A/N: So I was bored and had an idea for a cute one shot. Unfortunately it is a bit short, but I think its good enough. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate

Squeak

Harry's eyes fluttered open to the faint but unmistakable squeak of his bedroom door. Pausing to listen, he heard a sharp inhale, followed by an attempt to close the door silently. Instantly alert, Harry sat up, his hand instinctively reaching for his wand resting on the nightstand, swiftly aiming it towards the intruder. Despite the darkness, he managed to recognise the figure's features, notably the long, wavy brown hair.

"Astoria?" Harry asked, his confusion obvious. "What brings you to my doorstep at this ungodly hour?" Lowering his wand, he silently cast a "tempus", revealing the time to be 05:22 in the morning.

"S-Sorry, Harry," Astoria stammered nervously. There was unease in her voice, though Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I thought this was Daphne's room. Didn't mean to disturb you."

"And what's so urgent with Daph?" Harry asked wearily. Rising from his bed, he waved his wand to turn on the lights, illuminating the room and revealing its decor. The walls were covered in a rich, dark green wallpaper adorned with golden patterns. The ceiling and floor were made of a fancy, dark wood. A large bed occupied one side of the room, while the other had bookshelves brimming with books. In front of the shelves lay a thick carpet. On top of it a coffee table and two small couches. It was a level of luxury Harry hadn't expected, yet the inheritance of his late godfather's home proved truly remarkable.

"I couldn't sleep, really. It's nothing important. I apologize for disturbing you," Astoria replied softly. With the room now illuminated, her blue eyes and gentle freckled face were visible. She attempted to slip away and close the door, but Harry intervened before she could, looking into her eyes before gently guiding her out of his room, closing the door behind them. Descending the stairs to the kitchen, he turned on the lights and motioned for her to take a seat, while he fetched a saucepan and ingredients. Placing the pan on the stove and igniting the flame, he poured in milk, followed by cocoa powder and sugar. Astoria remained silent, almost as if she wasn't there. Once the milk was warmed, Harry added chocolate chips, whisking them until they melted, followed by a splash of vanilla extract. With the drink ready, he poured it into two cups, placing one in front of Astoria and the other for himself at the table.

"When I was still at Hogwarts, on bad days, I'd sneak into the kitchen and drink a cup of hot chocolate. Since it wasn't something I could do during the day, I made it a habit at night," Harry explained. "That's actually how I met her. Daph, I mean. I'm not sure if she's mentioned it to you."

It was silent for a few minutes until Astoria replied, "She hasn't actually."

Once again, silence lingered until Harry broke it, saying, "If you feel like talking about it, I'm here to listen. If not, I'm just glad for your company." He took another sip of his hot chocolate.

Astoria opened up, revealing, "I had a nightmare. They've haunted me for years, but the battle made them even worse." She paused, reminiscing, "Daphne used to comfort me, pulling me onto her lap and humming me to sleep. But she hasn't done that since she started Hogwarts. Honestly, after everything that happened, I don't know how I can go back there for two more years."

Harry remained silent, understanding her situation. With Daphne and himself already in their seventh year, Astoria was merely a fifth-year student. Taking another sip from his cup, he offered no words, simply acknowledging her pain. He knew from his girlfriend that Astoria had nearly died during the battle, a victim of an explosion that struck her torso and head, making her unconscious. Fortunately, Daphne had been nearby and helped her before someone could further harm her. Looking back into her eyes, Harry saw tears forming. He promptly emptied his cup, then stood up and invited Astoria to the living room. Confused and reluctant, she turned around, wiped the tears away, and followed him. Before she could sit on the sofa, Harry suddenly grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap, where he hugged her tightly. Astoria was caught off guard but quickly melted into his touch. Softly humming into her ear, he rocked her gently, her tiredness evident from the early wake-up.

"Harry," Astoria yawned, her voice heavy with sleepiness, her eyes almost closed shut, "would you mind if I lay down?"

"Shhh." Harry moved back a little and laid on his side, with Astoria following his example but pressing herself against him as he continued to hold her, the warmth and comfort of his embrace bringing her to sleep.

Click!

Both Harry's and Astoria's heads shot up at the clicking sound, their attention drawn to a very amused blonde standing before them with a camera in her hand.

"Harry, as your girlfriend, I would've expected you to cuddle me to sleep and not my sister!" Daphne teased him.

"Daffy!" Astoria exclaimed, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, while Harry simply chuckled and lifted his arm from around her. The younger Greengrass hurriedly made her way to her room. Harry, unfazed by the interruption, got up and kissed his girlfriend on the cheek.

"Good morning, Daph," he greeted her warmly, his smile genuine. "Would you like a coffee?" He checked the time with a quick "tempus", finding out it was 07:34.

