Author's notes: Here we are again gang, the Rotten Writer with another chapter hot off the touchscreen. Mostly some fluffy filler material ahead, but it all leads back to Hogwarts in the NEXT chapter.
I want to thank Rhys Thornbery for his excellent beta work, again. You'd have a slightly different set of events here if not for him reigning me in.
Also I'd like to thank a reviewer Zeromaru Chaos Mode for giving me the inspiration behind a line from Luna about 'existences' you'll know it when you see it.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all affiliated characters do not belong to me… *curls up in a corner and cries*
Moving on to Chapter 38 of Soul Scars! Enjoy.
Soul Scars part three
The Greengrass Problem
By,
Rtnwriter
Christmas Eve had been a long and emotional day. One that caused the new Lady Greengrass to consider the people in her life and what they meant to her. That morning, she had woken, fearful that her life would never be the same and that she was going to lose the most important people in the world to her. By the afternoon, her life had changed, but in a way she could never have predicted. For the first time, she was free to make her own choices, her own decisions and to do so without fear of her father leveraging his control over her through House Duty to ensure her compliance with his wishes.
And she had her friends and bond mates to thank for the freedom she was now presented with.
Daphne had felt a growing sense of closeness to her three bond mates over the last two years. At times, it was a slow, gradual progression, as they spent time together and learned more about each other. Other times, it seemed to take a dramatic leap forward and the depths of her feelings for them grew.
The night Harry saved her from the troll.
The night that she and Harry shared in the Common Room in their first year.
When Hermione stated, emphatically, 'you belong to us'.
Baring her soul to a petrified Hermione in the Hospital Wing.
Harry saving her from the basilisk.
The night she kissed Hermione, and then Susan kissed her.
Their now, semi-regular conversations, where they just shared of themselves.
Four times, since Halloween night, that Harry had allowed them to each ask about a single scar.
Twelve scars they now knew the story behind. Twelve small windows into the pain filled childhood of Harry Potter.
And now this. Her friends, her bond mates. They had gone far out of their way, above and beyond, and they had found a way, not only to save her from the Malfoys, but they also saved her sister and her mother. She felt something. Something she couldn't describe, deep in her chest. She was exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of the day, yet she felt energized too.
"It's amazing, isn't it?"
Daphne turned her head to look at little Luna Lovegood, who had, unnoticed, approached and sat beside her on the small sofa she'd claimed, her too large silvery blue eyes watching her with an understanding gaze.
"What is?" she asked.
"Understanding."
Daphne quirked a brow at the ethereal seeming blond. "Understanding what?"
Luna turned to look out over the parlor and the milling crowd of people in it. "Understanding that you have people in the world that would move the heavens and earth, just to make you happy. To keep you safe. People that would gladly face Death to protect you. That would stand beside you and gaze into the abyss for no other reason than because they care, and because you are important to them."
Daphne followed her gaze and took in the strange group in front of her. Blaise and Neville were in, what appeared to be, a friendly, if quite spirited, debate judging by their animated expressions and active hand gestures as they spoke. Tracey, Hannah, and Susan were playing a board game that Hermione had brought from her home, something called Clue, and appeared to be enjoying themselves. Harry and Hermione were sitting side by side on a loveseat just barely big enough for the two of them, each with their nose buried in a large, dusty looking tome while, over this activity, Dan, Emma, Danyella, and Amelia kept a casual watch, engaged in a conversation of their own.
They all appeared happy, and relaxed. Yet, as she watched, she noticed that Neville, Harry, Hermione, and Susan frequently looked away from their own activities to find her. Each time, they would spend a second or two observing, before smiling briefly and returning their attention to what they were doing. Their frequent scrutiny was not intrusive or invasive, but caring, and filled with an honest desire to see that she was safe.
In fact, it had taken two hours after their earlier meal, just to get the girls to give her more than a few feet of space. Susan and Hermione both kept touching her hands, or arms, or shoulders at random moments, as if reassuring themselves that she was still there, that she was really with them and hadn't been lost to the machinations of a vicious, if petty, tyrant.
Yes, they would walk through fire for her, lay down their lives or destroy any threat to her if need be. And, she realized, she would gladly do the same for any one of them.
"Yes," she muttered, finally responding to Luna's first question. "It is quite amazing to understand just how much they care for me, and how much I care for them."
