Hi guys! I'm really hyper right now, cause I can't wait for you to read this chapter!!! I really love it! There's going to be Harry/Usagi romance near the end!!!! YAY!!! I almost cried at some parts in this chapter, too. Hope you guys won't soak your keyboard! As usual, here are my thank yous:
Ancient-Legend: ^_^ Pettigrew won't be discovered in this chapter. Still, I think this is one of the best chapters I've written so far! Take a look!
Firelightz: Thanks for the plot lines!
Fangboy: Ahhh…PATIENCE, my friend!
Syko-san: ^_^ Shi is cool! And I do look in my thesaurus! It helps a LOT!
Chibi Pyro Duo: I don't know what I'll do with Malfoy…I'll see…(Personally, I hate the bastard. *sweatdrops*)
Baby Daydreamer Wiley: Long time no see! Take care of that foot of yours!
Koosei: Hermione will surely ask some questions! ^_~
Silverpaws the silver Nukachu: Thank you!
MarsMoonStar: Thanks for the review!
Setsuna-3000: Hey! You're back! *grins* Hi!
Maiden Genisis: Banshees, huh? Hmmm…Relena Peacecraft? Naaah!... Pansy Parkinson!!!
Yadrianne: Her mother's dead. *snickers* You can't get it simpler than that! But I'll see if I could mention her somewhere...
Usagi Asia Maxwell: Hi! Thanks for reviewing!
Siren: Thanks for the idea! And I update at least each 2 days.
Chibi Koneko: You can sic Fluffy, Kenshin AND Hiiro on me anytime! *purrs*
Crazygurl70: I'll thank whoever gagged and dragged you away…Just kidding! Lol
Harry and Usagi FOREVER: ^__^You'll LOVE chappie 9!
Birdgirl: At least you reviewed! Thanks!
Mitsukai11: Thanks for your message! It light up my day!
Moonlit Evanescence: ^_^ You seem happy!
Heero's bunny: Hi again! I'm glad to see you're still there!
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Father Mine
Chapter 9: Insecurities
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A couple of weeks passed by and the temperature dropped with the new autumn air. The forbidden forest's leaves had taken many colors but none of them were actually falling. There wasn't any quidditch this year, which saddened Harry greatly.
He was down enough as it is, and quidditch seemed to be the only thing keeping his mind off his deceased godfather. But the oncoming war worried too many people and Dumbledore simply had to forbid it this year.
"Hey Harry! Can we talk to you? Alone?" Usagi turned her gaze from the window of the common room in time to see Seamus and a couple of Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws urging Harry out of the room, glancing back to make sure nobody was watching them, and started talking in hush tones.
Harry nodded to something Seamus told him and they marched out the entrance portrait. Usagi sighed and looked back out the window with a sad gaze, leaning on her elbows. She drew little figures on the cold glass with her finger and sighed again. She was alone in the common room.
"Looks like I'm on my own once more. Everyone seems to have something to do but me." She rested her head on her arms and leaned on the windowsill. "I wish father was here. I wish my friends were here! The other students look so eager to fight! I don't get it! They could have a perfectly normal life and they decide to ruin their life!" She grunted.
"They don't trust me. They seem to go to more and more DA meetings by the passing weeks and they didn't invite me." She snorted.
"Of course they don't trust me! I'm an outsider! I can't seem to do a perfectly normal spell; it always backfires with the powers of the scouts. I'm not a witch, no, never will be. What am I anyway? I'm not totally human, I'm not a witch but am the daughter of a wizard and I have Lunarian blood. Am I only good for fighting?" Tears threatened to drop from her eyes and she wiped them away roughly before they even had the time to fall. She got up and looked bitterly out the window. 'What am I, in all of this?'
"Since I'm alone, I could make myself useful for father, at least. He doesn't deserve to be alone like me." She muttered, leaving the common room in search of a peaceful area and looked at a particular class door close to the main hall. She hummed. "This will be a peaceful place for me to rest until the beginning of this afternoon's classes."
She opened the door of divination class and peeked in. "Good! No one's there." She placed some wood in a circle and sat on the earthy floor. She took a meditating position and concentrated on Mars's power.
She had less trouble with the inners powers than the outers, she contemplated. "Maybe that's because they're a little more powerful than the inners." She said to herself. "Burning mandala!" A small fire lit the wood and she relaxed in her pose, letting the warm and comforting feeling of the fire come to her.
