Chapter 7

Daphne

Daphne held her tongue as they left the ministry and returned home. She knew father would have his say about her subtly speaking against him when he felt ready. Likely after he had some breakfast if he truly was retreating from Potter and the Minister due to hunger. And while Daphne would not begin the row before breakfast, she was feeling quite ready for it. Because that had absolutely been a retreat, and Daphne was no longer a child.

For eighteen years now she had followed her father's will. She had made certain to make no waves, to always be ready to find the path to power for the family. Yes, last year his instinct that the dark lord would not maintain power long had been true. But he had never even SEEN Potter before this morning, and it was HER who would have to navigate a life as Potter's wife. It was Daphne who had watched for 6 years as Draco Malfoy and his father gave the very worst possible impression of pure blooded families to Potter. Daphne remembered when she was a child. She remembered when there was a thought that Potter would lead the pure bloods as the next great dark lord. The Malfoys had personally ensured that would not be the case. It was crucial to the success of her marriage to Potter that she not be viewed as cut from the same cloth as Malfoy. She was certain of this in her bones, and her father was putting that in real jeopardy in his very first interaction with her fiance.

"Master Greengrass, Missus Daphy! Yous is missing breakfast! Go to the dining room and Mimmy will bring breakfast at once. Eggs and toastys and bacon and juice!" Mimmy had greeted them at the door. Daphne had to suppress a grinat the mothering tendencies of the house elf. It was still quite early, so likely father and her were the only ones even out of bed yet, and here Mimmy was distressed they had done anything without having her feed them first. Daphne would have to see if Potter had a house elf, maybe through the Black inheritance. She would certainly miss Mimmy deeply if not.

She had barely sat at the table, mentally preparing for either her Father to engage with her, or let the silence linger, when a plate of the promised breakfast appeared in front of her. It was as delicious as ever. Barely a handful of bites later, a wonderful fresh cup of tea was being poured into her saucer. Steeped and warmed to perfection. It was really beginning to sink in to Daphne that no sooner was she home from school for good that she was going to have to count the days until she'd have to leave. To be Potter's wife! Perhaps she ought to consider if it was wiser to actually look into helping Potter and herself get out of the contract.

"Only a few days later and already you seem to have forgotten your lesson Daphne. Shall we save time and apologize now, or must you wait months once again to apologize for doubting me?" Daphne could tell why Astoria had always accused their father of being a Legillimens. Silence right up until she dared to even consider acting against him? Daphne took a deep breath to steady herself, this needed to be handled with more delicacy than when they last argued.

" Father, this is different. I admit you were better informed about the stability of the Dark Lord's regime. But you have never met Potter. I may not have been close to him, on your orders I might remind you, but I have at least seen him for over 6 years. If we had stayed and continued as you were, it would only have antagonized him."

"Then let him be antagonized!" Her Father erupted. "The boy is disrespectful. Any sensible wizard would count themselves lucky and throw themselves at your feet to be wed to you! You are a Greengrass! You are intelligent, beautiful, and our family is as above reproach as any. It's offensive that the boy should view you as objectionable in the least!"

"Father," Daphne responded with exasperation, " Potter was raised muggle. Arranged marriages aren't just rare from what I've heard, they are illegal! Of course Potter is going to react poorly! Add that this was arranged by the DARK LORD as part of his plots against Potter, and he'd be strange not to object! But that's just the start of it. Potter has been poisoned against purebloods. His only good experiences have been with the likes of the Weasleys and Lovegoods. Draco and Lucious Malfoy were horrible to him from the moment he met them. They were superior and snobbish. I want a happy marriage. I want my marriage to Potter to help our family. But that will never happen if you can't treat him at the least as an equal!"

"Hmmph" was all her father had to say.

As she continued to eat her breakfast, sulking admittedly, Daphne had to admit she was surprised it appeared she may have won the argument. Perhaps her father could be bested after all. At least when he was demonstrably, factually in the wrong. Naturally that happy thought couldn't stand for long before something had to upset her again.

" Morning!" Astoria bounded into the dinning room, inhaling food nearly as fast as Mimmy could fill her plate. "You are up early, lucky you both eat so slow so there's some of Mimmy's food left for me!" Daphne looked away in disgust, not sure which was worse, Astoria shoveling food like a barbarian, or shamelessly speaking with her mouth so atrociously full.

