First of all, I do not own Harry Potter, only my own character and my plot line.

Its been some time since I've written fanfiction in any dedicated sense but I look forward to doing so again. This will be my first Harry Potter fic as well. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If there are any errors when I upload and I haven't fixed them yet, please someone let me know as it has been ages since I've used FFN. I'm not well acquainted with their formatting.

This will diverge from canon.

All Around Me Ch. 1

Run

His breath caught in his throat and his sides felt like fire had cut through him as he ran. He could feel blood flowing down his face from the numerous scratches he had collected while running blindly through the winter wood. They lacked in comparison, however, to the rest of the wounds his body had sustained. Clawed branches reached out for him, tugging and ripping at his robes as he ran. He fought their hold desperately, one thing on his mind; Run.

Draco Malfoy had finally snapped. He could no longer keep up the pretense that he was in his heart a Death Eater, for he was not. Months of struggling to fix that damned Vanishing Cabinet and failing to kill Dumbledore had proven that beyond a doubt. The wizard had seen that as they stood facing each other on the tower. The Headmaster knew he was no killer, knew he was the boy who wasn't given a choice, and he knew he needed someone to tell him that he could, in fact, choose to leave. The offer the words held seemed impossible but he was so tired and wanted out. He began to lower his wand, ready to accept when Snape and the others had passed through his wards and up the Astronomy Tower. After that, the deed was still done if not by him. There was no more promise of something better. As he fled the school with the other Death Eaters, the weight in his chest only intensified at the thought of what his failure would mean.

The Dark Lord, Voldemort, was not pleased with his cowardice. Though Draco was skilled enough in Occlumency to keep from betraying his consideration of Dumbledores offer, if He sensed he was hiding something he would be punished severely if not executed on site. Whether it was mercy or torture, he didn't know, but He decided to spare his life. He did, after all, succeed in getting the Death Eaters into Hogwarts even if Snape had finished the rest of job for him. Death, in hindsight, may have been preferable. The Death Eaters and their Lord rose their voices in celebration, proclaiming their victory and eventual end of the War with Voldemort over Harrys broken body. To start the celebrations, a round of the Cruciatus Curse from his Lord, his aunt, and his father, and anyone else who wanted in.

His echoed screams a concerto through the halls of the Manor accompanying the dissonance of sick laughter from the Dark Lords followers, his family included. The only one not to laugh at his agony was his mother, and even she had to keep a mask of indifference to keep from being a target herself. When it was finally over, Bellatrix proposed a raid on a muggle village to continue the celebrations and the others readily agreed, some kicking him on their way out as a painful parting.

Draco took this time to pull himself carefully to his feet, his body still shaking with the after effects of the curse. By far that had been the longest he had been exposed to it. He tripped and stumbled away, quietly as possible and hopefully not missed, to his room. His body seemed to move on its own, taking the familiar path to his doors, entering then shutting them and walking to his attached bathroom. Only when he caught his reflection in the mirror was he jolted from his zombie like state. Zombie, a good way to describe how he looked in that moment. His eyes were dull and sunken in, dark circles surrounding them made darker by his paler than death skin. True he had always been pale but even now his skin took on a sicklier white glow. His hair followed his eyes and skin, dull and lifeless. The only color seemed to be the blood from what would soon be scars littering his flesh left by the extended Cruciatus and beating session. He reached his hand out to his reflection, the stoic façade cracking under the weight of everything that had happened. Tears joined the blood steaming down his face. His path was set now and there was no escape.

That was the end of June. Months had passed in a blur and now it was December. His family had been summoned before the Dark Lord. No details, just that all three of them were to join him at once.

This was not good.

Draco looked to his parents on either side of him. His fathers face was calm and reserved, as was expected of a pure-blood, but little things betrayed his fear. The corners of his mouth were drawn tight as was his grip on his cane and his eyes filled with the look of a cornered animal. His mother was equally as stoic and fearful. As they walked, Bellatrix in front of them and Rodolphus behind them, the gnawing in his stomach grew. No, this was not good.

They reached the doors to the ballroom, where their Lord would hold court. Only He, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, himself and his parents were present this evening. In his mind he saw brief flashes of the elegant balls and parties his mother had once thrown. He remembered how he used to hate them, thinking they were silly and how he always tried to find ways out of them. Now, he desperately wished for such simpler things.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely made out the conversation happening around him. He shifted focus as the voices rose, conversation turning to frantic arguing. He felt his mother grip his hand tight, her fear evident. With his other hand he carefully felt his wand pocket, taking little comfort in its presence. His senses heightened, instinct slowly taking over. No, this was not good.

"I tire of you and your family's failure, Lucius! All I hear are excuses, excuses, and more excuses!"

"My Lord! Surely you can see how loyal we are? How willing we are to serve? We have done all that you asked, given you open access to our vaults, and happily given you our home. My son even became your youngest Death Eater!"

"Crucio!"

Lucius fell to the floor screaming, Bellatrixs laughter mingling in creating a horrid and terrible song. Draco and his mother stood perfectly still least they bring attention upon themselves.

"Your worthless spawn was made a Death Eater to pay for your failures but he is just like you. He failed in his task, someone more loyal and more worthy had to finish it for him." He ceased the curse, waiting for another excuse from Lucius but with his mind already decided on his fate. But what was the harm in having a little fun first?

"My Lord, forgive us! We can prove to you just how valuable we can be to you!"

"ENOUGH!" He hissed. The room grew silent as he stood from his throne and stood to tower over the cowering Malfoy patriarch.

"My Lord..."

"You are no longer needed, Lucius. You and your family are dismissed from my service."

