Harry Potter and the Method of Double-Tap.
An interlude for murder.
Quidditch with the Sirens.
Quidditch season came, and with it, the first trial of The Sirens versus Hufflepuff got closer and closer.
Harry waited till after Saturdays' practice game to assign witches as Starters or reserves.
"Pansy, Starting seeker" said Harry "Daphne, Right Chaser, Flora, Hestia, centre and Left, Milly, Patrícia, beaters. Lily, keeper, but really try to keep your head in the game?"
The next Saturday, Harry went over to the Slytherin table at breakfast and checked on the team, who all looked a bit nervous.
"Dog off Potter" said Draco Malfoy.
"Draco, give Pansy some encouragement, it's her first match as Seeker." said Harry, unmoved. "Sirens, starters and subs, I expect all of you to eat breakfast. I know it's hard, that your stomach's a twisted mess… but have some food, a cup of tea... something. You never know how long the match is going to go and there's nothing worse than playing hungry." said Harry passionately.
"Except playing in a thunderstorm and nearly getting eaten by Dementors" said Draco snidely.
"Well, it's a slightly overcast day, so good Seeker weather. I expect Mrs Malfoy will be coming to watch, so remember that one of the most powerful women in the country is expecting you to win."
"Mum's coming" said Millicent quietly, staring at her porridge.
"You're good Millie" said Harry "You and Patrícia will give the Hufflepuffs hell."
"Potter" said Draco Malfoy "You giving these girls a pep talk is the most disturbing thing I've ever seen."
"Well I found out your mother was a better seeker than your father, and got her team canned and Still you were born, so I find that more disturbing" said Harry and the nervous girls laughed.
Harry went down to the pitch and stood outside the Slytherin team exit.
Ron and Hermione turned up "This is mental" said Ron. "All this to get to know Daphne's friends?"
"They're pretty decent players now Ron." said Harry "And Aunt Andromeda wants it to happen."
"Harry, do they actually have a chance?" asked Hermione, as in the distance, nervous looking Sirens headed down to the changing room.
"The thing about Quidditch" said Harry "Is that the whole team can lose you the match, and the Seeker can win it. Pansy's had over a years training, and Higgenbottom from Hufflepuff is Cedric's replacement. He's only had one year, and frankly their team had too many seventh years in it last year."
"No continuity" said Ron thoughtfully "Are you a natural Quidditch coach or something?" he asked Harry.
"I couldn't help learn a thing or two in five years on the team, and you do talk about the Cannons an awful lot." replied Harry.
"But Harry, the Cannons are dreadful" said Hermione.
"Ah, but I'm doing a combination of Oliver Wood and everything Ron ever said was good idea." said Harry. "And by having fourteen on the team, the Sirens have all played dozens of matches this year, and scores last year."
Harry sat on a conjured stool near the exit and Ron and Hermione went of the stands.
A nervous Daphne in quidditch armour came out, her hair in a pony-tail.
"I'm going to make a fool of myself and everyone will say I'm only a starter because we're betrothed" said Daphne.
Harry shook his head "You're a starter, because you have something to prove. Esme's good but you're older and stronger. And have something to prove. That matters as the game runs longer. You have to keep scoring, or at least keep the pressure on their keeper. Lily's good when she has her head in it, but you're all playing your first competitive game. That's scary. I know how scary it is, and all I can say is, this is exactly like playing green team against silver team in training."
Harry looked up for Daphne's face and the rest of the team were standing there in a huddle looking worried.
"I believe in you all" said Harry "And I can kill a bloody basilisk, this is quidditch, and really, it's Hufflepuff, and they're weaker than ever before with the loss of so many seventh years last year."
Madam Hooch came out and the two teams flew up to starting positions, and she started the game, and took off to referee.
As Harry had hoped, after an awkward ten minutes, the Sirens got a goal, and started to actually play, only behind by forty points.
The two teams were surprisingly evenly matched, and as the match entered its second hour, the Sirens started to claw back the points difference. Harry watched Lily anxiously. She seemed to be keeping her head in it.
As Harry expected with two inexperienced seekers, the game ran past lunchtime, and by two in the afternoon, both teams were drooping.
Then Pansy shot off and seemed to be onto the Snitch.
Terry Boot was doing the commentary and was keeping it concise. Harry missed Lee Jordan's blarney.
Lily missed a pretty easy save and Harry winced. She was the best keeper he had, but she was tired out. Most of the Sirens looked pretty tired. The Hufflepuffs, mostly younger, were in worse shape, and their seeker seemed to fall for a sort-of-Wronski feint by Pansy, and wobbled off the bottom of the descent, nearly hitting the pitch. Pansy arched over, and managed to catch the snitch.
The Slytherin stands went wild. Harry stood up and exhaled. It hadn't been a disaster.
The team landed, and staggered over to the Changing room doorway.
"Great Effort" Harry said to seven tired witches. They nodded tiredly.
Draco Malfoy pushed his way over and tried to kiss Pansy.
"Pansy you were magnificent" said Malfoy, and Pansy pushed him away "Piss off Draco, I'm starved and need a shower."
Daphne walked past Harry and gave him a small nod.
"I made such a mess of it" said Lily glumly.
"Hey Lily, who won?" asked Harry.
"Well we did" said Lily.
"You did great for a first competitive game. All of you. Have a shower."
Harry called Dobby.
"Dobby!" he said.
Dobby appeared with a pop.
"Dobby, bring sandwiches and drinks for seven into the Slytherin changing room" said Harry. "They're all tired and hungry."
Dobby nodded and vanished with a pop.
Harry walked off to lunch.
He was eating an apple and eyeing a cooling cup of tea when someone sat down next to him.
"Harry" said Daphne Greengrass "Thanks for the snacks. We were dying of hunger."
"Well" said Harry "You could have taken a time-out for snacks"
"And given Hufflepuff time to recover" said Daphne "There's a party in the common room today. Frankly my arms are killing me, and everyone else is sore too."
"Prefects bathroom, big hot bath" said Harry "Go on, take the team"
"Is that an order from the coach?" asked Daphne, eating a scone.
"Call Dobby, he can cater the event" said Harry "See you all tomorrow in the cloisters after breakfast for a review."
"You can't come to the bathroom" said Daphne.
"I wouldn't dare try" said Harry blandly "I've got a charms essay due anyway."
"Thanks coach" said Daphne, patted Harry on the back and left.
Eventually the Sirens were due to face Ravenclaw and the weekend before Harry told Green and Silver to get out and play to win. "Because whoever plays best today is a starter next weekend against Ravenclaw."
Pansy clearly thought that was unreasonable but was restrained by, of all people, Lily Moon "Coach is just trying to field the best team on the day" said Lily.
"We're doomed." said Pansy "Chang is miles better than either of us seekers."
Harry walked over and intervened, loudly "Now everyone, gather around. This is our strategy for Ravenclaw. Yes, Chang's a better seeker, she has way more experience. She tends to follow if you do anything unusual, you can use that to draw her through a bludger crossfire.
"Potter!" said Tracey, looking aghast "Are you suggesting we decoy Cho Chang into a bludger crossfire."
"She won't fall for it twice" said Harry loudly "Well, maybe twice. She will probably catch the snitch. What that means is that you have to win on points before then. Keeper will be on their own, Sorry, Lily or Ester, but even Pansy or Rousy are going to have to join the chaser formations. You need a fifteen goal lead. If they press your Keeper you need to invert your formation quickly. We'll be drilling that, and Seekers, you'll be drilling with the Chasers.
"What if we just fielded an extra chaser" suggested Daphne.
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
"If we can't compete with a Seeker, we might as well field a good Chaser" said Daphne.
"Okay" said Harry loudly "Lets take a vote on that. Hand up for an extra chaser?"
Tracey spoke up "This is like, pro, national league tactics. Coach is a freakin Quiddithc genius."
Harry shook his head "I just get ranted at by Ron Weasley over and over, and some sticks. I swear he loves quidditch more than food."
"Coach?" asked Lily "What do we do when we play Gryffindor and we're playing against you?"
Harry looked Lily in the eyes "You play bloody brilliant quidditch and make it as hard as possible for Gryffindor, that's what you do. To make this clear, you might not be able to clean-sweep all the houses like The Original Slytherin women's team, but Bellatrix Black was a nasty captain."
"Pansy's a sweetheart in comparison" said Tracey. Pansy smiled sweetly at Tracey "Davis… go run laps." she said.
"Coach?" asked Tracey.
"The captain says go run laps… you run laps." said Harry "Admittedly you're not going to gain much fitness in one week, so we go into the match with what we've got now basically."
"After this match, we all start running drills" said Pansy firmly "We'll have two months before the next competition match."
"Just remember Sirens" said Harry "That you can lose the match to Gryffindor and Slytherin and still win the Quiddithc cup on points."
"Wot?" said Tracey. "That's… where' a tame Ravenclaw when we need one."
"I can get Boot to work it out" said Lily "He wants me to go to Hogsmeade with him."
"Lily" said Harry nervously "Don't do anything you're uncomfortable with."
"He looks harmless compared to Blaise and Theo's boring" said Lily "What shall I say though?
"Just say you're using him to get the scoring plan calculated" suggested Harry "He'll spend days second guessing that statement."
Lily blinked and Tracey coughed something that sounded like 'monster.'
"How is he not in Slytherin?" asked Lily.
"Funny Story" Harry told the team "I already disliked Malfoy so much when the sorting hat said I could be great in Slytherin I said anywhere but Slytherin. Now go try inverting a chaser-only formation. I'll fire a bang, that's the signal to invert the formation" Harry twisted both hands around the other "Pansy, you'll have to call that when the keepers' under pressure."
"If I'm not flying I can't interfere with the game" said Pansy "Lily can't do it, Daphne, you call it. Green get up and fly, Silver, when Daphne calls keeper, we invert the formation, front to back like Harry said."
