Chapter seven: Crescent Fallen

Usagi wasn't sure what happened, but she had a pretty good guess what might have conspired. She had just left breakfast, and had been on her way to the library, when she tripped on something that had uplifted from the floor.

She pitched forward, her heart leaping into her throat. Her arms flung out at her sides in a pathetic attempt to balance herself.

Someone appeared around the corner, and right in her way.

Usagi fell hard, landing on something softer than the ground, but her teeth bit down onto her lip, and she drew blood. The coppery taste was enough to make her gag, but she forced herself to bear it.

Her face still scrunched up, as if she was waiting for the fall, she opened one eye to see who she landed on.

"Kami sama!"

Harry chuckled sheepishly, and asked in concern, "Are you okay Usagi?"

The blonde scrambled to her feet, as she replied, "Hai Harry san. Here I'll help you up." She held out her hand, which he took gratefully. Her other hand latched onto his, and with all her might, she jerked on his arm hard.

He came to his feet, and his head smacked into hers making them fall back, and loose contact.

Usagi cursed below her breath, her head throbbing. "Gomen Harry san." She blinked her eyes several times, hoping it would stop the pain.

Harry shook his head as if to clear, "Its all right."

It was then they heard the laughter in the empty hallway. Turning, the two students saw Peeves holding his middle and laughing so hard, tears appeared in his eyes. Usagi scowled, and she realized, it had been the poltergeist that had tripped her.

Still holding her head, she inspected her bleeding lips with her other hand. "You're bleeding?"

Usagi flushed, but replied quickly, "Hai, but only a little. I bit my lip." She turned her head, so he wouldn't see it swelling into a fat lip, or the fact that it was bleeding heavily.

"Someone really needs to take care of Peeves, one of these days he's going to hurt someone." Harry touched her shoulder, causing her too look at him.

His eyes narrowed at the site of her lip, "you should have Madam Pomfrey have a look at that." Usagi ducked her head, just as a voice hissed, "Potter, picking on little first years," Draco stalked passed him, to get a look at Usagi for himself. "I always knew you would show your true colors one day."

The blonde shook her head, ready to defend her new forming friend, "Iie, Draco."

"My goodness what is going on here?" Professor McGonagall, came up to Usagi's side, and lifted her chin. "My happened to you child?"

Before Usagi could speak up, Draco answered, "Potter here, decked her. I just got here when it looked like he was going to go at her again." He smirked, his eyes dancing with delight.

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry in disbelief, "Mr. Potter?"

Usagi grabbed a hold of Professor McGonagall's arms, and gave it a tug. "Iie. Its not what happened!"

The teacher shook her head, "Come, let's get you to Madam Pomfrey's, to have that lip looked at." The old woman grabbed Usagi by the arm, and tugged the blonde down the hall with her.

Usagi fought the woman all the way to the hospital wing. "Professor McGonagall, it wasn't Harry!" She paused for a second, and on a later thought added, "Or Draco."

The teacher knocked onto the infirmary's door, and replied, "Don't protect them Miss Tsukino. I'm sure they were fighting again, and you were caught in the middle of it. You wouldn't be the first."

Usagi scowled, "Iie, they weren't fighting. Draco had just gotten there when you did!"

The door they stood at opened, and a young woman poked her head out. "Oh deary. Come in, come in." The door opened wider, and Usagi was ushered into the room. "I've got her Professor McGonagall, you go on to your class."

The door shut behind her, and Usagi was left with the nurse. "Ok, sit down right there on the bed, and tell me all that happened." Usagi looked around her, and spotted a bed close by. She sat down, and shifted around till she was able to see the nurse.

"I was going to the library, and Peeves tripped me. I fell into Harry san. Draco thinks Harry hit me, and Professor McGonagall thinks I got in the middle of one of their fights."

She frowned, her eyes downcast. The nurse appeared in front of her, and lifted her chin, "All right look at me." The nurse then took a wet cloth to the cut. The instant it touched her skin, Usagi yelped, jerking back. Her hands flew to her lips, tears stinging her eyes, "that hurts!!"

The nurse scowled, "That's enough now. Be a big girl." The woman pulled Usagi's hand away, and pressed the cloth back onto Usagi's lips.

The blonde cried out, tears burning her eyes. They spilled down her face, as she tried to jerk away. "stop it, it hurts!!!"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head, "It may hurt, but it's going to heal that cut, right up. Now hold still!"

Usagi gripped the edge of the bed, and squeezed her eyes shut like she did when she was at the doctors getting a shot. The pain was terrible, and the tears wouldn't stop falling, but she didn't move until the nurse pulled the cloth away.

"There we go, now put this ice pack over that fat lip of yours, and you'll be good as new in an hour or so." Madam Pomfrey placed the icepack over Usagi's mouth, before she moved to the tray near the door.

Usagi held the icepack firmly to her lip, as she gazed about the room. It looked liked an infirmary should, with all the beds, and medical supplies. The cabinets on the walls were filled with first aids, and medicine bottles.

