Legacy Of The Fathers

Legacy of the Fathers

Notes: This is the chapter that I´ve been dreading because I´m panicking about getting character voices right. I know, I´ve been writing the characters in other stories, but that doesn´t make it any easier when they´re being written in this context - none of them are going to be quite the same as they are in any of my other crossovers.

Plus, telling everything in a way that will explain all in a none-boring fashion...eep...

Also, someone said that Draco was mean to Buffy - it is justified. She did stab him, after all, so he´s bound to be a bit bitter towards her, when a) she tore his jacket and b) she made him pass out in a public place. Oh and there´s the whole bloody wound thing as well.

End notes - Okay. This is definitely muy odd. This was the quickest Legacy chapter I´ve written and I did it almost totally in one sitting (with a break for munchies). I´m still kind of dubious about because it did flow so easily. Plus, I´m dubious cos I had less the 5 hours sleep and have already been scouring the library for Shakespeare books. I´ve been in the library more and longer in two weeks of this term than the rest of my uni life...Gah. Dissertation work. I´m actually doing work. Be afraid!

Hope you like!

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Sprawling in one of the seats beside the table that stood in the middle of the library, Alexander Harris raised his eyes from his hands as the door of the library swung in, two figures entering.

"Xander," the newest arrival said in a voice that had never sounded sweeter to Alexander than it did at that moment.

"Cordy," he had managed to walk three paces towards her, his eyes widening in surprise when the brunette girl ran forwards and threw her arms around him. He could feel her face press against his neck and raised puzzled eyes to Draco Malfoy, who was still standing in the door.

"I had to tell her something, Snake," the blond said softly at the quizzical expression on Alexander´s face. "She needed to know something about why you wanted to have her here."

Alexander nodded in grateful comprehension. He closed his eyes, letting his arms go by their instinct and wrap around her familiar body, burying his face in the thick, dark mass of her hair.

Neither of them said anything. Neither of them really had to, but Alexander´s silent tears were hot on her skin and she clung to him all the tighter, ignoring everyone around them except for the boy in her arms.

"Okay," Buffy´s voice cut in. She was leaning against the bottom of the banister rail, her eyes suspiciously on Draco. "Will someone please tell us what´s going on around here?" She pointed a finger at him. "Something tells me everything going on here is because of you and I wanna know what it is!"

"Some might say I´m rather good at matchmaking broken couples," Draco replied, sticking his hands in his pockets and rolling his shoulders. "Having troubles with your love life and need Draco the Magnificent to help, Slayer?"

The Slayer straightened up. "Just who are you, buddy?" she demanded. "You come here, you know Giles and Xander, you act like a real jerk to me and you expect me to sit back and take it without good reason?"

"Buffy," Giles started to say.

"No, Giles," Malfoy said coolly. "Let me."

Alexander spoke, his voice thick and muffled by Cordelia´s hair. "Be nice."

"I´m always nice, Snake," Draco replied as moved forward, steering Cordelia and Alexander to one side, the warning gleam in his silver eyes actually making the Slayer back up. "And you, give us time, all right? A lot needs to be told and personally, I am not in the mood for dealing with you at this precise moment."

"You had no right..."

A cool fingertip touched her lip. "I´m not finished," he lowered his voice, stepping close to her, his eyes boring down into hers. "If anyone here has a right to do and say any damn thing they please, it´s the unfortunate person who was stabbed in the back, last night."

A flush of embarrassment and shamed crossed Buffy´s face. "I...I forgot about that..." She lowered her eyes, her shoulders slumping. "Sorry, I guess."

Much to her surprise, Draco´s hand moved and he brushed his knuckles gently down her cheek. Had Buffy been any less surprised by his change in attitude, she would probably have thrown him across the room for touching without permission.

As it was, she seemed to be trapped into staring at him.

"I wouldn´t worry about it, though, Slayer," he said, a genuine note of amusement in his voice. Hazel eyes stared in confusion into silver. "It´s not the first time someone tried, although it was the first time someone has succeeded. I ought to commend you for that."

She blinked at him, a little bemused. "Huh?"

The blond man´s lips lifted in a smirk that reminded her acutely of Spike. "That´s what I love about being so fickle," he said, turning and swinging up to sit on the table between two piles of books. "Always confuses everyone."

