Chapter 1 ~ Mysteries And Questions Better Left Unanswered

Dark clouds covered the sky while droplets of rain fell gracefully onto the roof of the beautiful, yet humble home. She could hear the rain fall on the roof making a light pittering and pattering sound, as she lay in bed. Reading a book as usual she lay on her back scanning the words in Hogwarts a History. The book she knew so well by now, it was a wonder she couldn't quote the entire book word for word.

With a sigh she shivered as she pulled the blankets over her it was to be her final year at Hogwarts, was it even worth going back. With You Know Who out there, becoming stronger each day it would only be a matter of time before muggle borns were banned from Hogwarts all together. Harry and Ron were to come over later to pick her up and they were going to Diagon Alley together. Their final year, their final time to go shopping for their books and supplies for the school year.

Her parents sat unaware of all the stress she was going through as they sat oblivious drinking their afternoon tea. They were so absorbed in their own discussion that they did not notice the front door open with a sudden gust of wind. A dark shadow approaching them, a green light was emitted from his wand and the lifeless bodies of the Grangers fell to the cold hard tiled floor.

Hermione heard a noise and climbed out of bed her heart pounding. Afraid to call out in case there was some intruder. It was too quiet she no longer heard her parents hushed tones discussing something she had no clue of what. Nor had she cared to know really. She froze, did she hear footsteps? Deliberate footsteps, heavy footsteps that clacked along the tiled floor and made their way to the stairs. She bit her lip, what could she do?

She was still underage she couldn't do magic or the Ministry would find out. She could be expelled from Hogwarts banned from doing any more magic. She did all she could think of she quickly yet quietly grabbed her wand and opened her window. She climbed out onto the wet and slippery roof. She shivered but ignored the cold she had to get out of the house, before whoever it was found her.

She was on the roof, just about one more inch and she'd be off the window she reached desperately above her to get onto the roof. She made it just in time, the figure stuck their hooded head out and attempted to shoot spells and hexes at her, but she barely dodged them. One particularly nasty hex hit her which knocked her backwards causing her to slide down the wet roof, stopping only inches before sliding off the roof entirely. Blood began to pool around her as she touched, her side to notice she was bleeding. The spell must have hit her, but what spell was it?

She wracked her brain trying to figure out what had been used, so she would know how to treat it, but the cloaked figure's voice was unable to be heard over all the rain and wind. The pain was shooting through her side, immense pain, but she had to get out of there and fast. All she had was her wand, she heard a sound like a broom whizzing in the air, and knew the figure was getting to her any minute now. She closed her eyes as the darkness surrounded her, she lost consciousness.

Voices were heard as she lay on an extremely soft bed, "What do we do with her sir? The Dark Lo." The voice was silenced by another man speaking, "Silence we are not to speak of the plans aloud. Who knows who may be listening, spying on us." He cleared his throat and called aloud, "Were is that damned house elf with the medicine! They're so useless lately, guess I'll have to teach them a lesson."

The two men left the room and Hermione opened her eyes, her heart was pounding in her chest why was she in this house? Where was she, and if someone captured her, was after her, chased after her. Why would they be treating her so nicely, wouldn't she be in a torture chamber or something.

The door opened slowly and Hermione laid back down closing her eyes, trying to steady her breathing to sound like she was asleep. The footsteps neared her bed as she heard a voice that sounded painfully familiar, "Figure you'd get caught mud blood." He glared at the girl on the bed, "I know you're awake."

Hermione opened her eyes and glared at the boy standing above her, "Malfoy." She sat up quickly, grabbed her wand, which was surprisingly still there, and ran towards the door. Not noticing the wound that was still open on her side, until a sharp shooting pain coursed through her body.

Draco smirked at her reaction, "I wouldn't go out that way if I were you, they wouldn't just let you go, you're some prized possession for him. Besides you're not going to get very far with that wound." Hermione flinched at Draco's words, "What?" Draco sighed in exasperation, "You know damn well who I'm talking about. Now the question is why? Why would he wants a mud blood like you?"

Draco's eyes were scrutinizing her as he thought to himself, sure she's really smart. Hell, extremely smart. But he's a genius, he doesn't need her help, does he? And it's not like she'd help him anyway.

Hermione frowned, "Are you done staring at me Malfoy? Why are you here anyway? And Ow!" Draco stepped closer to her, "You're in my house Granger. This is Malfoy Manor, the question is why aren't you dead yet." Ready to open her mouth Hermione stopped when she heard footsteps yet again, her eyes widened in fear, "Their coming back."

