Chapter 6 The Andromeda Strain
January 1, 2000
Unlike previous evenings of tumultuous happenings, Daphne woke up remembering exactly what had transpired last night. Her dreams were filled with nothing but what happened. Both the good and bad.
Her head was filled with the voices of Ginny screaming and Harry whispering 'I love you' passionately. It was exhausting and thrilling.
As the rest of her senses were coming back after her deep sleep, Daphne caught a whiff of something delicious lingering out of the kitchen. She slowly left the warmth of her bed and hobbled to the source of the wonderful fragrance.
Astoria was in the kitchen expertly preparing enough French toast to feed an army. When she heard Daphne come in, Astoria turned around with the biggest smirk imaginable. She knew something big had happened with Harry.
"Good morning, Daffy," Astoria said cheerfully.
"Morning, Tori," Daphne responded while preparing her morning tea.
"So…how was your walk home last night?" Tori asked casually. "It took you forever to get home I noticed," she added.
"Hmm," she mused. "It was pretty productive I guess," Daphne finished.
Astoria leered at her sister, "Oh come on Daph, surely you know we've played this game long enough to realize that I'll always get what I want to know in the end," she said exasperated. "So, you should save us both the trouble and just come clean with how the night ended," Astoria demanded.
Daphne set her cup down and stared at Astoria. She knew that Tori was right, but almost considered playing the game out of spite.
She then remembered Astoria's concerned look from the previous night and thought better of it.
"Well, as you and the rest of the world heard, Harry confessed," Daphne said. She then developed a scowl, "God dammit, if I didn't have enough people staring already," she said angrily as she remembered that the Daily Prophet had yet to arrive.
"We'll get through that," Astoria waived dismissively. "Get to the actual walk home," she whined.
Daphne snorted. Her sister's blasé attitude to her incoming peril was as keen as ever.
"We talked for a very long time," she began while taking a deep breath, "I was…skeptical of his feelings," Daphne admitted while clenching her fists.
"In that moment, there was a part of me that thought he said that as an excuse. An excuse to avoid taking responsibility," she said softly.
"Although in hindsight, I have no idea what that could've been," Daphne said with a chuckle.
"There were plenty of other things he could've said to convince them to bugger off. But instead," she paused. "Instead, he went with the hardest excuse, the truth," Daphne said.
Astoria was looking back at her with bated breath.
"I know now that Harry's feelings for me are real," she said steadily.
Daphne looked Astoria dead in the eye, "And I know that my feelings for him are also real."
Tori broke into a smile, "That, my dear sister, is obvious." She then walked over to Daphne and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.
They held each other for several moments before Astoria pulled back. "So, what are you going to do now?" she asked seriously.
At this question, Daphne was stumped. What was she going to do?
"I think I'm gonna go over to Harry's and figure that out," she answered uncertainly.
Tori's eyes lit up, "Oh, can I tag along? I was hoping to see Teddy again," she said impishly.
"I thought you'd want to spend time with your friends today?" Daphne asked. "Wouldn't it be better if –," but before she could say what was better, they both noticed an owl land at her windowsill with a newspaper clutched in its talon.
The Prophet had finally arrived.
Daphne's breaths became slow and deep. She had to know what was written but terrified to see what.
Astoria grabbed the paper from the owl, paid the fare, and set it on the kitchen table. "Come on, we'll read it together, shall we?" she asked gently.
Daphne swallowed and nodded, there was no point in putting if off. She steeled her resolve, and looked at the headline.
Chaotic Charity Catastrophe, Harry Potter Confesses Love for Dark Lady Greengrass
written by Rita Skeeter
My dear readers, our worst fears have been realized. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived and the savior of the wizarding world has succumbed to the Slytherin temptress, Daphne Greengrass (16). I'm sure you're asking yourselves: "How could one of our society's pinnacles of the light could be so easily corrupted by darkness?!"
Shortly after the end of the well-attended charity event hosted by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes owner, George Weasley, what could only be called a screaming match broke out between Greengrass and Potter's former fiancé, Ginny Weasley (18). According to witnesses, Miss Weasley called out the Slytherin's treachery of manipulating Potter with deception and lies.
"Ginny brought up a good point, how could Harry Potter fall in love with a Slytherin who he hardly knew without the use of dark magic? Especially from well-known blood supremacists like the Greengrass'?" said a spectator at the scene.
"I suspect a love potion. Greengrass was pretty dimwitted in school but nobody could deny her aptitude for potions," says Witch Weekly's writer, Romilda Vane.
Vane's speculation has merit. We at the Daily Prophet have learned that Greengrass has a potioneering job at Vials of Vile and would have the access as well as the know-how to create a powerful love potion that even Harry Potter couldn't overcome.
