Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following characters. They all belong to the highly talented J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 3

Willow woke up the next morning to the sound of the other girls bustling around, getting ready for their day.

"C'mon Will. Time to get up," Hermione yelled.

Willow rose shakily from her bed, pulling back her curtains. She went to her trunk, took out her bag, and found a schedule. She pulled out the books she didn't need and found her bag to be much lighter. After taking out her broom and sticking it under her bed, she picked out some clothing to wear. She got back into bed, and closed the curtains. She changed into some plaid pants, covered in zippers leading to nowhere and black pockets, and a long-sleeved black skirt with thumbholes. After changing she found a heart-shaped necklace to wear. Then she found some black eyeliner and a mirror. It was then that Willow realized she didn't know what she looked like now. When she was younger she had long, untamable blonde hair, foggy blue eyes, and a face covered in freckles.

Anxiously she raised the mirror and looked. She was beautiful. Her hair had been cut short, to about ear-length, and the tips were died a deep, blood red. Her eyes were no longer so foggy, so dirty. They were a piercing, almost cold blue, the pupils a deep black. Her skin was clear, and pale. She had high, defined cheekbones and full lips.

"Are you going to stare at yourself all day, or did you consider coming down to breakfast?" Hermione asked, leaning against the doorjamb. Willow swiped on some eyeliner, dropped it and the mirror back into her trunk, and grabbed her bag.

"Don't forget your robes," Hermione said, turning around to go down the steps. Willow went back to her trunk, grabbed her black robes and followed Hermione to the common room. When she walked in, she could feel someone watching her. She turned and saw Ron staring at her with his mouth open. Willow smiled and Ron immediately started to blush. Giggling, Willow followed Hermione to where Ron was sitting with Harry and another boy.

"Willow, this is Seamus Finnigan," said Harry. Willow smiled at Seamus, and he nodded and returned to his work.

"Let's get some breakfast. I'm starved," said Harry, getting up and booking a roll pf parchment back in his bag. Willow was about to follow him, when she felt a tug on the robes that were still in her hand. She turned around and saw Ron smiling at her.

"Leave them in the common room. The teacher's aren't that strict about student wearing them, and besides…" Ron blushed. "…You look too good to wear them." Willow smiled and let Ron take her robes away.

"If I get into trouble, I'm blaming you," Willow warned him, a playful smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah," he said pulling her out of the common room.

Willow and Ron caught up to Harry and Hormone on the fifth floor. As all four of them walked, Willow saw amazing things. The paintings were all moving around, talking to one another, and waving at her. The staircases would also move, and Ron warned her a couple of times about strange steps. Plenty of kids walked by, almost all of them waving and smiling to Willow. Obviously, she was well known. She hoped it was for a reason other then attempting suicide.

They soon reached the doors to what Ron called the Great Hall. Ron opened the door and held it open for her. When she walked inside, she was taken aback. Four long tables were crowded with hundreds of students. At the back of the room a table was raised higher then the rest, and only had a dozen or so occupants. Willow could just make out Dumbledore sitting in the middle. She looked up in amazement. The ceiling looked like the sky outside (slightly over-cast).

"The ceiling's bewitched to look like the sky outside," said Ron, leading Willow to the table on the far right. Plates upon plates were full of food. Ron, Harry and Hermione started to load up their plates, but oddly, Willow didn't feel hungry at all.

"Dig in, Will," said Harry through a mouth full of food.

"I don't feel hungry. In fact I feel a bit nauseous." Willow sighed.

"Just eat a little bit. Here," said Ron, offering Willow a biscuit. Willow took it and gingerly bit into it. It was warm and buttery. It was delicious and she soon finished it.

"There. That wasn't too bad," said Ron, smiling and returning to his food. Willow shook her head and filled her goblet with water.

"Bread and water? You're not in a prison. You know that right?" came a voice behind Willow. Ron and Harry stopped, forks halfway to their mouths.

"Buzz off Malfoy," Ron growled.

"I just wanted to say Hello. Hey Willow." Willow felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw a handsome young man. Very handsome. He had shaggy, platinum blond hair, and stormy gray eyes. He had a chiseled jaw, and wore a haughty sneer, but for a split second, Willow could have sworn she saw something compassionate in those eyes.

"Hi," Willow managed to squeak out, flashing him what she hoped would be a confident smile.

"There, you said Hello, now buzz off," Ron said. He was being very protective, and Willow couldn't understand why. Malfoy removed his hand, smiled at Willow and walked away.

"That's Draco Malfoy. He's a slime ball," said Harry, glaring at Draco. "You should stay away from him." Willow was upset by these words.

"I'll decide whom I should stay away from thank you very much," she said, and left the Great Hall. Willow had no idea where she was going, and within only a couple minutes, she was hopelessly lost. She leaned against a wall, hoping someone would be along soon, when she heard a voice.

"Willow! Wait up." It was Draco. Willow was strangely happy to see him. "What's wrong?" he asked, stopping in front of her. "I saw you storm out." Willow snorted.

"I'd hardly say I stormed out," she said, then smiled at Draco, letting him know she was playing. "But I left because Harry made me mad."

"How?" Willow thought she could see genuine concern on Draco's face. Some slime ball.

Willow stared at her feet. "He told me to stay away from you," she mumbled, suddenly realized how ridiculous it sounded. After a moment of silence, Willow looked up and saw Draco blushing. She started to giggle.

"What!" Draco said, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

"Nothing," Willow said, trying hard not to laugh. "Nothing at all." Draco smiled.

"What's your first class? I can escort you," Draco offered his arm. Willow smiled, and that's when she remembered that she had left her bag in the Great Hall. Just then, Ron and Harry turned the corner, Ron holding her bag. They stopped at the sight of Draco and Willow linking arms. Draco silently and quickly dropped his arm to his side.

"Thanks Ron," Willow said, stepping forward to take her bag. She was frowning; she had liked the feeling of Draco's arm in hers. "I was just about to come and get it." Harry and Ron were still glaring at Draco.

"C'mon Will. We're going to be late," said Ron, grabbing her arm.

"Take a hike Malfoy," said Harry, following.

"Whatever Potty. See you later, Willow," he said, winking at her.

"Yeah. See you." She smiled and let herself be pulled along by Ron.