Choice's Curse {d.m.}

The Shadow

Cho grinned, grabbing my hand and pulling me to my feet. "Come on, we were just about to go to the library."

Cho and I found Hermione sitting at one of the tables in the very back of the library, already surrounded by piles of books and parchment. Her curly hair was twisted back in a soft bun, and she had a smudge of ink across her nose. I laughed softly as I pointed it out to Cho, who pointed it out to Hermione as we sat.

Rubbing the black off her skin, Hermione said, "Elaine, you missed dinner. Are you alright? I was worried. You just disappeared after Potions."

Pulling back my hair, I sighed, letting a soft smile spread across my face. "I'm fine, yeah. Actually, I'm better than fine."

"Alright, out with it!" Cho demanded, noticing the blush dusting my cheeks.

"Remember that boy I was telling you about?"

Cho slapped a hand over her mouth and Hermione's jaw dropped. "You didn't!"

Nodding, my smile grew as Cho and Hermione gaped at me. "Yeah, um, right after Potions. I didn't plan it or anything. One thing led to another, and then..."

Cho let out a soft squeal. "How was it? He was good, right?"

"He was..." I started, feeling my face grow even warmer. "God, he was better than I thought was even possible."

Hermione let out a quiet chuckle. "That good?"

I dipped my head in confirmation. "It was like...god, like he knew exactly what to do and where to touch me, and I just..." I let out a breath as my heart skipped at the memory. "I'm in trouble. This boy has me fucking enchanted or something, I swear."

"It was your first time, wasn't it?" Cho asked.

"Yeah, and he...I can't even describe it," I told them. "He just does something to me, you know?"

The two of them nodded; they each had boys that they had been chasing after for years. Cho and Hermione strangely probably understood the more mundane parts of my relationship with Draco better than anyone.

"And I was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as I imagined it, or that he wouldn't be as good but, god, he was," I finished, looking down at my hands that had been twisted in Draco's hair barely an hour before.

"Oh, I forgot," Hermione muttered, digging into her bag and pulling out a sandwich. She handed it to me, my stomach growling at the sight of food. "Grabbed it for you at dinner. I know we're not supposed to eat in the library, but I figured it's okay this one time."

I grabbed the food from her, unwrapping it quickly and taking a bite. Around the sandwich, I said, "You're a lifesaver, Hermione. I was starving."

Hermione shrugged, smiling at me. "No problem. But, Elaine, seriously, I am so happy for you. I know you don't want to talk about who it is, but if he made your first time that amazing, he's okay in my book."

If only it were that simple. "Thanks, 'Mione," I replied, and I meant it. Not having to keep everything about Draco inside, where it built up and felt like thick fog suffocating my mind at times, felt so relieving.

We spent a few hours studying at the library, but I didn't remember anything I had skimmed over. I couldn't stop thinking about the almost ouroboros-like burn branded into Draco's otherwise unmarred skin. He got it while he had been at home, that much I was almost entirely certain about.

And if he got it at home, that meant...

That meant it was somehow tied to Voldemort, didn't it? That thought made my stomach sink.