Daphne drummed her fingers on the surface of her office desk as she stared across in contemplation. On the other side sat her younger sister, Astoria. While Daphne was using her training and mental discipline to calm her mind, Astoria didn't even try. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest and if looks could kill, hers would have been deadlier than the killing curse. The one positive thing about the situation was that Daphne wasn't the target of her ire, at least for the most part. Astoria would occasionally meet her gaze before huffing petulantly and looking away again. Daphne suspected her sister was angry at the whole world right now, and she couldn't blame her. She wished she could give Astoria more time to come to terms with what happened. Daphne needed that herself. But sadly, there were urgent matters they needed to clear up.
"Let's begin," she finally started their conversation.
"Granger–" Astoria started to say venomously, her mind immediately jumping to the one person she hated more than anyone right now.
Daphne found the situation ironic, given Astoria's long-time belief that mudbloods were being treated unfairly by magical society. No doubt, her sister was re-evaluating those opinions now. Her life lesson couldn't have been delivered with greater potency. Astoria had extended her hand in friendship to a mudblood and treated her like an equal. And in return, the very same mudblood had taken her hostage and cut her throat with a goblin blade. Only the quick action of their healers had saved Astoria from having a scar on her neck that couldn't be cured even with magic. A thousand years ago she wouldn't have had a chance, but luckily, their understanding of goblin magic was far greater nowadays.
Still, while her body wasn't permanently scarred by Granger's vicious attack, the same couldn't be said about Astoria's soul. Daphne hoped her sister would at least take a lesson from what happened and finally accept the subjugation of mudbloods as the undeniable necessity it was. Should Astoria come to embrace pureblood supremacy in light of her traumatic experience, then at least something good would have come out of it. But no matter the possible benefits, Daphne still wished something so horrible had never happened to her baby sister. Astoria may have made the mistake of letting Granger get too close to her, but the fact the worthless bitch had ever gotten into a position to actually hurt her family was Daphne's fault and her failure as Lady Greengrass.
"We'll get to that filth in a moment," Daphne decisively interrupted.
Discussing Hermione Granger wasn't why she had asked Astoria to come to her office. Instead, Daphne waved her wand over the table, and upon her silent command, an object levitated off it. At first sight, it was a simple metal bracelet, smooth and without any embellishments except magical runes carved on its surface. "Explain this," Daphne demanded of her sister, cocking her head and gesturing at the bracelet floating in the air between them.
"Daddy made it for me," Astoria replied quickly and succinctly, her expression still petulant but now with a touch of worry evident in her voice.
Daphne nodded. "Yes, I figured as much," she confirmed, recognizing their father's style in the design of the runes. "What I meant to ask... how in the name of sanity did it end up on Ron Weasley's arm?!" she asked rather harshly and Astoria actually flinched at her tone.
Daphne didn't like being this stern with her sister after what she'd just been through. But she was also the head of House Greengrass, and this was a very serious and potentially sensitive situation. She needed to know exactly what her sister did and why.
"I- I put it on him when they arrived," she confessed, going on to explain how she had wanted a revenge for their father's death and decided to use the bracelet to control, punish and humiliate Ron. Even as she listened to her speak, Daphne felt like kicking herself. After all, it was she who had allowed Astoria access to Ron and the mudblood shortly after their capture.
A big mistake in hindsight.
Given how angry Astoria had been after their father's death, Daphne knew there was a chance she might choose to ignore her orders against permanently harming the prisoners. But she thought that if on anyone, Astoria would have had the decency to sate her bloodlust on Granger instead. Had Astoria accidentally tortured the mudblood into insanity or even killed her at the time, all would have been quickly forgiven. She knew it and Astoria knew it. Oh, Daphne would have been furious with her sister and chastised her severely for her actions, as murdering mudbloods out of spite isn't how a pureblood lady is supposed to act. Daphne would have also been concerned about what kind of effect that might have had on her sister's mental health. But Granger being dead or insane would have meant nothing to her at the time. In retrospect, such reasoning was yet another mistake. She should have known Astoria wouldn't care about blood status when it came to the targets of her ire!
