Chapter 20

He could feel it, but he didn't know what it was. Not that this fact really bothered him anymore. He'd been feeling new and strange things for nearly three weeks now, he was almost used to it.

Almost.

'Well it's not tiredness, it's not discomfort, it's not embarrassment and it's not anger! What else is there that we haven't thought of?'

Hermione's words and verbal expression of thoughts had, for the third time that day, been the same as his own.

'It's not a…nasty feeling is it?' he asked whilst rolling onto his side and propping his head on his hand, his elbow digging into the mattress.

They had left the common room ten minutes ago, much to Harry's annoyance, not that either of them noticed, they both just knew that the other and themselves wanted to go to their room.

'Is it the same one we felt the other day?' Ron added to his earlier comment.

Hermione's brow furrowed and she thought for a minute, putting the book she was reading down on their desk.

'I think it might be, after we'd—'

She reddened. They had not spoken about their dreams since yesterday morning, and they had had another last night.

Both of them knew what was going to happen in their dream as soon as they realised they were walking on grass with the other next to them. They knew how long it would be before they turned and looked at each other, and they knew how long they would gaze into the others eyes before kissing. They were both expecting it, but that didn't stop the overwhelming mixture of emotions crashing through them when their lips met.

They had awoken when they had both let out the quietest moans of pleasure, the sound bringing them from their imaginations and back into the conscious world.

As their breathing slowed they shut their eyes and tried to get back to sleep, their only communication being a mumbled 'night Hermione,' and 'night Ron,' before drifting back off to sleep.

'After we'd what?' Ron asked.

'Er…after we'd had our first joint dream. I think it's the same feeling. I might be wrong though.'

'I doubt it!' Ron said with a smile. 'For what it's worth I don't think it's anything to worry about, and we'll find out eventually, that's the way this connection thing seems to work. We find something new, that we can't explain, then we normally collapse or something similar, then all becomes clear!'

Hermione chuckled. 'Sounds about right!'

Ron rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling, content. He was calm and peaceful, except for the unexplained feeling but as Hermione had put it, it wasn't painful or an uncomfortable feeling, it was just…there.

'Have you got my Herbology book?' Hermione asked Ron after a few minutes. Ron had heard her shuffling things around, and now knew why.

'Hermione, I'm lying on my bed trying to ignore your studious actions, do I look like I have your Herbology book?'

Hermione tutted and looked up at Ron.

'I'll take that as a no then, shall I?' she said sounding slightly annoyed.

Ron chuckled and sat up.

'Where did you last have it?'

'If I knew that it wouldn't be lost, would it?'

Ron rolled his eyes.

'Okay then, where were you when you last remember having it?'

Hermione stopped pulling the pillows off her bed and set her mind to remembering where she had last had her book.

Ron managed to stifle a giggle after imagining Hermione keeping books under her pillow. He thought now was not the best time to tease her about that.

I wonder if she'll do that when we're older and marri—

His eyes widened at his own thought and he temporarily stopped breathing. Luckily, Hermione was too deep in her own thoughts to notice.

'The last place I remember having it was in Herbology on Friday. I must have left it in the classroom,' she huffed as she sat heavily on the edge of her bed.

Ron shook his head and refocused his thoughts on Hermione and her Herbology book.

'So err…you don't remember having it after then?' he said.

'No, not at all. Oh I hope no one else has taken it, it had my own notes in and everything!'

Ron grinned but then changed his face to look shocked.

'Hermione Granger, am I hearing you correctly? Have you written in your precious textbooks?'

'Oh sod off, Weasley!' she mumbled, but a smile played at her lips.

Ron chuckled and looked up at her. He knew her too well to know that she wouldn't be happy until she had her precious textbook back with her.

'Do you want to go and get it?' he asked her kindly.

She looked at him, trying to work out if he really didn't mind trekking all the way to the Herbology classroom and back, just for her textbook.

'It's not a hard decision, Hermione!' he prompted. 'A simple yes or no will do!'

She smiled. 'Are you sure you don't mind?'

'Nah, it's not that far, it's only on the other side of the castle after all!'

He grinned at her.

'Well if you're sure you don't mind!' Hermione said, matching Ron's grin and ignoring his last comment.

They left their room and walked in a comfortable silence down the stairs and through their grumpy-portrait-protected doorway.

They didn't really notice as they fell into step with each other and they didn't really notice when their hands touched and their little fingers hooked around the others, keeping a constant contact between them.

