London
October 12, 2006
"Do we have to go?" Harry whined as he dug through his closet, knowing he had a 'nice' pair of jeans somewhere.
"I put him off for as long as I could, but you know my father." Daphne shrugged as she slipped on a simple black dress.
"'Put him off' Daph? I've been out of the hospital for 48 hours. There's no way a dinner with our fathers is good for my health," Harry pointed out, "what are the chances we get through this dinner without getting chastised for not setting a wedding date?"
"Very low. But you know my father wanted us there two days ago and last I checked, you insisted you were perfectly healthy," she said with some finality.
He grumbled something incoherent and eventually came out, looking rather disheveled.
"I swear Harry – your hair..." Daphne shook her head and started attempting to tame the mess with her fingers.
He simply rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrists. "You know that won't do anything."
"I have to try." Daphne smiled and they shared a look before he dropped her wrists and started tucking in his shirt.
Usually, their apartment was the one place where they could be 'themselves' so to speak – but the presence of the Corps officer meant that they were constantly 'on.' It wasn't that they didn't like each other - they just didn't typically show any kind of romantic interest in one another within the four walls of their apartment. The situation was putting both Harry and Daphne on edge, and they were both looking forward to the investigation wrapping up and the culprits being identified so their lives could go back to normal.
They entered the living room and Ginny immediately stood up. "At ease," Harry said, amused, and the officer did just that.
"You know you can relax here Ginny," Daphne said kindly.
"I know," Ginny replied with a tentative smile, leading them out the door. She made some communique into her walkie talkie before she let Harry out and led them directly into the military tank waiting outside.
"At least we get to ride in style," Harry said under his breath as the driver, a nondescript man in sunglasses and dressed in all black, opened his door for him. "So, Ginny," Harry began from the backseat. She was looking down at her phone but immediately turned to acknowledge her charge. "Doesn't driving around in this thing kind of make me a target?"
Ginny looked thoughtful. "You're always a target. We know this vehicle is clean and it can withstand a rocket launcher so – while perhaps we stick out, at least we know you're safe."
"You don't have to answer him when he acts like a child," Daphne told her before smirking at Harry, who appropriately responded by sticking his tongue out. Ginny laughed before returning to face the front, focused once more on her phone.
The drive to the Greengrass Estate should have been 20 minutes but the tank was unable to drive on many of the smaller roads, meaning the time was doubled. The ride was mostly filled with awkward silence and the occasional quip from Harry and ritual chastisement by Daphne.
Daphne's father, Anton Greengrass, was a titan of industry – after the Event, he seamlessly adapted his supply chain to evolve with the times. He also happened to be of the generation that still valued the 'traditions' of old wizarding society.
The Greengrass Estate stood just a few miles outside of the London city limits. A long and winding private driveway led up to an almost comically massive house. As the car stopped at the front door, Ginny took a moment to calm herself, staring up at the mansion. It was indescribable to someone like her, who grew up in a rundown hovel and now lived in the city where, frankly, there was no space for a home like this.
The front of the house was marked by six massive columns with two guards standing at the front door, hands behind their backs. They gave Ginny a nod in recognition and she returned it with a respectful half salute. One of the guards came up to give parking instructions to the driver before opening the door to let Harry and Daphne out.
"I'm sure it won't be that bad," Daphne assured him; she received a slight eye roll in return. The pair walked towards the door, which opened to reveal a woman, slightly younger than Daphne.
"Daphne! Harry!" she exclaimed and kissed Daphne on each cheek before hugging Harry.
"Astoria! I didn't know you'd be here!" Daphne sounded genuinely surprised.
"When I heard about what happened I just had to come home," she explained. Astoria Greengrass was technically studying to be a healer in Manchester, but those who knew her were aware she was really just waiting until her father matched her with an appropriate man. Unlike her sister, Astoria Greengrass fully embraced the so-called 'old ways,' much to their father's relief.