"Then, why do you worry?" Luna asked, and Daphne dragged her eyes away from where they had been lingering on Harry to focus, once again, on Luna.
"What do you mean?"
"The nargles tell me things," Luna said, her voice distant even as her eyes studied the air around Daphne's head. "They're quite chatty, if you know how to listen. You look at Susan and Hermione and you feel like… admiration, want, desire… love." She blinked, her eyes focusing intently on Daphne's face. "But it is different when you look at Harry. You still feel like all of those things, but you also feel like worry. Not always worry for him, though that is there. It is a worry for something about him." She cocked her head to one side, curiously.
How much to tell? Daphne wondered, shoving aside the question of just how Luna always seemed to know so much. If there was one person they knew that Daphne was sure would never judge someone unfairly, it was Luna Lovegood, the girl who had been judged as strange by her House Mates at school and was bullied terribly for it. She felt she could trust little Luna with anything.
She sighed and let her eyes move back to her bond mates.
"Luna, have you ever wondered who you'll fall in love with?" she asked as she watched Harry point out something in his book to Hermione and she leaned closer, reading where he'd indicated for a moment before a smile lit her face and she nodded.
"Many times. I used to think, maybe, Ron Weasley, but he isn't very nice at times, and I think I would like someone who was nice. For a while, I thought I might fall for Ginny Weasley, but I don't know for certain. Hannah seems quite nice, but I think she has limited existences, like most people."
That was enough to catch Daphne's attention and she turned in her seat to face the tiny blond.
"What do you mean by 'limited existences'?" she asked.
"Well… people are more than they are on the outside, aren't they?" Luna said, tilting her head the other way. "They are minds with thoughts, needs, and desires. They are souls of light and dark and everything in between. All that a person is, their existence, is defined by these things. Hannah seems to limit her attentions to the boy shaped existences." Luna shrugged her slim shoulders, smiling softly.
"Seems to me, instead of falling in love with a person that meets an approved or expected shape, fall in love with an existence that just happens to be shaped like a person, or people."
Daphne blinked, her gaze becoming thoughtful.
"That… that is an interesting way of looking at it, Luna," she finally said. "You've certainly given me a lot to think about."
"I've been told I do that," Luna chirped with a cheerful grin on her face. They chatted for a while longer, though Daphne was quite distracted by her own thoughts and, eventually, Luna excused herself, saying something about inspecting the mistletoe.
#####
It wasn't much longer before people started heading home and, soon enough, Daphne found herself engulfed in a warm hug, a cloud of soft brown curls in her face and the scents of vanilla and old parchment filling her nose.
"I told you, you belong to us," Hermione whispered, "and we won't let anyone take you from us."
Daphne didn't answer, she just breathed, her eyes closed, letting the scents and the feeling of Hermione's body, pressed tightly against her, dominate her awareness.
"We'll be back in the morning to celebrate properly with everyone, okay?" Hermione asked when she pulled back and Susan nodded from where she stood next to them, waiting her turn to hug the brunette witch.
Once everyone that was leaving was gone, leaving just Amelia, Harry, Daphne, and Susan in the house, Amelia approached and pulled Daphne into another hug.
"I can't tell you how good it is to have you here and out from under that man's thumb," she murmured, embracing her firmly.
"Thank you, Auntie Amelia," Daphne whispered back.
"I didn't do anything special," Amelia disagreed, pulling back to look into Daphne's icy blue gaze.
"You're just blessed to have friends that care so much for you," she added and quickly hugged Harry and Susan as well, telling them not to stay up too late before she headed up to her own bed.
By the time they said goodnight to Harry in the hallway between his and Susan's bedroom's, Daphne felt that she had come to a decision. The question now was getting up the nerve to take the first step.
The door closed behind them and Daphne immediately had her wand in hand, dispelling the glamours that hid her scars and she shuddered slightly as the feeling of the magic washed over her. She was broken out of her thoughts a moment later when a slim pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a warm body pressed up behind her.
"Looks like I finally got you alone," Susan whispered, pressing a small kiss to the back of Daphne's neck and the blond witch sighed, leaning back against her bond mate for a moment, simply enjoying Susan's presence. Eventually, she pulled her scattered thoughts together and turned in the taller girls arms, reaching up to wrap her own arms around her shoulders as she buried her face in the crook of Susan's neck.
