Harry entered the Hogwarts library the next day, quickly making his way through the maze of bookshelves towards the cramped corner table that had now become his meeting place with Daphne.

"Daphne," Harry said, rounding the last bookshelf before the darkened corner.

"Hello Harry, finally got away from Ron and Hermione?" Daphne asked, reaching out to take her essay from Harry's outstretched hand.

Harry rolled his eyes and sat down next to Daphne, "you'd think they were my parents the way they carry on."

Daphne giggled, "what homework have you got tonight?"

"None actually, apparently the other Professors aren't as insane as Slughorn."

Daphne snorted, "Slughorn's a bit of a character isn't he?"

"At least he's not Snape, remember that one time in potions?"

It was the beginning of second year and Harry was working on a Wiggenweld potion with Ron in the back corner of the classroom. Snape's billowing cloak was tracking a path towards himself and Ron, drawing his attention away from the potion in front of him.

"WEASLEY!" Snape said as Harry's cauldron slowly melted away. "You complete fool! Get away from it before it eats you as well. I clearly said add FIVE Lionfish spines not FIFTY."

The rest of the class sniggered as Snape continued to berate Ron and Harry, Draco was howling on the other side of the classroom and Hermione's face was slowly getting redder from her nearby seat next to Neville.

"Potter, work with Greengrass. Weasley, you will work with Granger and Longbottom and keep your hands out of their ingredients," Snape swept away, cloak billowing behind him.

That was how Harry Potter first met Daphne Greengrass, right off the back of having his only cauldron melted by Ron. Grumbling under his breath Harry moved over to the vacant seat next to Daphne.

"Please don't ruin my work Harry," Daphne said as he sat down.

"I didn't even do anything!" Harry said indignantly.

Daphne placed a vial of salamander blood in front of Harry, "can you just add this until the potion turns green? I want to start my essay before class is over."

"Fine," Harry slowly poured the salamander blood into Daphne's cauldron, reaching a perfect lime green before stopping.

"Oh, perfect Harry thank you," Daphne said, taking the vial from Harry and placing it back into her potions kit.

"10 points to Slytherin Miss Greengrass," Snape said, glancing into her cauldron on his way past.

Daphne roared with laughter, "I still can't believe Ron managed to melt your cauldron on the first day!"

Harry chuckled, "You should have heard Hermione tear into him afterwards, he was scared of her for weeks."

"Oooh Oooh what about that time in Charms third year!"

It was third year Charm's class and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were busy revising the levitation charm Wingardium Leviosa.

"Ron have you forgotten how to use a wand!" Hermione said, dodging Ron's wild swishing motion.

"You do it then if you're so brilliant," Ron said, tossing his feather over to Hermione.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Hermione performed a perfect levitation charm, bouncing the feather lightly over to Ron and placing it down in front of him.

"Bloody show off," Ron griped under his breath.

Harry lent back in his chair and watched the show with a hidden smile. He had already performed the charm and was watching the rest of the class while waiting for Ron. Ron, who was muttering under his breath and waving his wand wildly, was about to set off quite the chain reaction. With a firm wave of his wand Ron sent his feather up in flames, creating an explosion that rocked the classroom and sent soot flying everywhere.

"RONALD!" Hermione's voice screamed from the black cloud.

"10 points from Gryffindor Mr. Weasley," Professor Flitwick said, siphoning the soot from the air with his wand. "Perhaps you should revise that charm for extra homework."

Ron still had a stunned expression on his face, not helped by his now lacking eyebrows. "Professor, I didn't -"

Interrupting Ron mid-sentence was a pillow that came flying across the room and smacked Harry in the jaw, sending him flying backwards from his precarious perch.

"MISS GREENGRASS! -" Professor Flitwick turned towards the Slytherin side of the classroom "- what have I told you about the banishing charm. Perhaps you should do extra homework with Mr. Weasley."

"I'm sorry, Professor," Daphne's meek voice said from the other side of the now-spinning room.

