I do not own Harry Potter or gain anything from writing this other than the opportunity of expanding on an already brilliant universe for my own entertainment, and hopefully yours.

Healing in the Shadows

Daphne's worry that Tracey would be angry was unfounded. Well, she was angry, but not at Daphne. Apparently her and Cornfoot saw the whole thing from across the shop, they were both hoping their friends would get together, but in Stephen's words, 'I just know Kev's gonna muck it up somehow.'

They watched as Kevin spoke, and Daphne's face got angrier and angrier, the entire time Stephen muttering that his best friend was an idiot. After the slap and her storming out, Kevin stomped over to Stephen and Tracey and began complaining about Daphne quite loudly. At least until Stephen snapped at him to stop ruining his date and to get out. Kevin and Stephen's spat lasted about a week before Kevin apologised. When he attempted to apologise to Daphne, she denied him, she wanted nothing to do with the boy.

One good thing that came out of it is Daphne's opinion of Cornfoot managed to go up, even though she suspected he might share his best friend's views on some things. Regardless of what he believes, he had Tracey's back, and he didn't blame Daphne for what she did. Merlin knew Tracey was even more endeared to the boy than she was. Which was saying a lot because she's been right smitten. Though Cornfoot seemed just as obsessed with Tracey, the two were quite nauseating to watch, in all honesty. But it was also nice seeing her friend so happy, especially in the hell that's become their new normal.

The members of Longbottom's little club continued to make appearances in the hospital wing as the weeks went by. They just couldn't seem to stop poking the Carrows and getting punished for it. One time they were caught breaking into Snape's office to try to steal a sword of all things – they really needed to get their priorities in order.

The worst was after the first Quidditch match. Gryffindor vs Slytherin, and was officiated by Amycus Carrow. Daphne didn't bother watching it, but she did get a front row seat to the bloody aftermath that was brought into the hospital wing. The Gryffindor team obviously did not get a fair go of it. Never has Quidditch broken so many bones and caused so many concussions. At least as far as Daphne's seen. There were a few fairly young players on the team too, but they were no less beat up. Weasley was certainly the worst. She came in unconscious, held in Professor Hagrid's arms, a wrist twisted at an angle it shouldn't be able to twist to and a knee very obviously dislocated.

It wasn't as if Daphne didn't already know this, but seeing Ginny Weasley like that really drove it home; for all her talk about how school is hell now, it was so much worse for others than it was for her. Daphne had it relatively easy, and while it could be said that the pain Longbottom's group was forced to suffer through was partially due to their own stubborn actions, the Gryffindor Quidditch team did nothing wrong that should have caused this. They were just innocently wanting to play the game that they all enjoyed. That sight spoke louder than anything else of how important it was to fight back. Because if they didn't, who knows how far things could go?

Daphne couldn't let that fire inside her grow though. She had to stomp it out now, and not allow the injured innocents to stoke it. Fighting back wasn't her role. Her role was to heal the hurts when the fighters come back from battle. Or more accurately, to heal them after they come back from a class where they spoke too loud for their gaoler's liking.

The role she gave herself was cut off from her though, suddenly and cruelly. It happened on a day where Longbottom and their group seemed to have gotten the better of the Carrows in some way. The pair of Death Eater professors came stomping into the hospital wing, cursing and yelling at each other, Alecto carrying a piece of parchment that she was looking over. They were both half covered in what was certainly red paint and not blood, but Daphne could guess what their appearance meant. Everyone's seen the messages around the school claiming Dumbledore's Army was still recruiting. Those messages were usually about the same colour as the back of Amycus Carrow's robes and the left side of Alecto.

'Poppy, get out here!' Amycus ordered loudly.

Madam Pomfrey came stomping quickly out of the back room, her eyes scanning for any injured then regarding the Death Eaters in front of her without saying a word. Alecto held up the piece of parchment she was holding.

