The necessary: Harry Potter, et. al. are the property of J.K. Rowling and I am not profiting in any way from this work. Henry Rosier and Emma-Jane Hopkirk are mine.
Call it one drink too many
Call it pride of a man
But it don't make no difference if you sit or you stand
'Cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin
Yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin
Down In the Valley - Head and the Heart
It should have been the perfect way to spend the last day of the summer holiday. It was a beautiful late summer day; sunny and hot, but with a cool breeze that held the gentle promise of the autumn to come. The day had been spent with her two closest friends doing whatever their hearts desired, which so far had been wander Muggle London shopping, laughing and just generally enjoying that one last day of freedom before the fall term began.
Freedom.
For all her privileges and her complete lack of real responsibility, Daphne Greengrass felt anything but free at the moment.
The trio had just finished lunch at a new sidewalk café, Le Fay, in Diagon Alley, and were discussing the upcoming school year. Daphne was having trouble concentrating on this particular conversation. She kept replaying the events of the previous evening over in her head, wondering how the whole thing could have transpired as such.
It was nearly unheard of for Daphne not to get what she wanted from her parents, and she was having trouble fathoming where she went wrong. It had been a simple request and a well thought out one at that. There is no reason she should continue on at Hogwarts after she came of age next year. She knew what she wanted and she knew how to go about getting it. Her parents had staunchly refused.
"Daphne Eugenia Greengrass," her mother had gasped. "Do you really think this an appropriate life choice for a young witch of your wealth and blood status? Don't you think you can do better than this? Do you want to embarrass your father and I, and the family name? You are a Greengrass, a pureblood. Your lineage traces back hundreds of years. You are better than this. And think of Astoria! How would this reflect on her? You'd drag her good name and reputation down with you!"
You'd think I'd told them I was planning to leave school early to become a prostitute, Daphne thought grumpily.
"Put this nonsense out of your head," her father had said sternly. He swept her sketches off the coffee table before him and strode across the room to toss them in the fire. She should have made duplicates. Daphne watched silently as hours of work and thought went up in flames. Her blood boiled, but she said nothing. She had learned the art of picking battles from the master, her mother, and it was easy to see that this one was a lost cause.
"Finish school, Daphne. Find a nice husband –a Pureblood- to take over the family business and take care of you. Don't make things harder on yourself with this rubbish. What more could you possibly want anyway?"
"Yes, sir," she had calmly replied. She wanted to yell and cry and tell them she hated them and that she wanted to be away from all of this. She didn't want a nice, Pureblood husband to take care of her. She wanted to take care of herself. She wanted people to know who Daphne Greengrass was and that she was so much more than the Butterbeer Heiress -that was what they called her at school, behind her back- but she didn't.
"Furthermore, Daphne," her father continued as he paced in front of the fire. "I'll be changing the terms of your trust. You will not receive a Knut beyond your current weekly allowance until you have come of age and sat your N.E.W.T.s, earning respectable grades. You will not disgrace this family by dropping out of school to run off to Italy to become a…fashion designer, of all things." He shook his head as he spoke, as though he could scarcely believe he was having this conversation with his normally level headed oldest daughter.
"I understand, sir. I'll finish school and do my best."
"Of course you will; you're a Greengrass. The best is what we do. Now go on up to bed, and I don't want to hear another word about this," he said dismissing her. Daphne had risen from her seat on the settee, dutifully kissed her mother and father goodnight, and turned to leave with as much calm dignity as she could muster when her father stopped her.
"And Daph, your mother told me about the Half-blood boy you were dating. That you broke up with him as soon as you realized your mistake. I'm proud of you. Only Purebloods are good enough for my girls. I'm glad we can trust you to make the right choices." He had smiled at her proudly.
"Of course, Daddy," she replied giving him what she hoped was a genuine smile. "It was so silly of me. I'll be more careful from now on."
It wasn't a mistake. I knew Anthony was a half-blood, and I didn't really care because he truly liked me. When Mummy found out she forced my hand. What choice do I really have in anything? You'll probably follow me upstairs and tell me how a Pureblood girl should properly brush her teeth!