"Daphne? Is something wrong?"
Daphne shook her head. "Just… give me a minute?"
The arms around her tightened, drawing her closer and she felt Susan press a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Take all the time you need," she murmured, one hand trailing soothingly up and down her back
Rarely had Daphne ever felt as safe and cared for as she did then. With one of the women she was sure she loved wrapped around her, breathing in the smells that always clung to the red head. Daphne loved that they each tended to use different soaps and shampoos. Different smells would often remind her of one of her three bond mates at the most random of times and it always filled with her a sense of warmth when her mind dredged up memories of the young man and the two women that had become such central figures in her life.
After several minutes she pulled back, her face composed and with a stronger grip on the frantic feelings that had been welling up inside her. Tilting her head up, she leaned forward and pressed a chaste, but lingering kiss to Susan's lips.
"Let's get ready for bed," she whispered and Susan nodded, letting Daphne take the lead.
She quickly selected an outfit from the closet and handed it to Susan who quirked a single brow in her direction, but said nothing, even as her lips turned up into a smirk. She simply took the offered clothes and slipped into the bathroom to change. Daphne stripped off the expensive dress robes she hadn't yet changed out of and threw them onto a chair near the fireplace. A small part of her wanted to keep them, since she'd noticed a few lingering glances from all three of her bond mates and knew the cut and design of the robes did an excellent job to show off her figure. But that particular set had been bought with the express purpose of putting her on display for the Malfoys, something Harry had commented on that had infuriated him. She didn't care for it much, herself, so she thought she might burn that particular set and consider buying something new in the future.
She pushed the thought aside and quickly dressed, removing her bra, which was too uncomfortable to sleep in, and slipped into the outfit she'd selected before pulling down the comforter on Susan's bed. She hesitated a moment, but then climbed into the bed. Sitting up against the headboard near the center of the bed, she pulled one of the pillows into her lap, hugging it tightly to her as she waited.
The shifting of the bed was her first sign that Susan had returned and she blinked in surprise that she hadn't even noticed her come back into the room. She looked over and reminded herself not to stare.
They were both wearing the same outfits from that night in the Room of Requirement with Hermione and Daphne, belatedly, realized that might not have been her smartest choice of sleepwear. Not if she wanted to remain in control...
Susan crawled across the bed and sat beside her. Reaching out, she pulled the pillow away and gently coaxed Daphne into her arms, stroking her hair with one hand while her other arm wrapped protectively around her.
"What is it?" Susan asked. "You seem really nervous."
Daphne sighed, closing her eyes and just taking in the presence of the girl beside her.
"I am… and I'm not. It's… it's hard to explain," she murmured and Susan's arm tightened around her again in a brief hug before relaxing. She didn't say anything, just held her and continued to stroke her hair, letting Daphne gather her thoughts and speak when, or if, she would.
It took some time, but eventually, Daphne felt she had enough of a handle on what she wanted to say and slowly started to speak, her voice a low murmur.
"Today, the last few months, I've been terrified. I've worried about what was going to happen to me. I was worried that I was going to lose you and Harry and Hermione." She sighed and turned more toward Susan, pressing her face into the other girls neck. "I realized I've been selfish."
"Selfish?" Susan was surprised. "How have you possibly been selfish?"
"I've been so focused on how I was feeling and what I stood to lose that I completely ignored that, if you all hadn't figured out a way to help me, you would have lost me, too. I didn't even think how worried the three of you must have been about this whole thing."
Susan considered that, carefully, before responding.
"Yes, I was worried, but I honestly didn't think of what I might have lost, what we might have lost, since I was positive that we were going to save you. You know that we would never have let those bastards have you. We would have figured something out, no matter what, even if the first plan didn't work, Harry was willing to offer a contract, as much as he hates the idea of them."
"He hates contracts? I- No," Daphne stopped herself. "We'll discuss that later."
Susan laughed, lightly, and pulled Daphne closer to her.
"Anyway, I was worried more about you and how upset and stressed you were. I could see it eating at you, but House Duty prevented us from letting you know that everything was going to be okay, and I absolutely hated that."
Daphne sat up and turned so she was facing Susan.
"I realized something else during all this," she said, "and I wanted to tell you. I want to tell Harry and Hermione, too, but I don't think either of them are ready, really."