'As of today, the following students are not allowed to receive healing. They won't learn their lesson if you keep patching them up all the time.'

That broke the glare on the matron's face.

'You would deny …' she started, sounding more scared than angry. 'You cannot do this! It's by your hands that … Let me see the list!'

She snatched it from Alecto's hand, scanning the names and grimacing at what she saw. Daphne didn't need to read it to have an idea of who was on it, and she could understand the look of anxiety on Madam Pomfrey's face. The teacher's were powerless here, at least the ones who weren't the Carrows. They helped protect the students as much as they could, by looking the other way when they would normally give detention and the like, but they couldn't stand up to the Carrows or they'll simply get sacked. Madam Pomfrey has explained to Daphne that the Dark Lord has control of the board of governors, it's how Snape became Headmaster. If any of the teacher's step out of line too far then they'll likely be replaced by someone as bad as the Carrows. They needed to fulfil their own roles to protect the students in what little way they could.

'I will have words with the Headmaster about this,' Madam Pomfrey grit out, throwing the list down and stomping out of the hospital wing, ignoring Amycus' wheezy laugh and Alecto's giggled, 'Knock yourself out, Poppy.'

When Pomfrey and the Carrows were out of the room, Daphne picked up the list, quickly seeing Longbottom's name right at the top, Weasley and Lovegood being second and third. The rest of the names were people she's seen a great deal in the hospital wing the past months. Finnegan, the Patils, Brown, Boot, Corner, Goldstein, Abbott, Bones, Macmillan, and more beyond. It was incomplete though. Even as an outsider, Daphne probably knew who was part of their group better than anyone who wasn't a member. Still, surely names could be added to the list.

What would have been done if this was passed before the Quidditch match with Gryffindor and Slytherin? Well Daphne had a feeling that would result in Madam Pomfrey being sacked, because there's no way she wouldn't have thrown the rules out the window and at least made Weasley stable. There was another option though, and it scared Daphne to think about it. It scared her because of how fierce that fire in her gut had grown, despite her attempts at stomping it out. It scared her because even though it was a stupid thing to do for her own self preservation, she really wanted to do it.

When Madam Pomfrey returned she looked defeated and frustrated. After hearing the plan that was brewing in Daphne's mind, the matron was hugging her, crying into her shoulder in a rare show of emotion. Just because she seemed so strong all the time didn't mean she wasn't being torn apart inside to see the students she took care of being beaten so badly. Being told she would keep seeing them hurt but wouldn't be able to do anything about it threatened to break her. But Daphne was offering her an out. She was offering to put herself at risk to do the thing that Madam Pomfrey couldn't do. Because if she was sneaking out of the hospital wing to heal her students in secret, there is no way she wouldn't get noticed. But a girl who was already outside of the notice of the Carrows, a girl who wore a green tie that made her more trustworthy to the gaolers, she would be a perfect mole to keep the oppressed healthy.

Hopefully the invitation to join their group was still open. Because they needed her.

As it turns out Madam Pomfrey wasn't letting Daphne sneak around the school to heal the members of Dumbledore's Army without being suitably prepared. The following day after Transfiguration, McGonagall asked Daphne to stay behind after class. At first Daphne assumed it was because the Krup she conjured during class had two tails, but the stern professor had another purpose for holding her back.

'Take this,' she said, handing over a bundle of cloth.

Daphne unfolded the strange-feeling material onto her arm, only to realise her arm turned invisible.

'I know you are capable of a disillusionment charm, but this is more reliable when moving through the corridors,' McGonagall continued. 'Just don't let anyone catch you with it. It's not exactly against the rules but it would raise suspicion about you.'

Daphne's eyes were saucer's as she took the cloak. These didn't come cheaply, and this one looked especially well made. And brand new to boot. Before she could express her awe, McGonagall continued.

'Now beyond the healing, I want you to add another layer to this.'