"That really hurt you know," Harry said, rubbing the back of his head at the memory.

"That's not my fault you can't sit on a chair properly, honestly leaning back like that is just asking for trouble."

Harry looked at her out the side of his eye, "I can't say I was expecting a pillow to come flying across the room."

Daphne waved her hand dismissively, "expect the unexpected you know what they say."

"And a pillow flying across the room counts as 'the unexpected' now?"

"Well, you weren't expecting it so clearly it does."

Harry chuckled lightly, "that really was a strong charm."

Daphne pouted, "I apologised after class you can't hold it over my head forever."

"I think I can get another few years out of it if I try."

Daphne narrowed her eyes at Harry, "I think it would be in your best interest to not try."

"Oh, is that so Miss Greengrass?"

Daphne poked Harry's ribs with a quill, "It definitely is, Mr. Potter."

Harry laughed, for the first time since boarding the Hogwarts express he felt light. The chains that had wrapped around him from the second Ginny turned her back had finally loosened, he felt free.

"I'll concede to you this time Daphne."

Daphne raised her noise in an aristocratic manner, "get used to it Harry."

"Bugger, look at the time," Harry said, glancing at the clock sitting high on the library's wall.

Daphne followed Harry's eyes towards the clock, "Is it really that close to curfew already?"

"Apparently it is, we best get going."

Daphne gathered her bag and stood up, "I'll see you later Harry."

"See you, Daphne."

Two weeks had passed since Harry's last conversation with Daphne, the compounding strain of school in conjunction with Hermione's mothering had prevented Harry from seeking out his blonde-haired companion. Finally one night the stars aligned, Hermione found herself buried beneath piles of parchment in the common room and Ron was out getting up to God knows what. That left Harry free to flee to the library, the past fortnight had been wearing on him and he was looking forward to solitude.

Ginny and Dean had been getting bolder with their public affection, often resulting in an indignant outburst from Ron followed by a scolding from Hermione. Despite the potency of the sting fading over time Harry still found himself unwilling to spend any longer then necessary in their combined presence. As Harry made his way through the castle he pondered on why it didn't hurt quite as much anymore, he even managed to bring himself to have a conversation with Dean for the first time this year just yesterday.

Harry entered the library and tracked the familiar path to the corner table, unable to find an answer to any of his questions. Unsurprisingly the table was occupied by Daphne, her blonde-hair standing out against the looming shadows as she scribbled her latest essay.

"Hey Daphne," Harry said, dropping into the seat next to her and placing his bag under the table.

Daphne looked up from her essay, "Hey Harry, it's been a while hasn't it?"

Harry nodded absently, getting his own homework out from the depths of his bag. "Yeah, sorry I just couldn't seem to get away from everything."

"It's alright, what do you have to work on tonight?"

"Defence, that essay is going to kill me I've already re-written it four times."

Daphne laughed lowly, "four times, you must really be a dunderhead."

Harry rolled his eyes before ducking his head into his bag to search for a quill.

"Use mine Harry, I just finished my work."

Harry's head popped up, "oh, thanks, I think I must have lost my last one."

Daphne giggled and held the quill out for Harry to take, "keep it then, I have plenty."

Harry reached out and took the quill from Daphne's hand, if his fingers lingered a little longer then was necessary neither of them felt the need to comment on it.

"You're a lifesaver, Daphne."

"Potter!" Draco said, nearly jumping out of his skin as he rounded the bookshelf next to Astoria.

"Oh hello Daphne," Astoria swept around the corner into the guttering candlelight, a mischievous smile tugged at her lips when she spotted the pair in the corner. "You never told me about you and Harry…" she trailed off suggestively, waggling her eyebrows.

Harry felt Daphne tense beside him and watched Draco become increasingly uncomfortable as the silence drew on. He wondered whether it was Draco's presence or her sister's questioning that caused the slight blush that worked its way up Daphne's neck.

"I didn't tell you because there's nothing to tell Astoria," Daphne said, cheeks flushed.

