Daphne. 1
Disclaimer
This is a work of fanfiction. I make no claims of ownership over these characters and settings.
J. K. Rowling owns Daphne Greengrass, Harry Potter and other characters. No profit is made from this work.
Forword.
This tale starts in the summer after GoF. It will be a canon divergent tale. Everything that happened in the books prior to this tale happened. So it is not AU but divergent. This tale will be from Daphne's POV so unless I explicitly contradict it the events of OotP will happen as JKR described them. This will be a long story. I intend for it to go on post Hogwarts. However expect some time jumps. How long this will take for me to write I have no idea. At the moment it's taking me close to one month to write a chapter. Rating is a T. In my head that allows swearing, mild violence and sex references.
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Daphne poured a little gun oil onto the rag before using the stick to force it down the barrels of her gun. First the right then the left. The smell of gun oil was the smell of home to her. Another two years she could get measured for her own but Purdey had been definite, they wouldn't even consider it until she had stopped growing. As it took them eighteen months to craft one she would have outgrown it before they were finished.
At five foot six for the last year Daphne considered it reasonable to say she had reached her full height but the gun makers had their rules and while she had pushed, it was obvious they were unyielding on this.
Her father had watched amused from the side-lines only intervening when he believed she was on the verge of being black listed by the craftsmen.
So for now she cleaned her grandmother's side by side twin hammer before returning it to its place in the cabinet.
She sneezed, and then again. Glancing around to see she was alone before hawking and spitting in a most unladylike manner. Plucking pheasants was a job she hated but it had been made clear to her if she wanted to take the guns out and shoot then she would have the burden of cleaning the guns and cleaning the birds.
She was about to spit again when an elf appeared causing the feathers to fly out on the edge of displaced air.
'Mistress Daphne." The elves ears dropped in a disappointed manner. "Lord Greengrass wishes to speak to you."
Daphne paused to take in her own appearance, the mud smeared jodhpurs, at least she hoped it was mud. Her blouse that had translucent spots with oil and over everything was a covering of feathers.
"Could you ask my father if I have time to wash or should I go straight there?" She watched Smeatle disappear. He acted as her father's factor on the estate. In most matters he spoke for her father but when it came to the family he was more cautious. Although the fact be had returned to ask showed her father's mood.
Smeatle popped back in. "He says you have an hour. He will be waiting in his study. He told me to tell you this will be a business meeting."
Daphne nodded her head in thanks but her mind was already spinning. It was a rare event for her to be allowed into the study but for her father to call her for a meeting was a unique circumstance.
X
She gave herself a final check in the mirror before stepping out of the room. The dark formal robe made her blond hair seem brighter. The ends curled up slightly, a sign she had dried her hair too quickly. Her robe open at the front showed a muggle style white blouse beneath. She knew some of her father's friends would not approve but Cygnus Greengrass moved effortlessly between the two worlds. Their history in the wizard world brought them respect; their muggle holdings brought the Greengrass family wealth.
She gathered herself outside the heavy dark oak door, taking a deep breath she knocked and waited.
The door opened to her father's study, and she looked around slowly. While this wasn't her first time in there, both she and Astoria had dared each other to sneak into the room when they had been younger, this was the first she felt able to look around.
Dark woods and leather were the dominant themes. High book cases hugged the walls and leather bound books sat upon them. The desk was definitely mahogany, the patina of hundreds of years of use had coloured the wood. Behind the desk sat a winged back chair and on that hair sat her father. Lord Greengrass, although all it entitled him to was a vote on the Wizengamot and the respect of people who cared about such things. He was in his early fifties and the grey on his close cut hair added to his air of authority.
"Sorry for the delay father, I was cleaning the guns"
"I understand, that's as you've been taught but it's time to put away childish things."
Daphne hid a smile. "Guns are not usually called childish things."
"You are not a usual child and a Greengrass as well. However I'm afraid that events have closed in on us. It's time for you to start your real education." He paused to gather himself and in those moments Daphne read a host of emotions run across his face regret seemed to win the battle.
"Daphne, the head of the family has one primary responsibility?" He looked questioningly.
"The survival of the family." She answered on rote.
"Exactly. As such sometimes one makes decisions that you don't personally agree with, or you find yourself in a situation where all choices seem bad. This is one such time. You will be the next head of the family and the choices I face affect you directly in your immediate future."
He rose from behind the desk and looked out of the window.
