A/N: I'm now listening to my Sailor Moon burned CD and I had listening to the entire thing while writing Chapter 20. The song where Mamoru sings worked out really well for when they were flying through the temporal flux.... um... yeah.... I know... I kinda used a phrase that I have no earthly clue about....

Anyway..Mamoru sounds like a drunken lounge singer singing on a karaoke machine in this song, but it works out really well sometimes. Don't get me started on Ayeka... she has a screechy voice, ARGH! I like Tenchi's and Ryoko's voices though. They have great voices. I heard that Tenchi will choose Tsunami as his true love! ACK! That's sooo cute!



Chapter Twenty-One





Harry woke up. He had no inkling as to where he was. He checked the surface under him. It was cloth. He opened his eyes and saw the slightly blurry images of the Hospital wing around him.

He glanced over to his left and saw Astra lying the bed next to his. She had bandages on her right arm and on her face. She looked as bad as Harry felt. He would wonder how he managed to feel better in later years. He felt an emptiness inside him that could be described as a cavern.

He remembered the way his mother wrapped herself around him and cried to him to never forget. To remember them as they were when they were together. Harry never could remember fully how life was when he was a baby, but he could now see his mother and father as they were when they were younger. Happy.

Astra stirred on the bed next to his. She mumbled something that sounded like she was calling out someone's name. Harry slipped off of his bed and sat down on hers. He lifted a hand to his forehead and found a bandage over his scar.

Hr eyes fluttered open and she glanced around until he gaze met with Harry's. He felt a surge of relief. She was his friend. She was like an older sister at times as well. Right now.... she was a good friend that helped him through a hard and interesting time.

"Harry...?" she whispered in a hoarse voice.

"You look about as bad as I feel...." Harry smirked. She grabbed his ears and tugged on them. "OUCH!"

"Yep... yer real...." She let him go and carefully sat up. "Where are we...."

"We're back... I wonder how long we've been out..." Harry said in the same hoarse whisper. He felt like he hadn't talked in ages.

"About a week, Mr. Potter...." came a familiar voice. Dumbledore walked into the infirmary and smiled at Astra and Harry.

"A week!" Harry croaked. He groaned. "We've missed the Quidditch game!"

"Aw man! Now I've got to pay up to Cho and Rachel!" Astra groaned as well. "Damned Leprechaun shoulda told me that we weren't going to play.... I wouldn't have made that stupid bet!"

"If she had.... would you have listened?" Dumbledore smiled. "She keeps to herself all the time, and for good reason... meddling with time causalities usually brings disasters."

"Meaning... if I had helped my father, I would've probably been killed, right?" Astra said flatly.

"Yes... and no..."

"He's worse than a Vorlon..." Astra commented. Harry had no clue what she meant, but he figured it was an insult.

"Where is the light? Where's the stone?" Harry asked Astra.

Astra put her hand up to her ear and took out a small green gem. "I don't think it will work anymore...."

"I think you ought to keep it, Miss Knight... You have shown that you do know what you are doing when it comes to finding a way out of temporal zones." Dumbledore smiled thoughtfully. "Use it for luck...."

Astra raised an eyebrow at Dumbldore as did Harry. When Harry was in his first year, Dumbledore had had the Sorcerors Stone destroyed. "Why let her keep it... Voldemort could try to come after her again and use it...."

"Voldemort is having his own difficulties at the moment. I don't think he'll care about dear Astra here until much later. Of course... since the stone claimed her as it's master, I think she ought to be the one to choose to destroy it.... if she wishes...."

Astra gazed at the stone in her hand. It was small and cut like a diamond earing. She smiled at it. It gave her a sense of freedom and a feeling like love seemed to radiate from it. "It has turned itself off for you, Astra. It doesn't want to be a burden on you." Dumbledore said quietly.

Astra put the earing back in the hole that she had taken it out of. She brushed her hand across the other ear. She felt the second earing she had. It was a stone that she had acquired back in her second year. It was a small black stone that radiated power to her.

"I think that is all that is required." Dumbledore smiled. He seemed to know something that Harry didn't.

Suddenly, Ginny burst into the infirmary and attached herself to Harry. "I'm soooo sorry that we lost the match!"

"I'm to one who should be saying sorry.... I was out and so you didn't have a seeker to win with..." Harry said into her flaming hair. He had missed that hair. He had missed her warmth. He felt comfortable. "I missed you.." he whispered to her.

"You sound like you haven't seen me for months..." she sniffled. She started laughing. "Don't worry.. I missed you too, Harry... You had me worried when they brought you in. Your scar was bleeding horribly and you looked like you had gone through a typhoon."

"In a sense... we have...." Astra mumbled.

"What happened.... who found us?" Harry asked.

"Professor Wizworth ran out and found you, Astra and Miss Snape lying there like you were all dead. He got some help and brought you all in. Miss Snape recovered more quickly than you two, though."

