Chapter 14
Harry
No sooner had Harry thrown his shirt and pants off and collapsed onto his bed, ready to sleep, when He was suddenly all too awake realizing just what was happening. He was officially some puffed shirt Lord now, and it hadn't even fixed anything. Harry should have figured as much. Sirius hadn't gone through that nonsense ceremony, hadn't wasted time arguing over preposition placements in the wizengamot. Harry had succumbed to his desperation in trying to see if it would get Daphne out of the stupid contract. Daphne. Now, somehow, She was living with him.
They had gotten together to work out how to avoid getting married, and now she was just one floor below him, possibly in the bath. Harry was practically approaching a fugue state. He really was exhausted, but somehow he was also wide awake. Turn off damit, bloody brain, Harry yelled at himself.
Naturally his brain showed him the usual respect it seemed to hold for Harry's opinion, and flooded his mind's eye with unwanted and unwelcome images of Daphne. Daphne in varying states of undress, Daphne in the tub, Daphne taking a shower, they just kept coming. Harry didn't even know many details to fill in the images. Even with Ginny, he had never actually seen a nude woman before. None of that mattered to his traitor of a mind just then, though. Harry might not know what exactly Daphne looked like nude, but his nethers seemed to know he might soon.
Harry was frustratingly, almost painfully hard, yet too sleepy to just rub one out. At this moment, Harry deeply regretted sending Ginny home earlier. Sure, if she knew he was so hard thinking of Daphne, Ginny would likely hex his nuts right off, and Harry didn't even want to imagine what Mrs. Weasley would do if Harry actually slept with Ginny, but, just at that moment, rationality was falling before the driving need for release.
That same overwhelming drive towards release finally drove the exhausted Harry from his bed, in search of tissue. Fifteen minutes of vigorous rubbing later, Harry barely made it back to the bed before blessed unconsciousness took him at last. It was perhaps a small miracle that his dreams were not solely filled with further images of the woman sleeping just below him. Certainly it was to the benefit of his sheets upon waking up. Harry hadn't had to spirit sheets for secretive cleaning since fourth year, and he'd be damned if he was going to start now, as an adult in his own house.
Not that he didn't still find himself in a similar predicament in the morning, but Harry was far more used to dealing with that issue. He enjoyed a nice shower, slightly on the cold side to supplement for the accumulating hours of lost sleep. Harry was officially going to fish out his old potions textbook and find out how to start making batches of Wideye potion this weekend. It was looking like a clear necessity of being an auror who is also Harry Potter. For now though, Harry got dressed, and made his way down to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and make some breakfast. Harry was glad He lived so close to the Ministry. At least he wouldn't have to use miserable magical travel methods to not have to be awake even earlier. Here it was seven and the sun wasn't even up yet, far too early as it stands, in Harry's opinion.
Harry did chuckle to himself a little thinking of Ron returning from Australia and realizing the hours Robbards expected them to keep. He'd have to make sure Ron didn't run Kreacher ragged fixing him enough breakfast to tempt him out of bed at such early hours.
Harry actually quite enjoyed making his own breakfast. It gave Kreacher a break, and it was always the one task at the Dursley's he actually found enjoyment in at times. Harry knew that most wizarding homes had very little electricity, and Grimmauld especially didn't, but He found himself quite missing a toaster's convenience when cooking breakfast. Still, Harry managed a nice breakfast of fried eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns with just a hint of garlic powder cooked in the bacon fat, and some nicely toasted bread with jam. He made sure to make enough for Daphne, whenever she woke up. What the Black house kitchen lacked in toasters, the oven's magical property to keep food without drying it out or burning it, even the eggs, was definitely a major improvement over the muggle kitchens of Harry's youth. The scourgify spell also certainly made cleaning up a vastly simpler exercise.
Finished with his breakfast and coffee, Harry checked his watch, to see it was just after seven-thirty. He was making good time. Taking a moment to write a quick note to Kreacher letting the elf know they would need more eggs, and another informing Daphne of the location of the breakfast he had prepared her, Harry grabbed his various personal effects and left for another day as an Auror, which put just enough pep in his step to ignore how little sleep he was getting.
