Oliver groaned on the floor. "I don't think I can eat for another week."

Willow laughed. "Well, you do have several pounds to make up for. Abuela will make sure you get some meat on your bones."

Oliver smiled. "I love your grandma. She's the most caring person I've ever met."

"Trust me, you'll get to know her very well over the next few months. She's crazy protective and caring of her family, and if anyone dares to upset that, including her own family, God help your poor soul. She always makes up for her strictness, though, usually by way of the best Spanish rice and homemade cakes on the planet."

"I can't even think about food right now," Oliver said. "But that does sound amazing."

Willow laughed. "You'll develop a Guerrero appetite in no time."

Achelous hummed quietly on Willow's nightstand at Iris, who cuddled closer as she slowly woke up. Willow walked over to pat them both, receiving a quiet hoot of appreciation from iris. Oliver stood up and stroked Iris's back.

"She's much more friendly than most owls," Oliver said.

Willow nodded. "Iris loves everybody- except for my mum. I heard she bit her when she had to deliver a letter to my dad once. I wish I could have been there to see it. Iris would have gotten ten extra treats that day."

At "treats," V perked his head up. Patch and Felicity also looked up. When they realized there weren't any treats, V and Felicity pouted, and Patch kicked the latch on the cage. Willow rolled her eyes at his attitude.

"Alright, fine, let's get you guys to the greenhouse." She picked up the cage. "Come on, Oliver, I might as well give you a tour of the mansion."

Willow led the way down the stairs, past the library, and into the greenhouse. She unlatched the cage in the far corner. V exploded out and immediately began digging a new burrow. Patch, of course, grumpily stomped out, sniffing with distaste at the herbs nearby. Felicity simply fluttered into the nearest tree, which was much smaller than the ones at Hogwarts, but he almost seemed to prefer the condensed size. Oliver's face lit up as he ran along the flower beds, gawking at the small stream running through the middle of the greenhouse. Small but full trees lined the stream, providing a shady environment for some plants and half-sun for others. Both the full-sun and half-to-shady environments shared the space with Muggle and magical flora. Oliver squeaked and slapped his hand over his mouth at the sight of a Venomous Tentacula.

"You really love the greenhouse that much?" Willow chortled.

"It's almost as amazing as Hogwarts!" Oliver squealed, nearly jumping up and down. "There's so many magical plants here that I've been hoping to meet since first year! And the flowers are arranged beautifully! Their scents amalgamate perfectly! Oh, and the herb section is going to yield so many delicious dinners!"

"It always ties back to food, doesn't it?" Willow laughed. "I'm glad you like it."

"Like it? I love it! This is the best house ever!" Oliver exclaimed.

"You haven't even seen the rest of it yet," Willow said, smiling. "Wait until you see the library. It's got everything from history books to Lord of the Rings. I've found at least ten nooks to read them all in, too."

Oliver gasped. "Does it have squishy chairs?"

Willow grinned. "It has something even better."

Oliver nearly sprinted into the library, collapsing into the nearest squishy and'fluffy chair after running from section to section, pausing in between to climb a ladder to the balcony-like second floor. Willow's eyes gazed over the wooden beams holding up the ceiling while Oliver freaked out over the enormous fantasy section. Her heart filed with that familiar sense of pride to be a Guerrero living in this gorgeous home. She hoped Oliver would be able to find a little bit of that pride to become an important part of her family, too.

After exploring an outdoor overhang that overlooked the backyard and the forest beyond, Willow gave Oliver a tour of the entire house, Fidget peeping out every once in a while to explore rooms he didn't get a chance to see the previous summer. Oliver was completely and utterly lost by the time they finished, but happy nonetheless. He and Willow found themselves clambering out of the attic by the end of the afternoon in an effort to escape a magical broom they'd accidentally set off. Fidget clung to Willow's pocket for dear life when they sprinted down the stairs, then slid across the tiled kitchen floor into the living room. Willow flipped over the couch and tumbled into the coffee table. Oliver gasped and caught Fidget when he jumped from Willow's pocket to safety.

"Whoa! Are you okay? How did that happen?"

"My whole life is an occupational hazard, it's fine," Willow giggled. Oliver offered a hand to help her up. She brushed her hair out of her face. "Just another side effect of being a Gryffindor. Speaking of crazy things, let's go find Griffin! I hope he settled in by now."

Willow opened the sliding glass doors to let them outside. Griffin was pecking around the yard, sniffing and searching for the best spots to snag a midnight snack. He perked his head up and flapped his wings at the sight of them, even clumsily catching the wind and getting a few feet off the ground. Willow was tackled and went somersaulting away. She laughed breathlessly, the wind knocked out of her, as Griffin crooned and rubbed his head against her to make sure she was okay.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, yeah, thanks for checking on me buddy!" she said. Griffin flapped his wings and squawked, seemingly satisfied with her state. Willow placed her hands on the sides of his face. His eyes excitably gazed into hers. "Yeah, you can fly now, how cool is that? Are you a big boy now? Yes, Griffin's a big boy now!"

Griffin danced around the yard, jumping and accidentally gliding every so often, then brought Oliver an old soccer ball he found buried in a bush. Willow raised her eyebrows.

"Huh. I was wondering where that went. Catch me if you can, Griffin!"

Willow took off at the soccer ball, tapping it with the inside of her foot. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Griffin ecstatically chasing after her. Willow dribbled the whole length of the yard, then made a hard cut to her left, faked out Griffin, and sprinted back towards the deck. Oliver laughed, watching from a distance while Griffin overtook Willow and nearly sent her careening into a row of raspberry bushes. She still got up and found the ball to keep the game going. Growing a couple clumps of grass taller than usual, Willow created a goal and slotted the ball perfectly into the corner. She whooped and hollered, confusing Griffin, which resulted in him knocking Willow over and pinning her down with a large set of eagle talons.

"Aw, I'm sorry, did you lose?" she wheezed under his immense weight. "Better luck next time, buddy!"

Griffin squeaked almost moodily, then let Willow up, only to purposely swipe his wing at her and send her face-first into the grass. He screeched with joy, as if he were making fun of her. A chorus of chortling also went up near the mansion. Willow rolled her eyes. Leave it to her family to rub it in. She let Oliver help her up, then brushed herself off and made her way to the deck, where her entire family had gathered around the fire pit to enjoy the last couple hours of sunlight.

"We were wondering if you'd gotten lost in the dungeons yet," Tío Cisco joked.

Oliver raised his eyebrows at Willow. "Dungeons?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, we don't have dungeons, unlike most pureblooded wizarding families. We tend to accept people for a change. Oliver, these are my uncles, Tío Cisco and Tío Leonel. Watch out for them both. They act like the Weasley twins most of the time, although Cisco is older. My dad is the youngest."