"Astra deffinantly looks to be the worse for wear...." Harry noted. "All bandaged up... I only have a patch over my scar...."

"I don't feel all that bad, though......" Astra said. She punched at the air and swung with her fists. "I seem to be fine." She started taking off the bandages.

Madame Pomfrey came out and sat down next to Astra. "You are fine NOW.... when they brought you in, you looked like a bloody and bruised mess...." she said in that stern tone of hers. "It's a good thing that you have that elf blood in you, though... It started making you heal faster than what would have been appropriate."

"Ouch! That hurt! Don't pinch me like that!" Astra whimpered.

Madame Pomfrey got the bandages off of Astra and haded over to Harry. "You didn't look very bad, but you had internal injuries.... a couple of broken ribs.... a pierced lung.... I'm surprised at you, Potter!"

"I'm surprised at myself...." Harry whimpered as Madame Pomfrey took off the cloth on his forehead. He brushed his hand over his scar again. It was back to normal. The bandage had a lightning bolt shaped blood stain on it.

Madame Pomfrey stood up and smiled down at Harry as Ginny clung onto him again. He hugged her tightly, relishing her closeness. He kissed her hair and smiled.

When he got dressed, Harry headed off to Gryffindor Tower to see Ron and Hermione. He found them in the Common Room, Hermione asleep on Ron's chest and Ron snoring loudly. Ginny giggled softly next to Harry.

Harry coughed loudly. Ron started awake and peered blearily around. He smiled and yawned at Harry. "Good morning, Harry!"

Hermione stretched like a kitten on him and yawned. "Harry?" She turned her gaze to Harry and Ginny and smiled. "Hello Harry... How are you feeling?"

"Never better...." he grinned at Hermione as he held Ginny next to him.

The next few weeks went along smoothly. Harry managed to do his exams and managed to be graceful to Cho as she smirked at him. She didn't gloat, but you could see definant triumph on her face. It was a nice going away present for her, Harry concluded.

The last Hogsmeade trip came up. Astra went with Nevaeh, Kennedy and Avalon, who seemed to be in rather high spirits that day. "What's got you so chipper, Avalon... you kill a small child or something?" Astra smirked at her sister.

"Nothing you won't find out later...." Avalon winked at Astra oddly. "... silver and gray tones...." she intoned.

Astra remembered Avalon's prediction that Astra had to pry out of her. She straightened and glared at Avalon. "I'll have you know that I don't believe a damned thing you say!"

"Fine by me..." she sing-songed at Astra.

They got out of the carriage and walked their separate directions. Nevaeh went off to Wizard Wheezes to remember what George looked like and Avalon headed off with Kennedy. Astra was left alone to deal with the day. She smiled at the fresh air that she was breathing. She had had enough of the testing that the teachers had put her through.

She walked along the roads and came upon the Shrieking Shack. She looked in through the dilapidated windows and the shabby walls. "So this is where Remus went into to change... poor guy... I feel sorry for him...."

"Yeah... I've been in there, by the way...." Astra heard Harry say behind her. She turned around and smiled up at him. He smiled back cheerfully. "It's good that you weren't there, though... you might have killed Pettigrew before Sirius and Remus got to him. Then, where would we be now..."

"I'd be in Azkaban.... and Sirius would be there driving nutty?" Astra grinned.

"No.... I don't think that would happen. Pettigrew would have found a way out somehow... and then, Snape would have had another person to bring back and say that you were confunded." Harry grimaced at that memory. Harry suddenly thought of Astra in the shack with the rest of them. "If you had been there when Snape unveiled himself... I'm very sure that you would have pounced on him... or something like that..."

"I'm sure I would... where's Ginny...?" she asked. Someone with long red hair peeked out from behind Harry and winked. "Riiiiiight.... I think I'll leave you two alone, if that's what I think is going on...." Astra winked at Harry and he turned crimson.

"Th-th-th-th-that's n-n-n-n-n-"

"We'll be fine! Thank you!" Ginny winked at Astra as she walked off.

Astra walked down to Wizard Wheezes and found it was closed. She looked over at Zonko's and found Fred at the counter. She walked inside and smiled at him. "Hey, Fred... how's it hangin' guy?"

Fred turned and gave her large grin. "Well if it isn't the cute elf girl! Hello Astra!"

Astra hugged Fred tightly and smiled. "This is great... did you and Zonko decide on a merger?"

"Yeah... he finally said that we whipper snappers should go ahead and put our stuff in his store, that way we make more money than ever before...." He winked. "George is a bit busy right now... he's remembering what Nevaeh looks like."

"Riiiight... well... how's this little red haired boy doing?" She put her arm around his shoulder as they sat down behind the counter.

"Fine... I feel a little left out since Nevaeh's over here, but otherwise... I'm doing fine..." Fred said. "I'm sure I'll find someone to have fun with soon... how about you?"

