Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K.R.
AN: This story was written as a contribution to the Haphne Summer 2021 Collection. You will find the collection here:
community/Haphne-Summer-2021-Collection/133850/
The collectionis a community project to celebrate 500 members on the Haphne discord server,:
discord dot gg/pKSdvJQvhU
Just delete the spaces and replace 'dot' with '.' after you copy and paste into your browser.
A big Thank you! to my betas, Akamoroti, who helped pull the plot to the light of day and checked my sometimes weird English, and Federer Rex for the Brit-picking. It's thanks to them that everything reads smoothly and not weird.
Harry sat under an apple tree in the orchard of the Burrow, a piece of parchment in his lap, and laughed out loud while he was reading. A shadow fell across the parchment, and he looked up.
Ginny stood in front of him, balancing her broom on one shoulder, her arm casually slung around the handle. She looked down at him with a grin on her face.
The familiar pain stabbed his heart.
"Hiya, Harry. I didn't want to disturb you, but I haven't seen you laugh so much recently. I just had to come see what's so funny."
He forced himself to smile at her and not let on the hurt over her rejection. She was over him, she'd made that pretty clear, and her friendly demeanour drove the point home. There was no sense in making a fool of himself in front of her anymore. She wouldn't change her mind. And he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.
"A letter about the summer camp." He held up the piece of parchment.
"A letter from one of your new friends?"
He had talked about the gist of his meeting with the Shafiqs, the Fawleys, and the other counsellors at dinner after he'd returned, although he hadn't mentioned that they had to work in pairs, or that Daphne Greengrass was his partner. Hermione and the Weasleys had all been interested and supportive, and the evening had ended with them coming up with a whole raft of ideas on how to entertain the children that he had jotted down to discuss with Daphne.
"Yes." He nodded in confirmation. "Her writing style is vivacious and a bit on the sarcastic side. She's funny. I'm sorry, I disturbed your practice."
She waved that aside. A grin appeared on her face, and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Her? Someone I know?"
His stomach hardened. How casual she was about his correspondence with another girl. He sighed; she really was over him. He forced a smile onto his face.
"Daphne Greengrass. We got partnered up to taking care of eight firsties and second years."
Thank Merlin, his voice sounded calm. He watched Ginny from the corner of his eyes. Did his admission hurt her? No, probably not. That ship had sailed, and he should get a grip on himself, get used to it, and move on, as she had told him. He didn't owe her anything.
The grin on Ginny's face deepened and confirmed his thoughts. "She is beautiful."
Not as beautiful as you. He swallowed what was at the tip of his tongue. It was fruitless. He shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to look at her, no."
"You don't have to fake disinterest on my account, Harry. Why not make a move on her? You'll never know what you might miss if you don't."
His head jerked up. Did she think he would chase after another girl so shortly after she had dashed his hopes? She had to know he wasn't the fickle kind. While he knew he'd have to move on, he was not yet ready.
Something of that must have shown on his face, for her grin faded. "I hope you'll find someone else, Harry. Someone who shares your dreams and whose personality suits you better than mine. I hope you'll fall head over heels in love with her and find your happily ever after."
He suppressed a snort. Fat chance!
Ginny turned around to leave. She made a few steps, halted, and looked back at him over her shoulder. The grin had returned to her face.
"And Harry, if you want my advice… Since you're back on the market, do yourself a favour and go shopping. Greengrass won't know what hit her when you turn up in clothes that fit you better."
The next afternoon, Harry walked down Oxford Street in search of a place to have lunch. What in the world had come over him? He had forgotten how much he hated shopping. Ginny's advice was good, though, and it would be even better if he followed his own advice and stopped thinking about her and found a pub. His feet hurt, and his stomach growled.
He didn't pay attention to where he was going, turned a corner and collided with the smaller body of a girl. His quick reflexes had him catch her before she bounced off him and fell to the pavement.
"Oomph!" Her shopping bags slipped out of her hands and fell to the ground.
A very familiar looking blonde girl.
"Daphne? The odds we'd run into each other in the middle of London—"
She bent down to pick up her shopping bags.
Heat shot into his face, and he hurried to help her. "Sorry, I was lost in thought and didn't see you." He handed the bags to her.
"That was obvious." She took the bags from him with a small laugh and rubbed her shoulder with her free hand.
"I'm sorry."
