A/N: Hello my sweet cherubs. I'm So SOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY that it took me so long. I've been working really hard on getting one of my unpublished manuscripts written. I'm trying to get it finished by New Year's Eve. Though it's not likely... But here's to hoping. So since i've been busy with that i've been neglecting my fan fics... which i'm very sorry for. but i will see what i can do about making sure you get an awesome chapter for xmas... but if i fail then i hope y'all have a happy, safe and merry christmas. Hope you love the chapter, please review and know that this is not the final chapter, though the end does feel like it a little. Much Love xx-Kitten.

Take the Tumble.

Chapter 55: Guess Work

I am startled awake by the sharp rap of a beak against the glass of my window. It immediately sets my heart racing as I notice even in my momentary panic, that I can still feel Scorpius in my soul. And he is agitated this morning.

Flinging the covers back I go to the window and let Harold in. He swoops into the room and drops the letter he was carrying on my bed before gliding over to his cage on my desk and taking a drink. He hoots at me happily when he has quenched his thirst.

"Good morning to you to." I say to him around a yawn while I open my letter.

It's from Scorpius.

Rose,

What is going on? You emotions last night were all over the place.

Is everything ok? I was going to come over but I didn't want us to get caught. Your father is scary.

Love,

Scorpius.

I smile at the letter. My boyfriend is such a goofball! Pulling my wand from under my pillow I summon my parchment as well as my quill and a pot of ink. When I have them settled I write a reply.

Scorpius.

It is far too lengthy and complicated to explain in a letter. I'm not entirely certain that I would define everything as being ok, and you're a chicken for being afraid of my Dad. I could have been being attacked and you sat over there afraid that my dad might catch you trying to save me life! Anyway, meet me today in the woods by the big Lake near Uncle Harry's at 10am. I'll bring snacks. You bring a level head whatever it is that we give to people when they go into shock. We'll need it. See you in half an hour.

Much Love,

Rose.

"Harold my darling." I say to my owl. He looks up from his owl nuts and ruffles his feathers. "Could you please take this back to Scorpius at Uncle Harry's?" I ask him nicely.

He looks disgruntled so I go for bribery.

"I'll get you some meat from the kitchen and have it waiting for you when you get back."

He hoots at me and though I can tell he's please he's also slightly offended that I feel I have to bribe him. I laugh when he swoops over and lands next to me on the bed. He's just too big to land on my shoulder or my arm when I'm not wearing several layers.

He takes the ribbon around my letter in his beak before gently rubbing his head against my cheek and taking off again. I laugh at myself for being so small that when seated my Eagle owl is almost taller than me. Sighing as I wish I could go back to sleep, I get to my feet and pull off my boxer shorts.

Ferreting through my cupboard I find my favourite pair of torn jeans and drag them up my legs. I almost forget to change out of Malfoy's jersey though. It's so warm and comfortable and familiar that I kind of want to keep it on. Especially since Mum knows Scorpius is my boyfriend now. But today is Dad's day off work, and if he sees me wearing it he'll have kittens.

Quickly swapping it for my own Gryffindor Quidditch jersey from fifth year, I gather my hair into a ponytail on top of my head and go in search of breakfast.

I can't keep the smile off my face when I find a plate of bacon and sausage waiting for me on the bench in the kitchen. There is also a note stating that this is for me, that Mum is at work and Dad is with Uncle Harry at the Quidditch pitch on Potter Palace's estate. Using magic I reheat my bacon while cooking some toast before scarfing it down hungrily.

Maybe it makes me a fatty, but I only have fifteen minutes now to get some snacks organised and then meet Malfoy on the other side of town. And I can't legally apparate yet so I'll have to walk. Besides, bacon and sausage is delicious on toast.

Throwing together some sandwiches with all kinds of inventive fillings- using whatever I find in the fridge and the pantry- I stick them into a picnic basket, along with a blanket and a few Pumpkin pasties and a bottle of cola flavoured muggle pop. Before scurrying out of the house and power walking down our street. Many of our muggle neighbours greet me, and Aunt Luna waves at me from across the street, making me glad I changed out of Malfoy's jersey. I wave back to her but don't stop to chat with her, too intent on getting to my meeting with Malfoy. I can feel his curiosity and impatience through the bond, meaning that he has received my letter and is hopefully on his way to or already waiting in the woods like I told him to.

