Author's Notes: In this chapter, Harry and Draco are going to enter each other's minds and find out a lot about each other. In particular, they'll find out that Harry's a very angry boy who never plays by the rules... (Warning: Some fairly mild non-consensual stuff.)

The soundtrack suggestion for Draco's memories in this chapter is: Winter by Tori Amos.

Many thanks to darkend-angelz-wingz for beta-ing. :-)

oOoOoOo

The Bodyguard

Chapter 14: Inside Draco

"The Order's going to kill me," said Draco dully as Ron closed the bedroom door. The wild look of fury on his face had faded as the trio had dragged him up the stairs, only to be replaced by a look of dread. When they released Draco's arms, he sank down miserably onto Harry's bed. Harry plonked himself down next to him and Ron and Hermione threw themselves on Ron's bed.

"They're not going to kill you," said Harry impatiently. "But for crying out loud, Draco, don't go berserk like that again. Next time they might shoot you down before I can do anything."

"Are you ordering me to put up with the Weasley twins?" asked Draco, looking up malevolently, his grey eyes now narrow and vicious.

"No!" Harry snarled. He took a deep, pained breath, feeling the awful chill in his boxer shorts. "No," he said more quietly this time. "The twins were being foul. But use your common sense next time and get us to help you, instead of tackling them by yourself." It was hard for Harry to talk. Stifling a gasp of pain, he hunched over, fighting the urge to get up and tear his clothes off to rid himself of the painful, embarrassing Gelovestis spell. He could see Draco was rocking and nearly doubled over with pain from the three Gelovestis spells the Weasley twins had inflicted on him.

"Weasley!" Draco called out, in a voice raspy with pain. "Did your brothers ever test their inventions on you?

Ron looked at Draco as if wondering whether to be civil or not. At last he said, "All the time, Malfoy."

"How did you like that?"

"It was fun," said Ron grimly. "For them..."

"I hate those twins," Draco muttered. "HATE them." He was shaking with humiliation and cold.

Ron frowned. "So do I, most of the time," he admitted.

At that moment, Harry was uncomfortable enough to be in silent agreement with Draco and Ron. He was staring hard at the floor, when something large and white crossed into his field of view and he looked up. Hermione stood over him, holding out Ron's pillow.

"Here," she said. "I put a heating spell on it."

Harry took the pillow and his fingers sank into the delicious warmth of it. "Brilliant Hermione, thanks," he said. He pushed it at Draco, who took it with a small whimper of thanks and hugged it into his crotch with all his strength, groaning with relief and humiliation.

"I don't think I'll be wanting that pillow back now, Draco," said Ron, with the ghost of a sympathetic smile. He lay down on his bed, put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.

Draco didn't even look up at Ron's use of his first name. He hunched miserably over the pillow, his head bowed and his white-blond hair hanging down over his face.

Hermione said nothing, but picked up Harry's pillow and tapped it with her wand. "One for you, Harry," she said with a smile.

Harry took the pill and hugged it tightly. "Thanks, Hermione. You're a genius," he said as the heat spread and he felt the Gelovestis spell dying away.

Hermione sat down on Ron's bed, looking a little pink from Harry's flattery, and beamed when Ron sat up, and put his arms around her and they both lay back down and snuggled together. Ron sighed and kissed her cheek, "Better make the most of this while we can, love. We're sleeping in separate beds tonight. With Fred and George staying here, our last chance at snagging the attic room has gone."

"Your Mum wouldn't have given us the attic room anyway, Ron," said Hermione. She imitated Mrs Weasley's voice, "You're not married, it just wouldn't be proper. Hermione can take the downstairs bed and Ron can sleep in Harry's room."

"She still thinks we're children. I wish Mum wasn't here-"

"I wish mine was," Draco was still hunched over his pillow and his face could not be seen, but his voice cut coldly across Ron's. "My Aunt Bellatrix murdered my mother last week. Ron, you should be grateful that you've still got a mother to worry about you."

Ron looked shaken and it took him a while before he could speak. "I'm sorry, Draco. I shouldn't have said that," he said at last.

Draco peered thoughtfully at Ron through curtains of white-blond hair. "'S all right," he hissed. He cleared his throat and made an obvious effort to change the subject. "How long have you and Hermione been going out, Ron?"

