"Ha! I'd like to see you do better than that!" Tracey proudly declared after flawlessly skipping a stone across the water's surface.
Harry and Tracey had reached the small lake during their walk, after which Tracey suggested a stone-skipping competition. She had done it so casually that Harry had accepted without much thought, reckoning it could be fun. He should have known he was walking into a trap. It turned out Tracey liked to do this, both at home and at the Great Lake at Hogwarts, and was something of an expert at stone skipping. Meanwhile, Harry had never once skipped stones in his life. Although he was surprisingly good for a beginner, Tracey was still decisively winning, always managing to make the stone skip farther and more times.
But Harry wasn't about to give up. It was his turn now and so he selected a sufficiently flat stone from the shore. He picked it up and turned it around a few times in his hand, once again amazed by the fact it had a visible magical signature. After serving as the home of Daphne's family for millennia, even the earth and rocks around Greengrass Manor were saturated with magic. The water in the lake didn't have much magic, probably because it was exchanged too often with the outside world, but there was magic within the lake bed, slowly seeping into the water and giving it a breathtaking glow that Harry could perceive.
Harry tried not to focus on the beautiful environment at the moment as he took aim and threw the stone. He emulated the characteristic movement of Tracey's wrist that he had observed as much as possible. But of course, it wasn't going to be enough to do better than her. And so, after two modest bounces, Harry decided to give the stone a little push. He made a forward gesture with his hand while simultaneously willing his magic to accelerate the stone and make it skip farther. Unfortunately, he might have overdone it a bit. Instead of gently picking up speed, the stone shot forward so fast it became a blur, casting large ripples in the water as it went, until it finally hit the other shore and went still.
"Hey, we agreed no magic," the girl complained, having instantly realized what Harry did. "That's cheating!"
Harry felt a little embarrassed, but he suppressed the feeling and smirked instead. "Actually, you said no wands," Harry stressed, reminding Tracey of the exact words she had used. He then raised his palms to show they were empty. "...and as you can see, I'm not holding a wand," Harry demonstratively declared before pretending to frown and shaking his head. "It almost sounds like you're trying to falsely accuse the Lord of House Black of cheating. A very serious offense... especially for a halfblood," he tittered.
He must have sounded convincing, as for a second Tracey Davis gaped at him with genuine alarm. But of course, she soon remembered who he was and knew he was merely pulling her leg. She furrowed her eyebrows and pointed a finger at him. "That's it! Daphne's clearly a bad influence on you, Potter," she accused him but smiled at the same time.
Harry laughed at that. "No… no, she's not," he replied with certainty, returning her smile. However, he could also see where Tracey was coming from with her remark. After all, the old Harry Potter would never have used magic to win their game. He would have considered it cheating, even after Tracey had purposefully lured him into a stone skipping competition, knowing full well he stood no chance against her. The old Harry would have been far too noble to even think of leveling the playing field, choosing instead to lose with dignity. But then Harry met Daphne and learned the truth: while there could be a certain dignity in defeat, there was also nothing more dignified than victory.
"Daphne mentioned you're very powerful," Tracey said after a moment. "I actually thought she was just boasting," she admitted. "But wandless magic... that's mighty impressive, Harry," she added with admiration in her voice.
"Well, thank you," Harry said and smiled at her compliment before adding humbly, "But honestly, don't be too impressed. What you just saw is pretty much all I can do at the moment," he admitted, thinking how it was all thanks to Daphne that he could even do that little bit.
Despite Harry's skepticism and self-doubt, Daphne had always insisted he was powerful enough, citing the incident where he had thrown wandless Killing Curses when briefly possessed by Voldemort. According to Daphne, although he wasn't in control at the time, the spells were still coming from him, proving he was fundamentally capable of wandless magic. Harry wasn't so sure, but the fact Daphne Greengrass believed in him was all the encouragement he needed to give wandless magic a shot.
Of course, Harry quickly discovered why virtually all wizards and witches never bother with wandless magic in the first place. First of all, due to how each person's magic was unique, there weren't any manuals on learning wandless magic. What worked well for one person was typically useless for others. Secondly, trying to do magic wandlessly was incredibly ineffectual and frustrating compared to using a wand. Harry liked to compare the feeling to an extremely thirsty person trying to drink a glass of water by repeatedly dipping their finger into it, balancing a single droplet on the tip, and then bringing it to their lips, all without the droplet falling off. The urge to just chug the glass could become unbearable after a while.
When Harry first started exploring his wandless capabilities and realized how frustrating it was, he was just about ready to give up. He knew how much Daphne believed in him and worried she would be disappointed by his decision. He shouldn't have underestimated his amazing girlfriend, as Daphne quickly assured him she understood and would always love him no matter what. But of course, their conversation hadn't ended there, or else Harry wouldn't have just won a stone-skipping competition.
