Harry POV:
Hermione was the first thought that came to my head after seeing the sentence. If anyone could figure out who had written this on my arm it would be her. That's when I started my quest to find her. After I saw her in the common room a while back that was the first place I looked.
I stumbled down the stairs from the boy's dormitories, managing to skip a step that knocked me off balance. The stairs giving a dreadful creak as the uneven weight was forced upon it.
The common room was filled with people, all socializing with each other. Ginny was at a table chatting to another girl in her year with brown mousy hair and dark eyes. By the fireplace, Fred and George were giving a demonstration of how they could go through the fire without getting charms and getting hurt. Lee Jordan was cheering them on thoroughly engaged while Angelina Johnson was trying to stop them. Ron was trying to subtly get the attention of Seamus and Dean who were making out on the sofa to no avail. Neville was away from the commotion tending to a little plant that he had gotten from Professor Sprout a few days ago. Despite all people in the common room Hermione was nowhere to be found.
Once I had exhausted Gryffindor tower which happened pretty quickly, I made a bee-line for the library. There were only so many places Hermione would be and the library was the most likely.
The corridors were long, empty, and dimly lit. The smell of mildew, sweat, and new robes wafted in my senses, which only made me hurry more. When I entered the library it was silent except for the occasional turn of a page. The light coming from the patterned windows created a design that danced along the floor. Little rainbows being split and shone on the bookshelves. The sight of those made me happy. I walked down the long pathway in the middle to try and spot Hermione. Behind the first bookshelf, however, I was met with Draco Malfoy. Of course.
"Potter! What are you doing here?" he squeaked as he stepped away from the bookshelf, a mahogany-bound book in his hand. The crack in the Malfoy mask was brief but I didn't think much of it. My eyes studied him and I saw how worn his features looked. His eyes held no malice but instead looked downtrodden. There was a word on his arm sticking of his sleeve. He noticed me looking at it and he paled. Quickly he moved to pull down his sleeve covering the word.
"I mean-Potter shouldn't you be with your bastard friends. What could you possibly want in a library?" There was this confidence behind his voice now, his features changed and the mask restored. I sighed, hoping that he could have actually been nice.
"What's it to you Malfoy? Why do you care what I do?" I snapped back and was about to turn away. I didn't have time for this. I needed to find Hermione. Before I did, however, I saw him gulp, there was this sense of fear in his eyes. Was he afraid of me?
"Of course not Potter don't be an idiot," He muttered almost like he wasn't aware of what he was saying. A strand of one of the boy's blonde locks had now flopped down in front of his eyes, still stiff from hair gel. I observed him quickly stuffing his book in his black leather satchel and hurried off without giving me a second glance. How odd.
I didn't have time to dwell on it however because I had just stopped Hermione on the far left table. Her nose was deep in a book that had faint yellow pages and a fluffy red quill was writing beside her. As I walked closer faint mutterings could be heard.
"Hermione I need your help," I announced disrupting the unwritten silent policy in the library. Hermione slowly raised her head from her book giving me the death glare. Her eyes judged me like she could see all of my secrets. I got the message loud and clear. Silently I sat beside moving some her of textbooks over slightly. We had been through this many times before. Too many times before.
"What is it now Harry? Do you need help with your potions homework?" She questioned but then stopped when she saw my empty arms. She scoffed,
"Never mind then. It was a silly question. Why are you here Harry?" There was an annoyance that had me reluctant to do anything.
"Hermione I think someone cursed me. Look," I pulled up my sleeve to show the writing beneath my own.
"You actually wrote on your arm! Do you know how bad that is for your skin?!" she exclaimed, irritation building up inside me.
"You were the one that told me to do it!" I said defensively feeling the urge to pull down my sleeve. Hermione's face lit up in realization and then she smacked her forehead.
"I didn't think you would actually do it! Never mind that, what's so important that you interrupted my studying?" She grabbed my arm to examine the writing on it. Hermione muttered Lumos to light the tip of her wand to get a better look.
"Well, this..... and before you ask no I did not write the second bit." Hermione had now started twisting my arm, I winced slightly not wanting to interrupt her.
