Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: I know this starts out like a summary, but that's only to bring you to what's happening in the story itself. Keep a lookout for the actual story that comes before this one, "I'll Be the One". :) (I should have written that one first...)**

**Everything belongs to JK. Rowling. I do not own anything.**

**Enjoy:)**

After the war, Hogwarts was repaired in some places, rebuilt in others. Surprisingly, almost all of the surviving students from Hermione's year returned to get the credentials they needed to succeed in a new life without war. Unfortunately, a lot of the old prejudices returned with them, and it was like nothing had ever happened. The purebloods still treated every other blood status as beneath them, but were no longer violent about it. Most just sent their children to schools such as Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang.

Draco didn't allow his parents to have control over him any longer and returned to Hogwarts against their wishes. His father couldn't do much about it anyways, being in prison. His mother was a little better about it, saying how she would rather he chose somewhere else for his last year, but not putting up a fuss when he boarded the Hogwarts Express anyways.

He was Head Boy, Hermione Head Girl. They grew closer than either of them expected. Hermione needed someone, and Draco, after much hesitation, was there for her. Harry didn't know how to comfort Hermione and be on Ron's side as well. Ron changed after the Final Battle. Losing his brother snapped something inside of him. He had a hard time dealing with his emotions. He wasn't good for Hermione in Draco's eyes, and Ron proved that too him when he cheated on Hermione with Astoria Greengrass. Hermione ended up with her heart broken, and Draco was the one to put the pieces back together. He held her at night when she cried over Ron, when everything caught up to her. He helped her take her mind off things by listening to her ramble on about her newest book. Hermione soon felt the beginnings of feelings for Draco, and kissed him at midnight on New Year's Eve, and they stayed together for the rest of their school year.

But Draco could see how much it killed her when Ron saw them together. She still loved him, and she always would. And Ron still loved her. He seemed to pull himself out of his funk and pleaded with Draco to talk to Hermione about him. So, in the most selfless act that Draco had done in his life, he told Hermione that she should get back together with Ron. And she did.

The last time he saw her was at their graduation ceremony feast, when she hugged him goodbye and said "I know you didn't have a choice. I forgive you." Draco knew she wasn't talking about their love triangle, because he had a choice there. She was talking about the war, and the day he had to sit by and watch his Aunt torture her to the brink of giving up. That was the day he promised himself he would do anything in his power to keep her from suffering again, and that was the one day they had never talked about.

She knew his guilt killed him, and she knew that before she said goodbye to him, she had to say something. And those three words meant more to him than anything in the entire world. Everything he did was for this girl, even letting her go; because he knew she would be happier. If only…

**Draco. Diagon Alley.**

Wandering through the isles in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Draco notices someone he hasn't talked to in a long time. Making his way over to the mass of curly brown hair ahead of him, he remembers the last time he saw her. Hogwarts, after what was left of the seventh years retook their last year, Hermione Granger came up to him. Without saying a word, she enveloped him in a bear hug. Before he could say anything, she whispered "I know you didn't have a choice. I forgive you," and let go, turning from him without another word.

Draco had tried to find her since then, hoping she finally realized she deserved better than the Weasel, even going so far as to wish she ended up with _Potter _instead of Ron. But then he saw the announcement in the _Daily Prophet,_ they had tied the knot. So had Potter and Weaselette, but they were at least good together.

Pulling himself away from his thoughts, Draco cleared his throat right behind Hermione, trying to get her attention. She jumped and spun around quickly, almost knocking over a display.

"Hey! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you, I just noticed you were here and –" Draco stopped short. When she turned around, he noticed the shimmer of a glamor over her left cheek and across her brow bone. Barely noticeable to anyone who isn't looking for it, but he knew that shimmer all too well. His left forearm held it almost constantly. "Why do you have a glamor?"

"It's nothing, bad acne that's all" She says flippantly, almost enough for him to believe her, but she was twisting her hands together, nervous.

