Title: Potential
Author: Shannon
Email: angels_soul_1@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Willow/Remus Lupin
Disclaimer: BtVS and A: tS belong to FOX, UPN, WB, And ME. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling
Distribution: My Site: Shades of Grey (http://www.shadesofgrey.us/) NHA, WLS, FF.Net and Twisting the Hellmouth. Anyone else that has my permission for other fics feel free, anyone else wants it just let me know where it’s going.
Spoilers: Anything through Season 7 of BtVS, Season 4 of A: tS, and Order of the Phoenix for Harry Potter.
Summary: What if Willow’s spell in ‘Chosen’ activated a Slayer at Hogwarts.
Author’s Notes: I want to thank everyone who sent such wonderful feedback and encouragement for ‘The Missing Headmaster’. Made it much easier to ignore the idiot flaming me and to decide to continue in a new fandom for me.
Part 10
Xander was pacing floor of his bedroom. They had been back from Diagon Alley for a few hours. He enjoyed spending time with the twins, their joke shop was sure to be a success. Hermione had taken him to a candy shop filled with sweets he had never seen before and he had purchased in large quantities. He borrowed Harry’s owl when they returned and sent some of his purchases to Buffy.
“How long are you going to pace boy?” Xander jumped at the sound of the voice. Turning slowly in a circle to locate the source he finally stopped at the large portrait on the far wall that had been empty up until a few minutes ago.
“Excuse me?”
“You’ve been pacing and scowling for at least ten minutes,” The man in the portrait said.
“Who are you?”
“Are all young people so rude? I thought it was bad in the room with Potter and Ronald Weasley. I’m Phineas Nigelus, former Headmaster of Hogwarts.”
“Great,” Xander scowled, “Now my manners are going to be criticize by a painting.”
“You’re the muggle correct?”
“Yes, I’m the one with no powers,” Xander said flopping back on his bed, “I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“I understood that you were here to train the newest slayer. Was I misinformed?”
“No, I’m training Hermione.”
“Then you must have some sort of—talent—in my day you didn’t become a watcher without some skills.”
“The Watcher’s Council is gone, it blew up,” Xander sighed trying not to give too much thought to the fact that he was talking to a painting. “I’m here because I could be spared.”
“So you plan on hiding in here pitying yourself then?”
“What’s the point, Willow belongs here, Dawn loves having friends her age that she doesn’t have to hide parts of her life from, and I’m just--,”
“Feeling sorry for yourself?” Phineas suggested, “I’ve heard stories about your slayers and Miss Rosenberg. If you didn’t offer anything you wouldn’t be here now.”
“No, I’m just the get snacks guy, Buffy and Faith do the fighting, Will kicks some serious ass with the magic and I--.”
“Stopped a seriously pissed of witch from ending the world?” Willow said quietly from doorway. She had been standing there long enough to hear a good part of the conversation.
“I’ll let you deal with the sniveling boy then,” Phineas said before disappearing from the portrait.
“Willow,” Xander scooted over as Willow pushed his feet aside so she could sit down.
“Xander you are not useless, you don’t need to be a slayer or a witch to contribute, you know that.”
“I know, Will I don’t belong here,” Xander sighed wrapping an arm around Willow as she lay down next to him.
“Why not?”
“Everything here is about magic Will,” Xander said quietly, “They cook with magic. They do everything with it. I’m not a wizard or a witch or even mystical energy like Dawn. Everything here is just wrong.”
“Not wrong,” Willow rolled to her side and propped up her head on her hand to look at him, “Just different. Most things are already bewitched it’s not like you can’t use them or need someone to do it for you. It’s kind of neat when you think about Xan; you were just having a conversation with a man who’s been dead for years.”
“Yeah that’s another thing, I can’t really get used to paintings watching everything I do. Oh and what’s with that elf that mumbles insults every time he sees me?”
“Kreacher?” Willow laughed, “He’s apparently quite crazy from living here alone for years. He still thinks he’s working for the woman in the portrait in the front hall. Ignore him, but be nice to him or Hermione will get cranky and you probably don’t want that until she learns to control her strength.”
“Got it be nice to nasty little elf,” Xander smiled, “I still feel like I don’t belong here though.”
“Maybe you can go home for a visit, or maybe Buffy or Faith could come here, I would say Andrew but…”
“I can’t fly back and forth just because I’m homesick Will,” Xander sighed, “We can’t afford that.”
“I know you don’t like the whole magic thing Xander, but…”
“Can they apparate that far? Hell, I’d even do that floo thing again.”
“I’ll find out,” Willow told him then they discussed Hermione’s training plans for the next day. Xander agreed to let her work with Hermione in the morning and he would work with her on weapons in the afternoon.
“Apparating would be difficult,” Remus said to Willow, “It’s not that it can’t be done, but Xander can’t do it himself, either can you which means one of us would have to take you.”
“What about the Floo thingy?”
“Do your friends have a fire place?” Remus asked raising an eyebrow at her phrasing.
“Yeah,” Willow smiled, “Several in the hotel in fact.”
“Then I don’t see why not,” Remus smiled, “I’ll talk to Dumbledore about getting them added to the network. Which reminds me; I received an owl from him today.”
Willow turned adjusting her body so she facing him; they were sitting on the floor in front of the fire in the library, mostly hiding from all the noise in the house. Mrs. Weasley was alternating yelling at the twins and Mundungus, for various things they had done today. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry were busy getting ready to return to school, which was causing a great deal of commotion.
“He sees no problem with you attending some of the classes. He and Minerva will be coming to see you next week they want to give you some tests to see what level classes would be best for you. They’re also working on a plan for you not using a wand.”
