Chapter 1-

The war was over, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named was dead and they were alive or at least most of them. They had suffered such incredible loss. Harry's love saved them all from impending torture and death. Everyone fought valiantly but the death toll was exorbitant. Hermione had cried for her friends, she had cried for her allies, she had cried for herself. It felt as if she would never have enough tears for all of the loss of life that had surrounded her.

It had been two days and Hermione felt like she had never screamed so much in her life. Come to find out she in fact had caused nodules to form on her vocal chords from screaming so much. A point that had caused her voice to now become a lower pitch than it normally had been in her previous years at Hogwarts. After what felt like a coma Hermione woke up from her bed in the dilapidated castle. She wasn't going to go home she had no home to go to. Her parents didn't even know she existed. She could have stayed in the Burrow but she didn't want to sit and pretend that everything was fine. It wasn't fine. People she loved and cared for died. She wanted revenge. She wanted the one who allowed all of this to happen to pay. She wanted Draco.

Hermione stood in front of her shattered dorm window looking down at the smoldering fragments of Hogwarts as she put her now cleaned denim jacket on. The girl's dorm had managed to be slightly spared.

She was going to find Malfoy if it killed her. She knew that Harry and Ron wouldn't understand and would try and deter her from going down this path but she had to know for herself why Malfoy had done it. Why had he allowed himself to be pulled in by psychopaths and murderers?

Due to the destruction of all of the magical protections on the school Hermione could apparate anywhere within the grounds. No one would even notice she was gone considering the chaos of locating parents and looking through rubble for survivors and bodies had been a continuous effort all around.

With a pop Hermione left her room. Her body swayed uneasily as her sneaker clad feet hit the gravel in front of the massive Malfoy Manor. Two massive wrought iron gates stood in front of the rest of the path which were encompassed by large curved yew hedges. Hermione knew the manor well as she remembered being hauled there by snatchers right before being tortured inside the manors magically enforced walls. She already knew that the ministry had probably gone through the once death eaters headquarters with a fine tooth comb looking for any evidence of possibly future death eater activity. The wards would be off and Hermione would be able to slip in easily.

As she made her way into the manor she could sense the evil that its walls had once harbored. She cringed as she saw the spot on the dark wooden floor that Bellatrix Lestrange had so brutally tormented and tortured her, forever branding her with the "mudblood" etching in her arm. Her scars tingled looking around the manor. The dark wood seemed even more sinister than before. What once was possibly a magnificent piece of architecture was now singed with locating spells. Furniture laid overturned, lamps and broken glass crushed against the floors. Even some of the wallpaper had been torn. Hermione tucked a stray curl behind her ear and allowed her sneakers to scrape against the wood as she continued to glance around. She was looking for some clue as to where the Malfoy's went. She knew the cowards wouldn't have stayed around long so they must have been on the run. She was just the girl to find them and bring them to justice even if it was only because she wanted revenge for their atrocities.

As she continued to walk along the colossal space she noticed the massive black wood staircase, serpent heads engraved in the banister, hefty emeralds adorning their ominous eyes. She assumed that the family would have slept upstairs in their own private suites. Maybe there would be some sort of clue waiting for her there. She climbed the staircase carefully almost afraid to touch the serpentine heads for support. The steps seemed to go on forever but she was determined that she was going to keep her strength while she ascended. The manor eerily reminded her of Sirius' home. It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop and that seemed more disturbing than the sounds of screams. Screams at least meant someone was alive.