Cisco and Leonel pointed at Carlos and laughed, Cisco even whispering a charm to make the smoke from the fire blow in his brother's face. Carlos simply smiled and flicked his wand, sending it straight up once again.

"I can see that," Oliver chuckled.

"He's used to the torment by now," Willow said. She turned to her grandparents. "This is Abuelo and Abuela, my grandparents. They both work with Muggle historians in London. Oh, and I forgot to mention, my uncles and my dad all work for Newt Scamander. They collect research on rare and newly discovered magical creatures and compile it with him to update versions of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

Oliver's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa! You really work next to Newt Scamander himself?"

"Yes, and I have to say, the adventures to Japan and Brazil are quite intricate and bountiful," Leonel said. "Scamander always seems to know exactly where to send us."

"In fact, we're being sent to Uganda this summer to follow up on problems of low numbers of hippeyhikes in Uagadou. That's the Ugandan wizarding school, though it accepts students from all over Africa, as it's one of the oldest and the best. The students there are so well educated in particular subjects such as Astronomy and Self-Transfiguration that some old bats on the International Confederation of Wizards are getting jealous. They tried to complain that they were 'too good' at becoming animagi and other animals."

Willow snickered. "I'd be a heck of a problem to them if they ever met me, then."

"Oh, you'd be a downright terrorist in their eyes," Tío Cisco chortled. "I can't wait for you to see Uagadou- and Uganda, for that matter. They're both incredible places."

"Wait, we're going as a family?"

Abuela scoffed. "We're not leaving you here to fend for yourself! You know how out of hand things get when we leave you alone for even two seconds! It's a surprise Carlos even let you go off to Hogwarts, as reckless as you are. No, both you and your friend are coming with us."

"Me?" Oliver squeaked.

"Yes, you!" Abuelo chuckled. "You're once of us now! When there's a family excursion, that means you, too!"

Oliver blushed slightly. Willow's excitement level went through the roof. Her family was already accepting Oliver! And they were going to Uganda, of all places, for magical creatures! How much better could a vacation get? Willow's powers accidentally reacted to her excitement, and a small tree began growing beside the deck. She quickly retracted it before anyone could see. As her family conversed with Oliver, however, trying to get to know him better, she absent-mindedly played with her now antsy powers, calling animals to her, using echolocation to check out what was happening around her, swaying the trees, and sending leaves showering down around her family, which accidentally caught their attention.

"I see someone still has phenomenal powers that she's totally using for pure good," Tío Leonel teased.

"Oh, shut it," Willow giggled. "They're getting harder to control if I don't practice with them every so often. They react to my emotions otherwise, and the last thing I need is a magical creature to come and butcher my potions professor just because I'm mad- not that I don't dislike him strongly, but he doesn't need to be mauled by an adolescent griffin. I'd rather take him out myself."

Tío Cisco laughed heartily. "You're a Gryffindor after your grandmother's heart, you know that?"

"Yeah, I do know that," Willow said sheepishly. She stood up. "Anyway, I'm going to go check on- " She paused, seeing black dots swimming before her eyes, then collapsed back into her chair. "On second thought, I might just stay here for a little while."

Carlos furrowed his brow. "I thought your powers were becoming stronger?"

"They are, but I'm not exactly growing as fast as they are," Willow sighed. "Cebba warned me about this. She said they're going to become even more finicky and exhausting as they become stronger, but I don't know why. Here, you can ask her yourself."

Willow called for Cebba to come. She immediately responded. That horrible, bone-chilling, pulling sensation overtook her, then Cebba was standing before her, glowing and ghostly. She put her hands on her hips and stared at Willow.

"You are getting awfully moody, you know that?"

Willow's mouth dropped open. "Hey! When was I being moody? I'm perfectly calm right now, thanks! You're the one that was pestering me all day about pretty much everything!"

Cebba rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless at times, Willow Guerrero." Leaving her speechless with indignation, Cebba turned to address the rest of her family with a smile. "It's been a long time, has it not? I'm glad to see you all again. I don't know how you deal with her all summer. Being in her head is exhausting." She ignored Willow's cries for her to say that to her face and nodded warmly at Abuela. "How have you been? The Muggles haven't been keeping you too busy, have they?"

Abuela shook her head. "No, they don't give me enough work is more like it."

"Good, they'll recognize your abilities soon." Cebba faced Carlos. "I heard you had a question for me?"

Willow's dad nodded. "Why are Willow's powers taking such a toll on her? They used to be so easy to work with, and now they're...almost parasitic. I don't want her passing out in the middle of the day just because her senses are detecting sounds from a mile away."

Cebba grinned. "She won't be doing that any time soon, I promise. Willow- for once- was onto something earlier. Her powers are growing while she is not. She was born strong enough to handle regular powers, but the array she's taken on is more than has ever been presented to a single person. I've wondered about that for a long time and only come up with the solution that her personality has many strong, powerful aspects that all loosely tie back to the same thing, just as nature does. What she will have to do in the future is specialize in a certain area or two and attempt to lose the rest."

"That's fine with me, as long as I don't have to do any more black-outs," Willow panted.

"Is that all?" Abuelo asked. "You seem like you have more to say."

Cebba grinned. "I had a feeling you were the observant one. Yes, there is one more thing I must say before I return to Willow. She is about to go through another 'power-up,' as I call them. There will be a single new ability she will receive, which I will explain when she is ready for it. Be warned, though, her powers are growing even more than ever with this next increase, which means they will become even more testy, exhausting, and influential. Don't let them pull you to that darker side, Willow. I know how devastated you would be if that happened."

Willow smirked. "So you do care, albeit a tiny bit."

Cebba rolled her eyes. "Don't push it, Princess."

Willow scoffed. "I am not a princess. If I was a princess, I'd get kicked out of my kingdom in less than two seconds for bad manners, disrupting the royal court, neglecting duties...the list goes on and on, probably ending with burping loudly in the middle of the throne room."

Cebba sighed. "Unfortunately, yes, but I don't know if that's such a bad thing."

"Aw, are you finally admitting that I'm a pretty cool person?"

Cebba threw up her hands. "I'm going back into your head before it gets too full of your ego. Goodbye for now, Guerreros and Oliver. I'll hopefully see you again soon."

Willow gasped as the ice water sensation spilled over her head, then disappeared in a fraction of a second. She stared around at her family, then shrugged. "I guess I'll come up with a schedule to start practicing with my powers, then. It might make soccer a bit difficult, but I'll manage."

"Do you always bully each other like that?" Tío Leonel asked.

Willow nodded, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah...it's a past time. She yells at me for doing something stupid- not usually in the wrong, of course- and I yell back, being the stubborn idiot I am."

"As long as you're always winning," Tío Cisco chuckled. "S'mores, anyone?"

