Daphne snuck out early the morning after the Yule Ball, trying to escape the girls and their endless questions. When she had returned to her dorm only hours before, they girls had bombarded her with inquiries; 'Was he a good kisser?' 'Did he smell good?' 'Did he say he loves you?' It was madness as far as Daphne knew!
She didn't sleep at all that night because she was wide awake, staring at the ceiling. What did happen? Did she even like Blaise in that way? Or was she just curious after a long night that also had alcohol mixed in?
What does it matter! Aside from the girls, no one is ever going to hear about this! Especially the boys!
Deciding that she wanted some breakfast, Daphne headed out of the common room and down towards the kitchen, which she knew would be making food at this time of the morning. But when she opened the portrait, something was blocking it, and she had to physically shove the door open. On the other side, a boy stirred in his sleep and rubbed his eyes."About time! I've been waiting for hours for someone to come out here!" he yawned, pulling himself up on the wall. Daphne stared at him like he had a tentacle growing out of his forehead; why was this boy sleeping outside the Slytherin common room? He wasn't from their house, so it's not that he could have forgotten the password...
"What are you doing down here? You're not even supposed to know where this is." She demanded, putting her hands on her hips in annoyance.
"Can you deliver a message for me?" he asked, more or less pleading with her. Daphne raised her eyebrows but didn't agree. "Can you tell Astoria Greengrass that I'm sorry and-"
"Astoria?" Daphne laughed out loud. She recognized him now as her last-minute date from the Yule Ball last night.
"Do you know her!?" he asked frantically.
"I'm her sister..." Daphne said in a low, disinterested tone of voice. The boy paused and gave her a quick once-over.
"Her sister?" He paused, confused, then added, "She's a blonde, good-looking girl, isn't she?"
Daphne raised one eyebrow now and tapped her foot to show she was not pleased. Then she cracked her knuckles as she reached for her wand in her robe pocket. "I suggest you run back to your house before I turn you into the little maggot you are." She hissed. The boy gave a very scared nod and then took off running down the dark halls. "Little shit..." she grumbled under her breath as she pulled her robe closed around her.
The halls were very chilly at this time of the morning, and she had a brief thought to go back to her bed and sleep. But her stomach gave a protesting growl, so she decided to trudge onward to the first meal she'd eaten in 24 hours. She was able to grab a very quick breakfast from the kitchen (despite the protests from the house elves), and she walked up to the Great Hall, which was just opening when she arrived. Looking forward to a quiet, undisturbed breakfast, she sat in the middle of the Slytherin table and began to munch on her eggs and sausage. Her peace was short-lived. Theodore came slumping into the seat beside her only 5 minutes later, looking very tired.
"Why are you up so early?" Theodore groaned as he set his head on the table. Daphne looked at him with a confused expression.
"Why are you up so early?" she pointed out "Clearly you should still be in bed."
"I was looking for you," He yawned "I wanted to ask you something."
"Alright, what is it?" she asked before shoveling a forkful of eggs into her mouth. He ruffled his own hair in an attempt to shake out the weird cowlick he had, then gave another yawn before he could speak.
"Did you make-out with Blaise last night?" he asked bluntly. Daphne choked on her eggs and began to cough violently, dropping her fork onto the plate. After Theodore gave her a couple smacks on the back, she was able to breathe again, but her face was still very red.
"How do you know that?" she managed hoarsely, coughing once more after.
"So, it's true..." He said in a low voice, looking away towards the Great Hall doors "Well I'll be damned; Blaise isn't as big a liar as I thought..." He then turned back and looked at her very seriously "You, on the other hand, have caught me by surprise," he said, raising his eyebrows with intrigue "Is he the one Tracey was talking about? The boy you're in love with?"
"Blaise? No!" Daphne laughed awkwardly, taking a sip of water "We're just friends..."
"Yes, because friends make-out with each other so often..." Theodore smirked. Daphne glared at him momentarily, but said nothing "Well, I'll just warn you that all of us-" he paused and looked at the door again, "The guys, that is- we all know about it because Blaise came back and told us all."
Daphne's mouth dropped open with shock; she was so sure that Blaise wouldn't make a big deal out it!
But then again... he has been known to brag about things... She put her face in her hands and groaned in frustration Way to go Daphne. Now everyone knows what you did last night!
"All the girls know too because they caught us." She mumbled in her hands. Theodore hissed like he had been burnt and then patted her on the back lightly.
"Then that settles it," he said lightly. Daphne lifted her head and looked at him for clarification; he smiled sweetly and gave her another pat on the shoulder "You're never going to hear the end of this."
