"I hate studying." Fred said.
"Why did we agree to do this again?" George asked.
"To show everyone that you are smarter than you look." Ron answered.
"Our vacant expressions are only topped by yours." George teased.
"True." Ron took it good naturedly, "But my vacant expressions are because of Hermione. Yours are from pranks. What does that say for you?"
"True brother mine." Fred said, "You have us there."
Hermione was bright red at the conversation but kissed Ron for it anyway. The rest of the common room chuckled then went back to their studying. They were going to take advantage of the quiet time while the twins were being monitored, I mean they were studying. In no time at all the tests were taken and the year was through. The evening after the last test the twins threw a party to celebrate. It was a great time for all but McGonagall came in and chased them all to bed around midnight.
"I wonder if you'll get another vacation this year?" Neville asked as they boarded the train.
"Probably not." Harry sighed, "With the rat on the loose I doubt he'll let us leave the country. I'm a bit worried he won't let me leave the house."
"He'll have to let us come by then." Ron grumbled.
"What about you Hermione?" Neville asked.
"I don't know where we are going this year." she replied, "They want to surprise me. How about you Luna?"
"Daddy has us booked for a safari in the Netherlands." she giggled, "He wants to look for unicorns. I told him we could do that at Hogwarts but he says that's no fun. Half the fun is going somewhere we haven't gone before."
"Do they have unicorns there?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know." she said, "But I guess we'll find out."
The rest of the group chuckled at her enthusiasm. Ron pulled out his deck of exploding snap cards and they played for a while. Many people stopped by their compartment to wish them a happy summer. Everyone was laughing and have a good time until the station came into view.
"Can we put this off for another month?" Ginny whined.
"Sorry love." Harry hugged her tightly and then kissed her, "Call me when it's over."
They got off the train and gave each other last minute hugs before the families went their separate ways. Ginny didn't get to call him that night but Ron did.
"Mum took her mirror away." Ron said, "If I let her use mine I'll get mine taken."
"Don't do that." Harry said, "You need to keep in contact with Hermione."
"That's what Ginny said too." Ron sighed.
"How did the talk go?" Harry asked thinking the worst.
"They didn't even have it yet." Ron huffed, "She took it away until after the talk. I don't know what they are doing."
"So unfair." Harry grumbled, "Tell her I miss her already and that I love her ok?"
"Sure." Ron shuddered, "I guess I can do that."
"Thanks." Harry sighed, "I'm depressed now I'm going to go to bed. Night."
"Night." he said, "I'm going to let the others know what's going on."
Ginny was locked in her room and wouldn't answer the door. Ron quickly wrote Harry's note and stuck it under her door. He stayed long enough to hear her take it and sigh, "Thanks Ron."
Molly still had not talked to Ginny by the end of the second day. Ginny stomped down the stairs to dinner and glowered at everyone. The boys stayed out of her way on that evening but her father didn't notice her mood.
"Hello Princess." he called as she sat down.
"Hi." she grumbled.
"Bad mood?" he asked.
"Horrible." she replied.
"Want to talk about it?" he continued not looking up.
"Sure." she brightened a bit, "I want my mirror back."
"Not until we talk about Harry." Molly stated.
"Then talk." Ginny said, "What are you waiting for?"
"You need to clean up your attitude." Molly frowned.
"I can't." she said, "I've not slept in two days so I'm a bit grumpy."
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Arthur put down his paper and properly looked at her for the first time. She had dark bags under her eyes and generally looked a mess.
"Because I can't make sure Harry is ok." she yelled.
"Ron talks to him every night so he must be fine." Molly answered, "And don't yell."
"Actually he's not." Ron said, "He can't sleep either. He's also getting sick whenever he eats."
"Stop exaggerating." Molly told him, "No mirror. You will go a week without it just to prove to yourself that you can. You don't need to see Harry every day."
"Why are you doing this to me?" Ginny sobbed, "What did I do wrong?"
"Ginny this isn't punishment for some wrong doing." Arthur said, "That fortune teller put it in your head that you'll marry each other and now you are trying to make that happen."
"We aren't." Ginny disagreed, "I've liked him well before that woman said anything."
"It's just a crush dear." Molly said, "We only want you to see that."
"You don't know what I feel." she angrily got to her feet and turned away from the table, "I'm not hungry."
Ginny stormed up to her room and started to write a letter to Harry. She almost threw it away when she remembered she wasn't allowed to owl him either. She decided to just write down her feelings in a letter to him, it may make her feel better. An hour later as she was slouched on her desk asleep from the exhausting efforts of putting her emotions on paper, a soft pop was heard in her room. The paper under her head was gently removed and another was set in its place. The slightly louder leaving pop woke her up. She grinned when she found and read the letter.
