The schedule they worked out years ago somehow allowed for Harry to be present the morning where Lilian's Hogwarts letter arrived, almost five years after the two had met.
Lilian, if Daphne could say, had grown up a good girl. She was smart, polite and generous, but also horribly innocent. Perhaps Daphne had sheltered her too much, but what parent hadn't, after the war?
Still, maybe Daphne had done a too good of a job about it. It was almost as if Lilian hadn't been raised by a Slytherin - which would make her parents have a screaming fit, had they even known about Lilian's existence -, and while Daphne was half-glad about it, she was also half-horrified. However, in a post-war world, which child needed tact and cunning to survive in a snake pit?
The owl hooted, and Lilian, dressed up for the day already, picked the letter, taking Daphne from her thoughts. Harry smiled softly at his daughter, and the girl, who looked as excited as Daphne had ever seen, cracked the familiar red wax seal, picking up the parchment pages and trifling through them for a second, passing to Daphne the materials list and keeping to herself the acceptance letter.
"'Dear Ms. Greengrass…'", Lilian started reading, the words Daphne once read for herself familiar and comforting. The only difference was that the ambient Daphne had been in wasn't in any bit similar to Lilian's.
Daphne had been raised in a Manor, with distant parents. Her letter, from the moment she turned eleven, had been awaited with great anxiety, many disapproving looks, and several catty comments that perhaps the accidental magic she had displayed was Astoria's. The arrival of her letter, during breakfast, had been a relief. Daphne had read that letter as if her continued existence depended on it - because it did. Had the letter never arrived, Daphne would have been considered a Squib and cast out.
She couldn't help but wonder, casting a sly look at Harry, who seemed proud of Lilian, as well, how his family received the news. He never spoke of them. Sure, Daphne knew he hadn't been raised by his parents, but information about them was never a thing he shared beyond the very basic - they were Muggles, and that was it. She couldn't help but wonder how they had reacted. Had they been happy? She hoped they were. Still, if Harry all but refused to talk about his Muggle guardians, perhaps they had reactions that weren't the norm.
"Ah, looks like I can take a cat with me! You hear that, Salem?", Lilian hummed, and the fat black cat Daphne had given Lilian years ago barely rose its head, meowing for a second before falling back asleep. The name was awful, but Lilian had chosen it, even though Daphne almost begged her to pick literally any other name. In the end, Salem won the moment Lilian suggested putting the cat's name as Hermione, and Daphne, wondering in which House her daughter would be sorted, conceded defeat.
"No owls for you, then?", Daphne asked, eyeing the material list. Almost nothing had changed, just books being offered in their most recent editions, but it was familiar enough for Daphne to smile. Some things never changed, but she hoped others did.
"But then I can't take Salem,", Lilian pouted, putting a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Did you have an owl, mum?"
Daphne had had a toad. It was her most well-kept secret. She had kept it in an aquarium on her trunk with artificial lighting and took it, during second year, to live a free life near the Black Lake. At home, she claimed her sweet little toad died, and her parents, using that as an excuse, saw fit to give her no more pets, and that was it.
"No, I didn't.", she replied, in the end, shrugging, and Lilian frowned for a moment. "Hogwarts had a few in their Owlery, and I didn't write much to my parents. You, however, have to write to me at least twice a week, you hear me, young lady?"
"Sure, mum," Lilian replied, green eyes focusing on Harry. "What about you, uncle Harry?"
"I had a snowy owl. A gift, you see.", he replied, eyes far away and something in his voice Daphne couldn't place. Daphne could remember his owl, pure white and soaring in the Great Hall, and she had seen it once or twice in the Owlery. A pretty creature, one that Daphne had no idea what end it had. Perhaps it had died naturally. Daphne hoped it so.
Lilian perked up.
"That's cool!", Lilian chirped, still as childish as ever. Daphne looked at the list of materials once more. Perhaps she could buy the things today and avoid whatever rush there would be later in the month.
"Lilian, sweetheart, why don't we go buy your things today?", Daphne asked, rising up, and Lilian looked excited. "We can get your wand, and I can teach you a few choice spells."
Lilian smiled as brightly as the sun, making Harry laugh a bit as she rose up, going to her room to grab a cloak, and Daphne turned to Harry.
"I'd go with you, but me with a kid that looks like me, in Diagon Alley, spells trouble.", he said, rising up before Daphne could even ask him anything. He kissed her quietly, and Daphne could understand - sure, Harry had done something to/with Skeeter so that she wouldn't write about Lilian, but that didn't mean wizards didn't gossip between themselves - and any gossip would end up growing, until it reached an unmanageable size; Daphne could only use whatever little she had to control it for so long.
