Ten

"Oh dear," Luna blinked several times. Her eyes were huge, as she stared and stared into the crystal ball set before her in an attempt to see what it was that Professor Firenze had seen. After a few moments, however, she finally said, "Hm, it would appear that my future is dark and bleak. Nothing too exciting to be seen."

"Oh?" Kagome giggled, glancing down into the crystal ball from over Luna's shoulder. "I would imagine that if your future was dark and bleak that that would mean that you're not going to have a very good time within the next few years, Luna. Maybe you saw it wrong? I'm sure that it's all bright and cheerful in there."

"Mm," Luna hummed. "No. If anything I would say that it is probably going to be dreadful; especially with the Exploding Snabberwitches beginning to act up this year. My father and I are certain that they're beginning to invade the Black Lake, and while it might be a little difficult, I'm certain that I can convince a mermaid or two to look for them."

Lifting an eyebrow, the Gryffindor decided not to question her Ravenclaw friend's ever growing list of hidden creatures she believed in. "Yes, I'm sure that'll be… um," she paused for a moment, "quite an interesting adventure for you."

"Oh, certainly!" Luna smiled dreamily.

Gifting her friend with a soft smile, Higurashi Kagome glanced down toward the crystal ball that the Ravenclaw had been so transfixed upon. Her lip turned downward at the thought of gazing into the object, knowing that the only future her sight deemed worthy was that of her eyes fixed adoringly upon that snake. The vision was so vivid it invaded her very dreams and plagued her at every waking hour.

There had to be something wrong with her gift.

There was absolutely no possible way that she would ever—

"Why don't you try now?" Luna said, breaking her away from her thoughts. Her stare became transfixed upon the girl sitting beside her, wondering if she would continue to deny needing to follow instructions. "Maybe you'll see something different this time around?"

"Luna—?" Kagome blinked curiously, "—how did you know that…?"

"Oh," Luna sighed softly, "I didn't."

Lifting an eyebrow, Kagome took a moment to ponder whether or not Luna was being serious, or merely attempting to tell her something in her own way. After a moment, though, she finally sighed, "Alright."

Luna merely smiled.

Gazing down into the small orb set before them, the Gryffindor girl took a moment to try and prepare herself for the bright, awestruck future she knew she would find herself within. The absolutely ridiculous future. Her teeth clenched together and her gaze steady, she finally allowed herself to drift into the sweet embrace that she often found herself within.

"What is that?"

The Ravenclaw beside her frowned suddenly, as she realized that there was something not quite right about the situation. Kagome immediately reached out for the crystal ball, her eyes narrowing, as if she could not quite understand what it was she was attempting to discover within. Her eyes were clouded, distant, and it appeared that she was caught within the veil she was desperately trying to lift.

Professor Firenze laid a gentle hand upon Luna's shoulder, as the Ravenclaw reached out to touch her partner's shoulder. "Attempting to break the connection between the now and the future may cause havoc upon the young seer's mind. It is best to allow the vision to play its part, for the future is often harsh upon those who have true foresight."

The Divination classroom hushed.

"What is tha—?" The world was gray and distant for a moment, as Kagome felt her mind reach forward in an attempt to pull away the veil blocking her from seeing what should remain unseen. Surprise washed through her when the mist split, revealing a splash of pale skin against black robes. The vision began to clear almost immediately, and it felt as if the breath left her lungs when the Dark Lord's mark began to weave itself into the flesh presented before her eyes.

It felt as if the air around her shivered, as she found herself strangely fascinated by the snake twisting through the mouth of a skull.

The future she had found herself within was new, true, but the odd fixation her future seemed to have with the Dark Mark disturbed and disgusted her current state of mind. Thus, as she pulled herself away from the future she had found herself within, she was not surprised to find herself screaming, "No!"