Explinations

Willow wasn’t sure what time it was when the banging on the door started, she only knew that it was too early. She pulled herself out of the bed, making sure that Spike was still sleeping soundly. She hadn’t gotten to bed until way late the night before, trying to force feed Spike the blood that Dobby had been sent up with, which wasn’t easy.

In the end she had to wake him up, which caused him to go a little crazy on her, and the only thing that helped was the fresh blood sitting on the table side. She didn’t know where it came from and she didn’t care.

She stumbled to the door carefully opening it only wide enough to see who was out there and hoping that it wasn’t Oliver because she wasn’t in the mood to have another fight with him. “Harry?” Willow asked suppressing a yawn.

“Where were you?” Harry asked pushing past her to get into the room and not bothering to ask. “You can’t just tell me you’re going off on a mission for the Order and then not show up and meet me for ice cream. When you go on missions then not show up where your expected people tend to get worried that you went and got yourself killed. The only reason I knew you were here was because I passed Wood on my way to the great hall.” He finally stopped his speech and turned around to see what she had to say for herself.

“Well good morning to you too. How was your day yesterday? Oh mine, it was fine thanks for asking, say would you like to come in and sit down?” Willow said having a conversation with herself to show Harry how rude he was being.

“Sorry.” Harry blushed bright red then stopped. “That doesn’t excuse what you did.” He put his hands on his hips waiting for an explanation when he heard movement from behind him. HE turned around slowly to notice that there was someone lying on Willows bed. A male someone who was fast asleep. “Well…that explains…nothing.” Harry said even more confused turning to Willow.

“Sit.” She offered and he took a seat in front of the fire. She spilled the whole story to Harry about how they found Spike, what they found out about him, and how they brought him to the school, and the huge fight she had with Oliver.

“Wow.” Harry twisted in his seat to check out the sleeping vampire. “Wow, you mean I’m sitting ten feet away from a vampire?”

“Yep.” Willow nodded feeling even more tired.

“And he’s got a soul?”

“Don’t know how or why but he’s got one. It’s killing him, but it’s there just the same.” Willow sighed. “No one knows about this but me, Oliver, and Dumbledore right now. He’s going to tell the other teachers, who are going to have a few choice words for me, but that’s my problem, I’ll deal with it. He needs time to heal, and he needs friends, and even if you can’t understand that, I’m his friend and I’m not going to abandon him.”

“Of course you aren’t.” Harry said matter of factly. “Why would you?”

“Well lets just say some people weren’t as understanding as you when it comes to befriending Vampires.”

”Oliver’s just being pissy.” Harry waved Willows statement off. “He needs some time to think about all this and he’ll be all right.”

“I don’t know Harry, there aren’t many people who would understand. I was friends with him before the soul.” Willow was second guessing herself now.

“Yeah but he couldn’t hurt you then.” Harry offered.

“But he would have. I don’t know how many times he told us that as soon as that chip was out he’d slaughter the lot of us and relish in it.”

“He’s different now, he’s changed.” Harry assured her.

“I know, I just…I feel like there’s nothing that I can do to help him right now, and then there’s Oliver being pissed at me, and I can tell you right now Professor Snape is going to be on the top of my worry list as soon as he finds out.” Willow sighed. “It’s getting late, you’ve already missed breakfast you’d better get to class.”

“All right, you’ll be ok?” Harry asked getting up.

“Yeah I’ll be out in a minute; I’m just waiting for Dobby to take over vampire sitting duties.” Willow said. “I’ll be fine.” Harry started to walk out the door when Willow called out to him. “Harry, I know I said to keep this to yourself but I’ll understand if you want to tell Ron and Hermione, they’re good kids and they’d know better then to go advertising it around school.”

“Sure.” Harry smiled then walked out of the room.

Willow walked over to Spike smoothing a hand over his forehead where it furrowed in his sleep. “What am I going to do about you?” She asked silently. She glanced at the side table and noticed the empty ice cream bowl and smiled slightly. Maybe things with Oliver wouldn’t be so bad to patch up. Maybe he’d understand.

Dobby showed up a few minutes later and Willow quickly dressed and headed for her first class.


She walked in just as the last student found his seat and put on her brave teacher face. “All right folks, we’re going to do a little practical thinking today. Defense isn’t always about what you know, it’s about what you don’t know you know.”