" Really, Astoria!" Her mother appeared just then, as if on cue, to admonish her youngest daughter. "I know full well your father and I taught you better table manners than this. Close your mouth and try using some utensils. If you can't eat in a civilized manner, I will order Mimmy not to feed you again!"

Daphne glanced back at her sister and immediately regretted it. Astoria was so put upon by the idea of being denied food some was falling out of her open mouth.

"Mum! No fair!" Her sister responded. "It's summer break. I just want to relax a bit before my life is consumed by tutors and boring social lessons again!"

" Well then, show you do not need those lessons and demonstrate some class young lady! You are a pure blooded lady of standing, not a troll!" Small wonder her father was usually so strong in an argument, married to her mother as he was. Astoria pouted, but she sat up straight, and showed proper decorum almost immediately.

" Daphne, Darling, I am somewhat surprised to see your father and you both awake so early. I know you received a summons of some kind darling, did it involve Daphne?" Her mother addressed her father. Even though she was the subject of the inquiry, Daphne knew well by this stage of her life who was truly being addressed.

As did her father. "Yes. I had hoped to wait some more before telling either of you, but it'll be public soon enough anyway. The Minister called Daphne and I to his office with utmost urgency to answer for one final problem of the Dark Lord's regime."

As one the family responded, "Excellent, we have an opportunity."

Lord Greengrass smirked slightly. "Indeed. I had hoped to wait another year before telling you Astoria, but your sister and you are betrothed." He quickly cut off her indignant exclamation with a sharply raised hand, and continued. "The dark lord's followers, just at the end of their regime it turns out, were insistent to a degree I could not oppose that I support their new policies. They did not accept mere vocal support. I had to demonstrate my support for the revitalization of Pureblood society."

Even an entire day later, Daphne still struggled to fathom her father folding to such demands so quickly, especially when he had been so smugly certain the death eater regime would fall.

"They had found old laws on marriage, which they were intent to use. To protect our family's ability to survive to the end of the regime, which I predicted, I signed betrothal contracts they had drawn up. Originally I thought they would be abusing ancient laws allowing for polygamy to have both you and Daphne wed to Draco Malfoy as the heir to the Black family. I was unaware that Malfoy was only assumed to be the black heir upon the anticipated death of the true Black Scion. So while you will still have to wed the young Malfoy, assuming he isn't tossed into Azkaban for life, Daphne will soon be married to the last Black, Harry Potter. She will renew both the Black line, and continue our own."

" Bugger that!" Astoria petulantly interrupted their father. " No way am I marrying that slimy git! Daphne might be dim enough to do anything for you father, but I'll not Let that pompous bastard anywhere near me just because you were a coward! He's been an absolute nightmare since my first year, he's got the Dark Mark for Merlin's sake!"

" You WILL marry the Malfoy boy, the contract was legal when I signed it, if you don't wed Draco Malfoy and conceive a child within one month of ending your schooling, you will be subject to arrest and loss of your magic! By reports, the Malfoys betrayed the Dark Lord at the end, so they may well be able to maintain their position even in the new regime. There were worse candidates, be glad I signed for the Malfoy boy instead of the Goyle boy!"

" Oh grand! I get to snog a ferret instead of a troll! And make little death eater ferret babies! And just in case you forgot, all this while Daph and I get to wonder if either of us get to just up and die like grandauntie did! She can choose to risk what little life we may have trying to please you and grumpy old purebloods, but not me! Make me a squib, kick me out, I don't care anymore!"

" You WILL obey me while you live under my roof. Once you are of age, if you really wish to try facing the world as a squib, without your family, all but guaranteeing you trigger the curse, I can't stop you, but for now-"

Whatever Lord Greengrass was going to demand from his rebellious younger daughter got interrupted by the post arriving. As parcels and packages descended upon the table, Astoria retreated before her parents could say a word about her not asking to be excused. Daphne's mother hurried after her, sparing Daphne through some miracle from having to discuss her own impending nuptials at least a little longer.

Daphne was simply shocked by Astoria's words of defiance. Astoria had always been more rebellious than Daphne, but this was new. Ever since they were small girls they had not spoken about the family blood curse, but Daphne knew it colored each of them. Astoria refused to believe she had no control and so was always trying to control herself. Daphne still felt that was silly, as she felt that trying to force control where it didn't exist was just a waste of precious time and energy.