After assuring him of her love and snogging him with passion, the blonde let go and looked at him with contemplation. Finally, Daphne smirked and leaned closer, whispering into his ear all the things she was apparently hoping to do to him once he learned wandless magic – things that left Harry mad with desire and practically hyperventilating. In contrast to his distress, the girl merely shrugged and casually expressed her regret at being unable to do any of them to Harry. Finally, she turned around and walked away, making sure to put an extra sway into her hips as she went, fully aware Harry's eyes would be glued to her ass the entire time.
And that was it. That was all it took to make Harry overcome his doubts and work harder than he ever had in his entire life!
Harry wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of intense pressure to perform better. After all, it had been Oliver Wood's favorite training strategy, which still sometimes made Harry wake up screaming at night. And outside the Quidditch pitch, there had been Hermione yelling at him for years, insisting he could do much better in his studies and should apply himself more. And Harry was loath to admit she had been right. The only problem was Hermione's incessant nagging had never managed to motivate him to greatness. At best, he'd do the absolute bare minimum to finally get her off his back.
It was very much different with Daphne Greengrass. Harry would give her the world just for the privilege of seeing the beautiful blonde smile at him or tease him with her swaying hips. Perhaps it was a manipulation on Daphne's part, but one he very much welcomed. And besides, Daphne had been justified in doing so, as it made Harry discover he had an affinity for wandless telekinesis – he could move objects with his mind. Coupled with his regular magical training and the fact he now possessed the Elder Wand, even Harry had to admit he was stronger than ever, even able to hold his own while dueling the scary Lord Commander of the household guards. He would still lose almost every time, but according to the stoic man, his form was nearly perfect. All Harry lacked was experience, and that would be rectified in time.
Needless to say, Harry's ever-increasing magical prowess and realization of his true potential were extremely pleasing for his dominant fiancée. Daphne had always fantasized about having a superpowerful wizard groveling at her feet, and it made Harry work that much harder, as he very much enjoyed being the man from Daphne's dreams. And Harry, in turn, took great comfort in knowing that no matter how powerful he became, he would always be hers. Already, he was more powerful than she, but it did not matter. Harry would always willingly subject himself to her whims, allow the pureblood girl to put him in his place, make him cry with frustration, and beg for her favor...
Harry shook the fantasy away and focused on the present. With Tracey acknowledging defeat, their game was now over. Harry proceeded to use the Elder Wand to summon all the stones they had thrown into the water, carefully placing them back on the shore. After all, it wouldn't do for them to be ruining Daphne's beautiful lake. As he levitated the stones into their original places, Harry was pleased to note the Elder Wand no longer gave him any trouble, and hadn't for some time. The ideas of bending the world to his will it used to induce in his mind had been reduced to a weak and easily ignored whisper.
Harry had been surprised by that development. At first, he reckoned he had somehow mastered the Elder Wand – that perhaps the Hallow had finally realized he couldn't be tempted and so had given up trying. He had shared that theory with Daphne, only for the girl to giggle and call it cute that he thought in a few weeks he had somehow managed to change the nature of an artifact as old as the world. Daphne then suggested Harry was getting arrogant like a true pureblood – a backhanded compliment if there ever was one.
After a lot of introspection, Harry was forced to admit Daphne had been right once again. The Elder Wand hadn't changed at all. Instead, it was he who had changed, or more specifically, his magic. By not acting on the images the wand put into his mind, Harry's magic eventually learned to ignore them on instinct. He no longer had to actively resist the wand's influence, the same way he didn't need to consciously think about breathing. His magic was automatically doing it for him.
Harry suspected (and Daphne agreed) that this was the pitfall that had consumed so many wizards and witches throughout history. Unlike Harry's predecessors, his desire wasn't to change the world, but rather to do what Daphne said: to make the pureblood girl happy and submissively obey her wishes, which in turn made him happy. The Elder Wand wasn't designed to do that, and so the conflicting ideas it induced in his mind ended up soundly ignored in favor of his love for the person who ruled his heart. Sadly, the Elder Wand's previous owners didn't have Daphne Greengrass to keep them in line. Harry expected most of them had actually wanted to change the world with the wand's power. And just as it did with Harry, their magic eventually formed an instinct out of it, an instinct so strong it ruled their actions forevermore.
"So... I threw the stone the farthest. I won the game," Harry mentioned innocently after they started walking back in the general direction of the house. "That means I won our bet," he told her, reminding Tracey of the stakes they had placed on the outcome of the game. No doubt the Slytherin girl had only agreed because she thought he stood no chance of winning. But that didn't mean Harry wasn't going to collect... especially when his reward was so delicious.
