"I'll speak with Harry now," Amaelia Thistlethorne said. "He really should have been informed of this in advance, you realise."
Snape nodded, a sweep of long, black hair brushing his face. "No doubt. You wish to interview him alone, I take it?" She had barely begun to nod when the Potions Master called out, "Harry. You are in your room, I believe?"
Harry's face heated at the implication that he was eavesdropping. No matter that he was. On the other hand, was it really eavesdropping when at least one of the people conversing knew for certain that you were listening in? Snape knew; he had to. He'd read over Harry's account of the dream. He must have recognised that it was coming true and that Harry was hanging onto every word.
Still blushing, Harry pushed his door wide and went out to shake the casewitch's hand.
"So, I hear you are back living in Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."
"That's right."
"And how is that going?"
Harry couldn't help but smile. "All right. My friends think it's pretty funny that Severus told me to be good when he dropped me off. You know, they don't think it fits his image, hearing him be so..." Harry thought better than to say sweet. "Dad-like."
"And what do you think?"
"Um, he's doing all right. For both of us, speaking of which..." Harry turned to face his father. "You didn't leave Draco alone, did you?"
"Of course not. Albus is with him."
"Oh. So, um... can you bring him home, now? That was an adoption paper you just signed, wasn't it?"
"Draco has to sign it as well," Snape murmured, watching Harry closely. "And then there are a few formalities to be observed. But once he is my son in the eyes of the Ministry, he can live here whether he's enrolled as a student or not. Albus found the provision buried deep in the Hogwarts' Charter."
Harry nodded his understanding, ignoring the casewitch for the moment. "But what about the Governors? They wanted Draco gone... do you think they'll make up a special rule that he can't live here, son or no?"
"Amending the Hogwarts charter would take some considerable time." Snape's black eyes began to glitter. "Moreover, the purpose of their action was to send a message. As Draco will remain expelled no matter where he lives, the Governors, all except one that is, should be satisfied."
"And the one will keep making trouble." Harry sighed.
Amaelia Thistlethorne frowned, her fat lips turning down. "Yes, he was a complication I hadn't foreseen."
"Foreseen, how could you have foreseen anything if the whole thing only came up last night--" The truth struck him then, the blow so hard Harry was surprised he didn't stagger. "You've had adopting Draco in the works for a while," he realised out loud, hating the sound of hurt he could hear in every word. "I... Hagrid said you'd told the headmaster I ought to be told more about what's going on around me. Didn't you mean it?"
"I meant it." Snape ran a hand through his hair. "Harry, Hagrid is the reason I didn't tell you that I'd submitted an application to adopt your brother. Draco and I wanted to let you know straight away. He tried to tell you, if you'll recall, when we arrived home on Thursday evening after dealing with the initial forms and interviews."
That was right, Draco had been terribly excited over something that night. And Snape had cut him off and not let him talk about it...
"But Hagrid was here," said Snape. "He's not the most closed-mouth of individuals, and as I didn't want Lucius catching the slightest wind of our plans... I did intend to inform you, Harry. But by the next opportunity, we had encountered what appeared to be an insurmountable difficulty and it seemed the adoption would never be allowed to go through."
"Lucius," said Harry, grimacing as he remembered how Draco's mood had gotten steadily worse over the course of the week.
"Actually, no," supplied the casewitch. "It was the head of my own office, objecting most vociferously to the entire notion. Don't forget, we had emancipated Mr. Malfoy some months earlier. In doing so, we had announced a finding that he was fully capable of functioning as an adult. To effect a custodial adoption requires us to reverse that finding." The casewitch looked away as though embarrassed. "I'm afraid my superiors took a dim view of that. They'd rather the public believe WFS is above error."
"But you just said WFS's sole concern is the best interests of the child!"
"That is in fact my concern," said the casewitch in a stiff voice. "Which is why I was advising your father not to rush into this. Your best interests are at stake here too, and with the matter of the murder being rather clouded--"
"You were hesitating because you think Draco might have done it?" Harry shook his head. "No, he's innocent. The Aurors got it right, and Fudge cast as much doubt on that as he could because he's in Lucius Malfoy's back pocket, see?"
"Minister Fudge, Harry," said Snape.
"Minister Fudge. But honest, I do know for a fact that Draco didn't kill anybody last week, Miss Thistlethorne. Lucius is behind all of this. He's trying his best to get Draco kicked out of school. Easier to deliver him to Voldemort that way." The casewitch shuddered a bit at the name, but Harry managed not to make a face. "But if Lucius Malfoy isn't the one pulling strings to stop the adoption, then who is?"
"Oh, now that Lucius Malfoy has realised what the charter will enable your father to do, he is indeed pulling all the strings he can."
"He's a school Governor but he didn't know in advance what the school charter says?"
"You're aware of my opinion of the Governors, I do believe." If not for the casewitch, Harry thought, his father might have gone into full sneering mode. As it was, Snape managed to sound merely disdainful. "Lucius appears to have found out yesterday what I had in mind, and he at once began to place obstacles in our way. Hence Draco's rather foul mood before the hearing--"
"Before and after," corrected Harry.
"Well, his hopes had been severely dashed. Once Lucius had a finger in the pie Draco rather doubted that Albus and I would prevail. He ought to have had more faith." Snape's black hair swayed as he shook his head. "At any rate, now you know why he screamed family at you in that irate tone. I trust you weren't too perturbed?"
Harry grinned. "Hey, if you could put up with Draco telling you to fuck off--"
"Harry!"
Oops. Casewitch.
Far from becoming offended, however, Amaelia Thistlethorne was softly smiling. "I'm greatly encouraged that you appear to know when to make allowances, Professor. It's a sign of good parenting, and I must say I'd wondered about that, what with your rather fearsome reputation amongst the students."
Harry was a little amused to see what looked like a touch of colour dotting Snape's normally sallow cheeks. "Yes, well... these two boys are not my students. Unless I'm teaching them, you understand."
"He does a great job juggling the two roles."
Those spots of colour gained a shade or two. "Harry, I do not need you to laud me to Miss Thistlethorne."
"All right, Dad."
That earned him a glower, but Snape didn't mean it in earnest. Harry could tell, which he thought was an all-around nice feeling. What wasn't so nice, however, was thinking about how Lucius Malfoy must have found out about the adoption. Same way he'd got a hold of Hermione's complaint letter, Harry figured.
"Professor Snape, if you might leave me alone with Mr. Potter now," hinted the casewitch as she gave the Floo a rather significant glance.
"Certainly." Snape nodded briefly in her direction before turning his attention to Harry. "I plan to stay with Draco until matters are official and I can accompany him back home. You will be all right? I should return with him before nightfall."
"That soon?"
"I'm afraid his application is being expedited even more than yours was, the circumstances being so urgent."