Daphne Greengrass had never exemplified a typical Slytherin. She had tried in order to please her parents but it had never felt right.
The Sorting Hat had known; as soon as it had been place upon her head it had chuckled knowingly.
"Another Hufflepuff desperate to be miserable to please Pureblood parents," it had mused, "You know, I wonder why I bother half the time; it's not sorting if I don't put you in the most suitable House."
"Please put me in Slytherin," Daphne pleaded, "Mum will kill me if I'm put anywhere else. I'll be shunned by all the family portraits."
"I met most of those portraits when they were still alive," the Hat scoffed, "Believe me, they're not worth listening to."
"My dad would be so disappointed."
The Sorting Hat made an odd grumbling noise, "Fine but remember my words; you have the heart of a Hufflepuff and it deserves better than the indifference of a loveless arranged marriage."
When the hat announced, 'Slytherin!' in a confident voice, Daphne was relieved. The cute redhead she had spotted on the train frowned at her before the next name was called.
She soon found out that the boy was a Weasley. More than one member of her new House spewed their opinions about blood-traitors and their pathetic lives while Daphne remained silent.
As a Pureblood, Daphne was expected to spend time with the half-bloods as little as possible. Pansy Parkinson had been an acquaintance for years so Daphne knew her parents would approve of the friendship. Over the years she had developed an understanding of the different masks a pureblood was expected to don.
Pansy had been drowning in Pureblood expectations from the day she was born. The Parkinson line could be traced back six hundred years; which paled in comparison to many other members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Daphne had been forced to memorise the Greengrass line back to the fall of the Roman Empire before moving on to other 'acceptable' bloodlines.
Pansy was being conditioned to marry for status, whereas Daphne knew she had to marry for wealth. The Greengrass name was old enough to be valued even as their vaults shrank in volume.
Astoria was two years younger than Daphne, and had had her eye on Draco Malfoy since the day Daphne had left for Hogwarts. Her parents had been scheming ever since.
Daphne had accepted a friendship with the blonde boy but her Hufflepuff heart shied away from him. Any woman able to breech the barriers around the Malfoy heir had to be as determined as she was crazy.
While Pansy became her best friend, Theo Nott slipped into her life as a brother. Daphne had immediately known that the slim boy with the ever-observant eyes was as comfortable in Slytherin as she was. His only friend was Draco and even that relationship seemed tenuous.
When alcohol had been slipped into the dorms in third year Theo had confessed that he spent most of his summer holidays at Draco's place just to avoid his own father. If Lucius Malfoy was the kinder option, Daphne didn't ever want to encounter Thadius Nott.
Daphne had watched Theo mature rapidly that year. He had always been quiet and prone to keeping his own company so when he began to blush every time Tracy Davis looked his way Daphne was worried. Tracy was lovely but she was a half-blood. As the only heir to the Nott bloodline Theo would never be allowed to be with Tracy.
It was an awful reality, but one which she had long ago accepted. As soon as she had approached Theo about his apparent crush the young man had nodded politely and thanked her for her concern. He had clearly studied the manners of snobbish Purebloods thoroughly.
When she had offered her hair to go into a polyjuice potion the façade had slipped for a second. He looked so lost that someone was offering to help him without being coerced or getting something out of it for themselves.
Daphne had confessed what the Sorting Hat had told her. Theo took months to trust her but eventually he admitted that if he hadn't demanded to be put in Slytherin, he would have been a Ravenclaw. Getting to know Theo was a challenge in itself; the young man was so private and withdrawn from his peers that she doubted he even knew himself.
Daphne didn't mind people assuming she and Theo were a couple; she just stayed out of sight when Tracy was using her appearance and rolled her eyes at the owls from her parents encouraging her to become Lady Nott.
Theo and Tracy had broken up amicable after a few months. Daphne knew she had a friend for life in the half-blood even if they could never acknowledge it publically while Voldemort was around.
Theo had been the first to realize that Daphne had a crush on someone outside of their House. He had offered to pretend to be courting her so that no-one would become suspicious. She had never needed to use the polyjuice potion he offered to brew as she had been too shy to approach the redhead she wanted.
The fling with Draco had been stress-relief more than anything else. He had been desperate for any type of warmth and she had been terrified by the way Death Eaters had started visiting her parents. The intimacy they had shared had never passed what she considered to be third base; the need to preserve her virginity to abide by a Pureblood engagement contract had been clearly understood.
When she had found out that Draco was staying with the Weasley family she had been incredibly curious. She knew she would have to tread carefully to find out what Ron knew about her liaison with her fellow Slytherin to avoid provoking hostilities.
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Draco waited in the living room nervously. Daphne and her father were due to arrive at any minute. How was he supposed to greet a friend who had been bitten by a werewolf? Was he supposed to pretend everything was normal or offer condolences?
When he had asked Hermione she had rolled her eyes and ordered him to treat her as though the bite had never happened. She had been rather annoyed that he even had to ask.
Draco was remembering the way she had huffed at him when the commotion in the fireplace began. He flinched in surprise before regaining his composure.
