Year 5
The summer passed by very slowly for Daphne, with nothing but endless, repeated drama over and over again from her family. First, Astoria flat out refused to go to France to visit their grandmother, which made their mother cry for days. Then Astoria told her father that she was in love (what a surprise) with a boy from Drumstrang (shockingly not the same one she tried to take to the Yule Ball), and wanted to go to visit him in Bulgaria instead. Their father, of course, flew into a furious temper, and Daphne felt the need to go for a walk along the river...
Daphne hadn't spoken to her parents willingly all summer. The fact that they broke her and Blaise up because they found him 'unfit' gave her a completely new perspective of the kind of people her parents were. If Blaise had been a mudblood or something, then she may have understood. But Blaise was from a pureblood family and a rich one at that! Clearly, her parents had some sort of motive that they didn't wish to share with their oldest daughter, and so she decided there was no point in even trying to ask. So now, at every meal, Daphne sat at the table, ate her meal, and replied to whatever question (if they spoke to her at all) with minimal words. And as soon as she was done, she left the table and retreated back to her room with Eris. Aside from meals, she never came out of her room, unless she was going for a walk in the village or a swim in the river.
She'd received a few letters so far this summer. The first came from Tracey, of course, demanding the details of her and Blaise breaking up since she couldn't tell her on the train. Then Tracey asked her if she did plan on seeing Draco over the summer, to which she replied that she hadn't spoken to her father or Draco about it yet, but would see what she could do.
The next letter had come from Theodore, who was writing to tell her that he would be near her village later in the summer while his father was on business. Daphne wrote back that she would love to see him if he had time, and that he had to tell her the date before he arrived.
The final letter was from Blaise. She was surprised enough to see it but was more surprised to see what was written inside. Blaise had completely reverted back into friend mode, and didn't even allude to the almost 6-month relationship they had! He said simple things like 'I'm traveling with mother in Transylvania right now; her new obsession is this vampire, who gives me the creeps!' or 'I saw an excellent Quidditch match yesterday! The Bulgarian's absolutely destroyed the French! It's strange to think that we went to school with Krum for a whole year!'
Well, if he's not going to mention anything, then neither am I! She thought bitterly, throwing the letter into the fire and stalking away back up to her room. As she ascended the stairs, she heard the high pitched giggle of her sister, who had probably been spying on her while she read the letter. I can't wait to get out of here...
Her chance finally came. At the beginning of August, Theodore wrote that he was coming in 2 days and that he was bringing a surprise with him as well. This intrigued Daphne, and she finally plucked up the courage to ask her father the first question all summer.
"Father, my friend is coming to visit on Friday. Do you mind if we hang around here a little bit and then go to the village?" she asked quietly that night, standing in the doorway of the library. He used this space as his office, where he worked hard to get business done for Lucius. Lennox looked up from his work and took off his reading glasses.
"So you've decided to speak to us at last," he remarked curtly, leaning back in his chair and watching her intently. Daphne sighed; she had more or less expected a reaction like this.
"Well, I was a little angry at you-"
"Angry for what?" her father snapped, putting his quill and glasses down and pushing his chair out from the desk. He stood and began to walk closer to her. Daphne swallowed the tiny fear in the back of her mind and tried her hardest to appear unshaken.
"Well, you made me break up with Blaise..." Daphne replied quietly, looking at the floor. Lennox stopped a couple feet away and leaned against the bookshelf, his arms crossed.
"He was unsuitable for you, Daphne. Your mother and I don't want you marrying someone like that." He replied coolly.
"Marry!? Father, we were just dating!" she laughed awkwardly "The relationship wasn't going anywhere near something that required marriage." She lied; if Blaise had had his way, it certainly would have.
"But it was going somewhere, wasn't it?" her father said in a low voice. "When you think about having any sort of physical relationship with someone," Daphne could feel herself blushing already "Think about Tracey's mother! Look at the mess that made, being associated with someone so beneath her!"
"Tracey's mother knows who the father is! They're married!" Daphne said, and then bit her lip; she probably wasn't supposed to say that.
"I know that! Lots of people know that." Lennox laughed "But look at all the lies she had to tell. Why? Because the match was unsuitable!"
