Hello, All! I was so excited to see that NQSB had over 50 reviews, that I decided to update again. I hope that won't be a problem!
I'd like to remind everyone that this story is unbeta'd and that I'm an American so my British lingo is literal trash.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do own a scooter that is covered in pollen.
A special thank you to those who have reviewed: Ronin Kenshin, Kagemaru Raiden, jslee102, Vi38, alix33, fuzzy6, Raven097, barbaroja, rfpizzle, Zany Muggle, and Soap Opera
After a stressful day at work, the first thing that Harry wanted to do was be with Daphne. He hadn't had a panic attack in such a long time that he forgot how he used handle them. He hoped that seeing Daphne and being around her would help him get back to normal. The worst of it was over, but he still felt like crap. He was usually very good about repressing memories of the war while he was awake. But, after the events of the day, everything came crashing into him.
He knocked on Daphne's door, hoping that he hadn't beaten her there. He went straight there after work and if Daphne stayed at her job later than usual or met up with Hermione after work, then he could be sitting outside of her door for a while. He didn't want to go anywhere else.
After a few brief moments, Daphne opened the door, her hair in a messy bun and her body nearly buried in a sweatshirt. She had ink on her face, which was a common occurrence if she was studying. She had bunny slippers on, which made Harry uncomfortable because they always moved and blinked at him.
"Harry!" She said, a surprised look on her face. "Oh shite. Did we have a date today? Fuck. Give me like twenty minutes and I can-,"
"No! No Daphne. We don't have a date. I just um… I just wanted to see you." Daphne's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, her mind whirling. Harry shrugged. He wasn't sure, but he got the feeling that nothing was going to be okay for a while.
Daphne opened the door wider, letting Harry come through. As soon as he stepped over the threshold he enveloped Daphne in a hug. Daphne reciprocated and rubbed his back in soothing circles. When Harry finally let her go, Daphne kissed him. A small kiss, but a warm kiss.
"Do you want tea? I can make hot cocoa if you want. I was going to get Chinese later, but if you're hungry now, I guess we can-,". Harry interrupted Daphne by kissing her again. This was no small kiss. This kiss wasn't warm; it was on fire. He nipped at her lips and tasted her tongue and he couldn't get enough. He pulled her body against his and she let out a soft moan that startled him and turned him on simultaneously. He slipped his hands up her too big sweatshirt and she moaned again as his hands roamed her stomach.
Before things could go too far, Daphne pulled away, her breath ragged and uneven. She swiped the few stray strands of hair out of her face and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. Her face was pink and her lips were red and Harry had a difficult time stopping himself from kissing her again.
"Umm-," "I'm sorry," Harry said quickly. Daphne shook her head quickly.
"NO. No, don't apologize. I umm, I liked it. I just, I don't think I'm ready. Not yet. I'm sorry." It was only a kiss, but it was a kiss that promised to be much more.
"Don't apologize for not being ready," Harry told her, feeling awkward and guilty. He hadn't meant to push her.
Daphne walked towards the kitchen, her bunny slippers blinking with each step she took.
"Tea or cocoa? Speak now or you'll take what I make and like it!" Daphne warned over her shoulder.
"I'll take cocoa," said Harry following after her. "Marshmallows?" Daphne asked, pulling the cocoa out of the cabinet.
"Of course. What do you think I am? Some kind of monster?" Harry teased. Daphne laughed and grabbed the milk from the refrigerator.
As she stirred the milk on the stove, she noticed Harry's eyes. They were still the same vibrant green that they always were, but they were far away and vacant.
"Harry?" She called to him. He shook his head as if shaking a thought out of his head, and looked to her.
"Everything okay? What happened at work today?" Daphne asked him. Harry wasn't allowed to discuss what was going on with anyone who wasn't in the Auror department. If the little information that they did have about the resurfacing Death Eaters did get out, then that would really complicate things for the department.
"It was just a very stressful day," Harry said softly. Daphne could understand that. She had an exam coming up that she wasn't anywhere near prepared for. Most of her days were stressful.
"Can I ask you about something personal?" Harry asked her. Daphne, who was pouring the powdered cocoa into the warm milk faltered for a minute and nearly made a mess on the counter. Harry and Daphne talked about a lot of things, but Harry never asked her permission before asking a question. It made her worry.
"Sure," she said hesitantly.
"Was your father a death eater?"
