Disclaimer: Refer to the past seventeen chapters for disclaimers, thank you. Just in case you're too lazy to do that, let me recap. I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! Thank you.

A/N: OMG!! Okay, I'm soooo sorry this took so darn long to get out! My apologies to everyone to leave you with that cliffy so long!! I was really busy this summer. Imagine that, this unsocial parasite being busy. I know, that's laughable, but truly I was going through a lot of stuff. Please forgive me. Without further adieu, here is the next chapter of Foundation Of Friendship.

Chapter 18:

Erica woke to the sound of someone talking near her bed. "Do you know what happened to them Minerva?"

"I'm afraid not, Albus. One of the third years roused me saying that two of the sixth years were screaming in the common room. I only found these next to them. They were clasping at their chests in pain. When I found them, they had already fainted. I brought them straight here."

"Potion bottles? Do you have any idea what these are?"

"No, but I have an idea that Severus..."

Erica heard nothing else as she felt a vial put to her lips and a sweet potion trickle down her throat before she fell asleep again.

Erica opened her eyes to find herself standing yet again in a bed. As she looked around she noticed that she wasn't in her dorm room. She was in the hospital wing, she recognized.

Erica brought her hand up to her heart as she remembered what had happened to put her here. She gasped as she felt a sort of static electricity between her fingers and her chest. What the hell had that potion done?

All Erica knew was that they had consumed the potion and she had felt a pain in her heart flow out through the rest of her body... but it wasn't just her own she had felt. Erica had felt all of Harry's pain too, every single thing he did. She contributed it to her empathy though.

Harry... where was he? She wondered as she lurched up in her fear, sending her head whirling. She lurched over the side of the bed and started to spill what she didn't have in her stomach.

She felt a pair of calloused fingers pull her hair back with a soft, quick, practiced movement. A sweet voice spoke in her ear, calming her. A weight pulled the bed down behind her as she settled down, sitting back against the warm body.

The arms to the body pulled her back into a hug. "Harry... thank you... I-."

"Shh... sleep, Erica. Just sleep now, I'll be here later when-," that was all she heard before her eyes became heavy and the cloud of sleep descended upon her.

Harry sat next to Erica's bed in a chair, watching her sleep as he remembered what had happened. When they had taken the potions, there had been some kind of connection formed. He had felt everything she had. He had even begun to feel that maybe he had actually also gotten her empathic abilities when he had woken up with Madam Pomfrey above him, the worry practically seeping out of her pores.

Harry took a deep breath as how much this was like his connection to Voldemort came, yet again, to the forefront of his mind. Only, this time, someone, well his or her body, didn't have to die to achieve it. He had gotten some of Voldemort's abilities, like he had Erica's. He could only guess what had happened to Erica. She had yet to wake up since last time, not that it was that long ago, only a few hours. Harry still wondered, though, if it had gone both ways. If so, what had she gotten from him?

"Harry!" a scream from Erica's bed shook him from his thoughts. He put a hand on Erica's chest before she could jerk up and upset herself again.

"Erica, it's okay, it was only a nightmare. I'm right here, love. It's all okay."

"What happened, Harry?" Her dark blue eyes looked up into his jade ones and he didn't have the nerve to lie to her like he would have his friends.

"I truly don't know, Erica. It's strange though. Right before we fainted... I well, this is going to sound stupid, but-."

"I know. I felt it too, you felt what I felt, which is what you felt and I felt combined."

"Not only that, I think we've been linked like I and Voldemort are. I think that it's sort of like that, you know, how I got the Parselmouth ability. I have your empathy. I just don't know... if you got anything from me, or if it was just a one-way thing, like Voldemort. Do you think-."

"Test me. Say something in Parseltongue."

"I don't care what these potions did, Erica. As long as we can be happy together, for as long as that may last. I wont let you be hurt."

"Thank you, Harry. I feel the same way." Harry gasped and his eyes widened. "What?"

"I just said that in Parseltongue, Erica. My god, it really did go both ways. I'm sorry. I-."

"Harry! Stop. Don't apologize for something that you had no control over. We were both different to begin with, what's one more difference? I don't mind having a link with you. in fact, I love it. It's way better than getting a set of keys to your apartment," she said with a small smirk. "Just relax, Harry, I'm glad I was able to give you my empathy. Now, you'll never be able to underestimate someone in battle, when that time comes. I'm glad I was able to help you in some way."

