"At the moment," Snape interrupted, "he's ignoring his problems in favour of juggling."
Harry thought he'd heard that wrong, it was such a strange comment. "Juggling?"
"The orbs. He spent a while charming them different colours and now he's trying to teach himself to juggle."
Harry glared. It felt a bit odd with only one eye working correctly. "And how exactly do you know that?"
Snape opened his hand and showed Harry a flat glass disc. Harry had to close his injured eye to bring the disc into focus, but when he did, he saw Draco deftly tossing three orbs in a circular pattern. He couldn't keep it up for long; within just a few seconds he missed catching the purple one and all three crashed to the floor.
"Salazar's balls!" the tiny image of Draco exclaimed. Then the boy shook his head, and said in a passable imitation of the Potions Master, "No, I do believe these particular balls would be my balls..." Chortling, Draco picked all the orbs up again and began over.
Harry felt himself colouring, though surely it wasn't his fault Draco was talking that way. "I don't think we should be spying on him. He wouldn't like it."
Snape shrugged. "I recommend you never mention it, then."
"It's..."
"I believe the phrase you are searching for is regrettable but necessary, Harry. You were quite right that Draco might do something unpredictable. What do you suggest I do? Bring him home before I feel assured of his safety here? I saw no alternative but to leave him in Devon alone, unless you would prefer I ferry Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger out there to watch over him?"
"You don't need to get all sarcastic about it, you know."
"Actually, I truly did consider that option."
"Oh," Harry said, a little bit shocked. Not over the concern, of course; he knew that Snape cared about the Slytherin boy. But that he would think about using Ron and Hermione to help? That was sort of interesting, considering Snape's basic opinion of all things Gryffindor. Still, he had to say, "That's not such a good idea. I mean, they agreed to help with the deafening potion story, but for all that they're not exactly convinced of his innocence--"
"Yes, I know." Snape heavily sighed. "I also know that they would go there if you asked them to, though no doubt Miss Granger would complain about missing classes. However, Draco and Mr. Weasley would no doubt come to blows at some point. And as for Miss Granger..." A grim expression settled on the Potions Master's face. "That might be even worse."
Harry couldn't think what his father meant by that, unless... "Oh, oh no," he murmured. "You've got the wrong end of the stick on this one. I know Draco said a couple of things to us about Hermione being clever, and then he sort of apologised to her that once, but he doesn't like her like her. Unless you're worried that he's going to... uh, lose his mind with grief over Pansy and--"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, I didn't mean that," Snape scathed. "He's got his pride, Harry. For the girl who's beaten him academically time and again to come watch over him would wound it inordinately, I've no doubt. He might lose his resolve and start calling her Mudblood again. That's all we need."
"All the more reason for me to go to Devon," Harry argued. "Look, I've been out of classes for forever. What does another week or two matter?"
"For you to be missing from Hogwarts for that long without good excuse will have Lucius pressing for your expulsion, not to mention it will make you look every bit as mental as you claim not to want. No, you'll be in classes on Monday and that is that."
"But--"
"You will return to class."
Harry could tell this was going to be one of those you are my son and you will do as I say times. "All right," he acquiesced. "Just... don't hold anything Draco says or does against him. I mean, unless he does something you have to put a stop to." Then, because it seemed like he might have a little bit of influence seeing as he'd just capitulated to his father's demand, he ventured, "Um... speaking of Draco, you might also want to consider telling him that you love him, all right? Because... well, I'm sure he must know that you do, but the fact you tell me but not him... well, it's not even, and you know how important that can be to a Slytherin."
Snape glanced at the glass disk in his hand, then closed his fingers around it, but he said nothing at all.
The silence itself was telling, Harry thought. A vague suspicion began to form inside his mind. "You don't seem surprised that I know you've never told him."
Yet more silence.
Then finally his father spoke. "I suppose you'll resent it if I attempt any misdirection. You've obviously figured matters out."
"Well, it seems pretty bloody obvious that you had that," Harry pointed at Snape's closed fist, "going full blast last night when Draco and I were talking. And this morning too, huh? I thought you looked a bit odd when I was going over the cover story! No wonder, you'd heard the whole thing not ten minutes before!"
"It was interesting to watch it evolve."
"I'll tell you what's interesting," Harry scathed. "How you could listen to all that last night and not rush right back to say that of course you love him! Or at the very least you should have told him this morning! You're the one who goes on about sibling rivalry. Can't you see that this sort of thing will just create it?"
Snape pushed his hair off his face. "I see more than you think, Harry. Come into the living room," he bid, shaking his head.
Harry followed, blinking a bit in hopes that his vision would clear, but things remained horribly blurry on one side.
"Do you recall, Harry," Snape said in serious tones after they had sat in silence for a moment, "I told you that Draco broke down with me and cried? He was... I did not know how to help him, so I used a touch of Legilimency--" He held up a hand when Harry would have spoken. "I am aware you disapprove. The point is that I saw what was on his mind, and it wasn't only grief, or the situation with the Aurors, or even the fact that he blames himself. It was also what you had blurted out in your relief. He's my brother and I love him, just like that. You didn't even say it to him, you were talking to Albus and myself. And still, it was enough to... Harry, it hurt him to hear that."
"What, just because he couldn't say it back? I mean, sincerely?"
Snape leaned forward. "Obviously he felt you would require that, though that is not what I meant. Harry, think about matters from Draco's point of view." The Potions Master curled his upper lip in disdain. "You cannot imagine what this year has been for him. What has he learned? That those who loved him will see him tortured and killed because he has failed to live up to their demands. That love, in fact, is worth nothing because loyalty will trump it every time."
Harry closed his left eye as the disparity in his vision was starting to give him a headache. "The Malfoys are loyal to Voldemort, not Draco. I see what you mean."
"I hope so, since Draco gave you the highest compliment he can imagine when he declared loyalty to you."
"But..." Harry sighed and started over. "I understand your point. Loyalty, yeah... and you've declared yours to him on a pretty constant basis, protecting him from Lucius and standing up for him to the headmaster and resigning too if need be. And I'm sure he gets all that. But Dad..." Harry tapped his fingers on his knee. "I still think Draco needs to have you tell him that you love him. Out loud, I mean. Even if at first he takes it badly. There's some part of him that wants to hear it even if it hurts."