Big Brother is Listening to You

Chapter 14 - Time to Make Amends?

A/N: And I bring you another chapter. I'll often post them in twos because I write 10,000 words at a time and have to split it into two chapters! Hope you enjoy! :)

'Morning!'

'You're up early,' Charlie yawned, opening one eye and looking at Hermione who was standing in the doorway of her bedroom with two cups of coffee.

'I have work,' Hermione said, 'and so do you, it's Monday.'

'What time is it?' Charlie asked, glancing around for a clock.

'7.30,' Hermione said, handing him the steaming cup of coffee, 'two sugars right?'

Charlie grinned at her, 'You are amazing, thanks.'

'No problem,' Hermione said, sitting down on the edge of the bed still only dressed in a fairly skimpy nightdress. It was quite relaxing until the door banged open and the culprit barged into the bedroom.

'SHE IS A FUCKING BITCH HERMIONE!'

'Hey, Gin,' Charlie smirked.

Ginny rolled her eyes, 'Good morning Charlie, I don't think I've seen you up this early since…oh wait, I never have.'

'Bloody hell you're in a foul mood this morning,' Hermione remarked.

'And you're way too happy for the time it is,' Ginny said.

'I'm a morning person, unlike you. And who is a bitch?' Hermione asked, bemused and amused.

'Astoria Greengrass,' Ginny said coolly, sitting down on the edge of the bed and grabbing Hermione's coffee, 'you don't need that, you're already awake, and happy.'

'Have it,' Hermione said with a frown, 'seriously Ginny, what's going on?'

'Didn't you listen to the radio at all yesterday?' Ginny asked in disbelief.

'She was a bit preoccupied,' Charlie said with a grin.

'Ugh,' Ginny said, 'Merlin Hermione. You've no idea, do you even know Astoria is in the house?'

'Yes, that I knew. And I cottoned on that Daphne doesn't get on with her,' Hermione said with a nod, 'now what the hell have I missed?'

'A lot,' Ginny said after a large gulp of coffee, 'I'll try and give you the basics. Daphne hates Astoria because when she dated Draco, Astoria had a crush on him and tried to split them up.'

'Right, like you and Harry,' Charlie said in amusement.

'I didn't try and split him and Cho up,' Ginny pointed out.

'Nah, you just wrote to me about it complaining,' Charlie grinned as he got up in only his boxers, 'I'm showering, enjoy your girl chat.'

Hermione shook her head in amusement as he slipped into the bathroom, she turned to Ginny who looked mildly amused, 'Anyway, continue.'

'Okay so Astoria tried to split Draco and Daphne up, and they did but it was because of Voldemort. Then after the war they got back together, but Draco was an alcoholic, like Harry. So one night while drunk he slept with Astoria,' Ginny said, gulping down some more coffee.

'Well I can see why that would cause tension. I'm surprised they're still friends,' Hermione said with a frown.

Ginny shook her head, 'Same reason Harry and I are. You can't judge an alcoholic on who he is when he's drinking, Harry was like two different people.'

'Wait, did Harry cheat on you when he was drinking?' Hermione asked sharply.

Ginny nodded, 'I didn't exactly want to make it common knowledge, but yes a couple of times. Specifically the 31st of October and 2nd of May.'

'Oh,' Hermione said, 'when he got into those really bad stupors.'

Ginny sighed, 'Those ones…yeah. So that's the least of the tension, what happened is worse. Daphne hates her sister and is very paranoid about her. Apparently Draco wasn't the only guy of Daphne's she went after. She breaks up all Daphne's serious relationships, including Charlie.'

'She slept with Charlie?' Hermione practically hissed.

'No, no, no!' Ginny said, shaking her head vigorously, 'she engineered Daphne's break-up with Charlie. She engineered the shoot knowing Daphne would have no choice but to do it, Charlie got annoyed as expected and Daphne slept with Theo.'

