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Harry slowly moved his neck to work out the stiffness that had settled there. It was early morning, not even 6am yet. He looked over to Hermione. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, still deep in sleep. Madam Pomfrey approached him. "Harry, you should go get some rest. Go home and get cleaned up and refreshed. I suspect Hermione will wake in a couple of hours."

Harry's immediate reaction was to refuse to leave but he did want to take a shower. He hadn't been able to properly clean up or change after his quick departure from his training session. He slowly rose, "I'll run home quickly and get cleaned up. Is there anything else we can do?"

"Just wait for her to wake. Then we can ask her more." She gave him a kind, motherly smile.

Harry nodded and taking one last look at his friend proceeded out the door. His body was tired but his mind was racing. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. After a quick shower, Harry decided to stop by a local wizarding coffee shop for some much needed caffeine and an apple strudel muffin. He didn't much like muffins, but he knew Hermione liked this particular kind, with the crumbly topping and bits of crisp apple. If she was hungry she would enjoy having it, and if she wasn't hungry perhaps it would entice her to eat anyway. As he entered the establishment and made his way to the counter he was suddenly cut off. Taking a few steps back to avoid running into the person he looked up and instinctively grabbed his wand. Harry looked directly into the dark features of Atticus Benton. "You better watch yourself Potter."

Harry tightened the grip on his wand and growled, "I am pretty sure you're the one who should be looking over your shoulder. Every Auror in the Ministry is looking to get you in Azkaban."

A smug look replaced Atticus' sneer, "Yet, here I am, enjoying my pastries and coffee. Seems those blokes at the Ministry are blowing hot air. They don't have nothing on me."

"It's only a matter of time." Harry said darkly.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Atticus' mouth. He leaned into Harry and said softly, "Speaking of time, how is your girlfriend these days? Is she enjoying her time with you?"

Harry was confused by his comment. What was he getting at? "If you are referring to Ms. Granger, we are not a couple, and –"

"Oh, that's rich!" Atticus was chuckling evilly. "This just got more fun. Well, I hope you at least tolerate her. You'll likely be spending quite a bit of time with her in the future…well, what's left of it. Time….huh, it grows shorter all the time…for you both." He chuckled at his own cleverness even while he knew Harry didn't understand him. "See you round Potter."

Harry was at a loss. He watched Atticus as the man pushed past him and left the shop. What had he been talking about? Was it a kind of threat? A warning? The man almost sounded mad. Course, he probably wasn't the most sane person, but he had enough wits about him to be dangerous. He had not liked how Atticus had referred to Hermione. He had hoped he would have forgotten about her. Something about his encounter caused his anxiety to rise. He quickly made his purchase. He felt an urgency to return to Hermione's side.

When Harry returned to the infirmary he was pleased to see Hermione sitting up against her pillows. She had good coloring and seemed well rested. Her face lit up when she saw him. Making his way over to her side he said, "Hey sleepy head. I was starting to get worried. Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you. I feel totally fine. I'm sorry I scared you." Hermione said with a slight furrow of her brow.

"I'm glad to hear you are feeling better. I brought you something." Harry gave her the brown paper bag. He watched as she gave him a questioning look and stuck her hand in to retrieve the muffin. When she pulled it out he was rewarded by one of her brilliant smiles.

"Harry, this is so thoughtful. Thank you. I am quite famished. I didn't eat much yesterday. I was too absorbed in my research. This looks delicious!" She carefully pulled a piece of the muffin top off and put it in her mouth. She closed her eyes for a moment as the sweet, moist cake seemed to dissolve on her tongue. "Do you want any?" Hermione offered.

Harry smiled at her and shook his head, "Nope. It's all yours."

Hermione smiled and took another bite. Harry asked, "So, has Madam Pompfrey talked to you?"

"She came and did some diagnostic stuff. Says I look fine. She said she'd release me in a couple of hours. Before she does she insisted I tell her and Professor McGonagall everything I know about what happened. Hopefully Professor McGonagall has some information to share as well. I'm a bit nervous." She bit her lip and looked at her lap.

Harry put his hand on her arm. "Hey, it's going to be fine. Whatever is going on we'll handle it. I'm sure we can fix it. Why didn't you tell me you were feeling so ill? I was terrified when I showed up and you were shaking so badly. I thought you'd been cursed."

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "I didn't know what was wrong with me. I didn't feel ill most of the time. It just sort of came on suddenly. Thank you for coming."

"Of course, I came." Harry said. He was thinking and ventured, "Did you know my touch would make it stop?"

