Title inspired by song of the same name by Matchbox Twenty. Hope you enjoy this little oneshot of life a lil bit after the battle. To be honest, if there's enough outcry for a second part or further, I might make this a twoshot, but no promises.
BTW, I'm gonna have a poll up in my profile that just asks if you have a preference on the tense of stories you read (past vs. present tense). Majority of mine are past, but I've been thinking about dabbling. If you'd like you can vote in there just so I can get your input real quick, thanks.
Hope you enjoy it.
"You need any help with those boxes, mate?"
"Nah, I'm good, George." Harry sent a quick grin at the redhead. "I'll just put these upstairs and I'll be back down in a few."
"Sure." George flicked a thumbs up at him and nodded. "Looks like it's getting pretty packed so you might need to help people while I work the register."
"Sounds good." Harry replied, turning to trudge up the slightly creaky stairs. The dark mahogany wood led up to the attic of the building, which they used mainly as a storage room for products both new and old.
Ever since Voldemort had kicked the bucket, Harry'd been helping George with the joke shop. After Fred's funeral, George didn't want to really hire anyone who was unfamiliar and Harry had decided he'd had enough action in his life, no thank you Auror division.
It was a match made in heaven.
Well, not quite. Harry had needed to prod George a bit before he'd relented and allowed him to help, and still he'd insisted he pay Harry a fair wage.
Eh, it all worked out in the end.
It was pretty cool, working at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He got to interact with tons of people and sell awesome products that George and Fred had created and just the environment of the joke shop was simply invigorating.
There were times where he got uncomfortable, of course. Some customers still got wide-eyed in awe and furiously congratulated him on… whatever, he'd done. Some asked why he was working in a joke shop when he could be doing grander things with his life. Most understood that he was slightly uncomfortable and just quickly said thanks before going on their way, but there were a handful that…
He just. He didn't feel like what they saw him as.
A hero. Someone to erect onto a pedestal and praise as a saviour of all peoples, both magical and non-magical.
Most of the time, he felt just like a normal kid. A normal kid who'd grown up way too fast and was trying to pick up the pieces of a life that had been spent under the reign of a Dark Lord.
Just like everyone else.
The joke shop helped. He liked to think he and George helped each other with their shared grief, as well as everyone else who came into the homely shop looking for something to brighten up their day.
Some days were bad, but most days were better.
"Fuckin hell." Harry muttered and set the boxes down on the ground, pushing it with his foot into the corner of the room next to a punch of other unlabeled boxes with random objects. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and shook off any sweat. It was way too humid in here. Thank god the main shop was temperature controlled.
He could've just levitated the stack of boxes up the stairs, but he found the manual labor to be more satisfying. More grounding. It didn't feel like he was a hero of a society filled with hidden wizards and witches when he struggled to lift a stack of joke products up a flight of stairs.
"Hope George isn't being overrun." Harry said to himself, turning to make his way back down the stairs. Checking his watch, he saw that it was only an hour before close, so it wouldn't be too long until he could take a break. He was really hungry and wouldn't mind Apparating to Muggle London for a bite to eat after his shift.
"You alright, George?" Harry asked as soon as he entered the main part of the store.
"Yeah, I'm good, but I spotted some people straying around the consumables section, so you might wanna start with them." George answered from behind the register.
"On it." Harry responded, instantly turning on his heel and making his way toward the section.
The people having trouble in the edible section turned out to be Hogwarts students - third years - and weren't sure how detrimental the effects would be for different products. When the group of four told him they were all from different houses, he couldn't help the bright smile that instantly spread across his face.
This is what they had fought for, after all. He really couldn't name people from every house that he was friends with, and no, Draco didn't count. They were acquaintances at the very best. Sure, sometimes they had the occasional meal together to catch up, but that didn't mean a single thing.
After Harry'd sufficiently explained the effects of the consumables that the kids were concerned about, he did what he usually did and wandered around the store in search for customers who were having trouble. He usually paced a few laps around the store before checking up on George, and then set off to do the exact same thing.
"Everything good, Harry?" George asked once he made his way back to the registry. There had been a few people looking a little lost and asking for help, but each instance had been relatively simple to aid.
"All good." Harry nodded. "I'm just gonna take a few more laps before we close."
"Sure, mate. There aren't too many people anymore so we can just close up as soon as you're done." George said.
"Perfect." Harry said. "You wanna get a bite to eat after?"
