"Well, let's just say that my parents and my uncle don't see eye to eye. They're just... er, different sorts of people, you know?"
Different sorts of people. If that wasn't code for magical versus Muggle, then Draco didn't know what was.
Rhiannon was still speaking. "My mum and dad approve of me devoting my time to singing. I don't think my aunt minds much either, but my uncle insists that I need a real job, as he puts it. The local opera company here was asking for summer interns, and I was lucky enough to get a slot, but I needed somewhere to stay, and that was the deal, that's all. He wasn't going to put me up unless I worked here."
Draco figured the man he'd seen earlier must have been her uncle, then. He'd never heard of a wizard running a pool, so it stood to reason he was a Muggle. The way he figured it, she came from a pure-blood family, but her aunt had married a Muggle. Unfortunate, but it did happen. Even in Draco's own family, things like that had been known to happen.
Draco wondered for a moment if she knew that he was a wizard. Likely not, especially since he'd given his name as Snape. Malfoy was a lot more recognisable. She wouldn't know anything about a Draco Snape unless she read the fine-print announcements of adoption and such in the back of the Prophet.
"So, I'm just here for the summer," he volunteered, deciding to find out why she hadn't gone to Hogwarts. Harry would be sorry he'd made so much of that, once Draco had an explanation. "What about you? Do you go to school near here?"
"Oh, I'm done with all that." Rhiannon smiled. "I turn eighteen in September."
She was older than he was, then, but not by much. It didn't bother Draco, though he still did want to tell Harry why Rhiannon hadn't attended Hogwarts. "Where did you go to school, then?"
Rhiannon's smile faltered. "Oh. I... er, I didn't, really. I learned at home."
Private tutors, just as Draco had thought. Her parents must be well-off, if not the aunt who had married beneath her. He wondered why her parents hadn't just set her up in a flat so she could do the internship. He didn't wonder about that for long, though. Pure-blood families were usually pretty protective of their daughters. Her parents would have wanted her to stay with family. For all Draco knew, they might even have wanted her to have some exposure to the Muggle world.
Kind of like Severus making them shop as Muggles, these days.
"You learned to sing like that at home?"
Rhiannon bristled a little bit. "Why not? My mother sings a bit. Better than I do, actually."
"Can't be done." That had her smiling again, which made Draco warm to the theme. "Oh, yes. I've seen a lot of opera, and I never enjoyed Mozart half so much. Your voice is truly stunning."
A pretty blush pinked her cheeks. "Mozart's my favourite."
"Mine, too." They got to talking opera, then. Draco lost track of the time. All he knew was that he could have stood there talking to her all day long. The noise of a throat being cleared made him remember he wasn't there alone, though.
Turning, he saw that both Harry and Severus were standing on the other side of the fence around the children's pool. For a moment, he was annoyed to be interrupted. But then he realised that he still had his brother's glasses, and thought, this could be fun.
Draco walked the few feet to the fence and passed them over. "Take a good look," he whispered. Then, with a flourish of his hand: "Rhiannon, I'd like to introduce you to my family. That's my father, Severus Snape, and my brother, Harry."
"Pleased to meet you," said Rhiannon, smiling in a distant sort of way.
Draco couldn't help it if his own smile was mischievous. "Severus, Harry, this is Rhiannon Miller. I don't know if you remember, but we saw her sing last Thursday night. Wasn't she marvellous as the Queen of the Night?"
"A pleasure," drawled Severus from behind the fence.
"Hallo," said Harry. Huh, he looked a bit smug. That was a bit annoying. But then again, he was probably going to claim that working here proved Rhiannon was a Muggle. Draco's nostrils flared. Wasn't Harry in for a surprise? Now, however, wasn't the time to discuss it.
Walking back to Rhiannon, Draco lowered his voice. "So, I suppose I'll be seeing you again, sometime. Can't keep me away from a pool during the summer--"
Rhiannon's glance at his trousers and short-sleeved collared shirt was openly curious. "You don't look like you swim much."
Draco's mouth went dry. Frantically Occluding to lend support to his lie, he managed to croak out an answer. "Oh. Er... well, I came today to watch my brother's lesson. Didn't think I'd be allowed in the water."
"We're not open for free-swim during lesson times, true, but nobody will care if you splash about at the other end of the pool."
Draco nodded, though of course he'd much rather come 'round to the children's pool to chat Rhiannon up, than take a solitary swim during Harry's lesson. "Er... are you here every day?"
Rhiannon made a face. "Monday through Friday, ten until three."
Harry's next lesson was on Wednesday. The day after tomorrow. It felt like forever, to Draco.
Rhiannon directed her gaze beyond the fence. "Maybe I can convince Roger to take my chair for a while, so I can have a break."
Draco's heart sped up. Was she hinting that she'd like to spend more time with him, straight away? Was he supposed to offer to take her out somewhere, for a quick bite to eat? No matter that it was barely gone eleven. He suddenly wished he was at the pool alone. His family hanging about was really inconvenient. Draco sighed when it came to him that Harry had already changed back into the clothes he'd come in. "I guess I have to go, then."
He wished he hadn't said it when he saw the look Rhiannon gave him. Obviously he had to go, since his father and brother were standing there waiting for him. Harry was even smirking a little, like he'd seen Draco be a lot smoother than this.
Draco did his best to recover his dignity. "Bye, Rhiannon."
She just nodded, slouching a bit as she turned back to stare at the pool full of children.
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Coming Soon in A Summer Like None Other: "Lessons."
Comments very welcome,
Aspen in the Sunlight and Mercredi
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Author's Notes:
If you'd like to be notified when more of this story is posted, then send an email to ayearlikenoneother-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ayearlikenoneother/join to subscribe to the Yahoo group set up to for author alerts. After you have joined the group and are choosing your options, select any email option other than "No Email" in order to receive notices about future chapters or stories in this universe.
Chapter 8: Lessons
http://archive.skyehawke.com/story.php?no=13093&chapter=8
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A Summer Like None Other
by Aspen in the Sunlight
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Chapter Eight: Lessons
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They hadn't even walked a block before Draco wanted to turn back to the pool. "I should have asked her out, after all," he said in a thoughtful voice. "Don't you think?"
"Another day will do for that," said Snape.
Draco started shaking his head. "I can't wait. I have to go back, find out what time she gets off for lunch... hmm, maybe she works straight through until three. Well, that's all right; I can wait. I'm not hungry..." He suddenly stopped walking. "I will need some time alone with Rhiannon, I hope you understand. It's safe enough, here. You and Harry can go off shopping or something--"