Madam Pomfrey started for the door, "I'll be right back, and you just wait there."

Usagi watched as the tiny woman exited the hospital wing, which left Usagi alone in the large room. She swung her feet back and forth, and she sighed, as boredom kicked in.

The door to the room opened, causing Usagi to look up, expecting the nurse back already. But instead of Madam Pomfrey, Harry Potter slipped into the room. "Hey."

Usagi grinned, "Hey! Did you tell Professor McGonagall what really happened?" The dark haired boy nodded, "Yes I did. She understands, and went to talk to Peeves."

Usagi sighed with relief, "that's sugoi. I'm glad none of you got into trouble."

Harry stopped to stand next to her, "What's wrong?" Confused, Usagi asked, "huh?"

Harry frowned, "Why are you crying?" He glanced around the room, expecting someone to be the culprit. Usagi flushed, ducking her head, "Madam Pomfrey used this stuff on my lip, and it hurt." She pulled the icepack from her lip.

"It's looking better. In fact you almost can't tell your lip was cut."

Usagi nodded, "Hai, it doesn't even hurt anymore." She swung her leg up onto the bed, and laid down, placing the icepack back over her lip.

Harry glanced around the room; "it feels like it was only yesterday when I was pulled in here after a game." he trailed off, his eyes falling onto the bed he had been stuck in for about a week or so.

Usagi looked at him, "What happened?" Dropping his eyes to floor, he replied nonchalantly, "I broke my arm, and Professor Lockhart used this spell, that was supposed to fix it." he winced at the memory. "But in fact, it disintegrated all the bones in my arm. It was like my arm was rubber."

Usagi wrinkled her nose, "Ewe. What kind of sensei goes around turning bones into dust?" Harry chuckled, "he was a fraud actually. We all thought he was this great wizard, but in fact he was using other wizards ideas to make himself famous."

Usagi's eyes filled with tears, "What an awful man. I hope he got into trouble for that." Her lips formed into a scowl.

Harry nodded his head, "He did. In fact he got hit over the head, when there was an avalanche of rocks in a cave. He lost all of his memory." He shrugged, "I haven't seen him since my second year of Hogwarts."

Usagi dropped her head back against the pillow, and patted the empty space next to her. "Why don't you sit down, no use standing around all day?"

Harry looked at where she had her hand, and flushed, "Um, okay." He climbed up onto the bed, and sat next to her, but wouldn't look at her. "Hey Usagi are you going to the Quidditch game that's coming up in a couple of weeks?"

The blonde drew her eyebrows together, "Quidditch?"

The boy nodded, "Yea. It's a game we play here at Hogwarts. Its where two teams flying on broomsticks compete for points scored by throwing a ball through hoops on either end of a large grassy pitch." He looked at her waiting for her answer.

Usagi pursed her lips together, "Okay, but can you explain it a little more to me, so that I wont look stupid when I'm watching it."

Harry nodded, and shifted so that he was facing her, his legs criss- crossed. "Okay, the first game Slytherin and Gryffindor will be playing against each other.

"Well like I said Quidditch is played on broomsticks, and there are four goal posts at either ends of a field. That field is called a Quidditch Pitch.

Quidditch has three balls. The ball that scores the points is the Quaffle. Then there is the Bludger, which is probably the most dangerous ball of all of them. It flies through the air being hit by players called beaters. It was the ball that hit my arm, and broke it."

Usagi sat up, nearly hitting her head against his again, "You're a player?? What do you do? And how did you get hit by a bulger." Harry flushed, as he pulled back a little from Usagi's face. "Its Bludger. And I'll get to that.

The third ball is the Golden Snitch. It is a tiny ball that has wings and is enchanted. My job is the Seeker, and I'm supposed to catch the Golden Snitch, so that my team can earn 150 points. Once the snitch is caught, the team's seeker who catches it wins."

Usagi grinned, "its sounds like fun. I can't wait to see you play." Harry's face turned a deeper shade of red, "Yea.well, you will be rooting for your home team." Usagi frowned, "Oh yea."

Harry nodded, "Draco is the Slytherins seeker." Usagi gapped, "Honto?!?! Iie wonder you guys are at each others throat so much."

Harry frowned, "There are other reasons Usagi. We just have too many differences. Draco belittles everyone, and believes he is higher class. I can't stand him."

Usagi fell back into bed. "Oh." She pouted, as she stared up at the ceiling. Suddenly the door opened, and Madam Pomfrey walked in. "All right, you can go. Oh, its you."

Harry scrambled off the bed, his face red. "I was just leaving Madam Pomfrey. Well I'll see you later Usagi." He waved, and rushed out of the room, before Usagi could say anything.

Sighing, Usagi handed the nurse the icepack, and bowed to her, "Domo artigato Madam Pomfrey." She then turned, and left the hospital wing.

?????

Usagi stared at the number charts, in confusion. "Draco san I just don't understand." She wiped a strand of blonde hair from her forehead, and stared angrily at page.

