Harry glanced from Draco to Severus. "Any reason why nobody woke me for breakfast?"
For a moment, Draco looked startled, and then he laughed. "Yes, there's a reason, birthday boy!"
"Mind telling me, then?"
That only made Draco laugh all the harder. "Because it's your birthday, you dolt!"
Oh. That's right, it was. Harry felt himself colouring, and to cover it, he turned to glare at his father. "I never would have taken you for the type to let me have a lie-in just because it's my birthday."
"How well you know me," murmured Snape, raising one eyebrow.
"I had to cajole him into it," admitted Draco, setting his magazine aside as he rose to his feet. "I always got to sleep in, as long as I liked, every year on my birthday. That's how purebloods do things."
"Is it?" asked Snape sardonically.
Harry took that to mean that Snape had never been allowed a lie-in on his birthday.
"All right, so it's not a pureblood thing at all," said Draco, clearly exasperated. "It is, however, a consideration I always got on my birthday, and which all my friends got as well, at least until we went to Hogwarts and a certain Head of House told us no in no uncertain terms, though he couldn't do anything about those of us with summer birthdays, could he now?"
Harry had the feeling his brother had had to do quite a bit of cajoling, earlier. "Hey, don't pick a fight with Dad," he said, laughing a little bit. Hmm, didn't help much; Snape was still glowering at Draco. "Not on my birthday."
"Strange that you didn't remember it was."
"No, not so very strange," said Snape as he came to stand near Harry. A gentle tap on Harry's shoulder had him turning to face the man. "Birthdays for you have always been a solitary, late-night affair, haven't they? Come morning, there was never any acknowledgement of the date."
Oh. Maybe that was why he had been glowering so much.
"Yeah," said Harry thickly. He could have said more, but there wasn't really any point. All those years when his birthday had been ignored by everyone except him . . . he really should stop thinking about them. He had a family, now.
"Eating breakfast without you, we didn't mean that in a bad way," added Draco, sounding like he'd just then realised that it wasn't a joke, Harry forgetting it was his birthday. "I thought you'd like to sleep in, that's all."
"Well, I do feel rested," said Harry as he glanced doubtfully at the plate waiting for him. "Though I don't know that I want any breakfast, now. Bit late, really."
"An early lunch is perhaps in order," murmured Snape as he banished the breakfast plate.
"I think it's my turn to do the dishes, actually."
"It's your special day, Harry," said Draco, shaking his head. "You're supposed to enjoy it."
"All right, then, I will." Harry sat down at the table, grinning, determined to do just that.
It was a determination that was short-lived, however. Half-way through lunch, Snape's mark began to burn.
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An emergency Portkey took them straight back to Snape's quarters at Hogwarts. Snape fairly staggered as they landed, almost falling as he stepped towards his potions lab.
"Worse than usual, Severus?" asked Draco as he reached a hand out to steady their father.
"He must be . . ." Snape gasped and clutched his arm, just below where Harry knew the mark was. "He must be calling a great many at once, this time. Perhaps . . . everyone."
"Shite," swore Draco. And then, in tones of taking charge, "Harry, you get Severus as comfortable as possible. I'll start the stasis potion."
Harry got Snape settled into a chair in the corner of his potions lab, summoned the Lotion Potion, and tried to help the man apply it. Snape had other ideas, though, and batted Harry's hands away, practically growling.
"All right, all right," said Harry, backing up a little to give him some room. He remembered what it had been like to have Pomfrey fuss over him. Damned annoying, and being in a lot of pain only made it that much worse. "Does anything else help?" he asked when Snape set the flask of salve aside. "Ice, maybe, or a strong cooling charm, or--"
"Were you, or were you not, here the last time we had to do this?" barked Snape, not waiting for an answer. "Then you should remember that very little else can help!"
"Oh, yeah?" said Harry, his own frustration boiling over. His father shouldn't have to go through this, damn it! "Regular numbing spells might not do much for you, but I damned well think a wanded one of mine would, if you'd trust me enough to cast one--"
"Cut the crap, Potter," snapped Draco as he rapidly set out a row of ingredients, everything lined up in the proper order. "You aren't trying out something untested on Dad. If you have to play the hero so badly, then do it right and vivisect some rats or something, and cast your--"
"Draco, pay attention to your work," interrupted Snape, before swiveling his dark gaze back to Harry. "As for you, it's not a matter of trust. As you should know, since I insisted you be allowed to join the Order, you and Draco both. Now, conduct yourself as an adult and a member thereof, and contact Albus so that I can report this to him!"
Harry instantly felt ashamed. "Right," he said, nodding. "Send my Patronus to his office, then? What if he's not there? Will it know to search him out, or . . . are Patronuses like post owls and they can find people?"
"Patroni," muttered Draco as he tapped his wand to the counter to light a fire under a large pewter cauldron.
"Floo to Albus' office," said Snape in a weary voice. "If he is not present, write a message and give it to Fawkes. Then, wait. Albus will appear shortly."
"What if Draco needs help with the brewing--"
That had Snape looking even more annoyed than had the offer of wanded magic. "I am not an invalid, Harry. I am merely in a considerable amount of pain."
"Go, Harry," said Draco, stirring with one hand while he used the other to sprinkle mugwort into the cauldron. "Things here are under control. And you have your instructions."
Member of the Order, right. And an adult wizard, now. Time to grow up.
Harry spun on his heel and left without another word.
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He was back in less than five minutes, Dumbledore at his side. By that time, Snape was sweating even in the cool of the dungeons. Without saying anything this time, Harry brought him an iced drink, which Snape took with no more than a half-glower.
He sipped the drink as he gave his a succinct report to the headmaster, who listened to it all without comment, and then began shaking his head.
"It's been such a quiet summer that I had begun to hope . . ."
"What?" asked Snape caustically. "That Voldemort had reformed?"
"That his dabbling with Muggle medicine had permanently limited his ability to cause harm to others," finished Dumbledore calmly.
Snape's water sloshed in his glass as he made moved his arm sharply, the gesture screaming irritation. "Lupin's sporadic reports alone have put paid to that hope. You know as well as I that Voldemort is none the worse for the experience, though apparently none the better."
"Still, an old man can harbour a fantasy, Severus . . ."
Snape's expression alone said what he thought of that. Then it looked like a shutter had closed over his emotions. "Lupin will be in touch as soon as possible, I'm sure, to inform the Order as to what takes place at today's meeting."
"Isn't a daylight meeting a bit odd?" ventured Harry.
"Odd, but not unheard of."
Harry chewed his lip. "Has he often summoned his Death Eaters on my birthday, like this?"
"This isn't about you," said Snape, his voice suddenly a hard one that demanded Harry's full attention. "Whatever may happen, it isn't your fault."