This time, Daphne burned her finger with the scalding milk and cursed loudly. She wasn't expecting that question. She thought that the question was going to be about her virginity or her fear of intimacy. She wasn't expecting anything related to the war because, Harry hated bringing it up and talking about it.
"Um. I'm not sure. I never asked," Daphne said after using a quick healing spell on her finger.
"Would he have told you if he was?" Harry asked her.
Daphne shrugged. "I'm not sure. My relationship with my father wasn't a very close one. He was so involved with the winery that I rarely ever saw him during the summer holidays unless we were away on vacation. He and my mother definitely favored Astoria. Why are you asking?"
"Do you think that Astoria would know? Do you think she'd tell you if you asked her?" Harry asked, ignoring her question.
"Again, I'm not sure. I don't talk to Astoria, you know that. I go out of my way to avoid her. Why are you asking? Did my father do something?"
Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He couldn't tell Daphne anything, but he really needed to know. If not for the department, then for himself. If Daphne still had ties to Death Eaters then he wanted to know about them. He wanted to know if she'd be in danger. He needed to know if they could use Daphne against him or, worse, if Daphne would go against him.
"No. I don't know. But, if you hear about anything-,"
"Of course I'll tell you. But, you're scaring me and you haven't even told me anything yet," Daphne complained before passing Harry the hot chocolate she had made for him.
"I can't tell you anything because we really don't know enough at the moment. Just, please be careful." Daphne nodded before taking a sip of her hot cocoa.
"I know that my father is still a fan of blood purity and dabbled in the dark arts. But, I don't think he was good enough to be a Death Eater. My father is better at making money than he is at using dark curses. He might've donated money to the cause, but I don't know if he was actively a Death Eater. He did call You-Kno… I mean, Lord Voldemort the Dark Lord if that means anything. But, like I said, we weren't close enough for him to divulge those secrets to me."
Harry nodded his head in understanding. He knew most of the Death Eaters and Daphne's father was never amongst the ones he knew. He just wanted to be sure. The uncertainty would eat away at him if he didn't ask. He still wasn't sure, but he felt a little better than he did before he asked her about him.
"I know that my father set up a marriage arrangement with Johnathon Crabbe. I was supposed to marry Vincent."
At the mention of Johnathon Crabbe, Harry's eyes widened. The memory of Crabbe's laughter sent a chill up Harry's spine.
"What?!" "Yeah. They were friends growing up. So, I was going to be married to Vincent because of their friendship and some stupid childhood fantasy of finally "being family" and Astoria was going to marry Draco for money and class. It was obvious that I wasn't the favorite daughter," Daphne grumbled. "I used to feel guilty about how happy I was that I wasn't going to have to marry Vincent. He was a nightmare with the brain capacity of a blast-ended skrewt. It would've been a loveless marriage."
"Johnathon Crabbe and your father were friends?" Harry asked to verify. Daphne nodded.
"Harry, you look really pale. Do you want to sit down?" Daphne asked him. She didn't wait for an answer before she led him to the sofa. She used her wand to bring Harry his hot cocoa and then she cuddled up next to him.
"I wish you would talk to me," Daphne whispered.
"I wish that I could too. But if I tell you anything, I could put you in danger. People could be after you and-,"
"So, you're not going to tell me anything because you want to protect me?" Daphne accused, her anger showing. Harry shook his head.
"That's not the only reason. I'm not supposed to tell anyone."
"But I could be in danger!"
"You won't be in danger if I don't-," Daphne glared at Harry which quickly silenced him.
"I'm your girlfriend. You're very public girlfriend. If anyone is after you then I'm already in danger. I can take care of myself. But, I'm not going to be able to do that properly if you're keeping things from me."
Harry shook his head, but he was very conflicted. She had a good point. But, still…
"I'm just going to draw my own conclusions, Harry. Which, might be worse than the truth in all honesty. Just tell me."
Harry sighed and looked into those blue eyes of hers. He was fucked.
"You can't tell anyone, Daphne. No one can know."
"Who am I going to tell?" Daphne asked the rhetorical question while rolling her eyes.
"No one. You're not going to tell ANYONE," Harry stressed.
"Of course not," Daphne promised.
Harry still didn't feel comfortable going into detail, so he gave her a watered down version of what happened earlier in the Auror Department office.
Daphne sat with rapt attention, her hands gripping her mug of hot cocoa and her eyes never leaving Harry.