“Come again?” Fred asked confused.

“Well you know what specific charms and spells to use for certain things but there isn’t going to always be a specific spell for specific problems so you have to rely on what you know about the situation and what you think could possibly work.” Willow jumped up to sit on her desk and leaned back to grab something out of one of the drawers.

“Anyone know what this is?” Willow asked tossing something through the air.

“Of course, it’s a Fanged Frisbee; Filtch’s banned them from the school.” Fred said watching as someone in the back of the room tried to catch it without getting bitten.

“And what charm do you use for a fanged Frisbee?” Willow asked.

“Biting.” George answered as if it were obvious. “You just charm it to bite.”

“Right, so if you can charm a Frisbee, why can’t you charm something else, like say your notebook.”

“Why would you want to?” A snide voice from the Slytherin side asked.

“Good question.” Willow said jumping up and smiling as if the question had been serious. “Say your being attacked by something you don’t know how to fight. If you’ve been paying attention in this class you’d know that your supposed to be doing what?”

“Running.” Half the class answered.

“Right, so what if the thing is faster than you? What if you know that you can’t out run it?” Willow paced up and down the isles now. “What can you do?”

“Distract it.” Lee Jordan proposed.

“Right. So say your in the woods, and your running from a werewolf, what could you do to distract it…based on what we’ve just learned about fanged Frisbees?”

“Charm tree roots to bite?” Fred asked suddenly.

“Good.” Willow turned around him. “It’s a simple charm, you just make sure that you get them after you pass and they’ll chomp down on the werewolf as it passes, slowing it down enough to find a place to hide, or get into a building.”

“Cool.” Fred and George said at the same time. “And to think I never imagined that joke products and DADA would go together.”

“All right.” Willow opened up her drawer and dumped the contents on her desk. “I want groups of two, come up, pick out a few things, find out how they work then come up with a situation that the information you’ve just learned could be handy in fighting the dark arts.”

Fred and George were the first at the table grabbing up things left and right. “And if you do the work well enough, you get to keep the item’s you’ve selected.”

Fred and George smiled and bent down over their tables deep in conversation. She knew all she had to do was give them something to relate to on their level and they’d do all right. She walked around the class giving hints and helping out when students got stumped, or when the joke products they were testing got the better of them. She called time and each team gave explanations and scenarios that were more or less realistic, all though Fred and George’s idea that they would be having tea underwater and need to use a vanishing spell to get rid of the lake and there by suffocate red caps was a little far fetched, Willow let it pass for sheer imagination.

“All right, so does everyone understand what I was trying to get across today? It’s not so much what you know as what you can think of. Survival is twenty percent knowledge and eighty percent creativity. Sometimes you’ve got to use what you have and hope for the best.” She checked her watch. “All right you guys, I want you to be ready on Thursday for a special treat. Fred and George Weasley are going to give a riveting presentation on Chimeras.”

The class started gathering their things and Fred and George came up to the table. “I thought that we got to chose what we wanted to do our report on?” George asked.

“Well I chose for you. I think you’ll like the Chimera…it’s right up your alley. I gave you almost a week to work on it.” Willow raised an eyebrow.

“Oh we’ll be ready.” Fred smiled.

“Good. Here.” Willow reached in the drawer and handed them the few things left over that no one claimed. “I didn’t give you those, I never had them.” Willow said sternly.

“What things?” George said stuffing them in his bag. “Besides, we would never tell on our favorite teacher, and being her favorite students we wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

“Who says you’re my favorite?” Willow asked with a raised eyebrow. “Teachers don’t have favorites.”

“Right.” Fred winked. “We get it, just wanted to say, awesome lesson today, keep up the good work and we might scrape by with a NEWT in this class.”

“You’ll do better than scrape by or you’re mother will be hearing from me about your extracurricular activities.” Willow threatened.

“Going straight for the mom, that hurts.” George grabbed his stomach in mock pain.

“Get, you’ll be late.” Willow shooed them out.

“I’m going to marry that woman one day my friend.” Willow heard Fred say as he swung an arm around George.

“Not if I marry her first.” She had to stop the blush that was coming up her neck and threatening to overtake her face. Her next to lessons went by smoothly but she was anxious to get back to her room to check on Spike.