She silently started chanting, doing the poses with her hands for each planet of the solar system;
"Mercury of ice
Venus of love
Earth of strength
Mars of fire
Jupiter of lightning
Inner planets give me your courage
Uranus of winds
Neptune of seas
Saturn of destruction
Pluto of wisdom and time
Outer planets give me your strength"
She started to chant this over and over again until it came out naturally out of her mouth. She had gone into trance without noticing it and the words were coming out like harsh whisperings. The fire was growing slowly but she paid no heed. She entered in the realm of dreams almost on instinct and heard the familiar voices of her senshis.
When she opened her eyes, she blinked at the sudden light. She gaped. She was sitting in the Crown game center and her friends her eyeing her weirdly. "Minna?" She whispered tentatively.
"Odando-atama! You were sleeping again, weren't you? Some leader you are!" Usagi pouted. "You're so mean, Rei-chan!" The tongue war started and the others sweatdropped. Rei caught the bunny in a playful death grip.
"Beg for mercy! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Rei said with an evil glint in her eyes.
"Never!" Usagi was laughing her head off even in the position she was in. "Oi! Ruka-chan! Onegai help me!" Haruka, who was sitting beside the laughing rabbit, grinned and caught Rei in the same death grip she had Usagi.
"Not fair!" The priestess whined. They all let go of each other with a laugh and sweatdropped when they saw all the eyes of the arcade center pinned on them. They sat back and blushed. Usagi's eyes glazed over and she took a sip of her milkshake.
Haruka wound an arm over her shoulder and looked at her worriedly. "Something wrong, Koneko-chan?" They others transferred their gaze to her. Usagi shook her head and smiled to the protective senshi of the wind. "Iie. Just a bad dream, I guess."
Ami cocked her head on the side, a glass of iced tea in one hand. "A bad dream? Do tell."
Usagi sighted and leaned slightly on Haruka, who still had her arm around her shoulders. Her eyes closed a little as she concentrated to remember her dream. "You were all away, far away from me." She started in a whisper.
"I had to fight alone for some time and I had discovered that my life had been a lie. My parents were not my true biological ones and I had discovered my father was a wizard. A real wizard with a fighting stick and all!" She gave a small laugh.
"And then I had to go to wizard school and fight again. But I was alone. Nobody really wanted to make friends with me because I was weird. I was…all alone. Can you believe the nightmare?"
She gave a laugh but stopped when Haruka's grip tightened slightly on her shoulder. They others weren't laughing with her. Instead, they were looking at her neutrally. "Minna? What's the matter?" She cocked her head on the side questioningly and she heard Haruka whisper, so silently she had to strain to hear it; "It's not a dream."
Usagi's smile faltered. "What do you mean, Ruka-chan? Oh, I get it! Congratulations! That was a good joke!" She started to laugh again but winced slightly when Haruka didn't let go of her shoulder, instead increased the pressure on it.
Michiru took a sip of her tea calmly and gazed at her with sad eyes. "It's not a joke, Usagi-chan. Nor is what you've been living this past year."
Minako sighed regretfully. "We just wanted to see you so much, we couldn't help but visit you in your dream."
Usagi almost choked on her tears. "I'm dreaming?! Everything that happened to me was real?" Setsuna nodded but didn't meet her gaze. "We felt your heart was in agony and I couldn't help but accept their request. I apologize, Hime-sama."
Hotaru got up and hugged her by the waist. "We miss you so very much, Usagi-mama!" A couple of tears fell from the small girl's eyes and Usagi hugged back. Haruka enlaced her arms around her and whispered; "Although this so called nightmare of yours is real, something you said about it is truly false." Usagi sobbed in the wind senshi embrace. "Then what is real, Haruka?!"
"You're not weird, and you're most certainly not alone. We've been with you from the start, in your heart." Makoto nodded at Haruka's words and stared dreamily into nothingness. "And what about that green eyed cutie? He looks like my old boyfriend…"
Everyone sweatdropped and fell on the ground. Usagi's eyes twitched and she whined; "Maaaako-chan! Stop that!" Suddenly, a ripple appeared in the dream world and the image of the arcade shattered. Setsuna frowned, transformed into Pluto and opened the gate to the real world for the others.
"What's going on Pluto?! Don't go away!" Usagi cried.
"The sacred fire received strong interferences, Hime-sama! The ripple came from your side of the dream! We cannot stay here any longer!" The ripples were increasing and the others went back through the gate in a hurry. Before they completely disappeared, they all shouted in unison; "YOU'RE NOT ALONE! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!" Then, everything collapsed.