Daphne continued to listen to Astoria's explanation in silence. Only when her sister was finally done did she ask the most obvious and important question, "Why did you never take it off of him?"
Daphne understood her sister's reasoning for having placed the bracelet on the boy in the first place even though she personally strongly disagreed with such action. Ron Weasley was a pureblood. And as such, he deserved to be treated with respect in his captivity, despite his older brother being their father's killer. While Daphne would never have considered using such device on him, she could see why her sister did it, especially after Ron's callous remarks about their father's death.
But not removing the damn thing once they all agreed to work together?! That was highly irresponsible and, frankly, idiotic. While her sister could sometimes be the former, she was never the latter. It suggested to Daphne something else must be going on. Case in point: Astoria's reaction to her question about the bracelet seemed to catch her off guard far more than it should have.
The younger girl stammered out her response, "I don't know. I guess I just forgot..."
"Forgot?! You forgot?!" Daphne snapped in disbelief before reigning in her emotions as a hypothesis began to form in her mind. Slowly, she lowered her wand and allowed the bracelet to drift back onto the table.
Astoria frowned at her reaction. "Well, why didn't you take it off? Or Harry? Or even Granger?! I figured you were all fine with him wearing it since you didn't remove it. And after that, it just sort of slipped my mind."
Daphne sighed as her fears were confirmed. "I couldn't perceive it, Tori," she explained gently. "Nobody could, not even Ron. He's been carrying it all this time and didn't even know it," she continued, elaborating, "The bracelet carries a very powerful notice-me-not spell," she informed her, shocking her sister in the process. In fact, it was only a stroke of luck that Ron cracked his wrist when the mudblood stunned him and he fell. The healer finally noticed the bracelet when it disrupted her healing spells. She promptly removed it from his arm and informed Daphne.
"B-but why? Why would it even do that?" Astoria asked in confusion.
Instead of responding, Daphne rose from her chair and turned to gaze out of the window, lost in thought. "Daphne... Daphne!" her sister called out to her impatiently several times until she finally faced her again. "You don't even know what it is, do you?" Daphne whispered.
"Of course I do!" Astoria protested, looking at her with indignation. "Daddy explained everything to me. It punishes a man if he tries to harm you or he disobeys your wishes," she explained, but Daphne sighed. She found it both reassuring and disturbing their father felt the need to give Astoria such a device to potentially use against Draco Malfoy while still agreeing to their match.
"That's only a part of it," she said, her gaze softening with sympathy as she looked at Astoria. "It's called the Band of Juno," she informed her sister, before adding, "It can actually be used on women as well, although to my knowledge it never has been. Anyway, its full purpose is to transform a potentially aggressive and resentful man into an ideal husband – gentle, protective and utterly devoted and loyal to the woman who gave him the Band, all without altering his personality in any other way," she explained. "That's also the reason why it carries such a strong notice-me-not charm. Most men would feel utterly humiliated to know their wife was influencing them in that way, or for others to know," Daphne finished.
"You mean..." Astoria gaped in horror as the implications of Daphne's words slowly dawned on her.
"That you have effectively turned Ron Weasley into a perfect husband for yourself?" Daphne asked, shaking her head. She strongly suspected Astoria's lack of full understanding of the bracelet's purpose had caused her to be partially affected by the notice-me-not charm as well. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean!" she cried out, leaning back in her chair. "I wonder... have the two of you already discussed the wedding arrangements?" she then added with a snarky tone.
"That's not even funny! You know I love Draco!" Astoria protested again before adding more calmly. "Besides, Ron doesn't like me that way."
Daphne paused at that and looked at her sister, only to see she wasn't joking. "Tori... he loves you," she told her seriously.
Astoria looked at her for a second and then shook her head. "No, he doesn't," she said with unwavering conviction.
Daphne continued to stare at her in disbelief, repeating, "Yes. Yes, he does! The healer was in his mind. She saw everything. And afterwards, I was in his mind too because I simply couldn't believe her report. Trust me on this! The boy's madly in love with you!" she stressed.
"But- no! He's- he's not! He can't be!" Astoria stuttered in shock, her denial written all over her face.
Daphne sighed with exasperation. "Just think about your past interactions with him for a moment, will you?" she pleaded. She watched as her sister scrunched her face, seemingly recalling every conversation she had with Ron Weasley over the past few months.
