A/N: I like this one. It was fun to write originally, but I've probably rewritten it five times since. Hopefully it lives up to how I feel about it, and it's easily the longest yet. Thanks for all the follows, faves, and reviews! My buddy's wife didn't believe me when I said I had over 400 people reading, and it was nice to prove her wrong. Doesn't happen often.
Chapter 15
September 19, 1995
Hermione was thrown a surprise birthday party over the weekend, and the girl had been incredibly embarrassed by the attention. She persevered, though, and was sincere in her gratitude towards everyone that participated. Today, her actual birthday, she and Ron decided to have their second official date. The weather was nice, so Ron asked the elves to prepare a picnic for them directly following classes.
Harry expected them to be gone until curfew, and decided to get a jump on an essay for McGonagall's class. He holed up in a corner of the library, trying to ignore the whispers and glances from the other students. Ever since his conversation with Hermione he was noticing the flirtatious behavior she had mentioned. Most of the students were subtle about it, which he appreciated, but there were a few that were downright rude in the attention they showed him.
One such witch was Romilda Vane. The younger girl seemed to always be nearby, and watched him when she thought he wasn't looking. It had grown incredibly frustrating for Harry, but she hadn't actually approached him, so he tried to ignore it.
Romilda must have followed him to the library, as she was sitting a few tables away with two of her friends. They took turns peeking at him, giggling behind their hands whenever he happened to make eye contact, and it was quickly becoming impossible for Harry to concentrate. As he reread the paragraph he wrote moments prior, he realized he'd written the same sentence back-to-back. Frustrated, he scratched the paragraph out and began packing his things.
He sent the group of girls a cold look and swept towards the exit, more excited giggling sounding out behind him. In his haste to be shot of the annoyances, he bumped shoulders with a student turning towards the doors from the check-out desk. Her books slipped from her hands, and Harry was subjected to Daphne's cold glare for the first time. Her reputation was well-earned, as the look froze the teen completely in his tracks.
Shaking himself after a moment, he rushed to pick up the Slytherin's books, noticing an angry Madam Pince giving him a very unpleasant look. He mouthed an apology to the stern witch and turned to the upset Slytherin.
"I'm sorry," Harry said seriously. "I was distracted, and wasn't watching where I was going."
"I can see why," Daphne responded, her glare melting into a look of annoyance at Romilda's table across the room. She stepped into the hallway and Harry followed, still carrying the girl's books. "I think I'm going to need a schedule of when you plan to be in the library. I can't be expected to deal with your fan club without eventually cursing them."
"Would you please?" Harry quickly pleaded. The girl smirked at his response.
"Not enjoying the attention?"
"I hate it. They're in Gryffindor, too, so they're hard to escape."
"Surely you could have Hermione run interference for you."
"She's off with Ron," Harry answered with a shrug. "I figured I'd try to be productive while they're gone, but so far all I've produced is a headache."
The pair stepped aside as the library doors opened outward, the trio of excited girls stepping through. They stopped in their tracks when they saw their target stood so close, and seemed stunned into silence. Harry didn't know what to say either, so there was an interminably awkward moment, and he briefly considered moving to Antarctica.
"You'll have to excuse us, ladies," Daphne finally said, breaking the tension. "Harry has agreed to help me with a project for Umbridge, and we need to get going."
The girls finally looked away from him, noticing Daphne for the first time. All three adopted confused expressions before eventually walking away. The pair watched as they left, shooting glances over their shoulders every few steps. When the trio finally turned a corner, Harry unthinkingly grabbed Daphne's hand and dragged her around the opposite corner of the hallway. When they were hidden in an alcove halfway down the connecting corridor, he slowed to a stop.
"Unhand me, sir," Daphne demanded, and Harry immediately sprang away from her. Instead of anger, however, the girl was smirking at him.
"Sorry about that," he offered as he glanced around the corner for his stalkers.
"You really hate it, huh?"
"How would you feel if third year Slytherin boys were following you around, too scared to speak to you?"
"Who says they don't already?"
Harry laughed, immediately comfortable in the girl's presence. "I bet you do have devoted admirers locked away in the dungeons somewhere."
It was Daphne's turn to laugh, and the sound ripped the heart from Harry's chest. It was like wind chimes. It was so like his mother's laugh.
Harry must have reacted outwardly, because Daphne was staring at him with a question in her eyes. He mentally shook the cobwebs from his brain and smiled at her.
"I'm really sorry for tackling you," he said, trying to cover his awkwardness. Daphne seemed content to move on and smirked at him again.
"You can make it up to me by actually helping with my Patronus tonight."
"I'd be happy too," Harry quickly agreed.
It was still mid-afternoon, but he had a sudden idea. "Anyone you need to tell if you miss dinner?"
"I'll need more information than that, Potter."
"I was going to suggest we snag some food from the kitchens so we have more time to work."
"You know where the kitchens are?"
"You don't?" Harry teased with a smirk.
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Just tell me where to meet you. I'll go let Tracey know."
"Take the stairs in the antechamber off the Great Hall down a floor. I'll meet you there in… fifteen minutes?"
"Don't be late."
"Yes ma'am!"
Harry handed Daphne her books and waited for her to leave before pulling the Marauders' Map out of his bag. A quick search showed Neville in the common room, and the teen rushed in that direction as quickly as he could. When he reached the portrait hole, he took a moment to calm his breathing, not wanting to give Neville the wrong idea.
He was sitting at a table with Ginny and Colin, homework spread wide between them. He grimaced seeing the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan at the next table over, and hoped they would be too distracted to overhear his conversation.
"Hey guys, I'm gonna grab some dinner from the kitchen tonight. I have to meet up with Daphne to work on her Patronus."
"Daphne, the famously evil-queen of Slytherin?" Fred interrupted immediately, and Harry cringed at the teen's supernatural-mischief-powers.
"Yeah," Harry answered with a casual shrug. "Ran into her at the library and she asked to get a head start."
"Lord Potter, crossing House lines…" George said with a lecherous grin. "I'm so proud!"
"It's just homework guys. I only agreed to piss off Umbridge."
