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December 25, 1994
Eventually, the time for gift-giving and receiving had passed. All had enjoyed their presents, Harry especially had enjoyed the faces of his friends — Daphne most of all — and once she was recovered enough from those elf-wine candies, the true trial of his day was soon to start. It was something he had hoped to put off for all of eternity and yet, at the same time, it was something he truly wanted.
Daphne was the epitome of perfection in every regard so long as she set her mind to it. Whether that meant she was a brilliant dancer, dangerous caster or master potion-maker was up to her that specific day. He had come a long way in combat magic and that was obviously all thanks to her, but when it came to dancing, he was still absolute pants. Not many blokes could be considered remotely good, which was a calming thought since it meant he wouldn't be the only horrible dancer on the floor, but he had still wanted to be adequate… at the least, he wanted to avoid stepping on Daphne's feet or tripping up in front of everybody when the champions started the dance.
"You're really nervous, huh?" Millicent asked, lounging beside him on a bench.
"No, not at all… is it that obvious?" Harry second-guessed himself and huffed, slouching in his seat as he looked at Millicent. "Why aren't you helping Tracey and Daphne? I would've figured the three of you would all arrive together while I stewed here."
Milly wrinkled her nose. "Consider yourself lucky that you've seen me in a dress, Harry. Now should you consider that, ask yourself why I would help the two of them with something I have absolutely zero love for. It's a pretty easy answer. If it weren't for my political standing and the expectations that result from it, I do believe I'd be in a sweater with my hair done up in a ponytail."
"Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen your hair down like this," he commented as he leaned back, observing just how long Milly's hair truly was. "Longer than Tracey's, maybe Daphne's too. You don't cut it?"
"That's far too much work, not to mention all the stylists here are used to stuff my gran would have done to her hair. Our potions continue to develop, as do our spells, but society is very entrenched in the old ways that make anybody with our names or blood status beholden to them — enough about politics now too, I'm not here just because I hate all that shite, I'm here because those stupid blokes are avoiding a good wizard such as yourself," Milly scooched closer to him and threw one of her muscled arms around his shoulder, pulling him in close and messing with his hair in the process.
There were a few weird looks from the early arrivals around them, but they were very quickly turned away with a sharp look from Millicent and a raised eyebrow from him; the latter was an action he'd picked up on from Daphne in the hopes of mastering it due to the usefulness he'd observed first-hand. Nobody could resist her when she made such an action, though he would have to admit he couldn't pull off that same sense of intimidation even if he could back it up now.
"You really wish you had a brother, yeah?" Harry asked, not bothering to withdraw from Milly's closeness.
"I do," she confirmed with her hand that was around his shoulder patting him a couple of times before she laughed at a nearby couple who tripped one another up, all on account of their excessive closeness.
I really hope that isn't how Daph and I look when we dance in the next half an hour. I'm likely to jump off of my broom the next time I fly if it is, Harry thought to himself as his nervousness grew.
"If you think about it, Daphne's probably just as nervous as you are, if that helps," Millicent offered, her patting turning into rubbing which felt oddly platonic despite the intimate gesture. "Put yourself in her shoes for a minute or two, you'll get a free shoulder rub out of it… you should do a bit more upper body in those Quidditch practises too — Daphne's your date to the Yule Ball, one of the best-looking witches in Hogwarts if all the other blokes are anything to go by and she managed to get you as her date. More eyes will be on her, than you, most of those jealous for one reason or another."
Harry looked doubtful at that, especially when he considered that not one other witch had even approached him for the Yule Ball. Surely a good many of them would have if he were such an attractive option. That realisation gave him pause too, for he remembered right then and there that he didn't know if anybody else had asked Daphne to the Yule Ball. Evidently, if they had, it hadn't gone well for them but the thought was still a bit… anger-inducing? No, that wasn't right; jealousy invoking, yeah, that sounded far better even if it was still a bit of a stupid thought to have.
"Daphne's perfect, sh—" Harry was interrupted by a feminine cough, one that he was very familiar with.
When he heard it and the giggling that the companion of said cougher made, he turned towards them with a grin on his face despite the flushed feelings his cheeks gave him. He was caught red-handed, as the saying went. Not one bad word or opinion had been said, but the thought that she'd heard him compliment her to somebody else was nonetheless, embarrassing.
"I'm glad you speak so highly of me to our friends," Daphne said, his eyes settling on her and instantly roaming all about when he took in her appearance.
