.

.


It had occurred to Kakashi that he would be spending at least an hour alone with Sakura after the last class had finished for the day on Friday. It had also occurred to him that this would be the first time that they had both been in his office alone together since the night that Jiraiya had nearly walked in on them. And while he was looking forward to creating new memories with her that didn't involve interruptions from a pervy old man, he knew that he couldn't make the evening too enjoyable.

This was supposed to be her punishment after all.

But as far as detentions went, this wasn't going to be the worst one. He couldn't help the small smile that curled his lips as he straightened the desks back into their usual rows. It was taking a lot of effort not to check the clock and he knew that being impatient was dangerous. The more greedy he became with her, the more careless he would be.

And what they needed most was to be careful. They didn't need someone walking in on anything risque happening. Although that's almost what had entirely occupied his mind for the past few weeks. Anytime she sprang up into his head, his thoughts instantly took a turn toward the gutter and as wretched as it made him feel, he couldn't deny his excitement to finally being alone with her once again.

The past week was nearly torture, having to see her in class and in the dining hall for meals. Every time she would smile his way he would have to stop himself from doing something stupid like smiling back or going to her. That would definitely get the attention of the other professors and he was hoping to avoid any extra attention now.

It was bad enough he had been roped into detention with her. And he meant bad in the best way. It was dangerous and foolish and he couldn't wait until dinner was over so he could just talk to her like another person and not one of his students.

It was becoming a little difficult to control his tone around her. Every time he told her good job, he had to hope she could interpret that to know he meant he was proud of her, that he adored her, and that he couldn't wait to be alone with her again. Of course, he hoped she could read all that and no one else would be able to.

Once all of the desks had been arranged back in their proper rows, Kakashi straightened and glanced around the room. He had no idea what to do for her detention tonight. If she were any other student, he'd made her scrub the desks or scrape the gum from the bottom of them, but he wasn't going to make her do that. It was punishment, but there were other ways he'd prefer to see her on her knees.

Glancing over his shoulder, he looked up to the door of his office and hummed to himself quietly. It was probably time for him to finish unpacking the rest of his books. He had only been a professor for the past five months. It was time to at least look official. At the very least, it would be something to occupy her for the entire hour and would give him a chance to work on grading essays that he'd been procrastinating on.

He just hoped he could be in such close proximity with her, alone, with soft candlelight and not give in to the temptation. It was going to be hard, he knew that much for certain. But if Kakashi Hatake was anything, he was in control of himself.

Of course, he hadn't exactly been in control of himself around her in the past. Merlin knows he's tried. It was damn near impossible when it came to her and that thought was both frightening and exciting. It made him feel like a teenager again, even though when he was young enough for her, he hadn't let himself give in to any temptation like this. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have so much pent up frustration boiling beneath the surface of his skin.

Kakashi turned toward the steps leading up to his office but didn't get far. The door to the classroom opened on creaking hinges and he whirled around to see the slightly flushed face of the particular student who he hadn't been able to get out of his head all day. Sakura stood just inside the room and slowly slid the door shut behind her, giving him the opportunity to let his gaze travel the length of her body and take in the sight of her school uniform.

He had just seen her wearing it barely an hour ago, but her tie was gone as was the robes she had been wearing. At her throat, he could see the top two buttons of her shirt were undone, exposing a few inches of her pale skin. He pursed his lips to keep them from tingling with the need to press them against her and folded his arms over his chest.

He couldn't help the smirk curling the corner of his mouth as she moved closer to him. There was a shyness surrounding her resembling the way she had looked at him at the beginning of the year when they barely knew one another and didn't particularly care to be in the other's company. For half a second, he worried that something might have happened since he had seen her last, something that would diminish the spark he knew was hiding within her. His arms loosened and he almost reached for her when she looked up at him through her lashes.

It was just a quick glance, one that was accompanied by a curl of her own lips, and the worry immediately washed away from him. She was playing coy. Why did it turn him on to know that?

Resisting the urge to let out a groan, Kakashi cocked his head to the side and looked down at her as she came to a stop an arm's length away from him. He half expected her to reach for him and he was only a little disappointed when she didn't. "I hope you enjoyed your dinner, Ms. Haruno."

She shook the hair from her face and nodded, glancing away from him as she took a deep breath. "I suppose I did. I couldn't exactly concentrate on eating when I knew I would be alone with you." This time, she did reach for him and inched just a bit closer. Before she could touch him, Kakashi took a step back and clucked his tongue in disappointment. The look of surprise on her face was enough to make him grin behind his mask.