"You already mentioned that. I forgive you." She winked at him and held up her shopping bags. "What does this look like?"
Why not make a move on Greengrass?
Ginny's voice echoed in his mind at the worst possible moment. His cheeks grew hotter. Daphne was nice, and he didn't want to use her as a rebound thing. That wasn't him. However, some flirting wouldn't hurt, and he could get in some practice for the time when he was ready to date again—whenever that might be.
"Like a huge dent in your gold at Gringotts," he said with a teasing grin that would have made Sirius weep with pride.
She pouted at that, then laughed. "Guilty. What are you doing here?"
"My… eh… A good friend told me to get clothes that fit me. I listened to her."
"Can't say I blame her." Daphne sized him up from head to toe.
He wore the comfortable cargo pants he'd bought, together with a chequered button-down shirt over a white t-shirt and new trainers. Under her scrutinising gaze, he became hot under his collar. Was there something wrong with his outfit?
"Looking good, Harry." She gave him a nod of appreciation.
The heat in his neck intensified and rose to his cheeks. Her praise stuck his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He shuffled his feet, his gaze turned to the ground. How should he react? Damn, would he ever learn how to take a compliment? He probably should return the compliment; her flattering light summer dress deserved that. So much for his flirting skills. He should come up with a witty retort, but for the life of Merlin couldn't think of one.
"Eh…"
In the recesses of his mind, Sirius hid his face behind the palm of his hand and shook his head. Way to go, Potter!
"You need to learn how to take a compliment, Harry," she said with a soft laugh, as if reading his thoughts and not just his body language.
He looked up with a wry smile. Honesty was the only way out of this. "I'm horrible at that."
Daphne winked at him. "I would never have noticed, hadn't you pointed that out, Harry." Her smile was friendly and a tad mischievous, without a trace of mocking him.
Her remark made him laugh. His laughter ended in another growl of his stomach. Gods, was there a way he could embarrass himself even more this morning?
Daphne's amused snort drove the heat into his face once again. Great, he must look like the lighthouse of Oxford Street.
"I can't help it, I'm hungry. I've been here all morning."
"Poor Harry. Although, I'm hungry, too. There's a nice cafe around the corner; I was just heading there myself. We could have lunch and talk about our ideas for the camp. Saves both of us a letter. What do you think?"
Harry blinked. He hadn't counted on that. However, he was supposed to make new friends, so it wouldn't hurt to agree.
"Sounds like a plan to me. Lead the way," he said. "Can I carry your bags for you? To repay almost knocking you over." Chivalry was a fool-proof way to a woman's heart Sirius had told him. Whilst he wasn't out for Daphne's heart, he might as well practise his underdeveloped flirting skills on her. She was nice enough not to laugh at him.
A mischievous smile appeared on her face. "That's a boyfriend's job," she said coyly and batted her eyelashes at him.
"Er…" So much for his flirting skills and Sirius' advice.
"You're too easy to tease, Harry."
She winked at him and handed over half her bags. He good-naturedly joined her laughter. He'd need a lot of practise to keep up with her.
Five minutes later, they sat in a booth at a small cafe off Oxford Street and sipped their fizzy drinks while they waited for their orders to be ready.
Daphne took a thirsty gulp from her drink and put the glass down. "Sweet Morgana, I needed that! Shopping is hard work." She laughed that pleasant laugh again.
Harry also put down his glass and nodded. "Worse than a morning of Quidditch practice."
"I wouldn't know, but I'll take your word for it." She smiled at him across the table. "I'm enjoying your letters, but talking to you in person is much better."
Again, the heat shot into his face. Gods, he was pathetic. What would she think of him? He had to overcome his social awkwardness; it had been tolerable when he was fourteen years old, but now, as an adult and the admired saviour of the wizarding world, it wasn't acceptable anymore. Ginny had been spot on with her advice that he needed to come out of his shell and make new friends.
Well, he could do this. He took a deep breath.
"I loved your letters. They were funny and made me laugh. But I agree, this is better."
Daphne's cheeks pinked slightly at that. "The list of activities for the camp you sent me is impressive," she said. "Did you attend a lot of summer camps?"
"Not a single one." Harry laughed. "You?"
She shook her head. "No. How come you know so much about what to do if you never were at one?"
"My friends helped me with brainstorming."
"Granger and Weasley?"
"Yes, and Ron's family."
