Make It Last - Rated PG13

Author Notes-- Long time no see eh? No one has probably heard about it, but my computer has been down so I haven't been able to write in some time. For those of you that are interested in what happened I have information about it on my FF.net profile. I like to update my progress on my stories in there and things that hold me up from being able to write. ^.^

I made this chapter as long as I could because it's been so long since I've updated. I hope everyone likes it. I'm a bit nervous! I tried to think of something new to do with this story. I've already gotten tired of a lot of cliche stories and I'm TRYING to make this not so influenced by those. I'm not completely sure where I'm going with this story, but I've got a rather vague idea now. I'm still open to suggestions for pairings even though I think I know what I'm going to do. It's a secret though, so I'm not telling what it is yet! However, after you read this you may realize that some of the pairings you've been hoping for aren't as plausible as you thought however. Also, I started writing this BEFORE the fifth book came out, so Snuffles/Sirius is in it, I don't want to have to re-do everything so I'm going to assume this is now a alternate reality story. Hope no one minds.

Happy reading! ^.~

~*~

Serenity awoke with a loud yawn. She loved the fact that it was a Saturday morning. She looked around the room and realized everyone was already at breakfast. She smiled gleefully and kicked the covers off her legs. She swung her legs gracefully to the side of the bed and put on some comfortable slippers before she went to her trunk and began to shift through it. She found a powder blue cloak with delicate silver lining on the inside to keep her comfortable and warm. She smiled, Lunar cloaks were always warmer than the usual ones you got at Madam Malkin's. Probably because the moon was always so cold. She set the cloak aside and turned back to her trunk. She shuffled through a few books still in her trunk and found a knee length, white, strapless, dress near the bottom that she remembered Minako helping her pack and a pair of white knee high socks.

Satisfied with her outfit Serenity pulled on a robe and grabbed her clothes before she went to the bathing room. She grabbed a fresh white towel off of a small shelf and she went into a private bath. She filled her tub and stripped down and stepped into the bath before sinking down to her neck. The water was just the right temperature. She closed her eyes in relaxation before she opened them again and began to shampoo her long hair.

After about ten minuets she was finished and she stepped out of the bath and dried her small frame before she changed into her outfit. Her hair wrapped in a towel she made her way to the sinks and mirrors. She unwrapped her hair and nearly fainted from shock. Her hair was a striking silver, her face less round and girlish, her bust was... bigger! She hadn't payed much attention to her body's changes in the bath, but now seeing herself she realized there was no mistaking it. She looked at least 23. She swallowed her scream and looked around nervously. How had she aged? She wasn't supposed to yet! She'd spent 1,000 years as a Lunarian teenager she wasn't supposed to age until 2,000 wasn't it? Was this the aging process for one with this bloodline? Had she been wrong? It wasn't like there were a lot of Lunarian's to ask anymore. Serenity drew a shaky breath and quickly used a spell to dry her hair. This was a question to ask Dumbledore she decided.

She ran a brush through her now dry hair quickly before she went to the dormitory to put on her high heeled buckle shoes. She didn't bother to put her hair up. She quickly activated her Lunarian trick before she left the dormitory. Most of the students were leaving the great hall now. They were finished with breakfast and heading towards the grounds and other various places. She thanked god for her Lunarian blood. No one could see her like this.

She stepped up to the teachers lounge and knocked softly. "Please let Dumbledore be in here." She whispered softly to herself.

The door opened seconds later by none other than the person she least had wanted to see, Severus Snape. Snape's eyes flicked over her once before he sneered and opened the door more to allow her entry. "I'm supposing you used an aging potion and it backfired Miss Tsukino?"

Serenity glared outright at the potions master. "I'm afraid not professor." She said through clenched teeth.

Slightly taken aback by her answer Snape said nothing as Serenity scanned the room. Dumbledore came over just as Serenity saw him sitting in an overstuffed arm chair. "Miss Tsukino, let's go to my office." Dumbledore offered with a comforting smile. Snape turned to leave but Dumbledore began to speak before he could even touch the door handle. "Severus, your potion making skills may be needed, please come with us." He said before he took Serenity's arm and lead her out of the room and toward his office.

They reached the stone gargoyle in record time. Dumbledore although aware of Serenity's Lunar trick didn't want to take any chances apparently. Snape followed reluctantly while brooding about Serenity's aging problem silently, probably convinced she was lying about the aging potion. Dumbledore said the password and they all walked up the steps into his office where Dumbledore let go of Serenity's arm and sat down behind his desk. "Take a seat Serenity, Severus." Snape growled under his breath, he apparently didn't want to be there, or anywhere near the Gryffindor Moon Princess.

