Warmth

Author: Jaded
Story: Bloody Ghost
Pairings: Not sure yet.
Disclaimer: I own no one. I do this merely for fun, not profit
Summary: Willow dies and finds herself as a ghost in Hogwarts...and decides that Draco Malfoy needs a real friend, whether he wants one or not.
Warnings: Character Death…kinda.
Author Notes: I told myself I wasn’t going to do another fic right now, what with planning a non-crossover, writing another non-crossover, and making graphics but do I ever listen to myself? Nooooooooooooo.



“Hiya Drake!” Willow chirped when he walked from the Slytherin common room. Draco groaned but continued walking. It’d been a month since the irritating babbling ghost had begun stalking him and she had yet to leave. He’d spoken with Snape who’d informed him that there wasn’t anything he could do except forbid her entry to the Slytherin Common room and the dormitories. That didn’t deter her, though, as she simply waited outside the door until he emerged.

The only good thing that had happened was the fact she helped him with his homework—specifically the Defense stuff. They were studying vampires at the moment and the woman had an alarming amount of knowledge of them—it made him wonder if she’d been killed by one. She’d made the class bearable for the first time that year—Remus Lupin had returned to teach despite protests from many of the Slytherins. Potter, Granger, and the Weasley’s, of course, were thrilled. Half the time they could be found talking and laughing with the Professor in between classes.

She’d also become good friends with the Gryffindors and when she wasn’t following Draco around, she could usually be found in their company. There’s or Luna Lovegood’s. She’d taken an instant liking to the quirky Ravenclaw, much to Draco’s protests. Lovegood seemed to take her friendship with Willow as an extension of a friendship with him and had begun greeting him whenever they crossed paths.

The most annoying part of the whole thing, however, was the fact that he didn’t hate the two of them. Lovegood didn’t let anything get her down and didn’t seem to care that she was considered very much a joke to the school. No matter what he seemed to say to her, she just shrugged it off. It was impressive as it was annoying. And Willow, despite her tendency to babble, had her moments. Draco was particularly fond of thinking of the day she had met Pansy—that particular shade of purple was not at all flattering on the fifth year Slytherin girl.

“So, DADA today, right?” Willow asked as Draco took a seat at the Slytherin table. He grunted, reaching over to grab the milk pitcher. He could almost see Willow roll her eyes as she glided away. Watching her go out of the corner of his eye, he wasn’t surprised to see her greet the Gryffindor Trio enthusiastically. Before heading to his own table, Potter turned and shot a glare at Draco. The Slytherin merely raised an eyebrow.

“You two are hilarious, you realize that, right?” Willow asked as she glided back over to him. He gave her a scathing glare but she just smirked.

“I’ve told her a hundred times, Drake. If that glare on Spike failed to scare me, what makes you think you could pull it off?” she demanded. He huffed and speared a piece of egg.

“What do you see in those three anyway? They’re arrogant, Granger’s a know-it-all and Potter and Weasley are idiots,” he snarled. Willow eyes grew wistful as she glanced at the trio.

“They remind me of, well, me and my friends,” she told him, her voice soft. Draco raised an eyebrow.

“And here I thought you didn’t have any friends,” he snarked. She rolled her eyes.

“Xander and Buffy were, are the best. Xander’s been my best friend for years, since Kindergarten. Buffy….she was a hero. Is a hero,” she frowned. “I hope they’re okay.”

“Why don’t you look them up?”

Draco scowled as Willow turned to grace Lovegood with a beaming smile. “What do you want, Loony?” he demanded. Willow turned and lightly smacked him. It didn’t connect but the feeling of her warm hand sliding through his shoulder made him shiver none-the-less. Draco froze. Wait a minute, warm?

“Willow, do that again,” he demanded, dropping his fork and turning to face her. Willow and Lovegood looked at him oddly but he ignored it, going to grab her hand. He was shocked when he passed through it, and found it warm.

“You’re warm,” he realized in shock. Willow made a face as Lovegood’s eyes flickered briefly with surprise.

“O….K…” Willow looked at him oddly and he scowled.

“True ghosts are cold,” he informed her coolly and her eyebrows hit her hairline. The woman, who babbled forever when she could, said only one word.

“Oh.”
-------------------------------------------
“Amazing.”

Draco rolled his eyes at the Headmasters understatement. Willow was biting her lip.

“What does it mean?” she asked carefully. Dumbledore was kind as he gazed into her eyes.

“It means your spirit has been disconnected from your body,” he told her gently. “And that, as of right now, you are not truly dead.”

“I, I want my body back. I mean, being ghostly is all nice and stuff but I want to live!” she cried. Draco made a face at the agreement on the Headmasters expression.

“Well, if you can tell me where your body is likely to be, I’ll go and see what may have happened to disconnect you,” he offered and she nodded enthusiastically.

“It should be in Sunnydale, California. And I’m going with you,” she told him firmly. Draco swallowed.

“You’re from the Hellmouth?” he asked in surprise. She nodded.

“You know about that?” she asked and he nodded.

“Lupin told us about it about right before you showed up,” he told her and she nodded. “Wizards tend to avoid it, it makes our magic act up.”

To his surprise, she laughed. “Oh, that explains so much,” she giggled. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled.

“Well my dear, shall we go then?” he asked and Draco felt a stone fill his stomach. Willow nodded excitedly.

“Lets go find me,” she agreed happily. Dumbledore chuckled.

“Meet me at the front doors, I need to go and talk with Minerva first,” he told her and she nodded. Dumbledore disappeared from the door and Willow turned to Draco.

“Thank you, Drake,” she smiled. Ignoring her, he hurried from the Headmaster’s office and towards the one place she couldn’t follow—the Slytherin Common Room. As he gave the password, he failed to notice a shadow follow him in.

“We’ve been waiting Draco,” Pansy said when he appeared. He took in the group surrounding her, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, Nott—all the fifth years who would be getting the dark mark that summer if the rumors were true. He felt a twinge in his stomach and realized belatedly that it was fear.

“You have a choice. With us or against us,” Blaise told him coldly. Draco’s eyes flickered around, trying to find an escape.

There wasn’t one.