The twins seemed to accept the explanation, as they nodded in commiseration.
"You should've seen these two in her class yesterday," Lee added with a grin. "I thought the woman's head was going to explode when everyone's textbooks started reading themselves in pig-latin."
"I did notice our House points were almost single digits today," Harry replied, glad to have successfully changed the subject.
"Between the three of you, we'll be in the negatives soon," Lee agreed. It seemed the whole of Gryffindor understood they weren't winning the House Cup this year, and most seemed to understand.
"Mind if I come along?" Neville asked, getting back on track.
"Er… actually, I kinda mentioned I could work with her first, so she wouldn't be the lone Slytherin the first time." Harry felt immediate shame at the lie, but couldn't seem to regret it.
"Uh, yeah. No problem," Neville said suspiciously. "Maybe we can work on it this weekend."
"Of course," Harry answered brightly. "Any time you'd like."
"Except for tryouts," Ginny mentioned looking up from her homework, a knowing look plastered smugly on her face. "You go have fun with Greengrass, Harry."
"Er… right. If I'm not back by curfew, tell Hermione we're in the room I showed her the other day."
"Sure thing," Ginny promised with a confused look, and Harry made a mental note to bring his friends up to date on the Room of Requirement soon.
Checking his watch, Harry saw he still had eight minutes, and rushed to his dormitory to brush his teeth and grab the cloak in case he needed it. Checking himself in the mirror, he took a deep breath, willing his sudden nerves to dissipate.
"It's just homework. I can do this."
When Harry made it to the meeting point, Daphne was waiting on him.
"Cutting it close, Potter."
"I had to make sure someone knew I was gonna be alone with a Snake this evening," he countered with a grin to soften the barb. "All of Gryffindor is currently planning a rescue for when I don't return."
"They're all thinking at once? Who's going to remind everyone to breathe?" Her grin turned his knees to jelly, but he fought the feeling.
"We take it in turns. There's a schedule on the bulletin board each week. It's Dean Thomas 'til seven and he's promised not to think, then Katie Bell takes over until curfew. After that we're on our own."
"Risky."
"We've lost some good people," Harry lamented sombrely, before returning her smile.
"This doesn't look like a kitchen, by the way."
"Go tickle the pear in that painting," he said, pointing. She moved to do so, and Harry chuckled.
"Pretty trusting, Greengrass. What if I just wanted to see if you'd do it?"
"That kind of trick would be too dishonorable for one of your kind."
"Let me introduce you to the Weasley twins someday," Harry quipped as the doorknob appeared, Daphne quickly turning it.
The elves effusively welcomed the pair, swarming around them offering whatever treats were at hand. When Harry was finally able to explain what they were looking for, they scattered to prepare it. He grinned as he caught Daphne stuffing some extra pastries wrapped in paper into her bag.
"I have a sweet tooth," she said warningly, daring him to poke fun.
"Teeth, perhaps," he countered, accepting the dare.
"Shut it, you," she snapped, though her eyes were full of amusement. "Where are we going to practice? I don't trust your stalkers to not check every classroom."
"That's a bit tricky," Harry admitted with a grimace. "You're going to have to trust me."
"I didn't expect that to be a tough question." Daphne said, ruminating for a minute before nodding. "Dad knows where you live if something happens to me."
Harry laughed, accepting the large basket of food the elves had returned with.
"True. If you don't mind grabbing that small tablecloth there," Harry added, pointing to a stack of linens.
Daphne followed him to the seventh floor, the halls relatively empty before the dinner rush. When they reached the correct floor, Harry stopped and looked at his companion.
"This is where that trust comes in."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I need you to tie that tablecloth over your eyes."
"Excuse me?"
"It's called a blindfold," Harry explained condescendingly. "It's to ensure you can't see."
"I'm aware of what it is, you ass. Why do I need it?"
"Because this is the first real time we've ever spent together, and you're about to see a secret I'm not ready to tell you about."
Harry had thought it through, and even though his instinct was to trust the girl, he wasn't willing to do so blindly. He figured she could be the blind one.
"You're serious?"
"Don't say that around my godfather, but yes."
Daphne stared at him incredulously for a moment, before eventually huffing and tying the cloth around her head.
"And here I was making jokes about you being a Gryffindor," she said, securing the knot.
"That's actually a funny story."
Harry waved his hands around the girl's face, making sure she couldn't see through the cloth, before gently taking her by the elbow and leading her down the corridor. When they reached the familiar stretch of wall, he stopped her.
"Give me a sec," he told her before pacing past the hidden opening, asking for a specific setup. The door coalesced and Harry returned to her, carefully guiding her into the room.
When the door shut behind them he nimbly untied her blindfold, making sure not to tug any hairs. "There we go!"
Daphne's eyes took a moment to adjust, and when they had she looked around in wonder.
"How is this possible? We didn't leave the castle."
"Magic," Harry said with a grin and a waggle of his fingers, never tiring of that answer.
The room had provided a perfect replica of the pond and surrounding area at his Manor. There was a beautiful sunset, which Harry hadn't asked for, and he realized he would need to express his desires to the Room very carefully.
"Is it a portal? Are we off the grounds?"
"No, we're still on the seventh floor," he answered gently, trying to calm the confused girl. "The Room just takes the form of what the person opening the door wants to see."
"Unbelievable," Daphne muttered, spinning in a slow circle. "So why here?"
"This is where me, Sirius, and Remus would eat sometimes. It's on my property."
"The legendary Potter Manor," Daphne teased, seeming to have found her footing.
"Not sure about legendary, but it's where I'm most happy," Harry said seriously, unpacking their basket of food on the table.
"Are you homesick?" Any trace of teasing was gone from her voice.
"I am. For the first time in my life."
"Not first year?"
"Hell no," Harry scoffed, suddenly not liking the direction this was heading. "My living situation wasn't the best until after last school year."
"Then I'm glad it changed," she said before moving on, clearly picking up on his reticence. "I hear you had dinner at my house over the summer."
"I did! It was fun. Your Mum even gave me a tour of your room."
