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belong to either of us, as much as we wish they did. We just like to play
with them.
Break from the Cause – English Culture.
~*~
Two days had passed since Willow's first appearance on the West coast of Northern Ireland. She was now well rested and magically recharged from her rather lengthy trip. During her stay at the bed & breakfast she'd slept for at least 9 hours each night, meditated for 5 hours each day working in 2½ hour periods and she'd spent the rest of the time reading and practising magic.
The witch had also called her friends up over the phone at a time when she knew they'd be up and about. She told them that she was fine and they shouldn't worry and that she'd be back when she felt ready. As an extra note she told them not to come looking for her; that she needed time to herself for a while.
Standing in the Entrance Hall now as she checked out of her room, Willow grinned at the name Keara and her friend - Mrs Darwin's daughter - Jessica had named her rather unique mode of transportation. One the pair had put their heads together; they'd managed to come up with the term "Poofing". When the American witch had heard it the first time she could stop herself from laughing out loud. In the end, she decided that the term 'Poofing' could 'poof' right out of her mind.
The redhead really didn't want to be in a situation where she would have to say something like, "Oh, it's called Poofing!"
Waving one last goodbye to Mrs Darwin and the two teenage girls, Willow disappeared from the Entrance Hall using the same 'poofing' method.
*
She landed with a soft hiss of air and she looked around at her new surroundings.
A little white cottage with a thatched roof stood in front of her; a steady trail of smoke emanating from the chimney. Laughter could be heard inside and she moved towards it, passing a well kept herb garden. The white walls were cracked slightly from old age and thick black bars of wood held it up, making the house seem very Tudor like.
The closer she came to the front door of the cottage, the stronger the feel of the home's protection magic felt to Willow. It wasn't a harsh feel, it was more a warning. Magic made to ward of people entering the folds of the cottage with ill intentions. And since Willow's business here wasn't anything remotely evil at this point in time, she was safe.
When she reached the door she raised her left hand, knocked three times and waited for someone inside to answer. She wasn't waiting very long, as a few seconds after her hand had knocked, the door opened revealing a woman with flowing dark blond, loosely curled hair and cheerful hazel eyes.
"Willow!" The woman gasped in surprise before rushing over the threshold and embracing the equally shocked redhead in a fierce hug.
"Er... Hi!" She said shyly as the woman continued to hug her, "Urm, Oxygen." At the girls squeak the woman released the young witch with a broad smile.
"I didn't know you were coming to England? You should've called."
"Sky it's great to see you again." Willow beamed as she was led through the hallway. The blonde closed the front door and motioned for the redhead to go into the living room. When the pair entered all activity within the room ceased and all eyes were on the newcomer.
"Alright, some of you might remember my friend here." Sky dramatically gestured Willow, successfully eliciting a few chuckles from the seated women. A few of the said women smiled and said 'hello'. "To anyone who doesn't know her, this is Willow Rosenberg."
Willow gave a shy little wave as various calls of greeting floated over to her.
"Merry Meet." She said in a bubbly voice and Sky chuckled next to her, patting her shoulder.
"Will you join us for some tea?" She asked the young woman kindly to which the girl nodded.
"One day someone's going to have to explain the British obsession with tea." She grinned and Sky laughed again.
"Ah well see in England we have PG tips, the Tea of peers!"
The group of 8 woman sat comfortably drinking tea and talking about this, that and the other for the next hour before the first of them rose to leave, saying that her husband should be home soon. After the first left, the rest gradually followed until it was only Willow and Sky left in the cottage.
"So, how are you really Willow?" The blond asked as she sat cross-legged on the sofa opposite her friend. The redhead sighed, looking down into her empty cup.
"I'm not sure Sky. I need something to lift me up, so to speak. I don't mean in the literal sense, because I can already do that. It's just, riding around in that... thing Buffy has us riding in. Even with Kenedy there it's still... it's hard. I needed out. I missed England; it's the only place that seemed to keep me calm." She set her cup in the palm of her hand and watched as it began to rise up so it was hovering in between the two women.
"Willow-'' but before Sky could talk any further, her fireplace roared to life causing the American witch to jump a foot in the air, thus making her loose her concentration and drop the cup onto the sofa.
Willow stared wide-eyed as the fire flared again. Then she suddenly looked down at the stain she'd made with the tea, looking up worried at Sky.
"I've made a mess...what the hell was that?" She asked pointing at the fire place but jumping once again when she saw someone there. She looked shakily from the head in the fireplace to Sky then back again.
"Sky, ah... I see you have company." A woman's voice sounded and Willow gave a short yelp in surprise.
"Who... Who was that?" the redhead asked as her eyes darted from one corner to the next before resting on Sky. The blond seemed to be a little nervous. She was fiddling with her hands and looking anxiously from Willow to the head that was still in the fireplace then resting them on the tea stain on her sofa. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Willow waved a hand over the light brown area causing it to fade away.
"Maybe I should come back later." The woman's voice said again... causing Willow to jump, again.
"No, It's...er I mean...You're a floating head." The redhead girl whispered to the woman as though she was informing her of a stain on her dress.
