Author note: As I have told Jacy many times, I am completely overwhelmed at the amount of readers and good feedback I'm getting. I honestly didn't expect this many people to like it, although the reasons for people not liking it have made me laugh more than doubt myself. I'm glad to get past the hump that was chapter two and into this one. It starts a plotline that follows through the end of the fic, and for all you D/B shippers out there, you get some insight into my realm of D/B (which is also one of my lovely beta Jacy's favorite parts). Chapter Four will be out next Wednesday, and can I say I'm ready to get chapter five out there as well? *cue evil laughter*

Again, thanks for the good feedback and for the insights (and to some of you, the laughs). I try to respond to every single review I get. If I haven't responded to yours, nudge me and I'll correct it. If something confuses you, let me know. Some things will be revealed later and some things may just not make a lick of sense. I've been working on this for years, so I know what happens. If I've forgotten to put something to paper, let me know. Readers make the world go 'round!

……………….

When Willow woke for the second time since Draco had started her healing, her throat wasn't burning, and she felt much-more clear headed. Sitting up, she looked around the room, but didn't see Dawn or Draco. It was daylight outside, and she could hear the birds singing outside of the window.

For a moment she just stared out the window and into the blue sky. Her thoughts were still a bit fuzzy and it took a while for her muscles to respond the way she wanted, but she hadn't felt this good since… since before Tara died. The sadness she expected to come with that revelation didn't.

A knock on the door made her jump and startled her out of her thoughts, but she relaxed when she saw Draco come through the door with a plate of food and some water. When she saw the food, she realized she was hungry, something she hadn't noticed when she woke up.

"I figured you would probably be hungry, and I thought I'd just come up and check on you. You fell asleep pretty fast after you woke up. Dawn's already downstairs."

"I'm all…"

"Disoriented?" Draco asked. "That's normal. You'll be weak on your feet for a few days, but once you get used to the healing you'll be fine. Now, it's important for you to eat and stay hydrated. Your mind and magic can't get up to full strength if your body is weak."

Draco conjured a small lap table and set the plate and water on it. Willow took a small bite, and took a small sip of water before looking up at the blond, who was staring out the window of the room.

"So," she said nervously in a light voice. "Your mom was supposed to help me?"

He didn't turn around, and stayed looking out the window.

"No, I was supposed to help you. You were going to come to my mother's coven in Devon, which is where I normally stay with Pansy and Potter. She can do a bit of what I can do, but I'm better at it. It runs on my mother's side of the family, which is something she loves to remind my father of when he gets snippy."

Willow resumed eating in silence, and still Draco stayed looking out the window. After a few moments, she took a drink and made a face at Draco's back. He was being too quiet.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you make faces like that it'll freeze that way?" Draco turned around and smirked. "I've frozen a few blokes' faces when they've mocked me like that. It's really quite funny."

"Do you have eyes in the back of your head or something?" she said petulantly while spearing a piece of broccoli with her fork and scraping it off the tongs with her teeth. The action just made Draco laugh.

"I saw your reflection in the window," he replied with a slightly condescending tone. "Not everything I do is magical, you know."

"And why are you staring out the window anyway?" she asked, not being as vicious with her fork when taking a bite. If he wanted to be a little punk, she'd sic Buffy on him later.

"I'm trying to figure out the magical flow of the town," he replied, coming back to sit in the wooden chair beside her bed.

It was something he always liked to do. Magical flows were distinct to each town, but the prospect of looking at the flow of the Hellmouth was too tempting.

Willow snorted and took another bite.

Draco looked at her. "What was that for?"

Willow just took a drink of water. "Good luck trying to figure it out. The Hellmouth changes the flows so many times I gave up even looking at it unless I needed to. One moment it'll flow to the east and then suddenly something will make it change and flow up."

Draco frowned. "You mean north."

She just grinned and shook her head. "Up. Like… up away from the core of the earth. It was one of the strangest things I ever saw when it first happened. And it'll only do it in places. The flow will completely leave the ground, leaving a magical dead pocket."

Leaning forward, Draco listened intently. "Amazing. I've never heard of something like that happening. It never happens. So the magic is basically rejected from that dead pocket? I'd love to see that sometime."

"It doesn't happen often, but it's noticeable when it does." Willow took a deep breath. "That's how Rack changed his location so many times. He would stay beside the dead pockets so it was harder to track him, unless you knew to look for the dead pockets. I got good at looking for them."

"Rack got what he deserved," Draco said darkly. At Willow's curious expression, he shook his head. "I knew the bastard, Willow. He didn't like me at all. Hired mercenaries to come after me once after I double-crossed him in a black magic deal."

He moved his shirt to show a thin scar that ran from the top of his right shoulder, across his clavicle and ending close to his sternum. It was a faded line that was slightly darker than the rest of his skin tone.

"He tried to kill you? Just how badly did you double cross him?" Willow asked, still staring at the scar.

"Enough that if he stepped foot out of California he would be incinerated. Literally. It's not wise to give a dark wizard a blood sample, no matter how protected you might think it to be." He covered up the scar. "That's why he sent someone else to kill me. I never found out what he thought about getting their heads as presents," he added thoughtfully.

