Hi guys! I wanted to post this chapter a bit sooner, but FF.net had an upgrade session. *Bless them* So, I used this to my advantage and lengthened the chapter instead. I hope you'll enjoy! ^_^
Thanks to:
Adrelliehs Guju-grl (chap.4) ME SilverWingPhoenix Pheniox Rose Lady Light Kail Ceannai Erika Henio Lady Aya Libby Eternal Salior Earth Zodiac Kairinu The caffiene fairy (Chibi-ami)
Imperial Saturn Kage no miko MarsMoonStar Little-Moonlight Dark Universe SilverBunny5 SHADOWCUB
Krazi Pandi Jewel WaterAngel1
Mademoiselle Morte: Jeez! You really want me to write the Sesshoumaru/Usagi fic don't you? ^_^; …Well, that's fine with me!
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The curse of the DADA teacher
Chapter 6: Talk to me and you shall have answers
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She let her gaze wander to her side where she felt a comforting presence. The rabbit was in the process of reaching out to him when her eyes widened a little and she brought her heavily bandaged hand at eye level. 'Why doesn't it hurt?...Saturn.' she concluded mentally and let out a deep sigh, putting her head back on the pillow. 'I might as well use this to my advantage.'
She stroked Severus' hair lazily until he groaned and his head shut up. "Serena! You're awake! Let me get Pomfrey!" He was about to get on his feet when she caught his hand in an effort to make him stay. "Severus, please! Stay with me…We can finally talk now, can't we?" She spoke silently and the potions master concluded that she was still too weak to move too much. He wanted to get the nurse, but the idea that they were finally going to clear things out was more appealing to him at the moment.
He sat back in his chair and she mentally grinned; she could truly be manipulative when she wanted! Now, he was going to hear what she had to say and if he objected in any way, he would never hear the end of it!
"So?" started Severus, for once at a loss of words, fidgeting in his chair.
"So?" She mimicked with a raised eyebrow, and then sighed. "I was brought to the other world to fight a different enemy, Severus. Surely you've heard of at least this. Listen, I just want to make this story short. I fought, yes, but I wasn't alone. I had several guardians, you already know Setsuna, and then there was the prince of Earth."
She shushed him with a hiss when she saw he wanted to open his mouth. "No! You don't have to know my entire past, Severus, I assure you. It's a very complicated story where Fate and Destiny are deeply involved in it. Let's just say that a long time ago I was destined to a man, the man I talked to you about. I loved him then, very much so, but when Setsuna brought me back there in my 4th year, something changed. I already was in love with you, something the Fates had not calculated. For the sake of the future, I had to act as if I still loved him." She stopped to gain her thoughts and Severus frowned.
"And do you still love *him*?" he sneered at the word.
Serena raised her eyebrows and humored him lightly. "Jealous, Severus Snape?" Then, she sobered up and caressed his hand. "I do love him, but not in this way anymore. He was very angry when I told him that I already had somebody else dear to my heart and I broke many hearts and hopes by destroying the future they had worked so hard to achieve. I, myself, lost a lot in this, but I gained a lot too. But when I came back, Severus, you broke my heart."
Oh, there it was! The dam was finally breaking and Severus gulped, getting his hand back from hers imperceptibly.
"I thought you had more belief in me than this, Severus! When you started to reject me after all that I had done to come back, just for you might I add, I wanted no more than go back and never come here again! You did wrong things and I don't care, I did suspicious things myself but I never betrayed my only love! You tried to belittle me as if you had been the only one to suffer from my departure! What were you thinking?! *I* was the one who had to make the decision, not you! You think so highly of yourself that you never saw that I had suffered in my life too! You let me down when I needed you the most and you started to judge my faith in you when I said I was *supposed* to create a new utopia with another man, but that's what it is, Severus! A supposition and nothing else!"
She was pouring her heart out and tears of frustration smeared her cheeks. She had balled her fist in the sheets of her bed and Severus could only watch, mortified, as he noticed how idiotically Gryffindor he had acted with her.
"Sometimes I just wish I never left the other world…" She whispered in anguish, and Severus' heart snapped.
In a swift movement, he buried his face in her neck and held onto her as if his life depended on it, while she gasped in surprise at the sudden close movement. "Se-ve-rus?" she asked, starting to stroke his hair gently. Her blue eyes held a tint of confusion when he started to shake slightly and they widened when she felt her hospital gown starting to get wet with hot tears.
"Oh god Serena! Have I been that much of a git since your return?"
