Chapter 15

"What is going on with you tonight?" said George, exasperated. Fred had been distracted all evening. He was getting frequent flashes of Hermione, none of them good. Terror, anxiety, fear. He wished he understood more about this bond, he had even done some of his own research into it, but nothing he had read had seemed plausible. Frustrated, he stood up and went to pour himself a drink. He had the bottle of firewhisky in his hand when a white hot pain ripped across his chest. He crumpled to the floor, the bottle smashing as it slipped from his hands.

"Fred!' yelled George jumping up and rushing to his twin.

"Hermione" gasped Fred, "Hermione." He could feel her, she was on fire… being burned alive. He grabbed George, his eyes watering as he felt ghost of the pain she was in.

"She's dying George." Fred cried. "Burning. I have to help her!"

"Fred? Hermione's at Hogwarts. I'm sure she's fine" he sounded scared. But Fred didn't answer. Releasing George, he closed his eyes and searched for her.

Like it had been waiting for him, the golden threads of power sprung into being and coursed over his skin and then into him, into his very soul as he concentrated like he had never concentrated in his life. He didn't know how this magic worked, but he put everything morsel of strength he had into the golden threads. His mind was focussed on one thing, Hermione must live.

The bond began to shake and fray as Hermione grew weaker in her prison of pain. 'NO' shouted Fred inside his mind, 'YOU WILL NOT DIE' he doubled his efforts, tripled them, gave everything to her. Every muscle in his body was vibrating with the force of his will, sweat was pouring off him as he fought to save her. She must live. She will live. He felt a deep wrenching something deep within him and then with the last of his strength and a huge effort of will, he cast himself through the magical golden bond into Hermione, he felt her pain ease, then stop before he collapsed against his twin, unconscious.

They were in the dark together.

They had no body. They just were.

But they were together.

That was all that mattered.

They drew strength from each other as they existed in this space between worlds.

Time had no importance.

They were together.

As one.

When Hermione came round she was in the hospital wing. Ginny was curled up in a chair next to her bed reading the quibbler and Ron was in the bed next to hers, eating a chocolate frog. She tried to sit up but gasped at the pain in her chest.

"Hermione!" said Ginny, "your awake!" She quickly ran to get madam Pomphrey who came bustling over with a potion for her to drink.

"What happened?" she asked looking the two Weasleys. "Where's Harry? Neville? Luna?"

"They will be back soon, they just went to get lunch. Well I'm not sure where Harry went, he just wants to be alone right now"

"Why?" asked Hermione as an awful feeling welled up inside her.

"Sirius" whispered Ginny in a small voice, "Sirius was killed. He was taken by that archway in the sunken room. Bellatrix did it."

The world seemed to tilt alarmingly as Hermione listened. Sirius? Dead? Her heart was aching and tears overflowed from her eyes. Poor Harry, she thought with anguish. She couldn't get her mind around the news and turned her face away from Ginny. Ron met her eyes then looked away, his face grim. She turned away from him too.

"There's more" said Ginny. "Fred is in St Mungos"

"What?" Hermione said sharply, wiping her eyes. "Why? What happened. Is he okay?"

"No-one really knows, it happened the night we were at the Ministry. George said he collapsed and he hasn't woken up yet." Ginny's voice shook. Hermione made to get out of bed but Madam Pomphrey appeared from nowhere and forced her back and gave her another potion to drink.

"You must rest Ms Granger. It's a miracle you survived, and you will be staying in that bed until I am satisfied."

Hermione asked Ginny and Ron to tell her everything she had missed. She sat back to listen and was drinking the potion, her heart twisting with sorrow and worry, when Harry walked in. Seeing Hermione awake he hurried over and hugged her, it hurt a lot but she held onto him fiercely, the tears cascading down her face again.

"How long have I been unconscious?" she asked after a while.

"Six days," said Ron. He had deep scars up his arms where he had been attacked by brains.

Fred had been in hospital for six days, unconscious. She was desperate to get out and go to him. She went to get out of bed again when the hospital wing doors opened and Minerva McGonagall walked in,

"Ah Mr Weasley, Miss Weasley. I have just been informed that your brother is awake. He is weak, but the healers say he should make a full recovery." Ginny clapped her hands with joy and beamed at Ron who gave her a small, weak smile in return.

Hermione felt a wave of such huge relief wash over her that she sank back into her pillows and laughed.