(A/N): The ending of this chapter was quite possibly my favorite thing to write so far.
Showing the unbridled platonic love (for now) the three have created so far, and in such a short amount of time, was honestly amazing. That being said, NO SPOILERS!
Hermione also shows up briefly, hinting at future events, kind of.
Anyways, enjoy!
"She said we'll."
The fact had burnt itself into Daphne's brain as she lay in bed. The words rolling out of her mouth uncomfortably; the same mouth her best friend just pressed her own too mere hours prior. The taste of Tracey's cherry lollipop still lingered on Daphne's bottom lip.
"Why did she say, we'll tell him?" Daphne whispered in the darkness. Rolling onto her side, Daphne curled her knees up to her chest; wrapping her arms around them to form a small ball.
Daphne's throat constricted like a vice grip, her tongue suddenly growing an acrid taste. Her eyes squinted in confusion; her bottom lip getting caught between her teeth as Daphne let out a confused whimper.
"Why did she say, we'll tell him?" Daphne couldn't stop her mind from conjuring up the worst possible scenarios. What were they supposed to do? Tell Harry about their feelings if they remained after the holidays, then make up some twisted competition to see who could seduce him first?
"As if that'd be fair," Daphne thought bitterly, her thumbnail being crushed between her teeth. Tracey, with her coffee-colored skin and wavy, brown hair, her amber eyes that practically glowed every time they ripened. Her contagiously warm smile and exuberant personality. All Daphne had was...
Daphne shook her head violently before she could finish her thoughts. No… no, Tracey wasn't cruel, she had to have some other motive. With a pitiful grumble, Daphne sprawled her limbs across her bed.
Stuck alone, with only her spiteful thoughts to keep her company, Daphne fell asleep.
It was quiet. So unnaturally quiet that Harry could practically hear his heartbeat. The fireplace in the Room of Requirement still crackled with energy, the orange flames licking out with their singing tendrils as Harry's gaze flickered between his two friends. Something happened last night, that much he was sure of.
Tracey and Daphne were barely looking at each other; each time they did, they both sent strange grimaces each other's way., Daphne had immediately grabbed a random book as she entered. before becoming a hermit for the next hour, while Tracey just stood unnaturally still in front of the shelves of candy, an oddly blank look on her face.
Each time he'd make any semblance of eye-contact with either of them; Tracey would give him a strange half-grin, while Daphne would turn a strangely vibrant shade of pink before burying herself deeper into her book.
"Did something happen last night that I'm not aware of?" Harry shot an eyebrow up as he gestured between his two friends, his lips quirking into an odd frown as he waited for his answer. To his surprise, Daphne let out one of her amused snorts; looking over the top of her book with a coy grin.
"Oh of course not, we had a nice, lengthy discussion on wizarding politics last night, that's why it's rather awkward in here," Daphne drawled out. Harry rolled his eyes at the evident sarcasm.
"Glad to see your charming personality is still intact, Daph," Despite the teasing tone he wore, Harry didn't miss the hint of worry that flashed across Daphne's face as her cheeks lost some semblance of their pinkish hue.
Daphne rose her head defiantly, pushing her chin up towards the ceiling as she dropped her book to cross her arms. "If you must know, Tracey and I, came to an… an agreement, last night."
Harry raised an eyebrow at Daphne, looking between her and Tracey. Mimicking Daphne's pose of crossing his arms, Harry tried putting on an amused smirk at the two.
"And what kind of agreement did you come to?" Harry didn't miss the startled look Daphne sent Tracey at his question, the darker-skinned witch still stood in front of her sweets, rocking on her feet without paying the two any mind.
"I'm afraid," Daphne sucked in a rather sharp breath, eyeing Harry with a sharp look he'd only seen when they first met. This was serious, for her at least. "I can't tell you that."
Harry hummed appraisingly, returning his attention to the roaring fire.
"Since you're so interested in our nightly escapades, I believe it's only fair for you to share why you were so disheveled yesterday morning, no?" Daphne countered, her fingers curling cautiously around her book. She watched carefully as Harry seemed to pale slightly.
"There was a bit of a… house-wide argument, in our common room, among other things," Harry admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
Daphne merely quirked an eyebrow up in questioning; Tracey finally turned around to join the two near the fireplace.
"And this argument was about?" Daphne drawled out, her brows furrowing indignantly as she gestured with her hand for Harry to continue his explanation. Harry let out a sigh, pursing his lips tightly.