"Erica-." He was silenced as she reached up a hand to his cheek.

"I know." She said simply and then said, "I think this will be much stronger than your connection to Voldemort, Harry. We're much closer than you and he. I think I have an idea what those potions were, Harry. I think we've been bound by the soul."

"Do you think so?"

"I just said it, didn't I? What day is it? Oh, gods! How much time has passed! How much time before we go to war, Harry?"

"Calm down. It's just the morning after we consumed that potion. I told Dumbledore what you knew. He's getting a team together. I think that, as soon as were allowed out of here, we should start practicing and... maybe even see how this connection works."

"Alright. Are you feeling okay? How long have you been sitting here?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

She gave him a narrowed gaze, "How long have you been sitting there, Harry?"

He have her a quirky, false smile, "only a few hours, since you fell asleep."

"Harry James Potter! You better go get in that bed, you'll need all the rest you can get and I'm not about to see you leave me yet, especially after that potion!"

"Yes, mum," he said brightly to her with a smile.

Erica smirked and replied, "Yea, just remember you said that next time you try to kiss me," before turning over to sleep. "I'll know if you don't get in that bed, Harry James. So, you better just walk right over there."

Erica was sitting up in the common room later that same morning. Pomfrey had dismissed her and Harry, unable to find anything wrong with them. Erica had come straight back here to think about what had happened. The being had told her something. It had certainly been a clue. 'Only with the love will the loved one win.' Did it think that they would be forever? Was that truly a soul-binding potion? It had to be, what else would have given them these side affects?

But what did they mean by that? 'Only with the love will the loved one win.' Erica had to talk to Harry soon. They didn't have much time, still only two fading suns. Well, it was actually only one since Voldemort would be attacking on the second one.

Erica was startled into alertness when a hand fell on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Erica?"

She smiled up at Harry, "I'm okay Harry." Seeing the pain on his face, she couldn't help but question, "Harry? What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

Harry frowned and looked down at his feet, "yeah, I'm okay. Its just... I... Erica... I want you to know it's me, not you."

Erica scowled. This was just what she had been expecting all summer. She just hadn't expected so soon. Well, it wasn't really soon, she just liked to believe it was. Erica really hadn't expected him to hold out so long and figured that he would just skip this part.

"Forget it Harry. Don't explain. I understand."

"Erica, please, just let me say this. I need to say it."

A tear made its way down Erica's cheek, "Yes, but I don't need to hear it Harry. You'd be lying. That would be worse than just knowing that you didn't have the heart to lie to me and told me the truth."

"Erica, I-."

"NO! Don't lie, I'm an empath, Harry. I know how you feel. Hell, YOU have MY powers now. Damn you, Damn you for trying to lie to me, Harry! Damn you for not considering how I might feel. How you might break my heart! Don't you dare say it!"

"I have to Erica."

"No! Don't, don't... don't. I didn't want this..." Erica bent over her lap, in full melt down mode. For the first time since she had come to Hogwarts, there were no warm arms to comfort her, no calloused loving hands caressing her back. There was just an emptiness in her heart, something missing that belonged there forever.

"Erica, I think we need to... I... I just don't think this is working out.... I... I don't... I don't love you Erica."

"How can you say that Harry James Potter! You know it's a bloody lie!" she screamed into her palms. "You just want to protect me from Voldemort. You're a bloody jerk, Harry Potter for thinking only of yourself. Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to go through this crap with you? No? Well, you are mine, Mr. Potter and no old fogey like Voldemort will take you from me!" She yelled at him before running up to her dorm.

Harry stood there, wishing that he had meant it. He had just screwed up badly, but he wanted so to protect Erica. What did he know about protection though? If Erica were anything like Hermione and Ron, she would probably follow him into battle. He couldn't let her take that chance... he loved her... but right now he felt like shit.

Okay, so R/R please. It'll give me motivation to continue onto the next chap, which I haven't as of yet continued. I hope you guys don't hate me too much! I had been giving clues to this part since they had gotten together. This was the only thing I was sure about, that Harry would break up with her to save her. Anyways, there's more clues in this chap somewhere. If you guys have any ideas what will be coming, I'd appreciate it if you told me what you believe I'm going to make happen. Using the clues, of course. Remember, the review button is your friend!!! I luv all who review 0:)

Esgalhothwen