Of course, Draco hardly wanted to be good at a Mugglish thing like cooking, but still! So his mood was less than pleasant when he saw what Severus set down in front of him. "Mineral water?" he asked, tempted to grind his teeth. "I told you, I wanted wine!"
"Draco, it's really rude to complain like that when someone takes you out for lunch," said Harry. As if he knew a thing about proper manners. What a prat. Draco loved him and all but . . . what a prat!
"That's enough, Draco," said Severus in a low, but almost biting tone. "You aren't licensed yet. You shouldn't be mixing alcohol and . . ."
Apparition. Severus didn't actually say the word, but Draco understood. "It's not alcohol, really. It's just wine!"
"Oh, stop whingeing on about every last thing," said Harry.
Draco thought that rather unfair, considering he'd hardly complained at all. Had he said a word about the food he was sure to get here? Or the disgusting lack of cleanliness, caused no doubt by the Muggles milling around him? He opened his mouth to do just that, but then he saw the look on Severus' face. A million lines were probably just around the corner. So he merely sniffed in disdain. "I expect they haven't stocked any decent vintages, anyway."
It wasn't lost on him that his father and brother exchanged an exasperated look. Yes, that look. The one that said they could hardly stand him sometimes. It made him wish that he'd spoken his mind. Instead, he'd taken Harry's feelings into account, and where had that got him?
Draco gulped his mineral water, hoping it would loosen the tight feeling in his throat.
It didn't, but his mood improved the moment Severus sat down. Draco almost sniggered at the way the man had gestured with his hand, just as though he was trying to brush robes out of the way. They were none of them wearing robes, of course. Draco was getting pretty used to going about in public without them, what with their weekly trips to Surrey and such, but Severus obviously wasn't.
"So, how was your visit to the home?" asked Severus, glancing at both of them in turn.
Harry shrugged, obviously thinking the same as Draco. There wasn't that much to tell, really. "Well, Em talked to us for a while about their goals and programme, just like she promised."
"Ms. Volentier, Harry," their father corrected.
Harry shrugged. "She said we could call her Em. And you don't mind us calling Marsha by her name. But anyway, after she'd answered all our questions, she introduced us to the director, but he decided not to let us in, after all. Claimed they had a policy against visitors. Ha, as if that could be true, when Em had been just about to show us around!"
Draco's nostrils flared. "Well, was that such a surprise, really? Considering who the director turned out to be?"
Before Severus could even ask, Harry turned to him. "You'll never guess. Well, go on, guess!"
"I thought you just said I never would."
Harry grinned. Draco didn't think the situation was nearly so amusing.
"Darswaithe!" announced Harry.
"Horace Darswaithe?" Severus tilted his head to one side. "Interesting. Did he give a reason for not allowing you entrance?"
"He was looking at me when he refused to admit us," said Draco, a little bitterly. "Apparently, I'm reason enough."
"There was more to it than that," said Harry, turning to Severus. "You see, the children there know all about their heritage; Em made the clear. But it's one thing to know about it and another thing to get a first-hand look at what they're missing. So, wizarding visitors are asked to leave their wands with the director before entering the children's areaó"
"Harry," scolded Severus. Draco personally thought that the slip deserved a stronger rebuke, even if Harry had been speaking in a low voice. Mentioning wands when they were supposed to blend in with the Muggles in Exeter!
"Sorry," said Harry, flushing. "But anyway, they take them away. And in our case . . . well, I think Darswaithe felt it would be too unseemly to take ours after what happened before. Not that I'd have given mine away. Draco either, I bet."."
"Considering what happened before," said Draco scathingly, "It's outrageous that that man should be working there at all. When Thistlethorne told us that Darswaithe had been put in charge of a home for . . . er, unfortunate children, I thought she meant that he was pushing papers up in some office. But he's actually right there with the children! And this, after he attacked Harry?"
"Yeah, but he wasn't himself that day."
"The man was in fact cleared of all wrongdoing," added Severus mildly, though his expression looked as if he'd tasted something sour. "What is your objection?"
"Family Services ought to have a little more sense, as he's obviously susceptible to . . . undue influence!"
"Everyone is susceptible to that sort of influence, Draco."
"Ha, everybody but Harry," said Draco. He was glad of it, of course. It would be bad, bad news if the Dark Lord could place Harry Potter under Imperius. But still, it was more than a little irritating that Harry could do so many things that Draco couldn't. If anyone should be able to shake off the curse, Draco should! He'd spent enough time under it, what with Lucius for a father!
"Look, I didn't ask to be different from everybody else," snapped Harry. "And maybe Darswaithe was put in charge of that home because there, nobody much would have any reason to want to influence him, all right?" Harry scowled and spoke in a low hiss. "Though I still do think they ought to place those children with actual families."
Harry had no sense of politics. None. "They can't. It would smack too much of the switching scheme, if word of that ever got out."
"Nobody would ever find out--"
"Word always gets out--"
Harry shifted back in his chair to make room for the waitress to set down his food. He tucked in with enthusiasm. Draco looked down at his own meal, rather doubtful about this entire enterprise.
"Well, Darswaithe is doing the best he can, I guess," said Harry after a moment. "From what Em told us, the children are getting a very good public school education. And the ones that don't want to go to university will be able to take vocational training."
"Shocking, shocking." Draco made a tsking sound. "They shouldn't just be cast out of their place in our world."
"It's the best thing for them," said Harry stubbornly. "And it's not like they're being cast out. Em said in the summers they learn a bit about the wizarding world as well. Better than being cosseted like you described. That sounds just awful."
"It's not awful, you ignoramus--"
"Agree to disagree," said Severus. "All right? You two have different outlooks, which isn't too surprising considering your disparate backgrounds. I don't think arguing will settle the matter."
"But what is your view, Severus?" Draco wasn't trying to be difficult. He really did want to know.
"I don't pretend to know how to best run the world's affairs." Severus shook his head. "It's a complex and difficult situation, not the least because the children were abandoned to begin with. Obviously their own families would not be the best place for them, Draco."
That went without saying. Draco didn't think the children should go back to the parents who had thrown them out like rubbish. That wasn't what he'd meant at all.
Severus had a glint in his eye. One that Draco understood the moment the man spoke. "You aren't eating. Something wrong with your food?"
Was there anything right with it? That was the more appropriate question, surely. But Severus was staring at him, and now so was Harry, the two of them ganging up on him. Again. And if Severus could seem at ease in a Muggle establishment, then so could he!