Organic

by Akamoroti

Some things in life are just meant to happen. Some friends arise by happenstance and stay with you for a lifetime. This is about a pair of unlikely friends trying to navigate their way through life, finding comfort in each other, supporting each other in their many pursuits, even love. After all, the purest love is Organic, though, at times, it needs the circumstances to blossom.

2. Last Chapter

A/N: This was written as a contribution to the Haphne Summer 2021 Collection. The collection can be found here: community/Haphne-Summer-2021-Collection/133850/

The collection was started as a way to celebrate 500 members of the Haphne discord server, which is now closing in on 1300, come join if you want to find more Haphne: discord dot gg/pKSdvJQvhU

Thanks to beta readers: DeadFish37, Dorothea Greengrass, Letus, and Webstriker.

---

OOOOOOOOO

Horcrux Hunt

OOOOOOOOO

'Harry, can I borrow the map for a minute?'

'She's ok, Ron,' Harry responded.

'It's not what you think.'

'And what do I think?'

'Probably that I want to check on Ginny.'

'Nope, though I thought you'd say that. And yes, she seems to be ok,' Harry said with a smirk.

'Ok, so who do you think I want to check on?' Ron asked.

Harry looked to Hermione for some sort of confirmation and she gave a little nod of agreement.

'Greengrass.'

Ron's eyebrows shot up. 'How could you know that?' he asked in surprise.

Harry and Hermione shared a satisfied smile.

'For a Slytherin, she's not very subtle. I think I first caught her looking at you sometime during fourth year. It happened every once in a while after that.'

'You caught her looking over at us in the Great Hall?'

Harry nodded.

'That doesn't mean what you think it means,' Ron explained.

'Not in and of itself it doesn't. But all those secret rendezvous in the library,' Harry suggested.

'It's not what you think. How would you even know?'

Harry just pointed at the map and sported a wide grin.

'You spied on me!' Ron said accusingly.

'Oh, come on. You'd take forever to look for a book, and then come back with the wrong one. You didn't think we were stupid enough to think nothing was going on? It's not like we watched the dots every time, just enough to confirm you were seeing the same girl.'

'Honestly, Ron, we were quite impressed you were able to keep the secret from the whole school,' Hermione added.

'It's not—'

'And the way you would bite your tongue when Seamus and Dean would bring up how hot she was, that was some pretty impressive restraint,' Harry said in admiration.

'But I don't get Lavender at all,' Hermione said with a questioning look.

'Yeah, mate. No offence to Lav, but Greengrass is a way better catch.'

'Why didn't you guys ever say anything if you thought I had a secret girlfriend?' Ron asked.

'We figured you liked keeping it a secret. And it made sense, you and a Slytherin girl,' Hermione said.

'Then we figured the library was your place to meet and we were your cover. And it would've been awkward if you knew that we knew you were going to snog your girlfriend, so we let you have your fun thinking you were pulling a fast one on us. It's what good friends do,' Harry added.

'Ok, you guys, stop!' A serious look was on Ron's face.

Harry and Hermione quieted.

'Ron, really, it's ok. One question though. When did it happen? You had to have been friends for a while, and I don't think she would've been cool with you two-timing with Lavender.'

'That's all we ever were—are . . . just friends.'

'Look, Ron. We're good with her. If she's good enough for you, she's good enough for us. You don't have to hide her anymore,' Harry said.

'I'm serious, we were never together. She always helped me see things from a different perspective, but we were both interested in other people.'

'Really?' Hermione asked with curiosity.

'Yeah,' Ron said, locking eyes with her for just a moment.

'Well, now I can't make fun of you for having a Slytherin girlfriend,' Harry said with disappointment.

'Sorry, mate. But I'll introduce you when this is all over. I think you'll like her, both of you.'

'I already do,' Hermione said.

OOOOOOOOO

'Ron! You're ok!' Daphne cried, throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing tightly.

'Easy,' he said, trying to hide his wince of pain.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I should've realized no one made it through the final battle unscathed. And Ron, I'm so sorry about Fred,' she said with tears filling her eyes.

She gave him a more gentle hug this time.

'Thanks, Daphne. I'm feeling kinda numb to everything right now. How are you? Did you get hurt at all?'

'Nothing that won't heal.' She turned to show a split down the side of her robes that revealed a large wound on her skin. It looked like it had already been treated but was still very red and slightly oozing. 'I think this will leave a decent scar though.'

'Ouch, that looks—'

'A-hem,' Hermione coughed, a small smile on her face.

'Oh, Daphne. I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Hermione.'

'I know Hermione, Ron. But the girlfriend thing is new. When did that happen?'

'A few hours ago, I guess,' Ron said hesitantly, looking to Hermione for confirmation.

Hermione's face went red but she nodded her agreement to his statement.

'About time, I'd say,' Daphne declared. 'He's a good one, Hermione. Denser than granite, but a good one.'

'You got that right,' Hermione agreed. 'Ron told us a little about you.'

'He did now? I'm very curious as to what he might've said,' Daphne responded and Ron didn't miss the hint of threat.

'Hermione and Harry thought we were an item. All I did was straighten them out, nothing else,' Ron said, coming to his own defence before Hermione could say anything that might be considered incriminating.

Hermione chuckled quietly.

Daphne nodded but still had a slight look of suspicion about her.

'Where is Harry?' Hermione asked. 'You should introduce him to Daphne too.'

They all started scanning the Great Hall.

'There he is,' Ron said, pointing in Harry's direction. A few tables down Harry was sitting with his arms around Ginny, who appeared to be sobbing into his shoulder.

'Are they getting back together?' Daphne asked, trying to hide her disappointment.

'Don't know. But it kinda looks like it,' Ron said.

Daphne's countenance fell for a moment before she put a forced smile back on her face.

'Oh!' Hermione exclaimed in understanding. Daphne's expression had not gone unnoticed. 'You said you were interested in other people. Daphne, do you fancy Harry?'

Daphne hesitated.

'Yes, she does, and she has refused to accept my help,' Ron said indignantly.

'Smart girl,' Hermione replied.

'Oi! I can't be that bad,' Ron exclaimed. 'Daphne claims that for a relationship to succeed it has to begin . . . organically. Did I get the word right?'

'You did,' Daphne said with a pleased smile. 'Your memory serves you well.'

'Like us!' Hermione proclaimed. 'We didn't plan it, it just happened.'

'You know what that means?' Ron asked.

'Of course, I do,' Hermione replied. 'Don't be sad, Harry won't know what it means either.'

'You can't say anything,' Daphne cut in. 'It was just a schoolgirl crush. Harry seems great and he deserves to be happy. If he has that with Ginny, I don't want to get in the way.'

