Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: A lot of stressful crap has delayed my writing for the last few weeks, but I'm hoping that some of that will be clearing up soon.

As for the story, things get surprisingly fluffy in this chapter. Hope you enjoy.

"People incapable of guilt usually do have a good time."

February 3rd, 2003

"Hey mate."

Ron came in and sat down that Monday morning with a smile on his face. Harry was almost impressed- he was only five minutes late.

"Good weekend, Ron?"

"Yeah, pretty good. How about you?"

"It was informative."

Ron snorted. "Let me guess, you spent more time doing research? What's the point of all that?"

"I like to know what I'm getting myself into before trouble finds me," Harry replied as he passed over a file.

"What's this?" Ron asked.

"The French have finally decided to be 'helpful.' Our victim hadn't been seen there in more than a week from before when she disappeared."

"I would have thought someone would have noticed her going missing."

"I think that can be blamed on the break between semesters," Harry shrugged. "She had a single dormitory at the college where she was studying. French Aurors searched it but didn't turn up anything. No evidence that the crime occurred there or anything notably out of place."

"What about magic?"

"No traces of magic left behind either," Harry frowned. "In other words, no leads whatsoever from France."

"Damn," Ron exhaled. "But we still have to figure out how she got here from there."

"Yeah, and right now that's a problem."

"Why?"

"Apart from the French not wanting British Aurors turning their country upside down? We don't really have any idea where to start looking, even if we did go there."

"So, we're at a dead end." Ron put his head in his hands. "That's going to suck when I have to tell Dean."

"Are you going to see him soon?"

"Friday night some of us are getting together down at the pub." Ron looked up and smirked at Harry. "Hey, why don't you come out with us? It might help take the spotlight off Dean's sister if the mysterious boy who lived shows up. What do you say?"

Harry took a breath and thought for a moment. "I suppose I could do that. I was wondering if I could ask you a favor as well."

"Sure."

"Granger. I mean, Hermione. I'd like to pick her brain some more."

Ron laughed. "Oh, she'd love that. Just don't be surprised if she asks you even more questions than whatever you've got for her. Tell you what, I'm seeing her for dinner tonight and I'll mention it."

"Thanks."

"No problem, Harry." Ron looked over at the calendar for a minute. "You know what, why don't you plan on meeting her for lunch one of these days? Maybe Wednesday? You could head over to St. Mungo's and make sure she isn't working herself to death."

"That sounds alright."

"Good," Ron nodded. "I'll talk to Hermione tonight and let her know to expect you."

February 5th, 2003

Harry knocked at the door frame as he watched Hermione pouring over a file, her hair pulled back into a ponytail that she was playing with as she read. "Did you forget lunch today?"

"Oh, Harry! I must have lost track of time."

He shrugged. "At least it was on something interesting, I hope?"

"Only if you are worried about Potions maintaining their efficacy over time," she grinned. "Let me mark my place and we can head out."

"Alright. Do you know of any good places to eat around here?"

"I suppose the cafeteria would lead to a lot of stares."

"I would have thought people wouldn't be so star struck after all these years," he replied.

"I think the two decade absence just made you more mysterious and interesting. Especially to the ladies," she teased as she pulled out the newest Witch Weekly. "How does it feel to be the country's most eligible bachelor?"

"Did Ron put you up to that?"

"He may have suggested something." Hermione set the magazine aside and picked up her purse as she got up. "Do you like curry? I find myself enjoying spicy food more when it's cold out."

"I do," he nodded. "And February does tend to be a particularly cold and dreary month."

"Let's go then."

After the waitress brought their food, Harry cast a spell for privacy.

"Oh, is this a conversation about business?" Hermione asked.

"Business before pleasure," he replied.

"Alright, what can I do for you?"

"Our dead girl- did you see the whole file?"

"I saw everything when I was doing the autopsy."

"Then you saw the pictures and everything," Harry blew over his curry before taking a bite.

"Yes, and the Christian iconography makes me wonder," she responded with a frown. "That is very unusual for a wizard, especially a British wizard."

"You're assuming our murderer is British. He could very well be French."

"That might be more likely," she agreed. "I don't know many of them, but there are some magical people there who are religious. Not the majority obviously, but it is a bit more common than here."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"It will make the case much harder to solve."

"Yeah, and I've got nowhere to start looking, even if I do pop across the Channel."

"Oh dear," Hermione sighed. "Please keep Ron out of trouble if you do go. He still makes some gaffes when he's in the muggle world."

"I might just go on my own if I do," Harry replied before taking another bite. He was going to have to remember this place- it was a lot better than the little curry shop that was closer to Grimmauld Place.

