Reflection - Part of Averlovi's The Potter Chronicles

by Dorothea Greengrass

Hermione has a hard time to accept Harry's girlfriend. Post-Hogwarts, EWE. This one is part of a series. Read AN for more.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K.R.

AN: This is a part of Averlovi's "Potter Chronicles". He was gracious enough to let me have fun with his idea. You are a real friend, Averlovi!

The story begins about four weeks after the Final Battle. It can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading "On A Night Like This" by Averlovi first, if you don't know it yet. Read it, it's worth it. The next one in the "Potter Chronicles" after this one is "Jealousy", followed by "May It Be" and "Hounds & Hippogriffs", my personal favourite. I adore Jess, Buckbeak and Ellie. Averlovi is working on the latest one in the series, "Embers of Ruin", a rather action-packed Auror fic.

---

Hedwig sailed into the kitchen of The Burrow when Hermione just sat down for breakfast at her usual place between Ron and Ginny the day after she and Ron had returned from Australia.

"You've got a letter for me?" Hermione couldn't hide her surprise. Why would Harry want to write to her? Was he already on the outs with Greengrass? Hopefully not, she hated to see him hurt, although it wouldn't surprise her, either, with the way he had plunged into that relationship head over heels.

She untied the letter from the owl's leg, unfolded it, and studied the familiar untidy scrawl.

Ron swallowed the bite in his mouth. "What does Harry want?"

"I still have to read the letter, Ronald." She smiled at her boyfriend. Ron had matured a lot ever since his big fight with Harry during their time on the run. It showed in everything he did, even his table manners.

She lowered her eyes to read the letter, then looked up.

"He writes he and Greengrass have started with their accelerated program to get their NEWTs in September, together with Davis and Zabini. He asks me to join them."

Ron grinned. "Better you than me, hon. Will you help him?"

"Of course, Harry is my best friend!" She would help him, that was out of question. The other three, however…

"In that case, you'd better start referring to Daphne, Tracey and Blaise with their first names." Ron gave her a meaningful glance over the rim of his goblet with pumpkin juice.

Her shoulders slumped. Ron was right, of course. She ought to be polite and welcoming to Harry's girlfriend and her friends, or things would soon become awkward. Yet she couldn't help to be wary of the three Slytherins. During all her time at Hogwarts, the members of that house had bullied and belittled her -

"Daphne, Tracey and Blaise never took a part in the bullying, that was Malfoy and Parkinson, and the two bookends and Nott and Bulstrode backing them up," Ron's voice broke into her thoughts.

She frowned at him. Did he read her thoughts? She didn't like it at all how observant he had become, at least not when he directed his insights against her. "They never disagreed with them, either."

"Maybe they didn't dare?" Ron asked back and helped himself to some more bacon. "Merlin, Hermione, you know how it works with bullies. They like to think they rule the roost, and everyone who stands up to them gets under spellfire. I'm not surprised those three kept their mouths shut, not with the climate at school and especially in Slytherin back then."

He had a point. And yet…

Ron gave her another of his disarming grins. "Besides that, I got to talk with Tracey and Blaise when they were over for dinner, together with Harry and Daphne, right before we left for Australia. They aren't bad, for Slytherins."

Beside her, Ginny snorted. "You're only saying that because Tracey is a Canon fan like you."

That had everyone around the table laugh.

"Are you meeting with them at Hogwarts, dear?" Mrs Weasley asked across the length of the table.

Hermione shook her head. "No, Harry told me the address where he is staying."

She looked down at the letter. "That's Stormcrest Cottage in Millendreath, near Looe. That's in Cornwall, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Mrs Weasley nodded with a frown. "But that's not where the Greengrasses live. They are from Wiltshire."

Her husband cleared his throat and put The Daily Prophet down. "Salisbury, I think. However, I imagine the Greengrasses own more than one house, Molly. Probably they offered one of them to Harry."

"Yes, that makes sense." Mrs Weasley smiled at Hermione. "Give Harry our love when you see him, will you?"

"I will." She got up and pushed back her chair. "Excuse me, I need to write to Harry and tell him I'll come." She looked down at Harry's owl, who had invited herself to quench her thirst from Hermione's goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Will you wait for my letter, girl?"

Hedwig gave a low hoot.

"I take that for a yes." Hermione chuckled and left the kitchen to write her letter.

---

Two hours later, Hermione appeared in a grass-covered depression that was obscured by a large gorse bush. The wind played in her hair and there was the sound of crashing waves and seagulls nearby.

She scrambled out of the depression onto a barely visible footpath and looked around. To her left, she caught the sight of a deep blue strip in the distance. To her right, the footpath led up to a quiet lane lined with thick bushes of wild roses and sea buckthorn in full bloom.

Hermione adjusted the strap of her heavy book bag on her shoulder and followed the path until she stood on the lane. Right in front of her stood a quaint cottage with a thatched roof and ivy-covered walls. She smiled, that looked like a place Harry would love after everything they had been through.

While she was still looking, the door of the cottage opened, and Harry came out, a tea towel in his hand.

"Good morning, Hermione! Are you going to come in or are you taking roots out there?" He gave her a cheeky grin.

"Good morning, Harry." She mock-glared at him as she walked to the door and hugged him. "What is that for?" she asked as she released him and pointed to the tea towel he still held in his hand.

Harry looked at the tea towel as if he just realised he had it in his hand and blushed. "Oh, sorry, I didn't notice. Daphne and I are doing the dishes from last night and our breakfast. But where are my manners? Come in!" He held the door open for her.

Hermione's stomach fluttered, and her eyes widened. Their breakfast? As in Harry's and Gr… Daphne's? Did that mean she stayed with him? Her cheeks grew rather hot as she walked into the small house. Of course, she had known that Harry lived in a house Daphne's mother had offered to him, but she had just assumed that Daphne still lived with her parents. She was from a Pureblood family; that lot was awfully stuck up and old-fashioned, weren't they? They'd never allow their daughter to move in with a man she wasn't married to. At least that was what she had thought until today.

All that raced through her head as she walked over the threshold.

She got a brief impression of pale walls and oak trimming when Harry already opened a door to the left for her and ushered her into the room.

The kitchen of the small cottage seemed to take up a sizable chunk of the space on the ground floor. White cabinets with light oak wooden tops made it a warm and inviting room. There was a small table near the window, surrounded by a few chairs, copper kitchen utensils adorned the wall next to the traditional cream coloured AGA stove, and a collection of potted kitchen herbs stood on a cast-iron drying rack suspended over the kitchen island.

For the second time that morning, Hermione's eyes widened. She had expected nothing like this in the house of a Pureblood family. While the room was more elegant than the kitchen of The Burrow, it breathed the same homely feeling.

Greengrass - no, Daphne - stood by the sink and directed a string of cups and plates back into an open kitchen cabinet with her wand. At the sound of the opening door, she stopped her work and turned around with a smile on her lips.

"Good morning, Hermione." She walked towards her to shake her hand.

Hermione took the offered hand and shook it. "Good morning. Am I too early?"

"No, you're right on time, Daphne and I got… ehem… sidetracked and are running late," Harry said. He walked past her towards the sink, a faint blush in his cheeks, and hung up the tea towel. He turned around and stepped next to his girlfriend. His arm slid around her waist.

Daphne leaned against Harry and looked up to him, and the two exchanged a secretive smile.

Gods, they were acting like newlyweds. Did she and Ron wear the same sappy smiles on their faces when they looked at each other? Hopefully not.

"Since the weather is so nice, I asked Harry to put up a table and chairs on the patio. Let's go outside, I'm afraid Tracey and Blaise are late, as always." Daphne disentangled herself from Harry's arm, walked towards a door at the back of the kitchen and opened it.

Hermione and Harry followed her out onto a small, cobblestoned patio at the back of the house that bathed in the morning sun. Beyond that was the garden of the cottage: a lawn, surrounded by high, blossoming hedgerows to keep the wind and curious eyes away, and colourful flower beds. A sturdy, wooden table stood in the middle of the patio, matching chairs with colourful cushions around it. At the edge of the patio stood a brand new, top of the range Muggle barbeque grill.

"That's Harry's toy." Daphne pointed at the barbeque grill and laughed. "We went to Looe the other day, and he saw it, and I couldn't talk him out of buying it."

"You'll love it, too, when we're having barbeques with our friends here this summer," Harry said.

"Not if you're turning the meat into charcoal, love."

Harry huffed. "As if!"

Hermione blended their banter out, let her bookbag slide off her shoulder and placed it next to a chair. "It's beautiful here." She sunk into one chair and breathed in the salty sea air.

"Thank you." Daphne sat down opposite of her.

Harry took the seat next to his girlfriend and put his hand over Daphne's that rested on her armrest. "Do you now understand why I fell in love with this place at first sight?" His fingers played with Daphne's. She turned her head towards him and gave him a warm smile.

