Daphne Greengrass and the no-good, terrible, very bad years."
Where Daphne's faith in her parents is sorely tried… and she ends up married.
By An Orc, This work is an alternate point of view for 'Not with a half-blood.' Daphne Greengrass would be mortified if anyone read it, and under no circumstances is her husband to hear of this.
Chapter Eleven:Daphne woke up in the morning to find Harry had left without waking her. Without a kiss.
He wasn't at breakfast. But she found him in the drawing room afterwards. He was sitting staring at the wall.
Daphne saying "Oh, you're here" snapped him out of his fugue. Harry blinked.
"I put up some pictures" said Harry.
Daphne walked over to see, and turned, following Harry's gaze. She had to stare for a while. He'd put up the two outdoors photos from their wedding. One of her, looking lively, one of him smiling. Looking like Harry, her Harry. And in the middle, their wedding photo. He looked utterly rigid with annoyance, and she looked… like a perfect pureblood wife. Cold and severe. The Daphne smiling outdoors Daphne, in her wedding gown, holding a bouquet of flowers, under a tree, turning, just an instant… a look to one side, a smile. A happy smile. She had no idea what had made her happy for that moment. Dennis was such a bloody clever photographer.
Daphne broke into a sob. She sniffed. "You have a talent for composition" she said thickly, and took a deep breath. She could keep her composure. I am not going to break down and cry. He is strong, I will not be the weak one.
Daphne stared, unseeingly at the photos for a long time, but something moved. His mouth, her eyes. The tiniest motion.
She swept forward and stared at the centre photo closely, her face inches from the glass of the frame. His mouth twitched in a ghost of his crooked grin. Portrait Daphne's eyes flickered over towards Harry, so quickly and such a tiny motion.
"Oh" she said "We Are moving." It was like the glint of a snitch at a quidditch match.
"No we're not" said Harry, so sure of himself, "I asked Dennis if he'd used the wrong developer."
"Come and see" said Daphne.
Harry got up and walked around the couch, to stand close to the picture, head a bit higher than Daphne's. "Still" he said.
"Look VERY closely at the edge of your mouth" she said, it was obvious once you knew where to look.
Harry really leaned close and stared, at his own face, then moved to stare at Daphne's.
Harry choked out "Your eyes… watch; it's easier to see on the right one." He sounded on the verge of tears.
Daphne moved over, Harry stepping back, Daphne leaning… then suddenly snorting. "I looked. I wasn't sure you were holding the pose… I glanced… just the barest instant."
Harry looked at the outdoor photo of Daphne for a while.
"I did this by accident" admitted Harry.
"If you had done it by design, you'd be the greatest compositionist ever" she said "You're still you… I'm still me… we're just sitting very still for the photo." Frozen in our misery.
Harry sniffed "I'll be down for breakfast in a bit" he said and fled.
Daphne stared at the three photos. A triptych really, she mused. Harry was happy, I was happy, then we got married and it was… mummy and daddy are horrible. Why they thought I would …. a loveless life with sex a few times with Malfoy. Well, obviously he wouldn't have cared about her taking a lover. Someone tall, dark and handsome.
She eyed the grinning Harry Potter, his delicious lips, his gorgeous cheekbones …. the formal photo really showed them off. He looked so damn pure-blooded and scornful. A whimper crept out of her mouth. But he would never love her, because he'd been forced into it. Andromeda had said "you were never in any danger dear." But it wasn't that simple, was it? He couldn't possibly value his own life so little.
She stared at herself, stiffly sitting in quite possible the most beautiful dress in the history of beautiful dresses, looking, thanks to that excruciatingly boring hair and makeup, like the most perfect-complexioned, noble and aristocratic witch. A witch who, well she'd seen Malfloy's parents wedding photo ,and they looked…. Like stupid twenty-one year olds in it. Narcissa Black's hair had, she mused been divine, but her stupid sneer had her looking … like she was pulling a face, and Lucuius Malfoy's face… it had been confusing seeing a man she'd only ever seen sneering at the whole world looking so… young and stupid in the photo. He kept looking over at Narcissa, with a look of such adoration. Daphne would, she was fairly sure kill someone to get a man to look at her like that. It did, she thought probably explain the stuck-up look in Naricssa's face. The richest heir in Britain marries you, wants you, looks so adoring. The only problem was that the only person that killing would ever make a man looking like that possible was Harry Potter-Black. The practically unkillable dark-lord killer, who was so Merlin-damned powerful, he could just… well, change the entire wallpaper of this room with one spell.
That reminded her of his parent's portrait. In winter, they were young and in love. He held that as his yard-stick, his dead parents life. And she would, she was sure, never make him smile like that. He smiled at her, yes, but in that lascivious way. That was not entirely unwelcome sometimes, and Yule and birthdays were… well they weren't a miserable lonely mess, and… there had been the other day – with all the shagging. Her womanhood, traitorous organ that was, clenched in desire. Sex is not love. Even good sex, sexy, sweaty, naughty sex in hall closets followed by oh Morgana orgasms in bed is not love. Her stupid twat might appreciate Potter, his tongue, his… well his willy felt pretty good too, but… his heart was. He would never love her, and she would die unloved. With the occasional good shag, and almost certainly a child with him. Who would not be brought up like Draco fucking Malfoy. Or great aunt Seraphina.
'A strong bulwark' Great-Aunt Seraphina's words came back to her. She didn't WANT a strong bulwark – Potter could stop bloody well anything, and 'Shack' would fix it if it was politics. She wanted her hands kissed by man who loved her, for a man to gaze into her eyes, to love every bit of her… not just the lick-able bits, and…. To hold her, to be…. Well like a bloody big warm pillow when things were hard, and strong and….
Daphne sobbed. Daddy was so getting socks for the rest of his craven, cowardly life.
She curled up and sobbed. It didn't matter that she was going to get ugly and blotchy and snotty. She didn't CARE!
Some time later, Harry was suddenly kneeling by her. The scent of his cologne washed over her.
"Oh, Daphne, what's wrong?" he asked. Daphne sniffed noisily.
"Our marriage… it's not what I wanted" she cried.
Harry's arms wrapped around her and he… hugged her "I know dear. It's not what either of us wanted." he said. Daphne lifted her head and looked around. His head was folded down onto her back, and his chin was frankly digging into her back a bit. It was, as hugs go… not terrible.
"Kreacher" Harry called out, a little muffled.
Kreacher appeared with a pop.
"Yes Master" croaked the house elf, bowed low.
"Fetch a goblet of juice for Mistress. And... some small pieces of fruit" said Harry, sounding less muffled, the pressure of his chin gone.
Kreacher popped away
Daphne sniffed again "Juice, small pieces of fruit?" asked Daphne, "I'm not six."
"You've lost moisture, and you need a little breakfast" said Harry, stroking her back, and sniffing. "Best I could think of. I'm only used to looking after Teddy."
"You silly man" she said, and lay on the couch, feeling like she must look like a hag. Harry looked at her sideways. Daphne wiped her nose on her handkerchief.
"I was um, going to ask you to come with me to the Riddle house today; explore a bit, maybe get covered in putrid smelling filth, the usual" said Harry.
Daphne snorted. And thankfully didn't spray snot across the room.
Harry stroked her back gently.
"You can't go" said Daphne "We promised George Weasley you'd invite him next time."
Kreacher appeared with a pop, holding a goblet and silver plate with cut fruit on it. A small fork lay on the side of the plate. "Mistresses snack" said Kreacher and put the goblet and plate on the floor jut by the couch, next to Harry.
"Kreacher, go to Weaselys Wizarding Wheezes and invite Mister George Weasley to an adventure at one of Harry's houses that may involve getting dirty" said Harry.