"I thought that Aurors were supposed to always have back up on murder cases," she frowned.

"Officially."

Hermione snorted. "Maybe you and Ron are more alike than you know. He never paid as much attention to the rules as I would have liked either."

Harry hummed and swallowed his food. "So, how did you two get together anyway?"

"We don't always seem like the most obvious couple," she blushed. "I guess it started when he asked me for help. We were in fifth year and the OWLs were coming up. You know about them, right? I know they have different tests in different countries."

"I've heard of them, yeah."

Hermione nodded. "Ron wanted help studying, and I was the top student overall in our year. He was really polite about it. He told me that his mum had rowed with his twin brothers after their scores were so bad- which is odd because Fred and George are actually brilliant in a lot of ways. With all the things they've come up with for their store, I would have thought they would have aced Transfiguration, Charms, Potions... well, anyway, Ron was giving me these puppy dog eyes when he asked and I said yes. Over the next couple of years, we got closer and eventually we started dating in seventh year.

"It's been rocky at times, but I suppose that's true of most couples," she finished with a sigh. Hermione took a drink and then smiled. "So, what did you think of the black robe you found with the body?"

Harry noticed the way she had blatantly changed the subject, but he answered anyway. "I think it was almost certainly left behind as part of the staging. Ron immediately mentioned how the Death Eaters wore all black robes. Do you think it has something to do with that?"

"I wouldn't think so," Hermione frowned. "We know that they were all supposedly killed years ago- it was in all the papers, people clutching their left arms and falling over dead a moment later. On the other hand, with the victim being the muggle sister of a muggleborn wizard, it does look like the sort of thing they would have done. Besides, even with all the Death Eaters dead, it's not as if they didn't leave behind family members that believed the same sort of pureblood supremacy nonsense. Maybe a son wanting to follow in his father's footsteps?"

"Like Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Doubtful," she shook her head. "I knew Draco Malfoy for several years. He wouldn't have come up with something so obscure and hidden. No, if he had started killing muggles, he's more the type to brag about it or at least stage something a lot more blatant and out in the open. Plus, I doubt he knows anything about Christianity."

"But you think it could have been someone like him? A son of a Death Eater?"

"Precisely," Hermione replied.

"Even though Lucius Malfoy was cleared of being a Death Eater officially?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"If you believe that, then you must also believe he just so happened to have an accident that cost him the bottom half of his left arm... suspiciously at the same time that all the Death Eaters were keeling over." Hermione snorted. "I haven't known you long, but you don't seem like an idiot, Harry."

He grinned. "High praise."

"You're welcome," she smiled back.

He nodded. "So, I was wondering about something. You're a muggleborn, right? But it seems like you spend most of your time in the magical world."

"It's not easy trying to bridge the two," she sighed. "That's led to some issues with my parents. My dad in particular is frustrated by the magical healing we have that could do so much good if not for the statute of secrecy. If I could, I would love to do some sort of work that could do more, but the law is against me. In a perfect world, I could open a clinic and heal everyone, regardless of whether they could use magic."

"That's a noble goal," Harry replied. "I think you might keep your idea in mind though. One of these days, things are bound to change."

"You really think so?"

"Sure." Harry pointed out the window across the street. "What do you see there?"

She followed his finger. "A security camera."

"There are thousands of them just in London," Harry added. "How soon before a wizard casts a spell and it's recorded on video? Or, what if an obviously magical creature were spotted in public? They've got dragons in the heart of the city, you know? At Gringotts. How fast can footage get on the internet or the BBC? Especially since a lot of magical people don't pay much (if any) attention to that sort of thing. Who knows how many millions of people are online right now? We would never be able to Obliviate them all.

"The question isn't if the statute of secrecy will fall, but how soon until it happens. So that means, how much time do we have to prepare? I'd like to think the ICW has people working on this, but I don't trust governments to ever actually know what the hell they're doing."

Hermione had paled. "Things could get really bad if the wrong sort of thing gets leaked."

"Yeah."

"I think I've been trying to keep that idea out of my head," she whispered.

Harry nodded. "I don't blame you."

They each took another bite of food and Harry watched as Hermione was obviously thinking things over.

"Let's talk about something less serious," she said a moment later.

Harry shrugged. "Okay. What can you tell me about Daphne Greengrass?"

Hermione smirked. "Why do you ask?"

"Let's just say that I found her interesting."

