Glamours

Brushes With Darkness

Voldemort stepped even closer to the trio, his lips twisting into a smirk. "I've been looking all over for you my dear. I was ever so disappointed when I heard that you had been killed," he leered at her. "And ever so happy when I found out it was all a cruel joke."

"I'm so glad you got amusement out of it," Willow spat out sarcastically. She had decided that she wasn't going to be the one to initiate an attack; he had too many Death Eaters with him. No, today she was going to strike if HE struck. She just hoped it didn't come to that. The darkness that had settled over the kitchen felt wonderful and she wasn't sure that if provoked, she wouldn't take in more power than she was accustomed to and lose herself completely.

The dark lord suddenly was in her face. "I could kill you right now you know. It would solve both of our problems; you, the issue of what side of the was you'll fight on-we really can't have someone as powerful as you on the light side now can we?- and I, the problem of worrying about you helping Potter here with my own death." He stepped back, still smirking, seeing by the helpless way Willow was behaving that she was VERY close to losing control. This was good. This was, ultimately, the only way he would win the war. She, he had to admit was just the vessel to use to gain his power in the wizarding world back. He wasn't interested in the "˜white witch' nonsense she had been exhibiting since she had oh so deliciously tried to end the world. No, Willow was only valuable to him if she succumbed to her own darkness and joined him. He would keep her alive for now, until there was no hope of her turning. He was a very good negotiator though. "Come my dear, it would feel so good wouldn't it? The power? You'll never be as powerful good then bad you know. And you'll never be able to defeat me without using dark magic, something I know you have a problem controlling. Wouldn't it just be better to give yourself up now?"

"Sorry. I have better things to do than try to take over the world again," she responded dryly.

"Crucio," Voldemort turned on her furiously at this comment.

Willow was too fast though. "Thicken," she moved a hand through the air and an invisible wall made the curse bounce off it and hit the nearest Death Eater. With a scream, he dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. "Is that all you got?"

"Willow, you surprise me with your animosity," he sneered back at her, quickly taking the curse off of one of the guards he had brought with him. He took in the two men that stood next to Willow. Harry Potter. Voldemort rolled his eyes. Of course that do-gooder would be here. Draco Malfoy. Now THAT he hadn't been expecting. Indeed, since his father had been imprisoned, later released in the attack the Dark Lord's army had launched on Azkaban to renew their ranks, Draco had been keeping a low profile. He had turned down the Dark Lord's offer to join his ranks in exchange for a place in Dumbledore's pathetic little Order, despite having so much training in the dark arts it was beginning to eat away his soul. "˜Much like our Willow here,' he mused internally. Voldemort had heard that Draco had become an Auror, but he hadn't been expecting him to ever take a stand against the Dark Lord himself, even being a member of the Order. Surprises abounded apparently. He hadn't been expecting Willow to be able to rebound an Unforgivable either. His thoughts were broken however as a fireball Willow had conjured headed straight for him. With a deceptively gentle flick of his wrist, he doused it.

"Now Willow, that wasn't very ladylike of you. Turning down my very generous offer then? And after I didn't kill your bodyguards immediately upon entering the room too"¦"

"Don't think you're doing me any favours," she said sullenly. "I make my own decisions and I'm choosing not to join you in this idiotic Hitler-esque journey to the depths of hell you appear to be on."

Voldemort simply looked amused. "I am doing you a favour though my dear, I am. You just don't know how much yet. I'm giving you time." He was silent a moment. He should tell her now. Break her a little. "Your parents are dead you know. My Death Eaters got to them this morning. Italy I believe, on holidays and still mourning the death of their only daughter."

Willow blanched, her earlier bravado fading with the colour in her face. She hadn't been close to them, sure, but they had still been her parents. They had survived through the collapse of Sunnydale; they had been on a business trip. To be killed after surviving that"¦.

Harry, noticing his lover's shock, laced her hands through hers.

"Oh yes," Voldemort mused, a wide grin on his face. He began to pace in glee. "I see you've also developed a close relationship to the Weasely family." He paused in his pacing to meet her gaze with animosity. "If you want to save them, you'll join me." It was only then that he noticed Harry and Willow's intertwined fingers. "And don't think I don't know about this "˜liaison' between you and Mr. Potter." His grin widened further as he watched the two accused freeze, his Death Eaters beginning to chortle loudly. "It will give me such pleasure when I kill him. Who knows? Maybe that's what will bring you to me. However I do believe in the lure of the hunt." Suddenly, the Dark Lord looked up at the clock. "Goodness me, is that the time? You have a week to decide Willow and then the Weasely's time is up. Oh, and Draco? This is for your refusal to join my ranks. Crucio."

Before Willow could erect a protective field, Draco had hit the floor in agony. The Death Eater's and Voldemort all pulled out portkeys at the same moment he fell and were gone before she or Harry could dispose of either the Dark Lord, or any of his followers.

Willow joined Harry by Draco's side, and quickly ended the spell. Draco's muscles continued to spasm though, and his breath came in pants. "Draco, we've got to get to Hogwarts. It's safer there and I'm not sure if they'll be back or not."

Draco shook his head violently, gasping for the breath he had been robbed of in those excruciating moments of pain Voldemort had subjected him to. "No, we're fine. They won't be back. Just"¦give me a moment."

Harry and Willow sat down in defeat next to Draco, who had resumed the fetal position in an attempt to halt the muscle spasms. Sympathetically, Willow placed a hand lightly on his back and murmured a spell. Suddenly, the spasms stopped.

"Thanks, Will er"¦ Lucy." He sighed, as the pain floated away with the spasms and he sat up.

"You might as well call me Willow. The cat's out of the bag now. People are dying"¦just a typical day in the life of Willow Rosenberg."
She moved a hand to her cheek to brush away strastray tear that had escaped her left eye.

Harry, noticing her tears, handed her his handkerchief. "I'm sorry about your parents."

Willow looked up at him, the remaining tears glistening and unshed. "Not like they were home much anyway"¦.but still, they were my parents." She shook her head, as if to shake herself out of the mood and stood up. "Shall we gentlemen? We should be getting to Hogwarts. I'm sure everyone's getting worried about us."

"Willow what are you going to do?" Draco asked sadly as Harry helped him up and held him there, Draco's muscles weaker than they normally were, preventing him from standing on his own.

Willow shrugged as she created a portkey out of a battery Arthur had on the ledge of a window. "Not sure. Take over the world? I mean really, I could be a good dictator"¦." she said in an attempt to lighten the mood. It didn't work. "Everyone grab hold." She motioned and the two men did as they were told.

She would get through this. She just didn't know how.