"Thanks, Theodore," she mumbled, frowning as she stabbed her eggs with more force than necessary. Theodore let out a quick laugh, and then looked towards the door for the third time "Who are you looking for?" she asked in a low, tired voice.
"Your sister. Apparently, she's been on a rampage since last night. That's where she was, by the way; back in the dorm with her friends, screaming and crying about something." Theodore explained, craning his neck to see over the students now arriving for their first meal of the day, many people looking very tired, like Daphne.
"What a surprise. I met her date outside the portrait this morning. He's not exactly a charming fellow, that's for sure. No wonder she's pissed at him."
"What did he say?" Theodore pressed, stealing a piece of toast off the plate of food that now appeared.
She opened her mouth to tell him, but then remembered how insulting his statement had been, and decided it was best not to. "He just demanded to see Astoria. I told him he couldn't and he'd better get the hell away from our dormitory." She lied.
"Well remember, at least he wasn't 4 years older than her." Theodore pointed out lightly, then his expression darkened. "Uh oh, here she comes..." He said quietly "And she's heading this way."
Sure enough, Astoria, followed by her little gang of 2nd-year friends were heading her way, with the leader of said pack looking like she'd been crying her eyes out all night. For a moment, Daphne felt sorry for her sister. But then, when she thought about it, she knew that her mother had given her creams for puffy, tear-stained eyes and that this was probably to get attention.
"Daphne," She said curtly, her eyes red and swollen. Her voice sounded tired and hoarse like perhaps she had been crying (or screaming) all night.
"Astoria, what's the matter?" she asked, trying to sound concerned, but not vulnerable. It wasn't the first time she had been fooled by her sister's crocodile tears, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last...
"Did you see Kevin this morning?" she sniffed. Daphne raised her eyebrows slightly and exchanged a sideways glance with Theodore.
"You mean your date last night?" she inquired, her tone sounding less sympathetic this time. Astoria nodded her head slowly. "As a matter of fact, I did. He told me to tell you he's sorry. Then I sent him back to his house."
"You idiot! Why did you send him back!" she hissed, tears welling up in her eyes. "It was all a misunderstanding, and now he's going to go back with that horrid Lisa Turpin!"
"I'm sorry, but I haven't read the 'Who's Astoria's current boyfriend' column in the Daily Prophet today. Really Astoria, I find it hard to keep up with as it is," Daphne said bluntly. Her sister's jaw dropped down and her eyes went wide, but she was for once speechless "I wonder what father will say when I tell him about what you've been up to lately; I don't think convincing a boy to dump his current date to take you to a silly ball will sit well with him." She added before she turned back to her plate and cut up a piece of her sausage.
"You wouldn't understand! You've never had a boyfriend in your life, and probably never will!" Astoria fired back, her expression as dark as her words, glaring into Daphne's back. Theodore's face was one of amusement as he watched the quarrel take place between the sisters. Daphne paused for a moment and then slammed her fork down on her plate.
"Astoria, having a boyfriend to me doesn't mean a new one every 4 days." She said coolly. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you're going to run out of both Hogwarts and Drumstrang boys at the rate you're going."
Astoria's friends now let out indignant gasps. Daphne glared at her sister, who was mirroring the expression with more hatred then she had ever seen from her. "Keep it up, and I'll have to write home to tell father about the little slut you're becoming." She hissed before she turned back to her meal "Now go cry to someone who cares." She added brutally.
She could feel Astoria's dagger eyes stabbing her in the back again, but she ignored them. Theodore hadn't even looked away from Astoria yet, but when he did, his jaw was still down in shock.
"Everyone knows you're just jealous of me, Daphne!" Astoria spat at her back. Daphne felt her grip get tighter on the fork she was holding, but she fought the urge to turn around and risk stabbing her. "You couldn't find a boy that would like you even if you tried, and even if you could, it would be someone like Longbottom!" she added. From the heat on the back of her neck, Daphne gathered that her sister must have been standing right behind her. But despite how close she was, and how easily she could backhand her and teach her to be so insolent, she kept her grip tight on the fork and her teeth locked. "You're a disgrace to our fam-"
"YOU are the disgrace, Astoria!" Daphne shouted, whirling around and standing up from her seat, knocking down the bench (and Theodore) as she stood. Astoria backed up and into the Ravenclaw benches. They were vaguely aware of the stares they were receiving from the arriving students, but neither of them backed down. "Look at what you're doing! Whoring yourself out to boys 4 years older than you, and you're barely 12!" she hissed, looking at her sister in disgust "Turning you loose in this school was the worst decision mother and father ever made, aside from having you in the first place." Daphne took a step forward and was now standing mere inches away from her shorter sister's face. "I suggest you keep away from me because everything I see I will write back to father. You and I know both know that nothing would make me happier than to see you revealed for what you really are."