"But father, Blaise is a pureblood! I can understand why you wouldn't want me with a mudblood, which I would never dream of, but why not Blaise? And he was from my house!" Daphne said, barely breathing as she waited for his answer.
"We have other plans for you." He said patronizingly. Daphne now gritted her teeth and stared at the floor again. "Blaise's mother makes him unsuitable. Yes, she's rich and powerful, but look at all the men that she's married." He reminded her lightly "Any scandal would look bad on Blaise, and consequently you, and therefore us."
"Ah, so this is about pride." Daphne sniffed a quick laugh "And yet you let Astoria date half the school."
"Astoria is young; she is not as close to being married as you are," Lennox replied absently as he walked back to his desk and took his seat again, feverously writing something that he had just remembered.
"I'm 15, father! I'm not getting married any time soon." Daphne laughed in disbelief "And Astoria is going to disgrace our family if you don't put some sort of moral restraint on her!"
"Let me worry about Astoria, not you," her father replied firmly in his booming low voice. Daphne rolled her eyes and looked at the floor again. Daphne stood there in silence for a minute, watching him write like she wasn't even there.
No surprise; he's probably forgotten I'm here...
"So, can I have my friend over on Friday?" she asked again, this time more impatient. Lennox looked up at her again and then looked back to his writing.
"Which friend?" he asked, continuing to write.
"Theodore Nott."
Lennox chuckled and then looked up again "Of course. His father is coming here that day to talk to me." He said lightly. Daphne pursed her lips; so this is where Theodore's father was coming... and no one had even mentioned it to her.
"Thanks for telling me..." She mumbled. Lennox raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair.
"Why would I tell you? It's my business, and not to mention you haven't spoken to me all summer." He pointed out. Daphne raised her eyebrows as well and smiled with a fake, sweet smile.
"And you wonder why?" she replied smartly. Now her father's eyebrows furrowed at her insolence.
"Daphne, I'm working. Please go bother someone else." He said sternly before he moved back towards the desk and began to write again.
"Oh, well thank you for your time." She replied smartly again, and then she turned and trudged upstairs to her room.
I really, really can't wait to get out of here...
Friday morning came so slow that Daphne thought that perhaps her clocks were broken. She sat around for the past 48 hours, moping and sighing every few minutes, waiting anxiously for someone of importance to her to come to visit. It wore her out, and she slept through her alarm that morning. Lucky for her, she had a very different sort of alarm came to wake her up.
"Daphne." Someone called her. She could hear the voice in her dreams, but it only mixed in with the weird haze of noise she could hear "Daphne!" the voice called again.
Was that real? She thought, suddenly waking herself up with a start. "There you are! I'm glad you forgot all about me coming."
"Theodore!" Daphne breathed, pulling her covers around her a little more; she couldn't believe that her father had actually let him come upstairs to her room, especially when he knew she was sleeping. "No, I meant to be up. I must have slept through my alarm..." she trailed off and smiled graciously at him "You have no idea how happy I am you're here." She told him.
"Really?" he chuckled. "Because I bet I know something that will make you happier..." he smirked. At that moment, in a sudden bombardment from her doorway, leapt another person whom she recognized instantly.
"Surprise!" Tracey shouted as she jumped onto the bed with Daphne, very nearly stomping on her leg.
"Tracey!" Daphne said excitedly, giving her a giant hug "Oh, I'm so happy to see you both! This has been probably the worst summer ever!"
"You say that after every summer, Daphne." Theodore pointed out, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. She laughed and shrugged, having to admit that was true.
"Well, what do you want to do?" Daphne sighed, flopping back on her pillows and staring at the ceiling. "As you have no doubt gathered, there isn't a lot of excitement in my house."
"You're joking right?" Tracey laughed "Theodore and I walked in on a great battle between your mother and sister! It was awesome!"
"Oh, that's nothing new. My sister wants to go visit her current boyfriend in Bulgaria, and of course, my parents won't let her." Daphne replied absently, picking up a piece of hair and twisting it around her finger. "It gets old really quickly."
"Well, we can go into town, can't we?" Theodore offered "I really don't want to be in the same house as my father when he does business."
"Why not? Isn't my house suitable enough for you?" Daphne asked, crossing her arms at his statement.
"Well Daphne, in case you haven't noticed, our father's business isn't exactly legal." Theodore said quietly "And I'd rather not be around it as much as possible. I don't want to be guilty by association."
