And Rhiannon actually thought he was one of these . . . he all but shuddered.
On the other hand, he didn't have any other way to explain the wand, did he? Not unless he wanted to tell her that magic was real and he could prove it. If only he could prove it. Bloody stupid underage magic laws.
"Well, it's not opera," he said, pocketing the wand again.
She pouted, just slightly. "And there I was thinking you might show me something. A trick. Can you make things disappear?"
Draco's wand hand started itching. Somewhere deep inside, he heard his father lecturing him about impulse control. He needed it now, no doubt about it. Severus wouldn't let him see Rhiannon alone again--or quite possibly not at all--if Draco lost his head and started firing off spells.
But he wanted to conjure her some magic flowers to go with the Muggle ones he'd bought earlier.
He shrugged. "Oh, I can, but you know . . ."
Rhiannon sighed. "I know. I shouldn't have asked. You wouldn't ask me to sing in here, after all, and you probably need your props and such set up just so. Maybe you can let me come watch, sometime. Where do you perform? Children's parties and such?"
"Something like that," murmured Draco, trying to keep matters as vague as possible. He'd have to figure out how to get around the problem of underage magic detectors, he supposed. He wanted to show her some magic. Wanted to show her just what she really was, and watch her eyes light up with wonder. He wanted to put his wand into her hand and help her learn to swish it to and fro.
He wanted to see her blossom into the witch she was inside.
But all that could wait, he decided, until he'd worked out just how to proceed.
He nodded slightly at the waiter when he served Rhiannon first. A pity he had to meet Harry and Severus at ten. It would give them enough time to eat, but not much more. He'd much rather spend longer with Rhiannon.
After all, she was turning out to be much more unusual--and much more special--than he'd dreamed.
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Coming Soon in A Summer Like None Other:
Chapter 10, "Trip Wires" (Tentative Title)
Comments very welcome,
Aspen in the Sunlight and Mercredi
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Chapter 10: Trip Wires
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A Summer Like None Other
by Aspen in the Sunlight
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Chapter Ten: Trip Wires
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That evening in Exeter, Harry watched silently as his father rolled out yet another length of golden wire. Standing slightly apart from it, Snape used his wand to make a long, slow arc through the air while he said the same incantation Harry had heard well over a dozen times that night, in street after street.
Only when they were walking away from the Northbrook Pool did Harry speak. "So that's it, you think?"
Snape cast a glance back the way they had come, then indicated the small amount of wire left on the wooden spool in his hand. "I expect we have enough for a few more. Would you like to do them? I think you must know the process by now."
Yeah, Harry did. After two straight hours of watching his father, he thought he probably had it down pat. In theory, at least. Casting the spell himself was another matter. Seeing it successfully performed, over and over, didn't mean he would have any idea as to the correct Parseltongue translation. That was nearly always a matter of trial and error.
Harry wasn't so sure that he wanted to fumble about, figuring out the right words while Snape watched. It was different in class; there, Snape had plenty to do besides pay attention to Harry. But now, he had the man's undivided interest.
That made for a nice change, in some ways, Harry had to admit. He couldn't have a private talk with his father at the cottage, not unless he made a point of excluding Draco. And that was rather awkward. It wasn't like it had been back at Hogwarts, with Snape's quarters large enough that it wasn't so obvious when Harry would rather have their father all to himself.
Hmm. Maybe Draco wanting to go on dates wasn't such a bad thing, in some ways. Getting some time alone with Snape now was like a bit of a bonus, as far as Harry was concerned, especially considering that the man had used the time to teach him nifty new magic.
But now Snape wanted to see him perform the spell. That was a little surprising. "What about the Decree?" Harry asked. He couldn't stop himself from adding the rest. "You did once tell me that you'd heard of it, yeah?"
He almost laughed at the way Snape tried not to smile. He could always tell, now, when his father was doing his best not to let his feelings show. Positive feelings, at least. Snape liked to keep those buttoned up tight, though perhaps not so much as before, Harry thought.
"The Decree poses little issue at present," Snape said, his tone light.
Oh. No wonder he'd said that. "Those diversion spells you started with, to keep anyone from noticing what we say or do, they'll also keep the Ministry from sensing underage magic?"
Snape shook his head. "If the rules were that easy to circumvent, there' d be little point in having them at all. But in your case?" He gave Harry's fingers a rather significant glance.
"Not registered, yeah. I get that." For a second, Harry was struck with an awful sense of responsibility. His magic wasn't just bizarrely strong, or unique, it also gave him some advantages that other wizards didn't have. Of course, there were plenty of wizards with unregistered wands, but a suspicious Ministry official could still perform Priori Incantatem on those, assuming they were found. Harry doubted that a Priori would work on his fingers. He'd bet that they only understood Parseltongue. "Actually, I was thinking more about how you've been so insistent, ever since the spring holidays, that Draco mustn't Apparate alone, and such. You don't want to encourage law-breaking."
Snape shrugged, taking Harry by the elbow to guide him. The trip wire spell cast earlier tickled Harry as they passed through the far edge of it. The sensation, Snape had explained earlier, was the spell announcing that it would discount their presence. He'd gone on to discuss how to delimit trip wire spells, and what the limitations of the technique were. By the end there, he had definitely shifted into full professor mode, but that was all right. In fact, it reminded Harry how much he'd longed for magic during previous summers. He'd thirsted for it. He'd read his books obsessively, when he could get to them. Which wasn't often. That might explain why he'd missed all his classes so much, too . . . well, not Potions, he had to admit.
But this summer, he wasn't missing anything. He was surrounded on all sides by magic, and instead of punishing him for so much as saying the word, his family wanted to talk about it, wanted him to learn more all the time. Harry had got used to thinking of summers as times when he had to stay away from his real home. From his real self. But now, he was home, in more ways than one. It wasn't just that he had a father now, a real father, or a brother too. It was that they accepted him--all of him--even those parts he'd got used to believing would never be welcomed by anyone in his family.