"Peter Pettigrew! My- ugh, I haven't told you his story yet!" Sirius said.

Willow gasped "Wait, he's dead! Peter Pettigrew has been dead for twelve years! Why the hell are you going after Peter if he's dead, Sirius? You could have been captured for nothing!"

"He's not dead!" Sirius protested.

"And you brought your knife!" Willow shrilled, ignoring an exasperated Sirius. "I told you that was for defensive purposes only! What were you doing in the castle with your knife? You could have hurt someone!"

"I'd like to believe I have a little more skill than clumsiness with my knife..." Sirius muttered moodily. At a look from Willow, he stood up straight and cleared his throat. "But that's beside the point! Peter Pettigrew is- contrary to popular belief- very much alive, and he's running around the castle day and night!"

Willow stared at Sirius. "Have you gone mental?"

"What- no! Trust me, you would know by now if I'd gone mental! Look- " Sirius sighed, dragging his hands down his face. "This sounds crazy, but hear me out, because this definitely isn't the craziest thing in the wizarding world. When I take the form of my animagus, I can chat with certain other animals- say, cats, dogs, and werewolves if I get the chance- to entertain myself. Well, the other day, an orange, burly cat came running at me, and I thought it was going to attack me, but instead, he decided to introduce himself. He said his name was Crookshanks, and he lived in Gryffindor Tower. His owner is Hermione- ha, I said it right!- and he told me all about what's been going on in the Tower- "

"WHAT?!" Willow shrieked. "You were talking with Crookshanks? That is SO not fair! I've been trying to get that stupid cat to talk to me for ages, and he won't budge!"

Sirius scoffed. "Everyone wants to talk to me, don't take it personally. Do you know Hermione or something?"

"Of course I do! She's one of my best friends!" Willow half-shouted.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Wow. Plot twist! Anyway...Crookshanks told me all about Hermione at first, that she's the brightest witch of her age, that she's so kind, but she takes too many classes, so she doesn't pay enough attention to him, etc. Then, he told me about this peculiar rat. Crookshanks went on and on about how he'd been trying to eat this rat for some time because there was something off about it. I know you don't think too highly of Hermione's cat, Willow, but that Crookshanks is something special. He has kneazle blood in his veins, which means he's related to a magical small cat breed that can detect suspicious and untrustworthy people."

Willow smirked. "So why would Crookshanks talk with you, of all people?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I appreciate the sarcasm, I really do. I'll continue, if that's allowed in your personal schedule, please...so Crookshanks told me about this rat. He said that this rat was ridiculously suspicious. It belongs to someone called Ron Weasley. I don't think Ron knows what kind of danger he's in, Willow, which is why I tried to get rid of it sooner rather than later."

"Wait, why would Ron be in danger?" Willow questioned.

Sirius wrung his hands. "Well...long story short, Peter Pettigrew is an animagus, just like me- and you'll never guess what his animagus form is."

Willow's stomach dropped. The blood froze in her veins. "A rat."

Sirius nodded gravely. "Exactly. What's more, Crookshanks told me that the rat is considerably old for a common rodent, about twelve years old, and what's more, he's missing a toe."

Willow's eyes widened. "All that they found of Peter was- "

"A finger," Sirius affirmed. "Don't you see? Peter's been hiding among a common wizarding family for twelve long years, waiting for his chance to escape and help Voldemort return to power. He's a bloody coward."

Willow suddenly gripped her stomach. "But...Sirius, Crookshanks just killed Ron's rat!"

Sirius shook his head. "That's what Peter wants you to think. Crookshanks said he's found the rat here and there around the castle, scurrying into whatever dark hole he can find. He's getting more and more dangerous by the minute, Willow. If he decides to transform back into a human, who knows what he'll do!"

Suddenly, alarms blared within the castle. Willow winced. She was going to get in trouble for not being in the common room, but that didn't matter right now. There was a much more pressing situation to take care of. As the alarms shrilled increasingly louder, Willow questioned Sirius about how he got into the common room, anyway.

"Someone left a sheet with the week's passwords lying around, so Crookshanks brought it to me," Sirius replied.

Willow groaned. "Neville Longbottom, probably. He's always losing the passwords."