Buffy was still staring at him several minutes later and finally managed to turn her attention to Giles. "Is he always so...?" she started to ask.

"Always," Giles confirmed.

Draco grinned broadly at the commendation.

***

Striding into the library, slamming the doors wide, Faith stopped short at the sight of the group seated around the table, all of them looking up at her expectantly like some kind of committee waiting for a speaker.

Brilliant sunlight was pouring in on them through the windows, cutting between the gloomy stacks, bright and cheerful, but it couldn´t have seemed more of a contrast to the sombre group.

"Hey..." She looked around warily. "Who died?"

Alexander was the one who replied, standing up. "Faith, I´ve got some...stuff I need to tell everyone," he said and she could hear his voice shaking. "I wanted you to be here as well."

"Me?" She half-laughed, half-snorted in disbelief.

He looked at her, the expression on his face more serious than she had ever seen it, then he nodded. "Yeah," he replied gravely. "Everyone in this room needs to hear what I have to say."

Weird.

Xander never told her anything. That was what B and Red were there for, but this time he wanted to talk to her as well? What the hell?

Scrutinising his features, she shrugged.

Why not?

Walking towards the table, Faith did a double-take at the blond in the seat next to Alexander´s. Sure, his hair was different, but she coulda sworn that he was the guy she had met the night before.

"The goldfish look suits you," he said, as she swung into the seat at the opposite end of the table from him.

Faith looked from him to Alexander, who had just sat back down between Cordelia, who took Alexander´s hand between hers, and the blond guy. "You said you didn´t know this guy, Xan," she tutted. "Kinda rude to leave out introductions."

"Faith, this arrogant prick is Draco Malfoy," he motioned from one to the other with his free hand. The blond touched a fingertip to his brow in mock-salute. "Draco, you already know Faith."

Faith couldn´t help wondering where Alexander got off, calling the guy a prick to his face, but the blond didn´t seem to mind. In fact, he even seemed to be kinda amused by it, leaning back in his seat and smirking.

To Faith´s right, Red and her faithful Dogboy were seated with B just beyond them at the head of the table. Red and B both looked real worried about something, while the wolf looked as passive as ever.

Giles sat at the opposite end of the table from Buffy and he seemed to be the one chairing this...meeting thing. He looked around at all of their faces, then sighed. "I suppose we ought to begin, Xander."

"Yeah..." Alexander nodded, studying the surface of the table for a few minutes. "I don´t know where to start, but you guys...I...I needed to tell you that when I was in England with Giles, my mom...she...she died."

"No!" Willow gasped, her hand to her mouth. "Omigod! Xander!"

"Don´t start making with the deep sympathies and all that," Alexander said raising a hand in a calming motion. "I got all the pity I ever wanted or needed and then some. I don´t wanna hear any more, especially from you guys."

"But Xander..."

Alexander shook his head. "Don´t, Wills," he said quietly. "I don´t wanna hear how sorry everyone is. It doesn´t change things. It doesn´t make things better. I know you wanna say things that you´re always told are the right things to say, but I´ve heard `em all and they don´t mean anything anymore," He gave her a melancholy look. "Even when it´s you saying them."

"Rough time, huh?" Oz murmured, sympathy visible in his pale eyes.

The dark-haired boy nodded. "You could say that."

"Why didn´t you tell us?" Buffy whispered, her face white. She had only met Mrs Harris a couple of times, when she had gone to find Alexander, but she had never imagined anything like this happening.

Then again, no one would have.

"I-I had a lot to think about," Alexander replied, his voice tremulous. "I´ve...I´ve been staying with Giles since I got back...he knows everything that happened...him... and Draco..."

"What happened?" Willow asked. Tears were spilling down her chalk-white face and Oz´s arms were around her. She sounded like she were about to start sobbing, her voice a reedy sound.

"She was hurt, Wills," He stretched a hand across the table and Willow grasped it instantly, their eyes meeting briefly. "She was too weak when I got to her...she just couldn´t get...it...it was worse than anything dad ever did to her..."

Cordelia´s eyes were pressed tightly shut, tears seeping down her perfectly made-up cheeks. She and Willow had been the only ones who had any vague idea of what Robert Harris had put Mrs Harris through.

