A/N I apologise for the long hiatus. I started a new job and I have absolutely no free time anymore. But I am determined to write whenever I can and I don't want to give this story up.
I can't promise weekly updates but I am going to try and update as much as I can. I hope people are still interested!
Chapter 21
30th July, 1998
"This is too bright," said Daphne, unzipping the dress she was wearing and taking it off. She tossed it aside, on top of an already sizeable pile of clothes on her bed.
Astoria rolled her eyes. "The last one was too dull," she said. "The one before was too sombre or too cheerful, or whatever."
"Well, it was!" said Daphne, going to her wardrobe room and hunting around frantically.
"No, they were all fine," said Astoria, as Daphne returned with yet another dress. "What is the matter with you? It's only a garden party."
"At Longbottom Manor," pointed out Daphne, putting on the sapphire blue dress. "Zip me up." Astoria did so, and Daphne examined her reflection in the floor-length mirror, turning from side to side with a frown on her face. "It's too blue."
"Stop," ordered Astoria, placing her hands on Daphne's shoulders. "It looks fine."
Daphne sighed and then nodded slowly. "Alright," she said. "I'm just...a little nervous."
"I would be too, if I was personally invited by Neville Longbottom to his birthday party," said Astoria. "It's actually a little impressive that you got on what is likely a very exclusive invitation list. You weren't close at Hogwarts, were you?"
"Hardly," snorted Daphne, banishing the discarded dresses back to her wardrobe. "I'm sure he invited me because of my association with Harry."
"Well, regardless, you are stepping into the spotlight in a big way," she said, and nodded towards an invitation set out on Daphne's desk near the large window. "You are also included in the students being honoured tomorrow by the Ministry."
"I remained behind, and I suppose Professor Slughorn told the Minister about it," she shrugged. "I wasn't expecting it, but I can hardly refuse."
"Were you the only Slytherin on the list?" asked Astoria.
"No, Blaise is as well, and a few from the younger years," said Daphne.
"I could have stayed too," frowned Astoria. "If you hadn't insisted on having me evacuate."
"We've talked about this," said Daphne, sternly. "There was no reason for you to stay as well."
Astoria looked unconvinced but didn't seem to want to argue the point. "You need help choosing your jewellery?"
"No, I got it," said Daphne, picking out a simple diamond and sapphire set. "But you can help me with my hair."
"I'll do crown braids so it will be a little casual," said Astoria. "Can't imagine it will be too formal, considering it's a garden party."
"It's still being held by the head of one of the Sacred Twenty Eight families, even if it is just for classmates," warned Daphne. "Harry did say that it's not going to be a big deal, but…"
"It's still your chance to make a first impression on what is essentially Harry's group of friends," nodded Astoria. "I understand that."
"Well, yes, in a way," agreed Daphne. "But it's also about our family's position of neutrality shifting. We were never on the guest list of families as Light as the Longbottoms."
"Well, the neutral side did have closer ties to the Dark families than Light, I guess," said Astoria, as she began braiding Daphne's hair. "Are you alright with that?"
"Yes, I suppose so," said Daphne. "Besides, we are hardly the exception. Everyone is clamouring to join up with the winning side," she added, sarcastically.
Astoria mumbled something Daphne didn't understand since she had pins in her mouth that she began using to secure Daphne's crown braids.
"What was that?" asked Daphne, once she was done.
"I said, it's no surprise," clarified Astoria. "All done with your hair."
"Thank you, Tori," smiled Daphne.
"Sure thing," said Astoria, and took her leave.
Daphne finished putting on her makeup and fiddled with her jewellery before noticing that it was time to go. She slipped into a new pair of heels and made her way downstairs. A small internal pep talk followed, and a few minutes later, she arrived at Longbottom Manor, using the instructions on the invite she had received.
The gardens of Longbottom Manor were a sight to behold, indeed. Daphne came from a family that truly valued a good and well-kept garden, so her trained eye could see the extent of care and attention to detail that had gone into it. The party was being held in the rose garden that had white, pink, red and yellow roses in full bloom. White tables and chairs were set up surrounded by the rose bushes, and floating white lanterns cast a soft glow of light over the area in the setting sun.
There were already a few people around, and Daphne scanned the crowd rapidly to find a familiar face. Unfortunately, the first person who caught her eye was Ginny Weasley, who was mid-conversation with Neville Longbottom and fell silent when she saw Daphne.
Knowing she had to greet the host lest she was rude, Daphne made her way over to them, trying not to let her discomfort show.
Fortunately, Neville Longbottom greeted her with a polite bow and smile when he saw her. "Madam Greengrass, thank you for coming," he said.
"I am grateful for the invitation, Elder Longbottom. You have a very lovely home," said Daphne, handing him a neatly wrapped gift and a bouquet of flowers. "Many happy returns of the day."
He accepted the flowers and gift, and handed them off to a house elf who carried it over to a table where other gifts were being kept. "Thank you," he said. "Er, you know Ginny, of course."
"Of course," said Daphne, giving her a tight smile. "It's nice to see you again."
"Yeah, you too," she mumbled. She tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear and fidgeted briefly with the gold dress that she was wearing, before smiling at Neville. "I'm going to socialise. See you."
Daphne nodded in goodbye as Ginny went over to chat with some other people. Neville handed Daphne a flute of champagne and told her to enjoy the party as he continued to greet more guests. Daphne sipped her drink, realising very quickly that while the guests were all people from their year at Hogwarts, she was the only Slytherin present. Harry hadn't seemed to arrive yet, but thankfully, Susan Bones made her way over to her.
"You look lost," said Susan.
"Yes, a little, I suppose," smiled Daphne. "You look very nice," she added, with a glance at Susan's sky blue dress.
