The July sun was beating down brightly from the sky that afternoon, and Daphne was taking advantage of her peace and quiet by sitting out in the gazebo, taking in the vast view of Woodbridge Village. A cool, summer breeze blew from the direction of the river, and she sighed in content; she had been home for 2 months now, and life couldn't be more perfect.
After the Battle of Hogwarts, as the Daily Prophet referred to it, the school had been released early. But, for those who were graduating that year, they were invited to take their exams at the Ministry (now under the leadership of Kingsley Shacklebolt) where Daphne passed with surprising success. Now, she was in the process of getting an internship at the Ministry, under the Department of Disillusionment, who were responsible for implicating charms on Wizarding domains such as Hogwarts or the Quidditch World Cup to keep Muggles out. She hadn't heard back yet, but seeing as the man who interviewed her was a classmate of her father, she had a feeling that she was going to get it...
Her love life had also picked up significantly. Draco now visited almost weekly, usually on Fridays as he headed home from work. He managed to get a job in the Department for International Magical Cooperation, working as the assistant for one of the heads of a sub-department.
They had nothing standing between them anymore; Pansy and her family had fled to the United States and changed their names after they had been tied to funding many convicted supporters of Voldemort. At last, their relationship was real. Plus, Draco was very much alone now, since his two best friends were now imprisoned or dead. Millicent was also killed that night, which may have been why Pansy found it easier to flee the country.
I also imagine that finding out that your boyfriends family had ratted you out and were willing to testify against you is also a little disheartening, Daphne thought with a smirk as she picked up her newest copy of Teen Witch Weekly and flipped over the front cover.
It wasn't a fact that neither Draco nor Daphne were proud of; that their families had become turncoats within a matter of minutes, once they realized the battle was not going to go their way. But, they made sure to offer their support and testimony against anyone who dared call them out for their sudden change of allegiance. Thankfully, none of her other Slytherin friends had decided to charge them as such, which meant she would never have to testify against Blaise, Tracey, or Theodore.
Daphne actually hadn't seen Theodore since the Battle of Hogwarts ended. The last she saw of them, they were running from the Great Hall, fleeing the scene of the crime before they could be arrested. But, a couple days later, Theodore wrote that he, Tracey, and Blaise had all gotten away and that they weren't under any suspicion to being involved in the attacks since no one saw them curse anyone. He did, however, mention that his father was back in Azkaban. And since there were no doubts to acquit his father of the crime, Theodore was living on his own in London. He told her she had an open invitation to come and visit, but she felt a little weary in going...
What on earth would I say to him? 'I know you saved my life and all, but I like Draco more; Sorry, but can we be friends?' she told herself. She also justified that his new job working for the Wizengamot court would certainly take up a lot of his free time, too.
Life had carried on with all the Slytherins that remained free and in England as if they were on summer vacation. They were all busy applying to jobs, and all wrote each other every once in a while, telling them that they wished them luck in their job hunts and that they would have to get together soon...
Everyone says stuff like that when they can't be bothered to make the effort themselves... we're all too busy trying to rebuild and start up our own lives... trying to escape our parents' shadows... Easier said than done...
"Daphne," Medea called from the back door of the house. "Your friend is here."
She rolled her eyes and stood up from the lounge chair she was sitting in. Her mother knew damn well that they were not just friends, but for some reason that she could never understand, she refused to call Draco anything but 'your friend' or 'Lucius' son'.
"Send him back here," She called to her mother, standing at the top of the step of the gazebo, leaning on the support beam as her heart began its weekly marathon. A minute later, Draco walked out the back door, still dressed in his work clothes, and Daphne could feel the subconscious smile of infatuation sneak onto her face.
"Relaxing?" Draco smirked as he stepped up into the gazebo with her, giving her a kiss as he passed.
"Mmm, yes; I've had a hard day of nothing," Daphne mused as she took his hand and led him over to the chairs that overlooked the town. "How was work this week? You don't look nearly as tired as you did last week."
"I'm working much harder, but it's not as tolling on me since I don't have Potter and the Aurors banging on my office door every five minutes asking me questions."