"Quite a while now," said Ron, cuddling Hermione closer.

Harry became aware of Draco's grey eyes staring at him through that white-blond hair, and he answered Draco's unspoken question. "I'm happy for them."

The grey eyes blinked, then turned back towards Ron and Hermione. "So what's so good about the attic room?" asked Draco conversationally. He was still hunched over Ron's pillow but he was no longer rocking with pain.

Ron gave Hermione a squeeze. "It's got the biggest bed in this whole place. AND there's even a little bathroom. AND it's private," he said.

"AND it's taken already by someone else in the Order," said Hermione frustratedly, as she squeezed Ron back.

"At least you've both got someone to be with, even if you can't be with each other all the time," said Harry sadly. He wasn't jealous, but he still felt very lonely sitting there watching his two best friends hugging each other, while he sat alone.

Well, alone apart from Draco ... but that didn't count. Did it? He sneaked a glance at the hunched over boy and felt a pang of sympathy. What a day Draco was having!

"There's nothing stopping you from getting back with Ginny," Ron said, glancing at Harry over Hermione's shoulder.

Harry felt Draco's eyes on him. "Yes, there is," he said. "Ginny's going out with Dean again." He was certain that the Slytherin's face twitched under that soft curtain of hair. "Do you want my pillow, Draco?" he asked. "I'm warm now."

"Thanks, Harry," drawled Draco, taking the pillow and sitting down on it. He straightened up, pushed his hands through his blond hair and it smoothed sleekly back against his head, as though his hands had Transfigured into combs. Grooming Charm, Harry thought and wondered at how Draco could manage to look dignified and haughty even while wearing Muggle clothes and sitting on a pillow that was reheating his arse.

"Hermione, we should get our own flat for privacy, like Fred and George," said Ron. He added bitterly, "I bet they're usually up there in their flat after work with a million girls. Shagging away like..." His voice trailed off. "Big ... shaggy ... things." He frowned and looked very undignified indeed, Harry thought, but Hermione kissed his cheek and chuckled as though she thought he was adorable.

"It won't be safe for us to move in together until V-Voldemort is gone," she said.

Draco flinched at the sound of the name. But Ron didn't flinch because he wasn't listening. He stared jealously at the ceiling. "Up there in their flat, shagging away. Lucky bastards. Shaggity, shag, shag."

Draco threw the pillow on his lap aside. "I'm going to get those twins back for those Gelovestis spells," he announced.

"Really? What about the Vow?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes.

Draco smirked. "The Vow can't get me if you all help. That's what you said, Harry."

Hermione and Harry groaned, but Ron piped up curiously, "What do you have in mind?"

Draco's smirk broadened and became a wicked grin. "You really think the twins are shagging, Ron? I don't think they are and I intend to prove it." He looked business-like as well as mischievous and snapped his fingers. "Virginity detector line. Around the stairwell. First thing tomorrow morning."

"Brilliant!" Ron hooted with delight.

Harry laughed a bit too nervously.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You boys. Fred and George may not turn out to be virgins."

"No harm in finding out for sure, Hermione," said Ron. "They've always told me there's no point in ME doing anything at all because they've already done it before me and better. First it was flying on a broomstick, then joining the Quidditch team. The only thing I've managed to do that they haven't is become a Prefect, and they teased the hell out of me for that. If I've managed to get shagging before them, I'll never let them forget it." He rubbed his hands together at the prospect.

"'Get shagging?' Is that what you call it, Ronald Weasley? You're so romantic," snarled Hermione, disentangling herself from her boyfriend. She sat up and folded her arms.

Ron looked shocked at himself. "H-Hermione, dear. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it to come out like that," he said, in a nervous, placating tone.

Harry thought Ron sounded like Mr Weasley talking to Mrs Weasley after one of their rows, and he looked away so Ron and Hermione wouldn't see him smile. He saw Draco was already watching him. Their eyes met. Draco grinned back.

Hermione sat stiffly as Ron stroked her back, but before long she began to smile and melted back into his arms.

