Finally a new chapter! I've been trying to make it up to you for not updating in a while, so here it is! A little action in the start, but Serena's time hasn't come yet. I hope you'll enjoy! ^_~
Thanks to:
SilverWingPhoenix Midnight Lilly Gina CyberAngelOne Jewel Paru-chan Me Yadrianne Black Lion
Erika Melody-chan19 (Fwee!) Jewelclaw Lady of wind DragonPrincessDynamis Star Starlight
Queen Diamond moonbunny77 Crystal-Winter Darkness Silver Mystic SilverBunny5 Lady Aya Ruth
Fallen Dragon SolarMistress 17 Water Angel1 Crystal Moon Magic
Serenity/CoMM DEsInGer[For HIrE (I'll see what I can do with AND THEN THERE WAS YOU)
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The curse of the DADA teacher
Chapter 3: A little visit brings unexpected news
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"Not so fast, Sirius! Harry can't keep up with you!" Usagi laughed merrily as Sirius, Harry, Remus and she were going to Hogsmeade together. Hermione and Ron were already there, probably at Zonko's shop of jokes, courtesy of Ron. Sirius just couldn't wait to arrive and was walking energetically with both Serena and Harry's hands in his. The green eyed boy was almost running, but he was laughing at his godfather's happy face, while Remus chuckled and had no trouble to follow them at all.
Serena checked out the shops and concluded nothing much had changed since the last time she was here. They went to Rosmerta's tavern 'The Three Broomsticks' and met Ron and Hermione there. The rabbit spotted Severus and some of his Slytherin students sitting further away in a corner, sipping what was probably butterbeer.
She quickly diverted her gaze from the potions master as his own swept over the crowd, and sat down beside Harry. "So guys, what do you want to drink?" Sirius asked, while calling Rosmerta over. They quickly made their order and soon they were chattering joyously and making jokes. Sirius was particularly proud to retell the stunt he had pulled on Lucius Malfoy once in his 6th year. "You should've seen him! I put a charm on his hair so it would stay red for a week! It was hilarious!"
They all burst out laughing just thinking about it. Remus swatted him on the shoulder playfully. "But do you remember how he got revenge, Padfoot dear? You sported green hair for a week too! Malfoy looked smug that day, he sure did!"
Sirius grimaced slightly but recovered enough to add; "but Moony! I also took my revenge by changing all the Slytherin banners into the Gryffindor ones, with the motto 'Gryffindor rules!' written in green, just to piss them off!"
Remus nodded with a grin. "Oh yeah, they were mad! I remember Gryffindor losing 50 points that day…" he added wryly.
"Bah! It was worth it!" was Sirius' response.
Usagi was listening to them but suddenly, a dark feeling shook her, going away as swiftly as it had arrived. She shook her head as if trying to regain her senses and glanced at her friends. They were still talking. Only Sirius seemed to look at her with a slightly worried glance and she was sure she could feel Severus' gaze drilling a hole on the back of her head. She smiled at Sirius to reassure him and he went back to his stories, until Harry clutched his scar and hissed "Dementors! Here!"
As he had predicted, yells and screams erupted from outside the tavern and they all exited, only to see 6 dementors loose in the small village. They were scaring the children and making the air hard to breathe. Harry was about to collapse when he cried "Expecto Patronum!" which made him regain his senses.
Serena looked proud of Harry, as the fully corporeal patronus appeared. 'Prongs' was her immediate thought, until the screams brought her back to reality. The teachers who were present were trying to make them back away, Severus included. 'Prongs' was kicking a dementor while Harry directed it. She snapped back into reality and reassembled the petrified children together.
A particularly nasty dementor roughly pushed Harry aside and went for them directly. The kids screamed and even though her head was starting to swirl, she stood her ground and erected a mental wall against the dementor's feeding. She advanced on it and kicked it on the side hard as it was about to grasp her. It landed a few meters behind with a dull thud, but it slowly started to stand up.
It was pissed and screeched loudly, a high pitched scream that made their hair stand on end. Some were yelling at her to take her wand out but she ignored them, with good reason. 'I don't have a wand!' she thought with gritted teeth, and went to smack the dementor again. The cold being was so angry it caught her hand in mid air, and they just stood like that for what seemed like an eternity.
