Chapter 11 – Affects and Quidditch Thoughts

Sunday morning brought Daphne and Tracey to the staff table at breakfast, "Um, Professor Moto?" Daphne stated uncertainly causing the star haired man to look up from his meal.

"Miss Greengrass and Miss Davis what do I owe the pleasure this morning?" Yugi stated with a friendly smile.

"It's like this Professor, Daphne thinks she might have been hexed or cursed, we wondered if you'll have a look," Tracey whispered.

Yugi frowned slightly looking at the blonde haired girl before nodding, "Meet me in my classroom after breakfast and I'll have a look." Both girls smiled and nodded before going to the Gryffindor table to sit alongside Ron and Hermione to have their breakfast.

XXX

Harry yawned a bit entering the great hall after attending his first team meeting, mentally groaning at Wood's fiery speech about training. He already owled Robert about making sure scouts for the Cannons would be present for every school Quidditch game of the season and not just his own. While he wasn't much a fan of Marcus Flint's tactics he couldn't deny the results, while biased when he played he did watch the other matches. Fred and George were awesome beaters as they knew each so well being twins they knew how to react and where to swing their bats so the Bludger can interrupt an opponent's chaser. Wood out all the keepers was one of the best however the Ravenclaw keeper was slightly better, in that he could avoid cheap shots from players like Flint. The best Chasers had to be on his own team, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie just had that flow, natural grace, and almost perfect synergy that made them so good and made the marketable for a team that was struggling with piss poor chasers mainly because the lead chaser was jealous. He heard it was possible to recruit players that were fifth or higher onto professional teams since the games started in late May and ended in the second week of August. He made up his mind to have one scout focus strictly on individual positions for each team; he felt Oliver would be a sure win for the Keeper position. Harry was also encouraging major signing bonuses to convince the people he was recruiting to play for his team especially since everyone in school minus a few die-hard fans like Ron and Blaise thought the team was rubbish. Rolling his neck then felt someone grab his neck from behind and a girlish giggle. "Astoria need air," he gasped.

"Oops I'm sorry," the blonde girl stated letting go. Harry simply sighed turning to his future sister-in-law shaking his head slightly before bending down and giving a gentle hug. "So what are we going to do today?' she asked.

"Anything you like, help with your homework, play some exploding snap, chess, it's all up to you," Harry responded noting her smile seem to get bigger, she grabbed his hand walking over to Gryffindor table sitting down to eat, he sat next to her smiling slightly seeing Daphne and Tracey sitting across from him. "Morning."

Daphne nodded eating some jam covered toast having heard what her betrothed having planned for the day and was glad that he was making time to be with her sister. Hopefully by the end of the day she could confront her betrothed with her true feelings without fears and anxieties getting in the way. Ron was arguing with Hermione which seemed to be the norm for them, this time about Ron's history essay and how he was putting it off again. She leaned in, "Harry are they always like that?"

"As long as I've known them," Harry chuckled shaking his head at his friends grabbing some more bacon off his plate to eat. "Ron likes to wait, while Hermione finishes her assignments most of the time on the same day so she can read ahead. It's helpful though don't know where I'd be on most of my assignments if I didn't ask her or you to check my work," he smiled.

Daphne blushed looking down at her toast, Please let this be a curse or a hex I'm under and not just me being cowardly. She thought finishing her breakfast. "See you later Harry, Tracey and I got loads to do." Harry nods leaning over and pecking her cheek causing her to blush more she blushed again turning to walk out of the great hall with Tracey following. Soon as she turned the corner she leaned against the wall burying her face in her hands. "Please let this be someone's cruel idea of a joke," she muttered tears streaming down her face.

Tracey watched her a moment gently rubbing her shoulders trying to help her friend who looked absolutely miserable when she should be soaring through the clouds, after Harry's obvious show of affection. "I don't get it; I'd be grinning stupidly, and writing bad Shakespeare if I had a betrothed and he was being like that with me."

Daphne nodded a faint smile did appear, "He is just wonderful isn't he, and I feel like I'm distancing myself from him even though I've been on his arm several times."

"Well let's see what our DADA Professor has to say, if it is a curse or a hex, if anyone can lift it surely he can," Tracey stated to which the blonde haired girl nodded the two of them headed for their teacher's classroom.