When her feet finally hit the landing she wasn't sure exactly which direction to go but her feet seemed to lead her toward the right corridor. Down the end of the hallway a black wood door seemed to call to her. She looked around cautiously noticing old family portraits hanging half hazard on the walls. As she approached the door she seemed to feel that what was behind it would have belonged to Draco. It was like she could smell his obnoxious and pretentious cologne from where she stood. She turned the serpent headed handle and pushed the door open. When Hermione allowed her eyes to adjust from the lack of light but what came within her view shocked her. She was expecting the same green and silver slytherin colors to adorn his walls and bedding but instead everything was minimal and white. The walls of course were the same traditional wall paper that was present throughout the rest of the manor but there were little to no wall decoration or adornments. She was half expecting a large blazing portrait of Draco right above the bed so that he could stare at himself every night before going to sleep. It reminded her of a hospital room. It seemed very confusing to her that his room would be so minimal and not as prideful as the slytherin prince normally exuded. It also seemed like this was the only room that wasn't gone through by a tornado. Hermione noticed a desk sitting on the opposite side of the room. The only drawer was slightly ajar which of course meant someone had rifled through it. Hermione felt intrigued and pulled the drawer out herself. Of course there were old potions notes, quidditch schedules and some empty chocolate frog packages but what caught Hermione's eye was a ripped piece of map the size of a postage stamp. Not any kind of map but a muggle map. Why would Draco have a piece of muggle map in his desk drawer? The ministry must not have thought anything about it. Hermione pulled the piece out carefully examining it closely.

"The Forest of Dean?" Hermione could feel her throat go dry. It was where she and the guys had run when Voldemort was looking for them. That was where the snatchers had found them. If that was where Draco and his parents had fled she was going to go there and do what she had to. She paused when she saw something else lying amongst the forgotten paperwork. It was a clipping from the Daily Prophet. All it was was a photo of Hermione. Of course, that was probably how the snatchers knew who they were. Draco had probably shown it to them when they were on the run. Hermione could feel her teeth begin to grind as she looked at the small clipping. She pocketed the photo and slammed the desk drawer shut. She was going to find him and when she did he would pay.

It felt as if she was spinning through space, her arms flailing wildly around her. She had apparated many times before but she hated the feeling that it would give her. She always got the reaction of nausea and dizziness afterward that would take a few minutes to get over. She didn't feel like she could be on her game right afterward.

Her sneakers dug into the soft ground. She could smell the richness of the earth beneath her feet. May would never be the same after the war. Instead of the telltale blossoms of new life, Hermione would always be reminded of death and loss. May would make her crumble at her feet and she would never be able to enjoy the feeling of the sun shining on her face when she knew that her friends never would.

The forest looked the same but instead of being bitterly cold and crisp, it was coming to life in brilliant hues of color. The grass seemed greener, the trees more alive. She had managed to apparate herself to the same spot that Ron had left them. She didn't know why she had chosen that particular part of the woods but it seemed the most familiar, the hardest grained into her mind. She looked out toward the trees and started walking, allowing her sneakers to crunch against leaves. It was getting closer to noon and the sun was high above her head. She looked over the distance, her amber eyes becoming filled with light as she could see the mountain range over a slight cliff. Hermione was enraptured. She made her way closer to the edge of the cliff as she peered at the swooping birds in the distance. The scene was so breathtakingly beautiful. It was the first time she really had the opportunity to enjoy its brilliance. When she had been running, she had only kept her eyes on the ground so as to not trip, never really getting the opportunity to appreciate the beauty around her.

*snap*

Hermione spun around, a few curled strands getting caught in her eyelashes. She immediately pulled her wand out, gripping the precious wood with ferocity. She could feel her breath catch in her throat when she could see the source of the noise.

"Malfoy…" The heat shot up into her face by the sight of him. He looked just like he had when he stood behind Voldemort. His platinum hair hung loosely in front of his eyes in slight waves. His usually pristine and immaculate black suit was now rumpled and covered in dust and dirt. Smudges of what must have been dried blood were caked in his hair and on his face. He wasn't even looking at her he was looking down on the ground toward his feet.

"You…" She could barely speak. It felt like her airway was being constricted by her anger. She took a step back only to find that she was too close to the edge of the cliff. Why had she chosen to take in the sights when the enemy was so close? Finally Draco looked up. His eyes weren't menacing or evil but sad and forlorn. His pale brow creased in what looked like regret and anguish.

