Part 16 : Reach for the Stars
When she woke up, the first thing she saw was the Headmaster's beard. She started and looked up into merry blue eyes. "Welcome back, miss Rosenberg. Did you sleep well?"
"I did," she said, frowning. "Considering I was unconscious," she whispered.
The old wizard laughed. "Yes, I would expect so. It must have been a shock to find out the truth like that."
Willow's eyes widened. "You knew?!" she exclaimed. "You knew and you never told me?!"
"It was for you to find out. I know many great things, but it isn't my right to tell. You must understand that it is wiser to let people discover things for themselves than given them the truth on a silver platter."
"Still, you could have at least told me," she grumbled. "I'm Snape's child after all. Can you imagine the school's reaction if they knew that the 'evil' potions master is my father?" she giggled.
Dumbledore smiled. "It would be interesting, indeed. Rest now, miss Rosenberg. or should I say miss Snape?"
Willow didn't answer the question and sighed. Her eyes followed the Headmaster's exit from the hospital wing. She looked up at the ceiling. [What am I going to tell him? I can't just barge in his office and say 'Hi, professor! Guess what? You're my father.' I don't see that conversation happening anytime soon. Great. And now I'm talking to myself. Well, more like babbling to myself. Stop it, Will!]
The arrival of Poppy near her bed shut up her brain. "There you go! Take that pepper up potion and you can return to your common room."
Pinching her nose, the redhead gulped down the potion and grimaced. "This stuff is awful. Someone definitly should work on making better taste for potions." She pushed back the sheet and put her shoes on. Leaving the infirmary, one thought surged in her mind. [What do I tell Draco?]
* * *
After dinner, she escaped from the Slytherin common room before Draco could find her. She walked slowly, hiding in the shadow, making her way to the astronomy tower. She went there sometimes to clear her mind. Beside, the cold fresh air would do her good. She went up the stairs and barely escaped from Filch. She was just lucky that Peeves happened to break some vase near there at that precise moment. She put her cloak on and went up the tower.
She opened the door leading outside on the roof. The sky was clear and the moon wouls soon be full. She sat down on the edge, her feet swinging in the air. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cold air.
She sighed. [This is a total mess! I'm not sure what to do! And Dumbledore wasn't a big help either. I'm lost!]
Willow looked at the stars. [I wish I knew what to do. Giles would know. Buffy and Xander would just tell me to burst in his office and announce him the news.] She snorted. [Yeah, like that would go well. He'd probably faint from shock than put me in detention for causing harm to a teacher.] She frowned to herself. [No. That's what he'd do if it was another student. Me, I think he'd just warn not to embarrass him or he'd take away points from Slytherin.]
The redhead stood up and started pacing on the roof, deep in thoughts. [What a *fucking* mess! I don't know what to think! Am I supposed to be angry? Or happy? Or disgusted? I'm not sure which one. I'm just like a child trying to walk trough a darkened room. I am blind, that's what I am.]
She lifted her arms over her head and screamed in frustration. "Why?" she yelled. [Why did it have to happen to me? Why did I have the dream? Why didn't I find out before? Why Snape didn't find me before? Why did Voldemort have to snatch me away from my family? So many why and no possible answers.]
She leant against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. [And what about Draco? Do I want him to know? I've told him so many things about my past and he returned the favor. I trust him. I really do. I know, he's a Slytherin. But so am I! I can be trusted! Wait! When did I start thinking about me being trustworthy? I was thinking about Draco and my secret. Right. Back on track. Should I tell him? What if he thinks I'm disgusting because I'm the 'greasy' potions master's daughter? How about everyone elses reaction? What if any other Slytherins tell their parents and in turn they tell Voldemort? What now? Whoa, Will! One thing at a time. Just relax and think clearly.]
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching behind the door. She quickly hid in the shadows, just in case Filch was coming out. But it wasn't the caretaker who stepped outside. It was Draco.
Willow sighed in relief. "God! You must have scared ten years out of me. I thought you were Filch!"
The blond boy smirked. "Filch couldn't look this good even if he took polyjuice potion."
The redhead laughed. "You're right. Noone can give you justice. The original will always be better than any fraud," she said, leaning on his chest.
"What were you doing out on the roof?"
"Thinking."
"Scary. And what were you thinking about?"
Willow hesitated. [This is it. What to say?] She bit her bottom lip nervously and hid her face from Draco. "Just thinking about where we should search next to find Snape's daughter." [Good one, Willow!] she praised herself silently.
"Ah, so you weren't having naughty thoughts about me?" he said suggestively.
She bursted out laughing. "Just thinking about you is considered being naughty. You reak of naughtyness. is that even a word?"
Draco ignored her question. His eyes darkened and he bent his head toward the redhead. "Is that so? It would be a crime then to *not* live up to my reputation," he whispered. He caught Willow's mouth with his own.
When they let go, they were both panting. The blond Slytherin took the redhead's hand in his. "Come on. Lets go back inside. It's getting too cold out here." He lead her back inside the castle and then to their common room. They fell asleep in each others arms in front of the fireplace.
