A/N: This story will contain both graphic violence and sexual content, though generally not in the same paragraphs as each other. It will also explore themes surrounding gender identity and sexuality, among other story beats of course. If any of that is a dealbreaker for you, then I recommend turning back now. For the rest of you, thank you for taking the time to read this story.

Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever, own the intellectual property of Harry Potter, or any related properties. This work is not intended to produce a profit of any sort.


Prologue - Shattered Bonds

January 1st, 2000 - 00:00

"Three...two...one...HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

The cheer echoed around the extravagant ballroom, right before an explosion of navy blue and platinum confetti showered the guests of the Ministry of Magic's New Years Eve Party. A chorus of shocked cries and laughter was quickly drowned out by the band striking up an extra cheery rendition of Auld Lang Syne.

Daphne Greengrass was only vaguely aware of her surroundings; she'd flinched when the fireworks went off, could feel the confetti fluttering down around her, and knew it must be midnight. But to her the atmosphere felt smothering, rather than celebratory. Although, judging by the look of smug satisfaction on her father's face, he felt rather differently about the course of the night's events.

The tight squeeze of a soft hand around her own pulled Daphne back to the present and she shuddered, suddenly feeling as though she might be sick, "Please excuse me..."

The dark-haired witch nearly stumbled backwards in her haste to escape her mother's grasp, only for Cyrus Greengrass to catch her with a piercing stare of disapproval, "Don't wander too far, Daphne, I need you to sign the contract tonight."

"Oh, I suppose that one last night of freedom would be too much to ask for?!" Daphne snarled furiously, unable to maintain her composure in the face of her father's cruel indifference toward her wishes in the matter.

"Why, so you can slip off with that mudblood whore you-"

Daphne thew her drink at the hulking man, drawing a collective gasp from her family around them, though she didn't wait to see what they would say. Instead, the dark-haired witch spun on her heel and stormed furiously from the ballroom.

Outside, alone in the corridor of the rented high-rise, it was all Daphne could do to hold back her tears. The rising urge to vomit returned as she remembered the cold expectation in her father's eyes as he'd introduced her to a man nineteen years her senior, and then proceeded to auction his daughter off to this strange man as though she were livestock.

Breathing heavily, she stumbled out onto one of the few deserted balconies and tightly gripped the guardrail for support. As the eldest Greengrass daughter, Daphne had never known a time in her life where her father's expectations for her weren't steep. Marriage, however, had always been a realm that he'd sworn their mother he would refrain from meddling in. It was a promise that he'd always kept, up until tonight.

A sinking feeling in her gut told her that his obscene reference toward Hermione, her college roommate and apparently not-so-secret girlfriend, indicated precisely what the catalyst for Cyrus' shift in attitude had been.

'I don't understand...I've always done everything he's asked of me! The only reason I'm getting a doctorate in magical law in the first place is so he doesn't have to hire an independent contract archivist! Why the hell does it matter if I fancy women instead of men? Is it because she's muggleborn? How the hell did he even find out about her in the first place?!'

The dark-haired witch's knuckles flashed white as her grip on the rail tightened and she came to the awful realization that nothing she did would ever be good enough to make up for this one 'defect', as she was sure her father would term it. Furious tears burned at her eyes and finally, unable to muster the conviction to hold them back any longer, she let them fall.

How could her own father do this to her? Just thinking back to the undisguised hunger on the man's face as his eyes had raked up and down her body sent a fresh wave of revulsion roiling in the pit of her stomach. It suddenly hit her then that she couldn't do it.

Daphne had bent over backwards and twisted herself into knots to satisfy Cyrus Greengrass' wishes in every other aspect of her life; But in that moment she knew there was no way she could make herself marry this man, or any other that her father might try to foist upon her. That he even expected it of her had irrevocably severed the bond of mutual trust and respect she'd foolishly thought they shared.

If the Greengrass patriarch couldn't appreciate a dutiful daughter, then he didn't deserve one. One thing was clear, Daphne was not signing that damned contract tonight - or ever if she had any say in the matter. Luckily, in stark contrast to her own wishes, she just so happened to be attending the most prestigious law school in all of Britain - which she was certain would be quite useful in extracting herself from this nightmare.

