A/N: *Dons silvers suit* Howdy everyone! Only one of you guessed correctly where the name Khisanth originated from. Kudos to you, TuxedoMac.
Deviating from my usual practice of copy/pasting my author note... Allow me to tell a personal story. I fancy myself a voracious reader and have only ever physically thrown one novel in my life. The offending book was Stephen King's 'The Cell'.
It's a rather fantastic, and harrowing, novel. At any rate, there is a character in the book who quickly endeared herself to me. She dies suddenly, unexpectedly, and in a way that is senseless. I was devastated, enraged, and hurled the book into the adjacent wall where it fell to the floor and remained for several days, untouched.
But I eventually got over my raw emotion and picked it back up, determined to finish it. Why? Because I'd invested my time into the story, was enjoying it, and wasn't going to let that book beat me. I never regret finishing it, although I've never gone back and read it. That character death is, frankly, too painful to re-experience.
If you're reading this A/N, that means you've invested 140,000 words of time into this story. To put that in context, Giving Up is now 29k words shy of Half-Blood Prince in length. I am both humbled and honored you have made it this far.
I'm not going to sugarcoat it... The next three Chapters are going to be rough. I've been blatantly saying this through character interaction for a while now, so it shouldn't come as a surprise. It will get better, but not for a little bit longer.
I'm not going to address the numerous comments, as there are far too many for me to go through. I do read every comment, and even if they are sometimes harsh, I take pride in knowing the words I type can evoke such raw emotion. I fully anticipate Chapter 19, 20 and 21 to... let's go with "upset" people.
I make no apologies for the path this story is on. To those who decide 'Giving Up' is no longer for you, I wish you all the best and am truly grateful you made it this far. I would much prefer you stay with me. Again, thank you so much for your time and support, even if it was silent.
To those who stick with it, thank you. The response to this story has been, in a word, overwhelming. I always find myself both anxious and excited to post a new Chapter. To both the vocal and silent supporters, all I can say is buckle up, because we're approaching the halfway point of this journey.
Just know that, as the author, I too empathize with your frustrations and emotions. If you find yourself ready to throw 'Giving Up', just as I did 'The Cell', then I want you to know that I've been there and understand. Just make sure you eventually pick the book back up.
Now, in keeping with my standard tradition:
Check out the HAPHNE discord #fanart for the illustrations from my wife. As always, thank you to those who review, favorite, follow and PM! See you next week!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Just happy to be here!
Chapter 19
Astoria turned to look at Daphne to find her older sister wearing a pained expression. Fresh tears flowed down Daphne's cheeks and the tendons in her neck were straining as she clenched her jaw, trying to hold back the emotions clearly raging within.
Tentatively, Astoria reached out to brush Daphne's hand.
"Daph?"
Daphne swallowed heavily and shook her head, more tears flooding out of her eyes.
"It wasn't your fault, Daphne," Astoria whispered gently.
As Daphne turned toward her, Astoria noticed the haunted expression in Daphne's bloodshot eyes. Daphne's lower lip quivered as she continued to fight a losing battle with the guilt she carried.
"The dragon was going to attack Harry, regardless of if he'd dispelled that rune," Astoria continued and gently squeezed Daphne's hand.
"I-" Daphne choked back a bitter sob. "I d-distracted him."
Astoria nodded, "But it had no impact on the task."
"What I said-"
"Wasn't you," Astoria pointed out. "Malfoy was sitting right behind you, Daffy."
Daphne drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as she buried her face in her knees, finally sobbing heavily as the last of her resistance crumbled. Astoria shuffled closer and pulled Daphne into her arms, hugging her sister, and soothingly rubbing her back.
"You're not upset about that," Astoria whispered knowingly as Daphne hiccupped and fell forward until her head rested in Astoria's lap. She automatically began running her fingers through Daphne's hair and rubbing her head, just like their mum did when they were upset.
Astoria felt Daphne nod into her lap and exhaled softly.
"You don't have to lie to me, Daffy," Astoria frowned.
Daphne mumbled something incoherent.
"What?" Astoria leaned down so she could hear better.
"Harry is with Fleur," Daphne croaked, her voice broken. "You saw."
Astoria blinked in disbelief. "Oh, Morgana! Daphne Isabella Greengrass, you can be absolutely daft sometimes!"
Daphne exclaimed something that sounded like a mix between a sob and snarl and forced herself up, causing Astoria to squawk indignantly and lean away so Daphne's head didn't collide with her chin.
"She's a veela, Tori!" Daphne hissed angrily before sorrow overwhelmed her once more. "H-How can I c-compete?"
"What makes you think you have to?" Astoria questioned confusedly.
"After all I've done, why would Harry even look at me?" Daphne sniffled. "Especially when Fleur bloody Delacour is interested in him."
Astoria huffed and rolled her eyes. "Daffy," she said sternly, "who did Harry take to the Yule Ball?"
Daphne glared and opened her mouth to retort but Astoria cut her off.
"And you just watched him turn down Fleur!" Astoria waved at the screen. "Not to mention his reaction when he entertained the notion that he might want to date her."
Daphne frowned at her baby sister before giving a begrudging nod.
"Your jealousy is adorable," Astoria verbally prodded, "but ill-timed. You do remember what you did at the Yule Ball, don't you?"
