Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just live in the world JKR created.
1998:
At the time of the Easter holidays, Draco had considered going to their holiday home. He hated the Manor now and staying at Hogwarts was out of question. Every corner of the school was gloomy. He felt responsible for the whole thing. Death eaters were starting to camp at the school, the students were not safe anymore.
But his mother had insisted him to come, saying that it was so terrible at home that she would be happy if he was with her at least. So he had gone, only to find his aunt in main control of the manor while Voldemort went out looking for something whose knowledge no one had.
He felt like a guest in his own house, and spent most of his time holed up in his room. The more time he spent around these followers of Voldemort, the more he had learnt how dark his ways were. He hated it all; Hated the cursed mark on his arm, hated the gang of Death eaters and their lord, hated being counted as one of them, hated the manor which was once his home, hated the name Malfoy but most of all hated that he had brought this upon himself with his own hands. He could've chosen, chosen to be with the Light, chosen her, chosen to save Dumbledore that night. There was no forgiveness for him, no redemption. He knew he would live in this guilt forever, haunted by shadows of his past.
It was during one of those dark days at the Manor that the snatchers returned with some people they were sure were the Undesirables. He had been summoned downstairs to what had once been their living room to identify them. He had walked into the room angrily, to remind them that he was not to be ordered around and to leave him to himself.
He had walked in casually, least interested about who had been captured. He needed to talk to his aunt; there was no way he would let her order him around. Her back was to him and by her body language he could see she was rather excited about something. He tilted his head a little, to get a peek at the point of her interest. He couldn't see much except for the brown curls… Wait. It couldn't be. Heart hammering in his chest, he walked faster, hoping against everything that he was just hallucinating. And then, his aunt had moved aside and he saw her. A few bruises near her cheekbone and temple, hair tangled in a mess, a cut near her lower lip; Hermione. In his house.
The shock of seeing her there had nearly paralyzed him with fear. He had tried to keep a calm composure and show no effect of recognition, but his breathing had gone out of control. He knew the snatchers would notice, so he had pretended to cough a few times to get it out of his system. He couldn't face her out of fear that it would break him. Why was she here? Did she have a death wish? How had she been caught and that too all alone? He had so many questions to ask but his brain had already started looking for an escape plan. He looked around the room and spotted Ron Weasley and another boy who looked like a badly tampered version of Harry Potter. He turned back to look at her. He needed to see her at a closer level, see if she was fine though her face was pale and bruised. He hoped she wasn't hurt anywhere else. He moved closer, slowly not to catch anyone's attention. Their eyes had met, and she had looked at him pleadingly asking for help. His heart broke at that but before he could even give her a slight nod of the head, his aunt had spoken.
"Draco! Good that you are here. I want you to identify these people…especially this boy. And tell me if you know them at all. The snatchers think they have struck gold.. caught Potter. Confirm it!" She had cackled like a mad woman. He had had to move towards the other boy and get a closer look. The boy's face was oddly swollen, and something was really wrong with his eyes. But Draco had noticed the scar hidden under his hair. The boy was Harry Potter; the one person everyone in that room wanted dead was right there. Well, except for her and Weasley and now… him.
"Draco? Is it him? Is it who we think it is?" His aunt continued maniacally, her wand ready to cast an unforgivable.
He was scared and worried for her, for himself and even for Weasley and Potter now. They were the only hope to end this madness that had come to war. He didn't want Voldemort to know they were here, but how was he to stop them? "Draco? What's taking you so long?" His father asked this time.
His eyes briefly met Potter's and he hesitated, searching for a believable lie.
"No.. No.. It isn't them. You are mistaken." He had tried to sound casual, but his throat was dry.
His father persisted. "Draco, try again. Imagine how pleased our Lord would be if we gave him Potter… Draco please try." His father looked hopeful. But Draco couldn't let that happen.
"I… I can't be sure Father…" He lied. He glanced at her again, and saw her sag in relief.
But Bellatrix shrieked at the same moment, and he turned to look at her. She was holding a sword in her hand and her face was a mixture of fury and shock. "How could you have broken into my vault?" She touched the sword tip to her neck. The delicate skin looked like it would slice open, and he feared his aunt's temper as there was no guarantee that she would stall. He moved forward, towards her, hoping no one would notice.
"Let's call the Dark Lord; he shall decide what to do with these…" Greyback said but didn't complete his sentence. Draco looked in time to see the rest of the death eaters falling down, obviously stunned by his aunt. Everyone was looking at her in surprise.
"I need to find out how these prats are in possession of this Sword. If the Dark Lord finds out, things will get ugly, not only for me... but for the whole family too Lucius. So don't even try to inform him."
"Draco, get the boys downstairs and lock them up properly. I shall deal with this filthy mudblood first." She ordered.
Draco flinched at the word and the horror he felt at what would happen with her now. He looked at the boys, who started protesting together. Bellatrix cast ropes onto them to bind them tightly together, and he moved forwards unwillingly to take them down to the cellar. Both of them were trying with all their might to free themselves.