"Is that even a question? Yesyesyes!" Willow shrieked. She sprinted inside with her uncle and her dad to gather all the gram crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate, taking the Hershey bars for herself. They brought out the iron roasting sticks and each stuck two marshmallows on the ends. Willow couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten a s'more. The smell of fire-browned powdered sugar blanketed her senses with tranquility. Oliver stared in wonder at the finished product sitting on his plate, Willow giggling at his ridiculous expression.

"Have you seriously never had a s'more before?"

"No, and I've been missing out," Oliver mumbled through his first bite. He melted on the spot. "How have I never had these before? They're amazing! Whoever came up with marshmallows and chocolate together on a gram cracker needs an Order of Merlin, First Class."

"I agree," Willow said, already finishing her second s'more. "Care for another one?"

"I was hoping you'd ask!" Oliver exclaimed. "Ooh! Can I try to make one? Please? Please?"

Willow laughed. "Of course, silly."

Helping Oliver hold his iron roasting stick correctly, Willow showed him how to successfully make a s'more without burning the marshmallow or himself. He ate three s'mores in all. Abuela was proud of how much he was eating by that point. Oliver was noticeably gaining the slightest bit of weight, but he was growing fast, too, and it would take a long time before Abuela got him where she wanted him. He was in for a long summer of excessive quantities of food. That was a good problem to have, though, Willow thought, compared to what he would have faced going home with his biological grandparents.

"So, Oliver, are you in Willow's year?" Abuelo asked.

Oliver nodded, sitting up in his chair. "I'm in Hufflepuff."

"Ha! Leonel, you awe me five galleons!" Tío Cisco exclaimed. "I knew he was a Hufflepuff!"

"He still seems like a Gryffindor to me..." Tío Leonel grumbled, begrudgingly handing a fistful of gold to his brother. He cleared his throat. "Please excuse that; my brother and I have a horrible habit of betting each other on everything." Ignoring Tío Cisco's disdain for calling it horrible, he continued. "Have you enjoyed Hogwarts so far?"

Oliver smiled shyly. "Yeah. Willow introduced me to a lot of people. The classes are hard, but I like Herbology."

"Herbology is a tricky subject. I think you'll find there's a lot more fun to be had in the coming years," Abuelo said. "What did you choose for your electives next year?"

"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Oliver replied. As if on cue, Griffin trotted over and begged for pets. Oliver beamed and stroked the silly griffin's beak. "I think I'll have at least some success in Care of Magical Creatures instead of Ancient Runes."

"Willow must be doing those, too, because I can't see her in either Ancient Runes or Arithmancy," Tío Cisco said.

"Hey! Is that an insult to my intelligence?"

"If you're intelligent enough to recognize when I'm insulting you, is it really?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "Don't make me uproot a tree on your head. I can and will do that, by the way." As Tío Cisco's mouth dropped open with an indignant expression, Willow continued on to her father. "Do you remember anything about either subject, something that might help me not fail Divination, specifically?"

"Well, since you've already got an extra sixth sense, you've got a leg up in the class, but my suggestion is to pay close attention, take whoever the professor is very seriously, and go with your gut, because Divination isn't an exact science."

"There's no science in the wizarding world period, brother," Tío Leonel laughed.

Oliver gasped. "I almost forgot! How does that even work? Muggle science has gotten really advanced over the past few decades, and now they're coming up with really, really cool stuff! Does that fit in anywhere in the wizarding world? I'm pretty sure- from what science I remember from grade school- that magic breaks scientific laws all the time. How does that even work?"

"It's a new area being developed by the top witches and wizards in the world," Carlos explained. "Soon, it might have a name, but for now, they're so heavy into their research that they sometimes stay awake for a week at a time on a single subject. I've provided them with multiple hodag horns before."

"Whoa," Oliver and Willow chorused.

"Yeah, it's crazy, alright," Abuelo commented. "They're going to be some of the most powerful people alive soon- that's if they figure out what they're researching, of course, but I have full faith that they're going to do it."

"For all we know, they could make a breakthrough discovery tomorrow and name that day as a holiday," Tío Leonel joked.

"That would be fun to have a holiday on my birthday," Oliver said quietly.

"WHAT? Your birthday is tomorrow?" Willow shrilled. "Oh my God, how did I not know this? We've got to give you a birthday party! It's the big turning point- thirteen! You haven't had one since you went to live with your grandparents, have you? Merlin's beard, you missed out on so much!"

"I'll bake the cake," Tío Cisco volunteered.

"I've got the decorations," Carlos and Tío Leonel chorused.

"I'm definitely providing the rest of the food," Abuela said.

"I'll send an owl to the invitees," Abuelo offered.

"Oh, you don't really have to do all that for me, I shouldn't have said anything-" Oliver began.

"Merlin's beard, Oliver, you haven't lived until you've had a grown-up birthday party!" Abuela exclaimed. "Thirteen years old tomorrow, and you haven't had one since you were single digits!" She shook her head. "No, you are going to have the best birthday a thirteen-year-old could ever ask for. You deserve ten of those to make up for everything you've missed." She went inside the house, grumbling about getting a hold of his grandparents, no birthday parties, how dare they, and many more threats. The rest of the family followed her. Before long, three owls took flight with letters galore attached to their legs, including Iris, who seemed happy to finally have a mission at night. Willow beamed at Oliver.

"Admit it, you're kind of excited to have a birthday party," she said.

Oliver smiled shyly. "Okay, maybe a little bit...or a lot a bit. Your family is awesome. I've never had anyone this excited to do something for me aside from you and Cypress."

Willow hugged Oliver. "Trust me, you deserve everything you've ever wanted, and you should never feel bad about it."

When Willow and Oliver woke up the next day, Abuela immediately announced that they would be going anywhere in London that Oliver wanted for his pre-birthday celebration. Oliver at first was very shy, then finally admitted that he hadn't been to the London Zoo in years. Before they knew it, the entire family was gathered into the car and zooming towards the city.

The London Zoo was exactly as Willow remembered it: welcoming, clean, and full of vibrant life. Her senses being overactive after her early-morning power-up, she accidentally received reports on a few chameleon's vitals not doing so well. She may or may not have taken it into her own hands by growing some herbs in their enclosure. Oliver practically sprinted from exhibit to exhibit, pointing out every animal he remembered from when he was little, squealing about the new ones, and reading every plaque. They spent an exorbitant amount of time in the butterfly house. Willow influenced some of the butterflies to land on Oliver, then accidentally ended up covered head to toe in multicoloured wings, having a natural attraction because of her powers ("You must taste sweet!"). By mid day, they were starving, so they went to the Terrace Restaurant. Oliver and Willow ended up sharing a stone-baked pizza.