"Are you sure?" He asks, sincerely worried. "Why would you use a glamor for acne Hermione, when you are the smartest witch I know, and always beat me in potions?" He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"It was a quick fix this morning, that's all, I'm fine." She assured him "So… er, how have you been?"

"Good, considering. You?"

"Fine...fine. But hey, listen, I've got to get back to work. It was good to see you though, Draco." She held out her hand as if to shake his, and then pulled it back, quickly changing her mind. As she turned to leave, she whispered "Owl me, please" so quickly, Draco almost missed it.

She turned and disappeared into the back of the shop. Curious, Draco milled about for a bit longer, pretending to look at the display of Nosebleed Nougat in front of him. Hermione emerged a few minutes later, sporting a bright orange and purple apron, and carrying a box with a large purple "W" on the side.

_That's odd. _Draco thought, _what is the smartest witch of our age doing working at a joke shop?_

The overwhelming feeling that something wasn't right washed over him. He was going to find out what was going on.

Back in his room at the Leaky Cauldron, Draco sat at the little desk in the corner, writing a note to Hermione, that uneasy feeling still weighing on his chest. He felt as though she were suffering, and afraid, and after he had to sit by and watch her terrified face as she screamed beneath his Aunt's wand and that cruel knife, he never wanted her to be afraid again.

_-HG_

_I want to know the real reason for that glamor over your face. Acne clears up with a simple healing spell that I am sure you already know. Don't forget, I was second in our class, I'm not an idiot. _

_And why are you working at WWW? I get the feeling that something is wrong._

_Come to the Leaky Cauldron when you can get away._

_I'll be waiting_

_DM-_

Draco handed the small envelope to the owl he borrowed from Tom, the inn keeper, and sent it on its way. He glanced around the room, at his clothes strewn across the floor and filling the dresser, the stack of _Prophets _in the corner, and the nearly empty bottle of fire whiskey on the night stand. All were a reminder of how long he had actually been staying here.

He had a house of course. Malfoy Manor was left to him when his father was sent to Azkaban, but there was too much pain left behind in those walls. He had been getting violent flashbacks to the days when Voldemort was his roommate. He could still hear the cries of the people tortured under his roof. He still saw her bloodied form thrashing about his drawing room floor every time he walked past. Still heard her screams fill his ears.

Draco picked up the bottle of fire whiskey and took one big draw from it, then laid down on the bed, and tried to keep his demons at bay.

**Hermione. Diagon Alley**

Hermione watched as Draco exited the shop, terrified that Ron saw him. Draco noticed her glamor, and she could tell he didn't believe her lame excuse of acne. Hermione hasn't had acne since she bought her wand and "Mini Mediwitch: A Do It Yourself Guide to Magically Healing Everyday Maladies".

She hated that he saw her working here. She had always spoken of wanting to work at the Ministry, taking S.P.E.W. to the governmental level and actually get her dreams of elevish welfare accomplished. And Draco knew all of that.

Seeing him stirred up so many feeling that she had buried. She flashed back to her favorite memory, one she forced out of her mind for 2 years. She saw herself curled up in Draco's lap by the fire, teaching him how to make s'mores the muggle way, and laughing when he got marshmallow all over his face. How his grey eyes lit up when he laughed, how his smile warmed her heart better than the fire.

"Oi! Hermione!" Ron snapped her out of her day dream, with a slam of the office door. "What in Merlins name was Draco Malfoy talking to you about?"

_Bloody hell. _Hermione thought, _so much for Ron not noticing. _

"Nosebleed Nougats, he wanted to know how long the effects last." Hermione answered quietly, looking down at her hands.

"Idiot. They last until you eat the other half. It says so right on the display."

"That's what I told him." Hermione said, still not looking up.

"I could care less what you told him Hermione, you were late. Where do you go for your fucking lunch break that takes you so long to get back?" Ron snapped at her.