"Thanks, you do as well," said Susan. "I haven't had the chance to dress up in a long, long time, so I appreciate it."
"Busy time at the Ministry still?" asked Daphne.
"Oh, absolutely," sighed Susan. "As if it wasn't enough to be busy with preparing for Death Eater trials, now we have a whole bunch of arrests that were made in the Knockturn raids that need to be processed. Robards wants us to get those trials out of the way before we focus on the Death Eaters."
"Really?" asked Daphne, intrigued.
"Yeah, he's apparently petitioning the Wizengamot to have those trials begin in early August and finish before we have the Death Eater trials in September," said Susan.
"That is certainly ambitious," said Daphne. "Though, I suppose those trials are less complicated than the Death Eater ones."
"Right in one," said Susan. "We are trying to settle as many as we can, but some of them want there to be a whole rigmarole of a trial rather than taking a deal."
"I heard Johanna Inglewood's firm is defending almost all of them," said Daphne, remembering the sharp defense lawyer who had gone to Hogwarts with her father. There had even been rumours the two had been involved for a time before Elias had married Juliette.
"Yeah," nodded Susan. "Robards has been ranting about it almost every day."
"Johanna is known to be a fair woman," said Daphne. "The people who work for her are very good at their jobs, and she won't take on a case unless she knows it is worthy of a trial, no matter the money or publicity being offered. One of the last honourable people left in the realm of defense lawyers."
"You don't have to tell me, Daphne," said Susan, placatingly. "Johanna was a friend of my aunt's. Robards just hates her on principle."
Daphne rather thought it sounded like a theme when it came to Robards but wisely kept that comment to herself. She spotted Parvati, and politely excused herself from Susan to approach her. As she got closer, she noticed Parvati shake her head and walk away from Dean Thomas.
"Everything alright?" Daphne asked her, concerned.
Parvati smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, sure," she said.
Daphne glanced at Dean, who looked very disappointed before heading over to get a drink. She couldn't help but notice that the dress robes he was wearing were quite expensive, more expensive than he could have afforded prior to being the heir to the Shafiq family.
"Did you have a fight?" asked Daphne, knowing she was prying but curious just the same.
Parvati sighed. "No," she said. "He...I told you how he came to the Foundation office to make the donation on his family's behalf, right?"
"Yes," said Daphne, remembering her mentioning it.
She lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "He asked me out," she said.
"Oh," said Daphne. "And I am guessing you turned him down."
"I did," nodded Parvati.
Daphne wanted to know more, but knew she couldn't be more nosy than she'd already been. "Alright," she said, deciding to drop it.
"Oh, Harry's here," said Parvati, and Daphne followed her gaze to see him approach Neville.
The two greeted one another with a firm handshake before Harry handed over a gift. A few other people joined them almost immediately.
"Like a moth to a flame," murmured Parvati, raising an eyebrow.
"We can't blame them," said Daphne.
"Suppose not," said Parvati. "You coming?" she asked, as she got ready to head over there as well.
"Not yet, I'll go and get another drink," said Daphne.
Parvati nodded and left, so Daphne went over to the bar, setting down her empty champagne flute. Before she could pick up another one, she noticed the other person at the bar and frowned.
"Good evening," she nodded, not wanting to be impolite.
Ron Weasley pursed his lips but nodded back. "Evening," he said.
Daphne picked up a fresh drink and turned to leave, but heard him clear his throat. "Yes?" she asked.
Ron fidgeted, in a manner not unlike his sister, before taking a deep breath. "Thank you," he said.
"Pardon?" asked Daphne, stunned at being thanked by Ronald Weasley.
He scowled. "I said, thank you," he said, and his ears went red. "You know, for everything you are helping Harry do."
"I was under the impression you were quite displeased with me. And Harry, for that matter," she said, too shocked to hold her tongue.
"That was before," he said, squirming uncomfortably. "Before the orphanage and the institute and all of that."
"Right," said Daphne.
He gave an awkward nod and left, and Daphne was still standing there when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Harry," she gasped, as she turned around and saw him. "You startled me."
"You were spaced out," said Harry. "Everything alright?"
"Ron Weasley just thanked me," she said.
"He did what?" asked Harry, his eyes going wide.
"Exactly what I just said," said Daphne.
"Huh, that's a good sign, at least," said Harry, a small smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Yeah," agreed Daphne. "You were a little late. Everything alright?"
"Yes, I was just waiting on word from Isaiah that Viktor arrived in Dorset safely," he said, and then smiled at her. "You look nice."
Daphne's cheeks went pink and she glanced around quickly to see if there was anyone around. Unfortunately, almost everyone was trying and failing to pretend like they weren't watching them like hawks. "Thanks," she said, with a tight smile. "You know, I'm still surprised Longbottom invited me. I'm the only Slytherin here."
He shrugged with a small smile, and the two of them looked up as Hermione approached them.
"Hi, Harry, Daphne," grinned Hermione. "How are you?"
"Very well, thank you, Hermione," smiled Harry, giving her a hug. In a hushed voice audible to only her and Daphne, he told Hermione of Ron's odd behaviour.
"You'd better go talk to him," said Hermione, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Sounds like he's actually trying to make amends."
"You think so?" asked Harry.
"Might as well give him the benefit of the doubt," said Hermione. Harry nodded and excused himself to go and speak to Ron. Hermione turned to Daphne immediately. "Did you get it?"
"Yes," said Daphne, discreetly passing her a snuff box-sized package wrapped in brown paper that Hermione stashed into a small beaded bag. "Is everything ready for tomorrow? Do you need any help?"
"Nope, I have it covered," said Hermione. "This will help plenty," she added, patting her bag. "Thank you for getting it."
"Of course," nodded Daphne. "It's a simple enough request, though it's not easy to find here. Minnie has the recipe, so she'll be able to make it without issue."
