A/N 1) –Thank you all for your continued support, and thanks to my Beta CaskettFan5, who is making me a better writer, check-out his story Harry Potter and the Unexpected Friend it's a great read.

A/N 2) – To help with ease of reading most thoughts are in 'Italics', I hope that this helps differentiate talking and thinking.

A/N 3) – Recommended Reading, Azenor Sage is a writer I stumbled upon completely by accident but oh what an accident it was, if you are looking for a writer who is capable of taking you from the lowest lows to the highest highs in a single chapter Azenor is the writer for you. Her Renewal series is potentially one of the best I have read and her world building is second to none, it's a slow burn and still a work in progress but check out her stuff for yourself, I am sure that you will love it. Also make sure you check out her other series the Malfoy Curse and the Malfoy Defiance (I love her Lyra character in defiance).

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns it all; I am just playing in her sandbox and just maybe I am getting better at it, tragically I don't own anything of it except maybe Daphne, but then she probably owns me.

Harry found himself waking to the unusual feeling that his body was being weighed down; not uncomfortably so but still there was a distinct weight on him that he just assumed was Daphne. Trying not to think about it too much, he attempted to will himself back to sleep.

Sometime later he conceded, whilst he still hadn't opened his eyes, he already knew that any further sleep would be elusive, he grumbled to himself internally, not wanting to wake Daphne. For some reason she didn't seem to be the world's greatest morning person and he didn't want to give her a reason to have a bad start to the day.

He allowed himself a wry smile as he thought about the previous evening after dropping off a slightly irate but resigned Hermione to Madam Pomfrey and informing her that his bed was available if needed, he would arrange other accommodation if required.

Madam Pomfrey had taken all of one diagnostic spell to inform Harry that he would need that alternate accommodation. Harry found himself grinning as he waved nonchalantly to Hermione before grabbing Daphne's hand and walking out of the room.

He recalled them arriving back into Daphne's ward room before they stood there all awkward, looking at one another. His smile fell as he recalled the emotions that were warring within Daphne and he blurted out that 'maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.'

He could feel that Daphne was trying to be brave and maintain her composure and that he had been musing that he didn't want to force her into anything, when something must have changed in her thinking, but he couldn't tell what. She had drawn herself up slightly before telling him that she was going to freshen up in the bathroom and that he should do the same and then she was going to bed and that he was welcome to join her.

He didn't know why but he found that he had taken as long as he could doing the usual ablutions, brushing his teeth once the muggle way before using a mint breath freshening and cleaning charm just in case before deciding to take another shower. All in all it was half an hour before he returned to the ward room which was now cloaked in darkness.

He had tried to step softly to the side of the bed, thinking that he knew its dimensions, when he ran into its side with his leg. Cursing under his breath, he blinked as Daphne lit her wand with a weak but spotlight focused lumos spell.

'Where have you been,' she had asked in a peculiar voice, he couldn't see her very well in the small amount of light she provided against the darkness given that most of it was directed at him.

'Uh… umm the bathroom, sorry I took so long I felt like I needed a shower,' he stumbled over his words like a fourteen year old school boy asking a girl out for the first time, 'smooth Potter, real smooth,' he thought.

She gave him a look that he couldn't read in the low light before nodding, and giving him a, 'very well,' in a small voice, and rolling over so that she was facing away from him and on the edge of the bed, her wand still lit waiting for him to get in.

He remembered frowning to himself before noticing that the bed was about fifty percent larger, not knowing what to make of either of his latest observations; he shrugged and made his way around to what he now idly thought of as his side, took his shirt and pants off, but obviously leaving his boxers on, before climbing into the bed, making sure to keep to his half and not to inadvertently touch Daphne.

As soon as he had climbed in she extinguished the wand light and he lay there staring up into the darkness listening to the sound of Daphne's breathing. He closed his eyes trying to force himself to sleep before rolling on to his side facing away from Daphne, giving a short prayer to which ever gods were listening that this night didn't end in disaster.

He couldn't remember falling asleep, but obviously he had at some point. His mind had decided that he was awake now, so he might as well wake properly. He started taking stock of his body, there was still that feeling of weight on him so he opened his eyes, giving them a couple of blinks to clear away the sleep fog, only to be met with a mass of blonde hair. This in itself wasn't unusual, however the positioning of it was.

Usually Daphne's head rested on the crook of his left shoulder meaning that her hair was mostly on the left side, this morning however it was almost dead centre of his chest the top of her head almost touching his chin.

The next thing that he registered was that he was fairly sure that Daphne was topless, he could sense her breasts were sandwiched against his lower chest and there was definitely no cloth barrier between his and her flesh. Not knowing what to make of that he mentally moved on deciding to face that problem later. He could feel that her legs were positioned either side of his hips, with her knees forward.

Both his hands were holding her very high on her legs and he found that his arms had slid up her legs and under her shorts and were trapped by the now snug material. He froze any and all movement as he registered exactly where his fingers were; his fingers were in very dangerous territory and it was better to just leave his hands where they were, he gripped her legs tighter.

His change in grip must have woken Daphne as she started to move doing her usual impression of a cat with little swaying movement stretching her body as she woke up. He prayed hard that his hands didn't shift, gripping tighter whilst she went through her usual routine. However he knew exactly when she realised that she was in a completely different position to usual as she froze before swinging her face up and placing her chin on his chest to look him with sleep foggy eyes.

'Ummm, can you loosen your grip a little please Harry, I think you are starting to cut off the circulation to my legs.'

His eyes widened at that statement and he shook his head with a slightly panicked action; his tongue it seemed was glued to the roof of his mouth which now also felt very dry.

Daphne frowned at him, 'what's wrong with you Harry?' she asked confusion in her voice from her obviously still sleep addled brain.

Not knowing what else to do to he raised and tapped his two little fingers and felt her muscles clench as she registered the taps.

'Oh, I see, well, you're not touching anything interesting yet,' she said with an innocent but mocking expression as she relaxed on him, giving another teasing wriggle.

Harry felt his eyes bug out and his pulse begin to race a bit with anxiety, as she continued to lay there and watch him with those beautiful blue eyes.

'Just relax Harry, it isn't a big deal, it's no different to how we wake when I am holding you,' Daphne's voice was unusually calm but he could feel some confusion and now a little hurt coming from her through the bond.

'Fantastic,' he reasoned with himself, 'this was your idea and after your first night not only are you molesting the girl but your now playing with her emotions and hurting her,' he snarled at himself. He felt Daphne cringe slightly as he accidently tightened his grip, more hurt and anxiety flooded the bond causing him to become angrier with himself.

He licked his lips trying to generate some moisture in his mouth. 'Daphne this is nothing like those situations,' he started in a hesitating voice when he was interrupted.

'Harry James Potter you have some explaining to do, how dare you …' Hermione's voice trailed off and she made a sound like a mouse getting squashed by a boot, flushing red as she took in what looked like an obviously scandalous scene in front of her.

Harry sensed Daphne stiffen further and hide her face on his chest, whilst he groaned, 'brilliant just what he needed, like another hole in the head.' Shifting his head so that he could see her, 'Hermione this …' he stopped as he heard Hermione exclaim.

'You said you weren't going to go jumping in her bed Harry.' Hermione looked at him sharply, 'what else have you been lying to us about?' a tear rolled down her cheek, 'Are we even friends anymore Harry?' she asked before bolting out of the ward room.

'Hermione wait, goddamn it,' he yelled annoyed now that these rooms didn't really have doors, Daphne still wasn't moving, but he could feel hurt, frustration, embarrassment and self-loathing now rolling through the bond.

He levered himself with his shoulders managing to flip them over slightly to his left shoulder loosening the grip her shorts had on his arms allowing him to safely extricate his hands from her legs, before he exited the bed snatching up his shirt and his wand holster. As he took off out of the ward room he yelled a, 'I'm so sorry Daphne,' without looking back.

He exited the room trying to pull his t-shirt on just in time to almost collide with Cassandra and see Hermione disappear out of the hospital wing. With another quick call over his shoulder of, 'sorry Cassandra,' he was off and running after his best friend.

- AFW -

Cassandra frowned as she watched the boy leave in a dead sprint, chasing down the bushy haired witch who had almost collided with her as well. She knew that the girl was Hermione Granger, best friend to Harry; she had tried to say hello thinking to introduce herself formally to the girl, having only been haphazardly introduced to her by Harry as they sat around Daphne's bed. But the witch had hurried past her and Cassandra's greeting had been stopped before it even left her lips as she saw the obvious distress on the face of the girl.

Clearing her mind of the strange scene she decided to go and have a chat with Daphne, it had been two days since she had last been able to chat with her daughter alone and she jumped at the opportunity.

She had just stepped through the ward room when she halted; Daphne was topless and curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed, hurrying to the girl's side she reached for her daughter, only to have Daphne flinch away from her touch. 'Daphne?' she queried, voice soft.