"Away from you." Hermione said, her head shooting up to star him straight in the eye, while all at once dropping the glamor from her face. There were no customers around to see the bruises covering the left half of her jaw and brow bone, and the blackened, blood shot eye.

"Merlin, Hermione, cover that up here!" Ron panicked "I told you I was sorry about that! Why don't you heal it already?"

"Because, Ronald, I want you to look at it just a bit longer. I want you to see what you did to me. What all that fire whiskey you drink results in."

"Heal it! Or I'll do it myself!"

"I'd like to see you try. You can't even heal a paper cut properly." Hermione was glaring at him, back straight and arms crossed. She was determined not to let him see the fear she held close.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Heal your fucking face or else!" Ron screamed at her, backing her into the corner.

"Or else what, Ronald?! You'll hit me again? Make it worse?" She was in such a temper about everything now, and having run into Draco, she felt stronger than she had in a while. An idea came to her. "Well fuck you. I'm not coming home tonight. I'll be back here for my shift tomorrow."

His mouth fell open in shock at her outburst, and she took the opportunity to dash to the back room, deposit her apron and grab her cloak and beaded bag. She ran back through the front end of the shop, knowing her nerve would falter if she caught the look on Ron's face.

Once out the door, she didn't stop running until she was inside Flourish and Blotts. She needed a calm place to make her plans, and the smell of new books was always soothing. Mentally she took stock of what she had in her bag: her wand, some dittany, about a week's worth of clean clothes, a spare pair of trainers and only a handful of galleons, along with all the other usual purse items. Hermione was always prepared for the worst, ever since the war, never knowing what she might need, she always had everything.

Something tapped on the window beside Hermione, making her jump, before she realized it was just an owl. She groaned, thinking it must be from Ron, and almost ignored it, but not before she recognized the handwriting on the outside of the envelope. _Draco! _

She wrenched the window open, and took the letter from the owl, who stayed there staring at her as if asking if a return service was needed, before deciding it wasn't and flew away, back where ever it came.

Hermione ripped the envelope open with shaking hands, and hastily read the letter.

"_HG_

_I want to know the real reason for that glamor over your face. Acne clears up with a simple healing spell that I am sure you already know. Don't forget, I was second in our class, I'm not an idiot. _

_And why are you working at WWW? I get the feeling that something is wrong._

_Come to the Leaky Cauldron when you can get away._

_I'll be waiting_

_DM"_

"Of course," She said to herself "I knew it wouldn't convince him, of all people."

She shoved the letter into her pocket, and started towards Gringotts. She would need more than a few galleons, and she needed them now before Ron came to his senses and closed the account from her. When they got married, they linked their bank vaults, meaning they still had separate vaults, but they were allowed access to the rights and money in the others. Ron had tried to insist on lumping it all together in his, that way he could keep control of it, but Hermione refused. She knew he would try to take all of her money away, force her back to him when he left her with nothing.

_He's done it before, _she reminded herself as she tried not to feel the guilt and fear that was threatening to take control as she emptied the vault. It still wasn't much, but it was enough for her to survive on her own for a while.

Hermione stuck her hands in her pockets as she left Gringotts, money safe in the bottom of her magically expanded purse, and she felt the letter again, and made her way to the Leaky Cauldron, and to Draco.

**:D Did you like? Please Review! ANY criticism is encouraged, even the really mean kind (well, maybe not _really _mean but you know...) Thanks for Reading! There will be more!**

**-Lissa**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So I know it's been over a week since I have updated. I made the silly mistake of posting the first chapter the week before finals in college…However, I believe I will have more time to write over the holidays, so they should come more regularly :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter except the laptop in my lap as I type this!**

**Draco. Leaky Cauldron.**

Draco woke up to a small knock on the door to his room.

"I'm fine, thank you; I don't need any laundry done." He says, without even opening his eyes, thinking it's just the day maid.

"Draco, er, it's Hermione," came a small voice from the other side.

