Shades of Truth

Shades of Truth

Chapter 29

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“And he’s doing really well, honestly.” Hermione told Harry as they sat in his living room waiting for Draco to get dressed. “The doctors say that he’s showing cognizance of who he is, of what’s going on, and that other than some depression, he seems to be nearly normal again. They’re thinking of discharging him after they’ve had another couple of weeks to observe him, just to make sure he’s really going to be okay.”

“So that means he’d be out by the wedding.” Harry nodded happily, “Ron must be excited.”

“He is, they all are.” Hermione pursed her lips and glanced at the staircase. “I just have to ask you one thing…”

“Okay, I’m ready!” Draco called down the stairs, and Hermione immediately cut off, shaking her head sharply at Harry when he gave her a questioning glance.

“Later.” She hissed as the blonde man joined them, dressed in very nicely tailored robes. “You look gorgeous, Draco.” She leapt to her feet and pressed a kiss to his cheek warmly. “If only you could put on a little more weight.”

“I’m fine,” Draco rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you want to go to my mother’s house for brunch. I don’t think you understand what a torture it is.”

“Well, she’s getting laid now, she should be a little easier to deal with.” Harry teased, and Draco glared at him. “What?”

“So, Hermione,” Draco turned smoothly to the woman as though he hadn’t expressed any annoyance at the other man. “Have I done my newest Harry impression for you? It’s quite good.”

“I will flay you.” Harry’s voice was icy cold, and Hermione burst into giggles as the dots connected.

“Harry’s no fun, he never lets us talk about inappropriate bedroom things.” She sighed heavily.

“Well, as a consolation prize, I’ll just offer this.” Draco pulled a grotesque face and Harry went a deep shade of red, quivering with embarrassment and anger.

“What’s that?” Hermione wanted to know. Draco leaned over and whispered something in her ear and she went nearly as scarlet as Harry, giggling horribly.

“I do not make that face.” Harry grumbled as they headed for the door.

“Maybe if I do that for mother, she’ll take more of a shine to you.” Draco offered, ducking as Harry attempted to slap the back of his head. “Temper!”

“You know, I’m doing this for you.” Harry told the other man huffily as they left the house together, heading for an alley that they could Apparate from.

“Stop being mean to Harry, Draco.” Hermione finally interceded. When Harry was a bit further ahead of them, she leaned toward Draco. “That was really funny, though. Does he really make that face?”

“On my honor as a Slytherin.” Draco answered solemnly. “Hurry, he’ll suspect we’re planning a romantic rendezvous back here,” he caught her hand in his and she laughed sharply.

“Yeah, we could elope, and leave Harry and Ron together. We’re too pretty for them, anyway.” Hermione joked as they drew close to where Harry waited for them.

“And it does seem a shame for me to deprive the world of further Malfoys.” Draco sighed heavily before attempting to kiss Harry, who batted him away. “Yes, let’s get married, Granger.”

“Excellent plan. We’ll tell your mother now.” She blew him a kiss and Harry let out a long-suffering sigh before the three of them Apparated to the edge of Malfoy Manor. The whole way up to the house, Hermione and Draco elaborated on their plans to run away together, and Harry began offering suggestions as to which one would be the husband and why, feeling a bit happier now that he was making fun of Draco, so they were all laughing by the time they reached the large front doors.

“Just remember, I love you, and if she’s going to be mean about it then she and Snape can just have each other.” Draco told Harry sharply before knocking. Hermione giggled once more.

“I think she means that as a punishment for his mother, but you know, I bet Snape is a really—“ Draco clapped a hand over her mouth.

“For my sanity, I’m going to pretend the end of that sentence was ‘greasy old hermit.’” Draco told her rather primly. “And please never talk about Snape in any way that could be…”

“Draco likes to imagine he never walked in on them shagging.” Harry offered, and Draco went deep red as Hermione’s mouth flew open in surprise.

“Really? Was it—“ but whatever Hermione was going to ask was cut off as the door was opened by a house elf and they were ushered inside. Draco clearly knew where he was going, which was no surprise, considering he’d grown up here, but Harry was privately very confused by the expansive house with its myriad passages and doorways, and he thought it was a wonder that Draco had been able to find his way around this place as a small child.

“Go announce us,” Draco told the house elf once they reached the doors that must lead to the dining room, and ignored the disapproving look from Hermione.

“He’s not trying to give it more work.” Harry whispered loud enough for him to hear. “He’s just afraid of seeing Snape naked again.”

