Bound By Love

Draco stole a glance at Ginny as they walked quietly towards Gryffindor tower. He was apprehensive over having to take on all the Gryffindors especially her brother. "I wonder if there's a way for me to escape unscathed," he pondered.

"Hmm...How about using Weaslette as hostage," he mused mentally. Draco remembered the time when his father made him watched a muggle movie to make fun of. In the movie, a group of men had wanted to rob a bank and thus, one of them grabbed a lady nearby to use her as a hostage. No one dared to do anything because of that and the robbers managed to escape from the police.

Draco smiled slightly when he imagined himself pointing his wand threateningly against Ginny's forehead as he faced her brother. "It just might work," he decided.

"What might work?" Ginny asked, breaking through his reverie.

"Oh, nothing," Draco replied hastily. Ginny looked at him suspiciously, silently warning him not to do anything to her. Draco gulped. He had not thought about how Ginny would react to his plan. From what he had learnt about her in the past few hours, she was not one to mess around with. Suddenly, a mental picture of Ginny kicking him in the shin, when he tried to hold her as hostage, crossed his mind.

"On second thought, I better not try that on her," he thought. Draco was about to think of another plan when Hermione ran over to them.

"At the rate both of you are going, it will already be morning by the time we reach the tower," Hermione commented. Draco stopped to glare at her. His abrupt stop caused Ginny to stumble back, almost losing her balance.

"Really, Malfoy. You should have at least warn me that you're going to stop," Ginny complained. Then she scowled at the chain. "I hate you," she growled.

Despite the fact that he was also suffering from the same predicament as her, Draco grinned. "As if it understands you," he remarked. Ginny shifted her glare to him.

"I loathe you," she bit out.

Draco frowned. "She does wonder to my ego," he thought dryly. It was not that he wanted her to love him or even like him. After all, he had plenty girls who were queuing up just for a chance to be his girlfriend. However, it was the way she had said it; so filled with emotion, so genuine that he wondered if she really thought so lowly of him.

"I abhor you too, Weasley," he shot back.

Suddenly, a loud clang was heard. Both Ginny and Draco stared unbelievingly at the chain between them. It looked shorter.

"What has just happened?" Ginny cried.

Hermione shook her head. "Confession of love will free both of you but every time you declare your hate for each other, the chain will get shorter and shorter," Hermione explained.

"What?" Both Ginny and Draco burst out.

"You should have bear that in mind when you announce your feelings for one another just now," Hermione pointed out.

"You did not inform us earlier," Draco countered.

Hermione smiled sheepishly. "While we're at this, let me warn you not to hex each other. This bind between you will cause both of you to suffer from the attack," she said hastily. "Anyway, I better head to the tower first. I think its better to prepare Ron and Harry for this rather than they see both you chained together immediately," she continued.

Ginny nodded. "Go on then," she said. "We'll take our time reaching there." Ginny watched as Hermione hurried along the corridor. She wondered how long it would take Hermione to calm her brother down.

For a while, there was silence between Draco and Ginny, each not knowing what to say to each other. Then Ginny broke the silence. "Nervous?" she asked sarcastically.

Draco glanced at her. "Definitely not," he answered in an offended tone. "Besides, I'll probably be able to take on all the Gryffindor boys single-handedly."

"Pretty arrogant for a mere ferret," Ginny commented.

"Shut up, weasel," Draco snapped.

Ginny grinned. "Ah! Your wit so astounds me," she announced dramatically, placing her free hand over her heart.

"Shut up," Draco repeated, starting to walk faster and faster as though trying to get away from her. That was impossible, of course.

"Ah! There it goes again," Ginny murmured in a fake astounded voice. "Tsk tsk. You have such limited vocabulary. Do you know that you can use phrases like 'be silent' or 'be quiet' or 'kindly refrain from talking' or......."

"Silence!" Draco bellowed, causing Ginny to jump in fright.

Ginny quickly looked around anxiously. "Shh...Do you want Filch to catch us?"