XXX

Astoria had watched her sister's reaction and pursed her lips at what she saw; siblings had this sixth sense about each other which helps when you tease them and not take things too far. The moment she had found out that she was going to have an older brother she was ecstatic, especially when she found out that her mother couldn't have any more children. Her mother nearly died having her, as such the healers at St. Mungos thought it best to sterilize her mother. When she was old to understand, Astoria had been devastated she wanted a brother so badly. Now she had that opportunity, sure he was older than her but it didn't matter she was bound and determined to look after him, tease him, love him, and torment him as much as she could like any sister would. But it was her sister she was currently worried about, the empathic feelings she had stated her sister was in agony that something was wrong, yet for the life of her she had no idea what. Harry was acting like any normal wizard did when betrothed and his enhanced hormones were flying about. Daphne while respective of these feelings seemed to come to an abrupt halt when trying to return them in kind. She looked over at her future brother-in-law and noted he seemed to be just as confused. "Harry, I think something is wrong with her."

Harry seemed to relax sighing heavily in relief, "Thank god, for a moment I thought it was me."

Astoria shook her head while Hermione blinked in confusion, "Surprised you haven't notice. Most witch and wizards hit their emotional maturity at thirteen helps with Marriage Contracts that usually are made before students graduate school. Harry's being normal for once," she giggled at his offended look. "Daphne however is not it's like something is blocking her natural reactions or something."

Ron popped a muffin in his mouth, chewed and swallowed before looking at the staff table. "Maybe that's why she visited Professor Moto before eating this morning."

"You think someone cursed or hexed her?" Harry asked eyes narrowing turning to focus on Draco who seemed to be busy trying to talk too one of the Slytherin first year girls. Which actually brought a look of confusion, If Draco is trying to impress a younger girl, he pretty much ran out of suspects if it wasn't Malfoy as Crabbe and Goyle we're too stupid to come up with anything that elaborate and most of the other Slytherin had no vested reason or motive to do so, accept Nott but while fell into the stupid category, Flint could do that but the older boy was more for the direct approach, Blaise could but he was one of Daphne's childhood friends, was becoming fast friends with many Gryffindors and would sooner hex himself than cause his friend emotional pain. With the obvious ruled out the boy who lived was stumped, "When all reasoning has been ruled out, whatever is left over however improbable or impossible must be the truth," he muttered.

"Quoting Sherlock Holmes, Harry?" Dean stated walking by.

Harry gave a heavy sigh, "It's not a curse or a hex something else is wrong." His eyes drifted to a window as he thought, his friends watched him surprised. But none of them could think about what could be wrong with Daphne, not even her own sister.

XXX

Yugi after scanning Daphne a few times to be sure of his diagnosis, before agreeing with Harry, "No curse or hex, Miss Greengrass," watching the blonde haired wilt at his words and seeing tears begin form, "I have a few other tests I like to try, as you recall you were one of the few that did not face the Boggart as I believed Harry's fears were just that fear itself and its representation the Dementor, hence why I blocked it."

Tracey nodded then she remembered that the Boggart seemed to vanish in front of their Professor during that class. "I've been meaning to ask why did the boggart vanish?"

Yugi sighed a second moving the classroom around and brought a trunk forward that was moving. "It did not vanish it simply became my greatest fear," he muttered. "I have since I was young always feared being alone. Just as yours Ms. Davis were of zombies."

Tracey shuddered remembering the rotting corpse that the boggart had changed into before she used the charm and turned into a cute kitten. "Wow that's brutal."

Daphne didn't say anything staring pensively at the moving chest having an inkling of what her greatest fear would be. "Yes, now I believe if Miss Greengrass would step forward some things may come to light." The blonde haired girl stepped forward as the trunk opened Harry popped out looking impassive and almost cruel.

"Yes Daphne," Harry's voice sounded dark and foreboding nothing like what both girls have heard from the boy.

"Harry, I-I," Daphne's heart was beating hard against her chest as the effects of the boggart washed over her.

"That you what love me, don't be daft. How could I possibly love a Slytherin," Harry snarled. "A girl who clings to me begging for my affections and yet shows none in return. You are nothing to me, and I am trapped in a contract I wish not to be in," Daphne slumped to the ground tears falling alongside her face as she buries it in her hands. "Nothing but an Ice princess who can't show the small..," the rant stopped as Yugi stepped between them muttering the anti-boggart charm then locking the trunk.

