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.

A Haunted Peace

The sun was setting on another peaceful day at Hogwarts. The trees were at the half-way point between bud and leaf and the weather was warm in the early evening. The grounds weren't as pristine as they were just days ago near the front gate, but the rest of the area was relatively untouched. The battle was localised mainly at the gates, the overwhelmed forces of Voldemort eventually being pushed back and trying to take cover in the castle, only to find their way shut and blocked. Panic took over and the dark cloaks were routed by the makeshift militia under the leadership of the now temporary Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

The number of magicals that came to the castle's aid was immense. When Lord Voldemort's voice echoed throughout the castle it also reached far beyond, to Hogsmeade and its scared inhabitants. That fear turned quickly to outrage for many of them. Then the Floo calls began, and soon most everyone who received word was within sight of the walls, devastating the ones who dared serve a master who would threaten the lives of every single student of Hogwarts. There was a line where the fear went from a desperation to stay hidden to a need to stomp out the fear at the source, lest they all fall to its madness. Voldemort crossed that line and then some, and people who had never put their lives on the line before were now doing just that.

Daphne's own parents even joined the fight, her grandparents and aunts and uncles and older cousins too. Most every family member of a student did so, it put the numbers of the resistance through the roof. Add onto that the DA and the other's hiding in the secret room from a raging Voldemort, and the tide rolled over the Dark Lord's servants once it reached the gates.

That the DA was outside of the school and not inside was the fault of Harry Potter. How much he planned it all out wasn't known, but he used the secret room to seal off everyone else's exit, then walked alone down to the Great Hall to face Voldemort and the Death Eaters and rescue Daphne Greengrass. The DA and the rest of its occupants were forced to leave through the Hogsmeade passage, where they rushed to the castle to begin the skirmish on the grounds. Perhaps when Harry Potter wakes up people will learn the truth of things, but until then the speculation was wild, and Daphne was the one everyone went to for answers.

But she had her own questions that needed answering before she could acquiesce, like what in the hell happened after she was stunned. Not to mention an explanation for some of the things that happened before she was stunned.

The battle inside the school of Death Eaters vs Professors was possibly even more one sided than the battle outside. The professors were quite good at magic, and only a few Death Eaters were not victims to the errant soul of Voldemort. Those who did come into contact with the wraith suffered a similar fate to Harry, though more than one lost their lives from the explosion in the Great Hall.

It was the Professors that sealed the doors once the Death Eaters were dealt with, making the students within the castle that were threatened their top priority. Only one professor lost their life; Horace Slughorn, and only because he was the sole protector of Slytherin house. It wasn't because McGonagall – who organised the teachers – did not want to keep Slytherin students safe, she just didn't expect them to be a likely target for Voldemort. The big mouths of Kevin Entwhistle and Stephen Cornfoot saw that the only Slytherin who was a member of the student's resistance group was also the first to be sacrificed. Both Ravenclaw boys survived the magical explosion of the destruction of Voldemort's body and emergence of his soul, but they too are supposedly still passed out. Though at St Mungos, not the hospital wing. Despite them being students, Madam Pomfrey wanted no part of them.

Regardless of past betrayals, there was peace at the school for the first time in a very long time. But the peace was a shaky one, one that had a dark cloud hovering over it. That was because the spirit of Voldemort did not flee Britain, or even Hogwarts. The spirit found its way into the once again empty secret room, where, according to Neville who attempted to return there, the room turned into a monstrous cathedral with piles upon piles of junk. And Voldemort's shade has become a guardian of sorts. No one knew if it was going to just stay there forever or leave and terrorise the school, so at the moment it was put under guard. A guard who no doubt had no idea what to do if the spirit did decide to leave its self made confines.

Daphne waited until the sun was behind the mountains to slip on her Invisibility Cloak and go back into the castle. School was still in session – Hogwarts was nothing if not resilient – and most of the students were still in attendance, a handful that were previously on the run making their return as well. Classes weren't running at the moment though. There was a bit of reprieve as parts of the school were repaired and the collective staff organised the mess that things have become. During that reprieve people wanted to ask Harry Potter everything they could about what happened. But they couldn't because he hasn't woken up yet, so they wanted to ask Daphne Greengrass everything they could about what happened.