George gave him a look and smirked, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you have a thing for redheads, Harrykins."
"Shove off." Harry rolled his eyes. "Is that a yes or a no?"
George sighed dramatically, "I suppose. Wouldn't want to hurt that hero ego with a rejection, now would we?"
"No, we wouldn't." Harry deadpanned. "Well, I guess I'll see you in a few for our date."
"See you in a bit, honey!" George called out as Harry walked away. He didn't hesitate in flipping him off as he left, even if he might've been failing to suppress a grin the entire time.
A handful of laps later, and the store was practically empty with only a few minutes till closing time. Of course, there were a few stragglers that still roamed the shelves, but most of them seemed to know what they were doing. All except one.
He spotted her each time he passed the wearables section of the shop, yet despite the generally confused and curious demeanor that the cascading blonde curls reverberated, he never approached her. Perhaps he was tired and just hoped she would figure things out, but on the last lap of the night, the woman was still unmovingly staring at the assorted objects, face hidden by her hair which almost reached her waist.
With a resigned inhale, Harry approached her.
"Hi, do you need any help over here?" Harry asked politely, causing the girl to calmly spin around.
Immediately, Harry was hit with a wave of recognition. She looked about his age, and her face was sharp, with slim cheeks, a sharp jawline, and elegant eyebrows. She was slightly shorter than him and appeared kinda aristocratic, not that he'd ever used that to describe a person's appearance before. Still, she fully fit the description. Even her clothing choice of a black trenchcoat over deep green robes was a subtle nod to her being probably relatively high class.
Still, he felt like he'd seen her before. He just couldn't tell from where.
"Possibly." The girl sent him a quick smile. "I'm sort of new to this, and I don't really know what I'm looking for."
"Well, that's what I'm here for." Harry replied. "Do you know generally what you want? We have enchanted rings, joke necklaces, and a lot of other things stored that aren't on display, so if you're looking for anything in particular, I can probably help you."
"Thanks." The girl said genuinely. She chewed on her lip for a moment and studied the shelf in front of her which displayed a number of different odd smelling perfumes. "I'm not really sure. I guess, maybe I could get one thing that might be actually useful and one thing that might be funny?"
"Okay." Harry nodded. "Well, do you want to only buy something from this section, or would you wanna try something from another section?"
"Err…" The girl frowned. "Preferably I'd like something from this section, but if you'd suggest something else, I wouldn't be opposed."
"No problem." Harry tapped his fingers against his thigh in thought. Something useful and something funny? That was practically the entire store wasn't it, but what would appeal to her? "Well, for something useful, we have a bunch of accessories that are enchanted. Like, this necklace here, for example."
Harry picked up a glittering silver chain that connected to a dangling ruby pendant and held it out for the woman to inspect it. "When you wear this, it'll ward off compulsion charms that aren't too overpowering, and as a bonus it'll glow red if you've ingested any love potions or something similar."
"It won't glow before I ingest it?" The girl scrunched her eyebrows together. "That doesn't sound very useful if I'm already fawning over some troll."
"Well, I suppose you could pour a little bit of whatever you're suspicious of onto the pendant. That would work." Harry shrugged. "I think George thinks it's funny that you'll know you're madly in love with someone against your will but will still love them nonetheless."
"Doesn't sound funny to me." The girl mumbled. Harry chuckled.
"Well, don't worry. We tested it. Even with Amortentia, the indisputable knowledge of having ingested a love potion is enough to get you to either throw it off or seek help." Harry smiled reassuringly. "And, if you want, we have chocolate crickets that'll cure you of basic love potions so that you'll have an easy remedy."
"Why crickets?" The girl asked, seemingly slightly alarmed.
Harry chuckled awkwardly, "Welcome to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes." He extended his arms outward before letting them fall to his sides. "Sorry if you're not interested, but there are other useful products I could suggest if you don't like it."
The woman pursed her lips for a moment before she shook her head. "No, it's quite alright. If you have one that has an emerald instead of a ruby, though, I'd prefer that."
"I think we have one in storage." Harry answered. "Not a fan of red?"
"I prefer green." The woman answered proudly. "I think 7 years of being surrounded by the color in my bedroom has something to do with that."
"You're a Slytherin then?" Harry hummed and frowned, inspecting the woman and searching for any string of recognition. Perhaps that's why she looked so familiar. "What year did you graduate?"
