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July 2, 1995
Harry's first view upon using the Floo was that of a large, ornate, beautiful room with large marble pillars, a central staircase with carpet on every step and a railing to match the staircase as beautiful as everything else was in that first room. From the busts along the walls, the carvings on those aforementioned pillars or the wizarding photos scattered throughout the entrance to Daphne's home, it didn't matter what he saw, for all of it was as marvellous a view as any when compared to Hogwarts.
He supposed that was why she, along with many of the other Pureblood students, didn't care all that much for Hogwarts or the other 'beautiful' buildings they spent their time in. If this was the type of home they had come to know since infancy, he could believe that the rest was nothing to them.
The flashing of green and the noise that typically accompanied the floo alerted him that Daphne was joining him a few seconds before he felt two hands upon his back. She turned him around, and he let her, just so he could see those brilliant blue eyes and her freckled face; whilst he was still in amazement on account of the beauty of her home, nothing could compare to her.
"You heard me," Daphne accused, breathless and with a look on her face that looked as scandalous as it did miffed.
Harry smiled at her so widely that he could feel his dimples. He did so in the hopes of calming her down. "Yeah, I mean, you were saying it to me, weren't you?" he paused for a few seconds before he continued. "I couldn't respond at the time, I felt really out of it… but I don't think I've ever heard better words in my life."
"Good. I was hoping to say them to you at a later date and when the both of us were far more prepared, but you went and got yourself injured. Grievously injured, at that, and I wished to tell you for my own selfish sake," Daphne leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You've alleviated my nerves by saying it back, but the surprise when I caught the word 'too' was…. I don't believe I can put it into words, and then you were gone. You knew what you were doing."
He grinned at that. "I did," he agreed.
"I'll get you back, but you're well aware of that fact. Oh, right," Daphne posed to her left and brought one hand up to her face as a look of mock thought settled on her. "My legal guardians won't be residing with us for quite some time, I'm afraid. It'll be you, me, the house elves and whatever guests we'd like to have over, should we choose any in the first place."
"What? I tho-, didn't you have to ask?" Harry asked, stumbling over his words as the realisation struck him that he and Daphne would be alone in this large, very large manor for what would likely be most of the summer vacation away from Hogwarts.
They would surely study for a great deal of time, he knew that, but his mind was too busy racing with other implications, namely the romantic kind thanks to Tracey. Davis was a rather weird girl and he knew that she read even weirder books that spoke of romances between Muggles, they were so off the beaten path that any comment she made would be… peculiar, and the situations she would spout off were the likes of which Harry now found himself in.
"I did have to ask them, they're my legal guardians and as such, are responsible for my safety and purity according to the old ways the likes of which my parents would have raised me should they have survived. As it is, they'll be responsible for you and me both whilst you reside here," Daphne looked at him curiously, and then she smirked at him. "You look like you're deep in thought, Harry. Do you have something that you'd like to say?"
"Nope," Harry said, popping the plosive in the word as he looked around one more, all the while willing his mind not to get too lost in the fantasies any teenage boy would have with a girlfriend as beautiful as Daphne; he was failing quite horribly too.
Daphne stalked forward, ever the lioness on a prowl and without her pride, her meaning was easily detectable. Still, he let her draw close enough to him again, as she'd done earlier, and before too long, she was practically hugging him with her head cocked to the left and her eyebrows raised as a look of amusement settled in the place of her earlier look.
"I don't quite believe that with how often you were looking at my lips whilst I was speaking," Daphne said lightly, her tone but a whisper as her lips drew closer… and closer to his, so much so that they were nearly touching, and then, she k— pulled back and danced a good three or so feet away from him.
He watched as she did so, the swaying and bouncing as she moved with haste nearly hypnotic. "Is that what I get for saying those words before I used the floo? Is it over?"
She tutted at him and shook her head. "That would be over far too quickly for either of us to enjoy, I think," her eyes flickered to the staircase and she smiled, one arm going up to pause at her left side. "Why don't you come and act the part of my escort? I'll show you to the rooms you'll have as your own whilst you're here, and then I'll be writing to my guardians so that they know all's well and that they'll more than likely have to be dealing with our Headmaster before too long."
"I don't think Dumbledore will be that up-in-arms over me leaving the Dursleys for one summer," Harry said with a shake of his head as he moved right over to Daphne, his arm looping through hers as he grinned at her. "Lead the way, Daph. We can start with your healing magic tonight too… that, or I can make something for you."
