A/N: Helllllllllloooo peeeoooppllleee. So basically it's evening here in England and I'm writing this A/N in advance for tomorrow. Right now I'm feeling oddly HYYYPPPERRR! Don't ask me why 'cause I don't really know. I've randomly gotten hyper but it sure is fun sorry about that. Anyway please R&R but more importantly ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter sadly. J.K. Rowling does though!

THANK YOU: DM-greyeyes-sexiness-XOXO for reviewing :D (shouldn't you be keeping it a secret you kidnapped Draco? It's all right, I'm sure no-one noticed o.0 shhhh hehe)
THANK YOU: SasoriHimeo5 for reviewing :D (Pansy might have something do with it, she could've been lying….. but maybe for once she was telling the truth! Who knows?)
THANK YOU: memorable1102 for reviewing :D (I love Ron in the books and films but in my story I hate him too, lol.)
THANK YOU: FallenTorment for reviewing :D (you find out about Draco in this chapter, so read on and I hope you like it!)
THANK YOU: Marine76 for putting me on favourite story :) AND for putting me on story alert :)
THANK YOU: MCannon5887 for putting me on favourite story :) AND for putting me on story alert :) AND for reviewing :D (you find out about Draco now, so read on and I hope you like it!)

Seriously guys, thanks like a million tons for your kind reviews and those of you who put me on alerts and favourites and just bothering to read my story all together. Love you all, so enjoy this chapter!...

One Unforgettable Year

Chapter 19: Draco's Weakness

Info you need to know: "Talking". Flashback.

Draco awoke in a cold and rather smelly room. He wanted to gag at the sewer like smell but found he didn't have enough energy. In fact he barely had energy to open his eyes. But he mustered what little strength he could and sat up. He leaned against the cold, stone cobbled wall and took deep breathes. He looked around hoping to see something, anything familiar but he was in an unfamiliar place. Yet he knew where he was.

His head was pounding and his throat felt like it was on fire. His gut felt like someone was sitting on him. All in all Draco pretty much ached and hurt everywhere. He didn't really remember what happened. His memory was blurred and in bits and he wasn't sure if they were in the right order either. He could remember everything from yesterday and days before that but from this morning it was clouded.

He remembered waking up because it had got cold. No, his covers had been thrown off him. He remembered complaining at that and somebody snapping at him. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard and finally he remembered who that somebody was. His father. His father had come and said that he knew of his and Hermione's relationship. Draco's body filled with panic, not for himself but for Hermione. He just prayed that his father was somewhere in this place and not tormenting Hermione.

Draco remembered that his father had dragged him out of Hogwarts and apparated to a place. This place. But he hadn't apparated in this room. No he had apparated outside the place and suddenly the fog in his mind lifted and he remembered everything that had happened when he arrived.

~ Flashback ~

Draco now stood in front of a large castle like building. It was gloomy and the sky was dark and clouded, Draco half expected a lightning bolt to flash down behind the castle or bats to be flying about it. There was large black gate and it opened when Lucious Malfoy dragged Draco forwards. Down the path to the castle there was grass either side and on the grass marble statues of gargoyles. Ugly creatures or Muggles bowing down, or screaming. Draco shuddered at the horrible 'decorations'.

Lucious dragged Draco inside and went down a few long corridors until they stopped outside a large wooden ornate door. Lucious slapped Draco round the back of the head and muttered what a disgrace he was. Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes, knowing it would just land him with another hit. The doors then opened and revealed a cold, dark room with a lit fireplace at the end of the room which provided no cosiness.

The room was practically empty except for near the fireplace was a large and elegant throne. Death Eaters were by the door which had just opened and there were a few more by the throne. Draco wasn't that scared of the Death Eaters. No, what he was most afraid of was the person – or should I say thing? – sat on the throne. Draco quietly gulped as his father pushed him towards the throne. Towards Voldemort.

Voldemort's red beady eyes locked on Draco as he walked down the carpet towards them. He was disappointed in Draco he could have been a great Death Eater. But now he was walking down the carpet towards him, knowing he was about to be punished for his 'wrong doings'.

