A.N. For those of you worried that this story might not work because the sixth book came out, have NO WORRIES! I read the sixth book and I already found a way make it work. This won't be EXACTLY like the book, but it will work WITH the book (in the most important parts). Also, know that I have my reasons for keeping the Snape the Potions professor. Enjoy!

Chapter 9: One month Break

Draco staggered at the loss of energy. Usagi collapsed on the floor. He looked to Snape to see his reaction. But his mentor's face held no expressions. Draco's eyes went over the faces of all the professors and he smirked at their confusion and their disbelief, but mostly at the fear and contempt in their eyes as they stared at him. He absorbed their hatred. But he wasn't done. He pointed his wand at them, too. They flinched in fear. "Oblivate." It was a simple word.

He half expected a challenged, someone to try to block him. But they didn't, not even their newest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Aube. It was disgusting. "Weak cowards," he snorted.

Dumbledore stared at him disbelievingly. "Mr. Malfoy…"

He sneered at Dumbledore. "Looks like you were wrong, Headmaster; revenge is sweet. So sweet…"

Usagi gaped at Draco with something close to fear in her eyes. "Dra-chan…what did you do?"

He kept his eyes on the headmaster. "Now they won't hurt us, Usa. No one can hurt us."

Dumbledore stood up tiredly. "Mr. Malfoy, please follow me." He walked out, not waiting to see if the 17 year old would follow. Even Draco was surprised. The Headmaster's eyes lost that damn twinkle, and he looked as if he'd aged a hundred more years.

X

Snape had been the one to lead the two to Dumbledore's office since he too still remembered. Draco had to admit, this was not the reaction he had anticipated. On the way to the bee's hive, Snape had asked him the most obvious question. One he answered so easily, it scared them. "Why did you spare his mind?" It should have been more difficult to answer. But he'd answered it so easily. The answer seemed to have flown from his lips. "To hurt him."

And it froze them. Such hatred. To hurt him. Snape's eyes had widened beyond slightly and Usagi's mouth had hung open in terror. And himself? He trembled. He'd begun to shake uncontrollably. It overtook him and tears ran down his face. He'd wept. He never let the tears fall. But he'd wept bitter tears that told the story of a frightened soul. Usagi had immediately enveloped him in a hug. "Dra-chan…" He remembered her shaky whisper. "Don't become the darkness. Please, Dra-chan. Please don't become the darkness."

Draco shut his eyes to block out the memories. Don't become the darkness. In the past, he would have been able to assure her he wouldn't. It would have been so simple. But now, he wasn't so sure and he was afraid. He had always craved the dark. Now he was trying to outrun it. He wasn't so sure what the headmaster had had in store for him, but when he saw Draco, his expression had changed. Draco could tell it had.

Flashback

The headmaster sighed. He reached a hand out to the boy in front of him. Draco flinched when the headmaster's fingers made contact with his flesh. It burned him. The feeble hands wiped away the tears he'd already shed.

"Mr. Malfoy…" The voice was sympathetic. Pitying him.

Draco backed away and the hand fell. "I don't need your pity." He spoke the words harshly.

"Draco Malfoy…" The voice quivered.

"I don't need it!"

"Draco…" The hand was again coming towards him.

He turned away, pulling Usagi with him. He wasn't stopped. Dumbledore let him go. So he did, leaving the hand levitating in the air.

End of Flashback

Draco wanted to scream. He wanted to hit something. He wanted to hurt someone…and it sickened him. It all happened so quickly, he barely had time to register what happened. After the whole ordeal, he'd ran to snake pit. The Slytherins was waiting for them. His hands fisted. Parkinson still had her memories.

He turned to observe Usagi who sat next to him. They were both waiting for Snape, who had demanded they meet him inn the room of requirements. The girl was in pain, he could see that. Her eyebrows furrowed and her teeth were digging into her lower lip. 'I'm sorry, Usa." He thought desperately. 'I'm so sorry.'

Severus Snape chose that time to show himself. He too was shaken up. "Do you know what happened out there?" He questioned the young wizard.

Draco nodded.

"What?" Snape snapped.

"I let myself be driven by revenge." Draco refused to meet his eyes for fear of the disappointment he might find.

"No! You were rash and you acted without thought. You erased the memories of more than a hundred students and eight professors. Not only that, but you, being such a bloody genius, left a witness untouched. And not just any witness, but the damn HEADMASTER!"

Usagi jumped. Snape sighed. "I thought I taught you better than that." That was the disappointment Draco was afraid of. "You are a Slytherin, but you showed me the recklessness of a Gryffindor." He spat the name of the house "Look at me when I'm talking to you." Draco's eyes remained transfixed on his desktop. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, damnit!" Draco's head snapped up.

He didn't have to meet Snape's eyes for he had turned away in disgust. "You're lucky he decided against expelling you."

"What?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes." Snape rolled his eyes. "The old fool believes that you are some lost puppy trying to survive in this cold, lonely world." Snape smirked. "I suggest you use this new found sympathy to your own advantage."

"So I won't be punished?" Draco was still in shock.

"Don't be simple. Of course you will." Snape snapped. "Dumbledore has requested that you accompany him to some far away place for one month."

"Where?"

If I knew I would have told you." Snape hissed.

"What about Usagi?"

"She stays."

"If she stays, I stay." Draco lifted his chin defiantly.

"You don't seem to get it, Mr. Malfoy." Snape dragged his name mockingly. "You don't really have a choice. Either you go with the Headmaster, or you go."