"Well said, Theodore!" Tracey smiled, clapping Theodore on the back "It's a good speech to give in court; I think they'll buy it, don't you?" she smirked, looking over at Daphne.
"Oh yes, of course! But only if you give them your puppy-dog eyes." Daphne laughed.
"Puppy-dog-what?" Theodore asked, suddenly confused. The girls looked at each other and then giggled.
"Never mind, Theodore." Daphne mumbled "Well, I'd better get dressed then, right? So are you two going to leave me alone for a moment or stand there watching?" Daphne laughed as she climbed out of bed. She had never been so thankful that she wore real pajamas, and didn't sleep in her underwear and a tank top like she often did in the hot summer months.
"Well, I personally don't care to, but I think Theo here might enjoy it." Tracey laughed, bouncing along the bed and put her arms around his shoulders.
Theodore rolled his eyes and stood up from the bed. "We'll wait outside." He said flatly and then exited her room. Tracey made a face to mimic how serious Theodore was and then bounded after him.
After Daphne was changed, she gave them a very quick tour of the house... or at least she pointed out the rooms between her room and the front door.
"Don't ever be a tour guide, Daphne," Theodore remarked as they stepped outside into the front garden.
They walked down the cobblestone path across the 50 metres of vast, perfectly trimmed lawn and through the cast iron gate that led onto the road. She glanced over her shoulder at her grey house, made with fieldstone and a slate roof, and smiled to herself when she saw that no one was watching her go.
"Well, where shall we go in town?" Daphne asked, putting her arms around the shoulders of her two dearest friends.
"I think we should go find somewhere with Floo Powder." Tracey offered lightly
"Why?" Daphne and Theodore asked at the same time.
"I was thinking we go to London. Just for something to do." She shrugged casually, but the smirk on her face told them something very different.
"What's in London?" Theodore asked suspiciously.
"My question, too," Daphne asked, now stopping and standing on the side of the road. Tracey tried to look like she was offended.
"What? You don't trust me?" she smirked.
Theodore and Daphne exchanged quick glances and replied a quick "No." Tracey crossed her arms and pouted.
"Well, can we at least go to London? No offense Daphne, but your town seems pretty boring!" she said, waving her hand in the direction down the hill towards the cluster of buildings.
"None taken. In fact, I agree. But I want to know what motives you have first." Daphne said, crossing her arms and waiting patiently.
"Well, let's just say that there may or may not be a sidewalk sale in Diagon Ally." Tracey shrugged to herself. Daphne's eyes lit up instantly; she had always heard of the fanciful sidewalk sale but was always in France at the time. "But if you don't want to go-"
"NO! Don't be silly!" Daphne interrupted, taking her friend's by their arms again. "I'll take you right to the station!" she said cheerfully.
"I hate shopping, by the way," Theodore remarked dully.
"Of course you do. That's why we're going to buy things for you." Tracey smiled, patting her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm not wearing anything that resembles a dress or is pink." He said firmly.
"Damn it! Well, now there's no point in going!" Daphne cried out dramatically before her and Tracey burst into a fit of giggles.
Daphne lead them to a small, very run-down looking tinker shop that was in the back of a long, dirty alley. Inside the shop, in the fireplace that would have been used by a tinker to work on pots and pans, was the local public Floo Network access. The single man that sat sleeping in the corner was supposed to make sure that no muggles stumbled upon the place, but he apparently wasn't very good at his job..."Well, let's get moving. Should we just go straight to Diagon Alley? Or go somewhere else first?" Daphne asked, taking some Floo Powder from a giant urn, which to muggles would have looked like a pile of ash.
"No point in going to my house. If we're being rebellious, we don't want our parents knowing about it." Tracey shrugged, also taking a hand-full.
"I still don't want to go. I'd rather stay here then go back to dirty old London." Theodore grumbled as he too took a hand-full.
"Trust me, Theodore; nothing goes on here," Daphne reassured him. "Besides, this is an adventure! I've never been to London without my parents."
"So we're sure to get mugged," Theodore said dully. Daphne made a face at him and then stepped into the fireplace.
"Diagon Ally!" she called, and in a flash of green, felt herself being flown through space, and a minute later, popping out of the fireplace at the stationary shop. Clearly not interested in buying any stationary, she exited the shop and headed straight for Madame Malkins.
