First Day of Lessons
Serenity looked around at her chambers. They were clean, she'd give them that much, but they were seriously lacking in interior design.
The room consisted of Indian red carpet, which was starting to… well she wasn't exactly sure what it was starting to do, but she got the sickening feeling that it was molding. The walls were almost completely bare, the grey stones of the walls visible.
Walking into the bedroom, she decided it wasn't much better. There was a double four-poster bed, with long windows all along the window it was against. This would have been very pleasant, if not for the putrid smell of rotting eggs.
"This certainly won't do," Serenity murmured to herself. Lifting one elegant hand, the room flashed white.
The Indian red carpet had changed to white. Beige leather furniture was situated around a round glass coffee table. The walls were no longer bare, but covered with moving portraits of her and the senshi. Above the fireplace, there was a rather large photo of Crystal Tokyo, with a sky that matched the one outside.
The bedroom had changed as well. The four-poster bed was laden with white satin blankets and pillows. Lace hung from the canopy. The walls and carpet had been enchanted to look like either a bright blue sky, complete with fluffy clouds, or a star-filled navy sky. The room varied depending on the time of day.
"Wonderful!" Serenity praised herself. "I should decorate rooms more often! I'm really good at it!"
Getting her many trunks out of her sub-space pocket, Serenity changed into a silk nightgown and lay down on the bed.
"Me, a teacher…" she whispered sleepily. "Who would've thought?"
The Grand Hall was abuzz. Today was the first day of lessons, and the students of Hogwarts couldn't wait to get started. Normally, this probably would have been the least felt emotion (except, perhaps, for Hermione), but due to the new History professor.
"I can't wait to have Professor Cosmos' class!" squealed Hermione. "With all she's seen, she'll probably be the best teacher ever!"
"Yeah… right," giggled Usagi.
"What's so funny?" asked Harry.
"You'll see," said Usagi mysteriously.
"Just like her mother!" groaned Ron.
"Hey! I'll take that as a compliment!" said Usagi.
They continued chatting amiably, until the side door beside the teachers' table opened, and out walked Professor Cosmos. There was a deathly silence in the hall. Smirking to herself, she strode forward, smiling at the students and waving at Usagi. "Ohayo Gozaimasu minna!" she greeted loudly. It was for this reason, she didn't see the crease in the carpet and tripped.
Tumbling forward with a loud thump, Serenity managed to fall flat on her stomach. "Itai!" she groaned. This was not how she had expected to make her appearance. She had just made a fool of herself yet again. Gone were the days when everybody feared her.
Getting to her feet, she looked at the Hall. "You all have my permission to start laughing," she announced. The hall burst with the laughter of a thousand students. Sighing, the Queen of Stars muttered, "Some things never change."
Sitting down in the only seat left at the teacher's table (next to Snape, much to her dismay), she helped herself to a breakfast of waffles, sausages, hash browns, toast, sausages, scrambled eggs and fruit salad. "Yum," said Serenity, eating at a superhuman pace.
"Do you even think to chew your food?" sneered Snape.
Smiling sweetly at him, despite the food in her mouth, she said, "And where would the fun in that be? Besides, it takes a lot of nourishment for Lunarians to survive in earth's atmosphere."
"Then how come your daughter isn't eating like a starved pig?"
"Oh that's simple," replied Serenity between mouthfuls. "She is half Terran and therefore doesn't need as much nourishment."
"I see…"
"So are you ready for your lessons today, your Majesty?" inquired Professor Lupin.
"Yep!" chirped Serenity. "I've got it all planned out! Just one thing, don't call me 'your Majesty'. I get enough of that at home." She winked at him, and she could have sworn she saw him blush.
"What is it like in Crystal Tokyo Serenity?" asked Dumbledore. Sure he had heard legends, but he doubted they could compare to the description from someone who truly loved the city.
Serenity's eyes sobered and a soft smile adorned her face. "Crystal Tokyo is like no other place in the universe…"
Harry, Ron and Hermione watched as Professor Cosmos pilled in the food like there was no tomorrow. In fact, the whole school seemed to be doing the exact same thing. Except for Usagi that is. She just sat there eating like it was a normal day.
"Is she always such a … glutton?" wondered Harry apprehensively.
"Depends. If there are important people around, then no," stated Usagi, who was barely paying attention to the conversation. "All the other time? You bet. I think the world would end the day 'kaa-san stopped eating. Of course, we love her all the same."
"Usagi? Are you and your mother Japanese?" asked Hermione who seemed to pick up on the few Japanese words that had been spewing from the royals' mouths.
"Of course!" scoffed Usagi. "Were you not paying attention to the legends or what? My mom's name was Tsukino Usagi, Usagi being her first name. She lived in Tokyo when she was Sailor Moon, hence the reason my home is called Crystal Tokyo. Sheeesh. English people! They always assume that legends occur somewhere where they speak English! Jeez!"
The three in question blushed, but Hermione persisted with the questions. "But didn't you say that your name was Usagi?"
Rolling her eyes, Usagi responded, "She named me after herself." Seeing their looks of disbelief, she added, "Well, it's not my first name. My full little is Princess Small Lady Serenity Usagi Tsukino Chiba and Super Chibi Moon, Champion of Love and Justice. I don't like saying all that though, so I usually stick to Usagi or Chibi-Usa, but I can almost guarantee that if you call me Chibi-Usa, I will use my cutie moon rod and it will hurt."
"I'd believe her if I were you!" piped up Serenity from the Head Table. "That sucker has sent many a youma into tears. If the situation hadn't been so serious, it would have been funny."