"Yes, I suppose," Tracey grumpily admitted and sighed. "So... you wish to hear an embarrassing story about Daphne, huh?" she asked, before nervously scanning the trees around them with her eyes. After verifying they were alone, she turned to Harry. "You realize she's totally going to murder us both, right?" she whispered.
Harry laughed at that, but then checked out the tree line as well. "Don't worry... I'll protect you," Harry assured her, actually managing to sound confident.
"Hah, you're a fool if you think some superpowerful wandless magic can protect you from angry Daphne!" Tracey threw into his face, evidently not sharing his confidence. Then she shrugged, having probably concluded Harry would be her friend's primary target of revenge, as it was he who asked. Harry reckoned she was probably right. He envisioned several torturous hours ahead of him before his pureblood fiancée would find it in her heart to grant him mercy. But of course, he wasn't about to tell Tracey all that.
"Let's see... how about the first time Daphne got drunk?" the brunette asked, and Harry eagerly nodded, giddy with anticipation.
"Hahaha! Y- you're kidding," Harry Potter gasped, desperately trying not to fall to the ground and roll there laughing. "On Snape's shoes? Really?!" he asked in disbelief, realizing in that moment he loved Daphne Greengrass even more than he thought he did, if that was even possible.
"Not directly, no," Tracey clarified. "But the spatter was in that general direction," she added, and Harry exploded with laughter again.
"And what did Snape say?" he wondered afterward.
"He chastised her most severely," Tracey answered, surprising Harry. He reckoned it was because Daphne was a Slytherin. A student from one of the other houses would probably have been expelled or at least given detention until they were fifty. "I think Professor Snape's anger at her was somewhat dampened by the fact she hadn't been the only one to experience... discomfort... on that night," Tracey added. "Nor were her consequences the worst."
Harry smiled and shook his head at the image as they continued their journey toward the manor. Finally, he asked one thing he'd been wondering. "These parties of yours... how often did you throw them?"
"Every three weeks or so," Tracey answered before looking sad. "Or at least I used to. Had to stop that with the Carrow twins around," she told him unhappily. "The social life at Hogwarts has been pretty much dead since they arrived."
Harry looked at her sympathetically. "Don't worry, they'll be getting theirs in no time," he assured her, and Tracey nodded gratefully. Even with Snape running interference, Harry knew how much those two monsters had abused the students. They couldn't be removed soon enough.
They walked in silence for a while before Harry spoke again. "I don't mean to sound like a whiny git, but is there a reason you never invited me to any of your parties?" he wondered honestly. At first, he assumed Tracey only invited Slytherins, but apparently, she had students from the other houses attending as well. Even the Weasley twins had gone a few times.
Tracey sighed at his question and looked at him guiltily. "Don't you think I wanted to invite you?" she said wistfully. "So many people would've liked to see you there. But I couldn't," she told him sadly, and before Harry could ask why, she added, "What's the first thing you would've done if I had invited you?"
"I would've said: Yes, thank you?" Harry answered uncertainly, not sure where the girl was going with this.
Tracey giggled at his answer. "Okay, the second thing, then."
Harry tried to put himself into that scenario before the answer came to him. "I would've asked if Ron and Hermione could come too," he finally said. And just like that, the reason why he was never invited became obvious. "Oh. Hermione's a muggleborn. So you wouldn't want to have her there," Harry said, unable to hide his disappointment with Tracey. Even though Harry was no longer friends with Hermione, he still disagreed with the discrimination muggleborns faced, especially something as needlessly cruel as not being invited to a secret school party.
"Stop it right there, Harry," Tracey exclaimed, and although she meant his line of thought, they both actually physically stopped in their tracks. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not prejudiced! I had mudbloods attending my parties. You're right that it's about Hermione, but her being a mudblood had nothing to do with it... at least for me."
While Harry was relieved to hear her say that, it only added to his confusion. "Then what was it?" he asked, puzzled. "What was the reason?"
"Oh, come on," Tracey said impatiently. "You know how she is... or was. How do you think Hermione would've reacted if she'd learned I was organizing a secret, totally-against-the-rules party?"
Harry took a moment to digest that before shaking his head. "She wouldn't have told on you if that's what you're suggesting," he said immediately, but his voice lacked conviction. He spoke the words out of the old habit of viewing his former friend through rose-colored glasses. But those glasses had since been taken off by Daphne and grounded into dust beneath her heel, so Harry started to wonder. Would Hermione actually have reported Tracey?
"I've tested her, you see," the girl admitted surprisingly. "One day, while in the library within Granger's earshot, I casually mentioned to a friend that I was thinking of throwing an after-hours party."
"And what did she do?" Harry asked with interest and slight worry, trying in vain to recall whether Hermione had ever mentioned an incident like this. He couldn't remember, so she probably hadn't.