The woman sighed and shook her head, almost unapprovingly. "Really, Potter? You don't even recognize one of your yearmates? You know, there really aren't all that many of us left. It shouldn't be too difficult."
"Really?" Harry's eyebrows rose and his cheeks flushed red. He stared intensely at the woman's face in search of anything he could recognize, and yet the only thing he could note was that she stared back at him unwaveringly, sharp lines and soft features unmoving and stoic.
He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry. Er, I still don't really recognize you. You look sorta familiar, but… I'm sorry if that offends you in any way."
The woman's bright blue eyes bore into him, and in the silence in which she stared at him he could only awkwardly fidget and adjust himself under her gaze.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was realistically only a few moments, she broke the silence, "You apologize too much."
"Sorry." Harry replied instinctively, and then promptly turned to the color of a tomato (probably).
Her lips twitched in a phantom of a smile, "It's quite alright. I kept to myself and didn't draw too much attention. To be fairly honest, I… I didn't get out much." For some reason, this caused the woman to be the one who was embarrassed, as her cheeks now boasted a light pink. Cute.
"And, your name…?"
"Oh! Right." The woman cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and subtly inclined her head. "Daphne Greengrass. Heiress to Lord Florian Greengrass."
"Well, nice to meet you Daphne." Harry said and held out his hand. Daphne blinked and stared at his hand. After a moment, she obliged and shook it lightly. Her hand was soft and gentle as opposed to his admittedly rough and calloused palms.
"Nice to meet you too." Daphne replied gracefully.
The aristocratic and slight bougie presence that she emitted made sense at this point. Now that he knew her name, he remembered hearing her name here and there, especially from Hermione who he could recall mentioning her when talking about the top students in their year. But, true to Daphne's word, he couldn't recall actually seeing her all that often. Even roaming the halls or sitting down in the Great Hall, he never really noticed her. Perhaps a fleeting memory of the tamed golden hair or the distinct, slightly pale complexion, but other than that…
"Your father, Florian…" Harry pursed his lips. "He's on the Wizengamot, is he not?"
"That he is." Daphne nodded. "And, as the eldest, once he's passed, I will assume his place."
"Hmm." Harry hummed. "Looking forward to it?"
"Looking forward to my father's death?" Daphne questioned with a raised eyebrow. Harry's eyes widened in alarm.
"That was worded poorly, sorry." Harry bit the inside of his cheek. Perhaps he would punish himself by mauling the inside of his mouth whenever he misspoke. In theory, it sounded like a suitable punishment.
From what he remembered, Florian Greengrass was extremely powerful and pretty influential amongst the pureblood space. And, if Daphne was going to eventually assume his position on the Wizengamot, it wouldn't hurt to be on their good side in case he needed their sway for an important ruling.
"It's alright, I was just teasing. I know what you meant." Daphne flicked her hand in a nonchalant gesture. Harry didn't know that pureblood heiresses of such importance could tease. She sighed, and for the first time in their conversation, he could sense a hint of reluctance in her. "I wouldn't say I'm bouncing on my toes, ready to swoop in for the chair whenever I get the chance. I've known about my duty for a long while now, and I know what I must do once the time comes."
"But you're not, I dunno, excited?" Harry asked. "Perhaps that's not the right word, but… not even a little? It's not everyday you get the opportunity to hold so much power over the direction of Britain."
"If I had the choice, I think I'd rather not deal with such imbeciles as the ones on that millennium-old, outdated court, thank you." Daphne said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her cheeks inflamed a little bit and her back stiffened, and Harry got the idea that she wasn't supposed to say that out loud, but her shoulders relaxed as if she didn't care now that she'd already said it. "Besides, from what my father's told me, you aren't exactly pleased with your position, either."
"Yeah… it's…" Harry sighed. "I hate politics."
Daphne scoffed, "That makes two of us." She paused, and smiled. "But you're still using the influence you have, are you not? I've heard that you're using your name and power to push things in a better direction for Britain's laws and regulations. Between you and me, I think my father respects and even likes you because of your methods."
"Thanks." Harry blushed and looked down at his shoes. He never did well with compliments. "I take it you're not a pureblood supremacist or anything like that?"
"Merlin, no." Daphne shook her head. "Every time Malfoy started ranting about shit like that, I wanted to blow my brains out."
Harry barked out a surprised chuckle, which spiraled into a fit of laughter for the both of them. He didn't know when it happened, but this was perhaps the best conversation he'd ever had with a Slytherin. Well, Malfoy and him had had a few alright ones here and there, but that didn't count for all the same reasons as before.
