The Benefits (cont'd)

by PotterFanDam

One night of drunken sharing and Harry and Daphne think they can move on. But things are never that simple and sometimes you get more than you bargained for.

12. Holidays

I swore loudly at my current predicament and realistically I knew it was my own dumb fault that I was even in it, but it made me feel better if I blamed my stupidly grinning godfather.

"Just say it Harry and I'll let you down."

I was currently hanging upside down in the air seemingly being held up by only my one ankle. It made it so one leg flopped at an awkward angle while the other was straight up. I tried to violently thrust myself upward and fix my situation, but the spell seemed to anticipate my movement. Soon I was back to just hanging uselessly in the air.

I definitely should have seen something like this coming, but I had foolishly believed that Sirius might just let it slide. I sighed in resignation and silently promised I would get him back for this. "Fine. You were right Sirius. There are you happy now?"

Sirius just grinned more at me and shook his head. "What was I right about Harry? I want to make sure we are on the same page here after all."

I groaned at the smug look on his face. "You were right that I might find myself actually falling for Daphne if I gave her a chance. Now let me down you mutt!"

As soon as the last sentence left my mouth I regretted it because I knew what was going to happen next. I put my hands down and did the best I could to soften the blow as I fell the two or three foot onto the carpet below.

Once I picked myself up and smoothed my shirt down I found Sirius holding my wand out to me. I took it back and carefully placed it into my holster making sure it was secure.

"Alright you had your laugh at my expense, but now it is time to get serious about this. And stop smirking at me like that!" You would think that a man who had spent twelve years in Azkaban would have lost his sense of humor, but I guess that was just one of the things that helped him make it through.

Finally Sirius held his hands up in mock defeat at me. "Okay, okay. Let's go up to your room and have this discussion since I have a feeling you would rather not have it heard by…"He looked over his shoulder towards the kitchen where Ron could be heard talking to Ginny about something. "Certain other people in this house."

I appreciated that and followed him up the stairs and down the hall towards the room I had used when I stayed at the end of the summer. Once we were both inside I waited for him to flick his wand at the door and cast a few others spell before nodding in approval at it and then turning to face me.

"That should keep anyone unwanted out while we talk. Now tell me all about the lovely Miss Greengrass."

I frowned at him. "Her name is Daphne, Sirius. You make her sound so much older when you address her by Miss Greengrass. Well I really don't know where to start from so why don't I just give you a little recap on what happened this term?" It seemed like the best and easiest solution and I was thankful when Sirius agreed. It took me about twenty minutes or so, but finally I finished summarizing everything that had happened in regards to Daphne and me.

By the end Sirius had that annoying smirk on his face again. "You know you sound exactly like your father used to when he would talk about your mother?" I looked up at him from the spot I had been staring at and smiled. "He would talk and we'd be stuck listening, but when he described her he just made it sound like she could do no wrong and in his eyes she was perfect. You're still young Harry and I don't know if you and Daphne will last forever, but because of the circumstances involved it's good that you two have been able to make a connection like this."

I nodded thoughtfully at that. I knew what he was saying was true, but part of me didn't even want to consider losing Daphne. So I squashed the thought for now and used my occlumency to think of happier things. It didn't last though and I found myself blurting out the question I had been wanting to ask since I had told Sirius about openly dating Daphne.

"Sirius, do you think I should have just kept our relationship a secret? Like did I do wrong by making it so open…?"

Sirius blinked at me for a second. "Harry I didn't know we had a relationship going right now…" He stopped when I glared at him. "Oh you meant you and Daphne? Why didn't you just say so? And you bet your arse I think you did the right thing kiddo. Things like this never stay secret for long at Hogwarts. It was better that you announced it on your own time and had the situation in your control than letting someone spread some nasty rumor and have it come out looking like the rumor was the truth. I couldn't be more proud of you for handling it the way you did."

It felt good to know that Sirius approved of what I had done. I sighed though knowing this had been the easy part of the conversation I wanted to have with him.

"Sirius I need you to tell me about what you and my father did during your time at Hogwarts. To Snape I mean."

Sirius sat up a little straighter and I saw the guilt in his eyes almost as soon as he heard what I wanted to know. He ran one of his hands through his hair in frustration and for a few seconds it looked like I had just sent him back to Azkaban. Then he fixed himself and looked at me in the eyes. "Harry when we were younger….we were naïve... and we didn't realize the true damage we had done until the war started. Since you are asking this I can only assume that Snape has told you at least some of what we did. It's true Harry. Your father and I were bullies to Snape. We hated the man because he was in Slytherin, and we saw that as the ultimate crime. It wasn't until the incident with Peter that I fully realized bad people could come from any house."

I sat in shock. I had known on some level that Snape hadn't been lying to me, but to hear my godfather actually admit to the acts was something else entirely. I had always been told my father was a good man, and everyone made him out to be a saint. Well other than the pranks, but no one had ever mentioned he was a bully. "Snape he…he…he said that you tried to kill him at one point. Is that true?"

The devastated look on his face was all I needed to confirm it. "Harry it was a joke, but it got out of hand. I 'accidentally' mentioned something about the Shrieking Shack around Snape one day. But I had forgotten that it was a full moon. When Snape showed up Moony had already changed and it was only thanks to your father that he escaped with his life. The magic and circumstances created a life debt between your father and Snape and I think that might have fueled Snape's hatred of us even more. He knew he was indebted to the man he despised most in the world."

I was finding it very difficult to keep my emotions in check at this point. I just didn't know what to feel. I wanted to just be mad at Snape for what he had done and how he had caused my parents to die, but here was Sirius admitting that his and my father's actions had driven Snape to become what he was. Wasn't there a saying about reaping what you sow or some such nonsense?

Sirius seemed to sense my dilemma though because he stood up and put a hand on my shoulder. "I think I'm going to leave for now Harry. We can finish talking tomorrow, but I think that for tonight you just need to collect yourself and think about what you have learned." He hesitated before finishing. "And I hope tomorrow you won't wake up and hate me for what I did when I was younger." Then he walked out. I wanted to call out to him that I couldn't ever hate him. Let him know that I loved him and I needed him in my life, but my mouth wouldn't open.

Daphne's POV

I leaned back and sighed as I let the hairbrush do its job and work its way through my tangles of hair. It was still slightly damp from the shower I had just gotten done with and at its best time to be detangled. More importantly than that though was this was the first time since I had returned home that I had a few moments of peace to myself.

Ever since the incident on the platform between my parents and Harry they had been not so subtly questioning me about how close we were. I had managed to calm them down and appease most of their concerns with some lies and half-truths. It had hurt that I had to sit there and deny having feelings for him, but this was for the best in the long run. It had never been in my father's original plans for us to fall for each other. It was simple according to him. I trick Potter, get pregnant, hold it over his head to hide our family away, and then once the war was over we would go our separate ways.

If there was one thing I had learned over the years it was that my father hated when his plans didn't work out exactly like he wanted. By no means was my father a death eater, but that didn't mean he wasn't a believer in purebloods only mixing with purebloods. And I wasn't sure that any amount of celebrity status, money, or political power would change the fact that Potter was only a half-blood in his eyes. Therefor he was not worthy of marrying me.

Fortunately I had other ideas for my future. I had no intention of becoming the trophy wife to some head up his ass aristocrat. I wanted to have a job, or maybe have an influence on the Wizengamot. It was well known throughout our society that women almost never held a seat on the Wizengamot. Amelia Bones was a notable exception, and she was secretly one of my idols. I felt bad for not bringing this up with Harry, but if I had started talking about our future together so soon after tricking him he might have run in the opposite direction as fast as possible. If everything went okay in the next few months I might start dropping some hints though. We were still young anyway, so there would be plenty of time to discuss what we both wanted. For now though I was focusing my efforts on making it through Christmas dinner without giving away too much about our relationship.

