"Madam Granger, is this regarding the rumors that you're going to run for the minister's seat?"
"Madam Granger, how do you respond to the allegations that you plan to give muggles full rights within our courts?"
"Madam Granger, what do you have to say to those who claim you're too young for the role?"
"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, it is my pleasure to announce today, as so many of you have speculated that I would, that I am officially running to become the Minister for Magic," Hermione said, smiling widely for the cameras. "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve under Minister Shacklebolt over these last several years, and I am proud of all the good work that we've done, but there is more to do, and I believe that I am the right person to continue that work."
"Minister, can we take it from your presence here that you're endorsing Madam Granger to replace you?" one of the other reporters asked.
"That is correct," Kingsley replied. "Madam Granger has my full support, and I am happy to endorse her to replace me. When I was first elected seven years ago now…"
The former auror launched into a prepared speech while Harry watched from the ramparts, not paying all that much attention. He was fully disguised again, as he generally was when he went out in public these days. He wanted to be there for Hermione and had gone with her to provide emotional support, but he was still reluctant to let it be publicly known that he'd returned to Britain. He would eventually and was going to endorse Hermione as well, but he wanted to put it off as long as possible, and luckily, she thought that it would be more impactful if it came closer to the actual vote anyway.
He had to admit that she did look like she was in her element when she took the stage back from Shacklebolt and laid out her basic platform. He never would have imagined that the overly inquisitive, bossy girl he met on a train all those years ago would have grown up to become a politician, but he supposed that they'd all changed as they grew up.
"She's good," a melodious voice sounded beside him, and he turned to see Daphne Greengrass standing there. He was surprised that he didn't sense her, though he was lost in thought just then.
"Scoping out the competition, Miss Greengrass?" Harry asked, knowing full well that the beautiful blonde beat Hermione to it the day prior.
"Not really," Daphne replied. "I know what to expect from Madam Granger, having worked with her all these years."
"Usually against her, from what I understand," Harry murmured.
"Not exclusively," Daphne shrugged, waving at Hermione as the brunette spotted her and grinning as her eyes widened, though she didn't falter in her speech at all. "We have our differences and will be opponents in this race, but I'm perfectly capable of civility. It was in the interest of civility that I decided to come say hello, since after all, it's only polite to greet an old classmate."
Harry froze for a second before furrowing his brow and smiling awkwardly, saying, "I think you're mistaken, Miss; I didn't attend Hogwarts."
Her wand slipped into her hand from her sleeve, and just as he was readying a wandless disarming charm, she cast, "Muffliato."
"Relax, Potter; I'm not going to out you to those vultures when you're so clearly enjoying your low profile," Daphne replied with a grin. "Again, I just thought I'd say hello."
"And why would you think that I'm Harry Potter?" Harry asked.
"I happened to spot you with both Granger and Weasley in a pub a little while ago, and you're using the same disguise as you were then," Daphne replied. "It wasn't difficult to discern who you were from how they both reacted."
"That's not much to go on," Harry murmured.
"No, but I'm right, aren't I?" Daphne asked, her crystal-blue eyes peering up at him in amusement.
"You are," Harry admitted, curious about where exactly she planned to take this.
Susan remained convinced that she had had a hand in the attempt on her life that Harry had helped to foil, and while she had said that the aurors would handle the investigation, he did want answers as well.
"Hmm, you know, I don't think we said a single word to each other in all those years," Daphne pouted.
"Well, house rivalries being what they were…" Harry said.
"It all seems so silly in retrospect," Daphne chuckled.
"If memory serves, you were never part of Malfoy's group back then," Harry said.
"Indeed," Daphne muttered. When he cocked an eyebrow, she explained, "My little sister is marrying him."
"Really?" Harry asked. Neither Hermione nor Susan had even mentioned the blonde since he returned to Britain.
"Mmhmm," Daphne replied. "It's going to be the premier event of the year. I'm surprised you hadn't heard."
"I haven't paid all that much attention to society at large since I returned," Harry replied.
"Are you planning to stay for long?" Daphne asked.
"I'm beginning to consider it," Harry replied honestly. Seeing his friends more regularly again and getting to know Susan had made his return more than worthwhile, and he hadn't been struck by the desire to move on at all so far.
"Well, if you're going to return to magical Britain on a more permanent basis, then it would behoove you to catch up on what you've missed," Daphne said. "I could help you there."
"And what would that cost me?" Harry asked, keeping his tone as light and joking as he could.
"Dinner," Daphne replied.
"Dinner?" Harry asked, blinking owlishly. That wasn't at all what he'd been expecting.
"I'm free tonight," Daphne purred, smirking up at him. "I was going to have dinner with an old friend, but something came up, and I still have my reservation at this gorgeous restaurant in muggle London called Victoria's."
"You dine in muggle restaurants?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
"I might be a pureblood, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate muggle fine dining," Daphne replied. "So, how about it?"
"I think that sounds great," Harry replied. "Where should I pick you up? And from where, for that matter?"
Daphne giggled, brushing her hand over his bicep, and replied, saying, "I'll write down the address."
Summoning a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill, she quickly jotted down the details and handed it to him.
"Pick me up around six?" Daphne asked.
"I'll see you then," Harry replied, giving her a winning smile.
"Looking forward to it," Daphne said softly as she left.
Harry looked down to see that Hermione's announcement had finished and the brunette in question was nowhere to be seen, though he quickly spotted her at the top of the steps, her eyes trained on him and an irritated look on her face.
"Good speech," Harry said as she drew near.
"The parts you heard, anyway," Hermione scowled. "I take it Greengrass somehow figured out who you were, or was her capturing your attention while I was giving my announcement speech a coincidence?"