"Some history first. Before you were born as I'm sure you well know society underwent a civil war. It started as small acts of terrorism by the time it ended it looked as if society was ready to collapse. Wizards at war, we have such terrible weapons. Someone would speak out against the dark forces when he returned home his wife would kill him where he stood. The imperious is a terrifying weapon, no one trusted anyone. The acts of violence were the worst you could imagine and often carried out on one family member by another. I started as a voice against the death eaters and their cause, then I stayed silent. Then when faced with them directly, when your mother was pregnant, when I found myself standing over her with a knife in my hand knowing I'd been imperioused but not knowing how I got there I buckled. The next time I was told to vote a certain way I did. Knowing that your mother's life and your yet unborn life hung by the thread of my obedience, I gave in."
Daphne felt a growing gnawing horror as she watched her father who had been a tower of strength in her eyes admit that he had given into blackmail.
"The end of this story you know. The Dark Lord tried to kill Potter and the cockroaches scurried back under rocks claiming they too were innocent victims."
"I also know that since then you have diversified our family business and we work as much on the muggle side of the divide as magical and we employ muggleborns whenever possible. " Daphne interjected into his monologue
"All true and all done to try and offset my guilt for that year when I let them control me. Now however I face the same situation again. I was approached at the start of this week, The Dark Lord is back, they claim and I believe them because without him backing them they wouldn't dare face me. Their demands go even further than last time."
Daphne felt her temper rise. The only outward sign of this was a slight tightening around the eyes.
"Can't we just tell them to go to hell?"
"For a time but if it leads to war again and we directly oppose them then they aren't known for their mercy."
"So what do they want, what are their demands?"
"A formal allegiance between our house and the Malfoy's"
Daphne felt an icy pit open up in her stomach. Her suddenly clammy hands pushed against the arms of the chair she sat in. She didn't throw her tea cup across the room, she never uttered one of the curses that stood at the forefront of her mind. Instead she heard herself speak calmly. "If you will excuse me father." She never even slammed the door as she left the study.
It was with a calm voice she called for an elf and told him to ensure the stable hands had her horse saddled. She paused in her room only to change to riding boots before striding through the house to the stables.
Her dappled mare was saddled up for her and she swung herself into the saddle with barley a glance at the stable boy who had been holding the horse ready for her.
She knew her destination but for the moment she rode, passing all her fury and anger into the act of urging her horse on. The horse was already at a full gallop as she thundered over the moat. She felt tears fall from the wind in her face and her own emotions allowed to run free.
She reigned in her horse and allowed her to walk back towards the hall although home wasn't her destination, she was heading for the little folly tower that had been her destination even when she had ridden past it at full gallop.
She allowed herself to slump and fall out of the saddle rather than her usual elegant dismount. There was no excuse of the wind as she wept and punched at the ground.
"A formal alliance." She spat the words out. "Never."
Her horse came over and nuzzled her and she then looked up to see it shiver in its own sweat. She cursed her own selfishness and ripped a strip from her robe and began to rub down her horse, her anger had overcome her training, she should have walked the animal longer, and taken care of her immediately, as it was her mare was on the verge of cramping and getting chills.
Her duty as a rider was to care for her mount, which was what she did ripping another stretch of material from her robe. Her first duty as the next head of the family was to the family survival not her own cares or feelings. Once she had her horse warm and dry she sat back and against the cold stone of the folly.
This was her normal place of relaxation but not this time, her brow creased with thought all that she do from now must be for the survival of the family. Not her own selfish whims.
With this thought clear in her head she walked her mare back to the stables, this time speaking and asking the groom to care for her mount, normally something she would do herself but Cygnus Greengrass would only wait for so long before his patience waned.
She called for Smeatle and waited, as her father's personnel elf he was under no obligation to respond to a call from her. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding when he popped in front of her.
"Miss Daphne?"
"Is my father available to continue our meeting?"
"Yes Miss Daphne, he's waiting in his study."
Daphne felt her mouth dry as she nodded her thanks to the elf. Her father was still waiting, how was he going to react from her earlier walk out? He never suffered fools gladly.
Still she was a Greengrass and nothing about this meeting was going to be easy so she straightened her shoulders and prepared herself to speak with her father as an equal rather than a supplicant.
"Enter"
Her father's voice sounded before she could knock a second time. She walked in calmly and sat back down facing him. An eyebrow rose as he took in her appearance mud splattered and frayed edges to her clothes but he didn't comment.
