Disclaimer: Not mine just the plot.

AN: Based on and inspired by "The Butterfly Effect". The story is bounded by the same notions of the film however vary in accordance to the characters of Harry Potter. Tell me what you think of it.

I started this few months ago and never finished then the exams hit in and I've been working on Misfit. So I thought, this is a good change! So, I hope you enjoy this. It contains a lot of time changes from when Draco was five to present time. So, keep that in mind. I hope I wont confuse you.

Summary: When Hermione commits suicide, Draco can't help but to feel guilty. In search for perfection, righting the wrong, he goes back in time to save her. But, he must learn to face the consequences of his actions, accepting that the world is perfectly flawed. DM/HG.

Perfectly Flawed – 01 – Things never get better

He watched her behind the dirty glass doors of the diner, his hands rested on the rusted doorknobs. The twenty-five year old, Draco Malfoy stood there, outside Joe's Diner, deep in contemplation. He continued to observe her taking an order for a middle-aged man. Years may have passed yet she remained the same, though her hair has changed slightly, her other main features stayed with her. Her brown eyes, focused on her notebook as she jot down the orders, though Draco could see some hint of despair behind those eyes, they were, as he knew, no longer vivacious like during Hogwarts time.

As he felt the sweat starting to arise, he reluctantly pulled away from the doorknob. Draco clapped his hands together and dusted away the minor bits of rust that had transferred from the doorknob.

When Draco shifted his attention back to the lean girl, he found her no longer to be of sight. The man she had taken orders from had now settled back into his newspaper and as Draco presumed she had gone back inside to the kitchen.

Draco observed the surrounding. It was overall a shabby place, opened to only poor locals. The stains on the doors were inevitable, as were the amount of dirt that rested upon everywhere else of the place. There was a man who sat at the counter; he was around in his forties. Draco watched as he rubbed his unshaven chin, and continued to watch as the man turned towards the kitchen entrance and shouted something that from his facial expression sounded angry. Moments later, Hermione came rushing out of the kitchen carrying several plates of food and rushed towards the table occupied by a nearby woman.

After taking one last look at her, Draco stepped back from the door and approached his car. He would be back later.

As she rinsed out the late plates in the sink, Hermione began packing them away in their respected places. She had luckily been working at a sufficient speed today without her boss, Joe, constantly yelling at her.

She breathed out, her muscles eased out a little as she took a sneak peak at the clock. In just minutes she would be out of work. She smiled in joy.

But her smile was suddenly interrupted by the callous voice of her boss, dear Joe.

"Hurry up and finish those dishes before you go!!" barked Joe, causing Hermione's smile to fade into oblivion.

"Yes sir," she forced herself to reply in the most civil tone possible. But it was hard.

Joe gave her a long hard look as if finding a reason to scream at her again before stalking off muttering an insult that she was so common to.

"Filthy mudblood."

Hermione was used to it all of course. She sighed in misery. This was her life after the war. Being a mudblood and of course, Harry Potter's best friend, she was shipped off and sold to many dark wizard families. Hermione however, had considered herself lucky as a few of the others she had met along the way, had all been dead. If honesty has it, she did not exactly know how she ended up at Joe's Diner. For many years, she was sold from family to family, store to store. Any type of hardship, Hermione was almost proud to say she's been through it all.

She sighed again, scrubbing the dirty dishes with all her strength. Her mind began to wonder once again. It has been god know how long since she's last seen Harry, Ginny or any of her Hogwarts friends. Ron was the only person she had seen but barely. The war had torn them all onto different paths and Hermione didn't even know if any of them were alive. She had only hoped because in the end, hope is her best weapon in this world where she was alone.

Hermione restrained a few tears when she heard the clock suddenly beep. She looked up; it was midnight. After finishing off the last dirty dish on the pile, she cleaned her now rough hands and made her way out of the diner.

After locking up the door, Hermione made her way in the cold. She wrapped her arms around her, as she felt the cold flushing her skin, causing her to shiver.

"Hermione."

Someone called behind. Hermione heard the voice and it triggered a few chord. She had recognized the voice but it had been awhile since she heard it.

"Hermione," the voice called again.

This time, Hermione turned around. It was Draco.

Hermione smiled a bit but it was a teary smile. Draco too, looked every bit of inch of sadness at the sight of Hermione. Before Draco could speak again, Hermione moved forward towards Draco and hugged him. They had stood there for a good long minute or so.

When they released each other, Hermione seemed ready to talk as she wiped the tears off her face.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked finally, looking curiously at Draco.

Draco shrugged. He didn't really want to answer any questions right now but to ask them.

"Ok…how have you been then? You're still living in the manor?" Hermione asked.

