The dawn light streamed into Harry's dorm room; he slowly opened his eyes and groaned when a pillow came flying through his curtains, barely missing his head.

"Get up Harry!" Ron's voice cut through the early morning silence.

"Yeah yeah cal-"

"Shut up Ron!" Neville interrupted.

Ron scoffed, "you should be helping me Neville, it's a big day for Harry."

Neville's head popped through his curtains, "why is it a big day for Harry?"

Ron rolled his eyes, "you'll see Neville. Come on Harry, lets get to breakfast early."

Harry cursed under his breath, "you go, I'll meet you down there."

Ron paused for a minute. "Alright…but if you're not down soon I'll send Hermione after you."

Harry watched him leave the room and rubbed his eyes.

"Harry, what's going on?" Neville asked.

"Honestly Neville? I have no idea."

At that Neville shrugged and returned to his bed, eager to sleep in on the weekend. Harry, seeing no way out of this, slowly got up and dressed. He cast one last, longing glance towards his bed and left the room, descending to the common room at a snails pace.

"Harry, -" Hermione said as he entered the common room, "- Ginny wasn't in her bed when I came down."

"You're joking."

Hermione shook her head, "I wish I was, apparently she's already gone to breakfast according to her roommates."

"I guess that explains why Ron woke me up so early."

"Ron woke you up?"

Harry nodded, "yeah, said I had a 'big day' and should get to breakfast early."

Hermione hummed, "at least we'll get a show this morning."

Harry chuckled, "so I'm your free entertainment."

"Well -" Hermione shrugged, "- its not like you can get out of it at this point, may as well face the music."

Harry sighed, "I hope Daphne will be there this early."

"Already hiding behind her are you?" Hermione teased.

Harry nodded, "she can be scary when she wants to be."

"I'm sure she'll be there to save you."

"I can only hope," Harry said, slowly making his way towards the portrait hole.

As Harry wandered down to the Great Hall alongside Hermione he felt as if he was marching to his own execution. There was no way this could end well, Ginny was likely to explode the second he said no, and if Daphne was there. He shuddered, not wanting to consider what she would do to Ginny if she started a public spectacle.

Hermione slowed and placed a hand on Harry's arm as they neared the Great Hall. "Well, its been nice knowing you Harry."

Harry chuckled wryly, "you can have my firebolt if I die."

Hermione smiled, "trying to keep it out of Ron's hands?"

"He'll likely be the one to kill me."

Hermione sighed, "I'll try and save you."

Harry turned to enter the Great Hall, "good luck with that, you'll probably need it."

Hermione watched him cross the threshold, "thanks…"

Harry entered the Great Hall, instantly looking towards the Slytherin table only to notice Daphne's absence. In fact, most of the Slytherin's were missing including Draco and Astoria; continuing to look around the hall he noticed that most of the students must have decided to sleep in. Finally, his gaze fell onto the Gryffindor table where Ginny and Ron were already seated, looking directly at him; Ginny's face lit up with an almost comical smile.

"This is going to be bad," Hermione said from beside him.

Harry sighed, "may as well get it over with."

But before he could move towards the Gryffindor table Ginny got up and walked towards him, bouncing with every step. As she drew closer it became apparent that she was wearing an egregious amount of makeup and had her hair done extravagantly; she had really gone all out for this.

"Good-morning Harry!" Ginny's voice rang out across the hall.

"Good luck," Hermione whispered from his shoulder. "Morning Ginny, why are you here so early?"

Ginny stopped in front of Harry and Hermione, "oh, wanted to start the day early, you know how it is." She titled her head slightly. "Can I talk to you Harry?"

Harry gulped, "uh…yeah sure."

"I'll leave you to it," Hermione said, patting Harry's shoulder before extricating herself to go sit with Ron.

"How have you been Harry?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck, "uh…fine I guess?"

Ginny nodded, "that's good, I'm sure you heard what happened between me and Dean, right?"

Harry gulped, "yeah, yeah I heard."

Ginny hummed, intertwining her fingers in front of her. "I don't think it would have ever worked out…he just wasn't the one for me, you know?"

Harry cast a panicked glance towards Hermione, only to see her stifling her laughter. "Um…yeah I guess."