Astoria, being intelligent, quickly transitioned from fierce denial to mounting horror as everything about Ron Weasley and his behavior towards her suddenly fell into place. "Merlin... no! I didn't mean to!" she cried out hopelessly. "What have I done?!"
In that moment, her sister looked at her completely lost. Quickly rising from her seat, Daphne walked over to Astoria and knelt beside her chair, enveloping her in a comforting hug.
"What- what happens now?" Astoria whimpered, her voice filled with uncertainty, prompting Daphne to release her from the embrace and adopt a serious tone once more.
"That's still under consideration. Removing the bracelet was crucial, but... he's been under its influence for far too long," Daphne explained, sighing heavily. "Right now, his mind can't function without you. He'd go insane and probably die if he ever felt like he was being removed from your life."
Astoria's eyes welled with tears as she looked at her big sister, hoping for salvation. "But you can help him, right? It can be fixed? Please tell me it can be fixed!" she begged.
Daphne reluctantly nodded. "Yes, it can be... fixed," she admitted. "The bracelet's effects are purely psychological, so there's no physical dependency to overcome," she explained. "But that's where the good news ends. As I said, he's been carrying it for far too long. It has deeply infiltrated his mind."
"I- I don't understand," Astoria confessed.
"It's embedded in his memories," Daphne clarified. "The bracelet works by infiltrating one's memories, starting from the most recent and working backward. Erasing all those tainted memories is the only way to help Ron."
Astoria swallowed nervously. "And how much time are we talking about?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Daphne hesitated before responding, "At least a year... maybe more."
"WHAT?!" Astoria exclaimed, horror evident in her voice. "That long?! But that's bloody unfair!" she cried out the words which sounded a lot like something Ron Weasley might have said.
Daphne offered her a sad chuckle. "Of course it's bloody unfair," she agreed. "One could hardly find anything less fair than that. But it's his only hope for any semblance of normalcy."
"There's no other way?" Astoria asked desperately.
"In theory, the foreign influence is going eventually decay on its own, but... given how long Ron wore the bracelet, it'd take far too long—perhaps a decade," Daphne explained.
"So that's it?" Astoria gasped. "He's faced with losing over a year of his life or spending the next decade as my... my slave?" she questioned, her words laced with anguish.
Daphne nodded solemnly. "Essentially, yes," she confirmed. "But Ron isn't capable of making decisions for himself right now... he'd always choose you. So Harry and I have agreed that erasing the affected memories is the only solution," she concluded, the weight of their decision settling heavily between them.
Silence enveloped the room until Astoria spoke up once more. "Where is he? I want to talk to him," she demanded, wiping away her tears.
Daphne shook her head adamantly. "Absolutely not. Given the state of his mind, the last thing he needs is to be anywhere near you."
"But... I need to explain. I have to apologize to him!" Astoria insisted.
"Tori... Ron literally can't think straight around you right now! It wouldn't be fair to him," Daphne pleaded and her sister only reluctantly accepted her decision. By the time Astoria and Ron would see each other again, the boy won't have any idea who she was. But it was necessary.
Another, even longer silence later, Astoria broached her original topic. "Can we talk about Granger now?" she asked, her tone tinged with frustration and only slightly dampened by her sadness and guilt over Ron's fate.
"Ah, yes... her," Daphne responded, almost preferring their former topic over the new one. She walked back to the other side of the table and sat down. "What about her?" she asked afterwards.
Astoria's frown deepened, and she let out an exasperated huff, her petulant demeanour resurfacing. "Well... how about the fact that awful bitch is still alive?!" she exclaimed, her voice thick with outrage.
Meeting her sister's gaze with a steady look, Daphne took a moment before responding. "Yes, about that..."
Earlier
"Expecto patronum!"
Daphne watched with annoyance as the great silvery stag leaped from Harry's wand and charged at the dementor that she and a couple of her guards were escorting into the mudblood's prison cell. The creature shrieked in fear, its reaction surprising Daphne, as the guards struggled to restrain it.