"Oh...Longbottom..." Sirius trailed off, looking away. "I knew his parents once, you know."

Willow's heart quickened. "You did?"

"Yes, I knew them very well before they were cursed," Sirius said quietly. "Alice and Frank were some of the brightest, kindest souls to ever grace this earth. It's a shame that Bellatrix cursed them...she's my cousin."

Willow's mouth dropped open slightly. "She...wait, how- ? You know what, families are complicated. I'm not going to ask." She moved towards Sirius, who still wouldn't look at her, instead opting to stare up towards the castle. "Sirius. Look at me." He did as Willow asked, but begrudgingly. "That's not your fault. Alice and Frank are the way they are now because Bellatrix cursed them, not you."

Sirius's eyes watered. "I could have stopped her, though. I could have stopped a lot of things she's done."

"You know what? My mum has done a lot of things I could have stopped too, but I didn't," Willow said. The emotions immediately flooded her system, tightening her chest, but she took a deep breath. "My mum did something that changed my life forever right in front of my very eyes, and I did nothing. At some point...we have to stop blaming ourselves for something other people did. Blood is all that connects you to your family, when it comes down to it. You can choose your friends. I'd be much more ashamed if it were my best friend that did something horrible, wouldn't you?"

Sirius nodded, but tears pricked his eyes. "That's exactly why I'm ashamed more than anyone on this planet to have been friends with Peter Pettigrew."

Willow's emotions surged. "What? Why?"

Sirius pressed his lips together and sent his eyes to his shoes. "Because Peter Pettigrew is the reason the Potters are dead."

Willow gazed at Sirius. "How?"

"Don't make me explain it," he whispered, voice cracking.

Willow's heart shattered. She embraced Sirius tightly, allowing some of her emotions to course freely through her system. Sirius finally hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder. Why did the world hate them so much? They thought the worst could only come from their families, but in the end, it could always be worse, and the world kept finding ways to prove that doctrine true. Why couldn't it just leave them alone? Willow tried not to grip Sirius tighter as a wave of fresh anger aimed at the prophecy burned through her. The prophecy was so stupid! There was no reason for it to come barging in, ruining her life. She could gladly say that she wished these powers never existed, that she could just be a normal witch, having fun at Hogwarts and trying to do right by the world. But these powers existed, and if they were going to burden anyone, she'd rather have them burdening herself. She'd rather let the powers destroy her than everybody else.

"Sirius, please don't let the past get to you so much," Willow pleaded. "I've already let it destroy me. Don't let it destroy you, too."

"I try not to," Sirius said. "And you better not keep your past inside you, either, because I know you try."

Willow laughed bitterly. "There's nowhere else for it to go."

Footsteps crunched in the snow outside. Willow and Sirius sprang apart as the door flew open, nearly breaking its hings as it admitted Cypress and Oliver to the Power House.

"We heard the alarms! What happened this time? Did you try and blow something up? If you want to do that, I'll definitely lend you a potion, just so you know," Cypress offered.

Sirius discreetly wiped his eyes and cooled down his face. "No, it was an accident. False alarm."

"Be careful! We don't want you to get caught!" Oliver fretted.

Sirius half-smiled, ruffling the Hufflepuff's hair. "I'll be fine. They haven't caught me the past thirty-seven times, so I think the luck is still in my favor." He clapped his hands. "Well, it's pretty late. I think it might be safer if you guys spend the night here."

"Agreed," Willow said. She waved her hands, creating two soft beds of grass for Oliver and Cypress. "If you guys want blankets, I've got a stash worthy of an army. They're stacked in that shelf over there."

Cypress and Oliver gratefully piled a bunch of blankets over themselves. They were soon fast asleep, gently snoring next to one another. Willow grinned at the sight of Oliver's hand in Cypress's. She glanced over to where Sirius was turned away from her in his chair, staring out the window at the moon. Willow could feel how much he was hurting. Her powers only amplified it. How did he live every day knowing that his past was right around the corner? Living in secrecy was a constant reminder of what had happened twelve years ago to land him here. He had to be strong to survive all those years of reliving the same pivotal moment in his life, forever changing it for the worse. Willow wished she could help him, but she didn't have the skill to coax him into telling her what happened; he'd already shared quite a lot with her that night. What greater demons were he hiding?