"Kreacher is not a post owl" said Kreacher, disobediently.
"I'm busy, and so is the Mistress. Help us out, Kreacher." said Harry.
Kreacher disappeared with a crack.
Harry stroked Daphne's back, then her hair. "Come on, Daphne, at least drink some juice"
Daphne sat up a bit and Harry picked up the goblet from the floor and offered it to her. She sipped a little, then sniffed and drank. Harry looked at her quite sympathetically. He was actually learning from Teddy, she supposed.
Daphne handed Harry back the goblet and Harry held her the plate. She picked up the fork and ate a piece for fruit.
"I could feed you if you'd rather" said Harry, with a condescending smirk.
Daphne made a face at Harry. Prat.
Later George Weasley coughed from the drawing room door "I'm not interrupting something am I?" he asked. George Weasley was wearing a battered denim jacket and jeans that made him look like a ruffian. Daphne got up from the couch quietly and left past George, her face turned away from George to hide her swollen face. Harry stood up. "Hi George" said Harry "Just us… some relationship stuff." 'Relationship stuff indeed.'
"Feeding your wife on the couch. Your elf did say you were busy with mistress in the drawing room." said Weasley behind her. As if. Potter locked off the fireplace and turned up the protections before… well carrying on.
She apparated to her room, and eyed her hideous swollen eyelids, her runny red nose. Oh she looked so ghastly. She cast a tricky inflammation spell she'd learned for singing actually, and her nose opened up, and her eyes got much less puffy and red. A hastily conjured dummy and she swithcing charmed her robes off, and pulled on her slime-disaster memorial jean and jumper. She had to give Granger one thing – muggle women's casual was exceedingly quick to get into. A scrunchie and she had a pony tail – done. She apparated to the landing and strode into the drawing room.
"– I'll side along you there, and we'll come back before Daphne's – " Harry was saying.
"Harry, you should bring anything you might need. I'll get Kreacher to bring lunch." she said firmly. I am a calm, capable witch. I am a calm, capable witch.
"Daphne… you know he's getting" Harry whispered "a little old for long trips. Get him to make a hamper, tell him to clean the silver or something." Oh Merlin, Harry actually cared that Kreacher was getting decrepit. Well more decrepit. Which as Kreacher clearly hated him, was stupid. He really was too forgiving and kind by half.
Daphne nodded "We'll need a few minutes for that" she said and disapparated to task Kreacher.
Kreacher looked up at her from the kitchen floor. He muttered something. That sounded vaguely disrespectful.
"We will need a packed luncheon, Kreacher." said Daphne. "We, and Mr Weasley are going on an adventure. You will clean the silver, and re-clean all the china. The plates in the hutches are a disgrace."
Kreacher bowed low.
"Kreacher I'm wearing clothes that I do not care if they are ruined, should our adventure be mired in excrement. Much like the lost doorway, and the sludge." said Daphne. Glinkit would not mutter.
She apparated back to the hallway and went back into the drawing room; Harry and George Weasley were talking.
Daphne stepped into the room "I hope we don't end up filling that house with soot. The furnishings are somewhat intact."
"Oh yeah George, Voldemort used the place as a base, so some rooms need cleared out, and everything burnt. Like the bed he slept on, the chair baby Voldemort used. That sort of thing." said Harry.
That had been Voldemort's bed. His chair. Of god, who knew what horrors the rooms had witnessed. Well, probably her lying husband.
Daphne pursed her lips "You didn't tell me that yesterday" she said, and glared at him.
Harry stared at the floor and said "I'll just go get a few tools, um… show George the scrolls." His shoulders slumped.
Harry apparated off – presumably to get tools.
"So, … Mrs Black?" asked George "Your tiny little business is making a stir."
"Oh well, you know, Harry gave me some pin-money, and I felt like indulging my silly girlish whims" said Daphne.
George Weasley burst out laughing. "Merlins' nutsack. Your're good for him, you know. He's miles less moody, and really, that accounting firm if yours. Is it true you're billing Gringotts?"
"Yes" said Daphne "It's a little sensitive, Basically I have friends from school who like a job that's not whoring themselves in Knockturn ally, a calculator Harry gave me for my birthday, and your father's cash-registrar thing. His true calling is not the regulation of improper use of muggle artefacts."
"Nah it's plugs" said George casually "Mum's in a tizzy. Well, there was an all-weasleys call-out for Dad going missing but it as just him and the grease-stained rabbit at Gringotts all night."
Daphne tried not to snort. Grease-stained rabbit.
"Git, but clever as a snake. Like you" said George. "Always wanted to tip wizarding Britain on it's ear Mrs B?"
Daphne shrugged "When I was eleven I wanted to help daddy with the family business. Now I have a much larger one, courtesy of my parents being spineless cretins."
"Ah, well, resisting old Snake-face was a bit of dumb move" said George "What are these scrolls?"
"Oh I couldn't possibly tell you" said Daphne "It's family inheritance of my husband's and I'm just a simple girl from Appleby."
"Fleur likes you" said George "That's good because Mum and Ginny are dicks to her. His conqueringness has infected you with sarcasm then?"
"I'm nowhere near as sarcastic as him" said Daphne, feeling annoyed.
"I'd be calling St Mungos if you were" said George "Go on, spill?"
"Follow me" said Daphne and led George to the library.
"Scrolls. Don't recognise the desk or chair?" said George.
"Harry's mothers' family." said Daphne.
"Oh, did his aunt die then?" asked George, and then he winked very slowly.
What? Did he think Harry had.. that she had?
"I assure you his aunt is alive" said Daphne "Though I'm beginning so suspect things."
"They put bars on his bedroom windows, locks on the outside of his door, when he was twelve" said George "Been playing on my mind a bit the last few years." His tone was matter-of-fact, casual, and his eyes bored into hers. He nodded.
"You know where it is" asked Daphne.
"They've moved. The war" said George.
"So, these are… this is the lost library of Salazar Slytherin. The bits his Uncle Tom didn't take." said Daphne. "His mother was I think, heiress apparent of the line of Slytherin. Green eyes, parselmouths."
"A muggleborn" said George.
"Squibs marry squibs, I think" said Daphne.
"What in the scrolls?" asked George.
"Well, a very dirty love-poem from Margarita to Salazar. She loved her husband" said Daphne.
George went red in the face. All the Weasleys had the tendency, she assumed.
"And blood purity" said George.
"Well, not the way … say, Malfoy might think" said Daphne "It's his family he can explain. But the thing with Godric Gryffindor. That's – "
Harry apparated into a corner of the library a loud crack and strolled casually over. George Weasley had startled at the crack of apparation, like Dennis Creevy had. The war had left it's mark on them.
Harry was looking innocent. Very innocent, very casual. He was up to something.
"Showed him the scrolls yet?" asked Harry.
George was looking at the scrolls and scratching his chin "So Harry really is the heir of Slytherin, from his mum, and Slytherin was grumpy old git; and his wife wrote poems to him?"
Harry spoke up "And went to gaming night weekly with Godric Griffindor, unless his wife was ill, then he stayed home to look after her." Daphne couldn't help smirking.
"So… did they live in the castle?" asked George, "Hogwarts, I mean?"
"I can't tell. Rowena Ravenclaw seems to have. I'm making a lot of notes on who says what. Salazar Slytherin seems to write in red on letters he gets provoked by." Daphne barely held that snort in.
"Well, are we ready?" asked George.
"The kitchen, to pick up the hamper" said Daphne.
"George, with me, kitchen" Harry said, and disappeared with a crack.