“Cool, real magic training,” Willow grinned, “That Defense Against the Dark Arts class, that Harry and Ron keep telling me about sounds interesting.”
Remus had been lying on the floor next to Willow rolled to his side to look at her. The girl had been a part of stopping at least six different apocalypses since she was fifteen and she wanted to take Defense Against the Dark Arts. She should be teaching it not taking it.
“I think you can skip that one Willow,” he smiled.
“Okay, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was like Hermione,” Willow frowned, “If there’s a class on something I want to take it. You taught that class didn’t you?”
“A few years ago, why?”
“If you don’t think I need the actual class, how about private lessons?” Willow leaned closer to him and smiled, “Private lessons could be—interesting.”
“In Dark Arts?” He asked quietly.
“Among other things,” she leaned closer and kissed him softly.
Remus leaned in to deepen the kiss, his free arm wrapping around her waist pulling her closer to him.
“Oh, I’m—I’ll just—Willow?” Xander voice came from the doorway.
Remus groaned as Willow pulled away from him and sat up. There were really too many people in this house.
“Hi Xander,” Willow said smoothing her hair down.
“Yeah, Will I just wanted to let you know—Willow he’s a man,” Xander said completely forgetting about why he had come looking for her.
“Um yeah I kinda noticed Xan.”
“I’ll just leave the two of you alone,” Remus said getting to his feet and walking past Xander to the door.
Willow waved her hand as the door closed and several candles around the room lit. She wasn’t sure if she was angry that Xander showed up or disappointed. Of course, now he was going to want an explanation for something that she wasn’t sure about herself. Xander walked the rest of the way in the room and sat on the couch behind Willow.
“Willow I’m sorry I--,” Xander began again.
“It’s okay Xander,” Willow sighed and turned so she was facing him.
“I know it’s none of my business but what happened to ‘gay now’,” Xander asked, “It’s kinda been like your slogan for a few years now.”
“I don’t know,” Willow frowned, “I—It’s not like I’ve never been attracted to men, I mean there was Oz and you and hell I even had a crush on Giles once, but then Tara and…”
“You had a crush on Giles?” Xander said wrinkling his nose.
“Like you never liked an older woman, remember Praying Mantis teacher,” Willow slapped his leg, “She not only was older than us, but evil.”
“Fine,” Xander frowned at the memory, “But Giles.”
“Get over it Xander,” she grinned, “Or else I get to go into my disgust over the Cordelia thing.”
“Sorry, well if you figure it out let me know ‘kay. You know I’m all for whatever makes you happy. So anyway Fred and George say they can apparate me home this weekend if I really want to go visit.”
“They don’t mind?” Willow said, “I mean they would have to stay until you’re ready to come back or at least go back for you.”
“They say they want to see America,” Xander assured her, “I think they just want to hide from their mother who is searching their room for extendable ears and other various items she doesn’t find very funny.”
“Is she going to find them?”
“Not unless she searches my room too.”
“You shouldn’t encourage them Xander,” Willow said half heartedly. She knew Xander wouldn’t encourage anything truly dangerous and helping the twins made him happy. “Remus is going to find out about adding the hotel to the Floo network, so you can go home whenever you want and they can visit easier.”
I’m sorry about the pity party thing earlier Will,” Xander slid off the couch to sit next to Willow.
“It’s okay Xander, I’m not sure it’s even about being here. It’s only been a couple months since Caleb and your eye and then Anya…,” Willow hesitated, Xander had not wanted to talk about any of it since they left Sunnydale. “Not being able to use magic is just an excuse for you to be…”
“An ass?” Xander suggested. He knew Willow was right; he hadn’t let him self mourn Anya or really learn to adjust to losing an eye.
“Not the word I was going to use but—you do realize we’ve walked into the middle of another war though right?”
“So I’ve heard,” Xander sighed, “Think we’ll ever have a peaceful life that doesn’t require fighting a big evil?”
“Wouldn’t know what to do if we did,” Willow grinned, “Though it’s not our fight this time, we could be gone before another battle.”
“’Cause we’re lucky that way.”
“Xander are you okay with being here, If you want to go home Dawn and I can probably,” Willow watched him closely. She wanted him to stay but she didn’t want him to be any more unhappy than he was before. If he didn’t like being in a magical world then he should go back to L.A.
“It’s not that I don’t like it Will, I just need to get used to it,” Xander assured her, “If I go home where will I get those jelly bean things, and chocolate frogs. Have you tried those?”
“The jelly beans yeah, not good by the way, first one I had was vomit flavored, and no way do I want to be anywhere near little jumping frogs, even if they are chocolate.”
“You do realize for a witch that almost destroyed the world, frog fear is kinda silly right?”
“And the thousand year old vengeance demon running scared of bunnies made complete sense.”
“Nothing about Anya made sense.”
“True,” Willow agreed. “I’m glad you’re gonna stay Xander, I need to have a friend here.”
“I’m glad I’m staying too,” Xander wrapped his arm around her pulling her to sit closer to him, “But you um, seem to be making new friends just fine. Think you’ve probably won Remus over.”
“You know what I mean,” Willow slapped his chest before leaning against him. “The dark magic in this house is a lot easier to deal with knowing you’re here.”
“Dark magic?”
Willow quickly explained what she had learned about the Black family and how she could feel the dark magic pulling at her, assuring him several times that she would be fine, the scary vein-y Willow was not coming back. They spent what was left of the evening talking about possible ideas for Hermione’s training, ways to contact Oz about the things he had learned could control his wolf, and Xander’s upcoming trip home.
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