And We're Off (8/?)
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: First off everybody thank Heiress for betaing! Thanks! Also this chapter was split in two but this seemed like a good breaking point. And anyone that is wondering Mike is a just a OC, he's not anyone I know or a mary sue, he's just a character I put in that Xander could be friends with. Well thats about it. Than ks everyone that reviewed. Due to resent travel I dedicate this chapter to anyone whos airport delay was longer than their flight. Hope you all enjoy.
Again no reason for the title just picked a quote from 'Earshot'.
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Chapter 8: Students. If we could just get rid of all the students
Dear Willow and Xander,
Hey, guys! How are things going over there? How are your classes? I finally
got the package the two of you sent me. CB must being getting really tired
flying our letters back and forth. Giles is actually thinking of getting
one for us so we don't have to wait for CB or pay for it at the Wizarding
post office in Cleveland. I think it will be cool. Anyway, I loved the
picture you sent. Giles put it up on the mantle so we can see you waving
to us when we go in the living room. Faith thinks it's creepy. Oh, Xander,
the new eye looks great! I've added all the clippings to my book. I'm
gonna have the most awesome Watcher's Diary ever! The Demon book was great
too, but Giles borrowed it for research and I haven't seen it since. I'll
have to sneak into his office and take it back.
Everything else here is pretty good. School started, it's pretty lame
but isn't it always? Thanks to Robin I got credit for all of my classes
last year I never finished. Yay! I'm a Junior!
Buffy left last week for her vacation, it's being disguised as the 'Great
Slayer Hunt'. I don't miss her yet but I will soon. The other Slayers
and I have issues. They keep acting like I'm a nark 'cause I'm watcher
Jr. Liked I'd tell Giles anything! They're just being jerks. They say
hi, by the way.
Anyway, I better end this letter soon; Giles is letting me go on patrol
tonight. Only if I finish my homework. Hope school is going well, tell
me about all the students, I can't wait to get another letter. I miss
you guys so much. Will I be able to visit during winter break? Giles has
been telling me all about the Wizarding World and Hogwarts. It sounds
so cool. He wouldn't say anything about Snape though, the minute I asked
he cleaned his glasses and changed the subject. I'll write again really
soon,
Love,
Dawn
P.S. It turns out that "USA Today" has a Wizarding section. Giles got a subscription for us. Check out the clipping I sent you, there is a surprise. It's from a couple of weeks ago.
Xander reread the letter they received last night. The headline had read: "Slayer and her Watcher Speak Out!". The article is about how Buffy and Giles made an appeal to the American Ministry supporting keeping the Hellmouth in its jurisdiction. That the Slayers and Watchers couldn't keep the world safe on their own and need a nation to back them up. It was really rather moving. Though Xander assumed the stirring speech Buffy gave was written out by Giles and Robin.
Reading the letter made him even more homesick. Not for the home itself but the family he left there. He missed Dawnie a whole lot and couldn't wait until she came to visit. Willow had already written a response but he would write his own later today. Now it was just about time to be meeting Draco to go running. He started his way down to the first floor.
His detention idea had worked out to be more difficult than he had planned. He had hoped to at least be able to talk to the boy but he was very difficult to engage in conversation. It had been a week and there was almost no progress. The only time Draco ever seemed receptive was when Xander told him that he didn't have detention on the weekend. It wasn't even Xander being his nice self; he was just so worn out from teaching. Draco wasn't bad to go running with, it was more fun than trying to wake up Willow to go with him.
Xander saw him waiting for him by the door, starting his stretches. He must really want out of his detention Xander thought. This was the first time he was on time and ready to go. The first day he arrived almost a half hour late and hadn't taken Xander's advice and wore his school clothes and almost threw a fit when he got all sweaty. "Well do you need more time to stretch or are you ready to go?"
"I'm ready." Draco answered.
"Then let's go." Xander started out at his usual slow place as they ran outside and headed off in the path around the castle. After a few minutes of silence Xander spoke again, "You know this whole thing will go a lot quicker if we talk."
