Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K Rowling
AN: This story is part of the Halloween Collection on the Haphne Discord Server.
If you are interested in Haphne and want to have fun and wish to interact with other people, feel free to join the Haphne Discord Server.
Discord server link: discord dot gg/pKSdvJQvhU (just remember to replace 'dot' with '.')
"You're staring at her again." stated Neville, as they sat in the Great Hall for their evening dinner.
"I'm not!" replied back Harry, quickly whisking his eyes away from the blue eyed, blonde haired witch from the other side of the hall.
"Yeah right!" snorted his friend while he shook his head. "You should summon your Gryffindor courage and ask her out. The worst that could happen is you being rejected."
"You should take your own advice. Don't think I haven't noticed you staring at her companion." smirked Harry. Before a red-faced Neville could reply, Dumbledore stood up from his seat and immediately gathered everyone's attention.
"Now that dinner is over and we're all fed and watered, I have an announcement to make." Immediately the hall was filled with murmurs from the students who immediately began speculating about what the Headmaster was about to announce. "In two weeks' time, on the 31st of October, a Halloween Ball will take place in this Great Hall. All students from fourth year and above are allowed to attend. For those under fourth year, various activities will be held outside the castle of which you will be able to participate in." Dumbledore waited for a moment for the excited voices to calm down before ending his announcement, "Now that I've said what I wished, I believe it's time for all of you to head back to your common rooms. Off you trot!"
As Harry and his best friend Neville got up with the rest of the students, his eyes and Daphne's met. He felt comfortably warm as they stared at each other. Daphne had a small smile on her face. But just as quick it started it ended, much to his dismay. Little did he know, Daphne too felt the same way.
Daphne's eyes lingered on the raven haired boy as he walked out of the great hall alongside his best mate. Once he was no longer in her sight, she turned around and faced her friend, who she noticed had been staring at Neville.
"Come on, Trace. We're one of the last ones in the hall." she told her friend. The two of them made their way out of the hall to the Slytherin Common room.
As the two Gryffindor made their way to their common room, they were having similar thoughts as two Slytherin girls who were also on their way to their common room.
It had now been 3 days since the announcement of the Ball. Harry and Neville sat in the Great Hall, eating breakfast talking about quidditch when they were interrupted by a redhead and blonde girl.
As Lily ate her breakfast with the other teachers, she noticed the constant glances her son and godson made towards a pair of certain Slytherins. She couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at the two. The two boys had never acted this way towards any girl in his seven years at Hogwarts.
Much to her dismay, a pair of Hufflepuffs, Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot stood up from their house table and made their way towards the Gryffindor table. The two girls were previously in a relationship with Harry and Neville respectively until the boys ended it.
She looked towards her right, and her eyes locked with the Care of Magical Creatures Teacher, Alice Longbottom. Both had similar expressions on their faces. The two Hufflepuffs were airheaded like their mothers who were in the same year as Alice and Lily. Hence why the two mothers were thrilled when the boys for unknown reasons ended their relationships.
Before the two girls could say anything, they were saved by Hermione, who had just entered the great hall. "Ah, there you two are! I've been looking everywhere for the two of you! I guess it isn't a surprise that you forgot to meet me and the rest of the prefects half an hour ago! As Head Boy, Harry, you need to be there and so do you Neville because you're a prefect!"
The two boys in question looked sheepishly at each other. Before Hermione could get into further ranting at the two, they hurriedly got up, put an arm around Hermione's and quickly walked out the hall. Much to everyone's amusement and ire of the two Hufflepuffs.
"Thanks for that Hermione. We were in no mood to deal with those two." thanked Neville.
"No problem boys," smirked Hermione as she led them to an unused classroom for the prefect meeting.
"We weren't really 30 minutes later, were we?" questioned Harry, as the three entered an empty unused room.
"No, we are not," said Hermione as she sat down on an empty chair. "There is still a few minutes until it starts, but as your Head Boy and I'm Head Girl, we should be present before the meeting. And how many times do I have to repeat this. I swear you just do this to annoy me?" scowled Hermione at the end. Much to Harry's and Neville's mirth.
Eventually the prefects arrived and the meeting went underway. The meeting was all about Halloween and possible things that the school could do to celebrate it. The meeting lasted for almost two hours. Despite that, it was a very productive meeting. Multiple ideas were brought up and at the end, once they were chosen, the prefects were chosen which activity they'd like to help set up.
Starting from tomorrow, the entire castle was to start getting decorated for Halloween. The Halloween Ball would host a costume competition, while those too young to attend could take part in a series of games and challenges that would take place in the castle grounds.
Now as Harry left the room, he had only one thing going through his mind. How to ask the girl who had caught his attention to the ball.
Daphne sat in the far corner of the library, with an open book in her hands. She had yet to read a full page of said book. Instead her thoughts kept on going back to a certain raven haired classmate. She didn't know when she became so enamoured by the boy, as they had only had one conversation between each other and that was at the Ministry Ball two years ago.
A few hours ago, her best friend Tracey had walked into the common room with a giddy expression on her face. When Daphne asked what that was about, she had found out that Neville had asked her to the ball. She was obviously happy for her friend but she made sure not to show any of the jealousy she felt towards her. This is what led her to an empty, quiet corner of the library.