He thought of a way to free them; maybe that would work. But there was no way they could apparate out of the Manor. Maybe freeing them and helping them stun his family and run would be a better way out. But before he could act it out his father spoke. "I'll get Pettigrew to take them down Draco, you just go to your room. There is no need for you to stay here."
He gulped. Had his father read his mind? He looked at his old classmates, then at her, feeling helpless and guilty, and then walked out of the room.
He never went to his room and had stayed hidden in the adjacent corridor; waiting for a chance to save her. The screams had started soon after and he had rushed into the room.
She was on the floor, writhing in pain while his aunt held her wand over her, enjoying the effect of the Cruciatus on her victim. He saw the red cuts on her forearm, which looked freshly etched, and a knife lying nearby. He clenched his wand tighter in his hand, trying not to lose his composure. Bellatrix would pay for this. He quickly scanned the room and his eye caught the sword lying nearby. He moved towards it, in hopes of distracting his aunt, and picked it up.
His aunt noticed, and shouted, "Move away from the sword boy!"
"I will if you hear me out, and agree to my terms." He held the sword in one hand and his wand tightly in another, ready to hex his aunt in case she tried to curse him.
"What are these games now? Lucius, have you talked the boy into this mischief?" She glared at his parents.
His parents were looking at him, bewildered, and he noticed Hermione was curled up on the floor and breathing slowly, trying to overcome the after affects of Crucio. It was working, Bellatrix was distracted and if he could pull this off a little longer, it would buy Hermione time to gain some strength and plan a move.
"No one needs to manipulate me, I can think for my own you know." He moved farther from Hermione, so that Bellatrix would be more distracted.
"The Dark Lord will not spare you for this nuisance Draco. Give it back to me." His aunt was starting to move towards him slowly.
"Threats and Unforgivable curses, one would think I would fear them after everything I have gone through. You are mistaken dear Auntie, I don't care much for your threats or unforgivables. There's nothing I cannot tolerate anymore, unless you would use the killing curse on me and finish this meaningless existence once and for all. I am sick of being used as a pawn in this war and I would rather leave than stay." He was now at the farthest corner of the room, and she had followed him slowly, at a distance.
He stole a glance at her, and noticed she was looking around for her wand, which was lying a good distance away. Bellatrix was furious now, "How dare you talk like this! Narcissa, did you just hear your son? I wouldn't spare anyone who talked like this. He would be as good as dead if it weren't for you." She turned back to him, "Give me the sword boy! I won't have any more of this nonsense." She yelled again.
Draco tried to maintain his voice even though inside his heart was hammering against his chest. "No, you will fulfill my conditions first."
He wasn't even sure what his conditions were. Was it advisable to ask for the release of the trio or should he make up something else? If he was to ask for their release and there was a 1% chance Bellatrix would agree, she wouldn't spare him later on. He would be Crucio-ed n number of times to find out what made him ask for their freedom.
So he decided it would be wiser if he asked for something that would seem expected coming from him. But before he could say anything, Bellatrix noticed Hermione sitting up.
He would have to act quicker; he raced to her side and pulled her up. Thinking of a plan quickly, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her infront of him, wand on her neck. He hid his face behind her hair and whispered, "Stay calm Hermione, I'm going to get you out of here. You are safe now. Just play along." He inhaled deeply, the smell that he had longed for so long.
"Expelliarmus!" He took advantage of her distraction to disarm Bellatrix and caught her wand. "You won't have the girl or the sword back if you continue with your arrogance Bellatrix. This is MY home, and I won't take orders from you lot anymore." He started moving, with her held tightly against him.
"Take my wand, if I summon yours, they will notice." He whispered urgently, and thrust his wand in her hand.
She looked at him, wide eyed and shocked. But there was no time to ask anything, so she just took his wand. "Don't use the wand until your friends are freed. You can't apparate out, so I'll have to think of another way."
They were nearly out in the doorway, when an idea struck him.
"Dobby!" He muttered, hoping the elf would appear, owing to the old link he had.
Silence. "Dobby!" He tried again. His aunt was talking to his father and mother, persuading them to talk to him, he hoped against everything that the elf would appear.
The elf appeared in the shadows. "M-m-m-master DRACO!" Dobby's eyes were wide with surprise.
"Dobby! Quick! Hide yourself somewhere." Draco whispered fiercely and she watched as the elf disappeared behind a huge vase close to them.
"Now listen carefully. I want you to go down to the cellar. Harry Potter and his friend Weasley are locked in there. Get them out. Then come back here, tell Potter to stun me or disarm me and take Granger, then you disapparate the three of them out of here. This should be done as soon as possible Dobby. I cannot carry this act for long."
"H-h-harry Potter is here Master? In the Manor?" Dobby was shaking and his eyes were wide and watery.
"Dobby listen, there is no time. Follow my ord.. I mean think of it as a request Dobby. Please." Draco put a hand on his shoulder and pleaded. Dobby bowed and disappeared.
Bellatrix appeared at the same moment, and tried to pull Hermione out of his arms. He held on tightly and thrust her own wand in her face and said, "I won't hesistate to Crucio you if you even try another move."
