Author's Note:
Surprise, surprise! A Dance update. I really didn't forget about this fic! I've just been uber super busy with the other one. This is also a longer chapter to tide those of you who enjoy reading this until the next update. In other words, hopefully next week.
This is part two of a Wednesday trilogy of updates. Where Will You Go and Tragic Hero have also been updated.
- - - - -
Chapter 7
Midnight Duels
- - - - -
Their first week of school came to a close. Willow was starting to get used to all of the strange things happening around her. For one, Potions class.
Their second Practical lesson was wonderful enough. Willow was happy she was paired with Ron Weasley, who seemed to really know what he was doing. She was relieved he was her partner, except their working together had created some animosity between her and the Granger girl.
Keira on the other hand was still feeling incredibly insulted from being chosen to work with Neville Longbottom.
"He's insufferable!" Keira said one morning as she and Willow walked to breakfast. "He doesn't talk and when he does, it is all but a stutter! I thought that I was working with competent people in this class!"
"We could trade partners," Willow offered.
"What do you mean?" Keira asked her excitedly. "Would you be my partner, Rosenberg?"
"Me? Oh, no," Willow said nervously. "No, I was talking about switching Ron and Neville, you doofus."
"Doo-fuss?" Keira asked, her eyes clouding in confusion.
"Yeah, the thing you do when you act all strange and I get to call you names you don't understand," Willow sniggered.
Keira blushed slightly and returned to her breakfast. That, thankfully, had been the end of that conversation.
Willow wished her Introductory class would go as well as this class was going. She was thankful her Professor was nice enough to give her extended reading. She just wished she had her laptop with her. She should never have left home without it.
Draco Malfoy still hadn't forgiven Keira for her little stunt, either. In fact, he went so far as to challenge Keira in a duel. She was ready for that, too. And eager. She chose Aura as her second, for which Willow was thankful. She didn't know enough magic with a wand to be able to act as a second for anyone in a dueling situation.
The only problem was, Keira had let slip that she was going to be dueling the platinum-haired former Slytherin. Hermione was stunned beyond belief, but both Ron and Harry seemed mildly interested. Aura knew this would be her one chance to impress the boy she was rapidly developing a major crush on.
Willow thought it was a bad idea. The more she and Ron talked, the more she liked him. Hermione seemed to notice this too and cornered Willow after Muggle Studies the following afternoon.
"Hey! Willow!"
Willow paused and turned around, seeing Hermione run up behind her. She groaned inwardly. This was never a good sign. "Hi, Hermione," she greeted in what she hoped was a friendly voice.
"What is going on between you and Ron?" the other girl demanded outright. Willow was slightly taken aback by her directness. Even Oz would have been proud.
"Nothing," Willow admitted. "He's my Potions partner, Hermione. He may be a friend, too. I don't know what you think might be going on, but nothing is. I wouldn't do that to you. Or him."
Hermione just stared at the other girl a moment before offering a smile. "I'm sorry to be so suspicious," she said hastily. "I didn't mean..."
"I'm not going to try anything," willow assured her. "I still have a boyfriend back home in America."
Hermione looked mildly interested. "Really?"
"Yeah," Willow said, smiling as thoughts of Oz permeated all of the magical terms and history which had been stored in her mind. "He's a musician."
Hermione looked relieved. "Thank you for being so honest with me, Willow."
From that point on, they were on speaking terms again.
That night was the duel. Willow and Keira met up with Aura, who seemed keen on getting it over with. To Aura's delight, Harry and Ron had shown up. Draco soon entered with his usual gang and Keira rolled her eyes when she saw her own roommate hanging off of Draco, smiling smugly at the rest of the girls who threw adoring glances in their general direction.
Keira just rolled her eyes and sat down, completely ignoring the fact that her roommates boyfriend did nothing for her. Walking around like a pompous bitch wasn't going to get her anyway. Keira brightened at the thought and turned to her new redheaded friend, who just shrugged.
Willow sat uncomfortably next to Ron, well aware that their bodies were almost touching. Ever since Keira had brought it up, Willow knew that she was acting like an idiot, but she couldn't help it. He sat there with his adorable red hair and those adorable eyes, staring at her with a sort of look he should have only reserved for his girlfriend.