"I have complete faith in all of my employees. I don't appreciate baseless accusations being thrown at them," said shop owner Lawrence Raines.
It has been discovered that he hired Greengrass straight out of Hogwarts over more qualified candidates. This unusual show of favoritism is dubious at best and disturbing at worst.
Raines may be willing to turn a blind eye, but we're confident that an investigation by the Ministry would lead to very informative results that will protect the savior of the wizarding world.
For the complete biography of Ginny Weasley, turn to page 6.
For a complete list banned love potions in Wizarding Britian, turn to page 10.
For British potioneering standards, turn to page 11.
For updates on St. Mungo's wing renovation, turn to page 15.
Daphne set down the paper and stared with unseeing eyes. There was no going back now.
"All of magical Britian will have heard by now that Harry and I are together," she said aloud. "They're even bothering Mr. Raines," she said sadly. Thinking about her boss, Daphne's heart warmed. She would have to send him a letter thanking him for having her back.
Suddenly, her floo roared to life as Harry stumbled out of Daphne's fireplace. It would've been funny if his expression wasn't so dire.
"We need to leave," he told them both. "People are being unreasonable, it won't be long before –," but he stopped as he noticed at least ten owls with letters heading towards the residence.
Astoria's eyebrows shot up, "Looks like you've got yourself some fans Daph," she said sarcastically.
"Don't touch any of them," Harry said sharply causing both girls to jump. He took a moment to compose himself, "They're very likely cursed," he lamented.
Daphne slowly nodded in understanding. "I have to boost the security of my flat," Daphne said.
"I get your concern, but it's New Year's, what are the odds that you're going to find someone who's willing to do it on a day off?" Astoria cut in.
"Shoot," Harry cursed. He didn't consider the fact that today was a holiday.
"I think I remember George saying that his brother is a curse breaker," Astoria mused. "I could send him a letter to see if he would introduce you," she suggested to Daphne.
"Bill?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, that's him," Tori answered.
Daphne grimaced at the thought. The idea of asking the Weasleys for help after last night was most unwelcoming. But then she looked at ever growing stack of letters and remembered how frightened she was of Harry's stories of public uproar.
"Please do," Daphne gave in.
"Until we can get your place protected, you two can stay with me," Harry said resolutely. "I can have Kreacher bring everything you need from here," he added.
"I'm sorry about all of this," she said downtrodden. "It's my fault that we have to put you out Harry," Daphne said with guilt.
Harry simply put his hand up to halt her self-loathing, "You didn't do anything wrong. If anything, I'm sorry that my presence is putting you both in so much distress," he told them.
"You're both acting like morons," came Astoria. She got nose to nose with Harry, "You love Daphne, don't you?"
"Yes," Harry said confidently.
She nodded and turned her attention to Daphne, "And what about you, stupid, do you love Harry?"
Daphne wanted to scowl in indignation, but she nodded her head once while blushing furiously.
"Then that is what's important right now," Astoria said harshly. Her features softened, "We can work through everything else later. Come on, let's get to Grimmauld."
Both Harry and Daphne stood speechless after Astoria's dressing down. They looked at each other sheepishly.
"She's right," Harry said after several moments. "I chose you knowing what might be at stake. And I don't regret it," he told her.
"Harry," Daphne started. "I've never been very good at these types of things," she said. "But I know that I want to this with you," Daphne said with a slight hitch.
Harry closed the gap between them and gave her a deep hug. "Then let's go," he whispered.
They made their way towards the fireplace; Harry took a pinch of powder and floo'd away. Daphne chanced a look back into her kitchen and saw it filled with at least one hundred letters. She signed, and threw her pinch of floo powder down, and left her flat.
By the time she had arrived, Kreacher was already working with experienced efficiency. Most of their essentials had already been retrieved.
"You be staying in Black Manor as guests," Kreacher croaked. "Choose whichever room you desire and Kreacher will have it prepared," he said.
"Thanks, Kreacher, you're the best," came Astoria from inside the kitchen.
Kreacher bowed to her, going back to collecting the girls' things.
"Let's head up, may as well find us our rooms," Tori said with a grin.
They both tip toed up the stairs just in case Teddy was asleep in his room.
As they looked at the bedrooms, Daphne passed by a room whose door was ajar. She opened the door curiously and was met with Slytherin green everywhere.
'This room must've belonged to Sirius' brother,' she thought to herself. It had been kept very clean, no doubt from Kreacher's love for Regulus.
'Maybe he wouldn't want me to disturb his old master's space,' Daphne wondered. She was getting ready to look for a different room when she heard a gentle knock from behind her.
Daphne turned around and saw Harry standing in the doorway.
"You picked out one of the better ones," he told her.
"Oh, I haven't, wouldn't Kreacher…" Daphne trailed off.
