, looked down at the simmering cauldron. "It's looking better, Mr. Harris. But I'm sure Miss Rosenberg won't always be there to help you." Xander rolled his eyes.

---

Willow marched quickly through the halls. Xander said he would be in the staff lounge, so that's where she was heading. She quickened her pace as she approached the entrance. She perform the approached ministrations the portrait and it snapped open for her. The room was full of couches and work tables; it was tea time so the room was full of staff members. They all stared at her as she entered and tried to hold back a laugh. "Alexander Levalle Harris!" She called out.

She spotted Xander was towards the back of the room playing cards with Mike, the thirty -year-old Muggle Studies professor. Xander sank back in his big leather chair as he heard is name ring through out the room. "You're in trouble now, Xander." Mike laughed, as Willow stormed over.

"Don't I know it." He muttered, looking down.

"Explain. This. Now!" Willow said standing in front of him pointing up at her hair.

Xander looked up. Willow was looking down at him, cheeks flushed and her shoulder length blue hair flowing wild. He just laughed.

"It was you?" She was confirming.

Xander nodded.

"How?"

"Um the candy I left on your desk." Xander answered. "It seems to have worked."

"You didn't make it yourself did you?" She asked warily.

"No, I bought it at a joke shop before we got here." Xander replied.

She seemed relieved. "How long?"

"Three days." He said flicking back like she might hit him.

"Why?"

"Cause you let me eat those 'things' and didn't give me any warning." He said going on the defensive.

"They were mine." She argued. "Who said you good go around eating my food without asking?"

"You left it on the coffee table in 'our' living room. You should have told me they weren't the same as Jelly Belly's."

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" Mike inquired.

"Those are the evil buggers." Xander said.
"It's happened to all of us." Mike laughed. "What kind did you have?"

"I rather not talk about it." Xander said sternly.

Willow seemed to be much more relaxed and took a seat at the table. "I'm going to get you back, Harris." She said.

"I know and you have access to where I live so I should be scared. Really scared."

They were quiet for a few minutes then Flitwick offered her a cup of tea. "Hey, why were you so worried I made it myself?" he asked very offended.

"Because I couldn't even cover it up and I was worried you made it permeate." She hoped Xander wouldn't get offended.

Xander would have commented but Flitwick came with her tea. "Look's like the work of the Weasley twin, if I'm not mistaken." He said admiring her hair.

"Yes." Xander answered, "I visited their shop in Diagon Alley. I believe I had a nice conversation with their father."

"They always do excellent work. Before they left the school so 'abruptly' last year, they put in a lovely swamp on the fifth floor. When I finally cleaned it, I couldn't let such a lovely thing be taken away completely, I left a piece of it to remember them by. It's in the east wing if you're interested."

"We'll at least you bought quality." Willow muttered.

"I think I'll do that." Xander smiled at him. Flitwick went back to his chair. "Their father was really interested in Muggles."

"Really?" Willow was surprised. "You talked to him?"

"Yes and I talked to people. What did you think I did all those hours we were apart?"

"I don't know"

"I flirted too."

"Great." She said unenthusiastically. "Do me a favor, as you're best friend, make the next person you date someone I actually like."

"And you" He faded out. "Damn, I liked all your significant others."

Willow just smiled and was leaning back in her high back leather chair, relaxing, slowly drinking her tea. Xander was now back to playing his card game with Mike. Xander glance over at her, a familiar maroon and yellow was peaking through the opening of her robe. "Willow, what are you wearing?"

"What this?" she looked down and then opened the robe so he could read the righting across her shirt: 'Sunnydale High'.

"Okay, my high school gym clothes are in the middle of the crater which was once Sunnydale, how did you get yours back?" He said leaving his game of cards and becoming more interested in Willow.

She smiled, "Remember that letter from my mother? Well when they moved to Seattle they took packed up and took my room too."

"Oh that's not fair! When I moved out I had to take everything? Why didn't you?"

"Because I moved into a fully furnished house with three other girls. I used my old room as storage. Just brought all the stuff over from the dorm."