Daphne flinched as if struck. "It wasn't what it seemed, Tori," she protested weakly. "Surely, my reaction was enough to prove that."
Astoria cocked her head to the side. "What reaction?"
Terror gripped Daphne and she paled visibly as she began trembling. "Oh, Gods, Tori! Please tell me you saw what I did after!"
"I'm sorry, Daffy," Astoria shook her head sadly. "I only saw what you did."
Daphne groaned and hiccupped out another sob.
-GU-
November 24, 1994, still showed on the screen. Harry, having just finished his talk with Fleur, made his way up to the seventh floor with the hood of his invisibility cloak up. He entered the Room of Requirement to find his family, sans Ted Tonks, who was working, waiting for him.
Sirius rushed forward and embraced Harry, attempting to squeeze the life out of him in the process. Harry grunted before grinning and returning the hug with as much force as he could muster.
"Merlin, kiddo, you scared the shite out of me!" Sirius whispered. "I just saw the memory from Nymph!"
"Sorry," Harry returned.
Sirius pulled back and held Harry at arm's length for a moment before gawking.
"Is that a baby phoenix?"
"Fawkes," Harry nodded and nuzzled the bird with his finger. Fawkes chirped once and burrowed deeper into Harry's robes.
"Dumbledore's phoenix?" Sirius questioned incredulously.
"Fawkes doesn't belong to Dumbledore," Harry reminded his Godfather. "He's a free creature, and he often comes to my aid, as you well know."
"Fascinating," Salazar and Rowena chorused from the wall.
"Maybe it has something to do with the Hogwarts magic and your heritage?" Tonks posited.
Harry shrugged, careful not to disrupt Fawkes.
"Whoa, whoa," Sirius held out his hands. "What are you going to do with the bird? Surely Dumbledore will come looking for him?"
"Nah," Harry waved off the concern and hugged both Andromeda and Tonks before sitting down at the table. "Fawkes will be back to full size in twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Then he will likely pop away once again."
Sirius blinked. "Uh, right." He moved to go make tea but was halted by Andromeda.
"Siri, please," Andromeda implored. "Allow me. Merlin knows you can't control the temperature."
Sirius barked out a laugh. "Fair enough, Andi," he acquiesced and turned to Harry. "Listen, pup. I had all sorts of questions for you regarding your decisions for the first task." Sirius held out a hand to stop Harry's impending defense of his actions. "But after seeing you alive and mostly well, all I care about is that you made it through in one piece."
Harry set the golden egg atop the table and smiled at his Godfather. "I'm happy to be here, Sirius. Had it not been for Fawkes, I wouldn't have been."
"Actually," Tonks chimed in, looking sheepish, "mum and I may or may not have created a rather sizeable gap in the wards that were preventing entry into the arena. I was halfway through my spell when mum interrupted me by jerking me back into my seat because Fawkes appeared."
Harry smiled at his cousin. "Thank you, Tonks."
"Sure thing, Squirt. Can't let my Apprentice die on me, can I?"
Harry chuckled. "No, I suppose you can't."
The table thanked Andromeda as she set tea down for everyone and joined them. Harry cradled his cup after taking a tentative sip and finding it to be at a reasonable temperature.
"I gave Cedric the first plan, since he had no idea about the dragons," Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't knowingly let him go into the first task blind."
Andromeda shot him an encouraging smile. "Because you are a good person, Harry."
Harry returned her smile before continuing. "I know we had several-"
"Nine," Sirius interjected.
"Yeah," Harry smirked, "nine contingency plans. But those all went out the window when I was faced with Khisanth."
"Khisanth?" the table echoed.
"The dragon," Harry pointed out and took a sip of tea while staring at his family over the rim of the cup.
"So, you were speaking to it!" Tonks clapped Harry on the shoulder, forcing him to hurriedly steady his teacup to avoid spilling on himself. "What did she say?"
"Not much, really," Harry sighed. "She was being influenced by a rune that had been tampered with. The rune's original intent was just to agitate her, so she'd be more defensive of her clutch."
"As if a dragon needs encouragement to defend her eggs!" Andromeda shook her head in frustration.
"It was the same rune I saw used on the basilisk," Harry said quietly.
"Bloody hell," Sirius sat back and pinched his nose.
Tonks pursed her lips and snatched the golden egg from the top of the table. "This is the clue, yeah?"
Harry nodded and Tonks eagerly opened the egg before quickly shutting it as an ear-piercing screech emanated from it.
"Merlin's balls!" Sirius swore loudly. "What the hell was that?"
Andromeda raised an eyebrow as Tonks started cackling and bouncing on her heels. "Dora?"
"Oh, how fun!" Tonks gushed. "I know! I know!"
"Then spit it out!" Sirius spluttered.
"How about I show you instead?" Tonks grinned mischievously as the Room of Requirement responded to her silent command and a door materialized on the adjacent wall.
Tonks disappeared behind the door and Harry, Sirius and Andromeda followed into a large room with a large swimming pool.
"Really, Dora?" Andromeda scolded.
"Aw, come on, mum!" Tonks protested. "At least let me show you before you start telling me off!" She turned to Sirius and thrust the egg into his hands.
"Oi!" Sirius called. "What gives?"
"Set the egg into the pool," Tonks directed.
"Why me?" Sirius protested.
"Because I don't want to get my hands wet," Tonks batted her eyelashes, "I just did my nails."
