-1Saving Granger

By - Keshia Kay Mansell

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"Malfoy, I'm warning you." she threatened as she pointed her wand at him.

Accio Wand." he said in a strong voice. In Hermione's weakened state, she was unable to deflect the spell and her wand landed firmly in his hand. "No, I'm warning you. Your coming with me whether you like it or not." he said coldly. Before she could utter a word of protest, he grabbed her and apparated to the Manor.

Chapter 2 : All Cleaned Up

"Give me back my wand, Malfoy." Hermione growled at him.

"No, I don't think I will. You'll only try to get away again." he glared at her with his piercing silver eyes.

"Please give it back, it's all I have left." a lone tear fell down her haunted, amber eyes.

Draco Lucius Malfoy had never seen such a sorrier looking creature in all his life. Though he could tell she had cleaned herself sometime before he had found her, her clothing still hung from her small frame in tatters and he could clearly distinguish the grizzly scars that marred her creamy skin. He didn't even want to take a guess at what she weighed at the moment in fear that the lack of numbers would cause him to get sick. Yet here she stood, asking- no, begging with him to let her go back to that horrid ally to live her days on the streets.

"No, Granger. Your staying right where you are until you explain to me of why your hiding. Besides I'm sure Weasel would like to know why his fiancé disappeared." He was surprised when she flinched at the mentioning of Ron, and was even more shocked at her sudden outburst following it.

"No! He mustn't know I'm here! Damnit Malfoy, I'll do anything you want. Just please don't let Ron know I'm here." she pleaded with fear in her eyes. She reminded him of a deer caught in the wand light

Malfoy gave the woman in front of him a moment of thought before coming up with an idea. "I promise I won't tell Ron, if you promise to tell me exactly what happened to you." he bargained.

"F-fine, I'll… I'll tell you." she cracked, totally defeated. She knew it wouldn't be easy.

"Good." Draco replied, then her shouted, "Dopey, come here at once!"

Crack! A young House Elf, with big, round eyes apparated beside them. "How can Dopey be at Master's service?" the small Elf asked, ready to please his Master. Hermione thought it odd that the Elf indeed looked like Dopey of the Seven Dwarfs. He wore a green pillow case, a purple sock hat, and little brown booties. She had to smile at the cute, little guy.

"Dopey, please prepare a bath for Miss Granger. You may also find a towel and some appropriate clothes to lay out for her." Draco directed kindly.

"Yes, Master. Dopey will do as Master pleases." he said obediently, and disappeared with another Crack!

"I haven't had a decent bath in quite a while." Hermione said dreamily as she imagined the warm, hot water soaking in her skin.

"I can tell." Draco smirked as she glared at him. Then he motioned toward the stairs. "This way."

She followed him quietly as he lead her through a maze of halls. She made sure to memorize each and every turn. She would not take any chances in case things turned for the worse.

"Here you are." he said walking through a door. "This is a guest room you can stay in, I have a bigger one if it fits your fancy."

As soon as Hermione entered the room her jaw dropped. The room was so big, she reckoned an elephant would have been happy with it. It was decorated with taste too. The room had elegant paintings and a comfy aura to it. The bedding was a calm purple with silky covers. Atop it was a change of clothes for her that looked to be a pair of silky, silver pajamas. "I believe this room will be fine." she said in a small voice, as she continued to gape at the lovely room.

"The bathroom is just in that door over there." he pointed to an oak door that stood near the closet. "Dopey has laid out o towel for you in there for when you are finished."

"Thank you, Malfoy. You'll probably never understand how grateful I am on this night, but I am." She smiled genuinely at him, probably for the first time in her life.

"Don't mention it." he gave her a small smile. "I'll wait for you downstairs." Then he disappeared through the door in which he had came.

Hermione took little time to survey the room any further before heading strait for the bathroom door. She hadn't been joking earlier when she had said she hadn't bathed for quite some time and she be damned if she'd waste the opportunity now.

She was a bit taken back when she entered, the whole room was done in a creamy colour and the only lights were the candles that danced above her head. It reminded her much of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. But that wasn't even the half of it. The bathtub was humongous! It was twice the size of the Prefects bathroom, and practically a swimming pool.

She turned the silver knobs and waited for the grand tub to fill. Then she added various soaps and perfumes, causing the waters to foam at the top. Unable to resist the temptations of the luxurious bath any longer, she quickly stripped her out of her clothes, promptly discarding them in a near-by trashcan, and plunged into the tub.

She sighed in content as the warm water washed her worries away. She grabbed a washcloth and began to lightly scrub away the evidence of her past. With each scrub, she felt as if her old self were somehow returning, though she knew it to be impossible. She'd never be to return to her old self again. Not after all she had been through. But she did have confidence that she could perhaps become stronger after everything was over.

She then laid back and relaxed in the soapy water, thinking about all that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Though she was thankful for Draco's stubbornness, she was also confused by it. Why had he helped her? She was also shocked when he had said he had visited her funeral. Perhaps he had finally grown up and put their old feud behind him; she certainly hoped so.

After about an half an hour of pure bliss, she decided it was time to leave the bathtub. She emptied its waters and began to dry off with a towel Dopey had set on the counter. Then she dressed in the silver Pjs that had been on her bed. She swore that she had never worn anything more comfy in her life and made a mental note to ask Draco where he had gotten such clothing.

Then Hermione took a deep breath and walked out the door with her head held high. She was plenty refreshed and ready for whatever obstacles were in her way, or at least she hoped she was.

She carefully walked through the maze of hallways and was glad she had decided to memorize them. She would have been screwed if she hadn't- that, she was sure of. When she finally made her way down the stairs of the manor, Malfoy was waiting for her at the bottom.

"I knew you wouldn't get lost." he smirked as he led her to a large, plump couch. Hermione was starting to realize why he had acted like a spoiled brat all those years. In a place like this, it was hard not to feel spoiled. "I had Dopey bring you some food." he gestured to the coffee table, which to her delight was filled with food. Oh yes, she could definitely get used to this.

"Thank goodness!" she exclaimed as she began shoveling in mouthfuls of food. Draco couldn't help but chuckle at her lack of manners. It was as if she had never been fed before. When she finished eating, she sighed and waited for the questionnaire that she dreaded.

"Before I begin questioning you, I'm going to warn you that I'm recording every word you say." he told her in all seriousness. "This way the Ministry will believe me when I say I didn't kidnap you. We don't have the best history, you know."

"I understand." she sighed. She knew it was for the best. She'd feel terrible if he got blamed for something that he had taken no part of.

"Alright, it's set up." he told her as he fiddled with the buttons. "You can start."

Hermione cleared her throat and thought a moment. She knew that this would change everything. Her story would ruin lives and friendships would be broken. But she also knew that it must be told or certain people would never receive justice and she'd never be free. And so she began, "My name is Hermione Granger. I've been dead to the Wizarding World for three years and four months. And this, is my story…"

A/N: The next few chapters will be flashbacks through Hermione's eyes of her troubled past. They will also reveal why she's so afraid and why she ran. I hope you enjoy.

-KKM