She aimed her wand at her own forehead, running it along the slightly wrinkled skin to create what looked like a nasty scab. But Daphne knew the spell, it was similar to some of her makeup charms; Human Transfiguration. It gave the appearance of being hurt without any actual injury. It was a pretty ingenious idea. If she just healed them then it would be pretty obvious the next time the Carrows see them. At least this way they would still appear injured. After an extra lesson with the Transfiguration Professor and quickly picking up the trick to using the spell for this method (she was always a dab hand at Human Transfiguration), she left for her shift at the hospital wing. Though not before McGonagall not so subtly insinuated that she already received Daphne's essay that was assigned to the rest of the class, and it was quite Outstanding.

Apparently there were some perks to breaking the rules. Who would've thought?

At the hospital wing, her targets were already there, arguing with Madam Pomfrey.

'Can't you just do it anyway?' Longbottom was complaining. 'I don't need it, but she does.'

She was a girl who looked to be in fifth year, and apparently she was on the list if Madam Pomfrey wasn't willing to heal her. It looked like she had just been put under the Cruciatus, being supported on both sides by two Hufflepuff girls, Abbot and Bones, who also looked to be in need of some healing.

Daphne passed them by and quickly changed her robes in the back room, then dawned her new Invisibility Cloak before walking over to Madam Pomfrey who was still standing in the doorway, tapping her on her shoulder with an invisible hand.

'Listen to me carefully,' Pomfrey said, looking down the corridor both ways. 'Go somewhere private – completely private. I believe you have a place like this?'

'Er, yeah,' Longbottom said with a nervous look at his companions. 'There is … We should go there now?'

'Right away,' Pomfrey said, then shut the door with Daphne already out in the corridor.

There was a small part of Daphne that felt giddy for sneaking behind authorities back like some kind of healing vigilante, the rest of her was screaming that she should stop being reckless, that she was stupid, that she was going to get herself and everyone she cared about hurt. But she never told Tracey or Astoria what she was up to, this was a secret even to them. The only people who knew, as far as she was aware, were Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. As long as she didn't get caught, everything would be fine.

There was another layer to it though, Daphne was about to reveal herself to many more people who would suddenly be privy to her secret. Everyone in the school heard about what happened in fifth year, that Marietta Edgecombe betrayed Potter and the rest by revealing their secret. The stakes were currently much higher than what Umbridge was capable of. Longbottom better have only picked people that could be trusted for this. Part of her wished she disguised herself beforehand, but it was a little late for that now. She would just have to put herself out there and hope nothing went wrong.

The group moved slowly with the injured girl the two Hufflepuffs were helping along. Especially slow since they had to climb stairs to the seventh floor. Then they stopped in front of a blank wall and Daphne's childlike excitement returned. Pansy has had many very loud bragging sessions about catching Dumbledore's Army in a magical room. Daphne's always wanted to visit, but Pansy wouldn't say how to find it. It did make sense that this was their secret base, as it were. Though if Daphne knows about it, other people do too. Hopefully it actually is safe. They've been caught here before.

She took the opportunity to slip inside when Longbottom was holding the door open for the three girls. So far the room wasn't anything special, it looked like a common room, but a little sparse on the seating; a big open area off to one side wasn't being used. There were already a few people inside, some looking up from their homework, a few already on their feet, concerned at the appearance of the newcomers.

'I thought you were going to Pomfrey,' Weasley said confusedly.

'We did,' Abbott huffed, lowering the injured girl down into a settee with Bones' help.

'The Carrows banned us from the hospital wing,' Neville growled.

'What?!' they all exclaimed at once, beginning their collective tantrum and expressing their worry.

'What are we gonna do?' Finnegan asked, eyeing the fifth year lying on the couch.

'Well it sounded like Pomfrey was going to help us in secret, but …'

Figuring that was as good a cue as any, Daphne removed her Invisibility Cloak as she started to speak, feeling suddenly incredibly nervous.

'Madam Pomfrey sent me to – ah!'

