Harry sat on the edge of the fountain in front of Greengrass manor, thinking about how much his life changed recently. In the distance in front of him was the large iron gate covered with roses through which they were first brought in. Back then, he fully believed Voldemort would be waiting for him on the other side. That they would all die horribly.
And instead...
His reminiscence was interrupted as he heard soft steps coming from the other side. He turned to look in that direction and his breath was instantly taken away as he saw the one person who came to rule so much of his thoughts recently.
Daphne Greengrass slowly approached the fountain with a smile and Harry returned it even as he stood up to great her. Technically, he supposed that he was still a prisoner here and that this girl was his captor. But for many reasons, he could not bring himself to think of her that way. For one thing, he felt that as a prisoner he should have a desire to escape, which he did not have. A prisoner should also not cherish and enjoy the presence of his captor as he did Daphne's right now.
"My lady," he spoke smoothly as he extended his hand towards her and then waited for her to offer him her own. When she graciously did, he leaned to give it a kiss before looking into her eyes. There was not a hint of blush on her face, making it obvious that this girl fully expected to be treated this way.
"You look beautiful today," Harry said even though he felt the statement did not do the reality a justice. After all, Daphne always looked beautiful but she outdid herself today. It started with a plunging sleeveless black dress that showcased her incredible figure. Daphne also applied a make-up that enhanced her already considerable natural beauty. In particular, Harry noticed the hint of dark blue eye shadows which brought out her icy blue eyes he loved so much. Even with his magic sight, he thought it beautiful and briefly wondered if the make-up was magical. She had her blonde hair sleek and straight and parted in the middle.
In conclusion, she looked absolutely gorgeous. But most importantly, she was Daphne Greengrass and she was smiling at him for giving her a compliment.
"Thank you, Harry. So do you," she told him gently and Harry had to fight an urge to protest that there was no comparison and there never could be. Instead, he smiled and thanked her as well, mindful of Daphne's earlier advice to be more confident.
"So why did you want to meet here?" the girl then asked curiously. She looked around them, searching for a possible explanation as to why he specifically asked to meet her at this spot after inviting her for a 'date'.
Harry did not leave her guessing for long as he explained with a smile, "Don't you remember? This is the place where we first met."
Harry supposed that was not exactly true as they no doubt must have run into each other in Hogwarts at some point. But back then, she was just some girl with the hated green tie that he automatically ignored. Here, at this spot, was the first time he really saw her as a person.
"Oh..." Daphne said, looking little sad. "Are you sure that is something you want to celebrate? I wasn't exactly kind to you at first."
"Hey, I thought I would be meeting the dark lord that day," Harry explained and smirked. "Instead, I met you. No matter what you did or said next, my day was massively improved in that moment. And believe me when I say you are much more pleasant sight than Voldemort," he said with a huge grin.
"Gee, thanks," Daphne said with mock annoyance but then laughed.
"... and I think I was taken by you even then. Even when I thought you would have us killed. You've been on my mind ever since," Harry admitted.
Daphne responded by taking his hand and saying confidently. "Good, very good... and don't forget that you still owe me the one thousand galleons it took me to buy you from those bastards," she said and smirked. "Although have to say that was probably the best money spent in my life."
"Gee, thanks," Harry echoed her earlier words and they both laughed this time. "Maybe we better stop reminiscing and focus on the present," he suggested and Daphne eagerly nodded.
"Agreed," the girl said as she held his arm and pulled him closer. "So... what do you have planned, Harry?" she asked while leaning her head against his shoulder. Harry smiled and said, "You'll see in a moment. It's a surprise," he told her and beckoned her to follow him, with their arms still intertwined.
"For the record, I prefer surprises that I am aware of several days in advance," Daphne told him jokingly. But seeing as they were walking through the highly secured grounds around the Greengrass mansion, she followed his lead nonetheless. "Noted for future reference," Harry replied cheekily as they walked away from the fountain and towards their destination.
Although they agreed not to think of the past, Harry could not help but marvel at all the events which led him here, to this moment – to having a breathtakingly beautiful girl like Daphne on his arm.
In the last two months before their capture, he pretty much gave up on ever defeating Voldemort and in the process also on ever having any sort of future for himself. There was no specific event which sent him down that depressing line of thought.
In fact, it happened so slowly that he did not even know he did it. But inside, he just gave up. He was not sure when it started and it might have been years in the making for all he knew. It was like he simply accepted that he was going to die and that there was nothing he could do about it. At best, he hoped to take Voldemort down with him.
And now... if only he knew what the future had in store for him, he would have probably apparated to Greengrass manor months ago just to surrender to the girl walking next to him. It was a tempting scenario on many levels but Harry supposed that it would have been very unwise as long as Daphne's father was still alive.
