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On The Hunt: Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2024-03-02 16:30:01 +0000 UTCHarry watched with emotionless eyes as the dead bodies of Jimmy and his sister were levitated into the grave before they were buried. His face was devoid of any expression and he merely stood with his wand held firmly by his side.
“We should get back now,” Goldstein’s voice was subdued as well. “Our task is not done.”
Harry blinked and moved ahead, stepping toward the grave. He squatted and grabbed a handful of soil, gently dropping it where they were buried as the others watched.
“You’re right,” he replied, his soft voice carrying a hint of malice to it. “We’re not done at all.”
Turning to Dobby who was staring at the grave with sorrow, he called out, “Dobby, please take us back where you brought us from.”
The diminutive elf blinked back tears and unceremoniously wiped his eyes with the toga he was wearing. Nodding shakily, he stepped forward, allowing the wizards to hold his hands and shoulders.
Barely five seconds later, the clearing was devoid of any life and the gentle breeze was accompanied by a hint of moonlight as it showered the grave of two unfortunate innocent souls with a tranquil glow.
They appeared back where they had left Hogwarts and Harry was quick to dismiss Dobby. They had been gone for a little over half an hour now, and curfew was well and truly in place. Harry pulled out the Marauders’ Map and quickly devised the best route for them to reach the room Daphne and the others were keeping Malfoy in. Prefects were patrolling the corridors while Filch was prowling as always, but he charted their course with ease.
One secret passageway after another and they soon found themselves in front of the room.
He quickly sent the message and the door materialized on the blank wall mere seconds later. Nodding at Neville and Cho who stood on either side of the door, Harry walked in with Goldstein and the Weasley twins.
Daphne was quick to approach them as Cho and Neville took charge of the enchantments once again. The blonde made to speak before she caught sight of his face and a foreboding feeling washed over her.
“Harry..?” She whispered.
Harry averted his eyes, his mouth set in a thin line as his throat bobbed. Daphne stepped closer and gently cupped his cheek, making him turn to her. Her sapphire orbs stared into his dull emeralds and she gently caressed him.
“What happened?” She asked softly.
All of their allies stared at them in concern while the Weasley twins and Goldstein had their eyes firmly cast on the floor.
Harry bit his lower lip, firmly keeping a check on his emotions. His voice was cold and stoic as he spoke, “He killed them.”
A collective gasp echoed in the room and Daphne’s eyes widened, her hand going slack against him. Harry clenched his fists, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths.
“He killed them after he was done. He killed them long ago. They were rotting in his dungeon,” his voice was emotionless, but still they could feel the sheer rage echoing as if he was shouting in an empty hall. “We never had any hope of saving them, Daph.”
Daphne’s hand slid off his cheek, desperately holding onto his shoulder and Harry could feel her clutching onto him hard. Her eyes were downcast and her face was obscured by the curtain of blonde hair falling on either side.
“Tell me he’s dead, Harry,” Susan glared at him. “Tell me that son of a bitch got what he deserved!”
Everyone turned toward Harry who glanced at Susan.
“Malfoy, Parkinson, and two others. Yes. They’re all dead.”
Rage was the prominent feature on each of their faces. Some displayed it explicitly while others tried hard to maintain a firm visage, failing or succeeding.
“He got much less than what he deserved,” he grunted. “I know he deserved to suffer. I wanted him to suffer. Hell, even Narcissa Malfoy did, and she’s his fucking wife! But at that moment… I just… I just couldn’t let him breathe any longer… not after knowing what he’d done…”
“Narcissa Malfoy?” Daphne asked softly.
Harry glanced at her and nodded.
“She found us after we were done, and I’ve never seen a woman more broken than her. She looked nothing like what I’ve seen in a few photos Sirius showed us,” he remarked before his lips pursed. “She said she would take the fall for this attack and that we didn’t have to worry about her.”
“What?”
“She’s seen too much over the years,” Fred intoned solemnly. “She all but said she was going to kill herself now. Said she had nothing to live for anymore.”
“All these years, her hatred for Lucius and her love for her son kept her going,” Harry remarked. “She gave up on her son after she saw him violating that little girl this past summer, and Lucius is dead. All she wanted was to take the fall so that she could find some sort of vindication that she would be remembered as the one to kill Lucius Malfoy.”