"Get out of our way, Harry," Daphne said wearily, facing her boyfriend and his raised wand. She did not feel any fear though as she knew Harry would never hurt her. The guards standing behind her noticed her calm but were still looking at each other awkwardly, unsure whether they should intervene in some fashion. Daphne was not unsympathetic to their dilemma as part of their job was enforcing her will. At the same time, she wouldn't suffer any of them raising their wands against her boyfriend who, for all intends and purposes, was now the unofficial lord of House Greengrass.
"No!"
Harry once again blocked their path to the cell where Hermione Granger lay unconscious. Daphne intended to have the mudblood awakened one last time only so that the girl could feel the jaws of the dementor clamp around her mouth as it sucks out her soul. 'So much for the smartest muggleborn witch of our time,' Daphne thought with vindictive glee, delighted at the prospect of never having to see the filth again, in this life or the next.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the dementor, intended for Granger, broke free from the guards' grasp in sheer desperation to escape Harry's powerful patronus. It fled down the corridor, still shrieking, with Harry's glowing stag in pursuit.
"You two," Daphne commanded, gesturing to her guards. "Get that thing back under control before it hurts someone," she ordered, adding, "And then have it stand by."
"No..." Harry began to protest.
"Have it stand by!" Daphne repeated forcefully as the guards hurried off. She then finally turned to her boyfriend. "You... me... inside... NOW!" she rapidly ordered while pointing at the nearby open door which led into one of the unoccupied cells.
Before Harry could say another word, Daphne walked towards him and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Despite his groans, Harry let her drag him into the cell. With a final slam of the door, they were alone and able to speak in private.
"You can't do this," Harry beseeched his irate girlfriend as soon as the doors clicked shut.
"Yes, I can, Harry!" the blonde spat as she turned around to face him. "I can and I will! She tried to escape and nearly murdered my sister. Tried to murder me as well! You can't seriously be suggesting she should be spared after all that!"
Harry shook his head. "No... that's not what I'm saying. She definitely must pay for what she's done," he agreed, a look of disgust crossing his face as he recalled Hermione's actions. He remembered the look she had in her eyes after she took him down. He knew Hermione would have gladly killed him too had she thought she could get away with it at the time.
Daphne was somewhat mollified by his agreement but now her expression was puzzled until Harry explained. "It's just that to use a dementor to destroy her soul..." he said and frowned as he looked into her eyes. "That's pure evil, Daphne. As in the primal sense of the word," he told her seriously. "Nobody deserves that."
Daphne frowned and looked at him crossly. "Are you saying if we had Voldemort here, you wouldn't –" she began.
"No, I wouldn't!" Harry interrupted, his voice firm. "I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy!" His green eyes locked onto hers, their intensity unwavering. "You know what those monsters force me to relive every time they get close... I hate them," Harry admitted and Daphne's anger melted away, replaced by a sympathetic gleam in her icy blue eyes. Harry paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. Finally, he declared with unwavering conviction, "In fact, if I am to accomplish anything in my life, it's figuring out how to destroy them."
Daphne remained silent for a long while, seemingly contemplating his words. Then, she stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "That is no easy task. People have been trying to destroy them for centuries," she reminded him gently as she reached up and touched his chin, turning his head so their eyes met. His emerald green met her icy blue. "But if that's what you want to accomplish... I will do everything in my power to help you," she promised before leaning her head against his chest as his arms instinctively encircled her in a comforting hug.
"Daphne... I'm sorry. For everything," he whispered, his voice laden with regret. Though he hadn't initiated Hermione's escape attempt, he bore the responsibility for how far it had progressed. Alongside unwittingly enabling Hermione's deplorable actions, Harry felt he had also let Daphne down and that was something he truly regretted.
The blonde nodded weakly, tears glistening in her eyes as she allowed them to dampen Harry's shirt in their shared moment of emotion. Eventually, she released herself from his embrace and posed a question. "What is it that you want from me, Harry? Are you suggesting I should instead execute Granger the regular way?" she asked, her gaze fixed on him and searching for his reaction.
Harry struggled to maintain a neutral expression, his emotions bubbling to the surface despite his best efforts. He'd gotten much better with his poker face since meeting Daphne, but he still lacked the practiced composure of a Slytherin. His inner turmoil was plain to see, especially for his highly perceptive girlfriend.