Daphne felt like she was on the hunt; everywhere she looked, there were racks of clothing flooding out of the front door of the robe shop onto the sidewalk, which was crowded with many women, all looking for the same thing. Everything that Daphne saw, it was either too small, way too big, or was snatched up by someone else the moment she laid eyes on it. This is madness! Daphne thought as she watched two witches very nearly have a dueling match over a robe.
Suddenly, someone had their arm around Daphne's waist and covered her eyes. Instead of screaming, she just froze in place. It was probably Tracey or Theodore trying to be funny. And who in their right mind would try and kidnap someone in broad daylight?
"Guess who?" the voice said quietly in her ear. It was a guy, so it certainly wasn't Tracey, but it didn't sound like Theodore either... She stood there in silence for a moment thinking, and then it finally hit her, and her heart started to race. Draco.
"What are you doing here?" she breathed, smiling very slightly. His hands didn't move from her body, and she felt her temperature rise a little. She thought that perhaps she might faint right in his arms, but told herself that that would be far too dramatic (and obvious).
"Am I not allowed to shop?" he asked, his tone non-threatening. Daphne laughed and ducked out of his blindfold, but not his hold on her waist.
"I don't know Draco, don't you have people who do this sort of thing for you?" she teased, not gently walking out of his grip; Pansy was probably around here somewhere, and the last thing she wanted was her on a rampage. Her body was practically shaking with nerves; she hadn't spoken to him in over a month, and yet he had the same effect of her.
"Have you seen the clothes my mother buys for me?" he smirked. Daphne smiled at his answer and then felt a little daring to ask something more.
"Well, doesn't Pansy buy you nice things?" she asked, very careful not to sound too curious.
"Pansy's is in Germany for the summer. Sick aunt or something," he replied absently "So no, she doesn't buy me anything... she sends me lots of stuff, but she hasn't bought me anything yet."
Keywords being 'yet,' Daphne thought. But then she read between the lines. "So you're here alone?" she asked, pretending to be interested in the clothes again.
"My mother's off somewhere." He remarked, also looking at the clothes. "God, this place is like a zoo!" he remarked snidely as he watched two more women argue over a hat.
"Clothes are important to women. Our appearance is what defines who we are, to an extent." Daphne said lightly as she examined the material on a dress robe.
"Well said." Draco chuckled "So what does that say about that woman?" he said, nodding his head in the direction of a woman who looked like she got dressed in the dark. She wore a lime green dress with bright blue tights and mud brown shoes. Her hair was in every direction but one, and she seemed like she was in a hurry.
"That she clearly has no time to take care of herself, or doesn't care what other people think of her because she has bigger things to worry about. She probably has a family." Daphne said, looking at the woman discretely.
"You can tell all that from the way someone dresses?" Draco laughed, shaking his head a little. "So what does that say about me?" he asked, stepping into her field of vision. Daphne felt her heart race a little more, but she took a deep breath before she focused on him. He was wearing black pants and a dark green dress shirt. Of course, he looked good! There was no other option for someone with his amount of wealth and sense of style!
"Uh, well..." she started, stopping herself from staring at him too long. "Clearly, you buy the best of the best-"
"Well, that's obvious." He smirked, leaning on the clothes rack.
"Of course... and so, uh, that means you take extra time getting ready. You are careful not to damage or mess up your expensive clothes. You know that appearance is the first thing someone notices in a person." Daphne said faintly. She paused and then noticed that Draco was staring at her. Feeling a blush-attack coming on, she turned back to the rack of clothing hastily.
"Where did you learn this?" Draco asked, pocketing something that he saw off a small table behind them. Daphne said nothing; no one would dare call him out on it anyways.
"My mother has always told my sister and I little useless trinkets like that." She shrugged, trying hard not to let him see her face. "Not that it ever helped me dress any better." She mumbled to herself, but unfortunately, Draco heard her.
"I don't think you don't dress too bad," he said. She could feel his eyes give her the once over, and she felt her face go even redder. She wasn't wearing wizarding clothes, but it was still an alright outfit! She wore a pair of dark washed jeans, white running shoes, and a light yellow blouse with a white tank top underneath. It wasn't her best outfit, but it was something that a normal muggle would wear in public, which is where she was intending to go to in the first place. I bet Draco thinks I look horrible though...
