Aug. 18th - Fun at the Beach
Title: Fun at the Beach
Author: 3am_moonlight
Crossover: BtVS / Harry Potter (J.K.R.)
Rating: Gen / Teen
Word Count: 1,352
Timeline: BtVS: Post-Chosen & HP: Prisoner of Azkaban
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J.K.R.
Summary: Buffy, Sirius, and Harry do some much-needed shopping, and then go to the beach.
Author's Note: Written for Day 18 of the 2019 August Fic-A-Day.
A/N: Follows ' Narrow Escape', ' Hiding Places', ' Fly Away With Me', ' Talking', ' Spilled Secrets' and ' Charades'.
A/N 2: I ran out of time so this ends a little abruptly. Sorry.
Sirius Apparated first Harry then Buffy from the park in Little Whinging and to a random city they had agreed on beforehand. Once everyone was there Sirius canceled the charm on his clothing and suddenly he was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Buffy's robe became a handkerchief, which she placed in one of her pockets.
Another wave of his wand and his hair was in a neat ponytail. A third wave and he had a magically applied tan as opposed to the pasty white skin he'd had before as a result of over a decade in Azkaban. It wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny, but the average person was unlikely to make the connection. She looked him over and declared he looked different enough to not get recognized as an escaped prisoner.
The time-traveler gave the teenage boy a thorough once-over and if she had looked at her friend she would've seen the look of approaching doom on his face. As it was, her attention was entirely on Harry.
"The first thing we need to do is get you some proper clothes. Those rags are not appropriate and are more likely to fit a baby elephant than you." And without listening to the complaints from Sirius at the prospect of another shopping trip so soon, she ushered them out of the alley they had landed in.
Forty minutes later they walked out of a clothing store with Harry wearing a properly fitting outfit for the first time since his parents were killed. He also had a bag with two other sets of clothing plus a few more sets of underwear and socks. The new apparel finally made him look like a kid enjoying his summer vacation.
Their next stop was an optician. They had to try several before they found one where they didn't need an appointment beforehand. As Harry wasn't sure how long he had had the pair of glasses he was wearing, they ordered a complete check of his eyes and were appalled when the woman who was performing the tests told them he should've had new glasses many years ago. The extra strain on his eyes had damaged his vision somewhat but she was hopeful it would correct itself.
On his own request, they also ordered contact lenses. Harry quietly told them he could really use them while playing something called Quidditch, especially if they had to play a game when it rained. Buffy looked confused about what was apparently some kind of game and Sirius looked equally confused regarding contact lenses as he had never heard of them. However, Buffy agreed as she was aware of how much of a pain glasses could be if you played any kind of contact sports, and Sirius followed her lead.
After Harry had chosen a new set of frames, wireless with dark red on the tips, they paid and agreed on when to come back for their purchases. She barely managed not to give the woman her phone number so she could text her when they were finished, but it was a close call. Cell phones in 1994 were big and clunky and not as widely available as they were in her own time. They were also not yet used for that kind of service.
As soon as they were out of the door her two male companions decided they were hungry and it was time for an early lunch. The meal was lively and as they had deliberately chosen a table with some privacy, enhanced by a little magical help, they could freely talk about topics not meant for eavesdroppers.
Buffy used the opportunity to get Harry to explain what Quidditch was and why contact lenses would be beneficial for it. His godfather also got his own explanation. She was treated to a very enthusiastic blow-by-blow of all of his games with Sirius interjecting with stories from his own time as a Quidditch player along with James - Harry's father.
Somehow they got from that and onto school subjects, and in particular what Harry's electives were.
"Ron and I decided to take Divination and Care of Magical Creatures." Harry said and then explained further, "We didn't really know which subjects to choose. CoMC seemed like a good idea since we never really know what we'll meet out there, and we just randomly chose Divination. Hermione decided to take everything, that's why she had the Time-Turner."
Buffy couldn't help but stare at that attempt at an explanation. Sirius looked pained. "What about the Potter Family business? You need Arithmancy and Ancient Runes to take over when you get older. You're the only one left!"
It soon became clear the boy had no idea about his family or their history, which nearly made his godfather cry. With a determined look in his eyes, Sirius promised to spend the rest of the summer teaching him about both and make sure he learned the two subjects as well. Albus Dumbledore's name was cursed on several occasions, making her opinion of the old man drop even lower.
