Chapter Text
"So you're not going to be back next year? You're just moving? Like that?" Asked Alexander Kittering's best friend Neville Longbottom.
"You know my mom Nev. She said that she saw in the stars, the cards, the scrying mirror, the tealeaves, and a few other divinational means that are not worth mentioning while we're eating, that we need to be in America for the coming year. Some Daft crap about saving the world."
"But that's Harry's calling."
Xander, as his friends called him, shrugged half-heartedly as he shoved a pumpkin pasty into his mouth. "I donno, Nev, maybe they have different world threatening problems over there."
"But couldn't she move and let you continue to got to school here, and then just spend the Hols over there? Do they even have any decent schools over in America? At the very least couldn't she let you finish out this school year?"
"Look Nev, I don't know what is going to happen over there, but I have to believe in my mum. You know she is a fairly talented divinations expert, and she's gotten leave from her job at the Ministry for this. It's kind of funny, she said that if no one else there realized that it was going to be a permanent move, then they deserve to be left in a lurch. Besides, she said that there was a window of opportunity that we had to catch which is why we are leaving now." He smiled warmly at his comrade in all things and fellow Gryffindor, there was no one in the entire school who could match the just passing grades that Xander scraped by with, unless it was Neville, but then even Neville got good grades in something, Herbology, Xander had no good subject.
"I gotta run," he said, gathering his bag and taking a drink before shoving another pastie in his mouth. "I have to get to the library quick and look something up. I'll see you in Charms OK?" And with that Xander ran out of the great hall and madly through the corridors until he reached the mostly empty library.
He scanned the rows, delving further from the populated areas, until he found the row he wanted and turned down it. Idly he ran his fingers over the spines of the books on the middle shelf and glanced at the occasional book title.
Then he just wasn't there.
There was the sound of a muffled 'oomph' followed by hasty footsteps going unerringly towards a room only known to a select few. Upon the door closing, if anyone had been around, they would have seen Xander suddenly appear, his back landing heavily against the cold stonewall. He was followed closely by an angry Slytherin. More specifically, an angry Draco Malfoy.
"So squib, I hear that you're finally leaving the school." The blond boy fisted his hands in Xander's robe, pulling him forward slightly before shoving him back against the wall, smirking at the sound of Xander's head rebounding off the stone. "About time they started clearing out the rubbish," he sneered nastily.
"Draco I..."
"Shut up," Draco growled pulling the boy closer, then shaking him hard. "Never use that name you talent-less, mudblood loving. Worthless excuse for a ..."
"Draco enough," came a calm voice moments before the savior of the wizarding world, Harry Potter, stepped out from under his invisibility cloak.
Draco glared angrily at The Boy Who Lived, then scowled at Xander before unclenching his fists from the robe. He stood motionless for a moment, arms ridged at his sides, fists tightly balled, glaring at the floor, a tense muscle working in his jaw. Harry reached out to touch the blonde's shoulder, but found only air as Draco stormed over to a window and gazed blankly outside.
"I take it you've heard?" Xander said as he straightened his robes slightly, glancing uncertainly at Draco's back and Harry's shuttered face.
'Were you even going to tell us that you're leaving?" Harry asked, his eyes never leaving the other dark haired boy's face. "Were you going to tell us that you're moving to America tomorrow? Or were you going to let us find out after the fact?"
"No it's not like that. You have to listen to me Harry. Draco, I swear..."
"Bastard!" The blond yelled, springing from his stationary position by the window so he could once again reacquaint Xander's back with the wall. "If Harry hadn't overheard McGonagall talking to Sprout about the fact that you were leaving, no moving! To America! Tomorrow no less! Neither of us would have known a thing! Damn it Xander! You're supposed to be our lover! You're supposed to give a damn about how we feel! Your not supposed to run away to some foreign country with out talking to us first!"
Xander smiled ruefully at the two boys in front of him, taking in the hurt and sadness coming off Harry, and the anger and disappointment from Draco. Harry's pain was caused because he was losing someone he cared about once again. And Draco, he was angry because he dared to hope in something good, and then found that it was being yanked away from him. Both boys were so emotionally scarred by their lives that it hurt Xander deeply to have to leave them, but he also knew that he had no real choice in this matter.
