But it wasn't true, and he'd known that all along.
And suddenly, Harry knew he didn't want to lie to his friends the way he'd been lying to himself. If Ron couldn't stomach who he really was and what he really thought about all this...
"It wasn't only for the warding," Harry admitted, the very words taking a huge weight off his mind. "I wanted a father, and I wanted it to be him."
"Let's go, Hermione," was all Ron had to say to that. "Next thing you know he'll be saying he's glad to be in Slytherin, since his new father's so admirable, and I really don't need to hear that."
"He is admirable, and you know what, I don't mind being in Slytherin one bit, you git! The Hat said I'd be great in Slytherin, as a matter of fact! And I plan to be!"
Ron stomped to the door and tried to spell it open, but it wouldn't open for him. Draco waved his wand, his twisted lip saying he'd be only too glad to get rid of their guests. Once in the hall, Ron tapped his foot obnoxiously as he waited for Hermione.
She ignored him. "What was that about an attempt on your life?"
"The Death Eaters Imperiused someone to abduct me so Voldemort could finish what he started on Samhain," Harry bluntly announced, raising his voice, "and Draco here saved me!"
Hermione gasped, her hands shaking as she contemplated that. "But the wards you mentioned, they're in force now?"
"Well, they're supposed to be," Harry nastily put forth. "But seeing as they let in somebody who wanted to hex me, I don't know now, do I?"
"I wasn't going to hex you, Potter!"
"So says you," Harry shot back.
"Harry," Hermione broke in, her voice wavering with concern, "I think I understand why you're desperate for a family... but this? It's a huge mistake, don't you see? You're... sort of emotionally needy, I think, and you got over-attached to Snape because you ended up isolated with him after Samhain, and you were sick and hurt, which made you regress, I think, into early childhood when you'll bond with anyone just so long as they're taking care of you, and--"
"Oh, if this is what I sounded like when I talked about the book," Draco interrupted, "then I'm glad you told me to shut up, Harry. What utter rubbish!" He rounded on Hermione. "If he's needy, it's because he's got every cause to be, you Muggleborn cow, and if he's friendly with Severus, it's because --gasp!shock!-- they've become friends. Why don't you just get out now like Harry said?"
"Don't insult my friends," Harry told Draco, but without much heat. By then, he felt like an old shoe that had been worn too long. Far too long.
"Let's just go, Hermione," Ron called, keeping his gaze fixed on the corridor rather than the inside of the room.
"We'll come back," Hermione softly promised.
From the doorway, Ron loudly snorted.
I'll talk to him, Hermione mouthed, but Harry had had just about enough, by then.
"Talk to yourself, first," he retorted. "Because until you can accept that Snape's actually good for me, which he is, I don't think you're going to have much luck convincing anybody else."
"Good for you," Ron echoed, giving up on the silent treatment. "Tell you what, Harry. I'll keep this under wraps so that when you come to your senses, which you will, you won't be too totally humiliated in Gryffindor!"
"I think I'll ask the headmaster to make a general announcement," Harry coldly retorted.
"That's it, I'm done," Ron snarled, and stomped off down the corridor without Hermione.
"Harry," she softly inquired, "don't you think it's possible your point of view has gotten a little bit... ah, skewed from spending so much time all by yourself down here?"
"I'm not by myself, I have Draco and my father," Harry told her. "Looks to me they're about all I have, too."
"Harry--"
"You'd better catch Ron before he sees one of my House mates and insults him," Harry pointed out. "He could still end up a splat on the wall."
"I'll... I'll talk to you later, then," Hermione murmured.
"Yeah, and when you do, remember one thing," Harry told her. "Draco here heard my news and wished for me to have courage, and strength, and healing, and victory. The pair of you dumped a bunch of shite all over me. Think about that before you come back."
"It's just that it was such a big shock--"
"Yeah, yeah, everybody has excuses," Harry interrupted her. "If you'll excuse me, now, I have things to do."
She took the hint and left to hurry after Ron.
Harry slammed the door after her, then leaned his forehead on it and gave it a couple of vicious kicks. Mistake. His left foot ached afterwards. Actually, his fist really hurt, too.
He heard Draco behind him using spells to clean up the mess left by the broken bottle. Harry finally turned around. "Thanks for lying about the night I spent in Snape's bed," he thought to say. Draco could have made things a lot worse, and hadn't.
"I'm just glad he didn't go back to gardenias meaning a secret love," Draco scathed. "As it was, I was this close to hexing that filthy mouth right off his face." He held up a thumb and forefinger very nearly touching.
Harry sighed. "Yeah. Well, good job on the impulse control, I guess."
Draco laughed, the sound dark and rife with tension. "Good thing you decked him and saved me the trouble."
"It's not funny," Harry groaned, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. He hung his head in his hands. "I know Ron. He won't be able to resist ranting about this all over the common room."
Draco sat down on the floor next to him, a sight Harry had never thought to see. Draco Malfoy, sitting on the floor? Then again, he'd slept on a couch without complaint, so perhaps it wasn't so very surprising. There was more to Draco than Harry would ever have guessed.
"I thought you didn't care who knew," the Slytherin boy lightly reminded him.
"I don't, but when Ron's mad he talks first and thinks later. He might repeat those awful things he said to me."
"If he does, he'll be expelled for slandering a teacher. I say good riddance."
"I don't want him expelled."
"I know," Draco admitted. "Don't worry. They'll come around."
"To thinking Snape's all right?" Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. He's just taken too many points from Gryffindor over the years. I mean, maybe you don't see it, but he's been blatantly unfair."
"Well, he had to do something, didn't he, to counter the partisan interests supporting Gryffindor," Draco pointed out. "Dumbledore tossing out hundreds of points at a go, cheating Slytherin at the last minute. And then last year, McGonagall got into the act, too."
Harry gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, well they were trying to make up for Snape's own abuse of the point system. Hmm. Well, at least Snape can't take points off me any longer. I mean, it'll sink both my Houses."
"Well, there's always Longbottom's Potions," Draco joked. "The guy should have dropped the class after the O.W.L.S."
"He needs it since it's so closely tied to Herbology."
Draco stretched his legs out, crossed them at the ankles, and leaned against the wall. "Speaking of Herbology, I was rather surprised you were so interested in the well-wish."
"Well, Snape said the plants were 'well-chosen,'" Harry admitted, "I wanted to see what he thought would be good wishes for me."
"Now you know."
It wasn't exactly fishing, but Harry thought he caught a hint of something in the comment. Insecurity, maybe. "They were really good wishes," he told Draco. "You did a great job with it."
Draco flashed him a smile, then pushed to his feet and gave Harry a hand up. "You want to decide what's for dinner tonight?"