'He does deserve to be happy, and if things don't work out with Ginny you better believe I'm not just going to sit on the sidelines while you two never interact.'

'Ron!' Daphne proclaimed with indignation.

'Daphne, if I may, Ron has a point here,' Hermione interjected.

'What's that?' Daphne asked.

'Something can't grow organically if the seed is never planted.'

'Yeah! That's what I've been trying to do all along, just plant the seed,' Ron declared.

'Ok, but I don't want to be set up on any blind dates! Is that clear?' Daphne asked forcefully.

'Crystal,' Ron replied.

'Good. I better get going. I'm really glad you are all alive. You've had me worried for the longest time. And I'm really happy for you two, like, really happy,' Daphne added with a bright smile. 'See you around.'

'Thanks, Daphne,' Ron and Hermione said in unison.

OOOOOOOOO

'That was a different owl. Who was that from?' Hermione asked.

Ron unrolled the parchment and read the missive.

'It's from Daphne. She's invited us to her birthday party,' Ron said.

'Greengrass?' Harry queried.

'Yeah.'

'That should be fun for you guys,' Harry said.

'You're coming!' Ron replied.

'Er, I didn't get an invite and for good reason, I don't even know her.'

'Well, it says plus two here.'

Hermione looked at the parchment over Ron's shoulder, eyebrows rising and a smile growing on her face. 'The "one" is crossed out and "two" is written in. I can't think of anyone else Ron would bring, I'd say you are expected to be there.'

'You guys aren't really giving me a choice, are you?' Harry asked.

'Nope,' Ron said.

'Alright . . . when is it?'

'Beginning of July, we've got some time.'

'Maybe you'll be out of your breakup funk by then,' Hermione added.

'I'm not in a funk,' Harry retorted.

'Whatever you say, mate,' Ron said.

OOOOOOOOO

'Mate, have you ever thought of going for a non-Quidditch girl?' Ron asked as they were meandering through the produce section of a grocery store.

'I've never thought about going for a Quidditch girl,' Harry replied. 'It's just happened that way.'

'Huh,' Ron said with a shrug. 'So, what did you get Daphne for her birthday?' he asked, knowing full well Harry had not done anything on that front yet.

'Mate, do I really have to get a gift? I have no clue to get her,' Harry said in exasperation. 'Can't you just add my name to whatever you and Hermione got her? We're all going together.'

'I'd be ok with that, but Hermione didn't seem to think that was a good idea. Sorry, mate, you're on your own for this one,' Ron replied, picking up a peach and gently squeezing it, pretending to know what he was looking for.

'Ok, well, she's your friend, what does she like?'

'I remember her commenting on Slughorn's dried pineapple,' Ron recalled.

'Hmm, here's some dried fruits,' Harry said as he picked up a bag of mixed nuts and dried fruits.

'She might like that,' Ron said as he peered at the rest of the items on display. Something jumped out at him. 'Get these!' He tossed a bag to Harry.

'Dried apricots? You sure she likes these?' Harry asked with a quizzical look.

'Er . . . yeah. And they're organic. Do you know what that means?' Ron asked curiously.

'Yeah, it means they were grown without any artificial additives and stuff, all-natural. Supposed to be healthier,' Harry rattled off without a second thought.

'How do you know that?' Ron asked accusingly.

Harry gave Ron a suspicious glance. 'I was charged with taking care of the garden in the summers. And my Aunt insisted I only get organic compost, so I had to learn what that meant.'

'Oh, that's interesting. Daphne is big on organic things, I'd even say that's something you could talk to her about, common interest and all that.'

'Er, yeah. . . sure,' Harry said while a confused look played on his face.

OOOOOOOOO

'Ron! Hermione! Thanks for coming,' Daphne said, giving them each a hug.

Harry stood a few steps behind them, watching.

Ron stepped aside and ushered Harry forward. 'Harry, meet Daphne. Daphne, this is Harry.' Ron hid his cheeky grin from Harry but made it very conspicuous to Daphne.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. 'I know who Harry is, you prat,' she directed to Ron before she turned to Harry and extended a hand. 'It's nice to finally meet you, Harry.'

'And I know who Daphne is,' Harry said to Ron in agreement with Daphne. 'It's nice to finally meet you as well, thanks for inviting us,' Harry replied with a smile, shaking the offered hand.

A jolt ran through Daphne, and a whole slew of scenarios ran through her head at the implications Harry may or may not have intended.

Her daze made her forget she still had Harry's hand in her grasp, how long it had been, she couldn't accurately say. She pulled her hand back abruptly and the smirks on the faces of Ron and Hermione made her feel embarrassed.

Gratefully, Hermione didn't let her wallow in the feeling. 'Where should we put the gifts?' Hermione asked.

'There's a table over there. Thank you all so much for coming,' Daphne said in a friendly manner, no sign of her loss of composure.

'Open Harry's now!' Ron cut in.

The three others turned to Ron with perplexed looks.

'You should open Harry's gift now,' Ron said each word slowly to elaborate the point, much to the confusion of the others.

'Ron, I really don't think this warrants its own ceremony,' Harry said in utter confusion. 'But he did help me pick it out, so if you don't like it, it's all his fault. Here.' He held out the neatly wrapped gift.

Daphne took it and shot Ron a curious yet threatening stare. Then smiled at Harry, 'Thank you. That is very thoughtful of you, Harry.'

She started opening the gift and Ron grabbed Hermione's arm. 'I think I need a drink. Would you like to accompany me?'

Hermione's eyes brightened and an amused smile appeared. 'I'm parched as well. We'll catch up with you later Harry,' she said, patting his arm. 'Happy Birthday, Daphne.' She added a wink and mouthed 'the seed,' from where Harry couldn't see it.

Daphne's lips turned up but she fought the smile and accompanying eye roll, gently shaking her head.

'They've been acting weird lately,' Harry stated.

'Have they?' Daphne asked absentmindedly as she continued slowly unwrapping the gift.

'Yeah, not fake Felix Felicis weird, but something's up,' Harry said.

'Fake what?' Daphne asked, looking up.

'Felicis. Before our first Quidditch match of sixth year, I pretended to add a few drops of the potion I won from Slughorn. That's why he played with so much confidence that match.'

'Oh! Funny, he never mentioned that part to me. Interestingly enough, I tried to help him before that match as well. Did he happen to tell you about the scouting report I gave him?' Daphne asked with a small smile.

'No, he was far too busy snogging Lavender for a few weeks, if I recall correctly.'

'Oh my! When Ron discovered he had a Fangirl,' Daphne laughed.

