The Hogwarts Express finally pulled into its station at Hogsmeade the day before the term resumed. Willow was there with the Weasley and Smith twins, Mandy, Lisa, Oliver, Ron, Harry, and Paige, waiting to greet all of their friends as the compartments opened at Hogsmeade Station. The first to exit the train and run into Willow's open arms was none other than Hermione Granger.
"Hermione!" Willow coughed. "You must have had a great Christmas, then?"
"Oh, it was wonderful!" Hermione agreed. "My parents really embraced this new wizarding life of mine and gave me all sorts of school supplies! It wasn't the same without you three there, though."
"You're so bad at lying, Hermione," Harry said. "Tell Ron and I all about your holiday!"
Willow watched the trio walk away, Hermione excitedly chatting with them about her father's dentist office fiasco. Sue Li suddenly appeared in front of her, dropping her trunk and wrapping her arms gently around her friend. Willow embraced her as well, the black-haired girl glowing with happiness, looking refreshed and ready to face another several months of school.
"It's good to have you back, Sue," she said. "I take it your family was pleased to have you home?"
"They must have missed me a lot, because they gave me more presents than they've ever given me before. I think I gained ten pounds from the amount of pudding I ate!"
Willow laughed. "Us, too."
"Us?"
"Sue's back! Come on, Oliver!" Mandy exclaimed, pulling him by his hand.
"Lisa! Mandy!" Sue called.
The three Ravenclaw girls melted into a group hug, Willow standing on the outside with Oliver. When they parted, Sue's eyes were alight with curiosity and excitement.
"I've missed you guys so much! What happened here at Hogwarts? Anything interesting?"
"Well, Oliver decided to speak to someone other than Willow, which was rather surprising," Mandy began.
Sue raised her eyebrows. "Really?" She turned to Oliver. "I don't think I've properly met you. Sorry about that. Hopefully I'll get to know you a little better soon."
Oliver smiled shyly, his way of saying that would be good. Mandy continued speaking about some of the things that had happened to Sue.
"...And Willow almost got herself detention for the rest of the year," Mandy said. "Is Snape still stuck in that ugly sweater?"
"Yeah," Willow snickered.
Sue glanced between Mandy and Willow, curiosity radiating from her. "I see that we have a lot to talk about. That should be a good story to tell."
"It will be. Let's head to the common room. Oliver, don't you dare sneak off! You're coming with us!"
Oliver let out a small chuckle as he nearly tripped over himself, Mandy dragging him with the other three. Willow was grateful that they let her stay to greet her other friends. Unfortunately, the next group that got off would be the last one she would be on the platform to welcome. Lavender, Mia, Fay, and Parvati stampeded off the train and tackled Willow.
"WILLOW! WE'RE BACK!" Mia screamed.
"WE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Fay shrilled.
"Missed you guys too!" Willow wheezed, crushed underneath the weight of her four roommates. "Welcome back!"
"Did you get a lot of presents? Did you kiss anyone under a mistletoe? Did you pull a prank on a teacher? Tell me everything!" Lavender commanded.
"Yes, ew, no, and of course I did. Snape is still suffering from it."
"DETAILS!" Fay ordered.
"Okay, okay, let's talk about it in a little bit-"
"NO! You're coming back to the dorm with us right now!" Parvati said. "You can tell us everything on the way!"
Willow was unwillingly kidnapped and forced to return to her dorm, all four of her roommates working together to keep her from running away. She gave in after five minutes of contemplating distracting them and shape-shifting. There was no point. Besides, maybe it was about time she spent some quality time with them. She was going to share a dorm with them for the next seven years, after all.
Willow told the tale of how the twins and her destroyed half of the castle's relics, then surprised Snape with dumping enchanted snow on his head at dinner that evening. They were in shock that she wasn't locked in the dungeons somewhere after succeeding with that sort of prank on Snape. Willow purposely omitted the fact that she had dressed up during the Christmas dinner, knowing that the girls would murder her without a second thought. She helped her friends unpack their trunks when they got back to their dormitory.
"I got brand new fancy robes from my dad!" Mia exclaimed. "What do you think?"
Lavender and Fay gasped in unison. "That's perfect!"
"You should wear it tonight!"
"What about you, Willow? Did you get any fancy robes from your parents?" Mia asked.
Willow's heart was yanked in two directions, trying to sink and soar at the same exact time. "Well...I got something from both of my parents, but not dress robes."
"Anything good?"
"Yes, actually. I got Muggle snacks from my dad, and from my mum..." Willow trailed off, swallowing the emotions that threatened to show. "I got a locket."
"Let me see! Let me see!" Parvati demanded.
Willow pulled the locket out from underneath her shirt where she had put it while she was walking to keep it from bouncing around. The four girls were on top of her in seconds, touching it gently and gaping in awe.
"Is- is that gold?"
"And diamonds?"
"Yes, they are," Willow said. "It's been a family heirloom since...God, I don't even remember the date, it's so old."
"What is that picture of?"
Willow carefully opened the locket, noticing that it was still perfectly maintained. There were no rust formations, and somehow nothing was chipped. Maybe someone along the line had put a charm on it to preserve it. Now that was someone from her mum's side that Willow would like to meet- someone resourceful and witty enough to know that this heirloom would need some help in its future centuries. Taking care not to smudge the photo with her fingers, Willow held up the small photograph for her friends to see.
"It's my mum and I a few months before my parents got divorced."
Lavender put her hand over her heart. "Willow, that's such a beautiful moment. Your mum is gorgeous." Glancing at Willow, she added, "Of course, that's where you get it from."
Her cheeks burned bright red. "Thank you, Lavender."
Warning them not to ruin the picture, Willow allowed her roommates to pass it around. She watched them closely as they did so. The amount of compassion and care she had received from them since the moment they got off the train was enormous. Willow had never experienced a group of girls so different from her that were so kind, so good-hearted. It was a whole new world to her, but she was warming up to it fast, and she kind of liked it. Willow made a promise to herself that she would try much harder to get to know these girls. They were put in Gryffindor for a reason; it was time to figure out what those reasons were. Plus, being miserable every time she stepped into her dorm for the next seven years wasn't a great situation to look forward to.
Willow took back the photo from Parvati and placed it back into the locket, putting it under her shirt again to protect it.
"Well, tell me more about your Christmas vacations!" she prompted.
Willow listened in while the girls told funny and tragic stories about their family time at Christmas. Lavender's family traditions were crazy, Parvati's were more relaxed, Fay didn't have any because of an accident a few years ago involving an explosion and a trampoline, and Mia's all failed that year. She recounted a tale about how her mother tried to bring together her parents and her husband's parents over a few family games. It ended in someone going to Saint Mungo's with someone eating slugs. Sally and Hermione joined them after an hour. Willow was extremely impressed with Sally when she suddenly began spinning the tale of the Christmas she had with all of her friends at Hogwarts. All the girls' attention was trained on the normally shy girl. She was the center of the room, lighting it up with the amazing extroverted side of herself. Willow couldn't believe it. She would answer questions, stop the story, go off on the newly explored subject with everyone else, then resume the story and repeat the process all over again. Willow was proud of her; this was the first time Sally had really made an effort to be a part of the group. Normally, she and her twin brother would end up sleeping on the couch together. It was a habit they shared because of their situation at home. Willow could almost see her crossing the bridge from acquaintance to friend. It was exciting and bittersweet all at once. She would never let on to it, but Willow secretly hoped that they could do this more often.
Before they knew it, lunchtime came, and the girls made their way to the Great Hall. Hermione and Parvati were in the middle of a conversation about their Christmas gifts when Fred and George burst through the doors.
"Lee!"
"Fred, George!" Lee called. "Where have you two been?"
Willow couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. The twins were rapidly catching up with the bigger boy, their mouths moving at the speed of light. It was quite a sight, really, seeing two pranksters reunite with their best friend. The Gryffindor table was filling up quickly, what with the entire student population being back. Willow found a seat across from her roommates and sat down. It wasn't three seconds later that a bubbly group of Ravenclaw girls plopped down on her left with a trailing Hufflepuff boy setting himself carefully on her other side. Sue squeazed her in a tight hug.
