Harry nodded, then. "All right." Shivering a bit, he pulled his school robe tighter around himself. "And for the record I'd have forgiven you. You know, if you'd had to hurt me as our only chance of escape."
"Harry, I wouldn't have. At least I wouldn't have done anything really bad. I couldn't."
Dad would have. He did on Samhain, because it was the only way he could be in place to save me... Harry shook his head a bit. So Draco wasn't quite as strong and ruthless as their father was. Not many people were.
Dismissing that thought, Harry crossed his arms. "Well, I do wish I hadn't doubted you. But in my own defence, I'd like to point out that you're supposed to be a bad liar! What ever happened to that, eh?"
"Occlumency, that's what happened. Good thing you told Severus to teach me." Draco shrugged on his cloak, the velvet billowing slightly. "I'm not very good at it, really, but it does help me focus on what I want to... er, project, I guess, Marsha would say. Not that she approves of lying. Anyway, Severus could see straight through me when we practiced, but then again, he's a much stronger Legilimens than Lucius was ever going to be."
Draco sank back against cushions. "Harry... I can't blame you for thinking what you did. I mean, when I first switched sides, it was because I thought I'd be better off with you. So I guess it's not so surprising that you'd think I might change my mind again. You even told me back at Christmas that you worried about that very thing. But I want you to know... everything's different now, all right?" The boy cleared his throat, but he didn't look away. "I knew when I was down in that snake pit that I had to stick with you even if things got... ugly. Anything else... it just wasn't on."
"So you tried to bring me a snake," said Harry. He had to smile at the thought. For Draco to even attempt that... it said a lot. An awful lot.
"Not at first, I didn't. I figured you'd defeat Lucius and all I had to do was not go mad while I waited for you and Severus to find me." Draco's nostrils flared. "What happened?"
"I almost cooked Lucius with wild magic. But then Aran snuck up and cast a body-bind on me."
"What an arse! After he saw me Portkeyed out, too. Arse isn't the word." Draco gave a little shudder. "I knew something had gone wrong when Lucius stopped by the pit for a moment. He said he had you, and in case they traced the Floo, he'd laid a trail to the Manor. Boasted that by the time Dumbledore broke through the wards, and found you weren't there, you'd be dead. And that was when I started thinking about how to get us both out. Lucius didn't know about your wandless magic, so I thought we'd have the advantage of surprise if I could just get you a snake. I figured your glasses and crest must be gone already, but I had my crest, and once I'd killed that snake I had a back-up plan as well. But then stupid Gibby took them both away and I realised that Serpensortia was probably our only chance."
Draco sighed. "I wasn't expecting Lucius to make me vow to tell your secrets. I wouldn't have done it, except it went along with promising to attack you, and I knew that meant I'd get my wand. I figured you'd incapacitate him, and afterwards we'd get Severus to Obliviate him so the wandless magic thing would still be a secret."
Harry chewed his lip for a minute as he thought all that over. "Well, if he's not dead we'll make sure he gets a thorough Obliviate, yeah..."
"Harry, he's dead!"
Harry sighed. He couldn't be sure if Draco just wanted to believe that, or if it was really true. But Severus would help them sort it all out, so Harry stopped worrying about whether he was a murderer now or not. Something else was bothering him. Had been bothering him all along, in fact. "Draco... why on earth did you touch that wand back at Hogwarts? When I burst in your hands were in your pockets, like you knew it had to be a Portkey!"
Draco made a scoffing noise. "Oh, please. He was holding it! In his bare hand, Harry! I know Lucius favours Portkeys, but he doesn't go about holding them after they're made. So it just never occurred to me. I should have known that if a lineage potion could key the wand just to Malfoys, Lucius could have do something to key the Portus on it just to me." Draco rolled his eyes. "Besides, the mere fact that he wasn't wearing his usual gloves should have told me something. He was trying to lure me in. If I'd had more time to think, I would have figured that out."
"If you weren't afraid of it, then why were your hands in your pockets, though?"
"Oh, I was afraid of it," said Draco, looking away from Harry again. "But not that way. I was afraid because I wanted it. I knew I shouldn't. It really has cast a lot of... um, dark spells. But I knew better than to let myself get sucked back into that life, so I was just trying to... ward off temptation, I guess. But then you burst in like that, and all I could think of was protecting you from Lucius."
"Oh, God. See, it is my fault you ended up with hundreds of snakes--"
Draco shrugged. "Not hundreds. Harry, where I ended up is my fault. I should have known you could take care of yourself."
"You're sure you don't blame me?"
"Even if I did, Harry, I'd get over it. Like I did with the burn, right?" Draco frowned, his forehead creasing. "You are my brother, after all. For real. I mean, you were right when you said it wasn't the paperwork that made it so. It's... something else. I should probably tell you, I guess. I... er... I... well, actually I did already tell you. So you know, so that's all right."
Harry blinked. "Tell me what?"
Draco looked away. "In Devon, remember? I told you... um, you know, with all my heart. That bit."
"Oh, that bit." Harry wanted to smile, but he hid it as Draco turned back to him. He wouldn't want Draco to think he was making fun. "Yeah, I remember. But you didn't mean that. Not really."
"Well, now I do!" Draco raised his chin, sounding a little bit offended. "I love you. I just do, all right? What sort of brother wouldn't? And look at you -- you don't believe me, do you? Again!"
"I believe you." Harry took a step forward, wanting to hug Draco. But it felt awkward, and Draco looked a bit alarmed, as if he'd read Harry's mind and didn't like the idea. So Harry just nodded to show that he understood.
Draco's posture relaxed a bit. "Well, now that's all cleared away... good, then. I sort of kept thinking I should maybe mention it. You know, to be brotherly."
"Oh, well, if we're going to get brotherly," challenged Harry, "How about you explain your name, eh? Draco Alain Gervais Malfoy Snape! Malfoy! And Severus knew, didn't he? I remember a weird conversation now. He wanted you to tell me, and you wouldn't!"
"I didn't think you'd understand!"
"Yeah, well maybe I don't," said Harry. He was startled when he heard how loud his own voice was getting. "You swore you'd given it up!"
"Potter, you ought to get down and kiss my toes that I didn't! Or that wand wouldn't have worked, and where would you be then, eh?"
"He'd just have given you a different wand to use. Mine, maybe!"
"It was only the lineage potion that let him attach the new spell delimiting how the wand could be used!" said Draco crossly. "He wouldn't have trusted me with one that I could have turned on him. Oh, just... Look, Harry, I know what sort of people raised you. I was positive you wouldn't have the background to appreciate--"
"A heritage of evil wizardry?"
"No, you idiot! Wards, family spells, elves! Why do you think Gibby started to obey me once Lucius was gone? I'm the eldest Malfoy in the dwelling at the moment! It's not just the bloodline that matters; I have to have the name as well! It's a weapon, me having that name!"