Hermione's heart raced as she dashed towards the girls' bathroom. She had been anxious ever since Daphne had shown her the wand symbol on her wrist. Fleur was all alone and starving. What if something had happened to her? The thought alone was enough to make Hermione break into a sprint.
Hermione reached the bathroom, panting. Her heart sank when she spotted her lying in a corner, looking pale and fragile.
Moaning Myrtle jeered, "Here comes the princess, who couldn't care less about her friend."
Hermione's gaze softened as she approached Fleur, who looked like she had just fallen asleep while waiting for her.
Hermione knelt down beside Fleur and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Fleur," she said softly.
Fleur stirred and opened her eyes, blinking blearily up at Hermione. "Oh, Hermione," she murmured weakly. "I don't know what happened. I just fell asleep."
Hermione's heart ached at the sight of her frail form. She blamed herself for not getting there sooner. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice filled with regret. "I should have come sooner."
Fleur smiled weakly. "You deserve a big thank you. I'm breathing fresh air because of you."
Hermione chuckled, her eyes welling up. "Let's get you cleaned up."
With a gentle hand, Hermione assisted Fleur to stand up, and the French witch leaned on her for support. As Fleur began to undress, Hermione turned around and looked away, allowing her friend privacy. She understood that Fleur was feeling vulnerable and weak, and the last thing she wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable.
Once Fleur was in the pool, Hermione turned to her, "Are you comfortable with me cleaning you?"
Fleur weakly murmured, "Yes, please."
Hermione handed her a sponge and began to clean her, starting with her face and hands. The bubbles from the soap provided a small measure of comfort and privacy for Fleur, allowing her to relax a little more in Hermione's company.
When she reached Fleur's back, Hermione gasped. There, just below Fleur's neck, was a wand symbol. It was unmistakable, the same symbol she had seen on Skarooth's skin. But something was different. This wand symbol was not the same as the one she had seen on Daphne's arm.
Hermione examined the symbol more closely and her eyes widened in recognition.
Hermione's mind was racing as she stared at Fleur's back, fixated on the wand symbol etched into her skin. It was the second wand, just like the one she had seen on Skarooth's skin during their encounter in the forest. The thought hit her like a bolt of lightning - if Fleur and Daphne had the symbols of the first two wands, could she be the third one?
Her heart began to race as she recalled the feeling of dread that had overcome her when she had encountered Skarooth. The fear that she had suppressed was resurfacing, threatening to overwhelm her. She checked her own hands, but there was no symbol.
"Fleur," she said, her voice trembling. "I need to go. Something urgent has come up."
Fleur looked at her, worried. "Are you okay?"
Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She rushed into one of the cubicles and locked the door.
Moaning Myrtle glided over to Fleur and whispered, "Looks like your friend is hiding something."
Fleur let out a tired sigh, too exhausted to be bothered by Myrtle's usual antics.
Hermione's heart was racing as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror. The realization that she could be the third person with the wand symbol had hit her like a ton of bricks. She was both terrified and intrigued by the possibility. With trembling hands, she began to undress, her mind racing with questions and doubts.
As she stood there in her underwear, she craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of her back in the mirror. But it was no use; she couldn't see anything beyond her shoulder blades. She frowned, feeling frustrated and helpless. She needed to know if the third wand symbol was on her skin.
She had searched her arms, her hands, her legs, and even her face, but she couldn't bring herself to look at her back. She felt relieved, but at the same time. FRUSTRATED.
She quickly got dressed and emerged from the cubicle, trying to mask her anxiety. "Fleur, you're still inside. Get dressed and eat something. I'll be back with a proper plan this time to get you out of here."
Fleur asked with concern, "you okay?"
Hermione forced a smile and nodded, but she knew her attempt at hiding her true feelings was transparent to Fleur.
Hermione stepped out of the bathroom, her mind still preoccupied with thoughts of the wand symbol. She felt somewhat relieved that she didn't find it on her body, but the nagging feeling of uncertainty lingered. She needed to check her back properly, but who could she turn to for help?
Who?
Who?
Professor McGonagall? Of course, no. Why was her brain even considering this option?
Luna? Ummm… Let's think about someone else.
Ginny? Yes.
Ginny was an option, but was it appropriate to ask her to check her back? Hermione shook her head, frustrated. She didn't have many choices.