Harry snickered as Sirius muttered and moved to obey, too curious about what was going on to complain. As soon as he had knelt down and placed the egg into the pool, Tonks stepped up behind him, placed her food directly on his rear, and shoved. Sirius tumbled head over heels into the pool and surfaced seconds later, coughing.
"What the bloody hell, Nymphadora?!" Sirius roared.
"You needed a bath!" Tonks shrieked as she doubled over from laughter.
Harry found himself wiping tears of mirth from his eyes and even Andromeda was suppressing a giggle behind her hand.
"You better have a reason for this, Nymph!" Sirius scowled as he began climbing out of the pool.
"I do!" Tonks assured as she cannonballed into the water, showering Harry and Andromeda while simultaneously sending Sirius tumbling back into the pool. She surfaced with a giggle, her hair morphing into a vibrant red and lengthening.
"Oh!" Andromeda exclaimed and then began laughing heavily. "Dora! There are times I truly believe you should have been a Ravenclaw."
"Come on, mum!" Tonks beckoned. "You too, Squirt!"
Harry shrugged and jumped into the pool while Andromeda daintily entered and waded over until everyone was gathered around the egg. Tonks submerged and opened the egg before returning to the surface and grinning.
"There's no sound," Harry observed aloud before understanding hit him. "Ah, we have to be underwater."
The four submerged to hear the riddle sung by voices from the egg. They returned, after several drying charms, to the main room and table while Dobby prepared dinner and set down fresh cups of tea for everyone.
"Something I'll sorely miss?" Harry mused aloud as he cradled his tea. "Based on previous tournaments, it will be someone."
"Easy enough," Sirius grinned. "A rescue operation for Miss Daphne?"
Harry flinched, his expression darkening. "I'm not so sure about that," he whispered.
"Pup?"
Harry exhaled heavily. "Fleur Delacour approached me after the task. She wanted to go on a date."
"A veela?" Sirius whistled. "Holy hell, pup."
"I turned her down," Harry waved it off. "Although I did entertain it briefly."
"But what does this have to do with Daphne, dear?" Andromeda asked.
"Whatever Potter family magic is in play, it didn't like the idea of me dating Fleur," Harry replied. "Not to mention that I still see Daphne as more appealing, attractive, and desirable than even Fleur."
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"It's true," Harry assured. "But that's not the point. Who determines who I will sorely miss? The Goblet? The judges?"
"Likely the judges," Tonks shrugged. "Doubt the Goblet of Fire is that powerful."
"Especially if it can be confunded to allow someone to enter your name," Sirius agreed.
"Then who would the judges deem I would 'sorely miss?'" Harry air quoted.
"Oh dear," Andromeda balked.
"Shite," Sirius swore.
"Astoria," Tonks answered with wide eyes.
"Yeah," Harry acknowledged grimly. "And now we know for certain that whoever entered me is trying to kill me, as evidenced by the tampered rune. The same rune that was in the Chamber of Secrets."
"But surely there will be protections in place for those who are chosen to be the hostages," Andromeda said expectantly. "Especially considering they will be at the bottom of the Black Lake in February!"
"Protections can be overridden," Harry deadpanned with a look at both Andromeda and Tonks.
"Fair point," Tonks admitted with a bashful nod.
"Then what's the plan?" Sirius asked the table.
"I have no idea," Harry sighed and leaned back as Dobby dropped a plate of food on the table. "Thank you, Dobby."
"The Great Harry Potter Sir is too kind to Dobby!" Dobby said with his usual exaggerated cheeriness.
The family ate in comfortable, companionable silence. Half an hour later, they sat back, bellies full, as Dobby began clearing the table and preparing dessert.
"What are you going to do about the Yule Ball, pup?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows. "Take a certain veela?"
Harry drummed his fingers on the table in thought. "McGonagall hasn't approached me yet regarding the Ball. We're in uncharted territory with me being the fourth champion and all." Harry shrugged. "There's a good chance I won't even have to attend."
"And if you do?" Tonks smirked.
Harry rolled his eyes. "How about we worry about that conundrum if it arrives?"
"When it arrives," Tonks stage-whispered to her mum.
"Behave, Dora," Andromeda chided with a gentle smile.
Sirius yawned and tiredly rubbed his eyes when he noticed the golden egg sitting on the floor nearby.
"Hold on," Sirius jabbed his finger at Tonks. "How in Merlin's name did you figure out the egg, Nymph?"
"It was Mermish," Tonks winked cheekily. "Mermish sounds like screeching when above water."
"And pray tell how you know what Mermish sounds like?" Sirius pressed.
"I may or may not have had a fascination with mermaids at one point in my life," Tonks said defensively.
Andromeda gave a very unladylike snort into her tea, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.
"Mum!" Tonks whined.
"Hush, Dora," Andromeda said through her giggles. "There's nothing wrong with The Little Mermaid being your favorite Disney movie."
Tonks flushed with embarrassment and mumbled incoherently under her breath.
"A movie?" Sirius scrunched his brow in thought. "That's a muggle thing, yeah? Lily used to talk about those." He turned to Harry and hesitated, realizing how sensitive the question may be. "Y-You ever seen that one, pup?" he asked gently.
"No," Harry shook his head. "Heard it playing several times though from my cupboard. I liked the music." He frowned for a moment in remembrance. "Wait a minute…" Harry turned his gaze to Tonks. "When did that movie come out?"