The Sirens first attempt at inverting on a call was pretty disastrous. By lunchtime, they could do it, either Green or Silver.
"Right, lunch, then a game to see who the starters are" said Harry.
"Lunch?" asked Pansy "But we're in sweaty quidditch gear."
"You're a quidditch team, it comes with the territory. Do the Holyhead Harpies get changed for lunch? I don't think so. Come on, off to lunch." said Harry.
The Sirens all turning up sweaty in quidditch gear, all fourteen of them had the Great hall chattering louder. Harry went to the end of the Slytherin table closest to the door and shooed book-reading types and first years up the table, making a space for the whole team.
"We can't sit at the bottom of the table, we're seniors" said Pansy.
"It's less distance to get back to the pitch, or the loos" said Harry "And you need to eat together once in a while to establish your… espree de corpse." he said mangling the French.
"Thank Morgana he's yours Greengrass" said Pansy "He needs tutoring with his French."
"He doesn't speak French" said Daphne with a sigh. "I'm surprised he knows the words."
"I'm right here, and your coach" said Harry. "And Daphne, marrying you in a year and a bit. Some respect perhaps?"
"Well you've been told" said Lily and the team sat down, leaving a spot for Harry.
"Sit" said Pansy "you're a stupid Gryffindor, but you're our coach and Daphne's… thing, so sit."
Harry ate lunch, initially off his food, but slowly falling under the spell of seeing Daphne eating close-up and a chicken salad.
Ron came over as Harry was nearly finished.
"Harry" said Ron "Have you gone completely mental?"
"Ron, the Sirens aren't finished for today, we're having lunch, then back out to play for starters slots next weekend. This is saving time. Now bugger off back to the Gryffindor table before you pick up some secrets of how the Sirens Play." said Harry.
Ron shook his head "I practically taught you quidditch.-" he began
"Apart for Oliver Wood nearly killing me" interrupted Harry.
"Apart from that. I've given you all my wisdom, the distilled knowledge of generations of quidditch playing Weasleys, years of dissecting games, and this is how you repay me." said Ron solemnly, reminding Harry of the first time of Percy.
"And you're a player of a team they're going to have to play later, so bugger off" said Harry.
"Harry said Ron sternly "you're the bloody Gryffindor Seeker. Our Seeker."
"Today I'm wearing my Slytherin Sirens coach hat, Ron. Go on, go see your other friends. Specially the one you fancy." with that Ron blushed and crossed the hall to the Gryffindor tables and sat next to Neville and Hermione.
The Sirens, to a woman applauded "Thanks coach" said Esme. "How will you deal with knowing all our plays when we play you?"
"I'll get someone to temporarily wipe my memories" said Harry "Professor Flitwick will know how."
"Potter you're revoltingly noble." said Pansy.
Harry waited till the smallest Sirens had largely stopped eating. "Come on, back to work" he said.
"Why did we agree to do this?" complained Lily jokingly.
"Because Pansy was going to get Milly to shove our heads in the Loo" said Flora. Well, probably Flora. Flora and Hestia are identical twins after all.
Harry allowed an extra fifteen minutes for the loo break as he sat down a conjured stool at the second pitch.
The team trickled down, with Lily all out of countenance. Harry stopped staring at the damp bodice of Daphne's uniform under her armour to pay Lily attention.
"What happened Lily?" asked Harry.
"It's Terry Boot" said Lily "He came over and asked me to Hogsmeade again. He was all… nervous, and then he kissed me on the cheek!"
"Well, you're all healthy young women, a bit sweaty, that's inherently attractive" said Harry blandly.
"Except you only notice Daphne" said Tracey.
"That's not true" said Harry, eyes glued again to Daphne.
"Greengrass" said Millie "Just either hit him or kiss him, he's got pathetic again."
Daphne walked over to Harry, who totally accidentally inhaled, and nearly fainted for the scent.
Daphne raised one arm and sniffed "Ew, I reek" she said. "Now pay attention Potter. Stop staring at me!"
Harry nodded "Whatever you say dear."
"Oh bugger "said Tracey "He's broken. Daphne, just sock him."
Daphne shook her head and patted Harry on the head condescendingly "Harry, snap out of it" Harry twitched with irritation, and snapped out of it.
"Right" said Harry "Silver and Green, you're both flying seekerless. We'll fly for three hours. Remember the goal is goals. For the first hour, Silver fly like Ravenclaw, clever formations, seeker. I'll blow a whistle at one hour, and Green will fly like Ravenclaw for an hour. Third hour will be all in, seekerless play. Best players get starting slots. Pansy, don't look like that, you're a decent chaser"
"We'll be dead. We flew all morning" said Emma.
"I've got a plan" said Harry, and turned his back, got out the marauders map and checked. The Prefects' bathroom was empty. He folded the map and cast a Patronus, and sent it off to Hermione, with the message to reserve the Prefects' bathroom for three hours time. For Daphne et. al.
Prongs bounded off towards the castle in a streak of sliver and Harry turned back to the team "Hermione Granger's going to reserve the Prefects bathroom, Daphne you can get the team in there. There should be room for fourteen, right?"
"There's plenty of room with seven" said Daphne. "That thing does messages now?"
"There's a tricky variant of Patronus for messages. I learnt it over summer" said Harry. "Living with Professor Lupin pays off."
Three hours later, fourteen exhausted witches landed and staggered into the Slytherin showers.
"You're a horrible person" said Daphne as she went past. Harry nodded. It was for their own good.
Next Saturday didn't come soon enough for Harry, as he was quite nervous about the Sirens versus Ravenclaw. They hadn't had lots of seventh year talent leave like Hufflepuff.
Before that, though, came a scheduled kissing meeting.
Daphne was on time and looked cross.
"You're killing us" she said.
"It's just training. We needed to have some new things to deal with Ravenclaw."
"One the weekend before. We could have been drilling for weeks on them."
"And Ravenclaw would have learnt them all." said Harry. "As it was, they didn't even have a spy watching."
"That Lovegood girl was watching" corrected Daphne.
"Luna's a friend, and she's… it's just she's a bit weird." said Harry.
"Come on" said Daphne "I suspect a lot of my aches and pains are curse"
Harry held her gently, bent down and kissed softly. Daphne stood there "Get on with it" she said.
Harry kissed her again, gently on the lips and pressed more firmly, slowly sliding his tongue into Daphne's mouth over several seconds. Suddenly he felt a feeling of… not feeling stiff and sore. A much bigger effect than before. Harry broke off the kiss. "Hey?" he asked "Did that just make you feel a lot better all of a sudden?"
"Yes" said Daphne crossly "Like… the curse is getting stronger."
"Stupid ancestors" said Harry "Probably thought ramping up the need to kiss was a good idea. We should go to a weekly schedule."
"Just when I thought life got no worse" said Daphne. "Kiss me again. I want all the relief available. I still feel sore."
"Some of that's playing hard." said Harry, but kissed Daphne anyway. His hand steadied her hair, and the small of her back, and when he finished snogging, he was breathing faster than normal.
"Did that help?" he asked, Daphne's lips looking particularly pink and fascinating. The colour really suited her.
"I ache all over" she groaned.
"Do you need a pepper-up?" asked Harry "Could it be a cold?"
"My Muscles hurt" grumbled Daphne.
"Hot bath for you then. In a swimsuit, and I can massage your sore muscles with oil afterwards." said Harry. "It's a sports thing. Wood did my arm when I was recovering from losing my bones to Lockheart.
"Did that hurt?" asked Daphne.
"I don't like to think about it. Okay?" said Harry.
"I don't have a swimsuit at Hogwarts" said Daphne.
"I know where you can get one" said Harry, and asked Dobby.
Dobby returned with an old-fashioned swimsuit in black and green with plenty of ruffles, and Harry's swimsuit.
"Thanks Dobby" said Harry. "I owe you one."
Dobby blushed and disappeared.
"What are you doing with a swimsuit?" asked Daphne.
"I could do with a long hot soak" said Harry "I do have quidditch practices too, you know. Training our new keeper, and our new chasers … well I'm probably not playing next year. A bit of coaching for them that's all I'll have time for."
"About that" said Daphne as the walked to the prefect's bathroom. "What happened to being an Auror?"
"I don't have bloody time with being expected to help run the family investments, and my potions grades aren't there" admitted Harry. Daphne said something that sounded like "Welcome to my life."
They got to the prefects bathroom and Daphne turned on the taps, sending a surge of soapy hot water into the huge tub. Harry went and changed in one of the provided booths. Harry took a towel to cover that his shorts were tighter than he remembered them being, and that he was as usual around Daphne, a bit too excited.
Daphne was watching the tub fill up and adjusting the dozens of taps. Harry wasn't sure the pink bubbles were really necessary. They did smell nice, though.
Harry got to the steps and tested the water with a toe.
"Yikes" he said "It's a bit hot"
Daphne looked over at him and froze "You've… grown a lot since you were fourteen" she said. The steam was making it hard to see clearly.
"Oy, some cold water?" asked Harry "I'll die."
"Don't be a sissy. I've got sore muscles, I need a hot soak." said Daphne and turned off all the taps and went to get changed. Harry turned on the ice-cube tap for a bit, till the water didn't feel like he was scalding. The icecubes bobbed merrily and melted.
Harry got into the tub, which was really the size of a small swimming pool and stretched out. The water was very nice, but maybe a tiny bit cool now.
Harry was fussing with the hot tap, and nearly had the water the right temperature when Daphne Greengrass said "If you'd left it alone it would be fine!"
Harry looked over and she was dipping one foot in the bath-water, the black and green swimsuit with black and green ruffles covering her body. One set of ruffles like a skirt hid her waist, another set hid her bust, and neck and collar ruffles hid pretty much all of the rest of her. Except her legs, which looked bloody nice to Harry, and the way she extended one foot had him appreciating her muscle tone. Daphne got into the bath and the ruffles caught on the bubbles and the ones around her neck were all in her face.