Daphne raised an eyebrow at that. She picked up her glass. "I'm amazed that Granger and Weasley aren't coming too. The three of you seemed to be inseparable." She gave him a questioning glance over the lip.
"We are still best friends, if that's what you're asking. However, the war is over, and they have some things they need to take care of." Daphne was nice enough, and they were on the way to becoming friends, yet he did not know her well enough that he'd share details from Hermione's and Ron's lives with her.
She nodded at that. "That's understandable. So, you decided to go to the camp while they are otherwise engaged?"
"No, I didn't want to go at first. Ginny convinced me."
Her eyes widened at that. "Your ex?"
Damned, he talked too much. That usually wasn't his habit, but she was a good listener, and because of the letters they had shared, he had opened up to her more than he normally would. Yet, the damage was done. He couldn't take that back and clamming up wouldn't help him in becoming friends with Daphne, something he had decided he really wanted.
"Yeah. I thought we'd get back together again after the war, but Ginny doesn't want that. The house I inherited from my godfather is not habitable. Repairs are underway. Death Eaters vandalised it during the war, and I am staying with the Weasleys for the time being."
"I suppose that must be awkward for you and your ex."
"Very." Harry ran a hand through his hair with a mirthless chuckle. "I think I make her uncomfortable, and she wants me out of the house. Whatever." He shrugged. "Even though I wasn't sure that applying to be a counsellor was what I wanted when I came to the meeting, Nihal had me convinced the moment he explained his ideas to us. It's amazing! Why did nobody think of this before?"
"Pureblood prejudice," Daphne said with a derisive snort. "It needed a war and the death of the Dark Lord to overcome that, plus the collective loss of political influence that would stop something like this. You can bet that the old Pureblood families will fall over themselves to send their children to the camp, thus proving their tolerance."
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled with annoyance.
"You don't believe in the Pureblood agenda?"
She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I won't lie to you and tell you I was always on your side, Harry."
He shot her a grin. "I appreciate your openness. It's refreshing after all those well-wishers I had to deal with. That would suggest that you changed your mind. What turned you from a Pureblood supremacist into a blood traitor?"
She pulled her gleaming ponytail over her shoulder, running it through her hands a few times in a nervous gesture with a faraway look in her eyes. "I don't know that I ever would've been classified as a supremacist. Maybe you are right. Until a year ago, I was thoughtless and not interested in anything outside of my small social circle. I guess I took the perks of my social standing without once thinking about how it was maintained. Last year was an eye-opener, but it was too late for me to do anything without becoming a target myself, and I hated myself for my cowardice." She barked out a small laugh. "I don't like looking back at that and the mistakes I made then. I'd rather look forward to teaching the younger ones how to learn from our recent history. I made an oath to myself that if I survived the war, I'll do anything I can to prevent a new blood war. Since I'm not a fighter, teaching is the only way open to me, and this camp is a good start."
"As I said before, I appreciate your openness. Are you planning on joining the Hogwarts staff after your NEWTs?"
Daphne nodded and let go of her ponytail. She opened her mouth, but the waitress chose that moment to serve their burgers and chips. Daphne thanked her with a smile and popped a chip into her mouth.
"Mmmh, this is so good!"
They laughed and set to eating like the ravenous teens they were.
Her appetite sated, Daphne swallowed, dabbed her mouth, and sipped on her drink.
"To answer your question, yes, I'm planning on becoming a professor. I'll return for my NEWTs this September, and afterwards, I'll do masteries in Potions and Runes. Professor Slughorn already agreed to take me on as his apprentice. He is looking forward to retiring as soon as I am finished."
Harry laughed. "I bet he is. I never met a man who is enjoying the comforts of life as much as he does."
"No kidding." Daphne joined in his laughter. She took another bite and shot him a contemplative look while she chewed. She swallowed and asked, "What are your plans for the future, Harry?"
He shrugged. "I've always wanted to become an Auror."
"That's not surprising, considering your track record with hunting down dark wizards." She grinned at him. "However, do I sense a 'but' somewhere in your sentence?"
Harry shrugged again. "I'm not so sure about that anymore. Kingsley offered to me to join the Aurors in September and get the NEWTs necessary for the job while I'm already in training. However, it seems to me as if I've been fighting ever since I came to Hogwarts and I'm tired of it"
"That's understandable."
