Colours of Obsession

by Plastic Dreams

A story of how the meeting of three colours finally manages to bring together an unknown romance between an obsessed, in-denial Daphne Greengrass and an equally obsessed, and less in-denial, Harry Potter. (GOF!Haphne, SmarterStronger!Harry) !SliceOfLife

10. 10: New Perspective

Colours of Obsession

A story of how the meeting of three colours finally manages to bring together an unknown romance between an obsessed, in-denial Daphne Greengrass and an equally obsessed, and less in-denial, Harry Potter.

*O*O*O*

"Stop there, and let me correct it
I wanna live a life from a new perspective
You come along because I love your face
And I'll admire your expensive taste."

*O*O*O*

AN:

This chapter's themes are Slice-of-Life and Friendship.

It was originally so long (32k) that I split it into two (16k words per chapter).

The second chapter should be posted a few days after this one (Hopefully).

I hope you enjoy.

*O*O*O*

There was only a finite amount of Daphne's interest that theoretical Astronomy classes conducted during the daytime could hold.

And she had long exceeded that threshold.

Instead, she had spent the majority of the lesson quietly sketching in her notebook while Tracey sat next to her, doing little to hide her apparent boredom by openly yawning. With each passing second, her head slipped further out of her hands, growing closer and closer to her desk.

Professor Sinestra shot an exasperated look towards the very lazy Slytherin but said nothing about the subpar behaviour she usually displayed considering Tracey's results for Astronomy somehow placed her within some of the best in the class. Her results were beaten only by Parvati Patil, Daphne, and Hermione — with the latter at the top of the class (unsurprisingly). Harry sat comfortably in sixth place, two spots behind her.

While Tracey carried the same lackadaisical attitude towards her tests and examinations for other subjects, she still managed to score reasonably well on them. Enough to place her between the top ten to fifteen students in their class.

However, her homework was another matter altogether.

Too lazy to do it on her own, her means of accomplishing it were either through pestering Daphne until she helped, playing 'eeny-meeny-miney-moe' and filling her answers up randomly, or getting Ravenclaw boys who were attracted to her for help. She wasn't above having others do work in her name, and it certainly wasn't too hard for one of the prettiest Slytherins to persuade them with a few honeyed words after all.

Let Tracey Davis' years at Hogwarts be remembered for her looks and her guile, and certainly not her lacklustre behaviour and middling schoolwork.

Back to the class, on the occasion that Daphne had looked up from her doodles to take a look around, she noticed that Draco was still glaring at her from further down the row of seats.

It seemed he was still upset about her 'allegedly' stealing his poster. But still lacking any definitive proof, he was helpless to do anything about it. And there wasn't a chance he was going to be stumbling across it in the Gryffindor's dorms, so Daphne wasn't too worried about being caught.

Or maybe it had something to do with Astoria and… whatever it was the younger Greengrass was up to these days under everyone's noses.

It wasn't outwardly obvious, but Astoria's influence had grown significantly since her arrival in the school, easily wresting control as the top student in Slytherin for her year. Who knows. Perhaps one of Malfoy's newest lackeys would've taken that place had it not been for the talking ray of sunshine that was her little sister.

At least the position of respect was better suited in Astoria's hands… Daphne hoped.

She had caught glimpses of Astoria with a rather large entourage of students — though what exactly they were doing, Daphne dared not to ask.

She trusted Astoria to stay out of trouble.

Or at the very least, if she was going to get into any, Daphne expected her little sister not to drag her into it.

When Daphne locked eyes with the platinum-blond boy again, she gave him a small, unpleasant smile. The sort that didn't quite reach those blizzardy-blue eyes of hers. The sort of smile you'd give someone who proudly showed you a picture of their ugly pet… or baby, and you had to hold back some honest, not-so-nice words — lest you offend them.

Seeing that she wasn't remotely shaken by his 'terrifying' gaze, Draco's sneer deepened. Then he turned his attention back towards the front of the class, choosing to direct it towards the back of the other students' heads.

Draco failed to see Daphne's little grin after. She did rather enjoy antagonising the little Daddy's boy. She thought it was only fair seeing as he had a hand in making Harry's life difficult over the past few years.

The rest of the lesson had been uneventful, so Daphne's time was spent throwing discreet glances at Harry, who sat further up ahead.

She had noted that he no longer sat next to Weasley, and vice versa. That wasn't surprising considering that Weasley had started to ignore Harry over the last few days now, which made the few group projects they had together needlessly difficult. And whenever he wanted to communicate with him, he'd ask Hermione to pass along his messages, which had eventually caused her to snap at him for treating her as some sort of messenger owl.

To his credit, Harry had started off trying to speak to him. But upon the ginger's persistence in pretending that Harry didn't exist, he eventually chose to do the same.

Was it childish? A little. But doing so saved Harry the trouble of losing his patience any further with Weasley.

For two peas in a pod that were practically inseparable over the last four years, it was admittedly a little strange to see their friendship falling apart.

As Professor Sinestra continued to lecture the class on the impact and application of the sun in Astronomy, Daphne took a glance at Tracey. The brunette now had her head buried in her arms and was softly snoring without a care in the world. She hoped they wouldn't ever fight like that. Tracey had become so entwined with her that the thought of them no longer being friends made Daphne feel queasy — like she was losing a piece of herself.

Then her eyes wandered back towards the mop of bright red hair that stood out amongst the rest of the class. Nowadays, Weasley was located on the far end of the row with Thomas and Finnigan by his sides, while Harry sat on the other end of the class with Hermione and Longbottom.

The chubby boy often vacillated between the two groups, seemingly uncertain of where exactly his loyalties lay. But if the way that Weasley treated him was any indication, Daphne figured it wouldn't take much longer before he'd be driven to Harry's side.

Daphne thought he was much more preferable and tolerable as a friend when compared to Weasley, so she didn't mind the idea of introducing the chubby boy into their little group of snakes and lions. And it would surely be better for Harry to have another boy he could talk to as there were bound to be things that boys could only discuss with other boys…

From where she was sitting, Harry seemed to whisper something to Neville, and the two shared a light snicker before Hermione interrupted them by softly clearing her throat and nudging Harry's arm with her elbow. Harry turned to pout at her, and despite scoffing at him, Hermione still bore a smile at his antics.

Staring at him for just a little longer, she quickly returned her doodles. There were a few drawings of her pet cat, Cobs, alongside a snake wearing the Sorting Hat and holding a wand with nonexistent hands.

Still bored, Daphne let her mind wander, allowing her fingers and quill to dictate what to draw next. The tip of the feather scratched the paper noisily, leaving messy ink trails as she etched out her vision with all the skill of a toddler. As she drew, she couldn't stop a grin from sprouting, hidden well behind the other hand she used to prop her chin up with.

As she drew, she found that she was thoroughly enjoying herself, even if what she was producing was… well, mostly incomprehensible nonsense.

But she supposed that was the fun of it!

A few moments later, she was done. Leaning back in her seat, she quietly admired her work with a satisfied sigh.

There, on the paper, was a minimalistic version of herself and her boyfriend, drawn in a simple, cutesy style.

She had given him a set of fluffy angel wings, a bright halo, and a harp, while she had on a set of curled horns, a pointed trident, and a set of sharp bat wings. The smug Angel had his arms wrapped around the embarrassed, blushing Devil and he looked like he was busy peppering her with a flurry of kisses. Small hearts decorated the space around them, sprouting out of the air around the two.

It was clear her mind still lingered on yesterday night's events.

Admiring the drawing for a bit longer, she hid it by flipping over to the next page. Best not to get caught by anyone with these, lest they start asking questions.

It hadn't taken much longer before Professor Sinestra concluded her lecture, freeing the students for the rest of the day. The moment the words left the professor's mouth, as if like clockwork, Tracey's head immediately rose.

Like a lazy feline, she stretched her arms out in front of her and hummed quietly. Anything she had on the table would've been shoved clean off. Thankfully, as usual, her desk was completely barren of any materials. It was truly the perfect makeshift bed for this sleepy snake.

Daphne nimbly twirled her quill once in her slender fingers before she set it down, packing up her stationery, textbook and notes like the rest of her peers around her. As her arms moved, Daphne realized that she didn't quite know what to do with the rest of her free time today. Harry, on the other hand, had other matters he wanted to tend to and was returning to their usual hideout to practise his spellcasting and wand movements — which were still as impeccable as ever despite his complaints of getting rusty.

Since they had spent the whole of yesterday together, Daphne figured she ought to leave him to his devices for a bit, even if she did want to spend more time with him. It was hard, and she felt her instincts compelling her to seek him out. It was as if she had become addicted to his presence (which she probably was), but ultimately had enough self-control to stop herself.

She might have been obsessive, but she understood that even the most loving of couples needed their own time and space from each other sometimes. The last thing she wanted was to seem too clingy — even if she really was.

The blonde watched as Harry said his goodbyes to Hermione and Longbottom, rising from his seat.

As he stood, his torso jerked abruptly and he froze for a second before he started walking, finally making his way out the door without addressing what had happened to him. Hermione and Neville stared as he left, befuddled at his behaviour. But a smirking Daphne immediately knew what he had tried to do.

Harry had tried to turn towards her to say his goodbyes before quickly remembering that they were in the presence of their classmates, stopping himself right on time.

She sighed, amused, yet a little disappointed.

Perhaps when they didn't need to keep their relationship a secret anymore, they'd be free to act more like a couple in public.

Still, plump pink lips turned upwards in a delighted smile. It seemed that she wasn't the only one who wanted to acknowledge the other. It was a sweet gesture, one that she appreciated even if he hadn't been able to do it.

Beside her, Tracey finally rose from her seat with nothing to show for today's lesson.

"Keen on going for a few laps around the Quidditch pitch, Daph?" The brunette asked as she did a little stretch, rising to the tips of her toes as she warmed up her calves.

