Aspen Sunlight - A Summer Like None Other

"Tuesday at the Burrow. At noon." Charlie grimaced. "More of a memorial service, really. Considering."

When Harry thought back to Pansy's funeral, he thought he understood what Charlie meant. Without a body, some of those funeral customs wouldn't be possible. Harry gulped as it came to him that that might make things even more awful for the Weasleys. They'd loved Percy, after all, and the way it had all happened, they wouldn't ever get to feel like they'd said good-bye. They'd always feel like . . . like Percy's death wasn't real , or at least, not as real and final as death was supposed to be.

An old spasm of missing Sirius clenched in his gut, and made Harry determined to do what he could for Ron. "I'll be there." Then another thought struck him. Being seventeen didn't mean he was making all his own decisions. Draco hadn't been allowed to go and see Rhiannon, and Harry could easily see Snape deciding something similar about the funeral. "Um, if I can, that is. After what happened to the Ministry, my dad's pretty paranoid about our safety."

"Well, he should be." Charlie gave him nod of approval. "We're all glad you've got him looking out for you, Harry. I don't suppose we can mind him doing just that."

Harry understood all that, but the prospect of missing the funeral still rankled. "Yeah . . . well, I guess it doesn't matter that the Apparition Test Centre was destroyed, since I won't be going anywhere, anyway--"

"In point of fact, I will arrange for you and your brother to be tested at Hogwarts," said a cool voice behind him.

"Oh." Harry tried to hide his embarrassment as he turned around. It wasn't too hard, since he straight away started wondering about the wards preventing Apparition at school. Well, Snape must plan to arrange something about that, too. "Thanks. I just meant . . . oh, hell. Not sure what I meant, actually."

"Don't worry about it." Snape looked past Harry. "Mr Weasley. I regret I didn't have more time to speak with you at the party last night. I was going to inquire about your work at the dragon preserve."

Charlie gave a weak smile, one that said he was trying his best to look jolly. "You were going to ask if I could owl you more of those Welsh Green scales, you mean."

Snape's lips twitched. "That might have been mentioned, yes."

"I'll see what I can do, Professor. And I'll see you both at the funeral?"

"You'll see all three of us, if I can satisfy myself as to the security arrangements."

Charlie flushed. "Of course. I didn't mean to leave Draco out. I don't expect you'd want to leave him alone at a time like this."

"Indeed not." Snape glanced about, then settled his gaze on Harry. "Where is your brother?"

"He wanted to talk to Remus. Three guesses about what."

"Hmm. It's time we returned home."

"All right," said Harry, giving Charlie a little wave. "See you later, then."

They found Draco in a hallway near the rear of the house. Remus was with him, but leaning heavily against the wall. He looked even shakier than before.

"Not once?" Draco was asking as Harry and Snape drew near. "You haven't heard from her once since she went to visit her relatives in France?"

"It's only been a few weeks," answered Remus in a patient voice that meant, most likely, that he'd already answered that several times. "I'm sure she's fine, Draco."

"Fine!" Draco hissed through his teeth. "How would you know, if you haven't heard from her? And don't you think it's a bit suspicious, her leaving her husband so soon after he was 'hexed from behind'? What if the Death Eaters start to wonder over it? What if they think she's left the fold? They'll hunt her down!"

"Would you like me to summon her back? That would mean she'd be living with a werewolf, again."

"Well, there is that . . ."

Snape abruptly cleared his throat. "Lupin, I'm positive that when Albus told you to get some rest , he in fact intended you to actually do it!"

"I couldn't leave without speaking to Draco."

"Of course you could have."

Draco ground his teeth together.

Snape ignored that. "Get yourself back in character and take the secured Floo route back to Malfoy Manor, where you belong . I'm sure Draco would be the first to agree."

"You should go, yes," said Draco, biting his lip like he'd realised how selfish he'd been. Or maybe he hadn't, considering his next words. "You look awful, and one slip-up could mean my mother's death, so you'd better get back in top form."

"There's more at stake here than your mother," snapped Snape.

"Severus, he's only seventeen."

Snape turned a glacial glare on Remus. "When I need your assistance to raise my sons, you can be certain I'll ask for it. Now, I do believe we'll be leaving. Neither one of my sons needs to see you looking that part of Lucius Malfoy."

Harry was about to protest that he could handle it, when he realised that he'd better not. Snape didn't like to be contradicted in front of Remus. And besides . . . Harry didn't want to see Lucius Malfoy in the flesh, ever again. He didn't even want to see the statue at Hogwarts.

Thankfully, he wouldn't ever have to. When he went to the Owlery, he wasn't going to look down.

"'Bye, Remus," he said, stepping closer to give the man a brief hug. Remus looked startled, and then pleased, but the expression quickly died. Harry wasn't sure why, unless it had to do with that "Don't tell Harry" business that he and Snape had been discussing.

"Good-bye," said Draco politely. His voice wasn't warm, but at least it wasn't chilled, either.

Snape didn't bid Remus good-bye at all, but Harry figured that was just for show. That be well from earlier really said it all, didn't it? Snape didn't hold Remus in as much contempt as he used to.

For some reason, though, he didn't want Harry to know that.

Except, Harry already knew. And as soon as they were home, he was going to know it all, every bit.

---------------------------------------------------

"All right, what gives?" asked Harry, the instant the three of them were back behind the safety of the adoption wards. "What is Remus hiding?"

Snape raised an eyebrow, his expression so blank that if Harry didn't know better, he'd think the man had no information at all. "I beg your pardon?"

Harry wasn't about to fall for that. "I saw you Legilimising Remus, and I know he did something he didn't report on, or at least, not to the full Order. What was it?"

"I'm really not at liberty to discuss the matter," said Snape, crossing the room, his gait so stiff that his robes didn't flutter like usual.

When Snape sat down, Harry dragged a chair close and did the same. "Look, I know you told Remus you wouldn't tell me, but--"

"Oh, you know that, do you?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Harry, half the art of eavesdropping is not mentioning afterwards that you did it."

"I don't care," Harry shot back, rounding on Snape again. "You can punish me however you like, but first , we're going to settle this."

"One day past your birthday and you think you're in charge, here?"

Harry wasn't about to get sidetracked. "What I think ," he said, stressing the phrase like Snape always did, "is that I've done what you kept asking me to do, namely, wait until we're home to have an argument. And I can say any stupid thing I like to you here, can't I? Isn't that what you promised?"

Snape's nostrils flared. "Manipulating me, Harry?"

"We're getting a long way from the point. You don't want to tell me what Remus is hiding, I know, but--"

"And I wouldn't have." Snape bared his teeth. "The matter is Lupin's to share or not, as he chooses, the details not mine to dispense. But now, Harry, I am not at liberty to discuss the matter at all."