The Quarantined Duo
DISCLAIMER: I don't own HP.
Author's note: This is a sixth year fic where Harry destroyed the diadem and Dumbledore destroyed the ring. Many thanks to my beta Cassy.
Chapter One
Daphne sighed, she had been trying an enhancement ritual and stuffed it. Instead of more power to keep her and her sister safe from whatever Draco had planned for sixth year she had let something loose. Something with tentacles that was definitely not native to Scotland, or even Earth. What's worse is that she had to be rescued by a Gryffindor. Not just any Gryffindor either but Harry Potter. Now everyone likely knew what she had tried and she was stuck in the infirmary's infectious disease ward with Potter for at least 24 hours while the nurse observed them and cast diagnostic spells.
"I need to be getting back to my dorm," Daphne muttered.
"Surely one day won't hurt," Harry said.
"Who knows what rumors are flying about what happened," Daphne replied. "If I was there I would be able to get ahead of the rumors or at least get some of my own going to counteract things."
"I know how bad rumors can get," Harry said. "But she's not letting us out until tomorrow at best and worrying won't help."
"Fine," Daphne said. "At least I'm not stuck here by myself." She looked down at the pajamas they had been issued, "Do you know what happened to our clothes?"
Harry nodded, "Apparently creatures summoned when that ritual fails either spread disease or coat their victims in poisons of one sort or another. So our clothes were removed, sealed into a container, and sent to St. Mungos for testing."
She looked at him and in an innocent sounding voice asked, "And you saw this being done?"
"No, I was told this by Madam Pomfrey when I asked," Harry said. "I don't think she was lying though."
"I was more worried about her stripping me while you, and possibly others, watched," Daphne said.
Harry blushed, "Oh. No, we were both dressed in these when I woke up and she said she sent them in herself."
"And we're stuck here until they figure out if we're poisoned or infected?" Daphne asked.
"Yes," Harry said. "So, how about answering one of my questions next? What ritual were you trying to perform?"
"I found an old Druidic power boosting ritual in my family's library this summer," Daphne said. "I'd heard that Draco was marked now and had some plan for the year so I was looking for a way to protect myself and my little sister." She sighed, "I thought I had it copied correctly but I guess not."
"According to what I have been able to find out he is marked and working on something in the room of lost things," Harry said.
"What's that?" she asked.
Harry considered what to tell her and eventually decided that he could tell her everything since the bad guys already knew of it, "Remember where the Inquisitorial members found us last year? It's a room that can change. One facet, the one Draco is spending his time in, is a room full of stuff people have been dumping for decades if not centuries. Contraband they didn't want to get caught with, broken things, unwanted gifts, possibly stolen jewelry, all sorts of stuff."
"And the teachers know?"Daphne asked, shocked.
"Yeah," he replied. "At least Dumbledore and Snape know. They were both there when I told Dumbledore what I found out. Neither looked surprised. I hope they plan to stop him if he looks like he's going to succeed but the headmaster is really weird about some stuff."
"And Snape is his godfather," Daphne said and sighed. "Well, shite. If I'd known about that place I might have looked through there first. Now I have to hope that senile old man cares about students as much as he says he does. All of us, not just you and your rival."
"I hope so too," Harry said. "I'm just glad we got rid of the horcrux in there."
"Is that what cost the headmaster his left hand and part of his forearm?" Daphne asked.
"That was a different horcrux but yes," Harry said. "Riddle made six of the things that I know of and we've only destroyed three so I also hope we're out of here quickly."
"Riddle?" Daphne asked. "Is that the dark lord's real last name?"
Harry nodded, "Yes."
"You can't kill someone who has one?" she asked.
"Also yes," Harry said. "I think the headmaster knows where they are or at least most of them but he's keeping that knowledge to himself until he decides it's time to get rid of one."
"Well I hope he works fast," Daphne said. "That monster needs to die."
"You're a pureblood and a slytherin, why are you worried?" Harry asked.
"Because I'm not an idiot for one," she replied. "He killed plenty of purebloods in the last war and even being a loyal follower isn't enough. He kills them too when the whim takes him. At least so my parents have said. It's why they try so hard to be neutral. They said it was the safest course last time." She frowned, "They haven't said it out loud but they worry it won't be enough if he wins."
"Yeah," Harry said. "You're right. I'm sorry I assumed you weren't aware of that."
