Author's Notes: And Draco's vision of his greatest desire continues. But Voldemort is watching...
Again, I'm not sure if this counts as non-consensual as it's a fictional account inside another fictional account. There's nothing real about it, people!
oOoOoOo
The Bodyguard
Chapter 30: Mercy
Potter lifted his head. He blushed crimson when he realised he was naked, half-hard, tied to the bedposts by his wrists and ankles, and unable to stop Draco's feasting eyes.
"Malfoy, what do you think you're doing? Let me go!"
"Not even if you ask me nicely, Potter," said Draco. He was beside himself with joy. At long last, Precious Potter was at his mercy!
But Potter glared at him, his emerald-green eyes fierce and perfectly focused, despite the lack of his dorky, round glasses. He thrashed against his bonds and swore loudly at his captor.
"Language, Potter," said Draco lazily. "I'll have to punish you for that." He stroked a hand, from Potter's perfect knees, to his chest, and was delighted when the Gryffindor trembled and moaned involuntarily at his touch.
For a moment, Potter looked astonished at the vehemence of his own reaction, then Draco saw him trying to hide his embarrassment behind bluster. "Where's Ron? Where's Hermione?" Potter demanded.
The alien voice whispered in Draco's mind.
"Well might you ask, Potter. You missed out on so much by choosing the Weasel and the Mudblood over me. Doesn't matter anymore - they're dead. You're all mine now!"
Potter's eyes widened. "Dead?"
"So it would appear."
"But I was dating Hermione..." Potter looked somewhat taken aback.
"No great loss. She was cheating on you with at least one other boy," said Draco scathingly, remembering the Rita Skeeter article.
Potter seemed to think about this. He didn't look too concerned, with either the news of his friends' deaths or of Hermione's cheating.
Draco stared down at his trapped rival. "Scared, Potter?" he asked, trying to keep the hope out of his voice.
The green eyes looked up, full of contempt. "You wish!" Potter sneered. Then his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Draco had tweaked his nipple.
"You should be scared, Potter," said the Slytherin, smirking. "You just wait! I'll have you begging for my touch-"
Potter's lip curled scornfully. "Never!"
In response, Draco leaned over and licked the nipple he'd just tweaked, feeling it grow erect under his tongue, and hearing Potter's indrawn breath. He sucked the pebbled surface and heard his rival groan indistinctly.
"What was that?" asked Draco, lifting his head.
Potter didn't answer, but merely glared back with furious eyes.
Smirking, and maintaining eye contact Draco lowered his head and licked daintily at the nipple, watching desire flare in his rival's eyes.
"Oh, please..."
Draco rested his chin on Potter's warm chest. "Begging already?" he teased.
"No!" snapped Potter. But he was beginning to look a bit hot and bothered.
"No?" asked Draco. "You mean, not even if I do this?" He turned his attentions to the other nipple, and soon had it as erect as its twin. Potter moaned and writhed under his tongue. "I say!" Draco said, peeking along his rival's body, where Potter's cock was unfurling and swelling. "You LOVE this!"
Potter frowned, and shook his head, despite the growing evidence to the contrary. Fury made his emerald eyes bright. But words seemed to burst out of him, without conscious intent. "Your tongue feels so good, Malfoy!" Potter's eyes widened, and he bit his lip, looking mortified.
Draco smirked. "This will feel better," he promised, looking deep into Potter's eyes, and trailing a hand down his belly, until he reached his belly button. He dipped his index finger inside, watching his rival gasp and twitch, and slid his hand down further, stopping just shy of Potter's now fully erect cock.
"Want my hand to go lower, Potter?"
Potter arched against his bonds, trying to bring Draco's hand into contact.
But Draco held his hand steady and his expression hardened. "Beg me!" he demanded.
The Gryffindor's face was dewy with perspiration, and Draco was delighted to see it was taking all his strength not to beg.
