“Where…is…Hermione?” Ron asked in a very calculated voice which held a bit of an edge to it. He stood looking over Draco’s shoulder at the Hermione-less photo. It then dawned on him that something else was missing that had been in the original photo…Fenrir Greyback. “And where is that werewolf maniac?”

Ron’s whole body began to shake with rage at the situation and fear for Hermione. Mrs. Weasley tried to step forward and comfort her son. “Don’t worry, Ron dear, I’m sure she’s fine,” Molly comforted, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Ron jerked away from her touch as if she’d burned him. “Mum, I can’t even talk to you right now. Do you know that your idiotic Chastity Charm made it so I couldn’t even so much as hold Hermione’s hand for months before she was taken by a stark-raving mad killer? Just…leave me be.”

Ron turned and fled out the front door of the Burrow. Molly gulped hard in an attempt to not cry, turning her attention to the other three. She grabbed Draco in one of her famous hugs.

“Are you alright, Draco?” she asked apprehensively, trying to avoid another emotional outburst.

Draco nodded as his eyes continued to scan this newest photo of Luna. Her head was leaned forward, her pale blond tresses blocking any view of her face. “I’m fine. Just thinking that my father will pay for all he’s done to ruin my life. He won’t be so fine.”

Mrs. Weasley, still a bit flustered, ushered Harry, Ginny, and Draco into the kitchen for an early supper. After she had them all tucked in eating corned beef sandwiches on rye bread, Molly grabbed herself a steaming cuppa and sat with them. She quietly regarded them over the rim of her rosebud tea cup before shakily setting it into the saucer, sloshing a bit of tea.

“Is it really like he says?” she asked no one in particular, her eyes downcast.

Harry nodded, even though she wasn’t looking at him. “I’m sorry, but it’s true. They’ve been that way since Hermione put the ring on.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded her head slightly. “I guess I owe them both an apology for overdoing it. Charlie’s coming this afternoon with someone named Morgan. Maybe I should let Ron be until he comes. Ron’s always been close to Charlie. Maybe what I have to tell him will come as less of a blow if he hears it from his big brother.”

Ron stayed away all afternoon. Just as Mrs. Weasley had said, Charlie showed up at about five o’ clock.

“Hey Mum,” he said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. Mrs. Weasley flung her arms around him. Her voice hitched a little as she tried to keep from crying when she spoke.

“Oh, Charlie! Thank goodness you’re here! Ron’s been gone all day!”

“Did you tell him?” Charlie asked, rubbing his petite mother’s back comfortingly.

“I didn’t get a chance to. He came at me yelling almost as soon as he got here. I don’t think I can handle telling him.”

“Well, I think I might know where to find him,” Charlie said, pulling back from his mother. “Do you want me to tell him about the charm?”

Molly Weasley knew Ron would not take the news well. She also knew that the charm plus the kidnapping was going to equal a pretty miserable Christmas for Ron. “Would you, Charlie? If you can do that I can fix his favorite dessert. You know, try to get his mind off of things for a bit.”

Charlie nodded and headed for the door. Before he made it out, Mrs. Weasley stopped him. “Oh, Charlie, where’s your friend Morgan? Didn’t she come?”

“Oh yes, she’s here,” Charlie said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Well invite her in,” Mrs. Weasley insisted. “We can have a cup of tea and get to know each other while you find Ron.”

“Mum, Morgan’s out having what she called a walkabout,” Charlie explained with a smile. “I’ll introduce you in a while.”

Charlie found Ron on the far side of the Weasleys’ pond, near the edge of the forest. He was chucking large rocks into it’s chilly depths as fast as he could pick them up.

“Hey little brother, fancy a chat?” Charlie called across the water. Ron didn’t answer, and just sat on a large, flat stump in the edge of the woods as Charlie came around to join him. He didn’t look up as Charlie sat on the other side of the stump.

“I’m afraid I’ve got a bit of news for you.”

“Well go ahead and heap it onto the enormous pile of dung that is currently called my life,” Ron said cynically.

Charlie sighed deeply. “The Chastity Charm can only be reversed two ways.”

He now had Ron’s full attention. “What exactly do you mean?”

“Well, Ron, you know how Mum can be a bit overprotective sometimes. Well, she slightly overdid the charm,” Charlie explained, pausing for a moment. “The only ways to get rid of it are to get married or to…consummate your relationship.”

“Consummate?” Ron asked, confusion plainly seen on his face.

Charlie smiled, amused at his brother’s lack of knowledge. “You know…have a shag.”