"Crud" said Daphne and got out, found her wand and vanished the neck and arm ruffles, then glared at Harry "Don't perve me" she said and got into the bath again. The waist ruffles , clearly not designed to cope with foam were an unmanageable mess.
Daphne pointed a wet finger at Harry "If you perve me, I will hurt you" she said, and got out again, and got rid of the ruffles entirely. Harry of course, perved. Daphne looked, like... like a woolly black swimsuit. Harry had a fond memory of Fleur's silver swimsuit. Daphne could do that sort of suit justice, Harry felt. Or maybe… a bikini. Harry didn't try to imagine that. Remembering naked, sun-loving Daphne from a year ago was bad enough.
Once Daphne got in and settled to neck-depth in the water she said "Make it a bit hotter"
Harry actually totally agreed, and turned on the hot tap, "Walk in circles to stir it" he suggested.
"Too sore" complained Daphne.
"You're not" said Harry.
"I'm so sore I'm going to let you massage my sore shoulders. That's how sore I am" said Daphne.
An hour or so later Harry did actually get to massage woolly-swimwear clad Daphne shoulders and her arms. She lay on the bench like a rag doll, groaning as Harry rubbed her shoulder and neck muscles.
"Just make it better Potter "she said "A witch is not meant to be so sore."
"The woolly suit isn't helping" said Harry honestly.
"Fine." she said, and got up and staggered to the booth she'd used, and came back a minute later, having transfigured the woolly swimsuit into silk.
"Great transfiguration" said Harry "And no help. You need less on. Get out of this and put on some towels, then I'll... go hide in a stall till you're lying down with towels to protect your dignity."
"I refuse to strip naked for you Potter" said Daphne, and she turned around and went back to the stall and came back a minute later, the swimsuit cut away from her shoulders and back. It… covered her chest and bum, so clearly that satisfied her quest for dignity. She lay on a towel "Begin" she ordered.
Harry oiled his hands and rubbed them down her back muscles. Daphne groaned "That's sore but good. Do that again."
All the muscles on her back and shoulders, with only oil on them succumbed slowly to massage, leaving Harry with sore thumbs and fingers. "That's enough" said Harry "My hands are sore. Go rinse off" Harry went to a shower stall with a towel.
Daphne sang in the shower as she washed oil off, and emerged eventually looking a bit wet-haired but clean and pink-faced "Well done Potter" she said "Same this swimsuit's rubbish."
"I'll get Hermione to get her mum to get you one. You can tell her your sizes" said Harry "Muggles have stretchy fabrics that work like skin but cover you up, and lots of styles." said Harry.
-==0==-
Those words came back to haunt him as he was dragged out of the Library by an angry looking Daphne Greengrass, who just about had him in an arm-lock, getting him into a disused classroom.
"A wide variety of styles!" snapped Daphne. "Granger got a catalogue. And showed me. You aren't seeing any of the racy stuff ever. Don't even dream about it. " Harry was a bit surprised. Hermione had clearly used her evil sense of humour again.
Daphne pulled out a glossy catalogue and slapped it onto the desk "This stuff is beyond indecent!" she said.
Harry looked at the cover where impossibly toned and tanned women wore… the smallest swimwear Harry had ever seen. Pants-tighteningly tiny stuff that covered so little it was little more than a fig-leaf.
"Fortunately there were some less… indecent choices, and I'm getting three sets, one for really cold weather, one for warm weather and one for very hot weather. And nothing like those hussies are wearing!" said Daphne pointing at something that seemed to be one continuous stretchy strap. Daphne flicked pages "I'm getting the most respectable bikini they sell, only for hot baths here and hot weather."
"Fore reference" said Daphne, turning to a page marked with a post-it note "This kind of thing, not all this… bum floss" she said.
Harry looked over casually, to see a model in a blue and white striped bikini that seemed … quite bikini shaped. Still something that seeing Daphne in it would be more exciting than the ill-fated woolly thing, but not as... pornographic as the other stuff in the catalogue. Harry really wondered how and why Mrs Granger was helping Hermione do this. It wasn't really a prank. Probably.
-==0==-
Saturday, and the quidditch match came. Harry was really too nervous to eat, but sat eating where the Slytherins could see him. As a good example, and so he didn't throw up from nerves.
After breakfast, he went down to the pitch to fret.
Esme confronted him with a basket of food "League rules say we can have a ten-minute timeout every three hours. I got a basket from the kitchens."
"Well done" said Harry "I hope Madam Hooch goes for it." Harry actually hoped the match was over before hunger became a problem.
Pansy's feint and fly-through the beaters aim trick didn't work the first time, Cho not following… but the second time she followed and Patricia got lucky and hit Cho. Harry winced at the sickening thud. Cho wobbled and nearly fell off, and Madam Hooch stopped play.
Cho slewed down and Madam Pomfrey cast a spell on her arm and shook her head. Cho said something in the distance.
"And Cho Chang's been medicalled off" said Tony over the loudspeakers "Ravenclaw calling in a substitute… and it's Mandy Brocklehurst."
Mandy was clearly shoved into the changing room and emerged a bit later in an ill-fitting uniform and took off. Harry couldn't believe his luck. Their plan, feeble as it was had worked.
The rest of the match, with Pansy outmatching Mandy was like playing a slightly better Hufflepuff, until Pansy called out "Keeper" and the whole team pivoted on the spot like tank turrets. The Ravenclaws were rattled and the Sirens scored again, finally winning by ten points as a flustered Pansy finally got the snitch.
Harry exhaled, wondering how long he'd been holding his breath.
Daphne and the team filed past, looking shocked that they'd won, and Harry sympathised. He could hardly believe their luck either. Daphne had looked him in the face and said "Coach, your plan worked. Is that the first time one ever has?"
Harry smiled "Pretty much, yeah" he replied.
As was 'tradition' he sat with the Sirens for a late lunch.
"A toast to our coach" said Tracey "An idiotically brave Gryffindor who came up with a plan that worked. Cheers to the coach … Harry!"
"Harry!" said the team as a sort of cheer., Harry felt strangely moved. He was, he realised being praised for something the team had done. He stood up, feeling that a speech should be given standing.
"I need to say this, I might be the coach, and our first plan worked, but you lot did all the work. Starters, congratulations. Reserves, you're bloody brilliant. See how important you all are. Ravenclaw had to struggle get Mandy to fly out, and she wasn't ready. You are all good players, and you all know the tactics. Our strength is twice everyone elses', because we outnumber them" he finished, hoping to sound inspirational.
Tracey cocked her head "Don't give up your day job, coach" she said, and the team laughed, mostly from relief.
"As Pansy said, running drills tomorrow" said Harry.
Of course, Harry had quidditch practice on Sunday as well, so he had barely time to nod at the Sirens, and fly around the castle to the other pitch for practice with Gryffindor.
Of course, there were some running drills to run; everyone needed to do a few laps of the pitch at least.
Harry was completely buggered by the afternoon, flying seeker drills, flying around the team to help organise, with Ginny Weasley yelling at everyone. She seemed to be natural yeller.
Ron was doing quite well as a keeper, Harry thought. He was like… a Lily with more skill and the same terrible nerves.
Harry helped Ginny pack up the gear, as everyone else had sodded off to the showers.
"Harry?" asked Ginny quietly "Would you … um… like to um…. Go somewhere with me and um…. Talk?"
Harry thought about this, standing quite still. Ginny knew he was betrothed to Daphne. Who, Harry had to admit was gorgeous, at least as pretty as Ginny. And… who Harry was doomed to marry.
"Er" said Harry awkwardly, not sure quite what to say. In a kinder universe, one without being betrothed to Daphne…
"Ginny" said Harry, starting again "In a world where I'm not betrothed to Daphne Greengrass, I think I'd um… ask you out to Hogsmeade… and um… talk in disused classrooms. It's just… with having to marry Daphne Greengrass, I can't get away from her, the school's not very big, Hogmeade's tiny and… she'd go mental. I already annoy her."
"You annoy her?" asked Ginny. "She's the stuck up snob, you're a decent wizard."
"It's just… I'm… in love with her" admitted Harry "It's all very awkward."
"You're… in love with that horse-faced witch?" asked Ginny, her voice getting louder and harder.
Harry's brain helpfully told him that Ginny was now extremely hacked off. For some reason.
"Er, yeah" said Harry "It's just… she's themostbeautifulwithcalive" he said quickly.
"You… deranged moron!" said Ginny loudly and stormed off.
Harry levitated the trunk of balls and bats back to the broom-shed and stowed it in the Gryffindor cupboard.
He set off for the castle, deciding there and then to just go to the prefect's bathroom and avoid Ron and co. Ginny might well have vented to them, and Harry didn't need the grief.
As Harry walked to the castle, he wondered about the next Sirens game. They had to play Slytherin proper, and the question of if the Slytherin boys would play as dirty against Slytherin girls was puzzling Harry. He'd have to ask the girls. Daphne would probably have an idea, and … maybe Pansy could apply some… revolting leverage on Draco. He was fairly sure from the way Draco and Pansy acted around each other outside of Sirens matches that they were still Boyfriend and Girlfriend.
Harry's thighs were feeling it by the time he got to the third floor. He said the password for the prefect's bathroom and went to open the door; it was still locked from the inside.
Harry hit the door with an unlocking charm and went in. There was steam and someone was in the bath.
"Oy!" yelled Daphne angrily "You didn't have to barge in!"
Harry waved one hand tiredly and went a stall and changed into conjured swim-shorts.
The looked like his real ones.
He took a towel from the pile and went to the pool where Daphne Greengrass was rearranging her swimwear.
"I'm going to see it all one day anyway" said Harry, annoyed and took the steps into the pool.
"You can bloody well give me a massage later" said Daphne "Pansy decided we all needed to run till we couldn't."