Every wand in the room turned on her in a second, causing her to stand there wide eyed with her hands up in a panicked attempt to set them at ease.

'Daphne?' Longbottom asked first before Finnegan shouted, 'What are you doing here?'

'Um.' Daphne couldn't help but notice that only Longbottom and Weasley lowered their wands. 'B-because of the ban, I was going to heal you all in secret.'

She figured a simple to the point explanation was the way to go. Hopefully they went for it and didn't start hexing her.

'That's brilliant!' Longbottom cried, coming over to perhaps hug her, but he came up short when Finnegan cried, 'We can't trust a Slytherin!'

Longbottom was frozen, and it only took a second for Daphne to realise that he actually, honestly had no idea that she was in Slytherin. Her nerves had started to settle at Longbottom's exclamation of brilliance, but now he was looking at her like she committed some great betrayal. It was rather surprising he didn't know what house she was in though. They shared Potions class together for five years, then they had three NEWT classes together after that. Maybe he saw what he wanted to see in the hospital wing, or what he expected to see. A Slytherin healer simply didn't make sense, Slytherin's don't heal, they hurt. Add onto that the ponytail she wears her hair in while working at the hospital wing and the illusion was complete. Just an average Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff girl, not evil and not planning any nefarious schemes. She just hoped he could see past those biases now, would see her as the same girl that already patched him up throughout the year, who was just wanting to do so again, because she found she didn't like seeing him hurt.

Unfortunately, his hate for the house of snakes went deep.

'Leave,' he said shortly, and Daphne was surprised by how much it hurt to hear it. Her heart constricted in her chest and she felt a silly urge to cry. Longbottom never looked at her like that before, like he hated her. He looked at her with gratitude, and sometimes when she spoke to him and healed him he would blush a little, and maybe he'd even make her blush sometimes, but now she was nothing but a disgusting waste of space because she wore a green tie at school.

He wasn't the only one who looked like they hated her. That's how they all looked. Even Weasley, who seemed just as shocked by the revelation that she wore green. Only one person wasn't looking at her like that; the younger girl who was grimacing on the couch in pain, a bad cut on her lip that she probably bit while out of control and under the Cruciatus. Anger replaced nervousness and despair and heartache. For the Carrows who caused this girl to hurt so badly, but also for these bigots for believing she means them harm just because of what an enchanted hat called out in a hall seven years ago. For that, they would let this girl suffer, and that was unforgivable.

'I said leave!' Longbottom snapped again, pointing an angry finger at the blank wall that used to be a door.

Daphne took a step toward the injured girl, the wands moving closer to her but no spells leaving them.

'What's your name?' she asked, ignoring everyone else.

The girl broke out of her pain induced daze and looked up at Daphne, a sense of recognition crossing her face, but otherwise she seemed pretty out of it.

'Beth,' she managed in a tired voice.

'Beth,' Daphne said, ignoring Longbottom ordering her to leave once more, 'would you like me to heal you?'

The girl glanced briefly at Neville, then gave a small nod and lay back down on the settee, wincing with the movement.

Their wands didn't lower, but they didn't stop her either. She started with the pain relieving potion she had in the satchel around her waist, then gave Beth a dreamless sleep potion after she acquiesced. Before healing her face she took in the minor cuts and darkening flesh that would bruise soon. She was pretty badly hurt, must have done a lot of writhing around while under the curse, maybe some more physically damaging magic to go along with it. It was all manageable though, and the first potion would help with the pain. After cleaning and healing any open wounds, applying some murtlap to sensitive areas, curing the battered flesh beneath the skin, she turned her head to Longbottom.

'I'm going to transfigure some lacerations on her face.' She held her wand up to her own forehead to demonstrate the same way McGonagall did not long ago. 'It's not real, but it'll keep the Carrows from asking awkward questions.'