"You wouldn't dare tell them anything!" Astoria hissed.
"And what are you going to do to stop me? I have nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to lose. You have everything to be ashamed of, and everything to lose." Daphne scoffed.
Astoria ground her teeth a little as she searched her head for something to shoot back at her. But when she could find nothing, she stamped her foot and stormed off, her friends following close behind.
"Ow!" Theodore said, his voice showing the amusement more than his face did. He stood from the floor and lifted up the bench off the floor, rubbing his tailbone as he turned back to Daphne. She was still glaring in the direction that her sister left. "Well, that was entertaining!" he laughed as he took a seat on the bench, wincing when he sat on his injury.
"I'm glad I amuse you..." She hissed as she took her seat and began to stab the sausage with even more force.
"Try not to break the plate, Daphne." Theodore chuckled. She shot him a death glare; this day was not going very well so far, and she wouldn't put it past her luck to shatter a plate or two.
"Good morning Theodore," Called a familiar voice cheerfully. Before her brain could even up the name to the voice, Daphne was blushing feverously. Blaise sat down across from them and instantly met her eyes. "Morning Daphne," He said in a very different, almost knowing tone.
"Morning Blaise..." she mumbled very quietly, now leaning her head down so her hair covered her face. Theodore laughed quietly to himself but didn't say anything out loud.
"Theodore," Blaise started, his tone light like he was discussing the weather "I was wondering; could you go away for a few minutes so I can talk to Daphne?"
A very awkward silence fell between them, and Daphne felt her heart rate accelerate. Theodore caught her eye briefly as she lifted her hair out of her face, her expression as shocked and concerned as she was. "Sure. I'll just, uh, go find Draco...or something..." he said, giving Daphne a knowing smile before he got up and shuffled out of the Great Hall, stretching his hands above his head with a great yawn.
"I'm almost afraid to ask why you felt the need to get rid of Theodore..." Daphne mumbled, looking at the table instead of Blaise. He chuckled quietly and tapped the table thoughtlessly.
"Well, having a private conversation doesn't work too well when there is someone listening, does it?" he teased. Daphne managed a nervous smile. She had never felt quite like this before; it wasn't that she was in love with him like she was Draco, but Blaise made her feel anxious and shy all at once as she watched him watching her.
"You have no idea how much on an earful I got from the girls last night..." Daphne said quietly, still not looking him in the eyes. Blaise laughed and shook his head slowly.
"Well Pansy has nothing on you since she has her own affairs to worry about," Blaise remarked slowly, checking to see if Pansy was around. Daphne looked up at last, confused by what he had just said, and managed to catch his eyes right as he turned back to face her. She felt her face burn a little again with embarrassment, but she ignored it.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice sounded very forced.
"Draco and Pansy are officially an item as of last night," Blaise replied matter-of-factly. "Talk about calling the kettle black! Pansy and Draco were snogging for hours before we got back to the common room, or so Flint told me."
Daphne felt very nauseous all the sudden. Perhaps it was the fact that she just felt her heart get yanked out of her chest. Or it was the mental image she suddenly had of Draco and Pansy, wearing their dress robes, sitting by the fire in one chair, with Pansy sitting in Draco's lap as she always did, their tongues down each other's throats. She had to remind herself to breathe, and she stared at the table once again.
"Daph? You look pale. Are you alright?" Blaise asked, his question bringing her back to earth. She shook her head of the images and looked up sharply.
"Yes, I just feel a little sick from the Firewhisky, that's all." She sputtered quickly. Blaise nodded knowingly and looked around the Great Hall curiously like he was looking for something. Daphne started to breath faster, her chest still feeling like she was possibly having a heart attack. Oh God! I think I'm going to faint!
"So Daphne, I don't suppose I can convince you to mimic them?" Blaise asked very casually.
"Sorry?" she asked, her breathing started to get a little more frantic. Now she was sure she was having some sort of heart failure.
It's all in my head... breathe! Stop thinking about it... oh God, I want to stab her in the neck!
"Do you want to mimic them? Draco and Pansy?" he asked again. Daphne felt her insides shutter at the thought of them snogging in the common room all night. Her mind screamed, but she managed to keep that outburst silent. Blaise smirked a little and reached over and put his hand over hers. She was cold to the touch, or so she gathered by the way he shivered when he touched her.
"Look, Daphne, I'm trying to ask you to be my girlfriend. Are you going to answer me?" he said in a tone that matched his boyish smirk.