Hermione took a deep breath, "I…I hoped it would. That is… I thought maybe…I'll explain my reasoning when Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey arrive."

"So, you do think it was my touch that made the pain leave?" Hermione bit her lip and gave him a halfhearted shrug. "How is that possible?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head, "Let's see what Professor McGonagall says. She should be here any minute. Then we can discuss it."

"Alright. I don't mean to nag. I'm just worried about you." Harry confessed.

"I know." Hermione whispered. All the sudden she was having trouble keeping her emotions in check. It had been a wild 24 hours and learning that her suspicions had pretty much been confirmed was making it hard for her to keep calm. She swallowed thickly and blinked several times to keep the tears from falling. If this was really happening it would change everything. Not to mention there were still so many unknowns.

Harry watched her curl into herself. She didn't look up. He saw her swallow and blink several times. She took a deep steadying breath. In that moment he realized something. She felt vulnerable and unsure. She was scared. That fact caused him greater alarm. In all his years of knowing her she had always had a plan. She had always seemed sure. Sure they would find the Horcruxes. Sure Harry could defeat Voldemort. Sure that good would win. Sure that she could work out the problem. She always knew what to do and had led them along with her bookish knowledge and sure logic. This was not like her. She seemed to be trying to hide from the situation. He knew she had a greater grasp of what was happening than he did. She didn't seem eager to share either. Harry wasn't sure what his roll was in all of this but he was determined to help her with whatever was going on.

Headmistress McGonagall soon came through the doors and smiled warmly at the two of them. Poppy heard her enter and she too gathered around Hermione's bed. "How are you this morning Ms. Granger?" McGonagall asked.

"Fine. I feel great actually."

"I am glad to hear it. Poppy, informed me you seemed in good health."

Hermione gave her a small smile. Harry was the next to cut in, "I'd hardly say that collapsing randomly in pain is considered good health." Hermione was surprised by his forward, clipped tone. He was worried about her. The thought gave her a strange sensation in the bit of her stomach.

Pomfrey cleared her throat and said bristling, "Indeed. However, the scans don't show anything amiss I assure you."

"No one is questioning your medical expertise Poppy. Harry is just concerned for his friend, as well he should be. I think it's time we discuss this more fully. I have some information to share. I talked to Albus, his portrait anyway, and a few people in the Historical Department at the Ministry."

Hermione's brows drew together and she bit her lip. Harry was confused, "Why would you need to talk to the Historical Department? Isn't this a medical issue?"

McGonagall explained, "Yes, and no. When I saw the extreme reaction that your touch seemed to have on Ms. Granger it reminded me of an old custom that sometimes caused similar reactions. The custom is rarely used now, and if it does happen it is with consent from both parties. I believe Ms. Granger also has done some research on this." McGonagall turned to Hermione who gave a slight nod. "Tell, me Ms. Granger, were there other times Harry's touch affected your health?" Again, she gave a small nod in the affirmative. "Perhaps it would be wise for you to tell us exactly when you began to have these…episodes." McGonagall prompted.

Hermione took a deep breath and glancing at Harry said, "The first time I noticed something off was almost three weeks ago. It was the day Harry and I met outside a little Café'. I had been feeling a bit shaky and my body ached. When Harry took my hand that day I suddenly felt better." She ventured a glance at Harry and saw the bewildered look on his face. She continued, "Then I felt fine for the rest of the week. Then on the day I was to meet Harry again I began to feel ill. It was worse this time. I was really tired and my muscles felt tight. The pain had increased and I had an awful headache but I just sort of pushed through it. The pain potion I had taken didn't seem to work."

"I could tell you were hurting. You kept shifting around on the picnic blanket. You were not yourself. But I gave you a hug and you still seemed tired and sick during our lunch." Harry commented with a questioning tone.

Hermione gave him a small smile, "I know. I thought your hug would make me feel better but it didn't. At that point I wasn't sure what to think. Maybe the first time was just a coincidence. But later you rubbed my temples remember?" Harry nodded. Pomfrey and McGonagall exchanged a quick glance. Hermione continued, "The minute you touched my head I was overcome with relief. "

"Interesting." Madam Pomfrey exclaimed.

"I don't…this doesn't make sense." Harry said

"At that point I began to suspect that somehow your touch was the reason the pain would leave. I think it has to be skin to skin though since a hug didn't work." She bit her lip again. She didn't want to face this. She didn't want to continue. Harry had his own life, she didn't want to ruin it. She knew he would do anything for her but this was too much. She couldn't find the words to continue. She looked to the Headmistress for help.