"I never thanked you for what you did, by the way," Harry suddenly whispered as they walked and continued when Daphne looked over her shoulder at him with confusion. "For buying us from the snatchers, I mean. I have no doubt things would have ended for us badly that day if you hadn't done that."
"You realize that was hardly a charity on my part?" Daphne retorted and raised an eyebrow. "Helping or protecting you was the last thing on my mind at that time," she admitted with a hint of shame.
"I know," Harry confirmed. "Still, there were thousand other ways you could have handled that situation that would have left us completely screwed. You could have just told the snatchers you were not interested. But you didn't. It might not have been your intention at the time but you saved us," Harry finished his thought before he shrugged. "Just felt like I should thank you for that."
The blonde swallowed nervously and merely nodded. She then looked at Harry and her lips curled into smirk. "Well, I don't think any pureblood girl could have resisted the chance to have Harry Potter in her grasp. I know I couldn't," she said and Harry grinned.
"Oh yes," he said and then added sarcastically. "I am the great irresistible price for any woman."
Daphne responded by slapping his arm with her other hand as they walked. "I know you are only joking but it's closer to the truth than you think."
Harry did not know about that but he smiled at the compliment nonetheless.
"I was wondering though... what are you going to do if they bring you anyone else?" he then asked in curiosity, remembering the group of snatchers that captured them were regularly bringing their catches to Greengrass manor.
He felt Daphne tense on his arm and she stopped their walk as she looked at him seriously. "That already happened, Harry."
"Really? When?" he asked as he looked at the girl in surprise.
"About a week ago," Daphne explained. "They came in the morning and brought me two unregistered mud-muggleborns they caught near Torquay."
Harry smiled a little at her slip, pleased at the fact the pureblood girl was trying to stop using the word mudblood in front of him given that it bothered him. He appreciated that all the more since he knew that Daphne did not truly consider the word derogatory.
According to her, it was simply meant to convey the difference in relation to purebloods like her. And after thinking about it for some time, Harry had to admit that it was somewhat apt as at times, the lack of magic in muggleborns really could give one an impression they were not alive at all but rather sculpted out of lifeless pile of mud. In fact, among Daphne's social circles the world muggleborn was often considered to be worse and crueler than mudblood as it directly referenced their connection to muggles.
"Who were they? What happened?" he then asked when his brain finally caught with what the girl was saying.
"Nobody we know," Daphne immediately assured him, knowing that he was wondering if they captured one of his friends. "A young American couple. They were vacationing here in Britain and were trapped when the border closed. We talked and I agreed to shelter them until the war is over. You can talk to them yourself if you want. They are doing some work at the glasshouses for now."
Harry was very glad that Daphne did not condemn the young couple by refusing to buy them which would probably have been the safest option. But there was one potential problem. "Won't you have trouble with the Ministry for not turning them in?" he said and then asked with worry. "What if the snatchers talk?"
Daphne shook her head. "I don't think so. Getting me in trouble would be very bad for their profits. Besides, I pretended to make a scene which gave the impression I was still furious over the loss of my father and eager for some target practice on the two prisoners. That will conveniently explain why I won't be turning them in and the Ministry will not care since they are foreigners. Even if they were not, I am still a pureblood and a Greengrass," she told him smugly.
Harry just shook his head.
"What?"
"Nothing," he said. "Just that sometimes I forget how clever... and devious you are."
"But you like that, don't you?" the blonde said and flashed him a flawless cheeky smile.
"Like a moth to a flame," Harry quipped and they shared a quick kiss before resuming their walk.
"So this is where you're taking me," Daphne said once they finally stood in front of one of the gardens situated farther away from the mansion but still close enough to reach by a short relaxing walk.
"That's right. I was told by multiple people that you love it here," Harry said.
"I do," Daphne confirmed with a smile. "And now I finally know what those little conversations of yours with half of my staff and my sister were about. I was wondering about that."
Harry looked at her sheepishly but the girl did not look angry. In fact, she was merely happy her curiosity at his recent behaviour was answered. Likewise, Harry did not blame for keeping an eye on him seeing as he was the one who asked her to do so. Knowing how vulnerable he was to a possession by Voldemort, he asked Daphne to watch out for changes in his behaviour. Dumbledore once assured him that the dark lord would not try to intentionally possess him again but even unintentional possession was not something Harry wished to experience.
