(A/N): Quick announcement that after the Yule Ball (will be coming soon!), I will be rewriting chapter 1! So look forward to that.

Also! All the reviews and such I have been receiving have honestly been such a big help! Since I'm rewriting chapter 1, further rewrites for earlier chapters might also come sometime in the future.

I hope you enjoy, any and all mistakes are my own fault!

The chapter title "They're Both Totally Void Of Hate, But Killing Me Just The Same," Taken from H. - Tool


Chapter 9: They're Both Totally Void Of Hate, But Killing Me Just The Same


Daphne swore her eyelids were made out of chunks of lead.

She walked - hobbled - through the darkened, barren hallways of Hogwarts as she made her way towards the Slytherin dungeons; eyelids fluttering opened and closed as she battled the sandman. Exhaustion coated her like a disease; ebbing off of her with every sluggish, defeated action.

It was moments like these, - where Daphne felt like a poor, pathetic excuse for a witch - that left her wanting, almost needing, Harry with her. She wanted nothing more than to drag the Gryffindor to the Room of Requirement, curl into his side on one of its conjured couches by its glowing fireplace, and have him whisper his soft reassurances in her ear as she divulged him in all her problems.

Unlike so many Purebloods, Harry actually listened to her. He would never say "that's no way for a Pureblood witch such as yourself to act," or Merlin forbid, "that's no way for a Greengrass to act." To Harry, she wasn't Heiress Greengrass, she was just Daphne.

It might've seemed small to others, but to finally be seen as her own person and not as her Father and Mother's daughter, was a breath of fresh air for Daphne. A breath of air she would cling onto as if it were the only thing keeping her alive.

Daphne focused her thoughts on her best male friend, trying to steady her breathing as she continued her trek through the hallways. Her flats clicked against the stone, the sound reverberating throughout the desolate walls.

Each time her mind would drift back towards her sister, Astoria; Daphne immediately replaced the thought with one of Harry. The clacking of her footwear offered a strange tempo to her spiral.

Whenever her memories forced her to watch as Astoria's face melted at the news of her blood curse. She would swap it out for an image of Harry's gentle smiles

The sight of her mother gently ushering Astoria into a bathroom, her sister's nose oozing blood as Daphne watched in the darkness of her bedroom's door frame; Replaced with the sight of Harry sticking quills into his nose, maintaining a facade of innocence as he asked what was wrong, while Daphne snorted in amusement, hammering a fist over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

A recollection of Astoria writhing on her bed, her eyes rolling back into her skull and foam splashing out of her mouth as her body rode out a seizure, leaving Daphne a sobbing mess; quickly overtaken by the sight of Harry clutching his sides as he rolled on the floor in laughter: his howls of amusement being caused by a joint effort of Daphne's snide remarks and Tracey's horrid puns.

If her nerves decided to recall the feeling of Astoria's hand clamped tight around her arms and hands, as she writhed and wailed in pain, determined to leave bruises the next day; Daphne would flood her mind with the feeling of Harry, gently running his fingers over her temple to secure a strand of hair behind her ear, or the sensation of his arms wrapping around her back as he reciprocated one of her bashful hugs.

It was an effective form of therapy.

Daphne hastened her steps; hoping to reach the Slytherin dungeons quicker to let the welcoming darkness of sleep finally overtake her. Merlin knew she needed rest: two nights of restless crying, worrying, and general insomnia tended to leave someone in a constant state of fatigue.

Click

Clack

Click

Clack

Her breath hitched in a choked sob. Her mask of indifference cracking under an unnamable pressure.

Click

Clack

Click

Clack

She couldn't cry in the middle of the hallway; she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't allow herself.

Click

Clack

Click

Clack

She just couldn't think about Astoria right now. As long as she kept her thoughts in the realm of Harry and Tracey and everything that had gone right lately, then she'd be fine.