"Make something for me? We have a small army of house elves at our disposal, what could you make for me that wouldn't be possible for any of them?" she asked, genuinely curious-sounding rather than amused or off-putting as she took the lead and began to lead the pair of them upstairs.
Harry's answer came immediately. "I can book Muggle recipes that they wouldn't know or foods that have gotten popular recently, but not in our society. I've known you for years and that's more than enough to realise you've got a bigger sweet tooth than most."
Daphne raised a brow and looked over her shoulder for all of a second before she smiled teasingly at him in a manner that she seldom used. "I suppose you've been seeing where that love for sweets ultimately ends up, haven't you?"
He cast a glance at her arse for a split-second, if that, and when he looked her in the eyes he shook his head innocently. "I simply want to treat my lovely, beautiful girlfriend to a wonderful round of sweets, is all. You're letting me stay here for nothing, and don't say the lessons count either, because we both agreed last year in Hogwarts that this is for all of your lessons."
She huffed at him then. "And you say I can't ever be happy with help — you're keeping a record of help between the pair of us," her look turned challenging as they continued their leisurely stroll the masterfully-made halls of Greengrass Manor. "What if I tell you that those lessons were me paying an earlier debt? You remember when you took a Basilisk fang for me, don't you?"
"I remember that you were crying over me until the Phoenix came, and after it did and you knew I would be alright, you were yelling at me and slapping my chest," Harry recalled, his eyes thoughtful as he recalled the memory; Merlin, she had been livid with him for a few weeks post-incident too.
"You're not meant to be the one that sacrifices everything for his friend. We've acknowledged before that I'm the one that has a knack for saving people and putting myself at risk, but you've nearly outdone me twice over throughout the duration of our relationship. If I were in my right state of mind, I'd be tempted to keep you here forever in this manor and that'd be the end of my worrying for the entirety of my life," Daphne sighed and cast a sidelong look at him as their place slowed. "Teach me tonight and cook tomorrow, but I'll be giving you a surprise of your own."
Harry would take that, and so again, he leaned to kiss her on the cheek. Daphne accepted it haughtily, her nose raised in the air and when he went back to standing, she paused. He looked at her curiously before realisation dawned on him, and so again, he leaned forward so that he could kiss her opposite cheek. She did so love her balance in nearly all aspects of life, and affection was short to none save for revenge.
For the next hour or so, perhaps even less time than that, Harry would be alone in the rooms he would be using at Greengrass Manor. Daphne had a few letters she wished to write and another matter to see to the likes of which he wasn't aware of on account of her wish for privacy, but that was no matter to him. There was still much exploring that he could do, and even if he wished to keep to the rooms she gave him, he could look throughout the four of them for a long enough time to keep himself entertained.
At the present, however, there was nothing more that he wanted to do than rest. The queen-sized bed in his bedroom was comfortable beyond belief, the cotton sheets were equally as marvellous and above all, the pillows had a sort of magic of their own to them; they were constantly cool. He wasn't sure what sort of charm that was, but for them to be cool regardless of how long he slept on them… it was such a minute but wicked detail that he knew he would have to copy the magic.
The desk and furniture within the rooms were classic-looking, and the large mirror in the next room over was ancient, he could tell by the trim and the clothing Daphne had 'somehow' found that would fit him for his stay was just as comfortable and amazing as the rest of her home had been thus far. Simply put, it was like he had found paradise after living so long in squalor thanks to the Dursleys.
He never wished to come across as ungrateful, but their 'hospitality' in comparison to Daphne's — it couldn't be compared.
"Zapsy," Harry called out tentatively, practically testing the house-elves name that Daphne had given him should he need anything.
In an instant, a very Dobby-like energetic little elf was before him and the small, cute creature was bouncing from one foot to the other. "The great Harry Potter, sir, the friend of Mistress Greengrass! It's so good to meet you, sir, very good to meet you! How can Zapsy be helping you today?"
Harry smiled and stuck his hand out, shaking the small elf's hand when he too reached out tentatively, and Harry spoke right then. The elf looked about ready to say something too, but Harry reckoned it was another round of praise or something along that line, so it wasn't absurdly important.
