A/N: Quick word here…assume that everything that happened at the start of "Order of the Phoenix" did in fact happen here, too. I've perhaps tweaked their journey back to school a little. But yes, the events did happen. They're just not pertinent to the current story. Thought I'd better drop this fact in since I didn't last chapter. Also, this chapter is primarily divided between Neville and Daphne's POV's, with a bit of Hermione POV tossed in here and there. Anywho, enjoy.
On Daphne and Neville
"Know, you know you stole my heart, my soul and yours are one;
I never want to have it back, to always feel we've just begun
To feel the heat, feel the flame, of life and love, the wars we wage;
Live for you, die for you, I'm head and heels in love with you!
Won't you remember me?"
Neville lay in bed, tired but too happy to sleep. Even after a month back at school, even with the monumental annoyance of that ridiculous Umbridge, even with the danger growing outside the walls of Hogwarts, and even with Daphne's startling revelation about her father…Neville always had a grin plastered on his face.
Ron often made fun of him because of it, but Neville didn't mind. Harry said Ron was just jealous, which Ron, of course, vehemently denied. Neville was not bothered one bit. Better to be made fun of because he had a beautiful girl holding his hand and smiling at him than because of some stupid mistake he'd made, or accident he'd caused.
Neville couldn't help smiling all the time. Daphne made him smile. He just couldn't help it! And he didn't care if people teased him. He did often wonder how someone like him could be lucky enough to have such a brilliant and beautiful girl in his life, wanting to spend time with him; it was a mystery. Never did Neville think such a thing would happen. But it had, and he was beyond happy. True, being purebloods and from light and neutral families, they had seen much of one another growing up—Daphne was Hannah Abbott's cousin, after all. However, this particular feeling was new for Neville…and he enjoyed it very much.
He was still afraid it was all some kind of lucid dream, and that at any moment he'd wake up and just be stupid, awkward Neville Longbottom again, the pathetic nobody. The loser. The near-squib. The bumbling oaf he'd been seen as for most of his life. Up until she had wandered back into his life again. His gorgeous Slytherin.
Yes, there had been some scandalized whispering among his housemates when Daphne, the Slytherin "Ice Queen" had started hanging out with the Gryffindor most often used as the brunt of jokes. Aside from the typical, "She's a filthy snake!", most males were jealous, while most females said he must have used a love potion on her. Because why would such a talented, untouchable, aloof pureblood heiress like Daphne Greengrass want to get together with a "Granny's Boy" like Neville Longbottom?
His small circle of true friends, on the other hand, were very happy for him. Yes, at first they also were concerned (especially Ron!)…it seemed incongruous even to them. Daphne was a rival to Hermione when it came to school work and grades. And Neville thought Daphne was the most beautiful girl in his year, of Slytherin or any of the other houses, although he'd never say that to Hermione. Hermione had been his first real friend at Hogwarts, the first person to see him as a person rather than a buffoon.
Neville recalled how terrified he had been about meeting her father. The Greengrass family had rather a bloodthirsty reputation, almost on a par with the Black family, though not as evil. No, there was nothing evil about the Greengrasses at all…but there was something powerful about them, something ancient and strong. He just hadn't quite figured out what it was yet.
But Daphne's father seemed to be a fairly nice man, despite all the "Slytherin" bashing on the part of Ron. And even Ron himself had seemed quite pleased by William Greengrass. Neville, while terrified at first, had been pleased to find that Daphne's father had been close with his own father. The man had seemed genuine in his sadness of what happened, though he hadn't mentioned it directly. Part of Neville was looking forward to seeing William again at Christmas, whilst part of him was still terrified.
And then there was the train ride back to Hogwarts. That had been one of the best times of Neville's life…
(Flashback)
"Come on, everyone, let's find a compartment!" Astoria called as she ran ahead of the group. Harry was behind her and laughed at her enthusiasm. Hermione and Daphne came next, deep in a discussion about arithmancy, and following them was Neville, struggling a little with both Daphne and Astoria's trunks. After Neville was Tracey, with a very disgruntled Ron bringing up the rear. He was muttering, wondering under his breath what Slytherins packed in their trunks that was so heavy.
Tracey laughed and looked at him over her shoulder. "Suck it up, Weasley. Look at Neville—he's pulling two Slytherin trunks, and you don't hear him complaining, do you?"
"Well, it's a bit different for him," Ron grumbled. "He's pulling his girlfriend's and her sister's trunks. What's my motivation? Where's your boyfriend? Why isn't he here pulling your trunk?"
Tracey shrugged, still smirking. "Oh, he's around here somewhere. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually." Truth be told, though she kept the thought to herself due to Ron's still iffy trust of Slytherins, Tracey figured that Blaze was most likely with Malfoy. He had been drawn into Draco's circle more often of late, and Tracey wasn't happy about that, to say the least.