She was always beautiful and to be surprised would be something of a rude thing, in his opinion… but Merlin. Daphne and Tracey had gone the extra mile with how well dressed she was, the added jewellery and bits of make-up only added to her natural appeal. His eyes roamed her a second time and focused on her hand this go around, more specifically, on a ring that she wore.
"Is this why we went with blue?" He asked, smiling and finally rising to his feet, his initial awe finally gone as he looked at the celestial being that was Daphne.
Daphne nodded once as she moved towards him, her arm slipping through his only after she placed a chaste kiss on each cheek. That was quite the event when one considered Daphne didn't typically go for any form of PDA. She was conservative, goal-focused and always ready to aid somebody should they need it, so affection was typically something she'd show when they were in private or near enough settings.
Tracey's smirk and continued silence, for a change, spoke to her surprise and not wanting to ruin the moment too. Milly, he couldn't see behind him, but he figured she was likely watching them with both eyebrows raised.
"Had you asked me out on a date after giving me this ring, I would have said yes with only a few seconds of hesitation. Perhaps you're unaware, Harry, but a diamond ring is no small gift even if it is my birthstone. To steal a word you so often say, really, it was a wondrous gift and one that I consider to be amongst my most prized of possessions," Daphne said, one final kiss pressed firmly against his lips and that was the one that shocked him most of all. She withdrew shortly thereafter, smiling in a formal way for the onlookers as she deferred to him. "Would you lead us to the entrance where my head of house is standing?"
"I'd be glad to," Harry said, sincerely happy with himself that he didn't stumble over those words as he led Daphne directly to Professor McGonagall, the woman he'd begun to know a bit more as of late on account of her Deputy-Headmaster status encouraging her to work with him. Before they got to the older woman, Harry snuck in a compliment that couldn't be returned before the older woman was speaking to them. "You're beautiful, Daph."
It was simple, but he knew that she valued truth and most of all, when somebody spoke in a straightforward fashion rather than roundabout compliments. Her smile, the slight reddening of her cheeks and the way she subtly shifted closer to him suggested she was very pleased with his words.
"Not a moment too soon, Potter," Professor McGonagall said, her accent strong as ever as she eyed the young couple up. "Splendid. The two of you will represent Hogwarts wonderfully, I fear the effort of your housemates will be sorely lacking in comparison."
That was all she said before she turned to speak to the next couple that arrived, those being Krum and one of Daphne's housemates, Hermione Granger. Harry had rarely spoken to the girl on account of their different Hogwarts Houses, but she seemed agreeable and friendly enough if a bit bookish. Tracey would call her a know-it-all and Milly, well, she didn't care much for Hogwarts.
"Fleur is all that remains," Daphne whispered to him, her lips brushing his ear when she spoke, such was their closeness. "I'll lead unless you're comfortable."
Harry shook his head, earning himself a breathy laugh from Daphne that sent chills down his neck that very quickly spread throughout the rest of him. She was so close and her lips were very, very soft. It was a hard thing to forget and he shouldn't have been surprised, but he was still so nervous and in admiration of her beauty; the latter was something that he typically felt whenever he was beside her.
"Remember to keep your hands in an appropriate position, though, that's only necessary until the dance floor is crowded, mind you. There's a reason that a crowd is nearly as perfect for privacy as being alone is, if you remember our lessons," Daphne let loose a second round of breathy laughter that further set him aflame in his affection and more base feelings. "I'm only teasing, unless…"
Her teasing was ended when Professor McGonagall cleared her throat so that she could have their attention. Never before was he so thankful for the older woman as he was in that moment, though that newfound appreciation was very quickly shattered when it was decided that he, as the youngest champion, would lead them out.
My own personal hell, isn't it? Harry thought, his eyes drifting to Daphne which made him add one final thought before they entered the wide-open room.
At least I've got my angel here too.
Those first dozen steps or so weren't all that horrible. Most of their peers were speaking with one another in clusters. The next dozen, when silence was called for and many of those eyes turned towards the champion couples, those were the ones that sucked. Finally, the last steps that remained with nearly every pair of eyes in the room on him and Daphne were the most horrible of them all.
He wished it could've been done some other way, the Yule Ball, but unless he had a time machine that wouldn't be the case.
Words were had that he couldn't hear due to his intense focus on Daphne and the soon-to-come dance. The band readied themselves, the Professors moved closer and finally, the time that he'd long dreaded had come; it was time to dance and Merlin, there were far too many people still looking very intently at Daphne and him. If it weren't for her typical look of calmness mixed with an affection she rarely showed when others were present, he'd likely have fluffed it all up.