"We may be alone, Ms. Haruno," he said, dropping the tone of his voice. "But you are still in detention."

A flash of surprise and disappointment shot across her face but she was recovered quickly and nodded, taking a step back. "I see. Well, what would you have me do for you tonight, Professor?"

Oh, she was doing that just to tease him and it made the grin on his face widen just a bit. He turned and gestured up to his office door. "I think it's time we unpack a few of my boxes, don't you think?"

"And when you say we, you mean me, correct?"

Kakashi winked. "Very astute, Ms. Haruno."

With a sigh, Sakura nodded and turned toward the stairs with Kakashi hanging back for just a moment so that he could take in the sight of her backside. When she was making her way up the steps, he caught up to her and reached for the railing. She was halfway up by now and Kakashi allowed himself to peer up at her. It seemed that there was something else missing from her uniform as well.

Her usual dark gray tights were gone and he could see the milky stretch of her thighs from just beneath her pleated skirt. The sight made his hand tighten around the railing and he let out a strangled noise from the back of his throat before quickly gulping it down. Sakura paused with one foot on the next step and turned to smile down to him.

"Coming, Professor?"

She was going to be the death of him. One of these days, she was going to say something teasing and the blood would leave his brain so suddenly, he would pass out.

Darting his tongue out to wet his lips, Kakashi followed her up to the landing, taking the steps two at a time to reach her quicker. She moved into his office as if it were her own and once she reached the middle, where a few of the boxes had been pushed aside to make a path, she turned on her heel to face him.

He had never wanted to kiss someone more than he did at that moment and he felt his body take two steps toward her before he stopped himself. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced to the clutter of ungraded essays sat-where they'd been sitting for the past four days. As much as he wanted to do exactly what was on his mind, he had other matters to attend to and he had just told himself that they had to be careful from now on.

Trips to the restricted section, as fun as they may be, couldn't happen often.

"What would you like me to do?"

Of course, it was difficult to keep control of himself when she phrased her questions like that. He squeezed his hands into fists in his pockets, digging his nails into his palms to keep the blood flowing away from his lap, Kakashi nodded his head toward the box at her left. "You can start with that one. I prefer them to be in alphabetical order."

And with that, he forced himself behind his desk and took a seat in his chair. If he stood there for much longer, staring at her, he wouldn't be able to control himself. He had to keep his focus on third-year essays about Boggarts and all the ways to get rid of them. Thankfully, Boggarts were about the least sexy topic his brain could think about and would hopefully be a decent distraction.

Sakura lowered herself onto her knees beside the box and popped the flaps open. She sat back on her heels with a sigh and draped her arms over the edge before glancing back at him from over her shoulder. "Why are you even unpacking all of this?"

Kakashi had barely read three words on one of the essays before he was lifting his head to look at her once more. He scoffed and sat back a bit in his chair. "So I won't be tripping over boxes every day."

"Yeah, but," she trailed off and looked back down at the books in front of her with a frown on her mouth. "Aren't you just going to have to pack them all back up when you leave?"

His brows pinched and he set the quill down on his desk. "What makes you so sure I'm leaving?"

The flush of color to her cheeks made him smile and he watched as she ducked her hand back into the box to pull out a few books. She turned to the shelf and slid them in place. She shrugged her shoulder and stared at the spines of the books with a tilt of her head. "Well, you're called away from Hogwarts so often. It doesn't seem like the Ministry can function without you. And besides, I thought..."

She sat back on her heels and pulled the box toward her, silence filling the space between them. For a moment, he waited, expecting her to continue what she was saying but he could see that she was either too distracted or embarrassed to talk about it. He leaned forward and rest his elbows on his knees, ignoring the call to finish grading his essays.

"You thought what?"

Her lips pursed and she turned back to slide three more books along the shelf. Again, her shoulder lifted in a quick shrug and she risked a glanced to him out of the corner of her eye. "I thought-" this time, her voice was quiet. "-we might work together. As Aurors. In the future."

Kakashi felt his stomach drop as their eyes met. Long gone was the rush of blood through his body and replaced now with a trickle of cold racing through his veins. He blinked and sat back in his chair, turning to his essays with a quick clear of his throat.