Time seemed to stop for a moment as he brain process what he had just said. Then her eyes snapped up and looked in confusion and astonishment; did he really just ask her to be his girlfriend?!
"W-what?!" she breathed, aware that her head was feeling even lighter. Blaise chuckled a little at her reaction and gently rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, his grip getting slightly tighter.
"I said, Will. You. Be. My. Girlfriend?" he repeated deliberately slow.
Daphne felt her mouth open a little, making her look like she had just been stunned. She felt her brain going into some sort of overdrive. It couldn't process all of this information at once! First Draco and Pansy had now become an item, and now Blaise was asking her out!
I can't go out with him! I want DRACO not him! It's not fair to him!
But then the words of her sister rang through her head; 'You've never had a boyfriend and probably never will.'
Is that so Astoria? Well, I have a surprise for you! She thought, a small smile creeping over her lips; this might be interesting.
"Yeah, sure." She replied quietly, making sure to sound grateful and interested. Blaise smiled, revealing his perfectly white teeth.
"Excellent." He said and then gripped her hand a little harder.
After a minute of awkward silence, staring at each other every few moments, the rest of their classmates joined them. Draco and Pansy were walking abnormally close to each other, and Pansy, of course, looked like a Christmas tree lit up with a torch. Tracey looked very tired, as did Millicent, who had a very annoyed look on her face. Daphne almost pitied her because she would have to listen to Pansy go on and on about their love life, but then Daphne realized that she too would have to hear all about it.
Lucky for me, I have something new to distract me with... she thought, looking at Tracey for a moment. She had a very knowing smile on her face; although Blaise and Daphne were no longer holding hands, she was sure that somehow her best friend knew already. Theodore was beside Tracey, looking suddenly very sour. She made a mental note to ask him about it later but was distracted by the morning mail falling from the owls. There was nothing for her, as usual, but Draco had an extra large amount of sweets today, which he offered to share with them in an out-of-character move.
I guess Pansy has really given him a change of heart... she thought bitterly, which to her ears sounded more like heart-ache...
The relationship didn't last very long.
Daphne received word by owl post shortly after New Years that made her want to tear her hair out. Her sister, obviously taking revenge on her for the things she had said about her, and written home and told their parents that Daphne and Blaise were dating. So, when Daphne received a letter from her parents, she wasn't too surprised. What she was surprised at was what it said...
We think that Blaise is a very poor choice for a relationship, and request that you break it off immediately. Your father and I are pleased that you found someone who likes you this way, but we don't feel that he's from a good enough family to have a chance of marrying a Greengrass girl. If we hear you are dating him by the time you come home for the summer, you will be severely punished. Love, Mum, and Dad.
Only my parents could put the word 'love' at the end of a letter like that... she thought bitterly as she ripped up the letter and threw it into the fire. She felt some tears building up in her eyes as she stared at the letter turning into ash in the flames.
They will never be happy for me! she thought angrily, gripping her sweater so tight that she felt her sharp nails digging into her skin. Why can't they be happy for me! EVER! Tears now flowing out of her eyes. Angry at her parents and the fact that she was now crying, she threw something off the coffee table into the fire, not even looking at what it was. It burned a bright purple flame, which she could barely see through her tears.
I can't believe them... She sniffed away her tears and then inhaled a deep breath through her nose. I'll just have to be more discreet... make sure Astoria doesn't see us anymore...
So, she decided to ignore her parents' threats and continued her relationship. Although Blaise and Daphne weren't a terribly affectionate couple, having yet to really proceed past the events of that night after the Yule Ball, she still felt very attached to him. Or if not him, then of the thought of having a boyfriend! Watching her sister always have one but never experiencing it herself had a bittersweet taste now that she knew how it was possible for her sister to cry and throw fits like she did occasionally. And now Daphne was about to throw a fit for a very different reason since she knew very well that her parents didn't care who Astoria dated, or they approved of all her boyfriends.
Of course, of all the boys in the school, I pick the one they find 'inappropriate!'
Valentine's day came rather quickly after that, and Daphne felt almost obliged to tell him about the letter that day. But, since he had taken her out to lunch in Hogsmeade (thankfully not to Madame Puddifoot's) and was treating her very sweetly, she decided it wasn't the right now. He was also buying her candy at Honeydukes and taking her for a stroll up towards the Shrieking Shack. She was quite taken aback by his behaviour, and felt in the back of her mind that she might actually be falling for him.