Tonks spluttered, blushed heavily, and her hair turned pink. "Uh, th- that, um, is- isn't, er…"
Harry smirked mischievously. "I seem to recall it being a big topic at school…"
Sirius blinked. "Hogwarts?"
Harry shook his head slowly as Tonks narrowed her eyes and growled. "Careful, Squirt."
"If I recall correctly, I was around nine years old when that movie was popular," Harry finished with a grin.
Sirius's eyes shined with barely restrained joy. "Andi," he called sweetly. "When was dear Dora born?"
"Mum!" Tonks begged with her best sad puppy dog eyes.
"Now, now, Dora," Andromeda shushed her daughter. "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. She was born in 1973, Siri."
"Sixteen!" Sirius cackled and smacked the table.
"We went to the movie opening night," Andromeda said over the rim of her teacup. "Dora was so worried someone from Hogwarts would recognize her."
"You're evil, mum!" Tonks huffed as she folded her arms and sat back in her chair.
"Slytherin, dear," Andromeda reminded her daughter playfully.
Tonks grumbled half-heartedly and eyed Harry. "You've never seenthe movie, Squirt?"
Harry shook his head, "Kind of hard to watch a movie when you're locked in a cupboard under the stairs."
There was an awkward silence at the table until suddenly, with characteristic cheeriness, Tonks grinned like a maniac.
"New plan this summer, Squirt! We're going to have a movie marathon!"
"I'll make snacks!" Andromeda clapped her hands giddily, causing Sirius to gawk at her. "What?" she sniffed indignantly, suddenly every bit the Pureblood woman she had been raised to be since childhood. "It's been many years since I've hosted a slumber party. Dora didn't have many when she was younger, and this will be a great experience for everyone!"
"Am I invited?" Sirius asked hopefully.
Andromeda appeared to ponder for a moment, letting Sirius squirm. "I suppose," she finally drawled out.
Tonks giggled. "And?"
Andromeda glowered at her daughter warningly, "Dora…"
"Mum loves The Little Mermaid, too," Tonks sang teasingly.
-GU-
"See?" Astoria poked Daphne in the ribs. "I told you!"
Daphne didn't respond outside of a flinch away from Astoria's offending finger. Daphne wrung her hands and worried her lip nervously before finally speaking in a watery voice. "Tori, are you sure that you didn't see what happened at the Yule Ball?"
"For the seventh time, Daffy, I didn't!" Astoria frowned, irritated at Daphne's badgering. "And before you start pestering me with the next question, no, Harry didn't see it either, because he left before I did!"
Daphne cradled her head in her hands and sobbed.
"Daph," Astoria sighed in exasperation. "What would it matter if we had? It doesn't change what you did."
"But it could have given him hope!" Daphne groaned.
Astoria bit her lower lip, contemplating if she should say what she wanted.
"…Do you really believe that, Daffy?"
Daphne hesitated when her mouth opened to reply.
"…I-" She swallowed heavily. "I don't know.
Astoria gently took one of Daphne's hands in her own. "Even if it did, what…" Astoria trailed off and slowly shook her head. "Never mind."
"What about the Potions incident?" Daphne finished bitterly, her voice cracking and heavy sobs wracking her body. "I know I fucked up, Tori!" she wailed in misery.
Astoria's words of comfort and reassurance died on her lips. She withheld a sigh and leaned forward, embracing her older sister lovingly.
"It'll be okay Daphne."
-GU-
December 25, 1994, appeared on the screen. Harry stood in front of a mirror as Andromeda fussed with his tie. It had certainly been a whirlwind ever since December 10th, when McGonagall had approached Harry while he was visiting Astoria and informed him that he would indeed have to open the Yule Ball with the other champions.
Harry had contemplated for several days whether he should even attempt to ask Daphne to be his date. In the end, he had determined not to bother, not wanting to feel the sting of rejection that he was almost positive would follow his request for her accompaniment.
This left him in a bit of a predicament, as he still needed a date, and the girl he wanted to take was not available. His first thoughts went to Fleur, and she certainly had been eyeballing him whenever she was around. The hints did not go unnoticed, and Harry had tentatively pursued a friendship with Fleur, meeting up with her two or three times a week.
Fleur was a breath of fresh air to Harry. She was brilliant, beautiful, and quite entertaining to be around once she relaxed. When Harry thought about asking Fleur to the Yule Ball, it felt right. After all, there was no rule saying champions could not accompany each other.
So, not three days after being informed of his mandatory attendance, Harry had gone to ask Fleur. He was halfway to her dot on the Marauder's Map when the Potter family magic reared its rather annoying head once more. The sudden wave of nausea, fluctuating body temperature, and general revilement at the thought of betraying Daphne had sent him back to the Room of Requirement in a towering rage.
He'd demanded answers from Sirius, who had none to give. Then he'd demanded they take him to Gringotts so he could obtain his Lordships and access the Potter vault. Ted was adamant that tempting fate with the binding contract from the Goblet of Fire was not wise, and that Harry could wait a bit longer.
Harry quickly turned his anger on the ancient, enchanted Goblet of Fire, bemoaning that an object of such 'mythical power' could be so incompetent that it couldn't recognize a true entry versus a fake one. This had, at least, sent a wave of amusement through his family, eventually including Harry, and tempered his anger down to a simmering rage.
