Disclaimer: This work is in no way associated with J K Rowling. All recognizable characters and places belong to J K Rowling. This was written purely for my enjoyment, I am making no money from this story. No infringement is intended.
A/N: I don't know how fast I will be uploading chapters yet, I am going to try once a week for now.
Chapter Two - Harry Smash
Back of the Express - Harry
I thought that as I was closing the compartment door I hear him whisper, "Good," but he can't be into Hermione, he only just met her.
The compartment door clicks shut and I see Markus re enter the compartment and sit down beside Hermione.
If he is interested in her, a voice whispers in my head, she could definitely do worse. This catches me off guard, why would he be so good for Hermione?
As I leave another full train car the little voice answers, Markus just crushed two wizards just for insulting her, of course he would be good for her.
But why did he do that. Why would he just leap to defend Hermione, someone he didn't know? As I leave another full car I quickly wonder if other people argue with voices in their heads, but quickly shrug it off as unimportant.
But what about the troll? The voice question slyly. Did you care if you knew who she was before you shoved your wand up that trolls nose?
By before I can answer I hear a girls voice from the compartment over.
"Get away from me Malfoy."
Just before I open the door I hear Malfoy growel, "You will learn to respect your betters."
Slap.
I hurry to open the car door hoping to see Malfoy getting smacked down by the mysterious girl, but the instant what I am actually seeing computes my wand is in my hand and I scream out Reducto. The curse blasts him backwards into Crabbe and Goyle sending all of them slamming into the far wall.
But it isn't enough, I am angry, so I cast Petrificus Totalus at Malfoy and then hit him with a sticking charm and use Wingardium Leviosa to slam the idiot to the roof, I then turn to Crabbe and Goyle and whispered calmly as if nothing had happened, "Don't you two have things to do elsewhere?"
Goyle gets over his shock first and drags Crabbe out of the compartment.
I turn to the girl that Malfoy had slapped. She had got back to her feet and must have cast Episkey on herself to get rid of the massive red mark Malfoys backhand made.
Seeing her confused face I quickly said, "If you want to hit him, I can remove him from the roof."
She looks up at Malfoys petrified form and speaks slowly, "No… I think that you dealt with him," then she turns to me, "so why did you help me?"
"What do you mean why," I ask, my confusion evident on my face, "I couldn't just let him hit you."
"But, I'm a Slytherin," She responds in a way that makes it seem as if that explains everything. Maybe it would have before today.
"What difference does that make, I'm not going to judge you just because you're a Slytherin, that would be kind hypocritical of me," I said with a huff, "I hate it when people make decisions about me just because I'm the boy-who-lived, besides," I lower my voice to a whisper, "the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."
She just stares at me for a few moments with her mouth open. She finally said, "Well I'm Daphne Greengrass."
I make a snap decision. Well it worked for Markus...
I offer her my arm and say in as formal a voice as possible, "Would M'lady walk with me."
Middle of the Express - Daphne
"Would M'lady walk with me."
Harry Potter the boy-who-lived, the epitome of all that is good in the world, the Gryffindor golden boy, wants to walk with me, Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin.
"Yes," I manage to say without squeaking, "Yes I would like that," I take his offered arm and we start to walk along the corridor toward the front of the train.
"So where am I taking you," Harry asks after we are out of the compartment Malfoy had been stuck in.
I have to think for a second, I can't just show up with, Harry Potter, in a compartment full of Slytherins so I ask, "Could I come and sit in your compartment?"
"Well-" Damn, he doesn't want to be seen with a Slyth-, "I don't have a compartment, I was planning on sitting with Neville if I could find him." Wait what?
"Why aren't you sitting with Hermione and Ron," I ask and he stiffens at the mention of Rons name, "sorry you-"
"Its alright," He interrupted quickly, "Me and Hermione had a disagreement with Ron over appropriate language, Hermione is talking with a friend in the compartment I had been sitting in. We won't be sitting with Weasley again for a long time," Weasley must have done something really really stupid, for Harry to be calling him Weasley. He speaks against, "have you by any chance seen were Neville is sitting."
"Yes, I think he is in the car right behind the engine," The moment I say that we are off at a slow trot toward the front of the train.
Front of the Express - Harry
When we finally got to the front of the train I wish for a moment that we still had further to walk. I was definitely enjoying having Daphne on my arm, but then my feet reminded me just how much walking I had done today…
I peaked into the compartment and see Neville sitting with Dean and Seamus playing exploding snap. I open the compartment door and lead Daphne in saying, "Is it okay with you guys if we sit here."
"Sure, Harry," Seamus said quickly, glancing at Daphne, "Umm… She- Uh- OW," he yells as Neville kicks him in the shin.