He gave her a wry grin in return. "Are you sure? I get a lot of pressure over it, the Ministry, the Wizengamot, the press… They all want me to round up the Death Eaters who are still on the run. Can you imagine the uproar if I tell them I'd rather not?"
"Nobody with an ounce of sense and sympathy can blame you if you don't want that anymore." She made a face. "However, I've seen the articles that demand that you join the Aurors immediately, and I can imagine the pressure you're under."
"That's an understatement," he said with a mirthless laugh.
Daphne lent forward and put her hand on his that lay beside his plate. Her touch was light and warm, and a pleasant tingle spread from his hand through his body.
"Harry, this is your life and your choice. It's not up to the people out there to tell you how to live it. You only have one life, so choose wisely."
He quickly raised his chin out of his introspection and looked at her in shock. "That's almost word for word what Ginny said when she told me we would not be getting back together."
"Can you blame her? The war has taken so much from so many of us. How can you deny them the wish to make the most of their life?"
"She told me to enjoy myself this summer."
A grin appeared on Daphne's face. "Smart girl."
"Yeah, there's only one problem with that."
She tilted her head to the side. "And that is?"
"I'm not sure how to do that. I don't even know where to start."
Her hand still lay upon his, and she now squeezed it. Warmth permeated him. It was nice to be touched by her.
She considered him, her head still tilted to the side. A mischievous smile appeared on her face that brought out two cute dimples in her cheeks he hadn't noticed before.
"You just need somebody to show you. You need a coach."
"Uh… What?"
The dimples deepened. "You said you never learned how to enjoy yourself, and I thought you might need a coach to show you. I'm applying for the position."
He gaped at her. In the back of his mind, Sirius gave him a mental shove. He closed his mouth and smiled. "That would be great. However, I'm not sure if I can occupy so much of your time."
"You can because I offered. It will be fun to show you the ropes."
"In that case, I accept. Thank you for the offer."
The mental image of Sirius patted him on the back with a proud grin.
"Well, then you'll have something to look forward to this summer, Harry. I'm sure we'll have a good time. I'll show you how to enjoy yourself."
She squeezed his hand again and let go.
The slight feeling of loss was instant. Yet he smiled at her. "I'll take your word for it."
"Lesson number one," she said, and plucked the cherry off the top of the ice cream sundae they had ordered for dessert.
He raised his eyebrows. What was she up to?
The two cute dimples appeared again. "Catch." She lobbed the cherry over the table in the general direction of his face.
Harry's instincts took over, and he caught the small projectile with his mouth, swallowed, and grinned. This time, he didn't make a fool out of himself.
"Nice catch," she said.
"I would say nice throw, but I don't want to make myself a liar." The reply was out before he thought about it. In the back of his mind, Sirius gave him a thumbs up. Was this the key to successful flirting, not thinking about how he would appear, but just going with the flow? It seemed so going by the way her lips quivered with mirth. This was brilliant. He could do that. It was like bantering with Ron and Hermione, only much more exhilarating.
"Hey!" She feigned offence and flicked her spoon at him.
The bit of ice cream left on the spoon landed with a splat on his face. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oops, sorry. I didn't notice there was still ice cream on the spoon."
"Your aim with the spoon is better than with your arm." He winked at her with a grin and picked up a napkin to clean his face.
She winked back. "That shows sometimes fun just happens when you're with the right person."
"Definitely. If that's how you're teaching me how to enjoy myself, I'll be a top student."
Harry closed the backdoor of the Burrow behind himself and stepped into the garden, on his way to the Apparition Point outside of the wards.
"Don't you look nice today."
His head jerked around.
Ginny sat on the bench below the kitchen window, tying her shoelaces, and grinned up at him from a hunched over position.
Damned, he didn't see her on his way outside. He was on his way to meet Daphne for another of their outings, and already running late. He didn't need the distraction.
"Sorry, Ginny, I've got to hurry, or I'll be late for my date."
Her eyes widened, then her grin became even broader. She straightened to a sitting position. "I should have known you were seeing someone, with the way you dress lately." She gestured at his walking shorts and the button-down shirt he wore over a black t-shirt.
He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "For your information, I'm not seeing someone. Last time I checked, the word 'date' also meant appointment. And it was you who suggested I should get some clothes that fit me."
"Uh-huh, you have good taste."