“Oh. OH!” Ron exclaimed, understanding dawning on him. “But how do you do…that…with the charm’s side effects?”

“Well, I dunno,” Charlie reasoned. “I guess if you could withstand the loud sounds for a few minutes, I reckon that it’d be gone soon enough. But I don’t recommend doing it that way. Mum would flay you alive, as would Mr. and Mrs. Granger.”

“Well, it’d be Mum’s own fault,” Ron accused. Fresh anger at his mother bubbled up inside of him.

“Don’t be so down on Mum, little brother. Besides, I might just have something that could be helpful. Call it an early Christmas present.”

Charlie pulled an old, tattered book out of his robes and handed it to Ron, who carefully studied the cover. The book was called Soul Sharing by Lucinda Davies. “Soul sharing?” Ron asked quizzically. Charlie opened the book to the first page and pointed, indicating that Ron should read.

“It’s got to do with sending your soul out of your body. There’s an incantation to learn. If two people did this together, their souls could experience anything their bodies could. Whatever your soul experiences, according to the book, your physical body would feel; for instance, a kiss.”

“Okay, Charlie, two things. What are you doing with a book like this, and could I learn to do it on my own…maybe communicate with Hermione, wherever she is?”

Charlie smiled at Ron’s change in attitude. “First off, my reasons for looking at stuff like that is strictly my business. Second, I’m not sure about what you could do. I’m sure like anything else though, it takes practice. Now do you think you could find it in you to forgive Mum and come up to the house and let her know? She’s a basket case.”

“Yeah, I guess I could,” Ron said, getting to his feet.

Charlie fell in step beside him. “Oh and, Ron? I wouldn’t let Mum see that book if I was you.”

Ron and Draco were both about as cheerful as anyone who’s had their love kidnapped could be. Draco spent his time in the attic, which was his room whenever he was at the Weasleys’. Mostly he thought about the types of things he’d like to do to his father when they were finally face to face.

Ron spent his time shut in his room, absorbed in the book Charlie had given him. Most people assumed that Ron had no aptitude for book learning, but this was simply not the case. When properly motivated, Ron could be quite studious. Getting to where he could possibly communicate with Hermione was quite motivational. He’d learned the incantation, anima absolvo, and had tried it a few times, so far with only small results. Ron was pretty sure he’d managed to project himself into the oven downstairs where Mrs. Weasley was baking Christmas cookies. The shock of the heat had sent him right back. That experience had made Ron realize that he’d have to work harder at clearing his mind before attempting to leave his body. Also, never when the tantalizing smells from his mum’s cooking were wafting up the stairs.

The same evening that Charlie had given Ron the book, Mrs. Weasley had met Morgan, without Charlie’s introduction. She’d gone out to gather eggs for a caramel pudding for Ron and had found Morgan out by the barn. After screaming and dropping an entire basket of eggs, Molly had run screaming back into the house, yelling for her dragon-taming son to come do his job. After a stiff cup of tea and a proper introduction by Charlie, Molly had been thrilled with Morgan. She had even had Arthur cast a Warming Charm on the barn so Morgan could sleep comfortably. Mrs. Weasley could currently be found knitting a dragon-sized scarf in between decking the Burrow out for Christmas and baking.

Harry and Ginny spent a lot of time volunteering to do outside chores for Mrs. Weasley. It took them the better part of an hour one day to gather eggs. They blamed this on an overprotective hen who didn’t want to part with her eggs, but Molly wasn’t so sure. She did all of the egg-gathering after that.

Christmas Eve found the Burrow fully decked out in Christmas splendor. Branches of evergreen and holly hung everywhere. Smells of cinnamon and fresh baking snaked through the air. Fred and George came in for the night, bringing with them a star for the Christmas tree which belted out Christmas carols anytime anyone walked by. Bill and Fleur, who’d been dating for quite a while now, also came so they could share in the holidays. The whole family was gathered that evening in the living room after dinner, swapping past Christmas memories; everyone except for Charlie who was out in the barn with Morgan, and Draco and Ron who were each in their own rooms moping. Mrs. Weasley knew that they were worried about Hermione and Luna, but she was afraid they would make themselves sick with that worry.

While the rest of the family reminisced, Molly went up to the attic. Not bothering to knock, she barged in on the sight of Draco laying crossways on the bed, staring at the latest picture of Luna. She grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, Draco dear.”

She led him down the stairs and along the hall to Ron’s room, where she pushed open the door and led Draco in.

“If you two boys are determined to spend the holiday moping, you can at least do it in the same room, that way you won’t be alone.”