"Hmm… sure."

Then Daphne's eyes fell back onto Hermione and Neville, and thoughts began to swirl about inside her head.

Extra time… Hermione… Longbottom… Punishment… Friendship…

After a moment, an idea popped into her mind.

One that had the potential to kill many, many birds with one stone.

"Say, Trace… Do you mind if I invite Hermione and Longbottom along?"

"I was just about to ask Granger too. But Longbottom? That's sudden." Tracey scoffed, doing her best to look as overly offended as possible, "Why? Is my company not good enough for ya?"

"You know you're one of my two favourite parasites. How could I ever tire of your presence?" The endearingly sardonic tone in Daphne's voice was accompanied by her amused smile and eyes.

"You better not be…" Tracey warned. She glanced over to the two as well, "Sure, why not? 'Sides, I wouldn't mind seeing how much better Lil' Longbottom's gotten at riding brooms."

The faint memory of Neville Longbottom on a bucking broom in their First year popped into her mind.

At the time, she had gone to his side, asking where he had hurt himself after he had been violently tossed to the ground by his broom. But before the groaning boy could even respond, Daphne had been promptly moved out of the way by a concerned Madam Hooch, who ferried him away to the infirmary.

Beyond that, Daphne tried her best to recall an instance where either of them had even tried to speak to the other. None really came to mind.

Well, today, she planned to change that — if he wasn't going to be scared off by her first.

As the rest of the students filed out of the class, Daphne made her way to the front. Hermione was standing there, books held to her chest, while waiting patiently for Neville, who was stuffing his notes into his bag.

"Hello, Daphne," Hermione greeted pleasantly as the pretty blonde approached. A second later, she cupped her mouth violently, her wide brown eyes darting back and forth between Neville and Daphne. Her features were then forcefully scrunched up into a frown, her brow knitting together to show her 'apparent' displeasure at the presence of a Slytherin.

"...What do you want, Greengrass?" Hermione gave Daphne the nastiest glare she could muster up — the sort she'd given Malfoy over the years. But now directed at Daphne, it bordered on comical since the girl's glare barely contained any malice towards her at all.

The boy also looked between both girls, partially confused by Hermione's sudden change in attitude, partially intimidated and surprised by Daphne's presence.

"Good afternoon, Hermione." Daphne waved off the frizzy brunette's attempts at unfriendliness, "It was a good try. Not exactly the most convincing performance but a better scowl than Malfoy's at least."

"Oh, fine." Hermione dropped the act and shrugged. Intentionally trying to be mean to people she was on good terms with was not in her nature.

"Y—You two are friends?" Neville asked curiously, "I didn't think anyone was— Uhhh…" He stopped himself before he could say something that would upset the Ice Queen. The last thing he needed was more social trouble by angering one of the top students in the school's hierarchy.

"It's… complicated?" Hermione offered up with a sigh, "But yes, I suppose we are. What did you need Daphne?"

"Seeing as we won't have classes for the remainder of the day, I wanted to see if you were free to spend some time together with myself and Tracey. The offer extends to you as well, Longbottom." She turned to Neville and gave him a soft smile, which the Gryffindor boy blushed at.

It wasn't often he would be spoken to by girls as high up on the totem pole as Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis, much less be invited anywhere by them.

What exactly did she want with him?

To Neville, they were quite literally on the opposite sides of the spectrum when it came to many things.

Her looks, intelligence, magical prowess, and popularity were all things that made her unapproachable to the rest of the student cohort. Meanwhile, his lack of those particular traits was what made him vulnerable as a target to those very same people.

But here she was, smiling kindly at him and extending an invitation to spend time with her and Tracey. Usually, Neville would immediately turn down such an offer, expecting it to be a prank on him. But seeing as how she was friendly with Hermione and had invited her as well, it must have meant that Daphne was serious.

"Wh—What will you be doing, Greengrass?" Neville stuttered, trying to beat back the blatant heat that was quickly scorching across his face from a mixture of intimidation and innocence.

Daphne bit back a chuckle. In some ways, he reminded her much like how Harry had been a year or two ago. She was certain that, had she approached him then, Harry would've likely reacted in much the same way.

Beneath the chubby, nervous, and fearful exterior, Daphne saw untapped potential. With considerable effort and a guiding hand, Neville could, perhaps, grow into quite the remarkable man.

"Tracey's planning to go for a bit of casual flying around the Quidditch pitch. Perhaps lunch too?" Then she turned intently to Neville and gave him an inviting smile, "You'd be interested, wouldn't you, Longbottom?"

Neville barely hid his gulp.

Despite being in his fourth year, he still wasn't particularly good with flying. The very idea of being in the air was already making him crumple some of the notes he had taken in class in his burly hands. Regardless of whether Hermione was there or not, the thought of spending time with two of Slytherin's most popular ladies was starting to make him break out into a cold sweat.

But seeing as this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity extended by them, Neville suddenly felt compelled to accept. After all, what if they never offered ever again? Would he be able to sleep at night knowing he had been an invitation away from changing his life for the better, and had turned it down?

And all he had to do was agree. It was that easy.

Besides, it was going to be casual… so how hard could that be?

Swallowing his fears, Neville spoke up.

"I would…" He gulped before he took a breath, "…I'd like that."

"Lovely, Longbottom." Daphne barely managed to turn to Hermione before Neville spoke up again.

"Please… call me Neville." His voice wavered only slightly this time.

Daphne raised her brows ever so slightly at the tiny bits of confidence she detected.

"No need for formalities then, Neville. Call me Daphne." Then she glanced back towards Hermione, "And you, Hermione?"

"I was going to go to the library as usual… Oh, I suppose I could do something different for once." She relented, and Daphne clapped her hands together in delight.

"Fantastic. We'll meet you two on the pitch in ten minutes then. Feel free to change if you'd like." Daphne bid them goodbye for now, leaving the class with Tracey in tow.

"Why the sudden interest in Longbottom?" Tracey asked as she walked in step with her best friend, "Getting a new boyfriend already? Do I need to tell Harry?"

"Hilarious," Daphne rolled her eyes, "But I just thought it would be nice to help the poor boy make up his mind on who his real friends are."

Tracey stared intently at the side of Daphne's face as they walked, analysing her like she was a complex test question.

"...You're lyin', aren't ya?" Tracey waggled a finger cheekily at Daphne, somehow discerning that fact from Daphne's passive facial features, "What is it really, Daph?"

Blue eyes glanced at the brunette for a moment before snapping back to the hallway in front of them.

"I did mean what I said… but you're also not mistaken. Neville owes me. So do those pesky worms — Finnigan, Thomas, and Weasley." Daphne produced a signature Slytherin sneer when she got to Ron's name, "Not that they're even aware of it. But I intend to collect my dues regardless."

"Oh ho ho!" Tracey chortled at the reaction, "And what did those poor souls do to earn the scorn of Daphne Greengrass?"

The memory of the four Gryffindors loudly stumbling out of the Three Broomsticks, violently interrupting her first kiss, reared itself to the forefront of her mind.

The upper corner of Daphne's lip twitched irritably at the disruptive memory.

"They were a stain on one of the best days of my life." She said through clenched teeth.

Yes, Neville wasn't to blame seeing as he was a victim of Weasley's pathetic excuse of a prank, so Daphne was going to go (relatively) easy on him. Finnigan and Thomas weren't necessarily to blame either, but if they had kept a better watch on that red-headed rat then perhaps they wouldn't have interrupted that romantic moment between herself and Harry.

Needless to say, Daphne had no words worthy to be wasted on Weasley.

As Daphne walked, a frustrated sigh escaped her lips and she released the fist she hadn't even realised she had balled up. Her usual demeanour returning, the blonde looked over to her best friend with a smile.

"Besides, with all the time I've been spending with Harry, I'm afraid you might be getting lonely. Wouldn't it be nice if you spent some time with a new face?"

"What? I've been spending loads of time with Granger, and we've been having a blast, mind you. Now yer choosing Longbottom as my company?" Tracey scoffed, directing a cocked brow Daphne's way.

"Partially as punishment for him, but also partially for you. Don't think I forgot about what happened in the showers, Tracey." Daphne directed a smile that was sweeter than sugar towards Tracey.

It promised worse if she complained.

The brunette acknowledged the incident with an embarrassed smile. Putting her hands up in surrender, Tracey had no choice but to oblige her request.

"Alright, fine. Whatever ya need, my Queen."

"Right, then." With her sarcasm duly noted, Daphne leaned into her ear and whispered further instructions. "I'll need you to…"

After she was done, Tracey laughed.

"Bah! Light work," she scoffed, "...But it does seem a bit much for the poor guy."

"He'll be fine if it's you taking the lead. Just think of it as… bonding with your classmate. Besides, he does seem like a sweetheart, and I see potential in him. Put that boy through a bit of pressure and you might even end up with your own Prince Charming."

Tracey gave Daphne a look that seemed to question the blonde's sanity. But after a moment of consideration, she stuck her hand out horizontally, wobbling it side from side like a tipping boat, in a show of uncertainty.

"Ehhhh. He's cute. But not that cute."

"Not yet." Daphne corrected her, "I'm sure you'll come around to him eventually."

"Pfft. And if ya really were my best friend, you'd know I'd much prefer either Fred or George." Tracey winked at Daphne, who held back a snort, "Whichever one of them is still single when I'm old enough to date 'em without driving my dad mad."

"Forget about it, Trace. Your father's going to go mental if either of them ends up as your husband." Daphne's tongue lolled out at Tracey as if she had just swallowed something bitter, "Your marriage with either of them will be the unholy union that'll bring about the end of the world as we know it..."

"Yer so not going ta be invited to our wedding!" Tracey's accent poked through as she shoved a chuckling Daphne in response.