"Could you get some tea and a platter of snacks, if that's alright?" Harry asked tentatively, hoping to have food and drinks ready for Daphne when she returned; he still swore he would find a way to pay her back for all of this. He wouldn't be some sort of leech on his girlfriend's Gringotts account, least of all after a year in which she had aided him far more than ever before.
July 5, 1995
"I've been meaning to ask you, how exactly do you practise your healing magic when there aren't any injuries present?" Daphne asked from her spot beside him on the couch, her eyes staring intently at him as she neatly folded her hands in her lap whilst waiting for his reply.
Harry smiled. It was a fair question and one that he would expect from her, in fact, he was certain that he had heard that very question before when they exchanged spells the previous year before last.
"Just because something doesn't feel inherently injured doesn't mean there isn't a condition present, and even if there isn't, you'll know you haven't cast it wrong so long as there's no result — I can watch you try this first spell, we'll see how you do with it and if the incantation and gesture are right and you don't feel anything, we'll know it was more than likely fine," Harry gestured to her arm. "Go ahead, try it. I'll watch to make sure everything's done correctly and we'll see how it looks… really, short of working with Madame Pomfrey or apprenticing at Saint Mungo's, this is the best we can do."
"I'm sure you'll be injured more than enough come next year for these spells to be put to the test," Daphne said with a shake of her head.
"We don't know that," Harry countered, but one look from Daphne told him that they did, in fact, know that she was right.
It wasn't his fault that he was so injury-prone even with his Potter luck being generally present. Often enough, everything would go as well as could be expected and what minor wounds he had were nearly minor enough to laugh at. Her opinion differed from his in that regard, but from what he figured, the past year was the worst by far and yet, here he still was, alive and well.
That was more than could be said for some; that dark thought interjected.
"We'll see. I'll expect truffles and your ear for me to gloat into when I'm proven right," Daphne said, her wand resting on her arm as she took in a deep breath, exhaled slowly and finally said the incantation to the spell that Harry had begun teaching her a few days ago.
It wasn't anything that could be life-saving or horribly detrimental should she get it wrong, but it was magic nonetheless and as such, was something that should only be done under the supervision of a person talented in that field. He held his breath when the incantation was finished and her wand stopped moving, his eyes looking all across her arm as his hands sought it out gingerly.
Daphne shifted closer to him and raised her arm ever so slightly before he felt it go limp once more. He thought he heard some sort of squeak or similar noise from her, but he couldn't be certain and as a result, he doubled down on his care for her. He ran his hands up and down the entirety of the area that should be affected, and when nothing obvious made itself known, he resorted to using a spell of his own to ensure everything was as it should be.
It was. There was nothing out of the ordinary and so it seemed that Daphne had cast the spell correctly. He shouldn't have been all that surprised, but her silence and the look that even now she was shooting at him had filled him with worry, the sound had done little to ease those worries too.
"Everything's fine… do you feel fine?" he asked tentatively, finally letting her arm drop.
"I imagined as much, and I do," Daphne answered with a small smile on her face as she exhaled a breath he hadn't noticed she'd been holding.
He was perplexed when he heard that answer. "What'd you squeak for, then? I thought something was wrong."
Daphne narrowed her eyes at him. "I didn't squeak," she said initially, and when she spoke again, her tone was softer and had a degree of embarrassment within. "I rather enjoyed that impromptu massage, you hit a particularly tense spot in my forearm and it felt divine. You'd not know a spell that could do something similar, do you?"
In response, he shook his head as he became more aware of their closeness and the lack of the previous studious air around them. Again, he was so focused on Daphne as his girlfriend rather than friend or schoolmate, and as a result, he couldn't help but take in her features. Muggles would say some sort of crude joke about falling from heaven or what have you, Dudley had used it before, but if anybody could pass for an angel it would be Daphne… when she wasn't threatening people like Malfoy with a wand that could handle more people than he reckoned his own could.
"I see," she said remorsefully, and then she nodded a few times to herself as one eyebrow went up. "You wouldn't be too against giving me a massage from time to time, would you? It felt wonderful."
"I wouldn't be against it at all. The same goes for that game of yours we played a few months back too. I'm not sure if you'd want to play it again sometime soon, but it was fun and I reckon I could finally beat you by now," Harry grinned when he finished and took in the expression on Daphne's face.
She had been happy with his willingness to rub her down, but when he brought up her game, one that he had very closely lost to her and said that he could take her now, that happiness was replaced with a look of competitiveness. He knew she would try harder when next they played, and that thought excited him just as much as it likely did her.
