Ch10

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Sailor Moon and nor do I own Harry Potter.

Usagi was sitting by herself in the library, flipping through the pages of a book that speaks about the founders of Hogwarts. Hotaru mentioned the other day that she had spotted something that deals with Silver Millennium in this book. Considering how late it was, all of the students had been sent to their dorms. Madam Pince the librarian had allowed her to stay behind while she go to bed just as long as she locks up when she's finished.

December was rolling in slowly. Albus had told everyone that on the day before everyone will probably head home to celebrate Christmas and New Years with their family that there would be a party. People had been swarming around the school, hoping to get a date, but the most interesting ones hoping to get a date would be Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

-Draco was sitting across from Hotaru, who was currently eating her breakfast, reading a book, and ignoring him at the same time. Anger started to bubble inside of him. Just who does she think she is, ignoring him, the heir to one of the most prominent pureblooded family, while being all friendly to Harry Potter, the stinking mudblood lover. It's been days since the old coot had issued the dance to us and basically everyone is getting someone to go with.

"Draco, can you go to the dance with me?" Pansy asked, clinging onto his arm. She looked up at him, hoping that he would agree and focus on her more rather than on Hotaru. She has no idea on why Tomeo isn't attractive to one of the wealthiest heirs of the wizarding family, not to mention the best looking one. She also has no idea why Tomeo would be in Slytherin when she was friends with Potter and mudbloods.

Draco pulled his arm from her hold. "Maybe," he replied, not even paying attention to her. He was too busy getting annoyed with the fact that Tomeo doesn't admire him the way he had expected, but then again, her guardians are Potter's sister and her friends. He shook his head. Nah, maybe Tomeo does like him, but just pretends that she doesn't to lead him on. He cleared his throat, causing Hotaru to look at him from her book. "Tomeo, because you're new to the school, I'm given you the honor of going to the dance with me," he said, completely paying no heed to Pansy's gasp.

Hotaru stared at him as if he just said a joke or as if he just said that he thinks that she would be honored to go to the dance with him. WAIT! Go to the dance with him, Draco Malfoy, the nemesis of her newfound friends. Deciding to humor him, Hotaru smiled gently at him and said, "Really, well then I guess I should feel honored."

A bubble of pride grew within the blonde. "I knew it," his mind sang.

"But unfortunately, I rather go alone to the dance than with you," Hotaru said, straight out, causing Draco's pride to deflate. She turned to her book. "And besides, you have to ask Haruka-papa if you want to take me and I really doubt that she'll let you."

To say that a girl had just shot him down was down right humiliating, it was about to get worse for Draco. Later on that day, during Potions, he had overheard blood traitor Weasly and the mudblood Granger that Potter had asked Hotaru's guardians if him and Hotaru could go to the dance together and was granted permission, not to mention, Hotaru had replied she would go with him before he had asked Haruka. It was so bad that he actually preferred that she had shot him down for a mudblood rather than his archrival. -

Usagi knew that Hotaru had a crush on her younger brother. Heck, everyone in her close-knit family does. Luna and Artemis were already imagining little grandchildren since they see Hotaru as their own daughter some times. Even Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna were imagining children whom they can teach special lessons to. She giggled as she remembered how her other friends were taking at the fact that young Hotaru Tomeo is already almost to have a boyfriend. Even Uncle Albus and Aunt Minerva were happy to hear that Hotaru and Harry may possibly be a potential couple. The only person who didn't seem to be very pleased with the fact that a Slytherin and a Gryffindor would be pairing up would be Severus Snape.

Usagi felt her heart did a weird thing. It jumped in tiny but heavy skips when her mind thought back to the potions master; it never had done that even when she thought about other people of the opposite sex. She couldn't really understand why her mind would constantly go think about the teacher, she had seen many guys who were much more better looking than him, but none of them seemed to intrigue her more than Severus Snape. But why exactly is her heart thumping so hard? Just what is the reason?

As Usagi was so caught up with this strange and new discovery, she didn't notice a dark figure behind her. She closed the book and sighed deeply when all of a sudden…CLANG! Usagi jumped and turned around to see that Crookshanks, Hermoine's cat, had knocked down a chair when it leaped down from the top of the bookshelf. She released a sigh of relief as she walked towards the orange cat and picked it up into her arms. "What are you doing here?" she asked gently.

Crookshanks purred in a pleased manner as he arched his back into Usagi's hand that was petting him. Usagi was about to turn back to her book when Crookshanks all of a sudden hissed at something and leaped onto her shoulder. His yellow eyes caught a shadowy figure behind Usagi. Usagi glanced at the cat. "Crookshanks, what's wrong?" she asked. The orange mangy cat just continued to hiss, causing her to sigh, "Sometimes I wish all animals are able to talk, just like Artemis and Luna."

