Low and behold we have made it to chapter 9. I got a few good reviews.

I do not own harry potter or buffy the vampire slayer. Oh my god the dog wouldn't stop staring at me and when I looked back again he was gone. That was kind of creepy.

I'm sorry this chapter is a few hours late. I'm still in the wifi-free zone and I cant type with nosy bastards reading over my shoulder. The "Hush" episode will definitely be over by the end of the next chapter. It was going to be this one, but it took a lot out of me. This story is incredibly slow paced and I'm not sure if I should end it a few episodes in, do a huge time skip, or resign myself to writing a fanfiction of near epic length. There is still so much to do and I'm still stuck in the "hush" episode. Gah!

"talking"

"thinking"

"writing"

Chapter 9

When their impromptu lesson was over the group was dismissed. The blonde girl, Buffy, was put on patrol and the other were basically ordered to go home. Harry wondered why he wasn't interrogated at and thought that maybe the group trusted Xander a lot. Harry pushed the thought away. He was mad at Xander for using him. He had enough of being used by others for their own gain.

Harry stood up and left the room hurriedly and he heard the other boy quick steps as he tried to catch up with Harry. Not that it was hard Xander was taller and therefore had a longer stride.

"Wanker" Harry inwardly pouted.

Xander POV (last chapter to present)

Xander grunted as he ran into something, or rather somebody. He looked down face apologetic at the smaller boy on the ground in front of him. The boy was rather short with black shoulder length hair, he was skinny and surprisingly pale and if it was nighttime he would think that the boy could have been a vampire. He held out his hand to the boy and soon emerald green eyes focused on his brown and Xander gasped softly.

"Whoa. Pretty." Xander admired the androgynous boy in front of him, his features were clearly male but were effeminate, he had a cute soft pink mouth that was currently parted slightly and God, Xander wanted to taste them.

That thought brought Xander short and he stopped ogling the other boy. He had just gotten his heartbroken by Anya and he needed to deal with that, not question his sexuality. He just couldn't deal with this right now and so with an ease that could only come from years of experience of denial and sexual repression Xander firmly put those thoughts of the other boy into the little chained box in his head that looked suspiciously like the arts and crafts chest on Barney. It wasn't of course, because Xander would never admit to watching Barney. Nope, no big purple dinosaur for him.

The calluses on the green eyed boy's hands were surprising, but what was more surprising was the warmth that traveled up Xander's arms from their connecting hands. With a single touch Xander- hyena boy-Harris had claimed the unnamed boy as pack.

"Oh fuck."

After the boy's impromptu claiming Xander realized that he couldn't dawdle around and that the gang meeting was going to be soon. He tried to leave, but the green eyed boy, his new pack mate grabbed his arm.

It took another fifteen or twenty minutes or so for the both boys to communicate that they both knew something , more than an laryngitis epidemic was going on and that they needed to find the source and stop it.

Xander grinned inwardly, he was glad that the other boy was smart; he needed a smart pack mate after all. He hadn't had a pack in so long and by God he was happy that he had the other boy now. Not that the smaller boy knew that anyways, but Xander would tell him soon enough. Preferably when they killed this new baddie that had stolen everybody's voices. So, regardless of the fact that the gang would get incredibly pissy and all guilt-trippy, was that a word Xander wasn't sure, he wanted to bring the other boy into the fold.

"Besides," Xander thought happily, "it would be nice to have a break from all of the estrogen. I need another guy in the group. I need to talk about manly things after all, like carpentering and sports and…nongirly things." Okay now he was sure that nongirly wasn't a word, but whatever.

Meeting up with the Scooby Gang was interesting to say the least. What was even more interesting when his pack mate had glared at Giles to get the show on the road. Xander was impressed, he was sure that it would take more than that and some flailing from himself.

"Why her?"

Xander looked at the note blankly. He scribbled a brief explanation before he realized that Harry would also want an explanation as to why he had been included in this very private meeting. Shifting in his chair slightly Xander wrote back that Willow had brought Tara so he brought Harry. He might as well go with a partial truth. It was easier to say that Harry was basically his new friend than saying that Harry had been claimed as a new pack mate and Xander couldn't let him out of his sight so soon or he would turn into psycho-possessive-stalker-clingy-not so psycho alpha guy. Because really, he wouldn't be that psycho, only slightly creepy to normal people and Xander did not want to scare Harry away.

Unfortunately for Xander, Harry did not interpret his note that way. It's not his fault of course; Xander just had a special case of foot in mouth syndrome that unfortunately extended to written word as well. Poor Xander.

Harry POV (present)

Harry looked at the boy next to him out of the corner of his eye. Xander was walking next to him, seemingly following him. Why? Harry wasn't sure; he had no idea where he was going. He turned abruptly facing Xander and frowned crossing his arms. Xander stopped immediately ans pulled out a nifty little dry erase board that Willow had given to everybody. He scribbled something down quickly and showed Harry.

"Where do you stay? Do you need an escort back?" Harry blinked surprised and looked at the other boy questioningly. Harry had been sure that Xander wouldn't want anything to do with him after the meeting. Hadn't Harry served his purpose or did he want something else from him? Harry pulled out his own compact board and marker and wrote back.

"What do you want from me?" simple and straight to the point. Apparently Xander thought so as well because he got a startled deer caught in headlights look before he shifted guiltily. He met Harry's eyes opened his mouth and then closed it. This was definitely a conversation that needed talking, not writing, so harry would just have to hang on until then.

"I don't want anything for you," liar, "its just Sunnydale gets dangerous and you really shouldn't be alone."

Harry eyed Xander and was sure that the other boy was sincere about his statement before Harry decided to call him out on his earlier actions. If something happened he wanted to make sure his relationship with Xander was not damaged and that they could start off with a clean start after this mess.

