• Title – I Open at the Close • Author name – Vazy • Rating - PG-13 • Disclaimer – I neither own any the Scooby gang or the Harry Potter characters. That pleasure belongs to Joss Whedon and J. K. Rowling • Feedback- I crave feedback as much as Angelus craves blood. • Summary- With the wizarding world in dark times as He-who-must-not-be-named causes mass devastation, happiness still manages to bloom. The story of Willow Evans and her family's lives in the middle of a war. • T-Queen is the bomb as a beta so everyone give her a hand please? • I am a very bad kitten, sorry. I suppose now I've updated this I should go back to my failing studies...
Chapter 7 Tara glanced over the mass of bottles, all varying in color and size, before carefully selecting a couple. Carrying over the two vibrantly colored liquids, she smiled warmly at the shy child clinging to her father’s sleeve. Big brown eyes peaked at her over the wool she clung too, before, with a flurry of blonde hair, the eyes disappeared back behind the sleeve. “Hey Bella,” Tara spoke softly, holding out a hand to the child “Do you mind if I look at your Dad? You can hold his hand but I just need to get a closer look, okay?” The brown eyes widened, and the girl clutched tighter to the jumper’s sleeve, but shuffled over to allow her more room. Tara beamed at the child as she moved closer to inspect her patient. Gently removing the blood-stained tea towel from his arm, she cringed at the sight of the wound. The teeth of whatever had bitten him were huge and numerous. The wound was bloody, and seemed to be turning a nasty shade of sky blue. She winced at the thought of what had taken a bite out of the man. Grabbing a cotton bud, she quickly swiped the dirt out of the wound, and poured a neon pink gloop out of one of the bottles. For a moment the skin foamed, and then a scab formed over the top. With another cotton bud she swiped away the blue froth, before dabbing on the second potion. She studied the bite for another few moments, then, when satisfied, she taped on a large piece of gauze. Smiling at the man for a brief moment, she moved back to the cabinet filled with finished potions and ingredients. Selecting several items, she quickly added them all into her brass cauldron. With a flick of her wand flames flickered beneath. “Your potion will be ready in just a sec, and then you just have to go speak to one of our desk people. They’ll need to see your dangerous beast license, because that clearly comes under dangerous beast.” The man chuckled at this, bouncing his child on his knee. At the bubbling sound of the potion, Tara quickly poured it into a flask, and handed it to the man, before escorting him out the small treatment room. Dropping him off by the large front desk, she waved quickly at Elle before ducking into the Healer’s lounge. The room was relatively empty, except for the two new healers that were talking quietly on one of the shabbier sofas as one of Tara’s mentors, John Smith, lay spread-eagled on another snoring like a buzz saw. She had to smother a chuckle at the sight of the older Healer. The merry chime of the clock on the wall alerted her to the time, blue eyes widening, she fumbled with the key to unlock her locker. The old metal door squeaked open as she ignored the various pictures blu-tacked inside, and grabbed the fraying blue duffle bag from the depths. She needed to get home and shower quickly, if she wanted to be on time tonight. *** Tugging at the hood of her rain coat to keep the drizzle out of her eyes ,Tara let herself through the creaky iron gate. The house ahead wobbled its way skyward, defying all laws of physics. Attachments were stuck on at random, making it look much more like a children’s drawing than a plausible building. Moving across the small chicken-scratched yard to the faded green door, Tara found it hard not to smile. The Weasley house may have been a mismatched looking place, but the family that lived there was one of the best. Knocking lightly on the door, Tara waited. Footsteps were heard before a crack appeared in the door. Molly Weasley’s face peered through, brightening at the sight of the younger witch. After quickly exchanging questions, the door was opened fully. Molly swept Tara into a hug before she could blink. “Thank you for helping with Fred the other day. He’s much better now.” Tara waved the comment off easily; it was her job. “I-is Willow okay?” Tara asked, as she was pushed into a chair at the large wooden table taking up the centre of the kitchen. She had left Willow with in the capable hands of Molly Weasley for a reason, as it seemed Remus, who she thought was the most responsible of her friends, had been dragged into the madness of Willow’s little jaunt to school. She winced internally at the thought of the scolding she’d given him when an exhausted Willow turned up with him in tow. It wasn’t the werewolf’s fault that the redhead had been so stubborn. The day before she’d left Lily and James in charge of babysitting duty, but had returned home to James with an icepack on his eye, as the result of Lily clocking him one for making too much noise while Willow slept. So it was the Weasley house filled with many kids, or leaving her in the care of Sirius Black today. She thought her roommate would be safer with the kids. “She’s fine, dear. In the other room with the boys, they’ve been keeping her busy all day. No time for her to think of the offices. You’ll be staying for dinner?” Molly’s question sounded more like a statement to her, but Tara nodded along anyway. Molly’s cooking was amazing, and she needed a break. Before she could drift off into her thoughts, a steaming mug of tea was plonked in front of her. Smiling gratefully she took a sip. Chatting