Severing the Zeppo Chapter 5: Potions, Faith, and Bill
Thanks to Morrolan for betaing this.... twice.
Sorry for the very long wait, problems arose in find a computer over the break and finals.
So, on with the story!
Xander opened his mouth a couple of times, strongly resembling a guppy. The vision in front of him didn’t disappear; glancing around Xander perceived there was still a bit of sun in the sky, so this was no vampire. He blinked. Bill blinked. He blinked.
“Uh,” Charlie looked between the two men, “I’ll just leave you two to get better… err…. acquainted.” Charlie then exited stage right leaving the two together… alone. Well, as alone as two guys could be near a house filled with people.
“So, how long have you been attending Hogwarts?”
Xander blinked once, squeaked (a manly squeak of course), and fled to the kitchen. Bill blinked again and, with a slow predatory smile, followed the other man back into the house.
“Hey,” Bill said smiling at Xander.
“Hey.”
“So, what year in Hogwarts are you?” Bill tried again, hoping to get this gorgeous man to talk to him, or at least squeak again, after all, Bill thought, that squeak was so cute!
“Grad student, I’m part of the first set to be admitted to Hogwarts.” Good job! Xander congratulated himself, you just strung a whole sentence together, let’s hope we don’t have to try for another one any time in the next decade.
“Ah, what are you specializing in?”
“Potions.” Xander allowed himself a small smile.
“With that vampire, Professor Snape?”
“Actually, vampires prefer abandoned warehouses to gloomy dungeons, although… Spike and Dru do appear to enjoy their dungeony rooms.”
“Am I to understand that you’ve met vampires?”
“You have no idea.”
Bill looked slightly confused but shook it off, “Anyway, what brings you here?”
“Oh, Charlie invited me. He said your mom wouldn’t mind an extra mouth to feed.”
Bill smiled, “She never does… hey, want to go for a walk? It’s a clear night outside and the view of Ottery St. Catchpole is great from the top of the hill.”
“Sure.” The walked out the backdoor… Xander looked up at the now darkened sky, “It’s beautiful out here.”
“Kind of like you…” Bill stopped and groaned, “I didn’t just say that, please tell me I didn’t just say that. Don’t get me wrong… it just sounded… argh! You can hex me now if you want.”
Xander laughed, Bill turned and took Xander’s hand… He studied it for a moment then pulled lightly on it and Xander, still stargazing found himself pulled into Bill’s arms and soundly kissed. By the time he could react all he felt was panic. He pulled back, wiggled out of Bill’s arms, and fled toward the safety of the Burrow and his strong, deadly, over-protective, slightly psychotic slayer.
Meanwhile, Bill was cursing himself for scaring off Xander. He found a nearby tree and began banging his head on it.
Xander rushed into the Burrow and looked frantically around for Faith. Finding her he went up to her and started poking her in the shoulder. “What?”
“Hey, Faith.” Faith took one look at Xander and left her conversation with the twins, grabbing Xander and pulling him into an empty room.
“You five-by-five?”
“Two-by-four work?”
“Huh?”
“As in I feel like one hit me in the gut.”
“What happened, Xan?”
“Bill kissed me.”
Faith grinned, “Way to go.”
“No, no way to go. I don’t wanna be kissed especially not by a sexy, charming, gorgeous, stylishly elegant, obviously gay wizard. See me? This is Xander the demon magnet. I don’t want a boyfriend, I don’t want to hafta take care of anybody, no, no, no,” Xander shook his head furiously, “not equipped to deal with another person and their problems and mine and theirs and mine and…. Maybe Angelus will bite him for me, yeah that’d scare him off. Nothing like a vamp going all grr on a guy who’s interes-”
“-breathe, Xan, breathe. Now, what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know him.”
“So go on a few dates and get to know him.”
“It’s so much easier for you.”
“No, it isn’t. Hey, look at me.” Xan looked, “try and get to know him, if he turns out to be a demon Angelus and Spike can torture and threaten him with railroad spikes before -“
“Ok, ok! I get it.” Xander breathed for a second before mumbling on his exhale. “But I don’t think I can do this.”