Harry drew his eyebrows together. "So, what is this then?"

McGonagall drew a breath and said, "A long time ago wizards and witches used bonding spells. They were used in a variety of situations. Some of them were quite nasty. For example, a master could perform a bonding spell and their servant was forced to do whatever they commanded. Sometimes, the bonding spells were used in situations of arranged marriage where one or both the participants was unwilling. If the conditions of the bond were broken or strained it would cause harm. Not all bonds are bad though. Some are still used today. Couples sometimes bond by choice, mixing their magic and strengthening their love. When I saw how Ms. Granger calmed when you touched her, it seemed to be similar to a bonding. I believe Ms. Granger would agree."

Harry was trying to wrap his mind around what McGonagall had just said. He turned to Hermione who swallowed and gave him a worried look. She turned to McGonagall and said, "It is similar but I can't find anything that fits exactly. It seems my pain gets a bit worse each time. And I should have been able to go a whole week without pain, but this time it was only five days. I never came across any bonding spells where the time line shortened or the consequence increased." She looked to McGonagall for confirmation.

"It is indeed a bit odd. Now that I know more I'll continue to try to find out exactly what type it might be. I feel confident however, in saying that you two are bonded," McGonagall said looking between the two.

Harry stammered, "I… So, we? What does this mean? How…when did this happen? How did this happen? Don't the people being bonded have to be aware it is happening?"

"Not necessarily. Considering this bond doesn't seem to follow the known rules it is possible that the casting of it could have been done without your knowledge." McGonagall conceded.

"So, how do we reverse it then?" Harry asked.

Silence seemed to settle on the group. Harry saw a tear slide down Hermione's cheek. Madam Pomfrey said quietly, "Most bonds are never broken….until one of the participants dies that is." Again, a heavy silence settled on them. Harry felt like he might suffocate.

McGonagall said, "There might be a way to fix this if we can figure out who cast the bond. They may be the only ones who can reverse it."

"You said you started having these attacks about three weeks ago." She fixed Hermione with a stare. "Did anything happen around that time? Anything or anyone that may have caused this to happen?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Hermione tried to think, "I…I'm not sure…"

"Atticus." Harry suddenly said darkly. He looked at Hermione and saw her eyes grow big with recognition.

"No…how…" Hermione's words were little more than a whisper.

"I don't know how but I have little doubt it was him." Harry responded.

"You two mind sharing what it is your talking about?" Pomfrey asked.

"Not what, but who." Harry said. "Atticus Benton. He's a dangerous wizard that the Aurors have been trying to nail down. There is no evidence to convict him of anything but everyone knows he's guilty of multiple crimes. He worked in the shadows for Voldemort."

"And you two know this man?" McGonagall questioned.

"Not really. Harry and I ran into him at a pub about three weeks ago though. I may have said some unpleasant things to him." Hermione admitted ashamedly.

Harry knew she was blaming herself for all of this. He reached a comforting hand to her shoulder, "I think he may be behind this. He might have cast the spell nonverbally before he left the pub. We would never have known." Harry turned to Hermione, "Remember his comment? 'Enjoy your life together'? I thought it was odd. Now though…"

"He was mocking us." Hermione said tensely.

Harry gave her a sad nod. "It makes sense. I saw him just this morning in the coffee shop. He asked about my girlfriend. I assumed he meant you. Then he got a laugh when I told him we weren't a couple. He said something about things becoming more fun and how time was running out, how we'd be spending a lot of time together." Harry gritted his teeth. "I didn't understand what he was getting at. In light of this bonding information, it seems too clear that he is behind it." Harry felt anger boiling up inside of him. This was all unfair. What did this mean? How would this play out? He was worried for Hermione's health. A lot was still unknown about this bond. It didn't seem to follow the normal rules.

Hermione saw Harry's mood darken and she couldn't keep her tears at bay. "I'm so sorry! If I had just kept my mouth shut! Harry, I'm sorry." She was ashamed to be falling to pieces in front of them but she couldn't take the weight of it. Being bonded was a serious thing. The fact that it may never be undone was also a frightening prospect. Not to mention she had no idea what this bond was going to do or how it worked. She didn't like the unknown.

