Title: Control (Secret Santa for Aislin)
Author: Shannon
Email: angels_soul_1@yahoo.com
Fandoms: BtVS/HP
Pairing: Willow/Snape (friendship)
Rating: PG
Distribution: Dark Redemptions (http://dr.shadesofgrey.us/), Shades of Grey, Twisting the Hellmouth.
Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss, ME, UPN, and FOX, and HP characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Spoilers: HP nothing really. BtVS: Through Grave.
Summary: Willow is taken to Hogwarts to learn to control her magic after Tara's death.
Author's Notes: Story starts during 'Grave' so the end of that episode as well as everything in Season 7 never happened.
Thanks to Emmy for beta-ing.
Aislin, this may not be as dark as you wanted, but it seemed to be as dark as I could get and not end up to long and involved to finish in time.

Severus Snape stood outside the nearly destroyed Magic shop. He had been sent here by both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. It appeared that for once, both sides were after the same person, for different reasons but it made his trip easier anyway. He had been summoned earlier this morning by Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort had received word that a powerful muggle-born witch was rising in the United States and he wanted her found and brought to him. He didn’t have much information other than she was in California. Severus was the one most able to leave unnoticed right now. With so many of his army in Azkaban he didn’t have many trusted followers to send. Bellatrix wasn’t an option because he wanted the girl brought to him alive and of sound mind. It seemed that while he wasn’t fond of muggle-borns if this girl had the power that the rumors suggested he would over look her parentage.

He had no sooner returned home when he was summoned by Dumbledore. It seemed he had also heard of the girl. He had received a visit from an old friend, a vengeance demon, who had told him that this girl was possibly the most powerful witch in the western hemisphere in centuries and was completely out of control. Snape had chosen to not question the older wizard on having contacts in that particular field, and had taken the information given and prepared for the trip. Dumbledore had more information than Voldemort; he knew the city and the name of the girl, saving him a considerable amount of time in his search.

Severus had doubted the power of the girl, after all could an untrained wand-less witch truly be strong enough to destroy the world. He knew grief could be a potent source of power but until he had arrived here he had been unconvinced. It hadn’t taken long after arriving to realize the rumors were more than accurate. His first stop had been to see Rack, not the most reputable of wizards but he knew that if something magical was happening in Sunnydale Rack would know about it. Unfortunately he found that ‘something’ had already happened, it seemed that Willow had also found him and used him as a source of new energy. He had questioned several people, and found that this hadn’t been her first stop.

Since her girlfriends death she had been very busy. She had caught and killed the man responsible and was now searching out his two cohorts. The Slayer was also tracking her, though it seems she was a friend and it was doubtful that she would be able to stop her. He had seen the ruins the young witch had left in her wake through out the small city.

He was supposed to bring her back to Hogwarts, though he was beginning to doubt if he would be able to do that. This was perhaps something that the headmaster should have done himself. Snape rarely doubted his own power but he had never faced something like this before. He was also beginning to doubt the Dark Lord’s wanting the girl, he couldn’t envision her taking orders from anyone for long.

Now, he was watching through the window of the shop as the girl talked and tortured the man that was sent to stop her. He was able to hear part of what she was saying; the man was the slayer’s watcher. He winced when the man hit the ground again. Damn, he thought, as she approached him, sticking her hand to his chest, she’s taking his power. He couldn’t stand here and watch her kill again. As things were he had to hope that she wasn’t too far gone to help.

“Who are you?” Willow asked leaning against the counter.

“Severus Snape,” the man standing in the door answered quietly.

“Well Severus, we’re closed for today.”

“I’m not here to buy anything,” Severus answered, “I’m here for you.”

“For me,” she frowned, “Not really looking for a date right now, and well you’re kinda old aren’t you?”

“I’m here to help you.”

“Great, but see I kinda wanted to kill them on my own.”

“I’m not going to help you kill anyone,” Severus said calmly his hand clutching the wand in his robe pocket.

