Author's Note: Here we are again… about seven months after I stopped updating this. Real life has been a pain in the rear end, literally. I have a new job, new life, new home, new friends and a new reality check – I don't have the time I used to. I don't write as much as I would like to. I wish I could just sit at home and write away, but unfortunately that's not written in the stars, per say. I know I promised a double update. I just can't make due on that promise right now… so you'll get it single-by-single until I can get over the wretched writer's block and get my butt moving again. To those of you, who haven't given up on this story, thank you.
Author's Note the 2nd: Blah. After reading and re-reading this entire story, I've decided that I'll be slowly rewriting the first many chapters up to my current standards. I could have done so much better than those lame lines and conversations and crap. Thus, I will be spending as much time updating this story as I will with rewrites. I have to… I can't cringe whenever I read my own stuff now. There're discrepancies just about everywhere and it is making me crazy to sit and read through.
Author's Note the 3rd: After seeing 'The Goblet of Fire' at both IMAX and the regular theatre, I'm thinking that even though the book was butchered into millions of tiny pieces, it is still one of the best movies I have seen lately. The actor who played Krum actually looks like my cousin. I saw it a second time because my mind was so wrapped around the fact I was seeing it the first time that I missed stuff. Overall, the book was obviously better but the movie had some neat and ironic foreshadowing. And Dumbledore was basically ruined in my movie image… but maybe that's just me.
Author's Note the last: I never can thank her enough… much love and gratitude to my action-beta Gracie Lou. Without her constant nagging, this chapter never would have been completed. And now…
x-o-x
Chapter 16
Down Once More
x-o-x
There seemed to be a quiet chill that filled the large tower as Aura closed the door behind her. Everyone she knew to be friend had gathered in Keira's room. The girl was currently sitting on her mattress, wrapped in a thick blanket, her eyes cast downwards. Willow and Harry sat across from her on the rooms only other bit of furniture, a crudely-cut wooden bench. Hermione, meanwhile, had used to her wand to whip up a set of chairs and she, Ron and now Aura took. There were a few others present, namely Neville, who had refused to leave Keira's side. Parvati and Lavender were also there, along with Parvati's twin and Willow's roommate Padma. Before Harry could speak, however, the door opened and Seamus stuck his head in.
"Are we too late?" he asked the room at large.
"There's always room for another," Ron said, waving him inside. Seamus held the door open for Dean, who followed him in before sealing the door behind them. They quickly walked over and sat on the floor, looking concerned.
"What is this all about?" Dean asked curiously, glancing from Willow to Keira. Normally when one was asked into Keira's room, it usually meant that either the world was about to be destroyed or that the so-called Dragon Cult had done something foolish that would warrant a serious prank. However, they didn't see any signs that a prank was in order. In fact, when they saw that Keira appeared pale and trembling, Seamus frowned deeply. Keira Isley was made of some pretty strong stuff. To see her revert into a frightened mess was somewhat startling. Willow, too, was pale and from what he heard, she had some unforeseen magical skills which included wand-less magic. No one he knew had that kind of skill.
"There's a killer loose on campus," Hermione said crisply. "She took Keira this morning and she came after Willow about an hour ago. We managed to stun her and left her at the stairs in the main hall. When we told the faculty what had happened, they didn't want to do anything. By the time they finally got there, she was gone."
Willow lifted her hand to rub the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling exhausted. "This is all my fault," she moaned. "Faith would never have come here if I wasn't here." She turned to Keira, who had yet to look at her. But she couldn't find it within herself to apologize for Faith's actions.
"She's a deranged psychopath," Hermione said in a comforting voice. "You had no idea what she was going to do. All you knew was that there was a threat she'd come."
"She did come," Willow said. "And I know that I've said she's hurt the people I care about before, but she threatened to kill me, too."
"Before tonight?" Ron asked, his brow furrowing.
Willow nodded.
"What we need is to figure out what we can do to protect you," Hermione said in a low, worried voice.
"Actually, I'm more concerned about what she might do to you," Willow admitted hastily. "She's more apt to come after the people I care about… that's the way she works. She tried to kill Buffy. She tried to kill Xander. All she really did was wave a knife and make idle threats. I could have used magic to kick her ass in about a quarter of a second, but… I didn't. Now she's awake, kicking asses back in Sunnydale while I think I'm over here, nice and safe and sound from a lunatic."
"But you're not, are you?" Harry asked her, touching her arm. She shook her head.
"What happened to you?" Dean asked, turning to look at Keira.
"She doesn't want to talk about it," Neville said in a defensive tone, throwing Dean a scathing look. "Hasn't she been through enough tonight?"
"We wouldn't know," Seamus said in his accented voice, his eyes narrowing. "Has she been through a lot tonight?"
"She doesn't—" Neville began, but Keira lifted her head at last. When Seamus saw her eyes, he blinked. They were round, dark pools set in a gaunt face. She looked more like a blinking, talking corpse than anything at that moment, her gaze was so haunted.
"Do you want to know what she did to me?" Keira asked, her trembling voice slowly gaining strength. "I'll show you what she did to me…"
"Keira, no," Willow said, her protests falling away as Keira pushed aside the blanket and held up her arm. On her forearm was a twisted black symbol that had been burned into her skin.
