Sorcery and Seduction
The chill of Hogsmeade's air seemed to bite into his skin as he waited for his date at the entrance to the village.
He had dressed in some of his finest robes, something he realized wasn't good enough for who his date was. Especially when Daphne Greengrass was probably the richest girl in the school, and dressed better than most purebloods, including Malfoy. I really need to get some new robes.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the carriage carrying his date arrived. Tracey Davis along with the beautiful Carrow twins left the carriage first, followed behind by Daphne Greengrass.
She dressed like the noblewoman she was, looking more akin to a beautiful pureblood Lady than an actual Hogwarts student. She wore a fancy beige coat and cream-colored undergarments with brown boots, an outfit that looked perfect for a winter date, and not suited to be going out with someone like him who looked more akin to a beggar.
"Potter," Daphne greeted him coolly as she approached, her eyes flicking over him with a hint of scrutiny before settling on his face. "You're on time, good start."
"Uh, yeah," Harry stammered, scratching the back of his head nervously. He was just glad she didn't immediately comment on his appearance. "I didn't want to keep you waiting."
Daphne raised an eyebrow, her expression unimpressed. "And yet, you didn't think to meet me at the castle and escort me here?"
Harry blinked, taken aback. Meeting her at the castle and travelling down in a carriage would have been something a normal couple would do, and something he had completely overlooked. "Oh… I didn't think of that."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she sighed, shaking her head slightly. "Well, you're learning, I suppose. Let's go."
Harry nodded quickly and started walking beside her, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that he'd already messed up. They made their way into the village in silence, the bustling crowds of students around them only adding to Harry's anxiety. He kept stealing glances at Daphne, who seemed completely composed, though he couldn't help but notice a slight tension in her posture.
Just like couples usually did in public, he held out his arm for her to take. They wouldn't exactly be holding hands, but he would be escorting her. Daphne seemed to get the hint, and graciously clung to his arm properly.
The students already in Hogsmeade seemed to part around them like water, staring incredulously at him and his date. A flood of whispers followed them, as younger girls either stared excitedly at the couple or glared murderously. Harry knew that him dating Daphne Greengrass of all people would cause a stir, but already it seemed as if he had caused a riot.
They wandered through the streets for a while, Harry fumbling through awkward attempts at conversation. Daphne responded politely but with little enthusiasm, her eyes occasionally drifting toward the more interesting items in the shop windows.
As they passed Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, Harry spotted a few couples inside and hesitated. "Er, would you like to go in for a bit? Maybe have some tea?"
Daphne glanced at the tea shop, then back at Harry with a hint of disdain. "Do I look like the type of girl who enjoys frilly, overcrowded tea shops, Potter?"
Why did I even ask? Harry winced. "Right, sorry. Just thought… never mind."
He quickly moved on, feeling more and more like he was drowning. He had no idea what Daphne wanted, or how to make this date go smoothly. Every time he tried to make a decision, it seemed to be the wrong one. Finally, they ended up at the Three Broomsticks, where Harry thought he could at least get her a Butterbeer.
He remembered to at least hold the door as they entered, and Daphne strolled past him as if he wasn't even there. They found a quiet table near the back of the pub, and Harry hurried to get them drinks as Daphne sat down. He returned with two foaming mugs of Butterbeer and set one down in front of Daphne, who accepted it with a cool nod.
"Thank you." she said politely, as if talking to a servant, before taking a sip.
Harry sat down across from her, trying to relax, but the tension between them was palpable. He wracked his brain for something to say that wouldn't annoy her, but nothing came to mind.
"So, um, how's… how's the school year going for you?" he finally asked, wincing at how lame it sounded.
Daphne set her mug down and looked at him, her expression unreadable. "Is that really the best you can do, Potter? We're on a date, not making small talk in class."
Harry flushed. "I just… I don't really know what to talk about. I'm not very good at this."
Daphne sighed, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Clearly. You're supposed to be making an effort to impress me, you know. Show me that this isn't a complete waste of my time."
Harry felt a stab of frustration at her words. He was trying, wasn't he? But everything he did seemed to just make things worse. "I'm sorry, Daphne. I'm just… not used to this. I don't really know what you want from me."
Daphne's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Harry thought she was going to snap at him. But then she took a deep breath and her expression softened—just slightly.
"I don't want anything from you, Potter," she said quietly. "But if you're going to ask me out, then you'd better be prepared to put in the effort. You're not dealing with some simpering, lovesick girl who's just happy to be noticed by the Boy-Who-Lived. If you want to date me, you need to prove that you're worth my time."
I don't know if anyone is worthy of your time. Harry swallowed, feeling the weight of her words. "I understand. I'm sorry I've been messing this up. I really do want to get to know you better, Daphne. You're just not someone I've talk too all that much over the years."
"Well it's not like you put in much effort!" The girl seemed to reach the end of her patience with him. "You haven't even talked to me before this year! That's not mentioning that even if you were so interested in me, you could of asked me to the Yule ball last year."