While she had never seen it firsthand, unlike Willow, Alexander had confided in her, when they had been involved together.

He had told her that his mother had been beaten by his father on regular occasions, but went to great pains to hide the damage and pretend that nothing had happened. It had hurt Alexander as much as it had his mother to see her harmed, but he had made her promise not to tell anyone, as his mother didn´t want anyone else involved.

She had never breathed a word to anyone, nor had Willow, although both of them had wished they had the power to intervene.

Buffy looked like she was puzzling over several possible lines of questioning. "Xan, what..." she began, then stopped and began afresh. "What was your mom in England for? Was...was it the Watcher´s council or something?"

"No! Definitely nothing to do with slayery stuff," Alexander replied quickly. Brown eyes looked around at the faces of his friends. "I...she..." A shaking hand ran through his hair, his eyes gleaming with fresh tears. "God...I-I-I didn´t think it would be so hard to tell you this..."

"Snake, want me to fill in some of the blanks?" Draco offered, his right hand resting on Alexander´s left shoulder.

Grateful dark eyes looked at him, as Cordelia slid closer and pressed her temple in silent comfort against Alexander´s. "Thanks, Ferret."

Draco squeezed his shoulder. "Not a problem," he said, then looked at Giles, who gave him a curt nod. "All right, ladies and gentlemen...what you are looking at, in the form of my dashing friend here, is the son and heir of the most powerful dark wizard of recent times. His mother was arrested and jailed for bearing him and that jail sentence which," a pained look crossed his face, "was my fault weakened her so much that she died, shortly after her son liberated her."

Five faces stared up at him as if he were crazy.

"I-I-I don´t understand," Willow´s voice was shaking and laced with grief.

"It´s simple, Wills," Alexander murmured wearily, his eyes closed, his brow still resting against his former girlfriend´s. "Robert Harris isn´t my real father. My blood father was a wizard called Lord Voldemort. He forced my mom to carry me and because she had his kid, me, they arrested her."

"Your father...?" the red-haired girl stared at him. "Your...but you...I-I don´t get it."

Alexander exhaled a breath. "My mom was an English witch," he said. "She only came here after I was born, to hide from him, because she knew he would want me to be like him." He sighed, studying his hands. "And I would have been if he had got me. I´m a wizard by blood."

"And a powerful one at that," Draco added.

"A wizard?" Cordelia echoed sceptically, her fingers tightening around his hand. "I-I don´t get it, Xander. You´ve never done anything magical. Willow was always the one who did that and you...well...you were..."

"The Zeppo?" he offered, opening his eyes, a sad smile hedging onto his lips. "Yeah, I thought so too, but it turns out mom hid my magic stuff to keep me safe from the people who worked for my dad."

Faith leaned back in her seat. "So do something magical, Xander," she said, her eyes fixed on him in guarded curiosity. "If you say you´re a wizard, why not show us some of your magic?"

"Because he can´t use his abilities without training," Giles interrupted sharply.

Alexander cast a half-smile at the Watcher. "What he said," he replied quietly to Faith. "I don´t know what I´m able to do and I don´t wanna try anything in case I start to turn out like my father."

"A thing of the bad?" Oz cocked his head.

"He was so bad that most of the people in our world, the magical world, were scared to even say his name aloud," Draco said, a grim look on his face. "He had a lot of power and he used it to do whatever he pleased."

"Like?" Faith prompted.

Giles and Draco both looked at Alexander in concern, wondering if they should reveal this much. He was staring intently at the top of the table. Spreading his fingers on the smooth surface, he traced a pattern in the light smatter of dust.

"Like everything you can imagine and worse. Murder, torture, kidnap. Things that are definitely not of the good," Alexander was the one to finally give the quiet reply without looking up from the table. "One of mom´s friends was forced to sleep with him to save her brother´s life, then she was made to torture and kill her dad right in front of her mom because my father wanted to show what happened to people who didn´t support him."

"Oh my God..."

Cordelia shook her head. "Oh God, Xander..."