happily to the other witch for a while, Tara was able to relax and forget the niggling feeling that had been at the back of her mind since Willow’s mission. When Molly got up to start cooking dinner, Tara stood also, pushing her hair back with one hand she gestured towards the door with the other. “Do you mind if I go check on Willow?” With a nod as answer, she followed the sounds of laughter into the sitting room. Tara’s heart melted when she saw Willow’s current situation with the Weasley boys. Willow was leaned back against the sofa with Percy in her lap, his horn-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose as he glared furiously at the chessboard before them. Leaning on her left side wrapped in a starry blue blanket were the twins, both completely oblivious to the game as they slept. Across from the four sat the two oldest Weasley children, side-by-side. Charlie was staring at his older brother for guidance, as Bill toyed with the knight on the board. At the sight of her, Charlie bounced up from his position beside his brother, and ran over to hug her leg. The little boy loved Tara, it was really rather cute, Tara thought. “Hey Tara.” He beamed up at her. Chuckling Tara ruffled the flaming red hair. “Hey Bud, you playing chess with Willow, and your brothers?” With an excited nod he let go of her leg, and scurried back to Bill’s side, who was still absorbed in the cheques of the board, to continue the game. Tara moved to sit on the sofa that her flatmate was using as a backrest. As she settled back into the cushions Willow muttered a quiet hello, so as to not wake the sleeping children using her as a mattress, this was followed by a mumbled greeting from Percy who was now sucking his thumb. Tara held back a squeak at the cuteness of Willow and the kids. The nearly matching hair could almost make them related. Willow leaned over to point out a piece to Percy, still being careful not to jostle the twins. The three-year-old nodded at what she pointed at, and she moved the piece. Tara held back another noise at the cuteness, if she wasn’t careful she’d end up sounding like her cousin Dawn. Still though, Tara couldn’t help but imagine Willow with kids of her own. Tara’s brow furrowed, the niggling had gotten worse. She kept her eyes on the back of Willow’s head as the game continued, and Tara puzzled her thoughts out. In her mind she saw Willow cradling a smaller redhead. As Willow turned to grin at her, and Charlie and Bill started to bicker over their next move, it clicked. She sat frozen as she continued to stare at the older redhead. Willow’s hand snaked up over the edge of the seat and pushed some blonde hair behind Tara’s ear. Blue eyes widened as the touch felt like electricity. Her heart thundered in her ears. “Uh Tare, you okay?” Her mind snapped back to the present moment. Worried green eyes stared up at her. Nodding deftly Tara forced herself to stand. “I-I-I’m g-g-going to help M-Molly.” She stuttered, as she stumbled out of the room, feeling the green eyes still fixed on her. *** As Tara helped Molly in the kitchen, her brain rattled around in her head. Thoughts of small redheads, with blue eyes danced through her mind. Her eyes flitted to Molly Weasley’s swollen abdomen, and imagined someone else with red hair with a similar bump. Shaking her head Tara went back to collecting cutlery from the drawer. “H-how’s the next little whirlwind Molly?” Tara smiled, hoping that the talking would help slow her blossoming realization. The older woman positively grinned, and rested a hand on her stomach. “He’s very well thanks, not as energetic as the twins, or Bill.” Tara laughed at Molly’s assessment of the growing baby, not bothering to question the woman’s assumption of a boy. After all Molly already had five others. “He’s due in April right?” A nod confirmed her suspicions, and Molly started to talk about her other pregnancies. Tara attempted to listen raptly but her mind was flicking back to Willow, and the electricity of her touch. It felt so right, and made Tara want to slap herself for not seeing it before. Everyone else had. Willow wasn’t just a friend, Willow was… Well Willow was Willow. Sweet, wonderful, amazing Willow. Tara’s heart fluttered as she thought of the many instances of her best friend. Sleepy Willow, with drooping green eyes and mussed red hair. Concentrating Willow, with the cute scrunch between her eye brows, chin resting on hand. Happy Willow, with creased up eyes and flashing white teeth, pink tongue poking out. Her Willow-y thoughts were broken when the real thing burst into the room, a screaming twin perched on each hip, with a pied piper trail of three little boys following her. Grinning apologetically, Willow handed the twins off to their mother, before turning to the other boys and requesting they wash their hands. Tara felt the dreamy look swim across her face at parental Willow, but clamped down on it. Best not alert the other girl to her rapidly evolving feelings. The girl in question collapsed into a chair next where Tara stood, allowing her head to loll back bonelessly. “Do you know how exhausting kids are? Especially five little boys! Merlin forbid Lil ends up pregnant. Imagine Potter’s spawn, that child will be trouble with a capital T.” Willow’s moaning was softened by the smile plastered across her tired face. Tara laughed and allowed her fingers to trace the fast healing cuts on Willow’s face. Warmth sparked up her fingers and whole arm at the skin on skin contact, before she brushed some hair away from green eyes, and moved to fetch glasses for dinner.
_________________ And all my life, I looked for you For arms that I could fall into - With You Around, YellowCard
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