I'm a little nervous about telling him. Which is odd, I mean his parents already know all about our relationship, and they actually know the truthful version, rather than the story adjusted to make allowances for the fact that my family members are insane. But I mean, how do you go about telling the seventeen year old boy you're dating that whether he wanted to be or not, he's pretty much stuck with you for life?

I mean, yes he's in love with me now. But who's to say that ten years down the track he'll still feel that way? And because of this enchantment or spell or curse, or life forces are now tied together for the rest of our natural lives and maybe even into the next. I know that for an almost seventeen year old girl that's a lot to process and not exactly the type of arrangement entered into lightly. And this time we didn't even get a choice.

Scorpius's curiosity grows as he waits for me, no doubt because he can feel how nervous and anxious I am about trying to explain to a seventeen year old that his wagon is now itched to mine with even more intensity than if he'd married me.

When I reach the woods, I hurry inside, glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one has followed me. Hurrying through the gloom I weave between trees until I get to the area where I know he is most likely to meet me, and drop my basket in panic when he leaps out from behind a big tree and yells

"BOO!"

"Damn it Malfoy! You scared the hell out of me!" I screech at him angrily as I try to calm the racing beat in my chest.

He chuckles deviously as he leans against the tree, propping his shoulder against it and curling his inside foot out around the outside one in a casual stance.

"You're so funny when you get mad at me Baby." He tells me with that evil smirk. It's the one he used to wear back when we still hated each other. The one that was pure nastiness, rather than the one tempered with teasing sexiness or love.

"And you're so wonderful when you're groaning in pain." I snipe at him nastily.

"Ooh we are feisty this morning. What's the matter Weasley, did you get out on the wrong side of the bed?" he taunts me. Damn him for being cheery!

"More like I was up all night explaining to my mother how it is that I can to be so woefully entwined with the bane of my existence."

Malfoy stares at me with his mouth hanging open.

"That's right. You shut up!" I snarl at him as I bend to gather everything back into my picnic basket.

"Um... Well that certainly explains the intense moods coming from you last night." Scorpius says n an odd voice.

"Actually it doesn't. That only explains part of my crazy emotions last night. The other part has a whole lot to do with the reason behind me telling my mother that I not only have a boyfriend, but that my boyfriend just so happens to be the son of her childhood rival, and the great-nephew of the crazy bitch who tortured her during the war." I tell him as I get back to my feet and swipe the pieces of hair that have fallen free from my ponytail back from my face.

When I look at Scorpius he is watching me with an odd expression on his face.

"Rosie... are you?... I mean, you're not?... I ... Rose are you pregnant?" He stutters out at me.

Oh sweet Merlin! The look on his face is one that almost has me laughing. He looks completely terrified by the idea, but he's also got this softness to his eyes. Like maybe he wouldn't mind if I were. Oh I have the best idea. Because I'm all about payback, and he did scare the shit out of me just now. Letting my emotion switch to ones of fear and reluctance and regret, I let my payback begin.

Rather than denying it like my brain is demanding I do in a very high pitched voice, I let my expression form into one of resignation, and let my bottom lip wobble just a little bit as though I might burst into tears at any moment. The look on his face is priceless as it dawns on him that in spite of the fact that he has a four month old baby brother, he may be about to become a father.

"Scorpius..." I murmur softly, looking down at my feet as though I'm afraid to admit the truth that I'm pregnant to him. I'm not of course. But he doesn't know that. Accidents do happen.

"Oh fuck!" I hear him whisper in a small voice.

"I didn't know what else to do..." I say, letting my voice quaver like it's going to crack around a lump in my throat. "Please say something."

I can feel the terror in his mind. The utter shock and panic that is setting in at the idea of being a Dad before he finishes school.