She was tired of talking about it, tired of the strangers suddenly showing interest in her and getting annoyed when she'd refuse to tell them bits and pieces. There was so much she wasn't sure she should say, so she kept her silence until she consulted with Potter. Which was only one of the reasons she went to the hospital wing after sunset.

The other reason being there was still a handful of students in need of medical aid from the battle. Luckily no student lost their life in the conflict, but many of them received injuries, some that would have them lying in a hospital bed for a long while to come. They all knew Daphne by now, not just as the healer who helped them feel better and more comfortable, but also as the girl who helped Harry Potter fight Voldemort. One patient, a Muggle-born named Colin Creevey who came back when Neville put out the call, would often offer her a place in Gryffindor, much more charming to sleep in a tower than a dungeon. She wasn't sure if he was flirting with her or just oblivious, but he was nice, so she didn't hex him.

As part of her rounds she came to the curtain that hid the bed that belonged to Harry Potter, and saw him surrounded by the usual crowd. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Ginny, Luna and Neville. They often spent their spare time at his bedside lately, not wanting to miss the moment when he woke up. They said it was so they could yell at him for being a stupid selfish prat – they were quite angry with him for locking them in the secret room – but Daphne knew that was a lie. Mostly at least. They just missed their friend, and they wanted him to get better.

'Maybe hexing him a little might wake him up faster,' Ron suggested as Daphne did her usual routine of feeding Harry potions (for nutrients and the like while he was out).

'Maybe if I hex you a bit he'll wake up because it's such a laugh,' Daphne threw back.

Somehow and very quickly, Ron and Hermione became friends with Daphne. She knew it had a lot to do with the endorsements of Luna, Ginny and Neville, but it was nice to be liked by people who were once strangers. Ron and Hermione weren't the only ones who felt endeared to Daphne for her actions, the bloody Daily Prophet wouldn't shut up about her either. Someone blabbed, and she still didn't know who, but now she was being called the Slytherin Hero, the Shadow Healer, and the Second Matron of Hogwarts. At least they aren't calling her the Girl Who Lived. Though that was mostly because she kept her mouth shut about that bit.

'The first time it only took three days,' Hermione said quietly, leaning into Ron's shoulder and watching Harry's sleeping face.

The "first time" was in first year. Hermione and Ron told her the story after Daphne mentioned Harry seemed to know what the spirit of Voldemort was. It took three days for him to wake up when he was eleven, it's been six already this time. He was stable though, and there was nothing more they could do from a healing perspective, so they just had to wait. Daphne's already tried touching him with her trusty unicorn horn, but it did nothing. He would wake when he wakes, or he never would. But six days isn't enough time to be so pessimistic.

'So what happened after Ron left?' Ginny suddenly asked, making her brother grumble under his breath.

Hermione smiled at Ron and kissed him on the cheek, making them both blush. Then she took up the story. She's been slowly retelling what their lives were like the past year when everyone else was suffering at school. Mostly it was to pass a bit of time when Ron ran out of stupid suggestions of how to wake Harry up. The stupidest was when he said Ginny should try snogging him a bit, making Neville glare and Ginny turn white and bring an awkward silence that wouldn't be broken until the next day. But regardless, it was fascinating to hear the story. Though it was obvious Hermione didn't get much pleasure in the retelling, nor did Ron for that matter.

When Hermione was talking about the emotional and then deadly trip to Godric's Hollow, Daphne flashed back to Harry's latest altercation with the snake. That was one detail she left out when she told the story. At least the bit about her killing it – her unicorn horn was a secret, and it was nobody's business but her own. Though she'd talk to Harry about it when he woke, he already saw it and he'd no doubt have questions. And she had many return questions.

Godric's Hollow also made her think of her brief meeting with perhaps Harry's dead parents. Jury was still out on whether she imagined that out not. One more thing she'd be talking to nobody but Harry about.

After a short bit of storytelling, Daphne returned to some of her duties at the hospital wing while the friend's of Harry Potter sat in silence around his bed. They stayed right until the hospital wing closed for visitors and Madam Pomfrey ushered them out. Daphne stayed a little while longer though, not wanting to face the praise from her housemates who didn't even mean it, just looking to curry favour or maybe a date. Something about being on the front page of the Prophet a couple times made her suddenly irresistible apparently.