"She figured it out, sort of," Harry replied.
"Did she think that would unnerve me somehow?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes.
"She probably considered that an unlikely bonus," Harry chuckled. "She seems to actually respect you despite your differences."
"She's always been unique on her side in that regard," Hermione said. "It's actually part of what makes her such a formidable opponent; she's never once underestimated me. So if getting under my skin was just a potential bonus, what did she actually want?"
"To ask me to dinner," Harry replied, and Hermione just stared at him blankly.
"What?" Hermione scoffed. "What the hell is she playing at?"
"I'll find out one way or another," Harry said. When she furrowed her brow, he added, "I said yes."
Hermione swallowed, saying nothing, and then signaled for him to follow as she took off towards her office. Her secretary must have seen how irritated she looked because she didn't even say a word as they passed her.
The second the door closed, Hermione asked, "Okay, what's going on?"
"We're not at Hogwarts anymore," Harry chuckled. "Me going out with a Slytherin doesn't have to mean some great plot is afoot."
"What about Susan?" Hermione asked.
"Things with Sue are casual; she knows that," Harry replied.
"Muffliato," Hermione cast. "Look, I know Greengrass is attractive, but she's clearly up to something, and you've been adamant about staying out of British affairs for as long as possible, so again, what's going on?"
"Susan thinks that Daphne was involved in Nott's attempt on her life," Harry replied.
Hermione snorted at that and said, "I highly doubt it. Greengrass can be ruthless, but she's not insane. There's no way that Nott and his merry band of idiots would have managed to do anything to Susan even if you weren't there."
"Yeah, she doesn't think that hurting her was the point," Harry explained. "She thinks that Daphne convinced Nott and the others to attack the manor, knowing that Susan would respond...poorly, and…"
"I'll admit that makes a little more sense, but I'd still be very surprised," Hermione said. "Daphne Greengrass has never been someone to spare another person a single thought more than she needed to. Susan's bid for the minister's seat died with that smear campaign, and she hasn't even entered the race yet. Goading her into butchering a few home intruders isn't just something I don't think Greengrass really has the stomach for; it would be unnecessary, and again, she doesn't do unnecessary."
He had to admit that Hermione did have a point there. Susan was mulling over whether it was even worth it to try and run this time, given how poorly the polls she'd commissioned had her doing. He hadn't mentioned this to Hermione, not wanting to break the redhead's trust, but he hadn't needed to.
"Well, at any rate, I think getting to know her could be useful," Harry said. "If I can ferret out any information on what she's up to, it could only be helpful. Speaking of ferrets, did you know Malfoy's set to marry her sister?"
"Astoria Greengrass, yes," Hermione replied, grinning momentarily at the ferret reference. "The Greengrasses stayed well out of both wars, and their name remains respectable. There might be actual feelings involved, but I doubt it's a coincidence that she'll be helpful in his efforts to rehabilitate the Malfoy name."
"How successful have those efforts been?" Harry asked. He couldn't say that he had all that much against Draco these days, as he would have died without the help of the man's mother, and his father was rotting in Azkaban, where he belonged.
"Even if he lives as long as Dumbledore did, he'll likely never attain the influence that his father had, but he's still relatively wealthy, and that does help," Hermione replied. "Does Susan know that you're investigating Greengrass personally?"
"No," Harry replied, "and I'd like to keep it that way for a while, at least until I have something definitive to tell her."
"Harry," Hermione sighed.
"It'll be fine," Harry said. "You said yourself that Daphne isn't dangerous, and even if she was, I could handle her."
Hermione bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say something, though she ultimately didn't.
"Just be careful," she said after a moment.
"Don't worry, I've got this," Harry said, grinning down at her.
"Madam Undersecretary," Olivia called out over the intercom, "the Head Auror is here for her 10 o'clock."
"Ten?" Hermione hissed, casting a quick tempus charm to make sure that was right. "Well, this day got away from me. Send her in."
"Thanks for mee…" Susan trailed off as she spotted him.
"No worries, Susan, I'll get out of your hair," Harry said, wandlessly undoing his disguise for a moment.
"Ah," Susan said, blushing prettily as she realized who he was. "Actually, it's good that you're here. The both of you have intimated in recent weeks that the role of DMLE department head could be made available to me…"
"Myers is set to retire at the end of the year," Hermione replied.
"Really?" Susan asked, her ginger brows shooting up towards her hairline. "I hadn't heard."
"He's kept it quiet," Hermione replied, "something I expect both of you to do as well."
"Ah, and here I thought it would be perfect for my infamous gossip circle," Harry complained sarcastically, making Hermione roll her eyes and smile. "Well, I'll leave you two to it."
"Are we still on for tomorrow night?" Susan asked quietly as he passed her.
"Wouldn't miss it for anything," Harry replied just as quietly, grinning as he saw her eyes darken slightly.
"Harry, keep in mind what we discussed," Hermione called out.
"Of course," Harry replied, nodding at her as he left.
Hermione slumped almost imperceptibly in her seat, fighting down the unpleasant feeling that the
thought of him and Daphne together gave her.
"Is everything alright?" Susan asked, confused by the strange interplay.
"Yes," Hermione replied, hoping that was the case.
"She certainly doesn't need to work if she can afford to maintain this place," Harry muttered to himself as he took in the sight of Greengrass Manor.
Nestled in the countryside in South Yorkshire, it was a spectacular Victorian-style country house, larger and more august than the Bones Manor without being as gaudy and audacious as the Malfoys mansion. He had known that Greengrasses were well off, having maintained a successful potions ingredient trade for generations, but this was still more than he expected. Knocking on the door, he was immediately greeted by a house elf.