"I didn't think that you two would have heard about it. I myself only found out a few hours ago. Professor McGonagall pulled me out of my Arithmancy class to let me know. I was going to tell both of you in the library, but that didn't really work out." He smiled sadly at Draco, reaching out slowly, to smooth an errant lock of hair into place before pulling him into a gentle hug.
"I'm sorry Draco, I don't want to leave you, either of you, but you know I have to go with mum. She always told me that someday we would have to move to America, and she would explain everything once the time came. I just never thought it would be so soon." The blond stayed in the shelter of his arm for a few moments before pulling away, nodding resignedly, and taking a step back. Xander smiled mischievously and followed, claming his mouth in a deep kiss. Then the brown-eyed boy turned and held his hand out to Harry.
"I'm not leaving the board forever Harry, the pieces are just being rearranged slightly. We will meet again." Xander said trying to lighten the atmosphere by referring to the game of wizarding chess which, despite Harry and Draco's best efforts, still managed to elude Xander's mind.
Harry looked at the proffered hand before flinging himself at Xander, taking his mouth in a frantic kiss, his hands seeking madly for a way beyond bothersome cloths to the skin beneath. Xander gasped for breath as Harry tore his mouth away from the other boy's lips only to begin licking and nipping his way along Xander's jaw to his throat. Xander's neck had always been his most sensitive area, and thus it wasn't long before he was moaning and letting his mind go completely. His hands had their own agenda, and strived to catch up to the progress Harry was making, pulling and tugging at The Boy Who Lived's shirt.
From what seemed like a distance he heard someone clear their throat and he opened his eyes to see Draco Malfoy smirk at him evilly, before beginning to slowly disrobe, teasing glimpses of pale skin flashing before Xander's eyes, only to be covered again as the Slytherin taunted the brown eyed boy.
Xander shuddered as Harry found one of his nipples and began tweaking it with his fingers.
Draco finished with his disrobing, and slid behind Harry, dislodging the boy's lips from Xander's throat. As he pulled The Boy Who Lived backward he turned him and kissed him thoroughly, before turning and divesting Xander of his shirt, then turning back and tugging at Harry's.
Xander fell back against the wall as Draco and Harry acted out this argument. Despite everything either of the others said Harry persisted in being body shy around them. He would hem and haw for a moment, trying to talk Draco into letting him keep his shirt at least, and Draco, absolutely refusing to give up the pleasure of removing every item of clothing from his body. Really it was more like they were arguing about it, for the sake of arguing about something then because of any real feelings of inadequacy, because once Harry was naked he had absolutely no shame in doing anything. Xander slowly slid down the wall to a sitting position on the floor with his knees drawn up to his chest, the rough material of his trousers scraping against his sensitive nipples.
They were so beautiful together. One dark and one light, both in more ways than just appearance. The first time Xander had seen them fly against each other in a Quddich match, he had marveled at how perfect they would be together. So imagine his surprise when a detention in the forbidden forest with 'that git Malfoy' turned into a series of make-out sessions with Draco wherever they could find a secure spot. They had also started getting to know each other via letters, which were exchanged through the house-elves.
Harry, however, had been getting awfully suspicious of Xander's sneaking around and his evasive answers as to where he had been. So, using the invisibility cloak and the marauders map, he had set off to find out what was going on. Apparently the two names, alone, in a room on the map were not enough to satisfy his curiosity.
Harry's first reaction when he saw Draco and Xander together, kissing in an abandoned classroom, had been to confront his housemate at the first available opportunity they could be alone. Xander had been unrepentant about the trysts with Malfoy, and had discovered that Harry wasn't disgusted by the fact that they were both boys. In fact, Xander was betting that Harry was more interested in boys then he was girls.