Everyone was staring at the floor by the time Harry was done, all feeling pity for the poor woman who had her life sucked out of her to such an extent that she had chosen to end her life.
“She told us she wanted Lucius to suffer,” Goldstein continued where Harry left off. “That he deserved to suffer for everything he did. That he had an easy way out. But…”
“But what?” Smith asked searchingly. Goldstein looked over and sighed.
“She knows her son’s days are all but over, and she begged for us to give him a quick death. To not make him suffer as he died.”
As one, they all turned to the four unconscious Slytherins hanging limply off the metal chains.
“She’s right that he doesn’t have long to live, not after what he did to that poor girl,” Harry gritted out as he walked closer, taking in the ugly visage of the Malfoy heir. His face had lacerations all over, blood seeping out of the thin lines and wounds that had opened up. Turning to Daphne, he asked, “Your work?”
“He deserves much worse for everything he’s done, and was planning to do to Tori,” she hissed, glaring hatefully at the unconscious wizard. Harry’s eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth in rage.
“He does,” he seethed. “What about the other three?”
“Found them together, so it made sense to take them out as well,” Tracey replied, earning a nod from him.
“Fred, George, mind grabbing a few bottles from your firewhiskey stash? I think our two friends here deserve to get smashed until the morning. Modify their memories and leave them in a corridor somewhere.”
“You got it,” George nodded and they watched as the twins left the room.
“What about her?” Daphne asked, staring disdainfully at an unconscious Pansy.
“There’s something I want to know from her first,” Harry replied as he approached the brunette and placed the tip of his wand against her temple. “Legilimens.”
He breezed into her mindscape, finding no resistance or any sign of consciousness. Ignoring the multitude of memories depicting her cruelty and idiocy that, while unpleasant, were nowhere close to being criminal, he searched for everything concerning the man George had killed some time ago.
Her father was in cohorts with Lucius and the two seemed to be close. It was possible that he could extract some information from this bint’s mind that could help them out.
The memories came to him instantly, and he seethed at the sight of abused children in the dungeon of Parkinson Manor. It seemed this business was commonplace among Death Eater families and it filled him with rage at both these people and those who were letting it all happen right under their noses.
Disgusted, he pulled out of her mind when he confirmed that no children were any longer held captive by Parkinson. The bastard had killed the previous ones quite some time ago and had taken to raiding the muggle world to satiate his lust for torture and sadistic pleasure.
“They’re all the same,” he hissed, turning away from the brunette.
“What did you find out?”
“That these fucking Death Eater scum love to prey on children. Her cunt of a father used to torture kids just like Malfoy and Umbitch and he killed his fair share of them,” he hissed, making everyone glare at the witch.
“She’s involved too?” Tracey asked, her wand poking Pansy’s skull from behind.
“No,” Harry shook his head, giving the brunette a side-eye. “She’s just a cruel and sadistic bitch who’s juvenile in the grand scheme of things. A simple Obliviation will be enough for her.”
Daphne wasted no time and took care of the petty task while planting false memories of the evening in the girl’s mind that included her and Malfoy having a massive fight. Meanwhile, the Angelina and Alicia modified the memories of Crabbe and Goyle, making them believe that they’d found a stash of firewhiskey hidden inside an alcove and gotten smashed.
“We’ll take her with us when we get back,” Daphne told Tracey who nodded.
“Which leaves us with the resident Death Eater,” Neville muttered, and Harry stared disdainfully at Malfoy with his Dark Mark glaring at them from above his head.
“Can’t believe Voldemort really marked him,” Susan muttered.
“That’s just how he operates,” Harry replied. “Warping young, impressionable minds so they keep doing his bidding. It was even easier for him in this case. Malfoy was sadistic by nature and it must’ve been child’s play to make him feel oh so prideful to have that slave mark.”
Everyone gave varying degrees of disgusted glares to the unconscious figure of Draco Malfoy.
“The Malfoy line will end. I’ll make sure it does,” Harry declared as he brandished his wand when Neville’s medallion buzzed. The boy glanced at it and nodded at Cho, allowing the door to open. They watched as the Weasley twins returned with bottles of firewhiskey in each hand.