Almost two thirds of the way down the train, Astoria opened the door of an empty compartment. "Here we are! This will do nicely." She held the door open for the others. Hermione gave the cabin a skeptical glance. "A bit small for all seven of us, isn't it?" She wondered aloud.
Astoria smirked, glancing at her sister. "Oh, I'm sure we'll manage." Harry shrugged and entered, and the others filed in behind him. The boys stowed the girls' trunks as well as their own things. Harry sat near the door, Hermione next to him, and Ron near the window on one side of the compartment, whilst Tracey sat across from Harry, Astoria quickly took the space next to her, and pulled Neville down on her other side, across from Ron. Daphne, who had paused to retrieve a book from her trunk, turned and found herself with only a few inches of space between Neville and the window.
She and Neville stared at each other a moment, both their faces turning red. Hearing snickers from Astoria and Tracey, Daphne turned a glare on them, narrowing her eyes. This caused them to laugh out loud. A disdainful look replaced the glare on Daphne's face. Raising her nose a bit, and giving a sniff, she gathered her skirt and sat down sideways on Neville's lap, pulling her skirt to her knees once she was seated. She placed her arm around Neville's shoulders and leaned against him, casting her disdainful stare at her sister and Tracey. The two girls in question returned her glare with satisfied smirks.
Daphne huffed. Glancing at Neville, the two exchanged shy smiles, their blushes increasing. Daphne laid her head against Neville's and gave a contented sigh. Having both her father's and granduncle's blessings regarding her relationship with Neville, Daphne felt bold enough to take it to a higher level; nor did she feel any shame in her somewhat unladylike seating arrangement.
Everyone else in the cabin feared Neville's face might crack in two because of the huge grin that was plastered across it.
"I swear, if you two start snogging I'm leaving the cabin," Ron muttered.
Daphne raised her head and favored Ron with a haughty expression. "Well, at least I know how to get rid of you now, Weasley," she told him, sounding bored. The others burst out laughing, and it was Ron's turn to blush.
The trip back to school was uneventful, for the most part. The teenagers talk and laughed and reminisced. In fact, they bonded. Ron let down his guard in the presence of the "slimy snakes" as he realized that these three, at least, were quite nice girls. They all purchased items from the Trolley Witch. Daphne fed Neville several sweets, whilst across from them Ron made exaggerated gagging noises, earning him a glare and smack on the arm from Hermione. Tracey and Astoria snickered while Harry smiled and shook his head.
Neville and Daphne both blushed, but with another dignified sniff and lift of her nose Daphne continued feeding Neville…who continued grinning.
From time to time, friends of Harry would stop in and exchange a few pleasantries with him, while casting baffled glances at the Slytherins across from him…especially at the site of the "Ice Queen" snuggling with Neville. Ron's twin brothers stopped and chatted a while as well. They were much friendlier to the Slytherin girls than some of the other visitors had been, and were openly supportive of Neville's relationship with Daphne.
The only snag in their peaceful journey came in the form of Draco Malfoy…of course. About an hour out from Hogwarts, he opened the door to their cabin. His eyes flicked across the occupants and he sneered at the site of Daphne draped across Neville's lap. The ever present cliché of Crabbe and Goyle were looming in the corridor behind him.
"Well, well…here's where the blood traitors are hiding with their little pet mudblood," he said. "Never took you for a blood traitor, Greengrass. But then, I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. Your family's always been too afraid to take a stand on anything."
"Well, that's better than being boot-licking sycophants to a murderous psychopath." Daphne didn't even look at him when she replied, making a show of inspecting her fingernails, arm still around Neville's shoulders. Harry and his friends opinion of Daphne soared.
Draco's eyes went wide before his face contorted in anger. "Better watch what you say, Greengrass," he hissed. "Your family's famous neutrality won't keep you safe forever!"
Neville glared at Draco. He wasn't about to put up with Malfoy talking to Daphne like that! But before he could do anything, Daphne was off his lap and inches from Draco's face, her wand at his throat. "A threat? Really. Oh, Drakey, don't you know that threats are the last resort of frightened, desperate people? Besides…" Daphne's voice turned cold and dropped to a whisper. "What are you going to do about following through with it?"
Draco gulped. Harry and his friends had looks of utter shock on their faces. This was a side of Daphne that none of them had ever seen…and they found that they liked this side of her personality. Although it intimidated them a little, too.
Draco turned and left the cabin, muttering, "Let's go," to his two thugs, who lumbered down the corridor behind him. Daphne closed the door and locked it. Sighing, she returned to Neville's lap. He rubbed her back in soothing circles to calm her breathing down. After a moment, she turned to him and smiled, laying her head against him once more.
"Way to go, Greengrass!" Ron exclaimed.
"Draco almost seemed a little scared of you, Daphne," Hermione commented in awe.
Daphne just shrugged, and snuggled closer to Neville.
"Oh, he is," Tracey piped up. "Those two have gone at it in the common room more than once over the years. And Daph's come out the winner every time!" She gave her friend a proud smile.