The two would continue their joking discussion of hypothetical boyfriends and future husbands for Tracey as they made their way back to the Slytherin dungeons.

*O*O*O*

Harry hadn't been expecting to cross paths with Astoria on his way to the classroom.

And it wasn't just her either.

She was followed closely by a whole gaggle of students, all bearing the same green trim on their robes. And by the looks of it, they were all First years just like Astoria. There were about nine of them in total. A mix of young boys and girls.

"Harry!" Astoria flung herself at the older boy, hugging him without the slightest bit of reservation in front of the rest of the Slytherins.

"Astoria! It's been a while," Harry leaned forward to hug her back, smiling down at the short girl. Then he glanced at the rest of the students, "And… friends?"

None of them replied to his confused greeting, but they started glancing at each other. Even from where he was standing, he could somewhat make out what they were saying from their hushed whispers.

"...It's bloody 'arry Potter!"

"See, I told you. Astoria actually knows him."

"Hahaha… pay up, idiot."

"Awww…"

"Shhh… I heard he was dating 'her'..."

"Astoria and Potter?!"

"No, imbecile... She means Daphne."

"And I 'eard 'e put his name in the goblet to impress 'er…"

"Probably just a silly rumour, I reckon… he doesn't look as stupid as Malfoy says he does."

Harry found himself refreshingly surprised at the general lack of disdain for him in their voices but said nothing of it for now. Instead, he blinked before glancing back to the younger Greengrass.

"Uh, Astoria? Want to introduce us?" He figured they likely already knew who he was given his undesired fame. Even more so since he had been called upon by the Goblet in front of everyone. Still, he supposed it was still courteous to be formally introduced to them.

"First year Slytherins, Harry Potter," Astoria turned rapidly between the two parties, gesturing to them with her arms as she spoke. "Harry Potter, First year Slytherins."

"Nice to meet you all." Harry gave them all a friendly smile and waved, "Um… Even if we're from different Houses, I'm still your senior (and technically a champion of Hogwarts…) so please feel free to approach me if you need any help."

The Slytherin girls flushed in his presence, giggling and hiding behind each other. They clearly found the older boy to be quite attractive.

"See, I told you he was nice…"

"He's cute too…"

"...And out of your league."

"Oh piss off, Becca…"

Meanwhile, some of the boys looked on in awe and respect at one of the champions of Hogwarts, already picturing him in wild scenarios during the trials. The others looked sceptically at him, measuring him up against his other competitors.

"I wonder if he's got any chance against Krum."

"No shot."

"5 Galleons says Harry beats him."

"Double it, Ainsley."

"Heh. You're on, Walker."

The chattering around her stopped immediately as she cleared her throat, then Astoria spoke up again.

"Alright, you guys go on ahead without me," She made a shoo-ing gesture with her hand, "I need to speak to Harry alone."

The swarm of Slytherins obeyed her command with little question, politely saying their goodbyes to Harry as they continued past the two of them before vanishing down the hallway. Harry chuckled at the sight. Astoria looked like a young queen commanding her equally youthful court of sycophantic servants.

"You're popular," commented Harry at the obvious.

"What can I say? I am the top student in Slytherin for my year after all! My natural charisma, intelligence, and talent for leadership have drawn most of the little ducklings in my House to me." Astoria's words overflowed with such concentrated hubris that upon hearing her statement, Harry couldn't help but chuckle. The differences between the Greengrass sisters were very apparent, and yet somehow all too familiar to Harry.

"So, was that all the Slytherin First years?"

"No… There's still a few that follow Malfoy's clique, thanks to his family's influence," Astoria sounded disappointed, "The ones with me are mostly from smaller families or are half-bloods, which I do prefer."

"Speaking of Malfoy, I'm surprised that lot doesn't outright dislike me like the older Slytherins do."

"Yes! I'm so glad you noticed!" Astoria looked particularly pleased, clapping happily as she elaborated, "I've told them to keep an open mind when mingling with the other Houses and to be courteous when interacting with them at all times! Even with Gryffindors."

Then her adorable features soured intensely at the subject, "...and even if they're rude little boys lacking in basic manners…" There must have been some incident that had happened between Astoria and some of the other students that went particularly awry when trying to apply this new way of thinking.

Harry gave her a curious look, "Any particular reason why you're getting them to do that?"

"We need changes! Desperately!" Harry nearly stumbled back in surprise at her outburst, "I've only been here two months and I'm already getting tired of how the older Slytherins act. It's always 'mud-blood scum' this, or 'blood-traitor' that. It's so embarrassing!"

Astoria put her hands on her hips and huffed, performing the same eye roll that Harry had come to associate with her older sister.

"Honestly, is our House's main defining trait still the fact that we're all just evil and still hung up on blood purity? We're in the 1990s, not the 1700s! I am not going to be spending my next seven years here surrounded by bigots and blood purists!" Astoria declared to the ceiling with a shaking fist, "Not if I can help it!"

She had been so convincing and charismatic that Harry had forgotten that she was much younger than he was. The ardent tone and subject made Harry think that they were the words of someone who had been going to Hogwarts for quite some time. And even as new as Astoria was to Hogwarts, it seemed she was very aware of the underlying issues surrounding Slytherin and their centuries of pure-blood supremacism.

He guessed some of it must have been word of mouth from Daphne, giving Astoria an idea of what to expect when she eventually joined the school too. Harry wondered just how their parents had educated them considering they seemed very liberal in their views despite having a lineage that was steeped in nobility. And families with long histories were often more conservative in their values, even more so in the Wizarding World.

The fact that Astoria was both aware of the negative stigma that surrounded Slytherin and was actively trying to correct the behaviour of her peers before they could fall in line with the rest of their seniors, was something he was impressed by.

In theory, this was no easy feat. But if Harry had to put his faith into someone to get it done, it'd have to be a Greengrass.

"Wow, that's… ambitious… and incredibly mature of you." Harry finally commented after a moment of thought. He wondered what sort of waves the younger Greengrass would make in her house, and just how much the future of Slytherin would change with her influences.

In response, Astoria simply gave him a smile filled with child-like innocence.

"...And just think of all the fun things I could do with all those extra hands!" Astoria bounced on her heels, looking excited from the endless amount of chaotic fun she could potentially unfold in the school.

"I hate to ask this Astoria, but should we be concerned that you're basically amassing a small army in Slytherin?"

"As long as you remain in my good graces, you've got nothing to worry about, Harry!" Her giggles bounced off the stone walls of the hallway, echoing loudly as she gave him a mischievous grin.

"That's… slightly reassuring…" Harry shrugged. It was mature enough, he supposed. Infinitely better than bigots at the very least. "And what exactly are you planning to do with your friends?"

"So, I was thinking…"

"Your sister says that's never any good."

Astoria did not seem to acknowledge his comment.

"...if I educate the next generation of Slytherins, relations between us and Gryffindors could be a lot less tense! So, it'd be a lot easier for Inter-House couples to be accepted."

There was a twinkle in those big, blue eyes as she stared up at him.

Harry's own grew wider as he considered the implications of her words.

Gesturing to himself, Harry asked, "Is this because of…"

Astoria nodded excitedly. If she could help ease any potential backlash that stemmed from the two of them dating, then it would have been well worth her efforts.

Thus, she had been toiling away behind the scenes trying to make this plan work.

Ordinarily, she would never have bothered to put in this much effort as it clashed with her ideals. But when she saw an opportunity to lend a hand in making her sister's love life easier, while simultaneously fixing the place she would be calling her second home for the foreseeable future… why, with just one stone, she could strike down two birds!

What a deal!

And so far, she was seeing some success within her clique as they hadn't been indoctrinated into the usual Slytherin agenda their seniors peddled.

As seen in their behaviour with Harry and other Gryffindors, it was clear that they were also warming up to their rival House, following Astoria in taking steps to slowly make changes to Slytherin.

Now it was only a matter of reaching out to the other Slytherins and slowly converting them to her side.

It was likely going to be an uphill battle, but she was still willing to try.

Perhaps with Daphne's help they'd find greater success, given her present popularity in the First years of the school.

Meanwhile, Harry found himself very appreciative of just how thoughtful Astoria's actions were.

Though Daphne had kept her sister out of the loop in regards to their relationship, Harry considered spilling the beans now and letting her in on the secret… but then wisely opted not to.

He'd gleefully let Daphne deal with trying to disarm that bomb while watching from afar.

"Colour me impressed, Astoria. That's a lot of work." Harry whistled, "You're bloody amazing."

"I'm very diligent when it comes to those I care about. You can continue showering me with praises by the way. No need to stop!" She leaned her back up against Harry's arm, stuck her nose up in the air proudly, and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked like a proud child who had won first place in a contest and was now eagerly anticipating their parents to shower them with words of affirmation.

It was frankly impressive how quickly her personality shifted between 'cunning schemer' and 'adorable child'.

"Alright, alright," muttered Harry as he pet her endearingly on the top of her head. "No one else's little sister even comes close to you… Not in Hogwarts, at least."

"Hey!" Astoria spun around to face Harry, pouting at him jokingly.

Then Astoria's bubbly attitude seemed to simmer off, her usual brimming smile now replaced with a pair of pursed lips.

With her face now more passive, the physical resemblance between Astoria and Daphne was more apparent than ever. If it hadn't been for the obvious difference in their ages, Astoria's persistent smile, and her darker shade of hair, they could've easily been mistaken as identical twins.

"Something wrong, Astoria?" Harry asked, slightly concerned at the serious look on her face.

The blue in her large eyes turned turbulent like the sea during a vicious storm.

"...Will you really be in the Triwizard Tournament?" Astoria asked timidly.

Suddenly, her expression was more befitting her age. Gone was the cunning and calculative girl he had spoken to just moments ago.

Sensing that Astoria was concerned for him, Harry mustered up a reassuring smile for the young girl.

"Seems like it."