'A what?' Harry asked.

'Oh, nothing,' she said with a wave, quickly deciding to elaborate on their mutual effort to help Ron, in order to avoid the Fangirl topic. 'But before that match, I gave him a rundown of the tendencies of all the Slytherin Chasers. He basically knew what was coming and had the confidence to stop it.'

'Merlin, that is great! You like Quidditch?'

'Of course! But I'm not dumb enough to support Chudley. Don't tell Ron,' she said, placing a hand to the side of her mouth like she was hiding her lips, and the secret they were divulging, from the direction Ron might be watching from.

'Hey, I won't tell if you don't,' Harry said with a crooked smile.

Daphne's heart skipped a beat. She'd seen that smile so many times but never had she been so close nor had it ever been directed at her. She froze as her stomach fluttered. She smiled in return but her brain was mush so she looked down at the gift Harry had given her and finished unwrapping it.

Her eyes widened as she read the label. Then she sent a scowl in Ron's direction even though his back was turned, that meddling. . .

'Do you not like it? Ron was sure you would,' Harry said with a little worry.

'Oh, I'm sure he would think I would like these,' she said sarcastically. 'But I've never actually had dried apricots before.'

'Hmm, well I guess he seemed pretty fixated on them being organic, more than anything.'

'He what?' she asked with venom in her voice before quickly composing herself and reframing her question. 'I mean, what did he say about that?'

'Oh, I can't remember exactly, just that you like organic things, without all the artificial stuff,' Harry replied in offhandedly, not noticing her initial bout of fury.

'That's it?' She prodded for anything more.

'As far as I can remember. Why? It doesn't seem like a big deal to me.'

'Well, I guess I've made analogies before about how I don't like it when people interfere with my life. It makes things feel unnatural.'

'I can sympathize with you there. I've felt pushed and pulled in different directions my whole life. It's nice to be free and just let things happen.'

'Exactly, that was always my point. I don't know if I believe in destiny or anything like that, but things that are meant to be, they find a way.'

'Yeah, that's—'

'Daffy! You must introduce me to your friend. I don't believe we've met,' a mischievous looking Astoria said as she appeared out of nowhere.

'Oh. Well, I suppose. Astoria, this is Harry. Harry, this is my little sister, Astoria. She has a penchant for trying to embarrass me, you can't take anything she says seriously.'

'It's true, and she is the best older sister a girl could ask for,' Astoria added with a big grin.

Daphne furrowed her brows at her sister in warning, but Astoria was unphased.

Harry chuckled. 'I've been around the Weasleys enough to know how siblings interact.'

'Oooo, those Weasley boys. Awful pranksters, those,' Astoria commented.

'Yeah, I'm afraid they crossed the line a few times,' Harry agreed.

'But they never got my Drakie-poo.'

Harry began to snort but tried to hold it back which caused a sound to come out that sounded like a combination of a held-in sneeze and a cough. He continued to cough a few times as if he were trying to clear his throat of some obstruction, in an attempt to cover it up.

This episode forced Daphne to fight her own smile.

Astoria wasn't oblivious to the expressions, but she didn't comment.

'I didn't realize you and Drakie-poo were a thing,' Harry commented, again fighting a smile.

'We're not. . . yet. But anyone that can make these'—she revealed one of the old badges that were worn around the school during fourth year—'is worth waiting for.'

Harry chuckled lightly again. It was clear where Astoria's loyalties lie, and it wasn't worth getting worked up over. He had put the badges behind him a long time ago.

Daphne did not take the gesture as kindly. 'Astoria! That is rude. I can't believe you would hold on to one of those all this time just to try and instigate something,' Daphne scolded.

'Oh, Daffy, best big sister in the world, I didn't save one of these badges. . . you did.' She let her last words hang, her anticipatory gaze not wavering from her sister's eyes.

The phrase settled over Daphne with a foreboding sense of dread. The colour drained from her face. She reached for her wand but it was futile, Astoria's was already hovering over the badge.

'Tori.' Daphne's tone and eyes warned, threatened. . . pleaded.

'You kept one of those?' Harry asked Daphne with morbid curiosity.

'Oho!' Astoria exclaimed. 'She wore this thing with more pride than anyone in Slytherin House outside of Draco. It took me years to figure out why but now I know,' she added with an evil smile.

'Tori, please,' Daphne implored once more. 'Harry, it's not what you think.'

'No, Harry, it is most definitely not what you think,' Astoria added with unrestrained amusement.

'Ok, Tori. You've had your fun. Give it back,' Daphne said coolly.

'You are no fun,' Astoria replied while unfastening the badge. 'But I am!' She tapped the badge with her wand and flung it in the air between Harry and Daphne. She didn't wait to witness the aftermath and turned tail to vanish with a pop.

The badge seemed to float in the air between them. The look of pure horror and fury that Daphne shot Astoria before she fled was the precise amount of time Harry needed to snatch the object of Daphne's horror out of the air before she could.

It lay face down in his palm and he looked at Daphne curiously.

Daphne gave a look of defeat. 'You might as well look at it and get this all over with. Just don't judge me too harshly.'

Harry flipped the button over and looked at the words, "Potter's Hotter." The corners of his mouth turned as he looked up at Daphne. His expression turned more serious as he asked, 'You did this?'

'Yeah,' she said shyly. 'I just—'

'Here,' he forced the badge into her hand and quickly turned away.

Daphne looked down at the badge in her hand.

This wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

He came to the birthday party. And he seemed happy to be here.

Until Astoria got in the way. She better sleep with one eye open.

He's here for your birthday, go get him.

'Harry, wait!' Daphne cried as she made to follow.

But he was gone.

'Where'd Harry go?' Ron asked as he and Hermione approached Daphne.

'I—I don't know. He didn't say,' she said, still reeling from what had just transpired.

'Weird. It looked like you two were hitting it off at first.'

'Until Astoria came over. What did she want?' Hermione asked suspiciously.

'Oh, just to tease me. . . and show him this.'

Daphne held out the badge, which had returned to its original state.

'Astoria kept a "Potter Stinks" badge?' Ron asked.

'It's not hers. It's mine,' Daphne said in defeat.

'Oh! That's your badge? No wonder Harry left then.' Hermione said

'Hermione, it's not like that at all—' Ron responded after he remembered what Daphne had done to her badge.

'Ron, it makes perfect sense. Harry might've done well at ignoring those badges but that doesn't mean they didn't bother him,' Hermione cut through him.

'Damn it, Hermione—'

'Ron, just shut up.' Daphne interjected. She had realized arguing over the point wasn't going to solve anything. Daphne tapped the badge with her wand and watched the words change.