Serenity looked over at Snape, his scowl looked rather permanent, It irritated her greatly. What did he have against her? 'He should really lighten up and stop scowling. He might actually be handsome if he stopped.' she thought silently before she turned to Dumbledore.

"It seems you've suddenly aged, doesn't it Miss Tsukino?" Dumbledore said with a cheerful smile. Serenity didn't see the cheerful smile appropriate but didn't question him about it, Dumbledore always had something up his sleeve. Serenity nodded to his previous inquiry however. "I do believe you are 1,000 years old correct?" Snape looked over at Serenity, surprise etched over his usually scowling face.

"Hai." Serenity answered. "It's only an estimation. But no more that 1,015. Setsuna-chan would know." Serenity offered.

"Ah, yes. Setsuna. Would you mind calling her for me. I know you have some sort of electronical contraption for that sort of thing." Dumbledore said amused as Snape continued to stare at the young face of Serenity. Up until now he knew she was a princess but not a 1,000 year old one.

Usagi pulled a small electronic pink communicator, seemingly from nowhere and she pressed a small square button. "Hai, Serenity-hime." Setsuna's voice came out of the pink communicator and her face showed in a tiny circular screen.

"Setsuna, would you mind taking a slip stream and hurrying over to Hogwarts. Dumbledore and I would like to speak with you... NOW." Serenity stressed the word now to the senshi of Pluto. Sometimes Setsuna didn't show up exactly when you told her too unless you plainly showed the urgency of it.

"Hai." Setsuna's soft voice said before the communicators screen went blank.

"She'll be here any minuet." Serenity said with a heavy sigh. This was not how she wanted to start off her day.

A few seconds passed and a maroon light erupted in the room, it faded quickly and there stood Sailor Pluto. As Setsuna de-transformed Dumbledore conjured up another chair for her to occupy. Setsuna took her seat graciously and turned to her princess. She didn't seem at all surprised by her appearance. "You look lovely Serenity." Setsuna said before turning to Dumbledore. "I'm assuming you're wondering about her sudden change in appearance?"

He nodded with a smile and rested his elbows on his desk and propped his head up with his hands, not at all acting like the elderly man he was, "and if it's reversable." he added.

"Well, she's had quiet a few lives over the years adding her age to about 1,009 years old. It's about time she reached past her teens. In most of Serenity's lives she doesn't pass the age of 14, she's finally passed that age so I suppose age is catching up with her." Setsuna explained. "Lunarian's age at a rapid pace, they'll go from baby to child in a span of a few days. Serenity has probably been maturing and hadn't even took notice of it until it had finished."

Snape spoke up, "So this isn't reversible. She has the body of a mature woman until thousands more years pass?" He barked out the question.

"Hai, but she will not grow old. This is as old as she will grow." Setsuna corrected.

"So you're saying, I'm stuck this way. I have to go to school looking like one of the teachers here?" Serenity's eyes filled with unhappy tears. "There's no way anyone's going to like me here now..."

Setsuna put a comforting hand over her princess's. "Iie, you have the Luna Pen don't you?" Serenity's saddened eyes turned hopeful. "I do!" Her eyes suddenly clouded over however. "But it only works for a few hours. How am I supposed to go a full year here using the pen when I can only use it for a few hours at a time?"

"Professor Snape, you're the potions master correct?" Setsuna asked turning to the now scowling again professor.

"I am." He answered with distain. He knew what was coming.

"I'd like you to brew up a de-aging potion. We can put a few drops in a water bottle and Usagi can drink it every few hours instead of wasting her energy. The Luna Pen will only be used if you need to brew a new potion. Will that be alright with you Professor Dumbledore? Setsuna asked in her soft yet stern voice. It almost reminded Usagi of Professor McGonagall only much softer. No one could say no to it however.

"That sounds perfectly plausible, we have all the ingredients. Serenity however will have to be hidden for a day until the potion is complete. Perhaps the hospital wing..." Dumbledore began.

Setsuna took note of her princess's sour look at the thought of spending the entire day hiding in the hospital wing. "I can take her to Hogsmeade for the night. You can tell everyone she went to visit a deathly ill family member should anyone ask."

