After Daphne and Blaise 'talked' about what happened, he kept his distance for a while. Every once in a while, he would try to say something to her, but she would just ignore it. She may have forgiven him, but it didn't mean that she had stopped being mad at him.
As far as she was concerned, she had bigger things to worry about, like why Draco had yet to invite her to sneak out with him. At first, she thought that it was probably because they were at a higher risk of being caught but now it was almost Christmas break! And every Slytherin knew the nights that the Carrow's were on patrol; those were the nights they could get away with anything!
What could possibly be holding him back? She thought as she tapped her quill on the edge of her desk in Potions the last day of classes before the Christmas holidays. She stared at Draco while he made his potion. He was one of the best students in the class, so he wasn't too stressed, chatting with Blaise as he worked. Unfortunately, Daphne could hardly hear over the noise in the room what they were saying. But, she was able to finally hear one word over all others; "Pansy."
So that's who's keeping you from me... Daphne thought with fury. Well, that can easily be fixed... she thought as she looked down at her potion, simmering in the cauldron. Their assignment had been to make a potion that would be used against an enemy without the cause of death. Daphne had chosen the Swelling Solution; a simple concoction, but a powerful distraction none the less that could be used to escape from peril. When Slughorn wasn't looking, Daphne dipped a small test tube into her potion and quickly stowed it away in her robe pocket.
This may be useful later... she thought wickedly. Then she quickly switched cauldrons with one of the empty ones at the back and began to start from scratch on a different potion. If I end up the only person who makes it, and Pansy winds up inflated, then it will be easy to spot who did it... She decided to make the Elixir of Euphoria this time, which surely would go with the assignment, even if it was a bit of a stretch.
Once time was up, Slughorn came around and looked at each of their potions, remarking to Draco that "The draught of the living dead does not necessarily fit the instruction of not causing death, but it would be a valid use for diversion." Draco just made a face like he'd eaten something sour, then slouched down in his chair lazily.
When he came around to Daphne's potion, he chuckled a little and gave it a quick stir. "I can't imagine why Snape thought you were bad at potions." He smiled as he poured a small test tube of her potion out and examined it in the light. "You did a fine job at creating this potion."
"Thank you, professor." She replied sheepishly; she could have done a better job had she not been rushing, but this was the only potion she was ever able to create successfully. He put a cork in the test tube and handed it to her.
"After all your hard work, you deserve to keep some of your creation." He smiled, then handed her the glass tube and continued on. Daphne smiled and put the glass container in her pocket. It gave a loud clank against the other test tube in that same pocket. Slughorn turned around and looked at her curiously for a moment at the sound.
"...Forgot that my wand was in there," she muttered quietly, and then took a seat again, pretending like nothing had happened. Slughorn stared at her for a moment more, but then turned back and looked at the contents of Corner's cauldron.
That was close...she thought, sighing silently to herself. But now I have two potions that will be useful to me...
Daphne held on to her first creation until the next day, waiting for an opportunity to use it. Tracey wondered what she was up to, being so sneaky and listening in to practically every conversation Pansy had in the past 24 hours.
"What's your plan then?" she said to her the next morning, flopping onto the couch between Daphne and the view of her target. Daphne jumped out of surprise and then tried to divert the attention Tracey was attracting away by pretending to be reading a book.
"Nothing... not yet at least," she muttered under her breath.
"Well, why haven't I been informed yet?" Tracey asked, her tone holding a secret meaning that her eyes reflected; she was slightly offended to not have been included. Daphne looked at her, then down to the book for a moment before she slammed it closed.
"To be honest Tracey," she started quietly. "I'm afraid you would give up information to her if you were pressured," Daphne whispered quietly, her voice sounding a tad bit sharp. All this waiting for Pansy to give up some sort of information was getting frustrating for her; all it did was torture her into watching Draco and Pansy snuggle and kiss.
"Wow, I didn't know you thought so little of me." Tracey laughed. "Do you think that I, the person that hates her almost as much as you, would give her information that would help her?" she paused before she laughed again.
