Disclaimer: I own nothing and seek no profit from this story. It is just a hobby.


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Author's Note: I originally wrote this story in third person. In the end I changed it to Xander's POV. I am pretty sure that it's first person all the way through however, mistakes happen. So, if I missed something, please politely let me know and I'll fix it.




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Across the Street


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I'm familiar with feeling like I don't know what's going on. I've often felt as though I'm left 'out of the loop' about things. But, I'm sure that this time, something's just not right all around and it has nothing to do with me- or anyone back in Cleveland. No, this time we've all been left out of the loop. The loop has bypassed us altogether.


I look at the slip of paper Giles gave me again. The same address is still there- 18 Charing Cross Road, London, between a book shop and a record store. I go over what I know once again. Maybe I did make a mistake. Giles hadn't known the name of the establishment, but his contact had assured him that it was an inn. I look at the paper again and then up at the vacant lot in front of me, and wish for the hundredth time that I'd never agreed to come on this little seek and find mission. I'm about to give up and go search for a phone when out of no where, a woman asks me a question.


"Can I help you find something?"


I blink and turn toward the voice. She's rather short- maybe 5'5 at the most, and her hair was a bit on the wild side. But, she has a pretty face and wide, beautiful eyes. I smile. "Hi."


And she smiles back. "Hello."


"I think I'm lost." I say sheepishly.


"What are you looking for?"


I gesture to the paper in my hand. "A friend of mine sent me after an antique. He said it was at a shop behind a pub that's also an inn near some sort of alley. It's the pub that I can't find."


Her eyes are even wider now. "A pub that's also an inn near an alley?"


I nod. "Yeah. I'm pretty lost, huh?"


"Possibly not," she says. "Do you have the address?"


"Yeah. That's the kicker. The address is 18 Charing Cross Road, London. Otherwise known as that empty lot over there between the record store and the book shop."


"Oh," she says simply.


I know I'm grinning. She's cute. "Thanks for offering your help though. It was very nice of you."


She smiles again. "I'm Hermione, by the way."


I hold out my hand. "I'm Xander. Nice to meet you."


She's shaking my hand ... and talking some more. "You too. Are you quite sure that is the correct address? And that the antique you're here to retrieve is located in an alley?"


I nod. I wonder why she is still stuck on that. "Yeah. My friend must have been mistaken, though. And that sucks. I mean, I came all the way from Cleveland to get it."


"America, right?"


I smile. She's really cute. Adorable, even. "You couldn't tell from my accent?"


Hermione blushes. I have made her blush! "I didn't want to be rude."


"Of course not."


Her blush deepens at my mild flirting and I wonder if she'd have dinner with me ... wonder if it would be too forward to ask. She looks at the paper in my hand then back up at me. "You are sure, though? About the address?"


I nod again. She's still on that? What's going on? "Yeah. It's the address I was given. Why?"


Hermione sighs. "I am going to get into so much trouble for this."


"Huh?" I ask as she looks around cautiously.


"Xander, repeat after me. The Leaky Cauldron is right across the street."


Repeat after her? Okay, this is very weird. But, hey! Grew up on a Hellmouth... I think I can handle saying a few words. Hopefully. I'm not really armed. Just a short sword. Oh well, here we go. I can do this.


"The Leaky Cauldron is right across the street. Oh, holy crap! There's a building there!"


Hermione just groaned. I look at her, she's biting her lower lip. "I think I just made a huge mistake." she says.


I feel like there should be alarm bells going off. And could I feel any stupider? Magick. It has to be.


"It's magick, isn't it?" I ask. "This place is magic? You know, it makes sense. I mean, the thing I'm here to get is magickal, I don't know why it wouldn't be in a magickal place ... man Giles should have told me that."


Hermione is openly staring at me, the look on her face priceless. "You know about magic?"


I laugh. Cute and funny. This could be interesting. Maybe she'll have dinner with me after all. "Well, yeah. I mean, my two best friends are, well, Willow's a witch. And Buffy, um, Buffy's..."


Did her eyes just get wider? Is that even possible? Wow. She looks like I just told her I'm famous. I'm not famous, right? Nah. I'm just me. Plain old Xander. Why is she looking at me like that? "Hermione? Are you okay?"


Her mouth opens and closes like a fish. I watch her take a deep breath. She opens her mouth to speak, and this time, words come out. "Willow? Buffy? Willow and Buffy? As in Willow Rosenberg and Buffy Summers?"


I know I look shocked, but come on! Totally wasn't expecting this. "You know them?"


Hermione nods furiously. "You said they're your two best friends? You said your name is Xander... Oh! Great Merlin! You're Alexander Harris!"


Okay, maybe I am famous. How am I famous? I didn't know I was famous. I must have missed that memo. She's staring at me like she's waiting for me to say something. Did she ask me a question? No. Right. She's just waiting on confirmation of me being Xander Harris. My life is weird. "And you know me how?"


Again with the fish mouth thing. At least she seems as shocked as I am.


"You ... you're... defeated ... saved the world..." Hermione manages.


Oh- she knows about that. Oh! She knows about that?


"You know about that?" I ask.


Hermione nods. I ask her a question of that magnitude and she just nods!


"What do you know?" I ask, trying to get at least a little information out of her.


She takes a deep breath. "I work for the Ministry of Magic. I know all of it ... it's all in the files. The Judge, Mayor Wilkins, Glorificus, The First- all of it."


Wow. She knows all of that? And wait! I'm so confused. "There's a Ministry of Magick?"


Hermione just smiles at me. God, she has a pretty smile.


"Thank you," she says.


"Huh?" I ask.


Her smile gets brighter. "You didn't mean to say that last part out loud, did you?"


I'm really confused now. "Last part?"


She's giggling now. I've made her giggle. She looks at me and stops giggling, her eyes big and bright. "Do you really think I have a pretty smile?"


I think I could get lost in her eyes if she keeps looking at me like that. I take a step closer- she needs an answer. "Yeah, Hermione. You have a beautiful smile."


She's blushing now, but she doesn't look away. And she hasn't stepped away, either. She tilts her head to the side. "Xander, would you care to join me for a drink?"


I smile. "Yes, Hermione, I believe I would."


~The End~