Over the Rainbow

by Lady Jesca

Buffy has just died...again. Dawn is left without a sister or a mother. Her friends are trying to take care of her and the Hellmouth. Suddenly she gets accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. What wonders will she find there?

9. Strange Relations

Author's Notes: This is the ninth chapter in my HP/BtVS crossover. The series is called 'Over The Rainbow' and the chapter is entitled 'Strange Relations'. The rating for this chapter is PG-13. As far as 'spoilers' go, this story takes place after Goblet of Fire and after Season 5 of BtVS. In my world they correspond at the same time. So, Anya isn't a demon and is with Xander, Tara is alive, Spike is NOT souled, and Giles is still around. The most visible change I'm making is that Willow is bisexual rather than lesbian.which I always thought was a more fair accounting anyway, seeing as she still had feelings for and attraction to Oz when he came back after she met Tara. So she's not "switching sides" she just bisexual.

If you're interested in receiving a copy of this story with a header for posting on a website, email me at Jesca@comcast.net.

Some notes on the fic:

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting me through this work. I know I don't post as often as I should (or as often as I'd like), but I am glad for your patience and that you still care to read it when I do update. Thanks.you all know who you are.

Also, there has been some conjecture as to what Dawn will or won't do and some questions asked as to her future. I have to honestly tell you that I have no idea what is going to happen in this story. I'm someone who does not plan out the story, but rather, I let it present itself to me. which I suppose is a pretentious way of saying, I think on the fly. I just write what comes to mind, which sparks more ideas and so on. I only know the basics in ahead of time and things like who is going to date who or who is going to get there's really only comes out while writing. So I guess we'll have to wait and see together what happens! The story is far from over.although I have no idea how long it'll run. So lots could happen!

Also it has been said that I should have a disclaimer. I guess that I put it up on fanfiction.net and by the very nature of fanfiction, I didn't think it necessary.but for those who like to see the disclaimer: I'm not Joss and I'm no Rowling so it stands that this world and these characters are not mine.and I'm really bummed about that too!! So don't sue, I've nothing for you to take anyway.

And without further ado.

*~*~*

Dawn didn't want to go back to her room. Her eyes were red and puffy and she couldn't get them to stop watering. She knew she shouldn't have been surprised at Draco's words, but they still upset her. She had been beginning to think she was finally getting somewhere with him, even though she wasn't quite sure why she wanted to.

Instead of going back to Gryffindor Commons, she went outside to the courtyard. It was nearing curfew, but at the moment she didn't care.

"Little morsel like you could be in trouble wandering the great outdoors by her lonesome," a familiar voice said from behind her. She didn't even bother to look back.

"Perhaps, but isn't that why you're here? To make sure that doesn't happen?"

"Well now, as the line goes, who's gonna protect you from me?" Spike said as he sauntered up beside her and blew smoke into the air.

Dawn smiled at the comment, but only for a moment. Spike looked at her when she didn't speak and noticed the teary eyes.

"Hey now, the Big Bad didn't mean to scare you," he said with a frown. She looked at him and gave him a teary smile as she tried to wipe the tears away.

"It's not you, Spike."

"Oh." He looked disappointed. She went over to sit on a short wall and he sat beside her. He took another puff off of his cigarette. "So who is it then?"

She looked at him warily. "Who said it was a who?"

"It's always a who, love. What did he do?"

Dawn hesitated. "Who?"

Spike gave a patient half smile. "The chap you're turning the faucets on for."

Dawn slumped, suddenly tired of the games. "Spike, can I tell you something and ask that you not tell anyone else?"

"Sure you can," he said, wondering if she'd catch that he wasn't actually swearing to not say anything to anyone about what she might say. She didn't.

"You were right. It is a who and it is a he.well actually two he's."

"Two? You've been busy," Spike said as if he didn't approve.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "It isn't like that. It's just.see I've kind of got a crush on.a boy here at school." she glanced at Spike out of the corner of her eyes to see if there was any recognition on who the boy might be. His face betrayed none of his thoughts. "Well he's nice and sweet and pretty much the kind of guy I thought I'd be dating. But he seems to kind of have a crush on someone else." Spike nodded but waited. After a moment she went on. "He kissed me once, but then after that he seems to kind of not be interested."

"And the other one?"

She hesitated a long while. He almost asked her again when she finally spoke. "He's a bastard. It's like some disease with him." She was surprised at the venom in her voice. "Sometimes I think he might want to stop but he can't. He just keeps going! And I hate it. He's loud and obnoxious and thinks the whole world should bow down before him and his whole stupid family," she said crossly. Spike nodded as if he was approving of the boy-in-question's attitude. Her voice turned softer. "But I think some of it might be an act, but I'm not sure. Maybe I just want it to be an act. Maybe I'm letting myself believe that it's just an act so I feel better about how I feel about him."

"So you want my advice on who you should be with?"

"No. Not really," she smiled faintly. "I just don't know what to do about my feelings. I mean, the second guy is so out of the question and I'd kind of like to be with the first guy. But the first guy doesn't really seem to notice and the second guy notices, but I'm just not sure he's sincere. And really anytime I try being nice to the second guy, he usually slaps me in the face, figurative," Dawn said hurriedly at Spike's narrowing eyes. "I just think there's more to the second guy than what he's showing and I don't know how to find out or even if I should."

"Look, pet, I'm not sure I'm getting the whole story, but from what I can tell you're sweet on Harry Potter and he seems semi-interested and while that's all well and good you're having the butterflies for that blond git, Malfoy. You think that he's just misunderstood and if he just knew what it was like to have a friend he'd be a regular boy scout. Problem is, you're boy Potter wouldn't approve of you having anything to do with Malfoy and I'm guessing the little red-head probably wouldn't either."

Dawn stared at him in open astonishment. "I'd say you have the whole story," she said finally.

"Well, here's some free advice, doll. Don't worry about the snake and go for the hero. This Malfoy isn't misunderstood. He's playing the bad-boy card. I should know," he said with a rueful smile, "I perfected it. Gets 'em every time. The bad-boy who doesn't want no one and doesn't need no one stands back and lets everyone come to him. He lashes out to get attention because you think he's got a bad home life or some other rubbish. Sometimes though evil really is evil and bad really is bad. You best be careful or you're gonna get played. If he's standing back and you're chasing him.he holds the aces and you've just got a handful of jokers."

"Aren't jokers wild cards?" Dawn asked in mock confusion. Spike gave her a quelling look and she looked away to hide her smile.

"So you think I should just forget Draco and go for Harry?"

"Draco, is it?" he gave her a meaningful look before continuing. "No, I suggest you forget all about Malfoy and get on with your life. Don't let him weigh you down or shed a pretty tear over him."

Dawn smiled a little. She wiped her eyes one last time and nodded. "I should get to bed." She stood up with him. She looked into his blue eyes. "Thanks, Spike."

He watched her go as he drew in a last breath of his cigarette. "Anytime, doll."

*~*~*

Dawn's eyes opened and she looked at the lacy canopy on her bed. She frowned. Her own veils were not so sheer. She sat up on her bed and parted the color-tinged lace. In the dark she couldn't tell what color, but it wasn't white. Her bare feet touched the cold stone and she shuttered, shoving her feet into the soft wooliness of her slippers. Wait. Her slippers weren't wooly. She looked down and frowned. These weren't hers. But they did fit her perfectly and they were beside her bed. She looked over to Hermione to see if their slippers had been switched when she noticed two things. First of all, Hermione was not in the room and secondly, this wasn't her room.

Dawn stood up and turned to look at the bed, backing up. She accidentally backed into a small table and upset the vase. It crashed noisily behind her, making her jump and back away from that.

She heard someone coming and Dawn started to feel panic. Where was she? Why was she not in her own bed? How long had she been out? Nothing made sense to her. She shivered a little and looked down, noticing that she was wearing a thin cotton dress of some sort. It seemed old and clung to her breasts, pushing them upward, and then falling in lacy ruffles down to her slippered feet. She didn't own anything like it. Her face blazed as she wondered who had dressed her.

The door was slammed open and an older man burst through. "Aurora, are you well?" he looked at her in wonder and surprise. He was holding a candle in a candleholder and he held it up to her, catching her flushed face. But after a quick look-over he seemed to determine her as fine and looked around the room for a sign of intruders. His eyes touched on the broken vase and then back to her in surprise.

