"Um, how about some lunch first?" Harry asked when he was completely dressed and a little less hot and bothered.
"First good idea that's come out of your mouth all day Potter." Harry sighed; he obviously wasn't going to be able to have a completely civil conversation with Malfoy for a long time.
The house elves, living up to their usual talent for overdoing things supplied them with a table overflowing with food, drinks of all sorts, and sweets.
"Thank you." Harry smiled at the house elf, which squeaked in delight and disappeared in a flash.
"So…" Harry attempted to fill the uneasy silence. "How have you been?" The moment the words left Harrys mouth he mentally hit himself over the head.
"Positively fantastic Potter, I went on this lovely little picnic a few days ago and this morning I was playing Croquet on the lawn with my darling father, its all been rather delightful. And how about you?" The voice dripped a level of sarcasm that even Severus would have been hard pushed to beat.
"Sorry," Harry mumbled, "stupid question."
"Yes, hugely. Now are we going to eat, or do you want to say grace?" The suggestion was laid out with the explicit message that any attempt at 'grace' would be scorned.
Harry transfigured a sofa out of a quill and sat down, resting on Severus who sat next to him. Draco lounged on the love seat like he owned the place and then sat up and daintily picked up a plate and some sandwiches, obviously annoyed about not sitting at a proper table to eat, as every self respecting Malfoy would do.
"Would you two mind not sitting so close together, I'm trying to eat and all I keep seeing in my head is the hideous spectacle I witnessed this morning."
"Mr. Malfoy, may I enquire as to why you are so adverse to myself and Harry's choice in partnership?" The tone was cold and formal.
"Nothing really, only that your old enough to be his father, you're a Slytherin, and he was sorted into Gryffindor, even if he does have Slytherin traits. Also, I don't see why an intellectual person such as your self would be interested in some moron who doesn't even have the decency to get dressed right away when someone comes round. I just think that as Slytherin head you should be picking a far more respectable choice of partner"
"I warn you Mr. Malfoy, I am your head of house. For safety reasons I would warn you away from saying such things about the man I have chosen to love."
"Whoa, you're serious about this?"
"Very." Said Harry, his heart racing. He knew that Severus loved him, but he had never expected the man to just come out and say it like that, so openly.
Draco eyed them with suspicion before shrugging and returning to his sandwiches. Harry and Severus tucked in as well.
"So, school starts back again in two days." Harry attempted conversation again after carefully searching for a neutral topic in his head for the last five minutes.
"Yes, if I'm still free to go to classes without fear of my father trying to remove me from them, I might actually enjoy the distraction they provide." Harry groaned silently, was every thing he ever said going to be stupidly tactless?
"I'm sure Dumbledore will protect you from your father."
"I'm sure Dumbledore will not know of my fathers intentions." Said Draco pointedly, "and Potter, let me get this straight, I don't need protecting from any one, I can look after myself."
"No one is saying you can't Mr. Malfoy, but you father is on the board of Governors, it might be hard to keep you here with out the Headmasters help." Even as he said it Severus silently wondered if Albus would help the boy at all. If they told the old man the truth, Sev was sure he would jump at the chance of having a second spy in the death eater ranks, and get Draco to take the Dark Mark, Severus would not with that fate on anyone bar Voldemort himself. He knew just what sort of personal hell it was.
"Call me Draco not Mr. Malfoy, I'm not my father."
"Very well."
"I can look after myself. I just have to find a place to stay until classes start. I can get the rest of the bored under my thumb, they have known me since I was little, my father always taught me it was better to have connections every where. They will all be eager to 'look after' me now mother has, well..." Draco trailed off.
"You're quite welcome to stay here until school starts Draco, I'm sure I can find an empty room you can stay in."
"Fine." Draco said, relieved, he had been hoping that Severus would suggest that, he really did have no where better to go, he had a few non-Death Eater friends, but most of them were ether recovering after the battle, dead or his father was well aware of them and so he would be an obvious target if he stayed with them.
"I will try to set up a room close to here, but I will have to inform Albus, it would be a little difficult not to."
"I really hate that man, he is a manipulative asshole." Draco muttered. Harry was starting to wonder if he was the only one who hadn't realised this long before. He voiced these thoughts and Severus chuckled.