"Harry, the hell you still doing over here?" George asked, coming around a corner and looking more than a little confused. "We were supposed to close like 10 minutes ago."
"Oh, shit. Sorry, George." Harry answered, still recovering from his fit of giggles. "I lost track of time helping Daphne over here."
George rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Just make sure you don't contaminate the merchandise. I'll be by the register once you're finished."
"Got it." Harry said, both him and Daphne going a bit red at his comment. Once he left back towards the back of the shop, a silence once again overtook the two, the only sounds they could hear being faded noises through the window from Diagon Alley outside. Harry could faintly hear the excited yells of children and a few muffled conversations.
"Well, thank you. For helping me." Daphne said slightly awkwardly, straightening herself and clearing her throat.
"No problem." Harry said. He smiled politely. "I'll get that emerald pendant for you, and… wait. Shite. You wanted something funny, right?"
"Oh, it's fine. You've already closed, I wouldn't wanna be a hassle. I can just purchase the necklace." Daphne shook her head.
"It's alright, it probably won't take too long anyways. We'll find something pretty quick, then I can get your necklace from storage." Harry reassured. Daphne bit her lip in hesitance, but nodded reluctantly in the end.
"I'd like that."
"Perfect." Harry smiled. "So, do you wanna stay in this section, or shall we explore a little bit?"
Turns out, Daphne's idea of "funny" was getting a bottle of men's cologne that was labeled as broom polish but actually smelled like troll odor to everyone but the user. She had said that her friend Tracey would love it, so he let it be.
"That'll be 4 Galleons and 11 Sickles." Harry said from behind the register. Swiftly, Daphne produced said amount of coinage from her rather expensive looking bag and handed them over the counter. "Thank you."
Daphne nodded and smiled, a little subdued. "Thanks for helping, Potter."
"Harry." He corrected with a grin.
"Harry." Daphne repeated. He liked how it sounded coming from her. He'd become so accustomed in recent years to his name being said in situations where he was being scolded or called for potential aid. It was a nice change.
Silence permeated the atmosphere, and Harry could practically hear George struggling not to laugh in the backroom, ear (real or Extendable) probably pressed to the door in an effort to eavesdrop. He was half-tempted to cast a silent Muffliato just to spite the fucker.
"So…" Harry cleared his throat. "I was wondering."
"You were wondering." Daphne nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"Yeah. You said that you don't do this often?" Harry tilted his head, what he said not quite a question but spurred a cog in Daphne's head nonetheless.
"Ah." Daphne nodded and looked down at the counter between them. "Yeah. You probably noticed, but… I haven't gotten out much. I committed most of my time in my early years into preparing for my role in the future, and I recently realized because of the war and everything that there's more I want to do than talk treaties and policies with balding grandfathers. So… that's what I'm doing. I'm not gonna shirk my duties as heiress to my family business and a Wizengamot seat, but I'm also going to do things that I wanna do."
Harry stared at her. Because, everything she said, he felt almost exactly the same way. The only reason he'd originally wanted to become an Auror, was because he thought everybody else would expect him to be one. He wanted to be like his father. Like Sirius, even, who despite how little time they'd spent together was as close to a father figure as he'd ever had.
He'd spent much of his school years running and fighting and surviving and doing everything except what he wanted to do. Sure, there'd been moments. There'd been friends made and laughs had and points where he maybe felt like as close to a regular schoolboy at Hogwarts as one could. But…
What did he want to do?
He wanted to have a job and role in society that made people happier. Made them laugh, made them smile. He wanted to help people who were in unfavorable situations. He wanted to have a part in reforming the perverted, dark parts of society, although still not be in the limelight.
He wanted to live. And not some geezer's ideal version of how he was supposed to live. He wasn't going to live for anyone else, he was going to make decisions for himself.
That was one thing he respected Dumbledore for. Sure, in the end, he might've led him on with the idea to be killed in the end. But, he'd allowed him to make his own choices. He was appreciative of that fact. Always would be.
"Hey, Daphne." Harry's lips moved practically by themselves. His voice was slightly meek, yet in the silence surrounding them, it felt loud. Daphne perked up and looked at him with her full attention. "Do you wanna go out to eat tonight? With me?"
She blinked.
