A/N: CHERUBS! Another new chapter, this time a nice long one. You say YAY! I hope you love it lots, and that you love the way i have handled things within it. Also, I know the ending feels a little bit like the end completely, but don't worry, it's no where near finished yet =) Please leave me your lovely reviews. Many thanks to all who do. EVen when some of them confuse me slightly... MUCH LOVE xx-Kitten.
Chapter 54: Soul Mates?
Merlin this is so strange. I don't know how to deal with it. Years ago I read somewhere that soul mates don't exist. That even people who may be destined or fated to be together, may be incompatible. But this feeling in my soul is definitely Scorpius. I can feel his mood. Even when he's away from me I can feel him. For example it's currently midnight. I'm at home in bed. He's over at Uncle Harry's with Albus. He's awake though. I know it because I can feel his confusion and his happiness and his wonder.
He's been ecstatic all afternoon. He's completely overjoyed that I told him I love him. He's even happy that he can feel the bond between us, that he can feel my emotions just as I can feel his. I have to admit I sort of panicked when I realise I could feel him in my soul.
He was here for a few hours after we realised we could feel each other's emotions and the entire time felt strange. It felt like we were even closer than we'd ever been, but then that was sort of a given. It's odd being able to sense how he feels even when I can't see the expression on his face or hear his voice when he tells me. We did experiment a little bit. Trying to test the limitations of the bond. It flares slightly when we speak to each other, but telepathy is sadly not achievable I tried to think at him and while he could get a sense of how I felt about the things I was thinking but couldn't actually hear my voice in his head or understand the words I though at him.
I don't really know what to make of the whole thing. I've never come across anything about this type of thing happening before.
And I've certainly never read anything about a soul bond.
I've heard that sometimes people suffering from the werewolf curse are hit with the recognition of the person destined to be their 'mate'. The one person they can be truly happy with. But I've never heard about it for anyone else. Certainly not two teenagers who have hated each other most of their lives.
I mean, I've never believed in soul mates. After all, what happens if the one you are truly destined to be with, your soul mate dies before you find them? What happens if you're born millions of miles away from each other and never meet? Does that mean you go through life incomplete?
There have always been so many possibilities surrounding soul mates and even love in general that I've never believed in them. Hence the panic and confusion about the bond between us now. I've been thinking that the best solution might be to ask Mum. After all she is a genius and has read so many books that maybe she has come across information on it somewhere. But being that it's midnight I feel like it would be wrong. Then again I know for a fact that she is still in her study. She always comes in and kisses my forehead before she goes to bed.
Sighing, I know that there is no way I'm going to get to sleep until I know more about this. Because I'm a nerd like that. Flinging the covers off I find my slippers and pad downstairs to mum's study. Knocking softly I walk in before Mum answers.
"Rosie, honey is everything ok?" she asks me, frowning in concern.
"Yeah, everything's fine Mum. I just wanted to pick at your brain for a bit."
"Oh. Ok. What did you want to know about?" She asks me softly, waving her hand towards the couch by the fireplace. Taking a seat I take a deep breath. I need to word this so that M doesn't realise I'm asking about myself.
"Erm, I was wondering if you knew anything about soul mates and mate bonds, and the magic surrounding love and how it works?" I ask her.
Mum looks surprised by my topic. I've never been one to discuss love or feelings or relationships with her so it's no wonder she looks shocked.
"Ok. I didn't see this one coming." Mum says, pausing as though gathering her thoughts "Well honey, generally that type of thing has always been filed into the same category as Divination because the magic is so inexact. Largely that's down to that fact that people are so fickle when it comes to love. Now I'm sure you're aware that loves exists. It is an actual thing, not just something we all go on about and live our lives in search of. Anyway, love is a chemical reaction within the human body that causes the release of endorphins that toy with the mind. It's the reason a person in love can be so oblivious to the flaws of the object of their affection, the reason we do stupid things like hurl ourselves in front of curses to protect the people we love. It's also the reason so many of us do and say embarrassing things in the name of love.