Click

Clack

Click

Clack

Just Harry and Tracey, and the way they'd effortlessly smile at each other; laugh at each other's ridiculous jokes, while she'd stare at them in a confused daze when they didn't clue her into whatever they found so amusing right away. Or how they bounced muggle references off of each other so effortlessly, only explaining what they meant whenever they saw her confused frown or when she muttered the word or term back to herself. How they're friendship seemed so effortless and genuine; sometimes appearing as if they only needed each other.

As if they didn't need her.

The moisture building in Daphne's eyes finally escaped; a strangled sound of defeat escaping her throat as she collapsed against one of the hallway's cobblestone walls, knowing full well that she could chalk up her feelings of inadequacy to irrationality. The fear and worry that had been plaguing her, due to Astoria's curse, was bolstering her insecurities, and Daphne knew exactly that.

Both of her friends had explained just how much they cared about and needed her during their long hours in the Room of Requirement, planning for the first task. Harry had called her exceptional the day she first unloaded her worries on him. Hell, Tracey had gone ahead and kissed her!

Another choked sound escaped her; this time being a mix between a pitiful laugh and sob. Daphne wiped her nose furiously with her sleeve, pressing her palms into her eyes in a fruitless attempt to stop her tears shortly after.

"This is absurd," She thought bitterly, her teeth barring together angrily. "I'M absurd."

Daphne's long stretch of self-wallowing silence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of rustling fabric not far from her right. She knew exactly who was standing there, his face was no doubt contorted in worry and confusion.

"Daph?" His voice all but confirmed her suspicions. An uncharacteristic, relieved whimper tumbled out of Daphne's mouth.

She craned her head to the side, her pine green eyes blurred by unshed tears. Even with the stinging water stuck in her eyes, Harry stuck out in her vision. His face was marred with the distress and concern she knew it'd be masked by. His hair was as disheveled as ever as his head poked out from just underneath his invisibility cloak. Daphne could feel her heart rate quicken at his sudden but not unwelcome appearance.

She leaped up from her sitting position, not running towards Harry, but still walking hastily in his direction. She didn't know who roped the other into their tightly knit hug first, nor did she care; Daphne was just relieved to finally be with him.

After spending two days with her "family", being with Harry meant she was valued - it meant she was cared for.

"I'm sorry," Daphne mumbled into Harry's chest, reluctantly pulling her head away to peer up at him.

His lips were still curled in a confused and worried frown, his arms still wrapped almost protectively around her. Daphne couldn't help but smile at him.

"For ruining your cloak," she clarified, gesturing with her hand at the small wet spot that had absorbed her unshed tears.

Harry looked down at the darkened fabric, then back up at her. His mouth quirked up into a smirk for a minuscule moment before falling back down into its persistent downtrodden expression. His eyes, like his mouth, were creased with worry.

"I feel like finding you crying alone in a hallway is much more important, Daph," the clear cut solicitude in his voice, warmed Daphne exponentially.

Daphne curled her fingers against his back, subconsciously pulling Harry that much closer to her as she let out a rueful chuckle.

"Family issues," She offered.

Harry hummed knowingly, slowly guiding them back towards the wall Daphne once sat upon. The moonlight that cascaded inwards through the tall, slitted windows basked the two in a soft, white glow.

"D'you want to talk about it?" He inquired softly, retracting an arm from around Daphne's shoulder as he looked at her curiously. Daphne gave a sullen nod, leaning to rest her head against Harry's shoulder as she stared out the moonlit windows.

"My sister, Astoria, suffers from a blood curse cast upon my family many generations ago," She explained. Harry nodded, his unkempt hair tickling against her scalp as he did so.

"If she doesn't overexert herself, or have children, the Healers believe she should be able to live to at least fifty.

"But… rarely, she has these - these… episodes. Where she ends up weak or - or extremely sick," once again, Harry stayed silent as she spoke. Just listening.

"The symptoms differ from time to time. It could be frequent nose bleeds, or nausea; light-headedness, or worst-case scenario… seizures and such," Daphne didn't know if it was because of how casually she said it, or from other factors, but she felt Harry tense beneath her all the same.