"Rose I..." he begins before breaking off at the squeakiness of panic in his voice "Are you serious?" he whispers. His eyes are begging me to tell him it's not true.

"I understand if you don't want to stand by me in this Scorpius..." I murmur sadly.

His knees buckle at my words and he lands in the dirt on his ass with a soft thump.

"Holy Shit..." he whispers, his hand going to his hair and dragging through it distractedly. He looks like he wants to tear it out. "But how did this happen? We're always careful." He says softly, looking up at my face as I shuffle closer to him.

"Accidents happen I guess... and we aren't really all that careful. More than once we've been halfway through before remembering the charms, and there was that time a few months ago when we forgot completely until after." I whisper to him as I pull out my picnic blanket and spread it out on the ground next to where he has fallen on his butt.

"Shit... what are we going to do?" he says softly. He seems to be talking to himself more than to me at this point.

"We?" I say softly, pushing hopefulness into my tone.

He looks into my eyes then. He even moves closer to me, onto my blanket and takes my hand in both of his.

"We Rose. We both created this problem. We both deal with the consequences."

He says it with such sincerity and intensity, that I can see how much he loves me shining in his eyes. His emotions too, have cleared as he reassures me. Now instead of fear and panic there is determination and love for me glowing brightly from within him.

And in that moment I realise that he means those words. He's not just saying them for my benefit. He truly means that if I were actually pregnant at sixteen with his child that he would stand by me no matter what decision I made or what the consequences might be concerning my family, or people at school or our friends. And right when I feel my shock and panic at that realisation begin to kick in, I lose it.

It starts with a snort, but it ends up in loud raucous laughter that has me rolling around on the blanket and holding my sides. It even gets tears rolling down my face.

"Rose is this your hormones being unbalanced? I don't see how this is funny." Scorpius asks me.

I laugh even harder at his words.

I can feel his confusion and irritation so I try to control the laughter long enough to tell him I'm not actually pregnant, but the best I can do is the hold his gaze imploringly as I keep giggling.

"Rose what?..." It finally dawns on him when I snort again "You're not pregnant. Are you?" he accuses.

I shake my head even as I laugh.

"Fuck Weasley. You scared the shit out of me! What the hell is wrong with you?" He demands angrily "What sort of person pretends to be pregnant just to mess with someone?"

I giggle some more because I'm hilarious and everyone knows it.

"Yes or no Rose? Are you pregnant or not? I don't like this game! And you're not funny." He says grumpily.

Damn my baby is cute when he's pouting.

"I'm a little funny." I tell him, still grinning.

His silver eyes watch me doubtfully but the corner of his mouth twitches a little bit at the fact that at least I am happy.

"No you're not. Because I almost had a heart attack. And there is nothing funny about having a coronary."

I smile at my goofy boyfriend while he pouts at me.

"Ok, so I'm not pregnant. But Mum does know that we're dating. She also knows we've had sex." I tell him.

"Um... I thought you weren't the type to share that sort of thing with your mother Rose?"

"I'm not. See it all started because I was asking her if she knew anything about magical bonds like the one you and I somehow formed yesterday. It turned out she knew many things about bonds, though until I told her that I had formed one she refused to tell me that there was a very old form of magical bond that was prevalent throughout the oldest Pureblood families. And it seems that the only known records of such bonds, were only ever formed within the Malfoy family." I tell him.

"This is my fault?" he says, shocked.

"Sort of. It's mine too. You see, as fate would have it, the magic of such a bond used to be well known within the Malfoy family, and the women that Malfoy sons have always been betrothed to. Because of the way your ancestors liked to do things, what with their betrothals and all that, as you can imagine love was probably hard to come by when you have no choice but to marry someone because your parents made a deal. Anyway, within your family a tradition was established that allowed for the magical connection that you and I now share. Apparently the magic was imbued within the locket I've been wearing since I was twelve years old, your family heirloom." I say, holding my locket out from my throat.