George followed, and Daphne put his quill away properly, closed his ink-well – honestly! And apparated to a spot in the kitchen by the laundry door, to avoid splinching.
Harry had left, headed out the back door, which he had not closed.
Kreacher had started packing a hamper, but it was all rather boring. Daphne pulled the delectable things from Harrods out of the cold room, and supervised the hamper being packed.
Harry walked in from the back hall.
"Oh yum" said Harry. She could practically hear the drool.
Daphne looked sternly at Harry "We can't live on that stuff; it's far too expensive."
"We just need more income" said Harry simple-mindedly "are you all right?"
Which was the stupidest question he'd asked since 'do you want another?' "No I am not all right" said Daphne. "But thank you for asking.", she laced her hands together and waited.
Harry looked at her hands and disappeared with a crack, reappearing moments later holding some gloves.
"Gloves for you." said Harry "Protect your hands from cuts and filth."
"I'm a witch, I can heal myself" said Daphne. As if she needed gloves for some exploring. She mucked out a stable for gods sake! With charms, admittedly.
Harry held out a hand "Hand?" he asked "I don't want my wife's hands getting injured. You work very neatly on the accounts, using the calculator. If you were hurt, that would be painful."
"Are you Pampering me?" asked Daphne as Harry kissed her hand. And that kiss lingered a bit.
"Less than you deserve. I should be able to support you without you having to work on the business" said Harry, letting her hand go and looking at the floor. As if. Black books was HERS. Arrogant, sexist muggle-raised shit.
Kreacher finished packing the hamper and announced "The hamper is packed, Mistress."
"The silverware, and then the top row of plates in the Drawing room." said Daphne.
"Yes Mistress" said Kreacher, and winked at Harry. Harry nodded minutely. Daphne resisted the urge to sigh at a house-elf conspiring with a Gryffindor.
Daphne pulled on the gloves and went to grab the hamper; Harry using his greater reach to snag it first "I've got a box in the courtyard, you can apparate with this, I'll bring the box"
Daphne strode off, and Harry followed her, carrying the picnic hamper.
He did let her pick up the hamper in the courtyard, and they apparated off. He did have a toolbox to carry.
Harry appeared at Little Hangleton with the toolbox, Daphne cracking into visibility a moment later, holding the hamper.
George Weasley in his denims was sitting on a park bench near the front door. His denims and missing ear gave him a distinct air of being some sort of criminal.
"Found it in the weeds" said George standing up.
Harry nodded to George, "The key's alohomora." Sarcastic.
George drew his wand and opened the front door "If the Lord and Lady would carry all the heavy stuff, I can follow" Oh was this going to be a sarcasm contest?
"Straight down the way, to the kitchen" said Harry.
Harry followed George down the dark passageway under the stairs to the kitchen, where he put the Plumbing box down, and drew his wand; casting multiple cleaning charms on the nearby table "It's clean now" he said and Daphne heaved the hamper onto the table.
"Is the water running?" asked Daphne.
George turned a tap on a sink, and with shuddering groan, the tap ran with discoloured water; that soon ran clean "Looks okay… best to boil it" said George "Who knows where it comes from."
"First job is getting the heating on" said Daphne. "Harry, George; follow me" she said, and led them to the cellar door back up the passageway. She lit her wand and opened the door.
"It's in there" she said "More light?"
Harry looked around the hallway and found something near the kitchen door.
"This place has electric lighting" said Harry "Wonder if it's on?"
Harry flicked a switch. Nothing happened. "Must be off, I guess" said Harry, inscrutably.
"There should be a metal box outside, on the side of the house, where you can look in it." said Harry. "And a panel of… rectangle things on the wall. I think." he said uncertainly.
"You think?" asked Daphne.
"I've never owned a house with electricity before" said Harry. He seemed suddenly smaller, almost childish.
"Is this getting the central heating going?" asked Daphne.
"It might need electricity" said Harry, walking back into the kitchen. A bit later, the hallway was lit by a lamp on the ceiling.
"There's light!" said George "How does that work, you're nowhere near it?"
Harry walked back to the now lit hallway and looked beside the cellar door; a white pottery lever stuck out of a black circle. Harry pulled it down and the cellar lit up with a yellow-ey orange light.
Daphne put her wand away "Lever by the door. I like this electricity stuff" she said. One could get up at night and not need to find one's wand, for one thing. Handy for children too.
Daphne descended the stairs followed Harry. As he'd alluded, there were many metal containers in the basement. Jars and bottles and tins. "Harry… what's in the containers?" she asked. "All these big jars, and tins. They all look rather old."
Harry got to the bottom of the stairs and looked about "Old tins of… food?" he said unsurely, and investigated cardboard boxes. "They had enough food for an army, but it's all really old. I don't think anyone should eat it" said Harry.
George vanished some cans and found bottles in small open crates behind; "Hey, there's wine… and beer. Harry's got loads of wine and beer. Harry, party this weekend, here!"
Daphne was vanishing more ancient cans "Aren't you very busy on weekends, George?" she asked.
"Not too busy to drink free wine and beer" said George "You could probably get all the Weasleys over for a working bee; Mum would being the food. You're supplying the drink. They'd have this place fixed up pretty quickly." The thought of free labour was appealing. The thought of Ginny Weasley, tight trousers was… like poison in her heart.
"That woman will not be attending" said Daphne.
"Oh… yeah probably not Ginny" said George apologetically. "She's training with the Harpies anyway. Or is supposed to be."
Daphne, having vanished all the cans she could see, squeezed past the stairs and looked into a dark corner; lighting her wand. There was definitely a firebox, a huge one.
"Harry" she said sharply "There's a… firebox."
Harry pressed in past the shelves, and looked.
"George!" Harry called "I have a feeling we're about to have an adventure."
Daphne panned her wand light over to the wall. "There's a lever?" she said, seeing a lever on a marble slab.
Harry looked over and there as a knife switch on a marble panel, which was engraved like a tombstone 'Heating'.
Harry strode over and pulled the lever for heating down, it mated with a pretty ball of sparks.
"That was pretty" said Daphne.
The firebox started to make a loud whirring noise.
Harry jumped, startled, and asked Daphne "Did you do that?"
"I'm just making the light" said Daphne. He pulled the lever. Oh no, he vanished the bricks too.
George pressed in past the stairs and said "Who did what?" he asked.
There was a faint crunching sound from the firebox and a soft thud.
Harry opened the firebox door and looked in, then stuck his head in, and waved his wand a bit. A light flickered in the firebox.
Harry closed the door "Well" said Harry "I've lit the fire." and he turned, and his face was black with coal-dust, his glasses glinting.
Daphne coughed gently.
George snorted.
"What?" asked Harry.
"You're a bit… covered in coal dust" said Daphne, and George waved his wand and Harry's face was covered in magical foam, and he was left clean.
"Better" said Daphne "We'll need the coal scuttle. Where is the coal kept, do you think?"
Harry pushed past the boiler and came back covered in spiderwebs.
"Not here" said Harry. "Must fill from… outside, I guess." It was clear to Daphne that the firebox had some sort of muggle mechanism, like a house-elf to put coal in. Harry knows muggle stuff ,he can find the filler, make central heating happen and Daphne can live somewhere warm.
"Once you find its filler, use the coal scuttle on it" said Daphne "We don't want to run out of coal."
Harry disapprated.
Daphne and George went to look at the bottles. There was wine – very old and some of it corked, and beer. Crates of beer. Not a brand either of them recognised, and very old.
"Do you see any cider?" asked Daphne.
"Um, no" said George after a bit. "Like cider?"
"Appleby. Cider. You're from Devon, right?"
"Well yeah. Zider" said George momentarily sounding lie he was from Devon. "Or some scumpy?"