She raised her hands and spoke, "You fool! If I were to summon the Master now, you would be dead before I could say mudblood. I am only obliging because we are a family."
"You are mistaken to think I would ever consider you family after what happened at Hogwarts."He spat out.
"Oooooh! Draco darling feels betrayed! Is that it? You honestly didn't think we would send only one or two people into Hogwarts did you? You were our only chance and we would never risk it. What happened at Hogwarts is the only reason you and your family is alive. Don't forget that. Now hand me the girl and my wand." Bellatrix was getting angrier by the minute. She took out a small knife from her pocket and pointed it at them.
He could feel her shallow breaths and slight shaking of her body. She was scared, he spoke into her hair again, "Don't worry Granger. It's going to be okay."
As soon as he said that, Potter and Weasley had rushed into the hall. Everything happened in a blur then. Draco looked at his parents, and caught their eye signaling them to hide. They didn't question him, and hid themselves. To his horror, Peter Pettigrew came in at the same time and he had no option but to disarm him too. He saw Bellatrix shrieking at Pettigrew to catch the boys but it was too late, Weasley had already picked up his wand. Thankfully, Bellatrix and Pettigrew hadn't seen who had disarmed him. Weasley stunned Pettigrew from his wand, and at the same moment the big chandelier fell off the room onto Bellatrix. Next, Weasley was pulling her out of his arms while Harry snatched the wand he was holding and pushed him to the floor.
Then together the three of them, rushed to hold Dobby's hand who had just appeared. He was looking at her, and she too had turned around to look at him, their eyes had met and then she was gone, disapparated.
The relief he had felt that she and her friends had escaped, was so immense that he had felt nothing when Voldemort had punished him with the Cruciatus. He could still smell her on his shirt and it was the only good thing in the hell hole. He didn't know when he would see her next, or would he ever see her at all. But the memory of her had made him survive the next few weeks.
The next time he saw her was at Hogwarts, during the War, fighting against the Death Eaters. He had tried to keep up with her, stunned a few death eaters too, and stayed close by in case she needed him but he had soon been distracted by other death eaters who had found him lurking around, and so he had run around to avoid meeting them. He had lost her after that, and couldn't find her for a while. It was then that he had seen her go towards the Room of Requirement with the boys, and he had stood at a distance but Crabbe had insisted on following them and had rushed in behind them; so he had no option but to go in.
As luck would have it, Crabbe had started the awful fire and perished in it himself. Draco had tried his best to save him but it was useless. Thankfully, they had managed to save him and Goyle and he had appreciated that.
There had been no chance to say thank you, or to even talk to her. He had followed her around a while after that, intent on not losing sight of her. If there was anyone in sight, who could have attacked her, or even any other student supporting Potter, he had stunned or disarmed them. Without realizing, he had moved sides. His heart was on Potter's side, and he wanted Voldemort's end as much as the rest of them now.
After about an hour, he had lost her again, and was looking about when he had been pulled aside, and he had heard her voice as she hexed another death eater.
They had looked at each other, both standing in the middle of a rubble of chaos, in the middle of a war, and his world had stopped. She was holding one of his hands still, and he looked down at it before looking back up at her again.
"What are you doing? If anyone realizes what you have done, they will kill you straight away Draco!" She hadn't released his hand. He smiled at her then, and cupped her face in his hand. "I like how my name sounds from your mouth."
And that was it. They had been surrounded by more death eaters and they had turned to fight them, back to back.
There had been too many death eaters, and she couldn't find Harry or Ron or anyone else from the Order to help them. She saw Fred fall on one side of the hall, and she was worried about him but there was no time. There were so many death eaters. She kept hexing continuously, without a pause, and could hear him do the same.
Draco kept an eye out at the death eaters who kept approaching Hermione. He knew she was a bright witch and could handle them, but he couldn't stop worrying. And there were too many death eaters coming at his end too. And then he saw Greyback. The ugly half human ran towards her, and he turned her around to fight him. He pushed her behind him and moved backwards towards a wall.
"You Traitor!" Fenrir bellowed and pounced towards him, he tried stunning him but he blocked it. He pushed Hermione more into the wall as he covered her from the werewolf, and shot another hex at him. This time, Greyback fell onto the floor and Draco turned to look at her. They exchanged one smile, before he felt a sharp metal being thrust into him and he fell down, his eyes widening in horror as he watched her reflect the shock he felt. He saw her looking up towards someone, and shouting a curse at them, but it was too late, he could feel the blood flow down his robes and he couldn't breathe properly. "Draco! Oh God! It was Greyback. He found a knife and he…" She held his head as he lay on the floor. "I can cure this, you are going to be okay. OK?" She looked worried, and he thought he saw tears falling down her face.
"Where is my bag? Accio bag! Accio Dittany! HARRYY! RON! Someone please help." She screamed. But he knew it was useless. His vision was already hazy and he knew he didn't have much time. He thought this was the perfect way for him to die; he touched her cheek, and she looked back at him.
"Hermione…" he said and let out his last breath as she sat weeping, surrounded in a pool of his blood.