"So it means you won't be with us?" He was reminded of the promise to watch the games with the three Slytherins.

Harry scratched the back of his head.

"Unfortunately not."

Though she tried her best not to show it, that answer seemed to upset Astoria further. He could see it growing in her eyes.

Her earlier proud and smug features had been washed away, leaving her with a familiar vulnerability for a girl her age. She pouted again, genuinely this time.

"...Are you scared?" she asked.

Harry's smile faltered. After a moment of thought, he slowly answered.

"Truth be told… I'm terrified." Harry cast his hazy gaze to the floor, his tone gentle for Astoria's sake. "Not just for myself, but what I stand to lose — like you and your sister."

Harry's eyes glanced back up to Astoria's big blue eyes and saw that tears were already welling up in them. Her lower lip quivered like jelly, and her little shoulders shook as she struggled to hold back her rising sobs. Her ambitious plans for the future of Slytherin aside, Harry recognised that Astoria was still very much a child — one who was very worried about his well-being.

She had already begun to see Harry as an older brother figure despite the short time they had spent together and, much like her sister, the thought of him being forced to participate in a deadly tournament also worried her greatly.

Seeing that he was worth shedding tears over, Harry found himself very touched by her gesture. He quickly dropped to his haunches while she stood there obediently, allowing him to help wipe the tears from her cheeks. Her sniffling nose was already turning red.

"Hey now... there's no need to cry, Astoria. You can save your tears for if I die." Harry gently chided the young girl with a smirk.

Then he opened his arms up, offering a hug to the young Greengrass, who quickly accepted. Harry gently patted her back as her tears slowly dried up on his robes.

"...Please don't die, Harry." She sniffled softly into his shoulder. He could feel her digging her tiny fingers into his back in worry.

"Believe me, I've got no plans to, Astoria! You can bet on that." He laughed before the two pulled away from the hug, "Yes, I'm terrified. But with you guys around I've got more reasons to be brave and to make it through."

The conviction that Astoria recognised in his eyes and statements was unwavering. If Harry said so, then she'd have to hedge her bets on him.

"You'll cheer me on, won't you?"

"Mmhm! I will!" Astoria ran the back of her hands over her face, rubbing off the rest of the tear stains, nodding vehemently as she did, "I'll make sure Daph and Tracey cheer their hearts out for you! A—And my friends too!"

"Then you guys better get front-row seats," Harry chuckled at her enthusiastic response, "And don't tell Daphne that I made you cry…"

Her worries abated now, Harry quickly picked their spirits back up. Quite literally in this case.

"...or else!"

Astoria suddenly shrieked with laughter as Harry effortlessly plucked her off the ground, spinning her around in the air to help cheer her up. The youngest Greengrass quickly forgot all about her worries as she lost herself amidst her giggles.

Now with Astoria's support too, Harry was starting to feel like he really could win this whole tournament.

Or, at the very least, make it through in one piece.

*O*O*O*

Today was a particularly quiet day on the Quidditch pitch.

The arena was mostly devoid of other students, with less than a dozen scattered about the seats in small, private groups. Most were seated in the lower stands, while some had taken the effort to climb the towers to find quiet amongst the clouds in the box seats.

High up in the air, above the other students, multi-coloured towers, and fluttering banners, one could spot the four floating silhouettes cutting through the air against the bright, yet overcast, Scottish skies.

Thankfully, the early snowfall had subsided, and the weather had been relatively calm over the last few days. It was the perfect day for Quidditch, really. But the air this high up was even more chilly and crisp than anywhere else in the school, especially when breezes blew right past them, reminding the students of the encroaching winter.

Going even moderately fast in these conditions meant that you'd find yourself freezing up. Hence, the three girls were garbed in their warmer home clothes instead of their usual uniforms, throwing on coats and jackets. On their hands, they all wore thick mittens to combat the chilly air and the cold wood of the brooms.

And for the sake of comfort and decency, they had all worn long pants instead of skirts. Daphne and Hermione had also thought it to be a bit unladylike to fly so high in skirts, regardless of how few boys there were around to potentially see up them. Tracey, on the other hand, didn't care one bit — but had still been forced to change by Daphne, who refused to take no for an answer.

Daphne and Hermione also had hats on. The blonde had on a black beanie that still let her hair fall elegantly around her shoulders, while the brunette had her hair tucked as neatly as she could under the warm trapper's hat, making it appear as though she had cut her hair short.

Tracey had opted to let her hair run wild and free, enjoying the wind in it as she rode around.

Neville, on the other hand, was still in his school attire, having opted not to change, though he too sported a black woollen overcoat, a pair of warm gloves, and a Gryffindor-coloured scarf and beanie.

Riding on basic brooms borrowed from the field's shed, the four were gently soaring through the air as they conversed.

Tracey and Hermione led the pack, while Daphne and Neville flew behind them.

Out of the corner of her eye, Daphne noticed that Neville's teeth were chattering ever so slightly. And it certainly wasn't just because of the cold.

With the way his eyes flirted back and forth under him, it was obvious he was still not very comfortable with the idea of flying so high. His gloved hands practically had a tight vice-grip around the neck of his broom and, had it been alive, would've wrung the life right out of it. Every so often, his hands would tremble hard enough to make his broom wobble, causing the boy to jerk slightly in panic. Then, it'd take him a second or two to get it back under control.

Neville looked like he was trying his best not to pay any attention to the fact that they were very high up in the air, and that a fall from this height would most certainly end up with him being nothing more than an unflattering red splat on the dull green field.

Not to mention… it would be horribly embarrassing to die like that in front of the girls.

So he bit his lower lip and tried to look as determined as possible, though he only ended up looking like he had a rather nasty tummy ache. Still, Daphne smiled at his bravery.

It was the first step to becoming a better, braver boy.

Of course, she did not derive even the slightest ounce of pleasure from tormenting him.

Okay… Maybe she did.

Just a little.

Besides, it'd help get him out of his comfort zone. And even if he didn't know it, he was in no real danger… so long as Tracey was around.

Daphne turned her attention back to the conversation the two in front of her were having, where Tracey seemed to be trying to get under Hermione's skin.

Ever since Tracey and Hermione had started interacting with each other, the two would often butt heads and quibble with each other — especially now that the time they used to spend with Weasley was now spent with the Slytherins. Whether it was during Hermione's lessons, or over Tracey's jokes, it seemed as though the two just never saw eye to eye.

From an outside perspective, it was even reasonable to say that the two seemed to greatly dislike each other and weren't even friends.

Though, as Daphne knew better, their relationship was more similar to her own and Astoria's. Two sisters who argued and annoyed each other over little things, but did earnestly care about each other.

That being said, Daphne tuned back into the conversation that was happening ahead of her.

"—can be honest with us, Granger." With her head turned to the side to face Hermione, Daphne could see Tracey's wide, teasing grin, "We're all friends here, aren't we? And I'm sure Neville can keep a secret."

"Y—Yep!" Though Neville responded, it didn't seem as though he was too focused on the conversation at hand as his primary concerns were still trying to balance himself on the wobbling broom.

"What are you two talking about?" Daphne asked inquisitively, and Tracey glanced back at her best friend, giggling mischievously.

"I'm askin' her which one she prefers as a boyfriend: Diggory or Krum. My money's on Krum."

The redness that was blooming on her face was partially due to the cold, but also because it wasn't often that someone cared enough to ask her of her interests outside of academic matters. And she certainly had never had anyone dig in and ask such personal questions about boys.

Still, despite the blush, Hermione looked slightly annoyed. But before a response could be made, a massive flock of blackbirds were headed their way.

"Birds," Hermione alerted the group with a jerk of her head, and the Slytherins and Gryffindors abruptly split into two pairs. Hermione and Daphne swerved gently out of the way while Neville managed to turn just in the nick of time, sighing in relief as he did.

Meanwhile, Tracey performed an unnecessary, yet impressive, evasive barrel roll to the side.

The birds passed by without incident.

As the two pairs joined back up together again, Tracey had laid her torso horizontally across her broom, looking rather expectantly at Hermione with one arm tucked under her chin. Neville looked utterly terrified at her lackadaisical attitude.

"So which is it, Granger? The 'Handsome Hufflepuff' or the 'Snitch-Snatchin' Superstar'?"

"...Neither, Davis," huffed Hermione. She had wanted to ask how Tracey had performed such an impressive manoeuvre but figured that wasn't very important at the moment.

"That defeats the whole point of the question!" Tracey gave Hermione a disappointed look at her bland response.

"Why do I have to pick either of them!?"

"They're the hottest topic in school at the moment, so ya have ta pick either one," Tracey gave her a cheeky wink, "I bet it's Krum!"

Daphne finally joined in, "And what makes you say that?"

"Straight-laced, by-the-books girls tend to have a thing for bad boys with attitudes, eh?" lectured Tracey. "So, which one of the champions are ya choosin'?"

At that, Hermione seemed to grow very distant, her gaze getting lost in the horizon in front of them.

As much as she tried not to think about him, the only champion that came to her mind was… well, a certain green-eyed Gryffindor…

Hermione blushed harder, though it wasn't just because of the cold this time. It probably had something to do with the fact that said champion's girlfriend was right behind her.

Seeing her cheeks brighten, Tracey drew herself closer to Hermione until they were practically flying side by side. Even Daphne had begun to speed up a little, trying to catch more of their conversation over the wind blowing past her ears.

Assuming that Hermione was still thinking about Cedric and Viktor, Tracey proceeded to poke and prod for more answers.

"What? Are they too old? You're only, like, two years younger than they are, aren't ya?"

"I think it's more like three…" Hermione corrected her with a grumble.

"Bah... My parents got hitched at around our age, and they've got a few years between them. I don't think it's that weird. Besides, isn't Chang in her Fifth year?" The Slytherin nudged the Gryffindor lightly with her elbow, "…Or perhaps ya have someone else in mind?"

