Note: I've written this in British English, so things will be spelt differently than they are in America. Words like gray, mom, color... Ect, are spelt like grey, mum colour. Just wanted to let you all know that any words spelt differently are just the way the British spell them.
Note 2: This is a revised version of the original I posted before. Mostly to fix spelling and grammar mistakes but a few other things have changed as well.
Thank you so much to SunriseImagination for Betaing this story for me. Definitely, go check out her story.
Now on with the chapter!
Chapter 2
November 19th
Tuesday
~oOo~
Rose was slowly coming too, her mind gradually waking up from the deep sleep she was in. The first thing that she registered was the pain, her body ached like she had pulled every conceivable muscle, and forced to run two miles. She didn't move, she barely breathed, she just lied there on what she thought might be a bed and tried to take in her surroundings by touch and hearing only. Not wanting to risk pain by opening her eyes.
Her brain seemed to be trying to wake up, not very successfully because while she could faintly hear voices she couldn't make out what they were saying.
She took a breath and focused hard on figuring out what was going on. She was lying on her side and she could feel a heavy pressure that was mostly a blanket, pulled up until it was covering her just under her arms. She also realized that she was resting her head and arm on something that wasn't a pillow. It was firm and seemed to radiate heat. It also seemed to be moving, gently rising and falling.
It didn't take her long to register that the thing she was lying on was a person, and by the feel of the toned chest and strong arm that was currently wrapped loosely around her waist, she guessed that it was a male person. The second she realized this, the sluggish rational part of her mind screamed at her to pull away while another part, one Rose hadn't thought she had, told her that by staying near this guy she'd be warm and safe and it would somehow help with the pain she was feeling.
So instead of scrambling away, Rose pulled herself closer to the person. She wrapped her arm more tightly around him and pulled herself closer to his side. She even wrapped one of her legs around his making sure that she was as close to this person as she could get.
Rose's brain seemed to sharpen with the closer proximity to this person and voices started to come into focus.
"-But how is this going to work?" Rose thought she recognized the warm female voice even though it was tight with worry and concern.
"We're going to do everything in our power to help them, but as you know this is permanent. There is no way to stop what is happening," Rose recognized the strong authoritative voice of Headmistress McGonagall.
"But Professor, they're going to bloody kill each other! You know how they are!" That was definitely Albus, Rose would know his voice anywhere.
"That is why we need to keep an eye on them, Mr Potter. I am very aware of the tension between Miss Weasley and Mr Malfoy. Having witnessed one of their more heated arguments myself."
The Headmistress was talking about the fight that had broken out between Rose and Malfoy in the middle of breakfast not too long ago. Jessy Woodwork, a Hufflepuff seventh year and a boy Rose had secretly had a crush on since fifth year had asked Rose if she would go to Hogsmeade with him.
Rose had agreed.
The joy hadn't lasted long though because the next day Rose was informed that he was in the hospital wing with a strange array of hexes. When she had gone to see if he was alright, he had told her that he couldn't go to Hogsmeade with her anymore. He was kind about it, telling her that he was sorry, but giving no explanation as to why he had to cancel.
Rose figured it out instantly and had taken off the Great Hall to murder her bloody cousins.
Rose had burst into the Great Hall practically seeing red she was so angry. The confident grins on her cousin's faces had quickly vanished at the sight of her stalking towards them with her wand held tightly in her shaking hand. Rose had ended up hexing only Malfoy that day, and not every single one of her deserving cousins, but not after a very heated yelling match between the pair.
Malfoy had been yelling about how Woodwork was an arrogant skrewt and how she could do better, and Rose had been yelling about how he was the arrogant skrewt not Jessy and that he had no right to tell her who she could date.
It had ended with Malfoy saying, "Love, we know what's best for you."
Rose had snapped. That Malfoy thought he knew what was best for her, or any other Weasley/Potter girl, was one step too far. So before the teachers or her cousins could stop her, Rose had sent a few hexes at Malfoy that rivalled the ones Jessy was currently adorning, turned on her heels, and walked out of the Great Hall.