Willow winced. Hermione was a wicked powerful girl, she realized. That didn't need to be messed around with.
Keira was polishing her wand when Draco stepped out from his group of friends. Keira stood up lazily, with Aura walking behind her, yawning. As Keira walked forward, Draco stood face-to-face with her. After bowing to one another, they both walked in an opposite direction. Keira turned around after her third pace and lifted one arm gracefully over her head, the other arm controlling the wand with a perfected stillness. Draco stood across from her, holding the exact same position, his eyes full of loathing.
Both Aura and Draco's second stood gaping at the two.
"Rictusempra!" Draco shouted suddenly, a blast of light flashing from the end of his wand.
Keira was ready for him. "Protego!" she shouted, the spell bouncing off to the side. "You have to do better than that, Drake."
Draco's eyes narrowed maliciously, but before he could respond with the next curse, she leapt forward. "Tarantallegra!"
Willow couldn't help but laugh as Draco's legs were suddenly reduced to a frenzied sort of tap dance. His second stepped over, muttered "Finite", and the spell was lifted.
But Keira and her fans had already seen the damage done, and by looking into her smirking face, Draco felt a hatred like no other. "Furnunculus!" he shouted.
Keira dove out of the way, hitting the floor and rolling over as the spell missed her by mere inches. Getting back to her feet, her eyes shone with rage and her cheeks were slightly pink. She pointed toward a few chairs sitting against a far wall in the Practical Defense classroom. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she shouted, as the chairs lifted up. "Waddiwasi!"
The chairs flew and attacked Malfoy, one by one, knocking him to the floor. His second stood up and, glaring spitefully at the Irish girl standing just a few paces away, shouted "Impedimenta!"
Keira's feet were knocked from beneath her as she heard another voice call out, "Petrificus Totalus!"
Now completely frozen, Keira fell to the side, her face a blank mask of fury.
Willow leapt to her feet and ran to Keira's side as Aura stepped in, ready to take on the dueling challenge of her own. The only problem was, the curses got to the point where deuling was just flashes of light emitted from each wand, the jinxes moving fast and furious as gashes appeared on both duelers' seconds.
Willow had had enough. Using her own wicca powers, she clapped her hands and shouted, "Separate!"
Aura and the other boy, who'd had their hands about each other's throats, were drawn apart and slammed against the floor. With a satisfied smile, Willow turned back down to Keira, who had just regained consciousness. "Hey," she said softly, helping the other girl sit up. She tried to ignore Ron and Harry standing behind her, but it was difficult.
Aura crawled over to them, her face a patchwork quilt of bruises and cuts, some of them deep. "Damn, Willow... that was some spell."
"It's my own brand of magic," Willow said tensely as she stood up, offering her hand down to Keira, who gratefully took it. As she lifted the other girl, Keira started feeling light-headed and would have collapsed had Harry not been behind her. As he helped her stand back up, she tried to ignore the pointed looks and the furious glares Aura was sending to her.
"Thanks for that," Keira said, brushing off her robes and glaring across the room at Malfoy, who looked almost as bad as she did. "So, what of it, Malfoy? Did we tie?"
He nodded, his eyes still full of anger. He couldn't take it out on her, of course, not with Potter and Weasley and those other two girls standing there. "It's a truce," he said grudgingly, his mind already plotting out on how to bring down the fiesty Irish girl a notch or two.
The two groups separated. Since her room was closest, Willow ended up bringing both Aura and Keira up to her dormitory. To her horror, Harry and Ron followed, both looking concerned for Keira.
"I'm fine, really!" Keira protested after Ron had offered to bring her something for dinner. "Would you two just back off? I'd like to enjoy my Friday night if it's all the same to you."
Ron looked slightly put out and turned to the redheaded Witch who just stood there, her arms crossed. He wanted to catch her eye, but she wasn't looking at him.
Harry, however, said the thing that was on everyone's mind. "How did you do that spell?"
"Wicca," Willow replied. "I haven't really done anything that heavy before, but I knew it'd work then because I was angry... or something."