"Well, what if she swore to torture or ruin your family? That's her usual threat," Daphne asked under her breath, carefully looking over Tracey's shoulder to see that Draco and Pansy were indeed still whispering to each other at their table in the corner.
"And you think I would care?" Tracey laughed again. "My mother is practically a muggle now, and her family has done nothing but give us grief for it. It would be a very empty threat as far as I'm concerned."
Daphne sat in silence as she took in what her best friend was saying; if that was the case, and she didn't care what Pansy threatened, then perhaps she could tell her about Draco!
No! I can't... Blaise knows, and that's enough for me! And he knows he'll go to Azkaban if he tells. But, I don't have the same insurance on Tracey...
"Well, I suppose I can tell you one thing..." Daphne thought aloud. Tracey clapped her hands lightly and beamed a bright smile. Daphne motioned for her to lean in a bit so they could whisper. When she was closer, she pulled out the test tubes that she had gotten from Slughorn. "One of these is Elixir of Euphoria, the other is Swelling Solution." She said presenting them inconspicuously. Tracey looked at them oddly for a moment before Daphne stashed them back in her pocket.
"What are you planning?" Tracey whispered, a smirk on her face.
"That somehow Pansy ends up 4 times the size she is now, and I spend an evening with a euphoric Draco," Daphne whispered casually.
Tracey giggled with excitement at the thought of Pansy inflating to the size of a couch. "How do you think you're going to do it?"
"Well, that's the part I'm stuck on... I mean, I can't just dump it on her... it makes it a little obvious who did it." Daphne sighed and slouched down on the couch; she could see that Draco and Pansy were no longer at the table. She sat up straight again, almost in a slight panic; they were heading for the dormitory doors.
"Tracey, go find out what they're doing!" Daphne hissed as she pushed her up out of her seat and towards the dorms. Tracey looked very confused at first but understood her mission immediately. She walked behind them, and once they noticed she was there, she excused herself between them and walked up the stairs to the girls' dorms. Then, once Pansy and Draco parted half a minute later to their respective dorms, Tracey reappeared from the stairway and ran back across the common room, jumping over the back of the couch and landing on Daphne.
"They're meeting up tonight! After dinner!" Tracey divulged. "What do you think we can do?"
"I haven't a clue!" Daphne strained as she pushed Tracey off of her legs. "I mean, how can I use the potion on her without anyone seeing me?"
They both sat in silence for a minute, both thinking of ways to get the potion onto Pansy without her having even a hint of where it might have come from. Living in a dormitory made it very difficult to get the privacy or access that was needed to truly poison someone... only Theodore was able to sneak around that well.
And I can't ask him... he'll want to know why Pansy, and he'll figure it all out...
"I have an idea," Tracey announced suddenly, jumping off the couch with excitement. "I'll need a few hours to put it together, but meet me in the 2nd-floor bathroom just before dinner."
"This better work, Tracey," Daphne said in a low voice. "You're not leaving me much time if it doesn't!"
"Trust me, Daphne..." Tracey smirked as fixed her robes. "You'll get the desired effect."
Daphne did as Tracey had instructed, and met her in the 2nd-floor bathroom right before dinner. It was a struggle to sneak away from being escorted by the head of the house, but she managed to do it. Once she got there, Tracey simply demanded that she give her the potion and go back to dinner. Daphne did as she was told, handed her the glass tube, and hurried back to dinner.
Nothing happened at dinner. Daphne was beginning to get anxious, and she gave Tracey some very concerned looks. Tracey, in response, gave her a wide smile and mouthed 'patience' to her.
Patience be damned... if only you knew the steaks you were playing at, Tracey... Daphne thought angrily. She was beginning to feel restless lately; her and Draco hadn't had a rendezvous since the summer, and Daphne had the strongest urge to... well, do what they always did!
I feel like some crazy sex-fiend... but damn it, I'm bored and I want him back... again!
It wasn't until dinner was almost over that Daphne saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Millicent came running in and sat down beside Pansy, as she always did, and told her that a package had arrived for her from Madame Malkins.