"Mandy's told me everything! I can't believe how much time you spent together already!" Sue exclaimed. "It's like we went to sleep one night and woke up a small band of friends!"
"I'm glad that we're all getting along well," Willow said. She turned to Oliver. "Please tell me you at least said something to Sue…"
Oliver grinned sheepishly. "I did speak a little. Mandy slapped me after five minutes and told me no mice are allowed in her dormitory."
"Thank God for that. You need more than a little encouragment sometimes."
The meal went smoothly, Willow getting to speak plenty with Sue and her roommates alike. Oliver was pretty quiet, as usual, but her voluntarily put together a few sentences. He was almost confident around Sue. Willow knew that it wouldn't take long; if he could get used to Mandy's extroverted, loud personality within a few days, then Sue would be a piece of cake. She was smack dab in the middle of Lisa and Mandy, being more of an ambivert. Around her friends, she was more extroverted than anything, which showed by her flamboyant impersonations of people she had met over break and the ridiculous things they said. But when she was in class, everyone was lucky to hear her speak. Oliver would hopefully see that in her and relate to it, being somewhat like that himself, but overall more reserved.
When the meal ended, Willow promised her friends that she would meet with them tomorrow. Her roommates dragged her back to her room. She was about to submit herself to another several hours of crazy girliness when Neville appeared in the hallway with perfect timing.
"O-Oh! Hi, Willow, Hermione," Neville stuttered.
"Neville! Welcome back!" Willow greeted. She turned to her friends. "I'll catch up with you guys later. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to Neville yet!"
"Bye, Willow!" Lavender chirped, winking at her.
Rolling her eyes, Willow waited for her roommates to disappear into the dormitory before leading Neville downstairs into the common room. She flopped on the couch, Neville sitting across from her.
"Thank you, Neville," Willow said. "I love spending time with them, but it's downright exhausting."
"You're welcome?"
Willow beamed. "How was your Christmas?"
"It was great!" Neville replied. "My Grandmother got me some new robes, and my kneazle, Sneeze, had kittens! I got to play with them the whole break. She also got me a new cauldron since my old one...you know what happened to it. My plants that she keep at home are growing really well, too! The kittens like to play in our greenhouse, probably because it's warmer in there."
"That sounds amazing!" Willow said. "I'm sure you've heard all about my Holidays from Ron and Harry already."
"I have. Snape's sweater was ingenious, you know. It's a nice change from his scary clothes...he's always scary, though…"
Willow laughed. "Oh, Neville. I won't let Snape hurt you. My wand is easily accessible every second of the day, especially during Potions."
Neville weakly smiled at Willow. "That's reassuring."
"I hoped it would be."
"Oh, that reminds me! I have something for you!"
Neville fumbled around in the pockets of his robes and pulled out a box. He handed it to Willow, who carefully opened it and discovered a Gryffindor headband and ribbon inside. Willow could hardly contain her excitement when she put the headband in her hair.
"I love it, Neville!"
"That's awesome! I-I mean, I hoped you would! I'm glad you do! Y-You look adorable!"
Neville paused, his face reddenning once he realized what he said. Willow stood up and moved herself to the other couch, hugging Neville.
"It's perfect. Thank you, Neville."
"Y-You're welcome," the pudgy boy stammered.
Later that evening, Willow was walking alone to the Great Hall for dinner. She had a goofy smile plastered on her face. Neville and she had talked for hours, catching up with each other and planning for term. Neither of them were looking forward to end-of-term exams. They had gone to the library at one point, Willow secretely looking for Nicholas Flamel while Neville went through some herbology books, pointing out some interesting plants that Willow found equally astounding. There was nothing about Flamel in half of the library. Willow had combed through everything, but maybe there was something she missed. He had to be in there somewhere. Afterwards, Neville had pulled out some moving photos of his family over Christmas. Willow helped him organize them into chronological order and told him that he should get a scrapbook for them all. Eventually, she had put her hair into a ponytail and tied it with the ribbon Neville had given her. He couldn't string a confident sentence together to save his life. Then, Harry and Ron had borrowed Neville until dinner. Willow had spent the last hour before dinner talking, insulting, and arguing with the voice in her head while she stared out the window at the Forbidden Forest. Now, she entered the Great Hall, only to immediately be face-to-face with none other than Draco Malfoy.
"Wisp! You're not dead, after all," he drawled.
"Nice to see you too, Blonde. I'm assuming you got everything you asked for?"
"And then some."
Willow raised her eyes to the Heavens. "Why did I not see that coming?"
"Please, you walked right into it on purpose."
"You're right. I totally want to hear you brag about all your presents you got from your precious mummy and daddy."
"Hm, I was going to give you something, but I don't know now since you've been so rude to me already…" Draco taunted.
"I find it hard to believe that you got me anything," Willow said, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh, but it's true," Draco said. "Do you want it or not? I'll happily take it back and tease you with it forever, Wisp."
"Alright, fine. I'll be nice- or at least try to."
Draco smirked, then tossed her a small parcel. Willow cautiously opened it, prepared for something to jump out of it and attack her, but nothing of the sort happened. Instead, she revealed a Slytherin pin. The corner of Willow's mouth twitched upwards.
"Of course you would get me this," Willow said. "But you weren't expecting me to like it, were you?"
"What- "
Willow fastened the pin onto her robes, right next to the Gryffindor emblem. Draco gaped, startled by her reaction, then recovered quickly.
"Your house is going to kill you, you know," he warned.
"I'm well aware."
"And you still don't care."
"Nope."
"Have fun getting brutally murdered." Draco noticed the ribbon and headband on her and became slightly confused. "Since when do you wear stuff in your hair?"
"Since now. Get used to it, Blonde."
Draco rolled his eyes. "See you later, Wisp."
"Get lost, Blonde."
The two parted ways, seating themselves at their respective tables. Willow received many gasps and stares before one of her friends actually said something.
"Um, Willow? What's with the Slytherin pin?" Paige asked.
"A small gift from a friend."
"Please don't tell me that was Malfoy," Harry groaned.
"Sorry, I'll be quiet then."
"Why would Malfoy give you anything? I thought you two weren't even that good of friends," Ron said.
"I think he meant for it to get me in trouble, but I took it anyway."
"Oh my God, Willow!" Lavender sighed. "Get over yourself and admit it already!"
"Admit what?"
"Don't what us, Willow," Mia said. "You know exactly what!"
"I'm lost," Neville commented.
"Guys, I already told you, I don't like anyone. I'm too young, I'd probably destroy the unlucky kid's life, and it gets in between friendships."
"Come on, you're no fun!"
"Drama is how you get through school!"
"Trust me, drama is not how you get through school, of life, for that matter," Willow said. "I've had my fair share, and I'm staying out of it. Draco is nothing but a friend to me and will stay that way."
"I still don't understand how you can be friends with that prick," Fred said bitterly. "He's a Slytherin, for God's sake. None of them are any good. He's horrible to everyone, including you. How do you stand him?"
Willow shrugged. "Most of them are awful, but I see something better in him than the rest. He's less horrible to me, anyway, and is actually making an effort to get to know me and not completely bully me."
"Still, why would you wear their pin?" George wondered.
"I'm not one to judge an entire house based on their worst members."
Everyone fell silent, with a few making feeble attempts to change the subject, but only Dumbledore calling everyone's attention could retract them from the awkward situation. He tapped on his glass of water and rose to his feet.
"Students!" he boomed. "Another wonderful Christmas gone, another term beginning. I hope you all had great Holidays. Now that we have everyone, I would like to formally welcome you all back to Hogwarts. Let the start-of-term feast begin!"
Massive quantities of food suddenly appeared in front of the students, similar to the first meal Willow had eaten at Hogwarts. All of her favorite foods were there, from mashed potatoes and gravy to brisket. Ron had already filled up his plate and was scarfing down a mountain of chicken by the time Willow had found the rolls. She piled the food high and tucked in.