Right this moment though, Daphne had to admit she wondered if Astoria had the right of it. In all the hurry Daphne hadn't even considered that family lore said that childbirth was often what triggered the blood curse. This truly could prove to be her final year, and what really had she accomplished? She didn't have her N.E.W.T.s, no career, and if the curse did take her, she'd have only one child with which to fulfill the sacred task of continuing her family name history had placed upon her. And now that first child wouldn't even be a Greengrass, but a Black, or a Potter.

" Daphne," her father interrupted her thoughts yet again. "I appreciate how hard this has always been for the two of you. When the both of you were born female, it broke my heart, not because of our family name, but because I never want this curse to take either of you. Our family has paid the price too many times throughout the centuries. That my experiments in seeking a cure in my youth failed is my truest regret. That you both may now be condemned by my direct action as well tears me apart."

Daphne continued to listen to her father as she felt the burning behind her eyes that threatened to become tears. "Family is everything. It is all we really have, and I am quite proud that despite the curse, the Greengrass family has not only survived, we have thrived. We cannot control everything, but we excel at finding control where it can manifest. You are among the finest examples of this talent our family has ever produced. If History decides you shall be the last magical Greengrass, then I shall still be filled with the pride that the last Greengrass was one of the very best witches to hold our noble name."

Before Daphne could reply to the longest complement her father had ever uttered to her, a letter was dropped into her lap. She recognized the owl, and the scrawl on the envelope.

" Oh, Tracey has written!" she softly exclaimed.

" Well, I shall take some of this correspondence into my study, you have done well so far, and may take the rest of this day to enjoy your summer as you wish darling. Good day." with that her father was soon gone as well, leaving her alone in the kitchen as Miimy suddenly appeared and began clearing breakfast, murmuring about the unfinished plates from Astoria and their mother.

Daphne opened Tracey's letter and read it, finishing her tea as she did.

Hey Daph,

You were right, as usual. Gran is getting me a private tutor to ensure I can have some N.E.W.T.s to my name. And we're not the only ones. I received owls from half our year with the same news, so none of us can expect much of a first summer post school this year. I'm hoping therefore to throw a bit of a garden party this afternoon. I hope you'll be able to make it, I simply must tell you all the adorable gossip I've already learned.

Looking forward to your owl,

Tracey

It really was unfair how every important person in Daphne's life seemed capable of feats of precognition on the level of the greatest of seers. The odds that this letter should arrive just after she returned home and was given her freedom for the day seemed infinitesimally small.

Still, Daphne was certainly excited to visit with Tracey. She had much to tell her friend, and was surprised how much she missed Tracey after only a few days. It was typically at least a week into the summer holidays before she found herself missing conversation with her friend. This year was truly proving to be a taxing one.

If there was value in her father's preached neutrality that Daphne could see, it was in allowing practitioners to pursue normalcy as a way of life, rather than as an accidental result of the actions of others. All she wanted right now was to spend one day not caring about important society warping issues or life altering events. To just enjoy pleasant company and not have to overthink. Of course the likelihood that half of what remained of her age cohort of pureblood society would also be attending this get together made the latter hope seem unlikely.

In the end, Daphne got her relaxation in by not putting much work into her outfit or appearance, and just Floo'd to Tracey's home 10 minutes before the invited hour. This may be a tad socially forward of her, but she trusted Tracey would forgive her in exchange for Daphne's willingness to tell her about Potter, which she absolutely was not doing in front of other guests.

Tracey's maternal grandmother, Madame Selwyn kept a neat northern Irish Manor. Daphne was always impressed by the level of sophistication and comfort the Selwyns managed without a house elf or proper servants. The family kept nearly a whole village for themselves and were notoriously paranoid about non-purebloods robbing them. Indeed, Tracey had told her on her first visit that her grandmother still viewed her muggleborn father as just such a thief for "seducing" her daughter and then getting killed in the first war shortly after their wedding. Daphne imagined Tracey's mother not surviving the birth didn't help that view among the Selwyns.