"Hm, not sure what is occuring, perhaps the Dementor on the train preyed upon your insecurities so strongly that you've blocked out your feelings for Harry to a point," Yugi stated watching the girl was slowly regaining her composure. "If this continues you'll drive yourself mad."

"What do you mean?" Daphne sniffled.

"It would seem your magic is blocking your ability express your feelings to Harry face to face as you believe he will not accept you, you love him but you can't express it," Yugi replied crossing his arms thinking. "It'll continue to affect you until you can gather your courage and push pass the block. I'm afraid this is something you must do yourself, I am sorry."

Daphne nodded slowly standing up tears still falling down her face, "T-Thank you Professor, f-for trying." Both she and Tracey left the room heading back to their dorms just before she could reach it she flung herself at her best friend sobbing her heart out the harsh words that were nothing more than expression of her own insecurities coming back to her somehow.

"Daph, he loves you sure he ain't said it and sure it's only been like four months since you two first met," Tracey rubbed her friends back. "But you can see it in those gorgeous green eyes of his, he fancies you something fierce."

"I-I know but everytime I try to say s-something I-I get this cold feeling and I start hearing all the rejections that boggart was spouting," Daphne sobbed. "I-I can't even fire a proper Patronus in front of Harry because he'll see it's a doe."

"Um, what do you use to pull one off anyway?" Tracey asked.

Daphne blushed, "Me and Harry snogging in my dorm." Tracey's giggles made her feel a bit lighter. "What like you haven't had fantasies of snogging a boy."

"Yeah, but snogging him in your dorm, what so you can taunt Millie or Pansy?" Tracey snickered.

Daphne shrugged then winked, "Make them jealous wouldn't it, me snogging my betrothed in front of them, bet it make them drool."

"Gag more like it, they all think Harry is rubbish," Tracey sneered. "Besides they got nothing on us in terms of looks, Millie looks like a gorilla and Pansy a pug, the two of us long side the Gryffindor chasers, Hermione, your sister, that Cho girl, and Susan Bones are easily the hottest girls in the school, with the Weasely girl and Lovegood rounding it out," the dark haired girl shrugged. "We got the pick of the lot if we wanted."

Daphne snorted, "I don't want the lot, I-I just want Harry and I don't care if I go mad I'm going to tell him that."

"Now that's the mate I remember," Tracey smiled proudly.

XXX

The end of November was quickly approaching which was the sign that Quidditch season was in full swing; the first match was Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. As the date rapidly approached Oliver Wood became a man possessed getting his team ready and driving them to hate his guts as he put them through their paces every night of the weekend. When they weren't practicing the team were in study groups just to past their classes. Harry would be so exhausted he simply spend his mornings on the weekend before practice sleeping, eating, giving Daphne a quick peck on the cheek, then went back to his dorm to sleep some more. It also didn't matter what weather either, rain, high winds, fog, Oliver was absolutely beside himself with Quidditch mania, it took the Weasely twins and the Chaser trio to threaten to hex his bits two weeks before the match to get him to let them rest, mostly to ease the burden on their youngest teammate. "We've trained harder, longer, and in all sorts of weather."

"Too true Wood, haven't properly been dry since August," George stated.

"We haven't seen the sun either, I've been wondering what color it was," Fred responded. Both comments made the team captain give them an annoyed glance. Harry was trying not to laugh, while the girls had no such restraint all three were giggling.

Harry shrugged, "Makes you wonder if we haven't graduated already and we were just so busy we hadn't notice." This made girls break into bigger laughter while the twins beamed in pride. Oliver looked even more annoyed but said nothing. The doors opened into a raging rainstorm.

"I should have brought my swim trunks," George muttered.

"Or gotten a flu shot," Harry replied.

"Maybe some water resistant unmentionables for the ladies," Fred commented getting a slap to the back of his head from Alicia and Angelina.

"No helping it, Harry get that snitch fast don't want to be out all night in this," Oliver stated.

"Right, no pressure Harry," George chirped.

Author's Note: So there you have it, Daphne must overcome her fears to make things happen in their relationship which is key to the climax of the story which I've already planned out everyone must be patient and hopefully I can make all your anticipation worth wild. Please for those that visit and for those that view but leave reviews please at least vote on my profile for the Yugi pairing so far I got a tie between Narcissa and Mana, with Nymphadora a close third.