So, Harry had taken another day to contrive a plan of attack. Harry was loath to admit that a teeny, tiny part of him secretly wanted Daphne to experience the same level of jealousy he felt daily when he thought of her and Theodore Nott. He was positive that Fleur Delacour would be perfect for eliciting such feelings in his wayward love.
But Potter magic and cooler heads prevailed, and Harry realized, to his chagrin, that using Fleur in such a way wasn't fair to her, and she deserved much better. When Sirius had pressed him to go ask out the 'hot veela babe', Harry had responded, much in the same way he had when speaking with Tonks.
"In another life, I could picture myself with Fleur. But it wouldn't be fair to give her false hope."
Sirius had thrown his hands up in defeat and left his Godson to it.
Thankfully, the answer to Harry's conundrum was provided in the form of his best friend, who spent most of their time together complaining that she was too young to attend the Yule Ball, and that she was going to miss a once in 'her' lifetime opportunity, what with the blood curse and all.
Acting on impulse, Harry jumped to respond.
"What if I took you, Tori?"
Astoria stopped mid-rant, "Pardon?"
Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Let me try again. Astoria Greengrass, will you honor me by allowing me to escort you to the Yule Ball?"
Astoria blinked several times. "A date?!" she blurted incredulously.
"What? No!" Harry spluttered and waved his hands before him as if to ward off evil. "I meant as friends!"
"Oh!" Astoria breathed a sigh of mock relief. "That would have been awkward!"
Harry suddenly found himself incensed. "What, am I not good boyfriend material?"
"Puh-lease, Harry," Astoria lifted her head and looked down her nose at him haughtily before smirking playfully. "You couldn't handle me."
Harry was embarrassed to admit that he blushed at her sultry tone, which only deepened when she began howling with laughter.
"You're the devil," Harry muttered bitterly. "I rescind my request!"
"Nope!" Astoria popped the 'p' and giggled. "Too late! I already said yes."
Harry gawked. "What? When?"
"Just now!" Astoria sang and stood, clapping her hands, and twirling in a circle. She paused and rounded on Harry, suddenly stern. "I expect flowers, Potter!"
Harry nodded.
"And dancing!"
"But I can't dance!" he protested.
"Then get to learning, Mister! I'm likely to only get one of these events, and I want it to be perfect!"
Harry watched her preen with a raised eyebrow. "You do realize this is strictly platonic, yeah?"
"Duh," Astoria rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, glowering down at him. Suddenly, her expression morphed into one of mischievousness. She leaned down until her cheek touched Harry's as she whispered in his ear, "But if you show me a really good time, I may just reward you with a kiss."
Harry sat mouth agape, redder than a tomato, and watched as Astoria flounced away, giggling maniacally.
"All good, pup?" Sirius asked as Andromeda straightened Harry's dress robes and deemed him presentable. "You seem to be blushing."
"It's Astoria!" Harry groused with a huff. "I swear, she's the devil incarnate!"
"Be nice!" Tonks warned and cuffed Harry on the head.
"Dora!" Andromeda scolded as she moved to repair the damage to her masterpiece.
"Flowers!" Harry blurted and rounded on his family. "I need flowers!"
Sirius raised an eyebrow at Harry. "Are you a Wizard or not, kiddo?"
Harry snapped his fingers and flicked his wrist, sending his wand in hand. He quickly conjured an elaborate bouquet he was somewhat positive would satisfy his 'date'.
"You'll do fine, dear," Andromeda smiled encouragingly. "You put in plenty of practice. You even dance better than Siri now!"
"That's not much of an achievement, mum," Tonks giggled.
"But it's good enough, yeah?" Harry asked worriedly. He really wanted Astoria to have a good time.
"Perfect," Sirius promised. "And remember, just do what I would do."
"Don't listen to the Mutt," Tonks shoved Sirius playfully. "Do what I would do!"
"Merlin, you two are such children sometimes!" Andromeda scolded. "Harry dear, just be yourself and you and Astoria will have a wonderful time. Now off you go." She shooed him to the door.
"Thanks, Aunt Andi," Harry called as he drew the hood of his invisibility cloak up. He was meeting Astoria outside the Great Hall entrance. "And you too, Tonks and Sirius," Harry added as he exited the room.
-GU-
"Damn, Potter! You clean up nice!" Astoria called as Harry approached with a grin.
"You don't look too bad yourself, Miss Greengrass," Harry teased playfully as he grabbed her hand with his own and kissed her knuckles.
"Puh-lease!" Astoria stuck her tongue out at him. "I look fabulous as always!" She gestured down at her black dress black that made her look older than she was. Her hair was done in an elegant bun and a light dusting of makeup accentuated her natural beauty.
"Change your hair color to blonde and you would look just like Daphne," Harry winked, earning him a smack on the arm.
"Just what every younger sister wants to hear," Astoria rolled her eyes.
"Right, sorry," Harry rubbed the back of his head. "Oh!" He held out the bouquet. "These are for you, my lady."
Astoria raised an eyebrow as she took the flowers. She raised them to her nose and breathed in, her eyes fluttering. She fixed Harry with a hard stare.
"Acceptable," she sniffed.
Harry snorted. "You know I could have invited someone else…" he said warningly.
"Right," Astoria drawled. "That may have been true, if I knew that you didn't take Fleur for some odd reason which I have yet to uncover."
