Articulation 3/15
Jan. 11th, 2007 03:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
allyndraAnd the fun just keeps on rolling in as the night goes on.
Xander had always been the normal one. Sure, after growing up on the Hellmouth "normal" was a little subjective, but after the possessions, mer-steroids, spells, and demons, he was still pretty average. Being normal didn't mean being defenseless, though. His fighting style had developed from years of trial and error, and had cohered into something effective in both street fights and battles against the forces of darkness. His demon knowledge was the result of forced contact and lackadaisical research, but it provided many helpful tips in taking down the baddies.
Despite these defenses, Xander had very little in the way of magical protection. So, when Harry pointed a wand at his head and voiced a brief incantation, Xander closed his eyes and waited to see what the mojo did. He felt the bead that hung around his neck heat up, and he knew two things: one, he was protected from the spell, and two, he was pissed off.
The pendant was one of the first things Willow had created when she'd felt safe doing simple magics again. It was small and round, and looked like crystal until you saw the sprig of rosemary embedded in the center. She'd given him a nervous smile as she explained its function. "I want to promise I'll never slip again, that I'll stay in control. But, I can't say that. So...I want you to be my safety net. This," she held up the necklace, "will keep memory spells from affecting you. So if I start messing with people's minds again, you'll be there to stop me."
Xander had had to blink several times to clear his eyes. She was brilliant and strong and, okay, a little damaged, but she was his Willow-girl and she trusted him. He smiled and tried not to show how awed he was by that fact. "Hey, now I know how Luke Skywalker felt at the end of 'A New Hope,'" he quipped, bending his head so she could slip the leather thong over it. Her smile grew a tiny bit less nervous, and he felt triumphant. "I'd rather be Princess Leia than Darth Willow any day. Keep me on track, okay?" He'd worn the necklace ever since. It was a symbol of love and trust, and Xander had hoped he would never need it. Now, standing before Harry on a London street, Xander was grateful to Willow for the protection and furious at the man in front of him.
***
Harry lowered his wand and waited to see how badly Xander would be affected by the spell. He hadn't tried to obliviate much of the other man's memory, but different people reacted to the spell in different ways. He watched as the American began to open his eyes. Harry expected to see mild confusion; he feared to see mindless idiocy. He certainly wasn't expecting blind rage.
"You son of a bitch! What gives you the right to mess with my memory?!? What - you're all great and magical so you can erase the memory of any Joe Average you meet?" Xander was advancing angrily on Harry.
Harry tried to formulate a reply, but his mouth was apparently disconnected from his brain. 'How could this have happened?' Deep breath. He was the Boy Who Lived, he could handle this. He had raised his wand automatically in response to the implied threat in Xander's ranting. He carefully and visibly put it away now and held up a hand to silence the one-eyed man.
"Stop, stop. Listen, I am willing to apologize and explain, but," he looked around at a few pub patrons who had just emerged into the street, "could we do it somewhere else?"
Xander gave him a penetrating look. "Alright, but you try anymore mojo on me and I'll hit you so hard your teeth will take up residence in your stomach." He bent and grabbed the ankles of one of the Yorlin demons. "Help with the clean-up, and then we'll go to my apartment. Where you *will* explain." Harry looked around helplessly, then shrugged and bent to retrieve the other demon.
***
Xander stashed his demon down an alley and used his cell phone to check in with the Watcher who was on call tonight. Satisfied that the bodies would be taken care of, he led the way to his nearby apartment building. He tried some of the calming strategies that Tara had taught him to corral his anger. Jumping on Harry and punching him repeatedly would solve nothing. Even if it did sound like fun.
Finally they arrived. Xander stopped, unlocked the door, and turned to his guest. He didn't invite him inside, just held the door open for him. After a moment, Harry got the idea and stepped in, though he was eyeing Xander oddly. Xander entered after the younger man, and felt some of his tension melt away. Attached to the lintel above the door were four protective runes carved in different types of wood. Just passing under them made Xander feel safer.
Harry was still looking at him. "Who put up the wards?" he asked suspiciously.
"I did."
"I thought you said you were a muggle."
"I am. I'm a muggle who carves." When Harry opened his mouth to ask another question, Xander stopped him. "Listen, I was minding my own business, fighting demons, not bothering anyone. You attacked me. Sorry to be all 'bad cop' about it, but how 'bout you let me ask the questions?"
The reminder of his spell seemed to haul Harry up short. He closed his mouth with a click, then opened it to say, "Right. What are your questions?"
***
Harry was nervous. He was in a warded flat with a strange man who appeared to be impervious to his magic and who outmassed him by several kilos of solid muscle. He wiped sweating palms on the thighs of his trousers and waited to hear what Xander wanted to know.
"Why did you try to erase my memory?"
Though he was not averse to lying, Harry decided the best thing to do in this situation was tell the truth. All of the truth. So he asked, "Have you been in Britain long?"
"No, only a few weeks. Does it actually matter, or are you trying to distract me? 'Cause even I'm not *that* A.D.D."