"Thanks." He would not return her compliment. She was dressed for Quidditch training in Bill's old faded and patched up Quidditch robes from his third year at Hogwarts he had left in the Burrow. These days, she hardly wore anything else, and Ron even suspected she slept in them. The contrast to Daphne, who was always dressed smartly, couldn't be bigger.
Ginny ran a critical eye over him. "Whoever you are seeing has no reason to complain about your looks."
"I already told you I'm not—."
"—seeing someone. I'm not deaf, Harry. With whom is your appointment, if I may ask?"
The tongue-in-cheek quality of Ginny's voice reminded him that Fred had been her favourite brother.
"I'm going to meet Daphne in—" he looked at his watch "—three minutes if your interrogation doesn't make me late."
"Are you working on your preparations for the summer camp again?"
"No, not today, at least not entirely. It's such a nice day, and we decided to Apparate to Cornwall for a hike along the cliff tops."
"I knew you were dating!" She squealed with delight.
"I am not!"
She tilted her head to the side and gave him a speculative look. "So, this is the first time you and Daphne are doing something together besides the preparations for the camp?"
His neck became warm. "We went to the movies when it rained last Tuesday, and the other day when it was roasting we spent an afternoon on the beach together and had ice cream."
"Uh-huh. And what about the other times you were gone all day long? Was it a lonely meal for one at the Leaky?"
The warmth spread from his neck to his chest and face. When did this talk turn into an interrogation? "Yes, we've had lunch together a few times. Satisfied?" He glared at her.
Ginny's expression turned smug. "You're dating."
Harry huffed. "That Daphne and I keep each other company this summer while our friends are otherwise engaged doesn't mean we're dating. With Hermione in Australia and Ron working with George all day, there isn't much left to do for me. Throwing garden gnomes gets stale after a while." He took another look at his watch. Damned, he'd be late, thanks to Ginny's interest. "While it's nice talking to you, I've got to run."
"Yes, get going, I don't want your date to think you've stood her up." She made a shooting motion with one hand. "We'll continue this conversation another day. Bye and have fun!"
"Later," he said with a grin and a shake of his head.
He waved at her and hurried to the Apparition Point. It was about time that Kreacher got Grimmauld Place ready and he could move out of the Burrow. There was nothing in the world that would get him to continue this conversation with Ginny! He reached the Apparition Point and spread his arms to turn on the spot when another thought popped up in his mind. Harry lowered his arms and stood still while he tried to digest this new discovery.
During his talk to Ginny, he'd not once felt the familiar pain of losing her.
Daphne already waited for him next to the Apparition Point at the outskirts of St Ives.
"Sorry, I'm late, I got held up."
She smiled and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear the wind had blown in her face. "No worries, Harry. I've only just got here myself. How are you?" She stepped towards him and gave him a brief hug.
This was new, although a pleasant development in their growing friendship. Her hug was light, yet warm, and his heart gave a little skip as he returned it. He smiled down at her.
"Fine. How are you? Ready for our hike?"
He could tell she was. Like him, she wore walking shorts and hiking boots, but she had combined them with a white blouse. Her hair was pulled back in a sensible braid to keep it from getting into her face. A futile endeavour. The sea breeze had already tugged small strands of hair out of the braid that danced around her slightly tanned face. It looked cute, and his hand itched to put the small strands behind her ear.
No, it certainly didn't hurt to look at Daphne.
"Everything's set." She reached into the pocket of her shorts and pulled a shrunken basket out of it. "I even got everything for a lunch picnic. Cornish pasties, cider, with strawberries and cream for dessert."
He grinned at her. "You meant it when you said you'd teach me how to enjoy myself."
"Of course I did. It's appalling how little you know about simple holiday fun, like spending a day on the beach or taking a hike along the coast." She took his arm and guided him towards the coastal path in front of them. "Come on, or do you want to take root here? I can turn you into a tree if you like."
Harry laughed and followed her. When they reached the main path, he looked around.
Below them, to their right, was the village of St Ives. Despite the early hour of the day, the car parks filled up quickly and tourists sitting on their blankets dotted the beaches. The turquoise water sparkled in the bright sunlight.
They turned to the left, away from the beaches and the masses. The coastal path meandered along the rough coast, left and right, up and down, like a roller coaster. To their right and deep below them the sea, as smooth as a blanket on this beautiful early summer day, slapped lazily against the rocks. Above them, seagulls rode in the breeze, looking for something to eat. A brook coming from the lush pastures to their left babbled towards the sea, crossing the path ahead. A narrow plank led over it, secured by a handrail.
