Not That Pretty
"You came recommended," William Greengrass said and tapped his forearm twice, right where the tattoo should be."
"So I did," Harry said, "I want the mercenaries and Aurors gone. Now. They would only get in the way."
Greengrass nodded. He made no signal and yet his house-elf appeared. "Tell the men to leave," he said. The elf bowed and disappeared.
"I also need to know what the prophecy said," Harry said.
"It's confidential," William Greengrass said.
"Could we stop pretending you haven't decided to trust me Mr. Greengrass...?"
"I told you, I'm already looking into the prophecy thing! You only need to protect Daphne."
"It will be very difficult to protect her if I don't know what I'm facing!" Harry said.
"Fine..."
"Father, I don't nee-!"
"Be quiet Daphne," William Greengrass said.
"But father, I ca-" Daphne said.
"I said be quiet. I'm just trying to fix your mess."
"William Greengrass sighted. "In sum, Mr. Potter..."
"Wait," Harry said, "we don't want this little secret to spill out of this room , do we?" He waved his wand and the room glowed blue. "Now."
"The prophecy says that Voldemort will mark my daughter as his equal and she would be the only one with the power to kill him."
"You said will mark her. Has he not marked her yet?"
"No, not that we aware of."
"Strip down," Harry told Daphne.
"What! I'm not going to..." Daphne exclaimed.
"Mr. Potter that is way out of line!" William Greengrass said.
"You said, you think she has not been marked, that means she could be. I need to be sure."
"Is that it or you just want to see me naked Mr. Potter?" Daphne said.
Harry smirked. "Suit yourselves. I'm not the one Voldemort is after. Who knows about the prophecy?"
"Sirius Black, Voldemort and his Death Eaters,but they don't know what the prophecy says, only that it is about Daphne and Voldemort. And, of course, our mutual friend knows." William said.
"There are also a couple of Gryffindors. They were with me when the prophecy flew into my hands, but they don't know what is says either."
"Can I see it?" Harry said. William Greengrass nodded. Daphne rounded her father's desk and handed it to him.
Harry let the glass orb fall into the floor and crushed it under his boot.
"What are you doing!" William Greengrass said.
"The less people know about the prophecy the better. If Voldemort doesn't already know what the prophecy says he would send someone to get it, or worse, come himself. Now with your permission I will start inspecting your wards."
Fumos Daphne thought and moved her wand in a spiral motion. The tip of the training wand lighted but no spell came out of it. She had performed the spell correctly. She waved her wand at the imaginary smoke while she recited the smoke into daggers spell. Again the wand lighted.
At that point her rival would be disoriented and trying to avoid the daggers. Aqua Eructo. She thought pointing her training wand at her invisible rival. Her enemy should be disarmed or unconscious but just in case...
Confringo. She casted. She also did the softening spell on the wall where the poor idiot would end because she was magnanimous.
Panting Daphne collapsed on her bed. As soon as Auror Potter left to inspect the wards Daphne was sent to isolation on her room. She had been allowed to leave to have lunch and dinner, but otherwise she had spent all day training in her room.
What good will it do her now? There was no way her father would allow her to participate in the tournament...
It could prove useful if...
She couldn't think about the other possibility. Every time she thought about that daggers twisted on her insides and a rock fell on her chest suffocating her. Daphne took a deep breath.
A knocking sound distracted her. Her heart jumped on her chest. Daphne drew the wand strapped to her arm and pointed to the door. The sound repeated. It was coming from the window. Daphne directed her wand there. A familiar face waved at her.
With a wand movement Daphne opened the window. "What the hell are you doing here?" she whispered.
"Some way to greet your friend," Ivy Rosier levitated inside Daphne's room, "I was worried, I haven't received a letter in a month!"
"My father grounded me, you know, for ruining his plans," Daphne said. Her voice trembled.
"It's all about him isn't it? It's not like you'll probably have to duel a monster. Or that your plans are also ruined," Ivy said.
The knot on Daphne's throat tightened to a point where swallowing became painful. "You are not helping Ivy."
"Sorry," Ivy said and hugged her friend, "but hey, I brought something that will cheer you up. Close your eyes."
"I'm not in the mo-"
"Just close your eyes." Daphne did. "Ok, you can open them." Ivy was holding two silver tickets. Senior duelling semi-final was engraved on golden letters.
"I thought they sold out, how did you get them?"
"The organizer is an old friend of professor Flitwick, from his duelling days, and you know the old man has a soft spot for me," Ivy said.
"I wonder why is that," Daphne said and raised an eyebrow.
"Ugh, you are so crash."
"But these tickets cost a fortune..." Daphne said.
"Consider it a birthday present," Ivy aid.
"My birthday is in two months Ivy."
"Shut up and take the damn tickets! You have to watch the best in action if you want to become the best."
The narrow, thin line of Daphne's lips widened a little and even showed some upward curb. Most would have missed the slight movement but Ivy saw it. She could even see some glimmer of light in her icy eyes.
Daphne's lips fell back into a line, narrower than before. Her jaw bulged as if she was clenching her teeth. A snowstorm started on her eyes. "I can't go."
"Screw your dad! He won't even notice we are gone!" Ivy said.