Faith sighed and walked out the door. “Deal with it, babe.”
Xander gathered what was left of his nerve and walked back to where he’d left Bill. Unfortunately, something else had found the Weasley first. It had him pinned against a tree. “Shit.” Thirty seconds later there were the remains of one vampire, along with one slightly stunned wizard and one bashful Xander.
“Bloody hell, where’d you learn how to do that?”
“Slayers taught me.”
“Slayer-s?”
“Yeah, one named Buffy, currently in residence at Hogwarts, and one named Faith, currently in residence in your house.”
Bill blinked, processing the news that he had met a Slayer and didn’t even know it. “Bloody hell.”
“Yeah, that’s how I took it when I learned this cute girl in my AP Mathematics class was The Chosen One of Two. I believed her once she kicked me across the room…of course there weren’t two back then it took Kendra…” He cut himself off when he realized he’d fallen into yet another babble fest, Willow would have been so proud.
“Across the room? Wow.”
“And ouch. I had sore ribs for a week.” Bill laughed, and Xander caught the laughing bug. They both fell to their knees. When the chuckles receded Xander looked up, “We should probably get back to where the others are. Vamps are less likely to be there… I hope.”
“So,” Bill asked as they trooped back to the Burrow, “What’s the Slayer plotting with the twins?”
“Oh… nothing, just the downfall of one Oliver Wood.”
“Great! Oliver’ is too serious for his own good.” They both smiled and headed toward the feast. It both smelled and tasted wonderful and Xander was enjoying the chocolatey goodness of pie when Charlie sidled up next to him.
“Having a good time?”
“Smashing,” Xander said with a grin. “Getting a bit tired though… speaking of that, which room am I staying in?”
“You’re sharing one.”
Xander raised an eyebrow, “With whom?”
“Bill.” Xander glared at Charlie and Charlie took a step back. “Bloody Hell, don’t do that. You look just like Sna…”
“Hmm, oh yeah, there’s a reason for that.”
Charlie stared at him, “What reason could that be?”
“Use your brain… and when you figure it out, don’t tell Bill. Now, why am I staying with Bill?”
“Only available room left.”
“Uh-huh.”
Bill looked decidedly nervous when Xander brought him news of them sharing a bed; he kept shifting his weight and fiddling with his hands. “So… you can sleep on the bed and I-I’ll t-take the floor.”
“Bill -“
“No, you’re the guest.”
Xander couldn’t help the smirk that flitted across his lips, “Why don’t we just use magic and widen the bed?”
Bill blinked, “Umm…”
Xander broke out into laughter and transfigured a stray object into another bed. Bill looked like he was going to find another tree to bang his head on.
“So,” Xander said as they walked down to breakfast, “Is holding a broom between your legs as fun as it looks?”
Bill blushed slightly, “Never heard it described that way bef--- wait! You mean you’ve never flown?”
“Nope, no broomy goodness for Xander.”
“I’ll have to give you a lesson before you leave.”
“I’d like that.” Xander looked at Bill as if he was trying to figure something out before he leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips before moving past him into the breakfast room.
On Christmas Eve, Xander and the rest of the Burrow group returned to Hogwarts for the traditional meal. Buffy had since left for Europe, Italy to be exact, and that left only Cordelia and Willow as the Hellmouth-in-resident persons to greet them. While introductions were made Cordelia sized up Bill and shot an admiring smirk at Xander, who growled.
They all sat around a single table. “So, Harry how is your vacation going?”
“Brilliant, isn’t it Ron?”
“Yeah, just brill, can you pass the pumpkin juice?”
Xander turned away from his conversation with Harry to listen into what Snape was saying to the Headmaster. “No… wormwood would help keep the consistency to that of a cream, perhaps a liquefied phoenix feather mixed with absinthe would give it the consistency you need it.”
“What potion and consistency?” Xander asked intrigued.
“A vision blocking, topical liquid so it can be applied while the…” Xander saw his eyes flicker toward Harry, “Seer is sleeping.”