While she ate, Willow caught sight of Snape behaving strangely. His eyes were constantly darting to Harry, then to Dumbledore, then to Professor Quirrel. Willow had never known him to be an observant teacher, but maybe that was because he always did it in an unobtrusive sort of way. He was never this paranoid, and it was not because of the blinking sweater he was still wearing. Fred and George said that his clothes would (hopefully) return to normal overnight. Snape was up to something, and there was nothing anyone could say that would convince Willow otherwise.
She munched pensively on her carrots. Quirrel appeared especially shaken. He was visibly trembling, keeping his head down, eyes staring at his plate that barely had anything on it. The professor poked at his food distractedly, as if his mind was elsewhere. He didn't see Snape's constant vigilence over him. Dumbledore was oblivious too it as well, as far as Willow knew. Snape either knew something they didn't or was being kept out of a loop. Willow was determined to know exactly what.
When the pudding was served, Snape excused himself from the Great Hall. Willow's eyes traced every movement on his, analyzing the minutest details, trying to find something, anything that would give her a clue. But he simply stormed out as usual. Neville cowered when he swept by them, his black robes billowing. Willow grit her teeth, wishing that there was something she could do to stop Snape's brutality towards the unfortunate boy, but knowing full well that there was nothing a student's word could accomplish against an established professor's when it came to these types of matters. She satisfied her anger by stuffing herself with cherry pie.
Dumbledore was merry as usual the rest of the feast. He spoke often with McGonagall, sharing a joke or two, telling tales with a few other teachers, simply getting excited over the upcoming term. Hagrid was quite a contrast, sitting next to Quirrel. The giant man was ruddy with laughter and acting fairly extroverted, whereas Quirrel could have been mistaken for a statue if it weren't for his trembling. Willow wondered what Dumbledore was thinking hiring that professor. He was the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, for Merlin's sake, and he was teriffied of seemingly nothing. His classes had been a joke all year, after all. Willow wondered what would scare a full-grown professor.
She didn't get enough time to ponder her questions, however, as the feast ended. Willow was planning on heading back to the Gryffindor Tower to have some fun with her friends when her ears picked up an unusual sound. It was almost a hissing, but it was strangely humanoid. As she got closer to it, Willow realized it was forming inaudible words. She stopped to try and get a better idea of what it was.
"Willow? What's wrong?" George asked. Everyone else had gone ahead already.
"I hear something," Willow said. "It's...weird."
George paused, listening, then said, "I don't hear anything." A moment of realization flashed across his face. "Oh, that's your powers acting up again, isn't it?"
Willow nodded, listening intently to the sound, trying to pinpoint it. She crept forward, following the direction of it. The sound got louder and clearer the closer to got to the source. Willow stopped in front of a classroom, motioning for George to follow her.
"I can hear it now," he whispered, crouching down behind her. "You're right; it's really weird. What do you think it is?"
"I have no idea. Stay here-I need to get closer-Don't panic when I change-I'm going to come right back after investigating."
George nodded his understanding. Willow transformed into a dark brown cat, hoping that the color would help her blend in. She padded around the corner and stepped into the classroom. The scene mentally slapped her across the face.
Professor Quirrel stood in the corner of the room, his back facing her. The turban was loosely wrapped around his head, as if he had taken it off and hastily thrown it back on. His trembling was worse than ever. He tried to stutter something, and even Willow's flicking cat ears could barely make out the words.
"M-master...h-hurt...p-p-p-please…"
"Silence!" a deep voice hissed. Quirrel violently started, knocking over a desk. Willow didn't know whether it was her cat senses or something else, but she could feel the intense fear radiating from the small man. The voice continued hissing at Quirrel.
"Have you made any progress?"
"Y-yes, master."
"Lies!" it boomed. "The boy has no idea where they put it, and you've been useless in getting past that miserable beast!"
"I-I'm sorry, master-"
"No more apologies! Get it done!"
The voice was gone, just like that, leaving a terrified Quirrel to collapse in a heap in the corner. Willow inched closer, wondering if he had passed out, when Quirrel suddenly rose to his feet, brushing himself off. He wiped a tear out of his eye. Willow would have felt sorry for him had he not began striding towards the door. Panicking, Willow scrambled out of the classroom, shape-shifting back into her regular self on the run. George's eyes nearly popped out of his head as Willow dragged him around the corner and into the next corridor.
"Bloody hell, Willow!" George exploded. "What's the rush?"
"Sorry, he made a dash for the door, and I didn't want you to get caught."
"Thanks for that."
"Don't mention it."
Willow waited until they had gotten several corridors away from the classroom before stopping, leaning against a wall. It was then that she noticed the increasing pain in her chest. She rubbed her hand over it, vaguely remembering that it had started feeling funny the moment she heard the voice hissing in the hallway. Now, it was becoming almost unbearable, and not because of the little bit of running she did.
"What's wrong, Willow?" George worriedly asked.
"My chest...it's acting up again…" Willow wheezed. "I think the hissing voice triggered it, back when I first heard it."
"Wait, I thought this only happened due to running?"
"That's what I thought, too, but I always forget that it happens randomly, when I'm doing nothing at all, for no reason. Maybe it's connected to something more than exercise."
"You don't say," George said, watching worriedly as Willow sank into a siting position. "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Not really, no, but if I keep my mind off of it, that usually helps."
"Okay…What did you see in there?"
Willow inhaled for eight counts, then exhaled for the same amount, trying to control her breathing. "I saw Professor Quirrel." She repeated the breathing. "He was facing away from me and talking to someone. I couldn't tell...where the voice came from. There...was no one there...other than him."
Willow's chest finally started opening up again. Slowly but surely, the constricted sensation faded away. Willow stood up only to have black dots dance in front of her eyes. She leaned against the wall, forcing her eyes to stay open, knowing that if she closed them, she would lose her balance and possibly black out. George offered to support her, and she gladly used it. Willow kept her breathing under control, but this bout of problems was different than anything she'd ever felt before, especially since the blackouts usually happened when her chest was tight, not right after it loosened. When her vision began to tunnel, she knew something was very wrong.
"George, if I pass out, don't let me hit my head, or I'll bash yours," Willow joked.
"I won't let you throw yourself at a wall, don't worry," George chortled.
Willow's vision flickered again, but this time, instead of going completely black, the scenery changed. She recognized the vision about to happen and tried to warn George.
"George- vision-"
Willow completely lost herself to the vision. She found herself in a town square, in a little city she had never seen before. People milled around, visiting shops, eating ice cream, taking pictures with the sunset in the background. One man in particular caught her attention. He looked strangely familiar. The man left the square, walking along down a trail, now and then glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. He entered a forest, then went off the path, breaking into a run. Willow struggled to keep up with him, her feet feeling like cement blocks. She finally caught up to him when he stopped in front of a pile of rocks. Looking closer, she found that it was actually a cave. The man entered and fell to his knees, bowing to the ground.
"Master, I am here. I am ready."
"Good, good. I will begin the process."
Confused, Willow watched from the mouth of the cave as the man stood up once again. Then, the most peculiar and intense thing Willow had watched unfolded before her very eyes. A misty, black patch of air wrapped itself around the man, slowly tightening into a ring around him until it was squeezed around his head. The man started screaming, his agony evident in his voice. Nothing stopped, though, and the spirit-like blackness wreathed around the mans head, getting tighter and tighter until Willow thought the man couldn't scream any louder. Suddenly, it stopped, and the black mass concentrated itself on the back of the man's head. The man stopped screaming, instead trembling silently on the ground.
Willow's vision began to fuzz. The scene faded, starting to replace itself with the torch-lit corridors of Hogwarts. A single splash of color caught her eye, maybe blue or purple, and it was gone. Willow's eyes fluttered open to find George worriedly standing over her, his face lighting up when Willow stirred.
"You're not dead!" he enthused.
A shaky laugh rattled in Willow's sore chest. "You think I would die without a fight?"
"Merlin's beard, of course not, but you were pretty pale. You could have passed for dead. Maybe I could use that for one of our pranking missions…"
"Don't you dare."
George let out a shaky chuckle. "I'll try not to. For now, you're going straight back to the common room."
"That sounds...good."