"Not quite ready to beg yet, Potter? You will be. I'll have to work on you a little longer." Draco leaned forward and lavished kissed all over that long, tanned neck. Potter moaned and tipped his head back, giving Draco full access to his throat.
Slowly, tenderly, Draco drove his rival over the edge. He kissed his way up and down Potter's body, trailing kisses along his chest and throat, sucking his earlobes and the place where his neck met his shoulder. But then he stopped and looked Potter in the eye. Their lips were almost touching.
Potter was panting, and it ruffled Draco's hair. As if about to kiss him on the mouth, Draco leaned forward. Potter closed his eyes, and lifted his head to meet him, but then Slytherin drew back, watching his rival's passionately closed eyes and smirking mischievously.
The Gryffindor opened his eyes, and his frustration and anger were clear. "Stop teasing me."
"What's that, Potter? You actually WANT me to kiss you?"
Potter glared, and struggled against his bonds.
"Beg me! Say, Malfoy, please kiss me!" ordered Draco. He heard his rival mutter something indistinct. "What was that, Potter? I didn't quite catch what you said."
Potter's eyes burned. "I said, Malfoy, kiss me!" It was hard to tell whether Potter's flush was anger or desire now.
Draco leaned forward, Potter raised his head for the kiss, eyes open this time, but before their lips touched, Draco drew back again, laughing wickedly.
"No, Potter. You didn't ask me nicely enough."
"Malfoy, please kiss me!"
"Ask me again!"
"Please kiss me, Malfoy!" Humiliation made Potter's cheeks burn.
"What would the Gryffindors say, Potter, if they saw you begging me, of all people, for a kiss?"
Potter's humiliation was complete. For the first time, he was pleading. "I don't care what they'd say, Malfoy! Please kiss me, I beg you!"
Draco took pity on him at last and crushed their lips hungrily together. He ravaged Potter's mouth with his tongue, and Potter kissed him back, moaning with desire. As they kissed, Draco lay down on top of him and rubbed his fully clothed body again Potter's naked one.
He drew his lips away and Potter strained after him, sticking out his tongue. Draco leaned back in and sucked the tongue into his own mouth, and they kissed again.
Then Potter groaned, as the Slytherin kissed back down his naked body. Draco took his time, losing himself in the tastes and scents. He'd never felt more triumphant or turned on.
When he reached Potter's belly, Draco paused and licked his lips. He wanted take him into his mouth, but he could see Potter wanted it too. The green eyes stared at him, desperate and pleading. Draco let his breath caress Potter's cock, and the Gryffindor arched in his bonds, but he couldn't bring himself any closer to Draco's mouth.
Draco allowed himself a smirk. "Tell me you want me," he said.
"I want you, Malfoy," said Potter, and for the first time, there was submission in his eyes, as if desire had nearly broken him.
Draco could have hugged himself with delight.
"Want me to suck you?"
"Oh, yes! Please!" Potter's messy, black hair was damp with sweat.
"Not so fast! First, answer me. How you feel about me? How long have you wanted me?"
"Malfoy, I've wanted you for years," said Potter, desire and horrified embarrassment waging war on his face. "I've wanted to run my fingers through that sleek, blond hair of yours-"
"Nice try, Potter, but I'm not setting you free," said Draco, grinning.
Potter went on, as if he hadn't been interrupted, though Draco could see he was fighting to stop himself talking. "Your skin is like ivory. I want to lick you and kiss you from head to toe. Take your cock deep in my throat and hear you moan with pleasure. Make you come. Sleep at your feet. Wake up beside you-"
"You do. It's the truth," stated Draco, who felt strangely weak and overcome at these revelations. He stared into his rival's eyes, and saw horrified realization fill them.
"You bastard! You've given me Veritaserum, haven't you? That's why I can't shut up!"
Draco nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
"You slimy ... I never would have said what I said just now ... never...!"
