August 16th, 2001

Usually, when Friday dinner with friends occurred, it would have happened at Daphne and Hermione's apartment. Everyone would arrive at seven o'clock sharp when dinner, and sometimes tomfoolery would ensue. That was until Harry asked if he could host dinner at his apartment. An apartment until very recently that Daphne didn't realize she lived in. Somehow.

"I just don't understand why we got to your old apartment when you are the one that cooks," Harry stated as he and Daphne were putting away the newly purchased baby clothes. "Hermione, as brilliant as she is, can not cook to save her life."

"What did you say?" Daphne asked, turning her full attention to Harry, "What do you mean, my old apartment? I still live there.

Letting out a surprised chuckle, "Name one time you spent the night at your apartment, then go on." Harry patiently waited as he continued to fold the clothes. She was being raised as a Pureblood. Harry didn't think Daphne would do things the muggle way. Only she explained that after living with Hermione, Daphne picked up the habit of not using her magic for everything.

"Oh! I know! Last Saturday, I spent the night there." Daphne said triumphantly before going back to folding.

"For a girl's night because that is where Astoria and Hermione live." They were standing around the room, "How else will you explain the nursery being here? And not at your old apartment."

Taking a seat on the grey fabric-covered rocking chair that Daphne only purchased because it was comfy. Figuring she could change the color of the fabric at any time. She thought more about what he was saying. For her life, Daphne honestly couldn't figure out when the last time she slept without Harry being right next to her.

The night she was inferring to was a couple of months ago when Hermione got a promotion at work. Instead of going out, as they would usually have if Daphne weren't pregnant, they stayed at Hermione's apartment. Theo was kicked out for the night, hanging out with Harry and Ron, and the three girls had a girl's night. They watched Rom-Coms on the TV in the living room, Hermione and Astoria drinking wine, and Daphne sipping on grape juice. She imagined it was wine. It was the only night she wasn't wrapped in Harry's arms, and she slept terribly. If that wasn't proof, she didn't know what was, "No, you are right; I do live here."

Harry's eyes widened and raising his arms in a joking manner. He celebrated, "Did you say I was right? Hold on; we need to remember this. This might be the new memory I use to perform the Patronus charm!"

"Harry!" Daphne laughed as she pulled him down to kiss him, "Just take the win."

"Anything for you," Harry whispered before capturing her lips in a soft kiss. "So, should we let everyone know?"

"Yes, owl them that we will start hosting Friday dinner. And with the baby coming soon, it would be in our best interest if everyone comes here anyway."

"I'm sure Hermione will be thrilled."

Daphne giggled, remembering how flustered the other witch would get before everyone would show up. Being a Pureblood did have its perks with learning how to host, "Especially Ron. They bicker about Hermione's cooking one more time."

"Welcome to my life, Daph. When Voldemort wasn't trying to kill me, all my abilities ensured Hermione and Ron didn't kill each other."

Faking a fawning expression, "Aww, you poor boy."

"I know. I would face Voldemort every day if I didn't have to hear them bicker all day. And people would question why they broke up after a month of dating."

"I was there. Theo's presence might've had something to do with that."

"Yes, well still, they were not everlasting."

And that was the story Harry passed to Hermione, Theo, Ron, and Astoria. Dinners would still be held at seven o'clock every Friday night but now be held at his and Daphne's apartment.

Harry was correct when Hermione's reply came back with a letter saying thank you for no longer needing to cook for everyone. At the same time, Ron's response was a god-forsaken hollower about how he no longer had to eat Hermione's cook and how ecstatic he was.

"Was I close to being a mistress? Theo asked Daphne as the two worked in the kitchen. More like, Daphne worked in the kitchen, and Theo sat on the counter in the way of Daphne cooking dinner.

Daphne answered, not looking up at the cutting board full of vegetables, "Yes."

"It is fitting."

"How is it fitting?" Daphne asked as she put the now cut vegetable in the pot. It was a cold rainy night, and she decided it would be best to make stew. Fall was approaching, and well, to be completely honest, Daphne was craving stew. And it was unbearably hot. She still would have made it.

Taking a sip of his wine, "Uh, isn't it obvious? Hermione is in politics; of course, she would need a mistress."