Keira looked at her friend in confusion. "I think I missed something."
"She just sort of put her hands together and said 'separate'," Ron said, mimicking Willow's movements from before.
The door opened then and Padma walked in. Looking surprised to see their tiny room full of people, she made to back out until Ron called out, "Hey, Padma!"
"Hi, Ron," she said shyly, walking back into the room. "Hi, Harry."
It was then she noticed Aura sitting there, her cuts being cleaned by her roommate. "What happened?" Padma asked in horror.
"A duel," Willow said briskly, gently wiping a bit of blood from Aura's chin, "what else? Keira had to prove her backbone to Malfoy."
"You and Draco dueled?" Padma said, her voice slightly awed as she turned to the Irish girl still sitting on Willow's bed.
"Damn right," Keira said fiercely, tucking her wand back inside her robes. "I suppose I should go back and face the music. I'm sure Pansy wants to gloat about her toy before Draco can even get two words in. Thank goodness he's never been to our room."
That said, she left. Padma left behind her, mumbling some excuse about going downstairs to the large room where supposedly a party was going on to celebrate the end of their first week.
Aura still looked slightly shaken up as Willow set the towel and the bottle of rubbing alcohol aside. "I pronounce you patched up!" Willow said cheerfully.
Aura touched her jaw and winced. There was definitely going to be swelling, and, if she didn't know any better, a large bruise. "Thanks, Wil."
"Anytime," Willow said, capping the alcohol. She waited for Harry and Ron to leave, or even Aura so the boys could follow her out, but all that existed was an awkward silence. "Well, then," she finally stammered out. "I'll be going to see Padma now. Bye."
She heard footsteps after her and turned back to see to her surprise, not Ron, but Harry. "Hi," she said again.
"Thank you for doing that," Harry said quickly, sensing her discomfort.
"Right," said Willow, making to turn around and go downstairs. Harry suddenly reached out and took her by the arm and she swung about in surprise. "You do know Aura is going to kill me because you touched me, right?"
"I can't help it she has a little crush," Harry said, smiling slightly. "But to tell you the truth, she's a bit too airheaded for me. She makes Parvati Patil look like she has a brain."
"Ouch," Willow said in a low voice, emitting a soft whistle. "Thank God she wasn't here to hear you say that. She'd be heartbroken."
Ron joined them out in the hallway, looking outraged about something. When he saw Harry holding onto Willow's arm, his eyes widened and his face turned a slight shade of red. "Oh, whoops," he said quickly, making to back away.
"Relax, Ron," Willow said, as Harry dropped his hand. "It isn't what you think. Harry was just thanking me for saving his protege's life."
Ron looked extremely confused about this, which made Willow laugh even harder. "I'll see you two later," she said, shaking her head as she walked off, small bits of laughter still coming out.
- - - - -
It was so warm in bed. Hermione refused to open her eyes because she'd have to face the fact that it was Saturday. If she closed her eyes now, she could be back in her parents' house in England during the summertime.
She heard the sound of screaming coming from the hall. Hermione's eyes flew open and she sat up just as their door burst open. It was Parvati Patil and she was very white in the face and trembling.
"What is it?" Hermione gasped, not really feeling like she wanted to deal with Parvati's hysterionics, especially since it was so early in the morning.
"Your roommate," Parvati said, her voice shaking slightly. She held open the door and Hermione let in a sharp, quick intake of breath.
"Damn it," she muttered, leaving the warmth and comfort of her bed and rushing into the hallway, where Aura Starr was sleeping against the wall, looking as though she'd been thoroughly beaten up. "What happened to her?"
"A duel," a voice said from behind them.
Both Hermione and Parvati turned to a different girl. She had long blonde hair and a cold expression on her face. "Honestly, you two! Did you not go down to the floor party last night?"
"N-No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I was studying. Why?"
"Keira Isley dueled with Draco Malfoy," the girl replied, her eyes sparkling. "Apparently Keira knocked Malfoy twice before he pulled the paralyzing hex on her. And then their seconds got involved. You missed a great fight. Ron said that--"
"Ron went to the duel?" Hermione asked incredulously. While she knew she should trust her boyfriend with her heart, it still made her slightly jealous to know that Ron was hanging out around Keira Isley. Where Keira went, Willow was sure to follow.
