Chapter Seventeen
We're Official, and We're Serious
Harry Potter took the tray with the teapot and cups back to the kitchen. He picked up his cup and stood sipping tea trying to organize his thoughts about what had just happened. He resolved to do a better job keeping Daphne informed about things that had any potential to harm either of them, Astoria, Draco, Fabio or Kendra.
Harry tended to focus on what was in front of him, because he lurched from crisis to crisis. He didn't look for them, because it seemed they had no problem finding him. Harry enjoyed being a working-level auror, pitting his skills against the imagination and cunning of the magical criminal class. Nothing in his experience or training had prepared him for this, however, the possibility that he, Daphne, or quite literally, the world as he knew it, could be wiped out in a misguided experiment. How does one plan for that? What could he do to minimize risks? More broadly, what was his role in identifying and remediating the problem? Was he a victim, along with Daphne, or a supervisory level law enforcement officer who was expected to find the perpetrator and bring them to justice?
He decided he needed to request a meeting with his Director as early as possible Monday, along with the Minister, so he could give his report once. Harry resolved to get to the office at least an hour early so he could draft an initial, rough report. It wouldn't be complete without Daphne's input, but there might be useful information to be found in one person's perspectives.
Monday morning, Harry sent a message to his Director as soon as he arrived at the office, briefly outlining the previous day's events and requesting a meeting, to include the Minister, to give them both a full accounting.
That accomplished, Harry worked the remainder of Monday and Tuesday without further untoward events, relatively speaking. At least, as far as he knew, his days had not been diverted due to time stream innovations.
Harry did manage to fit in a visit to Gringott's to remove some gold from his vault, some to cover his gambling debt to Daphne, another four thousand for four seats at the St. Mungo's fundraising gala, and a bit more for odds and ends, including the goblin-made chest from Cranville Quincey's.
Harry arranged to leave the office Wednesday at noon. After cleaning up his office, he told his assistant he was leaving, and where he could be reached, then left for the atrium, taking the chest with him.
Harry considered taking the floo to Greengrass Manor, but thought that might be presumptuous, at this early juncture. He didn't know which fireplace he'd arrive at, which could be embarrassing. Added to that, he hadn't been invited to use the floo to the manor, and there could be charms, hexes or a jinx awaiting the intruder. Instead, he went to the Ministry's apparation point, and was soon on the hill just outside the manor's wards. Harry presented himself to the talking gate, which opened to admit him to the grounds with an effusive greeting.
"WEL-come to Greengrass Manor, Head Auror! Miss Daphne is expecting you, and reported that she will be in the library, tending a cheery fire, to welcome you on this fine autumn day!"
"Thanks, talking gate, I can see you're still at the top of your game," Harry said.
Harry took the graveled path to the front door, which opened to admit him.
"Hi, Trix," Harry greeted the house elf who opened the door for him.
"Master Harry, welcome to Greengrass Manor," said the elf. "Miss Daphne is in the library."
Harry knew the way, and let himself in. Daphne was sitting on the couch with her feet pulled up beside her. She wore a long tweed skirt, mostly green with a silver thread for contrast, a long sleeved, button down white shirt, and a dark green sleeveless sweater. Her long hair hung down her back in a single plait. Harry stopped as he crossed the threshold, just taking in how beautiful Daphne looked, sitting on the couch in front of the fire.
"Harry!" Daphne said, obviously delighted see him. "Come in, don't just stand there! Can Trix bring you some coffee, or tea?"
"I'm good for now, thank you," Harry said, crossing to the table at the end of the couch. "Got something for you. How have you been?"
Harry put the chest down on the table.
"Oh, it's been uneventful," said Daphne, turning her head as Harry bent to kiss her cheek. "Quite dull, really, compared to whiling away a Sunday afternoon with Harry Potter. As far as I know, I have been in our own native time environment for at least forty-eight hours. How boring is that? Now, what is this intriguing prezzie you've brought?"
"It's a goblin-made chest, for you to keep things in. Cranville Quincey's thinks it is around 300 years old. It's keyed to my touch, but I know how to change it so it recognizes you. To open, you just rest your palm flat on the lid and leave it there. I'll demonstrate…"
Harry put his palm down and waited a few seconds, listening for the sound of a lock working. When he heard the click, he lifted his hand, and the lid slowly rose.
"That's it," Harry said. "Now you can access your stuff."
Harry spun the chest around, so Daphne could see the contents, which turned out to be 10 rows of 10 shiny new gold galleons.
Daphne started laughing.
"Harry! That might be the best present ever!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck and rubbing her cheek on his. "I'm going to have such fun figuring out what to spend this on."
