Chapter 5

Daphne

Daphne was fighting through her embarrassment throughout the rest of the night. She'd regained consciousness almost immediately, and her father mercifully didn't say anything. He had simply handed her a copy of the contract to review as well as assigned her some books to find from the family library after dinner to research relevant laws and history so they could be sure of themselves before Potter or the new regime discovered the contract.

Although the formal homecoming banquet they enjoyed for dinner was lovely, Daphne struggled to fully enjoy it. Not only was her head swimming with each new line of the contract she considered, but Astoria kept dropping infuriating hints at her fainting spell. Daphne was sure her father hadn't mentioned it when he had released her, so how could the little brat possibly know?

Regardless, as soon as dinner and desert were finished, she excused herself to gather the books as her father had instructed. Safely ensconced in her room and reveling, as she had last summer, in being able to cast secrecy and privacy charms she knew Astoria couldn't yet get passed, Daphne barely slept a wink that night as she rapidly read through the passages of the books. She even had some parchment marked with important ideas and questions she had found relevant to the contract.

So it was surely natural, then, that Daphne would be nearly overwhelmed by her agitation at being woken by the sound of a small, yet insistent, knock at her bedroom door.

"Missus Daphy! Master Greengrass says you's must make ready for the day at once! You's is being summoned!" Mimmy's voice squeaking through the door after what couldn't be 2 hours since she'd finally fallen asleep wasn't putting Daphne in the best of moods. With a groan to release her frustration, and some quick cat-like stretches, Daphne responded.

" Tell father I'll be down and presentable in 20 minutes Mimmy!" Daphne called to the elf. As a young girl, she had once attempted to resist the old house elf's morning summons. Being teleported directly out of one's nighty and into an ice cold bath was not an experience Daphne would ever care to repeat. And of course she would never keep her father waiting.

Still, as Daphne quickly shed her night clothes and magically heated the water of her bath, she had to wonder what summons could possibly be so important. Perhaps the Malfoys had dared to stick their necks out over the contracts already. Even they surely wouldn't warrant the word Summons though, especially at the moment. Summons implied authority over Daphne, and now that she was through with school, Daphne could not think of who besides her father would possibly have both the rank, and the reason to hold and use such authority.

Using some charms and potions, as well as a sip of Pick me up potion, Daphne made herself presentable for any variety of possible formal occasions faster than she could ever remember doing so. Throwing several makeup and hair adjustment options into a purse matching the blouse and skirt she had chosen, Daphne descended the grand stairs swiftly, hoping both for an explanation from her father, and some breakfast from Mimmy.

"Daphne, good we must leave for the ministry at once." her father greeted her curtly. There was no sign of Mimmy. Oh well, one for two isn't terrible she supposed. "The minister himself has summoned us with utmost urgency. I feel it is safe to assume this can only be a response to the contract. I hope you made progress last night that we might be well positioned for this. I can't fathom how Shacklebot discovered it so quickly, but we still must know more than him or Potter."

Daphne took a second to organize her scrambled thoughts, "well, the law is clear. Contracts have fallen from favor, but they are legally, magically binding documents if written correctly. Since Potter has used his Black inheritance, the contract will recognize him as the signed Black, much like how he participated in the Triwizard Tournament despite claiming he hadn't placed his own name in the goblet."

" The contracts are written by heads of houses, and unless he has gone through the old rituals to be fully recognized as the head of house Black rather than it's heir, he can't alter it if this was written with the old runes and enchantments, which it is safe to assume this contract is. The contract appears to have originated as far back as the mid 13th century, how the death eaters found it to offer to you, I do not know, but it is full of old magic."

" There is one section I had to check a few reference books to decipher, but I now am sure that it amounts to forcing us to go from betrothal to….consummated marriage within 1 month of both parties, myself and Potter, have reached full adulthood." Daphne was decidedly not comfortable talking about marriage consummation with her father.

As he led them to the parlor to prepare to floo to the Ministry, her father asked, "full adulthood? That seems strangely vague. Are there loopholes there?"

" I thought so as well, but apparently it's just old terminology." Daphne explained what she had discovered just before passing out, leaving out that she had been hoping to find a way out of marrying Potter so quickly. " It just means a witch or wizard that has not just reached their majority of 17 years, but has a recognition of adulthood, most commonly graduation from Hogwarts or an apprenticeship or job offer. I've now graduated, even if early, but Potter hasn't, so we may have time on that front. That's as far as I've gotten so far"

" Hmmm…" her Father paused just before activating the floo. "Perhaps we should see if we can conceal that from the boy and Minister." without leaving her room for discussion, her father stepped into the green flames of the fireplace and was gone. Daphne followed him through 1 second later.