“Professor…professor.” A voice was calling to her and there was a hand waving in front of her face. “I didn’t realize that Banshee’s were so uninteresting.” An amused fifth year said to her.

“Huh…sorry, I just trailed off. Right then any question on Seamus’ presentation?” No one raised their hands. “I want you to ready an essay on Giants that Ms. Prince is kind enough to be holding several copies of in the library for you and when we get back on Wednesday we’ll discuss how utterly ridiculous it is. We’re going to have a guest speaker so I want you all to be on your best behavior. See you then.” She motioned for the class to be excused and saw that Harry, Hermione, and Ron were gathering their things very slowly wanting to hang back and talk with her.

“You guys need something?” Willow asked hoping they didn’t want to chat; she really needed to see Spike and she had a free hour before lunch.

“Just wanted to make sure everything was all right with the visitor.” Harry said anxiously.

”I’m on my way to check on him now.” Willow realized that he must have filled in Hermione and Ron because they were listening with rapt attention on their faces. “I’m going to try and wake him up, see if he’s more coherent now that he’s fed.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” Hermione stepped forward tentatively. “I was reading about your friend Angel. About what he went through right after he got his soul? He was animalistic, wanting to feed, not being able to feed. Two sides fighting each other…”

“I know.” Willow said sadly. “I’ll be careful. I can take care of myself.”

“Do you want us…do you want some company?” Ron asked sounding braver than he felt.

“No thank you though. I think it’s better if it’s just me with him. He knows me, knows I don’t want to hurt him. Too many people might scare him.”

“Tell us what happens, let us know you’re all right?” Harry placed a hand on her arm and she smiled.

“Promise.” Willow walked out of her classroom and was hoping to slip into her hall unnoticed when she heard a voice she’d been dreading since she walked in the school last night.

“Professor Rosenburg.” The Professor part of that statement was said with just a hint of venom.

“Yes Professor Snape.” Willow was going to start off with sweet and see where it led her. She turned around smiling at the pale man. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, you can explain to me what it is your doing exactly.” He said slowly.

“I’m heading back to my room right now, it’s this thing called walking, you put one foot in front of the other and…” She trailed off at the look on his face, so sweet didn’t last very long.

“I’m referring to the thing in your room.” He said the word thing with the same venom that he used when he referred to her as Professor.

“Well there are many items of furniture, lost of books, a closet full of robes, but if I’m half as perceptive as I think I am I wager your referring to the person that is currently resting there.”

“You would call it a person.”

“I would call him a person in a heartbeat.”

“Funny he doesn’t have one of those does he?” Snape scowled at her. “What are you playing at?”

“I’m helping out a friend.” Willow said squaring her shoulders.

“You normally hang around in such company enough to call it a friend?” He smiled at her.

“I don’t know, the company you hang around seems to deem them as such.” Willow countered. “There are however extenuating circumstances in this case as you are well aware.”

“I’m aware of what you say he has…” Snape never finished.

“Of what Dumbledore says he has also…don’t forget that part Snape. If Dumbledore has no reason to question my actions why are you?”

“Because, as you said yourself, I don’t trust you.”

“Right.” Willow nodded. “Would you like to accompany me back to my room and meet him…I wonder if you’ve met before, you might have run in the same circles back in the day.”

“I’ve had the displeasure yes.” His lips curled in a snarl. “And I don’t wish to repeat the incident. I just want you to know that I’ll be keeping an even closer eye on you from now on and if you even think for one second that you can get away with what ever your planning I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Willow took a step closer.

“Professor Snape.” A voice said from behind Willow. “What brings you up here on a day like this.” Oliver strode confidently to Willows side and glared at the man. “I was under the impression that you didn’t venture out on the dungeon when it was sunny.”

“It wasn’t long ago Wood that was your teacher.” Snape said turning red.

“And now you’re my peer. And as my peer I feel nothing wrong with stepping in when I think your out of line. And it’s Professor Wood thank you.”

“Oliver…” Willow said softly.

“Professor Rosenberg knows what she’s doing, she wouldn’t be in this school with this job if she didn’t. Professor Dumbledore obviously thinks that she’s more than capable of making informed decisions on her own and I doubt she requires your two cents.”

“I will be watching Professor Rosenberg, whether Dumbledore trusts her or not.” Snape spat out.

