"Draco, I'm sorry we had to meet like this, but it's important that I speak with you."

Draco looked around trying to figure out where he was. He took in the architecture of the building and the landscape and gasped, "How in the bloody hell did I get here?"

"Where do you think you are Draco?" queried the wraith before him. Draco couldn't tell much about the figure save that it was female, had long black hair and piercing emerald eyes.

"It looks like I'm at Grimmauld Place, but how could that be?"

"It can be anyplace you want. We need to talk Draco and there isn't much time."

"I don't understand."

"Draco, please listen for a moment. The connection that you have to Harry is a strong one and you aren't using it to its fullest. You have potential there that you haven't explored, but you need to open up and use it now."

"What potential? We already use the bond to share magic. I can amplify Harry's and he mine. There's more?"

"Yes, there is. Do you know how far apart you can be and still influence the other? Have you tried to develop the telepathic link that matched souls have?"

"No, we didn't have time to experiment like that. We've only just discovered the extent of the bond and… then all this happened. Can you help me?"

"No, darling boy, I cannot," she said smiling wistfully. "What I can leave you with is this…your bond is much stronger than you know or suspect. You must find a way to use it and help Harry. He needs you now as you need him. Draw the healing energy you need and send him your strength. I promise it will be worth the effort. You may also be able to access the telepathic link, given the situation. Try and talk to him. Your voice and spirit will give him strength."

Draco felt the hand softly caress his cheek, despite its lack of solidity, and felt safety, love and comfort infuse him. His eyes closed of their own accord and when he opened them, he was alone in a meadow at sunset. "Where did you go?"

"It's time for me to go now," Draco heard, "take care of my Harry. You two bring us much joy."

With a slight breeze, he felt himself drawn away from the meadow and began to hear voices talking about him. They sounded quite distraught and Draco couldn't help but feel it was his fault. He tried to apologise, but found his voice didn't want to cooperate.

Slowly, his eyes slid open and focused on the space above his head. The light was very bright and he had to blink several times before his eyes adjusted. From the corner of his eye, he saw his Mum talking to Minerva and when he looked toward the end of the bed he found Poppy.

"Molly," Poppy heard in a whisper from the bed. She turned to find Draco awake and trying to pull his sheet back.

"Don't you move young man; your healing isn't complete yet." Poppy tucked the sheet back in around his bruised body and stepped back as Narcissa hovered close with tears falling steadily down her face.

Draco focused on his mother's face and smiled, "Mum, I'm going to be fine. No worries."

Narcissa laughed, "My brave boy. I know you'll be fine. I was just worried."

"Mum, Harry won't be fine if I can't help him. I need Molly. Now."

Narcissa raised an eyebrow in question but didn't argue, "Minerva, can you please ask Molly to come quickly. Draco needs to talk to her about Harry."

Minerva quickly left the room in search of the Weasley Matriarch, having no doubt Draco knew something they didn't.

Harry woke with a sharp pain in side and discovered his wound had been dressed and his shirt was gone. The missing shirt didn't bother him so much, but the fact that he was tied up did. It's not like he'd never thought about what it would be like to be tied up; he just always thought Draco would be wickedly grinning above him while he was. Since that obviously wasn't the case right now, he needed to figure out what the bloody hell was going on and fix it.

He lifted his head and looked around. The room was dark but he could see enough to know he wasn't in Greyback's room anymore. He pulled against his restraints and discovered no give in the ropes and that though his legs weren't bound they weren't going to be of much good either since he'd likely dislocate his shoulders if he tried to push up at all.

"So, you're finally awake. Well, you never did like to do anything in a timely manner, did you."

"Who's there?" Harry asked.

"The boy wonder doesn't know who I am. How typical. You would think he'd remember one of his old house mates, but apparently, he's too good for that." Harry listened to the voice pacing, getting more agitated with every step. "You know, I don't know what anyone sees in you. You're not that great. So you're tall, and have piercing green eyes. And who cares if you have more power than most of our classmates. You're still not that great. I don't know what she sees in you."