While the Greengrass sisters shared similar features, it would have been difficult to confuse them. Astoria wore a long sleeve topaz colored gown with a hat that sat just to the side of her head and jewelry that let anyone who saw her know precisely her net worth. This outfit, which would have earned her stares and teasing in downtown London, was perfectly fashionable to traditional wizards. On the flip-side, while Daphne and Harry were dressed in what they considered 'business casual,' which they considered appropriate for a weeknight dinner party, it would be considered 'scandalous' to those entrenched in the old ways.
As it was, Anton Greengrass, though nostalgic and traditional, was a survivor at heart. He wasn't so set in the old ways as to be impractical, and he knew that asking Harry and Daphne to dress more formally was not a fight worth having.
As the pair went to meet Anton and James in the formal drawing room, Ginny did a perimeter sweep – identifying all possible exits and entrances, discussing security procedures with the guards and confirming all staff. Once she had completed her assessment and deemed Harry to be as safe as could be, she returned outside to the front porch to join the other two guards.
Harry led his fiancée in and discovered, not that they were surprised, that they were the last to arrive. James Potter sat on a couch next to the senior Greengrass, the two wrapped up in what appeared to be a perfectly polite conversation.
"Papa," Astoria called out, receiving a genuine smile from her father who turned towards them. "Daphne and Harry have just arrived!"
Harry smiled and shook both men's hands; he and his father appeared unsure whether they should do some sort of half hug, which led to a sort of awkward dance. Daphne, the less awkward of the pair, greeted each man with a light kiss on the cheek without any sort of melee.
"Thank you both for coming," Anton said with a smile.
Harry wanted to say 'like we had a choice' but he bit this back in favor of, "Of course, thank you for the invitation."
"It's just – after what happened to you, we're reminded that family is everything." Anton gave Daphne and Harry a pointed look as he led them into the dining room. Harry did his best to nod appropriately as the older man continued, "So I wanted us all to get together – to discuss the future."
Here we go, thought Harry, though he maintained a smile as he took his seat and held Daphne's hand over the table. The seating arrangements were adjusted to account for Astoria. Anton sat at one head while the other remained permanently empty, a constant reminder of the Greengrass matriarch's absence. Across from Harry sat his father while the two Greengrass sisters were in the seats closest to Anton.
Before he could say anything more, the soup course was served. While Harry was more or less used to dinner at the Greengrass house at this point, he would never truly be comfortable with being served or even with the concept of a multi-course meal. In private, he would complain of his future father-in-law's excess, imagining the use the estate could have beyond maintaining an old man's pride.
"So, Mr. Potter," Astoria started dinner conversation, turning to her neighbor, "my father tells me you have already started Harry's re-election bid."
James Potter was a political strategist, and as much as it pained Harry, the man was brilliant at it. He had an inherent understanding of numbers and psychology that seemed to make him uniquely suited for the task. Nevertheless, he was probably better known from his days as head Auror. Following the formation of the WEA, he was single-handedly credited with reviving the wizarding vocation and engaging his non-magical counterparts to develop an integrated police force.
"Yes," James began, putting down his spoon. "You can never start on these too early – he'll be up for re-election again in 18 months," he pointed out, looking briefly at Harry before returning to his soup.
"I'm sure wizarding England will continue to support Harry," Astoria said with a polite smile.
"They should," Anton said pointedly, "but we'll want to make sure there are no more," he paused, looking up dramatically for a moment before continuing, "issues like that recent Corps funding bill." He smiled at Harry.
Harry took a few calming breaths before smiling back. "Of course – I thought I had the votes at hand but apparently I was wrong."
"It wasn't Harry's fault in this instance," James Potter pointed out, though not necessarily to defend his son but to set the record straight. He adjusted his glasses. "Viktor Krum made some very poignant, if misleading points."
"I agree," Daphne nodded, smiling, "we worked that bill through the factions – they were just looking for an excuse to kill it."
"It's a shame." Harry shook his head, "We needed that bill – now, we'll have to start from scratch."
