Hermione stared at Harry.

"You can't tell anyone," Harry begged her. "I have no idea how it happened!"

Her mouth twitched. It opened. It closed. Her eyebrows danced together for a moment before she burst out giggling.

Harry scowled at her as she looked at him, and it set off another peal of laughter. "Oh, you shut it."

"You know, people have been wishing you two would get a room for ages now—"

"Oh, ha ha," Harry said grumpily. He folded his arms and furrowed his eyebrows. He looked around the castle courtyard to see if anyone had overheard, but thankfully there was no one nearby.

"Harry, you are such an idiot!" Hermione said, trying to stop laughing and failing.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Where's Draco?" she asked.

"How would I know?" Harry asked her.

"Because your bond should be growing," Hermione said getting to her feet. "Stand up and let's go find Draco."

"I don't think—" Harry blustered.

"No, you don't," Hermione said crisply. "Now get hold of yourself and come on."

Harry reluctantly got to his feet and started towards the castle. He didn't feel anything strange, but his feet seemed to know the way when he thought of Draco and he felt a tugging at the base of his skull and the top of his head.

He found him in their quarters, to his relief.

Hermione shuffled Harry in before closing the door.

"Harry told me everything." Hermione told Draco as if she were announcing the weekly weather report. Draco made a strangled sound, and Harry let out a squeak before going pale. His knees wobbled and he sat down on the couch, not facing Draco who had been going over his homework before they had come in.

She cleared her throat and recited, as if from memory. "Among other famous companioned pairs of the new world, the most notable are the Wright Brothers who are known for bringing flight to the Muggle world."

"Excuse me?" Draco said, at the exact moment that Harry said: "What?"

"It just makes your magic compatible and gives it the ability to layer on top of each other, in addition to being a guardian to a pair of companion animals." She shook her head in amusement. "It's in the book Charlie sent with him. He said there wasn't any new information, but I might find the anecdotes amusing, so I didn't think of telling you about it."

"What are you saying?" Draco asked, afraid he knew the answer.

"The randy stuff? It was all you," she said with a smirk as Harry and Draco looked at her in stunned disbelief.

"But the foxes…" Harry trailed off.

"Just happen to be both male. It was a coincidence." Hermione announced, as pleased as if Christmas had come early.

"Who knows about this?" Harry squeaked.

"Everyone except you, apparently. Don't you think you would have gotten more teasing if everyone knew you were going to start banging each other silly?" Harry could swear he heard her choke back a laugh. "Only you two are dramatic enough to hear 'bonded' and start thinking with your other heads. Good grief, you two are pent up."

Harry and Draco exchanged side-glances.

"I see you two have a lot to talk about," Hermione said crisply. "I'll see you at dinner!"

She turned on her heel and left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

You could have heard a pin drop as the door closed behind her.

Or two foxes playing somewhere in their den, deep inside the walls.

"Er…" Harry stammered.

The sound of foxes got louder.

"I…" Draco spluttered.

The pair of furry animals bounded in the room, happy to see both of their companion humans together in one place. They poked at each other with their snouts as they hopped up on the sofa.

They both turned red as the foxes nuzzled each other playfully. They licked each other's noses and looked up expectantly at Harry and Draco. When neither of them did anything they both nipped at the human boys.

"I think it means they want us to kiss." Harry said gruffly, looking anywhere besides Draco.

"I think maybe you're right," Draco said, licking his lips.

"So, what should we do?" Harry asked.

"I think maybe we should kiss," Draco said nervously. His eyes roamed over Harry. "Then, I think I should do what I did to you last night again. Twice."

The foxes hopped off the couch, knowing when their work was done.

Harry felt his body react instantly to the thought.

"I think—I think that may be the best idea we've had in weeks," Harry admitted.

Draco smiled. The first genuine smile Harry had ever seen on his face. "I'm glad you agree."