"You goad me into it. I'm wondering why I don't just hex you to oblivion," he threatened.

"That's because you can't do that without hurting yourself, you slimy git," Ginny pointed out.

Draco glared at her for a while. "Let's just go," he said and continued to walk with her in tow. Ginny let out a triumphant grin. Nothing brightened her day err...night like putting an arrogant Malfoy in his place.

Meanwhile,

"Umm...Harry, Ron," Hermione called as she approached them.

"Hey, Hermione," Ron said. "Where's Ginny?" he asked.

"Umm...There's something that I need to tell you. It's about Ginny," Hermione started, thinking of ways on how to break the news to them. "They'll be furious," she thought dreadfully.

"What is it, Hermione?" Harry asked, noticing the troubled look on her face.

Hermione sat opposite them and continued rather too eagerly, "Do you know that there is such thing as the Soulmates Band? I just found out about it."

Both Ron and Harry glanced at each other, looking rather confused. "What is that?" Harry asked.

"It was invented by a famous wizard to bind couples, who are destined to be soulmates, together," Hermione explained hesitantly.

"Are you sure there's such thing?" Ron asked dubiously. "Sounds like a bunch of....."

"I've already seen it, Ron," Hermione interrupted.

Harry nodded. "What does that have to do with anything though?" he asked.

"Uh...you see...I...we...."Hermione stammered, looking very uncertain. "Oh! I'm going to strangle Pansy for starting this mess," she thought menacingly. Hermione looked at Harry and Ron. Harry looked predictably puzzled and slightly interested but it was Ron who worried her. For some unknown reason, Ron's face was crimson red and he uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Hermione asked, alarmed.

"So....you...want...to...uh...want...." Ron stammered, blushing furiously.

"Want what, Ron?" Hermione snapped, getting slightly irritated by his strange behaviour.

Ron took a deep breath and asked quickly, "You want to experiment it on....... me?"

For a while, everyone stared disbelievingly at Ron. Ron looked as though he wanted to disappear into the ground.

"What!" Hermione burst out. It was now her turn to blush furiously. "You...I...what?" she exclaimed, looking at loss for words.

Harry, who found the whole situation amusing, guffawed at his friends' antics. Ron scowled at him. "It's not funny," he growled.

"This is about Ginny, Ron," Hermione pointed out in a strangled voice, pink tinges were still evident on her cheeks.

"Oh!" Ron managed, looking very embarrassed. Harry, who was enjoying his friends' discomfort, laughed even more heartily.

"Shut up, Harry!" Both Hermione and Ron snapped. Harry stopped but he continued to smile smugly at them.

Desperate to move on to a less mortifying topic, Ron continued hastily, "So, what is it about Ginny and the Soulmates Band. She want to try it with Harry?" Harry raised his eyebrow at the statement.

"No, Ron. She's already over Harry, remember," Hermione said.

"She wants to try it on Dean then?" Ron quizzed.

"No," Hermione replied curtly.

"Someone else who catches her fancy?" he continued to guess.

Hermione gave a sigh of exasperation. "At this rate, Ginny and Malfoy will be here before I can even explain the situation," she muttered under her breath.

"What is it then, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Yes. Don't keep us in suspense," Ron added.

Just before Hermione could speak, the door to the portrait hole opened. Hermione groaned as stunned silence filled the whole common room. Everybody present had stopped whatever they were doing to stare at the unwelcome visitor. Hermione knew exactly who had entered the room.

For a moment, no one reacted. Draco looked at the bewildered faces around him. "Still can't get over their shock? How pathetic," he thought snidely, momentarily forgetting that he was at the mercy of these people.

"Stay away from my sister!" Ron shouted the moment he snapped out of his stupor.

Draco sneered at the enraged boy who was now approaching him.

"Really, Weasley. Do you think I will want to be seen close to a Weasley?" he asked. He then held up the chain that was holding him and Ginny together for everyone to see. Gasps were heard as everyone stared in disbelief at the chain between Ginny and Draco.