"But perhaps Mr. Krum, while misleading, had a certain point in the matter," Anton suggested. Before anyone could respond, the two servers had returned, replacing their empty bowls with a poultry course.
"You don't want additional funding to go into the birth rate issue?" Harry asked, frowning at the man.
"Oh no – Harry, dear boy," Anton placated him. "It is not that at all! It's just – I worry about the Corps. We rely on them for everything. Why, unless I'm mistaken, there's a Corps officer standing outside of my home providing your protection!"
"I don't quite see the alternative," Harry started after taking a small bite. "We included provisions that would require the Corps to work with private companies and universities, both magical and non-magical. But having a central and unified effort is critical if we have any hope to resolve this crisis," Harry stated, his voice more passionate than he would have liked given the situation.
"Yes – I understand the bill." Anton dabbed at his chin with his napkin, his words intentionally patronizing. "But it would still give the Corps an incredible amount of power."
Harry shook his head and was about to debate further when Daphne beat him to the punch. "What would you do instead father?"
Anton smiled gently at his eldest. "Take more time. Perhaps create a separate WEA entity dedicated to research and development to address the birth rate matter. Or identify a magical and non-magical private corporation with the correct skills and expertise to take on this venture."
Harry shook his head, a defeated look on his face., "We don't have any more time." He turned to his own father who watched the conversation with curiosity but himself seemed disinterested in the outcome. Always a politician, Harry thought. James Potter didn't care what got legislated – he cared about the political implications.
"Be careful, son," Anton responded, "history is full of doomsday prophets claiming the world is ending."
Harry shrugged. "The world will be just fine – it's humanity that won't make it," he pointed out and returned to his chicken, a stale silence filling the large room.
No one spoke again until their plates were replaced with a seafood entrée. Harry thought with some fondness about the first time he had accompanied Daphne to dinner and had over-eaten his first course, completely unaware of what was coming next.
"Harry, you know I'm always on your side," Anton started, "I only say what I do to help you understand what the others are thinking."
Harry kept his face calm and forced a smile to appear. "Thank you sir – that means a lot." Daphne made a similar pronouncement before grabbing Harry's hand in a supportive gesture.
"Which brings me to my next order of business," Anton started, placing his fork delicately on the plate to indicate the course was over. Harry felt himself pale and Daphne's grip in his hand grew tighter. "I think it's time you set a date." His gaze shifted back and forth between Harry to Daphne.
"Oh father," Daphne tried to play it off, "Harry is too busy for us to think about planning a wedding! And someone just tried to kill him!"
"Which is why it's more important now than ever for the two of you to get married," Anton began. "We must make sure that whatever – monsters – tried to kill you know that it has only made you stronger."
"I hadn't thought of that," Harry stated diplomatically before turning to Daphne, his eyes pleading for help.
"I know you both are young and busy," Anton responded amiably, "but I think it would be advantageous of you both to settle down."
"What's the rush?" Daphne asked, a doting smile on her face.
"There's no 'rush' dear," her father reassured her, "but at some point, people will wonder. You have been together a long time; I struggle to understand your reluctance. If it's money, you know I'll provide whatever you both need."
He didn't say it outright but Harry understood the subtext – he was dubious of their relationship.
"Harry," his father surprised him, "you are one of only a few unmarried representatives in parliament -" he held up his hand, halting Harry's expected rebuttal and calmly continued. "I didn't say it was right or that it should be the case that a representative is married. However, much of the opposing faction's concern with you is your tendency to shift away from tradition. A simple thing – getting married – would make a lot of people feel much more comfortable."
While Harry was able to keep his temper in check with Anton, expecting the man to pressure them at every turn, he did not expect the same from his own father. He leaned forward, vaguely aware that the servers were now placing a slice of tart in front of him, and responded, "So I should get married to make my opponents more comfortable? So that they can forget for a moment that the world is not what it once was?"
"Harry." James swallowed and looked at him, keeping his own feelings in check.
