Chapter 1
The cold gnawed at his flesh, biting through the rich fabric of his torn robes as Draco Malfoy knelt in the snow-dusted dirt, his breath fogging in front of him. The barn was dilapidated, its rotting wood creaking in the bitter wind that howled through gaps in the walls. A faint smell of hay and animal musk lingered in the air, but it was overpowered by the sharp scent of frost, biting and unforgiving. His knees pressed into the frozen ground, the chill seeping upward until it felt like his bones were splintering with each shiver.
His arms were wrenched back, wrists bound with rough rope, the cords cutting deep into his skin. The knot was tight, cruelly so, pulling his arms at an unnatural angle behind him, his biceps bulging with strain as he fought to keep circulation flowing to his fingers.
His muscles, strong and defined from years of Quidditch, were useless against the bindings. He howled in rage as he twisted his wrists, trying to loosen the ropes, his arms burning with the effort. His muscles strained, bulging against the cords, but every tug only made them dig in deeper, the skin raw and bloody where the rope chafed.He grit his teeth, grinding them together in fury at being reduced to a helpless prisoner.
How dare someone do this to him. He was Draco Malfoy and they had him bound on his knees in some godforsaken barn, held captive like an animal.
Whoever had done this would pay. They had no idea the mistake they were making. Whoever they were, they would regret it. When he got free, when he had his wand back in his hand…. oh, how they would suffer. His lips curled into a sneer at the thought.
Draco heard the soft crack of someone Apparating behind him, the unmistakable sound that sent a shiver of dread down his spine. Fear flickered in the back of his mind, His pulse quickened, but he refused to let panic consume him. He was a Malfoy, and no one made a fool of him.
He twisted his neck, straining to catch a glimpse of his captor, but just as his head began to turn, a jolt of magic surged through his body, freezing his muscles in place and locking his neck painfully straight leaving him unable to see his captor.
Fury filled his veins as he jerked against the ropes, muscles bulging with the effort, every inch of his body straining, but the magical binds held firm.
"Release me!" he ordered.
No response. He could hear them. A shift of the foot. The subtle sound of breathing.
He could do no thing but wait. Trapped, helpless, forced to stare at the crumbling barn wall in front of him while his captor loomed behind, silent and unseen.
"Do you know who I am?"
Still nothing.
“If you think you can keep me here, tied up like some worthless half-blood?” When I get free, I'll—"
His threat cut short as a wave of magic pulsed through him, silencing his voice. He seethed, his mouth opening and closing as his voice was rendered mute.
He heard the sounds of footsteps as his captor approached him. He tried desperately to move his muscles aching with the strain of resistance.
And then, he felt it.
A hand, soft and deliberate caressing the back of his neck.
Draco’s breath caught in his throat, every nerve in his body firing at once. The touch felt intimate, unsettling as a wave of revulsion coursed through his veins. His skin prickled beneath the contact, but he was powerless to move.
Slowly. Intimately. Fingers glided over his exposed neck where his robes had torn. Playing with the sensitive skin on his collar bone.
He fidgeted in his bonds trying to move away but the soft caress continued eventually threading its fingers delicately through the back of his golden hair until it gripped his head in its tight grasp.
He wanted to scream, to spit venom at whoever had dared to touch him this way, but the silence held him captive.
Suddenly, the hand that had been so tender just moments before wrenched his neck back violently, the spell releasing its grip. The sharp motion forced Draco’s head to snap backward and he gasped, his chest heaving as he lifted his eyes, desperate to see who was behind him.
And then he froze.
His mouth hung open in disbelief. No. It couldn’t be. He blinked, hard, as if trying to erase the image in front of him, to make sense of what he was seeing, but the truth wouldn’t shift, wouldn’t bend to his will.
It was her.
The Gryffindor know it all in the flesh.
Hermione Granger.
The last person in the world he expected to see at this moment, standing behind him with a calm, satisfied smile on her face.
For a moment, his brain refused to comprehend it, the sheer impossibility of Granger being here, touching him. His heart pounded in his chest, the shock so overwhelming it felt like his mind was short-circuiting.
Hermione Granger.
“Hello Draco”. She said as she released her grip. Stepping forwards to move in front of him.
She stood before him, looking very different form the bushy-haired buck tooth girl he once knew. Now, she exuded a quiet authority, her figure wrapped in a thick, form-fitting wool cloak. The heavy material was dark,cinched at the waist and tapering down to mid-calf. Its thick, woolen texture absorbed the dim light of the barn giving her an almost shadow presence.
Around her neck hung a gold locket, its metal worn with age but he could still make out an ornate, serpentine "S," engraved in deep green along its center.
She looked confident and warm and that thought enraged him as he shivered on his knees.
"It's good to see you. Have you been enjoying your winter break?"
Then, with a slight tilt of her head, "No, I suppose not."
At her taunt, Draco opened his mouth furiously straining against the mute spell.
