Chapter Three: The Privacy of Your Own Mind

At breakfast, Harry wasn't feeling very well. He felt sick after yesterday, and his breakfast seemed to be doing more harm than help. He took a sip of Pumpkin Juice, wondering if everyone felt like this or if it was just him

-It's not just you. I still feel like shite after yesterday.-

Harry spat out his juice in alarm, spraying orange all over Ron's breakfast. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, and Harry quickly muttered an apology. Hermione raised her eyebrow.

"Harry, are you all right?" she asked, concerned. Harry rubbed his temples fiercely, nodding his head. Hermione didn't look like she believed him.

"I'm fine, Hermione. I just feel a bit peaky," he said. Hermione nodded understandingly.

"Anyone would, having to share thoughts with Draco Malfoy," she replied with a sympathetic pat to his elbow.

-Hey! Anyone in their right mind would want to be paired with me!- Draco exclaimed. Harry sighed. It was going to take all his self-control not to kill Draco Malfoy this year.

-As if you could, Potter.-

"Shut UP!" Harry snapped. Hermione looked offended.

"I was just trying to help, Harry!" she exclaimed, looking hurt. Ron glared at him angrily.

"Yeah, Harry. You don't have to snap at her," he exclaimed, coming to her defense. Harry shook his head.

"No, no, not you. I'm sorry, 'Mione. I meant Malfoy. He's talking in my head," Harry explained. Hermione smiled at him.

"Oh, that's all right."

"Nott hasn't said a word to me," Ron said, thoughtfully. "I'm glad. I'd hate to have an obnoxious Slytherin talking to me constantly. Hermione shrugged.

"Well, I don't mind being connected to Susan. It's nice to talk to someone who isn't constantly talking about boys," Hermione said, referring to her housemates Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

"Well, lucky you," Harry muttered, darkly. "God knows what Malfoy could do." Both his friends nodded in agreement.

"Frankly I can't believe Dumbledore let you two be connected," Hermione said.

-What, you don't trust me?- Draco said. Harry rolled his eyes.

-Of course I don't, you twat. Did you expect me to?-

-Well, no, but I expected you to have enough faith in me that I wouldn't just stand by and watch Voldemort kill you.-

-You are Lucius Malfoy's son. Daddy's little boy. Can you blame me?- There was a long pause before Draco replied, and Harry half-hoped that Draco just wouldn't reply.

-I'm not my father,- he said quietly. Harry was surprised by this answer. He was also surprised by the emotion that suddenly flooded him; anger mostly, but Harry could feel deep sadness as well. Alarmed, he glanced across the hall to the Slytherin table. Sure enough, Draco looked pale and full of emotion.Pansy and the other Slytherins were watching him carefully, but none of them seemed to have the guts to ask him what was wrong.

Without warning, Draco leapt to his feet and dashed out of the Great Hall. Alarmed, Harry stood up as well. "I'll see you guys later," he said, before following Draco.

In the entrance hall, he had no idea where Draco had gone. Searching his mind, he found an image of the hall Draco was running down. It was in the dungeons. Harry dashed down to the dungeons and found the room, an empty classroom. Pushing open the door, he was shocked to see Draco sitting on the floor, back to Harry, and shoulders heaving with silent sobs.

"Malfoy?" Harry said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. His shoulders tensed under Harry's fingers, and he glared up at him, crouched at his side on one knee. Tears were streaking his pale face, but he still looked furious as ever.

"What do you want, Potter?" he spat. He tried to shake Harry off, but Harry's fingers curled tightly around his shoulder, holding him in place.

"Malfoy, what's wrong?" he demanded. Malfoy turned away and didn't answer. Sighing, Harry began to probe his mind, searching for the answer. He found it in a flash of images, all of which contained the same thing: Lucius Malfoy beating his wife.

"My god, Malfoy," Harry breathed.A new wave of tears overcame Draco. Without really thinking, Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's shoulders and hugged him tightly. He expected Draco to pull away, so he was surprised but pleased when Draco turned into him and hugged him back, tightly. Harry just sat there, rocking him slowly, feeling strangely happy at this change.