Daphne's frown deepened as she observed Harry's reaction. "Why don't you just admit, Harry... you don't want her to die."
"I-" Harry began, his voice faltering as he grappled with the conflict between his feelings and his desire to support Daphne. Stepping away, he sank onto the empty prison bed, feeling weary and world-worn, reminiscent of Dumbledore in his later years. "I don't really know what I want anymore. Do I think she deserves to die? Maybe I do. I can see how it might be for the best," he confessed, the words heavy with internal conflict. "But... deep down, I know I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I allowed her to die when I could have prevented it," he struggled to articulate his inner turmoil, realizing he didn't fully comprehend it himself.
"I see," Daphne responded simply, though the disappointment etched on her beautiful face was unmistakable. "Then we've a problem, Harry... because I can't possibly let her live," Daphne pointed out, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she gazed down at Harry on the bed.
"How did you do it, anyway?" Daphne's question pierced the air suddenly, catching Harry off guard. When he looked at her with confusion, the blonde clarified, her voice tinged with both annoyance and genuine interest. "We've conducted a ritual that should've made it impossible for you to act against my interests. Yet, you were on the brink of betraying me by letting Granger go. How is that possible?"
"I- I figured what you actually wanted the most was for Hermione to be forever gone and out of your hair," Harry told her after a moment of hesitation.
Daphne considered his explanation before a terse smile spread across her lips. "And you'd be absolutely right. Nothing would've pleased me more than not having to see or hear about that worthless cretin ever again," Daphne said and sneered. "So congratulations, Harry. You've found a loophole in a thousand-year-old magical ritual," she remarked, her tone a blend of reproach and admiration.
Harry shook his head. "I don't see it as a loophole," he murmured before lifting his gaze. "Please, Daphne... don't do it," he pleaded.
The pureblood girl fixed him with an unwavering gaze, her hands on her hips. "And if I do, Harry? Will you stop me?" Daphne challenged, stepping closer. "If I were to command you to stand aside and allow me to execute that mudblood right now... would you fight me?"
Daphne's voice resonated with power and superior determination that Harry fell in love with. He swallowed nervously, sensing the intensity emanating from his girlfriend. "No," he replied, meeting her gaze squarely. "I will not fight you, Daphne."
The blonde nodded with satisfaction and sighed with relief. "Good. Because I can't budge on this, Harry. Granger must die for her crimes," Daphne said with finality. Sensing his look, she then softened her tone. "For better or worse, you've submitted to me, Harry Potter. You've entrusted me with full control over your fate and houses. I'm honoured by the trust you've shown me," she said, stepping in front of him and placing her hand on his shoulder. "So please, trust me now and the decision I am making," the pureblood witch implored.
For the first time, Harry confronted the reality that if Daphne had truly made up her mind, there was nothing he could do to stop her. Since the ritual, he was bound to obey her direct orders unless he believed she was somehow making a grave mistake. And though he couldn't bring himself to execute Hermione, he also knew it was a prudent course of action given her crimes and that Daphne wasn't making a grave mistake by doing so.
Harry gently kissed the hand on his shoulder before rising from the bed, only to kneel before his girlfriend. "Daphne... I am yours. I will do whatever you ask of me," he said without any resentment. He'd willingly embraced Daphne's control over him and he'd do it again. Not once had Daphne abused the trust he'd shown her and Harry was truly happy with their arrangement. Yet, a hint of wistful regret crept into his voice, though Daphne misinterpreted it as sorrow.
"Harry... I'm so-," she whispered, but Harry silenced her. Griphook's mocking words that he would one day regret his submission to Daphne echoed in his mind. Hermione had said something similar to him more than once. Harry decided he wouldn't let them win. He wouldn't allow either of them to ruin what he had with Daphne. He had already dealt with Griphook for attempting to disrupt their relationship. And as for Hermione...
"If you command me to step aside, I will," Harry assured her, still on his knees, his gaze meeting hers. "If you command me to execute Hermione for her actions, I will do so myself," he affirmed, surprising Daphne with his resolve. Gratitude shone in her eyes, filling Harry's heart with immense happiness. Harry smiled in return but as he continued, their expressions faltered in unison.
