A/N: This is just for my (and hopefully your) amusement. I own nothing and I'm not seeking any profit from publishing this work.

Big Night

The day had finally arrived. The day. The Patronus day. She had thought about this day so often...in such detail...it seemed unreal that it was actually going to happen. It felt like her birthday and Christmas all wrapped into one...and the only gift she was about to receive was a mediocre piece of cake. The fact that she had helped Harry get this far...that they had gotten this far...there were no words.

She was humming a happy tune as she carried her school books down the stairs in anticipation of the event. The voice of her mother stopped her as she headed toward the kitchen.

"Daphne, should I be worried?" her mother asked as she prepared to leave.

"Worried? About what?"

"You seem disturbingly cheerful," her mother explained.

"You're worried that I'm happy?" Daphne asked in confusion. "Aren't you the one constantly complaining that I don't smile enough?"

"Harry seems to have cured you of that condition which is precisely why I'm worried." At Daphne's questioning look she continued.

"I remember what it was like when I was your age and knew I was going to be alone with your father with no parents around," she explained. "Your father would wear a look eerily similar to your's anticipating the things we would be getting up to while we were alone."

Daphne stared...not sure whether to be more horrified at the fact her mother was asking about her sex life or providing insight on her own. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

"Daphne?"

"No!" she finally blurted. "I'm just going to be doing homework and Harry is going to have a go at making a cake."

Her mother raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Is 'making a cake' a euphemism for something else?"

Before she could reply Astoria entered the room, grinning from ear to ear. "She's telling the truth Mum. Daphne hasn't been able to shut up about it. She and Harry are just that boring."

"Thank you so much Tori," Daphne drawled before she continued her explanation. "Harry has always wanted to but his relatives would never allow it. I told him he could try while he stayed with us."

"You know I actually believe you," her mother said with a smile. "I'm not sure whether I should be relieved or worried you are so well behaved."

"Don't worry Mum," Astoria reassured. "If I'm ever here alone with a boy we will definitely not be doing homework or making cake."

"Lovely," her mother replied insincerely. "As always Astoria you have the subtlety of a bludger. You could really learn a lesson from your sister."

"Thank you Mum," Daphne stated. "Besides, I would never try that here. The house elves tell you everything."

"Ah, there is the calculating Daphne I know so well. See Astoria? Daphne only pretends to be boring."

Astoria waved her hands dismissively as she walked toward her mother. "Rosie would never tell my secrets."

Her mother's eyes gleamed, reminding Daphne where Astoria inherited that mischievous look. "Rosie!" she called.

The diminutive elf popped in, a warm smile on her face. "Yes Mistress?"

"Are you keeping secrets for Astoria?" her mother asked, smirking at Astoria.

"Yes Mistress," Rosie replied nervously.

"I will not ask you to tell me the secrets you know Rosie," she assured, drawing relieved expressions from Astoria and the elf. "But if you are asked to do so again you will come to me immediately and tell me everything you know."

"Mother!" Astoria protested. "Don't listen to her Rosie!" she pleaded.

"Rosie is sorry Miss Tori but Rosie must obey Mistress," she said resignedly.

"You should consider yourself lucky I'm giving you a chance Tori. Now apologize to Rosie for giving her an order you know she can't keep."

"Sorry Rosie," she said sincerely as she leaned down and hugged the elf. "We had a good run, I suppose," she muttered sadly before she made her way to leave with her mother.

"Save some cake for us," Astoria said brightly as she grabbed hold of her mother's arm. "I've always wanted to eat food prepared by a dark lord slayer."

"Technically Harry is just a co-dark lord slayer," her mother corrected as they apparated away with a wave and a dignified crack.

"Idiots," Daphne muttered affectionately to herself as she sat down and started on her Ancient Runes work. She smiled as she realized the assignment dealt with focus runes and began humming again. Today was going to be a good day.

To her surprise Rosie sat down at the table as well, a pleasant smile plastered on her face. She struggled to remember the elf ever sitting at the kitchen table with her. "Everything all right Rosie?" she asked.

"Yes Miss Daphne, the elf replied brightly. "Rosie asked Harry if she and Winky could watch him today."

"Really?" Daphne replied. "I thought you'd be furious he was mucking about in your kitchen. When I made biscuits you complained about it for weeks afterward."

"Harry asks Rosie and Winky good questions. Rosie can tell Harry knows what he is doing. Miss Daphne was bad cook and wouldn't listen to Rosie. Messes are okay if they are done for good reasons. Miss Daphne made a mess and made bad biscuits," Rosie said disappointedly.

"I was seven!" Daphne protested.

"Seven or seventeen makes no difference. Bad is bad," she explained, shaking her head at the memory.

"Fair enough," Daphne said with a smile. "I've been meaning to ask, why do you call him 'Harry and not "Mister Harry' or 'Mister Potter.'"