Now, in spite of that, love is fickle and ever changing. That's why so many people get their hearts broken. Because the balance of love is never equal in any relationship. In many cases that balance is often close enough to equal that it doesn't really matter. It's when that balance tips drastically one way that problems arise, especially when the person who is the least in love realises it and decides to give up on the relationship, wounding the other person irreparably."
Mum explained to me, glancing at my face to make sure that I knew all of this already. I nodded long with her. I'm almost seventeen after all I know plenty about the fickleness of love. I see it at school all the time.
"Mate bonds are another matter. There have been reported cases where a mate bond was realised between people who had never met before, and even between people who absolutely loathed each other. Mate bonds are typically linked to the werewolf curse because of the nature of regular wolves, which often mate for life. Though I suspect that unless you are asking this for one of your cousins or you're somehow in love with a werewolf yourself, then this is largely irrelevant to you.
Then there are blood bonds that can be forged between couples and close friends. Many witches and wizards choose to include a blood bond to their marriage ceremony. It deepens the strength of an unbreakable vow mostly. Depending on the words spoken in the vows made during a blood bond, the lives of the vowers can be linked forever, meaning that if one of them dies the other will become aware of it immediately, and other times that when one dies the other person dies too. Naturally it's very old magic and the process for doing so is locked up in a ministry vault to keep fickle teenagers from making bonds with their boyfriends and girlfriends that can't be undone when they break up.
As far as I am aware, soul mates are completely non-existent. There have been many who have claimed to have found their soul mate, but there is no magical process that supports their claim. Except of course that they often love each other. The closest magical process to finding ones soul mate is the mate bond between a werewolf and their 'mate'." Mum tells me.
That was more than less than unhelpful!
"So there has never been a recorded instance where the souls of two people have bonded, magically linking them and allowing each other to feel the emotions of the other?" I ask.
Mum looks confused for a moment.
"You mean has their magic fused, linking their souls or their minds and allowing them to feel it when the other person is alive or dead, and to sense their emotions and mental state?" She asks me. She is staring at me now, her eyes scanning my face for any hint of information.
I nod at her without saying anything. She looks worried about this.
"Well... I did read something a very long time ago. In an old book from the restricted section of the library at Hogwarts about such a bond... but the circumstances of such a bonding were not only highly dangerous, but incredibly difficult, practically impossible to achieve." Mum says slowly.
The magic involved is particularly powerful. Far beyond the capabilities of even the most powerful witch or wizard. This type of bond is an ancient magic that was almost exclusively known amongst Purebloods. Mostly because of their habits of betrothing their children to other pureblood children. Due to the nature of such marriages, it was encouraged that the children be painstakingly nice to their betrothed in the hopes of developing friendships and love." Mum says "As you can imagine, love in a marriage to someone you barely knew was difficult, so they came up with all kinds of rules and traditions to encourage love to grow between the couple. Very occasionally these traditions included objects charmed and imbued with magic that allow for connections between the couple if the right circumstances are met and the right rules and traditions followed. After all, all that posh snobbery wasn't just for show. These traditions, when followed properly allowed for the type of bond you're talking about." Mum tells me softly.
"Now, what has you asking these questions in the middle of the night honey? Has something happened to you? Are you in love with someone?"
Oh damn it!
I didn't want this to happen. I didn't want to have to tell her anything yet, but at the same time I don't want to lie to her.
I mean I knew I'd need to tell mum and dad eventually. Especially now that I've told Scorpius that I'm in love with him. But I didn't want to do it yet. Maybe I can do this without telling her who yet. I just don't want them to lose their minds at me this early in the holidays. After I want to live to turn seventeen so that when dad tries to strangle me, I can Apparate away somewhere safe.
"You know I don't like personal questions like that Mum." I tell her, trying to evade her.
"And you know that I'm particularly stubborn when I think someone is keeping information from me. Rose, I'm your mother, I have a right to know about the things going on in your life." Mum says. I can tell that her curiosity is running rampant and that she's restraining herself from trying to lure the information out of me. "Especially if it has to do with any sort of bonds like this one. Bonds are dangerous honey."
I hate when she goes for the throat with the 'dangerous' card. Because she is almost always right.
Sighing in defeat I scan her face.