"Are you sure you can draw a virginity detector line, Draco?" Ron asked as soon as Hermione was relaxed. She rolled her eyes again but said nothing. Ron was massaging her back.

"I'm sure I can," Draco said proudly. "I'm a powerful wizard for my age."

"I've noticed," said Hermione, gazing at him thoughtfully, as Ron gave her a squeeze. "I'm pretty sure I saw you using Occlumency tonight."

Draco nodded and grimaced. "I did. Nearly all the time I was downstairs. I thought it was wise, considering I was in a room full of people who hated me."

"Occlumency is very difficult magic. Most people can't manage it at all, let alone do it silently," said Hermione, not looking at Harry, but Harry flushed anyway. How many Occlumency lessons with Snape had he had and not learned a thing?

Draco seemed to draw comfort from Hermione's flattery. "It's extremely difficult to use Occlumency and Legilimency silently," he boasted without shame. "But I'm brilliant at both of them. Severus Snape is one of the best Occlumens in the world, but I was able to keep him out of my mind and I even saw a few of HIS memories."

"Can you teach us Occlumency and Legilimency?" Hermione asked, her eyes bright at the thought of learning something new.

"If you're not dunderheads," said Draco, with an amused smirk and a silky tone reminiscent of Snape. He became serious. "I promised to teach Harry when he was still in the Death Eater cell. He's rubbish at Occlumency, Hermione. Absolute rubbish. Which is how Amycus caught him. He could tell what spells Harry was about to cast and block them."

Harry frowned. He had a strong urge to defend himself, even though, at some level, he knew Draco was right.

"So teach Harry now," said Hermione bossily. "We'll watch."

"Hermione, I don't think that's a good idea-" began Harry. He remembered how horrifying and invasive Occlumency lessons had been with Snape.

"Fine, Hermione," said Draco. He gave the tiniest flick of his wand.

Harry didn't have any time to prepare his mind or grab his wand before the bedroom blurred and faded as Draco's silent Legilimens spell struck him. Memories flickered before Harry at breakneck speed.

He was watching Ron and Hermione playing chess and Hermione was cross because she was losing badly ... He was sitting in the Slytherin common room in second year, disguised with Polyjuice as Goyle and Draco was in front of him doing an impression of Colin Creevy, "Potter, can I have your picture Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?" ... He was standing before Ginny Weasley in the Quidditch changing room. She was saying, "Malfoy's gone off sick too!" and he wheeled around to stare at her, shouting with a passion, "What? He's ill? What's wrong with him?" ... He was lying awake in bed, wondering what Draco was up to in the Room of Requirement ... He was standing paralysed and invisible on the Astronomy Tower with a terrified and remorseful Draco by his side, as Snape pointed his wand at Albus Dumbledore and shouted: "Avada Kedavra!"

"No!" Harry heard the real Draco yell.

The bedroom came back into focus. Draco was now kneeling on the bed in front of Harry, panting for breath, his eyes wide in terror. "I didn't want to see that again," he gasped.

"Neither did I!" said Harry furiously. He looked away, clenching his fists and trying to catch his breath. He was torn between embarrassment at how easy his mind was to plunder and the almost uncontrollable urge to strangle Draco to death right there and then for daring to view his private thoughts without permission and not even giving him a warning or chance to fight back.

"What did you see?" said Hermione, her voice full of concern and curiosity. Ron's mouth had dropped open and he was staring at Harry and Draco.

Draco's eyes became cool and unperturbed, "I saw that Ron's a better chess player than you, Hermione," he said and this news made Hermione frown.

"Sorry, I know that was a personal question."

"Harry, you should have seen yourself," said Ron. "Your eyes were flicking around in your head. You looked like you were dreaming."

"Legilimens IS like dreaming," said Harry. "FORCED dreaming so that someone else can watch." He glared daggers at Draco.

"You're supposed to force me OUT of your mind, Harry," said Draco. Then he smirked mockingly. "How many times did you disguise yourself with Polyjuice potion and come into the Slytherin common room to talk to me? Or was it just the once?"

"You saw that?" said Ron in amazement. He looked alarmed, as if wondering what other incriminating memories about him Draco would dredge up.

"Just the once," Harry answered through gritted teeth. "I didn't want you to see that." If Draco smirks again, he thought, I'll punch him.

