"How would you have responded if you’d known? How would his father have responded if Snape gave word that the Slytherin prince was buddy-buddy with undesirable number two?" He prompted. "There were so many times he almost told you, almost snuck you a letter here or there to ask for help... but each time he talked himself out of it, thought it wasn’t safe for you to know before you learned occlumency. Daphne almost stole the parchment from his rubbish bin and threatened to send it herself. But he set it aflame before she could."