He sat behind his desk looking across at her. Waiting for her to speak.
She swallowed and tried to get some moisture back into her mouth. Eventually she felt she could get some words out.
"What is the head of family's primary responsibility?"
"The survival of the family." He answered amusement in his voice.
"I cannot see a way that I marrying Draco ensures this. It might keep us alive for a short time but it would mean that in a generation the Greengrass family was no more. The seat in the Wizengamot would fall to my son and he would be a Malfoy. Our wealth would disappear as the Malfoy's would never allow our muggle holdings to continue. If luck favours us as a family we might exist from Astoria's descendants but the Greengrass' as a force would be no more." She hurried her way through her preplanned objection.
"Yet you marrying Draco would ensure we are still all alive to continue to plan."
"That is different from the survival of the family."
"So you have an alternative plan? I agree with your analysis but find myself in a position where I can't see better options. Would the Nott's be a better option?"
Daphne swallowed the bile that instantly rose in her throat. "Much worse, Draco thinks he is a leader and a plotter. He believes himself able to carry out dark plans. He is both an idiot and an innocent, he will wet his robe and buckle the first time he sees blood. Theodore is the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't already killed. There is darkness in him. He watches everything and keeps his mouth shut. He is the truly dangerous one."
She watched as Cygnus noted down her observations. "Are you sure you aren't just objecting to avoid a marriage?"
"Father one thing I've always known is that I'd marry for the good of the family and not for feelings of romance. No, I'm objecting because I wish to see us all live and the family prosper. You said that the Dark Lord looked on the verge of victory before and it all fell in an unforeseeable event. If we allow ourselves to be bound to one side in this conflict then we could face extinction if it we pick the wrong side."
"So what is your solution?"
"You tentively accept the other of alliance on behalf of Astoria."
"Your sister is far too young, No"
"As am I at this moment, it will be three years before it could be announced formally and one more before the wedding can take place. By that time the war will be won or society will have collapsed. Astoria will be the daughter-in-law of the second most powerful man in the country or the Malfoy's will all be in disgrace."
Cygnus nodded his head, not necessarily in agreement of the plan but in his agreement of her analysis. "What of yourself now that you've avoided an unfortunate marriage?"
"I will be taking over the running of all your muggle businesses because you are a Pureblood of distinction and can have no connections to that world. I shall use all that money and connections to ensure Potter and Dumbledore win and my sister doesn't have to go through with that marriage."
"You see yourself marrying Potter?"
"If need be. If I have to, him or Weasley. Longbottom will be head of his own family one day so he is out of the question. I have to marry a minor family or a son low down the pecking order."
She watched as her father leaned back in his chair, eyes closed. After a minute he spoke. "If you do this you realise I will have to disown you?"
"Denounce certainly, I'd rather not be cast out of the family."
"Once it became clear you were choosing sides and it looked like war was breaking out then you would be unable to come home."
"I understand."
"Allow me to think on this Daphne, this is something I hadn't considered. Your plan has merit on first glance but let me pick at it."
Daphne got to her feet the dismissal clear.
"We will need to work on your temper. You did slip quite badly earlier. The head of house should always appear to be in control."
She nodded her acceptance at his rebuke.
"Although it was far from a tantrum. You spoke civilly but it was also clear that what control you had was only hanging by a thread."
Daphne waited to see if her father would say more but that was his final word, she let herself out and made the journey back to her rooms.
She glanced down at her riding boots, they were always difficult to remove by herself but she knew any second now she would have company. She counted down from ten and was slightly surprised she made it as far as three when Astoria burst into the room and bounced on the bed.
"What did father want? He called you into the office then you ran off and went back." She had had managed all that in one explosive breath.
"Breath Stori." Daphne pointed down at her boots and Astoria got of the bed and began to helpher ease them off.
Daphne looked across at her sister and felt the pangs of guilt. "Stori, do you still have that crush on Draco?"
"Is he still dreamy? Of course I still have a crush on him. The only thing I don't understand is how you don't."
Daphne held back her comments about him being an arrogant idiot.
"Anyway what's that got to do with your talk with father?"
"Everything really. The Malfoy's wish a closer alliance with House Greengrass. "
Daphne watched her sister brow wrinkle as she considered that.
"Marriage?" she asked quietly.
"I'm afraid so. They suggested Draco and me but I suggested you instead. It'll be years before it can become formal so you have plenty of time to change your mind." Daphne trailed off as she realised what the implications of her plan would mean for her sister. Suddenly she was engulfed in a hug.
