Guilt dragged, like shackles, on his ankles as he paced his dimly lit room; the slightest creek of the floor caused him to jump. Knowing what was going on below him on caused his already heavy heart to weigh down on him. Even in his head he was not safe from reality. Guilty, his mind told him, he knew what was happening and was doing nothing about it. How could he live with himself after this, any real man would stick up for her. The plan he reminded himself, soon she would be away from this, he would save her, but for now she had to endure one more night of pain.

Draco began to hum "I will buy you a new life". The loud, thumping foot steps of the men echoed up the stairwell. Draco covered his ears and began to hum louder. His mind created imaginary sounds of the happenings below him, the eerie voices of the men ricocheting around his head. The scenarios he was creating in his mind were much worse than what was actually happening.

Draco flung himself on to his bed. He overshot his mark and his head slammed into the wall. He rubbed it and cursed himself. His vision became blurry and more flashbacks played like a movie before his eyes.

He was 13 years old and he had just attended his first Death Eaters meeting. Though he was not marked yet, everyone there knew he would be, so he was aloud to sit in. He had spoken only once and that was to his father. He had offered an idea to his father, a very cunning and genius plan. His father spoke like the plan was his plan, and it was set into use; though it was only for a small insignificant operation, Draco felt so proud. For the first time since Lucius had become a Death Eater, he smiled, truly smiled; and Draco was the only one to see it.

He was 11 and Draco was just about to board the Hogwarts express. His mother was kneeling down in front of him, her hands resting on his shoulders. A thin film of tears covered her stunning blue eyes. She leaned in and hugged him tightly. She whispered in his ear, so only the two of them could hear, "I am fighting, don't you ever stop." She pulled away to look at her only son, one last time before he boarded the train. A single tear drop slipped from her eyes, Draco quickly brushed it away before his father saw. He shook his fathers hand and boarded the train.

Draco snapped back into reality and his nose began to bleed again. He quickly tilted his head back and held the bridge of his nose. He stopped the bleed after a few moments and stepped out in the hall. He needed to clean himself up, but the only water was downstairs, he decided it best not to go downstairs. He paused for a moment at his open door, the house was silent.

The only sound in the house was the soft gasps of breath coming from Hermione's room. Draco stepped silently across the threshold of her room. Illuminated only slightly from the glowing full moon, he watched Hermione's shadow hunched over the side of her bed. Diamond tears rolled down her red cheeks and feel to the black abyss of her floor.

It took all the strength Draco had to back out of the room. He closed the door mostly, leaving only a small gap between the frame and the door. He tiptoed down the stairs; when he reached the bottom of the stairs he looked up from the creaking floor and over to the living room. It was a disaster; furniture was moved, beer bottles were strewn across the floor, cards and money were thrown haphazardly around the room. Draco clenched his eyes shut and tried to keep his mind from imagining the things that had happened here only hours before.

Draco turned the corner and walked into the moon lit kitchen. He walked over to the sink and turned on the water. He dipped his hands under the running water and splashed his face with the cool water. He scrubbed his mouth and rinsed it of blood. The cold water woke his senses from the daze he had been living in. For the first time since he had been kicked out, he truly felt.

He felt the rush of the icy wind from the open kitchen window. He felt his skin freeze under the pressure of the cold water. He felt the moons bitter rays, everything cold and ominous. Nothing was warm and welcoming. In the desolate kitchen Draco finally knew the horrors that he had been so keen to ignore these past years, and all these feelings were about to become more real.

He rubbed his face with his hands and tried to shrug off these feelings like he had done so many times before, but he couldn't. The guilt that he had felt before was now magnified and impossible to ignore. Draco spun on his heels and walked up to his room carelessly; his footsteps piercing the quiet of the house. Through the thunderous march of the very determined Draco, Hermione's father slept. He burst into Hermione's room and over to her bed. She was laying in her bed, staring at him wide eyed and slightly frightened. He kneeled down by her bed and spoke considerably softer than he had been walking.

"Hermione, lets leave. Let me take you to some place safe, away from your father and his disgusting friends," Draco said commandingly. "I can't live here and let you do this. You don't deserve this, no one does." Hermione sat up and looked at him. She brushed back her uncontrollable hair and studied him.

"Where are we going to go?" Hermione questioned.

"I know a place, but it's not safe to reveal it here. Trust me Hermione," Draco gave her a pleading look.

"Fine, when are we going?" Hermione asked.

"Now, get packed," He commanded. Hermione looked at him for a moment, a confused look in her eye. She pushed the covers off herself and began to pack. Draco left the room and packed his things. He met her in the hallway about five minutes later and the exited to the barren neighborhood. Only one thought playing on Draco's mind.

Would she let him stay

authors note: Thanks soooooo much to all who review! It means so much to me! I really hope you liked this chapter! The next one should be up within maybe 4 days! Please review!