Chapter 6

The days had passed by slowly since the first task. Most of the excitement in the school had seriously been toned down. Harry and Daphne had however been very busy. Within the first seven days of the first task being over they had completed the riddle of the second task. It was quite simple actually, and Dumbledore's hint gave them the best starting point.

Daphne was knowledgeable about magical languages and easily explained to Harry that some languages you had to hear in certain environments. For some they had to be at a certain altitude, for some they had to be heard at certain levels of heat like in a volcano, and others at times they had to be heard under water. Considering that Hogwarts had a lake full of Merpeople it didn't take the two long to figure out that the egg needed to be dumped under water.

The message had shaken Harry a bit, but knew he basically had three months to figure out what he wanted to do, and Neville had already suggested Gillyweed if nothing else could be thought of. This left Harry owing Daphne quite a bit for the help with the first two tasks, and this led to them sharing a lot of time dueling together under Neville's watchful eye.

Daphne had finally seen Neville in action at reading dueling tactics and had gratefully accepted some small tips to help her in the dueling arena, while Harry was pretty much helping her be a more proficient spell caster, and witch as a whole. It was almost as if Neville was her dueling coach, and Harry was slightly more important being the magic coach.

They had spent lots of evenings working on their dueling and mornings on their cardio together, and Daphne had come a really long way in a short period of time, Harry had even confided in her that had they met a few years earlier and hit it off that she would probably already be a champion level duelist. This was quite the boost to the girl's ego, and it was one she desperately needed after being attacked at the Quidditch World Cup.

Tracey and Daphne were hanging out on a Sunday night in the Slytherin Dormitory alone just after the official announcement of the Yule Ball, and Tracey was trying to gossip with the girl, "Who do you think I should go with? You think Blaise might go with me? I think I would let him play ball with me a bit if he showed me a good time."

Daphne looked at her best friend in surprise, "You aren't going to ask Harry? Or at least wait and see if Harry ask you?"

Tracey laughed, "No I think I have about as good of a chance as Fleur Delacour does."

This puzzled Daphne, Fleur was certainly beautiful, perhaps one of the most beautiful girls Daphne had ever even seen and she certainly didn't swing that way, "I don't understand. If you have as good of a chance as Fleur, then you probably have a pretty good chance at going with him. They flirt from time to time."

It had annoyed Daphne a bit how much Fleur hit on Harry in front of her, it was almost as if she was trying to get a rise out of Daphne, but she had not risen to anything yet. Tracey however looked at the girl like she was being naive, "Don't get me wrong if I was a guy, I would do anything to bag Fleur Delacour, but other than the fact that Harry appreciates that she is a hot girl she doesn't interest him. She knows it and I know it because I am in the same boat."

Daphne shook her head, "I don't know. They are both really good duelists and come from the same crowds of people. They even have lots of common friends and fought together on the U17 dueling circuit. I think there is a good chance that he will ask her, or that she will ask him."

Tracey just gave her disapproving look, "Fleur is too prideful to ask a guy, and the first eligible boy that ask her is going to get a yes. The main thing she is probably looking for is someone who will shake her Veela allure which will be a trick, as most of the boys are drooling messes around her. Harry won't ask her either, because as much as he enjoys flirting with her, she is still his competition in both the dueling world, and the tournament, and I could totally see that getting in the way of him asking her. You forget they didn't just compete together they competed against each other."

"So why not ask you?" Daphne asked.

"Don't get me wrong I think I have a chance, but if Blaise ask me then I am going to say yes and take the chance that I may kick myself later, for not waiting for Harry to ask me." The girl said sadly.

"Who do you think he will take?" The girl asked curiously.

Tracey grinned wickedly, "The going bet around the castle is you. Some girls have even speculated that he has already asked you, and that's why you'll keep disappearing together."

"Neville is with us, and everyone knows we are dueling together." Daphne said defensively.

"I think you overestimate the number of people who know you are that interested in dueling, and that Longbottom is his coach, and also disappearing at the same time as you." Tracey said calmly.

"So, what half the castle things we are having some type of sordid affair? That is ridiculous. We are just friends."

"Isn't that just too bad though?" The girl said winking.