'How did Astoria know Daphne would sleep with Theo?' Hermione asked, feeling like a gossip, something she never had done at school.

'Because she knows her sister, she guessed Daphne would take comfort in a friend, she made sure Theo was there for the shoot,' Ginny said, 'she's a real manipulative bitch, Theo didn't see it before. But I think he's seen light now.'

'Why what happened?' Hermione asked quickly, cursing herself for missing the show over the last little while.

Ginny rolled her eyes, 'Honestly Hermione I'm getting there. I told you that you missed a lot. Astoria is also a social climber, according to Daphne and Draco she sleeps her way up. She's Assistant Head of the Minister for Magic's Office and she's only been out of Hogwarts for 3 years. She has some Veela blood, and she takes these injections of Veela blood that strengthen the charm thing. That's how she slept with Draco, and Harry.'

'She's slept with Harry?' Hermione barked, 'when the hell did that happen?'

'She was the 2nd of May,' Ginny said offhandedly, 'look, Hermione, I'm over this. It was partly why we broke up, but you have to keep it quiet. Nobody knows the way Harry was then, and I don't want to change that.'

'You're too good to him Gin,' Hermione said, 'I'd have murdered him.'

'I understand what he was going through,' Ginny said, 'and I was angry then, but I'm not now. We're friends, and we're happier that way.'

Hermione nodded in shock, 'Oh Merlin, hang on. Did Daphne find out that Harry slept with her?'

'Yes, and that's the problem. She's angry at Harry,' Ginny finished.

'But it's not Harry's fault! The 2nd of bloody May, he would have been too drunk to think!'

'I know that, and you know that. But Daphne doesn't know that,' Ginny pointed out.

Hermione sighed, 'Has she talked to him yet?'

Ginny shook her head, 'No she's only talking to Gabrielle at the moment. Whatever is going on with her and her sister it's messed up, and Gabby's sweet and understanding when it comes to family matters.'

'I'm glad she's in there actually, her and Luna,' Hermione said with a frown, 'I wish I hadn't convinced Harry to do this. I'm terrified he'll relapse.'

'He passed the psych test,' Ginny said.

'That means nothing. Harry was fine after the war, a little depressed maybe. Then all of a sudden he was so dependent on alcohol. You know what it was like, it was his answer to pain. And all that is going on in there is pain, and drama,' Hermione said angrily.

'That's entertainment,' Charlie said, returning from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, 'he signed up for it.'

'I just don't want it to mess up his life again,' Hermione said, reaching to the bedside table and turning the radio on. It was already set to the Listen-In channel.

'Neither do I, but there isn't much we can do to stop what goes on in there,' Ginny admitted.

'Shh…' Hermione said with a frown as she turned the volume up.

'Harry?'

'That's Daphne,' Ginny whispered.

Hermione nodded, and Charlie rolled his eyes, 'I'm getting breakfast.'

'Shh!' Ginny and Hermione both shushed as he left the bedroom and passed Sophie in the hall as she slunk into the flat in the same clothes she had left in.

Charlie grinned at her, 'Good night Soph?'

'Shut up,' Sophie remarked, 'where is she?'

'In the bedroom listening to the radio with Gin,' Charlie replied, 'you want coffee?'

'Yes please!' Sophie called, running into the bedroom and joining the two girls on the bed.

Harry was alone. It was too early for anyone else to be awake. Daphne and Gabrielle had stayed out in the summerhouse all night, and the others were all asleep in the bedroom. Harry was sitting at the kitchen table staring at a bottle of Firewhiskey. It only had one glass in it, the remainder from the weekend.

'Harry?'

He didn't jump, he had heard the footsteps. He just hadn't been able to tell until she spoke whether it was Daphne or Gabrielle.

'Yes?' Harry replied simply.

'Have you been drinking?' Daphne asked.

Harry sighed, 'Do you care if I have?'

'Of course I care,' Daphne said quietly, 'I think drinking that would be a very bad idea.'