"Most of my housemates don't like how I'm fraternizing with the enemy," Harry made the statement with such distaste, Daphne could practically feel her tongue curl at the sour sound.
"And these other things?" Daphne asked, her voice was significantly quieter, but her question was just as firm.
Harry's lips tugged into a frown, the way his hand coiled together silently asking the two not to ask nor pry about the matter. Daphne solemnly nodded.
"So… your housemates don't approve of us, you say?" Tracey asked slowly, unwrapping a grape-flavored lollipop in a deliberately slow manner.
Harry merely shrugged at the question, silently asking "what did you expect?" Tracey grins wildly at him in response.
"What? They jealous you're out snogging two wonderful little snakes?" Daphne made a sputtering sound while Harry snorted at the joke. Rolling his eyes, Harry shot Tracey an amused grin.
"Distinct lack of broom closets in my memory for that, Davis."
"We can always change that," the seriousness in Tracey's voice had caught Harry off-guard, the Gryffindor making an odd choking sound before leaning back on the couch he sat upon. Unbeknownst to the two, Daphne had sent a withering glare both their ways, her fingers curling almost protectively around her book.
"Don't listen to that vixen, Harry. Merlin only knows where that mouth has been," Daphne growled out, her grip on her book tightening as Tracey shot Daphne a challenging grin.
"You know exactly where it's been, Daffy," The provocative tone Tracey put on wasn't lost on Harry as he watched Daphne's face turned beet red.
"And what exactly does she mean by that?" Harry sent another questioning look, Daphne's way, his friend's face turning an even brighter shade of red than Ron's hair on its best days.
"Nothing!" If glares could start fires, Tracey would've turned into a pile of smoldering ash. "She meant nothing by it."
Harry let out a disbelieving hum, quirking his eyebrows strangely before turning to face the still roaring fire. Missing the worried frowned that rested on Daphne's face.
"Greengrass."
Daphne froze mid-stride just outside the Great Hall, her face contorting into pure bafflement as she turned around. Hermione Granger was standing there, nibbling in her lower lip with her gaze flickering between Daphne and the cobblestone floors. Daphne noticed that Granger's normally bushy hair was even more distraught than the last time she had seen her, and her eyes were raw and bloodshot.
"Granger," Daphne kept her tone as cordial as possible, folding her hands in front of her navel in a professional manner.
Hermione continued to gnaw on her lip, the smallest inklings on blood poking out from her teeth.
"Ho-How are you?" Hermione's lip was finally released from between her teeth as she put on an awkward smile, mirroring Daphne's much more posh one.
"Quite alright, thank you. Yourself?" The question came out with such practiced ease that Daphne hadn't spared it a thought.
Hermione's lip was once again caught between her teeth, the soft brown eyes of the Muggle-born witch seemingly darting everywhere just to avoid meeting Daphne's pine green ones.
"Could be better," Hermione mumbled, picking at her fingernails as she shifted from foot to foot. Suddenly stopping, Hermione sucked in a deep breath, looking up at Daphne with a determined but still shaky look. "I wanted to talk to you about Harry."
Daphne nodded in understanding, she was expecting something like this.
"Of course, what is it about him you wish to talk about?" Daphne kept her hands clasped in front of her stomach, waiting patiently for Hermione to find her words.
"Even if he and I aren't… aren't on speaking terms right now, I still care about him," Hermione started shakily, her nerves once again getting the better of her. "S-So this is much more like a request, but…"
Hermione steeled herself once more, cursing her nerves as she sent a determined look Daphne's way.
"Don't betray his trust," Daphne could feel her polite smile crack. Annoyance and a sense of anger rising in her.
"I may be a Slytherin as you all seemingly detest, but even I have enough decorum to no-"
"I didn't mean it like that!" Hermione hastily added. Sucking in yet another deep breath, Hermione winced as she added. "And I know that's quite a bit coming from me after… well after…"
"After you all but abandoned him?" Daphne spat out, her anger and annoyance slowly ebbing away but still evidently present. The Slytherin had to give Hermione credit, the girl doing no more than taking in a sharp breath.
"As I said, I know hearing that from me is… is hypocritical," Daphne snorted, much to Hermione's chagrin. "Despite all that, I can assure you, I'm being quite serious."
Daphne stifled her bark of laughter, settling on a sharp glare Hermione's way.