"Father wanted us to know how to take care of ourselves should the need arise. He's taught us well," Astoria commented in a soft voice. Hermione, who was famous for noticing details that others often overlooked, had noticed Astoria's eyes brighten when Draco had first appeared in the doorway, and also noticed how she had flinched when her sister threatened him. Hermione had also heard the sad, soft sigh that escaped Astoria when Draco left. And she wasn't certain what to make of it, either.
All too soon, at least as far as Neville was concerned, the train pulled into the Hogsmead station. Approaching the carriages, Harry stopped and commented that he could see the creatures that were pulling them. Everyone else, Neville included, saw nothing. Hermione went so far as to tell Harry that nothing was pulling the "like always".
Everyone that is, except for Daphne. Looking at the front of the carriage, she blanched, sighed, and lowered her eyes. Neville was about to ask her what was wrong, when a blond haired girl, who was sitting in one of the carriages already and reading, said she could see them as well. Daphne glanced up at the other girl, their eyes meeting for a moment before Daphne looked down again.
Then the girl in the carriage smiled. "Your girlfriend can see them, too," she said, looking at Neville. "Only people who've seen death can see them. I'm Luna, by the way…Luna Lovegood. It's nice to meet you all, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Daphne, Tracey and Astoria." The girl's voice was quiet and watery, and she had an ethereal quality about her, almost fairy-like.
The teens all glanced at each other, wondering how she knew them. Harry, Hermione, and Ron, they could understand her knowing. But still. They were all aware of Luna's existence to one degree or another. The girl had a reputation for weirdness. But Daphne sensed something deeper about the girl. It was obvious to Daphne that Luna Lovegood wasn't actually weird: her mind just saw deeper than what the realm of the merely physical world showed.
"I don't think we can all fit in this one carriage," the Luna girl continued in her watery voice. "Some of you will have to take another carriage, but some can ride in this one." She returned to her reading. The teens looked at each other again before Harry shrugged.
Harry, Hermione and Ron all entered the carriage where the strange blonde girl was sitting. The three Slytherins decided, due to the aforementioned lack of space (and ludicrous House issues) to take their own. Neville looked torn over whom to ride with. Daphne touched his arm and he looked at her. "You can ride with them, Nev. It's fine." She smiled, but Neville thought her voice sounded sad. Kissing his cheek, she turned and got into the carriage where her sister and Tracey were waiting. Neville just stared after her. He felt torn…part of him wanted to be with his friends, whilst another part of him wanted to spend as much time with Daphne as he could, before the inevitable House hatred made it more difficult.
A snicker from Ron caught his attention. Sensing that Neville was conflicted, Hermione gave him a smile and waved him towards the other carriage. Harry laughed. "It's fine, Neville. Go ride with Daphne. We'll see you at the castle."
A grin broke across Neville's face. "Thanks, guys," he said, his voice filled with gratitude, before jogging over to the other carriage. Upon reaching it, Neville found Tracey and Astoria sitting on one side and smirking at him. He returned their smirks with a grin. Daphne was looking down at her hands which were folded in her lap. Climbing in beside Daphne, Neville was still grinning when Daphne looked at him and a grin broke across her face as well. Shyly, she reached out and took hold of his hand. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Daphne's face turned bright red. She ducked her head, hiding her face behind a curtain of blonde hair. But she scooted up against Neville and rested her head on his shoulder as the carriage started towards the school.
Watching from the other carriage, Harry and Hermione smiled and shook their heads.
Nothing very eventful happened at the start of school feast. The only thing that stood out to the teens was the change in staff with the arrival of one Delores Umbridge, who was the new Dewfense Against the Dark Arts professor. Daphne developed an instant dislike for the woman, bordering on hatred, which surprised both Astoria and Tracey. Once in their dorm room for the night, Daphne was pacing as she fumed. Pansy and Millicent were still in the common room, no doubt fawning over Malfoy.
"This is intolerable!" Daphne growled. "Why in Merlin's name is that horrid woman here? Ohh, wait until I tell father about this! He'll be furious, too!"
Without warning, Tracey burst out laughing. Daphne turned her glare on Tracey, which caused her to laugh harder. "I fail to see the humor in this situation, Tracey," Daphne hissed through clenched teeth.
Tracey, still laughing, pointed at Daphne. "Did you just hear yourself?" She choked out between laughs.
Daphne's glare increased. "What. Is. So. FUNNY?!"
Tracey was gasping for air, but had stopped laughing. She was, however, still grinning at Daphne. "You…you sounded just like Draco!" This sent her off into another round of laughter.
Daphne froze and her eyes went wide. "oh…I did, didn't I?" Then she dismissed it with an imperious wave of her hand. "Still, I will tell father about Umbridge, and I'm sure he'll do something about the situation!"
Pansy chose that moment to enter the room, and Daphne adopted her cold persona once more, giving Pansy a haughty glance and sneer, before turning her back on the other girl. "Good night, Tracey," she said as she climbed into her bed.