"Whoa. I've never had a pizza this good," Oliver commented. "I didn't know stone-baked pizza could be better than everyday pizza."

"I haf t'gree," Willow said through a mouth full of food. "The closest thing I've had before is oven-baked pizza in Toledo, Ohio. You can literally watch them assemble the pizza, make the dough, stoke the fire, put it in the oven, and hand it directly to your waitress. I ate an entire margarita pizza once."

"I've never managed to eat even half a pizza before," Oliver said. "What's America like?"

"Well, it seems that every single city is completely different from the next, but Toledo, at least, is super historically important and has a lot of cool places to go. Put-In-Bay is cool, too, and fishing for perch on Lake Erie is the best. Oh, and Cedar Point is incredible! That's one of the best amusement parks in the world."

"I might have to visit Ohio sometime, then."

"Don't worry, we'll probably end up going back at some point before we graduate from Hogwarts." Out of the corner of her eye, Willow spotted something fluttering in the wind outside. Her heart stopped. Memories came flooding back despite her efforts to stem the tide. Oliver's face melted into concern.

"Are you okay?"

Willow swallowed. "Remember how I told you about that incident I had at the Zoo?" Oliver nodded. Willow sighed, pushing away nightmarish memories. "That...that is the place. Where I had a mental breakdown. Last year. It wasn't my first…but it was still one of the worst."

"Oh…" Oliver trailed off. He stared through the window at the shriveled-up, browned ivy tendrils. "I'm guessing that was your doing too?"

Willow nodded. "I could only hope that the Muggles dismissed it as nothing. That was the closest I've ever come to revealing my powers to the entire world…and revealing my instability, I guess, which is something I'm not exactly proud of."

"Well, everyone gets overwhelmed at some point in their lives, and that's just talking about everyday Muggles. You've had several near-death experiences. That leaves a mark on someone. The fact that you're still so strong after all of those mentally shattering moments shows exactly how resilient you are."

"Thanks," Willow said, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. It disappeared after a half of a second. She gripped her shoulder. "But…it's not exactly any of those experiences that hurt the worst. It's…something else."

"What? Your mum?"

Willow flinched. "Not exactly. I'd rather not talk about it."

Oliver gently squeezed Willow's shoulder. "You know I'm always up to listen when you're ready."

Willow smiled, nodding. "I do know that. You're the best." She shook herself. "Well, I'd say that's enough sadness for one day. It's your thirteenth birthday, for God's sake! We need sunshine and rainbows and happiness!" Willow paid for their meal with the money Abuela had given them. "Come on, I've got the greatest place to show you."

Willow guided Oliver outside, the fresh air instantly clearing her head. They inconspicuously walked along the wooden fence nearby, then found the little pathway through the trees. Oliver followed her, staring in wonder at all the birds singing above. At length, they arrived at the Sorting Hat Gate. Willow paused for a moment, remembered the pattern, and knocked. It immediately swung open to reveal the best part of the London Zoo- the magical section. Oliver gasped and clapped both hands over his mouth.

"Merlin- what- how- I love it!" he squealed. "How have I never known about this place?"

"That's what I asked last year!" Willow laughed. "Come on, there's so much to show you!"

They passed by numerous exhibits, most of them boasting a large population. Willow saw Albert the graphorn lazily basking in the sun, the Bowtruckle Man watering a tree while covered in his creatures, and a group of clabberts racing to the top of a jungle tree. They finally halted in front of the demiguise exhibit. As usual, they were all invisible. Willow sensed a familiar creature and put her hand against the glass. Oliver looked like he was about to ask her a question when a demiguise suddenly melted into existence, hand against Willow's on the other side of the glass. Willow grinned, excitement buzzing around in her stomach. An older man she recognized as the demiguise keeper opened the door to their enclosure.

"Willow Guerrero!" he whistled. "I was wondering when you'd decide to stop by! Come in, come in! Who's your friend?"

"This is Oliver Rivers," she replied as they were ushered in. "Oliver, meet Mr. Perry, the demiguise keeper."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my boy," Perry said, shaking Oliver's hand. He locked the door behind them, then sealed it with magic. "Phoebe's gotten exponentially smarter since you last visited. She's escaped five separate times, and every time we found her heading towards Hogwarts. An absolute pain, that curious girl! We've had to come up with our own brand of locking spells just for her. It's getting ridiculous!" Perry suddenly beamed. "But she's such a sweetheart. Here she is, just in time to throw another banana at you."

"You better not do that again!" Willow giggled, allowing Phoebe to climb on her shoulders. "I liked it last time, but I was forced to dress up today!"

Phoebe groaned softly, hanging onto Willow's shoulders while she swung to the right of her, observing Oliver. When he offered her his hand, she took it, sniffed it, then patted it, grunting in approval. Phoebe turned her attention back to Willow, maneuvering herself onto Willow's back so that she felt more like a backpack. She whined and patted her back. Perry laughed.

"I think she wants you to give her a ride. You can take her outside, if you want. That might settle her down for a week- or a few days. She'll be chomping at the bit the moment you leave, knowing her."

Willow grinned. "That sounds amazing."

Walking outside, Perry sealed the door behind them. Oliver followed Willow, giggling every now and then at Phoebe's demeanor, then ended up getting a turn to carry Phoebe, who seemed to love Oliver just as much, if not more, than Willow. Phoebe constantly made faces at the keepers, which turned out to be entertaining, as she timed it perfectly so they'd just miss her. She also played with Fidget quite often. They got along very well and made a game of racing to the top of Oliver's and Willow's heads. The four of them chatted with many keepers of multiple different types of magical creatures. Willow learned some of the best ways to tame a kelpie, exactly how many Auguries could sit in a full-grown oak tree before it toppled, the most common colour of hippogriffs, and why kneazles sometimes don't get along very well with crups. Phoebe had a grand old time teasing the keepers from her perch on either Oliver's or Willow's shoulders. She appeared almost heartbroken when they went back inside her enclosure. Fidget clung to Phoebe's chest and refused to let go, emitting tiny sobbing sounds.

"Well, that appears to be an enormous problem," Willow remarked. "Fidget refuses to leave her side. If I know anything about him, it's that he will not hesitate to nip me when he's upset, and his little teeth are sharp."

"I couldn't believe it when Anita told me that her granddaughter had a bowtruckle, but here we are," Perry chuckled. "What did you name him? Fidget? He seems to get along with Phoebe rather well. I'm impressed. Phoebe doesn't normally like Ed's bowtruckles."

"Really?" Willow patted Phoebe on the back. "I'm glad you like Fidget, because we can't be friends without my left-hand man."

"Hm…I wonder…" Perry trailed off. "Have you ever taken care of bigger creatures before?"