Willow shook her head. Sirius and she were turning out to be quite similar, and they were both complete hypocrites when it came to looking out for one another. But hey, a fellow sufferer might hold the best advice, Willow thought. It was still extremely painful to see Sirius hurting so much every day, being cooped up to his own thoughts for hours on end. Was this how her friends felt when they saw her stuck in negative thoughts? Willow had never felt so useless, like a waste of space. Why couldn't she be more like Oliver? The world needed more Hufflepuffs in it.

The stars twinkled at Willow as she laid on the couch. They were like diamonds on the black velvet felt of the sky. She liked to imagine that each one marked the spot where a person had reached a happier place. Willow stared longingly at them, wishing she could reach the person beyond them.

I wish you were here. You'd know what to do...I miss you more than ever.

Over the next two days, Willow, Cypress, and Oliver visited Sirius every night, trying their best to keep Sirius's spirits up. He seemed to be doing better the more they visited, but after failing to find his treacherous friend, Willow could understand his disappointment. Felicity continued to provide him emotional support. The sensitive jobberknoll would flutter onto Sirius's shoulder whenever he sensed sadness, and within seconds, Sirius's mood would improve. Willow always knew Felicity would do good in the world. She found her own spirits lifted at such an endearing gesture of support.

During breakfast on Monday morning, however, something happened that sent Willow's mood into the dumps. Neville had been in total disgrace in the aftermath of Sirius's intrusion. Professor McGonagall had taken his Hogsmeade privileges away, and in order to enter the common room, he had to wait for someone else to come along and give the password, as he couldn't be trusted with them anymore. Willow thought her guilt couldn't get any worse, but unfortunately, everything seemed to be determined to hit rock bottom lately. The school owls fluttered through the scarcely-lit windows, and within seconds, Neville was sprinting out of the Great Hall, red envelope in hand. Willow clapped a hand to her mouth as the explosion of an angry woman's voice reverberated through the Entrance Hall. Neville had received a howler.

Willow's stomach seized up in pain. Her fork clattered to the ground. Ignoring the concerned expressions of her Gryffindor Sisters, Willow abruptly stood up and marched out of the Great Hall, straight to where Neville's howler was screaming. The voice grated on her eardrums, but it couldn't compare to the scalloping sensation filleting her heart into a million pieces. Willow found Neville with his back against the wall, hands covering his ears. She waiting just out of sight until the howler's piercing shrills died down to a crackle of burning paper. Neville's sobs could be heard now. Willow wanted to cry herself. She knew that this safety frenzy, all these punishments, all these concerns, were for nothing. But no one knew what she did; no one knew Sirius Black was innocent. All they knew was that Sirius Black nearly stabbed Ron Weasley, and it was Neville's fault that he'd gotten into the common room.

"Neville?" Willow whispered, her voice cracking.

She heard feet scuffle on the floor. "What do you want?"

"I know that this is a dumb question, but are you okay?"

Neville sniffled. "No..."

Willow couldn't take it anymore. She stepped out from where she was hiding and wrapped Neville in a big hug, which he didn't refuse. He cried into Willow's shoulder for a bit. Her heart tortuously cracked, piece by piece, holding itself together by a thread. Why did this have to be so complicated? Why did she always end up with the toughest secrets?

Willow had to take a deep breath to steady her own emotions. Neville needed her to be strong for him. He was struggling way more than her right now. The main adult figure in his life had just accused him of bringing shame to the entire Longbottom family, and he had nowhere to turn for support except his friends. Willow was grateful to see Ginny Weasley and Colin Creevy tentatively creep out of the Great Hall. They added on to create a group hug, which surprisingly made Neville laugh half-heartedly.

"Thanks guys," he said quietly, wiping his face on his sleeve.

"Anything for a friend!" Colin cheered.

Willow grinned. Leave it to Colin to bring positivity into the atmosphere. Ginny and he managed to make Neville fully laugh with a well-rehearsed joke. The second years were such rays of sunshine; Willow felt bad for not spending much time with them lately. She'd hung out with them for at least an hour at the party Saturday night, but when was the last time she'd done that?

"Uh, Willow? Hermione's been calling for you the past five minutes," Ginny chortled.