"That's so unfair. So, they sent you all your old clothes."

"Actually they sent it all to Cleveland. Buffy went through it all and sent me stuff we'd want, put the rest away. She didn't think sending me all those robot manuals would help here."

"You still have the 'Ted' diagrams don't you?" he faked disappointment.

"Yes, I do. It was very advanced."

"She didn't send you you're computer manuals but she sent you your gym clothes." He winced. "And it's disturbing me that you're wearing them too, you used to sweat in them every day."

"Hey," she looked down at the shirt. "This was my spare. But, anyway she sent my other stuff like pictures."

"Pictures from?" Xander was excited.

"Everything from moms and tots to freshman year. I guess I left them there after the summer." She smiled.

Xander smiled he thought all of them were gone, more casualties to the Hellmouth.

"Oh also, she found a box of Star Wars Collectables." She smiled. "Must have left them at my house once."

"Did Buffy send them?" He sounded hopeful. He knew which ones she kept for him; they were a present from his uncle, original action figures that were worth something. When his father got laid off he hid them over at Willow's for safe keeping.

"Nah, she sold them to pay for sending the rest here." Xander's face dropped, and Willow rolled her eyes. "Of course she sent them but she did say something about having to knock Andrew around a bit before prying them from his fingers."

---

"Will, I don't remember taking all these pics." He said as he put some of the enlarged photographs on the walls of their classroom.

"Oh remember I went through that we watch Buffy kill a demon, we take a picture stage."

"Do you think it's kind of morbid? The whole: dead demons, on the walls, with us smiling in every other picture?" He stepped back.

"No, I think it shows we have experience." She smiled, looking at the picture of her, Xander, Cordelia and Oz cleaning up after the Judge. Xander was holding the rocket launcher. "I don't know what's more disturbing, the fact that it was so easy to steal it in the first place or that Buffy kept it in her basement for almost six years."

Xander groaned, "I need a break." Most of the pictures were up and he was getting antsy.

"Sure, I always wanted to check out the Hall of Students, see if there is anyone we know." She smiled.

"So your idea of taking a break from hanging pictures, is looking at some that are already up?"

They walked of together to the "Hall of Students" it was where the pictures of the graduating class were put up. Willow excitedly looked at all the smiling, waving pictures. When Willow would start to look at one year too long Xander would start making up stories about the people in them. "Oh, look there's Ethan Rayne." Willow looked at the information under the picture. "He was a Slytherin, figures."

"That's the ambitious, cunning one?" Xander kept getting the houses confused.

"Yep. Gryffindor is courage. Ravenclaw is knowledge, and Hufflepuff is loyalty."

"Right. So, that means the Slytherins will be the ones trying to cheat during class. The Gryffindors will want to go out and fight the demons, the Ravenclaws will be smarter than me, and the Hufflepuffs will stand by me forever."

"Sounds about right." Willow said moving onto new class pictures.

"Pettigrew." Xander said looking at one of the pictures. "I know that name. Why?"

"Um." Willow went over to the picture he was looking at. "Oh, Catharine the Great, remember Amy's mom. I don't know who this guy is."

"Her named was Madison- no never mind, maiden name."

"Pettigrew was on her trophy." Willow went on looking at more and more class pictures and Xander went on making more stories.

"My name is James," Xander said in a mocking voice for the young man in glasses, "and my greatest reason for becoming Head Boy was so I could 'nail' the Head Girl."

"Shag." Willow corrected. "And he would probably have an English accent."

"You're taking all the fun out of it, Will."

She laughed she turned to look at Xander, because he stopped laughing. She wasn't sure what is was but his left eye looked almost lifeless. "Xander are you alright?"

He shook his head, his eye returned to normal. "I'm fine." He smiled.

"A second ago your eye looked strange."

"It was nothing." He said with less confidence, then turned around and went to another set of pictures. He pointed to one and looked at it studied it. "I think I know her." He changed the subject.