Willow and Oliver exchanged a mischievous glance. "Mr. Perry, I may or may not take care of a knarl, a jarvey, a jobberknoll, a bowtruckle, and a baby griffin simultaneously. I've also taken care of a graphorn."

Perry's eyes twinkled. "You're a girl after your father's heart, do you know that? I remember the first time he tried to sneak out of here with a snallygaster that had bonded with him…he almost got fired for life. The snallygaster tried to sever the manager's hand for yelling at Carlos." Perry shook his head. "I have a feeling Phoebe would be in more than capable hands."

Willow's heart skipped a beat. "Wait…are you…?

Perry beamed. "I think Phoebe's had quite enough of a restricted space, don't you? She seems to love you and Oliver more than she's ever loved me. I know that you'll take very good care of her."

"But…wasn't she supposed to be returned to the wild?"

Perry shook his head. "Unfortunately, these guys can't be returned to their old home. It's been completely and utterly destroyed by some selfish Muggles. We can't just introduce them to a new place now; the other groups would never accept them on their territory. A few have been successfully accepted into the odd group here and there, but the rest of them have proven to be far too independent to assimilate. They have to live out the rest of their lives in captivity. As for Phoebe, she belongs with an attentive human that will care for her as much as she wants to care for them. You and Oliver seem to fit that mold perfectly."

Oliver was rendered speechless. Willow could barely form coherent thoughts. "I- I don't- I don't know what to say!"

"All I need is a simple yes or no," Perry said.

"I- yes!" Willow stammered. Phoebe sensed her excitement and climbed onto her shoulders. Willow laughed and hugged her. "Yes! I'd love to take care of her! Do you hear that, Phoebe? You're staying with us! Yeah! Forever and ever and ever!"

Phoebe chattered excitably, climbing onto Oliver. She hollered and banged her chest. Oliver giggled, watching as she gently hugged Fidget closer to her chest. Perry opened the door back up and gestured for them to wander back outside. Phoebe clung to Oliver like her life depended on it. Perry's eyes twinkled as he stared at her.

"Take care, you little trickster," he said, scratching her back. Phoebe grabbed his hand, patted it, then clung back onto Oliver, as if she knew exactly what was happening. Perry shook his head, holding out his hand for Willow to shake. "Thank you for giving her a shot at the best life possible, Willow. I'll miss her. Bring her by every now and then, will you?"

"I will, Mr. Perry," Willow promised, shaking his hand. "Thanks for everything."

"And tell Anita and Carlos I said hi, will you?"

"I will!" Phoebe pulled on Willow's sleeve. "Alright, alright, I'm coming!" She turned to Mr. Perry one last time. "Thank you so much, sir! I wish you best of luck in rehabilitating everyone!"

"Good luck with your creatures!"

Willow was dragged away by Phoebe, who was still on Oliver's shoulders. The nearby keepers cast wary glances in their direction, but they didn't attempt to stop them. Willow and Oliver quietly slipped past the gate and shut it behind them. They sauntered their way along the path back to the main section of the London Zoo. When they finally reunited with the rest of the Guerreros near a secluded viewing of a rather odd reptile, Abuela narrowed her eyes at Willow.

"Your smile is far too mischievous. What are you hiding?"

Willow glanced at Oliver, giggling. "Nothing! Why would you suspect such a thing? We were just having fun in the magical part of the zoo."

Carlos crossed his arms. "Willow Lucía Guerrero, don't you dare hide anything from your grandmother. You know the pain you can endure."

Willow grinned goofily. "Okay, fine! Phoebe, it's okay to show yourself now." She also spoke telepathically to the demiguise, and finally, a little shyly, Phoebe's invisibility melted away. "Her name is Phoebe. Mr. Perry wanted her off his hands. She's super curious and would be a great addition to the family!"

Willow's family gaped at the creature. Tío Leonel was the first to come to his senses. "That's- that's the demiguise you played with last year, isn't it?"

Willow nodded. "Yep! She's been trying to find me ever since, apparently. Mr. Perry says she managed to escape five times."

Still clinging onto Oliver's shoulders, Phoebe peered at the Guerreros, sensing their shock. She seemed to grin innocently at the mention of her clever actions. Willow watched and waited with baited breath, wondering how her family would take this most recent turn of events. Abuela suddenly let out a hearty laugh.

"Look at her! She's perfect! A little rascal! She might give you a run for your money, Cisco!"

Tío Cisco scoffed. "We'll see about that!"

"At least wait until tomorrow, Cisco," Tío Leonel recommended. "We've got a birthday party to pull off yet! Come on, there's loads to get done. To the mansion!"

"No peeking!" Willow squeaked, covering Oliver's eyes.

He giggled. "I'm not!"

Keeping her hand over Oliver's eyes, Willow slowly lead him down the stairs and onto the tiled kitchen floor. Her body trembled at the sight of her entire family waiting impatiently in the living room. She'd never felt this excited before! Willow stopped Oliver on the edge of the kitchen.

"Alright, uncovering your eyes in three…two…one!"

"Happy thirteenth birthday, Oliver!"

Oliver gasped and covered his mouth with his hands. He took in the streamers dancing across the wooden beams on the ceiling, the Hufflepuff decor displayed on the walls, the green balloons with his name on them, and the Guerrero's gleeful faces. Oliver glanced at each of them in turn, eyes shining, nearly on the verge of tears, then hugged Willow super tight. He laughed one of the purest laughs she'd ever heard in her life.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" he squealed.

The guests began arriving fifteen minutes later. Mandy, Lisa, Sue, the Smith twins, and Cypress walked through the door in quick succession. They each brought towering piles of gifts as well. Willow had never seen Oliver more happy in his life. As soon as everyone was settled in (and no longer in awe of the enormity of Willow's house), they began the party games. There was a ridiculous amount of water balloons stuck in the grass by the time they were done with the water fights. Willow had to use her powers to clean it all up before Griffin got any ideas. Then, they split up into two teams and did a few relay races to see how many cupcakes each team could eat within a time limit. Griffin inevitably joined them and took care of the extra cupcake problem. Lisa was still slightly terrified of him, especially on a sugar high as he was, but otherwise, he behaved very well. Willow gave him lots of extra treats for listening to his commands so well.

Later, they gathered inside the kitchen to eat. Tacos of all kinds (beef, chicken, soft & hard shell), Mexican rice, cheeseburgers, Abuelo's homemade refried beans, steak and rice, and several other delectable sides filled the room with the most delicious combination of smells ever to be present at a single time in the Guerrero mansion. Abuela passed by Oliver's chair several times, peering scrutinizingly at his plate whenever it appeared close to half-full. He decided to eat a helping or two of everything- as did Willow, naturally- to keep her happy. Carlos and the rest of the Guerreros caught up with Sarah Brown and Lisa's parents at one end of the table while the children laughed and talked loudly at the other. Oliver was so hyped up on excitement that he actually joined in the majority of the conversation, which lasted far more than a half hour. Willow didn't regret her decision to keep him with her all summer. He deserved all of this ten times over to make up for what his stupid grandparents condemned him to.

