She was a gorgeous Slytherin, cold and calculating. He was a popular Gryffindor, brave and reckless. How could such polar opposites be anything more then enemies? This is based from after the war.
Anyways I'm really enjoying writing this story and there should be weekly updates. Please read, review and follow/favourite. Enjoy! Also more details are in the AN at the end of this chapter.
Disclaimer: I am obviously not J.K. Rowling
'The Boy who Lived', 'Vanquisher of Voldemort', 'Death-bringer to the Dark Lord' and 'Savior of the Wizarding World.' Each of these four titles, along with many others belonged to a single eighteen-year old- Harry Potter.
It had been approximately six months since the defeat of Voldemort but that didn't mean that Harry was getting any less attention than he was the day after the war ended- and quite honestly he was sick of it. In fact he was so tired of the attention that for the past four months Harry had spent majority of his time in Grimmauld Place with only Ron, Hermione and occasionally Molly allowed as visitors. The three had ensured that Harry got plenty of entertainment, reading material and food respectively; they had also helped him make the Black house much more of an appropriate place to live in. Now after so much time of only the company of three people Harry desired nothing more then to go back to Hogwarts- his home. Thankfully though, the new school term was starting the following month, and Harry couldn't wait for what he hoped would be a stress free year.
Grimmauld Place
"Harry!" Hermione shouted out from the hallway of Harrys house, "Harry! Where are you?"
"In the library!" her friend replied. Hermione dashed up the staircase and barged into her favourite room of Harry's home. Upon reaching the library she rushed in to give the boy, she considered to be her brother, a hug. She then continued to throw her bag down onto the floor and flop down into an armchair.
"You feeling okay Mione?" Harry asked concern evident on his voice.
"Just getting prepared for the conversation I have to have with you."
"Oh? And what conversation would that be?"
"The Ginny conversation…"
"I'm surprised you hadn't brought it up sooner." Harry said coolly.
"Harry James Potter! Don't you dare shut off on me! I'm doing this for your own benefit! You know your going to have to meet her sooner or later!"
"Alright. Get on with it."
"The minute the war ended the two of you spent an entire week in here, just you two, and then suddenly Ginny apparated back to the Burrow crying. What happened in that one day that ruined everything?"
"I realized we weren't right for each other."
"So you dumped her?"
"I told her we would be better as friends!"
"So you dumped her."
"Look Hermione. I wasn't ready for a relationship so soon after what I went through! And honestly if she couldn't help me recover how could I ever seek guidance from her? I just want to be friends with her! Don't get me wrong, she's funny, brave, smart, sweet and pretty but she's not the person for me. I need someone who can understand the broken part of me just as well as they could understand the whole part of me!"
"Oh. I get it," Hermione said softly.
"Thank you."
"But you still have to tell her this, all of this. Everything I heard today she has to hear too. Soon."
"Okay. I'll do it before Hogwarts starts again."
"No. You'll come over to the Burrow for dinner tonight and you will not only speak to Ginny but also get used to the presence of other humans again."
.oooOOOooo.
Burrow, Around eight o'clock
It was around eight o'clock when Harry Potter knocked on the door of the Burrow for the first time in months. Instantly the door was flung open and Molly Weasley greeted him with a large hug. She continued to quickly guide him into the house and seat him down comfortably in the living room, mumbling the entire time about how happy she was that he had finally left Grimmuald Place. George stepped out of the kitchen and grinned widely at the sight of Harry sitting in the cozy room.
"It's so good to see you mate!" George said hugging Harry.
"You too George, I'm glad to see you're doing better," Harry replied with a sad smile.
"Well, Angelina's really helping. Besides, Fred wouldn't want me to spend my whole life mourning." The two had just settled down and were chatting away, when a very pregnant woman barged into the room.
"Waz that Harry I heard?" the Fleur questioned. Harry got up and raced over to greet the French beauty. "Harry!" she cried, hugging her friend and kissing both cheeks, "it iz good to see you."
"And you of course Fleur, congratulations!" he said grinning and pulling her in for another hug. Within fifteen minutes Harry had met and re-aquatinted with the entire Weasley clan- with the exception of Ginny.
.oooOOOooo.
Ginny's bedroom, Same time
"Ginny! Please come down!" Hermione begged the red head.
"Why should I?" Ginny snapped.
"I know Harry really wants to meet you," Hermione sighed.
"We both know Harry doesn't care about me!"
"That's not true! Please just let him explain!"
"Why would I do that?"
"Because he needs you too- he still cares about you and loves you, it's just not the way it was before."