As she arrived on the Ministry side of the Floo Network, Daphne was suddenly struck by the realization this was her first time actually inside the ministry. She almost regretted her father and the ministry worker who greeted them set such a brisk pace towards the Minister's office, as she would have liked more time to take in all the activity around her. Still, Daphne felt her breath quicken as the thought of all the history, all the power that had walked and flowed from the halls and offices through the centuries. A history she would now certainly become an active part of shaping with her impending nuptials to Potter.

The aid stepped into the office with a quick knock, and announced them. Daphne was glad she was able to do her courtesies on autopilot. She would surely have frozen through curtsying and properly introducing herself to the Minister and Potter under Potter's gaze. As it was, her voice still had an undeniable quiver to it under that gaze. She was certain this must be the face that Draco had stared down so many surely had seen that pure disgust and rage before. But it was truly something altogether different to have those green eyes staring directly into her own. To be almost able to hear all the hateful things he was thinking, all while being quite sure he was not even truly seeing her.

" To what do we owe the honor of this summons, Minister?" Daphne would have sworn Potter's eyes rolled so hard he must surely have seen his own brain matter as her father politely asked the obvious. It might have been a relief had they not settled immediately back into staring into her own. Daphne refused to break away from that gaze, no matter how much she wished to. She would not show Potter that weakness existed within her.

"Do not pretend you are unaware of this 'contract' Lord Greengrass, your signature on it has already been confirmed. What we require, is an answer to why that signature is there?" Minister Shacklebot responded shortly. He had what was clearly a copy of the contract itself in his hand.

Her Father's gall was truly amazing as he proceeded with just the right amount of truth hiding bigger truth. " Gladly Minister, I had hoped to address that remnant of the illegitimate old order anyway, I just hadn't thought it warranted your attention so soon. But tell me, why is Potter here? As the matter is a personal one, I'd prefer it be kept private."

" Are you really going to pretend you do not know this document implicates Potter?" the Minister incredulously asked.

" Potter? Truly? Forgive me Minister, but that makes no sense. The document referenced the heir to the Black family. That is Draco Malfoy, not Potter." Her father had sounded less surprised when she had told him this less than 24 hours ago. Daphne supposed it was lucky that few knew her father as well as she. He was playing a dangerous game with Potter already so furious, she had seen from afar what happened when Potter unleashed his rage, and with how he was staring at her now, she did not desire to be on the receiving end of it.

"So you claim not to know that Sirius Black named Potter his heir before his death, and the family magic recognized the will as legitimate?" it was becoming clear Potter had agreed to let the minister take the lead in this discussion, and unlike Daphne, who was quite happy to stand by listening to her father unless directly addressed, Potter's characteristic mouthiness seemed already to be barely contained by the silent contest of wills Daphne had found herself engaged in. The mind behind this gaze was the one who had shaken off the Imperius curse in fourth year. Every second she stared into this face she had only ever perceived from afar drew Daphne deeper into the realization that a marriage to Potter was going to be not as different as she'd prefer from attempting to ride on an angry dragon. Though, truthfully, if the boy didn't stop silently judging her soon, she was quite sure she'd be struggling shortly with not telling him exactly what she thought of him.

Which Daphne could admit she hoped did not occur, as she was still quite struggling with actually defining those opinions to herself. This was, after all, her first and only direct interaction with Potter, and she had learned well from her father, not to rely on the opinions of others overmuch. She still refused to be the first to break their gaze, now scarcely listening at all to the minister and her father go over the existence of the contract. She was vaguely aware of her father mostly repeating what he had said to her the previous evening, but sounding much more the victim.

Instead, her attention was on gleaning what she could from this opportunity to finally analyze her husband to be directly, even if she had to rely on her peripheral vision primarily. She could admit it galled her she was having to strain her neck looking up at him to maintain eye contact. He was at least a full foot and a half taller than her. The glasses covering the eyes she'd been staring into looked horribly cheap, almost muggle, as they sat slightly askew on his face. His dark hair was as usual atrociously unkempt. How could Potter be allowed in the minister's office when he can't even brush that thick, luxurious pitch black mop. His clothes were ill fitting and just added to his appearing like some kind of ragamuffin. He wasn't even wearing proper Wizard's Robes, but dressed like a muggle in jeans and a red jumper. Were those muggle trainers!? In the Minister's office!? At least he seemed to know how to use a razor, and she couldn't deny that the year on the run had done no harm to his pulse quickening, Quidditch honed physique. Still, it was very difficult not to break eye contact to check if Potter could even tie his shoelaces properly.

"So just cancel this contract, signed under duress if your claim is true, null and we can all get on with our days." Shacklebot had an edge to his voice that it snapped Daphne back to attention, nearly breaking her staring contest of wills again. How was Potter so damnably imperturbable? At least her father was quite ready for this obvious line of attack from the Minister, so Daphne wasn't forced to speak yet.

