The Kunoichi and The Potion Master

Chapter 7

Disclaimer:

Blah, blah, blah I don't own any of the HP characters or those of Naruto. 

Naruko brooded as she skulked through the forbidden forest, her footsteps silent as she flinted through the trees toward the school. Stupid, Idiotic jerk. She thought sullenly as she entered the grounds, slowing to a walk.

Over the past few days her feelings had evolved from hurt and coursed into anger with a slight hint of embarrassment at her display of tears, a weakness she never let show before this mission. Whatever she might feel or didn't feel for that man gave him no right to belittle her like that.

The hallways of the school were cold and dark, the usual hum of a thousand voices were absent, leaving the stone sober and dead in the moonlight. Far into the distance she heard a wolf howl, its haunting melody echoing across the misty grounds. The loneliness that crept up to her now embraced her like an old friend and checking in with her clones, assured all was well in the west and south ends of the school. The east side however...seems a student was out of bed.

Harry Potter tiptoed down the Eastern corridor, his skinny frame easily hidden by the Invisibility cloak. He held his wand tip aloft and eagerly followed the dot that read ''Peter Pettegriew", confusion radiating from his mind. He was so preoccupied that he failed to notice the dot that read ''Naruko Uzumaki'' creeping up rapidly behind him.

''Mr Potter, I hope there's a good explanation for why you are out of Gryffindor tower with a murderer on the loose.''

Harry , who he would later vehemently deny to his friends, let out a very high pitched yelp of surprise and tripped on the folds of the cloak as he fell back, revealing himself to the Blonde professor.

''How..how did you see me?'' he stammered in confusion as he remained seated on the floor.

Naruko crossed her arms ,'' For one you walk really loudly, second I could see your wand light shining out from under your cloak every time a breeze blew by. Now answer my question or would you prefer I give you a detention?'' she lectured, a frown on her pale face.

Harry blushed slightly and thanked Merlin and Morgana that the cloak had fallen on the map before she had seen it. ''I'm sorry professor but I couldn't sleep and I thought a walk might help.'' he lied quickly.

''And in hindsight forgot that you have someone who wants to kill you wandering around Scotland.'' she replied dryly before offering a hand to help him up.

Harry winced as he gathered up the fallen heirloom,''Sorry Professor.''

Naruko sighed and with a hand on his shoulder led the youth back to the tower in silence. Harry took this moment to study the beautiful professor; her usual smooth skin was swallow and she had deep bruises under her eyes from what he assumed to be due to lack of sleep. Her long blonde hair looked wild and windswept and , he noticed with a deepening blush, she had forgone the usual teachers robes and wore a tight black pants and a long sleeved shirt of crimson.

Naruko , oblivious to the teens perusal, paused outside the portrait of the fat lady and with a slight shove manoeuvred the boy toward it. ''Potter if I catch you out of bounds again, you will wish I had taken you to your head of house the first time and Fifty points from Gryffindor.'' she stated tiredly.

Harry hesitated, ''Professor, are you alright?''

Naruko smiled and tugged slightly at the youths unruly hair, ''Just tired, though If less students found the need to wander at night the answer to your question would be somewhat different.''

Harry had the decency to look sheepish before entering the portrait hole.

''And Mr Potter?''

''Yes Professor?''

''It would be wise not to wonder off alone. From what I hear you seem to be a magnet for trouble and next time it might not be me who finds you. Danger is always closer than you think, best to keep your guard up. Oh and try to lie better next time.'' she spoke quietly before waving the portrait closed in the child's shocked face.

(Next Day)

Severus entered the classroom with a bang, the heavy oak door slamming shut behind him startling a few of the students who sat as still as mice. The only movement in the room was from Naruko as she sat at her desk, scribbling with a black quill. Though she heard his entrance, she neither looked up nor acknowledged his presence something that as much as it pained him to say was now a regular occurrence. He only hoped that the decrepit old fossil would hurry up and arrange the meeting.

''Today, we will be brewing the potion known as the Drink of Despair. Considering the group we have not doubt none of you bothered to read ahead, I wont bother asking what it does as it would take time and precious oxygen. The potion potion if brewed correctly places the drinker in extreme amounts of pain and forces them to relive their darkest moments.''

Taking slight pleasure in the wary and nervous looks on the Gryffindor's faces waved his wand at the black board, ''Instructions are on the board, you have one hour.''

He then sat back and watched as the students scuttled toward the store room, the bushy mane of Granger unmistakable; he observed quietly making sure to glare at a few dawdling idiots and watched as Naruko walked around the room, correcting a few minor errors and generally trying to ensure that no one injured the themselves permanently.

Out the corner of his eye he noticed a sweating Longbottom working frantically at his bubbling cauldron and distractedly saw the boy through in a viral of Salamander blood. His eyes widened and he jerked off his heat, mouth open to shout a warning to Naruko whose back was turned .

Naruko, hearing the sudden movement turned and with horror , quickly launched herself at the boy even as the cauldron turned a deadly red. The last thing she remembered was a loud bang, screams, the look of panic in Severus eyes and then unimaginable pain before the blackness swallowed her...

A/N:

I know the cliffhanger is very evil of me considering I haven't updated for a while but the outside world had me preoccupied longer than I liked. Another update will be up soon. As for the potion mentioned in this chapter, it is actually a potion of J.K Rowling creation but isn't really mentioned in the book. I jut brought it in because it suits my story.