Written for:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Muggle Arts
Task 1: Writing about facing a loss (can be any kind of loss).

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Holmes Mystery
Prompt - Wonderful

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Writing Club
Sophie's Shelf -Trio Era Fem/Slash - Daphne/Susan

Camp Potter: Friendship Bracelet Making Station
For Lizzy: Daphne/Susan / Chevron: (word) Independent / Floss: Mint Green

Ask First

xXx

Daphne wore a big smile on her face as she opened the front door. "Honey, I'm home!" she sing-songed. She was always happy to come home. During her school years, she never imagined she would be in a long-term, serious relationship. She was independent and enjoyed her freedom, but living with Susan was so wonderful, and she couldn't imagine her life any other way.

Her eyes widened and she stopped in the doorway. She took in the disarray of their house. Cushions littered the floor. There were clothes on the floor. Knick Knacks and other miscellaneous things littered every available surface.

"Susan? Where you are?" Daphne called, panic creeping into her voice.

Susan wasn't quite as neat as Daphne, but this mess was so not like Susan at all. Daphne feared the worst. "Susan! Where are you?!" she screamed louder, slamming the door shut and rushing the rest of the way into the house.

Susan appeared at their bedroom door. Her hair was in disarray and her cheeks were flushed, but all in all, she didn't look injured in any way.

Daphne felt herself relax. "I would ask if you had someone in that bedroom with you with the way you look, but you were obviously too busy trashing our house. Did you have a wild party and not invite me?" she jokingly asked.

Susan didn't laugh. She didn't smile. She didn't appear embarrassed or ashamed. Her eyes were frantic. "Do you know where it is?"

Daphne frowned. "Where what is? Susan, what's wrong?"

"It's a mint green teddy bear. Please tell me you know where it is."

"Um…" Daphne thought about the old, dingy thing she had found shoved in a box in the back of the closet. She could tell it had once been cute, but its days had long since run their course. She considered sprucing it up and giving it to her new little nephew, but she didn't think Draco would appreciate such an old gift for Scorpius.

In the end, she decided to just toss it out. She never even considered asking Susan about it.

"Daphne, do you know where it is?" Susan asked, hope bleeding into her voice. Her eyes were almost shining in her fervor for Daphne to give an answer of affirmation.

Daphne hesitated slightly.

"Daphne!" Susan implored, this time with agitation. "Do you know where it is?"

"Was it important?"

"My mum gave it to me," was Susan's soft answer.

And Daphne's heart plummeted. How could she have been so thoughtless to not ask Susan about it before she tossed it away? Daphne had known it wasn't hers, but because it was shoved to the back of the closet, she had assumed it was unimportant.

"I was feeling nostalgic, so I wanted to see it. I went into the closet. I was sure that's where I put it. But it's gone. I've looked everywhere. It feels like my mum has died all over again. Please tell me you know where it is."

She thought about lying and saying she hadn't seen it, but she couldn't do that to Susan. If she did, the Hufflepuff would continue looking, never giving up. She had to own up to her mistake. "I'm so sorry."

Susan studied Daphne. "You threw it away."

"It was so old, and I never saw it before. I didn't think to ask you about it, and…" One look at Susan's heartbroken expression and she trailed off. She could make excuses, but that wouldn't do any good. She had messed up. "I'm so sorry. I would never have thrown it away if I realized its importance to you."

"A bear kept all these years didn't ring as important!?" Susan screamed, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Daphne closed her eyes and bravely took Susan's anger.

"How could you be so thoughtless? How could you be so inconsiderate? Oh yeah, that's right. You still have a mum and a dad and a sister. You don't know what it's like to lose a whole family. First my parents and uncle to the first war, and then my aunt to the second war. You don't know what it's like to be without anyone!"

Daphne opened her eyes and stared into an angry and hurt blue gaze. "I am sorry, but you're not alone. Not anymore. You have me. And you have Astoria. And my parents love you so much. You won't ever be alone again. I promise."

Susan collapsed to the ground, sobs wracking her body as she mourned for her mother once again. Daphne knelt down next to the quivering mess and took her into a warm embrace.

She held Susan, not letting go. She felt like the worst person in the world right now. Daphne knew she would never be able to locate the discarded bear, so all she could do was be there for Susan and hope to not be pushed away.

Next time, she would ask before she threw anything away.

xXx

(word count: 830)