But Draco looked serious. "If you don't want me to see anything, Harry, then you've got incentive to keep me out of your mind. You HAVE to keep me out. If I can get in, so can the Dark Lord." He took a deep breath; his pale eyes narrowed challengingly and his voice grew silky. "I knew you were bad at Occlumency, Harry, but I didn't realise you were quite this ... vulnerable."

Harry clenched his fists. "I'm not vulnerable." He saw Draco glance at Hermione to back him up and she shook her head apologetically at Harry. Harry felt a stab of fury at both of them.

"You ARE vulnerable, Harry," said Draco, turning back around to face him. "I'll let you prepare this time, and that doesn't happen in real life so I'm making this really easy for you. I'm spoiling you rotten! Empty your mind of thought and emotion and try saying 'Occlumens' aloud this time."

Angrily, Harry took out his wand. He tried to empty his mind, but all he could think of was what was Draco was about to do to him and how furious it made him feel. "Occlumens!" he said.

Draco's wand gave the tiniest flick and immediately Harry could feel him trying to break into his mind. Though he tried to keep Draco out, so many emotions boiled up that Harry felt his defences melting away. Those grey eyes entered him, plundered him without mercy and once again, the bedroom disappeared...

He was five and locked in the cupboard under the stairs, crying and starving hungry. The Dursleys had not fed him in two days because he was being punished for sneaking Dudley's new red bike out of the garage and taking it for a ride ... Quirrell was lifting the last of his turban off the back of his head, revealing the chalk-white face and burning red eyes of Voldemort ... He had just won the Quidditch Cup! He was soaring over the Quidditch oval with the snitch struggling in his hand, and he was happy enough to burst ... He was in the Gryffindor common room, looking down at Dobby, who was wearing a tea cosy hat. The elf was squeaking angrily, "Draco Malfoy is a bad boy!" ... He was looking at the black inside of the Sorting Hat, which was telling him, "I stand by what I said before. You would have done well in Slytherin" ... He was lying paralysed on the floor of a carriage in the Hogwart's Express. Draco was looming over him. A foot stomped down hard on his face and he felt his nose break...

"ARRRGH!"

The bedroom reappeared. Panting, Harry saw that Draco had both his hands clutched to his face and he was moaning with pain. Blood dripped from between his fingers and onto the t-shirt of Harry's that he was wearing.

"You punched him in the face, Harry," said Ron. He wore a look of bemusement. Hermione on the other hand looked horrified.

Harry looked down at his fist in amazement. He wasn't consciously aware that he'd punched Draco, but clearly he had.

Draco's eyes were narrowed, pained, furious slits above his hands. "Yor supposst to ooose yor MIND to dop me! Nod HID me! Yooo broke my node!" he spluttered through the blood.

"Sorry, Draco," said Harry, though part of him was glad, remembering the way Draco's foot had stomped down on his face. He felt violated and simmering with anger. "Move your hands away from your face and I'll fix your nose."

Draco looked doubtful, but lowered his hands. His face was a mess. "Episkey!" said Harry. Draco's hands went back up to his nose and felt it carefully.

"You fixed it," he said, as if he couldn't quite believe it. Though his nose was healed, his face was still covered in blood.

"Let me clean you up, Draco," said Hermione, standing up and walking over. "Tergeo!" she said.

The blood disappeared from Draco's face and hands. "Thanks, Hermione!" he said. "My nose isn't shaped like a daisy now is it?"

Hermione sat back down next to Ron, looking puzzled. "A daisy? No, it looks normal. Why a daisy?"

Draco looked at Harry through narrowed eyes. "Let's just say I've experienced Harry's healing spells before."

Harry frowned at the memory of his botched bruise cure. "Any chance of a thank you for fixing your nose, Draco?" he asked sourly.

Draco rounded on him in fury. "A thank you? Thank you SO much, Potter," Harry noted the use of his last name. "For fixing my nose which you BROKE when you ATTACKED me when I was trying to TEACH you!"

"You were looking my private memories. And YOU broke MY nose on the Hogwart's Express, Malfoy!" shouted Harry.