"But I stand by my previous words... I don't know if I could ever forgive myself if I allowed her to die," Harry admitted honestly, wishing it weren't so. "I don't know why I feel that way," he complained. It would be so much simpler if he felt nothing for Hermione. Remaining on his knees, he lowered his gaze, enveloped in silence until he felt Daphne's gentle fingers in his hair, soothing him. Only when she spoke again did he lift his head.
"Look at me, Harry," Daphne commanded, and Harry obeyed, meeting her gaze. Instantly, he felt her presence entering his mind, and he welcomed her with open arms. Gone were the early days where he would instinctively fight such intrusions tooth and nail. They were now replaced by a deep connection forged through their ritual and above all the love they shared. Their minds were completely accustomed to each other, melding effortlessly with no resistance from either side. And as far as Harry was concerned, his mind belonged to Daphne Greengrass, just like everything else. Who was he to deny her access to her property?
It wasn't long before Daphne began to withdraw. "I should've known," she said, motioning for Harry to stand, which he did. "It's your magic... I think it's urging you to spare Granger's life," Daphne announced, leaving Harry stunned.
"B-but... why?!" he stammered, his mouth agape until Daphne gently touched his chin, closing it.
"Because she saved your life in the past... more than once," Daphne explained. "Despite what she may have become, your magic feels indebted to her and makes you want to return the favour," she told him unhappily before laughing and adding. "I suppose that in a way, I owe her too... I mean if she hadn't been an insufferable mudblood bitch she is, you might've never called out the dark lord's name in frustration and we wouldn't have met."
Harry managed a brief smile at her words before furrowing his eyebrows. "So the way I feel... it's not even real? I can just ignore it?" he asked and instantly knew he had said something wrong as Daphne's smile vanished, leaving her ashen-faced.
"Daphne?" Harry asked with worry.
"Of course it's real, Harry!" Daphne exclaimed suddenly. "Your magic is a large part of who you are. It's as real as anything you'll experience in this life! Magic is might!" she emphasized, her passion evident. "And I would never, never ask anyone to ignore what their magic is telling them. It's my magic telling me mudbloods are wrong, that I'm their superior and they need my help... I embrace what my magic tells me every day. So what kind of hypocrite would I be to even suggest you should ignore yours?" Daphne finished her impassioned speech.
Harry saw her point, feeling like he understood Daphne a bit better. "So where do we go from here?" he asked, and this time, it was Daphne who sank wearily onto the prison bed.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I can choose to spare Granger's life on my own behalf and that of my guards she attacked," she said with obvious reluctance before looking up at Harry. "But not on behalf of my sister. Astoria is a pureblood, and as such, she has every right to demand Granger's head as retribution... and she most certainly will demand it," Daphne said before shaking her head. "And I cannot deny her without a very good reason, Harry... it would stand against everything I believe in," she said and looked at him helplessly.
Harry felt the same sense of helplessness. He knew convincing Astoria not to demand Hermione's life after what had occurred would be futile. The feeling of impending danger he had always sensed from Daphne's younger sister seemed even more pronounced nowadays, like a scorpion hiding in the green grass, waiting to strike.
"What about Ron? How did that happen?" Harry asked, referring to the report they had received recently from the healer. It seemed like they just couldn't catch a break, especially after what had occurred with Hermione.
His abrupt change of subject seemed to catch Daphne off guard, but she quickly regained her composure. "I'm still unsure about the purpose of that band or what it did to him exactly," Daphne admitted. "As to how it happened..."
"Astoria," Harry inferred and Daphne nodded.
"Ron is a pureblood too... and you promised he wouldn't be harmed," Harry reminded her, causing Daphne to turn red at his accusation. Mistreating purebloods and going back on her word were two things Daphne found truly reprehensible.
"I've never ordered that! I had no idea she would do it!" she defended herself before her eyes widened as she realized where Harry was going with this. "You're saying Astoria attacked a pureblood as well... and against my orders... hmm," she acknowledged with contemplation.