'So do I, which is why I have done nothing more than look at it since 5am,' Harry said, tearing his eyes away from the bottle and turning to Daphne. She wasn't her usual made up self, her blonde hair was thrown into a ponytail, her face was free of piercings and make-up, her eyes were bloodshot. She looked so much younger, and so much more vulnerable.

'Good,' Daphne said with a nod, 'I'm surprised you're up.'

'I couldn't sleep,' Harry said.

'Me either, Gabby was snoring,' Daphne said with a slight smile that Harry couldn't help but return.

'So are we talking again?'

'I wanted to apologise, for the way I was. I know it was stupid, you didn't know her or me really. It just got under my skin that she'd already gotten to you,' Daphne said honestly, 'I have a lot of issues with her, Harry. I guess I didn't want you mixed up in them, you're the one thing in my life that isn't screwed up yet.'

Harry raised an eyebrow at her, 'Yet? I love your confidence in us.'

'I thought there wasn't an us,' Daphne said quietly.

'You said there wasn't an us until this was over,' Harry agreed with a nod, 'but I think that's a lie. Even if we aren't dating, or whatever, there's still an us.'

Daphne smiled slightly, 'Did she do the charm thing on you?'

Harry nodded, looking down, 'She kissed me. I managed to break it, but it took me a little longer than normal since I didn't have my wand on me.'

Daphne nodded and caught Harry's eye, 'How do we get through this week?'

'We'll be fine,' Harry said with a smile, 'she can't affect me anymore.'

'How?' Daphne asked quickly.

'I have Veela blood in my system, courtesy of our wonderful Gabby,' Harry said with a smile, 'I did tell you she's like a sister to me.'

Daphne smiled a little tearfully, 'That was nice of her. She stayed with me all last night, it was like having…a sister again.'

'You were close with her once, your sister?' Harry asked, moving to the sofa. Daphne sat down next to him and nodded, 'once.'

Harry lifted his arm up, inviting her to snuggle close to him. She did, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, 'I'm used to messing up relationships Daphne. That's why I'm scared of them, the first girl I loved broke my heart, the second two…I broke theirs.'

'You've been in love three times?' Daphne asked.

'Yep,' Harry nodded, 'how about you?'

Daphne frowned a little and Harry smiled.

'Twice.'

'The ice queen admits she has a heart?' Harry joked.

Daphne chuckled, 'Everyone has a heart, and a first love. They say the first is the one you always think about.'

'I don't think so. The one that got away for me was my second, that was the one I really screwed up,' Harry said thoughtfully.

'I screwed up my second too,' Daphne said thoughtfully, 'Gabby says maybe third time will be lucky.'

Harry smiled at her, 'You never know,' he said simply.

Daphne sighed in contentment as she rested her head against his arm, 'I'm sick of being in here Harry. I want to be out in the real world again, I want to be there with you.'

'I know,' Harry said gently, 'maybe we won't be in here much longer. Although I really hope people vote your sister out this week.'

'Me too,' Daphne said, 'I somehow doubt I'll patch things up with her by then.'

'What happened between you two, apart from the Draco thing?' Harry asked curiously.

'Nothing,' Daphne replied honestly, 'she just started to distance herself from me. Then when she didn't go back to school during the war and I did…I don't know, after that I couldn't connect with her and when I tried to help her she just pushed me farther away.'

'I'm sorry,' Harry said.

Daphne shook her head, 'No, don't be. It's the way things have been for a while.'

'Why didn't she go back to school?' Harry asked curiously.

'Mother and Father were worried about her, said she was fragile and that she might get upset. So they home-schooled her that year.'

'Reckon there's more to it than that?' Harry asked, reading Daphne well.

Daphne shrugged, 'I asked countless times, and nobody would tell me anything else. If there was something more going on I doubt I'll ever find out what.'

'Does that bother you? I mean I'd hate that, not knowing. I always had to know, even when I wasn't supposed to,' Harry admitted.

