Snakes and Souls by Maddyson Ruby

Pairing: Harry/Daphne

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit from this. All characters you recognise belong to JK Rowling.

AN: I'm going to pretend that Harry turned sixteen the summer before his fifth year, so he is one of the oldest not the youngest. This was a challenge issued to me by GoldenSteel called My Girlfriend is What!

Bear with me, this is slower to start but the pace will quicken. I loved writing this and am so desperate to write a Blaise centred story now.

Chapter 1

Every girl has her secrets; I suppose that I'm no different. I was loved and I was popular, I had everything I could ever dream I could want laid out for me on a silver platter, ripe for the taking. My fifth year of Hogwarts was going to be no different.

I was taken to Diagon Alley that summer by one of our housekeepers, Beatrice. She had such lovely blonde curls I always found myself jealous in her presence especially when I compared them to my own dark chocolate coloured waves. I seemed plain in comparison to her, or that was my perception.

People bustled about the alley, all focussed on their errands for the day. I had nothing on my mind apart from the shoes I wanted to buy for this year at Hogwarts and what coloured wand holder caught my fancy. My thoughts were trivial as I compared the colours of two different winter cloaks, unsure of which colour suited me better – the dark forest green or the silvery grey? I knew I was vain, there was no point denying it.

My younger sister, Astoria, hurried along beside me with her beautiful teak coloured hair elegantly pinned back, looking like my mother in miniature. She was two years my junior but we were so close to each other, unlike other pure bloods I knew and their siblings.

Our books were bought quickly and soon we were off to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch and a butterbeer – a treat for sure as my sister and I were rarely allowed them. The pub was humming with life as the patrons enjoyed themselves, firewhiskey flowing. I found myself greedily drinking my warm butterbeer and relishing in the food I was presented with, despite the fact that the chefs at home could cook far better and far more quickly should I so desire it.

"Are you looking forward to your fifth year, Daphne?" Beatrice asked; her pretty blue eyes wide and innocent. Sometimes, her naivety couldn't help but fray at my nerves.

"Of course, Beatrice. I can't wait to see my friends once more. I've missed them so much." I gushed to my family, smiling.

Beatrice got a cunning look in her eye that reminded me of the Slytherin she supposedly was during her Hogwarts days, "I bet you're looking forward to seeing a certain Slytherin this year, hey?"

I chuckled before smirking at our housekeeper, "Of course I'm looking forward to seeing a Mister Draco Malfoy but not as much as Astoria is. Isn't that right, Tory?"

When Astoria went scarlet in her embarrassment I eased off on the teasing and ordered another butterbeer which I drank quickly, enjoying the sweetness more than normal.

That in and of itself was odd, I could usually only finish half of a butterbeer before declaring it too sweet. Out of me and my sister, she was the one with a taste for all things sweet whilst I could only stand them up to a degree.

Beatrice apparated Astoria and I back to the Greengrass Estate which spanned around a thousand acres with flowing lawns and well-maintained gardens full of blossoming flowers. My mother's love for gardening was second only to my father which was probably why Herbology was one of my best subjects. Our pool was charmed to stay at a constant warm temperature with a full Quidditch pitch being a favourite of my father's that was built in case the Greengrass family was blessed with a male heir.

Our mansion was pretty classic as far as pure-blood mansions go; it was all imported grey stonework with large glass windows and a double door entrance. The inside was mostly mahogany and marble with columns lining the entrance hall and the grand dining room. It was grand but the Greengrass family accepted nothing less than perfection in life. I loved my life; there wasn't a single thing I'd want to even consider changing about it.

My room was spacious with a double bed with a gauzy canopy above it in silver. The walls were wooden panelling and silver walls. A chaise sat near the window in green silk where light hit it, illuminating the room. Green accents were strewn about my bedroom, tying in the silver and green colour scheme I loved and had grown up with. The hallways of the manor had portraits of my ancestors I delighted in conversing with; learning history from them was far more enjoyable than a lesson with Professor Binns.

I was called for dinner by our house elf, Rad who Astoria had named when she was but a child. "Master and Mistress Greengrass are wanting young Miss to be joining them in the blue dining room."

