Behind the Mask Chapter 9

Later that night, Daphne brought up Neville's proposal to Hannah.

"It was quite formal, Hannah says. An old-fashioned marriage contract."

Something occurred to Harry. 'Do you think that…you'd ever want a formal marriage contract?"

She waved it off. "I probably have one."

"Wait…what!"

"There's no need to bother about it," she soothed. "It isn't valid, until it's signed, and I don't plan to do that."

Harry relaxed only slightly.

"I heard rumors several weeks ago," Daphne explained, "that my uncle was arranging contracts for Zinnia, Astoria, and me."

"But he can't force you," Harry nodded in satisfaction.

She hesitated. "Not legally. But I've heard of girls being potioned, or placed under compulsion charms. I wouldn't put it past my relatives to do exactly that! So I'm planning to avoid them as much as possible.""

A slow suspicion burgeoned in the back of Harry's mind. "Er, Daphne, do you…actually…live here?"

"Yes!" She smiled at him hopefully.

"How long?" Harry managed faintly.

"Only since the start of Christmas break," she admitted. "I mean, I did have Dilly bring some things over in the summer, but back then I was still returning to Greengrass Manor some of the time. But then I found out about my uncle's scheming, so …"

"I should have guessed before," Harry sighed.

"Do you…mind that I'm here?" she asked in a tiny voice, avoiding his eyes.

For the first time since he'd gotten to know her, Harry saw Daphne look vulnerable and uncertain.

"No." Harry found he didn't. "I'm glad!"

Daphne glanced up, saw his smile, and launched herself into his arms. "I'm glad too!"

Later- a rather long time later- Harry resurfaced to voice something troubling him. "What about Slytherin? Couldn't Zinnia get to you there?"

Daphne snuggled closer. "I've been thinking about that. Did you know that, any time after first year, a student may request a resorting?"

"Never heard of that happening!"

"Because it never has," Daphne admitted. "But it could. That's what I am going to do."

"You're coming to Gryffindor?" Harry brightened.

"Ravenclaw, I think. Hufflepuff would work too, with Hannah and Susan there. But the hat once considered placing me in Ravenclaw, and that way I could look out for Luna. I suspect she is still getting bullied, though it's not as bad as it was."

Harry's eyes hardened. "I'll take care of that!"

"Good," Daphne purred. "Meanwhile…I hope you don't mind that I told Dilly to put all my things in your room."

"My room?" Harry gasped.

She smiled and began peppering his face with kisses, until his brain fogged and he would agree to anything she wanted.

"I think that's a brilliant idea!"

Daphne smirked as she dropped into the seat next to Harry in Hogwarts' Great Hall, her Gryffindor tie already knotted perfectly.

"What happened to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff?" Harry whispered.

"I decided you needed me more than Luna or Hannah."

"That I do," he promised, grinning.

After that, the days seemed to fly by.

The D.A., the limited version, reformed under Harry's tutelage, and progress increased by leaps and bounds.

In addition, Harry undertook to ward all of Luna's possessions, so that anyone touching her things without her permission would get a nasty shock. She was still mocked and bullied in Ravenclaw, but these days it was not overt, since Luna was known to have powerful friends ready and willing to intercede on her behalf.

Spring came upon them almost unexpectedly, and Hannah plunged into wedding plans and dragged the other girls along with her.

"Nooo!" Neville moaned. "Of course I want to marry Hannah, but why can't it wait until after graduation?"

"Tell her that," Ron advised.

"I did! All she says is that it takes time to plan a wedding!"

"Oi! How much time?" Harry asked uneasily.

Dean Thomas shrugged. "As long as the girl says, I reckon."

Harry began wondering when would be the proper time to offer Daphne an engagement ring. If the wedding plans took a long time, maybe he was already late? He decided to opt for her birthday in June, which took place two days before they returned home for the summer.

But when June finally arrived, they had other problems.