Ron watched with anticipation.

Hermione with scepticism.

Hermione's expression morphed when she comprehended the change. 'Oh. Well, that is a different story. Sorry for snapping at you, Ron.'

Ron smiled. 'Harry just took off after he saw this?'

Daphne nodded slowly, 'Yeah, he just asked if I did this, and left.'

'Hmm, he never was one to like attention but this wasn't exactly public,' Hermione commented.

'Well, Harry also has never really known how to act around girls,' Ron stated.

Hemione and Daphne both rolled their eyes so hard it had to hurt.

'Ron, if there is one person in the world that cannot comment on Harry's prowess with girls, it's you!' Daphne said.

Hermione laughed and nodded her head in agreement.

'Why are you laughing at that? You're my girlfriend,' Ron said to Hermione with indignation.

'That doesn't exactly do anything to disprove the point,' Hermione replied.

'Whatever. Sorry your sister had to scare Harry away. It looked like you were getting along well,' Ron said consolingly.

'Yeah, I thought so too. I better go talk to the other guests. I hope you enjoy yourselves. Thanks for coming,' Daphne said, trying to sound upbeat but the somberness in her voice didn't allow it. Irritation, there was also irritation, and if she came across Astoria at some point there could be a crime scene.

She went about the party trying to enjoy herself, they were all here to celebrate her after all. Yet, despite her attempts to distract herself, she couldn't get rid of that pit in her stomach, that feeling of dread that she had just watched her one opportunity to make a good first impression go up in flames.

A moment she had imagined in so many different ways, and in her daydreams, it usually ended up with Harry sweeping her off her feet with a gentle kiss.

A moment she only dreamed would come one day. Well, it had come, and in what felt like a blink of an eye, it was gone.

Gone, just like Harry was now, along with any chance at any sort of relationship with him.

If there was a worst part, out of many she could think of, it was that things seemed to be going well. She hadn't lost her head, well just the once, but their conversation was easy, and he certainly didn't seem averse to her company.

Then her damn sister decided to drop by. Daphne kicked herself for not anticipating something. She should've known Astoria would've embarrassed her in front of Harry.

She had more than half a mind to partake liberally in the beverages that were on hand but refrained for sake of being a good hostess and out of fear that she might reveal the nearly private embarrassment to more people.

She resigned herself to her fate, or lack thereof in this case, and forced herself to enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Opening gifts and having her friends sing to her helped her dismiss her woes and she had all but forgotten about her moment with Harry as the last of the guests left, the sun getting low on the horizon.

She sat on her front porch swing and closed her eyes as she listened to the song of the birds and enjoyed the warmth of the rays of sunshine on her face.

'Party over?'

A question broke her from her peaceful daze. She had to blink her eyes multiple times before the questioner came into focus.

'Harry! What are you doing here?'

Great question, Daphne.

'Well, I left rather abruptly. I had every intention of returning, it just took me a lot longer to find what I went to retrieve. Then I had a little trouble finding my way back, directions have never been my strong suit.'

'I'm surprised you came back. I'm sorry for my sister, to say she lacks decorum would be an understatement.'

'Oh, I found her quite funny,' Harry said with a chuckle. 'Remember, I told you I'm used to the Weasleys, embarrassing each other is one of their favourite pastimes.'

'So you didn't leave upset or. . . ?'

'Hardly. I want to show you something. . . But, do you care if your sister is watching?' He tilted his head toward a window where a pair of eyes was intently watching them.

Daphne shot a glare and eyes disappeared.

'This is not the place for any sort of privacy,' Daphne stated.

'Care for a walk then?' Harry asked as he held out a hand.

She took the offered hand as he helped her down the stairs. She didn't need the help and there were plenty of instances when she would have refused the gesture, but not today, and not this hand.

The palm of her hand burned at the light touch of the tips of his fingers, and his thumb on the back of her hand sent a tingle up her arm.

One step at a time, Daphne.

Maybe she did need help down the stairs today.

They reached the landing and he let go of her hand.

A feeling of disappointment swept over her. Why must his touch be so soothing?

They walked together in companionable silence. Daphne's mind was occupied by all the possible meanings of him letting go of her hand.

Stop analyzing everything. Didn't he come to tell you—no! show you something?

They had created substantial distance between themselves and the house, so privacy was no longer an issue.

'You said you have something to show me,' Daphne prompted.

'Oh, yeah. I, er, well, I couldn't help but notice you were a little embarrassed when I saw the badge,' Harry said with slight hesitation.

Was he nervous?

'That would be putting it mildly. No one was ever supposed to see that,' she replied.

'Well, I thought it was kinda cute.'

Cute? That's better than ugly. . . But you're not twelve, cute is not what you are going for. . . stop overthinking!

He continued, 'And I'm glad I saw it. That was a pretty lonely time for me back when all that stuff happened. And even though I can't go back and tell myself this, it's nice to know I wasn't entirely alone.'

'I—' How could she tell him how much she wanted to tell him then, but she just didn't have the courage. He was THE Gryffindor, there's no way he could understand her lack of courage.

'It's ok, you don't have to explain anything. That's not what I came back for.'

Thank Merlin.

He continued, 'Well, anyway, after I saw how embarrassed you were I thought maybe I could return the favour.'

Daphne scrunched her eyebrows in question. 'I'm not following.'

'Maybe this will help,' Harry said while he fished out a small folded up piece of parchment from his pocket.

He handed it to Daphne and she began to carefully unfold it.

As she did, he explained, 'A little backstory before you open it all the way. In our dorms at night, Seamus and Dean would regularly talk about girls and even if the rest of us rarely contributed our opinions, it was hard not to hear what they were talking about and to not form our own opinions, even if we never voiced them. What you have is what I came up with during those nights. I've never even shown Ron.'

Daphne opened the parchment and was shocked at the poor level of handwriting. Were these supposed to be words?

'Is your quillwork supposed to be the embarrassing part?'

Harry laughed and his crooked smile reappeared.

'Ron didn't say much about you but he did say you were funny. I'm getting a sense of that now,'

'I guess you could say I have a quick tongue.'

I could show you if you want. No, what are you thinking, you tramp? Pull yourself together.

'I never was comfortable with a quill and writing while lying in bed doesn't make it any easier. But that's not what I wanted you to notice.'

She looked back down and strained to read the barely legible chicken scratch.

Hottest Girls of 5th Year

Daphne Greengrass

She didn't even try reading past the first line.

Hot? That's not cute! Does he still think that? He wouldn't be showing me this now if he didn't, right? Right?

Her head shot up when she comprehended the words, eyes wide, cheeks as pink as a flamingo.

