Harry scowled darkly as he sat alone in the compartment on the Hogwarts Express. For reasons beyond his understanding it had been the summer from hell. Beyond the usual heckle and abuse he had begun to notice changes happening to him. It was small things at first, his hair losing its signature unruliness or his pale complexion getting darker so it was closer to a healthy light tan despite consciously making the effort to not go out outside, but towards the end of the summer the changes had come quicker and more volatile than the other changes. His kind demeanor became violent and scathing when pushed even the smallest bit too far, a brief flash of literally tossing his whale of a cousin into a wall drawing from god knows what well of strength ran through his mind after the boy insulted his dead parents, to finding a borderline slytherin sadistic joy at finding the fear induced by such episodes scaring the daylights out of people who thought him no more than a quiet peaceful boy. He was broken from his thoughts when a quiet throat clearing caught his attention. Turning his head emerald eyes met rich blue and unconsciously the scowl turned into a soft smile.
"Hey there stranger." The girl smiled slightly seating herself across from him. Her blonde hair lay draped over her shoulder as she leaned forward and chastely kissed his lips for a moment before pulling back. Daphne Greengrass prided herself on a lot of things but there was one thing she prided herself on the most: the young man before her; he was her best kept and most treasured secret.
Harry smiled a little more into the kiss and returned it as he reached a hand over and grasped one of her own lightly. "Hello there yourself beautiful" he said with a fondness in his eyes that made his eyes seem to glow in the dimness of the tunnel. If he were to try and trace back to where their secret began he had to admit that it began with a lie perpetrated by fate. It hadn't been Hermoine he had first encountered on his first boarding of the Hogwarts Express in his first year, it had been Daphne. Of course the powers that be split the pair after a rather pleasant five minute talk of nothing in particular when her friends and future housemates, a fact they learned later, had found the girl engrossed in a conversation that made no sense to them centered around quiditch and a game called football that the other girl dragging Daphne away had started to ask about. Then came Hermoine and the rest as they say was history.
Despite the sorting he tried to make a public friendship work despite differing houses and it blew up in his face even with Daphne trying as well. It had been her suggestion in the first place after the dust settled to have a public "falling out" to settle the rising tension between the already embattled houses. Gryffindors neurotic elite idiots were claiming the Slytherin snakes were using one of their own to seduce their golden boy to use him as a means to an end while the backwards Pureblood heirs were making false claims til they were blue in the face Gryffindor sneaks were up to no good. For their own sanity the pair concocted the whole plan, executed it perfectly and seeming no one was the wiser. No one except the teaching staff that was.
While the student body was struck with gossip for quite some time the heads of house found a curiosity in the pair. Slytherins Ice Queen and the Gryffindor golden boy being friendly? Severus was vocal about it at first til there was a change beginning to come about his house that no one, not even he, saw coming. The younger years slowly became a spot of fascination for him as the children of Pureblood families were subtly influenced by the sphere of Daphne Greengrass's reach. Hostilies weren't banished by any means but with the classes coming in every year they were becoming more or less a neutrally spoken of house.
"Come out of the clouds lover boy" Daphne teased with a quiet chuckle breaking Harrys thought. Her eyes danced with amusement as he pouted at her. It was cute to her how in their private moments alone that the expressive young man across from her was far more open with her then he was in public with his housemates. 'Then again I hold the key to his affections as he does to mine' she thought with a warmth erupting in her chest.
"I wasn't in the clouds dear" Harry said pulling Daphne onto his lap and circled his arms around her waist. "I was thinking about us and those beautiful blue eyes I love so much." Her blush stained cheeks made him smirk slightly as she slapped his chest lightly in embarrassment. Even after two years of being together in secret, something he did not appreciate but Daphne stressed was best for them and he trusted her implicitly so he kept his mouth shut as did she, he relished the small moments like this where he could make her blush with small but sincere heartfelt loving words.
"Words like that may find you tied up in a rather compromising position Mr. Potter" Daphne teased as she wrapped her arms around Harrys neck and rested her forehead against his so their eyes met. Harry knew what sweet little things like that did to her. "I may just use a little magic to make the knots a little tighter than last time." A coy grin came to her lips as the dark haired boy shivered.
