Professor McGonagall was in the entrance hall waiting for them.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, please come with me. Mr. Weasley you can meet Mr. Potter in the Great Hall."
Startled at her brusque tone, they followed in silence. McGonagall lead them all the way up to the newly refurbished headmistress's office.
"Miss Granger, so glad to see you safe and sound. Truly, miracles do work mysteriously." Albus Dumbledore's portrait spoke from behind the desk.
"Don't forget my godson, Albus. Fifty points to Slytherin for amazing bravery and cunning," interjected the portrait of Severus Snape.
"Severus, you are a portrait. You can't give or take house points. It is also the summer holiday." McGonagall sighed.
"Min, you only got the job because I'm dead." Laughed Severus's portrait.
"I don't ever remember you being this cheeky when you were alive, Sev." McGonagall answered back.
"Hush now you two," Dumbledore chuckled. "Not in front of the children."
Is McGonagall making googily eyes at a portrait?
They are flirting.
But she is sooooo old.
DRACO MALFOY! She scolded. Are you saying that you wouldn't flirt with me if I was old.
Ah, but I would be old too princess. Though I guarantee I will still look fabulous. Malfoy men just get better with age.
Not if I scar you before you get old.
From what I've heard- witches dig scars. Very macho.
Well then I will just have to come up with another way to make you ugly- I'm thinking boils…
Not enough to stop the sexy.
Boubotuba puss?
Oh, please.
Castration?
Now you've gone to far woman.
He gave her a look of utter horror, and she couldn't help but laughing aloud.
"Extraordinary," whispered portrait Snape.
Hermione looked up and blushed, it seemed that she had forgotten where they were. All of the portraits as well as the new headmistress were all staring at the pair of them.
"Miss Granger, how long have you been bonded?" portrait Dumbledore asked.
"Since the first night I was imprisoned in the manor. So a few months."
"And what were the circumstances around the initial casting."
"Traumatic." Draco stated bluntly.
"Albus," McGonagall spoke quietly, "they have a white bond."
"What is all the fuss about the color of the bond? I don't understand why it is so important," Draco asked.
"There have been very few white bonds, Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall answered. "I have only heard of one case."
"Though most of the information is speculation, I can tell you what I know. Firstly white bonds are considered the purest form of the bonds. Wizards mostly form them during times of great distress, where the bonding is less controlled, and more intense." Portrait Albus removed his spectacles and polished them on his shirt before speaking again. "Basically, a white bond is a bond that should have been black. In the vast majority of cases, the results of the bond would have been disastrous, but something about your two souls connected. Some call it luck. Some call it soul mates. I personally believe that each of you recognized a certain purity of spirit in the other, and that acceptance kept your bond from failing. The color white has often been associated with rebirth. I think that it only happens when one or both of the bond members needs a clean slate. For them, the bond becomes absolution, as does their bondmate."
Well that's crap. There is no way in hell any part of me is 'pure,' and I will never be. He thought sadly.
His disbelief must have shown on his face, because Dumbledore spoke again.
"I know that this may be difficult to believe, and this is just my theory. But my theories are rarely wrong. At the moment you bonded, what did you think of Miss Granger?"
Draco paused. It was hard to put into words. He didn't want to ever think about that day again. He had felt self-loathing, anguish, and utter despair. But Granger, she had been his only chance at salvation.
"At that moment, she was my everything." He said quietly.
And you were mine. Her voice answered back.
"Exactly." Dumbledore smiled down on the pair. "Now, on a more practical side, white bonds can be developed to be incredibly strong. There are even some cases in which one wizard is able to directly control the actions of their bondmate. In order for that strength to appear, trust between the two of you is crucial."
Wow. No offense, but I'm not sure I want you controlling my movement.
Me either.
Glad we agree.
"What were you both speaking about just then?" Professor Snape interjected, peering down upon them.
"We were agreeing that neither of us would like to work on developing that particular aspect of the bond." Hermione answered.
"My dear," Dumbledore spoke again, "it was merely a side effect of their absolute trust in one another. However, what is most pressing for the two of you is the fact that white bonds are the only bonds that are dynamic. This means that your bond could possibly sour and become corrupted."
"Has that happened before?"
"Yes, one of the cases very similar to yours. Two witches bonded in captivity. They were freed a few weeks after their bond had formed. Sadly these two didn't realize the importance of the 'flavor' of their bond, and went their separate ways. It didn't end well." Dumbledore shook his head.
"What happened," Draco demanded to know.
"One of the witches, driven mad, killed her bondmate, and then herself." He replied sadly.