Daphne peeked out from behind her hands, her eyes blood shot, face pale and streaked with tears, 'Oh mum,' she cried and suddenly Daphne was launching herself at her, pulling her into a desperate hug that pulled her half on to the bed.

She embraced her still crying daughter pulling her close and easing her way onto the bed. She shifted slowly moving Daphne's legs until they both straightened out, giving herself room until she was laying on her back with her distressed daughter sobbing into her neck, their bodies parallel Daphne half covering her.

Cassandra managed to get her wand in her hand and used it to get the bed clothes back over Daphne giving her some way to keep her modesty should someone else enter the room, all the while making calming noises and stroking her back.

As Daphne calmed down, Cassandra started to try and piece together what had happened between the three young adults this morning that would leave them all in evident states of distress. 'It's going to be okay honey, whatever has happened, I am sure it's all just a big misunderstanding,'

She tried her opening gambit hoping that her daughter would open up to her and talk.

Instead it only opened the flood gates once more, suppressing a sigh Cassandra again made soothing sounds and gestures trying to bring some level of comfort to her again noticeably distraught daughter.

After five minutes, her crying was no more than small sobs which wracked Daphne's body, so she tried again, 'just talk to me honey and I will do what I can to help.'

Daphne moved her head up and looked at her with despair filled and hollow eyes, eyes that she had seen only four days prior. Her heart skipped a beat and felt like it stopped and then started again when Daphne spoke.

'He rejected me.'

Deciding that her previous attempt at comfort was a failure, she opted instead to ask a simple question, 'how did he reject you honey?'

Daphne sniffed, shifting off her slightly before snuggling into her side clutching at her arm pulling it between her bare breasts, resting her forehead against Cassandra's shoulder. 'I woke … this morning … straddled across him … his hands were …' she started in a halting scarcely audible voice. 'His hands, both of them, they were up my pyjama legs, holding me near … so very near the top of my legs. All he had to do was reach out a bit further but he wouldn't, He … he wouldn't … and after those kisses the night before I dreamed about them all night … they haunted me … why wouldn't he … touch me like I have touched him,' she said in a voice that was so sad it almost tore Cassandra's heart out.

Cassandra barely managed not to flinch, that was not a statement that she had been expecting to hear from her daughter's mouth so soon after her breakdown, she was well aware that they were sleeping together or more accurately waking up together, she filed away the kissing comment for later.

Both Poppy and Tracey had informed her of the situation when it first occurred, but as far as she was aware there was nothing at all sexual going on. Poppy would have been aware of it through the wards if it had in theory, knowing she was going to regret it but not knowing what else to ask, she closed her eyes and queried, 'you wanted him to?'

'Yes … his hands were so close … the heat from them was impossible … my pulse was filling my ears and he was so close … so very close why would he just … I felt constricted, wound up like, my muscles had all tightened and … and … I don't know how to describe it mum, do you know what I mean?'

Daphne's voice was soft and held a quality to that Cassandra hadn't heard from her daughter before, her voice held a profound and wistful tone to it, tinged with a longing. A tone that she remembered in her sisters' voices when they had talked about their significant others early in their intimate relationships, it was not a quality that you could hear in your own voice.

'Can you tell me why,' she asked hoping it would engage Daphne in the conversation.

She heard her sigh and hesitate several times before starting, 'prior to this morning, I have been waking up holding his … well his … oh gods … you know his wand every morning for the past four mornings.' Daphne didn't look at her, just stared unseeing at her shoulder having adjusted her head further back on the pillow.

'The first morning it happened was the day after the first time he woke in my bed, I am sure that Tracey told you he had his hand under my pyjama top and was holding my left breast.'

Cassandra frowned slightly before plastering a neutral expression on her face encase Daphne saw it, she was going to have a small chat with her niece once she had sorted through this mess, it seemed she had been holding out on her.

Daphne continued in a halting voice, 'but what she may not have said … is that … I had my hand covering his … holding it there,' there was a pause but when she started again there was more strength to her voice. 'I don't know how long we had been in bed together, but I know Harry didn't start out there. It strange really but after that first night I know that I woke feeling rested and somewhat better for him having been there, you know what I mean mum?' Daphne looked back up at her with an earnest expression on her face.

'Yes baby girl I do,' she found it interesting that Daphne already equated Harry with security.

Daphne nodded before dropping her eyes back down to stare at her shoulder once more, the vacant but thoughtful look returning to her eyes. 'Well from that night on, at some point Harry would find his way to my bed, it was I am sure never conscious as I have seen him wake trying to understand how it was again that he ended up in this room.'

Cassandra nodded to herself having heard this information from a very confused Poppy, who couldn't understand what was happening. She had tried to intercept what she believed to be a sleep walking Harry twice, but both times after she had waited for him to leave his room he never did and she knew that he didn't wake through the evening as she had cast a sleep tracking charm on him that recorded his sleep patterns.

'Once I released his hand he gently pulled his hand out from under my top,' Cassandra felt Daphne shiver slightly and her voice was a little breathy, 'as he did his fingers brushed my skin down my ribs and over my belly, it felt like he was trailing fire over my skin. Does that make sense, mum?'

Cassandra nearly groaned, this was not the type of conversation that she wanted to be having with her eldest daughter this early in the morning without the help of alcohol, she wondered if it was too late to get Tracey or Astoria in to have this discussion with Daphne.

She nearly snorted to herself, well maybe not Tori; if she heard this, Nate would probably have to have the Longbottom Heir signing a betrothal contract within the week. 'I think I understand honey,' was all that she could muster as her response.

'Anyway, I could feel that he was deeply embarrassed that he had been holding me like that, and had Tracey not been there, I maybe would have tried to speak with him about it some more, but she was, so all I could do at the was try to calm him that he hadn't done anything wrong and that I was the one holding his hand there. He seemed to accept that after a few minutes of semi panic,' she said frowning as though trying to remember exactly.

She gave her head a small shake, 'anyway it was the same the next morning, however this time I was sprawled across Harry, he had a good handful of my behind … he wasn't squeezing just holding me firmly … almost protectively …' her voice was filled with a slight wonder.

Cassandra watched as Daphne shook her head to clear it and would have snorted at her if she was sure that it wouldn't ruin Daphne's ability to continue this conversation.

'But I had my hand down his shorts… holding him… if you know what I mean?'

So many ribald comments passed through her mind remembering the conversations that she had with her sisters and friends over moments of exploration during their time at Hogwarts. Knowing now wasn't the time she simply said, 'I do honey, you said this has happened on a few more occasions?'

Cassandra listened whilst her daughter spoke about the subsequent mornings waking up holding Harry's most intimate of body parts. She was so very impressed with the fact that the boy had at every opportunity calmed Daphne down, playing down the importance of what happened and ensuring that they had a continued good working relationship. She would have like to have seen memories but that would have been merely confirmation of what Daphne was disclosing.

'You said he kissed you last night honey, how did that come about if you don't mind me asking?' she had seen Daphne slowly calm down during the telling of her stories, and knew that this information might hold the key as to what had happened.

Daphne seemed a little shy at first but gradually with growing confidence she told Cassandra about the previous night, how Harry had left to see Poppy, how she couldn't seem to concentrate whilst he was away.

How that when he had come back he had asked two favours of her and that he had seemed so disappointed that he would have to find alternate accommodations if Granger had required his bed. She had been unable to stop herself laughing under her breath at that comment to which Daphne had smiled.

What shocked her most though wasn't how Daphne described kissing Harry in microscopic detail including how her pulse had been throbbing in places she hadn't felt before, and that subtle building of pressure, Cassandra was all too familiar with those feelings and desires. What had her mind tied in knots was the fact that Harry Potter had astounded her again.

She could understand Daphne's desire to kiss him on a purely physical level, the boy was as good looking as James had been with Lily's intense green eyes, she had only been two years ahead of Harry's parents but even she remembered the emotions that could be portrayed with those eyes.

No, what impressed her most was that the young man had protected her daughter from an attack again from a Death Eater intent on killing her. She had nearly missed the reference to the fight that had occurred near the Black Lake, when Daphne had all but glossed over it. She presumed that both Daphne and Astoria had expected the other to inform their parents and therefore neither had, but now wasn't the time to address that either.

She mused to herself, what witch wouldn't fall for the guy who had just so emphatically defended her life and then had done the most unexpected thing by gifting that witch with a means to protect herself, where previously she had none. And the way Harry had gifted Daphne with the use of his wand and holster, what he had said had all but made it impossible for Daphne not to feel an emotional attachment of some sort.

She found herself thinking that if her daughter was silly enough to let him slip through her fingers at some point then she would likely never find another man that would measure up to the man that Heir Potter was proving himself to be.