"Draco Malfoy, welcome." Voldemort greeted when Lucious pushed him down into a kneeling position. Voldemort sighed. "Draco, Draco, Draco, you disappoint me. You could have achieved great things by my side. But instead you go and get involved with a Mudblood? I may as well start calling you a blood traitor, hmm?" Draco didn't say anything, just stared into Voldemort's evil eyes. Moments went by as Voldemort just stared at the boy.

"I can give you another chance, boy. If you get your Dark Mark now then I will simply put this behind us. Of course the Mudblood has to die but you don't if you just finally join me." Draco's eyes raged when Voldemort mentioned killing Hermione. Draco didn't mean to but he hissed.

"I will never follow you. You're not my Lord and you never will be and if you put even one of your filthy fingers on Hermione I swear to Merlin I won't rest until I've killed you." Draco snapped feeling suddenly brave. He inwardly sighed as he realised he had spent too much time with the Gryffindor's. The damn bravery was rubbing off on him. Still right now it was useful so he soaked it up.

Voldemort was clearly not happy with Draco's outburst. He whipped out his wand and pointed it at Draco.

"Crucio!" Voldemort said bitterly and the room was filled with Draco's screams. The pain was excruciating and Draco wanted it to stop. He couldn't tell Voldemort that he would do anything to make him stop because the pain made it so that the only noise that could come out of Draco's mouth was his screams. Tears came to his eyes and threatened to spill but he somehow managed to hold them back.

"This could all stop, Draco! The pain can go away if you do one thing for me." Draco looked up at him and wanted to say 'I'll do it' but the pain increased and Draco once again screamed. "Kill the Mudblood Granger. She's the reason for you pain. If you somehow manage to see the Mudblood again then whenever you see her remember this pain. Remember she was the one who caused it." Draco felt rage fill him and he was now determined to protect and stick up for his girlfriend. He didn't know how and he wasn't going to complain but he managed to find the strength to at least sit up instead of just spasm on the floor.

"I – will – never – let – you – harm – Hermione – I – will – never – hurt – her – if – any – of – her –blood – spills – because – of – you – I – promise- I'll – hunt – you – down – and – kill – you." Draco threatened but he had to stop between each word to take a breath because the curse was still on him and he was rapidly losing his strength and energy.

"I'm impressed you got your words out, Draco. But know this: your too weak. You'll never be able to kill me. You know why? Because of your love for the mudblood. Your love weakens you, distracts you from your goal. She is your weakness." Voldemort said, Draco hissed at him. He only partly agreed, Hermione was definitely his weakness because if anyone ever threatened to harm her to get something out of him then he would do whatever needed doing to ensure her safety. Even give his life for her. If Hermione ever wanted something from Draco then he would barely hesitate to give it to her. But he didn't believe Hermione made him weak, just made him stronger.

Voldemort lifted the cures off Draco and he collapsed to the floor breathing heavily. He was glad that the pain was gone but it hadn't fully subsided, his whole body was numb with the lingering pain and his throat hurt like hell. His whole body hurt. But he was determined to make it out of here alive. To make sure that Hermione was safe. Draco somehow found the strength to actually stand up.

"Hermione may be my weakness, but my love for her doesn't weaken me. It makes me stronger, Hermione makes me want to be a better person. I thrive for it. I know that Hermione has accepted me for whom I am and has forgiven me for the past but every day I wake up determined to prove to her, to myself, to everyone, that I've changed. That over time I will become a person who deservers her. Hermione is what keeps me going when I feel like shit because I know I'll be alright when I see her again. She's what keeps me back from stepping over the line. I love her, so I'm sure as hell not going to let you touch her. Or let you anywhere near her because I swear you'll regret it." Voldemort had been quiet all throughout Draco's speech but when he finished he laughed out loud. At Draco.

Draco felt anger boil in his blood and his fists clenched together and in that moment he wanted nothing more than to strangle the laughter out of Voldemort's throat. But he knew that would just end him up dead and a dead Draco wasn't useful at all to Hermione. So he kept his cool, sort of. Voldemort stopped laughing then nodded to Lucious.

Lucious stepped from behind Draco and wacked him hard around the head with his cane. Draco grunted and fell to the floor and his already aching body was on fire with the pain. Lucious picked Draco up by the ear and backhanded him. Draco's cheek stung and he was pretty sure there was a red mark on his cheek, or a hand print. Draco spat out blood but on his father's robes. Lucious glared at his son, outraged. Draco grinned and that earned him another hard whack from the cane. Once again it was around the head but this time it was hard enough to knock Draco out. Draco fell to the floor as his vision blurred and then nothing. Just darkness.