Willow gave a start. "Oh! Sorry, I'll catch up with you guys later, got to go!"

Running down across the entrance hall, she found Hermione just outside the doors, tapping her foot. The lines creasing her forehead were even deeper than usual. Hermione's face was pink, but not from the bitter wind. Her eyes crackled with a nervous electricity that was beyond anything Willow had ever seen before. She bit her lip as she stared at her completely stressed-out Gryffindor Sister.

"It's Ron again, isn't it?" Willow said softly.

Hermione nodded. "Can we go to Hagrid's?"

"Yeah, we're definitely going to there."

Minutes later, Willow and Hermione were knocking on Hagrid's enormous wooden door. The bearded man joyously swung it open, the iron hinges creaking familiarly. His expression faltered at the sight of Hermione's, though.

"Come in, I'll make ya some tea," he said.

Hermione and Willow graciously accepted his offer. Hagrid poured them piping-hot glasses, then settled himself across the table from the girls, accidentally bumping the table. Willow's hand shot out to steady her tea.

"Sorry 'bout that," Hagrid apologized. "What happened this time? Did Ron do summat stupid again?"

Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "For once, he did absolutely nothing, but I'm sure you heard all about Sirius Black entering the castle Saturday night."

"It's a right shame, Black messin' with yer lives and all," Hagrid said, shaking his head. "Harry worries me, bein' out an' about with Black on the loose like that."

"He worries me too!" Hermione exclaimed. "Not only does Harry wander around alone all the time, but he and Ron always get into trouble! I mean, Ron almost got stabbed! He could have been killed, and the worst part is, Harry was in mortal danger at the same time! I could have lost both of them in one night!"

Willow's gut attempted to skewer itself with an invisible knife. She kicked herself under the table. Her voice sounded rather hoarse when she rasped, "Yeah, it's concerning that Ron isn't taking this more seriously."

Hermione crossed her arms, leaning back. "He's parading around the castle like some- some war hero, when he should really be taking a second and third glance over his shoulder! Ron is the luckiest person alive right now! If he hadn't woken up when he did...I don't want to think about the outcome."

"Why do ya think he fled?" Hagrid asked. "He coulda killed both of 'em right there, coulda got what he wanted. Why did'e stop?"

"Maybe he got cold feet?" Hermione suggested. "I'd hope he felt some moral regret, but it's Black we're talking about here- a ruthless, lawless, mass murderer. He could have an untold number of diabolical reasons for holding back."

"Ya might be righ', Hermione," Hagrid said, stroking his beard. "What d'ya think, Willow? What d'ya think he's plannin'?"

Willow nearly jumped out of her seat. She struggled to make eye contact with Hagrid or Hermione. "Uh...I dunno...maybe he's...not after Harry- at all? Like...maybe he's after...an old friend?"

Hagrid and Hermione both stared at her, bewildered. "Where did you get that theory from?"

"Uh- my brain?" Willow said, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. The fire was making the room unbearably stuffy all of a sudden. Hagrid frowned at her.

"Yer burnin' up, Willow. Yer cheeks are downrigh' ruddy. Are ya okay?"

Willow stood up without warning. "Actually, I think I'm going to head to Madam Pomfrey. I'm feeling rather ill right now. Thanks for the tea, Hagrid. I'll see you later, Hermione, okay?"

Without waiting for an answer, Willow darted outside, shutting Hagrid's door behind her. The normally biting wind pleasantly cooled her fiery complexion. She was way too obvious. Hermione and Hagrid had to be suspicious now. And Harry was already a little curious as to why Willow disappeared so often...people were picking up her trail. She had to be more careful. What if she led them to Sirius? He'd never forgive her; she'd never forgive herself, especially with the punishment of the dementor's kiss hanging over his head...

Willow's feet automatically veered towards the Forbidden Forest. She nearly tripped when she realized where she was headed. Willow skidded to a stop, redirecting herself towards the castle. She couldn't go running to Sirius every time something went wrong now! Sure, it was great to have his company, but she wouldn't have his company much longer if she wasn't conscious of her actions! Willow mentally slapped herself. WAKE UP! She had to pay attention!