He winced at her rebuke, and again at the memory of the Yule ball. I never should of gone to the ball with Parvati. You would have been a better date, or even Fleur of all people. "Sorry-"
"-And stop apologizing." She cut him off.
"Okay." Harry swallowed. "But I should at least tell you that you would be a much better date than Parvati to bring to the ball."
He might of imagined it, but for a brief moment he could swear that Daphne blushed. As soon as it came, it seemed to dissapear, and the same bitchy look appeared on her face. "Let's get going, Potter. I have shopping that I want to get done."
-
"Potter!" A feminine voice hissed from nearby, and Harry turned his head to find who was silently calling his name. "Psst, Potter!"
This was the third store he had visited with Daphne since they left the Three Broomsticks, being an expensive clothing and jewelry store filled with stuffy pureblood robes. Harry was tempted to buy some new clothes, but didn't want to risk anything with his date already going the way it was.
He turned a corner behind a nearby shelf, searching for the person trying to silently get his attention, only to find Pansy nervously standing there.
"Took you long enough." Pansy scolded, glancing at Greengrass from across the store. "She's really being a bitch, isn't she."
Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What is it?"
"Malfoy found out about your little date, and he's on his way with Crabbe and Goyle to ruin it."
"Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse." Harry swore under his breath, watching Daphne out of the corner of his eye to make sure she didn't see them. "Thanks for letting me know, I'll take care of it."
He went to leave, only for Pansy to grip his arm and stop him. "You need to put her in her place."
"What?"
Pansy leaned in. "Greengrass will walk all over you if you let her, you give her an inch and she'll take a mile. Be authoritative, dominant even, just like how you are with me. Pureblood girls love that stuff."
He sighed before nodding, making his way back across the store to where Daphne stood. She was eyeing the jewelry selection, specifically a nice pearl necklace he was sure cost more than all of Privet Drive.
"We need to get going." Harry said to her, keeping an eye out for Malfoy.
"Not yet, I'm shopping." Daphne replied, pointing out the necklace. "I like this one."
"Cool." Harry replied, not really paying attention.
"Buy it for me."
Harry stiffened. "What?"
"Buy it for me." Daphne said simply. "I want it."
"Are you nuts?" Harry looked at her as if she was insane. "I'm not buying that."
Daphne sent him a glare. "If you want me to be your girlfriend, you'll buy it for me."
"You're insane." He shook his head, before grabbing her and pulling her towards the entrance of the store. "We're leaving."
He led her out the front and down a nearby alley, all the while looking every which way. If Pansy had managed to alert him about Malfoy so quickly, then it meant the ferret must be nearby.
"Is there anything else you'd like to do on this terrible date?" Greengrass complained as he led her along.
Harry suddenly stopped at he felt his patience snap. He was getting to the point he didn't care anymore. He didn't care if she was beautiful, smart, or even if she secretly liked him. Daphne Greengrass was infuriating him. "You're a bitch, you know that?"
Her eyes narrowed at him dangerously. "You know, my mother said that our partner in life is typically a mirror of ourselves. So as the saying goes, it takes one to know one, Potter."
"I pity the guy who becomes your boyfriend, you know that?" Harry said bitterly.
"Well I certainly won't be your girlfriend, that's for sure!" Daphne snapped back. "I'd cheat on you everyday if I was with you!"
Daphne Greengrass had set her expectations for their date so high, too high, and she knew that she had set herself up for failure. She had watched Harry Potter for years, and should have known he wouldn't have blown her socks off on a first date. But instead she had expected a pureblood-trained princeling, someone who would maintain the highest degree of pedigree while drowning her in gifts and compliments.
In her mind, Daphne Greengrass was panicking. Her pureblood training demanded she eviscerate him for his behavior, while the more rational side realized that their date was going good enough, and that she needed to calm down. Sadly, it seemed that Daphne was anything but rational at the moment.
What are you doing?! Daphne screamed at herself internally for saying such ridiculous things. Cheat on Harry Potter?! Are you nuts?!
Her eyes widened in panic, seeing Harry grow furious with her as she stood there. She opened her mouth to speak, to apologize, to beg for his forgiveness for her behavior, only for the last person she wanted to see to appear.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Came a familiar, annoying drawl.
It seemed Malfoy had shown up at exactly the wrong time.
"What do you want, Malfoy." Harry spat, sounding more livid than she could have imagined.
"Nothing much." Malfoy smirked, his eyes dancing between the pair of them. "I just wanted to see how your date with Greengrass is going, but it seems it's not going well, is it?"
Prick.
Harry turned to her, his eyes conveying his anger. "No, it's not going well at all."
I really fucked things up, didn't I?
-
Tracey Davis sighed as she made her way to her dormitory, wanting to do nothing more than lay down after a long day of studying. While other students tended to spent their Saturdays visiting Hogsmeade or generally fooling around, she instead used the time to get ahead on her class work and to owl her mother.
