A/N: Can you believe that we're already on chapter twelve? Sorry for the late update University is kicking me in the butt right now! I hope that y'all like the chapter. I can't wait to read your reviews!


"Why can't we feel her?" Draco asked angrily.

"I don't know." Madam Pomfrey said calmly.

"Draco, don't." Blaise cautioned putting his hand on Draco's shoulder. "I might not be able to feel her but I can feel you. Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Blaise. We can't feel her." Draco said with venom in his voice as he shrugged Blaise's hand off his shoulder.

"I know, I'm aware but getting upset isn't going to fix it. Madam Pomfrey, do you have any idea what's going on?" Blaise asked turning his attention over to the old witch.

"No, I don't." She admitted wearily.

"I might have an idea." Harry interjected quietly.

"What is it?" Draco asked looking back at him.

"I was doing some research and I read about something like this happening in the eighteenth century. If a witch or wizard is exceptionally powerful, like Hermione is, they can sever the connection between the rings. It's only for a short amount of time and it's exhausting to do but it can happen."

"Mr. Potter is correct." Professor Dumbledore said. "Good job finding that story, Harry."

"Is that what you think is happening, Albus?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Yes, I believe that Hermione will be a great deal of pain as the last of her healing takes place and she does not want either of you to take any of her pain away. Hermione is easily one of the most powerful witches I've ever met so I am not surprised that she has the power to sever the connection but I feel as if she won't often want to do it."

"What makes you say that?" Blaise asked curiously.

"How does it feel to not feel her?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"It feels like part of who I am is missing. It's just empty." Draco said his eyebrows drawn together.

"When she severs the connection she ceases to feel the both of you as well. So the emptiness that you're describing will be doubled for Hermione because she is losing two connections not just one. Not only that but it takes a huge amount of power to be able to sever a connection like this. It would be physically and mentally exhausting."

"When will she wake up?" Draco asked.

"It shouldn't take any more than twenty-four hours. Even though you made it quite clear that you do not need permission, I am giving you both permission to come and go from the Hospital Wing as you please as long as you don't disturb Madam Pomfrey as she performs her duties."

"What will happen if she doesn't wake up and we still don't feel her?" Blaise asked concerned.

"We will have to deal with that as it happens. It is likely that she will reopen the connection before she wakes up."

"Have you figured out who did this?" Draco asked quickly.

"No, we have ruled out Mr. Wesley but that is the only headway we have made. I am working tirelessly on this, however, and I expect that the perpetrator will soon be apprehended. Harry, I believe that we should give them some time alone with Hermione."

"Right, let me know when she wakes up?" Harry asked. When Draco nodded he turned to Professor Dumbledore and they both left.


"Harry? Can I talk to you?" Ginny asked tentatively when she found Harry sitting alone in the Common Room.

"Sure, sit down. What's going on?" Harry responded putting down the research he had been working on.

"I think that I'm the reason Hermione got hurt." Ginny said tears welling in her eyes as she sat next to him on the couch.

"What? How?" Harry asked gently putting his hand on her back.

"We went to breakfast earlier that day and she was asking how you know that you love someone. I asked her if she would be willing to risk her life to save theirs because that's what you do if you love someone. That's the length you would go to. I don't think she was really sure about her answer and then she realized that she's in love with them. I think that the reason she did it is because I put the idea in her head that the way to show someone you love them is to put your life on the line for them." Ginny explained, the words falling out of her mouth before she could think about them.

"Did you send the bludger to kill Draco to prove your point?" Harry asked.

"Of course not!" Ginny said indignantly.

"Then it's not your fault. Hermione acted on her own volition. She chose to do this, to save him, and nothing you said or did would have changed what happened." Harry said gently as he rubbed small circles on her back.

"Okay, thanks. Have you heard anything from Malfoy or Zabini? How's Hermione?"

"Not exactly. Blaise got his magic back but they can't feel her anymore. She severed the connection as she needs to finish the healing process. Draco was none too pleased when he couldn't feel her anymore. I asked them to keep me updated as she progresses. It shouldn't be any more than twenty-four hours until she's back."

"You seem to have gotten close to them." Ginny commented cautiously.

"I have. They really are good blokes. A bit hard to deal with at times but still good and they love Hermione so that helps. I think that there is potential for us to actually become close. I'm planning on bringing them dinner later on tonight if you want to join." Harry said shrugging.

"Sure, thanks for this. I should be going now." Ginny said standing.

"You're welcome, anytime you need anything I'll be here for you."

"Thank you." Ginny said before she made her way upstairs to her dormitory.


"We brought you some food." Ginny said entering the Hospital Wing in front of Harry who was levitating the food behind him.

"You really didn't have to do that." Blaise said quickly. "But we really appreciate that you did."

"We assumed that you wouldn't want to leave Hermione under any circumstances." Harry said shrugging and putting the plates of food on a small table. "We're eating with you because we also assumed that you might want some company."

"Thanks, we ran out of things to talk about twenty minutes ago." Draco said with a light laugh.

"It's no problem. Any change?"