"But it's true!" cried Draco. "Every word is true! I OWN you, Potter. I've always owned you! Just for that, I'll give you what you want. But you'll have to tell me I'm better at it than that Mudblood, Granger."
"I haven't done much with Granger, I'm a virgin." The veins on Potter's neck were close to popping, as he tried to keep that revelation to himself.
That sounded far too good to be true, and a bit of doubt crept into Draco's mind. I'm dreaming, he thought. Life could never be that good to me. I KNOW Granger and Potter were together. But he shook his head, dispelling his doubts, and took the whole length of Potter's straining cock into his throat. He sucked hard, stroking the underside with his tongue and watching his rival come undone. He could see Potter's internal battle was over. He was conquered.
"Let me suck you, Malfoy," begged Potter, and Draco was happy to oblige. He pulled off his clothes, watched hungrily by his rival, and knelt, naked, by Potter's head. Potter eagerly accepted Draco's cock into his mouth and sucked on it. Draco pumped his hips into Potter's mouth without mercy, but Potter clearly didn't need mercy. He sucked and licked, and finally swallowed, as Draco emptied himself down Potter's throat. Draco let himself collapse on top of the Gryffindor, embraced him and caught his breath.
"I'm going to shag you now, Potter," he said, when he could breath again.
"Yes, please, Malfoy!" Potter watched with bright, submissive eyes.
"I OWN you, Potter. Completely!"
"Yes, Malfoy. I've always wanted you. Sit down on me and ride me, I beg you!"
"What would Gryffindor think if they could see you now? Begging a Slytherin for a shag?"
"I don't care, Malfoy, I need you! Please!"
Draco couldn't resist any longer. With a quickly whispered lubricant spell, he sat down on Potter's rock-hard cock, moaning with fulfilled desire. He rode him, feeling the whole length inside him, watching Potter's tortured, ecstatic face. He grabbed his own hardening cock and pulled it, overcome with lust.
"This is too good. Ahh! You're killing me, Malfoy. You're driving me crazy. I'm going to come-"
"Wait! Beg me."
"I'm going to come. Please, may I come?"
"No! Ask me again."
Potter was screaming. "Please, please, Malfoy. Let me come!"
"You may come ... now!" ordered Draco, feeling his own cock erupt, as Potter's cock came deep inside him. Panting for breath, he collapsed back down on Potter, embraced him, and stared into his eyes.
"Draco, I'm all yours," said Potter in total submission. "I love you."
THAT was it. THAT was what Draco Malfoy desired most in the world. His power over Harry Potter was complete! Potter was in love with him!
But the forgotten alien presence inside Draco screamed, as though it found love poisonous, and to Draco's utter horror, the vision around him crumbled and faded away. He had one last glimpse at the boy in his arms, eyes full of love, and Potter was gone.
The underground room reappeared. Draco found he was still kneeling at the Dark Lord's feet, but his robes were now sticky. Hot tears of loss were pouring down his cheeks.
The Dark Lord's contemptuous, murderous red eyes glared down at him. It occurred to Draco that he was about to be killed but he didn't know why and he didn't care. The cold hand, with spidery fingers, released his chin, and he fell, and grovelled shamelessly at the Dark Lord's feet
"Please, my Lord! Please bring him back!" He kissed the hem of the Dark Lord's robes, careless of the humiliation or the danger.
"No!" said the cold, high-pitched voice. The Dark wizard used his voice like a whip and his miserable victim flinched beneath him. Draco looked up and saw the wand pointing directly at his forehead. He waited, unafraid, for the Killing Curse. If he couldn't have Potter's love, he didn't want to live.
But, after an endless moment, the Dark Lord appeared to reconsider and lowered his wand. "No, perhaps you can be useful. I have a task for you."
"I will serve you, my Lord. Please-"
"I want you to kill Albus Dumbledore."
