Chapter 4

Reunions

Joe had fallen asleep again, as he often did on long trips such as this. After catching up with Lorne there hadn't been a lot to do. He'd explored the train, even for the hell of it played a bit of Bagpipe music from the back. Now he watched the sun set, assured they had almost reached their destination. "An American Muggle in Hogwarts." he thought. "How're people gonna react to that?" Plenty of folks in Diagon Alley had apparently not thought too highly of a Muggle being there.

"Coming up on the station baby cakes." Lorne said behind him. Not for the first time Joe wondered about this guy. What were the others of his kind like? This had to be the most maternal man Joe had ever met, human or otherwise.

"Where in England is this place?" he wondered, as he grabbed his bags. "Seems to me you should be able to get at least halfway along the island by train in one day."

Mickey was practically hopping from one foot to another in excitement as they began to de-board. He didn't see the man coming towards the door to greet them until it was too late.

"Blimey!" the walking mountain said in distress. "You all right mate?"

"Mickey," Joe said, looking down at his friend, where he had fallen after colliding head first with the man's hip. "How could you possibly miss a guy like this?"

"Obviously I didn't."

The huge man, introduced to them as Hagrid, Groundskeeper and teacher of Care of Magical Animals effortlessly pulled Mickey to his feet. "Sorry about that." he apologized profusely. "I didn't see ye there, ye came off that train like a shot."

"No problem." Mickey said. He took an instant liking to the man, whose demeanor belied his fearsome appearance. "Mickey Keeler." He shook the man's hand who looked at him carefully.

"Patrick and Molly's boy?" he asked. "Bless me you look just like 'em. Don't know why I didn't recognize you right off."

"And I don't know why I wasn't looking out for you. My dad told me enough stories about you."

Joe thought he detected a bit of blush hiding behind all that hair. "Told ye stories about me eh. Well come to think of it we did have a few run-ins. Literally. Yer takin after him that way too. Poor boy got almost a hundred points taken off just fer running in the halls he did."

"Woah." Joe murmured, completely enthralled by the sight before him. "How the hell did they hide this?"

The school was huge, a sprawling castle the likes of which Joe had never seen. It put Windsor to shame. And for some reason he suddenly had John Williams music stuck in his head.

"I hear ya." Mickey said, equally impressed. "My parents got to live there for seven years?" He wished his parents hadn't been so adamant about him going to Muggle school. This place looked fantastic. And they were seeing it the way first years did, by boat, lit up against the night sky.

Hagrid almost sighed with relief. Neither of them had batted an eyebrow at the boats moving without oars. Though Joe had mentioned it was just like Disneyland. Whatever that meant. But at least they were properly impressed at the sight of the school. Fondly, Hagrid looked back on his own first time laying eyes on the school. He'd thought it the grandest place on earth. Come to think of it, he still did. It was worth the summer of near solitude just to see first years' faces when they beheld their new home away from home.

"This alone has been worth the trip." Joe decided.

Ascending the stairs, Joe kept catching some kind of smirk on Lorne's face. Like the one Mickey had had when leading him to a surprise party. What was about to happen? Was this somehow some kind of huge hidden camera show?

They didn't even have time to be astounded by the ceiling of the great hall.

"Joe! Mickey!" a familiar voice cried with delight.

Joe sat down resolutely. Willow was making her way to him with a delighted expression on her face.

"That's it!" he declared. "If this is gonna be a this is your life episode then by God everyone can just show themselves right now."

Willow was confused at his remark. Of course, she was confused at why he was here in the first place. Only not so much as, it was no surprise that Mickey was of the Magical. And since he and Joe were like nearly always together, it made sense that they were here. Sort of.

Reaching him, he sighed, and gave her a hug. "Not unhappy at all." he assured her. "Just overwhelmed. First Lorne, and now you."

"And if you'd been here two days earlier Giles would have been here too." Willow told him mischievously.

"Great Googly Moogley."

"Giles is gone?" Lorne asked. "What's up?"

"He was called away urgently by the Watchers Council." said a bearded man introduced shortly to the boys as Headmaster Dumbledore. "He was not at liberty to say precisely what was happening, but I am assured he will return as soon as he can."

Introductions were shortly made. Mickey found himself hearing many stories about his parents. Stories he was sure they would prefer he not hear. Which naturally made them that much more amusing.

