"I love you," said Daphne.
Harry looked at her seriously before replying.
"I know."
"You do?" replied Daphne, incredulous.
"Haven't you watched Star Wars? I mean, it's a Muggle film, but it's one of their most popular ones."
"So you were telling a joke?"
"Yeah, I mean, weren't you?"
Everything grew deathly still, and Harry felt a chill run up his spine as Daphne's piercing blue eyes seemed to stare straight into his soul.
"You absolute bastard."
Harry could only watch, dumbfounded, as Daphne stormed out of the Great Hall. When he glanced at Gabrielle to silently ask her what had just happened, the young Veela simply shook her head at him before also leaving the dining hall.
Wait, it couldn't be –
Harry rushed out to catch up with the two witches.
X
The scene was so unimaginable, Harry would not have believed it had he not been witnessing it with his own two eyes: the former Ice Queen of Slytherin sobbing in the arms of her half-Veela student.
"You weren't kidding, were you?" asked Harry rhetorically.
Daphne released the embrace and looked at Gabrielle.
"Could you give us a moment alone?" requested the Potions Master.
"Are you sure?"
Daphne nodded and Gabrielle dutifully obeyed without further protest.
Harry took the spot that Gabrielle had vacated.
"How was I supposed to know?" he asked, at a sudden loss for words.
"You didn't feel anything when we kissed?"
Harry thought back to their "date." It felt like ages ago, though it had really been only a few months. He couldn't deny that he'd felt a spark when their lips had touched that night, nor could he say that he didn't find Daphne extremely attractive. Her looks did not demand attention like a Veela's, but they made her seem almost untouchable lest one should blemish that beauty.
"I have a girlfriend," said Harry, dodging the question.
"Oh, you don't say? I guess that settles it then, sorry for taking up your time. I'll just go stuff down my emotions like I've done my entire life," replied Daphne, the isolated teardrops running down her cheeks belying her words.
"You know that's not what I want," said Harry hurriedly. He hated seeing any woman cry, but watching someone as strong and independent as Daphne shed tears made his heart wrench in pain. "I've gotten to know you over the past half a year, Daphne. The real you. Or at least the truest version of yourself I've seen you show anyone. And I like her, I like her a lot. She's smart, funny, down-to-earth, and so much more...she deserves to be cherished for who she really is."
"Just not by you," said Daphne dully, seemingly withdrawing into her shell already.
"What do you want me to say, Daphne?" said Harry, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. "That I'll dump my girlfriend for you?"
"That's not what I expect."
"What is it then?"
Daphne went quiet for a moment, her demeanour morphing back to cool composure as the gears of her mind went into motion.
"Gabrielle told me that the three things holding you back from dating her were your relationship with Tonks, the fact that you're her teacher, and her age. The latter two issues don't apply to me, so what else is stopping you from dating me?"
"I hardly even know you, Daphne! Sure, you've opened up somewhat and your personality has begun to shine through, but I had no idea you felt that way about me until today. For that matter, I don't even know when you started having those feelings because you keep everything so close to your chest."
"So it's just your girlfriend and the fact I hide my emotions from you?"
"I suppose, but why are you asking me this? I think I've told you this before, but you could have any man you want – why are you wasting your time and effort on someone who's already happily attached?"
"Because I don't want just any man," she said with a smile, standing up and dusting off her robes carefully. "You should be honoured, Harry."
"Why are you suddenly in such a chipper mood?" said Harry, baffled.
"I'm already ahead of one of my rivals," she said, inclining her head in the direction of Gabrielle, who was waiting patiently at the end of the hallway, "and she's none the wiser."
"So you're not giving up?" said Harry, not knowing what to think or feel about this new development in his relationship with Daphne.
"Of course not. I have my family's motto to uphold."
"Huh?"
"You should look it up."
With that, Daphne Greengrass strode away from him to converse in low tones with Gabrielle.
Women, he thought to himself. I'll never understand them.
X
"You were right."
"Of course I was," said Tonks, waiting a few seconds before continuing. "About what?"
"Daphne likes me."
"Oh, that. Well, duhhh. I'm guessing she came out and told you point blank?"
"Yeah...but now she's acting oddly."
"What do you mean?"
"Well she's always telling me how her day is going and how she's feeling."
"And that's weird?" said Tonks with a giggle.