"I mean," Harry laughed awkwardly and scratched his upper arm. "You just said that you haven't gone out much, and I guess, I feel like I could help. I'm probably not the best option, but I feel like I know enough and-"
"I'd like that." Daphne said, cutting Harry off before he could ramble even further. He paused, mouth still partly open, before he closed it and smiled. Daphne smiled back, shy and small.
"Perfect." Harry said simply. "Well, if you'd like, I can take you somewhere right after George and I close? It shouldn't take too long, probably less than 10 minutes."
"That's fine." Daphne inclined her head, causing a few stray hairs to fall in her face. She frowned and quickly swiped them away. Harry's lips twitched. "I can wait outside."
"Perfect." Harry repeated. He paused. "So…"
"So…" Daphne smiled teasingly. "I'll see you outside then."
"Alright." Harry paused awkwardly. "Bye."
"Bye." Daphne grinned cheekily and left with a slight whip in her hair.
Harry stared as she walked away, unbelieving even as she glided between the shelves of products that would eventually obscure her from his vision.
"Merlin, mate." George whistled from behind him. "That was painful."
"Shut the fuck up, George." Harry said automatically, his vision still glued on where Daphne had disappeared.
"Reminded me of when you were bumbling over Cho all those years ago." He said. Harry could practically hear the shit-eatting grin on his face.
"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Harry glanced back up at him.
"Nah, back then I would've given you a Troll. This was only a Dreadful." George clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry mate. Eventually, under my tutelage, you'll be as smooth as can be. Granted, not nearly as suave as I am, but there's nothing we can do about that."
"I'm getting graded on this?" Harry asked incredulously. George shrugged in a what-can-you-do motion. "Also, I don't remember you ever being smooth."
"Harrykins." George tsked and shook his head. "Who's the one that's married here?"
"That doesn't count!"
"How doesn't it count?" George snorted loudly. "I think Ang would slap you for that."
"No she wouldn't. She'd just force me to do 50 laps in the pouring rain." Both Harry and George shivered at that. Angelina was harsher than even Wood when it came to being Quidditch captain in every way imaginable. Thank the heavens above they didn't have to deal with that anymore.
"Well, I don't want you keeping the fine lady waiting. I'll close up while you two get all lovey-dovey." George said, reaching over to ruffle his already messy hair. Harry immediately slapped his arm away and scowled at him.
"You sure?" Harry asked, choosing to ignore that extra comment.
"Yeah, we can go out another time. This isn't technically cheating since we haven't gone out yet, so I'll let it slide." George joked offhandedly. "Go have fun, Harry. Let loose a little. Lord knows you need to get out more since you and Gin stopped."
"Yeah, yeah." Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure thing. See you tomorrow." George flashed a thumbs up and waved goodbye as Harry fetched his coat and made his way out, almost subconsciously following the exact path that Daphne had gone.
The signature laughter of a pair of Weasley twins sounded as Harry exited the shop and signaled the charmed bell, and the cool air of the light, twilight breeze hit his exposed skin as the door rushed shut behind him. He wrapped his dark coat tighter around his body and almost jumped when he realized Daphne was standing right next to him, leaning against the shop's frame and looking out towards the rest of Diagon Alley.
He followed her gaze and spotted two middle-aged parents walking arm in arm, following a bouncy little girl who was blissfully bounding ahead of them in a fuzzy blue jacket that was much too large for her.
He smiled and looked at Daphne. A relaxed smile graced her soft, unguarded features.
"Well, at least it's a nice night for this." Harry said softly. The overcast clouds from earlier had long since dispersed, and the sky was now littered with glittering lights.
"Indeed." She nodded and tore her sight away from the family to look toward Harry. Her blue orbs of ice were piercing into his own eyes of bright green. Intimidating, exotic, and inviting all at the same time. He could probably spend hours just studying the intricacies of her irises. "Well, Muggle London? I don't think I've ever been there besides a brief stop every now and then."
"Don't worry, as long as you keep an open mind, I'm sure you'll love it." Harry said. "There's a ton of things that muggle society has that you'd never find twice in the wizarding world."
"Really?" Daphne raised an eyebrow. Harry nodded exuberantly. Still, she appeared skeptical. "Like what?"
Harry grinned and held out his arm. An invitation to side-Apparition. "You ever have fast food before?"
"I just… pick it up?"
"Yup."
"With my hands?"