"Excuse me, Mr. Greengrass, my apologies, I need a breath of fresh air," Harry started and quickly leapt from his seat and headed out towards the back porch. He stepped out and immediately took a deep inhale, leaning against the railing. For all he judged the Greengrass Estate, the view and fresh air were remarkable.
"Harry," he heard from behind him and shut his eyes.
"Dad," Harry mumbled as his father came to stand at the railing beside him.
"I didn't mean to offend you," the older man started. "I just – it's politically the logical move."
"Is this the only time you can talk to me?" Harry started. "When it's to discuss what is and isn't politically viable?"
"Of course not," his father responded, clearly uncomfortable.
"It's marriage." He turned to his father. "I've gotten used to everything being politics with you. And usually – I appreciate it, since we both know I am not politically savvy in the slightest. But," Harry paused, breathing in the cool fall air, "in marriage? That's the one place I assumed you would want more for me than was politically advantageous."
"I don't understand." James turned to him, pocketing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "You and Daphne have been together for ages! I'm not trying to arrange a marriage for you."
"You know why!" Harry was exasperated. His father knew – he was the only one, really, who was aware of the truth of his and Daphne's faux-relationship.
"Still?" his father asked, somewhat disheartened. "I had assumed by now – perhaps -"
"What? You thought we had grown to love each other or some other nonsense?" Harry guessed.
"Yes," his father said softly.
"Is that how it was for you and mom?" Harry asked, his eyes blinking to keep tears from forming.
"No."
"But you thought perhaps it would be that way for me?" Harry stated in a monotone.
"I just -" James swallowed purposefully. "She's your best friend. I figured – there are worse things in the world than marrying your best friend!"
"I've done everything you've asked! I've been – the model of a perfect politician. I even made Daphne publicly parade as my fiancée because I knew it made people more comfortable but – marriage?" Harry sighed. "Choosing who I marry – finding love if such a thing is possible in this day and age, is the one thing I want for myself. The one thing I don't want the public to take away."
James shook his head, "Where do you get this notion you will find love? That there is something more out there? Look at what you have! Why aren't you grateful?"
"I am!" Harry shouted. "I am grateful for everything I have but -" he shook his head, "where do you think I got the notion? From you and mom! And you're right – I don't know if I will ever find someone as amazing as Daphne out there but – I think it's worth it to wait and find out. And what about her? Should I take away her chance at something more, to make myself more electable?"
James' demeanor stayed flat. "There is so much at stake in this world, Harry, and you -" he paused, face betraying his inner turmoil for a brief moment before he continued, "for better or worse, you have a power that others do not."
Harry looked defeated and shook his head. "Sometimes, I look at you and I don't even recognize you." He headed inside, leaving his father outside alone in his thoughts.
"Harry." Daphne grabbed his arm, pulling him into a small serving kitchen off to the side.
"Daphne – I'm sorry," Harry started.
"No." Daphne shook her head. "We both knew this evening would be a disaster."
"I just want to go somewhere, get away from it all." He cracked his neck, the tension of the evening building up in his muscles.
Daphne smiled sadly. "Astoria wants to talk about something so I was going to stay here a while longer, but you should go – maybe put on a hat and a glamour and go out or something."
"Alone?" Harry looked at her pleading.
"Yes Harry. The good news is these days you are never alone. You always have a Corps officer following you around." She smiled at him. "You should go now – my father had some urgent business and has locked himself away in his study, and Astoria is changing into her after dinner outfit." Daphne rolled her eyes. "Go! I'll see you in the morning."
Daphne's smile dropped as Harry turned and headed out the door. She braced herself and started the trek up the stairs, making her way to her sister's childhood bedroom.
The image Daphne was treated to could have been a painting from a bygone era. Astoria's room was decorated in pinks with lace trimmings and paintings of luscious landscapes; a large four poster bed lay in the center, decorative pillows strewn about. Astoria herself sat at a vanity to the left, delicately brushing her hair bit by bit in what appeared to be an elegant night dress.