"Mrs Malfoy will appreciate that attitude." said Harry, trying to relax.
"You wouldn't have run us that hard" said Daphne crossly.
"Probably not, no, but I can't coach the Sirens forever. I'm cutting Quidditch out sometime in seventh year for NEWTs, and you have to have new players starting, and Pansy will need to appoint a younger player as vice-captain, to coach after I'm gone." said Harry.
"You don't need to work, you can bloody well come and coach the Sirens on weekends after you graduate" said Daphne. "Or would you like to pre-book that argument a year in advance?"
Harry pondered the… scale of Daphne's arguments. He'd never met someone who'd pre-book an argument before.
"Not really "admitted Harry after thinking a lot longer. "But I only did the coaching to get to know your friends."
"And now we're a halfway decent team, you can keep it up. Consider it a husbandly duty" said Daphne.
Harry thought of one he'd rather think about and was glad there was plenty of foam. He managed to find a bit of the tiled decorations around the edge that didn't poke his skull and leaned back, trying to just soak and relax.
"How was your practice?" asked Daphne after a long silence.
"Good, till Ginny Weasley asked me out." said Harry, mentally pulling the thorn out.
"She did what?" asked Daphne quietly. She wasn't yelling, thought Harry. Not that she seemed to really care about Harry much. Shelve that thought for now.
"She um… wanted to go to Hogsmeade, and then also deserted classrooms. I explained that that wasn't going to happen. Because I'm betrothed to you, and I really don't want to irritate you." said Harry.
"Thank you for having the manners normally found in a human being" said Daphne.
"Well, and she's not as pretty as you, and…. I still … istilloveyou" said Harry quickly.
"Your delusional coping strategy is disturbing, but at least I'm spared the humiliation of you having a bit-on-the-side." said Daphne.
Harry nodded politely and half-dozed.
The water sloshed later and Daphne said "Hey, lazybones, get out and massage my poor muscles"
Harry opened his eyes and Daphne was standing at the top of the bath's steps, in the wonky silk swimwear. It um… well it was wet and clung. Daphne looked nearly naked, and Harry knew quite well what was under the silk. An embarrassed, shorts tented Harry got out of the pool, luckily Daphne had gone and laid on the bench, on towels, waiting for her massage.
Harry was quite ready to have a nap by the time he was done rubbing her legs… and shoulders.
"Shoulders still?"
"Still?" said Daphne "We did chaser drills after the run. Different muscles."
Wednesday had a scheduled saliva-exchange after studying. Daphne's glasses still caught Harry's eye, so he had started sitting beside her at the desk in the library, where he couldn't see then.
He didn't notice the way Daphne stiffened as he sat down next to her.
By the end of the hours of study and assignments, Daphne threw a ball of parchment at Harry.
"Hey, Potter" she said.
Harry looked over, brain slightly fuzzy. "What?"
"You've been ignoring me all night. What gives?"
"If I can't see your glasses I can keep my attention on the assignment." said Harry "Beside not opposite works better."
"We still have to do the thing today" said Daphne.
"Well... it might help with recovery. For all you know half your aches are just curse" said Harry mildly.
"The stupid curse is getting stronger." said Daphne.
"Yes, and I hate that bit too." said Harry.
"You can do the kissing, and give me a massage before bed" said Daphne "I've got that new swimsuit, so you can get my shoulders and delts."
Harry got up and awkwardly, trousers tight, went to the prefects' bathroom instead of a classroom.
Daphne stood still "Well get on with it" she said.
Harry held her carefully … careful to not press his erection against her and kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth with practised ease. It was warm, tasted of sugar quills, and her perfume smelt like… whatever it was she wore as perfume. Harry relaxed into the kiss, and it became vaguely snog-like.
Daphne's hands came up Harry's chest and pressed on his shoulders pushing him off.
Harry opened his eyes and let go, Daphne wide-eyed "What the hell was that" she asked. "Has someone been giving you tips? Practising with Ginny Weasley?"
"Just...seemed right" said Harry.
Daphne made a negative sounding "hmmm" and went to a stall to change.
Harry took off his robes, so his robe-cuffs wouldn't get messed up and pulled up his sleeves.
Daphne Greengrass emerged eventually, with a towel wrapped around her, and striped straps over her bare shoulders. She went to the bench, unwrapped the towed off her, and lay in the towel in a green and white striped bikini. The bum of which was … a triangle covering most of Daphnes bum. but the shape… the quite attractive shape was all there, and the bra-strap covered her back not at all… and she had, Harry was reminded, a beautiful back. The line of her spine was… somehow… art. And… there was side-boob showing. Curved white grapefruit like breasts. Harry had a raging hard-on, and his hands itched to hold Daphne in a way that would get him… very badly hexed, and certainly sent to Madam Pomfrey.
"Get on with it Potter!" said Daphne. Harry warmed up the oil, and poured it on her back. The tiny hairs disappearing into oily slickness.
Along her spine the muscles were tense and Harry rubbed them with his thumbs, the oil letting him slide.
Daphne let out a moan. "Ohh… you do that… you rub those" she said.
Harry really wished he had robes on, as his trousers were quite visibly tented by his erection, rubbing the sore muscles of Daphne's' back.
"How are your legs?" asked Harry.
"Terrible. Do them too" said Daphne. Harry, minutes later wondered if this was a new torture designed by Daphne. She would make happy moans as stiff muscles were rubbed, and she was covered in slick shiny oil.
His thumbs and hands were getting sore, when she said "Hands… my hands are sore do them"
The, obviously she wanted her forearms done. Her forearms concealed quite wiry muscles.
"Arms… upper arms..." she said. Harry did so, awkwardly. Her shoulder s didn't bend that way.
Daphne rolled over, and Harry tried hard not to groan. Bikini-clad breasts, like a stripy bra, pulling her breasts together… creating serious cleavage. She wasn't a huge-breasted girl, but there was plenty to see. And Daphne had her eyes shut, as Harry did her biceps and triceps, and then her shoulders.
"Front… do my ribs. I swear all the muscles are dead" groaned Daphne.
Harry found himself rubbing oily hands up and down her rubs, up to but not touching her breasts. It was… odd really to feel her ribs, the small muscles sliding over them, and then back to the muscles under her arms. She lifted her arms above her head, lying limply on the bench. The bra lifted still higher, more cleavage on display. Harry bit his lower lip. This was torture, pure and simple.
After Harry's hands got to wanting to fall off , Daphne opened her eyes and said "Quads. Quads and calves are killing me. And my arches. You can stop after my arches."
So Harry found himself massaging the upper thighs of a practically naked, relaxed Daphne Greengrass. Of course, she had to part her thighs to allow his hand to squeeze the quads, and that meant an eyeful of stripy pant, stretched over her girl bits. No sign of stray hairs, but Harry couldn't help imagine the flesh of the covered swelling, the lips … slick and penetrated by her finger as she groaned. Harry shook his head. He needed to snap out of it, not stare at Greengrasses… delicious places, she had calves to massage. And he needed to not touch where he shouldn't. He estimated he'd last a minute, tops if his hand brushed any-place out of bounds.
Harry massaged her calves , and she made less moan-ey appreciative noises "Yep, that's the spot… rub there..." she said., and Harry felt the tightness in the muscle slowly leave. To be replaced by tightness in Harry's hands and thumbs.
Her foot arches got a loud pleased sounding "mmmm" from Daphne "That's the spot. My quidditch boots are a strain to run in" she said, and Harry eyed her oily, slightly rubbery leg, all the way up to her bikini pants. Which had an awkward wet patch on … where Harry shouldn't have got oil. He really hoped Grengrass showered the oil off before taking the bikini off. Or she might see the stain.
"Potter" said Daphne unexpectedly "My glutes are sore, and I only noticed lying on my back., I'm going to toll over, adjust the bikini pants and you're going to massage my glutes. You are not going to be groping me. Just massaging a sore muscle. Do you understand?" she asked. Harry couldn't talk.
"Potter… Glutes. Not groping." said Daphne and rolled over. Then … her hands pulled the triangle of cloth up and inwards, and her… bum cheeks popped out of the bikini, pale and wiggling slightly.
Harry was glad she was facing down, as he knew he was staring. The bikini had pretty much disappeared up her bum-crack.
Harry heated up the oil again, and wet his hands down and very carefully , trying not to be gropey, massaged her glutes till she rearranged her hips and spread her legs a little.
"Both hands on one side Potter. You're not working very hard." said Daphne.
"My hands are sore. A full-body massage is a lot of work!" protested Harry.
With two hands, Harry had both hands on one bum-cheek and rubbing... it would have been nicer, but his thumbs were killing him, The balls of his thumbs were very sore. His other balls were of course, nearly killing him.
Finally Daphne said "That's enough" and rolled over. Harry cringed. She looked a bit annoyed.
"You've missed my pecs, and I wasn't going to get you to do them, but you seemed trustworthy enough on my glutes" said Daphne "So, very definitely not massaging my breasts, do my pecs." she said.
Harry looked at her chest. The bikini came up over her pecs. There was no way he could do that.
"It's in the way." said Harry.
"I'm not going topless with you" said Daphne. Looking down at her chest she said "I've got an idea."
She undid the top of the bikini behind her neck and swapped the ties of the neck, crossing them over and pulling the fabric off her pecs, but pulling both breasts together to make the most cleavage possible, and then doing up her bra-string in a matter-of fact way.
"Now don't ogle, just do my pecs" said Daphne, and lay back down.
Her bust was now all cleavage, the crossed-over string cutting into her throat a little. Harry carefully rubbed her pecs... as far as the fabric covered. Oily fingertips did the job and Daphne, eyes closed groaned "Oh… thats… the thing… other side." she said.
Harry, faced with centimetres only between pec massage and rubbing her breasts, was very careful to do a good job, and Daphne finally said "Well done. You're quite good at that" she said, batting his hands away, and rubbing a bit further breast-wards than Harry though he would be allowed.