"Sure. Have a nice day at work, then.", Daphne smiled, and Harry, kissing her once more, left just as Lilian came out, wearing her travel robes (a gift from Blaise, once more).
"Be a nice kid, Lilian, and don't bother your mother too much", Harry hummed, leaving, and Lilian grinned.
"I always am, uncle Harry.", Lilian replied, making Harry smile softly. "And I'll only bother her enough."
Harry chuckled, leaving, and Daphne looked to Lilian, who pocketed her material list, hair now in a carefully done braid.
"Very well, then, shall we go?", Daphne asked, more of a rhetorical question than anything, Accio'ing her purse, and the two of them left for Diagon Alley.
Lilian, as any eleven year old, was fascinated by the Alley, as if she had been raised by Muggles - which made Daphne wonder if perhaps she hadn't, in fact, sheltered her daughter too much -, window-shopping like there was no tomorrow, and if was nostalgic; she had been much of the same, used to Portree's open market. Daphne wondered how her parents had gotten her through Diagon Alley the first time, and then remembered exactly how: they had stuck her at Malkin's to get her robes fitted, while they went around, buying her stuff for her. Daphne hadn't seen her stuff until she got back home, and even then, it was only for a moment before they sent her to the library, to study from other books so that hers would be kept pristine until school.
She, at the time, had only nodded, murmured a "yes, father" and left, but this wasn't how it was going to be this time.
"Say, Lilian,", Daphne started, and her daughter's eyes went from the shop window she was looking - the Quidditch supplies shop, obviously - to her mother. "What do you say about buying your books while I go get the more uninteresting things? You can buy a few that catch your eye, too."
Lilian had never really been a bookworm, but she had grown an interest in history books with age. Most of them focused - to Daphne's relief - in the Founders era, but a scattered few were in the Second Wizarding War. Daphne had never seen Lilian reading too much on it, or looking into its photographs with a keen eye, but that didn't mean Daphne had nothing to fear. If her daughter noticed...
Lilian nodded, and Daphne, biting back a sigh, passed her the book list, and a small pouch with a few galleons to pay for her shopping, leaving with her daughter instructions to wait for her in front of the shop as soon as she was done - and if it seemed like Daphne was taking too long, she was to go to Malkin's and ask for her robes.
When Daphne saw her daughter disappear inside the shop, she took a deep breath and went looking for the familiar list she had never bought.
It was easy to find - most shops had something of a Hogwarts kit, considering much of it was the same, and Daphne bought a few knick-knacks to surprise Lilian with -, and soon after, with everything in hand, Daphne headed towards Malkin when she saw her daughter going there cautiously, smiling quietly to herself. Well, it wouldn't hurt for Lilian to learn how to go to places alone, would it? She started to follow her daughter a few paces behind, wishing Lilian still would wear the bright backpacks, but the cloak was still a good marker. She had to remind herself to thank Blaise for that.
Lilian stopped briefly to see the display in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, seemingly stopping to see the candy display - Daphne remembered looking through the owl-order catalogue, wondering if she should buy something to cheer up Astoria, before deciding that maybe she shouldn't mess with her sister's weak constitution -, before shaking her head to herself, going on her way, and Daphne smiled. Maybe something for her to have fun with, besides books and studying.
But later; Daphne kept following her daughter, watching as she entered and seemed to talk with one of the shop's attendants, and waited until Lilian disappeared inside to follow, entering the shop and wondering, when she saw who was inside, if maybe she shouldn't do a double take and go back out. Of course Ginevra Weasley would be there, with her youngest daughter, and one of the multiple Weasley children. Daphne had no idea which - they had basically been rabbits for the past few years.
To make matters worse, the two kids were talking excitedly, and while Ginevra did not seem to have noticed who her daughter was, Daphne knew that if she did, matters could be worse.
Ginevra had been over Harry, alright; sure, Ginevra had begun seeing other people, as Harry had once told her; but one thing was to know that a daughter existed, and another different thing was to be faced with that very girl. Daphne put her best polite smile on, and approached Lilian quietly as the needles did their work on her.
"Lilian, sweetheart, who's your friend?", Daphne asked, making herself known, and Lilian turned to face her mother, as Ginevra started analyzing her through half-lidded eyes. The click on her head was audible, at least.