"That I can." Hermione leaned her head back into the cushions. The little house and its gardens radiated tranquillity and warmth that had to appeal to Harry after the coldness and loneliness of his childhood and the constant lethal danger ever since he entered the magical world. They said the feeling of a house mirrored the character of its owners. If that was true, the Greengrasses had to be amiable people. Well, that remained to be seen. She looked at Daphne.

"This is your mother's house, isn't it?"

Daphne nodded. "Yes, it was one of Father's wedding presents to her. Mother grew up in a cottage like this, and she didn't want to forget her roots, so Father had this one built for her. My parents used it as a summer retreat, I was even born here in June nineteen-eighty. The house had just room enough for the four of us, with a kitchen, living room, main bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, and another bedroom right under the thatched roof Astoria and I had to share."

She cast another warm smile at Harry, who still held her hand. "When Harry mentioned that the house he inherited from Sirius Black was destroyed, Mother at once offered the cottage to him. It's got just the right size for us, I'm planning on using the attic bedroom as a combined study and guestroom."

Hermione started, and she almost gaped at the young woman opposite her. Had she heard that right? So her suspicion had been dead-on, Harry and Daphne already lived together. Even more important, Harry seemed to have told her about Sirius.

Her stomach squirmed. She shifted in her chair and bit on her lower lip. Harry was moving on fast with his girlfriend. Too fast? She'd never have thought he'd open up about Sirius after just a month of being together with Daphne. The time between Dumbledore's funeral and the day of the battle didn't count, Harry and Daphne might have had a fancy for each other, but they hadn't seen each other.

"It's wonderful here, I love the cottage already. Eventually, however, we're going to look for our own place, something bigger," Harry said with a side glance at his girlfriend.

Daphne leaned closer towards him. "Rather sooner than later, if you ask me."

Harry laughed. "Let me finish Auror training first, alright?"

Daphne mock-pouted yet joined his laughter.

Hermione's stomach twisted some more, and she stared at her best friend and his girlfriend. Merlin help them all, they were serious! She had to do something about that. She had to make Harry see reason before he rushed into marriage vows with a Pureblood heiress much too soon and would regret it later.

Her gaze wandered between the young couple in front of her. They seemed to have forgotten her presence, Harry looked at his girlfriend with a tenderness she'd never seen on him before, and Daphne responded to his gaze with a light in her eyes that made Hermione's breath hitch.

The fallout when they finally came back to earth would be disastrous.

However, right now was neither the time nor the place to talk to Harry. Besotted as he was, he wouldn't listen to her and would get angry, so her worries for his wellbeing might cost her best friend. No, she had to bide her time until the novelty of his feelings for Daphne wore off and talk some sense into him then.

---

Ron was degnoming the garden when she walked from the Apparition Point outside of the wards of The Burrow towards the house. At the sound of her footsteps in the grass, he turned around. His face lit up.

"Hermione!"

He rushed towards her, took her in his arms, and kissed her.

Warmth enveloped her as she snuggled against him that had nothing to do with his body heat. It was simply good to be back with him.

Ron let go of her, took her hand, and pulled her with him to sit down under one tree at the edge of the apple orchard.

"How was your day in the snakepit?"

She had to laugh at that. "In some ways, not as bad as I had thought. You were right, they are nice. In other ways, however…" Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip.

He knitted his eyebrows together. "What got your knickers in a twist?"

"It's Harry, or rather, him being with Daphne. I think it's all too fast." She took a deep breath and told him about her observations and the talk she had had with their best friend and his girlfriend.

Ron listened in uncharacteristic silence, except for a noncommittal 'hmm!' here and there.

"That's why it's necessary to make Harry see reason. We can't let him run into his doom, Ron." She concluded her tale.

"Actually, we can."

Her head shot up, and she gaped at him. "Ron! This is Harry we're talking about! Hasn't he already gone through enough in his life?"

"Yes, he's had it rough, and I don't blame you for wanting to protect him, hon, but you can't. Harry wouldn't take it kindly, no matter how good your intentions are. However, if things between him and Daphne don't work out, it's an experience he'll have to make on his own. You can't prevent him from that. All you and I can do is to be there for him if they fail."

She slumped. "I hate to see him hurt."

"So do I, but who says he will be? Is there anything in Daphne's behaviour that shows she isn't honest with him?"

Hermione worried her lower lip between her teeth as she thought about Ron's question.

"No, she seems to be as besotted with him as he is with her. However, we don't know her, Ron."

Ron put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her towards him. "But we know Harry, hon. Trust his gut feeling, it's usually spot on. He was right when he told us that Malfoy was up to something, and he was right with his approach of bringing down Voldemort, no matter how much I resented how slow it went. Believe me, Hermione, I've learned my lesson to trust in Harry."

She huffed. "He was wrong when we went to the ministry to save Sirius."

"That was because Voldemort led him on. Do you think Daphne is leading him on?" Ron looked down at her, an eyebrow cocked.

"No, I don't, and I still think it a bad idea to trust in Harry's gut feeling."

Her boyfriend laughed and squeezed her shoulders. "That's because you're such a brainiac, hon. You don't trust anyone's gut as long as it doesn't come printed and bound."

"I resent that!" She shoved her elbow in his side.

"Ouch!" He gave her his trademark lazy grin and a peck on the tip of her nose. "You always had problems accepting the truth about yourself."

Maybe it was time to change the topic. She didn't like the way this conversation was going.

---

For the next week, she had enough opportunities to observe Harry and Daphne together. Everything in their demeanour suggested that they were deeply devoted to each other. She was happy for her best friend, she really was, yet she couldn't stop worrying. They were such an unlikely couple, Slytherin and Gryffindor, Pureblood heiress and Halfblood orphan, Daphne loved and pampered by her family, Harry rejected and belittled at every turn. She had had an easy war, protected by her blood status and the power of her family, while Harry -. Gods, it still was unbearable to think of what he had done to save them all. What could they possibly have in common that would sustain a relationship, let alone a marriage?

The weather continued being beautiful, and Harry was eager to try out his new toy.

"What about a barbeque tomorrow evening?" he asked them Friday after their studies. They had decided on a free weekend. "It's been ages we've been together, and I bet Ron will love it."

Hermione snorted. "That's a given. Alright, we'll come."

Tracey and Blaise also agreed to come. They made some more plans, and in the end invited Ginny and Dean, Neville, Luna, and Daphne's little sister, Astoria.

As she had predicted, Ron was thrilled at the prospect of an evening with lots of food. He was so excited that he didn't complain once when she flat out forbade him to wear his beloved Chudley Cannons jersey to Harry's and Daphne's barbeque party.

"Take this with you, Harry will love it." Mrs Weasley handed her a huge hamper covered with a clean tea towel when they came downstairs to the kitchen to meet with Ginny and Dean on Saturday night.

Hermione lifted one corner of the tea towel and peeked inside the hamper. Inside was a treacle tart and a container with homemade custard. She raised her head and smiled her thanks at Mrs Weasley. "Harry will not be the only one, I'm sure."

The four young people left the grounds of The Burrow and walked to the Apparition Point. Hermione Apparated Ron side-along, while Dean took Ginny with him, who had draped herself around him. She led her boyfriend and housemates towards the country lane in front of Harry's and Daphne's cottage.

Harry opened the door when they just entered the gravel path that led to the house. "Good evening! I'm happy you came."

He greeted her and Ginny with a hug and did that weird male ritual with lots of back-slapping with Ron and Dean.

Hermione held up the hamper. "Where's Daphne? Molly gave me something for later that's better kept cool."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Treacle tart?"

"You've got to wait and see." She laughed, he was such a boy sometimes.

"Daph is in the kitchen, together with Tracey, I think. You know the way, Hermione." He turned to the others. "Come on, I'll show you around." He opened the door to the living room for them.

Hermione turned and walked into the kitchen. Like Harry had said, Daphne and Tracey were there. Daphne just gave the finishing touches to what seemed to be a Greek-style farmer's salad, while Tracey leaned against the kitchen island and said something that made Daphne laugh.

"Good evening!"

Both young women turned around and smiled at her.

"Good evening, Hermione." Daphne dried her hands on a kitchen towel, came over, and gave her a quick hug in greeting.

Tracey followed suit.

She returned their hugs, even though with a slightly uneasy twist of her stomach. Would she ever be at ease in the company of Slytherins, after everything that had happened?

"I've got something here from Mrs Weasley that needs cooling." She held out the hamper to Daphne.

"Thank you, that's very kind of Mrs Weasley." Daphne took the hamper from her and peeked under the tea towel. "Treacle tart! Harry will love it!" She turned around and opened the door to a well-stocked cold cupboard with a flick of her wand.

"You already know that he loves treacle tart?" Hermione couldn't hide the surprise that seeped into her words.

