Chapter Eight
Daphne saw Harry vanish with Dobby and smirked. She didn't regret it and would just embrace whatever would come to them. She liked Harry, Harry liked her... he wanted a partner, she wanted to be his. So why not?
She walked into the Three Broomsticks, searching for some of her year mates. They should be about finished with their meals. When she entered the Three Broomsticks, she saw every table filled with Hogwarts students and searched for someone familiar. As luck would have it, she saw Tracey, Millie, and Pansy sitting together. There was no sign of the other boys.
"Where have you been?" asked an indignant Tracey, rising from her seat when she saw Daphne.
"Having lunch," replied Daphne, raising an eyebrow to her friend. "Why?"
"We looked for you two to join the rest of us for lunch," replied Millie, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "Where did you have lunch?"
"Did he plan something romantic?" asked Pansy with a smirk, but not without a little bit of envy. Daphne smirked.
"Harry took me to the lake shore and we had a picnic in a beautiful clearing," she said, holding the attention of the three other girls.
"And?" asked Tracey. Daphne smirked. She decided to have fun and lie a bit. They could wait to learn that she and Harry were now dating.
"We talked a bit, well, a lot, actually, and then he had to leave for other business," she said, seeing the disbelief on Tracey's face.
"You talked? You only talked?" she spluttered. Daphne was actually enjoying taunting her friend.
"And he just left you?" asked Pansy, raising her eyebrow.
"Pansy, trust me on this, we know nothing about Harry. Whatever Malfoy always said or even what our head of house has always said, Harry is nothing like that. He told me a bit about the last three years and believe me...it's nothing to take lightly."
The three girls looked at Daphne, surprised.
"I know," confessed Pansy in a whisper. The three other girls looked at Pansy, who was the most bigoted girl in their year, although not entirely by choice. "I saw what he did to the dragon, Daph. I saw him destroy Draco as if he were nothing but a nuisance. Harry is a real Slytherin, and he is powerful. He deserves our respect, and he isn't looking for servants like a Dark Lord wannabe, he's looking for allies. There are even rumours that Alistair Pince, Brian Carrick, and Eliza Culberth are interested in having him join them."
The girls gasped. If the Slytherin Triumvirate, the real power in Slytherin house, was interested in Harry, it could only mean that he was to learn from them and take a position in the Triumvirate the following year, as a leader of the house. It was unusual; members of the Triumvirate were always selected from sixth and seventh years.
"I had no idea, are you sure?" asked Millie in a whisper, and Pansy nodded.
Daphne was both baffled and proud of Harry.
"Add that to today's show, when he came in talking politely with Viktor Krum..." added Millie with a smirk. Daphne chuckled.
"Sometimes I really hate Draco," said Pansy with a sigh, noticing the three girls smirking back at her. "Oh fine, most of the time, blasted alliances. But imagine if Harry had been in our house since first year."
"In any case, he's with us now," said Daphne, crossing her arms. "Let's just make sure we support him properly this time and make sure he wins the Triwizard Tournament."
"It's personal to you, isn't it?" asked Pansy with a smirk.
"I want him to win, for several reasons," admitted Daphne, "I think he can do it. Shouldn't our house support him? Or are we to be honourless fools like the dorks?"
"The house stands with him, Daphne," replied Millie matter-of-factly. "There's no one in the house that doesn't respect him. Hell, even Malfoy's piped down with his filth."
"I don't mean that, Millie," started Daphne, looking at the girls. "The dorks want him back and accuse us of using Dark magic and love potions on him..."
"They accuse you," replied Tracey, making the girls snicker. Daphne decided to ignore her.
"The duffers want him down because of Diggory and the claws are divided between neutral and Chang's supporters. There's more on the line for Slytherin house than we think."
"Like?" asked Tracey.
"What did he tell us? He has been studying in the Chamber of Secrets, Salazar Slytherin's own secret chamber," said Daphne, making sure her dormmates understood. "In a sense, he has been studying from Salazar Slytherin himself."
"Are you talking about the diaries?" asked Tracey, and Millie and Pansy looked at Daphne, wide eyed, making the same connection.