"That's my girl. Good night, Daphne." Daphne had walked calmly up to her bedroom, shut the door, turned on her wireless, and allowed the hot, angry tears to flow. She wanted to shout, to throw something, to break things, to rage, but she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere this time. Instead, she sat on her floor and cried quietly. When the tears stopped flowing, she drew a deep breath and stood up. It was time for a new plan.
"Daphne! Oi! Are you listening to me?" Daphne's attention snapped back to the sun filled Alley and the witch and wizard sitting before her.
"What? Yes, of course," she paused. "What were you saying again?" Emma-Jane huffed and rolled her eyes.
"You are just in outer space today, Daphne. Are you still moping about that Ravenclaw you dumped in June?" Emma-Jane gave her a stern look. They didn't mope about mere mortal boys, regardless of the circumstances. They weren't those kinds of girls.
"Yes," Daphne's cousin, Henry, interjected with a smirk. "I bet you ten Galleons she is!" Daphne glared at him for a moment.
"I am not moping about Anthony. I just didn't sleep well , that's all. I'm a bit tired, what with that and you know, the joint we smoked and all," Daphne finally replied with a shrug and a defiant look at both Henry and Emma-Jane. Emma-Jane eyed her friend skeptically, but decided to let it drop.
"Well anyway, I had asked you, Daphne, if you were upset that you weren't made Prefect. You haven't said a word about it, and you know we all expected it would be you." Daphne snorted and shook her head.
"Not upset at all, actually. I mean, I rather thought it would be me, since I have the best grades amongst the five of us, but I'm hardly shocked Pansy got it. After all, Draco is Snape's pet… and Pansy is Draco's pet. It's a relief really." Emma-Jane nodded in agreement.
"All those meetings, patrol shifts, ick."
"Where is Pansy, anyhow? I haven't seen her with you two all summer. Not that the change bothers me, mind you," Henry looked from his cousin to Emma-Jane. Pansy Parkinson had never been his favorite of his younger cousin's friends. He enjoyed spending time with Daphne and Emma-Jane, but Pansy was just too much, even for him.
"My guess is that she's now so far up Draco's arse she's about to pop out of his nose," Emma-Jane replied. Daphne snorted.
"Sounds about right. I mean, she was at Blaise's party last week –with Draco, of course- and she seemed fine, but didn't have much to say. She just hangs off of him and looks so smug. She didn't want to drink or smoke. Draco wouldn't approve, you know. She is really no fun anymore." Henry crinkled his nose at Daphne's description, as Emma-Jane rolled her eyes.
"As if Draco hasn't been right there with us every other time we've gotten high. He loves it, even if he won't admit it now. I didn't think it was possible, but he's gotten increasingly high and mighty this summer. It's not like he even has anything to be high and mighty about," Emma-Jane chimed in with derision.
"Well, like I said, I don't much mind the change," Henry shrugged. "So how was Blaise's party anyway? I was detained at the last moment and couldn't make an appearance." Emma-Jane launched into a detailed description of the party and Daphne was relieved to have a reason not talk.
She was happy to catch up with her favorite cousin, whom she'd not seen in several weeks, but she was not in the mood to be social right now. There was too much on her mind to be fussed over silly little parties. She needed a new plan. If her parents wouldn't approve she would just have to find a way around them. Giving up her trust fund was not an option.
Daphne took in her surroundings as Emma-Jane described the terrible mini-dress Tracey Davis had stuffed herself into. A group of boys across the way caught her eye. The Weasley twins and their tall friend with the dreadlocks were looking into the window of an empty shop with a "For Sale" sign in the window.
Good Godric. When had Fred Weasley gotten so fit? His twin wasn't looking bad either, but Fred…wow. He looked amazing, particularly for a poor ginger from a bad family. He caught her looking and she gave him a small smile. Flirting always lifted her spirits; even flirting with poor boys. He lifted his eyebrows a bit and returned the smile with a grin of his own.
"Daphne! You are not paying attention! What are you staring at?" Henry whipped around and followed Daphne's gaze. She'd looked away, but it was too late. "A WEASLEY?" Henry shot Fred a dirty look. Fred scowled and turned away. Emma-Jane was positively howling with uncontrollable laughter.