To her surprise, she hadn't received a detention for hexing a student. Instead, she had gotten a strong warning from the Headmistress that if it happened again she would get detention for a month.
Rose pushed her thoughts aside and snuggled up closer to the warm body. She let out a small sigh of contentment as the pain eased a bit more. The peace did not last because the minute the sigh escaped her lips, a soft rumbling sound came from the person she was curled up against.
Rose heard the person let out a soft laugh that obviously got the attention of the adults because the conversation stopped abruptly and Rose heard the sound of many footsteps moving towards where she and the unknown person lay.
"Rose you're awake!" Rose heard her mum say at the same time as another lady asked, "Scorpius are you alright?"
It clicked in Rose's mind in an instant. The person she was half lying on was Malfoy!
Rose jerked away from Malfoy, forgetting all about how sore she was and almost fell off the small bed she was laying in before catching herself in the nick of time. She pulled away and sat up so fast that the pain in her head that had been nothing but a dull pounding a moment ago tripled. It felt like someone had just hit her in the head with a brick.
"Malfoy what the hell?" Rose managed to gasp angrily as she untangled their legs and arms making the pain intensify.
What in Merlin's name was going on?
Malfoy's only answer was a low groan of pain as he struggled to sit up. Rose matched it a second later as it felt like someone had just punched her, hard, in the stomach. Rose's eyes which she had opened a second ago to look at Malfoy were now shut tightly against the pain. She leaned up against the cold metal headboard behind her and crossed her arms protectively over her stomach, trying and failing to stop the waves of pain that were crashing over her.
"Merlin," Rose groaned as it started to feel like someone was continually beating her stomach.
"What the bloody hell did you do Weasley?" Malfoy asked through gritted teeth next to her.
"Nothing," Rose snapped back weakly.
"Rose. Rosie are you alright?" Rose heard her mum ask even through the pain.
"Please," Rose gasped "Make it stop!" She groaned and doubled over a bit as a stronger wave of pain washed over her. She felt a bit faint from the intensity of it.
"Madam Pomfrey, they're awake!" Rose heard her mum's voice call a bit frantically.
"Good lord, what on earth do they think they're doing?" Madam Pomfrey sounded exasperated and worried at the same time. "Miss. Weasley, you need to lie back down next to Mr Malfoy."
Rose couldn't be sure she had heard right. What would lying down next to Malfoy fix? "What?" She asked her voice tight with pain.
"Lie back down next to Mr Malfoy before you both pass out from the pain." Rose decided right there that the old nurse had completely lost it.
"Why. The. Hell. Would. That. HELP?!" Rose asked gasping for breath after every word. The last word came out more of a scream than anything due to the pain the crashed over her again. Next to her, Malfoy let out a similar sound of pain.
"For heaven's sake, you're going to pass out! Rose just lie down!" That was Rose's mum. Rose had to conclude that Madam Pomfrey wasn't the only one who had lost her mind.
"Rosie please!" Rose heard her father's desperate voice but she knew that it must be her brain playing tricks. Ron Weasley would never encourage his daughter to go anywhere near a boy. To think he was pleading with Rose to cuddle up to Malfoy was insane. Rose knew how much he detested the boy.
"For Merlin's sake, Weasley... Just-" Malfoy's sentence was cut off with a cry of pain. Rose didn't move, even if she wanted too she didn't think she could. Every move Rose made seemed to make the pain worse.
"I... I can't breathe.." Rose gasped trying to take a breath, but just opening her mouth hurt like hell, let alone breathing. Her lungs ached for more air and her throat burned with pain.
Rose thought she heard Madam Pomfrey saying something to Malfoy but she couldn't be sure, all she really heard was the blood pounding in her ear.
Next thing she knew Rose felt the bed shifting next to her. She heard Malfoy's gasps of pain, then suddenly she felt his arm encircling her waist tightly and pulling her close to him. It was as though Rose had downed an anti-pain portion. The second his hand had touched her the pain dulled slightly, and when he pulled her close to him so that her back was pressed up against his chest, it almost vanished completely.