"It would have exploded or evaporated." said Daphne surely.
"There's always hope" said George, exploring crates. "This crate's all beer too."
"There's carboys of what I assume was fruit wine" said Daphne, checking the wicker baskets "All disgusting"
"It would have started disgusting" said George "Do NOT drink Mum's elderflower wine. It's sick."
""Harry alluded to her being a good cook."
"Cook yes, we buy firewiskey" said George.
"Bill is your older brother?" asked Daphne.
"Yeah?"
"Harry said he drank a lot at Bill's stag do" said Daphne.
George snorted "Oh, Harry can't hold his firewiskey." he smiled.
"I'd heard that" said Daphne.
"Well, see Charlies organised Bills stag do, and Harry was Nearly of age, so we had Ron and Harry. And Charlie got us all shit-faced, and then the stripper came. Not a patch on Fleur, of course so Bill was well, he was almost rude. Ron and Harry though, you'd think they'd never seen a girl in her knickers."
"And the stripper… she took it all off?"
"Nah, Mum would have gone ballisitc. She tried to lap-dance Bill, Bill pusehd her off, said his lap was spoken for, and so she sat on Charlies lap and did shots. Got topless, and Ronniekins… me and Fred we had to stick his hands down. Harry though… he kept looking at the floor. Hope you've cured him of that."
"He was probably staring at her heels" said Daphne.
"Oh…. My brother from another mother likes heels does he. Must have loved your wedding dress then. Those were terrifying – Ange says you must be bonkers to walk in those."
"Mummy wanted me to be his height." said Daphne. "And I turned my ankle loads in the bloody things, practising for the wedding."
"Ange um,, she would like you to drop by for tea, not with Harry" said George "In the flat over the shop. Ange works weeks, so weekends?"
"I'll see what I can do" said Daphne.
"I got the coal" said Harry loudly from the top of the cellar stairs.
"Well, show us the filler" said Daphne, and Harry led them coal hole and was about to pour in coal when George said "You'll need more than that."
Harry poured coal out of the scuttle, stopping when the scuttle was finally empty.
"Why do you have a space expanded coal scuttle?" asked George curiously.
"Because Harry turned the coal room into a potions lab" said Daphne "Very quickly too."
"Well, that boiler's going to take ages to heat up" said George.
"Harry, go heat the boiler" said Daphne. There was an upside to having a stupidly powerful wizard around. Stupid problems like this were easily solved.
"So why a potions lab?" asked George as Harry walked.
"We were using a lot of potions, and as Harry observed, we could make them for much less." said Daphne "Harry thinks I could do sixth and seventh year potions as well" she said quietly.
"If you want some help, I'll come and help." said George "You've been really good for Harry, and mum will… be derisive if she finds out you're buying potions."
"Sundays are good for me" said Daphne.
"Uh, sunday lunch at the Burrow. Mum and dad's house" said George "A family tradition. Harry used to come, take Teddy."
Daphne shook her head.
"We're not that bad." said George.
"Your mother wanted Harry to marry your sister." said Daphne "I must have been a fly in the ointment."
George opened his mouth, then closed it. He shrugged instead.
Harry walked all the way to the boiler.
George and Daphne stopped by the bottle beer and talked.
"She um… she isn't your biggest fan, no" said George.
'Well, you can tell her that my parents, who thought up the whole plan, with Mrs Malfoy, are getting socks for Christmas and birthdays, forever. I had no idea my father was craven coward till this whole mess."
"Yeah, well I had no idea my mum could kill Bellatrix LeStrange, either "said George. "Terrifying really, we spent our childhoods pissing her off, and when really roused, she can kill one of the most dangerous witches alive."
"I thought he was good quiddithc player and an attention seeker" said Daphne.
George laughed aloud. "Oh, he's a good seeker. But...he's nuts."
"Nuts?"
"Nuts. Doolally. Mad. At Hogwarts, as soon as something dangerous turned up, he'd race off to see to it. Mad. Funny as hell, sometimes."
"He has his moments." said Daphne.
"Made the rest of Gryffindor feel like a bunch of cowards. Well, except for Hermione – don't mind my hair, and my brother. I think we dropped him on his head too many times."
Daphne couldn't help laughing. "You did not!"
"Once or twice" said George. "If you see her hair getting bushier, crackling with sparks… time to retreat."
"Don't be ridiculous even Danger Grangers' not that mad." said Daphne. George shook his head. "Is she?" Asked Daphne. George nodded. "You ever seen him pissed off?"
"I got him do do a demo in our duelling practice room" said Daphne quietly. "He destroyed it."
"House still standing"?
"Of course."
"He's worse angry" said George. "Last time he did, was the battle of Hogwarts,"
My husband is not that dangerous.
"Aaaah!" yelped Harry
Daphne apparated next to Harry and looked about "How are you hurt?" He had his left arm under his armpit.
"Boiler's hot… put my hand on it" said, Harry feeling stupid.
"Show me..." said Daphne nervously. Not that dangerous, except to himself.
Harry's palm was an angry red, starting to blister. It looked incredibly painful. Harry's nose crinkled a little.
"George" called Daphne "Harry's got a burn on his hand… I don't know how to treat it... so I think it's St Mungos for us. Sorry about cutting the adventure short."
George apparated next to Harry with a crack and asked" Show me?"
Harry held out his hand, his fingers swelling.
"Oh... nasty" said George and drew his wand and cast a charm on Harry's hand. The blisters shrank away, the redness reducing slowly, till, a minute later, Harry's hand looked normal.
"I got good at burns. Well, Fred and I did. Occupational hazard" said George.
Daphne seized Harry's hand and bent down, inspecting it closely, then tenderly, touched it. "Is it still sore?" she asked.
"It's fine really" said Harry. Daphne squeezed his hand and released it. George coughed "And that's how you two go through so much potion" he said jokingly.
Daphne folded her arms across her chest angrily "Harry, do something. Mr Weasley has made aspersions" she said.
Harry thought for a bit then said to George very blandly "The thing is, I'm insatiable." Daphne wanted to giggle.
George burst out laughing. "Harry, you sly dog. You'll kill me."
"I have never said that about you" said Daphne stuffily.
"But when I said that to your sister she nearly died, and you thought it was funny" said Harry to Daphne. "The Weasleys, much is you might be pained by this, basically adopted me. George is like the brother I never wanted."
George messed Harry's hair with one hand "Lucky you. I got Percy as the bother I never wanted." he said jokingly.
"Harry, this boiler isn't very insulated" said Daphne.
"Going to need a very big boiler blanket" agreed Harry.
George looked confused.
"It's a muggle-made thing; like a Parka for your boiler; keeps the heat in, costs less" said Harry.
"And the water runs hot sooner" said Daphne. "And the hot water doesn't run out" she said and leaned against Harry "You have your moments, you know."
"Well, time to fix up this house a bit" said Harry "A bit of re-pointing on the exterior walls; George do you know the charm for that?"
"Dad made me learn it" said George glumly.
"Daphne, can you vanish all the stuff that cousin Tom and his friends used?" asked Harry. "The wing chair as well"
"I'm keeping the frame." said Daphne. "I want a wing-chair in my parlour."
Harry and George went outside. Daphne eyed the mess. The vanishing charm, she supposed. It worked on stables.
It was boring but worthwhile – the house was warming up already.. She took care to leave the frame of the wing chair. Upholstery couldn't be that hard.