Daphne sat up off the bench and walked off to the stall. Harry couldn't help perve her bum, and she seemed to … have a slight swagger.
Harry went to a sink and started washing at his hands, trying to get the oil off. Hopefully Greengrass…
The shower in the stall had started almost instantly, so she was almost certainly washing the bikini in-situ, and his accident with her pants would go unnoticed.
-==0==-
"Where were you?" Tracey asked Daphne as she walked into the dorm room, hair in damp-ish pony-tail.
Daphne cast a privacy charm, not caring that it was a bit public.
"The curse has got worse. Now it's every week." said Daphne "And then I got Harry to give me a hot oil-massage. He has strong quidditch players hands."
"Hussy." said Tracey.
"Honestly, he knows not to grope me." said Daphne. "I did succumb to getting him to do my glutes. Oh… it was heavenly" said Daphne with a chuckle "He's probably taking himself in hand as we speak. I was already wet by the time he'd done both of my thighs."
"You didn't… not with Potter"
"Course not. But he did have to massage my pecs. Well, all that wasn't' covered by a bikini." said Daphne.
"How'd you get a bikini?" asked Tracy
"Granger's mum got her a catalogue. Frankly Muggle swimwear fashions are a bit… indecent. I took the most modest bikini. Potter can do my shoulder muscles. Or my glutes… it's very good. I'll sleep well."
"And he'll die of sexual frustration?"
"Oh come on, he'll just masturbate. Boys do it all the time" said Daphne. "His trousers looked like he'd shoved a zuchinni in them"
"So not marrow then?" asked Tracey.
"A small zuchinni" giggled Daphne. "I almost felt sorry for him"
"Well, cast two silencing charms before you finish yourself off tonight "said Tracey, to Daphe's red-faced protests.
Daphne was getting into her ridiculously green nightgown when Tracey asked. "So... whole body massage eh?"
Daphne rubbed her neck "didn't do my neck. Next time he'll have to. He nearly grabbed my neck tonight while we snogged."
"Snogging?" you've progressed to snogging"
"He's supposed to kiss and exchange saliva. It was almost like he'd had lessons. He claims it's just practice."
"So it was good?"
"Good enough I wanted my glutes rubbed" said Daphne. "I was worried I'd wet the crotch seam"
"He got you going" said Tracey incredulously.
"He's got strong hands, and does what he's told. And well… I'm only human." said Daphne.
"I could have sworn you'd decided to be monogamous with Daphne Greengrass only" said Tracey.
"One day, as he pointed out, he'll see the whole of me." said Daphne. "If I can con him into a full body massage first… it mightn't be so bad."
"Not so bad?" asked Tracey incredulously. "You spent all last year complaining about him"
"And he was awful. Now… I'm getting… quite good kissing, he's making all my aches and pains go away… I can see the point of having him… scratch my itches later. He even admitted Weasley, Ginny Weasley had propositioned him, and he turned her down. For the usual slightly creepy delusional reasons… but he did the right thing. He was rewarded for his good deeds."
"Are you saying a full body massage was reward for him?"
'I was in bikini, and he got so upset he … I swear he nearly died. Zucchinis stuck in his pants."
"How long is that zucchini anyway?"
"All the way to his waistband… so ...literally zucchini sized" said Daphne, and she frowned "That's a lot for later."
"Well… on that slightly disturbing note, goodnight" said Tracey. "I'll not think about zuchinni the same way again."
"A good-sized sausage" said Daphne cheekily. "The ones that come with buns. You're the one that's always saying these things."
"I'm not the one with Harry Potter rubbing me down" said Tracey. "I would have had him in training by now, honestly."
Daphne stopped her progress into her bed.
"You what?" she asked seriously.
"If I had Harry Potter betrothed to me I'd have his tight little buns on a disused school desk by now. You realise that the only thing wrong with him is the bloody contact?" asked Tracey. "Witch weekly are doing an article about him… and you."
Daphne went pale "They did what?" she asked, in a croak.
Tracey went to her trunk and got out a witch weekly and handed it to Daphne.
The cover picture was the Prophet's picture of Harry Potter holding a sword, looking ready to kill someone.
'Feature article: Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass. The couple with Everything. Including an ancient magical marriage contract.'
"Tracey?" asked Daphne "How much in advance is this copy from your mum?"
"This Friday's issue" said Tracey. "Got it after dinner. Beats doing my Transfiguration assignment."
Daphne grabbed Tracey and hauled her to Daphne's bed and pulled the curtain, and cast some more privacy spells.
"Lily's gonna think you're shagging me" said Tracey, with a grin that faded under Daphne's glare.
"She's delusional" said Daphne.
"She saw us kissing at your fifteenth birthday, and joined the dots" said Tracey. "And telling her that we were sad gits who didn't have boyfriends cuts no ice with Lily. She's convinced we're together. This isn't helping."
"Bugger Lily Moon and everyone else" said Daphne, storming out of her bed, nearly ripping the curtains off.
"ALL RIGHT!" yelled Daphne "Everyone. Dorm Meeting. I've had enough and Witch Weekly have finally crossed a line."
Sally-Anne lifted her head from a book. "Can this wait?" she asked "I've got to a good bit?" she said, and Daphne took a deep breath and exhaled, her nostrils flaring.
"Oh can't wait" said Sally-Anne tactfully, putting her book down with a bookmark.
Millicent looked up from combing her pygmy puffskien, Felicity. "Daphne, are you coming out?" asked Millicent. "Not judging." she rumbled.
"Get everyone. Tracey informs me Witch Weekly have done an article about Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass, the couple with everything. We're going to read it as a group and have a mature, reasonable discussion of it." said Daphne.
Millicent kissed Felicity on her top-knot and put her in her little silvery pen, and got off her bed, and asked Tracey "So she's snapped then?"
Tracey nodded "This is it. She's a woman with nothing left to lose."
Millicent shuddered and left the dorm, returning with Lily, Pansy and Pansy towing Draco.
Daphne's head turned, and she stared "Pansy, he's yours. If you want him to have bollocks, get him out. This is a witches coven, and I'm perfectly prepared to neuter Malfoy."
Draco slipped out of Pansy's grip and fled, Daphne flicking her wand out and casting a door-closing spell, then a door locking spell.
"This can't be a coven meeting" said Lily "There's no tea, and there's always tea..."
"Fine" hissed Daphne, and she called out "Dobby!" sharply.
Dobby the house-elf appeared with a pop, a woolly hat in vivid orange on his head, mismatched woolly socks on his feet and a plaid woolly blanket tied with what looked like a narrow green woolly scarf.
"Missy Daphne" said Dobby, bobbing on his feet like a featherless Heron with a wool fetish.
"Tea service, and some… small cakes." said Daphne, and Dobby nodded and vanished with a pop.
"How" asked Pansy in a slow drawl "Did you get Hogwarts house-elf to do what you ask over and over again?"
"One of the very few perks of my situation" said Daphne, mouth pursed. "Trunks in a curve so we can all read the early edition of Witch Weekly Tracey's just given me." Daphne waved the offending document.
Three trunks were quickly levitated into a row, cushioning charmed and the witches formed a half circle, the magazine in Daphne's hands in the middle.
Daphne turned to the article where a pair of oval-framed pictures of Harry… cut from one of the Daily Prophet's Basilisk slaying photos, and Daphne, from a photo last year, stared at each other.
'Harry Potter-Black and Daphne Greengrass- The couple with everything.'
"Am I going to need a bucket?" asked Pansy.
Daphne started to read the potted biography of Harry aloud.
'Noted from the age of one as the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter also killed a Basilisk in ninety-two, saving Hogwarts and all the people there from certain death. A run-in with the tri-wizard tournament saw an underage Potter coming first equal in a contest for adults, which wasn't much of a surprise to those who knew the raven-haired boy, also the youngest quidditch seeker in a century. His prowess on the quidditch pitch not limited to flying, he is also coaching his lover's team, the Slytherin Sirens.'
Pansy spoke up "Oh, your team is it Daphne?" she asked pointedly.
"I've never said that" said Daphne hurriedly.
'Heir to the Black fortune, in the care these days of Sirius Black, notorious dark wizard and one of the few people to ever be released from Azkaban, and the only one to ever escape Azkaban, Potter-Black is also the last remaining Potter, with untold wealth from the sale of Sleekeazy's Hair Tonic to Aurielle in the nineteen seventies.'
"He's not that rich" sneered Pansy. "The Malfoy's are far richer."
Daphne put the magazine down and said politely "Pans, the Malfoys are rich enough to buy their way out of Azkaban, and tell Fudge what to do. The Malfoys are probably richer than everyone else put together."
"And that's one of Drakey's greatest features. He's rich. And has dreamy grey eyes" said Pansy.
Tracey clicked her fingers twice for attention then spoke "While we all want to hear you tell us how great Drakey-pooh is over and over, can we get on with this?"
"With the Merger of the Potter and Black fortunes with the Greengrass fortune, the resulting power-couple with have wealth only exceeded by Britain's most successful few families" read Daphne aloud.
"But Harry Potter-Black's prowess with a wand and wealth, and dark, brooding presence aren't his only asset, with his family dead, he already has access to the wealth of an entire family, doubtless letting him lavish Heiress Greengrass with the sort of gifts only found in storybooks." Daphne stopped reading and took several deep breaths. "Who wrote this, Tracey?" she asked.
"Um… mum and Rita Skeeter. Mum toned it down a lot, honestly." said Tracey.
"Is he really lavishing gifts on you?" asked Lily. "I hadn't noticed. Apart from the bracelet and the necklace."
"Well.. I got Strowagers on Exchange runes and a box of DeThierry's chocolates for Yule last year" admitted Daphne.
"DeThierry's?" asked Pansy "daddy bought some for mummy after that unpleasantness with the au-pair?"
