Chapter Twelve: Waiting for the Weasleys

Daphne just managed to hold her footing as she and Harry slammed into the hard floor of a darkened room. A long table stood before her, cabinets were ajar and a mountain of plates and mugs were gathering in what she guessed was the sink looking as abandoned and forgotten as the many owls who were given to spoilt children at was filthy, as if the occupant had been living alone for far too long and stopped caring about what people thought. If people even bothered to see this place.

So this was the home of Sirius Black. She did not know what she had been expecting, but the squalid, dank room was far from the picture she had vaguely conjured up in her mind when Dumbledore had said she should accompany Harry only minutes before. This, she was sure, was easily one of the weirdest nights she had had in her life. One minute, she had been enjoying helping Harry, perfectly at ease and without a real care in the world. The next, Mr Weasley was dying and she had been forced to watch Harry be… possessed? She wasn't sure, but whatever it was had not been a normal dream. Watching him writhe and scream, caked in sweat and puking, there was no way that was just a nightmare.

It was not a scene she ever wanted to witness again.

Running footsteps alerted her to the arrival of Sirius Black and a second later the door to her left swung open and she was face to face with a man whose wanted poster had made her blood run cold. He was tall and more haggard than she had seen him back then. Long dark hair swung across his face, but when a bony hand brushed it back she could see the pinched face was tight with concern. He looked nothing like the mass murderer she had been told he was for so many years, but rather a concerned parent desperate to find their child.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hurrying over to Harry whose skin was still pale. "What happened? Phineas said something about Arthur being hurt?"

"He was attacked," said Harry quietly.

"They've taken him to St. Mungo's," Daphne explained, in an effort to try and relieve Harry from telling the story for a third time that night. "I'm Daphne, by the way," she added, somewhat nervously as his dark eyes moved from Harry to her. "It's nice to meet you?" The lilt quirking at the end of her words was inspired more by the sheer absurdity of their situation, rather than whether or not it was actually nice to meet Sirius. She had expected that she might, one day, but not like this.

"Yes, Harry's told me about you," Sirius said, not unkindly but without any real warmth either and Daphne remembered that this was the man who believed her father was a real Death Eater — just like everyone else. "But that's good. At least he's in the right place. There's not a lot we can do now except wait. Do the others know?"

"Dumbledore said he's telling Mrs Weasley," Daphne explained, "but not Ron or anyone else. They're still asleep."

"And what were you two doing at midnight?" Sirius asked, a little accusatory glance shot Daphne's way. "I take it you weren't in Gryffindor Tower?"

"We were studying," answered Daphne, levelly. She knew the look he was giving her all too well, it was the same one any student who saw her and Harry together gave her. Harry nodded, saying nothing. Both she and Sirius watched him, it looked as though he wanted to puke again, but not from illness this time. His eyes were dark, his jaw clenched, she could only imagine what he was feeling. Actually being the snake. But how had he been the snake? It was nothing like Daphne had ever heard of before and from the way Dumbledore had acted. It clearly scared him too. What was so bad that it could scare Dumbledore?

"That what they call it these days?" Sirius said, with the forced jovial tone of a man who had seen his own nightmares daily and didn't fancy revisiting them anytime soon. "I wish we'd known about the Room of Requirement in our day, James would have a field day."

James, Harry's dad. It was weird to think that Sirius Black of all people was Harry's father's best friend. It was stranger still that he was talking to her like a normal person, or that she was talking to him without contacting the Ministry for his arrest.

When Harry didn't react, Sirius coughed and looked around.

"Sorry about the mess. I wasn't expecting visitors. Look, you too sit down. Let's get some drinks and a bit of light in here." He drew a chair for Harry, and once Daphne had helped him into it, Daphne. "Kreacher! Kreacher!" There was no reply. "Damned elf's hiding somewhere, I guess we'll do it ourselves."

He waved his wand and candles burst into life, the fireplace by which Daphne and Harry were standing also erupted, bathing the room in a warm flickering orange light and illuminating just how bad Sirius had let it go. Melissa Greengrass would have a fit if she saw a house like this, Daphne mused, her mother hated mess as much as she hated people. No, she mentally corrected herself, as much as she hated the wrong people.

To say that it was awkward was an understatement. They sat in silence, each clutching a Butterbeer. Harry stared at the rim of his, saying nothing, and refusing to look at any of them. Sirius tried to strike up a conversation with him once or twice, but nothing worked. He looked helplessly at Daphne, who realised with a jolt that she had probably spent more time with him than Sirius had. When had they even got to see each other, anyway?