'And it got you into a lot of trouble,' Daphne said in amusement, 'I do want to know, but I'm not going to go searching for information if that's what you're suggesting.'

Harry tutted jokingly, 'and I thought you were a sneaky Slytherin.'

'Sneaky, not bold like a Gryffindor,' Daphne joked.

Harry laughed and they shuffled closer to each other. They were glad of each other's company, glad of the fact things were back to the way they had been before Astoria had swooped in.

'Theo?'

Theo opened an eye and squinted into the darkness, 'Daph?'

'No, it's Astoria.'

Theo sighed, 'What do you want Tori?'

'I can't sleep,' Astoria whispered.

'And that's my problem how?' Theo asked as the brunette sat down on the edge of his bed. Harry's bed was empty, so was Gabrielle's and Daphne's. Draco, Susan and Luna were all asleep. It was an ungodly hour of the morning after all.

'I thought you were my friend,' Astoria said with a frown.

'Was I? Or did you just use your charm to make me think that?' Theo hissed, 'I know all about it Astoria, you can't lie to me anymore.'

'This isn't a lie,' Astoria said with a slight smile, 'I never used it on you, Theo, I didn't need to. You were one of the few people who stuck by me without it.'

Theo narrowed his eyes at her, 'And how am I to know if that's true, hmm?'

'You aren't susceptible to the Veela charm. Maybe you have Veela blood in your family, or maybe you have a natural resistance. But it's true, do you feel any kind of pull or attraction to Gabrielle?'

Theo shook his head.

'See, and she's quarter-Veela. It doesn't work on you naturally and I've never tried to power it up around you,' Astoria said.

'Because you've never needed to,' Theo said with a sigh, 'I already did whatever you wanted.'

Astoria shrugged, 'Well…yes.'

'Not anymore Astoria,' Theo said, 'what you had me do with that photoshoot and Daphne…I won't do something like that again.'

Astoria shook her head, 'I won't ask you too. Can I come in Theo, please?'

Theo sighed but pulled back the covers and Astoria slipped in, 'I've been wondering whether this was a bad idea, coming here.'

'Probably,' Theo said dryly, 'why do you have to rile her up Tori? What you did with Harry was really horrible.'

'You know why I rile her up.'

'This 'revenge' is going on too long. I know a lot of crap went down between you two over Draco and all but it was years ago,' Theo said quietly, 'you have to move past it.'

'I have moved past it, I don't care about Draco anymore,' Astoria said offhandedly.

Theo yawned, 'Then why are you still trying to ruin Daph's life, hmm? You're 21, you've got to stop acting like a teenager someday Tori.'

Astoria sighed and mumbled, 'You don't get it Theo.'

'Neither does she, you know that right?' Theo asked, glancing at the girl, 'she has no idea why you push her away, or why you seem to be on a mission to ruin her life. No one has any idea why you do it.'

'That's just the way I am, Theo. I'm a destructive person, remember?' Astoria said bitterly.

'No that's just your excuse, like mine is being a manwhore when all I want to do in reality is find someone whose crazy enough to marry me,' Theo said in an undertone.

'I'd marry you,' Astoria said thoughtfully.

'I'm not that crazy,' Theo joked.

'Nobody will anyway,' Astoria said with another sigh.

'Of course someone will one day, but not if you keep up the way you're going. People don't think you're a very nice person,' Theo told her.

'I'm not a nice person,' Astoria pointed out.

'Merlin Astoria, what is going on with you? Where did the bubbly, fun girl go, hmm?' Theo asked in disbelief, 'you've not been the same since the war. I could understand if you'd gone through what some of the others did, but you were lucky. You got home-schooled, you never went through the shit we went through.'

'No, I didn't,' Astoria said, 'so clearly this is just the way I am. I came here to sleep Theo, if you wanna lecture me I'll leave.'