Susan's curiosity was well and truly piqued abd she gestured for Daphne to continue. After a deep breath to steady her nerves, she did.
"You know, now, how much I've worried about this bond, the relationship the four of us have and where it's going. Our entire situation is anything but normal, and trying to find our own identities while there are three other people in our heads isn't easy. Hermione is trying to decide if she can be with us and I'm unsure about Harry." She paused for a moment in thought.
"Actually, I got some advice today that might help me with that, but that's not important, right now. Through all of this mess, you've been a constant, Susan. You've seemed to have the least trouble adapting and you're always so sure, so confident that the four of us will be okay, with only a couple moments of self doubt. You have had the most faith in us and you've done the most to smooth the rough edges, getting us to talk to each other and open up." Daphne reached out and took both of Susan's hands in her own, looking the redhead in the eyes, determined to hold her gaze.
"You're faithful, and loyal. I wanted to reward that faith. I wanted you to be the first to know that I finally understand."
For some reason, Susan felt as if she could hardly breathe, her mouth suddenly dry as a nervous fluttering filled her stomach. The tip of her tongue darted out, attempting to wet her lips and she was certain that Daphne's hold of her was the only thing that kept her hands from shaking.
"Understand what?" she asked, as calmly as she could.
Daphne smiled, softly, and one hand came up to cup Susan's cheek, her thumb gently stroking the girl's smooth skin. When she spoke again her voice came out as a quiet whisper that just barely reached Susan's ears.
"I finally understand what I've been feeling, what I've been doubting I was good enough for since I'm broken. I understand, now, that I love you, Susan Amelia Bones. I wanted you to be the first to know that."
Susan froze. Three words she knew she would hear, one day. She knew it would happen for them, she had every confidence that it would. That knowledge, that assurance, did absolutely nothing to prepare her for the reality of actually hearing them spoken aloud for the first time. She felt as if her heart stopped for a moment before it started pounding again, harder than ever. She almost thought that Daphne should have been able to hear it beating in her chest.
Slowly, she tugged on the hand she still held, pulling Daphne closer until, still staring into each others eyes, Susan whispered, "you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that. I love you too, Daphne."
Daphne's cold blue eyes lit up in pure joy for the briefest of moments before they slid closed as Susan closed that last inch of distance between them and when their lips met a kaleidoscopic aura of green and auburn light burst silently into existence around them, bathing the room in a brilliant radiance that neither girl even noticed, so distracted were they.
Despite deciding that they weren't going to technically date or be together in an actual relationship, that hadn't stopped them from sharing the occasional kiss since that early October night when Daphne succumbed to her fears and kissed Hermione. There had been several private moments between the two, but this moment was unlike the others.
Previous kisses were simple, tender things. Lips closed, a gentle press of their mouths that gave them both a warm glow and a pleasant tingle that ran through their bodies. This kiss was very different, even though it started out the same, with Susan's lips gently pressed against Daphne's. In moment's however, they were pressed harder against each other, and Susan opened her mouth slightly, her tongue darting out to quickly trace the seam of Daphne's lips.
A small gasp escaped the blond and Susan took the opportunity to slip her tongue into her partner's mouth, gently exploring for a few moments before she breathlessly pulled back. Daphne's eyes opened and her sharp intake of breath had Susan doing the same, both of them marveling at the slowly fading light that surrounded them for the last few seconds before it faded completely and they glanced back at each other in stunned confusion.
"What was that?" Susan blurted out.
Daphne shook her head. "I think… I think that might have been us completing the bond… or, at least our part of it?"
"We'll have to wait to see Madam Pomfrey to check, won't we?"
Daphne nodded.
"Then we'll worry about it later. Let's go to bed."
They pulled down the top sheet and slipped beneath it, Daphne sliding into Susan's arms, lying with her head on the other girl's right shoulder, their arms and legs tangled together and she couldn't help but breathe out a deep, contented sigh.
They laid quietly for several minutes before Susan couldn't help herself any longer. "Say it again?" she asked.
For a moment, Daphne wasn't completely certain what was being requested, then it clicked and she smiled and leaned over, pressing her lips to the small, crescent shaped scar behind Susan's jaw. She moved, letting her lips just brush the shell of Susan's ear. "I love you," she said in a soft murmur, feeling a tremor run through Susan's body as the words and the brush of warm breath across her ear thrilled her in different ways.