Serena almost burst in a fit of giggles. "I thought you made it your job to be the nasty git in this school even before my return, potions master Severus Snape!" Her humor faded when she felt him tighten his hold on her.
"I just couldn't live without you anymore, Serena! I had to bury my hope deep in my heart and I found myself this new way to behave to shield myself from the foolishness of this world!"
Serena sighed and continued to stroke his hair and she found her other hand moving to his back without her conscience noticing. She started to rub his back in circular motions to soothe him. "That's no reason to behave as you have, Severus. I didn't bury my soul like you did, but I continued with the hope that I would see you again one day. I love you, you silly Slytherin."
Severus lifted his head and stared at her with wide eyes. "After all I did, you still…"
She smiled at him serenely, and then grinned devilishly. "Of course! Now, what about that glamour charm of yours?" she asked audaciously, while Severus looked like a deer caught in headlight. He gazed nervously from side to side to see if anyone was around and she smirked in triumph. "Ah-ha! I was right-Oomph!"
Severus cut her when he placed a hand on her mouth to stop her ranting. "How did you know? Not even Albus has been able to detect it!"
The supposedly injured rabbit rolled her eyes and snorted. "Oh please, Severus! I don't believe for one second you could truly look like that even 30 something years after I went away. I remember a lot from my Hogwarts years, and you were quite the looker, that I'm sure of." She winked and Severus could feel heat rushing to his cheeks.
'No way! Severus Snape does not blush!' Severus could try to scold himself as much as he wanted, it didn't stop his cheeks from getting a light rosy color.
She giggled and put a hand on his cheek lovingly. "Please Severus, let me see your true self. Don't hide yourself anymore, not from me, not from anyone. Just be yourself like you once were."
Coaxed by his love's gentle words, he took his wand out and, gazing straight into her eyes, he murmured the words that would end the secure charm he had installed on himself years ago. "Finite Incantatum."
She felt his magic rush through her body and red spread on her cheeks when his true face finally emerged from the clever disguise. He smirked very Snape-ishly when she blushed even more and managed to mutter "That's way better!" She couldn't help herself; she buried her fingers in his hair and moaned appreciatively when she felt how silky it was.
His hair was longer, brushing past his shoulder, and shining in the morning light. Snape thought suddenly; 'Note to self, tie hair in the back so it won't get in the way of potions making.' But all his thoughts went down the drain when he heard her moan in delight. It was all she did and he already was ready to turn into a puddle of goo. His face was less pale, more tanned, and he no longer looked thin. He was more filled out and she whistled.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "What? I haven't always been making potions in my lab, I'll let you know! I exercise myself twice a day, away from prying eyes, of course. I had to stay strong if I wanted to survive in this world."
Serena nodded with a daze. "Huh-uh, that's nice…" She traced his no longer hooked nose with a delicate finger and gave him an inquisitive look.
He frowned a little but it quickly disappeared when he explained; "I did have a scuffle with Black once, but I managed to go to Pomfrey before it could stay broken. I had enough of this, so that's when I charmed myself with the glamour. I wanted Black to leave me alone by having him think he had done something irreparable to me. I remember Gryffindor loosing 100 points from Dumbledore himself when he saw my 'condition'. That's when I decided to stay like this. I was left alone most of the time and I liked it this way. But now that you're back, I don't see any reason to hide myself anymore. I love you, Serena."
His usually cold black eyed held a loving feeling, a glint that had never been here before. With some tears, she buried her face in his cloak while he hugged her back. He put a hand under her chin and coaxed her to look at him. Slowly, their lips met and he nipped at her lower lip gently, and then with some force, making her mewl and granting him access. Their tongues met and sparred, and Severus lowered her body gently on the hospital bed, and then finally lifted his head to look at her. He managed to say, between his panting and hers; "It wouldn't do good for anyone to find us in that position here, and when you're that injured. Pomfrey would have my head."
Still, he didn't get himself off of her. He almost moaned aloud when she crushed him even closer and started to massage his back, getting even lower with every stroke. What was that girl doing to him? He couldn't think straight and his need almost won over. He shook his head and closed his eyes. 'We can't do this now! What if Pomfrey or worse, a student, find us like this! Think! Think Snape! Huhhh…Hooch and Minerva kissing! No! That won't do!'
He was starting to panic and his body was winning, when he finally found the 'perfect' image. 'Ah ha! I know! Filch and Voldemort having a go at it with Mrs. Norris and Nagini! Ahhh…There we go…' But he still shuddered visibly with a disgusted look at the mental image he had just created. ^_^;
He got up and she looked at him with glazed eyes. "Severus?"