"Ok Mum I'll tell you but you have to swear you won't tell anyone. Not Dad or Aunt Ginny or Uncle Harry. Not anyone." I tell her, my eyes narrowed on her. She looks less than pleased.
"Rose if you're safety is jeopardized I will tell anyone I see fit. But I can keep your secrets about your emotions honey. Merlin forbid anyone ever realises you actually have any beyond happiness and anger." She teases me softly. "Do you have a boyfriend Rosie?"
Oh Merlin she looks excited, like she thinks we'll braid our hair and talk about boys and paint our nails. I shudder.
"Will you be mad at me if I say yes?" I ask her.
"Honey, why would I be mad at you? I'm happy for you. Who is he?" She asks me.
"I can't tell you that." I say.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want you to tell Dad. And I don't want you to make rules about this and try to discourage me from being in a relationship with him."
"What do you mean? Rose, why would I discourage you? You look happy about being with him, whoever he is. And I've always wanted you to be happy."
"You say that now Mum, but I have no doubt that you and Dad will disapprove of my choice. So I don't want to tell you yet. In case it doesn't work out." I know I'm scrambling. The bond thing we have developed is apparently a permanent fixture.
"Does anyone know that the two of you together?" I can already see the wheels spinning in her mind. She's hoping to bribe the information out of Hugo or my cousins. Namely Fred.
"The only ones who know are me, my boyfriend and one of my dear cousins who has been sworn to secrecy under pain of death." I reply. She looks slightly crestfallen.
"Look Mum, I don't want to tell you who it is. Not now. But I do have a boyfriend. And I'm in love with him. He's in love with me as well."
"Rose are you sure?" she asks me softly. I nod my head at her. I know I love him, and I can feel it through the bond that he loves me. I can also currently feel his curiosity at my tension and worry.
"Yes. I'm sure. We love each other."
"Do I know him?" She asks me. Merlin she is so curious.
"Yes, you will know who he is if I ever tell you his name."
"Well that narrows it down a little bit. And I know it's not Dylan, because he and Roxy are together. Wait, did you say you don't want to tell me because I may not approve?" she asks me suddenly. Oh crap. There are few boys that she actually knows and will disapprove of. And they are all friends with Albus.
"Rose Weasley, I certainly hope that this boy is someone who will treat you right and isn't going to toy with your heart."
Oh thank Merlin. She hasn't worked out that it's Scorpius yet.
"I don't think he will." I tell her seriously.
"Honey it's not Lorcan or Lysander is it?" She asks me reluctantly.
"You disapprove of Lorcan and Lysander?" I ask her, shocked. I thought she liked Uncle Neville's kids.
"Don't look at me like that honey. Those boys are trouble. They always have been. They're always in trouble at school. Luna was telling me the other day that she counted up all the letters they had sent home about their behaviour at school over the last seven years. Between them they had eleven letters!" She says, appalled.
"Erm... Mum, you do know that I've have seven right? And that was all just me. Not a combined number."
"Yes dear but you are particularly unruly and headstrong. Not to mention that almost all of them were the results of you and Scorpius Malfoy constantly trying to kill each other." She says. I stare at her for a moment. She must make so many excuses to herself when she tells herself I'm not a bad influence or a troublemaker.
"And when it wasn't the Malfoy child is was your cousins dragging you into their trouble." I smirk at this. She loves all of her nephews, but she has always hated how often James, Fred, Dylan and I were in trouble for pranking.
"Oh Mum, you know I was the brains behind most of their trouble too. You don't have to pretend I'm an angel. And it's not ok that you think Lorcan and Lysander and trouble. They're nice. But it's not one of them anyway."
"Rosie are you really telling me you are in a relationship with a boy from Slytherin?" She asks me incredulously.
I just stare at her drolly.
"I thought you had always been promoting inter house unity Mother." I say.
"I am honey, and you know we don't think any less of Albus for the house he was sorted into. But honey you've always been particularly outspoken about your hatred and disgust with everyone from that house, even Albus at times. And now you tell me you're in love with a boy from that house?"
I nod at her.
"Well it must be one of Albus's friends. And you know I've never been fond of them. Oh dear. You know your father will have a fit about this Rose."