Dawn had just been staring at him for a moment in shock. Not really shock that he was there because somehow he was familiar to her. She knew who this person was and he made her feel safe. No, it wasn't him that had her breathing as if she had been hit in the stomach. "What did you just call me?" Her voice was different. It was lighter, fluffier, more a flittering whisper than anything.

The man seemed confused. "Aurora? Are you not well after all, then?"

Aurora. The name resounded in her head although she wasn't sure why. It seemed like a pretty name but it carried with it unpleasantness that she couldn't quiet place.

"No. I mean yes. I am quite well, father." Father. It slipped out like Transfiguration spell might. The man seemed relieved and bid her a good night if she was sure she was well. She only nodded to him as he left, closing the door behind her.

Dawn walked over to the table beside the bed and opened the top drawer, grabbing a match to light her candle with. She was halfway through the task when she realized that she was moving on instinct alone. When the candle was lit she took it up in her hand and looked around the room. It was a pretty room, done in soft blues and cream colors. It was huge compared to rooms she had been in before. There were little tables everywhere showing pretty pitchers or bottles of perfumes or containers of rouge. She had a large full-length mirror on her wall and she crept to it slowly, afraid of what she might see.

Her dark brown hair was lighter and her eyes were narrower; not so wide. Her face was a little rounder and not so pixie-ish. Her freckles were all but gone. Her mouth was formed in a perfect rounded O. Her eyes flickered over herself for a moment, in shock. She was similar, but not the same. She seemed older, too. Her body had to be that of a seventeen or eighteen year old. Her eyes came back to stare into the mirror reflection of themselves when she caught a flicker of movement behind her. Her eyes focused in time to see a man behind her. She gasped, dropping the candle with a clunk. The room went dark and she realized that she was being shoved into a burlap bag. She tried to struggle, but it was already too late.

Someone was holding her shoulders down while they secured her kicking legs. She tried to scream but the sack was pulled tightly around her head and the scream was muffled.

"DAWN!" she heard and her eyes popped open to the light. She suddenly froze. She realized in a moment that the hands on her shoulders were not holding her down as much as shaking her, and they belonged to Hermione. There was no one at her feet, but her blankets were bunched and twisted around her ankles so that it felt like she was being bound. The coverlet also covered her face.

Hermione gently pulled her coverlet from her face and looked down at her friend worriedly.

"You must have been having a terrible dream," Hermione said softly. "You were screaming and kicking and you wouldn't wake up. I was about to call in Madame Pomfrey!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Dawn said sheepishly as she struggled to get up. Her blankets weren't just tangled around her ankles, but she manages to twist herself up tighter than a sardine in them. Hermione giggled a little as Dawn struggled, and then she finally helped her.

"What were you dreaming about, anyway?" Hermione asked.

Dawn thought for a moment. She thought she remembered a pretty dress but the dream was fading quickly. Finally she just shrugged at Hermione.

"I don't really know now. I forgot already."

*~*~*

Willow woke up early. The morning was cold and damp. Living in California all those years hadn't prepared her for such weather. She grabbed her fuzzy neon green robe and stuffed her socked feet into her slippers and nearly ran to the bathroom. She rushed herself through her morning routine until she got into the steamy shower. In there, she relaxed and let the warm water penetrate her cold body. She needed to get some rugs. The stone floors were way too cold. Usually the castle wasn't too cold, except for the mornings. Maybe she could get one of the house elves to start a fire early in the morning so that the room was warm before she got up. She felt kind of funny asking them, though. She never really had servants before. She wasn't sure how comfortable she was with that.

Errands that needed doing before breakfast finally pulled Willow from the warm shower. She cast a simple charm to dry herself off and got back in her robe and headed to her dressing bureau. She grabbed her under things including thermo underwear and tossed them on her rumpled bed. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a fuzzy pink sweater. She dressed in layers to keep herself warm. After the underwear she pulled on the jeans and sweater, putting on black-heeled boots and tucking them under her jeans. Then she went back to the bureau and pulled out her long wizard gown. She giggled a little as she selected the orange one that had ornamental runes in a dull red color. She hummed to herself as she put it on. She loved her wizard robes. When she had been accepted to teach at Hogwarts she had been given a catalogue of wizard robes. She instantly fell in love and bought a wide variety of fun colors and designs. It was one of her favorite parts of teaching here. She grabbed a matching hat from the top of the bureau but then put it back. Although it was customary for the women teachers to wear the pointed hats, she really didn't like them. She wasn't sure why, exactly. Here she was, a witch wearing a wizard gown at a school where the kids rode broomsticks and waved wands to do magic. Or they used cauldrons and ingredients like wolfsbane and eye of newt. She wasn't sure which stereotype was worse. But after she arrived here, she was instantly in love with the atmosphere and the fun way in which magic was integrated into everyday life and tasks. Here was a place where she wouldn't be chided for her use of magic, but encouraged!

Willow arranged her shoulder length hair into a neat tail that hung down the back of her neck and tied an orange bow around it to hide the rubber band. She put a light coating of makeup on, opting for strawberry lip- gloss rather than lipstick. When she was happy with her reflection she grabbed her wand and put it in a pocket inside the robe. She grabbed a book bag that was waiting beside her door and hurried through the halls of the castle.

When she got to the stairs that led down, she went deep into the lower levels and headed towards Professor Snape's classroom. She hoped that he would be there before breakfast, but if not, she would try to talk to him at breakfast. She wasn't sure how happy she was that she was sat beside him on the big table set aside for the professors, but it was at least convenient for what she presently needed.

She knocked on the door before she opened it, poking her head in. She was pleased to see that he was early to rise and early to work as well.

"Professor Snape?" she asked as she moved to step in.

Snape looked up from his work with distaste. "Why bother to knock, Professor Rosenberg, if you aren't going to wait for a response, I wonder?"

Willow stood stock still at the door. Her eyes were widened a bit. It was as if she had forgotten how nasty his disposition could be. She frowned but entered the classroom, closing the door behind her.

"I came to talk to you about Defense Against The Dark Arts. Do you have time?" she asked tentatively.

He placed his quill back in the ink vial while his eyes considered her a moment. His facial expression didn't change, instead keeping the same sour look. She wondered if he always looked this way and tried to imagine what he looked like when Giles and he had first become friends. Snape's quick hand movements drew her attention back to him as he gestured for her to take a seat opposite him. She went to the seat and sat down taking a moment to take her notebook out of her backpack. When she looked up again she caught Snape looking at her robes with disdain. She glanced at his own plain black robes and repressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"So," she started brightly, trying desperately to lighten the oppressive mood in here, "what have you covered in class so far and do you have a lesson plan because if you have a lesson plan I would like to see it so I can take the students along the same path that you were already going, unless you don't have a lesson plan and then I'll just make my own." She smiled at him, awaiting his response.

His response was to sit and blink at her. He couldn't remember if he'd ever heard so long a sentence coming from an adult; a professor no less. He folded his hands on his desk.

"I didn't have a lesson plan, as I was a temporary teacher."

"Right," she nodded while making a note to do a lesson plan and maybe even a syllabus for the students. "Do any of the other teachers hand out syllabi to the students?" she looked up as she asked.

He looked at her with the same sour expression he wore when she first entered. He looked like he had just taken a healthy bite of a lemon. He merely shook his head in response to that question.

"Ok," she wrote that down. "So what did you cover so far?"

"Vampires, the Council, the Slayer, Angelus."

She looked up at him thoughtfully after she wrote those things down. "Why?"

"Why what, Professor Rosenberg?"

"You can call me Willow, you know," she smiled nicely to him. "Is it alright if I call you Severus?"

"No."

She frowned.

"Should I ask again as to what you were inquiring about, Professor Rosenberg?"

Willow couldn't help but feel a little as if he had stomped on her feelings on purpose. She lowered her eyes a little so he couldn't see how he had affected her. "I was just curious why you discussed those things in particular."

"It had come to my intention that the prior Defense Against The Dark Arts professors had failed to include it in their prior lessons and I deemed it necessary to learn."

Willow nodded. "Well I'll just let you get back to whatever you were doing."

