August 1 - Gently Used
Title: Gently Used
Author: Twisted_Slinky
Rating: G
Crossover: Harry Potter
Wordcount: ~1200
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter, and I am making no money off this story.
Summary: As a show of goodwill, the Ministry has presented the New Council with certain gifts, such as a magical eye for one Xander Harris.
A/N: I’ve mentioned Xander getting a magical eye in other HP xovers, I’m sure, but I don’t think I’ve ever expressed that “moment.”
“So, a fruit basket would have been too ‘last century’?”
Willow smirked at her friend’s comment, knowing full well that he was doing what he normally did, deflecting via humor. She knew from the slight tremor in his voice that Xander was both excited and nervous about the unexpected gift coming his way.
“I don’t think wizards ‘do’ fruit baskets,” Willow noted. “I think they’re more bakery and confections people, or at least the ones I’ve met from the Ministry are very pro-diabetes.”
“My kind of people,” Xander chirped. “I mean, if it wasn’t for me being a mere mortal who knows nothing about nothing and is, apparently, a lesser being for not waving a stick around…” His good eye stared dramatically into the distance. “Stakes don’t count, I guess.”
“They’re mortal too,” she chided. Willow slapped his elbow as they crossed a cobbled street, toward the bright, uncovered windows of a small cafe. “And they don’t all think that way. I’m serious. I’ve talked to several from their community now, and they’re much more open minded about muggles these days. Apparently they had some whole rebellion thing a few years back, and the younger generations are hip to the non-magical folks.”
“Hip,” Xander noted. “Never grow old, Wills.”
She smirked in time to the small bell above the cafe’s glass door. “Anyhow, after our little encounter with Mr. Bigot, the Ministry has assigned me a new liaison to negotiate with. The new guy is actually maybe the nicest man I’ve ever met, so just take the eyeball he offers you, ok? It’s a sign of goodwill, I promise. They want to be on good terms with the New Council. Oh! There he is!”
Xander frowned. “Remind me again what we got him in return?”
“Toaster.”
“Say again?”
Willow ignored him, crossing the room toward a man near the counter. He seemed to be examining the closest espresso machine with rapt curiosity. When the wizard notice Willow’s approach, he turned sharply, pulling her into a deep hug. His thick, home-made sweater seemed to partly swallow her. She stiffened at the embrace before accepting it with a grin.
“Willow! So wonderful to see you again so soon.” He pulled away from her, then seemed to spot Xander for the first time. “And this must be our friend, Xander Harris.”
He grabbed Xander’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically. “Willow has entertained us with tales of your exploits. Quite a life you’ve lived, on the Hellmouth. And Willow as well. She’s a delight at the dinner table, blends in with our bunch, she does. Practically part of the family already. Oh, look at me, forgetting introductions. Arthur Weasley.”
“Nice to meet you,” Xander said, hesitantly.
Xander caught Willow’s eye with an unspoken question. She should have warned him that Mr. Weasley had declared their entire Scooby Gang welcome in his home. She put a hand on the older man’s arm, guiding him away.
“Let’s sit down.”
Mr. Weasley settled in across from the pair with a kind smile still on his face, and reached down into to his trouser’s pocket. “Suppose you’ll want to be getting this as quickly as possible, won’t you?”
Xander’s good eye widened when the English man produced a larger-than-expected wooden box. He pulled it closer, somewhat cautiously.
“It won’t explode,” Willow muttered. “I don’t think.”
“Thanks for that,” Xander whispered. Louder, he asked, “So, this thing, it’s not going to have any side-effects, right? I mean, mystical objects have been known to go side-ways around me.”
“Oh, Merlin, no,” Arthur assured. “No curses attached. I’ve had it inspected. And, the healers who examined its spellwork assured me it’ll work on a muggle as well as a wizard.”
“But I’ll still need the eyepatch,” Xander noted.
Arthur’s eyes dimmed slightly, as if in pity. “Not when you’re around our bunch,” he assured him. “But you’ll have sight where there was none, even with a patch over it.”
“We can add a glamour to make it look like a true eye, no patch necessary. More importantly,” Willow added, feeling her friend’s unease, “you’ll be able to see magical areas, like someone with natural magic. Plus, X-ray vision.”
“Buried the lead,” Xander said, somewhat more excited. He opened the box, pulling a face at the round blue orb looking up at him. Definitely not a match to his color, and also, there was the fact that it was clearly supposed to attach through a leather strap. “We’ll need that glamour.”
“Yikes,” Willow breathed, looking down at it. “Umm…let’s try it on.”
Arthur leaned forward to help her with the straps. Willow could tell the moment it began to work and spin in its new socket. Xander’s face lit up.
“Okay, definitely worth the ugly,” Xander admitted. “Oh, it zooms!” He settled down, realizing he was talking a bit too loudly. “Thanks, uh, for this.” He waved at the eye. “I mean, it’s kind of weird, as far as design goes, but I kinda feels like you deserved more than a toaster from us.”
“I love toasters,” Arthur assured, almost too seriously. He clapped his hands together, obviously pleased with the meeting. “I was so glad we could find a use for that old relic. I mean, the kids, they planned to bury it out of respect, but I think the man himself would have preferred it go to someone who could get some use from it. Bit high-strung, and the sort who wouldn’t admit it, but I think Moody would have taken a liking to you, Mr. Harris.”
“Uh.”
Xander and Willow shared a look.
“Are you saying this is a used eye? Like, it’s a pre-owned, uh, pre-owned eye inside my eye hole right at this moment.”
“Oh, yes, a rather famous one at that. Served its owner until his last. Hopefully it will serve you just as well.”
"That's...that..."
Willow squeezed his knee in warning. "Very appreciated," she finished for him.