"Not really, we can feel little spurts of her but…" Blaise said trailing off and clenching his jaw.

"We're hoping that she'll wake up soon." Draco said gently putting his hand on Blaise's back in support. "After being able to feel her for so long it's been hard to not have that connection. We'll be fine though, she'll wake up and everything will be fine."

"Except for her panic about missing so much class." Ginny said with a smile.

"We're lucky that we've had each other. I would be a wreck right now if it weren't for Draco." Blaise said softly.

"And I would be a wreck if it weren't for you." Draco responded as he leaned over to kiss Blaise tenderly on the lips.

"What are you smiling at?" Blaise asked when he and Draco broke apart and he looked over at Harry.

"Nothing, it's just the two of you are so in love. I'm not used to seeing that kind of thing."

"What kind of thing? Two blokes kissing?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well, that too but I was more talking about…displays of love?" Harry said choosing his words carefully.

"Don't worry, I didn't grow up with much of that in my family either." Draco said calmly. "Shall we eat?"

"Yes, food is good." Blaise said quickly as they all sat to eat dinner together.

"So, any plans for Halloween?" Blaise said after a few minutes of silence.

"I don't think so." Harry said.

"Unless there's a ball…" Ginny said looking pointedly at Draco.

"What are you looking at me for?" Draco asked concerned.

"You're Head Boy! You and Hermione would be the ones to plan it and such." Ginny said.

"We should have a ball? Do you think that's a good idea?" Draco asked.

"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed. "You should make costumes mandatory as well."

"Alright then, I'll discuss it with Hermione when she gets better." Draco said with a smile.

"Do you want to know what we should do when Hermione gets better?" Ginny asked a while later.

"What?" Blaise asked curiously.

"We should all go out on a triple date."

"You're dating someone?" Blaise asked his eyes light with curiosity.

"Yes," Ginny said blushing.

"Who are you dating?" Draco asked looking at her.

"He's in your house."

"Did Theo finally make a move?" Blaise asked quickly not allowing Ginny to finish.

"Nott?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ginny said responding to Harry's question. "What do you mean 'finally make a move'?"

"He's had his eye on your for a while now, Ginny. He never went after you though because of Harry." Draco explained.

"Oh, well, we're kind of together now." Ginny said quietly.

"What do you mean kind of?" Blaise asked.

"We've been talking a lot and we like spending time together but he hasn't asked to go out on a date or anything. Besides I never thought that I would be dating a Slytherin. Has he really liked me for a while?"

"Yes, he's liked you for a year or so. I'm sure Hermione never thought that she would be married to two Slytherins but it's mostly worked out so far." Draco said to Ginny.

"It's good you're dating someone, Gin. I'll see if Luna would want to do something." Harry said to them.

"Good, when Hermione gets better I'm sure she'll be excited to get together." Blaise said smiling.

The group fell into silence again as they finished dinner. They pulled up chairs to flank Hermione's bed and sat in silence waiting for a change.


"We should be off." Ginny said as she yawned around one o'clock in the morning.

"Thank you for sitting with us and bringing us dinner. We'll let you know when there's a change." Blaise said quietly as to not wake Draco.

"Good night." Harry said as he and Ginny took their leave.

An hour later, Blaise stretched lightly in his chair and stifled a yawn. He sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes trying to force himself to stay awake. He inhaled sharply as a wave of emotion hit him.

"Draco," he said nudging Draco in the side, "something is happening! Wake up!"

"What in the world are you on about?" Draco said trying to push Blaise away.

"I think she's waking up." Blaise said his eye alive with joy.

"I think that you're right." Draco said sitting up in his chair and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I…is that her or is that you?"

"Her." Blaise responded quickly his eyes on Hermione. "Unless you're talking about an insane amount of joy and then it's me."

"No, it's not the joy it's…magic?"

"She's coming back, Draco. She's coming back to us." Blaise said practically jumping up and down in his chair in excitement.

"Calm down! We don't want to overwhelm her."

"You won't." Dumbledore's voice said from the doors of the Hospital Wing.

"How do you know?" Draco asked the old man.

"Poppy put a charm on Hermione. If there was any change in her status both Poppy and I would be alerted. I wish she would have waited just a touch longer, I was having a very good dream." Dumbledore said with a wave of his hand.

"No, I meant how do know that we won't overwhelm her?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well, I'm not exactly certain but I feel as if Hermione is not easily overwhelmed." Dumbledore said with a smile and that sparkle in his eyes. "Ah, Poppy so good that you're here!"

"Thank you, Headmaster. I was starting to worry that nothing was going to happen tonight." Madam Pomfrey said as she approached the bed and started working her magic.

"How is she? Is everything okay?" Blaise asked anxiously.

"Yes, she should be waking up any minute now. We just have to wait a touch longer. I don't know how her mental state will be when she wakes or how much pain she may be in so we need to attempt to keep her calm just in case." Madam Pomfrey said as she took a step back.

"We're going to get her back. Blaise, we're getting Hermione back!" Draco said excitedly as all of them looked at the bed Hermione was laying on expectedly.


A/N: Review, review, review!