Fortunately, all not was bad on that front as his cloak of invisibility continued to provide a perfect protection from Voldemort's thoughts invading his. It was another thing for which he was immensely grateful to Daphne. After all, it was the pureblood girl who first realized the cloak could do that when she threw it on him during one of his more severe episodes. Since then, Harry has been sleeping in it as a preventative measure. It allowed him a full uninterrupted sleep for the first time in many months. That alone improved his mood immensely as he almost forgot how good it felt to get a good night's rest.
"Let's get inside then," he beckoned and the two of them stepped past the line of shrubs which formed the garden's border. As soon as they did that, Harry felt the change in temperature, humidity and as he suspected, even the air pressure around them.
You see, the garden they were in now was no ordinary place but rather yet another monument to the power and ingenuity of ancient members of Daphne's family. It was called summer garden and in many ways functioned similarly to a glasshouse with one important difference – there was no glass or any other physical barrier separating it from its surroundings. Instead, the environment within the garden was supported by a series of spells and wards, maintaining a perpetual, eternal summer within.
If he looked up, Harry could see tendrils of magical energy intersecting between the garden's border and some point high above. Another tendril surged across the sky, connecting the entire construct to the central wardstone – the great trident located few kilometres away from the manor. The first time Daphne showed it to him, Harry could hardly believe such concentration of power could exist in one object but there it was.
"Ever since I was little I liked to come here," Daphne told him quietly after they both acclimatized. "Especially in the winter. To just sit here with flowers blooming around me while there is snow just few steps away," she said with a big happy smile that left Harry grinning like an idiot and feeling warm inside.
He already knew why Daphne liked this place since Astoria told him all about it but it was still great to hear her say it. He did not get to see this side of Daphne often, especially with all the war planning they were doing and he was enjoying it to the fullest.
"This way," Harry said softly and led them deeper into the garden. As they walked, they were surrounded by flowers and plants of all types, some of which apparently did not grow anywhere else in the world since the fall of Atlantis. Luckily, there were no dangerous plants around as those were kept in regular glasshouses, along with the spice plants that the Greengrasses grew for trade. The summer garden was meant solely for enjoyment and leisure and it showed at every step, from its meticulous design to the selection of plants grown there.
They walked along the wavy footpaths until reaching small clearing where there was nothing but the greenest grass he ever saw. Even as he gestured Daphne to stop, the girl looked eager and curious. "I can't wait to see what you are planning, Harry."
Harry pointed towards the clearing and said, "Well, at first I figured we could have a picnic together."
"Oh..." Daphne said with rather forced smile and Harry quickly added. "... but then Tori told me you don't like sitting on the ground."
"That's true, I-" Daphne began before shaking her head. "Tori?" she asked, obviously amused. It took him a second to realize what she was referring to. "Yes, well, she told me I could call her that. Said that everybody does, so I might as well too," he said.
Harry was still not sure what to make of Daphne's little sister. Despite their casual and seemingly friendly interactions, he still sometimes got that 'sleeping scorpion' impression from her. But at least for now, Astoria seemed to have accepted him. He was very happy about that, especially since he did not think he had much of a chance of getting an approval from the future lady Malfoy.
"She did say that, didn't she?" Daphne asked with a thoughtful smile before narrowing her eyes slightly. "I suppose that's nice. But if you start calling me Daffy, know that I will be selling you right back to those snatchers," she warned him. "Noted," Harry gave her a very serious reply after which they both laughed hysterically.
After they settled, he said, "Anyway, since picnic was a no-go, I changed the plan slightly," Harry declared, raised his hands and then clapped them together. The moment he did, a small garden table with two benches on each side appeared in the clearing. A few seconds later, food and wine materialized on the table out if thin air.
Daphne stepped towards it as her eyes flicked between the table and Harry, looking at both with wonder. "Very impressive," the blonde finally said, her icy blue eyes settling on Harry as she looked at him with pride. "Was that wandless?" she asked.
"I wish," Harry answered. "Merely a standard masking spell with a gesture-based trigger," he explained. "Oh, and the food and wine was send over by Dobby."
"Still very impressive," the girl insisted. "I admit I sensed something there but thought it was only random magic fluctuation from the wards," she told him. "And I dare say I am not that easy to trick. So that masking spell was very well done."
When Harry looked doubtful, Daphne stepped closer and put her hand on his chin. "Didn't we already discuss this, Harry? It's alright to take pride in your accomplishments. Especially when they are this damn impressive," she told him and he slowly nodded. He reached for her hand touching his chin and brought it to his lips. "May I escort you to your table, my lady?"
"Lead the way... my lord," the girl said and Harry felt a pang of joy at hearing her say that. It was the first time Daphne ever titled him like that and he was surprised how good it made him feel when coming from her lips.