He smiled at her, "Kreacher wouldn't mind in the slightest for you to use Regulus' old room. And besides, it's right next door to mine," Harry said with a crooked smile.
At this, Daphne laughed, "You're terrible. But why not, I'll take it," she smiled with a blush.
"Alright, I got the room next to Teddy, so we are golden," Astoria said while walking into the room. "Holy green, did Slytherin's monster throw up in here? It's even more decorated than the Slytherin dorms," she looked around in wonder.
"Must've been proud of his legacy," Daphne mused. She then turned to head back downstairs with the other two following.
"Tori, can you reach out to George to contact Bill to see about getting my place warded?" Daphne asked.
"I got you covered," she replied as she pulled out a bit of parchment.
"I could always reach out to Bill," Harry started. "I know it's been a while since we've talked, but I don't want Astoria to have to work just because I'm nervous," he said.
"It's alright, Harry," Daphne said. "Besides, I'm sure Tori wouldn't mind," she said knowingly. They both looked towards Astoria scribbling on the parchment with a small smile on her face.
He looked at her and then back at Daphne, understanding finally reaching his eyes.
"Oh!" Harry exclaimed. "Let's leave her to it then. In the meantime, would you like some tea?" he asked her.
"That sounds lovely," Daphne said warmly.
Harry went into the kitchen to prepare the kettle, while Daphne returned to the living room.
"What were you planning to do today before you had to come and get us?" she asked him.
"Besides visiting you two, I was actually thinking of also paying a visit to Teddy's grandmother," Harry said with a small voice.
Daphne looked at him with wide eyes, "Andromeda?"
"Yes," he sighed. "Last night I told you that I wanted to put my life back together. I figure this may be a good a place to start as any," he said with false bravado. He may have sounded confident, but Daphne could see his hands trembling.
"Are you sure, Harry?" she asked uncertainly.
He met her eyes and looked downward, "I don't know how exactly to face her," Harry said with a small voice. "What can I even say to someone who's entire family died to protect me?"
He took a deep breath, "I must. She's Teddy's family," he said, gaining more confidence.
This declaration made Daphne's heart beat rapidly with adoration. "Would you like me to go with you?" she asked quietly.
Harry looked back up in surprise, "I can't ask you to do that," he said at once. "If I use you as a crutch, we really will have codependency," Harry said sadly.
But Daphne wasn't having any of it. "I can see that you would do what is right even if you are scared," she said slowly.
"But even so, I don't think it's wrong to ask for help from the people around you," Daphne said with a smile.
Her words brought Harry back to something Dumbledore said a long time ago.
Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it.
He looked at her with shining eyes and swallowed.
"Okay."
She nodded encouragingly, "Okay. Do you still want to go today? Or do you want to wait until a different day?" she inquired.
"Let me send her an owl tonight to see if I could come by tomorrow. I want to make sure you and Tori get settled in here?" Harry said seriously.
"I understand," Daphne said just as the kettle had begun to whistle. Harry quickly whipped his wand to silence the pot and rushed over to finish up.
"There!" Astoria finished with flair. "Kreacher, would you be willing to deliver this over to George's place? I figure since this is urgent you may be able to help us," she said.
Kreacher bowed deeply, "Certainly, Miss Greengrass." He took the letter from her hand, and left with a quiet pop as to not wake the baby.
They all chatted in the living room while waiting for George's response. Kreacher had finished preparing their rooms and was preparing a lunch consisting of a wide selection of sandwiches. English cucumber, lemon crème fraiche and mint on white bread, as well as Secret Smokehouse Salmon, Horseradish & Lemon on Brioche Bread.
It was a welcome gesture.
A knock came from the front door causing everybody to look up.
"Is that George?" Harry asked confusedly. "I expected him to send word about what's up," he said getting up to answer.
When he opened the door, it was George, but he wasn't alone. Standing behind him was his brother Bill, and, to Harry's complete bewilderment, Fleur.
"Hiya Harry!" George said as if a literal witch hunt wasn't going on. "When Kreacher gave me Tori's note, I knew it must've been urgent so I sent for Bill as fast as I could," he said proudly.
"Hey there Harry," Bill said kindly.
"Hello Harry," Fleur said with almost no accent. Being in England for this long had greatly improved her English.
"Hi there Bill," he nodded. "Fleur," he said, noticing that she was pregnant.
"Please come in," Harry said hurriedly. He beckoned them into the living room where Daphne and Astoria were waiting.
"Here, please take a seat," he said to the couple. George quickly made his way to sit down next to Astoria who scowled but didn't make an effort to make him leave.
"Daphne, Tori, this is Bill and Fleur Weasley." He turned around, "Bill, Fleur, this is Daphne and Astoria Greengrass," he said.
"Ah, so it's your place I'll be checking out then?" Bill asked amicably.
