18

Teach me?

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Harry arrived at the seventh floor wondering what it was that Daphne wanted to talk to him about. She was already there waiting for him as they entered the room together. He noticed that it wasn't their regular room in which they used to hold the meetings in but was a rather comfortable and cozy-looking place.

"What did you want to talk about?" Harry asked.

"Neville told me that since the last few days you've been feeling down. He said he tried everything to cheer you up but nothing's working," Daphne said. "What is it? Did something happen?"

Harry looked at her for a moment before turning away. "It's nothing," he said slowly.

"For a liar, you are pretty bad at it, you know?" she said. "Look at me." Harry didn't. "Harry? I know I am probably not the one who you would be willing to share your thoughts with but right now you are not focused and it can affect your performance in the second task which is just a week away. Then there is also the dance which is a night before the challenge, and you are here moping over something that has you depressed for about a month now. What is going on?"

Harry remained quiet for a moment before he sighed. "It's about Sirius," he said slowly.

"You mean Sirius Black?" Daphne asked.

"I asked Dumbledore if he could use his position in the Wizengamot to get Sirius a trial but he said he won't because then I will be in danger," he said.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked. "I thought you said your godfather didn't kill your parents…"

"Not that," Harry said before he paused for a moment and then continued. He told her about his mother's protection magic on him and how it would only work if he kept living with his relatives whom he wasn't that close with. He didn't tell her that they abused him but only that they didn't like magical people. He then told her how according to Dumbledore if Sirius got his freedom back then he would take Harry to live with him and that way his mother's protection would wear off. Harry also didn't tell her about the prophecy.

"So this is why you are sad," she said after listening to his story. Harry nodded. "Well, what kind of magic did your mother use to put that protection on you?"

"I…I don't know," Harry said, "but Dumbledore told me in my first year that it activated when my mother sacrificed herself while trying to save me from Voldemort."

"Hmm, it sounds like sacrificial magic to me," she said thinking. "It's very old and also forbidden in most magical societies including ours. You said that it is because of that magic that Voldemort cannot touch you?" Harry nodded. "I have read a little bit about it but nowhere does it say that it needs to be 'recharged' from time to time. If Dumbledore is right then it means that your mother combined both sacrificial and blood magic, and if it has created such a powerful protection around you then it means she invented a new magic. Wow! Huh, your mother really was something. To be able to invent a new magic using both a sacrificial and blood magic, it speaks a lot about her intellect and level of understanding."

"But it also means that Sirius will never be a free man," Harry said. "I can manage to live with my relatives but I can't see him being an outlaw for the rest of his life just because of a false accusation."

"Have you talked to him?" Daphne asked.

"No," Harry replied softly.

"So you haven't talked to him and you already arrived at the conclusion that he will take you under his guardianship, away from your mother's protection magic?"

"Dumbledore said that he won't listen to reason because of how much he hates my relatives and he wouldn't want me live with them even after knowing how important it is for my safety," Harry said.

"And you took those words to the heart and didn't try to tell Sirius about it," Daphne said. "Wow! I didn't think you'd be an idiot, Potter. Just because Dumbledore told you so, you believed it and didn't give it a try on your own? Why?"

"Because he's Dumbledore…"

"That! That's your excuse? 'Because he is Dumbledore?'" Daphne asked. "I know he's a great and powerful wizard who a lot of people respect but that doesn't mean he can't be wrong. He's not a sage. Despite his accomplishments he is a human and humans make mistakes. It is possible that he assumed wrong about Sirius."

"How…How can you be so sure?" Harry asked.

"Because when you told me about your godfather he sounded like a responsible and understanding man," Daphne said. "Did it not occur to you that he would at least trust you when you tell him why it is that you can't leave your relatives to go and live with him? You don't have to tell him that Dumbledore can get him a trial. Just tell him about your mother's protection magic and its connection to your aunt. See if he understands. If he does then it's good but if he doesn't, you didn't tell him about the trial so you can't get his hopes up."

Harry thought about what she had said. "Do you really think he would let me stay with my relatives?" he asked.

Daphne rolled her eyes as she sighed. "He's your godfather, Harry. How can I say what he will and won't do? I have never met him. I said those things based on your trust on him. You both consider each other family and if you really have that kind of trust between the two of you then he will definitely understand. Just give it a try. See if he agrees. Ask it as a hypothetical question or something. Gosh, I cannot believe you were so depressed just because of a simple thing like this."

"I think you may be right," he said. "I will write to him the first thing tomorrow morning. I think he will understand my reasons for not be able to live with him. Thanks, Daphne."

"Don't thank me," she said. "Thank Neville. He was worried about you. You are lucky to have such a caring friend, you know? It's hard to find people like that."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, I think I am lucky…to have him, you and Tracey as my friends."

Daphne looked at him. 'Do you mean that?' she thought. Her heart wanted to ask him that question but her mind said not to. She looked away from him and walked around the room. She hadn't told Harry but this place that she had asked the room to take the form of was one of the rooms back in her home where she spent a lot of time as a child, playing and reading. She found solace and a sense of peace in that place. She didn't know why she asked the room to change into this but it was the first thing that came in her mind when she saw the look on Harry's face when he had arrived at the seventh floor a few minutes ago.

"So, I heard you asked Luna to go to the ball with you," she said.

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, Neville told me about her," he said. "When I first talked to her I got this feeling that she won't judge me for who I am and I was right. She is a bit weird though but I think it suits her quirky nature. Who are you going to the ball with?"