A knock on my door drew my attention from my thoughts. "Come in."

I just managed to stop from rolling my eyes when my mother walked in. It seemed like the inquisitions would be starting early today.

"Good morning Daphne, I hope you slept well."

I plastered the best fake smile I could manage on my face. "Yes mother, thank you for asking. What brings you to my room so early?"

She said nothing at first as she walked across the room and gingerly sat down on the edge of my bed. I turned my chair from my vanity so that I was facing her.

"Daphne I know you feel like your father and I have been putting you on a trial with all the questions we've been asking lately, but I just wanted to make sure you understood we only have your best interest at heart."

I nodded my head and kept my real thoughts from showing in my facial expressions. "Of course mother, I know you are only looking out for me. I do appreciate yours and father's concern, but I agreed to go through with this plan and now I am handling it. I need you two to trust me when I say it is under control. I would never do anything to put my family at risk." I left out which family I was talking about.

This seemed to be the right thing to say as my mother smiled at me. "I know Daphne. It's just hard for a parent to admit that there child is growing up and may not need them as much anymore. Anyway that was all I had to say." She got up from my bed and walked towards the door, but she hesitated before leaving and turned around. "I love you Daphne, and nothing will ever change that. Your father does to; and even though he might have a hard time accepting some things he'll never stop loving you."

I watched as she left the room and silently cursed at how good she was at laying the guilt on. If I hadn't been aware of how my mother liked to get her information and some of her tactics already I might have fallen for it. I waited a few minutes to make sure she was actually gone before calling for one of the house elves. Thankfully they had been cooperative and glad to have a family to serve.

A quiet pop behind me caused me to turn around and come face to face with said creature.

"Mistress Daphne! How can Blinky be of service to her master's missus?"

"Blinky can you take a message to Harry for me? It's very important he gets it quickly, and no one else can know I sent it to him. You can do that right?"

The elf bobbed her head excitedly. "Blinky be taking mistress's message to her master right away."

I nodded satisfied and opened the drawer to my vanity from which I pulled a neatly folded piece of parchment that I had sprayed with my perfume. I may be ambitious and sometimes vicious in my ways of doing things, but that didn't mean I didn't have a softer, girly side. Plus I had noticed the way Harry would always inhale a little deeper when I wore this particular perfume.

Soon enough Blinky had taken my letter and was gone. I just hoped that Harry would understand why it had to be like this for now. I couldn't risk my father doing something irrational just because he thought I had feelings for someone he thought I shouldn't.

With a sigh I got up from my bed and decided to go and find Astoria. Perhaps hanging out with her for a few hours would help distract me from thoughts of my situation and the unfairness of it all.

Harry's POV

I hadn't left my room except for a few quick outings since my discussion with Sirius two days ago. It'd taken me that long to sort through most of my feelings for everyone involved. And honestly I'd come to some hard conclusions. I didn't blame Sirius and I wasn't going to be mad at him. I needed him in my life right now and he was one of the only people I could really trust.

That had been the easy stuff to work through. Snape on the other hand I found was a whole other beast. I wanted to be mad. To hate him for what he did and the way he had treated me in the past. But at this point in my life and with what was coming there just wasn't time for me to devote to hating a man who had made mistakes in his past that would haunt him to the end of his days. The guilt alone he confessed to me was consuming him. No amount of loathing or hatred I put towards him could be worse than the feelings he had for himself.

So it was going to be a clean slate, for everyone. I wanted to talk to Sirius today, and I was getting ready to leave my room when a pop behind me had me turning on spot wand drawn and sidestepping to my left.

I didn't drop my wand even when I saw it was just a house elf. They were tricky little buggers after all if Dobby was anything to go by.

"Who sent you and what do you want?" I questioned the elf. But this just made its ears droop and the smile left its face replaced by a frown.

"Master Harry is not remembering Blinky. Blinky be taking care of Master Harry when he was just a baby. That was before the bad man came and Master Harry had to go into hiding."

My wand faltered a little at this new information. If this was one of my house elves there was really only one person who could have sent it.

"Did Daphne send you?"

This seemed to change the elf's whole demeanor. "Oh yes! Mistress Daphne is giving Blinky this message and is saying it be very important that Master Harry get it quickly!" I watched as she pulled out a piece of parchment and held it out to me. I reached out and took it and when I brought it close and got a whiff of the perfume on it I finally let my wand fall back to my side before tucking it away into its holster.

I unfolded the parchment and quickly scanned the note. I could feel the frown forming on my face as I reached the end of it. I had no idea why Daphne would be asking me to keep the extent of our relationship secret from her parents. Obviously there was more going on here than I was aware of, and if the taunting voice her father had used on me at the platform was anything to go by it was something to do with her parents.

I was frustrated finding out that after all we had talked about and worked through it seemed like there were still secrets between us. If this is what had to be done for now I would play along, but I resolved myself to finding out everything on New Year's when we visited the Longbottom's.

"Thank you Blinky. Tell Daphne I'll do it and I'll make sure my godfather doesn't give anything away. Also let Daphne know I'll be expecting a full explanation come New Year's."

I didn't even wait for a response this time. I turned and walked out of the door and into the hallway. It was dinner time and I figured I would be able to grab some food before I talked with Sirius. As I approached the staircase though I noticed a long rubbery rope extending down towards the ground floor and then further up to some unknown floor. Letting my natural curiosity get the better of me I headed down the stairs following the rope hoping to find out just what it was. It didn't take me long to reach the end of it, and conveniently it stopped or rather went into the kitchen.

I tried the handle, but was surprised to find it locked. I pulled out my wand and tried an unlocking charm on the door but was met with no success as the door stubbornly refused to unlock. So it had obviously been charmed to prevent interference. Going for the next best thing I knelt down and grabbed the rubbery rope and gave it a tug. What popped out initially gave me a shock, but I recovered quickly. Dangling from the rope was a rubber ear. It seems like Fred and George had been making some improvements and design changes to the extendable ears they had showed me during the summer.

I didn't have to wait long for them to realize something was wrong though as the sound of heavy footfalls coming down the stairs drew my attention. Soon enough Ron and the twins were standing only a few feet from me. Fred and George looked relieved that it had been just me to discover the ear. Ron however quickly flushed red, which I had come to know was a sure sign of an angry outburst about to come.

"What do you think you're doing?! That isn't yours! Give it back here!"

At first I had wanted to say no, but honestly I had no use for it and if I did I would just go to the twins for one. So I handed it back to Ron who snatched it from my hand like he was burned. Apparently his yelling had caught the attention of whoever was in the kitchen though as the door opened and Mrs. Weasley came bustling out.

I stepped out of the irate woman's path and managed to slip by her and into the kitchen. What I hadn't been expecting when I walked in was to find at least fifteen to twenty people gathered around the table. And now all of them were staring at me. Some I recognized such as Sirius, Remus, Mr. Weasley, Snape, and even Moody. The rest though I had no idea who they were. Once I saw Dumbledore at the head of the table though I made an assumption that this was a meeting of the Order that Sirius had told me about.

Judging by the stares I wasn't welcome in this meeting either. However I was hungry, and these people weren't going to stop me from eating just because they wanted to have their top secret meetings in the kitchen. Without saying a word I moved to the fridge and grabbed the things I would need to make myself a couple sandwiches. Once I had everything I would need I put it on a platter and walked back towards the door. I couldn't resist a parting shot though, so I turned to face the people in the room. "Have a good night everyone, next time you decide to have a meeting in the kitchen kindly post a note on the door."

As I walked out of the door I gave Mrs. Weasley a sweet smile as she stared open mouthed at me. I didn't waste any time sticking around though since I didn't want to get caught up in one of her famous rants.

Ron and the twins were nowhere that I could see so I assumed she sent them back upstairs. Not really feeling like being in my room at the moment I went to the family room and sat down in one of the large chairs.