Speaking of paying attention, Willow was so busy brooding and yelling at herself that she almost ran into someone on her way through the entrance hall. She gasped and leapt backwards right before she would have collided.

"Oh my God, I'm so sor- wait, Mandy? What are you doing here?"

Mandy appeared surprised herself. "Willow? Oh, I was looking for you anyway, come with me."

Before she could protest, Willow was dragged up the stairs, through multiple corridors, and into the library. Madam Pince peered suspiciously over her massive, dust-covered book as they entered, but lowered her spectacles with a huff. Willow had heard that most Ravenclaws were well-liked by the librarian; so far, it had been proven true. Mandy found an empty spot near the window, several tables away from other students. Willow raised her eyebrows at her friend.

"Trust me, you'll want to sit down for this," Mandy said.

Willow and her Ravenclaw friend each took a seat. Mandy bit her lip, eyes darting to each student within a fifty-meter radius. Willow had never seen her this fidgety; Mandy was always confident to the point it bordered on arrogance. What was going on?

"Willow...I don't know how to say this, exactly...so...please promise me you're not going to freak out," Mandy said. Willow swore on her life. "Okay, well...where to start...you know I'm a metamorphagus. I can shape-shift to a degree. My hair colour can change at will, my eye colour is whatever I want, blah, blah, blah. Well, every once in a while, my body acts up and changes on its own, without my permission. It started as altered hair length, different facial features, and tanner skin- don't ask my why that happened- but it began to take on a very, very different form. It changed my entire body to the point where I wasn't my original self anymore."

Willow gaped. "You're joking."

Mandy shook her head. "I wish I was. I was literally an entirely new witch, and I couldn't change myself back for several minutes. It's gotten worse lately. I can only switch back after half an hour. I've had to miss a few classes because of this."

Willow's eyes widened. "Really? You get stuck in a different body that long?"

"Yes!" Mandy's eyes watered. "I hate it! The worst part is...I'm always stuck in a dude's body!"

Willow nearly fell out of her chair. "Wait a second, did I hear you correctly? You get stuck in a man's body, not a female's?"

Mandy nodded. "It's awful! I never asked for this- why is it happening to me?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know, but we should probably investigate, if it's interfering with your daily life."

"You think?" Mandy half-shrieked, sarcasm and desperation concocting a dangerous mix. "I'm stuck as an entirely different person for minutes at a time, unable to switch back, unable to get help, unable to look at myself in the mirror!" Mandy blinked back a few tears. "It's horrible, Willow! I can't stay in control of myself anymore! There's no logic behind it, no way to explain it! It's just- ugh!" A trickle of saltwater escaped Mandy's eyelashes. "I hate it even more because it's me, staring right back at myself in the mirror. My hair colour, eye colour, height, almost my entire body shape...it's the exact same, just transferred to a guy's body. It's unnerving. I just- I can't- "

Mandy broke down into quiet sobs. Willow was immediately upon her, embracing her redheaded friend. Mandy used her immense mental strength to reduce her crying to silence, only a single tear trailing down her face. Willow's gut roiled. She wanted to help Mandy, but how? She was useless when it came to emotional issues! Willow frantically searched her mind for a solution as Mandy pulled away, angrily wiping the tear stains off her face.

"I'm fine, I just need to remind myself that," Mandy said. "I can learn to control this. I'll figure out a way to make it stop."

"I know you will. You're the strongest, most iron-willed Ravenclaw I've ever met in my life," Willow said, which got Mandy to crack a smile through her tough facial guard. "If you ever need me to help, I will."

Mandy nodded. "I know. You're crazy nice." Something caused her expression to falter. "Hey, can I- ?"

Suddenly, a magnificent wail punctured the quiet atmosphere. Madam Pince hissed something under her breath about stupid Gryffindors, marching to the corridor adjacent to the library. Willow groaned when she recognized the hysterical voices.

"Jesus Christ, not again!" she whined. "I'm sorry, Mandy, I'll come back later, but I have get my roommates out of a year's worth of detention. I'll see you later, promise! I'm so sorry again!"