That pep, of course, lasted all of one block before Harry realized he'd almost certainly be unable to avoid another day sitting in the wizengamot.
"Lord Black my arse!" Harry muttered to himself, trying to enjoy the sunrise peeking through the London skyline. The stupid signet ring was heavy and an eye sore on his right hand. Harry immediately decided, fuck whatever tradition Daphne had told him about, he wasn't wearing the gaudy thing on his wand hand. Or at all for that matter. During lunch, he'd deposit the stupid thing at Gringotts and not look back.
"At least Wizengamot doesn't start until ten-thirty. I should have time to get at least some auror duties and paperwork done before my day is ruined." Harry muttered to himself.
He was going to need to talk to more people before he started to look like he was mad, walking around London muttering to himself, Harry thought. Moments later, Harry was walking into the auror office. Robbards was already behind his own desk, his mustache bristling as he noticed Harry's entrance.
"Potter! Nice to see you learned how to be on time. Good work yesterday as well. We may just make a real auror out of you after all. Hell, you and Weasley now have an arrest record nearly equal to Shacklebolt in under a week. Since that means I owe Shacklebolt 5 sickles, you get to file half of Weasleys paperwork for the arrests." Robbards nodded at one of the piles of forms already on Harry's desk.
As Harry started to try to organize all the parchment on his desk, Neville walked in, prompting the same lecture on punctuality Harry received earlier in the week.
"Longbottom! I don't give a hippogriff's fart how passably you did organizing setting up that temporary prison. You show up early, and you stay late if you are going to work in my department!"
As Robbards continued to give what Harry now recognized as his standard orientation speech for new aurors, Harry realized he still had no idea how to actually file all this paperwork. Or even how to properly fill it out. Harry mentally grimaced, and prepared to draw the fire of Robbard's attention to himself and ask.
"Hey, Robbards, while you are in a lecturing mood, how about telling the both of us how to fill out this paperwork properly? I want to get this right without wasting time faffing around guessing."
Robbards turned towards Harry with a snort, his mustache twitching.
"Kinda like maybe aurors should attend the academy before jumping right into the deep end, eh Potter? No, Shacklebolt had to round up dozens of criminals days after a decisive battle got us dozens more prisoners. So now you've been hired without being trained. Fine, I can't look at yesterday's results and deny there is value to your recruitment. Longbottom! Listen up, because I'm not repeating this twice!"
Robbards took the next hour walking Harry and Neville through most of the common forms of paperwork aurors had to fill out, and how to fill them in correctly. As Harry proceeded to sort parchment and fill in forms, and file forms, he was surprised how quickly he got into the work. Harry was even able to complete his own paperwork with nearly fifteen minutes left before he had to attend the Wizengamot.
"I can't believe I'm jealous of your extra paperwork Neville, but I'd honestly rather do that then go be a stuffed shirt bollocks lord all day."
Neville gave a small laugh, "Yeah, I'm not looking forward to that part of my life whenever Gran passes the torch. It should get better soon, at least."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Well the Wizengamot isn't meant to meet so frequently, nor for so long, is it?"
Now Harry was getting both confused and annoyed. Was he not supposed to have to be bothered so much with all this crap?
"Could you explain that more?" He asked.
"Uh, yeah, sure. I guess it comes down to why things were so horrible in our fifth year, and why V-Voldemort didn't just name himself minister last year."
"The Wizengamot was created by Merlin, to basically be his replacement at advising the Monarch. As we separated more and more from the muggle government, it had to function as the Crown itself more frequently. I don't think it has ever been fully written down in any kind of formal constitution or charter, but basically, The Wizengamot is supposed to just appoint the Minister of Magic, and give advice on laws and the judging of criminals."
"Technically, the Wizengamot can write or abolish any policy of the Ministry's, and can declare judgement on any crime. Practically speaking, though, most members are too busy to be bothered most of the time. The chief warlock or witch is tasked with declaring when something is germaine, what the appropriate quorum will be, and all that sorta stuff."