"I just wanted to be absolutely certain I hadn't imagined any of that. I love you, too, Daphne."
"How long?"
"Hmmm?" Susan hummed, glancing down at the blond in her arms. "How long what?"
"How long have you known you loved us? I know you well enough that I'm pretty certain if you love me, you feel the same for Hermione and Harry too. You're too much a Hufflepuff not to," she added with a teasing grin that turned into a squeak when Susan pinched her side.
"Quiet, you," she muttered though she was grinning. "I'm honestly not completely certain, but I think if I had to pick a moment when it clicked in my head, I think it was first year, right after we went after the Stone."
"What was it? What made you realize?"
"When we went behind the privacy screens and they said that... they said that Harry had died." Susan's voice trailed off as she remembered that moment in vivid detail and their physical contact meant that even their Occlumency shields couldn't stop her feelings from bleeding across to Daphne. "It was obvious he was still alive, but… I don't know, for a moment I thought, what if he hadn't made it? What if that was it? He was just gone? That made me wonder what if you or Hermione died and I just… the idea terrified me so much."
Suddenly, light kisses were raining down on her face as a pair of soft hands cupped her cheeks, wiping away a couple of tears she hadn't realized she'd shed in the face of that remembered pain.
"We're here, love," Daphne whispered, staring intently into Susan's watery eyes. "I'm here with you, right now. We're not going anywhere."
Susan nodded and Daphne waited for a few seconds, checking to be absolutely certain that her point had made it across before she settled back down on Susan's shoulder again as the girl continued to speak.
"Well, that was it. It took me about half way through the summer to put it together but I didn't think I would have been so upset about it if I didn't love him, at least in a small way. Once I figured that out it wasn't a stretch to realize that extended to you and to Hermione as well. I didn't say anything before because I didn't want to push any of you. You and Harry have had such hard lives. I figured it would be harder for the two of you to recognize or to even believe yourselves worth being loved, and with all the bullying that Hermione went through, I didn't think she'd be too much better, plus she's still trying to wrap her head around us so…"
She trailed off and shrugged her free shoulder, helplessly.
"You're probably right," Daphne, reluctantly, admitted. "It crept up on me. Second year was when I started to realize it, remember I said my mother forced it out of me to admit I had feelings for you and Hermione, I just didn't really know how to define those feelings at the time. It all crystallized tonight when I was reminded what we nearly lost."
Daphne closed her eyes and yawned, one hand coming up to cover her mouth and Susan chuckled quietly, gently stroking her hair.
"You've had a hard day, love, and tomorrow is going to be busy though. We should get some sleep."
As much as she didn't want to, Daphne had to admit that Susan had a point, so she nodded and settled in, pressing herself as close to her bond mate as she could, one arm wrapped around the girls middle with one leg thrown over both of hers.
"Love you," she murmured, sleepily, and Susan smiled, bending her neck to press a kiss to the crown of Daphne's head.
"Love you, too."
In minutes both of them were sound asleep, their soft breath the only sound in the room.
#####
The next several days flew by, filled with laughter, family, gifts, and, perhaps, a little bit of scheming. Susan and Daphne, after a candid morning conversation held before Hermione and her parents arrived at the Boneyard, decided that it wouldn't hurt to try to give their bond mates the occasional gentle nudge. They just needed to not come across as smothering.
Exchanging gifts on Christmas Day started out lighthearted and fun, but turned more emotional when, after all the presents were opened, Harry pulled Daphne aside and gave her the scroll that contained the betrothal contract that he'd had drawn up.
"You can keep this as a reminder, maybe, or burn it, if you want. I don't care either way, but I want you to read it first," he said as he placed it in her hands. "I'm sure the last thing you wanted was to be contracted to anyone, but you'll understand when you read it that this wouldn't have tied you down, if I'd been forced to use it. I just don't want you to have an incomplete picture of my actions."
He'd looked so worried about how she would react that she reassured him the best way she could think of. She leaned close and pressed a long, lingering kiss to his cheek, one that just missed his lips by less than an inch.
Later, at home, she read over the contract with her mother and sister and after looking through the entire thing, Astoria had only one thing to say.
"Is he stupid?"
"Astoria!"