"Basically, to ensure that Malfoy brides remained virginal and faithful and fell in love with Malfoy men, they were enticed by the idea of a magical bond, which could only be achieved through several steps, the main one being that if the girl is wearing the locket against her skin and the couple is making love on the first time that the girl admits to being in love, the bond is formed. I assume that there is other magic within the locket that makes the bond invalid if the girl has been unfaithful and what not."

Scorpius looks at me for a moment "So that explains the how of the bond we've formed. It doesn't explain how your mother knows we've had sex, or why you were so freaked out last night."

"My mother knows because the rules for such a bond state that we had to be having sex when I told you I love you, and only the Malfoy family carried on the tradition beyond the eighteenth century. But I was so freaked out last night because there is a little more to this bond than just being able to feel each other's emotions." I tell him, pausing to take a deep breath "Turns out that we can feel each other's emotions because it made the couples learn to get along better by increasing their understanding of one another. But that's not really a big deal. The big deal here is that this bond has linked our life forces."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if a stray killing curse suddenly struck me in the chest as we left the woods, you'd drop dead right beside me."

"What?"

"That's right. If I die, you die too. And vice versa. As my mother so aptly described it, yesterday you and linked our lives together in a stronger bond than married couples. You and I are stuck together forever. Because even if we were to decide that we hated each other and never saw each other again, how exactly are we supposed to fall in love with someone else when our minds are connected?"

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah. This locket, which has never opened no matter how much I tried, opened yesterday after our minds got together and made Frankenstein. Apparently it only opens once the bond is formed. There is a letter inside it from your great great great grandmother. Someone named Viviana Malfoy. And the letter has been trapped inside the locket since Viviana wrote it in 1804." I tell him as I open the locket and hand him the letter to read.

Malfoy's eyes scan the page quickly.

"We're stuck like this?" he asks me softly. He doesn't seem shocked. And he seems relatively calm considering he just found out that our souls have been intermingled and are lives are glued to each other's.

"Apparently for life." I say.

"We need more information than this. I'm positive that somewhere within the Manor there will be a portrait of this Viviana, we should try to find her and ask her if there is anything else she can tell us about this bond."

"You seem relatively calm about this?"

"To be honest Rose, I'm not at all surprised that my family has managed to dictate the way I live my life. There are so many old curses and magically imbued objects in my house that I'm surprised it took this long for them to affect me." Scorpius says "But I can't say I'm all that worried. I know I should be. I should be panicking. After all, the girl who has been my enemy for five years, but ended up as my girlfriend now holds my life in her hands. I'm now tied closer to you than anyone else on the planet, including my family, who perform all kinds of spells when Malfoy children are born to ensure that blood comes before anyone else. And yet I'm now more closely linked to you than anyone. If you die unexpectedly it's lights out for me too. Marriage wouldn't have linked us this close. I should be panicking and searching for a way to undo this. But I'm not. Right now I'm in love with you. So much so that I hoped to marry you when we finish school. I love you enough now that I was planning on spending my life with you anyway." Scorpius says softly.

"This just takes the fun out of someday proposing to you" he whispers.

"Seriously? That's what you're going with? Not even a modicum of panic that your soul and your life is hooked to mine. Not a care in the world that even if we went back to hating each other again, we could never escape each other?" I demand.

"Weasley, I don't think I could ever hate you again." He murmurs to me. "You have no idea how deeply in love I am with you."

His words touch me on a level so profound that it truly rocks me. His simple words -that are so often uttered by lovers- reach all the way down into my soul and something inside me jolts. It's as though until now I have been a jigsaw puzzle with one piece sitting not quite right, and his softly spoken, effortless words have shoved that piece into its rightful place.

Suddenly it's like I just know. I know that in spite of this bond that formed between us, I would have ended up tied to him through marriage and children anyway. This bond just takes out the guess work.

"Come on Rosie" Scorpius says, holding his hand out to me "Let's go to the Manor and see what we can find out about this bond if there is a portrait of Viviana there somewhere."

I smile as I take hold of the hand of the boy that I love with all my heart and soul. And for the first time in my life I don't experience that queasiness at the familiar jerking sensation behind my navel as we Apparte away.