"She did not," she grinned, not taking the bait. "She did tell me the next day how charming you were."
"Ha! Fooled another one!" Harry cheered, and Daphne laughed aloud.
The sound shattered him all over again. He tried to maintain his smile, but Daphne noticed and her face went from amused to dangerous in a microsecond.
"I think I'm offended. Is my laugh so horrible? That's the second time you've gone all weird."
"No!" Harry answered quickly, flushing in embarrassment. "No, it's not horrible at all. I… I can't really explain, but it's not horrible... It's perfect."
Harry cursed himself, not sure why he couldn't keep himself together around the girl. It's Perfect? Really?
Daphne reddened slightly, neither teen wanting to meet the other's eyes at the moment. Harry broke the tension by opening some of the dishes of food and serving Daphne, watching for a nod or shake of her head at what she liked and didn't.
"Not a green thing on your plate!" He admonished when her plate was full. "Your father would be disappointed."
Daphne rolled her eyes.
"Surely you can do better than jokes about my last name."
"I could, but then I'd be out of material for next time."
Harry cursed himself a second time. Immediately taking a vow of silence. He avoided looking to see her reaction, choosing to serve himself.
"Well rounded meal," Daphne offered, copying his critique. "I guessyour parents would be..."
Harry looked up at her as she trailed off, and watched the girl's face lose every ounce of blood it held. Her hand flew to cover her mouth, horrified tears filling her eyes.
Harry stood and rushed over to the girl. She was shaking her head, unable to form words, and his heart broke for how badly she felt. He knelt next to her, taking the hand that wasn't covering her mouth.
"Daphne," he said firmly but smiling warmly. "It's fine. They would be proud! I won't fall apart at their mention, I promise."
"Oh, Harry," the girl whispered. "I'm so sorry. I don't know why my brain isn't working today. And after what that bitch said to you the first day of class… I can't believe I did it myself."
"Daphne, look at me," Harry said, the girl looking anywhere but his eyes. When she finally did, he shot her a grin. "What you were going to say and what Umbridge said were exact opposites. So if anything, you're the anti-Umbridge. I love talking about my parents. Mentioning them in the way you did will never be a bad thing."
Harry realized he was still holding her hand, and squeezed it reassuringly. "I've stuck my foot in my mouth like twelve times today. On top of bowling you over earlier. I forgive you for whatever it is you think you should be sorry for, but from my end, you said nothing wrong."
Daphne looked at him like he had grown a third eyeball, and her face slowly cleared of anguish.
"When did you put your foot in your mouth?"
"If you didn't notice, why would I be dumb enough to repeat it?" Harry grinned, glad to see the girl swat his shoulder with her free hand. He released the other, and returned to his seat.
"I really am sorry," she said as he sat.
"And I'm really serious about it being a good thing. I could talk about my parents all day."
"I feel like I've just been trying to keep up with you since we first spoke," Daphne admitted, blushing slightly. "I don't know why. You always seem to have some witty response, and I'm just constantly on my back foot."
Harry laughed loudly, and the girl's sorrowful look quickly turned dangerous once more. Harry held a hand up to stop her response.
"I'm not laughing at you, I swear. I'm laughing at us. I've been feeling the exact same way."
"Really?"
"A thousand percent."
"You don't seem like it."
"Back at ya."
The two teens just looked into each other's eyes for a moment, before breaking into laughter.
"Okay," Daphne said after they composed themselves. "Then we agree. This is weird, and we hate it."
"Absolutely."
"How about we eat in silence? You can write down your instructions on the Patronus, I'll read them, and after dinner I'll practice and you can watch me?"
Harry successfully fought his blush at the idea, and nodded. "Probably for the best."
The two turned to their plates, enjoying their dinner in silence. Occasionally they'd look up at the same time, and break into nervous laughter. The fifth time it happened, Harry broke the silence.
"Daph, do you mind if we go back to an audible study session?"
"Did you just call me 'Daph'?" the girl asked confusedly.
"I guess I did," Harry said blushing. "See? Mouth full of foot. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she said with a laugh. "It's just that only my Dad and sister call me that."
"I can call you 'Nee' if you'd prefer."
Daphne winced at the thought. "Stick to Daph, Potter. Though I retain the right to make you use the extra syllable if you prove unworthy."
"Deal," Harry agreed, feeling annoyingly warm inside. "You can call me Lord Potter if you'd like."
"I'll call you whatever I feel at the time, you pompous jackass."
They laughed together again, and Harry realized he'd never get used to the sound.
"Fair enough. I have to say, your reputation seems like an elaborate lie, Miss Greengrass."
"Are you surprised? You're friends with my Dad- the king of fake personas."
"That's true. I guess I've just been surprised by you this year. Pleasantly, of course."
"I'm glad," Daphne admitted.. "Though I've put a lot of work into the cold bitch routine."
"I like this version better," he said before trying to swallow the words back into his mouth.
"I'm glad again," she responded, her cheeks reddening. "I wonder if we'd have been friends if I was myself in the past."
"We would," Harry answered immediately, trying to shake off the embarrassment.
"So confident."
"Absolutely."
Daphne met his eyes, and he lost all sense of time and space. He could see she was happy, and nothing else seemed to matter.
The two lapsed into silence as they finished their dinner, Daphne relishing a slice of pie. When Harry offered his own, she fought nobly for exactly four seconds before accepting it. He enjoyed watching her happiness at such a simple thing.
When the food was finished, they moved to the grassy area next to the table and Daphne shrugged out of her robes. She was wearing muggle clothes again, dark blue jeans and a white, silky blouse of some sort.
Harry's mouth went dry. With her focused on folding her robes, he physically shook himself, frustrated by how he was reacting to the girl. When he turned back to her, she was smirking at him. He may have failed his earlier vow of silence, but Harry vowed to petrify his face before their next lesson.
"Think of the happiest moment of your life," Harry began, trying to move past his embarrassment. "And I don't mean think of it by simply remembering it, you have to recreate the feeling. The Patronus is based completely on positive feelings, just remembering them isn't enough. You have to feel them."