Draco looked at the page she was on. "Of course you're not going to understand. Here." He flipped the pages back, and pointed at an example. "This is how you work with the number charts, and what they are used for. Now." he flipped back to the page she had been on.

"All you have to do is fill in the equations, with these numbers."

Usagi sighed, "I failed algebra, how am I going to understand Arithmancy?" Draco frowned, "Al-ge-bra? What is that?" Usagi stared at him shocked, "You don't know Algebra? Its one of the most expected classes in junior high."

Draco shook his head, "I never went to school, because I was taught at home with a tutor. And all I learned was everything I needed to know to become a great wizard." Usagi stared at him, with her eyebrows raised. "Is that all that everyone in this school cares about?"

The boy next to her frowned, "What do you mean?" The blonde girl sighed, sitting back. She was never going to understand the number charts, so she might as well not bother, at least for now. "Becoming a great wizard. Is it all that everyone wants to be?"

Draco shrugged, "Of course they do. I don't know about Potter, but most come here to become wizards and witches. That's why it's called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He shut the book he had been reading, and looked at the girl next to him.

"Isn't that why you came here?" He looked her up and down, his eyes scrutinizing her. Usagi flushed, her heart skipping a beat. "Iie. I didn't even know I was a witch until I got the invitation." She dropped her eyes to the book, which lay out on the table in front of her. Her brain was going to fry.

"I didn't even want to come here, I liked it where I was, I was normal for once." Usagi frowned, the last sentence had come out on its own, and sounded oddly familiar.

She sighed, trying to mask what she had said. "My Obason, said in order to find my future, I must understand the present, but to understand my present, I must know my past."

Draco frowned, "Your Obason, or whoever she is sounds like a know it all."

Usagi giggled, "She can sometimes. But she was right about one thing." Draco frowned, when the blonde didn't continue, "Right about what?"

The girl looked back up at him. "I've been able to do things, for a while now, that I never could explain to anyone, not even to myself.

"Obason had said that I would reach a point in my life, where these things I can do, wont be so easily to pass off as nothing."

Draco studied her carefully, "What kind of things?"

Usagi bit her bottom lip, and looked around the table. She grabbed a plain sheet of paper, and laid her arms down on the surface of the table. Glancing around to see if anyone was watching, she stated, "I would have done this earlier, but no one gave me a chance."

Before Draco could ask, Usagi swiped an edge of the paper across her skin, and she squeaked in pain.

Outraged, Draco shot up in his chair, "What the hell do you think your doing!?!?"

Madam Irma the librarian scowled, "Be quiet Mr. Malfoy, or will remove you from this library."

Draco scowled at the old woman, but promptly fell back into his seat, and looked at the blonde. In a hiss, he asked, "What are you trying to prove?"

Usagi gnawed on her bottom lip, "Watch." With her right hand, she placed it over the cut for barely half of a minute. Then carefully she removed her hand, and held it palm up.

Draco's eyes bulged, to find the paper cut gone. In the girl's palm, was a faint line of blood, which seeped back into her skin. "H.how?" He looked up at her face, and nearly fell back in surprise.

On the girl's forehead, was a faint scar, which resembled the line made by the paper cut. But that wasn't what startled him the most. Beneath the scar, was an upturned golden crescent moon insignia. He stared at it in awe, till both faded away.

Intrigued, he reached out, and touched the smooth skin of her forehead. "But how?" Usagi pulled back, dropping her eyes to the table, "I know it's creepy. I learned about this a couple of years ago. I.I had fallen down an embankment, and dislocated my shoulder." She paused, as tears swarmed her eyes.

Why did she have to be so pathetic?

Inhaling sharply, she added barely above a whisper, "I was hurrying home, holding my shoulder. I didn't realize until I got home into my room, when I noticed what had attracted all the neighbors attention." She pointed to the spot where the mark had been, "When I got home, my shoulder was good as new, but." Pulling at the collar of her robes, she pulled it enough to expose her shoulder. A scar marred her flesh, "each time I use it, I'm left with a scar."

Usagi turned her arm over, to show where she had made the paper cut. A thin scar was still visible.

"No one knows, because I've been too afraid of what they might think." She didn't dare look at him.

Draco relaxed in his chair, "You know you've got nothing to worry about. You're a witch, it's a good enough explanation." Usagi shook her head, "iie, I read the books. Witches and Wizards need brooms and wands to do their work with."

Draco frowned, "What are you saying?"

Usagi shook her head, "Nothing. Lets get back to work. I need to understand some of this before classes next week."

Sorry I forgot to add this before. Hehe, pls forgive me. Well I'll get straight to the point. I'm loosing my train of thought for this story. So if you can, if there is something you want to happen, don't hesitate to tell me. I really appreciate it. Well here are the polls so far.

Harry/Usagi: 40 Wow, I knew you could do it Harry. Work that charm spell!!

Draco/Usagi: 37 What the hell happened Draco??? You were doing so well. Did you pick on Usagi again, and upset your fans??? Nice going you moron. You're supposed to be good, so you can get the girl, Duh!