When she was done with her petty chores, she went to the back room and bid Madam Pomfrey goodnight, dawning her Invisibility Cloak and moving to Harry Potter's bedside instead of leaving right away. The year for her was one of adventure and daring that ended in a climax worthy of her recklessness. It was a terrible year, her worst at Hogwarts by a very large margin. But despite that, she couldn't help but feel supremely proud of herself for her actions. From start to finish, she was proud of the witch she was. It made her wonder if Harry Potter was proud of the wizard he was.

For six years Daphne questioned what all the hubbub was about Harry Potter. Not that she didn't see him as a talented and genuine wizard, but the attention he received, positive and negative, seemed too much for just another wizard, despite what he did as a child, something that Daphne seems to have done too. Her opinion has changed somewhat, and while it was largely to do with the fact he saved her life, it was more to do with how he tried so desperately to protect not just her, but everyone. That was something Daphne understood. Though he took it to a level she would never be able to. He planned on sacrificing his life to save everyone, to protect them. The fact that he survived didn't matter, she remembered the look in his eyes when he told her to leave; he had no plans of staying alive. Magic just had plans of its own, and Daphne found herself immensely grateful for it.

She wanted to thank him, for coming to save her and for protecting her after he did. She wanted to see if maybe he'd want to be friends with her, because she's gotten quite fond of making new friends this year and she thought he might make a good one. But mostly, she wanted to see that he's OK. That's why he needed to wake up. So she could see he was going to be OK, so she could stop worrying and start helping him feel better. Because right now she just didn't know what to do. It wasn't a good feeling to feel helpless with a patient lying in bed under your care. Madam Pomfrey felt the same, she understood that part of being a healer, but she's had more experience dealing with things like this.

While healing her friends from the DA throughout the year Daphne was able to make constant progress to improve their condition. It felt good, it felt satisfying. This was different. And not only was it different in the lack of being able to do anything, it was different because it was this person in particular, the one who put his hand on her shoulder as she waited for death. He was the one who stood between her and her end. He was the one who protected her.

Before the tear forming in her eye had the chance to fall, the occupant in the bed in front of her gave a startled jump, making her do the same. His eyes scanned his surroundings and his frantic breathing calmed.

'Back to my old haunts then,' he mumbled, reaching out almost automatically to the bedside table to grab his glasses. 'Bloody, sodding Voldemort,' he grumbled. 'Wonder if everyone's OK.'

Daphne felt suddenly incredibly embarrassed to be watching him sleep in the middle of the night. Embarrassed enough to push her relief that he was awake aside for the moment. At least she was wearing her Invisibility Cloak, having him catch her would be mortifying. Though she wasn't sure she could manage leaving without alerting him to her presence. The hospital wing was quiet with sleeping students, even her feet scuffing the floor would tip him off.

'Wonder if Greengrass is OK,' he continued, making her eyes widen under the cloak.

The smile on his face made her go beet red. She really needed to leave, because otherwise she was bound to squeak or gasp or say something stupid and he'd know she was there. As quietly as she could, she rose to her feet from the chair beside his bed, wincing when the wooden chair creaked, but he didn't seem to notice. Just as she took her first tip-toed step, he very suddenly swung his legs out of bed, right into her legs, making her do that squeak she was trying to avoid and fall flat on her face.

'What the – oh!' Harry cried, reaching down and helping Daphne to her feet as she tried very hard to avoid his eyes.

'G-Greengrass?' he stammered.

Why couldn't he not recognize me like Neville didn't? Daphne thought in absolute mortification.

'You're awake,' she said in a small, sheepish voice.

'Er, yeah,' he said, sitting back down on the bed. 'How long was I out?'

After taking a moment to take a few steadying breaths she managed to answer him. 'Six days. I should give you a checkup since you're awake.'

She was a healer, so she would use that as her excuse as to why she was at his bedside. The truth being that she was just being creepy. Though healers don't often wear Invisibility Cloaks while at a patient's bedside.

His eyes followed her wand as it ran over him. He really was in good condition, though maybe a little weaker because of his six day rest, but that would come back with some food and time spent walking around.

'You're a healer?' he asked, looking a little nervous himself.

'I'm training to be,' she said softly. 'I'm Madam Pomfrey's apprentice.'

'Oh, cool.' His hand touched his own face. 'That's what you were doing after the snake …' His face changed to one of alarm. 'What happened?' he asked suddenly. 'Voldemort's spirit got me and – six days?!'

