Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns it all; I am just playing in her sandbox.
A/N 1) – Now beta'd by CasketFan5 – who is trying to make me look good, I hope he has succeeded.
A/N 2) – Just a heads up that Daphne's story may be a bit confronting for some people, I have tried not to be too graphic and left most of it, the worst parts to your imagination. However, for the record, it's based on something that happened to an ex-girlfriend of mine, from my university days, many years ago.
A large part of my Daphne is based on her, and I still think about her sometimes, even though I've been happily married to an amazing woman for a long time now.
She told me about this time in her life after we had been together for about six months, during a drunken afternoon. It took me six weeks to put the pieces together after that day and even though most of it had occurred seven years prior, it was still a vivid part of her.
The scenarios, plus Daphne, Tracey, Astoria & Cassandra's actions have been shifted to fit this story but what happens between those four characters (including the part about the cousin, but that's another story) at the end of last chapter and the start of this one is a fairly accurate reflection of the real events.
I found it very hard to write so, if my Ex is reading this, (not that she is a FF type of girl) then I hope I haven't opened any of your scars, to you the readers I hope that you are still with me after this, I will be interested to hear your thoughts.
- AFW -
Tracey pushed him outside. 'Umm... what just happened,' he asked shaking his head.
Tracey sighed 'That was me doing something I should have done a long time ago. I should have pushed her more when I knew she wasn't dealing with it, but even after all this time she won't admit there is a problem.' She frowned. 'Actually what I should have done was tell Aunt Cass.' She tilted her head, 'Stay here, I'll be back in a minute, and if you're not here when I get back I will hunt you down and hex you Harry Potter, so just stay here... okay.'
Harry looked at her, puzzled. 'I'm sorry, I don't understand.' He had the feeling that she wasn't exactly talking to him.
'Don't worry about it Harry, this isn't your fault, just stay here, I'll be back in a minute.' She patted his arm and stepped back into the hospital wing.
Harry just watched blinking, trying to work out what the hell just happened. 'Girls,' he said to himself, 'they're bloody confusing.'
- AFW -
'Daphne, what was Tracey talking about?' Her mother watched her like a hawk, studying her face.
'It was nothing to worry about mum, I've got it under control.' Daphne looked away, trying to keep her emotions in check; she never thought that Tracey would abandon her. Tracey had been as angry as she had ever seen her, 'bloody Potter's fault' she was sure of it.
'Didn't look like nothing to me,' Astoria muttered.
'Shut up, Tori,' Daphne snapped at her sister, she always had to poke when Daphne was at her worst.
'Tori please leave us, I think I need to have a private conversation with my eldest daughter,' Cassandra's eyes narrowed still watching Daphne.
'Fine, I never get to stay for any important stuff,' huffed Astoria, blowing a loose piece of hair from her face. She turned to leave, but was knocked over by Tracey barging back in.
'Tracey...' Daphne reached for her best friend.
'Still not your turn to talk Daph,' Tracey voice was low and tight 'you have until lunch to tell Aunt Cass what really happened or I will. I don't care if you never talk to me again but I will get you help, even if it costs me my best friend.'
'It's not like it hasn't already...,' she muttered under her breath. 'Come on Tori, you don't need to hear this,' Tracey helped Astoria from the ground, turned and pushed her out of the curtains. 'Come find me when you need us Aunt Cass.'
- AFW -
Astoria stumbled out of the hospital ward doors, 'okay... okay Trace, I'm going no need to push me,' she grumbled. 'Gods, it's not like mum would have let me stay anyway.'
'Sorry Tori, but you really don't need to know what's going on until Daphne is ready to tell you. She's going to have a hard enough time talking to your mum,' Tracey looked back over her shoulder at the wooden doors. 'Gods... I hope I've done the right thing,' she gnawed at her bottom lip.
'Are you two alright?' Harry asked pushing himself away from the wall he was leaning on, looking at them intently.
'We're fine Harry, come on we need to have that talk,' replied Tracey as she latched back on to his arm. 'Are you going to be alright on your own for a while, Tori?'
'Another conversation that I am not invited to I guess,' Astoria sighed. 'Yes I'll be fine, flutter off and do whatever, and leave me by myself.' She pouted, 'it's not like any like I have anything valuable to offer to any conversation anyway.'
'Don't be like that, you're too young Tori; trust me you don't need to know this stuff yet.'
'That's hippogriff shit Trace, and you know it. You know what I did to stop the rest of our house causing trouble in the dungeons. Me, Aiofe, Aidyn, Quinn, Tobias, Zane and the younger years held our door. She paused lowering her voice 'and when the fighting sounded like it had stopped, Aidyn went to find you guys to make sure you were ok, because we could only spare one of us, and look what happened to him, he died trying to get help for you all, him and Maddy.'
'Don't tell me I'm too young Trace, I'm sixteen years old and in the last week, I've lost a cousin, because of a decision I helped make and nearly lost my sister. I'm not stupid, I know something happened to Daph and she hasn't been the same since.' She straightened her shoulders, 'so you two run off and talk about whatever, and when you think I deserve to know, so that I can help my sister, you let me know.' With that parting shot, Astoria turned and walked away.