Daphne closed her eyes, clearly racking her brain. Eventually she settled on a memory.
"Got it," she said, not opening her eyes.
"Great. I don't need to know," Harry responded, channeling Remus. "Sit in the memory. Allow it to fill you up. Try to feel what you felt then, and when you're ready, raise your wand and say 'Expecto Patronum'."
Harry watched as the girl breathed deeply, a smile coming to her lips. Finally, she opened her eyes and cast the spell.
And nothing happened. After a long moment she looked at him in disappointment, and he gave her a sheepish smile.
"It didn't work," she said glumly.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Maybe you're bad at magic."
"Not the time."
"Fine," he chuckled, taking pity on the pouting girl. "What was your happy thought?"
Daphne hesitated, so Harry decided to put her at ease.
"When I first tried the spell, nothing happened either. I was thinking of my first time on a broom. I love flying, and I felt like I was born for it from the first lesson with Madam Hooch."
"I remember," Daphne interrupted. "You looked like you were."
"So you are a fan?" Harry asked, forcing a blush from the girl, her disappointment forgotten.
"Shut it, Potter." After a moment she answered his initial question. "My memory was telling my Mum that I was the top Slytherin after first year."
"That may not be good enough," he replied gently.
The two continued to practice, with Daphne trying a load of different memories. Harry even cast Prongs a few times so she could approach and try to learn something by how the animal felt to her. Nothing seemed to work, but Harry kept her from getting discouraged by taking breaks to chat and joke with her as they practiced.
"Come with me," he instructed, when he noticed the girl's disappointment was growing.
She followed him to the edge of the pond, and Harry turned back to her imperiously.
"I forgot the most important bit," he began. "One must successfully skip a stone precisely eleven times before attempting their first Patronus."
Daphne smiled at his obvious distraction, but seemed ready for a break. She began searching the bank for appropriate stones, but Harry cheated and conjured a stack of his own. He watched as she finally found a few she deemed acceptable, and grinned at her exasperated look when she saw his pile.
"That's not fair," she argued, nodding at the stones on the table.
"To whom? I never said this was a competition."
"Oh, but it is. I've been skipping stones with my grandmother for years, and I intend to finally embarrass the Gryffindor Golden Boy in the name of Salazar Slytherin."
"Then I wish you the best," Harry grinned. "Many have tried before."
"We're not all as incompetent as Malfoy."
She affirmed that statement by whipping her first stone across the pond expertly. It skipped perfectly seven times, before disappearing into the manifested water.
"I'm impressed," Harry admitted, knowing he was likely outclassed by the girl. "Your grandmother's in the States, right?"
"She is. There's a river that runs through her land, and it flows into a few ponds about this size before going underground. Your turn."
Harry cast his first stone, his practice on the Great Lake helping him show a little competence. The stone splashed five times before disappearing.
"How often do you visit?"
"Every couple years," Daphne answered, skipping her second stone eight times. "I love England, but there's something about how big Wyoming is that just makes me happy. You can walk for hours on her land without seeing a person or a building."
Harry tossed his second stone, which immediately dived under the water without a single skip. His stomach flipped at the teasing grin Daphne sent him, and he returned it sheepishly.
"That's how I feel at my new place," he admitted. "It's like I can breathe there in a way I can't anywhere else."
"That's exactly it. I don't need that much space, but just somewhere to escape to without having to act a certain way is very freeing."
"I think the world would like to see the real you."
"I'm sure they would," she answered, skipping her third stone nine times. "But it would bring attention from people I'd rather not deal with. I have Tracey and Blaise, and Astoria, of course. That's enough for me."
"I get that," he offered sincerely. "I'd say of every student in this school, only Ron and Hermione actually know me. And I'm fine with it."
"How lucky for me to get a slice of your time, then," Daphne grinned.
"And I'm honored to see your incredibly rare smile," he countered. "The rest of the school doesn't know what they're missing."
Harry blushed again at his lack of filter, but he noticed Daphne's cheeks flamed similarly. She fought the moment by stepping towards him, grabbing a stone from his pile.
"You said eleven, right?" she asked cockily.
"I did, and if you do it now I'll be incredibly impre…"
The stone skipped exactly eleven times, before finally losing its fight with gravity. Harry shut his mouth with a click, and looked to the obviously proud Slytherin in disbelief.
"I've thought about going pro," she joked with a grin.
"I'd buy tickets."
"I'll give you some for free when I do," Daphne smiled in return. "And I commend you on your choice of distractions."
"Hey," Harry countered with a smirk. "I'm just following the textbook here."
"I'm sure. I wanna try again."
"Good. But try not to get discouraged. It's crazy advanced magic."
"If you can do it," she answered. "Then I'll do it, too."
"I'm going to cheat a bit then, and tell you what worked for me," Harry offered with a smile. "The books say it takes a happy memory or thought. Something that allows you to repel the evil of a dementor. But in my experience it wasn't a happy thought, it was a feeling of love. I concentrated on my mother's love for me, and how deep it must have been to do what she did."
"She must have been incredible," Daphne offered sincerely.
"She was," he agreed, careful not to say too much. "So this time, I want you to remember a time when you felt loved. Unconditionally, unreservedly loved. Soak it in until it's coming out of your ears. When you think you're there, try again."
Daphne closed her eyes again, her eyelids fluttering slightly as she thought. After a long moment she seemed to settle, opened her eyes, and cast. "Expecto Patronum!"
A bright white mist erupted from her wand, forming a large shield in front of her, reflected in the water she cast it over. Surprised, she quickly lost concentration and the shield faded.
"You did it!" he congratulated loudly, the girl turning and beaming brightly at him.
Harry, not ready for it, was caught in her spell again, completely blindsided by how beautiful the girl was. Luckily, she was too excited to notice.
"It wasn't corporeal, but it was big! That was amazing!"
"It was," Harry agreed, regaining the use of his tongue. "You got it way easier that way!"
"Yeah, but without a Dementor," the girl admitted, still smiling. "And with a brilliant teacher."