Hermione beamed at that. "Oh, I think it would be a very interesting challenge to see if someone could break through to that girl. We had a few classes together over the years, and I swear, she was the least sociable person I knew. Even worse than me. I think something might have happened to her."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know exactly," Hermione bit her lower lip. "It's just a feeling I got from her. No one is that closed off without some sort of trauma or something."

"Hmm."

"Plus, I'd love to see such a stiff pureblood type proven to be a normal person," Hermione added. "She wasn't too snobby to me, but a lot of others like her were. Like that Parkinson cow; now I really hated her."

Harry took another bite and looked out the window for a moment.

"So, are you planning on making a move on Daphne?" Hermione asked with a grin.

Harry tilted his head. "Why are you so interested?"

She giggled. "It's just funny that for once I'm the one with the interesting gossip. The girls in my dorm always thought I was so boring because I didn't care who was dating who or any of that. Now, I know a secret about the one and only Harry Potter."

"I'm not that interesting really."

"Unfortunately for you, a lot of people don't agree."

"A lot of people are assholes," Harry snorted. "Look, don't say anything, alright? I've barely talked to her one time."

"My lips are sealed," Hermione grinned.

"I'd appreciate that."

February 7th, 2003

"Why are you heading to Diagon Alley?" Ron asked as they closed up their office for the weekend. "We're supposed to be meeting everybody for drinks."

"I'll just be a few minutes."

"Fine, but don't forget-"

"Hogsmeade, the Three Broomsticks," Harry interjected. "I've got it, and I'll be there soon enough."

"Alright, but you'll have to catch up with us."

Harry opened the door and heard a groan as the bell jingled.

"We're closing, so you better make this fast, whoever you are."

He walked over to the counter and smiled. Daphne's hair was up in a bun but a few strands had fallen out and she looked particularly annoyed. "Sorry I'm so late, but I just got off work. It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Greengrass."

"Mister Potter," she nodded. "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to thank you for your insight about the case I'm working on."

"You're welcome."

Harry grinned and leaned on the counter. "Well, I was thinking of something a little more lavish than just a few words."

"What?" she tensed up.

"I'd like to take you to dinner sometime."

Daphne narrowed her eyes at him. "Did someone put you up to this?"

"No, why?"

"Never mind," she turned around and waved her wand to put several things away behind the counter before looking back at him with a tight expression. "I hope you weren't expecting me to just run off with you tonight."

"I'm sure you'd probably like more notice than that," he chuckled. "Besides, I'm supposed to meet my partner and some others for drinks tonight anyway. I was thinking maybe next week, assuming you're free."

Daphne looked him over and thought about it for a moment. Finally she sighed. "I suppose I never would hear the end of it if I actually shot Harry Potter down. But not next Friday. Valentine's Day would be a little too on the nose for a first date, and I don't want the pressure of something like that."

Harry nodded. "Fair enough. Maybe next Saturday then?"

"Next Saturday." She nodded and smiled back at him. "It's a date, Mister Potter."

"I'll see you then," he grinned. "Have a good weekend, Daphne."

She sighed once he left the store and immediately locked the door behind him.

Daphne puttered around the store for a few minutes, cleaning up ingredients and generally tidying things. She had a dinner scheduled for seven o'clock with her family, but for once she really couldn't care about being late. As the birthday girl, she could be as late as she wanted. Anything would be better than having to deal with her sister and that despicable brat she was now 'courting.'

Although...

It could be pretty funny to eventually introduce them to Harry Potter.

That might make it worth it, assuming things even got that far.

Now she was really starting to get ahead of herself.

Still, there was something about him. If this date didn't go well, she might actually be disappointed. And wasn't that a strange feeling?

"What the hell am I doing?"

"There he is!" Ron shouted once Harry made his way through the crowd. "Get a drink and get over here, Potter!"

Dozens of eyes turned to him, and Harry considered kicking Ron under the table for that. He got an ale from the busty barmaid and headed for the table full of guys in one corner where his partner was sitting. Dean Thomas was there as well, not looking too great and nursing a very large glass of something. The other two he didn't recognize.

Harry took a drink and sat down.

"You've already met Dean," Ron said before clapping the large blond guy sitting next to him. "This is Neville Longbottom, and the dangerous little Irishman over there is Seamus Finnegan."

"Nice to meet you all," Harry said as they began shaking hands.

"I'm just glad to have an excuse to warm up for the evening," Neville said. "Even with the enchantments, it gets cold going out to the greenhouses on days like this."

"Greenhouses?" Harry asked.

"Nev's an assistant to Professor Sprout up at Hogwarts," Seamus replied with a laugh. "He says it's because he likes the subject. Me? I think he just likes seeing all the teenage witches everyday."