"When will he give up!?" Daphne sighed, flopping back against her chair in frustration. "We've given them our full cooperation, and yet he seems to expect us to turn over every man, woman, and child we've ever met!"
"Well, Shacklebolt wants to bring in a new regime of laws and policy, so I think he's trying to get all the supporters out of the Ministry as best he can... at least, all the high up and powerful ones." He smiled contently to himself "Not people like us." He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out in front of her. "Speaking of jobs, your mother handed this to me on the way out," He smiled.
Daphne, eyes wide and anxious, snatched it excitedly from his hands and tore the envelope open. She read down a few lines, then smiled from ear to ear.
"I got it! I got the job!" she cheered.
"I knew you would." Draco congratulated "A mind like yours deserves some recognition, after all. What else does it say?"
Daphne smiled at his compliment, then looked back and continued to read the letter. It told her standard information like she was to report to the main office on Monday at 10 am, when she would be assigned an office and her duties for the week...
'And as of next Friday, you will be accompanying the department to the Quidditch World Cup preparation, which will take a month. Here, you will be taught the skills you need to create and maintain the proper charms to keep Muggles and other unwanted visitors out of the area.'
"Oh... that's interesting..." she said quietly, then looking back up at Draco. "It says I have to go away for a month, to learn how to put the charms on the Quidditch World Cup..."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Draco asked, his brows furrowed a little at her statement.
"Well, it means I'll be away from you..." She pouted.
"And that matters because?" he chuckled, taking her hand. "We've waited this long to be together; surely we can survive a month apart," he pointed out lightly.
"You have a lot of faith in me, do you?" Daphne smirked very slightly.
Draco smiled seductively and stood from his chair, taking the two steps towards her and leaning over her chair, his face now inches away from her. "A month is nothing; you'll be home before you know it." He said in a low voice that sent shivers of anticipation up Daphne's spine. "And you'll be right back with me."
"Mmm, right back where with you?" Daphne teased as she grabbed his collar and pulled him closer so she could kiss him.
"That depends on my mood, doesn't it?" he said in the same sultry tone as he broke away from her kiss only for an instant, then resumed the same affection.
A few moments later, they were interrupted by the shrill call of Medea from the house. "Dinner is ready! Is your friend staying?" she called from the back door of the house. Daphne rolled her eyes in annoyance, then looked at Draco.
"Are you going to stay tonight, 'friend'?" she asked with a smile.
"No, I'd best get home." He sighed, standing from the chair they were both sitting on and fixing his shirt. "My mother will want me home for dinner, I imagine."
"Ah... I see." Daphne sighed as she too stood from the lounge chair. "Well, will I see you before I go away?"
"I don't know. I have work too, remember? I'd imagine that Cork will give me another assignment on Monday... It's hard to say." He brushed a piece of pollen off his pants as he absently spoke.
"But you'll try to come to see me, won't you?" Daphne asked, sounding more like a plea than she'd wanted it to. Draco caught the meaning and smiled at her with his perfect, white teeth. He placed his arms gently on her hips and pulled her towards him so he could give her one more kiss.
"I will try my hardest." He whispered to her, making Daphne swoon. "I should get going though. Tell your parents I say hello, and I'll to stop by next week." He assured her, glancing at his watch and starting back towards the house.
Although he could apparate, both Daphne and Draco's homes had anti-Apparation charms on them. Daphne watch as he slipped past her mother, nodding his head and giving her a pleasant greeting (as always), then entered the house to use their Floo Powder.
A month away from him... What on earth will I do with myself? She sighed as she picked up her magazine and slowly trudged out of the gazebo and made her way towards her house. But he has a very valid point. After all, the 2 years of waiting is nothing compared to one, solitary month. She smiled wickedly at her next thought; And with Pansy hiding in America, I have no threat whatsoever against me...
Draco did not make it back before she had to leave a week later. He did, however, send a letter addressed from his work, telling her that he would miss her and that he hoped she had a lovely trip. Daphne folded it up and tucked it in with her things as she finished packing her trunk. A few minutes later, she used Floo Powder to get back to the Ministry and met up with all the Ministry charmers in the atrium.