Harry glanced at them and nodded, stepping back. The twins immediately went to work. One by one, they force-fed the firewhiskey to Crabbe and Goyle. They manipulated their throats to make the liquid slide in with perfect ease and in no time, four large bottles of firewhiskey stood empty on the floor.
“There, done.”
“Good. Their memories have been taken care of as well. You two can get on with it.”
“Don’t mind if we do,” Fred replied and took charge of Goyle while his twin occupied himself with Crabbe.
“Make sure it’s an area without any portraits, and take care you’re not seen by anyone,” Neville called out.
“Aye, aye,” George nodded, glancing at Harry who nodded and watched as the twins levitated one boy each before they bid their farewell and walked out of the room. Neville and Cho immediately shut it and reapplied the enchantments as Harry turned back to Malfoy.
They all stared at him as he stepped toward the blonde, his face devastatingly stoic, when Daphne reached out and took hold of his hand.
“I will do it,” she told him. They watched her as she took a deep breath and stared hard at her betrothed who acquiesced with a nod and stepped aside.
“I should’ve known you’d want to,” Harry replied as Daphne walked forward, standing right opposite Malfoy who hung limply by the chains. He knew it was her first time doing something like this, and while a part of him was concerned, he knew it was necessary, both for herself and for everything they would need to do in this godforsaken war.
Everyone watched neutrally as Daphne placed the tip of her wand right against Malfoy’s temple and Harry stepped close, standing right behind her. He placed a supportive hand on her shoulder and Daphne glanced back, her gaze tender. He nodded faintly and her eyes hardened. She nodded back and turned toward Malfoy.
“This is for everything you’ve done to that little girl and what you would’ve undoubtedly done to my sister if you could,” she hissed and cast a silent piercing hex.
The hex shot through the boy’s skull with rapid ferocity, nullifying the stunner she had hit him with. His eyes shot open in alarm but before the pain could even register, they rolled up in their sockets as the Death Eater went limp.
The last sight Draco Malfoy ever saw was the stoic visage of the woman he once lusted after, who would’ve never become his, and who he hated beyond all else apart from her intended.
A spurt of blood erupted with a loud squelch from the hole in Malfoy’s head as Daphne turned around, burying herself in Harry’s embrace who tightly wrapped his arms around her, trying to convey all his love and support for her. The blood pooled by their feet as Malfoy hung limply against his bindings, dead.
Harry slowly stepped back, taking Daphne with him, and he looked over at Tracey who gave him an understanding nod. Feeling a hand clasping his shoulder, he glanced over to find Neville giving them a concerned look.
“Help Tracey with Parkinson. We’re leaving,” he announced.
Looks of understanding were exchanged around the room as Harry walked out with Daphne clutching onto him. Meanwhile, inside the room, Cho and Susan took charge of the situation alongside Angelina and Alicia. They had a girl to carry back to her dormitory in the dungeons and a corpse to dispose of.
XXXXX
It was nighttime and the ministry was almost deserted. All personnel apart from a few in the auror department had left, and those who remained were also preparing to head back home.
Amelia Bones sat in her office, taking care of the paperwork for the day. It had all been a bit hectic lately.
Dolores Umbridge was apparently attacked by Gabrielle Delacour during her class, and the woman had been saved by none other than the young man she and the minister had spent the better part of the summer vilifying in front of the masses.
The girl had been subdued and left unconscious thereafter by Harry Potter and his betrothed Daphne Greengrass, with no one apart from Dolores Umbridge in her classroom. Fast forward a few minutes and the girl had vanished without a trace, and Umbridge had since been on a warpath.
Without any evidence whatsoever, she had pinned the blame squarely on the shoulders of Harry Potter, even though the young man had a solid alibi.
Amelia was not in any hurry to act, particularly in favor of Umbridge. She was perfectly content in enjoying the humiliation Potter and his betrothed were putting the woman through. She had heard from Shacklebolt and Tonks about the show they had put in Dumbledore’s office and it had filled her with nothing but amusement.
Even the minister had not tried to tell her to rush and prosecute Potter after he had arrived back from Hogwarts, and she had to give it to them. Those two knew how to play the game very well.
