Day 18 - Willow Who?
Aug. 18th, 2024 06:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grundyscribblingTitle: Willow Who?
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: Harry Potter.
Disclaimer: Playing with other people's toys. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Willow goes to Diagon Alley and finds more than she bargained for.
Word Count: 1070
Note: Apologies to anyone hoping for more Buffy in Arda - the day is not going well and sometimes it's easier to just shift gears and do something completely different. Also, don't want to hear a word about She Who Will Not Be Shamed - Death of the Author.
Willow sighed.
Giles had given her quite the shopping list, which unfortunately included some items only obtainable in the section of London that was the territory of wand-users.
Fascinated as she’d been by learning that wands did actually exist and there was an entire magical community that used them, she was in no particular hurry to check it out. From what the Devon coven had said, British wand-users were a very insular, closed-off society. The only time the rest of the country heard from them was when there was big trouble.
Two years ago, apparently they’d had a dark lord try to take over. That had spilled over, and several of the Devon coven had been targeted. One had made it into hiding, but Cynthia had been killed, allegedly for ‘stealing’ magic.
That wand-users thought such a thing was even possible made most magic practitioners not from their community steer well clear of them. Willow would have been perfectly happy to do the same. But Giles needed a copy of Galloway’s Principles of Geodesy and several potion ingredients he said would be quickest and least expensive from Diagon Alley.
“Don’t see why he couldn’t come get them himself,” Willow grumbled as she made her way up Charing Cross Road, looking for the pub Giles had instructed her was the concealed entrance.
Yes, all right, she had almost ended the world once, but that had been kept quiet, which meant Willow Rosenberg wasn’t going to command the same cautious respect from wand-users as Ripper Giles.
The Leaky Cauldron looked just as unprepossessing as she’d been told, but that was fine. She wasn’t here to socialize.
She walked in and headed for the back without stopping. From what she could see, vampires and wand-users would get along great if their fashion sense was anything to judge by. If any of the locals objected to her clothes, they had the sense to keep it to themselves.
She was somewhat surprised that the courtyard in the back looked nearly as grubby and unimpressive as the streetfront, but supposed that might be part of the defenses – any non-magic user who made it this far would assume it was exactly what it looked like, a brick wall.
She only needed to follow her senses and direct magic to one particular brick which was apparently the key to opening the barrier.
Ok, maybe the way the barrier opened was a little nifty. And the street beyond it was more obviously nifty.
Willow reminded herself about insular, closed, not welcoming to anyone not one of them and set off for the bookstore.
Happily, Flourish and Blotts was easy enough to find. Unhappily, Willow realized she was in some trouble about two steps in. This was going to do serious damage to her bank account now that she knew the shop existed and she could come whenever she wanted.
An hour later, she still hadn’t finished her initial once-over of the store, because she’d gotten so thoroughly absorbed in the magical theory section. (She did have Giles’ book in hand. She hadn’t entirely forgotten her errand list.)
She was doing her best to decide between Most Potente Potions and An Introduction to the Architecture of Spells when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Geez, Gin, I’ve been trying to get your attention for five minutes, I…”
A woman with brown hair and intelligent eyes trailed off in confusion.
“Ginny?” she asked uncertainly.
“Sorry, no,” Willow said with a smile.
She felt the slight pulse of magic and made sure to keep her face neutral. She wasn’t sure what that had been about – it wasn’t directed at her, but it was very definitely about her.
“My mistake,” the woman said. “You look a lot like my fiancé’s sister.”
“They do say we all have a doppelganger somewhere in the world,” Willow replied politely.
Giles had given her enough that she could get all three books, she’d just have to change some of her own money at the wizarding bank to get his potions ingredients.
She nodded at the other woman and made her way to the counter to pay. On her way out, she passed a tall red-headed man who did a double-take on seeing her – Ginny’s brother, if she had to guess.
It was when she arrived at Gringott’s that things got really weird.