Willow trekked across the castle with George, purposely going slow to make sure she didn't have another spell of fainting in the middle of a run. They passed several scratched-up suits of armour that Willow recognized as some of the casualties to her great escape from Snape that Christmas, and some of the open-air corridors still had some cracked pillars. She was about to point one rather important incident when she heard the very man she was about to speak of.
"Quick! Over here!" George beckoned, shoving Willow behind a monument.
Snape's voice could be heard accompanied by two pairs of footsteps echoing through the hallway. "Sir, I can assure you that he's perfectly safe. The stone is well-guarded, Fluffy is still savage as ever-"
"Lower your voice, Severus," Dumbledore shushed. "You of all people should be wary of prying ears, should you not?"
Willow could almost feel the indignity pouring from Snape an entire corridor away. Their voices began to fade away as the two professors distanced themselves from Willow and George. He tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump.
"Sorry, I was just letting you know that I can no longer hear them," George whispered. "You'll have to let me know what they're saying now." Willow nodded, and George added with a goofy grin, "Well, what do you know? Two run-ins with secretive professors in the same hour! You really are in the middle of everything, aren't you, Willow?"
"I'd rather it be me than anyone else."
Willow's ears tuned into the professor's conversation. It was so faint that she almost contemplated getting closer, but they stopped in their tracks and continued in barely audible voices.
"Professor Dumbledore, if I may, I made a promise. You know about it. If I don't follow through-"
"I'm well aware, Severus, of this promise you made. And it should stay unbroken! There are ways to protect the boy without alerting anyone."
"But sir-"
"Silence, Severus. You'll simply have to increase your watch over him. Retrace his footsteps, make sure you know what part of the castle he is in at all times. And for Merlin's sake, there is no need to deduct points from him every Potions class he has with you."
Willow was honestly surprised Snape didn't combust on the sight, he was so full of indignation. "I do not-"
"You heard me, Severus. Keep a close on on that boy, no matter what the cost. Do everything in your power to defend him from whatever is stirring within the wizarding world. Until we can find out more about this dark force rising, he is no longer safe. We cannot afford to lose him. The boy is the spark of hope for the future of all wizarding generations."
"Yes, sir. I will do my best."
"Oh, and Severus, I did enjoy your change in wardrobe this Christmas. It was much more...festive."
Snape's footsteps were quick and precise on his way back towards his office. When he passed by the suit of armour where Willow and George were hiding, his face was tight with anger and frustration. She was glad that she was not subject to that anger. That brought up her biggest question from listening to the conversation: who had they been talking about? What was this "darkness" and "stirring" happening in the wizarding world? If there was one thing Willow could not stand, it was being kept in the dark about this beautiful, crazy, magical world that she was a part of. Her father had kept her knowledge to the bare minimum; Half-bloods and even Muggleborns knew more than her! She was bound and determined to never miss a bit of information that was circulating in the wizarding world ever again.
"What were they talking about?" George said once Snape slammed the door to his office.
"Something about Snape protecting a boy," Willow recounted. "I think they're worried something bad is happening in the wizarding world, and that it somehow might be connected to here. It must not be that big of a deal, though, because if we were in real danger, Dumbledore would be taking extra precautions."
"But you said it was only about one boy?" George recalled.
"Yes..."
"That's odd. I think you're right; if we were in real danger, Dumbledore would have locked down the school and had the teachers take up defensive positions already. And if he wants Snape of all people to protect this boy, then the boy might not even need that close of an eye watching him at all."
Willow's thoughts remained on the two conversations for the rest of the day. She didn't know who she was more suspicious of; was Snape gaining too much knowledge on something he shouldn't, or was Quirrel in the middle of something awful? Her normally clear mind was split perfectly in two on that one. Not even her enhanced sensitive powers were giving her a clean answer.
Will I always be stuck wondering? Willow asked herself.
The voice didn't even decide to butt in for that tough question.
A few weeks passed. The snow melted and turned into monsoons of rain. Willow was about the only one other than Fred, George, and Paige who didn't mind practicing in the rain. They resumed getting in a practice here and there whenever they could. Willow was rapidly improving thanks to Paige's tough love as keeper and Fred and George's encouragement while beating bludgers at her. One particular afternoon, Willow was doing really well. George had been stubborn about letting her practice the seeker position ever since the incident of her nearly plummeting into the Earth, but he had finally let up when she hadn't tried anything crazy in months.
"You know what to do, Willow," George said. "Don't you dare fly into the clouds again, though."
"I only follow the snitch."
George sighed. "I'm never going to get you to cooperate, am I?"
"Why do even try?" Fred snickered. "She can take care of herself, remember?"
George ignored his twin's comment. Drawing back his arm, he counted, "3...2...1...go!" and threw the golden ball high into the air. It's wings fluttered to life and it zoomed away. Willow was after it in seconds.
She loved having these practices with the three third-years. They were fun beyond belief, which helped entertain her on the long winter weekends when there was nothing to do, and gave her a lot of insight on what her life would be like in a few years, not to mention teaching her how to get away with small infringements of the rules. Willow's happiness spiked when she was around those three, but her favorite thing that she did with them (other than pranking, of course) was the Quidditch lesson she was receiving at the moment. They taught her everything she needed to know. Every shortcut, every small detail, even every secret to the game had been given to her. She would forever be grateful for that if she made the team. Willow loved Quidditch nearly as much as soccer, she had realized. The feeling of the wind whipping through her hair, the sensation of diving thousands of feet in seconds, the joy of being one with the sky...it was like a dream come true. She had always wanted to fly as a Muggle child, thinking it was impossible, but now that she could do it any time she wanted, she was nearly bursting with happiness.
Willow trained her eyes on the golden Snitch. It was weaving in and out of the empty stands, trying to lose her by blending in with the house color patterns draped over the side of them. But Willow's eyes were keener than most, as were all five of her senses. She could detect the slightest movement of its hummingbird-like wings beating the air. Her broom may have been slightly slow for a seeker, but she had added to the few tricks Fred and George taught her, and now she was gaining on the flying golden ball rapidly.
All of a sudden, the snitch jerked to the left and veered off the pitch. Willow was hot on its trail. It was headed straight for the Forbidden Forest. Unafraid, Willow climbed higher into the sky after the snitch, allowing it to bring her two hundred, three hundred, and finally four hundred feet above the edge of the dark woods. It stopped there for a second, as if reconsidering, then plunged into the treetops. Willow smirked. She knew how to manage the forest well. The snitch didn't stand a chance.
Diving sharply, Willow followed the it through the trees, weaving in and out of trunks and branches. The snitch was slowing up quite a bit at that point, getting held up by constantly catching its wings on the bark. Willow had caught up to it in no time and snatched it into her hand. She silently celebrated, gliding among the trees, then decided to take a break and touched down on the forest floor. It was a rather beautiful day in the Forbidden Forest. The sun was shining through the canopy, lightening the usually dark paths and warming the atmosphere. Soon, it would be getting quite humid in there, and Willow was looking forward to all the new growth that would be happening. Maybe she could discover a new plant species or even take care of some of the baby animals that would appear. Whatever she would be doing that spring, Willow was simply excited by the idea of new nature, new life. She had always been that way, but her powers were making the love even stronger.
Speaking of her powers, the voice decided to interrupt her day.
So, how's life?
Don't even start in with that.
Oh, come on, I know exactly what you're doing, but it's fun to hear what you think of your miserable self at the moment.
Thanks for that.
Don't mention it.
Why can't you be supportive, nice, maybe even a bit spiritual like you were when you first spoke to me?
Because I can be all of that, but it's more fun to get you riled up.
I hate you sometimes.
Hate is a strong word, young lady.
Don't call me young lady. You've seen me get angry every time someone calls me that.
Have you listened to nothing I just said to you?
Sometimes I wish you would get out of my head, but other times I want to bash it through a wall because of you.
You're very welcome. If you would listen to me more often, I could reveal myself to you sooner. You know, you're almost there. About the time that the term ends for Hogwarts, you're going to have mastered your powers enough for me to appear to you. But I can't do that if you don't try to work with me- and yourself.
Fine. I'll work with you later today...or sometime this week. I can never determine my schedule.