The ethics of this task, and whether it was even possible, never even entered Draco's mind, so caught up he was in the possibility of his greatest desire coming true. If the Dark Lord had ordered him to fly to the moon on his broomstick, he would have obeyed without question. "I shall, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord..." All Draco's former determination not to abase himself had gone. He was grovelling on the ground and he didn't care.
"Do not to approach Potter, until your task is done or he will reject you forever. To love you, he must lose everything. With his friends and Dumbledore alive, he doesn't have room enough in his heart for you. Kill his friends. Kill his mentor, Dumbledore. Kill the Order, and he will be yours."
And Draco believed it. He utterly believed it. "No, my Lord. I will not approach him."
"Good. Now receive your Mark."
Without hesitation, Draco lifted himself back onto his knees, pushed his left sleeve down and offered his arm. He was so desperate, he would have offered his arm if the Dark Lord had been about to cut it off.
The Dark Lord seemed to know this. His feral grin had returned. He touched the tip of his wand to Draco's forearm...
...and a bolt of searing agony went through Draco. He'd never even dreamed such pain existed, let alone that he would ever experience it. He saw his skin blistering, blackening and smoking. But his yearning for power over Potter was such, that he kept his arm steady, his screams coming out as strangled gasps.
The Dark Lord took his time, as if he enjoyed Draco's suffering, and he made the Mark large, covering Draco's entire forearm. Eons seemed to pass, and blood dripped from Draco's mouth, where he'd bitten his tongue and not even noticed.
Finally, the Dark Lord lifted his wand. The Dark Mark was emblazoned on his latest Death Eater.
The Slytherin could stay upright no longer, and he tumbled to the ground. Weakly, he looked up. "Thank you, my Lord. I will serve you."
Voldemort laughed contemptuously. "Yes, Draco. You will!"
oOoOoOo
Harry withdrew from the memory. He was sickened beyond words. A thousand emotions were at war within him. He wanted to comfort Draco. He wanted to kill him.
Draco quivered in front of him, waiting for his reaction. Judging from his downcast eyes, Harry thought he was clearly expecting the worst and decided to get the worst over with right away. "So," said he at last. "Your greatest desire is to have total domination over me."
"It was, but it's not now. I'm sorry, Harry. I knew you'd never forgive me if I showed you that memory," Draco's voice was very quiet and dignified, and Harry's heart ached, but he kept going.
"There was so much wrong with that memory I can barely list it all! Who WAS that person on the bed you had tied up? It wasn't me! There's no way I would have shrugged off Ron and Hermione's deaths like that. There's no way you could have seduced me in that situation. I would have fought back the whole time. I never would have submitted!"
Was it Harry's imagination or did Draco's shoulders slump?
But he went on relentlessly. "Since when have my knees looked normal? Since when I could I see without my glasses?" He couldn't go on. He could feel Draco's shame and grief and it made him want to weep. With a fury that was now only feigned, he added, "But you know what the worst mistake you made about me? The absolutely worst mistake?"
Draco didn't seem to realise Harry was pretending. The Slytherin shook his head, not even looking up.
"My cock is MUCH bigger than that!" laughed Harry, with mock indignation.
Startled, Draco looked up, eyes wide, and saw the loving, forgiving smile on his boyfriend's face. Astonishment spread all over his own face, as if forgiveness was the last thing he'd expected.
Harry opened his arms and Draco, after a moment's surprised hesitation, fell into his embrace, with a sound like a sob.
"I'm so sorry, Harry."
"You frustrating, kinky, power-hungry Slytherin. I love you. I nearly lost you," whispered Harry into his boyfriend's soft hair. "Voldemort was THAT close to k-killing you." He couldn't keep the stutter out of his voice.
"Of course Voldemort wanted to kill me! He'd just found out my greatest desire was to shag Harry Potter senseless," said Draco, snuggling closer. "No wonder he gave me that suicide mission! The tiny, outside chance that I'd kill Dumbledore, was the only thing that saved my life."