"Y-yes, sir," Daphne stammered. Harry had mentioned Bill fondly but was expecting someone with a much more outspoken personality like most of the Weasleys she'd met. Daphne had to give it to Harry, Bill was pretty cool.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, but I didn't mean to interrupt your New Year's," Daphne said regretfully.
Bill smiled, "It's alright. We spent Christmas with my Mum at the Burrow so we didn't have any plans for the day."
"You didn't have to come if you didn't want to, Fleur. It can't have been an easy time getting here," Harry said awkwardly.
"Nonsense," she said. "When I heard that Bill was going to see you, I just had to come along. We have both missed you terribly," said Fleur.
"Oh, um, I missed you too," Harry said nervously while being fully aware that he had actively avoided them and the rest of the Weasleys.
"Listen," he started. "I wanted to tell you both that I'm sorry for everything," Harry said. "I shouldn't have taken out my frustrations on everyone the way I did. And I don't want to try to justify it," he added.
Bill and Fleur looked at each other and nodded, "Harry, you've been through more crap in eighteen years than anyone in a hundred years should have to go through," said Bill.
"The least we could've done was respect your decisions to find your own happiness," Fleur said.
"It hurt how you stopped seeing us anymore, but I can't say that it wasn't at least a little deserved," Bill said frowning.
He held out his hand to Harry, "I'm sorry too," said Bill. "Would it be okay if we started again?" he asked hopefully.
Harry looked at his outstretched hand and clasped it with a smile, "Of course, mate," Harry said with a sigh.
Any tension between the three of them was evaporating. Bill turned to look at Daphne.
"So, Miss Greengrass, from what I gathered from George along with the morning paper, I have a pretty good idea of what needs to be done," he said professionally.
"Well, that's a relief," she said relaxing. "Do you need me to take you there?" Daphne asked.
"If it's all right with you, Miss Greengrass, I'd rather you wait here while I take a look at it with Harry," Bill requested.
"It's not that I mind, but what's the reason?" she wondered.
"How familiar are you with warding and dark magic?"
"Not very," Daphne answered honestly.
Bill nodded, "That's not at all surprising. Most people aren't," he said matter-of-factly. "Most hate mail is rude letters with minor to moderate curses placed within the contents," Bill began. "Unless you know what you're doing, putting up your own enchantments could make things worse," he said.
"That makes sense," said Astoria.
Everyone turned to look at her.
Tori fidgeted under their gaze. "Well, properly warding a location while it's being actively sent harmful or dangerous magic is extremely finicky. There are risks that the spells and the wards can create unstable reactions that are unsafe if not handled appropriately,"
Daphne tilted her head. Will her sister never cease to surprise her?
"I'm impressed. You said your name was Astoria?" Bill asked.
"The one and only," she declared while putting a thumb to her chest.
"Have you thought about being a curse breaker?" he asked curiously.
"I've thought of being many things," Tori said mysteriously.
Daphne couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"But I'm still considering what I'm going to do after Hogwarts," she said.
"You may want to consider it, or at least something in the field of Arithmancy," Bill recommended. "But back to the matter at hand, would it be alright if just me and Harry take a look for now?" he asked delicately.
As much as she would prefer to solve her own problems, Daphne recognized that she was outside of her element and assented to having the two head over without her.
"While you two are out, I'm gonna go spend time with Teddy," Astoria declared.
"Count me in!" George said happily. Both made their way upstairs while Bill and Harry went out the front door. Leaving only Fleur and Daphne alone.
Daphne felt awkward. She had seen Fleur at school during the Triwizard Tournament, but had never spoken to her before.
"Would you sit with me?" Fleur asked kindly.
"Oh, um," not knowing how to say no without being rude, Daphne sat next to her.
"I saw what was written in the paper. I'm sorry that you must deal with such slander from such a foul woman," Fleur said earnestly.
"That's very kind of you to say," Daphne replied. The awkwardness easing ever so slightly.
She looked at Daphne like she wanted to say something else but was hesitating.
"What is it?" she asked nervously.
Fleur steeled herself and pushed on, "I'm sorry if what I say is unwarranted. But I know what it's like to be ridiculed for who you love."
This was not what Daphne had been expecting.
"What do you mean?" she asked her.
Fleur crossed her hands over her lap, "When Bill and I told his family that we were going to get married, many of them didn't take it very well," she said. "Molly would try to keep Bill and I away from each other while also inviting Tonks over to try and entice Bill."
Her eyes dimmed. "Not to mention that all the girls in the house would call me Phlegm behind my back when they didn't think I heard them," she said.
Daphne was at a loss for words. Harry had told her about Bill and Fleur but never mentioned anything like this.
"I put on a brave face, but it actually really bothered me," Fleur said.
"How were you able to stand that?" Daphne asked. "Surely that must've worn you down," she pointed out.