Willow wouldn't let this go, he was acting suspicious. Of course she fear the worst, they eye replacement was being rejected, he was just in denial. "We should go to Madam Pomfrey."

"Will, I'm telling you I'm fine." Was very interested in the photograph and turned back to it. "Alice Poole, I know that name from somewhere."

"Don't change the subject." Willow insisted grabbing onto his arm. "What's wrong with your eye?" she asked sternly.

Xander didn't say anything but storm off. Willow fallowed his quick pace and soon realized they where heading back up to their room. Xander froze for a moment in front of their new door. The Vampires growl at him. The caretaker must have had a strange sense of humor because a few days before he had replaced the First Slayer portrait with a family portrait of Angelus, Darla, Drusilla and Spike. They were dressed in turn of the century outfits and would usually tease him before letting him in, this time they knew he meant business and opened the door immediately after he said the password. Willow quickly followed before the door snapped shut.

"Xander!" She called to him; he had gone into his bedroom. "You can't just deny something's wrong, it won't just go away. I know I've tried that before."

His door opened and he stormed back out into the living room holding a pamphlet in his hands. He held it out to her. "Everything is fine."

She took it and looked confused.

"Just read it." He insisted, not angry but annoyed. He sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

Willow looked down at what she was handed. 'Aeger's Magical Eyes : The Latest in Eye Replacements'. Willow read on allowed, "So you have just received a New Aeger's Magical Eye, the best that money could buy. The new and improved eye looks and feels like any ordinary eye, even when you're looking behind you or rolling around the floor with the allusion that it is still well placed in the eye socket" Willow let all the pieces fall into place. "Wow."

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She sat down next to him still reading.

"Cause I didn't realize I got it until a couple days ago. Let's just say all that stuff I had to sign, I didn't read all of it. And I only looked at the instructions Berry gave me. Pomfrey even figured it out, which is why she wasn't worried-"

"You can see through walls." She interrupted, as she continued to read while he talked.

"Once I learn to control it. That's what it says, but every so often, if I'll spontaneously see behind me or in the dark. That's why I've been getting disoriented so much."

"So, before when I looked up at you, you were looking at the pictures behind you?"

"Yeah, it just kind of just happened." He leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" She asked again, still sounding amused.

"'Cause I felt-feel like an idiot. I guess I just wanted to be normal and the same as it was before."

"Well you are an idiot, but I love you anyway." Willow said resting herself on him, as she read the rest of the information on his new eye. He put his arm across her shoulders and kissed her on top of her head.

---

Willow was starting to love her hair and was sorry that this was the last day it would last. Xander didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved. Actually it was starting to grow on him too. Whatever it was it made her happy and full of life. They only had a day left until the students came and the weather outside was beautiful. It was a warm sunny day and the California kids were feeling the call: Sunshine.

Willow put on a purple tank top and a pair of shorts and headed out to the lake. She transformed a rock into a lawn chair so she could read her book in comfort. She hoped that she could get a little color on her skin without getting burned. Xander was running around the lake and met up with her when he completed his circle.

"Hey sexy lady," He called as he ran to her.

"Hey," She looked up and smiled. "Someone's looking all buff and sexy himself. You do realize if you call me that back in high school, you would have had me in a half a second."

"Well too late now I guess." He said starting to do push-ups. "What ya reading?"

"Oh," She turned to the front cover. "Boca Del Inferno: Volume 5: 1899."

Xander stopped his push-ups and stood up. "Alright, you lived there for 22 years, why are you reading about it?"

"Cause this one's all about the creation of the town and how Mayor Wilkins fooled the American Ministry. It's quiet funny actually, because this was written before they knew what he was really doing. They keep saying he was a man with a vision."

"How many volumes of that are there?" he asked getting back to his exercises.

"Oh, about four more." She said putting the book down. She stared out at the lake. "You know if it weren't for the squid and the mer-people I'd go swimming." She signed.

"We'll does this place have a pool?"

"I don't know, it might." She stood up again and began to stretch.

"You mean you don't know?" She just glared at him, and then sat down on the grass next to him.

