Summary: "Be careful, Granger, I'm cursed." Draco whispers hoarsely. Draco has a dark secret. Draco is cursed. A curse that is capable of not only destroying everything Draco loves but it also puts his life on the line. He knows that he shouldn't fall for her, but She is a risk he is wiling to take. Can Hermione find the cure or will Draco meet his untimely fate? Post war. 8th year.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me, it rightfully belongs to J K Rowling. I've also adopted this plot line from jigglyjelly28 who kindly allowed me to use her plot bunnies. She's also kind enough to help me with the finer details. This one is for you, jigglyjelly28! Xx

Chapter One

The feast, as usual, was delicious. The elves had outdone themselves by cooking up a storm with every dishes known to man. Even the mint humbugs were there, for whatever strange reason, no one quite knew. The Hall echoed with merry chatter, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Even though the Hall was not as full as it normally was, everyone were glad to be back. Even the first years looked slightly less nervous and had began to settle down and as they talked to their neighbours, albeit rather shyly.

It was half way through the feast when the doors burst open, almost flying off its hinges and the Great Hall came to an abrupt halt, silence enveloped the Hall like thick fog. A platinum blond boy sauntered into the Hall and towards the Slytherin table, with hands stuffed into his robe pockets and his head held high.

When the Great Hall recovered from the initial shock, it had exploded to hundreds of excited conversation about the late comer.

"Isn't that Draco Malfoy?"

"The Death Eater?"

"What is he doing here? I thought he was rotting in Azkaban like his scum of a father?"

"I heard he murdered Dumbledore in cold blood. He was in it with Snape."

"Well, I heard he killed a family of six Muggles! And laughed as the light disappears from their eyes."

"Why is he allowed back into Hogwarts, after all that he's done!" Ron exclaimed, pieces of food flew out of his full mouth as he craned his neck over his shoulder to get a better look at subject of everyone's not so discreet conversations.

"Because he's on probation. He'll spend a year in Hogwarts then under house arrest until he's 25, just like his mother who's also under house arrest for 5 years because of her association." Hermione answered calmly as she looked over Harry's shoulder and only to have met Draco Malfoy's cold gaze who was staring right at her as he lazily placed a piece of apple pie into his golden plate. Hermione noticed that everyone, apart from Blaise Zabini, sat stiffly and silently at the Slytherin table, but it seemed that Draco does not care one little bit.

Malfoy seemed different, Hermione had noted. He was pale as ever, and his eyes were maybe even colder than before. But, there was an air of difference upon him. He just seemed... out of his usual standards. It wasn't his hair, as blond as ever although this time it was not slicked back, instead, it was dishevelled, messily skimming above his dull liquid mercury eyes and framed his strong, sharp, angular features. It also wasn't the fact that seemed he filled out a bit from his tall, lanky frame. He was leaner and his features not as thin as before. There was just something different.

"How do you know?" Ron said in a slightly accusing tone and had pulled Hermione out of her reverie.

"Because the Headmistress had told me so, Ronald." Hermione snapped, not liking to be pulled out from her train of thoughts. Maybe it was the way Draco had dressed that seemed different. Yes, that had to be it. He had normally been immaculately dressed, his top button done and his tie the perfect length and perfect knot. His shirt tucked in and his jumper crease free. But this time he had no jumper on, the top two button of his shirt undone, a glint of a silver chain underneath caught the light, and his tie was not done up. It was just hanging loosely from his collar. There was an air of indifference and Hermione did not like it. Of course it was also mixed in with an air of his usual arrogance and begrudgingly an air of grace about him.

"Well I don't like him being here, roaming around the castle as if he owns it. He should be like the rest of the death eater scums, rotting in Azkaban!" Ron exclaimed once more. The eager loud whispers, the indiscreet glances thrown at Draco's direction had lessened as it seemed Draco was not going to react to any of it. Blaise Zabini was talking to him, and Draco only seemed to be half listening as he nodded here and there or shook his head slightly at appropriate times, but Blaise didn't seemed to mind. In fact, it looked as if Blaise was use to it.