“Funny that’s the same thing I said to Dumbledore about you.” Oliver said casually and watched as Snape turned abruptly and walked away.

“Oliver.” Willow turned to look at him. “Thanks.”

“You could have handled him.” He brushed her off. “I’ve just wanted to say something like that since I was a first year here, it felt liberating.”

“I’m sure it did.” Willow chuckled. “Did you mean it?”

“That you’re capable of making your own decisions? Yes.” Oliver started walking to her door. “I also meant what I said last night about not getting why you do what you do. But I’d like to understand. Maybe you could help me.”

“I’d be more than happy to.” Willow smiled and opened her door. “However I think I need to do this alone. He knows me, he trusts me…”

“Right then, meet me in the corridors after dinner? Same place as before?” He asked stepping back.

“I’ll be there.” Willow smiled and thought of their meeting from the previous night when she asked him out. He smiled and walked away and Willow went in her room and closed the door behind her. She saw Dobby sitting diligently by the bed and went over to him. “How’s he doing?”

“He’s been sleeping since Dobby got here, hasn’t woken once.”

“All right, I’m going to try and talk to him, can I have you back here in an hour say?” Willow asked.

“Of course, Dobby will be going now to help with lunch. Be back in an hour.”

“Thank you Dobby for everything.”

“Anything to help Professor, anything to help.” Dobby said then vanished into thin air.

Willow sighed and braced herself for what was possibly to come. She placed her hand on Spike’s head and his eyes started to flutter open. Soon he was in full vampire face and sitting up right in the bed. “Here.” Willow held out a cup to him and he downed it in seconds, panting slightly when she took it away. “Feeling better?”

His forehead smoothed out and he blinked rapidly looking around the room. “Red?” He asked slowly when he saw her. “Is that you?”

“Yeah.” Willow almost cried in relief when he recognized her. “It’s me.”

“Where am I?” He looked around at the bed. “How’d I get here?”

“Hogwarts.” Willow said simply. “I brought you here, I found you in the shrieking shack.”

“Right.” Spike closed his eyes and laid down on the pillow. “Right. What are you doing at Hogwarts?” He asked opening one eye to examine her.

“It’s a long story.” She shook her head. “I’ll tell you when your up to it.” They sat in silence for a minute until Willow got the courage to speak. “How did it happen?”

“Ah, so you know.” He laughed.

“Kinda hard to miss.” Willow joked with him.

“Things got bad in Sunnydale.” Willow nodded knowing that she could relate. “I got bad, well I was always bad but I was mixed up. I didn’t know who I was anymore. I thought the problem was the chip. It was like Angel explained it to me once. He wanted to feed but he couldn’t because of the guilt, the remorse. Only with me, I wanted to feed but I couldn’t because of the pain. I thought if I could just get the chip out I could be me again, I could be who I was supposed to be. I went through the demon trials, nearly killed myself and in the end, I got it. He said he was going to give me what I deserved. Never thought he meant this.” Spike chuckled sourly.

“So you kinda went crazy there for a while?” Willow asked.

“A little yeah. It was too much at first. The pain, the faces. I would see everything, everyone I killed, everyone I hurt, everything all the time. I just couldn’t…handle it. I found myself a quiet place and hid, hoping it would go away. Then you found me.”

“Yeah.” Willow smiled. “And you’ll get through this, I’ll help you get through this.” Willow promised him.

“So you in much trouble?” Spike asked sitting up a little in the bed.

“For what?” Willow feigned innocence.

“For sneaking me in here, I know you didn’t just waltz me through the front gates.”

“No I didn’t. But I didn’t sneak you in either. I got permission from Dumbledore.”

“Really.” Spike smirked at this. “Old man still around?”

“Still around and still taking in strays.” Willow joked. She saw Spike’s eyes go a little hazy for a second then he seemed to shake his head and snap out of it.

“Still get a little confused now and then.” He joked softly.

“I’m working on that.” Willow promised. “If you sleep it goes faster.”

“Right then.” Spike nodded. Willow stood up and placed a hand on his head and he started to drift off. “Red…always liked you…”

“Me too Spike.” Willow smiled when he fell asleep. “Good night.”