Harry was still trying to absorb the ramifications of this development. One thing was certain though, he wasn't about to blame Hermione for it. "Hey, it's alright. This isn't your fault. You didn't know who he was or what he was capable of. I never would have guessed he would do something like this. We both were blindsided." He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug that he hoped expressed that he was not upset with her. He was vaguely aware that her hair smelled like honeysuckle. Turning to McGonagall and Pomfrey he asked, "So, what now? I mean obviously we need to try to find Atticus Benton, but even if we do find him, which is a difficult task anyway, there is no guarantee we can get him to cooperate."

"That is true. Obviously we will alert the Aurors of the need to step up their search for him and now we have reason to bring him in for questioning if nothing else." McGonagall reasoned.

Pomfrey piped up, "What I am most worried about is that we don't know a lot about this bond. It is probably safe to say it may be a mix of dark magic or curses. I don't like not knowing what we are up against. We don't know what the conditions of the bond are or what it requires."

"What it requires?" Harry asked worriedly. "You talk as if it had a life of it's own."

McGonagall shook her head in the affirmative, "In a way it does. Each bond has…conditions. Those conditions determine the outcome…the consequences of following or not following the rules so to speak. From what Hermione has shared it would seem there is a time sensitive portion to the bond." She turned to Hermione and asked, "You went seven days before you began to feel sore right?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, it was a week apart each time. Except today it was only five days since I had last seen Harry."

Pomfrey frowned, "It would seem the time line for you two spending time apart may be lessening. Or it could be the attacks happen randomly. It's too early to tell. We will have to keep track of that." She began scribbling in her notebook.

"What about her pain level?" McGonagall asked. This was what Harry was about to ask. He didn't mind being around Hermione more or touching her whenever she needed it. What did worry him was the amount of pain she would be in and how to predict it.

Pomfrey shook her head, "I don't know. You said it started out as nothing more than aches and then a headache?"

"Yes. This last time though was…" Hermione wasn't sure how to describe it.

"It looked like she was hit with a Curio!" Harry blurted out.

Hermione blushed in embarrassment but couldn't completely deny the similarities. "So, it's escalating?" She asked tentatively.

"Hmmm, it could be. Again, we just don't have enough to go on yet. I can't deny the similarities. Have you had any aftershocks from it?"

Hermione shook her head, "No. I feel steady."

"That's not completely true." Harry confessed. "When you were sleeping, shortly after the attack your body shivered a few times."

"Well, that's a bit concerning. If this bond was somehow fused with a curse it could complicate things. We will just have to see what comes I suppose. I'm sorry I can't offer more information." Pomfrey said.

"I will continue to see what I can find out about bonding spells. As of right now it appears to be a bond that is normally used in a slave situation or an arranged marriage, seeing as how Hermione seems to be the only one physically affected by it." McGonagall offered.

Harry sighed in frustration. "This is unreal."

"But everything I've read about that kind of bond suggests that the caster has always been the other partner." Hermione said. "That way the caster had control over the bond and could use it to his advantage over the servant or in some cases the unwilling husband or wife. Since Harry didn't cast it…does that mean that Atticus Benton is in control of it? Can he somehow manipulate it?" The thought was not a comforting one.

McGonagall sighed, "The research on that is incomplete. There is no way of knowing right now if Atticus is able to change, control, or bring on your attacks. Time will tell. I know it isn't ideal, but in the meantime, we will just have to see how this plays out. "

Harry was fuming, "You mean we don't really know anything! Hermione could be struck down at any moment just because Atticus feels like it?"

Madam Pomfrey stepped forward, "Harry, calm yourself. We are working with what we know, which admittedly isn't much. This is all conjecture at this point. No bond like this has been seen before."

Harry paced and put his hand threw his hair in exasperation. In an irritated and stressed voice he said loudly, "So, what we know is we are bonded. Hermione seems to be…for lack of a better word, slave to this bond. We have a vague idea that the consequence of separation could include increased pain and that the time line for that separation could be growing shorter. It is also conceivable that the time line is in a constant state of flux if Atticus is in control of it. The bond is almost assuredly dark magic which means it could be fused with a dark curse like the Curiatis. Forgive me if I am not calm!" He starred daggers at them and then his eyes traveled to Hermione. Her face was pale and her eyes were red. He knew his temper was not making thing easier for her. He took a deep breath.

"Thank you for that summary Mr. Potter. I know this comes as a shock and it is quite alarming. I assure you we will do everything we can to help you both. I know you two have busy and separate lives but it would seem you may be forced to see one another more often." McGonagall said in a calm voice.

Harry didn't have a problem seeing Hermione more. He loved his time with her. He had often counted down the days til their next meeting. But they were both very busy and their schedules didn't always match up. He was coming up with plans in his head to see her as much as possible. He wasn't about to just go back to work and wait for her to collapse again. "Shouldn't I try to just touch her every day and then the attacks won't happen?" Harry asked reasonably.