"This is Molly! She's going to Hogwarts with me.", Lilian grinned, and Molly - red hair, brown eyes, as Weasley as possible, the only thing to differentiate her the thick glasses she wore - smiled shyly, waving a little. "And that's Molly's aunt and niece, they're nice!"
"I can imagine.", Daphne waved back to Molly, and Ginevra rose up, offering Lily Luna (the name still left a bitter taste in her mouth, even though it had been years) a small enchanted doll for the girl to play it, before rising up. "Ah, hello."
"Hello, Daphne. Mind if we have a chat outside?", Ginevra said, the smile plastered on her face as tight as Daphne's. Daphne simply nodded and let her lead the way, telling Lilian in a low whisper she'd be right back, before going outside once more.
The Alley was crowded, as usual, but it seemed to have more children around, as if some kids couldn't wait to buy their stuff. Daphne could understand, and watched, quiet for a brief moment, Ginevra, and couldn't help but compare the woman in front of her to the last time they had seen each other. Back then, Ginevra had been filled to the brim with pregnancy-fueled rage, ready to destroy anyone who dared to get in the path of her picture-perfect family. Now, however, she seemed almost as if she didn't care for it, but Daphne knew she did; Ginevra had the innate sixth sense of a pureblood to keep things as if a painting, but she wasn't as strict on it. Perhaps whoever she was dating was doing a good number on her. Daphne hoped Ginevra was happy.
"So, it seems like my kid has taken a liking for your niece.", Daphne started, and Ginevra chuckled.
"She looks like Harry.", was all Ginevra said, and Daphne, for one brief second, was glad Harry hadn't come with them. But then, Ginevra did spend most of her time with Harry, so perhaps she had a keener eye for this. "And she looks like Albus, too. Hogwarts will be rough on her, if people notice."
"If.", she replied, taking a sarcastic smile off of Ginevra. Daphne could understand - Hogwarts was a small place, but really, how hard could it be to fool a bunch of children?
"That's a big bet you're willing to make, Daphne, but it's none of my business.", Ginevra shrugged. "I mean, it's your kid. You're the one throwing her to the lions. Is that safe for you two?"
Daphne looked at her through half-lidded eyes. How hadn't she been put in Slytherin was a mystery.
"If you want me to send Lilian to Beauxbatons for safety, let me tell you, my kid doesn't know french.", Daphne said, slowly, and Ginevra smiled, something playing on her lips. Daphne couldn't exactly place it, but she could say it wasn't malice, at least.
"Never suggested it. How is Harry, by the way?", the way Ginevra deflected the subject at hand was pretty interesting, considering she lived with him. Ginevra would know better than Daphne, shouldn't she?
"He's doing well, thanks for asking. Shouldn't you check on your niece? I mean, she is inside, alone, with my vicious snake of a child,", she suggested, and Ginevra, as if reminding that she had left Molly - and Lily Luna - alone, paled, nodded and went back inside. Daphne counted that as a victory for herself and silently asked forgiveness to Lilian for calling her a vicious snake. Her daughter couldn't be a snake - she was way too sweet for it.
Still, Daphne took a breath, and went back inside, smiling softly to Lilian for a moment while she handled payment, keeping an ear out as the two children chatted about Houses and such things. Daphne had been alone with Tracey that day, and they both knew already in which House they were to be sorted - there weren't many options for them, at the time.
Her daughter, however, would have as many options as she would like - well, maybe Daphne would be just the tiniest disappointed if her daughter was a Hufflepuff, or, Merlin forbid, a Gryffindor, like her father, but she would love her all the same.
When it had been her turn to be sorted, her parent's words rang through her head very clearly - Slytherin, or else -, and the Sorting Hat had heard it as well; she had been a Hatstall between Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and Daphne was sure her parents had been the only reason why she had been sent to Slytherin, in the end.
Merlin, that trip to Diagon Alley was dragging memories out of her mind, wasn't it? She had to finish it as soon as possible. Daphne squared back her shoulders when she finished paying, and patiently waited near the door for Lilian to finish being fitted. When Ginevra passed by with Lily Luna and her niece (did the girl have a mother?), they exchanged looks, and pretended, as politely as possible, that their children weren't related. Lilian was finished soon after, and as such, they headed towards Ollivanders.
The shop was still exactly as she remembered it, hidden between shops and buildings, the inside seemingly abandoned. Lilian hesitated to open the door, and looked to Daphne just once before nodding to herself and opening the door, letting the dusty air inside greet her as the bell rang above her head.