She gently pushed Draco in farther. “I’ll bring you boys up a tray of hot cider and fresh shortbread.”

With that she left, closing the door behind her. Ron looked up from the book he was reading to warily eye the Hermione-less photo Draco held.

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything else?” Ron asked hopefully. Hermione’s absence from the photo had him greatly worried.

Draco shook his head. “Sorry. Nothing.”

Ron nodded as if somehow he had expected that answer. He pointed towards a padded window seat on one side of the room. “You might as well sit down. There’s no way Mum’s going to let you up to the attic until bedtime.”

Draco made his way over to the window seat and sat down, pushing open the windows. Staying inside the four walls of his room moping had been more stifling than he’d thought. The cool night air that flooded into the room seemed to sharpen his dulled senses. He inhaled the crisp scent before noticing that Ron again had his nose in his book. As far as Draco knew, Ron had never been particularly studious.

“What are you reading?” Draco asked. “It must really be something.”

Ron looked quizzical for a moment before holding the book up to Draco. Draco moved from the window seat to sit on the end of Ron’s bed, taking the book and reading the front cover.

“Soul sharing?” Draco asked dubiously, raising one eyebrow.

Ron’s cheeks reddened as Draco continued his perusal of the book. “Charlie gave it to me to help with me and Hermione’s…problem. But I’ve been thinking that it could be used for more. Maybe…maybe I could talk to Hermione…reach her wherever she is.”

“Have you got it to work yet?” Draco asked, still a bit skeptical.

Ron again looked a bit embarrassed. “Well, yeah, I did do it…once. I just didn’t end up where I meant to.”

Draco eyed the book with new interest. “Will you show me how?”

Before Ron could answer, the same owl that always heralded correspondence from Lucius Malfoy flew in through the open window. He circled once to drop a letter, and then was gone back out the window with a flash of feathers into the night sky.

Draco eagerly snatched up the letter, sliding a new photo out of the folded parchment. Hermione was back, chained to the marble block with twice the amount of chains as before. Her head hung forward, keeping her face hidden from view. Luna, however, had her head up. Desperation flashed in her eyes, and her mouth moved as if silently pleading. Draco balled up a fist and punched the stone chimney flue that ran up through Ron’s room, busting open his knuckles. Ron took the letter from Draco and unfolded it. It held only two lines.

Miss Granger was very bad and needed punishment. Have a very merry Christmas gentlemen; I’ll be calling for you soon.

Ron balled up the letter and threw it down, then taking another look at the photo Draco held.

“Please, Hermione, please look up!”

As if somehow sensing Ron’s pleas, Fenrir Greyback entered from the side of the photo. He reached out, grabbing Hermione’s chin and forcing her head up. Both of Hermione’s eyes were swollen shut and her eyelids were discolored. A dark bruise marred the skin of her jaw line, and a deep, angry cut ran the length of one cheekbone. There were smudges of dried blood all over her face. Fenrir Greyback turned forward and smiled crookedly, roughly letting Hermione’s head fall forward.

Ron began to pace back and forth, his face set determinedly. “This can not continue! I’ve got to do something about this.”

Purposefully he strode over to the bed and snatched up his book, quickly flipping through the pages until he found what he wanted.

“Got an idea?” Draco asked, again sitting on the end of Ron’s bed and using the tail of his shirt to wrap around his injured hand.

Ron answered while he was reading. “We might be able to communicate with the girls without your father finding out. There’s another spell in here towards the back. It’s different that the other one I used. This one doesn’t transport your soul, only your mind. It’s kind of like telepathy, but we’d have to do a test first to make sure it works.”

Fred and George sat in the living room with the rest of the family, when Mrs. Weasley suggested that maybe they could go into the kitchen and get some hot cider for everyone.

“Wait, Mum, we’ll get it,” Ginny volunteered, pulling Harry to his feet. She dragged him out of the room by his arm before Mrs. Weasley could protest.

“I’m starting to trust those two less and less,” she stated suspiciously.

“Now, Mollywobbles, they’re just young people in love. How much trouble can they get into in the kitchen? It’s not exactly as isolated as the chicken coop,” Arthur pointed out, purposefully using her nickname to embarrass her and take her out of attack mode.

George began to feel a strange tickling behind his ears. The sensation continued for a few minutes and Fred began to observe his twin with anxiety.

“George, please don’t flip out…just listen.”

George frowned, which he rarely did, causing his twin even more concern. “George, you all right?” Fred asked in a whisper.

“Yeah, hang on a minute,” George answered a bit tritely as the voice in his head continued.