"Merlin," Dean said, his eyes wide as he glanced at the mark. Even Aura stepped forward, taking Keira's arm to better gaze at the tattoo. "What is that?"
Keira turned her sharp eyes over to Willow, who swallowed hard. "It's… err…"
"Cigarettes," Keira said angrily. "She burned me over and over and over… and let me tell you, it didn't feel very pleasant."
"That bitch," Aura said quietly under her breath.
"You're telling me," Keira said furiously as Neville gently set the blanket back over her shoulders. She turned her eyes over to Willow. She knew she shouldn't take out her anger on her closest friend, but Willow should have said something about old deranged friends that absolutely loved torture. The fact that Willow had held her silence was proof enough that Keira wasn't one of the people on Willow's priority list. She felt her eyes narrow further as she saw the look on Harry's face. Had he known about Faith? "And that was only the beginning…" she said, as though prompting Willow to display her guilt.
But the redhead didn't budge. Her eyes shifted guiltily away, but she didn't do much of anything except sigh.
"What else did she do to you?" Parvati asked in a whisper.
"She likes knives," Willow said in a tight, barely-controlled voice.
"Yeah," Keira snapped sarcastically. "You think?"
Willow closed her eyes. "Keira…"
"Don't," Keira said, her voice losing most of its strength. "I just… please… don't."
"What can we do if she comes back?" Dean asked, turning to Hermione as he usually did in a tough situation. Hermione noticed that most of the people in the room were looking at her before she at last turned to Willow.
"Do we have a chance in hell of catching and detaining her?"
"With magic, yeah," Willow said, nodding slowly. "We just have to be a bit, well, clever. She's a smart girl. If she figures she's got people onto her… well, there's no telling what'll happen." She didn't feel like mentioning the fact that the last time Faith had been detained it had nearly killed the poor Slayer.
"Do you think she'll kill?" Hermione asked.
Willow looked her in the eye. "Yes, I do," she murmured.
"And we're all targets?" Hermione intoned.
Willow nodded. "Every single one of you are…" she said, turning to look at Keira, but the other girl wouldn't look at her again. "Including you."
"Is there any chance in hell that she'll be apprehended by Muggle authorities?" Lavender asked hopefully.
"No," Willow replied, before a small smile broke out across her face. "But there are others from Sunnydale who'll come. I sent them an owl the second we left Percy's office."
"Let's wait until morning to see what we'll decide," Hermione finally suggested, stretching. "If she attacks one of us again, we'll deal. Until then…" Her words may have been unspoken, but there was a lot of tension suddenly released in the room. Willow hung back, even as Harry waited for her. Neville remained by Keira's side, unwilling to leave her. But Willow wanted to talk to Keira alone.
"I'll meet you downstairs," Harry promised, kissing Willow's cheek as he left the room behind. Neville glanced up, saw the serious expression on Willow's face, and told Keira he would be back in the morning. And then he, too, was gone.
Keira didn't seem to notice Willow for the longest time.
"I don't know why you didn't tell me," she said at last, her tone very bitter. "I just figured you'd forgotten."
"Keira, you're one of my closest friends," Willow said quietly. "I never ever though that Faith would come after you first."
"Well, apparently, she has a track record for hurting your friends," Keira said, her voice muffled as she was facing the opposite direction.
"She'll probably go after Harry next," Willow said, sitting down on the bed next to her friend. "Keira, I should have told you. I'm sorry that I didn't."
"I want her to pay for what she put me through," Keira said, turning to look at Willow. There were angry tears streaking down her pale cheeks, making her look slightly deranged and dangerous. "I know that if Neville were a great Wizard, he'd do it for me. I guess I'll just have to trust that you will."
"I have to find her," Willow said firmly. "She hurt you. And I've had enough of watching her hurt mine."
"Please do," Keira said, sighing heavily. "If you don't… well, I suppose I'll live. But I'll rest better knowing she's gone."
"You and me both," Willow said, and rose to leave her friend alone. Keira stood up behind her, magically sealing the door before sinking back onto her mattress, suddenly feeling very isolated. And alone.
x-o-x
The weekend grew steadily closer and with it, the newest Quidditch matches. Willow was startled to see that both Harry's team and Draco's team would be playing one another in the early game on Saturday. By Friday evening, everyone was gathered in Keira's room again. Hermione had come up with a game plan and as she explained it to the entire group, they only had one shot at this. They had to take action now against Faith before she hurt anyone else.
Willow had actually pulled Harry aside and had told him everything. She told him that Faith threatened to kill her once with a wicked looking knife. She told him that Faith had tried to kill her best friend, Buffy Summers. She even told Harry that Faith had gone over the deep end because she had accidentally killed the Deputy Mayor the year before. Buffy had gotten the upper hand on their final fight and Faith had been slammed into a coma – literally.
Harry, of course, hadn't been fooled in the least.
"If you keep telling me I have nothing to worry about, why are you so worried for?" he asked her as they walked to Potions that Friday morning. Willow had been pretty quiet all week, but now it was starting to irritate her the way people kept talking about Faith. It was almost an obsession on their part. Willow was beginning to regret even bringing her up.