He didn't respond in any way but to stare at her stoically, so she did as she said. Recreating the cut lip took a few tries to get right, but the bruise at her temple was pretty easy. Stepping back and inspecting her work after she was finished made her feel quite pleased. The transfigurations would fade in time, giving a similar effect to a healing wound. Similar enough that it shouldn't create suspicion.

The room was silent but for the sleeping girls quiet breathing, the surrounding people just watching. Daphne's gaze fell on Longbottom again but she couldn't glean what he was thinking from his stony face. He was also hurt, as were Abbott and Bones.

'Does anyone else want healing before I leave?' she asked quietly.

The silence continued at her question, so she stepped slowly toward the blank wall. But when she reached it there was still no door. Daphne had no idea how the room worked, but could tell by the atmosphere that the people at least wanted her to leave and not come back. The girl would suffer less at least, though how long until there's another like her that they refuse to let her help? What was it about her that scared them so much?

'The Carrows probably already know about this place,' Daphne said to the quiet room, 'I don't know what you think I could possibly tell them. Pansy knows all about this room. After they caught you two years ago she said she used to come here when she wanted to be alone. And you better believe she's helping the Carrows. I am not helping the Carrows. I am helping Madam Pomfrey. Talk to her, talk to McGonagall, and get your heads out of your arses. I'm not trying to hurt you. I'm trying to help you.'

The door began to form as she finished her bit, so she took it as a dismissal. Before leaving though, she pulled out her Invisibility Cloak. She didn't want to be seen coming and going from the magical room. No one said a word until she was gone.

It was hard to know what to do next. Weeks went by without any way for Daphne to know if anyone needed healing or anything else. She saw the signs clear enough though, and they looked to be getting worse by the day. Madam Pomfrey didn't have the answers, but in private she cursed Longbottom and his group when Daphne relayed the cold reception she received.

The hospital wing was much quieter without those of Dumbledore's Army coming in multiple times a week, but Daphne wasn't left with nothing to do. There was a great deal of time spent brewing potions, and even some time where Madam Pomfrey taught her some important counter-curses for their trade, what with the usual class that would teach such things being more than useless.

She hated attending the Dark Arts class, but dropping it would be suspicious so she just attended and received poor marks, playing the flighty blonde who cares more about the articles in Witch Weekly than the Dark Arts. Professor Carrow never bothered her, neither of them did, Slytherins had the right to slack off as far as they were concerned. She used the same method in Muggle studies, which was as she originally guessed, a propagandist class that taught lies about the Dark creatures called Muggles. It wasn't even well done. Everything Professor Carrow came up with was so obviously a lie, and no consistency to back up the lies either. Daphne would wonder occasionally how much of it Kevin Entwhistle was taking as gospel.

Because of her indifference to the Dark Arts class, she never had to cast the Cruciatus on anyone, thank Merlin. That would have been a difficult situation to navigate. She surely wouldn't be capable of the spell in the first place, and demonstrating such failure could encourage Professor Carrow to do what he called teach. It wasn't something Daphne wished to learn. None of her indifference would have been at all effective if not for her green tie. It was a blessing and a curse. Though the curse wasn't used on her. And the ones it was used on wouldn't let her help them.

The classes she put her effort into were Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology and Charms. And honestly those four classes had the best professors in the school by far. She far preferred Professor Slughorn's method of teaching Potions over Snape's. He was also a far greater Head of House. If Daphne had to guess, she'd say that the man was not a supporter of the Dark Lord, but he was also not the type to fight back. Keeping a low profile was the name of the game. The same game Daphne played. There seemed to be a mutual understanding between them that they were both going about things in the same way, but it was never voiced aloud. Though he seemed to take Blaise aside for a "talk" of some sort every once in a while. Even if he didn't hold his Slug Club anymore didn't mean he wouldn't try to suck up when the opportunity presented itself. Not that there was anything exceptional about Blaise other than his black widow of a mother.

'Got caught with Stephen in a broom cupboard today.'