"As long as Harry likes it, that's all that matters," smiled Hermione. "I don't think he's ever had it before. Even I had it only recently when I was in Australia."
"Harry is open to trying new things when it comes to food," said Daphne.
"I hope so," said Hermione. "I'll ask Minnie to make another cake, just as a backup in case he doesn't like this one."
"It's not a terrible idea to have a backup," said Daphne, sensibly. "Even if Harry liked it, other guests might prefer something more traditional like a chocolate cake."
"That makes sense," said Hermione, and then sighed. "I am not good at this stuff."
Daphne gave her a concerned look. "Do you want me to help-?"
"No, no, I want to do this," insisted Hermione. "But it's all new to me. This planning a party thing."
"You planned an illegal study group under Umbridge's nose," Daphne pointed out, slightly amused. "A birthday party is much less daunting."
"I'd rather do that again," laughed Hermione.
Daphne chuckled, and her eyes drifted over to where Harry was speaking with Ron Weasley.
"I wonder how it's going," murmured Hermione, following her gaze. "Harry is usually quick to forgive when it comes to Ron."
Daphne hummed noncommittally, wondering if that would be the case this time as well, though a part of her was quite sure it wasn't going to be as simple as before.
Contrary to what Hermione thought, Harry was not so quick to forgive Ron this time around. In fact, when he approached him, Harry let Ron lead the conversation, instead of doing it himself.
"George said he saw you recently," said Ron, making small talk like he had been since Harry had come over to talk to him.
"Yeah, we had coffee together," said Harry, not offering anything besides that, figuring the business with Angelina was George's to talk about.
Ron sighed deeply, evidently realising Harry wasn't going to be the one to take a step forward. "Look, I'm sorry, alright," he said. "I have been thinking about things, and I owe you an apology."
"Right, thanks," said Harry, relaxing just a little though wary just the same.
"But that doesn't mean I am alright with everything either," said Ron, firmly. "I was out of line when I spoke to you and yeah, I tend to dig my heels in when it comes to certain people. But I won't apologise for being worried about you."
There it was. "Alright," said Harry, surprisingly fine with this turn of events. "So, where does that leave us?"
Ron looked confused. "What do you mean? We are still best friends," he said. "You've obviously been doing a lot of things and I want to help in any way I can."
"Are you sure? Because that would mean getting along with people you are worried about," said Harry, raising an eyebrow.
"If you mean Greengrass, I am fine with her," he said. "I draw the line at Malfoy, though."
"That's something, at least," snorted Harry. "I appreciate the sentiment, Ron, and if I need something, I'll ask. But I'm alright for now. You made a commitment to George and the shop, so you should stick with it."
Ron looked a little disappointed that Harry hadn't accepted his help immediately, but Harry wasn't ready to cast aside the team of people he had built up just yet. Ron's friendship was still important, so he was glad they had reconciled somewhat.
"That's...good, I guess," nodded Ron. "I'll see you around then."
He offered his hand and Harry shook it firmly. "Yeah, see you around," smiled Harry.
Ron gave an awkward nod and made his escape, as Harry returned to Daphne and Hermione. There had been a pit in his stomach, realised Harry, since his fight with Ron, and that conversation had eased it somewhat.
It wasn't gone, but it was definitely better.
31 July, 1998
THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC HONOURS "THE HOGWARTS FORTY
Harry Potter awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class (page 2)
Order of Merlin, Second Class awarded to Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom (page 5)
Students who fought in the Battle of Hogwarts awarded the Minister's Special Recognition Award
by
Ben Almeidus
Almost three months on since the Battle of Hogwarts ended the war with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the wizarding world has slowly been returning to a time of peace. And yet, the shadows of war seem to have never really left us. None of it was more apparent than this morning, when the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, held the ceremony in the Ministry's banquet hall to honour the brave souls who had fought so we could have the peace that we are enjoying.
On the night of May 2nd, 1998, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was placed under siege by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his army of Death Eaters. In response to this dangerous event, the staff chose to evacuate the students to safety through a secret passageway within the school.
But then there were some who stayed behind. These extraordinarily brave and fortuitous young witches and wizards decided to remain within Hogwarts and fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his Death Eaters, choosing their right and duty of standing up for their beliefs and principles. Not all of them survived their stand, and many came out of the ordeal with painful scars both physical and mental, and yet, as Minister Shacklebolt said in his speech to them this morning, they embodied the true ideal of wizarding virtue.
The students, henceforth referred to as the "Hogwarts Forty", were a group of forty students, comprising of members of all four Hogwarts houses (for a full list, see page 3). They ranged from first years all the way to the seventh, with several of them having been out of Hogwarts during the year but returning when the call came for help.
The ceremony this morning opened with a speech by Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt discussing the Battle of Hogwarts (see page 10 for details). He proceeded to acknowledge the contributions of the Hogwarts Forty, most notably of the wizarding world's saviour, Elder Harry Potter.
Elder Harry Potter (see page 5 for more) received the Order of Merlin, First Class, becoming the youngest recipient of the award.
"I am beyond honoured at the privilege," says Elder Potter, when asked about it after the ceremony. It also happens to be his eighteenth birthday, so the occasion is one of celebration.
Apart from Elder Potter, three more Order of Merlins, Second Class were awarded to Mr. Ronald Weasley, Madam Hermione Granger and Elder Neville Longbottom for their contributions in the fight against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. (For interviews with the recipients, see page 5.)
After the Order of Merlins were awarded, the remaining thirty-six of the Hogwarts Forty were called to the dais one by one and awarded the Minister's Special Recognition Award. Thirty of the thirty six young men and women survived and were present at the ceremony, while the remaining six were awarded the honour posthumously.