Bringing her thoughts under control she asked, 'what happened once you separated, after hearing the footsteps? Did he say or do anything?' Knowing that this would likely throw some light on what had caused the misunderstanding this morning, but she was convinced she already knew.

'Yes,' Daphne said frowning, 'it felt like he was going to start apologising for kissing me but I cut him off, telling him that, "If you say that you are sorry for that kiss, I am going to kill you, transfigure your body into a fish and feed you to the giant squid."'

Cassandra could not help but laugh at that, it was such a Daphne remark, the first that she had heard from her in what felt like a long time, finally bringing herself under control she motioned for her to carry on.

'He smirked at me mum, I mean really smirked at me,' Daphne said with another small smile appearing on her lips. And then he said, 'oh no, I am definitely not sorry for that kiss, before he said that he had no words to describe it.'

She gave Cassandra a quizzical look, 'then he frowned and added, "I just hope I didn't push you into something you didn't want to do, I know you have a lot to work through Daphne, I don't want to make it more complicated."'

Cassandra watched as comprehension dawned on her daughters face, 'he thought he was close to doing something I didn't want him to do … didn't he?'

'That would be my thought honey, I suspect that when he found himself in the position you described that he froze, and tried to do the honourable thing, something I don't think most boys would do if they were in that position.'

'I think he believed that he was protecting you, by controlling himself in that situation and by not wanting to add to your burdens, which is to be honest something that I admire him very much for right now.'

She continued her train of thought, not really wanting to give this advice to her daughter but knowing that she needed it. 'But now you know and when you find yourself in these types of positions in the future you need to think about why he is doing something in a specific way, because most likely given the man he is, the man he continues to prove himself to be, he will be doing it because he thinks he is protecting you, do you understand honey?'

Daphne nodded, her mind obviously now working at a mile a minute, 'oh no,' she squeaked. 'And then I went and turned my back on him when he came to bed, I was so angry with him for taking so long as I wanted a goodnight kiss or something not a whole lot of nothing.'

She nodded to herself, 'yes, I need to go find him and clarify this to him and maybe explain to him what I … you know like … ' she said after a few moments of contemplation, blushing as she finished the sentence, before moving as though to get out of bed.

'No Daphne, you don't,' Cassandra stopped her.

Daphne looked at her with non-comprehension, 'but you just said…'

'Honey it just took me forty minutes to talk you through this, you're not the right person to talk Harry through it, he won't open up and talk to you about it, and he'll clam up. Especially if you try to talk about your physical desires, and then you will get frustrated and angry and this will blow up in your faces again.'

Daphne sighed and nodded before a worried expression appeared across her face, 'so who is the right person then mum? Because he doesn't have a whole heap of people left as far as I know and the only girl he would trust, just ran out of here like a frightened rabbit, after accusing him of lying to her.'

'I know and as much as I am loath to say this,' she heaved a sigh, 'I think the logical person to do this is me.'

Daphne gaped at her, 'you cannot be serious; you can't go and talk to my boyfriend about stuff like this! Or tell him what I wanted him to do to me!'

Cassandra worked hard not to smirk at the boyfriend comment but allowed that to pass, 'Then who else would you suggest, your father could do it as a senior member of one of his now allied houses, in theory it should be someone like him, but as you just pointed out he doesn't have many options at the moment.'

Daphne paled at that suggestion, giving a frantic shake of her head, so Cassandra moved on. 'Heir Longbottom could do it I suppose, but we both know he isn't equipped to discuss this and that Tori would invite herself to the conversation and that would just embarrass you more.'

Daphne again shook her head, as Cassandra continued. 'Tori could do it on her own and would probably do a good job of it depending on her own experiences but she would embarrass the boy so much that he would never look you in the face again. Susan could work but I don't think she and Harry have that type of relationship, Tracey would require her to be here but she is at home still after your fight the other day.'

Daphne looked at her puzzled before blurting out 'what fight, we didn't have a fight?'

Cassandra just shrugged, 'she said that she had done something to you and Harry and wanted to wait a little while giving you both some room before she apologised to you guys, I just assumed you had had a fight.' Cassandra shrugged, 'anyway she isn't here and can't do it, maybe Poppy could do it if we gave her the background.'

Daphne shook her head once more, 'so that really just leaves me then doesn't it?' Cassandra said matter-of-factly. 'Trust me Honey I am not looking forward to discussing my eldest daughter's relationship with a teenage boy that is within that liaison.'

She gave Daphne a soothing smile, 'even one that is as obviously respectful as Harry, this will not be an easy conversation and I am not sure where to start with regards to idea that it is okay for him to touch my teenage daughter in intimate places if she wants him to.'

Daphne groaned and buried her face, before asking something that Cassandra couldn't hear due to the pillow, 'if you are going to talk to me, please do it so that I can hear.'

Daphne turned her head enough so that she could see Cassandra with one eye, a heavy blush marring her cheeks and neck, 'I said what are you going to teach or tell him?'

'Whatever he needs to know, but mostly I will talk him through what we have just discussed, what was happening from his perspective and how you were reading the situation and what as much as it pains me to say this, what he should do if you ask him to do certain stuff to you.'

Daphne let out another groan, 'this is so not happening!' before burying her face into the pillow again.

Cassandra pushed at her daughters shoulder to get her attention, 'before I go and talk to Harry, I need to know are you ready for this type of relationship?' She could feel the concern in her own voice, 'remember those memories are still there you haven't dealt with them yet. Slyvera has only suppressed them for the next month whilst we look for a solution, at some point even if we find something it's likely you will have to face them and overcome them.'

Daphne had a very sober look, 'I understand mum and yes I know, am I ready? I don't know, but if he was here right now in this bed, I would want to be as close as I can to him, to feel him through the bond, to protect him like he has protected me. I am scared because I don't know if this is me wanting this or if it's the bond or something else.'

Cassandra nodded as Daphne continued, 'he is a good man, I feel safe when I am with him, he has saved me three times now and protected me every time to his own detriment, and that kiss mum … gods that kiss, it's like he has lit a fire in my blood and my brain.'

Daphne had a faraway look in her eyes as she continued to talk, 'I want more … no that's not right, I crave more but at the same time I just want him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that it's okay.'

Cassandra found herself contemplating Daphne's unseeing eyes, her pupils had dilated slightly, evidently seeing something that only she could see.

'It's Harry's magic that drowns out the other voice in my head and when he wraps his arms around me and tells me that no one else will touch me whilst he is around, I believe him and nothing else in the world at that time matters … does any of that make sense?' Daphne asked as she finally focused on Cassandra

'It makes perfect sense my darling girl, I just needed to be sure that's all,' Cassandra's own voice was slightly thick with emotion.

- AFW -

'Trixie,' Cassandra called as she exited Daphne's ward room waiting for the little elf to pop in to see her.

'Mistress be calling Trixie?' the little elf said moments after she had appeared.

'Yes thank you Trixie, could you please find the Heir Potter and tell me where he is,' she asked fully expecting the little elf to pop away for a few minutes before coming back with the answer. Instead Trixie merely closed her eyes before opening them again moments later.

'Miss Daphne's Young Master be sitting just outside the ward, will there be anything else Mistress?' the elf asked with a hopeful expression.

Cassandra tilted her head, trying to understand what just happened, she had seen the house elf ability to almost instantly know where members of its family were located but never had she seen this ability shown on someone outside the immediate family that the house elf served.

'Err Trixie, how did you know where the Heir Potter was located?'

The elf looked pensive for several moments before answering, 'well Miss Daphne and her Young Masters magics be mixing like we's be told of old times, Young Miss has much of Young Masters magic, however Young Master be only singing with a little of Young Miss's magics, but more comes each day until they can sing together,' she finished with a firm nod.

Cassandra blinked at the elf, before asking in a confused voice, 'Are you saying what is happening to Daphne and Harry has happened before?'

'Of course Mistress, once it was the way of things but now it is virtually no more in the world of Masters and Mistresses, only little bit of Master and Mistresses magics be mixing on the top, painting only small section of each other's surface, we's be thinking this very sad,' Trixie said with a lonely look on her face.

'Why is it sad Trixie?'

'Sharing of magic be's of deepest importance to us when mating, it is of healing, obligation, a vow, promise to mate until the long sleep, a oneness, wholeness…' the elf looked a bit upset at not being able to convey her thoughts. 'Trixie not have the words' Trixie said solemnly heavy emotion evident in her large eyes.

'You did very well Trixie,' Cassandra praised the elf. 'Did Masters and Mistresses share magic like this?' Cassandra asked amazed that she hadn't heard of anything like this before.

'Oh yes Mistress, the stories tell us this,' the elf nodded enthusiastically.

'When was the last time that a Master and Mistress did this?'

'Trixie be only young elf, she be's asking and be's back soon,' the elf said before popping away.