Willow packed her bag up and looked up at Snape. He had resumed writing as if she wasn't even there. She swallowed and stood up, heading for the door. She opened the door and looked back at him, but he ignored her not stopping to write until he heard the door click softly behind her. He looked up then and stopped his writing. He looked down at what he was writing and narrowed his eyes in disgust. He had taken to rewriting the same word over and over again to appear as if he was working when he in fact could not concentrate enough to finish the sentence he had been on when Willow Rosenberg entered his classroom. He crumpled up the scroll and tossed it away, taking out a new piece of parchment to start anew but he couldn't get the hurt look she had in her eyes out of his mind. In all the time he had spent at this school he had hurt many people's feelings. Why now were this one girl's hurt feelings making him feel like such a prat?

Snape shook off his inner thoughts and dipped his quill in the ink again and poised it above his scroll to resume his work, but he couldn't seem to bring his thoughts back on track. He slammed his pen back into the ink and shoved himself away from the desk. It was early to go to breakfast, but he knew he wasn't going to get any work done now.

*~*~*

Willow's eyes were staring at the ground in front of her as she hurried through the halls of Hogwarts to get to her own classroom. She had a lot of work to do, she knew, and the fact that her laptop would not work on the premises made her work that much harder. Although she knew a good reproduction spell that would act similarly to a copy machine, she knew she would be planning out her lesson plan on paper, by hand, to begin with. It would give her time to be busy and not think about Professor Snape's meanness.

It wasn't as if she didn't expect it. Or at least she should have. A ghost of a smile flittered across her face as she realized that she had thought that once she was officially a professor of Hogwarts he would treat her nicer. No matter. She didn't care about his nastiness anyway. He could be as standoffish as he wanted to. Two could play at that game.

Willow's mind was so occupied she didn't realize she wasn't alone until she bumped into a solid chest. Arms went around her to steady her and she looked up into the icy blue eyes of Lucius Malfoy. Her body froze. She didn't even try to push away. Her green eyes were locked with his cold ones. His face was a picture of smugness and the hold he hand around her back was tight.

"Professor Rosenberg, or Willow, isn't it?" he said softly smiled. "Just the person I was looking for."

Willow smiled. The fact that he was looking for her sent chills down her spine. "W-why were you looking for me?"

His smile was triumphant somehow. "Well, I always make it a point to get to know the teachers that will be helping to shape the mind of my son, naturally."

"Oh." She didn't know what to say. His eyes were holding hers and she couldn't help but stare.

"I don't suppose we've been properly introduced. My name is Lucius Malfoy and from that I am sure you can deduce that my son would be Draco Malfoy." His tone was soft and pleasant but it sent warning bells off in Willow's mind. She stared at him for a moment before she realized that she was still in his arms and he was holding her as if they were lovers in an embrace. Her hands were planted on his chest and his hands rested at her lower back. She swallowed and tried tentatively to push away from Lucius. He let her go without a fight, but she still didn't step back from him. She was confused by his presence.

Willow knew she needed to put some distance between her and this man. She could feel coldness coming off of him like waves of ice and it was chilling her more than any cold British morning could. She took a step back; her feet connected with something, making her lose her balance. In slow motion she felt herself go backwards as her legs shot upwards, losing footing altogether. In stark contrast it seemed like Lucius was fast as lightning as he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him in a quick gesture that put her out of danger of falling but smashed her body against his. She shivered with something akin to fear at how close she was to him.

The sound of a voice clearing behind her made Willow painfully aware of how this must look, in the hallways of a school, no less. Lucius smiled down at her as he put her down beside the book bag that tripped her, rather than in front of it.

"Mustn't have an accident before class, now." He let go of her and took a step back, smiling wickedly to her a moment before his attention went to the person behind her. Willow looked behind her and her insides cringed as she saw Severus Snape looking at her with even more coldness than he had before. She hadn't known it was possible for him to look less pleased than he had, but here he was looking akin to furious.

"Professor Rosenberg, if you don't mind, please keep your.this.to the confines of your own room." He looked at Lucius Malfoy and his eyes narrowed a bit. "Lucius," he said by way of greeting and acknowledgement.

"Severus," the senior Malfoy nearly purred.

Snape nodded briskly as he hurried past them, not even making eye contact with Willow again.

She frowned after him.

"Ah, so that's it," Lucius chuckled lightly when Snape was out of earshot. "I feel it my duty to warn you, Professor Rosenberg, against tender feelings for Professor Snape."

Her eyes snapped to Lucius. Suddenly it was if a haze was lifted over her eyes. She grabbed her bag and glared at Lucius.

"Consider me warned, not that it's any of your business."

He smiled in response. "It would be unfortunate for you to wrap your tender hopes up in the notion that you and Snape could be any more than associates. I've seen women spend their hearts on him.needlessly. I merely thought it a good deed to warn you of this."

"A good deed?" she sneered. "Maybe Severus is made of more than you know."

"Oh I doubt it," he said with mirth before pausing dramatically. "Oh dear, but I believe you already have these feelings well intact."

Willow closed her eyes a moment to regain a measure of control. "I don't have 'feelings' for him. I'm just saying that if I did, which I don't, that it wouldn't be any of your business."

Lucius cleared his throat and forced his smile into a mockingly somber expression. "I beg pardon. I stand corrected."

And with a lift of his dark-blond eyebrows he brushed past her, his black cape floating behind him.

Willow felt the rage rush through her as she was left there feeling as if she had handled that all wrong. As a matter of fact she felt she had handled the whole morning wrong. First she let Snape turn her into a simpering child when he snapped at her and just now with Lucius.she shook her head in confusion. She couldn't get over why her brain would not work. It felt a little unnatural. But short of trying to do detection spells on herself, which were difficult enough when doing them on another person, she didn't know how she would be able to tell if Lucius was working some magic on her. And maybe she was just overreacting. She slammed into Lucius Malfoy, notorious baddie and she froze in panic. When he didn't start yelling, screaming, or sneering like Snape, she got confused. Maybe it was just as simple as that.

Snape. She felt her anger grow as she neared her classroom. How dare he assume she was doing anything inappropriate with Lucius Malfoy, who was a married and evil man? When she finally got to her classroom she unlocked the door and tossed it open, banging the door on the wall with a satisfying slam. She stalked over to her desk and tossed the bag on it. She stared hard at her bag. Her lesson plan was going to have to wait for a time when she was less angry.

With some effort she was able to clam herself before she reached the Great Hall, but some of her anger sparked again when she saw how Professor Snape near snarled from where he was sitting. She had originally decided to sit at the teacher's table this morning and then had thought better of it after her meeting with Snape. But now she had no intention of sitting at the Gryffindor table like some punished student. She marched over to the Professors table and yanked her chair away from the table, taking her seat.

It was still early. Many of the students hadn't begun filing in yet, and only a few teachers graced the tables.

A heavy silence hung over Snape and Willow as they silently protested the other.

Finally Willow couldn't stand the silence. "For your information," she whispered, "what you saw was NOT what it looked like."

"You need not defend yourself to me, Professor Rosenberg."

"I'm not defending.I'm telling," she snapped. Snape's cold black eyes came her hers. He seemed somehow removed from himself.

"I know what I saw."

Willow rolled her eyes, this time not even trying to repress the gesture. She sighed in exasperation. "What you saw wasn't-"

"Please," he sneered. "I am not an imbecile. I didn't just round the corner and see you two. I stood there." His eyes were now blazing with hate. "I stood there and I saw you cuddled against him. All I ask is that you keep that behavior confined to your room and in exchange I won't bring this up to the Headmaster. Believe me, he will take seriously the dallying of your student's parents in the hallways where anyone may see."

Willow was taken aback by his obvious hate and his spin on his observations. "Look, why don't we just agree to ignore each other and try to get through this breakfast civilly, agreed?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Agreed," he said, no longer looking at her. And true to his word, he didn't look at her, touch her, or talk to her throughout the whole painstaking process of breakfast. And each minute made her feel more and more hollow.

*~*~*

Harry paced back and forth in his room. He had been nervous all day long, jumping at every loud sound. Although Professor Trelawney predicted his untimely demise yet again, instead of laughing it off with Ron after class, he felt a sense of dread fall over him. Lunchtime came and went and now Harry sought the seclusion of his room.

Ron entered the room and shook his head. Harry's back was to him and a mischievous smile graced his face. He looked around and saw a book sitting on a table near the door. He deftly pushed the book off of the table, making it land in a loud clatter behind Harry. Harry seemed to pale three shades as he turned and pointed his wand at his longtime friend. Ron's eyes widened a bit.