She was so relieved that it had stopped she didn't even try to pull away from him.
Rose took deep breaths filling her aching lungs with much needed air. She found herself wrapping her arms around Malfoy and pulling him close which dulled the pain even more. Rose's eyes were still closed tightly as she rested her forehead against Malfoy's neck and shoulder. All she had the strength to do was hold onto Malfoy. She didn't even have the strength to feel embarrassed at the way she was clutching onto him when there was obviously people watching.
They stayed like that for a minute leaning against the headboard, both of them gripping each other like their lives depended on it. No one talked as Rose and Malfoy caught their breath and their heartbeats slowed to a somewhat normal pace.
"What in Merlin's name just happened?" She asked still slightly breathless.
"Couldn't tell you, sweetheart, but I hope it doesn't happen again," Malfoy answered.
"Would you quit calling me that already? I'm not your sweetheart."
Malfoy just gave a breathless laugh.
"Alright, love."
Worth a try. Rose scowled. He would never stop calling her that. He hadn't stopped for six years, why would he now?
"Well now that the danger of you two passing out is over, we can get down to business," Madam Pomfrey said and Rose opened her eyes.
She was, as she had guessed, in the hospital wing. She had been there a few times, but even if she had never set foot in the place it would have been easy to identify.
Rose looked around in confusion, pulling away from Malfoy a little only to settle back down next to him when some of the pain came back in a small wave.
She was already getting annoyed with this, and she didn't even know what this was.
"Why do I have a feeling that something's seriously wrong here?" Rose asked cautiously as she looked at the people surrounding their bed.
Ron, Hermione, and Hugo were standing by Rose's side while Malfoy's parents stood next to him. Al was also there, standing at the foot of their bed, and next to him was the Headmistress and, of course, Madam Pomfrey and her assistant.
"I don't know, love. Your wonderful intuition?"
"I wasn't asking you," Rose snapped.
"Right well," Madam Pomfrey said looking between them. "Let me just check you two out, then we'll get on with explanations."
It didn't take long, Madam Pomfrey checked Malfoy while her assistant dealt with Rose. All they really did was wave their wands over the two and ask how they felt.
"Like hell," Rose and Malfoy answered at the same time, and Rose scowled while Malfoy smirked at her.
"That's to be expected," Madam Pomfrey said nodding.
"How does Miss Weasley look?" Madam Pomfrey asked her assistant after they had finished waving their wands around and muttering under their breath.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rose saw her parents tense up like they were waiting for something.
"Breathing is good, her heartbeat is a little higher than normal but steady. From what I can tell she's fine." The young assistant, who introduced herself as Malory, said smiling warmly at Rose.
"Yes well..." Madam Pomfrey said and Rose saw Malfoy's mother pale, all colour draining from her face.
"Is Scorpius alright?" She asked, her voice clearly showing how worried she was. Mr Malfoy placed a calming hand on her shoulder though he looked just as anxious.
"Mum, I'm fine. Really, just a bit sore is all," Malfoy said his voice very gentle as he gave his mum an easy smile. Rose was surprised that he had it in him to be so gentle.
Why can't he be like that all the time? Rose thought.
"Don't worry Mrs Malfoy, it isn't Scorpius I'm worried about," Madam Pomfrey said looking up and meeting Rose's parent's eyes. Hermione let out a small gasp and covered her mouth with her hand. Rose thought could see tears form in her eyes.
Rose hated it when people cried, it made her uncomfortable.
"Mum, I'm-" Rose started to say, reaching out a comforting hand to take her mum's hand but both Hermione, Ron, and Hugo quickly moved away from Rose's outstretched hand. Hermione shook her head trying to keep her tears at bay as she stared at Rose with large panic filled hazel eyes.
"Miss Weasley, you cannot touch anyone," Madam Pomfrey said quickly looking at Rose's outstretched hand as though it might blowup at any second.
Rose looked at Malfoy in confusion, he was definitely touching her and nothing had happened. "Why in Merlin's name not? What's going on?" Rose asked, feeling more confused than ever.
