Chapter 10: New Acquaintances
"What the hell are you three doing here?" Ron glared, Hermione sputtered, and Harry stared.
"Um...Draco...we're..." Hermione tried to form a complete sentence, but she had no such luck. Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well? You three are not supposed to be in the Slytherin common room."
"Shouldn't we be asking you that? What are you doing here during the summer, Malfoy?" Ron snarled. Hermione placed a hand on his arm and he calmed a bit. Draco smirked at the redhead and walked over to the couch. He sat down and stared at them.
"I'm not here out of my own will. Trust me. You know, I could easily tell Professor Snape or McGonagall that you there were here. What do you think they would say to that?"
"Look...Mal-Draco, I just wanted to see what the Slytherin common room looked like. We aren't here to cause any trouble. Come on...you've wanted to see our common room too, right?"
"No. I don't give a shit about the Gryffindors. But, listen...if you don't tell anyone about me being here, I'll stay quiet about you three sneaking down here." Harry raised his eyebrow and looked at Draco in confusion.
"Why would you do that? You hate us." Draco smiled and nodded.
"I still do. I just don't want anyone knowing I was here. It's a pretty fair deal."
"Alright Draco." Hermione stated. Ron still glared at the blonde, but Hermione pulled him after her. Harry still stared at Draco in confusion. 'Something has to be up.' Harry pushed the thoughts away and followed his best friends out of the common room.
Draco stared after the group with pain in his eyes. He gave a look of longing as they walked out together and he turned back to the cold, empty room. With a sigh, he picked up a book and began reading.
**********
Willow couldn't find her voice as she stared at the vampire. She held onto her shaky hands. What was he doing here? Was he here to try to bring her back home? Did he find out about what happened last year? 'Come on Willow. Get it together.' She mentally slapped herself. The whole room was stared at Willow and Spike. Spike just looked at her with no emotion in his face. 'Say something!'
"Hello." She whispered. Spike smiled and grabbed her shaky hand. He pulled her to him and gave her a hug. Willow's eyes widened. She had not been expecting that. Something was off with the bleach blonde.
"Spike...I...what are you doing here?" She questioned. He smiled and turned to the professors in the room. Dumbledore smiled and nodded at the vampire. Spike pulled her to the door and they left the room.
Willow followed after him as he pulled her to a bench in the hallway. She slowly sat down next to him. They had never really been close. When they had spent time together, usually it involved him threatening her or her threatening him. Willow pulled in a breath of air and turned to him.
"Spike, answer my question. Why are you here?"
"Well pet, you're looking at the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Willow's eyes widened and she almost choked.
"What? Spike...you know magic?" He laughed and nodded.
"Since when? You never said anything when we were researching!" Spike laughed as she spit out the questions.
"Willow. I was evil, you honestly think I wanted to help you lot? I attended Hogwarts. I was a prefect and I graduated with honors. About three years after that, I got bit and I became William the Bloody. I never thought about the wizarding world. The muggle world was so much more interesting." Willow nodded.
"Alright, but what are you doing here now? I mean...did you know I was here? Did Buffy and the others send you here to bring me back? I'm not going back." She stated firmly. He nodded.
"I know. I wouldn't force you to leave either. I know you went through a lot of...stuff." She snorted and he silenced her. "But, we don't blame you. No one hates you Willow. We just want you to get better. No matter how long it takes." She nodded and sighed.
"How are they?" She questioned softly. He smiled and shrugged.
"As good as they can be. Buffy's still the slayer, Lil' bit is now at high school. The twit and the demon are kinda shaky. I don't know if they'll get it together or what. They're worried about you." Willow nodded and sighed.
"I can't go back. I just...I can't face it yet." He nodded.
"I know, pet." After a few moments of silence, Willow looked turned to him.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" He questioned.
"How have you been? I mean...something is different about you." She stared into his eyes and gasped.
"Oh my god." He softly laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, I got a soul. I thought I could get the slayer...but, it made me open my eyes." She rubbed his arm.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"I'm not. Buffy and I would never work. It's actually funny now that I think about it. I was such a pansy." He chuckled and she laughed.
"You kinda were." She giggled.
"So, why are you gonna be a professor here? I mean...I never exactly saw you as a teaching type."
"Isn't that the truth.." He said laughing. "Well pet, I honestly just wanted out of Sunnydale. Sure, fighting and patrolling every night is great, but I needed something new."
"So you didn't know I was here?" He shook his head.
"No. I honestly didn't know you were here. I mean...I knew you were somewhere in Europe, but I didn't know you would be at Hogwarts. When I got here, I met up with Dumbledore and he told me that you were going to be here. Is it okay with you that I'm here?" She smiled softly and nodded.
"Yes, I think it will be good for me. I need someone here that...understands." He smiled and she reached out to give him a hug.
"Well pet, let's get to that faculty meeting." He placed his hand on her back and led her into the room.
**********
"Ron! Harry! Let it go! It was nothing!" Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to pace Willow's room.
