A Year Abroad

A Harry Potter/Buffy the Vampire Slayer Crossover

By: DreamRealmer

Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own any of the rights to Buffy or Harry Potter. There may be a few OCs popping up, but they mostly serve as devices to move the plot forward, or fill in holes.

This takes place post-Deathly Hallows. I am going by the timeline established in the novels; therefore, the story starts summer 1998 (I might fiddle with some of the dates though). The Wizarding war is over, and Buffy is living in L.A. under the alias 'Anne.'

Obviously, this is an AU where the 'Super-happy-ending' Epilogue is not etched in stone.

I have not decided ahead of time what, if any, pairings will be different. I just thought I'd have some fun. Also, this will be an M for: Language, Suggestive Dialogue, Violence, and Bloodshed. Enjoy.

- A Year Abroad -

"Dialogue"

'Thought'

"Foreign Language"

Writing/signage

July 31, 1998. The Burrow

'It's certainly been an interesting day,' thought Harry, as he sat at the Weasley's kitchen table, moving some mashed potatoes around his plate with his fork.

He had finally fulfilled a promise he had made to himself to personally visit the families of all who died defending Hogwarts. He had attended the memorials, but they all wound up focusing on him. If there was one thing Harry did not want to be, it was the center of attention.

He wanted to make sure that every family understood he could not have succeeded without the brave actions of their loved ones.

'I could have gotten the visits over with quicker, if I didn't have to make sure the damn Prophet wasn't following me,' Harry mused to himself. 'But I have to admit, I did not see Kingsley's visit coming.'

"Harry, dear, are you all right?"

Harry was pulled out of his musings by Mrs. Weasley's question. It was only then he noticed the cake in front of him.

"Yeah. Sorry." Harry smiled awkwardly as he leaned forward and blew out the candles.

The atmosphere at the Burrow was very much subdued, compared to this time last year. The pains from the war were still fresh in everyone's minds. No one had objected to Harry's request for a simple family dinner for his birthday.

While Molly served the cake, Arthur Weasley took it upon himself to try to lighten the mood. "Harry, I was wondering if you could tell me about these Muggle devices I've been seeing more frequently on my way to work… a CAD player?"

Harry was pretty certain Mr. Weasley exaggerated his "misunderstandings" about muggle devices sometimes. And from Hermione's sly smirk, he was certain she had the same thoughts.

"C.D. player. It's an abbreviation. Compact Disc. It's a way Muggles can listen to music as they travel."

"Extraordinary. How does it work?" Arthur asked with his usual glee.

"Hermione, sweetie, how are your parents?" Harry mouthed a silent 'Thank you' to Mrs. Weasley for saving him from another round of 'Thousand questions Harry can't really answer about Muggles.'

"They're doing very well," Hermione replied. "I was concerned about ill effects from reversing the memory charms, but the Healer Kingsley sent with me to Australia was most helpful."

"How many times did you read up on the spell before you left?" Ginny asked with a playful grin.

Hermione seemed hesitant to answer. "If I had to guess… Twelve times?"

Ginny turned toward George with a triumphant grin. George rolled his eyes, and handed over a Galleon. Hermione huffed, but her expression softened when Ron kissed her cheek.

Molly nodded, "It's nice, all the things Kingsley is doing to help everyone. It's good he has the Ministry so active in rebuilding."

"Speaking of Royal," George said pointing a fork back-and-forth between Harry and Ron, "What did he want to talk to you two about, today at the shop?"

Ron sat up a little straighter at the opportunity to answer. "He wanted to give Harry and me advanced notice on a decree that he's issuing. He's waiving the N.E.W.T. requirements for any Hogwarts defenders looking to join the Aurors."

"Really," asked Hermione. "Does that mean the two of you are going straight into the Auror academy?"

"Yep," stated Ron. It was a moment before the rest of the table noticed Harry had not answered.

'Well, here goes,' Harry thought to himself. "I was actually thinking I might travel. You know, take a year abroad."

Harry couldn't quite tell who at the table was most shocked by this.

"What, again?" Now the flabbergast looks were on Ron.

Harry struggled not to roll his eyes. 'Only Ron would think of last year as a holiday.'

- A Year Abroad -

August 20, 1998. Los Angeles

'I wonder what my friends are up to,' Buffy mused to herself as she delivered a plate of food to a nice-looking, elderly couple.

"Anything else I can get for you?" Buffy asked with a smile

"No. Thank you, dear," said the silver-haired, older woman, returning Buffy's smile.

'I wonder if they'll actually leave a tip, this time.'

"Hey, Anne." Buffy looked up at Tammy, the brunette waitress, currently holding a tray loaded with food. "Could you take the order from the group at table seven for me, please?"

"No sweat." 'I wonder if Mom is still mad at me?'

Buffy made her way across the diner, adrift in her thoughts. She had been doing that quite a bit since coming out here. Lost in thought during the day, trying not to think about—

'Angel?!'

Buffy slowed as she caught site of the occupants of table seven; a bubbly teenaged couple sitting across from an eerily familiar, spiky, dark haired man. She shook herself out of her thoughts when she noticed they were sitting in front of a window, in the morning, of a cloudless day.

"Hi, I'm Anne. "

The blonde girl was the first to look up. "Hi, Anne. I'm Lily. This is Rickie," she paused to kiss Rickie. "And this is our new friend, Harry."

Buffy turned towards the raven-haired man she had been subconsciously avoiding looking at. 'He's got such amazing green eyes.'

"Hello, Anne. How's your day been, so far?" Harry offered his hand to Buffy.

Lily squealed, "Don't you just love his accent?"

'Please don't let him be a friend of Giles'.' "It's great. What part of England are you from?" Buffy couldn't help but feel the scars on the back of his hand.

"Town you've never heard of. Little Whinging, Surrey."

"You're right. I have never heard of it."

"Me and Rickie met him as we were leaving the tattoo parlor." Lily pulled up her sleeve and pressed her arm against Rickie's, showing off their tattoos of each other's names inside a lopsided heart. "Isn't it great?"

"That's nice." Buffy looked to Harry, "What'd you get?"

"I'm… not really one for tattoos."

"What about that, on your hand," asked Rickie.

Buffy caught Harry moving his left hand over his right.

"That's not a tattoo."

Rickie went silent as he realized his faux pas.

"Uh… Can I get you anything to eat?"

Lily and Rickie check their pockets for whatever loose bills and change they have. Before they can ask 'what can we get for $4.67,' Harry speaks up.

"I'm going to have the pancakes, with strawberry syrup. And put whatever they order on my bill."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Lily offered.

"Nonsense. You two offered to show me to the youth hostel, least I can do is buy you breakfast."

Buffy genuinely smiled as she took Harry's menu. 'This guy is nice. I hope he isn't walking into a mugging. You can never tell with some people.'

"Thanks, man," said Rickie. "I'm going to have the scrambled eggs and sausage patties."

"I'll just have the oatmeal." Lily squinted as she looked at Buffy. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

'What? Oh, crap. Does she?' "I-I don't think so." Buffy looked Lily over trying to place her. "I'll go put your orders in. Tammy should be back to top off your drinks."

Harry watched as 'Anne' hurried to the counter. 'That was odd.'