Disclaimer: I do not own HP.

Chapter I: Mutual Bond

Potions Class

Hermione Granger was partnered with Draco Malfoy and their classmates can feel the dark aura emitting from the two.

"Where is it?" Hermione muttered as one of her ingredients was missing.

"Looking for this?" Draco smirked as he lifted a horn with his right hand.

"Malfoy, give it back!" Hermione didn't notice that she was shouting.

"Get it from me then" Draco taunted.

"Give it to me now!"

"Noisy, aren't you Miss Granger? Ten points from Gryffindor. Now get back to your work!" Professor Snape's cold voice startled Hermione. And she had no choice but to shut up until the last second of their class.

Transfiguration Class

Professor McGonagall hasn't arrived at the classroom while all of her students were already there.

"Darn it! We're with the Slytherins again" From the tone of Hermione's voice, Harry and Ron can tell that one more tease from Draco, she will snap without ado so they kept quiet. They were afraid of Hermione's wrath.

"Hey, Granger! Feeling gloomy now? Your fellow Gryffindors might be mad at you for having your house points taken" Draco shouted.

"Shut it, Malfoy" she tried to keep calm but Draco kept on taunting her that her patience ran out so she transformed Draco into a ferret like how Mad Eye Moody did a few years back. Some of the Gryffindors were shocked (They won't go with the bad side of their princess if they don't want to be humiliated in front of many people) while some were laughing especially Harry and Ron.

When Professor McGonagall entered, she made a loud screech. She transfigured Malfoy back into his normal body. He was red all over. He didn't expect that this would happen for the second time.

"Malfoy and Granger, come to my office later" Professor McGonagall said with an irritated look.

After the class ended, they followed their professor into her office.

"I'm disappointed with you Miss Granger. I thought you were better than this. You're a Head Girl; you should set a good example!" Professor McGonagall frowned.

"I'm sorry, professor" Hermione felt humiliated for what she had done. "If only Malfoy stayed out of my business!" she thought to herself.

"Being a head boy, I didn't expect you to be this misbehaved Mister Malfoy" she looked at him sternly. But she could tell that he wasn't taking her words seriously.

"You two had a bad behavior today so I will perform the Mutual Bond Curse on you" she said and the two looked at her with puzzled eyes.

"But professor… I promise I won't do it again" Hermione, knowing what a mutual bond curse is, pleaded.

"Professor, you're putting a curse on us? That's illegal." Draco said.

"This one isn't. She said and then muttered something as she pointed her wand at the two.

The two looked stunned for awhile but after putting the curse, they both regained their posture. Hermione was silent while Draco felt something odd within him like he was feeling depression, like it was his fault that this happened. True, Hermione was trying her best to blame it all on Draco and that's why he can feel it. Draco, who didn't know what the curse can do, was wondering.

"Since you have the right to know, when a Mutual Bond curse is casted on you, you'll both feel the other's feelings: grievances, sorrow and loneliness. All of the negative feelings they have in them whether it's physically or emotionally and nothing with the positive side. The one who put the curse on you will be the only one who can lift it." She explained. "And I'll only free you from that curse when you both learned your lesson. You can go now" she said and the two walked away in silence.

"This is your fault, Malfoy!" Hermione said.

"If you haven't turned me into a ferret, this wouldn't have happened!" Draco answered back. The depression he's feeling now isn't helping. It's making things worse.

"Sorry" Hermione said before going inside her room.

True, Draco has a point but only if he didn't push her to her limits, nothing of this would've happened. Now leaving Draco all alone in the common room, he felt guilty. And he was sure that Hermione can feel it too.

The next day, while eating at the Great Hall, the owls started coming. Hermione got her letter from her parents and some sweets from Mrs. Weasley as well as Harry and Ron. Hermione read her letter and it was like the other letter as well; they were wishing her good luck and stuffs that they love her and to take care always.

"Hermione, is there something wrong? You look rather pale." Harry nudged her.

"H-huh? Really?" Hermione felt nervous and she didn't know why.

"Nothing's wrong with her letter, Harry" Ron said as he peered through Hermione's letter.

Suddenly, it struck Hermione. She looked over at the Slytherin table but didn't see Draco.

"Did one of the Slytherins threaten you, 'Mione?" Ron asked.

"N-No. It's nothing" Hermione said and ate her feast fast until it was all consumed.

"I've got to go to—"

"Library" both Harry and Ron said.

"Well, see you later" Hermione said and went out.

Hermione didn't have any intention on going to the library. Instead, she went to look for Draco. She was starting to worry because her insides were getting worse as each minute passed by.

Hermione stopped on her tracks when she saw two persons talking to another.

"What happened to mother?" Draco asked Lucius, his father. All the color from his face has been drained.

"She's at St. Mungo's now. No one knows what happened, son. I saw her lying on the floor unconsciously." Lucius didn't show any emotion but from the tone of his voice, 'worried' is clearly visible.

Hermione was shocked to hear this. She felt afraid and was scared that Draco would feel it too so she ran away as fast as she could before any of them see her.