Harry blushed at the compliment, and returned her smile. "I honestly didn't think my way would work for you. I've always seemed to learn a bit differently, so I figured the books would work best."
"No, I think you're on to something," she said seriously. "I don't think happiness is the opposite of despair. Someone can be happy at times, and miserable as a whole. Love is something else. It's from the soul. I think your way makes sense."
"I'm glad you agree." Harry checked the time, wincing slightly. "And I hope you remember how grateful you are to me when I tell you curfew is in thirty seconds."
"WHAT!?" the girl shouted, frantically grabbing her things.
She rushed towards the door, and Harry couldn't help but laugh. Before she reached her goal, she turned and sent him a withering look.
"What is so funny, Potter?"
"You look like you've never been out after curfew. Relax, I'll make sure you don't get caught."
"Some of us follow the rules provided for our safety, you deviant."
He fought down his laughter, and took a breath. When he finally had himself under control, he approached the nervous girl.
"Daph, I'll get you back to your common room without getting caught, I promise. Do you trust me?"
Daphne hesitated for a moment, clearly caught between her nerves and his question. Eventually, her breathing calmed and she met his eyes.
"Somehow I do. But I'm quickly regretting it."
"Don't regret it yet. What you Slytherins didn't know is that I've been playing with a stacked deck," he countered with a grin.
Harry drew his wand, silently vanishing all their mess from dinner, and summoned his bag to him. He noticed Daphne's eyes were wide at the use of non-verbal spells, but he avoided them, not wanting to go dumb again with the girl's attention focused on himself.
He pulled a familiar piece of parchment from his bag, and chanced a look at the Slytherin. "I'm choosing to trust you, Daph. That's not easy for me."
Daphne blushed prettily and nodded. That was enough for him.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, touching the parchment with his wand.
He watched her eyes widen in surprise as the parchment expanded and the map began to appear. When it finished moving, she looked up to him. Harry was very aware of how close they stood, but maintained eye contact.
"What is it?"
"Take a look."
Daphne accepted the offered parchment, studying it closely.
"There's no way this is real," she said incredulously after a moment.
"It's part of how I've avoided detention for the last two years."
"These dots… these dots are accurate?"
"Sure they are. Find your sister or Tracey. Where are they at nine at night usually?"
"In the Slytherin common room, in the corner near the fire."
"Find them," Harry encouraged with a grin. He noticed when she did, as her eyes widened further, and she almost dropped the map.
"Careful! This is one of a kind."
"It's incredible! Who are the Marauders?"
"A group of the most vile, despicable miscreants this school has ever seen. Led by my father."
Harry couldn't help the smile that grew on his face, and it only grew at Daphne's own.
"You come from generations of lawbreakers, I see."
"A royal line," Harry agreed.
"You said 'part of' how you haven't gotten in trouble. What's the other part?"
He pulled the cloak out of his bag with a flourish.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"If you're as smart as I think you are."
"Harry Potter," she said in frustration. "Us Slytherins are doing everything we can think of to break the rules without getting caught. We find hidden passages, we dig up blackmail material on prefects. We cozy up to professors. And you're walking around in an invisibility cloak with an all-knowing map!?"
Harry couldn't help but laugh at her frustration. "What use is being cunning when you can cheat?"
"You're a Slytherin," she accused.
"Mark the tie color, Daph," he said with a grin. "Now will you let me get you back?"
"Not a hard decision when the other option is detention."
"Then come here. It'll be a bit tight."
Daphne stood close to him, and Harry realized this might be harder than he thought. He carefully lifted the cloak over both of them, making sure to crouch so his feet didn't stick out.
"You hold the map, I'll direct us. I'll have to hold your waist," he finished awkwardly, his face burning.
"I bet you say that to all the girls."
"Just Ron, usually," Harry answered ruefully, the girl snickering at the answer.
"This corridor is clear."
Harry opened the door, and felt Daphne touch his shoulder lightly.
"No blindfold this time, Potter?"
"I told you I'm choosing to trust you, Greengrass. Also, you don't know how to open the door," he finished smugly.
She swatted him on the shoulder, and Harry couldn't help but notice how nice she felt pressed against him. He cleared his mind using an occlumency exercise, not wanting to be distracted. The exercise failed miserably.
The two awkwardly made their way out of the room and towards the Slytherin dungeons. Three times during the journey, Daphne pulled him against a wall, seeing an approaching teacher or prefect on the map. The tension was unbearable for Harry.
As she repeated the action a fourth time, Harry finally found the courage to look up from his feet. Daphne was smiling broadly at him, leaning back against the wall. He felt the now-familiar draw of her eyes, but fought it back. He returned her grin as he stood over her, their bodies almost touching. He kept silent until the two Ravenclaw prefects finally turned a corner out of sight.
"If I didn't know any better," Harry said softly. "I'd say you're enjoying your first experience as a Gryffindor."
"I am," Daphne whispered up at him, a slight blush on her cheeks. "This must be what Dad warned me about. You're corrupting me."
"Happily."
After a far-too-quick ten minutes, they finally reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Daphne passed the map back to Harry, and shocked the teen to his core by standing on her toes, placing a light kiss on his cheek.
"Tonight was incredible, Harry. Thank you."
Harry couldn't remember any words he'd ever learned, so he just nodded dumbly, his cheek burning hot. The girl left the confines of the cloak, entering the room after whispering the password. As the door closed, he stood still for what could have been an hour. Finally, his body moved autonomously, and the cloak slipped from his head. He slowly spun, grabbing at the cloak.
"Mr. Potter."
The words were like a fire hose, clearing the cobwebs from Harry's brain with force.
"Professor Snape," he responded politely to the man in front of him.
"My office. Now."
—
Harry followed the man to his nearby office, forcing his nerves down viciously. He refused to be intimidated by anyone, and knew Snape wasn't going to enjoy finding that out. The man flung the door open and swept in, quickly finding his seat at the desk, and gesturing Harry into the one opposite.
"What were you doing with Greengrass?" the scowling man said, breaking the silence.
"I was helping her with a project for Umbridge, and we lost track of time." Harry's voice was calm and his head held high.