Hours later, Daphne was still awake, unable to sleep due to the events of the last day flowing through her mind in an unceasing torrent. She sighed and got out of bed. She sat on a couch in the common room, watching the flames as they danced in the fireplace. She thought of how much things had changed for her in just the last few months. And she smiled. She smiled as she thought of her friends, new and old. Her smile widened as she thought of Neville.
True, Neville and she had known one another most of their lives. But this was different, exciting…new. And she liked it. And she didn't want it to go away. Ever. Daphne tucked her legs under her as her mind drifted back to the previous year…..
(Another Flashback)
The thoughts were beginning to get annoying. Daphne couldn't seem to shake the feelings that were growing in her heart and mind regarding one Mr. Neville Longbottom. Yes, she had had a bit of a crush on him ever since they were little, playing house at the boring parties their families dragged them off to. But something had changed in the last couple years: Every time she saw him at the Gryffindor table, in class, or even random meetings in the halls between or on the way to classes, her heart would flutter. It was starting to affect her academic work, and she was not at all pleased about that effect.
Sitting in the library, her eyes kept drifting across the room to one Hermione Granger. Hermione was friends with Neville. Maybe she could…no, Daphne was a Slytherin, and Hermione was Gryffindor. The two houses absolutely hated each other.
But if she were ever going to take her childhood crush on Neville to another, deeper level, now was the time, before she chickened out and changed her mind again. No more dallying. And Hermione was the one who would most likely be able to help her do so. Glancing once more at the Gryffindor, Daphne let out a resigned sigh. Closing her book, she tucked it under her arm, gathered her other things into her bag, and stood.
For her part, Hermione had noticed Daphne in the library most of the time when she herself was there for research and study. Their eyes would meet for a brief moment before looking back down. They never spoke, but Hermione didn't detected any hate or anger in Daphne's eyes. If anything, Daphne seemed somewhat aloof. Not arrogant, just aloof. And perhaps a bit curious as well.
Hermione was absorbed in homework when she heard a sigh, followed by the sound of a book closing and a chair scraping on the floor. Thinking that Daphne, who had been the only person sitting near her, was done studying for the night and going back to her dorm, Hermione paid it no mind and continued reading.
"Hello," a voice whispered from beside her, causing her to squeak and jump in her chair. She turned and found Daphne standing next to her.
"Oh! Um, hello?" It came out sounding like a question. Hermione blushed, not certain of how to respond. Slytherins never spoke to Hermione. She was just a disgusting mudblood, far beneath their notice except as an object of ridicule. Hermione had researched a good bit on the pureblood families of Britain, more so on some than others. The Malfoys, for instance, as well as those of Draco's inner circle. Hermione thought it best to know about your enemies in case the knowledge was needed.
But Hermione had never considered Daphne to be an enemy. A rival in academics, yes, but not an enemy. Before this moment, Daphne had not spoken a word to her in their almost four years of attending Hogwarts together. But still, she was in Slytherin, so Hermione had researched her family a little as well. The Greengrass family was a very, very old pureblood family, older by far than the Malfoys, and one of the Sacred Twenty Eight (along with the Longbottoms and Weasleys, Hermione had discovered).
Their neutrality was famous, going back centuries. They had not aided Grindelwald in his quest for dominance of the magical world, nor had they supported the Dark Lord during his first rise to power. And if Daphne's attitude was anything to go by, it didn't appear they were doing so now either. She hadn't researched the Greengrasses much past that point…finding out about their neutrality, aided by the fact that neither Daphne nor her younger sister had ever been in any way antagonistic towards she or her friends, Hermione had moved on to other families.
Indeed, Astoria Greengrass was an outgoing girl, and had spoken to Hermione in passing many times. She seemed polite. Also—and this was one thing Hermione did take note of—Draco and his circle tended to steer clear of the Greengrass sisters and their friends. In fact, Hermione had seen Draco and Daphne exchanging insults on more than one occasion, which encouraged her. Ron said it was probably just an act to throw them off their guard, but Hermione disagreed.
"May I sit?" Daphne asked, still whispering. Hermione nodded and Daphne sat in the chair next to her. Neither spoke, both looking at the table in front of them rather than at each other. Hermione pretended to read, but finally gave it up and closed her book. They sat that way for several moments, until, with another sigh, Daphne turned to Hermione.
"Listen, Granger. This may sound weird, ok? And I know we've sort of got this unofficial academic rivalry going on. But, I have a proposition for you, if you'll hear me out."
Hermione thought a moment, then nodded. "Go on."
"Well, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but…I've noticed that you struggle a little in potions."
Hermione snorted. "A little?!" She exclaimed, a bit too loud which earned her a "SHHHHH!" from Madam Pince.
Blushing, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm rubbish, and I don't deny it. I mean, I can do the potions well enough, just…not great. And it bugs me."