"My Gran is helping Kingsley out by not actually ending the emergency full assembly you lot are in right now. It was called to appoint the minister, chief witch, and deal with the end of the war. I'll bet Trevor that most of the Lords assumed that last part would just be a one sentence rubber stamp for the Ministry's arrest efforts, Like what we did last night. Gran and Kingsley though, are making them, you I guess, actually put in writing all these reforms, so it will be harder for both future ministers, AND future Wizengamots to undo everything and return to the old ways. It means rough times for you now, but as soon as Gran gavels the session to a close, you can probably get away without attending most of the time, and sessions likely won't even be called that frequently."
Harry had to take all that in. 5 years of History of Magic classes, and Neville had just taught Harry more useful stuff in 5 minutes than all 5 years before.
"Maybe you should be a teacher instead of Binns, Nev," Harry joked, "Except I'm really worried you are wrong. If the problem we are facing is that the ministry is too powerful if left unchecked by an inattentive Wizengamot, I don't think Kingsley or your gran will let the Wizengamot remain as uninvolved as it used to be."
"Yeah, Gran sorta hinted as much last night. I don't think I've heard her say she's as proud of me as many times last night in my entire life combined! In between telling the whole extended Longbottom family about my following in my parent's footsteps as an auror, She hinted pretty heavily that there would be major changes, ensuring that this time, we win the peace as well as the war."
"On that front, Neville, you are doing this job for you, not to please your Gran, right? Don't get me wrong, I trust you absolutely, and I think you'll be tops at it, but don't do it just for your Gran, mate."
"I Understand Harry, I really do. I think the last couple of years, I finally actually understand what I want for me, not for anyone else. I don't think I'll do this for very long, but for right now, I got kinda used to helping people, and I want to keep doing that for a while."
Harry got up and offered his hand to Neville who took it in a firm grip after only a moment's hesitancy.
"Well, between the two of us, and Ron, dark wizards had probably better just turn themselves in now. No one else I'd rather hunt them down with."
"Same, Harry, Same."
That brief moment of pleasantness over, Harry steeled himself for what was certain to be hours of boredom. He walked down the hall of the Ministry, deciding he wasn't even going to change out of his auror uniform for this meeting. Harry had yet to witness any aspect of pureblood culture that he didn't want to tear down around their pompous sneering heads. Even the rare pureblood he respected, such as Neville and his Gran, couldn't convince Harry that any of these traditions and such were worth defending. Harry's view was certainly hardened after hearing about what Daphne's father had done. This reform bill might actually need to be paid attention to, just so Harry can make sure that Kingsley is empowered to make sure that not only is there never another Voldemort, but that there are no more Lucius Malfoys or Cyrus Greengrasses.
As Harry got to the outside of the Wizengamot chambers, He saw the same various old wizards and witches milling about and chatting idly with one another. Then he was surprised to see Daphne by herself in a corner, clearly looking for him, by the way she perked up when she sighted him.
"What are you doing here? I assumed you'd stay home today, aren't you nervous about your dad?" Harry asked her.
"I refuse to cower from him. If you and I may be forced into this atrocity of a marriage, I want to help you understand what I've been raised to understand about how to best operate. I refuse to spend my life hiding away like I should be ashamed to exist."
"Heh, well I definitely understand not wanting to hide. Hermione and Ron had to work pretty hard to convince me not to just charge the ministry, and they weren't actually entirely successful at that. Well if you actually want to spend time with me, I won't say no to your help, I suppose."
Despite both his own and Daphne's words, Harry wasn't actually especially interested in a confrontation with Daphne's father. Kingsley probably wouldn't approve of Harry dueling the man right here in the ministry. So Harry quickly cut through the crowd of old people chatting and took his seat. This also had the added benefit of allowing Harry some more time to discuss what to expect from this meeting with Daphne.
"So, You know what is what, Daphne. Will we get this done and over with today?"
"I'm afraid I rather doubt it, Harry. First of all, you were at work, so you didn't get your post, but I did. The first half will be a trial again, for all those death eaters you captured yesterday. It sounds like it will be a group trial for the lot of them, followed by a discussion on prison reform I didn't understand, Then we break for lunch, and then discussion of the first round of questions will resume, since we are meeting today instead of the planned several weeks from yesterday, likely to ensure no one tries a motion to adjourn."