"Piss off, Seamus," Neville snorted. "You're the pervert who thinks he's a ladies man."

"It's not my fault you won't ever take my advice about dating," Seamus countered.

"How often does that advice actually work?" Neville argued.

"I'm the one who's not single, mate."

"I guess you know a lot about plants then?" Harry interjected.

"Sure," Neville shrugged.

"Do you know of anyone that grows eucalyptus?"

"No. It's not a common ingredient for Potions so there's not really much need for it."

Harry nodded. "It was worth a shot."

"Oi, Harry, I came here to relax and not think about work," Ron said, cutting a quick glance towards Dean who was already finishing a glass of whiskey.

"Right, sorry."

"So, what's your story Potter?" Seamus asked. "Other than the famous part."

Harry took another drink and sat back in his chair. "There's not a lot to tell, really. Those first few years after we left, Sirius kept on the move, worried about some Death Eaters tracking us down or something. By the time I was ready for school, he tried to find a place to settle down. That didn't work all that well either. But eventually we found a place that worked for a while. I went to school and lived a normal life, with him teaching me about magic in our spare time. Once I was a bit older, I ended up with a couple of different tutors for certain things."

"So, you grew up in the muggle world?" Neville asked.

"Well, the US is different in a lot of ways. It's a lot bigger, for one thing, and that means the wizards and witches tend to be a lot more spread out than over here. I knew about magic, and we knew some people who were magical, but it wasn't like there was a Diagon Alley anywhere near any of the places we lived. Eventually, my tutors thought highly enough of my skills that I got sort of recruited into Auror work. Some parts of the training were really easy for me- which tied back into my childhood and how paranoid Sirius was."

"He sounds a bit like old Mad-Eye Moody." Ron shook his head. "Terrible what happened to him. Dad always said he was the best."

"Yeah, Sirius spoke highly of him too," Harry agreed. "We heard about his death too. Dumbledore warned us."

"Really?" Seamus asked. "You knew Dumbledore?"

"Not well," Harry shrugged. "I met him a couple of times before he died. He wanted to get word to us about things, so he sent an old friend named Lupin to track Sirius and I down."

"Professor Lupin?" Neville asked. "Remus Lupin?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"He was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we ever had."

Dean nodded. "Most of them were awful. Remember Lockhart?"

"I'll bet Granger remembers Lockhart," Seamus snorted and Ron flushed in embarrassment.

"Sounds like a story there," Harry prodded.

"She had a crush on the vain git," Ron answered.

"To be fair, several girls did, but a lot of them got over it as the year went along," Seamus added. "Hermione was still fawning over him when most of us realized that he was completely full of it."

"I was glad when he ran off," Dean said. "Bloody coward-"

"I'm gonna hit the loo," Ron interjected and quickly left.

"We shouldn't have mentioned second year," Neville said quietly after they'd all taken a drink. "That was the year Lockhart taught, and it was the year-"

"That his sister died," Harry finished.

"Yeah," Seamus nodded.

"I guess now I can relate," Dean sighed before taking another drink.

Seamus patted his friend on the back. "You'll make it through this."

"Gotta be strong for mum and the girls," Dean muttered.

"So, Potter, how was Susan Bones?" Seamus asked, clearly trying to change the subject. "Must've been worth it to get busted down to working with Ron."

"I wouldn't have minded a chance with her," Neville said before starting to blush.

"Wouldn't we all?" Seamus chuckled.

"Susan's great, and some day she'll meet the right guy for her," Harry replied evenly.

"Bet you're kicking yourself that you weren't that right guy," Seamus laughed.

"You're good at your job, right Harry?" Dean interrupted.

"I've done alright."

"I asked around," Dean added. "Rumor has it that you've handled murder cases before, back in America."

"I have," Harry agreed.

"Did you catch the killers?"

Harry looked around the pub, noting Ron off in a corner talking to a pretty blonde, and then took a drink. "I always have, yeah. One way or another, I'll find out who killed your sister and I'll take the bastard down."

Dean sighed and nodded. "I think I believe you."

"Yeah, mate, I do too," Seamus added. "You're kinda intense, Potter."

Harry chuckled. "I've been told that a time or two before."

Ron rejoined them at that point, a bottle of firewhisky in his hand. "Alright, boys. Who's ready to get wasted?"

"Give me a minute," Harry said. "I'll be right back."

Not wanting to get completely sloshed with the others, Harry took a couple of minutes in the bathroom before heading over to the bar.

"What can I get you, honey?"

"You got any mead?"

