A/N: A big thank you to my beta Storyseamstress95 for helping me with this chapter so here is the edited version of this chapter. Tell me what you think. R&R

Looking at the empty white walls of my jail cell, I kept thinking: What is going to happen? I've already spent three months in Azkaban with fellow friends and Death Eaters and I can't help the dread that fills my stomach.

What do they want and why am I here? I was asking myself these questions, trying to find a logical answer. The ticking of the clock sitting above the door seemed slower as I waited for the Minister for Magic to come in; withdrawing into my own reality I thought back to what freedom was like. The taste of the wind against my skin, the feel of the grass beneath my feet, the feel of your familiar bed in your own room. Doing what I liked when I liked, having control of my life and not having someone dictate of how I should act and who I should be.

That's what I missed the most, the control I used to have. I haven't had that for a few years now. First my father was controlling, making me act the way he meant for me to behave, censoring the things I say and the way that I'm meant to be better than everyone. Well, everyone except bloody Granger, she always had to better than me at everything. God damn her, why does she have to be the best? Before I could think of an answer to my own question, I was interrupted from my internal pondering. The chair in front of me scraped against the floor as it was pulled out from under the table, and sat upon by Minister Shacklebolt.

"Minister how can I be of assistance?" I inquired in a bored drawl.

"Well Mr. Malfoy, there is a new rehabilitation program that we are testing and we would like to include you and a few of your… friends to enter and go through the process. We will provide more information if you accept." He said this as if he were merely talking about the weather.

"Well how long do I have to think about my answer?" I asked, the curiosity making me slightly nervous.

"You will have 2 hours to decide, no more. The arrangements will need to be made as soon as possible."

Dear Merlin, if I don't accept, I'll never get out of this shit hole.

"Minister, that won't be necessary. I suppose I will attend as long as I can get away from this God awful place where happiness comes to die," I said, sighing in the process, making my decision sound so final.

"Wonderful Mr. Malfoy, guards will be here to pick you up and take you to your destination," he said, sounding please as he left the room.

Two days before departure

I took a final look over the information, and was secretly overjoyed I was going to Australia. To the Land Down Under. A new start.

My bags were packed, and all was ready as I sat in a cell that was a little nicer than the one I used to have, flicking through the information that Kingsley had promised me, brought by the guards who were supposed to be taking me to my new destination. The only thing jumping out at me, besides the lack of being able to use magic and the expectation of interacting with MUGGLES, was the aspect of rewards for good behavior, something to do with movies? Whatever those were. Days out and, something I was really looking forward to, horse riding; that was something I knew I was good at and I thought it would be familiar besides my friends. Feeling slightly better and cheering up a little, I knew if I could last through this, I'd be able to accomplish anything, and, hell, I'd be able to get back on the saddle.

8th of May

Oh shit, today is the day that we go to "loser land". Oh Merlin, why did I agree? FUCK!

My mind screamed at me, trying to still my knee, which was bouncing with nerves. I looked around the Ministry lobby, waiting for the inevitable departure. The click-clack of shoes on the polished floor, the whoosh of people Flooing, the swishing of the cloaks, the stale air fragranced with cigar smoke and a pungent aroma of all the different colognes and perfumes attack my senses, giving me an instant headache. Placing my head in my hands I try to calm myself down, closing my eyes while I can feel sweat dotting my forehead. I noticed a presence in front of me and reluctantly looked up, only to set my sights on a very gleeful looking Weasel.

"What are you looking at Weasel?" I snap at him; I'm really not in the mood for this shit.

"Oh shut up ferret! I don't want to be here, but we are both stuck with each other, so don't give me an excuse to not let you go through with this," Ronald Weasley states with a snort.

"Excuse me; what are you fucking talking about? Being stuck in the same situation as me, really, that's the best joke I've heard in the last year or more," I say, a sarcastic chuckle escaping my lips.

"Oh grow up Death eater boy; I'm one of the Aurors handling your special case, so bloody deal with it," Weasley says moodily.

My eyes nearly bulge out of my head "Wait, what Auror?… You-r-r… n-n-not coming; are you?" My voice betraying me as it breaks with the fear that I'm too have to spend the next year with Jolly ol' Weasel-bee.

"Well yes, I will be. And if you annoy me… so help me Malfoy I will make it hell for you." The tone of his voice kept me from retorting. What else could I do in the lobby of the Ministry; it's not as if the place wasn't crawling with Aurors. I look around and spot another bleeping Gryffindork, a breed of Hogwartian the Ministry seemed to have an affinity for over the past year.