Daphne didn't turn around. She considered the stacked boards and then waved her wand once more to make room for the treacle tart and the container of custard. "It was one of the first things I found out about him."

Hermione gaped at her back.

Tracey gave her an amused side glance and snorted. "I told you she was obsessed with him throughout our sixth year. I think she got off alone from watching him eating his dinner."

"Tracey! I was not obsessed!" Daphne whirled around, her cheeks pink, and glared at her best friend, who ignored her and grinned at Hermione.

Heat crept into Hermione's cheeks, and she did not know where to look. Had that girl to be that crass?

"Thankfully, she's got the genuine article now, or by now she'd have self-combusted out of sheer sexual frustration. Harry and she-"

A well-aimed spell from Daphne's wand silenced her.

Tracey pulled out her wand and cancelled the Silencing Spell on herself. "You are no fun!"

Daphne picked up the salad bowl and shrugged. "I've told you before that it's not of your concern what happens in Harry's and my bedroom. If you don't listen, live with the consequences."

Hermione breathed out. For once, she couldn't agree more with Daphne. There were just some things she didn't want to know about her best friend. His sex life was at the top of that list.

Tracey opened her mouth as if to protest.

Daphne walked past her, the salad bowl in her hand, and opened the back door that led to the patio. "Come on, the natives are hungry, I bet."

Hermione hurried to follow her. Tracey brought up the rear, muttering something under her breath.

Outside, the party was already in full swing.

Harry manned the barbeque that emanated a fragrance that had Hermione's mouth water. The blokes - Ron, Dean, Neville and Blaise - had gathered around the barbeque, butterbeer bottles in their hands, and laughed about a remark Harry made the moment they stepped out on the patio.

Ginny, Luna, and Astoria already sat at the table and had a lively conversation.

The table groaned under a load of bowls with fresh salads, homemade bread and dips, and an assortment of Muggle condiments. Daphne put the bowl on the table, walked over to Harry, kissed him on his cheek and asked him something in a low voice, while Hermione went around and greeted those she hadn't seen yet.

Harry took a serving plate, cast a warming charm on it, and Levitated the meat from the barbeque on it with small flicks of his wand. "Sit down, everybody. Dinner's ready!"

Cheers and laughter met his announcement.

Dean sat down next to Ginny, and Ron took the seat next to him. Hermione hurried to sit down next to her boyfriend on the only free seat left on that side of the table, next to the head of the table, and opposite Tracey and her boyfriend. Neville and Astoria brought up the rear at that side.

Harry put the plate with meat in the middle of the table, walked to the seat at the end opposite Hermione, and sat down. "Tuck in!"

He didn't have to say that twice. Among a lot of chatter and laughter, the young people filled their plates.

Hermione took a steak and helped herself to some salad and honey barbeque sauce out of the plastic bottle in front of her. "I never thought I'd get something like that in a magical household," she said to Ron.

A snort came from behind her. Daphne put a bottle of cider on the table and sat down in the only free chair between Hermione and Tracey. "You will if you go grocery shopping with Harry in a Muggle supermarket. I did not know what was what, but Harry was like a boy let loose in a toy shop, and he showed me what to look for. It was amazing! I didn't know you can get so many things from all over the world in a simple Muggle supermarket, and so cheap, compared to what they charge at Pickles and Plum in Diagon Alley."

Tracey shook her head. "Only you, Daphne, can be more excited about grocery shopping than shopping for a new dress."

"Well, I love to cook," Daphne said in her defence and ladled some pasta salad on her plate.

"And to eat," her sister stage-whispered across the table from her place next to Harry.

Daphne mock-scowled at her. "I heard that, short stuff. Harry, be a dear and set her straight, will you?"

Harry put down his cutlery, threw up his hands and shook his head with an expression of comical horror on his face. "Oh no, I will not get in the middle of a fight between the Greengrass sisters!"

Everyone around the table laughed at that, even Astoria and Daphne.

Daphne smiled and blew her boyfriend a kiss across the table. "Coward." How she said that it sounded like an endearment.

Harry grinned. "I think you mean cautious, love."

That caused another round of laughter.

Hermione's eyes altered between Harry and his girlfriend. How relaxed he seemed, and how at ease with Daphne and her sister. She never would've thought Harry could be this carefree around anyone else than her and the Weasleys.

Luna asked Harry something, and he turned towards her.

"I did not know you liked to cook," Hermione said to Daphne. It had never occurred to her that the pretty Slytherin girl would cook. After all, she came from an old and rich Pureblood family, menial work like cooking didn't fit in her view of that class. Hadn't they house-elves for that?

Daphne laughed, reached for the bottle of cider, and refilled Hermione's and her glasses. "Don't look so surprised, although I have to give you it is an unusual skill for a Pureblood heiress. My mother, however, came from an average magical middle-class family. Not all Purebloods are filthy rich, you know. My grandmother taught her how to cook, and she wanted to pass the skill to her daughters, so Astoria and I spent quite a lot of time in the kitchen with her, much to the chagrin of our house-elves. And whenever we spent some time here at the cottage, Mother took over the kitchen, and Astoria and I helped her."

"Harry also is a fantastic cook. The hotel where we stayed during our time in hiding offered breakfast, but we had to take care of ourselves for the other meals. The rooms came with tiny kitchenettes, just a cooking ring to boil some pasta, and a mini oven to heat a frozen pizza. He cooked a complete meal with that."

Daphne smiled. "He told me about that." She put down her cutlery, wiped her mouth, and motioned her hand towards the table. "Harry and I prepared all the dishes together. It was fun."

Hermione's eyes went wide. Of course, she should have expected that as soon as Daphne mentioned she liked to cook. It seemed she and Harry had more in common than met the eye at a first glance. Maybe they weren't as bad a match as she thought? Oh, how she hoped she was wrong in her suspicion about Daphne. She hated to see her best friend get hurt.

Tracey, who had listened in to their conversation, bent forward. "I bet you did some other fun things, too."

"And here we go down the gutter once again," Daphne said with a roll of her eyes. "Leave it, Tracey, you won't get any details out of me."

It wouldn't hurt to come to Daphne's rescue. Harry as good as had announced that he was serious about this relationship, so if he and Daphne stayed together, they ought to become friends. She gave Daphne a quick, sidewards smile, and turned to Tracey.

"I'd also appreciate another topic, Harry is like a brother to me, I don't want to hear about his love life."

"See?" A broad grin appeared on Daphne's face. "That's the same reason why I don't want to hear anything about your and Blaise's exploits, Tracey."

Tracey slumped in her seat and stuck out her lower lip in a mock pout. "You two are boring." The next moment she straightened, her eyes alight with mischief. "Alright, I'll leave you alone, Daphne. Others, however..." Her eyes wandered from Hermione to an oblivious Ron, who was engrossed in his dinner, and back.

Hermione could have sworn she purred, and her grin was downright feral. Hermione's stomach gave a twist. What was that devious Slytherin up to?

Tracey bent forward with glittering eyes. Her tongue flicked across her lower lip.

"Tell me, Hermione, is it true what they say about redheads being devils in the bedroom?"

The cutlery slipped out of Hermione's hands and clattered onto her plate. She covered her face with the palms of her hands and sunk back into her chair with a groan. How by Merlin's saggy underpants had she got herself into this?

---

Hours later, they still lingered on the patio. By now it had gone completely dark. Fairy lights lit up the bushes that surrounded the garden.

Even though they had had a sumptuous barbeque, the young people still appreciated Mrs Weasley's treacle tart and made quick work of it. After that, Daphne flicked her wand and sent the used dishes back to the kitchen, while Harry banished the table to the shed, conjured a fire pit with a merry fire in it in the middle of the patio, and transfigurated their chairs into comfortable lounge chairs.

"Wicked!" Dean said. "How did you do that, Harry?"

Harry grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Magic?"

That had them all laugh.

It didn't take long, and the party split off into different groups and different lively conversations. Hermione had pushed her lounge chair slightly away from the circle around the fire and now observed the party, a bottle of butterbeer in her hand.

Tracey and Ron on one side tried to convince Ginny and Dean on the other side of the improved chances of the Chudley Cannons during the upcoming Quidditch season. With little success, if Ginny's raised eyebrows and the repeated shakes of her head were anything to go by. Dean followed the discussion with a big grin on his face.

Luna had wandered off on her own and seemed to talk to the Fairies in the bushes.

Neville and Astoria sat side by side by the fire, opposite Daphne and Harry. The four also were in a lively conversation about Merlin knew what. More interesting than their conversation were the fleeting looks Neville and Daphne's little sister exchanged. Whenever they caught each other looking, their cheeks would flush crimson.

Harry and Daphne were well aware of that little play. Each time it happened, they'd look at each other and smile. As always, they held hands. Daphne had pushed her chair close to Harry's and leaned her head against his shoulder. Now and then, he'd turn his head and drop a kiss in her hair.