Harry had his head down, hands stuffed in his pockets, his feet doing a small shuffle due to the lack of any rocks to kick, and there was a pinkish hue also colouring his cheeks.

Well. . . He just put himself out there, kinda, but whatever it was, it was intentional. Are you going to say something? Say something, you dolt!

He looked up to see her shell shocked face still staring at him.

'I—I don't know what to say,' she stuttered.

He chuckled softly.

Great, now he's laughing at me.

'That's ok. I usually don't know what to say either,' he replied comfortingly.

They both laughed a small laugh.

Her shoulders relaxed as the tension she had been holding dissipated.

'I still think so,' she said in a moment of courage.

The pink that filled his cheeks increased and his eyebrows rose slightly.

Oh no! Please don't bring up Diggory right now.

She braced herself for the words, "Well, Diggory is dead so that's not saying much," and the awkwardness that would follow.

But those words never came.

No, his eyes met hers, the colour not dissipating from his face.

What was he thinking?

He took a deep breath as if he were gathering his own courage.

'So do I,' he said resolutely.

Her heart leapt into her throat. Her stomach tightened and her cheeks glowed like they were in some competition with Harry's.

'That seems like as good a start as anything,' she suggested.

'I agree,' he agreed. He held out a hand and asked, 'Care to continue our walk?'

'That would be lovely,' she said as she placed her hand in his and their hands melded together.

They walked in companionable silence for a bit.

She didn't mind. She was enjoying the firm grip his hand had on hers.

'So how did you and Ron become friends? He never would give us a straight answer,' Harry said without turning his head.

'Oh! That's a good one,' she said with a small laugh.

The stories ensued.

They laughed, a lot.

They cried. Well, mostly she cried.

She threw herself into his arms more than once.

He held her.

They ended up back at the pathway leading to the front of the house.

She knew their evening was coming to an end. And while her birthday had turned out better than expected, there was now one thing left that would top the whole day off.

The rhythm of her heart accelerated.

The sense of ease she had felt during their conversation was replaced by a nearly paralyzing feeling of anticipation and excitement mixed with doubt and dread.

She tried to slow down their pace to make the moment last longer as if that would spell her nerves.

It didn't.

They slowly ascended the few stairs to the front porch, her feet feeling like she was pulling them out of wet cement with every step.

She spotted a familiar pair of eyes peering out of the window behind the curtains.

Daphne let out an irritated sigh, accompanied by a hint of a growl.

'Hungry?' Harry asked.

'Pardon?'

'I thought I heard your stomach growl,' Harry explained.

'Oh, no. It's my irritant of a sister. She has no concept of privacy.'

'Or she just chooses to ignore it,' Harry posited.

'Yes, I suppose you are correct. Which makes her all the more irritating,' she said with agitation.

They reached the porch and Harry turned to face Daphne, his back to the window where Astoria had been peeking at them. He let go of her hand and stuffed both his hands in his pockets. His gaze would meet hers but then quickly dart away.

Not that she was burning holes at him either. She was frequently shooting glares at the window.

'Is she still watching us?' Harry asked.

Daphne gave a vicious scowl to her sister. 'Not at the moment but—'

Harry had pulled something from a pocket and quickly whirled his arms overhead. Something that felt like a blanket settled on her but she saw nothing.

'I'll explain in a minute, just tell me what your sister does next,' Harry said with amusement.

Daphne's gaze was fixed on the window, waiting for Astoria's eyes to reappear.

They did.

Daphne watched as Astoria's eyes darted from one side of the porch to the other, then back again. Astoria pulled back the curtains and the disappointment couldn't have been written any more clearly on her face. With a huff, she threw the curtains shut and disappeared.

Daphne described her sister's actions and a smile grew on his face.

'What is this?' Daphne asked, running her fingers down the silky fabric.

'It's an invisibility cloak.'

'I've only ever heard of these.'

'Yeah, well, it comes in handy to avoid prying eyes.'

'Consider me intrigued,' she said, closing what little distance was left between them.

She could feel the warmth of his breath and she could feel her heart pounding in her ears.

This was Harry's move to make, she had made her intentions as clear as she was willing.

'So I had no idea what to expect when I came back, but I guess this was kind of a surprise.'

'I didn't think you were coming back at all, so I'd call it a pleasant surprise.'

He looked down at her with unconcealable nervousness.

She unconsciously fluttered her eyelashes at him.

She waited.

For what felt like the first time all night their eyes locked and no one dared look away.

Her eyes inviting him and his straining to find the resolve to act.

He cleared his throat and visibly gulped.

'Can I kiss you?' he asked in a breathy voice just above a whisper.

'Harry, you don't have to ask,' she replied playfully, softly placing a hand on his forearm. She had definitely not expected that.

'Oh, well, I truly have no idea about this stuff. . . Is that a yes?'

'That's what I like about you. And, yes! That's a yes!' she declared.

He slowly brought his hands up below her ears, cupping her face and tilted his head as he leaned down and gently pulled towards him.

She lifted up on her toes and their eyes closed as their lips gently pressed together.

The electricity flowed through her entire body. Her legs felt like jelly but she placed her hands on Harry's hips to stabilize herself and she willed herself to remain standing.

The kiss was gentle, soft, and short.

Too short.

But that didn't lessen the effect.

'Er. Wow,' Harry breathed.

'Yeah,' Daphne agreed, a bright smile radiating from her face.

Harry looked into her eyes one more time, his crooked smile plastered on his face.

'I'd like to kiss you again.' Somehow, he made the statement sound like a question.

'I thought I told you, you don't have to ask,' she said with a smile and while she snaked her arms inside his and behind his head.

'Oh yeah, right—'

She pulled his head down before he could finish whatever he was going to say and their lips collided together with more force than their previous connection. Their lips did a slow dance against one another. They stayed together longer this time, yet air was still a necessity and eventually, they parted.

Daphne rested her ear against Harry's chest and she could feel his heart pounding just as fast and as furiously as hers. A satisfied smile graced her face.

'I've had a really great time, Harry. But I should probably get inside before someone comes looking for me,' Daphne said with a little disappointment.

'Oh. Ok. Er, I'd like to see you again,' he tried to disguise his hesitancy but he wasn't entirely successful.

She pulled her head back to look at him.

Damn, he's cute when he's nervous.

'I'd like that too, Harry. Owl me.'

'I will. Goodnight Daphne. Happy birthday.' He pulled the cloak off, folded it up and stowed it in a pocket.

'Thanks, Harry. Goodnight.'

She rose and kissed his cheek before turning to open the door. She looked back over her shoulder with a smile as she walked through the doorway.

He returned the smile.