If she noticed his sudden change in demeanor, she didn't mention it. He stared down at the scribbled words on the parchment below him but he didn't read a single word, not sure what the hell was coming over him.

No, that was a lie.

He knew exactly what was happening. He just didn't expect it.

The last time someone made plans for the future with him, he had ended a months-long relationship with a woman who wanted too much for him. He had broken her heart and felt little remorse about it. In fact, he had been relieved when she switched departments and he didn't have to see her. He was happy he had avoided that awkwardness and knew he should've felt bad about dumping her so suddenly. But he didn't.

Kakashi didn't want to feel like that toward Sakura. He didn't want to break things off with her to avoid a commitment he wasn't ready for. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied her sorting through the titles on the shelf and pursed his lips. She wasn't anything like Hanare and the thought of working alongside Sakura didn't exactly make him feel the way it had with Hanare.

That had felt like the walls were slowly closing in on him, like he was a dog caught in a trap and was on the verge of chewing his leg off to get free. He hadn't felt for Hanare the way she had wanted him to. He hadn't felt for her the way he did for Sakura.

The thought sent a new wave of cold through his body and he blinked at his realization. Before he could focus too much on it, Sakura sat back on her heels and blew the hair from her face with a quick puff. "Not that I'm planning out our future or anything." She looked up at him and lowered the two books to her lap. He stared, not too sure how to sort through the flurry of thoughts in his head at the moment. "I just admire you and your work and even if we don't...last, or whatever, I'd still like to work with you as an Auror."

Kakashi felt himself nod, though he continued to stare at her unblinking, letting her words sink into his head. It was strange how quickly that momentary panic started to subside as she spoke and he allowed himself to truly think about the idea of the future. He wasn't sure where he would be next year; Hogwarts or back at the Ministry, but the thought of being here without Sakura felt strange. Too strange.

He didn't want to look out at the crowd in the Great Hall and not see her at breakfast. He didn't want to sit in his office and know there was no possibility that she might sneak in to see him. What he wanted was to see her in the halls of the Ministry, to know she would be by his side, learning from him.

And suddenly, the future didn't seem so suffocating.

With a small smile, he nodded again and watched her turn her face toward him. "I'd like to work with you as well. It would be interesting."

She ducked her head to hide the smile stretching across her lips, but he managed to spot it before she did. He watched her pick at the corner of the leather-bound book in her lap before she lifted her head and let him see the sly smile on her lips. "Interesting because we would be sleeping together?"

He laughed and leaned back in his chair before reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. "Interesting because you're a talented witch and I'd like to see you unlock your full potential."

"My full potential?" She scoffed and shoved the book onto the shelf before giving him a roll of her eyes. "You sound like a professor."

"Well, I am your professor, remember?"

"Yeah, but you're more than that." Sakura stood to her feet and pushed the now empty box away with the toe of her shoe. She avoided looking him in the eye and he could tell she was feeling quite shy after admitting that. He watched her move to the next box, this one much closer to his desk-too close. He wasn't able to resist any longer.

Kakashi reached out and took her by the wrist, staring up at her as she glanced from his hand to his face. He could hear her sharp intake of breath and tried not to think about how much it excited him. Sakura stepped between his knees and he reached up to brush the hair away from her face. As she looked down at him, her gaze softened and her lips parted.

"Is this what you do with all the students in detention, Professor?"

"Oh no," he said quietly, rising from the chair so that his chest was pressed against hers. He turned her until the back of her thighs touched his desk and she reached back to steady herself, wrinkling the parchment essay still lying there. "I'm much more cruel to them. I could have you writing lines for the next few hours."

Her knees parted to let him move between them and she slid her palm up the length of buttons of his shirt, fingers curling around his suspenders. When she blinked up at him, he had to force himself not to kiss her. "And what would you have me do instead, Professor?"

The way she said that word, professor, was cruel. It was as if she could taste every syllable and found each one delicious. His hands curled into fists around the fabric of her skirt, inching it up the length of her thighs slowly. Kakashi tipped his head lower until he could feel the warm puff of her breath through the fabric of his mask.

"Do you really want to know?"

Sakura nodded, her eyes barely open and lips parted with desire. It made the corner of his lips curl into a wicked smirk.

"I would have you," he started, letting his lips brush against hers with only his mask between them. "Finish unpacking these boxes."