"It's okay," she said. She gestured around, "So, did the nurse tell you anything else?"
Harry said. "No visitors, no one allowed in at all. The room is heavily and expensively enchanted to provide for our needs and let medical personnel talk to us and cast spells into the room without actually entering it." He grimaced, "She said that's why there's just the one room for both of us, because it was too expensive to create a boys wing and a girls wing."
"Well I'm just as happy not to be alone," Daphne said. "I'm sure you're enough of a gentleman that I don't need to fear for my safety or my virtue and I never gave a hoot for my modesty. Despite my mother's attempts to make me a proper lady."
"I am gentleman enough for that certainly," Harry said. He smiled, "And apparently the more modest of us two. I'll try not to blush too much."
She snorted, "It's not like I'll be sleeping in the nude or anything. So I see two doors with no labels. I'm guessing at least one is locked and warded and the other has a shower, sink, and toilet. Have you found out which is which yet?"
"Actually we were portkeyed in," Harry said. "They are serious about this quarantine." He gestured to one door, "That one is the bathroom, the other is a kitchen and pantry. It looked pretty well stocked so we won't go hungry."
"Assuming one of us knows how to cook," Daphne said. "I certainly don't."
Harry grinned, "Well then it's fortunate that I do know how. I can start on a breakfast fryup while you shower. There is a hamper for dirty clothes in there. I don't know how we'll get laundry done so you might want to vanish them instead." He pointed, "That wardrobe has a dozen of these pajamas in it and only half are my size. It should last until they finish their tests."
"It sounds workable if terribly boring," Daphne said. "I'll take you up on the offer of breakfast, thanks."
"I'll go cook then," Harry said and left the room. He fried up some eggs, bacon, sausages, and tomato slices in separate pans while putting bread into the toaster and heating up some baked beans. "Tinned black pudding? I wonder how it will taste," he said to himself. He added it anyway and when it was all ready he brought it out to the table in the main room. Daphne was out and wearing a new set of white pajamas by the time he finished setting the table.
"Sorry I took so long," Daphne said. "I'm not used to drying my hair with my wand."
"It looks lovely," Harry said. It reached just past her shoulders in a shining golden wave like a waterfall.
"You're easy to please then," she replied. "The food looks good."
"The pudding came out of a tin so I'm not sure about it, but everything else should be right," Harry said. He sat down and started to help himself.
Daphne sat down and tried a spoonful, "It's not bad." After they finished and had cast mouth cleaning charms she took the plates and flatware into the kitchen and was pleased that the sink was enchanted to wash them and store them in a cabinet. As she came back into the room she said, "Well even if you can't make anything else I'll be happy for at least a few days."
Harry was searching the desks and cabinets, "Oh, I can cook several different meals. All of the standard British fare really."
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
"Cards or board games," he replied. "Aha! Jackpot." He held up a deck of cards, "Know any good card games? If not, I can teach you poker and gin rummy."
She smirked, "I've seen strip poker but never learned the rules personally."
Harry blinked a few times, "Er, they play it in the Slytherin dorms then?"
"No," she said, grinning wider. "I see it at home. Whenever Tracey's parents bring her over they send us up to bed at eight and tell us to stay in our room until morning. That worked until we were twelve and learned a few spells from an older cousin. He has a dirty mind but he knows several spells good for sneaking around."
"You realize he probably uses them to sneak peeks he shouldn't?" Harry said.
Daphne shrugged, "I do. But considering what I use them for I can't complain too loud. For that matter you're known to have an invisibility cloak and use it a lot so you can't throw stones either. I've warded my bedroom at home as well as I can and so has Tracey. Together we've added every privacy ward we know to our dorm room." She looked at him and smirked, "If you're too innocent to hear the rest of this story then just say so and I won't continue."
Harry blushed, "Er, um no I want to hear it."
"That's what I thought," she said. "We used a silencing spell and a notice-me-not and crept out of my bedroom onto a balcony overlooking the game room. It's a big place with a billiards table and a poker table and even a dart board on the wall. We crept to the edge of the balcony and settled in to see what they were trying to hide."