She watched him fall asleep and then gathered her things to head to lunch she was starving. She seated herself at the table in her seat between Oliver and Hagrid. “Everything all right?” Oliver asked passing her a tray of sandwiches.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” She nodded and took one. She looked up to see Ron, Hermione, and Harry all staring at her. She chuckled and gave them the thumbs up sign. “They were worried about me.”

“They’ll learn soon enough that you can take care of yourself.” Oliver smiled at her.

Willow smiled back and then turned her attention to the giant on her right side. “Hagrid, I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you.”

”Just about anything I can do I’ll do it for you.” He beamed at her.

“In my fifth year class we’re going to do a section on Giants, I’ve got them reading the article by Marlene Pritchett to show them what Giants aren’t and I was wondering if you could come in and set them straight.”

“I’d be happy to.” Hagrid smiled. “That Marlene Pritchett wouldn’t know a giant if it came up and bit her. Glad to help out.”

“You’ll be my special guest speaker.” Willow smiled. “Wednesday, 11:00 ok for you?”

“Fine, fine, appreciate that you thought of me.” Hagrid said almost misty eyed. “I uh been hearing things from the teachers about something you got in your room.” Willow nodded. “You need anything just come to me. I may not be great with the magic, but I can lend some extra strength in a pinch if things get out of hand.”

“You’d be the first person I’d call.” Willow assured him.

”Good to know, good to know.” Hagrid smiled and continued to eat his lunch.


Willow sailed through her afternoon classes, spouting off anything she could think of from memory and waiting impatiently for them to end so she could go check on Spike. When the last student left she practically flew from her classroom to her bedroom where she was surprised upon entering to find Spike sitting in a chair reading from a book. “I see your feeling better.” Willow smiled.

“I still have moments where I’m not sure if I’m going crazy but they’re lasting shorter, I just couldn’t sleep anymore.” He said putting down the book and standing up. “I was actually hoping for a walk.”

“I think I can manage that. How about we take a walk to see Dumbledore. I’m sure he’d like to talk to you.”

“Sure, haven’t seen the old man for about thirty years, it’d be nice to catch up. And on the way you can fill me in on why you’re here and why for the two days I’ve been here you haven’t received a single owl from Sunnydale.” Spike laughed at Willows face. “I know if everything was all right then you’d have gotten at least four letters by now.”

“Can’t slip anything past you can I?’ Willow frowned. “Well dinner hasn’t started yet so Dumbledore should still be in his office. Come on, we’ll have to go the back way, can’t have the students asking questions.”

They walked out of Willows room and she took Spike through lengthy hidden corridors until they were stopped outside of Dumbledore’s Office. “Pumpkin pasties.” Willow said and the stone gargoyle moved to let them up the stairs. When they got to the top they knocked and heard a very faint, “Enter.”

Willow came in followed by Spike who shifted uncomfortably. “Ah Ms. Potter.” Spike shot her a very confused look and then realized Dumbledore was talking to him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.” Spike caught himself.

“I said I was glad to see you were feeling better.” Dumbledore smiled and motioned for the two chairs that were in front of his desk.

“Thanks.” Spike said. “And thanks for everything you’ve done.”

“I merely gave you a place to stay, the rest of the gratitude is rightfully Ms. Potters.” Dumbledore smiled.

“You wanna tell me why he keeps calling you that?” Spike raised an eyebrow. “I mean the only Potters I’ve ever heard of are…no…” Spike shook his head.

“Yep.” Willow smiled. “Like I said it’s a long story and seeing as how Professor Dumbledore all ready knows it I’ll tell you some other time and spare him.”

“Ms. Potter. I wonder would you like to go down to dinner and give William and myself some time alone?”

“Sure Professor.” Willow stood up. “Behave.” She said.

“I was planning on it.” Spike smirked at her.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” She shot a glance at Dumbledore and the old man laughed.


Willow was walking to the dinning room when she saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione trying to pretend like they weren’t waiting for her. “Hey guys.” She waved at them. “Something I can do for you.”

“He’s awake?” Harry asked.

“How did you…Dobby?” Willow guessed.

“Yeah, your all right…I mean he’s not still crazy.” Ron asked.

“I’m fine, obviously. He’s with Dumbledore right now they’re catching up on old times.” Willow informed them.

“Dumbledore knows him?” Hermione said astonished.

“Apparently they’ve met before.” Willow shrugged. “I didn’t ask for details.”