So, when Harry began yelling about how Malfoy was the enemy, Xander responded just as loudly that since Harry knew nothing about 'Draco' that he had no right to judge the blond boy. Which was when Harry made a rather interesting slip, stating that Malfoy may be gorgeous, but he was still a low, conniving, Slytherin who couldn't be trusted.
Harry had stormed off then to stew about Xander's pig-headedness and think about what Xander had said, not even realizing the significance of his own words.
And Xander? He started plotting.
The next time Draco and Xander got together, Xander told him that Harry had found them out. At first Draco was furious, blaming Xander for being too easy to follow, then Harry for living when he should have died, then he blamed the Ghosts whom had obviously spilled their metaphorical guts, and finally he blamed the paintings who also must have talked about seeing the two of them going into the same place, and not coming out for a while. Then after finishing his tirade, he told Xander point blank that they couldn't get together again.
Somehow Xander had managed to keep Draco from storming off, (he locked the door and shoved the key down his pants, a place that neither boy had yet to touch without a layer of cloth between them during their make out sessions) then he got the Slytherin to calm down, (Lots and lots of kisses and playing with Draco's body) then when the blond was relaxed (he came ok, nuff said) Xander asked Draco what he thought of Harry. Surprisingly he answered truthfully (rather his brain was still mush from the afore mentioned orgasm) and said 'what a hottie, if only he wasn't such an uptight prude.'
From there it was a long process of soothing ego's, (mostly Draco's) calming tempers (Both), and assuring misgivings (mostly Harry's) before the two agreed to try to get along, and maybe see if they could have more then just a fantasy about the other.
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view) it was time for the summer hols when they had agreed to get to know each other. The three boys corresponded though the summer, dispelling preconceived notions, and getting to know the person behind the persona.
There was no question in Xander's mind that the two boys were meant to be together the first time they all made love. He could practically see the bond that formed between them, and while part of him cried out at the injustice of it all, he knew that they would never just leave him behind. In fact, he wasn't sure that either boy realized just how connected they were. Besides, Xander knew in his heart that there was someone out their with whom he was going to have a relationship like that with. He just had to find them. Maybe that was why he was going to America.
"Uh-oh, looks like we lost Xander to his thoughts again." Came Harry's voice into his musings.
"Lets just drag him back then." Draco said pulling Xander's legs out straight in front of him before kissing the brown-eyed boy senseless. Harry undid the buttons on the pants and left them for Draco to pull off, along with his underwear, then The Boy Who Lived climbed astride Xander's lap.
"How ever will I get Xander's attention though?" Harry asked in mock innocence, twisting slightly to look over at Draco, pressing his lower body firmly against Xander's engorged cock, his own hard member nestling comfortably along side it. Looked like Draco won the cloths disagreement, as per usual.
"Hmmm, how to get Xander's attention?" Harry smiled down at his captive, whom clearly had all of his attention focused on him. "I don't know. Draco, what do you think?"
Draco smiled wickedly as he peered over Harry's shoulder, settling right behind The Boy Who Lived, one arm wrapping around him, his other hand resting over one of Xander's nipples pinching it lightly. "I think we should make him beg."
"Kinky, but how long will that last, our Xander isn't shy about begging, especially when it might get him what he wants."
"I never said what he had to beg for."
****************************
Xander was exhausted. His lovers had kept him occupied for what felt like hours, and were only now giving him a break.
He stretched leisurely on the bed that Draco had transfigured from a desk that had been in the corner of the room, and glanced out the window at the setting sun.
Suddenly his eyes grew round and he leapt from the bed, untangling himself from the arms that had been wrapped around him, and getting half dressed before either one of the other boys could rally enough strength to see what was going on.
"Oh crap! We missed class, and supper, McGonagall is going to kill us for this. Crap, crap, crap." Xander muttered while searching for his shirt.
"You're not going anywhere Xander." Draco said, using his best 'I know everything ' voice. "If we're loosing your forever, we're going to make sure that you have something completely unforgettable to remember us by."
"We'll see each other again," Xander protested, knowing that Draco was talking about more than just seeing, that he was speaking about the sex, no not just that but the closeness that they all shared.