“That never happened.” Draco looked so thoroughly pained as he said this that no one had any doubt that it did happen, despite what he said. “And I would thank you all to keep a civil tongue if you insist on accompanying me to brunch.”

The doors were opened then, and they entered the room where Narcissa Malfoy was already seated in front of a veritable feast of breakfast fare. At her side, Severus Snape had risen to his feet, and he did not sit down again until he pulled out a chair for Hermione, who first insisted on giving him a hug, which he rather stiffly accepted, though it was clear that he expected few things less than a warm greeting by Hermione Granger.

“Mother, excellent to see you with your clothes on.” Draco apparently felt no need to follow his own advice as he gave her a little ironic bow and made a show of kissing her hand before taking his own seat. “Snape, you as well.”

“Don’t call him that, Draco dear.” Narcissa chided gently, apparently able to pretend she hadn’t even heard the first bit.

“I’m not calling him father, if that’s what you’re after.” Draco pouted rather impressively, and Harry briefly wondered whether the brunch would be difficult because of Narcissa, or because of Draco’s fussing.

“Professor Snape, I think she means,” Hermione suggested, but the older man shook his head slightly.

“No longer. Simply Severus, I think, would suffice. Though if he wishes to address me as Snape, I would not hesitate to allow him that. ” He offered the room, and there was a brief silence as a pair of house elves doled out the food, despite Hermione’s brief, failed struggle to serve herself.

“It’s good to see you again,” Harry told the older man sincerely. “It was odd having the house empty.”

“Not empty for long, I think?” Severus raised a single dark brow as he slowly spread jam over his scone. “I wish I could say that I missed Grimmauld Place, but I feel that everyone here is happier in their current living arrangements as they are.” He gave Narcissa a grin that looked like he was not sure how smiles worked, but was attempting the closest approximation he could imagine. “Even your mother is happy for you, Draco. Aren’t you, my dear?”

“Severus and I have spoken about…your current…situation.” Narcissa looked as though she was not eating a bite of syrup-covered waffle, but instead a rotten banana peel. “and I have come…to understand that you are young, and I must allow you to…to discover yourself at your leisure.” There was a long silence, and were it not for the expectant look Snape was shooting at her, everyone might have thought Narcissa was finished. “And I support you in all your life choices. But I want you to remember that you’re still young, and despite what you’ve experienced, there are no end of young ladies that would jump at the chance—“

“Enough, Narcissa.” Snape cut her off, and she retired to her waffle with a rather rebellious look on her face. Harry was privately amazed at how quickly he was able to use the skills that had made him such a formidable presence in the classroom to become the unquestionable head of this household. “Draco, all of us worked hard to see you free, to be able to do just this,” he indicated the brunch they were sharing. “And we did not long to see you do as anyone else wanted, or we would have left you in prison. Freedom does not mean simply living out of prison, it means that you have all of life’s choices and possibilities placed before you, and I will find myself disappointed if you should shy away from doing what you wish simply because you think it might not be the path another would choose for you. Your mother may not have been excited to see this specific choice, but you should not let that deter you. She has her own life to live, and knows that she cannot live yours for you as well.”

“Yes.” Narcissa answered his expectant glance in the most grudging voice Harry imagined she could muster. “And Harry Potter…is a fine young man.” She said this with the tones of someone having it dragged out of her under extreme duress, but Harry expected this was probably as much as he could hope for at this juncture.

“Thank you, Narcissa, and I promise that I will always look after Draco to the best of my abilities.” He nodded to her politely, and Draco gave him an odd look that said he wasn’t aware Harry was capable of being as formal and stiff as his mother. Harry had to repress the urge to smile, but he did slide an unseen hand under the table to rest lightly on Draco’s thigh, which cleared his expression at once.

“So, I had forgotten to tell you, Ron and I have set a date.” Hermione decided to take over the conversation after a few moments of silence, turning to Snape and smiling brilliantly. “The wedding’s in three and a half weeks.”

“Congratulations,” Snape made an odd sort of face that it took Harry a moment to realize was meant to be encouraging. “May all your children not resemble him in the slightest.”

“Hear, hear!” Draco raised his glass of juice in response to Snape’s odd blessing. “I keep telling her she is too good for him, but she won’t seem to listen to me. Possibly because she secretly wants to be with me, but she realizes it’s impossible, and would like to keep her inner pain a secret.”

“That’s exactly it, Draco,” Hermione rolled her eyes as she buttered her toast. “Harry, how do you manage to live with such an overpowering ego?”