"It is for her. She's making a real effort to share stuff about herself and it's...endearing."
Harry was gazing off into the distance and as a result, he didn't spot the look of worry that came across Tonks' face.
X
"Sorry, Tonks, I won't be able to make it this weekend," said Harry.
"Why not?" replied his girlfriend, trying to not let her disappointment show. "We couldn't meet last week either because you had to help Daphne with her Potions prep work."
In fact, ever since Tonks' scare, the two of them had not been meeting very regularly. Part of it was due to the fact that both were busy with work, but another part was the difficulty in actually meeting: Harry had to get off the Hogwarts premises in order to Apparate, after which he had to go through various checkpoints at the Auror offices in order to make use of one of the only Floos that had authorized access to Tonks' home. The whole process was lengthy and tedious, which made meeting on weekday nights unrealistic. Consequently, they hadn't spent much time together at all over the past few months.
"I know, I know...but it's Hogsmeade this weekend and I couldn't get out of it because it's my turn to supervise."
"I understand," said Tonks, reigning in her emotions in order to appear unaffected.
"Next week, Tonks," said Harry, giving the Metamorphmagus an affectionate peck on the forehead. "I promise."
"Alright," she said with as much cheer as she could muster.
X
Tonks felt like a little girl playing a game on the playground as she snuck around Hogsmeade in search of her boyfriend.
She got a few weird looks from the various people passing by, but a quick transformation of her face's features into those of a goblin quickly scared off the nosiest annoyances.
Of course, she could have simply cast an Invisibility Charm, but where was the fun in that?
Tonks gleefully hid behind a barrel, happy with her decision to surprise Harry this weekend: if he couldn't meet her, she would simply go meet him.
However, after systematically checking through all the streets of the little town, Harry was still nowhere to be seen.
He couldn't have lied, could he? thought Tonks, doubt and jealousy creeping into her.
No!
She shook her head, annoyed with herself for continuing to have these thoughts and feelings.
He must be stationed near the castle, she reasoned.
However, as she turned to head in that direction, that's when she spotted him: he had in fact been in Hogsmeade, but he had been indoors, not out – he was visible through the front window of the Three Broomsticks.
Along with Gabrielle and a few other students.
Laughing while sharing a butterbeer.
Eyes fixed on the Veela.
Tonks Disapparated.
X
"Stop making excuses, Tonks!" yelled Harry. "Tell me what's wrong!"
"There's nothing wrong Harry, I just can't make it this weekend because of work," she replied emotionlessly.
"You wouldn't fool a troll with those words, so you're certainly not fooling me," said Harry. "I let it slide the past couple of weeks since you did the same for me, but it's gone on for too long now."
Tonks did not break eye contact with Harry, but didn't answer him either.
"Talk to me, Tonks," pleaded Harry.
"Harry, when's the last time you looked at your blood ring?" said Tonks, sorrow colouring her voice.
"Huh?"
Harry looked down at his ring finger and was astonished to see that Tonks' gift was not glowing crimson red any more, but rather a coral pink.
"I'm so sorry, Tonks. I've been so busy with work, I didn't even realize," babbled Harry. "Let me –"
"That's exactly it, my love," interrupted Tonks sadly. "You spend so much time at Hogwarts, it's no wonder that others would hold your attention more than me."
"Don't say that," said Harry. "I love you, Tonks."
"But you also love Daphne. And Gabrielle. You want to know why I was acting so distant these past few weeks?" she asked, not pausing long enough for Harry to give an answer. "Silly old me thought that I'd surprise you at Hogsmeade...little did I know, it was me who would be in for the surprise."
Harry raised an eyebrow, not understanding. Suddenly, it clicked and Harry could only shake his head in disbelief at the incredibly unfortunate timing.
"...it was just a butterbeer. But that's not important: Gabrielle's graduating this semester anyway."
"Sure, Gabrielle may be graduating and leaving Hogwarts, but who's to say there won't be new students who fall in love with their Defense Professor? Not to mention Daphne is continuing as Potions Master, I imagine."
"What are you saying, Tonks? That you want me to leave Hogwarts?" he said, grabbing her hands firmly.
She rapidly shook her head back and forth in response.
"You're far more important to me than you seem willing to accept," said Harry with sincerity, "so if that's what it takes to keep this relationship alive, then that's what I'll do."
