Title: Wishes and Magic
Author: Shannon
Email: angels_soul_1@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: W/Snape
Disclaimer: BtVS stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN, WB, FOX; Harry Potter Stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling
Distribution: My site http://dr.shadesofgrey.us/ NHA, WLS, TtH
Spoilers: Through Season 4 “Something Blue” of BtVS, and OoTP of Harry Potter
Summary: Willow makes a wish, which we all know never goes well.
Author’s Notes: Don’t know when exactly Willow’s birthday is so we’re going to assume she is 18 during season 4.
Thanks to Emmy, Zoe, and Kris for beta-ing.

Part 6


Willow glanced up at the Slytherin across from her; he was scribbling notes on a piece of parchment. She had noticed that he was making an effort to be nicer to her today. He hadn’t snapped at her once all morning. She set her quill down having just finished her part of the paper. She began to quickly read over it to make sure there were no mistakes, and hoping she wouldn’t find any. She didn’t look forward to the idea of having to rewrite the whole thing. It had been a long time since she had hand written a paper, and couldn’t just hit a button to correct spelling or move words around. She was starting to miss her computer a great deal.

Severus looked at Willow, hoping his hair was hiding him staring. He was still trying to make sense of what Lucius had told him. After his meeting he had begun to pay more attention to the redhead, he only had DADA, Potions, and Herbology with her but she was catching up quickly in all three. In truth she had never been that behind in DADA, she seemed to know a great deal about many types of demons and spells to combat them. Lucius said to offer to tutor her. Black and his friends were already tutoring her in most of her classes, Potions was the only one she didn’t have a friend in class with her. They would be working on the potion all term so she didn’t really need a tutor but he could make the offer, maybe she would be interested in learning some other potions.

“Willow?” Severus set his quill on the table and waited for her to respond.

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering if…do you still need tutors?” He asked quickly.

“Well, in Potions I guess,” Willow frowned, surprised he was offering to help her, “But if all we’re doing is this project…”

“Right. I thought you may like to learn a few other potions, aside from this one, but never mind.”

“No, Severus,” Willow said quickly, she hadn’t meant she wasn’t interested. “I do want to learn more, I don’t…I didn’t think you’d want to bother.”

“I’d be willing to tutor you.”

“Thanks, then when would be good for you?” Willow smiled, “Weekends?”

“Saturday mornings are usually free, and the library is quiet on weekends.”

“That’s fine, this time every week?”

“Yes that would work for me,” Severus agreed, “Have you finished?”

“Yeah,” she pushed the parchment over to him.

“We should be able to start brewing on Monday,” Severus said glancing over the paper she had given him. “We can start with the first one and work our way through making notes and changes as we test them.”

“How are we testing them anyway?”

“I imagine we’ll have to test them on ourselves.”

“Are you going to the Quidditch match?” Willow asked.

“Yes,” then glancing at the time he realized it was starting in a few minutes. He began gathering his things.

“Want to walk over together?”

“Excuse me?” He turned and started at her for a moment surprised that she still seemed to want to spend time with him.

“I’ve never seen a game,” Willow explained, “Sirius, Remus, and Peter are already over there, can I walk over with you?”

“That’s fine,” he agreed and they headed for the door.

Severus sighed as he tried to concentrate on the game. Willow hadn’t been able to find her friends in the crowd so she was sitting next to him. When she said she had never seen a game he hadn’t realized that she knew virtually nothing about it. She had seen one Gryffindor practice, but that was from a distance. He knew Lucius would be angry if he alienated the girl so he did his best to not snap or yell at her incessant questioning. Fortunately Slytherin wasn’t playing today; it was Ravenclaw and Gryffindor so he didn’t have much of a stake in it other than wanting to see Potter lose.

“Willow, you’re sitting in the Slytherin section,” Severus pointed out when she began cheering as James Potter dived for the snitch, “I would suggest you not cheer for Potter quite so loudly.”

“Sorry,” Willow smiled, then did her best to hide her excitement when she saw her friend holding the small golden ball in the air, and the announcement that the game was over and Gryffindor had won.

A few minutes later she followed Severus away from the field as he headed back toward the school. She knew he wanted to get away from her before the others found them but she really did want to talk to him.

“Severus, can you slow down please?”

“Why don’t you find your friends?” He asked slowing his steps so she could catch up.

“I don’t suppose you’ll accept that I am with a friend?” Willow asked catching up to him.

“No.”

“Why? Other than I’m in Gryffindor and Sirius is also my friend?”

“Potter, Lupin?” Severus suggested.

“Why do you hate them so much?” Willow asked.

“Excuse me?’ He stopped walking and turned to face her.

“You hate them because of something more than simple house rivalry,” Willow explained, “You may actually hate them more than I hate Cordelia and that is really saying something.”

“I’d prefer to not talk about it.”

“Fine, but so you know, I was the picked on kid that no one liked too,” Willow said angrily. “I’m not saying I won’t be their friend anymore but I may understand what you’re feeling.”

“You were picked on?” He asked raising an eyebrow. “No one picks on girls like you.”

“Girls like me?”

“You’re smart and pretty and…”

“Wow, so you know you complimented me right?” Willow asked smiling, “Not just smart but pretty too. Although I’m really not.”

“Not smart or not pretty?”

“Oh, I’m smart, that’s why I was the picked on kid in school.”

“You don’t think you’re…”

“There you are Willow,” Sirius said running up behind her, ignoring Severus completely, “James and Remus are gathering supplies to celebrate in the common room. Let’s go.”

Willow pulled her arm away from Sirius as he tried to pull her toward the castle. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to celebrate but she did object to his assuming she would leave the conversation she was currently having to join him.

