Don't Look Back, Just Run!

by WaffleDogOfficial

In which a unicorn holds Naruto and Sasuke hostage.

In which a unicorn holds Naruto and Sasuke hostage.

OOOOO

Only two weeks had passed since the start of his sixth year at Hogwarts and Sasuke was already tired of everyone and everything.

It had all started when Sasuke had gone to the library to write his essay for his Potions class. Not five minutes later, he had been accosted by the usual sycophantic fans and obnoxious bootlickers. Annoyed, he had stomped out of the library and gone back to the Slytherin common room.

That had not worked either. A few seconds after sitting down, he'd been approached by even more annoying fans. He had tried scowling at everyone to go away but that had been unsuccessful. Defeated, he had packed his bag with his school supplies and walked outside.

He had avoided the crowded lakeshore to wander in the area close to the Forbidden Forest. While it was still part of the school grounds, no one with any sense ever walked anywhere nearby. It was the perfect place to find solitude, which Sasuke had discovered all the way back in his first year of school.

With only the sounds of nature as distractions, Sasuke sat down under the shade of a tree. He sighed in relief before opening his bag and taking out all his school supplies.

With a hint of a smile, he began writing, continuing from where he had left off. With no one to bother him, he was able to focus on his task, hitting his writing rhythm within seconds. Less than an hour later, he had a finished essay written in front of him.

Sasuke stretched his arms out and leaned back on the trunk of the tree. He yawned, staring up at the tree canopy overhead. With his work finished and nothing to distract him, Sasuke felt himself nodding off. He yawned again, feeling at peace for the first time in a long time.

He should have known from the beginning that peace and quiet were impossible at Hogwarts.

"FUCK!"

Sasuke bolted awake. His jaw dropped when he was greeted by the sight of a blond student running panicked in his direction. He frowned, trying to remember where he had seen the other boy before. The boy looked familiar in a way he couldn't quite place.

"What?" he murmured, still sleepy, glaring at the blond from a distance.

"Shit, Sasuke's here!" the boy commented to himself before sprinting in a beeline to where Sasuke was sitting.

"What-"

Sasuke didn't have the chance to say anything else before the blond had pulled him up by the wrist. Holding his hand, the boy began to run, pulling Sasuke behind him.

"Wait! What are you-" Sasuke tried to pull his hand back, but the other boy's grip was made of iron.

"Don't look back, just run!" the blond glanced back, staring at him with sky-blue eyes that were open wide with fear.

Despite himself, Sasuke shuddered, having no idea what could scare someone so much. He began to run, reaching the other boy's side without any effort.

With a scared smile, the other boy let go of his wrist. "Follow me," he shouted, sprinting away, faster than before. "I know a place where we can hide!"

Together, he led them to the groundskeeper's hut. The blond kicked the door open and entered, dragging Sasuke inside. He closed the heavy wooden door behind him, bolting it locked.

Out of breath, they panted, the blond leaning his forehead on the wood door. With the palms of his hands on his knees, Sasuke stared at him up and down, trying to remember where he had seen him before. He was sure he was in the same year at Hogwarts and had shared a few classes together, but the boy's name eluded him. It wasn't a surprise though; he only remembered a handful of his classmates by name.

"What... was... that!?" Sasuke asked with a grimace, struggling to say each word between pants.

With his forehead still pressed against the door, the other boy recovered faster. Face flushed, he turned to Sasuke, looking sheepish.

"It's kinda embarrassing, ya know?" he admitted, pouting. The blond looked almost innocent, sky-blue eyes sending him a pleading look.

Sasuke suppressed the urge to move closer as his heart began to beat faster. He frowned again, forcing his eyes not to wander up and down the stranger's lean body.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

The blond sighed. "Okay, promise you won't laugh?" he asked. He bit his lip, making Sasuke swallow at the sight.

"I promise," Sasuke said. He wiped beads of sweat away from his forehead, staring at the other boy.

"But, seriously, promise?" the blond asked again, taking a step closer.

"I swear."