His hand, once resting upon the hard stone floors, was cautiously raised to lay upon hers. Harry's much larger hand covered Daphne's almost completely. His delicate "I'm with you" gesture made Daphne smile, despite the morose tale being shared.

"Can she be treated?" Harry asked softly, running his fingers over her knuckles subtlety. Daphne shook her head in denial, letting out an obtuse sigh as she did so.

"There's nothing," She said, her voice holding no real emotion to it; no sadness, or despair, just… indifference. "No potions, no spells, no rituals. Nothing."

Harry released a breath he wasn't fully aware of holding. He ran his free hand through his hair, giving the girl resting her head on his shoulder a measured look. Daphne had raised her head to meet his gaze, resting her chin on his shoulders as she stared up at him.

She pondered over the similarities of the current moment and her first "confession." Harry watching her with a patient and worried gaze as he sat in silence, doing nothing but listening to her. With a forced smile, Daphne poked Harry's chest.

"What about you?" She asked, desperate for a change in topic. "What has you, perusing around the school past curfew?"

Despite the previous despondent mood, Harry let out a diffident chuckle. Running his free hand through his hair once more, Harry quirked his mouth into his lop-sided grin, his eyes holding the slightest bits of remorse within them.

"Would you believe me if I told you I couldn't sleep?" Daphne's pointed look delivered her answer for her. Harry's grin faltered for a moment, his eyes growing wary and his lips pursing together in a thin line.

"Well… it's part of the reason I'm up, actually," He admitted softly.

Daphne's sharp look faded quickly, her own worried frown taking form as she turned her hand over, under Harry's, interlocking their fingers to show her support.

"I've unloaded enough of my problems on you, Harry, what's wrong?"

Harry watched Daphne carefully. For a moment, Daphne almost felt betrayed at his clear reluctance to share; but as she searched his malachite eyes, understanding slowly took over.

This wasn't a problem of trust, he was scared; scared of looking weak.

"I'm not going to judge you, Harry, not after all you've done for me," granted it wasn't much; forgiving her after an off-handed comment and letting her spill her most safely guarded fear might not have seemed too serious to others, but it meant enough to her.

The apprehension on Harry's face remained clear-cut, but he nodded nonetheless.

"I…" he started. His jaw clamped shut moments later, his eyes gaining a faraway look to them as they moved from Daphne's eyes to their connected hands.

Daphne followed his line of vision, silently studying their conjoined hands alongside him. Her eyes traced the lines of both her and Harry's knuckles, pondering over how her much more slender fingers managed to curl between her friend's own, basking the digits in a calming warmth.

Harry's eyes traveled back up to Daphne's face; apprehension thoroughly squashed by relief. With a reassuring smile, Daphne softly urged Harry to share his troubles.

"I-I've been having nightmares recently. But they're not… they're not normal," Harry ran his fingers over the blemished skin of his scar. Daphne frowned at the revelation; her brows creasing together in worry as her hand subconsciously curled tighter around his.

"What exactly is making them abnormal?" She inquired, watching as Harry's cheeks and nose crinkled together in thought.

"I - when I wake up, my scar, it - it pulses," Harry curled and uncurled his fingers just above the wound as if to demonstrate his description. "It's like a dull throb."

"It's not just a normal headache?" Harry shook his head in denial at the question.

"No, not even close," He elaborated. His expression grew alarmed; the black of his pupils shrinking in his malachite irises.

"I - whenever my scar aches like that, I - I just feel so… so angry. Like..." Harry swallowed thickly, his mouth drying to near-desert levels as he turned his head to face Daphne.

"Like I want to hurt someone."

Daphne felt her breathing come to an abrupt halt in her throat; lodging in her airway like a log in a roaring river. She tried fruitlessly to calm herself, Harry needed her to be calm and rational right now.

The Slytherin was quick to throw her legs over Harry's, pushing herself up to straddle the boy. Under any other circumstances, Daphne would've been rather ashamed of the act; her cheeks would be burning with crimson embarrassment.

An embarrassment that would've quickly been squandered by fierce, impassioned honesty.