It didn't really shock her that much when later that night he went farther than they had before while making out, pulling at her shirt, trying to take it off. Although she felt very nervous, which he surely noticed by her racing heart rate, she didn't say anything and let him do it. They were alone in one of the darker, less-traveled tunnels near the Slytherin Dungeon, so she wasn't too worried about being seen. As soon as she heard her shirt hit the floor, she spent the rest of their time alone reminding herself that Blaise was a good guy and he wouldn't hurt her. But, she refused to let him remove any more clothing, which he didn't seem too bothered by. And, a little while later, they had to end their tryst because they heard the Prefects coming on their rounds, and scurried back to the Common Room.
Daphne didn't let Blaise take it any farther than that, no matter how hard he tried to change her mind. He had pushed for more, normally not asking, but taking her hands and putting them places she didn't really want to touch. Her excuse was she didn't want to be looked at like her sister was. It was a bullshit excuse since there was no way in hell she could ever catch up to her sister's record! But Blaise bought it and seemed content with listening... for now.
Then, after the shock of Cedric's death at the end of the year, everyone was depressed. Daphne took the time to break the bad news to Blaise... sort of. She knew that they couldn't continue through the summer, and her sister was still suspiciously eyeing her whenever she saw them near each other, so she knew the risk was too great now that the year was over.
"I think we should stop seeing each other..." she said as they walked down towards the carriages that were taking them back to the train.
"Wow. That was sudden..." He said after a brief moment of silence. "May I ask why?"
"I've had a new outlook on life since Cedric died-"
"Oh right, I forgot you liked him. Mind you, I guess I assumed you got over that since you were dating me." Blaise remarked, his tone sounding a little sharp. Could he possibly be mad at her?
Of course, he is! He asked you out, so he must have liked you! And look at all the things he's done for you! She told herself, staring at the crowd of students that were walking in front of her Yeah, look at all the things he's done to you! Can't forget all of that. The other half of her mind told herself. Daphne was slightly resentful at all the things Blaise had tried to make her do, but she assumed that they were part of her 'girlfriend duties', although she still graciously made excuses not to.
"I'm sorry Blaise, but I can see now how short life really is..." She said, her words ringing some truth. "And when I think about the long run... the future," she paused, putting her hand on Blaise's arm and stopping him from walking. They stood in the middle of the crowd of people all eager to get come, staring at each other. Blaise looked angry or insulted (or both), and at that moment Daphne felt genuinely bad for not telling him the truth. "I would much rather have you as my friend than a boyfriend that I may fight with and never speak to again," she explained.
These were all true facts; she wanted to be Blaise's friend, and not his girlfriend, since apparently what they were looking for in a relationship were two opposite things. Blaise wanted a girl who he could fool around with. Daphne wanted Draco. Still.
"True, but why are you doing this now?" Blaise replied in a low voice. "I mean, we're about to go home for the summer-"
"And what better time!" Daphne interrupted, looking back into his dark eyes "How would we ever see each other? You know how my parents are, and your mother is no doubt going to drag you off to Portugal or something. It's just not worth it to me," She sighed and looked at the crowd walking around them "Besides, I can't imagine you've been very satisfied with me."
"Well, I was hoping you would get over all of that sooner rather than later. But I guess not." He shrugged. Daphne furrowed her eyebrows at what he was suggesting, but she said nothing. Then he sighed and avoided looking at her now.
"So, are we good? We understand each other then?" Daphne asked, grabbing his arm again and forcing him to look at her. He looked down at her hand like it was a ghost for a moment, but sighed again and nodded his head slowly.
"You're right. It's better we stay friends," He grumbled in agreement. Daphne smiled a little and put her arms out for a hug. He stared at her for a moment and then gave her a very stiff, very short, affectionless hug.
Wow, that was fast! I guess he's getting over this pretty quickly...
Once they caught up to Tracey and the others, they were already chatting about what they were going to do over the summer. Daphne and Blaise inserted themselves into the crowd casually, though no longer standing beside each other as they had these past few months. Tracey gave Daphne an odd look, and all she had to do was nod her head; Tracey instantly understood and made an 'o' with her mouth.
"So are you going to come to visit me again in the summer, Daphne?" Draco asked suddenly.
She was taken so off-guard that she had to get him to repeat the question. Pansy was over with Millicent, instructing her on how to stack their trunks.
Smart. He waited until she left to ask me.
"I'll see what I can do." She smiled "Perhaps you can come to visit me. Or is that asking too much?" she smirked. Draco only shrugged his shoulders, then walked over to Pansy, putting his arm around her shoulders, and lead her onto the train.
"Round two has commenced, I see," Tracey whispered in her ear as she passed. Daphne gave her a smirk, and then the giggled together, climbing aboard the Hogwarts Express.