The first thing she saw when she woke up was two grey eyes a bit too close to her own. She screamed and jumped, knocking her forehead against a startled boy's one. He winced and rubbed the tender spot. "Remember me to *never* be around you when you wake up."
"Yeah, well, it didn't felt good on this side either," she replied, holding her head in pain. "What happened?"
"You went ballistic in DADA. Ms. Pomfrey knows something but she refuses to tell me. I'm sure she had no qualms about telling Dumbledore, though," he muttered.
The redhead laughed softly. "I'm sure she have good reasons. I'd like to know, though. It is *my* body that went ballistic for unknown reasons."
They looked at each other in silence. Willow lost her smile when Draco spoke. "Willow, I saw your eyes turn black in class. I know what it means."
She swallowed nervously and sighed. "It's not like I do consciously. My control slipped, that's all. Where... I come from, we... dabbled a bit in the black arts to understand better how to defend ourselves against it."
"And you won black eyes by simply 'dabbling a bit'?"
"Please, Draco, don't make me say it," she pleaded. "I swore to myself I'd left at that stuff behind when I moved to England. I don't want to go back in my past. I'd like to forget it. It ain't all sunshine and roses in my memory."
"I understand perfectly. My father's a bastard. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but he expect me to join you-know-who after graduation." He sneered. "Like I'd want to be the servant of some crack-pot. I think the best would be for us to forget this friendly meeting and pretend we hate each other again."
A wicked smile appeared on Willow's face. "You got it... Malfoy." The two Slytherins looked at the door when they heard the nurse yelling.
"Out! Get out!"
"I'm here on Dumbledore's request, Poppy."
"For God's sake, she needs rest!"
"I won't be long." Snape pushed past the grumbling school nurse and walked to a bed in one corner, where laid Willow while Draco watched over her. The blond boy' eyes widened when he saw the potion master heading their way. He softly brushed the redhead's hand, something that didn't escaped Snape's gaze. "Would you leave us for a moment, Mr. Malfoy? I'd like to speak to Miss Rosenberg in private." Grumbling, Draco went and joined the equally grumbling nurse.
Willow rolled her eyes at the blond boy. "What about, Professor?"
"I've just spoken to the Headmaster and he told me surprising things... mostly about your interesting abilities." She blanched at his words. "No need to worry, Miss Rosenberg. Your secret is safe with me. However, what troubles me is of another matter. Now listen carefully. What I am about to tell you is a complete secret. I still can't believe I am going to tell all this to a student, but it is necessary." He pulled back the sleeve off his left arm. Willow gasped when she saw the ugly black skull imprinted on his alabaster skin. "Yes, I was once a Death Eater... still am in fact. But what people don't know is that I actually work for Dumbledore. I am a spy." He hid the mark once again.
"When someone is summoned by Voldemort, it burns and with it comes great pain. This afternoon, I was called and I immediately informed the Headmaster." He bent down closer to Willow and looked straight in her eyes. "At the very same moment, a red haired Slytherin suddenly started screaming in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Do you understand what I am telling you, Miss Rosenberg? You felt what I feel when I am summoned. What I don't understand is why. Perhaps you could enlighten me." He seated himself comfortably in his chair.
Willow swallowed nervously and her shaking fingers played with the bed sheet. "I... I only have a theory. I think, for some reasons, we've been connected. It all began a couple of weeks ago. I tried to tell you but... you kind of dismissed me quickly. I've had a very strange dream the first night at Hogwarts. You were in it." She saw him pale and quickly stopped his thoughts. "Not *that* kind of dream, Professor. In fact, far from it." She looked around to make sure nobody listened to her. "I know what happened that night, Professor. You told me you are a spy for Dumbledore. I know the reason that drove you away from Voldemort."
It took a few seconds for Snape to be able to speak. "What are you implying, Miss Rosenberg?" he whispered in a hard tone.
"You wanted revenge," she whispered back. "And somehow, a higher force wants me to help you recover what was brutally token from you all those years ago."
"And what tells me it is not a devious plan from Voldemort to make me suffer even more after he discovered I was double crossing him?" He felt something being placed in his hand. He startled when he saw a silver ring in his palm. "Morganna."
Willow could swear she saw his lips quiver. She had trouble believing what she herself saw at the moment. A silent tear was rolling down Severus Snape's cheek. "I want to help you, Professor," she told him gently. "I know that you've been looking for a long time for the last of Morganna on this planet : hers and yours daughter. Let me help you."
Snape had a hard time controlling his trembling limbs. He breathed heavily. He handed her the ring back. "If the fates wanted you to have it, then so be it. Keep it safe until it can be given to my daughter."
"I'll look after it as if it was my own life, Professor. Trust me."
The potion master pulled himself back together. "I have papers to grade, Miss Rosenberg. Get well." Without a glance back, he left the infirmary.
Draco walked back to the bed. "What did he want?"
"Just normal House Head stuff. You know, 'you're my student and my charge, so get well soon or you'll lose points'." Draco nodded. While he stared at the wall, he didn't saw the small sad smile tugging Willow's lips as she looked at the ring resting on her finger. [You'll live again, Professor. I promise you.]
