Disclaimer: if only I were JK Rowling

A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed. I'm glad that you enjoyed how I wrote Ron! I promise there will be more Ron drama to come at some point!

I also want to say that I'm so sorry I haven't updated earlier. I'm suffering from major writer's block.

Chapter XIII

Ginny Weasley was pacing circles in the Gryffindor common room. Her face was angrily flushed red, her hands emphatically flinging in the air.

"I'm going to kill him. He's a bloody idiot! Who the bloody hell does he think he is?!"

It had been nearly five minutes since she had heard the news and she hadn't stopped raving since. The news of Ron's outburst had spread like quick-fire through Hogsmeade and then Hogwarts. She had been relaxing in an old couch when Seamus Finnegan had burst through the door with a strangely excited gleam in his eyes and announced the news. And now Ginevra Weasley was pissed off.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled, breaking the enraged girl out of her raving. "Calm down."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down?! You've got to be bloody joking. Just you wait until Mum hears about this. Ha! She's going to rip his head off!" She screeched, ending with a worryingly manic laugh.

Harry stifled a small chuckle at his girlfriend. Molly was definitely going to hear about it if the twins had been there and she was certainly going to lose her temper at her youngest son. And honestly, he was quite pleased about that – Ron undeniably deserved whatever the Weasley matron dished out. He needed to learn to reign in his ridiculous temper.

It was taking him a fair bit of effort to not hunt the redhead down and give him a piece of his mind. Merlin knew it was an effort to stop Ginny from tearing her brother in half. She was in a quite a state, still pacing in front of the fireplace muttering under her breath.

His mind briefly flitted to Hermione, hoping that she hadn't been too affected by what had happened. From what he had heard, Malfoy had jumped to her defence and she had given Ron a piece of her mind.

His thoughts paused as the common room door slid open and an unmistakably head of red hair entered.

"You!" Ginny hissed, springing forward to threateningly stab him in the chest with her index finger. "What the bloody hell is your problem?!"

Ron's eyes were as wide as saucers as he glanced from his sister to Harry and back again. "Wh-what?"

"What?! I could bloody kill you right now! How dare you speak to Hermione like that?" She emphasised every second word with prods to his chest, stalking forward as he pressed himself against the closed portrait.

"What are you talking about?" Ron gasped, trying to move as far away from her as possible.

"Don't play innocent with me, Ronald Weasley!" A small crowd was gathering around them as Ginny angrily screeched at him. "Are you a bloody moron?! You think you can just bloody go off on Hermione like that in the middle of bloody Hogsmeade and pretend it never bloody happened?!"

His ears flushed red as his lips formed an 'O' shape. "Gin-"

"Don't you dare Gin me! Mum is going to have your bloody head!"

His eyes widened even further, if that were possible as he frantically glanced at Harry and back again. "You're going to tell her? Please don't!" He pleaded desperately.

Ginny snorted angrily. "I'd be surprised if she didn't already know by now. You better hope Fred and George have kept their mouths shut."

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They had returned to the castle soon after their confrontation with Ron, Hermione disappearing into their room the moment they entered their commons. Draco frowned at her retreating back, sighing at the sight of her tense shoulders.

He had wisely given her space, settling on a couch and flipping open one of her Muggle books. His eyebrow rose with interest as he slowly became engrossed. Nearly forty minutes had passed before he was pulled out of the book by the sound of their bedroom door opening. Hermione flashed him a small smile as he looked up, dropping onto the couch beside him. She let out a light sigh as she let his solid form take the weight of her body.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her slightly closer.

She simply nodded before glancing up at him with an adoring smile. "I just can't believe him sometimes, you know?" She murmured, toying with the fringe of her skirt. "He just runs his mouth without thinking and no one has ever confronted him about it."

Draco snorted at her. "The weasel has no manners. Shocking."

For once, she didn't tell him off but just chuckled at his words. She opened her mouth to answer but was cut off by a knock on the door. It was gentle and hesitant, definitely not that of Ron Weasley. Hermione pried herself out of Draco's arms, quickly walking to the door to open it.