"Nothing too drastic," Tracey assured him. "However, she did basically barge into our conversation and wouldn't leave me alone until I promised her I wouldn't be throwing any parties," she explained. "And that's when I knew Granger – and by extension you and Ron – could never be invited. Had Hermione thought I was going to go through with it despite her objections, I'm certain she would have reported me."
Harry sighed sadly at the idea Hermione had been the reason Tracey had never invited him or Ron to her parties. It wasn't like Harry actually cared about that per se. His wistfulness had more to do with Daphne usually being among the guests. Harry still regretted not meeting Daphne much sooner while they were both still in school. Of course, even if he had attended the parties, it was unlikely Daphne would have been willing to talk with him. She probably would have thrown a drink in his face if he had tried to approach her with romantic intentions. But Harry would never know for sure.
"Sometimes I wonder whether anyone besides Ron and me ever actually liked her," Harry mentioned next, referring to his former friend.
Tracey shook her head. "Well, that's not fair to her either," she insisted. "Hermione could be really kind. I can't even count how many times I saw her helping the younger years with their studies," she pointed out. "As long as one didn't mention the wrong thing in front of her, I never had any problems with her."
"Yeah, I suppose," Harry mumbled, not really wanting to argue Tracey's point. He was painfully aware of his inability to view Hermione objectively anymore, not since she had tried to murder the girl he loved. And even though Daphne had surprisingly come to an accord of sort with Hermione, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to.
"It's actually a wonder you haven't been reported anyway," Harry told her next. Considering how many people attended Tracey's parties and how often she used to throw them, it was almost a statistical anomaly she had never been busted.
"Oh, I'm sure the teachers knew," the girl said, shocking Harry. "Between the school wards and the house elves spying on everyone, I reckon the teachers are aware of pretty much everything that goes on in the school."
"W- what?" he gasped in surprise. "And they never came after you?" he asked, and when the girl just shook her head, he asked the obvious question. "Why not?"
"You'd have to ask them," Tracey said and shrugged. "My theory? The teachers realize we need to blow off some steam and prefer we do it outside their classes. They also don't want to force us into getting creative with avoiding detection. So as long as nobody is getting hurt, they tolerate the harmless rule breaking and merely monitor the situation."
"That hasn't been my experience," Harry said, laughing bitterly, remembering how many close calls he'd had with Snape or Filch over the years. Although, come to think of it, he and his friends might've been a special case, given Snape's rampant hatred of him.
They had almost reached the manor when Harry saw a couple of guards walking in their direction. At first, he assumed they wished to inform them Daphne was already done talking with Tracey's parents, as the two of them had lingered by the lake for quite a while. But then Harry noticed the grim expressions on the men's faces and knew something was seriously wrong.
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Harry James Potter snapped, his soul pulsing with rage, and his body practically foaming at the mouth as he faced Daphne's younger sister.
It was a novel experience for Daphne to see her fiancé this livid. The two of them had argued before, like any other couple, but it had never escalated this far. The naturally strong magic Harry possessed was practically rolling off him in pulsating waves, once again reminding Daphne that Harry Potter could easily become the next dark lord if he wanted to. Luckily for the world though, that wasn't who her boyfriend was. By his nature, Harry was a nice person who always tried to get along with others, always understanding. He was also deeply in love with Daphne, meaning he went the extra mile when it came to the members of her family, even when he disagreed with what her mother or sister were saying or doing.
But this time, Astoria had brazenly crossed the very generous line that existed in Harry's mind. To be honest, she had crossed Daphne's line as well. But while she was quietly simmering inside, Harry was vocal, to say the least. The excess from his powerful magic was flooding the room to such levels even an unbroken mudblood would probably feel it. Astoria surely did. Her sister tried to act like nothing was happening, but Daphne noticed her taking an instinctive step back at the terrifying display. Had Daphne not been so used to Harry's magic by now, she would have been terrified as well.
"Surely there must be something we can do?!" Harry asked, beseeching Daphne with his look, desperation in his eyes.
Daphne wished there was, but unfortunately, her sister's plan had been impeccable in that regard. She sighed before answering. "There isn't. Not with the oath they used," she told him sadly. "It's been outlawed for a very good reason."
If it hadn't been, Daphne might have been tempted to use it against Granger by now, even though trapping someone with oaths was a truly pathetic way of subjugating mudbloods. Her ancestors had always avoided the practice and fully endorsed the magically enforced ban when it was first proposed. Unfortunately, the lawmakers had only banned its use on mudbloods, having never expected two purebloods would actually use the oath against each other. And Daphne didn't blame them. It was unimaginable.
"I did what neither of you had the courage to do – I asked Ron what he wanted," Astoria defiantly claimed in front of the enraged Harry. "He didn't want to lose his memories, so I made sure he wouldn't have to. It was his choice!" she pointed out, arms crossed defensively in front of her chest, her expression petulant. "I thought you of all people would understand, Harry," she concluded.
