A/N: Hello readers! This is my first fan fic. Hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think about it.

Disclaimer: Do not own....sob....Harry Potter......uuuuuuuuaaaaaannnnhhh!!...runs away wailing...

JOURNEY TO THE PAST

Chapter 1

"Harry!" screamed Hermione as she saw her best friend being hit by the killing curse and his body falling down, down, down ... until it hit the floor with a thump. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The sound of the raging battle was muffled.

She forgot that she was in a battle. She forgot that she was vulnerable and anyone could hex her. She forgot that her other friends needed her. All that mattered was that her Harry, her best friend ... her brother, was gone. Forever.

She loved him more than she would love her own brother. He was whom she fought for, lived for. And now, he was gone. He had left her alone. Just like her parents and Ron had. She was left all alone in that cursed world.

She didn't see the burst of green light headed for her. Neither did she see the blonde who pushed her to the ground to save her. She didn't notice him when he tried to talk to her and get her out of there. She was lost. Lost in her own mind, without any means of finding her way back.

DRACO'S POV

I stood there looking at my arch-nemesis fighting off three death eaters at once. Beside him, Granger was taking down more and more death eaters per minute. Even though I had hated the Golden-Boy-Potter and Know-It-All-Granger for the past five and a half years, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They had suffered so much. They had received more than their fair share of sorrow.

Potter had lost his parents when he was still a toddler. His godfather was killed in front of him, last year. Dumbledore was dead, dead at the hands of Snape. Their precious Weasley friend, Ron, too was dead. It happened about four months back during an attack in Hogsmeade. Potter and Granger had been devastated.

Speaking of Granger........ I no longer thought of her as filth or unworthy of magic. On the contrary, I now respected her. She had been kidnapped during the holidays and brought to my house as after the death of Dumbledore, she had become the mastermind behind all the moves of their Order of Phoenix.

I had seen aunt Bellatrix torturing her several times. She used the cruciatus, imperius, everything that she could think of, to get answers out of the girl. But it was all in vain. She was also a good occlumens.

In fact, even vertiaserum didn't make her give us the answers we needed. Whenever she felt the potion taking effect, she would make sure that she fell unconscious in one way or the other. The first time, she banged her head against the wall, next time, she dug her nails into her skin and made sure that enough blood was lost. We didn't notice her doing so until she fell unconscious. Every time, she had a different strategy.

We couldn't petrify her so as to prevent her from doing all these, as, if we did, she wouldn't be able to speak. And if she couldn't speak, how would she give us answers?

This went on for two whole weeks. I couldn't sleep during those two weeks without taking a sleeping draught. I felt guilty and ashamed of myself. That was why I gave the order a hint as to where she was. No one, except Dumbledore knew that I was the traitor.

But the Dark Lord wouldn't give up so easily. He sent Mulciber and Nott to torture her parents in front of her own eyes. They did so and the muggles died. Mulciber and Nott too were killed.....by Granger. I couldn't believe the news when I heard it. Granger??!!!....Kill someone???!!!!

But it was true. She had done so. She killed both of them using the cruciatus curse. They died due to torture as they rightly deserved to.

As I looked on, Potter was hit by the killing curse hit by aunt Bellatrix. I watched as he fell to the ground and a heartbreaking scream was heard from Granger. The look on her face.......I'll never forget the expression that her face held that day.

She had stopped fighting. She looked as if someone had torn apart her heart and her body. Then, I saw aunt Bellatrix raise her wand towards her and open her mouth to utter the killing curse. But I couldn't let her die. Looking at that face, I felt the sudden urge to protect her, to keep her away from all harm. She looked so lost and vulnerable. I HAD to save her.

I dove at her and pushed her to the ground as aunt Bellatrix cast the curse. When I looked up, I saw a shocked expression on her face for a split second. Then, she let out a snarl and pointed her wand at me.

But I was quicker. I stunned her and then turned back to Granger. Her eyes were unfocused. She didn't seem to have noticed what had just happened. I shook her but she didn't respond.