Joe began to whistle, and Willow blushed. "Oh god don't remind me."

"C'mon you know the words." he smirked.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Lift up your head, wash off your mascara,"

"Joe stop." Willow said, trying to sound serious, but not succeeding. Neither saw Lorne's reaction to Joe's singing. He looked like he'd just gotten bad news.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?" he asked Joe in a tone that bordered on danger. He didn't like Willow embarrassed. Well, unless he was teasing her. In the few short months she'd been here, he'd found himself becoming rather protective of the girl. He knew how it was to recover from a bout of evil.

Joe picked up on this guy right away. He liked to be intimidating. Which was fine, but Joe didn't intimidate easily. "Singing." he said. "See it's like talking, only with melody."

"I know what singing is Muggle." Snape snapped. "What's it got to do with Willow?"

Joe's eyes narrowed. THAT time the word sounded offensive.

"He's trying to get me to sing." Willow explained, before trouble could start.

"Why on earth would he want to do that?"

"I'm feeling nostalgic." Joe told him. "I'm being bombarded by old friends so I thought Wills here and I could relive some old times."

Snape looked slowly at Willow. There was a story here that he hadn't heard.

"Old times?"

Willow glowered briefly at Joe. That was NOT a memory she liked re-living. It hadn't been bad times, in fact it had been kind of fun, but remembering it only brought back the near paralyzing fear. "In High School we were in a play together. It was just that once and it wasn't by choice."

"Maybe not but I do and always will maintain that you were incredible." But he could see the subject embarrassed her, and he decided to be nice. Just this once. "So you two seem awfully close..." he said, raising an eyebrow.

Willow smiled. Any opportunity to tease the scowly man. "Joe, this is my boyfriend, Severus Snape."

"Boyfriend?" Joe gasped, at the same time that Snape barked the same question. "But, oh man." His face fell as certain implications rose.

"What?" Willow asked, concerned. Joe looked really disappointed. "What's wrong?"

"I am most assuredly NOT her `boyfriend`!" Snape exclaimed. Not that she wasn't attractive, but he wouldn't think of going there. Not so soon after her lover's death.

Joe floundered, not paying attention to the potions professor. He REALLY didn't want to tell her but. "Willow, I'm not disappointed in you. I'm disappointed in Oz."

"Oz?"

"He, he uh, well last I talked to him he'd told me you two had broken up, and one of the reasons you did was...well that you were gay. I can't believe he would-"

Willow comprehended right away. "Oh! No I am! If you rewind your mind tape you'll hear Professor Cranky Pants(sorry echo)-"

"Say he wasn't your boyfriend. Right. Sorry. Brain's been having a bit of a gastro intestinal problem these days."

"I just like to tease him cause he has no sense of humor. And he does act like a boyfriend sometimes. All big with the protecty."

"Are you two speaking English?" Snape grumbled. "I'd been hoping her way of speaking was not indicative of Americans."

"Oh I assure you it is." Mickey cut in. "But you can blame it all on the WB."

"So," Joe said, taking a shine to digging the man. "Willow, you're dating Trent Reznor."

Snape's face screwed up in confusion. Especially when Willow looked at him carefully and that irritating giggle arose. "I never realized that resemblance before." she said.

"I don't know, nor do I want to know who this Trent Reznor is." Snape said. "I'll thank you both to stop having fun at my expense."

Joe apologized immediately. "Mickey." he said, pulling his friend over. "This is a suitor."

"I am NOT-"

"Joe do you realize what this means?"

"Yes," Joe sniffed. "Our little Willow is growing up!" He gave a fake sob that sounded like Mike Myers trying not to cry. Then to Willow's horror, began to sing. "Is this the little girl I used to know?"

Mickey, never one to be left out of good natured ribbing, whipped out his guitar and began to play along.

Lorne's jaw dropped. He'd gotten a little hint when Joe had sung just a moment ago, but now it was coming full force. And he had no idea what to do about it. But one thing he could never resist, was a duet.

"Sunrise, sunset!" he joined in on the harmony. "Sunrise sunset!"

Willow wanted to kill them. Snape was trying not to laugh. It seemed the little yank's teasing had backfired on her. Served her bloody well right.

Willow decided it was Tara reaching from beyond the grave to giver a bit of a jolt for even joking about a boyfriend so soon after her death. Guilt quickly rose up and squashed her good humor.

Tbc…