Ginny Weasley leaned over the table in the Ministry's artifact evaluation room, studying the ancient Snitch with keen interest. The room was quiet, lit by soft, enchanted lamps that floated near the ceiling, casting a warm glow over rows of shelves filled with magical artifacts awaiting examination. A large window on one wall offered a view of the Ministry courtyard, but Ginny was too absorbed to notice. It was unlike any she'd ever seen before - its once-golden wings were tarnished, and the body of the Snitch was covered in faded runes, their meaning long lost to time. She couldn't believe she was getting the chance to examine such an important piece of Quidditch history. It had been dug up from a long-lost vault somewhere in Eastern Europe, tied to a historic Quidditch match over a century ago. Now, the Ministry wanted it examined before it was cleared for display at a museum.

"Look at you," she murmured to herself. "I wonder if there's something inside..."

"Don't touch it."

Ginny's head snapped up at the familiar voice. Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable as he stared at the Snitch. She hadn't paid much attention to him in the past few years, though they'd crossed paths at the Ministry from time to time. He looked much the same as she remembered, but the sharp edges of his youth had softened with time. His blond hair was shorter, neatly kept, and his gray eyes held a seriousness that hadn't been there during their school days. Dressed in professional robes, he still carried himself with the same confident air, though there was a subtle calmness to him now. It wasn't surprising to see him here - he worked in Artifact Preservation - but she hadn't expected him to be involved in this case.

"Malfoy," she said, unable to mask her surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I requested to be here before they potentially destroy this with whatever spell-breaking nonsense they're planning," Draco replied, stepping into the room. "It's an ancient piece. You can't just start prodding it."

Ginny rolled her eyes but ignored him. She turned her attention back to the Snitch, curiosity gnawing at her. The runes were like a riddle waiting to be solved, and every second spent arguing with Draco felt like wasted time. "It doesn't look that dangerous. Just old."

"Apparently not enough to stop you from reaching for it without waiting for the experts to clear it."

Ginny glared at him, the irritation bubbling up. She hated how he always managed to twist things to make her seem reckless. "I am the expert on this Snitch, Malfoy. It's my job to assess the historical significance and magic tied to the game. You're just worried about polishing the thing."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Polishing? Hardly. If this thing has old enchantments tied to the history of Quidditch, then it's a valuable relic that deserves careful preservation."

Ginny clenched her jaw, her patience thinning. Did he think she didn't know that? She turned her attention back to the Snitch, still fascinated by the runes etched into its surface. They called to her, a mix of history and mystery she couldn't resist. What did he know about Quidditch anyway? He hadn't even played since his school days! Her frustration with Draco, combined with her own burning curiosity, made her reckless. "I'm telling you, there's something different about this one. Some of the older Snitches had hidden compartments or charms woven into them. It could hold-"

"Wait!" Draco's voice rang out, sharper than usual, as he crossed the room in quick strides. His typical smugness gave way to a rare expression of genuine concern. "We're supposed to wait for the Cursebreaker. Don't-"

Ginny's hand hovered, hesitating just for a second. She wasn't supposed to handle cursed objects - this assignment was about its historical value, not dark magic. But surely, if there had been any real danger, she wouldn't have been called in. She started to pull back, but the curiosity was too strong. Before she could think twice, her fingertips grazed the surface of the Snitch just as Draco lunged forward, grabbing her wrist.

A flash of bright, blinding light filled the room, and a sharp crack echoed off the walls. Both of them were thrown backward as the magic surged around them.

Ginny groaned as she hit the floor, her whole body humming with leftover magic. The air felt charged, like the moment just before a lightning strike. She blinked rapidly, the faint sensation of something pulling at her chest - like a thread, taut and unbreakable. She rubbed at her ribs, trying to shake the feeling off.

"What the hell did you just do?" Draco hissed, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Ginny.

"Me? You grabbed it too, genius!" Ginny snapped back, getting to her feet unsteadily. "What was I supposed to-"

She stopped mid-sentence, noticing something was...off. She felt an odd pressure in her chest, like a string tied between her and Draco, pulling them closer.

Draco seemed to notice it too. He tried stepping backward, only to be pulled back by an invisible force, dragging him a few feet toward Ginny. They both stumbled, wide-eyed.

Ginny tugged at the invisible bond experimentally, her stomach flipping as it yanked her right back toward Draco. It was like an invisible leash - no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get away. Fantastic, just what I need, she thought bitterly, tethered to Draco Malfoy.

"This has got to be a joke," Draco muttered, his face pale with frustration as he tugged at an invisible bond between them. "Are we stuck together?"

Ginny's hand hovered near the artifact again, now glowing faintly on the table. "I don't know. It seems like we triggered something when we both touched it."

Draco gave her a withering look. "Brilliant observation, Weasley."

Before Ginny could retort, the door creaked open once more. Bill Weasley entered, looking every bit the experienced Cursebreaker he was, though a little out of breath as if he'd hurried to get there. His eyes quickly took in the scene before him: Ginny and Draco, both standing far too close, an almost comical tension on their faces as they tugged in vain against whatever magical bond had just formed.

"So," Bill said, smirking slightly, "you touched the cursed Snitch, didn't you?"

Ginny groaned. "Bill-"

Draco cut in, his annoyance clear.

