Mind Meld

Disclaimer: still not mine. Still all belonging to JKR and those people making money from the characters.


He saw the hallway. Heard the footsteps that went down it. He heard the sound of voices behind doors. He knew he was headed for one specific room. The person he needed to do away with lay in that room.

The hallway passed slowly. Finally he opened a door. Inside, sitting in a chair, relaxing in front of a fire, unaware of any danger sat a small man. He never had time to do more than look up. The curse hit him square on. The man dropped where he sat. Harry tried to scream a warning, one that was never heard.

He gave a maniacal laugh, and went to the desk in the corner. He opened the top drawer, closed it, and then opened it again. The contents had changed and he grabbed a parchment. He went back down the hallway. A door opened and a person stepped through it. Harry wanted to yell at them, tell them not to come out. The jet of green light hit them in the chest before they knew what was happening. He went out the door and down the walkway. At the edge he turned and cast a complex spell. The Dark Mark now hung above the house. As he turned away, his reflection shone in the window. A triumphant look was in his bright red eyes.

********

Harry sat up with a gasp. His scar burned! His heart was racing. He felt the impotent rage and fear. He was soaked in sweat. He wrapped his arms around his legs and started to rock.

‘What the hell was that!?’ The question that rang in his head wasn't angry. It sounded more afraid.

Harry laughed a touch hysterically. ‘You mean to tell me you don't recognize your precious Lord Voldemort?’ He filled the last two words with venom. He felt rather than heard the shock go through Malfoy.

There was silence for a few moments. Harry felt himself slowly stop shaking. He stopped rocking and got up to pace the room.

The next time he heard Malfoy, it was almost timid. ‘Is that....Does he really look like...THAT?’

Harry sighed. ‘Yes.’ He didn't expand on it.

‘How come...I mean, do you…’ he knew Malfoy was at a loss for words and somehow that struck Harry as funny, given Malfoy had been bitching him out for it earlier. He started laughing.

‘What? ’ Harry could hear the indignation in Malfoy’s voice. So he explained. There was suddenly amusement from Malfoy too.

When they calmed down he heard Malfoy ask the question he knew was coming ‘Do you always dream like that? I mean, it was...weird.’

Harry wondered what he should tell Malfoy. He was a Death Eater's son. But somehow he had never seen the Dark Lord. The pieces of all he had learned about Malfoy yesterday didn't seem to be adding up. The definitely didn’t fit with what he already knew about him. Taking a leap, he went ahead and told Malfoy. Not like he would be learning something that Voldemort didn't already know.

‘Only in the past few years. Whenever Voldemort is feeling happy, or angry. Or doing something big.’ He paused. ‘It is the scar. Somehow it connects me and Voldemort. I can see through his eyes. Something like that.’

Harry felt Malfoy's shock. ‘I… I had no idea. How, er how do you deal with it?’

Harry bit back a sob. For the first time someone else knew what it meant. ‘I shake, sweat, shudder, pace the floor, then finally lay in bed until morning.’ he answered Malfoy honestly.

‘I don't know how you could go back to sleep. I would be…Nevermind.’ Harry knew what Malfoy wanted to say. He let it go.

‘Malfoy?’ a thought had occurred to him.

‘Yeah?’

‘Um, this may sound strange but, I think there is something else going on.’ Harry couldn't figure out how to put words to his thought.

‘What do you mean? Besides the fact that we can talk to each other in our minds and feel it when the other gets injured? There is something strange?’ He heard the sarcasm.

Harry snickered. ‘Well, yes. I think, well, I feel what you are feeling. I mean, when I told you, you felt shock. I felt your amusement and, confusion’ Harry drifted off.

‘I think I know what you mean. I knew you were laughing, but I couldn't hear it.’ Harry could tell it was puzzling Malfoy as well.

‘Do you think this … weirdness will wear off by the time school starts again?’ Harry asked.

‘Dunno. Seems to be getting stronger though.’ Malfoy answered. ‘Why?’

Harry smiled. ‘Because, we keep this up and it is going really hard to treat you with the appropriate amount of loathing and disgust.’ He lay down and enjoyed the sound of Malfoy's laughter in his head.

‘Goodnight,’ he said simply. He felt Malfoy fall asleep quickly.