There was a parlour and bedroom on the ground floor that Harry had alluded to Voldemort using. Daphne vanished all the parlour furnishings, and started cleaning the floor off. Small flakes of something were everywhere. Once that room was totally stripped it looked a lot cleaner, and very old. Older than the rest of the house, really. The adjacent bedroom had suspicious stains everywhere. Daphne started using strong cleaning charms. Once the walls and floor were clean, she vanished the bedside table completely, it was tasteless and dirty, and began vanishing the bedding.
She was halfway through vanishing the mattress, when Harry came in and cleared his throat.
"What?" asked Daphne, conscious that she had handled many dirty things today, and prepared to admit that she was glad he'd got her gloves.
"I was just reminiscing, and I remembered, that you said if I ensured Draco never got out of Azkaban, you might kiss me?" said Harry. "I haven't had that kiss yet"
"You come in here wanting a kiss?" said Daphne. That had been a fairly idle remark, yet he wanted a kiss. There was no way she was doing anything… more than kissing here. It was all filthy.
"Your hand is too dirty" said Harry. "And a promise is a promise."
Daphne sighed "Fine" she said.
Harry walked closer, wrapped her in an embrace; and looked down at her head "I'm up here" said Harry. Daphne stood up on tiptoe and Harry and kissed her softly. "Happy no-Draco day" he said, still holding her, and holding her by her arse now. His bum was still like two coconuts. She squeezed firmly.
"Tori still misses him, you know" said Daphne.
"We need to find her another man. One who's not a complete pillock" said Harry.
"Well I can't think of one" said Daphne, Harry letting her down.
"And don't get so grabby" said Daphne.
"I was holding you up, so I could kiss you. Holding your arse was incidental" said Harry. "Though kissing and your arse are two of my favourite things…. Kissing your arse is very nice; though not with company around." He was actually insatiable. And sexy and a good kisser but there was work to do, and I'm not shagging in this flea-pit till it's clean.
"Well, enjoy that thought. That's all you're getting today" said Daphne. "Where's Weasley?"
"On the roof, checking the chimney pots" said Harry blandly. Their guest was on the roof, of course he was.
"You can clean the chimneys. Use that conjured screen, poke your wand though it." said Daphne.
Harry cast a patronus, whispered in the ear of the silver stag's ear, and it shot thought the ceiling.
"You use a Patronus charm as a message owl." said Daphne "You're ridiculous." He wasn't even showing off. She'd seen it years ago, it was clear George Weasley had seen it before. He really just wanted to send a message, so cast a terribly difficult spell to do so.
George knocked on the front door, Harry strolled casually over to the front parlour fireplace.
"In here" said Harry "Chimney cleaning time."
"Uh Harry, they all connect up; you'll want to block off the other chimneys on this side" said George. Daphne blinked. She'd assumed they had individual flooes.
"Harry… conjure barriers … like the one for the sludge?" asked Daphne.
Half an hour later the chimney was cleaned out; and only Harry's wand was sooty.
"Thank you, George." said Daphne "The house would have been full of soot."
"Oh I know a spell for soot" said George. Oh he was surprising domestic.
"Removing soot?" asked Harry.
"Well yeah" agreed George. "One for that one too."Oh. He really was as big a mess-making anarchist as he seemed to be.
George left and Harry cast a cleaning charm on the seat of her jeans.
Daphne was rather startled by that. "What was that!" she asked.
"I um… got some dust off you" said Harry.
"Well, you've got hand-prints on your bum, you know that?" asked Daphne. Her grimy glove-prints, technically.
"Well, I've got more pointing to do. We'll need dinner. I think a business dinner for Blacks and Weasleys Wheezes." said Harry.
Daphne nodded.
"We'll go muggle. I know just the place" said Harry. Hmm. Sounded promising.
Harry apparated them to a muggle city, and thence on foot to a take-away restaurant called McDonalds, charmed a booth private and Daphne got thoroughly horrified. It was all so… conjured looking.
Then the food, in paper bags, tasting of nothing, and the fizzy drink, like Butterbeer had been made in raspberry, but sickly-sweet. Harry was picking at his 'burger', George eating slowly.
"This is rubbish" said Daphne, putting the burger down. "It hardly tastes of anything, and there's nothing to drink but that sickly fizzy stuff" she paused feeling a burp coming, and covered her mouth, and belched "Agh!" she said "We're going somewhere with decent food!"
"Yes, home" said Harry, picking up the tray of McDonalds and tipping it in the rubbish.
What?
"Mr Weasley, formal dinner dress" said Harry "fifty minutes."
Harry and a suspicious Daphne found an out-of-the-way spot and apparated home.
Daphne waited till the front door had shut behind her "Was that a prank?"
"Well, I've never been to a McDonalds" said Harry "but I'd heard it was the worst takeaway food there is."
"Even Weasley didn't like it" said Daphne.
"Well, see you at dinner dear" said Harry and disapparated.
Daphne apparated to her bathroom and started the shower. The pipes banged as usual.
She put on a dark blue robe and pinned her hair up, and contemplated taking something for a stomach-ache. Or possibly nicking off to Millies and cadging a puking pastille.
She apparated into the hallway; and glided into the dining room and lost speed. She stared at Harry "Are you trying to blend into a Hogwarts painting" she asked, he was wearing a black robe and Slytherins locket and pointy-toed shoes.
"I'm dressed for Dinner" said Harry, dropping his feet off the table and landing the chair with a clonk.
"You're wearing Slytherin's locket" said Daphne. "You never wear that."
"I might be twitting George" said Harry.
"And am I supposed to quickly dress like some…. Vintage witch?" she asked.
"You look perfect the way you are." said Harry "I know a fancy hairdo takes ages, and you don't really have anything really fusty."
"I beg to differ; I have some of Grandmother Black's outfits, and they are extremely fusty."
"They were still around?"
"Kreacher packed some of them away before a Hippogriff could eat them" said Daphne "I could."
"I'll make it worth your while… Mrs Black; I have organised your favourite dessert."
Daphne disappeared with a crack.
She opened the trunk of old fusty dresses, and used an unpacking charm to lay the contents out over the furniture. There was a very crustily black-on-black embroidered dress robe with gauntlet cuffs and a little silver. A few tarnish charms made the embroidery more silvery. It looked ideal.
She took off her nice blue dress and pulled on the ghastly old robe. A few careful sizing charms later, and her reflection looked more out-of touch with fashion than Professor McGongall.
There was a black snood and pillbox hat that Daphne was quite sure Walburga Black had worn for her portrait, and her hair went into a bun behind the pillbox, held on by the snood. The effect was disturbing. The mad old witch lived again, in blonde, with blue eyes. All that black made her eyes look much bluer.
Daphne apparated down to the dining room. Harry blinked "Bugger me." he said "Walburga Black's blonde granddaughter."
Daphne smiled smugly "Not quite as medieval as your outfit" she conceded.
"A black velvet hat with a good crumple instead of that modern hat, some really awful jewellery; black and clunky. Earrings, necklace, bracelets?"
"Not with gauntlet cuffs" said Daphne "But extra rings."
"Poison cup rings" said Harry grinning. "Damn… Kreacher!" Harry called.
Kreacher appeared with a pop and did a double take "Mistress… so like my mistress, and Master… you look like one of the family paintings" Yes, this outfit really was that awful.
"Kreacher, go get some Black jewellery; earrings, necklace and some poison holding rings… two, and four more rings for mistress… black stones." said Harry "At once!"
Kreacher wrinkled up his face and disappeared with a loud crack.
"Are you sure that it's healthy to send him to do that at Gringotts?" asked Daphne.
"He'd die happy" said Harry blandly.
Daphne nodded "Oh… hat!" she said and disapparated. There was one in a space-expanded hat-box in the trunk.
She reappeared a moment later with the black velvet hat, without the snood or pillbox. She put it on her head "Well, what do you think?"