But the one good thing about this week is the note that had appeared late Wednesday. It was from Xander and the message was clear: they were on their way. Willow grinned with satisfaction knowing how pissed off her best friend was and how good it would feel to have Buffy back. She had gone directly to the Administration in order to secure their passage onto campus. She had no idea when they'd show up, but she hoped it would be soon. An owl had appeared near midnight on Thursday evening from Xander again, letting her know that they were in the country. On top of worrying about Faith, her classes and her friends on Friday, she also had to worry about Xander and whether or not her Sunnydale friends were going to be able to find this school.
On top of worrying about Faith, her friends and her classes, her stress level through the roof. Adding to it was Pansy's condition. If she put all of her problems in a hat and drew just one, well… it would still be a problem.
Keira and Neville were inside already with Ron and Hermione. This was one part of Hermione's master plan, and since she seemed to be so good at them, it involved no one walking around alone. Although Neville was hardly the greatest Wizard, having Ron and a Witch as powerful as Hermione Granger was always beneficial. Besides, a startling change seemed to overcome young Neville Longbottom. There was hardly a smile on his face and his eyes were always full of concern as he walked side-by-side with Keira. At least they had something else to worry about other than the growing friendship between them.
"There's nothing," Hermione informed them both. "I checked the security logs from last night… if someone sneezed, it was marked down."
"Who runs overnight security?" Willow asked as she sat down in her usual chair and placed her bag on the floor.
"Professor Crieux," Ron replied. "He seems pretty trustworthy."
"He's teaching us all to poison each other," Keira said dryly. "There has to be a certain amount of trust to all that."
"Uh huh," Willow replied, but her attention was taken by a small group that had just entered the classroom. Amongst them was Pansy Parkinson and with her was the tall brute that seemed to be lingering near her side even more as of late. She switched her gaze and saw Draco and his usual gang taking their row of seats, laughing about something or other. She half-wondered if Draco knew what was going on with his ex.
By the time she tuned back into their conversation, she heard the boys discussing Quidditch. She rolled her eyes and turned to Keira, who was flipping a quill over distractedly in her hands. "You okay?"
"I've been better," Keira sighed.
"Don't let this get to you," Willow said comfortingly. "It's what she wants."
"I'm trying to be strong, but I'm so out of my league," Keira moaned. "I'm just glad I'm not alone in all this."
"You're not," Willow said firmly. "We're all behind you."
"To the end," Hermione chirped from the row behind them, leaning over the backs of their chairs. "You're not going to go at this alone, Keir."
"Thanks," Keira said with a hasty smile. But Willow wasn't fooled by Keira's brave smile. She only wished she had more nerve to say something.
Class passed relatively quickly. By the time students spilled out into the cool November light, many were talking of skiving off their afternoon classes. Tomorrow's Quidditch match was going to be one of the toughest yet. But Willow was unwilling to miss Introductory Magic and the others decided, grudgingly, to go to Practical Defense.
"Next time, we're switching," Keira groaned as she was dragged off by Ron and Hermione, leaving Willow standing alone in the corridor with Harry.
"You can go," she said sweetly, knowing that it was a long run to make it to Professor Gabon's class on time. "I don't want to make you late."
"No," Harry said sternly. "I'm not leaving you around with that psychopathic loony."
"The only loon around here is you, Potter," came Pansy's bored, sleepy tone. "Now bugger off. If you're so worried about your precious Red here, I'll get her to class safely."
"I don't think so," Harry retorted. "I don't…"
"Oh come on," Pansy said, smirking, "do you really think anyone's gonna mess with me?"
Of that, he had no doubt. "I'll see you at lunch," he said, glowering at Pansy's triumphant face before skulking off.
"You insulted him," Willow said as Pansy took her arm and pulled her along.
"He'll get over it."
"I thought you had Practical Defense," Willow said.
"I'm pregnant," Pansy sniffed. "Do you really think it's healthy for a woman of my condition to be walking in there and shooting arrows?"
"Archery is fun, though," Willow protested as the two began down another long corridor. "Besides, I'm pretty sure no one but us two chickens knows that you're carrying. Skipping class will do nothing more than get you in trouble."
"Yes, Granger," Pansy smirked as she fell into step with the taller girl. "Maybe you should be taking it up with Potter."
"What about Harry?" Willow asked nonchalantly as she clutched her books to her chest.
Pansy stopped swaggering to glance at Willow, surprise showing in her clear, dark eyes. "You don't know?" she guffawed, a simpering laugh sending chills down Willow's spine. "Oh, honestly Rosenberg! You have no sense whatsoever… if you're going to go off on me about skiving off classes, Harry Potter was the master of skiving. You don't know the trouble he and Weasley got into all those years." She tilted her head back, her laughter dissipating as the memory of Hogwarts flashed into her eyes. "It was a simpler time then."
"I imagine it was," Willow replied as they rounded a corner. "Harry doesn't talk much about Hogwarts."
Pansy's pencil-thin eyebrows shot up at Willow's revelation. "And here I thought you two were close."
"I thought so, too," Willow replied quietly. "I mean, I've only known you all for two months."