"It actually does matter. It makes this rather a longer story. Could we sit down while I tell it?" Harry asked. Xander nodded and motioned Harry over to a sofa. "For the last several years, a man named Voldemort has been trying to take power over the wizarding world. Last spring it came to a head. His followers often found it amusing to kill and torture muggles." Harry had to stop for a moment as the memory of broken bodies crashed over him.
He picked up his narrative. "At first, none of the muggles realized what was going on. People have an amazing ability to rationalize what they don't understand." Xander's mouth quirked up as he nodded in agreement. "But after a particularly bad attack, some of the local muggles realized that it was not a normal crime. They claimed it had been committed by a Satanic cult and started tracking down anyone who seemed queer to them. Unfortunately, there were several wizards in the area helping to clear things up after the attacks. The muggles caught two of them off guard."
Harry swallowed, the image of Luna floating through his mind. Bruises had stood out starkly wherever flesh was visible, and her arm had been bent at an unnatural angle. "We weren't careful enough," he said angrily. "We knew that we were the good guys, so we assumed everyone else would know it, as well. One of my friends was hurt because muggles heard her mention magic. Since then, we've all been doubly careful. I will *not* allow a witch hunt to start just because I've been careless."
Harry raised his head defiantly and met Xander's brown gaze. It looked distinctly less antagonistic, and he began to feel hopeful. The American asked, "The fact that I had just taken out a couple demons didn't clue you in that I might know about magic?"
"Some demon hunters will hunt anything supernatural, even witches and wizards. I know I could have just asked, but the more we talked, the more I'd have had to obliviate...try to obliviate. Erasing memory can have an impact on brain function. I just wanted to render you harmless without hurting you too much." Harry willed the other man to understand.
***
Xander thought about what he'd just heard. Part of him wanted to dismiss it out of hand, but he was troubled by the niggling memory of Buffy, Willow, and Amy tied to stakes. People weren't always rational about the supernatural. And Xander was the last person who should be angry because the other man wanted to protect his friends. People who live in glass houses, and all that.
He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it over the band of his eye patch. "How about we start over." He held out his hand. "Hi, my name's Xander Harris, and I've been around magic and the supernatural for the last eight years."
"Harry Potter. I'm a wizard," Harry replied with a small grin. He reached out and shook Xander's hand, feeling calluses on the large palm.
Xander was caught unprepared for the yawn that threatened to split his face. He smiled ruefully. "How about this? You never want to see me again, that's okay. But if you want to talk more, could we postpone it till tomorrow? I am in desperate need of some sleep."
"You'd talk to me tomorrow? I've got loads of questions, but.." Harry was cut off by a yawn of his own. The things were contagious, "I could use some rest myself."
"Come over around six, and we can interrogate each other over dinner like civilized people." Harry nodded his agreement and turned to leave. Then he turned back to his host.
"It was nice to meet you, Xander." Then his face firmed with resolution. Making it clear what he was doing, he drew his wand. Xander was left alone as Harry disappeared with a crack.
Despite these defenses, Xander had very little in the way of magical protection. So, when Harry pointed a wand at his head and voiced a brief incantation, Xander closed his eyes and waited to see what the mojo did. He felt the bead that hung around his neck heat up, and he knew two things: one, he was protected from the spell, and two, he was pissed off.
The pendant was one of the first things Willow had created when she'd felt safe doing simple magics again. It was small and round, and looked like crystal until you saw the sprig of rosemary embedded in the center. She'd given him a nervous smile as she explained its function. "I want to promise I'll never slip again, that I'll stay in control. But, I can't say that. So...I want you to be my safety net. This," she held up the necklace, "will keep memory spells from affecting you. So if I start messing with people's minds again, you'll be there to stop me."
Xander had had to blink several times to clear his eyes. She was brilliant and strong and, okay, a little damaged, but she was his Willow-girl and she trusted him. He smiled and tried not to show how awed he was by that fact. "Hey, now I know how Luke Skywalker felt at the end of 'A New Hope,'" he quipped, bending his head so she could slip the leather thong over it. Her smile grew a tiny bit less nervous, and he felt triumphant. "I'd rather be Princess Leia than Darth Willow any day. Keep me on track, okay?" He'd worn the necklace ever since. It was a symbol of love and trust, and Xander had hoped he would never need it. Now, standing before Harry on a London street, Xander was grateful to Willow for the protection and furious at the man in front of him.
***
Harry lowered his wand and waited to see how badly Xander would be affected by the spell. He hadn't tried to obliviate much of the other man's memory, but different people reacted to the spell in different ways. He watched as the American began to open his eyes. Harry expected to see mild confusion; he feared to see mindless idiocy. He certainly wasn't expecting blind rage.
"You son of a bitch! What gives you the right to mess with my memory?!? What - you're all great and magical so you can erase the memory of any Joe Average you meet?" Xander was advancing angrily on Harry.
Harry tried to formulate a reply, but his mouth was apparently disconnected from his brain. 'How could this have happened?' Deep breath. He was the Boy Who Lived, he could handle this. He had raised his wand automatically in response to the implied threat in Xander's ranting. He carefully and visibly put it away now and held up a hand to silence the one-eyed man.
"Stop, stop. Listen, I am willing to apologize and explain, but," he looked around at a few pub patrons who had just emerged into the street, "could we do it somewhere else?"