Dumbledore nodded. "That would probably suit Serenity much better than the hospital wing." He said with a quick wink in Serenity's direction.

"Now that this is all settled. I have a potion to brew." Snape growled before he stood up and strode out of the room with his cloak whipping out behind him as he left.

"We'll walk to Hogsmeade as to not arise suspicion about our whereabouts." Setsuna said standing. Serenity stood too and gave Dumbledore a appreciative smile.

"Good, good. We'll be sure to keep this a secret." Dumbledore said with assurance.

Serenity nodded before the two senshi disappeared in a flurry of light.

~*~

Hermione walked into the common room with Harry. "Harry, it's really not THAT hard." Hermione insisted. "You just have to flick your wand like so--" Hermione demonstrated and Harry ignored her.

Ron, noticing the two entering through the portrait hole walked over, his face contorted with confusion. "Hey Ron." Harry interrupted Hermione.

"Hermione, have you finished your charms essay?" Ron asked uneasily.

Ron apparently hadn't finished his homework either. Harry groaned. MORE homework questions? He'd made the mistake of already asking Hermione for homework help, and that was what she had been trying to demonstrate to him since they'd left the library.

"Of course! It was easy compared to my Arithmancy homework. I finished it last night--" Hermione stopped speaking and noticed Ron's apparent confusion. "Don't tell me, YOU didn't finish it either! Listen, I can't ALWAYS let you two borrow my notes."

"But you're going to let us borrow them aren't you Hermione?" Harry said with a grin.

Hermione scowled but nodded. "Come on, I'll go get them." The two were halfway to the dormitory stairs when Neville suddenly stepped in front of them. "Hey, have you guys seen Serenity? I wanted to thank her for helping me on my potions essay."

Hermione thought for a moment before she realized she hadn't seen her all day. "You know, I haven't seen her since I got up this morning and she was still asleep. I'll go see if she's feeling well." Notes forgotten, Hermione hurried up the steps to the girls dormitories. She noticed Serenity's bed was empty and made (probably by house elves), but the blond girl was nowhere to be found. She did however see Serenity's unopened mail laying on her bed. "That's odd." Hermione said before she remembered the notes. She quickly nabbed them up and headed back downstairs.

~*~

Serenity and Setsuna arrived at an inn in Hogsmeade nearly fifteen minuets after they'd left Dumbledore's office. She and Setsuna found a cozy place to stay called Madam Loolie's Inn. It was rather inviting and warm compared the the rainy weather that it had been outside. They reserved to rooms for the night and then the two went and got some butter beer together inside The Three Broomsticks. As they finished them up Setsuna cleared her throat and looked at Serenity. "I'm going to quickly go visit the senshi, I need to speak with them about your change. I should be back in an hour, think you'll be alright walking around on your own?" Serenity nodded and Setsuna stood. "I'll apparate then since it's normal transport here." Setsuna handed Serenity a coin purse filled with wizard money to pay for drinks and whatever else she might want before she apparated with a loud pop.

Serenity stood and went to the counter and paid for her drink. The witch behind the counter smiled at her. Serenity walked out of The Three Broomsticks and took notice that the rain had stopped. She quickly walked around looking at all of the stores. She saw a joke shop but didn't bother going in, she also saw a few robe shops and book shops. She was tempted to buy a new robe, but her Lunar robes were just too nice to bother replacing them.

She neared the edge of town eventually and saw what appeared to be a broken down house. "More like a shack." she muttered to herself. Looking around it was odd to see something like that. Most of the shops were in good working order, not at all looking as run down and boarded up like this. She was walking towards it when an old man in a blue cloak stopped her.

"Wouldn't go near that dearie. Pretty young thing like you wouldn't want to get mixed up with spooks like those!" He warned her, letting go of her arm.

"What do you mean?" Serenity asked, suddenly curious.

"Haunted that place is, by the most horrible ghosts around they say. They call that place the shrieking shack they do!" He answered, his voice fast paced and filled with noticeable fear.

"Best to avoid that place." He said before he turned and left her where she stood.

Serenity's eyes gazed over at the old shack. It looked empty to her. She took one step closer before she heard a crash within the house. Her eyes widened and she ran in the other direction until she reached an old pub. As she stopped to catch her breath she realized the old man's words had gotten to her. It had probably only been a cat or some creature that had taken shelter inside that had made that noise. She decided it was probably best to avoid the shrieking shack just to be sure though.

~*~

Author Note's at top! Please Review. ^.^