Disclaimer: All of these characters are property of the one true goddess herself, JK Rowling 3

Prologue

It had been one month, two weeks, and four days since the battle at Hogwarts.

Most of the Death Eaters had either been killed in battle, killed out of vengeance by blood-lusting enemies, or been sent to Azkaban to spend the rest of their lives rotting in the much justified penalties which they had been sent there to serve. The Malfoys; however, had gotten off easy.

Lucius's trial had been carried out over the course of a few weeks. His involvement with the Dark Lord had been very well known to the public, and after Voldemort was destroyed, most people in the magic world turned to a bitter vengeance against the Malfoys.

His trial was handled by the reappointed Minister of Magic and an array of Aurors; so naturally, charges began whirling in like owls on a post day. Many witches and wizards were quick to blame Lucius for high crimes, until he delivered a surprisingly strong case as to how distant he truly was from the Dark Lord's master plans.

In the end, after much strong convincing and sorry pleas, Lucius Malfoy was sentenced to five years in Azkaban, yet his wife and son were given much different treatment.

Narcissa Malfoy was found to have played a very small role, if any role at all in Voldemort's plans, and after Harry Potter had exposed her part in deceiving the Dark Lord in the case of Harry's death, she was only given a small fine to repay. Her only heartbreak was to endure see the fate of her family, as they gradually began to be separated from her.

First, her sister's death during battle. Then, her husband's sentencing to Azkaban. But the worst of it was her son was being charged with assisting in the murder of Albus Dumbledore and betraying the side of good to join forces with the Dark Lord during his last two years at Hogwarts. Then withholding information from his professors on the whereabouts of Voldemort and the Death Eaters when the search for them had been so imperative to the school's safety

With those kind of charges against him, Draco was facing between three to five years in Azkaban and the only thing his mother could do was keep her son protected against those who wished to punish him. She believed deep in the pit of her heart that Draco had not meant to do any of the things that he was being charged for. She tried to testify that he was being forced to do everything he had done, and that nobody would understand the pressure put on him by Voldemort and his army. She also tried to explain that in order to keep their family safe, they had to foil Voldemort into believing that the Malfoy's were his faithful servants, even if it meant preforming the acts of cold blooded Death Eaters. But these testimonies only helped her son slightly, because due to a recent swarm of threats towards him after being exposed and being seen changing sides during the battle, Narcissa placed Draco under a very powerful concealment charm.

She was now finding ways to postpone his appearance in court as far as she could until she could change the minds of the furious Aurors and magical lawyers deciding on his case. All the while Draco was tucked away, hiding in the Malfoy's secret cabin in the Helvyllen Mountains, trying to escape the threats of everyone against him, disappearing every so often when he knew his tracks were being followed by magic far stronger than his or his mother's could protect him from.

CH 1 Nightmares

Heavy drops of rain fell onto the pine roof of the Malfoy's cabin. The wind was howling and whistling through the cracks of lumber which held the structure secure. Draco was lying on his back staring straight up at the ceiling, under damp covers which clung to his restless body. In a twine woven cot next to him was Pansy, sleeping soundly as she had been every night since the battle. Draco; however, had barely slept at all.

This night it had been a particularly eery nightmare which had woken him up. He was walking through the Forbidden Forest without a wand. Darkness surrounded him and he could hardly make out his way between the trees. It was almost silent except for the faint sounds of creatures far off into the woods. As he stepped heavily through the brush and snapping twigs, suddenly Draco stopped. There, before his eyes, were his parents maimed and lifeless bodies strewn across the ground. Their blood painted the ground in a colorfully mocking picture, which Voldemort himself had drawn for him.

As Draco turned the other way to run off in a cowardly gait, a pair of green and yellow snake-like eyes met his glance. Draco was face to face with the Dark Lord again, but this time he had no one to protect him.

"My boy," Voldemort spoke affectionately, his voice cracking in a dry hiss.