"I know he was a true Gryffindor and he wanted to fight," says Dennis Creevey, brother of fallen wizard Mr. Colin Creevey. "He would be proud that he was able to help."
Following the ceremony, a speech was made by Headmistress Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts, and she praised her students, declaring proudly that they had been a true credit to Hogwarts and the Houses they represented. She also expressed her wish that the following generations of students to come through Hogwarts would embody a similar spirit and vigour (See page 6 for details).
The Daily Prophet was able to get statements and interviews from several of the Hogwarts Forty students, as well as individual profiles and their contributions during the Battle of Hogwarts. The details shall be published in tomorrow's issue of the Prophet.
We ask the readers to look forward it, and in the meantime, join us in honouring the brave Hogwarts Forty.
The main parlour of Grimmauld Place was buzzing with conversation, as people chatted and laughed, enjoying the casual atmosphere of the room after a very formal morning at the Ministry for many of them. Following Neville's lead, Hermione had also decided to invite their classmates and a few of the people they knew, including Harry's former Quidditch teammates and their younger counterparts. It was still a good amount of people, and a lot of them had come there directly after the ceremony celebrating the Hogwarts Forty, so they were still dressed in formal dress robes with the black armband to honour the fallen.
Thankfully, unlike the Ministry ceremony which had been stiff and dull at times, the party for Harry's eighteenth birthday had a table laden with finger sandwiches, four different kinds of crisps, and more importantly, alcohol.
"To get everyone good and drunk," Hermione had told Harry when he'd asked. "We are going to need it."
Her prediction turned out to be correct, and the alcohol helped dissipate the sombre mood of the morning as people began relaxing and enjoying the party after a couple drinks. An ancient record player played the Weird Sisters on loop, and a space had cleared in the middle of the room for an impromptu dance floor. It was less of a formal event she had envisioned (and dreaded, if she were honest) and more like a party in the Gryffindor common room after winning a Quidditch match, but Hermione was grateful for the familiarity of it.
Seeing that the party was in full swing, she ducked into the kitchen to check up on the cakes. The large chocolate cake was sitting ready on the counter, but Minnie was still working on the other one and was in the process of applying the vanilla and honey cream frosting to the matcha cake. She hoped that Daphne was right and Harry would be able to enjoy it, especially after Daphne had gone to the trouble of finding the matcha.
"How is it coming along?" asked Hermione. She was still cautious around house elves, but she had seen how Harry treated his elves, and Andromeda had had a good, long talk with her about house elves one day, so she had to swallow her opinions just a little and do more studying. Her research had revealed how important the bond of house elves was to their life and sustaining their magic, and her ignorant actions of the past had made her feel quite ashamed.
It was like her mother had pointed out, she had assumed she knew best and made the choice for someone else without considering that they had their own agency. It had been why her parents hadn't forgiven her right away, because they would have liked to have a say in their situation, rather than Hermione playing the high and mighty witch who knew best. The whole thing had made Hermione take a good, long look at herself, and she'd realised how many times she had acted in someone else's interest without consideration of them, and it had made her grow up quite a bit.
She still felt house elves needed to be treated better and not abused, but she had a clearer understanding now, and she'd been cautiously asking Minnie questions here and there while she was working on the food for the party.
"Almost done, Miss Hermione," squeaked Minnie, cheerfully.
"Good," said Hermione. "Thank you, Minnie."
Since she looked busy, Hermione decided to rejoin the party but there was a knock at the door and she went to answer it. She opened the door, frowning when she noticed it was pouring rain outside. There was a familiar young man standing on the front step, and Hermione's eyes went wide when she saw him.
"Viktor?" she asked, shocked. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
Viktor Krum looked just as surprised, but he smiled when he saw her. "Harry invited me to the party," he said, and he looked a little awkward when she didn't respond right away.
"Oh, right, of course, come in," said Hermione, going pink at being a bad hostess. She invited him inside and took his cloak. "Can I get you a towel?" she asked, noticing that he'd gotten a little wet from the rain.
He shot her a look full of bemusement before casting a drying charm on himself. Hermione's face flamed red when he did. Of all the worst timings to forget that she was a witch.
"Er, this way," she said, leading him towards the parlour.
As luck would have it, the Weird Sisters song that was playing at the moment was one that she and Viktor had danced to back at the Yule Ball. Viktor seemed to realise it, and he smiled a little bashfully at her.
"Would you like to-?" he asked, jerking his head towards the makeshift dance floor.
Hermione almost refused, but a thrill shot up her spine when she saw him extend a hand to her, not unlike the time he'd asked her to the Yule Ball, surrounded by stacks of books in the Hogwarts school library.
With a nod, she took his offered hand, and let him pull her into the throng with the rest of the dancers.
"You know," said Daphne, as she and Harry took a walk by the lake of Potter Hall. "It is kind of funny that your birthday is one of the Sacred Days. Just like mine."
"February 1st?" asked Harry, surprised. "It's a Sacred Day, too?"
"Yeah, Candlemas," she said. "But that's a conversation for another time."
Harry agreed with a nod. After a sombre morning at the Ministry, a rousing party at Grimmauld Place in the afternoon, and then quiet Lammas celebrations on the grounds of Potter Hall in the evening, it had been a very full and busy day. Unlike the massive summer solstice celebrations, the Lammas celebrations had been quite subdued.
Teddy, Andromeda, Daphne and Astoria had attended, and they'd eaten apples picked from the orchard behind Black Castle and collected the seeds which would then be planted across all of Harry's estates. Warm bread had been baked fresh by the house elves, and accompanied with homemade jam and rich butter, and fruit wine aplenty. Daphne and Astoria had burned sandalwood and rose incense before the meal, and both girls had been wearing carnelian jewellery, which Daphne had informed him was the gemstone for Lammas.