Draco turned to Usagi. Her eyes told him to go with Dumbledore. He nodded. He would go with the old coot, but he would be ready. He knew Dumbledore would try to discourage him from the dark arts. He knew the ancient fool would try to bring him over to his Gryffindor world of light. But he wouldn't let him. He, Draco Malfoy, would not be manipulated.

X

One month seemed like a year to Usagi. She missed her Dra-chan so much. But she got a chance to become better acquainted with some of the students in other houses, mostly Hufflepuffs. Some even seemed to have forgotten she was a Malfoy. It was kind of nice, she often admitted to herself. Without Draco's presence smirking and leering at everyone, they relaxed around her. However, some, mostly Gryffindors, were still suspicious of her.

She was followed by Crabbe and Goyle all the time, (Draco had ordered it) and sometimes she thought they would follow her into the bathroom if it was not strictly forbidden.

She wrote many letters to Draco (not that she was able to send any of them). Sometimes she would write just to say hi, other times it would be to tell him of something that happened. Like the time Neville Longbottom accidentally turned himself into a rainbow colored mug (with some help from several Slytherins) and how they taunted him, or about the time Lavender charmed her hair lavender because she thought it better defined her. Soon she began to observe others just to have something to write.

Her life became a routine. Wake up, have breakfast, go to class, hang out with Lavender and/or some others, have lunch, attend afternoon classes if she had any, study, have dinner, tutoring, write to Draco and go sleep. Sometimes she had to work around her schedule because of her visions. About two weeks after Draco left, Usagi took to fainting. It happened quite randomly and it seemed to have nothing to do with her activities or her appetite. Madame Pomphrey started reserving her bed. She often joked about it with Usagi and the professors.

Professor Snape, who she had always thought didn't like her, began to look out for her. He took her under his wings and taught her things outside his classroom. He still was an old bat, but he did help her. He tolerated no disobedience from her, and Usagi soon became very good at Potions, (second to Granger) and his star pupil. He didn't take points away from her, nor did he award her any. He tutored her in all her subjects except for Divination, which he despised, and in that one month she was promoted to year 3. He taught her the dark arts, of the dark, and why they're dark arts.

She became really close to Padma and Parvati Patil (thanks to Lavender) and she now called them her friends. She once tried to show her guardians to them, but for some reason, Lavender and the twins couldn't see the animals. Through them, she heard the latest gossip, which she immediately reported Draco. So, the words of her friends plus her observations equaled some interesting facts.

She learned that Terry Boot was gaga over Morag MacDougal. The-boy-who-wouldn't-die was dating the youngest Weasley (though that was no secret). But what interested her the most was Weasley and Granger's situation. He was crazy about her, but she ignored him. Lavender had gone out with Weasley the year before and told her that Granger was so green with envy that… (well she couldn't think of anything)…that…well she just was! Usagi wanted to know why. Granger barely acknowledged him at times. She seemed so focused on something else.

Usagi noted that she seemed to spend more time in the library, reading the books hungrily. Usagi had no classes with her, but she was told that the mudblood raised her hands more in her classes, and that in Potions, she strived to make her potions perfect (which they always were). Usagi thought it might be because of graduations, but then she decided that it really was too late to really do anything about it. Besides, Granger was already Head Girl.

Usagi also told Draco that she was getting along better with the Slytherins. They didn't treat her as their best mate, but they didn't treat her like scum either. They nodded to her in the halls and sometimes invited her to their common room for a party or something of the sort. To her shame, she even tried to get closer to them by assisting them in their daily bullying and poking fun at others. Usagi wanted so much to be liked.

X

The day Draco was supposed to return, Usagi received an owl from him. It carried a short note. 'Usagi won't be coming soon. Need more time. Draco." It was bittersweet and to the point. No how-are-you or don't-worry or I-miss you. She cried that night, but still wrote him a letter. It wasn't a happy one. In that tear stained letter, she asked him questions of the heart, questions she was afraid to ask, but was desperate for their answers. And she sobbed bitterly…

X

Draco arrived on an unexpected November afternoon. The weather was already changing and the trees shedding. He received no welcome home party, nor did he ask for one. He had changed. His expression was more serious and he was determined. To do what, Usagi didn't know. His hair was longer and she knew it was for his father. She remembered the day he came.

Flashback

Usagi was in the middle of answering a question in third year charms when professor Snape barged in. "I require the girl."

Everyone looked around puzzled, as he exited. Usagi stood up timidly. "Professor, I think he meant me." Snape always called her 'girl', never Usagi or Mrs. Malfoy, or just plain Malfoy. Always 'girl'. It irritated the hell out of her.

When she exited the classroom, he was waiting for her. "I don't have all day, girl." He always sneered the word. Dragging it out unnecessarily.

"Forgive me, sir."

This time, they did not go to Dumbledore's office. They went to Snape's classroom. And he was waiting for her.

End of Flashback

She had jumped into his arms, crying tears of joy. He had smiled and said, 'I missed you, too."

X

Draco did not tell Usagi much about the weeks he'd been gone. He did not tell her that Dumbledore took him out of the country. He did not tell her that he taught him dark magic mixed with white magic. He did not tell her that he enjoyed himself or that Dumbledore did nothing to try to convince him not to join Voldemort. Or that he said he would do his best to save Narcissa. He did not tell her about how Dumbledore never took his harsh words seriously or how Dumbledore treated him like a grandson. He did not tell her about the morning he woke up to find Dumbledore's phoenix crying heavy tears on the left side of his chest, above his heart. Nor did he tell how that twisted his heart, or how lonely he felt without her. He did not tell her he loved her or how lost he was without her. He did not tell her, she did not ask.