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On The Hunt: Chapter 23
🕑 Added 2023-10-02 16:30:00 +0000 UTCThey were almost out of the classroom when Daphne glanced behind her and saw Umbridge glare at the unconscious form of Gabrielle before the woman turned around and walked toward the door that led to her office and private quarters. However, right when she was about to walk through, she flicked her wand and the door to the classroom shut violently, shaking the hinges.
She urgently tugged Harry’s sleeve, motioning with her head toward the classroom when he turned to look at her.
“We need to get her out of there,” she whispered so that only they could hear. “Merlin knows what Umbridge might do to her. She is entirely defenseless. I saw her go into her office, probably to floo the aurors or Fudge. We need to act quickly.”
Harry nodded as they continued to walk ahead. They saw the end of the corridor where students were already turning either left or right. Most were still reeling from what had transpired in the classroom, as evident by the fact that no one was talking. The only sound was either hushed whisperings from a few students or the disturbing chortlings of Malfoy and his pansy crowd.
Harry quickly erected a privacy bubble around himself and Daphne.
“I hope this works as intended,” he muttered to himself. “Dobby, I need your help. Quickly!”
There was a soft pop and Harry grunted as the excitable elf collided with his midriff.
“Harry Potter sir calls for Dobby? How can Dobby help Harry Potter sir?”
Harry was grateful that he had the foresight to erect a privacy bubble, otherwise, everyone would have been looking over at them. He quickly squatted so that he was eye-level with the elf and said with as much urgency as he could muster, “Dobby, listen carefully. There is an unconscious witch on the floor in the History classroom over there. Quickly go and take her to the seventh-floor corridor near the Come and Go Room. Keep watch on her while we get there, and make sure you two are not seen by anyone. Go, quick!”
Perhaps the elf sensed his urgency because he did not even acknowledge anything he said and immediately popped away.
Harry brought down the privacy bubble as quickly as he erected it and resumed the walk with his friends. Ten seconds. That was all it took. Hopefully, Dobby would do as he was told.
“I’ve arranged for someone to take her from Umbridge’s office,” he whispered so that only his friends could hear. They nodded.
Tracey was still irate and Neville was doing all he could to calm her down. Apart from Gabrielle, the brunette had also been targeted. Furthermore, she had been assigned the detentions with Umbridge.
“Shame what happened in there, am I right?”
The nasal voice of the inbred buffoon created from the loins of another inbred buffoon tried a filthy intrusion in their ears and unfortunately succeeded. It was not as if they kept their ears plugged, so it was unavoidable.
Looking over they saw Malfoy flanked by his usual pair of bookends and a smirking Parkinson.
Tracey, who had been livid already, made to march forward, but Neville held her back once again. Malfoy looked at her and sneered.
“Keep it in control, half-blood,” he hissed. “You can be the aggressive whore with your squib over there later.”
“You never learn, do you, Malfoy?” Harry asked disdainfully. “Every time, you come at me. Every time, you get your ass kicked. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve pegged you for a masochist.”
Looking over at Pansy, he asked curiously, “Tell me, Parkinson, how much does he enjoy when you peg him?”
Crabbe and Goyle were cracking their knuckles menacingly when Harry looked at them.
“You two are true examples of what inbreeding does. And in a few generations, I’m sure Little Malfoy’s descendants would join the illustrious list.”
“You sure there would be descendants, Harry?” Neville asked rhetorically in an uncharacteristic show of strength and resolve. Harry smirked. He always knew the boy had it in him.
“Come on now, Nev. Let’s not diss him too much. You see how he’s so pent up because Parkinson here can’t satisfy him by herself? That reminds me, you’re barking up the wrong tree, Malfoy. Both Neville and I don’t swing that way. If Parkinson’s is not enough, perhaps your bookends might help.”
Malfoy gritted his teeth as the group of students who had been present in the class snickered, the incident that had unfolded mere minutes ago a thing of the past already.
“S-shut it, Potter!” The boy snarled.
“Shut it, Potter,” Harry mocked in a baby’s voice. “What are you? Four? That’s the best you could come up with? Forget about you, I think Parkinson here is the one who's not satisfied if that’s the standard.”
Another ripple of snickers rang around the corridor as Pansy joined Malfoy in glaring at them.
“Yeah, laugh it up, Scarhead. But I didn’t see you laughing when it truly mattered. Pretty sure I’m not the only one who found it all entertaining,” Malfoy smirked cruelly. “It’s a shame, really. I really wanted to show that veela bitch where her kind’s true place is. I’ve read up a fair bit about those half-breeds. Pretty sure that tight little cunt would’ve felt real nice.”
Although he kept a collected expression outwardly, his mind was the exact opposite. Rage erupted in his mind at the way Malfoy had just degraded Gabrielle. Beside him, he could feel Daphne’s anger. They had been controlling it since that class had begun.
Malfoy continued without missing a beat, “You were with that bitch a lot last year, weren’t you, Scarhead? How did it feel being inside that filthy beast’s baby twat?”
‘Calm. Calm. Calm.’
Harry kept repeating it continuously in his mind, holding Daphne’s hand tightly. She was clutching his hand in return, both trying their best at not giving in to the little shit’s taunts. He wanted the little shit to keep speaking. It worked perfectly with what he wanted.