"Best sister ever. I had so many plans as to how I was going to get my hooks into him and you just hand him to me prepacked. The Malfoy's are probably richer than us. Narcissa never wears anything but the best and soon that will be mine. I thought I'd have to sleep with him and get pregnant but this is so much better, they even think this is their idea. "
Daphne felt her head spin at her sister's revelation. "I thought he was dreamy."
"He's easy on the eye certainly but he has two important features. He's rich and he's a lot more stupid than he thinks he is. `
Daphne felt her jaw hang open but knew that wasn't a good look on her so shut it swiftly. She pulled Astoria into a hug. "My devious little snake. You are a credit to house Greengrass."
"And what about the future Lady Greengrass as she has passed down the chance to marry the Malfoy where does she have her sights set?"
"Only the best for me dear sister, I'll marry Harry Potter."
Daphne was pleased to see her sister's mouth drop open at this revelation.
"Potter? Have the two of you even spoke?"
Daphne waved her hand to dismiss her sisters concerns. "Details. My dear mere details."
Later after Astoria had returned to her rooms Daphne lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. Despite her blasé attitude she didn't know how to get close to Potter, she corrected herself Harry, it would be best to think of him as Harry. She needed to consider what her objectives were. The primary one would be to stop the Malfoy's and his group of death eaters.
Harry was ridiculously naïve about the workings of the world. His capitulation to the Triwizard Tournament had demonstrated that. She could have found several loopholes after just an hour of thinking. Her family lawyers would have taken the contract to pieces. No it was obvious to her that if was going to survive this he would need better help than he was getting. His two best friends weren't up to the task Hermione while able to discover anything in a book was new to this world and the hundreds of unwritten rules and little quirks of society passed her by. Weasley on the other hand fitted her Slytherin prejudices of what a Gryffindor was perfectly. Rash, impetuous and never one to consider the implications of an action unless of course he was playing chess. She hoped she could approach Harry directly or if that failed through Hermione. Getting close to Ron would be the harder course of action and the more unpleasant.
She moved over to her desk and started to make notes on parchment. Listing Harry circle of friends and acquaintances and her best point of contact with the group. It would be possible to play the pure blood game with the Longbottom's invite them to events and gatherings. Seamus and Dean were both approachable by a pretty face. Although getting involved with them would make it harder to get close with Harry.
She paused to consider the enigma that was Harry Potter, the most quiet and reticent, fame hungry, saviour and danger to the wizarding world. The Prophet was busy spinning stories against him at the moment. If the Dark Lord had returned and this was the assumption they were all working on. She paused to make a note on her parchment. Defence lessons. She circled it and placed an asterisk next to it, if she was going to place herself on a side that she'd have to fight, she wanted to survive.
She returned to her plans. The Greengrass could use their position to put weight on the Prophet but her father had to be seen to support the establishment.
Still the way he'd allowed Rita to treat him last year showed he had no training in this sort of thing. Her thoughts kept going back to her glib line to her sister. I'm going to marry Harry Potter.
Would she? She knew almost nothing about him. There were the facts that were public record, the whole boy who lived thing, although that would be better off called legend than fact. Then there was the boy she shared one lesson a week with. Harry in potions was a boy constantly on the defensive. Sometimes defiant others guarded. Harry the quidditch player was none of these things. On a broom he was open and free. Uncoached and wild, his talent was nothing like the professional players she'd watched but it was more impressive for all that. Then there was scarhead that Draco hated. Harry seemed to have the uncanny ability to thwart whatever simple scheme Draco had thought up. First year he and his friends had done something and no one was clear what that had got them the house cup. Second year the whole heir of Slytherin had fizzled out. There were rumours then of Harry having rescued Ginny Weasley. Daphne paused to make a note of her name in the potential problems she would face in befriending Harry.
Third year Draco's plans to have the Hippogriff killed came to nothing. Nothing was proven but Draco and Snape thought Harry had stopped that somehow. Then there was the whole Triwizard event last year. Again Harry had entered it. An event for wizards of age. Not only had he not died which Draco had been predicting but he'd won. The other stories were even wilder. That he'd seen the Dark Lord reborn duelled him and lived to tell the tale.
One thing was certain a life close to Harry would never be dull. Providing she, could get close to him and survive. The rumours said Ginny looked half dead, Hermione had been frozen. Sirius Black had been on a rampage and this year Cedric had died. No, her plans came at a cost. She'd have to leave her family home and face dangers and possibly death to try and get close to a boy who might not give her the time of day because of the decision of a musty old hat.