"I can believe you're actually working out so much, makes me think I should too." She sighed.

"I well if you really want too I'll help you out. It's always easier if someone's coaching you. If you want I can hold your feet while you do push-ups." Xander offered.

Willow thought for a second. "Sure, why not." She smiled. And lay down on her back. She smiled. And lay down on her back. With Xander's friendly drill sergeant attitude she gave up after twenty. "Arg, not worth it." She told him and she laid back, flat on the grass.

"I never knew you to be quitting type." He joked.

"I don't need to be the brawn." She said making herself comfortable on the grass.

"We'll you might need to cause we don't have Buffy around anymore." He sat next her, looking down at her face, her eyes were closed.

"Well it's that why you're doing this, to protect me right?" She smiled.

"Of course."

"I mean if not to protect me why would you be?" she joked.

"Snape."

"What?" She sat up, very confused.

"He's walking over here." Xander was glaring toward the school; he was not the person he wanted to see.

Willow sat up and looked in the same direction. "Oh," she groaned, "is he coming over here?" she asked Xander quietly.

"Looks like it."

"Damn and we were having fun too." She pouted then stood up, Xander helped her.

"Miss Rosenberg." Snape called as he grew closer. Xander turned away, if Snape only wanted to talk to Willow, he would use his chance to flee. Actually he only restarted his work out to make himself seem to busy to talk.

"Can I help you?"

"I thought I should return this." He said stoically handing her the ball he had confiscated some time ago.

Willow didn't say 'thank you' even though the temptation for the courtesy was strong. She stood there awkwardly; she kept looking off to the side, never directly at him. "Was there something else?" She said sounding irritated, she was hoping maybe he would apologizes.

"I wanted to know when may Navitas Root will be replaced." He responded quickly.

"Oh by next-"

"It will be unnecessary to replace mine." He interrupted. "I have already replaced it."

"Oh." Willow furrowed her brow. "Do you want me to pay you back or something?"
"No." For the first time she looked at him directly and he seemed completely uncomfortable. "Consider it a professional courtesy." He said and quickly walked off. Willow said a thank you to him but he was out of range.

Xander wasn't really listening to the exchange, but even with his back turned he was watching. When Snape stormed of again, Willow walked over walked over to him. "Here." She tossed the ball to him.

"Was that all he wanted?"

"No," she turned back. "He was acting weird."

"That man is always weird." Xander said playing catch with himself.

"More weird." She said looking off to where Snape had gone.

Xander looked over at her and averted his eyes. "Oh, maybe it was because of this." He said fixing her shirt.

She looked down and realized her neckline had gone about an inch or two lower than it should have. "Thanks. Must have happened with the sit-up." She said embarrassed. "You think he was looking."

"I would- he was. I have an eye in the back of my head, remember."

"That's just disturbing." She turned back to Xander.

"Good."

"Why good?"

"I can't stand him."

Willow just looked at him, lost. "Why would- Oh, hello, lesbian." She raised her hand. Xander laughed. "And plus he is way too old and since when have the unpleasant and bruiting been my type? Really that's more of Buffy's type." She laughed.

Xander joined her and then stop, his face becoming and spoke very seriously. "We will make sure she hates him before she meets him." Willow nodded.

---

It was the last night before the students arrived; Willow and Xander weren't even going try to sleep in separate beds. "It's only 10:30 are we really going to sleep?" Xander asked walking out of his room, "The students don't come until the evening." She had told him to get in his pajamas and meet her in the living room.

"Were not going to, yet." Said the once again redheaded witch, she was setting up her computer on the coffee table in front of the couch. "I finally got the battery to work and I was thinking DVD night." She smiled.

Xander looked around and saw blankets on the couch and assorted goodies on the end table. "Cool," He sat down. "All these things are safe right?" He asked before taking a handful of popcorn.

"Yes it's all normal," she assured him. She took about the cd case full of DVDs. "So what do you wanna watch? I know we didn't bring a lot with-"

"Fifth Element. Fun for the whole family." Xander chose.