Snoring a laugh, Daphne turned to her best friend, "You and I both know that Hermione isn't someone who will pursue having a mistress."

"Yes, I am well aware. But I can say that I was almost one."

"Why do you want to be a mistress? Being in a loving relationship isn't enough for you?"

"No, it is," Theo said with a cheeky smile, "It was meant as Hermione would have risked everything for me. And that's special."

"I don't think that's what being a mistress is. But I'll let you believe whatever it is that you want."

"Thank you; I need that."

"Therapy, you need therapy," Astoria said as she joined in the conversation. Putting a hand up in Theo's face, "I don't want to know what sprouts this conversation. I don't need to know, either."

Glaring at Astoria, Theo jumped down from his spot on the countertop. Not noticing how Daphne immediately set the trey of rolls on the free space, "Don't you have a redhead to stare at?"

"Shut up!" Astoria whisper-yelling as she threw a roll at Theo's face. Theo, not fazed, began eating the roll, "He is in the other room."

"Can you two not fight for one night?" Daphne asked, rolling her eyes at the two. "If Hermione and Ron agree to it, you two can."

"She started it," Theo pouted like he did when they were children. Arms crossed and lower lip puckered.

"I don't care; both of you stop antagonizing the other, or I will put you in a time out," After both agreed, knowing that she had done so before. Daphne shooed them away for her to put the finishing touches on dinner.

When she was about done, she felt another presence in the kitchen. Turning around, she found Ron giving her a light smile.

Daphne was wondering when Ron was going to approach her. In her plan to get Astoria and Ron together, Daphne told Harry to mention that Astoria was looking to stay longer and see how Ron reacted and reported back to her. And boy, did Harry report back. When Harry said Astoria's news to Ron, the redhead responded just like Daphne knew he would.

Just like the giddy, stereotypical Gryffindor that he is.

She knew from watching Hermione, and Theo's relationship and her own with Harry that the Gryffindors gave extreme positive energy towards it no matter how small or large the news was. Answers become the questions after discovering the next piece of information.

"Do you need help with anything? I can carry the pot, so you don't have to. I'm sure it's a bit complicated with the, uh," Instead of saying anything, Ron made a motion to her growing stomach. Daphne hated when people would come up to her and make comments about her baby bump on any other given day. Acting as if this was the first time they had ever seen a pregnant woman before. But with Ron, she knew it came from a good place.

"I was just going to levitate it," Daphne said, before moving to the side, "But have at it."

Nodding his head, Ron moved closer to the stove, "So, your magic isn't going haywire yet? My mum said that it happened to her each time she was pregnant. Guessing that's why my dad is so obsessed with muggle stuff. To help her find ways to mauver around without magic."

"I haven't noticed anything, but the books say that that can occur when I get closer to my due date. The same thing happened to my mum when she was pregnant."

After placing the stew pot on the table, when Daphne told him to put it, Ron turned back to Daphne. He was surprised by how close the blonde was standing to him. Feeling uncomfortable was something Ron didn't particularly enjoy, and when he was uncomfortable, he babbled, "Um, Daphne, I don't think we should be standing this close. I don't want to give anyone the wrong opinion. You are beautiful. Merlin no! I mean, not that you aren't. It's just that Harry is my best mate. And you are carrying his baby. Something he has wanted for a while now."

"Oh, I know. Harry would not appreciate how close we are standing. But how would Astoria feel?" Daphne asked as she studied Ron's face. His blue eyes were standing out against his reddening cheeks. "I'm her sister. I know exactly what the girl would be thinking. And boy, I don't think you want to know. She may be a Hufflepuff, yet she sure knows how to hold a grudge."

If anyone thought Ron saw a ghost, his eyes went towards the kitchen door, Letting out a sigh of relief as he cheered for Astoria's matching blue eyes not to be looking at him. Turning his attention to the sinister smiling sister, Ron's eyes widened for another realization, "You know! You know I like her. But you wouldn't be just telling me to tease me. You have more information. And that information is that Astoria likes me back!"

"She does," Holding a hand up to stop Ron from jumping with glee, "But if you hurt her, you will truly find out which sister takes care of the grudges."