"Winner picks the place in which we'll have our first true date," Daphne declared as she moved to sit before him so that her back was pressed against his front. "Would you do my shoulders whilst I read? If I'm able to get this second spell done today, I'll be grateful beyond words."
Snogs for spells? I'm in.
Harry did just as she requested, and Merlin, he got more than a fair reward for doing so later that day. Life at Greengrass Manor was heavenly.
July 13, 1995
Daphne was an excellent student, and whilst Harry already had known that for quite some time, it was all the more readily apparent after spending more than a week with her. Every evening, after they had dinner and went about their daily tasks, they would have a lesson. Typically, it would be with him acting the part of the Professor whilst she would listen to whatever it was that he had to say. Healing magic was the foremost subject they covered, and their charms as well as transfiguration would occasionally be touched on whenever she so requested it.
After all, he was King when it came to those types of spells whilst Daphne was above average; the Dark Arts, Defense against them and even potion-making were where she truly shined through. He would trade with her too if he could, but together the pair made a solid team and that worked well enough for him until they reached higher proficiencies in one another's fields.
"What's this spell meant to do?" Daphne asked, pointing at the slip of parchment paper he had before him, the one with which he was using to determine what spells she'd benefit from most and in which order she should learn them.
"That's meant to get rid of any muck that gets inside of wounds — if somebody got badly burned, it would remove bits of clothing from under their skin, or if somebody was near a bombarda, it would remove chunks of wood or stone. It's a pretty important spell to prevent infections, but if you cast it incorrectly, you'll remove more than you were hoping for," Harry shook his head and cast away the more graphic depictions the book had given as examples. He could spare Daphne from such visions manifesting in her mind.
"I see," she said, nodding a few times to herself before she looked back into his eyes once more and gestured to the desk before her, where her notes from the previous lessons lay. "I'm proficient with the first two spells you meant to teach me, and while we wait for you to get injured so that I can properly test them, I suppose we're ready to move on to the next set of spells, aren't we?"
"We can do that, but there was something I was meaning to do today before it got too late," Harry gestured to the shelf over his shoulder, one that was entirely empty but had spaces for dozens, if not hundreds of potions.
Daphne raised a brow. "If you want them filled, why not switch our lessons from you teaching to me? I can make most anything we could want and you could learn all the while, though I don't believe I'm that far ahead of you when it comes down to it."
"I was thinking we could get them from the potions master in Diagon Alley, and afterwards, we could make a couple of stops. You mentioned a real proper date earlier, and I figure after all we've done in terms of studying lately… why wait?" Harry smiled at Daphne and moved closer to her, closing the books as he passed them with nought but a flick of his wand. "We'll be at Hogwarts before too much longer, and before that time comes, I'd like to take you out to somewhere really nice instead of staying here for the duration of our summer."
Daphne stood up and closed what little distance remained between them. "I'll not say no to a date prepared by my boyfriend, least of all whilst we're within two weeks from his birthday."
"We don't need to do anything special for it, just being here will make it the best one I've ever had," Harry said dismissively as he took up her arm and began to escort her in the direction of the staircase so that the pair of them could each dress more appropriately for a Diagon Alley trip.
She rolled her eyes and cast a sidelong glance at him. "Smooth words, but unfortunately for you, I still plan on ensuring your first birthday with me is truly worth remembering," Daphne sniffed and raised her nose in the air, both eyebrows now raised. "If it isn't the greatest one you've had by merit rather than by default I'd be very disappointed in myself."
"Your birthday isn't so far off either," Harry said, changing the topic as he poked at her side. "Maybe I'll do the same. It'd only be fair."
"It'd only be fair," Daphne agreed.
Harry grinned as they finally closed in on the floo. Soon, they would each have their birthdays and during those days, he figured there wouldn't be a second of boredom. Even now, there seldom was. If they weren't moving around the grounds of her family's estate, they were studying, exploring or wasting time the way couples loved most.
It was wicked. Very wicked.
"You've positively spoiled me," Daphne drawled from across the candle-lit table as her eyes zoned in on his own.
Harry smiled in response and allowed a small chuckle before vocalising himself. "I'm just making sure no other wizards come in and try to steal you away from me. I heard chocolates, clothes and a good dinner make a beautiful witch happy."