Draco shifted uncomfortably, "we'll go find somewhere else, come on Astoria."

"Oh alright," Astoria conceded, allowing Draco to lead her away from her sister and Harry. "I'll get the truth from you later Daphne!" she called over her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked after a beat of pensive silence.

Daphne hesitated, "yeah, it doesn't really sting anymore…"

Harry nodded, "it stopped about a week ago for me."

"Does that make me a bad person?" Daphne whispered. "I mean…I thought I really liked him…but, its been like a month since I found out about him and Astoria."

Harry thought for a moment, allowing a silence to blanket the pair.

"I don't think so…I mean…what did you like about him?"

"That's the thing, I don't really know anymore. If you asked me two weeks ago I'm sure I'd rattle off a list of reasons, but now…I don't really know."

"I think I can understand that."

Daphne chuckled, glancing at Harry. "I'm shocked, here I was thinking you had the emotional depth of a puddle."

Harry attempted to scowl but the glimmering in his eyes gave him away, "I like to think I have the emotional depth of a teacup, not a puddle thank you."

Daphne laughed, filling their secluded corner with a warmth Harry hadn't realised he missed.

"It's been too long Harry, you can't just run off for a fortnight again."

The smile tugging at Harry's lips faded, replaced with a hint of guilt gnawing at his stomach. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disappear for so long. Things between Ron and Hermione have been difficult lately…"

Daphne's smile faded in turn, "and you've been caught in the middle?"

"Yeah, they've been fighting almost constantly." Harry sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Ron's still carrying on about Ginny and Dean at every opportunity. Hermione, well, Hermione keeps trying to defend her and then shut him up because she thinks it's hurting me…"

Daphne gently raised an eyebrow, "is it hurting you?"

Harry paused, pondering Daphne's question. Did it hurt him still? He didn't feel the sharp sting that he once had, but there was still something lingering underneath the surface like a week-old bruise.

"I don't think so, -" Harry finally said, "- at least not like it used to."

Daphne was silent for a moment, "maybe you should tell Hermione, that might get her off your case for a while."

Harry thought for a minute, "I don't know if she'd believe me if I did, she has trouble with that, trusting people to know themselves."

Daphne crossed her arms and lent back in her chair, "from what I've seen that sounds like her. Do you think she just doesn't know when to step back?"

"Yeah, I think that's it…she's trying to fix everything."

Daphne tilted her head, studying Harry with her gaze. "And Ron? Does he know about you and Ginny?"

Harry snorted, "I like breathing thanks, if he knew he might kill me."

Daphne chuckled, "and he thinks he could manage that?"

Harry gave Daphne a wry smile, "he'd sure as hell try, he has a pretty misguided protective streak. I reckon he's still holding out for me to join him on his crusade to break up Ginny and Dean though."

Daphne pursed her lips slightly. "Would you?"

The question lingered for a moment while Harry stared out into space, mulling things over in his own head. Despite having dreamed of a relationship with Ginny for a while he didn't really know anymore, that dream was so distant that it almost seemed like it belonged to someone else now.

"No," Harry said, finally breaking the silence. "I don't think I could, she…she's happy. I have to respect that. Especially when…well…I don't even know if I feel the same anymore."

Daphne nodded, "yeah, seems like the best thing to do is just let it all go doesn't it?"

"Yeah, just let it all go. Retreat to a cramped library corner instead."

Daphne snorted, "glad I could be of service Harry."

Harry chuckled, feeling lighter than he ever had. Something about this quiet space with Daphne seemed sacred, a little pocket of hope hidden away from the rest of the world for just the two of them.

Harry looked over at Daphne, "thanks, Daphne."

Daphne's lips curled into a small smile, "anytime Harry, just try not to make a habit of vanishing for two weeks okay?"

"I'll try not to, it's nice to have a break away from everything."

"Except your homework of course -" Daphne giggled, pushing a piece of parchment in front of Harry, "- no breaks from that with me."

Harry laughed taking the parchment from Daphne's hand, "I don't think I'd have it any other way."