“Hmm, tricky….” Xander seemed to be thinking rather hard and was taking notes in pencil on the tabletop before smiling brilliantly, “Got it! Vampire dust mixed with a formula made of two parts liquefied phoenix fire and one part absinthe might work. It would need to sit for” He checked his notes again, “sixteen minutes, stirred around 40 times between additions, and you’d need to find something to use as a pain blocker because visions tend to have splitting headaches behind them.” Everyone stared at him, Xander smirked and started talking to Bill, whose hand was massaging his inner thigh and slowly crept up to a very interested part of Xander’s anatomy.
When they got back to Xander’s room in graditude, Bill pulled him into a deep thorough kiss, his tongue sweeping possessively through his counterpart’s, desperate for reciprocation, which Xander gladly gave. Bill laid Xander back on his bed and the minute Xander felt Bill’s weight holding him down he panicked and screamed.
“Xan? Xan?” Xander was shaking madly. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t… sor.. so…..sorry.” Xander gasped, curling into a ball in the corner of his bed.
“Xan, what happened to you?”
Xander shook his head “I can’t - I want to but I can’t” He was twitching slightly as if scared to death Bill might try it again.
“Shh,” Bill murmured and curled up behind Xander rubbing his arm in a comforting manner. “Just rest, it’s ok, just rest.” And slowly Xander did.
Christmas morning and Bill awoke to a very pleasant sensation… Xander had his head buried beneath the sheets and was slowly, but surely sucking and blowing on very sensitive parts of his anatomy. “Gods,” Bill groaned when he came.
“Nope, Just Xander.” Xander was promptly pulled into a deep and ravishing kiss. Bills hand swept down and grabbed Xander’s erection and began stroking it. Xander groaned and thrust into the hand before moaning in completion.
A shared shower and fresh clothes later, the two were ready to head down to Christmas breakfast.
Both Bill and Xander gave their friends gifts and ripped into their own packages with gusto. Xander found a book titled “Magical Potions” by Cauldrian Bubblish from Willow, a plethora of hard to find ingredients, shipped to him from Giles, “A Hands on Guide to Balls” by the master of Divination, Steamus Vizion, from Cordy, and an assortment of muggle clothing from his resident vamps (Dru and Spike) along with several vials containing vampire blood, willingly donated - from Angelus, Dru, and Spike (who were all at Angelus’ apartment for the week).
He had one present to deliver. “Bill?”
“Yes?”
“I need some time to myself, I have a present to deliver and a long conversation will follow.”
“Ok, I’ll spend time with my family.”
“Thank you.” Xander kissed Bill softly and walked toward the dungeons.
(knock) (knock)
“What?” The portrait swung open to reveal a very brassed off potions master.
Xander held out a package, “Merry Christmas… we need to talk.”
Severus Snape quirked an eyebrow, but stepped back and allowed the boy to enter.
“What do you want?”
“Umm…”
“I am waiting, Mr. Harris.” Xander stuck out his hand the gift still there. Severus glared at Xander but still took the package, and swiftly but neatly opened it. It contained a book and a mild truth serum. “And, pray tell, Mr. Harris… just what am I supposed to do with this?”
“Give me the truth serum and read the book.” Xander nabbed the serum and quickly choked it down.
“Why are you doing this?”
Xander’s eyes glazed over slightly, “To tell you the truth.”
“About what?”
“Who I am, father.”
Well… Xander awoke in the infirmary two days later.
“How dare he… how dare he!” Xander opened an eye and saw Severus being restrained by Angelus.
“Sev! Shut up. He’s your son.
Xander was no longer on speaking terms with his father who had refused to acknowledge him.
New Years came and Xander wasn’t seen anywhere. Willow was growing concerned since her friend never missed a chance for sugary fun. Bill was worried because Xander wasn’t responding to any of his Owls. And Snape had little choice but to be concerned because Angelus had refused to see him, let alone fuck him, until he remedied his relationship with Xander.
So on New Years Eve they all congregated outside of his room and knocked loudly. Faith opened the door. “Yes?”