When she woke up, the first thing she saw was the Headmaster's beard. She started and looked up into merry blue eyes. "Welcome back, miss Rosenberg. Did you sleep well?"
"I did," she said, frowning. "Considering I was unconscious," she whispered.
The old wizard laughed. "Yes, I would expect so. It must have been a shock to find out the truth like that."
Willow's eyes widened. "You knew?!" she exclaimed. "You knew and you never told me?!"
"It was for you to find out. I know many great things, but it isn't my right to tell. You must understand that it is wiser to let people discover things for themselves than given them the truth on a silver platter."
"Still, you could have at least told me," she grumbled. "I'm Snape's child after all. Can you imagine the school's reaction if they knew that the 'evil' potions master is my father?" she giggled.
Dumbledore smiled. "It would be interesting, indeed. Rest now, miss Rosenberg. or should I say miss Snape?"
Willow didn't answer the question and sighed. Her eyes followed the Headmaster's exit from the hospital wing. She looked up at the ceiling. [What am I going to tell him? I can't just barge in his office and say 'Hi, professor! Guess what? You're my father.' I don't see that conversation happening anytime soon. Great. And now I'm talking to myself. Well, more like babbling to myself. Stop it, Will!]
The arrival of Poppy near her bed shut up her brain. "There you go! Take that pepper up potion and you can return to your common room."
Pinching her nose, the redhead gulped down the potion and grimaced. "This stuff is awful. Someone definitly should work on making better taste for potions." She pushed back the sheet and put her shoes on. Leaving the infirmary, one thought surged in her mind. [What do I tell Draco?]
* * *
After dinner, she escaped from the Slytherin common room before Draco could find her. She walked slowly, hiding in the shadow, making her way to the astronomy tower. She went there sometimes to clear her mind. Beside, the cold fresh air would do her good. She went up the stairs and barely escaped from Filch. She was just lucky that Peeves happened to break some vase near there at that precise moment. She put her cloak on and went up the tower.
She opened the door leading outside on the roof. The sky was clear and the moon wouls soon be full. She sat down on the edge, her feet swinging in the air. She closed her eyes and breathed in the cold air.
She sighed. [This is a total mess! I'm not sure what to do! And Dumbledore wasn't a big help either. I'm lost!]
Willow looked at the stars. [I wish I knew what to do. Giles would know. Buffy and Xander would just tell me to burst in his office and announce him the news.] She snorted. [Yeah, like that would go well. He'd probably faint from shock than put me in detention for causing harm to a teacher.] She frowned to herself. [No. That's what he'd do if it was another student. Me, I think he'd just warn not to embarrass him or he'd take away points from Slytherin.]
The redhead stood up and started pacing on the roof, deep in thoughts. [What a *fucking* mess! I don't know what to think! Am I supposed to be angry? Or happy? Or disgusted? I'm not sure which one. I'm just like a child trying to walk trough a darkened room. I am blind, that's what I am.]
She lifted her arms over her head and screamed in frustration. "Why?" she yelled. [Why did it have to happen to me? Why did I have the dream? Why didn't I find out before? Why Snape didn't find me before? Why did Voldemort have to snatch me away from my family? So many why and no possible answers.]
She leant against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest. [And what about Draco? Do I want him to know? I've told him so many things about my past and he returned the favor. I trust him. I really do. I know, he's a Slytherin. But so am I! I can be trusted! Wait! When did I start thinking about me being trustworthy? I was thinking about Draco and my secret. Right. Back on track. Should I tell him? What if he thinks I'm disgusting because I'm the 'greasy' potions master's daughter? How about everyone elses reaction? What if any other Slytherins tell their parents and in turn they tell Voldemort? What now? Whoa, Will! One thing at a time. Just relax and think clearly.]
She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching behind the door. She quickly hid in the shadows, just in case Filch was coming out. But it wasn't the caretaker who stepped outside. It was Draco.
Willow sighed in relief. "God! You must have scared ten years out of me. I thought you were Filch!"
The blond boy smirked. "Filch couldn't look this good even if he took polyjuice potion."
The redhead laughed. "You're right. Noone can give you justice. The original will always be better than any fraud," she said, leaning on his chest.
"What were you doing out on the roof?"
"Thinking."
"Scary. And what were you thinking about?"
Willow hesitated. [This is it. What to say?] She bit her bottom lip nervously and hid her face from Draco. "Just thinking about where we should search next to find Snape's daughter." [Good one, Willow!] she praised herself silently.
"Ah, so you weren't having naughty thoughts about me?" he said suggestively.
She bursted out laughing. "Just thinking about you is considered being naughty. You reak of naughtyness. is that even a word?"
Draco ignored her question. His eyes darkened and he bent his head toward the redhead. "Is that so? It would be a crime then to *not* live up to my reputation," he whispered. He caught Willow's mouth with his own.
When they let go, they were both panting. The blond Slytherin took the redhead's hand in his. "Come on. Lets go back inside. It's getting too cold out here." He lead her back inside the castle and then to their common room. They fell asleep in each others arms in front of the fireplace.