"I don't think I need to tell you that Harry doesn't trust easily, Greengrass. I've been his - was his," Hermione let out an annoyed grunt, curling her fist viciously as she struggled for her words. "I've known him for over four years and I still don't know, Harry."
Daphne's glare grew wary, her bottom lip twitching downwards into a confused frown.
"What could you possibly mean, you don't know him?" Daphne asked. Despite her sardonic tone, there was an underlying note of confusion and intrigue in her voice. Hermione let out a sigh, running a hand through her frazzled hair.
"Harry's a very secretive person. Despite what we've gone through the past three years, Ron and I know just as much about Harry as everyone else," Hermione shuffled on her feet for a few seconds as she looked towards the ground. "Next to nothing."
Daphne's anger ebbed away from her, making way to the tidal waves of confusion that threatened to swallow her whole. Seeing Daphne's confused look, Hermione offered her a pitiful smile.
"Can you tell me his favorite color?" Hermione asked. "What he does in his spare time? What he does over the holidays when we're not here? His favorite treat? Who he looks up to?"
Daphne wanted to answer those questions. To prove Hermione Granger wrong, but...
She couldn't.
Hermione once again looked at Daphne with that small smile, her bushy hair being wrapped around her index finger as she toed the ground anxiously.
"Neither can I," Hermione said. Her voice was just barely above a whisper, a hint of sadness coating it as she avoided Daphne's gaze.
Daphne shifted uncomfortably, not unlike Hermione had done moments prior. Her heart was begging for the Gryffindor to be wrong; to show that she did know Harry. But her mind said otherwise, she knew the stories; of his previous years, of the Boy-Who-Lived.
But not Harry.
Daphne inhaled sharply, growing more uncomfortable with the conversation as it continued. She needed a way out, an escape.
"If you want my advice, Granger," Daphne started, placing a hand on the large oak door of the Great Hall. "Apologize. He might just forgive you."
Without waiting for an answer, Daphne walked quickly into the great hall. Not looking back to see the hopeful, yet strained smile of Hermione Granger's face.
One day.
Tomorrow afternoon, Harry Potter would have to fight - or evade - a dragon. The thought alone sent shivers of unease coursing through his veins. He knew it was irrational, he and Daphne had spent hours upon days perfecting the plan that would - hopefully - keep him out of harm's way.
Daphne.
How glad he was that she approached him three weeks ago offering her help, he'd no doubt still be fumbling for the basic groundwork of a plan. But not with Daphne.
Daphne.
The mere mention of her name had Harry's lips stretching into the widest of grins. The normal pit that rested in his stomach seemed to fill ever so slightly every time her presence was around. How she had taught him all those different ways to subside his anger whenever he grew frustrated when a wrench was thrown into their plans, being nothing but kind and patient - with a hint of snarky teasing that always left both of their mouths turned up into grins.
Even Tracey had her own infectious effect on him. Always offering her many sweets and candies, her pats on the back and side hugs. Hell, even when she'd temporarily blind him with her beanie, leaving him flailing around like a fish out of water while she laughed, Harry couldn't help but smile. Just thinking about the two had his heart-tugging in every direction.
Harry didn't quite know what to make of his thoughts or the various feelings strewed about him.
What he did know, was that he definitely liked them.
"You like him, don't you?"
Her own words echoed in her head. Was it a question for her, or Daphne? Tracey desperately wanted an answer. Not only was her mind, but her heart - was screaming, begging, pleading, for an easy answer to her question.
She liked him, didn't she?
Of course, she did, but why? Why was Harry Potter always at the forefront of Tracey's mind?
Letting out an indignant huff, Tracey plopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling of the Slytherin dungeons as if it had the answer to all of her problems. She wished it did, that would have made this situation that much easier.
And she had gone ahead and said 'we'll tell him.' Tracey had screwed this situation up. Completely, undeniably screwed it up. Daphne was going to hate her now, her only friend in the entirety of Slytherin's house, her best friend.
The girl she loved.
Tracey mentally scoffed as she thought about their little argument the night prior. "Only fourteen my arse."
Now the only problem was trying to figure out how to settle the little triangle she'd just accidentally created.
"Wait…" Tracey shot up in her bed, her eyes widening exponentially. "Triangle."
Tracey bit her lip as she pondered over her latest idea. It was a long shot… but, it couldn't possibly be the worst idea.
Right?