Fleur cracked a smiled, "It was exhausting for sure," she said. "But knowing that I would be marrying the man I love made it all worth it," Fleur said passionately.
The emphasis on the word 'love' was not lost on Daphne.
"You believe in Harry and me," she said deliberately.
"I believe that if you are truly in love, you should fight those around you trying to drag you down in a way that's irrefutable," Fleur said.
"How?" Daphne asked.
"By loving and supporting each other that makes you both better people. Thereby proving to the rest of the world that your love is stronger than their hate," she clarified.
"Taking the high road," Daphne said in understanding. "Sounds a little too idealistic if I'm being honest," she said impassively.
"Maybe," Fleur chuckled. "But I want to believe that being the best person we can be, especially to those who've wronged us, will be paid forward and ultimately lead to something better. "Even if we can't quite see it yet," she said quietly.
"Even if I was the one who wronged people in the past?" Daphne asked thinking about Pansy.
Fleur turned to face Daphne more directly, "Especially so. We who have hurt others have plenty to give back."
"We?" she asked perplexed.
"Yes, during the beginning of the tournament…I wasn't very nice to Harry," she said with shame. "I was very condescending of him for his age and lack of experience. I didn't think he deserved to be a champion and thought that he was just trying to show off by entering illegally," Fleur explained.
"So I called him names like 'Little Boy' just for the sake of being mean," she said.
"However, during the Second Task, Harry went out of his way to save my sister when I couldn't," she said. "He may not have done it for me directly, but he showed me a kindness that frankly, I feel that I didn't deserve," Fleur said, while her accent becoming more pronounced.
"So, I decided to
She then shook her head, as if to clear a daze, "But I'm getting off track. This was all for me to say that if you love Harry and he loves you, to not let what everyone else say get in the way of that. What do they know?" Fleur asked aloud.
"I don't know you yet, but if Harry cares for you, then that's all that matters from where I'm standing," she said boldly.
Daphne steepled her fingers, "Aren't you worried that he might be making a mistake?" she asked. "I don't think it's wrong to want to look out for the people you care about," Daphne argued.
Fleur looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "Do you think he's making a mistake," she asked not unkindly.
"No, but –,"
"Then that's all there is to it. I can tell Harry to choose who I think is best for him until I'm, how would you say, blue in the face?" she asked.
"No, the best I can do is be there for him. Just like how you sister is for you," Fleur finished.
Daphne briefly thought about how Tori was the type of person to pull the strings to get what she believes to be the most ideal scenario, but she understood what Fleur was trying to say.
"Thank you, Fleur. I thought I was getting over these feelings," she said glumly.
"I'm sure the last few days have been a whirlwind. Keep the faith. It may take a bit of time, but I know that you'll feel more confident," Fleur said with a grin.
She looked into Fleur's deep, blue eyes and saw only genuine care. This was someone she wanted to call a friend.
"You and Bill took in Harry and his friends when they had nowhere else to go. I can't say for sure if it's due to paying it forward or not, but you undoubtedly saved their lives," Daphne said.
"But that led to Harry becoming a part of my life, so I believe you've done me a kindness that I didn't deserve. You have my gratitude, Fleur," she said with blushing ears.
Fleur didn't say anything, but she gave Daphne a hug as best as she could with her pregnant belly.
Their conversation went to a lot more casual topics for getting to know each other. Daphne talked about the movies and research her mother was doing to make them work with magic. Fleur specialized in Arithmancy during her time at Gringotts so she was very interested in how it all worked.
Fleur talked about her family back in France and how they planned to visit once the baby was born. Time passed quite pleasantly until George and Astoria came down with a bundle of blankets.
"He seems to have finished his nap, so I figured he could use some more company," George said with a smirk.
"Don't get so full of yourself. It was me who decided that Teddy wanted an audience," Astoria said with gusto.
"Yeah, yeah," he said with a wink. Everyone sat so that Teddy could look at anyone he wanted.
He began to giggle animatedly while his hair color changed to match who he was looking at. Sometimes it would be a mix if he looked at two people at the same time.
"Teddy's the best," Astoria declared as if there wasn't an option otherwise.
"Yeah, he's pretty great," came George. "Which reminds me," he turned to look at Fleur. "Have you and Bill found out if you're having a boy or girl?" he asked.
Fleur rested her hand on her tummy, "We want it to be a surprise, but something is telling me that it's a girl," she said happily.
"A girl, eh? Well, how about that," George laughed.
Just after he finished laughing, they all heard the front door open and heard Bill and Harry enter.
"How'd it go?" Daphne asked.
Bill took out some parchment, "Well, we were able to remove the most dangerous letters." he told them.
"That's a relief," she relaxed.