The next few days passed fairly quickly. He and Malfoy talked about a variety of things. Never anything personal. They learned which topics should be left alone. They were quickly becoming adept at reading each other's emotions. They rarely commented on it, except maybe to ask what was so funny. But to Harry, Malfoy's emotions seemed to almost be mixing with his own at times. When Malfoy was angry, Harry found himself getting angry, without knowing what was upsetting him, laughing without knowing why, only that Malfoy was.

The loneliness that Harry felt in his soul seemed to have slipped away without Harry knowing when. But he knew why. Malfoy. As strange as it was, Malfoy was ...comforting. And that thought disturbed him slightly.

It wasn't until he woke from another dream/vision that he gave voice to it. He woke in terror, sweating, gasping for breath. He could feel that Malfoy was awake as well. Instead of just the fear he felt, comforting. He knew that was coming from Malfoy. He could almost swear he could feel Malfoy's hand on his back. He could see it in his mind.

‘He used me before’ Harry said.

‘What?’ Malfoy's voice was confused.

‘Before, with ...Sirius,’ it was the first time Harry had said Sirius' name to Malfoy. It was a forbidden topic. ‘He sent me a vision. Sirius was in trouble. He was being tortured. It was a trap. Voldemort just wanted to get me into the Ministry.’

He could sense that Malfoy was not sure what to say. ‘That was the night...?’

‘Yeah. Like an idiot, I took off. I didn't believe that ...I took Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna and put them in danger. And it was a trap. I got him killed.’ Harry felt the anger building in him.

‘Harry, no. You didn't know.’ Harry gave a start. It was the first time Malfoy had called him Harry. ‘He has made idiots out of a lot of really powerful wizards. Like my father.’ Harry felt curious at that bitter comment, but went on with what he was trying to say.

‘I guess. I just don’t know why. Why do I sort of, well, trust you? How do I know this? You, me, the connection isn't some new torture Voldemort has come up with?’ He felt Malfoy's hurt and recoiled from the strength of it.

‘DRACO! No, I didn't mean it like that,’ he felt it deep within, pain that he had caused Draco hurt. ‘I don't mean talking to you is torture, it is the only thing keeping me sane.’

Harry took a deep breath and plunged ahead. ‘I just mean that, he has used my mind before. How do I know he isn't doing it again? That you are really, you... and frankly, you aren't being an arse and that should be a clue that it is something else, but somehow I know it is you, and I trust you when you have never given me reason to do so in the past and none of this makes sense but it feels right somehow and that bothers me because frankly, nothing ever feels right so why would something as strange and wrong feel this right?’ He knew he was babbling and tried to cut it off.

Slowly he felt the hurt drain from Malfoy...Draco. He gave a sigh of relief.

‘I won't take the Dark Mark.’ The comment took Harry by surprise.

‘What?’ he asked.

‘Why I'm locked up. Why I was beaten. I won't take the Dark Mark. The Dark Lord wants someone inside Hogwarts. Preferably a student, someone that won't be suspect.’ Harry shuddered. No one would suspect students of doing anything. They were after all, just kids.

‘But, I thought you said it was for fighting with me?’ he asked the easiest question first.

‘It was. I drew attention to myself. Gave cause to arouse suspicion if something happens …’

‘To me.’ Harry finished the thought Malfoy was reluctant to.

‘Yeah.’ He felt something that he couldn't identify coming from Malfoy. ‘Draco?’

‘What?’ There it was again, the strange emotion.

‘This complicates things doesn't it?’ he felt Malfoy start laughing.

‘That Potter...Harry, is a bit of an understatement.’ Harry knew he should be afraid that Voldemort was planning on killing him, but somehow he couldn't work up fear. He had been after him for years. It was just part of what he already knew. That Voldemort would kill him however he could.

‘Harry, I don't get it. I just told you that he is plotting to kill you, and you don't have the slightest amount of fear. How can you be so calm?’ Draco was truly confused. Harry could sense that.

‘Bastard has been trying to kill me since first year. Somehow, actually hearing about the plot ahead of time just seems kinda...amusing.’ Harry gave a cold laugh.

‘Besides,’ Harry continued. ‘He won't let someone else do the deed. They can't. Only he can.’

‘What? Have you finally gone round the bend Potter?!’ Harry snickered at the tone in Draco's voice.

Quickly he sobered. ‘Nope, but sometimes, I think it would be nice to just let it go.’

Draco didn't know how to respond to that so just kept quiet.

‘By one's hand the other must die. For neither can live while the other survives.’ Harry quoted the lines to Draco by memory. They were burned in his head. For a moment he panicked, wondering if he should have revealed what only two people knew.