I'm available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Give me a call!
You sound like a commercial.
Does that annoy you?
I'm not going to answer that anymore. Have a good day.
You too, you stubborn old mule.
Willow cracked a smile. As much as she got annoyed with that woman, she didn't know what she'd do without her. She was rather comical at times. In a way, she was fairly similar to Draco Malfoy: an annoying git at times, but every once in a while coming around and actually being a good friend. Maybe that was why she could tolerate the prick; she had one firing away at her at any given time of the day. Willow didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Remembering that she was supposed to be practicing Quidditch, Willow got back on her broom and shot out of the forest. Fred, George, and Paige were waiting patiently on the field, and when they saw her, they broke out into cheering and applause. Willow did a few show-off moves just for fun, then rocketed towards the ground and managed a fancy, high-speed landing. Paige rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"You're worse than me. That's saying something."
Willow merely smiled in response to the comment. She tossed the snitch to George, who immediately returned the golden ball to its case.
"Well done!" Fred cheered, high-fiving Willow. "You didn't nearly die this time!"
"That's an accomplishment, then?"
"I'll consider it," George said, winking. Willow beamed, proud of herself.
The twins decided to end the session on that high note. George volunteered to take their stuff back to the Gryffindor locker room, dragging Willow along with her. Confused, she glanced at Paige, but the older only covered her mouth to hide her laughter. Willow decided to comply and interrogate her later.
George showed her where everything went in the closet, then put the brooms back. He dusted off his hands (there was an impressive buildup of dust in the closets), then lead Willow out of the locker room. It wasn't until they got a few levels up that George paused.
"Do you mind if I try a charm on you? Fred and I discovered some more when reading through that old book, and it would make sense because of your success in quidditch today."
Willow shrugged. "Go ahead. But it's not my fault if you destroy me hair and I kill you for it."
George pulled out his wand and tapped it on Willow's head, saying a complicated incantation. Several miniature golden snitches fluttered out of the tip of his wand and attached themselves to Willow's hair. She smiled, liking the change. It was an added bonus that the snitches flapped their wings simultaneously but didn't tangle her hair. She even glowed with a small fragment of gold light. Willow hugged George.
"Thanks for that!"
"I'm glad it worked! It was rather tricky..."
"That was very impressive, actually," Willow commented, separating herself from the taller boy. "I've never seen anyone your age perform that tricky of a spell here at Hogwarts."
George grinned. "Thanks. I think I have a streak of not failing any of these spells yet."
Willow gently punched him. "Don't get too cocky, or you'll find yourself short a test subject."
"Noted."
The two continued back towards the Gryffindor Tower. Willow recognized the library up ahead and decided to do some more investigating on Nicolas Flamel; Hermione was particularly distraught that they hadn't found anything yet after searching for weeks.
"Sorry, but I have to go to the library," Willow said. "I wish I could find the stupid book already..."
"Maybe I can help?" George offered.
"Are you sure? I haven't found anything, and I've been looking for weeks."
"Two eyes are better than one."
"Point taken. Let's go, then. Can you find anything about Flamel?"
Willow and George split off in two directions. Going back to the beginning, Willow stayed near the entrance and started combing through the books again for what felt like the hundredth time. George headed to the other side of the library.
After fifteen minutes of searching, Willow was ready to give up. How could something that should be so important be impossible to find more information about?
Out of the corner of her eye, Willow saw a flash of blond hair. Her stomach flipped. Draco. He looked like he was sneaking up on someone, crouching down behind a large artifact in the corridor. Something bad was about to happen. Willow started tiptoeing her way towards the Slytherin boy. She had almost made it to the exit when he popped up and shouted a curse. A jet of light flashed from his wand, something exploded, and a boy cried out in pain. Abandoning all stealth, Willow ran into the hallway, flashing past a smug Draco to find Neville on the ground in a cloud of dust, his legs locked together.
"I've been waiting to try that one out on you, Longbottom," Draco sneered. "Thanks for being my test subject."
"Malfoy!" Willow shouted.
Draco stared into the plume of debris, furrowing his brow in confusion. The moment the air cleared, his eyes widened in shock, and his mouth dropped open.
"W-Willow? What are you- how-" he stammered.
Ignoring Draco's feeble attempts to speak, Willow helped Neville get to his feet. She noticed tears running down his dirty face. Although they were silent, they screamed a thousand words. Willow took her thumb and wiped the tears off of Neville's face.
"Hey, look at me," she commanded. Neville turned to face her. "Don't let this git bring you down. Hop back to the common room, Hermione knows the spell to unlock your legs. I'll deal with Malfoy."
Neville nodded, but he still looked quite deflated. Willow sighed. "Neville, I'm going to tell you something, and I don't want you to ever forget it: you are worth it. Don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Not your family, not your friends, not Draco, no one. You are worth more than the souls of everyone on Earth combined."
Neville actually cracked a smile. He wiped his eyes off with his knuckles, sniffling. "Thanks, Willow."
"I'll see you in a little bit, Neville. I have a prick to beat the crap out of right now."
Neville shot a glare at the still star-struck Malfoy. "Show him what happens when you mess with a Gryffindor, Willow."
"I will."
Neville hopped away. Willow watched him make it around the corner, then whipped around to face Draco. She marched towards him, wand drawn, adrenaline searing through her veins.
"You foul, lousy, loathsome, evil, slimy, bratty, slithering arsehole!" Willow growled.
Draco lost all the color in his face and began to back away. Willow still pursued him, even when he tried to turn and run. She caught up with him easily and pinned him to the ground. Draco's eyes were wide with fear. Willow pressed the tip of her wand into the pale boy's neck, his breath quickening in fear.
"Why did you do it?"
"I-I don't know!" Draco said.
"Liar!"
"I'm serious! I don't know why-"
"That's not a good enough answer!" Willow snapped. "Why did you curse Neville?"
"I-I...had to."
"Why did you have to curse a fellow student? Huh? Tell me now!"
Draco glanced fearfully at the wand pressed hard against his neck. "It's an impulsive thing. I see Neville, I have to curse him. If I don't, I feel wrong the the rest of the day."
Willow's anger rose to the point where it was nearly boiling over. "I can't believe you! That's your answer? Really? So if you see a student and, oh, I don't know, randomly dream for one second of hexing them, which is completely normal by the way, you'd rathe inflict pain on them rather then do the right thing and figure out how to deal with emotions yourself?"
"You-you don't deal with emotions, though."
Willow jumped to her feet, Draco's comment hitting her like a bullet. He was spot-on. She didn't deal with emotions. Instead, she bundled them up and hoped that they would expel themselves through writing poetry now and then. It wasn't healthy, she knew, but it was what she had always done since the day her mother left. Willow refused to have any sort of excess of emotions at any time. Draco had read her notebook. He had delved deep into her close-to-home secrets. The only reason he didn't know every last little fact about Willow was because he had only read a few entries, and they were poems at that, which take much to to examine and figure out the meaning behind. Willow clenched her jaw in rage.
"You shouldn't know that."
"But I do."
Willow pointed her wand at Draco, more emotions trying to break the surface than she was willing to allow. "A friend should know those things about me. A friend would know to let me tell them more about these things without pestering me about it. A friend wouldn't hurt people any time he pleases just because he feels like it!"
Draco stood up shakily, grabbing the wall. "Willow, please, I'm sorry-"
"No! Sorry is not good enough! Stupefy!"
Draco barely dodged the spell, diving behind a suit of armor. Willow cast it again, shattering the knight into a million pieces of scrap metal. Draco stood up, his wand pointed directly at Willow, though his hand was trembling.
"Willow, let me speak!" he pleaded. "I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me. I'm working on controlling it, but it's difficult. Seriously, I'm trying here. For real. I haven't physically hurt anyone yet, and I plan to keep it that way. It's the other kind of hurt that I'm working on. I know, it's hard for a perfect Gryffindor girl like you to understand, but at least try. Try to understand. I'm working on it."
Willow panted hard, her chest rising and falling in rhythm with her anticipating heartbeats. Making a difficult decision, she lowered her wand. Draco also dropped his hand to his side.