Daphne put her hands on his shoulders to stop him from springing to his feet.

'Relax. Everything is over. Well … not everything. Let me explain.'

Harry sat back in the bed as Daphne relayed the aftermath. She was glad to have the distraction, because even though they went through what they did together she still found him rather intimidating. But the more she spoke and the more he asked questions she was slowly starting to find her comfort. It allowed her to say something she's been wanting to say for the past six days.

'I wanted to thank you, Harry,' she said sincerely, a grateful smile on her face. 'I thought I was gonna die there and then you showed up and –'

'Merlin, don't remind me,' he groaned. 'I almost botched the whole thing, didn't I? But that was also your fault – why didn't you leave when I asked you to?'

Daphne cocked an eyebrow at her ruined apology, regarding him cooly.

'Because I couldn't just leave you alone in there, could I?' she demanded.

'What were you gonna do against them?'

'Hey, I killed him, didn't I?' she said. 'I mean … I don't really understand what happened but the Killing Curse –'

'You didn't know that was going to happen though! You didn't even know I was gonna survive that but –'

'Well you didn't know you were going to survive that either, did you?'

He looked like he was about to argue more but suddenly deflated, running a hand through his hair and laughing a humourless laugh. He sat quietly for a long while, but Daphne didn't want to disturb him, he seemed busy in his thoughts.

'I did think I was going to die,' he admitted quietly. 'But I didn't … because I was lucky.' He sat up again and leaned closer to her. 'The Killing Curse didn't kill you because I tried to sacrifice myself to protect you,' he said, smiling. 'It's what my mum did for me the first time – the night they died. I didn't do it on purpose, but I guess it worked out, right?'

His smile was rather contagious, pulling one onto her own lips. Something he said made her ask a question though, one that threatened to make him believe she was mad.

'Your parents,' she began in a quiet voice. 'I feel like they were there, or something. Another man too. I wasn't sure if I just imagined it or …'

She trailed off at his wide eyed look. There must be more to this than just her being in a bit of a daze. His mouth opened once but he snapped it shut, then he went for his wand and she stiffened at what he was planning to do with it, but to her relief he just cast some kind of spell around them, perhaps for privacy.

'Y-you actually saw them?' he questioned.

She nodded slowly.

He cursed, gulping. 'Do you think you could … keep that a secret?'

'Sure,' she said slowly. 'But how was that even possible? Or was it just a trick?'

He didn't look like he wanted to say, but eventually let out a resigned sigh and picked up her Invisibility Cloak off the floor. His face changed when he had it though.

'This isn't mine,' he said.

'That's mine,' she explained. 'I was using it to …'

She was about to admit she was watching him sleep, but clamped her mouth shut before she could.

'I've never seen an actual one,' he mumbled.

'Well yours did feel really different. I liked it though, it was so smooth and light.'

He smiled at her and nodded. 'Mine's a little special. But I need to get something else right now, if it's still there.'

'Where do you need to go?' She had to turn off the voice that wanted to admonish him and tell him to get more rest. He probably wouldn't listen to her anyway if she did. And for some reason she didn't want to come off as … uncool, or something.

'Just the Great Hall,' he said. 'You can come with, if you want. I dropped something and I'm hoping it's still there.'

It was already way past curfew, and there was an added Auror presence patrolling the corridors in case of any bad guys that somehow managed to stay hidden in the castle or something. She was originally planning to sneak back to her bed under her Invisibility Cloak when the time came, but with the two of them and one cloak that wouldn't really work.

'It might be a tight fit,' Harry was saying, holding open her cloak and inspecting it, 'but we should be mostly covered at least.'

Daphne felt her cheeks heat at the implications of what he was saying, but he seemed oblivious to her embarrassment. At least he did until he went to wrap the cloak around the both of them and he realised how close they would have to be for this to work.

'Oh,' he said, startled, 'sorry, I wasn't really thinking …'

'It's OK,' she said quietly, turning her back to him and shivering slightly as he took a step closer. 'We don't want to get caught.'

He was hesitant when he reached her, his chest not quite pressing against her back when he swung the cloak over them. Once the fabric encased the two of them and they started to walk, they had little choice but to be right against each other lest they just keep bumping. Neither one of them said a word while they slipped past the sleeping patients and left through the door. They continued their silence in the empty corridor, automatically moving together smoothly in the direction of the Great Hall. The way he moved made her feel like he's done this kind of thing before. Like some strange dance under a sheet where two people moved in perfect sync. To distract herself from the mental image that popped into her head she asked a question.

