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Coming Soon in A Year Like None Other
Chapter Eighty-Six: Hogsmeade
Comments very welcome,
Aspen
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Chapter 86: Hogsmeade
http://archive.skyehawke.com/story.php?no=5036&chapter=86
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A Year Like None Other
by Aspen in the Sunlight
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Chapter Eighty-Six: Hogsmeade
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"So you're sure you're all right?" asked Harry after dinner the next night.
Snape leaned back in his chair and regarded his son over a half-finished glass of wine. "I'm looking forward to a long sleep, certainly. You needn't be anxious."
"I'm not exactly anxious--"
"Harry, you've asked if he's all right about eight times!" exclaimed Draco.
Snape's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Draco. "That's quite enough. As I said last night, you've seen me in that state before and Harry hasn't."
"I'm surprised you sent Draco up for me, considering," said Harry, sighing. "It must have been pure torture waiting for me to get here."
"I'd told you that you could help," Snape answered, smiling a bit ruefully. "I must admit, in retrospect I had cause to question a promise like that. Torture wasn't far off the mark."
Harry grimaced. "Your puns are getting worse. But if you're in a good enough mood to make them... Anyway, thanks for keeping your promise to let me help with the stasis potion. I'm glad to be back in the Tower and all, but I still want to be included in family things."
Snape merely inclined his head.
"The Order meeting you went to right after... Did anyone find out what Voldemort was up to?"
"How could they?" asked Draco. "The Order's lost its spy."
No, it hasn't, Harry thought, feeling a little guilty that in this case, Draco was the one being left out. Remus might have managed to get his hands on some information...
Or not.
"At the moment his plans remain largely unknown. He's definitely been recruiting purebloods on the Continent, but other than that?" Snape tilted his wine glass and downed the rest of the contents. "I do believe I'll retire, then. Good night, Harry, Draco."
"'Night, Dad."
Draco didn't reply, though he did give a brief nod.
Snape's gait looked weary as he walked the corridor towards his bedroom.
"Oh, stop fretting," Draco chided his brother. "Look, if it's any consolation I think he's recovering better now than he used to. Wizards can adapt to just about anything if they have to. Well, strong wizards. You're proof of that. Marsha and I have been talking quite a bit about it. That childhood you had, those Muggles, and then getting thrown into the wizarding world with no warning and expected to save us all, for Merlin's sake, and you just take it in stride. Like you think it's normal."
Harry wasn't sure he appreciated being such a heavily featured topic in Draco's therapy sessions, but maybe it was inevitable. "Well, it is normal. For me, I mean. That's just how things have been."
"Right, because your childhood determines your frame of reference. Which is why it seems normal to me to think of Muggles as a largish form of cockroach."
"Draco--"
The other boy burst out laughing. "You look so outraged! I didn't say Muggles actually were cockroaches, Harry. Or even that I thought they were. I said it seems normal to me to think that way."
"Do you think that way?"
That sobered Draco. "You know, it takes some effort not to. But I know it's not exactly apropos in the circles I want to frequent. So I'm working on it. I think Marsha helps. I mean, there are times now when I can actually think about what she says. I used to sit there in my sessions and only be able to think about her squibbishness. Well, when I wasn't shocking her on purpose."
"On purpose."
Draco's teeth glinted as he grinned. "Oh, come on. You saw how shockable she was. You can't expect me not to play with her a little."
Harry tried hard not to sigh. "As long as she's helping you. Is she?"
Draco raised an eyebrow in a fair imitation of Snape. "I as good as admitted that Muggles aren't cockroaches. If that's not progress, I don't know what is."
Harry thought it was pretty paltry progress. On the other hand, for Draco... "Yeah, well just don't mention around Hermione that you think it seems normal to believe Muggles are... that."
"Not even once?"
"Once more, you mean? You've made your opinion clear enough in the past. You're lucky she talks to you at all after the things you've said."
"It's not luck. You think I don't know that? It's her wanting to stay on good terms with you. Granger --excuse me, Hermione-- knows her reaction to the adoption was reprehensible and she's determined to play her cards better this time around. Hmm. A tad Slytherin, if you think about it."
"Definitely don't mention that to her."
Draco fished in his pocket and thrust some Galleons at Harry. "Deal. Just don't forget my sweets."
Harry stared doubtfully at the pile of coins. "That's your entire allowance, Draco."
The other boy shrugged. "What else am I going to spend it on, trapped down here?" Then he scowled. "Besides, the house-elves hardly ever provide any dessert these days. I think Dobby put his bony little finger in somewhere."
"We had Napoleons just tonight!"
"In your honour, no doubt. No way would Dobby ever deprive you of a treat. Why don't you come to dinner more often? Severus and I would get better food. I don't care what he arranged with the elves, they aren't serving up the fare from the Great Hall when you visit. Well, not lately."
"Why don't you just ask Severus to let you order what suits again?"
Draco huffed slightly. "Because I happen to have a certain sense of self-possession?"
"He's your dad, not somebody you have to impress! Anyway, maybe he'll think it's time to ease up."
"Yeah, well he hasn't been your Head of House long if you think he's that easy to get around." Draco shook his head. "Anyway, Marsha more-or-less implied that chocolate's tantamount to an anti-depressant--"
"So Muggles have come up with something worthwhile, then."
"Oh, please. Don't you know any history at all? They nicked the recipe from wizards in the twelve-hundreds!"
"Chocolate comes from Mexico, you prat!"
"Did I ever say there weren't wizards in Mexico?" Draco sighed. "Let's not fight about who invented chocolate. Just get me plenty of it."
Harry took the gold coins from Draco and pocketed them. "All right, then."
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"Be good, Harry," mimicked Ron as he, Hermione, and Harry ambled along the winding path into Hogsmeade. "You know, the way he says that really is funny. Snape the dad."