"I don't remember ordering anything..." Pansy said suspiciously.
"It says right on the package 'customer appreciation'! She must be sending it out to all her best customers!" Millicent said excitedly.
"Really?" Pansy said vainly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Well, then we'll have to go see what Madame Malkins thinks will bring me back to her business." She smirked at the thought of someone coming crawling back to her.
Daphne looked across the table at Tracey, who was smirking knowingly. I have to admit; she is a genius. She thought, chuckling quietly to herself as she finished up her pudding.
As Daphne and Tracey had expected, they wouldn't have to witness the event since they would hear all about it. First, Pansy and Millicent walked up to their dorm alone, both excited to see what their former dressmaker had sent her. Then, about 5 minutes later, Millicent came running down the stairs and fled through the common room, only to return with Slughorn moments later. From what Tracey and Daphne could overhear, Pansy had tried on her new dress robes only to start swelling up as soon as she had the dress on. Slughorn muttered an incantation that allowed him to go up the stairs to the girls' dorms, and he ran up (as fast as someone his size could) to help Pansy.
"How did you do it?" Daphne whispered across the table to Tracey, who had sat smirking the whole time.
"I smeared the potion on the inside of the robes that my mother had bought me earlier this year. And since I have no intention of ever wearing such a hideous colour, and I know that Pansy loves pink, I knew that she would try them on without question."
"You are by far the smartest person I know." Daphne smiled with glee as she watched Slughorn and Millicent held a gigantic Pansy down the stairs and out the common room, which had burst into laughter as soon as they saw her. Draco was just walking through the common room when she exited the Slytherin house, and he looked confused and horrified by what he saw. Crabbe and Goyle were killing themselves laughing as well, but Draco somehow managed to suddenly catch Daphne's eye. They stared at each other for a few moments before he pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket and scribbled something on it with a confused first year's quill. Then, pulling out his wand, he muttered something to the piece of paper, and it turned into an origami mouse, which jumped from his hands and started across the floor. Daphne casually dropped her hand off the side of the couch and waited for the message to reach her; it climbed up into her hand and instantly turned back into a folded piece of paper. Tracey hadn't noticed because she was busy filling Theodore in on what he had just missed, and she didn't notice where the piece of paper came from either. She opened the paper to see the typical memo for her to meet Draco in the common room tonight at midnight.
Success. She thought proudly, smirking crookedly as she looked up and caught Draco's eye once more before he disappeared into the boy's stairwell.
Daphne had to admit that she was anxious and nervous as she hid in the darkest corner of the common room that night, waiting for Draco to waltz down the stairs. It had been almost 5 months since they last were together... she hoped nothing had changed between them. There were footsteps down the boy's stairwell, and Daphne felt her heart race in anticipation. To her disappointment, Blaise appeared instead. She fought off the urge to throw things at him, and instead just sat in silence, hoping he wouldn't see her.
"And what are you doing down here so late?" Blaise smirked, crossing the room towards her.
"Wha- How can you see me!?" Daphne muttered, putting her face in her hands momentarily.
"Skin as white as yours?" he chuckled "You practically glow in the dark."
"Thanks..." she muttered, "Where are you off to?"
"I asked you first... although I think I have an idea..." Blaise smirked even wider, showing off his bright teeth.
"Shut up, Blaise," Daphne growled and turned away from him, attempting to slap his smart face as she turned.
"Well, to answer your question then," he said, taking a few steps and standing in front of her again "The Carrow's are on duty tonight, so it's a free pass for our house to wander. I personally am going to the kitchens, since I missed dinner."
"Oh, sounds exciting," Daphne replied sarcastically. "Can you leave now?"
"Why it's not like I don't know where you're going..." he smirked as he turned around, just seconds before Draco appeared out of the stairwell. Daphne's heart skipped a beat, and Draco narrowed his eyes and Blaise, then crossed the room.
"I see you have a death wish, Zabini," Draco replied sternly. Blaise only smiled knowingly and looked at both Daphne and Draco.
"Have fun you two," He chuckled before he threw his hood over his head and exited the portrait hole.