At long last, Willow's favourite part of every birthday party, dessert, arrived with flourish. Carlos whispered a spell to dim the lights. When the sunlight was only faintly trickling through the windows, Abuela lit the candles on Oliver's enormous birthday cake and slowly walked out of the kitchen. Abuelo sent off some sparks which buzzed to life above the table. They all looked up to see "Happy Thirteenth Birthday Oliver!" glittering in Hufflepuff colours. The cake was set down in front of Oliver, his candle-illuminated face one of the happiest sights in existence. Willow gladly began singing a rendition of "Happy Birthday" and giggled as Oliver's face went slack at the joyous sights and sounds of everyone wishing him a happy thirteenth birthday. When they finished she whispered to him, "Make a wish- silently!- then blow out the candles!"

Oliver closed his eyes for a moment, then smiled and blew out all the candles. Everyone clapped and cheered for him as Carlos allowed the light back in. Abuela began to cut the cake, and soon, everyone was eating the biggest slices of vanilla cake Willow had ever seen. They were jittery within minutes, if not seconds. The chatter at the kids' end of the table seemed an endless see of rapid thoughts. Eventually, Abuela let them all outside to hang out in the warmth of the setting sun. Willow turned to Oliver when she shut the door behind her.

"Still sure you were okay without a birthday party?" Willow joked.

Oliver grinned sheepishly. "No, this is pretty cool."

"I have to say, is your family for hire for this party thing?" Cypress asked. "They are literally the best cooks and bakers I'ver ever seen."

"Sorry, it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," Willow said teasingly.

Cypress shrugged, sitting next to Oliver and putting an arm around him. "Oh well. Seeing Oliver was the best part anyway." Griffin chirped indignantly from where he sat in the yard. Cypress rolled his eyes. "And you too, I guess, you needy beast."

Mandy looked up from petting Griffin. "Hey! He is not needy. He's a strong, independent griffin! If anything, Patch is the needy one," Mandy commented, chuckling at the knarl's fervent attempts to get into her pocket. "He apparently needs attention twenty-four/seven."

Willow raised a brow. "Patch likes you?"

Mandy smirked. "He knows what he wants, just like me. I know the way to a knarl's heart."

Willow nodded slowly. "Okay, good to know that Mandy is growing up to be a con artist…" She purposely ignored Mandy's scoff while trying to hide a grin. "Moving on! What are you all planning to do this summer?"

"Mum and us are going to Spain for a week," Sally replied happily. "Sam's been trying to learn some Spanish, but…we all know him. He tries. Anyway, Mum's parents moved there recently, and they're throwing a housewarming party."

"Diles que he dicho hola," Willow said.

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "I honestly have no clue what you just said. All I got was 'hola' and…yeah, that's it."

Willow laughed. "Tell them I said hi."

Sally poked her brother's deeply blushing cheeks. "If you can't even understand that, you're done for."

Sam rolled his eyes, which had somehow grown even more kaleidoscopic in the past week. Their light green-brown combination caught the sunlight in such a beautiful way. Sally's were the same way, but instead of absorbing the sunlight, they refracted it to each individual person in a slightly different manner depending on the way she was looking at them. Willow wondered how her eyes appeared to other people. Were they as bright green as Oliver's? As intuitive as Paige's? As light-hearted as George's? She caught herself staring at her friends and had to shake herself out of the trance before it became awkward.

"I'm going to my couch this summer, if anyone was wondering," Cypress said. "It's going to be awfully boring. My mum and dad will start making me do chores soon."

"Well, you're always welcome over here if you need it," Willow offered. She turned to Mandy, Lisa, and Sue. "What about you guys? Are you going on vacation?"

Mandy shook her head. "No, I'm stuck with my mum all summer. I might have to sleep in your library every now and then."

"We've got seven- maybe more- spare bedrooms if you want them, too," Willow giggled.

"Seven? Wow, I'd get lost!" Lisa said. "Well, my family is going to stay in a log cabin on a beautiful lakeshore. They won't tell me where yet, but I'm hoping it's the place they were looking at in a magazine last Christmas! It's so picturesque…"

"That reminds me of where I'm going this summer," Sue said. "We're visiting family in Japan. There's a gorgeous ravine a few miles from their home, and last time I was there, one of my cousins decided to jump in! That's a several-hundred foot drop! He didn't die, though, and that's how we found out he was a wizard, too. He goes to Mahoutokoro."

"Jesus, if that's what your family is like, it's a wonder you turned out the way you did, Sue," Mandy remarked. "We don't need any more reckless Gryffindors. It's sad to think Sam and Sally are fairly level-headed. Then we have a Willow, too!"

"Hey! I'm not that bad, am I?"

"Let's see- and this is only a sum of what I've heard and seen, so I might not even be close," Cypress began. "You ran after a troll, almost died, went into the Forbidden Forest, almost died, went after Quirrel, really almost died, jumped into a tiger pit, only relatively almost died, attacked Molly, almost died, ran into the Forbidden Forest several hundred times, could have died any one of those times, danced around dangerous magical creatures, also could have died at any moment, and finally went to the Ministry of Magic, got poisoned, and really, really almost died. Oh yeah, and don't forget world-quaking powers that people would definitely kill you for! So, yeah, you're at least semi-reckless, if not an entire cauldron full of explosive potion ingredients."

Willow rolled her eyes. "My life is an occupational hazard. You'll get used to it eventually."

"Or you could shape up?" Sally suggested threateningly.

Willow shrugged. "That sounds like too much work, but I'll try not to go running head-first into danger anymore."

"Yeah, yeah, you said that the last time," Mandy said, playfully punching her in the shoulder. "Don't worry, I've got at least three spells prepared at all times just in case you do something stupid."

"Mandy!"

"Okay, okay, I'll try and stop her before she does something stupid- if that's possible." She glanced at Oliver. "What are you guys doing for summer vacation, anyway? Something potentially dangerous?"

Oliver paused in thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, Uganda shouldn't be dangerous."

Sam choked on his own air. "Uganda? Whoa, I did not see that coming. I've always wanted to go there! Are you going to Queen Elizabeth National Park?"

Sally looked at her brother with a cross between disgust and surprise. "Since when did you have any interest in Uganda?"

"Since I realized there are lions there that literally climb trees!How cool is that? They're chasing some prey, it climbs a tree, thinking it's safe, then bam! the lion comes out of nowhere and lands perfectly on the next branch. How have you not seen any of those documentaries?"