Usagi took the cat into her hands again when, without warning, a musty green scaly hand covered her mouth roughly from behind. Usagi dropped the cat to the floor and struggled against its hold. "Well, well, well…what have I caught in my hands?" a hoarse voice said in her ear, "It appears to be the elusive lunarian princess, it seems. My master will be so please to hear if I had disposed him of the little pest."

"How does he know who I am?" Usagi asked herself, struggling to break free. She closed her eyes and released a pure white aura, forcing the creature to scream in pain as her pure energy was melting his dark one. She turned around and gasped in shock and horror.

The creature looked to be a cross between a dragon and an ox. He had ebony black skin as if someone had smeared tar all over his body. There were large musty green scales going from his elbows straight down to the long clawed hands of his. His large head resembled almost like a dragon with his piercing red eyes, dripping fangs, and long neck. He had huge dark brown antlers coming from the both sides of his head right above his ears, curving in like a goat's and ending in a curl. Pierced in his right ear a small golden looped earring and around his neck was a gray thick rope, resembling a noose. His legs were shoulder-length apart with thick black fur that covers it and with the way he stands on his legs, makes him almost resembles a Minotaur. He had a long tail that has a long blade emitting at the end. His narrow snout opened slightly to reveal the sharp teeth as he grinned menacingly at the young princess. "It appears that there's nowhere for you to run, princess," he snarled. Usagi just stared at him as she tried to come up with a plan.

/-/

Severus was doing his usual nighttime patrolling when he came across Hermoine's cat, which was pawing on his dark black robes frantically. He glanced down at it and noticed that it would constantly glance back and forth at him and then to something behind him. Severus just stared at Crookshanks with a confused look, considering that he didn't understand the feline language.

It wasn't until Crookshanks narrowed his eyes as if trying to say, "Why do I even bother?" and ran back to the direction he ran from. He only stopped a few feet to glance back at Severus. When Severus followed after the orange cat, only then did Crookshanks increase his speed as he raced to help the lunarian princess in the library.

Severus followed the cat in a quick pacing jog. "What is that cat up to?" he muttered. He then skidded to a stop in front of the library and gasped to see Usagi battling against a monstrous creature. At first he stared in shock at the mystery of how something so dangerous had gotten into the school without anyone knowing, then he stared in shock when he saw Usagi pulling out a curved bladed sword…out of midair?

"I don't know what he wants, but there's no way I'm giving in too easily," Usagi said, her voice gradually getting louder as she launched forward with the sword readying in the air. "Sword Space Blaster!" she shouted. She jumped into the air and swung the sword down diagonally with strong gusts of wind blew towards the monster, slashing into his thick leather-like skin.

He screamed in pain as deep slashes appeared reaching from the top of his left shoulders going slantwise to his waist. The creature glared angrily at the princess and hissed, "You're gonna wish you never did that."

Usagi smirked and held the sword close to her body, as if ready to strike, and said, "And you're gonna wish that you never took the mission to take me down." She raced towards the creature, readying the sword once more. She was so intent on destroying him that she didn't notice Severus standing at the library entrance in complete shock as he watched her parrying and blocking all of the monster's attack.

"Too slow," the beast snarled. He slashed down with his claws, but when Usagi dodged it, she didn't see the blade-like tail coming from behind. She screamed in pain as the tail sliced through her skin and collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily as blood dripped to the floor. "You seriously think you can defeat me with that tactic," he said, laughing at the injured princess, "You're much weaker than what my master gave you credit for, princess."

"I guess they never warned you," Usagi said. She stabbed the sword's blade into the ground and used it to help her as she got up, using her left knee to support her staggering weight. "With me as your opponent…you never underestimate," she said louder, throwing the sword towards the creature's stomach, piercing the skin on both sides.

The creature screamed loud, probably waking everyone in the castle up, as Usagi smirked. She lifted her hands up in the air and a long narrow silvery staff appeared in them. She banged the end of the rod on the floor and forced her body to stand up, starting to feel an agonizing pain creeping up from the wound on her back. Shit, he probably poisoned me when he gave me that wound. If I continue to fight, it'll only make the poison travel around my body quicker, but if I don't destroy him, he might hurt the others.

The creature noticed a slight panicked look on her face and released a low chuckle. "So, you figured it out. As we speak, the poison that runs in my blood is now coursing through your body. Even if you don't do anything, the poison will continue on until you die," he said.

