Bonding- Chapter 1

To Solve The Final Riddle

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to the great J.K. Rowling. Not me. -Sniffs-

A/N: Hi everyone. This is my new fic, so enjoy. I decided on starting a new fic because I was battling writers block for my other story. This is where I will search for new inspiration. It won't be updated as often, but I won't give up on it either.

I'm also not sure whether this concept has been done before- everything comes directly off the top of my head, rest assured.

This is AU Dumbledore will never die in this story! Snape is... not yet a murderer! Sirius... is still dead! Well you get the point.

Review please -grins- They make my day! When I feel like I can't write a single word more, and a review pops up, I have motivation! So click that button people!

XxX

Hermione Granger had officially changed.

Overnight, she transformed from a know-it-all, bookworm extraordinaire; to a person with an attitude one would normally expect only from middle-aged,crisis overloaded women.

Hermione had stopped criticizing over every single little detail. She had stopped nagging Ron and Harry, to finish their latest essays from their
ruthless professors who seemed hell bent on seeing how much work they could assign before a student cracks. She had also,to the shock of the entire student body, stopped going to the library as often. (Readers: Now is the time to GASP!)

Of course her marks stayed at the top of the class, much to the annoyance of her classmates. They, who had to do homework practically every single second they were awake to keep up with the amount of work the seventh years were getting.

Hermione seemed to effortlessly glide through any homework they were assigned, even though she always had more work than them, on top of her head prefect duties.

She had also started calling everyone names like Honey, and Dear. Harry and Ron put it down to PMS.

Actually, Ron was none too pleased about Hermione's sudden change of attitude. No longer was she willing to help just him. He knew he was being selfish, but to be honest he didn't want to share her with anyone else.

Hermione Granger now acted like pleasant pillar of support everyone knew they could lean on.

They all knew she would help them with the integrity and honesty Griffindors were most famous for. At first they had been a bit stunned,
even frightened of the change in Hermione. But soon enough, her classmates accepted her, and she became a reasonably popular figure.

One such person, who was not amused or included in Hermione's circle of goodwill and kindness, was Draco Malfoy. And to top it all up he had to share a common room with her, for goodness sakes.

The number of times he had smirked over at her direction, and thought with utter contempt,"Mudblood", was beyond his remembrance. Though Hermione would always sense what Draco was thinking, and pointedly ignore him for the rest of the day. How she sensed that, he'd never know.

Maybe she was psychic? No, that was reserved for people like Trelawney.

It was also for this reason that Dumbledore chose her for that special task. She was an all-round pleasant and trustworthy young woman. Hermione could win over a person with just her charm as she conversed with them. This job was meant to be for her.

XxX

'Ardiosi Napole!'

The very foundation of the classroom shook with the force of the spell. Ron looked at the pin cushion dismally. What had meant to a simple spell to turn the cushion into a harmless guinea pig, had somehow bounced off it and hit Harry's head with full force.

The debris settled. Professor McGonagoll dusted her previously white robes and adjusted her crooked gold framed glasses.

'RONALD WEASLEY?' She screeched over the conversations that had just resumed.

Ron could feel himself literally wilting under the intense gaze of his angered professor.

'I didn't do it Professor,' Ron managed to squeak in a small voice that uncannily resembled that of Neville Longbottom's.

But she never heard him. Instead she was staring at the empty void that was where Harry had previously stood. Instead a shockingly pink disheveled looking half-sized Harry stood wondering why the world suddenly seemed to have become much larger.

Ron ducked under a desk and pretended he did not exist. He wished now of all times one of Hagrid's so called 'pets' would come and cause a
preponderant distraction.

Hermione's now honeyed voice rang through the whole classroom,'You should have just tilted your wand one more degree to the left then all this,' she gestured around the room, 'would not have happened.'

The class broke out in giggles. The giggles turned into laughter, and soon the whole class was snorting and chortling in laughter. People started
patting the red faced Ron on his back.

"Can Miss Hermione Granger pleased be excused to see the Headmaster," Professor McGonagoll read from a piece of parchment that had been delivered to the classroom by an owl. She had to raise her voice by several decibels to be heard.

Those nearest to McGonagoll grew silent.

The silence washed over the class like a wave. Soon the whole class was silent. Professor McGonagoll raised an eyebrow as she looked at Hermione.

"You're excused."

Harry and Ron shot Hermione reassuring glances. Surely she could not have gotten into trouble. After all, this IS Hermione we're talking about, said the looks they gave each other, although Ron was frantically trying not to laugh at Harry's new look. Even if it was his fault in the first place. Hermione tried smiling back at them, but her mind was working furiously fast.

I'm sure I didn't do anything wrong; nothing is coming to me. Hermione racked her brain trying to recall all the things she might have neglected in the past few days as she stepped out of the noisy classroom.

XxX

She headed automatically along the shortest way to the Headmaster's office. As she approached the stone gargoyles that flanked the solid stone door, Hermione groaned.

What was Dumbledore playing at? He hadn't given her the password. Now she would have to guess her way through a multitude of odd candy names before she would be allowed in.

'Cockroach cluster,' she tried. Nope. Wasn't that the password from last year or something?
'Freezing Fudge...
'Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans?
'Er... Lemon Skittles.'
'Edible Egats.' Still no response. Hermione gritted her teeth in
frustration. She was missing class for this!

After nearly rattling out the names of every single type of candy she could think of, Hermione was ready to give up.

'I see you're having some…difficulties,' a cold voice spoke from behind her.

Hermione whirled around, and stood face to face with Malfoy. Urgh. She scrunched up her face in disgust.