"Xander, you know it won't be the same. We'd love to have you back with us, but I get the feeling that someone over in America is going to get very lucky and have you land in their lap." Harry held out a hand as Xander looked at the bed longingly, already trying to classify them as forbidden fruit. "Stay with us till sunrise Xander."
Smiling softly Xander took Harry's hand letting himself be pulled back into the bed. He didn't leave them at dawn, rather he barely made it in time to catch a ride to Hogsmead for the portkey home.
***************************
It was on a bus driving he and his mother, Zinnia Kittering, to their new home from a terminal in Los Angeles that Xander got the biggest shock of his young life.
"What do you mean I'm not your real son!" Xander all but yelled at the woman whom had been mom all of his life.
"Alexander! I will not have you raising your voice to me in such away, and most certainly not in such a place." Zinnia said calmly, while trying not to be too obvious about casting a Quieting charm around them so as not to disturb the other people on the bus.
"Mum, there are two other people on this bus besides the driver and us! One's ears are plugged by those odd looking earmuffs with horrible noise pouring from them, and the other is an old lady whom, if you were paying attention, was described to the driver as 'deaf as a post' by the couple who saw her off. This charm is not really necessary."
"One can never be too careful Xander."
Xander slumped back in his seat, as if he didn't have enough on his plate to worry about. A new school, strike that, his mom had informed him just before using the portkey here, a new muggle school, and a new muggle town called Sunnydale. New muggle life, with new cloths and a new history.
Upon arriving in the States Zinnia had cast a spell over both of them so they had some atrocious American accent. Then she handed him a piece of paper stating that they were from 'Oxnard', and it also had a few other bits of uninteresting information like schools attended, something called a Social Security Number and some wonky crap about a learning disability that he had. She then told him to memorize it.
Xander sulked harder, working himself into a good funk. At least things couldn't get any worse.
"Anyway Xander, I feel that it is time for you to understand why we are moving here. At this particular point in time."
"Go ahead," Xander said waving a hand in the air. "You might as well get it over with, and please don't spare any thought for my feelings, they've already been squashed flat. Not much else you can do to them." He muttered to himself.
"You remember Halfrek, right?"
Xander thought for a moment before sitting up straighter in his seat and looking warily at his mom. "The lady who pops into our lives once a year, about a week or two before my birthday then pops back out the day after?" At his mothers enthusiastic nod Xander began to panic. "Crazy Aunt Halli?" Again a nod. "She's my mom!" Xander once again all but yelled.
""What? No! Where ever did you get that idea?" Zinnia laughed slightly, watching as Xander relaxed back into his seat. "No, 'crazy Aunt Halli' isn't your real mom, nor is she your real Aunt. She is not even human." Xander stared at his mom, stunned and confused. She smiled warmly at the boy and continued. "She is a demon, a vengeance demon to be exact. Her domain is that of children in abusive homes." Zinnia paused again, and gazed at Xander.
"Okay, and this has, what to do with me?" He asked deliberately not seeing the answer he sought.
Zinnia frowned for a moment. "Xander honey..." she said, reaching out and gently touching the back of his hand, smiling slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes.
"No, I refuse to believe that I was ever in an abusive home. That's impossible."
"You see, Halfrek is a busy demon, and she doesn't get around to everyone, but when she found you, it was under rather unusual circumstances, something to do with you almost marrying a former vengeance demon then jilting her at the alter, which allowed her to get re-instated, and this was a favor to her. Halli said that you were a bit older then she normally dealt with but she made an exception."
"How much older was I?"
"Well I think she said that you were in your early twenties."
Xander sat forward in his seat and rubbed at his temples, something was niggling at the back of his mind, something wasn't right. "No," he said dredging his academic memories of school. "We studied vengeance demons in Defense Against the Dark Arts, the person who makes the wish retains all previous memories so they can better savor the vengeance taken on their behalf."
Zinnia shook her head. "I'm afraid you won't remember your previous life, not until you catch up to your exact age when you made the wish. Then those memories will be your memories, and I'm afraid that you will lose your memories of this life."