Hermione studied them like she would regard a complex Arithmancy problem. Both were attractive, and together they made a striking couple. They'd also progressed in their physical relationship fast and on an early stage. Yes, it was easy to see what drew them together. However, would that be enough to keep them together? When she compared Harry's and Daphne's story to the history she shared with Ron, their common ground seemed pretty slim. Their physical attraction and a mutual love for cooking won't get them far.

A shadow appeared by her side.

"Why so alone and silent?" Blaise asked.

Her heart made a jump, she startled, and her hand flew to her throat. "Merlin, Blaise, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry." His white teeth gleamed in the faint light of the fire as he grinned down at her. He pulled a chair next to hers, sat down, and pointed with his chin towards Harry and Daphne. "You've looked at them like a potioneer at an experimental potion for the last minutes. Care to tell me about that?"

Hermione's breath hitched. Busted! Damned Slytherins, why did that bunch have to be that observant? Over the last week working with them, she'd found out that neither Blaise nor Daphne missed much, and Tracey was downright frightening with observing and reading people. She wasn't sure she liked that skill.

"You're concerned for them, aren't you?" Blaise didn't wait for her answer.

Hermione worried her lower lip between her teeth and nodded. "Yes."

"I don't blame you, when Tracey first told me about them, I thought I'd never heard of a more unlikely couple. Over the last four weeks, however, I've got to get to know Harry a little. He and Daphne have more in common than meets the eye."

"What? Cooking?" Hermione huffed.

Blaise laughed. "Yes, that's one of many things. What do you know about Daphne's background?"

"What's there to know? She's a Pureblood and a Slytherin."

Blaise frowned at her answer. "Spoken like a true, superficial Gryffindor who never cares to look behind the obvious. Daphne, my dear Hermione, comes from a family of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. Her family is one of the few of that illustrious group that maintained their enormous wealth and stayed neutral for centuries. That gives them an immense influence on the Wizengamot, each party courts them. Daphne is the heiress to all that glory. That makes her like royalty. She's the Prince William of magical Britain."

Hermione's head swirled around, and she gasped. "What?"

Blaise bent forward, pulled a bottle of butterbeer out of a nearby bucket, and opened it. "You heard me." He took a swig from the bottle. "Males and females alike have haunted Daphne from the moment she set a foot on the Hogwarts train. Every wizard-born boy or girl of our year wanted to be friends with her, egged on by their parents, who wanted to curry favour with Anthony Greengrass. It became worse when we reached our teenage years. Dozens of boys courted her then, and her father got I don't know how many offers for marriage contracts. Of course, he turned them all down, as Daphne turned down her suitors. She was never sure if they cared for her or the money and influence she'd inherit one day, and some just wanted to get into her knickers, she's a beautiful girl, after all."

He sighed and took another swig. "Daphne soon became pretty disillusioned by boys. She retreated into herself and developed a reputation for being cold and unapproachable. Those morons couldn't have been more wrong. You won't find anyone more caring for those she loves than Daphne."

Blaise turned his head and looked at Hermione for a long moment. "Does anything of that sound familiar to you?"

Hermione's stomach hardened, heat crept into her cheeks, and she fiddled with the sleeves of her shirt while she didn't dare look at Blaise. It seemed she had stumbled into the same trap as many others at Hogwarts. She'd only looked at the surface, the pretty face and the cold exterior, and made her assumptions about Daphne because of that: pretty, but haughty, a typical Slytherin, so she had to be a Pureblood supremacist and silently in league with Voldemort.

She'd acted on the same prejudices she had always accused Ron of, and Harry, although to a lesser degree.

"I did not know," she said in a low voice.

"How could you? You Gryffindors never looked behind the obvious when Slytherin was concerned."

Was there a trace of bitterness in his voice?

Blaise took another swig of his butterbeer. "The last ten months weren't easy, for any of us. Gryffindor's, Hufflepuffs and even some Ravenclaws got the brunt of the Carrow's wrath for standing up to them. That drew all the attention of the student body on them. However, there was a small fraction of Purebloods and Halfbloods from Ravenclaw and Slytherin who suffered equally bad under the Carrows: students from neutral families, who couldn't avoid attending Hogwarts that year because of the law, and whose parents told them to keep their heads low."

He laughed, it sounded bitter in Hermione's ears.

"We all acted like naïve little girls, neither our parents nor we foresaw the depravity the new regime at Hogwarts would sink to."

His hand clenched around the bottle of butterbeer until the knuckles stood out white.

"We had to cast the Cruciatus Curse on our classmates from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The Carrows picked students from neutral families for that. A refusal to do so or a failure to perform the curse led to detentions with the Carrows, where they subjected us to the curse."

Hermione gasped. "That's horrible! How did you get out of that?"

Again, Blaise laughed that bitter laugh. "You don't get out if a Death Eater makes you their plaything, you should know that, Hermione. As soon as it's getting warmer and we're going to the beach, we can compare our scars. But that's not my point."

With his bottle in his hand, he motioned towards Daphne. "The Carrows told Daphne to cast the Cruciatus Curse on Tracey, for being a 'filthy Halfblood'. You can imagine that went over well with Daphne."

Hermione's stomach clenched. "What did she do?"

"She refused, of course, and got detention, I don't remember how many, but quite a lot. It's a good thing my mother remembered the last war and provided me with a secret stash of Anti-Cruciatus-Potion when I left for Hogwarts."

Hermione gasped. "You mean they put her under the Cruciatus Curse? I would have thought her family's reputation protected her from the wrath of the Carrows."

"Oh yes, they did." Blaise's jaw settled into a grim line. "Family didn't count anymore, Hermione. Even my mother's alleged proficiency with undetectable poisons gave me next to no protection. You-know-who wanted to get the neutral families under his thumb. Their children at Hogwarts were his hostages and his means to blackmail their parents into compliance. The Carrows were very apt henchmen who carried out his wishes to extremes."

Her stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot, and Hermione looked down to the ground. She'd not once spared a thought of what the mandatory attendance to school would mean for the neutral Slytherins. Scratch that, she hadn't thought once there could be something like neutral Slytherins. She had just painted them with one brush, Death Eaters or not, and just assumed they'd welcome a victory of Voldemort.

Gods, she was as bigoted as Malfoy, wasn't she?

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never knew."

"No need to be sorry, you weren't there, so you couldn't have helped, anyway." He took a swig of his butterbeer. "Come to think of it, good thing you went into hiding, I don't think you would have survived even the first week at Hogwarts."

That was not what she had meant, but she didn't bother to correct him.

"Did they break her?"

That got her a snort from Blaise. "Who? Daphne? Of course not, Daphne is very strong in her beliefs, she doesn't like to be manipulated or forced into something. It will just make her dig her heels in and fight for what she thinks is right even harder. She was lucky the Carrows viewed her as a Pureblood broodmare, and possibly the proposed contract with Malfoy also gave her some protection, or she wouldn't have survived the last year."

Hermione's stomach clenched again. "I never knew." Her eyes wandered to Daphne.

The blonde witch whispered something into Harry's ear, then kissed his cheek. Harry turned his head and looked down at his girlfriend. The look the two exchanged made Hermione's breath hitch.

Was it possible they were already in love after such a short time? It seemed unfathomable to her analytical mind to jump into a relationship head over heels, as those two had done. Then again, Harry had always relied more on his gut feeling than on his logic, so his behaviour wasn't that surprising. The actual surprise here was Daphne. She never would've expected such an impulsive behaviour from a Slytherin.

However, what did she know about the girl? Blaise had shed some light on her character. It seemed she was as stubborn as a certain raven-haired Gryffindor she could name and certainly had the same strong moral compass as Harry.

Blaise got up from his chair, gave her a small pat on the shoulder, and went to join his girlfriend.

Hermione cast another glance at Daphne. Blaise had given her a lot of fodder for thoughts.

Daphne and Harry both were laughing about something Astoria said.

Some weight seemed to drop off Hermione's shoulders, and she took in a cleansing breath. Maybe Harry and Daphne weren't that ill-suited, after all. Maybe her best friend would get the happily ever after he deserved.

And yet, a sliver of doubt remained. There'd been something Blaise had mentioned, a piece of hitherto unknown information, dropped in a half-sentence…

She frowned as she went through their conversation once again. Then it hit her.

Malfoy!

Blaise had mentioned a contract between Daphne and Malfoy, even though he'd said before that Daphne's father had refused all contracts proposed to him. Then why did he accept a contract with the Malfoys, of all people? Wasn't he supposed to be neutral and in an untouchable position because of that? Was it all an act, were the Greengrass secretly in league with Voldemort, after all? Even more important, did Harry know?

Her jaw clenched. She had to find out, for Harry's sake.