"I like dark chocolate pralines. It's every witches choice what chocolate she likes." said Daphne.
"Bloody expensive chocolates" said Lily.
'Potter brings back old time manners in the wooing of the heiress Greengrass' read Daphne. "That's all his Aunt, and Mummy liked the look of it." she said. "But being helped in and out of carriages is nice. Hand kissing has its place too. And Cousin Tonks, the Auror comes by Hogwarts disillusioned to check Harry's being sufficiently courtly."
"There's invisible Aurors in the school?" asked Pansy nervously. "They could be spying on us now?"
"Her real name is – " said Daphne and waited a few moments. "She's not here." she added.
"Tonks isn't her real name?" asked Lily curiously.
"Surname. Her first name's terrible." said Daphne "She loathes it."
"Oh, like your great-aunt Excrutia?" asked Sally-Anne. Daphne nodded.
Daphne read out the high-points of the rest of the article.
"Now, before we discuss this like mature, reasonable witches, I'll point out that Potter is not my choice of wizard. I don't find being trapped in a magical contract at all romantic, and there's definitely nothing sexy about the post-marriage part of the contract, just a cursed compliance clause where we can drive the other insane by asking them to do something they resist doing. The LeStranges , Bellatrix and Roddie used it and Bellatrix Black lost her marbles, and her surname." said Daphne.
"So you don't love him?" asked Millicent. "He seems to think the sun shines out of your bum?"
"He might be a great cook, and give good massages… and with nearly two years of practice, can kiss decently."
"Kissing?" asked Lily "You… kissing a boy?"
"I kissed Jean-Claude goodnight in Fourth year after the Yule ball, Lily. The cursed marriage contract has some dreadful curses in it. Once I turned sixteen, we had to swap spit by kissing. At first, it was only once every two weeks, now… at least once a week or we both feel like we're coming down with a damn cold." Daphne explained.
"Anything else?" asked Pansy.
"We have to eat together in public three times a week at least… have to tell jokes to make each other laugh… or lose the ability to taste sweet. And if we dance with anyone else we both die." said Daphne. "All of which go away after we're married. And no, girls, we don't have to do it. Apart from to make an heir Greengrass, and probably an heir Black. I can't see cousin Tonks having a child, she's an Auror."
"So, is Potter any good?" asked Pansy.
Daphne sighed "He lacks… oomph." she said.
"Do you two do it?" asked Pansy.
"Of course not!" said Daphne hurriedly.
"You should. You're uptight" said Pansy.
Tracey giggled. "Tell everyone his other trick?" she said.
Daphne have Tracey a slap on the upper arm.
"Oooh, a lovers tiff" said Lily "Do you think they'll fight then kiss to make up?"
"Moon" said Pansy "Has it occurred to you that you might be a witches witch yourself?"
"Um, I don't think so." said Lily "How could I tell? After all, counting Davis & Greengrass, that'd make it a majority in the dorm."
"I'm not Gay!" said Daphne stiffly "Tracey and I didn't have boyfriends and it was my fifteenth birthday and I'd only ever kissed Jean Claude once, so we kissed. That's all."
"The things I do for my best friend" said Tracey suggestively.
"Tracey! Not Helping!" said Daphne. Tracey giggled.
"Given how Heiress Greengrass reacted to their last steamy full-body massage with oil, I'd say she likes boys" said Tracey. "And Potter's apparently got quidditch players hands."
Pansy looked smug.
Lily's perfect brow furrowed under her dark hair "So… Daphne makes Potter give her massages?"
Tracey nodded "Greedy git. Potter's dying of frustration by the end, and Daphne's quidditch training aches are nearly gone."
"There have to be some bloody perks" said Daphne "And he'll just go masturbate anyway."
"Boys can die from that" said Pansy unexpectedly. "It's much safer if a witch helps."
Tracey's mouth opened but nothing came out. Daphne tilted her head sideways, and Lily's brows once again furrowed "Is Pansy saying she… helps Malfoy because he told her he'd get sick doing it himself?" she asked. Sally-Anne frowned, and looked in a tiny book she pulled from her pocket, then nodded.
"I think so" said Millicnet. "I try not to think about what they do."
"It's how I show him I love him" said Pansy.
"Perks, what did you just look up?" asked Tracey.
"Um... a manners book. The right thing to do when in a group of young witches discussing matrimonial matters" said Sally-Anne. "I just… wanted to do the right thing."
"And the book said what?" asked Lily curiously.
"A witch should say nothing, and pretend her companions are not making a faux-pas. Only I don't know what one of those is. Is that some kind of soufflé?"
The other witches made eye contact and as one, shook their heads.
"Potter's plan about obliviation is looking good" said Daphne "Can we get medicinal obliviation do you think? I don't want to know what Pansy said."
"Daphne got a bee in her bonnet about this article, just because I said that if she didn't have a contract with Potter-Black, he'd be one of the better catches at school" explained Tracey.
"So you're not gay either, and fancy Potter?" asked Lily slowly.
"He's decently tall, dark, handsome, good at magic, rich, has money already, plays quidditch well and is seems like a decent person, or at least a good coach." said Tracey. "And does all the manners stuff. His clothes have also been decent since he moved in with Sirius Black."
"I'm not shopping for a boyfriend like shopping for a horse!" said Daphne.
"Oh my god" said Lily, eyes going wide "Greengrass is actually a romantic? Not Gay, and actually has romantic aspirations?"
"Daphne's just a witch like anyone" said Tracey "If it'd happened to you it's be the same."
"Oh please" said Daphne "Not a bit like it. I'm heiress. Parkinsons are richer, but I'm the only other heiress in the dorm."
"Is… Daphne a snob?" asked Lily haltingly. "Does she really think she's better than us?"
"Not better than me" said Pansy snidely.
"Ahem" said Tracey "With the Merger of the Potter and Black fortunes with the Greengrass fortune, the resulting power-couple with have wealth only equalled by Britians' most successful few families" she quoted. "Sirius Black declared Daphne Heiress Black. You might have missed it."
"I get full equal financial control after marriage" admitted Daphne with small smug smile.
"But if you had full financial control, how could your husband coerce you into… things?" asked Pansy.
"He can't. Two different bits of magic stop that" said Daphne smugly.
"Oh my" said Millicent "I feel Daphne's angling to be boss witch around here."
Pansy drew her wand and put it on her opposite upper arm, point up. "The thing is, everyone goes to sleep sometime, and puts down their wand" she said.
Daphne nodded "True" said Daphne "Now, a little family magic to prove a point" she said, and turned into a Naga.
"I fanft fing life fis, fut i'm fure you'll feel my bife" she said through her fangs.
"Is she… venomous?" asked Lily.
"A bit" said Tracey "She's not a death adder, but yeah. Don't piss off the Slytherin-est Slytherin ever."
Sally-Ann spoke up "Has Daphne always been a Naga?" she asked.
"No" said Tracey, as Daphne changed back into a schoolgirl. "She learnt how to turn into an animal, and can stop half-way. She turns into a snake. Hence, the Slytherin-est Slytherin ever."
"Is that somehow related to Potter being able to talk to snakes?" asked Sally-Anne.
"As astonishing as this might seem" said Daphne tightly "Not everything revolves around Harry bloody Potter."
"Um" said Sally-Ann awkwardly "Is he really the heir of Slytherin?" she asked "It's just… ever since second year, with that snake, Potter can talk to snakes, and then it came out he killed the basilisk. It doesn't make much sense."
"Nothing about Potter makes a bit of sense" said Daphne sourly "If you try and understand his life you'll go mad."
"If Draco Malfoy hadn't annoyed Potter, he'd be in Slytherin, wouldn't he?" asked Sally-Anne quietly.
"Well, yes, but Draco's charms are many" said Daphne.
"And if Sirius Black hadn't been wrongfully imprisoned, he'd have been brought up as the heir of Black?" asked Sally-Anne with the sound of a witch gingerly exploring a bad tooth.
"Yes, but that's not what happened, is it" said Daphne angrily "He's a moody, self-important ass."
"I'm just saying" said Sally-Anne "That if Potter had been brought up by the Blacks, and gone into Slytherin in first year… he would have been the best choice out of the boys in our year. Obviously… Pansy had already decided on Draco, so he didn't count."
"From that point of view" said Lily "I can see the point the Weekly's making. Except for the contact he is the best of what's available in our year. The only thing making him not a good choice is that he's betrothed to Heiress Greengrass by a cursed contract."
"If one of you propositions him, I'll hear of it and my vengeance will be swift and terrible" said Daphne "He's already fended off Ginny Weasley."
"He what?" asked Lily. "Gryffindor girls are such…"
"Harlots" said Daphne.
"And Potter only has eyes for Daph" said Tracey.
"I'd be glad if I had a boyfriend that only had eyes for me" said Sally-Anne.
"Sally-Anne, boys are found in a place we call the world, not in a book" said Tracey sarcastically.
"You can talk, you don't have a boyfriend" said Sally-Anne.
"I've got a pen-friend boyfriend" said Tracey smugly "Claude Rene from Beaubatons."
"Claude!" exclaimed Daphne "He was MY date to the Yule ball in fourth year."
"And after you got betrothed, there I was, knowing Claude was a good kisser, not disgusting, and a good dancer. As a good friend it was on me to take that knowledge and write to Claude." said Tracey. "He's shot up. Six foot one, and plays chaser for his house team at Beauxbatons."
"Claude Rene?" asked Lily "The little blonde boy Daphne took to the ball? He's six feet tall now?"
"How could you!" exclaimed Daphne again.
"Daphne, dear heart, you're basically married off to Potter" said Tracey "And you gushed over Claude's kisses, so I went to France for a weekend last summer. He _is_ a very good kisser, though he's… well he's built like a pro chaser now. He might get a starters slot on a local French team after NEWTs."