They didn't meet anyone in the corridors, dinner was long finished and the castle was cold. It was hardly inviting to go for a nighttime stroll through.

Something caught Ron's eye as they walked past an empty classroom. The door was slightly ajar and he thought he saw shadows inside it. If nothing else, it was his duty as a prefect to at least look concerned. He stopped abruptly and Hermione stopped when she felt her arm be pulled back when Ron didn't match her pace.

'What is it?' she asked, her brow furrowing.

'I think there's someone in there,' he nodded towards the open door.

'Well it might be a teacher, or a student. Technically the classrooms aren't out of bounds until after lights out so whoever it is, if they are students, aren't doing anything wrong…technically.'

'Well I suppose Perfect Prefect Granger knows the rule book inside out, so who am I to argue?'

'Who indeed?' Hermione replied, with a cheeky grin. 'Onward and…not very upward then?' she asked gesturing to the empty corridor in front of them.

'Onward and not very upward!' Ron echoed.

They had taken three steps along the corridor when Hermione felt a large hand clamp over her mouth and another large arm grab her around the waist and pull her backwards. Her eyes widened in shock and she heard Ron's frantic and angry shouts from next to her. She tired to pull at the arm over her mouth with her one free arm – the other having been pinned to her side by the arm holding her firmly – but to no avail.

She was swung around so she was facing Ron and she watched as he struggled against the person holding him. She couldn't see their face, it was covered with a balaclava, but she had a shrewd idea of who it was. Ron was being held in a chokehold and was turning redder as the seconds went on.

'Gerroff…me!' he managed to grunt out through his hold. He wriggled his right arm free and attempted to punch the one choking him in the face.

Hermione copied his actions but she felt her attacker – who she presumed was either Crabbe or Goyle by the looks of the one holding Ron – simply move his head out of her way. Ron had had a smaller amount of luck with his actions, he had caught the side of his attacker's face, but the padding of the wool over his cheek softened the blow.

Hermione gave up her punching and watched as a hooded figure stepped between her and Ron.

Ron's eyes widened as he recognised the shape and size of the figure.

'Malfoy!' he spat.

The grip around his neck tightened slightly and he made a choking sound.

'Put her in there,' the cloaked figure said as he nodded to the classroom to his right, behind Hermione, 'and him in there,' he nodded this time to the classroom to his left and behind Ron.

Ron growled in frustration and anger and Hermione's words were muffled against her holder's hand. She could feel both her and Ron's worry at what this might do to the both of them grow inside her. They hadn't tested their connection's strength for a few days now, but neither of them thought that it had reduced in strength. If anything, they thought the exact opposite.

Ron continued to struggle against his captor as he was dragged towards the open door. He desperately tried to think of something he could do, or something they could do together that might stop their bodies' reaction to their separation. He knew whatever they were, they weren't going to be pleasant. He shut his eyes when the grip around his neck tightened as he was dragged backwards into the classroom.

I need to talk to her! he thought desperately. I need to—

'Find me Hermione!' he managed to scream. He just hoped she knew what he meant. He was shoved bodily into the classroom and didn't manage to find his balance before the door was slammed shut behind him. He shut his eyes and waited for the unbearable pain in his head to arrive.

Hermione had watched as Ron had been dragged backwards towards the classroom on the other side of the corridor, before the strong arms around her had done the same thing.

Ron's words rattled around her head.

What does he mean? She asked herself over and over again. She was shoved into a desk and fell heavily against it. She pushed herself onto her elbows and heard the door shut behind her. She screwed up her eyes, waiting for the pain to invade her temples, but as she did, she finally realised what Ron had meant.

When they were unconscious they had levelled out their pain between them and comforted each other during the whole ordeal, maybe they could do something…anything to help each other so they could minimize their pain and any other side effects that might occur.

She tired to calm her breathing and relax her mind, but when she was just about relaxed she felt the throb of pain in her temples and across her forehead. She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain and focused on finding Ron.

She saw the place they went in their dreams, the sky was a dark but somehow bright blue, the grass was green underneath their feet and she could see him in front of her.

'Ron?' she said aloud, but the Ron in her mind's eye didn't acknowledge her.

Her head gave a throb and intensified. Tears burned her eyes.

'Ron, please! If you're there, talk to me!'

A tear fell down her face and the pain in her head became unbearable. Her legs went from underneath her and she fell to the floor heavily.

Her hands went to her head, pressing on her temples, trying desperately to alleviate the pain in any way she could, but to no avail. She tried once more to reach Ron. She tried to slow her breathing and focus on her image of Ron.