Tonks finally let the facade fall, sobbing.
"No, Harry, I would never ask that of you! You belong at Hogwarts and I wouldn't dream of taking that away from you."
"Then what do you want me to do, Tonks?" said Harry, capturing his girlfriend in a comforting embrace. She enjoyed the warmth and was reminded of how much she craved his touch.
"Listen, the school term's nearly over – we'll have plenty of time to spend together just the two of us during the summer," said Harry, rubbing circles in her back. "I heard the Seychelles –"
Tonks pushed him back forcefully, trembling as she struggled to utter her next words.
"That's not going to solve our problem," she said with a quaver in her voice, "and I can't keep going on like this."
Harry stood frozen in place, panic paralyzing his vocal cords.
"We need some time apart for both of us to think," Tonks continued more steadily. "I'm going off on a mission for a few weeks – we should both re-evaluate our relationship during that time."
"Don't do this, Tonks," said Harry. "Please."
"This isn't working," she replied plainly.
"Then we'll make it work," said Harry fervently. "I know we will."
"I hope so, my love. I sincerely do."
X
"I really don't know if I should be talking to you about this, but I had no one else to turn to," said Harry.
"Did we not make it clear that we are friends?" asked Gabrielle.
Harry nodded.
"And have we not already shared deeply personal thoughts and feelings with one another?"
He repeated the gesture.
"Then what are you hesitating for? You know I'll do all that I can to help you, Harry."
So, Harry told her all that had happened.
"Do you want me to clear everything up with Tonks?" she said as soon as he'd finished.
"I appreciate the offer," said Harry, "but I don't think that would help – if anything, it might fan the flames even more."
"You're right," said Gabrielle, biting her lower lip; to his shame, the action immediately caught Harry's attention even as he tried to remain focused on the situation with Tonks.
"Any other ideas, then?" he asked.
"I'm not sure there's anything that you can do – and I'm not saying that due to a conflict of interest. If I were in Tonks' shoes, I would have probably done the same thing."
"So it's a hopeless situation and Tonks is just delaying the inevitable?"
"I'm sorry, Harry, but I think so."
X
"To what do I owe the honour?" asked Daphne, after opening her door to reveal the one and only Harry Potter.
"I need your help," he said plainly.
The Slytherin cocked her head to one side.
"Gabrielle couldn't help you, huh?"
Harry was briefly taken aback, but bewilderment was the default state of mind whenever in the presence of Daphne Greengrass, so he quickly shook off his stupor.
"...no," he replied honestly.
She smiled contentedly, her silence encouraging him to continue speaking.
"Daphne...I'm losing Tonks."
The witch did not visibly seem to react, but Harry was getting better at reading her expressions.
"You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Of course," she said bluntly.
"You know, you could at least pretend to feel sorry."
"And why would I do that?" said Daphne. "You told me to be open with you – this is one of the few perks of that."
Harry sighed.
"I don't know why I even bothered coming to see you," he said. "I guess I'm just that desperate."
"Nonsense," said Daphne. "Come, sit."
With reluctance, Harry did so, reacquainting himself with Daphne's regal bedchambers. He sat down in a leather recliner, while Daphne lay across her bed as if posing for a portrait.
"Could you please not do that?" said Harry moodily.
"But I like it when you look at me, Harry. You make me feel –"
"Daphne! Please be serious!"
"Fine," she said, repositioning herself so that she was now sitting demurely on the edge of her bed.
"Thank you," said Harry.
They shared an awkward silence for a moment, unsure of what to say or do next.
"So... are you and Tonks breaking up?" said Daphne finally, cutting straight to the chase.
"Not if I can help it," said Harry with determination.
"While your gallantry is admirable, a relationship unfortunately requires two parties to be in accord," she said sardonically.
"So how do I convince Tonks to stay with me?" said Harry, ignoring Daphne's quip.
The former Ice Queen of Slytherin rested her chin on one hand, seemingly deep in thought.
"Do you know about the Kobayashi Maru?" she said finally.
"I don't think so, what is it?"
"Ha!" Daphne yelled in victory. "You made fun of me for not knowing that Star Wars quote, and yet you don't even know about possibly the most famous story in Star Trek!"
"Alright, I'm sorry," said Harry, not sounding the least bit apologetic. "What does the Kurabashi Maru mean?"