Harry and Daphne paused in the middle of the plank and watched how the water tumbled over the moss-covered rocks towards the sea.
A gust of wind sent the spray towards them. Daphne shrieked and jumped off the plank to the other side of the brook. Harry laughed and followed her at a more sedate pace. It was already warm, so he didn't mind the refreshing moisture on the bare skin of his arms and his face.
The path was broad enough here to walk side by side.
"What did you think about my suggestion?" Daphne asked with a sideways look at him.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I don't like to admit it..."
He paused and glanced out to the sea, then looked back at Daphne.
She had a smug look and a growing smirk.
He still said nothing and let his last sentence hang in the air.
At last, she couldn't stomach his silence anymore. "And?" she prodded.
He smirked at her. "Okay, you were right."
Daphne threw her hands into the air and cheered. "I love being right!" She beamed.
He gave her a soft bump with his shoulder. "Save that! I already said you were right, you don't have to rub it in."
She pulled him into a side hug, a grin plastered across her face.
His hand shot out to tickle her side.
Daphne shrieked, twisted away from his tickling hand, and dashed up the hill ahead of them to escape his attack.
Harry followed close on her heels.
At the top of the hill, Daphne cast a quick look around, whipped out her wand, and directed it at him.
"Rictu—"
His wand was in his hand in a heartbeat, and he cast a silent Disarming Charm. Daphne's wand sailed through the air into his open hand.
She gaped at him. "How did you do that?"
"Magic." With a broad grin, he stashed both wands in the back pocket of his shorts, where they would be hidden by his long shirt. "Did you think I'd let you cast the Tickling Charm at me without defending myself?" He caught up with her and slung one arm around her waist, while his free hand tickled her ribs. "Or did you think I'd let your attack on me go unpunished?"
Daphne squirmed in his arm and dissolved into giggles. "Harry, please, stop it!" she gasped between giggles, her hands on his chest in an attempt to fend him off.
He grinned and let go of her.
Daphne jumped away, out of the reach of his arm, and glared. Her lips, still quivering with laughter, and her flushed face, however, spoiled the effect.
"You are impossible!" She reached behind her back, pulled her braid forward that had come undone during his attack, took off the scrunchie that held the remains of her braid together, and combed the tresses with one hand.
The breeze blew her hair around her shoulder and into her face.
"Eww!" She pulled the long, golden strands out of her face and held out her hand. "Wand, please."
He pulled it out of his back pocket and placed it into her outstretched hand.
"Is anyone near us?"
Harry looked around. Behind them and ahead of them, the path was empty. "The coast is clear."
Daphne circled her head with her wand. The tousled tresses smoothed out and braided themselves into a tidy braid she secured once again with the crunchie.
"That's better," she said with a relieved sigh, and put her wand away. She hooked her arm around his and resumed their walk. "Don't you think your distraction tactic worked, Mr Potter. So, are you going to take up the Black seat of the Wizengamot when the session starts again this coming autumn?"
"Yes, although I don't know how I am going to do that, with Auror training and working towards my NEWTs." Harry made a face. "However, you are right. My vote will go a long way to support Nihal and Anthony. We need a big change of attitude in our society, and what better place to begin with that than Hogwarts?"
"Exactly." Daphne squeezed his arm and looked up at him. "You know you don't have to join the Aurors right away, Harry. We've talked about that."
He made a face and sighed. "Yeah. And you know I don't want to disappoint Kingsley, who's counting on me, or have another smear campaign in the Daily Prophet started against me for not doing my duty."
She huffed at that. "You've done more than your duty. Kingsley's disappointment, or the headlines of the Daily Prophet don't count, compared to your state of mind. You only have one life, Harry."
Harry didn't answer and lowered his gaze to the ground. They'd been over this more than once in the short weeks of their fast-growing friendship. Daphne meant well and encouraged him to look out for his interests instead of following a path he considered his duty. He could see her point. It was tempting, and yet… He sighed. The decision wasn't easy.
Oh well, he still had the entire summer to decide.
He squeezed her arm. "Since I'm going to take up the Black seat, you'd better tell me what awaits me in the Wizengamot, so I'm not making a complete arse out of myself, Heiress Greengrass."
She laughed and started a long-winded lecture while they ambled down the path.
