"Well, let me know if you can go and you change your mind about going with us," said Nott before he turned and walked away.
"Whew." Ron blew out a breath as though relieved. "I was afraid you'd say yes to him, and then Hermione and I would have an awful time trying to watch out for you."
"Give me a break. Nott? I told you I wasn't about to become his friend. I don't trust him. Not one bit."
"Yeah, but you want so much to be a real part of Slytherin. You think I didn't know?"
"Severus would really like it. Draco too, I think. Well, once he gets over being so angry with them. And vice-versa. They don't like him much any longer."
"Tell him some fat bribes'll solve all that," Ron sneered.
"Oh, but--"
Harry abruptly broke off what he'd been going to say. He'd felt all right telling Ron that Draco was rich after all, but revealing the opposite would absolutely mortify his brother, he knew.
"But what?"
He was saved from answering by Hermione. "You'd better go, Harry, before your father comes looking for you."
Harry couldn't help but stare. "How do you know about the points McGonagall took?"
"Points?" Hermione shrugged that question off. "Snape's expecting you, isn't he? Every Tuesday and Thursday?"
"And most weekends besides," put in Ron with just a touch of resentment.
"Some people actually value their families, Ronald."
"Oh, shut up Hermione!" shouted Ron. "I'm one of those people, in case you hadn't noticed!"
"Well no, I hadn't, what with the way you complain all the time!"
"Jeez, you two are going to make me wish I'd told Nott I'd go around with the Slytherins!"
Ron and Hermione both abruptly stopped talking.
-----------------------------------------------
Harry had fallen into the pattern of eating dinner with his family every Tuesday and Thursday night, as Hermione had obviously noticed. That way, he got to see his brother before and after each therapy session. He hadn't been able to figure out yet if the doctor was helping Draco or not, but figured it would probably take a while to really be sure.
He'd been in two minds about visiting on this particular evening, as the subject of points was more or less guaranteed to come up, but on the other hand, he hadn't been in the mood to listen to Ron and Hermione any longer, either. He wished the two of them would just get over it. Hermione wasn't falling for Draco any more than she would fall for a blast-ended skrewt, so there was no reason for Ron to be so jealous. Not that it was all Ron's fault. Hermione ought to tell him she wasn't interested in Draco!
Either that, or the two of them should just agree that they'd be mates again, and forget the whole boyfriend-girlfriend thing.
Dinner at home went well at first. It was sort of like old times, in a way. Draco was caught up with his lessons and staying that way. When Snape began to quiz them both about this or that concept or spell that they were learning, it turned into a bit of a friendly competition, each of the boys trying to out-do the other. It turned out that Draco was getting to use the borrowed wand quite a bit, for all that Snape still insisted he be supervised.
Draco made a couple of caustic comments about that, but by and large he seemed to be in good spirits.
They played Wizard's Scrabble after dinner, Harry and Draco teaming against Snape, much good it did them. Their father's vocabulary was simply too extensive. They all had great fun though; that was what counted.
After the game, Snape poured them each a small measure of Galliano and sat sipping it as he watched Harry and Draco chatting. He wasn't really relaxed, though; Harry realised that when his father abruptly asked the question Harry had been dreading all night.
"Five points from Slytherin, Harry?"
Harry put down his empty liqueur glass and met his father's eyes. "Yes. Sorry. But you know, you don't have that much to complain about. Five points is nothing. Do you know how many points you've made me lose Gryffindor over the years? If we added them all up, it'd be about--"
"I'm not interested in recounting our rather colourful past," Snape interrupted. "I'd like to know who took points and why."
"Oh, just Professor McGonagall," said Harry, quickly deciding he didn't need to mention Aran at all. "Because I was rude. It's over and done with and it won't happen again, sir."
"Sir?"
"Well you have me in school mode now, don't you?" Harry took a breath. "Anyway though, when McGonagall was talking to me, she mentioned something... um, she said to ask you about it. She said you'd have it all arranged and I should just ask so I would know."
"Perhaps if you would ask, I would also know," said Snape in a dry voice.
"All right." Harry took a deep breath, thinking this should be easier than it was. He almost wished he'd never started in on it, even though it had been a handy way to get the conversation well away from questions about just what he'd said that had been so rude. "Er... when you adopted me... oh, Draco as well, of course... who did you arrange to take us in if you were to die?"
Snape stared at him. "I am not going to die, Harry. Put that thought out of your head."
"You can't promise that." Harry heard his own voice, heard the shakiness in it, and hated it. Inside his mind he saw that boggart again, saw Snape's life blood pouring out of him... "You think Sirius planned to leave me? And you're in more danger than he ever was, what with that mark still on your arm and Voldemort wanting more than anything to get even for what you did for me on Samhain."
Snape looked frustrated. He started to say something but cut himself off after only a syllable, then began again. "The provision is a contingency only, Harry. Molly and Arthur Weasley were quite pleased when I asked them to bring you into their family in the event of my death."
"Oh, the Weasleys." Harry let out the breath he'd been holding. "That's perfect, that is. They're even Order members. And I'd be brothers with Ron, too!"
The Potions Master's lips twitched. "Disappointed I'm still here?"
Harry laughed, though behind the wry question he thought he heard a little bit of real concern. "Of course not, Dad. I just meant, that's about the best you could do, I think."
"What have you arranged for me?"
Snape's face lost all expression save one as he glanced at his other son. He was bracing himself. For what, Harry couldn't imagine, until the man spoke. "The Weasleys will take you in as well."
Draco's teeth glinted as his expression split into a wide smile. "Oh, sure. Be serious, Severus--"
"I assure you, I'm quite in earnest. Would you like to see the papers yourself?"
"Yes, I bloody well would!" Draco jumped to his feet. "The Weasleys! The Weasleys! What were you thinking?"
Snape stood up as well. "Accio Draco Snape's adoption papers," he said, flicking his wand. He kept speaking as doors opened and a tightly rolled scroll came sailing towards him. "It really was the best option. At the time I filled these out, I'd already settled the matter for Harry, and I was hardly about to separate you from your brother in the event of my death."
Draco gave a sharp nod as though that made sense. "Yeah, I'd want to stay as close as possible to Harry. Not that he probably needs protection considering his dark powers, but one never knows when another pair of eyes will make the difference." Taking the papers from his father, he quickly read through them. "But still, the Weasleys? Thank Merlin I'll be seventeen come August and be of age to decide things for myself!"
"You should have heard them when I asked."
The comment brought Harry up short. "They aren't so willing to take Draco in?"
"They are," Snape corrected. "It was not, however, a suggestion they had been expecting. It took them a good ten minutes to consider all the ramifications of the idea. But in the end they agreed."