Sky laughed a little weakly at the American's obvious point. They could be so funny sometimes. However she still glanced between Willow and the fireplace a little tense about the situation.
Willow seemed to be trying to grasp at any logical explanations, anything from past incidents but everything drew up to a blank. How in the name of all things holy could a head be floating in a fireplace? Maybe she was hallucinating; maybe this was all just a weird, Very weird dream. She scrunched her eyes shut, rubbed them and then opened them again to find the head still floating merrily in the fireplace.
"Should I come through?" She asked, looking pointedly at Sky. The blonde nodded, smiling weakly. This was not how she'd planned to ease her American friend into the English magic world.
The head seemed to nod and then disappear completely from the grate. A few seconds of silence later, the fire roared to life once more, this time revealing a stern looking woman with greying brown hair, square-framed glasses and wearing a long gown-like ensemble; different shades of greens used throughout.
At the sight of the woman, Willow shrieked in fright.
She jumped up from her space on the sofa and ran to the first place her legs would take her...the kitchen.
Quickly slamming the door shut she leant against it, a hand over her heart as she began to breathe erratically. She looked around for an escape root when someone knocked on the door making her scream again.
"Willow? Willow come out its ok!" Came Sky's muffled voice.
"What the HELL is going on Sky?" The frightened witch demanded.
"Can you open the door please?" the muffled voice spoke once more. Willow stood up straight and opened the door that separated the two women. Sky smiled warmly at the redhead but let it slip slightly when her friend didn't step through back into the living room. "Willow, calm down please." She soothed.
"No I will not calm down. You have heads in your fireplace! You have people stepping out of the fireplace..." She paced around the small space. "I'm open minded but come on!"
"Willow, it's ok!" Sky said grasping her friend by the shoulders to stop her movements.
"This is normal in England, you've just got to get used to our magical traditions. Like this for example, this is called 'Flooing.' Witches and Wizards do it all the time to go from house to house. Not everyone can 'poof'." This earned a small quirk from the red head and Sky smiled kindly at her.
"Just keep that mind of yours open for now, we have a lot to teach you here in the home of her majesty." The blonde winked cheekily and squeezed Willow's shoulder reassuringly. The still shaken witch muttered something under breath before being eased back into the room. "Pardon?" Sky asked curiously.
"I said 'the next thing you'll tell me is you all use wands.'" She saw Sky and the other woman shared a 'look' and groaned. There was a lot she didn't know.
"I am Minerva McGonagall; Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The woman smiled and held a hand out. Willow eyed the hand carefully before taking and shaking it.
"Willow Rosenberg."
~~~
We both hope you enjoy the chapter immensely. Review!
Thank you!
Break from the Cause – English Culture.
~*~
Two days had passed since Willow's first appearance on the West coast of Northern Ireland. She was now well rested and magically recharged from her rather lengthy trip. During her stay at the bed & breakfast she'd slept for at least 9 hours each night, meditated for 5 hours each day working in 2½ hour periods and she'd spent the rest of the time reading and practising magic.
The witch had also called her friends up over the phone at a time when she knew they'd be up and about. She told them that she was fine and they shouldn't worry and that she'd be back when she felt ready. As an extra note she told them not to come looking for her; that she needed time to herself for a while.
Standing in the Entrance Hall now as she checked out of her room, Willow grinned at the name Keara and her friend - Mrs Darwin's daughter - Jessica had named her rather unique mode of transportation. One the pair had put their heads together; they'd managed to come up with the term "Poofing". When the American witch had heard it the first time she could stop herself from laughing out loud. In the end, she decided that the term 'Poofing' could 'poof' right out of her mind.
The redhead really didn't want to be in a situation where she would have to say something like, "Oh, it's called Poofing!"
Waving one last goodbye to Mrs Darwin and the two teenage girls, Willow disappeared from the Entrance Hall using the same 'poofing' method.
*
She landed with a soft hiss of air and she looked around at her new surroundings.
A little white cottage with a thatched roof stood in front of her; a steady trail of smoke emanating from the chimney. Laughter could be heard inside and she moved towards it, passing a well kept herb garden. The white walls were cracked slightly from old age and thick black bars of wood held it up, making the house seem very Tudor like.
The closer she came to the front door of the cottage, the stronger the feel of the home's protection magic felt to Willow. It wasn't a harsh feel, it was more a warning. Magic made to ward of people entering the folds of the cottage with ill intentions. And since Willow's business here wasn't anything remotely evil at this point in time, she was safe.
When she reached the door she raised her left hand, knocked three times and waited for someone inside to answer. She wasn't waiting very long, as a few seconds after her hand had knocked, the door opened revealing a woman with flowing dark blond, loosely curled hair and cheerful hazel eyes.
"Willow!" The woman gasped in surprise before rushing over the threshold and embracing the equally shocked redhead in a fierce hug.
"Er... Hi!" She said shyly as the woman continued to hug her, "Urm, Oxygen." At the girls squeak the woman released the young witch with a broad smile.
"I didn't know you were coming to England? You should've called."
"Sky it's great to see you again." Willow beamed as she was led through the hallway. The blonde closed the front door and motioned for the redhead to go into the living room. When the pair entered all activity within the room ceased and all eyes were on the newcomer.