---

One week later, Hermione sat in the soft grass, her back leaned against one of the apple trees in the orchard of The Burrow. She had the seventh year Transfiguration textbook in her lap and went over the finer points of Gramp's Law once again. Even though the start of her last year at Hogwarts was still almost three months away, it never hurt to be prepared.

The six Weasley siblings enjoyed a game of three-on-three Quidditch, with lots of laughter and name-calling, as it seemed to become a Saturday afternoon tradition.

Loud shouts of triumph made her look up.

Ginny, George, and Ron just high-fived each other. It seemed Ginny had got the Quaffel past Percy, the goalkeeper for Team Senior, comprising Percy, Charlie and Bill.

"We'll get even with you for that," Bill shouted over their cries of triumph.

"Bring it on, old man," George said with a broad grin. He, Ron and Ginny made up Team Junior.

"Old man? I'll give you old man!" Bill shot on his broom towards George, who held the Quaffel, with the clear intent to make him drop it.

George passed the Quaffel to Ginny, gripped the handle of his broom, and rolled out of Bill's path without effort.

Bill didn't count on that and shot past George, which brought him dangerously close to the goalposts, and he had to do some wild manoeuvring not to crash against them.

George doubled over with laughter. "You still have good reflexes for your age, old man."

Hermione smiled. It was good to hear George's laughter again.

George had stayed at The Burrow ever after Fred's death, although in Percy's old room, he couldn't bear living in the flat or the bedroom he had shared with his twin. Charlie had stayed in Britain for the sake of his family, and he now lived in the rooms over the shop, together with Percy. They'd made a habit of coming over to The Burrow on Saturday, and Bill and Fleur joined them. While Fleur stayed with Molly and helped her cook up a storm for dinner, Bill spent time with his siblings.

The sight of the six siblings enjoying their banter warmed her heart. Despite the age difference and diverse personalities, they cared deeply for each other and helped each other over the loss of Fred.

The Quidditch game went on, and Hermione returned to her reading. The problem was fascinating, and she forgot everything around her until a shadow fell on the book in her lap.

Was the game already over? She looked up.

Harry grinned down at her. "Afternoon, Hermione. Ever the bookworm, eh?"

She shut the book with an audible snap and jumped to her feet to hug him. "Harry! What a pleasant surprise! We didn't count on you coming over." She let go of him and looked around him. "Where is Daphne?" Her heart seemed to skip a beat. Merlin give they hadn't fought.

"With her father. Ever since we left Hogwarts, Daphne is having lessons with him about managing the Greengrass estate. One day in the hopefully very distant future that will be Daphne's job. Today, they are visiting the Greengrass properties in France."

"Oh." Another of her preconceptions against Purebloods evaporated into thin air at Harry's words. She'd always thought they were a male-dominated part of their society, with the women having little say in the management of their holdings.

She sat down in the grass and patted on the spot beside her. "Come on, let's talk. It must've been ages since we last talked." Without Daphne, Tracey or Blaise listening, she added to herself.

"You mean without those snakes interfering?" Harry laid down in the grass beside her, propped himself up on one elbow, and grinned up at her.

Heat shot in her face. When had he learned to look right through her?

"Do you think I don't know that you are wary of me being with Daphne? You made no bones about that when we told you we are together, and by extension that includes Blaise and Tracey as well."

The heat in her cheeks intensified. He was right, of course, yet that didn't mean she had to like that he saw through her.

"Well, can you blame me? There had been no sign at all you were interested in her all during our sixth year, you didn't mention her once when we were in hiding, and yet you turn up the morning after the battle, Daphne on your arm, and announce she's your girlfriend, and the next thing I know is that you're living with her. From my point of view, Harry, that looks as if you're rushing in and are heading for a nasty fall." She took a deep breath. "I don't want to see you hurt."

Damn, why did her voice quiver at her last words?

The cocky grin had vanished from Harry's face during her small outburst. He sighed, sat up, and put his arm around her shoulder with a soft squeeze.

"I appreciate your concern, Hermione, I can even see where you're coming from, I got something similar from Daphne's father, but it's unfounded. Daphne will never hurt me on purpose, just like I don't want to hurt her, and I'm as happy as I was never in my life."

She turned her head to look at him. "I'm happy that you are happy, Harry. If only I could believe it will last! Maybe this would be easier for me to accept had there been a sign that you liked her during our sixth year, but as it is…" She shrugged.

Harry sighed once again, pulled his arm away and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more.

"Maybe it will be easier for you if I tell you how Daphne and I got together. Contrary to what you think you know, Daphne has intrigued me since… oh, I don't know when it started, during our fifth year, maybe. I think her looks drew all blokes in our year in, she's beautiful, after all."

Hermione rolled her eyes at that. Boys! And there she had thought Harry was different, that he could go beyond looks, yet he'd drifted to a pretty face like the bee to the pot of honey.

"I watched her, very careful, of course. She was a Slytherin, and I was a Gryffindor. Had anyone noticed, Malfoy in particular, there would have been hell to pay. Not to mention that any girl I expressed an interest in was a potential bait for Voldemort to get at me." He gave her a small grin. "I must have done well if even you didn't notice."

Her breath hitched. She blinked, then stared at him. He was right. She hadn't had the faintest suspicion that he was interested in a girl. Neither had she had an idea he could be that sneaky, he'd always seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve that year, considering how he played into Umbridge's hands.

"You really cared."

"Of course I did," he said in a calm voice. "While it might have been about Daphne's looks at the beginning -"

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Might?"

"You've got me there." Harry chuckled. "Alright, it was about her looks only in the beginning, but that soon changed. There was something about her… You remember how cold and expressionless she always looked?"

"Yeah, I thought she was a right haughty bitch." Again, heat shot into her face, and she clapped her hand in front of her mouth. That was perhaps not the best thing to tell a besotted boyfriend about his girlfriend. "Sorry."

Harry laughed. "So did I, and I used that to get her out of my head. Not that it worked." He shook his head with a reminiscent smile. "The longer I watched her, the more I suspected it was just an act. She acted differently with Tracey and Blaise, you know? It wasn't obvious, her face would stay bland, but the expression of her eyes would change whenever she talked to them."

She gaped at him. "You must have observed her rather closely to notice that. I never did." And here she had prided herself on her observation skills.

"I might have become a trifle obsessed with her."

Hermione snorted, and they both broke out into laughter.

"Alright, I was obsessed with her," Harry said. His face sobered. "And that was all there was to it. I was obsessed with her, she didn't seem to notice, and I didn't dare act on my feelings, not with how things were at Hogwarts, anyway. I wonder if we had got together, hadn't she ran into me after Dumbledore's funeral."

Now they were coming to the interesting part. Both Harry and Daphne had been rather close-lipped about that night, she knew nothing apart from that they had run into each other, and, going by what Blaise had let slip the morning after the battle, had slept with each other.

Everything in her itched to ask, pry the details out of him. However, that was not how Harry worked, he'd clam up if she did that. She had, at last, learned her lesson. It would be even worse now he thought he had to protect Daphne's secrets, too. So, she bit on her tongue and waited with bated breath for him to continue.

He shot her another side glance, and the corners of his mouth went up in amusement.

Why had she that horrible feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking?

"You remember how I told you to leave me alone after Dumbledore's funeral, that I needed some space and time to deal with what had happened?"

She nodded, she'd pestered him to talk to her, and he had blown up right in her face and stormed out of the common room.

"At first, I just ran through the castle without a thought where I was going. After a while, I calmed down, however, I was not yet ready to return to the common room."

Not yet ready to be pestered by her again, more likely.

"I thought of a place to hide for the night and went to the Room of Requirement. That's where I ran into Daphne, literally, right in front of the room. We both weren't looking, and my first reaction when I noticed the green trimmings on the robes of the person who had almost bowled me over was anger. I gripped her shoulders, not very gentle, to keep my equilibrium, and I might even have snarled at her."

He smiled to himself at the memory. The next second, however, his face hardened.

"Daphne apologised and looked up at me, and that was when I realised her face was wet with tears. It was like a punch in the gut. All I could think of was that something horrible must have happened for her to lose her composure like that and that I had to help her. So, I took her by the hand, asked the room to provide a small hideaway, and pulled her with me. She didn't resist once, just followed me."

Hermione shook her head and sighed. "I should have known there was a damsel in distress somewhere in that story. Will you ever get rid of your saving people thing, Harry? What if it had been an act to lure you to Voldemort?"

"It wasn't an act, her desperation was real." His voice was firm with conviction.

She'd better leave it at that. He was in the best place to know.

"What happened then?"

A faint blush crept into Harry's cheeks. "We talked, and I soon realised she was in as bad a place as I. After that…" His voice trailed off, and he averted his eyes as if embarrassed.

He had every reason to be if Blaise's allegations were true.

"Blaise said you slept with each other."

The blush on Harry's cheeks intensified, and he still avoided looking at her.