"And would denying her rightful revenge be a fitting punishment for such a crime?" Harry mused innocently, prompting a wide smile from his girlfriend. Daphne patted the bed next to her, inviting Harry to join her.
"It might be," Daphne agreed before briefly standing up, only to settle back down on his lap. "Ah, Harry. If only you had been in Slytherin from the start," she said wistfully as he once again encircled the beautiful witch he loved in his arms.
"I would've been your loyal pet inside a month," Harry said with certainty. He had virtually no self-confidence at the time he first arrived at Hogwarts. And even though he only started developing serious feelings for girls in his third year, he would have still been an easy prey for Daphne if he had been sorted into Slytherin. All she would have needed to do was showing him a little kindness and maybe protect him from Malfoy's inevitable bullying, and he would have been hers.
"Exactly my point," Daphne happily agreed with Harry's words. "Just imagine all the tricks I could've taught you by now," she purred the words, wiggling her hips in his lap in a way that instantly aroused him. Harry groaned in frustration, knowing this to be Daphne's signature move she sometimes used to win arguments with him. Right now though, he suspected his girlfriend was simply enjoying herself as there was no argument to win. Or so Harry thought.
"I still want her punished, Harry," the blonde told him while pleasantly torturing him with her soft and shapely bottom. She was shamelessly using her body to get him to do what she wanted. But in this case, she really didn't need to.
As he held the woman he loved in arms, kissing her blonde hair lovingly as they tickled his face, Harry was never surer about anything. Hermione was willing to kill him – he could see it in her eyes and she actually tried to kill Daphne multiple times. But in Harry's eyes, her worst crime was the broader implication of her actions – Hermione knew damn well he loved Daphne Greengrass. She knew damn well she was the best thing that ever happened to him and she still did her best to take it all away from him. And for that, she deserved to suffer.
"I actually have an idea about that," he told her.
"I'm listening," Daphne purred, enjoying his attentions while rewarding him with more tantalizing movements in his lap when she felt like he deserved it.
Harry trailed kisses down her slender white neck. His right hand roamed her body while his left was moving between her legs, causing Daphne to moan with pleasure. She continued to rub herself against him, teasing him but never letting him reach climax. With her mastery over both his body and soul, she knew exactly how to keep him on edge, sometimes for hours.
Harry remembered one night when Daphne had actually cast a spell on him to prevent him from having an orgasm while making Harry fuck her in all positions imaginable. He must've brought her to almost a dozen orgasms while having none of his own and being constantly hard. In essence, he became a living toy for her pleasure and amusement. By the time Daphne finally had enough, Harry was such a mess he literally couldn't summon any other thought except his desire for climax. He begged and begged her to let him come only for the lovely blonde to laugh contemptuously and question why she should pander to some half-blood's vile desires.
Then she made him kiss and lick her feet while vocally expressing his gratitude for even being allowed in her noble presence. The emotions and desires became so much for Harry he actually cried while doing so. And as for Daphne, she furiously fingered herself to several more orgasms while watching the boy-who-lived crying and licking at her feet. Eventually, she ordered him to stop and Harry had a hope she might finally have mercy on him. But no, instead of finally giving him the climax he so desperately coveted, Daphne announced she was too tired and was going to sleep! Naturally, she ordered Harry to spoon her while she slept, her naked butt pressed against his hopelessly unsatisfied erection.
Harry couldn't believe she could be so cruel and do this to him! He was sorely tempted to just remove the spell from his body and finish himself off, with or without Daphne's help. But he managed to restrain himself from doing so. Daphne's domination was just as irresistible to him as the idea of finally climaxing, perhaps even more so. And in the end, Daphne's reward for his unwavering obedience was totally worth it. After taking a short nap, the pureblood girl not only permitted him to finally come, she allowed him do it in a way Harry had never even considered could be done with a woman – by entering her ass.
Harry had already used that memory for summoning the Patronus earlier and before he could completely lose himself in it again, he took a steadying breath and said, "I suggest we use Hermione to solve the one remaining weakness of our plan." Harry never thought he'd actually say the words. Even after Hermione cursed their friendship and called him a traitor, he would've never considered doing to her what he was about to suggest. Daphne stiffened in his arms, craning her head to look him in the eyes.