"I—" Hermione stopped herself and did something Daphne thought was strange.

Hermione had glanced back at her for just a split second. And in that time, Daphne saw a brief flash of a particular emotion jolt through Hermione's big brown eyes before they had swivelled back to the front.

"...They're just… intimidating, I guess." Hermione coughed.

"Krum's got that cold edge to him…" Tracey mumbled in agreement, "But Diggory's more of a softer, pretty boy, isn't he?"

But Daphne had stopped listening at that point.

Why had she looked at her like that?

Had that been… envy?

No, not quite. It was lacking that spite she was familiar with, replaced instead with a tinge of… pain, perhaps?

It was akin to more of a deep, longing look. A yearning for something that you just couldn't have. Like looking at your lost love.

Daphne felt confused by that. Why would Hermione have any reason to feel that way about her?

Daphne recalled getting the impression that Hermione had been hiding something from her after their first few interactions. Whatever it was, it had been bugging her since the beginning of their interactions. But she pushed that feeling aside for now, uncertain of what exactly to make of it.

Perhaps she'd find the time to ask Hermione about it.

By this point, the four were barely flying and were huddled together, gently hovering in the air.

"You look a little pale, Hermione. Would you care to take a short break with me?" Daphne thought it was a good time for a break, while also executing the rest of her punishment for Neville.

"Yes, I think I would." Hermione gave her a weary, but appreciative, smile, and silently thanked Daphne for saving her from any further questions from Tracey.

She slowly flew over and fell in by Daphne's side, feeling quite relieved. It didn't seem that she was aware Daphne had noticed that earlier look.

"Boo. You two aren't any fun." Tracey gave them both a thumbs down.

Daphne ignored Tracey and looked to Neville, who was now floating in front of the three girls, "And you, Nev—? Oh, what am I saying? You look like you're still raring to go for a few more rounds."

That was clearly a lie. With the way his knees were knocking together as he sat on his broom, the boy looked like he was ready to melt right off it. But hearing Daphne prompting him… his face pinched together in a pained manner as the phrase 'once-in-a-lifetime' rang through his head again.

The chubby boy glanced over to Tracey.

"I… I suppose I could s—still go on a bit longer if Tracey's staying."

Hearing that, Daphne's smile grew a tad wider and a bad feeling crawled up Neville's spine.

"Stay safe then," said Daphne as she looked at Tracey. Silently, they signalled to each other with a curt nod. The brunette seemed to have a smile as big as hers. "And have fun, you two."

Hermione sighed like a worried parent, "Do try not to break him, Davis."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Granger." Tracey snickered at her protectiveness before she turned back to face Neville, beckoning him to follow her with a nod of her head. "Come on then, Neville… Actually, have ya got a nickname?"

"Uh, n—not really…"

"Hmmm… then how about Nevs…?"

Completely unaware of what was waiting in store for him, Neville puttered along behind the chattering Tracey as she led him away, unwittingly sealing his fate.

*O*O*O*

The two witches sank like stones in water, past the colourful towers, when Daphne finally broke the silence.

"Are you alright, Hermione?"

"Hm? Oh yes, I'm… fine, I suppose." Hermione hid her stiffness poorly, a tone of awkwardness lacing her words.

Daphne winced internally at that.

Despite what they had told Neville earlier in the class, the two weren't exactly 'friends', per se.

The two had been introduced to each other by proxy of Harry. As a result of that, while warm and friendly to each other, they were truly no more than acquaintances. And even after being formally introduced, the blonde was painfully aware that they hadn't interacted with each other all that much when they were alone.

Neither had spent time with the other without Harry or Tracey around too. And it was often Harry that gave them a reason to participate in discussions with the other, while Tracey provided a head for either one of them to butt with, unintentionally helping to fill in the silence.

Hell, Daphne wasn't even going to deny that Tracey was probably closer to Hermione than she was, which was strange considering they were both witches who recognised each other's talents and intelligence, seeing eye to eye on most matters. Despite such parallels, the two had spent so long in the company of a mischievous other half that they didn't really bounce off of each other all that well.

Beyond the private lectures in Transfigurations, Hermione had little to educate or enlighten Daphne about. And with Hermione's polite and well-mannered behaviour, there wasn't much for Daphne to chide and chastise either. Moreover, Hermione wasn't too inclined to engage in discussions about the social lives of other Hogwarts students, leaving little conversational ground for Daphne to broach with her.

So, surpassing this unfamiliarity with each other was one of the reasons why Daphne had invited Hermione out today. She just wanted to start including Hermione in more of the activities she was doing with Tracey from now onwards, to genuinely build a friendship with her.

Daphne was determined to get to know Hermione better, even if it was a little awkward and painful. And she supposed there was no better time to rip that bandaid off than now.

"Sounds like something is bothering you." Daphne asked, "Was it Tracey's question?"

"Ah…" Hermione bit her lower lip, looking rather chagrined at having her mind read so easily.

"There's no need to pretend, you know… I know all about how you feel."

"You do?!" The blood drained from Hermione's features, which were now twisted up in a mix of horror and embarrassment.

In hindsight, perhaps the cryptic tone Daphne used may not have been the best choice, as the Gryffindor immediately assumed that Daphne knew of her secret crush on Harry.

"Of course I do… No need to be so dramatic, it's quite alright." Daphne assured her, unaware of what the Gryffindor was actually thinking about.

"I-It is?" Hermione asked hesitantly, evidently confused now.

"Of course. Tracey gets on my nerves all the time!" Daphne said matter-of-factly and rolled her eyes at the very recent memory of getting hassled in the shower.

"Oh! R—Right." Hermione sighed in relief at that, choosing not to correct Daphne.

The two touched down on the grass but remained on their brooms. The air was significantly warmer now that they were sheltered from the winds by the looming walls of the stadium. They were also far enough from the other students that they were afforded a good deal of privacy.

"Close friends tend to do that a lot, don't they? I'm sure you've had your fair share of frustrations with Harry and Weasley over the years."

As she spoke, Daphne cast a heating spell onto the patch of grass around them. There was a soft sizzle as the leftover dew from the morning instantly dried up. The warmth that briefly radiated from the ground into their legs made the two sigh in relief too.

The Gryffindor sat on her floating broom. The tips of her shoes just barely grazed the dry grass under her as she swung her legs back and forth, recalling the past.

"Ha…" Hermione released a joyless laugh, still remembering all the times the three of them had argued over the years, "I can't give them all the credit. I happen to know that I can be a bit frustrating to deal with sometimes..."

Daphne smiled at the misty look on Hermione's face. Harry had filled her in on a handful of times the three of them had fought with one another, only to come together at each other's need the very next moment without any question.

She wondered why things had changed now with Weasley. Perhaps it was simply a matter of puberty, pride, and hormones that got his wires crossed.

"I know what you mean. Even though she's practically been my only friend since… well, ever. I've had my fair share of fights with Tracey too. She's always a handful, and I can be too harsh… but we still love each other like sisters do."

If it hadn't been for Tracey (and Astoria) annoying her since they were kids, she didn't think her tolerance for people would've been as high as it was now. She probably would've turned out a lot more uptight and arrogant too, much like Malfoy was today.

Daphne hopped off her broom and it fell like a rock to the ground, now lifeless at her feet. The blonde walked to one side of the dry patch and put her hand up to her brow as she glanced up at the sky. She squinted, trying to spot the two students they had left behind in the clouds. Finding no sign of them, the Slytherin dropped her hand and smiled at the Gryffindor.

"Anyway, don't mind her. If there's anything I've learnt over the years, it's that Tracey gets more annoying the more she sees you as a friend."

"I didn't realise that… I always thought she liked prodding and probing me for fun. Not maliciously like Malfoy, of course, but…"

While she had gotten the impression that they were indeed on friendly terms, Hermione had always thought that Tracey looked at her the way Crookshanks would to mice.

It didn't help that either of the girls had stuck to calling each other by their last names.

"Well, two things can be true." Daphne commented nonchalantly, "But you should know that she had planned to invite you out today, even before I could even ask her."

"I see…" Hermione murmured to herself, touched to know that Tracey had thought to invite her.

"Suffice to say that she definitely likes you… which might not necessarily be a good thing." Daphne admitted with a sly smirk.

Hermione giggled at that, "Is this what having a younger sister feels like?"

Daphne sat herself down on the grass and wondered how differently Hermione would've turned out if she was a sister to Astoria or Tracey.

"Oh, yes. Give it a few more years. It'll grow on you. Probably."

With that being said, Daphne fell backwards and spread her arms out onto the grass.

"What are you doing, Daphne?"

"I'm 'taking a break', Hermione." Then her left arm patted the empty spot of dry grass next to her, "Come, join me."

Hermione looked curiously at her, wondering if this was some kind of Slytherin prank.

"Really?"

"Really."

"On the ground?"

"I know it's not exactly dignified, but it's surprisingly soothing." Daphne admitted, "And comfortable."

Hermione blinked and looked around at the other students who were still around.

"Don't mind them." Daphne said from her spot on the ground, "They're too far to make us out anyway."

Hermione supposed that was true. It helped that they were also currently in casual wear too.

With Daphne's reassurance, Hermione hopped off her broom. Using the still-floating broom as a handhold, she gingerly lowered herself down before allowing it to fall by her side. Copying the Slytherin, Hermione slowly splayed herself on the ground next to her and found that her view was immediately filled with an endless sea of rolling grey clouds.

This would have been even nicer on a bright, sunny day, but it was still surprising how accurate the other girl's words had been.

The Gryffindor felt entranced. She felt so small at that moment, and a sense of tranquillity washed over her. Even though she was aware of the soft ground against her back, it felt like she was floating once more. But this time, instead of being on a stable broom, she felt more like an astronaut, aimlessly drifting without gravity in the vastness of space.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, with only their quiet breaths accompanying the calm stillness that had enveloped them.