"Alright Harry?" he asked, concerned.

"I'd be better if you weren't throwing books around, Ron," he smiled shakily and put his wand away. Ron grinned at him.

"You gonna hide in here all afternoon?" he asked, going to his bed and pulling an apple out of the table next to it. He shinned the apple on his robe and then took a healthy bite, looking at Harry for the answer to the question.

"I'm not.hiding."

"Sure you are. You're in the one place she can't follow you," Ron said while his mouth was full of apple. Harry looked sheepish and Ron rolled his eyes. He had known for a long time of Harry's crush on Dawn Summers. It was very obvious, especially to someone who spent a great deal of time with Harry. Of course it was made more obvious to Ron when his sister, Ginny, pointed it out to him, much to her own dismay. But after she did, he was able to pick up on the signals easily! Harry seemed to avert his eyes from Dawn every time the girl looked his way. His hands seemed to shake when they were too near one another. It was rather disturbing actually.

"Look, Ron, you wouldn't understand," Harry began.

"Oh I understand. You're scared," Ron smiled as he took another bite from his apple. When Harry's eyes narrowed Ron's smile widened.

"I am not scared. I'm just-" he paused, looking for the right word.

"Chicken?" Ron happily supplied. At Harry's murderous look, Ron laughed. "Look, Harry, you've fought against Voldemort several times and one. You've gone up against the Dementors and won. What is it about this one girl that you can't just ask her already?"

"Ask her what?" Harry asked with suspicion.

"Bother it all, man! As her to be your girlfriend, of course. Are you that daft? Have you been hit by a Bludger recently?" Ron walked over to Harry and pretended to inspect his head until Harry shoved him away, good- naturedly.

"Do you think I should?"

"I wish you would, mate. Then maybe I could have my friend back rather than have to visit him up in his self-made prison," Ron said, punctuating the last by looking around the room. Harry just glared at him in slight amusement.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Ron's face split in a huge grin.

"Fine then," Harry said with finality. Ron merely smiled, daring him to ask. Harry walked out of the room and strode purposely down the stairs. Dawn was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs in front of the fireplace with her sister, Buffy. This made Harry falter and he looked up at Ron who was just shaking his head as if to say, "I knew you wouldn't do it." Harry narrowed his eyes again and walked up to Dawn. She was petting her white kitten, who was happy to let her continue for as long as she would.

"But why Angel?" he heard Buffy say.

Dawn, happy for an interruption, smiled to Harry when he got nearer. "Hey Harry. What's up?"

Buffy smiled up at Harry, aware of her sister's change of subject. Her look became thoughtful when she saw the nervousness close to the surface of the boy. She smiled. "I should get going."

Dawn and Harry both looked at her.

"You know Giles. If left to his own he'll talk the Professors' ears off about this or that and I can't have him making this trip an educational one, now can I?" she smiled and winked at the two before turning on her heel and leaving.

Harry looked at Dawn. She was staring after her sister as if she had just grown a tail. Then she merely shrugged and turned her attention to Harry.

"So? What's up?"

"Uh.well I wanted to ask you.something," he finished lamely. Dawn looked over Harry's shoulder at Ron who was smirking. A disturbing feeling kindled in her stomach and she felt it twist a bit. She looked back at Harry and crossed her arms in front of herself.

"So ask."

"Well," Harry swallowed and then looked around to make sure they were relatively alone. No one was milling around their general area, which was as best as he could hope for in the Gryffindor Common room. "I wanted to ask, uh, if you were interested, that is, in maybe." he faded off and then made eye contact with her. "I like you. I wanted to know if you would maybe be interested in being.my girlfriend." He didn't dare breathe as he watched her face searching for the answer.

Dawn looked shocked at first and then a smile started to lift her face but then her eyes flickered to something behind Harry and a faint look of confusion crossed her face. Harry looked behind himself but didn't see anything but Ron in her line of sight. When he looked back at Dawn she was looking straight at him.

"Ron put you up to this?" she asked, seeming hurt. That wasn't the emotion he expected. He thought that either happiness or horror would be on her face, but this look of hurt confused him.

"Not really." he said, searching for the reason for her obvious displeasure.

Whatever he had said seemed to confirm something for Dawn as her eyes narrowed and she pushed past him. He turned and looked up at Ron who was staring after Dawn in his own obvious confusion. Harry trotted up to Dawn and took a hold of her arm to stop her.

"Dawn," he said as his fingers closed around her arm. Quickly she jerked her arm from him.

"Don't," she said, angrily. "I don't know what kind of sense of humor you and Ron have, but this wasn't funny."

"I don't understand, Dawn. I mean.you don't have to. I was just asking."

Dawn looked confused for a moment.

"I don't have to what?"

"Be my," he paused and looked around, "girlfriend."

Dawn just stood there for a moment as if this was the first time Harry had asked. He got that he was being blamed for something not good, but for the life of him he couldn't decide what it was.

"Look, Dawn. I've never done this before. I'm not good at it, obviously. I like you. I have ever sense I met you. I keep thinking about that night at the owlery and I just," he smiled as he blushed, "want to make that a reoccurring event."

She thought back to their first kiss and blushed a little herself. She felt terrible. She thought that Ron had been daring Harry to play some mean practical joke on her. She liked Harry, a lot. But she didn't want him because he was dared to go out with her.

"I thought you were only asking because Ron dared you to."

Harry looked confused for a moment. "How did you know about that?" He could have kicked himself as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Dawn's renewed look of surprise mingled with hurt made him see what she was meaning. "No wait. That's not what happened."

"It's fine," Dawn held up her hand to stop him. "You won the dare. You asked." She turned to leave.

"Dawn, it wasn't like that!" Harry said in exasperation. He hurried through the portrait door behind her and ran to get in front of her long strides. When he sufficiently blocked her way, she stopped, crossing her arms in front of herself again. He hurried to speak before she told him to get lost. "He dared me to have the courage to ask a question I've been meaning to ask for weeks now. This isn't a joke. I really do want you to be my girlfriend."

"Isn't that cute," toned a voice as thick as its owner. Dawn looked over Harry's shoulder in surprise as Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco stood not far from them. She was surprised to see them so close to the entrance of the Gryffindor Commons. Harry turned to face the three as well. The comment hadn't come from the ringleader, but instead from Goyle, who was smirking behind Draco's right shoulder. "Potter has a girlfriend." He laughed as he nudged Crabbe and Draco.

Crabbe laughed with his partner but Malfoy was not laughing. He was looking intently at the two. His narrowed eyes pierced Dawn's as if trying to find the truth of this. Finally his eyes found Harry's.

"Is it true, Potter?" his voice was low and deceptively calm.

"It's none of your business, Malfoy," Harry shot back. "What are you and your cronies doing in this hallway, anyway?" he ask, mirroring Dawn's own question.

"And I guess that's none of your business," he said after a moment. His voice had taken on a heaviness that concerned Dawn. "Nonetheless, I can think of no one you are more suited to, Potter. Leave it to you to pick a Mudblood misfit to be your girlfriend." He turned a sneering face to Dawn before looking back at Harry. "Everyday you make yourself even more a target of the Dark Lord. It would seem you are begging to be dealt with."

"It'll take more than you, Malfoy," Harry said, his voice just as deadly.

Malfoy smiled a little. "You just remember, Harry Potter," he sneered the name, "who your real friends are."

"And I suppose you're going to tell me you're my real friend, Malfoy? Get of it, you've been nothing but a insufferable prat since the first day I met you."

"Ah, but from the first time I realized who you were, I've tried to take you under my wing, keep you away from the wrong sort like that Muggle- loving family your so fond of and your Mudblood friends. Maybe if you'd have accepted my generosity you wouldn't have had to battle for your life the last four years."

"No, because you and your 'noble' family would have turned me into to Voldemort before my first year was up."

Malfoy smiled at the trueness of these words. "Better than what she does," he said cryptically. He nodded to his two shadows and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Dawn said and pushed past Harry. She felt his hand close around her arm, preventing her form getting too close to Malfoy. "What do I do?" She knew that part of Draco was lashing out because her association with Harry, someone he's hated for a long time, hurt him. But something true ringed in his words that she couldn't ignore.