Her month went by so quickly that she barely felt like she had left. Every day, she and the team she was on were required to travel out to the borders, making sure that the barriers were holding up well, and would often have to help sort out portkeys and Apparation times so that people could teleport into the area at a designated time. Every day she would wake up at 6 am, running the entire perimeter of the grounds, and every night at 10:30, she would pass out on her bunk in the tent, only to wake up and do the same thing again the next day.
But despite the exhausting routine, Daphne loved what she was doing. Being able to disillusion something so big as the Quidditch World Cup made her feel like she had at last accomplished something so grand that even her family could not diminish its importance.
Draco will be so proud of me... He always knew that I was smart, and now I've simply proved it to the rest of the wizarding world, she thought dreamily as she packed up her things the last night. Everyone else was gathering in the main tent to overhear some sort of congratulatory speech, and Daphne was running late, but she was in no hurry; the thought that 12 hours from now, she would be home and back in Draco's arms was more than enough to bewitch her sense of time.
Just as she was about to run out of her tent to catch up with her co-workers and their celebration, she almost knocked over her boss, who was about to ring her tent's bell.
"Oh, there you are Daphne! I was just coming to find you," Mr. Crutts smiled brightly as she attempted to avoid impact with her elderly boss.
"I'm so sorry! I was just on my way to the dinner." She stammered quickly "I know it started at 8, but I just got a letter from my boyfriend and-"
"Oh, that's alright, Daphne!" he laughed heartily "I actually just left the party to come and find you. I'm glad I caught you alone," Mr. Crutts pulled a comb out of his pocket and attempted to fix his balding comb-over of ash-blond hair. "I must say that I have been very impressed by your abilities these past few weeks," He started in a friendly voice. "When your father suggested that you might have some ability in charms, I had no idea he was so modest about you!" he laughed heartily.
Daphne nodded her head graciously and said thank you, but still stood in the doorway of her tent awkwardly as she waited for her boss to finish his flattery. To say that she wasn't used to compliments was an understatement.
"I know that I'm not supposed to hired interns right onto the disillusionment team, but I'm sure I can sway the others to make an exception for you if you're interested." His eye's shining brightly at the prospect of Daphne accepting.
"Oh! I-" she paused for a brief moment. "You mean I would just skip the exam?" she asked curiously. Her heartbeat was quickening, and she felt a smile washing over her face.
"There is no need for you to go through the exam when you've proved yourself here!" Mr. Crutts laughed.
"You really think so!? Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Crutts!" she exclaimed breathlessly.
"So do you accept? It will mean you'll have to come with us tomorrow to our next assignment." He added eagerly.
Daphne's face faltered a little, and she felt the smile droop a little. If she accepted, she would miss out on seeing Draco... and she wasn't sure if her heart could take being away from him for so long.
"Oh... well, I'm not sure if I can go tomorrow..." she said quietly. "I had plans for when I get home tomorrow... I wanted to see my boyfriend."
"This is a fairly rare opportunity, Daphne." Mr. Crutts stated in an even, but not angry, tone. He had a knowing look in his eyes, like he understood her reasoning, but knew that this was a much better idea. "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know that you've been promoted so soon." He added with raised eyebrows.
"I know he will... but I miss him terribly." She said shyly. Mr. Crutts sighed, and Daphne instantly felt obliged to speak. "Look, Mr. Crutts, don't think that I don't want to accept the offer because I do! It's just..." she trailed off for a moment. "I'm really sorry, but I just need to think about it for a while..."
Mr. Crutts stared at her for a moment, trying to figure out what her motives were, but when he found nothing, he sighed again and smiled genuinely. "Alright, Daphne; I'll give you a few days to think it over." He said reluctantly. "And when you decide to accept," he gave her a knowing wink "You can send me an owl, and I'll send you our location and make accommodation arrangements for you."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Crutts! And that you for taking such a huge chance with me." She smiled widely.