Anthony Greengrass brushed some soot off his robes and glanced around the living room disdainfully.
"What an interesting residence," he said nonchalantly as Daphne appeared in the fireplace.
"Draco!" Daphne launched herself at the Malfoy heir, "I've missed you!"
She was stronger than he had anticipated; he would be lucky to avoid bruises.
"I missed you too Daph."
"It's always pleasant to see you Mr Malfoy," Lord Greengrass said formally.
Draco nodded, "Just 'Draco' is fine. The Malfoy name is not a popular one at the moment."
Daphne froze and a hint of gold crept into her eyes, "What is that smell? Is that you?"
Draco stepped backward carefully, "I would prefer not to divulge that at the moment," he replied awkwardly, "There is no threat."
Her nostrils flared, which was almost amusing, "You reek of danger."
Anthony Greengrass was observing the exchange with interest. Before his wife had passed away they had discussed the possibility of a marriage contract between Astoria and the Malfoy heir. With Daphne afflicted with Lycanthropy it was crucial that the younger Greengrass daughter marry respectably. If there was something wrong with Draco, then those plans would have to be abandoned.
"The Weasley family was polite enough to give us some privacy, but I am sure they want to meet both of you," Draco said in an effort to distract the pair, "I must warn you that their eldest son Bill was bitten by Greyback just over a year ago. Like you, he doesn't shift. He wanted to meet you to answer any questions you may have."
Anthony Greengrass tried to hide his surprise. A match between Daphne and a Weasley was not exactly desirable but a husband who shared her condition would help her. He was a scheming Lord when he had to be, but as a father he wanted her to be happy.
"Is Bill single?" he asked politely.
Daphne growled at him in a distinctly inhuman tone. Draco smirked at the pair of them.
"Bill is happily married and planning a family with wife," Draco informed them, "I can guarantee that you will find no-one more accepting than Ronald. He is annoying at the best of times but I believe Daphne could have him in hand quickly."
"See?" Daphne said to her father, "I make good choices."
Draco snorted, "He is still as annoying as ever. I admit I respect his reaction to finding out about the bite but little else has changed."
"How did he react?" Anthony asked seriously. Any initial disgust could be understood but he would not allow Daphne to be courted by a male who would hold her condition against her.
"He shrugged and asked when she wanted to visit," Draco replied, "I might have told him that she had a split end for all he cared."
Daphne smiled smugly.
"Does he understand the implications of Lycanthropy?" Anthony wondered, "The impact on fertility and -"
"Enough Dad," Daphne sighed, "We're here to say hello, not arrange a marriage. His brother was bitten; of course he understands. He is accepting and a genuinely decent guy."
"Draco, if you had a sister would you approve of her dating the youngest Mr Weasley?" Anthony asked flatly.
Draco hid a shudder and took refuge in honestly, "Frankly I consider Daphne to be a sister. I have no problem with her interest in Ronald."
Daphne beamed at him. He couldn't stop himself from adding, "Though considering how fast Weasley's breed I would secure an engagement sooner rather than later."
"Charming Draco," Daphne sighed, "If you sharpen that wit anymore I may have to stab you with it."
"I'll fetch Mr and Mrs Weasley," Draco offered with a smug grin, "They wanted to greet you properly."
Anthony Greengrass watched his daughter study the room while they waited. The Weasley house was clearly not a seat of wealth yet there were no signs of extreme poverty either. If he wasn't familiar with their bloodline, he would assume they were run-of-the-mill half-bloods.
Draco led in the couple in question. He had met them in passing years earlier at a Ministry function.
"Lord Greengrass," Mr Weasley greeted confidently, "Arthur Weasley at your service. Welcome to our home. This is my wife Molly."
Anthony shook Arthur's hand and kissed Molly's knuckles.
"Thank-you for your hospitality," he replied honestly, "This is my eldest daughter Daphne."
Arthur took her hand and kissed her knuckled as protocol dictated. Molly beamed at the slim blonde girl and enveloped her in a hug.
Daphne blinked back tears; since her mother had died a few months earlier she had sorely missed the embrace of a confident matriarch.
"Thank-you for allowing us to visit," Daphne gushed, "Now that the stupid war is over we don't have to hide. When I found out Draco was staying here-"
"She desperately wanted to drop by to flirt with Ronald," Draco teased.
"I think the elves need assistance in the kitchen Draco," Molly said pointedly to the blonde.
Daphne waited for an angry reaction from her friend. Instead he inclined his head toward Mrs Weasley, winked at Daphne and left the room.
"You've trained him quickly," Daphne mused when Draco had left the room, "We've spent years trying to beat some manners into him."
Molly chuckled, "After six sons, one Malfoy wasn't a challenge."
Anthony Greengrass felt his admiration for the Weasley matriarch shoot upwards. No pureblood in the last thousand years had managed to raise so many children. Truthfully, convincing a Malfoy to see past the end of his own nose was a striking victory in its own right.
"Would you like some tea Lord Greengrass?" Molly invited.
"Please, call me Anthony."