"Really, really! Don't laugh!" The other boy took yet another step closer until his face was only a few feet away from Sasuke's.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He had no idea what another sixth year would be so afraid to confess. "I won't!"

The boy sighed, turning his face to look at the wall. "Okay uh..." he paused to swallow. "I kinda made a unicorn mad and now it's chasing after me."

Sasuke couldn't help it. He let out a snort, which he covered in an instant with the palm of his hand. Suppressing laughter, he stared down at the floor, but he could not stop the snickers completely.

"Hey! You said you wouldn't laugh!" The blond boy took a step closer and grabbed onto the front of Sasuke's robe. "You promised, ya know!"

Sasuke let out another snicker of amusement. He turned to the other boy, a smirk on his face. "Really? A unicorn?"

The blond's face turned a deeper shade of red. "Shut up! I'd like to see you try wrangling a seven-hundred-pound beast with a sword on its head!" he shouted. "You'd probably piss yourself!"

Sasuke let out a sigh and shook his head. He pushed the other boy back, staring down at him with disdain worthy of his Uchiha name.

"It's a ridiculous situation, though, isn't it?" he began, still smirking. "You don't hear of unicorns attacking. They're not exactly the most dangerous beasts. Don't they usually run away when they sense danger?"

"You're right." The other boy nodded his agreement. "But have you ever hurt a mother unicorn's foal?"

Sasuke felt the blood drain from his face and his eyes widened in realization. Even the most docile beasts could be dangerous when its offspring were threatened. In an instant, he understood why the other boy had been so focused on finding a good place for them to hide.

"What did you do?" Sasuke asked, emphasizing the last word of his question. "How'd you hurt a foal?"

The other boy sighed, more deeply than before. With a despondent look, he walked toward the sitting area, urging Sasuke to follow him. As Sasuke sat on one of the armchairs, the other boy sprawled on the old sofa, lying down and staring up at the ceiling.

"It was an accident, ya know," the blond began, a pout on his face. "I was carrying a big stack of feed for the unicorns. We have the mother and the foal in the same paddock together." He glanced at Sasuke briefly before turning his attention back to the ceiling. "It was pretty normal since I feed them 'round this time. But I was carrying stuff and couldn't see, so when I opened the gate, I accidentally hit the baby."

The boy sat up with a groan. "So then I hear the saddest thing I've ever heard in my life," he continued. "I set the feed down and look around to see what's making that sound. And then I see that it's a baby unicorn and it's bleeding."

"How did it start bleeding from just opening a gate?" Sasuke asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"I hit him right on the nose with the metal thingy that opens and closes the gate."

"The latch?"

"Oh yeah! That!" The blond's eyes brightened for a second before becoming pensive once more. "That was when I noticed the mother looking at me with murder in her eyes. She starts pawing the ground- that's when they're really annoyed, ya know- and she charges straight at me!"

"You... managed to run away?" Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest, impressed. He was amazed a wizard had been able to outrun a magical creature.

The blond nodded, still looking annoyed. "Yeah. I didn't have a chance to close the gate, but thankfully she was kinda far away. So I managed to run."

"Lucky," Sasuke grunted.

"Yeah, lucky." He grimaced. "Anyway, I'll wait for her to calm down a little. I'll say sorry and offer to fix up the cut on the foal. That should make her happy. I'll release her back to the forest, too, even though taking care of her was supposed to be my project for class."

The blond boy frowned to himself and closed his eyes, turning his back toward Sasuke. He quieted.

Sasuke shifted in his seat, unsure about the change in atmosphere. For the second time, he tried to remember the other boy's name. He knew the other teachers seemed to despise him for some reason, but his name was a mystery. He had a strange inkling that it started with the letter 'N.'

"So what's your name anyway?" Sasuke asked, leaning back in the armchair.

The boy turned to gape at him, jaw falling open in surprise. "M-my name!?" he asked incredulously, sky-blue eyes wide open.

Sasuke nodded, unabashed. "I don't remember your name," he admitted.

"B-but... we're in the same year!" the blond yelled, sounding mystified. "We're even taking the same N.E.W.T. Potions and Defense Against the Dark classes!"