The goblin behind the counter called her ‘Miss Weasley’, and seemed perturbed that she didn’t have her wand to verify her identity. He seemed extremely dubious about her insistence that she was Willow Rosenberg, from California, didn’t have an account, and just wanted to exchange ‘Muggle’ money for galleons.
When they led her to a room off to one side, Willow began to worry and sent a silent magic flare of her own to Giles. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she really didn’t like the look of where this was going.
It didn’t take long for two men who must be the wand-users’ equivalent of police to show up – and one of them was the red-headed man from earlier.
“Still not Ginny,” she greeted them, letting a little bit of her crankiness show.
“It is clear you are not Ginevra Weasley,” the goblin she’d been dealing with said flatly. “However, we do have numerous ways of verifying the identity of our customers, and you are registering as a member of the Weasley family.”
“Your ways must be slightly confused,” Willow said patiently. “I’ve never even heard of the Weasley family. I’m from California. In the United States.”
“Look, this should be fairly easy to sort out,” the red-headed man’s partner said placatingly. “What’s your date of birth?”
“Yeah, that’d rule out pretty quickly if she’s one of us. Ron Weasley, by the way.”
He offered a hand, looking slightly sheepish, and Willow realized he thought it just as unlikely as she did that they were related.
“Willow Rosenberg,” she replied, shaking politely. “August 11, 1981.”
Ron Weasley abruptly went pale – well, paler than normal. Willow wasn’t exactly Miss California Sunshine herself, but even so, she had several shades on him.
“Oh, dear,” his partner said. “Ron is there any chance…?”
“You’d have to ask Mum and Dad,” Weasley said quietly. “But it’s a hell of a coincidence if she’s not.”
“Not what?” Willow demanded sharply.
“My younger sister Gin was born August 11, 1981,” he replied. “And twins aren’t exactly unheard of in our family.”
Author: Grundy
Rating: FR13
Crossover: Harry Potter.
Disclaimer: Playing with other people's toys. No money is being made here, it's all in good fun.
Summary: Willow goes to Diagon Alley and finds more than she bargained for.
Word Count: 1070
Note: Apologies to anyone hoping for more Buffy in Arda - the day is not going well and sometimes it's easier to just shift gears and do something completely different. Also, don't want to hear a word about She Who Will Not Be Shamed - Death of the Author.
Willow sighed.
Giles had given her quite the shopping list, which unfortunately included some items only obtainable in the section of London that was the territory of wand-users.
Fascinated as she’d been by learning that wands did actually exist and there was an entire magical community that used them, she was in no particular hurry to check it out. From what the Devon coven had said, British wand-users were a very insular, closed-off society. The only time the rest of the country heard from them was when there was big trouble.
Two years ago, apparently they’d had a dark lord try to take over. That had spilled over, and several of the Devon coven had been targeted. One had made it into hiding, but Cynthia had been killed, allegedly for ‘stealing’ magic.
That wand-users thought such a thing was even possible made most magic practitioners not from their community steer well clear of them. Willow would have been perfectly happy to do the same. But Giles needed a copy of Galloway’s Principles of Geodesy and several potion ingredients he said would be quickest and least expensive from Diagon Alley.
“Don’t see why he couldn’t come get them himself,” Willow grumbled as she made her way up Charing Cross Road, looking for the pub Giles had instructed her was the concealed entrance.
Yes, all right, she had almost ended the world once, but that had been kept quiet, which meant Willow Rosenberg wasn’t going to command the same cautious respect from wand-users as Ripper Giles.
The Leaky Cauldron looked just as unprepossessing as she’d been told, but that was fine. She wasn’t here to socialize.
She walked in and headed for the back without stopping. From what she could see, vampires and wand-users would get along great if their fashion sense was anything to judge by. If any of the locals objected to her clothes, they had the sense to keep it to themselves.
She was somewhat surprised that the courtyard in the back looked nearly as grubby and unimpressive as the streetfront, but supposed that might be part of the defenses – any non-magic user who made it this far would assume it was exactly what it looked like, a brick wall.
She only needed to follow her senses and direct magic to one particular brick which was apparently the key to opening the barrier.