"You…you have to pay…" She began to feel the words come out in a mush. His gray eyes searched hers but no words came out of his mouth. His lips just remained in a straight line. Slowly as if her eyes were deceiving her, Draco took a step toward her.

"Stay away from me!" She screamed pointing the wand toward him dangerously as her hand began to shake. She didn't want him to see any vulnerability. Draco again said nothing as he took another step, his black leather shoes chafing against the dirt. Hermione unknowingly took a defensive step back when she could feel the loose ground give out from under her foot. Before she could do anything, she could feel her body begin to slide backward as she tumbled toward the edge of the rocky cliff. Her scream sliced through the air as she grabbed at anything she could, her wand plummeting out of her hand down to the jacked rocks below. She slammed her wand hand into the rock face, slicing it open on the shards painfully as her other hand held fast to a jutting stone. Her feet dangled below her, unable to maintain footing. If she struggled to hard she would surely lose her grip and fall upon the crags below. Tears sprung to her amber eyes as she held her breath. This was how she was going to die. The girl who had helped to bring the darkest wizard down and save thousands was going to die from slipping off a cliff because she wasn't looking. She could feel her fingers starting to give way as the full weight of her body tired the muscles in her arm to the point of agony. Suddenly Draco Malfoy's body was above her, staring down at her pitiful face. Tears spilled out onto her cheeks as she choked back sobs. His black leather clad shoe began to hover over her straining fingertips. He was going to do it. He was going to grind his foot into her fingers until she lost her grip and fell to her death. She finally let out a sob and then took a deep breath. This was it. She was going to die. She had to accept it. She looked down at the ground below her. She was never going to see her family or friends again. She was never going to finish her studies, never read a book again. Never feel the sunlight on her face. Her outstretched arm felt bloody and wet as the scrapes from the rocks had opened her "mudblood" scar on her wrist. She closed her eyes. This was it.

Abruptly fingers wrapped around her bloodied wrist. Hermione's eyes shot up as she looked at the source of the hand. The dark mark was all she could make out as the fingers attached to it continued to curl around her "mudblood" scar. Her amber eyes were veiled over by tears. There was no way that Draco Malfoy was saving her. He was going to crush her fingers beneath his shoe like a bug. She could feel her body being pulled up over the ledge. She sucked in a hard breath as the blonde struggled to pull her up. He slipped, landing on his back and Hermione landed on top of him, legs intertwined. She struggled to get breath as she buried her head in his chest, sobbing and bawling uncontrollably. She dug her fingers in between the buttons of his black dress shirt slightly scraping his skin with her nails as her unruly main splayed over his chest. Guttural the sounds came out of her, like a wounded animal as she clawed and clutched his jacket with all her force. Draco gently placed a cool hand on her neck to ease her cries.

Hermione jumped from his touch and quickly scrambled off of him. She sat clutching her chest as she stared at the blonde in bewilderment. Draco just looked at her, his brow scrunched.

"You…you…" Hermione could barely speak through rasping breaths as the tears continued to stream down her face. Her throat felt like it had been scorched from her sobs.

"I helped you." Draco replied, his voice just as broken as hers.

"Why?" Now Hermione was suspicious. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she examined him.

"Who else is here?" There had to be other death eaters around. Maybe that was why he had saved her. It was just because they wanted her alive for some reason.

"It's just me." He replied as he began to stand up.

"Stay where you are!" Hermione shrieked as she fumbled to find her wand, forgetting it had fallen over the edge of the landscape.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He began to say as he finally stood up and began to wipe away at his clothing. He began to walk toward her again.

"I SAID STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Hermione screeched, her voice cracking and breaking. Draco stood over her extending his hand to her.

"Don't be a fool Granger, I'm just trying to help you stand." He snarled.

"I don't need your help!" She yelled. She needed to get to her wand. She hoped that it didn't possible break when it hit the rocks below. Hermione launched herself into a standing position.

"You're hurt." Draco said quietly as he peered at Hermione's bloodied wrist and hand.