Fortunately for him, he remembered what he was supposed to do and put his hands on her waist. The music followed and before he knew it, he was dancing along to the beat with Daphne, not once misstepping or falling down due to some strange locking of his legs as he was so worried about doing. In time and especially when the other couples began to join them on the dance floor, Harry realised something.
Dancing with somebody you really cared about, especially when that somebody was Daphne… it wasn't so bad.
January 9, 1995
"What do you think we should do?" Harry asked in an exasperated tone of voice, only barely stopping himself from throwing his hands up in the air.
You see, the next task was getting ever closer and whilst they hadn't been slacking off in their general preparation, they as of yet, had been unsuccessful in cracking the clue. That wasn't all that bad, some people might say, but when it was his life on the line instead of theirs it was pretty damn bad. They'd tried everything — they being he and Daphne with the occasional bit of help from the other two witches — and not one attempt had produced even a smidgen of success.
If he didn't have the three witches around to make him keep his cool, Merlin, he'd have lost it. There was no way he'd stand a chance against whatever came after a Dragon; seriously, who had a dragon as the first task?
"We're aware that height makes no difference, that air and heat make no difference, that various languages or common phrases produce no effect," Daphne said, her voice calm as she listed off their many failures when it came to the item. "We've yet to try burying it, submerging it in water or attempting to otherwise manipulate it with typical spells that remove charms. I would be extremely reluctant for the lattermost option."
"I could use a good bath, I reckon. It'd be nice to spend some time and rest in a nice steam-filled room without all the constant 'friends' of ours walking up to me to talk about my 'awesome' or 'great' victory," Harry said, no small amount of scorn in his voice as he thought about the people who'd magically become best friends with him overnight. If only he knew what spell that was, he'd use that on Malfoy and the others, it'd certainly make his life easier, that's for sure.
Daphne pursed her lips and began to idly tap one of her manicured nails on the desk beside him. "If you went for a bath and something happened, be it dangerous or for the sake of your task, I would feel horrible," she said, her protective feelings coming out as she shifted closer to him. "We could use our bathing suits, it'd be like a trip to the beach, only more private."
Harry swallowed when she finished speaking, his mind already going to many a hormone-driven place. "Are you, uh, you're sure… yeah?"
"Of course, I'm not sure," Daphne replied near-instantly, her voice a bit less controlled and Tracey-sounding as she looked out of the window in the direction of a bird that'd caught her attention. "Should it come to your safety in a direct or indirect manner, well, I would be a very poor girlfriend and poorer best friend if I let you attempt to open the egg on your lonesome. For all we know, it could have a worse effect underwater or even in the presence of moist air — the bathing suits would be for our comfort, nothing more."
"That's gotta be the most roundabout way of saying 'hey, I want to see you as close to naked as possible but it's for magical theory' I've ever heard, you agree, Mils?" Tracey, the girl now suddenly in the room with them and more than that, only a few feet behind their desks, suddenly spoke up.
There was a grunt from who he assumed was Millicent. "I'd agree, but it's not really our business how Daphne goes about working towards intimacy with Harry. She's treated him right and been good to him before we ourselves were, so a little bit of leniency is deserved, I think."
Daphne, who had gone vaguely red with a mixture of horror and annoyance on her face, finally turned towards the two new arrivals with her hand inching towards her waist. "Did it ever occur to either of you, though mostly Millicent, that it would be ever so polite if you knocked before entering? As for our supposed intimacy or my attempts at furthering it, I could do so very simply, thank you."
Despite the thorough reprimand in a tone of voice that would suggest the utmost displeasure, Harry could see that there was an underlying of embarrassment and to a lesser degree, nervousness. The latter emotion was especially rare from the normally courageous Gryffindor girl he'd come to know, so he figured… no, that wouldn't be right. She would never feel nervous when it came to him, that was a bloke thing, right? Daphne was beautiful enough that a mirror would transfigure itself from ambient magic alone just so it could compliment her and he was just your typical everyday wizard.