With a grin, he pulled away from her and watched her eyes snap open. She blinked in surprise but didn't stay that way long. She reached out and pulled the strap of his suspenders, releasing them before he could realize what she was doing and when they popped against his chest, Kakashi found himself laughing despite the sting. He rubbed at the spot and took a step back so she could stomp past him.

"I think that should earn you another detention, Ms. Haruno."

She turned to stick her tongue out at him from over her shoulder and Kakashi chuckled again. He pulled his chair back toward the table but didn't return to his work just yet. Instead, he watched her open another box and pluck two of the books out of them. From between the pages, a slip of paper fell to the floor and Kakashi knew what it was in an instant.

Another wave of cold filled his veins and he felt his body stiffen as Sakura reached down to pick it up. She cradled the books in her hands and turned on her heel with the photo, now facing him. "Who's this?"

The black and white picture taken from a muggle camera was one he had tucked away months ago, one that was still too painful to look at. Kakashi stood from the chair and reached for the photograph with a sigh. The three smiling faces-well, two smiling faces and his covered with his mask-still made his heart squeeze tight in his chest.

It had been almost eight years but it never stopped hurting. He brushed his thumb over the smiling face of Rin and Obito before forcing a smile as he looked back up at Sakura. "This is the dark side of being an Auror. Not everyone makes it to retirement."

"Oh," she said quietly, dropping her gaze to the picture in his hands. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so nosy."

"It's alright. It happened a long time ago." Kakashi turned and opened the top drawer of his desk before dropping the picture inside. He shut it with a soft thump and turned back to face Sakura. Her head was ducked and he could tell she felt bad for bringing up harsh memories. This time, he let himself reach for her without the intention of teasing her.

She tilted her head back and looked up at him, concern and curiosity written across her face. "How did they die?"

The question sucked the air from him and he blinked his surprise away. "I think that question should wait for another detention." He pulled her into his arms and rest his chin on the top of her head. It was lovely how well she fit against him, but his thoughts were soured. He had been too focused on being with Sakura after graduation, on working with her and being close with her that he didn't even think about the other reality-the reality of something taking her away from him.

He stared at the stained glass window of his office and held her tightly, winding the shortened strands of her hair around his fingers as she nuzzled her face against his shoulder. And while a voice in the back of his head was constantly reminding him that this wasn't being careful, that someone could walk in at any moment, he ignored it. In that moment, all he wanted was to hold her.


Sakura dropped her quill onto the astronomy charts she was currently working on and squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose with her middle finger and her thumb. She, along with four other students including Hinata Hyuga, had been spending the past hour trying to get ahead of their advanced lessons. The study group had formed during the week and while Sakura didn't usually work in groups to get ahead of her work, she couldn't deny that recent happenings had made her a bit distracted.

It was only the fourth week back from the holiday break and she was already behind. Well, not behind, but she wasn't as far ahead as she preferred to be. The second part of the seventh year was notoriously difficult. Exams every week, preparations for graduation, and not to mention her shadowing would grow more frequent in the next few months.

She was scheduled to shadow Hana for the evening, but first, she had to finish these last two charts. And if she could get her mind on track and not let it roam to Kakashi, she couldn't actually get it done. But it seemed that her mind was stubbornly stuck on thinking of him.

Then again, when was it not? He had been at the forefront of her thoughts since October and with every moment the shared with one another, her infatuation with him only grew worse. Was that even the right word? Infatuation seemed so impersonal. But love was too sudden.

Besides, she wasn't even sure if she knew what love was. What she had felt for Sasuke felt more like infatuation. This was-

"Oh man," Choji started, letting his quill drop to the floor where they had all gathered to work. "I'm starving. Dinner should start soon."

"Yeah, I think my eyes are starting to go cross anyway." His girlfriend and fellow Hufflepuff, Karui said as she rubbed her palms into her eyes. "We can always meet up afterward."

Sakura sat cross-legged on the Astronomy Tower floor, watching the other three start to pack their things away. They had been allowed the rest of the night to work on their charts though Professor Shiranui hadn't stuck around. He trusted them to not leave a mess or disturb anything in his absence.

As Hinata rolled her chart back up, she glanced at Sakura. "You coming?"

"Not yet. I'm shadowing Hana tonight so I won't be able to come back after dinner." With another sigh, she plucked her quill up from the floor and leaned on her elbow. "I'm gonna work through dinner to get this finished."

"Oh," Hinata said, glancing to Choji and Karui who were already standing and dusting the seat of their pants. "Do you want me to stay with you? I don't mind."