Yet to the Dark Lord the Greengrass family was a disposable pawn. Just a vote on the council and he would kill them if they opposed him. He had to be defeated and if she could prosper the family by beating him that would be even better. She smiled as she absently stroked her cat's belly. For a moment she had almost sounded like a Gryffindor.
No, she would be there on the winning side and she would reap the rewards of the victor. She would see the enemies of her house defeated. Then, she hadn't really thought that far but if Harry won, if she was at his side then they'd be able to change the world however they wanted.
The Greengrass family was liberal by pureblood standards. Her father's elf ran the estate in his name ordering around witches and wizards as he needed. They employed many muggle-borns and even squibs in the stables and grounds. The horses refused to let elves near them and you needed someone who wouldn't be shocked when an elf popped through the house.
This war might be a blight on society but maybe it could be turning into a blessing. Still all this would happen only if she was with Harry.
Daphne idly noted down the names of the girls in Harry's year Parvati, Lavender, Eliza and Faye. As far as she could recall Harry was not particularly close to any of them. Even Parvati who he'd attended the ball with. She also noted down the names of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. That was it, Harry had few friends and a small circle of acquaintances beyond that. Every one of them Gryffindor, which made her task as a Slytherin doubly difficult.
Her easiest contact and the one with the least prejudices was Hermione. They shared Runes and arithmancy together. They had the option of extra curriculum work. It should be easy to hook her. Daphne wanted back up plans it was her nature to plan and to have fall back positions ready. The idea of going back with only one option was unthinkable.
Her cat jumped up and decided now was the perfect time to attack her quill. That was Daphne's signal to abandon work for the day. It was still early summer she had plenty of time.
x
It wasn't until two day later she was called into her father's office again. He had moved from his desk and sat at a conference table. Photos were scattered across it in three rough groups. She noticed Harry was at the centre of one.
"Daphne I'm still considering your plan. It has merit and I realise my main objection is an emotional one not a practical one. So you will still need to convince me of that."
Her father then sifted through the photos with her he explained the factions and factions within them as he understood them, she explained the relationships of Harry and his friends as she understood them.
"You have a year I would estimate, a year to befriend them and ready yourself for the coming war. Next summer will be your last here, as a Slytherin sleeping with children of death eaters you may even have to leave school early. Are you prepared for all this?"
Daphne considered fathers question? Leaving Hogwarts early would not be an issue. As the next Lady Greengrass her future was not controlled by academic success or failure. Slytherin's didn't really have friends more mutual allies, She felt a slight pang of guilt over Tracy's fate but it wouldn't stop her from doing what was necessary. Befriending Harry would be problematic but she could only plan so far. The one fact she couldn't deny was she wasn't ready to fight. If she had to use magic in anger she would swiftly fail.
"No, I'm not ready. In my time in Hogwarts we've only had one decent defence teacher." Daphne picked out one of the photos of a man aligned with Dumbledore's group." This one. Would it be possible to hire him as a defence tutor for me? It would be another connection for me to the light side."
Her father paused. "I shall see that you have the resources to do this but it can't be seen to be done by my good graces. Let this be your first lesson in subverting my authority and going against my wishes. I shall try to find him for you but it will be up to you to find a way to make contact with him."
Daphne accepted her father's decision with a nod.
"I shall also find a more socially acceptable teacher for you in case Lupin can't be found. So now for the hard part. Convince this old man to bring my youngest daughter into this scheme."
Daphne was uncertain of her father's reactions so decided to tell him the plain truth. He had was vastly more experienced than her so would spot any spin or manipulation she attempted. As she finished explaining the situation she watched his face but his mask stayed in place.
"Well I suppose we all get the children we deserve. I must have done something right to have two daughters who are plotting to try and marry the two most eligible men of their time in school. I shall speak with Astoria and if you are right then I will put her into your mothers tender care. There is a women who can manipulate a man to her desires. I would suggest a more straight forward approach for you with the young Gryffindors. Hopefully you will succeed and I will live to see both my daughters grow up."
With the warning of the price of failure still fresh in her ears Daphne left her father to his plans as she continued her own.
A.N.
Yes I know Faye is a canon immigrant character. I also know that the evidence for five girls in Harry's year is circumstantial but I don't care.
There we go chapter 1 done.
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Thanks for reading.