Sasuke nodded again, more annoyed than before. "Do you expect me to remember everyone's name? It's not like we're in the same house."

"Well, yeah, but..." the blond's face flushed and he looked away to stare at the wall. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki," he murmured. "And your name is Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha. I thought..." He swallowed and quieted once more, looking put out for some reason.

"I thought...?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What did you think?"

Naruto blushed again, determinedly avoiding Sasuke's eyes. He swallowed. "I thought everyone knew who I was."

Sasuke frowned, tilting his head to the side. "Why would I know who you are?"

"Um... That's because..." Naruto bit his lip again, making Sasuke's heart beat ever-so-slightly faster. "I tend to get in trouble a lot. So people know my name, ya know."

Sasuke snorted. "I don't have the energy or inclination to keep track of other students, especially if they're not in my house."

"Oh! Um... okay." For some reason, the other boy smiled, a pleased blush on his face.

Sasuke frowned to himself, unsure of how his words could make someone so happy. Naruto might have been a more infamous person than he had thought. If he was, he had Sasuke's sympathy in regards to fame. Even going to the toilet was torture at times. Sasuke shifted in his seat.

"So how long do you think it will take for the unicorn to calm down?" he asked, crossing one leg over the other.

The blond shrugged. "An hour or two?" he guessed. "She'll figure out where I am soon enough. When she starts wandering outside the hut, I'll know I need to go out and apologize to her."

"Hn." Sasuke grunted and looked away. He had no idea what he could say to a virtual stranger for an hour or longer of being locked together.

An awkward silence settled inside the hut and both of them avoided eye contact, unsure of what to say. It took all of Sasuke's self-control not to fidget once more in his seat.

"Oh! Right!" Naruto turned to him, a grin plastered on his face. "What were you doing over there, anyway? Were you taking a nap?"

"I was writing my essay for Potions class," Sasuke answered with a pensive sigh. He had been forced to leave behind his class materials under the shade of the tree. He just hoped the unicorn had avoided stampeding over his hard work.

"Kinda looked like you were sleeping," Naruto said, a teasing smile on his face.

Sasuke glared at him, but the other boy was unphased by his reaction. "I had just finished it," he insisted. "It's due on Monday, after all."

At Sasuke's words, a panicked expression fell on Naruto's face. He sat up, leaning forward, his mouth wide open. "We have an essay due on Monday?" he asked.

Sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "We do," he answered with a curt nod.

Cursing, Naruto covered his face with the palms of his hands. He groaned and leaned forward until his elbows were resting on his knees. "Figures," he muttered.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. "It's only Saturday," he said, unsure why he was trying to comfort the other boy. "You still have time."

Naruto sighed. "I guess." He looked up, uncovering his face, to meet Sasuke's eyes. "I haven't even thought about it though, ya know."

"You can... write it now while we're stuck here?" Sasuke suggested, uncrossing his arms and legs.

Naruto's eyes brightened. "That's true!" He rubbed his chin in deep thought before standing up and heading toward a corner of the hut. He squatted down and picked up a backpack. "Might as well get started now, ya know!" He took his school supplies and began to spread them out on the dining table.

Sasuke watched as the other boy tried to get started on his work.

"This is gonna be a bitch to write though," Naruto muttered to himself, opening the thick Potions book to one of the early chapters. He looked down at the open textbook with a befuddled and panicked grimace.

Sasuke sighed. If he had to guess, he was dealing with a natural idiot. He looked away, biting his lip, trying to come up with something to do while Naruto was busy. After all, he didn't want to risk going outside with an angry unicorn on the loose.

"I can help you if you want."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Sasuke wished he could take them back. He had never helped anyone with their classwork. He had never gotten help from anyone either. Yet, seeing a stranger, Naruto, in distress was doing strange things to his conscience.

Naruto spun his head to look at him, eyes wide and happy. His eyes brightened further and he grinned, wide and sincere.

"Wow! Really? Thank you, Sasuke!" he said. He pointed toward the empty chair next to him.