"Really, mother! Look at this thing! There are twelve, twelve different clauses that would let Daphne cancel this thing with absolutely no penalties, and only one for him. He had her education paid for up to Mastery level, if she wanted, a huge monthly stipend paid from his family vaults… basically, the only thing he didn't do was give her unfettered access to his accounts. And he acts like Daph would be upset to be part of a contract like this?" She turned and looked at Daphne.
"Seriously, is he stupid? And if you don't want him, can I have him?"
"Astoria, stop pestering your sister and go put away your presents."
"The elves can do that, mother-"
"Astoria!"
Grumbling under her breath, Daphne's little sister headed for her room as Danyella sat beside her eldest, who was staring at the contract with a dazed look in her eyes.
"He's a fine young man," she murmured, tucking a few strands of hair behind Daphne's ear.
"He's amazing," Daphne corrected. "He had an opportunity to do any number of things with this contract. He could have had access to me. He could have just offered this and been done with it. Neville said he even asked why not just make an offer instead of going through the months of research and all the work they did on Harry's plan. Instead of taking the easy solution, he found a way to have us completely free of that…" She trailed off and shook her head.
"Who does something like that? I don't understand how he can be so selfless after everything he's suffered. He should hate everyone. He should want to just watch the world burn, and instead he does things like this."
"Makes him an easy man to fall for," her mother pointed out and Daphne rolled her eyes, but nodded.
"Yes, it does," she agreed, much to her mother's surprise. "I was finally able to admit it last night," she explained. "I told Susan and she said she loves me too. I know I love Hermione, I just have to be patient with her. After yesterday, I'm positive that I love him too, now I just have to find out if I can want more of him as well."
#####
Days later, that conversation continued to echo through her mind as the clock showed 11:45 in the evening on December 31st. She took a deep breath and started looking around, she had to do this, she had to know. Looking across the shifting crowd of friends and family enjoying the party at the Boneyard, she caught Susan's eye. She jerked her head toward the house and Susan nodded before setting her drink down and she then set off in search of Hermione.
With that step taken care of, Daphne headed into the house through the patio door and into the kitchen. Nervously, she smoothed down her robes and resisted the urge to fidget. She was a pureblood Lady, she reminded herself, and she was better than that at keeping her composure.
As she waited, she made a mental note to thank Susan and Hermione for their help. For a moment, her thoughts wandered, wondering what she might be able to do for her bondmates to express how much she appreciated their help, but quickly dragged herself back to the present, shoving her musings to the back of her mind.
"Daphne?"
She turned around to find Harry standing in the doorway leading out to the patio, his left hand resting naturally on the hilt of the sword belted to his waist and she smiled softly at him, motioning for him to come closer.
"Hey," he said, stopping a few feet from her. "Hermione and Susan said you wanted to talk to me?"
She nodded. "I did, thanks."
"What is it?" he asked, and leaned back against the table, his arms crossed over his chest.
She hesitated a moment, carefully prepared speeches flying out of her head now that she was standing there with him.
"I… I have a problem," she tried and he tilted his head to the side, his eyes gleaming brilliantly in the dimly lit room.
"What is it? Can I do something to help?"
She let out a small, nervous laugh. "Harry, you are actually the only one who can help."
"Well? What can I do?"
There's something I need to do. Something I want to do, but…"
"But?" he prompted her when she trailed off.
"I'm afraid," she finally admitted after a couple minutes of silence where he simply stood, patiently, waiting for her to continue.
"Afraid of what?" he asked, his growing confusion coloring his voice.
"I'm afraid that what I need to do… I'm afraid I won't like it, and, honestly, I'm kind of terrified that I will."
That did absolutely nothing to clear things up for him and Harry frowned, his brow furrowed as he tried to think of something he could say or offer to help her.
"Well, it seems to me like the only choice is just to do it, whatever it is, and hope for the best."
"What is the best, though?"
He shrugged. "I guess only you can answer that."
Outside, they could hear the Weasley twins calling for everyone to gather together on the patio. Hermione and Susan had talked the two into setting up a fireworks display to go off exactly at midnight to ring in the New Year. A much harder task had been talking Amelia into allowing the troublesome duo to play with explosives on her property, but to help help Daphne, Hermione and Susan had proven equal to the challenge and talked her into it.
The gathering was the two minute warning.
