Barty wanted to apologize to Willow, he wanted her to know he didn't mean to make her cry. He promised himself that the next time he saw her he would go and talk to her. She would be at dinner, he would do it then.

But she wasn't at dinner and he began to get worried.

He didn't sleep well that night. He tossed and turned and when he finally did sleep he dreamed of his father yelling at him, and Willow's tear stained face. He woke up an hour early in a cold sweat, so he just got up and got dressed. Willow had to be at breakfast. She couldn't skip two meals.

He decided to go down to breakfast early, mostly because he didn't want to listen to Bella's jeers. Weather they were directed at him or someone else, he just wasn't in the mood for it. When he reached the dinning hall he quickly scanned the Ravenclaw table for Willow. At first he didn't think she was there but then he spotted her among a large group of people.

He got excited and quickly walked down the aisle towards her. He would ask her if she would like to talk to him alone, it would be really embarrassing and unbecoming to apologize in front of others. When he neared her group they all looked up at him and gave him warning dirty looks. Shit, she had told them all what had happened. They all looked at him except Willow who concentrated harder on her eggs and toast.

He decided not to stop after all and would instead talk to her if he saw her in the halls, alone. Or even better, next potions class. She couldn't avoid him then.

He didn't see her in alone in the next few days, and maybe that was for the best. He began feeling nervous and anxious about the whole situation, and didn't know why. Apologizing wasn't his thing. As a Slytherin it was not expected of him. In fact the opposite seemed encouraged, or at least that's how you survived.

Finally Friday's potion class arrived and he wasn't quite sure if he was ready for it or not. He gave Bella the slip at breakfast and made it to the potions room early. He was just too worked up to have to watch her trip freshmen in the hall and be expected to laugh.

He was getting anxious the longer the time drew on and no one had entered the classroom yet. He didn't like being anxious. He kept rearranging his tools on the desk and drumming his fingers on the desk nervously. The classroom eventually began to fill, and his nerves did anything but subside. Every person that walked through the door that wasn't Willow made his heart beat that much faster but he didn't know how he'd react when she did arrive. What would she do? She probably hated him by now. Well, she had right to.

He turned away from the door suddenly not wanting to know when she arrived. Therefore he didn't see Willow's little French friend arrive. He didn't notice her at all until she casually walked by his desk and 'accidently' knocked his textbook to the floor, muttering "faggot" under her breath. He sneered at her back as she pretended to look for a spare textbook in the supply cupboard.

He picked the book up off the floor and while he was bent over he didn't notice Willow silently take up the seat next to him. When he turned and saw her there he almost dropped his book again. She wasn't looking at him, and he was pretty sure she was trying her hardest not to. After all she was staring at the cover of her potions textbook rather intently.

He was about to speak to her when Slughorn entered the room and class was starting. Slughorn's speech seemed longer than usual, it went on and on and Barty hardly listened to a word. He was more interested in the movements of the girl beside him. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her every move. Every time she shifted slightly in her chair, or touched her hair, or laid her hand upon her textbook, he noticed it all. To what means he was still unsure but he still wanted to know of every movement she made.

It seemed like it had been an hour since Slughorn had started talking when he finally stopped. It actually took Barty a moment to realize he had stopped and everybody was beginning to brew their potions. Shit, what were they supposed to be doing?

"Um…" He said turning to Willow who still was refusing to even glance at him. "Did you hear what we're supposed to be doing?" She didn't act like she even heard him and continued to stare off into space. He sighed and tapped her on the shoulder making her turn to him. She looked aggravated at having to look at him. "Do you know what we're supposed to be doing today?"

"I thought I wasn't supposed to help you," she said snidely.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about what I did. I didn't mean to be so rude, or make you cry. That's the last thing I meant to do, it's just I'm under a lot of pressure from my father…"

"What, you saw me crying?" She asked astounded.

"Um, yeah… That was you crying behind the suit of armor wasn't it?"

"Oh No," she said burying her face in her hands and she began sniffling again. Oh shit.

"Don't cry, I'm sorry… I really am. I didn't mean to invade your privacy. I was just taking my short cut to the library and saw you. Please don't cry." He said scooting his stool right next to hers and gently putting his arm around her.

"I'm alright," she said shrugging off his arm. "It's just so embarrassing."

"It's okay, it was just me, and I didn't tell anyone. Besides, everyone cries, its nothing to be ashamed of. I'm more ashamed for making you cry."

"Boys don't cry."

"I've cried more than you have probably…" He said without thinking. "Please don't tell anyone that. If Bella found out I'd never ever hear the end of it."

"I won't, as long as you tell me why you cry so much, apparently."

"My father… I think he hates me."

"Your father doesn't hate you. He's your father."

"You don't know my father. I get blamed for everything and no matter what I do it's never good enough."

"How? You have like the second best grades in our year."

"My father wouldn't be happy if I had perfect grades, got the Quidditch cup, and found a new amazing use for dragons blood. Sometimes I think he wishes I had never been born."

"That's terrible."

"That's my life. But I'm sorry for what I did to you. I was just feeling stressed because of my father."

"It's okay…"

"No it isn't."

"I'm okay, you don't need to worry about it."

"I do worry about it. I worry about it a lot!"

"Fine… what do you want me to do. I've already forgiven you."

"Let me make it up to you. Whatever you want, I'll do it for you."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

She thought for a while, her eyes looking him over, but in the end she said, "there's nothing I want."

"You can't be serious, there has to be something you want." He said edging closer to her. Her noticed her breath catch and goose bumps appear on her skin. She was attracted to him. He smiled to himself. He had never thought about it but she was decently pretty herself. "Do you want me to, do your homework for you for a week?"

"That's okay. I need to study myself and I doubt your handwriting could pass as mine."

"Oh… How about… next time we go to Hogsmeade I'll buy you butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?"

He noticed how she sat up a little straighter at this proposition and it took her longer to reply but she still answered, "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to do anything for me. Especially something you don't want to do."

"I want to. There is a dance this weekend isn't there?"

"The homecoming dance, yes."

"Do you have a date already?"

"Um… no."

"Then I'm taking you, and I will not take no for an answer."

"Okay…" She quietly stammered, a smile growing on her face. He smiled too.

"But we're going just as friends." He said making sure she wasn't expecting anything from him he wasn't ready to give.

"Of course." She said smiling brightly, he smiled too and he felt his heart flutter. What was happening to him? "I've never been to a dance before."

"You're kidding. A girl as pretty as you." Why did he just say that? But it made her smile brighter which made him forget his objections.

"The thing is I don't really know what to wear."

"It's casual, but it's not like you can come in sweat pants or school robes. I'd say a nice dress would be appropriate. You'd look good in green." He suggested.

"Okay," she said beaming at him.

"Excuse me," said Slughorn as he approached their table. "I'm glad you two are getting along but I'd love to see something in your caldron by the end of the hour."

"Sorry Professor." He replied as he looked at Willow and the two giggled for no particular reason. "So," he said to Willow when Slughorn had moved on, "exactly what are we making. I wasn't paying attention at the beginning of class."

"I think it's a simple remedy for the common cold." She answered opening her textbook, and then she paused and looked over at him. "You are going to let me help this time right? Or are you just inviting me to the dance to make it acceptable for you to yell at me the rest of the year?"

"I said I was sorry, and I expect you to help. Don't let me catch you slacking. Now you can crush the black beetles eyes."

"Could you maybe do that part? Beetles eyes freak me out. I can cut up the Belladonna leaves."

"Sounds good to me."

He noticed that they indeed worked well together when they tried, and also that his mind kept veering away from their potion and instead to the two of them dancing together tomorrow night. What was he getting himself into?