“George, it’s Ron. Please don’t worry about how I’m doing this. I need to know if Mum’s headed up with the tray she was bringing. Just think your answer and I’ll hear you.”

George shook his head and then tried to think back to Ron. “Can you hear me, Ron?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Mum just sent Harry and Ginny to the kitchen to get cider, so I’m sure she’ll be up with your tray pretty soon.”

“Okay, George, I need you and Fred to keep Mum downstairs, no matter what. Draco and I think we found a way to talk to Hermione and Luna and I don’t want her to worry about what we’re doing.”

George smiled, easing Fred’s nerves. “Don’t worry, little brother, we’ll handle it. We’re experts at diversions. How long do you need?”

“Just a few minutes. I need to make sure Hermione’s okay. We just got a new picture, and she’s hurt pretty bad.”

“All right, Ronnekins. And I’m sorry about Hermione.”

“Thanks, George. About fifteen minutes should do it.”

“Hey, Fred,” George said to his twin, “let’s go check on that cider.”

George crossed his fingers as his unquestioning twin followed him down the hall. Come on Harry and Ginny, don’t let me down now, George thought.

Much to George’s delight, Ginny had Harry backed up against the counter, the hot cider completely forgotten. Good old dependable Fred, always up for a little mayhem, turned to George and smiled. Loudly he began to sing, with George following right along.

“Harry and Ginny-” “Sitting in a tree-” “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

By this time they had their little sister’s full attention. “I’m going to get you two!” she yelled running towards them, her face as red as her hair. George motioned to Fred and the two made a break for the living room, where they ran in circles around Molly’s chair, again singing.

“Harry and Ginny-” “Sitting in a car-” “Are they snogging?” “Yes they are!”

Ginny reached Fred first and ran after him, pummeling him with her fists. Fred fought her off using fake karate moves and loud ’hiyahs’. George continued singing.

“Harry and Ginny, kissing in a cave! Even there they can’t behave!”

“Mum!” Ginny screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Now see here you two,” Mrs. Weasley warned, coming to her feet. Suddenly she found herself in the middle of an impromptu game of ring-around-the-rosy. Fred and George each grabbed one of Ginny’s swinging fists and circled her around Mrs. Weasley and the chair.

Ginny again yelled as she was forced into their game. “Mum! Make them stop!”

Harry watched from his spot in the doorway. Little scenes like this at the Burrow showed him what a family was really like. He figured that Ginny could handle herself and decided to go up and check on Ron and Draco. With one last chuckle and shake of his head at the twins’ antics, Harry headed up the stairs.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to reach her,” Ron said with a shake of his head. “I was just barely able to reach downstairs with my own wand. I need more power.”

Ron leapt to his feet and ran over to his school trunks. After a few minutes of digging, he found Hermione’s wand. It had been in her shopping bags and Ron was keeping it safe for her.

“Draco, I need you to try Hermione’s wand. It won’t work as good as if Hermione was here, but it will be better than mine by itself.”

Draco knew this was the truth. He had seen Ron and Hermione’s wands in action together at D.A. meetings. He took Hermione’s wand, swearing he could feel a dull thrumming from deep inside the wand’s core.

“Ready?” Ron asked. Draco again took a seat on the end of the bed and nodded. Ron pointed his wand at himself and yelled, “Mentis flexus!”

After a minute, Ron’s features went blank as they had during their earlier attempt. Draco hesitated only a moment before aiming Hermione’s wand at Ron and saying, “Mentis flexus.”

A silver cord shot out of Hermione’s wand, twining around the cord Ron’s wand had produced. The cords then wrapped around Ron’s head.

This was the scene Harry walked in on. Not understanding what was going on, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at his best friend, yelling, “Finite Incantatum!”

Almost immediately the silver cords disappeared in a wisp of vapor. Ron shook his head, coming back to his senses.

“What happened? I was getting farther. Why’d you stop?”

Draco held up his hands, shaking his head. “Don’t look at me,” he said, pointing over his shoulder to where Harry stood looking very confused.

“I didn’t know what was going on,” Harry explained. “What were you two doing?”

Draco was a bit aggravated that they’d been interrupted. “Oh nothing much, just trying to communicate with our girlfriends who’ve been kidnapped. No big deal. Please, feel free to hold us up longer.”

Ron got up and walked across the room. He handed Harry the latest photo of Hermione and Luna. As Harry studied the photo, Fenrir kept lifting Hermione’s battered face and then letting her head drop, grinning like a lunatic. Anger flooded through him as he saw his best friend’s injuries over and over again. “I’m sorry,” he said. “But maybe I can help.”