Malfoy stopped in mid-turn and looked at her a moment. He turned fully back to her and let his folded hands drop down in front of him. "For the first time in many years it seems the Dark Lord's target has shifted from Harry. You only shift the danger back to him by your association with him. The Dark Lord is very good at getting what he wants and he's not afraid to use every means at his power."

Harry cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to himself. "If he's so good at getting what he wants, why is it I'm still standing here?"

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Better knock on wood, Potter." He looked back at Dawn meaningfully and then turned his back to her, taking his leave. Goyle and Crabbe followed, laughing and shoving each other as they left.

Harry watched Dawn for a moment. He waited for her to gather the thoughts he knew were warring inside her head.

"I've been able to beat him a total of five times, Dawn. If he's coming after you, I'm going to stop him, whether you're my girlfriend or not."

She turned toward him, her eyes looking haunted. "I don't want to be the cause of-"

"No," Harry interrupted. "You aren't the cause. Voldemort is the cause. You're a victim, like most people unfortunate enough to be wrapped up in his business. Think about it, Dawn. Malfoy is only saying what he thinks will keep us apart. If it's so important to keep us apart then it's obvious to me that we should be together." He smiled a little. "Usually anything that is opposite of what the bad guys want is a good thing."

She smiled a little at his logic. "I suppose that makes a certain kind of sense." She looked at him and moment and then nodded. She stepped closer to Harry and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

He blushed. "What was that for?"

She smiled. "Well if I'm going to be your girlfriend, you're going to have to get used to that. That and more." Her eyes twinkled as his dazed smile reached his mouth.

"Bout time," they heard form the portrait door. They both looked to see Ron standing in the doorway, just polishing off his apple.

*~*~*

Giles consulted his map with a furrowed brow. He was either going the wrong direction, or he was just in the wrong hallway, but something was wrong. Giles sighed. After almost a week there, one would think that he could find his way around but with staircases that moved and halls that looked fairly similar to each other, it was difficult for Giles to find his way around.

"Lost?" a voice said from behind him.

Giles looked around, seeing no one down either end of the hallway. He frowned.

"I said.Lost?" the voice said again. It was the voice of a very prim elderly lady. Giles looked around again, this time with a very confused look on his face.

"Oh bother.on the wall, good sir."

Giles looked to the wall and jumped. He was almost right up against a full- length picture of a middle aged woman and an older woman. Somehow the older woman didn't seem to belong to the picture, but he decided not to ask.

"Uh.actually, yes, I seem to be quite misplaced. Can you point me in the direction of Professor Rosenberg's class?"

"Ohhhh.you're a friend of the new professor, are you?" she smiled as she asked.

"Yes, I am. Can you help me?"

"Why of course I can. It is a bit of a ways for me and a few hallways out of my way, but no matter, I can take you there."

Giles smiled to hide his confusion. Was he supposed to pick up the picture and carry it with him? He eyed the large frame.

"Come, come," the older lady said as she bid her friend goodbye and walked right out of the picture and into the next one, revealing that he was indeed going the wrong way. Giles followed beside her as he watched her go from picture to picture, both big and small, all the while keeping a steady stream of chatter up that she interrupted only to pardon herself or say hello to the occupants of the pictures she traveled in. Giles had never seen anything like it and he found these portraits to be most fascinating. Were they sentient? Did they just mirror the personalities of the people they represented or was a part of that person imprinted onto the canvas with magic? Did the person who the painting portrayed get information from their counterpart? Questions ran through his head as he followed her.

".and of course it is very difficult to get to see her because she is up a few flights and on the other side of the, oh excuse me Madam Periwinkle, castle, you see. But we do meet from time to time. She is a bit of a younger woman, so it is easier for her to make the trip than it is for me. And here we are, then," she announced as she stopped beside a door. Giles realized that his attention was so wrapped up in the woman that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. If he were to get lost in that way again, he wouldn't be any better off than he was prior to being shown the way. Still he thanked the woman and stepped in the door, looking on his map so as to make a mental picture of where the classroom was on it.

"Giles?" he heard from the front of the empty class.

"Willow," Giles smiled after he looked up from the map and put it in his breast pocket. "I missed you at lunch." He made his was down to the front of the classroom to where Willow sat.

Willow averted her eyes. "I wasn't that hungry," she said. "Besides, I had some work to do here." She smiled at him. "So what's up?"

Giles smiled and took a chair over to the desk and sat down. "Well, I was just coming to check on you and to see how it was all shaping up. I don't suppose your assistant is helping you very much, is he?" Giles asked, his voice disapproving.

Willow smiled. "Well, you know Spike. And the kind of help he'd give me, I'd probably be better off without."

"Undoubtedly," Giles smiled. "So, do you plan to teach the children anything I might be interested in?" he asked conversationally. She smiled and looked down at her papers. Giles' eyes followed but stopped short as they passed over a plate of half-eaten food. He looked back at Willow's face, searching for any sign of what was wrong.

"Not hungry?" he asked softly, nodding to the plate when her eyes came up to his. Her eyes averted themselves quickly.

"Oh.well, one of those cute house elves brought it for me," she said softly. "I didn't want to hurt her feelings by not eating some of it."

Giles put one of his much larger hands over her small one. "Wouldn't it just be easier if you told me what was wrong, rather than me having to investigate and deduce the problem for myself?" he asked with a sly smile.

She smiled at his playful question, but the smile faded when she thought of the problem.

"Is it all that bad?" Giles asked softly. "Is it Tara?" he guessed.

Willow smiled a little and shook her head. "I miss her. But it's not her." She paused for so long that Giles almost asked again. "It's Snape." It hung there for a moment and the moment she said it she wished she could retract it. "Nevermind, it isn't important." She tried to bend over her papers to evade the questions she knew was coming.

"What did he do?"

Willow glanced at Giles. "Do? Nothing.that's kind of the problem."

Giles furrowed his brow trying to solve that riddle. "I don't think I follow."

"Yesterday morning I got into a fight with Snape and now he isn't talking to me."

"What was the fight over?"

Willow didn't meet his eyes. "I went to his class to see what he had been teaching the kids and he was being very grouchy. Down right snippy, even. So I got upset and he got upset." she trailed off, hoping the half-truth would set her free from having to explain to him about Lucius. She couldn't explain it, but she felt very embarrassed about the whole incident.

"Ah. Well, Severus can be a bit touchy at times," Giles said with a smile. "Is it that important to you?"

"Well.yes and no, I guess. I mean, I want to do a good job here, so naturally I would want my lesson plan to flow with what he had been teaching and I didn't think it was going to be a big deal to just go and get his lesson plan, but his first words were some sarcastic quip about why I knocked if I was just going to come in and it went downhill from there. And then I got seated next to him at the table so all my meals are going to be ruined with this very uncomfortable silence and I just didn't feel like dealing with it today and I have a lot of work yet to do since I can't have a computer here. Maybe if I got a really good lap top I could make a trip to Hogsmeade or something to do my typing on the lap top because it would make all my lesson planning go much quicker and I don't write the same with a feather and it takes more time to get the writing to be neat because the ink drips a lot and has ruined at least three copies so far!"

Giles tried to resist the urge to laugh at her constant barrage of words, but he couldn't resist a chuckle at least.

"What?" she eyed him suspiciously.

"Nothing. We stared out talking about Severus and ended up with inkblots. It just seemed ironic to me."

Willow thought about that for a moment and giggled. Her giggle made Giles chuckle even more and before they knew it they were enjoying a good laugh. Worry lines melted from Willow's young face. The effect of a good laugh sobered Giles as he leaned over and placed a hand on her cheek in a fatherly manner. "That's much better." He patted her cheek and leaned back. She grinned at him.

"I feel better too. Thanks, Giles."

"It's what I do," he joked. He stood up. "I should go and give you a few moments before you students start filing in."

She nodded. "I'll see you at dinner. Maybe I'll just sit with you guys instead."

Giles smiled and nodded, wishing her a good class before he left. He quickened his pace as he left her sight and hurried towards the corridors that would take him down farther into the castle to where Snape held his classes.

He nearly rounded the corner into the classroom when he heard the unmistakable voice of Lucius Malfoy.

"If I didn't know any better, Severus, I'd say you were jealous."

"I'm not jealous Lucius, I just think you should be more discreet, that is all."

"I can't help how I affect women, my friend." Lucius' voice was full of his ego and his self-assuredness. But his words were also very obviously a jibe at Severus who had never found it easy to attract the woman he was interested in. Giles could almost picture Severus' teeth pressing together in an effort to not say what was on his mind.