"Yes, Tracey, the diaries. The diaries he told us he's read, written by Salazar himself, from which he said he's learned a lot. A victory for Harry would mean a victory for Slytherin's apprentice and our house," replied Daphne.
"I like your way of thinking," replied Millie, and Pansy nodded.
"Things have been changing over the past few weeks," said Daphne with a smirk, looking at her friends. "Personally, I think things are changing for the best."
"Says the girl who has Potter whipped," replied Pansy, making Tracey and Millie laugh. Even Daphne chuckled.
"Yeah..." Daphne whispered enigmatically, not heard by her friends. She was just as whipped. "Speaking of Harry, where are your boys?"
"Around," replied Tracey, while Pansy shrugged. "We all had lunch together, then Malfoy wanted to leave but Pansy didn't. Theo and Blaise went to the toilet and are over by the counter. I think they realized we were having a girls-only moment." Daphne turned back and saw the two boys at the counter, talking amongst themselves.
"Draco wanted to buy a couple of things and took Greggie and Vinnie with him," sighed Pansy. The girls hid their chuckles. Greggie and Vinnie were the nicknames Pansy had given Crabbe and Goyle, and she was always very supportive of the two of them. In fact, the two actually followed Pansy, not Malfoy.
Malfoy fancied himself a leader because of his father's power. Pansy, Greg, and Vince had to be around him because of alliances (everyone knew which), but that didn't mean he was the leader, even though Pansy allowed him to believe he was. She cared about the git, but not that much as people thought.
Since Harry had joined the snakes, Draco had been in a downward spiral, realizing his own place and that his father's influence had limits in the house of the cunning.
"With whom are you going to the ball?" Millie asked Pansy, who smirked and gave a small blush. "I'm going with both of my boys. Thank Merlin Draco isn't going, imagine what I'd have to suffer should I be his date."
The girls chuckled and Tracey called Theo and Blaise back to the table.
"Where's your boy?" asked Blaise to Daphne.
"In a personal meeting," replied Daphne. "I want to know your opinion of Harry."
"He's a great, smart, and powerful guy," replied Theo, earning a mock glare from his girlfriend.
"Don't tell me you have a crush on him."
"No, he lacks something for that," was Theo's reply.
"Oh yeah, what's that?" asked Tracey, teasing him.
"Being you," replied Theo, kissing his girlfriend, making the girls all go "Aww" in appreciation.
"Great, raise the bar, why don't you?" mumbled Blaise, heard only by Millie, who gave him an elbow and shook her head with a smirk. He actually smirked back. Millie didn't like all that "wuvvy-dovey" stuff. She happened to be a practical girl and he was fine with that.
"What about you, Blaise?" asked Daphne.
"He scares me," confessed Blaise, earning some curious looks. "But I owe him one for convincing me to find my guts... and besides, the guy is smart, resourceful, and I'd rather be on his side than the opposite. I've seen how much he has to control himself to not to curse some of the idiots, and I'd rather not be in his way when he finally snaps."
"Do you think he can win the tournament?" asked Daphne again.
"Before the first task, I'd think that was a joke. Now, I think he can win, but the jury isn't too fond of him," replied Blaise, Theo nodding in agreement.
"How is he doing with the next task?" asked Millie.
"The riddle of the egg has been solved and he's prepared, but I won't speak about it in here. Too many ears," replied Daphne.
"What about the ball?" asked Pansy with a smirk.
"He's actually a decent dancer," replied Daphne with a shrug. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Now, concerning the fact that Harry's house-elf calls you mistress..." started Theo, wanting to have a proper answer.
Daphne explained that Dobby started calling her that "just because," and as neither of them actually told him to stop he just kept doing it, something they all found extremely amusing. The group stayed at the Three Broomsticks for some time longer, before finally getting up to leave. Daphne already had everything she needed and was getting bored. She noticed people looking at her, most likely wondering where Harry was, since he wasn't at her side. She ignored them. With nothing better to do, she decided to go back to Hogwarts and visit the Chamber of Secrets, study a couple of books, read a diary, and maybe start on her homework.