"You is Harry Potter?" the elf asked.
"I am," Harry replied, smiling down at the surprisingly well-dressed elf. "Daphne's expecting me."
"The mistress said so," the elf said simply. "Please follow Mimsy."
Harry followed the elf inside the anteroom of the large estate, noting once more just how much subtler the design choices were than those of the Malfoys, who had clearly wanted to appear as rich as they possibly could.
"Harry?" Daphne called out, and as he looked up, he had to keep his jaw from dropping.
He knew that she was and always had been beautiful, with her heart-shaped face, button nose, pouty lips, and icy blue eyes, framed by long waves of golden hair. What he did not know was just how incredible her body was. Her hourglass figure was on full display in her tight-fitting strapless red dress. The low cut of it gave him a tantalizing view of her substantial cleavage, while the tight fit showed off her narrow waist and wide hips. She was nearly as full-figured as Susan, and through the long slit in her skirt, he was able to see that her legs were even more shapely.
"Wow," Harry said, smiling widely at the sight of her. "I put on one of my finest suits, expecting the restaurant to be rather high-end, and I still feel underdressed."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Daphne said with a throaty chuckle that he swore he felt in his cock as she looked him over. "I'd say you clean up very nicely."
"In case the fact that I couldn't say more than wow for a second there wasn't enough of a clue, you look incredible," Harry said, and her smile grew. Offering her his arm, he said, "Shall we?"
"Gladly," Daphne said, looping her arm around his. "There's a spot not far from the restaurant that I can apparate us to without fear of being spotted."
"If you really want to be on the safe side..." Harry trailed off, drawing his wand and silently disillusioning them both.
"Wow, we are completely invisible," Daphne said, sounding impressed.
"You have no idea how long it took me to perfect that," Harry said.
"And here, my best trick is just really quite apparition," Daphne said.
That turned out to be the only warning she was willing to give him, as the pair disapparated a second later. True to her word, there was only the faintest pop as they arrived in what Harry recognized as one of the wealthier parts of London. Having long since dealt with his aversion to magical travel, he held on without even a stumble, and once he made sure that no one was looking their way in the empty little park she'd taken them to, he undid his disillusion charms.
"I take it this place is a favorite of yours?" Harry asked as she led the way.
"Oh yes, I come here now and then because the staff are competent and the food's divine," Daphne replied. "The last time I was here, I had the rack of lamb, and oh, it was fantastic."
"I haven't had lamb in ages," Harry said, thinking that sounded great.
"You won't regret it," Daphne said as they entered the dimly lit restaurant.
"Ah, Miss Greengrass," the maître d said as he spotted them. "Your usual table has been prepared."
"Thank you, Mister Giles," Daphne said warmly as he led them through to their table.
"Now and then?" Harry murmured.
"Okay, rather often," Daphne corrected, and he grinned. "I treat Tracey to dinner here about once a month."
"Davis, right?" Harry said as he pulled out her chair and struggled to recall the Slytherin girl who had seemed to be glued at the hip to Daphne back in school.
"That's her," Daphne replied. "Thank you."
"Good evening," a waiter said as he approached and handed them a pair of menus. "I'm Allen, and I'll be your waiter for the evening."
"No need," Daphne said. "I'll have the duck confit and the Greek salad."
"The rack of lamb and mashed potatoes," Harry added.
"Well, that makes things easy," Allen said jovially. "To drink?"
"Red wine would go well with both of our orders," Daphne said, looking at Harry. "Shall we get a bottle?"
"Red wine's fine," Harry replied. "I'm sure you have a favorite."
"You still have bottles of the 99 Chateauneuf-du-Pape?" Daphne asked as she looked over the wine list.
"We do indeed, Miss," Allen replied.
"That will be perfect then," Daphne said, handing it back.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Allen said.
"I still can't believe that the most prominent young voice among the purebloods frequents a muggle restaurant," Harry said quietly once he was gone.
"I'm not exactly Lucius Malfoy," Daphne replied dryly.
"No, I don't think you spend nearly as much time on your hair," Harry quipped, making her snort and then glare at him. "I can't believe two of the candidates this time around are going to be under thirty."
"So Bones is out, huh?" Daphne asked, and Harry grimaced.
"Of the declared candidates," he said weakly, cursing himself for his stupidity.
"Our world has changed over the last several years," Daphne said. "The minister himself isn't exactly old, and who knows? Perhaps people are ready to elevate a younger candidate. Worry not, I'm not expecting your support, given your history with Granger."
"Well, thank you," Harry said.
"Here you are," Allen said, placing two large wine glasses down in front of them and opening the bottle. After pouring both glasses, he left it with them and departed.
"To fixing a mistake from back in school," Harry said, holding his glass out to her. When she just cocked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, he added, "I should have gotten to know you back then."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Daphne smirked. "Word on the street is I'm a huge bitch."
He laughed as she clinked her glass against his and took a sip, sighing at the genuinely delicious wine.
"Luckily, I learned long ago not to take idle gossip at face value," Harry said.
"I guess you would know that better than most," Daphne sighed. "I still can't believe how insane the ministry got during our fifth year. Umbridge is dead, by the way."
"Really?" Harry asked. Letting his wand slip into hand under the table, being just obvious enough to get her attention and cast a variation of the muffliato charm that would make it sound to everyone around them like they were having an exceptionally boring conversation. "So we can speak more freely. When did she die?"
"A couple years ago," Daphne replied. "I suspect being deprived of people to put down in order to feel better about herself for so long was more than her heart could take."
