A/N: Hello people and welcome to a Gryffindor Daphne x Slytherin Harry.
A big thanks to my Betas and Discord Staff - Alec, Fox, Metzger, BaptismByFire and Zevoros!
Special thanks to Discord users: Noob Salad, Kyn, 5Firehawk, Guiding Moonlights, Kovacs, Dr Maou-Senpai, Post Mortem, Denduck, Wumjumba, Ac, R3, Shirokama, TrustTube, Zachary, JDH, Avatar, CJ07, Echoh, Elizabeth Wilbrooke, Jacks, Kappe, Kryn_Womble, Mr. E, Pat, Plut0, Presno, Shawnjohn120 and Trop C'est Trop for supporting my writing and commissioning works!
Feel free to join my Discord for updates, giveaways (for those who actively chat), early access, information and now, commissions/free one-shot giveaways, link on my profile. Without any more rambling from me, I hope you enjoy the story!
(Sorry if you don't like the work!)
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE KIND REVIEWS. We now get so many that it's impossible to respond to all of them, but each and every one of you taking the time to speak your support mean the world to me. Please, by all means, speak with me in Discord!
Harry clenched a fist as he walked past the gaggle of Malfoy cronies. He'd never gotten along with them, and he doubted he ever would given how they acted. Still, an understanding had been achieved after the first few years at Hogwarts — they'd not mess with him, and he, in turn, would do nothing to them.
Snape had a hand in that deal being struck given Slytherin needed to be unified in the eyes of the other houses lest a weakness be found and exploited. One that would see Slytherins bullied and picked apart by those in Gryffindor especially. Harry found a small smile coming to his face at the thought of the man. Where once he'd thought him cold and detached, and most assuredly strange, he'd come to find year after year that it might just be he who truly cared for him.
He'd taken Harry under his wing, taught him spells to defend himself with, made him an apprentice in Potions in all but name… were it not for him, cold as he seemed, Harry wouldn't have returned to Hogwarts. Merlin, he'd probably not have returned to the wizarding world as a whole given the lack of friends and coldness people felt towards him on account of the green he wor—
Lost in his thoughts as he'd been, Harry hadn't seen what had been before him, and so he fell, tripping over an item left carelessly on the ground. His satchel spilled forth its contents, many a tome, book and parchment amongst other items scattering across Hogwarts' cold stone floor. It was annoying, but it was a quick fix as he made to stand.
But then he felt something strange.
His legs didn't wish to work, and a very strange, very smelly cloud had appeared around him. Naturally, Harry's eyes sought out the item which he'd tripped upon as he made to pull himself out of the cloud, but they found nothing; then he heard it.
Snickering.
Somebody had pulled a prank on him. His first thoughts were the Weasley twins, given the lack of true severity. Harry started to cough then, the cloud of stinky, greenish gas making it harder to breathe than it'd previously been, and his hearing seemed to dampen, the snickering gradually dissipating.
A few seconds — or minutes, he wasn't sure — later, he saw a light show beyond the gas. There were reds, purples, blues and just about any other colour one could imagine. He thought he was going mad, especially when it all came to a sudden and abrupt end… and then he was pulled forth with a yank from the gas.
He saw the two he'd thought guilty on the ground; the Weasley Twins seemed to be taking a nap. After blinking and rubbing at his eyes to ensure that was truly what he was seeing, he saw a third person betwixt the pair. They were standing, unlike the other two, and as his eyes trailed up from their feet to their face, recognition dawned on him.
"Greengrass?" He wasn't sure what the Gryffindor girl was doing, but when he spotted her wand in one hand and two others in her other, he swallowed. Things didn't look very good for him, and for once, he wished Malfoy or the others would arrive — rivals as they might be, the other Slytherins would take up defence of his person on account of their united front.
She peered down at him with a curious look about her, and then, she did something he hadn't expected of her. The Lioness threw the two wands in her off-hand down the hall behind her, and with that newly freed hand, extended it to Harry.
He blinked up at her for all of a few seconds, and seeing his hesitation, she rolled her eyes and leaned forward, taking hold of one of his hands before she pulled him to his feet. "Come on," she said, her hand still grasping one of his as she gave him a yank to break him from the stupor.
