Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Authors note: Sit back and enjoy

**Draco's Pov**

Draco stared horror-struck at his father, who was talking to a dark-masked head in the fire in front of him. He felt sick to his stomach at the plans he had just heard. Plans to kidnap Ronald and Ginny, two of the Weasley's youngest children.

Despite his rivalry with Harry, and his hatred for the Weasley family, even he knew this was wrong. He shivered in the large, cold living room he was seated in. It wasn't a very cosy house, but it was his own. He shook himself out of his thoughts, trying to catch some of the conversation taking place in the fire.

"And you say he wants to help?" His father asked the head in a surprised tone.

"Yes. He says apparently the older one is Harry Potter's best friend, and the girl is a close friend of his also. According to him we might even be able to persuade Harry to trade places with two, after you're through with them of course.' The dark head laughed maliciously, and his own father followed suit, giving Draco prickles of fear at the back of his neck.

Draco couldn't believe he was being so concerned about those two Weasels - after all, he hated them. So why didn't he want them to get kidnapped? The thoughts were confusing, and he wished (secretly, of course) that Lord Voldemort hadn't been revived before the summer holidays. He also wished that his father wasn't a Deatheater, and he hoped he'd never have to be. He'd met Lord Voldemort before, apparently, when he was a small baby, just before Harry destroyed Voldemort. Though Draco absolutely hated to admit it, he was thankful to Harry, for getting rid of this monster of a wizard.

But now he had come back again, for another long reign of terror, and it made Draco feel very sick and queasy inside. When he thought about it all, he just wanted to throw up because he was so afraid.

Damn it, why did he have to be so soft? Especially to Harry Potter, his rival, and his stupid little friends. Damn them! They were screwing up his life! Though he had never intended to be a Deatheater, and would run away before he was forced to be one, they weren't helping at all. He made up his mind - despite how much he loathed and despised them, he was going to help those two Weasels, and he might even be able to escape with them. No one deserved the stuff he knew his father was going to do to them - some of it had been done to him before, when he was being disobedient. Draco knew he may seem sour on the outside, and actually really was a lot of the time, but right deep down he was a very soft, pathetic person, and he hated himself for it.

"Thank you, McNair, I'm very grateful for your help," his father said, an indication for the head of McNair to leave.

"You're welcome, Lucius. Now that our Lord's back, I feel like my old self again. Well, bye then!" In a 'bamf' of smoke, the head disappeared.

Draco started when his father turned to him and spoke, "well, Draco, son - I'm sure you'll be helping me in my bid to bring down Arthur Weasley, will you not?" Draco nodded obediently and silently. If he had said no he'd surely have got a belt beating for it. He shuddered. Those were the worst kind of all. He noted the horrible scars on his back he'd never shown anyone before, not even Crabbe and Goyle.

Little did Draco know that the two teens had already been kidnapped, and were being held captive in his very own basement.

***

**Ron's Pov**

Once again Ron awoke with his head sore and pounding. He sat up slowly, rubbing his temples and screwing his eyes up tight against the throbbing in his brain. He felt Ginny sit up beside him. The room was still as dark and smelly and ever, and Ron hated to admit it, but he was starting to really need to go to the bathroom. He tried his best to ignore it, and his growling stomach. Ginny's tummy also let out a little gurgle to signal that she was hungry.

Ron decided to try and stand up, and groaned against the agonising protest of his cramped muscles. Ginny followed suit, also making little noises against her body.

Ron's heart leapt into his throat when he heard footsteps coming down the steps. What were they in store for now? He gulped when he remembered what Lucius Malfoy had said about it not being very fun for them. Surely his hatred for Ron's family couldn't be that strong, could it? Strong enough to...kill them? Ron gulped down his fears and turned back to the outline of a man's shadow now standing in the doorway.

"Hello there," came Lucius Malfoy's voice, sneeringly. "Despite my attempts to make you as uncomfortable as possible, I have to say I don't want a mess all over my floor. And besides, without food you won't last very long, which wouldn't suit my plans very well. So my son and I will escort you to our bathrooms, and fetch you some food after you're finished."

