Adrian POV
For the hundredth time since the four of them sat down at this table, Adrian checked the feelings she was letting through and then the flow. Trying to see if she was hiding anything or trying to make him comfortable at her own expense. She wasn't relaxed, which he wouldn't have expected but she wasn't hiding either, that he could tell. Again he forced himself to calm down and try not to make this harder. He hadn't expected to be so uncertain today.
"Adrian?" His father asked him and he tore his attention away from the bond and looked to his father. He understood the question there. How would he like to proceed? For a moment he thought about prevaricating and just saying what he had before. That they could do this as she was ready, then the look in his father's eyes made sense. If she didn't know then how could she be ready?
"First a gift from our house to you, next is a token of your consideration." He tried to keep his voice steady and then let himself look at her. Hermione's golden eyes looked curious and she gave him a small smile of encouragement. The bond too was showing her interest and acceptance. The relaxation he felt at her compliance was immense and both of his parents relaxed further at his own lessened tension.
"A token that I give you?" Hermione seemed curious and thoughtful only, nothing else.
"No." His tone had been a bit abrupt and she frowned and then looked her question. He couldn't think of how to answer her, hadn't considered that she didn't know anything about this. Why would she though? None of this was in the library and her friends that were purebloods were blood traitors, in that they didn't follow traditions closely or at all. Maybe Longbottom but if had never come up in conversation then she wouldn't know.
"It is our family that will gain. This being a bond it is even more so." Adrian couldn't continue and her frown was still there, uncertainty and confusion were all he could feel as they crowded out the previous easier emotions. No panic, fear or even reluctance but it was enough to silence him, not wanting to say the wrong thing.
"Is this what you meant? About the bond?" His father asked. Hermione tore her attention from him and nodded once but he didn't look away from her.
"Interesting. I've never seen one in this stage before. Nor between two who didn't have the same expectations. The next token is a visible one, that says you are considering a wizard's offer, one that has been sanctioned by his house. Usually jewelry of some kind. I'm sure that even if it couldn't be symbolic of you two or our house specifically that Adrian would like you to wear one. For what it says to others." Adrian watched her nod once again when his father stopped speaking and then she looked down. She was thinking rapidly and her emotions didn't change for long seconds. Then slowly uncertainty grew slowly and then a bit of frustration.
"Why didn't you say something?" She asked and he knew it was directed at him. The bond shrank in force and he didn't like it.
"We never get time together, Hermione. It's not as important to me as you being comfortable. I can feel your lack of excitement at the prospect. You told me at Easter that the idea of talking about the future like that made you uncomfortable. It still does." Adrian kept his voice calm, she was listening carefully. Then she frowned and looked down away from him. His frustration flared and at that she looked back up. The bond opened more and he could feel her own anger and frustration.
"That's not fair. I don't know these things. Until just now you hadn't mentioned or referenced anything. Not even that day. Just that I should remember that you would always be thinking about it this way. I thought you understood when we talked about the bond and respect that I meant for you to understand it went both ways." Her cheeks did colour slightly as she finished and he forced his mind away from that day. Now wasn't the time and she was serious about this. Upset with him. Not the situation they found themselves in.
"It's not important." He meant it, sort of. It wasn't in comparison to her at all. Any amount of her happiness, or comfort, wasn't worth the piece of mind he would get from doing things the way he had been raised to. She closed her eyes for a moment and he knew she was trying to calm down. Maybe if his parents hadn't been there she would have just let the words out. He could feel her open the bond slowly and let her feelings come toward him without his own meeting them, wanting a clearer picture. It was complicated and he didn't understand. She huffed and then took a breath and looked away from him.
"Maybe this is part of why muggleborns are less desirable to your families." Hermione's face was strangely serene but her tone was low and sad, when she looked up at his father for confirmation it was a moment of fear for him.
Having always known she was raised differently it was part of the vague future to slowly acclimate her to their traditions. Try and show her that it wasn't as patriarchal as she thought. He knew she didn't like the way witches were often viewed, had heard her speaking with another muggleborn and the words about pitying those witches who were bought and sold like muggle girls had been hundreds of years ago.
"Yes." His father's firm response was like a nail in the coffin lid. Panic roared through him and he wasn't sure how much made its way to the other end of the bond. His eyes flicked to her when she flinched and he wasn't sure if that was because of the answer she had gotten from his father or his own reaction.
"Please calm down." Adrian could hear the desperation in her voice and knew it was directed at him. Then she began pushing assurance hard at him, trying to overwhelm his panic. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down, breathing as slowly as he could. When her fingers touched his hand, he jerked and then couldn't help the rush of emotions, hope and fear, the stubborn feelings he felt about pushing anything on her. Demeaning her in any way, even if to himself it was a sign of respect and his regard for her, both his own feelings and the bond recoiled at the idea.
"I'm sorry. I said to Adrian before that I'm not sorry for being who I am, but for not being what you want for him. I don't know if we can stop this now. Maybe if I had left without." Hermione's voice cracked and he clutched her hand and slammed the bond as closed as he could. "I think it's too late now though." He knew she meant the bond and he could hear some of the hopelessness she was blocking from him. Unable to speak, he just waited for something to happen or someone to speak. Trying not to put enough pressure on her hand to hurt her.