"We will get to that in a moment but please don't touch anyone," After a moment of staring at the nurse intensely, Rose nodded mutely and leaned back against Malfoy easing the pain again.
What was going on?
"So...So Rose is the Lead then," Hermione said choking a bit on her tears but managing to talk all the same.
"I'm afraid so, as you know I was hoping Mr Malfoy would be the Lead since it's almost always the male and generally easier on them. But it seems, this time, it's the female. Which would explain why Mr. Malfoy was the one that could move and not Miss. Weasley. Miss Weasley is indeed the Lead." Madam Pomfrey said sighing. Rose just looked at her in confusion.
"Would someone please explain what's wrong?" Rose asked as her mother let out a choked sob. "What do you mean, I'm the Lead?"
"I believe this is where I come in," The Headmistress stepped forward so that she was standing right next to Rose and her parents. Rose saw that as she passed Hermione the Headmistress gently touched her mum's arm and gave her a reassuring look.
Like always, the Headmistress looked pristine. Today she was wearing flaming red robes and her silvery white hair was pulled back into a tight bun. Her eyes that were always so stern and hard looked slightly apprehensive as they gazed down at Rose, and her lips weren't pressed as tightly together as normal.
She almost looked pitying.
"Miss Weasley if I remember right you have been training to become a healer. Correct?" Rose nodded, totally non-plussed to where this was leading.
"And as I understand you want to work as a spell and curse healer, mostly working with old versions." Rose nodded once again.
"Have you, by any chance, ever researched the ancient Soul Bonding curse?" Rose perked up at the mention of the Soul Bonding curse.
Rose had loved reading about that old curse.
"Yes, last year I spent a lot of time reading about it after I heard professor Stonewall mention it. It was very interesting, but I don't see how this has anything to do with why I'm in the hospital?" Rose was getting a sinking feeling in her stomach but she wasn't one to jump to conclusions so she pushed it down.
"So you are well versed on the subject?"
"Well yes I suppose, I read every book the library had on the subject but what does my reading subjects have to do with anything?"
"In a minute Miss. Weasley," Rose felt a little irritation growing but pushed it down. "Mr Malfoy, have you by any chance read anything on the subject?"
Malfoy let out a short laugh, as though the thought of reading anything that he wasn't forced to read for homework was crazy. His smirk annoyed Rose more than the Professor's vague questioning.
"Professor the day I read a book for entertainment is the day Weasley here loosens up a bit and has some fun," Malfoy smirked as Rose elbowed him in the stomach with a glare.
Funny, Rose thought. If she didn't know any better she would have thought she felt a little twinge in her own gut at the same time she elbowed Malfoy.
No, she told herself, you're just being silly.
"I'll take that as a no..." The Headmistress said, giving Malfoy a bit of a severe look.
"Professor...," Rose said slowly, the sinking feeling in her stomach intensified by the second as she pieced it all together pretty. "This isn't just a random question is it?"
Rose held the professors gaze for a moment and her suspicion was answered by the look in the old witch's eyes. For the first time, Rose thought she saw the same sort of gentleness in the Headmistress' eyes as Rose saw in her mother's. There was also sympathy along with something else Rose couldn't recognize.
Rose swore loudly making her mum flinch. Rose ran her hands through her hair as her mind raced, trying to understand. This couldn't be happening, there was no way, but when Rose looked up into the Professor's eyes and the people around her she knew the truth.
Rose felt sick. Her stomach clenched and threatened to spill what she had eaten last.
She thought back to the previous night and everything seemed to make sense. Rose knew that it was very possible but she had to be sure.
"Please tell me that's not what happened," Rose said inwardly flinching at how desperate and hollow her voice sounded.
The Headmistress held Rose's gaze for a long moment before nodding slowly, "I'm afraid that is exactly what happened, Miss. Weasley."
Rose swore again weakly, "How could this have happened! It makes no sense, this can't be happening. I don't want this, any of it!" She pulled her legs up to her chest and wound her arms around them. Ignoring the stab of pain she felt from moving slightly away from Malfoy, she rested her forehead against her legs as she closed her eyes.