With another glance at Xander, Harry wrote,

"You used me earlier to get back at your friend. You could have just left me on that street and I would have been fine." ah, and we have made it to the crux of the matter.

Xander gaped at the note before shaking his head furiously. He hastily scribbled his own note down before giving it to harry, he eyed him anxiously and apologetically.

"It wasn't like that. I brought you because if you had stayed out on the streets longer you could have gotten hurt. I brought you because you actually understood that something worse than laryngitis was happening. I brought you because no matter how short of a time I have known you, I like you and I just wanted to make sure you were safe. I want to be your friend Harry, not use you." Harry wondered how Xander managed to fit all of that on the small white board before looking at him.

Xander just looked so damn sincere and pitiful that Harry had to believe him. He smiled softly and nodded at the other boy and Xander beamed. Before Harry could move, Xander had him wrapped up in a tight hug. Harry blushed furiously. And shifted slightly, it's not that he wanted Xander to let him go, he just had not been in such close proximity to anyone, ever. Unfortunately, Xander took his moving around as a sign to let him go.

Xander grinned stupidly before rewriting another question.

"Do you need a place to stay?"

Harry wasn't sure how Xander managed to talk him into going home with him. One moment he was shaking his head in negative and when those huge teary puppy dog eyes and Harry kind of blanked out.

Okay, he was ashamed. He had given in so easily after all, but he swore then and there that he would build up some kind of resistance to those eyes. Or at least create a counter attack. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

Xander POV

Xander stiffened as they walked into the apartment and he smelled sex. He closed his eyes tightly and wondered how he had forgotten about Anya and Spike. Had he really been that distracted with the new big bad and Harry? He didn't think so.

His jaw tightened and he walked into the bedroom with a purposeful stride. He couldn't do this anymore, the doubt, the fear, and the orgasms. He couldn't hide from the truth anymore. He had to end this thing with Anya before their relationship became irreparable and they ended up hating each other. He loved Anya, god knows he did, but he knew, absolutely knew that they would not last. He was just sick and tired of being pushed aside by the gang, sick and tired of being lonely and when Anya showed up at his door demanding orgasms and a relationship he welcomed her with open arms. He didn't need Anya anymore and now that Anya was well established in her life as a human, she didn't need him. Their relationship allowed them to use each other, but this would go on no longer. (author note: go Xander!)

The bedroom seemed devoid of life until he saw a curled form under the covers that he knew was Anya. Taking a breath to steady him Xander sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers back.

Anya looked peaceful and absolutely ravaged. Her lips were kiss swollen and her hair mussed when he pulled back the blanket to her shoulder and saw bare skin he knew she was naked. He had expected it, but damn it still hurt. He gently shook her awake and her eyes fluttered and when they looked at Xander they opened wide.

Xander smiled gave her a soft yet painful smile and Anya closed her eyes in guilt. She sat up slowly, holding the covers to herself in a rare show of modesty. They stared at each other, neither knowing exactly what to do, how to end this, because Anya knew too. She knew that because of her choice that she had even considered sleeping with spike…this thing with Xander wasn't enough for her. For neither of them. She pulled Xander into a hug and he hugged her back.

They held each other for a few minutes until Xander drew himself away, slowly, reluctantly but with a sense of purpose. Anya gave Xander a kiss on the cheek and got out of the bed. She dressed, gathered her belongings and left.

Nothing needed to be said. They both understood that she wouldn't be back, that this was over.

After a few minutes Xander left the bedroom, he stumbled into the living room and sank down onto the couch. He held his head in his hands and breathed deeply trying not to cry.

Harry POV

"Where is he going?" Harry watched as Xander went into the bedroom. He looked determined and Harry could tell that he was not meant to follow. He stood around awkwardly before looking around the apartment. He smiled at the pictures he saw lining the walls, Buffy, Willow, Xander and Rupert were mostly portrayed with a few smatterings of teenagers that Harry didn't know. There was one boy that a younger Xander had his arm wrapped around and they smiled happily at the camera. Harry wondered who he was. After a few minutes had passed a woman came out of the room Xander had gone into. She carried a suitcase with her and before she left the room she turned and examined Harry. She nodded in approval before she left the apartment. Harry looked at the closed door confused before shrugging.

"Who the bloody hell was that? Maybe Xander has a roommate, but that doesn't make any sense. Why would she leave?" These thoughts went around in a loop in Harry's head until he saw Xander stumble into the living room and sit on the couch. Concerned harry went over to him, he touched the boy's shoulder and Xander stiffened. Xander's shoulders started shaking and it hit Harry like a bludger.

"That was his girlfriend! Bloody hell did I step into the middle of a break up?" Harry sat down and wrapped his arms around Xander hugging him, offering comfort. Xander leaned into Harry and cried.

Harry wasn't sure how long it took before Xander stopped shaking and crying. When Xander pulled away Harry stood up stroked Xander's shoulder before searching for the kitchen. He scanned the cabinets hopefully and felt that he had hit the jackpot when he spotted what he was looking for. A few moments later Harry entered the living room with a mug of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows. He approached Xander again and examined him carefully before nudging him until he accepted the drink.

Harry was satisfied when he saw Xander take a few sips. Sitting down beside the other boy again he wrapped his arm around his waist and watched him drink the chocolate. This wasn't about making Xander his boyfriend, this was about comforting a friend in need and Harry would never abandon his friend like he had been abandoned. He swore it and Harry never told lies.

"Don't worry Xander, I'll be here for as long as you need me."

End chapter 9. Sorry this is going up kind of late. I got over 1,000 hits on the last chapter. You have no idea how freaking happy I am. After I finished this story I will post on a different website.

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