"You mean the Ministry, don't you?" she asked in surprise and when Harry nodded, she got out of his lap and sat next to him. Harry instantly missed the physical contact but Daphne soon compensated for it by taking his hands in hers. "Are you sure about this, Harry?" she asked seriously. "I agree it would be a more than fitting punishment for her but... it's not really necessary for our plan."
Harry shook his head resolutely. "Right now, it'll look like a coup. Some people will oppose it on principle, even if it frees them from Voldemort," he explained, and Daphne reluctantly agreed.
"That's why we're hiring additional mercenaries to compensate," she reminded him.
"But what if we make it a legitimate transfer of power instead?" Harry suggested, remembering how Voldemort made sure his takeover of the Ministry was seamless, ensuring minimal opposition from the wizarding society.
Daphne raised an eyebrow as she looked at him suspiciously. "You've been talking with my grandfather," she guessed and when Harry admitted to it, she added with worry. "Harry! I've warned you about letting that man get into your head," she chastised him.
"But he's your grandfather..." Harry protested.
"Exactly! And being his most beloved granddaughter makes me uniquely qualified to know just how dangerous he is."
"But is he wrong?" Harry challenged, and after a moment's thought, Daphne shook her head.
"No... he's not," she conceded. "Having the Ministry's cooperation would be a massive boon. It would also finally give me the chance to bring that halfblood scum to heel and make her pay for what she did to you," Daphne said with a malicious grin, and Harry mirrored her sentiment. He knew exactly who she meant, and the thought of seeing that person humbled by his girlfriend filled him with satisfaction.
But then Daphne's expression softened with concern. "But Harry... Granger... she might end up wishing for the dementor instead," she warned.
Harry shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, that's her problem, isn't it?" he remarked casually. He figured Hermione had brought this upon herself with her recent actions, and now she would have to face the consequences, no matter how severe. Harry was willing to protect her life and soul, but as far as her happiness went, that was no longer his concern.
Daphne gazed at him in awe, struck speechless by his nonchalant attitude. Her mouth was agape and Harry returned her earlier gesture as he gently touched her chin with one finger, closing her mouth with a tender smile. In the next moment, his beautiful pureblood girlfriend embraced him tightly, kissing him with wild abandon.
"So you really aren't going to kill her," Astoria said with disgust after Daphne finished her narration. She skipped over the subsequent conversations and the intensely private moments she shared with Harry in that abandoned prison cell. However, Astoria looked at her strangely, likely suspecting what happened anyway.
"No," Daphne confirmed firmly. "No, I'm not going to kill her."
Astoria stared at her with simmering anger, feeling as though her rightful vengeance was being denied. She sighed heavily and shook her head. "You know, I always thought being in a relationship with Harry was good for you. That he'd turn you into a better person," she said, her voice tinged with disappointment. She paused for a moment before adding, "I'm not so sure anymore."
"Tori…" she began, pleading with her sister to understand, but she was abruptly interrupted.
"The old Daphne might've been a nasty bitch but at least she cared about her family. She never would've let that... that... mudblood live after what she did to me!" Astoria continued, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her words dripping with resentment and hurt.
"Tori!" Daphne repeated, her voice now more forceful. "Granger will suffer! She'll suffer so much she might wish she was dead," she assured her sister, her determination unwavering. With finality, she added, "That will have to suffice."
Without another word, Astoria stood up and began to walk away. Instead of bidding farewell, she uttered just two words before exiting the room. "We'll see."
Daphne shook her head sadly as she watched her sister leave. She understood Astoria's anger, as she felt it too. However, Harry was right – the mudblood was too valuable to kill just yet. Perhaps after the war, she might persuade Harry to do it. But for now, she wasn't exaggerating when she said Granger would suffer greatly. And the best part was her suffering would greatly aid their cause!
Daphne reached for a quill and paper, intending to write a letter. Before she even started, she paused, wondering what honorific she should use. Since the recipient hadn't been personally introduced to her in her capacity as head of House Greengrass, Daphne decided to be more polite than necessary when addressing one's vassal. A smile played on her lips as she penned the words, already envisioning their impact on Granger's bleak future.
'Dear Madam Umbridge...'