Chapter One.

"There she is!"

"GET HER!"

Hermione looked behind her, her heart dropping. They'd found her. After weeks of being on the run, she had made a careless, stupid mistake that she knew beforehand had been a bad idea. But she did it anyways.

She took off at a run, putting everything she had into getting away, dodging spells as she ran. She had no means of protecting herself, having broke her wand yesterday, which was another reason she had came to Hogsmeade. A place she knew she would be recognized almost immediately. But she had believed it worth the risk, in order to try and get a wand.

Normally, Hermione would have been against stealing another witch or wizards wand, but drastic times called for drastic measures, and she was pretty desperate, even more so now.

She let out a sharp cry as a spell hit her shoulder, immediate pain blossoming where the spell made contact. She knew she was bleeding, she could feel it running down her arm, but she refused to look at it, not wanting anything to distract her. Besides, if they caught her, she'd be in a lot worse shape. She would determine the severity of the wound once she got away. If she got away.

She made a sharp left, running down the first alleyway that came into her vision. She was hoping that by weaving in and out of alleys that had shops all over, she might be able to throw them off of her trail.

She made lefts and right turns trying to get away, but to no avail. There was too many of them, and she knew that they wanted to capture her more than anything, which is what was driving them forward and after her at the pace they were. She still had a bit of room between herself and the Death Eaters, but she didn't know how much longer she would be able to keep her pace. Her lungs were already burning, and she could taste blood from biting down on the inside of her cheeks in anxiety.

As she was about to run past an alley, a pair of arms grabbed her and she filled up her lungs with air to let out a scream, when her mouth was covered.

"Shut up, and play along," someone hissed.

Hermione was about to bite down on their hand and ask them what the hell they were talking about, until she felt a rush of warmth run throughout her entire body, and she knew that magic was used on her. She watched as her clothes changed colours, her hair grew longer and turned from her messy array of curls to sleek long black hair. When she realized what was happening, she looked up confused into a pair of familiar grey eyes.

"Mal-"

Before she could finish what she was about to say, his lips were on hers, and he pushed her up against the wall.

Although he had somewhat aggressively pressed his mouth up against hers, he immediately softened it, kissing her in a way she never would have associated with him, or thought him capable of.

She heard a crash beside them, and she squeaked and jumped, and ended up coming face to face with the Death Eaters who were looking for her, and whom she had momentarily forgotten about due to the shock of being kissed by none other than Draco Malfoy.

Draco gave her a quick look, which Hermione knew meant keep quiet, before turning his attention towards them.

"You'd better have a damn good reason for interrupting me," Draco snapped.

Hermione watched as one of the men took a step forward, tilting his head down slightly before speaking.

"Sorry Malfoy, didn't know you were down here."

"And why exactly are you lot running around dark alleyways like a bunch of obnoxious children?"

"We saw Granger."

Draco snorted.

"He's telling the truth. She's here, in Hogsmeade. And she ran down these alleyways. She's close. We need to keep looking, she can't be far."

"You're sure?" Draco questioned authoritatively.

"Positive."

Draco turned towards Hermione.

"We'll pick up where we left off as soon as I'm done here. Meet me at my apartment."

Hermione was about to say she didn't even know where that was, as he slipped a piece of paper into her hands discreetly before bringing her hand up to his mouth, planting a gentle kiss upon her knuckles.

"Now," Draco said turning back to the group, "if she is here, she won't be here long. She'd be stupid to stay somewhere that we've got on lock down. So let's split up and look. If anyone finds anything, you know how to contact me."

Hermione watched as Draco took off down the alley, the rest of the Death Eaters following until they all started down different paths.

If that wasn't a hint for Hermione to get the hell out of there and fast, she didn't know what was. Thankfully, or maybe not thankfully depending on what his intentions were, Hermione had a destination. The only question now was, whether or not she could trust him. She couldn't see a reason as to why he hid her from the people that he was clearly working with, but when it came down to it, she didn't have many options, and there was a group of people currently looking for her so she couldn't exactly be particularly picky about a hiding place.

She may be unarmed, but she was still able to throw a wicked punch, one that Malfoy had experienced back in third year. Now older, she'd be able to put more kick behind it, especially after taking some training on her spare time, and she wasn't afraid to throw down if need be. Did she think she would be able to overpower him? Definitely not. But, she also knew that it wouldn't be something he would be prepared for, so at least she had the element of surprise in her favour if needed.

Hermione took off down the alleyway, looking for the nearest shop. She figured that using a floo network would be her best bet, especially considering she had no idea as to where she was even going. She walked into a shop that looked inviting, and spotted a worker.

"Excuse me," Hermione said softly.

"Oh hello dear, what can I do for you today? Have you gotten a chance to look at our new clothing section? It just arrived this morning, so you'll have the first pick of the draw. And let me tell you, you won't be disappointed!" An elderly lady stated excitedly.

"Thank you, but I was wondering if I would be able to use your floo network? I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, I'm just running late and my husband will be worried sick about me."

"Oh of course child! Married so young? Good for you! When you know, you know! That's what I've always said at least."

Hermione smiled sweetly, and followed the lady to the fireplace that was at the back of the shop.

"And here you go! Do be safe, and take care!"

"Thank you for your help," Hermione said sincerely.

"Not a problem!"

Hermione grabbed a handful of floo powder off the mantle, and stepped inside the fireplace. She took a deep breath, looked down at the piece of paper Malfoy had given her, said the address, and disappeared in green flames, all the while hoping that she wasn't setting herself up for a trap.

She landed in the fireplace at Malfoy's place scanning the visible area, before stepping out, and had to admit that Draco had nice taste. Simple, but elegant. The same style that she herself would choose if she had a place of her own.

Having nothing else to do to occupy her time and because she was an anxious wreck, Hermione decided to explore Draco's apartment.

The kitchen was beautiful. Which was surprising to Hermione since she figured he probably never used it. She assumed it was just for show, but regardless, the colour scheme and set up complimented one another nicely. He had black cabinets and cupboards, a white marble countertop which had speckles of black and grey. His appliances were all black and sleek looking, and a breakfast bar island with two black bar stools. Curious, Hermione opened his fridge, and was surprised to see that it was pretty much fully stocked.

Upon seeing the food, Hermione's stomach grumbled loudly. It had been a while since she had a good home cooked meal. Being on the run didn't exactly give you the luxury of cooking for yourself often.

Figuring he wouldn't mind, well actually not caring if he minded since she was hungry, Hermione started pulling things out of the fridge, her mouth watering at the possibilities in front of her, when all of a sudden a sharp pain erupted on her right shoulder, making her drop the contents she was currently holding.

In her haste to get away and her momentary distraction from hunger, she had totally forgotten about being hit by a curse. She looked at the floor in dismay, looking at the mess she had caused. But she would have to worry about that later, as her wound was now throbbing unbearably.

She was walking down the hallway trying to locate the bathroom, as another intense wave of pain shot through her body. White light exploded behind her eyelids, and she fell to the ground letting out a sharp cry as she made contact with the floor before blacking out.

A/N: I'M BAAAAAACK!

I know this is a short chapter, but I'm just starting this thing and waiting to get some feelers back from my readers in regards to whether or not to continue on with this story. So if you've read this chapter and have an opinion, let me hear it! You're all the reason I continue to write, and why I will continue to do so if you like what I have to offer.

I love you all xo.