"Please, Willow. I can't promise that it won't happen again, but I'm trying. Honestly."
Staring deep into Draco's gray eyes, Willow called upon her powers to help her with this analysis. The gray irises glowed with apology and regret, but there was still something festering underneath, something fighting to regain control and take over. Draco was forcing it to stay down. Willow's heart stopped when she realized that Draco was legitimately sorry, that he really was attempting to stop this behavior. He was right when he said it was hard; all Willow had to do was look into this eyes and see the struggle. She sighed. Maybe Draco was changing a bit. Just maybe. A small spark of hope flickered to life within her. Perhaps there was a chance for Draco after all.
"Fine. But you really pushed the limits of my tolerance this time."
"I could tell."
Willow shot him a look that was deadly enough to wipe the smirk off Draco's face.
"You're such a lucky little twat."
"Already with the name-calling? I take that to mean we're still friends?"
Willow paused, letting her eyes linger on Draco's hopeful expression for a moment longer, then replied, "Yes."
"Hey, Willow, I think I found something!" George's voice called from within the library.
"That's my cue to leave. See you later, Blonde," Willow said.
"Catch you later, Wisp."
Willow returned to the library, having more hope for Draco becoming a better person than finding a single thing about Nicolas Flamel. An hour later, having found nothing, George and she trudged back to the common room, completely exhausted. George was shocked when Willow informed him of the events that took place between her and Draco while he was searching in the library, probably more because he didn't notice it happening than anything, and reverted to his usual method of persuading Willow to remove Draco from the picture. She pretended to listen, as always, taking note of important things to contemplate later, expelling the rest, until she was able to change the subject to the upcoming quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. They arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait and gave the password before entering the common room.
"It looks like Neville's already gone off to bed," George remarked. "I'm going to find Freddy."
George ran off to his dormitory to pester Fred. Willow noticed Ron, Harry, and Hermione deep in conversation next to the fireplace. George had most likely been correct in his assumption, because Neville was nowhere to be seen. She joined the trio, abruptly halting their chat.
"Sorry to interrupt, but am I correct in assuming you have some important information to share?" Willow asked.
"Yes, actually," Harry replied. "We were just discussing it."
"If you were wondering, Neville's already gone off to bed, I was able to perform the counter-curse to unlock his legs," Hermione informed. "Stupid Malfoy...always bullying poor Neville..."
"Oh, you won't have to worry about him as much," Willow said. The three raised their eyebrows in question. "I saw what he did to Neville. He was promptly taken care of."
"Did you punch him again?" Ron inquired a bit too eagerly.
"Um...no, but I did tackle him and shattered a knight. He was quite petrified."
"Willow! Don't tell me a teacher saw this?" Hermione squeaked.
"No, of course not. But it would have been worth it, especially if it was Snape-"
"Willow!"
"Anyone, we finally found something about Nicolas Flamel, and it was all thanks to Neville," Harry said, changing the subject.
"That's great news! George and I have been searching for it for the past hour! I'm glad to not have to do that anymore. So, who is he?"
Harry and Hermione took turns filling in Willow on Flamel, telling her that he was a centuries-old alchemist that created the Sorcerer's Stone, which is what Fluffy was guarding. Willow's mind worked to make the puzzle pieces click together in her mind.
"That's certainly an interesting turn in events. I can see why you're afraid Snape is after it. But I'm not so sure..."
"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned.
"I mean, I don't know that Snape would go after it."
"Really? You don't, even after all of this evidence we've been piling up against him?" Ron said.
Willow glanced between her friends, wondering if she should tell them what she'd overheard with George the other day. Something deep down in her gut stirred, a sort of sense, that told her not to. It was a powerful, primeval sensation that made her wonder if it was part of her powers of simply in every witch or wizard. Whatever it was, Willow trusted that enough to keep her mouth shut.
"I guess it does make sense, now that I think about it."
The evening carried on, with the four chatting about the Sorcerer's Stone. Willow learned of Snape's upcoming debut as a quidditch referee, but that went on the back burner compared to the colossal discovery they had made. They discussed the immortal-elixir-producing stone until bedtime arrived. Willow had trouble falling asleep. Her mind was still in disbelief from the events from the day. It wasn't until she had cultivated and polished every thought and event from that day, lasting late into the night, that Willow could close her eyes and enter the realm of sleep, dreaming uneasily of hexes and curses.
"I can't stand him!" Harry fumed. "Fifteen points from Gryffindor, and all because I wasn't brewing the potion fast enough!"
"Pipe down, Harry!" Hermione shushed. "What if Snape hears you? He might take more points from Gryffindor!"
"How can a professor be so mean, though? I was doing nothing wrong!"
Willow stared at her empty plate, her stomach still growling. She was exceptionally hungry that morning. Piling on more eggs and bacon, Willow nibbled on her food quietly, listening to her friends' conversation.
"Harry, we'll be up in the stands," Hermione reassured him. "We've got your back."
"But he's so far away! What if you hit someone else? You could get in serious trouble!"
"I don't think I even remember the spell well enough to cast it, let alone aim it at Snape," Ron admitted. "Hopefully we won't need to use our wands, though. I heard that Dumbledore was coming to watch the match, but I could be wrong."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't give your hopes up, Ron. The spell is Locomoter Mortis. I'll remind you again when we're in the stands."
Harry fidgeted nervously and played with his food for the rest of breakfast. When the Great Hall began to empty, he was among the first to jump up and leave, claiming that he needed some time alone before the game. Willow knew that was the last thing he needed, but she respected his wishes anyway.
The entire group of first-year Gryffindors crowded into the quidditch stands, their fellow older housemates crammed in behind them. There wouldn't be a problem with the cold this match. Paige squeezed in beside Willow a few minutes before the game started. Dean and Seamus were stuck shoulder-to-shoulder on the far left of the bench, sharing a blanket to keep themselves warm. Hermione and Ron fingered their wands, which were hidden up their sleeves for safekeeping.
"Why would you bring them to a quidditch match?" Neville asked. "Your wands, I mean."
"Have you heard that Snape's refereeing?" Ron grumbled.
"What? S-Snape is r-reffing?" Neville stuttered. "Why him? I thought Madam Hooch did a better job...she's less scary than Snape, anyway..."
"We don't know, Neville, which is why we've got to be ready to protect Harry, just in case Snape decides to lash out at him," Hermione explained. "Everyone knows how much he hates Harry. We can't take any chances."
Neville shivered, whether from the sudden increase in the bone-chilling wind or the idea of Snape flying around the pitch, Willow didn't know. The match started promptly.
"GO HARRY!" Willow screamed. Her roommates were already losing their voices from cheering on the female chasers.
Angelina Johnson easily scored within the first minute. The Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers. Within the next thirty seconds, though, Hufflepuff had gotten on the board and Katie Bell had narrowly missed a goal opportunity. This quidditch match was much better than the last one Willow had been to. The Hufflepuffs were clean players, never trying knock people off their brooms, never cheating, never hitting bludgers at people while they were not looking, but they were competitive nonetheless. Willow found herself enjoying the match rather than booing the other team.
Until Draco Malfoy started in on Neville.
While Gryffindor scored yet again, Draco poked Neville in the back of the head, teasing him. Willow had the sudden urge to punch him straight in that dirty mouth of his. Instead, she settled for glaring at him. Draco shut up for all of three minutes before he couldn't stand staying silent anymore. He started insulting both Ron and Neville, who did a very good job ignoring him. Harry still circled overhead, searching for the golden snitch. Snape awarded the third penalty to Hufflepuff because the twins had hit yet another bludger at him. Willow fingered her wand that was concealed in her pocket, still holding out hope that she wouldn't need to use it.
Draco really began to get annoying. He started making horrible jokes about the Gryffindor quidditch team, the Weasleys, and Neville's grades. Willow was fed up with her "friend" and turned to glower at him.
"Hey, Blonde, why aren't you sitting with the Slytherins?" Willow snarled.
"I can sit wherever I want," Draco sneered.
"That doesn't give you the right to insult my friends."
"Am I not your friend?"