"Would someone explain what's happened!? What's this curse you're all talking about?" Malfoy questioned.
Rose let out a hollow humourless laugh that sounded nothing like her normal bright one. "Of course," Rose said her forehead still resting on her knees and her eyes still closed. "His whole life just got turned upside down and he's still clueless. Why am I surprised? He's as thick as a rock."
"Miss. Weasley, I know this is a surprise but there's no reason to be-"
"SURPRISE!?" Rose half yelled lifting her head and glaring at the startled Headmistress, ignoring the way everyone in the room jumped. "Is that what this is? Just a surprise?"
"Rose!" Hermione said sharply quickly turning from crying to lecturing "I know this is a lot to take in but that does not give you the right to yell at the Headmistress, she's only trying to help."
Rose let out a long hard breath and ran her hands over her face. She knew her mum was right, she was being rude and disrespectful.
"I'm sorry," Rose said tiredly dropping her hands and looking at the Headmistress. "This is just a bit too much right now."
The Headmistress nodded, "I understand Miss Weasley but as I was saying you shouldn't insult Mr Malfoy as you very well know he is the only thing keeping you alive right now." Rose nodded and closed her eyes again, but not before seeing the complete confusion on Malfoy's face.
"Someone please explain what's happened to Malfoy, because some of the things he's thinking have happened is even more ridiculous then what's actually happened."
Rose only half listened as the professor explained what had transpired. For his part, Malfoy took it pretty well only cursing about a dozen times, and he kept his yelling to a reasonable decimal even as words like, permanent, painful, tiring, closeness, and spouses floated around.
While the Headmistress talked, Rose went through everything she knew about the curse.
The Soul Bonding curse was when two souls that were meant to be together bonded to become one. The souls could only bond when both persons were sixteen years old. Malfoy had been sixteen for a few months now so their souls were waiting for Rose, who had completely forgotten that her birthday was today.
Last night when the clock hit twelve Rose's entire world had changed. In that split second of time when Rose went from being fifteen to sixteen, the universe had messed everything up. Rose's soul was bonded forever to Malfoy's, which meant that they were as good as married in the eyes of the Wizarding World.
Once their souls had bonded Malfoy and Rose had become connected, they were practically one person in two bodies. They could feel each other's emotions, so if Rose was sad Malfoy would feel it and vice versa. Also, if one was to get hurt the other would feel their pain.
They could also see what the other one was thinking, but unlike their emotions, the other's thoughts didn't just float over so that the other felt it. No, with thoughts Rose would have to physically focus on Malfoy to read what he was thinking at the moment.
Rose didn't just have access to all of Malfoy's thoughts though. He could close Rose off so that she couldn't see anything or she would only be able to see what he was thinking at that moment. As time went on and the Bond wasn't so new, Rose would be able to see what he had thought up to a day back.
And Rose was the lead, which meant that she was really the only one in danger.
By being the Lead, Rose would have the worse end of everything. If Malfoy cut his hand, Rose would feel like her hand was cut. Whereas if Rose cut her hand, Malfoy would just feel a little stab of pain.
The only thing to really worry about though was if Malfoy was to somehow get hurt fatally. Since Rose was the Lead, her soul wouldn't let Malfoy die. Rose's soul would take his soul's place making her die so that Malfoy could live. In return, Malfoy's soul kept Rose's alive. She could never die unnaturally as long as Malfoy was still living. In other words, Malfoy was the reason Rose was still breathing.
Rose had almost drifted off to sleep while McGonagall was talking, so she wasn't happy when she was woken. She had been very comfortable with her head resting on Malfoy's shoulder, her arm wrapped loosely around his waist, and her legs wrapped around his.
She lifted her head and scowled sleepily at Malfoy who had just poked her in the stomach, there were better ways to wake a person up then poking them.
"Cut it out," Rose muttered, her voice coated in sleep as she laid her head back down on Malfoy's shoulder and snuggling closer to him.
She was very tired. All she wanted was sleep. Sweet relaxing sleep. But, of course, Malfoy would have none of that.