"There were a lot of them. Some were quite obscure, so it's probably going to take about a week to get the property warded so that it's safe to live in again," Bill added.
"Like I said earlier, you're both staying here so don't worry," Harry said assuredly.
Daphne nodded in understanding, she didn't want to risk her or Astoria's safety if she could help it.
"I really appreciate it, Bill. How much do I owe you for the job?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it," he said good-naturedly. "This allowed me and Harry to reconnect. Think of it as my way of saying thank you," said Bill.
Daphne was ready to refuse, but then remembered Fleur's principle of kindness and relented.
"You should all stay for dinner at the very least," Harry pleaded.
"I think that would be a wonderful idea. Don't you, darling?" Fleur spoke.
"Well, I won't say no to a dinner with family and friends," Bill replied with a smile.
Kreacher was in his element. Long ago, he oversaw putting together meals for many dinner guests that the Black family would have over for parties and events. Only this time, the table was full of laughter rather than highbrow political boredom. He was even thoughtful enough to prepare some of Fleur's favorite French cuisines. Fleur happily devoured the stuffed pork tenderloins with bacon and apple-Riesling sauce.
After evening pudding was finished, Bill looked down at his watch.
"It's probably about time for us to return home, but thank you for having us for dinner," he said.
"I should be the one thanking you," Daphne cut in. "Who knows how long it would've taken without your expertise," she said.
He put his hand on the back of his head, "You give me too much credit. And the job isn't done yet so hold your applause until I finish," Bill said with cheek.
"It was wonderful meeting you both," Fleur said indicating towards the Greengrass duo. "I'd love for us to continue to stay in touch even after this job," she said.
"Of course," Daphne said, stunned at her good fortune of meeting Fleur. "I don't yet have an owl, but I'd love to write if you can't visit," she suggested.
Fleur smiled and nodded.
"Good seeing you, Bill," George waved. Harry offered him a handshake while Fleur kissed him on the cheek.
"It's been good to see you both," Harry said honestly. "I'll be sure to drop by very soon," he told them.
"You're welcome anytime, Harry," Fleur said graciously. They turned to gather their traveling cloaks, and departed out the front door.
"It's probably time I also get back to my place," George said begrudgingly. "I didn't open the shop today for New Year's, but I'm planning to tomorrow so it's probably best I get some sleep."
Harry smiled, "Sure thing mate. Travel safely," he warned.
"Safety's overrated," he said impishly. "Tori, would you be willing to walk me out?" George asked innocently.
"Keep pushing you luck by being so casual and you'll get it," she rolled her eyes but complied.
They both left for the entrance leaving Harry and Daphne alone again.
"How did things go with Bill?" Daphne asked.
Harry turned back to face her, "Well, like he said, we were able to take care of most of the letters," he said slightly evasively.
She frowned. "You know what I meant, Harry," she chastised.
He exhaled and looked exhausted. "We were able to talk quite a bit. He apologized, but was still disappointed with how I went about handling things with him and his family," Harry said.
Daphne put her hand on Harry's cheek to comfort him.
His face became a whole lot more relaxed, "But after all that, it was like the old days. He talked about his job, Fleur, and the little baby that's coming to town soon."
Harry took a moment to reminisce, "He's excited, but terrified about becoming a dad," he said breezily.
"A perfectly reasonable thing to worry about," Daphne said understandingly and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Thank you for helping make our home safer," she said gratefully.
He leaned closer and pulled her in, "Of course. Everyone should feel safe in their home," Harry said, his eyes going somewhere long ago.
Before Daphne could ponder more about what he said, they heard footsteps from behind them.
Astoria had returned from escorting George from the residence with a look of contemplation.
"I think it's time for me to get ready to bed," she told them. Daphne wanted to ask her, but figured that a different time may be more appropriate.
"It may be time for all of us to head to bed," Daphne said looking back at Harry.
"Good idea, it's been a long day," Harry said. He stopped as if he forgot something.
"Don't worry about waiting to bathe, this place has many bathrooms and they all have a shower," he told the girls.
They all made their way back upstairs to start dressing down for the night. When everyone finished their evening rituals, they all turned in to their respective bedrooms, and went to bed.
Daphne felt strange sleeping in a foreign environment, so it took her awhile for sleep to claim her.
January 2, 2000
She woke up and briefly forgot where she was, giving her a spike of panic. Then, memories of the previous day were coming back. Daphne relaxed and slowly got out of bed to mentally prepare herself for the day.
As she made her way downstairs, Daphne heard Harry in the kitchen talking to Kreacher. He turned around and gave her a wave.
"Morning, Daph," he said cheerfully.
"Morning," she replied. "That smells delicious, what're we having?" she asked delightedly.
"Muffins and pancakes," Harry said. "I thought they would be fun to make," he explained.