They sat in silence as Hermione and Draco processed this new information. McGonagall then spoke for the first time since entering her office.
"I would like to invite both of you to stay here at Hogwarts. Spend the summer here, in your separate dormitories of course. That way you both can work on getting to know each other in a less stressful environment than Malfoy manor."
What do you think, Hermione?
Do we have a choice? We can't be separated, and I refuse to go back to the manor.
What are we going to do all summer stuck at school?
Study, she said cheekily.
Bookworm, he chuckled. We could be together outside of Hogwarts?
Where? My parents are in Australia. Unless you want to move into the Burrow, this is our best option. At least here we can do more research on white bonds.
Alright, sweetheart. He chuckled. Heaven forbid we go somewhere without a library.
She smiled. Turning to McGonagall she spoke for them both, "Thank you professor. We would love to stay here."
Hermione had moved back into Gryffindor tower the next day. She spent the evening unpacking and making sure everything was situated perfectly in her new room. Then she pulled out an old copy of her favorite Agatha Christie novel and read by candlelight until she fell asleep.
She woke the next morning to a tapping on her window. Stumbling blearily out of bed, she opened it to allow a gorgeous eagle owl to swoop in with a letter for her.
"You must be Draco's." She spoke to the owl, trying to pet it. The bird didn't respond, instead it puffed out its chest and flew off. "Arrogant, just like your owner."
She pulled out the letter.
Dear Miss Hermione Granger,
If you would be so inclined, I would greatly enjoy the pleasure of your company this afternoon for a picnic on the grounds. If convenient, please meet me in the entrance hall at noon. If you would, please confirm your acceptance through our bond.
Sincerely yours,
Draco Malfoy
Draco…
Yes?
Why did you send me a letter? She laughed. You could have just asked me through the bond.
I am a Malfoy, he scoffed (though she could tell it was only teasing). Any invitation from a Malfoy should be done formally, in writing and following all social protocols. We need to talk.
Well, in that case, Mr. Malfoy. I would be honored to accompany you this afternoon.
I will see you soon.
See you soon.
Hermione smiled. Sometimes, Draco Malfoy was as arrogant and obnoxious as he was when she used to hate him. But now instead of irritation her, she found his rakish charming delightful. During their time at the manor he had been continuously tense. Always waiting for something else horrible to happen. They hadn't really talked about his time in the manor before she had arrived, but she did know that he had seen some atrocious things. She knew that he wasn't ready to talk about them yet, but hopefully someday he would.
Moving to her trunk, she pulled out a pair of muggle shorts and a baggy grey sweater that had been her mothers. In fourth year, Victor had told her that he liked that sweater because it made her look adorably relaxed and huggable. She had always thought it was an odd comment, but as she hadn't been on many casual dates- Victor's opinion was the only male opinion she had. Plus, Draco had already seen her naked anyways, so why was she suddenly nervous?
Draco had spent a good portion of the morning planning this picnic with Hermione. He conjured a blanket, and cast a few spells that would repel bugs, as well as shrink the picnic basket down to a manageable size. He had also spent a lot of time thinking about the fact that he was in love with her. And it hurt. It hurt because he knew that one day she was going to realize just how broken and ugly he truly was. One day, she would get tired of defending him and look at their situation objectively. And when she did, she was going to destroy him. He knew that if he let himself get any closer to her, he would never survive her rejection. Hell, he didn't think he was going to be able to survive it now. So he was striking first. Better to end things now, before she became completely disgusted with him. He would still be broken, but at least he wouldn't have to see her slowly hate him. He knew it was only a matter of time before their bond soured- Dumbledore's words had only confirmed it. Now all that was left was for him to take her on this picnic and tell her.
I'm here at the entrance hall, she told him at ten minutes to noon.
All right, I'm almost there. He sighed as he walked into the hall to meet her.
Hermione could feel how nervous Draco was through their bond. They walked together in an awkward silence through the grounds. She didn't understand what was going on with him. Why was he so nervous? Did he have something to tell her? Was something wrong? Did they have a problem that she didn't know about? Soon Hermione had worked herself up into a tizzy. Was he going to break up with her? They hadn't really talked since they had left the dungeon, but she knew that the last few days had been really hard for him. Maybe she needed to be around more? Did he think she was ugly? The only times that they had kissed since they had left the dungeon were when she had started it. What if he didn't want to be with her. Voldemort had forced them together after all. Oh... gosh. What was going to happen to them? What about their bond? Was that going to sour? She didn't want to go insane and she definitely didn't want to kill Draco, even if he wasn't attracted to her.