"If you don't want my romance tips all you had to say was 'no thank you', that was hurtful," Tracey said, a mock pout coming to her face that lasted for all of ten seconds before she went back to her typical energetic, happy self. "I'd normally invite myself along on a spa day too, but you two definitely deserve some couple time. Harry did amazing at the Yule Ball, his hands didn't even roam near my arse. unlike my other few dance partners. You've trained him well, Daph, suppose lionesses are pretty good at getting their ma—"
"No," Milly said, cutting her friend off with a hand over the smaller girl's mouth. "Sometimes, Tracey, less is more. You'll need to learn that eventually and as for you two, please, go and enjoy a bath together for however long you'd like. We'll be here when you return and hopefully, we'll make some progress in the fields assigned. I've taken the luxury of picking up three additional books each on transfiguration and dark arts. Some come from my family library and I was only able to grab them thanks to a friend being in Hogsmeade."
We haven't had a Hogsmeade trip anytime recently, so she definitely snuck out to grab them, Harry thought, eyeing the larger girl with a look of appreciation that was meant for more than just her aid in his studying. "Thank you Milly you're one of the best friends a bloke could ever ask for."
"I'm one of the best friends anybody could ask for, bloke or bird," Millicent replied with a wink and subtle glance at Tracey before she removed her hand from the latter girl's mouth. Much to his surprise and Daphne's too if looks were anything to go by, they were both surprised when Tracey didn't speak upon her hand-jail being lifted.
"Could you look for spells that aid in dealing with multiple enemies at once, Millicent? One dragon was dangerous enough that it took all of our resources available to plan for it and since we're unsure of what Harry will be facing, or ourselves come the future, I believe a few spells with large areas of effect would be quite beneficial," Daphne made her request politely, going so far as to dip her head when the taller girl nodded once, still vaguely stone-faced with her touch of arrogance.
With that finished, the four stood around awkwardly, especially in Tracey's case on account of the quiet nature of the room, until Daphne coughed and slid her arm through his. From that point, it was only a few seconds later when they were at the exit of their little classroom and before he knew it, they were opening the door whilst on a quest for the baths. He and Daphne nearly made it too, but Milly called them back with a bit of laughter in her voice as she did so.
"Forgetting something?"
Harry looked at Daphne, Daphne looked at Harry and then both of them looked towards where they'd been seated. There, on the desk, was the egg he'd captured all those weeks ago. There were no words to describe how flushed he and Daphne both grew, nor had he ever heard a more devilish, sinister giggle-fit from Tracey than he did at that moment in time. It was very likely that he would have nightmares due to her laughter and that being his thought as they walked away was just enough to prevent him from spontaneously combusting out of pure embarrassment… only just.
Harry and Daphne had forgotten one more aspect about their sudden bath urge. Arguably, it was one that wasn't nearly as important as others were, but that depended on your expertise with magic. Should you be wholly or near enough to that degree inept, it was incredibly likely that you'd make a change of plans to better prepare. Fortunately for their schedules and especially Harry's mood, he was quite proficient when it came to altering currently worn clothing. Daphne trusted him to help her if she needed it and when she needed it, but a basic bathing suit was done easily enough by any caster worth their salt.
He made his quite elaborate to show off a bit like Daphne typically did when it came to their practice duels while she strived only to make a functional, normal one-piece bathing suit that would preserve a good deal of her modesty. It was still the most he'd ever seen of her and as suspected, she was beautiful regardless of what she wore. He would have said as much if he didn't think she'd flush and wave his remark off.
"What're we waiting for?" Daphne asked with her hands on her hips and head inclined towards the shallow, steaming bath that was only a few feet away. "Nobody else is here and if they were, it would be very easy to urge them to leave."
"Are you sure nobody else will come… how'd you even get the password to the Prefects bath?" Harry's first question held his interest until he remembered just exactly where they were and he had to admit, as cool as the place was, he was very interested in how the knowledge of the password fell into her hands.
"Cedric and the others aren't nearly quiet enough when they get carried away in a conversation with their friends. I doubt anybody else will come while we're here, I liberated a copy of the Prefect schedule from Katie Bell and Millicent did the same with Allen Flint," Daphne moved closer to him, her eyes darting back to the water again. "Won't you join me for a bath, now? I'll rub your shoulders and you can do the same for me — after we figure out if this works, lest we waste time."
"I wouldn't call a good massage in a nice hot bath a waste of ti- you're right, you're right, geez," Harry smiled at Daphne and bowed, his hand extended towards the bath while the other clutched the egg protectively against his torso; he had to look like the ugliest mother dragon, he suspected.
Daphne rolled her eyes and poked at him when she passed. "Such good manners, boyfriend."
"I try," Harry responded, bowing to Daphne as she passed and getting a few seconds accidental — definitely accidental — glance at her rear before it was submerged in water and the girl herself was mostly hidden by foam.