"Is this is your house then?" Daphne forced herself to ask, knowing that the questions pounded stupid even as she said it.

"My parents," Sirius answered, looking a mixture of annoyed at the answer and grateful to be speaking for the first time in about half an hour. "Never thought I'd come back here to tell you the truth, but it's the safest house in Britain. Not even Voldemort could get in here. It's got every magical protection known to wizard kind, and quite a few that are unknown I'd imagine."

"Is that why you're here?"

"I can't exactly go wandering the streets, can I?" He asked bitterly before adding hastily, glancing at Harry, "But it could be worse. I get a few visitors sometimes, and Harry's staying for Christmas. Which reminds me, I've got something to show you. C'mon, it won't take a second."

He got up, giving Harry no choice but to follow him. Daphne watched on for a second, not sure if she should join them but then heard "you too, you'll like this. But keep quiet when we get in the hall."

Doing as she was told, Daphne followed Harry and Sirius up out of the kitchen and into a musty hallway. One wall was dominated by what looked like a large painting underneath a huge sheet, no doubt asleep and likely what Sirius wanted to avoid waking up. He led them up a few flights of stairs and into a large room that had probably been an old Drawing Room. It was huge and impressive and had it been filled with furniture it would have been the perfect place for guests. Daphne had heard her mother talk fondly about the old Black family, the people Sirius regarded with such open disdain.

Yet the room lay rather bare, that was until Sirius waved his wand and a large dummy that had been crumpled in the corner came to life and began marching with stiff, stickarto, movements to the middle of the room. On the far wall was a large bookshelf, rammed full of battered old books, their spines broken from use.

"It's a training dummy," Sirius explained, "we used to use them in the academy to practice training. Helps improve your aim, and over here," he pointed to the bookshelves, "I've been getting Dung to find me every book he can on defensive magic. It's not been easy, some of those copies are really rare. I've had to give him loads of stuff Kreacher kept onto from the clean over the summer. Thought it'd be good to get you started on the advanced stuff. Both of you, if you like? Dumbledore said you'd be here for a few days."

"Yeah, that'd be great." Daphne grinned, forcing some form of enthusiasm into her voice. Harry was still refusing to look at her or Sirius.

"Yeah, great," he mumbled, looking at his shoes.

"We don't have to start now," Sirius added, "but I thought you'd like to see it. Mad-Eye even said he'll come over after Christmas and give us a hand. He might be barking but he's a damn good teacher, Mad-Eye."

"Did you manage to get a copy of Crippling Curses and Counter-Curses?" Daphne asked. It was a book she remembered reading in a list of recommended reading a long time ago, but had never found a copy of. It was also the first thing that came to mind as she watched Sirius flounder, desperately trying to help Harry but unable to get in. It was clear he wanted to say something, but either did not have the words or did not want to say them in front of Daphne.

"Dung sent it a few weeks ago," Sirius said proudly, going over to the shelves and picking it out. The red leather binding had cracked in places, but when Daphne opened it up she could see whoever had owned it had taken great care of the pages within. "We've got pretty much everything there we could need. Hermione'll probably cry when she sees it, though best not tell her where we got them. She doesn't approve of Dung."

"Why not?"

"He's not exactly what we'd call a legitimate business man," Sirius said, "but he's bloody good at finding stuff no-one else can." He glanced at his drink which was now empty. "Better get a new one, you two alright up here?"

Daphne nodded and Sirius gave her a grateful, if thin, smile. He patted Harry on the shoulder as he left and Daphne waited until his footsteps had died away before speaking.

"You alright, Harry?"

"What?" Harry jumped, as if he hadn't even been listening to anything that had been happening around him. "Yeah. Fine."

"You're a better teacher than you are a liar," Daphne said, trying to joke but failing. "Look, I'm not going to pretend I know what that was like. Watching all that happen. But he's going to be okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

"I didn't just watch it happen though," Harry said darkly. "I… I was the snake. I felt what it wanted, I did want it. And there was a moment with Dumbledore when I looked at him and… and I wanted to hurt him, like really hurt him."

"My dad had that," Daphne said, taking a step closer to Harry, trying to get him to look at her but his eyes stayed resolutely glued to the floor as though he was scared he'd want to attack her too. It was exactly the same way her father would look at her, every day for years, somewhere behind his eyes was just fear that he would attack her or Astoria. Merlin, she wished she'd known him before the Death Eaters had gotten their hands on him. Before You Know Who had sent one of them to take his life from him. Oh yes, he'd killed him alright, just a few years too early.