'Please, Ron!' she whimpered. 'Are you…there?'

She focused on the bright blue eyes that were looking down on her.

They blinked.

And that's when she knew her was with her.

'Ron!' she cried out, both in her mind and physically.

'Hermione!' he replied.

'It hurts Ron!' she said quietly, more tears falling down her face.

'Come here,' he rasped out.

Before she knew what he meant, he had pulled her towards him and their foreheads were touching.

It was the smallest amount of relief, but the fact that it was only a small amount of relief made her realise this wasn't going to work. However hard they tried, they weren't going to be able to fight this.

'Ah well…' Ron croaked out, 'was w…worth a…t…try…'

They both saw the black spots invade their peripheral vision and they looked at each other once more.

At the same time, they both tilted their heads up and their lips met. A second later their temples gave an almighty throb and they lost their battle with the blackness that was slowly overtaking them.

…oooOOOooo…

'Why are you looking so annoyed?' Ginny asked Harry.

They were both sat on squashy chairs around the fire in the common room. The room wasn't busy, but there was still a few people lazily sitting, reading and chatting the last few hours of their weekend away.

'I'm not annoyed!' Harry snapped at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. 'Okay, so the grumpy expression and the constant snapping is perfectly normal, is it?'

Harry huffed.

'Oh right, so now you're not even talking to me?' Ginny said, starting to get a little annoyed herself.

Harry shifted in his seat and finally looked at Ginny.

'Sorry,' he mumbled. 'I just—' he sighed loudly.

'Miss them?' Ginny finished for them.

He looked up at her again and she smiled kindly at him.

'Yeah,' he said quietly.

'You'll get them back soon enough, Harry. This thing isn't going to last forever!'

'Yeah, but when it's over, will they—'

He stopped and rubbed his face with his hand roughly.

'Will they what?'

'Will they…still want to hang round—?'

'Don't you dare finish that sentence Harry James Potter!'

'But you've seen the way they are together! I think even they've noticed what's going on between them and the way they are with each other. I know they've been completely oblivious up until the past week or so, but neither of them can ignore what's laid out before them for all to see!'

Despite the apparent seriousness of his little rant, Ginny smiled, amused.

'No, I don't think they can, and you're right, I think even they've noticed how they're acting with each other! But that doesn't mean they'll leave you out Harry!'

Harry's eyes widened.

'Oh sod off! You know that's not what I meant! You're best friends, Harry, all three of you.'

'Well where are they now then?'

He inwardly cringed at how immature he sounded, but he thought he saw a look of understanding in Ginny's eyes.

'They'll come back to you Harry, don't worry. Just let them find each other first.'

Harry's mouth started to twist into a grin.

'And if you take that in any other way than it was meant I'll hex you!' Ginny said before standing from her chair and picking her books off the table.

Harry chuckled and Ginny grinned. Harry's stomach flipped and he quickly looked at the floor.

'Goodnight, Harry,' Ginny said before turning and heading off towards the girls' dormitory.

'Night Gin.'

He watched her walk out of sight and his stomach stopped flipping over. He sighed and looked at the embers, which were glowing in the fireplace, a few hours life left in them. He slowly stood and walked up the staircase to his dormitory.

He flopped down on his bed and for a minute contemplated looking at the Marauder's Map to see if Malfoy was up to no good. As much as he tried to ignore the persistent gnawing at the back of his mind about the blond haired wizard and his extra curricular activities, he couldn't. But tonight he didn't have the energy. Plus, he really didn't like the idea of finding Ron and Hermione on there. There were just some things he didn't need to know about.

Instead he got out the Prince's textbook and flicked through it, learning a couple more spells before dropping off to sleep, the Marauders' Map lying forgotten in the bottom of his trunk.


So, I really wanted to post this chapter today because it's exactly a year since I posted my first chapter of my first ever Harry Potter fic here on I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed my stuff and those of you who continue to come back to the new stuff I write. It makes me very happy:D
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a while in coming, but my muse finally woke up from her coma and she has a cool way to wrap this fic up.
Yes, very sorry but this one's coming to and end soonish! It's not gonna be an abrupt ending or anything! Anyone who knows me and my writing knows I need at least five chapters to wrap up a fic properly! But I thought I'd just warn you in advance!
Please, please, please, please, please let me know what you think about this one. You've all been fab in your reviews so far (this is now my most reviewed fic!) so if you could do it once more, it'd make me very happy.
Til next time tiddlypeeps!
Step ;)