I entertained myself at first by getting artistic and creative with my sandwiches. With some careful use of my wand I was able to shape them into wizard hats, brooms, and even one that looked like a goblin. Okay so I admit they weren't that great looking, but I found it fun. After that lost its appeal I called out for Kreacher.

The old elf popped into the room, but whatever insult he had been prepared to say died on his tongue as he saw who had called him. He gave me a low bow before popping back up. "The young master is a good master and has called Kreacher. What is master needing?"

I was confused as to why Sirius's elf was calling me master. "Kreacher I'm not your master though. Sirius is isn't he?"

The elf's expression darkened. "Is true, but the traitor is be naming you as his heir young master. So Kreacher's magic is recognizing this. Kreacher is happy to be having an honorable master again."

Having nothing else to do at the moment I decided to question Kreacher a little bit. "Why don't you like Sirius, Kreacher?"

Kreacher smiled or what I took to be a smile. "Traitor he is. Kreacher's mistress raising him to be a proper son, but ungrateful he was. It broke the mistress's heart when he turned his back on the family. Master Regulus was a much better master. Always did what was best for the family."

It was interesting to hear about events from Kreacher's point of view I had to admit. So he saw things in very simple terms. Sirius's mother had taught him what was right and all about pureblood supremacy, and that's all Kreacher had known in his life. So to see Sirius turning his back on that meant he was turning his back on his family. I doubted I could change the elf's mind now, but it was nice to at least know why he was always bad mouthing everyone.

"Can Kreacher be asking young master a question?" My eyes snapped to him and he flinched as if struck, but didn't back down.

"Sure. What is it you want to know Kreacher? Keep in mind I might not be able to answer everything."

For the first time Kreacher actually seemed nervous. "Kreacher is wondering what has happened to Master Regulus's locket."

I kept the emotion out of my face as I thought of how to answer. I didn't know how Kreacher would react if I told him I destroyed it, but part of me knew that he needed to know what had become of the locket. I gripped my wand just in case and took a deep breath before I spoke. "I destroyed the locket Kreacher."

I watched the elf for any sign of reaction but for a long moment he just stood there in shock. I thought I might have caused him to have a heart attack, but then he leapt at my legs. I tried to get away but was unsuccessful as his arms encircled my legs.

"Kreacher knew he was making the right decision in giving young master the locket. Young master has helped Kreacher complete his final task from Master Regulus. Kreacher has been a bad elf all these years. Destroy the locket I was supposed to, but could not. Thank you young master!"

Again I found myself unsure of how to react. I hadn't expected this at all. "What do you mean you were supposed to destroy the locket Kreacher? Didn't Regulus give it to you for safekeeping?"

The elf shook his head violently. "No no. Master Regulus knew his time was short and gave Kreacher the locket to destroy. Kreacher was unable to though, but young master has restored Kreacher's honor by helping him do this."

That certainly left me with a lot to think about. From what I had gathered everyone believed Regulus had died a loyal death eater, but if he had collected a horcrux and told Kreacher to destroy it than that couldn't be true. The sound of the kitchen door opening and voices in the hall drew my attention though. It also caused Kreacher to scowl and pop away leaving me alone once again.

I watched as a few people carefully made their way past the umbrella stand that triggered the screaming portrait of Mrs. Black that Sirius had warned me about. One wasn't so lucky though and her leg caught on it causing her to stumble forward and nearly fall flat on her face. It was amusing to watch as her hair cycled through colors and her face heated up. Down the hall I heard the slurs and profanity from the portrait and then shouting.

"Shut your mouth woman! No one cares about your pureblood propaganda in this house."

"You're no son of mine! Dirty blood-trai…" Then the painting went silent and I assumed Sirius had slammed the curtains closed.

Soon enough everyone I had seen in the kitchen had departed, and it was just the original occupants left. Sirius had made his way upstairs by now, and I had a wicked idea when I remembered what Professor McGonagall had asked me to do.

As stealthily as I could I made my way back up the stairs to the floor that Sirius and I were sleeping on. I would have to be right on with my timing if this was going to work. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind preparing it for what was about to happen. One silencing spell to my shoes later and I was ready to go. Quietly I sent a knocking hex I had read about in a prank book at Sirius's door. I started at a slow jog and let my magic spread. About halfway there the hex collided with the door and my transformation started. With about five feet left until I ran out of room my transformation finished not a second too early as the door was carelessly pulled open.

I took my chance and pushed off my hind legs to propel myself into the air and was rewarded with solid contact. Sirius let out an "oompf" as I collided with his stomach and forced all the air was from his body. We fell backwards into a pile on the floor and I quickly detangled myself from him and did what any good canine would. I began to drool. All over him.

Amusement must have been shining in my eyes as Sirius used his arms to shield himself from the droplets. "Bleck! Oh I'm going to get him back for this one. Thinks he can pull one over on a Marauder and get away with it."

My amusement doubled as I realized Sirius thought I was just a transfigured wolf and not an animagus. He quickly dried himself off with his wand and stalked towards my door. I decided that this could be worth seeing and followed him down the hall. He knocked at first, but when he received no response an evil grin spread across his face.

By the time I managed to slip inside the door to my room his wand was already a blur casting spell after spell. I immediately found myself worried about what was going to happen to me. Hoping to save myself from some of the worse spells I let out a half bark-growl.

Sirius lost his concentration momentarily and fell over at the sudden noise. This had the adverse effect of having him actually trigger one of his own spells when his hand came into contact with my bathroom door knob to save himself.

If I hadn't been a wolf I imagine I'd probably have fallen over laughing. Sirius's hair now stood straight up and looked as if he'd just been shocked. Settling for the next best thing I laid down and put my paws over my snout while peeking out at him. Apparently my godfather didn't appreciate this very much though as he turned to look at me.

"Oh you think that's funny do you? Wait till I turn you back into whatever you started as. Then who'll be laughing?" He drew his wand up at me and I waited for him to cast the reversal spell. I felt it wash over me, and then nothing. I stood up and cocked my head at him. For Sirius's part he now was just staring at me with his mouth open. I gave him my best wolf smile before finally letting myself change back.

"So what do you think Sirius?" My words snapped him out of his stupor and a huge grin spread across his face.

"You! How did you-? When? Harry this is awesome! I'm so proud of you pup. Maybe we can convince Moony to let us come keep him company on the full moon! It'll be just like old times!" Sirius had pulled me into a hug at this point and I couldn't help but smile and laugh along with him.

"I wanted to surprise you with it and McGonagall told me to make sure I did it in an appropriate manner. So I felt obliged to grant her the one request she asked of me."

Sirius pulled back from me and looked gobsmacked. "You mean to tell me Minnie, the by the books head of Gryffindor, is the one who taught you to be an animagus? How long have you been working on this?"

At this point I looked a little sheepish. "Honestly, not very long. McGonagall keeps telling me I'm some kind of transfiguration prodigy. I don't believe her, but I am quite good at the subject. Plus it has so many uses outside of just the ordinary classwork."

I sat down on the edge of my bed after subtly casting a finite at it. I hadn't forgotten that Sirius had just been in here casting like a madman. After a few seconds of nothing happening I relaxed and waited for Sirius to work through everything.

He pulled out my desk chair and turned it around so he could sit and look at me. "Well if Minnie is telling you that she thinks you're a prodigy you must be more than just good Harry. She doesn't just go around throwing out praise as I'm sure you are aware." He rubbed his chin and seemed to be thinking about something. "So I know it has been a few days, and this is the first time we are really talking but…?"

He let the sentence hang in the air and I sighed while running my hand through my messy hair. "Sirius I'm not mad at you." I watched as he let out a breath he had been holding. "But I'm also not mad at Snape either. Just listen and hear me out on this. I have too many people and things to worry about as is. His guilt is more than anything I could do to him. He doesn't care what I think of him. So it's not worth the time or effort for me. That being said I think you should apologize for what happened."