Sakura was shaking her head before the words left her mouth. She waved her off with a smile. "It shouldn't take me too much longer. I'll be down before dinner is over, I'm sure."

"Okay. If you're sure." She stood to her feet and grabbed her book bag before slipping it onto her shoulder. After Sakura reassured the three of them that she was in fact sure, they turned and walked out of the classroom while discussing what they were going to eat first at dinner.

Their voices echoed from the spiraling staircase and after a few moments, it faded into silence and Sakura turned back to her chart. Her thoughts, however, also turned. She sat back on her palms and stared up at the enchanted ceiling ahead of her. The night sky showed above her as if she were laying in the middle of nowhere, with absolutely no light pollution to wash the stars out. They twinkled brightly and every so often, a meteor would flash across the room and disappear before it would meet the stone wall.

It was her favorite place in the whole castle and since her thoughts were currently occupied by visions of her favorite person in the castle, she closed her eyes and imagined him there with her. She wished she could feel the warmth of his shoulder pressing into hers as they counted the shooting stars and pointed out the various constellations to one another. Would he know as much as she did about astronomy? She would definitely have to quiz him on his knowledge the next time she saw him.

Her smile faded and she sighed. There was no way to know when she would even see him again. He had been called away by the Ministry two days ago and there was no way she could find out if he was alright. Asking Tsunade, or anyone for that matter would only raise suspicions and so, Sakura was left to wonder about his well being alone. It was a horrible feeling, especially after learning about the fate of his friends from the photograph.

Kakashi hadn't told her much, but knowing they had died while being Aurors hadn't been very reassuring. It didn't change her mind about wanting to go down that career path, but it made her worry for his sake. If anything happened to him…

She couldn't finish the thought. It made her throat tighten and stomach twist into knots. Sakura sat up and tucked her legs back beneath her as she stared down at the Astronomy chart. She had to take her mind off of him and this horrible unknowing. It was going to drive her crazy if she dwelled too long on it.

She located the Lovejoy comet on the chart and labeled it correctly, along with the properties that it brought to magic. As the tip of her pen scribbled over the paper, she heard what sounded like a voice coming from the stairwell. She rolled her eyes and moved onto the next heavenly body waiting for her to label it. Hinata had probably gotten halfway to the Great Hall before deciding to turn around and accompany Sakura.

She stilled her quill and listened for the sound of her making her way up the stone stairs. But the voice and footsteps that would follow had gone quiet. Sakura lifted her head and frowned. "Hinata?"

Silence was the only answer she received and with a shrug, she turned back to her chart. Another shooting star raced across the sky above her, lighting the floor up with a soft glow before fading and Sakura spun the chart around to find the Tarantula Nebula. Just as the paper slid across the stone floor, the whispering voice from before returned and the hairs along Sakura's neck stood on end.

It wasn't Hinata. In fact, it sounded eerily similar to the voices she had heard whispering between the buildings of Diagon and Knockturn Alley. Her fingers froze on the quill and she slowly turned to stare over her shoulder to the door of the classroom. She could see the faint light from the stairwell beyond the open door and silhouetted against it was a dark figure.

The blood in her body ran ice cold and for several seconds, she could only stare with wide eyes. Panic and terror gripped her tightly by the spine, refusing to let her move and her eyes darted to the seat closest to her where her book bag was. And right in the front pocket, her wand stuck out. How stupid of her to leave it!

Swallowing the taste of bile threatening to come up from her stomach, Sakura slowly turned to fully face the figure but remained on her knees. Inch by inch, she slid her right foot beneath her to make it easier for her to rush to her wand if she needed to. A small part of her reminded her that this could be a prank, another attempt to humiliate her.

But if that were true, why corner her when she was alone.

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes on the hooded figure. They hadn't moved and stood rooted to the spot in the doorway like a statue. Sakura scoffed, finally managing to bring her foot up beneath her.

"If you're trying to scare me, you'll have to do better than that."

They didn't offer an answer and Sakura slowly rose to stand. Still, the figure stayed still and silent and she resisted the urge to reach up and rub the hair on the back of her neck. A strange sense of dread sank into her stomach and the flight or fight instinct flared inside her. She glanced at her wand again. It was only five steps away. She could reach it in two if she was quick enough.