Daphne glared dangerously down at Harry, hoisting their conjoined hands up into his sight-line as she jabbed a finger onto the tarnished skin that was his scar.

"You listen to me, Harry; I don't care what you think is going on up here," Daphne made a point to tap on his forehead, her finger drumming along his skull.

"Because all I care about, is what is going on down here," Moving her finger from his forehead, Daphne poked Harry's chest a total of three times before finally lowering her hand.

Their conjoined hands remained raised in the air, the Slytherin shaking the two connected limbs directly in Harry's eyesight.

"You're my friend, Harry, my best friend," Daphne watched as thousands of emotions crossed over Harry's face. "Whatever it is you think you're going through, we'll go through it together."

The whirlpool of feelings that had sunk Harry's face suddenly stopped. His emerald green eyes peered up at pine green; the telltale stare of desperation and hope met fierce determination.

"Together?" He asked shakily.

Any form of sarcastic remark never had the chance to be conceived as Daphne smiled softly down at Harry. She cupped his cheek gently with her free hand, raising her head to plant a soft, lingering kiss on his forehead, right next to his scar.

As she pulled back Daphne shook their interlocked hands one last time, her soft smile never leaving her face.

"Together."

Harry's mouth quirked into a strange grin; not quite happy, but not saddened either. His eyes danced around Daphne's face for a moment longer before she spoke again.

"What was the other part?" She asked as she gestured wildly down either side of the hallway before removing herself from Harry's lap, placing her head gently onto his shoulder once more. "As to why you're out here."

Harry shrugged at the query, pushing Daphne's head upwards in the process as he tossed his invisibility cloak haphazardly in his free hand.

"Just wanted to surprise you really," the thought warmed Daphne considerably, despite the chilled wind tearing through the hallway. "Knew you were returning tonight so." Harry finished with a shrug.

Despite the kindness of the act, Daphne let out one of her amused snorts regardless, running a hand through her hair as she let an amused smirk form on her face.

"And Tracey didn't beg you to bring her along?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm and derision. "That's surprising."

"She actually declined if you'd believe that," the revelation threw Daphne for a loop. Narrowing her eyes, Daphne cocked her head to the side, her lips parting slightly as she studied Harry intently as if gauging his facial expressions.

"Said she had to plan or something," Harry gestured flippantly with his hand, "or was it prepare? Either way, she couldn't come."

"Did she tell you what for?" Daphne questioned, leaning closer towards Harry as if preparing for him to whisper his response. Harry shrugged once more, his lips quirking into a frown briefly as he did so.

"Whatever it was put her in a right state," His smirk returned with full force. "Could barely look me in the eye before nearly running away."

Daphne pursed her lips as her thoughts traveled to the day the trio spent in the room of Requirement; specifically the day they made their impromptu cuddle triangle. "After the holidays," Tracey had mouthed to her, her mouth quirking into a sheepish grin as she eyed Daphne strangely.

Was Tracey having second thoughts? The two no doubt had spent time together during her absence; was she going to tell Daphne that the 'we' she had used the night of their quick, chaste kiss had turned into an 'I'? Daphne shook her head quickly. It wasn't going to help her at all if she were to board that train of thought.

Harry noticed the abrupt action, his mirthful smirk faltering as he furrowed his brow in worry. "Everything alright?"

Daphne's head snapped upwards at the question, her lips tumbling into a strange combination of a grimace and a placating smile.

"Yes, quite!" She answered, wincing slightly at the volume of her own voice.

Harry studied Daphne for another brief moment as if he were searching for something in her eyes. Daphne nearly felt like wilting under the intent stare.

Harry let out a hum that sounded like something akin to "all right," before quickly rising to his feet. He let the invisibility cloak in his hand unfurl like a curtain, shaking it slightly in silent questioning.

Daphne didn't waste time in standing up at his side, pressing herself closer to Harry as he draped the fabric over top of them.

Neither party noticing how their hands remained curled together tightly, as Harry escorted Daphne further into the moonlit hallways.