"Rowena's knickers, you were eye-fucking a Weasley!" She was positively jubilant to have caught her best friend in such a compromising position.
"Get fucked, Emma-Jane. Look at him, he's bloody gorgeous," Daphne said with a huffy flip of her long blonde hair.
"Daphne Eugenia, what would Mummy and Daddy Greengrass say? Flirting with an impoverished Gryffindor from a family full of blood traitors in broad daylight!" Henry was laughing nearly as hard as Emma-Jane. Some friends.
"I wasn't flirting. I can look at boys if I want, thank you," Daphne said, adopting a prim and icey tone.
"Daphne, come on," Henry groaned. "He is in my year and is the worst sort of Gryffindor. He and his twin, Fred…or George, whichever one it was you were ogling, are complete wankers. They are desperate for attention and they aren't funny at all. And besides that, Fred is a complete man whore." Daphne scowled.
"Well isn't that just the pot calling the kettle black, Henry?" Her cousin shrugged, unpreturbed at the jab. "Fine. Momentary insanity. Whatever. Can we just go then? Henry, do you have any pot left?"
"Daphne, are you sure you need more drugs? You were just ogling a Weasley," Emma-Jane was still giggling.
"For fuck's sake," Daphne groaned. "Yes. I definitely need more drugs before I go home to dinner with my parents."
"Tsk tsk. Muggle drugs and Weasleys. If you don't watch yourself, Daph, your father is going to boot you right out of his will," Henry teased her. Daphne rolled her eyes and stood up from the table.
"You have no idea, Henry," she said as the three of them walked down the Alley.
Well, here we go again. Four years down, three to go. Fanfuckingtastic.
Daphne studied the controlled chaos that was 1 September on Platform 9 ¾. It was the normal scene: the older students milling around greeting old friends, parents fussing over the younger students, tearful first years clinging to their parents' robes.
It never changes.
Finally Daphne spotted Emma-Jane with Blaise Zabini down the way, about to board the train.
She turned back to her mother who was giving Daphne's younger sister, Astoria, the typical first day of school speech. Make good grades, make your father and me proud, represent the family well, blah blah blah…
"Mummy, I'm going to go," she said abruptly, interrupting her mother.
"Oh Daphne, already? We've hardly said goodbye," her mother looked a bit disappointed.
"Sorry, Mummy, only I have to get on the train so I can get a good compartment and don't have to sit with any of the little kids or, you know, someone awful!" Daphne gave her mother a hopeful smile.
"Oh, of course, Daphne. I remember how it is," her mother said returning her smile. She pulled Daphne into an embrace and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I know you're not thrilled with school, but do try to have a good time this year. Please darling? Work hard and get good grades. Please write to Daddy and I; an owl a week wouldn't kill you. I will see you at Christmas!"
"Bye Mummy! See you at Christmas!" Daphne set off down the platform toward Emma-Jane and Blaise.
As Daphne made her way through the crowd she spotted Anthony Goldstein, her boyfriend from fourth year. The boyfriend that she'd dumped the night Potter had returned from the Tri-Wizard Tournament maze carrying Cedric Diggory's body and shouting that You-Know-Who had returned.
In retrospect, Daphne realized she probably should have waited to dump Anthony until after things had calmed down a bit. That might have been better, but Daphne often developed tunnel vision once she had her mind made up about something.
She hadn't wanted to do it to begin with. Anthony had been the first boyfriend that Daphne had really and truly cared for, and the first boyfriend that she felt really and truly cared about her. Anthony hadn't seemed impressed that Daphne was the Butterbeer Heiress. He had liked her because she was Daphne, something that was unexpectedly turning out to be a rarity the older she got. In turn, Daphne had liked him because he was Anthony, not because he came from a good family or also had lot of money or was on the Quidditch team (all of which was true, well, the family part was mostly true- his father was a Muggle-born, but his mother was a Clearwater). She liked him because he was her Arithmancy partner and she enjoyed evenings spent in the library working on homework. He was full of bad puns that made her laugh in spite of herself. He had looked so handsome at the Yule Ball and was a brilliant dancer. They'd scarcely left the dance floor all night.