'Did you ever sneak around at night at Hogwarts before?'

He let out a quiet chuckle, the tenseness of his body relaxing somewhat before he answered.

'I've done it more times than I can count,' he whispered. 'It's kinda nice, you know? The school's usually so busy and loud, it's peaceful in the quiet. Have you?'

'I started to this year,' she explained. 'It was dangerous to get caught though so I didn't wander so much.'

Harry slipped his arm around her front as they were heading down the stairs because the cloak started lifting to show their feet. It was done so casually that Daphne thought maybe he didn't even realise what he was doing. Or maybe he just wanted to hold her. Daphne found she didn't mind.

They had to be careful as they came down into the Entrance Hall as there was usually someone guarding there. Their synchronised creeping footsteps didn't alert the guard though, then they were clear from line of sight to slip through the doors of the Great Hall. Only then did Harry's arm unwrap itself from her as he stepped out of the cloak, making her let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding.

Harry's eyes were looking distractedly skyward, a disappointed frown on his face.

'The enchanted ceiling,' he pointed out.

The stone ceiling looked so plain without the usual sky, it certainly made the Great Hall feel less magical. And all because one especially powerful wizard threw a tantrum, deciding to break something beautiful.

'You-Know-Who did it,' she explained.

' 'Course he did,' he sighed, muttering a Lumos and looking around on the floor.

'What are we looking for?' Daphne followed his lead, lighting her own wand.

'Er, a small stone.' He paused in his search. 'It might not even be here anymore actually.'

'The thing you dropped?' Her voice echoed a little in the empty Hall, even though she whispered. 'When they disappeared?'

'Yeah,' he said even more quietly. 'So you really saw them then? My parents? And Sirius?'

She nodded, wondering once more about the name Sirius, but not voicing it right now. If the man was there beside Harry's parents then perhaps he was just as important to him. She knew very little about his personal life.

'How were they there though?' she asked hesitantly, unsure if he'd be willing to share.

He seemed unsure if he was willing to share too based on the thoughtful expression on his face.

'I don't think I mind explaining it to you but … just know that the only reason it worked properly is because I thought I was going to die. Otherwise it would be a bad idea. A really bad idea.'

'We can trade secrets if you want,' Daphne suggested, putting her hand on her brooch. 'You asked me about what I used to kill the snake before the wraith got you. I'll tell you about it, but you have to promise to keep it a secret.'

'I promise,' he said, smiling, 'but I might have to share an extra secret with you too. If it worked on the snake.'

They continued searching the Great Hall for a random small pebble for a little while longer, but it became a rather half-hearted search pretty quickly. Their focus was on talking. He told her about the Deathly Hallows, which she's heard about, if not the actual name of them. Everyone raised by witches and wizards knew the story of the three brothers, it was often a favourite of Astoria's at bedtime when she was a little girl. That they were real seemed impossible, but she's seen evidence of the impossible with her own eyes, so it wasn't much of a stretch to believe him. He implied he knew the other two Hallows were real too, but didn't provide anything more on that, though kindly told her it wasn't because he didn't trust her, it just felt too big a secret to tell right now.

He was in a bit of awe when Daphne showed him her unicorn horn, and told him the story of how her ancestor was apparently gifted it. Not many people knew about this possibility for unicorn horns, and Harry was no different. He found it fascinating, and when Daphne let him hold it he held it extremely cautiously, despite her telling him that it was very strong.

When she expressed her confusion about how the snake died, he elucidated her to a kind of magic that was far worse than any fairy-tale. Horcruxes truly did seem horrifying. It explained a great deal of why the shade of Voldemort was currently lingering in the Room of Requirement, apparently protecting one of his last Horcruxes that tied him to this world. The other one being in the possession of Harry's companions.

'We can't destroy it though,' Harry explained. 'With the Sword of Gryffindor we could, but it was stolen when we broke into Gringotts to get the cup.'

'And you're hoping my unicorn horn can destroy the cup and this last one?' Daphne queried.

He gave her an apologetic grimace, realising that he was wanting to drag her headfirst into the heart of this fight. It felt safer to do so now, and she was already in the thick of things before Voldemort was left without a body. At the very least she was more than willing to test out his theory about the unicorn horn being able to destroy a Horcrux on the cup they already have. Whether she was willing to waltz into the haunted secret room was another matter. Though … now that she was thinking of it.