Unsure what he had gotten himself into, Sasuke sat up and joined Naruto's side. He sat next to him, trying not to let his discomfort show on his face. "What do you need help with, anyway?" he asked.

"Uh... what's the essay we're supposed to be writing about?" Naruto asked sheepishly. He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Sasuke let out a long and exhausted sigh. "We're supposed to choose one of the ingredients from the recipe for Draught of Peace and explain its effect," he said. "And how it might be used in other potions."

"Oh! Like how ground unicorn horn is good for stuff related to antidotes and junk, right?" Naruto grinned at him.

Sasuke blinked. "Uh... yes."

Naruto grinned again upon seeing his reaction. Sasuke smiled back, pleased despite himself. He was relieved the other boy was not as stupid as he looked. Then again, to qualify for the N.E.W.T.-level Potions class, he would have needed at least an 'Exceeds Expectations' on the O.W.L.

Turning his attention back to his work, Naruto began scribbling on the parchment, the words barely legible. "The Wiggenweld Potion and Oculus Potion also need powdered unicorn horn, ya know," he muttered under his breath.

The hut fell back into silence as Naruto wrote his essay, broken only by occasional muttering and the sound of a quill on parchment. Sasuke sat silent, watching Naruto's work in captivation.

"Can you understand what you just wrote?" he asked after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Naruto stopped scribbling to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it illegible?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, I guess? This isn't gonna be what I turn in though. I have Professor Iruka look over it with me and then I rewrite it more neatly. This is really just for me to get started."

"Professor Iruka?" Sasuke tried to recall which teacher it was. He guessed it was someone from one of the classes he wasn't enrolled in.

Naruto nodded happily. "Yeah! He helps me a lot, ya know!" He wrote down another sentence. "He's basically a father to me since..." Embarrassed, he looked away, quiet once more, a slight blush on his face.

"Since?" Sasuke prodded, frowning at the other boy. Despite himself, he was becoming intrigued by Naruto. It was rare to find anyone who wasn't an avid asskisser.

Naruto's face reddened more and he kept his eyes carefully trained away from Sasuke. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Iruka is my runes professor, ya know. He... he helps me a lot. With classwork especially."

"Not just for Ancient Runes?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

Naruto shook his head. "I... uh... back in the first and second year, I struggled a lot," he admitted. "Especially with writing and reading. So a lot of the teachers hated me. They thought I was really stupid. Then I started playing pranks and disrupting class a lot. Like that time with the fairies."

With a start, Sasuke suddenly remembered some of the turmoil that had marred his first and second years at Hogwarts. The disruptions had stopped after their second year, but Sasuke had never tried to find a reason why. He had just been glad to see the interruptions end.

"That was you?" he asked, annoyed once again. "You're the one that released fairies into the History of Magic classroom?"

Sensing his tone, Naruto turned to him, a sheepish grin on his face. "Yeah, that was me," he confessed, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry."

"I was finding fairy dust the rest of the year on all my things!" Sasuke grunted indignantly, raising his voice. "Did you also paint the window panels of the Herbology classroom so we had to take the class outside?"

Naruto winced and nodded, embarrassed.

"And were you the one that set off dung bombs in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom?" Sasuke raised his voice further, a venomous hint to his tone.

Naruto flinched. "S-sorry." He looked down to stare at his classwork in contrite embarrassment, shoulders hunched.

Sasuke sighed, his annoyance deflating. "So that's why you were surprised I didn't know your name," he murmured, leaning his elbow on the table, resting his chin on the palm of his hand.

Naruto's eyes widened and he nodded, a grin on his face. "Yeah! The younger kids are better, but I think a lot of people, especially in our year, still think I'm just a stupid prankster. But..." he blushed, seeming to force himself to look Sasuke in the eye. "I'm glad I got to talk to you, ya know! I like you."

It was Sasuke's turn to blush. He looked away with an embarrassed grunt. "Hn."