Author: Twisted_Slinky
Rating: G
Crossover: Harry Potter
Wordcount: ~1200
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Harry Potter, and I am making no money off this story.
Summary: As a show of goodwill, the Ministry has presented the New Council with certain gifts, such as a magical eye for one Xander Harris.
A/N: I’ve mentioned Xander getting a magical eye in other HP xovers, I’m sure, but I don’t think I’ve ever expressed that “moment.”
“So, a fruit basket would have been too ‘last century’?”
Willow smirked at her friend’s comment, knowing full well that he was doing what he normally did, deflecting via humor. She knew from the slight tremor in his voice that Xander was both excited and nervous about the unexpected gift coming his way.
“I don’t think wizards ‘do’ fruit baskets,” Willow noted. “I think they’re more bakery and confections people, or at least the ones I’ve met from the Ministry are very pro-diabetes.”
“My kind of people,” Xander chirped. “I mean, if it wasn’t for me being a mere mortal who knows nothing about nothing and is, apparently, a lesser being for not waving a stick around…” His good eye stared dramatically into the distance. “Stakes don’t count, I guess.”
“They’re mortal too,” she chided. Willow slapped his elbow as they crossed a cobbled street, toward the bright, uncovered windows of a small cafe. “And they don’t all think that way. I’m serious. I’ve talked to several from their community now, and they’re much more open minded about muggles these days. Apparently they had some whole rebellion thing a few years back, and the younger generations are hip to the non-magical folks.”
“Hip,” Xander noted. “Never grow old, Wills.”
She smirked in time to the small bell above the cafe’s glass door. “Anyhow, after our little encounter with Mr. Bigot, the Ministry has assigned me a new liaison to negotiate with. The new guy is actually maybe the nicest man I’ve ever met, so just take the eyeball he offers you, ok? It’s a sign of goodwill, I promise. They want to be on good terms with the New Council. Oh! There he is!”
Xander frowned. “Remind me again what we got him in return?”
“Toaster.”
“Say again?”
Willow ignored him, crossing the room toward a man near the counter. He seemed to be examining the closest espresso machine with rapt curiosity. When the wizard notice Willow’s approach, he turned sharply, pulling her into a deep hug. His thick, home-made sweater seemed to partly swallow her. She stiffened at the embrace before accepting it with a grin.
“Willow! So wonderful to see you again so soon.” He pulled away from her, then seemed to spot Xander for the first time. “And this must be our friend, Xander Harris.”
He grabbed Xander’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically. “Willow has entertained us with tales of your exploits. Quite a life you’ve lived, on the Hellmouth. And Willow as well. She’s a delight at the dinner table, blends in with our bunch, she does. Practically part of the family already. Oh, look at me, forgetting introductions. Arthur Weasley.”
“Nice to meet you,” Xander said, hesitantly.
Xander caught Willow’s eye with an unspoken question. She should have warned him that Mr. Weasley had declared their entire Scooby Gang welcome in his home. She put a hand on the older man’s arm, guiding him away.
“Let’s sit down.”
Mr. Weasley settled in across from the pair with a kind smile still on his face, and reached down into to his trouser’s pocket. “Suppose you’ll want to be getting this as quickly as possible, won’t you?”
Xander’s good eye widened when the English man produced a larger-than-expected wooden box. He pulled it closer, somewhat cautiously.
“It won’t explode,” Willow muttered. “I don’t think.”
“Thanks for that,” Xander whispered. Louder, he asked, “So, this thing, it’s not going to have any side-effects, right? I mean, mystical objects have been known to go side-ways around me.”
“Oh, Merlin, no,” Arthur assured. “No curses attached. I’ve had it inspected. And, the healers who examined its spellwork assured me it’ll work on a muggle as well as a wizard.”
“But I’ll still need the eyepatch,” Xander noted.
Arthur’s eyes dimmed slightly, as if in pity. “Not when you’re around our bunch,” he assured him. “But you’ll have sight where there was none, even with a patch over it.”
“We can add a glamour to make it look like a true eye, no patch necessary. More importantly,” Willow added, feeling her friend’s unease, “you’ll be able to see magical areas, like someone with natural magic. Plus, X-ray vision.”
“Buried the lead,” Xander said, somewhat more excited. He opened the box, pulling a face at the round blue orb looking up at him. Definitely not a match to his color, and also, there was the fact that it was clearly supposed to attach through a leather strap. “We’ll need that glamour.”
“Yikes,” Willow breathed, looking down at it. “Umm…let’s try it on.”
Arthur leaned forward to help her with the straps. Willow could tell the moment it began to work and spin in its new socket. Xander’s face lit up.
“Okay, definitely worth the ugly,” Xander admitted. “Oh, it zooms!” He settled down, realizing he was talking a bit too loudly. “Thanks, uh, for this.” He waved at the eye. “I mean, it’s kind of weird, as far as design goes, but I kinda feels like you deserved more than a toaster from us.”
“I love toasters,” Arthur assured, almost too seriously. He clapped his hands together, obviously pleased with the meeting. “I was so glad we could find a use for that old relic. I mean, the kids, they planned to bury it out of respect, but I think the man himself would have preferred it go to someone who could get some use from it. Bit high-strung, and the sort who wouldn’t admit it, but I think Moody would have taken a liking to you, Mr. Harris.”
“Uh.”
Xander and Willow shared a look.
“Are you saying this is a used eye? Like, it’s a pre-owned, uh, pre-owned eye inside my eye hole right at this moment.”
“Oh, yes, a rather famous one at that. Served its owner until his last. Hopefully it will serve you just as well.”
"That's...that..."
Willow squeezed his knee in warning. "Very appreciated," she finished for him.