Ok, maybe the way the barrier opened was a little nifty. And the street beyond it was more obviously nifty.
Willow reminded herself about insular, closed, not welcoming to anyone not one of them and set off for the bookstore.
Happily, Flourish and Blotts was easy enough to find. Unhappily, Willow realized she was in some trouble about two steps in. This was going to do serious damage to her bank account now that she knew the shop existed and she could come whenever she wanted.
An hour later, she still hadn’t finished her initial once-over of the store, because she’d gotten so thoroughly absorbed in the magical theory section. (She did have Giles’ book in hand. She hadn’t entirely forgotten her errand list.)
She was doing her best to decide between Most Potente Potions and An Introduction to the Architecture of Spells when someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“Geez, Gin, I’ve been trying to get your attention for five minutes, I…”
A woman with brown hair and intelligent eyes trailed off in confusion.
“Ginny?” she asked uncertainly.
“Sorry, no,” Willow said with a smile.
She felt the slight pulse of magic and made sure to keep her face neutral. She wasn’t sure what that had been about – it wasn’t directed at her, but it was very definitely about her.
“My mistake,” the woman said. “You look a lot like my fiancé’s sister.”
“They do say we all have a doppelganger somewhere in the world,” Willow replied politely.
Giles had given her enough that she could get all three books, she’d just have to change some of her own money at the wizarding bank to get his potions ingredients.
She nodded at the other woman and made her way to the counter to pay. On her way out, she passed a tall red-headed man who did a double-take on seeing her – Ginny’s brother, if she had to guess.
It was when she arrived at Gringott’s that things got really weird.
The goblin behind the counter called her ‘Miss Weasley’, and seemed perturbed that she didn’t have her wand to verify her identity. He seemed extremely dubious about her insistence that she was Willow Rosenberg, from California, didn’t have an account, and just wanted to exchange ‘Muggle’ money for galleons.
When they led her to a room off to one side, Willow began to worry and sent a silent magic flare of her own to Giles. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she really didn’t like the look of where this was going.
It didn’t take long for two men who must be the wand-users’ equivalent of police to show up – and one of them was the red-headed man from earlier.
“Still not Ginny,” she greeted them, letting a little bit of her crankiness show.
“It is clear you are not Ginevra Weasley,” the goblin she’d been dealing with said flatly. “However, we do have numerous ways of verifying the identity of our customers, and you are registering as a member of the Weasley family.”
“Your ways must be slightly confused,” Willow said patiently. “I’ve never even heard of the Weasley family. I’m from California. In the United States.”
“Look, this should be fairly easy to sort out,” the red-headed man’s partner said placatingly. “What’s your date of birth?”
“Yeah, that’d rule out pretty quickly if she’s one of us. Ron Weasley, by the way.”
He offered a hand, looking slightly sheepish, and Willow realized he thought it just as unlikely as she did that they were related.
“Willow Rosenberg,” she replied, shaking politely. “August 11, 1981.”
Ron Weasley abruptly went pale – well, paler than normal. Willow wasn’t exactly Miss California Sunshine herself, but even so, she had several shades on him.
“Oh, dear,” his partner said. “Ron is there any chance…?”
“You’d have to ask Mum and Dad,” Weasley said quietly. “But it’s a hell of a coincidence if she’s not.”
“Not what?” Willow demanded sharply.
“My younger sister Gin was born August 11, 1981,” he replied. “And twins aren’t exactly unheard of in our family.”
no subject
Date: 2024-08-19 08:09 am (UTC)Also, I’m sorry to hear your Sunday went pear shaped. It sucks when your weekend goes sour and have an “interesting” (after the manner of the old Chinese curse) job to deal with the rest of the week. *sending supportive and positive thoughts*
no subject
Date: 2024-08-21 01:26 am (UTC)Sunday and yesterday were not great, but things are looking up. A good night's sleep, and maybe I'll get back to Arda...
no subject
Date: 2024-08-21 02:23 am (UTC)