"Still, you could help where you affect them. That's all I'm saying. What if young Draco were to see his father and his Defense Against The Dark Arts professor pawing at each other in the hallway? What would he think?"

Giles' eyes widened and then narrowed as he heard Lucius guttural chuckle float out to him from the open door. "He probably would have congratulated me on my latest conquest. I'm sure he isn't so naïve to believe that I am faithful to his mother." Giles cringed at that, knowing, as Lucius did, that Severus had once felt very tenderly towards Narcissa Malfoy. Lucius was in rare form this afternoon. Again there was a long pause before Severus spoke.

"Be that as it may, it is highly improper and I know I need not remind you that the Headmaster's eye is already fixed upon you."

"The Headmaster," Lucius nearly spat. Giles smiled as he imagined Severus' joy to finally be off the topic of women. "Not for long, if I have any say in it."

"And do you?" Severus asked in mock politeness. "Have any say in it, I mean."

"Not as of yet, but I seem to be working at it far harder than some," he said in a soft and silky tone that always meant danger.

"We just have different methods, my friend."

Giles frowned in thought. He wanted to believe that his old friend had really turned over that leaf, but doubts plagued his mind and such comments didn't help to quell those nagging thoughts.

"Well, just see that while our methods are different our aims are not."

Some rustles signaled movement in the classroom and Giles turned and ducked into the classroom beside Severus'. He waited until Lucius' telltale footsteps were out of earshot before he peeked out. He waited even a moment more before he walked into Severus' classroom.

"Well, if this just isn't the day for visitors," Severus said dryly. "You just missed Lucius."

"Indeed," Giles said as he made his way to the front of the classroom. "I need to speak with you and I as I know that you have little time before your students start to file in, I will make this direct and brief." Severus' eyebrows came up in mild surprise. "I'm not quite sure what happened between you and Willow but she has taken to skipping meals because of it. Now, she's going to be teaching here for at least the rest of the school year. You might try to make some attempt at friendship." He noted that Severus stiffened up when Willow's name was mentioned but he didn't let that stop him. "I know that in the past you punished Dawn Summers for her association to me and I implore you not to do the same to Willow and to cease your ill treatment of Dawn. Whatever it was that passed between us should stay between us and not complicate further your dealings with your students or your fellow professors, especially since any transgression that passed between us did so before they were even born." Giles looked to Severus for his reaction to this.

Several emotions passed over Snape's face, but finally his face became impassive. "As if my morning habit of looking in my mirror was not enough to make me feel old, Rupert." Giles smiled at the comment but waited for more. "I am not punishing your friend for anything. I still consider you a friend, despite the long chapter of our lives that held no communication. There is no polite way to say this, so I just will. Your friend, Professor Rosenberg, seems to have developed a liking for one of my charge's father. While that, in and of itself is not a crime and certainly not unheard of, it is unlikely that the portraits in that particular hallway have been quite so scandalized in many years. I merely asked both of them if they would take their.actions.to a more secluded area. She certainly shouldn't skip her meals because of it. It doesn't look like she could really afford to miss too many meals as it is." Severus ended, turning to shuffle through some scrolls. Giles was glad because it afforded him the opportunity to smile knowingly without letting on to Severus that he was aware of the problem at hand.

"Perhaps you should make amends," Giles advised softly.

Severus tossed his scrolls down. "Perhaps I should make amends? Perhaps she should make amends is more like it!" Severus opened his mouth to say more but then stopped abruptly at Giles' smirk. "What's got you gloating like an over-bright peacock?" he snapped.

"She's really a lovely girl, Severus. And she obviously cares enough to be upset at the thought that you're upset at her. How many people around here care when you're upset? It happens so few times that one would think you'd stop to wonder at why she cares at all? Maybe if you got your head out of your arse you might still have a chance to fix this."

Snape's eyes bulged so far out that Giles thought they might pop right out of his head and roll at his feet. His mouth opened to tell Giles exactly what he thought of him when students started filing in. Snape instantly poised himself. He crossed his arms in front of himself and spoke in low tones. "Perhaps it is time you leave."

Giles smiled and gave a mock bow to Snape before he walked out of the classroom, smiling the whole time.

*~*~*

Dawn smiled as she headed to class. Defense Against The Dark Arts was definitely a bright spot in her day now that Willow had taken over the class, but that wasn't the only reason she smiled. She gently squeezed Harry's hand as they walked to class, hand in hand.

Hermione had smiled dreamily when she relayed the sweet sentiments Harry had paid her when he was asking her to be his girlfriend. She also nodded in understanding when Dawn told her about how she had first suspected a cruel joke. She mirrored Harry's logic when Dawn told her of Malfoy's words.

"He's just trying to keep you two apart," Hermione had said. "So naturally you should be together, if that's what you want."

It was what she wanted. It was nice.

When they entered the classroom, Dawn was all smiles until her eyes landed on Willow. Something was wrong. She could tell by the way Willow's eyes danced around and by the worry lines that appeared on her forehead. She'd seen the look many times. When Willow saw her, she slipped into a familiar look of fake cheerfulness. It was the same look that she wore constantly when Buffy had died. She wished she had a moment to talk to her friend but she knew that now was not the time.

As she and Harry made their way to their seats, Dawn heard her name whispered. She looked over at Lavender Brown and smiled a little as she caught her whispering to Parvati Patil and looking their way. Dawn didn't care. Although the couple had stopped hand holding before they entered the classroom, it was bound to get out.

"Well, it seems that Spike is late, so I'll begin without him."

The class shuffled around in their seats so that everyone was facing forward. "Now, I've been busy working on a lesson plan for this class and also a syllabus, but I'm not done yet. In the mean time, I plan to make good use of the Slayer while I still have her." Willow smiled and her eyes flickered to the doorway. Everyone turned in that direction and all saw Buffy's form standing in the doorway.

Buffy smiled and made her way to the front of the class. When she got there she hopped up on Willow's desk and swung her legs a little as she looked around.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, love," Spike's voice drawled from the doorway. "She gets downright testy when someone rests their bum on her desk."

Willow narrowed her eyes at Spike as he neared. "Only certain someones," she retorted. "You're late."

"Flunk me," Spike said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. A few giggles in the room brought Willow's comment at bay and made her glare melt as she regarded the class.

"Ok. Well. Does anyone have any questions for the slayer?" Willow asked hopefully. Dawn almost raised her hand, more to support Willow than anything, but thought better of it. It would look too contrived if she were the first questioner. She was glad that the lure of information was too powerful for Hermione to ignore.

"Yes?" Buffy said, pointing to Hermione.

"How did you become the slayer?"

Buffy smiled. "Well, I didn't apply for it, if that's what you're asking. I was chosen."

"But how?" Hermione persisted.

"Well.as the story goes, one girl in all the world is chosen as a slayer. After she dies another takes her place. I guess the answer to your question is that the other slayer died."

Dawn frowned as she noticed the haunted look in her sister's eyes.

Buffy pointed as another hand came up.

"How old where you when you became the slayer?" Neville asked shyly.

Buffy smiled at him, noting his shyness. "I was fifteen. The same age as all of you." She looked around and noted some of the impressed looks she got. "But I wasn't as well equipped as you all are."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked, unsure.

"Well.I had no idea that there were things like vampires or werewolves or anything like that. Really all I was really good at were school dances and high fashion," she said dryly.

"Well she obviously lost one of those talents," Pansy Parkinson whispered loudly from the Slytherin side of the room.

"Ten points from Slytherin," Willow said with a frown, but Pansy didn't seem phased.

Buffy, though, just smiled to the girl. "You're right.I'm terrible at dances now." A couple people giggled at the answer.

"How many monsters have you faced?" Dean Thomas asked when Buffy called on him.

"Oh geez. Uh, I honestly couldn't count them all. Vampires, obviously, werewolves, various demons, shape changing people, eggs," she wrinkled her nose. "Actually there are so many different kinds of demons out there that I've fought, I couldn't name them all. But for all the ones I have fought, that many and more are yet to be discovered."

"Cool," Dean said with a smile.

"I've got a question," Malfoy said with narrowed eyes pointed toward Spike. Spike merely returned the look with a cool countenance.

"Go on," Buffy urged, very curious about this one's question.