"Thank you for telling me, Rad." I replied politely as I had always been taught. House elves, though uneducated and coarse in mannerisms, were not to be abused. That was more Draco's forte.

I joined my family in one of several dining rooms for dinner which happened to be a favourite of my father's.

"How was your shopping today, dears?" my mother questioned in her voice that sounded so like bells. Her hair was pinned up into and elaborate up do and jewels hung from her ears, matching the dress she wore.

"Good, mother," Astoria piped up. "We bought everything on our lists as well as new shoes for Daphne and me."

"Grammar, Astoria," My father chided her, Mother nodding along. "It is correct to say, Daphne and I or Daphne and myself. Not Daphne and me, that is far too informal."

"As you say, Papa," my sister agreed sounding only slightly disheartened.

I locked eyes with her, smiling reassuringly. Her face brightened and she went back to conversing with our father. At the end of the meal, once my sister and I were excused to leave the table, my father spoke up, "We'll be visiting the Malfoy's next weekend, as a family."

I knew what he meant, it was to be a social occasion where the pureblood community got together and bragged about themselves and their lives. As riveting as this was, I loathed the event every year it came to pass. On the bright side, I would be purchasing a new dress to wear for the evening as going in something you already owned was social suicide and I would never live it down amongst Pansy Parkinson and her circle of trainee socialites. As much as I might abhor the evening I knew I would go, I wouldn't dare to do otherwise.

Pansy Parkinson was someone I tolerated but I'm almost certain but distaste for her was evident whenever I was forced into her presence. Pug faced is one way I've heard others describe her warped facial features and I can't quite stop myself from agreeing with their observations. She is from a wealthy pure blood family and has high hopes that she will be the future bride of none other than Draco Malfoy. I have my doubts. She lacks the countenance of a pure blood bride; she also lacks the looks and reputation. Though she firmly denies even a hint of interest in Draco, I know my sister, Astoria, would be well-matched to him as the next Lady Malfoy. Lady Astoria Malfoy had a nice ring to it. She had always like the blond Malfoy heir.

The next week passed by sporadically with moments of triviality the felt as though they last for years and days that flew by in a blink. Sooner than I would have liked it was the Saturday of the pure blood community gathering. Our dresses were ready having been bought the day previously.

I dressed in my brand new Ebony Taylor gown which was emerald green and mermaid in design with a flare around my knees and a tight bust line and corset. Paired with heels and a necklace I was ready to go and met up with the rest of the family, dressed to kill, in the foyer.

We apparated to the Malfoy family manor and, for just a moment, I was captivated by the magnificence that it was, rolling lawns complete with white peacocks and a large fountain in the front courtyard less than two metres away from where my family and I had landed.

"Daphne!" came the nasal and grating voice of Pansy Parkinson, "Yoo-hoo!"

I looked up to see Pansy descending down the marble staircase with her approximation of a smile on her pug-like face. She wore a silver dress that clung too tightly to be flattering or deemed appropriate for occasions such as this. The dress in question would have looked far prettier on someone of Astoria's physique.

"Pansy!" I called back, smiling brightly at my faux friend. We hurried to greet each other with air kisses to the cheeks and a ghost of a smile. I caught my father's nod of acceptance at my actions and noticed that Astoria was in a similar position with her friends.

I was led inside by Pansy where my social circle were gathered and received greetings from everyone, each of us subtly appraising the others as we had been taught to from birth. Millicent Bulstrode greeted me with a shy smile, her larger form noticeably slimmer than the previous school year. Good for her.

We whiled the evening away with chatter, smirks were exchanged and I was asked to dance by none other than Blaise Zabini – something I know won't go unnoticed by the adults. It was a shame that Blaise and I didn't see each other as more, we would have made a formidable couple but, alas, it was not to be. I was not attracted to him, despite his good looks and he was, shall I say, otherwise interested. I was lacking certain physical features required to attract Blaise.

The food at the gathering was lovely, a standard the Malfoy's firmly abided by in order to uphold their image of universal superiority. I couldn't help but notice that once again, I favoured food and drink of the sweeter variety, barely resisting getting seconds on the pumpkin tart I ate. The party ended on a high, a change from the norm pure blood gatherings usually adhered to, I was sure. A highlight of the evening had been my aunt arriving in a flamboyant silver dress that had every male in the room, married or otherwise, staring and salivating.