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Sam?" Mandy asked.

Cypress raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. He does hide a brain somewhere."

"Hey!"

"Anyway," Willow continued, "we're visiting many parts of Uganda, then heading to the western border for Uagadou, the oldest and most accomplished of the African wizarding schools. They're still going to be in school when we visit, so I'm hoping we get to see what one of their classes is like!"

"Bring back the best local dessert you can find!" Mandy stage-whispered.

"I will, don't worry."

"Hey, did you guys want an outdoor movie night?" Carlos called from the house.

Oliver and Willow jumped to their feet. "YES!"

A few minutes later, they were all settled on an enormous blanket in the grass while Star Wars: A New Hope was beginning its theme song. Star Wars was one of the only movies Oliver had ever gotten to see throughout his life. His parents had managed to take him to the theater a few times, but his grandparents obviously deprived him. Willow was bound determined to make this the best movie ever. Carlos magically enhanced the outdoor movie screen so that the graphics were crystal clear. Willow popped up a massive amount of popcorn and ended up having her dad levitate the massive bowl to her friends. She, of course, ate the majority of it, but that was after everyone else ate what they wanted.

When the movie ended, darkness had fallen. The guests began to leave one by one until only Cypress was left. When his mum arrived in the driveway, he whispered "By the way, you're to love my present." He surprisingly hugged Oliver and smirked at his astounded expression, then turning to leave. Willow glanced quizzically at Oliver the moment Cypress was gone. They both sprinted into the living room and skidded to a stop by the presents. Oliver tore open the one from Cypress, which was decorated with a combination of green and yellow ribbons. A box fell out of the wrapping paper. They opened it to reveal a card and a lovingly packaged treat. Oliver squealed at the sight of the red velvet cake roll.

"What does the card say?" Willow asked.

Oliver opened it. "'I knew you wouldn't like it if I gave you a vile of acid to throw at your enemies, so I thought this would be better instead. Happy Thirteenth Birthday, Oliver! I hope you don't hate being a teenager too much.' Aw, Cypress! He knows me too well!"

Willow grinned. "He does indeed."

Oliver's face was positively glowing. "I can't believe he managed to get this with only a day's notice! It's my favourite restaurant to get it from, too! I feel kind of bad because it's super expensive…but it's really good…and he says his family has too much money…"

"Also known as perfectly acceptable to eat it all in one sitting," Willow joked. "You're allowed to be spoiled every now and then- or all the time."

Oliver grinned. "Cypress does spoil me all the time though! He's always making sure I know what I'm doing in potions, helping me out with social situations, throwing glitter on my face, giving me potions for some of the common room plants I look after…He's amazing." His face went red. "Not- not because I like him, no, he's a good friend."

Willow could hardly contain her glee. "Are you sure about that? Because that's exactly what I said about Paige, and now look where that got me."

Oliver tentatively smiled. "Okay…maybe a little bit."

Willow screamed internally as she hugged Oliver. "I knew it! You two are super cute, did you know that? You're polar opposites that balance each other out. Cypress helps you be more confident, you make sure Cypress's ego isn't the size of Earth. It's adorable!"

"You and Paige are even more cute," Oliver said, sending the colour to Willow's cheeks. "You'd make the perfect pair. Paige has been head-over-heels for you since first year. I can't wait to be at your wedding."

"Wedding?" Willow spluttered, heart flipping.

"That's taking it a bit far," a voice said quietly behind them.

Willow and Oliver jumped. Their hearts skipped a beat. They whipped around to see Abuela staring at them both, face expressionless. Willow shot to her feet to stand in front of Oliver. An icy claw of fear dragged its way down her spine.

"Abuela, I can explain," Willow said quickly.

She simply stood there, gazing between them both, face made of stone. Willow's heart pounded so hard against her ribs she was sure Abuela could hear it. She'd forgotten all about the fact that her family didn't know she wasn't straight. They'd never even discussed the topic before. Were they okay with it? Were they religious zealots about it? Willow bit her lip, the tension rising as Abuela remained motionless. How would she react?

Suddenly, Abuela burst out laughing. Willow and Oliver glanced at each other, furrowing their brows. What?

"You should have seen the looks on your faces!" she wheezed. "Ay dios mio, you give me a good laugh! What would you need to explain? I had my guesses after the amount of talking you did about Paige last summer. The whole world had to have known by the time you went back to Hogwarts. She's a keeper, Willow, both on the quidditch field and off. Don't you dare let her go! I want to see my granddaughter married before I die!"

"Abuela!" Willow squeaked. "Wait- you don't care that I'm bi?"

"Why should I care? It's double the chances to see you walk down the aisle."

Willow lost all ability to speak. She spluttered and tripped over her words. Abuela turned to Oliver.

"So you're into that Cypress boy, are you?" she confirmed. Oliver nodded. "Good. You've got great taste in men- reliable, independent, and accepting. I better receive a wedding invite."

Oliver's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "How- what- when- You're not kicking me out?"

"Just because your grandparents are complete pendejos doesn't mean the entire generation is that ignorant," Abuela said firmly. "I'm smart enough to realize it means more chances to eat wedding cake and fight over what musicians to hire."

"So…you're okay with us…not being straight?" Willow questioned.

"I don't care who you bring home, as long as it's someone worthy of marrying into the family. All I do care about is seeing my granddaughter happy." Abuela kissed Willow on the cheek. "You can come to me with any questions about this future wife of yours. I know women better than I know men anyway and...well, we know you've had more luck understanding guys."

"Future wi- Abuela!" Willow exclaimed.

Abuela simply chuckled to herself as she rejoined the rest of the family outside on the deck. Willow and Oliver glanced at each other with raised brows.

"That was…unexpected, to say the least," Willow said.

Oliver was nearly in tears, grinning from ear to ear. "Is it too late for your family to adopt me?"

Willow hugged him tight. "We already have."

Later that night, Willow and Oliver went through each and every gift and card with Phoebe and Fidget. The pair of magical creatures were nearly inseparable already. Willow found a fanny pack that was given to her father as a gag gift and buckled it around Phoebe's waist. Fidget hopped right in and hadn't left since. When the moon shone brightly through the windows, Willow took them both to the greenhouse, where the rest of her magical creatures were settling in for the night. She and Oliver said goodnight to everyone and headed towards the bedrooms.

Willow's senses suddenly buzzed threateningly. A second later, the doorbell rang. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something- or someone- was up to no good. It was the dead of night; why would anyone bother them at this time? One hand on her wand, Willow crept towards the door, opening it slowly. A pair of older Muggles stood on her doorstep. Willow's dread furthered at their tense faces.

"Is this the Guerrero household?" the man growled.

"If that's what you want to call it, sure," Willow said, the man's expression darkening.