She could even make out Tracey and Neville's figures in the air now, having emerged from behind one of the faraway towers. From this distance it was nearly impossible to discern which was which. They were so high up that they looked like nothing more than black specks.

But one of them was weaving back and forth rapidly on their broom, twisting and soaring at terrifying speeds. The other was struggling to keep up, even without any of the fancy tricks.

That, at the very least, made it very easy to tell the two apart.

Still staring up into the skies, Daphne broke the silence with a question.

"...So, who do you like, Hermione?" Daphne asked teasingly, giggling as the girl beside her groaned.

"Oh God, not you too…" The prim and proper girl whined, shielding her reddening face with her mittens.

"I'm not trying to pressure you! But I can't deny that I am curious." Daphne laughed, "Is it that big of a deal?"

This time it was Hermione's turn to wince.

"It… It kind of is."

"Well… I'm not going to force you to tell me, but you already know who I like. And that's a pretty big secret given the circumstances." Daphne turned her head ever so slightly to look Hermione in the eyes, "I know you can keep my secret… Won't you trust me with yours?"

It was that sincere look on Daphne's face, along with those two words that finally got Hermione.

'Trust me'.

Hermione felt some part deep inside of her crack right open.

She turned her wide-eyed gaze back to the skies and the words tumbled right out—

"I like Harry."

—and suddenly, there was an awkward silence as the realisation of those words crashed onto both of them.

Hermione felt like she had just shattered a plate in a bustling restaurant, and now all eyes were silently staring at her.

She amended her words quickly as she sat upright, averting her eyes from the girl beside her. The words spewed out of her uncontrollably,

"I don't—! I don't like him anymore… because you two are dating! Wait, no!" Her hands moved along as she jabbered, waving around as if trying to help her cobble together coherent sentences that would help ease the tension in the air.

But the words that came to her just weren't making any sense.

"I didn't mean it like that… I meant it's not because of you that— I wouldn't have—!"

It felt like nothing was making sense.

Hermione lamented softly to herself, "Oh, this is so confusing…"

Honestly, she didn't know why she was getting flustered, or rambling anymore, nor why her eyes felt like they were trying to hold back a few tears.

All she knew was that her thumping heart was gripped by an oppressive sense of guilt.

She thought she had gotten over these feelings already, having buried them deep under her skin when Harry had told her of his interest in Daphne.

The thought of it ruining her longtime friendship with Harry, and her newfound one with Daphne, also worried her greatly. But without confronting it head-on, the truth was that it wasn't possible to get rid of those feelings. Especially since Harry was the first boy she ever had a crush on,and it hadn't even been that long since his indirect rejection.

As such, the ghosts of those feelings lingered in her heart and manifested themselves into that guilt that had been slowly gnawing away at her.

Why was getting over a crush so hard?!

And try as she might, there weren't any academic books in Hogwarts to help her solve these issues! Believe her, she triple-checked every available listing from Madam Pince's seemingly endless list of books!

Hermione bit her lip while Daphne, who was still lying on the floor, stayed silent on the matter.

Instead, Hermione continued to stare at the grass between her knees, wishing she could just vanish into thin air to save her from the embarrassment of being verbally flogged by Daphne.

But truthfully… Hermione had no clue how Daphne was going to respond to this revelation. Surely being told by your friend that they had a crush on your boyfriend would damage your relationship marginally, right?

So she closed her eyes, and prepared for the worst.

But, much to her surprise, it never came.

"Oh, good!" Daphne hummed after a brief moment of thought, "I guess our taste in men is one more thing we have in common…"

This had not been the response Hermione had anticipated.

"What?!" She thought her brows were going to lift off her face with how high they shot up. The blonde seated herself upright with her index finger gently tapping at her chin. Her blue eyes were staring at Hermione in contemplation.

"...Wouldn't it be even weirder if you didn't like him?" She offered in response with a gentle smile on her face.

"I don't even—! What does that—? You're not upset?!" Hermione found herself utterly stunned at how Daphne had unintentionally turned the tables on her with her unexpected answer.

She had expected vitriol and venom but had been met with adoring agreement instead.

"I mean… should I?" Daphne looked confused.

"B—But I— You—!"

"Calm down, Hermione." Daphne squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, "Please, take a few deep breaths."

At her urging, Hermione shut her mouth and followed Daphne's instructions. She did her best to slow her racing heart, and not to fire off the many, many questions that were bouncing back and forth in the back of her throat.

Seeing that she had relaxed considerably, Daphne gestured for Hermione to ask her questions — albeit, slowly.

After that short breather, one in particular stood out from all the rest.

"What did you mean that it'd be 'weirder'?" Hermione took a moment before asking another, "And why aren't you upset that I might still have feelings for Harry too?

Daphne's entire persona flipped as the calm aura she carried evaporated. Her eyes lit up incandescently and she leaned forward, getting up onto her knees. Her hands clamped around Hermione's shoulders as she began gushing excitedly to her.

"Are you serious?! I mean— he's bloody gorgeous, isn't he!" That had not been a question — rather, a very proud statement, "Frankly, I'd be personally insulted if you didn't think Harry was worth having a crush on."

Needless to say, Hermione had never, ever seen Daphne Greengrass this excited before.

"Um… I suppose I can see your reasoning…?" Hermione blinked repeatedly at the surge of passion in Daphne's voice, finding herself unconsciously leaning away from the intensity radiating from the blonde. She couldn't go too far though with the way Daphne was holding onto her.

Daphne was excited for several reasons.

Firstly, she didn't get the opportunity to gush over the topic of Harry with anyone else besides Tracey. And any excuse she could get to talk about him was not going to be passed up.

Secondly, she thought that this commonality between them could further her friendship with Hermione. Or, at the very least, provide some good conversational material.

"And to answer your second question… So what if you like him? I'm sure there are plenty more girls who secretly do too. I know of at least one other, and we're getting to know each other too."

To Daphne, it was the same logic as getting married to someone attractive. If you recognized and appreciated their good looks, chances were high others would too.

No need for jealousy. You were the lucky one dating them, after all!

For all Daphne cared, everyone in the world could be in love with him (as they rightfully should!) and she'd still be happy as a clam having him all to herself.

Call it 'obsessed' or 'crazy', Daphne just loved Harry — a lot. And it manifested itself through a variety of unconventional ways.

"You gave us your blessings, Hermione. As one of Harry's best friends, that means a lot to me. Besides, what do I have to worry about? I might not know all your ins and outs, but I do know you're not the sort of girl to try and interfere with a relationship."

Daphne let go of her and fell back down onto her bum. She glanced back towards the direction of the school, wondering what the subject of their discussion was up to at the moment.

"Still, regardless of how I feel, I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me all that, Hermione. It mustn't have been easy for you to get that off your chest."

The bushy-haired girl pulled her cap off her head. Her hair unravelled and exploded all around her as she sighed.

"...It wasn't," She admitted.

"Then thank you for trusting me."

"I probably wouldn't have if you hadn't asked," Hermione admitted once more, absently toying with her cap in her mittens. She had to keep her hands busy, or else she didn't know what to do with them! "But you're right. I feel better now. At least a little."

The grip around her heart had loosened up ever so slightly, and she felt some of her guilt slowly dissipating as she took in Daphne's words. It felt nice to entrust someone with such a secret.

Even if the circumstances were a bit… strange.

"If it helps, and you don't mind, why don't we talk about it some more?" Daphne urged.

Relieved after that weighty confession, yet aware of the lingering emotions in her heart, Hermione weighed the options in her mind. Considering the weird circumstances, she couldn't help but feel genuinely curious about where it might lead. It seemed like a decent step in finally moving on.

Besides, all this 'girl talk' was rather refreshing.

"Alright, fine. It's clear you want to talk about Harry anyway," Hermione noted the excited look that was barely concealed on Daphne's face.

"Guilty," She acknowledged with a slight wave, "But I'm also really glad we're bonding over something other than our studies."

Hermione's smile grew a little wider from that comment, glad that she wasn't alone in that feeling.

"...He has changed a lot, hasn't he?" Hermione sighed, "I can't believe I never really noticed how much he's matured."

In the blink of an eye, they were now already in their fourth year of school. Hermione's younger self would've paled if she knew all the trouble they would end up getting themselves involved in over the years.

"What part of him caught your eye?" Daphne was curious about what facets others saw in Harry that made them fall for him. It was easy to understand that his looks had snagged Fleur's attention, but she was mighty curious about how someone like Hermione, who had known Harry for years, felt.

Hermione blushed at the question and found herself glancing away from Daphne.

It was still a little hard to believe she was actually discussing this with her, and that this wasn't some weird dream, but Hermione found her voice moments later.

"...I didn't really notice it until a few weeks ago, but like you said, Harry's really handsome now. A lot more than before. Fitter… and funnier too," She said after a moment of consideration, "Seeing him finally take his studies seriously helps too. Maybe it's just because he feels more mature than before."

"Ah, brains and brawns? I get where you're coming from." Daphne snickered in agreement as she tapped her temple, "Boys aren't much fun to be around if they're too dull, are they?"

Hermione just laughed at that, seeing no need to speak about the years of trying to coerce Harry and Ron to get their grades up. The former always had the talent to be a top student but was lazy when it came to brushing up on academic matters. The latter simply showed no interest in any other brain activity beyond endless games of chess, which was impressive in itself she supposed.

It felt a little validating that at least one of them had made a change for the better.

A moment passed between them before Hermione glanced back up to Daphne, giving her a wry look.

"And you? When did you fall for him, Daphne?"

"It was shortly after he broke my nose," She skipped the part about observing him from the beginning and gave a condensed version of events. "But all the other little things about him had me hooked onto that fool before I even fully realised it… So, in a sense, I guess I'm the bigger fool." She sighed exasperatedly as if mocking herself for having fallen for Harry's charms.