She was about to reduce it to a puddle of ash with one of her own attacks when the dark feeling enveloped her again, swiftly, sneakily, and the wall she had created against the dementor crumbled. Cold enveloped her as she was reliving her most painful memories, so she didn't see a certain potions master pointing his wand at the dementor. She was already unconscious by the time all the dementors were sent away.
*~*
Serena woke up with a gasp and groaned when she smelled the distinctive odor of the infirmary. She was already in a bad mood, and it didn't help the matter when Severus showed up from behind the curtains with a frown. "What do you want, Severus?" She tried to ask with the nicest voice possible, but she found it strained nonetheless.
Snape frowned even deeper. "I told you this wasn't a game, but you didn't listen to me. Merlin Serena! You're a teacher! The DADA teacher no less! What were you thinking about?! You could've been killed! Why didn't you take out your wand like Filius asked you to?!" By now, his voice was raised almost to the point he was shouting.
Every time she wanted to cut him, he didn't want to let her speak. When he finished his ranting, he swept past the many beds and muttered "Some teacher you're proving out to be!" before he exited the room.
She seethed. Snapping at Mme Pomfrey who tried to make her stay in bed, she walked to the Great Hall for it was dinner time. Her stomach protested against the lack of food for such a long period of time, but she ignored it. Her mind was elsewhere, mostly on Setsuna, or on that coldness she had felt that had prevented her from doing anything. She was tired, mad, pissed, infuriated…You get the point.
She entered the Great Hall and walked to the head table, feeling hundreds of gazes on her. She just wanted to tell them to piss off, and didn't even say hello to Harry as she passed beside him, which he found bizarre. He had wanted to ask her how she was and if she had recuperated from the attack, but surely something had happened to make her troubled like this. The gazes were still riveted on her as she started to eat half-heartedly, her eyes still glazed over in thought.
Remus and Sirius were very concerned and the dog animagus turned to Snape. "What did you do this time, Snape?" asked Sirius with disgust and threat in his voice.
The potions master sneered at him. "I simply told her the truth, Black. She's too soft for such a position as DADA teacher! She almost got killed! Her childishness has to stop! She sees the world as a game!" Snape retorted angrily.
Serena wasn't listening to their bickering, unlike the students and other teachers. She felt a familiar sensation and growled, getting the attention of the others. She was looking straight at the main entrance of the Great Hall, where a shadowed figure stood tall.
Sirius, being as quick as he was, was the first to draw his wand and point it towards the partially hidden person. The others were fast to follow, until the person got out of the shadows and walked slowly up to the head table. Albus' brow shot up in recognition as his old DADA teacher showed herself unexpectedly. "Setsuna Meioh?! Is this really you? You haven't changed at all!" exclaimed the headmaster, while Minerva gaped.
Sirius and Remus looked confused but mad, while Severus was positively sneering at her. Still, she stood tall and nodded at Dumbledore. She made her best to ignore the many whispers coming to her ears. Albus quickly regained his frown, however, and started to question her. "Where were you, Meioh-san? I couldn't do anything about you taking a student away from me in the past, but Merlin, I won't let you do this again!" He said with a small glare.
Setsuna looked at him coolly and lifted her head up high. "Where I have been is none of your business, headmaster. You have no say in this whatsoever!" Gasps echoed in the Hall at the tone she took by speaking with Dumbledore. The old man was about to open his mouth when somebody beat him to it.
"Maybe he doesn't, but I have."
They all turned to the DADA teacher as she sat up straighter in her chair, arms resting on the armchair, an empty tone in her voice. They all watched as the previous DADA teacher visibly gulped and bowed her head to her. Serena started to speak, obvious to the prying ears all around her. "You being here now confirms my suspicions, Setsuna. Goddess knows how much I like you, but damnit, it better not be what I think it is."
Setsuna closed her eyes and knelt on her knees in front of the small rabbit, making the others around her gasp at the obvious submission she so openly showed. Why be afraid of Miss Moon instead of Dumbledore was a mystery to them. Serena frowned. "What happened?"