"Still needs the jewellery" said Harry. He was being a bit playful.
"Well I'll go wait in my room" said Daphne smiling slightly. "You deal with Mr Weasley."
She apparated off to her room. When Kreacher arrived with the jewellery, she checked the mirror, her reflection looking archaic. In the corner of the mirror, the reflection of the photo of the twin Daphne's in the mirror lurked.
Someone knocked on her door.
Daphne said "What is it?"
"Our chairs have fart cushions on them. George's doesn't. A small additional prank" said Harry through the door.
"Oh how droll" said Daphne loudly through the door.
She sat down on one of her comfy chairs, and summoned a muggle-studies book to read while she waited. Quite some time later, Kreacher appeared with a loud crack, and bent low. No, he was gasping.
"Kreacher, rest a moment" said Daphne quickly. When Kreacher stood, he was carrying a velvet sack. Which did hold the required rings and jewellery.
Daphne sat at her dressing table and emptied the sack onto her table. Loads of ghastly black. She put on the earrings – and tried not to roll her eyes at the black chandeliers. They really were ghastly. The poision-cup rings were… well nobody wore four. Not even Mrs Zabini. The black pearl necklace was pretty if rather over-done, and it tingled faintly as she did it up. Her wedding ring warmed briefly. Oh – family enchantments thought Daphne. The overall effect with hat was… well she could have stepped out of some of the older portraits at Hogwarts.
Time to apparate down to the dining room.
Daphne swept in, crumpled velvet hat, black glinting earrings and a necklace of black pearls, She held out her hand, covered in black glinting rings, one poison ring on her index finger. Harry gently kissed her knuckles, and let her go. Daphne sat, and a raucous wet fart filled the room. She smiled politely, and Harry indicated to George that he sit. George sat gingerly.
Harry then sat down, another wet fluttering fart.
George looked embarrassed. Harry smiled broadly. Daphne allowed herself a small polite smile.
"So glad you could come, Mr Weasely" she said. Harry snorted softly. Success.
The first course appeared and it was quite good.
Desert was a small stack of profiteroles for desert. Daphne looked over at Harry who had a smug smile on his face. She gave one a taste, and the sauce was Cognac-ish. She frowned at Harry. He wanted a snog did he?
George asked "Do we not get dessert?"
Daphne waved a hand and plates appeared for Harry and George.
George left muttering about people who pranked respectable businessmen. Harry's face was stuck in a broad grin.
Daphne snorted "The fart cushions" she said "That was awful."
Harry chuckled. "I finally got George. Thanks so much for helping. Dear."
Daphne went to her room to divest herself of all the tasteless black stuff and the fusty dress. She put on a nightgown and her dressing gown and slippers, and trudged up to see Harry.
Daphne knocked on his door "Husband?" she asked though the door.
"Yes dear?" said Harry, opening the door.
"Do you… require me?" she asked. The sauce had been a hint, surely.
"To sleep, perchance to dream" said Harry.
"Not for…"
"Come to bed." said Harry "You keep the bed warm, and smell nice."
"Even when I fart like a horse with colic?" asked Daphne, lips twitching.
"Sure" said Harry, putting the locket in the mokeskin pouch and tucking it into his pyjama jacket.
"Why do you keep it there?"
"Well, it really is Slytherin's locket. I'm… the last of the line. So I really don't want to lose it." said Harry.
"Shame someone wrecked it" said Daphne, taking off her dressing gown and sliding into bed.
Harry closed the door and came to bed, climbing in "Goodnight Daphne. Best to well rested before the picnic tomorrow."
Daphne waited till Harry was lying down to sleep and then asked "Do you not want me?"
"Well, we need the sleep" said Harry. "You'll be here tomorrow and the days to come."
"Goodnight Harry" said Daphne. So he wasn't going to demand sex.
"Nox."
Before she got to sleep, she mused over his 'You'll be here tomorrow and the days to come.' It was clear he wasn't planning to murder her… was fairly fond of her and for some reason found her morning-breath appealing. Harry Potter was a strange man. But he had nice warm legs and smelt of that strange cologne.
-==0==-
The next day, Daphne made sure to pack some dainties from Harrods, and dress in her slime-disaster memorial jean and jumper, and boots. Once the sun was quite high, Riddle house was teeming with Weasleys. Not, thankfully that woman. Or Ronald and Danger. Something was up, but Daphne had no idea what.
Rather pleasantly, the party included Fleur and her little girl, Victioure.
They chatted for a while, Fluer pointing out plants to keep, and jabbing her finger at the outbuildings 'Zey are falling down. You will need to rebuild them.' Daphne nodded. There was conceptually space to keep Buttercup. Or a new horse should poor buttercup die.
Once Victoire was taken off by Mrs Weasley the elder , Fleur said to Daphne "You are not 'appy with 'arry." she asked.
"Our marriage has not been what either of us hoped for" said Daphne "It was arranged, and a succession of accidents had us wed."
Fleur nodded "My marriage to Beel, he is very… much a man yes, and loves me very much , and our little Victoure, she is our star… but my Mother in law, she does not think I am good enough for her Beel. And my sister-in-law, she calls me... phlegm, though these days I call her come. She is always covered in it anyway."
Daphne coughed. Fleur really did not like Miss Weasley then.
"She is a famous Quidditch chaser and young... well she finds many willing wizards. She loves the fame and attention. But you are probably sad because Harry is a leetel man, yes?" Fleur put her fingers very close together.
Daphne blinked and blushed. "Oh no, Harry's more than big enough…" said Daphne and sniffed. He was hardly going to fall in love with her.
"He and you… you make love." said Fleur "I can tell that."
"Special occasions mostly" said Daphne dismissively. "He has… he has this photo of his parents from when they left Hogwarts... they're seventeen, eighteen, and in love, and they turn to teach other and kiss. It's very sweet. We… never had that. An arranged marriage without love."
"And they died at...how old, twenty-two?" said Fleur "And nobody will ever see them fight because they are the sacred dead, yes? I did not think him a cruel man, perhaps I was wrong."
Fleur sauntered off to talk to her Beeel then, and Daphne got to do some actual cleaning work. The stable-cleaning spells worked fairly well on the outside of the house.
Harry came by a few moments later,"Had fun talking to Fleur?" asked Harry.
"Actually a rather serious discussion of life." said Daphne.
"Is everyone behaving?" asked Harry "If anyone's giving you a hard time, just tell me."
"Well, oddly, yes. Fleur had some things to say about the youngest Weasley man."
Harry looked around "Ron's not here?" he said confused. He was a Gryffindor quidditch player. A shaved monkey, and adopted Weasley.
"You go ask Fleur" said Daphne. He could get yelled at by a part-Veela for a change.
Harry walked off, finding Fleur sitting with little Victiore.
Daphne kept cleaning around the house. And if she saw Fleur take Harry off for a 'chat' well, who says a Slytherin can't get what she wants.
Mrs Weasley came over.
"Daphne dear" she said, rather familiarly.
"Mrs Weasley" said Daphne.
"Now I'm just organising – " Oh are you, Daphne thought.
"And my boys and Arthur have nearly finished the walls. You've done quite well cleaning up the outside walls, but you really must concentrate on the interiors." finished Mrs Weasley.
'Well that went better than I expected.' thought Daphne.
"Now as young people just starting out, just strip everything, and a little boiled linseed oil. And a few home-made crochet rugs will add colour." said Mrs Weasley.
'Home-made rugs?' thought Daphne 'What? I like Persian rugs, I like some of what's here, and Harry, well he has no appreciable taste, actually... he buys fairly decent muggle rugs for the tenants.'