"You…. Hussy!" exclaimed Daphne. "He was mine!"
"Oh some on, you've got Potter, who's nearly as tall." said Tracey. "And rich and thinks the sun shines out of your bum."
"Why is Potter so fascinated with Daphne?" asked Pansy rhetorically.
"He likes B cups?" asked Sally-Anne.
"I'm still growing!" said an increasingly angry Daphne.
"Maybe he's just being pragmatic" said Sally-Anne.
Pansy shook her head "No, he really only sees Daphne in a room. He didn't see me in the compartment on the train."
"I think Daphne might be spoilt" said Millicent quietly "Of all the ways he could have taken this, being obsessed with Daphne is probably the best."
A tea-tray with a plate of small tea-cakes and teacups appeared silently.
Sally-Anne poured out a cup for everyone and made the tea from memory, handing out cups.
"Imagine if he totally ignored her, pretended she didn't exist, which left her to having to read novels as her only solace?" said Sally-Anne, taking a cake, leaving her cup on the tray.
"I think that if Potter had been brought up by Black he'd have been in Slytherin like Blacks usually are, according to my mum" said Lily "And with Pansy having had Draco since before Hogwarts, that would leave Potter to Daphne anyway. Apart from the contract, which is quite beastly, I think Daphne's acting a little spoilt. I'd have taken him."
"I am not spoilt!" exploded Daphne. "I have to share a bathroom with my sister! We only have nine bedrooms, Pansy's house has thirty-four."
"And you have a horse" observed Lily.
"Well, of course I do" said Daphne.
"Potter doesn't like Gobstones" added Lily.
"He's not in the club, it's obvious" said Daphne.
"He gives Fay crap about Gobstones not being a real sport" explained Lily.
Daphne turned her head slowly to look at Lily "And why are you telling us this?"
"I'm just proving that He's not perfect" said Lily. "Just better than most of us are getting."
Tracy collapsed into fits of blushing giggles.
"What?" asked Pansy, poking Tracey "Is so damn funny. We've already established that Potter has a bad temper, and we all know he associates with that mudblood and the worst of the Weasleys."
"Second worst if you count Ginevra's temper" noted Lily.
"Potter" gasped Tracey, from the floor, giggling "Is so worried about … matrimonial duties that he found a spell to extend a wizards duration to hours." With this, Tracey rolled about, giggling.
"It's not amusing" said Daphne. "I'm not doing that."
Pansy kicked Tracey unkindly "Get up Davis and explain." she ordered.
Tracey got up, moving out of slapping distance of a white-faced Daphne and explained "So the spell stops the wizard… coming till the counter is cast."
"Greengrass" said Pansy angrily "You will extract a copy of that spell from Potter, and bring it to me. That is, unless you want to find out if your father can protect your whole family from My father."
Tracy snorted "Draco as hopeless at that as quidditch?" she said, and Pansy inhaled "Millie, take Davis and shove her head down the loo, there's a dear" said Pansy.
"I'm not sure" said Millicent quietly "That it's really Davis's fault. A witch should like, control her wizard and stuff."
"Millie!" said Pansy, and Millicent stood up, crooked her finger and Tracey walked along to the other half-open doorway, Millie following, and a little later, there was the sound of a toilet flushing. Millicent returned and sat down, Tracey arriving later with her hair in a towel.
"Now, Daphne dear, extract that spell from Potter, preferably by getting him to just copy it from wherever it came from, and bring it to me" said Pansy.
"Persistence is not quality" said Lily quietly.
Every with stared at her, and Lily said "There was an article in the American Witch Weekly last year. I read it in Jamaica at Gran's. It could last ages and still be rubbish." Lily said all that without letting her porcelain forehead wrinkle.
"Pansy" said Daphne "I will retrieve the spell, as you suggest by copying it. You will then retire from being head-witch of this dormitory. You'll probably be too busy then anyway."
"You can talk" said Pansy "Prefects bathroom, hours and hours. And you come back all glowey."
"That's just a massage" said Tracey. "She's really not into him."
"I don't get massages from Draco" said Pansy crossly "And we're lovers."
Daphne rolled her eyes, and Sally-Anne pantomimed vomiting.
"You're already undermining me" said Pansy.
"Pansy, dear" said Daphne "Nobody wants to hear about you and Draco."
"At least witch weekly doesn't make an entire article out of cobwebs and lies about US" said Pansy.
"About that" said Tracey awkwardly "Draco's mum got wind of the companion article about you and Draco and vetoed it."
Pansy inhaled, her nostrils flaring "Vetoed it?"
"Apparently it made Draco and you look less… than sterling. Filch spilled the beans apparently" said Tracey.
"That cretin!" said Pansy "I'll have him fired"
"You got caught by Filch?" asked Lily.
"Draco had needs, and how did we know Filch would use that particular broom cupboard" said Pansy crossly. "And anyone catching Potter massaging you wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway."
"I wear a bikini. Muggle swimwear." said Daphne, then paused "I have a catalogue my supplier provided. I chose the most restrained outfit, of course."
With that, Daphne went and got her trunk open, took out a magazine and removed a post-it note, and put the catalogue next to the tea-tray. "Prices work out to about fifteen galleons each" she said.
Pansy looked over at the cover and shuddered "Muggles wear that… stuff?" she asked "Perks!, is this real?"
Sally-Anne looked over at the catalogue. "It's for um, models and actresses. People who get photographed for their beauty." she said quietly, took her tea-cup and sipped, concealing a small smile.
"Skimpier that what Delacour wore into the lake" observed Lily. "Though, you wouldn't want to get into the lake anyway."
"Mine's quite good in the prefect's bath" said Daphne. "Then I get a massage, then I shower off in a stall and come back to dorms, not a mass of strained muscles."
"And Potter goes off and pleasures himself" said Tracy.
"No-one has to see that, we need not discuss it Tracey" said Daphne.
"Potter is probably unmoved by Daphne's body" said Pansy.
"He just stuffs zucchini into his trousers then?" asked Tracey, stifling a giggle.
Daphne snorted.
"Oh my god" said Lily "Daphne's a monster. And I don't mean turning into a Naga. Torturing the boor boy. He's never done anything to you."
"And he never will" said Daphne.
-==0==-
Daphne surreptitiously handed Hermione a piece of parchment in Ancient Runes.
Later, in a deserted classroom, Daphne and Hermione met.
"What? More swimwear?" asked Hermione, her eyebrows making a massive brown vee.
"Some of the other Slytherins in my dorm are ordering" said Daphne, and handed over a carefully ruled sheet of orders with the swimwear catalogue. "Get a price, and I'll mark it up to the customers."
Hermione checked the list quickly and barely concealed a smirk.
"Of course I did say I chose the most fuddy-duddy costume available" said Daphne blandly, and left.
Hermione kept the snort in till Daphne had left, then snorted, stowed all the papers in her book bag and left in a different direction. With a grin on her face.
-==0==-
On their next prefect Patrol, Daphne turned into small snake and hissed "We need to have a conversation nobody can overhear."
"And that I carry you everywhere?" hissed Harry.
"I weigh nothing" hissed Daphne the green adder.
Harry picked her up and draped her around his neck.
"So" asked Harry after a walking half the third floor "what is it?"
"That spell for mating. I need to copy it. It will give me great leverage." hissed Daphne.
"Which one?" asked Harry.
"The longer time spell" hissed Daphne.
Harry blushed.
"Oh... you're so warm" hissed Daphne happily, curing tighter around his neck.
Harry stayed silent "It's in the restricted section. You can't just waltz in there."
"How did you get a restricted section pass? Professor Lupin I suppose?" hissed Daphne.
"I used my invisibility cloak actually. Remus… Professor Lupin would probably give a pass to a prefect. Especially a well-behaved Slytherin one."
"We're getting a pass for both of us. I'm not engaging in skulduggery" hissed Daphne. "I'm not getting caught copying a spell with someone who's not supposed to be in the restricted section."
Harry hissed back "And getting caught copying a mating spell is so much better."
"I can't see why it shouldn't be in the seventh year textbook" hissed Daphne.
A day later, in the restricted section, Daphne read the notes to the spell from the old grimoire it was in. She grew paler and paler.
"This can cause strokes and heart attacks... and loss of… man parts" said Daphne "It's really dangerous."
"Only when misused" said Harry "Clearly not one to try drunk, and yes, probably very bad to fall asleep with."
"You'd either lose your appendage, or have a stroke when the spell was lifted. If that's 'very bad' I'd to see what dangerous was." said Daphne.
"Fighting a basilisk, out-flying dragons, killing dark lords" said Harry blandly "It's what you're used to I suppose."
Daphne got out a clean sheet of parchment and started copying out the spell.
Harry picked a random tome from the shelf and dipped into it.
The spell on the page he opened was a weird charm he'd never heard of called Protaro Dracundo, which was supposed to cause a living target to view the caster in a positive way. Harry settled against the bookshelves and tried to learn it. He certainly had someone who could do with seeing him in a positive way.
"Get your head out of that" said Daphne loudly much later.
Harry put the book away, and looked at Daphne, who had copied the spell and copied the warnings in red ink.
"Are we done?" asked Harry.
"We are leaving, I need to deliver this." said Daphne, rolling up the scroll and putting it in her book bag.
"Well, I hope it helps the poor witch" said Harry quietly.
-==0==-
It was time for one of Harry and Daphne's now weekly kissing sessions.
Harry kissed Daphne and within seconds, the aching in his bones subsided, his back stopped aching, and he felt like a new man.
Daphne pushed Harry away "Make me laugh" she said sharply "I need to taste sugar again."
"Um… what do to call a sexton that's fallen in the hole?" asked Harry.
Daphne blinked at Harry, eyes narrowed.
"Dug" said Harry quickly.
Daphne thought about it for a second, and snorted "That was terrible Potter" she said "I'll use the old standby... what do you call a Gryffindor with half a brain?"
