Authors Note; It has been no less than 4 years since I have last written something like this and really have no idea why. I couldn't remember my previous account information so here I am trying again. Please feel free to leave any pointers and constructive criticism in reviews if you wish. I'm not very good at writing down what I imagine in my head so I hope that it isn't too painful to read.

She had no idea where it was she was going but she knew she had to keep running unless she wanted to be caught and being caught was just not an option. She hadn't meant to make them angry or to insult them but she couldn't sit there watching them ridicule the younger children any longer. They were only babies in her eyes, not even 5 years old and there they were throwing whatever was closest to their hands in order to 'initiate them'. Making sure that these children knew who ran this house and they would not make life easy for you if they considered you to be weak.

The orphanage had never been a nice place to live in. The very few female staff members that worked there weren't friendly and showed no interest in you unless you were old enough to go out and work. The male staff members however where the opposite. They showed interest in the boys that had strength and what they called leadership skills whereas with the girls it was if you looked the part. Sadly she did fit in to the category of looking the part. With her long black hair which shined and showed hints of red when the light hit it, bright green eyes and petite figure she was the face of the orphanage. The one that took visitors on tour and spun them wicked lies on how well they were treated here and that there was no other place she would rather be.

When she had first come to this orphanage 3 years ago, she had never thought this would be how her life would turn out. Never had she thought for a minute that she would have to promote herself and get in a relationship with the 'head of the orphanage' in order to get a hot meal. Never had she thought she would be dancing on poles, objectifying her body in order to make money. She had always thought she would have left after a few months, hoping that someone from her family would come and get her and take her home where she belonged. It never happened.

Thinking about her parents and what had happened to them hurt her greatly. She had been there when they died and had nearly died herself if the paramedics hadn't found her when they did. She had been upstairs in her room writing when she heard the commotion downstairs begin. A group of men had broken in to her house demanding that her parents told them where to find the safe that they believed to be in the house. Not once had she even come upon a safe in the house and never had her parents but the intruders didn't believe them and as a result they were shot. She had tried to run when they started shooting and had managed to make it out in to the back garden before she felt the first bullet hit her and then a second and then a third.

She knew her parents would die some day and that nothing was forever but she didn't think at the age of 14 she would have become an orphan. However the reality of it was that she was and there was nothing she could do to change that. Her scars reminded herself that on a daily basis, the three circular wounds that seemed to form a triangle on upper left of her back where a constant reminder that she was alone. She had not had an easy life these past few years and decided that now it was time for change. Now she would do what was best for her and right now that was to keep on running.

Eventually she got to a clearing within the woods that surrounded the outskirts of the town. Stopping in order to catch her breath she wondered where she would go now. She had no family and no friends close by except for one but he was never home. As she sat down underneath one of the trees looking up towards the sky she found herself thinking about him and how he would tell her how silly she was being. She wasn't a child anymore and shouldn't be running away from her problems and instead should be facing them head on. She could never do it though. It was a very bad habit of hers where she would let all of her problems build up and up until she couldn't contain them anymore and more often than not it led to something in her room being broke beyond repair.

This boy who tried to set her on the right path was someone she had met at her dance classes. He was very handsome with blonde hair that was almost white and a figure that had just the right amount of muscle and structure to it. It was him that had approached her the first day she joined and ever since then they had been inseparable during classes. He made her feel happy and those few hours she spent with him a week where enough to allow her to forget and pretend that she was ok. When those hours where up reality would always come crashing down with him disappearing out the door faster than she had ever seen. Never would he stay behind to talk or join them for coffee and never had she seen him walking the streets. It was though outside of dance he just didn't exist.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind she started to get up but was forced to her knees when she received a blow to the stomach.

"Did you honestly think that you could get away from us, that we wouldn't find you?"

She couldn't speak, the blow had been hard and winded her to the point all she could concentrate on was trying to breathe.

"Look at this boys. The girl who had been so sure of herself is now speechless."

"I'm sorry Steve. I didn't mean for it to get like that"

Talking hurt a lot, she was still winded pretty badly but at least she would now stand up and face who had attacked her. Who she had attacked merely an hour ago.

"Oh but I think you did, I mean who attacks someone if they didn't mean it?"

"It was an accident, you were hurting those kids Steve it wasn't right"

"I decide what's right and what's wrong around here, you should know that by now but I'm more interested on how you did it" It was then she could see the anger in his eyes but she had no idea what he was talking about.

"How I did what Steve? You were hurting the kids, they were crying so I told you to stop and when you didn't I flung the bottle at you" It wasn't true, but she herself didn't know how she had done it or why it had happened but it did and she had prayed he didn't notice it.

"No you didn't. I'd of saw if you had reached for that bottle but instead all you did was shout and became angrier then the next thing I know is a bottle had hit me in the chest. So how did you do it?"

She didn't know how to answer him. She didn't want to answer him and for good reason. Steve was never one to let things go and this was certainly one of them which meant she would either have to come up with an award winning excuse or she would be taking another trip to the hospital and this time she suspected she would have more than just a burst lip and a black eye.

"No answer? Fine, let's see if we can't persuade you"

Bracing herself for the blows she knew would come she closed her eyes and tried to go to her happy place, to picture herself dancing but it was hard when you knew that soon you'd be in pain. Yet she waited but the blows never came instead she opened her eyes and saw all 3 boys on the floor seemingly unconscious. That wasn't the biggest shock though, what shocked her even more was the other boy standing behind them.

"Draco…" It came out more as a question but she just couldn't help herself, never had she seen him outside of their dance classes yet here he was standing in front of her and she was 99% sure he was the reason as to why there where 3 boys lying at her feet

"Hello Christina, as much as I would like to explain what just happened we need to leave now" There was a softness to his voice but it was laced with authority and she knew that one way or another she would be leaving with him.

"But where to? I can't go back to the orphanage" Panic swept through her as she thought about having to go back there, what would happen if anyone found out.

"I think it's time you I showed you where I stay, where I disappear to but I must warn you it isn't like your normal house and it certainly isn't filled with the most normal of people."

She hadn't realised but by the time he finished his sentence they were but inches apart, she must have started to walk towards him without realising and blushed ever so slightly at being so close. She couldn't go back and she didn't see what she had to loose in going with him. At least she would safe for a while until she could figure out what her next steps where going to be.

"OK… let's go"

He pulled out what looked like an egg cup, a very odd object to have in your pocket if she did say so herself.

"Hold it with me and we will be on our way"

The next thing she knew she was being what felt like propelled through a very tight space and suddenly lost her balance, landing face first on to soft wet grass. When she looked up, face as red as a beetroot at falling over she saw the most magnificent manor that reminded her of the castles in the fairy tales her parents used to read her.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor Christina"

He had that insufferable smirk on his face that always made an appearance when he felt he had accomplished something while she stood gobsmacked at the beauty of what was in front of her. Just what had she let herself in to and how on earth had they got here.