"Best one in Scotland," she grinned. "Rosmerta's the name. We'd love to see you here more often, you know. Is there anything else you need, Mister Potter?"

Harry looked around the bar again and found the blonde young woman that Ron had been talking to earlier at a table in a corner. Trying to be less obvious about it, he motioned to her. "Who is that blonde girl?"

"The pretty one?" she asked.

He shrugged.

"Lavender Brown," Rosmerta answered. "Sweet girl. She has a clothing boutique in London that's starting to do alright this past year. I could introduce you, if you're interested."

She winked at him with her last sentence and Harry shook his head.

"No thanks. I was just curious."

"Alright." She handed over the mead, which Harry paid for. "So, is there any chance of your godfather coming back home one of these days?"

He chuckled. "No chance. Sirius has too many bad memories. Between his awful family and the deaths of my parents, he pretty much hates this country."

"That's too bad," Rosmerta replied. "He was a charming young man."

"He'd like to think that he still is," Harry said.

"Well, then what brings you back home?"

He tasted the mead and checked on his party, who was happily pounding back their drinks. "I needed a change of scenery."

Rosmerta smiled. "Then welcome back, Harry."

"Thanks."

February 8th, 2003

Daphne was eating breakfast with her family when an owl came swooping in headed directly for her.

"Are you expecting owl post from anyone, darling?" her mother asked.

"No."

Astoria giggled. "Maybe someone needs an emergency potion."

Daphne looked over the short message twice before looking up and doing her best to keep a straight face. "It's just from Harry. He wanted to know if I like Italian food."

"You love Italian food. But who is Harry?"

Daphne loved her mum when she set her up like that. She turned to her sister with a smirk.

"No bloody way!" Astoria gasped.

"Stori," her father chastised with a raised eyebrow, only briefly looking up from the newspaper.

"Sorry, dad, but... I mean..." Astoria narrowed her eyes. "You're joking."

"Auror Harry Potter stopped by the store a week or two ago," Daphne began. "He wanted to consult with me about a case. The other day, he came by again and offered to take me to dinner as a thank you for my expertise."

"Harry Potter, hmm," her mum smiled. "I believe I saw something the other day about him being... what was it? Oh yes, the most eligible bachelor in the country."

"So how on earth did she of all people land a date with him?"

Astoria was still glaring, and Daphne couldn't stop herself from enjoying it.

"Congratulations, darling."

"Thanks, mum."

Unfortunately for her, Evelyn Greengrass was not done with her. "You know this means we're going to have to pick out just the right outfit."

"Mum-"

"We'll do something about your hair, and a little makeup never hurts either," she added. "Not that you need much, but we'll want you to knock him dead."

Daphne groaned.

"Oh, let your mother have her fun," her father added.

"Traitor," she muttered.

The owl hooted at her. She wrote back her answer a moment later.

"So, when is the big date?" Astoria sneered.

"Next Saturday."

"That's a shame," her mum sighed. "Valentine's Day would have been more romantic."

"And a lot of pressure for a first date," Daphne replied. "Which I would prefer to avoid, thank you very much. Besides, I'd rather not try to rush to get ready after work."

"Then we'll have all day to prepare a good first impression," Evelyn grinned.

"Only till four," Daphne interjected.

"Four? That's a very early dinner." Her mother's eyes lit up. "Unless he has something special planned before you eat."

"Maybe?" Daphne shrugged. "We've only spoken the two times."

"Are you meeting him here?"

"No, he gave me his floo address." Daphne sent a glare at her sister. "Which I will be keeping to myself."

Astoria dabbed at her mouth and tossed aside her napkin. "I've had enough to eat, and I know when I'm not wanted."

After she left the room, her mother sighed. "I wish you two would get along better. You didn't always argue so much."

Cyrus Greengrass snorted and set the paper aside. "You're clearly remembering their younger years through rose colored glasses, love."

"Besides, she's become a lot more annoying ever since she took up with that brat Malfoy," Daphne added. "If she had half a brain, she wouldn't have picked such an arrogant, useless bastard."

"Daph-"

"Sorry, dad."

Evelyn sighed again. "You can't choose who you fall in love with, sweetheart."

"I'm not convinced she is in love," Daphne scoffed. "Maybe in love with his family's money."

"Speaking of which..." her mum's eyes lit up with glee. "The Potters were supposedly a very wealthy family, and not to mention whatever was left of the Black family fortune. Maybe you've found your own rich suitor."

"I'm not interested in him because of money."

"Then, what does interest you about him?" Evelyn teased.