“We’re looking for Xander.” It was Willow who spoke and Faith smiled sadly,
“He isn’t here, Red.”
“Where?”
“He hightailed it back to Sunnydale.”
“Why would he return to the Hellmouth?” A perplexed Severus asked.
“He’s always there over New Years.”
Xander sat down on the hard ground. “Jesse, my man, I need your help.” Xander remained by the grave weeping tears for his fallen friend. “I don’t know what to do. He won’t acknowledge me, won’t have anything to do with me. I know Tony was this way, but I never expected…”
Hours passed before Xander eventually stood and, placing a hand on his Jesse’s grave, murmured, “Thanks, bud. 6 years dead and still able to calm me.”
Xander arrived back at Hogwarts at 3:30 in the morning, both mentally and physically drained. He managed to get to his room without anyone noticing him; unfortunately someone was waiting for him in his room.
“Nice of you to join us again.”
“Professor Snape,” Xander responded coolly, “Happy New Years.”
“Where did you go?”
“Who’s asking? My professor… or my father?” Severus just stared at him. “Look, sir, now isn’t a very good time if you’re looking for a well mannered pupil you’re really out of luck.”
“I--”
“No, you don’t know anything about me. You just see an American, you don’t know me.”
“I--”
“Just go.” At a loss, Severus did.
Classes began again and the noise of so many children began to take its toll on Xander. More and more often he wasn’t seen except at meals and in classes. He started hiding away with his potions ingredients, refusing even Faith access to his rooms. When Xander returned to his room after his first week of classes he saw a hat sitting on his bed. With a sigh Xander knew what it was and, sitting down, slipped it on.
“So we meet again, Alexis Lavinious Snape.”
“…”
“Not very talkative my friend, perhaps I should take another look into you head…” Xander felt power skimming into his head, he passively allowed it to. “So much pain for one so young. Little one, you should talk to someone.”
“So a hat can tell me how to run my life?”
“Just suggest, never tell, just suggest.”
Continue to Chapter 5 Interlude! or go straight to StZ: Chapter 6 - Words, Quidditch, & Potions
Sorry for the very long wait, problems arose in find a computer over the break and finals.
So, on with the story!
Xander opened his mouth a couple of times, strongly resembling a guppy. The vision in front of him didn’t disappear; glancing around Xander perceived there was still a bit of sun in the sky, so this was no vampire. He blinked. Bill blinked. He blinked.
“Uh,” Charlie looked between the two men, “I’ll just leave you two to get better… err…. acquainted.” Charlie then exited stage right leaving the two together… alone. Well, as alone as two guys could be near a house filled with people.
“So, how long have you been attending Hogwarts?”
Xander blinked once, squeaked (a manly squeak of course), and fled to the kitchen. Bill blinked again and, with a slow predatory smile, followed the other man back into the house.
“Hey,” Bill said smiling at Xander.
“Hey.”
“So, what year in Hogwarts are you?” Bill tried again, hoping to get this gorgeous man to talk to him, or at least squeak again, after all, Bill thought, that squeak was so cute!
“Grad student, I’m part of the first set to be admitted to Hogwarts.” Good job! Xander congratulated himself, you just strung a whole sentence together, let’s hope we don’t have to try for another one any time in the next decade.
“Ah, what are you specializing in?”
“Potions.” Xander allowed himself a small smile.
“With that vampire, Professor Snape?”
“Actually, vampires prefer abandoned warehouses to gloomy dungeons, although… Spike and Dru do appear to enjoy their dungeony rooms.”
“Am I to understand that you’ve met vampires?”
“You have no idea.”
Bill looked slightly confused but shook it off, “Anyway, what brings you here?”
“Oh, Charlie invited me. He said your mom wouldn’t mind an extra mouth to feed.”
Bill smiled, “She never does… hey, want to go for a walk? It’s a clear night outside and the view of Ottery St. Catchpole is great from the top of the hill.”
“Sure.” The walked out the backdoor… Xander looked up at the now darkened sky, “It’s beautiful out here.”