"If you're the vampire slayer, why haven't you killed him?" he gestured to Spike. Spike gave Malfoy a toothy grin.

"Well, mostly because he's harmless."

"Now, just wait a minute," Spike said as he came off the wall he was leaning against. "I'm not harmless!" he said as he got in Buffy's face.

Buffy made a disgusted face and fanned air at her nose. "I stand corrected. You're breath is harmful!" She smiled when there were laughs from the students.

"Har, har," Spike said in a deadly tone. He sniffed and looked at Malfoy. "She's tried to kill me. She can't." He smiled in satisfaction.

"Pfft. Please. I don't think the students have so short a memory that they can't remember back a few days when I kicked you're as-uh, butt." Buffy tried to cover her small blunder, but it was clear enough what she was about to say. She looked back out at the sea of faces, "The government put a microchip in his head that keeps him from being able to hurt people. I figured that when you have the government messing around with your brain you've been punished enough."

Dawn looked around the room. Most of the students seemed enraptured by the bickering between the slayer and this vampire. It was something she was quite used to seeing, although they didn't always seem so fond of each other as they did now.

Spike and Buffy kept up their banter until, to shut Buffy up, Spike called on Ron when his hand was raised. Spike smiled at Buffy who playfully glared at him.

"How do you know Professor Rosenberg?"

Dawn noted Hermione's pointed glare at Ron's question.

"We go way back. She was my first real friend," Buffy smiled fondly to Willow who returned the sentiment. "When she learned who I was, she and our friend Xander started to help me fight vampires and other things." Most of the Gryffindors, and especially Ron, looked at Willow with a new respect.

"She fought vampires?" one of the Slytherin girls asked, incredulously.

"Yes, she did. And more. She may not look like a fierce fighter, but she's hella-smart and quick with the spells when she needs to be."

Willow's cheeks burned with the compliment.

"Hermione?" Buffy asked when the girl's hand came up.

"But I thought slayers were taken from their families at an early age. I thought they weren't allowed to have friends."

"Traditionally. But I am not traditional. See, the Watcher's Council is here in England. It's filled with a bunch of overbearing control freaks who want to shape every thought and action a slayer has." Some astonished gasps echoed around the room. "So they impose rules that force girls away from their homes when they're babies."

"I thought that the Council worked with the slayer," Hermione said.

"Well, that's what they'd like everyone to believe. Truth is, they're a bunch of people who set forth these silly regulations to get the girls who are their charges to jump through hoops. The more indoctrinated the couldbe-slayers are the more likely the next slayer that is chosen will do everything the Council says. But, every slayer that has ever followed the Council blindly has died after only months of becoming a slayer. I'm the only one who has managed to last a few years."

"Well," Spike interjected. "Not the only one. There is Faith after all."

Buffy shot him a glare. "Right. Faith has survived the Council as well. But it isn't like she's ever been one for rules of any kind. So she didn't take well to the Council either."

"Faith is still alive?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." Buffy didn't seem inclined to continue but six hands shot in the air. She smiled ruefully. "Only keep your hand raised if you are going to ask me about Faith." All hands continued flying. "Ok, let me save the trouble." The hands fell and the listeners waited for the story.

"When I was fifteen, I was fighting a nasty vampire who got the better of me. He killed me, by drowning me. My friend, Xander, did CPR and I came back. But once I died, the magic that triggers a new slayer did so, even though I came back. So then there was a new slayer. It's the first time that two legitimate slayers served time together. She died, though, about a year after. Then Faith was called. It's believed that my death wouldn't trigger another slayer. But I guess we'll see. If no one pops up in the next year, I'll believe that." She smiled.

"You died again?" Dean Thomas asked without raising his hand.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I died around the beginning of last summer."

"Seems to me you didn't really survive all that long, even without the Council," Malfoy interjected.

Dawn looked over at Draco. Her eyes weren't narrowed, but they did look reprovingly at him. Draco looked her way and their eyes locked. The tension between them was thick. Dawn seemed to be asking, with her look, why he had to be so nasty. He seemed to be answering her look with a bleak, because that's who I am. Dawn finally tore her eyes from him and looked back at Buffy who was busy answering more questions. The exchange didn't go unnoticed by Spike, who sat watching Malfoy as he continued staring at Dawn, even after she stopped looking at him. Spike looked over to Harry, noticing that the boy saw nothing of this exchange.

"You said you faced werewolves before?" Seamus Finnigan asked.

"Yep. She was a trouble maker that passed through town."

"Do you think all werewolves are bad?" Harry asked.

"No, I don't. One of my friends is a werewolf."

"Cavorting with vampires and werewolves? What kind of slayer are you?" Pansy asked in astonishment.

"The kind that doesn't kill someone merely because they are affected by a disease and the kind who doesn't kill something that can't fight back." Buffy seemed a little annoyed. "Being the slayer doesn't give me a license to kill anything that is different from us merely because it's different. I don't relish killing. I do it because I have to in order to keep people safe. People I love have died and people I hate have lived far past their expiration date and that's just the way the world is." She looked at both the Slytherins and the Gryffindors. "If I can hope to give you all something to take away from this class time besides not having to listen to lectures, let me tell you this: It's not always black and white, boys and girls. It's not always about 'us' against 'them' and when it is, you might find that 'them' may just be people who aren't on your side rather than unspeakable evil that needs a stake through the heart. The mere fact that someone isn't on your side does not make them on the enemy's side. And just because people don't believe as you do, doesn't make them a horrible person. You'll find that far more often the world and its occupants fall in the grey area and just when you think you've got all the answers, you don't. Spike is here because I followed my gut. Although he's killed probably thousands of people and has threatened my friends and me over and over again, I couldn't kill him after his chip. It was just wrong. Maybe if he ever got his chip removed, ok. Maybe then. My friend who is a werewolf is a good man. When he thought he was going to be a danger to the people around him, he removed himself so he could no longer be a threat." Her eyes got distant for a moment. "Angel, or you would know him as Angelus, has a soul. He works very hard to defeat the forces of evil and protect good. He's a vampire. He's killed almost as many people as the plague. But that was lifetimes ago and I wouldn't deprive all the people alive now of their champion because of things he did centuries ago when he didn't have a soul." She paused for a moment. "It's just not black and white."

The room seemed subdued and no one seemed to know what to say. Buffy looked out over the crowd as they tried to digest what she had said. Willow was about to speak up and eat up the silence when a hand shot in the air. It was Seamus again. Buffy nodded to him.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Giggles and outright laughs broke out from the students and Seamus grinned mischievously to Buffy. Buffy couldn't help but grin back.

"Not currently," she answered with a smile. She winked to Seamus, grateful he had managed to bring up the mood of the classroom after her speech.

*~*~*

Willow walked into the Great Hall when suppertime came around. She wavered a little bit, not sure what to do. Sitting with the students was fine before she became an official professor here, but now, dressed as she was, she wasn't sure she should sit by the Gryffindors. But she didn't want to sit with Snape either.

"You seem lost."

Willow jumped a little and looked over to Minerva McGonagall. She smiled to the woman. She had instantly liked her when she first met her.

"Not lost. Just confused." When Minerva's brow furrowed, Willow smiled a little. "It's nothing. I don't think Professor Snape approves of his new dinner mate."

Minerva smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "There is little that Professor Snape approves of." Willow chuckled as she acknowledged this truth. Twice in two days she heard the clearing of a voice. She closed here eyes slowly before turning around and looking at Snape.

"Hi," she said in an overly bright tone. He just stared impassively at her. He looked at McGonagall and inclined his head respectfully to her and then glanced at Willow before brushing past to get to the table.

"Oh dear," McGonagall said. "Would you like to be moved?" she said half in jest. Willow grinned.

"I think we should make him sweat it a bit longer. Besides, if I were to get moved now it would a sort of victory for him."

"Oh well, we can't have that," McGonagall agreed. Willow gave her a grin before looking back at Snape's retreating form. Her grin failed her and she took a fortifying breath before she started to follow him down the path made by the long tables.

She sat down in her seat quietly and folded her hands in front of her, waiting for the meal. She looked over with more than a little longing to where Dawn, Giles, Buffy, and the others sat. She made eye contact with Giles for a moment. He gave her a smile that told her to be strong and she nodded a little. She glanced a little up the table and briefly made eye contact with Ron Weasley. She knew she had felt someone watching her but when she made eye contact with him and smiled he blushed and looked away. She didn't notice Hermione's glare but instead jumped when the silverware beside her clattered.