He smiled gently at her. "I'm sorry, but you're in no condition for this right now. But I promise we'll start over where we were when you get better." He said huskily.
Her eye glazed even more but she still managed to get a shameless look. "Oh, ok then!" She shrugged and to Severus' very big surprise and astonishment, she tossed her sheets aside and stood up with no troubles. He managed to close his mouth before he made the impression of a fish and she smirked. "Don't underestimate me or my friends, Severus! I lived through worse, or have you already forgotten?"
She didn't even try to contain the satisfaction in her voice as she started to peel the bandages off. She eyed them with disdain when she saw some were caked in her dry blood and let them fall on the ground.
"I- You- What?!" Severus was at a loss of words. 'She's been having me on all this time! The little vixen!' He started to growl and the rabbit took this as her cue. She ran past him and made a dash for her room, laughing madly. "YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU LITTLE-!!!" Severus yelled and tried to catch her, but one could easily see the playful light in his eyes.
Oh, he wouldn't hurt her, no. Sometimes, the most painful of torture was also one of the sweetest…He smirked to himself and mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Lucky for him, it was too early in the morning for anyone to be up just yet. He wanted Albus to have a heart attack by seeing him like this. It wasn't every day someone could surprise the headmaster and he was going to enjoy it.
*~*~*
Poppy Pomfrey nearly had a heart attack when she saw that her patient was missing from her bed this morning. She ran madly to the Great Hall where she was sure Albus was, not even bothering to take the side entrance. "ALBUS! SHE'S MISSING! SHE'S MISSING!" She ran up to Albus while the students looked at her strangely or fearfully.
Dumbledore tried to calm her and make her explain what was happening. "Now, now, Poppy. You're scaring the children. What's going on, dear?"
Everyone had their eyes on the nurse, who panted wildly, not being used to run like this at her age. "Albus! She's missing! She wasn't in her bed this morning!" While Pomfrey panted some more, Albus frowned with concern when he began to get where she was heading with this. "It's Miss Moon!" Shocks echoed throughout the Hall and Sirius was about to burst in worry when they all heard a small playful voice.
"What about Miss Moon?" The rabbit raised an eyebrow when all gazes switched from the teachers to her. She advanced a little with a hand on her hips and looked at the nurse while she gaped, probably because Poppy didn't get how she had healed so quickly. "You know, Poppy, you don't have to scare anyone by yelling that I'm missing. If you'd have put a tracing charm on me from the beginning you would've seen that I was in my room all this tim-Omph!" She almost fell backwards as she felt herself being enveloped in a bear hug from both behind and in her front.
"Oh Merlin! Don't ever scare me like that again!"
'Ok, so Sirius is in the front. That means the one hugging my back is none other than Remus…' she thought, while rolling her eyes at their childishness.
"Siri is right, Serena. What if something bad had happened to you! You had so many injuries! We couldn't help but to be worried about you!" Although his voice was so ever calm, she felt Remus tighten his hold on her a little.
At the mention of her injuries, she sobered up and pushed them away delicately. "Well, I'm ok now, so let's not dwell on that." She took her place without looking at them and still, all gazes were on her. Of course, she couldn't blame them. She had almost died yesterday and she was all healed and better all of a sudden. Serious questions were swirling in the headmaster's head but he managed to hold his tongue for the time being.
Then, there was a small growl. "Can anyone tell me why you're all looking at her like that?"
All heads turned to him when he started to walk in the same swishing of robes and confident strides, but he gazed questioningly at the students when they only looked at him as if he was a stranger, and not cowering like they were supposed to.
"Who the hell are you?" asked Sirius, while Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at the foreign man who had entered the Great Hall as if he owned the place.
Severus glared at 'the mutt', but it didn't do anything to the animagus. Serena giggled and all eyes were on her again. "I don't think that glare suits you any longer, you know. Maybe you won't scare them in class as much as you did, but you can always take off house points!"
Severus rolled his eyes and muttered; "Thank god for House points!" and continued to stride up to the alley between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables. "Potter, do close your mouth. A whole beehive could get in there and there would still be some place left."
That voice! Harry new that voice! His green eyes widened even more and he stuttered; "P-Pro-Professor SNAPE!?" with a finger pointed at him.
Snape scowled as much as he could. "I have to hand it to you this time, Potter. You're actually the first one to find out. Congratulations." And with a sarcastic bow, he went on and marched up to his place to the teacher's table, kissing Serena firmly and muttering playfully in her ear; "I'll get you for what you did."
She battered her eyelashes seductively with her chin propped on her hands. "Oh, I sure hope so."