“Kind of like you…” Bill stopped and groaned, “I didn’t just say that, please tell me I didn’t just say that. Don’t get me wrong… it just sounded… argh! You can hex me now if you want.”
Xander laughed, Bill turned and took Xander’s hand… He studied it for a moment then pulled lightly on it and Xander, still stargazing found himself pulled into Bill’s arms and soundly kissed. By the time he could react all he felt was panic. He pulled back, wiggled out of Bill’s arms, and fled toward the safety of the Burrow and his strong, deadly, over-protective, slightly psychotic slayer.
Meanwhile, Bill was cursing himself for scaring off Xander. He found a nearby tree and began banging his head on it.
Xander rushed into the Burrow and looked frantically around for Faith. Finding her he went up to her and started poking her in the shoulder. “What?”
“Hey, Faith.” Faith took one look at Xander and left her conversation with the twins, grabbing Xander and pulling him into an empty room.
“You five-by-five?”
“Two-by-four work?”
“Huh?”
“As in I feel like one hit me in the gut.”
“What happened, Xan?”
“Bill kissed me.”
Faith grinned, “Way to go.”
“No, no way to go. I don’t wanna be kissed especially not by a sexy, charming, gorgeous, stylishly elegant, obviously gay wizard. See me? This is Xander the demon magnet. I don’t want a boyfriend, I don’t want to hafta take care of anybody, no, no, no,” Xander shook his head furiously, “not equipped to deal with another person and their problems and mine and theirs and mine and…. Maybe Angelus will bite him for me, yeah that’d scare him off. Nothing like a vamp going all grr on a guy who’s interes-”
“-breathe, Xan, breathe. Now, what’s the problem?”
“I don’t know him.”
“So go on a few dates and get to know him.”
“It’s so much easier for you.”
“No, it isn’t. Hey, look at me.” Xan looked, “try and get to know him, if he turns out to be a demon Angelus and Spike can torture and threaten him with railroad spikes before -“
“Ok, ok! I get it.” Xander breathed for a second before mumbling on his exhale. “But I don’t think I can do this.”
Faith sighed and walked out the door. “Deal with it, babe.”
Xander gathered what was left of his nerve and walked back to where he’d left Bill. Unfortunately, something else had found the Weasley first. It had him pinned against a tree. “Shit.” Thirty seconds later there were the remains of one vampire, along with one slightly stunned wizard and one bashful Xander.
“Bloody hell, where’d you learn how to do that?”
“Slayers taught me.”
“Slayer-s?”
“Yeah, one named Buffy, currently in residence at Hogwarts, and one named Faith, currently in residence in your house.”
Bill blinked, processing the news that he had met a Slayer and didn’t even know it. “Bloody hell.”
“Yeah, that’s how I took it when I learned this cute girl in my AP Mathematics class was The Chosen One of Two. I believed her once she kicked me across the room…of course there weren’t two back then it took Kendra…” He cut himself off when he realized he’d fallen into yet another babble fest, Willow would have been so proud.
“Across the room? Wow.”
“And ouch. I had sore ribs for a week.” Bill laughed, and Xander caught the laughing bug. They both fell to their knees. When the chuckles receded Xander looked up, “We should probably get back to where the others are. Vamps are less likely to be there… I hope.”
“So,” Bill asked as they trooped back to the Burrow, “What’s the Slayer plotting with the twins?”
“Oh… nothing, just the downfall of one Oliver Wood.”
“Great! Oliver’ is too serious for his own good.” They both smiled and headed toward the feast. It both smelled and tasted wonderful and Xander was enjoying the chocolatey goodness of pie when Charlie sidled up next to him.
“Having a good time?”
“Smashing,” Xander said with a grin. “Getting a bit tired though… speaking of that, which room am I staying in?”
“You’re sharing one.”
Xander raised an eyebrow, “With whom?”
“Bill.” Xander glared at Charlie and Charlie took a step back. “Bloody Hell, don’t do that. You look just like Sna…”
“Hmm, oh yeah, there’s a reason for that.”
Charlie stared at him, “What reason could that be?”