“Wow, Willow…” Harry looked at Ron and Hermione who seemed to be encouraging him to say something. “Do you think it would be possible…I mean when he’s feeling up to it.”

“Can we meet him?” Ron asked.

“Oh.” Willow frowned. “Not just yet, I haven’t exactly filled him in on the recent changes in my life, so maybe tomorrow or day after?”

“Brilliant.” Ron smiled. “To think I’ll sit down with a real live vampire.”

“One with a soul.” Hermione pointed out.

“Still.” Ron looked star struck.

“Thanks.” Harry said.

“Run along to dinner now.” Willow shooed them out of her way.

Halfway through dinner Dumbledore walked in and sent a wink at Willow before sitting down. Willow just smiled back at him and was pulled into a conversation that McGonagall was having with Professor Sprout. Willow missed the greenhouse, she’d have to try and schedule a visit soon. When desert was served and everyone was getting ready to leave Dumbledore stood up and tapped his glass. The hall fell silent. “I realize that this is a bit unorthodox, so full into the school year but I have a wonderful announcement.” He smiled at Willow who seemed confused. “Professor Rosenberg is going to have a unique teaching assistant for the rest of the year. I’m sure after you meet him and get to know him you’ll feel much more enlightened to certain things in the Wizarding world. I hope you learn many wonderful things from both of them this year.” Dumbledore obviously felt that was enough to say because he sat down amidst all of the students speculating who or what the teaching assistant was.

Oliver gave Willow a confused look and she shook her head. “I had no knowledge of this, they must of cooked this up all on their own.” She said and when neither Oliver or Professor McGonagall looked convinced she sighed. “Honest.”

As if to prove her point Dumbledore walked over and leaned down. “I hope you aren’t upset with the change, it was something we thought of while in my office and I wanted to implement it as soon as possible.”

“Is there a specific reason behind this?” Willow was getting a little nervous now.

“Well I think that it would do him some good help him heal and it would be ideal to have someone around who could handle you without the use of magic should…” He trailed off.

“Should I go crazy, he’s strong enough to take me down without magic.” Willow added wincing and remembering that she was still considered dangerous and a threat by Dumbledore.

“You understand dear.” He said laying a hand on her shoulder hoping that she wasn’t upset by this statement.

“I do.” She smiled trying to hold back the tears. “I really do…I think it’s a good idea. Excuse me please.”

“Albus.” Minerva said as Willow walked swiftly out of the dinning hall. “Do you really think that’s necessary?”

“Unfortunately I do.” He said looking as sad as Willow. Oliver smiled slightly.

“I’ll go talk to her.” He said nodding and excusing himself. He caught up with her on the front grounds. “Hey.” She turned around hastily wiping her eyes.

“I just….it isn’t going to matter is it?” She asked. “No matter what I do no matter how good I try to be or how careful I am the thing in the back of everyone’s mind is always going to be is she going to go crazy and start killing people? God now I know how Angel felt all the time when we were so cautious of him.”

“Hey, that’s not the thing in the back of my mind.” Oliver grabbed her shoulders and hugged her. “It’s not on Harry’s mind…it’s not on Ron or Hermione’s either. I think Fred and George are too busy falling in love with you to worry about it…so I think you’ve got enough friends that do think you’re going to kill them.”

“It should be on their minds, it should be on your mind.” Willow pulled away. “It could happen you know. I could slip up, let my guard down and he could…it could happen.”

“We wont let it.” Oliver promised her. “Dumbledore wont let it.” He said smiling at her. “Now if you don’t mind I’d like to be properly introduced to this vampire bloke.”

“Right.” Willow said smiling slightly. “I’m sure you’ll have absolutely nothing to talk about.” Willow smiled.

She was wrong after introductions were made and Willow had fixed some tea she found that they had a lot to talk about and it was Quidditch. She managed to sit through an hour and half before she got up restless. “Well this has been fun but I’d better patrol the corridors.” She said as if she wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Oh, is it that late?” Oliver jumped up. “I’ll come with you, I’ve got the great hall tonight.”

“Right.” She grabbed her cloak. “You’ll be all right?” Willow asked Spike.

“Of course I will.” He assured her.

“I’ll be back later and then we’ll have a talk about my new teaching assistant.” She glared at him.

“Told him you’d have something to say on the subject.” Spike smirked.