Setsuna took a breath and explained. "I'm afraid I made an error by letting them on their own, my lady. They tried to open a vortex on their own against your orders and in result, a survivor of 'IT' entered this world instead of them." Setsuna stopped, thinking she had said enough.
Sirius watched as Serena fisted her hands tightly. "So that's what rendered me unable to act against the dementors and fall unconscious." She stated, anger barely hidden in her voice.
Setsuna stuttered. "B-But! It couldn't have done much damage against you!"
The senshi jumped slightly like everybody else as the usually calm rabbit punched the table with great force. "DAMNIT PLUTO! DO YOU ENJOY SEEING ME DYING SO MUCH?!" She yelled, obvious to the wide eyed stares this statement created.
As soon as the seething rabbit got aware of her strong outburst, she sighed and slumped in her chair tiredly, feeling utterly apathetic. Setsuna could finally breathe normally again as her princess regained her senses, but she couldn't help but to gaze sadly at her. It seemed as though Destiny wasn't finished with her. "I very much so apologize for my lack of firmness against the others-"
Serena waved a hand to stop her. "It's not your fault, Setsuna. I'm sorry I burst out like this, but they can't seem to be able to follow my orders. I thought it would have pleased them to be free of Destiny's clutches."
Pluto frowned. "But in result, your responsibility over this planet has tripled! It's not fair that you have to endure even more hardship because you let them live their lives as they wished instead of protecting Earth and you, for that matter!" For the first time ever, Setsuna looked on the verge of crying. Her eyes were tightly closed and her hands were fisted at her sides. She didn't like this. She didn't like that her princess had to endure all of this alone, had to take everything on her shoulders.
Serena's eyes softened and she sighed. "Pluto, understand this; you may not like it, I may not like it, but I wouldn't even give my position to my worst enemy. The Fates chose me, and you know nothing can go against them. If protecting the people I love cause my ultimate death, then I will welcome it with open arms. I will not let anyone down. Tell the senshi to be more patient, Mars and Uranus the most, and by Selene, if they even try to do what they did one more time without my assent they will hear of me directly. I'm not 16 anymore, and they'll have to open their eyes to that. I will take care of Chaos' remnant, you go back to the Time Gates."
Pluto nodded, her eyes set in determination once again at her hime's words. She got up and mist slowly invaded the Great Hall, until a tall and ancient Gate appeared in the fog. The senshi was about to pass on the other side when she turned one last time. "May I ask what you intend to do with Chaos, my Lady?"
Serena's eyes darkened and she looked down at her fisted hand. "I won't let it destroy the Earth as it almost did in the other world. I'll destroy it, even if it takes all my energy away."
Even with the seriousness in her hime's words, Setsuna added playfully; "Careful, hime-chan! Keep some of that power to yourself! You wouldn't want to destroy Chikyu by accident!" The rabbit snorted softly, and Pluto crossed the Gate, which promptly disappeared.
Serena was still gazing at the place Pluto once stood seconds ago with thoughtful eyes when Sirius burst out; "What the hell was that all about?! What's going on?! Destroy what?!" Since Sirius asked what everyone was also thinking of asking, silence reigned over the herd of people to hear some kind of answer.
Dumbledore didn't know what was going on either, and his eyes showed confusion in the situation. Serena sighed tiredly and got up. She shook her head and slowly started to make her way out of the Great Hall. "I'm sorry you had to hear that, it wasn't in my intention to involve you in this situation. Headmaster?"
She addressed Dumbledore after telling them she was sorry, a light in her eyes they had never seen before appeared, shining brightly. "Voldemort-" gasps of terror were heard "-is not the only thing you have to be wary about now, so I think it's better to forbid the children to go out alone without an adult until I fix the problem. You see, in my world I fought many evil creatures, which were called youma."
She saw the questioning gaze of Remus at that word and she explained; "Youma means Demon, Remus. And they're one of the nastiest things in the other dimension I went to. I fought one called Chaos once, and he is to be my most mortal enemy in the far future, though now would be the case also. I barely defeated it back then, when I was 16 years old. I thought I had destroyed it completely, but it looks like a piece of it was able to live on with the hatred in the people's hearts. This type of monster doesn't exist in this world, but in an unfortunate accident, the remnant of Chaos was able to pass through the Gates and come here. That's why I was unable to fend off the dementors more properly; I sensed Chaos's entry from the Gates and my senses overloaded with its darkness. I'll have to destroy it before it decides to do damage or take someone as a host like he did years ago. I'm sorry it has to come to this. I will excuse myself now, I have much to do." She nodded to the speechless persons and turned back.