"Yes. That's why I haven't told you who it is. I don't want to go to an early grave. Now can you please tell me more about this bond thing? What are the specific circumstances that have to be met in order to forge one?"
"Merlin No. And risk you trying to forge one?" Mum says nastily.
"Look mum, you don't need to worry about risking it. It's happened!" I snap at her, before clapping my hand over my mouth in horror. Oh shit! I think this is about to get very bad.
"What did you just say?" she demands of me. "Did you just say that this type of soul bond has happened to you?" She looks outraged and terrified.
I just stare at her in mute horror. I can't believe I told her that. Damn me and my short temper and my big mouth. Oh Fuck this is not going to end well for me at all!
Mum is staring at me with a mixture of outrage, fear and downright shocked horror.
"Please tell me you're joking Rose Weasley." She whispers.
When I just stare at her she looks like she might cry.
"Oh Rose! You have no idea how much you have just revealed to me. You don't even need to tell me the name of your boyfriend now. How could you?" Mum says. He voice is cold and I can see it all over her face that she knows the truth.
"Merlin help you when your father finds out that not only did his baby girl fall in love and engage in sexual activities at sixteen, but that she did it with Scorpius Malfoy!"
But it's her eyes that scare me. Mum's brown eyes are cold and angry as she says Scorpius's name.
She knows. She damn well knows! And she knows I've slept with him. Oh fuck! My life is about to get very, very complicated.
"How could you do this Rose?" she whispers. Merlin I hate it when she uses her cold, deadly voice. I think she learned it from Gram and it terrifies me even more than Gram's does. "You and the Malfoy kid have been enemies your whole lives. And now you tell that you're in love with each other and formed one of the oldest magical bonds in the world! I should have known something wasn't right when he saved your life and then when you and him went to the ball together. How could you do this?" Mum exclaims.
"Explain yourself young lady!" she snarls when I just stare at her.
See now, I knew that Mum and Dad wouldn't approve. But I always thought it would be Dad who would lose it while Mum just sort of looked disappointed. I can feel Malfoy's worry and curiosity at my panic. Merlin this bond would be far more convenient if we could speak telepathically. I'm terrified he'll come over to make sure I'm alright.
"What do you mean explain myself?" I ask mum. I'm trying to keep calm but I can hear the note of anger in my voice. Because like a typical Weasley I defend myself by getting angry. Especially when my opponent looks at me like I've done something wrong and like I'm awful.
"I mean explain to me how it is that over the course of a few weeks you and Malfoy have gone from completely detesting each other so much that more than once you have almost fatally wounded each other, to suddenly being so in love that you have managed to form the type of magical bond typical of the most rotten Pureblood families. Trapping yourselves together forever." Mum growls at me, she looks like she is barely controlling herself to keep from screaming at me.
"What do you mean trapping ourselves together forever?" I snap back at her.
"Oh Rosemarie my little idiot of a child" Mum says haughtily "I thought you were so much smarter than this. That bond isn't a temporary thing. Your lives are linked together now. You and Scorpius Malfoy are at this point trapped together forever. Do you understand that? At this point the magic binding the two of you is stronger than the magic that bonds your father and I together in marriage."
What? What did she just say? Did she really just tell me that even if Malfoy and I stop loving each other, we're still stuck together? Does this mean that our life forces are linked together? I have to put up with him for the rest of my damned life?
"But we... how did we even do it?" I ask her. Confused now, and a little scared.
I know I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. And that I had that dream of us living together. But still...
"Damn it Rose, I told you years ago that the items you found in the burned out room of requirement were dangerous and that you should get rid of them!" Mum snaps at me. "Didn't I tell you that they were dangerous? The only types of item imbued with enough protective magic that Fiendy Fire would be centuries old items that belonged to the Pureblood witches and wizards. Didn't I tell that you should get rid of them? But obviously you thought you were too clever for listening to me. You kept them all didn't you?"
Well, yeah I did. I didn't really know how to get rid of them. They didn't get destroyed in the fire, so I figured they were indestructible. I just locked them all away in a box in my room. Except my locket, of course, and the potions book that I gave to Uncle Harry. I explain this to mum.
