𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃| ✎

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑|𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄

"WELL?" he heard Hermione say next to him as she reached on her tip toes for a book. They were currently seated in a secluded corner of the Library. The domineering efforts of being alone and overthinking everything made Harry antsy, and if not added on to the onslaught of his anxiety.

"What did they say? What's happening to you?"

Harry leaned back in his seat and groaned softly. "What's happening is I'm engaged," Or well, practically. He thought.

Hermione's book snapped shut with a loud thud and she looked at him; her eyebrows knitted together and her mouth agape. "What?" she said, all too loudly. "To who?"

"Malfoy. I've been bloody cursed, Hermione! And I don't even know what to do! And I'm doing everything I can to avoid Malfoy but Snape said that if I resist for too long —"

"Wait, Harry — stop. Slow down," she set her book down on the table and pulled a chair to sit next to him. "tell me everything."

So Harry did. Painfully, with every grit of his teeth and exasperated expression. Cringing when he saw the small hesitant reactions of his best friend and the widen of her eyes. Hermione would would be sitting in that chair for a long time.

━━━━━━━━━━━

By the time he was done with his detailed explanation, he reckoned he must've done a pretty good job — because now Hermione looked even more mortified than he first was when he'd heard the unfortunate news.

"...Snape says that he doesn't know how this happened, meaning their only assumption was that I've been cursed. But no one appears to be aware of what triggered it, or why it happened so suddenly in class."

Hermione nodded as if she understood, but deep down Harry knew that the girl was just as — if not more confused than he was. She held his hand comfortingly. "And this is where your "mysterious tattoo" is?" she stroked the spot on his forearm where the invisible marks were.

Harry nodded, sighing and looking down at his feet. "What do you suppose I do?"

Hermione looked at him with a serious face. She lowered her head slightly and looked him straight in the eyes. "What you need to do."

"And what do you suppose that is?" Harry asked suddenly, fidgeting slightly.

"What do you think? You need to talk to Draco about this. If Professor Snape insists you two need each other — then you should go to him. You're both going through the same thing right now and he probably needs someone's support. Your support. It's best you make amends now and learn to be cordial to each other if you're going to end up marrying." she explained.

"But 'Mione," he whined. "I can't talk to him! And there's no way in hell I'm marrying that twat anyways. Besides, what would I even say? 'Hey Malfoy, sorry to bother you but I can't marry you nor have sex with you so let's just not communicate with one another but still stay close together so we won't suffer.' No! Can't you see? Either way is a lost cause!" At this point, he was practically shouting. He quickly covered his mouth, remembering where exactly he was.

Harry watched as she brought her her fingers to her forehead. "Well what other option do you have? You can't keep ignoring it, Harry." Hermione rubbed his arms up and down soothingly. "I know this is hard, and difficult and you don't deserve this — but not tending to this problem will only make the stress and the guilt that much more unbearable. I'm sorry, I was wrong. You should wait until you're ready to handle things. It's your situation and I can't tell you what to do. Do what you think is right; what feels best." she said emotionally, pulling him into her embrace.