Ha! I got called evil today. I'm going to give you guys a heads up late next week I will probably be posting late or not at all.

I do not own Harry potter or Buffy the vampire slayer

Chapter 18

"Okay…okay," Xander took a breath to steady him, "um...exactly what did you do today?"

Harry felt himself pale even more at that question. He couldn't tell Xander what he had really done today. Well, not all of it anyways. Maybe he could tell him a heavily edited version.

"I left your house and came here. I explored a bit and then found the basement. I went out for an hour or so to see the power companies and make sure they keep the utilities on…and then I came back here."

"It seems like the only thing hellmouthy that could have happened to you today was centered around the basement. Sure, something could have happened to you before that but you said the first time you went down here you didn't know what runes were. So…something had to happen after that. Gah! I don't know" Xander groaned and put his hands on his head trying to think.

Despite the situation he was in Harry found himself smiling. Sometimes Xander was just so cute.

"I didn't and I still don't feel any different. Does that help any? Maybe it's something that can go undetected?"

Xander frowned and asked Harry cautiously, "were you taking out loud anytime today?"

"Perhaps…yes I did. Not long after I left the house, but nobody was around to hear me. Does it matter?" Harry looked at Xander curiously.

"What did you say? I need exact words."

Harry scrunched his face up and thought before brightening considerably. He snapped his fingers. "Oh! I remember know! I was thinking about the warding books here and how they could be very helpful. If I knew those I would be able to stop unwelcome people or creatures from entering your house."

Xander groaned and rubbed his temples. "Did you happen to say 'I wish' at anytime?"

Harry nodded and watched bemused as Xander through his hands up in exasperation. He glared at Harry and wagged his finger at him.

"Bad, bad Harry! You can't say those words on the hellmouth! Okay I'm sorry this is my fault, I should've told you but I didn't warn you. I think a vengeance demon had to be hanging around you or something and when you said those words it granted it. What I can't figure out is why they gave you knowledge about runes and not wards."

Harry paled even more at the thought of a vengeance demon and mentally swore that he would never say those words out loud again.

"They actually did give me knowledge of wards, you see, runes can create different types of wards. I hadn't had any previous knowledge about wards. So, I guess I didn't really make the right erm…um…use the right wording. Basically, instead of learning tons about wards I got the basic knowledge of runes and different types of warding magic." Xander listened to Harry's explanation attentively before nodding.

"Okay, so you got warding and rune magic knowledge. But, vengeance demons grant the wisher vengeance, so why did you get an instant magical download? How could that be used to get revenge on someone? Maybe if you used the wards against someone it would count. I'm not sure. Do you want to get revenge?" Xander looked at Harry questioningly. He didn't think Harry was the type of person that would want to get revenge on someone.

"No, I don't think so. The only wards that I really know of are…"Harry suddenly stopped and swayed dangerously. Xander leaped forward and grabbed the other boy before he fell.

"Harry? Harry ? Are you okay? What happened?" Xander pulled the ashen boy in his lap panicking.

"My…my relatives. I-they," Harry choked back a sob, he didn't like them in fact he down right hated them but he had never wanted them to die and if his hunch was correct they had died painfully, "we didn't get along…they they….had wards set up at the house to prevent certain people from finding them and I think that maybe the demon destroyed their wards and gave me this…this" Harry didn't know what to call it anymore. Was it a gift? A curse? His relatives probably thought so. He had now doubt that the death eaters had gotten to them before the Order of the Phoenix did. His aunt, uncle and cousin were dead. His only living blood relatives in this world were dead.

Xander held Harry to him and rubbed his back trying to sooth the grieving boy. He understood the basics of what happened. Just as he had suspected his Harry, sweet innocent Harry had been hurt far more by those relatives of his than he had said. To have a vengeance demon grant his wish, a vague wish that would usually be ignored for something better, Harry had to have been wronged horribly.

Usually a vengeance demon would wait for a wish specific enough to cause great pain to the offender, but they must have been incredibly desperate to grant this wish. Xander supposed that there was some time frame that the wish had to be granted in unlike any other wisher.

"Harry," Xander hated to ask him this but he had to know," how old are you?"

Harry sniffled and hiccupped the answer. "16, I turn 17 years old next month," he gave a bitter chuckle, "if my aunt had not have left me here I would have been free of them. Where I'm from would be considered an adult at 17."

Xander's jaw clenched. Halfrek, a vengeance demon for wronged children. His arms tightened around Harry and he slowly rocked the smaller boy gently.