"I didn't know how to destroy them. And I don't know who they belong to. So I just locked them away."
"Well..." Mum says, looking slightly less angry about my explanation. "I suppose that was sensible enough. But clearly you didn't leave them all there, locked up. Otherwise this wouldn't have happened." She snaps.
I just look at her.
"Which one was it?" She asks me after clenching her fists for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
"Which item that you took from the room of requirement did you have touching your skin when the bond kicked in?" She asks me.
"Oh... probably my locket." I say, fishing it out of the front of my shirt and showing it to her. Her eyes glare at it for a minute.
"But haven't you been wearing that for years?" she asks me.
"Yeah. Since I found it. I didn't think it was dangerous. With the other items I picked up I could feel the magic in them. I could feel that they were sinister sort of items and that the magic wasn't entirely Light. This one didn't feel like the others. I felt warm. So I thought it was fine."
"Give it to me please. I need to see something."
Watching her carefully I unfasten the locket that is the symbol of Malfoy women, lost in time until now. I hand it over to her and she studies it in silence, turning it this way and that as she examines the symbols on it.
"I knew I should have paid more attention to my children" she mutters angrily."Rose do you know what these symbols mean?"
"They're promise symbols and symbols of love aren't they? Scorpius told me months ago that this locket used to be a Malfoy family heirloom. It's a promise locket that the Malfoy sons used to give to their betrothed brides as a symbol of the love they hoped would grow between them."
"And he gave it to you? Haven't you been wearing this since you were twelve?" She asks me sharply.
"Yes, I have. But no, he didn't give it to me. I found it in the room of hidden things. This locket has apparently been lost since Scorpius's great grandfather's time. He gave it to his betrothed, but she disappeared months later. She was never seen again, and it was assumed that the locket went with her. Malfoy told me about it months ago and said I might as well keep it because the tradition surrounding it had died out after it went missing. He said that since I seemed to like it, as I'd been wearing it for years, I might as well just keep it." I explain to her.
"Of course he did. He probably had no idea. I'd say Draco wouldn't have known either, given that it's been lost for generations. Why is it that Draco Malfoy has always had a hand in the things that go wrong in my life?" Mum grumbles.
Sighing she looks at me sadly.
"Look honey. This isn't your fault. The bond part. At least not entirely." She tells me. She looks really tired as she leans back and sighs heavily. "And I'm sorry for snapping at you. But if you really have formed that bond between you and Scorpius then I'm afraid your lives are now tied together forever. I have no doubt that the magic this necklace is imbued with will have tied your souls together. Meaning that if one of you dies, so does the other. Merlin honey, this is even worse than if the two of you had eloped."
I just stare at her. The bond between Scorpius and I feels like it's been pulled taught and I can sense his restlessness and worry at my sadness after such panic.
"Well Rosie, I guess you better tell me how it came to be that you and Scorpius love each other."
Oh this can't be good. Come on Rose think! How can I explain this to her without letting her know that I've been shagging the guy all year and that it sort of grew from there.
"Erm... well, I guess it's been a long time since this whole thing started..." I say uncertainly.
"Well how long have the two of been boyfriend and girlfriend? Mum asks me softly.
I go for honestly on that one.
"We've been together as boyfriend and girlfriends for a little over a month." I tell her. She looks shocked.
"And it took the two of you how long to get to this stage?"
"Erm... Well, I suppose since last summer. When Gram stuck us together overnight. I guess, having to work together and show some sort of consideration for each other, and we get detention together all year. I suppose that we slowly stopped hating each other when we actually had a few conversations with each other. We were rostered on as having prefect duty together for a while there too." I tell her.
Mum nods at me and gives me a small smile.
"We still fight like we always have though."
"Yes I can imagine that two of you will spend the rest of your lives bickering and fighting with each other. I always noticed that even when you were driving the rest of us crazy with the way the two of you fought, always coming to blows, that for all that you were incredibly nasty to each other, you both seemed to enjoy tormenting each other. And your cousins used to tease you about it, thinking that the two of you secretly liked each other and just wanted each other's attention. I suppose they were right." Mum says. "So when did it happen?"
"When did what happen?" I ask her. That sort of question definitely needs clarifying.