Harry had to suppress a groan. He wasn't sure he entirely succeeded. This was going to be terrible. All day.
"At least the trial portion might be fun. I hope Robbards and Kingsley got at least one of the prats to flip on the other scum. I didn't get to interrogate them last night."
Harry saw the look on Daphne's face, and realized how she was taking his bemoaning the previous night.
"I'm not that sorry. For all the drama, I think last night is looking more positive than negative. You at least didn't have to return to your dickhead of a father."
She seemed to appreciate that. "I did end up sleeping quite well, thank you. Now, what is this about prison reform?"
Harry figured if it was on the official agenda, there was no harm in telling Daphne the general points, at least.
"Well the Dementors joined up with Riddle pretty explicitly this time, right? I didn't trust them to begin with, the ministry never should have relied on such horrid dark creatures. Now? Hell no. I don't want to arrest dark wizards just for them to walk out with a pack of dementors to torment innocent people, and Kingsley agrees. I don't know all of his long term plans, but frankly, I don't really care. All I know is it is long past time for a real change in how we deal with dark wizards and witches."
"But Harry, you need to realize that Azkaban wasn't set up the way it is without reason. Imprisoning wizards is not an easy feat. Even wandless, many are still capable of causing damage, possibly even enough to escape, just think of how many wizarding children discover their magic by accidentally apparating! Then there are the concerns with how to contain prisoners without spending untold resources on it."
"Sure, Daphne, but the way I see it, just because something is hard, doesn't make it wrong to do."
"Oh you are such a Gryffindor sometimes!"
"Thanks." was all Harry felt the need to respond further with.
Still, Harry supposed this was helpful. If even Daphne was this upset at the idea of doing such an obvious change, simply for fear of it being difficult or complicated, Harry assumed most other members would be far louder in their opposition. Saying no really does seem to be far too easy at times for people with power. Harry had never been especially skilled at public speaking, whatever some have said. He felt even worse skilled at actually swaying already made up minds. It's a good thing that Daphne seems to want to fill that skill gap for him, if only he can get at least her to agree with his goal.
"Arse." was all Daphne had to say to show Harry he had a ways to go yet before he achieved that.
They made small talk for the remaining few minutes before Neville's Gran gaveled in the session. Immediately Kingsley moved to begin the trials, and Harry did start to understand what Daphne was talking about with regards to the expanded purview of this session. At this rate, it may well be time for Harry and Daphne's dreaded wedding by the time the session ends. So much could be done.
The trial was far more unremarkable than the one for the Malfoys. More than half of the prisoners had already been sentenced to lifetime imprisonment. The elder Goyle made a halfhearted attempt to claim he'd been under the imperius curse, but no one was buying that from marked death eaters this time around.
In the end, The ones who already had been sentenced to life were stripped of their wealth similarly to what was done with the malfoys for crimes committed since their escape, while the rest were given life sentences of their own after only a little testimony. The sentences for the latter set of death eaters passed unanimously, while Harry did note that despite the likes of the Lestrange brothers being even worse, almost a dozen Wizengamot members did vote against confiscating their corrupt wealth. Harry made a note to try to remember all twelve names, and ask Daphne for advice on how to persuade them better in the future.
Harry didn't even wind up speaking much during the trial after his initial testimony of the arrest itself. He tried to ignore the looks of amazement and shock around the chamber when he described clearing out the dementors and ambushing the attackers mostly on his own. Harry wasn't entirely sure why he suddenly seemed much more powerful than he had been previously, but if the story of the Elder wand was still out there, he really needed to tamp down these displays before he attracted the wrong sort of attention.
The really difficult part did turn out to be determining the proper location for the death eaters to serve out their sentences.
"We've used Azkaban for centuries! I will admit the last few years have been most unfortunate, but now that the dementors have been shown who is in charge, I see no reason not to continue with what has been an otherwise perfect record of holding the worst of the worst!"