Daphne snorted. "Dork," she said softly even as he swore her cheeks flushed despite the flickering of the flames between them distorting his vision of her. "Seriously, you didn't have to do all of this. We've been training together, you've seen me when I'm sweaty, tired, grouchy or when I've just woken up. I'm afraid you're stuck with me by now."
The tired Daphne and the Daphne that just woke up… those two are my favourite versions of her.
"Stuck with you?" Harry pondered aloud with a hand at his chin. "I don't mind."
"And to think I nearly had to stun you to spirit you away to my house when we met in that… unique, inn. I couldn't imagine spending my summer without your company now that we've done so thus far — thank you, could we have another pitcher of water, please?" Daphne's tone started mischievously, stopped happily and finally, ended politely as their waiter came over to deliver their orders.
When the man was gone, Harry picked up where they had left off with a small laugh. "I can't believe you nearly had to stun me, in all fairness. I should've been more than eager to join you, but I suppose it was just a bit intimidating, really."
"You, afraid of a little Lioness such as me?" Daphne brought a hand to her heart and pouted playfully at him, batting her long eyelashes. "I can't believe it. You're the Slytherin, Harry. You could be trying to corrupt my poor, innocent little soul."
"I think we both know how well that would go if I did," he said with a shake of his head.
Daphne's foot tapped his under the table. "You're meant to let me play the part of the innocent maiden over this dinner… though I suppose if we were going in order, the chocolate shop would be last. Thank you, again, for buying everything. You should've saved your money."
"And miss the chance to treat you? Perish the thought," Harry moved chairs so that he was now seated next to her rather than across from her, and he summoned his food so that it moved with him. "Did you still want to try the pasta I ordered or the wine they gave me? I don't think they're meant to do that, but I'm not going to complain."
"Corrupting me before I've had my first bite," Daphne said pointedly, her brows raised as she looked at him in silence… for all of three seconds before she graciously took the glass of wine, appropriately posed her hand on the aforementioned glass and took a long sip from it.
Harry grinned when she pulled back, a small red stain around the edges of her mouth. He couldn't help himself when he leaned in to kiss her, and Daphne didn't seem to mind either. She returned his kiss with gentleness, and thanks to the flickering of the fire before them, they lost themselves in one another as if they were back home on the couch before their very own fireplace. Her hands came up to brush at his face whilst he sought out her sides. They caressed one another softly, with fleeting touches as their kissing grew more heated, but eventually, the pair broke apart for air.
When they did so, they blinked and looked around to see the unfamiliar setting of the restaurant, and in doing so, a fierce blush came to each of their faces. They had forgotten themselves and the meals they had been so excited to try.
"I hope that doesn't end up in the Prophet," Daphne said, her tongue slipping free of her mouth to swipe across her pink lips… lips that were still very kissable.
"I wouldn't mind," he said, only to raise his hands when she looked at him with one brow raised and a hand going to her hips despite her seated position. "I'd have words with them?"
"That's a better response," Daphne said, smiling and patting him on the cheek.
Finally, the two looked down at their plates and looked back at one another. Their dinners were still delicious-looking, and so they scooched their chairs close enough that their knees were brushing and after doing so, they began to eat. It didn't matter to them who had ordered what, for the two would go on to share every course of their meal, desserts included.
When the time came that they were finished, the meal was paid for and they found themselves home, resting, Harry couldn't help but smile. Daphne was the happy recipient of nearly three large bags of chocolate and twice as many bags of clothing, he had himself his own few additions at her behest too, but most of all, whilst all of that had been enjoyable, the time spent with her was second to nothing.
He would gladly spend another summer with her and this one wasn't even a quarter of the way through quite yet. It made him thank Merlin, god or whatever being was listening for granting him this chance, and he wouldn't spoil it as he had nearly done earlier in the month. If Daphne wanted him here, he would stay, and if she was all too happy to have him return next year, and the year after, he would be more than happy to oblige her.
"Chocolates?" Daphne asked lazily, from her sprawled-out position on the couch and with one hand languidly pointing at the nearest bag from the shop.
"I'll get them for you," Harry said, standing with a yawn and a stretch of his arms before he moved to grab them in the Muggle way. Once he grabbed them up and took the few steps needed to get to her, he held them out, but she didn't accept them.
She tapped her mouth and smiled at him from beneath a shroud of golden-blonde hair. "Feed me?"
He could manage that. Definitely.
