"I did not know that you were baffled as to the essential difference between reading and brewing!"
"Yeah, well I'm susceptible to the lure, remember?"
"It's not Severus' fault you brewed the potion," Harry told his brother. "You could at least have discussed it with him first."
"Oh, like you're so sodding perfect--"
"Harry is not the issue, nor will you fashion him into one," Snape rebuked the Slytherin boy. "To return to what I was saying. I have been thinking on your punishment. You have a great deal of time to fill; you may as well be thinking on improving your character. Hence, I have decided to assign you some lines."
Draco crossed his arms and just waited, his whole posture braced to hear the rest.
"Ten thousand," Snape added, a little bit snidely as far as Harry was concerned. "Since you told me more than once how appropriate the number was for Mr. Weasley."
The Slytherin boy looked as though he might object to that, but in the end, all he said was a sullen, "Fine."
"Without your magic quill, and on parchment charmed to resist... shall we say, any creative attempts to avoid writing all ten thousand." Snape glanced at his other son. "Harry, fetch some... where are the things you brought from home?"
"Um, left them back in Grimmauld Place," Harry admitted with a small smile. "Sorry. You know, things got pretty, uh... hectic, there."
"What was hectic?" Draco wanted to know.
Harry bit his lip.
"Oh, I get it. Secrets..." The Slytherin boy sighed. "I don't blame you. Well, actually I do, it wouldn't be Slytherin not to, after all, but I do understand. The Aurors will be demanding to see me, and I'm probably more rattled by all this than a Malfoy ought to be, so it's best you keep your secrets from me. Too bad I know so many of them already, Harry. But I will watch what I say, though after the lengths I went to today I'm not surprised you don't trust me much--"
"Draco, shut up," Harry finally urged. "Look, I dreamed ages ago that we would end up brothers, but I never dreamed it would be like this. I do trust you, all right? And even if this eye goes blind, I won't hold it against you, because I know you weren't trying to blind me when you lost your temper."
"Merlin's robes, you really are too Gryffindor sometimes, do you know that?" Instead of appearing to appreciate Harry's sentiments, Draco scowled. "I'd never forgive anybody who blinded me. That's just... stupid, Harry."
"The amulet I gave you burned you," Harry countered that. "And you may end up scarred. So is that it, then? You're never going to forgive me?"
"You didn't make it heat up like that," Draco argued, blowing out his breath through his nostrils. "But I'm not going to wear it again, if that's what you're asking. Severus?"
"Albus will decide when to best inform the Aurors of the amulet and the resulting scar," Snape explained, understanding what the other boy had meant to ask. "The amulet is in his possession."
"Good," Draco shortly announced. Without a word, he reached into a trouser pocket and drew out the wand Snape had lent him, holding it rather awkwardly as he pronounced a charm to undo the top few buttons on his shirt. "There. See, I didn't heal it. I can do some things I'm told without fucking them all to bits."
"We didn't think you'd healed your burn!" Harry exclaimed.
"Just as well to take a closer look at it, though," Snape announced, drawing his own wand to examine the wound, which was only slightly less inflamed than before.
Draco shrugged away, buttoning up his shirt by hand, his fingers fumbling. "For Merlin's sake, Severus! If you're going to play mediwizard, it's Harry's eye you should be examining!"
"It's my best judgment that the swelling needs to recede before I attempt any cure or glamour."
"Well it has receded compared to last I saw it."
Snape stared at Harry as he considered that. "Yes, but not enough."
"Look, I'm sure everything will be fine," Harry said, thinking to lighten the mood. "After all, I only dreamed of going blind once--"
"Yeah, and we all know how reliable your dreams are, don't we?" Draco closed his eyes. "Any more dreams of Lucius, Harry? I can't stop thinking about that. I keep saying to myself, what if... even though I know the whole thing is daft. But I can't stop thinking it. And then I panic, thinking that there's some sort of chance I'm wrong. And then I panic in case I'm wrong to think I could be wrong." Opening one eye only, Draco flicked a glance at Severus. "That was why I couldn't breathe. Well, that and the fact that dear old Dad and I might end up in the same cell in Azkaban. And you wonder I needed a few extra doses of Calming Draught!"
Harry cast his father a pleading look. "We have to tell him. Anything else is just cruel. He's going to be all alone here for who knows how long, and it's going to prey on his mind, and you know Draco and his impulse control... he has to know the truth, don't you think? What if he panics again and makes another truly horrible decision?"
"Thanks for that sterling opinion of my character," Draco said, leaning back, looking completely defeated. "Not that I know what you're talking about."
Severus glanced at the boy, his brow wrinkling. "You were right before that I am concerned about how... unlike yourself you are at the moment, Draco. Rattled is not a bad description, all things considered. But Harry is right as well, that it seems you must know certain things about that dream."
"It's like this--"
"Certain things," Snape repeated, directing a stern glare at Harry. "I will tell him what I deem advisable, and you will not augment what I have disclosed. Not one additional detail, is that clear? And Draco, you will not ask for details. You will not attempt to Slytherin them out of Harry." He waited until Draco and Harry had both nodded. "We found out the truth about Lucius."
The Slytherin boy sat up straight, his eyes faintly gleaming silver as they leapt open. "And?"
"It was not Lucius whom Harry saw helping Muggleborns; Harry was mistaken. More than that I will not say, but I quite assure you, there is no doubt whatsoever."
"I'm not so good at taking things on faith, Severus."
"No, nor I," Snape admitted. "But in this case, I am afraid you must."
Draco glanced from father to son, then shrugged. "All right... I knew it couldn't really be what it seemed. Though it was nice thinking it might be, even though I knew it really couldn't be and I knew better than to think he could ever be nice..." Draco began to rub his temples, his brow deeply furrowed. "Merlin, I sound like I've taken a Babbling Beverage. I don't suppose I can have any clear-thinking draught?"
"On top of everything else, no." Snape stared at him for a moment, then stepped closer to both boys. "What you need most, I think, is healthy natural sleep. Which not coincidentally, is what your brother needs as well."
"How long until I get to come home?" Draco asked, sounding plaintive.
Snape looked from one boy to the other, then sighed. "I'm in two minds about this, to say the least..." His voice firming, he announced, "I'm reluctant to leave you here alone tonight, Draco, but I must return to Hogwarts to monitor the progress of the investigation and assist Albus with anything we can do to bring some Order Aurors into it. I cannot bring you home until I have some assurance that you will be safe there--"
"It's all right," Draco interrupted, grimacing. "I know you can't do anything. I told you I was babbling."
"I can do something," Snape corrected. "Loath as I am to admit it, leaving you here alone was an error. Harry will stay with you tonight. In the morning we can re-evaluate how... rattled you remain."