“So then you’re here to give the kind of help that Giles here wanted to give,” Willow stood up slowly still weak. “I can feel your magic, but it’s not all white like his, you have a dark side.”

Snape nodded slowly. He glanced at the man unconscious on the floor. He was still breathing but he wouldn’t be moving anytime soon.

“I don’t want that kind of help sorry,” Willow raised her hand and muttered something under her breath; a streak of green light shot toward Severus.

Snape raised his wand and countered the spell, causing the light to dissipate before hitting him. Then quickly pointing his wand at her and casting a spell of his own. Willow fell to the ground arms at her side and scowled at him.

“I won’t stay this way for long.”

“I don’t expect you to,” he said pointing his wand at her again and casting another spell this time causing her to lose consciousness.

“Who are you?” A voice behind him said.

“Are you Anyanka?” He asked barely glancing at her to see her nod, “Albus Dumbledore sent me, I’m taking her with me, can you get him help?” he finished indicating Giles with his head.

“Is he alive?” Anya asked worriedly, “She didn’t kill him did she?”

“He’s alive; I have to take her before she wakes.”

“I’ll get him help.”

Snape picked up the sleeping girl and disappeared quickly.

Willow opened her eyes slowly; her head hurt and things were blurry. She looked around the room, not sure where she was. She wasn’t in her own home that much she knew. She tried to move her arms but found them restrained, though she couldn’t see any rope or chains.

“You’re magically bound,” A voice said from the shadows.

“Where am I?”

“Hogwarts.”

“What’s a Hogwarts?” Willow asked still pulling at the invisible bonds, “Am I in England?”

“Hogwarts is a school and yes.”

“And you are?”

“Severus Snape.”

Willow frowned she had heard the name before. Everything since Tara was shot was a little fuzzy right now.

“Do you remember me?”

“No,” she admitted quietly.

“I found you in Sunnydale, with Rupert Giles.”

“Oh God,” Willow moaned as the events of the last few days came back to her. “Is he—is he okay?”

“He is receiving care at a wizard hospital now,” Snape told her, “He’ll be fine.”

Tears started to roll down Willow’s cheeks as she remembered Tara’s death and everything that followed it. She didn’t know how she had gotten so out of control.

“Warren is he—?”

“If he is the man that killed your friend then he is dead. The other two are missing but alive.” Snape answered coming closer to the bed so she could see his face. “If I remove the bonds can I trust you?”

Willow nodded slowly. He shouldn’t trust her, no one should, she didn’t deserve it. She didn’t plan to harm anyone, but apparently she didn’t handle grief well. Snape waved his wand and Willow felt her arms and legs release from the bonds. She pulled herself to a sitting position.

“You said this was a school,” she said, “Why am I—who are you?”

“This is a wizarding school. I am a professor here,” he explained. “Your friend Anyanka contacted the headmaster about you and he sent me to bring you here.”

“Why?”

“Two reasons,” Snape sat in a chair next to the bed. He watched her closely; in the hours she had been sleeping the dark magic that had been driving her had drained from her body. Her hair had returned to what he assumed was it’s natural red color, and her eyes were now their natural green. “One is that there is a dark wizard looking for you, the power you could give him would be enough to destroy our world. The second is that Professor Dumbledore believes in second chances. He believes you are a good person and that imprisonment would not benefit you, that given the chance to learn to control your magic you can be a powerful asset to the wizarding community.”

“Wizarding community?” Willow was becoming more confused as he spoke.

“Yes, it’s hidden within the non-magic world. The American wizarding government should have located and trained you long before this. They didn’t so now we will try to teach you the control you should have learned as a child.”

“So I have to stay here?”

“Yes, for now, we are between terms but the professors have all agreed to give their summer to help you so that you may return to your friends in a few months.”

“Thank you.”

“Rest now, the headmaster will be in to see you in a few hours. He’ll fully explain what is expected of you.”

With that said he stood and retreated from the room leaving Willow to sleep until Dumbledore returned from his meeting with the ministry.




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