"You must be pretty pathetic to think something like this can kill me," Usagi said, "I think it's time to remind you and your master who you're dealing with." She swung the staff in the air in a complete circle before holding it up in the air. "Moon…Light…Strike! AN: It's a crappy name for an attack, but I couldn't think of anything else. :p When she swung it in the direction of the creature, a cloth shaped light encircled itself around him several times.

The creature struggled against the light, but it seemed that the more he struggles, the tighter it wraps itself around him. Then, just as the poison creates a stinging pain in Usagi's body, the light began to overshadow his darkness slowly, before completely enveloping him in light and disappearing.

Usagi smiled and felt her vision slowly dimming. Usagi heard her name being called out and turned her head to see Severus standing there in complete shock staring at her. "Se..verus," she whispered with a small smile before dropping to the ground.

Finally being able to move, the potions master quickly raced over to her side. He could hear his heart beating loudly as he lifted her body up against him. The library was completely filled with destroyed tables and chairs with books thrown to the side. Scattered around the floor was black dust coming from the creature's deceased body, the sword and staff already vanished the minute he was gone.

She's been poisoned…at least, that's what that monster said. So there has to be an antidote. Severus gathered a small pinch of the dust into his hand and quickly inspected it. "But what antidote do I use?" Severus asked.

Crookshanks walked right up to the potions master and head butted his hand gently. Severus glanced at the orange cat and noticed a small glass tube in its mouth. He took the tube and studied it. "Is this…" His ears caught Usagi's breathing becoming more unstable and quicker.

Deciding to take the chance that whatever is in the vial would help counter against the poison and not make it worse, Severus opened the vial and lifted Usagi's head close to his chest, but her lips were sealed tightly, preventing the liquid from entering her body. "Then…there's no other way," he muttered. On the surface, he seemed to be uneasy with the idea, but inside, he could feel, for some unknown reason, a bubble of happiness beginning to burst in his stomach.

Severus took the vial and poured the liquid into his mouth. He brought then brought down his head where his lips touched Usagi's. His calloused fingers held gently but firmly on both sides of her head as he tried to force the liquid into her mouth. As he emptied the antidote into her mouth, he couldn't help but notice a few things. Her lips were soft to the touch, as was her skin. And there was a distinct taste of fruit that she was probably snacking on in the library, a faint flavor of strawberries and cherries.

Usagi's eyes squinted close before they opened slowly. "It's warm," her mind whispered. Her vision started to become less blurry as she felt the lips leave hers. "Severus?" Usagi whispered, before falling unconscious with a small smile on.

The potions master brought a hand that wasn't holding Usagi to his lips. "I can't believe…I just…" he muttered.

"Severus, is everything all right?" Albus asked.

Severus turned around to see that the staff of Hogwarts was staring into the library with wide eyes at the sight of the destruction of the library and the unconscious Usagi in Severus's arms. "I didn't do any of this, if that's what you're thinking," Severus said quickly, hoping to destroy the suspicion of him being the culprit, "I just happen to pass by when I saw her destroying this monster."

Hotaru ran over to Usagi to check for any injuries, but saw that the wounds were already starting to heal. "A youma?" she asked, after the description from Severus.

Michiru walked over to Hotaru and Usagi, stopping just a few feet away from them. She glanced worriedly at Haruka. "But how are the youmas able to penetrate through the shields? Not to mention, how they found her?" she asked.

Haruka growled angrily and walked over to the kneeling pair and lifted her princess into her arms. "Who cares," she replied, "All I care about is making sure that koneko-chan will be safe now."

Setsuna stood in the shadows of the corridor. A mysterious smile crept up on her face. She looked down at the purring orange cat in her arms. "Thank you, Crookshanks," she said softly so no body would hear her, "That vial contained waters from the moon itself, purifying anything in one's body." She glanced up to watch as everyone started towards the infirmary, well, all except Severus; he was still kneeling on the floor with a puzzled look on his face. "We've done our part in protecting our princess, now it's up to him if he is willing to accept the truth." And with that, she placed Crookshanks back to the ground and turned around, disappearing back into the darkness.

AN: And chapter ten is finished! YAY! I am SOOOOOO sorry that I didn't update soon for such a short chapter. I had started to go to college just a few weeks ago so everything had been so hectic.

Should I have past graduates come back? Should I have Severus try to deny his newfound feelings for Usagi? Should I have Usagi confess that she likes him, but he rejected her in fear and she accidentally takes refuge in someone else's arms? Send your reviews and tell me what you think.