*** Dear Ginny,
This is killing me. I thought that year was bad but it's so much worse now. I can't eat and I can't sleep. I want to hear your voice so badly that my ears hurt. It's only been a few days but it feels like forever.
Your Mum made Sirius promise to keep me home for a week to prove that this is nothing. She thinks it was that fortune teller convincing us of it. I've explained over and over that is not the case and I think they believe me but they have to do what they promised your Mum. I don't know how I will survive not seeing or touching you for that long. It seems to be an impossible task.
Dobby has agreed to deliver letters back and forth. They said I couldn't owl you, but they said nothing about letters by elf. But we will have to be careful when we write in case your Mum or Dad accidentally see it. So code words need to be used. (you'll have to destroy this letter so they don't find the code key)
Anytime I say I like you I mean I love you. If I say I miss you know that it really means I'm dying inside.
I miss you and like you.
***Harry
Ginny felt a little better having the letter. She folded it up into a small square and tucked it into her pocket. She peeked out her door to locate everyone. They were all still down stairs so she slipped up to the twins room. Once in the door she moved over to a secret compartment she knew they had made. She turned the note invisible and then stuck it to the back of the door of the compartment. Even if her mum found the compartment she wouldn't see the note and if she searched the compartment she still wouldn't find it.
Harry was in such a state that Remus and Sirius were beginning to panic. On the second day he began to feel nauseous after every meal. By the fourth day he was throwing up if he tried to eat. He had actually gone without any solid food since because he didn't want to get sick again. But now even water was coming back up. Molly actually wanted them to wait one more day but they were worried for Harry's health.
"We are taking him over there." Sirius stated, "I've put Harry in the shower to see if he'll look any better. I know he'll smell better."
"I just can't believe he's reacting this way." Remus said, "I really thought he was just making himself sick for sympathy but it's gone too far."
"I told you he liked her before that woman said anything." Sirius said, "He explained it well I don't know why she won't believe it. Why doesn't she want them together?"
"Because she's twelve." Harry stated from the doorway, "Too young to begin dating. That's why we had decided to wait until she turned thirteen. "
"See they're responsible." Sirius said, "They are thinking ahead and making sure they don't rush things."
"You really think she's just panicking because Ginny's young?" Remus asked Harry.
Harry nodded and almost fell as he moved away from the doorway he was leaning on, "I don't know if apparition or floo travel is the safe way to travel."
"I made a portkey." Remus said, "I didn't think either was safe."
Ginny like Harry couldn't eat or sleep. She didn't even want to leave her room or rather her bed. Even Molly was beginning to cave under the stress her daughter was going through.
"Arthur I give up." she cried, "I don't know what's going on."
"I agree, I don't think we should do this anymore." He sighed as he got ready for the day, "I'll send Sirius a patronus later in the morning."
"I'll give Ginny her mirror at breakfast." she said, "He'll know when Harry gets the call."
They heard a noise in the front yard and looked out their window. Sirius was practically carrying Harry up to the house. The two adult Weasley's went to open the door.
Ginny was a wreck, she just sat on her bed crying, the letters weren't helping much. She had just got out of the shower but didn't think she had the energy to move anymore. She heard her parents hurry down the stairs but couldn't work up enough energy to care about what was happening until she heard Harry's name mentioned. She drug herself down the stairs to find Harry slumped against the door where Ron was holding him up. Ginny moved across to him and they embraced. Ron let go and stepped away but neither one realized. They didn't move, they didn't think and they didn't hear the exclamations of surprise when a bright white light engulfed them holding all others at bay.
"What's happening?" Molly asked.
"I don't know." Sirius said, "Maybe we should get Albus."
"And Poppy." Remus said moving to the floo since the door was blocked by the white light.
Albus arrived in less than ten minutes and was still able to witness the white light that blocked the teens from view. Inside unseen by all Harry and Ginny were hugging each other close and sharing kisses. They were also expressing their love for each other verbally between kisses. They were both beginning to feel better when they pulled apart some and finally noticed the white light that surrounded them.
"What's this?" they both asked at the same time. They also noticed the light was fading.
"Professor?" Harry asked as the light diminished enough for them to see what was happening, "What's going on?"
"A bonding." Albus said.
"What kind?" Arthur asked.
"Well let's see." he pulled his wand and waved it over the two teens then looked confused, "Something is interfering I can't get a reading on it. But it is a strong bond. I would suggest you stop trying to keep them apart."
"But…" Molly tried to interrupt.
"Keeping them apart may be what triggered it in the first place." Albus pointed out, "They obviously care for each other so why are you trying to stop it?"
"They are just children." she said, "They don't understand love and things. We wanted them to see it was just a crush."