"That...sucks." Xander said, trying to get his mind around the fact that he was going to forget everyone and all of the things he had been though. It wasn't working.
"Please honey, don't dwell on it, I will just have to make sure you get completely filled in on this life then, when the time comes. I will make sure that everything is ok."
Xander smiled wanly at his mom, she was right he couldn't dwell on something like that, but it wasn't like he was ever going to forget it either. "So..." he said, feigning cheerfulness. "Do you know what vengency wish I made to get you and this life?" It really hadn't been at all bad after all.
A slow smile crept across his mom's face. "The wish you made? That is the reason why your case is special and 'crazy Aunt Halli' comes to visit you every year. She told me when she gave you to me, 'he's got a good heart. Even with everything he had been though and suffered, his wish was not for the promised revenge against those who hurt him, but rather it was one that I have never heard uttered, and I almost didn't get a chance to grant it, but if you put a certain slant on it, it could be considered a vengeance.' She was so proud, she said it was some of her best work. That and she said that everyone was jealous that she got the chance to grant this wish. Oh how she gloated and..."
"Ummm, mom, the wish?"
"Oh yes, quite simply it was for a family of your own, to love you."
*****************************
Sunnydale was not, as Xander had expected, a burned out shell in need of being saved. Rather it was quaint in a muggle sort of way, and really, it didn't seem like a bad place to live. He just wished he didn't have to live there.
Another thing that was bothering him (you know other then the whole lose entire memory thing) was his clothes. He new instinctively that Draco would go into a dead faint at some of the colors, but then again his mom had been the one who picked them out, and she had done some studying up on muggle trends, so they might be okay. Besides the cargo pants were just filled with pockets, even a few big enough to hold his wand.
America sure was different though. Once you reached the age of twelve you could go down to the local DMV (Department of Magical Verifications) and get a learners permit for spell casting. Basically what that entailed was a piece of paper that stated you could cast low level spells as long as you were in the presence of a fully licensed adult. Then at the age of fourteen you could get your actual license that allowed you to cast spells whenever (with only a few restrictions). Xander had just barely managed to pass both the practical and written portions of his test. Obviously someone out there liked him and was smiling down on him, because he was now the proud owner of a class D license for spell casting. Which apparently meant that he could cast basic opening spells, minor transfiguration, and a whole host of other charms, wards and the like. Anything more advanced required a longer and much more detailed set of tests. His mom had a class M license, the only higher level was used exclusively by law officials, and included the unforgiveables.
So now Xander Kittering was ready to explore his new hometown of Sunnydale. He checked his reflection in the mirror over his dresser, the garishly bright Hawaiian shirt hurting his eyes to look at, but really it wasn't all that bad. In all honesty he had been more concerned that his mom was going to bring him something pink to wear.
Smiling at his oddly silent reflection, he messed his hair up slightly, figuring that if it was a good enough style for Harry Potter, it was a good enough style for him. He picked up his ebony and unicorn hair wand from the dresser, and pretended to cast some spells at his reflection, before twirling it around his fingers then holstering it into his pocket. Or at least trying to holster it. He winced at the sound of the wand hitting the hard wood floor of his room, before smiling sheepishly at his reflection, half expecting it to admonish him to be more careful.
Blushing slightly, and really glad no one had actually seen him, Xander scooped up his wand and shoved it into his pocket, before exiting the room, jogging down the stairs, and out the door, pausing only long enough to yell to his mom that he was leaving and would be back later.
The early morning sunlight was warm as Xander stood on the sidewalk in front of his house, not sure which way to start exploring in. Then, with out warning, the decision was taken from him.