"Hermione! Why would Draco Malfoy be at this school during the summer? He can barely stand it during the year! Besides, he would never help us." Harry nodded.
"I'm with Ron on this one Herm. There's something fishy about it." Ron sighed.
"You two are hopeless! There is nothing behind it! You two are just doing this because it is Draco!" Ron jumped up and glared.
"Since when do you call him Draco? Starting to fancy the ferret are we?" Her face turned a dark red and Ron stepped back but still held his glare.
"Ron Weasley! You know that is not the case! I would never like Draco Malfoy! I'm the one he's always calling a mudblood! I just think we should stop looking into every possible thing!" Ron continued to glare and he crossed his arms.
"Whatever. I'm not the one calling him Draco." He mumbled. Harry couldn't help but laugh. It was so painfully obvious that Ron was jealous. Hermione, of coarse, didn't see it. She was too busy being angry at Ron. 'God, those two are a pair.'
"Harry! Talk some sense into him! PLEASE!" Hermione screamed from across the room. Harry just held up his hands.
"I'm staying out of this." He stated walking over to Willow's desk and sitting down. Hermione huffed and plopped down on the couch. Ron just glared and sat down on the opposite end of the couch.
This was how Willow and Spike found them.
***********
Willow smiled at Clara who giggled when she saw Spike.
"Hello Clara. This is Spike. Spike this is Clara." Spike smiled and Clara continued to giggle.
"Um...yellow crayon." The painting popped open and Willow waved to the girl. Willow walked into the room with Spike right behind her. She stopped short at the sight before her. Ron was sitting on one end of the couch staring glumly at the wall. On the opposite end, Hermione sat with her arms crossed over her chest. The girl seemed to be seething. Every once in a while she would stare at Ron and huff. Harry sat at her desk staring back and forth between the two with an amused smile on his face.
Willow cleared her throat and the three of them jumped up. All three seemed taken aback by Spike.
"Hey you three. Not getting into any trouble I see?" Hermione sputtered and shook her head, as the boys seemed to talk a mile a minute.
"No Willow. No trouble here." Harry stated.
"Non! Of coarse not!" Ron cried as his face became red. Willow laughed and Spike chuckled.
"Guys, this is my friend Spike. He'll be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Spike, this is my cousin Ron and his best friends Harry and Hermione." Hermione's eyes seemed to bug out of her head when she heard Willow say Spike and Professor. Before Hermione could jump him with questions, Ron silenced her with by saying, "Calm down girl. You'll get your chance to salivate." Hermione glared at Ron and huffed. Willow smirked while Spike and Harry laughed.
"What the hell are you three doing here?" Ron glared, Hermione sputtered, and Harry stared.
"Um...Draco...we're..." Hermione tried to form a complete sentence, but she had no such luck. Draco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well? You three are not supposed to be in the Slytherin common room."
"Shouldn't we be asking you that? What are you doing here during the summer, Malfoy?" Ron snarled. Hermione placed a hand on his arm and he calmed a bit. Draco smirked at the redhead and walked over to the couch. He sat down and stared at them.
"I'm not here out of my own will. Trust me. You know, I could easily tell Professor Snape or McGonagall that you there were here. What do you think they would say to that?"
"Look...Mal-Draco, I just wanted to see what the Slytherin common room looked like. We aren't here to cause any trouble. Come on...you've wanted to see our common room too, right?"
"No. I don't give a shit about the Gryffindors. But, listen...if you don't tell anyone about me being here, I'll stay quiet about you three sneaking down here." Harry raised his eyebrow and looked at Draco in confusion.
"Why would you do that? You hate us." Draco smiled and nodded.
"I still do. I just don't want anyone knowing I was here. It's a pretty fair deal."
"Alright Draco." Hermione stated. Ron still glared at the blonde, but Hermione pulled him after her. Harry still stared at Draco in confusion. 'Something has to be up.' Harry pushed the thoughts away and followed his best friends out of the common room.
Draco stared after the group with pain in his eyes. He gave a look of longing as they walked out together and he turned back to the cold, empty room. With a sigh, he picked up a book and began reading.
**********
Willow couldn't find her voice as she stared at the vampire. She held onto her shaky hands. What was he doing here? Was he here to try to bring her back home? Did he find out about what happened last year? 'Come on Willow. Get it together.' She mentally slapped herself. The whole room was stared at Willow and Spike. Spike just looked at her with no emotion in his face. 'Say something!'
"Hello." She whispered. Spike smiled and grabbed her shaky hand. He pulled her to him and gave her a hug. Willow's eyes widened. She had not been expecting that. Something was off with the bleach blonde.
"Spike...I...what are you doing here?" She questioned. He smiled and turned to the professors in the room. Dumbledore smiled and nodded at the vampire. Spike pulled her to the door and they left the room.
Willow followed after him as he pulled her to a bench in the hallway. She slowly sat down next to him. They had never really been close. When they had spent time together, usually it involved him threatening her or her threatening him. Willow pulled in a breath of air and turned to him.
"Spike, answer my question. Why are you here?"
"Well pet, you're looking at the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Willow's eyes widened and she almost choked.