Tracey stood gobsmacked, staring after Astoria's retreating form,
'Umm..., should we go after her?' Harry asked looking at Tracey as still trying to work out what the hell had happened this morning. He had barely been awake thirty minutes and already he'd been involved in three arguments, which had to be some sort of record.
'Err..., probably, but Astoria is good at holding a grudge and is bloody handy with her wand, a bit like Daph actually,' Tracey's voice was tentative, 'I think we should probably let her cool down and then talk to her.' Nodding 'Yeah... that's what we should do,' she added with more conviction.
'Okay, so then what's so important, that you argue with your best friend, drag me out of the room, and then argue with her sister?' Harry asked finally finding some humour in the situation.
Tracey cocked an eyebrow, 'Oh so it's funny is it, Potter,' a smirk appearing on her face. 'We can't talk here, so take us somewhere, where we can ensure that we aren't overheard.' She looked at him with searching eyes. 'Not to bring the mood down again, but how long before you have to go and hold Daph's hand again, and how long do you think you can hold out for?'
He clicked his teeth, 'probably an hour before I can start to feel the pull again and I could hold out at least a couple of hours after that if I have to.' He studied her face, 'why?'
'Because Daph's pain threshold is abysmal and if what you told me is correct, even with the potions she is on, by the first hour after she feels the pull, she is going to be begging you to come and hold her hand.' She watched him closely 'but you're not going anywhere near her until at least an hour after that.'
'I thought you are her friend,' blanching at the prospect of causing someone else pain.
'I am, but you're not, at least not yet, and she needs to know that she can't just walk all over you,' she watched his eyes. 'She needs to know that this has cost you too Harry, and it will do her good to have to depend on you for a while at least until we can sort this out.'
Tracey dropped her eyes and sighed, 'She needs to know that there are good men out there Harry, apart from Blaise, her father and extended family, she needs to learn to trust again,' the last sentence was barely a whisper. 'Let's go Harry, we need to have that talk.'
- AFW -
'Daphne,' her mother's voice was calm but resolute, 'you have two options, one... you start talking now and tell me what Tracey is talking about, or two, I go and find Tracey and Harry, and I find out from her, what she is talking about. But make no mistake I'm going to find out, one way, or another.'
Daphne's answer was a hoarse whisper, 'please don't, you have no idea what you're asking.' She blinked back tears and curled herself into a ball, 'please... don't ask mum.'
Cassandra hopped on to the bed and pulled her daughter to her, 'it's going to be okay honey, you just need to let us help. We all love you and want the best for you,' her tone was soothing and gentle. 'But we can't help you honey, if you don't let us in.'
'I'm... I'm so ashamed mum, there's something wrong with me, and I just want it to go away, please don't ask me to tell you...' Daphne's voice trailed off, tears streamed down her cheeks as Cassandra held her.
'Baby girl, whatever it was, you know that your father and I will support you one hundred percent, it will be okay, you just have to let us in honey,' Cassandra kissed the top of her head. 'Why don't we get you a calming draught, and go from there, what do you think, hun?'
'You're not going to let this go... are you mum.'
'No honey, I'm not, Tracey wouldn't do something like this without cause, and just so you know, I don't think she is angry with you, more frustrated I think.' Cassandra kissed her hair again, 'I will go and get you that calming draught; will you be ok for a minute?'
Daphne gave a short nod, Cassandra kissed her temple and left the room to find Poppy.
- AFW -
Harry lead Tracey to a small classroom on the fifth floor, it had remained relatively untouched during the battle only a couple of windows facing the courtyard had been broken.
As soon as they were in and had closed the door, Tracey commenced throwing up privacy wards around the room. Harry sat on the desk and waited; once she was satisfied, she came and stood opposite him.
'Do you think you could conjure or transfigure us up some comfortable chairs, this is going to take a while,' she looked away from him, hugging herself, 'I just hope she forgives me for what I've done and what I am about to do.'
'We don't have to do this Tracey, don't throw your friendship away if you don't have to, I'm sure that we can work something out,' Harry wasn't sure what was going on still but he had figured out whatever it was it had changed Daphne's life.
Tracey looked at him searching his face for a sign of something that only she knew, 'If only that were true Harry. I know Daph better than anyone, I've seen her change from that girl I described to you over her hospital bed, a fun and loving girl into something cold and heartless.' She turned and walked away from him to the windows, 'You know, most of it's not actually her fault, but in her mind, everything has become twisted and skewed, and she blames herself for things that she is blameless for.'
She turned back to him, leaning against the windowsill, 'I won't tell you exactly what happened, or at least what I think happened, that is her story to tell, but what you need to know is that there are at least three separate incidents that started her issues, but I'm positive that more than that took place.
The first that I know of was when she was seven, the second and third incidents occurred in our fourth year...' She cocked her head back against the window, and I'm sure that there were at least a couple more either late fourth year, or early fifth,' She pushed herself off the windowsill, 'Can you make those chairs please Harry, I can't do this standing up.'
