"But surely just a little bit of flour wouldn't matter--"
"It'd derail my diet for days."
Dudley was still a little pudgy, Harry thought. Plump, even, but he'd made such tremendous progress that Harry couldn't demand things that would set him back. "All right, then." He smiled weakly. "Dinner here sounds great.".
"Let's go out on the back patio and I'll get the barbecue started. I bought some good steaks." Dudley headed out the French doors.
Draco chuckled, leaning close to Harry as he spoke in a very low voice. "Think he'll serve them with that sauce his dad used to make?"
Harry flushed, remembering the letter he'd written but never sent. "Shut up. Don't you dare say that where he can hear you."
"Would I do a thing like that?" Draco sailed past, grinning widely. "So, Dudley. What are the different jobs you've got up for consideration, eh?"
"Mention of this Piers appears to disturb you," said Snape, taking Harry's arm before he could go outside with the others.
Harry was surprised his father had noticed. Perhaps Snape had been paying attention to more than he'd realised, but Harry still didn't want to talk about it. "It's all right. He and I just... never mind."
------------------------------------------------------
As it turned out, Piers didn't get home until just before Dudley was ready to serve. "Harry," he said, smiling in sort of an oily way. Just seeing it gave Harry a creeping feeling. "Good to see you, good to see you!"
Harry didn't see anything good about it. "Piers." he said levelly. Hmm, maybe trying for Draco's so-called perfect manners would be the way to handle this. "I don't know what Dudley's told you. About my new family? This is my father, Severus Snape, and my brother, Draco Snape."
Piers gave Draco a definite appraising glance, looking him up and down in almost the same way Draco looked at girls. Harry would have known then, even if Dudley hadn't said anything, that Piers was attracted to his own sex. The shocking part, though, was that when Piers turned back toward Harry, he gave Harry the exact same kind of appraisal.
And he acted as though he liked what he was seeing. "Dudley did mention your adoption, yeah. But I can't see why you'd need a father now, Harry. You're all grown up."
He said that like he was thinking of all sorts of grown-up things he could do with Harry.
Harry was torn between extreme irritation and complete disbelief. It was more than a little off-putting to realise that Piers was interested in that with him. But then again, he'd given Draco a look and a half, too.
So perhaps Piers was the type who'd hook up with anyone willing. That went along with the stories about wild parties, Harry supposed, but he still thought Piers had a lot of nerve to even consider that sort of overture after the way he'd treated Harry for years.
"I heard you made a special dessert," said Harry, deliberately moving away from Piers. For good measure, he took a seat in a lawn chair, choosing one between his father and Draco. Snape gave him a curious look, but Harry just shrugged in reply.
Dinner turned out to be steaks, grilled vegetables, and a pretty fancy salad. With the custard thing for dessert. Harry didn't much care for it, but perhaps that was because he'd been spoiled by the elves' wonderful crËme brulÈe. Still, Piers kept fishing for compliments, from Harry and Draco both, so Harry finally said that it was tasty.
Draco seemed intent on demonstrating his talent for double-talk. "I've never had anything quite like this," he said, a sly grin creeping across his face.
Piers scooted his chair a little closer to Draco's. "So you like it, then? You really like it."
"I'd have to describe it as... oh, my goodness gracious. What would be the correct term? Singular, that's it."
"Singular?"
Harry could tell that Draco was thinking how stupid Muggles were.
"Without compare," he said, gesturing rather elegantly. "I can honestly say that it's the best low-carbohydrate dessert that's yet to grace my refined palate."
The only one, he means, Harry thought caustically.
Perhaps Draco had overdone that last bit; Piers began to look suspicious. "Yeah? You aren't eating much of it."
"Ah, well, that's the true indication of its quality, don't you know. A tiny taste suffices." Draco rubbed his stomach.
Harry saw their father's lips twitch.
Despite his moment's suspicion, Piers was clearly enraptured by Draco, Harry thought. He was fawning on his every word and looked as though he'd like to be the next thing Draco nibbled. Draco was either oblivious or found the whole thing amusing enough to keep going; Harry couldn't tell.
Either way, Piers was rather pathetic and Harry didn't want to watch any longer. "I'll help with the washing up," he volunteered, picking up a few dishes to cart inside.
"You're a guest here," said Dudley.
"Family," corrected Harry.
"Yeah, but you had to do enough of that when we were little--"
Ignoring him, Harry took the dishes inside and started loading them into the dishwasher. Dudley was still shaking his head when he followed, bringing more dishes. "But Marsha told me not to remind you how we used to treat you, Harry!"
"It's all right."
Unfortunately, Harry's ploy to get away from all things Piers failed a few moments later. Dudley had disappeared to use the loo, and the moment Harry was alone, it seemed, Piers sidled into the kitchen, leaning rather laconically against a counter as he watched Harry bend over to pour washing powder into the machine.
"You're looking good, Harry. Very good."
Harry straightened and turned around. "Oh, cut it out, Piers."
The taller boy's lips curled, just slightly. "Bad memories bothering you, Harry?" He edged a little closer, his fingertips drumming on the countertop. "Haven't you figured it out, though? If I was... a bit antagonistic at times, it was just because my father was a lot like your uncle. No tolerance for Nancy-boys." He grimaced. "I was trying to be, you know. Extra masculine, I guess."
"You were a bully and you know it."
"Kiss and make up?"
Harry scoffed. "As if."
"Don't you understand?" Piers slanted him a glance. "If I picked on you in particular--"
"If?"
"It only meant that I was attracted and didn't know how to handle it, Harry." Piers' teeth flashed in a smile that might have been dazzling in anyone else. Coming from Piers, Harry found it almost repulsive.
"It's not mutual," said Harry, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.
"Oh, that's just hard feelings talking." Piers leaned closer. "I was no worse to you than Dudley, you know, and you've obviously forgiven him--"
"That's enough," said Harry, trying for a stern tone as he leaned away. "I'm not interested, all right? So I'd appreciate it if you'd keep your... whatever, to yourself."
"Think you're better than me, do you?" Piers laughed, the sound a little bit ugly. "You always were a sanctimonious little prat. So what are you interested in, eh? Still talking to snakes?"
Harry wished he'd brought Sals, then. He'd have fished her out of his pocket on the spot. As it was, he was having a hard time controlling his anger.
Perhaps Piers sensed that. He abruptly backed away, though he was smirking. "Well, there are plenty of other fish in the sea, and you're hardly the best-looking bloke around. Take your brother, for instance. He's quite dishy, don't you think? And he didn't seem nearly as uninterested as you're pretending to be."
Not being able to take no for an answer, thought Harry, just proved that Piers was still a selfish bully where it counted. But it was actually amusing that he'd misread Draco's perfect manners for something else.