It's been a while, I know. I've been on this amazing roller coaster journey of the highs and lows of life over the last few months and I'd be honest that I was so happy and then so distraught that I had abandoned my writing for it. That and for some reason I struggled with my writing - even my usual scribbling was non-existent during the last two months. Hopefully that has past or I'll be tearing my hair out trying to write chapter 9.
Guest - I think I read it from somewhere coz I don't really watch TV except for the occasional football match and Masterchef episode.
By the way, I would appreciate if my lovely readers (those who don't hate me for my hiatus and obviously those who have not abandoned the story as a lost hope) would start contributing names because if you left me to name all of them, we'd be here forever. :P
As always, please review! :)
It was hard to keep secrets when nine women were in such close quarters; it was even harder to keep something that juicy, despite its tragedy, under wraps. Both Fleur and Susan had asked Daphne about Lavinia's miscarriage the following day. Not sure what had been revealed to them, Daphne had simply shrugged and headed for her own suite.
Harry had been told about the miscarriage. He was in Bulgaria, strengthening New Britain's ties with their government and to affirm to both countries of his continuing friendship with Bulgaria's national Quidditch idol, Viktor Krum. Daphne had been reluctantly informed that it would be another two days before a Portkey with the power to jump back to New Britain could be created for Harry's use.
Usually Lady Narcissa would have told Lavinia herself but given the recent outrage displayed by the Malfoy mistress, the task had fallen to Daphne. While she was annoyed that she was being sent back and forth as a messenger for Lady Narcissa and Lavinia, she was sympathetic to Lavinia's plight and a friendly face would be more welcomed than Lady Narcissa's sneering one.
Having once been on the receiving end of Narcissa Malfoy's anger, Daphne pitied the older witch. Although she spent some time sitting with the redhead in the mornings, Daphne was usually in one of the large lounge cum study rooms or the Potter library leaving Lavinia to face Lady Narcissa and her contempt alone.
While she had her doubts that someone else had caused Lavinia to miscarriage, it had been a wake-up call to her. She had gotten complacent in her time as Harry's consort. Having been made one of his wives, and being one of the three pregnant consorts, she was at a higher risk than usual.
Althea had been a bit surprised at Daphne's request to learn more about Diagnosis charms and she had not so subtly asked about Revealing charms but the elderly witch had been more than happy to accommodate the consort's wishes.
Daphne had also asked about her failed Diagnosis charm. Although it was known that freshly learned spells had a tendency to fail or sputter out, Daphne's pride had smarted at her failure. They had spent a full week practicing the charm until Daphne could effortlessly cast it before Daphne ordered Althea to continue with the curriculum. Althea had complied without further comment and Daphne had been pleased at that.
Naylor, on the other hand, had started giving Daphne some easy Wards to work on. He had brought in a simple jewellery box and they often used it to put up or take down Wards. Expressing her unhappiness at the slow schedule, Naylor pointed out they had progressed faster than a normal student would have. Daphne was slightly appeased and they had moved on from that.
He did admit though that given its size and the compatibility of wood and imbued magic made it easy, it would be some time before Daphne could work on the Wards put in and around homes.
Despite what she had heard others say, Daphne had concluded there was no way a student could have learnt how to take down a Ward from a house within weeks or a few months' worth of lessons given the intricacies and magic that were weaved into Wards.
The satisfaction she gained from learning how to raise and bring down Wards always left her in a good mood for hours after. Luna had been the happy recipient of one such afternoon as they spent a few hours hunting for Blathering Bergoruts – Daphne had no idea then what they were, and she still didn't, but she had enjoyed their time traipsing round the castle and chatting idly to a portrait every so often.
The blonde sometimes reminded Daphne of the Malfoys. With her long blonde hair and silvery grey eyes, Luna looked a bit like a female Draco Malfoy with an even temper and optimistic outlook. But when she spoke, Daphne just felt compelled to comfort the girl.
Being of different Houses and different years, the two had never officially met. Blaise had snorted in amusement in their sixth year when he had told her about Luna being Harry's date to one of Slughorn's parties. Other than that, she vaguely knew that people thought the girl was a bit of a nutter.
Daphne was pleased to find that other than the strange creatures Luna claimed to exist, Luna was a very intelligent, somewhat perceptive young woman and Daphne enjoyed their conversations. She was indignant on the girl's behalf whenever Luna alluded to her former, poor excuse of Housemates and some schoolmates' behaviour. However all she could do was to sigh inwardly, realizing that Luna, like wine and caviar, was an acquired taste.
It was shortly after her revised opinion of Luna that she had encountered a brooding Harry. While Nym and Luna had assured the rest of them that Harry was prone to fits of melancholy or moodiness and preferred to be alone, the fact that Harry was holed up in her sitting room and the slightly lost look on the younger male urged her to join him.
Despite her sex being portrayed as the softer, fairer one, Daphne was not the compassionate sort nor did she know how to comfort a person. After all as a Greengrass and a Slytherin, Daphne had little reason to experience such weakness, as all purebloods decried it to be.