"Not even the fear of death will stop him from making my life hell..." Draco muttered. "Well, let's get going then." He said, smiling at Daphne. She felt her heart melt at the sight and followed without a second thought.
Instead of their typical spot, Draco veered off from the stairwell to the 7th floor and settled for the 5th floor. Daphne was going to ask where he was going, but her question was answered soon enough once she saw the prefects bathroom.
"I may not be a prefect anymore..." Draco stated as he cleared his throat and barked 'Slippery Soap' at the door, which swung open slowly. "But I have unbeatable connections with the staff."
"Obviously..." Daphne giggled as she followed him into the room, closing the door behind her. "Why the change of scenery anyways?"
"I get bored quickly." He stated dully.
"Oh... makes sense," Daphne stated awkwardly.
Draco walked over to the faucets and tapped them with his wand, making warm, bubbly water pour out of them and start to fill the tub. Daphne couldn't help but feel a level of tension in the room, all coming from Draco; he looked sulking and miserable.
I wonder what his problem is now...
"Wow, I haven't been up here in years," Daphne said lightly as she put her hand under the nearest tap to test the temperature of the water. Draco nodded his head slowly, but didn't reply immediately; Daphne rolled her eyes at how slow this escapade was moving thus far.
"When was the last time you were up here again?" he asked, at last, his voice not sounding overly interested.
"For Pansy's little spa adventure in 5th year," Daphne smirked at the thought of an inflated Pansy sitting in the hospital wing while she seduced Draco once again. "You and the boys burst in on us, remember?"
"Oh... right." He replied absently. Daphne rolled her eyes; she had had enough of his strange behaviour.
"What's the matter with you, Draco? I haven't been with you in months, and you can't even be bothered to have a proper conversation with me? It sounds like your mind is somewhere else." Daphne remarked with a flat tone to mask all the emotions behind it.
"I'm distracted," He said as he took off his black robe and tossed it on the floor, then began to loosen his tie. "I can't get over the fact that not only did Madame Malkin send a poisoned robe to Pansy, but it got through all the security of Hogwarts!"
"You of all people would know all about how not secure this castle is," Daphne remarked with a small smirk as she walked over and stood beside him. "And for someone who wants to break up with Pansy, you sound awfully concerned about her well-being." She added with a much more suspicious tone.
Draco gave her a sharp glare and sighed in frustration "Are you really going to start this old tune again? As you said, we haven't seen each other in months; you're wasting time talking about something that doesn't matter!"
"It wouldn't have to be so scarce if you would keep your word, Draco," Daphne reminded him lightly, but her expression told him that she was anything but detached from the subject. "And it does matter. Or, at least, it matters to me!"
"Alright, let's get this straight once and for all," Draco said in a slightly raised voice. "I make the rules here, got it? I'll do what I want when I want, and you just have to deal with it." He growled a mere foot away from her face. "So stop nagging me about nothing, ok?"
Daphne took in a deep breath of shock at what he just said. She shook her head slowly as her mind processed it, and then she let out a laugh of disbelief. "You make the rules? May I remind you that I helped you last year... that you came to me for relief. If anyone makes the rules, it's me!"
"Oh please, Greengrass!" Draco laughed wickedly. "You and I both know that there is no way you could ever control me. And you're the one who volunteered to help me; I never forced you to do anything. You begged me to let you help, remember?" He sneered.
"So then let's be equal, Draco, as it should be," Daphne said through gritted teeth. "A relationship, whether it is friendship or love, is built on trust and honesty, neither of which I can say you have been keeping." Draco gave her a dark glare, but she continued. "I want you to be honest with me; why haven't you broken it off with Pansy, as you promised?"
"Because I don't feel like it, that's why!" He hissed angrily "Not to mention, as I've told you hundreds of times, the Parkinson's are helping my family. Are you that determined to ruin me?"
"Are you determined to keep me as your something on the side!?" Daphne snapped back.