Sirius initially looked pained at my suggestion, but he quickly recovered and stared at me. "You're right Harry. If you can put this behind you then I need to own up to my mistakes. Next time he is here I will attempt to apologize for everything."

I nodded once at him happy with the maturity. "Now though there is another issue I need to talk to you about."

And talk we did. I explained to him about the letter I had received earlier from Daphne. The confusion I was feeling must have been evident in my tone or face because Sirius began to explain it to me.

"Harry you know how the death eaters and their families believe in the pureblood agenda and all that. What you need to understand is there are some more subtle families who believe in some of the pureblood agenda, but also support rights for half-bloods and muggleborns."

That didn't really help me out at all. "What are you saying Sirius? That there are people who believe in that stuff, but just don't want to be vocal about it? How does that make them any better than if they just sit by and do nothing?"

Sirius shook his head at me. "You misunderstand Harry. Sometimes these families do actually do things. The Weasleys for example. Did you know they haven't had a marriage with a muggleborn witch or wizard for generations? Yet they still stand up for muggleborns and their rights. Well from what I can tell you I would assume Lord Greengrass, Daphne's father, is probably similar to that. He believes the muggleborns and half-bloods necessary for our society, but would rather that purebloods still held the majority of power in the ministry and married amongst each other."

I was starting to understand but that didn't help my head ache. "Then why would he let Daphne use me for their plan? Wouldn't that go against everything he believes in?"

"Probably but the need for self-preservation and protecting his family was stronger. I can only guess though since I don't really know the man all that well to begin with. The best advice I can give you for now is to play the man's games. Go along with what Daphne has asked until you can figure out what his real motives are ya know?"

I nodded since that was basically the same conclusion I had drawn earlier. At least now I would have a little more insight into the situation though. "Thanks for all of this Sirius. I don't know where I'd be without you right now."

Sirius got up and sat next to me. He pulled me into a one armed hug while ruffling my hair with his other hand. "I just wish I had been there from the beginning Harry. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't regret chasing after Peter. Twelve years I took from us by letting my anger and hurt get the best of me."

"It's okay Sirius. I probably would have done the same thing if our positions had been reversed. It's the hotheaded Gryffindor in us after all."

And we laughed at that. We sat like that for a little while longer, or maybe it was longer than it felt like, but eventually Sirius got up and told me to go to bed because we had a long day and even longer evening tomorrow. I took his advice and within minutes of the lights going out and me finishing changing I was drifting into the blackness.

I'd taken the liberty of letting myself sleep in for the first time that I could remember. By the time I actually forced myself out of bed it was already noon and I only had three hours before Sirius and I were due to arrive at Potter Manor.

I was, despite everything, excited for the chance to see what my family manor actually looked like. I had no memory of it from when I was younger and had yet to visit since the recent discovery of my wealth, inheritance, and all the other nonsense.

I called out for Kreacher while I fished through my trunk for a towel.

With a pop Kreacher was standing a few feet away from me and gave a slight bow. I was happy to realize I hadn't been startled by the sudden appearance of the elf this time. Perhaps I was finally starting to adapt to life as a wizard.

"Good afternoon young master. Kreacher is sorry for not waking you for breakfast but he was not sure that young master would want to be woken."

I waved off the elf's concerns as I noticed he fidgeted slightly almost like he felt guilty. "That's no problem Kreacher and I'm glad you let me sleep. I feel great now actually. Would you mind picking out some nice dress robes for me? I have a dinner with my…" I paused not really knowing what to describe Daphne as. "…friend and her family for Christmas. You've been raised and trained in the pureblood society and their ways so I assumed you would be better at picking something appropriate for me."

Kreacher looked immediately more alert than I could ever remember seeing him. "Kreacher is being very good at finding outfits. Master Regulus was always having Kreacher help him." He snapped his fingers and suddenly there was a tape measure flying around me taking all sorts of measurements. I tried to follow it with my eyes but it moved to fast and I began to get dizzy. In a matter of seconds it was gone and Kreacher had bowed before disappearing. I wasn't sure what he was up to. I figured he would have just picked something that I already had in my wardrobe.

Shaking my head I walked into the bathroom and started the shower. I quickly stripped down and placed my wand on the counter next to the sink along with a clean pair of boxer shorts. I hung the towel up and then stepped into the soothing spray of warm water. I don't know how long I stayed in the shower. It didn't take me long to actually wash my body and hair, which I had noticed was becoming quite long, but I couldn't find the will to pull myself out of the cascades of warmth the fell on me as I stood under the shower head. Eventually I heard a knock at the door to the bathroom and I sighed before shutting the water off. I grabbed the towel and quickly dried myself before wrapping it around my waist.

"I'll be out in a second." I called out to whoever was waiting for me in my room. I made my way over to the counter and dropped my towel before pulling my boxers on. A quick spell later and my teeth were cleaned and breath smelled minty.

I frowned as the fog on the mirror started to clear and I could see my clearly disheveled and untamed hair. Maybe I could do something with it for tonight. I didn't know why I felt like I had to go to such lengths for tonight, but part of it was probably me trying to make a good impression on Daphne's parents.

From what I had gathered her father at least wouldn't be very happy if he knew there were actual feelings between the two of us and subconsciously I was probably hoping to change his mind. I took one last look at the mirror before pulling myself away and going out into my bedroom where I was met with the sight of Kreacher practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"Sorry to keep you waiting Kreacher. I kind of lost track of time while I was in there."

This time it was Kreacher who waved off my apology and I couldn't help but chuckle at the reversed roles. "Kreacher is happy to be waiting for young master to finish. It was giving him plenty of time to tailor young master's robes."

He turned and gestured to the bed where there was now a robe and my under shirt and slacks laid out. I let out a low whistle when I looked at the robe. It was really something and definitely had not been in my wardrobe before. I walked over to get a better look and examine it. "Kreacher where did you get this? It's amazing."

I barely listened to him respond though as I looked it over. Two broad silver stripes traveled down the robe. When the robe was fastened it would draw them together making them appear to be one large silver stripe that traveled from foot up and branched off to travel around the collar and then down into a triangular piece of material that hung on the back. It reminded me of a miniature cape like I had seen on the super heroes that Dudley used to watch on TV. Only this didn't go nearly as far as it stopped between my shoulder blades. And in the center of it the Potter family crest was stitched.

Each cuff of the robe was silver as well, but then above it there were decorative patterns that looked like vines almost. They started in silver but quickly faded into the black of the robe to become unnoticeable after a few inches. The same thing applied near my feet. The undershirt was an emerald very similar to my eye color and I couldn't help but feel like I was going to look like a real Slytherin ponce with it all on.

Kreacher was eyeing me while I checked over his selection. I did like it even if it was quite Slytherin looking. Daphne would probably get a kick out of that. I quickly slipped on the slacks and undershirt. Next came the robe and once it was on and fastened properly with a clasp I stood in front of the mirror to get a good look at myself.

I shocked myself a little when I got a good look at the reflection. This was probably the most dressed up I had ever been and without sounding too conceited, I looked good.

"This is incredible Kreacher thank you. I just wish I could do something about my hair and how messy it was. Any chance you can help with that to?" I said it jokingly but Kreacher immediately came over and within a few seconds my hair had been slicked down and pulled into a loose pony tail, but the front still was left with its normal messy bangs that fell partly into my face.

"This is the hairstyle that Master Regulus would wear when he went out. Are you liking Kreacher's work?"

I wasn't sure how I felt about the pony tail to be honest. I had always associated it with being a female type of thing, but looking in the mirror it didn't come across as feminine on me and I figured I could give it a try. If Sirius said anything about it then I could always take it out.