The door closed and she leaned her back against the wall and let out a contented sigh with a goofy smile on her face.

She heard the small pop of apparition that indicated Harry's departure.

'Best birthday ever!' she breathed to herself.

'Where did you come from?'

A startled question from Astoria broke her from her trance and a scowl grew on Daphne's face.

'You are so dead!' she growled.

Pop!

'Hey, mother said you weren't to Apparate in the house yet.'

Oh well, even with all her efforts, her sister hadn't actually thwarted anything, so Daphne wouldn't actually stay mad at her for long. She wouldn't let Astoria know that anytime soon though.

OOOOOOOOO

'Mate, why'd you take off so fast from Daphne's birthday party?' Ron asked.

'Well, I saw that badge and it took me off guard and brought back all kinds of memories,' Harry responded.

'Ah, I get it. It's too bad though, I thought you guys might get along well.'

'Oh? Why's that?' Harry asked curiously.

'Well, she's just a good person, good looking too. I just thought—'

'So you were trying to set us up,' Harry accused.

'Mate, I was just trying to help. It's not like you're getting out to meet a bunch of new people all the time,' Ron said defensively.

'But this sort of thing has to happen organically,' Harry stated.

'Not you too!' Ron said with exasperation.

'Not me what?'

'That's the same thing Daphne used to say whenever I suggested setting you two up.'

'Well, you know what they say about great minds.'

'I don't think they're so great if you are both too stubborn just to be introduced to each other.'

'You're probably right.'

'I mean, the chances of you meeting someone who isn't a Fangirl. . .'

'You mean, like Daphne?'

'Yeah, well, she's mostly over it. I think.'

'She is,' Harry said assuredly.

'Wait! How would you know that?'

Harry chuckled. 'I went back and we had a very nice chat.'

'You went back? And you didn't tell me?' Ron asked in shock and a bit of anger.

'You were gone by the time I got there.'

'Alright, so you talked to her. Then what happened? What else?'

'Man, aren't you eager,' Harry laughed. 'All I'm going to say for now is that I'm going to see her again . . . tonight.'

'Serious?'

'Yeah, I don't want this to go to your head, but we hit it off pretty good.'

'I knew it! Oh man, I was right all along! I knew it!' Ron exclaimed while doing an odd celebratory jig.

'Ron, calm down. We haven't even been on a proper date. Just relax.'

'You better not mess this up!' Ron declared, looking far too serious for Harry.

Harry burst out in laughter.

OOOOOOOOO

'Harry, I'm so nervous,' Daphne said as she clenched his arm.

'More nervous than on your birthday?' he smirked.

'Shut up, you prat. You were pretty nervous that day too. "Can I kiss you?" ' she said with a mocking tone.

'Oi! You do not get to make fun of me for being a gentleman,' Harry retorted.

'If that's what you wanna call it, sure.'

'If you want to meet the Weasleys by yourself, keep going, Fangirl,' Harry threatened playfully.

'Prat.' She tightened her grip on his arm. 'You're not leaving me.'

'I know. Just tell them some embarrassing Ron stories and they'll love you.'

She shot him a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow.

'I'm serious. A couple funny Ron stories and they'll like you more than him. Remember who we are talking about here, the worst thing you can do is take yourself too seriously.'

'I hope you're right,' she muttered.

'When have I ever been wrong?'

She looked at him incredulously.

Harry laughed, 'You don't have to answer that.'

Harry knocked on the door. No matter how much he was told otherwise he just felt weird showing up and walking in, so even though he didn't wait for anyone to answer, he still knocked first. He escorted Daphne into the house and Ron and Hermione were the first to greet them.

Eventually, the rest of the family arrived and Harry began introductions.

'Daphne, this is Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ron's parents. Ron's oldest brother, Bill, and his wife Fleur. His brothers, Percy and George, Charlie is in Romania at a dragon reserve. And this is Ron's sister, Ginny. Everyone, this is Daphne, my girlfriend.'

A silence ensued, a silence out of place for the Burrow. Or at least according to what Harry had described, this was out of place. He had said they were the most friendly and welcoming people he'd ever known.

They were quickly making a liar out of Harry.

Daphne's eyes darted from face to face, no friendly smiles, but as she looked closer she began to notice restrained expressions of amusement on a few faces, Bill, Percy and Ron in particular. Yes, when she looked at Ron there was no denying he was holding something in. She realized the silence was no accident.

This was Daphne's first test.

Harry gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

'Harry, I thought you said they were friendly. I haven't got a cold shoulder like this since I tried to get an extension on a Potions assignment from Snape,' Daphne deadpanned.

'Oi!' cried Ron, Bill and George.

'Did she just call us worse than Snape?' Percy asked in observation.

'I believe she did,' stated Fleur. 'I like her already.'

'Enough of this nonsense,' Molly proclaimed as she closed the distance and swept Daphne up in a big embrace. 'Ignore them, they think they are a funny lot, and sometimes they are, but not always. I'm glad you could make it.'

'Thank you for having me,' Daphne replied.

The rest of the group took their turns greeting her and each gave their own compliment on her quick wit.

'I thought you were gonna freeze up,' Ron stated.

'You're still underestimating me, Ron,' Daphne replied.

'I never—'

'Time to eat!' Molly called from the kitchen.

'Food!' Ron growled as he bolted to the kitchen.

Daphne enjoyed the meal and found the many people at the table to be rather entertaining versus the typically quiet meals she had at home.

They enjoyed some of the stories she told about her perspective while at Hogwarts. A couple stories about Ron in particular seemed to really get most of the group on her side.

'So, Daphne, Ron here says that you initiated the friendship way back when. And Harry seems to corroborate the story but he won't give any details. Says we need to hear it from you. Indulge us, if you will. What possessed you to befriend our most unlikeable brother?' George asked.

'Well, what happened was, I needed a book in the library and when I reached the shelf where I knew it to be located, I found Ron. I recognized him from our flying lesson earlier and I knew we shared some classes. I was worried he was looking for the same book—'

'I was,' Ron said before stuffing another piece of bread in his mouth.

'He was staring the thing in the face so I had to distract him. I asked him about Longbottom falling off his broom and some of the other happenings around the castle. Honestly, I don't even remember why we became friends after that.'

'You said you hated Malfoy. Then you took the book right out from underneath my nose,' Ron explained.

'Oh, yeah. Mutual dislike for Malfoy brought us together, I guess,' Daphne said.

'That's as good a reason as any,' George agreed.

'And she likes Quidditch,' Ron added.

'Well, let's go play then!' Bill cried.

Daphne scowled at Ron. 'You forgot to mention I don't play.'