~End of Flashback~

Draco groaned as he tried to stand up and ended up just collapsing on his knees. He now understood why the Cruciatus curse was one of the Three Unforgiveable Curses. He hadn't been submitted to it long but it sure hurt like hell and apparently it hurt for a while after. He felt sorry as he remembered that Longbottom's parents had been Cruicoed and now they were permanently in St. Mungo's. Draco just felt grateful that he didn't have to go there, that he was still alive. Mostly intact.

Draco sighed as he closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. He wanted to get out of this place, it was cold and smelly. But more importantly Hermione wasn't with him and he wasn't sure if she was even safe.

Draco lost himself in his thoughts; he was inwardly fighting himself, torn in two. This whole dangerous affair had really put things into perspective for Draco. After all there was nothing more efficient than being kidnapped and tortured by an evil dark wizard to make you stop and think if being in danger was worth a relationship.

On one hand Draco now understood his feelings for Hermione and realised he didn't just like Hermione and was attracted to her. No, it was more than that, Draco loved her. He was in love with her. Something which was new to him, sure he had girlfriends before (like Pansy, ugh) but he hadn't really cared for them, he had just been attracted to them. He had never loved someone before and he didn't' want to lose it. Or worse, lose Hermione.

But Voldemort was now after him, after Hermione and if they weren't really careful they could be easily killed by him. The only reason Draco was still alive was because Voldemort hadn't wanted to kill him. Not yet anyway.

Draco sighed, no matter how dangerous their relationship was he didn't want to break it off and lose Hermione. After all, Draco knew Hermione was definitely worth fighting for. Draco started to drift in and out of slumber. His last thought before he succumbed to the darkness that sleep brought with it was of Hermione. So of course Draco slept with a smile on his face.

~ Hogwarts, Prefect Common Room ~

Hermione burst into the prefect common room the second time that morning. Harry, Blaise and Ginny were still there and for what seemed like years for the first time in a month of two were arguing. Gryffindor's against Slytherin. Hermione scowled at this and went to stand by Blaise who was opposite Harry and Ginny. She didn't care that she was a Gryffindor, if she felt that Blaise needed back up then she would give it to him. Slytherin or not.

"What are you arguing about?" Hermione demanded and put her arms on her hips looking scarily like a very angry Mrs Weasley. Harry and Ginny shuddered at the comparison, Blaise didn't know what a scary Mrs Weasley looked like so he just found Hermione to be frightening in her own way.

"Blaise thinks that Draco's with Voldemort and that we have to go get him." Ginny said, glaring at Blaise.

"Hermione please tell him it isn't worth risking our lives to go and get Draco from Voldemort if he isn't even there." Harry added and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"First off, no more arguing. I don't care what it's about but don't get mad at each other. Second of all, Blaise is right and that's exactly where we're going. I just spoke to Ron. He's usually the person that knows what's happened in the castle, usually the bad stuff. He said he saw Lucious Malfoy drag Draco out of the castle and apparate away somewhere. There are only two places Lucious Malfoy would take his son, the Manor or wherever Voldemort is. I think Blaise is right on thinking Voldemort, he knows that's what Draco is more afraid of than his own cruel father. So we're going." Hermione explained, sticking up for her Slytherin best friend against her Gryffindor ones. They didn't blame her or feel hurt. They understood where she was coming from. Didn't mean they liked it though.

"We don't even know where Voldemort is!" Ginny exclaimed, not really wanting to walk right into a trap and get killed. Even for Draco.

"I think I can help with that one." Blaise said softly. Hermione looked at him and he looked apologetic and Hermione knew why. Blaise was sorry that he even know where to look for him in the first place, he wanted to be as clueless as them to show that he wasn't really a bad guy. But then again he was sort of glad he did know because then it would make finding Draco easier.

"How?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at Blaise. Blaise sighed but stared right back at him, not backing down.

"Simple. My father."

A/N: So that's chapter 19, hope you guys like it. Next chapter is the beginning of the rescue! So please review telling me what you thought of this chapter. Much appreciated :)

Until next time - Tilda