'I haven't told anyone this yet,' she said slowly, remembering, 'but I saw something in You-Know-Who's mind when I pushed him out of mine. There was this big room with huge piles of junk, and he had this silver crown thing that I'm pretty sure he was hiding there. Maybe it's one of those Horcruxes.'

Harry just stared at her in surprise while she spoke. What surprised him so much, she wasn't sure, but when she was done and he let her words sink in a bit, he started to pace.

'A silver crown,' he mumbled. 'And that definitely sounds like where I hid my potions textbook.' He turned on her suddenly. 'Did you see where he hid it?'

'I mean, it was in some dresser drawer, I guess. I don't know if I could just find it – the room looked huge! And on top of that –'

'Voldemort's floating around in there protecting it,' Harry finished. 'I wonder if he can see through Invisibility Cloaks.'

'Cloaks?' Daphne questioned suspiciously, emphasising the S.

He turned a hopeful smile on her, and Daphne felt similar to when earlier on in the year a different Gryffindor was inviting her along to a dangerous situation. The worst of it was that she eventually did join the DA, after a fashion. And despite the dread in her gut, she had a feeling this time might not be so different.

'I take that as a no?' Harry laughed, referring to her grimace. 'That's alright. I wasn't exactly being serious. I don't blame you for not wanting to face that thing again.'

'I didn't say that,' she mumbled, though of course he was bang on with his analysis of her reaction. She decided to change the subject – but before she got the chance, he beat her to it.

'How many people know about what happened?' he asked, his tone becoming sombre, perhaps secretive. 'With the Killing Curse, I mean. Both of them.'

'I haven't told anyone about either of them yet,' she said. 'I didn't even understand what happened. I'm not sure I do now either. You protected me so … the Killing Curse didn't work? I don't really get it. Plus, the curse definitely hit you. The body-bind you used on me was dispelled when it did. How did you survive?'

'I can't say I'm an expert on this stuff,' Harry sighed. 'I survived this time because Voldemort used my blood to regain his body in a ritual – after the TriWizard tournament. It kept me tethered to this world, or something. I could have died, if I decided to go on. I was … in between. Dumbledore called it the crossroads.'

'Dumbledore?' Daphne whispered.

He nodded, eyeing her a little warily as he continued. 'I saw him, when it happened. He explained some things. Like … what my scar really was all this time.' His hand absently rubbed back the fringe of his hair, a finger running along the famous lightning bolt scar. 'It's actually really lucky that things happened the way they did. A piece of Voldemort's soul was in here – another Horcrux that he made by mistake. It's gone now, thankfully.'

Daphne shuddered, and it wasn't because he said the name. Somehow the name wasn't as frightening anymore, after what she went through. A piece of his scar lodged inside Harry's forehead though? That was terrifying.

'You don't have any scars, do you?' he asked, suddenly sounding worried, 'where you got hit?'

'I – what?!' Daphne squawked, reaching around to feel her back for marks. 'I haven't really –'

She clammed up when she felt his hand on her back next to hers. It roamed along her robes for a moment before he said, 'Would it bother you if I checked?'

As a healer, Daphne understood the need to look at more sensitive areas. Not that her back was necessarily the most private place, but as she began lifting her robes and shirt so he could check on her, her face did get rather hot again, he seemed to be doing that a lot to her. Harry Potter wasn't a healer. He was a boy. A boy her age who would be the first to see so much of Daphne's skin. A squeak left her lips when his hand landed on that skin. Her back wasn't cold, but his hand was very hot. She could tell he was inspecting her closely, his illuminated wand roaming her skin with his eyes and his hand. He was doing a very thorough job of it. Then he brushed against her bra, and she dropped her robes down out of instinct.

'Sorry,' he said hurriedly. 'I didn't mean – er – I – I didn't see anything – I didn't see any scars, I mean!'

Daphne nodded robotically, but didn't turn to face him. She was sure her face was still red. Her heart was pounding in her chest from embarrassment, and maybe some other things. While she was still being flustered, Harry rushed on with his explanation.