Cassandra's head was spinning; this was an aspect of magic she had not encountered before, she was a pure blood married to a pure blood and she could not recall in anything that she had heard or read where this type of magic was discussed.

The house elf popped back in a few minutes later to where Cassandra was waiting, 'Trixie has a not very good answer, but does not be knowing who else to asks.'

'That's fine Trixie, just tell me what you can,' Cassandra said in a soothing voice, any information at this stage was more than she had to start with.

Hokey & Kreacher both be saying, Masters and Mistresses not be's bonding since before at least twelve servings of their fathers and mothers maybe little more maybe little less.'

'How long does a house elf serve for Trixie?' Cassandra asked aware that she was ignorant with regards to this information.

'A good houses elf can be serving for at least six hundred changing of the seasons Mistress, some more some less. Bond and strength come from the family, as does many things,' Trixie's sad eyes had returned.

Cassandra did some quick mental arithmetic 'that's approximately one hundred and fifty years, per elf times by twelve generations, some eighteen hundred years give or take. Sometime during the occupation of the Romans, a time of great upheaval and loss of culture in what was known as the purge of magical Britain,' she thought.

Not wanting to distress the little elf any further, Cassandra said 'that was most informative, remind me to continue this conversation again soon please and that will be all, thank you for your service Trixie,'

Once the little elf had popped away, she turned and moved towards the Hospital Ward doors. Harry was sitting on one of the benches that looked out a window, she continued moving until she was alongside him before she sat down a little further along the bench observing him.

The most obvious thing was that he looked once more like the weight of the world sat on his shoulders, she had seen that look on the first day in the hospital when he had apologised numerous times for potentially ruining Daphne's life.

A look that had made Cassandra's heart lurch in her chest and had made her promise that she and her family would try to do right by the boy that had saved their daughter.

'What's wrong Harry?' she asked hoping that he might give her an indication as to what was weighing on his thoughts so heavily.

He swung his head to look at her face his eyes haunted again, 'I lost her, she wouldn't stop and then she apparated away and I couldn't follow her,' he answered morosely.

'Because of the tether? Did you know where she was going?' Cassandra asked taking the opening he offered.

'Yes I didn't know what would happen if I tried to apparate …' He looked at her with immensely sad eyes. 'I am fairly sure that I know where she was headed,' he paused for a moment. 'I didn't want this you know,' Harry said turning to look out the window once more.

'To be tethered to my daughter you mean?' she prodded him after it became apparent that he wasn't going to say anything further.

'Yes that too, but no I meant any of it … all I wanted to be was normal, just to be an average person living a good but not extraordinary life. When I entered this world people shook my hand thanking me for something that I didn't even know that I had done.'

Cassandra was about to speak when he continued.

'I haven't had a normal or quiet year since I re-entered the magical world, some days I wonder if all the pain and suffering is worth it you know?' Harry asked.

'No, not really Harry, but you said the same thing the other day in the hospital ward,' she continued to study the boy. 'This is the only world I really know but the little that I do know about the muggle world is that it too has its own versions of the same issues you are talking about. There is pain and suffering in all worlds, it is how we deal with that pain and suffering that makes our lives what they are … and for most people their struggles are small, not earth shattering and life altering.'

She turned her gaze to the view out the window as well, 'I have lost all my immediate family except my husband and two daughters, my life has had many ups and downs, but it is how we emerge from our trials that marks us for who we really are,' she paused momentarily considering her next words as he seemed content to wait.

'Do you know who I see when I look at you Harry?' she asked finally, committing to what was surely going to be one of the most uncomfortable conversations she would ever have in her life.

'No, but I can't really say I have given it much thought as most people just see who they want to see when they look at me, they never see the real me, except for Hermione and maybe a few others, but most of them are dead. But I guess I should know, who is it you see Cassandra?' his voice was stark, no emotion evident in it at all as he turned his cold green eyes upon her.

She gave him a soft smile, 'I see a boy who has carried expectation on his shoulders for too long, I see a young man who has never really known a mother's or father's love. I see a young man who has never really known a time of peace, whose face is etched with small lines that mark the warrior that he had to become. I see the survivor not of the killing curse but of life, the boy who has had task after task piled in front of him until he collapsed only to rise again and move forward once more.'

He was looking at her with some shock evident on his face, obviously not expecting her to say what she was as she continued, 'I see the man who has become so good at pushing away pain that he can move forward with injuries that would floor lesser wizards, I see the man who has never had the chance to fall in love, with a young girl and be swept away with his emotions, stealing kisses in broom cupboards or exploring his young love's body as she explores his.'

His face coloured at that, 'something you want to tell me Harry, maybe I am seeing you wrong?' she asked in a gently teasing tone.

His eyes widened at her comment, before he looked slightly panicked as he coughed out, 'ummm I don't think that would be an appropriate conversation for us to have,' he said starting to rise.

'Sit down Harry … please' she asked in a soft voice, 'we need to discuss this and unless I miss my guess the only other person that you could discuss sleeping in the same bed as my daughter, just apparated out of here.'

Harry froze half way between standing and sitting, 'Cassandra, I didn't … I haven't meant to … it's all just a misunderstanding,' he eventually stammered out, mortification clear on his face.

'Please sit Harry, I know that this is going to be awkward but who else can you talk to about this? You name me someone that I think is appropriate that you can go and see in the next half an hour and we can stop this conversation,' she sat back and waited for him to talk.

He looked at her like she had lost her mind, and inwardly she chuckled well maybe she had, she couldn't imagine trying to have this conversation with her father in-law if she was the one in Harry's shoes.

'Neville?' he asked in a hopeful voice.

She raised an eyebrow at him and he sighed defeated, 'I can't believe you want to talk about this with me, why aren't you hexing me or telling Nathaniel?' he asked looking away from her again with his cheeks stained red.

She chuckled at him, and he swung his head back to her, 'what would you like me to tell him Harry?' she asked waving her wand around them adding privacy charms to their alcove, she recognised that he would stay to have the conversation now, even though he didn't want to.

Harry looked at her, 'what has Daphne told you?' he asked eyeing her with a frown.

'How about this Harry, you talk to me about what has been happening at night and when you guys wake up and I will talk you through what is most likely going on in Daphne's head. Let me just preface this with for this conversation I am not Daphne's mother though okay, for this conversation I will act like I am yours,' she knew it was a mistake as soon as she said it so she reached out with her hand and rested it on his shoulder.

'I am not trying to replace your mum Harry, but you need someone experienced to talk about this stuff with, all I meant by that comment was that you can ask whatever you want and I will answer you to the best of my ability as though you were my son,' her voice hitched slightly, 'coming to me for advice about girls.'

She felt him relax slightly, 'both you and Daphne seemed to have missed out on your teenage years where you make mistakes with boys or girls in your case, your heart breaks, you kiss and make up, you learn how to talk to girls and how to be with them slowly.' He nodded so she continued, 'Daphne says that it is both of your magic's pushing you guys into bed at night and that you are both waking in shall we say delicate positions.'

'And at some point Harry we both know that you will wake in a position that you aren't equipped just yet to handle and that will hurt you and Daphne, which is what almost happened this morning correct?'

He nodded almost imperceptibly.

'The last thing I want is to see my daughter hurt, which is what happened this morning when you disappeared from Daphne's room chasing Miss Granger,' his face paled and his head snapped to stare at the ward door.

'Is she okay, should I go talk to her? I did not mean to hurt her! I was trying to protect her!' his voice worried.

'She is … okay now,' it was mostly the truth she conceded to herself, she knew she was hitting him with a marginally low blow but she needed him to be open to this conversation and playing with his emotions slightly was the easiest way to ensure that.

'I have talked to her about this same subject and I think she understands you a bit better after that conversation, but you also need to know why you hurt her this morning, do you know why?'

He shook his head, 'good at least you are honest with yourself and I need you to be honest with me during this talk as you need to know about what you are dealing with both from an emotional stand point and a physical one to.'

His eyes goggled at that last statement and she thought he might attempt to run, so quickly before he could she asked, 'so tell me about that first morning when you woke in Daphne's bed.'

- AFW -

'What happened this morning Harry?' Cassandra asked him, after what had been a mentally exhausting and embarrassing twenty five minutes. 'Daphne said that she woke up with your hands gripping the top of her legs.'

Harry didn't know that you could blush near constantly for as long as this conversation had lasted, but apparently he could. Cassandra had asked, prodded and pulled answers from him over what had been happening when he and Daphne woke.

He didn't think that he would ever be able to look Cassandra in the eyes again after she had asked him if he knew how little witches and wizards were made, only leaving the subject after he had informed her that yes he knew about Tab P being inserted into Slot V, he was glad she hadn't made him give a demonstration using his hands.

He had then resigned himself to the conversation once she managed to get him to describe what it felt like to wake with Daphne holding his very personnel wand. She had asked him in excruciating detail what Daphne's boobs and bum had felt like and what that had in turn made him feel.