“I’m a fantastic lay.” Draco answered for Harry, causing Narcissa to choke on her tea and spill half the cup in her lap, while Severus simply raised a brow and then handed the older woman his napkin to help her mop up the mess.

“Very good, Draco,” Snape responded in a droll tone. “Are you satisfied, or shall I arrange for your mother to walk in on the two of you mid-coitus in the study?” This time Hermione choked on her toast, but luckily no more damage occurred beyond a few crumbs falling down her front.

“If she really wants to watch, I’ve always wanted to have a go with someone in father’s study,” Draco tilted his head to one side as though tempted by the suggestion. “You know, create memories of a rebellious, passion-fuelled youth, rather than my current state of complete mind-fuck.”

“I apologize for my part in your…difficulties, but without my involvement, you would likely be a gibbering idiot at this point, not to mention that if I had not intervened, you’d still be rotting in Azkaban, likely without the benefit of conjugal visits from young Potter.” Snape responded in a cool voice.

“Oh, that’s right! I owe everything to you!” Draco affected a mocking tone. “My freedom, my sanity, even my boyfriend! How could I ever repay you? How about you have your slimy way with my poor widowed mother? Oh, wait!”

“Draco, I am an adult, free to make my own choices, and I see no need to cloister myself now that your father is gone.” Narcissa straightened her back. “I spent years alone, mourning him despite his faults, and I am ready to make a new life for myself. Besides all that, you mustn’t come to me, demanding my blessings for your choice to flout your father’s wishes and my own, and then dictate to me what I should do with my life!”

“How can you go from my father to Snape?” Draco threw up his hands in exasperation. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s an excellent friend and mentor to me, but he’s not anywhere near as attractive as father! He has no money to speak of, and if he’d had any, it would be rather difficult to access, considering he’s a wanted murderer who was only recently presumed dead!”

“I killed for you, if you’ve forgotten, and I would not have made the same choice Albus did if it had been left solely to me to decide.” Snape’s voice was suddenly an angry snarl Harry recalled from his school days, but he had rarely witnessed him directing his ire at Draco.

“You killed for her!” Draco pointed at his mother. “Then you framed me for killing you!”

“Your father planted that memory.” Snape countered. “And if I didn’t kill him, as your mother asked, you would have been killed as a punishment for your failure, as well as your father’s failures! I have looked out for you and supported you from the day you were born, despite your reluctance to accept help from anyone even when the alternatives are horrible, because of your stupid, stubborn pride and pigheadedness. Your mother has done the same, trying to protect you even from those punishments that were deserved, coddling you to a ridiculous degree, despite your severe lack of gratitude or respect for her sacrifices. You are in no position to judge our private lives, or begrudge us our small bit of happiness!”

“You’re not my father!” Draco roared back, and Hermione leapt to her feet, clearly prepared to intervene if the fight became physical. “You never will be!”

“I do not wish to be anything of the sort!” Snape snapped back.

“Then stop shagging my mother!” Draco pulled out his wand, and in an instant, so did Snape.

“Boys! No hexes at the table!” Narcissa used her sternest tone to no effect.

“Okay!” Hermione had her own wand out, and both men clearly took her intervention a bit more seriously. Both had at some point been on the receiving end of her displeasure, and clearly had no wish to relive the experience. “How’s this? Narcissa, you support Harry and Draco. Draco, you support Severus and Narcissa, and everyone eats nicely with no yelling or jinxes. Or, I can lock you two up in those dungeons Draco tells me about, and you two can curse each other silly while the rest of us eat in peace.”

There was a long silence, Severus and Draco both eyeing each other warily, and then slowly putting their wands away simultaneously, still watching one another cautiously, their eyes darting over to Hermione occasionally to gauge the danger there.

“Good,” Hermione’s wand disappeared as well and she sat down primly, her back nearly as straight as Narcissa’s. “Pass the jam, please?”

Harry handed her the requested jar as Narcissa watched it all with no small amount of amazement. It was clear that she had never witnessed a witch like Hermione exert her power before. Finally, the blonde woman turned to Hermione and offered a dazzling smile.

“You know, I had heard that you were formidable, but I suppose I underestimated you, possibly due to your origins,” she spoke in a measured tone. “But I have to say, I quite like you.”

“Oh?” Hermione was caught by surprise at this, as was Draco, who looked quite thunderstruck at this revelation. “Thank you.”

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To be Continued…