"I heard about the project. But I was under the impression that you would be helping four students foolish enough to ask."
"The other three were busy," he answered with a shrug.
"So you thought it prudent to take one of my Slytherin's off campus alone?" Snape asked, releasing his barely-constrained anger.
"We never left the castle."
"That's a lie!" Snape spat with a glare.
"It's not," Harry responded, as calm as the man was angry. "I'll swear on my magic if you'd like."
"Do you think me incapable of tracking my students? Do you think I'd give them free roam without knowledge of their whereabouts?"
"I don't really think of you at all, sir."
Snape stood furiously, grabbing a book from a shelf to his left. Slamming the book on the desk, he quickly flipped pages until he found the one he was looking for. Spinning it so Harry could see, he pointed to the last two recorded lines.
"I trust you can read?"
The second to bottom line read 'Greengrass, D. – Off school grounds – 4:49 pm,' and the last entry read 'Greengrass, D. – On school grounds – 9:01 pm.'
"Interesting," Harry mused aloud, realizing the magic of the Room must make it completely untraceable.
"Why were you off grounds, Potter?"
"You can ask in fifty different ways if you'd like. The answer will stay the same."
"Then explain how a magical artifact created almost fifty years ago is wrong for the first time tonight."
"I'm not an expert on artifacts. Perhaps Professor Babbling could take a look at your little book if you asked."
"There's nothing wrong with the ledger!"
"I dunno, sir," Harry countered, suppressing a grin. "The Triwizard Cup was created like seven hundred years ago. I don't put much faith in things I haven't had a hand in myself."
Snape looked at him murderously for a long moment. But, eventually he took a deep breath. And another.
"Potter," he began more calmly, yet snidely. "I know that being classified as an adult allows you certain privileges, but they do not pertain to any student not of age."
"Snape, now that you've calmed a bit, I'll explain if you'd like."
The man seethed at the way Harry addressed him, and breathed deeply again, clearly trying to reign in his growing anger a second time. "I would."
"There's a room, in the castle, that is unknown to you. And the rest of the staff, I believe."
"And you expect me to believe this secret room has magic capable of fooling my ledger?"
"I expect nothing from you. You can take my word or leave it. If I had to guess, though, I'd say whoever made your little book didn't know about my secret room. It would be tough to account for if that's the case."
"Even were that to be true, you were still out of bounds after curfew."
"Then assign me a detention and be done with this!" Harry said heatedly, tired of the conversation.
"I don't give a damn if you miss curfew, you're an adult!" Snape snapped, returning the teen's tone.
"You just said… you know what, forget it. What can I do for you Professor?"
"You endangered the girl this evening."
"I already told…"
"Even if you didn't leave the grounds," Snape interrupted loudly. "All it takes is for rumors to start, Potter. Just one rumor getting to one wrong ear, and her reputation is ruined."
"Daphne doesn't care about her reputation. Your students have seen to that. You think she cares what Malfoy thinks of her? Crabbe? Goyle?"
"And what if the Dark Lord hears of it? Do you think she'd care then?"
Harry winced, knowing Snape was right. It was like a punch to the gut. He felt immediate guilt, knowing his attraction to the girl had overridden his promise to himself to stay away. He put her in danger, and that thought hurt so much he couldn't think straight.
"You're right, sir," he finally conceded with a small nod of apology. "I'd already decided to stay away from her, and I messed up. It won't happen again."
Snape's eyebrows rose at the statement, and Harry realized he'd just given away much more information than he intended. Arcturus would be furious.
Snape, thankfully, had no interest in his social life and quickly moved on.
"I trust you'll use your brain moving forward."
"I will, sir."
Harry actually respected the man for the conversation. Even if he was an ass to the rest of the school, he clearly cared for his Slytherins.
"While you're here," Snape said with a tired look. "The Headmaster has asked me to test your occlumency shields. That will be the reason you're out so late if someone else happens to see you."
Harry, having been warned by Albus at breakfast earlier in the week, nodded and gestured for his professor to do so. The man drew his wand casually.
"Legilimens."
Harry maintained eye contact, though he could've broken the spell at any moment. He felt Snape's tendril of magic in his head, ramming at his shields, but they'd be in this office until the end of the school year before it made a dent. Dorea had been a thorough teacher, and his newfound study time helped immensely.
After thirty seconds, the professor's arm began to tremble. After another thirty, Harry could see beads of sweat tracing their way down his face. Just as the man looked like he may fall over, Snape canceled the spell and fell heavily into his seat, breathing deeply. After a moment, he nodded.
"It seems you have learned a new skill."
Harry chuckled at the understatement, not believing the man could show positive emotions for anything.
"If that's all sir?"
"It is."
Harry stood to leave, but as he reached the door, he was stopped by Snape's exhausted voice.
"Gryffindor/Slytherin friendships rarely last, Potter."
Harry knew the man's sudden exhaustion was the cause for his loose tongue, but the miniscule peace offering froze him. He'd promised his mother he would try, and he didn't plan to go back on his word.
Sighing heavily, he turned back to the man who was wincing at his slip up.
"I disagree," Harry said seriously.
"What?" the man asked tiredly, his normal composure shot.
"Floo Dumbledore. Ask him to join us and to bring his pensieve."
"The Headmaster has…"
"The Headmaster has been expecting this," Harry interrupted. "Floo the man."
Snape stared at the teen in utter confusion, but Harry's expression remained firm. After a few seconds, the professor grabbed some powder from a pot on his desk and chucked it into his fireplace without leaving his seat or even watching where it landed.
"Albus Dumbledore."
After a moment, the man's face appeared in the flames. Looking around the office, Albus noticed Harry, and smiled gently.
"Is it time, my boy?"
"Unfortunately."
"I'll be right down."
The face disappeared, and Harry looked at Snape, who seemed like he wished he'd never pulled the Gryffindor into his office. Harry crossed to the bookshelf behind the desk, grabbing a bottle of firewhiskey. He placed it and a glass on Severus' desk. The man stared at him incredulously, but didn't break the silence. As Harry returned to his seat, Albus exited the fireplace.