'Yeah, I kinda forgot that part,' Ron said sheepishly.

'That's ok. I'll keep her company on the ground,' Hermione said.

They all walked out to the pitch and those that were playing began to take flight.

Ginny walked over to Daphne and Hermione and handed Hermione her broom. 'Go fly,' she said.

'You know I don't like playing,' Hermione countered.

'Well, I can't risk getting hurt right before school starts. You're in for today,' Ginny stated with no room for negotiations.

Hermione didn't take the hint. 'You get hurt? With them?' she asked incredulously. 'You're more likely to—'

Ginny's glare made her cut her protest short.

'I'll play,' Hermione said, taking the broom and joining the group in the sky.

Ginny hadn't been cold to Daphne so far but she hadn't exactly been friendly either. Of all the Weasleys, she'd demonstrated the most scepticism of any.

She sat down in the spot vacated by Hermione, next to Daphne and they watched as the game progressed, neither deigning to begin the conversation.

Eventually, Ginny broke the silence, 'How can you say you like Quidditch if you don't even play?' she asked without even turning her head, her tone not hostile but would not be confused with friendly either.

Daphne took a calming breath. The question caught her off guard, the tone, not so much. 'There are more ways to enjoy things than participating in them. I prefer observing the intricacies of the game than the thrill of flying,' she commented calmly. She knew this was Ginny's version of a test.

'Please, tell me more about these intricacies that you observe,' Ginny challenged in a faux pleasant tone.

'Let's take yourself, for example, you receive the Quaffle better with your left hand but you're probably afraid to use it because you think it will take too long to transfer to your throwing hand. That's the folly, you lose more time in balance and momentum than if you made a clean catch and transfer.'

'It's not—'

'I'm not criticizing, just telling you my observations. You always bite your lip just before you are going to throw on goal. Your straightaway speed is average but you make up for it with elite acceleration, which is more important for a Chaser anyway. You have above-average accuracy when on balance but it's your ability to have any semblance of accuracy while off balance or from odd arm angles that the pro scouts will love about you,' Daphne rattled off facts like she was reading a book.

'Did you say pro scouts?' Ginny asked.

'Yeah, you don't have to be modest, Ginny. You know you are good and if you don't have professional aspirations then I'm all wrong about you.'

'You're not, I do,' Ginny said, her shoulders visibly relaxed.

'Just don't sign with any of those scouts that just pump sunshine up your arse. If they don't tell you about your weaknesses from the beginning, I'd be sceptical.'

'Thanks,' Ginny said somewhat hesitantly. 'Do you want to be a scout? Sounds like you know your stuff.'

'Like to? Yeah. But what are the chances of them taking a chance on somebody with absolutely zero playing experience?' Daphne postulated with disdain.

'I guess, not good,' Ginny said unsurely.

'Try nonexistent. All the pro scouts played as pros first.'

'Well there's a first for everything,' Ginny said with all the naïveté of youth.

Daphne forced a smile, at least she wasn't being aggressive anymore.

'Yeah, well, it's just a dream,' Daphne said dismissively.

'Sometimes, dreams come true. Even the wildest ones.'

'Yeah, sometimes,' Daphne replied almost dreamily.

Both of their gazes were following Harry now. He was in hot pursuit of the snitch.

'He looks really happy,' Ginny commented while watching Harry soar above the pitch.

'Yeah, he truly loves flying, doesn't he?'

'He does but that's not what I'm talking about.'

'No?'

'Just overall, he just seems relaxed and happy,' Ginny elaborated.

'Well, he finally has a big weight off his shoulders,' Daphne added. She had an idea of where Ginny was going but didn't want to seem presumptuous.

'It's more than that. That's been gone all summer. Yet, even compared to the short time we were together, there's just a different spark in his eyes.'

'Oh?' Daphne responded with questioning indifference while inwardly her smile was shining brighter than the sun.

'I'd guess you're giving him part of the normal he's always wished for.'

'I don't know that he will ever have what others consider normal but I think I get what you mean. Is that why you broke up?'

'He hasn't said?' Ginny asked with a smile.

'No, we haven't done much talking about past relationships.'

'I see, that's probably healthy for a new couple. But without revealing too much, our plans for the future didn't quite align. We decided we weren't going to use each other if we knew we weren't going to stay together. That way we could always stay friends without it being awkward.'

'That's very mature of you.'

'I just don't want to see him get hurt,' Ginny warned.

'I'm not planning on it,' Daphne replied defensively.

'Of course not, but Harry has very specific ideas about his future, and if your plans don't mesh with his you'd be wise to cut it off without leading him on.'

'Why do I feel like you are trying to scare me off?'

'Only if you're not serious about this because I can already tell this is serious for him,' Ginny said solemnly.

'I feel like all that is missing is the, "if you hurt him, I'll hurt you," line.'

'That's my line,' another voice came from behind them.

'Fleur!' Ginny called.

'You didn't waste much time in giving her the talk, I see,' Fleur commented.

'No, she didn't,' Daphne agreed. 'But she did bring up some good points for me to consider. The last thing I want to do is bring Harry any kind of pain.'

'That's good. Harry may not have any siblings but he has plenty of family and we look out for him,' Fleur said.

'I only have one sibling myself but I have really enjoyed the big family atmosphere here,' Daphne commented.

'Is that so?' Fleur probed.

'Yeah, I've always thought I wanted a large family. Now I can say it for sure.'

'You're kidding!' Ginny said disbelievingly.

'Not at all. If you told me I could have something like this for my children, I'd sign up in a heartbeat.'

'Hmm,' Ginny said contemplatively. She nodded her head while a small smile grew on her face. 'You know what, Daphne?'

Daphne looked at Ginny, waiting for one last barb or jab, one last test to pass.

Fleur also shared her curious countenance.

'You're alright,' Ginny said, letting the small smile become nothing but friendly.

'I'm glad to have your approval,' Daphne smirked, laughing inwardly as she recalled the similarity to the first time she interacted with Ron.

'If you make Harry happy, you're alright by me,' Fleur added.

'Thank you, but I hope we make each other happy. I'm not going to stay with someone that doesn't consider my feelings also.'

'Looks like we might not have to worry much about this one, Ginny,' Fleur said.

'No, Ron may have been right all along,' Ginny conceded.

'He's making a bad habit of that lately,' Daphne added with a laugh.

'Yes, we mustn't tell him. We may have to fake some sternness with you for some time though, for effect,' Fleur stated.

'If it means I don't have to listen to Ron brag about being right, even if it's about me, I'm good with it,' Daphne agreed.

'I knew I liked you for a reason,' Fleur declared.

Ginny rolled her eyes and smiled.