"You sound about as fond of her as I was," Harry said.
"My father hated her," Daphne chuckled. "He was convinced that no one in the ministry actually liked her, but she was too useful to do away with."
"Does he run the family business while you handle the wizengamot?" Harry asked, only to regret it immediately as her face fell.
"No, he passed away a year ago," Daphne replied.
"I'm so sorry," Harry said.
"He started getting sick a few years beforehand and had passed all responsibilities and duties onto me long before a final bout of dragonpox killed him," Daphne explained.
"I shouldn't have brought it up," Harry said.
"No, you didn't know," Daphne said dismissively. "So, where have you been all these years?"
"Here, there, and everywhere, really," Harry replied, happy for the change of subject. "I had a lot that I needed to work through after the war, and by the time I had, I had discovered a love of travel and adventure I never knew I had."
"Must have been fun," Daphne sighed.
"It was," Harry said, "though it did leave me almost completely disconnected from things back here for some years."
"Well, I did say that I'd help catch you up on things," Daphne said.
"Right," Harry murmured, seeing an opportunity to steer the conversation where he wanted it. "You said that Malfoy was set to marry your sister."
"Indeed," Daphne sighed. "The girl's always had a thing for wounded birds."
"Including preening peacocks, apparently," Harry quipped, making her laugh. "Have you kept in contact with the other Slytherins?"
"Pansy landed on her feet, probably by way of her knees, and married an eminently wealthy Italian pureblood," Daphne said. "Millicent wasn't so fortunate, but she found work at least."
"You ever hear from Nott?" Harry asked.
"Theo?" Daphne asked. "No. It's bad enough having to deal with Draco on a regular basis; I hardly need discount Draco in my life. Why?"
"He always seemed like one of the worst of them," Harry replied, shrugging.
"From what I know, things haven't gone well for him," Daphne replied. "He lost it after his father was killed by the aur...ahh. Theo did something stupid, didn't he?"
Harry said nothing as Daphne's grin widened.
"He actually had the balls to go after Bones?" she asked incredulously. "How many pieces did she leave him in?"
"He's alive," Harry replied, casting a silent, wandless detection spell to let him listen to her heartbeat.
"Ah, so she wasn't alone," Daphne murmured. "Was it you?"
"Yeah, I was there," Harry replied, seeing no reason not to be honest at this point.
"And Bones suspects that I was involved," Daphne speculated.
"Were you?" Harry asked, paying close attention to her heart.
"No," Daphne scoffed, finishing her glass of wine. "More wine?"
"Please, let me," Harry replied, taking the bottle and filling both of their glasses again. "You seem oddly unoffended for someone who was just accused of committing a major felony."
"There's nothing to take offense at," Daphne shrugged. "Bones suspects me because she's paranoid and hates me on principle, and you don't know me, plus you don't seem particularly convinced that I was involved anyway. Theo's alive, so he'll already have been questioned under veritaserum. If the ginger had any reason to suspect me, I'd have already heard from her."
"You could have been subtle enough to put the idea in his head without making it obvious," Harry murmured.
"I could have," Daphne accepted. "Manipulating Theodore Nott was never particularly challenging, and I doubt the last few years of heavy drinking did anything to bolster his limited intellect, but attacking Susan Bones in that way wouldn't have suited my purposes at all."
"Wouldn't it have?" Harry asked.
"No," Daphne said flatly, sounding annoyed for the first time since they began talking about this. "I happily neutered Bones' political aspirations, not because I think that she would have won the race, but because I know that her campaign would have been bad for Britain."
"How so?" Harry asked.
"Susan Bones is angry, very angry, and she's been very angry for a very long time," Daphne replied. "She is also beautiful and possesses a fantastic pair of tits. She wouldn't have won many votes in the end, but she would have drawn many eyes and ears, and the last thing this country needs, just as we are finally starting to put the horrors of the war behind us, is an angry, spiteful rabble rouser causing trouble. That would have run the risk of making things disorderly, and I hate disorder."
"That's something you and she have in common, actually," Harry chuckled.
"Oh, I'm well aware," Daphne replied. "The other reason that I wouldn't have sent Theo after her is that even if he had a one percent chance of success, I still wouldn't run that risk. Bones is useful where she is."
"You like having her in charge of the aurors?" Harry asked.
"Harry, I'm a traditionalist at heart," Daphne replied. "I love our people, our history, and our ways, and I want to preserve them. There are many among us who feel the same way, and sadly, some of them are deeply unpleasant. Susan Bones is such a little terror that fear of her keeps those elements in line; it keeps them orderly. I wouldn't vote to make her minister if she put her wand to my head, but that doesn't mean that I don't find her useful."
Harry exhaled a short and quiet laugh at that, awed by her sheer gall to speak so openly about the people around her.
"You're being incredibly frank," he commented.
"You strike me as someone who cares nothing for politics," Daphne said. "Even your support for Granger is entirely personal, I imagine."
"Hermione's just the sort of person I would want in charge, no offense," Harry said with a wry grin at the end. "She's good and brilliant, and she actually cares about making things better."
"Oh, I don't doubt that," Daphne replied, "but she's, and I know this isn't the traditional definition of the word, but a reactionary."
"How so?" Harry asked.
"You recall that nonsense about freeing house elves back in the day?" Daphne chuckled. "She saw an injustice and leapt right into doing something about it without any thought or even research. It wasn't until years later that she learned that they couldn't be freed without either finding a new source of magic to sustain them or outright dying. I happily worked with her on the strengthened elven rights legislation because I believe that they do deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, but, though she has matured a great deal since our school days, her first instinct when she sees a problem is still to rush towards a solution."