*~*~*~*
The afternoon classes were about to begin so Firenze decided to arrive early to prepare his lesson for the Slytherins and Gryffindors 7th years. He entered the class and looked at the spelled sky on the ceiling. He frowned. "Mars is unusually bright today! To show itself even in plain daylight…"
He pushed away some branches that were in his way as he entered the small clearing were the students were used to sit and stopped right in his track when he noticed the fire and an early student. "And not just any student," he whispered to himself. "But what is she doing in front of a fire?"
He approached carefully and studied her. He couldn't touch her now, she was in a trance. It was dangerous to try to wake up someone in a trance. Instead, he gave full attention to her movements and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Why was she chanting about the planets?! And how in Merlin's name did she even know their symbols?
He couldn't do anything so he bent on his horse's legs and waited patiently for her to finish. She was starting to chant faster and faster, frowning, and sweat covered her face. Firenze was starting to get worried when he heard children laughter along with the voice of the other teacher.
"Firenze?! What's going on here?!" The shocked Trelawney asked him. He was about to reply when the fire raged and grew trice its original size. Firenze ducked just in time and backed away. Usagi's voice could clearly be heard now and Trelawney gaped. "She's in trance?! How is it possible? That's not the right way to do it!"
Firenze raised an eyebrow at her and mocked; "She seems to be doing fine by the looks of it!" Trelawney glared at him and was about to say a dirty remark when Usagi's eyes snapped open and the fire raged in fury. A blurry image appeared and it took shape, becoming clearer and clearer. The class gasped in shock as the image of many dementors appeared, dark and scary, reaching for her.
Their rasping of breath sounded like laughter, as if they were mocking her and even with all her panting, she yelled an enraged cry at the image, which disappeared when her concentration broke. The fire took its normal size back and she stepped on it, rage clearly showing in her eyes.
"I'll get you." Was the only thing she said, before sitting back and looking at the scared students. "Well, do we have divination class or not?" She raised her eyebrows at them as if nothing ever happened and the teachers fidgeted, before slowly starting the class.
Usagi was sitting alone when the Patil sisters sat beside her and started to whisper; "Were you really in a trance? Were those really dementors that appeared in the fire?" Usagi was about to reply when Trelawney rasped her throat and looked disdainfully at the rabbit.
"I won't tolerate interruptions in the class. And anyway, Miss Tsukino was doing it the wrong way!" Usagi looked deviously at her. "Oh? Just admit it. You're jealous because they're on my side and not fawning over you for a change! And anyway! We never saw YOU getting into a real trance before!"
Trelawney sputtered and Firenze silently applauded her for her wits. Finally someone who talked back to her! If he hadn't been a calm and collected Centaur, he would've snickered with the rest of the students.
*~*~*~*~*
"Hey Tsukino! Parkinson told me you did a pretty fire show in Divination class!" Usagi turned around and saw Malfoy with his little groupies, snickering at her. Malfoy approached and whispered harshly in her ear; "and that you even saw the image of dementors? Naughty, naughty Gryffindor!"
He grinned maliciously and she glared at him. "Leave me alone, Malfoy." She muttered back darkly. His stupid grin widened. "That's right, go back to your stupid Gryffindork common room! Let's see what they have to say about you being able to see dementors in your freak trance!" He laughed out loud and the others followed him, leaving her alone in the corridor.
She took a calming breath before something bad happened. "You're a cool, calm, collected and serene ocean! A windy breeze is caressing your waves and you…Oh! And the hell with it!" She growled. "I can't believe father is actually related with this git's mother! That I'M related to him in any way!"
She pulled out her tongue and grimaced, before deciding to do her man hunt now instead of in the middle of the night. She was going to miss supper but she wasn't very hungry anyway. She hid in a shadowed corner and teleported away, following another trail. When she reappeared, she growled angrily.
She was on top of a building in a damn muggle city! Those dementors were starting to expand their territory! She used her disguise pen once again. She was now covered from head to toe in a black cloak and her hair was in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, preventing anyone from guessing the true length of her hair. Once she checked herself over and decided it was good enough, she jumped down and hid in an alleyway.
She didn't have to wait for long. Screams resonated through the air before panic took over the muggles and they started running in all directions. That made the job easier for her in a sense; nobody noticed her and her dark attire. She jumped in the middle of a road and cursed loudly when a hex barely grazed her on the arm.
'Dementors can't use spells!' her mental alarm sounded and she came face to face with a Death Eater. He was cursing everything in his path while a couple of dementors caused people to fall unconscious.
