A/N: This is a Dramione Tragedy, so prepare yourself. Of course, I don't own any of this content. Also, I realized that wiped out all my breaks, so I've reformatted it so that you can see where we jump around.

The Final Battle raged.

"Die, Blood Traitor!" Rodolphus Lestrange shouted as a jet of green light erupted from his wand.

"Oh, fuck off!" Draco said dryly as he dove for cover away from his insane uncle. He sent a Body Bind Curse blindly around the corner, hoping to slow the final Death Eater down long enough to come up with a plan. They were the only ones remaining after a brutal battle in the highest levels of the Clock Tower, and Draco wanted to make sure he was the one that left there alive.

He looked around the corner and noticed that his curse was partially successful, it had not completely encompassed his uncle, but secured his leg to the railings of the suspended catwalk. Stone erupted in a bright blue explosion as Draco ducked his head back around the corner of the wall.

"When I'm finished with you, there will be no more blood-traitor Malfoy's to worry about," Rodolphus shouted.

That incensed Draco. The death of his parents at the hands of his idiot, Death Eater relatives years ago drove him to fight in this horrific war in the first place. His parents had decided not to rejoin the Death Eaters when Voldemort resurfaced, an act they were punished severely for. As the shock of Draco being sorted into Gryffindor instead of Slytherin wore off, they examined what their son meant to them, his happiness, and their family. That one event led to them accepting Draco back into the family, as well as accepting others- a very oppositional view to their cocktail party friends. He had searched out his parent's killers over the years and had dispatched more than his share of Death Eaters today. This uncle was the last one. The images of laughing with his parents at the Manor flashed through his mind as he realized how he could dispatch Rodolphus.

He blasted the supports that held the Clock Tower catwalk aloft, and watched with satisfaction as the hooded death eater finally fell out of sight, unsuccessfully trying to free his imprisoned leg. Draco turned and sprinted down the stairs towards the deafening rumble of the battle below, hoping against all hope that she was still alive. On a landing below he saw an ominous figure hunched over a fallen blonde-haired girl. He angrily cast a silent Bombardia at the broad back of the larger figure. The man actually yelped in pain as he was blasted down the hallway, falling unconscious near the doorway of an abandoned classroom.

He looked down at the body of his classmate. Lavender Brown, Draco thought, or what's left of her. He noticed the marks on her neck and realized that it must have been a Werewolf he blasted, and now, there was a very real chance that man would regain consciousness soon. He ran down out of the Tower, expecting to find her somewhere near the Great Hall.

He pushed through a throng of students making their way out into the courtyard where the final throes of the Battle of Hogwarts emanated. Over the noise of explosions and screams, he heard a familiar voice call out his name, and his heart soared.

"Draco, Draco!" Hermione called as she ran across the crowded space towards him.

She held the remains of a golden cup in her hands, evidence that she and Ron had been successful in destroying one of the last Horcruxes. However, Draco noticed that she wasn't elated with her obvious victory, and she was alone. Something must have happened to Ron.

Draco took her into his arms as she buried her face into that comfortable place against his shoulder. "Are you ok? Where's Ron?" he asked as he held her tightly against his body.

"He didn't make it," she said quietly. "As soon as I destroyed the cup, the part of Voldemort's soul that was in it caused the Chamber to shake and one of the giant stone supports fell right on Ron and killed him instantly. It was horrible."

"Thank Merlin that you're safe," Draco said as he gently placed one hand under her chin to look into her beautiful brown eyes. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Hermione smiled and kissed him tenderly. "You're stuck with me, mister," she said.

Draco put his hand through her hair and kissed her passionately. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have Hermione in his life. They had been inseparable almost since the first moment that they were sorted into Gryffindor. They fell into an easy rhythm of studying together since they were the two top students in their year. They attended the Yule Ball together, and had both been celebrated members of the Slug Club. To say that they dated would have been a gross understatement; they were joined.

They had been on the hunt for Horcruxes for the last year with Harry, sharing a bunk every night. Draco saved them all from getting caught by Snatchers in the Forest of Dean by Apparating them to his cousin's house in Grimmauld Place. While they hid out for a few hours, he very discretely picked up a velvet box containing a beautiful diamond ring. When this bloody war was over, he was going to ask her to marry him.