Daphne looked at the girl puzzled, "What do you mean?"

The girl groaned, "Oh come on Daph, the boy is gorgeous, and he is fun to be around. He is also funny, super powerful, and really nice. He is pretty much the whole package, he is even going to be the head of a bunch of Ancient and Noble houses when he comes of age, he is kind of perfect."

"Don't put him on such a pedestal Tracey it's not healthy." Daphne said only slightly considering her words.

Raising her hands defensively the girl said, "I know he isn't actually perfect Daph, mostly because I still don't know much about him or his past. Who knows he could have giant shadows lingering over his head from bad things, but no one knows because he hasn't really opened to anyone here except maybe Neville? Not that he should, I am just saying he hasn't. I am also saying that you should hint gently that you don't have a date to the ball and see if he bites."

Sighing the girl said, "I just don't think he sees me that way?"

Tracey looked at her best friend carefully and spoke, "Perhaps because you aren't looking at him that way."

"Explain." Daphne said bewildered.

"All you have done is ask him to help you in magic and dueling. That is basically the boys first language from what he has told us about himself. Since that's the language you speak to him in, that's the only language he speaks back in. If suddenly you tried to drop hints that you were interested in speaking other ways, I think he could start thinking about it and start being receptive. You are probably the best competition to Fleur Delacour in this castle that has a chance with him. If she wasn't so prideful, I could guarantee that they would go together, but I have caught glimpses of her personality and I can almost guarantee you they won't. I mean you do like him, right?" Tracey asked curiously.

Daphne looked out the nearby window to the grounds of Hogwarts and thought for a moment. He was very kind to her so far, but that was mostly because they had been super beneficial to each other. She gave him great advice with the tournament, and even helped him with solving the second task. In return he helped her with dueling. Was their relationship purely based off mutual need for each other or could there be something there. He had commented that she had impressed him with her looks the first time they had dueled, and she could not deny that he was very good looking, and powerful, and a great duelist, and had a great family ancestry to satisfy her Pureblood parents, "I think I do. I mean sometimes you just don't know until you do something about it, I guess. I enjoy spending time with him, and you are right he is good looking. Perhaps if I initiate something or get him too, we can find out if there is something between us."

Tracey threw her hands up, "That's all you can do. You are gorgeous Daph if he doesn't want to go with you, or you decide you don't want to go with the local dragon tamer, then I am sure you will still find some hunk to be on the arm of on the night of the ball."

This caused Daphne to smile and allow her to begin planning how she would bring it up to him.

It had been a long night of dueling on the first weekend of December. Harry and Daphne had spent all evening dueling and doing some good training together. A week had passed since her conversation with Tracey, and tonight was the night that she was going to try and get his attention.

Neville had been out for the night as he had some homework to work on, so Harry had worked her hard on building up her shields and making sure they could last against continuous assaults in the dueling leagues, "You have come a long way. I can't wait to see you duel on the circuit next year. Neville will be ecstatic, and since we would have the same coach, we would be on opposite sides of the bracket so it's possible we could fight in the finals one day."

Daphne smiled at the boy, "That would be incredible, but I would just be happy with winning a few duels my first year. I think then I could really focus on trying to win. After all I have never competed on that level. My father is pretty against it, but from the letters I have been writing to my mum I think she will allow it."

Harry grinned at the girl, "If I have to, I can use some of my political pull to put some pressure on him. He would be crazy to not let you train with two future Lords of Ancient and Noble houses. I don't usually like to throw around titles, but if it will help get you in the ring, I will do it."

Daphne stared at the boy with wide eyes, "Really you'd do that for me?"

Harry nodded easily taking a sip of his water, "Yeah definitely. You have a lot of talent Daphne, and it would be wasted if you didn't get out there and throw down your hat with the best."

Some of Harry's metaphors never made sense to Daphne, but she knew he was doing her a serious favor and jumped happily and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. This means so much to me. I will finally get a chance, and while I never thought my father would let me do it with enough persuasion if you got involved there would be no way he would turn it down."