‘What was that?’ Draco asked. Harry lay back down on his bed, staring towards the ceiling. Idly he thought they should probably go back to sleep, but realized Draco would kill him if he didn't explain.

‘Prophecy.’ Quickly he rattled off the whole prophecy to Draco. He had shocked Draco into silence. Harry told Draco about the prophecy, what had happened to him as an infant, the Dursleys, the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the Chamber, and the Ministry. Once he started, the words just poured out of him. He didn't think he could stop.

He glossed over a few details. A lot of details. Okay, so really all he gave Draco was the Cliff Notes version.

He left out Lucius Malfoy's part. He left out some of the details he didn't really want to remember. How Cedric looked, lying dead, the terror he felt, the feel of Crucio being cast, the fact that he used an Unforgivable, watching Sirius fall behind the curtain, being possessed by Voldemort. Those were details he preferred to forget about.

‘That's that whole secret to The-Boy-Who-Lived. I can't die yet. Shit, I could probably jump off the Astronomy Tower and it'll hurt like hell, but I'd live. Either I kill him, or he kills me. Until then, I just wait for his annual attempt, and hope I'll be strong enough to survive this murder attempt." Harry finished the story bitterly. "In between, I hide at my aunt and uncles and hope that they don't succeed where Voldemort fails.’

He felt drained. He had never told anyone so much. Even Ron didn't know so much about growing up with the Dursleys. Or the Prophecy.

‘Damn Harry. I had no idea.’ Draco didn't seem to know what to do with all the information he had learned. ‘Growing up, everyone talked about the wonderful, fantastic, saviour of the world, Harry Potter. Everyone Loved Harry Potter. But Draco Malfoy was the son of a Death Eater. They either hated me, or feared my father. No one cared that I was being beaten. That my parents hated me. All they wanted was an heir. Unfortunately, that meant having a child around. I used to sit in my room, and imagine all the adoration that you had, while I was the hated child of the wizarding world. Then I met you. And I wanted to be friends. In spite of hating you my whole life. And you rejected my friendship.’ The last was said accusingly.

‘You reminded me of Dudley.’ Harry just stated it. He didn't try to explain anything. He knew Draco would understand. Both boys remained quiet. Neither seemed to know what to say from there. Finally Harry turned to his side and pulled the blanket up over him.

‘Good night Draco.’ He said and closed his eyes.

It was silent. He opened his eyes and felt a small amount of panic until he heard Draco. ‘G'night Harry.’ Finally he closed his eyes and slept.

The next morning when Harry woke he realized that he had slept better than he ever remembered before. He heard the door open and hurried to go to the bathroom. He paused on his way back to the room when he saw his aunt's hand flutter slightly. He looked up to see the strange expression in her eyes. It passed quickly. Then he was back in his room, door locked.

‘Why don't you just magic out?’ Draco asked after Harry had eaten.

"Why don't you?" Harry replied.

‘I'm not being starved!’ Draco snapped. ‘Besides, it's better than taking the Mark.’

Harry admitted that Draco had a point. Two actually. ‘I'll get expelled and be stuck here permanently. Already had to go on trial last year for magic use.’ Harry realized he had left out the whole Dementor attack when he told Draco his story. It wasn't part of the prophecy story. He filled Draco in on the story. Also telling him about Dobby and blowing up his aunt. Harry could tell that Draco was laughing when he finished the story about his aunt.

‘Anyhow, if I do any more magic, they WILL kick me out. Besides, my aunt and uncle took my wand,’ Harry finished.

‘WHAT!?!’ Harry winced at the fury in Draco's tone. ‘Harry! Your life is in danger every bloody day and you let those bastards take your wand from you!’

Put like that, he really did sound like an idiot. ‘Draco, I'm being watched!’ He rushed to reassure his ...friend.

‘What do you mean?’ The question was more a snarl.

Harry remembered the incredible number of "cars backfiring" this summer. ‘The Order. They have me watched. I can hear them Apparating and Disapparating.’ He could feel Draco’s relief. It was short lived. Quickly he felt anger building up again.

‘And they are letting you starve!? What kind of protection is that?’ Harry paced the room, knowing that was what Draco was doing.