Harry took a sip of wine to give him an excuse not to respond immediately to that. He had to admit that Hermione could become rather hyper-focused at times, especially when she was offended by something.
"I read the works of a fascinating muggle politician a little while ago that seemed to resonate rather well with me," Daphne said. "His name was William Lamb, the second Viscount Melbourne, whose basic political philosophy could be best summed by saying that the greatest good anyone can do with power is to do no ill. Change, if it's needed at all, is best done carefully and slowly, lest one make a mess of things."
Harry was about to reply when their meals arrived, and he felt his mouth water at the sight of both of them. The lamb smelled divine, and Daphne's duck looked incredible as well. The two of them dug in, both of them rather hungry by that point, and Harry was pleased to discover that Daphne's praise for the food at that place was well warranted. The two of them ate in silence for a few minutes, both of them enjoying their meals and neither feeling particularly enthused to continue speaking about politics.
As Daphne finished off the first of her duck legs, she turned to him and said, "So tell me about one of your adventures."
Happy for the change of subject, Harry smiled and decided to tell her about the time he uncovered the source of the concealment wards obscuring a massive gold-bearing reef in central Australia, grinning widely as her eyes slowly lit up in awe of the sheer wealth he'd uncovered.
"Wait, so this local wizard hid the entire deposit after that drunken muggle found it, but then…" Daphne went to ask.
"Promptly died, yes," Harry chuckled. "He didn't tell anyone what he'd done, and his few remaining relatives died off a while later, and no one knows what became of his written works. The muggle in question, I can't recall his name, spent the rest of his life trying to find what he'd stumbled across years prior, and plenty of others had searched since."
"How much gold do you think is there?" Daphne asked.
"Enough to make a goblin blush," Harry replied, grinning. "Plenty of muggleborn wizards and witches had searched the area over the decades as well, thinking that the story of a disappearing gold deposit sounded potentially magical, but none of them were ever able to find more success than their mundane counterparts. I had trouble as well, but eventually, I managed to sense something out in that blaring hot desert that just felt sort of off, and when I looked deeper, I was able to find the very well-hidden wardstone."
"So did you undo the wards?" Daphne asked.
"No, I just altered them to allow myself and anyone else that I bring in to see and get through them," Harry replied, smirking.
"So it's yours," Daphne said, looking stunned.
"Well, I'm not the one who spends their days drafting and looking over laws, but I do know that the Yanks have an expression I'm rather fond of," Harry said. When she cocked an eyebrow, he said, "Possession is nine tenths of the law."
She grinned wickedly at him as he poured the last of their wine.
"Do you want to get a second bottle?" Harry asked.
"Actually, I have a lovely bottle of port older than we are that I think you'd quite enjoy," Daphne replied. "Feel like a nightcap?"
Harry grinned at the beautiful blonde, whose company he'd come to enjoy far more than he expected to. She wasn't exactly the spoiled pureblood princess that he'd have expected at first glance, being intelligent, crafty, and driven. She's still grown up as a wealthy heiress, though, and he wasn't surprised that the story of him rediscovering the massive gold deposit had seemed to turn her on. Signaling to Allen to bring them the check, he paid for dinner, and the pair of them departed, making their way into an empty alley and disapparating away.
"Oh, wow," Harry murmured as Daphne twisted the right knot on the wooden banister, and an entire section of the wall next to it descended into the floor.
"My father was quite fond of wine," Daphne said as she led him inside the large hidden room. "We actually own a vineyard in southern France where much of our private collection comes from, as well as a lovely manor on the property where I spend most of the winter every year."
"Not willing to freeze that lovely arse of yours off anymore?" Harry asked, and she laughed.
"It's not like warming charms don't work, but there is something to be said for not needing them," Daphne said. "The region still gets winter, of course, but not like we did up in Hogwarts."
She walked around the large wine cellar, whose walls were full of carefully stored bottles, and pulled out a squat, old-looking bottle with no label. She opened the cupboard containing what appeared to be every variety of wine glass ever designed, and Harry decided to show off a little. Extending his right hand out, he pulled two small port glasses out of the cupboard, making them float towards him where he waited as the rectangular table in the center of the room.
"Wandless magic?" Daphne gasped.
"Something I picked up over the last few years," Harry replied, setting the glasses down.
Daphne's pupils dilated as she stared at him, and he smirked.
"This was my father's favorite port and is the only one that my mother has ever enjoyed," Daphne said as she poured a couple small glasses. "She's more of a sherry person."
"She's still…" Harry trailed off.
"Oh, yes," Daphne said. "She lives in the east wing."
"Ah," Harry said, inwardly relieved. "You fly over now and then to say hi?"
"The manor's not that big," Daphne giggled, handing him his glass. Holding out her glass, she said, "To further fixing old mistakes from school."
"Oh, I don't know," Harry smirked as he clinked his glass against hers. "Word on the street is I'm a huge dick."
"Just my type," Daphne purred, and Harry felt his cock harden in his pants.
"Mmm, oh, that is divine," he sighed as he tasted the port.
"Mmhmm," Daphne agreed. "What can I say? I like the finer things in life."
"How are you single?" Harry asked.
"I have very high standards," Daphne replied, stepping forward until their bodies were just inches apart. "I can be very hard to please."
"Oh, I'd say I'm up to the challenge," Harry murmured, staring deeply into her eyes.
Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her in and captured her lips in a searing, hot kiss. Daphne moaned softly and reached up to wrap a hand around his head, sinking her fingers into his long, dark hair. She brushed her tongue against his teasingly, and he followed it back into her mouth, dominating the kiss. He wouldn't have expected it, given what a force to be reckoned with she seemed to be in life, but from that first kiss, he could tell that she was going to be a wonderfully submissive little thing.