Hannah Abbott walked out of her room at the far end of the hall and moved to catch up with her roommate. "Mornin', Mandy," she said, grinning at the former Ravenclaw she shared her room with. She turned her gaze to the former Gryffindors. "Good morning, Hermione, Parvati and..." Her voice died off as she saw Aura on the floor. "Crap, he must have beat her up hard."
Hermione and Parvati managed to get Aura back into their room. "She looks like she could use a nurse," Parvati said in a hushed voice, touching Aura's bruised cheek.
There was a sudden scattering of applause from the hallway. Loud voices rang out as two females walked by.
It was Willow and Keira.
"Willow!" Hermione said quickly, sticking her head outside the door.
Willow turned and tapped on Keira's arm. Keira's face was also a battery of bruises, but at least she was conscious. And smiling.
"What's going on?" Willow asked, moving so that she could talk to Hermione without being tossed about the hall.
"Aura," Hermione said, inviting both women inside.
Keira and Willow exchanged a dark look as they walked in. Willow gasped when she saw Aura's face.
"She looks worse than she did last night!" Keira said, mortified as she bent over her other new friend, prodding her. "Wake up, Aure. Come on, girl. Wake up."
Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up her wand from her desk. Aiming it at Aura's forehead, she muttered, "Enneverate."
Aura's eyelids fluttered open and she looked confused to see four very panic-stricken faces staring down at her. "Where am I? she asked weakly.
"On your bed," Hermione said, setting her wand down again. "How are you feeling?"
"My head hurts like hell," Aura moaned, lifting a pale hand and touching her head, which felt like a pole had been driven between her eyes. "Will this pain ever go away?"
Willow and Keira exchanged another concerned glance. "I'm going to go upstairs and get her some medicine," Willow finally decided, pulling away.
Keira decided to stay behind so she could explain, to the best of her knowledge, what really had happened to Aura after the dueling match the night before.
"Aura came down to the party last night," she explained quickly. "I just came because Prissy and Mal-toy had completely taken over my room. And Willow's a blast to hang out with. To make a long story short, Aura got drunk last night."
"She did?" Parvati asked in horror, staring down at the other girl, who's eyes had closed and she was once again breathing deeply.
"Not only did she get drunk, but she tried to paw herself off on Harry," Keira finished with disgust. "I think those extra bruises were from her smashing into the walls and crashing into people. Not the nicest of sorts. Wil and I managed to get her up here, but we didn't have a key and didn't want to wake you up, Hermione. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Hermione said faintly. "So... Harry and Ron were with you all night?"
Keira nodded, grinning. "You've never told us how great your boyfriend is, Hermione. He's a bloody riot! And Harry..." A soft look crossed her face. "I just feel bad for Aura," she said quietly, "because Harry clearly has a thing for someone else."
"Ron's younger sister," Hermione confessed. "They've been like that for years now."
"I don't think it was her," Keira said mildly.
Willow returned suddenly, a small shoebox in her hands. After helping Aura sit up, Hermione performed her waking charm again and Aura managed to swallow down some medicine. The chalky herbs made her shudder as she choked them down, but instantly she felt a cool rush flowing to her head and the hangover began to ebb away.
"Thanks for that," Aura said, smiling gratefully at her friend.
"You're welcome," Willow said, turning away to put the rest of the things back in the box.
"Do you guys want to tell me what happened last night?" Aura asked in a tiny voice. "I think I had a bit too much rum..."
"You tell her," Keira told Willow with a grin. "You were there all night."
Several floors up, Harry had just finished dressing when Ron walked back into their room, wearing a fluffy bathrobe and his striped pajamas. "Morning, Harry," he said with a large yawn.
"Good morning," Harry said quietly.
He couldn't believe what had happened the night before. Aura had gotten drunk easily from her currant rum, causing her to act even more brainless, if that were truly possible. After making a few successful runs around the group, she had suddenly launched herself into Harry's lap. If that wasn't bad enough, it had been in front of her two friends Willow and Keira, both looking mortified.