Dobby appeared a moment after she called him. According to him, Harry had just arrived in Gringotts with his godfather and uncle. Daphne smirked. She wondered what would happen when it became known that Harry had claimed his lordship.
"Should you need anything, please call," Dobby told her after popping her into the living area in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Actually, what do you do when you're not being summoned?" asked Daphne, curious. Dobby grinned.
"I cleaned the Chamber in the first days. I cook Harry's meals when he doesn't want Hogwarts food, and sometimes that requires shopping. I run his errands to buy equipment and ingredients, I spy on some individuals in the school, and I believe that soon I'll have Potter Manor to clean up." His grin told her he actually enjoyed his work. "I may be much more than a mere house-elf, but I still am one. I still like to serve my master."
Daphne smirked.
"Your master is lucky to have you at his side, isn't he?" she asked, and was surprised by Dobby's response.
"I think we are both lucky to have each other at our sides," replied Dobby in a solemn tone. "Had it not been for Harry I'd still be a slave, or maybe I'd be dead. All I did was provide him with a solution for his problem. He gave me this," lied Dobby, waving at himself. He couldn't tell her he had helped Harry with the second task of the tournament, something that hadn't happen yet, or that he had saved Harry and fought at his side. He could, however, embellish the story about how he became what he was.
"I think I know what you mean, Dobby," replied Daphne with a smirk. "I'll call you when I need you."
"Of course, Mistress," smirked Dobby, popping away. Daphne smiled, thinking to herself that she might deserve the title now. She checked the room and noticed that Harry had a potion simmering. She went over to the cauldron and was able to identify it as a dreamless sleep potion. She recalled what he had told her that morning and let it be.
She found a locked container hidden in a corner, but remembered Harry's warnings to leave be anything that was locked. She left the container and checked the bed, which was soft and comfortable. Next to it was a bedside table, with what seemed to be one of the modern lamp crystals to provide light to read, much like the one Daphne had in her room at Greengrass Manor. There was also a notebook on the table. Daphne opened it and recognized Harry's writing. It seemed to be some sort of diary that started with the new Hogwarts' year. She read the very first entry.
"It's past midnight on September 1st. In a couple of hours, we'll be going back to Hogwarts. I can't wait. Not that I dislike the Weasleys, but these people can be a little overbearing and loud. Mr. Weasley is a typical muggle-lover fanatic. He has a lot of muggle garbage. He doesn't know what it's for nor how it works but is amazed by it. Mrs. Weasley is an overbearing, protective mother hen. Need I say more? Bill is kinda cool and so is Charlie. Bill works for Gringotts as a curse breaker and Charlie works in a dragon reserve in Romania. Percy is a pompous git that's always kissing the ass of his superiors in the Ministry. The sad part is that this seems to be the way things work in the Wizarding World. A shame. Fred and George, while they may have some funny moments, are annoying with their twin speech and all their pranking. Not everyone enjoys it that much, guys, you could hold it for a moment... Ron is always eating or complaining but I don't see him doing anything. Most of the time he's just lazy. But he's also my first friend and can be a nice guy. Then there's Ginny. What the hell is wrong with that girl? It looks like she has a crush on me but doesn't talk to me and can't seem to be in the same room as me without blushing or babbling.
But I enjoyed myself in their home, especially when I helped Hermione explain what some muggle items were for. I'll never underestimate a wizard's inability to understand the muggle world again, that's for sure."
Daphne chuckled at Harry's written words. She closed the notebook, despite wanting to keep reading and placed it back on the bedside table. Her attention went to the desk, where she had left her frame for the diaries, and where sat his schoolbooks and parchment rolls.
She went to the desk and noticed the soft glow coming from the Pensieve. Curious, she walked over to it and realized that there was a memory in it.
"Why would Harry leave a memory in the Pensieve?" she wondered. It had to be something important if he had left it there, probably to watch it again at a later date.
She knew she shouldn't watch it, but after seeing a piece of parchment on the desk that had her name scribbled on it, she couldn't help but be curious, even if it would be considered rude.
