Author Note I intend to have a lot of Harry/Daphne moments in this story especially as they start to develop as people

This is going to be a mature story after all

Also on the hair scene I don't know anything about hair my friend gave me advice that hopefully I was able to make work

Chapter 27

December 1st 1990

Hogwarts

At the start of December Harry decided to ask Daphne out on a second date.

Despite the fact that they had already gone on a date and interacted with each other on a day to day basis the more formal setting of a date was making Harry a bundle of nerves.

As he saw Daphne exit her room to meet him, Harry was struck by the gorgeous black dress that she wore, displaying her curves and rather abundant cleavage. Her hair had also been left loose and surrounded her.

"You look beautiful," Harry told her, all the while trying not to think about the one thing he had noticed the most.

Don't look at her cleavage, don't look at her cleavage Harry thought. Oh no, she saw me staring! What am I going to do?

She smiled at him, perfectly aware of just where he was looking.

"See something you like?" Daphne asked.

"Sorry," he tried to apologize.

"If I didn't want you to look, I would have covered up more," Daphne pointed out."Ive known that ever since i started developing early that my body would present problems and that's why i dont wear stuff like this at school but remember your my boyfriend Harry and the only one here that i would feel comfortable looking at me"

"Okay," He said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Just try to remember I have a face as well," Daphne joked.

He forced himself to look directly into her face and was struck by just how beautiful her eyes were. Perhaps looking at her face wasn't too bad either. Still he couldn't help but have his gaze drift down again, but she just smiled and let him look.

Daphne even though she liked to dress fashionably never really dressed in a way that showed her developing body.

So even Harry had not seen much.

He was impressed by how perfect his girlfriend's body was, especially her assets.

Boy, they sure were big...and perfect.

"Sorry," He apologized using techniques he had been learning with Master Dao to clear his mind of those thoughts so that he could fully focus on his best friend.

"You're fine," Daphne reassured him with a smile on her face."I dont mind you looking".

The two of them then held hands and applied the Disilusionment Charm on each other so that they could start heading to the Room of Requirement in peace without being stared at.

Daphne was planning this outting this time so he was interested in what she had managed to put together.

Once they got to the Room of Requirment Daphne disappeared before reappearing a few seconds later, carrying a tray of food, but he couldn't tell just what it was.

"What is it Daph?" Harry asked her.

"Escargot," Daphne claimed.

A sinking feeling suddenly hit him as he asked, "You mean snails? You made snails for dinner?"

"They are actually very good," Daphne answered, quickly grabbing one from the plate she had set down and biting into it.

A bit freaked out that Daphne would like snails, Harry eventually decided to sample one of his own.

To his surprise, the esgargot actually tasted really good and he ended up thoroughly enjoying it.

"Can I just say that I am totally relieved that that actually tastes good?" Harry confided.

She laughed and said, "So just like last time do you want to dance with my nice, hot self?"

"I'd be a fool to turn down an offer like that," Harry answered.

They started dancing and thankfully because of books on the subject they were starting to get good at dancing, Harry thought.

And then disaster struck.

As if the dancing gods were trying to humble him, he tripped and fell causing him to fall on top of Daphne, who also fell.

The next thing he knew he was on top of Daphne and found he had at least landed on something soft.

Or make that two somethings, he quickly found out as he realized just what his head was resting on.

Immediately getting up and blushing heavily, he offered his hand to help Daphne up, which she took.

"I'm so sorry," He mumbled embarassed.

"No problem"She said

"Is there anything i can do to make it better," Harry asked.

"How about a kiss?" Daphne suggested.

Grinning suddenly , Harry leaned as they kissed once more.

SCENE CHANGE

A few weeks later and It was the last Hogsmeade visit before Christmas, and Harry and Daphne were negotiating their way up the High Street with some difficulty, for it was snowing. The wind was howling through the small village, bitingly cold, whipping small flurries of snowflakes against their faces.

Considering it was so close to Christmas, the High Street was relatively deserted. The few people running about, heavily muffled against the cold weather, hurried from shop to shop, doing their errands as quickly as possible.

A lot of the students had found refuge in the cosy warmth of the Three Broomsticks, but Daphne, who insisted on buying mountains of Christmas presents for her family, had persuaded a reluctant Harry to join her through the rough elements.

At Daphne's request they went straight to Honeydukes. He fidgeted uneasily in the crowded sweetshop, with its sugary, cloyingly sweet smells, as Daphne examined the myriad types of sweets and chocolates lining the shelves. He found the smell of the place overpowering, but Daphne loved it. Accompanied by the shop owner, she rummaged happily among the jars of sweets, pointing at this one or that one, and having many paper bags filled with the most unusual of the shop's sweets.

Thank Merlin, she seemed to have decided to get most of her presents from the sweetshop, Harry thought. He didn't feel very much like running around all the shops of Hogsmeade. He himself just wanted some extra parchment, and some things from the apothecary's.

He had to be careful after all with his money.

He got a small amount of money from a Trust Fund that had been set up for him after his birth alongwith a little bit of money that he got from the Greengrasses and the Dursleys over the summer.