The same could not be said about Fudge though. The Minister of Magic was slowly finding himself in shark-infested waters with barely anyone capable enough to steer him to safety. He was often seen floundering about as he undertook his duties in the ministry and she had seen on more than one occasion where he showed signs of exasperation whenever Umbridge was mentioned.
Additionally, he found himself at the center of two very politically challenging situations.
The first was the lawsuit that was pending before the Wizengamot against the ministry. Harry Potter had been the one to serve the lawsuit for malicious prosecution and had shortly doubled down with an additional charge of attempted character assassination against both the ministry and the Daily Prophet. The trial was supposed to be underway by Yule and she knew multiple parties, both domestic and international, were interested in the judgment.
Furthermore, the disappearance of Gabrielle Delacour had put both him, which consequently meant the ministry, and Dolores Umbridge in trouble with the French. Monsieur Delacour was a French diplomat and his daughter had chosen to study at Hogwarts. It had been seen as a gesture of good faith on the part of the French after what had happened during the final task of the Triwizard Tournament with the Beauxbatons champion.
Unfortunately, the girl had fallen out with Dolores Umbridge, who, in addition to being a professor, was also the undersecretary to the Minister himself, and if that was not enough, she was now missing. The last person she had been seen with was none other than Umbridge herself, which did not earn either her or the minister any favors from anyone, let alone the French themselves.
The Department of International Magical Cooperation had been teeming with missives from their counterparts across the Channel who were hard at putting pressure on the British ministry for the whereabouts of the poor girl. The matter was not helped at all when it was somehow leaked that Fudge and Umbridge were planning to throw the girl into Azkaban without a trial solely based on the fact that she was a veela.
The British newspapers might not be covering the news as extensively as they should but she had seen the international news, and none of it was painting the British ministry in a good light. Their incompetence and the existence of barbaric laws had been mocked all around Magical Europe and beyond the continent as well.
The girl’s father was scheduled to arrive in Britain the next day and Amelia knew she should get going. She needed rest if she wanted to be at her best during the diplomatic meeting.
Before she could leave though, she heard a knock on the door and bid the person entry.
“Sealed letter, Boss. Addressed to you.”
Amelia looked up and nodded at Auror Tonks, accepting the letter. The metamorph stood in front of her as Amelia examined the front and back of the envelope. Nothing but her name was written on it.
“No spells or enchantments, Boss. It’s clean.”
“You wouldn’t have brought it here if there were any, Auror Tonks. It’s just the handwriting. It’s somehow familiar.”
“An old friend?” Tonks said teasingly, earning a firm look from the strict woman. She immediately raised her hands in surrender, an unapologetic grin plastered on her face.
Amelia ignored her subordinate’s silly antics as she opened the envelope and pulled the parchment out. Her eyes slowly widened as she read the letter and she closed her eyes, sighing deeply when she was finished. The letter remained pressed firmly against the desk as Amelia repeated the contents in her mind and formed a proper understanding of the situation.
“Shacklebolt, Robards, Savage, report immediately,” she said firmly, tapping the medallion and summoning the aurors still present in the ministry.
“What’s the matter, Boss?” Tonks asked in concern.
Amelia did not respond, instead choosing to wait for the aurors to arrive.
They filed in within seconds, and Robards shut the door behind him as he entered.
“Yes, Madam Bones?” Kingsley Shacklebolt asked.
Amelia’s response was to hold the letter out. Curious, Kingsley reached forward and started reading, ignoring Tonks who leaned over his shoulder to take a look for herself. The metamorph gasped, her eyes wide, as she straightened and stared at Amelia who gazed back evenly. Meanwhile, Kingsley handed the letter over to Robards and Savage whose eyes widened as they read it.
Amelia accepted the letter back and put it in the tray which magically sealed it and transported it into the evidence locker.
“You four,” she gazed around at each of them. “Head over to Malfoy Manor and see what you can find out. Recover the bodies and bring them over for the forensics. Kingsley, you are in charge of this case. Report accordingly.”
Kingsley nodded alongside the others with utmost seriousness and Amelia watched them file out of her office one after the other. Fudge had left for home a long time ago and she could not be bothered to inform him about the fate of his biggest supporter. He could find out when he arrived in the ministry the next morning.