Pansy stopped in mid-stride, her long fingers reaching over to grasp Willow's arm and pull the taller redhead to a halt. "Even though you're the newcomer, there's a lot more of you," she said in a low, warning tone. "Strength in numbers and all that… whatever's going on, I know it's something serious. Your little group keeps walking around like the ghost of Christmas past is about to jump and spell doom for you all."
"There's a reason for that," Willow said dramatically, dropping her own voice and hauling Pansy into a dark corner across from her Introduction to Magic classroom. "There's a killer on the loose."
"Nothing I haven't heard before…"
"There's a killer on the loose and she's a Slayer," Willow sighed.
Pansy looked astounded. "A Slayer… a real… a real Slayer?"
"Yes, she's real," Willow snapped. "She's also deranged, armed and quite dangerous. She'll kill you if she knew you were talking to me, so I'd really appreciate it if you went away for your safety and for your child's!"
Pansy looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head. "Well, you know me… flair for the drama and all," Pansy said dryly. "I can take care of myself."
"You're not the only person who needs care," Willow replied indignantly.
"These things have a way of taking care of themselves," Pansy irked.
Willow's eyes widened at the implications the other girl had just made. Obviously Pansy thought she hadn't said anything wrong because she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Look," Pansy said, drawing Willow back into the corner. "You missed out on dark times, Wil, dark times. There was active war and people died. When you talk about all of these old times with murderers on the loose and friends in danger, we lived that story. I lost people I loved."
"I had no idea…"
"No," Pansy said, glaring up at the taller girl. "You don't have any idea what you're talking about. My family… I lost my family because of what they believed in. They made the wrong choice. When I refused to become a Death Eater, my own father threatened to have me killed. You have no idea how scared I was or what I was willing to do to protect myself. In the end, I saved myself. I did what I had to do to survive. And I made sure that my own were protected, too."
"You don't have just yourself to think about anymore," Willow said urgently. "You're with child, Pansy. You need protection."
"Look, Willow," Pansy said, shaking her head. "You don't get it, do you? I've done some terrible things in my life. I've done even more things that I can't begin to describe, all in the name of power. My father died with the words of Lord Voldemort on his tongue and with a twinkle in his eyes as the Aurors drained the life of him. I'm here today to make sure that doesn't happen to those I care about, including myself."
"I…" Willow began, before words utterly failed her. "I guess I don't know any of you at all."
Pansy scoffed, running a hand through her short, dark hair. "Potter, Weasley, Granger… hell, even Longbottom have been together longer than what you consider 'high school'. They've been put through trials that no living person deserves to be put through. When Voldemort was brought down Potter was considered the chosen one. He was the hero in this story. And all of those friends of his have been at his side since the beginning. You and Isley and Starr are the new girls. You have no idea what fire you're playing with. There are still dark Wizards out there… bad people. They will do everything they can to destroy the one who brought down the Dark Lord. This killer you're talking about… she may be bad for you, but she's a walk in the park for the others."
"Maybe so," Willow replied softly. Her voice trembled as she looked away. "I can't believe I didn't know."
"Maybe when he's ready, he'll tell you about it."
"Tell me about what?" Willow asked, blinking.
"Maybe he'll tell you about the day he killed the Dark Lord."
Willow watched as Pansy stepped out of the corner and disappeared from view. Realizing she was holding her breath, she collapsed against the wall, lost in thought. This was something she never really thought about before. She was a new person trying to get into a crowd that had been together for seven years and then some. There were people who clung together because they had nothing else. They were power incarnate, she realized. She had no idea of Harry's troubled past, but he claimed to want to make new beginnings. How could he make new beginnings with so much anger and hatred towards him? He was a good man… Willow felt this with all of her being. The only reason they were even in this predicament was because she and Keira were now a part of this group. Willow was Harry's girlfriend, she realized. She wasn't some dumb girl on his arm hanging out for the sake of a popularity contest. This had real implications that could deal with the rest of their lives. Keira was Willow's closest English friend and she, too, was an outsider. She was also someone in the group because she was dating their weakest member.
After making sure that Pansy had gone around the corridor, Willow raced to her classroom at the other end of the hallway. Sure enough, Percy Weasley had called the class to order and looked concerned when Willow quickly slipped in. "Sorry I'm late," she said with an apologetic smile.
"It's quite all right," he said, gesturing towards her normal seat in the front row. "Have a seat, Willow."
Willow sat and pulled out her materials. Even as Percy droned on about the use of illegal magic, Willow was lost in thought about what Pansy had said. Considering what these people had faced, she realized, Faith was no threat to them. But she was a threat to Willow. She hadn't faced a Dark Lord. She had only faced an evil Slayer, a Mayor-that-turned-into-Snake-guy and a new life at a school for Magic.
x-o-x
Willow and Keira were both in the stands that night as Harry's Quidditch team was taking one last practice flight. Both were wrapped in their warm coats as the cold wind whipped their hair off of their faces, coming from the Atlantic.
"Do you ever have the feeling that something really bad was going to happen?" Willow asked suddenly.
"You get that too?" Keira asked sarcastically.
Willow sighed and glanced down. "I can feel something, Keir… it's bad."