"I hate Voldemort," muttered Harry, nuzzling his boyfriend's ear.
"Me too. The lies he fed me, Harry! Telling me your heart wasn't big enough to hold Hermione, Ron and I at the same time! That's not how love works! I was in a daze for a few weeks after Voldemort Marked me, but his lies were so obvious that I snapped out of it. Then Voldemort started to control me by threatening to kill my family." Draco shivered. "I want that bastard dead, Harry!"
"Happy to oblige, but I don't think Voldemort was lying to you about love. He genuinely doesn't understand it," said Harry. "He's the most loveless person on the planet. Nobody loves him and he loves nobody."
"Then I almost feel sorry for him ... almost," said Draco. "I wouldn't want to live without you. If only I'd known about Hermione's magic word, when I was still at Hogwarts. I would have approached you and used it!"
"Then Voldemort would have seen it in your head and killed you," Harry reminded him. He thought about the memory he'd just seen. "So how did you know I was a virgin?"
"I didn't. It was my wildest fantasy," said Draco happily. "When it comes to you, real life is better than fantasy." He smirked and there was a spark of mischief in his eyes. "Apart from your cauliflower knees, of course!"
Harry nibbled on his ear in retaliation and Draco laughed. But then he sobered up quickly.
"You forgive me, Harry? Truly?"
Harry smiled and nodded.
Tears rose in Draco's eyes. "You have the most loving, forgiving heart I've ever seen, Harry. I love you so much!"
Harry thought of the Vow and couldn't help but wince, as his heart ached. "You don't love me, it's the Vow."
Draco's eyes blazed. "You frustrating, stupid, noble Gryffindor! If I didn't think you'd hate it and fight back, I'd tie you to the bed and make passionate love to you right now, just to prove how much I really love you."
"Ooh, yes please!" exclaimed Harry.
The Slytherin hadn't expected that. His jaw dropped and worked silently. "But you said you'd fight back all the time and never give in, if I tied you up-"
"That's if you tried it when you were my enemy. But now I love you, Draco. I trust you."
Draco stared at him, almost overcome. "Merlin, I'm so lucky..."
Harry grinned. "Seeing you pleasure me tied-down like that was the hottest thing I've ever seen!" He lay back on the bed and spread his arms and legs, as though tied to non-existent bedposts. "You wouldn't DARE try it for real, Malfoy," he sneered theatrically, and winked.
Draco was too stunned by his own good fortune to reply right away, but he rallied admirably. "Oh, wouldn't I, Potter? Just you wait, I'll Charm some leather straps and..." He raised his wand, and froze. In a voice of dismayed horror, he said: "Harry, this bed doesn't have any bedposts!"
Harry raised his head and peered at the bed. He realised it was little more than a mattress on a shelf. "What we really need," he said conversationally. "Is a four-poster..."
"There MUST to be a spell to Transfigure a normal bed into a four-poster," said Draco, in a voice of desperation.
"I don't know it."
"Neither do I. I've slept in four-posters all my life, so I've never needed to learn."
"They have four-poster beds at Hogwarts," suggested Harry, lowering his head.
"I can just see Eileen Prince's face if we went back there. 'Uh, sorry Harry here threatened your husband. Could you please let us in again? We want to have a tied-up shag on a four-poster bed in one of the dorms.'"
Laughing as well and looking shamefaced, Harry said, "Maybe the Hufflepuff dorm? I haven't seen that yet."
"Not Hufflepuff! Just going into their dorm will bring my intelligence down."
"Just as long as YOU go down on me-" Harry was silenced by Draco play punching his chest. He wrestled back. "We could always go to the Leaky Cauldron. They've got four-poster beds."
"The landlord, Tom, might get suspicious if we hire a room for two hours," said Draco. "How'd you like to see that in the Daily Prophet? 'Shagging Chosen One Hires Room...'" Harry thought he must have looked shocked, because Draco grinned. "No, you were doing quite well just pretending to be tied up, Harry." His tone changed to a theatrical gloat as he pushed Harry's arms and legs back into the mock tied-up position. "Now I've finally got you tied up, Harry Potter. I can do whatever I like to you."