Amelia was not at all bothered with the fate of Malfoy and his three friends, although she was slightly surprised that Narcissa Malfoy had taken the matter into her own hands after all this time. She knew this would be a huge blow to Fudge’s already precarious situation as the Minister of Magic, and there was no sympathy in her heart at all for the man who had frankly overstayed his welcome by a long shot.
Indeed, he could get to know about his friend Lucius Malfoy’s demise when he got to work the next morning, and if it happened to be right when he was meeting the French diplomats, then it was all the better.
She and Narcissa Black had been acquaintances during their Hogwarts years, having shared several classes and spent a fair chunk of their time being partners in classes. To think that the woman had killed her husband and his associates before taking her own life came as a surprise, and she could only feel sad for her.
She did not let it sour her mood too much though. Getting up, she fastened her robes and made her way out of her office. It was done, and there was nothing to be gained from thinking too much about it. She needed some sleep, and the good news of Malfoy’s death would surely help her sleep soundly.
XXXXX
Harry walked out of the room with his arms wrapped around Daphne who held his shirt in a fist. They traversed through the empty corridors devoid of any portraits and fortunately, away from any patrols. Aimlessly, they strolled and they belatedly realized they were walking toward the Astronomy tower.
He led the way, climbing the steps slowly when they reached the tower, and they slowly ascended until they found themselves on the deck overlooking the Hogwarts grounds.
They stood near the edge, feeling the cold night wind blowing against their faces.
“How are you holding up, Daph?”
Daphne remained quiet, and Harry let her take her time.
“Relieved. Vindicated. Both maybe,” she replied. “He deserved to suffer. We really gave him the easy way out.”
Harry sighed and nodded, leaning against the pillar and pulling her close.
“I didn’t plan to, you know?” He replied, nodding when she glanced up at him. “With Lucius too. But I lost my cool with him. When Dobby told us he’d killed those kids… I just needed to see him die.”
“No one can blame you for what you did,” Daphne replied.
“With Draco… I just couldn’t deny a dead woman her final wish,” he sighed. “She looked truly broken, Daph. She’d seen too much, gone through a lot, unable to do anything but watch helplessly… I can only imagine what kind of life she must’ve had.”
“It’s not too uncommon, you know?” She said softly. “I’ve seen a few of those women around… women from Death Eater families. And there are only two kinds of women you’ll find. Either they’re sadistic bitches themselves, or they live every day in fear and disgust, wishing for death. Some kill themselves, but most are not brave enough to take that step. It’s a nasty life.”
Harry pursed his lips and looked far into the distance.
“Like Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy. The sisters are truly a perfect example of this.”
“Exactly,” Daphne sighed.
“All of this is horrid,” he intoned. “This blood purity nonsense, Voldemort and his terrorists, the situation with those kids, and who knows what else that festers in Knockturn that we have no bloody clue about…”
“No matter how much the aurors might try, no one can eradicate suffering and crime. Evil will always find a way to exist,” Daphne replied sadly. “And when the society is so broken, things are bound to be even worse.”
“Not for long,” Harry said firmly, making her look him in the eyes. His emerald orbs blazed with righteous fury. “Voldemort’s death might not solve our problems, but it will take away a massive roadblock. We will do everything in our power to try and do good with them all. I know it sounds idealistic but we have to try.”
Daphne took a deep breath and smiled gently at him.
“We do,” she nodded, burrowing herself firmly in his embrace. “And tonight was a start. A meaningful start.”
Harry wrapped his arms around her and they stood in a comfortable silence for a little while, letting the cold air soothe and relax them. The night was entirely silent apart from the winds and they spotted the lantern lit up outside Hagrid’s hut, the flames glowing brightly in the dark.
“We need to tell what happened today to the Order,” Harry intoned calmly. “They should know what we did and why we did it.”
“I can’t imagine them being too happy we killed or took such a risk,” Daphne replied.
“Draco is the biggest concern here. I fully expect Dumbledore to massively disapprove of his killing, no matter how much deserving he was of it,” Harry sighed.
“He can disapprove all he wants, but there’s no denying that Malfoy deserved even worse. He doesn’t have to like everything that’s done but he surely has to understand it.”
Harry nodded.
“I’m sure the news will be out tomorrow. We can take care of it before breakfast.”