"Severus," he greeted, taking a seat next to Harry. "I need you to trust me right now."
"Of course," the man answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"I need an oath, Albus," Harry quickly added.
If Severus was shocked by the development, or the teen's usage of the Headmaster's first name, he didn't show it. Albus ran through the words for the oath, and to Harry's surprise, Snape quickly raised his wand, swearing to never communicate what he was about to learn in any way.
Harry drew his wand, removing the memory of his Mum's message for the man. Albus quickly set his pensieve on the desk next to the bottle, and he released the strand of magic into the bowl. He took a breath, not looking forward to the conversation
"In the graveyard, when I was hit with the Killing Curse, it didn't fail." Snape's eyes widened slightly, but he made no other reaction. "I was dead for the shortest of seconds, though for me it was months. I know how this sounds, and I don't blame you for thinking I've lost my mind, but that's what happened. And the proof is sitting in front of you."
"Why are you telling me this?" Severus asked skeptically.
"Because regardless of how much of a dick you've been to me, I made a promise."
"I've treated you exactly how you've deserved," the man said, flushing with anger.
"Tonight you have," Harry agreed. "But if you think your treatment of me, or a thousand other students over the years, is fair, you should be in the Thickey Ward."
Snape moved to respond, but Albus quickly cut him off. "Gentlemen, I believe it best we stick to our purpose at the moment. You are welcome to have this argument another time."
Harry smirked at Snape's scowl, and agreed to move on.
"When I was dead, I spent time in some sort of afterlife. I can't explain how, because I don't know for sure. But I know I was there, and I wasn't alone."
Severus was stunned by the news, his scowl slipping off his face. "Who did you see?"
"My Mum."
Severus raged to his feet, a mixture of shock and anger in his eyes. The news clearly shook him to his core, and Harry thought he might actually draw his wand for lack of anything else to do.
"Calm yourself!" Albus intoned, the power behind his words rattling the items on the desk between them. The power seemed to break Severus from his knee jerk reaction, but the man was still incensed.
"That's not possible," he hissed through his teeth.
"Professor," Harry said gently. "I don't like you. That probably won't change. But have you ever known me to be vindictive? Not my father. Me."
Snape seemed to consider the question for long enough Harry felt a bit offended, but eventually he regained his composure and returned to his seat.
"I met a few others in my time, and as I was getting ready to return, we had the idea to kinda record messages for people on this side. My mother gave two messages with my Dad, and two messages alone. One for the Dursleys, and one for you."
Harry actually felt for the man, as he had cycled through far too many emotions over the last few minutes. His current state was disbelief, and maybe fear. He seemed unable to look away from the Pensieve. When he finally did, he looked to his mentor.
"It's true, Severus. Aberforth and I were able to see Arianna one last time," Albus said seriously with heavy emotion in his eyes. "It was the finest gift I've ever received, and I suggest you allow yourself the same."
"Lily hated me before she died," Snape admitted torturously, his voice uneven and full of regret. "Whatever she wanted to say won't be a gift,"
"Snape," Harry interrupted gently, the man's eyes jumping to his own. "I was there. It's my memory. I wouldn't offer it to you if I didn't think you'd want to hear it."
"And your father just allowed her to do this?"
"We can talk about my Dad another time. But you know as well as I do, my Mum always made her own decisions."
Severus sat in silence for a long moment, and Harry saw Albus watching the man worriedly.
"Severus…"
"I'll do it." His voice was firm and there was a determined look in his exhausted eyes.
"I'm glad," Harry said honestly. "I'll leave you to it." He knew the man wouldn't want him around for this.
"You can return the pensieve at your convenience, my boy," Albus added gently. Standing, the Headmaster reached over and poured a glass of whiskey for his employee, placing it out of danger from being spilled, but close enough to grab when it was needed.
—
Harry followed the old wizard out of the office, closing the door behind him. Albus decided to escort the teen to his common room, and the two walked in silence for a bit. The hallways were blessedly silent.
"Albus," Harry began eventually. "Why did he give an oath so easily?"
"Severus and I have been through a lot together, Harry. He trusts me implicitly, as I do him. Despite his less than noble traits, I consider him a friend."
Harry shook his head at the idea, but figured his Headmaster had his reasons. "Have you spoken to your brother since the memory?"
"I have," he answered with a smile. "Our sister's words helped bridge that divide a bit. And I thank you again for the opportunity."
"Of course. She was a sweet girl."
"That she was," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "As I assume Miss Greengrass is?"
"How did you know?" he asked, not confused, but frustrated.
"Severus isn't the only staff member to have his secrets."
"Shit. Does McGonagall know?"
"Minerva," Albus said with a laugh. "Chooses to trust her students. She and Severus argue about it often. Though, I am confused as to where you and Daphne disappeared to."
"I'll show you one day. You'll love it."
"I look forward to it. And I wish you the best with Miss Greengrass."
"It's not like that," Harry replied with a grimace.
"No?"
"I won't put her in danger," he answered stubbornly.
"I believe Miss Greengrass would like a say in that discussion," the man admonished gently.
"That's what Hermione said."
"Far be it for me to tell you how to live, Harry," Albus said with a grin. "But listening to Miss Granger would be a good rule to follow."
"Not this time."
"I believe her ears must be burning," Dumbledore mused as they neared the common room. Sure enough, Harry felt the approaching magic of his friends, Neville included.
"But I know where he is, Ron," they heard from around a corner. "And if he's not there, we'll go to the Headmaster."
"I'm telling you he's fine. And he won't be happy at the interruption," Ron responded.
"Then he'll just have to…" Hermione trailed off as she rounded the corner and was met by both wizards she meant to find.
"I believe I've found the object of your consternation, Miss Granger," Albus said with a smile. "And I return him to your care."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione answered in relief.
"Harry, we shall speak more later," Dumbledore said with a look.
"Yes, sir."
With a final wave, the renowned wizard turned and walked away.
"Where were you?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"Snape's office."
"You got caught?" Ron asked with a look of commiseration.