"I know we've sort of been silent rivals for marks in our year—sometimes you get the higher ones, sometimes it's me. I've always found it rather humorous that the Ravenclaws finish behind the two of us and not on top. Anyway, I'm rather horrid at Arithmancy myself. I get the theory, but actually doing it…well, I'm rubbish." She paused and sighed again. "So, I was wondering if in exchange for me helping you with potions, you might be willing to return the favor on Arithmancy?"
Hermione's mouth dropped open. "You're asking for my help in exchange for helping me? You? A pureblood Slytherin asking a lowly muggle born to form a partnership with you?"
Daphne huffed, but the corners of her lips twitched up. "I did tell you it may sound weird. In all truth, I've sort of enjoyed our silent rivalry. It's pushed me to try harder with my academics, and I bet it's done the same for you."
The corners of Daphne's mouth turned up a little more. "So what do you say, Granger? Is it a deal?" She held her hand out.
Hermione looked into Daphne's eyes and saw no malice. Glancing at her outstretched hand a moment, she looked back at her eyes. Taking Daphne's hand, she gave it one firm shake. "It's a deal." The girls smiled at each other.
And so was born a friendship. Truth be told, it was more of an alliance at first; but over time it grew into a genuine friendship. The two had much more in common than they thought, outside of their upbringings. For the rest of the term most evenings would find the two girls in a distant corner of the library studying and enjoying each other's company. When the subject of boys came up, and Daphne was reluctant to open up much about the subject, Hermione was able to coax out of Daphne what she felt for Neville. And with Hermione's help, Neville and Daphne "accidentally" ran into each other at the Three Broomsticks on a Hogsmead weekend.
Hermione had casually drifted away after the two began to talk, and she managed to drag Harry and Ron, who had been with Neville, away with her. And that was all it had taken. Daphne and Neville talked about everything that afternoon, mostly about their childhoods and times before Hogwarts. Once arriving at Hogwarts, they had only been in each other's company during a few events over the summers.
The time had passed before either realized (or wanted), and Neville had somehow worked up the courage to ask her to accompany him back to the castle. And in less than a month, Neville and Daphne were an official couple. They enjoyed each other's company whenever they could spare time with the end of the school year rapidly approaching. During the summer, they had exchanged letters almost every day, and had even managed to find reasons for going to Diagon Alley that wouldn't arouse too much suspicion on the part of Daphne's father or Neville's grandmother, where they would always spend the day together. And their relationship blossomed.
Until the fateful day when Astoria had found out, and as a typical younger sibling would, she had blabbed to her father. To both girls' surprise, William had been fine with it…well, after he had calmed down and given Daphne all sorts of lectures and warning about the "only thing" boys had on their minds. Daphne had sworn up and down that they were keeping everything slow, and had only held hands, cuddled, and kissed a few times…at which point William grew very uncomfortable and ended the discussion. He had, however, forbidden her from going anywhere outside of the manor grounds unescorted.
Daphne hadn't been able to wait for school to start again…
(End second flashback)
For the first part of the term, the weeks passed uneventfully. One night in late September, as Hermoine and Daphne sat in the library during one of their now very common study sessions, Hermoine brought up the subject of Daphne and Neville. Normally, it was Tracey or Astoria who mentioned Neville in an effort to tease Daphne. So she was a little suspicious when Hermione touched on the subject.
"You have been so good for Neville, Daphne. He's coming out of his shell more and more every day. Having you in his life has given him more confidence than I could have hoped for."
Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "When you first mentioned your crush on Neville last term, I was gobsmacked. I never would have thought poor clumsy Neville would end up with Slytherins own Ice Queen!" Hermione hadn't said it meanly, but something broke inside Daphne when she said it.
Daphne sighed and set her quill down. "I hate being called that," she murmured, frowning at the table in front of her.
Her voice sounded so sad that Hermione put her hand on Daphne's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just, everyone who knows who you are calls you that."
Daphne was silent. Hermione could see tears building in the other girl's eyes, and she gave Daphne's shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"I'm not though, you know…I'm not." Hermione could barely hear her. "That's one reason I like Neville so much. He knew me from before, and I can just be myself around him."
Daphne was silent am moment again before she sniffed and turned to face Hermione. Looking into the other girl's eyes and seeing nothing but compassion in them, it was like a dam broke inside Daphne, and everything came pouring out in a flood.
"I was six when my mother died. My father did not take her death well. The grief was so overwhelming that his mind collapsed on itself, and he could barely function. He had horrible nightmares and barely slept. He drank a lot. For well over a year he was like that. It became so bad that a friend of his from school came to stay at the manor and take care of my sister and I. Father had dated her older sister when they were all at Hogwarts, and she was sort of like an aunt to us. Still is, actually. She's filled the roll of a mother for us, along with Tracey's mum. Astoria was only four at the time, and I wanted to protect her from horrible grief that my father and I were experiencing. So, I bottled everything up. Whenever I was around other people, I kept a placid, neutral expression, even if inside I was dying. Only at night when I was alone in my room, or around Tracey, her mum, or Andromeda, could I let the emotions out. And when I came to Hogwarts and Slytherin House, it just sort of continued on. It's safer not letting my emotions show most of the time in Slytherin…safer for everyone." She paused again. "But I am not an 'ice queen'."