Harry quickly transfigured some desks into a couple of comfortable armchairs facing one another and sat down.
Tracey moved slowly to sit opposite him, 'Okay I guess we should start at the beginning.'
- AFW -
'Here honey drink this, it will help.' Cassandra passed her daughter the small calming draught, she didn't want her going to sleep just yet.
'We don't have to do this mum, I'm fine.' Daphne's voice was soft and held a faint hope that her mother would drop the subject.
'I'm sorry honey but I think we do, something is evidently wrong... but I've had an idea, you don't want to talk about it right?' Cassandra closed her eyes waiting for the inevitable answer.
'No, I don't,' Daphne's quiet answer echoed in her ears.
'Do you think you could let me see, can you show me, give me all the memories so that I can see for myself,' Cassandra watched her daughter's face as panic set in.
'No... please no, I don't want to lose you, you won't love me anymore...' Daphne sobbed her eyes pleading. 'Please don't.'
Cassandra captured her in a hug and murmured in her hair, 'Daphne, whatever it is I will always love you, you are my daughter and part of me. Now show me, my brave girl and let me help you.' Cassandra held her wand to Daphne's temple and waited.
Daphne sagged in defeat, closed her eyes and waited for her mother to pull the memories from her, 'how many are there honey,' her mum asked gently.
'Seven,' Daphne voice was flat, like she had given up the fight, 'please don't hate me mum.'
'Never' Cassandra extracted the memories into a vial. 'Trixie' she called when finished and a house elf arrived with a pop.
'Yes Mistress, how can Trixie help,' the elf asked solemnly.
'Can you get the family pensieve from Nathaniel's office, for me please?' Cassandra asked still hugging her daughter. 'It's going to be fine Daph, we will figure it out.'
Trixie popped back carrying, an ornate looking bowl on a tripod 'Madam, is there anything else Trixie can be doing for you?'
'No Trixie, thank you, I will call you when I need you.' The elf bowed and popped away. 'Daph, just try to rest, I'll be back soon,' and without waiting for an answer, she poured the memories into the pensieve and fell inside.'
- AFW -
Cassandra landed near her six or seven year old daughter, it was night, moonlight shone on Daphne's blonde hair. She looked around trying to get her bearings; Daphne was poised outside Nat's and her bedroom, the door was partially open and Daphne was peering inside, her eyes wide. Cassandra stepped up to the door to look at what had her daughter transfixed.
Inside, she could she herself, arms tied behind her back, blindfolded, her own underwear stuffed in her mouth and bent over the end of the bed, whilst her husband pounded into her from behind. 'Fuck, Fuck, Fuckity, Fuck,' she swore in her mind. Daphne had obviously woken from a bad dream and come to find them.
Nat smacked her arse, hard enough to leave a red hand print on her white flesh and it echoed around the room. She heard her own moan of pleasure and pain, 'You love that don't you, my dirty girl, you love it when I smack your arse and fuck you from behind,' as he smacked her arse again and drove himself violently into her. The memory faded as Daphne fled down the corridor, Cassandra sighed, fabulous, that was just the way a mother wanted her daughter to find out about sex.
The pensieve swirled, and Cassandra found herself on the Hogwarts Express, a fourteen-year-old Daphne was seated on the lap of a blonde boy about sixteen or seventeen, unmoving, three other boys of similar age in the cabin.
'You know you want to Daphne, just say it and I will unfreeze your body,' the boy smirked into her ear, 'you'll love it I promise.' He then winked to the boys opposite who grinned. Cassandra held her hand to her mouth and bit her fist, 'Oh Daphne, what did they do to you,' the memory shuddered, and Daphne nodded her head.
Cassandra cocked her head, 'That's not right, a pure memory doesn't shudder like that,' she said to herself. The memory drew her back and she watched, appalled as the boy violated her daughter with his hands, all whilst the three other boys watched. Daphne moaned, wantonly and her face flushed red, Cassandra could hear Tracey and Blaise's voices searching for her.
'I told you that you would love it,' Daphne nodded and the memory shuddered again. 'You're a dirty little girl, but you had better go my young dove, otherwise your little friends will be worried about you,' and he laughed as he pushed her outside. 'Don't worry though I'll find you again at school.'
Cassandra was fuming as Tracey and Blaise found her stumbling down the passageway, clothing all askew. She listened as they took her away, asking what had happened to her.
The pensieve swirled again, Cassandra now found herself in Hogwarts at the Yule Ball, Daphne was beautiful, in an ice blue single shoulder gown that gathered under her growing bust and flowed down to the floor.
'Hello my young dove, want to come and play again?' it was the same boy from the train, again the memory shuddered just before Daphne nodded.
Cassandra howled in fury, every memory was the same, she had seen enough, she was going to kill this little bastard, he had obviously been messing with Daphne's memories, she wasn't sure what was worse, watching the two boy's defile her daughter in this false memory or not knowing what really happened, but one way or another she would help her daughter.