Harry didn't have the foggiest who Thomas Wiggen was, but he was certainly proving a passionate orator in defense of the obvious stupidity and inhumanity of continuing to use the dementors and Azkaban as if no escapes had occurred at all.
"He's been well coached." was all Daphne had to add. Harry supposed that made some sense though. He didn't know most of the members of the wizengamot, but if this Wiggen bloke was being used as a puppet for the traditionalists who were smart enough not to openly declare themselves so quickly, Harry agreed it seemed he was at least a capable puppet, which he found most annoying.
"I guess the annoying question is, 'coached by whom'?" Was his muttered response.
"At a guess, My father tops the list, likely joined by The Selwyns, Non-arrested Notts, and Parkinson's grandparents. But it isn't impossible that families like the Smiths, Diggorys, McClaggens, Shafiqs, or others may be backing this. They all may have opposed The Death Eaters, but are certainly not the revolutionaries that our generation or the Weasleys and Longbottoms have become."
"Oh, so our only list of potential suspects is over half the members of this bloody useless group of backwards fogeys. That certainly helps narrow it down. Thanks Daphne."
"Don't blame me Harry, I tried to warn you this wouldn't be popular with anyone not already fully on board. This is honestly the problem not only you, but the likes of Lucius Malfoy had with this process. You don't know how to construct an argument for those who do not already agree with you. Malfoy just used bribes and threats to shore up that weakness, but just look at his lasting legacy of legislative accomplishments. He never got his own seat on the Wizengamot, something the Malfoys have been chasing for a century now. Dumbledore was never truly removed from Hogwarts. You need to actually put the dirty, dull, tedious work in if you want 'old backwards fogeys' to agree with and support you."
"Arrgh!" Harry groaned. " I know you are probably right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
"Don't worry, at least today, I suspect Madame Longbottom's position as chief warlock will prove a key triumph. She won't even have to speak for herself, just call on the likes of Doge or Jones, or Diggle to bring up her family, and the fact that this is not the first time several of these Death Eaters Have been sent to the care of the dementors. I don't know what plan Shacklebolt is going to work out, but this will pass. The real fights will form and be waged later, if you want my best guess."
"You just keep reminding me of how much more of this there is. I've only been a member of the wizengamot a few days, and already I'm ready to be shot of it all. I just don't see how you wrap your head around all this stuff. Why can't people just say what they mean and stand by their beliefs?"
"I know you won't like to hear this Harry, but Arthur Weasely is quite famous for standing by his clearly stated principles. My father is not. Arthur Weasley is impoverished even before the toll of the War, my father is wealthy. These are not all unrelated facts."
Daphne guessed right, Harry wasn't happy to hear this, and made sure to tell her as much.
"Well that's just absolute bollocks then. There are so many things more important than money, and I'm more happy than ever that the ministry will be finding better uses for it than letting the Lestranges, Malfoys, and their ilk use it to protect their bullying and corruption. I swear to you Daphne, If draining every coin from my vault will make the world a better place for more people, I'll do it in a heartbeat."
"You say that today Harry, but as much as the thought of this honestly still makes me want to be sick right here in the chamber,in less than a year, we are going to have a child together. You and I will create a life, and we will be responsible for that life's future. From what you told me last night, surely you of all people can recognize that protecting that future is easier with, than without gold."
The reminder that it looked unavoidable that Harry would actually have to marry Daphne and...procreate sent a shiver down Harry's spine. He agreed with Daphne's statement about wanting to be sick.
"Actually I of all people know it is love, not gold our….child will need, and it terrifies me that I don't know how we will ever provide enough of that. My cousin had plenty, Malfoy had plenty, Ron had almost nothing. Dudley seemed to have finally made contact between his few brain cells and found his way to being a better bloke than his father, but I'd still take Ron and his family every time. Every. Single. Time."
Daphne let the conversation drop there, and Harry was grateful for that. He didn't want to think anymore about how on earth they were going to raise children, let alone….create them. Harry almost laughed to himself. Daphne had found a topic that he'd prefer listening to madly boring wizengamot discussions to even thinking about.