Harry just laughed at the girl's enthusiasm and hugged her back. When they separated, he smiled and walked away stretching a bit quietly and looking around the unused classroom they had been practicing in. Daphne took a deep breath this was her chance, "Hey Harry? What are your plans for the Christmas holidays?"

Harry looked at the girl, "Oh I don't know. I guess after the Yule Ball I will go back home for a week or two. I will probably visit some friends and my Godfather for a bit, and then work on this project with my dad. I have been working on it at nights for the whole term I have been here, and hopefully he and I can make some big moves over the break."

The project sounded interesting, and Daphne desperately wanted to ask about it, but focused herself to stay on target, "This Yule Ball thing is getting kind of crazy. I have already heard some pretty good stories about people asking each other. Did you hear about Ron Weasley's failed attempt at Fleur Delacour?"

Harry winced, "Owch he asked Fleur to the ball?"

Ignoring the fact that Harry and the French Champion were on a first name basis she said, "Yeah and then he ran away. Didn't even wait for her response. I overheard her talking with some of her friends that she will pretty much go with anyone that can resist her allure."

She observed Harry carefully at that, and very much wished she could use her passive legillmency on him, but she knew it would not work, and that he would know if she tried. A brief look of thought passed through his countenance, but then he shook his head, perhaps Tracey had been right, "Well I hope she finds someone suitable. Resisting a Veela's allure is tricky, and I don't know too many under age wizards that can do it. I know a few in House Ravenclaw that definitely could, so maybe one of them will have the pleasure."

Tracey was right. Harry had no intention of asking Fleur. Then Daphne just went for it, "Any thoughts on who you might take?"

Flipping his wand in his hand, not at all focused on her thankfully he responded, "A little bit, but I am not sure. Being who I am as a champion and political figure I must be careful as not to make too big of a splash. I don't really want to deal with that right now. I am trying to be safe in my pick, but honestly, I hadn't put much thought into it. I guess I should though considering I am a champion and have to have a date."

Daphne suddenly had butterflies in her stomach, should she ask him, or had she dropped enough hints? Before she could say something however a smile crossed his face, "Hey, you never told me who you were going with?"

Daphne now was not looking at him as she walked around the room pretending to stretch and catch her breath as she had done after their training, "I don't know either. I am old school, so someone is definitely going to have to ask me or I won't go. I had one guy from your house ask me, but he has been rather rude to Tracey in the past, so I told him no."

Harry's smile got a little wider she noticed out of the corner of her eye, "Well would you consider going with me then? I promise I will be a perfect gentleman, and you would be a perfect date for me. You are a pureblood, and a big dueling prospect now, so it would make a lot of sense when the media got a hold of it. Might keep some of the heat off me, and I can easily deflect most of it away from you."

Daphne frowned for a moment, was he only asking her because it was convenient? Deciding to go ahead and play with the cards that were on the field she asked, "Are you asking me as a friend or as a date?"

This caught Harry off guard clearly. He had not expected such a question, "Ummm..."

Daphne laughed, "Finally have you at a loss for words. It's about time I did it."

Harry however proved himself a worthy heir of Godric Gryffindor however and steeled his nerves over, "As a date. If you don't want to go as a date, I suppose being friends would not change the fact that I would like to go with you, but if it is alright, I think I'd rather it be more legitimate."

That was better, not completely what she wanted, but much better, "Alright then. I would love to go with you. Only if you promise to be a perfect gentleman. I would hate to ruin what we have going here."

Harry gave the girl a smile offering his hand to her, "I promise."

The girl easily took his hand and smiled back at him brightly. Harry then stretched his shoulders back, "Well all in a day's work then. Shall I walk you back to your common room?"

Daphne nodded happily and gathered up her stuff and followed Harry down to the dungeons. Just as she wished him a goodnight she walked to the portrait and thought of something she had not thought of, "Hey Harry, I didn't ask but do you even know how to dance?"

His response of laughing and saying goodnight was not reassuring in the least, but he had been a near perfect pureblood so far, so she was skeptical that he didn't at least kind of know how to do it. She would corner Neville at a later date and find out one way or another.

(A/N) Daphne and Harry going to the ball! Lots of drama coming in the future, stay tuned, and please tell me what you think so far.