"What little things?" Hermione watched as Daphne bit her lower lip before she pointed out a few of her favourite features in her boyfriend.

"Have you noticed that stupid habit he picked up last year of intentionally keeping his tie loose, even when it's bloody freezing out because he secretly thinks it makes him look 'cooler'? Or how he gets excited every time he gets the chance to hop onto a broom and strut his skills — even though everyone already knows he's probably the best Seeker in Hogwarts."

Hermione had expected Daphne to stop after that, but instead, the blonde looked like she was just getting started.

It seemed she really did want to talk about all the finer details of him.

"I love the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs, that mischievous giggle when he's up to no good, and that cute, dopey smile of his when he cracks a joke he finds especially hilarious…"

Daphne took a breath — before firing off even more!

"Oh, and don't even get me started on his eyes! They're like the brightest days of spring… like sunlight gently filtering through the underside of a canopy of leaves. They're always filled with warmth and kindness, and he doesn't bother with pretences or facades. When he looks at me like that, I just know I can let down my defences around him. Plus—"

Alright, maybe it was a little more than Hermione had expected.

Hermione was stunned at the slew of details that Daphne was producing now.

She had never heard her speak this much! And with the way she was listing off every single little detail about Harry, she didn't think there was going to be any end to it. It was like she had turned into a walking, talking encyclopaedia dedicated entirely to him.

At some point, her voice began slowly fading into the background as Hermione tuned out of the one-sided conversation. But instead of stopping Daphne, she just sat there and silently marvelled, watching while the blonde continued her raving about Harry's finer points.

The blonde seemed to pick up more and more energy as she spoke. The calm poise she normally carried herself with had been replaced by a surprising level of animation, even while seated. She gleefully gesticulated with her arms as she passionately described all the little details about Harry she adored.

With each word, her body grew far more energetic. Her cheeks were now flush with colour, and she seemed to just… glow. Even the cold air around them felt like it was warming up from the heated passion she was exhibiting.

It was like someone had breathed new life into her. There weren't any reservations in her behaviour anymore, as though Harry was the key to undoing the shackles that kept this part of her hidden away.

Daphne's gorgeous smile had reached her eyes too, which were shimmering with so much affection that it would've made any ordinary boy weak in the knees. As she was now, Daphne perfectly embodied the ideal image of what Hermione thought to be a girl emboldened and smitten with love.

It was then Hermione was struck with the revelation that, even after all the years she had spent as his best friend, these were all things that she had never really picked up romantically in Harry. Sure, there were general habits and traits she could relate to him, but she never saw beyond that.

To her, they were just forgettable actions, and not 'things to be adored'.

Finally listening to Daphne tallying up the numerous things about Harry that she couldn't…

It only made one thing more apparent than ever.

Compared to Daphne, Hermione felt like a fraud. That her crush on Harry was shallow — one that was based entirely on superficial reasons.

How could she, someone who didn't even like the way she looked, have any right to find comfort in the looks of her best friend?

And though her logic was flawed, Hermione still blamed herself.

Finally being confronted by the sheer difference in feelings between herself and Daphne, the emotional whiplash she gave herself made her heart fracture even further.

A swell of emotions emerged from these fissures once more, this time far stronger than before. It escaped from her mouth as a choked sob before she could stop it. Cupping her mouth, she hunched over on her knees, heaving slightly as the conflicting emotions inside her boiled over.

Noticing Hermione's distress, Daphne stopped midway through yet another compliment.

"Hermione? What's wrong?" Daphne hurriedly crawled over to her, placing gloved hands to support the trembling girl on her shoulder and back.

Tears were already rolling down Hermione's cheeks — but strangely, she bore a frustrated smile on her face.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Daphne asked again, given the silence.

"I think I'm fine, Daphne…" She was laughing now even amidst her sobs, repeatedly wiping them away with the back of her mittens. Normally, she wouldn't be this vulnerable in front of Daphne, but with their recent openness, she felt comfortable enough to let her emotions show.

The feelings that she had buried were escaping now, and they were hitting her hard. After fighting against it for so long, it just felt natural to relinquish any control over it and just let it all out.

Thankfully the other students were a little too far away to make sense of the scene she was making.

"It's just... you found all these little things in him that I never could, things that make you light up in ways I've never seen before. It opened my eyes and made me realize that my crush on him lacked any substance… Watching you fawn over him made me see that I still only see him as a best friend — a really handsome one, yes, but still just a friend."

Daphne could tell that the Gryffindor had been grappling with these feelings for a while now, bottling it up and hiding it since learning of their secret relationship. Daphne had wanted to cut in to reassure and validate Hermione's feelings but felt it would have been insulting to do so given her position as Harry's girlfriend.

Saying something like "there, there" to try and comfort her felt like it was just throwing salt in the wound.

But at the very least, Hermione was finally addressing the issues head-on which was the right thing to do, even if it was messy.

So she stayed by Hermione's side as a friend, silently stroking her back with gentle motions to encourage her to get it all out of her system.

"Ugh. There's so much on my mind right now…" Hermione palmed her forehead, hat still in her hands. Clenching her stinging eyes shut, she did her best to sort her feelings out with her words, "I only realized it when he revealed his feelings for you, so I didn't dare confront my feelings. I just buried and ignored it… but it's finally spilling out… I suppose I'm sad my first proper crush is over."

Let it be known that Hermione did NOT count her blind admiration for Professor Lockhart as a 'real first crush'.

"But at the same time, I'm— gosh, I'm still smiling like a loon…! I'm also honestly so happy that he's found someone who loves him as much as he does them. He deserves it. And I'm so glad that it was someone who was willing to be kind to me even after finding out my feelings for him." Hermione sniffled and fell back, settling herself back on her bum. She hugged her knees close to her chest, her breathing still slightly rattled.

Daphne felt that words didn't need to be said. She simply expressed her appreciation to Hermione through the warm hands she placed on her back.

As her tears subsided, the pressure in Hermione's chest drained away, finally ebbing out with the remnants of her heartache. Baring so much of her heart to Daphne, even with all the layers she had on now, left her feeling utterly defenceless.

But the event had been cathartic and finally gave Hermione the closure she needed to finally move on from her one-sided and short-lived romantic feelings for her best friend.

"I'm sorry… for… for this. I'm such a mess," Her voice was muffled with half her face buried into her limbs, but her bright red cheeks and nose were still barely visible even behind her knees.

"Meeting your feelings head-on will do that to you." Daphne remarked gently as she plopped herself next to the brunette, leaning up against her, "Look, Hermione. I'm not even going to pretend I fully understand the facets of love, but what I do know is that it's terribly fickle. Crushes can come suddenly and be completely harmless, or leave as fast and hurt just as bad."

Seeing as how she herself had struggled with her feelings for Harry for a while before realising what they truly were, she easily understood Hermione's predicament.

"I think you're being a bit too harsh on yourself. Whatever you're feeling is perfectly valid. You shouldn't guilt yourself over them, or compare them to mine. Because when it comes to Harry, I'm afraid I'm just a little more…"

"Crazy?" Hermione offered up with a small sniff.

"Ah, well… I'd prefer 'obsessed', but you're not too far off either." That admittance brought a less weepy chuckle out of Hermione, which Daphne was pleased to see, "I'm glad you've sorted your feelings out now. Besides, there are plenty of other handsome boys out there worth your time. Ones you haven't yet spoken to… like Cedric Diggory, or Viktor Krum!"

Her suggestions earned her a scoff as Hermione gave Daphne a snide look at somehow managing to bring the conversation back full circle.

"Cedric's already dating someone!" And just like that, Hermione seemed to be brought out of her slump, engaging with Daphne with her usual vigour even before the redness on her features had gone.

"Hm. So you're saying that if he didn't have a partner, you'd pick Cedric? Interesting. Oh, but I am noting that you didn't exactly say 'no' to Krum either…"

Hermione could only describe the smile on Daphne's face as 'extremely Tracey-like' as the blonde pretended to jot notes down on her palm.

Leave it to a Slytherin to find some way to twist and turn her words against her like that. They truly were a slippery lot.

She obviously thought they were handsome as well, but she didn't dare try and voice those thoughts out loud, lest Daphne tease her even more!

"Even if there was a possibility that I'd be interested in them, which is still up for debate… Hypothetically, the odds of someone like me catching their attention are slim to none. After all, I'm nothing like you..."

That statement earned a frown from Daphne.

As someone who had never really dabbled in trying to look her best, Hermione didn't have the slightest clue on just how much effort Daphne put into her looks on a daily basis. It wasn't like she got out of bed looking like a supermodel.

Harry could attest to that too after this morning's sleepover.

Her natural beauty aside, it still took a lot of effort to maintain and improve herself. Not even counting the training from last year, Daphne had a daily skincare routine she followed religiously. To her, looking good was akin to tending to a garden! She had to water the plants, pluck weeds, trim hedges, and make sure any unwanted pests stayed clear of her flowers!

Aware that Hermione was clueless of her efforts, the Slytherin took less offence to her statement.

"Hermione, what did I just say about comparing…?"

"But how can I not?! You're the prettiest, smartest girl in our year… and I'm— well… me." She made a dejected, sweeping motion over herself.

Daphne turned to face Hermione and gripped her shoulders. She gently guided the brunette to face her.

Now face to face, Daphne was lightly glaring at Hermione. The slight edge in her icy gaze was more than enough to make Hermione gulp.

"Don't you dare bring yourself down like that, Granger!" Daphne sternly admonished Hermione with her index finger extended out threateningly. "I won't tolerate anyone bad-mouthing a close friend of mine. Even if it's coming from yourself."

Hermione blinked rapidly at that.

Only two words seemed to have reached her.

"We're close friends?" She asked timidly, yet seemingly in awe at the idea. She never really had close female friends before and never knew where she really stood with Tracey.