"Well, you and your friends turned me into a SLUG on the Hogwart's Express, and left me for my MOTHER to find!"

Ron watched them bicker and glanced at Hermione. "Feel the love!" he chortled. But Hermione didn't look amused.

"Shut up!" she shouted in a sudden temper. "Shut up the pair of you!"

Harry and Draco fell silent, panting and glaring at each other, as if daring the other to make the next move.

There was a long, long pause. Then Draco spoke up. "Did your family really starve you when you were five?"

Maybe it wasn't a taunt, maybe it was a real question, but in Harry's current mood, it was too much. He stared into Draco's eyes. "Legilimens!" he roared.

He had meant to catch Draco by surprise and subject him to some of his own medicine, but to his amazement, Draco was ready for him. He tried to penetrate those cold, unperturbed grey eyes and into the mind behind them, but it was like scratching against a solid wall of grey ice.

"I told you I was good, Potter," said Draco lazily. "You'll have to do better than that!" He smirked.

It was the smirk that was the last straw. Rather than struggle directly with Draco's powerful Occlumency, Harry reached out and snatched Draco's wand out of his hand.

Draco gasped in shock, "That's not how you're supposed-" he began, and tried to grab his wand back. But his eyes had become soft and vulnerable the moment the wand left his grip and Harry pressed his advantage without mercy. With savage triumph, he plunged inside Draco's mind.

A white-blond, cherubic five-year-old boy sat among mountains of splendidly wrapped presents, under a Christmas tree that looked like a dream, watched lovingly by his beautiful mother, and his handsome father. He unwrapped a miniature racing broom and squealed with delight, running to embrace his parents ... It was night and a small, pale six-year-old boy lay snuggled between his parents in an immense, carved antique bed, in a lovely bedroom hung with ancient tapestries. Father was reading him a bedtime story about a winged horse to make him sleepy, but Mother was the one drifting off to sleep ... A little boy ran through the snow in front of a magnificent English country mansion, surrounded by beautiful gardens, a gleaming, iced-over lake, snowy fields and hedgerows. His beaming mother lifted him up in her arms so that he could pat the velvet grey nose of a white, winged horse. A whole herd of them pressed up, with tossing heads and flexing wings, waiting for their turn to be patted. Their glossy white feathers sparkled in the winter sun ... A nine-year-old boy, his white-blond hair slicked back, ducked under a bludger and snatched the snitch from midair. He had won the Wiltshire Quidditch Cup for his under-11s team! Everyone in the stands were applauding him, but his eyes fell on two pale heads, Mother and Father, both up on their feet and cheering rapturously...

Harry was in heaven. He was experiencing Draco's memories so personally, so intimately, that they felt like his own. For the first time in his life, he felt like a cherished child in a loving family. At the back of his mind he knew that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were bad. He knew Lucius had given Ginny Weasley the diary Horcrux that had nearly killed her, and he knew that the Malfoys had tormented Dobby the house elf. But he saw none of that side of them in Draco's memories. They had loved their little boy utterly. Completely. They had been willing to kill for him. Willing to die for him.

Inside Draco, Harry tasted what it was like to be loved unconditionally, and it was intoxicating. It was addictive. He HAD to have more. Somewhere inside him, his conscience nagged and he was aware of holding a struggling body down on the bed, but he was no more able to stop himself than a shark in a feeding frenzy. He feasted on Draco's mind through his eyes...

But the memories were changing. Draco was getting older and new people were entering his life.