"How are you doing that?!" exclaimed Ron, surprise clearly expressed on his face.
"Good hearing?" smiled Serenity mysteriously. It was so fun to make people squirm! Casting one last look at the quartet, she went back to her - eating.
"I still find it hard that she saved the world countless times," commented Harry, gazing over at his new professor who looked like she didn't even bother to swallow. "Very hard."
"You've kind of got to see it in action. I think she's the bravest person I know, but then again, I've seen her face down the most horrific evils, so I suppose that makes a difference."
Looking at Professor Cosmos, Harry couldn't help but agree.
The sixth year Gryffindors were all sitting in the History of Magic classroom, eagerly awaiting their first lesson with the famed Sailor Cosmos… except for Usagi. She was just waiting to see if her mother made it on time. (A:N/ Sorry, I have to add that DDR songs are awesome! Aye, Aye, Aye, I'm your little butterfly! Muah!)
She had thirty seconds before class officially started. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
"I'm going to be laaaaaate!" rang through the hallways just as the door burst open and Professor Cosmos skidded in a most undignified way to her desk. "Aha! I wasn't late! Don't worry children, I'm not always late!" she said with a wink.
"Sure you're not," snickered Usagi.
"Quiet you!" reprimanded Serenity. Clapping her hands together, she began. "Welcome to History of Magic. I can assure you that this class will not be as - audio challenging as other years, and I will do my best to make History interesting. We will start with ancient magics and work our way up through the years. As fascinating as that may sound, we will not be starting today. Today, we will merely do a little introduction. When it's your turn, I would like to stand up, state your name, and tell us a little about yourself. I'll start."
"My full name is Neo Queen Serenity Usagi Tsukino Chiba Lunaria Cosmos, Queen of Crystal Tokyo; Wielder of the Ginzuishou; Sailor Moon; Super Sailor Moon; Eternal Sailor Moon, Champion of Love and Justice and leader of the Solar Systems' Sailor Senshi; Sailor Cosmos, Queen of the Stars, and Guardian of the Dimensions, and as Haruka and Michiru finally told me, the Messiah of Light." The students' expressions were deadpan. "Selene! That sounds so bad. It makes me sound like a goddess or something!"
Serenity sighed, but brightened instantly. "Anyways, I'm the Queen of my own planet, am five-thousand-three-hundred and fifty-two… or I was last time I checked. I've saved the world - a lot, and have died in the process… seven times? Something around there." The silver-haired woman shrugged nonchalantly. "I think I'm pretty well off though. My first grade teacher told me I'd never get anywhere in life, and yet here I am! Queen of the Stars! Ha!"
"Now, who would like to go next?" Nobody raised his or her hand. "Anybody?"
"I'll go," sighed Usagi, standing up. Her mother sent her a grateful smile. "Okay… well, my name is Small Lady Serenity Usagi Tsukino Chiba, but you can simply call me Usagi. I was born in Crystal Tokyo nine-hundred and four years ago~"
"~ more if you count when she was dead," interjected Serenity naively.
"Oh yeah 'kaa-san. Way to make me sound normal!" said Usagi sarcastically.
"What? If they can't take the fact that you've died periodically for the planet, then they don't deserve to be your friend. Take me for example. They've already heard how many times I've died!" defended Serenity.
Ignoring her, Usagi continued. "I'm the Princess of Earth, but don't bow or anything because not even the terrans do that. I am half Lunarian, and my best friend in the whole world is Tomoe Hotaru - Hotaru being her first name, and Diana, my friend whose parents are pure Mauan. That means she can turn into a talking cat at will," she added, seeing the blank looks. "Well, I'm done!" Usagi sat down quickly in her chair.
Serenity called on random students after that, learning more about them in an hour then she had found out in all of the last year. To the Gryffindors, it was amazing at the radical change the woman had taken. She'd gone from cold to bubbly in what seemed like a very short amount of time.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Serenity bid them all farewell with a smile and a cheerful wave. Walking behind her desk, she opened a drawer and pulled out a picture of her, Usagi, Mamoru and all the senshi in front of the Crystal Palace. A single tear slipped from her eye.
It's not fair! she thought angrily. Just when we're all together again, we get ripped apart! It wasn't supposed to be this way! None of this was supposed to happen! What happens if they need my help? How am I supposed to give it if I'm here? Shaking her head, she put the picture frame back in the drawer.
It was suppertime at Hogwarts and everyone was in the Great Hall, discussing the day's events. The main topic was Professor Cosmos' introductory speech. It soon became apparent that she had given basically the same speech to every class she had that day. Needless to say, those who didn't know it, would by the end of the evening.
Taking a small bite from her dinner, Serenity watched as the students chattered on happily. "Professor Cosmos?" inquired Dumbledore, snapping Serenity from her thoughts.
"Yes Headmaster?"
"Call me Albus. Now then, you would not believe the most peculiar letter I received today. Apparently, Professor Mantra, whom has been absent both yesterday and today," He gestured to the empty chair, "Has decided to go and live in Japan for some reason or another. But that is not the peculiar part, it is that just as soon as I read her resignation, I got an owl from someone inquiring about the position."
"And you're telling me this because -?" pried Serenity, cocking an eyebrow.
"I have a feeling that we will be requiring your services before the end of this year. A new evil may present itself."
A/N: Okay, it's not exactly long, but I don't really have a plot completely planned out yet… ^^;; Forgive me? I did, but then I read the fifth book and now I might incorporate some things into this. I don't know yet.
P.S. Everybody say thanks to kioku4 who got me motivated again!
Until next update!