Willow's witchy skills are increasing and she is pleased to discover that there is an on-campus Wiccan group. However, it doesn't live upto her expectations, she condemns it as as group of "wanna-blessed-be's".
But there is one memeber of the group who is alse more interested in spells and rituals than in bake sales. Her name is Tara.
Quiet and shy, Tara hid in the background of the Wiccan group, but found herself drawn to Willow, and not only because of her interest in Witchcraft. Her mother is a practicing witch and Tara herself has been spellcasting since she can remember. When everyone's voices are stolen, Tara turns to her spellbooks to try and find a cure to the silence. She thinks she has found something and heads to Willow's to try and cast a spell, but is chased by the Gentlemen instead, on the hunt for heart's to complete their rituals. Tara runs blindly though the halls of Willow's dorms, banging on all the doors, but on one will answer, they're too scared.
Willow hears the noise and goes out to investigate and is bowled over by Tara. They try to run away from the Gentlemen, but Willow had twisted her ankle and they have to seek shelter in a laundry room. Willow tries to move the drinks machine in front of the door and stop the Gentlemen getting in, but her magical abilites aren't yet strong enough to move something so large on her own. Taram understanding what Willow is trying to do, takes her hand and thier combined power throws the drinks machine into the doorway.
A friendship is formed.
Soon Willow are Tara get together to try other spells, including the leviation of a rose and the plucking of each petal one by one. But Ethan Rayne's own magical meddlings affect the spell and although the flower is depetaled it's done in a rather violent way. However, when Willow tries to cast a spell to show the locations of all the demons in Sunnydale, Tara sabotages it and Willow believes that it just didn't work.
She is also a little hurt that Willow doesn't introduce her to her friends, although when she does first meet Buffy it's actually Faith in Buffy's body. And Faith's mean to her. It's Tara who comes up with the idea of usign a certain spell to put the two girls into the right body. And it works. There's more antagonism from Oz, especially when he finds out that Tara is Will's new love and he morphs into a werewolf. Luckily she's saved from harm by the guys from the Initiative.
Tara is also nearly killed by the demon Jonathan unknowingly releases when he warps the universe in Superstar. It is then that she becomes a fully-fledged member of the Scooby Gang. She's included in the Slayerette discussions and even voices ideas. she's very well versed in various types of magic and is a very useful addition to the team.
Tara is the main thread (other than the Cheeseman) who links the four dreams in Restless. She's the one who tries to guide Willow in her dream. She is part of a willing Willow/Tara offering to Xander in his, and she takes centre stage in Buffy's, telling the Slayer that she doesn't know what she is, she hasn't even begun, to be back before the Dawn and that it is much later than 7.30 (7-3-oh/0). She is also the voice of the First Slayer.
In season five we meet her family, her overbearing and slightly nasty father, her brother who doesn't hide his dislike of her and her vain, bimbo cousin. They've come to take her back. It's obvious that Tara is very frightened of her father, especially when he finds out that she's still practicing magic. he tells her that she's going home with him, now.
It transpires that, the male line in the family keep a story going that when the females of the family reach 21 their 'demon' side will be unleased and that they'll become a danger to themselves and others, only the males can protect them. However, after Spike punches Tara on the nose and gets the severe pain for harming a human, the truth comes out that it's all a lie to keep the ladies in line.
Tara cuts herself off from her family as she has a new one - the Slayerettes.