Ron turned to face Hermione. "That is the Soulmates Band you were talking about just now? How can my sister and him be soulmates?" he demanded.

Even Harry looked furious. "What is going on, Hermione?" he asked, glaring dangerously at his archenemy. By the now, everyone's bewilderment was already replaced by anger and indignation. Several of them, including Neville, had already had their wands drawn and pointed towards Draco.

Draco gulped. "I've told you this is a bad idea," Draco whispered at Ginny.

"Ginny, aren't you going to explain?" Ron demanded, his eyes fixed on Draco as he waved his wand menacingly at him.

Hermione stood in front of Draco and Ginny as though trying to protect both of them from Ron. "It's not their fault, Ron. It was an accident," Hermione tried to explain.

"Accident or not, we're going to make Malfoy sorry that he ever chained himself to Ginny and still had the gull to come over to our common room to flaunt it to us. Right, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Right," Harry agreed, followed by nods from across the common room.

"Weasley, I think we should run," Draco said to Ginny. He was outnumbered and no one in his right mind would still want to stay and fight.

Before Ginny could agree though, Hermione announced to her enraged housemates, "You can't do that. This band has special powers and if you hex Malfoy, Ginny will suffer the same effect too. You don't want Ginny to get hurt, do you?"

"Ginny, why do you have to get stuck with him?" Ron asked. "Not that I want you to try that thing with someone else. But Malfoy? That is just too much."

"It isn't my fault, Ron," Ginny snapped. Ron looked at her disbelievingly. He was about to protest when Hermione interjected, "It's not her fault. Pansy accidentally put it on her when they argued just now." Ron sighed. He looked lost and uncertain on what to do.

"What do you reckon we should do now, Ron?" asked Dean Thomas, who had stood behind Ron.

"Well, if we cannot do it the wizard's way," Ron began as he rolled up his sleeve. "We'll do it the muggle's way then." A murmur of agreement spread throughout the whole room.

Draco gulped. "I should have known listening to the mudblood is a bad idea," he grumbled. He took a step backwards but they continued to advance towards him.

"Stop!" Ginny shouted. She pushed him slightly behind her as though trying to protect him.

Draco scowled at her back. "I don't really need you to protect me, Weasley," he growled.

Ginny glanced over her shoulder and snapped, "This is not the time for misplaced pride, Malfoy." Draco raised his eyebrow at her tone. The girl in front of him right now was a totally different person from the shy timid girl he remembered in his second year.

"Ginny, Malfoy has already stated that he don't want you to protect him. Let us at him, Ginny," Ron said condescendingly.

"No. Don't hurt him," Ginny said, glaring at her brother. Draco noticed the stunned look on everyone's face as Ginny said that. They had already stopped their advance on him." She's really good at intimidating people," he realized somewhat admiringly.

"I don't know that you care for me, Weasley," Draco whispered in her ear.

Ginny whirled on him. "I don't. It's just that if they beat you up, I might accidentally get beaten up too," she retorted.

Draco frowned. "And I thought I was the self-centered one," he grumbled.

"Ginny," Ron whined. "We'll be most careful, I promise. We won't touch you at all. Just let me get him." Ginny stared at her brother incredulously. The rest of the Gryffindors too looked doubtful for they knew there was no way that they could get to Malfoy without hurting Ginny.

Harry sighed. "Do you know how to get free from this...this...chain?" he asked Ginny.

Ginny bit her lips nervously. "A sincere confession of love," she answered.

"What!" everyone shouted. Draco grinned. The sight of horrified Gryffindors staring at him was rather comical and would be permanently etched as one of his most precious memories.

"That is never going to happen," Ron scowled.

"Isn't there any other way, Hermione?" Dean asked, as he looked worriedly at Ginny.

"No, we even talked to Dumbledore but...." Hermione explained but Draco interrupted.

"But the silly wanker has no other solution," Draco finished for Hermione.