Willow had especially looked put out. Or ashamed.
Harry chortled loudly, turning his attention back to his Practical Defense book. He didn't know what he thought of Willow yet. He hadn't spent much time around her, but he knew he liked what he saw. After she'd come to Aura's defense at the duel the previous night, he'd been impressed with her clearheadedness.
But he also heard from someone else that she had a boyfriend and was completely dedicated to him. Actually, it was probably Padma Patil who'd said that. Padma had defended her quiet roommate on several occasions for befriending other new students instead of the old Hogwarts gang. Especially Keira Isley.
Keira was also a fiesty one to be around. She had a dark sense of humor and it had kept flashing at them all night long. She and Willow seemed so different, one a ying to the other's yang. And yet they got along well enough, he supposed.
He just had to make a point to hang around them more. Things definitely did not get dull with those two lurking about.
Ron seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He'd just finished buttoning his shirt when he frowned. "Did we make plans with Hermione today?"
Harry froze. He hadn't thought about the third member of their trio all morning, although she was his best friend and Ron's dedicated girlfriend. "I don't know. Did we?"
"Only one way to find out," Ron said, pulling on his shoes. "Let's go downstairs. If she's awake, she probably hasn't even moved towards breakfast yet. It's barely nine in the morning."
Harry and Ron made their way downstairs and saw, to their surprise, Keira and Willow sitting in Hermione's room, with Parvati Patil and Aura Starr. Aura flushed a deep shade of magenta when she saw Harry and quickly ran from the room.
Willow didn't look at him at all. She was laying on Aura's bed, her head perched on Keira's knee. They had just been talking about the party, Harry supposed, judging by the silent tears of laughter in each of their eyes.
"Seems like we had fun last night," Ron said, grinning at Harry as he dropped down next to Hermione, wrapping his arms comfortably around her shoulders. "Good morning, Sunshine!"
Hermione blushed as deeply red as his hair.
"It's been great, you all," Willow said, sitting up and stretching a bit. "Keira, want breakfast?"
"Food good," Keira said, realizing her stomach was rumbling. Both girls stood up. "Maybe we can drag Aura down with us."
"Hermione?" Harry asked, turning to his two best friends. But he noticed the look on their faces right away and reached out, shooing both Keira and Willow from the room. "They'll eat later," he said hastily. "They just want to be alone."
Behind closed doors, Hermione finally turned in Ron's arms so that she was sitting sideways, halfway facing him. "I'm glad you had fun last night," she said softly.
He kissed her gently, his lips pressing hers in the most innocent way. "I wish you'd been there."
"Really?" she asked. Maybe she had nothing to worry about after all.
"They're good people, Hermione," Ron said, pulling back slightly.
"Don't talk about Willow like that," Hermione groaned slightly, burying her face in his chest. "You'll get me all jealous."
"It's how I like you best," he said, growling as he pulled her close. "You don't have to be so insecure with me, Hermione. You know I love you, right?"
"I love you, too," she whispered, this time kissing him, pulling herself up on his lap. "And don't you ever forget it, Ronald Weasley."
In the cafeteria, Willow sat down next to Keira. "So, what do you want to do tonight?" she asked cheerfully.
"I heard there's this great lake on the other side of campus," Keira replied enthusiastically. "I sort of want to go swimming."
"Honestly?" Willow asked her, pouring them both a cup of tea.
"Honestly. I think it'd be great, Wil. And if we keep hanging out and having fun, we'd be able to wipe that mopey look off your face."
Willow frowned slightly, the sadness returning. "I guess I just miss Oz," she said softly.
At the party the night before, she'd talked about her boyfriend. Keira could tell the redheaded girl loved him deeply but the distance was starting to work against that.
"You'll be okay, right?" Keira asked gently. "I mean, there's probably a lot of guys who would just at the chance to date you, Wil."
"Name one," Willow said, arching her eyebrow slightly as she buttered a roll.
"Well, Harry, for one," Keira said softly. "I mean, if you didn't notice, he didn't exactly take his eyes off of you last night."
