A Miraculous Year at Hogwarts (Miraculous Ladybug Harry Potter AU) •ABANDONED•

Chapter 16

   After dinner Marinette ran to the Room of Requirement. Once safe inside she transformed into Ladybug. The one thing that could get her mind off of today was studying. She grabbed a book on the Miraculous off the shelf and sat down in one of the cozy chairs near the fireplace. She smiled at the chalk writing her and Chat wrote on it last night. Chat wrote 'Me and my Buggaboo were here.' And Ladybug wrote 'DON'T CALL ME THAT' Ladybug laughed at what seems like a distant memory but was only yesterday. Today everything feels so wrong.

Chat sulked into the room and sat in the chair next to her.

"I hope your day was better than mine LB." Chat said. Ladybug attempted to look at him in the eye but failed. Instead she stared at his nose that was a faint blue-green color. A bruise. She felt a pit in her stomach. That was it. The last confirmation of what Ladybug was contemplating all day. She stood up and began to speed walk towards the door.

"Wait! Not you too!" Chat leaped out of his chair and grabbed her hand. "Why is everyone avoiding me today?" He cried out. Ladybug couldn't look at him in the eyes. She glanced at the fire to avoid his intense gaze. "Why are you acting like this? We haven't spoken since last night and now you're acting like this? Why!" He pleaded with her. Ladybug felt tears brim her eyes.

"Except we did talk today!" Ladybug yelled pulling her hand out of his grip. "Chat! I think I know your civilian identity and I can't look at you!" Chat gaped at her.

"Then who am I? Who am I Ladybug?" Chat's voice cracked. Ladybug bit her lip and felt the tears begin to flow. "No no no LB don't cry. It'll be okay. Do you hate my civilian self that much? And who knows maybe you could be wrong." Chat hugged her and Ladybug buried her head into his chest.

"I'm not wrong. I have proof." She looked up at him, their bodies in close proximity. Very close. Close enough they can see every detail on each other's faces. He saw the small freckles on her face covered by a faint blush. She focused on the bruise on his nose, not noticing the obvious blush on his face. He looked at her confused as if saying 'What proof?'. She took her hand and cupped his cheek. She felt his heart racing in his chest. "The bruise. The bruise you got this morning. The one on your nose."

"Where did I get this bruise." He too felt that everything was about to change, for the better or worse. With this sentence, their lives would change.

"Luka. He punched you. And the speech you-we wrote last night. You said it verbatim this morning." Chat felt everything begin to click.

"You, you interrupted me when you realized it." Chat said softly.

"Hi Adrien."

"Hey Marinette."

• • •

   After that fateful day their conversation was never brought up again. They finished it with deciding to not let their identities mix for their own safety. They made sure nothing in their routine changed. Marinette and Adrien did homework and quidditch together but after the lights go out they are Ladybug and Chat Noir training together. When Marinette and Adrien studied they did not discuss the latest Imperio and when they trained they did not discuss school. It remained like that until December when the Christmas Holidays were approaching. While they trained Chat brought up the forbidden subject.

   "You did a great job at the game today." Chat said. Ladybug put down her book of spells and smiled at him.

   "Thanks Chat. You as well." Ladybug says simply. "Chat. What are we going to do for Christmas? I want to go home to see my parents but what if someone is Imperioed?"