"I think they do understand." Albus said, "Now that they bonded they will need close contact for few days. After that I wouldn't keep them apart for more than a couple of days. Once the bond has settled they should be ok to be apart for more time."
"How long until it settles?" Harry asked.
"Depends on the bond."Albus said, "I don't know what kind so I don't know how long."
"What kind of bond do you think it is?" Ginny asked.
"More than a friend and less than marriage." Albus said, "But that's just a guess, you could be married."
"How did this happen?" Molly asked.
"It's magic." Fred and George said their voices heavy with fake astonishment.
The group chuckled before Albus said, "Technically they are right. I'm guessing the Fortune Teller could sense the bond in its early stages. What she said may or may not have hurried it along. But magic wants them together."
"What's going on?" Poppy Pomfrey asked when she and Remus arrived a few minutes after Albus.
"Harry and Ginny went and got themselves married." Fred announced.
"Hush George." Molly stated, "They bonded."
"I am Fred." he said, "It could be a marriage bond."
"Fred hush." Molly scolded again, "Poppy can you check them over?"
"My word." she exclaimed after a few spells, "When was the last time you ate anything?"
"Breakfast yesterday." they both answered.
"Harry couldn't keep it down though." Sirius said, "It's really been a couple of days."
"Same with Ginny." Molly stated, "I thought she had gotten the flu."
"Are you sure?" she asked, "What about drinking?"
"I haven't tried any water today." Ginny said, "Lunch yesterday was the last time and it kind of made me sick."
"Albus I want them both at Hogwarts." she said, "They're going to need some potions I don't have with me. They are both near magical exhaustion."
"How can they be magically exhausted?" Molly asked, "Have you two been doing magic at home?"
"No." they both answered truthfully.
"I'll just make a portkey, everyone grab hold." Albus held the large platter out and everyone put a finger on it then he indicated Harry and Ginny, "You better hold onto them, I'm not sure how well they'll do."
Sirius and Arthur each grabbed one and the teens who still held on to each other. In a swirl of color the group found itself in the infirmary at Hogwarts. Albus removed the table between the two beds so the teens could touch.
"We need to keep them close." he answered the looks he was getting, "The closer they are the less the magic will continue to drain them."
"You are saying the bond is what exhausted them so quickly?" Sirius asked.
"Fighting it did." he said, "If they would have had some connection over the last week I don't think the bond would have happened for a few more months possibly. I was going to happen soon anyway."
"We were planning to start going together at her birthday." Harry offered, "We wanted to wait until she was thirteen."
"The bond would have likely happened then." Albus agreed, "So tell me how long have you liked each other?"
"Since we met in the Alley before my first year." Harry said, "I guess I'm more like my dad in that aspect. I knew she was the one for me right from the start."
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.
"His Dad met Lily on the train first year and from that moment on he kept telling us he would grow up and marry her." Remus said, "He was right."
"James told me a story once." Sirius looked thoughtful, "I think his parents met and married in less than one year. Remus do you remember?"
"No I don't think he told me that one." Remus smiled, "What are we going to do with the new couple?"
"Give them potions." Poppy said as she returned from her office where she had run off to as soon as they arrived, "First is a potion to help the nausea and then a dreamless sleep."
"Can we take the sleep one later?" Ginny asked, "I really just want to talk to him for a while."
"I guess that's ok." she nodded looking at her watch, "You can take it after lunch."
Arthur had to leave and go to work but the rest of the group stayed to visit. At lunch time Poppy chased everyone else out of the room and fed the two patients.
"Lunch will be here in a few minutes. As soon as you finish take your dreamless sleep potion." she instructed and then went to her office.
"Finally." Ginny sighed and scooted closer, "I didn't think they'd ever leave."
"They wouldn't have if Madam Pomfrey hadn't chased them out." Harry pulled her close and kissed her, "Did she ever talk to you about our feelings for each other?"
"No." Ginny grumbled, "I don't think she wanted to hear it. I don't think she's against us dating, just that she thought it was only a crush and we were pushing it to be more."
"I wonder if we would have bonded like that if we'd still been at home?" he thought aloud.
"No because we would have been together by now." neither wanted to let any details of the previous timeline slip in case someone was listening, "What I wonder is how long we get to stay close like this."
"I just hope we won't be asleep for most of it." Harry chuckled as Poppy returned with two trays of food floating behind her.
"Don't make yourself sick but eat as much as you can." she instructed.
"Good I'm starving." both of their stomachs rumbled at the sight of food.
They dutifully finished their lunches and kissed each other before taking the dreamless sleep potion. They fell asleep holding hands even though they wanted to be closer. The next morning they woke up in much better health and both were much happier.