Harry blinked. "You knew I was going to ask Fleur?"
"Of course," Astoria said slyly. "I know stuff, Potter."
"And now I feel an overwhelming sense of ominous trepidation," Harry returned. "Merlin's beard, Tori! Sometimes I think you're an evil mastermind or something."
Astoria smirked, a glint in her eye, "Maybe I am, Potter." She gestured at him imperiously. "Enough idle chatter! Escort me properly to the entrance hall. I want every eye to weep in jealousy when I enter on your arm!" She rubbed her hands together and gave a soft evil laugh.
"As if anyone would want to go with me," Harry self-deprecated.
"Did you see how Fleur Delacour was making googly eyes at you all month?" Astoria poked him in the ribs as they moved to stand with the other champions. Astoria lowered her voice as they approached. "Why didn't you take her?"
Harry shrugged, deciding the truth was the only answer he could provide. "I couldn't."
Astoria raised an eyebrow and was going to retort when McGonagall interrupted and began giving out instructions. Minutes flew by faster than Harry could blink, and he found himself entering the Great Hall with Astoria on his arm. He kept his eyes fixed on the champion's table, unwilling to look anywhere else.
He couldn't see Daphne with him. Not tonight.
Dinner was pleasant enough, and Harry talked animatedly with his best friend, both deciding to make the most of the night. He briefly caught Dumbledore studying him from across the table, but he avoided the headmaster's eyes and kept his attention focused on Astoria and Fleur, who joined in on their discussion halfway through dinner. Astoria even told Fleur she'd let her dance with Harry, which the half-veela readily accepted.
When the food vanished from the table, it was time for the champions to make their way to the stage. Harry guided Astoria and assumed the position his family had drummed into him over the last week. Astoria merely giggled softly and winked at him, clearly enjoying herself.
That was all that mattered to Harry in the moment, and he found a genuine smile lighting his face, mirroring Astoria's as the music began playing and he started off with practiced ease, leading Astoria in the now familiar movements.
"Not bad, Harry," she praised. "You practiced."
"I did," Harry chuckled. "You did command me to, after all."
"Yeah, I did," Astoria smirked.
Harry held up his hand so Astoria could do a twirl before he brought her back into his arms. She laughed lightly and Harry looked over her head into the crowd, his eyes drawn, almost magnetically, to the golden blonde hair of Daphne.
His world stopped.
"…Harry?" Astoria hissed at him, but he didn't hear her.
Theodore Nott had pulled Daphne close and was kissing her. Harry's hand twitched, his wand reflexively coming to hand. Astoria stared at him in confusion until she half-turned, following his eyes, to see what Harry was looking at. Her eyes widened in shock.
So many emotions raged through Harry, but one overwhelmed them all: hurt. When Daphne didn't pull away, his knees almost gave out, but through sheer strength of will he refused to collapse. Uncaring that the opening dance was still ongoing, uncaring that every eye was now on him as he stared fixedly into the crowd, and trusting that Astoria would understand, Harry strode off the stage and out of the Great Hall without a backward glance.
He didn't see Astoria rush to follow him as she struggled to contain her sudden wracking coughs. Harry didn't see the victorious smile Malfoy wore as he exited. Nor did he pay any attention to the increased murmuring of the crowd, the flashes of cameras, or the protestations from the judges. He needed to get away. Far away.
At the base of the stairs leading up to the second floor, Astoria caught up to him and grabbed his hand. Harry's shock had been so great he'd forgotten to pull up the hood of his invisibility cloak. Astoria was gasping for air, bent over, and had a thin trickle of blood running from her mouth as she coughed weakly.
"I'm sorry," she panted. "Harry, I'm so, so sorry."
Harry turned around slowly, his posture rigid, a neutral expression marred his features, and his eyes were atypically void of emotion. He took a single step forward and placed both hands on Astoria's face before leaning in and brushing his lips gently against her forehead.
"No, Miss Greengrass," Harry said in a monotone, soft voice. "I am sorry for ruining what should have been a wonderful evening. You deserve the world, Astoria, and I am so very sorry I cannot be the one to give it to you." He turned to leave and paused on the second stair, glancing over his shoulder.
"There are times-" his voice cracked, offering a brief glimpse at the wave of hurt he was restraining. He continued in a watery tone, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I wish it was you and not her."
Harry climbed the stairs, leaving a thunderstruck Astoria behind. He had the wherewithal to wait until he was on the second floor before vanishing under his invisibility cloak. Harry continued to walk aimlessly, or at least so it appeared, until he arrived at the Room of Requirement.
As he pushed through the door, he found Sirius sitting at the table with a steaming cup of tea, humming to himself as he listened to Salazar and Arcturus banter while Rowena chimed in on occasion. Harry lowered his hood, appearing suddenly and causing Sirius to yelp.
"Merlin, kid! You scared the…" Sirius paused, his eyes going wide in alarm. "What's wrong, Harry? Did something happen?"
Harry stood there unblinking with eyes devoid of emotion. Sirius stood and, despite his proclamation that he hadn't the first clue about being a father, seemed to know exactly what to do at that moment. As Harry felt his Godfather's warm, comforting, safe embrace, the dam he'd built around his emotions cracked.
And all the Occlumency training in the world couldn't prevent the flood that followed as his world crumbled down around him.