"Hey wait just a second! One more question!"
Serena eyed Sirius and he understood she let him talk.
"Why did you call her Pluto and others Uranus or Mars? And why the heck did Setsuna always called you my Lady?" Sirius asked with a small frown.
The rabbit closed her eyes to think about the proper answer. "In my other dimension, there are many fighters, senshi, you heard the word mentioned earlier. Setsuna is Sailor Pluto, under the protection of the planet Pluto and wielder of the Time Staff. There are many others, all under the names of the planets of this solar system. Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn. The Earth also has a protector, but he is a man, not a woman. We were together once-" she gazed at Severus out of the corner of her eyes and saw him visibly stiffen at this "but it didn't work out in the end as we all thought it would. The utopia we were supposed to create did not happen."
Albus cut her with a question of his own, eager to know more. "And you, Serena? You must be of some importance to them if they worry so much about you. Are you under the protection of one of these planets?"
Serena shook her head negatively, making Albus blink. "I'm not under the protection of only one planet, but all of them. I recently discovered I had the power to wield their energies, their powers. But if you're asking me where I take my original power from, that's another question to be answered."
Remus pressed the subject. "Which is?"
The rabbit looked directly in his eyes, making him fidget in his seat. "The moon, Remus. I'm what is called a Lunarian. You've never heard of this kind of people here, and it's probably for the best, too."
Remus' eyes bugged out while his mind squeaked 'the moon?!'
Serena turned again and sighed impatiently when Sirius opened his mouth once more. "All of this is great, you know, but it didn't answer the last question! Why did Setsuna called you Lady?"
The blond haired woman rolled her eyes upwards. "I told her hundreds of time to call me by my name, Selene-sama! What will I do with her? And Sirius, if you want to know so much, why don't you ask her yourself the next time you see her? I'm sure it won't be the last time we see her, on the contrary."
Her eyes hardened a little and she stood her ground as she could see many other questions forming in their heads. She forced out her words as she prevented them to speak further. "Listen, I don't have all day for this. If you'll excuse me, I have things to prepare."
She was about to exit, she almost had the foot outside the Great Hall, and the door slammed close the second she was about to disappear from their line of vision. A low growl emitted from her throat as she tired of this. Albus was looking at her apologetically. He shrugged, with that damn twinkle in his eyes. "I have many more questions" was his simple answer.
She looked at him right in the eyes, the playful twinkle having to effect on her by this time. "And I have things to do, headmaster, as I recalled you earlier, or have you already forgotten? Good day to you."
Before Albus could place another word, she vanished right in front of their eyes, leaving bright silver feathers behind her. Exclamations of surprise burst out from all directions all at once, while Albus sat back in shock.
Sirius raised an eyebrow at looked meekly at Remus. "I think we missed something here…" Remus simply nodded, too bewildered to say anything.
On his side, Snape seemed to be having a mental conversation with himself, but nobody could comment on it as the potions master decided to get up and exit through the side entrance, probably going back to his dungeon.
'His pensive will be useful tonight!' thought Harry, while Hermione and Ron were deep in conversation, probably about the new development of things, just like everybody else in the room.
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SO? HOW WAS IT? ^_^
You guys know that if you have any questions or suggestions, you can ask in your reviews. It's always appreciated! ^.^
Also, I seem to have many "I'm your number one fans"…*sweatdrops heavily* Ok, you're all my number one readers! ^_^;
It looks like many people want me to continue 'ANDTHEN THERE WAS YOU' , and I have many demands pouring from one side to another. *spins her head around like a mad girl*
I've also had a demand for an Usagi/James Potter, which would be weird for me to write since Harry wouldn't be there…But if many people wants me to write one, I'll see what I can do. But I would need many inspiring ideas and suggestions, I'm warning you!
Hope you all have a nice day!
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Eternal Cosmos ^_~