Daphne nibbled on her thumbnail as she watched Harry pace around the Room of Requirement. The hours to the first task were slowly - almost agonizingly - ticking down. Leaving both Daphne and Tracey to try and calm a quickly panicking Harry.
"Harry, you're asking one too many 'what ifs?' Everything will be fine, we've planned for every contingency possible."
Harry nodded his head vehemently, his brow creasing as he attempted to take calming breaths. Running a hand through his untamable hair, Harry sat down next to Daphne on a large couch; the roaring fire of the Room of Requirement mimicking his skittish mood. Daphne subconsciously moved closer to Harry on the couch, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as she did so.
"Harry, you know exactly what you're going to do inside and out, it almost seems like you don't trust my plan," Daphne let a light-hearted grin form on her face as she nudged Harry's shoulder with her hand, earning a small chuckle from her friend in the process.
"I know, I know," Harry muttered quietly. He gently shook Daphne's hand off his shoulder, leaning in close to rest his head upon her shoulder he did so. Harry shifted around for a short bit, letting out a content sigh once he found his desired position.
"Just worried really. I am fighting a dragon after all," Daphne hummed at his assessment, reaching around with her free hand to softly run her hand through his unkempt hair.
"Well, if all goes well, you won't really have to fight the dragon, now will you?" Daphne offered her voice equally as soft. Harry let out a hum from her shoulder, closing his eyes as he took deep breaths.
"I suppose not," Harry drawled out, earning a gentle chuckle from Daphne at their groups inside joke.
With a small sigh, Daphne slowly lowered her cheek onto the top of Harry's head, closing her eyes as well, letting herself relax. She relished in the warmth he gave off, her cheek forming all-new, tingly sensations as his messy hair poked and scratched at her skin. It felt nice. He felt nice.
"If you two think I'm missing out on snuggle time, you are dead wrong!" Tracey's sudden declaration caused Daphne's eyes to shoot open.
Tracey smiled gleefully down at the two, grabbing both of their forearms and dragging to an open area on the floor. A soft rug was placed in front of the fire, big enough for all three to fit on if they so desired to rest on it. Tracey all but pushed the two onto the ground, pushing them around to make a V. Spinning around Harry, Tracey placed his head in Daphne's lap; despite her friend's squealed protests. Laying down onto the rug with the two, Tracey laid her head onto Harry's lap, forming an incomplete triangle.
"Daffy c'mon, finish the triangle!" Tracey ordered. Daphne sputtered at the command, sending a heated glare her friends way after craning her head.
"Absolutely not! I will hex you, Davis, do not tempt me!" Daphne said, her bright red face betraying her spiteful scowl.
"Oh, sod off you big baby, just finish the thing!" Tracey sat up as she let out her protests, grabbing the sides of Daphne's head to forcefully place her head in her lap. Daphne grumbled the whole time she did so, crossing her arms as she glowered at the roof.
Once her friend's head was secure in its nest, Tracey let out a small cheer, laying back down onto Harry's lap as she did so. Harry looked between his two friends, scanning Daphne's embarrassed glare before moving onto Tracey's prideful grin. He let out a small chuckle as he did so, finally resting his head completely in Daphne's lap.
"Was that so hard, Daffy?" Tracey chided playfully, smirking down at her friend's blonde locks that sprawled across her legs. Daphne grunted at the question, not offering a complete answer.
"You're incorrigible, you know that?" Daphne groaned out, crossing her arms as she reluctantly relaxed into Tracey's lap, her legs offering to be a strangely comfortable pillow.
Tracey snorted at the statement, crossing her arms behind her head to offer another layer of comfort. Harry chuckled at the banter, folding his hands over his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling above. Closing his eyes, Harry sighed happily.
"I could get used to this," He mumbled contentedly, smiling to himself as he took deep, relaxing breaths.
Daphne craned her head forward at the statement, her tight scowl loosening as her eyes fell upon the eased smile that rested on Harry's face. Daphne could feel her chest tighten at the sight, the air in her lungs practically choked out of her as she looked at the boy.
Harry, his head in her lap, smiling as if there was no evil in the world.
"Could get used to what?" Tracey asked softly, her previous exuberance ebbing away as she searched Harry out of the corner of her eye from his lap.
"This peace. The quiet," He started, his small smile widening as he continued with his deep breaths. "Every year, something goes wrong for me. But meeting you two, having… this. It feels like…"
He shifted on Daphne's lap for a moment, his features scrunching as if searching for the proper words; his small smile remaining on his face.