Unfortunately, none of that mattered to her mother. When Eleanor Greengrass had caught wind that her oldest daughter was dating a Half-blood she'd sent a letter off immediately to Daphne, sternly informing her that under no circumstances would Daphne's father tolerate her daughter being involved with a Half-blood, and that if Daphne intended to see the light of day at all during the summer holidays, she had better get rid of him at once, before Marius Greengrass found out. Daphne knew her mother's words were true and that she wouldn't hesitate to go to her husband if Daphne failed to heed her warning.
Once Daphne had resigned herself to the fact that she would just have to dump Anthony, she'd had to do it as planned, for fear of backing out otherwise. Enduring a summer of misery from her mother and father were not worth a boyfriend, no matter how lovely he was or how sweetly he treated her. So Daphne had carried on with her plan to dump Anthony after the final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, despite Cedric's untimely and mysterious demise.
Daphne smiled at Anthony when they made eye contact, but he frowned and shook his head. As he turned away he wrapped his arm around Padma Patil and gave her a squeeze. Daphne sighed.
Well really, Daphne, what did you expect? You dropped him like a bad habit without so much as a warning last June. Right after Cedric had died and everyone was so upset anyway. He must think you are completely heartless. Nothing quite like proving a Slytherin stereotype right.
She sighed.
Nevermind that. I did what I had to do.
She flipped her long, wavy over her shoulder and pushed Anthony out of her mind. No use in crying over spilt love potion, as it were.
As she continued walking a red head caught her eye and her stomach did a little flip.
Unbelievable. Butterflies over Fred Weasley. A Weasley. A Gryffindor. A Weasley. Come on Daphne, get yourself together. You can have any man you want. Get a grip. You can do better than that.
She looked again as she walked, trying to catch another glimpse out of the corner of her eye. He and his twin were part of a large group of people, all of them talking and laughing at they said their goodbyes. She wondered what it was like to be part of such a large family. They were so poor, but they always seemed so happy. Her own father couldn't even be bothered to see Daphne and Astoria off to school.
Fred broke into a grin and Daphne's stomach did another flip as. He had a gorgeous smile.
This is ridiculous.
Daphne continued walking trying not to imagine what it would be like to be on the receiving end of that smile.
Or is it? Mother did tell me to have a good time. And maybe, should the occasion arise, a good time is just what I need.
Daphne knew that Fred Weasley, Gryffindor, troublemaker, and blood traitor extraordinaire was not what her mother had had in mind when she had told Daphne to have a good time this year, but that just made the idea of his rather large hands all over her in an empty classroom all the more appealing (and despite her reservations about his socio-economic status, it was already quite appealing).
Wouldn't that just scramble her mother's dragon eggs? She smirked, thinking of her mother's reaction as she reached Emma-Jane and Blaise. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad after all.
A/N If you got this far, much thanks for reading! This is the first of what I hope will be many Daphne/Fred centered short stories. I have been toying with this idea for some time now, with the intent of one very long story. Recently I decided that one shots or short stories might suit me better for the time being.
I have been toying with this pairing for so long now that I have forgotten how it started, but I think it came about because I was trying to figure out a way to not be disgusted with the George/Angelina pairing. I distinctly dislike the idea of George getting with his twin's ex-girlfriend (the reasons are obvious, I think), so I came up with the idea that maybe Angelina was never more than a friend to take to the dance and maybe there was someone else. The someone else I have come up with is Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin we don't know much about.
The title comes from a line in the song Down In the Valley by Head and the Heart. It seemed quite fitting, as obviously this whole mess that Daphne and Fred will find themselves in started with a grin and foreshadows Fred's untimely death.
As for Daphne and her friends using Muggle drugs, it seems natural to me that teenagers with too much free time, too much money, and too little supervision for their own good will experiment (regardless of them being witches and wizards). I think experimenting with Muggle drugs would give an extra thrill, as it is another way to quietly defy their Pureblood parents- at least in this circle.
Please, please, please review. Say anything. Constructive criticism is always appreciated so I can work on improvement, but a simple "This is interesting." or "What the hell is this?" is great too.