Rather than hash everything out at the cafe where they were sitting, they agreed that Harry would spend six days a week with Sirius. The man would Apparate to Privet Drive to pick him up at 07.45 and then drop him back at the park at either 17:00 or 18.00 in the evening depending on the day.
They dropped the subject when they left the cafe and decided to head to the beach for a few hours. It was a warm day and after checking the weather forecast they picked the warmest one and off they went. A little transfiguration and they were all in the appropriate swimwear.
It turned out Harry couldn't swim and had never been to a beach or even seen the ocean, aside from a trip to a small island when his uncle was trying to outrun his Hogwarts Acceptance Letters. Buffy just shook her head at the dramatics of it all and the strangeness of someone living on a giant island never having seen the ocean. Instead of trying to make sense of it, she began teaching him the basics, starting with how to float.
Meanwhile, Sirius was having a marvelous time checking out the scenery, or rather the lovely bikini-clad women who were there. As he had explained before he wandered off, it was highly unusual for witches to expose themselves in such a manner. According to him, Lily, Harry's mother, had called them Victorian or just prudes. Buffy agreed but just waved him off and concentrated on the 13-almost-14-year-old boy in front of her.
Three hours later they left the beach tired but happy. They had swum in the ocean, played a few games with other beach-goers, and in Buffy's case, just relaxing on a big towel and working on her tan while the two males had a splashing contest in the water. They'd had ice-cream and generally enjoyed themselves.
Afterward, they went for a walk and eventually ended up at a restaurant where they had an early dinner. The topics were kept light and mostly consisted of Harry telling them about what he'd been up to at Hogwarts, and Sirius reciprocating with stories of his own time there. Buffy joined in with some stories from her own high school years but carefully censored them of anything Slayer-related. However, she did mention that she had a friend who was a werewolf and who had gone off to find himself and to try and find a way to control his inner beast.
It was nearly half-past five when they finally returned to the park at Privet Drive and they changed back into the outfits they had worn that morning. Sirius was back to being prim and proper in his old-fashioned robes and cloak, Buffy's handkerchief was transfigured back into a cloak, but Harry kept his new clothes. In a fit of being his old self, Sirius had set the old rags on fire shortly after leaving the clothing store.
There was a very uncomfortable conversation in the Dursley family's immediate future.
Author: 3am_moonlight
Crossover: BtVS / Harry Potter (J.K.R.)
Rating: Gen / Teen
Word Count: 1,352
Timeline: BtVS: Post-Chosen & HP: Prisoner of Azkaban
Disclaimer: The Buffyverse belongs to Joss Whedon and HP belongs to J.K.R.
Summary: Buffy, Sirius, and Harry do some much-needed shopping, and then go to the beach.
Author's Note: Written for Day 18 of the 2019 August Fic-A-Day.
A/N: Follows ' Narrow Escape', ' Hiding Places', ' Fly Away With Me', ' Talking', ' Spilled Secrets' and ' Charades'.
A/N 2: I ran out of time so this ends a little abruptly. Sorry.
Sirius Apparated first Harry then Buffy from the park in Little Whinging and to a random city they had agreed on beforehand. Once everyone was there Sirius canceled the charm on his clothing and suddenly he was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Buffy's robe became a handkerchief, which she placed in one of her pockets.
Another wave of his wand and his hair was in a neat ponytail. A third wave and he had a magically applied tan as opposed to the pasty white skin he'd had before as a result of over a decade in Azkaban. It wouldn't hold up under close scrutiny, but the average person was unlikely to make the connection. She looked him over and declared he looked different enough to not get recognized as an escaped prisoner.
The time-traveler gave the teenage boy a thorough once-over and if she had looked at her friend she would've seen the look of approaching doom on his face. As it was, her attention was entirely on Harry.
"The first thing we need to do is get you some proper clothes. Those rags are not appropriate and are more likely to fit a baby elephant than you." And without listening to the complaints from Sirius at the prospect of another shopping trip so soon, she ushered them out of the alley they had landed in.
Forty minutes later they walked out of a clothing store with Harry wearing a properly fitting outfit for the first time since his parents were killed. He also had a bag with two other sets of clothing plus a few more sets of underwear and socks. The new apparel finally made him look like a kid enjoying his summer vacation.
Their next stop was an optician. They had to try several before they found one where they didn't need an appointment beforehand. As Harry wasn't sure how long he had had the pair of glasses he was wearing, they ordered a complete check of his eyes and were appalled when the woman who was performing the tests told them he should've had new glasses many years ago. The extra strain on his eyes had damaged his vision somewhat but she was hopeful it would correct itself.
