FAITH AND TRUE LOVE (Dramione)✔| Completed

8. Painful Bonds

"What's happening? What do you feel?" Draco asked with worry and pain etched on his sharp pale features.

"I don't know but it's hurting. It's like I am being branded with a hot iron. What's happening to you?" She asked sobbing.

"Same. Do you mind if we show each other our backs? We can at least get an idea of what's happening to us?" Draco said take deep calming breaths.

She hesitated for a moment and then turn around and unzipped her gown. Draco gasped in surprise. He attempted to touch her back but pulled his hand away.

He said,"There's something which is being imprinted, something like a tattoo on your back. It's like some creature but I can't still decipher it."

He pulled her zip up again. He then turned around and removed his layers of clothing. She herself turned around and was observing his back. There was a weird sound that left her dry lips. "Same is the situation with you. What are we going to do?" She said and cried. "Mine is hurting really bad. Yours also must be hurting." He turned around and hugged her. She cried even harder when he squeezed her back accidentally but she left it unsaid because then he would pull away. She didn't want that to happen. She was very careful as to not touch his back where something was being imprinted.

Why? What was that?

She slowly pulled away and dragged him along with her to her bedroom. "Let's take a shower and then change. maybe it will sooth our burning backs." She said once she was a bit calm. She knew if she panicked, she wouldn't be able to think of anything.

"Can I go in first if you don't mind? Till then, just rest." She said. He nodded.

She accioed her clothes and towel and went to shower. She was right. The shower cooled her down a little. The burning sensation calmed down a bit. She suddenly realised that Draco must be in pain as well so she made it real quick and changed before going out. He then got up and himself accioed his clothes. He took a cold shower and let the cold water do into magic. It did work. He felt himself calming down a little.

Meanwhile Hermione was neatly folding her precious gift, her gown given by Draco. She then magically cleaned it of any dirt and conjured up a cover. After putting her gown away, she started racking her brains for the reason behind their condition. She suddenly realised she had read something about bonds and tattoos when she used to spend her leisure time in the library. She was thinking hard to remember. Realisation finally dawned on her. She frowned a little and then her eyes widened.

She remembered, 'The people who share a true love bond, get these tattoos. True love happens once in a 1000 years. The tattoo is generally of some animal of fierce nature. Some wild animal. The male of the animal pair is printed on the woman's back and the female along with the cubs is printed on the man's back. The number of cubs represent the number of children the couple would be having after marriage. The woman is represented on the man's back, if she is in pain, the man will feel it on his tattoo. Same goes the other way around. It takes less than a day to develop once triggered. Till that time, the place where the tattoo are being imprinted becomes sore and it burns.'

'OH MY GOSH! Do we seriously share a true love bond?' she thought to herself not being able to believe. She never forgets what she reads. And if she remembers this, then it's right.

"I will have to tell him. We have to confirm this." She thought aloud.

Just then Draco entered the bedroom after taking the shower. He asked, "What do you have to tell me, love? What do you have to confirm?" She bit her lip nervously.