Draco sat down and hung his head in his hands. "Then I guess I'll just stay out here. It's better than dosing myself with Venetimorica."
"It's your choice," Snape calmly said. "Though I think the other course of action provides far more hope for your future. You see, this way, Draco, you are refusing to accept responsibility for your actions. I will watch over you every second if that is what it takes to keep you from doing something as unutterably foolish as this again, but my watchfulness cannot change the kind of person you are at heart. Quite likely I can keep you from mischief until you are grown and on your own, but who will protect you from yourself then, Draco? I fear that if you take the easy road now, you will only delay the inevitable. The day will come again when you are just so angry that you strike out once more."
"And end in Azkaban," Draco finished, looking up.
"Draco, I brought up Azkaban because I thought it might clarify matters for you, but it isn't really what I wanted to communicate at all. Do you want to be a decent person? That's the crux of the matter, surely. You've taken Lucius for your model in more ways than one--"
"I have not!"
"Yes, you have," Snape sighed. "You don't even realise how much so, Draco. Your family expressed disdain for Walpurgis Black by removing his name from yours. And you did much the same when you took Snape for your surname. And this need for vengeance at any cost, that is very much like Lucius as well. He can't seem to let go of his anger against you. Do you want to be like him, Draco?"
"No," said the boy in a low voice. "I don't. I want to be a Snape. And that's why I took your name. It wasn't..."
"You learned growing up that names provide powerful weapons, particularly when used against family." Snape shrugged. "Draco, it doesn't matter to me precisely why you wanted my name. I merely want you to honour it. And this is not the way."
"I... no, it wasn't," said Draco, a little thickly. "But you can't quit your job, Severus. You have Harry to think of. He needs you there with him at Hogwarts."
Harry was about to say that was right, he did, but his father was already shrugging the objection away. "The separation would not be to my liking, but Harry and I would find a way to manage."
"You'd put me above Harry?"
"No, you idiot child. I'll do for you whatever you need, and I'll do exactly the same for him. And right now, he doesn't need me in quite the way you do."
"He can speak for himself," Harry dryly put in. "I've gone long enough without family."
"But you would survive the bare ten weeks until summer when we could be together again."
"Well yes, but--"
"No, no, no, you can't quit your job!" Draco insisted, his voice sounding off-kilter. "If you suddenly resign, Family Services will come poking around to question why! You're well-enough known that it will get reported! And you're supposed to support us and set a good example and what if they think you're not? They might start investigating and realise that rugby story was a front, and then they'd unadopt both of us straight away from you!"
Harry couldn't let a statement like that go unchallenged. "Draco, Severus was your father before you had a certificate to prove it. You can't be unadopted, not where it counts. And neither can I."
"If they tried you'd still end up hating me," Draco said, his voice dull. "And if you hate me, then I'm a dead man."
"If they tried I'm sure I'd blame you and be angry," Harry corrected. "But I wouldn't hate you. Look, in a normal family people get angry and they get over it. I'm angry now, if you want the truth. Does it look like I'm throwing you to the wolves the way Lucius did?" Grabbing Draco's hand, Harry held tight to it. "Don't you get it yet? I l--"
"Stop saying that!" Draco hand began shaking as though palsied. "I can't say it back, Harry! How do you think that makes me feel?"
"I don't care if you can't say it back!" Harry tried to think of how to explain. "Look, I've been around Ron a lot and he takes his family pretty much for granted. It's something he's always had. But I've never had a brother before and I like it and I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me, all right? Not even you. You're stuck with me." Harry glanced at his father. "And him. You think he cares what Family Services has to say? You're his son no matter what!"
"No, I don't think he cares what Family Services has to say. That's pretty fucking obvious." Draco made a noise like a half-strangled sob. "Oh, Merlin, I guess I'd better... but that icing looks so putrid. I think I'd rather live in the wilds of Devon forever than..." He raised his gaze to Harry's. "But you think I should?"
"I..." Harry couldn't say he did, not as bluntly as that. Venetimorica was awful, awful stuff, but wasn't a term in Azkaban much worse, and longer-lasting as well? And if the one could save Draco from the other, wouldn't the suffering be worth it, no matter how bad it became?
"Don't do this because Harry says to," urged Snape, kneeling and taking both Draco's hands in his, though that meant making Harry let go of the one he was holding. "And for Merlin's sake, don't do it on account of my job. Do it for yourself, Draco, because you know you need to set your feet upon another path, and this is the first step. The hardest, perhaps, but necessary."
Draco's skin was tinged green by then. "Severus... I... I don't want to eat one of those... things."
Snape said nothing.
After a moment, Draco swallowed thickly. "I... I suppose I will, though." He sat back and leaned against the back of the couch. "Guess it's just as well I was too upset to eat much breakfast, though I can't say as I'm hungry now, either. Maybe it could wait until later?"
"Draco."
"I know, I know," said the boy, his face growing even greener. "It's not going to get any easier. The longer I put it off the worse I'll feel." He gave a dry laugh that sounded far more like a cackle. "Though that's not really true, is it? I'll feel a lot worse after I eat the thing. Well, after it starts to... work, anyway."
Harry couldn't stand it any longer. "I'm sure you don't really have to eat one. Just being willing to is enough, isn't it? Dad?"
Snape shook his head.
"Oh, come on, he really is sorry now--"
"Stay out of this, if you would, Harry," said Snape.
"Better do what Dad says," said Draco, shaking his head. "He isn't going to budge."
Harry opened his mouth to reply, but the shock of what Draco had said robbed him of words. Better do what Dad says. Draco never called Snape that, never. Perhaps, in some horribly twisted way, this incident was helping Draco finally understand that he couldn't push Snape and Harry away no matter what he did.
Nodding, Harry sat back.
Draco was still staring at the platter of cakes, looking about like he'd pass out on the spot. He cleared his throat several times, then croaked in a voice so weak it was barely audible, "I... I think I need a glass of water to... uh, wash it down..."
"You may have one if you wish, but I seriously doubt you want to put anything unnecessary into your stomach today."
"Uh... yeah, that's a good point..."
Harry wasn't really sure Draco was going to do it, not until actually he reached out and took a fairy cake between his fingers. Dobby had been so careful not to allow Harry to touch them, and Snape had avoided contact also, which told Harry that the poison could be absorbed through the skin. Draco knew that too, Harry was sure.
Lifting it up, Draco opened his mouth and visibly winced, then lapped out his tongue and swiped it against the icing, barely touching it. "Uhhhgh," he moaned, shaking all over.