In a carriage in the Hogwart's Express, an eleven-year-old boy with messy black hair, startling green eyes behind round glasses, and the composure of someone much older stared down coolly at a white-blond boy's proffered hand of friendship. "I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." ... A frowning boy was eating breakfast at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall with Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, "I don't care what Potter's done, Zabini," the blond boy said. "I've never met a ruder little brat in my life. I'll get him back, I swear!" ... The youngest Gryffindor Seeker in a century soared over the Quidditch pitch, while a small First Year Slytherin boy stood in the stands, watching him and burning with jealousy ... That same small Slytherin boy, a year later, flew down through the gathering twilight to land on the Quidditch pitch next to Marcus Flint. "Congratulations, Draco. You were the best by far in your Seeker trial. You're on the team," Flint said, with a greedy look of trollish pleasure on his face. "Fly like that during the matches and the Quidditch Cup is Slytherin's!" ... Weeks later, the newest Slytherin Seeker stood mortified in front of his team and a crowd of laughing onlookers, including Fred and George Weasley, as Flint yelled at him, "The snitch was right on top of your head and you didn't notice, Malfoy! You were supposed to be paying attention to the game, not flirting with Harry Potter!" ... "AAARGH!" A lightning bolt scarred Fifth Year Gryffindor fell spectacularly and skidded face down for six feet after another Fifth Year's trip jinx caught him by the ankles ... The Gryffindor trio sat cosily together at a table doing homework in the library. As they chatted quietly, wistful grey eyes watched them through a gap in the shelves ... A pale, gorgeous teenage boy stood against the wall of an empty classroom, pressing soft kisses down the side of Cho Chang's throat. Cho was moaning in wanton abandon and she raised her chin so that the boy could caress every part of her neck. "Did Harry touch you like this?" the boy whispered between kisses, his hands running all over Cho's body. "Was he as good as me? How does he like to be touched?"

"You bastard!" shouted Harry and the bedroom came back into focus. Draco was pinned down beneath him looking terrified but Harry was too angry to care. "You snogged Cho Chang! You snogged my ex-girlfriend and you asked her what I liked in bed!"

Hermione and Ron were staring open mouthed at them.

"I bet Rita Skeeter would KILL to be able to do Legilimency," said Ron.

oOoOoOo

Author's Notes: It's review-begging time again! Please, please review! I love your feedback!

Regarding the Malfoy family: I know some people subscribe to the idea that Draco was abused and neglected by his parents, but I don't buy that for one second. Draco openly boasts about bullying his father into buying him a racing broom in the first book, and receives daily deliveries of sweets from his doting mother. He's obviously loved and spoiled rotten.

Replies to Reviews:

I had 24 reviews to answer this time! Thank you everyone. ;-) Adrienne Elly: Thanks! More to come as I write it... ;-) GreenEyedCatDragon: Thanks! Ron may just turn out to be more mature in other ways. ;-) lisa: Thanks! I'm trying to make chapters longer now. Jessie237: Thanks! I'll update soon. drippy123: Heh, if replies to reviews were illegal on FF, about half the authors would be busted! I checked the guidelines and there's nothing in there about replies to reviews. (FF wouldn't like it if I posted ONLY author notes and replies rather than story, but that's not how I post.) I figure it's only polite to answer reviewers - they've gone to the trouble of reviewing so I owe them note, especially if they've asked me a question. I put replies in italics so that it's clear where the story ends, and the replies are not longer than the stories themselves. NinjaoftheDarkness: You're a ninja? I'll back away carefully! ;-) emeraud.silver: Moody rocks! I wonder how he'll react to the Virginity Line? NinjaoftheDarkness (combined reply): Cute enough for you? ;-) The Earth Mystic: Thanks! Your crystal ball is right, right, right! mimifoxlove: Thanks. ;-) Kit turned Mighty: Thanks! You're a great reviewer! I stand by that:-) You caught the lap part? Cool. ;-) darkend-angelz-wingz (combined reply): I like your new name. Thanks so much for your beta work. You caught so many mistakes and it reads much better now. (Hugs!) HecateDeMort: Thank you. ;-) Yellowwolf: Thanks! Must read your stories! You caught the lap part too! Cool. ;-) ProperT: Ooh, that would have been a good twist to have Draco not wearing underwear. I didn't think of that! Potter's Wifey: Thanks! More Vow info later... Crowley Black: Warm pillows did the trick! There are naughtier ways but Hermione and Ron were watching. ;-) Katharina-B: Good call with Ron. Hermione knows why Draco treated her like he did...it will all come out. ;-) MNP: Thanks! Yes, Draco needs a hug, a big, long, half naked hug in bed. Next chapter. ;-) wizli: Yes, when you put it that way, the twin's attack seems less cruel. And, yes, Draco's hot. So is Harry! And Hermione's an excellent ally. One pair of pyjamas - who will get the top and who will get the bottom? ;-) Celestia: The twins were a bit nasty.