About an hour later, The discussion had gone precisely as Daphne had predicted, and a vote was held and passed easily to allow the ministry to choose their own method and location of securing prisoners going forward, and they finally were allowed to break for lunch.
As was of course only natural at this point in his life, Harry was immediately beset as soon as he and Daphne exited the chamber. Not by Wizengamot members trying to restart arguments or people asking for autographs, but by his boss.
"Potter! One decent showing and you think I'll pay you to sit on your arse all day? What part of this department is severely understaffed has sailed past your head? Are you an Auror in my department, or a lord on the Wizengamot? You cannot be both, not right now. So, which is it going to be?"
Harry was shocked. He thought he was doing quite well honestly. but then again, There was a lot more immediate work Harry needed to do as an Auror. He wanted to support Kingsley, to make the Wizenamot not be such a useless group, but the fact remained it currently was still a useless group.
"No, I'm sorry Chief. You are right, I want to be an Auror, not a ponce. I only really stayed yesterday because I wanted to help the Minister. I don't think I'll avoid voting on important bills, I think the department can be served if I am there sometimes advocating for it, but I know where I am best qualified to do the most good. After lunch, I'll report for duty, I swear."
Robbard's mustache twitched with a snort. "Good, might make an Auror out of ya yet Potter. You're not wrong of course, Shacklebolt does want ya operating in both rolls. That does mean doing the real job when not absolutely essential though, and I'll not expense you for non trial hours."
With that, Robbards was gone. Harry saw the look on Daphne's face, and decided to head off the argument before it started. He hoped.
"Don't look at me like that Daphne. I know you know everything about this stuff, but let's be honest, I haven't the foggiest idea what I'm doing. A transfigured monkey could do this job about as well as me at this point. I am actually good at catching Dark Wizards though. Yeah, a lot of beating Riddle was luck and help. I'll remind all the idiotic fans that for the rest of my life, I'm sure. But I can't deny that I left school with few other useful skills."
When she didn't immediately jump down his throat, Harry continued.
"Long term I'm sure I'll do more Wizengamot stuff. But right now, I want to grab some lunch, maybe at the same place we went with Luna. Then you can do whatever you want honestly. Go back for the rest of the session, go home, go shopping, I'm not going to imprison you more than this stupid contract already imprisons both of us."
Daphne blinked for a second, then responded, "Harry, you don't seem to understand. The minister needs you more than even he likely realizes. Like it or not, even after this war, far more sitting members agree with my father on traditionalism than agree with Weasley. Morganna, if not for this blasted fool contract being botched so massively, I'd still agree far more with my father. You are the hero who won the war. Dumbledore may not have become minister after Grindlewald, but he did a lot to enact reforms I grew up opposed to just on the strength of that symbolism. You will have that power for a limited window, you can catch violent nutters until old age."
"Well Dumbledore was a lot better at this kind of thing than I am. I'm not just not good at this stuff, I am actively rubbish at it. Absolute pants. I'm glad now that these bullshit traditions have harmed your sacred personage, you realize they are rubbish. I'm glad you are so invested in helping Kings-Shacklebolt achieve reforms. But I'm not doing anything to help that."
"I know the reputation I have for rash action, but from my perspective, I've been far too slow to act. How many died while I dithered around, despite knowing what I had to do to end it? How many more could I have saved if I had been clever enough to figure it all out months earlier than I did? Dozens, hundreds of people have died. Many of those, great witches and wizards, died specifically so that I could live. I can't imagine a worse disservice to them than wasting even a second of the life they have given me."
"That's just it though Harry, what is a better use of that life? Arresting blokes like Mundungus Fletcher for the next 50 years, or actually changing and improving for the world those people died fighting for? I know you don't like the wizengamot. I imagine it is a far cry from dodging curses or blasting dark creatures. That doesn't make it any less meaningful. The slow, gritty bureaucratic fight for change is the lasting change. Our generation is the proof of it. Dumbledore was perhaps too subtle by half, but look at the world today, vs even the world when we were born."
"Yeah, but at the same time, look how many people that still kept their wealth and influence after the last war are not going to be keeping them this time around," was Harry's quick retort. "I'm not saying I don't want Shack to fight the fight he is fighting, just that it isn't where I feel best at."