"Well, well! What do we have here?" The Death Eater said darkly. "A kid playing hero?"
Usagi scowled. "Once I'm done with you, you won't call it playing!"
The Death Eater laughed cruelly. "You have spunk! Too bad you won't live to be older! CRUCIO!"
"SHIT!" Usagi cursed loudly again and barely had the time to take out her 'wand' and put it in front of herself before the dark magic hit it. Her 'wand' lengthened into its real form and she sighed in relief. "CRYSTAL SHIELD!" She yelled, and a crystal barrier formed between the attack and herself.
She deflected it with difficulty but it worked nonetheless. She grimaced. It wasn't the shield of Saturn, but her shield would have to do the trick for now. She hadn't practiced on creating Saturn's Deathscythe yet and she certainly wasn't going to try now. Too much interference. She wasn't about to destroy the planet because she couldn't control her power!
The Death Eater growled at her and she could see he was starting to get mad. "You're not so puny after all! You! Get her!" He motioned to the dementors. They stopped doing their rampage and glided in her direction, bony hands outstretched. She lifted her staff in the air.
'I can't play forever! Many people could get hurt!' She thought.
"Please Uranus! Help me!" She felt the wind surround her in an embrace, before it circled her staff violently. It glowed and started to transform, until a shining sword remained. She didn't waist her time in admiring it and made a slashing move in front of her, yelling at the same time; "SPACE SWORD! BLASTER!!!"
It slashed right through the dementors and blood poured on the street. They fell on the ground, unmoving, and she turned to the Death Eater swiftly. He made a shocked motion but didn't have the time to do anything else when she ran to him at great speed and cut his air supply by tightening a glowing chain around his neck.
When she got in front of him, she put her hands around his neck and the chain disappeared. She lifted him off the ground and looked fiercely at him, eyes glowing with an inner light. She asked him, in a deathly voice that didn't seem her own; "Where is Pettigrew? Where is the traitor? Speak!"
The Death Eater choked. She was cutting his air supply and her grip never faltered. He managed to give a choked laugh nonetheless; "I won't tell you anything! The Dark Lord will punish you! Kill me if you want, but I'll never betray my master!"
Usagi smiled sadistically. "Whoever said I was going to kill you?" She grinned darkly and the Death Eater faltered, trying to get out of her grip. "You'll never serve the dark side again, that I will make sure of! It's a pity; you'll never be coherent again!" The Death Eater's eyes got bigger as a crescent moon started to glow angrily on her forehead. The last thing heard on this street was an earsplitting scream of terror.
*~*~*~*~*~*
It was almost midnight when she entered back in the Gryffindor common room, transforming in her nightgown. She covered her bare shoulders with a shawl, half the reason in self consciousness, the other because it was rather frisky in the room. Everything was peaceful and not a sound could be heard. She tiptoed silently beside the still roaring fire but stopped when she spotted a sleeping Harry, all huddled up on a couch, and a tray of food on the table in front of him.
'What is he doing down here?' She sat beside him nudged him gently. "Harry? Harry wake up!" The boy moved and covered a yawn with his hand. "Whazza?" He said tiredly, and Usagi giggled slightly. "Come on, Harry! You should go to bed! What were you doing here anyway?"
Harry blinked the tiredness away and realized who was beside him. "Serena! Where were you?! I was worried sick about you! Malfoy told everyone about what happened in Divination class and I thought you were in danger!" He said quickly, holding her shoulders with his hands.
He blushed at their position and leaned his back on the couch again, cheeks still pink. Usagi turned her head away from him. "I just wanted to be alone a little. But that's easy to do; I've been left alone all afternoon." She muttered dejectedly. Harry frowned and was about to retort when she cut him.
"You've never answered my question. What were you doing here at this hour?" Harry blushed again and almost squeaked out; "Well, I thought you would be hungry because you missed supper, so I decided to bring some food with me in case you were hungry when you came back!"
"Aww! Ain't that sweet! Thanks!" She took a strawberry from the bowl and plucked it in her mouth, moaning at the sweet taste. Harry gulped. "And also…"
Usagi looked at him curiously. "What?"
The green eyed boy took a huge breath to calm himself and continued. "Also, I've had a big talk with my friends and I have to tell you a secret. Promise you won't tell!" He continued at her nod.