Daphne looked up sharply from her Charms textbook at the nervous quality of Tracey's voice. Her wand was out immediately, switching spots with Tracey, making her sit.

'They used the Cruciatus for that?' Daphne asked incredulously.

Daphne had been taking the opportunity of the less busy period in the hospital wing to get ahead on her homework in the Slytherin common room. It wasn't a pleasant surprise to see her best friend twitchy and slightly bruised.

'I thought it would be worse to be honest,' Tracey mumbled, 'but Millicent said that was 'cause she didn't really want to use it on me.'

Daphne turned a glare on their roommate who was standing by the stairs to their dorm. Millicent gave a grimace and a shrug and left.

'And how's Stephen?' Daphne questioned archly.

'Got it much worse than I did,' Tracey sighed. 'Didn't want to go to the hospital wing though.'

' 'Course not. Bloody boys are idiots.'

Tracey and Daphne tracked down Cornfoot the next day to force some healing on him. He actually apologised profusely to Daphne for being reckless with Tracey and getting caught like that. Apparently Tracey was more worried about how angry Daphne was going to be than actually being on the receiving end of the torture curse.

It bothered Daphne that she couldn't just trust Cornfoot's apologetic attitude at face value. The more time he and Tracey were together the more he seemed genuinely like an alright bloke, but Daphne was still suspicious it was all an act. Boys were after one thing from girls (and no, she doesn't completely believe that even if she was quoting her father in her own head) and Tracey hasn't given that up yet. And Daphne would definitely hear about it if she did. Tracey had zero filter when describing her and Stephen's alone time. Part of it was she just had to tell someone, but there was another layer there. Tracey desperately wanted Daphne to be more interested in boys. Just so they can compare notes and the like, and because Tracey believes Daphne getting a boyfriend would make her happy.

There was only one boy that Daphne ever genuinely fancied, and that fancy came to a screeching halt after the way he treated her. She couldn't really tell Tracey about that though, she'd keep Longbottom and their ilk a secret, if for no other reason than just to prove their distrust false. But also because it was the right thing to do.

It was on the same day where Daphne patched up Cornfoot when it happened. After she waved off his apology, admonished the couple for being reckless, then went with them for their morning Charms class. As the class was filling up, a piece of parchment landed on her desk. She didn't catch who dropped it but it could've been any number of people, several of their members were in the class.

7th floor – 6:30

She was glad she read it in the privacy of the loo, it wouldn't have been too good if she read it in the class and one of her housemates opted to snoop on her, then snoop further to find who Daphne was meeting in secret. That evening she ate dinner quickly, then went to the hospital wing and told Madam Pomfrey she'd be making a house call that night. At six fifteen she was standing in the empty seventh floor corridor, staring at the blank wall and willing a door to form, but the wall was currently winning. Looking both ways down the corridors to make sure no one was coming, she pulled out her wand, aiming it at the wall.

'Alohomora,' she muttered with no success. 'Is it a password? Um … Dumbledore's Army?'

As she was rolling her eyes at what a terrible password that would be, the door began to form. She was suddenly very worried that she was going to get caught by someone undesirable while helping these idiots, but opened the door and went inside anyway.

There were more people than last time, many more, and the room was different too. It was bigger, more comfortable looking, with the many cushioned chairs and sofas, and the empty space off to the side didn't exist anymore. Most of the people were lounging out of the way, just watching her as she took off her Invisibility Cloak, but three of them stood front and centre. Longbottom had kept strong with his stoney expression, but Weasley looked much less hostile, and Lovegood was smiling dreamily at her. Daphne found she very much liked Lovegood.

'You came,' Longbottom said simply, apparently he was surprised.

Daphne felt the urge to berate him or belittle his intelligence but held back, deciding to say nothing in case she said something that got her the boot. Longbottom wasn't the only one in the room sporting a bloodied face.

'What are you after?' he added when no one else spoke.