Immediately, Draco leaped off the bed and wrenched the door open, startling her, again. He couldn't believe she actually came to him, and she looked so scared. She stared at him with such a shocked and fearful expression, it made his heart clench like a fist.

"Hermione! I didn't mean to scare you, again, sorry. Come in! Come in, please." Draco stammered, stepping back from the door to let her pass. As he closed the door quietly behind her, she cast a silencing charm and a ward on the room, so no one could hear or find them, and only then did she seem to relax, if only fractionally.

"Still have that little habit?" He teased.

"Oh Draco, you know me, always paranoid." She smirked, halfheartedly. Draco sensed it again; something was way off with this girl. And she still had that damn glamor on her face.

"Hermione, what is wrong?" He asked, tenderly, his words still full of the love it carried back in Hogwarts.

"Oh, well, nothing rea-" Hermione stopped, and taking a deep breath tears springing to her eyes, she whispered "Help me…please."

Draco was taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor, but he took Hermione into his arms, and held her as she cried over everything her life had turned into.

"I'm here, Hermione. It's okay, I'll make everything okay. I promise you that. I'll fix everything." Draco told her as her sobs subsided, and he fully intended on keeping those promises. "I won't let anything hurt you."

"Th-thank you, Dra-draco." She hiccupped into his now tear stained shirt, finally able to speak again.

"Now, tell me what happened. I want to help." He said, bringing her over to his bed. He sat her down on the edge of it, and dragged the arm chair in the corner to the side of the bed.

Somehow, he felt this was going to be a long, emotional discussion. Hermione was a strong girl, and she rarely cried.

"What happened?" he asked again, as he sat in the chair and took her hands in his. "I'm here for you."

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, as if bracing herself, before dropping the glamor, revealing the bruises, and the swollen bloodshot eye. She shrugged out of her jacket, and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, showing the multicolored hand shaped bruises going all the way up her arms.

"Oh, Hermione…" Draco's eyes widened with each inch of bruised skin she showed him. When both of her sleeves were rolled up, she stopped and hung her head, and he was out raged. "Was this- did Ron do this to you?

"Yes."

"Some of these are weeks old! How long has this been going on Hermione?" He went to lift her chin and make her look at him, but thought better of it, sinking to the floor instead to put himself in her line of sight as he pleaded with her. "Please, tell me how this started."

"I should have chosen you." She said quietly, looking him in the eye. Draco's heart broke for her, once the strongest person he knew, now bruised and broken. Hermione straightened up, a fierce look of determination behind the bruises. "I've never told anyone this before. Please, don't say anything until I'm through…I don't think I'll be able to start again."

Draco nodded his agreement, and she began.

"Ron's taken to drinking, quite often. It all started about seven or eight months ago, but before that he was always yelling. I used to yell back, but it just didn't do anything, so I guess I just gave up. I stopped fighting back, hoping it would stop, but he got worse. Everything got worse. The first time he hit me, I left. I went straight to Ginny's house, saying I had gotten in a fight with Ron, but nothing else. He froze the money in my account so I would have to go back to him, and of course, I did. It was another month before he hit me a second time, this one on my face. It cut my lip a little, and he apologized right after, but I was still pissed. The third time was two and a half weeks after that. I had bought the wrong jelly, or something equally as trivial, and he went postal. He grabbed my arm, dragged me into the kitchen and literally shoved my face at the offending jelly. He kept screaming, and wouldn't let me go. When I started crying and fought back, he hit me harder than ever, and not just once. I was unconscious after the third hit, but I think he kept going. When I woke up, there was a potion he had bought for pain, and some ice next to me, but he was gone. I healed everything myself, and it was like nothing had ever happened. That's how it went from there. I was so stupid. I always went back to him. I never said anything about it, and I just healed myself after… but I guess just because the scars are healed, doesn't mean they're gone entirely…"

Draco was fuming when her focus drifted off again, trying hard not to say anything. When it sounded as though she were finished, he squeezed her hands again, looking at all the physical evidence of Ron's misplaced fury.