"I understand that Harry, but at the same time, I honestly think you can make more of a difference in this fight than as an auror. The Minister will lose more than he will win if you appear to have abandoned him. If you think these last days have been contentious, you have seen nothing. This is unity and harmony unheard of in the chamber. That is a gift you just should not throw away."
"Ugh! You see what I mean? I can't even win an argument with you about whether I should do my job and obey my boss. How do you expect me to possibly convince anyone in that chamber of anything?" Harry was starting to feel really exasperated. It wasn't rough to have wasted all morning, they were still half a block from the bistro because arguing had slowed down his walking pace.
Harry actually skipped a step at the realization he had not even realized Daphne had been following him through the streets of muggle London this whole time.
"Wait!" He interrupted her retort to his last point, "We could be in huge trouble here, we can't just keep talking about all this around muggles!"
Daphne actually laughed at him at that point. Merlin's saggy balls the woman could be infuriating at times.
"Don't worry Harry, I'm pretty good at privacy charms, remember? I started casting several as soon as we got on the streets. As long as we don't make a spectacle of ourselves-say by stopping in the middle of the sidewalk- we aren't in any danger of breaking the statute. It is quite funny though that the mighty Auror, who will definitely do all of the lasting, world saving good, completely missed my casting of multiple spells. Including transfiguring our robes into the ghastly muggle clothes again. I suppose I can see how it did take you a while to sort out things. You are impressively oblivious at times."
Now That was the sort of low blow Harry had come to expect from Slytherins, and it really wasn't helping his mood. Why couldn't she just go do something else in the city, enjoy some freedom, and let him be?
"Now we are starting to sound like Ron and Hermione, And I refuse to start getting into rows like they used to already. Maybe after years stuck with each other, but I really don't want to start this soon. Since you've followed me this far, can I get us lunch, and we just drop this, for now at least?"
"I actually have some gold on me, I will pay you back for my meal. This is not our first date, Harry."
Harry hadn't even thought of that. They would actually be eating out alone, how would this not be a date.
He enquired as much. "Isn't it though? I get it wasn't when Luna tagged along, but we are eating at a restaurant, why not just let me pay and call our first date done with?"
"What a stunning romantic you are. Could it possibly occur to you that I might wish for something slightly more intentional for the first date with my Husband? Like it or not, we are going to have children. I don't want to be rude, but children ask their parents about the story of the first date. It often sets the narrative for the entire relationship. I'm not going to demand much from you, given our situation, I've already been denied anything approaching a proper proposal thanks to my father. Let me have a nice first date at least."
Harry stopped himself from arguing back. He was not going to row with her. He was not going to let her get him going.
"Fine, we'll figure out what you owe me and you can pay me back."
"Thank you Harry, learning to admit defeat will also be a good omen for the story of the rest of our relationship." Harry saw the mischievous twinkle in her eye. She was goading him and knew he knew it! Argh she was impossible! Absolutely impossible!
"But I too can admit defeat. You are not trained to be a proper Lord, I am though. If we lean into our damned betrothal, and you can try, try to trust me just a little. Perhaps I can proxy for you in a more full time capacity until you realize I am right about the wizengamot's importance. It won't be as powerful as you yourself being in the chamber, but if we can manage a public showing of your support for me, it could still keep reform alive at least."
"I dunno Daphne, it was one thing with the emergency, but I just, I still barely know you to be perfectly honest. How can I know you won't use all those connections and knowledge just to stymie Shack? Hell, is this just a scheme to take my vote for yourself?"
Daphne actually looked offended at that. "I am not doing that Harry. I'm sure my father would be downright giddy at the prospect, and if you trust nothing else from me, trust that right now anything that pleases my father is something I oppose with my entire heart and soul."
Harry supposed that did make a fair bit of sense. He certainly wouldn't do anything that might even accidentally make Uncle Vernon more powerful and happy at this point in his life, why should he think Daphne would suddenly go right back to her arse of a father. Besides, it wasn't like Harry would have no means of knowing what she was doing in his name. Luna had already promised to watch her once, and she was far from Harry's only friend in that chamber. They just all annoyingly sat on the opposite side from his stupid designated Black seat. Terribly inconvenient for conversation, but useful for seeing whatever Daphne might do.