Daphne internally winced at Astoria's last remark – the poorly executed attempt to turn the tables on Harry by reminding him of people making decisions about his future without consulting him. 'Oh Tori,' she thought with sympathy, certain even her Gryffindor boyfriend would see through that one.
"Don't you dare make this about me!" Harry immediately shot back, proving Daphne right. "Ron didn't make any choice! You know damn well he literally can't say no to you. His wishes had absolutely nothing to do with what happened – it was all you!" he accused the younger girl.
"Oh, really?" Astoria asked with a raised eyebrow and triumphant expression, as if Harry had somehow proven her point. "If he's so much under my control, then why did he almost say no, huh?" she questioned sarcastically. "Why take forever to decide and only agree once I magically swore not to abuse him? Does that sound like someone incapable of thinking for themselves?"
Her words admittedly caught Harry by surprise, but they didn't dampen his rage for long. Soon, the two of them were once again yelling and growling at each other like a pair of pissed off Nundus. Finally, Daphne decided to interfere. "Enough," she hissed, her voice barely audible over their shouts, but the pulse of magic she injected into her words was enough to capture both of their attentions.
"Harry... why don't you go and see how Ron's doing?" Daphne kindly addressed him first before her eyes flicked over to the only other person in the room, and her voice turned colder. "I wish to have a private word with my sister," she said, her icy blue eyes drilling holes into the younger girl, who winced imperceptibly at her tone.
Daphne's motivation wasn't to protect her errant sibling from Harry's rightful rage, but rather to end this unproductive shouting match. She knew from experience Astoria's instinctive response was to dig her heels in during any protracted argument, especially if she believed she was right (which was most of the time). That's why a direct confrontation seldom worked with her sister, a fact she had mentioned to Harry more than once. Her fiancé still looked like he'd rather stay and continue shouting at Astoria, but the look the two of them shared convinced him to let Daphne take her turn.
Harry took a deep, calming breath. "Alright," he declared and nodded. He shared a strained smile with Daphne before his gaze shifted onto Astoria one last time. "This isn't over," he gave her a chilling warning before turning around to leave.
"Oh, I'm counting on it!" the younger girl shot right back, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Fortunately, Harry wisely didn't respond to her provocation and kept walking, leaving the room.
Daphne waited until Harry exited the room and the door closed behind him. She suppressed the small pang of sadness she experienced whenever Harry left her presence. Now alone, the two sisters looked at each other for a while without saying anything. Finally, very slowly, Daphne raised her arm, pointing her perfectly manicured finger at the empty seat in front of her desk. Astoria rolled her eyes at the gesture but complied, sitting down with her arms still crossed over her chest.
"It's done, Daphne," her sister declared as soon as her butt graced the chair. "Ron Weasley is my sworn bodyguard for the next decade. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it!"
It might have sounded like Astoria was gloating, but Daphne knew her well enough to know she was merely making her position clear. And unfortunately, Astoria was correct in her assessment. Nevertheless, Daphne's cheek twitched at the reminder. "I understand the situation perfectly," Daphne assured her. "I also understand why you did it."
"Y- you do?" Astoria asked, surprised.
Daphne smiled weakly at that. With a few more years under her belt, Astoria would be a force to be reckoned with. But right now, she was still her little sister. Her schemes, while intricate for an outside observer, were completely transparent to Daphne.
"I do," Daphne confirmed, deciding not to elaborate for now. "But do not mistake my understanding for approval, Astoria Greengrass. You have subjugated a pureblood under my roof. A pureblood from a family as old as ours!" Daphne hissed, putting all the disappointment she felt into her next words as she shook her head sadly. "Honestly, dear sister, I've never been more disgusted or ashamed by your actions than I am today."
Astoria huffed at her reasoning, and Daphne knew what was coming next. She stopped it by raising her hand warningly. "Of course, I know purity of blood means little to you," she said. "That is why I'm not going to tell you how your morally questionable actions have shamed House Greengrass and put our reputation into question. We're not going to discuss any of that... at least not today and not yet," she decided while Astoria silently opened and closed her mouth, uncertain how to react. Daphne took a deep breath before turning utterly serious. "However, what I absolutely must know right now is how you did it," Daphne stressed.
When Astoria looked at her in confusion, she clarified. "The security arrangements were state-of-the-art. Yet you walked right through them as if they weren't even there," Daphne stated, citing the reports she had received from her guards. They had been investigating the matter nonstop since discovering Astoria's presence in Ron's room, without reaching any satisfactory conclusions.
"If there's a serious flaw in our security, all of us are at risk," Daphne explained, her icy blue eyes once again drilling holes in her sister's forehead. "So I need to know how you did it, and I need to know NOW!" she snapped, her expression and tone making it clear Astoria had better give her some answers.