'You can stay,' Theo said with a sigh, placing a hand on her back, 'just think about something for me. Being here in this house, it's a good time to make amends, trust me. Think about Daphne, she misses you.'

Astoria sighed heavily, 'Fine,' she said grudgingly, 'I'll think about it.'

The rest of Monday was slightly awkward. Astoria and Daphne were avoiding each other, which seemed better than the alternative. Astoria seemed to have found a friend on Susan who she spent most of the day outside with. Theo stuck by Luna, discussing Muggle books while playing her DIY version of Wizards Chess. Harry, Daphne, Gabrielle and Draco stuck together on the patio, being very careful not to ruin Daphne's good mood by mentioning Astoria.

The same thing happened the next day, and by Wednesday morning Harry was fairly sure they would never mutter a word to each other in the entire team they were in here for. Not unless their task required it.

'Will Harry come to the thought room?'

'And that will be our weekly task,' he said, jumping off the sofa and jogging across the living room into the thought room.

'Charlie?'

'Yeah?' Charlie called from the kitchen as Hermione walked through, drying her hair with a towel.

'I need to tell you something,' she admitted.

Charlie frowned, 'What's wrong?'

'Something Gin told me the other day,' Hermione admitted, 'about the reason for your break-up with Daphne.'

'You know the reason, she commercialised the bloody torture and death of dragons,' Charlie said hotly.

'No, I know, but there was more to it than that. Astoria, Daphne's sister set it up to make you two break up,' Hermione said quietly, 'apparently she breaks up all of Daphne's relationships before they can get too serious. Astoria set up the shoot knowing Daphne would have to do it, she expected you to get angry so she made sure Theo was on the shoot. She knew she would seek comfort in her friend.'

Charlie sighed, 'Engineered or not she still slept with Theo. Doesn't change anything Mione.'

Hermione frowned, 'But she wouldn't have, she wouldn't even have been on that shoot if her sister hadn't-'

'But she did, and she was,' Charlie said raising a hand, 'the reasons don't matter. If she hadn't done that shoot it would have ended at some point anyway, a Greengrass and a Weasley? It would never have been allowed to go any further.'

Hermione knew that was true, she nodded, 'I guess.'

'And I'd never have gotten you,' Charlie added with a smile, 'so everything happens for a reason, alright?'

'Alright,' Hermione said, crossing the room and kissing him, 'you make a convincing argument.'

'Mum always told me I should have been a lawyer, Charlie grinned.

'Good morning,' Harry said brightly when he walked into the thought room.

'Good morning Harry. How are you today?'

'I'm good thanks,' Harry said.

'Today is the weekly task Harry. There is a golden envelope at your feet detailing the task. As there are now only 8 contestants the tasks will enable housemates to win certain privileges. All the information you require is in the envelope.'

'Okay,' Harry said, grabbing the envelope, 'can I go now?'

'You may go Harry.'

Harry left the thought room and walked into the living room where everyone was waiting, even Astoria. She and Daphne still weren't talking and were sitting at opposite sides of the room.

'Okay so I have our task,' Harry said, opening the envelope and unfolding the piece of parchment inside, 'it says dear housemates this week you will be tested to the limits of your common sense and logic. You will all enter a maze of doors, to get through each door you must correctly answer a question or riddle. If you encounter a fellow housemate you may help them by granting them permission through a door, or leave them stuck to answer a new riddle. If 6 out of 8 housemates complete the maze in under 10 minutes you will receive double your food rations. However, there are also privileges at this stage in the competition which housemates may win. The first three housemates to complete the maze will receive private bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.'

'Nice,' Daphne grinned, 'something to work towards.'

Harry smiled weakly, 'Don't rely on me too much, I need Hermione for this sort of stuff.'

Gabrielle chuckled and said, 'So where is this maze and when do we start?'

'There, and now,' Harry said in amusement as a door appeared from nowhere next to the door to the thought room.

'We all go in at the same time?' Astoria asked, following the others to the door.