The dark-haired witch took a deep shaky breath, her heart racing as she committed herself to what she was about to do. Her father would be furious with her for defying him, but his wrath couldn't possibly be worse than what awaited her if she gave into his demands. In the morning she would apparate to the Ministry to take an international portkey to Berlin, where she would fly in the first race of her career on the Continental Broom Racing Circuit.

It would be a long trip. Daphne wouldn't be back home until the end of the month - just in time for her spring semester courses to begin. If Cyrus pressed her to come home she would simply leverage the heavy workload she was bound to have balancing her law school coursework with attending the mandatory training blocks required for members of Cambridge's Duelist Society.

'If I'm careful, I could play the absentee daughter role and avoid signing that damned contract for years if I have to. Then, once I graduate and have my certification as an Archivist, I'll be able to dig however deep I need to into Gringotts' files to find a way to prevent Father from pawning me off to the highest bidder.'

-rry! Wait, Harry, come back! Please, if you'll just let me explain!"

The sound of voices in the corridor just behind her startled the dark-haired witch, and she stumbled backwards into an alcove cloaked in shadows. Despite having heard the voice and knowing they couldn't possibly be looking for her, the subconscious need to avoid being seen by her father pushed her to cast a hasty disillusionment charm on herself.

Moments later a short and slim, but notably athletic figure with long, curly dark hair burst out onto the balcony with a harsh, watery laugh, "Let you explain?!" Daphne instantly recognized her schoolmate of seven years when Harry Potter spun around to face the redheaded witch that had burst through the door behind him, "Ginny, I saw you! You had Luna pressed up against a wall and-and-"

"I-I know what it looks like, but please, Harry, you've got to hear me out!" Ginny Weasley looked disheveled as she tried to close the gap between herself and her boyfriend, but the dark-haired wizard shrank away, unknowingly inching his way closer to Daphne. "Luna and I were just celebrating together, and I had a few too many drinks! It didn't mean anything, I swear!"

Tears ran freely down the face of the 'Man Who Conquered' and he clearly struggled to breath as his shoulders shook silently, "Y-you've never kissed me like that, Ginny! That's not the kind of kiss you give somebody that doesn't fucking matter! Don't lie to me!"

It was clear that Ginny hadn't been prepared for this conversation, and would prefer to be practically anywhere else at this moment - a sentiment Daphne shared. From what she could remember, the youngest Weasley had a reputation for being able to talk herself out just about anything. Tonight though, the Harpies seeker's infamous silver tongue seemed to have abandoned her.

The silence on the balcony pressed down on its occupants like a crushing weight, Ginny stood frozen silently staring at Harry while the dark-haired wizard struggled to compose himself. Finally, after a few more uncomfortable moments, Harry blew out one last shuddering breath before sniffling and forcing the redhead to meet his gaze.

"How long has this been going on?" He asked quietly, his tone unreadable.

Ginny's shoulders trembled, and she seemed to be fighting back her own tears as well, "Two years..." Harry brought his hand to his mouth, looking as though he were unsure whether he might vomit or cry, "B-but you and I weren't together while you were off hunting You-Know-Who's soul, and then when you did come back Luna and I were on a break and-"

"Two years...you mean you strung me along as the other wom-" Harry cut himself off, his emerald eyes brimming with furious tears that he refused to let fall. "Does Luna know?"

A choked sob escaped the redhead as she shook her head, "N-no, not before tonight. I...I left her to run after you, though, so-"

"How could you do this to us?! Luna is supposed to be your best friend, and I know she loves you, the same way I thought you loved me!" Pain and fury cracked Harry's voice and, perhaps because she could relate on some level to the sense of betrayal he must be feeling, Daphne's heart ached for him.

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you!" Ginny snarled back defensively as her ears flushed darkly, "Since you want to pick fights, you should know that I found your hussie's panties!"

"What?!"

"That's right, Harry! I know all about your little girlfriend, and you need to tell her to come and pick up the whole-ass set of lingerie she left in our bedroom!"

All of the sympathy Daphne had felt for the wizard evaporated as she watched the color drain from Harry's face. It was one thing to be broken hearted over an unfaithful lover, but for him to make such accusations while being just as guilty made the witch's head spin! Harry had never struck her as the hypocrite the 'Daily Prophet' regularly cast him as until that very moment.

"I...those aren't..." Harry swallowed dryly, casting a petrified gaze anywhere but at the witch he was talking to. He'd even looked her dead in the eye once, and for a moment she was afraid he'd seen her, but then he looked away again, "I'm not cheating on you, Ginny."