"It can't be much worse than this," Keira admitted, watching as Hermione quickly jogged up the steps to join them.
Remembering her last apocalypse, Willow grimaced. "Don't jinx it," she cautioned. "It can get way worse than this."
"Hey, you two," Hermione said, slipping into the seats next to them. Her hands were wrapped around a thick paper cup of cocoa.
"It's so cold out here," Willow murmured, rubbing her chilled hands together.
"Nothing we're not used to," Keira reminded her. "After all, I am from Iceland."
"And I'm from sunny, warm California where it doesn't go below sixty," Willow said, shivering as she wrapped her arms around her coat sleeves. "Brr."
"Our poor little western friend," Keira said, smirking as Hermione patted Willow's shoulder, apparently holding in her own mirth. "We could always start you on fire."
"Funny," Willow sighed as Hermione started giggling.
"Just be sure to wear your mittens in the morning," Hermione said, wiping her streaming eyes and choking slightly as she set her cup aside.
"And galoshes," Keira added. Willow glanced at her as both Keira and Hermione dissolved into giggles.
"I don't think I'll ever get you," she said sadly, shaking her head.
"Not that much to get," Hermione sighed as the three dropped down into their seats. "Blimey, I'm glad it's the weekend."
"Me too," Keira agreed, pressing a hand over her eyesight to protect them from the sudden onslaught of eight very large floodgate lights that now flooded the field as though it were day.
"I just want this to end," Willow muttered under her breath. Hermione glanced at her curiously. "I know that Faith doesn't seem like much of a threat to you," she added hastily.
"Willow?" Keira asked softly. "What are you going on about?"
"After all," Willow blathered without listening to Keira, "you went through horrors that some of us couldn't begin to imagine."
A slight shiver passed over Hermione's face. "You have no idea," she murmured darkly.
"No, we don't," Keira replied, glancing sharply at Willow. "What are you on about now…?"
"After what you faced, a homicidal Slayer is probably no match for the Chosen One," Willow continued, her voice rising. As the Quidditch players came onto the field and began their practice, the three bystanders found themselves distracted.
"Yes, it is," Hermione said slowly.
"Willow…" Keira whispered, her hand subconsciously reaching for her scarred arm.
"You faced a Dark Lord and open war," Willow continued, her voice now rising about the din from the Quidditch practice. Harry slowed to a stop and Ron rode out towards him, their eyes on the stands. There were only a few people present and most were watching the game. What Harry suddenly noticed was the look on Willow's face and Hermione's defensive stance.
"Uh oh," Ron muttered at his elbow.
"Yes, we did," Hermione said in the same slow, patient voice.
"So what is this to you?" Willow asked, reaching her breaking point. "After all you've been through, why worry about Faith?"
"We worry because she's a threat to you," Hermione replied defensively. "In case you haven't noticed, you are our friends."
"Willow, stop this," Keira hissed from her opposite end, but Willow shook her off.
"In other words, it's because I'm Harry's girlfriend?"
Harry and Ron exchanged an uncomfortable glance before riding forward. "Intervention," Harry muttered as he rode towards the three women. Hermione looked stunned, Keira had gone pale and Willow was… well, she looked dangerous.
"No," Hermione all but shouted. "It's not because you're just his girlfriend. You're a part of this team!"
"How can we be a part of anything when we don't even know the truth?" Willow demanded.
"Oh, crap," Keira whimpered.
"Don't you want to know?" Willow asked, turning on Keira, who seemed to shrink next to the small redhead. Willow was looking mad… very mad.
"Willow, what is this?" Ron asked, arriving at last. He hovered a few feet above them, but he looked stunned nonetheless.
"It's nothing," Willow snapped, shaking her head. "I'm obviously out of my mind or something. Just forget it, okay?"
"What?" Keira asked, looking confused.
"I… I have to go," Willow replied, quickly ducking around Keira and jogging back up the stairs.
Harry flew up next to Ron just in time to see his girlfriend dashing up the stand stairs and out of sight. "What in blazes was that about?"
Keira stood openmouthed next to Hermione, who wore a knowing expression. "Something's wrong," she deduced.
"Is it that obvious?" Keira asked sarcastically. "What was that?"
Hermione paused before turning her dark eyes to Harry. "Why didn't you tell her?"
"Why is this suddenly my fault?" he asked angrily.
"Because someone said something to her," Hermione insisted. "She didn't say anything like that at breakfast and it is quite obvious this has been bothering her all afternoon. Why didn't you tell her about Voldemort?"
Harry suddenly looked uncomfortable as Keira swelled next to Hermione.
"You didn't tell her?" Keira gasped. "Neville told me about it the night of the Masquerade! How could you not tell her that you defeated the most powerful, the most—"
"It doesn't matter," Harry said quickly, turning back to Hermione. "How did she find out?"
"Like it's a secret?" Hermione whispered.
"You are a Chosen idiot!" Keira shrieked as she whipped around and followed Willow's footsteps.
Harry sat on his broomstick as both Ron and Hermione turned to look at him from a different angle. His eyes widened at Ron's dumbfounded expression and Hermione's exasperated glare. "What did I do this time?"
x-o-x
"Willow! Willow, wait up!"