"Wake up, love. Madam Pomfrey wants to talk to us," Malfoy said poking Rose again.
"Quit poking me," Rose said annoyed, pushing his hand away. "And I'm not your love."
Malfoy, as always, chuckled.
Rose moved to sit up next to Malfoy, but the minute she had moved her legs away from his and unwrapped her arm from around his waist pain erupted in her stomach even though she was still touching Malfoy's chest.
Rose gasped in pain placing a hand over her stomach as Malfoy winced.
"Rose!" Hermione sounded quite frantic, while Al and Hugo sort of lurched forward as if to try and help. Rose just shook her head.
"I'm fine, mum" Rose shifted so that she was pressed more fully against Malfoy, and like last time the pain dulled. "Just moved wrong's all."
Rose was very grateful, though she'd never admit it, when Malfoy wrapped his arm around Rose's waist. It made the little bit of pain that was left vanish almost completely, though it made Ron wince slightly.
"Are you sure you're alright Miss. Weasley?" Rose smiled at the Headmistress who was looking at Rose with a very concerned expression.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's not that bad. It just surprised me," Rose lied, that small moment of pain had almost been enough to make her puke.
"Alright," The professor didn't look like she completely believed Rose but there was nothing she could do about the pain so she left it at that. "Madam Pomfrey." She nodded for the nurse to come forward.
"I need to speak with you both about contact with others and staying close to each other."
Rose just groaned, not in pain but out of annoyance. "I know we can't touch anyone else for at least a month after the Bonding, to do so would cause us both pain, and we have to stay near each other while the Bond is still so new. I already told you, I've read all about this curse."
Rose just wanted to go to sleep. The first 24-hours after the Bond were always the worst because everything was still so sensitive and new.
"Miss Weasley, I need to know that you understand this completely. If you were to touch anyone other than Mr Malfoy, it would be very harmful to you both, and moving away from him will result in you both passing out." Rose curled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them like she had done not long ago.
"Madam Pomfrey," Rose said unable to keep how tired she was out of her voice, "I understand that, but for the moment all I want to do is sleep. And though Malfoy here might look all happy and awake, he's just as tired as I am. Please, we both need sleep. As I'm sure you know, the first 24-hours after the Bond is terrible. Instead of sitting here and hearing things I already know and am probably going to be told many more times in the future and trying not to make a wrong move that will cause both Malfoy and me to pass out from the pain, I would rather be sleeping."
"It's all just too much to take in," she added as an afterthought.
"Of course. We'll discuss this in the morning," The Headmistress said with understanding, disrupting whatever protests Pomfrey might have had, then after a bit of a pause she spoke once again "You seem to be taking this much better than we thought."
"Yelling and screaming won't fix anything. What is there to do but just try and live with it? Plus, if I put up too much of a fight I'll just get hurt. I'm doing the only thing I can do."
"And what's that?" The Headmistress asked as Malfoy and Rose moved back into a comfortable sleeping position.
Rose found herself smiling softly as she closed her eyes and laid her head once again on Malfoy's chest wrapping her arm around his waist. She could feel from the slow rise and fall of his chest, that he was already falling into the deep sleep that Rose would soon fall into.
Rose didn't know why she felt so content. Her whole life had just been turned upside down and nothing would ever be the same. She'd have to change her life, but for some reason, she couldn't really bring herself to feel angry about anything. She felt safe and somehow happy in Malfoy's arms, as though she had been given something that she had needed but just never knew it. Lying with him in that hospital bed, Rose felt as though she had just found something that she had lost long ago.
"Accepting it," Rose breathed softly before closing her eyes.
~oOo~
Hey, guys, I hope this chapter was as good as the last one and that you liked it just as much. I know that the Bond part is going to be a bit confusing, but all the aspects of it will make sense in later chapters.
I want to thank all of you that left a review and that Fav/Followed my story. I love getting reviews and hearing what you think.
If you liked this chapter please leave a review and tell me what you think, and if you didn't like it well... leave a review so that I can learn from it and do better in the future.
Until next time.
Cara