"Fine." He conceded.
"How are your classes going?"
"Fine."
"Have any questions about stuff you learned in class?"
"No."
"You really know how to make conversation." Xander waited a few minutes before saying anything else. "Do you know if anyone from your family, say about hundred and twenty years ago got turned into a vampire?"
"No I don't." He continued jogging. "Why?"
"Oh there is just this vampire I know, used to know that reminds me of you. His name was Spike or William the Bloody, maybe you've heard of him?" Xander spent the rest of they're time talking about vampires. He could only hope that Draco was listening. That what he and Willow hoped he did during class. He never spoke, never seemed interested in anything they were teaching. The only time he even reacted to something was on his second day of class and he and Willow demonstrated advanced wandless magic to the class. Draco couldn't even help but be impressed. Maybe he could get him to open up if he brought up another cool topic. Damn, Harris he thought to himself, when did you start thinking like a teacher?
---
Classes were going really well. Xander really liked working with the younger students. Willow thought he did much better relating to them than she did. It was probably because he was still a big kid himself. The students liked him too; they even went to him for help. This is when he realized that he had studied for this job, he remembered a surprising amount about the demons he spent hours researching in high school.
He was even getting used to being on duty all the time. It really was nothing. Living all that time at 'Camp Summers' was good practice. Hell, this place was much easier, it wasn't forty girls sharing one bathroom all under the fear they could be slaughtered at any minute. Willow was having a great time. She was settled in and loved lecturing to the class. She of course was much better with the older kids. She explained things with her own sense of humor or with interjections from Xander. Except when she was with Tara, he had never seen Willow so happy all the time. She wasn't worried about her magic troubles either.
Xander could now look out at not a sea of unknown teenagers but his students. However, there were several students he kept an eye on more then others. There was Draco of course. That kid was gonna do something more then just mouth off to teachers one of these days, that is, unless someone kept him on the right path. The other was Neville. He was so self conscious during class, scared to answer any questions. Willow had suggested that maybe they should meet him and talk it over.
"Don't they have a school consular for that?" Xander said hesitantly.
"We're in Britain not the US; they're not as big the talking-touchy-feely as we are. I'll send a note for him to meet him in our office."
"No," Xander said surprising her, "that will just make him more nervous, getting sent to the teacher's office. The whole time he's waiting it will just make things worse."
"You're right, maybe we should just spontaneously-"
"Just me." Willow looked at him worried. "Trust me I've been where he's been. You can be kind of a scary teacher and one on one is a lot more of a level playing field. And you know, I'm big funny Xander. Not as threatening as Willow the Wicked."
"Wow, you've thought this through."
"Yeah, you know me, I'm Mr. Teacher now."
"Willow the Wicked?" She raised an eyebrow.
"It sounded better in my head."
Xander spotted Neville sitting alone on the lawn doing homework. Xander started walking over but tripped on his own robes. He hated them so much; they were heavy and, in his mind pointless. He assumed since he wasn't teaching it was acceptable to just walk around in his jeans and button down shirt. He draped the robe over his arm and continued over to Neville.
"What you working on?" Xander asked as he got close.
Neville nervously looked up from his book and flinch when he realized a teacher was looming over him. "P-potions, sir." He stuttered.
Xander sat down next to him. "Favorite subject?"
Neville hesitated before he answered. "N-no, sir."
"Yeah, me neither." He sighed looking off into the distance. "Especially being taught by Snape. That wasn't any fun."
"You where taught by Snape? But" He stopped, remembering he was taking to a teacher.
"Because I'm an American and he couldn't have been my teacher? Well, I have a confession to make. I didn't start studying magic until about a month and half ago." The boy's jaw dropped. "I didn't even know until I was asked to come and teach. Willow was always the magical one. She started teaching me some stuff before we got here and then Dumbledore asked some of the teachers to help out. Snape and I didn't work out well. He's was always staring down my neck."