"Believe me, I'd much rather not see my daughter sold off like so much cattle to this boy. But I'll not have my entire family rendered squibs for violating the no cancellation clause his family put in the contract, section 4, paragraph 2! If we are entertaining that idea as a solution, why don't you suggest Potter gives up his magic and the Black name?" Suddenly Daphne found herself the victor in the staring contest as Potter looked at the Minister with what she would swear was hope in his eyes. The boy couldn't honestly be considering giving up his magic and all that came from his Black inheritance could he? Depending on how the magic of the contract interpreted certain arcane laws, he could potentially even lose his Potter family wealth! There was stereotypical Gryffindor boldness, and there was abject stupidity. Daphne hoped Potter wasn't truly that foolish. She didn't wish to marry him, but seeing him almost certainly killed, once he was helpless, by the still in hiding remaining death eaters was perhaps the one worse outcome Daphne could imagine.

Fortunately, the Minister had quickly checked and seen that her father was being truthful of the consequences of breaking the signed contract. "No Harry, it wouldn't be worth it, not only would you lose your magic, when you and our world need it still, not only would you lose all your wealth and property, potentially even from your parents, but wizards have died just from the shock and stress of having their magic torn from them. I can't stop you, but I beg you not to take that route."

"Fine." Potter finally spoke, his voice clipped with evident annoyance. "I don't know anything about this pure-blood bullshit, but I do know that you must have been a special level of slimy coward to read this fucked up shit of a contract with your daughter's name on it, and signed anyway."

Daphne was shocked. She'd never heard anyone disrespect her father to his face like that before. True, her own head had entertained such thoughts when she had been told about the contract last night, but to actually utter them out loud…. Potter even sounded as angry on her behalf as he was for his own, which was almost as shocking as his language.

Her father had gone for his wand, full of indignity, but Potter proved why he had been the one to defeat the greatest Dark Lord of the age.

" Now see here boy-!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Daphne had barely even seen Potter go for his wand before he had her Father disarmed, holding both wands pointed at him.

" Enough!" Shacklebot had his wand out as well. They were so fast. " Harry, give Lord Greengrass back his wand and apologize at once! We will get to the bottom of this, I promise. But assaulting a Lord-yes! Even in self defense- on your first day as an Auror is simply not acceptable." Harry looked at Shacklebot only a moment before complying with his order, handing her father his wand, but keeping his own noticeably at the ready. Daphne was amazed to hear Harry was already being made an Auror. He'd have to be the youngest in a century. Old habits Daphne supposed.

As her father collected his wand, Shacklebot turned to him next. "And I'll not have you drawing your wand on my Aurors in my office, Lord Greengrass. I'd think a man of your standing could let go Harry's language in light of what you have done to him already." under The minister's deep booming voice and hard glare, Daphne witnessed her father back down utterly cowed for the first time in her life. Perhaps Shacklebot would make a strong Minister of Magic after all.

Of course, her father's timidity was short-lived. " Very well, you are right, my behavior was not becoming of a Lord, and I apologize to you Minister, and you Mr. Potter. That said, I seek apology for your spurious charge against me. I love my daughter. My family. I will not apologize for deciding that signing that contract when faced with threats to their well being was the right move to protect them. No one is pleased by this, but do not dare accuse me again of cowardice or of not loving my family enough, boy." Now that was more like the Father she knew.

" Fine, I'm sorry even in death Riddle was such a git, and you two had to suffer for it, Lord Greengrass." The sarcasm was positively dripping from his voice. Daphne felt she could almost touch rather than hear it.

"Disrespectful as your reputation suggests I see. Well hopefully the minister will use you as the blunt instrument you are and spare my daughter from your brashness before very long." Daphne wished she had managed to find the time to explain Potter's history with both Malfoy men beforehand. She could tell her father was caught off guard when Potter's response to his dressing down was to smile like he had been complimented. this was not good. Potter looked ready to have a go at her father as though he were no different than Lucius Malfoy. Being seen by Potter as a daughter of an even less clever Malfoy type would not help her at all. She needed to salvage this.

" Father! Please, if Harry really is to be family, can we try to be respectful, for my sake?" Daphne prayed her father heard the message she intended him to. As for Potter himself, " Harry, I don't really know what to say to you. I'll admit I never thought much of you in school, but we aren't children any longer. We are both victims, and whatever your thoughts for how this came about, I hope you can at least accept my sincere thanks for ending the monster who did this to us. Now may we all please behave as adults and try to figure out a solution, rather than get into pointless fights?" Potter blushed adorably red and gazed at the ground.

" Sure Greengrass, sorry to take it out on you. Just not exactly how I saw my morning going, you know?" His eyes met hers once more, and this time, Daphne felt she was almost capable of handling what was to come. Even if she possibly would have resorted to dark magic to be capable of knowing what Potter was thinking at this moment.