Wizard is Oz

"A proper costume, mind you, so at least you won't look like a scruffy hoodlum for one night this year," Snyder said with a sneer, before marching off with his clipboard.

The three Scoobs just watched Snyder depart, once more wondering how he managed to get a job working with kids.

"You!" Xander said, suddenly grabbing a short guy with green hair. "You are a scruffy hoodlum!"

"I am?" Oz questioned.

"You are," Xander assured him. "And Snyder has ordered me to dress in a costume, so I'm not myself, someone he described as a scruffy hoodlum, for one night. You, my friend, are going to be my costume!"

"Silence of the Lambs?" Oz asked.

"Not enough time to fatten you up," Xander lamented. "I'm afraid we'll just have to settle for using clothes and makeup."

"We'll need to lighten your hair so the green dye shows," Oz told him as the pair walked off.

"Xander's mind is a scary place," Buffy said as they watched them leave.

"Occasionally," Willow admitted.

* *Hallowe'en Night!* *

Xander and Oz became one person in two bodies for a brief moment and neither pulled away unchanged.

Oz's admiration and attraction to Willow met Xander's love for the shy redhead and he had to metaphorically gnaw his arm off at the shoulder so he could escape before it consumed him.

Xander was stunned, as he'd never realized the depths of his feeling for her, and being flooded by Oz's third party view of her just made it even harder to deny.

The hyena remnants, suppressed and chained down by Xander's will, snapped into place as they found a soul who, in another timeline, would have welcomed and tamed the wyld in his own soul to control his lycanthropy.

Both souls left greater, more whole, then they had started.

Oz and Xander smirked at one another at the 'cheat' they'd both snuck into their costume and somewhere close by a Roman god laughed and applauded.

*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*

"Did anyone note any changes from last night?" Giles asked.

"I aced my French final," Buffy offered, "and I've gained an appreciation for indoor plumbing like you wouldn't believe."

"But no negative effects?" Giles continued hopefully.

"Not a one," Buffy assured him.

"Excellent. Willow?"

"Couple of bruises from walking into things and a slight sheet phobia, that will hopefully fade in a week or so," Willow replied. "But since I'm alive and well, I'm happy! If using a sleeping bag for the next week."

"Good. If the phobia persists beyond November, let me know. I know some things that should help."

"Thanks, Giles."

"Xander?" Giles asked.

"I dressed as a student, Daniel Osborn, and he dressed as me, so we kinda exchanged brains. He knows everything I know, and vice versa."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Giles asked, concerned.

"No, the opposite," Xander replied calmly. "In addition, I had one little 'cheat' on my outfit last night. Under my Oz name tag, something Oz thought would be funny, I wrote 'Plays guitar like Jimmy Hendrix'."

Giles stared at him in shock.

"It's gone now," Xander said, pain in his voice.

Giles had tears in his eyes as he placed a comforting hand on Xander's shoulder.

"But the potential is still there," Xander assured him, eyes lighting up. "I have to train myself up from scratch, but I can do it!" Willow moved next to him, concerned.

Before anything more could be said, the library doors opened and Oz walked in. "Hey," he said companionably.

"Errr, hey?" Buffy offered.

"I woke up able to bend steel this morning, or at least rebar," he said bluntly. "I thought it'd fade away when the night ended, but apparently not. Thought you'd like a heads up."

"Did you write super strength on your name tag?" Giles asked, putting together what he knew.

"No, I wrote sings like an angel," Oz responded. "I think I caught this from Xander last night."

"Beats crabs," Xander offered and the two grinned.

"You don't feel like holding me down and having your way with me, do you?" Buffy demanded, recalling Xander's primal empowerment and getting ready for a fight.

Oz blinked. "That's way off in the future, like special anniversary sex games. The most you're getting out of me is dinner and a movie, for at least four dates."

"So, fifth?" Buffy asked, confused.

"Vanilla sex acts," Oz replied. "Kinky is at least four months away."

"Oh." Buffy blushed and relaxed.

"Band practice is after school," Oz told Xander. "You'll be starting on bass guitar while I take Devon's spot."

"You can still sing?" Xander asked.

"Not as I did," Oz admitted, "but way ahead of Devon."

"Cool, see you there," Xander said.

"I'll pick you up at seven," Oz told Buffy. "Dress casual."

After Oz left, Buffy turned to Xander. "What just happened?"

"You made a date with the new lead singer of Dingoes ate my Baby," Xander told her, amused.

"I'll need you to observe him and make sure he's not going to be a threat," Giles told her. "A date should allow you to assess him properly."

"I guess I'm going on a date tonight then," Buffy said with a shrug, not quite sure how she should feel about all of this."

"Well, if that is all?" Giles asked.

"Actually…there is one more thing," Xander said, turning to Willow and pulling her into a soul-searing kiss.

TN: Typing (and spare commas) by ElrodAlbino!

AN: Just an idle thought from my mind.