The Curse of Time (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Pov Marie,

"Achoo!"

"I think this is the first time I've seen you sneeze, Evelyn."

"It's normal. The last time this happened to me was before I had the Curse of Time. I hope it's nothing serious."

"Maybe someone's talking about you right now, and that's why you reacted."

She looked at me as if I were an idiot, but I could tell she was pleased that I lightened the heavy atmosphere.

"This isn't a cartoon. Besides, if that were true, I'd be sneezing constantly. I'm almost as famous as Harry Potter, so it would only make sense that I'd sneeze more."

After Evelyn's training session and the bath we shared—even if, to my great regret, nothing happened—we headed to the common room to wrap up this December 26th.

When we arrived at our beds, which had inexplicably been moved closer for some reason, we changed into our pyjamas before slipping under the comforters, which had likely been pre-warmed by the house-elves.

"Achoo! How cold is it tonight."

"Let me share my body heat with you."

"Yes, please do that."

"Shocking" would be a good word to describe what I felt. Usually, she would tap my forehead for saying something like this and tell me to keep my inner thoughts in check.

Now that she's allowed it, I feel like it might be a good idea to do something more—though I quickly dismissed the thought. She really must not be very good for me to convey my warmth in her.. This sentence should definitely not be misinterpreted.

I took off my pajamas to finish naked as usual when I tried to make a move before being rejected and undressed but leaving her in awe and coaxing for the rest of the night. Of course, nothing improper happened—I'm not so perverse as to take advantage of someone who is vulnerable.

"Thank you, Mary. I love you."

After that, she fell asleep, though my seventh sense, attuned to Evelyn's condition, told me she had a stuffy nose and an irritated throat.

Next Day,

"Mary, wake up."

At the same time as hearing a child's voice calling me, I felt someone pressing on my cheeks, disturbing my sleep.

When I opened my eyes, I was astonished by the person standing in front of me. It was Evelyn, but she looked like a 5-year-old girl. She was already very cute normally, and I had started imagining her future beauty, but I never expected that she would be so unbelievably adorable as a child.

"Hurry up and get dressed! Then we'll have more time to play."

WHAT?! The Evelyn I know would have said something similar, but only to urge me to study.

"You're walking around naked?! You sure as hell shouldn't be doing that."

Compared to me, fully clothed, I wasn't sure if she even had proper clothes in her 5-year-old size.

"But I do have clothes! Now hurry up before the old people wake up from their sickness and stop us from having fun."

Wait—if I understood correctly, her adult self's thoughts and control over her body had been suppressed, leaving only the childlike mindset in charge. Could this be the result of some illness or spell?

And it seemed that my seventh sense shared the same hypothesis as me.

After getting dressed, I noticed Evelyn wearing an outfit that was far too big for her.

With a flick of my wand, I resized the clothes to ensure she wouldn't lose them along the way.

Watching her go down the stairs was mesmerizing—she was so adorable. I silently vowed to make this memory a cherished family legacy.

What almost made me forget everything, though, was how overwhelmed I became by Evelyn's cuteness when she started running through the corridors. She moved at the same speed as my normal walking pace, her eyes sparkling with wonder as she gazed at the castle, which now seemed ten times larger to her.