"Y...you can kiss at least," she whispered challengingly as she broke the kiss for air, though her stutter ruined it.
"One of my many talents," Harry smirked. "I'm afraid you're going to have to lead the way upstairs. Even I'd get lost in here."
"Please me tonight, and perhaps you'll get a chance to learn your way around," Daphne said.
Grinning at her challenge, Harry leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Be a good girl and show me where I'm going to fuck you until you pass out."
"Fuck," Daphne moaned, kissing him again, and then squealed when he slapped her arse hard. "Okay!"
The two of them finished their remaining mouthfuls of port, set the glasses down, and then she grabbed his hand and apparated them both upstairs. He grinned down at her and kissed her roughly, bringing his hands down to cup her round arsecheeks through her dress. She didn't have quite as plump an arse as Susan, but it was still round and full, and he felt his cock strain against his pants as he imagined what it would be like as he fucked her from behind. Turning her around, he pressed his aching cock against her arse and trailed hot kisses down the slender column of her neck.
"Ugh, Merlin, that's...wait, wait, wait," Daphne said. "What the hell is that?"
"I'll give you three guesses," Harry said dryly.
"Harry, there is no way in hell that that is what I think it is," Daphne said, struggling out of his embrace and turning around to stare up at him with narrowed eyes.
"What to bet?" Harry asked, deeply amused.
Daphne's eyes widened as she realized that he was serious, and she said, "What are the terms?"
"If you're right and this," Harry said, cupping his cock through his pants, "isn't one hundred percent real, then I'll do whatever you want for a month."
"I'm not putting being your slave for a month on the line, Potter," Daphne said.
"That's good, because I'll only need the one night," Harry replied, taking a step forward and staring down into her lust-darkened eyes. "After a night with me, you'll do whatever I want anyway."
"Yo...you think you could tame me so easily?" Daphne asked breathlessly.
"I guess we'll see," Harry replied, snapping his fingers.
His suit disappeared from his body and reappeared back in his bedroom back home, where Kreacher quickly grabbed it and set about cleaning it. Daphne stared down at his cock with eyes wide as saucers, and her jaw dropped.
"Holy shit, Harry," she gasped.
"That'll be 'holy shit, master,' for tonight," Harry rumbled, and she quivered in need.
He knew he had her pegged from that first kiss as a sub, and he grinned as he imagined all the ways in which he was going to destroy her tonight.
"Yes, master," Daphne purred. "Now what would my master have of me?"
"Strip," Harry commanded, sitting down on her bed and grinning up at her.
He cast a music charm, and a particular song he recalled hearing in a Canadian strip club started echoing through the room. The blonde woman who had pole danced to it back then had been hot in her own way, and Harry had enjoyed seducing and fucking her brains out later that night, but she was nothing compared to the vision before him.
Daphne started to sway to the beat and turned around. Reaching behind her, she unzipped her red dress, slowly revealing progressively more of her creamy skin as she moved. The zipper went all the way to her lower back, and she paused at the bottom, letting his eyes feast on her dimples of Venus, teasing the idea that she was going to push it down around her arse when she turned around instead.
"How often did you fantasize about me back in Hogwarts?" she asked.
"Sadly, I didn't, though that says more about how hideously distracted I was back then than you," Harry replied. "I found out Voldemort wasn't entirely dead in our first year, and then something insane happened every year thereafter."
"Our eighth year did seem oddly quiet," Daphne commented as she slowly pulled the dress down past her breasts, allowing the heavy mounds to fall free.
Harry groaned at the sight of the large, full, and yet firm tits that sat high on her chest, capped with large, pink nipples. She continued, dancing to the song and lowering her dress more and more, revealing her soft yet flat belly, and she paused as she revealed that her pussy was completely hairless to smirk at his reaction.
"Enough," Harry whispered, spelling her dress off of her and draping it over her armoire's door. It disappeared a second later, no doubt taken by Mimsy, but the loyal elf was the last thing on Harry's mind just then.
"Impatient, are we?" Daphne purred, thrilled by how she affected him as he closed the distance between them.
"I'm used to just taking what I want," Harry replied.
"Then do so, master," Daphne whispered, and he was on her in an instant.
Kissing her deeply, he reached up to cup one of her heavy breasts, making her moan, and led her back to the bed. He had planned to have her suck his cock and undoubtedly would still before the end of the night, but she would be tasting her cunt on it by the time they got to that because he had to have her.
"Merlin's balls, you're as big as my forearm," Daphne moaned, reaching down to wrap her hand around his length. "My fingers don't even touch."
"You did say that you have high standards," Harry smirked.
"Alas, I fear I might have limits too," Daphne winced.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Harry said. "By the time I finally push my cock inside you, you'll be wetter than you've ever been in your life. Now lay back."
"Mmm, yes, master," Daphne purred, sitting down on the bed and lying back.
She stretched her arms out over her head, displaying her incredible body for him fully, and he let his eyes feast on her form. Joining her on the bed, he cupped her breasts, which had pooled towards her arms, and brought them together, kneading the firm mounds with his large hands. She sighed and then moaned as he brought one of her hard nipples to his mouth, wrapping his lips around the nub and sucking gently.
"Ahh, just like that, master" Daphne sighed, raking her nails over his scalp as she buried her fingers in his thick hair.
Harry shivered at the simple pleasure and switched to the other pink nipple, grazing it with his teeth and grinning when she gasped at the sensation. He spent a few minutes worshiping her breasts, covering the supple mounds with kisses, and teasing her hard peaks with his lips, tongue, and teeth until she was a squirming, mewling mess under him.