After the meal, everyone had taken their leave, but Harry and Daphne had decided to take a walk around the lake, fulfilling the tradition of being near a body of water for the occasion. The sun had set a long time ago, so the grounds were dark but Harry had an enchanted paper lantern floating above their heads so they could have some light as they walked.
"How are you feeling?" asked Daphne. "It's been a trying day."
"You can say that again," he laughed. "I could have done without all the attention in the morning, but I figured it would have been much worse if all the focus had been on me alone."
"You still had plenty of focus, but I know what you mean," smiled Daphne.
"I should hope so," he grinned. "Considering you looked just as uncomfortable as I did."
"I don't do well with attention from...well, from people as Light as the ones present this morning," she said. "I could sense their mistrust and disbelief when I was presented with the award."
"Well, fuck them," he said, bluntly. "What do they know?"
She laughed a little and took his arm as they continued their walk. "You're right about that," she said. "Onto better topics, then. How did you enjoy your birthday party?"
"That was fun," he grinned. "It's the best birthday party I have ever had."
"It was all Hermione," she said.
"Yeah, and I didn't even get a chance to thank her," frowned Harry. "She seemed busy the whole time, and then later, she and Viktor were talking so I didn't want to interrupt."
Daphne smiled. "I'm sure she knows but be sure to tell her when you get the chance," she said. "You know, I have a feeling Viktor Krum may be signing on with our team, after all."
He gave her a confused look. "What makes you so sure?" he asked. "I don't introduce him to the team until Monday."
"Just a feeling," she shrugged. "Did you like the cake?"
"I did," he said, forgetting the odd comment about Viktor. "It was delicious. What did you say it was again?"
"Matcha," she said. "Hermione had me get it. We had some on hand at the manor, thankfully."
"It was such an unusual taste," he said, the memory still lingering in his mind.
"There are plenty of dishes that can be made with it," she said. "I'll make sure to inform Minnie to make some from time to time."
"I'd like that," he grinned.
"Oh, and speaking of which, here's your birthday gift," she said, drawing it out her dress pocket. It was a thin, rectangular box the size big enough to hold a fountain pen and not much more.
"Didn't you already give me something?" he asked, confused.
"Yes, but this is different," she said. "Go on."
"Alright," he said, trying not to think about a stack of gifts he was yet to unpack from his party. Daphne had informed him that he had to send handwritten thank you notes for every gift and he was not looking forward to that process. But a second gift from Daphne was something he would never not cherish.
"You don't have to write a thank you note for this one," she said.
He grinned as he unwrapped the box and opened it. To his surprise, there was a long, dark red silk ribbon in the box.
"It's for today," said Daphne, and he looked up to see that she was blushing. "For-for the…"
"The year and day marriage?" he asked, lifting the ribbon out. It was about a foot in length and less than an inch wide.
"Handfasting was tradition but we can't use magical binding, so I figured we would do this instead," she said, still looking a little embarrassed.
"Why can't we do the magical binding?" he asked, confused.
She gave him an exasperated look. "Because it is binding," she said. "It's marriage, and it cannot be broken. Not without serious consequences and it's not something we should be agreeing to before we even start dating properly."
"Right, of course," he said, chastised. "So, er, how do we do this?"
Daphne pulled out her wand and flicked it towards the ribbon which levitated into the air. "Give me your hand," she said.
He did, and she held right hand in hers like a handshake. As they did, the ribbon curled around their wrists and then criss-crossed to knot their hands together.
Harry took a deep breath and looked at Daphne. She truly looked beautiful, dressed in a coral-coloured sundress, a gold and carnelian necklace around her neck with matching earrings, and her hair in crown braids. There was a natural blush on her cheeks, and in the soft light of the enchanted lantern, she seemed to glow.
"What now?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"The traditions of this ceremony have been lost to time," she chuckled, her own voice growing hushed as well. "So, I have no idea."
He laughed with her and squeezed the hand he was holding. "Then we should make it up as we go along," he said.
"I like that plan," she said, and then grew serious. "I know neither of us are ready to commit to an actual marriage, but I want you to know that this year and day thing is a formality. I want us to date properly, and whether it takes a year and a day or a decade, I want us to set our own pace. Decide how fast or how slow we want things to go."
"Alright," he agreed, relieved as she said it. He had been dreading setting a time limit on a relationship and he was glad Daphne wasn't going to hold him to it.
"Thank you," she smiled, seemingly relieved as well. "I think that's about it. Unless you want to add something."
He grinned at her. "Nope," he said, and pulled her in swiftly with a single tug and kissed her.
She gasped at the abrupt movement, but relaxed as their lips began moving together tentatively, the taste of fruit wine still potent on their breath. Their joined hands remained squished between them, but Harry used his left hand to cup her face and tilt it up so he could deepen the kiss. When his tongue pushed past her lips and into her mouth, Harry had to suppress a groan at how sweet she tasted.
Feeling like he could do this forever, he couldn't help but be disappointed when she pulled away suddenly. He was about to ask if something was wrong, but she untied the ribbon around their hands rapidly and cast it aside before wrapping her arms around his neck, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him once again.
He suppressed a smile and lifted her up around the waist so they could kiss more comfortably, and decided firmly that this was the best birthday he had ever had.
1st August, 1998
"...and we can all hope, that Platinum Alley shall become a place worthy of its name. Thank you!"
There was applause and a few cheers as Minister Shacklebolt cut the ribbon at the entrance archway of the brand new Platinum Alley. Camera flashes went off as reporters took pictures of the momentous occasion, and as the gathered crowd began approaching the Minister to shake his hand, Harry and his team made a discreet exit to the GSC HQ.
"Well, that was something," said Adrian, as they all assembled in the conference room. It was a Saturday and should have been their day off, but since the day before had not been as productive, they'd decided to come in. The official launch of Platinum Alley had also been a convenient excuse.