Fortunately, Astoria wasn't stupid and understood why a potential flaw in their wards was a serious problem. Or perhaps she simply took note of her sister's expression and possessed a healthy self-preservation instinct. In any case, Astoria reached under her shirt and removed a necklace she had been wearing. Daphne was briefly confused by her action until Astoria placed the necklace on the table in front of her. Daphne recognized it at once. She had the same necklace, tightly locked in one of her drawers – or so she thought. The next second, Daphne was prying the drawer open to check whether it was still there. It was. So that left only one option...
"A time- turner... you stole a blasted time- turner from the vaults!" Daphne uttered in disbelief, feeling a sudden urge to scream at her sister like Harry had. Instead, she took a calming breath and asked, "What exactly did you do?!" she demanded to know.
Astoria shrugged. "I walked into the room after Ron was taken away and the enchantments lifted," she explained calmly, as if she were talking about the weather and not a gross violation of the laws of time.
"And then you used the time-turner, going back to when he was still there," Daphne finished for her, watching Astoria nod.
Her sister looked absolutely calm in spite of her confession. Meanwhile, so many different emotions were going through Daphne's mind. One of them was relief, as the method Astoria had used to overcome their security measures was basically irreproducible for any outside hostile party. It would require prior access to the manor within the relatively short reach of the time-turner. Such conditions were difficult to replicate, not to mention time-turners didn't exactly grow on trees either. Nevertheless, Daphne would definitely assign someone to research potential warding schemes against time-travel incursions. Future wizards and witches might one day devise more powerful time-turners. The last thing Daphne wanted was for one of them to be able to drop into her home uninvited. In addition to being relieved, Daphne also felt a small hint of pride – what Astoria had done required a lot of intelligence and forethought. But it was also irresponsible in so many ways that Daphne couldn't even begin to count them all.
"So not only did you trick a pureblood into an oath of submission, you also risked damaging our timeline to do so!" Daphne accused her sister.
"Oh, please," Astoria replied dismissively, either masking her guilt really well or genuinely not seeing the danger of messing with time. "Like you haven't been using that thing all the time!"
Daphne sighed at that. Once again, Astoria was trying to turn the tables on her opponent. And once again, it wasn't going to work. While Daphne had indeed been using the time-turner a lot, she had been doing it to win the war, not for some selfish reason! Of course, she wouldn't deny she'd thought about it. Like when Harry jokingly suggested they should use the device to have a threesome. Daphne was certain he meant a threesome with her past self, but the fantasy of being double-penetrated by two Harry Potters, one from the future and one from the past, had been on Daphne's mind for the rest of that day. But that's all it was – a fantasy. Daphne wasn't so foolish as to actually risk it!
"Needless to say, I'm taking this away," she informed her, collecting Astoria's time-turner and locking it in the drawer with the other one. She pushed the drawer shut with a loud click, checking to make sure it was locked.
"Go ahead. I don't need it anymore," Astoria said with a shrug, having expected that reaction. But Daphne wasn't done.
"You're also no longer allowed into the vaults," she informed her. "The guards will search through your belongings to make sure you haven't taken anything else," she decided.
"WHAT?! But I haven't! I'm not a thief!" Astoria immediately protested, outraged by Daphne's insinuations.
Under normal circumstances, Daphne would agree with her. Accusing a Greengrass heiress of thievery was certainly out of line. But given her actions, what else did her sister expect? All the items locked inside the vaults were there not because they were valuable but because they were dangerous. It was Daphne's duty to ensure they remained locked.
"Perhaps. We shall see," Daphne replied dismissively.
After a brief staring contest, Astoria capitulated. "Fine. Whatever," she said and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Will that be all, my lady Greengrass?" Astoria asked mockingly. "May I go now?"
Daphne leaned back, not reacting to her provocations, and instead considered her impetuous sister carefully. "Not exactly," she finally declared. "We still need to discuss the consequences of your actions. And mark my words... there will be consequences," Daphne warned her, her tone serious.
"W- what are you saying?" Astoria asked with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Her sister probably thought she wouldn't be punished and now faced the very real possibility of being wrong on that account.
"First of all..." Daphne began, "... I think it'd be best if you went to visit our grandmother in New York for a while," she announced, adding, "I've already made the arrangements."
"Oh, you have got to be kidding!" Astoria cried out in frustration, laughing bitterly. "You're seriously kicking me out of the manor, sending me across the ocean?!" she asked in shock. When Daphne didn't deny her words, Astoria stood up and began pacing nervously across the room. Finally, she stopped and asked, "How would I even get there? The border's been closed, you know that."
Daphne smirked at that before picking up a thick yellow envelope from her desk and showing it to Astoria. "Not a problem. Grandmother has asked the president to issue you an exception."