-GU-
Devastated. It was the only word to describe what Daphne saw as Harry sobbed into his Godfather's arms. She stared mutely at the screen, her mind awash with so many emotions as she attempted to understand. Her heart throbbed painfully, and she clutched at her chest as a brutal sob doubled her over.
Revulsion began running through her body, turning her stomach, and making her feel ill. She hated herself for what had happened. For what she had allowed. She wanted to cry, scream, and yell all in the same breath. The room began spinning, halted only by a small voice to her left.
"Draco," Astoria said softly, a weak cough escaping her as she witnessed the painful memory she so vividly remembered. Astoria knew better than any that Harry had never truly recovered from that night. "Did you see him smiling, Daph?"
Daphne gave a terse nod.
"You…" Astoria choked out another hacking cough, blood staining the hand that covered her mouth. "You said you did something after," Astoria whispered hoarsely. "What was it, Daph?"
Daphne ground her teeth and clamped her eyes shut as she searched her mind for the memory. She no longer trusted what she currently remembered, and her previous desperation had reached new heights after seeing how terribly she'd hurt Harry. She searched past her surface memory of that night and found the hidden blank wall, repressing her true memory. She immediately began forcing her way through, screaming in agony as she did.
Ignoring the pain, Daphne continued to bull her way through the mental block, tossing caution to the side and not stopping to consider the potential ramifications of her haste. Finally, the mental wall fractured, and Daphne found herself transported back in time as the block shattered into a million pieces.
-GU-
Anger surged through Daphne as she felt Nott force his lips on her own. Anger that had previously been directed at Harry Potter for daring to choose Astoria over her.
Earlier, that anger had ebbed rapidly as she'd watched Astoria practically glow with joy at the opportunity to attend the ball. Morgana! Her sister looked fabulous. That cheeky smile enhanced by the light dusting of makeup, the playful glint in her eye as she bantered with the young man who had become like her brother.
Harry was doing everything he could to give Astoria what she had asked for: to live. How could she hate him for that? How could she fault him? Circe! She needed to apologize. To make things right. To remind him that there were only two more escorts to go until she could be his.
She finally freed herself from the disgusting man's arms and slapped him heavily, turning his head. The sound was drowned out by the noise of the crowd as the reporters and guests discussed Harry Potter's swift departure. But there was another, much more nefarious, noise that set Daphne's hackles on edge: laughter.
The students of Hogwarts were laughing mockingly at their so-called 'False Champion'. The one they had made a badge to commemorate. A badge Daphne, to her shame, had worn.
Theodore Nott yelped in shock and the growl that escaped his mouth swiftly turned to a whimper as Daphne kneed him heavily in the groin not once, but twice. Her wand, carefully concealed in her elegant forest green dress, appeared in her hand and a frost charm froze the same area.
Nott's eyes crossed and he collapsed in agony as Daphne stormed from the room, fully intent on finding Harry and explaining everything, apologizing for everything. She didn't know what had come over her recently. Why had she been so mad? The confusion coursing through her forced unwanted tears to spill.
Memories of Harry, her Harry, surged through her, making her gasp and clutch her head as she paused at the exit. She remembered their first Hogsmeade date, their only date. Their kiss, how it had made fireworks explode in her mind, made her stomach do cartwheels, and her body feel as if it were on fire.
And how they had continued shortly after beneath his wonderful cloak. The cloak only she alone had the power to see and touch. As if the cloak knew she was his, just as he was hers.
The pain in her head receded as a cold clarity arose within her. Recovered, she prepared to continue her quest to find Harry when Draco Malfoy stood in her way. She told him to move, but he shook his head and grinned. It made her skin crawl. Then he said something, but she couldn't understand or hear what was said, because suddenly her mind went blank.
And the anger returned. The anger at Potter for hurting her baby sister, for refusing to cease teaching her advanced magics, for hastening Astoria's death.
Daphne would never forgive him.
She would hate him forever.
-GU-
"Daphne!" Astoria screamed as her older sister convulsed, blood running from both her nostrils. "Madam Pomfrey!" Astoria yelled, but it was unnecessary as the Matron was there, wand already in motion.
What felt an eternity later, Daphne's convulsions ceased. Astoria watched as her older sister emptied her stomach into a bucket, shaking uncontrollably. When Madam Pomfrey placed a potion into her hands, Astoria barely comprehended the Matron commanding her to drink.
She obeyed, the familiar taste of a blood replenishing potion causing her tongue to tingle. Astoria had hardly noticed the blood streaming down her neck from her mouth as she'd coughed while whispering words of encouragement to Daphne. It was clear to Astoria that her older sister had, once again, broken through another mental barrier in search of answers.
She dreaded to think about what those answers were. Just as she hated how much pain Daphne was going through.
"Daphne," Madam Pomfrey said sternly, but with a softness to her voice. "You cannot continue to force through the obliviations, dear. It will cause permanent damage to your mind."
"I had to know," Daphne choked out, her voice hoarse from screaming.
"Daffy," Astoria pleaded weakly. "Please stop. I can't lose you…" she coughed heavily.
"Both of you need rest," Pomfrey sighed. "Please lie down, and do not attempt any more foolishness, Daphne!"
Daphne nodded mutely, even as her shoulders began to bob with unrepressed sobs. She quickly buried her face on Astoria's shoulder and wailed, managing to blubber out what she'd discovered.