But after today's discussions, it was clear the two Slytherins did indeed cherish her presence greatly.

"Of course! After this, we'd better be!" Daphne indignantly chided her, still somewhat upset at the self-deprecating comments. "Listen here, Granger. You're a sweet girl with a good heart and a head just as brilliant as the one you'd find on Merlin's own shoulders. And you're hardly unattractive!"

Hermione was blushing at the compliments. She couldn't help herself. It wasn't every day she got such sweet compliments, even if she didn't necessarily believe them to be true.

"...It sure doesn't feel that way. I've got this face, this dry, messy, frizzy hair, and these big buck teeth…" She ran her hand through her bushy hair, before jabbing a finger at her frowning mouth.

"Oh, Hermione," Daphne sounded almost motherly as she tutted at the other girl's words, "You'll need to trust me when I say you're pretty. But… beyond the bare minimum, can you really say you've tried to put in effort in your appearance?"

Seeing Hermione immediately clam up told Daphne what the answer was to her question. Finally hearing it out loud from someone who she thought was the pinnacle of beauty in Hogwarts just… hit her a little harder.

"It just takes a little effort to make that side of you shine through. And sure, your hair is all those things, but also so much more. With a few drops of Flowfern oil, lots of combing, and some tender loving care, your head will be full of gorgeous, luscious curls. And I know, after a bit of effort, you'll definitely be able to see what I see."

Using a few fingers, Daphne gently combed a small portion of her brown locks. Even as unruly as it was, it was noticeably soft. Her fingers felt like they were sinking into a teddy bear's stuffing.

Hermione was blushing again at the intimate and ticklish gesture.

"And, well, I think your teeth are adorable. But if it bothers you that much, you could always shrink it to a size you prefer."

"I can?!" Hermione gingerly touched her lips as she considered the idea.

Daphne nodded. "You could. It'd be a fairly simple procedure for someone like Madam Pomfrey to help make minor cosmetic alterations. It'd only be a matter of convincing her to help, and even that wouldn't be difficult."

But Hermione frowned, "I—I'll have to think about it. I don't know if my parents will appreciate me magically modifying parts of myself all willy-nilly. Especially my teeth."

"That's fine. You should sleep on it. But if you ever need more advice, on anything really, you're always more than welcome to ask Tracey or I. We're here for you." Daphne leaned in and hugged Hermione.

Hermione returned the hug with more strength than Daphne was expecting.

"Thank you, Daphne… for getting me to open up. And for comforting me. This was… I feel so much better!"

Daphne smiled. It felt good to finally bypass the line of 'acquaintances', and step comfortably into the space of 'friends'.

"I'm glad it wa—"

"AAAAAAAHHHH—!"

"—S'CUSE ME, COMIN' THROUGH!"

The two witches had just enough time to separate as a familiar pair of students came barrelling through the space between them, both riding on the same broom.

Thankfully, the two had passed through the gap between Daphne and Hermione without a hitch. But Hermione's hair whipped violently around her in the subsequent gust of wind that followed after the two.

A riderless broom trailed right over their heads right after, following the speeding broom at a significantly slower pace.

"Looks like we're not the only two getting some bonding in," commented Daphne with a small smirk at the sight of the two students sharing Tracey's borrowed broom.

Tracey had one hand on the front of her broom, while the other held her wand out, silently sending commands to Neville's broom to follow along obediently. Though instead of her usual beaming grin, Tracey had a sharp look of concentration in her narrowed eyes as she made a lap around the field.

It was an intensity Daphne was very familiar with.

On the other hand, a terrified Neville was seated behind her, though barely. His lower half appeared to be slowly sliding off the backside of the broom, while his forearms were wrapped desperately around Tracey's waist as he shamelessly clung onto her for dear life.

Some of the few students here had stopped talking to watch the display, clapping and cheering in their seats. Thankfully, they were going a little too fast to be identified.

Then, completing one full round around the course, Tracey took a steep incline and rocketed off towards the skies once more. Neville's shrill scream followed, fading as they got further away.

Hermione baulked at the speed and sounds, worried about the nervous boy's wellbeing.

Behind her, Daphne Greengrass simply smiled, now satisfied. It was sufficient payment to clear the one-sided debt with her. Still, she did wonder how Tracey could have possibly convinced Neville to get onto her broom.

Her smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared when Hermione turned back around.

"Um… Is he in any danger?"

"It's Tracey," Daphne waved her concerns off. "He'll be fine."

That answer didn't fill Hermione with much confidence, but she supposed there wasn't much she could do other than put her faith in Daphne's words, as she had done today.

"I thought you said this was going to be casual," Hermione commented, her concern still evident in her voice.

"It is…" Daphne trailed off, "...relative to Tracey's skill. You might not know it, but she's just about as good as Harry is on a broom. Let's go get her before she goes for another dive. I'm not sure if Neville has the heart for another round."

Believing that Neville had experienced more than enough terror today, Daphne was even starting to feel a little bad. She thought Tracey would have put an end to his punishment by now, but given that she had just shot back up into the air moments ago, Daphne figured she must have lost track of time while going on her joyride — as usual.

She pushed herself up and off the ground before she reached a hand for Hermione to take. The brunette obliged and stood with her assistance. The two began brushing their pants off before Hermione glanced up to the skies, barely able to see the two as they zipped through the air.

"Say, if Tracey's so good, surely she could've joined the Slytherin's Quidditch team?"

Daphne produced a loud 'ha!' at the suggestion.

"She doesn't care for Quidditch, Hermione. Doesn't see the point in all the balls, beaters, and rules. She's always been more of a Broom Racing kind of girl." Daphne smiled, snorting at the comments Tracey had previously made about Krum, "She just likes going fast. Really fast. I'm sure if you look hard enough, you can still spot some of the burn marks she left with her broom around our estate and orchards the summer before."

It did explain why Tracey seemed so comfortable on a broom earlier, flying effortlessly as she performed trick after trick.

"...That actually fits her personality perfectly," Hermione hummed, learning something new about Tracey.

The two girls held their hands over their lifeless brooms. In an instant, they popped up off the ground and into their palms. As Hermione slipped the broom between her thighs, she suddenly looked back at Daphne with a slight bit of interest.

"...Did you say your family has orchards?"

Coming from a family of dentists meant that Hermione was well off, living comfortably in a sizable home in London. But being able to own orchards felt like another level of wealth altogether.

"We're not as large and opulent as the Malfoys' estate, mind you." The trivial and dismissive tone in Daphne's voice was laughable, "But I'd like to think that ours is just as respectable in regards to taste. Just a few acres of our property with a few fruit trees on them. My little sister and I usually spend a summer day or two with Tracey picking fruits, or playing by the lake with Cobs."

"Who's Cobs?"

"Our cat," clarified Daphne, "He's half-Kneazle."

"Oh! My cat, Crooksh—" Her jaw suddenly dropped a little, "—Your family has a lake too?!"

"It's not really ours, but a bit of it does fall under our property's lines, so we make the most of it during the Summer. Speaking of which…!" Daphne visibly perked up, "You should definitely swing by during the holidays and stay for a few days! We have more than enough rooms to spare! We could have picnics, and go swimming… oh, and we can go camping too!"

Hearing how excited Daphne was to have her over for the holidays, a soft and pretty smile graced Hermione's features. The warmth of being wanted enveloped her… and it was also a little cute to see Daphne being thrilled about things other than Harry.

The Gryffindor slipped her cap back onto her head. She hadn't even bothered to tuck her hair under it either because, today, Hermione Granger had found a little more confidence in herself — as well as a newfound closeness to Daphne Greengrass.

"...That sounds like fun. I'd… I'd really like that." Having only been to the Weasleys' quaint, but very cramped, Burrow, the idea of visiting another friend's home in Magical Britain sounded very pleasant. And from what Daphne had shared a while ago, the Greengrass Library likely had no shortage of old, dusty books waiting to be rediscovered and read!

"Perhaps Neville would be interested in coming along too — provided he survives today…"

Daphne was also silently hoping that Harry would be able to visit the Greengrass Manor too. She'd love to formally introduce him to her parents.

With that said the two girls began to rise off the field, chatting like long-lost friends as they slowly made their way back up into the skies to save Neville from further torment.

*O*O*O*

Chapter 10: End

*O*O*O*

A/N:

Hello dear readers.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it's focused mostly on the slice-of-life and friendship aspect.

I honestly spent quite a few weeks wondering if I ought to just scrap the entire thing... and I still do, even as I'm writing this AN.

I just hope you guys don't hate this as much as I think you will.

Still, do earnestly give me your feedback on whether you enjoyed it so I can know if I should write more of this sort of thing in the future, or avoid it. Even if you didn't enjoy it, do expect the next chapter to be a part 2/continuation of the day for the characters, so it'll still be very similar in themes to this one.

So, uh, sorry!

I originally wanted to try and have Daphne express her feelings for Harry through indirect means. Eventually decided to tackle this challenge by having her express it to Hermione, while also closing the book on Hermione's crush on Harry and that little plot thread of Daphne noticing that something was off with Hermione. I also wanted to write about that awkward feeling when you're in a friend group of three, and you're suddenly forced to spend time without the friend that 'connects' the two of you together. Hope I've conveyed that through Daphne well enough!

Also, early on in the writing process, the chapter was supposed to have and be named after the motif of 'killing two birds with one stone', (hence why it was mentioned so many times in these 2 chapters) but I ultimately added so much extra content that it pretty much diluted that running theme.

Less Important A/N:

I'm sorry I was gone for like... 5 months?

Life hasn't been too kind in the months since my last post. My chronic illness is worsening, and I've been pretty depressed. Not trying to garner pity points, but thought it would be good to keep you all updated on some of what's been happening.

Anyway, see you all in the next chapter, which should be coming in a few days.