Authors note: this takes place after the fourth book since I started it ages ago.

Part 8

'I can't believe she went after him alone, what was she thinking?' Minerva McGonagle stood in the medical ward at Hogwarts looking anxiously at the pale figure unconscious on a bed several meters away.

'Ah but she didn't go alone did she,' Snape directed his attention to the worried vampire clutching Willow's hand from her bed side, his disdain clear in his voice, 'she took Spike.'

'And a good thing she did.' Minerva answered sharply, feeling the urge to defend the distressed man. 'If he hadn't been there she would have died, he damned near killed himself getting her out of that fire. Urgh,' the woman made a frustrated noise and began to pace the width of the room, 'I just wish I knew what happened, can't you try to get some sense out of Spike, he might have calmed down a bit by now.'

'I highly doubt that, Albus couldn't get anything from him, I don't think he is exactly going to open up to me.' the stubborn look on Snapes' face showed clearly that he would not be swayed and the two teachers stood for a few minutes in silence.

They watched in amusement as Madame Pomfrey swooped in on the blonde vampire and began applying some kind of lotion to his many cuts and burns. Spike growled at her as she pulled his hand away from Willow in order to change the bandage on his hand but she just gave him a stern look and persisted.

'Damn it woman,' Spike jumped to his feet with his demon face showing, 'will you leave me be, I'm a bloody vampire, I'll heal fine on my own, will you just fix up Red, she's the one who's dying.'

Snape reached for his wand and began to point it towards the snarling demon but stopped short as the schools nurse showed no signs of intimidation.

'As I have explained before, Miss Rosenberg is not dying, she has several spells working to clear the smoke out of her lungs and various quick healing potions on her other wounds. Now will you sit down while I look at your hand because I do not believe Miss Rosenberg would be pleased to wake up and see you looming over her like a half carved, burnt ham.' The medi-witch was obviously working hard to maintain an even, authoritative voice, but even so, her frustration with her patient was clear and she gave a small sigh of relief as Spike returned to his seat and allowed her to continue her ministrations.

'Ask him now,' Professor McGonagle suggested in a whisper, reinforced with a nudge to the ribs with her elbow.

Snape simply looked at her wondering what was making this normally quite sensible and formidable woman act in such a childish manner.

'Oh don't look at me like that Severus Snape, I realise that I am acting slightly giddy,' she grimaced in embarrassment as she realised how well that description fitted. 'I spent two years doing a study of vampires before I became a Professor at this school and you will have to excuse me if I am a little excited at the current situation. I may actually be able to converse with one of the most notorious vampires in the last few centuries. Call it professional curiosity if you will.'

'Then let me ask, out of purely professional curiosity of course, why is it that you are trying to convince me to have this conversation that you are so "giddy" about.' Snape smirked at the look of annoyance on his colleagues' face and watched as she marched towards Spike without another word.

'I don't suppose I could ask for a moment of your time Mr Spike,' the Professor returned as much as possible to her normal brisk, business-like tone. 'It is imperative that we know exactly what happened between Miss Rosenberg and He Who Must Not Be Named, lives could depend on it.'

Spike took a second to look her in the eye, unnerving her slightly before answering, 'when Red here wakes up she'll either tell you or not, got nothin' to do with me.' With that said he returned to watching Willow, as if he could heal her by sheer concentration and Minerva returned to her previous place beside Severus.

'If it's any consolation, he told Albus to "fuck of mate", so you could add poetically gifted to the list of known talents of vampires.' He patted her shoulder in a gesture of mock consolation before turning to wards the door. 'This is all rather pointless, we are obviously not going to learn anything until Willow wakes up, and I for one have better things to do than stand around here waiting.' With that said he strode out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.

With a brief glance at the odd couple across the room, Professor McGonagle also left, managing to do without the over-dramatic robe movement, and quietly shut the door behind her, leaving Spike to his silent vigil.

Two days later.

Willow sat staring at the tray of food in front of her contemplating levitating it at the overbearing nurse, medi-witch person at the end of her bed in the hospital wing.

She had woken up yesterday afternoon, pretty much feeling like shit, but she had gathered her almost fully restored magical energy and sorted out the damage to her lungs and put a lot of effort into the regenerating the burnt skin cells so they wouldn't scar. The effort had pretty much exhausted her, so she had fallen asleep and now she was all awake and feeling fine and the damn woman wouldn't let her out of bed.

'For the last time I'm fine, there is nothing wrong with me anymore, I am healed, fixed, repaired, fully functional, bloody hunky dory, now will you please let me out of this bed I have things to do….Urgh.' Willow flopped back onto her pillows, rolling her eyes to the heavens in a plea for help.

'Bribes,' she blurted out in a moment of inspiration, 'do you take bribes, I have a beautiful seventeenth century spell book, hand written. 'She looked up hopefully only to see the woman shake her head in amusement, 'No? Ok then, how about a herbal grimore?' Madame Pomfrey just looked at her, eyebrows raised, 'guess not. Hmm, money, lots of money, erm…a pony, everyone loves ponies, one with cute little ears and a twitchy tail, no? Do you want my soul.' She was getting more frustrated and desperate by the minute. 'I hear they're fetching a great price on the black market these days…Oh come on, there must be something. Dumbledore said I wasn't to leave until you gave the all clear, now I know he's my new employer and everything but I'm seriously beginning to consider blowing one of you up.'

Willow sat in silence for a moment watching as the brand new public enemy number one, straightened out the room, 'I could just not blow you up, that's gotta be worth something, right?'

She never got the chance to expand on the merits of not being blown up because at that moment the door of the hospital wing burst open and Harry came sprinting through and flung himself at her, hugging her tightly.

'Some air would be appreciated.' She spoke the words teasingly but Harry jumped back quickly, obviously just remembering her supposedly injured state.

'How are you feeling, are you ok?' Harry's face showed real concern as he asked and Willow was genuinely touched.

'I'm fine,' she said tossing a glare in the nurses direction, 'I'll be even better when I get out of here.'

'I'm glad you're alright,' his warm smile quickly changed to a frown and he began to scold her loudly. 'What were you thinking going after Voldemort, did you not listen to all the things we told you, have you any idea how stupid that was. Do you know what he could have done to you? He almost killed you, I can't believe you were so irresponsible…'

Willows attention wandered as she saw the door open and Spike return from wherever he had disappeared to when she had begun trying to negotiate her release.

'Yeah well he agreed to it,' she pointed her finger at the bleached vampire, trying to distract some of Harry's lecture away from her.

'Believe me luv, if I'd known you were aiming for crispy fried Willow, I'd never have agreed.' He looked at Willow, who was giving her best puppy dog eyes and relented. 'Anyway, I don't see how the kid here can complain, from what I've heard he's gone after Voldemort every year since he was eleven.' He grinned at Harry who glared back at him.

'It doesn't really matter, everything turned out fine, let's just forget about it for now, we have more important things to discuss. Harry I want you to think about this carefully, what is Madame Pomfreys secret weakness?'

Willow sat in the bed waiting eagerly for an answer but was once again interrupted by the door being flung open.

Five wizards in plain black robes marched into the room and took up the free space around her bed. One of the men pulled out a piece of parchment and spoke in a commanding tone 'Willow Rosenberg?' It was more of a statement than a question but she nodded anyway and the man continued. 'You are being placed under arrest. You will be taken to the Ministry of Magic where you will stand trial charged with the wilful destruction of property by means of arson. As an American citizen you will be entitled to consult with a representative from your country's Ministry. Now will you come with us please.'

End Part

Dragonmage