"A witch like you? We would never let someone with your talent go to waste! What did you think I was going to do with you? Stick you behind a desk where you'll do nothing?" he joked. Daphne felt her cheeks going slightly pink at the flattery. "Now, let's go back and join your fellow interns... they should have a chance to converse with you before you become their new superior." He smiled and winked again. Daphne giggled lightly and followed her boss out of her tent.
The party was nothing more than a social gathering, where they all sat on couches in one of the supervisor's tents and drank wine. Daphne couldn't help but feel awkward as she looked around at the 10 other interns, some of whom were almost 4 years older than her, and out of all of them, she had been chosen to have a permanent and full-time job.
Well, that must say something about me... I'm sure when I tell mother and father, they'll diminish it or make it seem like a fluke as always, but Draco and Astoria won't be able to deny that I've successfully made a place for myself in the world! She paused and took the last sip of her wine. One step closer to freedom... one step closer to living the life I deserve.
When she returned home the next morning, she wasn't surprised when her family apparently forgot or didn't care that she was coming home. She lugged her trunk up the stairs from the drawing room, where she had popped out of the fireplace just after 11 am unnoticed.
Slightly irritated at the cold welcome home, she noisily pulled her trunk through the threshold of her bedroom, surely bringing some attention to her arrival. And just as Daphne kicked open her trunk and was waving her wand about her room, magically putting her things away, her mother walked in with an absent look on her face.
"Oh, you're home." She said in a less-than-enthusiastic tone. Daphne rolled her eyes, not answering her. "How was it?" she asked flatly.
"Fine. I got offered a permanent job," Daphne replied back in the same disinterested tone.
"Good," She replied back lightly. "Well, you'll have to get dressed right away. Astoria's new boyfriend is coming over for tea in a few minutes." She said in a tone that was much more attentive.
"What number is this one... 405?" Daphne remarked sarcastically. Medea raised her hand threateningly to shut her daughter up.
"Just get dressed," She hissed, and then disappeared from the room in a hurry, no doubt off to prepare her precious Astoria.
"Great... just what I wanted to do today," Daphne mumbled to herself as she pulled a pink sweater and a pair of grey pants out of her closet and threw them on. Then, without much effort, she fixed her hair and make-up and shoved her trunk back into her closet. Finally, after she pulled on her brown Mary-Jane's, she trudged down the stairs and plopped herself down on the couch in the drawing room, where her sister and mother were already waiting.
As expected, Astoria was done up like she was getting married, looking older than Daphne did in the outfit she was wearing, and a smirk on her face that confused but annoyed Daphne."What are you looking at me like that for?" Daphne demanded in a low voice when her mother jumped up to go get the tea.
"Oh, nothing." She said with an even wider smirk "I'm just excited that mother and father are so approving of my boyfriend."
"I can't imagine why... no doubt he's either 35, or he's some dolt of a boy that barely passed his OWLS." Daphne remarked smartly.
Astoria didn't say anything back; she just narrowed her eyes momentarily, but still had that same smirk on her face. All of the sudden, she perked up and her smile changed as she faced the door. First, their mother came in, carrying a tray of tea. She handed one of the cups to Daphne, then told Astoria to go wait for their guest in the front foyer.
"Try to behave yourself while our guest is here." Medea hissed over at Daphne as she stirred some sugar into her tea. She made a small face at her mother then, lifted her teacup to take a sip of her drink. From the corner of her eye, she saw Astoria skip back into the room, someone's arm in tow...
And then Daphne thought that she had died.
Waltzing in behind her, looking happy and at home in her thieving sister's grasp, was Draco. Daphne felt her whole body freeze as her wide eyes tried to take in what she was seeing. First, she tried blinking 6 times in a row in an attempt to make the picture before her change. When that didn't work, she deliberately put her hand against the hot porcelain; the sharp pain of heat told her that she indeed was not dreaming... this was really happening. Draco was really holding Astoria's hand. Draco was really sitting on the couch beside her. Draco was really dating her little sister!
Daphne had yet to take a breath, and it was only when her sister caught her eye that she took in a sharp breath of shock.