"When was it that the two of you got so mad at each other that you snapped and ended up kissing?" She asks e. I stare at her for a moment. Sometimes I forget that she used to be a teenager fighting with the object of her affection.
"Ah... We erm, the first time we kissed... was in erm, fourth year." I tell her, trying to look away from her as I say it.
"Really?" Mum says, shocked. "But you just said that you've only gotten together recently."
"Yeah. See, it was all Scorpius's fault in fourth year. We had detention and then we got into a shoving match and being as he was bigger than me he shoved me into the wall and pinned me there. Then he got this weird look on his face and kissed me." I explain to her. "We hated each other even more after that."
"Oh dear. That happened a few times after that I'm guessing?" Mum says softly.
"Yeah. A few times in fifth year. And again at the start of this year. The kissing sort of turned into the ultimate way to piss each other off. But anyway, eventually we stopped fighting as much and got to know each other. Most of the year was spent that way. We sort of realised we liked each other somewhere in there, which is why he saved me at Quidditch and why we went to the ball together. We officially became boyfriend and girlfriend the day after the Ball." I tell her, managing to spin this story so that she doesn't have to know that we've even shagging all year.
Mum is watching me.
"How long has this bond between you been activated?" She asks me softly.
"Um... since this afternoon." I reply warily.
She narrows her eyes on me.
"Rose I am not ok with you and Scorpius Malfoy engaging in sexual activities in this house. Is that understood?" she snaps.
I cringe. Oh shit. How does she know?
"Don't give me that guilty look. The way this bond thing works, and I'm basing this on the information you've given me about the tradition surrounding that locket, for the bond to work you would have had to tell him you loved him, probably for the first time, while making love. My guess would be that participating in the act that creates new life, while expressing love for each other, allowed the magic within the locket to tie your lives together." Mum tells me softly.
"You're taking this better than I thought you would." I whisper to her softly.
Mum looks at me for several long minutes as we sit there together in her dimly lit study.
"Oh Rose, you know I'd have preferred for you to not fall in love with a Malfoy. After all, even though I know the Malfoy family repented eventually, their involvement in the war for the Dark side has always been a sore spot within the wizarding world and all the riches in the world hasn't changed the way most people feel about their family. Even today. But I can put that behind me. I suppose it's a little bit tense and upsetting, because while I've forgiven Draco Malfoy for it, he was very cruel to your father and to me when we were in school. I suppose we always thought that if there was one thing certain, it was that you would never fall for Scorpius because often hatred between you. I suppose we'll all just have to get used to him being in your life though honey, because you're stuck with him now I fear."
I feel like a weight has lifted knowing that Mum at least isn't going to disown me for what's happened.
"And besides, Astoria is very nice. And I suppose that Draco isn't the same cruel teenager he was anymore. I'm sure everything will work out eventually." Mum says, her fingers fiddling with my locket. "Does this ope honey?"She asks me suddenly, toying with the clasp.
"It never has." I say shaking my head.
"Try it just once more." She says softly, handing it to me.
Deciding I might as well humour her, it's always been best to humour her when she gets that intense look of concentration on her face, I flick my thumb against the class and panic when it clicks open.
"I take it that it's never done that before then?" Mu asks when I drop the locket in a panic.
"Never. I tried for years to get it open to see if I could find out who owned it. But I could ever get it open, even with magic." I tell Mum.
"Well then I suspect that the locket is only unlocked when the woman wearing it has formed the bond between herself and a Malfoy son." Mum tells me matter-of-factly. "Open it honey. See what's inside."
With shaking fingers I pick up the locket and push it open, revealing what it hides. The piece of parchment has been folded very small so that it fits inside the locket. It's yellow with age, but as I slowly unfold it I realise it only has the one set of creases. This piece of parchment has not been read since it was written. The script is elegant and loopy when my eyes scan the words.
Salutations and Congratulations Mrs. Malfoy.