“Use your brain… and when you figure it out, don’t tell Bill. Now, why am I staying with Bill?”
“Only available room left.”
“Uh-huh.”
Bill looked decidedly nervous when Xander brought him news of them sharing a bed; he kept shifting his weight and fiddling with his hands. “So… you can sleep on the bed and I-I’ll t-take the floor.”
“Bill -“
“No, you’re the guest.”
Xander couldn’t help the smirk that flitted across his lips, “Why don’t we just use magic and widen the bed?”
Bill blinked, “Umm…”
Xander broke out into laughter and transfigured a stray object into another bed. Bill looked like he was going to find another tree to bang his head on.
“So,” Xander said as they walked down to breakfast, “Is holding a broom between your legs as fun as it looks?”
Bill blushed slightly, “Never heard it described that way bef--- wait! You mean you’ve never flown?”
“Nope, no broomy goodness for Xander.”
“I’ll have to give you a lesson before you leave.”
“I’d like that.” Xander looked at Bill as if he was trying to figure something out before he leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips before moving past him into the breakfast room.
On Christmas Eve, Xander and the rest of the Burrow group returned to Hogwarts for the traditional meal. Buffy had since left for Europe, Italy to be exact, and that left only Cordelia and Willow as the Hellmouth-in-resident persons to greet them. While introductions were made Cordelia sized up Bill and shot an admiring smirk at Xander, who growled.
They all sat around a single table. “So, Harry how is your vacation going?”
“Brilliant, isn’t it Ron?”
“Yeah, just brill, can you pass the pumpkin juice?”
Xander turned away from his conversation with Harry to listen into what Snape was saying to the Headmaster. “No… wormwood would help keep the consistency to that of a cream, perhaps a liquefied phoenix feather mixed with absinthe would give it the consistency you need it.”
“What potion and consistency?” Xander asked intrigued.
“A vision blocking, topical liquid so it can be applied while the…” Xander saw his eyes flicker toward Harry, “Seer is sleeping.”
“Hmm, tricky….” Xander seemed to be thinking rather hard and was taking notes in pencil on the tabletop before smiling brilliantly, “Got it! Vampire dust mixed with a formula made of two parts liquefied phoenix fire and one part absinthe might work. It would need to sit for” He checked his notes again, “sixteen minutes, stirred around 40 times between additions, and you’d need to find something to use as a pain blocker because visions tend to have splitting headaches behind them.” Everyone stared at him, Xander smirked and started talking to Bill, whose hand was massaging his inner thigh and slowly crept up to a very interested part of Xander’s anatomy.
When they got back to Xander’s room in graditude, Bill pulled him into a deep thorough kiss, his tongue sweeping possessively through his counterpart’s, desperate for reciprocation, which Xander gladly gave. Bill laid Xander back on his bed and the minute Xander felt Bill’s weight holding him down he panicked and screamed.
“Xan? Xan?” Xander was shaking madly. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t… sor.. so…..sorry.” Xander gasped, curling into a ball in the corner of his bed.
“Xan, what happened to you?”
Xander shook his head “I can’t - I want to but I can’t” He was twitching slightly as if scared to death Bill might try it again.
“Shh,” Bill murmured and curled up behind Xander rubbing his arm in a comforting manner. “Just rest, it’s ok, just rest.” And slowly Xander did.
Christmas morning and Bill awoke to a very pleasant sensation… Xander had his head buried beneath the sheets and was slowly, but surely sucking and blowing on very sensitive parts of his anatomy. “Gods,” Bill groaned when he came.
“Nope, Just Xander.” Xander was promptly pulled into a deep and ravishing kiss. Bills hand swept down and grabbed Xander’s erection and began stroking it. Xander groaned and thrust into the hand before moaning in completion.
A shared shower and fresh clothes later, the two were ready to head down to Christmas breakfast.