'I think so, then there will be lots of doors to choose from,' Harry said, pulling open the door and walking in. As he had suspected there was a line of about 15 doors, 'well good luck everyone,' he said as they dispersed to separate doors.

The one Harry walked up to was a riddle and the voice emanating from the door reminded him a lot of Dumbledore, 'You can catch it, but you cannot throw it.'

Harry frowned to himself, wondering if people could hear this, 'Come on Harry, what would Hermione say. She'd know it, she'd say something like that's so obvious…'

'Oh come on Harry! It's so obvious!' Hermione complained to her radio during lunchbreak.

'You talking to me?' her colleague asked, dipping her head around the corner.

'No, no just the radio,' Hermione said offhandedly.

Harry glanced up the row of doors. Luna, Daphne, Gabrielle and Draco were already gone. Theo, Susan and Astoria were the only ones still stuck with their doors.

'You can catch it, but you can't throw it… a cold!'

'Correct.'

The door swung open and Harry walked in, feeling quite proud of himself. The 14 doors had shrunk down to just 7 now, that was still 7 chances to get the riddle right. He was alone in this section too, not a good sign. He walked up to another door and waited for the riddle or question. This time it was a question.

'What goes around the world but stays in a corner?'

Harry frowned, 'What the hell?' he muttered as out of nowhere a door appeared and Draco walked into the segment.

'Hey,' Draco said with a frown, 'what you got?'

'A question,' Harry said, 'what goes around the world but stays in a corner?'

Draco's frown deepened, 'I have no idea,' he admitted as he walked up to the door next to Harry.

'What is black and white, and red all over?' the door asked.

Harry smiled a little, 'I know that one,' he admitted.

'Give me it and you can come through with me,' Draco said, clearly this challenge wasn't his best either.

'Deal,' Harry said, 'it's a newspaper, read all over, get it?'

'Ah,' Draco said with a nod as the door opened, 'come on then.'

They walked through the door together, and this time there were only 4 doors ahead of them, rather than 7.

'Great,' Harry mumbled, 'split up again?' he asked Draco.

Draco nodded, 'See you on the other side,' he joked and they walked to doors at opposite ends of the hallway.

Harry's spoke another riddle, 'I fly yet I have no wings. I cry yet I have no eyes. Darkness follows me, light I never see.'

Harry frowned, 'No eyes…can fly without wings…sounds like Voldemort…no, wait, a Dementor!'

'Correct,' the door said.

Harry smirked in Draco's direction and walked through the door to the next section which had only two doors. He walked up to one and it spoke a longer riddle to him, and a much more difficult one.

'Voiceless it cries. Wingless flutters. Toothless bites. Mouthless mutters.'

Harry wracked his brain, 'cries, flutters, bites, mutters…come on Hermione. Send me a telepathic vision or something.'

'It's the bloody wind Harry. Honestly, these are easy! We managed to get past worst than this in 1st year for crying out loud!'

'But he had us in first year.'

Hermione jumped then looked up, 'Ron, hey.'

'Logic task?' Ron asked, walking into the room with a cup of coffee in hand. They couldn't avoid each other, not with her office at the end of the Auror hallway, and the fact she was now practically dating her brother made it all the more impossible.

'Yes,' Hermione said, 'and Harry isn't doing so well.'

'Well he doesn't have you, does he?' Ron asked, 'he didn't do any of the logic. I mean, I did the chess board, he did the flying and the whole Voldemort bit, but you did the logic puzzle.'

'I know, I just thought he might have picked something up from me,' Hermione admitted.

'Mind if I listen with you?' Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head, 'No, not at all.'

'Mutters, bites…what bites but isn't an animal? The bite of…the wind!'

'Correct!'

Harry actually punched the air, he didn't know where he was pulling this from. Logic wasn't essential in the Auror training tests, and it really wasn't his strongpoint. Clearly Hermione had rubbed off on him in some way though.

