"And you're sure you won't forget again about releasing your powers?"
"I won't, honest."
"Because it occurs to me that this situation isn't so different to the case of, for example, a young man who needs regular dose of some specific potion. What would you say to him if he simply forgot his dosage for days on end and then began to suffer the ill effects of this forgetfulness?"
Harry couldn't quite look his father in the face. "I'd . . . I'd say he'd been very stupid, I guess."
Snape shook his head. "I wouldn't want to call you that, Harry. I would say, however, that you've been immature, at the very least."
Harry smiled a little wryly. "I'd probably also say that this immature young man deserved to suffer the results of his foolishness. But you noticed me flexing my fingers, and straight away told me to go outside to do some wanded magic."
"You'd have reasoned out what to do, soon enough."
Yeah, likely so. But Harry still liked the idea that his father was looking out for him. Even when Harry wasn't perfect. But then again, he didn't have to be perfect. Snape had even said so, in just those words.
"So, I'll go finish making lunch, then--"
Harry stopped talking when the unmistakable sound of someone arriving by Portkey echoed across the meadow. For one instant, he thought that the cottage had been found out by Death Eaters, Unplottable spells and Fidelius aside. His wand still in his hand, Harry raised it and planted his feet, ready for whatever was coming.
But it was Draco's pale features coming into view. "Good thing you gave me a Portkey in case I needed to come back early," he said, shaking his head.
Snape was eyeing Draco rather closely, Harry noticed. "It was little enough trouble to provide one."
Harry smiled. He hadn't realised before, but Snape had a box full of single-use Portkeys, all of them spelled by Dumbledore to work only for people who already knew about the cottage. Snape had given one to Draco that morning, explaining that he thought it prudent, given that Snape planned to pass the day at home with Harry while Draco dallied with the young lady, as he'd put it.
Draco had looked frankly amused at their father's choice of words, but then he'd said, very dryly, "You know, if something unexpected comes up and I need to return home early, I could always Apparate."
"You know what I think of that. In any case, you'll be licensed soon enough," Snape had said in a firm voice.
Draco had only shrugged, saying that he couldn't imagine wanting to leave Rhiannon before one a.m., anyway. He'd arranged to meet Severus at that time so they could Apparate back together.
But here he was, and it was only half-past two in the afternoon!
"Did something happen?" asked Harry. It was kind of strange he'd have to ask, he thought. Surely if Draco had run into some trouble, he'd have mentioned it straight away. Not to mention the fact that the trip wires would have alerted them if any other wizards were present in Exeter . . .
"Well, yes," said Draco, a little faintly. "Nothing serious. Well, actually, it is, but not in any life-threatening sort of way. Unless you really can die from unrequited love."
"Rhiannon threw you over?" Harry thought that sounded a bit odd, since just yesterday the girl had seemed interested in Draco.
"Threw me over?" Draco chuckled. "I hardly think that's likely, Harry. We get along swimmingly, and why shouldn't we? I'm obviously her type. Which makes sense, doesn't it, when you consider that she's lost all knowledge of her own magic. Stands to reason she'd be attracted to someone with quite a lot of it--" He suddenly scowled. "And before you say that in that case she should have started making eyes at you, I'll have you know that she has enough taste to recognise . . . er . . ."
"What? Pure blood?" asked Harry, raising an eyebrow.
"Proper wizarding culture, I was going to say," announced Draco rather haughtily.
Harry wasn't at all sure that that was what Draco had been going to say.
"Why don't you just explain why you've come back so soon, Draco," said Snape, his tone suggesting that he was expecting Harry and Draco to start squabbling now, and he could just as soon do without.
That was enough to help Harry shrug off his annoyance with Draco.
Or maybe what really helped was the way Draco threw him a glance that was almost . . . pleading, then.
"Well, Rhiannon dashed out of her rehearsal to tell me that Adrian was being a real bear, was the word she used, and was going to keep the cast until half-past three--"
"You couldn't have waited?"
"No, there's more." Draco cleared his throat, obviously nervous. Though come to think of it, that much was obvious from the roundabout way he'd been explaining things. "Um, Harry? I know this is a real imposition and so last-minute that it's horribly ill-mannered, as well, but . . . er . . ." Draco gave him a pained smile. "Do you think you could see your way clear to coming out with Rhiannon and me, tonight? You see, her uncle doesn't much like me, I think, and--"
"You think?"
Draco made a face. "Right. It was rather clear, yesterday at the pool. You'd think all that would have been enough to make his point, but now it seems that he's made a new rule for her. If Rhiannon's going to be out past ten o'clock, she has to have a friend along."
Harry almost laughed, that sounded so absurd. "But . . . she's older than you, I thought you said. She's of age! How can he tell her how late she can be out and who she has to spend time with and . . . oh."
"Yes, oh," said Snape, his black gaze hard as he looked from Harry to Draco and back. "As long as she lives in his home, she's subject to his rules. Being 'of age' is beside the point."
"And if she doesn't live in Exeter, she can't do the summer opera project," added Draco, scowling. "So it looks as though I'll just have to put up with her stupid uncle's rules. But at least this proves one thing beyond all doubt. She really wants to go out with me, Harry. Before she'd even told me about this new rule, she'd already arranged for somebody named Cecile to tag along . . . and, well, here's why I came back early . . . Rhiannon wanted me to ask if you'd come along, too."
"Me?" Harry shook his head. "No, no thanks."
"Oh, come on," said Draco, his voice as well as his expression pleading. "Please, Harry. I think she won't want to go out tonight if you refuse to partner Cecile. I mean, she kept saying how she didn't want her friend to feel like a 'third wheel.' Though I don't mind admitting that I didn't quite understand the term, though I could tell what she meant, all right."
"Bicycle," Harry murmured. "I told you about them. Two wheels? Third one's kind of unnecessary."
Draco eyebrows drew together. "Oh. Bicycle. Locked up outside the pool?"
"Yeah, there were some there, I think."
Draco gave what Harry figured was probably his best attempt at a winning smile. It wasn't bad, Harry had to admit. "And you wouldn't want Cecile to feel like one, would you?"
Nice try, Harry thought. "Not much chance of that. You just said that Rhiannon wouldn't go out with you tonight if it was going to mean that."
"She won't go out with me at all, not on a proper date, or at least not until the summer's over and she can go back to live with her parents or . . . or, whatever it is that she's going to do."
"Maybe you should spend more time talking with her," said Harry. "I know . . . why don't you go back and tell her that I can't come, but you'd love to spend the evening with her at her home, so you can get to know her family? Maybe that way, the uncle can get to know you and he'll ease off on these rules."