Harry shook his head, clearing his mind as best he could. It still felt foggy, but he wasn't sure if that was on account of the smoke or the confusion he felt at the circumstances he found himself in — a Gryffindor had helped him against other Gryffindors. He wasn't even sure why they'd targeted him, or why it'd been as hard to breathe as it had been.
Yet, he allowed her to pull him away, his feet carrying him after her and pausing only for a second's time when she let his hand fall… two or three halls away from where she'd first found him. When she did so, she turned, pushed him into an alcove and looked him over.
"You're fine, aren't you?" Greengrass' voice sounded just as it normally did, relaxed, soft, and polite. She'd always been one of the few in Gryffindor that didn't seek to start anything with those of other houses; if rumours were to be believed, she oft tried to intercede on behalf of those that found themselves targeted.
"Yeah, just feel a bit wobbly," Harry gestured to his legs, strained and shaking as they were. "I don't know what they hit me with, but my lower body feels a bit numb and Merlin, the ga—"
"They create most of what they use against others. You won't know counters for that very reason," Daphne didn't ask before she moved closer, and took hold of one of his arms, wrapping it around her shoulders. The effect was immediate; his legs stopped their shaking as she took the burden of supporting his weight. "I'd have been there sooner had there not been problems with your housemates."
"Just happy you came at all," Harry found himself saying. "Really. Thank you."
Daphne looked away from him when he swore her cheeks coloured themselves a pinkish hue. "Of course I'd help you."
He nodded. "You help everybody, yeah? Reckon those rumours are all true."
"Not everybody," Daphne answered. "Just those that deserve to be helped. The Twins, Malfoy, McLaggen and others I find too troublesome don't receive any assistance from me."
"Good list."
"Of course it is. I made it," Daphne turned to look at him again upon saying such words, and sharing a look, the pair laughed.
She was… different than he'd expected.
The pair finished their laughter and simply continued peering at each other in silence. When Harry realised as much, he felt a warmth come to his face — but Merlin, Greengrass was beautiful. Especially with the bit of red her chee—
"Do I have something on my face, or have you just ever seen a witch up close?" Daphne arched a brow at him.
With the fire flickering across her face and her breath splashing against his own, he swallowed and stammered as he thought of a response. It came a few seconds later, but by the time he opened his mouth to recite the words which his brain had formulated, she'd already begun to laugh.
Even that sounded pretty. He wasn't sure how that was.
"Not one like you?"
"Are you asking me or saying as much?"
"Telling you?"
"Is that a question too?"
Harry shook his head. "No."
"Good," she folded her arms, a look of amusement about her even as that pink quality on her cheeks grew in size. "Were you going to the Great Hall?"
"Yeah."
Daphne grasped his hand as she'd done earlier. "Sit with me." It didn't sound like a question.
But why would Harry have refused it even if it were? "Yeah," he said, not wanting to sound overly excited at the thought. If Sirius were here, he'd say to play it cool, don't seem desperate or stupid like James had with Lily; the two'd shared a laugh thereafter.
She smiled as she started them off. "Good."
"Here," Daphne nodded at the end of the table, where only a few others were sparsely seated. "We'll have our backs to the wall."
Harry didn't say anything, he simply allowed her to lead him to the spot which she mentioned. Once they reached said spot, she slid into the seat and pulled him down right alongside her.
"Your housemates won't mind?" It was a little late, but Harry didn't know what else to say to continue a conversation with her. Merlin, he swore he'd wake up and the whole walk and banter he'd shared with her — flirting, it felt like — would be a dream.
"Them?" Daphne raised a brow as she gestured to the few that were nearby; the bulk were in the middle of the table or further up by the head of it. "They're the ones that prefer to be left to themselves or their smaller friend groups much like me. It's why we're back where it's quietest."
"Oh."
"Yeah," Daphne scooched closer, a sly look coming to her face. "Looks like you're stuck with just me."
Harry blinked, his eyes as wide as could be.
And then she laughed and scooched back whence she'd come. "I'm kidding. You're easy, aren't you?"