"Alright, some of you might remember my friend here." Sky dramatically gestured Willow, successfully eliciting a few chuckles from the seated women. A few of the said women smiled and said 'hello'. "To anyone who doesn't know her, this is Willow Rosenberg."
Willow gave a shy little wave as various calls of greeting floated over to her.
"Merry Meet." She said in a bubbly voice and Sky chuckled next to her, patting her shoulder.
"Will you join us for some tea?" She asked the young woman kindly to which the girl nodded.
"One day someone's going to have to explain the British obsession with tea." She grinned and Sky laughed again.
"Ah well see in England we have PG tips, the Tea of peers!"
The group of 8 woman sat comfortably drinking tea and talking about this, that and the other for the next hour before the first of them rose to leave, saying that her husband should be home soon. After the first left, the rest gradually followed until it was only Willow and Sky left in the cottage.
"So, how are you really Willow?" The blond asked as she sat cross-legged on the sofa opposite her friend. The redhead sighed, looking down into her empty cup.
"I'm not sure Sky. I need something to lift me up, so to speak. I don't mean in the literal sense, because I can already do that. It's just, riding around in that... thing Buffy has us riding in. Even with Kenedy there it's still... it's hard. I needed out. I missed England; it's the only place that seemed to keep me calm." She set her cup in the palm of her hand and watched as it began to rise up so it was hovering in between the two women.
"Willow-'' but before Sky could talk any further, her fireplace roared to life causing the American witch to jump a foot in the air, thus making her loose her concentration and drop the cup onto the sofa.
Willow stared wide-eyed as the fire flared again. Then she suddenly looked down at the stain she'd made with the tea, looking up worried at Sky.
"I've made a mess...what the hell was that?" She asked pointing at the fire place but jumping once again when she saw someone there. She looked shakily from the head in the fireplace to Sky then back again.
"Sky, ah... I see you have company." A woman's voice sounded and Willow gave a short yelp in surprise.
"Who... Who was that?" the redhead asked as her eyes darted from one corner to the next before resting on Sky. The blond seemed to be a little nervous. She was fiddling with her hands and looking anxiously from Willow to the head that was still in the fireplace then resting them on the tea stain on her sofa. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Willow waved a hand over the light brown area causing it to fade away.
"Maybe I should come back later." The woman's voice said again... causing Willow to jump, again.
"No, It's...er I mean...You're a floating head." The redhead girl whispered to the woman as though she was informing her of a stain on her dress.
Sky laughed a little weakly at the American's obvious point. They could be so funny sometimes. However she still glanced between Willow and the fireplace a little tense about the situation.
Willow seemed to be trying to grasp at any logical explanations, anything from past incidents but everything drew up to a blank. How in the name of all things holy could a head be floating in a fireplace? Maybe she was hallucinating; maybe this was all just a weird, Very weird dream. She scrunched her eyes shut, rubbed them and then opened them again to find the head still floating merrily in the fireplace.
"Should I come through?" She asked, looking pointedly at Sky. The blonde nodded, smiling weakly. This was not how she'd planned to ease her American friend into the English magic world.
The head seemed to nod and then disappear completely from the grate. A few seconds of silence later, the fire roared to life once more, this time revealing a stern looking woman with greying brown hair, square-framed glasses and wearing a long gown-like ensemble; different shades of greens used throughout.
At the sight of the woman, Willow shrieked in fright.
She jumped up from her space on the sofa and ran to the first place her legs would take her...the kitchen.
Quickly slamming the door shut she leant against it, a hand over her heart as she began to breathe erratically. She looked around for an escape root when someone knocked on the door making her scream again.
"Willow? Willow come out its ok!" Came Sky's muffled voice.
"What the HELL is going on Sky?" The frightened witch demanded.
"Can you open the door please?" the muffled voice spoke once more. Willow stood up straight and opened the door that separated the two women. Sky smiled warmly at the redhead but let it slip slightly when her friend didn't step through back into the living room. "Willow, calm down please." She soothed.
"No I will not calm down. You have heads in your fireplace! You have people stepping out of the fireplace..." She paced around the small space. "I'm open minded but come on!"
"Willow, it's ok!" Sky said grasping her friend by the shoulders to stop her movements.
"This is normal in England, you've just got to get used to our magical traditions. Like this for example, this is called 'Flooing.' Witches and Wizards do it all the time to go from house to house. Not everyone can 'poof'." This earned a small quirk from the red head and Sky smiled kindly at her.
"Just keep that mind of yours open for now, we have a lot to teach you here in the home of her majesty." The blonde winked cheekily and squeezed Willow's shoulder reassuringly. The still shaken witch muttered something under breath before being eased back into the room. "Pardon?" Sky asked curiously.
"I said 'the next thing you'll tell me is you all use wands.'" She saw Sky and the other woman shared a 'look' and groaned. There was a lot she didn't know.
"I am Minerva McGonagall; Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The woman smiled and held a hand out. Willow eyed the hand carefully before taking and shaking it.
"Willow Rosenberg."
~~~
We both hope you enjoy the chapter immensely. Review!
Thank you!