Then Daphne had a second thought. "Maybe I won't spend a single galleon. Maybe I'll save it all, so I can open the chest and look at it every day and remember the thrill of winning a hundred galleons from you. Oh, what a delicious problem to have!"
"Have at it," Harry said. "Let's make it yours."
He closed the lid and touched it with the tip of his wand.
"Now put your hand on top."
Harry touched the back of Daphne's hand with his wand, then the chest, as he said, "Imperio!"
"Got your wand? Keep your hand on the lid and touch it with your wand. Mutatio."
"That should be it. Try taking your hand away, then put it back and make sure it opens for you."
Daphne put her palm down on the lid and held it. They both heard the lock click. She took her hand away and the lid rose by itself, revealing the stacks of galleons.
"How do they stay stacked like that?" Daphne asked.
"It has a neatness charm built in. It's expandable, too. When I saw it in the window at Cranville and Quigley's, it wasn't quite as big as it is now. The interior expanded to allow the galleons to fit in. I've no idea how far you could take that. Maybe if you just kept putting stuff in, eventually you'd have a house. The goblins are deep. It would be just like them to make something like that and keep it to themselves.
"You can touch it with your wand and make whatever is inside invisible, for a few minutes. Just say 'et invisibilia.' It doesn't remove anything, but if anyone managed to get in, it would just look like an empty box.
"So, are we even?"
"Absolutely," Daphne said. "I may even owe you at this point. A magical chest wasn't part of the bet.
"Now, are you going to take your tie off, or do I have to put my hands on you?"
"You're giving me an incentive to keep it on," Harry said, reaching up and starting to untie the knot at his throat. "Better?" he asked, stuffing the tie in the pocket of his jacket.
"Much," said Daphne. "Are you going to sit down? Why don't you get those crook-chasing shoes off your feet? You won't be pounding your beat anymore today."
Harry complied with instructions, leaned against the back of the sofa and sighed. Daphne pushed an ottoman in front of him, and Harry lifted his feet so she could get it underneath. Closing his eyes, Harry realized how tired he was. He felt the stress and confusion of the past week lift, as if he were being relieved of a physical burden.
"Daphne?"
"Harry?"
"I'm not seeing anyone else."
"I know, Harry. I asked around."
"Did you? Really?"
"Of course. Did you think Ginny and I were just talking about the two of you? Besides being your former, I don't know, girlfriend or partner or whatever makes you comfortable, she's very well-informed on all things Potter. There are three or four people right in London you'd have to bribe very generously to completely cover your tracks, in the event you wanted to keep any wanderings quiet. I might have talked to all of them. Might not have as well. I did my due diligence, that's all you need to know."
Harry thought about that for a bit.
"I'm flattered," he said, opening his eyes and looking down the sofa at Daphne. "That you took the trouble."
"Harry, you're worth the trouble," Daphne said, in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm surprised I need to say it."
Harry was silent for a bit more.
"Daphne, have you really known about our parents' agreement since you were little?" Harry asked. "I wish I'd known about it. Would have saved me a lot of time, and uncertainty."
"It didn't come out all at once. I probably grasped the real ramifications only around sixth or seventh year, but before that I had a sketchy idea. To tell the truth, when I was little, and talked to Mother about it, she made it sound more like you and I should be having play dates, but unfortunately, circumstances just didn't permit."
Harry didn't say anything, then he started to chuckle. Daphne started, too, and suddenly they were both laughing out loud.
"Play dates?" Harry said, and they started up again.
"I'm sorry," he managed to choke out, "but in the context of Dark Magic and wizard wars…oh, just one simple play date. I'd love it, the highlight of my year."
"Wouldn't everyone?" Daphne asked.
"I was always looking for an opportunity to get to know you, starting at our sorting, but you had Ron and Hermione. I couldn't throw myself at anyone, either.
"It was not easy being in Slytherin and keeping my feelings to myself. No one but Harry Potter induced romantic feelings inside me. I couldn't be a disposable pleasure object for the likes of Goyle. I had no interest in promiscuity. There were some unkind comments around the common room, but Tracey and I stuck together, and I focused on academics. When Astoria arrived at Hogwarts we looked out for her and her friends. We made a few friends from outside Slytherin.
"I know what the boys were writing in the bathroom, Harry," Daphne said. "Did it hurt to know someone could write that kind of thing, or talk that way about me? Yes, and some young Slytherin witches were only too happy to enlighten me. That's all past, now. We can talk. Some of them have actually consulted me on medical matters."
Harry was lost in thought for at least a full minute.
"I remember some of that," he said. "Merlin. I never made the connection. Oh, I'm so sorry, Daphne. No one should have to endure that kind of treatment."
