Inevitable
KTBallerina
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It could very well be her last night at Hogwarts and Daphne Greengrass was taking no chances. This morning she had received a letter from her very staid father, Tarquin Greengrass. It warned her to be cautious, that now was the time to be invisible and keep her head down. Now was not the time to begin a romance with a Death Eater's son, not when her fate would be the same as his. She already had everything she needed to be safe; pureblood and substantial wealth. And it seemed Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore had a knack for coming out on top of the game.
So, as Daphne slipped quietly to where she guessed Theodore to be she calmly rehearsed her words in her head. She would convince him this was worth the risk, that he was of such importance to her that she would defy her father. That she loved him.
It had started only a few months ago, and what began as a conversation turned into a romance. All of Slytherin had been shocked to see the heir of one of England's oldest pureblood families with plain, catious Tarquin Greengrass' daughter. By all means, he was not handsome, but with the Dark Lord on the rise his family was well placed to grow even more powerful. And she was simply plain, whom everyone seened to forget even was a Slytherin.
However, they had survived the odd looks and whispers in the halls. There wasn't so much opposition, but bewilderement to their relationship. One that stemmed from something far deeper than involvement with the Dark Lord, but rather two ways of living.
"Its not worth it, Daphne," a cool voice came from the shadows to where she had paused. It was Theodore standing there, but it hardly sounded like his voice. "I'm sure you have already spoken with your father."
"Teddy, I came to tell you that I don't care what my father-" she began as she gathered up her courage.
"Don't call me Teddy," he said shortly. Theodore did not remove his gaze from her, his face impassive.
"What is the matter with you?" Daphne demaded angrily. Her temper was slow to rise, but could be vicious if it was released.
"Father knows best for his daughter," he stated simply, shaking off her words easily. He sounded cold, emulating someone else, his father most likely. Daphne did not like to think of Theodore's father, who had been imprisoned in Azkaban last year after having been found at the Ministry last year. It was rumored he had disposed of his idealistic wife in front of Theodore and it disturbed her to imagine what memories he had.
"The Death Eaters will be here tonight, won't they?" she asked him quietly, knowing he had probably received word through some source. Even with his father in Azkaban, he was well placed within Slytherin to hear that bit of information. It suddenly made sense why her father had been so forceful in his letter. He neither confirmed nor denied this.
"Draco does not have a choice," he said quietly, "he is a slave to his position, as am I." Daphne sat there unable to comprehend his meaning behind his veiled words, not wanting to believe what had been between them was a lie. He had waited for the battle to approach before choosing sides, like a true Slytherin.
"I love you," she said bravely, her eyes never leaving his. She didn't care if he thought she was a fool, it was better he knew than to wonder what may have been. He did not respond, and it mattered very little what he said, nothing would change this impending moment.
"Please forgive me Miss Greengrass, I never meant to encourage you so," he said formally. It hurt worse than anything to hear that. To have him return to his structured upbringing at the moment she confessed that she was in love with him.
"You did, you selfish liar," she said her temper exploding, "I hate you and I will hate you until the day I die." And with those words she reached forward and slapped him across the face, not caring what sort of retaliation she would receive. She hoped to stir Theodore into some sort of caring, anything to let her know he still felt something.
Unfotunately, he did not even flinch when he received the blow, nor did he make any move to stop her when she drew back her hand again. Daphne stopped, dropping her hand to her side. It wasn't even worth it for her to continue, she had already lost.
"I concede," she muttered and began to walk away.
"Concede to whom? You think I have won?," he asked in astonishment, for the first time letting some emotion escape him.
"To your father, he's very lucky to have such a loyal servant in you. You must love him a great deal," Daphne replied, letting her words wash over him slowly. He cringed, thinking how right she was.
"I never meant for it to end like this, but this was inevitable," Theodore said in a long suffering voice.
"Nothing is ever inevitable, don't let anyone tell you different," Daphne responded, thinking of the lessons she had as a child. There was always a choice.
"This is what is best for you, Daph."
"What a cowardly thing to say! After I tell you I love you, you tell me its best to just forget," she said flatly, hardly daring to believe his audacity.
"You'll forget all about me in time, I'll be that Nott boy you had a tryst with while at Hogwarts. It won't matter in a week," he argued, trying to convince himself more than her. She already had her back to him.
"Sure, whatever you say."