"With you, I guess," Harry was definitely much harder to stun in the mental sense than this, but… Merlin, like he'd thought earlier, she wasn't at all what he'd been expecting.
"Oh, I'm special?" Daphne raised a hand to her chest. "How flattering."
Harry sighed despite the hammering in his chest. "You're horrible."
"I'm wonderful. That's why you're taking me to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
"What?" Harry blinked at her. "I—"
"I'm only kidding if you decline."
What did that even mean? He didn't know what to say, especially when his mind decoded the message in her words… but was she flirting, or being friendly? He didn't know how to tell one from the other. He was right horrible with witches of all types, but most specifically, those that were exceedingly nice; the bloke in him didn't know how to tell what from what.
"Tomorrow tomorrow?" Harry needed to hear it one more time.
She nodded. "Tomorrow tomorrow."
"To Hogsmeade?"
Again, she nodded. "To Hogsmeade."
"Not joking?"
This time, she shook her head. "Not joking," she paused and scrunched up her eyebrows. "Well, like I said, not unless you decline. If you do, you can forget everything I've said since we've walked in here."
"Tomorrow," this time, Harry said it with a certain level of certainty. Enough to make her sit up straighter in her seat and raise her nose in a fashion similar to what Pansy and the others would usually do; it had to be a Pureblood thing.
"It's not too much to ask you to wear something red so we match, is it?" Daphne's hand 'accidentally' nudged his own.
This time, he huffed. "Gryffindor colours?" he shook his head. "Not a chance… I'd say no. My parents were Gryffindors."
Daphne flicked his shoulder. "You had me thinking I'd offended you."
"Not offended."
"Good," Daphne pointed before him. "Pass the muffins?"
Harry looked at where she indicated, and when he did, he rolled his eyes.
Of course the things were red and gold.
The following morning saw him very quickly wake, wash and walk to the spot which they'd agreed upon, that being the courtyard in which the carriages to Hogsmeade awaited their occupants. Like he'd agreed to do, Harry had a red shirt on with black pants and a Slytherin jumper; that'd see him safely from his house with the aforementioned red shirt on.
His eyes searched the surrounding gaggle of his peers for Daphne, and initially, they came up empty.
But that didn't persist. After a bit of scanning, he saw the girl he was searching for. She wasn't too far from off, but she was partially concealed thanks to the few witches she was speaking with — he recognised Tracey from Slytherin, but the rest were from other houses, and a good few, he didn't know the name of.
When he saw her, it didn't take too long for the pair to make eye contact, and with a set of quickly said words, she departed from her company. The girls she left behind very obviously looked after her, giggling to one another as their eyes eventually settled on Harry. After seeing their gazes fall on his person as Daphne approached, he turned in such a way he wouldn't see their watchful eyes. It made him feel way more at ease if he at least thought they weren't still looking at him.
"Morning," Harry nearly waved, but he reckoned he'd look like a right dork if he did.
Daphne fixed him with a smile as wide and happy as could be. It was a far cry from the look he'd first seen on her face, that being fierce as she'd dealt with the twins. "Good morning," she gestured back to the group she'd been speaking with. "You don't mind if they join us for the carriage ride, do you? I'm afraid with how many people there are, we won't have a carriage for just the pair of us."
"I don't mind," He said with a shrug. Even if it was four more witches — a nightmare — it was better than being alone with her. Without a doubt he'd make a fool of himself if the latter happened. "Tracey, Hermione… and who are the other two?"
"My cousin, Astrid Avery, and Caroline Purvis, her friend," Daphne gestured to the two in turn. The former, her cousin, was blonde-haired and slender like her. As for the other girl, Caroline, she was as dark-haired as Tracey and shared her figure, which was a bit curvier than the others. "You probably know already, but they're going to be teasing us the entire trip."
"Us?" Harry let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. "Thank Merlin. I won't be the only one getting teased."
Daphne narrowed her eyes at him. "You think it'll be funny watching me get teased?" she took a step closer, and prodded him in the chest. "You'd be right — you'll love them."
