Not the end result Draco wanted, so he tried speaking in a placating tone. Not begging, exactly. Just . . . conciliatory. "Yes, I want to go and see her. And for the record, when I said that Granger was one of them, all I meant was that she can understand this sort of situation much better than I can, Harry." Draco paused for a moment, to let Harry think about that. Really think. When it seemed like Harry had, Draco spoke in a confident, upbeat tone. A let's-get-going tone. "So then, where are we off to? Essex?"
It was the most Mugglish place he could think of, on short notice. And the mere fact that he of all wizards was willing, even eager, to go there, should be enough to convince all concerned that he deserved to get his way, nearly midnight or no.
One hopeful glance towards his father told him differently, however. He recognised the look, the one that said a lecture was imminent. "Draco, as you well know, it is not the done thing to go bursting into private homes in the middle of the night--"
Draco raised his chin, as he hardly needed to be lectured about his manners. He knew perfectly well what the done thing was, and he also knew that the rules didn't really apply here. Honestly! The Grangers were Muggles. And even so, he'd intended to offer them every consideration, since he wasn't daft enough to think that Hermione would talk with him, otherwise. "I did plan to knock, you realise. I do know how. I have heard of it."
Severus raised an eyebrow like he could do without the cheek, but Harry actually growled.
"Listen--" Draco started to say, only to be interrupted. Rudely interrupted. Harry was the one who needed a lecture on manners, obviously!
"Why don't you listen for once? Not thinking about other people's feelings is what got you into trouble to begin with! I don't care how well you knock. Hermione's parents are really nice people, and we're not waking them up."
Draco couldn't stop the words in time. It seemed to him that Harry just wanted to stop him from getting any help with Rhiannon. He'd basically been a pain in the arse about her, right from the first. "So it would be all right to wake them if they weren't so nice? Is that your point?"
"That will be quite enough, Draco." Severus began walking, then, toward the alley they'd Apparated into earlier. Draco stared after him for a moment. He thought about standing his ground, but then realized that was awfully stupid in this case. He was hardly going to demand they Apparate from the pavement in front of the theatre. That certainly wasn't the done thing, was it?
Sighing a little, Draco hurried to catch up with his father and brother. "There's no need to wake anyone," he said, about as earnestly as he could, the moment he was alongside them again. "Granger's parents'll sleep right through everything, I promise. We'll silver message Hermione so she'll come meet us outside, all right?"
"She might be asleep, too--"
Draco glanced at Harry and finally saw the truth about what was really going on. Clear as Lubaantum, it was, though it was hard to believe. Draco actually took a step backwards, very nearly stumbling. No wonder, since his mind was turning cartwheels. "You don't want me to get Rhiannon back, do you? You don't want it at all!"
It looked like Harry was swallowing hard, though in the dim light, Draco couldn't be sure. What he could be sure about was how tired Harry sounded. Tired of the whole subject. Or exhausted, even. "That's not it. It's just too late to go visiting, that's all."
"That's not all."
Harry didn't say anything, just shook his head a little.
"What?" asked Draco, a bit more loudly. "What?"
Harry leaned against the filthy alley wall. "What do you think? You've always been irrational about Rhiannon, but now you've gone barking mad! What makes you think Hermione would want to help with this, after all the rubbish you've spewed out about us versus them, eh?"
Draco felt as if he'd been slapped. He'd never thought of matters quite like that. Actually, he'd assumed that Granger would be overjoyed to help him, because, after all, he'd be asking for help so he could get along with a Muggle. How could Hermione Granger not like that?
For that matter, why didn't Harry like it?
Draco was left to ponder that question, because Severus had taken him by the arm, by then. "You can owl Miss Granger in the morning, Draco. For now, we're going home."
Draco clenched his jaw. What was wrong with everyone? His silver message plan was perfect! He scowled at Harry, who was still leaning against the alley wall, his suit jacket bunching up awfully.
"Don't blame your brother," said Severus calmly. "I don't think it's a good time to pay the Grangers a visit, either."
All that statement accomplished was to make Draco want to scowl at Severus, as well.
No point in doing that, though.
His feet dragging a little, Draco let his father lead him deeper into the alley. Owl Granger . . . if it was the best he could do, then fine. Of course, he had no intention of waiting until morning to owl her. He'd do it the moment they reached Devon. With any luck, she was staying up late reading, and she'd reply straight away, and they could set up an early meeting, something like that.
And really, perhaps it was for the best if Draco spoke to her in the morning, in any case. Right before he went to the pool, so Hermione's advice would be fresh in his mind. He didn't want to upset Rhiannon again, the way he'd upset her a few moments ago backstage.
Something inside Draco almost broke apart, then. Sweet Merlin, he could hardly bear remembering how she'd just looked. Oh, she'd been angry, no doubt, her blue eyes flashing with it, but behind that emotion, there had been another one.
Anguish.
Rhiannon had been hurt. Hurt deeply. So deeply, in fact, that she'd all but denied their love. You'd like to know what I think? she'd asked, every word scathing. I think you just want more of what you had during lunch, that day at my house.
She didn't mean that. She couldn't mean it, couldn't really think a thing like that of him. No, no. Rhiannon didn't really believe that Draco only wanted sex, that Draco had been using her.
She was just saying that because she'd been hurt so very much. It was her way of getting back at him.
Which could only mean that she cared. Really cared. She might not want to, but she did. And knowing that . . . it just about killed Draco, because he cared for her just as much. More, maybe. After all, she hadn't been raised to hate and disdain wizards. She actually liked magic. But h was willing to overlook her Muggle heritage, which was proof in itself, wasn't it, of how very much he cherished her.
He had to get her back. Anything less was unthinkable. He just had to find out how to talk to her, that was all. She was just as much in love as before, and it was up to Draco to make her see that. Pity, really, that he didn't have the faintest idea where to start.
But Granger . . . she would.
Draco swallowed, an entirely new thought striking him. A thought so strange, in fact, that it made him go cold, somewhere deep inside. He wasn't sure he could endure such a thought. It went against all the things he'd learned growing up. Against all the things he'd ever believed. Sure, he'd called Hermione clever a couple of times, and he'd come to understand that she could be helpful, since she could be in classes, looking out for Harry, back when Draco was still stuck in the dungeons.