"Well Ms. Greengrass as long as its you doing the tying up I think I am more than happy to let it happen. Provided I get to have my way with you after you've had your way with me" Harry said with a sly grin that could charm the skin off a snake, or in private moments Daphne of her robes, with a single glance. The blonde girls shudder made his sly grin widen just slightly as he leaned in and stole a kiss though he made certain for this one to linger. Daphnes soft sigh of pleasure made him tighten his grip around her waist as he closed his eyes savoring the moment. Feeling her ask permission into his mouth he gave it freely as her grasp around his neck tightened. Once the kiss broke his eyes opened partly and fondly nuzzled her cheek gently. "You know I love you right? And this whole thing we have to do about public airs kills me" he said quietly.
Daphnes heart fluttered at Harrys words as she nuzzled him back. "Of course I know you love me idiot. Not for my name, my families wealth or anything like the others who claim to 'love' me for" she said with a soft unlady like snort of disapproval thinking of all the guys who had confessed to her 'Ice Queen' school persona. "You love me for me just as I love you for you and that will not ever change Harry. We just have to keep the airs about school and believe me when I say it kills me too. You don't know how many times over the last two years I've wanted to be held by you publicly at school, the amount of times I've had to restrain myself from beating that little ginger hussy Weasley for hitting on you and being all touchy feely or precisely how many times I've been so sorely tempted to just grab you in the middle of the hallway to snog you til they would have to pull us apart."
"Then lets drop it already. The professors must have seen through us by now. I mean by Merlins blue balls our little public charade has been earning Slytherin a neutral reputation. I mean when was the last time you saw someone outright make a hostilie action toward a Slytherin for no undue reason" Harry said. He gave Daphne a minute to come up with one example and she slumped her shoulders not being able to come up with one. "Thats my point. Your influence in your house has been shifting the youngers years to think differently. We won't see the whole effect since we'll be graduated by then but we have started something Daph. Two embattled houses are getting along somewhat and out of it a den of snakes mistrusted for so long is being given somewhat of a second chance."
"I know that Harry, really I do, and it makes me love you more because you are as big a part of the reason why as I am. I'm just.." Daphne was lost for the right word to convey her trepidation.
"Daph, look at me." Harry wasn't really the dominant or commanding type most of the time but the gently spoken command drew Daphnes gaze to his. "I know its un-nerving and even a small amount scary. You still have right prats who would look down on our relationship. I know in my own house I would have the same but that shouldn't stop us from being happy. Stealing moments like this makes them special to me and are cherished dearly but tell me you wouldn't be happier to be embraced in front of our peers, to show your claim on me and my claim on you with no care who saw... Daph, we deserve it" he said freeing one arm from around her waist to gently run his thumb across her cheek. "For once I'm going to tell you what to do." The humor in her eyes made him laugh quietly.
"And what are you going to tell me to do oh mighty lion?" Daphne asked with a sarcastic and playful roll of the eyes though the loving look in them glowed brightly as the train exited the tunnel. As much as she loved Harry she was the one who usually was more the dominant type unless she riled him up. For him to take the role from her, even for a minute, was a little surprising- a welcome surprise but a surprise nonetheless.
"Throw aside your beautiful snake scales for once and show me, show the whole of Hogwarts, the heart of the proud Lioness that you hide under your mask. Show everyone that you aren't scared to break stigma, break the stereotypes of your house. Show them that you have your claws in me and you're not afraid to fight those who dare try to steal what is yours" Harry said with a sneaky Slytherin like mischievous glint in his eyes.
Seeing the glint in Harrys eyes Daphne shivered despite grinning softly at him. "And what would your lioness get out of doing that for you?" she asked teasing. "You know better than I a lioness will stand up for her mate out of love and committment but also for her own benefit. After all oh mighty lion" her eyes glittered again as sunlight reflected off her face "you live in the den of them all school year."
"I was waiting for you to ask that question" Harry said as his hand abandoned tracing her cheek to slip down a little and absently trace the curve of her neck and throat gently. "As you show me and the school that beautiful brave lioness sleeping underneath your shimmering scales I will.." He whispered the rest of the sentence her ear noting just how darkly she blushed but also the light gathering of tears.