She was always grateful they had trusted her from such a young age to allow her to know their floo address. Of course she knew that any number of jinxes and curses were only just recognizing her magical signature to not vaporize her on the spot. Daphne decided to head for Tracey's room and give her a bit of a surprise. She knew the other guests, whoever they would end up being, would likely take some time to show up, if only just because the rest would have to go through the various Selwyns security measures before arriving at the garden gazebo where Tracey typically hosted social events. Only Daphne actually knew Tracey's home.

Daphne left the drawing room and went up the first flight of stairs taking a quick left with practiced ease. She'd been to Tracey's room in the main manor that she shared with her Grandmother, Uncle, and cousins dozens of times over the years. She imagined most of the household would be returning from abroad, where most had found sudden pressing business over the last year, being of the same mind as her father about keeping options open. Though of course Daphne had her apologies ready in case she should surprise a family member pop around her corner.

Daphne did not have the proper apologies ready for when she rounded the last corner and arrived to open Tracey's door even as she knocked on it.

" Hullo Trace, popped by ear-OH MERLIN, WHY?!"

" DAPH! KNOCK! KNOCK FOR MERLIN'S SAGGY BALL'S SAKE!"

Tracey was naked on her bed with one hand grabbing her breast and the other quite occupied between her thighs. Daphne was certain her entire body was blushing so hard that she imagined her hair was even turning a reddish hue. Both of Tracy's hands immediately ceased all activity to try desperately to cover herself as she too turned as red as a Weasley.

" Tracey...what...why…."

"OUT! FUCKING OUT FOR A MOMENT DAMNIT!" Tracey shouted while attempting to simultaneously furiously gesture at the door without uncovering herself any further.

A moment later a still very flushed Tracey opened her door dressed in a comfortable and simple looking sundress and sandals. She did not look particularly pleased to see her best friend, and Daphne couldn't exactly blame her. Thank Merlin Tracey was such a gossip monger or Daphne would fear for her safety.

" Would you kindly care to explain what the actual fuck, Daphne?" Tracey insisted furiously.

Daphne could only stumble as she tried to right her brain.

" Well I had….why were you….it's ten minutes till your party...I mean…"

" Fuck you Daph, it's my own damned room, and it's not just going to be us girls alright, Zabini and Nott are coming, I wanted to be relaxed, fat lot of good did me now...didn't even get to finish…."

"Eeew, that is far more than I needed to know Trace…"

" Bollocks that, you don't get to pull that shit out after barging in like that. You really had better get your shit together and explain soon Daph, or…."

" Language Tracey! I am sorry, truly, but we are ladies, not beasts, show some decorum, please!"

Tracey broke out into genuine good natured laughter at this. " Ha, Ha, Ha, He,He, Ho, ooh, wooh wee, Daph, looks like your back in control then you prude. So start talking while I laugh, heh"

Daphne had to smile ruefully at her friend's absurd laughter, and she did need to acknowledge she was in the wrong here. " Tracey, I know I have no right, but can we please quickly discuss this in your room, I really don't want your family or any other guests to hear before they have to…"

Tracey's face lit up, and she smiled mischievously, "Gossip! Brilliant, I forgive you!" she hustled Daphne into her room, suddenly full of bouncy energy. "I don't know how you got gossip, apparently of a juicy variety so quickly, but spill, spill!"

It was nearly enough to purge the image of her friend's breasts, just slightly larger than her own, fingers flicking those surprisingly dark, puffy areola...stop Daphne, she told herself, focus!

"Well remember when we left each other at the end of term?"

" you mean two days ago Daph, yeah, I think I can recall, Merlin, how juicy is this gossip…?"

"I'll answer with a question of my own…." Daphne quickly pulled out her wand and cast the privacy charms Tracey really should be better at in a smaller home than her own, "will you be my maid of honor in a few weeks?"

Daphne was certain the squeal Tracey emitted could break not only her charms, but any glass within the found herself being hugged and bounced on Tracey's bed, wondering if lifelong deafness could get her out of marrying Potter, can she utter vows she can't hear?Oh, Merlin, she needs to write vows…

"Who, how?" Tracey sadly showed Daphne her hearing was in fact still intact, her register still octaves higher than Daphne wished. " I mean, of course I'll be your maid, but you can't just drop that without details, and why the rush? Merlin, we need to find your dress, the venue, guest list, your hen's night…"

"Tracey!" Daphne interrupted, "less questions if you want answers before the others get here, because I am not telling any of them yet. They'll hear soon enough I'm sure. But perhaps I can at least not have to answer anyone but you in person."