"Daphne, I promise I won't hurt your sister. I haven't felt this way about anyone before. Not even Hermione. For the amount of time, she will give me. I'll give her everything."

Daphne studied Ron, surprised he would say something like that. His light blue eyes held a bit of sadness, but not pity, "You know. She told you."

Nodding his head, "I do. I won't hurt her. I'll let her do all the hurting. Here, we can do a wizard's oath if you like?"

"Just even offering to do an oath saying something in itself," Taking a few steps back, motioning to the door, Daphne's respect for Ron grew, "Why don't you go tell her? Give us something to celebrate."

"Wouldn't a grand gesture be better?"

She shook her head, "Telling her and starting to be together right here and now will be the grand gesture she wants. Astoria has never been one for grand gestures. You are the reason she is staying."

"Which is a grand gesture for me. Meaning all I have to do is tell her I reciprocate her feelings."

"Exactly," Daphne laughed as Ron took her into a bear hug. She had seen Ron's bear hugs before. Most were given to Hermione and Astoria, Harry getting a few when both boys have big news. But being the given and not the watcher was something Daphne never thought she would get to experience. Ron Weasely was officially her friend, and she couldn't be happier, "Ron, I can't breathe!"

Pulling away from her with a worried look that kept motioning down to her stomach, "I didn't hurt the baby, right?"

"No, of course not. The baby would like to be able to call you uncle," Daphne said, pushing the redhead towards the kitchen door, "Go! I'll keep dinner warm for you two."

As Ron dashed out of the kitchen, calling for Astoria, Daphne felt an arm on her shoulder, "That was very Slytherin of you."

"My sister deserves the best, and if that's Ron Weasley. Ron Weasley is what she gets." Daphne said with a curt nod of her head. Turning towards Harry, she wasn't surprised to see Harry's emerald eyes shining with humor, "I told you Operation Redhead Feeling's would work."

Letting out a short, loud, crackle laugh, Harry pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry for doubting you."

"As you should be."

"It was quite attractive. I was coming to help you put everything out only to hear the plan in action."

"Attractive, huh?" Daphne's eyes glistened in delight.

"Oh yes," Giving her a quick but just hard enough for Daphne to be wanting more, "If we didn't have guests, I would show you just how attractive that was."

"This is why we would go to Hermione's, this right here. So we can sneak away early." Daphne laughed before giving Harry another kiss. "But we have to go entertain. Only Merlin knows how long Ron and Astoria are going to be."

With one last kiss and one warming charm on the food, Daphne let Harry pull her out of the kitchen to join the rest of the group. Both weren't surprised to notice Ron and Astoria's absents. Only Theo and Hermione were in the living room in their conversation, "Well, I can only assume this is payback for the times you two found us."

Hermione and Theo pulled away from each other; neither one looked apologetic for their position. Within the length of time, Hermione and Theo had been together. They began to share the other's features. Both wore the same smirk Daphne was used to only seeing on Theo's face. And it didn't help that their matching brown eyes held the laughter in them as Harry was used to only seeing in Hermione's.

"It was," Hermione said, leaning into Theo's embrace as the other couple sat in the love seat.

"Is dinner ready?" Theo asked, looking directly at Daphne.

"It is," Daphne said with a smile, "We have to wait for Ron and Astoria. I don't know how long they will be, so I cast a warming charm."

"Finally going to talk about their feelings?"

"That they are."

"Good," Hermione said with relief, "Those two have been skirting around for too long."

Scoffing, "Like you and Theo didn't do the same thing."

"She's not wrong, Hermione," Theo said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. A smile grew on his face as she snuggled into his hold. "Daph had to listen to us gush over the other, but neither told the other."

Sighing in defeat, "This is true. And then I did my speech."

"Oh, the infamous speech! I remember that," Ron said, joining the group, his hand intertwined with Astoria's. "I owed Harry money that day."

"Which you still never gave me," Harry said pointedly.

Waving him off, Ron ignored Harry's comment as he pulled Astoria closer to him, "We have an announcement!"

"Thanks to my sister's pushing, Ron and I are officially dating," Astoria said with happiness as everyone cheered and congratulated the couple. "So we can eat now. Ron's stomach is making sounds I didn't realize a stomach could make so loudly."