Daphne took a large bite of her muffin and refused to say anymore, no matter how much her mother giggled.

She wasn't sure exactly what to answer.

But there was definitely something about Harry Potter.

February 15th, 2003

When she stepped through the floo that afternoon, Daphne wasn't sure what to expect, but the rather dark and gloomy house would certainly not have been her first guess.

"You look wonderful," Harry grinned as he kissed the back of her hand.

"Thank you."

She was wearing a sleeveless dark blue dress that came to just below her knees but still left her feeling almost uncomfortably exposed. It was very much not what she was used to- but Daphne still enjoyed the way Harry had looked her over without leering.

Well, maybe just a hint of leering.

He was dressed in a very smart suit, with a dark green tie that brought out his eyes- which were uncovered for once. Then again, so were hers.

"So, where are we going?" she asked, trying not to feel too nervous. "I assume you might want to avoid the magical world and all your admirers."

"Yeah," he grinned. "Besides, do you actually know any good magical Italian restaurants around here?"

"No," she giggled.

Daphne giggled? What was wrong with her? Merlin, she was going to blow this already.

"I hope you don't mind a little surprise," he said as he stepped closer.

"I don't mind, as long as it's a good one."

He offered his arm. "Trust me- it will be."

She tried not to blush as she wrapped her right arm around his left.

"Hold on tight," he grinned.

She'd done side-along apparition plenty of times before, but this felt different. Smoother.

And one moment later, Harry's smiling face was lit by a sun sinking low over the sea.

"Where are we?" she asked. The weather felt a bit warmer too, which was nice as she had been planning on using a warming charm in London.

"Welcome to Naples," he replied.

"Naples?" she gaped.

"What better place to find Italian food?"

"This is a good surprise," Daphne chuckled. "But I don't speak Italian."

"That's what translation charms are for." He waved his wand a couple of times over each of them.

"And the notice me not charm?"

"It's just really useful," he shrugged. "In case we need to get our wands out for any other reasons. And maybe I just want to keep you all to myself for the evening."

"I think I'd like that," she smiled.

"Good." Harry pulled her slightly to start off down a sidewalk. "Well, it's still a bit early to eat, but I didn't want to miss the sunset."

"A nice little walk to build up my appetite sounds good."

Harry glanced down at her shoes- ballet flats- and raised an eyebrow. "As long as those are comfortable walking shoes."

"I'm a witch," she teased. "They've got built-in comfort charms."

"Alright then."

They kept walking, and Daphne didn't let go of his arm. She smiled- this was going better than she had hoped.

"So, tell me about yourself," Harry prodded.

"Me? Aren't you the man of mystery?" she teased.

"I'm pretty boring actually."

"It doesn't seem like it to me," she replied. "Not many people can take a girl halfway across Europe for a first date."

"If you've got the power, then why not?" he shrugged.

"I'm not complaining," she chuckled. "Well, what should I say about myself?"

"Why did you decide to work in an apothecary?"

"It's a family business," she answered. "My grandmother used to work there when I was little, and I always thought it was amazing. People would come in and she would figure out what they needed, sometimes helping them with potions or even brewing them herself. Neither mum nor dad really liked running the store, so I decided I would do it once I was able. Potions was always one of my stronger classes at school too, so..."

"It sounds like a good fit for you then."

"I think so. Dad prefers doing the 'behind the scenes' things. Getting ingredients from different sources, arguing over prices, balancing the books, and... well, pretty much anything but dealing with customers."

Harry snorted. "I think I can relate to that."

"Sometimes people can be pretty trying," Daphne agreed. "I don't like the summer when the kids are heading back for Hogwarts."

"Too many guys hitting on the pretty witch behind the counter?" he teased.

"Too many little brats that try to sneak something into their pockets," she replied. "Besides, I've got an image that isn't meant to encourage flirting."

"You can pull off a decent severe look."

"Thank you."

"Is that why you color your hair?" he asked.

Daphne tensed only briefly. "It's one of the reasons."

"And the glamour charms?"

"Same thing."

"Hmm."

"The glasses too," she added. "Although, I have them for more practical reasons. What about you?"

"I actually need mine," Harry chuckled.

"But not tonight?" she asked.

"Contacts. I don't like wearing them, but I thought I would put in a little extra effort for our first date."

"Our first date?" she glanced at him. "Are you feeling a little presumptuous?"

"How am I doing so far?"

"Not bad," she admitted.

"Then I think we might have a decent shot at another, don't you?"

"Maybe." Daphne sighed as the sun began to set. "You were right. The view is worth it."