He released her from his embrace and said, "I love you."

Hermione smiled up at Draco and said, "I love you too."

Draco saw a flash over her shoulder and felt her shake, grip his shoulders tightly, and then go slack.

"Draco?" she asked weakly as she looked for an answer in his eyes.

In horror, he noticed a bright silver blade sticking out of the front of her chest, and a strange swirling mist of golden flakes fluttering in the air between them. The Time Turner, he thought absently as the horror of the situation dawned on him. She went limp, and behind her he saw the horrible smile of Fenrir Greyback, who must have followed him out of the tower and thrown a goblin blade into the woman he loved. Before he could move, or act, the swirling golden mist of Time Turner flakes took over his senses, and everything went out of focus.

Hermione and he had used her Time-Turner before, especially when they wanted a few uninterrupted hours alone, but it had never been as uncontrolled as this. The golden mist turned bright red, as red as the blood that had started flowing out of Hermione's wound, and Draco felt the world start to slip away. Hermione was pulled from his arms, and he saw her form moving and reanimating in front of him. He hoped that they were traveling back to a time when he could save her from this fate, but she remained just out of reach. He moved unnaturally slowly through the nothingness of the swirling red mist, and could almost touch her, but not quite. Tears streamed down his cheeks in anguish as he called out her name, but he could only hear the faintest whisper before everything went dark.

"I love you Draco."

Draco felt a cool sensation against his cheek. After a moment, he realized that he was lying on a cold, wet, marble surface. He put his hands out and felt around, it was a floor. He was lying on the floor, and it was wet from the tears streaming down his face. He touched his face, and it felt smooth…different.

A noise from his left startled him and he pushed up, preparing to attack, when he noticed that the sound was a door opening. As the door opened, light from the hall started to illuminate the room, and Draco instantly realized that he was in his old bedroom at the Manor. He looked around in disoriented amazement. Quidditch posters, children's books, it was certainly his room, but from when he was a child.

He focused back on the door as it opened and tensed, wondering what was going on. A younger, more beautiful Narcissa Malfoy stepped into the room and looked directly at her son.

"Draco, honey, did you have a bad dream?" she asked as she walked to where he was crouched on the floor and helped him up.

Draco smiled with a mixture of confusion and relief and hugged his mother tight. He whispered, "You have no idea."

"Let's get you back to sleep, you've got a big day ahead of you," Narcissa said, returning her son's hug warmly.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked as he climbed under the covers of his all-white four-poster bed.

"Later this morning, much later, you catch the Hogwarts Express for your first day at Hogwarts, silly," Narcissa laughed as she tucked him in. "You know that, now close your eyes, sleepyhead."

Draco smiled back at his mother as she kissed him on the forehead and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

As soon as he heard her steps retreating down the hallway, he jumped up and started pacing.

What the hell just happened? One minute I'm in the heat of battle, and the next I'm back home. He paced around his room looking for a clue, or something that would help him makes sense of this nightmare. As he looked through the papers on his desk, he came across his letter from Hogwarts. He was scheduled to get on the train in a few hours. He sat down hard in his desk chair and ran his hands through his now-shorter blond hair. What is the last thing I remember? Hermione floating just out of reach, a red mist, no wait, gold. The golden mist came from the Time Turner. It broke apart just as that blade pierced Hermione's…

As realization washed over him, he put his hands up to his face to stifle the anguish of his scream. Hermione was dead. He put his head down on his desk and sobbed. After a few moments of heartache, he sat straight up. No she wasn't. She wasn't dead at all. She was probably reviewing Hogwarts: A History one more time before she got ready for her first day at Hogwarts.

The thought of Hermione, with all her bushy hair, sitting on her bed in a cotton nightgown, anxiously awaiting her first day at school cheered him up. He went over to his trunk, and started taking everything out and examining the contents through the lens of experience. He needed more sweaters and less dress shoes. He should take something to make a good first impression with Hermione. Sweets would be good for Ron and Harry. There was so much to think about; not only was he going to reintroduce himself to his best friends, he needed to protect them, and everyone, from Lord Voldemort. If he acted quickly, he could stop the war from happening before anyone was the wiser. He could save his parents.

