9. The Dance

Daphne sat sadly in the Common Room.

On the other side, she could see Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, and Neville Longbottom clustered around Harry Potter and the Lupin baby.

Someone sat down beside her, and she turned her head to see Hermione Granger.

"Well?" The muggleborn witch inclined her head. "Are you just going to sit back and let him slip away?"

Daphne blushed so deeply she felt her entire body turn red. "I don't know what you mean."

"Sure you do." Hermione gave her a knowing smile. "Harry is my dearest friend, but he lacks a certain confidence with girls. He could easily be entrapped by someone…unless we prevent it."

"How would we do that?"

"I can help." Hermione was suddenly serious. "Harry needs someone like you. Someone who is not enthralled by his fame; someone who can help him navigate this world that he will try to rebuild."

"But why me?" Daphne was baffled. "You care so much…why can't it be you?"

Hermione shook her head. "I love Harry very much, but not in the way…it's different for me," she concluded in a rush.

Daphne accepted that. "What should I do, then?"

"To start…"

"Harry?"

He paused upon entering the Great Hall, and turned to find Daphne hovering.

"Hi, Daphne. Did you need to talk about something?"

She swallowed hard. She was a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. Still, when the chips were down, she had been able to summon her courage. And they were down now.

"WillyougototheGraduationBallwithme?"

"Huh?"

She forced the words out. She could do this. "Will you take me to the Graduation Ball?"

"I didn't even know there would be a Graduation Ball!" Harry exclaimed.

With good reason, Daphne thought. Since only this morning had Hermione managed to wheedle the Headmistress into agreeing.

"Sure, Daphne, I'd like that very much!"

Good, the hard part was over.

She beamed at him. "Wonderful." A moment's anxiety gave her pause. "Umm, do you know how to dance? I could teach you, if you want."

"Okay. I plan to do better than I did at the Yule Ball! Would you mind coming to my room after dinner? It's just that I don't care to leave Teddy with the house elves too often."

"I'll be there," she promised.

Professor McGonagall announced the Graduation Ball that evening, sending many Hogwarts students into a flutter.

Susan was one of the girls who immediately invited Harry.

"That would be fun!" Hannah enthused. "The four of us will all go together!" She grinned at a blushing Neville.

"I already have a date," apologized Harry.

Hannah looked affronted. "How? McGonagall just announced it!"

"Daphne learned of it and asked me this morning," he explained.

Both Hannah and Susan seemed a bit miffed.

"You look gorgeous," Harry breathed, gazing at the vision before him.

Daphne blushed, but was delighted: it was the reaction she'd hoped for.

Hermione popped up beside them, in an eye-catching scarlet dress, and pointed to the table she was saving.

"You were right," she whispered as she led them in the direction of her date, Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Hermione had led them to a muggle store to shop, but it was Daphne who'd selected the clothing.

"You need vibrant colors," she'd insisted, dissuading her Gryffindor friend from her usual pastels. The red halter dress was very becoming.

Then Daphne surprised Hermione by choosing a strapless pale gold dress with a handkerchief hem.

"I know almost everyone will expect some shade of blue or green, and I do like those colors," she explained. "But I want to do the unexpected for this party."

She'd offset the dress with a black necklace studded with tiny topaz jewels; the result was that Daphne seemed illuminated by the warm glow of candlelight, and Harry was dazzled.

Justin greeted them warmly, and they were soon joined by Ernie and Fay. That left just two empty seats at their small table.

To his dismay, Harry noticed Ginny enter with Zacharias Smith in tow, and make a beeline towards them.

But, before she could get there, Ron and Lavender dropped into the empty seats.

Ginny huffed, and changed direction to sit with Dean, Seamus, and the Patil twins.

"That was a close call," Daphne whispered.

"It would have been awkward," admitted Harry. "But otherwise, I don't care what Ginny does any more."

Her eyes searched his face. "Truly?"

His grin reassured her. "Truly," he promised.

Harry was enjoying himself, dancing with Daphne and the other girls at his table.

But that wasn't true of everyone.

"Look at this!" Zach Smith held out his glass and fished something out of the punch. "Look what you did! That red hair of yours gets all over, and now it's in my punch!"

Ginny gave him an irritated look. "You're constantly whinging about something, and I'm sick of it!"

"Looks like there's trouble in paradise," Lavender giggled.

"They're fighting a lot," Ron frowned.

Harry was surprised. Since Teddy had accompanied him back to Hogwarts, he had received his own room and hadn't been in Gryffindor Tower much, but the other housemates nodded an agreement.

"Never mind them." Daphne tugged at his hand. Laughing, Harry allowed himself to be pulled onto the dance floor.

Then came a thin high scream.

Startled, everyone looked around to see Ginny Weasley push back her chair, start to rise…and crash down onto the table, scattering food and drink everywhere.

The next morning Lavender couldn't wait to tell everyone that Ginny had been taken to St. Mungo's.

Hermione hurried over to where Daphne and Harry sat playing with Teddy.

"Ginny has a baby girl," she announced. "She's small, but perfect."

Harry, knowing Hermione, realized there was something more.

"And?" he prompted.

Hermione bit her lip. "She wants to see you."

Daphne drew a sharp breath as Harry stiffened. "Are you sure? I can't think what we'd have to say to one another."

"Maybe she thinks you hate her now?"

"I don't." Harry shook his head. "I really don't feel much of anything for her. But I'd never wish her any harm."

Daphne squeezed his and in approval, but asked, "What does Zacharias have to say about Ginny wanting a visit from Harry?"

"He couldn't even be bothered to come to the hospital!" Hermione fumed.

"He did say, at one time, that he would like the baby to be named after Helga Hufflepuff." Hannah joined them. "You know how he brags that his line is directly descended from her."

She leaned over and lifted Teddy away from Daphne, cooing over the child.

Neville followed her. "Ron is still at St. Mungo's. Ginny is very sick."

Ron was gone several days, and Hermione fretted. "Exams are coming up so quickly! Ron can't afford to miss class."

"His family is what matters most to him," Neville pointed out. "You know that, Hermione."

"We'll help him catch up," offered Harry. He himself was studying harder than ever before, with the assistance of Daphne and Hermione. Frequently Hannah, Neville, and Susan joined their study group.

On the fifth day, Ron returned, and he came straight to Harry. "Mate…Ginny needs to see you. Today."

"Me? But why?" Harry still couldn't figure why Ginny, who'd ignored him for months, was so desperate to speak to him now.

"I think she wants to make things right. Before…before something happens."

Harry gasped. "What?! She's not that sick, is she?"

Ron gulped. "The Healers won't say, but she's not getting any better, and…you will come, won't you?"

How could Harry refuse?