"So what if I am? There's no difference." Draco laughed. Daphne stared at him with narrowed eyes and waited for whatever answer he had. "Your family serves mine. If I really wanted, even if you weren't willing, I could just tell my father that I wanted you." He took a step closer, just about closing the gap between them. His grey eyes looked down at her with an expression of smugness that made her just want to slap him. "And then your father would hand you over to me, and the tradition continues; your family serving mine. This is just the easier, and must more enjoyable route."
Daphne did not blink or breathe for a few moments. Her heart raced, not out of love, but for anger; he really had no appreciation for her whatsoever! "Is that what you think this is? Me playing up to my family's expectations?" she hissed, then sniffed an incredulous laugh. "Well then, let me offer you a way to relax, Master Malfoy." She growled, and gripped the edge of his robes, then shoved him backward into the prefects' bathtub, now filled with warm bubbly water. "How about you let the hot water clear your obviously twisted mind!"
He resurfaced a few seconds later, coughing and spluttering, and visibly angry now. "You bitch!" he shouted at her as he shook his wet hair out of his eyes.
"How dare you treat me like that! After I helped you last year, and for all we know, I could be the reason you're still alive today!" she shouted at him, her clenched fists shaking as she glared down at him. "Or was that a trick to get me to serve you?" she hissed.
Draco glared at her and stood up in the tub, wading to the edge of the pool and pulling himself out of the water."I ought to slap you for that!" he threatened. But Daphne wasn't afraid; she'd been threatened and slapped by her parents before, so she knew she'd survive it.
"Oh, go on! I dare you to do it!" she goaded him. He moved forward like he was going to make good on his threat, but he stopped just short and glared down at her with his grey eyes. Daphne matched his expression, determined not to back down, and stepped forward until she was right under his nose.
"Until you keep your word, don't you dare ask me to do this again!" she hissed at him. "I am not your servant, Draco. And I will not be used again!" she added furiously. Then, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the prefects' bathroom, ignoring the shouts of obscenities that Draco called at her back.
Daphne didn't unclench her fists the entire walk back to the common room. She passed by one of the Carrow's, but he pretended not to notice her once he saw her house badge. And even if she hadn't been a Slytherin, her face was enough to send fear into people as hard as them. It was surely one to rival that of the Dark Lord.
Thinks he has all the control over me, does he? Thinks he can get the best of both worlds and keep me AND Pansy... Well, I hope I kicked that fantasy right out of his mind... I'll be damned if I share what's rightfully mine with a girl who resembles a lapdog!
Her mind was rambling, hot with anger. When she arrived at the entrance to the Slytherin Dungeons, she shouted the password at the painting of the Red Barron; he jumped a little bit and then opened the door without another word. Then, she stormed across the dimly lit common room and headed towards the dormitory staircase. But just as she was about to ascend the dark stairwell, an amused voice called to mock her.
"That was quick." Blaise chuckled from the corner by the fire. "Where's Draco?"
"Drowning in his own vanity, I hope!" Daphne spat at him sharply.
"Uh oh, sounds like trouble in paradise," He said in a sing-song voice. Daphne now turned around and directed her furious glare at him. But instead of backing down at the sight, he just laughed.
"Shut your mouth or I will sew it shut!" she said through snarling teeth. Blaise surprisingly did not reply; he just continued to laugh.
Goddamn lunatic... she thought bitterly, and then stomped away from him up the stairs to her dorm.
"Goodnight Daphne," Blaise called in a smart tone, followed by more laughter.
When she kicked open the door to her dorm, she was relieved to see that Pansy was still not back, and neither was Millicent. Only Tracey was there, and she was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed, obviously waiting anxiously for Daphne to return.
"So, how was Draco?" she asked with a knowing smirk. For once, Daphne was happy that she would prove her best friend's assumptions wrong.
"I told him to ditch Pansy or leave me alone," Daphne said curtly as she crossed the room, kicked off her shoes under her bed, and threw herself into her bed still wearing her uniform.
"Really!? So nothing happened?"
"No, Tracey; nothing happened!" Daphne snapped in frustration, almost starting to sob at her own words. She had been waiting for him for almost 5 months, and they both blew it by being too stubborn for their own goods. "Can we just forget about it please?" she demanded quietly as she rolled over, no longer facing Tracey. There was silence between them, and then she could hear her moving on her bed.