As is evident in your capability to open the locket and read this message, the life bond between you and the current Malfoy heir has been successfully forged. The magic contained within this locket has allowed for the forging of a strong magical bond between yourself and your husband. This bond is unbreakable. In fact it is even stronger than the Unbreakable vows you made at your wedding. The magical bond between you has linked you life-forces, combining your souls together and ensuring that you will never have to be without one another. To further your connection with your husband, the bond in linking your souls, allows you to feel impressions of the emotion each one of you feels at any given time.
This mixing of emotions from you and your husband can often be confusing for you because many times you and your husband will not feel the same about events within your lives together. Know that this bond is a gift that belongs specifically to the Malfoy line and the magic is very old and extremely powerful. However the bond that you have worked so hard to gain, following the specific steps as you must in order to achieve this bond is the greatest of gifts, providing understanding and empathy between you and your husband that will allow you to forge the strongest possible relationship and accept the full responsibilities of being a member of the prestigious Malfoy clan.
The symbols on the outside of the locket, as I'm sure you are aware from you studies in Ancient Runes are a mixture of Promise and Love and Loyalty symbols. What you may not have been aware of is the engraved vine lacing around the edges of your locket, these symbols belong specifically to the Malfoy Clan and date back as far as the long dead Scottish Malfoy ancestors.
Wishing you a long and healthy and most importantly, happy marriage.
May you bear a strong son to carry on the Malfoy name.
Sincerely,
Viviana Malfoy. 1804.
Mum and I stare at each other when we both look up from reading. This is so not good. Mostly the letter has confirmed Mum's suspicions. This is a life-long bond.
I'm quite literally stuck with Malfoy. And I will never be able to get him out of my head again.
Sweet Merlin in Tartarus help me!
"Well Rosie, there you have it. You might as well have eloped and ended up with a bun in the oven before finishing school based on this. What are you planning to do about this?" Mum says to me.
"Based on this it looks like the best thing I can do is try to make sure that Malfoy and I don't go back to hating each other given that his emotions are constantly waltzing through my head and influencing my life. So I guess I have no choice but to accept this bond situation and try my best to make sure Malfoy understands that our lives are now tied together and do what I can to make sure no one tries to do either of us in, while working on fostering a healthy relationship between myself and the boy who spent the last six years being my enemy."
Mum watches me for some time, her expression unreadable before she finally says "You know Rosie, sometimes I forget that you're not a little girl anymore. And when I do, you have this way of surprising me by showing me what a mature and level headed young woman you have become. That response is the most sensible option. I admit part of me feared you would explode about this and panic at being tied to someone for the rest of your life when you're only, almost seventeen. But instead of reacting childishly and throwing a tantrum, you have accepted what this means, and how this bond to Scorpius Malfoy will affect you for the rest of your life. But honey, I want to make sure that you understand that just because you have this bond, does not mean that you have to spend the rest of your life with him." Mum says seriously.
Surely she is joking. He's inside my head. I can feel him in my soul. I can even feel that he is asleep now. I assume he is dreaming because I keep getting muffled flashes of emotions from him. It's quite interesting actually.
"Look honey, I just want to make sure you don't feel like you owe him anything or like you're being forced into anything with him. This is not the 1800s and just because the two of you have accidently bonded your life forces or your souls or whatever, does not mean that you have any responsibility to marry him or anything else ok?" Mum stresses at me.
I can't help smiling at her.
"You know, I realised a months ago that I was in love with him. I had a dream. And in the dream me and Scorpius were married and we had four children the oldest boy looked to be perhaps six or seven. Then there was a pair of twin boys that were maybe three or four. We also had a baby girl. The boys all had hair as white as snow, just like every Malfoy child does, but my baby girl, she looked just like I did in my baby pictures Mum. We lived at Malfoy Manor and we were in love. At the time I woke up terrified, thinking that I had somehow skipped ten years of my life, but it felt sort of like I was witnessing the future. Anyway, when me and Scorpius went on a date, we went to his parents house, he's already seventeen, so we Apparated. While we were there he held his baby brother Kyrian, and when he did I flashed back to my dream and I realised that I wanted that future, even if it was just a dream, I wanted it to be my future and I was in love with him."
Mum is staring at me looking a little shocked. I suppose she is surprised that I have admitted so much to her.