Mandy waved goodbye sadly, her entire frame drooping. The sight plucked on Willow's heartstrings, but she consoled herself with the promise of helping her later. She increased her turnover to make it to her Gryffindor Sisters in record time. The moment she laid eyes on the scene, she wanted to turn on her heel and leave in exasperation, but she didn't, instead forcing her unwilling body to move forward, one step at a time, towards the spot where Madam Pince was chewing out Lavender, Mia, and Fay.

"You're lucky I spared you the last few times!" Madam Pince growled. "This time, you are paying for disturbing the quiet!"

"We're so sorry!" Fay cried, makeup running down her face. "It's just- it's just- Lavender was doing so well- she was making a move- on that Hufflepuff boy- but- but- "

"She got shot down!" Mia howled.

Madam Pince rolled her eyes. "You're only adding to your sentence!"

"You're only adding to my emotional breakdown!" Lavender bawled.

She hiccuped, burying her face in Fay's shoulder. Mia glared at Madam Pince. "Can't you see we're having a moment here? This is a bad time for Lavender! Leave us alone!"

Willow secretly wanted to high-five Mia for that statement, but she thought better of it, because at that very moment, Madam Pince's beet-red face turned menacingly on her.

"What are you doing here? Snooping around the castle?" she snapped. "I've got enough to deal with without your antics! You and those bloody redheads, always blowing things up, messing up my reading time- "

"With all due respect, Ma'am," Willow began, cringing internally, "I was just about to take my friends here back to Gryffindor Tower. I heard them crying, you see, and I didn't want them to become embarrassed in public. We're just passing through, that's all. We'll be out of your way in less than a minute."

Madam Pince stared at Willow, as though deciphering some code. Willow's gut twisted. She hoped the lie was convincing enough. It seemed her sweet persona won out, thankfully. Madam Pince grunted, whipping around and marching back to her circular desk. She peered at them suspiciously over her book once more. Willow shuddered at how terrifyingly red her spectacles made her brown eyes appear. She ushered her Gryffindor Sisters down the corridor, through the castle, and up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower. Willow sat down the babbling bunch in their dormitory, handing them numerous boxes of tissues, which they gratefully accepted.

"How bad was it?" she asked.

"Terrible!" Mia lamented. "I wasn't even the one that got shot down, but it hurt just to watch!"

"What did he do?"

Fay blew her nose. "He- he- oh, I can hardly say it! Lavender was so sweet, she walked up to him all perfect, like the goddess she is, but he tried to get away from her! Why would he run away from such a model? He literally said that Lavender had to keep at least two meters between them at all times!"

Willow raised her eyebrows. "He did?"

"Yes!" Lavender said. "It was the worst failure in my whole life! I- I'm not sure if I even want to do this dating thing anymore!"

Willow put her arm around Lavender's shoulders. "Aw, Lavender, I'm sure it's not all that bad. Not every guy is the same! I mean, if that was the worst that's ever happened to you, then it can only get better, right?"

"But it could get so much worse!"

Right as Willow was achieving the level of discomfort beyond what she was capable of handling, a shout from outside the dormitory alerted her to Sam's presence. The more alarming thing, however, was the thudding and scuffling that came after it. Willow briefly apologized before sprinting out of the dormitory, leaving her crying roommates only half-consoled. She found Sam and Sally tumbling down the stairs in a heap. The moment they hit the common room landing, they sprang to their feet, instantly resuming their brawl. Willow flew down the steps and jumped in between them right as they drew wands on one another.

"STOP!" she shouted. "Put your wands down, RIGHT NOW!"

Sam and Sally refused to back down, only leaning to the right and left to get a better shot at one another.

"Sally started it! She was doing something weird!"

"I was not!"

"Yes you were! You wouldn't let me see what was happening!"

"That's because you don't need to know everything about my life!"

"SHUT IT!" Willow demanded, this time with real force. Both Sally and Sam stumbled backwards in shock. "Shut it right now, lower your wands, and hand them to me, or I'm setting Griffin loose on you!"

The Smith twins begrudgingly complied, their gazes burning into the floor as they handed Willow their wands. She stuffed them into her robe pockets. When she realized several older students were staring, she grabbed the twins by their arms and roughly dragged them through the portrait hole. There were some innocent first years skipping down the corridor. They didn't deserve to hear this. Shoving Sally and Sam into the nearest broom closet, Willow locked the door behind them with a charm, then lit her wand to illuminate the space.