—-

The door to the Slytherin girls' dorm room closed with a soft thud; the large oak entrance suddenly feeling weightless in Daphne's as she pressed her forehead against its ridges.

"Finally," she thought, a small content sigh escaping her lips. The heat of her breath curled over the old wood, wafting back into her face to tickle her nose and upper lip.

Daphne could practically feel the warmth of her four-poster bed wrap around her like a cloak, not unlike the feeling of Harry pressed tight to her body. His warm breath tickling against her skin whenever he whispered in her ear.

Daphne let out a shuddering breath at the thought, silently thanking a higher power that she was currently alone.

"Daffy?"

The sudden voice tore through Daphne's carefully constructed front of calm like soggy parchment; the Slytherin letting out a startled yelp as she jumped like a frightened cat. Tracey could only grin sheepishly as Daphne spun around to face her, a hand clamped over her mouth to stop any more cries from bubbling out as wide, pine green irises bore into crinkled, amber ones. Daphne hissed involuntarily, her once calm and peaceful mask cracking into a scowl.

"Sorry," came Tracey's penitent voice mere moments later. Removing her beanie from the top of her head, Tracey pushed herself up onto the foot end of her bed, swinging her legs back and forth in a nervous gesture.

"What are you doing up, Tracey?" Was Daphne's pointed response, her arms crossing under her bust as she tried fruitlessly to morph her sneer into something much friendlier.

"Was waiting for you, actually," her friend admitted. Her eyes flying around the room in a desperate attempt to look at everything but Daphne at the moment. "Needed to talk to you. About Harry."

Daphne felt her spine go rigid, her tongue jutting out of her mouth quickly to wet her lips.

"Does this have to do with 'after the holidays'?" Daphne asked pointedly.

Tracey mimicked the action of wetting her lips, reaching into her pockets to take out a small piece of bubblegum instead of her normal lollipop. The brunette gave the chewy treat a few tentative bites before nodding her head.

Daphne was quick to walk over to Tracey's bed, sitting beside her best friend while giving her an earnest guise. She silently urged Tracey to explain further.

Tracey inspected Daphne with a measured expression, her amber irises scurrying in each and every direction as she stared earnestly. With a heavy breath, Tracey was cautious in her act of placing a coffee-with-cream colored hand on top of her friend's much paler one.

"I talked with Granger yesterday; about Harry," Tracey started softly, tracing Daphne's knuckles with her fingertips. "And… she filled me in on some rather useful information."

Daphne's calm exterior took a turn for the negative; a sense of unease bubbling in her chest.

"She was going to share it with you as well, but - ya know, you sorta ran away," Tracey chuckled in an attempt to lighten the anchored mood.

The right corner of Daphne's lips quirked upwards for a brief moment, her grim mask washing back over mere seconds later. Tracey paled slightly at Daphne's aloofness; clearing her throat, she continued.

"Granger seems to be rather," Tracey poked her chin in thought, scrunching her nose as well. "Rather observant of Wonder Boy. The best way I can describe her anyway."

Daphne nodded curtly, shuffling closer to Tracey so their bodies were almost touching. She heard Tracey gasp; sucking in a sharp breath as their shoulders grazed over each other.

"How is she observant, Tracey?" Daphne coerced. Tracey took a steadying breath, curling her hand around Daphne's before she explained.

Explained everything.

Harry's adverse reactions to certain words and sounds; Hermione's suspicions about his relatives, and how they'd have to seemingly be patient while he figured out his feelings. Every nook and cranny of the vestiges of Hermione's knowledge on Harry was spilled for Daphne to hear.

Pine green eyes sharpened dangerously at the thought of their favorite subject being subject to the horrors of a horrendous home life. On numerous occasions, Daphne's lips pressed together like a vice; turning a nearly white color as her hands coiled, and her blood boiled.

Tracey winced every so often under the pressure of Daphne's grip as she did her best to squeeze back in a show of support.

"And what does all of this have to do with your - your comment?" Daphne asked sharply, an eagerness and need to get to the point of their late-night conversation, fueling her inflamed tone.