"What who sees in me? What in the bloody hell are you mumbling about?"

"He's talking about me dear Harry and he's wondering why I wouldn't let him kill you while you were unconscious."

That voice, Harry knew. "Ginny, why in the hell am I bound…to a bed?"

"Because I don't want you getting any ideas and trying to attack me like you did my mate. He's in a lot of pain from that last toss against the wall. I'm not a very happy woman right now Harry. What are we going to do about that?"

"Well, might I suggest you untie me so we can talk about this like civilized adults; if you want to be considered a 'woman' now and not a petulant little girl, that would be a start."

Harry's head snapped to the side with the force of the hit Cormac McLaggen landed on his face after that comment. "Don't you everdisrespect her like that again!"

"McLaggen?"

Ginny slipped up next to McLaggen and purred, "Come now pet, we don't want to hurt him too much yet. That will shorten the fun. Now be a good boy and go check on my mate and make sure he's…comfortable."

As McLaggen left the room, mumbling under his breath about the ways he would kill Harry, Ginny crawled up on the bed between Harry's legs and straddled his waist smiling down on him.

"Never thought I'd see the day when you were at my mercy like this. It's really quite a turn on to know that I can have my way with you and there's nothing you can do about it." She ran a finger down the side of his face and onto his chest as she shifted on top of him.

"What makes you think there's nothing I can do. Do you really think I can't stop you? I don't want to hurt you Gin, you're family."

"And you're a lying bastard who's screwing a Slytherin git. I mean really Harry…Draco? If you insist on being a shirtlifter, couldn't you at least pick someone better than Malfoy?" She ran her hands up Harry's torso and smiled, "I could have made you infinitely happier than he ever will," she stated as she continued to grind herself over Harry, failing to notice his lack of response. "I mean, it's not like he can give you any of what I can give you. He can't give you a family Harry. I can."

"Ginny, you can never give me what Draco gives me. He gives me unconditional love and he gives me the strength to get through every day. You could never give me that. You never did and you never will."

Infuriated by his denial, Ginny stood, towering above Harry's prone body, and pointed her wand down into his face. "You arrogant son of a bitch! What makes you think I'm going to let you live? What makes you think you can walk out of here?"

Harry simply smiled and waited.

Molly was ushered into the infirmary to find Draco sitting up in bed and drinking some concoction that Poppy was insisting would help his recovery. Narcissa was sitting beside his bed smiling reassuringly and wiping tears from her face.

"Draco dear, Minerva said you needed to see me."

"Yes Molly, I need your help reaching Harry."

"How can I help?"

"I need help with the meditation you taught Harry. It gave him access to a well of power he learned to control and I need to access that so I can help him."

"Oh honey, I would love to help you, but it took Harry weeks to learn this and I don't think we have that kind of time. If you want me to help when…"

"NO! Harry needs me now!" Draco took a deep breath and relaxed, "I apologise for yelling; Harry needs me now if he's to help the others and get out alive. Molly is the meditation you taught Harry anything like what we do for Occlumency?"

Molly smiled, "Yes, it's similar. Are you an accomplished Occlumens?"

Draco smiled, "I am."

Molly sat next to Narcissa, "We'll have a much easier time of this then. Okay, we need to find a comfortable place to do this."

Draco hesitated before saying, "No, I think we should stay here. I have a feeling we'll be needing Poppy during this…and after."

Narcissa looked worried, but before she could question it, Poppy asked, "What potions do you think I'll need?"

"Okay, what's next Ron?"

Ron looked at the rock mountain ahead of his and closed his eyes to focus his senses on the environment around him. He quietly mumbled to himself as the others waited and watched, quickly getting impatient.

"Right, the river Cho told us about is off to the left," pointing in the direction he'd heard the water coming from, "Charlie, you, Fred and George head in that direction. Get as close to the entrance as you can and when I signal you, blow the bloody hell out of it and seal it off."