"Harry asked Rosie to," the elf replied as if the answer was obvious. "Rosie likes Harry," she continued. "Miss Daphne much better in relationships than in the kitchen."

"All right, all right, I get it," she laughed, "leave the cooking to you and Harry. You know you are supposed to be afraid of insulting me."

Rosie patted Daphne's arm patronizingly. "Rosie knows Miss Daphne likes it and that Miss Daphne's bark is much worse than her bite."

"You've been spending too much time around Tori," she answered as Harry entered the room with Winky trailing closely behind. He stopped and quickly kissed her before he began.

"Remember what Winky and Rosie be saying and Winky knows cake will be fine," the elf said reassuringly as she hopped into a chair, never taking her eyes off of Harry.

"Can you turn on the music Rosie?" Daphne asked as Harry reviewed his recipe one final time. With a snap of the elf's fingers the opening notes of Come Together filled the room.

"I know this one!" Harry exclaimed in surprise.

"Rosie likes this one," the elf commented, nodding her approval.

Daphne smiled, shut her book, and leaned back in her chair. Homework could wait. "Need any help?"

Not a bit of homework was completed as Daphne had set to fetching ingredients, setting timers, and cleaning up as best she could as Harry toiled away. She particularly enjoyed when they had to wait for the cakes to cool before applying the icing. With nothing else to do she did her best to distract Harry to pass the time.

Despite it taking an hour the cakes cooled much too quickly for her liking. As he returned to the task at hand Harry asked her to sit back down, muttering that he needed to focus and she was too much of a distraction. Before leaving she quickly sampled the confection and smiled.

"The icing is perfect. Not too sweet," she complimented.

"Yeah, Rosie told me not to make it very sweet for you...that you had boring taste buds," he smirked as he set to work.

She smacked his shoulder playfully before making her way over to her seat, leveling the elf with a mock glare. "You say boring, I say refined," she commented haughtily.

"Boring is boring," Rosie replied dismissively, causing Harry to laugh.

Twenty minutes later Harry nervously placed the finished product on the table. Daphne knew she had been spoiled by the excellent preparation skills of Rosie and the Hogwarts house elves but there was no two ways about it...Harry's cake looked...not good.

"It's a bit-"

"Lopsided," Harry said with laugh, "and I need to get better at putting on the icing. It's not very even."

"Master Harry's cake is very good for first time!" Winky protested. "Winky's first try was ugly too."

"Thanks Winky...I think," Harry said as he began slicing the cake.

"Winky is right," Rosie reassured. "What really matters is taste. Rosie is sure it will be good." Daphne suppressed a chuckle as she watched Winky furiously nod in agreement.

Harry's expression as he handed her a piece was eerily reminiscent of when he had shared the prophecy for the first time. Though the stakes were astronomically lower he looked just as nervous about her reaction. Daphne had never lied to Harry before but was ready and willing to do so now.

She hesitantly took a bite, reminding herself not to pull a face no matter how bad it turned out to be. To her utter shock the cake was...not bad...not bad at all. She quickly took another bite and was thrilled as she realized it was almost on par with Rosie's best efforts. "This is really good Harry," she said enthusiastically as she took another bite.

"Really?" he replied, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Really,' she confirmed. "I was prepared to lie through my teeth if it was awful but it isn't."

"Not awful," Harry chuckled, "I suppose that is something."

"You know what I mean. Try it for yourself," she commanded, feeding him a bite.

"It is all right isn't it?" he answered with a surprised smile.

"Miss Daphne is right!" Winky nearly shouted with joy. "Winky's first try not be nearly as good!"

Daphne watched as Rosie nodded her agreement, taking another bite before commenting. "The icing should be sweeter but that not Harry's fault," she stated, looking accusingly at Daphne.

"I think the icing is perfect," Daphne said defiantly as she took another bite. "Mmmm…," she murmured, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll make it sweeter next time Rosie," he reassured as he sat down beside her.

"Heathens," Daphne muttered with a laugh.

They continued to eat in companionable silence as the music played on...Winky and Rosie having volunteered themselves to clean up the remaining mess in honor of Harry's efforts.

"I like this song," Harry commented as he ate his last bite. "What record is this from?"

"Rubber Soul," she replied, pausing as she remembered Harry's 'dream'. "Like mother like son," she continued, her voice breaking slightly with emotion. Daphne remembered her own mother's good natured teasing earlier in the day and realized she was ready to take the next step with Harry. Really ready.

Harry smiled and looked down at his plate. "I'm so glad I asked you for help."

Somehow the day had been better than she'd ever imagined and it had nothing to do with how well the cake turned out.

"Me too Harry," she nearly whispered, leaning into his side. "Me too."

A/N: You may have noticed one particular elf was missing from this excerpt. Next chapter will touch on why.