STEALTHY ENCOUNTERS

Harry decided he did not like Floo travel, and did not want to do it unless it was necessary. It had been his first time travelling by Floo and it already irked him to no end. Apparently, saying the name of the destination differently out of nervousness could end up catastrophic, as one could travel to an entirely different destination. That piece of information would have been really nice to have, before Harry had proceeded to step foot in the fireplace.

"Never again." Harry muttered to himself while dusting off his pants. He appeared to have landed in a dark and dingy shop. Upon further inspection, it seemed to be an antiquities store. It didn't seem to get much business, however. The shelves and desks strewn about the place were covered in a thick layer of dust. The items lining the shelves seemed very, very old. There were vases, glass balls, statues, musical instruments and more. It all looked so fragile. Harry realised how lucky he had been to land backside first in an antiques store and manage to not break a single thing.

He looked around the store, but there was no one inside. He started to feel uneasy the longer he stayed inside. He felt as if someone was watching him through the window of the store, but when he whipped his head around, there was nobody there. Strange. The creepy vibes given off by the things inside the shop certainly didn't help. He decided to step out, not wanting to be caught in this interior.

As Harry stumbled out, he noticed he was in a cramped and narrow alley. It was dimly lit and dirty. This certainly isn't Diagon Alley, Harry thought to himself. He walked around, looking for a way out. He spotted a pair of funny looking women standing in front of what seemed to be a Potion ingredients store. At least that's what Harry had hoped it was. He approached them for help, deciding it would be a good idea to get some directions from someone, otherwise he could be lost for hours here.

"Uhm, excuse me. Can you please tell me how I can get back to Diagon Alley?" asked Harry, as he approached the two women.

"Well, well, well. You seem to be lost, dearie. Why don't you come with us? We'll help you in any way we can." said the woman on the right. She flashed a very creepy smile, that gave Harry the hint that he wasn't safe here.

"Uh, nevermind, thank you. I'll figure it out on my own-"

"Now, now. There's no need to get hasty, sweet pea. We'll make things so much better for you." Both the women grabbed Harry's arms and started dragging him away. Harry began to panic. He was getting kidnapped! It wasn't even noon and he was already in trouble. Great.

He violently shook himself free of the women and ran away. He didn't stop running until he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pulled into an alleyway. He was about to scream for help, before a soft hand clamped down on his lips.

"Shh. Don't scream, Potter. It's me." whispered a soft voice. A voice he knew well.

He turned around to look at an extremely beautiful blonde girl looking at him. She seemed cross.

"What are you doing in Knockturn Alley?" Daphne asked with a scowl.

"K-Knockturn Alley? I didn't know I was in here… I think I uttered the wrong name when I went into the Floo fireplace…" Harry mumbled.

"Merlin, you're such a doofus. And look, you've got yourself covered in soot! Disgusting." she said, before proceeding to pull out a handkerchief and wipe his face. Harry could feel his face grow hot yet again, being in such close proximity to her. She cast a quick Scourgify on his pants and shirt to clean them of all the dust. Harry mumbled a small thanks to her, which made her smile.

"Now come on, I don't want you getting in more trouble." Daphne grabbed Harry's hand and they started sprinting through the alleyways. Harry's heart was hammering in his chest. She was holding his hand! He thought he might faint from the extremity of the emotions he was feeling.

Within a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Beyond that, he could see a bustling crowd and a large, well-lit street. This was the Diagon Alley he remembered. He turned to look at Daphne, who had dropped his hand. He frowned, missing the warmth of her hand.

"Okay, Potter. I'll see you later now. Don't get in any trouble, okay?" said Daphne, before turning away.

Before she could walk away, however, Harry grabbed her hand.

"Wait! You never told me why you were in Knockturn Alley yourself! Isn't it a place for… dark magic?" he asked.

She gave him a long look, before walking to an empty alley sandwiched between two stores. He followed her. As he approached her, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards herself.

"It's a secret, Potter. Maybe I'll tell you one day." she whispered softly in his ear, before letting go. She winked at him and walked away, leaving a very, very stunned Harry Potter behind.

Harry's heart was beating so fast he worried it might burst. What was up with that girl? Why did she want to kill Harry indirectly? He began to miss her presence again, as he walked into the street, looking for Flourish and Blotts. That's where he and the Weasleys had intended to go in the first place.

Harry was exhausted. He had just spent hours signing books and getting photos clicked with Gilderoy Lockhart, his Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and famous celebrity. Harry didn't like the attention, but Lockhart sure did. He forced him to stay for what seemed like hours. He finally managed to slip away when Lockhart was occupied describing his second bestseller, 'Gadding With Ghouls', in detail to an enthusiastic fan.

He saw the Weasleys gathered around Mr. Weasley, who seemed to be in a heated argument with a slick looking blonde man. Not wanting to interrupt them, Harry paid for his books quickly and went outside. The air was filled with the scent of vanilla ice-cream, for some reason. He went over to the nearest ice cream parlour, Florean Fortescue's.

