Chapter 2: The Fight

Hermione's P.O.V

I woke up feeling nauseous and weak all over. My left arm was searing with pain and so was my cheek. I groaned and rolled onto my side. I waved my burning hand above my eyes and I could see a faint scar that read, "Mudblood".

Images and memories from that day instantly came back to me and I shut my eyes. I reopened them and took in my surroundings.

Where was I? It was dark and the only light seemed to be coming from another room. I was in a...house? I tried to sit up but firm hands pushed me back down.

"Don't. You need to rest", a familiar voice said.

"Malfoy?" I asked. I sat up, pushing back his hands. "What happened? Where are we?"

Silent. "Malfoy?" I repeated. "What's going on?"

I heard him take a deep breath and then sigh. "We escaped my parent's house. I saw Potty and Weasel escape, too. After I had seen them leave, I Apparated, here, to my flat in London. You were unconscious for two days straight."

Okay, good. At least Harry and Ron got away safely.

"Why?" I asked.

"Why, what?" he said, and it was only then did I notice how close he was to me. I could feel his warm breath on my face.

"Why did you save me?" His breathing quickened.

"I-it just hurt me to see you-anyone-being treated like that. I just wish...I wish that my life would've taken a different path. I've seen so many people being tortured and killed for no apparent reason, while I just stood, watching, from the sidelines. I wasn't allowed to help those people, or I'd be the one getting hurt instead. I just wanted to stand up against my parents and my aunt...at least once. I took that chance, back at my house. And...Here we are", he ended.

I nodded and said, "Do you mind turning on the lights? I can't see a thing in here."

Draco nodded and walked over to what must've been a light switch. I squinted my eyes, because of the sudden light. My eyes later re-focused and I glanced around me.

His flat looked as Muggle-like as ever. You could see no trace of magic anywhere. I was lying down on a grey, leather couch against a wall, Draco sitting on a wooden chair beside me. Pictures of animals, historical people and art pieces covered the wall. There was a small table next to the couch I was laying on; a glass of water, a wand, probably mine, and a vase of flowers were on it. I could see a door on my left, which probably led outside and another door on my right, which probably led to Draco's kitchen or bedroom.

Draco looked at me, hesitantly, "What do you think?"

I turned back to him and replied, "You live here? It's amazing!"

Draco's face immediately lit up and I could see his cheeks redden, "Thanks. And, yes. I used to live here, a couple of years ago. I forgot all about this place until two days ago."

"Wow", I replied.

"Well..." Draco started, standing up. "I'm going to get some food for us".

I threw the blanket that was covering me, off myself, stood up and said, "Great!"

"Whoa, whoa. Where are you going?" Draco asked me, stupidly.

"With you, Malfoy, who else?" I replied, sternly.

"You can't come with me. Look at you! You're haven't even recovered yet! What am I going to do if you suddenly faint in the middle of the street?" Draco said his face a mixture of anger, fright and concern.

"Look", I replied, stubbornly, "I'm not going to sit, all day, in this room. I need air, too. And besides, what if we, or you, come across someone? Death Eater's even! Is it even safe, to be strolling around this late at night?"

My words seemed to have an effect on him because he narrowed his eyes at me and I could tell he was thinking. He turned around, grabbed a few clothes, tossed them to me and said, "Get dressed. We're leaving soon."

I smiled and caught the clothes he threw at me. I could tell he wasn't pleased. He turned around, leaving me to strip down and put on the clothes.

"You are so stubborn sometimes, you know?" he said, once I was all ready.

I smirked at him. "I'm a Gryffindor, love."

I was wearing a short-sleeved green shirt with green sweat pants. Probably all Draco's clothes. I grabbed my wand off the small table and put it in the back of my pants and walked through the door he held open for me.

The wind ruffled my hair and I shivered. I scolded myself for not asking Draco earlier for a sweater. Draco must have sensed this because he took off the grey sweater he was wearing and held it out to me.

I shook my head, "Its fine. You're going to freeze yourself."

"No, take it", he said, concern in his eyes. He held the sweater out, for me to put on.

"Thanks", I whispered.

"Don't mention it", he muttered.