"No one... not so far..." she sighed and smiled at him. "Not to worry... everything will be alright..."

"I'm sure it will... it seems everyone's favorite personality is outside watching us..." Fred motioned to the door. Outside standing in front of the store was Draco, staring at Astra oddly.

Astra whistled a few bars of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. "It's a showdown at the OK Chorale...." Astra smirked at Fred as she stood up. She straightened her shirt and straightened her jean cutoff shorts. It was a little windier than she had thought before she walked out in her least favorite clothes, but she held her arms in front of her otherwise.

Draco took out a piece of paper and smiled at it. "Leave it to that Creevy boy to get a good shot...." He said as he stuck the piece of paper into his pocket.

He wore a black long sleeved shirt with the tails out and black pleather pants. Astra's heart pounded in her ears. She dismissed it and walked over to Draco. "What do you want, Malformed...."

"Nothing really... I just came to see what you looked like after you were brought in a mangled mess..." He lifted a hand and touched her cheek lightly. "It seems that Madame Pomfrey did alright with you...."

"Of course she did... you were hoping that I looked like that ass of a girlfriend of yours?" Astra growled. The pounding became louder. She was sure Draco heard it. The thought made her even more pensive.

"I like your outfit.... It's very nice..." Draco smirked at her. She knew that she was wearing really short shorts and had one leg with a thigh high black tight on and the other with a sock. Her normal hiking boots were on.

"Hush up... I know I look really bad... but..."

"I wasn't being sarcastic..." Draco said softly. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Oh... look at this... isn't this cute... The mudblood halvsie wearing a completely dilapidated outfit that could kill a lurker!" Pansy's voice rang clear. Astra spun around and growled angrily at her.

"Do you want me to put you in the hospital wing again, Pansy... because yer asking for it!" Astra said through gritted teeth. Pansy turned pale and backed off a bit. Astra growled and turned back to Draco. "Now why are you spying on me!"

He took out the piece of Paper again and the wind carried it. She grabbed it and stared at it. It made her blush so furiously, that she was sure that the entire area was burning like Texas in the summer. It was a picture of her dressed like she was this day, sitting in her usual boyish manner.

She glanced up at Draco and saw a twinge of pink in his cheeks. "When the hell was this taken!" she said in shock.

"Last week..." He said in his usual tone.

"You've had this since last week?" she stammered out. "Why?"

"Because...."

"That's gonna help me... why..."

"Because..." he shrugged.

Astra growled and looked down at the picture again. "I'm gonna kill that boy...." she growled. She was about to rip the picture up when she suddenly felt arms around her. They were strong arms that held her tightly, protectively.

"Don't destroy it...." She heard Draco's voice come in a husky whisper. "What better way to get back at my father than to like a girl that isn't on the list...." He smirked down at her.

She growled at him. "So this is a ploy to get back at yer father!? How low can you go! I mean this--!" She never finished. Draco cover her lips with his own. She at first wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do. Then, he pulled back.

"What the bloody hell?!" Pansy screeched. Astra watched as the blood drained from her face and she fainted to the ground.

"Funny... I never did like her very much...." Draco said loftily.

Astra stared up at him. He gazed down at her with those grey eyes of his.... silver and gray tones sparkling in infinite combinations. Her heart pounded and she held him tightly. She nuzzled her head into his neck and smiled. "So this is what she meant... an evil little twit that could break a girl's heart at the very mention of losing his allowance."

"I won't do that...", he said quietly into her ear, "... I'll be better than him... I'll be richer and better off than that idiot could ever wish for!" he said softly. "I'm not letting this opportunity pass by me now!" He laughed maniacally while clenching a fist. "I'll be invincible!"

Astra hit him on his head and laughed as he fell down. "Just don't let it go to yer head, Draco..."

"I won't.... Astra..." he smiled up at her from the ground. She blushed and offered her hand to help him up.

"How the hell did this happen?" She asked.

"What...?"

"You falling for me... me falling for you... how did that happen?" Astra asked as he wrapped his arms around her again.

"You haven't fallen... yet..." He lifted her up and tossed her into a large barrel of water.

She emerged and growled, her clothes clinging to her body. "Draco! Yer gonna pay for that!"

She jumped out of the barrel and ran after him, as he laughed all the way back to the cariages. When they reached the cariages, Astra saw Harry with Ginny, Hermione and Ron. "Hey! Hey there!" she shouted breathlessly. Draco swung her up into his arms and carried her into a carriage. "ACK! I'll see you at the castle! Maybe!"

Harry laughed hysterically at the look on Ron's face. "I don't believe it..." Ron stuttered.

"It's cute!" Ginny and Hermione stated in unison.

Harry smirked and helped Ginny into the carriage. This was going to be an interesting trip back to the castle.