"Ummm, excuse me," came a hesitant female voice to the left of him. Xander turned and beheld a girl about his own age with long red hair and a kind, pretty smile, standing on the little strip of grass between the street and the sidewalk. "By any chance are you my new neighbor? Well of course you're my neighbor, I mean you just came out of that house over there, not that I was watching for you, and I've never seen you before, so you must be new. Unless you're a really young robber, but then you wouldn't just be hanging around here in broad daylight then would you? So, my name is Willow and I'm your next-door neighbor, well not really next-door, more catty-corner, well just across the street in that red house right there. I've lived there most of my life really, so that is how I knew that you were new here. See the people that lived in that house before were really old and they had a mean little dog that always barked whenever I tried to pet it. Anyway, they died in a tragic barbeque fork accident, though I'm not really sure what that involves, it must have been really bad if it involved the word tragic. And now your looking at me with a really weird expression on your face so this is me shutting up."
Xander smiled at the girl in front of him, she was looking at him with a worried expression like she thought he was going to laugh at her or run screaming away from her. "Hello, Miss Willow my name is Alexander Kittering, but my friends call me Xander." Somehow he could feel that Willow and he were going to be great friends, that fact was just screaming at him.
Willow shook his hand, her resulting smile practically blinding him. Still grasping his hand she lead him off to discover what Sunnydale had to offer.
******************************
Tomorrow was the first day of school and Xander was exhausted. Only a month after moving into their new home in Sunnydale, Zinnia had declared that this house simply wouldn't do and then they had moved halfway across town.
Strangely enough the house they moved to was being sold because the people who had owned it previously, had an unfortunate incident involving a meat fork. He learned this because his newest friend, Jesse, had known the couple.
Jesse came with Willow, they were like a matched set of friends, and Xander got the same feeling that he had with Willow, reaffirming the rightness of being friends with both. Willow had introduced Jesse to him shortly after meeting her. She had dragged him through town pointing out local spots of interest, like the Bronze, a nightclub that allowed high school students in. She pointed out one of the cemeteries, stating 'that place is way uber creepy, so we don't go in their after dark.' It was a short bit later that he found out who the 'we' was. They got to a house and Willow had all but bounced up to the porch, knocked excitedly on the door, and stood there, smiling at Xander every few seconds.
She had to knock a few more times before anyone actually answered the door. It was a boy, also about Xander's age, who was taller then he was with short, dark hair, and he was rubbing his eyes in a sleepy way. He was also wearing nothing but a loose fitting pair of faded blue jeans. Xander had been struck speechless for a few moments, as he tried not to gape at the body practically on display in front of him. Then Jesse had blearily peered at the redhead, before saying, "Willow? It's really early. This had better be important."
She was completely unrepentant as she spoke to him. "Jesse it is almost eleven o'clock," she reported after checking her watch. "I came by to introduce someone to you. Jesse this is our new best friend Xander. Xander this is your newest best friend Jesse." The two boys had shook hands and then Xander had been ushered into the house.
It had been explained to Xander later, after moving to the new place, that the house had belonged to some of the local deadbeats, and the most over-achieving alcoholics in all of Sunnydale, Tony and Jessica Harris. They tended to get phoned into the police at least once a week for a domestic or disturbing the peace, and the officer who was sent out most of the time was Jesse's dad.
The house had been a disaster area when Zinnia had bought it, sight unseen, from a very happy real estate agent. She had been told that the only available house that met her required specifications in the area of town she was looking for was the old Harris house, which had just come on the market, and that it was in need of a little work. She had responded that it didn't matter, and she would take it. When Xander had first stepped inside the front door he almost gagged. There was an over powering stench of urine and shit drifting from the main floor's bathroom, which mingled with the smell of rotting food coming from the kitchen. There was trash littering the entire house, and holes in the walls, then in addition to the rotting food, the kitchen also had glass shards all over.
The only upside that Xander could see to all this was that the house had been considerably cheaper then the house they had been at, because of the condition of the interior. The downside was Xander and Zinnia were forced to spend a good portion of their time for the rest of the summer hols cleaning, fixing, straightening, reorganizing, and in general doing things that could have, and should have, been done much faster with the use of magic. Zinnia had insisted that they should do them by hand. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." She had said after Xander had complained about patching the holes in the walls.
"But we're inside a house! Who is going to see?"
"Your new friend, Willow, was very surprised to see that we were completely unpacked only the day after we had moved in, I won't make that mistake again."
