She was running. Adrenaline rushing through her veins. Her mind pushing her to run faster. Her body moving involuntary. Her heart beating so fast that it feels like it will explode. Her heart rate wasn't near normal. She can't stop running because she knows is that if she stops, she'll most likely be killed. She must survive. She must. She has already been through much and she will not let anything take it all away just like that. She will fight for her life. She will not give up that easily. She will survive.

Running for her life, she turned in an alley knowing that it was the apparition point. Only a few more further, she can apparate and she will be safe. They cannot harm her anymore. Not knowing that there is a man standing there at the apparition point, who had just apparated there, she accidentally ran into him. She looked up to see a familiar man. Blond, tall, pale skin and grey eyes.

"Granger?" He asked.

"Malfoy." She said his name. Fear etched in her eyes. She was about to back away when he grabbed her by the wrist.

"What in the world? We all thought you were dead."

'Dead? Well I'll be soon' she thought to herself. She was right, she will be soon, if she just stayed there standing. "Malfoy, just please let me go." Tears now forming in her eyes for she knew that anytime now, she will be killed. If she didn't go now, the men who is chasing after her will catch her and eventually kill her.

Draco, who noticed his distress, also noticed that she's beginning to drain all her colors. She has a scratch in her cheeks. The blood that has oozed out is beginning to clot. "Why the hell are you in a hurry? And what happened to you? He said as he dragged her closer to him to examine her wound. He then noticed some ripped bits in her dress.

"Malfoy, just please... Let me go." She said as she tries to squirm out of his tight grip.

"No, you're coming with me." He said as he held her closer to him and disapparated.

CRACK!

They both landed into the ground. A familiar sight greeted her. One of the worst memories of her life starting to come back to her. She was at the Malfoy manor. Though, it wasn't gloomy anymore like before. It appears to be brighter.

"Why did you bring me here?" She said still trying to squirm out of his grip. She was worried. 'What if he's one of them? What if he brought me here so that he can kill me and no one will know that it was him. He already said that they think I was dead.' The thought running through her head.

He didn't reply. He seem worried. He dragged her into the entrance of his manor. As soon as he opened the door, they were greeted by his mother.

"Draco, finally, you're..." She said but suddenly stopped when she noticed the girl that her son was holding. "Oh dear Merlin. What happened?" She came closer to them to look at Hermione. She drew her hands to her face to examine her like what Draco did, only her mother was more gentle that him. Mothers, even if the child infront of them are not theirs, they can't help it but care and worry.

"Mother, do you mind? I think that it has been a very long night. It is late too. Why don't I just get her settled and give her some time to rest. Maybe she'll tell us tomorrow what happened." He said when he noticed Hermione stiffened at the sight of his mother.

"Very well, Draco. You know where the spare room is. I'll have a house elf bring her some clothes to sleep in. Get her cleaned up. Come to the drawing room after and we'll talk."

He nodded and then dragged her up the stairs. She did not protest this time. She seems calmer now. Somehow, she knew that she was safe. Her thought earlier was now replaced and she knows inside her that she is safe. He dragged her through the halls, it was brighter than the last time she was here. The walls now was a pale color of cream, the molding were now gold and the ancestral paintings that haunts the manor is now gone. Instead, it was replaced by paintings of landscapes and the halls has some side tables with fresh flowers that gives the homey sent. The hall was long, they finally stopped at the fifth door on their right.

"Here we are." He said as he opened the door for her. The room was. Of pale color of pale blue. The bed was a four post king sized bed with covers of pale yellow. The room was huge with large windows that overlooks at the front yard of the mannor. He then went to the door inside the room. "This is the bathroom. You go clean up and I'll send an elf to bring you some food. The elf would also bring you some clothes to sleep in. The towels are in here." He pointed the large cabinet door. "Get settled in and rest. I'll see you tomorrow ok?" With that, he left her alone.

She then did what she was told. She got some towels and went to the bathroom to get herself cleaned up. She went into the shower and enjoyed the hot water pouring down at her. After a while, she was much cleaner. She went out of the shower and dried herself with the towel. The other was wrapped around her hair. She went out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her body. Once she was outside, she saw a cream nightgown laid down on the side of the bed and some sandwich and orange juice. Above the nightgown was a note. 'Use this for the night. I hope that it'll fit you perfectly. Eat up, I know you are hungry. After eating up, go and get some rest. Good night. -D'

She put on the nightgown that was laid on the bed, ate her sandwich and drank her juice. She then brushed her teeth and went to bed. He's right, she is tired. Not to long, she immediately fell asleep.

When Draco left her, he immediately went down to the kitchen and asked a house elf to bring some sandwich up to Hermione's room. Then he went to meet her mother at the drawing room.

"Mother." He said when he entered the drawing room and sat down opposite to his mother so that he was facing her.

"Draco, why did you bring her here?" She said.

"I don't really know mum. It was just instinct. You should have seen her eyes when I saw her. It was full of fear. She's so scared. So I brought her here."

"And you think that she won't be scared anymore if you brought her here? Draco, the girl had been tortured here before. Do you think she'll feel safe here?"

"No, I never thought of that." He said bowing down.

"We all thought she's dead, Draco. Where exactly did you find her?" She said now calm.

"I... She bumped into me. I just apparated and then she run into me."

"Run into you?"

"She was running I guess. I think that there was someone who was chasing her. She's so scared."

"I know honey. I saw it to. In her eyes." She said as she shook her head. She, too, was worried though she didn't really know the girl. "You still like her don't you?" She said to her son.

"No Mother, I think like isn't the right word. I still haven't gotten over her." He admitted.

"You still have feelings towards her then?" She quirked an eyebrow.

"Why do you think I still haven't got married." He chuckled.

"Tell me then this, Draco. If you haven't seen her again. You would not think of marrying. Am I correct?"

"Most likely."

"We all thought she was dead, Draco." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah. And thank Merlin she isn't."

"Are you going to..."

"Yes. I will. As soon as she trust me."

"I think she will. Soon." She smiled. "Well then, I think I shall retire. You go rest to."

"Yes Mother. Good night." He went over to her and kissed her temple.

"Good night, Draco dear."