"Daphne had a…" I look at Daphne and she shakes her head, "disagreement with Malfoy that I helped her sort out," I said as Daphne and I sit down opposite the three boys.
Dean replies with a hint of sarcasm, "And what did you do to Malfoy."
"Harry blasted him into a wall and then stuck him to the ceiling," Daphne chimes in.
"WHAT, Harry you didn't," both Dean and Seamus shout while Neville asked in exasperation,
"Did he truly deserve it."
Daphne and I share a glance that said, they would have had to be there, and respond in unison, "Yes."
Suddenly the door opens and a redhead enters laughing, "Hi, guys I'm-" and cuts off when she sees me, "Hi, Harry-" and then she sees Daphne or, more specifically, my arm wrapped around Daphnes shoulders.
"What did she do to you, Harry," Ginny spits out.
The front compartment - Daphne
"What did she do to you, Harry."
"What do you mean, what did I do to Harry," I respond quietly. I feel Harry sit up straight and I see his face go cold out of the corner of my eye, "why would I have done something to Harry."
Her face heats up and she points at Harry and nearly shrieks, "Why would you want someone like-"
In a moment Harry yanks me to my feet as he stands up and draws his wand pressing it against her throat, "Not another word," he whispers quietly. Harry then forces Ginny out of the compartment as he walks forward, "I don't know what it is with Weasleys today," he said in a cold, flat voice, "insult Daphne again and you will get it as bad as Weasel and Ferret did."
"Harry please," Ginny sniffles, "shes controlling you somehow, you're not-"
Harry cuts her off by saying, "Maybe I'm the one controlling her," and then he leans over and kisses my cheek and whispers into my ear, "you're so beautiful." I manage to keep my blush under control, but on the inside I'm jibbering, He kissed me, He kisses me.
He then turns to the three boys who had now exited the compartment. Dean looked furious. Seamus looked horrified. Neville looked…
"Harry," Neville said slowly, as he pointed his wand at the two other boys, "I trust you, so if you trust her… then thats good enough for me." Thank you, Neville
"Thank you Neville," Harry responded with a small smile, "lets go," He said to me, "like a friend once said, you people disgust me." Then he turned and we started walking down the corridor. Neville slips through the car door just as we close it. At a questioning glance from Harry Neville said,
"Just covering your back."
Harry nodded and says to me, "lead the way, we need somewhere to sit and it seem that your friends are our last option."
"Alright, this way" I say as I lead them toward the cabin that is hopefully occupied by only Tracy. Tracy is going to take this badly enough anyway.
Middle of the Express - Daphne
When we finally reach the compartment I take a quick peek and see that it is only Tracy in the compartment, thank goodness. I knock just so and her head jerks up. She jumps up and darts to the door, and the moment she opens it she is already scolding me.
"Daphne, you were gone for so long and then Crabbe and Goyle came along and-" She cuts off and starts staring at Harry, who has subconsciously moved as if to shield me from Tracy.
Suddenly Harry speaks, "Long story short, I saved her from Ferret, now could we please come in and sit down, my feet are very sore," as he moves past Tracy and into the compartment.
As I sit down and the worry of what Tracy would do is replaced by the worry of what Harry meant by the kiss. Does he like me or was he just doing that to wind up the Weasley girl. As Tracy and Neville sit down on the other seat, I lay back against Harry and he wraps his arms around me. Could he really. No, if he does want me, he just wants me for my body, just like all the other boys, like Malfoy. Lets see how long he can stay chivalrous.
We talk for the rest of the ride, Harry says all the right things to me, never once being anything less than the perfect gentleman. Well all talk about our summers, though Harry glazes over the first part of his. When we talk about our classes, Harry laments that he choose such terrible electives and that intrigues me.
"So what electives do you want to do then," I ask slightly curious.
"I was thinking of changing runes and arithmancy, but I hear that they're both very difficult, He finishes with a small sigh.
"Runes isn't that difficult if you are good with languages or have a good memory and- were you good at math in your muggle school," I ask and see a small flash of pain across his face, was he that bad at math.
"I didn't have the highest mark in the class," Harry said slowly, "but I always learned faster than everyone else and- I don't know, it always seemed like something was wrong- Why are you two staring at me."
"Harry, you sound like a textbook example of someone who has an innate talent in arithmancy, Harry have you ever changed a spell before and it still worked," Tracy asks and I give her a sharp look, I mean really-
"Well, when I was in primary school I apperated up to the roof of the school, and I can remember doing it, but I don't remember it feeling so uncomfort-" Harry mused, and then said sharply, "you're staring at me again," he then turns to Neville and fake gasps, "you to?"
"Well," I say and then continue slowly, "you are definitely going in arithmancy and between me and Hermione we could get you caught up in runes-"
"You want to help teach me," Harry said with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Why not," I respond with a playful smirk, "what could go wrong?"