It couldn't be anything bad, right?
When the image stopped, she saw herself inside a great tent in a green field, in the middle of a party filled with music and laughter. She looked around, seeing several faces she didn't know, until suddenly she gasped as she recognized an older Blaise, sat next to who seemed to be a happy and older version of Millie.
With them were an older Theo and Tracey, who were laughing at something that an older version of Pansy was saying. Pansy was sitting between Greg and Vince, who were both being pleasant. Then, to her astonishment, Daphne saw who seemed to be an older version of her own sister sat next to none other than Draco Malfoy, who was being pleasant if her sister's amusement was any indication.
She looked to another table and had another shock. At that table were Granger and Longbottom, smiling and laughing together. They had changed so much she almost didn't recognize them. Longbottom was taller and thinner, but also bulkier, and Granger looked prettier. Her hair was even tamed, and she looked a proper lady. What was going on? Daphne recognized several other Gryffindors at that table, such as the Weasley twins and their Chasers, Johnson, Spinnet, and Bell. Even their former Quidditch captain Wood was there. She managed to see the youngest Weasley male, who seemed angry and looked as if he had sucked on a lemon, stuffing himself with food, as well as Weaselette, who seemed to be holding her rage.
She saw many other recognizable faces, such as McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and Hagrid, but had no idea what was happening. Then she heard a soft noise, as if someone was tapping metal against crystal. She turned back to where the sound was coming from and gasped again.
In front of her was another table. At the center was an older version of herself, dressed in wedding robes, right next to none other than an older version of Harry Potter. He seemed taller and well built, although he was still lean. He had also dropped his glasses and his eyes looked even more intense. He too was wearing wedding robes.
Next to her were her parents, her father Jonathan Greengrass and her mother Persephone Greengrass. Both were smiling and actually seemed proud. Probably of themselves, as usual. She didn't pay them much attention, seeing who was on the other side of Harry. She saw an older woman and a young boy whose hair was quickly changing colour, maintaining his style much like Harry's. She recognized neither of them, although the older woman looked much like the Lady Malfoy.
She approached who she thought to be an older version of herself and was able to see her fake amusement and the fake smiles. Daphne turned to Harry and saw the same, especially when he turned to older Daphne and saw her own eyes.
"I think I need to catch some air," older Daphne said to older Harry, and he nodded.
"But you should make a speech," Daphne's mother admonished, and she saw older Daphne hide a sigh.
"We'll be right back," replied older Harry, rising from his seat, unseen by any and giving his hand to older Daphne. "If my wife needs something it's my job now to make sure she has it, right?"
Daphne saw her father laugh and her mother smile amusedly.
"Of course, Harry dear, but don't delay."
"Of course not, mother," replied older Daphne, holding older Harry's arm and wearing a false smile. "Shall we, my husband?"
"Of course, my dear wife," replied older Harry, kissing her softly on the lips. Daphne ran after them, seeing them leaving the tent.
They walked in silence for some time, and when they were far enough, older Harry cast a spell Daphne didn't recognize. Then, older Daphne half sighed, half growled.
"I hate it," she said, not able to look at older Harry, who sat by her side holding her hands in support. "It's my wedding and I bloody hate it."
"I know," whispered older Harry, caressing her hands.
"It's a bloody circus. There's nothing of us in there," older Daphne continued her rant, "All I wanted was a simple ceremony with our friends, not the whole bloody country. All the Wizengamot is there as is the whole Ministry. Not to mention the reporters." Older Harry didn't say anything at all.
"Oh, I'm so proud of my daughter, she snagged "The-Man-Who-Conquered", and now the Greengrass family will be even more influential...bloody harpy," older Daphne ranted, and Daphne knew she meant her mother.
"This was supposed to be my wedding to the man I love, not a bloody circus for her to show off to everyone how powerful she is or how powerful her son-in-law is."
"Daph, love..." tried older Harry, only to stop at Daphne's sobs.
"I'm sorry, it's just that..." she didn't finish, as Harry had grabbed her and was holding her tight. Daphne watched closely, feeling her eyes moisten too. She didn't understand exactly what was happening, could she really be seeing a memory from her own future?! Her wedding? To Harry?