"He'd had all these thoughts pushed into his head, not his thoughts but they were there anyway and sometimes he'd slip back into them. He thought he was becoming that person again. But it stopped after a while. It's probably the same with you, it's like an after effect. But you didn't hurt Ron's dad, alright?"

Harry said nothing, she could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"You saved his life, when they tell us he's fine — and they will tell us he's fine, Harry — it'll be because of you. That snake wasn't you." She paused for a moment, trying to get up the courage to say what she knew had to come next. "Voldemort isn't you. I don't know but you can see in his head, right? Seeing isn't the same as being, Harry. I know it's hard, I know it's insanely hard to get that, but you're not Voldemort. You're a good person, a good friend, you'd never do that. Ever."

She was close enough now that she could reach his hand, just as she had done in Dumbledore's office. Just as she had done for her father all those years ago. She gently wrapped hers around his and finally, for the first time since they had left Dumledore's office hours before, he let himself look at her. Emerald green eyes shining with tears and fear and something else she couldn't quite recognise.

"But what if it's different, what if this is something else?"

"Then we figure it out," Daphne told him firmly. "Dumbledore was right about one thing, we're friends. Sure, this isn't how I saw my night going, but I'm still here."

It wasn't as if she hadn't known something like this would happen. The closer she got to him the more little snippets of conversation had revealed just how crazy his life was, and yet she didn't walk away. The thought never even crossed her mind, not once. He had stuck by her, let Tracey in, even entertained Astoria. She wasn't about to ditch him just because things got a little weird. Okay, a lot weird, but still, she wasn't going anywhere.

"There's stuff you can do," she continued, "if it's really getting to you. My dad was told to do Occlumency, by the Healers. It's a way to protect your mind, but the benefit is you kind of clear it too. It's like finding a calm place and just staying there. I've got some books at home, I'm pretty sure. I could find them, if you wanted?"

"Maybe."

"You don't have to decide now, my point is, there's options. You're not alone and you're not done yet, not by a long shot. It's going to take more than a weird dream to finish you off."

"Are you sure you're okay with staying a few days?" he asked, and even as he spoke Daphne was sure she heard Sirius on the stairs, teetering on the edge and waiting for his godson to finish speaking.

"Of course, I would even if Dumbledore hadn't asked me to." Daphne smiled, squeezing the hand she realised she was still holding. "You can teach me all this cool stuff, never know I might actually beat Hermione for a change."

It wasn't a good joke, but it didn't have to be. Harry smiled a watery smile as a small laugh escaping his lips. "You know she'll lose it."

"Yeah, well, it's about time someone beat her to something." Daphne shrugged. "Apart from you, of course, when you get the highest marks ever for your Defence O.W.L I can't wait to see Umbridge's face when you take that exam."

"It'll be better when she sees Neville," Harry grinned, "do you know she docked him points because he was reading about defensive spells in the library?"

"That sounds like her," Daphne sighed, "still, look on the bright side, she'll be gone by the end of the year."

"What d'you mean?"

"The job's cursed." She held up a hand, counting. "First Quirrel did, well, whatever happened with you. Then there was Lockhart, just vanished off the face of the Earth after going into the Chamber of Secrets with you and Ron. Then Lupin when the board found he was a werewolf and Mad-Eye, less said about whatever the hell happened there the better."

It was only as she said it all out loud that she became painfully aware that Harry had been involved in near-death experiences with every single one of the Professors meant to stop him from facing the Dark Arts. That wasn't exactly a great track record, she wondered what Umbridge's would be.

"My point is," she continued, after that rather sobering thought. "Umbridge won't see the year out. I bet you anything."

"Knowing our luck she'd be the only one to see it out."

"You always were a ray of sunshine," Daphne commented sarcastically as Sirius made a show of walking up the stairs very loudly.

"What's this I hear about Umbridge?" he asked, as if he didn't know. Harry seemed to not have realised but Daphne had to resist rolling her eyes at his godfather's middle of the road acting skills. If he ever stopped being a fugitive the stage was not his calling.

"Daph reckons she'll be out by the end of the year," Harry said, far happier than he had been for the last few hours. "Says the job's cursed."

"Wouldn't surprise me, can't remember the last time they had a teacher last more than a year. Remus reckons they're going to have to start getting teachers from abroad if they're not careful."

