So I have had this on my computer for a while now and have decided to post it finally. Enjoy the read! There. Intro finished.

Disclaimer: Nothing but this story's plot is mine.


Hermione rushed out through the mass of trees into the small clearing and skidded to a halt as her feet hit the pavement. She was facing some old, dilapidated street. She bent forward to rest her hands on her knees and slow down her fast breathing, her mind doing back flips trying to figure out the next move.

The long, narrow street was almost deserted except for a group of teenagers laughing by a bench, an old gray-haired couple walking slowly hand in hand, and a girl some feet away in black shirt and trousers smoking a cigarette, the smoke curling upwards in a white cloud before disappearing. The girl frowned at her as if Hermione had popped her quiet bubble of peace, but eventually her eyes slid away towards a far distance.

Hermione looked away too, forcing her muscles to relax. She noticed two men about twenty feet away with their backs turned to her. It was a sweltering hot day, but the two men were in long robes. And more importantly, this was a Muggle part of London. She squinted her eyes to get a closer look. Taking some reluctant steps towards their direction, she could just make out what looked like a wand, held onto with a tight grip by one of the men. Wizards.

And one of them kept shooting worried glances every few seconds towards the dark forest looming over the street. The forest she had just broken out from. She slowed down her pace. Were they looking for her? Then her thoughts and steps immediately came to a halt as the man with the wand turned around. His alert eyes slid over her head and scanned the street, but then they came back to rest on her.

She abruptly turned back around. Her hands were shakily reaching for her own wand, but then she realized. Malfoy had it. He had taken it away from her. She let out a frustrated whimper and raised one hand to her face making a show of wiping away some dirt, but really trying to shield it. Risking a look over her shoulder, she saw that the man was furiously speaking to the second one, jabbing his wand in her direction. The other man ignored him, but the first man started to make his way towards where she was standing. He had recognized her. She was sure of it.

Her heart thumping in her chest, Hermione swiveled her eyes left and right, trying to gauge the surroundings. Any second now the man would be next to her and then he would force her to return to that manor, haul her in front of Malfoy, greedily waiting for his prize. No, it couldn't happen. She had to escape, and fast.

Her mind was racing, desperately trying to find a hideaway. There. There it was. An outdated, shabby looking shop was standing by itself at just the opposite intersection. She could make it there. She knew she could. Throwing one last panicked look over her shoulder, she made a break for it. Her feet stomped on the pavement and the girl in black paused to look at her again, but it didn't matter. The shop could be her last chance.

There was row of bushes lining the shop's entrance and she ducked through them, not caring of the thorns biting her skin, and then hurled herself in through the open doors. Throwing her body on the floor, she crawled behind a row of glittery dresses. There was a burn on her elbow and she could tell she had scraped it pretty hard, but she couldn't pay it any attention right now. She slowly craned her neck around the dresses to have a look. She soon spotted his robes through the thicket of bushes outside. Hermione kept her eyes on him, praying. He kept walking. He didn't stop.

She watched him until he turned the corner and was out of sight. A sigh of relief whooshed out of her mouth and she let her head roll back, resting against the shelf. She glanced down at her dirty, ripped clothes and the blood drying on her arms. She could do with fresh clothes.


She hadn't even taken three steps out of the shop when a cold hand landed on her shoulder. Something hard and pointy was now trailing up her spine. The thing curled in her hair and stayed. The person knelt down by her ear and Hermione could smell his aftershave. She knew. He was here. Her heart started thundering through her rib cage as the person yanked on the collar of her new dress and she slammed back into her a hard chest.

"You. Bitch." Malfoy sneered into her hear. "One would think that with those brains, you'd be more careful."

She could hear the viciousness in his voice and worked her throat trying to speak. "This is not possible, this is not possible," she whispered. She had made sure the other man hadn't followed her! Had he instead gone off and informed Malfoy? Of course he had. That's why the lion was outside, waiting to pounce.

As if reading her thoughts, Malfoy replied, "I didn't need to follow you, darling. You must have worked out by now that my men have been watching you. They have been giving me timely reports." His cold hand slithered down her sleeveless arm, raising her skin in gooseflesh.

"Of course, it has always been impossible for you, you must know that!" He let out a short laugh, no humor present. "I had to let you think you could get away. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a show to enjoy, would I?" He stepped closer, burying his face in her hair. "I must applaud your effort at the disguise, though." He brought his hand back up and played with the strap on her shoulder. "You clean up nice."

Hermione's frantic eyes searched the street, willing someone to help as Malfoy continued. "It is a shame, Granger. It could have been so easy." He inhaled sharply and then sighed, his breath stirring her curls. Her own breathing was getting shallower and shallower. "I was going to let you go, but you play dirty, don't you?" No one was here anymore. Malfoy had made sure of it.

His hand left her shoulder and slid up her neck. Hermione whimpered, "Dra-" but she couldn't finish as his wand dug hard into the back of her skull, effectively silencing her.

"Now, my sweet," he said, "you very well know how I take to people who have betrayed me." He snaked his other arm around her waist as the one on her neck started squeezing, blocking her airway. And then, before Hermione could know what was happening, they disapparated with a loud pop, softly rustling the leaves in their wake.


I am not sure as to when I will be updating. I have some ideas going around in my mind as to what will happen next, but haven't got it fully figured out. Nonetheless, share your thoughts!