Willow stopped running and turned around just as Keira plowed right into her. Both women tumbled to the earth before getting quickly back to their feet.
"What was that?" she asked again, watching as the redhead averted her eyes as she dusted off her blouse and skirt.
"I don't know what came over me," Willow replied in a low voice. "I guess I must've snapped."
"But why were you accusing Hermione of things?" Keira asked. "She didn't do anything."
"No, you're right," Willow replied sadly. "She didn't do a thing."
"But Harry…"
"Keira, let's face it. We know nothing about this group. We may be dating them, but we don't know them."
"But, I—"
"Keira, just listen," Willow insisted, her face alight with a strange new light. "They faced evil we can't begin to imagine. Well, I can try because I've dealt with a lot… but someone put things into perspective for me. You know all that talk of boldness and cunning and suave maneuvering and everything else they've been teaching us? I just found out that this group has been through it all. Harry took on a Dark Lord… and he killed him."
Keira swallowed before replying, "I know."
"You know?"
"Neville told me everything," Keira replied quietly. "He knows he's no great Wizard and he knows that he doesn't have half the power some of the others do, but his heart is in the right place. I know he can't protect me, but it means something that I can protect him. Have you ever considered the reason why Harry hasn't told you anything is because he wants to protect you?"
"Protect me from what?"
"From himself," Keira sighed. "He has a past, Wil. Which of us doesn't? He has things in his past no living person should deal with and he has. He's found himself with these people. He's found himself with you. Maybe he thought you'd overreact if you knew the truth. And you did! Whoever told you…"
"It doesn't matter," Willow mumbled. "Maybe it'll never matter."
"Wil, don't do this," Keira replied as Willow turned away and began marching back to the school in the distance. "Don't shut me out."
"I guess it's something I'm good at," Willow muttered.
Keira ran to catch up with the speedy redhead. "Willow, stop… please?"
"How can you think I'm your friend after I held the truth about Faith back?" Willow asked, and there was a hint of sadness in her voice. As Keira drew closer, she saw that Willow was in tears. "How can you trust me? It's obvious they don't trust me…"
"Willow," Keira whispered as she drew level with the other woman, "don't think for a second they don't trust you. It takes a long while to earn trust. And you know you're more than Harry's girlfriend. Their whole bloody group has been siding with you since that stupid Dragon Cult decided they had it in for us. He'll tell you when he's ready. Don't push him away because he's not ready to face his past. He wants to move on with his life, Wil. He's willing to put it behind him to be with you. He adores you, Wil."
"I know," she sniffed, hugging herself as she turned away again. "Although I really don't know why he can…"
Keira leaned forward and took the other girl into a warm hug. "He was never trying to hide anything from you."
Willow murmured something into her shoulder that Keira didn't understand as the other girl patted her back.
In the distance, a pair of eyes watched the women as they moved on… and waited.
x-o-x
Draco Malfoy was just returning from the top tower where he'd been studying with the rest of his group when he noticed a small group of people wandering around the square. Nudging Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle next to him, he gestured to the four people moving below.
"Visitors?" a clear voice asked next to him.
"Precisely," Draco replied with a malicious glint in his eye, spying Pansy Parkinson standing there with a small stack of books against her side. "Long time, no see."
"I've been busy," she replied flippantly as she eyed the group below. "My, they look lost, don't they?"
They descended the stairs and burst through the front doors into the frigid night air. The people they had been observing from the deck above were now moving towards them. In front of the group was a small blonde woman. Seeing the others, the woman held a hand up and moved towards the others. It took Pansy a moment to realize that the woman wore a sling on her opposite arm and that half of her face was one large bruise. Her left eye was still decorated with a purple bruise and her jaw was slightly swollen. And yet, Pansy thought with amusement, this woman reeked of power.
"Excuse you," Pansy said loftily as she stepped out to face the blonde. Draco and the others in his little group had stopped and were staring at the others as though they had three heads apiece. "Are you looking for someone? School administration office is that way," she replied, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.
"We're not looking for the administration," the blonde said. Pansy's eyes widened. The woman had a very distinct air of dottiness and her accent was remarkably American. She sounded just like Willow. "We're looking for Willow Rosenberg."
"They're looking for Red?" a sarcastic voice asked from behind Pansy. The dark-haired girl arched an eyebrow and glanced behind her as Draco brushed past her, looking positively gleeful. "Why are you looking for Little Red?"
"Hey, I'm the only one who gets to call her that," a deep male voice toned as a figure appeared on the other side of the blonde.
"He doesn't look very friendly, does he?" another blonde said, coming up next to the brunet wearing a slight frown.
"No, he really doesn't," the lead blonde said, smirking.
"He looks like a mini-Spike," another male voice replied as the last of the four came to stand on the right side of the blonde. She had tilted her head and was observing Draco through narrowed eyes.
"He's human," she deduced, and the other three released a long breath.
"When is your stupid Watcher getting back?" the other blonde asked in an irritated voice.
"As soon as he figured out where we're supposed to go," the taller male replied, glancing down at the blonde who suddenly clutched his arm and drew behind him.
"So," the first blonde said as the others fell silent. "You know Willow?"