"I don't think either of us would like crochet rugs" said Daphne, "We are accustomed to refurnishing, and Harry's often got us rugs for the tenants – home-made is not really the style I'm going for."
"Well, you'll need to rip out all those muggle lights and the stove. Get a stove a little bigger than you think you'll need, once your children are teenagers, you'll be wishing you had a larger stove." said Mrs Weasley.
'Once my children are teenagers!' thought Daphne 'I'm only having the one.'
"I'm sure we can get rid of all the muggle lights today if we start now" said Mrs Weasley.
Muggle lights… or magical lights… they're basically the same. The stove might be old, but it will probably heat up, and is the same size as a normal, magical stove. And… getting muggle deliveries was Grimmauld was really useful. And Harry didn't mention wanting to de-muggle this place. More importantly the central heating and hot water are muggle and they work.
"Mrs Weasley" said Daphne "I think that we're probably going to keep everything muggle. Harry's looked at the washer and cold-box and we'll replace those, but, keeping things muggle, that already work. There's no need to change them." I'm not losing my central heating.
There was a crack of apparation behind her, and strong, wiry arms wrapped around her shoulders. Someone as tall as Harry who smelt of Harry's cologne, and under that… the smell of his sweat. Harry has just apparated over and is holding me. His breath ticked her neck.
Harry spoke up, his chest pressing into her back "Molly, much as I love you like an adoptive mother, Daphne is my wife. If she wants things a certain way; that is how they will be. She is the sole person I need to please; and she works far too hard for the family business to have to argue with you." said Harry, and she couldn't help relaxing into his embrace. He'd told off Mrs Weasley. For her.
"Thank you." she whispered. He nuzzled her neck in a wholly inappropriate, spine-tingling way. She hoped the bra and jersey hid her nipples.
Mrs Weasley was staring at them. She closed her mouth to a flat line, nodded slightly and walked away.
"Sorry about that" said Harry. "Hopefully the water is hot soon, I could get your good ensuite clean and you could have a nice bath, with a view of the grounds."
"We can just go home to Grimmauld. Your bathtub has a view" said Daphne, teasing him a little.
"This one has a miles better view unless it's night" said Harry. And he rested his head on her shoulder, in a solid but fairly chaste way.
"I fear at night, I'd be the view" said Daphne.
"Oh you are anyway" said Harry "Cursed bubble-bath." Was he being suggestive?
"It holds the heat better" said Daphne.
"It hides the hot blonde" said Harry. He called her hot! How ridiculous. She was often too cold.
"Hmh!" she snorted.
Fleur sauntered over looked elegant.
"He is a very stubborn man, with a terrible upbringing" said Fleur. "My little sister is lucky to have been beaten to him by you." That was a very backhanded compliment.
"He is very handy" said Daphne. "And surprisingly powerful."
"oui?" said Fleur "I did not notice…. Oh wait, he beat me when he was fourteen in the Tri-Wizard tournament" she said sarcastically.
"Harry would you really fix up the en-suite?" asked Daphne.
"I'll go check what needs doing" said Harry, and disappeared from holding her with a crack.
"Well?" asked Daphne.
"You're lucky he's as sane… did he really get no love?" asked Fleur.
"Didn't even know what it was" said Daphne. "I don't know where they live. If I knew..."
"I'd help" said Fleur. "Hexing or hiding the bodies." She seemed quite sincere.
"Thanks" said Daphne "I've got friends from school who'd help, but it's nice to make new friends."
"I pity you" said Fleur. That was unexpected.
"He can be very – " started Daphne
"Forceful, taking you, making you feel wanted and vulnerable?" asked Fleur. Which was a surprise. Fleur felt that way about Her husband Bill did she? How… odd.
"I was going to say juvenile." said Daphne. Correcting Fleur's misapprehension. "He persists in wearing these hideous pointed toed shoes that were unfashionable four hundred years ago. We're just dressing for meals, not re-enacting the founding of Hogwarts."
"Dressing for meals?" asked Fleur, looking puzzled.
"WE compromised. We dress for meals in proper robes, and wear muggle fashions in the house, or if doing something messy" said Daphne, waving one hand dismissively.
"Why dress up for breakfast?" asked Fleur.
"I've always done it, my family only wear robes." said Daphne "I'm not going to go fully muggle."
"And you make Harry Potter dress up for tea and toast?" asked Fleur, incredulously.
"He was stubborn, but I insisted." said Daphne.
"You and Harry, you do not do… the anal, yes?" asked Fleur. What!
"Of course not" said Daphne "I'd thank you not to ask."
"It's just you'd have to take the … stick out of your arse first" said Fleur.
"I'm Mrs Black; I have a social standing to maintain" said Daphne. French withces might want to have a willy up their anus, but Daphne had no such interest.
"Your family, they are not … extremely rich and powerful?" asked Fleur. Was she having a go at her family. That was rich for someone who was… French!
"We are in the Sacred Twenty eight" said Daphne "we've always been respectable, and now I'm someone famous." As evidenced by all the reporters, not something even Fleur, so beautiful suffered under.
"How does a Dragon act?" asked Fleur. And that was weird question.
"They breathe fire, fly around…and Harry out flies them, and they crash" said Daphne confused, but determined to prove she knew Harry Potter.
"Can a dragon act not like a dragon?" asked Fleur.
"Of course not." said Daphne.
"Well, Mrs Black cannot not act like Mrs Black. Whatever you do, is what you do. Harry Potter hates his fame, celebrity and gossip, so he avoids it. Have you seen him fight?" Huh, she hadn't thought about it that way.
"I… got him to destroy three duelling targets once" said Daphne "Nobody would believe me, I said."
"I've seen him fight; at Hogwarts" said Fleur "If he was to wear… a tutu, he'd still be Harry Potter." He really doesn't have the knees for a tutu.
Daphne looked thoughtful. "But my sister comes to visit" she protested.
"She Married the Malfoy boy?" asked Fleur sharply.
"Well, yes… but that was the same set of contracts, and she liked him. Harry sent him to Azkaban" said Daphne.
"Yes, my Weasley Family had party when they heard he'd died." said Fleur, smiling.
"My sister was in mourning" said Daphne stiffly.
"He was a nasty little worm" said Fleur "Before the Yule ball he suggested some things I could do for him. Harry is excessively merciful to his enemies."
"But he would have been fourteen" said Daphne, aghast. Surely Draco hadn't been that revolting?
"And he thought a part-veela would naturally want to do things for the great Draco Malfoy. Your sister needs a good man. There are spare Weasleys, but they're not very sophisticated."
Daphne looked over at the Weasleys. Some of them were casting repair spells on the building, others were summoning dirt and sand. "They are helping" admitted Daphne "But… Astoria needs a respectable man."
"Well, can you think of any man your age not taken who's not awful" asked Fleur.
"Oh… nobody pure-blood" said Daphne, irritated "I have tried to get her to consider… half-bloods. They're not so bad."
"Your husband excepted" said Fleur.
"Harry's got his good points" admitted Daphne. His eyes, his arse, his cheekbones, his sarcastic sense of humour.
As if summoned, Harry apparated into view again with a crack, with dirty sleeves "I've got your bath ready, Daphne."
"My bath?" asked Daphne "But the working-bee hadn't finished."
Harry disapparated with a crack and reappeared a minute later "Warming charms" he said, and went to help with the re-pointing of the house. What had got into him?
Daphne shrugged "Well, I suppose some re-pointing won't hurt" she said.
Hours later, everyone had a faint dusting of lime, and the walls were largely repaired.
Molly Weasley came to see Daphne, looking pensive "Have you got somewhere we can set up for lunch?" asked Mrs Weasley.