"Mhm." Harry affirmed, amused. After a moment, Daphne overcame her hesitation and grasped the burger in front of her with both hands. She paused, staring at the greasy food in her hold, before she put it to her lips and daintily bit into it.
"Daphne." Harry tsked and shook his head good-naturedly. "You're supposed to get everything in one bite, not just the top bun."
"But it's so tall!" Daphne protested, holding it out for Harry to see just in case he hadn't already seen it.
"It really isn't. Look, " Harry took a proper bite out of his burger to demonstrate. He chewed thoroughly and wiped his lips with a napkin. "See, it isn't that hard. And, if you really need to, you can squish it down with your hands to make it smaller."
Hesitantly, Daphne pressed down on her burger, making it slightly thinner. Apparently, it was enough for her, and this time when she took a bite, she was able to get every ingredient in one go.
Harry waited patiently for her judgment as she chewed slowly, her eyes closed in thought. He took a sip of his chocolate shake and almost hummed in pleasure. Since he'd gotten out from under the thumb of the Dursleys along with their strict food options, he'd found a number of Muggle food cuisines that he'd either never had before or had limited exposure to. It was refreshing, being able to choose for himself what he wanted to eat.
Her eyes flew open, wide and shining. "I want another."
"..."
"You haven't even finished that one." Harry said, both amused and in shock at the same time. He tossed a few fries into his mouth and chewed on them to suppress a smile that would've probably been much too bright for something so simply.
"I don't care." Daphne responded immediately. She took another bite, larger than the first, and moaned in pleasure as she chewed. "This is really good! How have I never had something like this?"
"Sheltered pureblood lifestyle." Harry answered simply. Daphne nodded admittedly. "And, there are a ton of different toppings and other things you can put on it."
"Really?" She perked up.
"Yup." Harry said. He held up his own burger. "Yours is a more plain version, but I got ketchup and onions and there are a ton of other options, so you can customize it to whatever your preference is. If you really want another, you can try a different one after you're done."
"Are you sure?" Daphne asked, a little more timid than just moments ago. Harry grinned reassuringly.
"Definitely. This is my chance to expose you to muggle society. The least I could do is find the best burger for you." Harry said. Daphne smiled at that. "Oh, that reminds me, have you tried the fries yet?"
"Mmm. No, not yet." She picked one up and tossed it in her mouth. "Not bad, but a little salty."
"Yeah, that's why a lot of people dip them in ketchup." Harry motioned towards the cup filled with the red condiment. "I've heard some people dip them in their milkshakes as well, but I've never done that before."
Daphne promptly dipped one in her ketchup and ate it. She nodded approvingly. "Much better."
"Great." Harry smiled. "Once you're done with the first one, we can get you another, and then we can do whatever you're most interested in after."
"I thought you were supposed to be my guide." Daphne dabbed at her lips with her napkin and smirked.
"Eh, I'm not gonna drag you anywhere you might not wanna go." Harry shrugged a single shoulder. "I only made us come here first 'cause I thought you might like how different it is from your usual routine."
"Mhmm." Daphne nodded and hummed in thought, all the while continuing to chew on her burger. "I've heard from Tracey that muggles have these things called movies and whole theaters to watch them? She didn't explain all that well what they actually are, but if you know somewhere we can watch one I'd be interested."
"We can definitely watch one." Harry said. "There's a theater nearby, we can probably walk there."
"Perfect." She hurriedly sipped at her drink. "Just let me finish up and then we can go."
"You can get another if you want." He chuckled. "No need to rush."
"Oh, it's alright. I know where this place is now. I'll be visiting quite frequently, so I'll find my perfect burger in no time." Daphne said confidently.
"I'm sure." Harry said, amused. "Still, no need to rush. Theater probably doesn't close for a few hours, so you can take your time."
Despite his words, Daphne ate quite quickly, eating in such a way that if Harry hadn't known, he would've thought she'd done this a hundred times prior. Harry himself had a difficult time keeping pace and finishing his own food in time with Daphne's.
They were done relatively quickly, and Harry gladly followed Daphne's form as she practically skipped out of the place even though she had no idea where they were going.
Eventually, they made their way to the nearby theater, the walk only taking around 10 minutes. While they walked, Harry took the time to point out a few things that caught Daphne's eye, explaining what some buildings were for and different stores and objects and other muggle commonalities they came across that Daphne was either confused or intrigued by.
