"I'll get dressed again and sit on the bleachers," he said, swallowing. Rhiannon might think him a bit weird if he sat there all afternoon and never went swimming, but that would just have to be borne. "That way at least one of us can . . . er, be prepared. Just in case."
"Admirable," said Severus, his eyes glinting in that way that meant he was pleased. Draco felt absurdly proud of himself. "But not needed. I am, in fact, fully prepared."
His long fingers brushed down the seam of his black trunks, and Draco suddenly understood why they were so long. It wasn't just for modesty. Severus had a wand sheath sewn into the seam, something like that.
Well, that made him feel a lot better. About their safety, and also about Severus' judgment. For a moment there, he'd been pretty shocked . . . but he should have known that Severus would find a way to keep his wand at hand.
"Good then. Let's swim," he said.
He saw Harry whisper something to the locker. Parseltongue Colloportus, probably, and Draco felt good about that, too. He wouldn't want to leave his wand, or Harry's, where a Muggle could get at it.
Harry took off his glasses then, and popped them on top of the locker, then started blinking rapidly. "Huh."
Severus went to him and tilted his face up. "Problem with your eyes? We can resume the Elixir if you feel that your vision is weakening in the least."
"No . . . actually . . . things look exactly the same when I take off my glasses. No more fuzziness, not even a little . . ."
Draco blew out all his breath in a whoosh, though he hadn't realised he'd been holding it for a moment. Ever since Harry had started that blinking. For one second, Draco had been afraid that the punch he'd landed on Harry's eye all those months ago had caused some kind of recurring damage.
But no, it seemed that everything had come out all right.
Finally.
Harry didn't need his glasses at all. Though of course he couldn't leave them off at Hogwarts since he did need the snake image etched into them. But his actual vision was perfect.
Draco sucked in a huge breath. He wanted to hug Harry. Or apologise again for that stupid blow in the first place. Instead, he flashed his brother a grin. "Come on, race you to the pool," he said, and like the Slytherin he was, made sure he got a proper head start.
------------------------------------------------------
Draco was pleasantly surprised to find out that Rhiannon was perched atop one of the lifeguard chairs overlooking the main pool. He'd have insisted they come to free swim sooner if he'd known that. She'd re-braided her hair, which he counted a shame, and not just because he thought it looked best hanging free. He'd rather have watched her braiding it, her hands reaching behind her head, her chest arching forward as she swayed . . .
Too bad he'd missed it.
Sighing, Draco spread his towel out on the cement near the shallow end of the pool, and not just because that end was nearest her. He also wanted to watch Severus and Harry. Or really, just Severus. Draco couldn't really picture the man swimming, but there he was, stepping down into the water, his long trunks billowing slightly until he was in the pool to his waist.
Strange how the man managed to keep his dignity intact. Despite all the pale, sallow skin showing, when Draco looked at him, he could almost see the usual voluminous robes.
Must have something to do with the forbidding expression, Draco thought. At that moment, he could see why Rhiannon found the man so intimidating. He wasn't even trying to glare, or anything of the sort, but the few Muggles already in the pool moved away marginally as he came forward. Almost as if Severus was putting out some kind of spell that urged them away.
Harry, on the other hand, had no dignity at all. He took the steps down two at a time and then ploughed forward through the water, leaving a wake behind him. He even managed to splash Severus in the chest.
"Sorry," he said, though he obviously wasn't. "Roger told me not to be reticent, though."
"No, no need to be reticent," said Severus as he leaned against the tiled edge of the pool, his arms stretched out to either side for support. Sighing, he let his long body float out onto the water. A bit odd, to see Severus so relaxed.
But it was only a feint. Severus waited just until Harry had come close enough, then gave an abrupt kick of his legs, sending water spraying all over Harry, drenching him.
Harry sputtered and raked his fingers through his fringe to clear it away from his eyes. "I wasn't ready to get wet, yet!"
"Is that reticence I hear?" asked Severus, his voice deep, dark, and humorous.
"You're a real riot, you are," grumbled Harry, but then he flashed Severus a quick smile and moved off so that he could start practicing his crawl stroke across the shallow end of the pool. Occasionally he had to touch down because someone was in his way, but once it became obvious that he was going to swim back and forth, the other people in the pool tended to stay out of his way.
Severus craned his neck back, for just a moment, and glanced at Draco. "So, how was your luncheon with the young lady?"
Draco didn't think she could overhear them over the hubbub of activity in the pool, but he still didn't want to say anything she might take offence to. "Not what I expected."
"Oh?" Severus turned back toward the pool. "Move your towel closer and tell me about it."
Draco rearranged himself so he was lying on his front this time, propped up on his elbows right at the edge of the pool so his head was out over the water. His gaze sought out Harry, who was looking more confident than ever in the water. Which wasn't to say that he didn't flop about awkwardly, on occasion.
"There is room in here for both of us," drawled Severus. Then he lowered his voice. "And I'm certain she'll glance your way just as much if you're wet. More, perhaps."
Draco had been very carefully not looking Rhiannon's way. He didn't want to be like a crup begging for her attention. He tried to keep the eagerness out of his whispered reply, but he didn't think he quite succeeded. "Has she been looking at me, really?"
"Yes, and she appears quite irked that you haven't noticed."
That wouldn't do at all. Draco craned his head up and waited until she was turned his way, then grinned. She smiled back, sweetly enough that Draco felt giddy just seeing it. He wasn't even kissing her, now, but he had the same sense as before, that the colours were brighter and scents more intense.
Even the chlorine in the water smelled pleasant at that moment.
Severus' voice suddenly broke through the spell. " . . . and furthermore, you aren't listening to me at all, are you?"
"Huh?" Draco turned back to his father. "Did you say something?"
"Apparently, nothing of import."
Draco felt himself flushing, and quickly hung his head, brushing his fringe down. "What?"
Severus shook his head. "Never mind. You were going to tell me about your date, I do believe?"
Draco frowned. "I never understood the boys in Slytherin who would gossip about the girls they'd just been out with. And then they'd be surprised when word got around that they'd been telling tales. Very bad strategy."
It was only that, of course, if you wanted to keep dating the same girl. Which had always been the case with Draco. He'd spent years being stuck on Pansy. Ha--he'd wasted those years.
"Anyway, I just thought I ought to establish at the outset that I won't kiss and tell. I wouldn't do that to Rhiannon."
"Very commendable."
Laughter was lurking behind the words. Draco could hear it, and he knew what it meant. Severus thought Draco was getting ahead of himself, there. He didn't think that Draco had so much as kissed Rhiannon, yet.
Draco felt more than a little smug that not only had he kissed her, but that they'd snogged for a good--huh, he wasn't sure how long, really. Long, though. He was sure of that much.