Her father had zero patience in dealing with his daughters and never bothered mincing his words, offering neither praise nor a gentle rebuke. Her mother was the dutiful sort of wife – quiet, non-obtrusive and pleasant-looking; Lady Margaret was more of a favoured aunt than mother to her children. Daphne, herself, since childhood had cultivated a handful of close contacts or allies and had another dozen or so acquaintances that passed off as friends to the rest of the world but she had limited emotional ties to them.
"Hey," she offered shyly as she sat in the armchair next to his.
The dark-haired emperor briefly lifted his gaze from the flickering flames to her face before settling back onto the roaring fire. She was pleased that despite his sombre expression he still gave her a wan smile before turning his attention away from her.
She savoured the quiet moment. She had rarely gotten time with him alone ever since they had discovered she was pregnant. But right now Harry took priority. Using an atypical Slytherin tactic, she waited for him to break the silence and was rewarded within a few minutes.
"I should be more upset."
His opening statement made Daphne wonder if this is how her father felt when he dealt with difficult clients – a tightrope where the simplest misunderstanding would result in her fall from Harry's, and through him Lord Black and Lady Narcissa's, good graces.
"It is hard to feel upset about something not quite physical," she started diplomatically.
She stopped when she saw Harry's reaction - his messy hair brushing against the lapels of his robe, his shoulders shaking lightly at the ferocity of his denial. "I am sorry for the loss but I cannot help but feel relieved that there will be one baby less."
Daphne could not help it, she blanched. Involuntarily her hands shot down to the swell of her belly as though to cradle the baby and protect it from his words. The dark-haired male looked just as horrified at his poor choice of words.
"I… I don't mean it that way," he stammered hastily as he reached out to grasp her hand, "I will forever be grateful to you, and any of the other women, for bearing my children but this situation is extremely unusual."
He let go of her hand, running his hands through his dark mane in frustration. He never ceased to surprise her, Daphne would have to admit. Despite his eloquence and the Man-Who-Won persona he displayed in public, behind the Potter wards, he was simply Harry, the Muggle-raised boy struggling to bridge his past upbringing and his current pureblood learning into an acceptable compromise for his future.
Harry hated the harem situation, he had once told her in the aftermath of a pleasant night. Although he took it into stride, it did not mean he sat well with the idea of multiple wives, concubines and potential children of different bloodlines. Clearly Lavinia's miscarriage had brought these thoughts back.
"In three years' time, Teddy will ask why I am only his godfather while his younger sibling is my son or daughter. In six years or so, our kid," Harry gestured at her belly, "and all my other children will question why their mother was not enough or why the Queen's children are more important than them or why the one of the first three born are treated as their betters."
She felt a pull in her chest as Harry's disheartened face turned to her. "And all I can think of is that there is no answer in this world that will justify what I have done or the world has decided to act upon."
Taking Harry's hands and pulling it to her growing belly, she gave him a sincere smile. "Someone once told me all that matters is how much the parents love their child. You may not be able to answer the other questions but I would think that the most important thing is that all your children know you love and adore them all the same."
Twice a week, Daphne would spend her day at the Grand Hall. Sometimes she would mingle with the other Lords and Ladies of the Court but she was more content to sit in the Harem corner with a book or with Luna or Fleur as they watched Court proceedings.
There was not much in terms of Court sessions as with the Rebellion having been dealt with a year earlier and since most of the Ministry departments were still intact, there was very little in terms of day to day running.
Those who had a seat in the Wizengamot still had their bimonthly sessions to attend and Harry and his council were often busy – they still had alliances with other countries and the ICW to deal with as well as policies and rules to look over. But overall the Court was still fairly new and there were only so many tea parties and business deals the nobility class could organize.
It had been to Daphne's surprise then when she learned the council had handed over the reins of social events to Fleur, under the supervision of Lady Edith Gifford. She had fumed in the privacy of her room. She had been so dismissive of the French blonde to the point of foolishness.
Thankfully the prejudices of the older lines were still in full force and Daphne had been quick to take advantage of it. Lady Rose Malone and Lady Eleanor Malone were of the same pureblood circles Daphne had grown up in and they had been very willing to accept her in their fold. Daphne made it a point to have tea with the sisters-in-law as they kept her abreast of gossip outside of Potter Castle.
Another Lady of the Court that Daphne had made overtures to was the Lady Calliope Zabini. Despite being good friends with the woman's only child, Lady Zabini had been rather standoffish until Daphne had reluctantly gifted the older woman with a rather expensive tome on Roman magicks. It was a start though, Daphne had thought sourly as Lady Zabini made it a point to pay her respects on the occasions that Daphne was at Court.
With the Lady Zabini and the Malone Clan giving her the time of the day, it would only be a matter of time that Daphne would be introduced to the other women of their circles. The Muggleborn and half-blood circles were lost to her, Daphne would reluctantly admit as Fleur easily won them over with her natural wit and charm.
Many of the younger Ladies would recall her as a Slytherin and given the somewhat anti-Slytherin sentiments some people still harboured, it would have been a futile effort to try and make nice with them for the time being.
Her best bet still wound up being her baby's gender, Daphne had despaired to herself. If her baby was a boy and especially if Fleur failed to provide a son, she would be the undisputed first Lady of the Court but until then there was only so much Daphne could do to garner support for herself and her baby.