"Daphne, you know Draco, right?" Astoria said in a coy voice, the look on her face sending chills up Daphne's spine. She knew something... Whatever she knew, Daphne wasn't sure, but she knew enough to know that stealing Draco away from her would destroy her! She noticed that Draco did not make eye contact with Daphne at the mention of their knowing each other. He didn't say anything either; he just reached for a teacup on the table and began to pour milk into it.
He knows too... she thought in disbelief, every ounce of her strength fighting the urge to scream. He knows that he's betrayed me... he won't even look at me... damn it, LOOK AT ME! she thought in fury, her eyes getting wider and more infuriated as she sat there.
"Daphne, are you going to answer your sister?" Medea asked smartly. At that exact moment, Draco lifted his eyes from his tea and caught her staring at him. He stared right back at her for a few moments, then turned back to his teacup.
You bastard, she thought angrily. And with that, her restraint snapped, and she threw her porcelain teacup onto the slate floor, causing it to shatter and spill hot tea all over the nearby Persian rug. She stood up lighting fast, ignoring the indignant gasp of her sister, the shriek of anger from her mother, and the noted silence from Draco and ran from the drawing room up into her bedroom.
Once inside her room, she slammed her door closed so hard that she thought she might put a hole in it. As soon as it closed, she felt everything break away from her restraint. She started to sob, and in an attempt to stop herself from crying loud enough for anyone to hear, she began to hyperventilate. Her whole body shook worse than it ever had. She fell to the floor, as her legs could no longer hold her up, and watched in horror as her entire body convulsed with rage. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. All she could do was cry.
As she expected, her peace was short-lived. Her father burst into her room only a minute later, his loud booming voice shouting about the mess she had made, and demanding why she stormed out like that.
"I don't know how you're ever going to find someone like your sister has if you keep acting like that!" he boomed, his face red with anger.
Daphne couldn't stop crying and she couldn't stand, so her father grabbed her by the back of her shirt, hoisted her up, and pushed her onto her bed, where she sobbed even harder. She would have normally felt extremely embarrassed by this situation, but right now, she didn't care.
Astoria has taken him from me... that damn little bitch has stolen the one thing in life that ever meant anything to me... she thought, her mind slowly unraveling with each sob into her pillows.
"I hate her..." she said between cries.
"What did you say?" Lennox sighed in annoyance, irritated by his daughter's fit.
"I HATE her!" she screamed back, suddenly getting a rush of strength and standing from her bed, now facing her father. Her whole body shook with fury still as she screamed "I HATE HER! I HATE HER!" right at him, and watched as his face contorted into even more anger.
"What is your problem!?" Lennox shouted at her "You're acting like you're in hysterics!"
"I AM IN HYSTERICS! I HATE HER MORE THAN ANYTHING AND ANYONE IN THIS WORLD!" she screamed, running towards her door and flinging it open "I HATE YOU, YOU STUPID WHORE! I HOPE YOU DIE!" she shouted out the door, knowing perfectly well that her sister (and Draco) could hear. As soon as she said her last word, she felt a sharp tug on her shirt that yanked her back into the room, and then a loud bang of the door slamming.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Lennox shouted as he shoved her onto the floor.
"Oh, fuck OFF!" she shouted at her father and watched his eyes grow wide with shock momentarily.
"What did you say?" he demanded in a voice so low that it shook the room.
"I said FUCK OFF!" she repeated again. "I can't believe this family! I leave for one goddamn month, and you let her do this!?"
"What are you raving about now?" Lennox rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Astoria! Deciding that she wants to date Draco now! They didn't even KNOW each other until after I left! WHAT HAPPENED!" she demanded.
"We invited the Malfoy's over for dinner, and Draco and Astoria instantly had some sort of attraction to one another! Surely you can't be jealous of something like fate!" Lennox explained, shaking his head slowly like he was disgusted with her.
"Oh, yes, fate!" Daphne laughed. "Well, fate will have it that I am LEAVING!" she shouted through the tears that were coming back with a vengeance.
She jumped up from the floor, pulled her trunk out of the closet, and began enchanting all her belongings and furniture into it. As her dressers and bed flew past her, they shrank down to a miniature version of what they really were, saving space and time as she emptied the contents of her room. Eris, her poor cat that was sleeping on her chair, was suddenly snapped into a cage and thrown into the trunk as well.