"I really am in love with him Mum. I understand that I don't need to be forced into anything, and if I stop loving him I won't stick by him just because we have this bond. And you don't have to worry Mum, it's not like I'm going to anything drastic like eloping before I finish school even if I am in love. I have more important things to worry about, like how to tell my cousins and Dad that I'm in love with a Malfoy without them all trying to kill me and my boyfriend. Especially now that my fate is tied to his concerning early deaths."
Mum gives a surprised chuckle.
"How can you e in such a good humour about this Rosie?"
"Truthfully Mum, I'm terrified. Telling Dad has always been something I'm afraid of. And that was just when I intended to tell him about having a boyfriend if I ever got one. He's so suspicious and pushy and judgemental, and don't look at me like that I know I'm the same way. The point is I was terrified to ever tell him about me having a boyfriend, but now to tell him that my boyfriend is Scorpius Malfoy, the boy who is not only the child of his school rival, but also the boy who has been my enemy for six years and has on more than one occasion caused me to not only trouble, but bodily injury as well. If I actually manage to get through telling him that without him hexing Scorpius- and me by extension- into oblivion, then I will reconsider my career and go into politics rather than potion making."
"I've been thinking about that actually. From what I understand, you and Scorpius know about your relationship obviously, and one of your cousins- I'm assuming Fred- but is there anyone else who knows?"
"Actually it's Albus who knows, I haven't gotten around to telling Fred. I was thinking of surprising him with it the next time her comes home. I don't want him to go off to Romania angry at me. But Scorpius's family know, his parents and siblings. They seem to approve."
"Oh. Well I'm not sure about Fred, but perhaps that might be best, the explanation might be hard to believe when the tow of you have been keeping up appearances that you still don't get along. Bt I've been thinking that maybe you should give it time before telling you father. You know how he gets and he will be sure to ruin your summer with rules if you tell him now. My advice would be to begin to develop your relationship with Scorpius in a way that is a little more public. Meaning that you develop your friendship publicly, so that it seems like a logical step to try a relationship. That way your father might tolerate it a little more than if you spring it on him." Mum tells me.
"I hate to keep things from my husband, but sometimes it's for the best to let things come to him slowly. You know how he hates change. In the meantime Rose" Mum's voice takes on a very serious note and her face becomes stern "I would recommend that outside of Scorpius and perhaps his family, you keep the bond between you a secret. Now then, while this is happening sooner than I ever expected it to I am sure you understand the workings of sexual intercourse and the results should it occur in an unprotected way. First off, I'm nowhere near ready to be a grandmother. Second, you most certainly are not ready to be a mother. Now clearly I don't need to explain to you how it works given that to form the bond you had to have it. But I am laying down ground rules in this house and in general concerning boyfriends.
There will be no engaging in sexual activities beyond kissing in my house. There will be no overt displays of affection in public, because honestly the time your father did that I felt physically ill every time I saw him. There will be engaging in illicit activities and you will not elope with this boy just because your souls are now linked. Until you finish school there will be no consideration of making you relationship any more serious than being boyfriend and girlfriend. I would prefer it if you would refrain from engaging in sex, but I know that even if I make that rule, you will probably ignore it if you want to. One particular rule though, is if you are having sex then you will use protection against pregnancy and disease."
I nod my head at her in agreement. They are fair rules, and far less intrusive and controlling than the ones dad would lay down.
"And I think that you might suggest it to Scorpius and perhaps Albus that they join us here for dinner sometimes this week. It will give your father a chance to get to know Scorpius a little better without feeling threatened by knowing he is your boyfriend. And he will be able to actually speak to him without your uncles here to distract him. Bring your cousin so that it's not awkward. And now honey, I think the best remedy for this whole situation right now will be a good night's sleep. Thank you for being honest with me. I love you Rose." Mum tells me, getting to her feet and hugging me tight before nudging me towards the door and waving her wand to put out the fire in the hearth.
"I love you too Mum. Sleep well."
When I get to my room I flop back into bed. My Mum knows that Scorpius and I are together. She knows we're in love. She knows we've had sex! Sweet Merlin I nearly died when that part came up. But she knows and I haven't died.
And I think for now, given that my life is tied to Scropius's. Think that's all that matters right now.