'For Merlin sake,' Daphne scoffed, then turned her attention to the room at large. 'Who here needs healing? If you form a line I'll do as many as I can before curfew. But I am not saying here past curfew.'

Not a single person moved, many of them looking to Longbottom for guidance for what to do. Though he didn't seem to know what to do other than continue his emotionless stare. They didn't trust her and she had no way of proving her trustworthiness, so apparently nothing was going to happen. Daphne was considering doing what she did last time of just walking up to people and asking each of them if they wanted healing, when the silence was finally broken.

'I trust her,' Weasley declared loudly, looking around the room. 'Most injured one's first, yeah?'

Apparently she was also something of a leader, because at her word they immediately obeyed. Daphne didn't fail to notice the look of relief on some of their injured faces.

She sat on a settee with a chair ahead of her, a curtain that appeared by magic ready to be pulled around for privacy, as hurts didn't always care for modesty. Weasley sat beside her while she worked, watching curiously at first then apparently getting a bit bored. There was no one as hurt as the girl from the last time she was here, but there were plenty who were still feeling effects from Cruciatus curses that happened days ago. Without the pain relieving potion the feel of it could linger in a most uncomfortable way. Not that Daphne's ever experienced it, but she has read about it and been lectured further by Madam Pomfrey.

Some had different Dark curses used on them, it wasn't just the torture curse that the Carrows were teaching. If not for some of Madam Pomfrey's lessons she would have been out of her depth for much of it. Dark Magic was tricky to deal with, it was like fighting a miniature duel against the lingering magic, and if you lost the curse could get worse. Thankfully she managed it all, though there was one occasion when she needed to resort to her unicorn horn brooch for help, being careful to not let anyone see what was tucked away in her jewellery. She was able to get through the worst of the damage with time to spare before curfew so began working on some more minor hurts and fussing over some of her transfigurations. With the easier work she didn't need to concentrate as much, and took the opportunity to ask Weasley something that was on her mind since the younger girl said it.

'Why do you suddenly trust me?'

Weasley turned a grin on her, the first smile she gave her since she found out Daphne was a Slytherin.

'Because you slapped Kevin Entwhistle at Madam Puddifoots.'

Daphne blinked at the memory that flitted through her mind. 'I don't suppose that's a joke, is it?' Realisation slowly dawned on her how it actually made some sense.

'Padma and Anthony were there at the table next to you,' Weasley explained, still wielding that mischievous grin

Looking over to where Weasley was gesturing, she saw one of the Patil twins sitting on a sofa with Anthony Goldstein.

'They heard what he said, I take it?' Daphne queried.

Weasley's expression turned dark.

'I would've given him far more than a slap,' she grumbled. 'Yeah, they heard. And they told us about the type of bloke Entwhistle is and how angry you were in defence of Harry – or maybe just how stupid Kevin Entwhistle is, but it doesn't matter. I would've expected a Slytherin to agree with him, not slap him.'

Daphne finished up healing the minor cuts on the palm of one boy's hand, not bothering to transfigure a false wound as it'd be difficult to spot anyway.

'I've never spoken to Potter,' she said as her next patient settled in front of her, 'but I'm not stupid enough to believe half of the things that've been written about him over the years. And just because he beat my house at Quidditch every single year since I started at school –'

Weasley let out a loud laugh at that, pulling a smile onto Daphne's face.

'– doesn't mean I hate him, or even dislike him. I don't judge people until I know them myself. And in case you haven't noticed by my actions, I do not support the Dark Lord. He is someone I hate. Nothing would make me happier than to see him drop dead.'

The red-haired Gryffindor sobered over Daphne's rant, but let out another abrupt chuckle at the thought of Potter beating Slytherins at Quidditch.

'Like I said, I trust you. We spoke to McGonagall like you asked – she didn't have very many kind things to say to us after how we treated you. But … not all of us trust you. It took a while to convince some people to ask you to come back.'