As soon as they got past the ticket booth with two tickets for an obscure movie in their hands, Daphne's demeanor shifted to something more akin to a small child in wonder. Like she had just seen a rainbow for the first time, or something like that.
He understood, really. The theater had an atmosphere brimming with a spiral of positive emotions, something that a lot of wizards still struggled with even a few months after the climax to one of the worst events their society had experienced. The theater was implicitly filled with laughter and wide smiles and enticing smells and eye-popping colors.
"Wow." Daphne breathed out, stopped in the middle of the large room, staring at the red walls and loud movie posters and running children. "This is amazing."
"Yup." Harry nodded, hands in his pockets. "Just wait till we see the actual movie."
"This isn't it?" Daphne asked and looked back at him. Harry shook his head, amused. She pursed her lips and looked back at the majority of the room. "And muggles made this?"
"Well, probably." Harry said, walking up beside her. "I'd never really thought about it before, but it's possible muggles either were inspired by the magical pictures or some of the inventors were magicals themselves. Still, some of the technology that they have is quite complex."
"I know." Daphne said. "Tracey's shown me her cellphone before. She'd never been able to bring it to Hogwarts, but she showed me when I visited her one summer. I never realized there would be a way to communicate with someone halfway across the continent so quickly without Floo powder or an owl."
"Yeah, the only downside is that muggle technology for some reason doesn't interact well with magic." Harry shrugged. He still didn't entirely understand why. Maybe Hermione had the answer. "Well, if you're ever in a bind and need to contact someone quickly but don't have access to a Floo network and can't Apparate, you could always use a Patronus."
"That's a very specific situation." Daphne muttered. She scrunched her eyebrows up in thought. "You can use a Patronus to communicate with someone?"
"Yup." Harry nodded. "I don't know who figured it out, but if you just speak a message and your intended receiver to your Patronus right after you cast it, it won't take too long for it to get there."
"That's… actually pretty useful." Daphne said. "If I could cast one, that is."
"You can't?" Harry asked, immediately cursing himself for letting his mouth open before he could stop himself.
"Nope." Daphne said, not looking offended at all. "I could do it in sixth year before… everything happened, I suppose. But ever since the battle, all I can manage is a pretty weak mist."
"Hmm." Harry frowned. "That's kinda odd."
"Yeah. What can you do?" Daphne said nonchalantly.. "Now enough of this. We didn't come here to talk about my inabilities. I believe you took me here to show me a movie."
"Yes ma'am." Harry said, saluting. Daphne rolled her eyes. "But first, you can't experience a movie theater without getting an appropriately unhealthy amount of snacks."
"This can't be healthy." Daphne stared at the pile of snacks that sat on the armrests between them.
"Eh, run a couple miles, it'll be fine."
"Potter." Daphne shifted her gaze towards him. "Between this and the food we had earlier, I'm going to gain five kilos by tomorrow."
"Let's not exaggerate."
"And why would I ever run a couple miles?" She asked. "I don't think I've ever run in my life for any reason other than chasing after my little sister."
"I think shaving off five kilos would be a good reason." Harry commented. That got him a punch to his shoulder. "Ow! The bloody hell was that for?"
"For calling me fat."
"I didn't do any such thing!" Harry said in a furious whisper. Daphne shrugged uncaringly.
"Well that's what it sounded like to me."
Harry spluttered. He didn't have a response to that. He couldn't well say that he was too distracted by her fierce, glittering eyes in the darkness of the theater to come up with a comeback, now could he? She probably would sock him again, but this time in the face.
"Whatever." Harry said, turning back towards the large screen. "Now quiet. It's gonna start soon. Wouldn't wanna be distracted during our first movie, now would we?"
"That's not how you speak to a lady." Daphne mumbled. Harry nudged her arm with his elbow. "Seriously though, you didn't need to buy all of this."
"I wanted you to get the full experience." Harry said nonchalantly. Daphne looked down at the pile of food between them, picking up a colorful box of candies that Harry had only had a handful of times before. "Plus, I don't often do this, so I suppose I wanted to go all out while I could."
"Still," Daphne mumbled, plucking two candies out of the box and offering Harry one. He gladly popped it in his mouth. He had to hold back a hiss. It was much more sour than he remembered. "You could've at least let me pay for some of it."
"You and what muggle money?" Harry chuckled. "And even if you had some pounds on you, It's fine. I recently found out my family left me enough to last a hundred lifetimes."
Daphne scrunched up her eyebrows and gave him a look, "Did you just call me large again?"