"It's nothing. I've had worse." She mumbled as the blood streamed down her hands.

"Don't be prideful Granger. Let me help you." He began to draw closer and Hermione could feel her body stiffen. Hermione kept her eyes to the ground. She wasn't going to have him help her anymore than he already had. She stood up on her own, examining her bloodied hands. Draco took a quiet step back.

"So I see that you and your disgusting family have decided to run." She mumbled under her breath as she began to pluck pieces of rock out of her wounds.

"Excuse me?" He asked, his stare turning dark as he scrutinized her. Hermione smiled to herself. She knew that she had struck a nerve and she didn't care. He deserved every bit of it.

"You heard me Malfoy! You and your family ran away like a bunch of cowards.

"What the hell were you expecting us to do? Were you expecting us to just sit around and wait for Voldemort to kill us or the ministry lead us off to Azkaban?" Draco allowed spit to fly out of his mouth as he seethed, his body tightening under his black suit. His hands seemed paler as his muscles flexed uncomfortably under his jacket.

"Oh did I upset you?" Hermione laughed as she took a step away from him, her sneaker pushing a clod of dirt. Draco just peered at her, his lips tightening into a straight line.

"Face it Malfoy, you are nothing more than a coward. You go through all that trouble to let your death eater friends come into Hogwarts, kill Dumbledore and all you can do is run away? I thought for sure you would want a front row seat for the blood bath." Hermione said as she snorted in his direction.

"I didn't want Dumbledore to die." He whispered. His stern icy look waned and was replaced by guilt. Hermione was taken aback by the display. She edged away from him toward a white birch.

"And you…how dare you call me and my family disgusting!" His guilt laden face switched back to its normal haughty anger. Hermione could feel the energy drop into her legs. She had to run for it before he did something violent. He must have sensed her intention to run when he pushed forward with such an incredible rate she stumbled backward instead of propelling forward. Draco slammed her up against the white birch tree, her head banging into its trunk. He grabbed her by the throat and grabbed at her hands as she tried to squirm. She could feel her breath leaving her as he slightly squeezed.

"You're nothing but a filthy…filthy…" Draco was grinding his teeth as he stared down at her.

"SAY IT! SAY IT!" She yelled as his hand placed more pressure on her throat. She stared at him defiantly. He wasn't going to scare her. He was a coward after all. His gray eyes betrayed him as he stared down at her.

"I saved your life…" He mumbled as he forcefully pushed down on her wrists, pushing her sensitive skin into the bark.

She watched as he stared down at her. There was no way she was going to allow him to hold her against her will. She tried in vain one last time to wiggle her hands out of his vice like grip.

"Let me go Malfoy." Hermione said quietly through ground teeth. Draco's gray eyes stared down at her unwavering.

"And what are you going to do if I don't? You don't have your wand. It's just me and you out here." Draco answered, his platinum hair slightly falling into his eyes.

Hermione knew she had no choice. Suddenly she swiftly kneed the slytherin prince in the groin and stomped on his leather clad foot. He lost his vice like grip on her pained wrists and clutched his lower half in agony as Hermione took off in the opposite direction of his slumped form.

Before she could make it a few steps a pale hand slithered around her right ankle and swiftly pulled. She crashed to the grass in a heap, her chin slamming down hard on a few pebbles. Hermione could feel her teeth collide with her bottom lip painfully and could taste the unforgettable metallic tinge flood her mouth. She had to keep her wits about her as Draco's grip tightened around her leg. If she could just reach she would be able to kick him in the face and he certainly would let her go. But she had made a costly mistake. She had looked at him.
Draco's gray eyes were glassy with tears. It shouldn't have surprised her, she just had hit him in a man's most sensitive area. But the tears seemed like something else. There was a vulnerability Hermione had never seen in Draco before. She blinked as she tried to pull away from him. He held fast and began to pull her toward him. She gripped the ground trying to dig her sore fingers into the earth. Panic bubbled in her throat. He would certainly kill her now.