‘You think you aren't asking the same damn thing I have a dozen times!?’ Harry let the anger go. He knew it was mostly Draco's anger, but it fed his own anger. ‘Every damn wizard claims to 'love' me and yet I sit here. Locked up. Starving. Clueless about what is going on in the war! The War in which I am supposed to be the big "Hero" and yet I am kept ignorant. A bloody war I let happen! They waste guards on me. They waste time on me. Why!? The 'love' me but no one actually helps me. They let me muddle through every damn thing that comes along and only after it is over they tell me 'gee, we thought this might happen' but damned if they will tell me ahead of time so I can be prepared.’

Harry continued to rant, even when he felt Draco's shock and recoil from him. The rant continued from several minutes longer before Harry collapsed on the floor, too tired to continue. Tears filled his eyes, but he wouldn’t allow himself to cry. He sat there shaking from all the repressed tears.

He didn't know how long he sat there shaking before he felt a pair of arms tentatively slipping around him. He lifted his head but didn't see anyone in the room. Somehow, it was coming from Draco.

‘What are you doing?’ There was no hostility in Harry's tone, just puzzlement.

‘What do you mean?’ Draco seemed confused.

‘Your arms, I thought I felt them. I don't anymore but I swear it felt they were around me for a moment.’ Draco seemed shocked.

‘I was wishing I could comfort you. I wished I could do that.’ He answered. He was slightly embarrassed.

‘Oh.’ Harry thought about that for a few moments. Finally he sent his own wish. He concentrated on hugging Draco. ‘Thanks’ he said simply.

He felt a pair of arms hugging him back.

‘Okay, this is officially getting weird.’ Harry shook off the arms. He heard Draco snickering. ‘I am hugging Draco Bloody Malfoy from a distance and you are feeling it and hugging me back. Really strange.’

‘I told you that it seemed to be getting stronger.’ Draco said quietly.

‘Great, if it gets much stronger, I may just go crazy trying to figure out what is coming next.’ Harry made the comment only slightly serious.

‘No kidding. What could be next? Maybe we have reached the limit. I wish I knew what this was.’ Neither seemed to mind the constant intrusion of the other. They were both comfortable with each other. But not knowing what was causing it was disturbing both of them.

‘We can look when we go back to Hogwarts. Maybe we can get into the restricted section.’ Harry made the suggestion. ‘Um, what do we tell people? Anything? I mean, it really seems strange. And the fewer people that know, maybe we can use this somehow.’

‘Potter! I am shocked! How utterly Slytherian of you!’ Draco's laughing comment was enough to cause Harry to make a face.

‘I was almost Slytherin,’ he confessed. ‘Didn't want to be in the same house with you though!’

Suddenly he felt a slap on the back of his head. He gasped. ‘Hey!’

He felt Draco start laughing. ‘This could really be fun Potter!’ Harry started thinking of all the ways this could be used to torture Draco during the coming school year. He suspected Draco was thinking the same thing.

‘OH SHIT!’ a thought suddenly occurred to Harry.

‘What?’ there was a hint of concern so Harry let humour out. ‘Sex!’ he said it all in one word.

‘What about....OH SHIT!’ both of them shuddered. ‘I really DON'T want to know oh eww.’ Harry tried not to think about it.

Draco seemed to be of the same mind. ‘Okay, we won’t think about that. Maybe we can find something out before it comes to that.’

Harry felt his stomach growl. He dug in his trunk for the daily ration of chocolate and jelly beans. Today he had also allowed himself a Liquorice whip. Just as he was about to eat it, he heard the cat flap open. He turned around and saw an orange and a...worm? lying on the floor.

‘What in the hell?’ He didn't even think about the fact that he was talking to Draco.

‘What is it?’ Draco replied.

‘An orange and a worm. They gave me an orange and a...worm?’ He was puzzled.

‘For Hedwig maybe?’ Draco made the suggestion. ‘They are Muggles. Maybe they thought it would be good.’

‘Why?’ Harry wondered. ‘They hate Hedwig. Why would they do anything for her?’

Draco was silent. Harry went over and saw the worm was still moving. He picked it up cautiously and went to Hedwig’s cage, dropping it in. “It isn't a mouse, but it has to be better than the soggy cereal you have been getting" he said. She hopped to the edge of the cage and nipped his fingers affectionately.

‘Well, she does seem to appreciate it.’ Harry tore into the orange. The flavour was delicious! The smell filled his nose and the taste burst into his mouth and he ate quickly.

‘Damn Harry! If an orange does that to you, I really don't want to know what will happen when you do finally have sex!’ Draco's amused tones filled his head. Harry blushed.