July 31, 1995
Harry blinked his eyes open tiredly, a yawn escaped from him shortly thereafter and his arms stretched over his head, exercising the previously relaxed muscles. His room was alight with the early-morning sun, and should he open the windows that led into his room, he was certain that he would hear birds singing in the morning air. This place felt as magical as Hogwarts did, at times.
He yawned again and swung the covers off of his body. Immediately, he felt the briskness of the room steal away the heat the heavy, comfortable sheets had trapped and he nearly sought out their comfort once more. Had he been lazy, as Ron was — Daphne described him as laziness manifest — he would have done just that, but instead, he started towards the bathroom so that he might wash and dress for the day. It was his birthday, and whilst he would enjoy nothing more than spending a quiet, relaxing day with Daphne, he reckoned she would have more in store for them than just that.
Her words of promise still echoed in his mind; she wanted this to be his best birthday yet for a reason, and not by default, and when she said something along those lines one could say with absolute certainty that she would follow through. He had never known her to be a liar or a person that would over-emphasize something, and today of all days would be no exception.
Thus, he washed quickly, dressed quicker, and made his way over to the door that would see him into but one of the many vast halls in Greengrass Manor. He opened it carefully, slowly, expecting the girl to jump out at him at any second, but she didn't. Instead, all was normal and the scent of breakfast was heavy in the air. He had himself a good, large appetite in the morning, and so he allowed his nose to lead him. Before too long, he found himself not in the dining room or kitchens, but in the parlour room where the typical Floo connection resided.
Daphne was there too, and with her, nearly three whole tables of food. The quantities weren't all that much, but it didn't matter when the sheer volume was taken in. From bacon and toast, the most usual of breakfast foods, to French pastries or cakes, everything he could ever hope or want was set out before him.
"Wow," was all that he could manage, and in response, Daphne all but preened.
"I take it that's a good sound of exclamation?" she asked, lusting after praise or compliments, and Merlin, he would satiate her desire for either on account of the effort she would have gone through in coordinating this alone.
He knew the house elves would have cooked it all, but nearly everything on the table was something he had mentioned to her before and cooked to his specifications. All of those times they spoke seemingly about nothing, be it from the rightly made cake down to an off-handed remark about the eggs being too runny for him to enjoy, she had to have listened to it all as tedious as it was.
"You're the best girlfriend a bloke could ever want," Harry said as he practically ran across the room and over to her so that he could wrap her up in a large hug. "To think that you said I spoiled you… and look what you've done here. I don't know how I'll match this, but Merlin, you can reckon I'll try."
"Good luck," Daphne said with a grin as she gestured to the food. "Grab whatever you'd like, there's more prepared if you have a particular fondness for something in particular… oh, and happy birthday, Harry," she leaned up to kiss him squarely on the lips when she finished speaking, and after doing so, she leaned back to smile at him.
Wait. That was strange of her. She wasn't a morning… there it was. On the stand beside her, Harry spied a potion vial and a cup of coffee, or what would have been coffee. Now it was just an empty mug next to an empty potion, and whilst he didn't know which potion it was that she had used, he felt almost beholden to her.
She must really want this day to be perfect. He couldn't be certain of why she'd go that far, but it wasn't lost on him.
"Thank you, Daph, really," Harry stepped forward to kiss her again, and then again, and maybe one last time… for good luck.
"This is just the start of your birthday. It'll be far better, and I plan on making sure you have very fond memories of this day," Daphne answered, smiling with blushing cheeks as she began to build a plate of her own.
Harry followed suit, and that breakfast… it took nearly two hours for them to finish.
"I can't move," Harry groaned as he rolled over and onto his side, his shirt feeling as if it would burst from the pressure his stomach applied to it.
Now that didn't really feel too horrible, but with how much he had eaten for breakfast on top of the lunch Daphne had just surprised him with, well, he felt as if one more bite and he might just explode.
"Dinner isn't for nearly seven hours," Daphne said placatingly as she stretched the same way a cat might beside him. "In the meantime, I had plans for something particularly special, and for me, new. It was very hard to schedule and harder to understand, so I do apologise if it isn't up to the experience that you're used to."
"What is it?" Harry asked as he felt Daphne urging him to his feet, and despite his body's protests, he did as she requested and made it into a standing position. "Where are we going?"