“How can you?” Draco asked a bit harshly. Anger at his father and worry for Luna had his nerves worn all the way down. “Unless you can help us strengthen a telepathy spell that is.”

Harry stood helplessly quiet for a minute before an idea came to him. “I might be able to do just that,” he said, turning back to leave the room. “We’ll need Ginny.”

“Harry?” Ron asked, stopping his best friend in his tracks.

Harry turned and smiled at Ron. “I’m just getting us a little help from Godric and Rowena.”

Ron nodded in understanding as Harry left the room.

After a few minutes, Harry returned with Ginny in tow. With them they brought a tray of hot cider and shortbread, which Ginny sat on Ron’s dresser.

“Sorry it took so long,” Harry apologized. “I had to get Ginny away from Fred and George. They were getting ready to tie her to the Christmas tree and do an Indian war dance around her. Your mum’s got them cleaning up because they knocked the tree over. And here’s the tray she was bringing up. We told her we’d join you and we’d all have a nice long chat. So, shall we get started?”

Harry pulled a chair over by Ron’s bed and sat. “What’s the incantation?” he asked.

“It’s Mentis flexus. You ready?” Ron questioned.

“Just a minute,” Harry said, pulling his lion amulet half out of his shirt. He cast a questioning glance at Ginny. She came and sat with him, pulling out her raven amulet half and snapping it into Harry’s half. The blue ribbon which now crossed the front of the whole amulet flashed brightly. “Now we’re ready.”

Ron nodded and then wasted no time in casting the Telepathy Charm on himself. Draco, again using Hermione’s wand, joined in. With the power of Godric and Rowena’s amulet, Harry and Ginny also cast the Telepathy Charm. Four silver cords now twisted and wound themselves around Ron’s head. Ron’s face again went blank and he fell back against the pillows.

It felt like he was flying. The landscape around him was a foggy blur of color. The previous times he’d tried the charm, he’d moved much slower. His racing mind suddenly stopped as if hitting a brick wall. Ron saw nothing but darkness.

Hermione had spent most of the day slipping in and out of consciousness. She was fairly certain she had a concussion. They’d beaten her quite badly for what she’d done. She’d performed wandless magic. Without the aid of her wand, she’d managed to slip out of the cold iron chains which held her. She was free no longer than a second before Fenrir Greyback again held her captive. She was now bound very tightly with enchanted chains which would most assuredly prevent further escape. Luna, chained next to Hermione, went back and forth from crying to ranting about what she would like to do to Lucius Malfoy and his minion. Fenrir had slapped her a good many times.

“Hermione?”

Hermione opened the one eye she could see a bit out of and looked around. In her hazy vision she saw nothing but Luna and the cold, stone chamber where they were being kept.

“Hermione, can you hear me?”

Now I know I have a concussion, Hermione thought. I’m hearing Ron’s voice.

“Oh good, you can hear me. And you haven’t got a concussion. I’m using a Telepathy Charm. Well, Draco, Harry, and Ginny are helping me. I had to know if you’re okay.”

“Well, I really do think I have a concussion,” Hermione thought back to Ron, “but all the rest I’m sure looks much worse than it is.”

“Hermione, can you open both of your eyes?”

“I can try.”

With much effort and some pain, Hermione was able to open one eye fully and the other about halfway.

“The book was right! I can see everything you can!”

“Oh, Hermione?” Luna said, trying to get Hermione’s attention.

Hermione turned to look at Luna, who was staring at her rather strangely. Luna smiled at her. “I do hope you’re going to be all right, Hermione. Oh, and hello, Ron. Listen, could you give Draco a message for me? Tell him that after I do a jig on the dead and lifeless body of his father that I’d like him to-”

What followed was a string of some of the naughtiest things they’d ever heard. Ron was sure that if his mind was with his body, he’d be blushing. They were both stunned enough that they didn’t even question how exactly Luna knew that Ron’s mind was with Hermione’s.

Hermione didn’t get a chance to reply as Lucius Malfoy came in followed by Fenrir Greyback. Fenrir was carrying an unconscious form, which he began to chain to yet another stone block on Luna’s other side. Luna had managed to wiggle one of her feet a little loose and as Lucius walked past her, she kicked him in his side.

Lucius doubled over with a grunt, but came up smiling. He patted Luna on the cheek as she smiled down at him.

“You know, Fenrir, I’ve been thinking,” Lucius began, his eyes scanning Luna’s pale face. “You’ve been such a great help to me. You deserve a treat.”

Lucius brushed a strand of pale blond hair out of Luna’s face. “I hope you’re hungry, Fenrir.”