Both Bill and Xander gave their friends gifts and ripped into their own packages with gusto. Xander found a book titled “Magical Potions” by Cauldrian Bubblish from Willow, a plethora of hard to find ingredients, shipped to him from Giles, “A Hands on Guide to Balls” by the master of Divination, Steamus Vizion, from Cordy, and an assortment of muggle clothing from his resident vamps (Dru and Spike) along with several vials containing vampire blood, willingly donated - from Angelus, Dru, and Spike (who were all at Angelus’ apartment for the week).
He had one present to deliver. “Bill?”
“Yes?”
“I need some time to myself, I have a present to deliver and a long conversation will follow.”
“Ok, I’ll spend time with my family.”
“Thank you.” Xander kissed Bill softly and walked toward the dungeons.
(knock) (knock)
“What?” The portrait swung open to reveal a very brassed off potions master.
Xander held out a package, “Merry Christmas… we need to talk.”
Severus Snape quirked an eyebrow, but stepped back and allowed the boy to enter.
“What do you want?”
“Umm…”
“I am waiting, Mr. Harris.” Xander stuck out his hand the gift still there. Severus glared at Xander but still took the package, and swiftly but neatly opened it. It contained a book and a mild truth serum. “And, pray tell, Mr. Harris… just what am I supposed to do with this?”
“Give me the truth serum and read the book.” Xander nabbed the serum and quickly choked it down.
“Why are you doing this?”
Xander’s eyes glazed over slightly, “To tell you the truth.”
“About what?”
“Who I am, father.”
Well… Xander awoke in the infirmary two days later.
“How dare he… how dare he!” Xander opened an eye and saw Severus being restrained by Angelus.
“Sev! Shut up. He’s your son.
Xander was no longer on speaking terms with his father who had refused to acknowledge him.
New Years came and Xander wasn’t seen anywhere. Willow was growing concerned since her friend never missed a chance for sugary fun. Bill was worried because Xander wasn’t responding to any of his Owls. And Snape had little choice but to be concerned because Angelus had refused to see him, let alone fuck him, until he remedied his relationship with Xander.
So on New Years Eve they all congregated outside of his room and knocked loudly. Faith opened the door. “Yes?”
“We’re looking for Xander.” It was Willow who spoke and Faith smiled sadly,
“He isn’t here, Red.”
“Where?”
“He hightailed it back to Sunnydale.”
“Why would he return to the Hellmouth?” A perplexed Severus asked.
“He’s always there over New Years.”
Xander sat down on the hard ground. “Jesse, my man, I need your help.” Xander remained by the grave weeping tears for his fallen friend. “I don’t know what to do. He won’t acknowledge me, won’t have anything to do with me. I know Tony was this way, but I never expected…”
Hours passed before Xander eventually stood and, placing a hand on his Jesse’s grave, murmured, “Thanks, bud. 6 years dead and still able to calm me.”
Xander arrived back at Hogwarts at 3:30 in the morning, both mentally and physically drained. He managed to get to his room without anyone noticing him; unfortunately someone was waiting for him in his room.
“Nice of you to join us again.”
“Professor Snape,” Xander responded coolly, “Happy New Years.”
“Where did you go?”
“Who’s asking? My professor… or my father?” Severus just stared at him. “Look, sir, now isn’t a very good time if you’re looking for a well mannered pupil you’re really out of luck.”
“I--”
“No, you don’t know anything about me. You just see an American, you don’t know me.”
“I--”
“Just go.” At a loss, Severus did.
Classes began again and the noise of so many children began to take its toll on Xander. More and more often he wasn’t seen except at meals and in classes. He started hiding away with his potions ingredients, refusing even Faith access to his rooms. When Xander returned to his room after his first week of classes he saw a hat sitting on his bed. With a sigh Xander knew what it was and, sitting down, slipped it on.
“So we meet again, Alexis Lavinious Snape.”
“…”
“Not very talkative my friend, perhaps I should take another look into you head…” Xander felt power skimming into his head, he passively allowed it to. “So much pain for one so young. Little one, you should talk to someone.”
“So a hat can tell me how to run my life?”
“Just suggest, never tell, just suggest.”
Continue to Chapter 5 Interlude! or go straight to StZ: Chapter 6 - Words, Quidditch, & Potions