"Of course we know Willow," Pansy replied blithely. "She's made quite a name for herself here."
"At least we got the right place this time," the shorter male quipped from behind her.
The lead blonde pressed her lips together and closed her eyes before continuing. "Perhaps you'd like to tell us where to find her."
Draco was looking at the blonde as their eyes met. What he found startled him. Her eyes were a cool shade of hazel. But they were far different than Willow's eyes, which held compassion and wisdom. He saw raw strength, power and something else. It was beyond determination. It was beyond power. It was something that nearly drew his breath away.
"What happened to your face?" Crabbe gasped from behind him.
Draco leaned over and stomped on Crabbe's toes. His boulder-like sidekick growled and hopped up and down, much to the amusement of the four Americans standing huddled in front of them.
"I'm going to ask this one more time before I start with the dislocating," the lead blonde replied in a very matter-of-fact tone. "Where is Willow?"
"Perhaps you should try the Quidditch pitch," Pansy said, smirking in amusement at the blank looks that fell on the four different faces. They obviously had no idea what Quidditch even was, much less the fact that they were being toyed with. "Willow went down to see her boy play."
"Her… her boy?" the quiet male asked from the other side of the blonde. She turned to elbow him sharply before fixing Pansy with her quick, derisive gaze.
"Obviously you know where to find her."
"I actually do not," Pansy simpered, holding up the books in her arms. "I was in the library catching up on my studies, I'm afraid. I do not have the time to watch little Quidditch practices or play with my little friends as Red so often does."
She heard Draco hiss behind her and decided to ignore him. He couldn't bother her anymore. But when the blonde advanced on her, she shrieked and scampered backwards. Sure enough, Crabbe and Goyle strode forward to block the blonde's progress as Pansy, panting, halted next to Draco.
"Wow… lackeys… how uncharacteristically cliché," the blonde sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Let's… look elsewhere," the tall brunet said quietly, walking over to tug the blonde away from Crabbe and Goyle, who were flexing their muscles and attempting to look threatening. Draco had a feeling that she could take them both out without batting an eye, however.
As the Americans hurried away, Pansy turned to look at Draco. "Next time, let me deal with them," she said coolly. "I don't want heads to roll because the Slayer is looking for her friend."
"That was a Slayer?" Draco mused aloud, glancing at the stunning backside of the blonde now moving into the darkness. "I never could have thought… a Slayer? A real Slayer?"
Pansy just snorted before walking away, pushing between Crabbe and Goyle into the dormitories.
x-o-x
Padma glanced up from her Potions text as Willow sighed again. The poor redhead had been sighing all morning. Bright sunlight filtered through their lacey curtains as Padma hovered over her homework, attempting to finish this paper before the Quidditch match less than two hours away now. Willow had her head on her fists as she stared blankly at her "Introductory Magics" textbook, a load of parchment and a quill at her side.
"You should talk to him," Padma hinted as she turned the page.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Willow's voice was uncharacteristically harsh as she reached for her quill.
"The whole house knows that you and Harry had another row," Padma said gently as she dipped her quill into ink again before bringing it back to her parchment.
There was silence and then a snap as the tip to Willow's quill snapped as her frustration gave way. "Does everyone have to gossip around here?" she asked irritably.
"You are the excitement of our lives," Padma replied dryly as she rolled out more parchment to continue her essay.
There was another sigh from Willow's end. "How can you say that?" she asked passionately. "You battled the Dark Lord! You handled Death Eaters! You've looked death in the face and spat on him. I can't believe that you think meddling in the lives of two teenagers is exciting after everything you've been through!"
Padma considered her words a moment before she set her quill down and turned to face her roommate. "Is that what's bothering you?"
"I wish you people would stop asking me that!" Willow cried in exasperation. "I blow up and it's suddenly something's bothering me! Why can't I be a normal person who rants normally?"
"Because you're you, Wil," Padma said slowly. "You're a pretty level-headed person on most days. This Faith deal must have you pretty stressed out."
"It does!" Willow replied. "The thing is, how can you people make such a big deal about it? She's a Slayer, yeah… but she's not even half as bad as what you've faced!"
"I think you're forgetting that only a small select group of people took on the bad guys," Padma murmured. "We didn't all face him wands out. We actually were holed up terrified out of our minds."
Willow slammed her palms on her desk, jumped to her feet and began pacing again. Padma lifted her quill and was about to copy a reference from her desk when a sudden noise startled her. She saw a stack of books on the floor in front of their door where her normally level-headed roommate had just hurled them.
"I hate secrets," she hissed.
"I know just how you feel," Padma replied soothingly, setting her quill down again as she stood up to face her roommate. "Willow, sit down before you strain something."
There was a sudden knock on the door. Willow sat on the edge of her bed, crossing her arms.
"I'll answer it then," Padma sighed as she walked over to the door, kicked the stack of books aside and pulled it open. Harry stood on the other side wearing a guilty expression. Giving him a hasty smile, she looked round at Willow before saying, "It's Harry."
Willow gave a dignified snort before she stood up and walked over to the door. "What do you want?"
"What is wrong with you?" Harry asked quietly, politely puzzled at Willow's irate expression. Even her hair had gone wild.