"I thought you were, but I don't even know who you are right now, with the way you're acting."
Draco stiffened, drawing his eyes away from Willow with an indignant expression on his face. She got the feeling that he wouldn't watch the game for long.
Willow saw a glint of gold flash by. Her eyes locked on the snitch at the same time as Harry, who instantly dove into a dive, rocketing towards the ground at hundreds of meters per second. The Gryffindors roared with approval as Harry shot after it, the Hufflepuff seeker on his tail. Willow stood up to watch.
Right before Willow could witness Harry catch the snitch, a foot hit her hard in the spine. Whipping around, Willow was about to tell Draco to leave when she realized there was a fist-fight going on. Ron was taking on Malfoy while Neville tried to fight off both Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy's pudgy body guards were winning by quite a lot. Neville was bleeding from his cheekbone and already had a nice bruise on his forehead. Willow jumped into the midst of the fight, everyone else taking no notice, as Harry was still chasing the snitch.
"Draco! Get off him!" Willow shouted.
The Slytherin boy took no notice, and Ron received a heavy blow to the eye right as he reciprocated it with a punch to Draco's jaw. Both boys broke apart, holding their injuries.
"Ron, help Neville!" Willow commanded, helping her friend to his feet and shoving him in the direction of Neville. Draco's face was red with anger. He tried to take a swing at Willow but missed, the fleet-footed girl dodging easily. She was in the thick of the battle now. Draco wildly tried to inflict as much damage as possible, throwing punches every chance he could at Willow, a few making small contact with her shoulder. She kept dancing around him on her toes, avoiding most attempts to hurt her. Finally finding the perfect opportunity, Willow launched herself on top of Draco, pinning him to the ground right as Lee announced over the loudspeaker that Harry had won the game. The Gryffindor stands went crazy while the scuffling continued off to the side.
Willow glanced to her right for half a second and saw Neville get hit hard in the head by a blow from Crabbe. Anger and adrenaline flooded through every fiber of her being. She was about to make up her mind about whether to hit Draco or not when he spared her that choice. Sharp pain exploded into Willow's temple. She flew to her feet, crying out in pain. Draco smirked, staggering into a standing position, which Willow wiped off his face immediately by slapping him.
"So this is how you treat your friends?" she shrieked at him. "Fighting their friends, then hurting them when they decide to defend them from your abuse?"
Draco panted hard, emotions flashing across his face faster than Willow could comprehend them. His eyes flew wide when Willow removed her hand from her face. Warm, sticky blood oozed out of the wound, dripping onto the wooden platform.
"Thought it would be funny to have me decorate the floor with Gryffindor colors, did you?" Willow snarled. "Well, it's not funny, Malfoy!"
"I didn't think it would be funny! That was not what I was thinking at all-"
"You're right! You weren't thinking at all! The only thing in your mind was hurting Neville! I bet you're reasoning will be the same as last time, Draco. You couldn't help it. That's complete crap, Malfoy, and you know it!"
Angry tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Willow threw her head to the side, not wanting him to see her like that. After a moment, she was able to swallow her feelings and keep her barrier up. She found Draco staring at her, his face contorted with something between rage and sorrow. Willow pulled out her wand and pointed it at Draco.
"I thought you were my friend!" she screamed. "I thought you changed! But you never do, Draco, no matter how much I try to help you, no matter how many times you promise! You've never kept those promises! Why should I ever believe you again?"
Draco's gray eyes shifted into fear. He looked at Willow, then at the other four, then back at Willow. Hanging his head, he slumped and went to get Crabbe and Goyle. For some odd reason, this made Willow's rage explode to the point where she could no longer control it. She charged at Draco and hit him hard in the chest, throwing him into the bleachers. Paige finally took notice of the fight.
"Willow, what the-" she started.
"Answer me!" Willow shouted, ignoring Paige.
Draco's stormy eyes fearfully gazed up at Willow. She could almost hear his silent plea: Don't hurt me. As much as she wanted to keep hurting him, something made her stop. All the adrenaline drained from her body. She stepped away from Draco.
"Paige, take them to the hospital wing. Neville's hurt bad." Willow turned to Draco, her anger dissipating into betrayal. "I hope you change. Don't talk to me ever again."
Willow whipped around and fled down the stairs. Draco called after her.
"Wait! Willow, please! Hold on!"
She chose not to hear him. At the moment, she was overwhelmed with pain and betrayal. Willow couldn't even feel her temple bleeding, dripping down the side of her face. She could barely hold in the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes.
Willow headed into the Forbidden Forest, hearing the applause from the Gryffindor stands in the distance. Her heart sunk further into the pit of her stomach. Everyone was happy, celebrating the Gryffindor victory. She hadn't even seen Harry catch the snitch. And it was all because of two-faced Malfoy. She should be planning the party with the twins and Lee for later, heading back to the Gryffindor Tower to help decorate and set everything up. Instead, she was hiding in an out-of-bounds forest. Because of Malfoy. Because she couldn't show emotions.
She didn't know how else to cope. If she showed emotions, that would be the end. It would be the end of everything about her and her friendships. She couldn't bear to think about it.
Willow broke into a sprint, her anger and sorrow combining and piling up into a confusing mess within her. The storm brewed. Tides turned into waves, waves into mavericks, mavericks into tsunamis. Lightning cracked. Willow would take it any longer. She stopped, screaming with everything she had. Her vocal chords could barely keep up with the enormous rush of sound escaping from her, and her feelings with it. Willow didn't know how long she stood there, screaming into the treetops, letting out everything that she had bottled up for so long in one giant note of pain, sorrow, grief, and betrayal.
Then, she stopped.
Willow collapsed against a tree, sinking to her knees.
And began to cry.
It wasn't sobbing, but it wasn't a simple cry that normal girls would have daily whenever they had an emotional overload. Tears ran down her cheeks, wiping away the blood, wiping away the sweat. She almost wished they would wipe her memory, but knew that nothing good would come of that. She needed the memories. To keep her mother's good spirit alive. To take a lesson from her family. To hold out hope that one day, her mother would return to her.
Willow stopped crying after only a few minutes. She had taught herself not to cry, that nothing good came out of it. It was a waste of time to her, something reserved for only extreme situations. She thought that mastering her control of her tears would make her able to control her emotions. Her philosophy was that crying did not make one weaker, but it gave more capacity to be emotional, and that was the last thing she needed. Willow wiped her eyes, cursing the fact that she couldn't hold back this time. She would have to practice some new methods to get it under control. If this happened again, and she was in front of her friends...Willow tried not to think about the outcome.
With her head clearer, Willow slowly came to her senses and realized that Draco was not the entire problem in her life. Sure, he had betrayed her trust quite drastically, but it's not like she expected him to make any drastic changes within a few weeks. Her mother getting worse by the day, her father and grandparents in constant danger, and going through these power changes alone...it was getting to her more than she would admit.
Willow's eyes darted to her left when she heard rustling in the undergrowth. A rather large unicorn stepped out of it, cautiously stomping its way towards her. Reaching out, Willow touched its nose, and the creature nuzzled her hand. Willow closed her eyes. The unicorn seemed to sense her pain, reading her like a book. It stayed there for several seconds, as if soaking up Willow's troubles and absorbing them into itself until they were nothing, then expelling them into thin air. She remembered Hagrid telling her something about unicorns being more inclined to like women than men. Maybe it was because women were more expressive with their emotions, and unicorns are sensitive towards that. Whatever it was, she was glad for the brief distraction from her suffering. Animals always helped her through these times more than any human could.
The unicorn's ears flicked. It moved its head towards the way Willow had come. A small, almost imperceptible call reached Willow's ears. The unicorn whinnied softly, swished its tail, and disappeared back into the undergrowth.
"Willow! Where are you?"
"We know you ran in here!"
"Don't hide! You could get hurt!"
"Willow! Please, come back!"
Her heart twisted into a knot. Was that really her fellow first-years calling out to her? She listened a moment longer, realized that it really was them, and started running towards them. Willow wiped her face off to make sure there was no evidence left of her crying.
"I'm here! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Up ahead, Dean, Seamus, Ron, and all of her roommates appeared. The girls tackled her in a hug. She disappeared underneath their weight.