"Don't call him that, Malfoy," Harry warned. Harry glanced at Ginny and his gaze softened. "There has to be another way," he insisted.

"We are trying to find a way, Harry. That's why Malfoy and I are here now. We want you to know what is going on and help us," Ginny explained. Then she turned to Ron and added, "We also do not want you to overreact when you later find out about it from someone else."

Harry smiled at Ginny. "Don't worry, Gin. We'll do what we can to help. Right, Ron?" he asked, as he nudged his best friend slightly.

Ron tore his glare away from Draco. "Uh...yes...We'll do anything to free you from this slimy git," he agreed. Then he turned back to Draco and said, "In the meantime, you better not try anything funny with my sister or the consequences will be dreadful."

"Yes," Dean seconded. "We'll be watching your every move, Malfoy." Draco merely ignored the warning.

Ginny stifled her yawn. "This has been such a tiring day," she murmured. "Good night, everyone," she added as she gave her housemates a tired wave and left for her dorm, pulling Malfoy with her.

Draco looked at the scandalized faces of the people around him. He grinned. Then he walked slightly ahead of Ginny and drawled in a loud voice, "Come on, Weasley. Our bed awaits."

Draco's grin widened even further when he heard muffled protests and there were scrambling of chairs behind them. Oh, how he wished he could just turn around and have a look at Ron's horrified face.

"Let me at him. Let me at him," Ron was shouting. Obviously, some of his friends were trying to hold him back. "Make him sleep on the floor, Ginny," Ron choked out just before Ginny and Draco disappeared behind the stairs.

"Oh, I sure will," Ginny mumbled.

Once they were in her dorm, Ginny elbowed Draco in the stomach. "Wha...aat?" Draco said in a strangled voice, caught completely unaware.

Ginny giggled at his pained expression. "Serves you right," she said admonishingly, looking not at all intimidated by his glare. "Don't try to glare at me when you are in pain, Malfoy. It's pathetic," Ginny snickered.

"What's that for?" Draco demanded.

Ginny smirked. Then adopting Draco's voice, she repeated, "Come on Weasley. Our bed awaits."

Draco winced at her imitation of himself. "It did sound rather morbid," he admitted. "Hey!" Draco exclaimed, when Ginny suddenly moved towards her bed, causing him to almost stumble to the floor.

"What are you doing?" he questioned as he watched Ginny threw a pillow and a blanket on the floor. "How generous of you but I don't see why you have to sleep on the floor when I'm perfectly willing to let you share this bed with me," he said with a grin.

Ginny frowned. "This is my bed, Malfoy. You're the one who's sleeping on the floor."

"No way!" Draco protested. "Malfoys never sleep on the floor."

"There's a first time to everything, isn't there?" Ginny retorted sardonically. When she saw that Draco was about to argue with her, she immediately cut it, "I can just tell my brother and his friends that you keep insisting in sharing my bed with me. I'm sure they want to have their say in it."

Draco visibly paled. The boys would not just want their say in it. They would also want to have their fists planted in his face. Ginny, realizing that she had successfully managed to frighten Draco, then adopt an air-hostess voice and said, "Now, that we have come to an agreement, why don't you make yourself comfortable on the floor."

Draco scowled at her. "Why can't she be meek and easy to be bullied?" he thought in exasperation as he prepared to sleep.

"Good night, Malfoy," Ginny whispered as she settled comfortably in her bed. Draco merely grunted in response.

Close to half an hour later, Draco sat up. He turned to the sleeping girl. "Weasley, he whispered. There was no answer. Draco grinned as he quietly stood up.

"No one tells a Malfoy what to do," he said softly as he stealthily climbed onto the bed beside Ginny. "And Malfoys never sleep on the floor," he continued sleepily.

He did not care if Ginny was going to tell her brother or tried to maim him herself. For now, he only wanted a soft, comfortable bed to sleep on. "I'll worry about them tomorrow," he muttered before finally dozing off besides the very girl whose family had a long-standing feud with his.

To be continued...