Harry climbed up the last set of stairs towards Ron's room in the attic, his damp towel slung around his neck, his wash bag in his hand, and his wet hair sticking out in all directions. He opened the door to Ron's room and stepped in.
Ron lay on his bed, his hands linked behind his neck, and watched his entrance with a shit-eating grin.
"Finished with your nightly beauty routine, Miss Potter?"
Instead of an answer, Harry pulled the towel off his neck and flung it into Ron's face in one swift motion. He turned his back on his best friend and pulled his shirt over his head in front of the cot Mrs Weasley had put up for him.
Behind him, Ron sputtered something intelligible. The towel hit Harry's back and fell to the ground.
Harry grinned, stepped out of his shorts, and laid down on his cot, only in his boxers. He crossed his arms behind the back of his head, closed his eyes, and thought about his day with Daphne.
They'd walked along the coastal path until they became hungry and then had Apparated down into one of the many tiny hidden coves to have their picnic. Thanks to clever Transfiguration, Warming Charms and Drying Charms, they'd enjoyed a quick dip into the still cold Atlantic and continued their walk afterwards. Their day had ended at an ice cream parlour that belonged to a local dairy farm, where they treated themselves to a large bowl of ice cream they had shared.
It had been a perfect day, and he sighed with contentment.
"Dreaming of Daphne?"
Harry sighed again, this time out of frustration, opened his eyes and turned his head towards his grinning friend.
"Ginny has been talking, I guess?"
"Yes, but she didn't need to tell me. It's obvious in everything you do. I mean, you got yourself new clothes—"
"Ginny made me do that!"
"—and there's an extra spring in your step." Ron ignored his objection, that infuriating grin still on his face. "And each night when you return, you look more happy and relaxed than I've ever seen you. Just look at you now, lying there, eyes closed, with that lovesick grin, and sighing all over the place."
Heat shot into Harry's face. Why did him being friends with a girl make people assume they were dating? "I'm not lovesick," he said with as much dignity as he could muster. "Daphne and I aren't dating, either. We're just good friends. She's tutoring me in what I need to know when I take up the Black seat on the Wizengamot in autumn."
"Must be rather interesting lectures that have you sighing like a damsel out of a novel."
Instead of an answer, Harry raised his head, reached behind himself, threw his pillow at Ron's head, and lowered his head back on his crossed arms.
Ron twisted to the side, caught the pillow midair, and threw it back at Harry with a laugh. "Don't think you'll get out of this that easily, mate. Hermione won't let me hear the end of it if I don't answer her questions in my next letter."
"Oomph!"
The pillow hit Harry square in the face. He pulled the pillow off his face, sat up on his cot, and glared at his best friend.
"I should have known that Hermione is behind this. You'd never think of asking questions besides 'What's for dinner?'"
"Oi, I resent that!"
"Don't you mean resemble?" Harry retorted.
Ron's pillow flew towards him. This time, he twisted out of the way, pulled his wand, and Banished the pillow back at Ron.
He caught the pillow and put it back on his bed. "Don't think you'll distract me, mate. Come on, spill the beans, what are you and the beautiful Miss Greengrass up to that makes you smile like this?"
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I guess it won't do any good if I tell you we're just friends?"
His best friend snorted, and Harry rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, Ron, there isn't more to it. We're working on our preparations for the camp. Daphne tutors me about the wizarding world, while I show her around in the Muggle world, and we keep each other company while you and Hermione are otherwise engaged."
Ron's grin became sly. "So, you'll happily tell her goodbye at the end of the summer, relegate her back to being a casual acquaintance, and move on with your life?"
A pang shot through Harry, and his stomach gave an uncomfortable squirm. No, that was unthinkable. He glared at Ron.
"I told you already that Daphne and I are friends. I'm not in the habit of disposing of my friends if I don't have any use for them anymore. Daphne knows so many things I never heard about and she looks at things differently than I do. She gives me a different perspective than I've had before. I look at things differently now. In many ways, she's like Hermione. She's a pleasant change, spending time with her is never boring."
The shit-eating grin was back on Ron's face.
"Brilliant! Hermione will love to hear that."
Harry scrutinised his friend from under his eyelashes. He didn't like that knowing undertone in Ron's voice. He didn't want to think about that right now and spoil the memories of his day, either. He laid back on his cot once again, closed his eyes, and let his memories claim him.
t.b.c.