"Well, I didn't know I was coming here..." she smiled weakly, still not looking directly at him. "Tracey and Theodore came over, and we decided to sneak away and come here."
"Tracey and Theodore? Are they around here somewhere?" Draco asked, turning his head slightly to scan the crowds.
"I haven't seen them yet. I would imagine they came from a different Floo Powder grate." She did not feel calm enough to turn back and look at him "I'm sure they'll pop up again soon." She said lightly.
"Want me to help look for them?" Draco offered. Daphne felt her heart race again; a chance to walk around with Draco, without anyone else? Yes, please! She thought cheerfully and opened her mouth to accept... until she was interrupted.
"There you are!" Tracey called across the crowd, shoving a small child out of her way. "We've been looking for you everywhere!" she added, tugging Theodore through the crowd towards the clothes. "Oh, and you found Draco!" she said, smiling at Draco with greetings, but giving Daphne her knowing look.
"I guess we don't need to look for them after all," Draco remarked casually. Someone apparently caught his eye and he waved slightly to whoever he was looking at.
"Oh, were you worried about us?" Tracey smirked. Daphne gave her a small glare but remained composed as much as she could.
"Draco darling, what are you doing looking at these clothes?" an airy voice said, a pale hand descending on his shoulder. Narcissa Malfoy appeared behind her son and examined the clothes like they were rags.
"I was talking to Daphne, mother," Draco replied flippantly, making a small face that his mother couldn't see.
"Ah, Miss Greengrass." Narcissa gave a small, almost forced smile. "Are you shopping here?" she asked like it was a question of her sanity.
"Oh, no..." Daphne said awkwardly "I'm just browsing; something to pass the time." She smiled weakly when she finished.
"Ah, well that's nice," Narcissa replied like someone under the Imperius curse; completely absent and not caring. "Well, we'd best be off. Lovely seeing you all," She said before she turned her son away from the shop and towards Knockturn Alley. Draco glanced over his shoulder and gave the three of them a quick wave, which Daphne sighed dreamily and returned slowly.
"Well, nowI'm sorry we were late; we missed Daphne making an idiot of herself!" Tracey laughed, stepping forward and beginning to dig through the racks of clothing.
"You would bring that up in front of Theodore." Daphne hissed under her breath. Theodore wasn't close enough to hear; he was staring into a shop window a few metres away.
"Oh, he has no idea, don't worry!" Tracey giggled. "But Draco, I think, may start to get the idea."
Daphne said nothing in response. Now that she was single again, she was in the mood for someone to take the place of 'boyfriend' in her life. But not like her sister, who picks up the first male that walks by after she's dumped the old one. This boy had to be perfect! And perfect meant Draco Malfoy.
"We have to bring her down, Tracey," Daphne whispered through the rack of clothing they were standing on either side of.
"Bring who down?" Tracey asked lightly, waiting for her to say the same she had been long waiting for.
"Pansy. I want to bring her down. I want him."
"YES! Finally!" Tracey exclaimed loudly, bringing some looks from the people around them. "And how do you propose to do that?"
"I don't know..." Daphne said in a low, determined voice, looking up over the rack down towards the narrow alleyway that Draco and his mother disappeared through. She could just see a final glimpse of blonde hair before they disappeared around the corner "I just want it done."
There was no time to start planning that day. Theodore was with them for the remainder of the shopping adventure, and although Daphne and Tracey wanted to go eat at the Leaky Cauldron (for an excuse to go to the ladies room, alone), Theodore brought up that it was almost 6 o'clock, and their parents would be wondering where they are by now. Tracey and Daphne had to reluctantly accept that their planning would have to be saved for another day. So they made arrangements to see each other at some time in the next week...
And then they got home, and everything changed...
"WHERE did you go!?" Daphne's mother shrieked the instant she saw them walking up the front path. Tracey and Theodore exchanged very frightened glances. Medea Greengrass had the effect of resembling an angry banshee when she was furious. She stood on the front porch, Astoria smirking behind her. Luckily for Daphne, her father was nowhere to be seen... for now.
"I think that's our cue to leave," Tracey whispered to Theodore.
