For The Love of Cake
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, so it stands to reason that I don't own Harry Potter.
PAIRINGS: HG/DG mentioned HG/RW AG/BZ mentioned AG/DM also background DM/HP if you like this one, R&R to let me know if you'd like to see a companion Drarry piece or a sequel. As I said earlier, I have nothing, I live off of reviews. Save me.
"Daphne." Hermione sat down, having watched the Marauder's Map and waited until the girl was alone. Luckily, she'd went back to the library. Daphne's head shot up from her book, looking around before at Hermione,
"what do you want?"
"To return your book." Hermione smiled, sliding the Defense book to her.
"My book? Blaise said you said you were going to keep it." she slid it back, "keep it."
"I don't want it." Hermione replied, sliding it back.
"You clearly do," Daphne bit out, sliding it back again, "keep it, Granger, I really don't give a flying snitch." Hermione slapped the table, leaning forward, eyes narrowed,
"fine! I'll keep your sodding book! What is your problem, Greengrass?"
"What's yours?" Daphne snapped, "you know what? I don't have to put up with this." she started sliding her things into her bag, furious. "you're ridiculous, Granger, find someone else to teach you to play, I won't be doing it."
"Wait!" Hermione said a bit louder than she meant to. Daphne, however, did not wait. She swept out of the library, Hermione on her heels, "Daphne, wait!" The Slytherin spun, staring her down. Hermione ducked back, thoroughly warned. She'd not seen that look on Daphne's face ever before and it wasn't a kind one. "I just... please help me. You've taught me so much already- wait. That's what you want, isn't it? You want to humiliate me again?"
"Again?" Daphne sneered, pointing viciously to herself, "I have never humilated you!"
"Bollocks!" Hermione snapped, "you think I'm stupid!"
"OH I COULD JUST HEX YOU FOR THAT!" Daphne nearly roared, stalking forward. Hermione paled, backing into the wall, wand flicking into her hand in case she needed it. Daphne smacked her hand onto the wall above Hermione's head, and leaned in, "let me tell you something, Granger. I may be in Slytherin, but I am not evil. I did not join the Dark Lord, I've never killed anything but bugs, and I am not my family. I'm smart, and pretty, and fucking awesome, thank you so much. No one would be stupid do date me, so you can just sod off. Climb off your high horse, and grow up!"
"I never said you did anything of those things!" Hermione spat back, pushing off the wall and glaring up. She would not back down from anyone.
"You said you'd be stupid to date me, I saw the note!"
"Is that what you think?" Hermione growled, clutching her wand, "don't think I don't know about you, Daphne Greengrass! I'm not stupid because you're a Slythering and a Pureblood! There, that's why I'm not dating you afterall! You think you can just trick the little mudblood and make fun of her by making me think you want me?! WELL I KNOW BETTER AND I WON'T PUT UP WITH IT!"
Daphne shrank back, eyes wide, as most people did when Hermione lost her cool. Hermione rubbed her sleeve across her eyes, fighting back tears.
"I thought...you know, maybe I'd proved myself. That you people might leave me alone, but you never will, will you?!" She let out a choked sob and bolted, dropping her bag but it didn't have anything she couldn't come back for. She'd be damned if she let the Slytherin see her cry. Hermione collapsed not far away, sitting on the steps to cry.
Her bag dropped down beside her, and then Daphne's as the Slytherin sat down, looking sadly at her. She sighed, reaching out an arm and rubbed Hermione's back.
"Hermione, look at me."
"Go away."
"Alright, don't." Daphne sighed, "I don't give a snot if you're a muggle born. I don't do things like that, okay? Did you really think it was all a prank?"
"If you touch me again, so help me, I'll tell Pansy."
"Pansy? Tell her." Daphne snorted, "fuck, I'll tell her. Has she been calling you that fucking name? If she has, tell me and I'll hex her mouth shut."
