"Is she awake?"
"Blimey... she just looks so cozy..."
"You lot are gonna wake her," Harry's voice was the one that ultimately woke me. It's familiar low rasp and rumble in the mornings made my heart jump.
"Hmmm," I hummed softly. My eyes opened to see Hermione and Ron standing behind the couch Harry and I slept on. "Hello, everyone."
"Morning, beautiful," Harry kissed my head. "I assume you slept alright?"
"Best sleep I've gotten since the Weasleys..."
"Hazel um... I hate to ruin the moment but Blaise told Dean so he could tell Seamus so he could tell Neville so he could tell me that Draco was looking for you last night and is worried about you," Hermione finished her ramble with a huff. "Wow that was a lot."
"Oh, right," I whined and his my face into Harry's warm chest. "I have to tell him that you three know now."
"He shouldn't be too upset. Especially since... we've talked it over with Fred and George and decided that we don't entirely hate him. And we're willing to work with him to get you two out of this," Ron explained. "But primarily you."
Letting myself sit up, I rubbed my face and sighed softly. "I can't believe I talked to Cedric again last night... I'm still in shock a little..."
"Aww," Hermione rubbed my shoulder. "We knew if anyone could convince you to open up it would be him."
"Well, I missed him so much. Thank you," I stood up. "I have to say thanks to my brother too."
"Oh... erm..." Ron nodded his head towards my left arm. "Might want to cover that up first."
I looked down and noticed my sleeve had come up and bunched up on the curve of my elbow. My face turned pink and I pulled down my sleeve.
Harry stopped me and pulled me down to sit next to him on the couch again.
"Harry...?"
"I wanna see it," He gently lifted my sleeve again. His eyes carefully examined the black mark covering most of the underside of my left forearm. "This doesn't change how I see you. You know that right?"
"Yeah... now I do..."
He gently trailed the backside of his finger along it.
"Does it hurt?"
"It's sore... mostly because it's... recent..."
"That makes sense," Hermione frowned. "I just hope it doesn't make you feel like you're less than everything you were before it. Because you're not."
"Thanks, 'Mione..." I stood up to hug her.
"Right then," Ron stood too. "Should we head to breakfast then?"
"Um... you three go ahead. I'll catch up," I waved them off. They gave me concerned looks. "Really, guys, I'm okay. I promise. I just need a moment."
They all left and I waited for a while before following them out. In that time I got a set of clothes out and when I finally did leave, I turned into the girls' bathroom with plans for a quick shower.
Undressing was difficult. Especially when I turned and saw myself in the mirror. I had lost a considerable amount of weight due to my lack of appetite. Not to mention the dark mark on my arm.
Before any tears could fill my eyes, I got into the shower and washed away all of the horrible things that the past few days have brought me.
I then reluctantly stepped out and applied a full body drying charm and dressed myself. Narcissa said something a while back about having your hair pinned up.
YOU ARE READING
tainted transparency || a harry potter story
Fanfiction** this is a sequel! ** as the year that seemed to not have an end, finally ended, everyone seemed to have rather boring breaks between school years at Hogwarts. but all of the danger that happened last year couldn't have prepared either of them fo...