'Malfoy. What are you doing here?' Hermione demanded harshly.

'Just what I was going to ask you Granger.' Malfoy twisted her name as he spoke; making it sound like it was a thing to be detested.

Hermione rolled her eyes despite trying not to. 'I'm here to see Dumbledore. And you, annoying prat, are here
because?'

'Why it seems we are here for the same reason. However Dumbledore has given me the liberty of providing the password for it.' Malfoy paused to smirk at her, before muttering, 'Strawberry Savory.'

'Shall we,' Hermione muttered sarcastically as she entered the headmaster's office.

XxX

Fawkes crooned a soft greeting to Hermione as she entered the room. The brilliantly coloured bird rested on its usual perch close to Dumbledore's desk. However Fawkes chose to ignore Malfoy. He deserves that, Hermione
thought supremely.

Dumbledore looked over at Draco and Hermione, and motioned them both to sit down. Hermione was more than eager to start talking.

'Sir, I'm sure that Malfoy's presence is not necessary,' Hermione spoke up as soon as she was seated.

'Miss Granger, I have asked to speak to you both for a reason.' Dumbledore replied quietly. Hermione looked crestfallen, and uttered a soft
'oh'.

'Now, as you all know the dark side is slowly gaining strength.' He continued, speaking pointedly to Draco. However Draco had a delicately
composed expression on his face. No emotion was visible from his stony eyes.

'The horcruxes are common knowledge between the light side, if but a well-guarded secret.' At this Hermione's eyebrows rose visibly.
Dumbledore was sitting here, calmly talking about the only thing that could stop Voldemort, to Malfoy of all people?

'I have uncovered a riddle in order to find the last horcrux. In order for the horcrux to be revealed, the riddle must be solved, and the right people
must fulfill the roles that have been stated on the riddle.'

Dumbledore then looked Hermione and Draco in the eye for what seemed like an eternity before continuing.

'This is where you come in. The riddle states that a man of pure blooded descent, and of other certain requirements, must be linked with a certain
mixed blooded woman, or a muggle-born as I presume. The link probably means marriage, or simply an engagement. We cannot decipher exactly what the riddle means at the moment, but rest assure it has to do something along the lines of what I have mentioned before.'

'The requirements are that of the man is of Slytherin, with almost albino like features, and be directly related to the Dark Arts.'

Hermione's head throbbed suddenly. She had a bad feeling of what Dumbledore was going to say next. She crossed her fingers discreetly and
started silently praying. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione could see Draco also doing similar movements.

'Malfoy, to prove you are now loyal, and part of the light side, I would like you to participate in solving this riddle. The riddle tells us that
the man will have to join bloodlines with another. This would mean an engagement or marriage at the most, to someone who fits the other half of
the riddle.'

Dumbledore revealed this serenely, but he had an unmistakably amused tone concealed in his voice.

Draco was to take up this offer, or he would be extremely displeased. He avoided the impending question by giving the armrest of his chair his
undivided attention. He fingered the intricate carvings and refused to look up.

Dumbledore, sensing a lost cause for the moment, turned to face Hermione. Worry must have shown on her face because Dumbledore added gently,

'You are not in trouble of any kind, Miss Granger.'

Hermione could only muster a weak looking smile. Dumbledore examined her with his clear blue eyes, and resumed talking.

'Miss Granger. Now as you might have picked up on before, the other half of the riddle requires a union, of sorts, with a muggle-born. It is very
specific requirements also.' He sighed inaudibly before continuing.

'The lady must be of Gryffindor heart, lest knowledgeable of all thingsbut dark arts.'

At this, Hermione started to protest - she DID know dark arts. However the interruption was foreseen by Dumbledore, and he motioned silence before wearily answering.

'You and I both know, that a lot of the true dark arts is still under heavy lock and key, There is no possible way that any of the light side
have full knowledge of this.'

Hermione could do nothing but nod numbly. Her - engaged to Malfoy? A growing headache threatened to overthrow her mind as she tried to focus her eyes.

'I ask you also to participate in this riddle, and help solve it. You will need to become engaged to Mr. Malfoy here.'

That was the last she heard before all went black.

XxX

Draco sat nervously at Hermione's bedside. Merlin did she look pale! She had fainted instantly after Dumbledore had announced her role in the
riddle.

Anyone with a brain would have been able to see that coming from miles away! Except, in Granger's case Draco believed that even though she had a brain, she still wasn't prepared for the statement when it came.

But, then again he should be worried. After all this was his FIANCEE he was talking about.

Not that he had a choice in that matter. After all this would be the only way to get Dumbledore to trust him. But why did it have to be her? He didn't wanted the little mudblood for his fiancee. Well maybe a little, though he was never going to admit it to her face.

He stared at Hermione's unconscious form, curled in a foetal position under the crisp blue hospital wing blanket. She had, to put it simply, matured and filled out in all the right places during her later years at Hogwarts.

Dumbledore had forced him to take her to Madam Pomfrey. Oh, it was his duty, he'd casually said.

Hermione stirred suddenly, and her eyelashes fluttered. Draco felt a chill go down his spine, and wisely decided that he didn't want to be
around when she woke up.

XxX

A/N: Well there ya go. One chapter done. Ugh, I am really unhappy with this story, so I am hoping to get some feedback on it. (Is it good? Bad? Should I bother with continuing this story?)

Also, thank you to my betas Lulu and Amanda (Drakulya).. Lulu is to thank for the disturbing pink, half-sized Harry. Don't ask me how she thought of it. But then again, great minds think alike don't they?

BTW: CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON! Make me write and update faster!