"Thanks a lot, guys..." Daphne grumbled, looking ahead at her mother like she was Snape with a surprise potions exam. A man began to walk towards them, dressed in an all-black outfit that resembled something Snape wore, and wild dark hair that stuck out in every direction like he'd been in a windstorm. "Is that your father?!" Daphne breathed, noting that he indeed looked very fierce and frightening.
"It is indeed," Theodore said lightly, which was uncommonly odd for him. Either Theodore was very proud of his father or trying very hard to seem like he was. "May I introduce, Mr. Tobias Nott," Theodore said very formally, holding his one arm out to present him. "Father, this is Daphne."
"I've heard all about Miss Greengrass." He said in a voice that sounded identical to Theodore's low and cold voice. "Your parents have been shouting about you for the past hour and a half." He chuckled a little and clapped his hand on his son's shoulder "You three are in a lot of trouble."
"So I've noticed..." Daphne sighed, looking back at her mother, her red hair looking more like fire than ever before. "Well Tracey, I'm afraid we're going to have to postpone our date." She said, turning to her friend and giving her a hug goodbye. "If I don't make it out alive, will you take care of Eris?" she said, half-joking.
"I hate cats, but for her, I'll make an exception." She sighed, clearly sorry for whatever was about to come Daphne's way. Daphne smiled and turned to Theodore, who was already looking a little worried.
"Try not to have too much fun without me," she smirked, holding her arms out for a hug. He only shook his head and smirked before he gave her a hug goodbye as well. "See you both in September... if I live." She said before she sighed and turned towards her house.
With each step she took, she could see her families expressions more clearly. Her mother looked horrified and offended by something. Her sister had a smug smile of victory on her face and sat on the side of the porch petting her cat diabolically. And worst of all, her father now stood in the doorway, his eyes dark with anger.
I'm in for it now... she thought, taking the 6 steps up to her front porch deliberately slow. Her mother, apparently not satisfied with the speed she was traveling at, gripped her by the shoulder and shoved her inside, shrieking something that was audible or understandable. Astoria was laughing heartily behind her mother, clearly amused at the sight of her older sibling who had given her so much grief being punished. And her father merely stepped aside to let his family back into the house, and then slammed the front door.
The lecture had gone on for about an hour. Daphne was sat down in a single chair in front of her father's desk, while her parents stood on either side of her, taking turns to shout and scream at her.
"You decided to wander off to London!? Without a parent? Do you even know what's happening in the world right now!?" her father boomed angrily.
"I can't believe you would lie to us like that! Bring your friends up here just so you can go take off to London all day! And without even telling us!" Medea screamed, her hands waving in the air like she was trying to fly. Astoria was sitting in the corner of the couch, still petting her cat, and chuckling under her breath at everything that was going on.
Daphne said nothing. She sat slouched in the chai, and stared straight ahead at the window that looked out to the front yard. She focused on the lights on the village of Woodbridge, at the bottom of the hill that she could see down from the house. The more they yelled at her, the harder she stared. How did they find out? And what was the big deal? So she went to London with her friends? Big deal!? It's not like she ran about the streets waving her wand at Muggles or blew up Gringotts! But from the way they were shouting at her, those things seemed trivial.
"Are you even listening to us?!" Medea shouted, trying to step in front of her daughter's dead-set stare, but the desk was in the way.
"She'd better be!" Lennox growled angrily. Daphne rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed sigh.
"How can I listen to you both when you're going to make me go deaf?" she mumbled, not breaking her stare with the scenery outside.
A clamp of a grip snapped around her jaw and turned her face towards her father. He glared down at her, his fingers gripping into her skin so hard that she could feel his finger nails digging into her skin.
"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO US LIKE THAT!" he shouted into her face. Daphne fought with every ounce of her strength not to cry at the pain or with the fear she had of her father. Over her left shoulder, she could hear Astoria barely able to stifle the giggling fit she was having "We never told you that you could go to London alone! Do you realize the trouble you could have gotten us in!?"
"I never realized it was such an issue." She replied flatly, her tone angering her father more.
"Of course you didn't! You don't realize anything! You're so self-absorbed in your own world that you have no idea what's happening!" he spat, still gripping her face. Then he looked at her in disgust for a moment before he pushed her face out of his hand and walked around to the other side of the desk, sitting in his chair directly in front of her.