"No. Well, yes, but I'm not in trouble. We should head up."
When they entered the common room and found an empty corner, Harry explained the basics of what happened. The boys accepted it immediately, but Hermione sent him a look.
When Ron and Neville broke out the chess set, Hermione pulled him to the side, out of hearing range from the rest of the room.
"So?" the girl whispered excitedly.
"So what?" Harry responded as quietly.
"How did it go?"
Harry felt his insides twist at the thought of his night, not ready to address any of it. But he remembered Hermione's request to know how he was feeling, and tried to follow through on his word.
"It was amazing. Daphne's amazing." The nausea he was feeling didn't match the truth in his words.
"And was I right? Does she like you too?"
"I'm pretty sure."
Harry grimaced as he watched the girl light up like a Christmas tree.
"But I can't do it. I just can't. Snape said the same thing."
"Snape found out? And you're agreeing with him?"
"He's an asshole, but he knows more about what's coming than anyone," he explained quietly. "I can't put her in danger. It would kill me."
"Then you'll be careful."
"Being careful doesn't matter," Harry argued seriously. "My parents were careful."
"I know. But you can't make this decision for her. I thought I got through to you with that."
"I have a pretty thick skull," he said with a shrug. "Dumbledore agrees with you if it makes you feel any better."
Hermione's jaw fell slack as she stared at her friend.
"You're telling me that your best friend and Albus flipping Dumbledore gave you the same advice," she whispered heatedly. "But you're choosing to listen to Snape?"
"I don't think that's one of his middle names," he joked with a small smile. "But I'm telling you I'm listening to myself."
"Like that's any better!"
"Hermione, I know you're disappointed. And I promise it's nothing to the disappointment I feel myself. I'm sick about it. Physically sick. But I can't do it."
"Then you'll be miserable, Harry," she said seriously. "I know you, and this will make you miserable."
"I've been miserable before. You get used to it." He hoped that was true, because what he was currently feeling was unbearable. "I'm gonna head to bed. Tell the boys I say goodnight, would you?"
Harry turned and headed for his dorm, not willing to continue the conversation. His room was empty when he entered, and he collapsed onto his bed, angry at his own feelings. He'd had one night with the girl, and was torn to pieces. He promised himself he would get past this– that every teenager gets past things like this. He refused to let his feelings get the better of him.
His head jerked up as Ron entered, looking hesitant. Harry, expecting Hermione had sent him, sent him a look.
"Tell her I don't want to talk about it, Ron."
"She didn't send me," he countered seriously. "I saw your face when you two were talking, and just wanted to make sure you're okay."
Harry felt guilty for snapping at his friend, and sent him an apologetic look.
"Not at the moment, mate," he answered honestly. "But I will be. Can't afford not to."
"If you're sure," Ron said, clearly hoping Harry would want to talk about it. When he nodded at his friend, he turned to leave.
He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "You never ask me about how it started with 'Mione, you know. Or how it's going. Or anything about how she and I are doing."
"I didn't think you'd want me to pry," Harry countered, concerned his friend felt ignored.
"I don't," Ron agreed easily, turning and sitting on the foot of his own bed. "I mean, I don't need you to. And I'd ask you to go for a fly if I needed to talk about stuff."
"Anytime," he replied with relief.
"What I'm saying is, you never ask, so I never get to tell you. I never get to tell you how everything feels different. How from the moment I realized I liked her, I started looking for her. In class or in the great hall, in the hallways, I looked for her. In Dumbledore's office when you told us everything that happened to you, I looked for her. Even if it was just the three of us studying in the common room, I looked for her."
Harry sat silently, not expecting the emotion he was hearing from his friend.
"And since you've never asked, I haven't told you what it feels like to look for her, and see her looking for me. It gives me goosebumps every time, Harry. It honestly does."
"Ron, I…"
"No, wait," Ron interrupted. "I'm not suggesting you feel that way about Daphne. You've talked to the girl like three times. What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that I hope you find whoever you're looking for. Because it's the best feeling I've ever had, and I want it for my best friend. Whether that be now, or whenever all the bullshit is over, I hope you find it. It's a feeling that I don't want to ever lose. And you deserve it."
"Thank you," Harry said seriously, surprised by the eloquence from his friend. "I told you you're in love with her."
"You say it like it's a bad thing," Ron laughed.
"Have you told her?"
"We're 15."
"She's 16."
"Well then I guess I'll go propose," Ron joked, waving his arms extravagantly. Harry laughed, his earlier gloom forgotten for a moment.
"She'd slug you. But you should tell her."
"Dad said the same thing, before we left for school," he admitted with a sigh.
"But?"
"We've only been dating for a month! I don't want to scare her away, and I don't want to make more of this than it is if she doesn't feel the same."
"Ron, you've been dating for a month, but that's not your history," Harry said seriously. "That thing about the looking for her… lead with that."
"You think it'll work?"
"Damn near worked on me, mate."
Ron laughed while drawing his wand. With a whispered spell, Harry's curtains were pulled around his bed frame, closing him in.
"You're not my type, Potter."
"You should tell her," Harry continued, peeking out from the opening of the curtains.
"How 'bout this. I'll tell her, if you promise to stay open to your person, whoever that might be."
"I don't think I can," Harry said gloomily. "My life is a bit more complicated."
"All the more reason," Ron countered seriously before grinning at him. "Anyway, just my two cents. Continue your pouting."
"Hold on," he replied after a snort of laughter. "You do know she's a Slytherin, right?"
"Daphne? Yeah, funny enough I managed to figure that out after four years."
"Then what the hell, Weasley? Why aren't you screaming at me, telling me you'll never allow it?"
"Harry," the teen responded seriously, squashing his joking tone. "I don't care if your person's a lamp shade. As long as you're happy."
"I don't think I understand you anymore, mate," he responded, trying to lighten the mood.
"My person asked me to grow up. So I did. This house nonsense is dumb, and I've seen how you look at her. Who am I to stand between true love?"
"Whoa, now, Ron."
"Yeah!" he replied victoriously. "Annoying isn't it? Go to bed, you punk."
