Chapter 18
We were out of luck when we reached the great hall and headed outside to search the grounds where we faired much better. Rushing up to the doors were three people I didn't recognize plus Buffy and Faith.
"Where's Xander?" I asked.
Faith thumbed behind her. I looked and saw a teacher pointing her wand at Xander who was flat on his back, floating about four feet off the ground and making his way toward the school.
"What happened?"
Faith almost laughed. "He fell off a broom."
The teacher passed us as we stood aside muttering, "... shouldn't be messing around with magical equipment in the first place ... bloody muggle."
Buffy held my arm before I followed. "She says he'll be okay. Just got the wind knocked out of him."
I looked on. "Are you sure? Maybe I ..."
Sirius nodded. "That's Madam Hooch. If anyone knows what a fall from a broom can do somebody, it's her. She'll take him to Poppy. He'll be right as rain in a couple of hours."
Buffy brushed her hair back with her fingers and blew a sigh. "So what's the what with the head guy."
I lifted up the book he had given me. "Look!"
It was like kryptonite to Faith. She backed up raising her hands. "I'm research-a-phobic. Gotta go find something else to do, see ya."
"But ..." I rolled my eyes.
Buffy placed her hands on her hips. "I really hate this part of the show."
Huh? "Show?"
"We're a T.V. show here, remember? Though I'm pretty sure showing us researching through dusty books for hours is probably not on there, but it makes for a great pick-up line." She paused. "Hi, I'm on a T.V. show."
She took the book and read the title. "White Witch, huh. Hey your hair turns all whitey when you make with the big mojo. Cool."
"Your hair turns white?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah," Buffy responded. "Don't knock it. You really don't want to be around if it ever turns black.."
"Black?"
I nodded. "I get all warm and glowy with the white, and cold and veiny with the black. Black is bad."
I understood. "This is the part you aren't proud of."
I nodded. "Big Bad. Hey Buffy, I was gonna head on over to the library. Do a little research." I saw her face fall. "It's mostly on this book so I'm not really gonna need any help." That perked her right up.
Then she realized what she was doing.
"It's not that I'm not with the research or anything ..."
"Once it comes time to slay the bad guy you'll be right up front."
She smiled.
"Sirius, why don't you give her the grand tour while I read."
He took my suggestion and hooked his arm out for Buffy. "Right this way my lady."
******************
The library was something right out of my fantasies. Well, my research fantasies, anyway. It was gigantic and all devoted to magic and magical creatures. Although I spent most of my time with the book that the Headmaster gave me, I did get a chance to nose around the stacks for a bit.
Throughout the day students were coming and going. Little whispers and pointing, mostly at me, filled the majority of their time. I didn't mind too much. I was the odd girl out, but the book kept me focused and not of the caring mind.
"Excuse me, Miss Rosenberg?"
I looked up and it was the girl from the train, Hermione Granger. "You can call me Willow."
She smiled. "I was wondering ... that is ... if you ..."
She really didn't impress me, at first, as the shy type.
"If you wouldn't mind signing an autograph."
That got me flustered. An autograph?
"Um ... Hermione, I'm not famous or anything. I'm not that actress that plays me on T.V.. I'm the real Willow."
She seemed a little embarrassed. "I realize that. It's just ... well in our world for doing the things you have done ... well ... you will be quite famous."
She opened her carry-all and withdrew a notebook.
"I had my parents send me a few of my Buffy magazines by owl post. It just arrived and I thought you might want to ..."
My eyes widened. "Buffy magazines?"
She nodded. "Well the show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that's quite a mouthful sometimes so it's common amongst fans to just call it Buffy."
"Uh huh." I said, kinda in a surreal way.
She handed me one of the magazines and there I was on the cover.
"I'm on the cover of a magazine?"
I sat there holding it in a daze. I scanned the cover and something caught my eye. 'Lesbian Community in Uproar Over Fate of Tara."
I got the page number and flipped through until a picture of Tara and I starred up at me. The look on her face was happy and serine, and I looked the same. From the outfits we wore the picture must have been taken when we were still in our first year of college. The happiest time for us.
I reached out and ran my fingers over her face, remembering.
TBC