"You aren't going ANYWHERE! You are my daughter, and you will stay where I tell you!" Lennox shouted, grabbing Daphne's wand hand and tried to stop her from casting any more spells. But in her rage and temporary insanity, she hexed her father away from her and against the nearby wall, and continued to pack. It only took another few seconds before her trunk lid snapped closed, and she levitated it behind her as she stormed out of her room.
As she ran down the staircase, she could hear her father shouting various profanities at her, despite being still stuck to the wall, and her mother, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for her hysterical daughters, shrieking like a caged bird at her as well.
"...How dare you call your sister such an awful thing!"
"YOU WILL STAY WHERE I TELL YOU TO OR SO HELP ME GOD-"
"This is so typical of you, Daphne! You're always having these dramatic fits every 5 minutes!"
"ENOUGH!" Daphne screamed so loud that they both stopped in shock. "JUST SHUT UP! I don't want to hear either of you speak again!"
"I ought to wring your neck, you foul little bitch!" her father threatened from the top of the stairs; he must have been able to get his wand out of his pocket and escape her hex at last. He came barreling down towards her like an angry dragon, practically breathing fire!
"I'm of age! I'll do whatever the hell I want, and neither of you can stop me!" she sneered at them, then turned and continued towards the dining room, which had a Floo Powder grate that she could use, thus avoiding Draco. The mere thought of him, sitting in that room with her, set her into a sobbing fit again, and she almost couldn't keep walking. But she pushed herself forward, and as she was close enough to the fire that she could disappear in mere seconds.
"Everything you own in that trunk belongs to me," Lennox growled angrily. "If you even think about going anywhere, I'll put you in Azkaban for theft!"
"Oh, now I'M the thief!?" Daphne laughed, throwing the trunk into the fireplace and standing in front of it "If you want to see a real thief, just go look in that room!" she shouted, pointing in the direction of the drawing room.
"I will never understand how we ended up with a child like you!" Medea hissed in rage. "Astoria is a model child, and you're-"
"Exactly what you made me! Through all your quips, threats, put-downs, and slaps across the face, I've become your worst nightmare! And I have to say, I enjoy every second of it!" Daphne snarled. Then, she took a handful of Floo powder and stepped back beside her trunk. Just as she saw her father running forward to grab her, she threw it down, her destination drowned out by her mother's screams of hatred.
With a loud thud and a quick crash beside her, Daphne landed in Tracey's living room. She knew that her best friend wouldn't be home, but she needed to hide somewhere until she got her head together. Throwing her trunk aside after she pulled Eris's cage out (so the animal could breathe), she collapsed onto the hardwood floor of her best friends cottage.
Tracey had moved out shortly after they left Hogwarts, having had enough of her parents rekindled love affair... not to mention her mother was expecting another child... And as Tracey so diligently told everyone, she 'refused to be their nanny, and didn't want to get in the way of them raising yet another love child of theirs.' Now she lived up in Scotland, just outside of Glasgow, where no one disturbed her peace.
Except me... stupid, foolish, dramatic, naive Daphne! she thought as she started to silently sob again. She didn't understand how she could have let this happen to herself; where did she go wrong with Draco?!
I did everything I should have! I gave him everything! And yet he cruises right past me and sweeps up my sister. She thought with disdain. And no doubt now she'll decide to settle with him... just to spite me... God, I hate her... I truly do hate her! What did I ever do to her!? I was a good sister before she turned into the spoiled, selfish girl she is! Yes, I was jealous of all the attention she received for being so beautiful, but I still tried to be a good sister... I even saved her life after all she put me through!
"And look how she repaid you," Daphne whispered quietly to herself. "Look how all of them repaid you! You never asked for anything... I never asked for anything that any human doesn't deserve... love and affection and respect." She held back the sobs that were trying to break through. "Apparently I'm nothing to any of them... my family I always knew... They pretended that I wasn't dating him just so they could move their little princess into my place." She muttered to herself.