"Oh, well," Daphne said. "My eventual play dates with Harry Potter turned out to be worth waiting for, after all. On the upside, I wasn't the Heir Of Slytherin."
"Well put," Harry said. They both sat there for a bit, thinking their own thoughts.
"Well, to finish what I started to say," Harry said, "I'm not seeing anyone, and Saturday night, when Fabio and I were shaking hands and saying our good-byes, your father told me he hoped you and I would keep seeing one another. Which is fine with me, if you're agreeable."
Daphne clapped a hand over her eyes.
"Oh, Harry," she sighed, "I swear, I think you're diagnosable, if terminal indirection is a malady."
They leaned back into the couch and watched the fire in silence for several minutes, Daphne letting her hand lie atop his. Then she said,
"I've got something to show you. C'mon."
Daphne led the way out to the hall, and up the stairs to the second floor.
"Saturday," she said, "while you had me out back practicing patronuses, Mother had the elves make up a room for you, in case you ended up staying over. This is it," Daphne said, opening a door.
Harry looked around the room, which was spacious, and well-furnished. He noticed a large bed, dresser, and shelves with towels, washcloths and a selection of men's toiletries, a razor, toothbrush, and a new tube of toothpaste. Harry, noticing it was his favorite brand, remembered Neville's comment. A terry bathrobe in crimson and gold hung on a valet stand.
"Nice," he said.
"Here's the bath, which you have to share," said Daphne, walking through to the far side, putting her hand on the knob.
"…with me."
Daphne opened the door and led the way into the adjoining room, Harry following. The first thing he noticed was a large framed photo of himself, on Daphne's bedside table. He was on his Firebolt, Gryffindor quidditch robe rippling behind. He looked like he would fly right out of the frame.
"That came from…?" Harry asked.
"Colin Creevey, fifth year," Daphne said. "He was thrilled. It was his first paid free-lance job, he said. Of course, I had to swear him to silence, upon pain of obliviation. I brought it straight home, lest the whole school learn my secret, and it has been right there since.
"But, my point is, Harry, as you can see, Mother could have put you in any guest room in Greengrass Manor, I didn't ask her to put you here, she just naturally assumed I would need accommodation for you, after Saturday's convincing demonstration of manly virtue.
"How could I say no, if you chose to claim your reward? You saved the damsel, possibly her whole family. Only you turned out to be too much of a gentleman to press your advantage.
"So, in answer to your needlessly oblique questions, yes,I do want to keep seeing you, and no,there isn't anyone else, and no,no one at Greengrass Manor has any objection.
"Fabio and Kendra are holding up their end of the deal, Harry. The only thing required of you, is to want me. I trust that is clear enough?"
"Crystal. Couldn't be clearer," Harry said, finding breathing difficult. "We're official. We're serious."
Daphne looked into Harry's eyes. "Yes. Seems we are. I'm ready, with all that implies."
She didn't need to clarify she was accepting the considerable load of baggage that trailed Harry Potter.
"Then I am too," Harry managed to say.
"Good. You can let me know if you need me to beat you over the head with anything else," Daphne said. "If that's settled, lunch should be ready. Hungry?"
"Famished, but don't we kiss now? And what are we having?" Harry asked.
"No, I'll be annoyed with your naivete for several more minutes. Arugula salad and mineral water," Daphne said, turning toward the door. "You need to bring some clothes over, Harry. I'm overdue for a roomie. I want to smell Harry Potter when I get out of the shower, I want to see physical evidence that's Harry Potter's room. Secondarily, you might need to change sometime."
Back out in the hallway, Harry stopped and drew his wand, then he pulled his tie from his jacket pocket. Addressing his wand, Harry said, "Let's hang this guy up someplace in my room."
He pointed the tip of the wand at the tie, which flew back to the door. The wand twitched as the tie turned the corner, then stopped.
"That's that," Harry said. "Wonder where it ended up?"
"Not what I had in mind, but it's a start," Daphne said, just a bit drily. "Is that wand your valet?"
Harry laughed. "It has to get its exercise somehow. It doesn't deal with much official business with me sitting behind a desk. We had our adventures. You got a taste Saturday evening. It had to get strong, fast. See that hairline crack?" Harry handed his wand to Daphne.
"Voldemort's big snake attacked Hermione, and me, and she cast a curse at it, which rebounded, nearly breaking this wand in two. Ollivander's professional opinion was he didn't think it could be repaired. I took the Elder Wand away from Voldemort, and figured it couldn't hurt to try, so I asked it to fix my wand. All it took was a simple reparo, and the Elder Wand, and my holly wand was back, strong as ever. We've got some history between us. I think we're both still learning."
Daphne stared at him, handed the wand back, shook her head a couple of times, turned and said, "Lunch."