It wasnt a lot though and he needed to use his money carefully.

That's why he had been so interested in learning how to create items that he needed to use.

His musings were cut short when Daphne finally came over to where he was standing in the least crowded area of Honeduke's. Her arms were full of bulging bags of sweets.

'Shall we go to the apothecary's now?' she said.

Harry, relieved, nodded. Wrapping his scarf tightly about his face he stepped out of the shop. The wind whipped his hair around his face savagely, and almost took his breath away. Daphne, clutching her parcels, followed him outside. They fought their way through the snow to the Apothecary's, and soon Harry was just as heavily-laden with bags as she was.

'Let's go back to Hogwarts.' Harry said, as they prepared to leave the Apothecary's shop, 'There's a blizzard brewing outside. We'll lose our stuff at this rate.'

'Well, yes, alright. I guess The Three broomsticks will be full up anyway.'

Daphne appeared more reluctant to end their visit to Hogsmeade, but Harry refused to be dragged into any more overcrowded places, especially loaded with parcels and bags as he was right now.

He sighed and stepped out of the Apothecary and the force of the wind outside was such that he momentarily staggered. Looking back, he saw Daphne struggling with her parcels, blown right back against the wall of the Apothecary's shop. He reached out a steadying hand and she grabbed it, righting herself with difficulty. Though lighter, her parcels were more cumbrous.

They fought their way slowly towards the High Street, bent double against the keening wind. As they neared the edge of the village, they could see in the distance some groups of returning students, probably all convinced that a warm common room would be preferable to the snowed-under village. Daphne mimed with her mittened hand, that they should hurry up and join them, and she had just hurried ahead and Harry rushed to keep up as they headed back to the castle..

SCENE CHANGE

Reaching the castle and back to their rooms they both burst in before starting to laugh.

"I cant believe that we made it through that"Harry gasped "That sure was one heck of a snowstorm".

"I know"Daphne said "I'm sad that we wernt able to get through the whole Hogsmede trip i really wanted to visit that Hairstyling place again they did a really good job last time i was there".

"I could try doing that for you if you want, "Harry offered, surprising both of them.

"Sure"Daphne eventually said "I could just give you the instructions".

She sat down in a chair.

"Ok Harry so I want you to grab a section of my hair at the front of the head. It's not particularly important exactly where or how much hair is included. Although i think the best is just to the right or left of the center part. If you want to be precise, use your thumb to draw a line on my scalp starting at the temple and extending up towards the top of my head until you reach the part".

Daphne also handed him a item

"I want you to tie the rest of my hair back with this elastic to keep it out of the way while you braid. And brush the section away from my face to smooth it out".

After Harry had done that Daphne continued

"Ok now use your fingers to divide the hair into three sections. Position two of these sections in your left hand, and the third in your right hand".

"Then move the section in your right hand over its neighbor, and swap which hands are holding them. The right section becomes the center section, and the former center section is now on your right".

"Next, move the left section to cross over its neighbor to the center position. And try to keep tension in all three sections; there shouldn't be any slack".

"Again bring the rightmost section to the center position by crossing it over it's neighbor, and then likewise with the leftmost section"

"Repeat these alternating criss crosses for the length of my hair".

Finishing Harry stopped to look at his work.

Daphne pulled up a mirror and grinned "Well done Harry youve done great work! You've successfully interleaved hair into a braid for the first time!

"The sections look like their different sizes, Daph"Harry questioned.

She handed him another object "Here use this tiny elastic and wrap it many times to secure the tail of the braid".

After doing that Harry noticed that the braid stuck down into the middle of Daphne's face?

But when he swept the braid to the side, it made an odd-looking lump.

Daphne noticed that to "No worries"She said "That was just a result of the way the hairs were pointing when you started the braid".

"How do you fix it?"Harry asked.

Daphne breathed in "Well you have to undo the braid and brush out any tangles, and start again".

"This time"She instructed" Use your fingers to sweep the hair to the side of my face, and divide it into three sections. The easiest way to get uniform, neat looking sections is to use your fingernail to draw the dividing lines along my scalp, parallel to the direction you'd like the braid to travel".

"And then start another braid by positioning two sections in one hand and one in the other, then alternate crossing outermost sections to the center".

"Remember to turn your head slightly as you work, and keep your hands pulling the braid off towards the side".

"Wow"Harry said "You're good at this".

"No"Daphne said "In order to get good you just need to practice a lot this crossing-over braid to develop your muscle memory and you reflect on each braid and try to improve it each time".

"You also need to keep your first few stitches close to the scalp to avoid sloppy slack near the braid's origin".

"Successful braids require you to multitask and balance many contributing factors Harry".

"Wow"Harry said "I wonder if that could then help me with my bending".

"Maybe"Daphne said "The skills could be applied easily to other fields".

"I guess it wouldnt hurt to practice then as long as I have opportunities available to me".Harry said grinning.

"Oh Harry,you have all the opportunities available to you that you want"Daphne said beaming.