"To the Floo, and then we'll have a bit of walking to do," Daphne answered with an almost giddy tone as she urged him onwards, down the stairs and into the very parlour room the two had eaten breakfast in earlier that very same day. "We'll be going to Kettle's Inn and Pub, it's the only location that's near where we'll be going."
Harry wasn't remotely sure of where that was just yet, and he certainly hadn't heard of a place called 'Kettle's Inn and Pub' throughout all of his time with Daphne, but he shrugged. If this was what she had planned for his birthday, he wouldn't complain, he'd simply go with it and see where she led him. He doubted it would be all that bad, actually, he knew it wouldn't be bad. This was Daphne, and whatever plans she made were generally well thought-out.
"Ladies first," Harry said with a smile and wave towards the Floo, but Daphne stood with her hands on her hips and gave him an amused look.
"Birthday boyfriend's first, you mean," she said expectantly, her eyes flickering over to the Floo and back over to him. "Get a move on, or I'll send for a second lunch."
That little teasing threat of hers was more than enough to get him into the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder, and with one last look at her, he tossed it at his feet and spoke the destination that she had given him. "Kettle's Inn and Pub," he said, and like that, he was awash with flame as the Floo took him.
Harry was spat out of the Floo and after stumbling two steps — and only two steps — he righted himself in the centre of a decent-looking rug. As soon as he was stable, he chanced a glance around and took in a fairly upscale pub with an earthy tone and wood panelling all around, there were even two other actual fireplaces burning logs and filling the place with warmth despite the heat of the outdoors. Still, it wasn't overbearing, and the scent of food and alcohol in the air wasn't unpleasant.
He stepped further into the room, but he whipped around when the Floo went off and Daphne stepped through, perfect-looking as she always was.
"It's rather unique, wouldn't you say?" she asked with a glance around the place before she took up his hand and began to lead him to the counter, where two seats had cards placed over them in the sign of a reservation.
"I would," Harry said simply and snickering a few seconds afterwards when Daphne simply flicked the two cards away as she took a seat and he did the same. "What's so special about this place? We saw a dozen or more in Diagon Alley, and there are others that probably have just as unique a setting as this."
"You'll find out in a moment," was Daphne's cryptic response before an older man brought over two drinks, each of them filled to the top and with a straw placed right in the centre. He didn't speak, he barely even acknowledge the pair with a nod before he was back over in the other corner of the bar and speaking with other customers. Harry thought it was rather rude, but Daphne seemed content to drink whatever it was that the man had given them. "It's quite good, give it a taste."
Harry wanted to ask what it was, but he knew that Daphne's answer would be 'drink and find out' and so he did; it was alcoholic. There was a strong sweet flavour that accompanied the burning of the alcohol within, a sweet enough taste that he found himself guzzling the thing down.
"I didn't think you'd drink all of it, but I assume that would mean that you liked it," Daphne mused, watching him with a teasing smile on her face as one hand propped up her head.
He pushed the now-empty glass away from him and looked back at her. "Don't tell me we came here just for a drink."
"Of course not," Daphne answered with a snort as she nodded towards the door. "I reserved us for drinks, though I didn't specify how many — they don't like people using this location just for the Floo, so we were practically obliged regardless of how many Galleons I would offer them otherwise. Now that you're done and I'm nearly finished as well, we can get a move on to the primary location for the evening. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, the advertisements were convincing."
"I don't suppose you'll tell me until we're there, will you?" Harry tried, smiling along with Daphne when she looked at him teasingly and shook her head.
"Well then, go on and lead us out of here and to wherever it is that we're headed off to," he answered as he stood up from his seat and held out a hand to help her down from hers.
She accepted, and again, the pair were off, only this time with a minor — intermediate — buzz.
"Braveheart?" Harry asked with his brows furrowed as he looked at the cinema before them. "Wait. You studied Muggle stuff just to take me to a cinema and watch a movie… this is your first film too, that's why you said something new. Wow."
Daphne looked rarely uncertain of herself as she shifted, one hand holding onto her forearm as she slowly moved forward in the line with him. "That would be a good 'wow', isn't that right?"
Harry nodded. "That'd be a very good wow. You're brilliant, and the fact that you did all of this for me?" he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. "You're even more brilliant… but I hope you know, we might have to charm the guy working the booth since we're a bit too young to see the film you wanted to pick — I didn't know you liked history quite that much either."
"I love history," she said immediately, and after righting herself with a small blush on her cheeks, she spoke confidently. "I don't believe that'll be an issue."