‘Sod off! You haven't been living on soggy cereal and Bertie Botts Beans for the past three weeks.’ With that thought, Harry carefully saved the last couple segments of the orange and put them with the meagre ration of candy for the day back into the trunk. He wasn't sure what prompted the additional treat, but he knew it wouldn't be repeated.

‘That's what they have been feeding you!’ Draco was indignant.

‘Well, they have been giving me a half a bowl of cereal. I have some chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Beans and a couple liquorice whips. I divided them into a small amount for each day.’ Harry was almost afraid to continue. He felt that anger in Draco. ‘I give a small handful of cereal to Hedwig every day.’

‘Damn Harry! I am going to kill them myself. Even my mother is making sure I eat enough. After all, can't have the mistreatment where anyone can see it. But you, you were skinny enough. You don't have the weight to lose. How can they…’ Draco seemed unable to continue.

‘It wasn't that bad,’ Harry rushed to reassure him. ‘It was only because …’ suddenly he stopped. He remembered why they cut back on the food.

‘What?’ There was a hint of threat in Draco's tone. ‘Tell me.’

Sighing Harry tried to phrase it best. ‘They said since I wasn't going to eat the food they gave me, they weren't going to waste so much on me.’

‘What do you mean weren't going to eat it.’ Harry should have known Draco wouldn't let it be that simple.

‘I stopped eating for a few days.’ Draco was quiet. Harry could tell Draco was trying to put the pieces together. He felt the wave of guilt when he finally figured it out.

‘Me. Because of me.’ Draco's voice was filled with self-loathing.

‘NO!’ Harry was vehement. ‘Not because of you. Because of that bitch mother of yours. You had no way of knowing it was affecting me.’

‘I feel bad. I have been whining all summer about you being hungry and it is my fault. Correction, because of what happened to me. Better?’ Draco made the correction when he sense Harry was about to argue the point again.

Harry decided to lighten the mood. ‘Cheer up, four more days and I am going to be busted out of MY prison.’

‘What?’ came the startled exclamation. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Didn't I tell you?’ Harry was truly surprised. ‘I thought I told you. August first the Weasleys are coming to get me. I always spend the second half of the summer over there.’

He felt waves of jealousy coming from Draco. ‘I can't believe you want to spend time with those Muggle lovers. Don't they know when to quit popping out kids?’

‘Draco!’ Harry scolded. ‘Of course I want to spend time with them. They are certainly better than spending time with the Dursleys. And don't be nasty because you are jealous.’

‘You are such a…’ the right word didn't seem to come to Draco so he fell into a silent sulk.

Harry tried several times over the next few hours to talk to Draco but he was sulking and refused to respond. Finally Harry gave up and tried to go to sleep. He couldn't sleep. The emotional churning that Draco was feeling kept him awake. Finally Harry reached out with a hand to Draco's shoulder. ‘I'm not going to forget you know. We will still be able to talk. And Draco, I've already told you far more than Ron or Hermione know. As strange as this might be, I think you have become my best friend.’

He felt Draco relax. ‘That was what was worrying you wasn't it? I would leave you alone again.’ Harry knew he was right deep inside.

‘I'm afraid.’ Draco finally said. ‘I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here. If you are gone, I am afraid I'll take the Mark just to get it over with.’

‘Don't do that. Please just promise me if you feel like giving in, talk to me first.’ Harry pleaded with Draco.

‘Of course I won't do that. Not now. But sometimes I wish I could just do it. But I don't want to do it. Mostly just because that is what they want. I don't want to do anything they want. Right now, I'm still a minor; they can make me do almost anything, but soon…’ Harry felt the coldness in Draco. He voice got hard. ‘Soon I'll be seventeen and they can't make me do anything.’

Harry asked the question that was burning at his mind. ‘If they can make you do anything, then why haven't they made you take the Mark?’

Immediately he felt the sneer. ‘Because, it is a contract that has to be entered into willingly. Even someone under Imperio can't take the mark. They have to consciously and with full willingness without the influence of spells or potions take the Mark.’

Harry thought of the trials that he had seen in Dumbledore's pensive. The people claiming they were cursed into taking the Mark. He knew that was not true. His mind spun with the implications.

‘Exactly.’ That was all Draco had to say.