Luciuss eyes grew wide in terror, "No! My Lord, please! We can-"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" A burst of green light triggered the chaos that started Draco on his mad dash through the woods.

As his father was hit with the curse, his mother cried out, breaking her silence. She drew her wand and threw up a shield around Draco and herself.

"You can't have him! I won't let you kill my son!" She screamed as they were surrounded.

"Foolish woman, worthless as your husband." Voldemort sneered. Bellatrix and Rodolphus drew their wands and circled the pair, eager to kill for their Master.

Draco had his wand out as well, back to back with his mother, waiting for the attack to come. His mothers shields and wards were powerful, he supposed thats where he got that bit of talent from, but with the Dark Lord and his aunt and uncle aiming to kill them, he knew it wouldn't be long.

"Draco." His mother spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "Run."

His eyes widened in confusion before his mother roared, as screaming wouldn't quite be enough to describe the sound that spilled from her tiny frame. For a brief moment she resembled a lion more than a snake. The wards around them shattered as her magic filled the air around them and threw everyone away from them. She stepped away from him towards her sister, who was quickly recovering.

"Mother!" Draco yelled, begging her to come with him.

She locked eyes with him and shook her head before turning away from him, wand drawn and spells on her lips. His heart constricted in his chest as he turned and ran through the doors and down the hall. He could hear the battle behind him as he ran, then his aunts voice and those two words. He didn't see the flash of green as he ran. He didn't see his mothers lifeless eyes filled with sorrow and regret watching him leave. He couldn't see but barely a few feet in front of him through the tears. All the things he couldn't see but somehow knew none the less. His mother had sacrificed herself so that he would have a chance, slim as it was, for him to escape the monster they had been forced to serve because of his fathers mistake.

So he ran. He tore through the house, bursting through the back doors and running for the woods, dodging and countering spells as he did. A few cutting hexes nicked him but miraculously he was able to dodge or counter most of what was sent his way. Upon reaching the wood, his pursuers slowed. He knew this land like the back of his hand, having spent most of his free time here as a child and now as a teenager to escape the insanity of the mansion. Even as the Death Eaters slowed, he kept running. He ran long and hard, well past the boundaries of the Malfoy property.

As he began to slow, losing himself in the now unfamiliar property, he knew he had lost his advantage. He knew whatever lead he had was slowly being made up as his body began to shut down. He tripped on a tree root, falling and rolling down a small hill, hitting a few more roots as he went. He stopped at the base of a large black tree on the edge of a small clearing, its trunk large and with a hollow big enough to hide in. With pained breath he pulled himself into the sanctuary the tree offered.

He curled into a ball, pulling his knees tight to his chest and sobbed. His family was dead. His father, well, really he wanted to be sad but he was the one who had brought this on them so not many tears were shed for him. His mother, however, had sacrificed herself, had done everything she could to protect him. He knew she loved him, knowing he had never wanted this life his father forced on him. So he cried for her. He cried for himself. He, who everyone saw as the blood purist, snobby, bully; the Malfoy heir who would certainly follow in his fathers footsteps. If only someone knew he wasn't like that at all, not truly. If only someone knew it was all an act on his part to keep himself safe from his father, then later the Dark Lord.

If only he had the courage to ask anyone, including Saint Potter, for help. If only someone noticed that behind all the insults, his eyes were begging for help. But the time for that passed, his last chance dying with Dumbledore that night on the Astronomy Tower. He was going to die here, in this hollow, crying. At least he would have more dignity than his father, he thought to himself. He would not give them the satisfaction of begging them for his life.

He held his hands to his face, whispering into them all his apologies and his regrets, tears winding their way through the dirt and blood caked on them. Faintly he could hear voices in the distance. They were nearing his refuge, closer and closer with every muttered word.

"Please..." His whispered sob bleeding into the noise of the cold night, his resolve breaking. "Please someone help me.."

The tears on his hands rolled down to his wrists and stopped. They rested there a moment before a glow began to circle them. Soon, golden shackles appeared around his wrists and shined bright as the sun. Before he could fully register the odd occurrence, a voice cut out through the silence of the wood.

"I found you, dearest Draco! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He squeezed his eyes shut waiting for the curse to hit. It was supposed to be painless, instant, but what did he really know? Even if it was true, he was still afraid and didn't want to die. He didn't know that the feeling in his gut wasn't the curse hitting him, but the pull of Apparition.

He felt the familiar twisting sensation and disorientation as he reached his unknown destination. Unknown because even if he had tried to Apparate, he had no where he could go let alone the strength and presence of mind to do so. He lay on the ground, realizing quickly that he was far from home, and not dead due to the Killing Curse. For that he was thankful, but still wary and confused. It was warmer but still fairly cool, the air smelled differently due to the difference in foliage, the sounds of the woods were even different. He rolled over on his back, groaning in pain. His head was swimming as he tried to hang on to consciousness. He heard a snap of a stick or twig and turned his head to the side to see his attacker, his wand raised feebly to defend himself.

Through his blurred vision, he spotted a girl, seemingly no older than him. From what he could tell she had black hair, half undone from a pony tail, with fair skin and dressed in a simple brown skirt, flowing green top, and brown flats. She had her wand drawn but as she stepped carefully closer she lowered it.

"Draco?" She whispered, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

He went stiff at the mention of his name. This girl knew him somehow. Did he know her? He wasn't sure. Somehow she felt familiar but he was so close to losing his battle with exhaustion, he just didn't know. He thought, for a brief moment, that he saw a golden flash around her wrist. He lowered his wand, he would have to trust that she wasn't here to kill him.

"H-help… m-me..." He stuttered as his vision went black, the last thought that ran through his mind was recognition of the soft scent of jasmine blossoms.