The creak of the rickety wooden steps told Dawn that she was no longer alone. Without turning she knew it was Xander, he was the only
person, other than herself, who ever came to the basement.
"Those steps are dangerous," she commented.
"I know," he said. "Maybe a gusset or two will strengthen them."
A gusset, what was that? "Maybe," she agreed anyway.
Coming to stand behind her he looked over her shoulder. "What you doing?" he asked curiously. Dawn her hands inside a particularly large pumpkin, looked at him and winked. "It's a secret."
Xander's eyes lit up. "Ooh I like secrets, what is it?"
"Not telling."
"Why not?"
"Because then it wouldn't be a secret silly," she told him and rubbed some pulp on his nose.
"Hey!"
Dawn laughed. "It suits you, makes you look kinda cute."
Xander sniffed and wiped the orange flesh on his sleeve. "So what are you doing?"
"Oh alright then but you've got to promise that you won't tell anyone. I want it to be a surprise for Halloween tomorrow."
"I promise," he said with mock solemnity.
Dawn nodded. "Well the other night I was looking through one of Willow's books and I found this spell..."
"Magic," Xander interrupted. "Dawn you know that magic and Halloween don't mix."
"Yes, yes I know" she had heard the stories about the bewitched costumes, Gachnar and the possessed frat house "but it's only a small
spell."
"I don't know about this Dawn."
"Oh come on Xander, I know what I'm doing. I've being studying magic for ages and the spell does nothing more than make a pumpkin talk. What could go wrong?" He still wasn't convinced. "Please."
For several seconds he said nothing but then, much to her relief, he nodded. "Ok, you better be careful though."
"Yay!" she exclaimed happily and gave him a little hug. "You'll see everyone will love it."
"I hope so," he said sounding as if he already regretted his decision. "Have you got much to do?"
Dawn looked at the pumpkin. The insides were all removed and the face, well she was no Michelangelo but it looked ok. It was as ready
as it would ever be anyway. "Just the spell."
A few minutes later Dawn and Xander were sitting opposite each other on the floor the pumpkin between them. "Do I really have to be involved in the spell?" Xander asked nervously.
"Don't be such a baby. The spell will be easier with two of us, now give me your hands." As the spell was Sumerian it was also the praxis, so actually it was quite lucky that he had come along when he had.
Taking Xander's hands in her own Dawn closed her eyes and went over the spell one last time. Outwardly she might appear calm but on the inside she was a bundle of nerves. This was the biggest spell of her young secret wiccan life and if anything went wrong it could very will be her last.
She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "Ok I'm ready," she announced, more for her own benefit than Xander's.
Recognizing her words for what they were Xander gave her hand a squeeze of encouragement. She smiled and squeezed back, then began to sing, her voice sweet and clear.
"For that which is silent, it is a voice that I ask.
For one single night, for one single task.
Listen to my plea, the words I have said.
Grant me this wish, for a pump-kin head."
The last word had barely left her mouth when suddenly the temperature in the basement dropped dramatically. A moment later a small blue
light, no bigger than a dime, appeared above the pumpkin. For several seconds it hovered in the air above the orange gourd before it began
to move. They both watched curiously as the light danced around them, first circling the pumpkin, then Dawn and finally Xander. Then
suddenly with a flash that brought tears to their eyes it was gone.
"Did it work?" Xander asked, excited in spite of his worries. Dawn blinked, she certainly hoped it had, it was the moment of truth. "Trick or treat?" she said to the pumpkin and waited but much to her chagrin the pumpkin made no reply.
"Well?"
The young girl looked up and stared. "Oops," she said finally. Xander frowned, well Dawn was sure he would have done if he was
capable of that expression. "What do you mean oops?" he asked. "I don't like the sound of that. What's happened?"
What was she supposed to tell him? How did you tell someone that instead of a head they had a large pumpkin on their shoulders? "It's
not a permanent spell," she told him.
"What isn't a permanent spell?"
"Xander please don't get angry."
"Dawn!"
She told him. "I'm sorry," she said when she had finished.
"Bloody hell Dawn!" He looked at her with his large triangular eyes. "I told you to be careful."
"I know and I thought I was but I must have gotten the words of the spell mixed up."
Xander sighed in resignation and shook his head.
"I'm almost certain things will return to normal tomorrow night."
"Only almost?"
She shrugged. "As long as I didn't get anything else wrong."
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes.
"What are you smiling about?" Xander asked, finally breaking the silence.
Dawn didn't know that she was but when she thought about it was kind of funny. "Nothing," she assured him.
"Well stop smiling then."
Dawn tried but she couldn't. The more she thought about it the funnier it was. "Look on the bright side Mr Pumpkin Head, at least
you should win first prize at the fancy dress party," she told him and unable to resist anymore began to laugh.
Xander just glared, he didn't find things funny in the least. Why hadn't he heeded his own words? Magic and Halloween just don't mix.
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