"Perhaps, but it may not be the most informative way to go about this. If you do that and the attacks stop we have no way of knowing what it is we are dealing with. If we can let it take its course we will have a better idea of the problem at hand and thus possible solutions. It seems this man Atticus was out to hurt you both. It is unlikely that the bond would be so easily contented." McGonagall said.

"So you want me to just sit by and wait for her to collapse again?" Harry said indignantly.

Harry was suddenly aware of Hermione's warm hand on his forearm. He looked down at her and saw determination in her eyes. She seemed calm. Tired, but calm. Her voice was soft but commanding. "Harry, Professor McGonagall is right. We need to find out more about how this works. I know you don't want to see me hurt. If, or more likely, when I have another attack you can quickly come to my aid. We can assume that I have about five days until my next attack. I don't want you to stop training. I don't want you to put your life on hold." Hermione saw Harry start to protest and she held up her hand to silence him. "Harry, no. I know you. You were already planning it out. You have a saving people thing remember? At this point you don't need to be around me all the time. We will take it as it comes. Should there be need in the future for us to be…closer... That is something you and I will discuss together. For now, I will not see you lose track of your career training on my behalf. Nor do I want to leave the castle and be babysat all the time. I intend to continue my work here and my research."

Harry saw the steel in her eyes. She meant what she said. She was back on her game and her armor was on. "Hermione, it isn't safe."

She scoffed at him, "When have our lives ever been safe? I know you want to make sure I'm alright. I promise if anything happens that someone will inform you immediately. In fact…" Harry watched her pull two small coins from her pocket and raise her wand to it. After a complex enchantment she handed one to Harry. "This coin will alert you if I need you. It is charmed to turn red and hot if I am in trouble. I works both ways. So, try to stay out of trouble." She gave him a smirk.

Harry felt a little better knowing there was some way for him to keep track of her even if it wasn't what he had wanted. "Fine. But I intend on seeing you in no less than five days. And if things get worse you have to promise to reevaluate things."

Hermione gave him a nod. "Of course."

"We promise to keep you informed, Harry. This is as much about you as it is her." McGonagall said. "I promise to keep a close eye on her. Now, I'll give you some time alone." She turned to leave and Pomfrey made her way back to her office.

In the silence left behind Harry rubbed his face. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. This is all just so…unbelievable."

"It's alright. I didn't want to believe it either. When I suspected what this was I desperately tried to find something to indicate it was anything else than this. I know it came as a shock." There was silence again and Hermione bit her lip and tentatively

Harry studied her a moment. Her eyes were sad. Her hair was a frizzy mess. She was not looking her best, and yet he found her undeniably beautiful. He wasn't sure how to respond to her. His own feelings on the matter were so new and confusing. "I care about you a great deal Hermione. It's just… like you said…it's a bit of a shock. Bonding seems pretty serious." He watched her carefully. She didn't give much away.

Hermione's heart pumped fast at his admission of how much he cared. If the situation had been different she may have smiled. But not now. She said, "Yes, it is. There is a real possibility we won't escape this. Thank you for being here Harry. I…I know this isn't what either of us planned on. I care for you too. I just don't… I'm not sure…"

Harry could see her struggling. He didn't want to hear her say that she didn't want him. He didn't want her to worry anymore. He didn't want her to try to make sense of all of this right now. He put a finger to her lips. Her eyes grew big with surprise. "Shhh, let's not talk about it anymore right now. We have time to figure things out. We don't have to make any plans just yet. Like you said, we need to see how this goes. Just know that I am here for you." Harry let his finger drop away. Her lips had been soft and full under his finger. He watched Hermione swallow and lick her lips. The action made him breathe deeply. "You deserve better Hermione."

She gave him a weak smile, "Better than the Savior of the Wizarding world?"

He scoffed and said, "Much better. I hear he's kind of a dunderhead anyway."

She gave him a true smile and said playfully, "Well, that explains a lot. Still, he is quite good company to have around."

"Glad you think so because it seems you may not be able to get rid of him." Harry teased. They both smiled and yet they both knew that the reality of the situation made that statement all too true. "I'll check in with you later. Don't you dare go anywhere without that coin."

"Yes, sir." Hermione said with a roll of his eyes even as she smiled at him. She watched him walk through the doors of the infirmary. Whatever was going to happen she felt better knowing Harry was going to be there.