"He is a student, Professor Rosenberg," Snape said quietly, not looking at her.

She wasn't sure exactly what he was referring to until she realized he meant Ron. Her eyes narrowed. "I know he's a student! Ew! That's just wrong. He's like fifteen years old and I'm almost twenty years old!"

"Yes but when he is twenty and you are twenty-five it will seem to be no problem at all."

"What are you getting at? Do you want me to want him?" she asked incredulously.

"Well this sounds like a conversation worth joining," Spike said as he unceremoniously dropped into the seat beside Willow. Willow just grimaced and looked from Spike to Snape and then to Spike again. She looked up in frustration. Not only did she have to be sat next to the King of Grumpiness but on the other side of her was the King of Snarkiness. Meal times would most definitely not be her favorite times of the day. She glanced at both of her companions again. Snape didn't look at her, but Spike was wearing a knowing grin that made his cheekbones jut out in a surprisingly attractive way. Her good humor returned a little when she realized that she must look painfully bright in her the yellow robes with the purple designs she had chosen this morning when viewed all on their own. But in between these two men with their black on black look she must look even more so. They were like the bread of a Snape, Willow, Spike sandwich-Willow broke off in the middle of that thought and giggled. That had ended up in a completely different place than she had started in.

Snape looked at her when she giggled and frowned in thought. He didn't know what to make of her. He couldn't get the hurt look she had worn when he accused her of being with Lucius out of his mind. But then she had been noticing Ronald Weasley and the vampire on the right of her. Perhaps he wasn't wrong about her. Perhaps the flaw in her character wasn't her liking for Lucius Malfoy but that she was crazed in some way for men in general. He just didn't know. Half the time she seemed like a perfectly innocent girl but the other half. Unbidden the memory of looking down upon her, Potter, Giles, Weasley, and Summers came to mind. He remembered in great detail the tight black skirt that only went mid-thigh that she wore and the black tights that clung to her legs. He pushed the thought out of his mind and watched her out of the corner of his eye as she rearranged her silverware.

Spike noticed the witch's nervousness and the way she seemed to glance over to the man on the other side of her from time to time. First she's gay and then she's not? There's a girl who needs to make up her mind, he thought to himself. He grinned a little as he thought of some of the mischief he could rally up between the two of them. Suddenly he had the distinct impression he was being watched. Casually, so as not to alert the watcher, he turned his head to the left and then to the right to look at the other professors sitting at this table. No one was watching him although a few glanced his way when he looked. Then he let his eyes flicker over to the Slytherin table. Nope. Although he let his gaze linger on the Malfoy boy as he stared at something that was located across the room. Spike followed his gaze to Dawn and her new boy.

Dawn looked happy. She smiled as Harry looked over at her and at one point Harry whispered something to her. Spike looked over to the Slytherin table in time to see Malfoy's face darken. So the boy really had it for the Bit. He almost wanted to warn the chap about the Summers women. Spike looked over to Buffy and watched as she watched her sister. That's who he wished was looking his way. He shoved the thought from his mind and focused. He went to look over to the Ravenclaw table when his eyes flickered over to Dawn's friend and held fast as his eyes met hers. Harriet? Hallie? It started with an H, that much he knew. She didn't look away when Spike stared at her and instead seemed frozen in place. He remembered to the first class he attended that this girl seemed particularly concerned with him being staked. He appreciated that. He held the stare for a while and just lifted up his eyebrows, almost as if to ask something. She just stared. A sharp pain in his ribs finally broke the stare.

"Bloody hell woman!" he hissed as he rubbed his side and glared at Willow. "What did you do that for?"

"Don't make the googly eyes at the students, Spike! It's ooky and it's wrong." She was frowning at him.

"I wasn't making the eyes with the girl, I was merely looking because she was staring at me. It was more a stare down than anything." He kept his frown as he rubbed his ribs.

"Well perhaps you could refrain while her parents are here," Snape's dry voice sounded from the other side of Willow. "No need to lose one of Gryffindor's best students because you had the same self-control as the student herself."

Willow's eyes widened a bit as Snape chimed in.

"Why don't you mind your own, mate. Looks like you've got your hands full making sure Red tows the line here. Not sure you're up to handling me." Spike lounged back in his chair, striking a very lazy pose.

Snape sneered at the man who seemed to make a mockery of his job with every move. "Indeed."

"Whoa.how did I get brought into this?" Willow asked. "I do enough line towing on my own without any help at all. I'm a line tower. It's what I do."

"All evidence to the contrary," Snape mumbled.

"What was that?" Willow asked.

Snape busied himself with eating as the food had uncanny good timing in its appearance. He almost looked down at Dumbledore but suspected that the Headmaster would be smirking at him over the moon-shaped glasses and that he did not need.

Willow set about to eating as well. Spike frowned and looked around at the food. It looked good enough but it wasn't what needed. He was going to have to bring this up to the old chap with the 70's beard. Instead of foregoing supper altogether, Spike dished up some of the old English favorites he hadn't eaten in a while. He dished a goodly helping of blood pudding and ate, wishing it a different kind of blood dish.

Snape happened to look over towards the left of the room and made eye contact with Giles. He remembered then what Giles had said about Willow. He cleared his throat a little.

"So.I trust your last session was satisfactory?"

It took Willow a moment before she registered that he was talking to her.

"Uh.yeah. It was good. I had Buffy do a question and answer time with the kids since you covered the Slayer and all. And the time before that I had Buffy and Spike give a demonstration."

Snape looked at her directly, frowning. "A demonstration? Of what?"

His direct eye contact made her a bit nervous. "Uh. Well. I thought maybe a demonstration of the slayer in action would be.good. So they did a little mock battle and Buffy staked Spike only it wasn't with a real wooden stake, just a plastic one that looked like wood." She smiled a little to him.

"You had a brawl in the middle of class?" Snape just blinked at her.

"It wasn't a brawl-"

"What if he had bested the slayer and drained her in front of the class? How would that have looked?"

"Spike?" she said as if he had just implied a butterfly might donate its wings to a fly.

"Yeah, Spike," the offended vampire said from the other side of her. "It could happen."

"Not unless you licked her to death." She paused and looked at Snape. "Which would be a bad example for the students too." She blushed a little and Spike's glare lessened and a hint of a smile came with the imagery she gave him. "What I mean is, Spike can't bite people. You don't think Professor Dumbledore would let a vampire that would kill people help teach a class do you?"

"One would hope not."

Willow frowned. The rest of the meal was fairly quiet. Snape pushed food around his plate for a while before getting up and excusing himself. He knew that hadn't gone well. He hadn't been meaning to criticize her teaching methods. It just happened.

*~*~*

"How was dinner?" Giles asked as he neared Willow's desk. She was doing a little after-dinner work on her syllabus.

"It was.interesting," she said as she put the quill away and looked up at Giles. "I can't figure Snape out."

"Few can," Giles smiled and sat on the edge of her desk. His smile left as he thought for a moment about what he had come to talk to her about.

"Did something happen with Lucius Malfoy?"

Willow looked at Giles in shock. She wasn't aware he knew about that and so it was quite a surprise when the words just popped out.

"Uh.nothing.really," she said evasively.

"Willow."

"Ok, I bumped into him."

"You bumped into him?"

"Yeah."

"There's more," Giles said matter-of-factly. Willow nodded.

"Well, I nearly toppled over when I bumped into him. He grabbed me to keep me from falling and Snape found us that way. He thinks I was being all.smoochy with him and I so was not!"

Giles seemed to wait for more.

"That's it, really. I mean." she frowned. "Well, actually, it was strange. When he was holding me, I didn't push away right away." Her eyes took on a far off look. "I couldn't help but just stare. And I couldn't speak. Not more than a few words." She missed the hint of a smile that crossed Giles' face at that comment. "And then I tried to push away from him and tripped on my backpack. So he grabbed me again. And again I just let him. And then Snape cleared his throat." She looked back at Giles. "It really was innocent.on my part at least. But it was kind of odd that I didn't react quicker."

"Well, Lucius can be a very imposing person when he wants to be."

Willow just nodded. Silence stretched out over the room until it was broken by Giles' sudden movement as he got up. "Well, night then."

"Goodnight."