A/N: This story was written for the Celebration of Beltane event hosted by Draco's Den. I chose Daphne Greengrass as my character and I also used my HP Rare Pair Bingo card to help with this event. This fulfills square N1 - Draco/Daphne.
This was beta read by Grammarly. All mistakes are my own otherwise.
Summer is coming, my loves!
Let me know what you think!
Love always,
~starr
Growing up with the Greengrass name, Daphne learned quickly that people had certain expectations for her life. She could still hear the words of her mother echoing in the back of her mind. Finish your education at Hogwarts and attend university. If she wanted to go anywhere, she would need a proper education.
Daphne didn't need to worry about frivolous things like dating and marriage - her parents would find her a suitable match when that time came. The thought of an arranged marriage made her cringe, but she would do anything to make her parents happy.
With a sigh, Daphne looked up from her studies to glance out the window in the library where she had been hidden away for the better part of the day. She needed to earn an outstanding on her Potions N.E.W.T.S., and Professor Snape wasn't about to make it easy on her to achieve that score. At first, he had refused to help her, but after she continued to annoy him for a few more days and a howler from her father, he had reluctantly agreed to help. Exams were coming up in a few weeks, so she needed to make sure all of her focus was on school.
In the distance, she heard a door open and slammed shut, but Daphne refused to acknowledge the noise. She flipped the page in her textbook and continued reading on.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Draco's voice pulled Daphne's attention away from her book as she lifted her head. She furrowed her brow as she studied him for a moment. He was wearing a flower crown and a billowy shirt.
"What are you wearing?" she asked, folding her hands on her book as she continued to study him with a smirk on her face.
"Traditional Malfoy attire for the annual Beltane fire celebration," he replied, offering a smile as he pulled out the chair across from her and joining her at the table. "The celebration that you should be getting ready for. Didn't your mother tell you that I was escorting you this evening?"
Daphne thought about the last conversation she had with her mother and shook her head. "She didn't mention anything about a celebration coming up."
"You probably weren't listening," Draco replied with a laugh, reaching out and pulling her book away from her. He studied it for a moment. "Magical Drafts and Potions? Snape's got you preparing for the Potions N.E.W.T.S., doesn't he?"
"After some persuading," Daphne replied, rolling her eyes as she reached for the book. Draco pulled it away from her and tucked it behind his back. "I need that."
"Not tonight," he replied. "You need to go back to your dorm and get dressed for tonight."
"I need to study," Daphne insisted, narrowing her eyes as she pushed her chair away from the table and walking over to him. She let out a low growl as she watched him jump up from his chair and take a few steps away from the table.
"You need a break, Daphne. You've been hiding away here for weeks. Don't try to tell me you haven't. I've looked for you," Draco said,
"You've been looking for me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side as a smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "Why have you been looking for me?"
"Come with me to the fire tonight, and I'll show you," Draco said, stepping closer to her as he handed her the textbook. "I'll be waiting for you in the common room at seven, but if you don't show up, I'll understand."
Before she could say anything else, Draco turned on his heel and left her alone. Daphne looked at the text in her hands and rubbed her finger along the spine for a moment as she thought about her options. She let out a sigh and worried her teeth along her lower lip as a smile pulled on her lips. Quickly, Daphne packed up her belongings and left the library behind to prepare for her evening.
A few short moments later, she found herself in her dorm, making a mess of her closet, trying to find a dress to wear. It had been years since she had properly celebrated Beltane - just another frivolous thing she didn't need to focus on, according to her mother. She pushed the negative thoughts aside as she continued searching but was disappointed as she found nothing to wear.
"How do I have nothing to wear?" she grumbled, stepping away from her closet and collapsing on her bed.
"What are you looking for?" Pansy asked, startling Daphne.
Daphne turned her attention to the door with eyes wide and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Pansy standing there. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to see you throw half your closet onto the floor in a panic," Pansy teased, walking over to Daphne's bed and joining her. "What are you looking for? I might be able to help, and if not from my own closet, I've got connections to others."
"I need something to wear to the annual Beltane fire celebration at Malfoy Manor tonight," Daphne replied, glancing at Pansy out of the corner of her eye.
"That's an invitation-only event. How'd you swing an invite?" Pansy asked, raising a brow.
"I'm going with Draco," Daphne shrugged. "Not sure how my mother swung that, but I also don't remember her telling me that I was to attend the last time we spoke."
"Interesting," Pansy said, nodding her head slowly as she pushed herself off the bed and made her way to her closet. She flipped through a few dresses before stumbling upon the perfect dress for Daphne to wear to the fire. Pansy pulled the dress out of her closet with a proud smile on her face and slowly turned to Daphne. "Wear this."
Daphne's eyes went wide as she jumped up from the bed and walked over to Pansy. She reached out, taking the dress from her and studying it for a moment. "Are you sure? I don't want to stand out, and this seems a little extra, don't you think?"
"Try it on," Pansy insisted, pushing her toward the loo. "Once you've got it on, if you still don't think it's perfect, then I'll find you something else. Deal?"