"I'll give it a shot Kreacher thank you. So is there anything else I should do or need to have with me for this?" I was really starting to feel weird asking the usually surly house elf about fashion and clothing but so far he had been really helpful.

Kreacher looked at me critically for a second before hesitantly speaking. "When Lady Black was holding parties or gatherings Kreacher does not remembering seeing anyone wearing glasses. When Kreacher asked Master Regulus he was explaining it was a sign of weakness. So many were learning spells to temporarily or permanently fix their eyes."

As I pulled my glasses off I couldn't believe I'd never thought of that before. With all the things magic could do there was bound to be a way to fix someone's eyesight. I couldn't even remember seeing anyone else, except a muggleborn or two, who wore glasses at Hogwarts. "Thanks Kreacher I'll ask Sirius if he knows something I can use. If not I'm sure it can be found in the library here…"

"Kreacher will go find the appropriate book for young master while he goes to talk to the bad Master."

I nodded at that glad that I wouldn't have to worry about searching through dusty tomes if Sirius didn't know the right spell. I replaced my glasses on my face for now and did a quick double check to make sure I had my wand and holster before heading over to my trunk. I pulled out five packages each neatly wrapped and tagged. A shrinking charm later and I tucked them in my pocket. I hadn't known what to get Daphne's parents or her sister at first but eventually I just asked Daphne for suggestions.

I walked out into the hallway and shut and locked my door behind me. I turned to head towards Sirius's room to see if he was in there, but stopped when I saw his door open and he stepped out.

He stepped out into the hall and froze when he looked at me. The color seemed to drain from his face for a second. Finally he uttered something so quiet I almost missed it. "Regulus?"

And that was when I had just walked out of his brother's old room wearing what I assumed now were probably his robes and hairstyle. "No Sirius, it's just me. Harry. Your godson."

He shook his head before looking at me again. "Right I know. Sorry Harry it just caught me off guard. I didn't expect you to be wearing his robes. And the hair to. Wow. Without the glasses and change your eye color and you'd be an exact copy of him when we were younger."

He paused while looking at me. "Where did you get those robes? And did you put your hair like that on accident?"

I shook my head. "No I actually asked Kreacher to help me out. It didn't even dawn on me that these might be Regulus's robes. I can change if you don't feel comfortable with me wearing them…" I didn't want to upset Sirius.

He just waved his hand at me though. "No, no they look good on you. You look like the epitome of a pure blood heir. I just can't believe Kreacher let you wear it. He's really taken a liking to you."

I just nodded my head knowing I couldn't tell him why. "Oh he also mentioned that there was a spell I could use to fix my eyesight at least temporarily."

"Yeah it's pretty simple. There is one that's painful that we could do some other time to fix it permanently. Has no one ever mentioned this to you before? I assumed you wore the glasses because you liked them. Or that it made you feel closer to your father."

Honestly I hadn't ever associated my wearing glasses with my father. "No I just didn't know. The Dursleys got me these when I was like 7 or so and my eyesight had gotten so bad I couldn't door chores properly." The lack of venom in my voice caught me off guard at first, but I just took it as a sign of letting go of the past. I had already become more than the Dursleys ever would in their pitiful lives.

I saw Sirius tense when I mentioned it but nothing else was said about the subject. Sirius raised his wand and I removed my glasses. With two quick flourishes of his wand and two bright white beams later my vision swam and then everything came into focus. "Wow, that's incredible." It was my first time really seeing in a long time and it was even better than with my glasses.

"Yeah so we'll get that fixed before you go back to school, but for now this will do. Come on we only have fifteen minutes or so until we are due to arrive and we should be a little early."

I followed him down the hall and staircase to the first floor. I was thankful we didn't run into anyone else, but I could hear Mrs. Weasley bustling around in the kitchen humming and preparing the dinner that would take place here. Sirius took a pinch of Floo Powder and then threw it into the fireplace saying "Potter Manor Foyer."

I repeated his actions and then stepped into the emerald flames just as I saw a mane of red hair poke through the door of the family room to see who was using the fire. I spun a few times and then stepped out into a large entrance way, only stumbling a little. It also helped that Sirius grabbed my arm to steady me.

Once I dusted the soot off me looked around. We were currently standing in a decent sized entryway. It wasn't anything over the top. In fact it remotely resembled the entrance to Grimmauld, except less gloomy. I didn't have much time to make observations though as the inner door opened and Daphne stepped through.

I don't even know how to describe her. I've been aware of how beautiful she is for a little while now, but I didn't have words to describe her at the moment. I felt my throat go dry and I didn't even know if I would be able to speak.

She was wearing dress-robes as well, but with a lot more emphasis on the dress part. They clung snugly to her accentuating every curve of her body. The robes were a pale-blue that contrasted perfectly with her bright blue eyes and dark hair. The sleeves were designed so that the material would cascade below them. Around her neck she wore a simple tear drop sapphire stone on a silver chain.

Finally Sirius spoke. "Miss Greengrass I presume? It appears my godson has lost his ability to speak at the moment. Though I can hardly blame him. I am Lord Sirius Orion Black, but please just call me Sirius."

I watched as Daphne smiled at him and held out her hand which he gently picked up and kissed the back of. Finally I was able to get my mouth to work. "You look beautiful, no, that's not even accurate enough. Radiant, or enchanting maybe, those are much closer to describing you."

Daphne's cheeks tinged red at my words, but she held her hand out to me and I repeated the actions of Sirius by kissing it gently on the back. Perhaps lingering for just a second longer than was really necessary I realized.

"Thank you for your kind words Lord Black, Lord Potter. Please if you will follow me I'll escort you to the dining room to meet my mother and sister. My father, Lord Greengrass, will be down shortly from the study. I believe he mentioned some last minute work he was finishing."

I knew it was going to be a fairly formal evening with a lot of tension in the air, but I hadn't been expecting it to start already. I used my occlumency to calm myself and slip into the proper mindset. As we followed along behind Daphne I marveled at the inside of my family home. It was like something you would expect to read about in a story. A grand staircase that started as two before meeting in the middle at a lower platform and then continuing upwards to the second floor. A marble floor and four pillars on each side of the room that extended from floor to ceiling. Stained wooden walls filled with paintings, some magical and some muggle. The whole house screamed wealth, and when we entered the dining room it was no different.

A solid wall of glass to our left that provided a panoramic like view of the hills and plains in the distance was the first thing I noticed. Then the large wooden table that was covered in what appeared to be a silk dining cloth. Ornately carved chairs at each position, twenty two in total, but only the farthest six positions were laid out with cutlery and plates.

Further past the table was a wooden door which I assume leads to the kitchens, and then a sliding glass door leading out on a patio area.

When we reached the other end of the table Daphne stopped and gestured to two spots. "You two will sit here, my father will sit at the head, then my mother to his left, I next to her, and Astoria next to me. Lord Black you will be to my father's right, and Lord Potter you will be to his."

I nodded silently not all that surprised by the seating arrangement. The wooden I had noticed earlier opened and a younger version of Daphne walked out with a look of absolute glee on her face as she slipped something into a pocket of her dress-robe.

I noticed Daphne caught it as well and she spoke up seeing my questioning look. "Lord Black, Lord Potter may I introduce my darling sister Astoria. Who it seems has just conned her way into getting dessert early from the house elves."

At hearing her name Astoria looked at us and smiled while half bouncing and half walking over. "Hello! Happy Christmas! I'm Astoria." And she held out her hand to Sirius who took it leaned down to kiss it while smiling.

"It is truly an honor to meet you Astoria. I am Sirius Black, but you can call me Sirius."

At hearing his name I watched Astoria's eyes go wide in shock. "I heard mother and father talking about you! They said people put you in prison cause you did bad things! Are you a bad guy?"