My sister and I were escorted home by our parents who couldn't resist sharing smirks and small, secret smiles between themselves like they could communicate without words. Their closeness was something I couldn't help but envy, after all, what girl didn't want to wed someone they loved or could love? I wanted the fairy tale romance often only read about in stories, I may be a Slytherin but, despite the student populace of Hogwarts' opinion, I did have emotions and I did sometimes envy the simplicity of their lives. How many first years were selective about their friends because of social hierarchy? I was. It's bad for reputations among pureblood society if you associate yourself poorly. Within my first week I had linked myself to several major families – the Malfoy's, Parkinson's, Zabini's and the Nott's. Whereas, Ronald Weasley, another pureblood, befriended Harry Potter on the train ride to the castle and allied himself to the muggleborn Granger. My parents would tolerate Harry Potter considering who he is and who his ancestors were but Granger with her poor heritage and know-it-all attitude was someone I couldn't stand to be in a room with for prolonged periods.

The Weasley's blasé attitude to classes and blood purity always left a bad taste in my mouth, not because I disapproved. On the contrary, I wanted that. I wanted to be free of the classes of purebloods and the traditions it entailed. The life of a pure blood without societal worries would be blissful and freeing. I wanted it, too bad I would never get it.

The rest of my school holidays were comparatively dull, my homework was completed, my textbooks for the next year ahead had already been read and the extracurricular activities my father and tutors had devised were done. I spent most of my time wandering the grounds of the estate or reading in the great library. I only broke this routine once to go out to Diagon Alley with Pansy, Millicent and some of the usual Slytherin posse. It proved to be a nice break from the monotony of my life but the hours spent in close confines with Pansy Parkinson messed with my ability to think clearly.

My Aunt, Selene, visited on the last day of the holidays, dressed to the nines in a stunning red summer dress with matching heels and accents. She invited me out to lunch, a rare treat for me. Selene was my Aunt on my mother's side and she barely looked a day over twenty five, not a single wrinkle or blemish marred her skin and her hair was a dark mahogany red that shone when in sunlight. She also had one of those bodies you couldn't help but envy. My Aunt Selene was all curves and legs. Lucky.

She took me to Florean Fortesque's, home of the most delicious ice cream in London and sat us down at a table outside, where we could look out on the street and observe shoppers.

"So, Daphne, how's my favourite niece doing?" she asked with a crimson smile, her lips a bright red, drawing the eyes off many a man in the alley that day.

"You really shouldn't say that, Aunt Selene," I teased with a grin, "but, to answer your question, I'm fine. I'm looking forward to school this year."

"Really?" she asked crossing her legs and raising an eyebrow in question. "I find that very hard to believe, Miss Greengrass."

"What? It's the truth," I defended, fighting a smile at my Aunt's antics.

"Hmm…" was all Selene said, a smirk stretching across her face.

"So, any new guys?" I asked as silence descended on the table, I'd always hated the quiet. I'd also always found it odd how my Aunt was the most beautiful woman I knew, often to the point of envy on my part but she had never married and I had only seen her in a relationship once in my fifteen, nearly sixteen, years as her niece. It was an oddity but I never asked much, the topic seemed to upset her for some reason. She was always mournful about it and seemed… lost? It was bizarre, to me at least, how my mother, her sister, got married to a high standing pure blood wizard to be pampered and cared for whilst my Aunt Selene was never married as far as I know and she lived in a flat off Diagon Alley and worked for a magical linguistics agency, specialising in translation and other linguistic issues.

"No, Daphne. I doubt there ever will be again, I'm hardly young now," Selene pointed out with a soft smile.

"Aunt Selene!" I cried shocked and horrified at how she viewed herself. "You're not old at all!"

My Aunt just chuckled and was about to say more when our ice creams arrived, courtesy of Florean Fortesque himself.