"Well, if you feel so strongly about it why don't you write to the Ministry, Ronald? I'm sure they'll listen to a war hero and his petty complaints about not wanting someone in Hogwarts." Hermione snapped coldly, not wanting to listen to his pointless rant about what he like and not like.

Ron huffed, Ginny giggled and Harry winced slightly at the coldness in Hermione's tone. Even Neville, who was sat next to Hermione, cleared his throat awkwardly.

"So Neville, you looking forward to Head Boy duties?" Harry chipped in as he tried to diffuse the tension over their heads. Dean and Seamus nodded their heads in agreement and looked at Neville expectantly, proud that their once shy friend had grown confident and was now Head Boy. It was the least that he deserved, being as brave and courageous as he was during the War that was still a fresh wound to everyone. Godric Gryffindor would have been proud of Neville.

"It's a good thing I have Hermione, she'll put me straight if I do anything wrong. Won't you, Hermione?" Neville laughed casually, as leant back with a contented smile.

"Of course, Neville." Hermione returned his smile with a friendly one.

"I don't envy your job, mate." Seamus laughed with mirth sparkling in his blue eyes and playfully thumped Neville on the back one more time.

Draco Malfoy's expensive dragon hide shoes echoed loudly against the stone slabs of the dungeon floors as he idly made his way down to the Slytherin Common room. The feast had finished almost an hour ago, and as students piled out of the Great Hall, Draco wordlessly slipped out from the rest of crowd and proceeded to walk around the quieter side of the castle in order to clear his head.

He aimlessly wandered around the Castle, mixing in with the shadows to avoid patrolling prefects, the odd teacher and that blasted squib of a caretaker and his equally blasted cat. He did bump into Peeves near the kitchens, but the poltergeist simply ignored him and continued to shake the portraits with gleeful laughter, much to the portraits displeasure.

Bored and no longer needing to clear his head, he soon made his way to the dungeons. He wrapped his robe around his tighter and stuffed his hands into his pockets, he sighed watching his breath turn into a cloud of mist before him. It was much colder down in the dungeons that the rest of the Castle, despite the roaring fires in the fire places nor the torches that illuminated the corridors.

Draco sighed once more in frustration as he thought back to what his mother had said that morning. 'Keep out of trouble, my son.' She said. 'Keep your head down.' She whispered into his ears as she lovingly wrapped her arms around him and brought him close in to an embrace. Not a moment later, she let him go and she ascended the stairs to take her back up to the Manor without a second glance. One of the two aurors that were to accompany him back to Hogwarts, ushered him into a Ministry carriage pulled by six chestnut coloured winged horses.

Draco scoffed at this memory, he wasn't even allowed to travel by train like normal students. It was one of the terms of his probation sentence. Yes, his probation sentence that hanged over his head like a cloud. The chief warlock had thought he was being merciful by handing Draco a probation sentence which he would spend at Hogwarts to finish his education and then to be under house arrest until he's 25, instead of a 10 year sentence to Azkaban for attempted murder and aiding the Dark Lord. Draco certainly would rather spend his time in Azkaban than to wander around Hogwarts, where he is unwelcomed, never mind wanted. At least at Azkaban he would be welcomed, or at least left alone in peace.

Even McGonogall had made it known that if he even thinks about stepping a toe out of line, he'll be out of Hogwarts faster than he could say Azkaban. And she would know if he did. The Ministry would know if he did. They had put him under a Tracking Charm. A powerful charm that allowed the Ministry to know his exact location at any given time, who he had spoken to, what spells he had used and even what time he went to bed. He felt boxed in. He was given no freedom. No room to breathe. No privacy. The only freedom he was given was the fact that he could remain in the Slytherin Quiddicth Team because they had no other seeker. He was truly boxed in, and Hogwarts was his cage.