"You wouldn't happen to be -" Ginny titled her head down slightly to look at Harry through her eyelashes, "- interested, in me…"

Harry swallowed the lump that was slowly forming in his throat.

"Harry," Ginny breathed. "Will you be my boyfriend?"

"Ginny…" Harry ran a hand through his hair. "I'm already seeing someone."

Ginny froze, "what?"

"I'm already seeing someone Ginny, I'm in a rel-"

"YOU'RE WHAT!"

Harry winced, the entire hall had fallen silent. "I'm dating someone."

Tears began to form in the corners of Ginny's eyes, "but…but…"

Harry glanced over Ginny's shoulder to see Ron storming towards them; Hermione was frozen in her seat with wide eyes.

"What the bloody hell Harry!"

"Calm do-"

"Don't tell me to calm down Harry, you can't just reject Ginny when you've been pining over her like a lovesick puppy for months!"

"I was never pining over Ginny!"

Ron shook with anger, "don't try and lie to me Harry."

Harry took a step back, "I'm not lying Ron! I'm already dating someone, someone that's not Ginny!"

"Harry, -" Ron shook his finger, "- I thought I told you to dump that random girl."

Harry scoffed, "since when did you control my life?"

"Since you hurt my baby sister!"

Harry glared at Ron, "I saved her life! Have you already forgotten that? I'd do anything to help her! You want to know why!? Because she's like my sister, not my girlfriend!"

A sob escaped Ginny's throat.

"Ron -" Hermione had risen from her seat and had her hand on Ron's shoulder, "- calm down."

Ron whirled around, "Don't tell me to calm down! Look, Ginny's sobbing because he -" Ron jabbed his finger at Harry, "- is a lying git!"

"I am not lying Ron!"

"Who is she? -" Ginny's voice had a hard edge and she was shaking with rage, "- I'll kill her, Who is she?"

"Me."

Harry whirled around to see Daphne storming towards them; her fists were shaking with rage and she had a face like thunder.

"You?" Ginny's forced laugh pealed throughout the hall. "Harry would never even look at you! You're a filthy Slytherin!"

Harry slowly turned towards Ginny, "she's right."

Ron froze, "what?"

"I'm dating Daphne Greengrass," Harry's voice rang out across the hall, stunning everyone into silence.

A minute of shocked silence passed. Daphne had come to stand abreast of Harry, glaring daggers at Ginny.

"You're joking," Ron said.

Harry turned and planted a kiss directly onto Daphne's lips.

"I can't believe this," Ron said.

Ginny took one last shuddering breath before running from the hall, tears streaming down her face. Ron's eyes followed his sisters rout before snapping to Harry and Daphne; Harry could see the rage slowly building.

Before anyone could react Ron's fist flew through the air, cutting towards Harry's jaw and connecting with a sickening crunch.

"Harry!" Daphne screamed as he staggered.

Harry shrugged Daphne's hands off his shoulder and stepped towards Ron.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled. "Calm down!"

Ron shook her hands off him, "leave off Hermione."

Ron and Harry paused inches from each other; blood trickled from Harry's lip.

"Well, well, well," Draco Malfoy drawled from alongside Daphne, who was currently being held back by Astoria. "Trouble in paradise Potter?"

Harry turned towards Draco and Ron took advantage of the opening. Sending another fist towards the side of Harry's face. Ron's fist connected and Harry's world spun. He staggered towards Daphne before righting himself and turning back towards Ron.

"Are you fucking mental!" Harry said.

Ron threw another punch, missing Harry's head by an inch. Harry saw red. He flung his fist wildly towards Ron, smashing into his jaw. Ron stumbled backwards, rubbing the side of his face.

"You fight like a bitch Harry."

Harry flung himself towards Ron, but before he could connect his next, wild punch ropes wrapped around his legs, sending him crashing into the ground crushing his nose under his body weight.

Ron's foot slammed into Harry's ribs; his vision swam in shades of black.

"HARRY!"

Daphne's anguished scream was the last thing he heard.

Harry blearily opened his eyes, the light of the hospital wing blinding him.

"Harry?" Daphne's voice sounded from his side. "Are you awake?"

"Harry, you need to wake up," Hermione said from his other side.

Harry painfully opened his eyes the rest of the way, allowing them to adjust to the bright lighting. He turned his head towards the shadowy figure he assumed was Daphne, she was sitting by his head and gently holding his hand.