Without a word, she moved as quickly as she could toward the bag. Her hand stretched for it but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hooded figure move as well. A sharp sting of electricity hit her wrist and she jumped back, holding the tender spot to her chest.

Her eyes went wide as the figure held out a hand, gloved in black and silhouetted against the light behind them. They wagged their finger back and forth and Sakura knew she was useless against them without her wand. Again, she lunged forward and managed to grab her bag by the strap but the figure was quicker than she expected. A hand gripped her elbow and spun her away from her bag. She held onto the strap tightly, pulling it with her but the boot to her stomach surprised her.

Air left her lungs in a huff and she stumbled back against one of the telescopes, sending it sliding away from the window it sat perched in front of. In her daze, her bag was ripped from her hand and thrown across the room. It slid along the charts she had been working on and Sakura let out a cough as she looked up to where the figure's face would be. There was nothing but black beneath the hood.

They struck a fist out but she slid away at the last moment, catching the breeze from their blow across her cheek. She snatched them by the wrist and used their own move against them. She kicked her foot out, hitting them in the thigh hard enough that whoever it was let out a grunt and stumbled back.

Their wand caught the light of a shooting star flashing overhead and Sakura gasped as a bright green spell erupted from the tip. She spun to the right and grabbed hold of the sleeve of the robes, jerking their arm away before another spell could be fired off. This one soared out one of the windows high above the castle.

The attacker abandoned the attempt to hit her with a hex and instead resorted to force once again. Their elbow slammed into her nose and bright stars exploded across her vision. Sakura stumbled, taking hold of the wall with one hand while the other reached for her broken nose. The smell of blood was immediate and she coughed and gagged on it. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to blink them away but it was no use.

A force struck her entire body and her shoes slid across the stone floor. Sakura slapped both of her hands against the wall and she sucked in a breath. Behind her, she could feel the cold breeze whip around her skirt.

They were trying to push her out the window!

"Why are you doing this? Stop!" She shouted, but it was no use. Again, the push of a spell slid her along the floor and she ground her teeth tightly, digging her fingernails into the wall to keep from falling out of the tower. "I don't know why you're doing this to me!"

"Because," they finally said, their voice distorted and deep from a charm. The sound of it was almost demonic and Sakura stared at the black, unfathomable face beneath the hood. "You deserve it."

Sakura screamed through clenched teeth as the figure kicked out with their foot, again kicking her hard enough in the stomach that her breath was sucked from her lungs. Her hands scrambled to find purchase in the stones of the wall but found nothing to stop her from falling. She fell back into the empty space of the open window, eyes wide and breath frozen in her lungs. She watched as time slowed and the Astronomy Tower fell away from her.

Along the floor, her bag and charts were forgotten, left behind, and were all that would remain of her when she hit the ground seven stories below. She didn't want to see the castle flying past her, didn't want to see the home she had known for the last seven years stretching high above her as she fell to her death so she closed her eyes and saw Kakashi's face instead.

Her stomach dropped so suddenly it made her gag and somehow, she found herself being shot forward. Her hands and knees hit the stone floor of the classroom and she rolled onto her side hard enough that the breath was knocked loose from her lungs once again. Sakura came to a stop on her back, gasping and blinking up into the enchanted night sky.

Of course...the tower had wards up to stop anyone from falling out of the windows. In her terror and shock, she had forgotten all about it.

Fearing her attacker would be coming for her once more, she scrambled across the floor to where her bag and wand were waiting. She snatched it up and spun on her heel in one fluid motion. Sakura pointed her wand in each direction as her breath heaved, ready for the attacks she knew were coming. But there was no one in the classroom with her. There was no sign of anyone except for her. The door was still open, her charts and quill still on the floor. In the corner of the room where she had nearly fallen to her death, the telescope sat at an odd angle and was the only evidence that she hadn't imagined the entire thing. Well, that and her busted nose that still stung.

Her fingers were in her hair and tears burned the corner of her eyes as she whimpered. Inside her chest, she could feel her pulse racing like a drum. It beat so hard she had to sit down in one of the chairs and lower her head between her knees to stop her head from spinning. The adrenaline was still coursing through her but she had nowhere to put it. All she could do was sit there, rocking back and forth.

Someone had just tried to kill her and all she could do was sit and rock.

She had to go to someone, she had to contact Kakashi somehow and tell him what happened. He would know what to do and who to talk to. He could figure this out. She sniffed, the smell of blood still making her stomach roll in disgust, and stood to her feet. She snatched her charts from the floor before she stuffed them into her bag and turned to the door, throwing the strap over her head.