"Why is Malfoy back?!" A male voice coming from inside of the Common room stopped Draco from his tracks. He had said the password, and the wall creaked softly, a narrow opening presented itself and Draco he slipped in unnoticed by the group of older Slytherins discussing him. He leant against the entrance, crossed his legs at his ankles and loosely crossed his arms over his chest as he watch the group with boredom.

"Yes, we don't need this right now. The Slytherin House is disgraced enough as it is without him being here." Pansy Parkinson flipped her short black hair over her shoulder and sat in one of the couch with a dramatic sigh.

"He'll ruin everything. He'll drag us all down. He'll never be able to keep his head down and we definitely don't need that right now." Daphne Greengrass contributed in and nodded her brunette head in agreement. Her younger sister, Astoria, kept her mouth shut not wanting to get involved with the argument.

"The other houses hate us. They hate us more for having him in our midst." Pansy pressed melodramatically.

"This is coming from the girl who wanted to hand Potter over in front of the whole school." Blaise said defensively, his brown eyes cold with disbelief at what he was hearing.

"Don't bring that in, Blaise. I said what I thought was best." Pansy cowered from Blaise's harsh tone and averted her eyes down to her lap.

"Yes, the other houses hates us, but haven't they always?" Blaise pointed out with a sneer.

"They'll hate us even more. Think about the younger students, they won't fully understand the extent to why the other houses hate us so much. He's better off with his mother, away from us!" Pansy exclaimed, her arms flailed beside her as she jumped up to her full height to prove her point.

"He's our friend, Parkinson, or have you forgotten that? Have you forgotten how you use to latch on to him like a clamp?" Blaise arched an eyebrow at the traitorous witch.

"How dare you speak to me like that, Zabini!" Pansy shrieked so loudly that the others winced and looked away only to find Draco watching them with disinterest.

"Draco." Blaise stated, not knowing what he could say to the blond.

"Carry on with your conversations, old friends. Don't mind me, I'm off to bed." Draco smirked, unhitched himself from the wall, and sauntered up to the boys dormitories which he shared with Blaise, Theodore Nott, and Goyle since Crabbe stupidly got killed by his own fiendfyre.

"Draco." Blaise said as he entered the room not long after, the door clicking softly as it closed. Draco was sat on the bay window next to his bed and was staring out of the window, the stream of moonlight illuminated his features and made his hair glow whiter than ever like some sort of halo. Draco made no attempt to acknowledge Blaise's presence but Blaise knew the former heard him.

"What, Blaise?" Draco tore his eyes away from the window where he sat with one knee propped up and his elbow resting upon it. A muscle on his jaw twitched uncontrollably which indicated that he was irritated.

"How much did you hear?" Blaise sighed as he lowered himself at the end of his bed, and picked at the silver clasps that held back the green velvet curtains of the bed.

"Enough." Draco snapped coldly.

"You're being insufferable, do you know that?" Blaise retorted. Draco had indeed been insufferable for the past few days.

"I know that. But being insufferable is what I have to do to be safe." Draco said softly as he ran his fingers through his hair and met Blaise's eyes on the window which reflected Blaise clearly.

"Is this about her?" Blaise said in a measured tone. Instantly, Draco tensed and clenched his jaws to prevent himself from saying something that he may regret.

"Don't, Blaise." Draco had managed to hiss through his teeth. Draco hopped off his post, made his way to his trunk and pulled out an old grey t-shirt and black cotton trousers. He aimed his wand at his trunk, gave his wrist a flick and his clothes flew out of his truck and into his wardrobe in an organised manner. He then shut his trunk and pushed it under his bed.

"Why do wear that ring, knowing full well what it means?" Blaise couldn't help but comment when he spotted the silver chain slip out of Draco's shirt when he was pushing his trunk under his bed.

"I... I can't take it off. I just can't." Draco looked down at his chest and gently touched the silver signet ring with a Welsh dragon engraved on it and a Celtic band design on the shoulders which hanged from a long silver chain. It was given to him by someone special, and after what happened he was too traumatised to even touch it, but as the years flew passed, he needed to wear. He needed her close, he needed her memories close to him as possible and the cold metal offered him what he needed. It was as close as he could possibly get to her, and deep down it was enough.