Daphne looked pointedly to the other side of the room where Longbottom was sitting with Finnegan and a few others, his suspicious gaze meeting hers for a brief moment before he looked away. Longbottom was one person who didn't bother letting Daphne see to his hurts. Finnegan was the same.

'I noticed,' she grumbled.

'Just try to understand,' Weasley sighed, 'he's been bullied by people from your house his entire time at this school. Then this year didn't really help. On top of that, he kinda … well he really wanted you to join, then to find out you were in Slytherin –'

'And how exactly did you not notice I was in Slytherin?' Daphne found herself asking loud enough for Longbottom to hear. 'It's not like my house has changed in the seven years we've been at school together.'

He hardly turned to look at her, and even then his glance was brief.

'You look different in those robes,' he mumbled. Not that she heard him, he was far too quiet, but a girl between them translated for her with a roll of her eyes at the sulking boy.

After finishing her latest patient she decided fifteen minutes before curfew was plenty late for her to stay, apologising to the last few in line but stating it would be bad for her and them if she got caught. By that point most of the room had already emptied, their club slowly filtering out so as not to raise suspicion with a large crowd of people walking through the seventh floor corridor.

'One thing before I go,' Daphne said to Weasley while standing at the frustratingly mysterious blank wall, 'how will I know when to come back, and is there some trick to coming in here?' Inwardly she was hoping that whole password thing was just a coincidence. Oh Merlin please let it be a coincidence.

'We'll let you in,' Weasley said simply. 'As for how you'll know when to come …' She looked over to Lovegood who'd been doing homework the entire time Daphne was healing. The girl seemed to sense the attention on her, glancing up with wide eyes and making her way over.

'There are a few of our members who aren't banned from the hospital wing,' she began as if she's been planning to say it. 'I think it's best if they go to Madam Pomfrey directly, then she can pass it on to you.'

Daphne nodded, it was a good idea. She would already be at the hospital wing anyway, and that's where she kept the Invisibility Cloak, not to mention all the healing supplies. It was a better plan than a covertly passed note. That would certainly be noticed eventually.

'One more thing,' Lovegood said, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Daphne, much to her surprise. 'Thank you for helping us, Daphne. I do believe you are the bravest Slytherin I've ever known.'

Daphne, her arms being pinned to her sides, gave Lovegood an awkward pat on the hip and stammered out, 'N-not a problem, Lovegood.'

'Please, call me Luna. We are friends now, aren't we?'

Those words stayed with Daphne late into the night. She lay in bed, awake and distracted, wondering at some of her actions lately. She came into school this year with a clear plan in mind, a rather simple one to follow. Keep your head down, learn what you can, and come out the other side none the worse for wear. Well so far she's dropped the ball on the first one, what she was doing was reckless and dangerous, though she was at least learning a lot. It remained to be seen if she'd come out of the other side or not.

Regardless, the thought of not returning to the secret base of Dumbledore's Army to heal their wounded never even entered her mind. They needed her, and the knowledge that she was helping them had a side effect she didn't exactly expect. She knew she wanted to help them, fiercely so, and the sight of them injured and unable to get relief filled her with anxiety, but she did not expect helping them to make her feel so happy. She may have told them that she was a healer and not a fighter, but in her own way, she was fighting back. Fighting back against the thing that she was afraid of, the thing that was ruining the simple life she had before. It made her happy to be able to help, and it filled her with pride.

Lovegood – no – Luna showed her something else too. Not only was she fighting back, but she was apparently making new friends in the process. At least that's what Luna and Ginny seemed to be becoming in her mind. Friends. Friends that she was willing to risk herself to help, just as she would Tracey and Astoria. Though in all honesty, she would have done it even if they didn't become friends. Maybe there was more Gryffindor in her than she ever thought, maybe the hat got it wrong. Because she was far too stupidly noble for a Slytherin, and if Luna was to be believed, Daphne was the bravest Slytherin she's ever known.