"Well, at least one good thing came out of today." She said cheerfully. "We got to see what Pansy will look like in about 10 years."Despite how angry she was,
Daphne couldn't help but chuckle at her best friend's humour. With that simple laugh, she started to calm down, and her rage now turned to sadness. She felt so sad, so hopeless now, that it was like she was mourning!
I am in mourning... Daphne thought solemnly. Mourning the loss of my dream... my fantasy world... My prince turned out to be a wicked, spoiled King, who thinks everything is owed to him, and he can have everything... Well, not me! I won't let my family treat me like that, I won't let my friends do it either... so I certainly won't let HIM do it...
Because all the pureblood families were riding high through the control of Lord Voldemort, everyone in the house was able to return home for the holidays. No doubt, Daphne expected, they would be forced to attend more parties, meetings, and murders with everyone else in the house, so it would practically be like staying at Hogwarts.
"Well, I won't be invited to any of those soirees; you know that," Tracey remarked as they trudged down to the Entrance Hall with their trunks.
"You can take my place," Theodore muttered as he kicked his trunk into the pile beside the doors and continued on with the others.
"And mine too..." Daphne added with a small chuckle "The last thing I want to do is be carted off to the Malfoy's for another ball."
"Yes, I can imagine that's why you wouldn't want to go to the Malfoy Manor," Tracey smirked.
Daphne gave Tracey a wide-eyed look and nodded her head at an unsuspecting Theodore. He had still remained ignorant of everything from Daphne's love for Draco to the quarrel she had with him the night before, and she wanted to keep it that way.
"Well, either way, I have a feeling this Christmas is going to be an eventful one..." Daphne muttered as they stepped outside the Entrance Hall and out into the cold, December air. She tightened her Slytherin scarf around her neck and pulled on her dragon hide gloves. "Good God, it's cold!" she shivered.
"Thanks for that clever statement, Daphne." Theodore teased as he pulled his wool hat over his ears and rubbed his hands together to try and get them warm. "This has got to be the coldest day in years!"
Up ahead, Daphne could see Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle waiting for the next sled. A strong gust of wind flew up the hill from the lake, causing all the students to cringe and turn away in pain. From the corner of her eye, she could see a Slytherin scarf fly off and hand halfway between the two groups. Pansy was nowhere in sight, and neither was Millicent, which made Daphne wonder how Draco had slipped away from her...
"Go get it, Goyle," Draco demanded as he crossed his arms to fight the cold. Goyle moved almost instantaneously and was jogging back towards them to pick up Malfoy's scarf. Daphne looked at Tracey for a moment before she stepped forward as well, holding up her hand in a stop gesture to Goyle. She picked up the green and silver scarf and strode past a very confused Goyle.
"I believe this is yours," Daphne said with a dark expression on her face. Draco turned around with his eyebrows furrowed together. She stepped forward and held the scarf out to him before she glared him directly in the eye and muttered "Master" in a dark growl.
Draco took the scarf from her and met her gaze with a stone-cold look that was something she expected from Lucius. He tied it around his neck without breaking his glare with Daphne, which made all the on-lookers, now including Theodore and Tracey, all feel very awkward and tense. "Thank you." Malfoy sneered at her, but he had a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips like he was amused by her. This only made Daphne feel angrier.
"Glad I could be of service to you," She replied through her teeth, and then with a sarcastic, fake smile, she made a low curtsey, and then continued walking down the hill towards Hogsmead. As she walked away, she could hear Crabbe asking 'What was that all about?', but she didn't hear what Draco's response was... or if he even had one.
"Daphne, wait up!" Theodore called. She could hear his footsteps, running to catch up with her. There was another set too, and within a moment she knew it was Tracey.
"Well, that was...nice?" Tracey chuckled. "But wouldn't you rather take a carriage instead of stomping down this hill? Because to be honest, I don't feel like walking all the way to Hogsmeade in this weather."