"You don't hear me complaining," Daphne said salivating. Astoria came down the stairs not long later.
"Holy moly those smell wonderful!" she said with glee. "You're also one hell of a cook, Harry," Astoria said amazed.
He smiled, "I did a fair amount of cooking growing up. I don't do it as much anymore, but I just happened to be in the mood this morning," Harry said.
"Master be putting Kreacher of out work," Kreacher grumbled from the corner, his elf face forming a pout.
"Ah, don't sweat it Kreacher! Harry's cooking is great, but it could never compare to yours," Astoria said placatingly.
He turned away to head out of sight, but not before Daphne caught him smiling.
They dug in and enjoyed their yummy, but not so healthy breakfast. The mix and match of pancakes and muffins were doused in syrup and powdered sugar. Within them, were blueberries and walnuts. When everyone was getting to the point that they couldn't eat another bite, the morning post had arrived.
"Just in time," Harry said. "Looks like there's a letter for you Daphne, let me check it for curses," he said.
Not finding any, he handed the envelope to her. She opened it tentatively but relaxed almost immediately.
"It's from my boss, he got my letter and understands that I'll be here if he needs to do any correspondence," Daphne read. "He's also rooting for us," she said embarrassed.
Astoria laughed, "Lawrence will always have our back."
"I hope to meet him someday," Harry said while going through the rest of the mail.
He paused and looked up at Daphne, "It's from Andromeda," he said mutely. "She said that she hopes we drop by this morning,"
That sent Daphne with a jolt. She had completely forgotten, today was the day that she would be joining Harry in visiting Andromeda. Daphne knew that it would very likely be distressing for Harry, so she wanted to do whatever she could to help.
"I'm guessing you'll be fine on your own here with Kreacher?" Daphne asked. Harry and Daphne would be bringing Teddy while Astoria would remain at Grimmauld to finish the last of her holiday homework.
Astoria saluted, "Yep, I should be good," she grinned.
"If anything happens, you're more than free to ask Kreacher to come get us. Kreacher," Harry turned to him, "Please follow Astoria's orders as if they were my own," he requested.
Kreacher bowed a deep bow, "Of course, Master Harry," he croaked.
Daphne gave Tori a stern look, "That doesn't mean you can abuse your power to command him."
Astoria looked at her sister like she was an idiot.
"Duh!" she barked. "I've got enough work here to keep me plenty occupied," Astoria said. Her expression changed to that of worry.
"Have a good day, and please be safe," she told them both.
They both gave Tori a hug, and departed out the door.
"Is Andromeda's place also under the Fidelius?" Daphne asked curiously.
"No, she has similar enchantments that the Black townhouse has place on her home. She may have originally been cast of the family, but she's wicked smart and learned enough to make her a formidable woman," Harry praised.
He held out a hand to Daphne while keeping the other around Teddy. She took it, and they both disapparated. They appeared in the countryside in front of a modest home.
"We're a few miles outside of Guildford," Harry explained. "She and her husband weren't huge fans of the city."
Daphne nodded; she could empathize with wanting to be away from the hustle and bustle.
They both climbed up the stairs of the front porch, and rang the doorbell. There was the sound of scraping chairs from the inside.
The door slowly creaked open to reveal a surprisingly tall woman, who had such an uncanny similarity to Bellatrix Lestrange, that Daphne had to blink to spot the differences.
"Hello, Harry," Andromeda said cool and calmly. Her eyes then lit up, "And hello to you, Teddy," she said with warmth.
Teddy was still dazed from the apparition so he wasn't quite as attentive as usual.
"Hi, Andromeda," Harry answered with a slight quiver.
She turned back from her grandson, "And you must be Daphne," she said nicely. "Harry mentioned you in his letter, it's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you to ma'am," Daphne answered awkwardly, nearly mimicking Harry's tremble.
"Ha, Andromeda's fine, dear," she said casually. "Please come in," Andromeda beckoned.
"I'll make us some tea," Andromeda said.
Her mannerisms appeared very odd to Daphne. It was as if there was a deliberate rhythm to how she interacted with things.
"Thank you, Andromeda," Harry said from behind her.
While waiting for the tea to properly steep, Daphne took the opportunity to look around. She noticed that her home had an interesting blend of magical and muggle furniture.
Daphne wasn't a muggle, but even she could tell that most of the appliances were quite modern.
"Let's go into the sitting room," Andromeda suggested.
The sitting room was quite a contrast to the kitchen and looked like something Daphne would've seen in her parent's home.
With the tea prepared, everyone sat down. Daphne, Harry, and a sleepy Teddy directly across from Andromeda.
"How long has it been since we've seen each other, Harry?" she asked while taking a drink from her cup.
"It's probably been well over a year," he answered with a frown.
"That long already? Time sure finds a way to pass us by," Andromeda said almost to herself.