"I am not," she said. "I mean, I am taking my sister with me as my date."

"She didn't find a partner to go to the ball with?" Harry asked.

Daphne smiled sadly. "It's not that," she said. "She has secretly made friends with Colin Creevey of your house but she can't be seen with another house's student as per Slytherin's house rules. I know she is sad but she understands the consequences…"

"Consequences?" Harry said. "What consequences?"

"It's nothing," Daphne said. There was a minute of silence between them as they ran out of things to say when Daphne continued. "So, Neville also told me that you don't know how to dance?"

Harry chuckled. "It's…It's not one of my fortes," he said. Daphne smiled. "Don't look at me like that. I never thought that one day I would have to dance with a girl, you know?"

Daphne laughed softly and rolled her eyes. "A boy should always expect to dance with a girl," she said.

"Well, it wasn't on my priority list…"

"Give me your left hand," Daphne said interrupting him.

"What?" Harry thought he misheard her.

"Your left hand, give it to me," she said as she extended her own. He hesitatingly brought his hand forward. She held it and slowly put it on her waist. Harry's eyes widened as he looked at her. She didn't notice the look of surprise on his face as she put her left hand on his shoulder and with her right hand she held his right hand before she stepped a bit close to him. She then looked up into his eyes and smiled slightly. "Now, a dance for social events is easy to learn. It is slow, elegant and requires the involvement of both the partners. Do you understand?"

Harry gulped as he nodded. Her smile grew wider as she looked at his nervous face before she took her left foot one step back. "Now move your left foot forward," she said. Harry did. She then moved her right foot a step back. "Now, your right foot," she said. Harry followed her instruction. Once she had moved a step backwards and Harry had moved a step forward she leaned a bit towards her right, telling Harry to follow her movement as they both swayed towards the right together. He stumbled and almost lost his balance and in doing so he caught Daphne before he could fall. He quickly regained his composure and apologized to her.

"It's alright," she said. "It happens when you are learning it for the first time. Now, we will turn around and exchange our roles. Turn around." Harry followed her instructions after which Daphne told him to take the lead and that she will follow him now. She told him to take his left foot a step back as she stepped forward with her left foot before she told him to take a step back with his right foot and then she followed suit. Once they had done that step they then leaned and then swayed towards the left together. Harry once again stumbled a little but this time he managed to not lose his balance without taking Daphne's support as they turned around once more and exchanged the roles.

"Okay, now you are getting it," Daphne said sounding a little proud. "Let's do one more."

"Okay," Harry said nervously before he accidentally stepped on her foot. She winced slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately as he let go of her and looked embarrassed. "I'm really sorry…"

"It's alright," she said laughing softly. "It happens. Maybe let's remove our shoes? That way if you even step on me it won't hurt."

Harry only nodded before the two removed their shoes and continued practicing. He stepped on her feet a few more times and apologized every single time much to Daphne's mild amusement. After practicing for about twenty minutes Harry realized they were standing a lot closer to each other when Daphne told him about the next step. He almost fainted when he learnt that the next step required them to dance slowly while hugging each other. Before he could realize it or say anything Daphne put both his hands on her waist and put her own hands around his neck before she stepped a little closer and looked him in the eyes.

He could feel her heartbeat and it was definitely beating a bit faster than normal. He knew that because his own heart was racing. The faint smell of her perfume made him feel funny yet good at the same time as he realized he was having these feelings for the first time in his life. As they continued to dance slow music began to play in the room. Harry realized it was Daphne who asked the room for the music.

"Hmm, now it's better," she said. "My dad used to play this song when he taught me and my sister to dance," she said slowly. "Following the music with your steps helps you learn it quickly."

"It's a nice song," Harry said.

They both looked at each other as they continued to dance slowly. They had unconsciously moved even closer to one other. Harry could feel her breath on his face just like she could feel his. Their heart started beating faster as they slowly closed the gap between them when Daphne suddenly stepped back. The music stopped abruptly. Harry saw her flushed face as she breathed a little heavy while looking away from him. His breathing was also heavy as they stood there in awkward silence. They both knew what would've happened if they hadn't stopped. They looked at each other before Daphne cleared her throat as the room changed back to its normal self.

"I, uh…I suppose you can now practice on your own?" she said nervously.

"Yeah," Harry said scratching his head as he looked away from her. He felt a bit sad that they had stopped but he knew things would've been awkward if they hadn't. Neither of them had felt like this before and so they were confused, yet a part of them was curious to know how it would've ended had they both not stopped dancing. But it was over now and both of them were nervous to even look at each other.

"Right," Daphne said, "well then, I should get going."

"Yeah…Yeah, you should," Harry stammered. Daphne nodded as they nervously looked at each other before she started heading towards the door when Harry called her. "Daphne?"

She stopped and turned immediately. "Yes?" she asked. She didn't know why she felt that desperate when he'd called her just now.

"Thanks, for…for your advice regarding Sirius," he said. "Also, thank you for teaching me how to dance. I promise I will try to not disappoint you."

She looked at him and smiled. "Well, good luck," she said. "I…I will be leaving now."

"Yeah, yeah, for sure," Harry said. "Good night, Daphne."

"Good night…Harry."

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A/N: Okay, so this was my first time writing about something like this so I would like to know from you guys how you liked it and if I could've written it any better. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Thanks for reading…