'Cassandra please don't make me talk about this anymore,' he begged her his voice had been acting like it was breaking all over again.

'Harry, I understand that this is uncomfortable, I know that but you need to talk about this stuff, when you wake tomorrow morning who is to say that you won't be playing with Daphne's nipple.' He blanched at her but she continued, 'if you do it right, then she is going to enjoy it, your hands will feel better than her own on her skin the same way hers feel better on yours.'

'I wouldn't disrespect your daughter like that!' Harry exclaimed, 'that's just wrong on so many levels, I couldn't … I'd never …' he started to protest but her next words overloaded his mind.

'What if she wants you to?'

He shook his head, once … twice … three times, before gaping at her finally managing to squeak out a high 'what?'

'I said Harry, what if she wants you to touch her?' Cassandra enunciated each word slowly, her gaze glued to his eyes.

'But why … no … I … she couldn't, I mean why would she want that?' he stumbled across his words eyes wide as she watched him.

'Harry tell me what happened this morning and I will answer your question, okay?' she asked reasonably.

Sighing audibly 'oh how he now hated Cassandra's reasonable voice,' he thought to himself, as he started talking resignedly. Telling her how he had woken up, where Daphne was, the fact that he had physically noticed that Daphne had no top on and how he could feel her breasts and nipples against his own chest.

For the next ten minutes, because she kept asking him questions as he tried to tell her as quickly as possible, he talked about discovering where his hands were located and how his arms were stuck and the panic that he felt when he realised that his fingers were so close to her … he had struggled with what to say here, he knew all the vulgar terms that were bandied around the dorm room, and yes he could call it her vagina but he felt like he was going to pass out after trying a couple of times to say that to Daphne's mother.

Thankfully Cassandra had taken pity on him and prompted him with "womanhood" a word he had latched onto like a life preserver. Once he had his composure back he had continued his story, his voice squeaking and cracking. He talked about how he had frozen not wanting to do something that would ruin the budding friendship or relationship, hell he wasn't even sure what to call it.

'It's a relationship Harry, what you and my daughter are sharing is a relationship, it may not have started conventionally but it is nevertheless a physical and emotional relationship.' Cassandra got up from her seat and paced back and forth in front of him for a few moments, glancing at him from time to time.

He felt himself starting to grow irritated with the silence and was about to break it himself when she sat once more and asked, 'Tell me Harry why is it you think that Daphne wears your transfigured Tracksuit most days? She now has plenty of her own clothes in her draws that she can access and yet most days she puts on your tracksuit.'

He found himself looking at her with a puzzled look, before looking out the window with a tilted head, looking but not seeing as he lost himself in thought. 'He had no idea what to make of the question, to be honest he hadn't really thought about it, but Cassandra was right apart from one day that Harry could think of Daphne had indeed dressed in the transfigured tracksuit that he had made her.'

'I have no idea to be honest but to be fair I hadn't really noticed that was the case until you pointed it out' he shrugged looking back to her, 'do you know?'

Cassandra gave him a tight smile, 'I have a theory but nothing more than that, to be honest.' She looked back towards the ward room, 'I think that Daphne may subconsciously associate anything to do with you as a form of protection, after all you have saved her now three times.'

'I think she feels protected in that tracksuit as if you had your arms around her and I think she is equating that feeling to you after sleeping so soundly and safely in your arms for the past however many nights.'

'I think that it's a similar thing when she first wakes in the morning, you said that she stretches moving her body as she does so always shifting herself closer to you,' Cassandra continued quickly not letting Harry ask what he clearly wanted to.

'She's doing it for the same reason I do it with my husband every morning, she is seeking comfort, warmth, acceptance and likely even love. Every morning I search for my husband before we rise, nestling in to his embrace feeling the love that he has for me, feeling protected knowing that he would lay down his life for me and our family to protect us just as I would do for him.'

Harry felt the surprise write itself all over his face, 'I don't … so what do we do?'

'There is not a great deal we can do Harry because of the tether and to be honest even if it wasn't there, well there isn't a great deal I would want to do about your new sleeping arrangements' Cassandra stated, and then she chuckled at the obvious look of distress on his face. 'You are a good man Harry Potter, many men in the situation you found yourself in this morning would have taken advantage of it and reached out but you didn't.'

Cassandra sighed tiredly, 'do you know what Daphne said to me after I managed to get her to calm down enough to speak to me?'

Harry shook his head not trusting himself enough to talk right at this point in time his head was still reeling from the fact that Cassandra was apparently comfortable with the sleeping arrangements until he remembered that she had been in to wake them on a couple of occasions.

'She told me that you had rejected her.'

'But I didn't … I was trying to protect her …' Harry started shocked that Daphne had been thinking along those lines instead of being angry with him about his wandering hands.

'She knows that now Harry, but what does her reaction tell you about what she wants from you?' Cassandra asked in that almost resigned voice once more.

His eyebrows exploded into his hair line, 'she wants me to … touch her,' he almost whispered. 'But why the hell would she want me to do that, I don't know what the hell I am doing; I am not experienced in this type of stuff, what if I do the wrong thing or hurt her, or something and why the hell are you advocating this?' his eyes were a little wild.

'In answer to your questions, she does indeed Mr Potter, and can you not think about why after everything I just explained as to why she would want you to do so Harry?' she asked in that reasonable tone again.

He knew the answer he just didn't believe it, 'because she feels … protected and safe?'

Cassandra gave a nod in affirmation, 'don't worry about doing something wrong everyone has to start somewhere and despite those memories we have temporarily suppressed I am almost positive that my daughter is just as inexperienced as you, just make sure that you go at a speed that you are both comfortable with you do not need to rush you have plenty of time.'

'The best piece of advice I can give you is to talk to your partner, explore together and be gentle until you each know what you like and as to why I am advocating this, well I want to see my daughter healthy and happy, and you Harry have already played a big role in her recent history and you're a good, kind and selfless man and my daughter couldn't have done any better in a potential partner if she had actually tried.'

- AFW -

Cassandra sat back waiting as Harry absorbed everything that they had talked about, she could see him processing the many things that they had discussed and if she was honest with herself the conversation had not been as difficult as she thought it might have been.

He was a polite, well-mannered and well-spoken young man, with a protective streak that was a fair bit larger than anyone else's that she had ever seen. She had, at least she thought so, smoothed out some of the initial relationship bumps and misunderstandings that most young couples have.

She was so lost in her own musings that she missed what Harry asked her, only grasping the fact that he had asked a question when he spoke her name at the end in an enquiring way. 'I am sorry Harry, but I completely missed that.'

Harry gave a small smile before repeating the query, 'I was just wondering what it is that you actually do for a job? I don't think I have ever been told.'

She smiled at him, and deciding to take pity on him for a while, allowing him to change the topic of their discussion, 'well technically I am a qualified medi-witch, however I wasn't in the profession long before we decided for numerous reasons to start a family.'

She looked wistfully at the ceiling, 'by the time that I was in a position to work again, it had been thirteen years since I had practiced the arts on anyone apart from on my own children. I had also suffered a large personal trauma that I blamed myself for during those years and thus let my study and practice of the healing arts lapse too far to walk back into the profession, well at least that is my personal opinion.'

Harry nodded and she looked out of the window, 'so once Astoria went to Hogwarts I started looking for something to do, I initially tried to get back in to healing but my heart just wasn't in it anymore and it's not something that you can just hope for the best in, you need a passion for it and mine had extinguished itself.'

'And so I started looking further afield, until one day Nate came home from a Mot meeting with a couple of job vacancies in his hand,' she chuckled ruefully. 'I believe that I may have been getting on his nerves complaining about not being able to find anything that I wanted to do.'

'One of the roles was a part time role within the Wizengamot Administrative Services as a demographer.'

Harry peered at her with a strange look, 'I wasn't aware that there was a role within the magical world like that, what is it exactly that you do?' he asked.

She gave him a small smile, 'well I am part of a small team who provide statistical and empirical evidence on the population and economy for the Wizengamot, for example on the number of witches and wizards within the borders of magical Britain and how many children are due to start at the magical schools across Magical Britain, how many are going to which schools, what the class sizes will look like, etc.'

'The magical world has a census?' surprise evident in his voice, 'that is not something that I would have expected.'

She gave him a quizzical look, 'why ever not Harry, censuses have been undertaken since ancient Roman times, why would we not also need to know how many citizens there are in our world, how much our economy is generating and how much the magical taxes are bringing in so that we can govern better.'

'I suppose that I never thought about it, but I guess it makes sense. So what was the last thing you were working on?'

Cassandra felt herself give him another sad smile, 'I was working on a report regarding the decline of the magical population. Since the early 1800's the magical population has been in decline, I have been looking through records to try and determine why that should be the case.'