"That´s why I´m not exactly big on the whole using-of-magic idea," Alexander continued, his voice low. "Before he became Voldemort, my father was a normal guy, at least everyone thought he was. He was called Tom Riddle and was smart, good at school, a nice guy, but Eth... my God-father told me that he...he was raised in an orphanage. His dad didn´t want him because he found out that Tom´s mom was a witch and Tom grew up to hate people who weren´t magical, like his father..."

"But you´re not like that, Xander!" Willow protested.

Alexander laughed bitterly. "I´m more like that than I´d like to be, Wills," he said in a shaking voice. "When I know that I could really hurt my...hurt Robert Harris for what he did to my mom, without leaving any marks or anything...knowing I could get revenge for all the times he hurt her...it´s so tempting..."

"You haven´t done anything to him, Snake," Draco said, his hand still reassuringly resting on Alexander´s shoulder. "Which shows that you´re stronger than he is to be able to stay in control."

"Xander..." Buffy was staring at him in confusion. "What do you mean? What did Mr Harris ever do to your mom?"

Dark brown eyes closed in pain. "Bad things, Buff," he replied quietly. "Things that no normal guy would do to his wife."

"And I thought my life was screwed up," Faith muttered.

Alexander´s fingers continued to lightly touch patterns on the table. "I had to tell you guys so you knew why I´ve been acting the way I have," he explained. "I needed to try and work out what I´m gonna do. What I am." His face tightened. "Who I am."

"A good guy, Snake," Draco said softly. "I should know, coming in from the other side. You´re a bloody good man."

Alexander laughed faintly. "Yeah. This coming from the Ferret."

"Watch it, you!" A pale hand punched his upper arm amiably.

"What´s with the Ferret thing?" Faith asked, curious. "And Snake? And how´n the Hell d´you know each other anyway?"

Draco looked around at the serious faces of Alexander´s friends. "I think I better do my big introduction now, since you´re probably all wondering how I´m involved in this whole mess. I turned Harris into the wizarding authorities. It´s my fault she was arrested and sent to the prison that ended up...well...it´s my fault."

"Don´t be so hard on yourself, Ferret," Alexander opened his eyes again. "You were doing it out of grief over your own mom dying. If we had switched roles, I´m pretty sure I would have done the same."

"You mean your dad...killed his mom?" Willow asked shakily.

The two youths exchanged looks.

"Not...exactly," Draco replied. "My father used to be in the employment of Harris´ father. My mother was taken for the ride. She didn´t exactly approve, but she couldn´t stand against him. It was easier not to fight, so she didn´t. She never harmed anyone and yet, she was killed by the light side wizards in the battle."

"Ergo, my father being the one to blame for everything," Alexander finished.

A silence fell briefly.

"What happened to him?" Buffy finally asked. "Your...your father?"

"Died."

"In the battle?"

A strange look crept across Alexander´s solemn features. "No," he replied, a ghost of a smile sweeping across white lips. "He was captured, imprisoned...he died in his cell..." A shudder ran through him, the expression giving way to one of fear and loathing. "I met him before he died...made me real glad mom hid me from him. He sounded just like a snake...looked like one too, or at least that´s what I was told..."

"So you calling him `Snake´ isn´t exactly of the good..." Buffy glared at Draco.

Draco raised his hands. "He doesn´t mind it and I have to tolerate him calling me Ferret after one of my most humiliating school experiences, so I would be greatly obliged if you would back off, Slayer."

"He´s right, Buffy," Alexander added. "I don´t mind. If he started getting all huggy and emotional on me, I think I´d run away."

"I-I still don´t get this," Willow mumbled, drawing every eye at the table. "I mean you´re... you´re Xander! You´re safe, snuggly, cosy Xander. How can you be the son of this super wiggy evil wizard guy? You´re too...too Xandery!"

"That´s because he´s just like his mother," a lazy voice drawled from the stacks. A tall, lanky figure sauntered out into the swathes of daylight cutting through the dusty windows, his hands deep in the pockets of his trousers, the burgundy sleeves of his shirt rolled up past his elbows. "And the gentlemanly wit, debonair taste and charm... well, let´s say he gets them from his Godfather."

Buffy was on her feet in a blink. "You!"

Ethan Rayne´s lips curled in a genuinely amused grin. "Nice to see you again too, Slayer," he said amiably. "So, what did I miss?"