Summary:Draco Malfoy ran away after the defeat of Voldermort, but he desperately wants to apologize to Hermione Granger for being unable to save her when she was tortured in the Malfoy Manor. When he finds her, he finds out she is as broken as he is. He tries to help her get back up again and a secret relationship develops between the both of them. Can their love survive the odds?


Prologue

Flames. Flashes. Screaming.

Everything was such a blur. He awkwardly tried to sit up after colliding with the wall opposite the Room of Requirement. His mind swirled. The bright orange flames were taunting him, licking at the corners of his mind. Then, with a shuddering gasp, he realized that one of his friends was dead. Not that he cared about them remotely or anything; he just didn't need any more deaths in his life. He groaned and placed his head within his knees. He really couldn't care what was happening right now. Dimly, he heard someone yelling at him to get up but he could not, would not. Finally, a quiet female voice said: "Forget it Harry, he isn't worth it."

What was Potter trying to do? Stupid, noble Potter. The Boy-Who-Just-Won't- Frigging-Die. It was all because of him. Or rather, it was all because Tom Riddle stupidly chose to believe a ridiculous prophecy and made Potter what he was today. After a few moments, he shoved himself off the ground and stumbled all the way till the end of the hallway before hearing Voldemort's disembodied voice floating over Hogwarts grounds.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

Great. There's no way Potter was going to let that happen. He was sure that Harry Bloody Potter would sacrifice himself before he let his friends die for him. He staggered down a winding staircase and just as he reached the second floor, he found himself face to face with a Death Eater. The silver mask so commonly seen on them obscured his face. The man's wand was up and pointing towards him. He realized that this man must have thought he was one of Potter's crew. His heart contracted with fear and ice-cold blood filled his veins. His throat was dry and parched. He wasn't sure what he should do, should he beg for mercy or should he just accept what fate had in store for him? He chose the latter for he had lived in fear and cowardice for such a long time, and he didn't wish to leave this world with those attributes. He closed his eyes, and waited.

"Avada-"

"Stupefy!"

The man's curse was cut off with a shout. He unfroze himself from his rigid stance and blinked, trying to look at the person who just saved his life.

Never in a million years had he expected that person to be Hermione Granger.

He stared at her in shock, trying to understand why she had did it. Her large brown eyes were staring at him; and not in disgust or hatred that he had assumed; rather, it was with confusion and a slight bewilderment. It was as if she was trying to figure him out. Her wand was now pointed at him. Oh great, if she decided she wanted to finish him off, then so be it. He knew she wanted to and he wouldn't blame her. He really wouldn't. Suddenly, she turned and pointed her wand towards the Death Eater, tied that man up before running away from the scene.

He stared at her retreating back; his jaw was wide open with shock. What had just happened? She couldn't kill him, or maybe she was just trying to save him for the wrath of Potter and the Weasel. But she would have at least immobilized him, wouldn't she? He pushed those thoughts out his mind for a while and made his slow ungainly way down to the Hogwarts Entrance. He stood there for a while, pondering about what he was going to do.

The battlefield was eerily silent except for a few stragglers trying to help the wounded. Glistening pools of blood stained the grass. The round full moon cast its silvery glow upon it all. The serenity and comfort normally promised by the moon vanished under the carnage strewn across the grounds. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and crept over to a dead body. He recognized Colin Creevey, an over enthusiastic Gryffindor with the hots for Potter. Even so, the sight of him, so still and unmoving chilled him to the core. He let a few tears slip out. He never wanted this, all the battles, all the pain, all the unwanted deaths. Looking down at Colin's body, he wished that he had never joined it all in the first place.

His trembling hands reached out and closed Colin's eyes. He mumbled his apologies and took the wand that was in Colin's grasp. He froze for a second as a small shuffling sound reached his ears. Glancing up, he saw no one. He looked in the direction of the sound and realized that there were several foot imprints in the grass heading in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

"Potter and his cloak," he thought to himself.

He stood up from his crouched position and slowly moved after the person. Just when he thought he got close enough, he reached out, grasped a fistful of the shimmering material and pulled it off. Potter emerged, blinking slightly at him.

"Are you insane Potter?" He sneered. Sure, he may not have liked Potter very much, but to give in to this madman's demands would surely lead to the end of the Wizarding World as they knew it. Voldemort would be victorious. It was a future that he hated.

Potter stared coolly at him. "Why are you stopping me? Shouldn't you be dragging me by my feet to your great jackass Dark Lord? Who's the insane one now?"

"I don't like his methods," he mumbled, "and I'd rather you win than he did."

Potter appeared shocked at this. His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish before he composed himself and spat: "I have to do this. I can't let anyone else die for me. It wouldn't be right!"

"It's suicidal."

"If that's what it does to keep everyone safe, I will do it." Potter stared directly into his eyes, as if daring him to contradict he said.

"You think he's going to let your friends go after he has killed you? No! He's just going to come back and torture and kill them. Think of your friends! Think of Granger for god's sake! She'd be the first to go! You'd think they would want you to do what you're doing now?" he ranted.

"YOU DON'T GET IT DO YOU! I HAVE TO DO THIS!" Potter yelled.

Realizing that trying to stop Potter was futile, he threw the cloak at him before stalking off. His hand was tightening around Creevey's wand.

"Where do you think you're going then?"

"Somewhere, Potter. Somewhere."

He turned around to look and realized Potter was gone again. He sighed and realised that he had better leave before it was too late. He strode silently down to the Hogwarts gates and slid out between the broken bars. Turning around, he stared at the silhouette of Hogwarts. Sadness rolled over him in waves. Granger's face flashed across his mind again with that look on her face when she saved him. He didn't deserve it. He only hoped that the day would arrive when he was able to buck up his courage and correct that. He took a deep breath, visualized the location in his mind and was gone with a solid pop.


The first chapter will be up in the next few days. Thanks for reading. Please review.