"The public is responding well, and ever since the Hogwarts Forty thing yesterday, Shacklebolt's popularity is climbing higher," said Draco.
"Oh, speaking of which, Marian told me that tomorrow's issue of the Witch Weekly will have a feature on the witches of Hogwarts Forty," said Tracey, with a wink at Daphne and Parvati.
Daphne scowled. "I know," she said. "We had little choice on the matter."
"I hope they magically clean up my scars," said Parvati.
"You two are being dramatic. This will be great," said Tracey. "It will do wonders for your image, trust me. People love the Hogwarts Forty thing."
"Yeah, yeah, it's not important right now, though," said Daphne, firmly. "Susan Bones told me they want to start prosecuting the Knockturn Alley criminals from next week onwards so it will likely mean some of us will be in the Wizengamot almost every morning."
"If that happens, we might have to skip the morning meetings," said Fleur. "What are the trial hours?"
"9 to 12, usually," said Daphne. "They can run late but that's the standard these days. We'll still try to attend the meeting, but let's make it at 8 instead of 8.30 that we normally have."
"Where are we with Prisma?" asked Parvati, as everyone else agreed. "I heard you had a meeting with Penelope Clearwater yesterday."
"Yes," said Fleur, summoning the file and showing them design sketches. "She had a few ideas for the rooms, depending on the price range we want to charge."
"The first two floors have shared rooms, so those will have almost dormitory-like accommodations," said Draco. "The next eight floors will have normal occupancy. A mix of twin beds and queen beds. Then the luxury suites on the three floors above it, and finally, the penthouse suites." He laid out the sketches of each type of room as he explained it.
"The colour theme is to be grey and white for the shared rooms, teal and white for normal occupancy, coral and white for luxury suites, and royal purple and white for the penthouse suite," said Fleur. "The lobby, restaurant and bar on the ground floor will be shades of white and gold."
"There's a restaurant?" asked Parvati.
"Not usually, but we have the space and I suggested we have it," said Draco. "They had a kitchen for providing room service already, so having a small restaurant and bar in the hotel itself will be convenient."
"The good thing is that with Platinum Alley now open, they will see the opening under new management banners we have put around there," said Tracey. "I suggest we get on the renovations suggested by Clearwater and show the press around to get some buzz going."
"Sounds fine to me," said Harry. "What about staff?"
"We are on it," said Fleur. "The Ministry and the guild will both get into gear from Monday, so we can start employing people as needed. We have already registered since we were looking for staff for the winter resort."
"We'll leave it to you then," said Daphne.
There were murmurs of agreement, and they continued to discuss upcoming projects and pending matters, finally ending the meeting around noon. As everyone else dispersed, Harry waited until he was alone with Daphne before locking the door to the conference room.
"Finally," he murmured, and she smiled as he kissed her, holding her between the conference room table and his body. "Hi," he said, when they finally pulled away for air.
"Hello to you, too," she laughed breathlessly.
"Sorry about that, but I couldn't kiss you good morning in front of everyone," he said, backing away a little so she could stand up properly.
"I understand the feeling," she said.
"You do?" he asked.
"You sound surprised," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"No, it's just that you said we should keep this under wraps for now," he said.
"Yes, but not because I enjoy keeping secrets or anything," she said. "The more people know, the more likely it is that the public knows. Neither of us like hiding the truth from our friends, but I'm sure you don't want people finding out about us just yet."
"Yeah, you're right," he said, reluctantly.
She sighed and nodded. "We can tell the people closest to us," she conceded. "I know I want to tell Blaise and Astoria. I'm sure you want to tell Hermione and Andromeda, at the very least."
"Are you sure?" he asked, with a hopeful expression on his face.
"I am," she smiled. "And if that goes well, we can tell our team here as well."
He grinned and placed a swift kiss on her mouth. "I like that plan," he said.
"Well, no time like the present then," she said, laughing when he pouted at her for pulling away. "You have to be at the orphanage either way, so you can tell Andromeda. I can always drop by Blaise's house, or better yet, invite him to lunch at Greengrass Manor so I can tell him and Tori together."
"Oh, alright," he agreed, grumbling a little just the same. "I was going to suggest we go on a date this afternoon, but this will have to do, I suppose."
She placed a placating kiss on the corner of his mouth. "We will have the date tomorrow," she said. "Picnic by the lake, as always."
He smiled and pulled her in for a hug. "I look forward to it," he said, kissing the top of her head.
2nd August, 1998
Luna Lovegood took a deep breath and had to smile, regardless of her slightly anxious mood. A vacation in Greece was all well and good but there was nothing else quite like the muggy air of Britain. She had missed it, as much as it had been her own decision to get some distance.
With a glance at the brand new house that had been built in place of their old, destroyed house, she sighed. It was too new and without the various eccentricities that had become a part of it over the years because of Luna and her parents. She supposed it was just a house now, not a home.
"Aren't you coming in, Luna?" asked Xenophilius, and Luna turned to look at him.
"Yes, but I was thinking of visiting a friend first," she said.
Without waiting for his response, she disapparated to the bottom of the hill and walked the short distance to the Burrow. It was mid-morning on a Sunday, so she was prepared to see the house full, but when she arrived past the wards, she was greeted by Ginny only.
"Luna!" grinned Ginny, rushing over and giving her a hug. "When did you get back from Greece?"
"Hello, Ginny," she said, her mood improving despite herself. "I got back ten minutes ago."
Ginny pulled away and smiled at her. "Well, it's good you came to see me," she said, linking her arm with hers and pulling her towards the house. "I missed you."
"I missed you as well," said Luna, sincerely. The house was indeed empty as the two of them settled down on the sofa in the living room. "Your family isn't home."
