"Hi, Draco," Harry said, determined to be casual even if the other boy acted like a total git about having a half-giant occupying the better portion of the couch. He thought of adding, you remember Hagrid, but decided it wouldn't go over so well. "How are you holding up?"
A sneer settled onto the other boy's features. "Did I or did I not make it clear to you that I'm far from an invalid?"
Harry gave a sheepish smile as he remembered how irritating it had been to have Hermione treating him that way. "Sorry. Um, so where have the two of you been?"
Draco started to say something, his silver eyes suddenly... well, keen was the only word that came to mind. But before he could even finish a syllable, Snape was smoothly inserting, "We had a number of things to see to, Harry. I'm sure you can understand that. And even now, we aren't truly at leisure; Draco has to prepare a statement for tomorrow night's hearing."
Harry couldn't but notice that Draco was glaring at Snape. The Potions Master just shrugged, his dark eyes communicating something... an intent something, but though Harry saw it, he didn't quite understand. On the other hand, he did understand why making a statement to the Board... to Lucius, sitting in judgment, would be unnerving to say the least.
"Hmm, well, Draco didn't do anything wrong. Can't he just say that?" Harry raised an eyebrow as he looked at his father. "You'll have the Auror's report, won't you, to back him up?"
Draco made a slight face. "It's not a question of what to say, Harry. It's how to say it. I have to come across as forthright, upstanding, and magnanimous," the boy complained. "Or so the headmaster says."
"Actually, he said you had to be forthright, upstanding, and magnanimous," Snape corrected.
Harry understood that his father and brother had a lot on their minds, but neither one of them had so much as greeted Hagrid yet. That wasn't right. "You do remember Hagrid?" he ended up saying, after all.
Draco's perfect manners came out, then. If Harry hadn't figured out already that he used them like a shield, that would have made it clear. "Oh, yes," the Slytherin boy said, pasting a smile on his face. Any more of a smile and it would have been a smirk, but Draco kept his expression just within the margin of courtesy. "How lovely to see you again. And how is Care of Magical Creatures going this year? I do so miss the fresh air. I could always count on your class for a good, healthy dose of it."
Hagrid abruptly stood up, the couch clattering a bit as his calves brushed it. "Yeh always counted on my class for a laugh, and well yeh know it," he all but growled as he glared down.
Harry had to give his brother credit; as frightened as he was of Hagrid, he didn't quail. He did, however, abruptly step to the side. "Ah. Well, as much as I'd simply love to reminisce over old times, I do have that statement to prepare, so if you'll excuse me?" With that, Draco fled to the bedroom.
The half-giant wasn't through. "I'll be a three-eared kneazle if I'll sit 'ere and listen to 'im blatherin' on 'bout 'ow 'e misses my class, I will."
"Actually I think he said he missed the fresh air." Harry frowned. "I really wish my friends could all get on better."
As if thoughts of his other friends had summoned them, the magic doorbell began to chime. Harry checked the door parchment and saw that it was Ron alone, though. No Hermione. That was interesting.
"Hey, Hagrid," said Ron as he strolled in. He nodded politely to Snape, but spoke to Harry. "So I thought you might be ready to come back up. We want to have an Exploding Snap tournament but we're all waiting for you before we start."
"Actually, I thought I'd sleep over again--"
"Go to the Tower, Harry," Snape interrupted. "Hagrid and Mr. Weasley can both walk you back."
"I..." Harry was all set to argue, but he suddenly realised two things. One, Snape had given him a direct order and wouldn't appreciate Harry ignoring that in front of company, and two, his father most likely needed time alone with Draco to work on this statement. As left out as Harry felt, he could see that his own presence would be a distraction at best. "All right, Dad," he merely murmured, and thought he caught a flash of surprise in the man's eyes. Perhaps even a hint of respect. That was nice.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I'll come down before the hearing starts," Harry added, then stepped briefly into the bedroom to tell Draco good night. The Slytherin boy was staring at the wall. He glanced at Harry as though he wanted to tell him something, but in the end, a brusque nod was his only attempt at communication. Sighing, Harry went out to the living room and then up to the Tower as his father had said. Hagrid stayed with him right up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. When Ron and Harry stepped inside, though, Harry admitted that he didn't much feel like playing games.
"It'll get your mind off things," Ron said, urging him toward where several other sixth-years were waiting. "Come on, it'll be fun."
"No, I think I'd better not--"
"Yeah, Harry has to be good," Seamus put in, snickering. "Snape's got such sour face, I bet he doesn't approve of games at all--"
Harry's good-will over Seamus sticking up for his Parseltongue evaporated, just like that. "He plays chess and Wizard's Scrabble, I'll have you know!" he shouted, stomping right up to the other boy. "And what's so awful about him telling me to be good? What's he supposed to do, tell me to be bad? Oh, so that's it, is it? You're thinking he used to be a Death Eater, aren't you? Well, he was spying for the side of the Light, something you'd know if your head wasn't shoved so far up your own arse! I'm damned lucky we had somebody on the inside, you twit, or did you want me roasted alive from the inside out? And another thing--"
"No, no other thing," Neville interrupted, grabbing Harry's arm in a fierce grip. "You can all start playing without us. Harry and I will be back down in a little while."
As Neville began to drag him toward the stairs, Harry caught sight of the other boys. For a minute there, he'd got up such a head of steam that he'd not taken note of their reactions. Now, he did. Everybody looked positively aghast. Ron's eyes were about as wide as Harry had ever seen them. But Seamus was the worst. He looked like he'd been hit in the stomach by a Bludger.
Harry knew a twinge of vicious satisfaction over that.
Once in their dormitory with the door firmly closed, Neville let go of Harry and sat down on his own bed. Harry shook his arm in a little show of irritation to have been manhandled like that, but he didn't really want to complain about it. Thinking back to how he'd... snapped down there, it was probably best that Neville had dragged him away before said more.
Leaning back on his palms, Neville didn't say anything for a while. Probably letting me calm down, Harry thought caustically, even though he recognised that as a good idea.
"Harry, don't you know why they're teasing you like that?" Neville finally asked, looking steadily at Harry.
The truth was, Harry hadn't thought much about why. The reasons were bloody obvious, after all. "They hate Snape," he spat, starting to pace. "Well, it's not like I can't understand that. I mean, I used to hate him plenty, and I do know he's still sort of got it in for Gryffindor--"
"Plenty of people here can't stand your father," Neville calmly interrupted, "but that's not why they're teasing you. It's more... it's sort of hard to explain. It's like... you're just normal now, Harry. That's all Seamus means."