“Is Severus invited too?” Willow asked ignoring both men staring at her in shock.

“He’s a Slytherin and well he’s Severus,” Sirius said recovering from the shock.

“Then I’ll be up when I’m through this conversation,” Willow said, “I’ll see you in a little while.”

“But Willow,” Sirius complained.

“Go, unless you want to stay here and join us?” Willow asked.

“Hurry back so you don’t miss the party,” Sirius said moving away from her. He considered arguing with her, but knew she was particularly sensitive about his treatment of the Slytherin.

“Bye,” Willow waved to him and turned her attention back to Severus.

“You could’ve joined your friends.”

“I’m with a friend,” Willow insisted, “Why can’t you get that?”

He frowned, she had turned down Black to stay and talk to him. Perhaps she was telling the truth about wanting to be his friend. He felt a twinge of guilt over the knowledge that he was expected to find out as much as possible about her and turn her over to the Dark Lord.

“Severus do you know how to fly?” Willow asked pulling him from his thoughts.

“Yes.”

“Wanna teach me?” Willow asked, “You did ask if I still needed a tutor.”

“Flying?” He raised an eyebrow, “Don’t you think Potter or Black would be better suited to that task?”

“Possibly, I’ve never seen you fly, so for all I know you’re better than they are,” Willow pointed out, “But James didn’t offer, and well, I like Sirius but he may be um, thinking we’re going to go beyond friendship and it just isn’t going to happen. He’s too much like Xander.”

“Xander?”

“Friend from home,” Willow smiled, she really was beginning to miss her friends, “Used to have a big crush on him, but so over that now. He’s mostly like a brother really. Sirius reminds me of him, only less geeky.”

“When do you want to do this?” Severus asked, surprising himself that he was agreeing to the lessons.

“Busy now?”

“Right now? It’s almost dinner.”

“After dinner then?”

“Fine, I’ll meet you at the Quidditch pitch after dinner.” Severus agreed, “You should join your house’s party until then.”

“’Kay. See you later.” Willow smiled and headed toward the main entrance while he turned and headed toward the back of the castle.

Willow paced the floor of the Headmaster’s office. He had caught her on the way to the Gryffindor common room and said he had contacted Anya and she would be arriving soon. Willow jumped when she heard a loud pop from the fireplace. As she turned to locate the sound, she saw Anya step out of the fire.

“Albus, I despise floo travel,” Anya said waving her hand in front of her, Willow watched silently as the grime from the fireplace disappeared from her clothing.

“Nice to see you again Anyanka,” Dumbledore rose from his chair and held out a hand to the vengeance demon.

“You too of course, although I don’t see why you won’t allow Apparating or transporting.”

“You know it would endanger the children,” Dumbledore motioned her to a seat, “and of course the danger of the older students with Apparating licenses. Candy?”

“No thank you,” Anyanka turned her attention to Willow, “Are you the reason I’m here?”

“Um, yes,” Willow said quietly, at least now she knew that at least in the last twenty-five years or so Anya hadn’t changed much.

“Albus tells me you believe you’re here because of a vengeance spell?” Anya asked.

“I think it’s a possibility but I don’t know why, I didn’t summon anyone.”

“Sometimes people don’t realize they’ve summoned us. What exactly happened?”

Willow quickly explained about finding Oz with Veruca and then leaving her. She also explained her spell to force her will in an attempt to bring him back.

“I hadn’t realized what the spell was doing until D’Hoffryn summoned me and offered me well a job. I turned him down and undid the spell. A week or so later I was alone in my dorm still angry that my spells go all wonky and I remember thinking that I wanted a class to teach me magic.”

“Did you wish something?”

“I may have, the exact thought may have been ‘I wish there was a class to teach me magic’,” Willow admitted.

“You’re certain you were alone though?” Anyanka asked.

“Yes, and I didn’t want vengeance anymore,” Willow insisted, “I mean wouldn’t this be vengeance on myself?”

“It sounds as though you were past the vengeance stage or D’Hoffryn would’ve pushed harder to bring you over,” the vengeance demon agreed, “It could have been someone trying to gain his favor by convincing you to join us.”

“How could sending me twenty-five years in the past do that?”

“I don’t know,” Anya agreed, “I also don’t know how I can help, normally wishes can’t be undone. However if this was done independently by someone it may be possible.”

“So it can be undone?” Dumbledore asked from his chair.

“I don’t know. If she was simply moved to another dimension I could find out who did it, approach D’Hoffryn and see what can be done, but no one will have any knowledge of it right now.”

“Can D’Hoffryn time travel?” Willow asked.

“I don’t know, anything is possible, he’s very powerful.”

“You can find out though?” Willow asked hopefully.

“I’ll speak to him yes,” Anya agreed, “Now you say I’m human in the future?”

“Anyanka you know that it’s dangerous to learn of you’re future,” Dumbledore interrupted, “She may have already told you too much. This could all be risking altering future events.”

“Fine, I’ll contact you in a few days.” Anya conceded and headed back to the fireplace.

“We’ll see what we can find on time travel here in the mean time,” Willow suggested, “I’m so research girl.”

Anya nodded before stepping into the fireplace and dropping the powder from her hand she gave a location and disappeared.

“Are you sure about researching spells Miss Rosenberg?” Dumbledore asked.

“Yes.”

“Let me give you a pass for the restricted section,” Dumbledore wrote out the pass and handed it to her, “I’ll inform Madam Pince and let her know that you’re friends are welcome to join and help you search. Let me know if you find anything.”

Willow took the pass and thanked the older wizard. She still had a few minutes to join the party before meeting Severus for her flying lessons.




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