'What is the magical population of Britain?' Harry queried before Cassandra could start telling him more.

'Well the last census date was supposed to have occurred during the summer solstice in 1997 but due to You Know Who's takeover of the Ministry during the summer we didn't have time to initiate the detection net across the island. I was happily with my family on leave during the time as the rest of my team suffered greatly at the hands of the Death Eaters as we were not able to furnish fresh information on the magical population.'

'A magical census is conducted every three years and the one prior to that was conducted in 1994 which had the Magical population at approximately 48,500, which is a far cry from the population of 1802 which I believe was the largest on record of 107,489 magicals, residing in Magical Britain.'

Harry's face was one of shock, 'but that's less than half, what the hell happened?'

'That's the million Galleon question isn't it Harry and it is the question I have been trying to answer for a very long time, more shockingly is that I would estimate however that the magical population is currently under 45,000 given He Who Must Not Be Named propensity for killing,' she stared off into the distance, thinking.

'The short answer to your question, however is war, disease and a falling fertility rate among the older families, these count not just the pure blood families but families like yours and the Bones' although I am unsure of when the Potter family last had a direct injection of new blood apart from your mother.'

'No it appears that this fertility issue is also among many of the half-blood families as well, including many that would have been raised further among the elite families if not for the divided Wizengamot,' she leaned forward to stare at the ground as she tried to formulate her thoughts.

'If we cannot arrest this population slide soon I hold grave fears for our world, already our economy is stalling, we need the Wizengamot to meet and to start turning the wheel of commerce again. But even then I fear that we are in for a long and dark road ahead as we try to dig ourselves out of the mire in which we find ourselves, given the economy is at its lowest ebb since the end of the first war.'

Harry's face was still one of shock as she spoke but it morphed into one of puzzlement before he asked, 'What year were you born, how many kids were in your year and how many were in your dorm when you went to Hogwarts?'

'You should never ask a Lady her age Harry,' she mock admonished him before giving an amused chuckle. 'I was born in 1958, and there were 124 children in my year. Sixteen girls joined me that year in the Slytherin dorms along with my husband Nate and thirteen other boys. But also remember that there was probably three or four times that number that went to the Saint Schools that are dotted around Magical Britain.'

Harry obviously ignored the second part of her statement because his next words were, 'That's thirty one kids, that's nearly more than Daphne and I have in our whole year!' Harry's eyes were wide, 'How many kids were at Hogwarts?'

Her sad smile it seemed just wouldn't leave her today it seemed, 'in my first year there were 918 students and 230 in my house.' She could see that he was having trouble accepting some of the number that she was throwing at him and decided that it was time to change the focus of their conversation once more.

'Okay, enough of the sad news about our population,' she gave him a bland look, 'now tell me Harry what do you know about giving a woman pleasure?' she gave a tinkling laughed as once again his face blushed red before she waited for his stammered reply.

- AFW -

Harry walked, he was going nowhere at all and he knew that but he was too keyed up to just sit down, if he had looked up he would have been able to see the windows of the Hospital ward but he didn't. He just paced from one end of the wall to the other seemingly lost in his own thoughts though really it was only one topic that held his mind: Daphne.

He wasn't quite sure how he had found himself walking outside of Hogwarts and the only reason that thought managed to penetrate his consciousness was because Kreacher had popped into his line of march and asked him what Daphne and he were going to do for lunch, after asking Kreacher to have whatever Daphne wanted ready in thirty minutes he had resumed his march.

Daphne, she plagued his thoughts constantly now, burning into his mind if he closed his eyes he could see her, feel her body pressed against his, the sensation her skin pushed against his and the gentle pull of her magic on his.

He was so very unsure of what to do and even though Cassandra had helped him somewhat understand why Daphne maybe felt the way that she did, he still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Daphne had wanted him to touch her.

The very idea caused his stomach to clench tight as it tried to roil around, his hands to become clammy and his pulse to quicken. Whereas previously his mind rebelled against the idea, thinking that it would be the lowest form of betrayal to her trust, now at least half of his brain was warming to the idea, slowly his was losing his own argument and he was no longer sure what to think, especially after telling Cassandra that he had kissed Daphne because he had wanted to and describing his thoughts during those kisses.

Kreacher had again popped himself in front of Harry announcing that lunch was available and that Daphne had asked Kreacher to prepare a small private dining area away from the great hall and would Master like him to take him there.

And so now Harry found himself seated opposite a demure Daphne who wouldn't meet his gaze, and who blushed at the drop of a hat when he asked her the simplest questions, it was driving him insane, 'where had the strong confident woman from yesterday gone?'

That was when he remembered part of the conversation with Cassandra, hadn't she just told him that she had a similar conversation with Daphne? No wonder their lunch was slow and awkward. Harry had just about made up his mind to confront the elephant in the room and talk about what had happened between them last night and this morning when Kreacher interrupted.

'A daughter of House Black is petitioning its Heir for a hearing,' Kreacher announced with a bow.

Harry looked at Kreacher with confusion, before Daphne cut through his thoughts, her voice carrying the shock that he felt.

'You're the Heir Black, why in the name of Circe's flat chest didn't you tell me this?'

Harry looked at her shock evident on his face, 'I didn't know,' her look compelled him to continue, 'honestly, I didn't know! Sirius said that he had been disowned.' He ran a hand through his hair in that familiar gesture, 'I thought that I had just inherited some stuff from Sirius and Kreacher somehow, I swear Daphne, I didn't know.'

She studied him her head tilted to the side as she did so as though the gesture would allow her to discern the truth from his words. With a small nod of her head, she furrowed her brow, 'you do realise that this elevates you above every family in Magical Britain right?'

Once again shock flooded his face, 'what the hell are you talking about?'

Daphne gave a rueful chuckle, 'of course you don't, why would you know that?' she asked rhetorically. 'I know we haven't really discussed this but what do you know about the peerage structure of Magical Britain?'

Harry blinked, 'ummm nothing really at all, in fact I have no idea of what you are talking about.'

Daphne groaned and put her head in her hands, 'I can see we need an impromptu lesson on the Families of Magical Britain.' She heaved a great sigh before straightening again, 'but first, Kreacher can you tell me which daughter of House Black is seeking an audience with its Heir?'

Kreacher nodded and spoke, 'that would be the Lady Narcissa, Mistress.'

Harry's face blanched at that news but before he could say anything Daphne continued as she was reaching out to squeeze his hand and give him a meaningful look as the bond flooded them with emotions that Harry had no time to sort through.

'Thank you Kreacher, could you please ask the Lady Narcissa to meet us here in fifteen minutes,' she addressed the elf ignoring Harry's petulant look.

'Harry you cannot deny her an audience, she is a daughter of House Black and has the right to be heard by her Lord or in this case the Heir,' her tone was that businesslike one that he had come to associate with her when they talked about serious topics.

'So crash course on the Wizengamot, Houses and their peerage, you do know what peerage means right? She asked with a hopeful voice.

Harry chuckled, 'well yes I know what the peerage means from a muggle perspective anyway.'

'Okay talk me through the muggle peerage for a moment then ignoring royalty,' she requested.

Harry paused for about thirty seconds as he gathered his thoughts and Daphne appeared content to wait for him to do so. 'Okay then from memory it goes in descending order, Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, Baron and then maybe Baronet but I am not sure on the last one,' he gave Daphne a questioning look.

Daphne laughed, 'good enough from what I know … okay so when the statute of secrecy was introduced to remove the magical world from the muggle world, the Wizengamot was formed disbanding the Wizard's Council. The Wizengamot then in its infinite wisdom decided to restructure Magical Peerage at the same time.'

Instead titles of Lordship such as Duke etcetera these Lords became the Lords of Houses, so where once there had previously been magical Dukedoms they now became the Most Ancient Houses, Marquess were converted the Ancient Houses, Earls took the title Venerable Houses, Viscounts the August Houses, Barons became Elder Houses and Baronets were renamed Sage.'

'There was also a few others added, Magical House, Lower Magical House and Minor Magical House, it is also worth noting that every muggle born who enters our world starts their own magical family as a minor magical house, unless another brother or sister has already entered.'

'Houses are patrilineal so if a sister enters she is head of that family until a younger brother enters or if she is an only child or the eldest of two sisters. If this is the case she remains the head of her family until her second born son is seventeen who can take the title if it was agreed upon before marriage, otherwise the house dies.'

'Are you with me so far?'

Harry nodded, so far it was easy enough to understand.

'Okay so at each different level of Peerage there is a different number of votes tallied when voting in the Wizengamot, starting at seven for the Most Ancient Houses and sliding all the way down to one for a Magical House. Are you still with me?'

Again Harry gave her an indication that he was following along.

'Okay this is where it gets a bit trickier; you would have noticed that I said nothing about the title of Noble.' At his nod she continued, well that is because that title is bestowed on a family after significant service to Magical Britain most often this is service during war time.'