Harry lay in the darkness. He tried to sleep but his mind was trying to absorb what he had learned tonight. Fear for Draco also held him awake. Slowly he felt an arm slip around him. He slipped an arm around Draco in return. The night was dark, but not as dark as the thoughts swirling in the two boys minds. Miles apart, they held each other in their thoughts, both trying to find some comfort for the other before finally Draco finally drifted off to sleep. Harry lay awake, mind racing for some time as he avoided sleep, and the dreams that always seemed to come in the dark.

The next day both boys were quiet. They didn't know what to say to each other. Harry's mind raced with thoughts, unconnected and random, yet somehow all intertwined. He was making the bed so he could relax when an image popped into his head. Perhaps just the stress of the days built up, but the only thing he could picture when he picked up the pillow wanting to throw it at Draco. He allowed the image to follow his thought.

‘HEY! What was that for?’ Harry dropped the pillow startled.

‘You felt that?’ he asked.

‘Saw it actually,’ said Draco, dryly.

‘Huh?’ Just then a picture popped into his head. Draco slapping him back with the pillow.

‘Cool! This definitely could be fun!’ Harry laughed at the excitement in Draco's voice. He sent back an image of pushing Draco onto the bed and dropping armfuls of pillows on him.

‘Oh please Potter. You have no imagination at all,’ Harry was vaguely insulted. Suddenly the image of two people popped into his head. He started to blush bright red when he realized what those two people were doing. Just then he realized who they were and ceased to be embarrassed and proceeded to being disgusted. ‘I don't want to see the sex life of ICK Bulstrode and Goyle!’

‘Why not? If I had to suffer the torture, I feel I must share in the misery,’ Draco's amusement seemed completely in conflict with the haughty tones he was trying to adapt.

‘That's disgusting. Almost as bad as this image,’ Harry promptly sent back a visual of a naked Professor Snape wrapped up in the equally naked arms of Professor Trelawny.

‘Oh EW! I yield to the greater imagination! That is just too horrible to oh oh oh, I am traumatized for life!’ The melodramatic tones of Draco caused Harry to collapse on the bed in laughter.

‘You are seriously disturbed Potter,’ came the indignant comment.

That night Harry found another worm and a banana was pushed through the cat door. He was very confused as he ate the banana. He ate the candy later in the night while he and Draco discussed why they sudden change in heart from someone. Neither boy could come up with an answer.

‘Harry,’ Draco seemed hesitant to continue.

‘Yeah, what?’ Harry was feeling content as he lay back against the wall.

‘I noticed you don't sleep much. I mean, except for the first few days when I think you were trying to ignore me,’ Harry smiled at the dry tone. ‘Why is that?’

‘Why was I ignoring you?’ Harry tried to buy some time by diverting Draco.

‘No idiot. Sleep. Why not?’ Draco wasn't about to be led from his question.

Harry thought about it for a moment. Finally he said, ‘You've seen my dreams. Would you want to go to sleep?’

Draco was quiet for a moment. ‘I guess not.’ There was another pause. ‘Lay down.’

Harry did as he was told, sliding down on the bed. Harry felt an arm slip around him, like last night. ‘Now go to sleep idiot. You're not alone with the dreams anymore. I'll wake when you do.’

Warmth filled Harry when he realized that he wasn't alone anymore. The dreams were shared.


The next two days passed in a companionable back and forth. They tested all the new powers, trying to hone the abilities they suddenly seemed to find themselves with. They tried using more than one at a time and found it worked really well. Every night, as darkness fell, the dark thoughts began to overwhelm them and they found themselves holding each other lightly as they fell asleep, somehow finding comfort in the simple act of comforting the other.

The next morning Harry woke to the annoyingly chirpy voice. ‘Wakey Wakey Potter!’

‘Go away! Since when are you a morning person,’ he muttered direly.

‘Since it is your birthday!’ came the cheerful response.

‘Sod off. Doesn't make a difference. Still in this damn room. Sleep now. Wake later.’ Harry rolled over and buried his head in the pillow. He felt a poke in his side. Problem. He was lying on that side. ‘Damnit! Cut it out.’ He continued to mutter about people who didn't respect other people's minds.

‘What mind Potter? Wake up. I went to a lot of trouble for this,’ Draco's tone was very dry.

‘Trouble for what?’ Harry found himself unable to resist asking.

A vivid image popped into his head. A room, he assumed it was at Malfoy Manor, filled with people. Most he recognized some he didn't. There were decorations covering every square inch and along one wall was a large table. At one end of the table sat a large, elaborately decorated cake. The rest of the table was filled with presents stacked so high they looked like they would topple over.

