"Hermione didn’t choose this. But he’s her mate. And they’ve uhm, bonded," he turned bright pink at the words, and Hermione knew he’d taken her advice and looked up what it meant to be soul-bonded. "She’s still on our side, and really, who she’s bonded to doesn’t much matter, especially now that Voldemort is gone. Malfoy will support and protect her as much as any of us would." 