Willow paused, taking everything in. She already knew he was a professed dark wizard, but knowing he willingly killed people scared her, since she had done the exact same. But while his was self-defense, she killed out of malice. And he was helping her now, so surely he defected from the dark.

She jumped when his finger tapped her temple. He grinned at her in response. "You're thinking too loud."

"I just…"

"Have more questions," he nodded. "Ask them. In the positions we're in, truth is crucial."

Taking a deep breath, she kept her gaze on her plate. She wasn't sure how to breach the subject of his magical affinity with him. Light magic users were offended when they were accused of becoming dark, and dark magic users were offended when they were accused of becoming light. It was a tricky line to walk. She just decided to dive right in.

"Did you become a light wizard?"

Draco's snort surprised her. His answer surprised her even more.

"Hell no. I'd rather kill myself than become a light wizard." Her eyes shot up and met his, and she saw the honesty there. "I'm a dark wizard, and I'm proud of that fact. Darkness runs through my veins, and the only way I'd become light is if I bled myself dry and became a completely different person who didn't deserve to wear my skin, see through my eyes, listen through my ears, or speak my voice."

It had to be her mind playing tricks on her. She was tired, after all, and she was healing. But Willow swore the more he talked, despite the sun shining outside, shadows fell across his face and the room became darker. His voice became smoother and his eyes themselves darkened.

"Being dark isn't bloodshed and insanity. It's a smooth, pure power that only certain people can attain. It takes control and concentration to achieve darkness. It's intoxicating."

Draco smirked, and Willow saw the darkness in him, and saw how he reveled in it. He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"It's sweetness and bitterness at the same time; riding on the waves of passion, while skimming the edge of danger. Trying not to just fall in the black ocean of desire while making sure you're completely aware of every single thing around you."

Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deep, taking in precious air. Draco leaned back, smirk still on his face.

"And that is why I will never turn to light. Once you've had a proper taste of darkness, there's no going back. You just have to know balance."

Willow slowly opened her eyes. "Wow. That was…"

"Incredible?" Draco filled in for her. She just blinked.

"I was going to say nifty, but incredible works too."

……………………….

Draco left the bedroom and slowly closed the door behind him, making sure the door shut quietly. He turned to head back down the stairs, but jumped when Buffy was standing in front of him, arms crossed.

"Wear a damned bell!" he hissed, glaring at the slayer, who just stared back with an amused grin.

"Is she asleep?" Buffy asked, walking with him in the hallway. Giles had assured that Draco was going to do fine and that he didn't need her looking over his shoulder, but she was going to look as long as she wanted to.

"No, I just snuck out of the room trying to be quiet because I felt like being a ninja!" Her grin widened and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, she's sleeping. I got her to eat and drink a bit, before she passed out. It'll only be like this for another day, and then she'll be back on a normal sleeping schedule."

Buffy nodded and they arrived at her bedroom. Draco heard Giles downstairs, and as much as he needed to talk to him, he needed to talk to Buffy more.

"I don't like that face," Buffy said with a frown. "Why don't I like that face?"

"I need to talk to you."

Buffy immediately became worried. "Is it about Dawn? About when you healed her?"

"No, no!" Draco rushed to correct her. There was no need to be beaten to death by the Slayer. "It's not about Dawn. It's more about you, and it also has a bit to do with healing."

Buffy motioned him inside her room. As he entered, he looked around the room, and moved aside when, after closing the door, Buffy sat on her bed. "So if this isn't about Dawn, what is it about?"

There wasn't an easy way to lead into the subject, so Draco decided to be blunt, and figured she would appreciate that more, anyway.

"It's about you."

Buffy wasn't expecting that by the way she laughed.

"Me? I need to be healed? I'm not magical though."

Draco shook his head and leaned against the wall across from her bed, crossing his arms. "You're a magical being. You still have an aura. And yours has been screaming at me since I first walked through the door."

A confused expression came over Buffy's face. "My aura was screaming at you?"

"I told you I can see and feel magic, but sometimes, if it's strong enough, I can hear it. And your aura is definitely strong enough."

She let out a deep breath. "So, why would my aura scream at you?"

Draco let out a deep breath of his own. "Because it's in pain." He pushed off the wall and went to sit next to her on the bed. "When a person is born, so is their aura. When a person dies, their aura dies with them."

He could tell she realized where he was getting at. "Since I've died twice, Buffy's aura is saying 'ouch'."

Draco smirked. "Welcome to the end of the thought process."

Buffy just rolled her eyes. "So, what, you do a little magic and it doesn't hurt anymore?"

"It's not as simple as that," Draco replied. "Every time you died, so did your aura. Every time you were brought back, so was your aura. The thing is, from looking into the aura, it duplicated itself when it came back."

Buffy did the math in her head. "I have three auras?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, but only one active one. When you came back the first time, your aura tried to kick-start itself. When it couldn't, it stayed dead and a new one was born. The dead aura just exists right behind the old one." Draco tried to be as gentle with his voice as he could. "When you came back this last time – the third time you were 'born,' as it were - you were given a new aura, but under the magical circumstances, it completely shattered. Your physical body may be strong, but your mental and magical state is very weak. You're open to possession, insanity—"

"Hold it," Buffy interrupted him. "You're saying I'm one step away from being possessed or insane?"