"I know," he said, and she couldn't help but be pleased as she saw his glance flit over to her.

"So, what about you, Harry?"

"Me?"

"Why did you decide to become an auror?"

"Hmm... well, I was sort of recommended for it by one of my tutors. Defense was always one of my strongest areas, and Sirius used to joke that I watched too many murder mysteries and cop shows. He never understood my Scooby Doo theory either."

"What's that?" she asked.

"It's a cartoon that I watched a lot when I was young. These teenagers and their talking dog would stumble into mysteries and try to figure out who the criminals were."

"That sounds rather silly."

"It was a show for children," he shrugged. "But, I later realized that all the 'adult' TV shows about detectives all followed the same sort of pattern that I first saw in Scooby Doo."

"What do you mean?"

"The people investigating the crime always meet a few new characters. Some will be obvious suspects. Often times there will be a red herring thrown in to confuse the audience. But eventually, the good guys will figure out it was one of the first people they came across that was the actual villain."

"I guess it's not that easy in the real world," Daphne suggested.

"Sometimes it is, actually," Harry replied. "More often than you'd think. If someone gets murdered, then more often than not it was their brother or husband or something. It's more rare for other crimes- you're much more likely to be robbed by a stranger, for example."

"What about the case you're working on now?"

Harry frowned. "I'm thinking it was someone the victim knew, but not well. Someone she met who then targeted her for a particular reason."

"Do you have a lead then?"

"Not really," he sighed. "Unfortunately, it's a case where we're stuck dealing with bureaucracy."

"Oh."

"I'll solve it one of these days."

"You sound sure of yourself."

"I'm good at what I do."

Daphne moaned as she took her first bite.

Harry smirked at her from across the table. "Looks like I picked a good restaurant then."

"If you don't eat your delicious food, I will."

"Then you did work up an appetite," he chuckled as he picked up his fork.

"Maybe." She stopped herself from eating too quickly- no matter how amazing it was- by taking another sip of wine. "It's a shame they didn't have a French wine- I've always preferred it over Italian. But I suppose that some people might see that as a..." she waved her hand and searched for the right word. "A betrayal, or something."

"You know what makes the wine taste better?"

"What?"

"Having two more glasses."

She snorted. "I take it you're not a wine connoisseur then?"

"No," he said as he took a drink. "Sirius taught me to drink with lots of different types of alcohol, but he always preferred harder liquor."

"So, what was that like?" She clarified, "I mean, growing up with your godfather?"

"Surprisingly normal. I think Sirius tried harder for me to make up for missing my parents. Not that I really could miss them, since they died before I could remember them. Once I started to grow up though, he encouraged me to be independent. I think part of that was him needing a bit of a break, though. By the time I was eleven or twelve, I could mostly look after myself."

"But there were no women in your life? I mean, maternal figures."

"Well, from when I was about six or seven until I turned ten, we had this older woman that took care of us. Cooking, cleaning, and everything else. But she was a lot older- about sixty I think- so she was more like a grandmother. Her name was Violet, and she was a very sweet woman."

"What happened to her?"

"She got breast cancer." Harry took another drink, finishing his first glass of wine, and then poured himself a second. "It wasn't caught until it had spread into her spine, and by then she was a lost cause. Sirius and I tried to make sure her last couple of months were as pleasant as we could make them."

"I'm sorry." Daphne reached across the table and held his hand. By the time she had done it, she was surprised at herself, but she didn't let go.

"Thank you." He squeezed her hand. "Sirius never really believed in playing by the rules, so we used magic on her to try to lessen the pain as much as we could. She was a muggle, but she was dying, so who was she going to tell?"

"Didn't she have any family?"

"A brother that lived in another state," he shrugged. "Her marriage hadn't worked out, and she didn't have any children. The next year, Sirius decided it was time to move again, to get a new start. He said at the time that he didn't want me to have to live in that house and remember how she died every time I walked by her old room."

"He sounds like a good man."

"He's had his moments," Harry smirked. "You mentioned your grandmother earlier. Is she still around?"

"Yes, gran is still going strong," Daphne smiled. "She's the one who ran the store today. She insists I have the weekends off."

"That's nice of her."

"Yes, well... I believe she's been hoping I would meet a nice young man and have plans for the weekends."

"So, I'd have one member of your family rooting for me."

"My mum too, assuming I have a good time tonight," Daphne teased. "On the other hand, my sister is very jealous."

"Really? I thought I saw that she was dating someone-"

"She would correct you that she is courting Draco Malfoy. Unfortunately," she muttered.

"Why?"