"Stand up, please?" she requested and he gave her a quizzical look, but did as she asked, straightening up to his full height and letting his arms fall to his sides.
Steeling herself, she walked up to him, stepping in very close, until she could easily smell the soap and broomstick polish that always clung to him. Reaching out, she took his wrists and placed his hands on her waist.
"Uhh… Daphn-"
"Please, don't say anything?" she nearly begged, her heart pounding from a mixture of fear and exhilaration that set her head spinning.
He fell silent.
Standing so close, she realized that she really had to look up to see him, as the top of her head now only reached his chin.
Tentatively, she put her hands on his chest, feeling the lean muscles beneath the thin fabric of his long sleeved shirt, and the scar that crossed his torso. She marveled, for a moment, at the heat that still radiated off of him and let her hands slide up as, outside, the guests started counting down from ten.
Her left hand cupped the back of his neck as the fingers of her right tangled in his messy black hair behind his head and, just as everyone screamed 'Happy New Year', she drew his head down, and brought his mouth to hers.
#####
The door to Susan's bedroom burst open for a moment before slamming shut as two, giggling girls, stormed into the room. Quickly they moved over to the bed and climbed in, sitting cross legged, facing the third of their number who was waiting calmly for the two, despite the late hour. Midnight had been over an hour ago, but Susan had been required to help bid their guests goodnight and Hermione had decided to avoid the temptation of harassing Daphne by staying to help out.
"So?" Susan demanded.
"Harry looked like he was in a daze for a while before he disappeared," Hermione added, grinning brightly, though there was an intense scrutiny in her gaze as she studied Daphne's face, looking for… something, only the bushy haired witch knew exactly what, and possibly not even she really knew what she was looking for.
"What? I managed to do it. I kissed him at midnight on New Years."
Susan and Hermione waited expectantly but Daphne said nothing, her face carefully neutral.
"Oh, come on!" Susan burst out. "You have got to give us more than that, woman!"
Daphne's only answer was a small smirk.
Until Susan grabbed a pillow and threatened her with it.
"Okay, okay," Daphne said, laughing, her hands raised in front of her in surrender. "No need for violence. It really wasn't anything huge, though. It was Harry's first kiss, you know, so I kept it simple. No tongue or anything. I just… have either of you noticed how tall he's getting?" she asked and both girls blinked in surprise at her. "I didn't notice, really, until I was right in front of him. Even up on my toes I couldn't have reached his lips, so I held the back of his neck and got my fingers in his hair behind his head and pulled him down to me, and I kissed him."
"And?" Hermione asked, her bottom lip slightly swollen from the amount of time she'd spent chewing on it that evening. "What did you think?"
Daphne considered that for a moment before she suddenly leaned forward, wrapped one hand around the back of Susan's neck, and yanked the girl into a short, but fairly intense kiss. When Daphne released her, Susan leaned back, a slightly dazed look in her eyes, her face already flushed and Daphne thought, carefully comparing the two experiences in her head.
"It was… strange, in a way. Different than kissing Susan, for sure… or you," she added, slightly hesitantly, to Hermione, who waved away any concern. Honestly, Hermione was happy to help, happy to see Daphne working actively on her feelings. But she couldn't help but compare it to her own struggle and wanted as much information as she could get.
"Different good? Different bad?" Susan asked, re-joining the discussion.
"Just… different. His lips aren't quite as soft. Then there's that temperature of his, I could feel the heat coming off of him. His hands felt nice on my waist, bigger than any of our hands, maybe a bit stronger?" She shrugged helplessly, having trouble finding the words to describe the experience. "It was just different."
Susan and Hermione exchanged a look but Daphne didn't notice, her own gaze unfocused as she considered the so recent memory of kissing Harry Potter and, slowly, a smile spread across her lips.
"I think I liked it," she finally admitted. "I don't think I would say no to doing it again, at least."
She'd barely finished the sentence before the two of them squealed happily and they both slammed into her, sending all three tumbling back onto the bed, babbling happily at her. They laid there, talking quietly for some time until, one by one, they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each others arms.
In less than a week, they would be returning to Hogwarts and, with Daphne's contract issue solved, they could focus on each other, school, and, with Tonks and Kingsley at Hogwarts to catch Sirius, they were hopeful for a far less exciting second term than they were used to.