Willow shrugged. "I've known him for like two seconds."
"There's always Draco," Keira said in a teasing voice.
"Ew!" Willow squealed. "Don't give me those kind of nightmares!"
"Nightmares?" Harry teased as he and two other boys, including Keira's Potions partner, sat down across from them.
"She wants me to consider going out with Malfoy," Willow said, a sour look on her face as though she'd just swallowed something disgusting. "I'd rather date a vampire."
"Ooh," Keira said, her eyes wide. "A vampire, eh? Oi. That ought to take that idiot down a notch or two."
Willow just shuddered.
Across the table, Neville was telling both Harry and Seamus that he needed help with the Potions essay.
"What topic did you choose?" Keira asked, licking the back of her spoon as she reached for her tea.
"The Polyjuice potion," Neville replied miserable. "Professor Crieux made me take that."
Keira nearly choked on her tea. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Neville... I could give you a hand. After all, we're supposed to be partners."
"Would you mind if we worked on it tomorrow?" Neville asked hopefully.
"Sure," Keira said, shrugging. "I should probably finish my essay, too." She turned back to Willow. "I guess we're going to be in the Library a fair bit, tomorrow, aren't we?"
"I don't mind," Willow said, shrugging. "I have a bit of work to get done, too."
"Great!" Keira said, turning to the three boys. "Have you lot heard anything about that lake on the other side of the pitch? I wonder if we can use it."
"One of the houses threw a party there last night," Seamus replied. "I think it's pretty safe."
"How about it, Wil? Are you ready to say 'segregated houses be damned' again?"
"I sure am," Willow said, grinning back at her.
Across the room, there was a sudden thud as Draco stood up. His eyes were on the back of Keira's dark head and the redheaded girl next to her. He walked across the room, which quieted down rapidly. Both Keira and Willow turned around, looking faintly annoyed.
"Hello, Malfoy," Keira greeted him coldly. He sneered at her, but his eyes were on the redhead next to her.
"Good morning, Little Red."
Willow didn't say anything. She just glared at him reproachfully.
"You'd better teach your new friends some manners, Potter," Draco said, smirking as he watched the little redhead squirm uncomfortably in her seat. "Ladies."
"Don't mind him!" Keira said to Willow, who had narrowed her eyes and was biting her lip. "He's just trying to get you to do something stupid again."
"Like dueling?" Hermione asked from behind them. Keira smiled at the other girl and moved closer to Willow so Hermione would have a place to sit.
"Something like that, yeah," Keira replied, reaching for her mug again. "You look awfully happy."
"I'd say you and Ron made up," Neville said quietly, smiling at her. "I think it's wonderful, Hermione."
Keira glanced at him in surprise. No matter how quiet or shy this boy was, he certainly managed to surprise her with this voiced thoughtfulness. She sipped her tea, regarding him in a new light.
Willow just finished her breakfast quickly and left, saying she had some things she wanted to do before she and Keira got together that night.
- - - - -
Harry and Ron had just finished their third game of Wizard's chess that afternoon when Neville knocked on their open door and poked his head in.
"Hey, Neville!" Ron said cheerfully, packing away his set. "Wotcher?"
"Everyone has gone bloody mad," Neville said, sitting at Harry's desk. "They keep talking about going to the lake tonight."
"I guess Keira's part is going to be big after all," Harry said, smirking slightly.
"I didn't think life after Hogwarts was going to be one big party," Neville said, his voice hushed with concern. "I mean, I-I-I don't know h-how to a-act around these kind of p-p-people."
Poor Neville, Ron thought to himself. The poor guy was probably beating himself up. "Don't worry," he told his former housemate reassuringly. "We'll be there, too."
"We will?" Harry asked quietly.
"Why not?" Ron shrugged, grinning.
"Because we probably have something better to do," Harry muttered under his breath.
"Worry not, Neville," Ron said grandly, brandishing his wand. "We are going to have fun tonight, and so will you, even if it's the last thing you ever do."
Downstairs, Willow walked into the lobby, pulling out the calling card Giles had given her. She dialed the number Oz had given her, hoping to reach his and Devon's place.