"He was right. Daphne and I, once we had opened to each other… It was the last thing I had expected when I pulled her into that room, yet as soon as we talked, there was that instinctive deep understanding of each other. We… we just happened, it was like a force of nature, we couldn't stop, even if we wanted to."

Hermione snorted. "Yeah, I bet you tried really hard."

Harry joined her laughter, although he sounded embarrassed. "Not really, no. However, I don't have any regrets, either. That night Daphne and I found something in each other we didn't want to lose. She made me promise to return to her. Thank Daphne that our time in hiding and the hunt for the Horcruxes went that smoothly. I wanted to keep my promise, so for the first time in all our adventures I thought about what I could do to stay safe and came up with the plan to hide in the Muggle world."

Hermione's eyes became wide. So that had caused Harry's sudden burst of maturity and leadership during their time on the run! She had often wondered what had prompted that unexpected change of attitude in him. There was no doubt Harry was beyond brave and had his heart in the right spot, yet his laziness and disregard of things he ought to know had more than once driven her up the walls. The Harry who had joined them the morning after Dumbledore's funeral had been a changed Harry. Back then, she'd put the changes in him on the loss of his mentor. However, if his story was true - and she did not doubt that - the magical world owed Daphne Greengrass an enormous debt of gratitude.

A sudden chorus of loud cheers from the Quidditch players made them both look up.

Harry smiled. "It's good to see them this carefree, especially George."

"Yeah." However, she was not yet ready to change the topic, to let him off the hook. He'd skipped a few important parts. "Why was Daphne that desperate?"

Harry turned his attention from the ongoing Quidditch game back to her. "It's not my secret to tell. You might ask Daphne about that." His voice sounded final.

She rolled her eyes. Yeah, that would go over well with Daphne. Aloud she said, "I doubt I'm already well enough acquainted with her. She won't take such a question from me kindly."

"She might surprise you."

Or not. She wasn't keen to find out. However, there was another thing she had to find out, even if Harry was going to chew her head off.

"Did you know Daphne had a betrothal contract with Malfoy?"

Harry watched the Quidditch players again. At her question, he jerked his head around and gave her a piercing look.

"Who told you that?"

"Blaise mentioned it to me at your barbecue party."

"Yes, I knew about it." Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Right from the beginning. Lucius Malfoy blackmailed Daphne's father into promising to sign one as soon as the war was over."

"Oh." Her thoughts raced. What had caused Daphne's father to give in to Lucius Malfoy's demands? And how had Daphne reacted to that offer? What had become of that promise, now that the war was over? Lucius Malfoy wasn't the man to let go of the opportunity to tie his family to a neutral house if that meant he could escape Azkaban.

"You don't think Daphne was happy about the prospect of a marriage to Malfoy, do you?"

Once again, Harry seemed to read her thoughts. Although he had a point, after all she had learned about Daphne from observing her during these last two weeks while she tutored her and Harry for their NEWTs, it was unlikely she would fall for a man like Draco Malfoy.

She shook her head. "No."

"Good." Harry took a deep breath. "Our friendship would have been in serious trouble if you thought that possible."

Hermione gulped. The mere thought was unbearable. "I knew Daphne wouldn't care about him and his ilk, Blaise told me about what happened to the neutral Slytherins while we were in hiding. I'm sorry Daphne had to suffer from the Carrows."

A small smile appeared on Harry's lips. "Daphne would never have given in to the Carrows and cast the Torture Curse on Tracey. She is fiercely protective of those she loves."

"Just like you."

"Perhaps. It was one of the first things I found out about her when we talked at last. That was the moment I realised we had more in common than met the eye."

There were soft footsteps in the grass behind her. Harry raised his head, his eyes beamed, and a broad smile appeared on his face.

"Daph!"

He sprang to his feet to greet his girlfriend.

Hermione turned her head around, just in time to see Harry putting his arm around Daphne's waist and kissing her on the cheek.

"How was your day?"

"Crammed. When Father said he wanted to show me the French properties, I did not know he meant every nook and cranny. Be a dear and make sure I don't have cobwebs in my hair, I'm not sure I got them all with my Cleaning Charm."

She bowed her head for inspection, and Harry and Hermione laughed.

"Nope, all clean."

Harry took her hand, pulled her with him to the tree where Hermione sat, and they both sat down.

"Hello, Hermione." Daphne gave her a warm smile and settled her back against Harry's chest with a contented sigh.

Harry tightened his arms around her, a sappy grin on his face, and Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He had it bad, and so was Daphne.

"Nice to see you, Daphne. How was France?"

Daphne launched into a tale about the Greengrass properties in France, which was quite interesting, she'd not known that the management of magical properties was that complicated.

Harry listened to their conversation for a while, until his attention wandered off to the Quidditch game once again that went into its last, heated stage. The game ended with a tight victory for Team Junior, which didn't keep them from rubbing their older sibling's noses in. Among lots of ribbing and laughter, they landed next to Hermione, Daphne and Harry.

Ron was delighted to see his best friend and his girlfriend.

"You're staying for dinner?" he asked, his arm around Hermione's shoulder.

Daphne exchanged an uneasy glance with Harry.

"We don't want to intrude."

"Rubbish." Ron waved away her polite objection with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "Mum will be delighted. You know she considers Harry as family, so he and everyone he brings along will always be welcomed at The Burrow."

That settled it. As Ron had predicted, Mrs Weasley was delighted to see Harry and Daphne and gave both of them a tight hug. She held Harry at arm's length and inspected him from top to toe.

"You look well."

"That's because Daphne's taking care of me."

Mrs Weasley smiled. "Yes, she's a good girl. Sit down, you two, dinner's ready any minute."

"May I help you?" Daphne offered.

"Oh no, Fleur and I have everything well in hand, just sit down and enjoy yourself, dear."

With that, she walked back to the kitchen.

Hermione slipped into the seat next to Ron, and opposite Daphne and Harry. Her gaze followed Mrs Weasley. It was amazing how fast she had warmed up to Daphne, considering how distrustful she had been when Harry introduced her as his girlfriend. What did the older woman see in Daphne she couldn't see?

As always, dinner at The Burrow was a boisterous affair. Daphne fitted in well, she had to give her that. She talked about cooking recipes with Molly and Fleur, discussed the latest Quidditch results with Ron, Ginny, Charlie and George, and wasn't even out of her depth when Percy dragged her into a discussion he had with Mr Weasley and Bill about a new law Kingsley had proposed to the Wizengamot the week before.

Harry also threw in his twopence, which caused her to raise her eyebrows. He'd never shown much interest in politics, as disillusioned as he was with the Ministry and its corruption. Then again, he planned on becoming an Auror, and given his position in their world, joining the Ministry in any form would throw him right in the middle of politics. Yet he showed an understanding of the complex matter she never would have thought possible. Was that Daphne's influence? It had to be.

Hermione smiled to herself. It seemed those two didn't spend all of their time making out.

During a lull in the conversation, Charlie asked, "Is our Weasley brother night out next Saturday still standing?"

"Yes, it is," Bill said. "Fleur gave me a night off." He winced at his wife, who elbowed him in the side.

Ron nudged Harry with his shoulder. "You're coming, too, mate, you're an honorary Weasley."

Harry's face lit up at that, and he hurried to accept the invitation.

Ginny grumbled something in a low voice, and Daphne watched her boyfriend with a small smile. She turned to Hermione. "What about a girl's night out, too?"

"I think that's a good idea," Harry said with an expectant look at Hermione.

She grinned and nudged her boyfriend with her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm not going to sit alone at home and wait until you return - probably drunk."

The Weasley brothers all roared with laughter, while Ron spluttered a protest.

Ginny, however, shook her head. "I'm sorry, I've already planned a date with Dean."

"I'm spending the weekend with my family in France," Fleur said.

Hermione's stomach gave an uncomfortable leap. Bugger! She hadn't counted on being alone with Daphne. Now it was too late to backpedal. She had no intention to insult Harry's girlfriend with impoliteness.

Daphne gave her a knowing look. Damned Slytherins!

"Seems it's only the two of us, Hermione. Meet me at our cottage at seven, and we can have dinner and a good girl talk in one of Looe's best restaurants."

She schooled her face into a polite smile. "That sounds lovely."

---

On Saturday, Hermione arrived on time in front of the small cottage.

Daphne was watering the flowers on the windowsill of the kitchen window. Hermione's appearance caught her attention, and she waved at her. "Be there in a minute," she mouthed through the closed window.

Hermione nodded and turned around to admire the view on the cliffs that seemed to be different each day and never failed to delight her whenever she visited Harry and Daphne. Not even a minute later, the sound of the opening door alerted her to Daphne's arrival, and she turned back.

Daphne had made reservations at a Muggle restaurant, so she wore a flowered summer dress with a wide petticoat and short cap-sleeves, and a matching cardigan hung over her arm. She sealed the door with a tap of her wand, stashed it into her handbag that hung from her shoulder, and walked down the shallow step that led to the door.