‘Oh my! How...? What...?’ Harry couldn't form the words. He knew it must have taken Draco a while to create that visual with all the details. The image of a magical paper with moving broomsticks caught his eye.

‘Eloquent as ever I see.’ Draco laughed. With the practice that they had been doing working their minds together, Harry looked around the room. He saw a mix of Gryffindors, Slytherians, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, teachers, Order, and several others.

‘They are some of my friends,’ explained Draco. ‘Good people.’

Harry nodded. He took Draco's word for it. Slowly he moved towards the table.

‘Well, go ahead Harry, open the presents.’ Harry was a bit hesitant.

‘I've never, I mean, what is the ...Is there a proper way to do this,’ he blurted out. He felt Draco's sad smile.

‘Well, since it is just in our minds, I say any way that makes you happy.’ Harry smiled.

‘In that case,’ Harry dove at the table and grabbed the first present. He looked at the tag and saw it was from Hermione. He laughed when he opened it and saw a talking day planner. ‘You know her quite well,’ He told Draco. ‘That was my Christmas present from her last year’ Draco started laughing.

Harry tossed it aside and noticed that it fell neatly to one side, the paper disappearing. He grabbed the second present and noticed it was from Ron. Inside was a stack of chocolate frogs, and a book about Quidditch.

Harry laughed as he continued to open presents, a stack of homemade socks from Dobby, a sweater from Molly, some new Weasley gag-gifts, some broom care items, a book "12 Easy Steps to Losing Your Virginity" from...EW Professor Snape. Harry threw the book at Draco. He fell on the couch laughing.

‘Sorry Potter,’ He laughed. ‘Couldn't resist that one! You just seemed so obsessed with his love life.’

Harry continued opening the presents. It seemed the pile would never end. Finally he opened the last one. It was from someone he didn't know. It was a box of fudge. ‘Draco,’ he said.

‘There is nothing here from you,’ Harry was confused. Given all the details he seemed to have attended to, Harry couldn't believe that Draco wouldn't include that.

‘Of course I got you something. Don't be an idiot.’ He saw Draco nod to someone. Harry looked up and saw the twins, Fred and George move to the door of what looked like a closet. They opened it and a puppy with a large ribbon came bouncing out. He was so excited he just ran around the room.

‘A puppy!’ Harry dropped to the floor and waited for the puppy to run up to him. The puppy ran up to him almost knocking him over, licking his face. Harry hugged the dog, petting him. Finally he buried his face in the dog's fur, and said ‘How did you know.’

Draco seemed embarrassed as he said ‘You mentioned it once. It was casual, but your feelings weren't. I took a guess.’

Harry opened his eyes and saw his own room in front of him. Disappointment filled him along with the longing that it could have been real. But he held onto the pleasure at the trouble that Draco went to planning that.

‘Thank you,’ he said simply. He knew Draco understood.

‘I just wish I could really do that for you,’ Draco seemed very sincere.

Harry heard the door opening. When he got back, the tray was there, and in addition to his cereal, there was a small envelope.

‘Well, here goes with my actual present.’

‘Yeah, they always give me something. Although, that's really a loose phrasing. This year it is a …’ Harry gave a start of surprise. It was a simple, almost ugly white cotton handkerchief. But hand stitched into one corner was the letters HJP.

‘What?’ Draco was slightly annoyed.

‘Well, usually it is something lame. A tissue, a toothpick, and one year for Christmas I got an old pair of my uncle's socks.’ He described the gift to Draco.

‘That is still the lamest gift ever Potter,’ came Draco's response.

‘No, I have to say the toothpick was the worst.’ Harry sniggered.

‘You know what I mean!’

‘Yeah. But what about the stitching? I don't get it,’ Harry was confused. The worm and fresh fruit every night. Now the handkerchief. He didn't know what to make of it.

‘I still say mine is better!’ Draco sounded almost jealous.

‘Of course it is! The puppy would be fantastic. But just the time you spent on the ...everything. No one has ever done something like that for me,’ he paused. ‘I don't think so at least. Not that I can get into everyone's mind.’

The day passed quickly. Draco kept him entertained with various aspects of his birthday party. The Quidditch game, played on the lawn. Everyone singing to him, cutting the cake. Dinner with more food than even the Hogwart's banquets.

As Harry drifted to sleep that night, Draco's arm around him, the last thing he heard was a whispered ‘Happy Birthday Harry.’