"'Kay." She agreed putting in the DVD-ROM drive and joining Xander on the couch. "Lights on or off. " She asked as she got comfortable under the blanket next to him.

"Off." He said the candles obeyed him. The only glow was from the computer screen and the faint light from the skylights. Just as the movie began to start up there was a knock on the door. Willow and Xander reluctantly got up to answer it.

They were not prepared for the majority of the staff lined up outside their door. "We'll aren't you going to invite us in?" Ask Hooch, the leader of the gang.

"Um."

"Didn't anyone tell you that new professors always host the start of year Staff Party?" She asked almost mockingly, "Oh well we brought all the refreshments." She showed them the crates the Flitwick was levitating. "You're just the host room." She smiled pushing her way inside, followed by the rest of the staff. "We didn't wake you, did we?"

Willow and Xander backed up warily as the staff filed in. Only a few were missing, among them professor Snape. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall were there. Willow quickly put her computer away and throw the blankets into her bedroom.

"Sorry we forgot to warn you." Dumbledore told Xander, cheerfully.

"It's okay." Xander said as Willow returned.

"Some of the staff traditions die hard." McGonagall smiled from next to Dumbledore. "I'm afraid that Albus and I will only be here for one drink."

"We are not as young as we used to be." Dumbledore added.

Willow and Xander stood around uncomfortable as their living room was taken over. Someone turned on music and the bottles of alcohol were opened and passed out. Mike made sure that the only two wearing their pajamas got their drinks first, they were also handed a little vial from Madam Pomfrey. She said it was some kind of Anti-Hangover potion, everyone was drinking them.

"Toast!" Shouted someone into the room. Everybody clapped and Madam Hooch stood up on one of the desks, her glass held high.

"This, our last night before the students arrive, as we party as the Hogwarts stuff have done for generations before us. May our students be well behaved, may the house teams be victorious, may we not breakdown from the pressures of our time and may the Boy who Lived not get into to much trouble." There was a pause and everyone reacted differently but she continued, "However tonight we dedicated this celebration especially to our new Professors Rosenberg and Harris, may the curse of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor not apply to you." There were laughs and cheers.

Xander and Willow passed each other sideways glances. "Cursed?" The asked loudly then took gulped down their drinks. It was gonna be a long night.

---

"Willow do I actually have to wear this?" Xander said walking to her closed door. "I don't get this robe thing. Can I just wear a suit, I'll feel more comfortable."

"No," Willow said from behind her closed door. "Just get used to it." She ordered then opened her door, she came out dressed in her nicer blue robes, the ones with the embroider flower print around the edges. "You look fine." She told him.

"So do you." He smiled.

"I can't believe the students are arriving so soon."

"Yeah." He was a lot less excited. "Maybe if this teaching thing sucks I can find a spell that turns back time."

"It's not gonna suck." She said looking around for something. "I've taught before, it's fun. Besides remember you're just the eye candy all the girls get crushes on."

"Right." He smiled, and looked over at the clock. "The train just arrived."

"We better get down there." She said pulling out a pointed hat and putting it on top of her head.

"No." Xander said when he saw it.

"What, I'm not making you wear one." She fixed it in the mirror.

"Please just don't. It's just too weird." Xander reasoned.

"Just this once just for you." She took it off. "Why don't you feel into all of this? We're living in a castle, we have wands, we do magic. And the eye."

"Cause, I don't know." Xander took out his wand and looked at it. "It's just not me yet. I'm a wizard. That just sounds so not me. I just got used to the fact I'm gonna be a teacher."

"Awe, Xander has to come down his horse from being the normal one and go one like the rest of us freaks." She smiled and took his arm. "You'll get over it. Let's go." She dropped her hat on the couch.

They walked out together and met with the rest of the staff. Now that the students were here, the real adventure would began.
---

End Chapter 6.

Yay, chapter seven the students arrive, finally. I'm so happy, see if all of you could read my mind i would have been here long ago. Well expect... hmm. You'll have to wait and see.