Devon picked up on the third ring. "Hello..."
"Devon? Hi! It's Willow. Can you put Oz on?"
"Willow? Damn it, it's like nine! We had an overnight gig last night!"
"I need to talk to him, Devon. Please?"
"Suit yourself. Oz! OZ!"
A moment later, Willow felt goosebumps rise on her skin as Oz's voice came on the line. "Willow!"
"Oz! Oh, my God! It's great to hear your voice!"
"Sorry about Devon. We had an all-nighter."
"That's okay, Oz..."
"I've been waiting to hear from you."
"I've been wanting to call you all week. It's been so busy here!"
"That's okay. I wanted to talk anyway."
There was something in his tone of voice that made her blood run cold. "Oz... are things still all right between us?"
"Why wouldn't they be?"
"You're using a tone."
"I am."
"Oz... what is it? Talk to me."
"It's kind of hard. You're thousands of miles away. Things are different now."
"This isn't happening..."
"Willow, I love you."
"I love you, too," she said a tear breaching the corner of her eye.
"We have to face reality, Wil. There's a good chance we won't see each other for a year."
"I'm willing to take that risk," Willow whispered.
"I'm sorry, but I can't." Willow heard him sniffle on the other line. "The Dingos just got offered a deal, Wil. We have to take it. It's what we've wanted since we started."
"Oh, Oz, that's fantastic!" she said, trying to muster enthusiasm while her heart was silently breaking.
"If you ever come back, I'll be here," Oz replied. "But for now..."
"It's just a little break," Willow said softly, afraid that she was about to start crying. "Oz..."
"I've never loved anyone more," he replied. "I just want you to know that."
The conversation continued on only a few minutes longer. Willow barely had enough energy to hang up the phone, feeling as though her old life was completely shattered and falling away.
Oz was moving on with his life. When she'd asked about Buffy and the gang, they were moving on, too. Buffy was at college. Xander was drifting from job to job. Even Giles was moving on with his life and had just bought the Magic Box.
The tears that had threatened overran her control and she walked over to one of the large armchairs near the stereo and sat, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees.
Suddenly the prospect of a party seemed like a terrible idea.
She had no idea someone was watching her.
"Are you okay?" a soft voice asked from across the room. Willow glanced up and saw Aura moving towards her.
"I think I just broke up with Oz," Willow said sadly. "I mean, not really breaking up, you know but... there's definite breakage." She stared at her feet and sighed heavily. "I just feel like everything I ever depended on is falling away, you know? I had this great life in California and now it's hard enough for me to remember it."
Aura sat down next to her, putting a hand on her knee. "What you need is a good doseage of fun."
"That's the last thing I need," Willow said, pouting slightly. "If all I ever had was fun, how can I punish myself for being so stupid as to think I could come halfway across the world here?"
"It's not stupid," Aura said in her Greek accent. "It's the smartest thing you've ever done, Wil. Admit it. You love it here."
"I do," Willow said, trying for a tiny smile. "It doesn't completely suck."
"Good!" Aura said, standing up. "Let's get you ready for a fun party tonight! Screw Oz... if he cared about you, he would be here with you! It's time to make you feel wanted by someone other than a certain guitarist."
Willow just shrugged and followed her, Aura's upbeat mood making her feel bemused. She didn't want to hear about her beloved like that, and it was especially ironic since Aura had just made a really bad run for Harry the night before to begin with.
"Thanks, Aura," she said quickly as Aura dragged Willow back to her dormitory.
"No problem," Aura said, pushing open Willow's door cheerfully. Padma was inside, bent over a drawing she was making. "Hello, Patil."
"Starr," Padma said, her voice slightly cool.
Willow ignored her friend and her roommate as Aura sat her down on the bed and made to rummage through the small wardrobe the two girls shared.
"What are you doing?" Padma asked.
"Willow and Oz are taking a break," Aura said, pulling herself back out of the wardrobe. "Willow's in a funk. We're going to make her have fun tonight if it's the last thing we do!"
- - - - -
To be continued, of course...
Chapter 8 - A party and studying. And Malfoy plots his revenge. All in good time...