"I don't know Daphne, what do you call a Gryffindor with half a brain?" asked Harry tiredly.
"Harry" said Daphne, with a smirk.
"Oh! A personal attack" said Harry jokingly "How do you find and old man in the dark?"
Daphne blinked.
"It's not hard" said Harry, smiling.
"Ohhh!" said Daphne with a groan. "That's not funny! I'll never taste sweet again."
"Harry Potter fell out the astronomy tower and was unhurt, why ?" asked Harry.
Daphne rolled her eyes "Why?"
"His enormous ego cushioned the fall" said Harry deadpan, and Daphne spluttered. "Oh you!" she said, snorting. "I was not expecting that" she said, then sighed.
"What's wrong?" asked Harry.
"Its… this bloody contract!" said Daphne "I Hate having no choices, I hate being a slave to some idiotic drunken ancestor."
Harry sighed and nodded "I… I don't mind because… but I understand you hate it. Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes" said Daphne firmly "Get rid of the fucking contract. There must be some way. I really don't care as long as nobody dies!"
Harry quickly schooled his features, and nodded "I'll owl Sirius and explain. There must be some way, no matter how drastic."
"Go do it now" said Daphne "Not tomorrow. Now." she said, her face twisting into a rictus of misery "I want out and I want out now!" she sniffled.
"I'll do it, I promise" said Harry, nodded and dashed off.
Hedwig took a red-eyed Harry's letter and flew off into the darkness, a quickly vanishing dot of white.
Harry was eating breakfast before a brown owl dropped off a letter from Sirius.
'Harry, have taken contract to new person at Magical accidents and Catastrophes. She's working on something. Might cost a lot… and involve some difficulties for you.'
Harry got up and crossed the great hall round the door end of the benches and went to the Slytherin table where Daphne sat. Harry handed Daphne the letter.
She looked up at him, looking confused "Are you actually infeasibly lucky?" she asked.
Harry shrugged "We'll find out. Keep the letter." he said and left.
"He didn't kiss your hand" said Tracey. "What's going on?"
"I… have demanded Harry get me out of this. Sirius might have found a way. A fluke coincidence, as usual for Potter."
Four days later, after a gruelling Sirens training session, Harry packed the two trunks of gear away and floated them off round the castle to the broom shed.
As Harry closed up the shed, a brown owl dropped a letter onto Harry's head.
Harry picked up the slightly muddy letter, and looked at it. From Sirius and urgent.
Harry read the letter, getting more and more upset. He finally screwed up the letter, cast a Patronus and sent it to 'Daphne Greengrass.'
"Daphne, Sirius's new best friend in Magical Accidents ant catastrophes has found a way. You will have to return all the Black family jewellery tomorrow. The Daily Prophet will explain why."
With that, Harry kicked the door to the broom-shed shut, and stamped off to Gryffindor Tower.
Harry entered the common room a while later with no expression "Ron, Hermione" he said curtly. "Meeting."
Hermione looked up from her favourite spot by the fire, and Ron got up from a table where he was beating a succession of fourth-years at Wizarding chess.
They left the portrait-hole with Harry and went along the hallway, finally going into a disused tower room, Harry flicking his wand, the door banging shut, and then he cast a privacy charm.
"Daphne" said Harry "Got very cross and demanded I get her out of the contract. I owled Sirius. It was the best I could do. Well, Sirius met someone new from Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, and they had an idea. Sirius – Sirius has done some of it, and the rest will happen when the Daily Prophet arrives tomorrow." said Harry, and he sniffed.
"Harry?" asked Hermione "What Has Sirius done?"
"Got Daphne out of it. I'll be fine, really I will." said Harry, eyes watering.
"Mate" said Ron "She um… she really hates that contract."
Harry nodded and sniffed again.
"Harry?" asked Hermione "Has Sirius had to do something drastic?"
"It's only for one year" said Harry. "I'm sure I can cope."
"What's for one year" said Ron urgently, stepping towards Harry, who had begun to stare at the wall intently, peering out a small barred window.
"He… cast me out of the family Black. I can't be the subject of the contract, and Sirius found some witch to get engaged to. So the contract can't bind any more, Daphne and her sister are free, and … well I have to go stay with my relations this summer."
"What?" asked Ron "But… you don't have to be adopted to live with Sirius do you?"
"It's Black family magic. If you're cast out you can't live in a house belonging to the family." said Harry "It's only one summer. It won't be that bad."
"And… you're not engaged to Daphne, just like that?" asked Hermione.
"There'll be more to it than that" said Ron, sounding thoughtful "There will have to be a notice in the Prophet… that's what Sirius was on about, wasn't he?"
"Yeah" said Harry "One notice casting me out, and the other dissolving the engagement between Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass."
"Well" said Hermione "That doesn't seem so bad" she said.
"Harry?" asked Ron slowly "Why only for one year?"
"Oh… well… I can't live at a Black family property, but Sirius says Chateaus are pretty cheap, and he can sell the one we've… they've got and buy one for me…. Not as Black Property, but just as – as a house for Harry Potter, his godson." said Harry. "But I can't live in a house alone under-age. I can't do magic, so no protections, and Sirius can't cast any… as head of house they're Black family magic by definition. And I'm cast out… so no can do."
"How did the person from Magical Accidents and Catastrophes work it out?" asked Hermione "I thought the contract was unreadable by third parties?"
"Um... I think it's who Sirius got engaged to" said Harry.
The next morning, the Daily Prophet ran two notices from the Black family on pages near the back, but a small article along the bottom of the front page had the title 'Harry Potter in disgrace, expelled from Black family, Engagement cancelled to Heiress Daphne Greengrass' The rest of the article was very imaginative.
Daphne Greengrass approached Harry's seat at the Gryffindor table wearing all the Black family jewellery, and carrying a small wooden box. She put the box on the table, opened its lid and took off the ring, and dropped it in the box silently, then piece by piece divested herself of everything, finally pulling a bookmark from her pocket and dropping it into the box, she closed the lid and said "I will be owl-posting this to the Blacks, Mr Potter". Then she cast a neat little charm that wrapped the box in brown paper and string, picked the box up and left the Great hall.
Ron looked at Harry, who was looking fixedly at the breakfast table. "Harry, are you all right?" he asked.
"Not really no" said Harry. "Can we not."
Harry said nothing for the rest of the day.
-==0==-
The Sirens versus Slytherin match came.
The Syltherin team was cobbing (elbowing) but less than usual.
Draco got to the snitch before Pansy and the Sirens lose 90-190.
Next Sirens training session, the Sirens all looked depressed.
"You lost to the most aggressive team at Hogwarts" said Harry. "And Draco is, frankly a better seeker than Pansy."
"We don't stand a chance against Gryffindor and you" said Tracey.
"You do so" said Harry. "Quidditch is a game of seven players, and everyone can lose the game for the team. To play Gryffindor, you need to play to your strengths, and exploit the weaknesses of the Gryffindor team. They're mostly new, so they've less practices that you are. All their chasers are new. What's your other great strength?"
"Numbers" said Hestia. "We have reserves. We could play dirty."
"You're more experienced, stronger, and outnumber them. You can play harder. You don't have to save anything for later."
The Sirens looked dubious.
"Tactics are simple. They're better than you, so play really hard and fast, and take timeouts to swap players, they have no substitutes. Wear them into the ground."
"Are you really going to get memory charmed?" asked Pansy.
"Yes Pansy, I am" said Harry "After our last practice on Sunday the week before, I'll get Professor Flitwick to block the memory of our training sessions, and that should make the match fairer. I've tried not to let slip any tactics, and given Ginny free reign to come up with tactics. She's taking over the team next year anyway, so it's good training for her."
Harry, suitably memory-charmed went to breakfast on match day with a familiarly upset stomach. He choked down some toast and tea and looked over at the Slytherin table where the Sirens looked as green as their quidditch uniforms. Harry didn't even want to look at Daphne's chest armour.
She didn't want him. He'd got disowned to free her. And she still didn't love him.
The day was slightly cloudy, perfect quidditch weather, mused Harry as he walked down to the pitch carrying his broom.
The Sirens didn't score until Gryffindor had fifteen goals.
But their strategy of flying faster, wearing themselves out and subbing off players wore down Demelza Robbins and Colin.
Harry spotted the snitch and swooped down towards it, and Pansy, on and intercept course was not close enough, so in the last moment she let go of her broom on a turn and flew, arms ahead of her, past Harry and caught the snitch, and started to fall, moments later in a flurry of robes she landed on one foot, arms outstretched, then held up the snitch.
"And with an amazing broom-less landing Pansy Parkinson catches the Snitch, beating Harry Potter and winning the match for the Sirens." The Sirens swooped in a circle high above Pansy and fluttered down, brooms in one hand, landing on one foot.
Everyone applauded.
The Gryffindor players landed and Harry shook Pansy's small hand. "Where'd you learn that?" Harry asked.
"You taught it to us" said Pansy "You need to get that memory charm lifted, it can't be healthy."
"Sirens: Prefects bathroom, I'll call for food" said Daphne.
The Sirens walked off, leaving their Slytherin boyfriends, including Draco Malfoy looking confused.
"Not even a congratulatory kiss" said Draco bitterly.
"She's probably still cross you beat her last match" observed Harry.
"Draco" said a cold, adult voice, and Narcissa Malfoy walked onto the pitch in green and black robes with a Slytherin scarf, but in silk around her neck "You'll find that having played such an energetic game, all a witch desires is a hot bath and a massage later. You would do well to be in the right place at the right time."
Narcissa Malfoy turned to Harry "Potter, while you were a despicable stain on the family name, you did well to coach the girls to such a victory. Congratulations."
"I um... don't remember... I got memory charmed so the match would be fair" admitted Harry.
"What a Gryffindor" said Narcissa Malfoy disgustedly and swept off.