Naruto chuckled at his reaction before turning back to his work. A second later, Sasuke heard the tell-tale sound of a quill writing on parchment. They fell back into a comfortable silence, disrupted only by Naruto's muttering and the sounds of writing. Sasuke had to admit he had not felt quite as comfortable before in the company of other people. It was a strange feeling.

Their silence was soon broken by an undignified snort from outside. In an instant, Naruto dropped his quill and ran to the window, where he looked out. Sasuke joined at his side, staring over Naruto's shoulder.

The creature standing outside was the most beautiful thing Sasuke had ever seen. It was a white that was so clean and pure that it seemed to glow. A sharp horn jutted from its forehead, at least a few feet long. It nickered, pawing its front hoof on the ground, moving with a grace and fluidity he had never seen before. Sasuke was so captivated by its beauty it took him a few seconds to see the tiny golden foal at its side.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Unicorn!" Naruto shouted, sticking his head out through the window.

The unicorn turned toward the sound of Naruto's voice, seeing him for the first time. She bucked her back legs before walking closer with the foal at her side, stopping underneath the window. Closer, Sasuke could see the remains of some dried silvery liquid on the foal's forehead.

"It was an accident, Mrs. Unicorn, I swear! I don't know how I can make it up to you!" Naruto sounded truly repentant as he pleaded with the magical creature outside. Sasuke could have sworn he saw hints of tears building in the corners of his eyes. "Please don't hurt me, I swear I'll make your baby all better!"

The unicorn whinnied, still sounding annoyed. However, Sasuke could hear a hint of understanding in her tone.

"Is it okay if I go outside?" Naruto asked. "I have some bandages and stuff to clean your baby's wound, ya know!"

With bated breath, Naruto and Sasuke waited for the unicorn's reaction. For a few tense seconds, they stared out through the window. Finally, the unicorn bowed its head, seeming to nod in reluctant agreement.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief and Sasuke watched as the tension on his shoulders disappeared. He grinned at the magical creatures standing outside. "I'll be out in a sec!" he shouted. "Just let me get some supplies."

With that, Naruto ran toward a cupboard at the corner of the room. He rummaged inside, pulling out a few bandages and towels.

"Oh! Sasuke!" Naruto turned to him as he walked outside. "Can you get some hot water for me? I need to clean the baby's wound."

"Hn, fine."

With only a thankful grin, Naruto unbolted the heavy wooden door and walked outside. Sasuke headed to the fireplace, filling the kettle with water using Aguamenti. With a swish of his wand, a fire flickered and he watched as the flames heated the water inside.

Sasuke sighed as he waited impatiently for the water to heat up. When he had woken up that morning, he had not expected to be held hostage by an angry unicorn. Yet... Sasuke was enjoying himself more than he had ever thought possible.

Sasuke looked toward the open door. Naruto sat at the top of the steps, a collection of bandages and towels at his side. The baby unicorn had walked closer to Naruto, shy, while its mother stood in the background, still looking angry. Naruto was scratching the side of the foal's face, trying to make sure it remained calm.

Sasuke smiled. Distracted, he watched as Naruto talked to the foal, saying empty nothings to keep it calm.

Sasuke was broken out of his stupor by the sound of water boiling. With a curse, he turned off the flames. He summoned a bowl and poured some of the boiling liquid inside. He walked to Naruto's side, careful not to spill the water.

"I said hot, not boiling!" Naruto said with a laugh. "Can you cool it a little?"

Sasuke obliged. He added more water to the bowl using Aguamenti, satisfied when Naruto hummed in approval.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yup! Thanks!" Naruto nodded before dipping a small towel inside the water. He wrung out the extra liquid before moving it to the foal's forehead. Murmuring sweet nothings, he began to clean the wound, wiping all the remains of silver blood away.

Sasuke watched him work, feeling a strange tightening in his chest. Part of him wanted to look away but the sight of the other boy tenderly cleaning the unicorn's wound was too captivating.

"Well, I'm done!" Naruto declared, dumping the sullied towel inside the bowl of water.

