*****TRIGGER WARNING****

THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF A VIOLENT NATURE THAT MAY TRIGGER SOME READERS.

*****Start of Chapter*****

I winced as his firm grip bruised the top of my arm, pulling me along with him. The cold winter air scratching at my pale cheeks. I sighed feeling nervous as we made our way home. I hated seeing him like this, he got so angry so quickly. It had started as such a lovely day. We had been doing a little bit of Christmas shopping and enjoying the festive hot chocolate when it had happened. It wasn't a big deal, but we had run into Harry. I hadn't seen him in a few weeks now where we'd been so busy but Tom, my boyfriend, wasn't so happy that we'd seen him, and now here we were marching our way home to what I'm sure would be another argument.

I'd met Tom not long after we'd left Hogwarts and he really had swept me off my feet. He loved books and knew every reference I'd made, he enjoyed everything I did, and he had this charm about him that always made me smile. He had even accepted it when I had told him I was a witch. He understood that there were certain things about my job at the ministry that I couldn't tell him, and I'd promised not to use any magic around the house once we moved in together this past summer. We'd been together a year and a half now, but things weren't as good now as they had been once before. The trouble was I loved him and his stupid smile, I couldn't quite let him go.

I felt a bubble of worry burst inside of me as we finally reached our front door, it was just me and him in there. I guess things had started to go downhill when we moved in together. There was no escape when it was just the two of us and somehow, I was always in the wrong.

There was an awkward silence as finally Tom let go of my arm, I knew there would be a bruise, but he hadn't meant it, he didn't know his own strength. I stood awkwardly by the door as he slammed his way through to the living room, chucking the shopping bags down in the hallway. I sighed and picked them up placing them gently by the fireplace as Tom breathed deeply chugging down a drink.

"Tom…" I started knowing what would come.

"I can't believe you did that." He growled refusing to meet my eye.

"I didn't do anything." I replied feeling anger rise within me. Now his blue eyes flickered towards me as anger roared across his eyes.

"Oh yeh of course, I forgot you're perfect. Now you're being childish, it's pathetic." He hissed, slamming his glass onto the side in the kitchen and tried to make his way to the stairs, I stepped in front of him, knowing it would only be worse if he had time to stew.

"Please, just tell me what's wrong." I replied calmly, genuinely confused as to what I could have done to put him in this mood. He seemed to soften slightly at my touch and his eyes seemed sad.

"You were all over him. Rubbing It in my face all the 'history' you two have. How do you think that made me look? How do you think that made me feel?" His voice didn't sound angry anymore if anything it sounded sad and disappointed. I felt a bubble of guilt build within me as I looked at him. Maybe he was right, I'd been so excited to see Harry, I hadn't even thought of Tom. We'd been so busy reliving 'the good old days', I hadn't considered how left out Tom would have felt. I sighed and stepped back slightly looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about that, It's just been so long since I've seen Harry and I've missed him." I replied quietly feeling a slight lump in my throat, I barely got to see Harry or Ron lately. I always seemed to be busy doing things with Tom and I never got a moment to breathe and hang out anymore. We wrote letters every now and then but even that Tom hated when I vanished off to write them. He said the owl scared him too.

"I'm telling you; he's got a thing for you; he had his hands all over you. You're just being childish; they're your school friends and they don't put any effort in but all you do is pamper after them." Anger had returned to his voice now. I knew he hated them, but I couldn't let go of all we'd been through.

"Harry is my best friend; he doesn't fancy me! I won't just let them go; we've been through too much together." I snapped back getting irritated at him always wanting me to leave them in the past.

"Oh yes, you went through the great war together and spent months living in a stupid tent for no apparent reason and some weirdo wizard guy tried to kill a bunch of kids to take power of the whole world. I get it, you've had this great life, but you need to grow up and move on. I try to love you, but you kick me down and make me feel worthless every time." He growled. A lump hit me as he told me to grow up again. He couldn't be right, I couldn't just let it go, too many people had died for us to just move on. I felt anger boil in me, I was getting sick of his attitude.

"You wouldn't understand, you haven't lived my life." I snarled. He stepped towards me aggressively, causing fear to rise within me.

"That stupid magic doesn't make you so strong now does it? Go on, use it, use it on me." He growled pushing himself up against me. I felt tears rising to my eyes knowing I couldn't use it.

"No." I replied, sounding shaky. Tom pushed up against me causing me to press back against the wall, shaking as he towered over me.

"You're pathetic" He hissed. I cowered slightly scared of what he'd do next. In a flash he swung towards me and punch the wall the side of my head causing me to whimper as his fist smashed straight through the plaster board.

"Look what you made me do." He replied, his voice back to a calm, disappointed tone.

"I didn't make you do anything." I replied my voice shaking uncontrollably. I watched his nostrils flare, he grabbed the top of my hair and spun me around to face the wall causing me to cry out in pain as he shoved my face against the hole in wall, the rough wall cutting into my skin.

"Whose fault is that? Why can't you see I'm trying to protect you from them?" He hissed still pressing my face against it. I cried as the pain sunk into me as it always did.

"I'm sorry" I surrendered quietly knowing it was the easiest option.

"Whose fault is it?" He hissed pulling me back and letting me go again.

"It's mine, I didn't mean to make you angry. I shouldn't have snapped." He sighed and pulled me in for a tight hug as he cradled my head. The anger between us faded but things were still tense.

