**A/N: This goes without saying, J.K. Rowling owns the whole Harry Potter world. I simply own the plot and all of its wonderful twists and turns. Please enjoy the new chapter.**
Daphne stepped out of the portrait about 5 minutes after she was meant to meet Harry. She had been running late because one of the younger students thought it would be funny to blow up the girl's lavatory. So, all the girls had to share time with the boys while theirs was repaired. "Sorry, Harry. A first year blew up the girl's lavatory. We had to take turns with the boys. It was a mess." She said softly, hoping he wasn't too upset.
Harry had felt hate at being in the dungeons as soon as he took his first steps into it. From dealing with the Bloody Baron's hatred for him to a couple of older Slytherin boys who tried to start a fight, it was a mess. The irritation showed on his face as well as in his voice, "Next time don't make me wait any longer than I have to in this Merlin forsaken snake's den," he said his eyes flashing with anger.
Daphne recoiled slightly at the tone of his voice, "What if we just met elsewhere in castle?" she suggested to avoid conflict with him. She didn't want to make him more upset than he already was.
Harry nodded, his irritations seeming to dissolve somewhat. He turned and started off in the direction of the Great Hall.
"So, breakfast, then off to Hogsmeade to meet with Daddy?" She asked him as she looked up from her feet. She'd spoken to her father the night before, but he wanted to speak to Harry before he gave a definitive answer.
"That's fine," He replied shortly as he was still irritated and now he felt unsure about how a visit with Daphne's father could go.
She smiled simply. "Thank you Harry. I'm sure he's just being protective of me. Everything will be okay." She said squeezing his hand gently.
He nodded once more and placed his hand on the back of her neck, and pulled her into a rough kiss. He broke the kiss almost as swiftly as he started it. It was a reminder of who remained in control. They walked in to the Great Hall, and she squeezed his hand, then let go to head to the Slytherin table. Harry sat alone at the end of Gryffindor table as usual. He watched her with annoyance etched all over his face.
She sat down and then remembered she didn't have to eat there since it was Saturday. She got up and went straight over to Gryffindor table. "Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry. I forgot it was Saturday."
Harry sat in silence through their breakfast and hardly glanced at her. They finished eating and walked straight to the Three Broomsticks, where her father would be waiting for them.
"Harry, I really am sorry I didn't mean to sit at the Slytherin table." Daphne said timidly.
"What have I told you about your words?" he asked in a hushed tone laced with venom.
"They won't work." she said cringing at his tone, her eyes never leaving the ground.
"I am glad you understand." Harry said grabbing her tightly by the arm stopping her in her tracks. "We'll talk about this later, for now let's focus on meeting your father, understand?"
"Of course Harry," she said softly fighting the urge to pull her arm from his grip. Harry nodded once more at her words and released her arm. They turned and continued their walk. When they arrived at the Three Broomsticks, Harry opened the door and allowed Daphne to walk in ahead of him.
Daphne's face lit up with a brilliant smile when she saw her father. It completely hid the distress from her and Harry's argument. "Daddy!" She said excitedly. She hugged him then introduced Harry. "Daddy, this is Harry Potter."
"Pleasure's all mine, Mr. Potter." Mr. Greengrass said as he extended a hand to Harry with a calculated smile on his face.
"Pleasure to meet you." He replied with a confident smile on his face as he shook his hand. He effectively hid his anxiety, after all, he was meeting his girlfriend's father for the first time.
"Come, sit, both of you." He said to them gesturing to the table he'd been sitting at. Daphne slid in and patted the seat next to her.
"So, Daddy, what is it you wanted to meet with us about?" She asked quite bluntly.
"I received your letter a few days ago, and what you wrote in it about Harry's relatives was distressing to say the least. I wanted to inform you that I have no intentions of allowing young Harry to return to his Aunt and Uncle's home. If you are amenable, would you like to join us over the summer? However, I'd like to ask him what his intentions are towards you."
"I'd love too. It's better than being stuck on Privet Drive, anything would be." He replied sheepishly.
"Well then Harry, what do you have to say about your intentions toward my daughter?" He asked.
"She is my girlfriend, I plan to keep it that way for as long as she will have me. But, sir, I assure you that I will not all her to come to harm. As long as I can help it." Harry replied firmly.