"Yeah, well, it didn't felt good on this side either," she replied, holding her head in pain. "What happened?"
"You went ballistic in DADA. Ms. Pomfrey knows something but she refuses to tell me. I'm sure she had no qualms about telling Dumbledore, though," he muttered.
The redhead laughed softly. "I'm sure she have good reasons. I'd like to know, though. It is *my* body that went ballistic for unknown reasons."
They looked at each other in silence. Willow lost her smile when Draco spoke. "Willow, I saw your eyes turn black in class. I know what it means."
She swallowed nervously and sighed. "It's not like I do consciously. My control slipped, that's all. Where... I come from, we... dabbled a bit in the black arts to understand better how to defend ourselves against it."
"And you won black eyes by simply 'dabbling a bit'?"
"Please, Draco, don't make me say it," she pleaded. "I swore to myself I'd left at that stuff behind when I moved to England. I don't want to go back in my past. I'd like to forget it. It ain't all sunshine and roses in my memory."
"I understand perfectly. My father's a bastard. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but he expect me to join you-know-who after graduation." He sneered. "Like I'd want to be the servant of some crack-pot. I think the best would be for us to forget this friendly meeting and pretend we hate each other again."
A wicked smile appeared on Willow's face. "You got it... Malfoy." The two Slytherins looked at the door when they heard the nurse yelling.
"Out! Get out!"
"I'm here on Dumbledore's request, Poppy."
"For God's sake, she needs rest!"
"I won't be long." Snape pushed past the grumbling school nurse and walked to a bed in one corner, where laid Willow while Draco watched over her. The blond boy' eyes widened when he saw the potion master heading their way. He softly brushed the redhead's hand, something that didn't escaped Snape's gaze. "Would you leave us for a moment, Mr. Malfoy? I'd like to speak to Miss Rosenberg in private." Grumbling, Draco went and joined the equally grumbling nurse.
Willow rolled her eyes at the blond boy. "What about, Professor?"
"I've just spoken to the Headmaster and he told me surprising things... mostly about your interesting abilities." She blanched at his words. "No need to worry, Miss Rosenberg. Your secret is safe with me. However, what troubles me is of another matter. Now listen carefully. What I am about to tell you is a complete secret. I still can't believe I am going to tell all this to a student, but it is necessary." He pulled back the sleeve off his left arm. Willow gasped when she saw the ugly black skull imprinted on his alabaster skin. "Yes, I was once a Death Eater... still am in fact. But what people don't know is that I actually work for Dumbledore. I am a spy." He hid the mark once again.
"When someone is summoned by Voldemort, it burns and with it comes great pain. This afternoon, I was called and I immediately informed the Headmaster." He bent down closer to Willow and looked straight in her eyes. "At the very same moment, a red haired Slytherin suddenly started screaming in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Do you understand what I am telling you, Miss Rosenberg? You felt what I feel when I am summoned. What I don't understand is why. Perhaps you could enlighten me." He seated himself comfortably in his chair.
Willow swallowed nervously and her shaking fingers played with the bed sheet. "I... I only have a theory. I think, for some reasons, we've been connected. It all began a couple of weeks ago. I tried to tell you but... you kind of dismissed me quickly. I've had a very strange dream the first night at Hogwarts. You were in it." She saw him pale and quickly stopped his thoughts. "Not *that* kind of dream, Professor. In fact, far from it." She looked around to make sure nobody listened to her. "I know what happened that night, Professor. You told me you are a spy for Dumbledore. I know the reason that drove you away from Voldemort."
It took a few seconds for Snape to be able to speak. "What are you implying, Miss Rosenberg?" he whispered in a hard tone.
"You wanted revenge," she whispered back. "And somehow, a higher force wants me to help you recover what was brutally token from you all those years ago."
"And what tells me it is not a devious plan from Voldemort to make me suffer even more after he discovered I was double crossing him?" He felt something being placed in his hand. He startled when he saw a silver ring in his palm. "Morganna."
Willow could swear she saw his lips quiver. She had trouble believing what she herself saw at the moment. A silent tear was rolling down Severus Snape's cheek. "I want to help you, Professor," she told him gently. "I know that you've been looking for a long time for the last of Morganna on this planet : hers and yours daughter. Let me help you."
Snape had a hard time controlling his trembling limbs. He breathed heavily. He handed her the ring back. "If the fates wanted you to have it, then so be it. Keep it safe until it can be given to my daughter."
"I'll look after it as if it was my own life, Professor. Trust me."
The potion master pulled himself back together. "I have papers to grade, Miss Rosenberg. Get well." Without a glance back, he left the infirmary.
Draco walked back to the bed. "What did he want?"
"Just normal House Head stuff. You know, 'you're my student and my charge, so get well soon or you'll lose points'." Draco nodded. While he stared at the wall, he didn't saw the small sad smile tugging Willow's lips as she looked at the ring resting on her finger. [You'll live again, Professor. I promise you.]