Curiosity was eating at him he wanted to know what was going on, but his father would never just tell him. He smirked as he grabbed her hand suddenly and apparated out of the room, with Hermione. Hermione stumbled when they landed in a thick forest, completely void of other people. She crossed her arms, "What are you doing?"

Draco threw her hand down out of his grasp as if he had touched something vile, "Would you rather me leave you there with my father and the other Death Eaters?" Hermione glared at Draco, "There's still one standing in front of me." With a sudden movement Draco had his wand against Hermione's chest, his hand on her throat, her pinned against the bed of flowers on the ground. Straddling her legs he glared daggers at her as he hissed, "Don't you ever say that again Mudblood, you have no idea who you're messing with. I don't care if he wants you alive, I will kill you. And watch you suffer." His voice was calm and she knew he was making a promise, that he wasn't just saying that.

She swallowed nervously as her honey eyes met his own cold icy blue ones. "Okay, okay I'm sorry. I..won't say it again." She looked up at him, with pain reflected in her eyes where wound had gone untreated and was still bleeding quite a lot and there was a constant pain. With a sigh Draco climbed up off of Hermione, when he noticed she was still in pain. She sat up rubbing her neck where he had grabbed her, squeezing tighter to emphasize every word. It still hurt, and she figured she'd have a bruise there later, but the open wound was a much more pressing matter. After a few minutes of silence Hermione spoke, "So, why did you bring me here?

Draco ran a hand through his blond hair, "I don't know it was the first place I could think of to apparate to, I wasn't really thinking." He looked at Hermione and kneeled beside her as he reached out to touch her side where the blood was oozing from. "What the hell did Lucius do to you anyway?" Draco pushed her gently to the ground again, and looked into her honey eyes seriously, "Stay still I'm going to try something."

Draco lifted Hermione's T-shirt she wore to expose her side where the blood had been pouring from. Her skin was paler than usual as she had lost quite a bit of blood. He was amazed that his father and the others hadn't healed this wound when they had caught her. Hermione looked at Draco curiously, trying to ignore the pain, but unable to do so.

She began to laugh, but winced in pain almost immediately. Draco glared at her and shook his head, "Didn't I say not to move?" You're going to make it worse." Looking up at him, she earnestly asked, "Why are you helping me?" He paused in the middle of waving his wand, "Do you really have to ask this right now Granger? I don't know okay?" He turned to face Hermione again and held his wand above the wound muttering the incantation, "Vulnera Sanentur." He held the wand there as he concentrated repeating the incantation a second after the blood had ceased to flow from the wound. After repeating the incantation a second time the wound slowly began to close up, as Hermione thrashed and screamed in pain. Once the wounds had closed he repeated the spell a third time, to make the injury almost unnoticeable. Though a small scar was still visible.

He dropped his hand to his side once he had finished helping his injured classmate. Hermione bit her lip anxiously as she lay on the ground still, not ready to sit up yet,

"What did they want with me anyway? It has something to do with Harry doesn't it?"

Draco sneered, "No it has nothing to do with Potter, everything in the world doesn't revolve around him! It has something to do with you, for some reason, Merlin knows why. Maybe he wants you to join his side, or something."

Hermione frowned at what Draco had just said, "As if I would ever join You Know Who!" She began to laugh so hard that her sides hurt, "Who does he think I am? He's Harry's mortal enemy, not to mention a vile horrible man. No not even a man, a man wouldn't do something so cruel, he's a monster!"

Draco glared at Hermione's sudden outburst, "Watch you're tongue Granger, there can be spies around you know? And they wouldn't take lightly what you were saying about their precious Lord. Hermione looked up at Draco who was still straddling her hips and her face turned red from blushing, "Umm Malfoy, would you mind getting off of me now?"

For a split second his pale face turned a light shade of pink and he climbed off of her muttering a very quiet almost nonexistent, "Sorry."

Draco twirled his wand in his hands, thoughtfully not sure how to proceed after where he had taken them. Hermione sat up and stood shakily a little whoozy from the bloodloss,"I bet if Professor Dumbledore was still alive he would probably have a clue what He was after." Nodding as he reluctantly agreed, Draco spoke, "You may be right, but that won't give us any help now. I think we have to get to Hogwarts." Hermione tapped her wand lightly on her temple, "Maybe we should visit the library perhaps we'll find something."