"If you hadn't been late, Weasley, I wouldn't have had to stop your sister from touching the bloody thing in the first place."

Bill chuckled, shaking his head as he walked toward the table. "Right. Blame it on me. Let me guess - you both touched it at the same time?"

The guilty parties exchanged a look, both scowling.

"Can you fix it?" Ginny asked, feeling the pull of the curse every time she tried to move away from Draco. The sensation wasn't painful, but it was impossible to ignore - like a constant, invisible tether drawing her closer to him.

Bill stepped forward, examining the now-glowing Snitch. "Well, it's definitely cursed, and it looks like it was designed to target two people - likely Seekers." He gave them a bemused smile. "I'll need to study it further to know for sure, but whatever the curse is, you two are stuck together until I figure out how to reverse it."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "You mean we can't-"

"Move apart?" Bill finished for her, nodding. "Yeah, that's about right. You're bound by the magic of the Snitch until we find a way to undo it."

Draco scowled, trying again to step away from Ginny, only to be yanked back toward her. "And? How do we undo it?"

Bill chuckled as he gathered his tools. "Well, first, we'll need to figure out exactly which binding curse it is. Could be a simple magical tether, orit could be something a bit more complicated."

Ginny groaned. "Complicated how?"

Bill gave her an apologetic smile. "We'll have to run some tests. But for now, I'm afraid you two are going to be stuck like this until we can break the spell."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "You've got to be kidding me."

Ginny let out an exasperated sigh. "Fantastic."

Bill gave them a sympathetic, albeit amused, look. "I'll start researching right away. In the meantime, you two will have to stay...close."

"Define 'close'," Draco said tightly, attempting once more to put distance between himself and Ginny, only to be pulled back by the invisible force.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Ginny and Draco exchanged wary glances before taking cautious steps away from each other. They managed about a foot and a half of separation before the invisible tether snapped taut, pulling them abruptly back together. They stumbled, nearly colliding.

"Well," Bill said with a slight smirk, "there's your answer."

Ginny huffed in frustration. "This is unbelievable."

Draco straightened his robes, scowling. "Fantastic. Just when I thought today couldn't get any worse."

Bill's expression turned serious. "Listen, you both need to head upstairs and report this. The department heads should be informed immediately."

"Report this?" Ginny echoed, her eyes widening. "You mean parade around the Ministry like this?"

Draco groaned. "Can't we just wait here until you fix it?"

Bill shook his head. "I need to secure the artifact first, and proper protocol requires you to notify your superiors about any magical mishaps. Besides," he added with a teasing glint in his eye, "it's not every day the Ministry gets to see such...collaboration."

Ginny shot him a withering look. "Very funny."

"Don't worry," Bill said, his tone softening. "I'll be right behind you after I ensure the Snitch is safely contained. Just try not to draw too much attention."

Draco glanced skeptically at the narrow space between him and Ginny. "Easier said than done."

"Come on," Ginny muttered, gesturing toward the door. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner Bill can start fixing this mess."

They moved awkwardly toward the exit, attempting to synchronize their steps to avoid the jarring pull of the curse. As they reached the doorway, Bill called after them.

"And whatever you do, don't try to break the bond yourselves," he warned. "These curses can react unpredictably if tampered with."

"Noted," Ginny replied over her shoulder.

Draco sighed heavily. "Just hurry up, Weasley. I'd rather not spend more time like this than absolutely necessary."

"Trust me," Ginny retorted, "the feeling is mutual."

They exited the room, stepping into the dimly lit corridor. The silence between them was thick as they began walking.

"We need to report this to my department first," Ginny asserted, veering toward the corridor leading to the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

Draco scoffed, resisting her pull. "Absolutely not. The Department for the Preservation of Magical Artifacts is closer and will actually take this seriously."

Ginny shot him a sharp glare. "This is a Quidditch-related artifact. My department should know about the accident before anyone else."

Draco tugged lightly on the invisible tether, trying to steer her in his direction. "Oh, please. Your boss is more interested in broomstick models than cursed objects. We'll be there all day while he tries to figure out where to file the report."

Ginny bristled, resisting his pull. "Stop pulling me! We need to go to someone who actually understands what this is."

Draco's eyes flashed with irritation. "Exactly, which is why we're not wasting time in your department."

They stood in the hallway, each stubbornly trying to lead the other toward their own department, the magical bond preventing either from gaining ground. Their voices echoed off the stone walls as their argument escalated.

"Could you, for once, stop being so impossibly stubborn?" Ginny snapped, tugging in her direction.

"Me? You're the one who refuses to be reasonable," Draco shot back, pulling the opposite way.

Just then, Bill emerged from the artifact room, carrying a secured case containing the cursed Snitch. He paused, taking in the scene before him with a weary sigh.

"You two seriously couldn't even make it past the Atrium?" he remarked, striding toward them.

Both Ginny and Draco turned toward him, speaking in unison.

"He's impossible-"

"She's not listening-"

Bill raised a hand, silencing them both. "Enough. This back-and-forth isn't going to help anyone. Since you can't decide, you're coming with me to the Curse-Breakers' office."

Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but Bill cut her off. "No arguments. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can start figuring out how to undo this curse."

Draco glanced away, muttering under his breath. "Fine."

Ginny folded her arms but nodded reluctantly. "Lead the way."

"Thank you," Bill said pointedly. "Now, try to keep up."