After he was done telling her the story, they sat in silence for a few moments.
"It was weird seeing my mother today," said Daphne. "I rarely ever see her out and about. And then today she warned me about hanging around the wrong people. How did she find me in Muggle London? Do you think they've been following me? Do you think that she could be involved?"
"I really hope not," said Harry softly. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He completely forgot that he had seen Daphne's mother earlier that day. The events following after that were so more intense that it had simply slipped his mind.
"I think that you should tell Hermione," said Daphne. Harry raised an eyebrow at her. "She needs to know. You and Ron know and she was just as important in the fall of Voldemort. She needs to know that there could be a regrouping. Especially since she's hanging around Draco all of the time."
Both Harry's and Daphne's eyes widened. "Draco," they said simultaneously.
"Shite," Daphne cursed, standing up.
"We've got to get her away from him," Harry said, standing up and walking towards the "not entirely legal" fireplace that Daphne had in her flat.
"What?!" Daphne asked, chasing after him.
"I knew that he couldn't be trusted!"
"No! What are you talking about? Draco is one of the most trustworthy people I know. If anything, we might have to save him!" Daphne nearly yelled at Harry.
If anyone had changed more than Daphne after the war, it was Draco. He was still an annoying git, and he was still condescending and a spoiled brat. But, he didn't believe in the blood purity bullshite that was fed to him as a child anymore than Daphne did. If anything, he was more outspoken against it than she was.
"It could all be an act!" Harry retorted.
"It's no more an act for him than it is for me," said Daphne, defending her friend. Who would've thought that someday Daphne would have to defend Draco against Harry Potter? Definitely not her.
Harry's eyes narrowed at her and Daphne felt like he was looking right through her.
"Do you trust me?" She asked him. Harry stared at her, a blank expression on his face as he thought it over. Seconds passed and Daphne could feel her heart racing. She shouldn't have been so surprised. Harry didn't seem to trust many people. Just because Daphne trusted him didn't mean that he had to reciprocate.
Daphne took a step away from him and mentally cursed herself for letting her eyes water.
"Do you trust Hermione?" Daphne asked, hoping he wouldn't notice that her feelings were hurt. He nodded.
"Then trust that she's a good judge of character. If she felt the slightest bit concerned about Draco's loyalty, she'd drop him like a grindylow. She'd be able to see right through any facade, and you know it."
"But Hermione is too kind. She's too trusting. What if she gets hurt?" Harry sighed in frustration.
"You aren't the only one who's survived a war, Harry. You may be the child of prophecy, but Hermione was right there with you fighting it. Tell her about Mr. Crabbe, let her deal with it in her own way, and she'll be fine. If she wants your help, she'll come to you for it."
Daphne was right and Harry knew it. Hermione wasn't a fool and she wasn't a damsel in distress. She could take care of herself as long as she had the information to do so. He would have to tell her everything. She would even be able to point out things that the aurors might not have noticed.
Harry and Daphne stood in the middle of the room, both of their bodies tense and their minds racing. Daphne was still hurting from Harry's lack of trust and Harry was still suspicious of Draco's intentions with his best friend, but neither spoke of it.
"I have a bit of studying to do," said Daphne, tired of the silence between them.
"I do trust you, Daphne," Harry said after Daphne went to grab her notes from the end table.
"You don't have to lie to me, Harry. We haven't been together that long. It would be foolish of you to trust me after only a month." Daphne closed her eyes in annoyance after realizing that she had unwittingly called herself foolish.
"I'm not lying. I trust you. I'm just worried about your family." Daphne sighed. She couldn't blame him for that, even though it still stung a bit. She didn't even trust her family, so why should he?
"I really care about you, Daphne. If something happened to you because of me, I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself." Daphne looked up at him, a sad smile on her face and disbelief in her heart. "If something happens to me, I'm sure it will be my own fault in some way. I broke away from my family long before I met you, Harry. You don't have to save me from anything."
Harry wanted to say something, but his stomach grumbled, effectively interrupting the mood. "So, about that Chinese?" He asked.
Daphne smiled and grabbed her purse. But, she couldn't help but wonder if her family was really the only reason why Harry had hesitated.
Thank you very much for reading!
Things are going to get a bit rocky for a while. But, no worries, our favorite couple will get through it. Do not fret.
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Stay tuned for next time! Thank you!