"I told you, Gryffindors worship the ground he walks on, I'm sure you were never given any reason to think otherwise. Most Slytherins though were taught to dislike him from birth. I think if you mix the two opinions together you get the real Albus if there is such a thing. He will do anything to get what needs to be done, done. That doesn't make him evil." Severus absently rubbed the mark on his arm.
"Still, is there anyway not to tell him?"
"I'll do my best." Severus finished his food and reached out for a mug of tea. He disliked it greatly, but the only alternative was Pumpkin Juice. Sipping it quietly he started to think, Harry had Ron's funeral tomorrow. He bitterly wished he could go with him. Harry had not really said much about it, but he had found the letter next to Draco's this morning informing him of the time and place. They would have to find out what Draco knew before that.
Harry set down his plate after eating only half of what was on it and then rested his head on Severus's shoulder as Draco finished eating.
"Draco, is what you know about Voldemort useful?" A very serious atmosphere filled the room at the comment.
"Yes. I'm not actually sure any one but my father and Voldemort know. I don't think Voldemort really wanted even my father to, but it was necessary because he had to have Lucius able to access Hogwarts at all times, that's why he got my father to become a governor. He needed to be able to get someone inside Hogwarts any time without having to explain himself."
"So he could get to something?"
"Noooo." Said Draco, trying to point Harry toward the answer, "not someTHING."
"Someone then?"
"Yes! Sort of." Draco grinned; this might just turn out to be easier than he'd thought. He might not be able to tell Harry out right, but Harry seemed to be doing fine with hints.
"Me?"
"No."
"Um, Albus?"
"No."
"Sev?"
"No. Someone who's not meant to be here."
"You?"
"No, why in Slytherins name would Voldemort spend so much effort to get at me if all he had to do was stop me going to school in the first place. He would have been perfectly capable of it. He has my father under his thumb."
"OK, but I can't think of anyone else."
"Wasn't it funny in second year?" Draco said suddenly.
"What's that got to do with it?"
"Oh yes, when every one thought you were someone you were not! That was brilliant fun!" Draco continued acting as if Harry hadn't said a word.
"There is someone Polyjuiced so every one thinks there some one else? Oh my god is it Oliver, he has been so nice to me, why would he do that! Oh my god, Oliver is an agent for Voldemort!"
"No, damn it Potter! It's not some Conspiracy theory to get the Boy Who Lived. It's To..." But Draco didn't continue. He was on the floor clutching his head in his hands crying out in agony before he had finished the first word.
Harry rushed to his side and shakily Draco stood up, batting away Harrys out stretched hand.
"Bloody Spell." He growled. "Try to stop being such a stupid prat Potter. I'm trying to explain it to you, stop being so damn insecure, it's not about you! I'm trying to give you the best clues I can, you are being deliberately Obtuse!"
Harry glare but sat down, this was going to be one fucked up game of Charades.
~*~*~Tbc~*~*~
A/N: Hello people, long time no see! Well, this is an un betaed chappy, Lexi is ill (One two three, all together now, "Awwwww") so Big Hugs to her, and hope she feels better soon.
I'm just gona put this chappy up now though cos I haven't posted in forever so please forgive the fact there will be more mistakes than usual.
Lee Lee Potter: Yup, I like writing playful, but sometimes (most of the time) I'm In too much of a bad mood to write fun stuff!
Brian: Ugh, oh well, I'll fix that later, I'm going to finish the story and then maybe I'll take it all away and fix it and re-post it. Thanks for pointing it out.
Devin: Thank you, I liked that chappy, but I think that's cos I like Draco, I had to re-write this chapter like 4 times though cos I'm having trouble keeping Draco in character.
Stephanie: Aw thank you so much, Praise like that makes me glow!
Moraco: Tee Hee, tickling is fun!
Xikum: Mm, I never thought of that, I guess Luc would have to be a hypocrite
oh well. =)
Snape coolgirl: LOL I don't know why but Sev strikes me as the over possessive type.
FODMonkey: Hullo, yeah, lil bit of Dray torturing but all in a good cause. WooHoo, I have the internet back! I'll stop complaining bout blue yonder now!
See you all next chappy (Hopefully I'll have it out sooner) and don't forget to feed the author, the "Go" button is just down there!