"Self-absorbed?! " she said in the same flat tone, her head not facing the exact same spot it was before, but now with her father sitting directly across from her, she was glaring right into his eyes. "If that's what I am, then it still only makes me an angel compared to her." She growled. None of them needed to ask who she was referring to.
"Don't bring your sister into this!" Medea screeched so loud that Daphne visibly cringed, wondering if her ears were going to bleed now.
"Why not?!" Daphne shouted, standing up so quickly that the chair toppled over behind her. She rounded on her mother; being the same height as her, she wasn't as afraid of her.
"I've been telling you all year the things that she does, and you do nothing!" she growled angrily, pointing her finger behind her at her sister, who was no doubt making some sort of expression of indignant shock right now. "And you tell me that I'm embarrassing the family!? Look at her! Ask her how many boys she's dated! I'll bet she isn't even a virgin anymore!"
"ENOUGH!" Lennox shouted, pounding his fists on the table so hard that a pile of books toppled off the desk and onto the floor. "Astoria is not the issue right now; you are!" he growled, gripping the edge of the table as some sort of anger management.
"My point exactly!" Daphne sniffed a ironic laugh "I do something so small as sneak out of the village for a few hours, and you give me a full trial!" She now turned and looked at her sister, who was petting her cat very slowly, the smirk on her face clearly showing Daphne that she had no fear of being punished "She dates every male in Europe, and you don't even turn a hair!"
"She is not THE ISSUE!" Medea shouted, grabbing Daphne by the arm and yanking her around again so she was facing her. "You have deliberately disobeyed our rules!"
"You never said I couldn't go to London. Or even that I couldn't leave the village." Daphne said in the same flat tone. Her mother's eyes filled with rage, but Lennox beat her to the punch.
"We thought you were smarter than to need it spelled out for you!" Lennox said in a low tone. He paused and nodded at his wife to let go of Daphne, which she did, and took a step back from her. Daphne crossed her arms and turned to face her father head on. "The Dark Lord is back, as you well know. There are people who are praying for a chance to get a hold of someone like you or Theodore."
"Why? We aren't Death Eaters." Daphne sniffed a short laugh again.
"But you know Death Eaters, you fool!" Lennox said with frustration. "Just from our family friends, you know more about the Dark Lord's plans then the Ministry could ever hope to get their hands on! One tiny drop of Truth Serum, and everything goes up in smoke!" her father said with a pound of his fist on the table again to drive his point "And then you know what happens to us? We all die for your foolish mistake!" he hissed "I don't suppose that thought ever occurred to you; that you're endangering us as well as you!"
God Forbid... she thought, and had to fight to hold it back. She glared at him for a few moments, waiting for him to continue. When he did not, she shifted her weight arrogantly and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Can I go upstairs now?"
Lennox and Medea exchanged looks of horror. "Does nothing we've said mean ANYTHING to you!?" Medea shrieked, causing yet another visible cringe.
"Why should it." Daphne replied in a low, flat tone. Medea's face looked like she had been cursed, and her father looked angrier than he ever had "You do nothing but yell and scream at me, and favour her!" she said, throwing another point at her sister.
"Why you ungrateful little-"Lennox started, his voice so low that she knew he was warming up to a gigantic roar.
"What!? Little what!?" she shouted, cutting him off. "I may not be beautiful like her," she started, her tone louder but less controlled than before. She could feel tears building up, but she refused to let them out now. "But I'd rather be ANYTHING than a slut like her!" she shouted.
In a quick flash, her mother's hand flew across her face in a sharp slap. The sting instantly brought tears to her eyes. Daphne clenched her teeth together to fight back the tears that had to be visible now. She turned her head back and glared at her mother, and then her father. He gripped the table so hard that she was sure he was going to snap the ledge off it at this rate.
"Get upstairs now before I knock that smart mouth off your face," he growled, his voice barely above a hushed whisper. Daphne narrowed her eyes at the threat, and sneered a vicious smile.
"With pleasure," she replied in the same whisper of hatred, and then turned on her heel and stormed upstairs.
That night, she didn't sleep. She stayed awake, staring out her window view over the river, tears silently falling down her cheeks. She hated them; she hated them more than anything. She hated her sister for making them so brainwashed. She hated her entire family, and she couldn't wait to leave it.