Glancing back at her roommate, Willow quickly edged out the door and pulled it closed behind her. "What's wrong is that sometimes I don't even think I know you!"
"Keira told me what was bothering you."
"Keira told you? Oh, my God… can't anyone keep their mouths shut?"
Harry reached out and placed his hands on Willow's shoulders. "Take a deep breath."
"I am not going to breathe right now, Mister!" she hissed. "I think I have a right to know why I'm always the last to know."
"Faith is really upsetting you, isn't she?" Harry asked quietly. "I can't think of any other reason—"
"… of why I'm blowing up?" Willow demanded. "I know I kept Faith from you, but this was a really big thing to keep from me."
"What?"
"Voldemort!" Willow retorted. Harry's eyes widened in realization as Willow stormed around him, stomping down the hall. "The Dark war… the Dark Arts… the Death Eaters… war… facing him… facing death! Harry… if I had known what I was getting involved with…"
"Maybe I was afraid," Harry said, catching up with her and turning her around. "Maybe I was afraid that you wouldn't want to know me."
"This isn't you," she replied coldly. "This is just a mask. I keep hearing about Harry Potter, the chosen one and Harry Potter the hero. I only know you as Harry Potter, a sweet guy who swept me off of my feet. How stupid am I?"
"Willow…"
"I don't know you," she wailed. "Don't you get it? You've been hiding yourself from me. I've given you everything and still you hide. I can't be with someone who's not willing to give themselves completely."
"I… I can't," Harry replied. "It's not that I don't trust you, Wil. I don't want to go back there. I'm not that person anymore."
"And I am?" Willow asked tearfully. "I really like you, Harry. But the guy I like is fake, a phony. You don't exist."
"I'm right here," he said, placing his hand on her tear-stained face. "I'm right here, Willow. I'm not going anywhere."
Willow swallowed painfully as she brushed his hand away. "I don't know you."
"Willow…"
"I… I don't know what to do."
He reached for her, but she pulled back. "I didn't want to hurt you. I was afraid to tell you because I thought you'd leave."
"I figured it was because you thought me an idiot," Willow replied, blinking back bitter tears. "How stupid of me."
"Don't do this," he said soothingly, reaching for her again. But she sidestepped him. "I thought you were different."
"You thought I was different?" she whispered, her eyes widening dangerously. "I thought you were different. I loved a werewolf for God's sake… what makes you think I couldn't love a hero? Did you think I wouldn't be able to handle a little blackness? I fought side-by-side with a vampire Slayer."
"I know this," Harry said steadily.
"This isn't about fun and games anymore," she said, swallowing hard again. "I don't know if I can do this if you're not willing—"
"I don't know if I can," he admitted.
For a moment, they stood facing one another until at last she turned away.
"This is my problem with Faith," she said shortly. "I don't want to cause you and your friends any problems because of it."
Something suddenly clicked in his head. "If you're being noble because of Faith…"
"I'm not," she snapped, her voice echoing in the hallway. Harry was well aware that they had probably attracted the attention of the whole floor by now. "I need time."
"I'll give you time—"
"I don't want you involved with Faith," Willow said, averting her gaze from his. "This is my fight."
"Now who's acting like a reckless hero—"
"No," she retorted, glaring at him. Harry shivered as he saw the deranged look in her eyes. "This is my fight," she repeated coldly. "You've already fought and survived in your private war. Now it's my turn."
"She… she could kill you."
"I know the risks," she replied.
"I won't… I can't… lose you."
She gave a short, sharp laugh as her eyes met his. "Don't," she said quietly.
"I can't help it," he replied. "I need to protect you."
"You can't protect me, Harry," she replied sadly. "Have you learned nothing? After three years of being a Slayer's sidekick, it's my turn now." She smiled grimly as she stepped around him. "Please, just… go."
Harry watched as she approached her door and disappeared inside. Sighing, he turned to leave when he caught sight of a huge fist speeding towards him.
Once inside, Willow bent down and began picking up the books she had thrown against her wall. Padma was sitting at her desk, watching her.
"Are you okay?" Padma asked softly.
"I will be," Willow replied. She stood up and nearly collapsed, dumping the books across her neatly-made bed. "I can't believe I just did that."
"But don't… don't you like him?"
"Of course I do," Willow whispered. "But I can't let him get involved in this… I won't risk his life… not again."
Padma turned back to her work, sighing. Willow walked over and placed the books from her bed onto her desk. She was about to sit down and begin studying again when another knock sounded at her door.
"Do you want me to—"
"No," Willow said firmly, marching across their small room. "I'll take care of it." Expecting a full confrontation with Harry, she pulled the door open and nearly gasped at the figure standing on the other side. Despite the bruising and the arm sling, Buffy Summers looked almost as great as she remembered. Feeling as though all of her indignation had been swept away, she burst into tears and flung herself into her best friend's arms, her wails sounding openly in the corridors.
x-o-x
To be continued…
x-o-x
Yes, this was meant to be a two-part chapter. Willow's insanity is basically explained in the next chapter. It had something to do with Faith's last encounter with Buffy and how hurt Willow was in the first place. I never wanted to do this, but it was kind of fun to do. The next chapter promises much action and more.