Hermione was horrified by Daphne's confession of her family's troubles.. "Did…did your father ever hurt you or your sister?" She was almost afraid to ask.
Daphne gave a shake of her head and a very emphatic "No." She sighed again. "Father was never violent or angry with us. We hardly saw him. And when we did he was almost like an inferious, barely aware of anything happening around him, wandering aimlessly through the manor or around the gardens. At one point, it got so bad that Aunt Andromeda and Tracey's mum had to literally force him to eat. Like, they had to sit him down and feed him. It was horrible." Daphne shuddered.
"Anyway, that was years ago. He's gotten much better since, back to normal. And yet, something is missing in him. It's like he just exists, sort of drifting through life, not really living it."
Hermione was musing over Daphne's words when a thought struck her. A rather terrible thought. Eyes wide, she turned to Daphne and grabbed her wrist. "Did you say Andromeda took care of you and your sister? Andromeda Tonks?"
Daphne nodded, looking confused.
"And you said your father dated Andromeda's older sister?"
Another nod.
"Bellatrix!" Hermione whispered. She turned back to Daphne. "Do you know what happened to Neville's parents, Daphne?"
Still confused, Daphne nodded once more. "Neville told me about it once when we were younger. He didn't linger on it much but he said they were curcioed into insanity by some death eaters. But what does that have to do with Andromeda's older sis—" Daphne's voice stopped as her eyes went wide in horror. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh MERLIN, Hermione! I—I never—I…didn't put two and two together! Father never speaks about her, everything I've ever heard about the two of them was from Tracey's mum or Andromeda, and I just didn't realize…oh gods, Neville is going to hate me now!" She dropped her head onto her hands and began crying.
Hermione moved closer and put her arms around Daphne's shoulder."Shhh, I'm sure it will be fine. Everyone can see that Neville cares for you very much. And he's not the type to stay angry, especially with those he cares about. But Daphne…you have to tell him. It's not fair for him if you keep it secret. Besides, he's bound to find out about your father and…and Bellatrix at some point. Keeping it from him will just make it worse, in the long run."
Daphne looked up at Hermione, eyes blurry with tears. "B-b-but, what if he doesn't want to be around me anymore? Oh, Hermione, I—I don't know if I can risk it!" And yet, she knew Hermione was right. Keeping it secret from Neville would be far worse in the long run.
"I'm afraid," she whispered.
Hermione hugged her. "I know. But you have to do it, Daphne. If you care about him—and I know you do—you have to tell him."
Hermione was correct, of course. And the opportunity came about a week later. With Hermione's help, Daphne managed to tell Neville about the past romantic relationship between Bellatrix and Daphne's father. Daphne was sitting next to Hermione and across from Neville in an empty classroom after supper on Monday evening. She had a tight grip on Hermione's hand during her talk.
Neville did not spoken a word from the moment Hermione and Daphne had said they needed to talk to him. When she was finished, Daphne saw many different emotions moving across Neville's face: pain, anger, rage, sadness, longing, anger again, longing again.
"Do…do you hate me, Neville?" Daphne asked in a small voice.
Neville was frowning. He shook his head and stood abruptly. "I—I need to go. I need to think." He ran a hand through his hair and, still frowning, he hurried from the room. Daphne collapsed against Hermione. "Oh, he hates me now, Hermione! I know he does!" she sobbed into Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione hugged her. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you. He just needs some time to process. All boys do. I'm certain everything will be fine."
But Neville avoided Daphne the entire week. Any time he'd see her coming he'd duck down another hallway, or turn around and hurry the opposite direction. At meals, he didn't even look at her. Daphne felt like she was dying on the inside. She wanted to march right up to Hermione and yell, "I TOLD YOU SO!" But she didn't because despite it all, Hermione was still right. Neville had needed to know.
Friday after dinner, Daphne was heading to the library. When she heard her name called from behind. And she recognized the voice. Stopping, she turned slowly, uncertain of what was about to happen. Neville walked up to her. "Are you going to Hogsmead tomorrow?" He asked, looking at the floor, a worried yet hopeful look on his face.
"Yes," Daphne replied. "I'm going with Tracey and Astoria." Her voice was flat, and she too looked at the floor, so she hadn't seen the look of fear that crossed his eyes a split second before it was replaced by relief.
"Would you be kind enough to meet me at the Three Broomsticks at Ten?" He was being very formal, and still looking at the ground. But he sounded a bit more confident than he had moments before.
Daphne nodded. When Neville didn't say anything further, she sighed and turned back to the way she'd been heading. After a few steps she paused. Looking over her shoulder she murmured, "I miss you, Neville." Then she hurried down the corridor out of his sight, before he could see her crying.