"We're here for Oliver Rivers, our grandson," the woman explained, though her smile was so fake Willow wondered if it was made of plastic. "He is in our custody. Legally, he belongs under our care. You must return him to us. Now."

Willow crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the couple. After a tense silence Willow finally said, "Sorry, but I wasn't expecting a couple of arseholes today. Stranger danger, you know. Try again tomorrow- or never. You're quite annoyingly rude."

Willow barely got a glimpse of the couple's appalled expressions before she slammed the door in their face. She turned on her heel only to stop short. Oliver was standing at the base of the stairs, body rigid, emerald eyes wide.

"You- you just…how…why were they- why were they here?"

"To get their arses kicked," Willow replied.

"What's going on? Who's at the door?" Carlos asked, appearing from the living room.

"No one of importance," Willow said quickly.

Suddenly, a loud BOOM! shook the door. The lock bent and the door's hinges cracked. The grandparents were trying to break in! BOOM! Willow glanced at her dad. He raised his eyebrows.

"Right, it's nothing," Carlos said, nodding slowly.

Willow scoffed threw up her arms, then slowly drew her wand out of her pocket. BOOM! Cracks spidered across the door. BOOM! The door barely remained attached to the frame. BOOM! With one final groan, the front door crashed onto the tile floor. The grandparents stormed in only stop short, frozen-mid stride. A singular piece of sleek rowan wood dared them to even breathe.

"What the hell is your problem?" Willow shouted. "I told you to go away!"

"Why should we listen to such a rude girl?" the woman snapped.

"How dare you!" Carlos growled, whipping out his wand.

Willow gestured calmingly to him. "Dad, I've got this, it's fine. I've dealt with much worse." She turned back to the two adults. "Look, can you save yourselves the time and just leave? Oliver's not coming with you. He belongs here, where people actually love him and give a damn about his well-being- in all aspects. It took me two seconds to realize your house would be a living hell."

"You dare threaten us like this?" the man roared.

"Yeah, I do." Willow heard audible gasps behind her. "I have every right to kick you off this property. You've done nothing but abuse, bully, and destroy Oliver. Oliver, the most beautiful soul I've ever discovered in this world! How dare you even think about hurting him in any way, shape, or form? You deserve to burn in hell for all of eternity!"

"This, coming from a fag!" the man shouted.

That did it. Abuela's nostrils flared. She strode forward, wand at the ready. "You dare come onto my property, threaten my grandchildren, and think you can get away with it? You're lucky I'm smarter than to tempt the Ministry. You would be splattered across the floor by now!"

The woman's chest heaved. "Oliver, we're going. Say goodbye to your friend."

Willow stepped in front of Oliver. "Touch him, and I swear to God and all things Holy, I will hex you so many times, not only will you be blasted off the face of the Earth, you will be blasted straight into hell, and I will not hesitate for a second to do it. You will wish you've never been born. I promise."

"You're wasting my time. You can't even do magic outside school. Oliver, let's go, now."

The man grabbed Oliver, and time suddenly froze. Willow saw the iron grip on his arm, the sheer panic on Oliver's face, the horrifying memories that rushed to the surface in the space of a millisecond. Her blood boiled. How dare he touch Oliver? How dare he hurt him? How dare he even threaten him? Without batting an eye, Willow swung her fist as hard as she could directly into the man's face.

Time came crashing into reality again. There was a satisfying snap! and a bloodcurdling scream, and the man hit the floor. Oliver stumbled backwards into Abuela's arms. Willow dove on top of the man. She hit him again, then again, then again, and again. He was screaming bloody murder while scarlet poured over his face. Willow didn't care that her fist was slowly shattering. She didn't care that her family was horrified. The man had never cared about Oliver, so why should she care about him at all? She was seeing red. Her arm burned with exhaustion, but she kept beating him and slapping him and punching him, bleeding the life out of him, until a sharp blow to the side of the head sent her flying into the wall.

Willow grunted in dizzying pain and rose to her feet only to receive another blow to the back of the head. She blindly struck out and felt herself graze someone's face with her nails. A female voice growled. Willow's senses screamed at her to duck. She dropped to the floor. A hand collided with the wall. Willow rolled over. She bowled into the woman's legs. Willow shot to her feet. The woman hit the ground. Willow's vision became fuzzy. She aimed a kick for the woman's gut. The woman grabbed her leg. Willow slammed into the ground. She curled into a ball in pain. A sharp blow landed in her ribs. Another blow. Another blow. Willow wheezed. Her chest burned. She slowly began to lose her grip on reality. Then, all of a sudden, the blows stopped.

Willow looked up to see Oliver's grandma in a headlock, courtesy of Abuela. Her wand was pointed to the other woman's throat. Willow blinked. She'd never seen her grandmother this angry before. Her naturally dark brown eyes were nearly black. Abuela's strong arm muscles were tensed to their max. The other woman couldn't even draw in a single sliver of air.

"Apologize. Now!"

The other woman coughed and fought and struggled. Abuela tightened her grip. The woman wheezed, the choked out, "Fine…I'm…sorry!"

"Now take your pathetic excuse for a husband and get the hell off my property, or I'm sending my sons on you, and believe me, they have an arsenal of magical creatures they'd just love to unleash on you. And if you ever touch my grandchildren again, you will never see the light of day. Now leave!"

The grandparents stumbled to their feet, glaring daggers at the Guerreros, clutching their bloody noses and smearing scarlet stains across the walls on their way out. Abuela stood in the doorway, arms crossed as she watched them hurry into their car. The screech of their tires on the road pierced Willow's eardrums and increased the pain in her already-pounding head. She unwillingly groaned when she slowly rose to her feet. Raising a hand, she grew the vines from the side of the house and guided them to where the blood stained the walls, wiping it away with their foliage. She couldn't stand the sight of the blood on the wall. The low-lives couldn't leave an impact in their wake if she wouldn't let them. Willow had already forgotten how fast her powers would exhaust her, however, and fell to one knee. Oliver kneeled at her side.

"Willow? Are you okay?" he asked, voice pitched. "You took a lot of blows to the head…"

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Willow said quietly. "Just…combination of healing powers and using them…a little more tiring than I remember."

Carlos rushed beside her and touched her head, which sported a massive bruise. "Minor concussion. It's already healing. Holy…wow, those healing powers work fast. It's halfway healed already."

"It won't heal any farther with powers, then…stop at halfway…" Willow murmured. She shook her head to clear her vision. "Ouch."

"Why…why would you fight my grandparents for me?" Oliver questioned. "They could have seriously hurt you; they kind of did!"

Willow smiled. "I always protect family, especially from other family. You're a brother to me." She winced, but still grinned. "Plus, they were kind of douchebags."

Oliver very nearly cried.