Astoria stared at the envelope in utter bewilderment before understanding dawned on her face. "That's right. Grandma and he used to be friends when they were young," her sister stated, making air quotes as she did. Then she sighed and added, "Please tell me that man isn't actually our grandfather."
Amused by that comment, Daphne briefly smiled for the first time in many hours. "You do have a vivid imagination," she quipped with amusement. Although to be fair, their father had once wondered the same question. He went so far as to have it checked, confirming there was no blood relation between them and the current president of MACUSA.
"Secret service agents will come to escort you in a few days," Daphne said, turning serious again. "In addition, a detachment of our household guards will be going with you."
The petulant expression slowly vanished from Astoria's face as she looked at her older sister with confusion and suspicion, her eyes flicking between Daphne and the thick envelope. "You couldn't have possibly arranged everything so fast," she pointed out with contemplative look. Daphne met her gaze, watching the metaphorical wheels turn in Astoria's head. Because her sister was intelligent, it didn't take her long to reach the correct conclusion. "This has nothing to do with what I did. You were always planning to send me away!" Astoria extrapolated, her next question twisted into a painful accusation. "Why?!"
Daphne did not react immediately, her eyes cast down. Only when Astoria demanded answers twice more did she finally look up and say, "Not just you. Mother's going with you as well," she informed Astoria, dropping a veritable bombshell on her flabbergasted sister.
Astoria's eyes widened in shock. She was once again going to ask why, but her quick mind easily supplied her with the reason. "Oh," she said weakly, her lips trembling. "Y- you think you're going to l- lose, don't you?" she asked. This time, the accusation in her sister's voice was even more painful for Daphne to bear. "You think you're going to d- , to... you're going to-" Astoria stuttered, unable to even finish the sentence as she started tearing up.
"No, I don't!" Daphne declared resolutely. "I'm convinced the plan Harry and I devised is going to work."
Astoria shook her head, sensing it was more complicated than that. "But?"
Daphne sighed. "But... I'm going to be fighting the dark lord, Tori," she told her while Astoria continued to cry and shake her head in denial. While Astoria knew what Daphne's plans were, this might have been the first time she truly considered the magnitude and the danger. After a moment, Daphne continued, "I'm confident we'll be victorious. But should I fall... then you'll be the future of House Greengrass."
Her latest words proved to be the last straw for Astoria. "Fuck that!" she yelled. "Fuck the future! And fuck House Greengrass!" Astoria cried, surging forward to Daphne's side of the table. "I don't want you to die, you hear me?!" she yelled while pushing her finger against Daphne's shoulder for emphasis. "You're either leaving with me, or I'm staying! I'm not letting you out of my sight!" she insisted, tears now openly falling from her eyes.
Daphne stood up and hugged her sister while Astoria shook and sobbed into her shoulder. This went on for what seemed like an eternity. "Tori... I can't do this unless I know you and Mom are safe," she told her at one point.
"Bloody hell!" Astoria cursed after a few more sobs. "I fucking hate this so much!"
"Yeah, we both do," Daphne agreed with a heavy heart.
The two sisters finally let go of each other.
"But what about Ron?" Astoria asked with concern after wiping away her tears. "Is he coming with me?" she asked before adding guiltily, "I guess he now pretty much has to, right?"
Daphne shook her head. "No. I need him here to coordinate with Harry's allies. It's a paradox, but now that he's bound to your service, the bracelet's magic will be satisfied. He should be able to handle not being in your physical proximity," Daphne explained. It was one of the scenarios she had discussed with the healers. A scenario she had dismissed until Astoria's actions forced her hand. "But it's nice to see you showing concern for his well-being," Daphne couldn't help but add snidely, still angry about what her sister had done.
Astoria looked even guiltier after that. "Look, Daphne, for what it's worth... I'm really sorry," she said, her eyes still red and glistening with tears. Daphne smiled, stroking her baby sister's cheek before leaning forward and kissing her forehead as she had done many times before. Astoria was taller than her now, so it was slightly awkward, but the emotion behind the gesture remained the same.
"No, you're not," Daphne replied, leaning back with a knowing smile. "You're not sorry at all."
For a moment, her sister was utterly stunned, looking just like she did when they were little, and she'd get caught stealing sweets from the kitchens. Then her lips twisted into a lopsided grin. "You're damn right I'm not sorry," she said resolutely, but without her former petulance. "Making Ron swear the oath was wrong. But I did what I had to... and I'd do it again," she admitted before adding challengingly, "It was the best solution for everyone. Just tell me if I'm wrong!"
Daphne didn't tell her. She couldn't. Daphne wasn't naive. She knew Ron Weasley keeping his memories made things much simpler for Harry and her. Personally, Daphne would never have done what her sister did, but she could see why Astoria would. And aside from how morally wrong and utterly unacceptable it was to magically curb the free will of a pureblood and a friend, Daphne was hard-pressed to find many downsides to how the situation had developed.