"It finally feels like something went right for once," Harry chuckled at his own words, scratching his nose before hastily adding, "Despite the rather rocky start, that is."
Daphne could feel her skin take on a pinkish hue, rolling her head backward to look over her skull, she noticed Tracey sporting a similar shade on her cheeks. Daphne shook her head in amusement, her previous annoyance with her best friend's antics washing away in a heartbeat.
"Good things can come from bad situations," Daphne said, delicately placing her hand in Harry's tousled hair, gently tugging and combing through it with her hand.
"I don't know if I'd call this a good thing," Harry announced, much to his friends' confusion. Letting out a small chuckle, he silently ushered for Daphne to continue her prodding.
"I think I'd call this a great thing."
Daphne's chest tightened once more at the comment, her breath hitching in her throat as she stared wide-eyed at the boy in her lap. Looking up at Tracey, she noticed a similar look on her friend's visage; that being one of both admiration and happiness.
Tracey gave Daphne a small smile, mouthing after the holidays, I have an idea, to her best friend. With a shaky nod, Daphne lowered her head back down, her mouth fumbling for an appropriate expression as she stared at the ceiling. She could wait until then, the holidays were only a few weeks away, and if Tracey had a plan, that meant no competition between the two.
Daphne nodded to herself, this was good; excellent even. Stealing one last glance to the boy in her lap, Daphne could feel her struggling mouth form a peaceful smile; small and content. Her hand still lazily played with his black locks, and Daphne could feel Tracey begin fiddling her with her blonde ones; her friend's delicate sigh telling Daphne that Harry had begun to mess around with Tracey's wavy hair.
The crackling fire warmed the trio as they rested in a comfortable silence; it's soft orange glow basking them as they let their worries wash away. The tournament, the dragons; everything was a mere pebble in the road.
As the fire popped and burned, Tracey began humming a soft tune, her beanie being pushed forward so Harry had better access to her hair and a lollipop resting comfortably in the corner of her jaw. She silently offered more of her confections to her friends, her smile widening when she felt them take the treats out of her hand.
"I don't deserve to have you guys," Harry mumbled quietly. Despite the statement being quite morose, his tone was filled with cheerfulness and levity. Daphne moved her hands downwards from his, softly cradling Harry's face as she gently urged him to face her.
As Daphne's pine green eyes met Harry's malachite ones, her breath hitched for the umpteenth time that day; the shimmer of tears coated Harry's eyes, but they were far from tears of sadness.
They were tears of unbridled joy and platonic love.
Daphne smiled to herself, pushing herself upwards off of Tracey's lap to place a chaste kiss on Harry's forehead as she noticed Tracey silently intertwined her hand with Harry's.
"That's as far from the truth as you can get, Harry," Daphne told him gently, tracing her index finger along his cheek as she smiled warmly.
The choked chuckle he let out caused both Daphne's and Tracey's hearts to jump, the uncontainable happiness spilling out of him as his tears finally fell sending jolts of warmth to shoot through the two girls. Daphne tucked her knees under her, gently lifting Harry as she wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him for a comforting hug.
Feeling Harry's arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to his form as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck made Daphne's heartstrings pull in every direction; she could feel them lurch wildly as she tightened her hold around his head. Tracey had crawled over shortly after, wrapping her arms around the both of her friends as she enveloped them. Harry let out another choked laugh, softly pulling away from the two as he started wiping his tears and nose.
"I just ruined that silent moment, didn't I?" He asked, a knowing chuckle rippling out from him as he looked between Daphne and Tracey. Daphne shook her head in amusement, giving her shoulder a once-over where Harry had just let his emotions wash over.
"I think the only thing you've ruined, is Daffy's top there," Tracey joked, the three letting out small, comfortable chuckles.
Harry looked between his friends once more. There smiles, the little dimples and crinkles that formed on their faces whenever they looked at him with the love and affection he so desperately wanted.
He knew that for now, everything was right in the world.
(A/N): Hopefully I'm not nearly as bad at trio fluffy scene things as I think I am.
If you're going to ask why Ron and Hermione seemingly never got the same reaction out of Harry, I'll be addressing that in the next chapter as the first task starts.
Hope you enjoyed! Any mistakes are my fault and my fault alone and I'll be sure to try and fix them.
I hope you stick around and thank you!