"He does that to me too. I'm always messing up."
"Me too. Luckily for me I had Will. She's been helping me since we were in Kindergarten."
"Hermione usually helps me."
"Always good to have a super-smart friend."
"You've, really, only been practicing magic since July?" A little dumbfounded.
"Well, I've done some before. A few years ago I set a book on fire by accident. And this combined essence thing. There was some other small stuff that I really don't want to get into right now." Xander waited a moment before changing the subject; the silence was a little nerve-racking. "So as long as I'm here has anything we've been teaching that's given you any trouble?"
"No, sometimes it takes me a little longer to do the spells but I get them." He looked like he was considering saying something more but didn't.
Xander picked up on it and inquired. "Something else?"
"Well it's just the psychical fitness section is coming up so soon and I'm not in the best of shape"
"Well I'll tell you what," he didn't need to wait for him to finish explaining, "I go running every weekday morning at six. Feel free to join me any time. Just beware I'm also using it as Draco's detention. But if you want a head start come on and join us. You don't even need to stay the whole time."
"Alright."
Xander looked around; he had done what he planned to do so now it was time to go. "Well remember if you have any trouble with anything feel free to talk to Professor Rosenberg or myself. She's just like me; if you have any questions we're not gonna bite your head off." Xander smiled, got up, and headed back to the castle.
---
"Hey, Will, ready to head down to dinner?" Xander peaked into their shared office.
"Just a second." She said going over papers. "I just want to finish this last one." Only a few weeks in and they had already given out a paper to the first and second years. It was simple compared to the ones the fifth and sixth years would turn in the next week. They had divided up the grading but Xander was already done with his. He was what he liked to be called an easy grader. Willow liked to double check everything. She put down her quill. "Alright, done for now." She got up and met him at the door."
"Let's get something to eat."
Dinner was always the same at the teachers table. Hooch would be spreading the resent rumors, Dumbledore would make sure to ask every teacher at least one question and Xander and Willow would sit together mumbling comments to each other. They both thought it was weird; all this concentrated time together led them to regress to they'll former friendship, the goofy, mocking, playful times before they had gotten in so deep with all the big bads. It was both reassuring and creepy.
Xander did his usual scan of the students. He'd have a select few he looked out for. So far he knew very little of the 'Boy Who Lived'. He was quiet in class but he would just think of how Buffy used to act to explain it. He had a destiny and that doesn't always include school. He was very good learning his spells however. Next was Neville. He wondered if he's see the boy show up to go running tomorrow morning. The next place to turn to was Draco. Xander was surprised that today he was not sandwiched between Crabbe and Goyle but talking to another girl in his house. It wouldn't have normally caught his attention but he could not remember the student's name or which class she was in. He seemed very drawn into the conversation.
Xander nudge Willow's arm, taking her out of her conversation with McGonagall. "What?"
"What's the name of the girl talking to Malfoy?"
"Uh, um, that's" looking over at the Slytherin table. She seemed disappointed. "Oh I can't remember." She turned back to McGonagall and asked her the same question. Minerva seemed upset when she didn't recognize the student. She asked Snape who didn't know either. He should have, she was in his house, and she was wearing Slytherin robes. Snape stood up to get a better look and think of an action. Xander was much quicker he now remembered why she was familiar.
"She was at the wedding." Said Xander to Willow, fearfully. He quickly got up and rushed to the situation.
Willow's thoughts only took seconds. Wedding. Anya. His family. Her family Vengeance Demon! Willow shot up and saw the green amulet around the girls neck. She quickly asked Dumbledore a question before catching up with Xander. Snape followed right behind her.
Xander felt the red hot rage run through him as he approached the table. By now the commotion at the staff table had started to attract student attention. "Don't say anything to her, Malfoy!" Called Willow.
Draco and everyone sitting jumped back as Xander grabbed the girls shoulder and pulled her off the bench. "What do you think your doing?" Xander yelled at the girl, her falling to the floor. Her hair flung over her face blocking it from view.