"I love you, Daph, you know that, right?" he asked, and she nodded while still crying. Older Harry drew a pocket watch and checked the time. "Daphne, I'm going to ask you to play along with me, all right?" older Harry asked, and both Daphnes looked at him, not understanding what he meant.
"Seriously, Daphne, trust me and play along. I have something for you." Older Harry rose and lifted up older Daphne, returning to the tent. Daphne was unsure what to think, but older Daphne sighed and went along with him.
"Great, a surprise," older Daphne mumbled.
They went back to the tent and older Harry cast a Concussion Charm, capturing everyone's attention.
"I believe it's customary to perform a speech?" older Harry said, being cheered by everyone. "I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and we thank you in the name of House Potter for your presence on this special day." Daphne saw older Daphne smirking, as if she caught something nobody else did.
"However, we believe it's time to retire and start thinking about expanding our newly formed family."
More cheers and wolf whistles were heard. Daphne blushed at the implication, and saw older Daphne roll her eyes while smirking. Daphne saw her mother splutter something that was ignored, while older Daphne was held by Harry, who had summoned something that looked like a bottle of firewhisky.
"See you all in a couple of weeks," said older Harry before both he and the older Daphne disappeared by portkey. The memory changed, and Daphne found herself in a dark field with older Harry and older Daphne, who punched her husband's shoulder after stealing the bottle from him.
"Well, if the idea was to run away, it was a good show," she laughed, drinking from the bottle. "My mother looked like she was brought down with the commoners. Oh, the indignity!" Older Daphne laughed, and so did older Harry.
"Yes, it was amusing but that wasn't why we came here."
"And where is here, dear husband of mine?" older Daphne asked, letting older Harry approach her, envelop her in a hug and kiss her softly. She reciprocated the kiss and for a while nothing else happened. When they let go of each other, older Harry spoke again.
"You know I love you more than anything, right?"
"You may have mentioned it on occasion," she replied cheekily, "but I may need some convincing."
"In that case..." older Harry said, indicating to her that she should turn around. Curious, she turned as he waved his wand. Instantly, the dark of the evening was replaced by the soft light of several lamp crystals set along the branches of the massive tree before them.
A Rowan tree.
Not only that, a man with a long beard stood before the trunk, dressed in Druidic robes and holding a staff in his hand, with two others at each side.
Older Daphne looked in shock to older Harry.
"Harry, is this...?"
"I knew you wouldn't enjoy our wedding. I knew it wouldn't be what you wanted. To be honest, I didn't want that either, so I thought I could set this up and give you the wedding you always wanted." Older Daphne threw herself into her husband's arms and snogged him senseless.
Daphne was stuck to her place. Ever since she'd heard tales from her great-grand-aunt when she was nine, she had always dreamed of a traditional wedding. Simple, and honouring the old traditions she always loved. She looked at older Harry beneath older Daphne and felt a pang of both jealousy and hope.
Older Daphne let go of her husband and rose again, slightly embarrassed with her actions. Older Harry had a huge grin.
"Shall we?" he asked her, and she nodded. She felt the magic of the sacred grove and stepped forward, holding her husband's hand. Then, a booming voice sounded,
"Who goes there?"
"Harry of House Potter."
"What do you seek in this sacred ground?" the voice asked again.
"To celebrate my bonding in the magical grounds under the ancient tree, honouring the ancient traditions of our ancestors."
Older Daphne was clearly surprised, and so was Daphne. Harry had learned the traditions. Older Daphne had tears on her eyes. He had made this for her.
"Who walks with you?" asked the voice again. With an encouraging nod, older Daphne replied.
"I am the bride, Daphne of House Greengrass."
"Step forward, Harry of House Potter and Daphne of House Greengrass," the man said again, and they did. Daphne walked behind them, as if in a dream.
"Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East.
Communication of the heart, mind, and body.
Fresh beginnings with the rising of each Sun.
The knowledge of the growth found in the sharing of silences.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South.
Warmth of hearth and home.