"I wont invite anyone over till you think that it would be safe to then." Xander insisted.
"Then what if one of our new neighbors shows up to welcome us to the neighborhood? Should we rudely turn them away at the door? No Xander, we continue doing this the muggle way. It will be good for us to learn not to rely on magic."
Xander had wanted to scream.
He had managed to keep his sanity because of two things, he would regularly ditch his mom and the house from hell, to meet up with Jesse and Willow at the park, where Jesse was teaching him the finer points of skateboarding, and extolling the virtues of one Cordelia Chase. In the meantime Willow winced at every scrape and bruise Xander got, then while bandaging him up would make small comments under her breath about Jesse's taste in women. Xander had quickly come to realize that Jesse was interested in only one thing when it came to his more carnal side, and that was Cordelia, in fact he was one or two steps away from being a stalker, but Xander figured that as long as he didn't take those few steps, all would be well.
The other thing that helped him to keep his sanity was a package he had gotten via owl express. There had been no marking on it as to the identity of the sender but there was a note. Besides, Xander knew that the only ones who would send him something were Harry and Draco. The note simply said 'Already you are missed, but with this gift you are closer at hand. We will show the way through your heart. Only to secret the knowledge so only we may watch.'
He opened the package and saw that it contained a beautiful watch. It was platinum with an iridescent face with alternating gold and silver numbers, copper hands and had an elaborate design carved into the leather of the straps. Xander immediately fastened it onto his wrist, his heart aching to see the two boys he had left behind at Hogwarts, when much to his surprise the face of the watch shimmered and changed. It now had words instead of numbers and they were in copper, and the two hands were silver and gold with the names Draco and Harry printed on them respectively.
He smiled as he took note of the fact that both hands were currently resting on the word Sleeping, and took note that other options on the face were things like fighting, hospital, class, eating, traveling, and the one that Xander liked the least, life threatening peril. Unfortunately he knew that both boys would probably spend more time on that one then he would care for. Then he noticed one word in very small, raised iridescent letters, almost as if the maker of the watch was trying to hide it in plain site. He tilted his arm back and forth until the light caught it just right and made out the word, DEAD. That would have been Draco for you, ever mindful of the harsh realities and not wanting to sugar coat anything when he was being serious about something.
He knew without a doubt that they also had their own version of the watch they had given Xander. Harry's would have been a rather unassuming looking watch, something no one in the Dursley residence would give a second glance to, while Draco would have chosen a stunningly expensive pocket watch for himself. Xander also discovered, after much trial and error that saying the word 'secret' was the way to get the watch to show the time. The only problem was, looking at the watch caused him to think of Harry and Draco, which was the trigger to show their status, so Xander found himself saying 'I don't know, it's a secret' whenever Willow or Jesse would ask him the time. Of course he would tell them as soon as the watch changed, and after a while it became a running gag with the three.
But. regardless of all the distractions and the wondrous gift, Xander was really nervous, he had never been to an American school, or to a muggle school, and this was going to be an American Muggle School. He had already picked out his outfit for tomorrow, and was pacing around his room like a caged animal. Willow and Jesse had promised that they would show him around, but he was still so nervous, in fact he wasn't sure he could eat.
Trying to calm himself, he attempted to think of other things, like the fact that he was going to loose his memories of this day when he lost the rest of them, and wasn't that a good thing? Xander winced at his thoughts, and tried another approach, once again blocking the inevitable memory wipe from his mind.
Meditation, that was the ticket, he would try meditate his way out of feeling nervous. He settled himself on the bed, sitting in the lotus position, closed his eyes and began to clear his mind, breathing in deeply and concentrating on saying the word 'Ohm.' on the exhale, when something registered in his mind. His mom must be close to finishing supper, cause the smells creeping around his closed bedroom door were mouth watering. One of his eyes cracked open as Zinnia called up the stairs that supper was ready, and he found himself halfway to the door before she had finished speaking. Maybe he could eat something, after all he was a growing boy.
Besides, it wasn't like worrying ever made anything better.