"What are you doing to her?" asked Draco completely dumb founded that his teacher would attack a student. There were other gasps and surprised noises from the other students.
Xander ignored them, keeping all his attention on the girl pulling herself off the floor. He reached forward with his hand and pulled the necklace from around her neck until it snapped and flew into his hand.
"Hey!" said the girl now standing up, hair still covering her face. As she stood it was clear she was taller than when she was when sitting next to Draco, she changed. "You insolent man! Give that back!" She shook her head so her hair no longer covered her face.
The students screamed and backed away, everyone except Draco who was frozen in his seat. The pretty Slytherin girl he was talking to face was scarred and veiny. "Val?" he said weakly.
Draco's whisper help Xander remember her name. "Like ordering me is gonna give you it back, Valkyrie." Xander stood strong. When Valkyrie lounged for him, he tossed the necklace to Willow, whom he could see coming up behind him. Xander was ready for Val's attack and caught her by the throat backing her into the wall, trapping her there. Willow narrowed in continuing to back him up. "What are you doing here?" Xander demanded.
"Punishing you." She hissed.
"Why?"
"Because you killed them."
Xander flinched. "Who?"
"Anyanka and Halfrek."
"I didn't kill them." Xander let go, he knew he had Willow support if he needed it.
"You are the cause of their deaths!" She spit. "You where the man to be scorned with the Wish. You are the reason Anyanka became weak and human! Then you scorned her, sending her back the vengeance world broken! That's why she gave it up and why Halfrek had to die for it."
"D'Hoffryn did all that." Willow said darkly. "You shouldn't have come here. You couldn't have had permission. This place, these students are off limits."
Xander was looking into Valkyrie's eyes, she looked frightened. He used his eye to look back at Willow, her eyes were black. Xander let go and Willow moved to his side. Without her amulet she wasn't going anywhere. "This was the only place I could go. These where the only ones that would ever wish to harm you!" she turned to Willow. "You should understand!" She pleaded no doubt to get her necklace back. "It was worth the chance to make him pay!"
"Tell D'Hoffryn that." Willow scolded talking Xander's hand. He was almost frozen where he was standing; she went into his mind and quickly calmed him, giving him the words to the enchantment. "Recursus Arashmaharr." They called in unison using both of their magic's, a green light emulated and enveloped Valkyrie and then she faded from where she stood.
There was a moment the Great Hall remained still. The students back at the far side of the room. The Professors stopped calming the students. The stillness was only broken when Xander let go of Willow's hand and turned around to look at everyone around the room, then briskly walked out of the Hall. Talk and movement began again. Dumbledore tried to calm the fearful students. Draco, who had not moved from his seat at the Slytherin table, did not hear the words of Snape, who was trying to talk to him. Willow closed her eyes, calming her dark magic's.
Willow looked towards the doors then down at the necklace in her hand. "Give this to Dumbledore." She said to Snape, barely looking at his face, she had much deeper concerns. Once it was securely in his hand she was already on her way to the door.
---
Willow found Xander in an alcove not far from the Great Hall. He was slumped against the wall. "Xander!" She called distressed running to him. "You okay?"
"I can't tell." He said as he massaged his temples. He started to pace back and forth in the alcove. Willow tried to stop him but he pushed her off. "She was right, it is my fault." He yelled in a low voice. "It's my fault" he kept repeating. As his voice dwindled he began to slide down the wall until he was crouching near the floor.
"It's not." She said firmly, kneeling down beside him. "They made their own choices. They didn't die because of you."
"I scorned Cordelia."
"'We' scorned Cordelia." She gave him her best resolved face. "She was just looking for someone to blame. That has nothing to do with us."
Xander got up and left the alcove. Willow had to run to keep up with him, as he made his way down the hall. "I need to get out of here."
"Wanna go for a walk around the grounds?"
"I just feel so trapped. Like the walls are closing in." He stopped.