Madam Pomfrey listened with an aching heart as she continued running diagnostics and casting what few spells she could to alleviate pain from the sisters. When Pomfrey heard Daphne mention the odd encounter with Draco Malfoy, her blood froze.
Pomfrey's father had served as a combat medic in the war against Grindelwald; a war that took place at the same time as World War II. The Wizarding and muggle worlds had mixed often during those years, as the Statute of Secrecy had nearly been breached, and Pomfrey had heard many a tale from her father of the horrific practices of the Axis powers, predominantly Germany.
The thought that a father could do such an atrocity to his own daughter made Poppy, a battle-hardened medic, want to empty the contents of her stomach. There would be hell to pay if her suspicions were true.
Sadly, there was nothing she could do for Daphne at this time, and Astoria was doing a fine job of comforting the poor girl, despite her own condition. No, what Pomfrey needed to do was speak with Filius Flitwick, who was an avid student of the Grindelwald war.
She could only hope that she was wrong.
-GU-
February 10, 1995, flashed on the screen. Harry stood in a room with an excitable Astoria, who had finally managed to convince him to teach her the Patronus charm. Not wanting to debate the wisdom in her request, and desperate to restore some sense of normalcy in his life, Harry had reluctantly agreed.
The last six weeks had been hell on Harry. His confidence was in shambles, and he knew his family was worried sick about him, particularly Sirius. Harry smiled less these days and rarely laughed. Instead of talking, or having fun, he spent hours locked in a room with Salazar and Rowena or Arcturus, learning family secrets and new magics.
He'd heard his family talk sometimes when they thought he was sleeping. Aunt Andi had been adamant to Sirius that he let Harry have space to cope with what had happened. To deal with the pain in his own way. Sirius had finally given in and acquiesced.
Astoria had returned from Christmas break in dull spirits. At first, she'd tried to tell him how badly she'd chewed out Daphne about her antics at the Yule Ball, but Harry had asked her to stop talking about Daphne. He didn't want to hear anything more about her. He just wanted to forget.
Oddly enough, Daphne had returned to Hogwarts not on the arm of Theodore Nott, but Blaise Zabini. Harry didn't give it much thought outside of a cursory acknowledgement that something must have happened between the two. She seemed cozy with Zabini, and Harry felt the dagger in his heart twist once more. It didn't register with him that Zabini was the last of the suitors Daphne's father had picked out.
The last escort until Harry was allowed to court her, as Daphne had told him she wanted him to while he was in the hospital wing. It felt so long ago since that discussion.
Harry was thankful that his parting words to Astoria during the Yule Ball had not been taken seriously. He wasn't sure what he'd have done if Astoria had shown interest in him romantically. Even though, in that moment, he had meant every word he said. He did wish that it was Astoria instead of Daphne.
Astoria didn't hurt him.
And then there were the papers from the reporters who had covered the Yule Ball. The Daily Prophet had printed a front-page article the next day, with a picture of a dumbstruck Harry, the pain visible in his eyes, followed by a picture of Daphne and Nott kissing. The headline, "The Boy Who Cried" appeared to have stuck.
It hadn't taken Rita Skeeter long to get the scoop, it seemed.
The response of Hogwarts had been swift and cruel. As always, people seemed to delight in his agony. Why was that? Why did people like seeing The-Boy-Who-Lived hurt?
Astoria had been vehement in her defense of Harry, as he had come to both expect and appreciate. Alongside her, to his utter surprise, had been Fleur Delacour, who had offered words of encouragement and empathy to Harry. Being a half-veela, with a powerful allure, Fleur knew how it felt to be scorned by one's peers.
They had initially shared many a conversation together, and although it did help uplift Harry's spirits, when Fleur returned to the carriage Harry would find himself once more sinking into despair. But the articles persisted, and Rita Skeeter struck again when she gave a scoop about a developing love triangle between the famed Harry Potter, the alluring French Champion, Fleur Delacour, and the Heiress Daphne Greengrass.
Fleur had distanced herself from Harry following those articles, and Harry hadn't blamed her. It was inevitable that people got hurt when he got close to them. He didn't want to believe that, and Sirius and Andromeda had both cautioned and fought with him over such destructive thoughts.
Harry finished explaining the theory behind the Patronus, and how he best understood casting it. It had been a long time since he had attempted the spell, and he found it quite difficult to produce in his current state of mind. It didn't surprise him, seeing as the primary memory he used to power the spell had been tainted by Daphne's actions.
As always, Astoria picked up on the theory almost immediately. The girl was wicked smart, and she had more happy memories than Harry realized at her disposal. In no time at all, a corporeal female lion was stalking around the room while a fatigued Astoria clapped giddily and bounced on her heels.
And then Harry's negative thoughts were proven true once more when Astoria projectile vomited blood and collapsed. Harry stumbled forward and cradled her in his arms as she bled from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. Blood that stained his hands with his sin.
Desperate, Harry shouted for help until his throat was hoarse. His legs had turned to jelly, and he was unable to act as his best friend lay dying in his arms. Students crowded around, whispering, and murmuring until ordered out of the room by Dumbledore himself.
Pomfrey arrived moments later, gently pulling Astoria from Harry's hands. Harry looked up to see the murderous glare of Daphne and felt his heart shatter. He stood on shaky legs and left without another word, not bothering to remove the blood from his hands.
Astoria's blood.
Daphne had been right.