He was surprised to see Daphne Greengrass there. Today is a lucky day, I get to see Greengrass again! Harry was about to say hello when he noticed an older man standing next to her. It must've been her father, judging by the similar golden hair and piercing blue eyes. They seemed to be having an argument, too. As the man walked away, Harry noticed Daphne sit on the chair in a rather stiff manner. He felt like he should do something to make her feel better, even though he had no idea what she was feeling. So he went and bought two ice cream sundaes.

"Hey, Greengrass." Harry slid into the seat next to her.

"Go away, Potter." groaned Daphne, without looking at him.

"Come on, I got you ice cream! I don't know what flavour you like so I got two different ones, you can pick what you like. I have vanilla and strawberry."

"What're you trying to do?" she asked, finally turning towards him. Her eyes had the tiniest hint of sadness in them.

"Nothing, I just wanted to thank you for helping me out of the alley. So, thank you." said Harry, as he tentatively pushed both the sundaes towards her.

"I like vanilla." she smiled slightly, as she grabbed the vanilla sundae.

"That's awesome! I love strawberry," said Harry, "Because it reminds me of you." He whispered the last sentence incredibly softly. Daphne looked at him quizzically but didn't ask anything.

They ate mostly in silence. As they finished, Daphne got up and said she had to leave, as it was time to go home. Harry cast a quick Tempus and cursed silently. He had been gone for nearly an hour! The Weasleys must be looking for him. He told her he had to leave, as well.

She stepped up to him and kissed his cheek once, before saying, "Thank you. You're sweet." And then, she immediately left.

Harry didn't have the time to feel like he was in heaven, as the Weasleys arrived immediately afterwards. Mrs. Weasley was happy that Harry had fun on his own. It certainly was an interesting day for Harry. He looked forward to another year at school.

Harry couldn't believe how they'd managed to walk away with just a slap on their wrist after pulling such a reckless stunt. Driving a flying car across the country, not using the Hogwarts Express, being seen by a bunch of muggles and even crashing said car into the Whomping Willow! And yet, all they had received were a couple of detentions with McGonagall. It could've been much worse. Harry was thankful that Snape wasn't his Head of House. He had seemed livid when Dumbledore announced that they wouldn't be expelled for their actions. It had been a sight to behold.

After getting back from the Hospital Wing to get their injuries treated, Harry and Ron settled in with their friends at the Gryffindor table to fill their bellies with the delicious Hogwarts feast. Hermione had been enraged and lectured the boys on their recklessness, which was to be expected. But Harry wasn't paying attention. He drowned out Hermione's ranting and focused on a certain blonde Slytherin girl.

He saw Daphne speaking with a girl with short brown hair, unknown to him. When Daphne turned her head towards Harry, he felt a stupid smile get plastered on his face. She looked at him and frowned. He immediately felt his heart drop. Harry wouldn't acknowledge it, but the girl certainly held a special spot for him, and seeing her frown at him upset him.

He finished his feast and was walking behind the rest of his friends, deep in thought. Hermione and Ron were talking as they climbed the stairs. Before he could follow them, however, a hand covered his mouth and he was pulled into a nearby classroom.

"We've got to stop meeting like this, Greengrass." said Harry, instantly knowing who it was.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't want us to be seen together by anyone." she snarked back.

Before Harry could say anything, Daphne stepped closer to him and checked his wounds.

"You've got a gash on your neck and a few minor cuts all over your body. That tree did a number on you." she said, as she touched his cheek.

Harry blushed slightly and turned away from the touch, before replying, "W-well, for the record, I think we did more harm to it than it did to us."

"Always the selfless hero. I asked you to stay out of trouble, didn't I? Why don't you listen to me? It's not fun seeing you get hurt." said Daphne.

"I'm sorry, I'll try to be better."

"Hmm, it's time to leave. Much as I hate to leave your company, everyone will notice our absence. Goodnight, Potter."

Daphne leaned in close to him, before whispering, "Stay out of trouble." She flashed him a large smile before sprinting out of the classroom. Harry was left stunned yet again. He took a moment to regain his control, before shaking his head and walking away. He had yet to understand how Daphne could make him feel so happy and so flustered at the same time. However, there was no doubt that Harry liked being in her company, more than anyone else.

Author's Note -

Daphne: Why can't the Boy-Who-Lived tell the difference between a potions pot and his best friend?

Harry: Stop. Don't-

Daphne: Because they're both cauldron.

Harry: ...

Daphne: *wheeze*

Hey guys, chapter 7 is the beginning of the 2nd year for Harry and Daphne. we're planning to make some really major canon divergences 3rd year onwards. lots planned. for now, it'll be similar to canon with a little of haphne fluff thrown in.