Make It Last – PG13

Author Notes at bottom!

~*~

Serenity walked back into the potions room. Her walk demanded respect with every footfall. "Professor, the way you've been treating me is-" Serenity started to speak but was cut off.

"I know what you're getting at Miss. Tsukino." Snape began. "I treated you different because you are different and I was told to do so by Dumbledore." Snape said with a disgusted look in her direction.

"You were told to treat me different?" She asked outraged. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"Miss Tsukino, you are a princess, and if I were to treat you like I treat the rest of the Gryffindors Dumbledore said you would be insulted, and although my attitude toward the Gryffindors is not altogether courteous I believe I am just. Now, we are finished here." Snape turned his back to leave the angered princess, not caring wither or not she had anything else to say.

Serenity growled at Snape's back before she left for Gryffindor Tower. She was tired from all her classed that day and angry. How could Dumbledore ask her teachers of such a thing? She wanted to be treated like everyone else!

'But you're not like everyone else'. A little voice in the back of her head taunted. She growled yet again, and was even more aggravated when her body collided with that of another person and she fell sprawled onto the ground in a rather provocative position for whomever it was that she ran into she had fallen on top of.

Serenity sat up somewhat and noticed that she had fallen on the one and only Draco Malfoy. "Nice to see you're falling for me Tsukino, but no need to be so forward. Although this is a waste of your time, I don't date Gryffindor trash." Malfoy insulted.

Serenity's blood boiled, not just from the insult but from the earlier talk with Snape that had upset her as well. Blinded by anger she found herself blanking for a split second before she realized that Draco now lay on the floor, her no longer on top of him. He was holding his nose, blood spurt from it profusely. "Bloody hell! I think you broke my nose you damn girl!" Taking out his wand he pointed it at her, ready to curse her she was sure.

Serenity looked down at Draco frightened by him and feeling utterly sorry, but also feeling guilty for hurting him. Part of her told her to grab her wand and point it at him and curse him before he could curse her, but the only thought in her head was to run and that's exactly what she did.

She ran up to Gryffindor tower, through the portrait hole and into the common room. She was huffing and puffing at this point, from the exercise. "Serenity! What happened?" Hermione ran over seeing Serenity's wide scared eyes and exhausted composure.

"I kind of beat up Malfoy." Serenity said with a worried glance around the room. She didn't want eavesdroppers.

"What? Oh my Serenity you could get in a whole lot of trouble for that one!" Hermione said worried.

"I know, I just… I was so mad at…" Serenity stopped speaking; she couldn't tell Hermione that she was angry with Snape for treating her differently because of her being a princess. No, she had to think up another story or she was sure to be treated different by Hermione as well.

"I was mad at myself, I… didn't do so well on a paper… and I ran into Malfoy quite literally, and well he insulted me and I was already so angry that I…" Serenity blushed in sudden embarrassment.

"You what?" Hermione asked.

"I think I broke his nose." Hermione heard her explanation and began to laugh outright. Although Hermione knew it was wrong of her to laugh at someone's pain and Serenity who was nervous about the whole situation she knew that Malfoy probably deserved what he got. "It's not funny Hermione!" Serenity said desperately trying to get Hermione to stop her sniggering.

Hermione stopped laughing and became serious. "Ah Serenity, he probably deserved it. Although you're right you shouldn't have done it… I'm sure if Malfoy tells Snape or Dumbledore that they'll listen to your side of the story, he's known to pick fights with Gryffindors and being that you're new they might let it slide." Serenity nodded reluctantly and though that that probably wouldn't the only reason they'd let it slide.

~*~

Serenity walked into the common room. A week had went by since the day Serenity had hit Malfoy and Serenity hadn't been called into any offices. It seemed that Malfoy's nose was fine. He had gone to Madam Pomfrey's office and had it fixed, but no one seemed to know the entire story. Hermione figured that he didn't want to admit that a girl broke his nose.

She walked up to Harry, Ron and Hermione who were sitting at a table talking in low tones. As she neared they looked up and stopped talking suddenly, and Harry tucked away a piece of parchment into his robes. "What? Did I interrupt something?" She asked.