Once she was in the bath and turned towards him, her hair already clinging to her face, she beckoned that he join her. It was at that moment in time that he could sympathise with all the sailors you heard about in Muggle films and books alike, for a Siren's call had to feel like this. If it didn't, then the Siren would definitely be the weaker of the two for without a second of hesitation, Harry was nearly sprinting towards the bath and if it weren't for his reflexes, he would've slipped into the damned thing in his urgency.
As it was, when he was in the bath and only a foot from her with the egg on top of the water between them, he could see her fighting the urge to laugh.
"Are you going to stare at me, or are you going to put it underwater and open it so we can learn what your next task will be or if this works in general?" Daphne asked as one hand came up to swipe a bit of her honey-blonde hair out of her eyes, her eyebrows now visible to him too and when he saw them, he wasn't the least bit surprised to see that they were raised.
Still, he figured he was a bit more confident in himself as of late and so he grinned at her. "Is that an invitation to look a bit more before we get down to it?"
Daphne snorted. "You're lucky I like you."
He smiled genuinely this time, silently agreeing with her before he winced and finally submerged the egg in the water, his nerves ready to react at a moment's notice. It was crazy how quick his heart was beating at the action of putting the egg under the surface of the water, really, it was like his mind expected the thing to blow up or make that screeching sound that it always did. Neither option occurred, obviously, and he was very thankful for that.
Another few seconds went by in which nothing happened, save for the subtle shifting of water due to his or Daphne's movement whilst the egg simply stayed under the water before them. He swallowed and did what was necessary; he opened it with his hands already seeking out his ears while the egg went deeper.
One second… two seconds… on and on it went, but there was absolutely nothing in the way of sound. There was no screeching, no yelling, no explosion or anything. Harry was utterly perplexed and when he looked towards Daphne, it seemed like she was a bit weirded out by the lack of sound too, but then an idea struck him in the usual way that the Potter luck called for. It was a stupid one and would likely cause a headache, but he figured he'd go for it.
Harry stuck his head under the water and braced for the very familiar, utterly horrible, screeching — he didn't hear it. In its place had to be amongst the most beautiful, enchanting of voices and the woman it belonged to was passing along a message. In response to the revelation, he shot back up out of the water and at that same time, he felt Daphne's arms encircle him as she pulled him close enough until their entire fronts were mashed up against one another. Unlike most normal circumstances, he wasn't feeling shy and she wasn't nervous due to the contact.
He was elated and she was the visual definition of worried if ever one existed.
"Daphne, I fig—"
"Harry, are you o—"
Neither wanted to speak over the other and so they stopped, content to stare into one another's eyes while the sound of water was ever-present. Eventually, the moment was broken and they pulled apart, Daphne's face more flushed than his this time around.
"You first," Harry said, smiling widely and rubbing at his upper torso where she'd previously been; it was a weird feeling, only having a thin bathing suit separating their skin while the two were in a bath, the Prefects no less.
"I was worried that you'd been stunned by the screeching," Daphne said to him as she once more moved closer, her hands shifting to hold the egg in the event that it rose to the surface. "What'd you hear? My apologies, what was it that you wanted to say before I cut you off?"
Harry waved her off as fast as he could, still smiling thanks to the news and her admittance of concern. "I heard a girl's voice and I think I know a bit more about the task… do you want to listen to it with me? You're the brains, after all, yeah?"
"I'd say you're equally as smart as I am when you care to be. The beauty is more the role I care for," Daphne raised one eyebrow this time, a subtle smirk on her face that told him she knew he'd been looking at her a fair few — many — times.
I wonder, Harry thought, no, no that couldn't be.
"Let's listen then," He decided to say instead, not wanting to reference a Muggle book that her words reminded him of. "Ladies, no, beauty, first."
Daphne lifted her nose, then, she promptly pinched it and submerged herself underwater followed very shortly thereafter by Harry. Again, he opened the egg and again, he listened to it. His attention was mostly on the song the woman sang too, much to his credit, but there was still a modicum of his attention solely on Daphne. It was impossible for him to completely avoid watching her reaction to hearing the song because it was definitely thanks to her that they'd thought of the whole aquatic idea when air and his idea of fire hadn't panned out.
"What do you think?" Harry asked when the two had broken the surface and taken a long breath of air.
