- Chapter 12 -

The Next Morning

Willow awoke the next morning with a pair of bright blue eyes staring her in her face.

"Meow."

"Good morning, Tara." Willow said softly.

The calico kitten had curled up beside her the night before, when she had returned to her room. Now she got up from her place beside the redhead and proceeded to jump down from the bed.

"You're definitely right. Time to get up." Willow said with a smile. "I've got alot of explaining to do." She added, thinking about the Potions Master she had ran away from the night before, after having shared a soul searing kiss. She was quite certain the man would have some questions this morning.

She rose from the bed and changed into her muggle clothing that she always wore under her school robes. She glanced in her mirror and patted down her hair while thinking about how she was going to explain what she had found out last night to Severus. She had felt ashamed at enjoying the kiss he had layed on her, and also disloyal to Tara's memory. Tara had been her whole world for so long, and she had thought she was betraying her dead girlfriend. But after she had cried herself to sleep over the incident, something had awoke her and she had went to investigate, only to find that Tara's ghost had come for a visit, so to speak. She had just layed it right out for Willow. She had not betrayed Tara. In fact, what she had been feeling for Snape was special, according to what Tara had said. She had a bond with the Potions Professor, much like the one she had had with Tara. And their bond was important somehow to the future.

What was it Tara had said? Something about their love being destined to be. What had she meant by that? Did it have something to do with that prophecy they were all wrapped up in? Willow shivered involuntarily. She had no way of knowing how the prophecy was going to play out and what their roles would be in it precisely. All she knew was that they were going to have to face off with darkness, and for them to win, they would have to trust and care about one another. Well there was no problem with the caring about and trusting of Severus and Lupin, in regards to herself. She was most certain that she loved Severus Snape as much as she had loved Tara MaClay. And Remus was like the older brother she had always wished she could've had. And Harry. Well, she would die to protect him. And she was almost certain that he felt the same way.

It was wierd how they had bonded. Became such good friends. She assumed it was due to the prophecy again. And Remus and Harry's bond was so strong you could actually feel it, if you were as sensitive to energy forces as she had come to be. The only weak link she could see in their little group, was between Severus and Lupin. They didn't seem to get along at all. Just simply tolerated each other. Well that would definitely need to be improved on. It was dangerous to go into a possible battle with tension within the ranks. She made it her goal to see them come to friendlier terms. Right after she made it up to Severus for her hasty retreat last night. He probably thought she hadn't liked it. That she didn't want him. When in truth that was the farthest thing from the truth. She HAD liked it. And she DID want him.

She left her room with a mischievious smile on her face, and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

~*~

Severus Snape woke up with a hang over.

Granted, he had expected to after all the alcohol he had imbibed into his system after the little redheaded nymph had left him high and dry the previous night, but still it hurt like a bitch. She had wrenched her delightfully soft body from his embrace, much the same way she had wrenched his heart, or what little he had of one, from his chest and stomped on it verbally with her sobbed words.

I'm sorry. I just can't.

Then she had fled, leaving him all alone in the cold dungeon with nothing to comfort him but a bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. And it had comforted him. For a while. But now he had to deal with the repercussions. And on a school day to top it off.

Shit! I should have known better. What possessed me to kiss her in the first place? Obviously I'm bloody well loosing my mind, as well as my heart. Bloody hell, had he just thought that?

Moaning loudly, he rolled off of his bed and stumbled over to the cabinets that he kept his Anti Hangover potion in. During his time as a spy for Dumbledore, he had spent plenty of time drunk off his ass. Just so he would not have to think of the so-called social functions he had to attend, just to keep up appearances in front of the Dark Lord. He had not needed this particular potion in quite a while.

Damn the obnoxious little pixie. It's all her fault.

He quickly gulped down the potion, and waited a moment for it to take effect. Once it had, he went to get ready to go up to breakfast. He was sorely tempted to skip it, just so he wouldn't have to face the girl. But he needed something to take the taste of the potion out of his mouth, plus he figured it would do no good, since he would have to face her eventually.

Might as well be sooner than later. He thought.

After he was cinched up to the chin in his normal black robes, Severus Snape swept from his chambers, and up to the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*~*~*

TBC...