"I know that Harry. You could never write this nice," My face got red from embarrassment and I felt a pang in my heart. She had said that so casually, not even missing a beat. It was true though I couldn't disagree.
Hermione finished with my arm and then resumed her thinking position. She sat facing me at the table her legs crossed, and her head resting gently in her hands.
"We have to search the library, start over there with the charms and see what they could have there. I will be searching over here." She commanded as she pointed over to the other side of the library where there were no students. I nodded slowly and drudged over to the bookshelf she had been referring to dragging my feet along the floor.
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Draco POV
I dashed out of the library the second I saw an opportunity too. Why did it have to be Potter? It always Potter. Always has been.
The fear of being caught, called out and rejected propelled me forward as I hurried down the corridor. I should never have written that on my arm. That was clear to me now. But it was too late. The damage had been done. Now Harry was one step closer to finding out my secret.
No doubt he was going to find that Mudblood to help with. No way would he step foot in the library alone. With her help, he would find out within a fortnight. At least they wouldn't know it was him. That would take longer.
I had known since my first year when I could finally go into the Hogwarts library. I spent weeks there researching to no avail. It was only when my Godfather allowed me access to the restricted section, did I actually find the right book. Due to this, I realized why Harry could never find out.
When I finally got to dungeons I slowed down and allowed myself to breathe. Why was I panicking? A Malfoy never panics. Get a grip on yourself. I took a deep breath, lowering my shoulders, and straightening my posture.
I knew what I had to do.
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Harry POV:
I had searched the weathered, aged bookshelves for what seemed like forever and still made no progress. There was one book that I swore was the one but Hermione said that the charm could not have done what happened to me. Apparently, the difference between a charm and whatever happened to me was the magic signature. Or lack thereof in my case. Hermione said that whatever was happening to me was either non-magical or can't be detected by normal magical means. It was all so frustrating! The book had to be here somewhere.
Hermione had even tried even asked Madam Pince for help. Without mentioning my problem of course. Nothing worked. Even with Madam Pince's help we still only found the books we had been looking at this whole time.
"Harry we can continue searching tomorrow. It's almost 20:00 and we need to be back at the dorms." Hermione called from the bookshelf 10 feet away from me. I groaned in exasperation. I had never spent this long in the library before and I don't intend it to go to waste. Or that's what I wanted to say. Hermione was giving me the impatient look and I knew better than to disagree.
I nodded slowly and then followed her half-heartedly up to Gryffindor tower. Hermione noticed my long face, it took her less than 30 seconds to figure out what to say.
"Harry don't be so glum. Honestly, we will find it soon-I mean you do have me looking with you. Just wipe that frown off your face, you look constipated." She stated and I could hear the smile in her voice. Classic.
"Gee, Thanks a lot 'Mione. 'Preciate it." I said sarcastically which earned an eye-roll from Hermione.
"Always Harry."
When we finally got to the portrait Hermione muttered the password and we entered. On the sofa in the common room waiting for us was Ron. In his hands covering his face was a book, granted it was upside down but we chose to ignore that.
"Well, well, well what do we have here?" He announced slowly lowering the book for dramatic effect. I and Hermione glanced at each other quickly a small chuckle escaped her lips before she could suppress it.
"We were just at the library Ron. I wanted some help with my potions homework." I'm not sure why I lied to him, it just seemed to be the easiest thing to do. I knew that I could trust him, so why didn't I just tell him. Hermione gave a little scoff but covered it up as a cough. Ron however paled, the color draining from his face.
"Right- Ummm- The potions homework.... I've done it-don't worry. Alright. G'night Harry, 'Mione" Ron quickly hurried out of the common rooms and up to the boy's dormitory. I shook my head and gave a little laugh and Hermione muttered something about boys. Then she trudged up the other staircase, leaving me alone in the common room.
I sighed, looking back down at my arm, only to be shocked at the sight. Both sentences were completely gone and instead, there was a faint red mark that looked awfully like the result of scrubbing. Whoever did this wanted to get rid of the evidence. But I was going to find who they are.
(A/N)
Thank you to all those that read my story. I really appreciate it.
I will try to update as much as possible. Hopefully one chapter every day.
Any advice on the next chapters or anything that you want to see?