"I believe your next task will likely be underwater, hence the reason for making the hint be under it as well," Daphne said, she looked about ready to speak some more before her brows furrowed and her upper lip twitched in an annoyed gesture. "That would make sense, I suppose, wouldn't it? Too much sense for the Ministry or any other official, but it's the best idea of your next trial that we've got."
He agreed with Daphne's assumption and her words regarding the Ministry or adults in general in the wizarding world. As likely as it was that his next task would be underwater, it was equally as likely that something would change or not go according to their plans. His Potter luck would need to come out in full force if he were to win this next task, that was the only thing he knew for certain.
January 15, 1995
It'd been a few days since Harry and Daphne had used the Prefect bath and in that time, they'd read heavily about spells that would do well underwater. Some were helpful in terms of allowing him to receive his most basic necessity, oxygen, whilst others were very effective in dealing with the creatures that lurked in the depths. The Giant Squid was a particular concern of theirs, but they decided there was no way to combat it so long as they were in its home and that a better way to deal with it, would be ways to camouflage or flee. That was far easier said than done, granted, but they were well on their way to figuring something out, he was certain of that.
"Why don't you have him just transfigure some gills into himself?" Tracey asked, her suggestion and the tone with which she offered it making it sound like such a thing was incredibly easy.
"It's dangerous, idiot," Millicent replied, smacking the much shorter girl upside the back of the head. "Human transfiguration can have horrible consequences if done incorrectly and worse still, what if for some unknown reason, his transfiguration ceases whilst he's fifty meters down?"
"He could bring a boat with him, can't he? I swear I've seen a movie where they go underwater with boat upsidedown and it has pockets of oxygen in it — if that doesn't work, he could use the bubble charm that my mum always uses when dad's cooking," Tracey scrunched up her lips to the right side as a look of pondering struck her.
Daphne chose to intercede before Tracey could go off on another tangent that wouldn't be remotely related to the current topic at hand. "As enlightening as hearing about your home life is, Tracey, Harry's task grows closer day after day and we've still yet to make any meaningful progress towards multiple solutions. We're not even remotely sure as to what it is he'll have to retrieve or defeat."
"It can't be harder than a dragon, not if it's underwater. Besides, he's Harry, he's never not been fine when he does something crazy," Tracey rolled her eyes as if her statement should have been expected, then, she pointed out a specific entry in the book she had been reading. "Here, this spell talks about dealing with masses of fish. Something about how this works on their mind and how it acts as a lure."
"You should read the rest of that sentence," Millicent pointed out after she came over to what Tracey was looking at, a look of amu— no, no it wasn't amusement for a change but rather it was pride or something that expressed Milly was impressed. That was rare in and of itself, but the spell that Tracey then read aloud made him understand just why that was and beyond that, it made him wonder where Tracey had gone to find such an obscure, near irrelevant spell.
"Should one use this spell in the presence of fish no larger than thrice themself, the surrounding aquatic fauna will be compelled in a way beyond our understanding to follow and encircle the person as if they were part of a school of fish. This has been observed by neutral parties to work on smaller sharks, dolphins, alligators — despite their reptilian status — and other large, predatorial fish in addition to the many thousands of smaller breeds," Tracey cleared her throat and made a sort of growling sound, all eyes still locked on her when she spoke again. "That was a mouthful, wasn't it? What do you guys s'pose it meant?"
Daphne shook her head as she moved over to Tracey to begin noting down the page of the book so that it could be copied by the end of the night, perhaps a week at the most. "You can be so clever, intelligent and resourceful when you care to be," she said to Tracey, a friendly half-hug given whilst Daphne smiled in Harry's direction. "That could prove quite beneficial for all of us should we ever find ourselves stranded at sea and with the task increasingly more likely to be underwater, it will be doubly important."
"Did you really think the task would hint in regards to water only for it to be on land?" Millicent asked, huffing and crossing her arms. "Please, they're corrupt and horribly incompetent, not stupid as a Crabbe or useless as a Goyle."
Harry laughed and nodded, the two boys weren't all that rude to him anymore but Merlin, they were thicker than anybody he'd ever met before in all of his life, Dudley included. Once he finished his laughter and took another glance towards his book, he realised there was still a good deal of work that needed doing if they were to stay on track.
"The bubblehead charm and the expanded oxygen utilisation… don't you lot think it'd be stupid if both of my plans involved transfiguration of my body?" Harry asked, his confidence in one of his fields of choice still very high for some reason. "I don't doubt I can handle it, not unless there's some outside force. Still though, isn't it best not to put all our eggs in the same basket?"