"Harry, -" Daphne's voice was soft and gentle "- you've been out for a day."

Harry tried to reply, but his throat was too raw to speak.

Daphne gently shushed him, "don't try and speak yet Harry."

"I'm so sorry Harry," Hermione said in a strained voice. "I…I should have stopped him…"

"It's okay Hermione, I should have stopped Draco. I can't believe he would jinx you just to watch you get stomped on…I'm sorry Harry."

Harry gently squeezed Daphne's hand and attempted to smile, causing stifled laughter from Hermione.

"Half your face is petrified Harry, you had a lot of damage around your eye." Hermione said.

Daphne gently ran her hand through Harry's hair, "it's okay, you're okay."

"Mr. Potter, it's good to see you awake," Madam Pomfrey said as she came bustling through the curtains surrounding his bed. "You had a couple of fractures around your eye and your jaw, but the only concern at the moment is your lingering concussion. I'm sure you can feel its affects -" she held out an orange potion that was smoking slightly "- take this and you should be right in a few hours."

Daphne took the potion from Madam Pomfrey and gently tilted it into Harry's mouth; he gagged as it went down.

"Yes, not pleasant that one," Madam Pomfrey said, taking the empty vile from Daphne. "I'll come check on you in a few hours."

Madam Pomfrey left, pulling the privacy curtains back into place. Harry raised an eyebrow at Daphne and looked pointedly at the curtains.

Daphne sighed, "she didn't want her hospital wing to become a zoo, so she put curtains up and barred everyone from entering without a valid reason."

"It was a madhouse after you blacked-out. I've never seen Professor McGonagall so angry, she petrified Ron and screamed at him for a good ten minutes -" Hermione shivered "- him and Draco have detention for the rest of the year, every night with her."

"Daphne?" Astoria's gentle voice drifted through the curtains before her head followed. "Can I talk to you?"

Daphne glared at her sister, "I'm not leaving Harry, anything you have to say to me you can say it here."

Astoria sighed before entering and softly closing the curtains behind her. "I just came to tell you something."

Daphne scoffed, "what, that Draco is really, really, sorry for letting my boyfriend get his head kicked in without any way to defend himself?"

Astoria twirled her hands together and looked at the floor, "no…I broke up with him."

"What?"

"I broke up with him -" Astoria raised her head to look Daphne in the eye, "- I'm not going to date someone who treats people like that."

Daphne's glare softened, "thank you."

Astoria turned towards Harry. "I'm sorry I let him do that," she said before turning abruptly and fleeing through the curtains.

"Alright girls -" Madam Pomfrey's head popped through the curtains, "- visiting hours are over, you can come see him in the morning."

Hermione gently squeezed Harry's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said softly.

Daphne leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead, "love you," she murmured against his skin.

Harry watched them leave; Daphne cast him a longing look over her shoulder before slipping out of sight. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, it was going to be a long night.

He was released the next morning into the care of Daphne and Hermione, although not before a stern warning about overexerting himself from Madam Pomfrey. Together they meandered through the halls towards the library, deciding to take advantage of their shared free period.

"How has Ron been?" Harry asked.

Hermione chuckled, "Ginny spent an hour screaming at him after she found out what happened, although she only cursed him three times so he got off fairly light. He hasn't really spoken to anyone since it happened, I heard from Neville that the boys have kind of shunned him for what he did."

"If only things were like that in Slytherin, -" Daphne sighed, "- Draco's been parading around like some kind of hero. No-one really pays him attention anymore though."

Hermione glanced at Harry out the side of her eye, "Ginny feels really bad about what happened, she's gutted that you rejected her but she's so angry at Ron."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "for what he did to me, or for 'leading her on'?"

Hermione sighed, "both, she was screaming at him for hitting you and then when we thought she ran out of steam she starts screaming at him about lying to her."

"Enough about the redheads -" Daphne took Harry's hand, "- my parents invited you over for the Christmas holidays."

Harry gulped, "really?"

Hermione giggled, "you'll have to meet her parents eventually Harry."

"My parents aren't that bad -" Daphne nudged Harry's shoulder with her own, "- not like the other pure-bloods."

"Guess I'm going with you for the holidays then."

Daphne laughed and kissed the side of Harry's head, "did you think you had a choice?"