"If someone had the means of possession of the mind, yes. You would lose control of yourself and it would drive you insane."

"Well fix it!" Buffy said a bit hysterically. "I don't care how you do it, just fix me!"

Draco laughed without humor. "I don't think I can."

Buffy didn't share his laughter. "What do you mean you can't? You're just going to help Willow and Dawn but not me?"

"I said I don't think I can do it period, not that I can't heal you. I don't think it's possible." He paused, shaking his head in wonder. "Don't you get it? You weren't supposed to come back. And the way you came back? Or even when? People don't come back after being in the ground for two months. Your aura was gone, completely. A few minutes isn't much, because there are ways of bringing people back, and auras are designed to keep functioning after a body's death. Auras grow from the time they're born to the time when they can be used—which is years. Yours was shattered upon it's birth. It never had a chance to be whole. I can't fix something that's not broken, in a sense."

Even as he said the words, he could see in Buffy's eyes that she wasn't taking "no" for an answer.

"I can't live my life knowing that one of the bad guys could use me like that. I don't care what you think you can't do. Fix. It." Her gaze was hard as steel, and her jaw was set. Draco acknowledged her with a nod.

"At least wait until tomorrow, until I can ask some of the coven about it. I can give you a crystal that will protect against possession for thirty-one days, if you're honestly that worried about it."

Buffy held out her hand expectantly, with an eager look on her face, and Draco rolled his eyes. "I don't have it with me. It's in my bag downstairs. Which reminds me, where the bloody hell am I supposed to sleep?"

The Slayer thought about it for a moment. "Wait, where did you sleep last night?"

"I didn't," he replied, standing up. "I was up all night watching both your sister and Willow. Not everyone reacts the way I'd like to the healings, and I didn't want to risk anything happening to them. I need to stay with Willow tonight, but after that I'll need to sleep."

Buffy stood up as well. He could see she was a bit nervous. "So, what happens if I don't react to the healing like you'd like?"

He looked back at her with confidence. "We'll figure something out."

As they left her room, Buffy made a face. "So, you're not going to sleep tonight either?"

Draco grinned. "I'm used to not sleeping, or sleeping lightly. I can meditate and get a full night's rest in 30 minutes."

She pouted. "God, I hate you." Draco just laughed as he walked down the stairs. Giles was in the living room looking over some texts, but brought his gaze to the couple walking down the stairs.

"Join the club, Buffy. It's only out of respect for his mother that I haven't strangled him yet," Giles said dryly. "And he used to be worse."

When Buffy looked at Draco with an incredulous look on her face, he rolled his eyes. "Father always said a Malfoy's neck should be begging for a good strangle. I'm glad to not have disappointed him."

Giles went back to his text with a chuckle. "And how is your father? Still evil?"

"Of course," Draco replied, throwing himself onto the couch next to Giles and propping his feet up on the table, next to some books. The watcher glared at him which earned him a grin in return. "He's glad I'm gone. I think his exact words were 'Now that you are no longer in the country, I no longer have to worry over your worthless arse.' He wasn't too happy when I told him that Potter was staying at the coven with Pansy. His eye started twitching," he said with a snicker. "It's worth having Potter trail me just for that eye twitch. Kind of like how yours is now."

Giles glared at him again while Buffy stared down at him, confused.

"Wait, your dad's evil? Not dark like you, but really evil?"

Draco nodded. "Sure is. Well, he was. He is still, I guess. He hasn't killed anyone in ages, though," he added with a smile, before his expression turned thoughtful. "Although I think he tortured Beshford in Magical Transportation. He gets twitchy when someone says my last name."

Buffy stared at him and shook her head. "You are so strange. Your dad is evil, he's killed people and tortured them, and you don't care. Is your mother like this, too?"

"Oh, please," Draco scoffed. "Mother isn't like that at all."

Giles started to cough. "Hellhounds," he said into his hand.

Draco sat up, taking his feet off the coffee table. "Okay, she released those once and I don't blame her. Those pretentious little Junior Aurors had no right to go after the Manor like that. They didn't have permission to do a raid. They thought it'd be fun to scope out the grounds."

"Draco, those three young men now wet themselves when a dog barks!" Giles snapped. Before Draco could respond, they were interrupted by Buffy laughing. When they both looked at her, she stopped laughing.

"What? I just think it's funny that grown men got so scared of little hellhounds that they pee all over themselves when a baby Chihuahua would bark. I mean, yeah, they're tough, but aren't you magic types supposed to be able take down creatures like that?"

Giles took off his glasses and laid them on the books in front of him. "Buffy, these hellhounds aren't like the ones you fought in high school. The Malfoy hellhounds are bred to be destructive and they are magic-repellant. They're purebred hounds from hell. They're more powerful and vicious than werewolves."

Her eyes widened and all laughter left her face. She turned to Draco and blinked owlishly. "I'll never piss you off again. Promise."