"He's a pureblood, Tori," she reminded her once again. It might mean little to Astoria, but it was everything to Daphne. "He's a pureblood... and now he's yours," she said, acknowledging the unavoidable reality. There was truly nothing she could do to reverse what her sister had done. The only way to free Ron now would be to kill him, and that was obviously out of the question. "Make sure you treat him well," Daphne urged her sister, hoping Astoria would fully grasp the responsibility she had taken upon herself.
Astoria nodded immediately. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he has a fantastic life," she promised, and Daphne believed she honestly meant it. Whether she'd be able to deliver on it was another matter. Only time would tell.
The two sisters talked for a long time after that – about Ron's situation, Astoria's impending trip to America, the war, and their respective fiancés and their future lives together. It was a long conversation, but Daphne wasn't pressed for time. She knew Harry would be having a similarly long conversation with Ron at that very moment. But in the end, it was time for Astoria to go. Daphne watched her leave with a very wistful expression that only slowly dissipated once she was alone.
Sadly, there were still couple of consequences to Astoria's actions Daphne needed to deal with, or at least seriously consider. One of them was the potentially tragic fate of Bill Weasley.
The blood traitor was currently hiding with his wife under a Fidelius – a very wise precaution, in Daphne's opinion. The only problem was Astoria now possessed direct control over one of the few people who had been told the secret. If her sister hadn't already realized that, she would soon. The idea of using Ron Weasley to get to his eldest brother occurred to Daphne the moment she first saw him brought to Greengrass Manor by the snatchers along with Harry and the mu- Granger. Despite what her sister might think, Daphne had considered many scenarios for avenging their father. The reason she hadn't put any of them in motion was because she no longer thought his death was worth avenging. It was a painful admission for her, as Daphne had truly loved her father as any daughter would. But she was not just the man's daughter anymore; she was Lady Greengrass. And as the head of her House, she couldn't ignore the fact her father had sworn allegiance to a bastard son of a muggle who pretended to be a pureblood. That made him either a fool or a blood traitor of the worst kind, far worse than Bill Weasley.
Unfortunately, Astoria didn't really care about pureblood philosophy. She was simply a young girl who had lost her beloved father and for a while, she had wanted nothing more than to make his killer pay. Daphne sincerely hoped Astoria had let go of her vendetta. Because if her sister still wanted Bill Weasley dead, she could easily see it done after becoming Lady Malfoy, and even trick Ron into helping her do it. There'd be little Daphne could do to stop her at that point. She could assign someone to protect Ron's brother 24/7, but she'd potentially have to keep that up for the rest of his life, not to mention Bill Weasley wasn't stupid and would notice someone shadowing him. For the moment, it wasn't widely known who had killed their father. Even Bill Weasley didn't know who it was that he'd killed, and Daphne wanted to keep it that way.
After giving it some thought, Daphne decided the most she felt comfortable with was to get a message to Bill Weasley after the war, warning him some of the surviving Death Eaters could be seeking revenge on him. She would send the message through a third party so as not to cast suspicion on her family. Hopefully, Ron's brother would take precautions after that, ideally moving his family out of the country and remaining under Fidelius for the rest of his life. Should he ignore the warning and succumb to Astoria's revenge as a result... well, it'd be a real shame to see a pureblood's blood needlessly spilled. But in the end, Daphne wasn't willing to ruin her relationship with Astoria, certainly not over their father's killer.
She had already come very close to banishing Astoria from House Greengrass today. What her sister did to Ron, a fellow pureblood, sickened her to the core. At the same time, Daphne knew like many such oaths, the oath Astoria had extracted from the boy had to have been willingly given, without any magical compulsion. Even with the lingering influence from the bracelet, Ron Weasley chose his fate willingly enough for magic to accept it. He let Astoria subjugate him despite being a pureblood! In Daphne's eyes, that made him as much a culprit in the whole fiasco as Astoria. She couldn't in good conscience curse her sister as a blood traitor, knowing Ron Weasley would never be rightfully punished by his father in the same manner.
No, the only viable option for her was to forgive Astoria and move on. As long as Daphne wanted to continue having a sister, there was no other choice. And she did want that. Despite Astoria's many flaws, Daphne loved her baby sister and didn't think that would ever change. And Harry... he'd have to forgive Astoria too. Not because Daphne wanted him to but because it would be the only way for him to keep having Ron Weasley as his best friend. Harry might have already come to that conclusion too, as it had been a while since he left to speak with Ron. Daphne was certain the first thing out of the boy's mouth would have been pleading with Harry to forgive Astoria and not be angry with her.
At least there was one person on whom Harry might soon be able to take out his anger. Daphne chuckled darkly, almost feeling sorry for Bellatrix Lestrange.
Almost.