Tracey went rigid once more, her skin erupting with goosebumps as she steeled her nerves.

"Last chance to turn back," That thought was quickly dispelled with a firm shake of the head.

Tracey shifted her body so her knees touched Daphne's, warily grabbing her other hand as she curled her legs to sit cross-legged on her bed. Her mouth gaped open; her lips flapping up and down like a fish out of water as she struggled to find her words.

"Daffy, you and Harry - you two are my best friends, but," Tracey's shut like a steel trap, her gaze falling downwards to their interlocked hands. "But I don't know if I want to be just friends anymore, Daffy."

Tracey's voice trailed off near the end of her spiel, her eyes shifting quickly between the splash of color that was their hands and Daphne's small, almost confused frown.

"I don't know if I can be just friends anymore," Tracey confessed. "I don't want to wait until after the holidays anymore."

Daphne felt her eyes widen at the statement; nearly tearing her hands away from Tracey's in shock as she mulled the declaration over.

"Tracey…" Daphne started gently, while in all actuality, she didn't quite know exactly what to say.

Tracey waited patiently, her throat bulging with unswallowed nerves as she stared Daphne down in confusion? Worry? Desperation? The exact emotion - or rather emotions - Tracey decided to splay out for the world to see, left Daphne at a loss.

Daphne suspected she was suffering from a serious case of Déjà Vu as Tracey threw caution to the wind, nearly lunging forward to press their lips together once again. Daphne's body stiffened then relaxed in record time, a "blink and you'll miss it moment," as Tracey slowly began to pull away from the innocent kiss.

Daphne opened her mouth to say something, - anything - but was quickly discouraged as Tracey placed a slender finger over her friend's lips.

"Just - Just hear me out, Daffy," she pleaded, leaning her head closer to Daphne's to rest their foreheads together.

"We both like Harry. Why exactly, neither of us really know but, we like him regardless, so…" Tracey caught her lower lip between her teeth; nibbling softly as she gazed into Daphne's pine colored irises.

"So why don't we figure this out together? All three of us," she asked, pulling her hand away from Daphne's to cup her friend's cheek softly. "We figure out what works and what doesn't, and we - we do it together."

Daphne wanted to protest against the idea; to claim that such an act - polyamory - hadn't been practiced in… in hundreds of years, and that in almost every case, the relationships would fall apart like a poorly constructed shield charm.

Logical Daphne backed herself into a panicked corner; Emotional Daphne felt her heart clench at the suggestion. Tracey's words echoing in her mind like a mantra.

Figure it out together, just like everything else.

They'd win this tournament together, they would study together, they would grow together. A sudden thought tore through Daphne's mind.

They would become one together.

Despite the cries softly roaring in her mind, Daphne nodded shakily. Her throat basking in a newfound clarity as she peered up under her eyelids into Tracey's warm, welcoming amber eyes.

"Okay," she muttered softly. A small smile threatening to break her skin as she watched Tracey's face almost glow with joy.

Almost like a wizard photo, Daphne's mind reeled back to her hallway encounter with Harry.

The fumbled grin she gave him as she straddled his lap, declaring that his heart meant more to her than his mind.

"Whatever it is you think you're going through, we'll go through it together," she had stated.

"Together?"

The gentle smile threatening to crack Daphne's features reared its beautiful head. The blonde Slytherin mimicking her friend's action of gently caressing her cheek.

"Together," she mumbled softly, just loud enough for Tracey to hear.

"Together."


(A/N): and she's set, lads and lasses! We're getting closer and closer, and soon the ship shall dock!

Bit of a cheesy/cliche ending/chapter, but I enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoyed reading it!

You probably also noticed that the Horcrux is already rearing its ugly head, so that's always fun I suppose!

I'm also taking some creative liberties when it comes to the blood curse since, to my knowledge at least, we know almost nothing about it, so please do try and remain calm regarding it!

The beginning part, with Harry finding Daphne crying, was based off of a scrapped one-shot I had made, there's a little factoid for you all.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed, criticism is always welcome, and I hope you stick around!

Until next time!