Severus thought for a moment more. "I see no real difficulty as long as you can persuade Horace Darswaithe to cooperate."
"Oh, he'll love it," said Harry, who had been thinking the whole thing over earlier that morning. "And not just because of the money Draco's going to hand over. It's also that they told us at the home that they're always looking for ways to give the children more exposure to the Muggle world, and what better way than having a Muggle come visit--"
This again? "Will you get it through your thick Gryffindor skull, once and for all, that she's not a Muggle? Honestly, Harry! The mere fact that she likes me ought to be enough to settle the question for you!"
"She doesn't know that you hate Muggles!"
"There is such a thing as instinct," drawled Draco. "And even Muggles have it. She's drawn to me, and she wouldn't be, if she were a Muggle."
"Oh, fine. Whatever," said Harry, clearly not meaning it in the least. "Like I said before, maybe she is actually a witch. The truth is, we don't really know--"
"You don't know. I know everything I need to."
Harry huffed, looking put out. "But my point was that if you talk to Darswaithe in advance and tell him you're bringing a Muggle around to see the place, he'll think she is one. And he'll probably think it's good for the children. Maybe she can give them a little talk about careers in music, or some such. Give them tickets to her show, maybe. That'd be good."
The last two ideas actually were good ones, though of course there'd be no need for Draco to tell Darswaithe that Rhiannon was a Muggle. By the time they visited the home, that particular nasty rumour would have been put to rest. He'd tell Darswaithe that Rhiannon was very comfortable in the Muggle world, that was all. And he'd mention the bit about the children perhaps going to one of her performances. Hmm . . . perhaps he'd offer to fund the outing. That would likely go over well.
"The seaside?" asked Harry.
"Have you a specific beach in mind?"
Harry glanced at their father and shrugged. "I figured we could just wander around at the shore, a bit. Maybe take a taxi to get there if it's a long way to walk. I mean, we know some good parts of Exeter to Apparate into, but the seaside might be a different . . ." He grinned. "Kettle of fish."
Draco would have groaned, but he had a better idea. "Let's find a place that sells fish and chips!"
Harry gave him a look which even a blind man would have recognized as doubtful. "You want fish and chips. You."
"I happen to like it."
"Since when?"
Draco shrugged. "As long as it comes with a proper beverage." He made a face. "Anything but Diet Coke. It's positive sludge."
"Try the regular kind."
"I don't think so."
Severus stood up. "You two go and get ready for a day at the seaside, then."
Harry grinned. "You too. Get your strongest sunblock potion, Dad."
As Severus went into his room and closed the door, Draco grimaced. "Fine and well for him. Mine only lasts so long before the glamour tears loose. With my luck, we'll be in the middle of a large crowd of Muggles when the potion fails, and everybody'll see this great ugly scar on my chest!"
"Just re-apply your lotion every so often, like you do at the pool," said Harry in an overly-patient voice. Easy for him to act like Draco was over-reacting. He didn't have a great ugly scar to worry about!
At least, Draco didn't think that the scar on Harry's forehead was anything to fuss over.
"Come on," said Harry now, pushing back his chair. "I know what'll make you want to spend a day at the beach. There'll be plenty of girls there, right? And like you said before, Merlin, they won't be wearing very much, will they?"
Draco lifted his chin. "That was before I'd met Rhiannon. I only have eyes for her, now, I'll have you know."
Harry let out a low whistle. "No harm in looking, is there?"
"I suppose you'd have to be in love to understand."
"Prat."
"Jealous?"
"Ha."
Draco wasn't quite sure what that reply meant. Hmm, maybe just that Rhiannon wasn't Harry's type. Well, that was good to know, wasn't it?
Not that Draco was worried, in any case. Rhiannon had as good as said that she loved him. Well, she'd mentioned having a love-life, at any rate. And she'd been thinking of Draco when she'd said it. Draco didn't need to be a Legilimens to be certain of that.
------------------------------------------------------
The seaside had been all right, Draco supposed as they arrived back at the cottage that evening. Harry had certainly seemed to enjoy it. He'd actually demanded to be buried in sand, all the way up to his neck, and then had tried to persuade Draco to try it. It's great fun, he had said, laughing, probably at the look on Draco's face.
Draco shuddered just remembering the suggestion. Why would he want to be surrounded by so much grit? Even now, hours later, he could tell that Harry still had bits of sand in his hair!
Well, that was what one got for frolicking surrounded by Muggles. One proper cleaning spell would have taken care of the problem, but they'd had to go without the basics of civilization, just because wizards didn't have any private beaches. Or at least, not any that Draco knew of.
Something he ought to see to, he mused as he entered the cottage. Once he was through with school, perhaps he could buy some shoreline . . . on the other hand, he wasn't that fond of the beach, anyway. So perhaps he oughtn't bother.
"Wonder who sent you a package?"
Draco blinked. It was here already? He only hoped that his instructions had been followed precisely. Quickly Occluding, he tried for a thoroughly bland tone. "Oh, I owl-ordered some new shampoo a few days ago. Special formulation. That chlorine in the pool water is just nasty, you know." Draco casually popped open the box Harry had handed him, and plucked out the stoppered crystal bottle.
"Doesn't look like they sent you very much."
"If it's made right, I won't need much." Draco turned toward their father, and said the one thing guaranteed to make sure that Severus would stay far away from this particular vial. "Your hair's looking a little brittle, lately. Would you care to borrow some of this?"
Severus gave him a rather sardonic look. "Some of us don't need designer hair-care products to make life complete."
"That's not it. I merely want to look my best for Rhiannon. You'd feel the same if you fell in love. Right?"
Harry made kind of a choking noise, which turned out to be a good thing since it got Severus' attention off of Draco. His gaze toward the end there had seemed to be more piercing than sardonic. Almost like he knew Draco was up to something.
Almost.
"Are you quite all right?"
Harry laughed, but he sounded more uncomfortable than amused. "Sure, Dad."
Huh. That was interesting. Draco had joked around with Harry before, about Severus being more interested in Marsha than he let on, but it seemed like on some level, Harry didn't like the idea of Severus with someone.
Well, he hadn't liked the idea of Draco with someone, either, had he?
Draco figured that he just wasn't ready to share his family with anyone. And no wonder--this was the only family Harry had had in years and years. Those horrible Muggles didn't count. On some level, Draco supposed it was no wonder that Harry felt a little upset about Rhiannon, but in time, he'd understand that Draco was still just as much his brother as before.
Nothing was going to change that. Not even Rhiannon.
In fact, once Rhiannon finally understood that she had magic of her own, Draco could tell her everything, and it would be easier for her to understand how important his family was. But to show her that she was a witch . . . first he had to arrange things so he could do some magic in front of her. She'd think it was a series of Muggle tricks, of course. But she'd be relaxed and happy, reliving her own childhood love of magic. She'd be in a state of dÈj‡ vu, and once Draco handed her his wand and she felt it singing to her own magic . . . then he'd be able to tell her everything.