Finally after an incredibly long time, the Minister for Magic made an appearance. Time to get the show on the road.

I don't really pay attention to what he has to say, and don't hear him say whose residence we were going to be staying at; I was dragged out of my reverie by Pansy shaking me.

"What?" I snap at her.

"Draco, we are leaving now," Pansy said, jerking her head towards the door. I nodded in acknowledgment as she continued to talk, but I just tuned her out and decided to follow the rest of the unlucky suckers, the people doomed to this experiment with me.

Gathering round a small table, the Minister takes a coin of some sort and mutters the incantation to activate the portkey; as soon as I all touch the portkey, I felt the familiar tug at the base of my spine, pulling me towards the destination.

In Australia

Touching back down on the ground, I look around and take in my surroundings. The heat is almost overwhelming, the sun is scorching hot and already I can feel the beads of sweat donning my brow. I wiped the back of my hand across my forehead and distracted myself by looking at the details of the small house at the top of the smallish hill. A long driveway with tall trees lining the drive, the little white type structure situated further back. The grass was well manicured and had tidy flowerbeds all along the edge of the house.

5 hours ago

A small cough catches my attention. I turned and found that it belonged to a stout little man; it made me think that Fudge may have had a twin. A high pitched voice emits from the short and tubby man, "Welcome all to Australia, I'm your new Minister for Magic during your stay here. Now as you already have been informed, animosity towards the Grangers will not be tolerated."

Wait did he just say Grangers?... It can't be there has to be another lot of Grangers.

"They have graciously accepted you into their home to live and work with them. Also I believe that you know their lovely daughter as she went to school with most of you."

Oh shit it is her, no-no-no this year will be hell.

We walked up the drive and reached the front door, which the Minister knocked on promptly. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, anxiously waiting to see who would come to the door. The door was pulled open by a giant of a man, a wary smile planted on his face. He stretched his arm out to meet the Minister's, and shaking his hand, the Minister introduces him as Hermione's father.

We get shown around the house, leaving out the bedrooms; I can only guess which would be hers; plucking up what courage I can find, I ask "So where is Gr- Hermione?"

The monster of a man who is her father replies, "She has gone for a ride. It shouldn't be much longer until she joins us."

Tuning out the rest of their talk, I notice the pictures on the side table of a small girl with unruly hair, most of them not taken in her Hogwarts school uniform until the year before; picking one up, I look at a smiling Hermione with the dumb and dumber twins standing on either side of her, taken at where I assumed the Burrow would be. She looks so beautiful.

Wait, I shouldn't be thinking that. She can't be beautiful, she's not. I try to make the lame attempt at denial seem plausible. Placing it back, I follow everyone outside; taking in my surroundings I notice that everything is really neat and visually appeasing. It was the type of garden my mother would like. Maybe when this is all over, I might be able to bring her here to show her what these Muggles have been able to accomplish.

I noticed a little structure to the west that overlooked the lake and thought it would make a really nice place to relax; walking over there the group follows me. I looked around the grounds and noticed the girl riding a horse bare back, her light blue dress blowing in the breeze created by its pace, watching as her hair is blown back, saw the slight pink in her cheeks. She slowed her horse down and finally stopped about fifteen to twenty meters away from us. She dismounted and took in the group, gazing upon every one of my friends. Finally her eyes landed on me, traveling from my feet to my grey eyes in surprise.

Granger managed to look away and blushed profusely, her horse giving her the distraction she needed. I couldn't make myself look away from her as she walked toward us very slowly, her eyes fixed upon the ground. She finally reached us and I have to remind myself over and over to keep from saying anything exceedingly stupid.

Minister August smiled and said, "Hello Miss Granger! The group has arrived."

Boldly, yet at the same time shyly, Granger fixed her eyes upon the Minister's face and said, "I'm sorry I'm so late, I didn't realize how late I had been."

The Minister laughed merrily and said, "That's alright."

Smiling at her parents, Granger took another look at our group, but this time she avoided me. I will have to get to the bottom of that while I'm here.

She conversed with her father, then turned around and said that she will join us as soon as she takes her beloved 'Shadow' back to his stall and gets him settled. I watch her as she mounted her stallion and the cantered off. Blaise, noticing this, nudged me and smirked knowingly.

Damn I'm going to have to watch it when I watch her. This could be my new game: watching Granger; it could be interesting enough.