The baby unicorn whinnied appreciatively, moving back to its mother's side. Relieved, the mother nuzzled her baby, inspecting it for remaining wounds and blood. Seemingly satisfied, she turned back to Naruto, who tensed at her critical glare.

The unicorn hesitated for a few seconds, seeming to consider her options. Naruto flinched, dreading a sudden attack. The unicorn took a step closer before bowing her head in reluctant gratitude. With a final whiny, she spun around and headed back into the forest, her foal galloping in her shadow.

As soon as the unicorns were out of sight, Naruto let out a sigh of relief, collapsing with his back on the floor. Tired, he looked up at Sasuke, who stared back at him with a frown.

"Well, I think I saw my life flash before my eyes," Naruto whined, still staring up at Sasuke. "I almost died, ya know!"

Sasuke squatted down, meeting his eyes. "But you didn't."

Naruto sighed again. "Gotta count the blessings where they come, I guess." He sat up and scratched at the back on his head in embarrassment. "Anyway, I guess you're free to go now. Hopefully, she didn't trample over your bags and stuff."

"Oh... uh... yeah. Hopefully." Sasuke hesitated, unsure as to why. He almost wanted to tell Naruto he wished to stay longer but his pride wouldn't allow him.

"Yeah."

"Hn."

Unsure of what else to say, Sasuke extended his hand down for Naruto to take. Naruto stared at the open palm for a few seconds before taking the offer. The touch was electrifying and Sasuke almost didn't want to let go. Trying to ignore the abnormal feeling in his stomach, Sasuke pulled Naruto up so they stood face to face once again.

"I guess you're leaving?" Naruto turned his sky-blue eyes to him, a questioning tone in his voice.

"I guess."

"You know... you..." Naruto swallowed and Sasuke watched his throat as his Adam's apple bobbed. "You're not a bad guy to spend time with, ya know."

Sasuke smirked. "Surprisingly, neither are you," he admitted.

Naruto laughed at that, scratching the back of his head again.

"Do you wanna stay here for a while longer?" Naruto bit his lip again, avoiding Sasuke's eyes. "You can come over anytime you want, too. Professor Kurama lets me come here whenever, since I help him take care of all the magical creatures, ya know."

Sasuke could hear the slightly pleading tone in Naruto's voice.

He looked back at the other boy, staring him up and down. He bit his lip, not wanting his face to betray how much that invitation meant to him. Yet, he could not suppress the small smile that tugged at his lips.

"Yeah... I'd like that," Sasuke said as he turned to meet Naruto's eyes.

The blush that swept across Naruto's face was more than worth the trouble of getting held hostage by a unicorn.

OOOOO

A/N: Well, this was fun to write. There is a lot of headcanon-ing I did for this story that will never be known otherwise since it ended up not coming up after all. Some highlights:

Naruto is a Hufflepuff. Naruto already had a crush on Sasuke but wanted to distance himself from the annoying fans so he never said anything or approached him. Naruto was raised in a muggle orphanage so his first year was very difficult for him. He took Runes randomly in his third year and Iruka was the first one to take any kind of care of him, which is when his behavior improved. Naruto's dream is to become a magical zoologist. Naruto is really good with practical matters (Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures) but struggles with written material. Naruto has a strange attraction to Sasuke because he feels they are both lonely and wanting to prove themselves.

Sasuke knows the names of, like, three of his classmates. His parents died in a magical accident when he was young. Itachi is alive but distant. He's famous in school because Itachi is a well-known political figure and was already influential even back in school. Sasuke's good looks only make him more popular with everyone (to his annoyance). Sasuke's goal is to become an Auror and he has top grades in everything.

Kurama is the Care of Magical Creatures professor and also the groundskeeper. He has a strange fondness for Naruto but would never admit it. Tsunade is the Minister of Magic and low-key hates her job. Itachi and Jiraiya are her main advisors. Orochimaru is the Hogwarts Headmaster, former Slytherin head and Transfiguration teacher.

I have so many headcanons related to this one-shot crossover it's not even funny, so please, send me questions on Tumblr at waffledogwrites. I would actually love to interact more with y'all TT-TT