And an issue, it was not; the movie was brilliant, Daphne's innocent reaction to the film and how it worked were brilliant and the day?
It was perfect.
August 12, 1995
Harry woke up much the same as he always did, with a yawn, stretch and a grateful look around the room that Daphne had said was his so long as he wanted it. He would never grow tired of the sight the place provided so early in the morning, and when he chanced a look out of the window, expecting the August heat and a bright son, he was more than surprised with what he saw.
There was a storm raging on outside, and it was a heavy, thundering sort of storm that brought with it heavier rain than he had seen in quite some time. Had that been it, he would have chalked it up to one of the many rolling storms the United Kingdom would have in the summer, but there was more; ice.
For some unknown reason, the puddles that formed on the balcony of his room were frozen over, and the interior of the windows was slick with a visible layer of ice. That shouldn't be happening in August, storm or not, and so he ripped away the covers of his bed and left the room, still in nought but his pyjamas.
"Daphne?" he called as soon as he was in the halls, his eyes seeking out the familiar girl or any of the house elves.
"Downstairs," she called back to him, her voice echoing through the halls.
Harry raced towards the stairs so that he could get to her as soon as possible. He wasn't overly nervous, he was just confused as to what reason there would be ice forming, and if anybody would know, it would be her… this was her place, after all, and she had to have seen it before lest it was some rare occurrence.
He was midway down the stairs when a wailing charm went off, one that nearly scared him bad enough to make him troop down those very same stairs, and if he had, he reckoned that might just have been it for him. Those large marble stairs didn't play around, that much was certain regardless of who you are.
When he just made it to the bottom of the stairs, he heard Daphne saying something to one of the many house elves that were present, and then, the girl came around the corner so quickly that she nearly bumped into him. It was only his arms coming out to grab hold of her that stopped them from colliding, and he was fortunate enough for that to happen.
"What's happening? Does it have to do with the ice or the storm?" He asked as soon as he was certain everything was alright with her; he had to take that quick look too, his mind wouldn't stop racing until he did.
"Ice? The storm's natural, as far as I'm aware, but I don't recall any ice being present — the wards are holding too, but I don't know what's pressing into them. They've been triggered in three different spots across the property boundaries. Come on, we'll head to the centre tower to get a better view," Daphne didn't wait for him to respond, she simply grabbed Harry's hand and led him towards the very middle of Greengrass Manor.
The centre tower was half as high as Gryffindor Tower was, or so Daphne claimed, and soon enough, he would witness that awe-inspiring view once more.
"Describe the ice," Daphne said after a few seconds of jogging along in silence, her eyes staying strictly on the path before them even as she spoke to him.
"There were frozen puddles on the balcony and all of the windows had a thin sheet of ice on them. I woke up to thunder, I think, but it was colder than usual in the room… you seriously didn't see any ice?" Harry wasn't sure what time she woke up, but he knew if it had been early enough, her being in the parlour room or kitchen would explain why she hadn't taken notice of it.
"I didn't," Daphne said, perplexed. She remained silent and deep in thought as they finally made it to the spiral staircase that led up, and after flinging the door open, the two started their ascension.
It took one minute, give or take a few seconds, and then they were at the highest point of her entire manor. The grounds were dark thanks to the heavy storm clouds, and their visibility was problematic due to the rain, but when Harry looked to the Northern edge, where his bedroom lay, he swore he could see a shape in the distance, by the tree line when a flash of lightning went off.
"There's a shape by the south of the house," Daphne said quietly, her voice containing nought but a tremor of nervousness — he could understand why, and it was reflected when he looked where she was looking and saw a shape that seemed identical to the one that he'd witnessed.
There was something out there, at the boundaries of her home and the only thing keeping them away were the wards… Dementors. That thought sprang to the forefront of Harry's mind, and in an instant, it all made sense; it should have made sense sooner, but he figured his morning brain was still a bit slow to act.
"Dementors," Harry said aloud, for Daphne's benefit. "I don't know why they'd be here… do you?"
Daphne remained silent for nearly a minute, until, finally, she responded as she looked back at him. "Come with me, we'll need to make sure the wards are holding — we'll strengthen them too, and no, I don't know why they're here, but I know that we can't let them in. I can't… I'm not proficient in the use of the Patronus."
Harry's resolve had never been stronger; he would let nothing happen to her.