The shop seemed unchanged by the war, as if time had frozen inside; proof enough was its owner, who seemed to not age a day, bringing himself to the front. Ollivander looked at them, taking in Lilian for a moment.
"Good morning. A wand for the young lady, hmm?", he started, and Daphne couldn't help but smile as well as Lilian stepped forward. He looked to Daphne and nodded. "I remember the wand I sold your mother. Ten inches, chestnut, dragon heartstring."
Daphne couldn't help but touch the pocket her wand was, remembering how scared she was not one wand would react to her, how scared that no wand would match her and that it'd be revealed that she had no magic at all. In the end, after a pathetic five tries - Astoria took longer, as she well remembered, and Daphne would lie if she said she hadn't wonder if her sister wasn't a changeling at the time - she got her wand, who had served her well for the past years.
"And I remember your father's wand, as well. You have his eyes, young lady,", Ollivander hummed, making Daphne break out of her thoughts as Lilian's excited "wait, really?!" echoed through the store. "Eleven inches, holly, phoenix feather. I wonder what yours will be. Hold out your dominant arm, please."
With a flick of his wand, measuring tapes started flying by as soon as Lilian put her right arm forward, giggling a bit as Ollivander explained to Lilian his process, while Daphne wondered if she maybe she should find an excuse to flee and buy a wand somewhere else - Merlin, at this point, even one of the sketchy wands found in the Portree market that made her nose itch with accumulated magic would be preferable -, preferably somewhere where the wandmaker wouldn't make Lilian question who was her father.
She had asked, once or twice - school projects, as Daphne learned later -, and Daphne had given the exact same answer: her father was a complicated subject matter, one that Daphne would tell her when she was older, and until then, Lilian could consider Blaise her father, if she would like. When Blaise learned of that, he had just gifted Lilian more, and it made Daphne consider retiring her statement.
Ollivander nodded to himself, the measuring tapes retracting, and he picked a box seemingly at random, taking a wand out of it.
"This one, please. Rowan, unicorn hair, twelve inches.", he said, offering the wand to Lilian. "Swish it, please."
"You knew my father?", Lilian asked, doing as asked, and Ollivander chuckled as several boxes fell. He took the wand from her "What was he like?"
"He was a good man. Here, this one,", he handed her another wand, and Lilian grabbed it carefully. "Rosewood, Phoenix feather, thirteen inches. Try it, please."
Lilian nodded, swishing it twice before a shower of pink sparks flew from the tip, and Ollivander smiled softly, as Daphne, giving a step forward, patted her head quietly.
"That's it?", Lilian asked, with a frown, and Daphne laughed as she went through her purse for the galleons needed. If she could remember it well enough, it was…
"I'm afraid it is, miss Greengrass. Seven galleons, please.", Daphne found the necessary quantity, and gave them to Lilian, who in turn, paid for her wand. "Thank you for your business."
"It's nothing, sir!", Lilian chirped, still childish as ever, and Daphne gently shepherded her away from the shop, deciding to take Lilian to eat. Midway through, however, Lilian looked up. "Mum, who's my father?"
"You're too young, sweetheart.", Daphne replied, tersely, and Lilian huffed.
"But I'm eleven! I'm not a baby anymore, mum,", she whined, and Daphne took a deep breath. Being eleven was too young, but her daughter wouldn't understand it, not until she was older.
"Too young, I say.", Daphne stopped, pulling her daughter into a corner that didn't see as much traffic. "Lilian, dear. Your father is a delicate subject matter, and I'd rather not put you through it yet. Please trust your mother with this, alright?"
Lilian seemed a bit upset, but she nodded. Daphne really didn't want her daughter dealing with the media at eleven, if the secret got out; perhaps when she was older. Seventeen seemed like a good age to let her know.
"Alright, but can I have ice cream for lunch, then?", Lilian asked, a shy smile playing on her lips, and Daphne laughed a bit.
"Alright, but just this once. You deserve something nice as a gift for going to Hogwarts, after all,", Daphne hummed, gaining a satisfied little yell from Lilian. Her daughter didn't need that knowledge during Hogwarts - not when her half-siblings would go to school with her. Ignorance was a blessing, or so she had heard.
Alright, so with this we're entering a hiatus until August. I'm starting college soon-ish, and since I don't want to leave you guys hanging and waiting for chapters, I'm gonna take July to write this until the end and then go back to a weekly schedule. Sorry for the bother, and thanks for the comprehension.