On his own request, they also ordered contact lenses. Harry quietly told them he could really use them while playing something called Quidditch, especially if they had to play a game when it rained. Buffy looked confused about what was apparently some kind of game and Sirius looked equally confused regarding contact lenses as he had never heard of them. However, Buffy agreed as she was aware of how much of a pain glasses could be if you played any kind of contact sports, and Sirius followed her lead.
After Harry had chosen a new set of frames, wireless with dark red on the tips, they paid and agreed on when to come back for their purchases. She barely managed not to give the woman her phone number so she could text her when they were finished, but it was a close call. Cell phones in 1994 were big and clunky and not as widely available as they were in her own time. They were also not yet used for that kind of service.
As soon as they were out of the door her two male companions decided they were hungry and it was time for an early lunch. The meal was lively and as they had deliberately chosen a table with some privacy, enhanced by a little magical help, they could freely talk about topics not meant for eavesdroppers.
Buffy used the opportunity to get Harry to explain what Quidditch was and why contact lenses would be beneficial for it. His godfather also got his own explanation. She was treated to a very enthusiastic blow-by-blow of all of his games with Sirius interjecting with stories from his own time as a Quidditch player along with James - Harry's father.
Somehow they got from that and onto school subjects, and in particular what Harry's electives were.
"Ron and I decided to take Divination and Care of Magical Creatures." Harry said and then explained further, "We didn't really know which subjects to choose. CoMC seemed like a good idea since we never really know what we'll meet out there, and we just randomly chose Divination. Hermione decided to take everything, that's why she had the Time-Turner."
Buffy couldn't help but stare at that attempt at an explanation. Sirius looked pained. "What about the Potter Family business? You need Arithmancy and Ancient Runes to take over when you get older. You're the only one left!"
It soon became clear the boy had no idea about his family or their history, which nearly made his godfather cry. With a determined look in his eyes, Sirius promised to spend the rest of the summer teaching him about both and make sure he learned the two subjects as well. Albus Dumbledore's name was cursed on several occasions, making her opinion of the old man drop even lower.
Rather than hash everything out at the cafe where they were sitting, they agreed that Harry would spend six days a week with Sirius. The man would Apparate to Privet Drive to pick him up at 07.45 and then drop him back at the park at either 17:00 or 18.00 in the evening depending on the day.
They dropped the subject when they left the cafe and decided to head to the beach for a few hours. It was a warm day and after checking the weather forecast they picked the warmest one and off they went. A little transfiguration and they were all in the appropriate swimwear.
It turned out Harry couldn't swim and had never been to a beach or even seen the ocean, aside from a trip to a small island when his uncle was trying to outrun his Hogwarts Acceptance Letters. Buffy just shook her head at the dramatics of it all and the strangeness of someone living on a giant island never having seen the ocean. Instead of trying to make sense of it, she began teaching him the basics, starting with how to float.
Meanwhile, Sirius was having a marvelous time checking out the scenery, or rather the lovely bikini-clad women who were there. As he had explained before he wandered off, it was highly unusual for witches to expose themselves in such a manner. According to him, Lily, Harry's mother, had called them Victorian or just prudes. Buffy agreed but just waved him off and concentrated on the 13-almost-14-year-old boy in front of her.
Three hours later they left the beach tired but happy. They had swum in the ocean, played a few games with other beach-goers, and in Buffy's case, just relaxing on a big towel and working on her tan while the two males had a splashing contest in the water. They'd had ice-cream and generally enjoyed themselves.
Afterward, they went for a walk and eventually ended up at a restaurant where they had an early dinner. The topics were kept light and mostly consisted of Harry telling them about what he'd been up to at Hogwarts, and Sirius reciprocating with stories of his own time there. Buffy joined in with some stories from her own high school years but carefully censored them of anything Slayer-related. However, she did mention that she had a friend who was a werewolf and who had gone off to find himself and to try and find a way to control his inner beast.
It was nearly half-past five when they finally returned to the park at Privet Drive and they changed back into the outfits they had worn that morning. Sirius was back to being prim and proper in his old-fashioned robes and cloak, Buffy's handkerchief was transfigured back into a cloak, but Harry kept his new clothes. In a fit of being his old self, Sirius had set the old rags on fire shortly after leaving the clothing store.
There was a very uncomfortable conversation in the Dursley family's immediate future.