"Ha, you really flew to the Ministry on thestrals?" Daphne asked with amusement and a hint of skepticism even as she took a sip of her wine. It's not like she thought he was lying but some of his escapades were harder to believe than others. During the dinner, they kept entertaining themselves with stories from their time in Hogwarts and Harry just told her what happened at the end of his fifth year.
"Well, we didn't exactly have a choice. It was either that or walk back to the castle and risk getting waylaid by someone."
"Understandable," Daphne reluctantly acknowledged while shaking her head. "Still, you are lucky that Hagrid has the thestrals trained so well. They typically do not let just anyone ride them. Even at the height of its power, the Wild Hunt never used them as mounts," she told him. "Although I read that few of the hunters drived them," she said and chuckled. "No doubt the sight must have been petrifying for muggles who could see them."
Harry decided not to spoil the mood by commenting on the girl's obvious glee at the idea of scaring muggles. Instead, he asked, "Drived them?" He only ever heard that word used with cars. Knowing that he was not brought up around horses, Daphne immediately explained. "Riding is when you sit on horse's back. Driving is when you sit on whatever the horse is pulling."
"Oh..."
They talked some more until they both finished their wine. Harry asked if she wanted more and when Daphne shook her head no, he asked, "Did you enjoy your meal?"
"I did," she said gratefully and added, "It's actually one of my favourites." Harry smiled knowingly and said, "Yes, I know." Daphne smiled at that. "Yes, forgot you did you research... who told you? My sister again?"
"Actually, your chief house elf," Harry answered and she nodded. "Should have realized. You have your way with house elves."
"So do you," Harry said right back and he meant it. After witnessing how some purebloods treated their elves, Harry was pleasantly surprised to see that Daphne was different. It was one of the first things that made him see the pureblood girl in a different light. "Forgot to mention that it was actually Dobby who personally cooked us the dinner," he then added and laughed. "In fact, when I told him I needed food for a date with you, he would not have it any other way."
"I need to remember to thank him then," she said and inclined her head as she made the mental note.
"I am sure he'll like that," Harry told her. Despite their rocky start where Daphne forced him to swear an oath to House Greengrass, Dobby came to like Daphne. Especially after he saw that despite being a pureblood traditionalist, she was not going to torment him like Lucius Malfoy did. Not only that, Daphne was also genuinely nice to him. And ever since Dobby noticed that great master Harry Potter liked her too, he was completely sold on the idea of Daphne.
And so was Kreacher, to be honest. There was some old conflict between Houses Greengrass and Black that made him mumble at times about invaders, seas or cursed island. But mostly, the old elf was simply overjoyed at the fact he once again had a pureblood mistress he could serve. Harry knew that in the end, Kreacher learned to tolerate Hermione but he did not love or respect her, admitting as much to Harry. Serving a proper pureblooded woman again was all he ever wanted since Sirius' mother died. That, along with the destruction of Slytherin's locker. And Harry had already done that, thus cementing the elf's undying loyalty.
"That reminds me," Harry suddenly spoke, startling Daphne a little. "Sorry, I just remembered something," he said and stood up. He walked over to Daphne's side of the table and sat down on the bench next to her. "I got you a gift," he announced happily. Harry then reached into his robe and pulled out a silver necklace with a pure black onyx stone hanging on its end. He showed it to her and watched as Daphne's eyes went wide. "It's beautiful..." the girl cooed. "But where did you get it?" she wondered, knowing that he did not leave the Greengrass manor in almost two months.
"Kreacher got it for me," he explained. "When I told him of my plans, he confessed that he had jewelry and other belongings of House Black stashed all over Britain. He popped over to one of his hiding places and got it for me."
"Really?" Daphne asked in disbelief. "Harry, I think this is meant to be worn by Lady Black…" she almost whispered, seemingly caught completely by surprise by his gesture.
Harry smiled. "Then it's very appropriate," he said dreamily and they leaned to each other to share a kiss. When they separated, Harry looked into her eyes for a while before recovering his senses and saying, "Oh, and before you ask, I had it checked by several of your people as well as house elves. There is no harmful magic placed on it," he told her as he held the necklace up in his hand.
"Harry… not all jewelry must be cursed," Daphne chastised him gently but she knew where his distrust was coming from. After all, virtually all jewelry he ever encountered was cursed in some fashion – rings, lockets, necklaces… Harry was amazed people in magical world still wore it at all given how dangerous it was. His internal lamentation was rapidly ended when the girl pulled her long blonde hair away from her neck and said insistently, "Put it on me!"