Severus grunted and sat down. "WHAT? Why is everyone looking at me like that?" he finally burst out, unable to take a bite of his breakfast because he felt too many eyes pinned on him with a sudden silence.
Serena chuckled. "I think, Severus dear, that you finally managed to surprise them for good. Taking off your glamour charm truly was a superb idea, don't you think?"
Severus nodded with a satisfied smirk and crossed his arms on his chest. "Well, Albus? What do you think?"
The headmaster was too bewildered to answer and the gaping look suited him well. It was Sirius who broke the stunned silence. He got up on his feet suddenly and took the potions master by the collar of his shirt, and then started to shake him up. "SNAPE?! WHAT IN THE *HELL* HAPPENED TO YOU?!?!"
Severus pried off Sirius's hands from his person with a look a disdain while Serena pouted at her best friend. "Please, Sirius-chan, don't damage the goods, will you? I have plans for that lovely body of his later."
This said so boldly from her made Sirius open and close his mouth like a fish. Severus smirked again and took a bite from his toast. 'My deed here is done.' He thought, thoroughly pleased with himself.
*~*~*
At the end of the day, Serena bid farewell to her students and started to wash up the chalkboard when she felt the familiar presence hug her by behind. She sighed and put down the wet cloth, leaning into his embrace. "Severus…Why are you all here?" She asked, her eyes still closed, surprising the potions master.
He didn't thought she would be able to sense the others with her eyes closed. Most of the teachers where here, and Harry had stayed behind. He didn't like to be excluded from the most important conversations, mostly the ones including Voldemort and his future.
"Sere, we have to know…What happened to you? Who hurt you like that? Was it Voldemort?" Sirius didn't think twice about saying the name while some teachers winced.
Serena walked away from Severus' embrace with a sigh and looked out the window. 'They were bound to ask me sooner or later. But I can't possibly tell them what happened with Voldemort. If I do, the news will spread out so fast the wizarding world will be in full panic in no time. I hate doing that, but I have no choice but to hide some facts to them. It won't do anything good to make everyone panic at this time.' She was so busy thinking she was forgetting she wasn't alone in the soundproof charmed room.
"Serena?"
The rabbit almost jumped at Severus' questioning and concerned voice, but managed to stay calm and collected.
"That night I was going to see Severus in his office when I felt my enemy's energy starting to arise." She started suddenly. "I didn't think twice about teleporting where he was, after all, it is my job to stop him. He was about to take…a human as his host and I had no choice but to reveal myself early to stop him from doing so. He sensed my presence a little before I had launched my first attack so he was able to retaliate with force. I was able to strike him a couple of times, but I took a lot more than him. My move had been foolish but I had no other choice in the matter. I successfully created an escape portal using what little strength I had left to escape. I left the place where he was in shambles, that I'm sure of." She finished, and sealed her lips tightly indicating she would not speak more of it.
Severus sighed and Albus nodded. "Well, at least we know we're out of danger and that the person didn't get infected. Thank you for explaining the situation, Miss Moon."
Serena nodded stiffly but nobody seemed to notice, being too busy to leave the classroom. Lucky for her nobody had asked who the human was or what had happened to him in the fight. They probably thought he was dead anyway, but she knew better. She didn't feel Chaos's energy any longer, and no way had he just died after she left, which could only mean one thing; he had merged. With Voldemort, no less.
'Now we're 2 to hold grudges after Voldemort. Harry will have to kill him once, and I'll have to kill him again. Just great.' She grimaced.
"What will their surprise be when Voldemort's body will arise once more after being killed? But this time, it will be my turn. I'm sorry, everyone." She spoke silently to herself in the solitude of the empty classroom.
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Another chapter! And! It's a long one! ^__^
I hope you liked! I'm also really considering about writing this Inuyasha/SailorMoon crossover…^.^ Hmmm…Sesshoumaru…*See writer drool on the keyboard and then keyboard starts to spark and get on fire* ^_^;;; Sorry!
But I'll surely finish this story before I start posting anything else. I hate writing many fics at the same time and not finding ideas to finish them. *Most of the people who writes many fics at the same time do that, and it sucks to wait a long time before your favorite story is finally updated again*
Anyway! I hope you'll review! The battle draws near! YAY! *I hate writing battle scenes! I'm not able to kill any of the good guys! -_-;*
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Also! GOOD NEWS! I have a week off from work *Thank GOD! -_-; The past week's been Hell with a capital H*
So, in result, I'll be able to write more! Are you happy? ^__^ *I know I am!*
Love ya all!
Eternal Cosmos ^_~