"Fine." Ginny replied pulling on her sweater and slamming the door shut behind her.
Ginny walked down towards the living room, plastering a fake smile on her face. She walked in and started straight towards Harry and stuck out her hand. "It's good to see you again Harry, it's been awhile."
"You look good Gin, I've missed you."
"I'm glad to hear that," she replied, smiling teasingly.
You could practically hear the ice breaking after that, and everything went about swimmingly after that. Of course Molly had whipped up a feast to rival those at Hogwarts- and so the good food, pleasant chatter, loud laughter and priceless company, made Harry very glad he came.
.oooOOOooo.
It was after desert, when everyone was lying about and the soft lull of 'A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love' filled the air that Harry walked up to Ginny- who was quietly talking to Fleur.
"Hey, Ginny, could we talk in private please?" Harry asked tentatively.
"Yeah sure, how about we head up to my room?" she replied.
Once there Harry immediately began, "Look Ginny, I was a git. I gave you absolutely no reason for breaking up with you and then I didn't contact you for six months."
"Yeah, you were a git." Ginny agreed.
"I would like to tell you why I did it now," Ginny nodded her consent and he continued. "The reason I did what I did was because I realized that I wasn't the same person you fell in love with in sixth year; I had changed drastically and we were no longer compatible." He looked up at the red head and nervously ran a hand through his hair. "The whole me was the person you deserved, the one who didn't have any broken pieces you could get cut on. You deserve someone who will be able to always devote their entire self to you- I can't do that. I've loved you- in fact I still do, just in a different way. I just want you to be happy- I can't make you happy anymore Gin." Tears were falling down both their faces and Ginny embraced him and held him tightly.
"I love you too Harry, honest, and now that you've told me why you did what you did I don't blame you. I guess we just weren't meant to work out- but I cant thank you enough for everything, you're still my friend. You always will be." Ginny leaned forward to kiss him and Harry reciprocated. It was a sad, soft kiss that said so many things that words couldn't: it spoke about hope, bitterness, sadness, thanks and the wish for a different life.
Platfrom 9 and ¾, September 1st
The platform was abuzz with last minute goodbyes and promises to write. However despite the familiar scene it was far more crowded then usual, a few students had come for an eight-year and many had returned after being pulled out from school during last year's havoc.
Despite the awe-filled looks that followed Harry around, he couldn't have been happier about finally returning to Hogwarts. Hermione, Ron and him walked together towards the carriage designated for the returning eight-years. It had been magically extended so as to fit all the students, and Professor Flitwick was there too.
"Ahh good. Potter, Granger and Weasley, I'm glad to see you three returning. Now that you're here I think we have all of you. Now, this year, none of you will belong to houses. You shall all be staying in a separate dorm- each of you will get separate rooms and shall share a common room. You shall find all of this behind the portrait of the founders on the fifth floor and the password shall be 'unity' for the time being. Now fourteen of you are returning and I want you all to set a good example for younger students- you must show them that prejudice no longer exists in any of you and you all stand united. I'll just read off the names of all those returning; Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Tracey Davis, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Neville Longbottom, Ernie Macmillan, Draco Malfoy, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Blaise Zabini. I'll leave you lot to it then."
"Wait Professor! What about Quidditch!" Draco Malfoy asked quickly.
"Well, none of you are allowed to play on your house teams or create your own team but you may help teach the younger students Quidditch and may also help your former house with their practice sessions."
The fourteen students nodded and thanked the Professor as he exited the carriage. As soon as he left a thick silence filled the area, until Draco Malfoy (of all people) stood up and looked at each of his classmates. "I know that I've been a prat throughout my years at Hogwarts, and on some occasions I have been down right evil. But please believe me when I say that I am no longer that person. I really messed up and I just want you all to know how sorry I am. I hope you believe me when I say I've become a better person- I'll spend this entire year trying to prove that." Thirteen faces nodded grimly at him and he smiled weakly, before adding "Also Potter could I talk to you in private?" Harry stood up and followed Draco out of the compartment.
"What is it Malfoy?" Harry questioned.
"Look, I think you know that I had no choice. If I hadn't done it I don't know what would have happened to Mother. Taking that dreaded mark was the biggest mistake I made, I should have just grabbed my mother and gotten out of there- but I didn't. I don't want to waste your time; I guess what I'm trying to say is thank you for testifying for me at trial. I'm not actually the person whom I had to be during the war, the only reason I went from spoiled-narcissistic-little-shit to evil-scum-bigot was because I couldn't see any other option." Draco finished his voice shaking slightly. Harry looked him straight in the eye and held out his hand, which Draco gratefully grabbed and shook. And so the rest of the train ride passed quickly as the fourteen enjoyed spending time together and getting to know one another. They soon found out that without the house prejudices in the way they could actually get along.