Harry immediately obeyed. He looped the silver chain gently around her offered neck before locking it in. "There… beautiful," he said breathlessly even as he adjusted the stone so that it was positioned right in the middle of Daphne's plunging neckline. Even before, Harry thought the necklace was good looking but now that the pureblood girl was wearing it and the black stone rested in contrast against the smooth pale skin of her chest… well, he was positively dazzled by the vision in front of him.
"Thank you," Daphne told him with that proud smirk he came to love so much. It simultaneously conveyed a genuine gratitude while also letting the world know she considered herself more than worthy of the gift she received. And Harry knew she was right too.
He knew that girl like Daphne deserved only the best. He knew that she deserved so much more than he could possibly give her. But he still hoped she would yes to his next question.
"Daphne…" he began as he straddled the bench and took her hand in his, gaining her undivided attention.
"We have known each other only for a short time but I can honestly say it was without a doubt the best time of my life," he said as his green eyes met her icy blue. "I know I still have a war to win and I have no doubt that with your help, we are going to win it," he told her and for once, he felt certain of it. It was not just a pep talk he would sometimes give to his friends or himself. He really believed it and it was all thanks to the amazing girl in front of him.
"Daphne Greengrass… will you be my girlfriend?" he finally asked as he looked into her watery eyes. They just looked at each other and held hands until Daphne finally spoke.
"Never before…" she began and swallowed. "Never before have I imagined that I would meet someone like you, Harry," she told him, gathering her courage. "I am an heiress of House Greengrass. I knew that love was never my destiny. The best I hoped for was that I wouldn't totally hate my future partner. And then, I met you…" she said, falling silent for a while as she bit her lip nervously. "It honestly scares me just how perfect for me you are, Harry Potter."
Harry's heart swelled at her words and started to beat faster, now feeling certain that she would say yes. But when he saw her suddenly downcast expression, it came almost to a screeching halt. "Daphne?" he asked her with worry and foreboding.
Daphne closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, there were tears flowing down her cheeks. "Earlier, you thanked me for saving you from those snatchers," she told him with a shaky voice even as she looked into his eyes. "Well there is something I need to thank you for too… and that's checking up on me after I first questioned you."
Harry was puzzled at first before he understood what she was talking about and his eyes went wide.
"After I invaded your mind and you threw me across the room... you went and checked to see if I was alright."
'And I paid for it a moment later,' Harry thought, remembering how Daphne used his kindness to regain the upper hand. Like a fool, he allowed her to get close until she disarmed and bound him. The humiliation of that day echoed still. But in the end, he was glad that it happened and that he remained Daphne's prisoner.
"Anyone else would have tied me up and went to rescue his friends," Daphne continued, her eyes glistening. "Thing is, if you had done that then I would have died, Harry. My head injury would have killed me without treatment. I would have bled out on the floor of my office while you went to rescue your friends."
"I – I didn't know," Harry gasped in shock.
"So as you see, we both saved each other's lives," Daphne said even as she tried to wipe away her tears and failed because more were coming. "The difference is that I saved yours with the intent to hand you over to Voldemort... I saved your life so that you could suffer and die horribly and so that my family could benefit from your suffering. You, on the other hand, saved me for no other reason other than the fact you are a good man."
"Daphne, I don't know what to –" he began but the girl interrupted him.
"You are a good man, Harry Potter," she repeated forcefully before standing up with fresh tears in her eyes. "And I am not... I am not a good woman. We can't be together. You deserve so much better, Harry. I am sorry," she said before turning around and running away.
Harry watched her in shock, incapable of speech or movement, until she disappeared further in the garden and out of his sight. And then he was alone. Suddenly, even the climate controlled and ever green summer garden felt cold and desolate.
Harry was not sure how long he lingered like that, lost in the emotional turmoil. He kept thinking about everything that happened in the last two minutes. About every word Daphne uttered. He kept weighting and considering them until there was only a single thought on his mind.
What a load of horseshit!
Did he really deserve better, as Daphne suggested? Absolutely! He deserved not to have his parents murdered when he was a baby. He deserved not to be hunted by a megalomaniac murderer all his life. He deserved not being pressed into fighting a war with zero resources at his disposal. There were so many bloody things he deserved and also what other people deserved. And you know what? Screw all that!
If he learned anything in the last month, it was that a person almost never gets what they deserve, be it good or bad. That's not what life is about. It's not about what one deserves but rather what one wants. And on that, he was very clear. He wanted the girl who just ran away from him, thinking that she did not deserve him – as ridiculous as that sounded.
At last, Harry stood up with determined expression in his eyes as he looked in the direction where Daphne disappeared.
They may have spent very little time together but there was one thing that Sirius Black managed to teach him about women – if she runs out on you like this it usually means that deep down she wants you to follow her.
And so he did.