She entered the fifth years girl's dormitory, and found Parkinson leaving just as she herself entered.
"Davis." Parkinson greeted, the greeting sounding less hostile than usual.
"Parkinson." Tracey greeted back, before a strange noise got her attention.
The sound of sniffling intermingled with sobs came from across the room where one of the beds had its curtains closed. It didn't take her more than a moment to realize it was Daphne's bed where the noise was originating from, something that made her silently panic. What could possibly happen that would make Daphne Greengrass cry?
"Look…" Parkinson glanced at Daphne's bed, and for a moment she thought that the girl had a bit of worry in her gaze. "Can you do something about her?"
Since when did she care about Daphne? Pansy seemed to hate Daphne with a passion, and it was pretty obvious why. The blonde had everything Parkinson dreamed of; wealth, beauty, a rich pureblood ancestry, and boys falling over themselves to be with her. It was actually something most girls in the castle seemed to hate about the blonde, and it just so happened that Parkinson was roommates with her.
"I didn't think you cared, Parkinson." Tracey rolled her eyes, but nodded nonetheless.
Pansy barged past her, exiting the dorm in a hurry. I wonder where she's headed?
She hesitantly made her way over to Daphne's bed, the girl's sobs getting louder with each step.
"Daphne? Are you okay?"
She pushed the bed's curtains out of the way, finding the girl resting against the headboard of the bed. Her clothes, and appearence overall, was a complete mess. Smeared mascara and makeup from tears, harshly unbuttoned clothes, all of it making her realize this was probably the worst she had ever seen Daphne Greengrass.
"Tracey, I… I-" The girl looked heartbroken. "I really messed up."
She must be talking about her date with Harry Potter. "Was your date really that bad?"
"Mmhm." The blonde nodded. "I was terrible to him."
"There's other boys out there besides Harry Potter, I'm sure you can find someone else." Even if he's the most desirable boy in the school, and you fucked up your chances of getting with him.
That statement only seemed to make her even more upset, as she bit her lip as fresh tears flowed down her cheeks. "No. It has to be him."
"You still want to be with him after your first date ended up like this?" Tracey asked incredulously.
"You don't get it." Daphne sniffed. "I had this whole plan, one where I would be with Harry and I'd be able to get what I wanted. And then he'd be able to take care of me and Astoria, and maybe even you as well."
"Me?"
Daphne nodded. "I figured, if you wanted it, I could have him make you a Mistress of House Potter. That way you would be secure for the rest of your life. And if you don't want that, it would be okay, I'm sure mother-"
But Tracey wasn't listening anymore, her eyes wide as if she was in a trance. A Mistress of House Potter.
Harry Potter's Mistress.
It was a provocative thought that sent shivers down her spine and to her core. Years of accepting that she would never be able to live out her dreams, much less be with the boy she wanted, had made her complacent with her life. The very idea of her dreams almost becoming a reality was life-changing, and she felt a sudden sense of urgency.
Tracey Davis found herself more motivated than she had been in years, suddenly desperate to do anything that might help. She looked at Daphne, a sudden sternness filling her as she readied herself.
"You need to get with him again." Tracey said suddenly.
"What?"
"You need to get back with Harry." She repeated. "Please. I'll do anything to help you get back with him."
"I-I don't know how to." Daphne confessed.
"Then I'll help you." Tracey stated, feeling more sure than she had in a long time. "That blithering idiot. He doesn't know what he's missing out on by not being with you."
Although her best friend might be known as a bitch to the rest of the school, Tracey knew better. Daphne Greengrass might be frosty and bitchy on the outside, but on the inside she was as warm and cuddly as a teddy bear. She truly meant that Potter was missing out by not being with her, and she knew deep down that Daphne Greengrass would make a great wife to Harry Potter.
Daphne blinked, her cheeks turning red from Tracey's praise. "Thank you."
"Just make sure that if you do manage to get back together, I get to be his Mistress."
"I'll make sure sure of it." Daphne nodded, sighing and resting her head against the headboard. "I should probably go find him and apologize now."
A sudden thought entered Tracey's mind at that moment. "You know what, go get cleaned up. I will go get him for you."
Before Daphne could respond she was out the dorm and storming out of the dungeons. The halls of Hogwarts seemed to go by in a blur, as she began searching every nook and cranny in the school for the Gryffindor Golden Boy.
As she walked, she began to think through things. As much as she wanted her best friend to get together with Potter, there was the small issue of their terrible date. Tracey realized she needed to make them reconcile, and for Potter to forgive her. But the problem was how to do this, and especially how to get the two back in a relationship that would satisfy both of them.
But as she came around a corner in one of the many abandoned sections of Hogwarts and found Harry Potter, a sudden anger filled her. She realized that this was the wizard who hurt her best friend, who made Daphne cry, and Tracey decided she wouldn't let him get off that easy.
"Potter!" Her angered yell got his attention, as he jerked around. "What the hell did you do to hurt Daphne?!"
A/N:
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