"Hermione no. Darling girl you, just as you are, are the very best chance Adrian has. Even our family. There are many reasons that your background is an asset." He watched Hermione's head come up at that and stare at his mother.
"I'm sure my fresh genes will be appreciated, eventually. When they are relevant but for now it is just my ignorance that is relevant." There was his Gryffindor. Unwilling to take platitudes from people she knew thought her less than, it was one of those moments that it seemed like she was lit from within. So beautiful and fierce, perfect for him.
"You are not." Adrian couldn't help it then, couldn't keep quiet. He requested she look at him then, knowing she would understand this mix of emotions. Both of them had used it at school. There was so much in her eyes and her feelings, even the smaller amount she was letting through.
"You are what I want. For me. Not my family or duty. For that though, I have no doubt about your suitability. Everything you are, is what I want in my own witch." A blush would have shown on his face he was sure, if he hadn't been so upset already.
"I can't be though, if you don't tell me what you need. What you want. You'll have to teach me, not shelter me from it. Unless you always want me to know that I am not showing your own beliefs and culture the respect it deserves." Her tone was polite but he could feel her emotions and they were scathing. She was embarrassed and angry at him and not the situation.
"Your parents too. Mine will expect things if we can ever tell them. Probably things we can't give them, like time and a more muggle schedule to the relationship. They want me to go to university for at least four years after Hogwarts and then marry and after establishing a career, have children. Those children should then be sent to a private nursery school in preparation for the elementary school beginning at five. I doubt any of this will be something I can give them. I knew nothing about magic and was an oddity, even at three. Your parents, your culture, this will be our home, won't it?" It was as if she were daring him. She was, holding him with her eyes and demanding an answer. What could he say to that? Four years after school before marriage and sending his children to muggle school at three. The idea was not one he could even evaluate. She could do whatever she wanted, but she could do it while she was his.
"Say it." The dare was gone from her tone and this was a demand. She hadn't done this with him. Rangers hey had been so careful of each other and he didn't feel that they were ready for this. To disagree about their future or really anything substantial. She had bowed to him about taking care of herself and he had relented to a gentle worry about her friendship and proximity to Potter, what that would mean for their future.
"No. That is not." Adrian had to pause, take a breath and then he let himself say what he meant. "You can do what you want, of course but you can do it with me. Mine." He forced the words out and braced for her fury or whatever might come.
Instead there was relaxation on the bond, triumph and happiness even. He watched her in surprise and uncertainty, eeventually her face softened and she bit her lip for a moment.
"That's what I meant. That was an honest statement. You can be honest with me. I don't want to be living a life that I think is what we both want, when it is what I want. Ignorant of your wants or needs. You wouldn't accept it from me." The solemn words were like a blow and then he thought them over, as he watched her expectant face.
"You are right." He admitted and then smiled at her in return. Hers was beaming at him and he knew it wasn't in response to his words but the shift in his emotions, which had settled and firmed. The bond hummed its approval of their increased certainty and commitment.
"I have no problem with something showing I am considering you, though that term is not one I like. You can tell me now or later what that actually means. If it doesn't increase the danger anyone is in." The last part was said with firm resignation and he too was reminded of the outside issues.
"Could we move for the next part of the conversation? I don't want to speak about it at the table." His mother's tone was even and her smile still present. There was some of the happiness and relief in her eyes, at the scene she had just witnessed but it wasn't prevalent. The serious look on her face told him that they had reached the part of the day that he knew would be a different kind of challenge. He looked to Hermione and she nodded.
The four of them stood and made their way to his father's office and then sat on opposite sides of the unlit fire. Hermione was looking around at the shelves of books and the cases of scrolls with interest. Not the level he knew she would have if they were speaking of trivial things or even something less serious than the current situation.
"We could add to your reading list, if you tell me of your interests. Your owl could easily carry three at a time if we charmed them lighter." He watched Hermione's face turn toward his father's and couldn't help the pleasure and satisfaction that he felt. Having her here and seeing both of their interest in each other. It seemed more than he could have hoped. She liked his mother and he could see that their shared drive to learn would be a bridge between his traditional pureblood father and his muggleborn witch. It would be good for her to have someone that could provide what she needed, in the way of information or access.
"Thank you." His father relaxed at the obvious sincerity behind Hermione's words and they all settled more comfortably into the plush leather seating in his father's private office.
Adrian hadn't expected to come to this room, but to the one they had been in earlier. That more public office was where business was conducted but he knew that this change had to do with how his father saw the situation. This was family business and so his father, like his mother, preferred his own space and wards.
As Adrain thought that, his father palmed his wand and the intricate movements set the wards that were ready into being and he could feel the push of the magic, then it disappeared. Hermione looked at him and he couldn't help but grin at her interest and the feelings of curiosity she showed. Then her face showed the change he felt in her emotions and they shared a serious look before both of them looked at his parents.