"Then what happened? Why do you still have these bruises?" Draco prompted, hoping she could answer.

"Well, a few weeks ago, I decided not to heal them. I wanted Ron to actually see what he was doing to me. How much he actually hurt me. But it didn't work. That plan back fired on me when the bruises just made him angrier, and it turned into a viscous cycle. I gave up on him a while ago, but I've just been too scared to leave. He always has his ways of finding me, making me come back, to be his punching bag once more."

"I won't let him. He's not going to get away with this Hermione, you mark my words. He is going to regret ever laying a finger on you, when I'm through with him, I swear he's-"Draco was cut off suddenly by Hermione's arms around his neck once again.

"Thank you." She whispered into his shoulder, as she started crying once again, only this time, they were tears of relief, of joy.

"For what?" Draco said, taken aback. "I haven't done anything, yet."

"For making me feel safe again." She said softly.

"I will always keep you safe Hermione, always. I'm never letting you go back to that prick. Even if I have to be the best man at your wedding to Krum, or McLaggen, even, I will always keep you safe." He sat on the bed next to her and gently rocked her as she drifted off into the most peaceful sleep she's had in a very long time.

Hermione woke up to the sun shining too brightly, and an overly warm arm pinning her to a bed that wasn't hers. She rubbed her itchy eyes, and remembered she had fallen asleep crying, again. Turning her head slightly, she saw Draco sleeping with his mouth open, drool covering his pillow. She giggled, and then covered her mouth quickly. Oh, how long it had been since she laughed. The thought of missing laughing made her laugh even harder, waking Draco up suddenly.

"Whoserre?" He mumbled, and rolling over, he nearly fell off the bed, causing Hermione to just about collapse from all of her laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asked her, wiping his face.

"You!" she said, trying to catch her breath, "And me, I guess. I haven't laughed like that in forever. And I forgot how much you drool."

"Oh, oops." Draco laughed as he used his wand to rid the pillow of saliva, a slightly appalled look on his face.

Hermione couldn't help herself, and burst into another fit of laughter, and tossed her pillow at Draco. He went to throw it back at her, but she flinched, out of reflex, and last night's conversation came flooding back to him.

Just as Draco dropped the pillow, the door was blast open with a deafening crash, and Hermione screamed.

"What the fuck!" Draco yelled, as he pointed his wand at the doorway. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione mimic him, wand arm shaking.

Ron was in the doorway, eye's bloodshot and full of rage.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing with my woman, Ferret?" He growled.

"Protecting her from you, you bastard." Draco hissed back, eyes narrowing.

Ron's face got even redder, and he took a step towards Draco.

"Look, _Malfoy,_" Ron sneered "We both know she will be coming home with me, so why don't you just sod off and make this easier on all of us. Come, Hermione, you've got work."

"No! I'm not letting her leave with you after everything you've done to hurt her!" Draco shouted, raising his wand just a little higher. Hermione watched the scene unfold with wide, terrified eyes. She was absolutely sure that Ron was going to start dueling soon, especially if he was drunk.

"You have no right to stop me. She is _mine."_ Ron snarled through clenched teeth, raising his wand as well. "Now, Hermione, I said _come."_

"NO!" Hermione screamed, wand pointed at Ron's throat as she stalked forward. Both men were shocked at the outburst and Hermione took it as her chance. "_Expelliarmus!"_

Ron was thrown backward, his wand flying across the room.

"I am NOT your property, Ronald Weasley, and if I were you I would take care to remember that." Hermione said to her husband, her voice dripping with acid.

"_Petrificus Totalus." _Draco muttered, immobilizing Ron so he couldn't hurt Hermione.

"You will NEVER touch me again." Hermione spat as she stepped over Ron and left.

Draco followed, not wanting her to be alone in her current state and Hermione was grateful for the company as she stepped into the world for the first time with the evidence of Ron's anger plain as day on her face.