"What? Spike...you know magic?" He laughed and nodded.
"Since when? You never said anything when we were researching!" Spike laughed as she spit out the questions.
"Willow. I was evil, you honestly think I wanted to help you lot? I attended Hogwarts. I was a prefect and I graduated with honors. About three years after that, I got bit and I became William the Bloody. I never thought about the wizarding world. The muggle world was so much more interesting." Willow nodded.
"Alright, but what are you doing here now? I mean...did you know I was here? Did Buffy and the others send you here to bring me back? I'm not going back." She stated firmly. He nodded.
"I know. I wouldn't force you to leave either. I know you went through a lot of...stuff." She snorted and he silenced her. "But, we don't blame you. No one hates you Willow. We just want you to get better. No matter how long it takes." She nodded and sighed.
"How are they?" She questioned softly. He smiled and shrugged.
"As good as they can be. Buffy's still the slayer, Lil' bit is now at high school. The twit and the demon are kinda shaky. I don't know if they'll get it together or what. They're worried about you." Willow nodded and sighed.
"I can't go back. I just...I can't face it yet." He nodded.
"I know, pet." After a few moments of silence, Willow looked turned to him.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" He questioned.
"How have you been? I mean...something is different about you." She stared into his eyes and gasped.
"Oh my god." He softly laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, I got a soul. I thought I could get the slayer...but, it made me open my eyes." She rubbed his arm.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
"I'm not. Buffy and I would never work. It's actually funny now that I think about it. I was such a pansy." He chuckled and she laughed.
"You kinda were." She giggled.
"So, why are you gonna be a professor here? I mean...I never exactly saw you as a teaching type."
"Isn't that the truth.." He said laughing. "Well pet, I honestly just wanted out of Sunnydale. Sure, fighting and patrolling every night is great, but I needed something new."
"So you didn't know I was here?" He shook his head.
"No. I honestly didn't know you were here. I mean...I knew you were somewhere in Europe, but I didn't know you would be at Hogwarts. When I got here, I met up with Dumbledore and he told me that you were going to be here. Is it okay with you that I'm here?" She smiled softly and nodded.
"Yes, I think it will be good for me. I need someone here that...understands." He smiled and she reached out to give him a hug.
"Well pet, let's get to that faculty meeting." He placed his hand on her back and led her into the room.
**********
"Ron! Harry! Let it go! It was nothing!" Hermione rolled her eyes and continued to pace Willow's room.
"Hermione! Why would Draco Malfoy be at this school during the summer? He can barely stand it during the year! Besides, he would never help us." Harry nodded.
"I'm with Ron on this one Herm. There's something fishy about it." Ron sighed.
"You two are hopeless! There is nothing behind it! You two are just doing this because it is Draco!" Ron jumped up and glared.
"Since when do you call him Draco? Starting to fancy the ferret are we?" Her face turned a dark red and Ron stepped back but still held his glare.
"Ron Weasley! You know that is not the case! I would never like Draco Malfoy! I'm the one he's always calling a mudblood! I just think we should stop looking into every possible thing!" Ron continued to glare and he crossed his arms.
"Whatever. I'm not the one calling him Draco." He mumbled. Harry couldn't help but laugh. It was so painfully obvious that Ron was jealous. Hermione, of coarse, didn't see it. She was too busy being angry at Ron. 'God, those two are a pair.'
"Harry! Talk some sense into him! PLEASE!" Hermione screamed from across the room. Harry just held up his hands.
"I'm staying out of this." He stated walking over to Willow's desk and sitting down. Hermione huffed and plopped down on the couch. Ron just glared and sat down on the opposite end of the couch.
This was how Willow and Spike found them.
***********
Willow smiled at Clara who giggled when she saw Spike.
"Hello Clara. This is Spike. Spike this is Clara." Spike smiled and Clara continued to giggle.
"Um...yellow crayon." The painting popped open and Willow waved to the girl. Willow walked into the room with Spike right behind her. She stopped short at the sight before her. Ron was sitting on one end of the couch staring glumly at the wall. On the opposite end, Hermione sat with her arms crossed over her chest. The girl seemed to be seething. Every once in a while she would stare at Ron and huff. Harry sat at her desk staring back and forth between the two with an amused smile on his face.
Willow cleared her throat and the three of them jumped up. All three seemed taken aback by Spike.
"Hey you three. Not getting into any trouble I see?" Hermione sputtered and shook her head, as the boys seemed to talk a mile a minute.
"No Willow. No trouble here." Harry stated.
"Non! Of coarse not!" Ron cried as his face became red. Willow laughed and Spike chuckled.
"Guys, this is my friend Spike. He'll be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Spike, this is my cousin Ron and his best friends Harry and Hermione." Hermione's eyes seemed to bug out of her head when she heard Willow say Spike and Professor. Before Hermione could jump him with questions, Ron silenced her with by saying, "Calm down girl. You'll get your chance to salivate." Hermione glared at Ron and huffed. Willow smirked while Spike and Harry laughed.