Daphne raised a brow, recently plucked and sharp as ever. "We will learn the bubblehead charm, both Transfiguration spells and despite all of that, our research in relation to possible herbs, potions and the like will continue. Only once you've exhausted all possible outcomes should you give up and focus on the one you already have."
He nodded and supposed if he had to, that Daphne wasn't really all that wrong. As much of a waste of time as it would likely be, that being the preparation of nearly five or six different ways to survive underwater, it was still far better to be over-prepared than under. He hoped that didn't need an explanation and there was one that called for it, he reckoned he wasn't one to argue.
January 22, 1995
Study, study, study and if that hadn't been enough, study some more. That was what Harry's life had turned into and whilst it was very beneficial, there came a time that your brain stopped operating the way that it should. He would find that his eyes barely remained open despite their best effort to close for sleep while his body would be perfectly content to sit in one chair for hours and hours without an end in sight. That wasn't truly all that bad and Daphne looked equally as tired, so it was for both of those reasons that he suggested something she didn't look all that favourably towards; rest.
He understood her urgency to get him trained and he fully agreed, but everybody needed time dedicated to rest. The way he spun it so that she agreed was quite easy too, he simply suggested they go down to Hogsmeade for a meal and shopping trip in case they could find useful books or other items. Daphne barely needed convincing and finally, that series of events led him to where he currently was, that being in a restaurant that was far too upscale for a majority of the wizarding population whilst seated across from her.
Harry was dressed in his best clothing that she had picked out while Daphne flaunted much of the jewellery he'd bought for her. Their 'shopping' trip had turned into a date, which then turned into the two sharing a few drinks — thank you Madame Rosmerta — in addition to some wonderful food. He would have to thank the older woman when he saw her in her own pub the next time they stopped by, for it was only thanks to nepotism that she spoke to the owner of their current establishment.
"I'll agree with your assumption that this is a welcome change of pace," Daphne said casually, her eyes moving leisurely around the surroundings to take in the beautiful portraits and masterfully carved statues. "You picked quite the place for our first real date without outside company. Were you trying to impress me, Harry?"
For all of a second, he began to panic and think up an excuse as to why he'd taken her here, but it hit him shortly thereafter that he didn't need an excuse because they were dating. It wasn't like when he had a small crush on her and was too awkward or stupid to do something about it. Thus, with that worry gone, he nodded once and smiled as brightly as ever.
"Yeah. Well, I was trying to impress you and obviously, you deserve the best that Galleons can buy, yeah?" Harry fought the urge to look away successfully, maintaining eye contact with Daphne as she smiled and stretched a hand across the table to take hold of one of his.
"That was very nice of you to say," She said back to him, her eyes darting around the room for a few seconds before she leaned over to press a chaste, light kiss to his lips. "I nearly brought up spells or other topics in relation to your task, you know. For whatever reason, I find myself getting slightly nervous when we're out like this despite our history going as far back as it does — perhaps it's the courting aspect of this all, or the fact that my current guardians aren't entirely aware of our relationship. Whatever the case and with everything pushed aside, I'm… I really enjoy spending time with you like this."
Harry knew his smile transformed from bright and happy to absolutely goofy and stupid, but he couldn't care about that. He had known for quite some time thanks to Tracey's insight and his own sub-concscious that Daphne felt more than friendship towards him, but hearing her lose her way mid-speaking and getting those physical affirmations felt positively wonderful.
No words could ever do it justice, not really.
"I really enjoy it too, really," Harry winced realising how stupid his sentence sounded, but before he could correct himself he heard a faint giggle from Daphne. It was so sudden and out of character that he only knew he'd heard it when one of her hands covered her mouth.
Once that occurred and he didn't feel quite as bad as he did about himself, he finally lost the last bit of nerves he'd been feeling during their impromptu date. "Do you think we could go for a walk by the lake after this and our shopping trip? Maybe we could swing by the sweets store too, I've heard they have Swiss and French chocolates."
Daphne gripped his hand with one of hers as she nodded. "You're going to make every other witch in Hogwarts jealous if you continue to treat me as you currently do in public — I love it. You're one of the sweetest boys in the world, handsome, strong and with mastery in multiple subjects like no other. I suppose I'm saying all of this just so you know one very important thing going forward."
Harry cocked his head. "What's that?" he asked.
Daphne raised her nose and ever so slightly, her voice. "I'll be taking your best friend and girlfriend spots for a very long time. As your best friend, I can tell you that you've picked a wonderful witch to date and as your girlfriend, I can tell you that I'd very much like to kiss you… after a rematch of our game."