"Ginny." She greeted in surprise, stepping back to let the girl into the room.

She stumbled as her friend threw her arms around her. "Oh goodness, Mione! I'm so sorry! I can't believe I'm related to that idiot!" She said, pulling back to look her friend in the eyes.

Hermione giggled lightly. "You've got nothing to be sorry about. It isn't your fault at all."

Ginny looked down at her feet, not at all consoled by Hermione's words. "I know but I just can't believe it! He's a complete fool!" She threw her hands up in the air with exasperation before noticing the other occupant of the room. "Oh hello, Malfoy."

Draco smiled at her friendly greeting. "Ginevra. Heard about Hogsmeade, did you?" He asked, mirth flickering in his eyes.

She snorted ungracefully, flopping into a nearby armchair. "I'm pretty sure the whole bloody world has heard by now. Apparently you lot gathered quite a crowd – the most interesting piece gossip of the year."

Her eyes widened slightly at the chuckle that escaped Draco's throat. It was the first time she had seen his face so relaxed and expressive. She carefully rearranged her face into a matching smile as Hermione cleared her throat and warningly poked her in the side.

"So Malfoy, I heard you stuck up for Hermione." She paused as he nodded in response. "I just wanted to say thank you for that."

Her eyebrows raised as he sniggered. "You realise that's the second time you lot have thanked me today." He noted with a broad grin. "I think I could get used to this."

Ginny giggled, glancing over at Hermione who was rolling her eyes. He flashed them his notoriously charming smirk as he rose from his seat. "Well I'm going to go find Blaise. Have a pleasant evening ladies. I'll see you later Hermione." He playfully let his arm brush against Hermione's as he passed before leaving the room.

Ginny erupted into a fit of giggles she ogled at his retreating back. The portrait door swung shut with a small click. "Oh my goodness, Mione! How you resist jumping him every day is beyond me!" She squealed, noting a growing flush on Hermione's face.

"Ginny!" She hissed with embarrassment.

The redhead waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Oh come on – the entire female population of Hogwarts is terribly aware of how gorgeous Malfoy is. He's bloody sexy."

Hermione gaped at Ginny's shameless words. "Gin!" She gasped, her face flaming bright red. "What is wrong with you?"

Ginny chortled at her. "Nothing's wrong with me – there's something wrong with you if you can't see it. Tell me – do you at least admit that he's unbelievably fit?"

She got her answer as her friend bashfully avoided any form of eye contact. Hermione fiddled with her shirt, absently picking bits of lint from the fabric before sending Ginny a timid smile. "Yes."

If Ginny hadn't been keenly listening for a reply, she might have missed it as Hermione barely whispered out the word. She squealed with excitement, clapping her hands together before grabbing Hermione and pulling her into the chair next to her.

"Are you going to snog him?!"

"What?!" Hermione hissed, her eyes widened with surprise.

"Come on, Mione. You're in the best position to do something – you live with him for Merlin's sake! And I've seen the way he looks at you. I reckon if you jumped him, he would most definitely enjoy it." Ginny's eyes were alight with mischief, her mind racing a mile a minute as she began scheming.

She held her hand up as Hermione opened her mouth to retort. "Ah, ah, ah. Shush." She silenced her. "Don't tell me that you haven't noticed him ogling you across the Great Hall. Oh Godric – I could live vicariously through you!"

"Huh?"

Ginny snorted at the elegance, or lack thereof, of Hermione's reply. "I'm certain that nearly every witch in our year has dreamed of being with the Draco Malfoy. I know I certainly have."

"Ginny!" Hermione screeched, covering her face with her hands in utter mortification. "I don't want to know that!"

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Pressing his back to the wall, he prayed that his presence would not be discovered. His beloved was not too far from here, he could feel her aura emanating towards him through the robust stone walls. Oh sweet Circe, he hoped she was alright.