"Good evening, Hermione. Are you ready to go?"

She gave her a small hug which Hermione returned. By now, she had got used to Daphne's warm greetings and didn't second-guess them anymore.

They walked along the coastal path that led to the tiny village of Looe. On their way, Daphne pointed out all the landmarks.

Hermione's eyes lingered on the sea that sparkled like myriads of diamonds in the evening's light. She took a deep breath that smelled of seaweed and put a strand of hair the wind had blown into her face behind her ear. "I understand why Harry likes it here so much."

"It's beautiful, isn't it? I grew up here and always wanted to live here when I had finished Hogwarts. Harry told me he fell in love with this place the moment he saw it."

The two witches talked little until they sat at their table in the basement of the historic restaurant in the middle of Looe.

Hermione let her eyes wander around the room that was decorated with an abundance of historical maritime paraphernalia. The smell of delicious food wafted to her nose, and her stomach made an appreciative skip. "I like it here. It's cosy."

Daphne smiled at her over the menu. "I'm glad. Father takes us here whenever we stay at the cottage. The food is one of a kind."

"I take your word for that."

The waiter came to take their orders, and they agreed on a bottle of wine to go with their dinner.

In mutual agreement, they talked about inconsequential things until their food arrived and they had eaten their delicious dinner. They both ordered coffee afterwards. When the waiter had put the cups in front of them, Daphne looked around. The other guests paid them no heed, so she made an insignificant gesture with her right hand under the cover of the tablecloth.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Wandless Privacy Charm?"

"Yeah, Harry taught me how to do that. I thought we'd need one for the talk we're going to have." Daphne looked Hermione straight in the eyes. Some colour rose into her cheeks. "I know it still dissatisfies you what Harry told you about us, and that you worry for his happiness. I think it's best if we have a long-overdue talk."

She hadn't counted on that bluntness from Daphne, so Hermione just nodded her agreement.

"We didn't have the best start, Hermione, I know you are still wary of Harry being with me. Don't you think it's about time to clean the air between us, for Harry's sake?"

Hermione's stomach fluttered, and she regarded the young woman opposite of her with a long look. The last thing she had expected was that Daphne would address the problems between them head-on.

However, she had to agree. She valued her friendship with Harry too high to let anything come between them. Daphne had the potential to become a huge spoke in the wheel of their friendship.

She deflated and nodded; Daphne was right, they had to talk. It didn't look as if Harry's girlfriend was going to disappear soon, so they had to come to an understanding. Still, how to word her questions without sounding as if she wanted to pry into things that were too intimate to share?

"Harry told me about the talk you had at The Burrow. He's so respectful and caring, so he didn't want to give away details that are mine to share. He said you had a hard time believing that there was an attraction between us already before we ran into each other and that you were distrustful because of the marriage contract my father negotiated with Lucius Malfoy."

Hermione's eyes widened. She didn't expect that Daphne would share some of her and Harry's history to ease her concerns. Did that mean she really cared for Harry? Hopefully.

Daphne took a sip of her coffee, put the cup back onto the saucer and took a deep breath. "Well, let's address your concerns one after the other. Maybe I should tell you Harry's and my story right from the beginning. I think he already told you he started watching me during our fifth year?"

Hermione nodded at that.

"He wasn't the only one watching," Daphne said with a soft laugh. "I think I've noticed Harry from our first year on. There was something about him… his sweet smile, and the way his eyes lit up whenever he laughed… He laughed quite a lot that year, although I had the impression he had had little reason to laugh before he came to Hogwarts. The rags he wore in his spare time were a dead give-away that he didn't have the best home, even at eleven years I realised that." The reminiscent smile on her face faded. "He had little to laugh the next year, and it seemed to me as if his smile became less frequent with each year that passed. It terrified me when he disappeared during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, and when we returned for our fifth year, I feared for his life." Daphne bit her lips, her eyes lowered onto her cup.

Hermione tensed and looked at Daphne with pursed lips. Did she? She'd give her she was afraid for Harry because of Voldemort's return, but fearing for his life? Wasn't she laying it on a bit too thick?

"Why was that? You were not privy to the information Ron and I had, and The Daily Prophet printed nothing but lies about Harry."

Daphne raised her head. "You forget the house I was in," she said in a calm voice. "We snakes knew Harry hadn't been lying when he announced V… Voldemort's return when he came back from the graveyard, clutching Cedric's dead body. The Death Eater spawns knew what had happened. They had expected Voldemort's return for weeks then, and soon after Harry's return, they received confirmation from their parents. They had a party in our common room that night. And my father is in the Wizengamot. He told me about Harry's trial and the Dementors. If Harry didn't lie, and we both know he didn't, there were only two explanations for the Dementors attacking Harry in Little Whinging. Either the Ministry had already lost control of them and they had turned to Voldemort, or someone high in the Ministry had sent them to silence Harry."

Her face hardened. "Father had become suspicious and investigated. He found out that the Dementors had not yet turned on the Ministry. He knew that to order two Dementors to Little Whinging, you had to be high in the pecking order. It didn't take Father long to come up with Dolores Umbridge as a suspect. They confirmed his suspicion when the Ministry announced Umbridge was the new DADA professor. Hence my fear for Harry's life."

Hermione considered Daphne's words. Her explanation made sense. Because of her father's connections and her status as the heiress, it was believable that they had talked about Harry's trial and its implications. Anyone with some common sense had to realise that the Dementor attack on Harry warranted an investigation and would have come up with the same conclusions.

However, had she heard right? She blinked. This was the first time a Slytherin had called Voldemort by his name in her presence. And how did Daphne know about the graveyard? That meant -

Her breath caught. If Harry had talked to Daphne about the darkest day of his past, he must trust her even more than she had thought possible. He hadn't opened to Ron and her about that once after the night in the hospital wing.

"Harry told you, didn't he? About the graveyard."

Daphne sighed and nodded. "I woke up a couple of times from him thrashing around when he had nightmares, and I encouraged him to talk about them."

"I'm surprised he agreed to that."

"He didn't, at least not at first. However, I can be very persuasive." The blonde witch shot her a grin that lacked any humour. "And before you ask, yes, I know what happened in the Forbidden Forest, and about Voldemort's trinkets, and the cat flap to the door of Harry's room, and -"

Hermione held up her hand to interrupt the enumeration of horrors her best friend had been through. "All right, I get it, Harry told you a lot, maybe even everything."

That either showed an amount of trust from Harry's side into his girlfriend he had never displayed before, especially not after such a short time, or foul play. She narrowed her eyes.

"I didn't dose Harry with anything."

Was that woman a Legilimens?

Daphne shot her another humourless grin. "You are as easy to read as him, you both wear your emotions on your sleeves. It's all in your eyes." She took a sip of coffee and squared her shoulders. "To understand why Harry and I came so far in such a short time, you'll have to know how we got together. I hope you believe me when I say I was already interested in him for some time?"

"That point came across."

They both chuckled.

"Good," Daphne said. "I know that Harry already told you he was interested in me during our sixth year."

"I think 'obsessed' was the word he used," Hermione said to lighten the mood.

Daphne's face brightened. "Like I was with him. However, I didn't dare act on that. My family's stance in the upcoming conflict was neutral, so pursuing a relationship with Harry would have meant I went against my family. As the heiress, I couldn't do that." She made a face. "Much good that did us. Voldemort wanted to get us under his thumb, and he sent out one of his sycophants to get us. I don't know which threat Lucius Malfoy used to overcome my father's opposition. It must have been severe, Father is not that easily intimidated, but he gave in to Malfoy's demands at last and promised to sign a marriage contract between the ferret and me as soon as Voldemort had won."

Hermione perked her head up. "He promised only? I thought he signed it."

"He avoided that, thank Merlin, or I wouldn't be here today. Malfoy's hubris broke his neck, he was convinced that Harry didn't stand a chance against Voldemort and agreed to put off the signing. We heard later that Voldemort forbade his sycophants and their families any formal betrothals, marriages, or even having children as long as Harry was still alive to ensure their full compliance. The threat of their line dying out is the hardest blow for any magical family, so Malfoy's willingness to wait with the signing until the war was over might as well be because of his lord's orders. Whatever, I don't complain."

Daphne grinned, and Hermione couldn't help but reciprocate. "I bet you don't."

"I wish I had known already the day I got Father's letter about the proposed contract. Or maybe not, I never would have reacted the way I did to the ferret's taunts had I known there was still hope for a way out."

Hermione's stomach tightened. "What did he do to you?" Knowing Draco Malfoy, this could get terrible, and she braced herself.

"Not much, Voldemort's orders saw to that. As always, he was all talk and no action." This time, Daphne's grin was full of smugness.

The two witches exchanged a momentary look and burst out laughing.