"No," said Ginny. "Dad and Percy are working, Bill's at his home, Ron lives with George in London, and Mum and Charlie have new jobs so they're busy, too."
"Oh," said Luna, peering at her friend. "You seem lonely."
"Not at all," said Ginny, with a bright smile but Luna could tell it wasn't genuine. "I have never had the house to myself. It's kind of fun."
"Mm," said Luna, not pushing it. "And?"
"What?" asked Ginny, confused.
"What about Harry? You didn't mention him," said Luna.
Ginny looked away. "I...don't know," she said, finally. "I mean, he's probably home. Or at the orphanage. Or his fancy institute. Or with his lawyer." She clapped a hand to her mouth and then sighed. "Ignore me. That was uncalled for."
"You and Harry broke up," surmised Luna.
Ginny laughed bitterly. "Yeah," she said.
"I haven't been getting the paper regularly while I was on vacation so you will have to tell me about this orphanage and the fancy institute," said Luna, her voice losing the dreamy quality just the tiniest bit as she focused.
With a sigh, Ginny began explaining the Potter Foundation and the work that Harry had been doing. The longer she talked, the more Luna could see there was a lot more at play than just Harry accomplishing some very great things.
"Tell me about the lawyer," said Luna, when Ginny paused for a breath.
Ginny scowled. "Her name is Daphne Greengrass. She was at Hogwarts with him…"
"Look at this rubbish!" said Daphne. "Accurate profile, my foot!"
Harry, who was lying with his head in her lap after a swimming lesson followed by a sumptuous lunch, made a drowsy noise of acknowledgment.
"...perhaps more striking than her position as Harry Potter's lawyer, is her sense of style and presence. Combining an element of practical but elegant, Daphne Greengrass is certainly the portrait of the modern British witch…blah blah blah. Who comes up with this tosh?" she ranted. "They make me sound like an airhead."
"It's on-brand for them," said Harry, remembering what Draco had said when Witch Weekly had published their feature on him. "It could have been worse."
"I suppose," said Daphne, sounding reluctant. "They could have gone for the lawyer ensnaring the vulnerable Saviour angle."
"Let's be grateful for small mercies," he said, closing his eyes once more.
"At least the Daily Prophet did a better job," she said.
"They hardly even mentioned you," he pointed out, without opening his eyes.
"Exactly, I'd prefer that over this...annoying type of attention," said Daphne.
"Daph, as much as I am loving this conversation, can we take a nice nap in the sun?" asked Harry. "This climate charm sun doesn't burn, so it's perfect, really."
"Oh, fine," she said, and he heard her toss aside the magazine. He sat up for a moment as she conjured two pillows and the two of them lay back down again side by side on the picnic blanket. In the crib next to them, Teddy was sleeping soundly.
"Much better," said Harry, once they had settled down. He took her hand and linked their fingers together before closing his eyes.
Daphne still seemed a bit restless, so he began stroking the inside of her wrist with his thumb in soothing, rhythmic motions, and he felt her relax slowly.
"How did it go yesterday with Andromeda and Hermione?" asked Daphne, in a quiet whisper.
"Hermione got to say 'I told you so'," he grinned. "Andromeda, well, her concerns were not different to the ones you had. But she understands choosing what you want over what the sensible choice might have been better than anyone."
"Yes, I expect she would," agreed Daphne.
"What about you? How did Blaise and Astoria feel about us?" he asked.
"Blaise all but did a dance," she said, with a small smile. "He always worried I'd choose duty over my own happiness, so he's happy. Tori is just relieved I'm happy. She has been rooting for us for a long time now."
He smiled back, and the two lazed in the sun for a few quiet moments.
"It's going to be a busy day tomorrow," murmured Daphne, after a while. "The guild will become operational, and the Office of Employment will start taking in cases. Fleur and Draco are in back-to-back meetings all day. You have to take Viktor Krum to Puddlemere and sort out that whole matter. It will be a miracle if we get a spare moment all day."
"Exactly, so we should make most of the quiet before the storm hits us square in the face tomorrow," he said.
She hummed in agreement and they settled down once more. Harry was just falling asleep, when he sensed a ripple in the wards, letting him know someone was calling through the floo. He opened his eyes and saw that Daphne had fallen asleep. Conjuring up a thin blanket to cover her up with, he disapparated and went back to the house.
To his surprise, it was Ginny once again, looking sheepish and uncomfortable. "Hi," she said, when she saw him.
"Hello," he said, cautiously. "Something wrong?"
"No," she said. "Er, Luna's here and she wants to see you."
Immediately, Harry's confusion was replaced by eagerness. "Give me two minutes," he said.
Ginny vanished and Harry quickly added Luna to the wards, excitement building in his chest. It had been so long since he'd seen her, and he was anxious to finally clear the air between them. His hands trembled lightly as he added her to the wards and then made a call to the Burrow, to find Ginny and Luna waiting near the fireplace. Luna looked better, having put on some weight after being dangerously thin the last time he'd seen her and there was some colour on her cheeks.
"Come through, Luna," he said. "It's Potter Hall."
He vanished, and Luna arrived a moment later, looking slightly dizzy but otherwise unaffected as she travelled through the fireplace.
"I thought Ginny was joking about the palace," she said, as she looked around. "But Ginny didn't really sound like she was joking."
He smiled, having missed her so much. "It's good to see you again, Luna," he said.
She looked at him and gave him that blank look he was so used to, before it formed a small smile. "You don't hate me," she said, simply.
"I could never hate you," he said, truthfully.
"Do you hate my father?" she asked.
"No, I don't," he said, making sure she knew he was telling the truth.
"I do, just a little bit," she said, and he tried not to wince. She didn't say it unkindly; almost like it was a passing fact.