"And they were playing strip poker?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Daphne smiled. "They were a few hands in by the time we were watching and there was a pile of shoes off to one side. We lay side by side and watched in something like shock as they played and told dirty jokes and innuendos and slowly got naked until there was only one person left with anything on. They were all a little drunk by then and they started playing billiards without getting dressed first. I'm pretty sure they did more together too but we didn't manage to witness that." Daphne shrugged, "It was shocking the first time but they played weekly and we watched just about every time for the first few years. It became a fun secret thing to do in summer. After fourth year we sometimes didn't bother but it's still kind of fun and we've learned useful facts from listening to them talk. They talk more about politics and the world these days. It's how I know how worried they are."
"Thanks for sharing that," Harry said. "My aunt and uncle don't do anything like that. When they entertain it's always just to suck up to people where my uncle works or show off to people in the neighborhood."
"So how do you know about poker?" Daphne asked.
"I've heard of strip poker in the dorm but never saw it played," Harry said. "I've seen my uncle play for money with neighbors. I've been told the rules but I suppose we can look for a rulebook to make sure what I know is right."
She nodded, "And hopefully it will have other games listed as well."
She helped him look and found one, "Here we go! This says it's Hoyle's book of card game rules. Should be the very thing we need." She started reading it, "It says it has rules for poker, bridge, whist, and backgammon."
"That should carry us through the next few days," Harry said. He kept looking through the cabinets.
"What are you looking for now?" Daphne said, looking up from the book.
"Poker chips as well as a backgammon game," Harry said.
Daphne smirked, "Chips? You don't want to see me naked then? Are you a wizard's wizard? Should the rumors be about you and Weasley rather than you and Granger?"
"What?" Harry said. He turned to look at her, "I'm very straight, thank you very much."
"Don't like blondes then?" she asked. "It could explain why that part Veela didn't have you drooling like some."
"Fine," Harry said. "I'll stop looking for chips but I want to read the rules for myself first."
"Naturally," Daphne replied. "A game is always better when there's something real at stake even if only a bit of embarrassment and I'm glad you're enough of a competitor not to try and prevent me from cheating."
"Did your folks ever catch you?" Harry asked as he found a chess set and set it up on the table.
"Once, the summer after third year," Daphne said. "Dad caught us and made us join the game. Mum didn't look too keen on that punishment but Mrs. Davis grinned and said it was a fitting punishment." She brought her book to the table and seeing that she had white she moved a pawn. As Harry made his move she continued, "We lost of course. I'm not sure if there was cheating going on or they were just a lot better than we were but inside half an hour I was naked and Tracey only took a few minutes longer. Then they sent us back to bed without giving us our pajamas or underwear back and told us if they caught us again that night we'd be spanked by all four of them."
"I've only stayed with one magical family before this but I always pictured them as being rather Victorian in their morals," Harry said.
"Oh most are," Daphne agreed. 'Especially the poorer ones. But even back in the actual Victorian age there were clubs for noble pervs and I suspect my ancestors belonged to one." She smirked at him, "Are you worried?"
Harry smirked back, "No, that's why I agreed to strip poker. We can even play strip chess if you like?"
She grinned, "Well since I'm two pieces up on you I think I might take you up on that. If we can agree on rules."
"One piece of clothing removed for each piece captured?" Harry suggested.
"Hardly," she replied. "I don't know about you but I'm only wearing two pieces here. How about one piece removed for each game won?"
Harry smiled, "Alright, but let's switch to a different game after someone gets naked. It won't be as fun when we have no clothing left to lose."
"If you say so Mr. Potter," Daphne replied. "Are we starting with this game or do you need a Mulligan?"
"We can start with this game if you're anxious to see me shirtless," Harry said.
"I'm a Slytherin," she replied. "I'll take any advantage offered if it's free."
Harry lost the game and took off his shirt, "Congratulations. Another game?"
"Oh, I think so," Daphne said and smiled. "I'm looking forward to a show."
Harry looked sheepish, "Alright then." He tried hard to win but lost again and blushed. "Uh, I guess I'm not as good at chess as I thought."
Daphne smirked, "I guess not. Are you the sort to abide by your agreements though? That's what I'm wondering."
"I'll keep my side of our agreement," Harry said. "We'll need a new game afterward though."
"We can switch to cards next," Daphne said. She smirked at Harry who sighed then rolled his eyes.
"Okay, I'll not stall any further," he said and took off the pajama pants leaving him naked. "I'll go grab the cards but I still want to read the rule book first."
"Fine, but you can't get dressed until we start the next game," Daphne said.
"As long as you follow the same rules when you lose," Harry said.
"I swear I will," Daphne said.