But Neville had heard the sob that escaped her just before she turned the corner, and he felt like someone had punched him in the gut…
Tracey and Astoria accompanied Daphne to the pub the following morning at Ten. Daphne had almost chickened out, but the other two girls had each taken her by the arm and marched her to the door. Then they both hugged her, whispered things such as, "It'll be fine, you'll see," and gave her a gentle shove inside the building.
It took Daphne a moment for her eyes to adjust to the low lighting in the room. Since it was early, there weren't many people in the place yet. She spied Neville sitting in a booth near the back, and her stomach twisted into knots as she realized it was the same booth they had sat in when they began their romance. She couldn't help but think he'd chosen that booth in particular because he wanted to end their relationship where it had begun.
Daphne couldn't handle the feelings surging through her. She was about to turn and bolt out the door, but Neville had seen her. Standing, he motioned her over. She sighed and headed towards him. Sliding into the seat across from him, she murmured "Hello, Neville."
"Hullo, Daphne," he replied still standing and just staring at her. Merlin, she was beautiful.
She cast a curious look at him, and he realized that he was still standing. He gave a nervous chuckle and sat down. Neither spoke for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts. Neville was staring at Daphne, basking in her presence and overcome with her beauty. 'I'm a complete idiot,' he thought, 'missing out on time I could have spent with this amazing woman because of something that happened decades in the past , which neither of us have control over.'
Daphne was busy inspecting the table cloth, afraid to look up at him for fear of what she would see in his face. After several more moments of silence, Daphne spoke. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
"Yes, there was, in fact," Neville said, somehow managing to find his voice at last. And he was surprised at how clear it sounded, considering the gigantic lump in his throat. He hesitantly reached out for her hand. She stiffened at the initial contact, then allowed him to pull her hand to the middle of the table. 'Oh, Hecate help me, here comes the break up speech!' Daphne thought. Her stomach tightened.
"Wait, I almost forgot…I got you these." He reached down to the seat beside him and handed Daphne a huge pack of Sugar Quills. "I heard they're your favorite."
Daphne looked at the package in her hands, confused. But Neville wasn't done yet. "I also got you these flowers. I've been growing them in the greenhouses at school." He handed her a bouquet of some of the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen. She inhaled their heady aroma, and it was glorious.
"And here are some chocolates. Can never go wrong with chocolates, can you?' A large box was pushed across the table. Her look of confusion grew.
"I also got you this quill set, and some extra rolls of parchment. I know you and Hermione do a lot of studying together."
'Oh, Merlin,' Daphne's mind said. 'He's breaking up with me and trying to ease into it by giving me all these gifts!' She looked at the pile of gifts she'd just received, not sure of what to say.
Once again, Neville came to her rescue by speaking first.
"I'm sorry. I've been so stupid. A complete fool. Will you forgive me, Daphne?"
Daphne's brain froze. She blinked at the table a couple times, then raised her eyes to Neville's and blinked a couple more times.
"Wh-what?" She managed to choke out.
"I'm sorry I've ignored you this past week. It was wrong of me, and I have no excuse for it. I was knocked for a loop when you told me about your father and Belllll…about that woman, that the anger I feel towards her spilled out at everyone. I didn't know how to respond, and I reacted poorly. Like a big baby. Hermione cornered me and chewed me out, said I better make things right with you. And to top it all off, Thursday night at supper I got a package from your dad. It was some pictures of him and my folks, and your mum. He told me about all the good times he'd spent with my dad and mum, and how sorry he was for what had happened to them. He…he said he was glad that you and I had gotten reacquainted, and hoped that we could make it work together."
The tears had started falling from Daphne's eyes soon after Neville had started speaking, and as he continued the flow of tears did too. A small part of her mind registered that she'd have to thank Hermione for giving Neville the nudge that got him to start talking to her again.
Neville suddenly realized that she was crying. Frantic, he stood up and moved to sit next to her. "What's wrong, Daphne?" He asked. "What did I do now? Tell me, please! I swear I'll fix it, whatever it was!" His voice had a pleading tone to it.
Daphne, sobbing now, smiled and threw her arms around Neville, crushing him in a hug, which he returned. She lay her head on his shoulder. Neville buried his face in her silky hair and kissed her head. 'She smells like vanilla,' he thought. 'Oh, I've missed this!'
'I don't ever want to let go,' Daphne thought.
Neville and Daphne sat in the pub more than four hours, talking, laughing, holding hands, eating and drinking. It wasn't until their friends showed up to collect them—Astoria and Tracey first, with smirks on their faces, followed in short order by Harry, Ron, and an also smirking Hermione—that they realized how late in the day it was. As a group, the friends headed back to school.
(End Main flashback)
Neville smiled in the darkness again. He never wanted this feeling to go away. He never wanted another woman in his life, if not his beautiful Slytherin. But, did he love her? Could he really spend the rest of his life with her? Heck, he'd already spent the better part of his life in her orbit. They'd both had crushes on each other most of their lives. He liked her dad, despite his…past relationship with a certain dark witch who Neville felt nothing but utter hatred for.