"The Kobayashi Maru is an unwinnable situation," said Daphne, deciding not to rub it in this time.
"I thought so..." said Harry with a sigh, "that's basically what Gabrielle said."
"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. The best you can hope for now is to end the situation on your own terms."
"My terms?"
"Sometimes it's better to do something drastic, like cutting off a cancerous limb yourself rather than letting it infect the rest of your body and rooting itself even further."
Daphne expected an admonishment and was thus surprised when one did not come. Instead, Harry's face lit up and his mind seemed to be racing at a million miles a minute.
"Thank you so much, Daphne," said an ecstatic Harry, hugging his fellow professor tightly without a care in the world. "You've given me a great idea."
"I...have?" replied Daphne, utterly baffled for one of the first times in her life.
"Captain Kirk beat the unwinnable situation, and so can I."
With that, Harry left Daphne's room in a hurry.
Daphne cursed – she would have to study some more Muggle culture.
X
"Do you ever wonder about the point of it all?" asked Harry.
"You know, dear," said Tonks sweetly, "you can be a blasted idiot sometimes."
Harry ignored her remark, his next words drifting out of him dripping with pain.
"I did everything I could...and yet, in spite of that, those parents lost their only son."
"Stop blaming yourself, Harry!" screamed Tonks, momentarily snapping Harry out of his gloom. "You can't save everyone and you need to accept that!"
"But I'm Head Auror – if I don't take responsibility, who will?"
"No one," she replied immediately.
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but his girlfriend continued before he could interject.
"Why must there be someone who shoulders the blame for everything wrong that happens in the world? Instead of dwelling in the past, you need to live in the present and look to the future."
"And how do I do that?" asked Harry doubtfully.
"By sharing the burden of everyone affected rather than allowing a weight that needs no carrying crush you alone," said Tonks. "Comfort the parents. Talk with the other Aurors. Listen to the witnesses. That's the best thing you could do and all that everyone expects out of their Head Auror: a strong, steadfast figure they can lean on in their times of need."
Harry shook his head in wonder at this kind, beautiful, selfless woman.
"What would I do without you, Tonks?"
"You'd be a miserable twat, just like you are when you're with me."
Harry burst out into laughter.
"But I can share in your misery and we can wallow in it together for as long as it takes to get you out of there," finished Tonks.
She held out her hand and he grabbed onto it like a lifeline. A second later, they wordlessly released their grip on one another, both of them re-invigorated and ready to step out into the spotlight to answer the press' questions.
X
Harry and Tonks sat at a table at a small restaurant in Diagon Alley, sharing their customary post-mission lunch together in relative privacy – a small blessing.
"So how did the mission go?" asked Harry.
"It was a dead end!" replied Tonks, trying to sound as normal as possible. "We were investigating half a dozen disappearances of mercenaries in the Netherlands, but none of the leads got us anywhere."
"That's odd..." mused Harry.
"Actually, dear, that's even. But yeah, whoever's responsible for this really covered their tracks well, assuming, of course, that all these cases are related."
"They probably are. If there's one thing I learned as an Auror, it's to not believe in coincidence until given proof of the contrary."
"I agree, but we just couldn't piece it all together, so we eventually had to drop the case and move on."
"That's too bad," said Harry. "So what are you assigned to now?"
Tonks took a moment to observe Harry: she had expected him to stall, but for some reason he was acting nervous and excited, which confused her.
"I'm back on patrols for the foreseeable future," she said.
"Alright, I guess that concludes our debriefing, then," said Harry.
"I guess it does," said Tonks, taking a deep breath before launching into her next words. "Harry, have you thought about the status of our relationship while I was away?"
"I have," he said with a smile.
"Why are you grinning?" she replied uncertainly, her Auror mind trying to solve the mystery.
"I've got a solution to our problem," he said triumphantly.
Tonks was visibly taken aback: she'd hoped that Harry would perform a miracle, but she'd also accepted deep down that she and Harry were done. This realization had come weeks ago, and she'd simply wanted to give Harry some time to reach the same conclusion so that their break-up was mutual.
"Really?" she said. "What is it?"
Harry went down on one knee, extracting a ring box from his robes as he did so. He opened it to reveal a large blood ring adorned with diamonds all along its band.
"Nymphadora Tonks, will you marry me?"