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face as Sirius frowned at the accusation. I noticed Daphne seemed less tense now to and the corners of her lips were upturned ever so slightly.

Not able to resist the urge I chimed in. "Oh yes he's a terrible person. He is always pranking people, or not cleaning up after himself. Sometimes he even forgets to flush the toilet!"

Astoria looked at me and then looked back at Sirius with the most horrified expression. "Pranking people! Mother says pranking is not a proper thing for a lady. But you really got sent to prison for pranking?"

Sirius scowled at me and I just shrugged. "No I didn't get sent to prison for pranking Astoria. I got sent to prison for something I didn't do, but I broke out when I realized my godson, Harry, was in trouble and needed me."

This answer seemed to appease Astoria temporarily as she nodded and said. "Well then you can't be a bad guy. Bad guys don't help people in any of the stories I read."

Watching Sirius interact with Astoria made me wonder if he would ever have a child of his own. I could imagine he would make an excellent father. My thoughts on that were interrupted though by someone speaking from behind us.

"I see you've met our youngest already Lord Black, Lord Potter. Don't let the innocent expressions fool you she can be quite devious. Almost a sure Slytherin in a few years."

I turned around to see Daphne's mother making her way across the room towards us. She looked beautiful as well dressed in similar robes to Daphne, but the sleeves didn't cascade as much and the color was a dark violet. She approached us and Sirius and I went through the formal introductions again.

"It is wonderful you both could make it tonight. Although I admit to being surprised when Daphne told us just who would be accompanying you Lord Potter." She looked at me as if expecting me to answer some unasked question.

"Sirius, or Lord Black rather, is my godfather and many presume him to be guilty of betraying my family. He didn't and the real traitor is unfortunately still free today. However today is a happy one and we don't really want to get into sad stories. I think we can save them for another occasion. Also please call me Harry, if you don't mind, I'm still young and the Lord Potter stuff makes me slightly uncomfortable still."

She laughed a little. "Certainly Harry, but then I insist you and Lord Black refer to me as Abigail. While I am all for titles and formal talk it would be nice to actually get to know each other tonight I think."

I nodded my head in agreement. I wasn't holding my breath for such informality with Daphne's father. But I would take any reprieve from the stiff atmosphere I could get.

"So then Harry why don't you tell me a little about yourself. Daphne has told us some things but I'm curious. I've heard a ton of stories about your school years and can't help but wonder how much has been exaggerated."

I hid my cringe well. I didn't really want to be made a spectacle of but obviously I had to tell something.

"Well my years at school have been nothing less than interesting that's for sure. As I don't know what you've heard I can tell you a brief description of each year." I paused to wait to see if she was okay with that and after receiving a nod continued. "First year there was a prized object being kept in the school. We had been warned not to go in a certain area of the school, but curse my curiosity and Gryffindor courage I wound up there anyway. At the end of the year one of our professors attempted to steal the object. Some friends and I were caught up in it, and we managed to stop him."

I paused then let that sink in before continuing. "Second year was a huge mess. The Heir of Slytherin used a cursed object to possess a student and open the Chamber of Secrets. I thought I was going crazy most of the year because I kept hearing a voice in the walls, but it turned out it was a basilisk. That was what was in the chamber and it was attacking students because the heir told it to. At the end of the year a first year Gryffindor, who was the possessed student, was taken into the chamber. By pure luck I managed to find the entrance and was able to survive long enough to kill the basilisk and destroy the cursed object. I did get bit at one point, but Fawkes who is Dumbledore's phoenix used his tears to heal me."

Abigail who had been sitting across from me listening intently looked momentarily horrified before composing herself. "Well that certainly differs from what I had heard. Of course I knew about the chamber of secrets rumors, but a basilisk? How did that not make it into the news?"

I shrugged not really sure what to tell her. "Honestly I don't know. I never really thought about it. But Lucius Malfoy was the one who had given the girl the cursed object and then he bribed a lot of people to have Dumbledore thrown out of the castle. I would guess he made sure none of that made it into the news to save himself. Then comes third year which is when I met Sirius. I thought he was trying to kill me all year, but it turns out he was after someone else who was hiding in the castle. He finally captured him, but I and two other students were there and Professor Snape walked in. He attacked Sirius and when we were going back to the castle the man who Sirius captured managed to escape thanks to some untimely incidents and about one hundred dementors."

"And then this past year you competed in that tournament and something happened at the end. I know what the ministry is saying about you, but Daphne has assured me that what you said about you-know-who returning is true. So then you've filled in some blanks for me and dispelled some of the strange rumors. So a more light topic now then. What is your favorite class? Do you have any idea what you want to do after Hogwarts?"

Before I could answer though Daphne's father strode confidently into the room. Remembering my lessons on proper etiquette from the summer I rose from my seat and Daphne nodded approvingly at me as she did the same followed by the others.

"I'm sorry to keep everyone waiting I had some last minute work that came up." He stopped to kiss his wife on the cheek before rounding the table and standing in front of Sirius and I. "It is a pleasure Lord Black, Lord Potter that you are able to join us for the evening." He held out his hand and Sirius and I shook it in turn. "Please be seated and we'll get the dinner underway I'm sure everyone is famished."

As if on cue once we had taken our seats trays of food appeared. A smoked ham being the main dish, but there was also a smaller roasted duck. Other foods included mashed potatoes, greens, yams, carrots, and biscuits. Our goblets were filled with wine, and Astoria had a sparkling cider. We raised our glasses in a toast before setting into the food.

I was surprised really. Dinner was mostly a quite affair with small talk between bites. It seemed like Lord Greengrass was actually a lot more hospitable so far than he had been at the station. When he spoke it held none of the previous mocking, but then again it might just be because of the holiday. I wasn't prepared to let my guard down just yet.

As we finished dinner the plates and trays of food began to clear themselves off.

Sirius was the first one to speak. "That was delicious! I forgot how good the Potter elves could cook."

I saw it just briefly, but Daphne's father's eyes flashed as if slighted. "And what makes you so sure that it was Potter elves who cooked? After all it is my family living here now. We could have brought our own elves."

Sirius must have missed the edge in the tone or just didn't care. "No this is definitely the Potter elves. I spent quite a bit of time here in my youth. I don't think there is anyone who could cook quite as well as them."

Now the anger was definitely detectable. "Lord Black are you trying to say you don't think our elves are capable of cooking?"

I flinched. This was definitely being taken out of context and I decided to step in to try and save Sirius. "Lord Greengrass, I don't believe my godfather meant you or your family any slight. He simply spent a lot of time here when he was younger. It holds a lot of happy memories for him and after being in Azkaban for so long I'm sure he is just happy to be back."

Lord Greengrass turned his attention to me and eyed me critically. "Very well. Perhaps I overreacted. Well how about we move to the family room. We can relax and talk while we digest and make room for dessert and tea."

I wasn't entirely sure he was sincere in his acceptance, but again I was taking what I could get. I followed behind Daphne and her mother as they led us out of the dining room and to the family room. I noticed though that neither Sirius nor Lord Greengrass had followed.

I rolled my eyes before tapping Daphne on the shoulder and making a gesture back towards the two of them. She just shook her head and motioned for me to continue with them. So with one last look back at the two I followed the group into the family room.

When we entered Abigail turned to us. "Daphne why don't you take Harry here and show him around a little bit?"

Daphne narrowed her eyes at her mother, but quickly turned back to me. "Come Harry let's show you your future home."

Once we were out of the room and up the stairs I spoke. "What was that look you gave your mother?"

Daphne turned to me with that playful smirk of hers. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Lord Potter. One of my standing does not make faces or give looks. It's beneath me."

I rolled my eyes at her. "Alright don't answer me, but you do have things to tell me either now or on New Year's."

She nodded. "You're right and trust me this is not how I wanted things to go, but I wasn't sure how my father would react to us actually being…you know."