The heat of the heart's passion.
The light created by both to illuminate the darkest of times.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West.
The deep commitments of the lake.
The swift excitement of the river.
The refreshing cleansing of the rain.
The all-encompassing passion of the sea.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North.
Firm foundation on which to build.
Fertility of the fields to enrich your lives.
A stable home to which you may always return.
Each of these blessings emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and successful union.
Yet they are only tools.
Tools which you must use together in order to create what you seek in this union."
The priest nodded to Harry, who took a silver ribbon from his pocket and gave it to the older man. Older Daphne looked at the ribbon and smiled lovingly at older Harry, who smiled back at her. Daphne stood behind them with tears in her eyes.
The bride and the groom held hands, standing face to face while the priest placed the ribbon on top of their hands.
"You may say your vows, Harry of House Potter," the priest said.
"I pledge my love to you, and everything that I own.
From this day forward, all that is mine is also your own. It shall be only your name I cry out in the night and into your eyes that I smile each morning;
I shall be a shield for your back as you are for mine.
Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honour you through this life and into the next.
Our love is never-ending, and we will remain, forevermore, equals in our marriage.
This is my wedding vow to you," older Harry recited, from both memory and heart.
A tear fell from older Daphne's eyes, but the smile never left her lips.
"You may say your vows, Daphne of House Greengrass," the priest said.
"I pledge my love to you, and everything that I own.
From this day forward, all that is mine is also your own. It shall be only your name I cry out in the night and into your eyes that I smile each morning;
I shall be a shield for your back as you are for mine.
Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honour you through this life and into the next.
Our love is never-ending, and we will remain, forevermore, equals in our marriage.
This is my wedding vow to you," recited older Daphne, and Daphne thought that it wasn't the first time those vows were said by them that day.
The priest started to speak again.
"Do you, Harry of House Potter, take Daphne of House Greengrass to be your wife,
To be her constant friend,
her partner in life, and her true love?
To love her without reservation,
honour and respect her,
protect her from harm,
comfort her in times of distress,
and to grow with her in mind and spirit?"
"I do, with all that I am," replied older Harry.
"Do you Daphne of House Greengrass, take Harry of House Potter..."
"I do, with all that I am," replied older Daphne, not allowing the priest to finish his lines. The two witnesses who stood with the priest hid a chuckle, as did the priest. Harry grinned and older Daphne actually looked embarrassed, mumbling an apology. Daphne chuckled at her own enthusiasm.
The priest waved his staff and the ribbon tied itself around Harry and Daphne's hands and wrists.
"Now you are bound one to the other,
With a tie not easy to break.
Take the time of binding,
Before the final vows are made,
To learn what you need to know –
To grow in wisdom and love.
That your marriage will be strong,
That your love will last,
In this life and beyond.
I name thee Harry and Daphne of House Potter," the priest concluded, waving his permission with a smile. Older Harry leaned in towards older Daphne.
"I love you, my wife," he whispered before kissing her. Daphne saw the ribbon glow and burn to ashes as their magic surged between them, entangling with one another, and completing the initial steps of the bond.
"When I thought I couldn't love you more, you do this..." older Daphne whispered, looking at her husband with moistened eyes. "I love you so much, my husband, now and forever."
Daphne saw them kiss again before the memory end and she was ejected from the Pensieve. She couldn't believe what she saw. It was herself and Harry, but how?
It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and the most loving as well. But how? How could it be? How could Harry have such a memory? How could he have a memory of something from the future? Was he a seer?
Then Daphne started to connect some dots.
"His power... his knowledge... his insane improvement from one day to the next... all he did... all the help he gave me... just for no reason... He had more than a reason."
Daphne gaped, feeling the tears fall from her eyes. She had no answers, but all she had seen and all she had experienced helped her to form a fledgling theory about Harry Potter, one so farfetched that she didn't dare voice it.
"You lied to me," she sobbed, falling on her knees and hiding her face in her hands. "Why?"