"Oh no! A Slytherin's going to shag me!" The creature in Harry's chest was growling happily.
"That's right, Potter, and you're going to enjoy every minute. I'm going to make you beg for my touch and ... why are you sitting up?"
"I'm taking my glasses off so I look like your fantasy."
"Sexy! But lie down, Potter. You're very active for a tied-up person. Now I'm going to kiss you from head to toe, even though you're squinting a bit and ... why are you sitting up again?"
"I can't see you. I want to see you. I'm putting my glasses back on."
"Lie DOWN, Potter! You're the most domineering, tied-up, submissive person I've ever heard of! Wait ... you're getting up AGAIN?"
"I've still got my clothes on! I'm supposed to be naked!"
"All right! I'll help you take your clothes off. THEN you're at my mercy, Potter!"
"Ooh, Malfoy! You're so masterful" said Harry, and laughed.
oOoOoOo
Afterwards, they lay exhausted in each other's arms. Their clothes were dangling from the bedside tables, and even the mantelpiece, where they'd thrown them in their efforts to get naked as quickly as possible.
"You're hugging me very hard for a tied-up person, Potter," teased Draco, still playing the game, but sounding very sleepy and relaxed now.
"I can't resist you. That was the best shag of my entire life. I love you so much," Harry answered, gently kissing Draco's neck.
"I love you too, Harry," Draco sighed, and Harry remembered the Vow and tensed.
Feeling Harry's reaction, Draco lifted his head and looked him in the eye. "I'll make a deal with you, Harry," he said. "If we ever find proof - absolute proof - that I truly love you, that's the day you're BOTTOMING!"
Harry laughed sadly. "You'll never find absolute proof. My bottom is safe," he said. Then he let out an embarrassing squeak. His boyfriend had just pinched his bottom hard.
"I want to stay here all day, Harry," Draco sighed, snuggling closer.
"Me too."
"But we can't. Hermione's right. We have to find out as much information as possible about Snape, before we see him tonight. I want to go to your house, and speak to your Aunt Petunia. She might know something about Snape that we don't."
"She should be home," said Harry. "My cousin, Dudley, has boxing practice on Saturday mornings, but it's afternoon now." He sighed angrily. "I hate my Muggle family. I thought I'd left them for the last time."
"Sorry, Harry but we have to see them," said Draco, in a business-like tone. He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was nervous. "Harry, I'm scared about tonight. Even if Snape turns out to be on our side, you attacked his step-father, Filch. He's not going to forgive that easily."
"I know," replied Harry. He thought about his reaction to Filch and shuddered. "I seem to have ... a bit of an anger problem ... where Snape and his family is concerned."
Draco snorted. "That's putting it mildly, Harry."
"I've got the same frothing, over the top hatred of Snape, that the Ministry has of Death Eaters," admitted Harry slowly. He remembered what the Ministry had done to Draco in the short time he'd been in their clutches, and his resolve hardened. No, he'd never let himself sink to such depths! He had to stay calm and courteous around his enemies. If only he had the self-control of his lost mentor - though even Dumbledore had lost his temper at Snape at least once. "Will you help me ... stay calm ... around Snape tonight?" Harry asked.
"Use Occlumency," suggested Draco. "We should ALL use it. Let's even use it when we're talking to the Dursleys. It'll be good practice, and Ron needs all the practice he can get, before he sees Snape."
Harry nodded. "Speaking of reading minds, didn't you say you'd seen some of Snape's memories?"
"A couple, but nothing very important," said Draco, with a slight yawn. "Just stuff about his old girlfriend, when he was in Hogwarts."
"Snape had a girlfriend?" said Harry, amazed. He'd always thought of Snape being single all his life. "I bet she was hideously ugly, just like he is!"
