Vignette 11: Fish

AN: Based on the 2020 Inktober Prompt #1 - Fish. It's honestly not very impressive, but I am in a rut and wanted to force myself to write.

This one is dedicated to EagleHasLanded, a frequent reviewer.

"All alone, Potter?"

The voice came out of nowhere and almost gave Harry a heart attack. He jumped, clutching at his wand, and turned around to see a pair of blue eyes staring at him.

"What are you doing here, Greengrass?" he asked, when he finally found his voice. She was standing maybe ten paces behind him, wrapped up in a thick winter cloak that flapped anxiously in the wind roaring around them. An icy stream lapped at their feet, twisting through the trees in the Forest of Dean.

She ignored his question.

"Where is Granger?" she asked, looking around. "I heard Weasley showed up at his family's hovel, but I expected to find Granger here with you."

Hermione had chased after Ron when he had left them and not come back. She had said she would stay but she hadn't. His heart ached. He had no idea where they were but Greengrass didn't need to know that.

"She's here," he said vaguely. "She'll be back in a bit."

Greengrass smiled at him. "Liar," she said, and he was surprised to hear a note of affection in her voice. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "You're all alone, aren't you? Look, my father..."

"Your father is a Death Eater," Harry reminded her frostily. He had been… friends, for lack of a better word, with Greengrass, until he had seen Cyrus Greengrass in Voldemort's inner circle during the Third Task. He hadn't spoken to her since, and she had tried to reach out to him a few times before her face had hardened and her eyes had turned into flints and she had refused to acknowledge him after that. He hadn't cared, but now he wondered whether he should have.

"He is," she agreed readily. "And yet, I am here. Look, I don't like the Dark Lord. I thought I could put up with… them being in charge, but I can't. He has to go, and if you're really the Chosen One, I want to help you get rid of him."

Was she telling the truth? He wanted to believe her… but what if he was just tired of being alone? He didn't know how long it had been since Ron and Hermione had left.

"You're tired and hungry and alone," she whispered, taking another step forward, so that she was standing right next to him. "Let me help you."

"Help me how?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

She took out her wand. He raised his in alarm, but she pointed hers at the stream instead. With a whispered word, two fish leaped out from the stream, writhing in the winter air. Another spell, and the tree closest to the water was reduced to firewood, and with a jab of her wand, a merry fire was roaring in front of him, protected from the wind by a magical shield. Within moments, the fish were descaled and deboned, and roasting over the fire. A heavenly smell wafted up Harry's nose, making his stomach grumble and his mouth water.

"Eat up," she said when the fish were cooked, and Harry didn't wait to be told twice. He was so hungry, he didn't even bother transfiguring a fork or knife, eating with his fingers even as it scalded his hands and burned his tongue. "And when you're done, we'll have a talk about how we can get rid of this Dark Lord problem."

It was only hours later that, as they hashed out plans for acquiring basilisk venom from the black market in France, Harry realized that he had never consented for Greengrass to join him, and yet she was there and he was no longer alone, and he felt more hopeful than he had in months. For the first time since Dumbledore's death, he felt like he had a chance.

AN: Let me know what you think. I really wish there were more Horcrux Hunts out there with Daphne. I only vaguely remember reading one and I don't recall whether it was any good or not.