"Huh?" Harry frowned and mirrored her expression. "Oh, pounds. That's muggle currency in Britain. I'm actually surprised you don't know that."
"Oh, I do." Daphne said smoothly. "I just like how your face gets red so easily."
Harry couldn't see himself, but he probably reacted appropriately. Though, even in the darkness of the theater, he could still see the light pink dusting that immediately graced Daphne's cheeks. So sometimes she said things before she thought about it. Noted.
Suddenly, the large, blank screen in front of them blinked to life, covering the room in a colorful light and forcing the two of them to hiss at the sudden brightness.
"Oh! Is it finally starting?" Daphne asked once she'd recovered, perking up in interest. She sat up, settling into the back of her admittedly comfy chair, and glued her eyes to the screen. Harry watched as her eyes widened and she gave out a small gasp when a large, red circle came on the screen. It was an M . "I can actually sort of see what Tracey was talking about."
"Er… Daphne." She turned to him with curious eyes. He smiled, amused. "It hasn't started yet."
"It hasn't?" She frowned, confused, and looked back at the screen as if her eyes were deceiving her and the projector hadn't just come to life. "But…"
"It's just commercials." Harry said.
"Commercials?" Daphne asked. "The theater shows third-party advertisements during movies?"
"Yup." Harry shrugged.
"..."
"It's fine. It'll only last another 10 minutes or so." Harry said.
"It better." Daphne grumbled and slouched back into her seat.
Of course, only a few moments later, she was up and practically bouncing up and down, staring in wonder at the commercials with loud colors and even louder sounds.
Harry shook his head with a smile, settled comfortably back into his chair, and plucked a box of candy from their pile. It was going to be a fun night.
"That was amazing!"
"It was, wasn't it?" Harry smiled, amused. The movie itself wasn't all that impressive to him considering he'd seen much better in terms of quality. But still, the experience itself was buoyed by his company.
"Can we see one more? I'll pay you back!" Daphne asked excitedly, practically rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet..
"Slow down!" Harry chuckled. He checked his watch. "It's past midnight, and I think you're parent's would be worried if you didn't get home soon."
"It's already past midnight?" Daphne perked up and checked her own watch. She frowned and pouted, which Harry definitely did not think was entirely too cute. "Still, I could just Apparate over and tell them I'll be there soon enough."
"There's no rush, Daphne. We can see all the movies you want another day. They're not going anywhere." Harry smiled, even as Daphne's frown persisted and her eyebrows knit together and she lightly stomped the heel of her boot. "Plus, I promised Andromeda I'd pop over and see Teddy before the night was over."
"Teddy?" Daphne asked, confused and curious.
"My godson." Harry clarified. Daphne paused.
"I didn't know you had a godson." She said. Not in an accusatory or hurt tone, but a matter-of-fact one.
He smiled, "I'll tell you all about it next time, but for now, it's probably time for both of us to go."
"You swear there's gonna be a next time?" Daphne asked.
"I could make an Unbreakable Vow if you want." Harry smirked. She scoffed.
"There's no need for that." She said and looked toward the distance at one of the only open muggle shops left. She paused, and glanced hesitantly at him. He gave a reassuring smile, or at least something as close to that as he could. "Next weekend?"
"I'd love that." Harry smiled. "But, if you're not busy, we could do it sooner. Like, say, Wednesday?"
Daphne smiled radiantly and offered him a card from her coat pocket, "Pick me up at seven. Here's the address."
"Perfect." Harry said. They stood there, staring at each other rather awkwardly. Silence reigned over them. "I'll see you then?"
"Yeah." Daphne nodded hesitantly. "I'll see you then."
With a last smile, Daphne took a single step back and Disapparted in an instant.
Harry stood there, his eyes glued on the spot where she had just stood and his lips upturned in a smile that he just couldn't get rid of.
He should get going soon. Teddy and Andi were waiting for him. Maybe he'd tell Andi that he'd finally gone on a date.
Or maybe he'd keep it to himself.
He hadn't felt normal in a long while. Every hour, every minute, every second since the moment Voldemort turned into a pile of ashes and was blown into the Scottish wind, he'd felt like he was constantly trying to do something. Join this, do that, help this person, and on and on and on.
Today felt like a step in the right direction. A step that his friends had already started to take, a step towards picking up the pieces shattered apart by the past generation.
Yeah.
He'd keep it to himself.