"Look, I've been dealing with quite a few people's problems today, so if you wouldn't mind making this as short as possible, that would be great," Willow said.

Sam's face reddened. "Sally was doing something bad, and I know it!"

"Where's your proof?" Sally shot back.

"The book you checked out from the library was- "

"Enough with the arguing!" Willow exploded, blood boiling in her veins. "I mean it when I say I'm going to kick both of your arses if you don't work this out! I've had enough of the arguing and the stupidity lately, so end it already!"

Sam crossed his arms. "Fine. Sally, I'm sorry that I went poking around in your stuff."

"I'm sorry that I'm being private about my own life choices," Sally hissed, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"What kind of apology was that? Make it at least somewhat sincere," Willow groaned.

Sam rolled his eyes and huffed. "Fine! Sally, I'm sorry that I overreacted about you checking out a library book. It was stupid and selfish. There. Happy now?"

"Yes. And I'm sorry that I seem like I'm shutting you out. I'm not," Sally promised, taking her brother's hand. "I'm just growing up, which means I like different things than you every once in a while. We don't have to be attached at the hip anymore."

"I know, I know," Sam sighed.

There was an awkward pause of silence. Willow cleared her throat. "Okay...um...are you guys done? I'm kind of cramped in here."

"You're the one that shoved us in here!"

"That's beside the point!"

Willow unlatched the door and let the Smith twins out. Sally walked back into the common room, her new pony tail-braid bouncing as she did so. Sam didn't follow her. Instead, he marched off down the corridor, heading towards the stairs. Willow frowned. He didn't normally speed-walk. He was struggling with something. Willow jogged to keep up with Sam, who exited the stairs at the ground level. He didn't slow down, even when Willow's footsteps had to be annoyingly apparent.

"Hey, Sam, where are you going?" she called after him.

"Go away, Willow," Sam said.

"Don't ever say that to a Gryffindor. You know how well that works out."

Sam didn't say anything. He simply kept walking, ignoring Willow's existence entirely. Willow stopped and stared after him when he entered a courtyard. There wasn't a soul within kilometers, it seemed. The stillness of the scene was uncanny. There was no distant sound of birds chirping, no scuffle of students' shoes on the castle floor, no trickle of water to sooth the ears. It was so...empty. Willow watched with an equally hollow heart as Sam sat down on the edge of an old wall, facing away from the castle. She slowly crept towards him, doing her best not to crunch the grass under her feet.

"I can hear you, you know," Sam said.

Willow froze. "Are you mad?"

"I don't know."

Willow gently placed one foot in front of the other, approaching Sam very carefully. "I'm here to talk, you know. You can always unload on me."

Sam sighed in disgust. "Don't be soft with me, Willow. You of all people should know that makes me feel worse."

"You're right; I should. I'm the same way," Willow admitted. Sam slightly turned his head. "Yeah, I'm sure not many people realize how much worse I feel when people coddle me. As much as I break down, I thought people would notice the little signs I try and give, but all they want to do is hug you and love you until you feel better. I understand the intentions. I'm grateful that they care. It's just...too much, you know?"

Sam let out a mirthless laugh. "You, I know."

Willow was only five meters away from him now. She stopped. "You know, but you won't tell anyone how bad it hurts. It sucks, never finding the right help, doesn't it? Everything stuck inside of you, never able to tell anyone the truth...it hurts worse than losing a loved one."

Sam gripped the wall. "You really had to bring that up?"

"Yes, Sam, because if there's one thing I've learned, running away from what makes you hurt only increases the pain. You won't ever fully go numb. It'll flare up again, and again, and again, and there's nothing you can do about it- that is, until you proactively take that memory, analyze it in you head, and make peace with the pain."

Sam's nails scratched against the wall. "I'm not in pain. I've made peace with myself a long time ago."

"Bullcrap."

There was silence, then Sam suddenly spoke. "Why are you saying all of this?"

"Because I'm not going to let you hurt the same way I am."

"But I'm not talking, so good luck getting me to open up," Sam said.

Willow snapped. She marched directly in front of her friend, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to his feet. Sam attempted to squirm out of her grasp, even throwing a punch at her, but it did no good, as Willow's iron grip was too much for him. He finally resigned himself to standing firmly on both feet, glaring at Willow.