"Let's just say that I don't think he's good enough for my sister. Or anyone else."

Harry snorted. "I've heard bad things about that family before. Sirius hates them. Mrs. Malfoy is his cousin."

"I'd forgotten that she used to be a Black."

"He's just glad that the family name has nearly died out."

"He doesn't want to have children of his own?" Daphne asked.

"No. He says he used up all his parenting skills just trying to make sure I turned out okay."

"I think he did alright, then," she teased as she finished her first glass of wine and held it out to Harry, who poured her another.

It was late when they arrived back at Grimmauld Place. Daphne teetered slightly when they landed.

She might have had a little too much wine.

Harry had wrapped his arm around her waist though, and she leaned in closer.

"I could escort you home, if you like," he said.

"I can handle the floo just fine," she insisted. "Besides, I don't want mum or Stori to start harassing us yet."

"Yet?" Harry asked. He leaned in and whispered to her. "Does that mean a second date is on the schedule, Daphne?"

Why did he have to smell so good? It was making her not want to go home anytime soon.

"I think we should do this again," she purred. "Just to make sure tonight wasn't an aberration."

"Challenge accepted, Miss Greengrass."

"Good." She took a deep breath. "Maybe next weekend?"

"I believe I'm free."

"You better be." She sighed and looked at the fireplace. "I really should be going."

"There's one last thing," Harry said as he turned her face to his.

"What-"

She wasn't ready for him to kiss her, but Daphne quickly found herself enjoying it anyway.

A lot.

Harry Potter had come through with an absolutely amazing first date, and now the first kiss was turning out even better. His lips were perfect, the hand on the small of her back felt wonderful, and she was pretty sure that she was well and truly smitten.

A sigh escaped when he finally pulled back.

"I should go," she whispered.

"Until next time, Daphne."

"Good night, Harry."

Her mum was waiting when she stepped through the floo.

"It was that good?" Evelyn asked.

"What?"

"Sweetheart, you're practically glowing."

"Merlin, he really knows how to kiss."

Her mother laughed and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks, mum."

"And you're welcome, by the way."

"For what?" Daphne asked.

"Sending your father off to bed and not allowing your sister to wait here to try to bother you."

Daphne smiled and hugged her again. "You're the best."

"I know," Evelyn laughed.

Harry had just finished brushing his teeth when the phone rang. He hurried down the hall to pick it up. "Sirius?"

"Who else would it be?" his godfather laughed. "Unless you've finally started seeing a new bird."

"I have, actually."

"Ooh, do tell!"

"She's a pureblood though, so I doubt she has a phone."

"Ah! Come on, I taught you better than that," Sirius groaned. "Muggle babes are so much easier to deal with."

"Sometimes, yeah," Harry admitted. "But I'm going to see this one again."

"At least tell me she's hot."

Harry snorted. "You wouldn't kick her out of bed."

"My standards aren't that high, Harry," Sirius teased. "How's her arse?"

"From what I could tell, her ass is pretty nice."

"You're back in Britain, you could try saying it right."

"You've been in the States for more than twenty years, you could learn to adjust."

"Come on. Say it with me- 'arse.' I know you can do it, Harry."

"You're an asshole, Sirius," Harry laughed. "You know the kids teased me when I said it wrong."

"American kids don't know how to speak proper English."

"Whatever."

"Alright," Sirius sighed. "How about her knockers?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "I've seen bigger, but they seemed pretty perky, so you definitely won't find me complaining."

"They've got cosmetic charms for that sort of thing, though," Sirius warned.

"We'll see."

"So, I take it you haven't shagged her yet, then?"

"It was our first date."

"So? That never stopped me," Sirius bragged.

"Pureblood, remember? That ups the difficulty."

"Yeah, I guess," Sirius admitted. He took a deep breath. "I'm happy for you, Harry. It sounds like you're trying again. And that's a good thing. You know that Sarah-"

"Don't, Sirius," Harry warned.

"Alright," he sighed. "So, which of the nasty old families is she from?"

"Her name is Daphne Greengrass."

"Greengrass," Sirius murmured. "I think I went to school with one of them, but we weren't in the same year, so I can't say much there. Plus, I did my best to forget all the crap my parents taught me about that nonsense anyway."

Harry snorted. "You'll never guess who her sister is dating."

"Do I want to know?"

"Draco Malfoy."

"Ugh," Sirius groaned. "You know, I tried to forget that cousin Cissy actually bred with that cunt Lucius."

"Daphne didn't seem to think too highly of their son, either."

"I'm starting to like this girl, Harry."

"Me too."