"Together? In a relationship you mean? Because I'm a half-blood right?" Daphne looked ready to protest but I cut in. "No don't worry. I talked about the whole thing with Sirius. He explained to me how some pureblood families only accept marriages between purebloods."

Daphne pulled me into a room. I realize almost instantly that we're now in her bedroom , or at the very least it is a bedroom. "Look you're right. For the longest time my father has told me about how I'm going to find some great pureblood to marry someday. I don't want that. I don't want to be a trophy wife. This thing between us was supposed to be just that to him. A thing. And once he got what he wanted which was us here and safe then we'd go our separate ways."

"So you were supposed to use me and leave me? What was going to happen to our child?" I kept the emotion out of my voice.

Daphne hesitated. "This was the part I originally didn't agree with…Either leave the kid with you or if you wouldn't take it then a magical orphanage. My father thought it would be a turn off if I already had a kid while trying to court later on."

I just shook my head and scoffed. "I can't believe it. I never would have left our kid. That's insane. This is insane. So what's going to happen when he does find out? You can't think he won't. Unless you plan on going through with it."

Daphne reached over and pulled me to her. "No, no. Harry I want to be with you. We'll figure this out, but I just didn't want to cause an argument on the holiday. Please. Believe me."

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I believe you. But we should get back before they come looking for us and find us in your bedroom."

And so I followed her back down. And the night continued on without an incident. Sirius and Lord Greengrass joined us a few minutes after we arrived back downstairs. I handed out the presents I had brought for everyone and Sirius produced an aged bottle of scotch that he presented to Lord Greengrass. There was a notable tension between the two of them, but it was ignored in favor of enjoying the evening and holiday.

After dessert and tea Sirius and I made our goodbyes and thanked the Greengrass family for hosting us for the evening before stepping into the floo and heading back to Grimmauld.

What I didn't expect was for the Weasley family to be gathered in the family room when we came out of the fire place. And unlike at Potter Manor this time I wasn't able to steady myself and fell forward into the closest person. Unfortunately for me this happened to be Ginny since Sirius had stepped out of the way already.

I managed to roll us so I wouldn't land on top of her, but that had the undesired result of putting her on top of me.

She gazed down at me with shock and something else. "Umm. Could you get off me please?" I managed to get out before her brother erupted.

"Oy Potter! Get your filthy hands off my sister and get away from her!" Ron advanced on us and thankfully Ginny had gotten off of me. I rolled towards Sirius and hopped to my feet. Thankfully one of the twins had grabbed Ron.

"Let me go! That prat just made a move on our sister!"

"Really? Is that what you saw? I fell out of the fireplace. It was an accident for which I am sorry for by the way Ginny. Now if that's all I'm going to bed."

And I did just that. I left the room and went upstairs. I didn't need to deal with that or Ron's attitude right now. I quickly changed out of my robes and hung them neatly in the wardrobe. I was surprised to find at least five other new robes all of the same quality. "Thanks Kreacher." With a smile on my face I crawled into bed and let the dreams take me.

I found myself once again staring into the mirror as Kreacher slicked my hair back. This time though I had no glasses and I was more comfortable with the new hairstyle. Sirius had come through and helped me correct my vision. It had been painful just like he had said and I'd actually needed two days to recover, but it was well worth it.

And now I was just looking forward to getting out of the house. Being stuck here with the Weasleys…well mostly Ron…had been grating on my nerves. After tonight there was only one more day before we were back to school though.

I picked up my wand and cast a quick tempus. It showed it was 8:50 and I had ten minutes until I was due at the Longbottom Manor. Neville's Gran had decided to have everyone over later since it was to celebrate the New Year anyway.

I was to meet Daphne in five minutes so I did a quick double check before heading down the hall and entering Sirius's room. I was opting to use his floo since I knew everyone was downstairs doing something or other.

I stepped into the flames and called out my destination. In a matter of seconds I was standing in Longbottom Manor. Neville was standing a little bit away with Hannah next to him. He noticed my arrival and waved at me in greeting. I smiled and waved back and stepped out of the way of the Floo as it sprang to life again. A second later Daphne stepped out wearing the same dress I had seen her in for Christmas and looking a picture of elegance. I offered my arm to her. "Good evening Lady Greengrass, may I escort you to meet our esteemed host?"

I knew I was laying it on thick, but after having to go through the formal routine for her family I was definitely entitled to a little good natured ribbing.

Daphne rolled her eyes but accepted my arm nonetheless and allowed me to lead her towards Neville.

"Harry it's good to see you mate. And you to Daphne! You two look great."

I smiled at the guy who had quickly become my new best friend. "Thanks Neville. You and Hannah make a stunning couple. How has your holiday break been?"

It was Hannah who answered this time. "It's been amazing! It was great to just get away and be us. No expectations. No having to get dressed up for fancy events. Don't get me wrong I like to be fancy and this is fun, but it's not me and I don't think it's really you guys either." Hannah seemed a little embarrassed after saying the last part and her cheeks tinted red as she looked down.

"I can't speak for Daphne, but I agree with you. This is fun, but I'd take relaxing in some normal clothes any day." I smiled encouragingly at Hannah to show her I was sincere and she smiled back.

Neville spoke up. "Well we should probably go into the main room. Gran set it up for everyone and you two were the last to arrive."

I nodded wondering just how many people were here, but remained silent as I followed Neville and Hannah. Daphne still held loosely to my arm while looking around admiring the room.

Neville opened a large oak door and we stepped into what could only be described as a ballroom. The carpeted floor stopped about halfway and opened into a beautiful hard wood dance floor. Similarly the walls were wooden. There was a long banquet table off to the side with many types of foods and next to it was a smaller one with various pastries and desserts. The biggest surprise though was the seven round tables filled with people chatting and laughing. Some people I recognized while others I didn't but everyone was from Hogwarts.

"Neville what is this? How many people did you invite?" I was curious as originally Neville had made it sound like a small gathering.

He looked embarrassed as he spoke. "It was supposed to be just the four of us originally, but then my Gran told me I should use it as a social event. So she sent out invites to a lot of the more prominent families. I'm surprised as many showed up as they did, but I guess it is a good chance for us to put some of those classes to use right?"

I noticed Daphne perk up at that. "What classes?"

I explained while Neville answered to Hannah. "During the summer Neville and I attended classes meant for future heads of families. I really learned a lot about customs and things like that."

"Interesting. I hadn't heard of that before, but I guess it makes sense. So what do you say we go find a table and then meet some people. That is what social events are for after all. Well that and you get to show off your stunning date."

"Well someone is quite confident. But I have to agree you are quite stunning." I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek while we walked towards the empty table. I pulled out a chair for her and let her get settled in. "Would you like me to grab you a drink and some food?"

Daphne smiled at me. "Such a gentleman. That would be great Harry thank you."

I left and went to gather us some food and drinks. I enlarged on plate slightly and put a little of everything we liked on it and grabbed two glasses of what I assumed was wine from the end of the table. When I got back to the table Hannah was seated next to Daphne and Tracey was standing between the two of them talking rapidly.

I slid into my seat and set the plate down for Daphne to pick at while handing her the glass of wine. The conversation stopped when I sat down and I was instantly suspicious. "If I'm interrupting something please say so and I'll go find Neville."

Daphne turned to me and pecked me on the lips. "You're interrupting something."

I made a mock wounded gesture. "Ouch so brutal. Alright I'll be back in a little bit."

I excused myself from the table and spotted Neville across the room talking to someone I vaguely recognized from Ravenclaw. I started on my way over but was stopped by someone calling my name out.

I turned to the sound of the voice and was very surprised to find Zabini. "How's it going Zabini? I have to say I didn't expect to see you here, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Zabini smirked at me. "I've been good Potter thanks. How about you, holidays treating you well?"