'However there have been others awarded for other field such as Healing during disease outbreaks or breakthroughs in potioneering and the like, the problem was they initially awarded the title retrospectively which meant there were numerous families elevated to the title of Noble allowing them hereditary seats on the Wizengamot, okay keep this in mind there are two issues with this and I will come back to my main point in a minute.'

'No worries, all good so far,' Harry smiled back at her.

'Okay so part of the problem with this is that by this stage within our government there were already thirty eight hereditary seats on the Wizards Council, twelve of these seats were bestowed on their families by Arthur and formed the original wizarding council and the knights of the round table. Arthur invested these twelve magical families to protect his realm and decreed that their powers would follow their lines until the end of days.'

'What does that mean?' Harry asked confused.

'No one really knew until the first line fell, it was Merlin himself that enchanted the Lord of House and Heirs rings. The Lord of House de Monfort and his only Heir who was unmarried fell in the eighth century during the Battle of Devawdan, the only daughter of the House was to eventually marry the Heir of House Kildare as per the betrothal agreement that was already in place, but she was only eight at the time and the Kildare Heir only ten.'

'This was the first time one of the twelve houses had fallen and something unexpected happened, as far as anyone can tell as soon as the de Monfort Heir died his ring appeared on the Kildare's Heir's finger fusing with his own Heir's ring.

'What nobody expected though was as soon after the marriage was consummated the Lord of House de Monfort ring appeared on the finger of Rand Kildare, thus elevating him above his father and on to the wizards council as it was then known as a seventeen year old.'

'You're telling me that the families of the knights of the round table were still working on behalf of King Arthur centuries after his death? Who were the original families?' And why did they allow her to marry she was only fifteen for Hecate's sake!'

Daphne gave a tight smile, 'she could have been married much earlier than that, many girls back in those days were married off after menarche which consistently occurs in magical girls after their twelfth birthday, hell it is still considered the legal age of consent for marriage technically for Magical Britain as magic will not bind a girl at the marriage ceremony if she has not passed this rite of passage.'

She gave him a small mocking smile, 'boys have their own rite of passage too Harry that must have occurred prior to marriage, known as the quickening. Its where ... well it doesn't matter anyway it too is consistent but unlike girls, because boys mature somewhat later this occurs after their thirteenth birthday.'

Harry knew that his face showed his confusion to both statements as Daphne heaved a put upon sigh, 'for girls it's after their first menses.'

Daphne's eyes widened at him as he still gave her a look of non-comprehension, 'Oh for the love of Merlin Harry, Hecate's curse, her monthlies, paying the woman's tax, her moon flow, her …'

Blood drained from his face, he could feel it as he finally understood what she was talking about, he held up his hands interrupting her, 'okay okay okay, sorry very slow on the uptake there I've got it.'

Daphne rolled her eyes, 'moving on then and back to the rings, such was Merlin's power that the Lords rings endured as did their magic and the vow that was taken by their families which compelled them to do so as part of the wizarding council.'

'The problem as many saw it was that the Kildare line was not of the original twelve, some did not trust that Rand would be held as tightly by the original vows and probably more importantly many other Lords believed that they were in line to be elevated instead of Rand Kildare if an opening appeared. Thus the council was expanded after much debate.'

'A further thirteen seats were added that were elected by the wizarding aristocracy, but it was determined that these seats would have a single vote and the founding twelve would have two votes, the council also deemed that Rand's vote be cut to one as he was not of the original line.'

The twelve as they were known were made up of the following, Bedivere Acwellen, Bors Inn Unger (the Younger), Ector Kay, Gaheris Peverell, Galahad Black, Gareth FitzFeren, Gawain Grene, Geraint Seaver, Lamorak Manders, Lancelot Du Lac, Percival de Monfort, Tristan Beaumont. The tie breaking vote or Merlin's vote was held by the Chief Wizard but they could only vote in the advent of a tie.'

'On the death of his father, Rand took up his father's mantle as well, but for the next several generations the family only had a single son to carry on their name. After four or five generations a Lord of the Kildare House had two sons thinking he could split the two houses to allow each son to inherit a title. Unfortunately for him he couldn't, magic had fused the two titles together making it impossible for him to separate the titles.'

'His Heir when assuming the role then refused to answer to de Monfort and instead styled himself as Boden Kildare, Lord Kildare dropping the de Monfort name. Over time other families have had the same fate befall them but found that they could split the titles again if it had been less than three generations since the original line fell.'

'Eventually however Lords of the families marrying into the end of a line would ensure that their families only had a single Heir for at least four generations and then they would drop the original name of the twelve elevating their own family name to sit higher on this council.'

'I still don't see the problem Daphne? Harry said confusedly.

'I am getting there, but you need this background, okay?' Daphne growled back at him half-heartedly.

Harry held his hands up in mock surrender as Daphne continued. 'So the issue with this as you put it is that you are not marrying into the House of Black you are a son of the House already.'

'No I'm not,' Harry interjected.

Daphne looked at him like he had lost his mind, 'Yes you are Harry, did you not research your family at all?'

Harry gave her a sheepish look, 'ummm, no, not really. Everyone got sad when I tried talking to them about my family so I gave up asking.'

Daphne groaned and face palmed herself, 'did you ever think about looking in the library? Look at the old newspapers? Book's like Prominent Magicals of Our Time? Or the Wizengamot journals and periodicals?' her arm was resting on the table and so she rotated her head so that she could stare at him with one eye as he flushed bright red.

'No,' he squeaked.

'So you know your mum and dad's names but that's it?' her voice clearly displaying her shock. At his nod she groaned before softly banging her head against the table a couple of times.

'Err Daphne?' Harry asked in a puzzled voice.

She held up one finger at him before banging her head softly another two more times before resting her head on the table for a moment longer. When she raised her head she had a determined look on her face, 'okay, your Grandfather was Charlus Potter, a statesman and warrior, he fought in the war against Grindlewald, I don't know what he did but I know he was injured and that is how he met his wife. He was also instrumental in the continued development of the Bones, Longbottom & Potter alliance.'

'More importantly at the moment is that his wife was Dorea Black, Healer and Charms Mistress, she developed at least half a dozen medical charms which are still in use today, two of which she used to cure your Grandfather. She is also your direct connection to House Black and the reason you could be named Heir without a blood adoption ritual, given you fall within three generations.'

Harry was dumbfounded, Daphne with a couple of sentences had expanded his knowledge of his family, he couldn't help himself, 'do you know any more about my family?'

Daphne gave him a strange look, one not of pity but almost of sadness, 'the only other Potter I can readily think of is Charlus' father Fleamont Potter, the inventor of Sleekezy Hair Potions. And the only reason I know that is because I like many witches use his products to this day.'

'We will look into your family further Harry, but we really don't have much time, as Lady Narcissa will be here soon,' she ignored his sour look. 'House Black is the only line that can trace its linage directly back to an original member of the twelve. Thus when you take up this seat you will elevate yourself from the seven votes that the Potters have due to their noble status to the eight votes of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.'

'There are two other things that need to be added to this information, 1) due to a loophole in the law you can appoint a proxy for the Potter seat and that seat can add six further votes to your alliance as it is a hereditary seat and must be sat. Added to this your Heir from the time of his birth will be known and styled as the Lord Potter and the Heir Black elevating him above any of his peers whilst at school.'

Daphne then added with a wry shake of her head, 'and 2) at the time of the formation of the Wizengamot five of the twelve families remained and thus to honour them their seat was given the right of veto.'

'Once every sitting year if a Lord didn't agree with a piece of legislation then these Lords could veto a vote on it for a year. Of these families only the Blacks now remain, the other houses have fallen and been taken over by other lines.'

Harry looked at Daphne in disbelief but before he could articulate any further questions, Kreacher popped in as there was a knock on the door.

'It is the Lady Narcissa, shall I open the door Master?' Kreacher enquired politely.

Harry could only nod as he scrambled to get his thoughts under control. He watched as Narcissa entered the room, she was dressed in fashionable but also functional robes. She stopped several metres from their table before executing a deep curtsey, 'My Lord Apparent,' she intoned in a demure voice, head bowed.

- AFW –

Daphne walked back into the ward room expecting to find Harry but it was empty, she sat down on the bed. Lost in thought regarding the day, how it had started so badly but so far had ended so well, she felt a shiver pass through her body at the thought of the kiss Harry had left her with when she went for her check up with Slyvera and Poppy. Her hand involuntarily rose to touch her lips and a smile hovered on them, it was such a good kiss.

Her suspect memories were still being supressed, nothing had changed there but the two women had obviously found something and had wanted to run another series of tests on her memory which had pushed her exam out to three hours. By the time the examination had ended she could feel the pull on her magic insistent but not yet too painful.