Lucius stepped aside from the doorframe, to reveal a thin, shorter figure standing nervously behind him. Ron felt a cold stab of anger - it was Draco, his schoolmate, or rather, enemy. Luscious came up to their bars, and undid the lock with his wand. Ron stepped cautiously out, aware of every move he made, and Ginny followed, her hand clinging onto his. What if it was a trick? Kept running through Ron's mind.

***

**Draco's Pov**

Draco was utterly surprised when his father asked him to help escort the prisoners to the bathroom, and fetch them some food. He was also disappointed that he hadn't known in time to warn them.

He twisted his hands together nervously as they headed down towards the family basement, where he would find the friends of his rival, only his age. He imagined if he was in this situation he'd be as scared as anything, but considering they were in the dumb Gryffindor house, known for being brave, he figured they probably weren't as frightened as he'd be. What would they think of him and his family, kidnapping them like this? He could only guess. Oh, what did he care? He was a Malfoy, why should he care about stupid little poor Weasleys? He sighed. He shouldn't, but somehow he did.

He gasped when his father opened the door to his dark, dank basement, because of how Ron and his sister Ginny looked. They were dirty; covered in dust; they had blood on the back of their heads, and their clothes were torn in placed and very filthy. He wondered how they could look so bad in such a short period of time. But his attention soon turned to how scared they looked; scared of being there, scared of his own father. With a sickening feeling Malfoy remembered what it was like to be afraid of his father, and pitied them.

His father spoke to them, letting them out of their cage-like prison, and standing behind them as they walked towards Draco. Draco's stomach jolted when he saw that his own father had his hand on Ginny Weasley's backside, and he wanted more than anything to push his father away from her. She let out a small noise, but made not attempt to run, instead holding her head high while his father chuckled- Ron hadn't noticed, being in front.

As Ron approached him, Draco obeyed his instructions and turned to lead the way to the downstairs bathroom. Up the staircase they walked, and down the long, rich-looking, arching hallway. He could feel Ron burn a whole in his back with his stare, and felt very uneasy as they reached their destination.

"Through there," Draco stammered, still not really believing this situation was actually taking place. Why did he feel so nervous, when they were his captives? It didn't make any sense. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Ron headed through the doorway, while Ginny stayed behind, waiting her turn. Draco's father still hadn't moved his hand, and Draco was getting dangerously close to slapping it off there himself. He shook his head - she was a filthy little weasel, why should he want to help her, especially against his father? No, that was right - she deserved what she got for being such a muggle-lover. Ron came out, looking a lot better after having obviously just washed his face and hair.

After Ginny had had her turn, coming out with her hair dripping, they headed back to the cells. Draco noticed that Ginny had made all her attempts to go first, ahead of Ron, and was avoiding his father's eyes. Draco was ordered to walk in front of her by his father, and he felt even more nervous ahead of her than he had Ron.

Ginny and Ron obediently walked into their own cage, as if they were trained animals at a zoo, and sat down.

"Go get them some food from the kitchens, Draco," his father ordered, pointing lazily in the direction of the kitchens. Draco did as he was told, and brought back some sandwiches he had told a houself of theirs to make quickly. He also brought some old orange juice that he had always hated, pouring it into to cups and taking it to them.

When he came back, the looks he saw on Ron's and Ginny's faces gave him a shock. His father was right beside their cage, talking to them so low in underbreath Draco couldn't hear what he was saying, and their faces had gone pale white and scared-looking. He edged closer still - his father didn't seem to have noticed he was back - and caught a few whispers of what he was saying.

"-And then, I might get my old trusty belt out. It all depends on whether you behave yourselves or not, no trying to escape, understand? Well, the punishments won't stop, but they'd probably be a lot less severe." His father laughed a cold, cruel laugh that Draco hated more than anything, and stood back slightly from their cage.

Draco stood forward, indicating that he was there and handing Ron and Ginny the plates of sandwiches and cups of orange juice that had been made for them. The glare he received from Ron was furious, but Ginny's eyes were glossy and he could tell she was close to tears.

"Come on, Draco, let's leave them to eat in peace - they'll be needing their strength." He laughed again and motioned for Draco to follow him up the stairs. Oh well, Draco thought, now that I know where they are, I'll be able to sneak down and see them easy. He smiled to himself despite everything - a glimmer of hope was shining in the darkness again.