Our game, Harry thought fondly, his eyes flashing with competitiveness and affection, I love that she calls it that and I can't wait to trounce her.
He'd truly gotten very lucky with his choice of a girlfriend.
February 24, 1995
The day was finally upon them for the second task and while Harry very much looked forward to getting it done with, he couldn't truly fight off the nervousness that rooted itself in the very depths of his stomach. It felt absolutely horrible and the nausea was worse than usual, the reason being he lacked the very foundation that usually always kept him calm; Daphne.
He hadn't seen her throughout the entire day and while he did occasionally go a morning without seeing her, it never lasted, least of all on days that were important to either or both of them. Today should have been no exception and so he'd checked all throughout the school with his two remaining, trusty companions, those being Tracey and Millicent. They tried to keep themselves calm too, for his sake he figured. When everything proved fruitless and the time called and they were headed towards the task, it was very plain to see that all of them were worried. Enough so that Tracey and Millicent immediately raced off in the direction of Professor McGonagall so that they could tell the older woman that Daphne was missing.
Harry wasn't privy to the conversation but by the look of things, Daphne's presence or lack thereof was expected and the only thing that finally eased him was a thumbs up from Tracey that got her scolded. He didn't like how dependent he felt towards Daphne, nor she to him for that matter, but it was a simple fact that the two had grown from their first year on due to their outcast statuses. Any pairing that stayed together that long and by themselves was sure to grow dependent on the other person's company.
His attention was called then, shaking him from his thoughts as he looked towards where the Professors and Game Masters were. Barely did he register their words despite how focused he was and when the time came for him to dive in with the rest of the champions, he did just that with three spells instantly being cast; all three had come from extensive study time with Daphne and he promised her despite her lack of appearance that he'd win.
Merlin, would he have a story to tell her once he got whatever the treasure of his that'd been stolen was safely in his grasp.
When he first looked around after breaking the surface of the water, what he first noticed was how clear it was despite the far darker colour it showed at surface level. He wasn't sure if it was an unknown or uncommon side-effect of one of the three spells he'd used, but for whatever reason, he could see quite clearly and at quite some distance. It was jarring, initially, but he grew accustomed to it nearly as quickly as he did the three different spells that were currently affecting him.
The spells, well, the reason that worked so well and he knew what he was doing could be traced back to the same person who'd helped him learn them. Daphne had practised with him extensively when they'd gone for walks to the lake or snuck into the Prefects bath again, enough so that he knew what he was doing and wouldn't drown himself. She'd even taken to learning it herself and play-fighting him underwater with simple spells to see if anything broke the effects, but nothing they'd used had done anything.
Krum's already gone, Cedric's a bit behind me… where's Fleur?
Harry looked around, kicking his feet and twisting his arms under the water so that he could get a better look around in every direction. He moved himself far more than he'd wanted to, however, and nearly lost his bearings if it weren't for a steadying hand from behind him that'd been on his shoulder.
It was Cedric again, the boy winking at him and nodding his head towards where they were supposed to go. Harry reckoned it was because of what he'd done for the other boy, that being something that not even Daphne or the other two witches knew — it wasn't on purpose, if anybody asked, either. Sometimes you forgot notes, books, pieces of information that led to the task and so on.
Harry grinned at the older boy, his gills, transfigured lower body and second-lidded eyes all fully showing in what he imagined added up to a very unsettling visual. He was like a sort of merman, but with reptilian eyes and those weird gills that still freaked him out whenever he brushed them.
Still, regardless of all that, he tore off in the direction Cedric had nodded and much to the older boy's credit, he was just about able to keep his pace up. Krum and Fleur didn't work with them, they seldom even spoke to the Hogwarts two, but the camaraderie of Quidditch, country and a shared school meant the two Hogwarts lads would definitely have each other's backs when needed and this was definitely one of those times.
There were many things underwater and of them all, not very many were friendly. That thought was proven exactly true when Cedric and Harry each looked towards a thick, jungle-like patch of weeds and saw Fleur shooting upwards at the behest of some magical effect that brought her to the surface, where a boat floated. She was done, the many scratches on her body and bits of blood they could see quite clearly indicating something had gone wrong for her.
I'll get whatever she needed, Cedric and I can do that together.
Cedric seemed to have the same idea based on the determined nod he gave Harry and just like that, they continued their journey in the direction they assumed their 'treasure' lay in wait for them.