"Don't worry Harry. It's going to be okay.

Harry POV

"They're dead and it's my fault." The guilt clawed at Harry, "I always kill those around me. I wont…I wont let Xander have that same fate."

Harry pulled away from Xander; he looked up at the other boy who was watching with sympathy. Could he give up Xander? No, he was far too selfish for that, but maybe he could convince Xander that it would be best for him to stay away.

Danger always followed Harry.

"Xander…I-I think you should go." Xander froze.

"What Harry? No, I'm not leaving you here. Not after that."

Harry shook his head and his eyes brimmed with tears. "Xander, you don't understand. Everyone I know that was close to me in some way has died. Cedric, Sirius, my parents, my relatives. It's too dangerous around me. I don't want you hurt. Killed" Harry tried to move out of the older boys lap, but Xander refused to let him go and pulled him closer.

"No Harry. Its dangerous living on the hellmouth, even more so since I learned about the things that go bump in the night three years ago. My life is filled with danger. Having you," Xander smiled brightly stunning Harry, "having you around me doesn't really add much more. I like having you here and despite the situation we met in…I have never been so damn happy in my life. You make me happy. So, I'm going to be selfish for once in my life. Harry, I am never letting you go. Ever. So, quit trying to make me not want you because I do. I really fucking do and no amount of danger will keep me from being with you."

Harry sat stunned in Xander's lap. If he had not been rejected an hour ago he would have kissed the man. He did the next best thing. He turned in Xander's lap and straddled him. He wrapped his arms around Xander's neck and hugged him, burying his head in the nape of his neck.

"Good. This is of the good." Xander hugged Harry back and smiled at his quiet giggle.

"Look at us, talking about our feelings again. I swear this is like the fifth time today." this time Xander let out a very manly giggle.

Harry POV

Harry walked through a graveyard feeling very foolish. Okay, so he knew there were vampires and stuff; he had learned that at Hogwarts, but he had never expected to actually hunt one. He had heard about their speed and strength from Xander and he was very nervous. Even more so because he did not have a wand anymore. Harry frowned as he felt that familiar ache. He knew he would always mourn the loss of his wand. Replacing it with another or a different medium would only lessen the ache, but never fully get rid of it. He shook himself out of his thoughts as Xander came to an abrupt halt. Harry tensed, simultaneously scanning the graveyard and keeping an eye on Xander.

It's not that he didn't think Xander could handle himself. It was the exact opposite actually. Xander had become confident and the hyena pushed to the forefront as they entered the graveyard. He was dangerous. A predator stalking an unsuspecting prey. Harry had never seen anything hotter.

Xander stopped in front of a grave and cocked his head to the side, listening. Harry found the simple motion cute. He motioned Harry over and Harry looked up startled before moving to stand besides Xander cautiously.

"I fledgling is about to rise. I can hear him clawing his way up." Harry heard nothing but decided to take Xander's word for it.

"I want you to watch this time. Stand back and out of the way. I don't want it coming after you." he nodded and stepped away wisely.

A few moments later a hand burst through the dirt making Harry jump. It clawed against the ground before grabbing a handful of dirt. It was a few more seconds before arms followed the hands and a body climbed out the grave. It looked like a salesman who was only covered in dirt. Not a blood sucking demon. Well that was before he snarled and his face shifted into a demonic form, ridges and bumps appearing over once human features. He lunged for Xander and Xander simply sidestepped him batting his arms away and plunged a stake into the vampire's heart.

Harry decided that it was odd to see anything disintegrate into a pile of dust. It was a lot cleaner than a regular body though, so he wasn't complaining.

Xander turned and smiled at him. "You just have to use their weaknesses against them and know your strengths. I've been tossed around enough to know what and what not to do. I've sort of gotten used to being the physically weaker opponent. You have got to realize that being weaker doesn't mean anything. Well, yeah sure they can toss you into walls and stuff but you can't let that sort of thing discourage you. You need to adapt to the situation because here in Sunnydale the only thing you can do is to adapt and survive."

It was Harry's turn next and he thought he handled it rather well. The vampire speed had surprised him at first, but soon enough Harry was able to catch it off guard and stake it. It was a rather odd to feel flesh parting as Harry dug his stake into its heart. He didn't pull his stake back fast enough though and it disintegrated with the vampire's body. He turned and smiled a Xander who returned it with a proud grin.

"Well, it seems like our mystery guest is feeling better."

I'm leaving it here peoples. See ya tomorrow. Wish me luck on my biology and chemistry final.