Ten Questions (Harry Potter x Slytherin reader)

Chapter 34 (Year 5)

The muggle world was nothing as I had imagined it.

Growing up, neither me nor Adrian had ever been granted the freedom to explore very far outside of our home. All I had ever known were dark, dim and endless hallways, and extensive grounds. While home is usually a place familiar to most people, me and my brother had felt like a stranger in ours for our entire lives. Hogwarts was the closest thing I had ever experienced to feeling like I was safe, and that nothing outside of the school mattered.

The muggle world, on the other hand, was entirely different. Every city, every expanse of land was unique from the rest. Tall buildings and roaming cars were ubiquitous. I felt as though I could not go anywhere without seeing floods of people navigating their way through the large cities. It was unlike anything I had seen before, a stark contrast from what I was used to at home: Complete stillness and silence.

Out of all of the cities and all of the places I had visited during my time in the muggle world, lasting for about a week while my parents were gone, none of them compared to the meadow I had found near the outskirts of London. Wildflowers, blooming almost everywhere, stretched across the large expanse of land, surrounded by tall, looming trees that blocked out the bright sun.

It was peaceful. Since the end of my fourth year at Hogwarts, I hadn't felt peace in a very long time.

I draw in a deep breath and look up at the sky, studying the very few clouds that remain. I have been laying here for hours, taking in every last moment I have before I have to return to my family, before they find out where I have been for the last week.

My parents would kill me if they found out.

Laying on my back, I heave a sigh and turn to face Harry. Just looking at him, I can't help but smile. He doesn't look much different from when I last saw him at the Hogwarts Express at the end of our fourth year. His hair is still long from last year, still roughly the same height, and, of course, still bearing the same lighting scar atop his forehead. Hearing the rustling grass, he turns around to face me as well, and he smiles, too. I realize, suddenly, that this is the happiest I have felt in a very long time.

"What are you thinking about?" he asks softly, playing absentmindedly with a strand of my hair, seemingly fixated on it.

My eyes follow his hand touching my hair, distracted by it. Then, I say, "I was just thinking about how I haven't seen you all summer." A moment passes, and I look up into his eyes. I had forgotten how pretty they were. "I missed you, Potter."

"I missed you too, Y/n." Harry then takes his hand and intertwines his fingers in mine. I'm taken aback by the gesture for a moment, but don't protest. Despite not being able to see each other all summer, it feels right. "My aunt and uncle have made it really hard for me to send any letters this summer."

"I know," I say, understanding. "I'm just glad we're here now."

He smiles. "Me too." Without meaning to, his eyes shift over to my left arm. My smile immediately fades. Realizing what he's done, he quickly says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"If you're wondering whether I have it or not, I don't," I say tightly, referring to the dark mark, of course. My voice is much colder than I intend it to be. I pause for a moment to collect myself, then add, "I don't know when I'm going to get it, but when it happens, you'll know. I promise."

That doesn't seem to make him feel any better. Harry looks away and stares at the grass below, thinking hard. A few moments pass. Finally, he looks back at me and gives my hand a gentle squeeze.

"Whatever it is, we'll figure it out together when the time comes," he tells me, and for a moment, I believe him. I give him a weak smile. I'm not sure if either of us truly buy what he's saying.