"Just pray we don't get any of that Beauxbaton lot," Daphne moaned. She had hated the Beauxbaton students with a passion for the entire year they had been at Hogwarts. All their stupid walking about and laughing, throwing back their hair and watching as various groups of boys stared at them. It was enough to make her stomach turn. Have a bit of self-respect.

"I dunno, better than Durmstrang," Harry pointed out.

"Or you could end up with a professor from Ilvermorny," Sirius added, "Dumbledore's always had a good relationship with that lot."

"They're the American school?" Daphne checked, the name ringing a faint bell in her mind.

"Yeah, which considering they take on students from basically a whole continent I'd say they're pretty good." Sirius conceded. "Not that you can beat Hogwarts."

"You can these days," Harry said, "Umbridge is on the warpath, we're Educational Decree, what is it, 25?"

"Yeah, the one where she gets to control all the punishments."

"She can do what?" asked Sirius, loudly. "After that damn blood quill, they're letting her decide punishments?"

"What blood quill?" Daphne asked, though she had a feeling she knew judging by the way that Harry shifted his left hand away from her and Sirius looked guilty. A chill hushed over the both and crept up the back of her neck, making her skin crawl and the anger that had been bubbling up inside her at You Know Who find a whole new direction. "She made you use a blood quill on yourself, didn't she?" But she didn't need telling. It was written all over his face. "Wonderful, well we really had better not be caught. That evil hag. I am not touching one of those things, they're disgusting. Merlin knows how she got hold of one."

It took everything she had not to start screaming about how much of an injustice it was on Harry that he had been forced to use one, because the last thing he needed was to be the centre of attention for a third time that evening. She wondered how much Fudge really knew about what was happening at Hogwarts. Even he, surely, wouldn't allow a blood quill to be used on students. They were banned for a reason.

"Doesn't matter anymore, she can use it as much as she wants."

"They could still sack her if they found it," Daphne pointed out.

"McGonagall said we'd need more proof, said Umbridge'd just say Dumbledore planted it or I'd been lying about the whole thing if I went to the Ministry and she'd get rid of it."

"True, to be honest any accusation that comes from staff will just look like he's put them up to it." But a parent, that's different, people don't mess about with parents. The idea of a plan was forming in her brain, there were only certain people who the Ministry would believe without dismissing them straight away. And only after everyone already knew. Fudge wouldn't like how that looked one bit.

"I don't know why Dumbledore gave her the job in the first place," Sirius said, "even Snivellous would be better than her and he's been desperate for the job for years." He looked as though what he said caused him physical pain. "Snape or Umbridge, what a disgusting choice."

"It's a shame you can't do it. You'd be great and imagine the look on Snape's face when he saw you." Harry grinned from ear to ear, no doubt picturing the hook-nosed Potions master glaring at his godfather in the corridors.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, "I think he'd quit on the spot."

He really was nothing like Daphne had expected at all. The longer the evening had worn on, the more she knew that every word she had heard about him was a lie. He was funny, if not irrational and boisterous, but he truly did care about Harry. It was good in a way. At least Harry liked what family he had left.

Their conversation was interrupted by a flash of flame that caused Harry and Daphne to jump. Sirius, who seemed to have been expected it, leapt to his feet and snatched a note out of the air.

"It's from Dumbledore," he told them, reading quickly. "Arthur's going to be alright. They've finished operating on him, Molly's there with him now."

"He's alright?" Harry repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, he's fine, see for yourself." He passed Harry the note, grinning. "Looks like you got him there just in time." He checked his watch as Harry read and re-read the note, as if not daring to believe what he was reading. "Merlin's beard, it's early. I reckon we deserve a spot of breakfast, don't you?"

It was only when Sirius mentioned food that Daphne realised just how hungry she was. The worrying over what would happen to Ron's dad, and more importantly from her point of view anyway, how it would affect Harry. It had been all she'd been able to think about for the hours that had felt like days in the kitchen.

"C'mon, I'll get Kreacher to sort us something. Kreacher!" But there was no House Elf in sight. Daphne frowned. House Elves normally answered their masters summons within an instant. Mopsy, her mother's elf, always did. "Must be upstairs. Well, I'll see what we've got."

Together they headed downstairs, once again falling silent in the hall. Once they made it through to the kitchen and Sirius began loudly busying himself with pans and a collection of bacon, sausage, eggs and toast, did Daphne say quietly to Harry: "See, not Voldemort."