"I need you to leave for tonight, I need time to breathe." He added softly as he turned away from me.

"Don't walk away, I said sorry, don't make me leave." I replied desperately as I grabbed his hand once he turned to walk away. He yanked me off of him and pushed me away causing me to trip over a cable and fall smashing against the coffee table. I didn't care as pain ricocheted through me and tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Please just give me time!" He roared at last turning to walk away. I cried for a few minutes before I gathered myself and grabbed my keys. He needed time to calm down, I stepped out of the house and apparated straight to the leaky cauldron. It was the only place I could guarantee I wouldn't see too many people Tom and I both knew.

The pub was quiet and dark as I walked in and I made my way to toilet quickly. Looking in the mirror I tidied my hair and wiped the stained makeup off my cheeks carefully blotting away the blood. I didn't both healing the cuts on my cheek or my head as Tom would know I'd used magic. He hated when I used magic on cuts or bruises, he said I was being fake and pretending I couldn't be hurt. Taking a breath, I tried to shake it off, I'd have a drink and settle here for the night. Tom would've calmed down by the morning and we could move past this. He couldn't help how angry he always got; he'd had a bad start to life. He'd been through a lot and I couldn't help challenging him when I knew it would make him mad. We could be happy if things just moved past this rough patch. Plucking up my courage and taking a deep breath I made my way towards the bar.

"Hey Tom, the usual please." I sighed leaning against the bar. I saw tom glance me up and down but didn't question it.

"Right away Miss Granger. Do you need a room for the night too?" He added knowingly.

"If you have one, that would be great." I smiled softly as he handed me a glass of fire whiskey.

"We always have a room for you Miss Granger, on the house for tonight." He added, sliding me the bottle and gesturing towards my usual booth.

"Oh Tom, I can't let you do that, at least let me give you some galleons." He shook his head automatically.

"Nonsense Miss Granger, you're my favourite customer. Have a quiet night, I'll check up on you later." I nodded thanking him softly before shuffling off to my corner. I liked sitting in the shadows and watching the world go by. It was the only time my mind felt free these days and the only place I didn't hear my boyfriends voice rolling around my mind. Thirty minutes later, I was lost in my thoughts, this fight felt worse than the others. This was the first time he'd purposely touched me. Maybe it meant something maybe it didn't. He had hugged me like he always did after a fight, just to remind me that he loved me despite how angry he was. I guess we'd find out in the morning.

"Granger is that you?" I jumped at the sound of the silky voice I hadn't heard in a few years. Looking up, I saw the platinum hair and silver orbs belonging to Draco Malfoy.

"At least you still have your eyesight." I quipped taking a sip of my drink. Malfoy smirked his infamous smirk and I couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort in his eyes.

"And I see you still have a sharp tongue." He replied slipping into the booth next to me without asking. I rolled my eyes at his confidence.

"What are you doing here Malfoy? Shocked you don't mind being seen so close to a mudblood." I replied sounding tired, I couldn't keep doing this anymore. I couldn't argue any more tonight and I couldn't pretend. Malfoy rubbed his hand through his hair, which I noticed was no longer gelled back.

"A lot has changed about me Granger, I actually wanted to come over and apologise. I made a lot of mistakes before the war… I don't expect you to accept but at least I've said it." He added and I noted how calm his voice remained, he didn't quite look at me but I could tell he was being genuine.

"Thank you Malfoy, I don't know if we'll ever reach friendship but I can respect you attempting to make a change." I replied, there was no point holding on to hatred from our childhood. Malfoy appeared different and although I believed this could be the last conversation we ever had, I could understand his need to give that apology.

"What happened to you anyway, you look pretty beat up." I flinched slightly at his question and gently raised my hand to the cut trying my best to cover up the cut I knew probably looked worse than it was.

"Oh uh, nothing, I just argued with my boyfriend is all." I replied quietly trying to avoid Malfoy's eyes as they went wide.

"He did that to you?" He said, an emotion I didn't quite recognise in his voice.

"It was an accident." I replied out of instinct, this conversation was quickly becoming too much for me to handle.

"Granger, this will sound strange from me, but you need to get out of that relationship." Malfoy snapped quickly reaching towards my hand, I flinched away from him.

"You don't know what you're on about Malfoy, he's…"

"He's sorry? He loves you? It was you who made him mad? You pushed him to do that? Sound about right?" Malfoy interrupted me quickly, ducking his head and forcing me to meet his wide eyes. This felt strange, this didn't seem like Malfoy, he almost looked concerned. I hated the fact he was right.

"… It's true." I mumbled almost feebly.

"Granger, you don't have to like me, you don't have to trust me but do me one thing, promise me you won't go back there, stay here tonight and meet me in the morning, no tricks, no games." He added sounding seriously. I looked him up and down, he looked nervous, but serious. I thought about it in silence for a few moments a made a decision I would probably regret.

"Please Granger, promise me." I didn't know why he cared and I didn't understand how he thought he could help but something in his voice was persuading me. Looking into his silver orbs I took a deep shaky breath one more time.

"I promise." I muttered, just hoping I hadn't made a deal with the devil.

*******End of chapter****

New Little story for you guys! Bit of a heavy chapter to start but I hope you all liked it! Let me know what you think! Sending love xoxo.