"Astoria," Daphne stated as she knocked on the open door.
"Daphne!" Astoria's eyes lit up and Daphne felt her judgment soften. For all that she may mock her sister, there was a bond between them. Astoria rushed to close the door, intriguing Daphne further.
"What is it?" Daphne asked.
"Remember the day of the, you know," Astoria gave her a pointed look before whispering, "bombing."
"Yes?" Daphne responded, feeling suddenly nervous.
"I called you but you had to go because – obviously." Astoria waved her hands excessively. Daphne nodded, recalling her sister's timely call as the only reason she was not in Harry's office at the time.
"There's something I have to tell you." Astoria looked worried and Daphne just wished she would get on with it!
"Just spit it out Tori!"
"I'm engaged!" she said quickly.
"Oh." Daphne recoiled. "That's not a bad thing is it?"
"Oh Daph – you don't understand!" Astoria grabbed her sister's hands and dramatically dragged her down to the bed, and whispered, "Father wants me to marry a Death Eater!"
Daphne paled, eyes wide, "What?"
"SHH! Quiet down!" Astoria placed her hand over Daphne's mouth. "Father told me specifically not to tell you."
"I don't understand." Daphne shook her head.
"I'm not sure how, but our father has stayed in communication with some of the Death Eaters. Apparently, if I formally request to join the Death Eaters, I can apparate there from the London apparation zone," Astoria told her.
"It's not the logistics I want to understand. It's – why would he do this?" Daphne was searching her mind for a reasonable explanation. She knew her father was sympathetic to the old ways, but he was far too practical to believe in someone like Voldemort. That kook had divided their people! As far as Daphne was aware, giving them their land was the best decision the WEA ever made. The wizarding world was finally progressing!
"He wants our line to continue," Astoria started to explain.
"What? And he thinks Voldemort will solve the birth rate issue before we do?" Daphne drawled.
Astoria winced at the name but nodded, "Yes – they've convinced father that they know what the problem is and have already begun the process of fixing it."
"Well?" Daphne asked, "Did they say what the problem was?"
"No," Astoria confirmed, "but they assured father that it is well in hand!"
"And he BELIEVED THEM?" Daphne shouted, earning another 'shhhh' from her sister.
"Daphne." Astoria was quiet.
"Tori." Daphne smiled softly at her baby sister. "Is this what you want?"
"I want to get married," Astoria confirmed, looking down at her hands as she nervously pulled at her fingers, "and I want to have children. But," she paused, looking up, "I don't want to go there – I just... What if it's horrible? What if I'm stuck there forever? What if I never see you again?" Her eyes were watering and Daphne's heart broke just a little bit.
"What did you tell father?" Daphne asked, though in her heart she already knew the answer.
"I told him I trusted his judgment."
"When?" Daphne immediately followed up. "When do you leave?"
"I leave in two weeks," Astoria confirmed. "That's the real reason I came back – why I'm here. To set my affairs in order."
"You're not even going to finish your studies?" Daphne asked.
Astoria shook her head. "No – apparently there's no need for healers and, if there were, I don't think they would trust one trained from the outside."
"I'm so sorry, Tori." Daphne hugged her sister.
"Well," Astoria wiped her eyes, "I'm going to assume everything will work out. I'll get there and my husband will be handsome and kind, and the Dark Lord will have solved our birth rate issues." She reverted back to her ever-chipper self.
"Of course you will," Daphne encouraged.
"Just promise me one thing?" Astoria waited until Daphne nodded before she continued, "Don't take Harry for granted. I know you may not feel a certain way towards him-"
"No, Tor-"
"Stop! I know you," Astoria interrupted, "but what you two have – even if it's not romantic – is special. It's something I've never had. Just don't lose it."
"I won't." Daphne whispered the promise to her sister, wondering just how everything became such a mess.
A/N: Thank you as always to my beta ElizColl. Appreciate any comments/feedback.