"She's your girlfriend, don't think I don't know." Hermione scowled, swiping at her face. Daphne choked back a laugh,
"Pansy?! Pansy Parkinson? I thought you were smarter than that, Hermione. I am not dating Pansy. I never have, I never will." she paused, grabbing Hermione's arm, "is she telling people that?"
"Well...I don't know. Lavender said you...Lavender may have assumed."
"May have? She did. I'm not dating Pansy, I don't care how often she bats her eyes." Daphne batted her eyelashes for emphasis, "that's sad and she's...not exactly my type. She's very high maintenence you know, more of a headache than she's worth and..." she leaned in, "between you and I, she's a bit slow."
"No kidding?" Hermione grinned, rubbing her face, "then how come you walked away from me on the way back from practice? How come you've asked me so privately?"
"I believed you'd just said it would be stupid to date me." Daphne frowned, "and you seemed like a private person." She shrugged, "it seemed like a good idea at the time." Both sat in a comfortable silence and Hermione sighed,
"I'm sorry, Daphne."
"Well-"
"Just shut up before I lose my will." Hermione snapped, "I shouldn't have taken others transgressions on you. Do you want to see something no one but Malfoy or Harry or the Weasleys know about?"
"Has Draco been keeping a secret about you and not told me?"
"You told Draco you were going to ask me out?" Hermione blinked.
"I tell Draco everything." Daphne countered, "show me." Hermione just jerked her sleeve up, baring the mudblood scar there and Daphne took her wrist, turning it where she could see it.
"Remind me to thank Draco for not telling me about that." Daphne said, a little paler than before, but she didn't let go of Hermione's wrist, "who did this?"
"She's dead." Hermione said simply, "and remind me to thank Draco for not telling you either. I mean... I won't keep it a secret, but, I think I was going to. I think that...talking about it, maybe, will help me release some of the fear and issues I didn't realize I had until just now."
"Maybe." Daphne frowned, green eyes looking back at the scar, "I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry she took something away from you. But, you..." she let go, and Hermione found that it made her just a little sad that she had, "you need to realize, Hermione, that there are still people out there that would do that. The war is won, you won, and that's great but you didn't stop the hatred. It's my world, and I know."
"I know," Hermione looked back, determined to hold the Slytherins gaze, "I do know. I see how they look at Draco and Pansy. I know our side is just the same. Harry and Ron and I... well, I won't tell you their secrets but, after the war, it was hard for us to cope. There's still so much hate on both sides. We're not having it. We won't do it. A lot changed in the month after...we forced ourselves to see things others wanted to ignore."
"Peace...real peace, has got to start somewhere." Daphne grinned, nodding, " a lot changed for me too. Mother and Father got life sentences in Azkaban."
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be." Daphne grinned, "it's amazing. It's freeing. Sure, it hurts, but now..." she looked down at herself and beamed, light shining from the inside, "I can be myself. They put themselves in that position, and they tried to drag me and my Tori into it with them. But, she's got my back and I've got hers. We survived, and we're here now. Free and safe."
"Tori?"
"My kid sister," Daphne grinned.
"I didn't know you had a sister." Hermione frowned, "how old is she?"
"Sixteen." Daphne nodded, "most people don't notice her, or, they don't realize we're related. What with the same last name and all." Hermione laughed and she winked, "maybe I'll introduce you some time. Tori's very book smart, she has the library back home all to herself. I didn't see her all summer."
"Alright." Hermione grinned, "that could be nice."
"It's getting late," Daphne glanced around, "want me to take you back to your dorms?" Hermione shook her head, grabbing her bag and standing,
"no, but thank you. When's our next practice?"
"Not giving up?" Daphne grinned, "alright. Two nights from now, same time."
"I'll see you then." Hermione adjusted her bag and left, head down and grinning to herself. She wasn't sure she trusted Daphne yet but she had to wonder at the little feeling in her stomach and the feel of Daphne's fingers on her wrist, still lingering on her skin.