"Draco!" Snape snapped. "When I asked you to set the menu I never dreamed--- Would you please explain why the two of us have crown roast of lamb in mint sauce with Duchess potatoes, while Harry only has that... repulsive looking thing?"
Draco was laughing so hard that he hadn't managed yet to sip his wine, so he certainly couldn't answer.
"It's obvious isn't it, Professor?" Harry grated. "He's making a point. His nasty father told him all about my awful childhood, so Draco's making me feel right at home! Though he really missed the point, I think. I should just wait around and have your scraps, assuming there are any. But then if we were being nostalgic, I'd have cooked as well!"
Harry stopped, because Snape was looking at him with a fair amount of horror in his expression. Meanwhile, Draco had stopped laughing.
"Sweet Merlin above," he drawled, "are you always so vain, Potter? The whole world is organized around you, right down to the catering?" He almost began to cackle again, but this time he swallowed some of his ruby red wine to quell the impulse.
"Well, you explain the menu plan, then!" Harry shouted.
Snape held up a hand for silence. "You told them to serve what suits, didn't you?"
"Yes, of course," Draco huffed, glaring at Harry. "It's not my fault your tastes are utterly plebian."
"What?!?"
Draco twirled his wine glass in his hand, sipping it again before he spoke. "You have that to eat because you wanted it, Potter! Nothing to do with me."
"So why do you and the Professor have the same," Harry sneered, "if it's just a matter of individualization?"
"Hmm. Maybe it's the way I phrased it. I said, Send Severus and me something that will suit us. Oh, and Harry Potter will be dining as well. Send him whatever he would like."
Harry was still glaring, though by then he was beginning to feel a little bit foolish. "Oh."
"The funny part," Draco laughed again, "is that you could get so offended merely because you were provided what you wanted. Honestly, Potter!" He leaned over a bit, and asked in a puzzled tone, "Why is your pumpkin juice such a bright color?"
"It's orange juice, Malfoy," Harry shortly answered. "I didn't think the house-elves knew what that was. We never get it here. But how come you get wine? That's not served to students!"
Draco shrugged. "Severus knows I like my meals civilized."
Harry didn't actually like wine, and didn't really want any, but he didn't like Draco getting special privileges, so he challenged Snape, "Can I have wine, too?"
"Oh, right, a nice robust Merlot will really go well with that... what is that, some strange Muggle sandwich?" Draco drolled.
"You can have wine when you're through taking potions," Snape announced. "Mixing alcohol with the Elixir could be deleterious."
"Besides," Draco put in with a sneer, "wine like this would be wasted on you. I can't think you would have the palate for it, Potter."
"Shut up, Malfoy!"
"Be quiet, both of you!" Snape roared. "I am not having every meal disrupted by this petty bickering!"
"I didn't ask to come live here," Draco exclaimed.
"Yeah, well neither did I," Harry shot back.
"Nevertheless, you are both here now, and I will not have my home become a battleground, is that clear? I had thought the two of you mature enough to put your differences aside in the interest of a common cause."
Sure, just like Snape had done with Sirius, Harry bitterly reflected.
"What common cause?" he questioned out loud. "I told you, Professor, this is just some weird stunt of his to catch us unawares, or something."
"You ungrateful prat," Draco snarled. "I should have just snapped your wand and brought it to you in pieces!"
"Oh sure, he's on the up and up," Harry mocked, glancing at Snape.
The professor, however, was not amused. "We are going to set some ground rules," he grated, his voice cold and determined. "Harry, you may think what you wish but you will not deride Draco's loyalties out loud to him. Draco, you will not taunt Harry about his wand, or magic, or vision. Is that clear?"
"Yes," Draco murmured.
"Yeah, all right," Harry muttered.
"And you will call each other by your first names," Snape smoothly continued.
"What? Oh no, I won't," Harry grumbled. "It's not like Malfoy there is my friend."
"I really think that Potter suits him better," Draco put forth.
Snape glanced between the two of them, and hissed, "Ten points from Gryffindor; ten points from Slytherin."
"You can't take points from Slytherin!" Draco exclaimed, "You never take points from Slytherin! It's... it's... well, its un-Slytherin of you!"
"It's also just been done," Snape announced, picking up his wand and waving it. "The counters have been adjusted. In fact, with a little research, I'm sure I could spell my quarters to automatically inform the counters whenever either one of you contravenes my wishes."
"Don't do that," Draco exclaimed. "I guess I can call him Harry." He did rather sneer it, though, Harry noticed.
"Harry?" Snape prompted.
Determined not to be outdone by Malfoy, Harry shrugged. "Draco it is, then. Anyway, we might as well. We're about to have a Muggle houseguest and all this last names business would really make him uncomfortable." He threw an evil grin at Malfoy as he said it, then picked up his hamburger and took a big bite.
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After the house-elves had magically whisked away the dirty dishes, Draco excused himself and left Snape and Harry sitting at the table alone.
"Wonder what he's up to now," Harry mused, eyes narrowed. "I don't believe he really needs to wash his hair."
Snape sighed. "He washes it every night. I do wish you could learn to be just a little less suspicious of him, Harry."
"For all I know, he's going through my things right now," Harry insisted, patting his pocket and relieved to feel the letter still in it. "You know, Ron said the other day that Dumbledore had returned my dad's invisibility cloak. I bet it's in the trunk the house-elves sent down here. What if Draco steals it?"
"You are being utterly ridiculous."
"He said you moved some rooms around," Harry mentioned. "Couldn't you do that again and um, get us separate places to sleep? Really, I don't need much space."
"You are afraid he'll hex you," Snape murmured, almost to himself. "Harry, he won't. What would be the point?"
"Well, I'd tell you, but I don't want to give him any smart ideas! Use your imagination, Professor!"
"I thought you'd be a little less irrational about him after you heard him mention the Veritaserum, Harry."
Taken aback, Harry gasped, "You knew I was awake?"
"I suspected our voices would wake you," Snape corrected. "Harry, listen to me. The headmaster and I have more reason to believe him than just his word. When he brought us your wand, we interrogated him using truth serum. Draco does not want to be a Death Eater and he does not approve of what happened to you on Samhain."
"Why didn't you tell me before that you used truth serum on him?"
"There are some things I want Draco to tell you for himself. Just as I could have returned your wand myself, but asked him to do it."
Harry put his head down on the table, groaning. "Serum or no serum, I can't trust him, Professor. It's as simple as that. It's an instinct."
"Maybe you'll feel differently later," Snape merely replied. "He'll be teaching you your subjects; you did gather as much?"