"No, you don't get it, he asked the Executive Protection Division to assign me someone. He arrived today."
"He is not very good. I managed to sneak in. Come on!" Daphne gave in and they both jumped though the window. Daphne cushioned their fall with Arresto Momentum. Once on the ground they sprinted away.
"How are we going to get to the tournament in time?" Daphne asked.
"I brought a couple of brooms from home. They are in the forest," Ivy said.
"Freeze!" Daphne heard someone yell behind them. She ran even faster. Her lungs were alight. Just a little more...
A spell sailed past her and Ivy fell to the ground face first. Daphne felt to the ground besides her friend.
"Ivy, Ivy! Are you ok?! Ivy!" Daphne turned her friend on her back. She didn't move, her eyes were wide, blood covered her face and neck..."Ivy..." with trembling hands Daphne checked for her pulse.
"Don't worry, It was just a petrificus totalus," a man said behind Daphne.
Daphne turned to the source of the sound. Auror Potter looked down on her.
"but there's blood..."
"She broke her nose when she fell," he said.
"Well, revive her!"
"It's best if she stays petrified for what's to come. I have to reset her nose," Harry said. He waved his hand over her. Daphne heard Ivy's bones crack and closed her eyes.
Harry waved his wand over her again. Ivy sat up gasping. She would have fell back down if it wasn't for Harry putting a hand on her back.
"Bastard! You broke my nose!"
"Well, in my defence, you shouldn't be here," Harry said.
"I just wanted to visit my friend," she said.
Harry raised his wand. Ivy's eyes widened . Harry shot cooling spell at her nose. Ivy hissed.
"Then, maybe, next time call in advance." Harry helped her up. "Where were you going?"
Ivy opened her mouth but Daphne was faster. "None of your business."
"Have it your way." Harry turned to the other girl. "Leave now and I won't arrest you. You can still enjoy your night," he said.
"Y-yes s-sir," Ivy said. She started walking her head turned, still looking at Daphne, a longing look on her eyes.
Harry escorted Daphne back inside the house and to her room. He even sealed her window with a spell.
Daphne heard the sound of the fire roar muffled by her room's door. Perfect that was her mother going shopping with Astoria, her father had left earlier that morning. She separated her body from the wood door and left her room to search for Auror Potter.
He was on the backyard still working on the wards. His back turned on her.
"I don't appreciate you attacking my friends," Daphne said. Harry didn't react. "You broke Ivy's nose!" Still no reaction. Daphne fired a cutting spell at his wand arm. It vanished against Harry's shield.
"That was low Greengrass."
"Shut up! Sectumsempra!" Harry eyes widened. He dodged. Daphne casted fumos then the smoke into daggers transfiguration just like she had been practicing the night before.
"Three years ago an exceptional dueller entered the junior duelling circuit. Duellers and fans were fascinated. She was an unknown and yet beat every single opponent not losing a single point."
The smoke cleared Potter wasn't there...the voice was coming from behind her. Daphne tried to turn but a pair of strong arms trapped her from behind, crushing her wand arm against her chest.
Daphne trashed against him. "People started calling her the Ice Queen because she was ruthless with her rivals and never smiled not even when she won. The next year she repeated the feat. There's much expectation to see if she remains undefeated," Harry whispered in her ear.
Daphne freed herself from her grip, panting she pointed her wand at Harry. "And...you think I'm her?"
Harry snorted. "Nah, she was much better."
Daphne shot a confringo directed at his chest. She casted a conjunctivitis curse to the right, the most probable place he would dodge. Instead the confringo collided with Harry's protego and he easily waved the curse away.
"Your friend Ivy Rosier, she shouldn't sneak into your house at night."
"She just wanted to check on me, she was worried."
"And take you some place you don't want to tell me..."
"It's none of your business," Daphne said.
"It's my job to protect you. Rosier it's a known Death Eater. "Harry shot a disarming spell at her.
"Ivy is not part of the family business!" Daphne said and casted an expulso curse.
Harry reflected it at her. Daphne pointed her wand skywards and managed to erect a protego strong enough to protect herself, she still felt the force of the explosion though.
Harry grabbed her wand arm by the wrist impeding any wand movement.
Fuck! She had not realised he was that close.
Daphne tried to free her hand but Harry pinned both her arms above her head and pushed her against the house's back wall. His leg ended in the space between her legs. Daphne's skirt had hitched up with the sudden movement. In hindsight it had not been the smartest clothing decision for a duel.
Daphne breath was laboured from the exertion and her chest heaved against his. They were so close all she could see were his lips and those Avada Kedavra green eyes. She could even feel his warm breath tickling her nose. It smelt of mint.
"A-are we...duelling, or-r are you...going to have your...way with me?" Daphne said. Harry left her go.
"You are not that pretty Miss Greengrass." Harry turned his back on her and walked away. "By the way, I'm keeping this," he said and showed Daphne her wand.
"Screw you Potter! Wait 'til my father hears about this!"
"I'm dying to see how you explain to him why we were duelling on the first place," he called back.
Thanks for reading.
If you are enjoying this fic go check out my other Harry/Daphne fic called Blank Page, I think you will enjoy it.