He edged his way along the wall. He had placed a rather sturdy disillusionment charm on himself, but the spell was only in its infancy and he was not going to risk being noticed. The men that had his wife were powerful, heinous wizards – he could not take any chances.

A twinge of pain coursed through his back. He clenched his jaw, willing himself to not cry out from the agony. These stinging aches had been sporadically coming and going for the past few hours – but it was the least of his worries now.

His beloved Gwendolin was in danger.

Gathering himself, he continued his way along the wall, rounding the corner and inching through the open door. His heart rose to his throat, bile bubbling to the back of his throat at the site in front of him.

Her body was hoisted against a sturdy column, suspended by thick ropes. Her golden curls were falling out of her usual braid, matted against her face with perspiration. She looked tortured and defeated.

Her captors were surrounding her, brandishing an array of weapons in their arms. Merlin's stomach churned as the one nearest to her lifted his arm.

Another pang of pain seized him as the man's baton slammed into her battered torso. Gwendolin cried out as he strived to breathe through it. Another pang tore through him as the wooden weapon fell down on her again.

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed with confusion. Each assault to her body sent waves of agony through his body, as well as hers. What on earth was happening?

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Draco had awoken with a gasp, his body lurching upright in bed as Hermione's eyes shot open. Her hair had clung to her face and neck, her face revealing her bewilderment. They had struggled to make sense of the dream in their post-slumber haze, deciding that a meeting with Dumbledore was in order.

He leant forward with interest as they explained what they had seen and felt. The dream had been more like a memory to both of them, experiencing and truly feeling everything that the ancient couple had; Draco from Merlin's point of view and Hermione from Gwendolin's.

Dumbledore leant into the back of his chair, hands folded on the desk in front of him. "How very interesting." He whispered before musing on what he had heard for a few passing moments.

Draco rolled his eyes petulantly, letting out a slow dramatic sigh. His impatience was met by a stern warning stare from the brunette at his side. If he didn't care for her so much and this were last year, he most likely would have made a snarky comment about Hermione kissing the Headmaster's old behind.

"It appears that there is some truth behind the uncommon belief about Merlin and his wife." He paused as Fawkes landed on the arm of his chair, reaching out to pet the breathtaking creature.

"What beliefs, Headmaster? I've never read anything of the sort." Hermione's eyebrows were furrowed with confusion. She had read a number of tomes regarding the famed wizard and had never come across anything of this nature.

The elderly wizard chuckled before waving his hand, conjuring three cups of tea and a plate of biscuits.

"I wouldn't have thought so, Hermione." He began after they accepted the small teacups. "There is much that we do know about Merlin, but not much is known about the connection he shared with his wife. What we do know is that the two of you also share the same connection. It was once theorised that they shared not only an impenetrable emotional union but a strange physical bond that allowed them to feel each other's pain, discomfort and joy."

Hermione stared at his blankly, visibly churning over this information in her head.

"If one of you were to be attacked or hurt, the other would feel that same pain. Every physical sensation you feel, the other will share; though to a lesser degree."

A few moments of silence passed as they mulled over his words. There was something in his voice that told Hermione that he was holding something back.

"Professor, what aren't you telling us?"

Dumbledore smiled at them, though it didn't quite reach his eyes for once.

"There is a long told myth regarding the Golden Disciples." He began before allowing another pause to pass.

Draco sighed impatiently, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Just tell us. It's not like we haven't dealt with everything thus far."

The elderly wizard nodded, his eyes betraying his concern. "It has often been said that not only do they share each other's corporeal sensations but their physical state as well. That is to say – if one of you were to die, the other would too."

A/N: I'm sorry! I know I've been so slack lately and that this chapter was stupidly short – I've had 3 weeks of waking up at 5:30am and I'm just bloody exhausted. And on top of that, I've been really struggling to write. That last scene took me days to weeks to get out! I'm not sure what's wrong with me. Please be patient and forgive me!

As always, I would love your reviews!