"Pl...please!" Daphne whined, sounding so unlike the conniving political powerhouse he's spent the evening with that it almost made him laugh.
"Please what?" Harry asked, grinning wickedly at him.
"More," Daphne whimpered, sounding like she couldn't decide on any one thing that she wanted.
Harry thought about teasing her further and asking what exactly she meant, but the smell of her arousal was permeating the air around them and making his mouth water. Deciding that he had to taste her, he kissed a trail down along her soft, flat belly until he reached her bare mound. Her legs were spread wide, her pussy on full display, and he took a moment to admire her fleshy folds.
"Beautiful," he murmured, and Daphne reddened slightly, her blue eyes wide as she watched him lower his face towards her drooling slit.
"Oh, Merlin, yes!" she cried as he bathed her wet, heated flesh with the flat of his tongue.
"There's only one name I want on your lips tonight," Harry said darkly, and Daphne shuddered.
"Yes, master," she said, sounding frantic.
"That works too," Harry chuckled, gripping her thick thighs and burying his head back between them.
Daphne's long blonde hair lay spread out on the bed around her as she grabbed at the sheets on either side of her body. As Harry lapped at her cunt like it was his favorite treat in the world, she swore that his tongue had to be enchanted and clenched her eyes shut as she soared towards her peak. She had been dripping wet since they got back to the mansion, having decided that she wanted to fuck the handsome, powerful man between her thighs back in the restaurant.
Harry was just so strong and capable, his talents wasted on the lifestyle he'd chosen. If she'd known that he was this impressive back in school, she wouldn't have hesitated for a second to try to draw his eye. If his abilities were properly nurtured and focused, she had no idea just how much he could accomplish. A date she had originally arranged in the hope of screwing with Granger turned into much more over the course of it, and she found herself wanting him for herself.
And that was before he ate her out without being asked.
"Oh fuck, that feels so good," Daphne moaned, her grip on the sheets tightening so much that her knuckles turned white. "Please don't stop, master."
"Stopping is the last thing I plan to do," Harry chuckled before swirling his tongue around her clit in a way that made her see stars. "I want to hear you scream my name when you cum, my good girl."
"Oh, fuck," Daphne whimpered, feeling more turned on than she could ever remember.
"Do you remember the ability I demonstrated in our second year?" Harry asked. "During my little duel with Malfoy."
"Um," Daphne said, wondering why the hell he was bringing this up when he could be making her cum. After racking her overtaxed brain for a second, she finally recalled and said, "Parseltongue. Why?"
Harry grinned and returned to her sopping wet pussy, wrapping his lips around her clit.
"Cum for me, my little snake," Harry hissed.
"HARRY!" Daphne shrieked at the top of her lungs as her back arched off the bed.
Harry held her in place and continued speaking parseltongue against her throbbing clit, grinning as she squirted all over his face. She was a writhing, thrashing mess as her orgasm went on and on without end. The pleasure was all-consuming, more intense than anything she'd ever dreamed of, much less experienced, and as her vision went white and her other senses dimmed, it became the only thing in the world she could feel at all.
When Daphne opened her eyes, she saw Harry staring down at her in concern and giggled like a child. Something about the serious, worried look on her face was just hilarious when she felt so good.
"Daphne, you alright?" he asked.
"Never better," Daphne sighed, stretching her arms over her head as he relaxed a little.
"You were out for a couple minutes," Harry said.
"I...oh," Daphne murmured as she recalled her last moments before she lost consciousness. "Did I remember to scream your name?"
"Yes," Harry laughed.
"Good, because for a second there, I think I forgot my own," Daphne replied. "That was parseltongue?"
"Mmhmm," Harry replied, looking smug.
"Merlin's balls, I wish you ended up in Slytherin," Daphne sighed.
"I almost did," Harry said, and she cocked her head in confusion. "The hat wanted to put me there, but I had already met Malfoy and decided that I didn't want to spend seven years in the same house as him."
Daphne looked murderously angry for a moment before schooling her features. "We could have spent all that time getting to know each other?"
"We also could have done that anyway," Harry pointed out, and she just harrumphed.
"Remind me to murder my future brother-in-law," Daphne scowled, and he laughed.
"Now, who's going to take over the world if you end up in Azkaban?" Harry asked teasingly. "I imagine your sister would object too."
"Stori's taste is in her arse," Daphne muttered, looking hilariously petulant before her gaze settled on his rock-hard cock. "Well, now that you know that you didn't kill me with that tongue of yours, how about you fuck me, master?"
"Well, seeing as you've been such a good girl, I'll let you pick the first position," Harry said, grinning as she shuddered.
"Doggy," Daphne said, sitting up and getting onto her hands and knees on the bed. "I want to feel every inch of that big, thick cock split me in two and reach places nothing ever has."
"Fucking hell," Harry groaned. "Keep talking like that, and you're not going to be able to walk tomorrow."
"The terms of the bet will be done by then, and I'm quite confident that you're strong enough to carry me," Daphne said, grinning impishly as she looked back at him.
"You think I'll carry you around all day?" Harry chuckled.
"You'd leave a poor, defenseless woman to hobble about after brutally slaking your fiendish lusts on her?" Daphne asked, faux-gasping. "You're just not the hero everyone thinks you are."
"I kind of wish I'd let the hat put me where it wanted to, as well," Harry muttered as he looked her over. "Gods, what an arse!"
