- Chapter 7 -

Classes In Session

That evening's dinner was very uncomfortable for Willow.

For one, she could not bear to look Snape in the eyes.

What, in the name of all that is holy, possessed me to kiss him? Alright, granted, it was just a cheeky kiss, but still... he can't even stand me! And, and I can't stand him either. Really, I can't. I mean, just because I get the shivers down my spine thing everytime I hear his voice, doesn't mean a thing. And then there's the hands. No! No thinking of the hands. Hands are bad. No Snape hands for me. Nope, none at all. Or, any other Snape part for that matter. Oh, I just had to start thinking about Snape's parts, didn't I? Okay Rosenberg, get a grip!

Willow's mind ramble was inturrupted by a gentle voice.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you? What did you say?" Willow responded, a blush creeping up onto her face.

Dumbledore smiled gently at the redhead sitting beside him. It still amazed him that such an innocent looking girl had had the power to end the world, wizarding or otherwise, in her grasp. Still held it, if truth be told. And now she was here at the school, in a desperate hope that he and the staff could be of some help in teaching her control of her magic. But she was also here for other reasons.

One being, to keep her safe from Voldemort's clutches.

Oh yes, Dumbledore had no doubts that the evil wizard knew exactly who and where Willow was. And he wanted her. Possibly almost as bad as he wanted Harry, if not more so. And now, there was the business of this prophecy to deal with. Yes, they definately had their work cut out for them.

"It's alright my dear. I am quite sure that you have more important things to think about than the ramblings of an old man." Dumbledore said, gesturing in the direction of Severus and Remus.

"Wh-what?" Willow exclaimed, panicking a little. Did the old wizard know something about her infatuation with the potion master and his hands? "Oh, the prophecy thing, right? Yep, most definitely what I was thinking about. What else could I have possibly been thinking about? I mean, it's not like I'm having thoughts that I shouldn't be having you know. What exactly are you implying?" Willow finished before it dawned on her that he hadn't meant nothing by it.

Blushing again she said. "Uh, yeah. Important things." Before falling silent and looking down at her plate.

Faintly, she could hear Dumlbedore chuckling softly.

~*~

Time passed, with alot of avoidance on the parts of both Willow and Snape, and soon it was the day before the students were scheduled to arrive. The past two weeks had been grueling for Willow. She had gotten up each morning at 6:25 in the morning to get ready for her first impromtu class. She would first go to the Great Hall for breakfast at seven, then it was Charms at 8 with Professor Flitwick.

That class had not gone so good. She had entered the classroom with confidence that she could handle using a wand. How wrong she had been. With the first wave of her wand and the words 'Wingardium Leviosa'and she had sent a quill she had attempted to simply float, flying across the room, with no control whatsoever of the direction it took. It just so happened to direct itself at Professor Flitwick. He turned to get out of the way, only to be jabbed in the bottom for his efforts.

It seemed Willow needed alot more practice with her wand.

After her miserably failed attempts at learning swishing and flicking, she was off to Transfiguration with McGonagall. She was a little apprehensive at attempting anything, her failure in charms fresh in her mind.

"It's quite alright, Willow. Lots of first years are a little nervous at first." McGonagall had assured her.

McGonagall had set a muggle ball point pen in front of her and told her to change it into a pencil.

Willow had concentrated, and the pen abruptly became the pencil which she had invisioned in her mind. Surprised that she had done something right, she looked up at McGonagall for the verdict.

The normally stern woman was smiling at her proudly. It seemed that there was at least something that she could do right.

Then it was time for lunch at the Great Hall, before going to DADA.

This class, along with her final one, Potions with Snape, was very disconcerting for Willow. For one, she did not know how to act around the men who were her professors. Lupin smiled at her and simply acted like it was any other DADA class. Mostly, that class had been book study. He had told her that when the students arrived they would actually bring in creatures to observe and study. Willow found that exciting, and couldn't wait for the term to begin. The many demons and other magical creatures that she read about in the books, she found she had run across at some point or another on the Hellmouth. She had astounded Lupin by her knowledge of handling vampires. At his inqiury she simply shrugged.

"One of the benefits of being best friends with the Slayer." She had responded.

This had set of a whole discussion on her first adventures into the world of the Chosen One. At least, she gave him a summary of the brighter points. The darker ones she kept to herself. She left DADA class feeling lighter than she had in days.

~*~

Remus Lupin watched the girl leave his classroom with a small smile on his face. She was really a very interesting young woman. The conversation they had had during class had been very fascinating. Of all the things she had seen at just the tender age of fifteen, it boggled the mind. And even though she hadn't mentioned them, he knew of all the bad things that had happened to her on her last day on the Hellmouth.

What had ensued when her lover had been shot and killed right in front of her. It had been bad, oh yes, but what had happened next had been far worse. She had actually killed the one responsible for the murder. She had taken a life. She was hiding it well, but he could tell she was hurting. And him being the kind hearted man that he was, was determined to sooth her hurt in any way that he could. Be it through friendship or perhaps something else. He was hoping for something else, but with the looks that Severus had been giving her, and she him, he figured he would have to settle on freindship.

And so he got up from his desk and began straightening it so that he could return to his room and get freshened up before dinner.

~*~

Willow walked into her last class of the day. The class she dreaded. Potions. Just why did she need to take this class again? Oh yeah, because Cranky Pants had said so. She had to admit, she really did need a little help in this area. The last time she had mixed anything had been the herbs for her attempt to de-rat Amy. That attempt had failed miserably, so here she was learning about things like asphodel and wormwood, wolfsbane and monkshood. He had drilled her head so full of ingredients names and their definitions, that when the class was over she had left without so much as a word to Snape. Which was good, because he looked as if he were looking for a good reason to throw a scathing retort her way. So she had simply retreated back to her room until time for dinner.

~*~

Severus let the mask of indifference cover his face until the classroom's door had sounded shut behind the retreating redhead before letting it fall. With a deep sigh he buried his face in his hands and began massaging his temples with his fingertips.

He could not decide what it was about the little pixie, yes that was most definitely what she was, that made him want to embrace her one second and strangle her the next. It kept his emotions in a whirlwind whenever he was around her. That was why he had been particularly harsh in his lessons with her, but now that they were over and she was gone, he started thinking he may had been too harsh.

There is nothing to be done for it now. He thought to himself. I will make it up to her tomorrow.

Snape sighed once more and rose up to enter his store room, that was set off to the right of the classroom, to put up the jars of ingredients he had set before the girl to be examined. After that was done, it was almost time for dinner and so he went off to his room to get ready.

~*~

TBC...