She had a point; it had to be 25 below zero outside, and they could very well miss the train if they walked. Daphne stopped walking and turned back, waiting for the next carriage to drive by. About 2 minutes later, one of the sleds with a few Hufflepuff's slid by. They looked down at the three of them as they passed with spite, but then Daphne and Tracey only smirked as they walked in time with the carriage.
"Going our way?" Tracey smirked as she jumped up onto the sled, pushing herself into the seat beside a 4th year Hufflepuff. Daphne did the same on the other side, pushing a young boy right against the wall, and Theodore jumped onto the back, standing on the footman's platform and slicking his head between the shoulders of two more very confused Hufflepuff's.
"Don't mind us; we're just hitching a ride," he smiled wickedly, no doubt sending shivers through their little bodies. Tracey laughed at the sight, but Daphne just sat in silence, arms crossed as she glared out at the snowy scenery.
After the long and dismal train ride home, Daphne and her two best friends jumped off the Hogwarts express to see many parents standing close to one-another, but far apart from a select group in the centre of the platform. As Daphne expected, her parents, among many other Slytherin parents, were among the group being avoided.
"Well, I've got to hoof it from here." Tracey sighed, taking her trunk and popping some wheels out of it with a wave of her wand. "I'll see you all after Christmas, I assume?" She smiled, looking at Theodore and Daphne with a dim smile.
"Yeah, I'll send you a letter if I end up at another gathering," Daphne promised as she reached out and gave her a farewell hug. Theodore did the same right after her, and then she gave them another smile and disappeared beyond the barrier of platform 9 and3/4.
"I'm not sure if there's much point in saying goodbye; we might see each other again tonight, after all." Theodore teased as he held his arms out for a hug from her. Daphne laughed and gave him a quick but warm hug.
"If that's the case, then let's hope it's not as eventful as the last one..." she said, winking at him with a knowing smirk. He smiled and shrugged, then walked over to his father, who was muttering something to Goyle's father.
Daphne sighed and scanned the platform for her parents. Although she didn't see her mother, she saw her father, chatting with Lucius about something, quill and notepad in hand, jotting down something as his boss spoke. Daphne felt her smile fade into a bitter frown; if her father wasn't so subservient, maybe they wouldn't have to deal with all the drama the Dark Lord was causing in the world... at least, not directly. She took a step forward to head over to her father, but just then, she felt a sharp tug on her neck, and the next instant she was against the stone wall of the platform. Once she managed to focus on where she was, she saw Draco, with a very un-amused face, and his grip tight on her scarf.
"I don't appreciate you trying to mock me in front of everyone like that," He growled under his breath so no one else could hear.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Master... didn't I please you with my services?" she sneered back with narrowed eyes, smacking his hand away from her scarf.
Draco chuckled and took a quick look around at the people who were standing near. Once he was satisfied that no one of importance was near, he grabbed her scarf and pulled her head closer to his. He leaned in and in a dark voice that gave her chills, he whispered in her ear, "You have no idea how much I love when you call me Master." Then, he released her, smirking with those same seductive eyes he always had towards her.
As hard as Daphne tried to look disgusted or horrified by his words, the only look she could muster was a blank stare that held reflections of her adoration. He stared at her too, for a moment, then turned away abruptly to greet his approaching father.
"Hello, Daphne," Her father called her in a flat tone, tucking his notepad into his pocket. Daphne was still staring at Draco, who was now talking to his father about how wonderful it was to not have Potter around anymore. He either didn't notice or was ignoring the fact, that Daphne and her family were right beside them.
"Can we go home now?" an annoying, high-pitched voice whined from her left.
I'd almost forgotten about her... Daphne thought, rolling her eyes and snapping herself out of the trance Draco held.
"Yes, let's get moving. Your Grandparents are here from France." Lennox announced to his daughters in his low voice.
"Oh brilliant! Now I can show them all the magic I've been practicing!" Astoria said cheerfully as she took her father's arm and walked with him down the platform towards the barrier. Daphne frowned a little that they had apparently forgotten about her, and dragged her trunk behind her slowly.