She drew Harry's wand and cast a tempus charm, the green numbers indicated that it was just after ten pm. Where the hell was Harry? It was getting late and although they weren't busy at the moment she was sure that he would have been waiting for her.

'Kreacher' she called and waited for the elf to pop into the room.

'Yes Mistress,' he asked moments after popping in.

'Where is Harry?'

'Master is watching the stars on the tower; would Mistress like to go to him?' Kreacher intoned.

Daphne thought about it for a moment before nodding her assent and holding out her hand.

- AFW -

Harry lay on a large sun bed that he had conjured at the top of the Astronomy tower; he had been surprised when the tether had allowed him to climb the tower having previously halted him at the bottom. It didn't seem so tight anymore, almost like it had been relaxed slightly, he had no answer for why it felt like this it just did.

He tilted his head back once more thinking of the day's events before his mind focused on the meeting with Narcissa. It was not what he had been expecting, she was polite and deferential, at no stage had she raised her voice or been haughty.

Harry had expected her to hold her service in the forest to him over his head but she hadn't and in fact she hadn't even brought the topic up until he discussed it saying that he owed her a debt for her assistance in the forest.

Daphne had been less than impressed that he had brought the subject up but held her tongue until after Narcissa had departed before describing her displeasure with his idiocy of bringing the topic up in infinite detail.

It was after that when Narcissa had asked him to intercede on behalf of her son; she beseeched him to provide a statement either written or in person regarding Draco's involvement in the war and his lack of success thereof, especially with regards to the death of Dumbledore. She asked him to use his influence on Draco alone, that she would take whatever punishment necessary as the wife of a Death Eater but she begged of him to save her son.

To say that Harry had been stunned was an understatement, he had not expected Narcissa to beg him for aid, he had fully expected her to coerce him with the debt that he owed her, not that he couldn't have countered it with the debt that Draco owed him for the room of requirement fiasco, although thinking on it now maybe he owed Draco for not outing him at Malfoy Manor.

Harry had been taken aback with the depth of Narcissa's worry for her son, what Harry didn't tell her was that he had already discussed Draco with Kingsley two days prior to Daphne waking. At that time when Kingsley had asked, Harry had recommended house arrest between Malfoy Manor and Hogwarts instead of incarceration whilst he awaited trial.

When Harry had asked why she didn't want him to advocate on her behalf as well, Narcissa had then told Harry that she was not marked rolling up the sleeves of her robes to bare her arms and that she had only done what she had been ordered to do in fear for her son's life.

She could not and would not deny that she and her husband agreed with some or a lot of the Dark Lord doctrine but she had not murdered or tortured anyone and she would be happy to swear to that under oath.

By far the largest surprise was that Lucius was also going to be providing evidence for the Aurors, identifying Death Eaters and giving the whereabouts of safe houses etcetera, whether this would commute his sentence or not remained to be seen but Narcissa only want to ensure that her son was not punished for his father's mistakes and pride.

He was not sure what to make of the meeting as a whole, Daphne said that he had handled himself well, perhaps a little bluntly at times but that was to be expected until he was more comfortable in his duties as a Lord.

The rest of their day had been ordinary, they had helped with some of the repair works around the castle before having lunch where they were forever bumping and nudging each other by accident before continuing with the repair works after lunch.

Maybe an hour before dinner Daphne had received a message from Madam Pomfrey saying that Slyvera had to move their appointment to after dinner instead of the next morning due to a personal issue and would she mind coming to the infirmary at seven pm.

Harry had immediately seen that Daphne was worried by this prospect, he smiled to himself, he couldn't say why he had done it, maybe it was as simple as something to take her mind off the appointment, but he had bent down and given her a soft and simple kiss.

They had given up any pretence of working after ten minutes and spent the next fifty minutes in an alcove snogging for want of a better word. His lips felt bruised by the end and he could taste blood from where Daphne had nipped his bottom lip too hard. He found his hand had come up tracing over his lips as he remembered her taste and the feel of her kissing him back.

His musings were interrupted by a pop as Daphne and Kreacher appeared next to him.

- AFW -

Daphne felt herself smile at the sight of him running his fingers across his lips; at least she was having as big of an effect on him as he was on her, 'Thank you Kreacher' she said turning to the elf who just bowed before popping away.

He gave her one of his crooked grins.

That bloody smile sent shivers through her again, not answering she glided forward and straddled his hips with her legs before leaning down to give him a hug. She felt him stiffen to start, 'I need a hug Harry,' she said quietly before she felt him relax, bringing his arms up around her drawing her closer to him.

'Are you okay?' he asked with worry tainting his voice.

'I am now,' she murmured against his chest, with her eyes closed, 'it was a very long and exhausting session. I still don't know what they discovered if anything, they are still discussing their results as we speak.'

She felt him as he just nodded not saying anything, which was something that she liked about him; he didn't need to fill in the silences. He was quite happy to sit in companionable quietness and just be there with her.

After several minutes of just lying there listening to his heart beat she asked, 'what are you doing up here Harry? It's getting quite late you know?' she pushed herself up slightly folding her hands on his chest and resting her chin on them so that she could look at him, mentally having to stop herself from lunging forward to kiss him as he looked down at her with those beautiful deep green eyes.

'Just thinking about today and watching the stars,' his voice was subdued as his eyes flicked above her head to look into the sky once more.

'What do you see in the stars Harry?' picking up on the melancholy in his voice as well as through the bond.

He gave a sad smile, 'as a child I used to sneak out of the house when my relatives were asleep. I would look up at the stars and pray that someone would come and save me.'

Daphne felt tears start to form in her eyes, but she said nothing waiting for him to continue in his own time.

'My favourite teacher when I was nine gave me the only book I owned before coming to Hogwarts, it was on Greek mythology and the legends of the stars. I used to look up at them and pray that Perseus would come down on Pegasus to take me away to live amongst the stars.'

His voice cracked slightly, 'or that Canis Major would come to earth to protect me.'

He swallowed obviously trying to regain some composure, so she moved forward slightly and kissed his neck. He gave her a tight smile in return his own eyes shining with unshed tears.

'They were my only friends for the longest time, anyone who tried to get to know me at school was chased off by my cousin and his friends and so I would wait until I could sneak outside and tell them what had happened to me that day.'

'It's funny really when I think about it sometimes that a dog did come from the stars to save me for a time, my godfather was after all named after the dog star.' There was a small catch in his voice that was always evident when he talked of his godfather. 'I guess in some strange way he died like a figure out of a Greek tragedy trying to save the boy who had gone to save him, killed by his godson's stupidity.'

He took a few deep breaths before continuing, 'I looked out our window and saw the first stars tonight and I guess, that I remembered that I hadn't talked to them for a while. I … I … I just felt like I needed to see them all again and tell them about my … our day.'

Daphne felt her first tear track down her left cheek; she ignored his stupidity comment for now instead asking, 'have you talked to them yet?'

He shook his head, 'no not yet, I was still trying to work out what to say.'

'Do you mind if I stay with you whilst you do, I won't say anything I just need … need to be near you right now, I need your comfort, that session took a lot out of me and I don't want to be alone. You can put a silencing charm on me if you want so that you can talk privately.'

Harry flushed slightly but shook his head, 'no it's fine if you want to stay, I don't mind although I am sure it will be embarrassing for both of us.'

'No it won't be Harry, for the record I like kissing you, I like being in your arms and I like being here right now under the stars listening to your heart beat. Nothing you say will be embarrassing because I most likely feel it too,' she moved up his chest and kissed him hard, tasting the treacle tart that he had for dessert on his tongue.

After a few moments she settled back down so that her head was on his chest, 'talk to them Harry, you can do it out loud or in your mind, they will still hear you and when you are ready you can carry me down to our bed to sleep, but before you start would you mind conjuring a blanket over us as it's not super warm anymore.'

She felt him flick his wand over them and then a thick blanket draped across her back and legs, snuggling down she put her ear over his heart and let the sound of his voice wash over her, she didn't listen to what he said consciously, but some things floated through her subconscious especially when he described their snogging session.

- AFW -

She had no idea how long it was but she heard him calling her name, 'Daphne … Daphne, are you still awake?'

'Yeah, have you finished?' she asked with a yawn.

She felt him nod, 'can I ask you a question Harry?'

'Sure,' was the quiet reply.

'If you have children do you think that you will continue the Black tradition of naming your kids after the stars?'

'I don't know, maybe.'

'If you did what would you name them and how many children would you want?' she asked with another slight yawn.

'Umm, I don't know, I have always wanted a big family but that would also depend on my wife and how many she would want, but I never really expected to live through the war so I have never really thought about an actual number. How many children do you want Daphne?' there was a tightness in his voice.

'I don't know Harry, I will think about it and get back to you, okay,' she smirked into his shirt, 'now please take me to bed.'