Daphne nodded "The kitchen; it's very… cavernous."
Mrs Weasley followed Daphne in thought the side door and looked around "It's a bit big" she said, finally.
"Well, we got these tables clean the other day" said Daphne "A pity it's not on the floo yet."
"How do we light it?" asked Molly and Daphne looked around and saw two rows of switches by the kitchen door. She strode over and flicked them all down; the kitchen lighting up with warm yellow light.
"Electric lighting" said Daphne "The house is muggle, after all."
"Are you going to keep it like this?" asked Mrs Weasley, uncertainly. Yes I bloody am
"Well, after all the gas lamps at Grimmauld, I rather like electric light. And the central heating; the whole house is warming up; Harry only lit it the other day. He's very handy" said Daphne, looking at the kitchen stove. It had switches too. She could ignore that. Kreacher would never cope though.
Mrs Weasley used unpacking charms, and Daphne got a pile of cutlery out of a drawer; she dumped it in the sink and scougify'ed it before putting it on the table.
Mrs Weasley found plates in a cupboard and also scougify'ed the plates.
"You don't trust the housekeeping?" asked Mrs Weasley. Who was smarter than she looked.
"Harry's cousin Tom's friends were a despicable bunch" said Daphne. "It took Harry ages to fix the dining table, and the rest of the Dining room is still a mess."
"His cousin Tom?" asked Mrs Weasley "I thought his cousin was called Daedelus or something"
"Tom, Tom Marvolo Riddle. This is his parents house. He called himself Voldemort, but really; he was a Tom" said Daphne deliberately casually.
Mrs Weasley dropped a plate onto the floor which shattered. "This… this is you-know-who's house?"
"He's dead, Harry's next of kin. I vanished his mattress this morning" said Daphne. "I think the bedroom of the hall was Peter Pettigrew's. Harry want to vanish anything that creep touched."
Mrs Weasley stood very tensely "I understand that Harry's trying to put the whole… war behind him. But …. his house!" she said.
Daphne repaired the plate on the floor and floated it to the sink, where she scourgify'ed it.
"Well, it's smaller that Grimmauld place, has gardens, en-suites and central heating. I was sold at central heating. Grimmauld place is dreadfully cold in the mornings." said Daphne, floating the plate to the table.
The Weasleys and Harry arrived and nosily ate lunch. Harry looked at Daphne and tilted his head slightly. That had to mean had Molly Weasley been annoying? Daphne shook her head minutely. Harry smiled.
Mrs Weasley had brought enough food to feed everyone twice, so the Weasleys stayed till after supper.
After they left Harry turned to Daphne "How'd it go?" he asked.
"She was very frightened that this was Cousin Tom's parents house." said Daphne. "For such a bloody dangerous witch she's a bit nervy."
Harry snorted "I'll lock up downstairs; your bath awaits."
"Oh good. I'm sick of cleaning charms" said Daphne "I'm treating the kitchen as soiled; I haven't had time or help to clean out the drawers and cupboards."
"Do you want to keep them?" asked Harry "We could get new ones."
"Lets not waste money Harry. If this place needs something complicated done, we'll need a professional. And muggle… repair wizards if the central heating plays up."
"We probably should get someone to come and service it." said Harry "It's working, but it's rather old."
"You work out how to get a muggle in past all those charms. Did George go completely berserk?" said Daphne, walking to the stairs.
"He was bored" said Harry "Which is worse. Bill had a look and put a few specialised ones up too."
"Well, I'm having a bath. Amuse yourself" said Daphne, leaving up the stairs.
The bath was hot, and filled with her favourite bubble-bath. Which he would have had to go back to Grimmauld to get. Hang on, this was the bottle from His bathroom, the lousy sneak!
After a nice soak, someone knocked on the door.
"How are you doing?" asked Harry.
"I was having a very nice soak. Till you interrupted" said Daphne though the door.
"Well, it's probably time to go home and go to bed. They're coming again tomorrow." said Harry.
"Oh that kitchen" groaned Daphne.
"I did all of that" said Harry "It's all scourifyed and repacked. And the walls and ceiling. Then I redid the downstairs loo. The really essential bits are decent."
"Well" said Daphne, standing, pulling the plug and starting the shower to rinse off "How much outside is there to do left?" she asked.
"At this rate, the walls will be decent by noon; Setting that many wands loose indoors should have a first clean of everything by bedtime tomorrow" said Harry.
There were no towels, so she had to conjure one. "Having to conjure towels is a bit annoying" said Daphne. And she dried off.
"Well, at least you're clean" said Harry.
"The shower's got a nice view too" said Daphne "Have a shower before you go home. You're covered in lime dust."
"I dread what will happen when I blow my nose" admitted Harry.
"Well, have a shower" said Daphne, getting dressed.
"Are you done?" asked Harry.
"I'm decent" said Daphne, and Harry entered the big, warm en-suite. A radiator on the wall had the room warm; if a bit damp. Harry cast a wide area drying charm on the walls and sat on the loo to undo his trainers.
"Clean your clothes before you get dressed" said Daphne, whose outfit wasn't covered in lime dust.
"What are you going to do?" asked Harry.
"You only take a few minutes in the shower. I'll dry my hair properly" said Daphne, and left the bathroom to sit on a stool in the bedroom. Harry pulled the door shut.
Once her hair was dry she started cleaning the room.
Harry came out clean, his hair wet. It was starting to dry naturally, and spring upwards in every direction.
"Time to go home and go to bed" said Harry "And before you get any ideas, I'm knackered but you're coming to bed with me. I'm not defying Fleur tomorrow."
"For sleeping" said Daphne firmly. I'm too bloody tired.
"And to keep the bed warm. I'm missing this central heating already." said Harry. We haven't even gone home yet!
Daphne sighed "We'll be able to camp here by Monday" she said "Warm floors. Warm loos. Loos with windows."
"Look, use my bathroom" said Harry.
"Oh how generous of you" said Daphne. He'd taken her bubble-bath. Here, so she could have a bath, but it was the principle of the thing. Trying to seize back control of the fourth floor bathroom.
"Come on, apparating on three" said Harry.
On the count of three they both apparated to the stoop at Grimmauld place. Harry opened the door, and they stepped in, to the smell of roses and fireplaces.
Harry sniffed "Hmm" he said "Being away for a day, it's not so bad these days."
"It has it's good points" said Daphne. It smelt of roses, and was mostly clean.
"I'm off to bed" said Harry "grab a nightie and pop over. I will have the whole bed warming charmed by the time you get there."
"You'd better" said Daphne, and she apparated to her room, got her nightie, pulled on her madam Desha robe and slippers, and … took a decent pillow. His were all far too hard.
She apparated to the fourth floor landing, and knocked on his door.
"Come in" said Harry
Daphne walked in and Harry was lying on the bed, looking worn out, holding his wand.
Harry blinked "I've got pillows" said Harry.
"Yours are too hard" said Daphne. She closed the door, took off her housecoat, threw Harry's spare pillow on the desk and got into the bed, snuggling into her pillow, Harry pointed his wand at the discarded pillow and it vanished.
"Where'd it go?" asked Daphne.
"Your bed. Your pillows are too soft" said Harry, and he leaned over, kissed Daphne's hair, and cast a spell to put the lights out.
"Do you expect sex?" asked Daphne. I'm too tired.
"Just go to sleep" said Harry "I'm tired, you're tired, and we've got more work tomorrow."
Daphne rolled over in the bed. Harry stared at the ceiling for a bit, took off his glasses and went to sleep, the flickering fire lighting the corner of the room.
Harry settled down like a cat, and Daphne waited a moment, then snuggled a little closer- he was nice and warm, that was all.