The older man ogled my Aunt with a lack of subtlety that both amused and shocked me. His blatant attempts at seeing down her shirt were just the tip of the iceberg. Another server came over just as we were leaving and smiled at my Aunt confidently, flicking his platinum blond hair away from his face with a practised gesture.

"So," he started staring at her with all the obsession of a stalker. "I was wondering whether you'd be interested in going out with me? Just so you know, the cougar thing does not bother me."

I couldn't help but snort into my hand at his audacity; sure as I was that she would turn down his advances.

"You got a Floo number?" she asked with a deadly smirk. He pulled a card from his pocket and gave it to her with a flourish. She smiled seductively, "Thanks."

"When will I hear from you, Miss…?" he asked in a voice he probably thought was suave. I thought it was vile and the sight of him turned my stomach.

"It's Selene and never…" she purred, switching to the little known 'Language of the Pure Bloods' as she turned down the overeager young wizard. The language was taught to high society pureblood children in the older times and was a lot less common now than it was twenty years ago. Now the language was all but gone except in a few select pureblood families who followed traditions and custom religiously. My family was one of them.

Selene grasped my arm and spun in a circle, apparating directly into her flat over the alley. She had always had a flair for the dramatic. She giggled when she caught sight of my still disgusted face and smiled innocently.

"Why did you take his Floo number?" I asked, not sure if I really wanted the answer.

"To add to my collection," she smirked and chuckled. "It will be added to my book."

The book she spoke of was one that I had heard spoken about but had never really understood, nor had I ever been graced with the privilege to see the fabled book.

"Can I see it?" I asked with the over enthusiastic tone of a child at the prospect of seeing that book, the one that was a thing of legend amongst the females of my line.

"Do you want to see it?" she asked with a laugh, walking to her bookcase before I could answer her. I watched eagerly as she strategically touched marks on the bookcase and whispered words in a language I could neither understand nor identify. The bookcase morphed in the centre revealing an old thick tome. It was a burnt crimson in colour with a gold clasp on the front with no keyhole I could see. Selene sat next to me on her chaise in the living room and placed the book on her folded legs with a nostalgic smile. She kissed the silver and green flower of the golden clasp and I watched as it unfurled and snapped open. The first page was a Wizarding photograph of Selene and she looked very little like the strong woman I sat next to. The next page showed another photo but this one looked a lot more like the Aunt I knew and loved. Her hair was the reddish brown locks that I saw next to me and her eyes were same wide blue that watched me as I looked over the page. She then flipped the page to show me why this book was so highly regarded. It began the documentation of every single person, be they male or female, Muggle or wizard who had given Selene their number with romantic intentions. This, under normal circumstances, wouldn't be impressive but the sheer number of pages stunned me speechless.

"I started this book after my sixteenth birthday and since then, every number I've received, has gone in here," she said with a fond smile, sticking in the newest addition to her book.

Kevin Lee

146 Panged Stone Way

Floo me… x

I couldn't help but respect my Aunt, she was a tough lady and knew how to get what she wanted and someday, I hoped to be half the woman she was.

Astoria and I were dropped off at Platform nine and three quarters exactly on time, not fashionably late as the Malfoy's would have been, and likely were. Dressed comfortably and casually, particularly for my sister and me, we said our goodbyes to our parents and boarded the train, finding our own compartments with practised ease, Astoria going off to join her friends in the third year whilst I headed for my own compartment in the acknowledged Slytherin portion of the train. It wasn't any different from the rest of the train in looks or facilities but more Slytherin students were found in the area than any other House.

I stepped into a compartment that already housed many of the prestigious pureblood children, joining in with the conversation easily as was expected of me as a child of pure blood, to be a social chameleon. It was a skill I excelled in.

The train rocked slightly as it left the station and I couldn't help but be excited for the year ahead of me. But something in my gut, writhed in anxiety for the threats in my future as well as the looming feeling that something big was going to happen and whether or not I liked it had yet to be seen or determined. I only hoped I survived.

Epic chapter, one of my longest ever in fact, what do people think? This has been great fun to write and I find myself loving it! So many different things to try and do! It's going to be great! Review to help me keep writing, give suggestions, questions and comments to me as any and all feedback is appreciated no matter how negative. So, keep reading and review please!