I shrugged noncommittally. "As well as can be I suppose. I spent some time with Daphne which was nice but other than that I've just been spending time studying and relaxing."

"Good glad to hear. Can I introduce you to some people?"

I wasn't sure who he was going to introduce me to, but a look over showed Daphne was still into her conversation so I nodded. "Sure that would be fine." So I followed him over to a table occupied by a couple of people. Some I recognized but other's I didn't

"Harry Potter please allow me to introduce Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein and their lovely dates Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe respectively."

I knew Cho somewhat already, but had only heard of the others in passing. I shook the guys' hands and kissed the girls in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. How has your year been going so far?"

And so I sat for about ten to fifteen minutes and we made small talk about the school year and our holidays. I noticed Tracey and Daphne walking towards us and stood up to greet them. "Ladies glad you could join us." I made brief introductions just as a courtesy, but found that most everyone knew each other. Tracey was Blaise's date as it turned out so it made sense.

"Come on Harry lets go dance for a bit." And I made to protest but one look at her face and I let it die. I followed her out onto the floor where we were soon joined by many different groups, couples, and occasional individual.

I didn't think we were out there that long, but when we finally returned to our table and sat down to snack I found that it was already thirty minutes to the new year.

As I sat down I realized just how tired I was. "Jeez Daph. You wore me out there. Between all the dancing and trying to socialize I don't know if I'm going to make it to the New Year now."

Daphne smiled slyly at me. "Well that's a shame then. Because I had so much planned for us after the New Year once we leave."

I had let my head lull back for a second and closed my eyes, but once I processed what she said I snapped back up. "Wait what?"

"Well I might have told my parents I was going to stay at Tracey's afterwards and her parents are covering for me incase my parents decide to floo call. So that means I can go back with you or we can go somewhere together."

I smiled at her. "That's awfully forward of you don't you think? Just assuming that you can come home with me…" I trailed off as she leaned in close and capture my lips. I reached around and pulled her to me so she was sitting on my lap now. Neither of us deepened the kiss knowing we were still in public, but I loved every second of it.

"Oy! I don't want you two making out on my table! I eat on this!"

We broke apart to see a grinning Neville and a snickering Hannah sitting down.

"You're just jealous we beat you to it. But there is more than enough room to join if you want." I smiled roguishly and winked at Hannah who blushed furiously.

"I think we'll just wait the five minutes till midnight, but thanks for the invitation. It was very considerate of you."

Daphne shrugged. "Your loss then." And she leaned down and pecked me one last time before sliding back to her chair.

With thirty seconds left giant red numbers animated in the air over the tables slowly counting down. As if we were all under the Imperius when the numbers hit ten we began to count out loud.

"10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!" I turned to Daphne and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. And in that moment it was like nothing else mattered. Just the two of us. There was no war, no parents to please, and no appearances to keep up. Then it ended. All too soon for my liking. We stayed for another twenty minutes or so before deciding it was time to retire for the evening.

Neville and Hannah walked us to the Floo. "Thanks for a great time tonight Neville. It was wonderful to get to meet so many people. I needed this more than I knew."

Daphne echoed my sentiments and I shook Neville's hand before kissing Hannah's and then giving her a hug. Once they turned back to head into the room I grabbed some floo powder and threw it in. "One second while I check to make sure the Floo is clear. We don't need to be hassled because you're coming over." Daphne nodded but looked like she had a question. I poked my head in and was thankful that Sirius's room was empty, but then I remembered Daphne wouldn't be able to go through because Sirius hadn't told her the secret.

I pulled my head back out and asked Daphne if she would mind waiting a minute. Now she looked even more confused but I promised to explain as soon as we were somewhere private.

"Go ahead, but keep in mind it isn't nice to keep a lady waiting too long."

With that in mind I threw a pinch of floo powder in and then stepped through. Once I arrived I quickly called for Kreacher.

"Kreacher I need two favors. First I need you to bring Sirius up here and then I need you to make sure my room is presentable for company."

Kreacher must have sensed the urgency in my voice for he popped away instantly and came back a second later. Sirius I could tell was definitely more than a little inebriated, but as long as he could write I was okay.

"Sirius I need you to write the location of Grimmauld place down for me."

That sobered him up almost instantly. He looked me over for a second and then grinned at me. "Oh I see you'll be having some company tonight then. Well don't let me keep you." He summoned a quill and parchment before quickly scribbling the address on it and handing it to me. I checked it over for any errors and didn't find any. "Well if that's all you need I'm going to go watch Remus make a fool of himself in from of Nymphadora."

I just laughed as he stumbled back towards the door. Soon enough I was back at Longbottom Manor and thankfully Daphne was still waiting for me. A part of me had feared she might leave if I took too long.

I handed her the parchment before she could say anything. "Read and memorize this. Then burn it." A look of understanding shone on her face momentarily before she did as I instructed.

"Okay now go ahead and go through and I'll follow you." I figured that way I would know if it rejected her. Thankfully though Daphne stepped forward and didn't come back. I dropped my pinch in and disappeared once more back to Grimmauld.

I was almost immediately ambushed by Daphne upon exiting the floo. "Daphne not here. My room is down the hall. Somehow I don't think my godfather wants us sleeping in his bed."

She blushed at her mistake which I found adorable, but nodded and allowed me to lead her out and down the hall to my room.

Unfortunately my luck must have run out because as we reached my door none other than Ron Weasley stepped up onto the platform.

He turned and saw us and his eyes lit up. "Oh you've got to be kidding me. You brought that filthy Slytherin whore here? Great now we're all going to be dragged off to you-know-who in our sleep."

It was easy to tell he was drunk. His stumbling walk gave that away and as he got closer I could smell the whiskey. I opened the door and motioned for Daphne to go inside. She looked to protest for a minute, but then stopped and ducked inside.

Once the door was closed I put a locking and silencing charm on it. "You made a big mistake Ron. I told you not to ever let me hear you say those things about Daphne again. I've taught you lesson after lesson but you fail to learn. So now I'm really going to show you."

Quicker than the obviously drunk idiot could comprehend my wand was out and a bone breaker connected with each of his knee caps. The audible pops and his ensuing screams were enough to alert those downstairs, but I wasn't quite done yet. I walked over and rolled him over with my foot. I placed my foot on his nose and began to push down. Hard.

"Never come near me again. Never speak of Daphne again. Never even look at Daphne again. And for the love of merlin man up and actually say Voldemort." With that final word I gave one last push to the side and broke the nose. Blood flowed freely down into his still open mouth and he began to cough and sputter as it ran down his throat.

I could hear people coming up the stairs now and so I decided to get out of the hall. I undid the charms on my door and ducked in before quickly reapplying them and some stronger ones just to be safe.

When I turned around it was to find Daphne on my bed already stripped down. My heart stopped and my mouth dried up. "What are you waiting for Harry? You just defended my honor and now you have to claim your reward."

I didn't even bother changing out of my clothes choosing to just banish them to the wardrobe leaving me in my boxers. With one last glance back towards the door to reaffirm myself that it was indeed protected I crawled into bed and was soon lost in passion.

The next day had been a storm of things. I received many hate filled looks when I finally sent Daphne home and then went downstairs. I assume everyone thought I had started it, or maybe they were just mad about how much damage I had done. Either way I didn't care and wasn't going to feel guilty.

It passed quick enough. That night had been a full moon and Sirius and I had joined Moony in the basement of Grimmauld. He had been shocked when I had revealed my animagus form, but with some convincing from Sirius he agreed to the extra company.

Now I was sitting on the train with Daphne, Neville, and Hannah. As we pulled out of the station and Daphne leaned into me for a nap I couldn't help but smile and just enjoy being close to her again. It was nice to get a break from class, but given the option of being apart from her and no class or going to class and being close to her it was a no brainer.

Soon enough I found myself drifting off to sleep wondering what this second term would bring.