"You better be careful, Draco." Blaise sighed in defeat.

"What makes you say that?" Draco looked at him with arched eyebrows.

"I don't know... I just have a feeling that there is something bad going to happen. Something bad is going to happen to you. I just can feel it." Blaise shrugged meekly.

"How worse can my life get right now?" Draco asked no one in particular, it was more of an afterthought, a statement that need not be justified with an answer.

"I don't know, but I just hope it doesn't." Blaise had answered anyway.

"Draco! You came!" A little girl, no older than five, came bouncing up to young Draco as soon as he gone through the park's gate. She was a pretty little girl with straight brown hair that were in lopsided pigtails, brown eyes that sparkled with excitement, freckles that dusted across her cheeks and nose, and cute little dimples that made everyone smile.

"I said I would." Young Draco stuffed his hands into his pockets and shuffled his feet about timidly.

"I'm happy you did!" The little girl jumped up and down on the balls of her feet. She cocked her head sideways and bent her knees slightly to catch young Draco's downcasted eyes.

"Hmm." Draco shrugged his shoulders lightly and looked around the muggle park with a spark of interest. It was his third time at this park and he must say he rather enjoyed it. His mother had told him to go to the park and she'll come by later to pick him up because she didn't want him at the Manor since they were there.

"Come on! Let's go up the hill!" The little girl stopped bouncing, grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards a funny looking frame with two wheels attached to it, one behind the other, there was a wicker basket on the front and pink tassels on what look like handles.

"What's that?" Draco asked curiously at the funny muggle contraption discarded on the grass.

"It's my bicycle!" The little girl laughed at young Draco's ignorance.

"A what?" A small blush tinted his pale cheeks.

"A bicycle! You get on it like this," the little girl dropped Draco's hand, picked up the bicycle, placed her legs either side of the frame. "and you move your feet like this and then you go so fast! It's fantastic!" The little girl leant back on an uncomfortable looking seat, whilst holding on the handles and placed her feet on pedals. She then moved her feet, and in Draco's amazement she began to ride circles around him.

"Oh." Draco whispered, his silver eyes following the little girl with fascination.

"Do you want to go on it?" The little girl offered from behind, and Draco turned on his heels to see her again.

"No, thank you. It's pink, yuck." Draco crinkled his nose and pushed his chin up slightly, but deep down he most certainly wanted to have a go on the funny looking muggle contraption.

"I like pink!" The girl said defensively, a sort of bossy tone lingered on her normal sweet tinkling voice.

"And I like blue." Draco shrugged with indifference and the girl huffed, before copying his shrug with a tinkling laugh.

"Come on, Draco! Lets go up that hill." The little girl exclaimed once more and began to pedal. Draco watched for a moment with outmost fascination and then he realised that she had gotten quite far away from him that he would need to run to catch up.

"Oh alright." He whispered to no one and then ran, to catch the little girl. When he caught up, chest heaving slightly because of the gradual steepness of the small hill next to the park, the little girl looked over her shoulder and smiled brightly whilst humming an unfamiliar tune. When they got to the top of the small hill, the little girl dropped the bicycle, began to jump up and down before she started to twirl around.

Faster.

And Faster.

Until she was nothing but a laughing giggling blur. The skirt of her white dress fanning out, Draco averted her eyes but he did not have to because she wore a pair of floral shorts underneath. All of a sudden she dropped onto the floor, starfished on her back, her chest heaving with shallow breathes and gleeful laughter.

Draco shook his head at the little girl's antic and laid down beside her. He fixed his silver eyes on the blue sky above and watched the birds soar with the clouds. He smiled when he felt warm small hand over the top of his. He cocked his head to the side to face the little girl but she merely stared at the sky with a smile. Draco chuckled and went back to staring up at the sky. He then closed his eyes for moment as a small breeze blew past them.