He turned to the others, "Percy, you Severus and Remus will help me get in the front."

Severus looked at the assemblage grimly, "I doubt I need to remind you that not everyone in there is there freely. If you don't know, stun them. If they aren't friendly, do what you must."

Remus scented the air around him and quietly said, "There're two on the left slightly up the ridge. Watch for them." Raising his head and sniffing again, "There're another three on the right. They're moving but I can't tell in which direction. The scent keeps moving around."

Severus cast the Disillusionment charms over everyone and Remus added the charm to block their scents and they began the trek up the mountain grade.

Ginny paced in front of the bed Harry was tied to ranting and raving about her luck, "I mean really. One's a bloody bender and the other's a power hungry pet…" and "Ginny, you'll be the most powerful…" followed by, "Belt up Bitch! Who in the hell does he think he's dealing with?"

Harry watched her pacing and ranting and slowly began to gather his power into a tight ball in his stomach. He was hoping for an opening soon, but knew he may have to act regardless.

Ginny felt the change in atmosphere and smile as she slowly turned toward Harry, "Think you can actually use your magic to hurt me love? I doubt it. You wouldn't hurt me. You love me."

Harry saw the wicked twinkle in her eye and stared her down, "I loved you; the real you. This…this mess you've become isn't you."

Ginny jumped on the bed and straddled her first love as she dug her wand into his neck and twisted it, "Harry, you never knew the real me. You saw what you wanted and needed to see just like everyone else. I was the invisible one; the baby. Now I'm in control and everyone fears me; listens to me."

Ginny was interrupted by a noise outside the room and McLaggen burst into the room, "Ginny! Some of the women and the cubs are missing. We've looked through the cave system and I've sent some of the younger wolves further in to look, but they seem to have disappeared."

"How's my mate?"

"He's…um, well, he's narked cause he's chained to the wall and is trying to pull them out. I had to reinforce them once already cause he's close to getting loose. I've never seen him this mad."

"Keep looking for the women and kill them when you find them. Bring the cubs back and put them in the main nursery. Have Nott and one of the other guards stand outside here. You and I are going to have a conversation with my mate."

"Harry love, I'll be back in a bit and then you will surrender to me or die. It's really quite simple," she shrugged as she glided from the room followed by McLaggen.

Harry watched them leave and smiled as he felt a light tickle begin in the back of his mind. Shame his time here was almost up, he was really getting used to the sound of the river and felt it rather soothing.

"Harry…" Draco sighed as he felt their minds connect finally. Relief flooded him when he realised his mate was alive and apparently unharmed.

"Molly, I've got him. How do I get my magic to him?"

"How have you done it before?"

"We've always been touching."

"Okay, you need to picture a strong cord between you two, joining your core to Harry's. Pass your magic along the cord and fill him up. Picture him in your mind glowing brighter and brighter as your magic fills him and he's connected to you deeper then you've gone before."

Draco focused on his breathing and pictured Harry standing in the middle of a room with a golden light emanating from deep within him getting brighter with each pulse of magic he sent across the distance. He heard Molly guiding him to slow the exchange so he didn't drain himself and he held back as he waited and watched.

Harry felt his core slowly expanding and sighed, "Draco…" He smiled peacefully as he used the gathering energy to release his bindings; his smile expanding as the rope burns and cuts faded and his mind filled with the peace he found when meditating. The mental caress from his lover was overwhelming and reassuring at the same time.

He opened the door to the room and was confronted by Nott and another man he didn't recognise. He smiled at the startled looks and accioed their wands and asked them inside. "Gentlemen, I believe you will be relaxing in here with me until Ginny returns."

"Not bloody likely Potter," Nott growled as his companion replied, "Who in the hell do you think you are?"

An explosion rocked the cave as Harry answered, "The one leaving here alive." Harry snapped the wands in half and dropped the pieces to the floor. Nott ran toward the front of the cavern yelling for guards and Ginny as he went. Harry stood in the hallway and looked around to get his bearings before slowly following Nott's path.