After what felt like an eternity, Daphne stopped crying. Deep in thought, she freshened up and called Dobby to take her back to her dorms. She was able to hide her thoughts from the elf and dismissed him after questioning him about Harry's location. According to the elf, he was in the Room of Requirement, having already started his duel with Krum.
Alone in the dorm, Daphne laid on the warded bed with her curtains pulled and privacy charms cast, thinking. The thought that Harry had lied to her saddened her, crushed her even. She didn't want to believe it, but it was clear, and that was what hurt her the most.
She wanted to know the truth. She wanted to know what or who he was. Why he had that memory, and if her theory was right, why was he there now, helping her? Why?
Then, her memory went back to the bonding she witnessed. Her bonding, the most beautiful thing she had ever seen... And Harry had arranged it all because he loved her...but how? Why?
She needed to know.
She liked him. She really did. Her heart swelled because of him and what she had seen him do for her in the Pensieve. She begged to Merlin, Morgana, and Maeve for the strength to confront him, because the thought of him lying to her...
She realized that she wanted him more than she knew, but she wouldn't even look at him until he told her the truth.
She fell asleep thinking about their bonding.
~BREAK~
When Daphne woke up, her dormmates were already there, talking about dinner. She didn't want to talk to any of them, so she waited until she was alone. After the others had left, she rose from the bed and cleaned herself up, changing clothes for dinner.
She left for the Great Hall, paying no attention to anyone. She walked unsteadily through the corridors and actually made a wrong turn three times before she found the Great Hall. She sat at her house table and said nothing to anyone, filling her plate with roasted potatoes and meat.
"Hello, Daphne? We're talking to you," called Tracey, not amused at all.
Daphne was shaken from her thoughts by her friend's voice, noticing she was only picking at the food in her plate.
"What is wrong with you?" asked Millie, concerned.
"Nothing," replied Daphne in a low tone, eating a forkful of potatoes, hoping her friends would forget their interest.
"We asked you how your afternoon had been," informed Pansy. Daphne shrugged.
"I read some books," she replied absently. Her friends all looked at each other, concerned.
"Good evening."
She heard his voice out of nowhere, feeling a warm kiss on her cheek. "Harry?" she mumbled inaudibly.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied, careful to avoid looking at him, fighting both her anger and her own desire.
"She's been like that since she came to dinner half an hour ago," replied Millie "What did you do to her?"
"I did nothing," replied Harry. She felt his gaze on her and noticed he was trying to hold her hand.
"No!" she thought, remembering how he had lied to her. She wasn't going to allow him near her without the truth. He lied to her. She violently snatched her hand away from his.
"Don't," she hissed, unable to control her anger towards him.
"Daphne, please, what's wrong..." She didn't hear anything else because she couldn't control her anger towards him. "How dare you to even ask that?" she thought, "As if you didn't know!"
She lost control of her anger and slapped him, hard. The entire population of the Great Hall stopped their doings immediately, turning towards the Slytherin table to see the source of the slap echoing around the hall.
"Do you need to ask?" she asked, fighting her anger and her tears. "You said you wanted a partner. You said you wouldn't lie to me, yet you've done nothing BUT lie, haven't you?" hissed Daphne. "How am I to trust you if you've never told me the truth?"
She focused on his green eyes and could only see the older Harry lovingly holding older Daphne during their bonding.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, insulting her again. She slapped him even harder this time, feeling even more betrayed.
"I saw the memory in the Pensieve, you bastard," she said, no longer able to fight the tears. Unable to look at him, she pushed him away and left the table. He hurt her, and his denial hurt most of all. "Don't you even dare speak to me unless it's to tell me the truth."
She walked towards the exit, ignoring the looks everyone was giving her and Harry.
"What the hell did you do, Potter?" she heard Tracey ask. She didn't care, she had to leave the Great Hall before she either gave up and ran back to him or broke down crying.
"None of your business," she heard him say. She felt something weird behind, then in front of her. When she looked up, she saw an emotional Harry Potter looking at her. It wasn't anger in his face, but more like...desperation?
"But...how?" she mumbled.
Instead of replying, he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her against himself, looking into her eyes. They both faded away from the Great Hall.
The confusion had only begun.