"I'd like one," Daphne replied with a grin, pulling him close and whispering in his ear, "Thank you. I appreciate what you did," before planting a kiss on his cheek. Harry returned her smile and headed to the kitchen to make them both a cup of coffee.

Harry awoke with a sense of déjà vu, finding himself in the darkness of what seemed like the middle of the night. The room was dark, but the young brunette was nowhere to be seen. The faint sound of sobbing reached his ears. Recollecting the events of the previous night, he rose from his bed and quietly made his way to Astoria's room. Gently pushing the door open, he found her curled up on her bed, arms wrapped tightly around her pillow as she buried her face into it, muffling her sobs.

"Astoria," Harry spoke softly, careful not to startle the distressed girl. She lifted her head and looked at him, her eyes teary, red, and puffy, tears streaming down her cheeks. Harry approached her bed carefully, sitting down next to her as she launched herself into his arms, clinging onto him tightly and pressing her head into his chest, her sobs muffled against him.

"Shhhhh," Harry whispered soothingly as he rubbed her back, holding her close in his arms. He didn't know the specific torment plaguing her in her sleep, but it didn't matter. Astoria held a special place in his heart, and he loved her like the little sister he never had.

He remembered the stories Daphne had shared about their childhood. Their parents were distant, leaving Daphne to take on the role of both sister and caregiver for Astoria. But when Daphne went off to Hogwarts, she couldn't be there for her younger sister. Astoria was just nine years old when she had to face the world alone. The thought broke Harry's heart when he first heard it. From that day forward, he had made a silent vow to be the big brother she never had — to always be there for her and protect her. And now, as he held her close, he was determined to keep that promise, offering her the comfort and support she needed in this moment of vulnerability.

The girl in his arms finally calmed down and pulled her face away to wipe away the tears. She glanced at Harry and noticed his shirt was damp from her tears.

"I-I'm so-rry," Astoria stuttered, her voice trembling. "I d-didn't want t-to stain your s-shirt." Harry didn't hesitate to pull her back into his embrace. This time, Astoria rested her head on his shoulder, pressing herself against him for comfort and warmth. He gently stroked her back, offering comfort in the silence between them. The soft sound of her sniffles filled the room besides their breathing. After a moment, Astoria lifted her head from his shoulder, her eyes still red but no longer filled with tears.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. Harry offered her a small smile. He didn't need her to apologize; he was just grateful to be there for her. Gently, he brushed his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the remnants of tears.

"It's alright, Astoria," he murmured softly, "Don't worry about the shirt. You're more important than any stain."

"Tori," Astoria told him, her voice slightly stronger. "Please, call me Tori. Daffy calls me that."

"Alright, Tori," Harry smiled warmly at her.

"Harry," Astoria shyly asked, "could I um… get another cup of your midnight hot chocolate?" Harry chuckled softly and rose from the bed carefully.

"Of course. I'll bring it here," Harry reassured her as he quietly exited the room. Astoria was left alone, but the weight on her heart had lifted considerably. After roughly ten minutes, Harry returned, holding a steaming cup of hot chocolate in his hand. He settled back onto the bed next to her and gently handed her the cup. Now they sat in silence, interrupted only by the occasional sip from Astoria's cup. Once her cup was empty, she laid back under her blanket. Harry took the cup from her, giving her a soft kiss on her forehead before silently leaving the room. He returned the cup to the kitchen before heading back to his bedroom, where he collapsed onto his bed and swiftly drifted back into sleep.

"'Night," Astoria murmured as she prepared to settle into sleep. Daphne was already in her bedroom, this time sharing it with Harry.

"Tori, wait!" Harry's voice stopped her just as she reached her bedroom door. "Your sister and I had a chat about yesterday's events." Astoria turned to face him, feeling a flutter of nervousness. Her sister knew about her nightmares, but she didn't know how bad they exactly were.

"Oh," Astoria responded, her anxiety evident. "U-Uhm, what did she say?"

"Well…" Harry suddenly scooped up Astoria, surprising her, and carried her into his and Daphne's bedroom, placing her gently in the center of the bed. "We've decided you're staying with us."

Astoria's eyes widened in shock, while Harry simply smiled and Daphne chuckled. Harry lay down beside her, pulling up the blanket, while Daphne snuggled up behind her sister, wrapping her arm around her.

"Goodnight, dear, Tori," Harry bid them both.

"Goodnight, Harry, Tori," his girlfriend echoed with a soft smile.

"'Night, Daffy and Harry," Astoria yawned, closing her eyes as she prepared to drift off to sleep...

"Wait, am I not getting any more hot chocolate!?"

Thank you for reading!

If youre a Haphne fan (like I am) then I recommend joining the Harry/Daphne Discord server ( pKSdvJQvhU), although you wont find me there anymore, as I was banned for tax fraud. If you have suggestions or questions just send me a DM. My username is esemih0108.