"That's good to hear." He said with a smile. "I shall see the two of you at the train station at the start of the summer then." He finished as he looked at his daughter.
"Yes Mister Greengrass." Harry stated simply. The three spoke of what was happening at the school with the tournament. Daphne gushed about how well Harry was doing. After a few hours, Mr. Greengrass bid them goodbye and left.
Daphne smiled at her father as he was leaving, then turned to Harry. She watched as her father exited the pub "Well, Harry. You were nervous for nothing." She chided with a smile and giggle.
"Yeah I guess so." He replied in a very testy tone as he drummed his fingers on the table.
She looked to him. "Are you alright Harry?" She asked curiously.
"Yeah I am fine." he replied as he took Daphne's hand and said, "Let's go somewhere."
She nodded and followed him, allowing him to lead her wherever we wanted to take her. He was so unreadable. She could never tell if he was angry or not and that worried her.
Harry brought Daphne towards a tree on a hill that overlooked the village as the sun hit its peak in the sky. He sat against the trunk of the tree in silence.
Daphne sat peacefully next to him. Her head on his leg. "I love you, Harry. Anything the matter?" She asked him.
"The last trial. Things just don't feel right, I feel like I am going into the lion's den alone." He stated softly.
"I understand, I can't imagine. I'm sorry this happened to you. But I believe you can survive this trial, then it will be over." She said as she looked up at him a sweet smile on her face.
Harry chuckled softly as he looked at her and ran his hand through her blonde hair as he said in a soft tone of voice "Do you know how much I love you?"
She smiled brightly, and looked up at him. "Will you tell me again?" She said with a small giggle.
"I love you Daphne Greengrass." Harry said as he kissed her lips softly.
She kissed him back, whimpering softly into his lips. "I love you too, Harry Potter." She said with an elegant smile.
He held her in his arms as they enjoyed the view of the village. the final trial couldn't be too bad right? How could it?
She leaned her head on his shoulder gently as she closed her eyes and relaxed.
Hermione walked quietly through the night to meet Draco. She was happy to be see him for the first time that week. He'd been with his father every night. It was such a lonely week since she'd only see him in passing. She walked into the classroom that was theirs.
Draco sat in the desk chair, in silence, as he drummed his fingers on the desk with concern. His aunt was planning something for the final trial but what could it be? He was so distracted that he didn't see or hear his girlfriend enter.
She saw him and realized he was so lost in thought, that he didn't even glance her way when she closed the door behind her. "Draco? What has you so distracted?" She asked walking toward him quickly.
"My aunt's plans. She's planning something, I know it has something to do with the final trial, but I don't know how." Draco said softly
She sat on the desk directly in front of him. "What exactly did you find out while you were home?" She asked.
"I was able to listen in on my father's conversations with a few Pure-Bloods about a plan to regain their former glory soon. I heard something about them bringing him back." He replied.
"They're planning to bring him back! That night?! Like the biggest and scariest night of Harry's life?!" She exclaimed, "but how?" She asked, more as food for thought later, than an actual question, knowing neither of them had the answer.
''I have spent days looking for spells and rituals about resurrection, but I haven't found anything." He replied as he dropped his head onto the her leg in frustration.
"I think we need the restricted section, Draco. Your father probably has that particular tome under lock and key right now. Maybe we'll find something here at Hogwarts." She said anxiously.
"Yes, but I don't know how to get in, let alone without getting caught by the professors or Merlin-forbid, Filch" Draco replied.
She smiled, "I'll handle that part. You just plan on meeting me at the library at midnight tomorrow night." She said as she kissed him.
"Okay, I trust you Hermione." Draco said a weak smile on his face. "By the way, your occlumency must be doing well."
"Why's that?" she questioned with a confused look on her face.
"Because, Snape was praising my ability to torment you to my father this week." he said with a genuine smile.
Hermione giggled, "Every time I feel him pushing to get in, I imagine you hurting me in different ways. I allow them to be good and violent too," she told him with a devious grin.
"Have I ever told you how brilliant you are? What they say about you being the brightest witch of your age doesn't even begin to cover what I see before me." Draco said with a loving smile.
Hermione smiled widely as her face blushed. She loved when he complimented her. He stood from his chair and stepped between her legs. He leaned in closer to her until his lips touched hers, "I love you," he whispered against her lips before he kissed her deeply.