I looked around all the buildings and the surprising amount of Muggles rushing to head home. It looked beautiful and frightening at the same time. The way some buildings loomed over me, scared me. The people, too. It triggered old memories I did not want to be reminded of.

Without warning, Draco grasped my hand tightly. I turned my head and gave him a questioning look. And then I understood. This wasn't what you'd call a, safe, city. There were many teenage girls, yes girls, going missing. Some, dead. I had also read in the Muggle newspaper that an elderly man was on the loose. There were many suspicions that he was the one abducting these girls.

I intertwined my fingers with Draco's and walked closer to him.

"It's okay", he whispered to me.

I nodded, still a bit scared. The Gryffindor in me had vanished. I immediately regretted coming. I should've listened to Draco when he had told me to stay inside, earlier. There was no going back now.

"Where do we go?" I asked Draco, since he knew these streets better than me.

"Um, let's try here", he said, pointing at a nearby store. We entered and I noticed that we were the only ones, except for a customer arguing with a cashier.

The customer looked around his mid-twenties. The scary thing was that he resembled the "dangerous" man on the loose so much. He was wearing black jeans, practically falling off his butt. He had a basketball jersey on, with a heavy metal chain around his neck. He was holding a beer bottle in his hand, talking, more like arguing, to the cashier. She, on the other hand, looked like a super model. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. She was wearing a purple tank top with a pair of blue, skinny jeans. She was wearing a light cover of mascara and her eyes were a shade of deep blue.

I noticed the customer slurring, whenever he spoke, indicating he was drunk and high. Draco led me away from the scene and down an aisle. I picked up a nearby cart and strolled it, as Draco looked around at the many food choices. He picked up a container of pasta and handed it to me, which I, then, put into the cart. It went on like that, him handing me things, me putting it into the cart.

We rounded a corner and strolled into the next aisle. The customer, I had seen earlier, was standing at the very end. Draco acknowledged this and let out a sharp breath.

"Stay close to me", he whispered. I nodded, trying to act natural. We stopped halfway through the aisle, deciding which carton of milk we could buy. The man slowly approached us, glancing at me. Draco turned around, pretending to read the label on one of the milk cartons, but I could see him staring at the man, out of the corner of his eye.

The man was a mere, ten feet, away from us. Draco turned around, his back to the food shelf, still pretending to read the milk carton.

My heart was thumping loudly in my chest; I was surprised no one could hear it.

"That's a pretty girl, you have there", the man slurred, reaching his bare hands out, to touch me.

Draco looked up, widened his eyes, in a threatening way, dropped the carton of milk he was holding, and lunged at the man. I knew what was going to happen, even before Draco started raging.

"Don't you-ever-talk to her like that", Draco growled at the man, strangling him. The man...was really stupid.He started smiling. I mean, I'd seen Draco show his "angry" side before, and boy, if I was being threatened like that, I sure would not be smiling.

"You think it's funny?" Draco yelled.

I stepped over to him and pulled him back, before he could cause any more harm.

"Leave!" Draco yelled at the man.

The man snapped out of his day dreaming self and slowly walked away, fear in his eyes. I turned to Draco and saw his eyebrows crinkled in frustration.

"Let's get out of here", he muttered. I nodded and pushed the cart towards the checkout.

Whoa. I had never seen Draco in that state before. Over protective much? Probably.

We reached the checkout and I handed our stuff to the lady. She looked up in fear, as if the creepy customer was back. She relaxed a bit when she saw it was us.

She put all our food items in a plastic bag and handed it to me. Draco gave me some Muggle money and took the plastic bags from me, instead.

I handed the money to the cashier saying, "Here you go. Keep the change."

And with that, I gave her a tiny smile, which she gladly returned. Draco and I headed back outside and he, again, grabbed and held onto my hand throughout the entire walk to his flat.

A.N. Okay, so I apologize for not having this chapter up sooner. You know, school, tests, etc. I have a lot going on. I'll try to make it up to you guys in the next chapter. Also, I'm kind of running out of ideas for the next few chapters. I know what to do for the story line and how to end and stuff but I need other things going on, between Draco and Hermione. If you guys could pitch in and help, that would be greatly appreciated :) XXX