He gave her a small, grateful smile. "Yeah, not Voldemort."

Breakfast was a far less subdued affair, with Harry coming to life much more now that he knew Mr Weasley was going to be okay. Sirius too was brighter, quizzing them about life with Umbridge, how they met and what was going on with the Weasley's and Hermione — who he seemed to be quite familiar with.

"They stayed here over the summer," Harry explained, at Daphne's confused expression when Sirius mentioned Ginny by her first name for the second time that morning.

Breakfast soon finished and both Daphne and Harry found themselves longing for bed. They were just about to head upstairs when they heard footsteps upstairs.

"Expecting anyone?" Daphne asked, Sirius shook his head. He put a finger to his lips, gesturing them to head over to behind the fireplace. Slowly, he drew his wand and let the legs of his chair, which had been swinging in the air, quietly hit the stone floor before getting to his feet and walking over to the door. The footsteps were growing louder. In complete silence, Daphne watched as Sirius took up a position to the right of the door, pressing himself against the wall. Beside her, Harry too drew his wand.

The door swung open and Sirius and Harry leapt into the light, wands pointed at the newcomer who let out a yell of surprise.

"Oh, it's you Molly."

"Who in Merlin's name did you think it was?" Molly Weasley, Daphne presumed judging by the red hair and eyes she recognised all too well in her children, yelled in indignation.

"A Death Eater?" Sirius asked, sounding hopeful as he stowed his wand back in his pocket. Unseen by either of them Harry did the same, shooting Daphne a slightly guilty look which almost made her laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sirius," Mrs Weasley chastised, "hello, Harry dear."

"Hi, Mrs Weasley."

"And who's this?" Mrs Weasley asked fussily, walking over to Harry and Daphne, giving Harry a smothering hug in greeting. Daphne wished, more than ever, that she had been able to change out of her Slytherin robes before coming to Grimmauld Place. Mrs Wealsey's kind eyes shot to the crest, and though she might not have said anything, Daphne saw them harden and her smile tighten.

"Daphne," Harry answered, when he was free from the hug. "She's a friend," he added quickly, spotting the look that Daphne had noticed.

"I've heard so much about you," Daphne said, bending the truth in what she hoped was an attempt at flattery. Mrs Weasley, still suspicious, nodded.

"How's Arthur?" Sirius asked, distracting Mrs Weasley much to Daphne's relief. She was reminded of her conversation with Harry about Ron and Tracey and wondered if this was how she would react if Ron ever began dating her.

"Fine, he's fine. He's sleeping. Bill's with him. I've only just left, they're taking him onto a ward so we can visit him soon properly. The whole family, that includes you, Harry. Arthur will want to thank you in person when we've explained what happened. We all do." Her eyes, which had been so steely as she regarded Daphne, were now brimming with tears.

"It's fine," Harry said, quickly. "I didn't really do anything, it was mainly Dumbledore, he got people to go and find him."

"But you told Dumbledore," Mrs Weasley insisted.

"Actually that was Daph's idea," Harry corrected her, "I was all over the place, she dragged me there. I just saw it happen. That's all."

She felt her heart skip a beat at the unexpected praise. Her cheeks flushed as Mrs Weasley and Sirius looked at her, the former taken aback and the latter smiling with a pride that Daphne did not quite understand.

"Well," Mrs Weasley breathed, awkwardly, "thank you."

"No problem," Daphne smiled, equally awkwardly. Despite her bustling demeanour, Daphne had seen how Fred and George reacted to the mention of Mrs Weasley, and suspected that had Harry not said that she may have expected a similar type of wrath from the Weasley Matriarch from intruding on what was clearly a very personal moment.

"I'll let you know when we can go and visit," Mrs Weasley continued, speaking now to Harry. "And Dumbledore's going to tell everyone else in an hour or so, so we'll all be able to go together. Which reminds me, did Ron ask if you wanted to stop with us over Christmas? You're more than welcome, we've plenty of room."

Daphne knew that not telling Ron and Hermione would have torn Harry apart, but letting them sleep unaware of Mr Weasley's fight for his life would stop Umbridge being wary of why Harry and a bunch of other students had disappeared from their beds two days before the end of term.

"He's stopping here." announced Sirius, coolly. "Dumbledore agreed."

"Oh, I didn't… did he?" Mrs Weasley stammered, clearly distressed. She smoothed out her hair, gathering herself. "Sorry, Sirius, of course he is. Well, you're welcome to visit, of course, Harry dear. Ron'll be pleased to see you and Ginny I expect."