“Sounds good,” Daphne replied.
None made to move, instead staying still in the position they were in, with their arms wrapped around each other.
“Stay with me tonight?” Daphne whispered against his chest.
Harry glanced down, only to find her staring back at him. Gently, he lifted her chin and planted his lips on hers. Daphne melted into the tender kiss, moving her lips slowly against his as she clutched the front of his shirt firmly.
A few seconds later, Harry pulled back and smiled lovingly at her.
“I’d love to,” he replied, slowly lowering them on the ground. She cast a warming charm around them while he cushioned the pillar and the floor. He leaned back against the pillar and Daphne assumed her place in front of him between his legs. Sighing in contentment, she leaned back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her midriff, pulling her close.
Glancing up, she stared into his emerald orbs and whispered, “I love you, Harry.”
Harry gently squeezed her against himself and leaned his head against hers, closing his eyes.
“I love you too, Daph.”
XXXXX
The early sunlight forced Daphne’s eyes to flutter open and she yawned. As she tried to stretch, she found her arms being held in place. One glance up told her the cause and she smiled gently as she gazed at the sleeping visage of her intended. He was holding her in a gently but firm grasp and she gave his hands a soft squeeze.
“Harry,” she said. “Harry, wake up, love.”
She smiled when he slowly stirred awake, yawning. Glancing down at her, he smiled and asked, “What time is it?”
Daphne flicked her wand and they saw it was close to seven.
“We should be getting back now,” she remarked as she made to stand up. She let out a soft squeal as he pulled her firmly against himself and held her in place.
“Harry!” She laughed, caressing the back of his head as he buried his face in her hair.
“Five minutes. Promise.”
Sighing, she let up, leaning her head to the side and smiling when he tightened his hold around her and buried his face even further into her hair.
They got up fifteen minutes later and leisurely walked down the stairs. Instead of heading back to their respective dormitories, they made their way to the seventh floor toward the Room of Requirement.
Gabrielle was fast asleep when they entered and Harry willed the room to conjure two bathrooms for them to freshen up and get ready for the day. The room procured their clothes right from their trunks and they put on their school uniforms after taking a nice, long shower.
Harry was the first to emerge from the bathroom. He stepped out and immediately stilled, his eyes affixed on the sight in front of him.
Gabrielle had woken up and was sitting in the bed, leaning back against the headrest and her eyes closed. What stopped Harry in his tracks was the clothes she had worn to bed... or the lack thereof.
Her entire upper body was bare, with the duvet covering only the lower half and her breasts were showcased in all their splendorous glory. He failed to refrain from taking her in, and she was a magnificent sight with perfect, teardrop tits that were easily a handful, capped with pink, puffy nipples that jutted out proudly over her globes.
Coupled with the natural beauty of a veela, she looked utterly ethereal.
He caught himself within seconds, and as quickly as he could, he averted his eyes and coughed politely.
Gabrielle was startled and she whirled around in surprise. She found him looking to the side and a confused expression grew on her face.
“Harry? What are you doing here?” She asked curiously.
Harry, assuming she had fixed her attire, glanced over and quickly averted his eyes once again.
“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting weird,” she remarked.
“Look down,” Harry replied.
“What?” Gabrielle muttered and did as she was told. Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly pulled the duvet up, spotting her nightdress bunched around her waist.
‘Merde,’ she thought furiously and grabbed the straps, pulling the dress back up in place, covering herself. ‘I didn’t even notice anything!’
Glancing over at Harry, she found him looking to the side and bit her lower lip gently.
“Sorry for that,” she said, a bit awkwardly. “I’m okay now.”
Harry chanced a glance and saw that she had indeed fixed her attire.
“I didn’t even notice when it…” she trailed off.
The other door opened and they turned to see Daphne walk out in her Hogwarts uniform, ready for the day.
“Oh, you’re awake. Morning, Gabby,” she smiled at her cousin who smiled back awkwardly.
“G-good morning, Daph.”
Confused, Daphne glanced at an awkward Gabrielle and an equally awkward Harry.
“What’s wrong?”
Harry glanced at Gabrielle to find her staring at him nervously and sighed.
“Gabrielle had a wardrobe malfunction. That’s all.”