"Oh, alright But I warn you, I don't have much tolerance nowadays for disrespect." With a flick of her wand, the spell broke.
Draco’s voice burst back into his throat, the words spilling out in a furious rush.
"Granger! What the fuck? Untie me right bloody now! You think Potter will protect you when I get free? My father will bring the entire wizarding gamut to your doorstep, and I’ll break your wand myself!".
Hermione didn’t flinch. She didn’t even blink. The cold smile remained on her lips as she regarded him with unsettling calm.
"Your father?" she repeated, her voice low and amused. "The same father who was imprisoned in Azkaban for nearly a year? The one who's on the run from the authorities as we speak?"
"You think that matters?" he spat, his voice raw. "You think Potter and the Ministry are going to keep protecting you when—"
"When what?" Hermione cut him off, her tone sharp and unforgiving. "When your father comes crawling out of whatever hole he’s hiding in? You still think anyone fears him but you?
Draco opened his mouth, desperate to retort, but her words hit too close to home.
She took a step closer to him, her gaze bearing down on him, making him feel smaller than he’d ever felt before.
"You’ve clung to his name your whole life, haven’t you? It’s all you’ve ever had. And now… well... it’s worthless." Hermione crouched down in front of him, her hand reached out to caress his face, fingers trailing along his cheek with unsettling tenderness.
Draco tried to flinch away, but her grip tightened, fingers curling around his chin and forcing him to face her.
She was so close now, the warmth of her cloak radiating against his skin, a stark contrast to the icy cold that gnawed at his body, making his bones ache.
"Do you even know who you are without him?" she whispered.
"Shut up, Granger," Draco spat angrily.
Hermione’s expression didn’t waver, her eyes still locked onto his.
"No, I don’t think I will," she said, her voice low, deliberate.
"Your life as a coddled daddy’s boy is over.Your father isn’t coming to save you. Nobody is."
Her words landed like a hammer, each syllable forcing him deeper into the realization that he was in real trouble.
"This is going to be difficult for you to understand right now but I’m confident that by the time we’re through, you’ll fully understand your new place in this new world Harry and I are making."
"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean, you bitch!" he screamed. Every ounce of arrogance, every shred of superiority he had clung to, was being torn apart by the idea that Hermione God Dam Granger, a mudblood he had always considered beneath him…was now standing over him, in control.
Without warning, her hand struck his face in a sharp, resounding slap, the sound echoing in the cold, empty barn. Draco’s head snapped to the side, his cheek stinging from the blow.
"Enough," Hermione said, her voice low and unwavering. "You will not speak out of turn, Malfoy," Hermione said. Slowly caressing the cheek she had just slapped.
As I was saying, things are going to be different for the wizarding world. We’re going to do away with the bigotry and nepotism of the past and create a more equal society for all. Unfortunately, to achieve that, we need to eliminate the old guard and ensure their offspring don’t grow up to be as heinous as you have become."
Draco’s eyes widened."What are you saying?" he spat. "Are you going to kill me? Don’t Gryffindors find murder to be a little outside their moral code of conduct?"
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, she wrapped two hands around his throat. His entire body went rigid with panic as the pressure built, choking off his airway. Bound and defenseless,he had no way to fend her off. His throat tightened, his vision blurring at the edges as her hands continued to squeeze, cutting off his air.
He thrashed against the restraints, trying with all his strength to pull his arms free, but it was useless. The ropes held him fast, and his body was helpless under her grip. His chest burned, his lungs screaming for air as his struggles weakened, and in a final, desperate gasp, he choked out,
"Please!"
The hands suddenly released him, and Draco collapsed forward, gasping for air. His body heaved, sucking in ragged, shallow breaths as he tried to fill his burning lungs. His throat ached, raw from the pressure, and his muscles trembled with exhaustion from the failed struggle.
Hermione stood over him, watching as he desperately regained his breath, her expression cold and unreadable.
"I don’t need to kill you, Malfoy," she said coolly. "But I do need you to understand that your world, your privileges, everything you’ve ever known, is over. In fact," Hermione continued, her "you will be my most valuable supporter. The poster wizard of this great new world I'm creating."
Draco let out a short, harsh laugh."You’re mad. Potter’s pet Mudblood has lost her bloody mind."
Hermione’s stood up "I assure you, Malfoy, I have not."It will take time, yes. Many long nights of training and endless days of penance, but in the end, I will make you a champion for the side of Good.
Draco shook his head, his bound hands twitching uselessly "Let me go! You’re insane. I won’t help you. I’ll never help you!"
"You will," she said softly.
She raised her wand, and Draco instinctively flinched, his whole body tensing as he braced for whatever was coming next.
"But for tonight… rest….Tomorrow, the real work begins."
His heart pounded in his chest as he watched her, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief. He saw the soft glow of her wand tip as it lifted higher, and then, before he could react, everything went dark.