Daphne rolled her eyes and nodded her head, closing the door to the loo behind her. She held the dress up against her body as she studied herself in the mirror. She wasn't sure what had compelled her to listen to Draco and potentially agree to attend tonight. She could still run and hide back in the library for the rest of the night if she didn't meet him at seven, but the voice inside was telling her to take control of her own life. She didn't need her mother's approval to do something that would make her happy.
Taking a deep breath, Daphne pulled the dress on over her head and kept her eyes closed until she felt the hem of the dress against her toes. She opened her eyes slowly to peek at her reflection. A soft smile pulled at her lips as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Pansy was right," she mumbled under her breath.
"I usually am," Pansy replied, smirking as Daphne's head snapped around to glare at her.
"Could you quit doing that?" Daphne hissed, shaking her head.
"Nope," Pansy replied, tossing her head back with a laugh. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the clock on the wall. "You better get going. Your Beltane prince awaits."
"Right," Daphne said, nodding her head as she made her way back into her dorm. She took a deep breath to gather her thoughts before leaving the comfort of her studies and the legacy of the Greengrass name behind to enjoy herself for the evening.
Draco stared at the staircase as he waited for Daphne to descend. He hoped with his whole heart that she would be joining him this evening. They both had certain expectations of their family name, and Draco knew that those pressures were too much for him to handle at times, and he just needed a break. He was certain that Daphne felt the same way at times, even though she would never let it show. That was why he was insistent on inviting her tonight. He hoped that the magic of the Beltane fire would ignite a spark in Daphne to allow her to believe in herself and to allow her to know that she doesn't have to do everything according to the Greengrass legacy. He wanted to show her that it was okay to be Daphne and do what she wanted to do.
All she needed to do was walk down those stairs.
He glanced up at the clock once more and took a deep breath—one minute.
"She'll come downstairs," he mumbled under his breath. "Slytherin witches are always fashionably late."
"A Greengrass is never late," Daphne teased, slowly making her way down the stairs with a smirk on her face.
Draco's eyes lit up as he watched her walk towards him. "You came."
"Of course," Daphne said, nodding her head. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Draco offered her his arm and led her out of the common room to the courtyard where a portkey awaited them. "I know this isn't an ideal way to travel, but it's the quickest option since we can't apparate from the castle."
Daphne laughed and nodded her head. "Works for me."
A few moments later, they were standing outside of Malfoy Manor. Daphne watched as Draco took a deep breath before leading them inside. She furrowed her brow at his reaction but chose not to say anything. Just like she had certain expectations of her, Draco had an even greater legacy to live up to, and she was just along for the ride this evening.
They made their way through the manor and into the garden. The fire could be seen from the gates. It was a beautiful sight.
"We better hurry," Draco said, tugging her along. "The ceremony is about to start."
Daphne nodded and followed him quickly. As they neared the fire, she saw familiar faces gathered around the fire. Many of the people gathered around the fire were members of the Sacred 28 families who Daphne had spent most of her childhood around. To see them all still gathered around now that no Dark Lord was forcing them together was eye-opening to her.
The reigning May King and Queen stood from their thrones as the song of the Mayflower began to echo around the fire. Daphne watched in awe as the fire began to glow. The voice of the May King pulled her attention away from the fire and towards where the king and queen were standing. She smiled when she felt Draco's arm wrap around her waist. She leaned back against him and rested her head against his shoulder.
"Tonight is the night where you can allow your magic to be seen," the May King began.
"Your wisdom to be heard," the May Queen added.
"And your growth to be witnessed," they said in unison. "Go forth and grow."
As their speech finished, the fire flared and glowed brighter. Daphne couldn't believe her eyes at the beauty that surrounded her. For the remainder of the evening, she stayed near Draco and just enjoyed the sights, forgetting about her studies and responsibilities that waited for her back at the castle.
As the night came to a close, she found herself wishing this moment would never end. Draco had led her into the garden maze so that they could be alone for a few moments before they needed to get back to Hogwarts. They rounded a corner and found a quiet nook that had been decorated with fairy lights and an abandoned bench waiting for them.
"Thank you for this," Daphne said, interlacing her fingers in Draco's as he stopped beneath the fairy light arch and turned to look at her. "You saved me when I was losing myself in familial expectations."
"You don't need to thank me," Draco replied, squeezing her hand lightly. "It's what you do when you watch someone you care deeply for struggling with the weight of the world on their shoulders. I know the feeling all too well."
Daphne smiled as she studied his face. She had never noticed before how handsome Draco was, and hearing him tell her that she was someone he cared for ignited something in her soul. Daphne stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Draco's neck, pressing up on her tiptoes as she kissed him softly.
Draco pulled back a bit at first, startled by the bold motion. However, after a moment, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. He deepened this kiss as he held her tightly, smiling as she moaned into the kiss softly. After a few moments, they both pulled away with smiles on their face.
Daphne leaned in and rested her head against Draco's chest. He rested his chin against the top of her head and held her for a few more moments. Tonight was the beginning of a chance for both of them to find their own way to live up to the familial expectations they had been raised to know but also allow their magic and wisdom to grow and be shown to the rest of the world.