"I should have known," Hermione said at last and dabbed her eyes with her napkin. "He always is, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Daphne sobered. "Yet, he's perfected the art of hurting with words, and that night he was bad enough to drive me out of the common room. I ran through the castle without aim. That's how I ran into Harry." She broke off, a dreamy expression in her eyes.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Harry already told me that part."

"And Harry told me you scolded him for coming to rescue the damsel in distress," Daphne said with a chuckle. "Did he tell you what happened next?"

Hermione's cheeks grew warm, and she avoided looking at Daphne. "Not really. However, he confirmed what Blaise let slip the day after the battle and said he had no regrets."

"Neither have I." Daphne took a deep breath. "Harry is too considerate of me to tell you everything, Hermione, but I think you need to know to understand how Harry and I got to where we are now." She took another deep breath. "I asked Harry to sleep with me."

"What?!" Hermione gaped at the girl opposite her. She never would have thought that.

Daphne's cheeks turned a deep shade of red that rivalled any Weasley's. "It's not my habit to ask random boys I run into to sleep with me. Had I run into someone else, that night would have ended differently."

And Harry would most likely be dead by now. Everything within Hermione went cold at that thought. "Harry told me he owes his survival to you."

"Did he?" Daphne's eyes brightened. "He gives himself and his resourcefulness too little credit, although I hope I have helped to stir him in the right direction."

Hermione startled. That did it. She had to know what had happened between those two that night, even though any account about Harry's love life would probably scar her for life. "Daphne, for Merlin's sake, what happened between you that night?" Gods, could her cheeks turn any warmer?

"Besides the obvious, you mean?"

The dratted woman had the guts to chuckle, and Hermione huffed.

"Daphne!"

Daphne held up her hands. "Sorry. Well, at first we just talked. I was so out of sorts, so angry and upset, I blurted everything out to him. He just listened, and something in his eyes told me he was angry on my behalf and wanted to help me in any way he could. I wanted to defy Malfoy, and the only way I could think of doing that was not giving him the satisfaction to be my first. His humiliation would be even bigger if I could tell him I had slept with Harry." Her blush deepened, if possible. "You might say I have used Harry, however, he was the only one I considered asking such an intimate favour. He seemed to understand, too. We both were in a horrible place that night, so we just jumped to the beat of our hormones and our anger. However, the outcome couldn't have been any better."

The dreamy expression returned to her eyes. "He was so good at making me feel good, if you know what I mean. I now know it was his first time, too, although you wouldn't have guessed it by the way he treated me. As far as first times go, ours was exceptional."

She lost herself in her memories. Hermione stared at her and couldn't help the envy that welled up with her as she remembered the awkward fumble she and Ron had had.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming." Daphne returned to the here and now. "It did something to us. It might have started as all physical, however, Harry didn't treat me like a cheap lay but like the most precious thing on earth…"

"You are the most precious thing to him and probably were already back then," Hermione said in a soft voice.

"I know now." Daphne wiped away a small tear from the corner of her eye and smiled. "That night, I was so thankful for his consideration and tenderness. I gave my body to him, and he captured my heart. I did not know then, all I knew was that I couldn't let him go, that I had to see him again. Imagine my devastation when he told me he wouldn't return to Hogwarts. How he said that, or perhaps something in his eyes, told me he didn't expect to survive whatever he was going to do."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "That was more than I could bear, so I made him promise he'd return to me. I didn't know him as well as I do now, but I knew he'd move heaven and earth to keep his promise. While he was away, I missed him more than I had imagined possible. At first, I thought it was the effect of the lingering hormones and the passion we had shared. However, eventually I realised I missed his laughter most, and how he had smiled at me when we talked. That was when I knew that my crush on him had developed into something more, that I was falling for him."

Warmth spread in Hermione's chest as she regarded the young woman in front of her with a long look. Harry had kept his promise in the end. Would he have fought that desperately to keep alive without Daphne in the picture? That was doubtful. He might as well have thought himself dispensable and decided not to return to the living when Voldemort's Killing Curse hit him in the Forbidden Forest. That outcome also fulfilled that rotten prophecy.

"It seems I owe the life of my best friend to you," she said in a low voice. "Harry told me that his promise to you made him change our plans and focus on our survival."

"Yet he failed, didn't he?" Daphne asked with a quivering smile. "He had to allow that monster to kill him. He told me he did it because he wanted to end the killing, and he knew his death would bring about my freedom. He said that made him happy, and he died with the memory of our time together. I can't imagine what that must have cost him. Excuse me." She turned away from Hermione, fumbled in her handbag for a handkerchief, and dried her tears.

"I did not know he told you that much," Hermione said at last.

Daphne gave a small laugh. "Oh, he didn't want to. However, his nightmares are a dead give-away, and as I already told you, I can be persuasive."

Hermione cocked an eyebrow at her. "Makes me wonder about your means."

Daphne grinned, although still watery. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to know." She put the handkerchief back into her handbag and closed it. "When the battle was over, all I could think of was that Harry and I had a chance of finding out what we meant to each other." She gave a small laugh. "You know how it was. People crowded on him, and I resigned myself to wait until they had calmed down. I didn't count on Malfoy senior trying to bully Father into signing the contract. I guess he thought that aligning the Malfoy name to a neutral family would keep him and the ferret out of Azkaban. It came to him and Draco drawing their wands at my parents."

Hermione startled. "I did not know about that. How did you get out of that? I heard someone bundled up Draco and his father in a nice package and delivered them to the Aurors. Was that your dad?"

Daphne broke out into laughter. "No, and that's still irritating him. Harry interfered, he shattered the wands of the Malfoys with a silent spell and bound them in ropes."

"A true knight in shining armour." Hermione had to laugh as well. "That's so typically Harry, he can't resist stepping up when there's a damsel in distress."

A dangerous gleam appeared in Daphne's eyes. "I don't like that generalisation, Hermione. If I have my way, I am the only damsel in distress Harry wants to rescue. Although I prefer to fight my own battles."

"Oh, the lady gets possessive." Hermione chortled. Who would have thought that of Daphne Greengrass? She always seemed so prim and proper to her during all these classes they had shared, yet she was as impetuous and passionate as Harry under the polished surface, as her part in them getting together betrayed.

Hermione propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. "You and Harry are more alike than I would ever have thought."

She bit her lips. Blaise had told her, and so had Harry. Ron had advised her to keep an open mind about the girl and trust Harry's judgement on her character and their relationship. Had her perception of them been wrong, tainted by the negative experiences with the other members of Daphne's house? It seemed so. She straightened.

"I owe you an apology."

Daphne smiled at her. There was a lot of understanding in that smile. "You don't, Hermione. You are protective of Harry, and you made terrible experiences with other Slytherins. You knew next to nothing about me, especially not about Harry and me, so you were wary. I can understand that and even appreciate that. I am protective of him as well. I just wanted you to realise that we are on the same side when it comes to Harry. I won't hurt him intentionally, ever."

"I think I'm understanding that."

"Good!" Daphne exhaled deeply. She took the bottle of wine out of the cooler and topped off their glasses. "Let's drink to that."

Hermione grinned and raised her glass. "Cheers! However, don't think I'll let you off that easily. What happened after your encounter with the Malfoys in the hallway? After all, Harry was gone all night long." She wriggled her eyebrows at Daphne.

"Well, I think my father is still recovering from the shock I gave him when I threw myself into Harry's arms…"

Hermione rested her chin on her hand once again and listened in rapt attention to Daphne's tale of how she and Harry had decided not to waste a single moment and embrace their relationship. Now that her perception wasn't coloured by the house Daphne belonged to at school anymore, it was obvious in every word and every smile of the blonde witch how much she cared for Harry.

She took a deep breath. She and Daphne might not yet be best friends, but they were on a good way.

---

A couple of hours and another bottle of wine later, two very tipsy witches walked along the nightly country lane that led to Stormcrest Cottage. They had their arms around each other and chatted and giggled as if they were best friends for years.

The two young men who stood on the shallow step that led to the entrance door exchanged a look.

"I'd say our plan worked, mate," the redhead said.

"Yeah, it's brilliant how everyone played along, your brothers, Ginny, and even Fleur," the raven-haired man said.

"They all care for you and want to see you happy, mate. It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that Daphne makes you happy. Only Hermione couldn't, perhaps because she is too brainy to see the obvious when it jumps at her."

Harry chuckled. "Don't let her hear that, Ron."

Ron joined his laughter. "Nah, I don't have a death wish. Let's hope she will never find out that we sat her up tonight."

"Ronald Bilius Weasley and Harry James Potter, you did what?"

The two young men jumped.

A bushy-haired which stood at the other end of the gravel path that led to the door of the small cottage, her hands stemmed on her hips.

The young men exchanged a wide-eyed look of horror and did the most sensible thing any wizard caught in the act could do.

They ran.

The End