Harry had just caught the snitch.

OOOOOOOOO

'Well, I'd say that went well. Even Fleur said she liked you. Fleur doesn't like anybody,' Harry said.

'Yeah, she was rather pleasant. They all were after the cold welcome,' Daphne replied.

'Ginny didn't seem too pleasant when we were flying. What did you talk to her about?'

'You have no idea what we might've talked about?' Daphne replied sarcastically.

'I have some ideas. I kept an eye on you in case I needed to come down but after a while, it seemed like you were getting along just fine.'

'We did. We talked about Quidditch . . . and you.'

Harry swallowed. 'Look, I'll be honest with you, I still have feelings for Ginny. They aren't the romantic sort so much, but I value her opinion. Same with Fleur and Hermione, they are all like my sisters.'

'I got that much from her. I got the feeling that if your life plans had aligned more closely you'd probably still be together.'

'Yeah, that might be true,' he admitted. 'But I'm past that,' he added resolutely. And he took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

'Harry, I want to hear about your plans and dreams for the future.'

'I thought you said Ginny told you.'

'No, she didn't actually give any specifics, just that hers and yours didn't mesh.'

'And now you want to see if ours mesh?'

'Look, Harry, I've fancied you, to varying extents, for a long time, so it would be really easy for me to lie to myself and say we can just have fun and leave it at that. But with the way I already feel about you, it'll only be worse if we have too much fun then split up.'

'You're serious about this relationship, aren't you?' Harry asked.

'You aren't?'

'I am, but are you sure? I might scare you away.'

'Would it be better if I told you some of my dreams first?' Daphne suggested.

'Yeah, let's see if you can scare me away,' Harry replied with a smile.

'Ok,' Daphne laughed. 'Let's see, if I could have everything I wanted, I'd be a Quidditch scout, a job I can take my kids to. A husband that puts his family ahead of his work. We live in a country house with horses and chickens, a Quidditch pitch where the kids learn to fly from their dad, a flower garden and a fruit orchard, apples, plums, peaches and apricots—have I told you how much I liked those dried apricots?'

'Only a couple times,' Harry laughed, surely he had lost count. 'Do you have a number of kids in mind?'

'At least more than two. And having dinner with the Weasleys did nothing to change that, the more the merrier.'

'Daphne,' Harry said softly and he looked at her with fondness. 'I think I love you.'

She sharply took in a breath, 'Harry—'

'I take it back, I know I love you,' he said with more surety.

They gazed into each other's eyes.

'Harry, I—' she whispered.

'Daph, I know it's too fast and all that. And I'm not proposing marriage . . . yet.' He said rather nervously and he added a crooked grin.

She went red and her heart started racing.

He continued, 'But when you were describing your future, all I could see was myself along your side, watching you and helping you reach your dreams.'

'Harry, I—'

'It's just that—'

'Damn it, Harry! I love you too!'

He stared at her for a moment, taking a few deliberate blinks before ever so slowly, a smile began to spread across his face.

'Sorry, I was nervous and I didn't want you to feel like you had to say it if you weren't ready,' he said.

'It's ok, I get it. Now let me finish. What I didn't tell you because I didn't want to be presumptuous, was that those kids in my dreams, who used to have blonde hair and blue eyes, now show up with messy black hair and green eyes. That the dad I see teaching them to fly has an old scratched up pair of glasses and a crooked smile that absolutely melts my heart every time I see it.'

Harry sniffled and a pair of tears streaked down his cheeks.

'You can't cry! How am I supposed to hold it together if you are crying?' Daphne said with a small laugh as she dabbed the set of tears pooling in her eyes. 'You want to know the newest dream, or thought, that I can't shake?'

'I do now,' Harry answered.

'Ok, I don't really feel like it's my place to have a say, so just hear me out and let me get it off my chest. It involves you. . . not becoming an Auror.'

Harry looked down, his chest rising as he took in a deep breath.

Daphne braced herself for an argument. She knew it wasn't her call and she was just being selfish to even voice her concerns.

He slowly lifted his head up, his eyes held a tinge of red and still glistening with moisture.

'I'm sorry, Harry. I know I shouldn't have said—'

'Daphne. I haven't decided anything for sure, but what if I want to make it your place to have a say?' he asked sincerely.

She paused and let the words bounce around in her head. Her heart hammered in her chest as she processed his implication.

'Oh no you don't, Harry Potter! Not without a ring. And a bouquet of white roses!'

'White roses? Is that another dream you didn't tell me about?' The crooked smile reappeared on his face.

'It is.'

'I think I can make that one come true.'

'You're off to a good start. But you should talk to my father first. He likes to think he's important.'

Harry laughed. 'I can do that.'

'And it's time for you to tell me about your dreams.'

'There'll be time for that later. It's been too long since I last kissed you—'

He took her face in his hands and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

OOOOOOOOO

'You two don't mess around, do you?' Ron asked, indicating the diamond ring on Daphne's finger.

'You could learn a thing or two from Harry about seeing something you want and taking it.'

'Oh, you were just a prize waiting to be taken, huh?'

'What can I say, he liked what he saw,' she said with a sly smile.

'I don't need to hear more.'

'Must your head always be in the gutter?'

'I'm a bloke,' Ron said with a shrug.

'Not an excuse. When are you going to propose? What are you waiting for?'

'The right moment, you know, for it to come up organically,' Ron said with a smile.

'Never gonna happen,' Daphne said as she waved a hand dismissively.

'How can you, of all people, say that?' he responded in exasperation.

'I'm just saying sometimes you have to plough the field before you can plant the seed,' Daphne replied nonchalantly.

Ron snorted loudly and sent tea spewing out his nose in a fit of laughter, pounding the table with his fist.

'Ronald! What in the world?'

'Honestly, woman, do you have any idea what you just said?'

Daphne's countenance was not that of amusement.

'Yes, it's a farming analogy. We've been planning our orchard and we have to get started right away, it can take years for the trees to bear fruit. All organic, by the way,' Daphne said with a satisfied air.

'Just make sure I'm not around when Harry is ploughing your field then,' Ron said, fighting his laughter.

'You would shirk manual labour,' Daphne reasoned with no humour in her voice. 'In the end, Ron, you were right, even organic things take some effort before they can grow. So, man up and ask that woman to marry you.'

'Double wedding?'

'That's up to you. . .'

---

A/N: Well, that's it for this part of the story, so you can do whatever you like with your pants now (if you're at work or out in public, please do keep them on). I do have an idea how things develop but it takes a significantly different tone than this, so I feel it best in a separate fic. This was just me playing around with some scenes and combining them together. I hope you enjoyed it.