If Daphne had been wishing she was anywhere else when Mrs Weasley had entered the kitchen, that was nothing compared to how desperately she wanted to be in bed now. It was like being at the epicentre of a tornado of awkwardness. The same conclusions the whole school had jumped to were so obvious on Mrs Weasley's face she may as well get the betrothal contract out for her daughter there and then.

"Thanks, Mrs Weasley, but I'd like to stay with Sirius as much as I can. If that's alright?"

"Yes, yes, of course." Mrs Weasley said fussily. "We'll come here then, if that's okay with you, Sirius?"

"Fine." Which, of course, meant that it wasn't.

"Right," said Mrs Weasley, clearly flustered. The conversation had started as an emotional thank you to Harry, somehow ended up with Daphne being thanked and now Mrs Weasley was managing to offend Sirius. All while probably on no sleep, much like Sirius himself. Definitely not how she thought this night, now morning, would go. "Well, good. I'd better be getting home. Thank you again, Harry dear. You too, Daphne."

Both she and Harry repeated that it really was fine, because there isn't anything else you can say when someone is thanking you for saving their husband's life, Daphne mused. With that Mrs Weasley left and Sirius, whose jovial mood appeared to have died, suggested that it was time they all got some sleep.

"Harry you can have the room you had with Ron," Sirius said as they trudged up the stairs, all of them now exceptionally tired. "Daphne, if you go in here?." He gestured to a door on her left as they reached the first floor. "Any questions, I'm just upstairs or Harry can show you where stuff is."

"Thank you, for everything."

"Don't mention it," he said gruffly, but even in the dim light of the landing, Daphne could make out the shadow of a smile. "Well, I'll be off. See you whenever you wake up."

And with that he headed upstairs.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Daphne asked, as soon as she was sure he couldn't hear them. "That was the most awkward thing I've ever experienced and I have to have Christmas with my mother."

"Mrs Weasley looks at me as family, I don't think she's quite got used to the idea that Sirius does too." Harry explained, yawning. "I've been to theirs for summer and Christmas loads. Sirius gets a bit touchy about it."

"Can you blame him? It must feel like having the fact he can't be there for you all the time shoved his face."

"It's been loads better this year though. I'm hoping I can stay here over summer too, anywhere's better than the Dursley's."

"That's your muggle relatives, right?" Harry had never really spoken about his summer. All she knew about his relatives was that they didn't get on, and that she only inferred from brief mentions of them and the fact that she knew nothing about them. People generally spoke about others they liked. Especially family.

"Yeah, my uncle makes Umbridge look almost normal. I'd rather be here, but Sirius keeps dodging it every time I bring it up. I don't think Dumbledore'll let him, not for a whole summer anyway."

"How come?"

"No idea," Harry answered bitterly. "Today's the most we've spoken in weeks."

"I think you mean yesterday," Daphne joked, "or really early today. It's kind of hard to tell."

"Yeah we should probably go to bed," he stood there for a moment. Not looking at her again and for a moment Daphne wondered if he was thinking about that snake again, and wondering if he was going to bite her. She was about to say something when the truly unexpected happened. He hugged her. Shock made her freeze for a moment, before rational thought kicked in and she made herself hug him back, feeling utterly confused. Harry didn't hug. She'd only ever seen him hugged. Never the other way round.

"Thanks," he muttered when he pulled away, "for tonight. I mean it."

"Any time, seriously. Only have to ask."

"Cheers," Harry smiled, before taking a step back onto the landing. "I'll let you get some sleep."

"How kind," Daphne smirked, "good night, Harry."

"Night, Daph."

She let herself into the small room, not looking back as she heard Harry head to his own room. It was dark, cursing the damn trace she fumbled around, too lazy and too tired to bother finding a light, and let herself collapse onto the single bed nearest to her. Her entire body ached as tiredness hit her. She wanted to stay up and process everything that had just happened to her, think everything through. Sirius. Harry's ability to see into Voldemort's mind. The fact she could say Voldemort now, which was weird in itself. Mrs Weasley. Mr Weasley being okay. How Ron and the others would take it in a few short hours when they found out.

But even as she started to try and unpack all of this, she found it impossible to concentrate on one thought. Every time she did, it would disappear, as if she was trying to catch vapour from a cauldron. Exhausted, she closed her eyes, and within seconds felt herself drifting off, but not before giving a final thought to the hug Harry had given her in the hall.