The feast had gone by quickly, without much happening except for the new teachers being introduced (Professor Charlie Weasley for 'Defense Against the Dark Arts', Professor Penelope Clearwater for 'Transfiguration' and some other new teacher for 'Muggle Studies') and the stuffed eight-years trooped up to their new living-quarters. Once there, Padma Patil stated the password and the portrait swung open to reveal a large comfortable common room with cream and wood furniture and a roaring fireplace. The walls were also cream and the floor was made of a dark brown wood, colours were provided through house coloured cushions, rugs and the ceiling that much like the great hall reflected the sky outside. It was beyond impressive and to top it all off, two sides of the room had staircases: one that led up to all the girls' rooms and the other that led up to the boys' rooms. The fourteen then split up to go see their bedrooms, the seven boys climbed up the left staircase and the seven girls climbed up the right.
Harry easily found his room and walked into it, there was a four-poster bed, a wooden dresser, a wooden desk and a scarlet carpet covering the floor. The walls were white and there was a scarlet bedspread. He later found out that nearly all the rooms were exactly the same. At the end of the boys corridor there was a shared bathroom for all seven of the young-men. He quickly unpacked, went in for a shower, changed and got comfortably into his bed, immediately falling into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Great Hall
Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of their classmates had all gone down for breakfast where Professor McGonagall greeted them. "Good morning students, now since none of you are officially part of any house, you shall all sit together on the circular table," the headmistress gestured towards the front of the hall and pointed out a round table, "I shall distribute your lesson plans after breakfast, some of you will be in intermediate or one-on-one lessons with your teachers. However you may also be attending some classes with seventh-years. We have based your timetables on your career choices and your skill sets, if you have any issues with them you may come and see me. Now off you go for breakfast."
During breakfast Harry found himself sitting with Daphne Greengrass and however hard he tried to start a conversation she remained cold and aloof, giving short precise answers and piercing glares. Harry quickly stopped trying and turned to speak to Neville. They chatted casually until Professor McGonagall came around with their schedules. "Now, students, I'll just go over the subjects and who'll be taking advanced classes and who shall be taking further than advanced classes- if any of you have shown true promise in a subject then you'll be put in further advanced, if any of the rest of you are taking that subject you will most likely be in advanced classes. However, in some subjects there are only further advanced classes, and classes you shall be taking with seventh years." The headmistress then proceeded to hand out the schedules. Harry ended up in further advanced 'Defense Against the Dark Arts', advanced 'Charms' and 'Transfiguration' and (surprisingly) 'Potions', the seventh year class of 'Herbology' and 'Astronomy'. Hermione seemed extremely pleased with her schedule; she was in further advanced classes for 'Ancient Runes', 'Transfiguration', 'Potions', and 'Arthimacy'. She wasn't in any seventh year classes as she was in the advanced class for 'Herbology', 'Charms', 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' and 'Astronomy'. Ron however wasn't in any further advanced class but was in the advanced class for 'Defense Against the Dark Arts', 'Charms' and 'Herbology'. The rest of his subjects though were with the seventh years. "Damnit Harry! We only have Charms and Astronomy together! And Hermione we only have Defense and Charms together! Bloody hell, I'll be spending most of this year with Ginny!" Neville came up behind him and assured him that the two of them were mostly in the same classes- except for Herbology (Neville was obviously in further advanced). The eight years discussed their subjects a bit more and then headed towards their first classes.
Harry had just said goodbye to Ron, Hermione and Neville as he headed towards the Defense room, it was then that he realized he was not alone. "Potter," his companion said nodding at him.
"I didn't know you were good at defense," he replied.
"You're not the only one with talent in this subject," she snapped back, flipping around her silky icy-blonde hair whipping Harry lightly. He couldn't help but sigh as he followed Daphne Greengrass into the classroom.
What do you guys think? Please review I would really like to know where I can improve, or even if you just like this fanfiction. So, you'll hopefully get weekly updates but if I get more reviews, I'll be inspired to update more. This will be a Harry/Daphne story and will focus on very real and raw emotions that Harry would be feeling after going through a war and being a soldier from the mere age of eleven. There will also be a bit of Dramione and Hannah/Neville but those are definitely not the main pairings. This story is rated M because there will be talk about mature and dark subjects. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you like it!