Two hours later, his trunk topped off with a bottle of Felix Felicis that has father had given him for Christmas, and an ancient copy of The Moste Truthful Stories of the Founders for Hermione, Draco heard a tapping at his bedroom door.

Dobby sheepishly peeked around the door and entered, Draco raced over to the little house-elf and picked him up into an enormous hug.

"Dobby!" he laughed out loud, "I forgot all about you!"

Dobby cocked his small head to one side, examining the giant smile of his master. "Is the young Master feeling well?" he asked.

"Dobby, we are going to get it right this time," Draco said to the confused House-elf.

He sat down at breakfast an hour later, freshly scrubbed and ready to go to school, chewing quietly as his parents stared at him. He had spoken of nothing other than Hogwarts for the past few days, and frankly they were looking forward to having him out of the house until the holidays. However, this morning his behavior was very different. He was quiet, and oddly enough, had asked for black coffee with his sausage and eggs.

"Father," Draco said, "would you still love me if I was sorted into Gryffindor tonight?

Lucius nearly spit out his tea. "What?"

"We all expect that I will be sorted into Slytherin as our family has been for generations. However, what if I were to be sorted into Gryffindor? Would you still love me, or would you disown me, never let me return home, that sort of thing?" Draco asked earnestly. "Family is the most important thing to me and I want to know that you stand behind me, no matter what."

"Draco, no more of this nonsense. Yesterday, all you could talk about were your plans after joining your friends in Slytherin, and now you want to know if I will continue to love you if you become a Gryffindor? I believe we both know what this is son. Fear. Don't worry, I have the greatest faith that you will be a Slytherin like your mother and I, and if not, I will make some calls on your behalf, " Lucius said proudly.

Draco took a long drink from his coffee mug. Narcissa noticed that there was something different about his eyes. He looked older, tired.

"Draco, is there something you want to tell us?" she asked.

"Mother, I have no idea where to start," Draco said as he put down his mug, "but you are going to have to trust me, both of you."

Lucius laughed, "Those are grave words from such a young man."

Draco studied his father silently, realizing that he was right. No one would believe him at all. No normal person anyway. There were only a few people he could confide in, and his parents were not included. He realized that one of the most important things he could do would be to insulate them from all of this. He loved them beyond measure, and there was no way that he could trust them yet. Lucius was still going to disown him tomorrow when he woke up in his four-poster bed in Gryffindor. "My apologies, father," Draco said as he took his plate to the kitchen.

His parents looked at each other, confused and just a little uneasy.

Back in his room, making the last preparations to leave, Draco closed the lid on his trunk, startled to see Dobby staring at him.

"Master Draco has changed," Dobby said.

"Yes Dobby, I have, but I can't tell you anything. I need to protect you as well."

Dobby smiled and became teary, "Young master would want to protect Dobby?"

"Dobby, you are part of my family, and I care for you," Draco said.

Dobby let out a long wail and slammed his head on the lid of the trunk, "Dobby is not worthy of affection, young master. Dobby is only a humble servant who…"

"Dobby, I command you to stop crying this instant," Draco interrupted calmly as he stood. "I am going to need you for some important missions while I am at Hogwarts. These are things that only you can do, because you have such powerful magic."

Dobby looked curiously into Draco's eyes.

"I know some things that I can't tell you, things I won't tell you because I know that you are bound to tell my father anything he wishes. So let me just say that there are times I will call for you and I need you to come find me, no matter where I am," Draco paused as he thought. "If for some reason you can't come to me, because you are busy with my parents, or are forbidden for some reason, you have to send another House-elf somehow, do you understand? It may be a matter of life or death, and I will need help. Am I clear?'

Dobby nodded his head, "I understand young master. I will listen for your call."

"Thank you," Draco said as he walked towards the door of his room.

Dobby sent Draco's trunk downstairs with a casual wave of his hand and said, "Interesting."

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, carrying its cargo of hopeful students, Draco stopped waving to his parents, and slung his satchel over his shoulder.

"Draco, let's sit in here," Gregory Goyle said as he gestured to the doorway of a car full of pure-blood children, obviously destined for Slytherin.

"Listen," Draco said to his childhood friend, "you go ahead. I have some things to do. We'll catch up later."