He held out a cold, deathly hand to Draco's face and brought it to his cheek, running a jagged fingernail down his face. Draco's could feel his heart thudding alarmingly in his chest, but he soon looked down to see Voldemort's hands around his neck, choking every last breath out of him. And that was when he awoke, in the dark and moldy cabin, questioning how he would ever leave this life of everlasting guilt and fear.

Out of the foggy window next to the bed, Draco could see the rain rushing down from the steep mountain ranges which surrounded him. As he rolled out of the covers, placed his feet on the cold wooden floor, and stepped softly across the room, he worried Pansy would awake from his movement.

His mother had requested that Pansy come along in his flee to keep him company. Draco had wished to come alone, but his mother insisted, and what with his father just recently being sentenced to Azkaban, it was hard to say no to her. Narcissa went on to ask Pansy's appearance with her son in his escape and offered her a reward. She was to be given a part of the Malfoy fortune if she stayed by Draco's side every step of the way, so she vainly agreed and now Draco had been stuck with her hanging off of his arm, drooling over the future gold she would accrue.

Luckily, Pansy's sudden movements in her bed were only those of someone deep in sleep and Draco was safe to promenade around the cabin. He stood in front of the door which lead to the garden out back, and watched silently as the storm began to let up and clouds moved over grey mountain tops in the distance. With his pointer finger flexed straight out, he ran it down the window glass as it gathered condensation from the wetness outdoors. From what it seemed to him, these doors were the only thing keeping him safe from the terror outside. Although Voldemort was gone, and the side of good was back in reign, many people sought to find Draco and wreak punishment upon him. He wasn't sure what it would be, but he hoped that running from the law was better than being tormented in Azkaban.

Turning from the door, Draco shouted in alarm at the sight of Pansy standing directly behind him.

She cocked her head to the side. "Draco, what are you doing up? Was it the storm?" she stepped towards him and extended her hand to his face, but he backed off quickly, lifting his own hand as if to slap hers away.

"Draco..." her brow creased into a concerned frown, "what is the matter?"

He turned his eyes away, not wanting to catch her fixed gaze. "I'm fine. Just taking a walk around." He shuffled off towards the bed and sat down, irritated, leaving her standing by the door. Her hands went to her knees.

"I'm worried about you, Draco. You're mother warned me that you might not be right ever since the battle." She came over and sat beside him.

"And she also told you about the gold, didn't she? I know what she was thinking, sending you here with me. She wants you to keep an eye on me, make sure I don't turn myself in to Potter or the ministry." His voice was reaching an angrily loud tone.

"She only wants you to be safe..." her voice trailed off into a whisper as Draco leaped from the bed and paced to the other side of the room, hand out in front of him to make a pointed gesture.

"You're only here because you want my family's money, you disgusting imposter!"

Pansy hurried over to him carefully and took his wrists in her hands. She was looking up into his angry grey eyes and clenched opened jaw, his breath beating on her forehead. His arms were tight in her grasp.

"Draco, I'm not here to take your money. I'm here for you, to help you."

Gradually, his jaw relaxed and he pursed his lips into a curious thin line, but his sharp eyes stayed fixed on hers.

"I don't believe you," he whispered harshly, barley moving his mouth to speak.

"I can prove it if that's what you want." She stared into his eyes, hearing his heart race from anger.

He took her head violently in his hand and pressed his open mouth onto hers, pushing her body to his with his other hand. Grasping onto the neck of her shirt, Draco lead her backwards to the bed, which they fell back onto, causing a small cry to escape Pansy's lips. Draco held her neck in both hands, angrily kissing her mouth with heated breath. She dragged her hand from his back to his belt buckle and down to the bulge in his pants. He suddenly sprung up from on top of her and stepped backwards. Pansy lifted herself upright with surprise and tried to catch her breath.

Draco stood tensely with balled fists, glaring at Pansy through vexing eyes. He took the sleeve of his shirt and roughly wiped it across his lips. Looking away from Pansy he went towards the cot. With a sharp growl he looked at her and said, "You can have the bed tonight."