"Granger! Granger, listen to me. Granger!" I yelled in her ear. No use. I tried again. "Granger! Respond to me. Please!" She didn't show even a single sign that she had heard me. A spell whizzed past my ear, narrowly avoiding me. That's when I remembered that we were in a battle ground.

I cast a protective charm around Granger and myself and lifted her, bridal style, into my arms. Then I ran. I ran to the castle's seventh floor and requested the Room of Requirement to provide us with a room that would keep us safe. I took Granger inside and laid her on the bed present there.

I had to get her to talk to me. I was feeling damn anxious and terrified as to what the Dark Lord would do if.........rather, 'when' he found out about my saving Granger. Also, I was afraid that she was going to go into coma. It was probable as she had had such a nasty shock. I tried to make my voice as soothing as possible and spoke softly in her ear.

"Hermione? Hermione, everything is fine. There's no need to worry about anything. Everything is going to be alright. You get me? Hermione, answer me, please. Try to speak. Let me know that you're listening."

I watched as her eyes flickered back and forth and then rested upon me. I gave her a weak smile hoping that it looked reassuring enough. She just looked blankly at me. Then, she spoke while raising herself into a sitting position.

"Malfoy?" She sounded confused as if she was unsure of herself. And then, realisation dawned on her face. She looked at me with wide, terrified and hurt eyes. They filled with tears as she flung herself at me.

"Oh Draco! Harry! Harry is gone! He's GONE!!! He left me. I'm all alone now. My parents, Ron, Harry, Dumbledore, Ginny, Luna, Hagrid, Neville, Mrs. Weasley....everyone's gone. I don't even know how many others are dead. What am I supposed to do?" She wailed, clutching at me as if I was her lifeline.

I didn't know how to respond. I had never been in such a situation before. I had never ever reassured one of my enemies before this. Well, I had to say something. I better be straightforward.

Granger is a sensible girl. There's no need for me to give her false hopes by saying that everything was going to be alright. She can handle bad news. So, I spoke while patting her head.

"Hmmm....I don't know. Most of the people on your side are dead. I honestly don't know what to do next. I'm trapped too. But please stop crying. It's not going to lead you need to think about what to do next."

She pulled herself away from me, and sat upright, wiping away her tears."You're right. Even though my loved ones are gone, there are other people out there who need my help.......I'm not going to let myself be broken down by those Death Eaters."

Then, she looked at me. "Why did you help me, Draco? I don't understand. I thought you supported them. Aren't you a Death Eater too?"

What was I supposed to tell her? When I looked at her, I felt the urge to protect her? She would think that I had gone nuts. I decided to go for a twisted version with a bit of honesty in it.

"I don't know. I just couldn't let you die there. You see, Granger........Hermione," she smiled at that "I never really wanted to become a Death Eater. I was forced to join their ranks. I sure as hell couldn't stand there watching you die."

She just smiled at me again. Even though she didn't show it in her face or expression, I could see that she was suffering from sorrow and pain. I could see it in her eyes.

No girl I'd met before would be able to go through such torture mentally and physically, and yet, remain calm and composed. No girl was as strong as Granger. At that moment, I felt a pang of admiration for the girl....no,' woman' in front of me. Hermione Jean Granger was truly a remarkable woman.

"Thank you, Malfoy. For everything. Shall we call a truce?" she asked, putting her hand in front of her. I smiled softly at her before taking it. "Truce." I said.

She spoke again, "I just wish we could change everything back. But we can't." A lone tear slid down her cheek.

"You sure can, Miss Granger. What made you think you can't?"

We both spun around with our wands out, on hearing the voice. But, there was no one in the room. We heard a chuckle and looked at the source – A portrait of Albus Dumbledore.

"Pro-Professor?" Hermione stuttered. "What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said, Hermione." The old man said with a twinkle in his eyes as he turned o me. "I believe, if you both work together, you can save the whole wizarding world."

Uh-oh! Red alert! The old twit was going to suggest something crazy. I sure wasn't going to like this!