" Then quit stalling and tell me the good bits. Which bloke's bits get to meet your bits?"

" You're disgustingly shameless at times Tracey. If you swear not to make that abysmal sound again, it's Potter."

Naturally it was several seconds of squealing and rambled questions before Daphne got the whole story out, including her meeting with Potter and the minister that morning.

" Merlin, Daph, I was all ready to brag about my gossip, you can't really mean to keep something like this secret, the other's will surely be at the wedding, and I can't sit on something like this….your going to be the richest, most powerful witch in Britain...maybe the world!"

Daphne chuckled at that last comment. That basically was how the Daphne of three days ago would have viewed the situation, even this morning perhaps. But Tracy hadn't looked potter in the eyes for 10 minutes without blinking. Now that Daphne had, she would prefer, well not a pauper for a husband, but not the richest wizard of their age. Not Potter. He honestly scared her, and now Tracy had to mention...bits. He'd expect to see her, like she just saw Tracy even. Bloody hell, the contracts demanded it.

" Well they can't say you didn't land a seriously class hubby Daph. trust you to luck into it. Some of us still have to work for our gossip"

" Do I have to wait to hear with the rest, or can I get a hint while we head to the gazebo?"

"After that news, absolutely. Mine pales of course, I was going to build it all up, but now I've got to practice false humility for when the others hear your news and it becomes true humility. See, My cousin, Matthias, the third one? He passed me some very nice information he came across in his job at Gringotts. You remember gran almost kicked him out of the house for 'consorting with those vile creatures'? Well she's singing a different tune now I'm sure. See, turns out a lot of shops, in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade especially, fell too far behind in their payments during the last regime. The ministry is trying to talk the goblins into giving them time to put some kind of program together to help shop owners, but you know the goblins, after this last year? They'll take no orders from wizards, and show no mercy either. Dozens of businesses in need, empty stalls to come, and very little capital flowing freely with the minister freezing assets of all suspected death eaters."

Daphne immediately saw why Tracy was so giddy. While not as wealthy as her own family, with the Selwyns backing her, Tracy Davis had some of the only access to gold at the moment when many were desperate for it. Come to think of it, her own father was similarly free to act.

" I see those Greengrass gears turning, don't even think about it, I'm not giving up my cousin's sources till I've had my pick. Your dad and future hubby can invest after I've secured fortune for myself and my family. Besides, we actually have more competition than I expected."

"Oh?, Who besides my father and, ugh, fiance, has the gold to compete with you? Longbottom? They're old but they haven't had a proper income in decades, I don't think they actually have much gold ready to flow."

" Merlin preserve us, but your fiance's ex's family."

" The Weasleys? Impossible, they'd have to afford robes before stabilizing businesses. And don't remind me that next time I see him I'll have to remind him to make her an ex again"

"Hush, where's the fun in avoiding that? As for Weasley's having no money?The parents, certainly. But don't forget, two already owned and even kept in operation a business."

" The twins? But didn't one of them die? The other can't possibly be in a place to be looking to invest already."

" That's what I assumed, but the value of a large family is finally showing itself. The eldest, he also works with my cousin. How he found out actually, heard him already doing early negotiations for a stake in Olivanders."

" That's why the early birthday party isn't it? You're looking to pool investment resources too, aren't you? It's a brilliant idea, our generation could end up owning half or more of the storefronts in Britain if we move quickly."

" That's why I love you Daphne, I hadn't even thought of that, I just wanted to brag about my find. With your idea, we really could get rolling immediately. I've just got to hope everyone has something left in their personal vaults for this after they all buy you wedding gifts."

Tracy had such a grin on her face that Daphne knew she would not be escaping the afternoon without her secret getting revealed. She begged and pleaded with Tracy right up until the first guest arrived, only eight minutes after the original party time. Try as she might, Daphne couldn't convince Tracy not to punish her for walking in on her though, so she took a deep breath and prepared to enter the fray with her best friend at her side. Her dreams of a relaxed, normal day already forgotten.

Merlin, Daphne thought, was this what being Potter's life was always going to be like?