Draco sighed as he checked the moon's position in the sky as he waited nervously for his girlfriend.
Hermione came up behind Draco and flung Harry's invisibility cloak over his head placing her hand over his mouth. "Hello, my love" she whispered in his ear.
"How did you get a bleeding invisibility cloak?!" he asked as quietly as possibly
She turned him around to face him, a devilishly sweet grin on her face. "Harry got it for Christmas first year. I simply told him I needed to look in the restricted section to find something that may possibly help during the final trial, and he practically threw it at me. I didn't even need to elaborate." She said smiling.
"That's very Slytherin of you. I think I love you alot more for it." he replied as her devious plan made her even more desirable in his eyes
She smiled brilliantly as she gently pushed him against the wall and kissed him teasingly. "I love you too." She said as she quietly unlocked the library door.
He smiled as he followed her into the library. He placed his hand on her shoulder as they kept walking towards the Restricted Section.
They reached the Restricted Section, and she looked around to ensure that they were still alone and once again she quietly unlocked the door. She then took the cloak of them. "Any sign of movement and we get right back under this, okay?" She whispered to him.
"Okay," Draco replied as he immediately began to search the bookshelves to find anything that could help prevent his aunt's plan.
She followed his lead and searched the shelves as well. About an hour later, Hermione pulled a book from the shelf with excitement. Then fervently thumbed through the delicate pages of the thick tome, stopping suddenly. "Aha!" She shouted in a hushed tone.
Draco looked at the lioness with confusion as he whispered with a eyebrow raised, "What did you find?"
She slid the book over and pointed out the section she was reading on a Resurrection Potion. "I don't think he was ever dead like previously thought. Otherwise how would they be facilitating a plan such as this." She stated quietly.
"So what, my aunt is planning to use a Resurrection Potion?" he asked with a eyebrow raised, suspicious about this idea, but he knew it could really be plausible.
Hermione looked at him unsure that this was the plan, but knew it was the best they had found at this point. "Draco it's the best we've got. But what I can't figure out is why they would need Harry for this to work, and how are they going to get him?" She ask thinking out loud.
"Well it says that it must have the blood of an enemy. Harry definitely falls in that category for He Who Must Not Be Named." Draco mused.
"I think they will try to guide Harry towards them using the trial." he replied as he reread portions of the text.
"Yes but how?" she paused, thinking about the final trial,"Wait, the trophy cup!" She said looking at him. "What if they turned it into a portkey?"
"Well that would kinda be insane because Harry is in third place in the rankings and the only way he would have his hand on the cup would be if it was the prize at the end of the final trial. Plus a lot of people have access to the cup as well so they would've been transported. It's too much of a risk to their plan." He replied simply.
"I'm sure the spell won't be placed on it until it's placed at the center of the labyrinth. I mean it makes a lot of sense though, right?" She asked.
"This is the only thing we have to go on do we?" Draco asked with a sigh as he frowned and said, "Of course it is."
She leaned over and kissed him. "We can figure this out," she said softly. "I love you."
"Can we at least get back to the classroom before figuring it out?" He said softly as his cheeks blushed.
She nodded softly, and waved her wand, casting a quiet spell to copy the pages with the Resurrection Potion, then she closed the book and placed it back on the shelf and flung the cloak back over them.
Draco sighed as they made their way to the classroom. He wasn't sure how his aunt's plan was going to work. And he wasn't sure if Hermione was correct in her hypothesis about the potion.
As they entered the classroom she pulled the cloak off them and draped it over the back of a chair. She turned to look at him. "I love you" she said again, with a devilish grin.
"I love you too." He replied as with a soft tired smile as he sat down in a chair.
She sat gently on his lap wanting to comfort him but not sure what she could say that would. So, she simply wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Everything will be okay, love. I'm not sure when or how, but it will be." She whispered into his neck.
"Maybe" he replied softly as he held her in his arms and kissed her softly.
She wrapped her arms gently around his neck, looking deep into his eyes. "I love you more than anything, Draco Malfoy. I hope that you know that." She said softly.
"I love you too." He replied as he wrapped his arms around her softly before kissing her cheek.
She nuzzled her face into his neck, kissing it lightly, the brilliant smile evident on her face even though he couldn't see it.