"No, after father died, mother wanted somewhere quiet away from the turmoil so we bought a manor in Scotland where they was minimal war activities," Draco replied.

"Your father died?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yea…so Voldemort excused us from the war activities. I can't believe he excused me from his service. Mother was glad though. Pansy came with us as she too was excused," Draco smiled at the thought of his mother.

Hermione nodded slightly.

"Anyways, enough about me, yourself? What about you? How have you been?" Draco asked.

Hermione was hesitant on what to say. "I've been the same…I guess," she replied.

"Have you heard from your mother? Father? How's your family?" Draco asked, curious as to Hermione's situation.

Hermione paused. She didn't want to reply at all.

"Hermione?"

"They're dead," came her fierce reply, not wanting to look at him in the eye.

"Oh…" Draco was a little taken aback. "So you live with Weasley now? Things any better with him?"

Hermione looked up to face Draco. "Why are you really here Draco?! Did you come just to know how awful I'm doing?! Or just to tell me how well you're doing?!" Hermione also cried. Draco was shocked at her outburst but before he could say anything, she continued. "Well you know what?! I'm doing pretty shit, Draco. And if you came all the way here to ask me if things are better?! Well, things never get better Draco! For you perhaps…but never for me."

With that, Hermione ran down the cold street. Her sobs were still audible even though she was out of sight. Draco stood there, letting her voice wash over him.

"Things never get better"

The very next morning, Draco woke up extremely weary. It took a few seconds to register the previous night's events into his guilty mind. He grumbled.

Draco felt compelled to apologize to Hermione and to see her once again. He had missed her being there during their seventh year. Draco smiled at the thought of seventh year Hermione. He would never forget their times together, it was the best time of his life.

A violent owl tapping his window interrupted Draco's thoughts. Curious, Draco has never seen such an owl before, surely it wasn't from his mother. He got out of bed and opened the window to let the violent brown owl in.

Draco took the parchment from the owl slowly, careful not to be pecked at. He opened the parchment carefully.

It was a brief moment before Draco had finished reading the letter…a brief moment before he fell back on the chair. He froze. Nothing seemed to be moving nor anything seems to matter. Partially, Draco was in denial the other half already left in misery.

Just that moment, Blaise had entered Draco's room carrying two newly polished expensive broomsticks.

"Hey, Drak. Shall we leave? I figured we'd-" Blaise, stopped watching his friend in a unhealthy state of white.

"Draco?" Blaise asked again, this time, getting slightly worried.

But Draco didn't move. The only response Blaise had got was the sound of a parchment, falling to the floor.

Blaise, worried, instantly dropped the broomsticks and went next to Draco to pick up the letter. He opened the parchment and began to read.

His eyes grew rounder as he began to read to himself in his mind.

Malfoy,

I hope you liked what you've done to Hermione! She came home crying saying that you came to visit her. You bastard. Whatever it is you said to her, it hurt her. Yes, it hurt her real bad and no more of your pathetic apologies will ever make up for this. You know why? Because she's dead now. She killed herself last night. And it was because of the stupid thing you said to her.

Why couldn't you leave her alone you spoiled bastard?!

When Blaise had finished the letter, he looked up at Draco who by now was pale as a ghost. Blaise really didn't know what to say. But before he could only his mouth to even try to comfort his friend, Draco abruptly got up and walked to his draws.

"Draco?!" Blaise asked.

"Where is it?!" exclaimed Draco, after rampaging through his clothes which were now on the floor.

"Draco? What are you looking for?" Blaise asked again, he was now indeed concerned.

But Draco didn't answer. He keep looking through his belongings, making a vast mess of everything. He also smashed a few vases on the way.

"Draco?! What are you doing?!" Blaise asked once again, grabbing his friend by the arm to stop his effervescent doings.

Draco finally stopped, looking at his best friend in the eye in a determined fashion.

"I'm going to save her," Draco replied firmly.

Blaise rewarded Draco with a perplexed look. "Draco, I know this is hard for you but she's dead now. There is nothing you can do."

Draco shook his head. "No no…" he replied, still rampaging through his belongings.

"Draco…"

"Blaise, you remember the hourglass toy my grandfather gave me?!"

Blaise nodded.

"I know its use now."

"What?" asked Blaise. "Draco, what does this have anything to do with Hermione?"

But Draco gave no answer. He just kept searching for the hourglass his grandfather had given him. Draco knew he was able to save her. It was destiny for them to be together. With the power of time in his hands, Draco would be able to return and make everything perfect for them…after all, Draco thought, "we are the perfect couple."

An: okies, that's the first chapter. I hope you guys do like this. Please review though!