"He did it for you," said Harry, leading her into one of the nearby parlours, figuring this was not a conversation to be had in the foyer. She followed him, seemingly fascinated by the interior, so much so that he wondered if she was actually listening to him or not.
But this was Luna, and she was always paying attention, even when it seemed like she wasn't. "I know that, and it only makes it slightly better," she said.
"You never said anything, though," he said, realising the hypocrisy of the statement when he hadn't said so many things to so many people that he should have when he had the chance. "When we were at Shell Cottage, you didn't…"
"There was a war going on," she said, gently, and he sighed and nodded. "I know you wouldn't be mad at me but I was mad about it. I am really sorry, Harry. For leaving England without apologising properly, for avoiding you. You didn't deserve that."
He almost said there was no reason for it, but her sincere words made him pause. "Thank you," he said, instead. "I really did wish you had talked to me but I understand not wanting to."
She looked relieved that he'd accepted her apology, and he was glad he'd done that instead of disregarding it as unnecessary. Ivanna had told him the importance of acknowledging an apology, even when it didn't feel warranted, if only to settle the mind of the person apologising. For Luna's sake, he could set aside his discomfort.
"So, tell me what you have been doing," she said, and with a small smile, he told her about the public stuff. The orphanage, the institute, the Wizengamot, even the Hogwarts Forty thing. She'd known about that last one since she was one of the recipients even though Ginny had been the one to accept it on her behalf since she hadn't attended the ceremony.
Luna nodded along with a small smile, looking a little fascinated when he mentioned the institute but was happy to let him talk. When he paused for breath, she gave him a scrutinising look.
"There is more you cannot tell me, isn't there?" she asked, and he nodded, not even bothering to be surprised anymore.
"I do want to tell you, but…" He hesitated but then continued. "You'd need to sign a contract."
She nodded slowly. "I understand," she said.
"It's not just you," he added hastily, before she could get the wrong idea. "Hermione signed one too. So have a few other people."
"Harry," she interrupted. "I'll do it."
He chuckled in relief. "Wait here," he said, and then jogged outside towards the lake. He noticed that Daphne was awake and had Teddy in her arms as she cooed at him. She looked up when she noticed him approach and gave a small smile in his direction.
"Where did you disappear off to?" she asked, still rocking Teddy in her arms.
He couldn't help but feel a certain warmth in his chest as he looked at the picture the two of them made. "Luna's here," he said. "Luna Lovegood," he added.
Daphne appeared puzzled but gave a nod. He'd told her about his years at Hogwarts, though they hadn't gotten to the Horcruxes yet, so she knew Luna was an important friend, at the very least.
"I want to tell her more," he said. "Could you-?"
"You want me to draw up a contract?" she guessed.
"Sorry," he said, sheepishly. "I know I promised you rest and relaxation."
She chuckled and stood up with Teddy in her arms. "Why don't you take Teddy back inside and spend some time with your friend? I'll get dressed and bring in the contract once I'm done," she said, and then looked a bit worried. "Or should I just send it along with Annie and make an exit?"
"No," he said, at once. "I want you to meet her."
She raised an eyebrow. "Want me to meet her as your lawyer?" she asked.
He considered it and shook his head. "As my girlfriend," he said. "If you want," he added, hastily.
She blinked at him and then gave a nod. "I would like that," she said.
"Great," he grinned, and took Teddy from her. "I'll see you in a bit."
She smiled at him, and he went back inside. Luna was delighted to see Teddy and kept him entertained as Harry got him fed and changed, and the two friends had a nice, long talk, mostly about Luna's time in Greece which involved strange and wonderful creatures. He made a mental note to introduce her to Rolf and Newt, if only to see that entire encounter take place.
Daphne came in a while later, dressed in a dark blue sundress and looking slightly nervous as she approached. Harry was pleased to know that if he didn't know her as well as he did, he wouldn't even have seen that nervousness, and he squeezed her hand in reassurance when she stood next to him.
"Luna," he said, getting her attention. Luna's eyes looked between him and Daphne for a moment before she smiled. "This is my lawyer and my girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass. Daphne, this is Luna Lovegood."
"Nice to meet you," said Daphne.
"You have very pretty hair," said Luna, shaking her hand.
Daphne seemed a bit confused and wary, and Harry did his best not to laugh. He'd never get tired of watching people meet Luna for the first time.
"I don't know if it is as nice as Ginny's," continued Luna. "But if Harry likes it better, then that's all that matters." She gave her a bright smile before looking at Harry. "The contract?"
"Erm, here," said Daphne, still a bit wary as she handed it over.
Luna signed it without even reading it, and Harry just shook his head at Daphne when she looked like she wanted to tell her to read it.
"Thank you, Luna," he said, when she gave it back. He proceeded to tell her more about the Wizengamot, and the GSC, along with his other efforts. Luna was silent as she listened, but there was a look of concentration on her face as she did. Daphne was quiet as well, and if she were surprised at the depth of things he was discussing with Luna, she didn't show it.
"It sounds like a lot, but they are things that are needed," said Luna, when he was done.
"Right, I'm glad you think so," he said, relieved.
She grinned at him and stood up. "Thank you for telling me, Harry," she said.
"Are you leaving already?" he asked.
She nodded. "I have to unpack," she said. "But if you need anything, you know where to find me."
He nodded back, and she smiled at him once again before calling out a goodbye to Teddy. She paused near Daphne but gave her a smile as well, and soon, she was gone through the fireplace.
"She's er, interesting," said Daphne, when Luna had left.
"Yes," chuckled Harry. "Thank you."
"What for?" she asked, surprised but smiling.
"I'm not sure," he confessed. "But I'm just really grateful to have met you when I did." He leaned forward and kissed her briefly on the forehead.
She was beaming as he pulled away. "So am I, Harry," she admitted. "I really am."
Thanks for reading! Let me know what you thought.