"I've been finding her panties in the laundry for months, Harry! Look, I understand - I'm guilty too! Just stop lying to me and tell me the tru-"

"They're mine, Ginny! Okay?! Damn it, I'm not fucking cheating on you, they're my underwear!"

Daphne pressed her hand to her mouth to hold back a shocked gasp as she watched Harry Potter hug himself tightly while his girlfriend stared back at him in her own silent shock.

"I-it's not a sex thing, I mean, I-I'm not a freak or anything, I just-"

The words seemed to snap Ginny from her stupor, and she suddenly rushed forward to pull the wizard into a tight hug, "No, honey, you're not a freak, I promise. I...I don't really know what to say, though. I mean, all of the lingerie I found had names on them..."

Harry didn't answer immediately. Instead, the pair stood, quietly holding each other until he slowly let go and stepped back against the guardrail out of her reach. "Maybe this was always the way is meant to be, Ginny. You and Luna have always had a special kind of connection, and I...well, maybe it's time for Bill and me to take that trip to South America that I keep talking about."

The redheaded witch seemed to stiffen in fear at the mere mention of the idea and Daphne felt a chill go down her spine at the urgent whisper that followed, "Do you really think Tom might have left another piece of his soul so far from where he could reach it?"

"I don't know...maybe. My scar hasn't hurt since that last night at Hogwarts, but even Dumbledore would have trouble reaching halfway around the world, and we both know how afraid of him Voldemort was." The wizard answered wearily, before letting out a teary sigh.

"If things work out and I'm still alive at the end of the trip then I'm going to go to one of the American Gringotts branches and talk to the Potter Estate's Advisor. I'm-" Harry wavered for a moment before taking a shaking breath and continuing, "I want to be a woman, Ginny. I've talked about it with Hermione, she's helped me research the steps I can take. The whole process is expensive, and will take years to finish, but I'm certain that it's what I want to do."

Daphne suddenly felt incredibly uncomfortable, as though her unintended eavesdropping were voyeuristic in origin rather than a result of accidental mortification, and once again wished that she could be anywhere but here in this moment, listening in on her girlfriend's best friend as he came out to his ex-girlfriend in the middle of their breakup.

Or was that her ex-girlfriend? Daphne didn't know, she was finding it difficult to keep up with the rapidly shifting tides of her reality.

"Why didn't you ever say anything? Harry...this could have saved us! I could still-" Ginny seemed to be spiraling as well, still intent on saving a relationship that - by Daphne's estimates, was entirely unsalvageable.

"No, Ginny, stop! I need you to listen to me." Harry held up a trembling hand, "This...us, it just doesn't work. You're clearly not happy, and I'm a mess, Ginny. Not just with this stuff, or us, but with everything that happened during the war. I'm all torn up inside. I don't have any business being in a relationship right now."

"But what about-"

"What about Luna, Ginny?!" Harry snapped, her patience clearly fraying, "Did you ever even stop to think how she would feel if she found out you'd been going behind her back to see me for two bloody years?! She adores you, Ginny, are you really going to break her heart over something we both know is never going to work out?! Because if so, I'll just go ahead and find her now so that we can all save ourselves the trouble!"

"No!"

The look of panic that flashed across the youngest Weasley's face was somehow both piteous and contemptuous to the eldest Greengrass daughter, considering the pain her actions could potentially unleash upon her supposed loved ones.

"No?"

"No, please don't tell Luna!" Ginny pleaded tearfully, and Daphne felt part of her own heart go out to Harry as the Girl Who Lived let out a ragged breath. "I'm sorry, Harry...I swear I won't tell anybody about the panties - I mean, I told Luna, but only because I thought you were cheating! But I'll fix it, I will! I'm not going to tell anybody about what you told me, not even Hermione!"

"Fine, I promise. Now please, Ginny, just go. Check on Luna, I'm sure she's feeling awful, too."

"Harry..."

The redhead stepped forward again, but Harry spun around to face the city lights rather than look at her, unknowingly giving Daphne a clear view of the utter devastation written across her face.

"Go...please, I just want to be alone now."

Without another word, because truly, what could she possibly say to make any of this better? Ginny Weasley slowly turned around and walked out of Harry Potter's life, leaving two miserable witches sitting mere inches from each other on the balcony, each silently tending to their shattered heart.