Harry snickered and allowed her to take one of his hands, leading him over to the group she'd made mention of. Even as the pair approached the group of witches, they giggled and shared quickly whispered words.
That made Harry take in a subtle breath. He was preparing himself for whatever they'd get up to.
As for Daphne, when the pair were still ten steps away, she called out a greeting which was quickly returned; their hands held as they were, Harry watched as all four pairs of eyes fell to them. He might have let go under the pressure, had Daphne not tightened her hold. He had to admit, he appreciated her confidence.
It instilled him with a sense of his own as he nodded at the witches. "Tracey," he greeted her first given she was a housemate. As for the others, he reckoned the nod would do.
"So," Astrid said, a look on her face that seemed entirely too mischievous. "Caught yourself a snake, little cousin?"
"Caught?" Daphne scoffed. "I bumped into him in a hall and he was kind enough to take me to Hogsmeade."
That was certainly omitting a fair bit, but at least she didn't say she'd saved him from a risky-feeling prank.
"Kind enough — I'm sure," Astrid's eyes went up and down Harry. "Did my darling cousin kidnap you, Harry Potter? I find it hard to believe she'd manage to snag you otherwise."
"We could check him for potions," Caroline, the other upper-year and friend of Astrid suggested with a grin on her face.
He shook his head right as Astrid made to speak. "You don't need to. She didn't potion me or trick me or what have you."
Daphne fixed him with a smile, and then her look turned smug as she sought out her cousin and the girl beside her. "See?" She raised her nose. "He agreed of his own volition."
Her cousin seemed about ready to respond, until a carriage pulled up right behind their group. When it did, Daphne shot him a subtle nod, and so Harry moved betwixt the lot of them and with his hand still wrapped around that of Daphne's, she came right alongside him. "Witches first." Such were the words he spoke when he opened the carriage door, and with their hands connected, he used it to aid her in climbing up.
The look he received in return for his actions was well worth it in and of itself.
But Harry didn't immediately climb in after her even despite the pull of his hand when she was firmly in. No, he waited outside for the rest of the Witches as was right and proper of him; such manners and courtesies were far larger in Slytherin than ever they'd been in his Muggle life.
"So polite," Astrid cooed.
"Daphne might have to put a sign on him to ensure other witches don't try and steal him," Caroline said, her words mostly for her friend and for the couple; the latter needed teasing, as Daphne had warned him about.
Harry opened his mouth, but he wasn't quite sure what to say… and thankfully, he needn't know, for Granger appeared before him. She was polite, courteous, and quiet, and thanked him for his assistance. Tracey was next, and was more or less herself, albeit a touch more lively.
When it came to Astrid and Caroline, well, the pair 'bumped' him a few times during their climb, and the former even ran her hand up a smidge, feeling his forearm; Daphne had struck her with a stinging hex when her hand had begun to go further still.
Finally, he climbed in himself, and he wasn't remotely surprised to learn that he was sat on in one of the corner seats, with Daphne squished up against him.
Funnily enough, she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
As soon as the carriage ride reached its destination and came to a rolling stop, Harry had the door opened and his feet on the ground. The trip had been fun, embarrassing, and very bothersome, especially with the bumps they'd go over and what said bumps would do to Daphne. He tried not to look all that much, but he was a bloke, and he was right certain she'd caught him one of the times.
Still, he held aloft the door and figured he'd help the witches down starting with Daphne as he'd done before. She thanked him, smiled, and didn't let go of his hand even when she was by his side.
"I'm stealing him away now," Daphne said to the other four, all of whom remained in the carriage. "You can manage to climb down without him, can't you? Good."
Without so much as a word of reply from any of the four, Daphne started them off down one of Hogsmeade's streets. He could hear giggling, Hermione dressing down the older girls, and Tracey making mention of how she needed a wizard.
"They're fun, yeah?" Harry wasn't sure how else to start the conversation.
Daphne turned to look at him, confident in her continued steps forward as she did so. "Fun's not the first word I'd have in mind when describing three of the four, but I love them despite all their faults."
He snorted. Harry didn't have any friend he reckoned he'd say he loved; he wasn't alone, of course not, but he just wasn't especially close to anybody either. "We riding back with them too?"