Something caught her eye, and she turned to see a bottle of goblin wine sitting on top of the cabinet behind the couch. Without even taking a second thought, she jumped up from the floor, snatched it up, and downed the contents to herself...
Life went on in a drunken blur for the next year for Daphne. Tracey had come home 2 hours later to find Daphne passed out on her living room floor, lying in a pool of her own vomit. She nursed her back to health (or sobriety) as best she could, then suggested that she go home. Daphne, who was too embarrassed and depressed to tell Tracey why she was there in the first place, made up that she and her parents had a big fight, and she was moving out. Tracey, being her best friend, offered her a room in her cottage, or to help her find a place of her own. Feeling that she didn't want to be a burden, as she always felt her entire life, she insisted on finding her own place.
She found a flat in London, just at the edge of Piccadilly. It was rather run down, and so, of course, it was rather cheap, but once Daphne moved in and magically fixed the cracked ceiling and moldy floors, it looked like something the Minister of Magic could live in. Daphne and Eris lived quietly, scarcely aware of the lives of anyone else around them.
Her next task was the sent an owl to Mr. Crutts and accepted his offer for a job. After all, she thought, I need some sort of income to support my living...
But living was no longer as pleasant as it once was. Now that all her delusions of a good and fair world had been blown apart, she found herself in a deep depression, which was only fuelled by a drinking habit she picked up along the way. It wasn't uncommon for her to spend more money on booze than food some weeks, and she would sometimes get so drunk that she would wake up in the middle of the afternoon the next day, having slept through work and forgotten to feed Eris (again).
Her life was in shambles, and she knew it. But the worst part of all was that she didn't want to change. She didn't want to get better, to feel better, or to even try to pretend that she was better; there was no point as far as she was concerned. In her mind, she had earned the right to wallow in self-pity for as long as she wanted.
When she received the letter announcing Draco and Astoria's engagement, she almost drank herself to death that night. If Tracey hadn't stopped by for her weekly visit, Daphne would have either choked to death on her own vomit or died of alcohol poisoning. But as gratefully as Daphne was for Tracey bringing her to St. Mungo's, thus saving her life. Daphne secretly wished that she hadn't... She'd rather have died that night and spared herself the agony of watching those two live a happy life together, while she had nothing.
Eight months later, when Tracey was by for her weekly visit, Daphne received a letter from her family, asking her if she would 'perform her duty to her sister and be her maid of honour.' Daphne barked a bitter laugh and took a sip of her third glass of wine.
"What is it?" Tracey asked as she drank her orange juice; she didn't have a stomach for drinking after having taken care of Daphne so often.
"They want me to be Astoria's maid of honour at her wedding in July," Daphne muttered, staring at the letter with a malcontent like her family could see the hatred in her eyes as she stared at their signatures at the bottom. "They must be out of their bleeding minds if they think I'll be her maid of honour. I'd rather get eaten alive by a redcap."
Tracey sighed a little, and then suddenly seemed to realize something. Her expression changed from annoyance to villainy, which instantly grabbed Daphne's silent but devoted attention. "Why not accept the offer?"
"Tracey, are you mad?!"
"Just listen to me, Daph," Tracey said gently, calmly watching her best friend cringe at the nickname she hated. Daphne made a face and then sat in silence, listening to her friend's plan. "Accept the offer... and destroy the wedding from the inside." She smirked. "You know very well that if you were to refuse, and then showed up at the wedding, they would know that you're up to no good. But if you accept, and pretend that you've mended all ties, then you can cause twice as much destruction!" she paused and smirked a little wider before she added, "You may even prevent Draco from marrying your sister."
Daphne sat in silence for a few moments as she carefully turned the plan over in her mind. It certainly would be much easier to destroy (or kill) her sister and her wedding from the inside... after all, the Dark Lord's supporters operated using that exact principle in the Ministry of Magic for decades; it couldn't be that hard to do!
"I think you may be on to something..." Daphne smirked wickedly as she looked at the letter again, then pulled a piece of parchment from the desk drawer beside her and began to pen her acceptance...