As she sat there, mulling over her thoughts, she got the scare of her life. There was a flash of light on the table in front of her that ended as soon as it started. Once her vision returned from the blurriness that was caused by the sudden light, she was able to focus on what lay on the table.
Apart from the book that she had been reading, on the table there was now a rose. It was not just an ordinary rose though. This was the most beautiful and magical rose she had ever seen.
As it lay there on the table, it glowed as it radiated magic and looked as if it was on fire. The petals of the rose were crimson red, while it's ivory green stem was as smooth as soap, thornless. Under the breath-taking rose, there was a simple note. Daphne cautiously picked up the note and read what was written on it.
Dear Daphne Greengrass,
If you are willing, I would like to meet you in the unused classroom on the third floor after dinner.
Yours truly,
Harry Potter
Daphne reread the letter two more times before it finally sank in. He had asked her! Her facial expressions lit up and her eyes once again lay on the rose. When she picked it up, it felt amazing. The rose seemed to glow even more. The magic that was radiating from it was warm and comforting. She brought the magical flower to her nose and it had a very pleasant scent. The scent was light and grassy, which freshened her head, the longer she smelt it.
It was then when she realized that she had been in the library for over three hours, and that it was now time for dinner. She grabbed her bag, and carefully held the note and flower that was given to her, and made her way to the Great Hall. One her way to the Great Hall, she dropped off her stuff at her dormitory, where she ran into Tracey.
Tracey immediately noticed how her friend was radiating happiness and when she found out why, she was overjoyed. However as Daphne sat at the Slytherin table, she couldn't help but feel that this might have been a prank, and that she might have been played.
Her eyes roamed the Gryffindor table, looking for Harry, and just when she found him, both of their eyes locked into each other. All doubts immediately vanished when she saw him smirk at her. All she could do was smile back. Their small exchange ended just as quick as it started when Harry was whisked into another conversation with the other Gryffindors around him.
Harry walked down the newly decorated corridors of the castle, making his way towards the unused classroom. The candles on the walls produced green flames that released slight clean smoke in the atmosphere. Spiderwebs could be seen in all corners. The portraits had been charmed to look spooky and the walls had splatters of red on them.
His thoughts remained on the Slytherin, and the smile she wore when they locked eyes. If the look meant anything, he knew that Daphne would meet him. However, there was a lingering doubt within him that the smile that Daphne wore was not genuine. He eventually made it to the room, and cast a swift cleaning charm around the place, whilst waiting for the girl.
He didn't have to wait long though as the girl who had plagued his thoughts, entered the room. An awkward silence remained in the air, as both students stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Harry noticed that the enchanted, magical rose that he had given her, a few hours prior, was fixed into Daphne's elaborate hair style.
Eventually, Harry broke out his stupor and sheepishly said, "Well, I didn't plan on it being this awkward…"
Upon hearing this, they burst out laughing, effectively breaking the ice.
"And what did you plan on asking, exactly?" asked Daphne, her eyes dancing in mirth.
"Well, I had this nice speech planned about how I felt something spark between us, during our brief interaction at the ministry ball two years ago and how I haven't stopped thinking about you. But, I thought, screw it."
Daphne's smile immediately fell, as soon as Harry said that. She could feel a knot tightening stronger in her stomach. 'He played me' thought Daphne. Her eyes slowly became hard but before she could say anything, Harry continued speaking.
"So instead I'm going to do this," He took a step forward and softly grabbed one of Daphne's pale smooth hands. His beautiful green eyes staring into her own aqua eyes.
Daphne felt like he was staring into his soul, and when he grabbed her hand she felt comforted and strong.
"There is something about you, Daphne, that I am yet trying to understand. And I can tell that you're feeling the same thing as me."
"How do you know that I feel the same thing that you do?" she questioned. "The only time that we have interacted with each other was at the ball."
Harry then gave her a proud smirk, and then silently pointed at the rose that he had given her. Daphne promptly took it out of her hair and stared at him questionably.
He answered the unspoken question, "As you've figured out, the rose is not your typical flower. It is a rare magical variant of a Rose, which I have enchanted. The enchantment that I have placed on it, makes the flower glow when you think of the person who enchanted it. It will glow white if you think of the person as someone as a friend and it will glow red if you think of them as someone you have feelings for." He then once again pointed at the rose and with a warm smile continued, "And as you can see, it's glowing red."
The unused classroom was silent for a moment before Harry continued, "Would you Daphne Greengrass be my date for the Halloween Ball?" Daphne found it very difficult to get rid of the blush on her face.
Harry stared at her, trying to decipher her unreadable expression that she had adopted as he had asked her. Before a feeling of dread could approach him, Daphne broke into a huge grin and laughed uncontrollably. Harry looked at her as if she had lost the plot, which further increased Daphne's laughter.
"Of course I will!" She immediately said after regaining her composure. Harry broke into a huge grin.
'She said Yes!' shouted Harry in his head in triumph and happiness.
Half an hour later, the couple left the unused room and went opposite ways in the Halloween decorated halls, towards their common rooms. Agreeing to meet the next day at the lake, after breakfast. As the two entered their different common rooms, those present could clearly see the wide grins that were plastered on their faces.
AN: I hope that you enjoyed the first part of this two part story that I have planned. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Until then, have a good one! :)