"I'm not letting you go until you tell me what's wrong, Sam," Willow said.

"I can stand here all night," Sam spat.

"You're really going to regret being an arse, you know that? Give it up already. I'm not going to threaten you, but I will make you spill."

"Go ahead and threaten me then! It won't make a bit of difference!"

Willow stared at Sam with a stone-cold expression. "I'm not going to threaten you. Do you know why? Because you're one of my best friends, and if I have to use fear to make you speak, then I'll never forgive myself. Friends don't threaten friends, Sam. Just tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not going to tell you what's wrong, Willow!" Sam growled.

"Why, though? At least tell me why!"

"Because Sally doesn't deserve what's happening to her!" Sam exploded.

Willow blinked. "What?"

Sam's face reddened. "You heard me, and I'm not saying it again."

"Sam, what do you mean?" He looked away. Willow tightened her grip on his shirt. "Sam, I swear to God and all things Holy, if I have to go to Sally to resolve this situation- "

"Fine! I'll tell you!" Sam said. His facial expression drooped. "Sally's been under a lot of stress lately. It's not just from school, though, it's also from home. Molly is still on the move, and every once in a while, she appears down our street, always at the same house. It's always the same time when she does it, always on a Saturday- when Mum isn't home. Sally has never missed the sight. Mum tried to report it to the Ministry, but there's no one on that God-forsaken council that gives a damn." Sam swallowed hard. "I...I always have a breakdown, when I see Molly, and Sally has to help me calm down, even though she's dealing with her own demons. You see...it shouldn't be as bad for me as it is for Sally, because every time Molly appears, she's always singing that same old traditional song she would sing when- when she'd punish Sally."

A chill scraped down Willow's spine. Sam wouldn't make eye contact anymore. "Molly's torturing her, even now. She still has a hold on us years after we got rid of her. It's psychological torture every time we have a nightmare, every time we hear a certain tune, every time we hear that name, and there's nothing we can do about it. And it's changed Sally. She's trying so hard to forget about our past that she's becoming a different person entirely, and I- I can't- "

Sam sat down, running a hand through his hair. "I'm watching Sally waste away before my very eyes. I'm losing my sister, Willow, and there's nothing I can do about it."

Willow paused for a very long time. Her heart had stopped beating. Her lungs had stopped breathing. Her eyes had stopped seeing. Sam was right. Sally was wasting away, and she hadn't even noticed it...but now she would. Willow balled her hands into fists. She wasn't about to lose anyone to suffering. Molly was not about to win.

"There may be nothing you can do about, but I'm sure as hell not about to go down without a fight," Willow said. She hugged Sam tightly. "Look, I'm not saying you haven't done everything you can. I'm just saying that I've got either a really good idea, or an Earth-shattering mistake in the making."

Without waiting for Sam's response, Willow took off into the castle, making a beeline for Gryffindor Tower. She found Sally in the middle of the common room, trying a new hairstyle she'd learned from some fifth years. With no explanation whatsoever, Willow grabbed Sally, dragged her through the portrait hole, and back through the castle. Sally protested and pulled against her, but Willow refused to slow down. She glanced around when they were in the entrance hall, making sure they were alone, then put both hands on Sally's shoulders.

"Look, this is going to sound crazy," Willow started, "but I need you to come with me, no questions asked. You can't tell anyone about this."

Sally threw her hands out in exasperation. "Willow, of course, but what the hell is going on?"

"No questions asked! I'm going to shape-shift, and when I do, grab onto my back!"

Sally groaned, but waited as Willow transformed into an aethonan winged horse. Sally grabbed onto Willow's back, then muffled her scream as they took to the sky, soaring above the castle. Willow flapped her wings and pushed against the annoyingly strong winds that attempted to blow her halfway across Britain. Diving down into the Forbidden Forest, but far from her destination, Willow touched down near the edge of the Forest. She ushered Sally into slightly deeper shadows before transforming back into herself.

"Come with me," Willow commanded, locating a familiar path.

"Where are we going now?" Sally exploded.

Willow grinned. "To a long-overdue therapy session with a good friend of mine."