Xander gave him a penetrating look. "Alright, but you try anymore mojo on me and I'll hit you so hard your teeth will take up residence in your stomach." He bent and grabbed the ankles of one of the Yorlin demons. "Help with the clean-up, and then we'll go to my apartment. Where you *will* explain." Harry looked around helplessly, then shrugged and bent to retrieve the other demon.
***
Xander stashed his demon down an alley and used his cell phone to check in with the Watcher who was on call tonight. Satisfied that the bodies would be taken care of, he led the way to his nearby apartment building. He tried some of the calming strategies that Tara had taught him to corral his anger. Jumping on Harry and punching him repeatedly would solve nothing. Even if it did sound like fun.
Finally they arrived. Xander stopped, unlocked the door, and turned to his guest. He didn't invite him inside, just held the door open for him. After a moment, Harry got the idea and stepped in, though he was eyeing Xander oddly. Xander entered after the younger man, and felt some of his tension melt away. Attached to the lintel above the door were four protective runes carved in different types of wood. Just passing under them made Xander feel safer.
Harry was still looking at him. "Who put up the wards?" he asked suspiciously.
"I did."
"I thought you said you were a muggle."
"I am. I'm a muggle who carves." When Harry opened his mouth to ask another question, Xander stopped him. "Listen, I was minding my own business, fighting demons, not bothering anyone. You attacked me. Sorry to be all 'bad cop' about it, but how 'bout you let me ask the questions?"
The reminder of his spell seemed to haul Harry up short. He closed his mouth with a click, then opened it to say, "Right. What are your questions?"
***
Harry was nervous. He was in a warded flat with a strange man who appeared to be impervious to his magic and who outmassed him by several kilos of solid muscle. He wiped sweating palms on the thighs of his trousers and waited to hear what Xander wanted to know.
"Why did you try to erase my memory?"
Though he was not averse to lying, Harry decided the best thing to do in this situation was tell the truth. All of the truth. So he asked, "Have you been in Britain long?"
"No, only a few weeks. Does it actually matter, or are you trying to distract me? 'Cause even I'm not *that* A.D.D."
"It actually does matter. It makes this rather a longer story. Could we sit down while I tell it?" Harry asked. Xander nodded and motioned Harry over to a sofa. "For the last several years, a man named Voldemort has been trying to take power over the wizarding world. Last spring it came to a head. His followers often found it amusing to kill and torture muggles." Harry had to stop for a moment as the memory of broken bodies crashed over him.
He picked up his narrative. "At first, none of the muggles realized what was going on. People have an amazing ability to rationalize what they don't understand." Xander's mouth quirked up as he nodded in agreement. "But after a particularly bad attack, some of the local muggles realized that it was not a normal crime. They claimed it had been committed by a Satanic cult and started tracking down anyone who seemed queer to them. Unfortunately, there were several wizards in the area helping to clear things up after the attacks. The muggles caught two of them off guard."
Harry swallowed, the image of Luna floating through his mind. Bruises had stood out starkly wherever flesh was visible, and her arm had been bent at an unnatural angle. "We weren't careful enough," he said angrily. "We knew that we were the good guys, so we assumed everyone else would know it, as well. One of my friends was hurt because muggles heard her mention magic. Since then, we've all been doubly careful. I will *not* allow a witch hunt to start just because I've been careless."
Harry raised his head defiantly and met Xander's brown gaze. It looked distinctly less antagonistic, and he began to feel hopeful. The American asked, "The fact that I had just taken out a couple demons didn't clue you in that I might know about magic?"
"Some demon hunters will hunt anything supernatural, even witches and wizards. I know I could have just asked, but the more we talked, the more I'd have had to obliviate...try to obliviate. Erasing memory can have an impact on brain function. I just wanted to render you harmless without hurting you too much." Harry willed the other man to understand.
***
Xander thought about what he'd just heard. Part of him wanted to dismiss it out of hand, but he was troubled by the niggling memory of Buffy, Willow, and Amy tied to stakes. People weren't always rational about the supernatural. And Xander was the last person who should be angry because the other man wanted to protect his friends. People who live in glass houses, and all that.
He ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it over the band of his eye patch. "How about we start over." He held out his hand. "Hi, my name's Xander Harris, and I've been around magic and the supernatural for the last eight years."
"Harry Potter. I'm a wizard," Harry replied with a small grin. He reached out and shook Xander's hand, feeling calluses on the large palm.
Xander was caught unprepared for the yawn that threatened to split his face. He smiled ruefully. "How about this? You never want to see me again, that's okay. But if you want to talk more, could we postpone it till tomorrow? I am in desperate need of some sleep."
"You'd talk to me tomorrow? I've got loads of questions, but.." Harry was cut off by a yawn of his own. The things were contagious, "I could use some rest myself."
"Come over around six, and we can interrogate each other over dinner like civilized people." Harry nodded his agreement and turned to leave. Then he turned back to his host.
"It was nice to meet you, Xander." Then his face firmed with resolution. Making it clear what he was doing, he drew his wand. Xander was left alone as Harry disappeared with a crack.