He walked through the door and was instantly anxious again. There was now only one door to get through, so he had to know this riddle or he'd be stuck here for ages.

'In a marble hall white as milk

Lined with skin as soft as silk

Within a fountain crystal-clear

A golden apple doth appear.

No doors there are to this stronghold,

Yet thieves break in to steal its gold.'

Harry frowned, he recognised that one from a Muggle book. It was a book Aunt Petunia had read to Dudley when he was little, and Harry had listened in sometimes. A story book full of riddles, Mother Goose, he thought it was called.

That didn't help him with the riddle however, and his frown deepened as he thought about it once more. He was mulling over the breaking in to steal its gold part, that seemed important. Then Draco appeared behind him, muttering about 'bloody riddles', and Harry chuckled.

'So this is the final door?' Draco asked?

'Yep,' Harry said as the door repeated its riddle to Draco.

'White as milk, soft as silk,' Draco said, 'so something that is white and silky on the outside but people break in to steal the gold inside.'

'It's not Gringotts is it?' Harry asked.

'Incorrect,' the door said.

'It is white on the outside with gold inside,' Draco said with a nod, 'I understand your logic there.'

'Break in to steal its gold…' Harry said, and then suddenly it dawned on him, 'could it be an egg? White on the outside but if you break in, you get the golden yoke?'

Draco stared at him in amazement as the door said, 'Correct and swung open.'

'Can I come through with you?' he asked.

Harry nodded, still feeling pretty good about getting that one right, 'Sure, come on.'

'Wow, I couldn't work that one out,' Hermione admitted, she had written it down and everything.

Ron grinned, 'His logic clearly isn't too bad then, eh?'

'Guess not,' Hermione said, still slightly stunned.

Ron actually laughed, 'Hermione, you look like a puppy that's been slapped!'

Once Harry and Draco walked through the final door they were back in the living room and they glanced around to see who else was here. Harry wasn't surprised to see Luna and Gabrielle, but he was a little surprised to see Daphne. She was smart, but being smart and logical were two very different things.

'So you three won your own rooms,' Harry chuckled, 'well done.'

Daphne smirked and said, 'Luna was first, then Gabby, then me.'

'How long have you been here for?' Harry asked in amusement.

'Not long,' Daphne answered, 'took me about 7 minutes.'

'Just under 5 for me,' Gabrielle admitted.

'3,' Luna said simply.

Draco shook his head in disbelief, 'wow, how long were we in there?'

'9 minutes,' Daphne said, glancing at the clock, 'so we really need one more person to come out of there in the next minute for us to win the task.'

The words were barely out of her mouth when Susan emerged from the room, glancing around as she did so, 'so I'm 6th?'

'Yes,' Daphne said, 'but thanks to you we just won the task,' she added.

'Well done Susan,' Harry said with a smile, sitting down on the sofa to await the final two. Astoria, and Theo.

'I thought Theo would be better at this than he is,' Daphne admitted.

'Logic isn't his strongpoint,' Draco said, 'his brain just doesn't work in the right way.'

'But Astoria is clever,' Daphne said, 'I mean, really clever. She should be better at this too.'

'Some of them are really tough though,' Gabrielle said, 'and a few of mine were muggle related. I'm guessing your sister doesn't know much about that.'

'No, she doesn't,' Daphne said honestly.

They shared their riddles as they waited, and finally after 15 minutes Astoria emerged, she sat down next to Susan and pretended her sister didn't exist. Theo emerged 5 minutes later looking ready to kill someone, Luna patted him on the head and said, 'at least you can play chess,' which made the others laugh out loud.

Astoria seemed to know her place, she wasn't pushing anymore. In fact she was being uncharacteristically quiet and it was odd. The others ignored it however as the three personal bedrooms were unveiled and Gabrielle, Luna and Daphne went to explore. It was mid-week. Not long now until they could get rid of Astoria.

TBC :)

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. More on the Daphne/Astoria in the next couple of chapters and after that its onto the next drama ;)