"Mr. Malfoy! What the devil is going on here?!" Tom asked, concerned about the commotion caused in his Inn. "Hermione, dear! Your face!"

"It's a long story sir," Hermione started, forgetting she no longer had the glamor. "And I'm sorry about the ruckus; Ron Weasley is petrified back in the doorway to the room Draco was renting. I'm calling Harry to take care of everything."

"Hermione, are you sure you want to call Harry to deal with Ron? They are best friends, right?" Draco asked, unsure of what to do, and still reeling with anger.

"Yes. He's an auror, and I trust in him completely. Keep an eye on _him,_ and I'll be back soon," She told Draco. Tom was still worried, and flustered.

"I'm very sorry for all of this Tom, I'll pay for any damages, just add them onto my room bill. I'll fix what I can as well." Draco apologized to the old inn keeper, then turning back to Hermione, "I'll stay and help clean up. Do what you need to do, but he _needs_ to be in ministry custody before I'm lifting the spell."

"Thank you, Draco, so much." Hermione started to cry and she replaced the glamor and left.

She made her way to the apparation point and disapparated to the Ministry, and registered her wand. Then she marched straight up to Harry's office and charged in, without pausing to knock so she wouldn't lose her nerve.

"Hermione! What a nice surprise!" Harry said, jumping up from his desk and enveloping her in a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages! What have you- "He stopped short noticing her pained expression and tear stained cheeks. "Hermione, what's wrong? What happened? Are you in trouble?"

Hermione smiled at the over protection of her best friend, and suddenly felt guilty she didn't come to him about this earlier.

"Harry, it- it's Ron." She choked out. "He's at the leaky cauldron. I need you to come with me."

"Why, Hermione? What's happened? Is he okay?" Harry turned and grabbed for his cloak and his wand.

"Well, I guess, but I don't care." She said quietly, staring at her shoes once more. She gathered up all her Gryffindor courage and dropped the glamor for the second person in 12 hours. Harry gasped, then shock turned to rage as he immediately knew who had done this to her.

"Oh, Hermione!" he said, hugging her once more. "How did you get away?"

"I'll explain later, but right now, I'd feel safer if he couldn't come near me again." She said, starting to cry again.

Harry nodded and led her back to the Atrium, where they Flooed back to the Leaky Cauldron. Draco had levitated Ron away from the public area of the inn and had started to help fix the shattered door.

"You bastard!" Harry yelled at Ron, as soon as he saw him. "This is lower than low, how could you? She's your WIFE for Merlin's sake!"

Using his wand to conjure rope, he bound Ron's wrists together and Draco took the spell off.

"You BITCH!" Ron started to scream at Hermione, "You fucking MUDBL-"

Draco silenced Ron, and Harry took him off to apparate back to the Ministry.

"Hermione, I'll need you to come with us, Draco too. Ron's going to have a trial today; we take domestic abuse almost as seriously as Dark Arts."

"Okay, Harry, we'll follow soon." Draco assured him, Hermione was no longer able to speak.

As soon as Harry had left with Ron, Hermione felt as if the weight of the world had lifted from her shoulders, she no longer had to fear her husband. He couldn't hurt her anymore. Once more, she cried into Draco's shoulder, only this time, they were tears of relief.

**AN: I realize this chapter ends in an odd place, however, with finals this week, and everything else that's happened, my brain is shot :/ Next chapter will be better!**

**ALSO:**

**My heart and soul goes out to the family of the 6 adults and **_**20 first grade children **_**who lost their lives in the most recent school shooting, to the community of Newtown, and everyone affected by this tragedy. (What does that say about our country, when I have to say "most recent school shooting"?)**

**Rest knowing they are all in a better place now, one without guns, violence and bloodshed and pain. No matter your religion, or your beliefs, they have to be in a better place than the world we all live in.**

**Lissa**


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Harry Potter, Drama, Romance