"Go. Take tomorrow off. Take a long weekend. Relax a little. Go back to Diagon Alley, you liked it there." She said trying to give him a quick solution.
"It won't change that it's my fault."
"Will you stop saying that?! If we are going to blame ourselves going all the way back to scorning Cordy, then blame me for not getting up the guts to kiss you sooner. We can play the blame game all the way back to Hitler, who caused my grandfather to leave Germany. Or your grandparents for getting divorced and your grandfather and your mother moving to Sunnydale.
"I guess," he said just internally blaming himself. Willow knew it, she held onto his hand. They stood in the hall like that for a few minutes. "You'd be okay if I go away for a while?"
"Yeah, I'll be just fine."
"Dumbledore-"
"He'll understand."
"Okay." He looked up at one of the big windows. "I'll go back a bag." He said distantly before walking off.
Willow waited and watched him walk up the stairs. She was only motivated to move when she heard her name being called. She turned and saw Draco walking towards her. "Yes?" She tried to mask her concern with a smile.
"Professor McGonagall said I should talk to you about what happened. Did I-"
"You didn't do anything wrong." She assured him. "She
was a vengeance demon. She blames him for the deaths of two fellow demons."
She paused a moment to think. "Did Dumbledore go to his office?"
"I don't know, but he left the Great Hall after Professor Snape gave
him the necklace.
"His office then." She looked around the hall. "I'm still
not good with this place, can you take me there?"
Draco nodded lead her. "Why me?" he asked while they were climbing
the stairs.
"Vengeance Demons harness the power of the wish; you were the most likely target to wish something against him. She probably started talking about how unfair he was, and what you'd 'wish' would happened to him. I'm giving you the digest version. I know I'll be explaining this in class tomorrow." When he didn't say anything Willow continued on. "Don't worry he won't hold it against you. Every few months I have the urge to wish something bad upon him."
"Really?"
"He may be my best friend but he can get on my nerves." She said trying to lighten the mood, Draco laughed. Before she knew it she was at the gargoyle. "Thank you for escorting me."
"You're welcome."
As he turned to go back Willow called out to him again. "You're detention tomorrow morning has been canceled. After class tomorrow, I wait and I tell you if it's gonna be made up or not."
---
"Did you speak to D'Hoffryn?" Willow asked as she walked in the door.
"You just missed him." Dumbledore answered, offering her a seat on the couch. Willow didn't take it.
"Was he angry?"
"Very. The deal about keeping his demons out of this school has been going on for generations. He was quite adamant that she would not go unpunished."
"How did she get pass the wards? This place is supposed to be protected."
"It is but the realm of Arashmaharr is outside of our wards, we have never been able to end intrusions by their residence. Luckily for us, D'Hoffryn can be reasoned with. He wanted me to say hello to you for him. He was surprised you left it to him to deal with her."
Willow's cheeks went red and a nervous smile crossed over her face. "I didn't want her to be stuck in the school."
"That would probably be best." He smiled, popping a lemon drop into his mouth and offered her one. She shook her head no. "Was there anything else?"
"Yes. Xander is going to leave tonight for a long weekend." Then added under her breath, "Hopefully just the weekend."
"That's perfectly understandable." He could see Willow was concerned. "He will be alright Ms. Rosenberg."
"I know, he got through the worst of losing Anya. He just needs to be alone for a little while. Hard to get past something while being on duty 24/7."
"Well I will make sure all his duties get covered. Have a good night."
"You too. Goodnight."
---
The next morning, Willow woke up in Xander's bed. He left around eight the night before and 'floo'ed to the Leaky Caldron. Willow was doing fine, taking over his grading but she found it hard to be without him after they being inseparable since July. This was good for them but last night Willow ended up sleeping in his bed just out of habit. Her first day teaching without Xander. Willow turned over in the bed and considered not getting up. She heard her alarm bells ring again and opened her eyes. It was going to be a long day.
End Chapter 8.
Next time: Willow teaches her first class without Xander.