Daphne looked at him in surprise before she turned toward her cousin who stared back sheepishly and gestured toward her tits. She sighed and shook her head.
“Did you tell her, love?” She asked gently.
“No, not yet,” he replied.
“Tell me what?” Gabrielle asked with furrowed brows, staring at them.
Harry pursed his lips as he gazed back at her.
“What happened last night,” he replied, watching her eyes widen.
“Please tell me you rescued those kids!” She pleaded, eyes wide. She frowned at the sorrowful expressions on each of their faces. “No…”
“Malfoy had killed them a long time ago. We never had a chance.”
Gabrielle stared at Harry, numb.
“What did you do then?” She asked softly.
Harry stared at her stoically and replied, “Me, the twins, and Goldstein killed Malfoy and his three pals. Daph here killed Draco. The Malfoy family line is over.”
Gabrielle knew it was on the cards, but hearing the confirmation still shocked her. She stared at Harry before slowly turning to her cousin who gave her a firm nod.
They were silent for a couple of minutes, letting the veela digest the news.
“You’re okay, right?” She asked softly. “I know it’s not your first time killing someone, Harry… but back then, it was to save yourself. It was different this time.”
Harry and Daphne exchanged a look with each other before they turned toward her.
“They had the easy way out,” Daphne replied. “And you know we’ve made our choice in this war. This was gonna happen sooner or later.”
Gabrielle nodded, biting her lower lip gently.
“I’m here if you two want to talk about it, okay?”
Harry gave her a soft smile and nodded.
“Thank you, Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle smiled softly and nodded. Harry turned toward Daphne and held his hand out. She grasped it, stepping close to him.
“We need to talk about everything that happened with Dumbledore. It’s better he hears this from us rather than from the press or someone else,” Harry told Gabrielle who bit her lip and nodded. She watched them as they walked together toward the exit of the room and without any conscious effort on her part, she called out for them to stop.
“I want to talk about something,” she added when they turned around. Harry and Daphne exchanged another look with each other, both having a hunch as to what this might be about, and they nodded, stepping toward the bed the veela was sitting on. Together, they sat down on a pair of chairs that materialized to the left of the bed out of nowhere.
“What is it?”
Gabrielle’s heart was beating a million times a minute as she gazed at them. She had stopped them, knowing what she wanted to tell them about, but now that the time was here, she found herself frozen up.
“Gabby,” Daphne said softly. “This is about what we discussed, right?”
Her eyes widened slightly before she took a deep breath and nodded firmly.
“You’re right,” she said softly. “I thought about what you said, and I’ve made my decision.”
Daphne’s hands gripped Harry’s tightly, almost as if she was bracing herself for whatever her cousin was about to say. Gabrielle did not miss the motion and she smiled softly.
“I want to ask something first,” she said, gazing at Daphne who stared back curiously. “Did you really mean it? Are you really okay with it, Daph?”
Daphne glanced at Harry before giving her a small nod.
“I am,” she replied. “I wouldn’t have said it in the first place if I wasn’t. You know it.”
Gabrielle nodded before turning to look at Harry.
“And you?” She whispered. “Do you want me in your life? As a woman? As an equal partner?”
Harry’s eyes were firm as he replied, “If you’d have me.”
Gabrielle stared hard into his eyes and Harry felt as if he was almost utilizing Legilimency. He felt nothing though and let her stare at him, let her do whatever she was doing.
Both he and Daphne leaned back slightly when Gabrielle pushed the duvet off herself and climbed out of the bed. She was staring at Harry but addressed Daphne as she spoke, “Daph… Thank you.”
Without saying anything else, she leaned down, cupped Harry’s cheek, and gently pressed her lips against his.
To be continued…
Comments
Robert
As much as I wanted Draco to suffer... I am glad that he is simply dead. He was becoming more unhinged and increasingly sadistic in his thoughts. Better to end the threat before he could have done anything to Astoria. Great chapter. Interested to see how the Order reacts. I could see it go a number of way. This Dumbledore portrayal seems like he'll be bothered but not to an extreme level or fall out level. Definitely think if Harry shares the memories with him he'll understand more. Thanks for the update! Cheers
Joel Johnson
Finally that was killing me lol