She really did have a body on par with Susan, and as he ran his hands over her round, firm cheeks, he found himself wondering what it would be like to have them both at once. He knew that he'd have a snowflake's chance in hell of ever getting them to agree to that, but the image still made his cock throb painfully.
"Just don't think that you're fucking it today," Daphne muttered. "Bet or no bet, there's no way I'm taking that beater's bat you have between your legs in there without a couple days of preparation."
"Oh, I'm sure that I could get you ready," Harry rumbled before hissing a couple words in parseltongue.
Daphne looked back at him in shock, her eyes going wide as she said, "You'd…"
"Maybe later in the shower," Harry replied, and she shuddered at the thought.
Fisting his cock, he brushed the bulbous head over her drooling pussy, making her gasp, and then lined himself up with her dripping hole.
"Oh, Merlin!" Daphne moaned as the head of his cock popped inside her, stretching her inner walls obscenely.
SMACK
Daphne squealed as he spanked her arse hard, and Harry said, "I did warn you about saying any other names."
"M...more," Daphne whimpered, clawing at the sheets in front of her.
He spanked the other cheek just as hard, earning another sharp cry, and pushed another couple inches of his cock inside her. Gripping her hips tightly, he started fucking her with slow, shallow thrusts, burying a little more of his cock inside her insanely tight, wet depths each time. All the while, Daphne whimpered, cooed, and moaned as she was stretched further than she'd ever been. She wasn't a virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but she'd never been with anyone nearly as big as Harry, and the sheer intensity of the stretch was driving her mad.
"That feels...so good," she whimpered.
"You don't need me to slow down at all?" Harry asked.
"Don't you dare...um, master," Daphne replied, belatedly remembering their bet. "The sheer stretch burns a little, but in a good way. I've never felt like this before."
Harry grinned at her words and continued slowly burying his length inside her sweltering cunt. He'd heard those very words before and never tired of them. He knew that size wasn't everything, but he was well practiced in bed and knew that for women who could take him, which wasn't all of them, he was usually far more than they were used to. As he buried the last inch of his cock inside her, Daphne squeaked and fell forward, burying her face in the mattress.
"Fuck me, you're like a hot, wet vice," Harry groaned as he pulled several inches of his cock from her and thrust back inside.
Daphne cried out into the sheets as he reached the greatest depths of her pussy again, and he grinned. Starting out slow, he eased her into what was to come, fucking her with long, deep thrusts and making her feel every inch of his colossal cock. She whimpered, warbled, and moaned as she slowly adjusted to his size.
"Harder, master!" she cried after a few minutes of the slow, gentle thrusts.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked, deliberately slowing down just to irritate her.
"Yes!" Daphne cried. "I'm so turned on, I can't think, and you feel so bloody good. Fuck me, master."
Harry pulled out until just the head of his cock remained lodged inside her and thrust back in hard, making her scream and bury her face in the mattress again. Working his way up to a steady pace, Harry groaned as the impact of his hips on her arse made the plump cheeks ripple and jiggle hypnotically. Reaching forward, he gathered a handful of her long blonde hair in his hand, close to her scalp, and pulled her head up out of the bed.
"Fuck!" Daphne screamed, slamming her fist down on the bed as her whole body began to shake and pussy started to flutter around him.
"I want to hear your every scream, Daphne," Harry rumbled, and she moaned loudly.
"Holy shit!" Daphne cried. "I can't believe the...oh fuck...Gryffindor golden boy is...Mer...Harry!..such a monster in bed."
Harry laughed at her words as he picked up his pace again. The sounds of her moans echoed through the room, joined by the slapping sounds of his hips hitting her arse and the squelching sounds her dripping pussy were making as he pounded her hard. He knew that she had to be close with how her tight inner walls were fluttering around him, and he felt that he was getting close as well. Wetting his fingers in his mouth, he reached under her and started rubbing her clit.
Daphne's knees buckled, and she fell forward, taking him with her as he continued fucking her hard. Pounding her into the bed now, he let go of her hair and buried his face in the crook of her neck, alternating between kissing her pulse point and nibbling her earlobe.
"Cum for me, Daphne," he whispered. "Be my good girl and cum."
"HARRY!" Daphne screamed as she came.
As her pussy spasmed around him, working to milk his cock, Harry let go, cumming deep inside her. He knew that he'd be up for more and would last even longer after he'd already cum, so he didn't feel like trying to hold back much more than he had. As he filled her with rope after rope of his thick, white cum, he fell forward, catching himself on his forearms on either side of her sweat-slicked body.
"Holy...fuck," Daphne panted as her orgasm abated and Harry laughed.
"That's one way to put it," he said as he pulled his cock from her cunt and rolled onto his back.
Daphne pulled herself over and rested her head on his chest as she slowly regained her breath. He smiled and ghosted his fingers over her back, drawing little patterns as he went.
"I've never cum from penetration before," she said after a couple of quiet minutes. "I didn't think I could."
"You just needed the right guy," Harry grinned, and she looked up at him with her eyes narrowed for a moment before they went wide.
Her arm had brushed against his cock, which was still as hard as steel, and she said, "You're still…"
"Oh, it'll take a lot more than that to satisfy me, Daphne," Harry smirked.
Daphne just blinked owlishly at him for a moment before snorting and saying, "Be careful now, or I might have to keep you."
"Show me how well you can ride me, and we'll see," Harry commanded, and she shivered, her eyes darkening with renewed lust.
As she scrambled to climb over and straddle him, Harry thought to himself that he was definitely going to want more of the little blonde vixen, a thought that only amplified when she buried his cock back inside her snug little furnace of pussy in one long motion.
"I really owe Hermione for luring me back home," he thought to himself as Daphne started to ride him properly.