But Neville wanted to be certain he loved her before he said it. He refused to be one of "those" types of guys who told women they loved them in order to manipulate them or get something from them. No, he didn't want to purposefully pursue a woman just to use her and toss her aside. He'd see how things went the next few months, and then maybe he would have a talk with William Greengrass about the future…a future that included William's older daughter. With thoughts of Daphne on his mind, Neville drifted off to sleep, still smiling.
The following Monday night after supper, Daphne was returning to her dorm in order to retrieve some things she needed for her study meeting with Hermione. As she headed back through the semi-empty corridors, most still being in the Great Hall finishing their meals, a loud POP sounded from a few feet away. Startled, Daphne turned to see a miserable looking house elf.
"Lizzy? What is it? What's wrong? Is it something with father?" Daphne began to panic. Why would Lizzy be here, unless…
"Oh Miss," Lizzy wailed, sobbing and yanking on her ears. "Poor, poor Master is in such a bad way! He doesn't sleep, he doesn't eat, he does nothing but drink and mumble and wander around the big house! Oh Miss, Lizzy is scared! Poor Master may die! Lizzy doesn't know what to do, so Lizzy came to see Miss Daphne for help!"
Daphne didn't know what to do. Her father had promised her that it wouldn't come to this again, but it seemed as though it had. Daphne had never seen Lizzy this distraught since her mother died. Her first thought was the one she acted on. "Lizzy, go back and keep an eye on father. I'll send help as soon as I can."
Giving a miserable nod and one final wail, Lizzy disappeared. Taking off at a near run, Daphne headed for the Slytherin common room, hoping to Merlin it was empty. She didn't need to air her family's dirty laundry in front of anyone. She had a floo call to make.
Overjoyed to indeed find the room empty, Daphne tossed powder into the fireplace. As the flames roared and hissed, she composed herself as best she could and said, "Andromeda Tonks."
After a few moments, Andromeda's voice replied from the fire. "Daphne? What's wrong, love? You sound upset."
"It—it's father." She managed to say before the tears started. "Oh Aunt Andromeda, Lizzy was just here and she was frantic! She said father is in a really bad way! I hate to bother you, but could you maybe go and—"
Andromeda cut her off. "Daphne, don't apologize. I'll get my coat and head right over. I'll keep you posted. Try not to worry, sweetheart. I won't leave him until things are in order. Sit tight. I'll floo you once I know what's going on." The flames died down. A bit of relief washed over Daphne…she knew if anyone could set her father right it would be Andromeda.
She wondered if she should let the Davis know too, but she was on the verge of a breakdown and needed help herself. She couldn't tell Astoria. She refused to let her little sister worry. No, she was the oldest. The responsibility was hers to bear.
She couldn't tell Tracey either, not just yet at least. Astoria would surely find out sooner than she should if Daphne told Tracey. But who else was there? Hermione wouldn't understand, at least not well.
Neville. She had to find Neville. Hermione was in the library. She would know where Neville was! Daphne took off for the library…
As it turned out, Neville was just leaving the library with Harry. They were heading towards the Slytherin dungeons because Hermione was worried about Daphne. She had missed their study time, which she never did, and alarm bells had sounded in Hermione's mind.
As they neared the dungeons, the very person they were seeking came tearing around a corner. When she saw them, she launched herself straight into Neville's arms, sobbing. Harry was not at all used to seeing this side of Daphne, and was somewhat taken aback. Maybe Hermione was right about Daphne not really being an "ice queen". Neville put his arms around her and attempted to calm his hysterical girlfriend down.
"What's wrong, love? What is it?" A thought struck him and he became angry. "Did someone hurt you? Was it that prat Malfoy? I swear by Morgana, if he put one hand on you, I'll—"
Daphne cut him off. Shaking her head, she managed to get a few words out between sobs. "I-it's my f-father!" Then she lost herself to sobbing and clinging to Neville.
And poor Neville had no idea what to do with the sobbing girl clinging to him, or what was wrong with her father. He was afraid to ask too many questions, so he turned to Harry. "Can you go find Tracey or Astoria for me mate?" He asked in a quiet voice. Harry nodded and was turning to leave when Daphne reached out and grabbed Harry by the sleeve.
"N-NO! You c-can't tell A-Astoria! Not yet! Please!" Frantic, Neville looked at Harry for help. Harry shrugged, then said, "Hermione?"
Neville nodded. "Come on, Daph. We'll take you to Hermione, and we'll all have a talk. Is that ok?"
Daphne nodded, her face still buried against Neville's chest. Supporting most of Daphne's weight against his side, the three headed off to the library.
First, I apologize for the length of this chapter. It's really freaking long. I had thought to split in half, but couldn't find a decent place to do so. Second, I apologize for taking so long. My schedule is pretty whack these days. :/ And to the two of you reading this, thank you and I hope you enjoyed it.