"No, she was pretty," said Draco. "I saw her in the memory. She loved him too."
"Incredible!" Harry laughed. "Her name wasn't Petunia, was it?" he joked. "Maybe that's how Snape knew my aunt! She looks like a horse now, but maybe she was prettier when she was younger?"
"I don't know Snape's girlfriend's first name. In the memory, Snape just called her Evans."
Suddenly the joke didn't seem as funny. "Evans was my aunt's maiden name." Harry clapped a hand to his mouth, feeling slightly ill. "Draco! Maybe they really did date!"
"Want to see the memory?" Draco offered.
"Yes, please!" Harry reached for his wand and thought, Legilimens.
It was one of Slughorn's Slug Club parties, from a time when Slughorn still had some of his straw-coloured hair. The Potions teacher smiled amiably, at the skinny, greasy-haired teenage boy who was standing with a beautiful, auburn-haired teenage girl with almond-shaped green eyes, then moved on to the next group, because the girl had just said something very private.
"I said, I love you, Snape," said the girl.
Snape's black eyes were warm, and full of sharp intelligence and humour. They were also almost popping out of his head with amazement. His sallow cheeks flushed. "You love me?" he echoed.
The girl nodded, smiling.
"Will you go out with me, Evans?" asked Snape shyly, his face almost handsome with joy.
"Yes!" Evans leaned forwards and kissed him.
"No!" yelled Harry, and the attic bedroom reappeared. "That was my mother, Draco! Severus Snape was dating my mother!"
oOoOoOo
Author's Notes: When I first heard the 'Snape loved Lily' theory, way back after Book 3, I thought, No way! As you can tell, the books since then have changed my mind. ;-)
It's review begging time again. You've got the whole chapter now! Please, please review!
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Thank you to the following people for reviewing: OriginalSin1132, NinjaoftheDarkness, HecateDeMort, Emu Alive and Kicking, Emma Icewind, rekahneko, Crowley Black, bellajen94, Bad fairy, Yellowwolf, Fred kissed George, GreenEyedCatDragon, Potter's Wifey, black dilemma, 6tigercubs, death by storm, CatWriter, thrnbrooke, ProperT, jinxgirl71, LunaSky, Riku-Rocks, and Moyima.
lonley.hopelessly-romantic: Harry's a natural dominant, but he's willing to play submissive for Draco, though he's not very good at it. (Draco says: Why are you bossing me around, submissive, tied-up person? ;-)
Fmh: This chapter was a bit more disturbing, I hope it didn't put you off, but I had to show how horrible Voldemort was. I swear I'm going to kill them off in the end: Voldemort, Barnes and Umbridge! ;-)
Chrystalline Tears: Thank you for all those reviews. I hope you managed to finish. The Bodyguard is looong. Yes, I made the Aurors look like Death Eaters (good on you for noticing!) because I wanted to show that the Ministry, in fighting the Death Eaters, is growing horribly like them.
Anon: Thanks for your review. I agree with most of your critique. I wasn't sure about Snape's postscripts (or the constant interjections during his letter in Chapter 19). Voldemort, however, had no option but to fight hand to hand in Chapter 21. His wand is useless in a fight against Harry, due to Priori Incantatem. (I suspect that's why Ollivander's disappeared in Book 6. He ran off before he could be forced to built Voldemort a new wand, one that wouldn't cause Priori Incantatem.) I don't think Dumbledore wasn't out of character, because I lifted his rage straight from Goblet of Fire, when he was attacking Crouch Junior and his face was 'terrible.' As Hagrid was amazed at how angry Dumbledore had been with Snape in the forest, I made the Headmaster have another of his 'terrible' moments. You're completely right about Draco drawling all the time, and I've kept it to a minium in the latest chapter. What I really need is a steady beta, to pick those sorts of things up, but I've managed to 'kill' six betas so far... ;-)