Goyle shrugged and went into the Slytherin car.

Draco turned in the opposite direction and walked up the aisle. He peered into each one until he found, about 3 cars forward, a dark-haired boy sitting alone.

He recognized his friend instantly and started to smile. Hermione told Draco years ago about how she, Ron, and Harry met on the train to Hogwarts, and he was excited knowing she would be joining them soon. He stopped smiling when he realized that they weren't supposed to have met yet, and he shouldn't act too familiar.

"Sorry, everything's full up, do you mind if I join you?" Draco asked.

"Fine by me," Harry responded with a smile.

"My name's Draco."

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Draco smiled. "The Harry Potter? The boy-who-lived? Wow, I've heard so much about you." He laughed inwardly at how he could have fun with this. Knowing the future did have some advantages.

Ron joined them a few moments later, and after that, the three boys were eating a sample of each of the sweets off the trolley. Draco held his breath as he anticipated what came next.

She slid the door open as she asked if anyone had seen a lost toad. Draco froze as he studied her. She was beautiful, even as an uppity, immature, eleven year old. He knew that her haughtiness was because of her feelings of insecurity, and she was destined to have a tough time in her first year. He would eventually befriend her in the library, the only place he felt safe from Slytherins that thought him a blood traitor.

"You know," Draco started, "Magical toads have a way of finding their owners. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Why don't you join us? We have loads of sweets here."

Hermione smiled at Draco. "I promised this boy I would help him out, and I was sitting in another car, and need to get out my robes," she paused and considered his invitation seriously.

"Oh, are you going to do some magic?" she asked Ron.

Draco involuntarily recoiled as he saw the rat Ron had on his lap. Scabbers. Pettigrew. I should kill him now, that son of a bitch.

"Say, are you all right? You look kind of funny," Harry asked.

"Yeah," Draco responded. "I just don't like rats."

"I get that," Ron said. "I don't like spiders."

"Say, do you mind if I try something?" Draco asked. "I know a pretty cool trick."

"This ought to be interesting," Hermione said as she closed the door of the compartment.

Draco held his wand out and said, "Revelio!"

The spell was imperfect, Draco knew instantly. He thought that it might be due to his age, or the newness of his wand, but something didn't feel right.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron screamed as Scabbers partially transformed into a man.

Peter Pettigrew shook his head quickly to change it completely into human form and stared at Draco. "How could you possibly know?"

"Give it up Pettigrew," Draco said defiantly as he held up his wand. "You're going to Azkaban."

"Like Hell I am," Pettigrew shouted as he hit Draco in the throat and compressed his windpipe instantly.

Draco, stunned, fell to the floor and dropped his wand. He couldn't breathe, and clutched at his throat in panic. Pettigrew calmly picked up Draco's wand and pointed it casually at the three other children in the compartment.

Children, that is what we are. Draco thought. I had no business attacking him, now look what I've done.

Pettigrew looked at Draco, now turning blue, on the floor. "Stupid kid," he said as a jet of green light ended Draco's life.

Draco instantly felt the red mist surround him. The scene in the train compartment vanished like the ending of a stored memory in a Pensieve. He was floating, weightless through and endless darkness. This time longer than before. He thought he could almost hear voices, just out of earshot. He tried to call out, but his own voice seemed so far away. Slowly, as though time didn't exist, a form started to materialize around him. He watched as the red mist coalesced into the shape of a person, then finally becoming Hermione, not the eleven year old that he had just seen on the train, but the Hermione that he loved and wanted to marry. He reached out for her, but couldn't touch her. She was just inches from his fingertips and there was no way to move in this weightless environment. All he could do was look at her, and that seemed like enough. She smiled at him sadly, knowingly, he thought.

"Are we dead?" he asked, although no sound came out.

Hermione shrugged silently and shook her head slightly. It was obvious that she didn't know anymore than he did.

"I love you," Draco said.

Hermione mouthed the words, "I love you too," as she blew him a kiss.

Draco felt a cool sensation against his cheek. After a moment, he realized that he was lying on a cold, wet, marble surface. He put his hands out and felt around, it was a floor. He was lying on the floor, and it was wet from the tears streaming down his face. Not again, he thought.