"No, it's nothing." Ron quickly said, Hermione gave Ron a worried look as his ears turned noticeably red.

Serenity looked at the three of them and knew instantly they were hiding something but she decided it was best not to say anything.

A few days went by since the group had gotten secretive. They began to have heated conversations in hushed tones and whenever she were to come up to hang out they would stop talking immeadiatly. Although this would probably bother her, Serenity seemed to think they were entitled to privacy but of course she always tried to sneak up as quietly as possible to catch a bit of their conversations.

~*~

Serenity was awoken abruptly from slumber when she heard the door squeak from being opened. Serenity held her breath and rolled over to see not someone coming into the room but someone exiting. Hermione was out of bed, completely dressed.

Serenity waited until she had left the room to sit up. She looked around and saw that Lavender and Parvati were still fast asleep. She ran a hand through her hair nervously. What was Hermione doing? She slowly got out of bed, cringing at the cold floor beneath her feet. She quickly grabbed some white slippers by the end of her bed and she put them on before she followed Hermione's trail down stairs.

She concealed herself at first but she didn't see Hermione anywhere so she came all the way down the stairs. "Hermione?" She whispered, not wanting to wake the entire house with her yelling for her friend.

She heard something bang against something and then a muffled 'ouch' from a male voice that sounded a lot like Harry. "Harry?" She questioned looked around and seeing no one.

Serenity shrugged and started up the stairs to leave when she heard the portrait hole open. She quickly made her way back downstairs and saw the door swing shut. She quickly gulped nervously, knowing she was going to follow, but nervous in knowing she could get caught.

She quickly said the password and left. She looked down the hallways. No one was to be seen. She went right, hoping it was the way that whomever it was went and she walked the empty corridors and halls in hopes of finding Hermione.

She was about to give up when she reached another empty hallway when she heard voices up ahead in an empty classroom. She quickly ran up ahead and stopped at the empty classrooms door that was slightly ajar. She peaked in and saw Hermione, Harry and Ron. They were all standing over something.

She walked in finally. "What are you guys doing?" Harry, Ron and Hermione all jumped.

"W-What are you DOING here Serenity!" Harry asked, his eyes wide.

Serenity ignored him and walked closer and looked down at the ground and saw a large black dog. "You guys have been keeping a DOG! That's what this was all about?" Serenity laughed. "I guess I was worried about nothing. I thought you guys were keeping something more important from me!"

Ron laughed nervously. "Yeah, we're just trying to get Snuffles out of Hogwarts, we've been keeping it here for a week and someone will probably find out about him soon." Serenity nodded.

"Are there any was out of Hogwarts besides the main ways?" Serenity asked as she walked over to the large dog.

"Yeah, there are loads of passages!" Ron blurted out before anyone could stop him.

"Ron! Those are secret!" Hermione chastised.

"It's alright, I promise not to tell." Serenity said as she bent down to pet the large beast who nuzzled against her hand.

"But now that I know what's going on, I'm going back to bed! You guys be careful!" Serenity gave Snuffles another quick pat before she left. She heard them began to talk amongst themselves as soon as she left but she paid no attention. She knew there was something to that dog, she knew not to get into it though. Why? Because she knew these things would be known in time. She had learned patience over the years.

~*~

Arg! I'm unsure who to put Serenity with in this one. I don't want to make this a Harry/Usa, so I'm not going to. And the Draco/Usa is getting rather stupid… plus he's kind of mean to everyone so why would Usagi want to be with him? GRR I just don't know. Suggestions would be nice. So please comment and tell me who you think it should be. It might help me think of someone.

You should know that since this is her sixth year, so a Wood/Usa or a Weasely Twin/Usa is impossible. I'm actually considering Neville. He's a little on the dorky side, but Serenity wouldn't be one to care now would she? ^.~ It'll be awhile before she hooks up with anyone so I might even considering there being NO PAIRING at all. But this IS supposed to be a romance… ah well, I can always change that ;-) Oh the joys of being an author.