Daphne wasn't a fool, either. She surely knew this. Probably understood it before he even did. So maybe her offer was the solution she presented it as.
"Fine, that does make sense," Harry finally said, as they neared the bistro, "And you'll see when I save lives and stop dangerous people, while you debate comma placement, which of us was right about how best to help people."
Harry did enjoy introducing Daphne to more Muggle food on the menu. This place really was nice. The food was reasonably priced, and plenty tasty. Harry rather suspected living and working in London was going to make him a regular here. It was funny watching Daphne struggle with figuring out the muggle prices listed on the menu, But he resisted the impulse to needle her about reminding him of Arthur Weasley. A high compliment he just knew she'd take as an insult.
Certainly Harry was convinced that there was no way any blood supremacy beliefs could withstand a good tikka masala, and this place certainly served a fine one. Harry owed Luna a big thank you for recommending the place for sure.
After lunch, they still had nearly half an hour before they had to be back at the Ministry, so Harry decided to pop over to Diagon Alley, so he could follow through on his plan to deposit the Signet ring, plus pull some gold for Daphne to use to buy herself personal affects she was giving up by refusing to return to her father.
Of course, that meant using the knight bus, and watching Daphne barely suppress her laughter at his expense as he was tossed around the bus like a sack of potatoes, while she somehow kept perfect poise and balance the entire mad two minute ride.
"How on earth do you do that?" He complained as they stepped off and walked into the entrance of the Alley.
"Practice, really. I've taken the bus several times since childhood, and the balance demands of my governesses and charm school teachers were often far more difficult. There were rumors in Slytherin that you struggled with transportation that wasn't broomsticks worse than most muggle-borns. I see those were quite true then?"
"It is not my fault, everything else is simply completely mad methods of travel! Brooms make sense, I can control my broom, I can't control any other method of magical travel I have yet been introduced to."
"Well that is just another area you are lucky to have my help then, I suppose. I'll Just have to give you the education in how to master all forms of travel you clearly have been sorely missing."
Harry chose to let her have that haughty final word on the matter as part of his continuing efforts to not row with her. They hurried into Gringotts, where Harry could not ignore the significant increase in security trolls and such since the incident nearly a week ago.
It was actually just around the same time that that thought struck Harry that it occurred to him that waltzing into Gringotts like he had not successfully broken in and out less than a week prior may not have been the smartest move. He managed to get his wand out before the nearest armored goblin had a sword at his throat, but Harry didn't like his odds as security alarms blared and more goblins streamed into the atrium.
He was about to just grab Daphne and try to apparate out when one Goblin, in what looked like solid gold armor, covered in jewels and a very distressing amount of bloodstained spikes on what looked like some sort of crowned helm addressed him in an authoritative command.
"HARRY POTTER! The next spell you attempt to cast will be your last Wizard! You can't apparate out, and my guards will kill you where you stand! Put your damn wand away and face justice for your actions against the Goblin Nation!"
"Merlin," Harry heard Daphne whisper next to him, "That has to be the Goblin King, Jareth! He hasn't dealt with a wizard other than the minister of magic in over a century!"
"Really not interested in history lessons right now Daphne." Harry muttered as he weighed his options. It seemed too much to hope the Goblin was bluffing about having anti-apparition wards up, and Harry may not have paid as much attention as he wished right now to Binns' lectures, but Harry assumed that armor must be pretty resistant to wand magic if Goblins had actually had multiple rebellions in the past, so even as boosted as his magic had been recently, Fighting seemed a pretty dire option as well. That left just one option as far as Harry could tell, and it wasn't exactly his strong suit. He was going to have to try to talk his way out of summary execution as the first blow in a new goblin Rebellion.
As he slowly put away his want, Harry turned to Daphne, trying to mask his nervousness, he said, "Remember how we said I make history like it's Tuesday? Looks like this is shaping up to be a real Tuesday of a Thursday, sorry."