A/N : Ah, well, my first story. It's set during Deathly Hallows and is in cannon with the previous books up until Malfoy Manor (Ignoring Ron and Hermione's relationship, sorry!) There are a few lines from Deathly Hallows here and there. To get the plot started.
Disclaimer - I don't own shit.
Chapter 1: Malfoy Manor
"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Panting, Harry peered round the edge of the sofa. Bellatrix was supporting Hermione, who seemed to be unconscious and was holding her short silver knife to Hermione's throat.
"Drop your wands." Bellatrix whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!" As the wizards were hesitating dropping their wands, they froze as they watched Draco Malfoy step forward.
"Let her go." He spat, heaving with gasps, his wand arm shaking. Harry and the others in the room stared wide eyed as Draco advanced on his aunt, his steps becoming more confident.
"You...YOU FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR!" Bellatrix screeched, "Malfoy, you're not a damn Malfoy. Didn't I say Lucius? DIDN'T I?" Lucius stared at his heir with hate and stalked towards him, ready to attack. Draco ignored it, standing tall only slightly shaking as he stood in front of the witch. If he was going to die, he was not going to be a little bitch about it. He was going to go down with a fight. Hermione glanced up blinking, seeing the pale haired boy protecting her, she shook her head at him as if to tell him to give up.
"Draco, stop this at once." Lucius spat, glaring at his son. Draco paid him no heed, still pointing his wand at his own flesh and blood. It was then that Draco truly felt the worst rage in his life. He watched as Hermione's blood seeped slowly out of the wound Bellatrix was causing at her neck and snapped. He shook and his magic exploded around him, shards of glass in the pristine manor shattered around him, marring his skin. Each shard of glass hitting him felt like another stab to his heart as he set eyes on Hermione.
He was about to shoot a hex a time at Bellatrix.. "I SAID LET G-" then all the movement stopped as every pair of eyes in the room looked up as the crystal chandelier trembled and began to fall. Bellatrix screamed and jumped out the way, dropping Hermione in the process. As the chandelier collapsed around and on Hermione, Draco charged forward pulling her out the wreckage and throwing her at Ron.
"TAKE HER AND GO!" He screamed, stupifying Greyback and then battling his father. Bellatrix then discovered it was Dobby who had been the cause. Draco watched as she screamed and yelled harsh cruel words, none of them making sense in his jumbled mind, Draco grunted as Lucius threw a dark curse at him which sliced him on his side. Using all his determination he disarmed his father and hunched over in pain. He registered the fact that Potter was getting away and watched with a grim smile. He locked eyes with him and nodded to the raven haired boy. Draco had already accepted his death. Defying his aunt instantly sentenced his life, he lost his chances of living as soon as he spoke the words to protect Hermione. He glanced one last time at Granger and willed that him risking his life was not just for nothing. Harry concentrated on the place he wanted to be, Bill and Fluer's Shell cottage and watched as the world span, seeing flashes of the dark manor room and the hair of his friends. He watched as Draco was struck with a dark curse and flew towards them, he barely registered Bellatrix's knife as it flew across the room hurtling to them also. Harry grunted as he felt the impact of Draco hitting his side and he clutched Dobby's hand tightly concentrating on the cottage and begging it would work.
There was a collision of limbs and grunts of pain as all the wizards, witch, goblin and house elf untangled themselves. Draco watched Harry grasping at Dobby, crying for help as his House Elf and loyal friend's life slowly slipped away from him. Harry's howls of fury and despair made it hard to hear the running sound of Fleur, Bill, Dean and Luna's feet closing around them. He wanted to scream at them, they should of just let him die. Let him rot. He didn't belong with them. He wasn't a bloody saint, he was tainted. Tainted by dark magic, it ran through his blood for Salazar's sake.
Oh Gods, Draco thought, clutching at his most painful wound, a deep cut in his side caused by Lucius's curse. Draco knew why he saved Hermione. He knew why he saved Potter and his friends. It was for her. Draco had been hiding a secret from his family, from his so called 'Dark Lord' and it was about time it came out. The chaos around Draco dissipated as all he could focus on was the burning sensation in his forearm where the dark mark stood against his pale skin. He released, raw, blood curdling screams and clutched his limb, writhing on the sand. He felt a cool hand on his forehead and Harry asking if Hermione was safe and getting help. Potter's attention was strictly on Malfoy and not on his bushy haired friend once he heard his cries of agony.
"Oh shit, Malfoy."