"We could."
Harry had a thought. "It's not too cold for you, is it?"
"Not remotely," Daphne shook her head, her lips forming into yet another smile, albeit one that seemed full-up with remembrance. "My mother's from Kiruna — that's in Sweden — and so we go there quite often. I'd have to say I'm fonder of cold weather than hot."
That worked out wickedly for Harry. "Fancy a walk back then?"
"Not so long as you hold my hand the whole time," Daphne tightened the hold she had over said hand. "Do we have a deal?"
"As if I'd decline."
"Good."
The two continued their walk for the next few seconds in silence, but that didn't last. Neither seemed able to let it.
"Where exactly are we headed, by the way?" Harry looked around the side-street they'd gone down; it was familiar to him, it had to be, but he doubted he'd gone in any of the places present. Most of them seemed like homes anyhow.
"A place typically meant for the occupants of Hogsmeade… and not the usual one. It's a touch too rustic for my tastes," Daphne used her free hand to point to a place that seemed much like any of the others, albeit with a small wooden sign with faded writing thereon. "You've never been here? Truly?"
He shook his head. "Usually stick to the regular spots."
Daphne seemed eager upon hearing such words, and picked up their pace as a result thereof. "You're in for a treat."
"Bigger than the current one?"
"What do—" When she understood his meaning, which required him indicating her with his eyes, she laughed and used her free hand to lightly slap his upper arm. "I'd say you fancied me if I didn't know any better. Lucky for you, I fancy you back."
Merlin.
That was way more forward then he reckoned he'd been.
"Yeah?"
Daphne raised a brow at him, a mock haughtiness coming to her. "I said as much, didn't I?"
"You did," He swallowed, and thankfully, they reached the door. He opened it almost instantly, and held it aloft for her.
With a curtsey, exaggerated as it was, she entered and pulled him in right behind her, and with a wave to a woman behind a counter, she saw them off to a staircase. "We're taking one of the private rooms. I don't like the change in temperature whenever somebody opens the doors down there, and they have a habit of making it a bit too hot."
Private rooms? How fancy was this place?
"You come here a lot?"
Daphne laughed. "Are you trying to hit on me with that Muggleborn line?"
He blinked, and quick-thinking as he was, went with an answer he reckoned she'd like. "Only if it works."
"I think you've already got me," Daphne interweaved their fingers as she pushed open a door and let it swing shut behind them; the curtains opened as soon as they entered to reveal a beautiful view of the surrounding village and lands. "But I wouldn't mind hearing more chat-up lines. Or compliments. Between you and I, I'm especially prone to flattery."
"I'll remember that."
Daphne smiled, and said her signature word as she slid into a booth and pulled him down right alongside her. "Good," she leaned into him and let out a content sigh. "How quaint. It's certainly not this peaceful when I'm here with the others."
"We could make a habit of coming here."
"Is that your way of asking me out?" Daphne seemed amused, and with a hand, she turned his head so as to make eye contact with him. "I'd hear you ask properly if it is. It's not like you need to worry about my answer — Tracey alluded to it in the carriage just like Astrid, but I've fancied you since third year."
Harry blinked at her. He hadn't picked up on that in the carriage… wait, was she t—
"Wait, really?" He found that hard to believe. She was her, and he was just Harry.
"Yes, really," she prodded him in the chest. "Do you think I'm this forward with any wizard? Morgana, no — Lavender and Susan Bones were said to be making a move on you soon, and I wasn't losing my opportunity to either of them."
"Oh, well that makes sense."
Daphne smiled wide, tiny little dimples forming on those… pink cheeks; Merlin, why hadn't he understood it sooner?
"So?" she prompted.
"Go out with me?"
Daphne looked aloof. "I'm already out with you."
"Date me?"
This time, she nodded, that aloofness melting away to reveal a grin as goofy as he reckoned his own looked. "Perfect — yes," she paused then. "We're definitely walking back now too. I can't have Astrid teasing me about how you're part of the pride now. Knowing her and Caroline, they'll be horrible."
The pair shared a laugh.
And then she kissed his cheek.
It was the first kiss he'd ever had.