'The first time he used the Killing Curse on me, it rebounded, just like it did for you.' His voice was a little higher pitch than it was previously, but it returned to normal after he cleared his throat. 'Dumbledore said that a piece of Voldemort's soul latched onto the only living thing in the room when it split from him; me. I think he was trying to make a new Horcrux by killing me though, so that's probably why this time's not the same. I'm sure it didn't affect you like that.'

What was affecting her right now wasn't the potential of a piece of soul in her back, though perhaps it should have. It was the hot trail that she could feel the shadow of on her back. Fiddling with her hair, she found the courage to face him. Both turned away the instant their eyes met, and Harry continued talking about the more serious subject.

'I survived the first time because my mother loved me and died protecting me. Her love was the key, apparently. It's the strongest protection. There's a piece of the prophecy that has to do with love, at least that's what Dumbledore thought it meant. And I guess it makes sense, considering everything.'

Daphne blinked owlishly at him, opening her mouth to question him but failing to produce words.

'It's not that I love you or anything!' Harry said hurriedly. 'I mean, I don't even know you. It's just that … you know … I wanted to protect you and …'

Daphne decided she needed to make a real effort to get her swimming head under control. She didn't think he was doing it on purpose, but he was currently causing some kind of butterfly war in her stomach. She sat down and shut her eyes. Taking deep, even breaths to settle her mind so she could actually have a proper conversation with Harry. The feel of his hand and the word love kept pushing their way into her mind. Daphne wasn't always good at handling herself under pressure, and while talking to Harry's mostly been easy going and fun, she still found him very intimidating. He made her nervous. But she was determined not to bolt from the Hall to escape her own awkwardness.

When her mind calmed down some and the butterflies in her stomach were moving at a more normal rate, she opened her eyes. She realised after she did that she was sitting at the Gryffindor table. Harry was sitting next to her, a foot on the bench, resting his arm on his knee, watching her with a curious smile on his face. She found herself letting out a sigh.

The past six days have hardly felt real – nothing has since she was dragged to the Great Hall by a mob of Death Eaters. Sitting here, with him of all people, felt less real than all of it. Like it was all just a dream. Though unlike that first night, this wasn't a nightmare. It was a rather pleasant dream, actually. Her mind drifted to a world where she would be sitting at this table beside Harry under more normal circumstances. If she were sorted to Gryffindor, maybe she and Harry would have actually been friends. That wasn't to be, but maybe now, after going through what they did, maybe now they could be friends.

There was something nagging at her though, and it was surely one of the reasons talking to him made her feel so nervous. Early on in the year, when Neville invited her to join the DA, he didn't know she was a Slytherin, and the realisation ruined that friendship before it even began. They were friends now at least, but it took him to stop being stubborn for that friendship to happen. And Daphne had to admit she still held a bit of a grudge for that. Now, she couldn't help the worry this friendship would stall before it even began. All because Harry never noticed the colour tie she wore. She had to voice it aloud.

'You do realise I'm in Slytherin, right?'

He stared at her, and Daphne's heart ceased beating in her anticipation. The confusion on his face didn't give anything away. Finally he blurted out a very confused, 'You're serious?'

All she could do in response was nod. The question wasn't answered yet.

'I know I'm not exactly the smartest person, but I'm not a complete idiot,' he said dryly. 'We've had potions together since we were eleven! I still remember you from when you got sorted! How could I not know what house you're in?'

She let out a relieved breath, collapsing dramatically on the Gryffindor table.

'Let me tell you a story about Neville Longbottom,' she began.

His amused smile went from sharing her incredulousness to becoming intensely curious. Even when she finished the story he wanted to know more about this year, about what she did for the DA and how it led to her being in the Great Hall as Voldemort's first target. Apparently he didn't exactly have the time to put much thought into why a Slytherin was the first student Voldemort was going to kill. He was too busy saving her life and being in a coma and whatnot. When he heard about Cornfoot and Entwhistle's actions, he gained a dark look that made her feel not at all sympathetic to the two boys.

For Daphne's part, she felt surprised he didn't know anything about this year. Considering how friendly he was to her from the moment he got up, not to mention saving her life, she just assumed he knew what she did for his friends. But he had no idea that she joined the DA at all. It made sense that he was unaware, but it was still surprising. Mostly because of how nice he was being toward her, how many secrets he's shared, the trust he showed. She'd have to ask him why he was doing those things some time. Another time, though. She was having way too much fun to be that bold in her questioning.