It was a peaceful scene, two young friends laid side by side, their hands delicately clasped between them.

But like most things, it never lasted. Draco felt the little girl's grip on his hand suddenly tightened rather forcefully that he yelped and opened his eyes, tears started to sting his silver orbs.

The little girl was sat up, her legs folded underneath her. Her face was pale, void of any emotions.

"Ma-" Draco had began to say, frightened of the sudden change of mood. The clouds darkened, the wind picked up harshly stinging Draco's cheek.

"Be careful, Draco Malfoy. Be careful with what you choose. Remember what happened. Remember what will happen if you choose to love the wrong person. Remember what happened to me." The little girl said. But it wasn't her voice. It was older, wiser, darker. It was strange to hear such a voice coming from a girl but Draco didn't have time to react.

The world spun around him. Draco stood up quickly pulling his hand away from her grip. But a sudden sharp pain in his chest pushed him back down to his knees. He gripped the front of his shirt as he cried out. The pain in his chest tightened as if someone had reached into his chest, got hold of his small heart and squeezed, their sharp nails digging into the muscle of his vital organ. Draco let out a strangled cried and the world turned black.

"Draco... Draco... Wake up... Draco..." A sweet tinkling voice whispered into his ears. Draco let out a small groan.

"Draco... Draco... Open your eyes..." The sweet voice continued, softly pulling his out of his dark slumber.

"Draco..."

Draco cracked one eye open and bolted up when he saw that he was laid on a cold marble floor, above him was a high ceiling and a grand chandelier. He was on the corridor of the North Wing of Malfoy Manor. And he was alone. The girl who that sweet tinkling voice was no where to be seen. Draco stood up on his feet, slightly confused. He took a tentative step forward, then another, and another until he broke out in a run.

Young Draco did not know why he was running for. There was a knot of horror in his stomach and he also did not know why. He just needed to run. Run as fast as he can. As fast as little legs could carry him. He turned this way and that. Sharp pains shot up his small legs but he couldn't stop.

But then he heard it. A sob. A plea. A cry. A shrill scream that made his blood run cold. He froze mid run and whirled around at the direction of the scream that clawed at his ear drums.

There was a bellow of a dark spell followed by a scream and a blinding, bright flash of green light.

Then it was silent.

Draco let out a gasp as he bolted up from his sleep. He was sticky with sweat despite the cold air in the dormitories, his shirt sticking to his skin uncomfortably. His legs tangled at his feet, his breath came out shallow and he sighed defeatedly. Draco looked around but everyone were asleep, the moonlight halved the room that he saw dust mites dancing in the moonlight. A soft snore came from Blaise, Theo let out a mumble in his sleep and Goyle just drooled.

Draco pushed his sweat drenched fringed away from his face and slipped out bed. He grabbed his cloak that was draped over a chair, pulled his wand underneath his pillow, he padded his way out bare foot of the dormitory and the Common Room.

He wandered aimlessly around the Castle for the second time. He was on the third floor when a he heard a voice.

"If it isn't for Young Malfoy?" A gruff voice came from Draco's right side. He pointed his illuminated wand at the direction of the voice. Draco scoffed under his breath and carried on walking, twirling his wand around his fingers.

"Yes, it is Draco Malfoy!" Another voice came from one of the portraits but Draco ignored them.

"Do you have a secret, Draco Malfoy?" One portrait piped.

"Oh, do share!" Another laughed, rather sinisterly.

"We know about you Draco Malfoy."

"What?" Draco frowned and faced a portrait of a bearded man with a top hat.

"We know about you. Your secret. A secret that will ruin everybody you love." The man replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Draco snapped

"But you do, Young Master Malfoy. Your dark heart. Your cursed dark heart." The portrait cackled and then they followed suit. An echo of chorused laughter.

A/N: read and review! So what do you think? Good, Bad, So-So? What are the portraits babbling on about? What do you think Draco's secret is? Lastly, who is the mysterious little girl and what does she have to do with anything? A penny for your thoughts? :) Xx