Chills ran down her spine and she half expected to see the same figure darkening the door again. Thankfully, there was no one there this time.

Sakura was racing down the stairs before she could even form a plan. Going to Tsunade seemed the right thing to do but she would be furious to know that someone had been targeting her for so long without Sakura telling anyone. She hated the thought of disappointing the Headmistress but this was serious. Someone had tried to kill her for Merlin's sake!

Her steps slowed as she neared the bottom of the stairs and she stared down the seventh-floor hall stretching before her. She took a deep shaking breath and pushed the hair away from her face. The door to Tsunade's office was just ahead but now that the fear and adrenaline were starting to subside, Sakura could think clearly.

The person who had attacked her more than likely knew about the wards set up in the tower. They knew she would be tossed back inside the classroom and wouldn't actually be hurt. Of course, her bloody nose proved that they had wanted to hurt her. But a bloody nose was easier to heal from than falling several stories.

There was no reason to believe this wasn't just another attempt to torment her. And running to Tsunade was what they wanted. A mudblood running right to the Headmistress, crying about her problems because she can't fight her own battles.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and dragged her sleeve across her nose, smearing the blood across her cheek as she did so. She sniffed and situated her bag higher on her shoulder as she stepped out onto the hall. Her fingers gripped her wand tightly, just in case someone popped out of the shadows, but she didn't turn to Tsunade's office. She held her head high and walked past the door, not allowing herself to deviate from the path. The invisible door-now a solid stone wall-where she and Kakashi had spent the night together, and a brief moment a few weeks ago, made her chest tighten.

All she wanted was for him to be back in the castle to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. He would keep her safe.

She stopped at the bathrooms on the fifth floor and cleaned the blood off of her face, thankful that most of the students were in the Great Hall for dinner. It would be a bit hard to explain why her face was streaked with blood. Once it had stopped bleeding and she had minimized the bruising with a few charms that Hana had taught her, she cleaned the drops from her shirt and continued on her way.

She would go to dinner and sit down and eat, chat and laugh with her friends as if nothing had happened. And if the one who had attacked her was sitting there, watching her from the Slytherin table, she would show them that she wasn't afraid. They could come after her and scare her and make her bleed but she wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing they got beneath her skin.

By the third floor, she was fuming with anger, repeating the words that her attacker had snarled at her. 'Because you deserve it'...fuck that. She didn't deserve this, but they were going to get what they deserved. And she was going to be the one to give it to them.

Her foot hit the top step with the intention to keep going to the Great Hall, but a commotion at the opposite end of the third floor caught her attention. She whirled around and blinked at the wide-open doors of the Infirmary where several professors were crowding around something. Sakura's brows pinched together in a frown and she took a few steps toward them.

Professors Maito and Umino were carrying someone. The injured person was limp and held up by his arms and legs as they hurried them into the infirmary. Hana barked orders and from around the corner, Sakura spotted Tsunade's flowing, gray robe as she cleared a space for the person.

By now, Sakura's pulse was racing and she could only stare as she hurried closer. From around Professor Umino, she could just make out a tuft of white hair on the person's head.

No.

Not white.

Silver.

She was running before her brain had time to catch up with the realization and her chest squeezed tight with an all new terror gripping her tightly. Tears streaked down her temples as she raced to the Infirmary. She skidded to a stop at the door and stared in horror. They laid Kakashi down on a bed and the closer Sakura got, the more of him she could see. His mask was gone and the front of his once tan shirt was singed black and ripped open, exposing his chest. Blood was streaked everywhere across his torso but she couldn't tell where it was coming from.

Her hands flew to her mouth as she stepped inside the Infirmary and her throat clamped around a scream that pressed against her tongue. A pair of arms caught her before she could move any closer to him and from somewhere far away, she could hear Shizune's level voice trying to guide her back out into the hallway. Tears clouded her vision and she struggled against the arms around her shoulders.

"Ms. Haruno! You shouldn't be here!"

Sakura shook her head but there was no fight left in her. She let Shizune turn her away and steer her back down the hall. A sob lodged tightly in her chest, choking her, and she turned to look back at the doors closing behind them. The last thing she saw before they closed was Kakashi's face, pale and exposed and the tears fell freely down her face.


AN- haha don't hate me.