"We thought you were dead!"
"You aren't supposed to be in here!"
"Why did you run off?"
"Don't you know that there are savage monsters in here?"
The girls removed themselves from her, allowing her to breath and stand up again so she could answer their questions. A thought struck Willow.
"Wait, why would you come in here if you're afraid of the Forest?" she questioned.
"Duh, we're in a big group, it's not pitch black out here, and you could have been in serious danger," Fay said sarcastically. "We can't leave a fellow roommate to die."
Willow cracked a smile at that comment. "Thanks for that."
She walked up to Dean, Seamus, and Ron, who all wore worried looks on their faces.
"I didn't think you guys would run after me," Willow admitted. "Thank you."
"They were actually the ones that noticed you ran off and made us come with them!" Lavender added.
Her heart fluttered with shock. Since when did the boys care about her? Sure, she was friends with them, but they were the last people she could think of that would rescue her from the Forbidden Forest. It had altogether slipped her mind that they were breaking a serious rule at the moment.
"It was very nice of you all to come after me," Willow said, heat caressing her cheeks. "I can't imagine having better friends than you guys. You're definitely true Gryffindors, not caring that we're breaking one of the biggest rules in Hogwarts."
"Oh, I almost forget about that!" Parvati said.
Hermione squeaked. "We have to get back to the castle! Quick! What if Snape finds us lurking near the edge of the Forbidden forest, or worse, while we're in it? We'll never get those points back!"
"A-a-and she's back to normal," Ron whispered. Hermione gave him a playful punch on the shoulder before leading the group in a sprint back to the dormitories. Mia complained the entire way back. She hated running- and sports in general- with a passion, but loved watching them. It made no sense to Willow, but she knew that she shouldn't judge, possibly being one of the weirdest witches on Earth. Dean and Seamus raced up the steps to see who could get back faster, almost running into the Fat Lady. She was still scolding them by the time Mia caught up with them.
"Oh, let us into the bloody passageway already!" Seamus groaned, his Irish accent seeming to charm the Fat Lady enough for her to let them in.
Willow made sure everyone was accounted for, then crawled into the portrait tunnel herself. She was instantly swept off her feet and dangled by them. Using her abs to move her upper half, Willow saw Paige staring at her with her usual impervious expression.
"You. Are. An. Idiot."
"I know," Willow said, beaming.
"You've got blood on your face."
"It looks great with my Gryffindor colors, doesn't it?" Willow joked.
Paige rolled her eyes. "You are so pathetic."
"I'm well aware."
Paige set her down. "So was that blond kid. You beat the crap out of him. I was honestly proud of the job you did on him. He passed out on the way to the hospital wing. Dragging him while carrying Neville was a lot of work," Paige said, rubbing her arms. "I think I'm going to be sore for a week."
"What?"
"Are you seriously panicking over me being sore? What, do you already miss being thrown around the room? I can do that any day you'd like."
"No, I'm just worried. Both of them are out..." Willow couldn't finish her sentence aloud.
And it's all my fault that I lost control on Draco. I could have killed him!
Bile rose in Willow's throat. What kind of monster was she becoming? Hitting every person that was a jerk, knowing full well that they'd hit back the next chance they got? Hurting people and laughing about it because they "deserved it"? Dumbledore was right. She had to be much more careful.
"I should probably be there for Neville when he wakes up. I'm going to spend the night in the hospital wing." Quickly hugging Paige and thanking her for taking them to the hospital wing, Willow darted out of the Gryffindor common room.
She knew she was going to miss the party whether she went to the hospital wing or not. No party could cure her anxiety and guilt for hurting Draco. She was not in the partying mood, nor did she think she had the strength or energy left to last through half the night. Willow knew that she shouldn't care so much about hurting him- after all, he was the one that instigated the fight, hurt both Ron and Neville, and then decided to turn on her. But his eyes kept flashing before her. Those stormy gray eyes, full of fear, pain, regret, and something hidden so deep Willow couldn't even pull it to the surface. She couldn't get the image out of her head. Draco was scared of her. She was the monster. She was the one that needed to change.
But Willow wasn't about to let Draco go free.
The hospital wing came into view. A few rays of sunlight streamed through the open doors, washing the wall in a beautiful red-orange color. Madam Pomfrey was just leaving for the day, waddling down the hall towards her residency. Waiting until she had disappeared, Willow abandoned her hiding spot and quietly made her way into the room. Draco and Neville were poised on opposite sides of the room. She stood there for a moment, admiring how peaceful they both looked in the presence of one another. Willow wondered if they would ever look that content when they were awake with one another in the room.
She first went to see Neville. The boy was asleep with a goofy grin on his face. Willow brushed a strand of dark hair out of the way that had strayed across his forehead. He had a nasty bruise there. She could tell where every knuckle of Crabbe had struck, a perfect display of Crabbe's brute strength and brutality all in one. Willow hated how Draco used those boys for evil purposes. How could two boys so innocent come from awful families and be turned into mindless, awful, cruel machines?
Willow's eyes lingered on Neville's face for a few moments longer. He had freckles, too, spread across his face. Neville had the perfect amount, and they made him irresistibly adorable. Willow's cheeks reddened when that thought entered her mind. Before she could somehow unluckily wake up Neville and embarrass herself further, Willow crossed the room to check on Draco.
His chest was rising and falling gently, the blood removed from his perfect face. He didn't have any visible bruises, but Willow remembered how hard she had punched him in the chest, fighting the urge to check it. She wasn't sure whether she regretted that or not. His blond hair was messier than she had ever seen it, but it was still annoyingly near perfect. Willow's hands itched. Her powers were acting up again, sensing that someone nearby needed healing, not needing, but wanting to heal. She rubbed them together, attempting to get the small glow that had started in them to disappear. When she really concentrated hard, mentally yelled at herself, the powers dissipated and stored themselves away for another time. Willow sat back in a chair. That was harder than she thought it would be. The woman was right: she really needed to practice her powers.
Draco mumbled in his sleep and stirred. Willow watched as he slowly opened his eyes. Draco blinked confusedly, moving himself into a sitting position. When he saw Willow sitting next to him, he stiffened, jolting away from her.
"Draco, no, it's okay," Willow whispered. "You're in the hospital wing. I think you've been out for...two hours?"
He still stared at Willow, more confused than anything. "Why are you here, then? Don't you hate me?"
"No, Draco, I don't hate you, only your dumb decisions," Willow replied gently, realizing the truth as she spoke. "I'm sorry I hit you so hard. I don't know what came over me...I was just angry with you for everything you've done to my friends lately, that's all. But you also broke yet another promise. I thought you'd changed. It hurt me more than I was willing to admit, so I immediately took it out on you. Is your chest sore?"
Draco touched the spot where she had punched him. He winced when he pressed down on it. "Yeah. But..but I...
Willow waited intently, knowing he was struggling to admit something as well. Draco swallowed, then choked out, "I deserved it."
"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"
Draco weakly slapped Willow's shoulder. "I still hate you."
"No, you don't. You're still my friend. I can't hate a friend."
Eyeing Willow with suspicion, Draco said, "I thought you shouted at me that I wasn't your friend, right before- or was it after?- you hit me."
She sighed. "Draco, I swear to God, you're always going to be my friend. We're just going to fight more than usual because we can't help it. You need to slap me every time I say that."
"I love any chance I could possibly get to hit you back."
Willow rolled her eyes. "First, you have to get Madam Pomfrey to let you out of here tomorrow morning. Good luck with that. She's tough to convince."
"You don't think I will have Dumbledore and McGonagall breathing down by neck with detentions?"
Willow smirked. "I'll take care of that. I'm good at sweet talking people out of situations. You probably will have a maximum of two, but they'll be with me, so I don't know how much of a relief that is."
Draco groaned. "At least it's not Snape. His detentions are awful. Thanks for trying, though."
Willow and Draco talked late into the night. When the Slytherin boy fell asleep, she was too tired to go all the way back to Gryffindor Tower and instead fell asleep in her chair, her head resting next to Draco's on the hospital bed.