"In our 5th year-" --he fisted his hands in his lap-- "some students and I had a troublesome teacher in DADA, and we decided to form a group of our own called the DA; Dumbledore's Army. It's being held in the Room of Requirement, and it's like a concentrated class of Defense against the Dark Arts. Not that Lupin isn't a great teacher, on the contrary, but we've grown fond of it. I was able to persuade the others to ask you if you wanted to join us, if you wanted, since I'm the one responsible for the teaching."
Usagi stared at him. "Why are you asking me? I'm nothing but a freak. I never do anything right, and I've got so many incompatible personalities! I'm way better off being alo-" Her self-criticism was cut short abruptly and not so unpleasantly when Harry pushed his lips against hers and used her gasp at his advantage, invading her mouth with his curious tongue.
She found herself responding before her eyes snapped open and she backed away in surprise. She was panting slightly and she wasn't the only one. Harry was mentally berating himself for scaring her like that. 'But admit it', he said to himself, 'kissing Cho never did this to you! It never awoke this feeling inside your heart! So strong!'
He tempted a glance at her. "I just couldn't let you say those horrible things to yourself! Nobody thinks that way about you! Especially not me. I…" He faltered. "I never cared about anyone like this before. I think… No. I do love you." He said silently.
Usagi's eyes got bigger and she backed away a little more, enlacing her knees with her arms. "I don't know, Harry. I don't know what I feel. I had a boyfriend before and my heart shattered in pieces when he left me. I don't think I could relive this again. I don't know what I want." She finished lamely.
She felt Harry's warm hand lift her chin to look at him. He wiped her tears away with his thumb and gave her a reassuring and loving look. "Do you really believe me capable of doing such a thing? This guy must have been completely crazy to leave you. You deserve the best, Serena. You don't know what you want, you said. Well, stop trying to find out everything and let your heart decide for a change. Would you love me like I love you?"
Usagi's breath hitched in her throat. 'I've never been given a choice like this before! Destiny always had to control my every actions…But this boy…No, man,' she corrected herself, 'it took him days to do what Mamoru took years to do; make me happy.'
She leaned hesitantly in the hand who was still stroking her cheek softly. "I want to…Make me believe in love, the one I should've believed in years ago…" She whispered softly, though her eyes were still scared. Harry smiled tenderly and leaned towards her again, but slowly this time. Her lips were so soft against his! He marveled on the perfection of the moment. He asked for entrance and she eagerly let his tongue graze hers.
She uncurled her hands from her knees and one immediately went to his shoulder, while the other on the nape of his neck, urging him to press onto her, stroking his ebony hair. He responded eagerly and pushed her back on the couch gently until he was lying on top of her. They retracted reluctantly because of the lack of oxygen and Harry sighed in contentment at the view. It was a site to behold!
She was panting, red lips parted, cheeks a rosy hue, hair wildly displayed around her, eyes almost black with desire, chest heaving with each breath she took…And what a chest! He blushed and looked up at her face. "Do you always wear that to sleep?" He asked huskily.
It was her turn to blush and she hid her face in his shoulder. "I didn't think anyone was here!" came the muffled response. . He marveled at how her body fitted perfectly with his, before sitting back.
"As much as I enjoy this" he started almost nervously, "I wouldn't like it if the guys found us together on the couch tomorrow morning. Forget that! I wouldn't mind at all, except for one little detail." She cocked her head on the side questioningly and blushed when he motioned to her state of dress.
She flushed a deeper reddish color as he caught her lips in one last heated goodnight kiss. "We should go to bed now, before I decide to do something drastic with you!" He grinned, obviously showing he was joking. "Goodnight, Serena. I love you." He started to get up his set of stairs when he heard a faint "love you too" in response. He got into bed and fell asleep with a stupid but happy grin on his face.
On her side, Serena was blissful. She never had been so happy in her life. She started to fall into slumber when she mentally groaned. 'Oh god, what will father say?' She winced at the numerous scenarios her brain offered to her but they quickly vanished. 'He doesn't need to know this', she convinced herself, and grinned. 'Nope! He doesn't need to know this at all, at least, not for now…' She sweatdropped. Her eyes finally started to drop and sleep claimed her swiftly.
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SOOOO? WHAT DO YOU THINK???? ^___^
But don't believe they'll be snogging all over the place the day after! After all, Harry's a 'shy' boy and Usagi will try to keep her distance for the moment. BUT! Harry will lay claim eventually, don't worry!
I hope you liked this chapter! It's one of my favorites!
I want to see reviews! Many, many reviews! ^_^
Did I forget something? Oh yeah!
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya all,
Eternal Cosmos ^_~