𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐝𝐞 || 𝐃.𝐌

Chapter 11 - Forbidden curse

*The next morning*

Ivory's POV:

I was required to stay overnight in the hospital wing to ensure I was fully recovering. The sterile scent of potions clung to the air, but somehow, Draco's presence beside me made the place feel less cold. He hadn't left my side since it happened, curled up in the chair next to my bed, eyes heavy but refusing to sleep.

The door creaked open, and Hermione rushed in. Relief washed over her face the moment our eyes met.

"Rory! You're awake, how do you feel?" she asked, crossing the room in seconds to throw her arms around me.

"Hey, Hermione..." I mumbled, slightly overwhelmed but grateful for her warmth.

"Better, I guess."

She pulled back to study me, her expression etched with worry.

"I just..." My voice trailed off as I glanced between them. "I'm confused. I was having such a good time at the Yule Ball, and then I started feeling... strange. Dizzy. Everything got blurry."

"We're just as confused, love." Draco said gently, brushing a hand against my cheek. His touch grounded me. "It all happened so fast."

I frowned, sitting up a little straighter. "Wait, so neither of you know what actually happened?"
Hermione glanced at Draco before looking back at me.

Her voice was quiet but firm. "No. One second you were laughing with us, and the next, you collapsed. It was chaos."

A wave of helplessness washed over me. I hated not knowing. "Then how do we find out?" I asked, my voice rising slightly as panic edged in.
For a moment, the room was silent. Tension filled the space like fog, thick and heavy. We exchanged looks, all of us feeling the weight of the unknown.Then, without a word, Hermione reached for the chain around her neck.

I blinked, confused. "Hermione?"

She slowly removed a delicate hourglass pendant, holding it up for us to see. "I might have an idea." she said, her voice calm, though her eyes revealed a flicker of doubt.

"What is that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"It's a Time-Turner," she explained. "It allows you to travel back in time."

Draco stared at it, clearly just as stunned as I was. "You're joking."

"No," I said slowly, realization creeping in. "Is that how you've been managing all your classes?"
Hermione nodded once.

Draco leaned forward. "And you think this could help us find out what happened to Ivory?"

"It's risky," Hermione admitted. "But yes. We might be able to see what led up to... all of this."

Draco stood, his voice suddenly urgent. "Then what are we waiting for, Granger?"

Hermione took a steadying breath and looped the Time-Turner chain around both their necks. Draco turned to me one last time, his voice soft as he took my hand and pressed a kiss to it. "We'll be back soon, darling. Don't worry."

And just like that, with a flick of Hermione's fingers, the Time-Turner spun, and the world around them shimmered. In the blink of an eye, they were gone.

The silence in the hospital wing felt deafening now. I sat there alone, heart pounding, eyes fixed on the door, desperately waiting for them to come back.

Draco's POV:

Granger had a Time-Turner. I'd heard of them, rare, heavily restricted, but I didn't know students could actually get their hands on one. Apparently, she could. And right now, it was our only way of finding out what really happened to Ivory.