She set her already half-finished cup onto the table. "So, what can I do for you?" she asked with sharp eyes.
"Well," Harry started, "I was hoping that we could reconnect, actually. I want Teddy to have his family in his life, especially his grandmother," he said shyly.
"But why now? You said it yourself; it's already been over a year. I'm sure it would've been easier to just leave me behind." Her eyes focused with a piercing gaze, "I already was for a while."
At this, Daphne flared with anger. "Connecting and communication is a two-way street," she said with forced calm. "You could've easily picked up a quill and wrote a letter or visited in that time. Why didn't you?" Daphne asked clutching her fists.
Harry put a gentle hand over hers to calm her.
Andromeda took another drink of her tea while pondering the question. After a few moments, she looked at Daphne, and then Harry.
"I was afraid of how I would react to seeing you, Harry," she said simply.
His breath hitched, "What do you mean?" he asked, internally terrified.
Andromeda set her cup back onto the table.
"After the end of the war, you came over to my home to help me care for my grandson," she started, her eyes flickering to Teddy.
"However, it was clear to both of us that I wasn't in the right state in order to care for a child. So, you, rightfully I might add, took it upon yourself to care for him in which I could not," Andromeda said.
"Although it was the right thing to do, I still felt conflicted. 'He's my grandson' I thought. But I didn't make a fuss and remained in my home alone with plenty of time to think," she said.
Andromeda picked up her cup again. Daphne was getting distracted from the repeated action.
'Does this woman have OCD?' she asked herself.
"Unfortunately, my unease turned to bitterness. And I truly did begin to hate you," Andromeda admitted.
Harry tightened his grip on his own cup, but made no reaction otherwise.
"I blamed you for losing my whole family. I believed that they lost their lives trying to protect you," she said.
Daphne was beginning to shake in rage. How dare she put all this guilt on Harry? Has she any idea how much he had to sacrifice?' she thought angrily.
"I'm sorry," Harry swallowed, preparing to receive whatever tongue lashing Andromeda had brewing after all this time.
"It wasn't until I spoke to a mind healer, I was able to understand just how wrong I was," she said quietly.
Harry jerked his head up, hardly daring to believe it.
"Through many counseling sessions, I was able to understand and accept that my family did what they thought was right. You may have been a factor in that, but I know that they would've done something under the regime. Even without you involved," Andromeda said.
"You were a child, a victim in all of this. And it was wrong of me to think otherwise." She set her now empty cup down for what appeared to be the last time.
"You were barely of age when you took care of Teddy, and he's healthy and happy. That's all I should've asked for," said Andromeda.
She then got up, and bowed to the ground in front of him.
"I'm so sorry, Harry," she said crying. "Daphne's right, I should've made an effort," Andromeda sobbed.
"Hey, it's alright!" Harry said hurriedly. He was never very good at handling people crying except for Daphne.
"I should've reached out long before now. We were both in the wrong," he said encouragingly. "But we can move forward together," Harry finished.
Andromeda was beginning to calm down, her breath finally steady.
"I'd like that," she said, tears falling.
After that, they talked about what had been going on in their lives. Daphne was doing her best to let them have their time, but Harry made it a point to include her in the conversations.
In time, Teddy had awoken and was able to meet his grandmother all over again. They didn't stay for lunch, but promised to stop by regularly.
When they closed the door behind them, Daphne smiled at Harry.
"It seems you two were able to find ground with each other. I barely did a thing," she said nonchalantly.
Harry shook his head, "No, you did plenty. Your indignation on my behalf was what was able to keep me calm to hear what she had to say. If you weren't here, I probably would've run away," he said honestly.
Daphne began to blush furiously, "You make it sound more heroic than it actually is," she said.
"Now you understand my pain," Harry grinned. He offered his hand to Daphne, and the three of them returned to Grimmauld Place exactly as they left it.
"Seems like Tori restrained herself from taking over," Daphne smirked.
"Ha ha," came a sarcastic cry from the other room. "I take it from your wit that everything went well?" Astoria asked.
"Yes," Harry said, and he explained the visit to her as best as he could remember.
"That's quite heavy," she said after Harry finished.
"Yeah, but everything worked out in the end," Harry said smiling. He interlocked his fingers with Daphne's.
"Now we can enjoy the rest of the day!" Astoria declared.
And so, they did. While they didn't have movies to keep everyone entertained, their company with each other was sufficient for them.
The day past towards evening. Bill had come by with an update on the day's work, this time he politely declined to stay for dinner so as not to leave Fleur at home.
After dinner was finished, everyone retired to their rooms for the night, still getting used to where they were staying. But it was just a little bit easier than last night. The morning visit and the rest of the day's fun tired everybody out. Daphne's head had barely hit her pillow before she was out like a light.