Already, very few outside of Slytherin liked the ponce. However, until now, they only considered him a spoiled brat who would perhaps mature as he grew older. However, as he looked at the faces of scores of students gathered around them and saw the utter disgust, he was convinced that it was not long before Malfoy’s name would fall below the dirtiest of vermin that feasted on shit. People knew Gabrielle looked like a child last year, and for Malfoy to utter those vile words for someone like that, especially after what had happened minutes before spoke volumes about what kind of a person Malfoy was, what kind of upbringing he’d had, and what kind of people his parents were.
Harry didn’t know Narcissa Malfoy but either she was as vile as Lucius and Draco or she must’ve not had much involvement, if any, in her son’s upbringing. Since she was technically family, he was agreeable to give her the benefit of the doubt, but knowing what kind of people the Blacks truly were, he would not be surprised if she was as revolting, if not even more.
There were hushed whispers around them when Malfoy finished his dirty taunts, and the boy was surprised when Harry simply stared at him with a stoic expression on his face. Beside him, Daphne was the same.
The corridor was silent for a long moment when Harry closed his eyes, released a deep breath, and looked at Malfoy with nothing but pity.
“I truly feel sorry for the kind of person you’ve turned out, Malfoy,” Harry began calmly, taking everyone by surprise. “I’m sure you believe everyone here is praising you in their minds, don’t you? They must be thinking ‘What a witty young man Malfoy is! What a brilliant intellect he has! What a man of principles, intellect, humility, and kindness he is! His parents must be so proud of how he has turned out, and his parents must be as good as he is.’ Right, Malfoy? That’s what they all are thinking, right?”
Surprised and more than a little disturbed at the lack of ire being displayed toward him, Malfoy could do nothing but stare at him. Harry calm expression morphed into a disdainful sneer.
“You think you are my rival or something, Malfoy. You’ve been thinking about it since the first time we met probably. Remember? You told me you wanted to be my friend, yet at the next moment you insulted someone. Ever since I refused your hand in friendship, you’ve had this notion that if we’re not friends, then we’re rivals. Let me clear this misconception for you,” Harry said with a chuckle. However, the very next second, his eyes hardened and he continued, “You are irrelevant to me, Malfoy. The only time I even remember you exist is when you pull some bullshit. Every other time, I don’t even remember that there is someone named Draco Malfoy. So much for this rivalry. And rivalry in what? Certainly not grades. That’s childish. Magical ability? What have you done in your life aside from calling people derogatory slurs? Political power? Your family was intent on stealing a family line that I had the primary claim to, both by right of inheritance and right of blood. You don’t even register to me, Malfoy. Influence? I smacked your ponce of a father down in front of the entire Wizengamot and all he could do was glare at me like an impotent man. So just stop thinking that there is any rivalry between us. You could die tomorrow and the only time I will remember you even existed would be when someone utters a derogatory slur. Congrats, Draco Malfoy. That is your legacy.”
Everyone was utterly silent by the time Harry finished. Daphne squeezed his hand softly and Harry turned to her. She awarded him with a loving smile, and he softly kissed her.
Turning toward Malfoy, he smiled. “I have someone I love, and who loves me with all her heart. Even in that aspect, you are nothing in front of me. Who do you have? A body with no personality who knows nothing other than spewing the same filth you do and who you use to satiate your urges with? Who is with you only because you have a few galleons to your name? That is the one who will give you happiness? Give me a break.”
Hand in hand, Harry and Daphne walked forward with their friends following suit behind them. All were shocked at what had just transpired. No one was more shocked than Malfoy who could not even form a coherent word, let alone a proper sentence.
However, before they could leave, a shrill voice cut the silence violently, and Harry turned around when he felt her approaching. His wand was out in an instant, pointing right between the resident toad’s eyes.
“I don’t like being touched without my permission, Professor. You’d do well to remember that,” he said chillingly.
Umbridge turned an ugly shade of red as she glared at him.
“Where is she?” She hissed, all pretense of politeness long forgotten. Her true face was visible now, and he hoped she kept it up all the time. That falsely-sweet demeanor was exhausting to tolerate.
“What are you talking about?” Daphne asked instead, frowning. Umbridge turned her glare toward Daphne before she looked back at Harry. Her eyes seemed to drill into his.
“Where is that half-breed who attempted to kill me!?” Umbridge snarled. “I know you helped her escape.”
“Professor,” Daphne said with forced politeness, her face set into her stoic mask. “That is a serious accusation you are leveling at my fiancé.”
“I’m not talking to you, you silly bint,” Umbridge thundered, and immediately, she felt the full force of Harry’s presence bearing down on her. She looked up as Harry stepped forward, closing considerable distance between himself and the toad. It felt disgusting to be so close to her but he somehow managed.
“Have care how you speak to her, Dolores Umbridge,” Harry said with a malicious hiss. “She is the heiress to the Greengrasses and the future lady of the Potters. Take care not to forget to respect your superiors.”
It looked like Umbridge would start secreting puce out of all her cavities. Such was her rage.
“Come with me, Potter,” she snarled. “I know you helped her escape. There is no one else who would.”
“Who the hell do you think you are to ask me to come with you?” Harry scoffed.
Umbridge growled, “I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts!”
Daphne stepped forward, making Umbridge glare at her.
“None of which gives you the power to drag someone with you. Where is your warrant? You are in the middle of what you consider a criminal proceeding, if I’m not mistaken. Bring the aurors then, and be sure to ask them to bring a warrant for my fiancé here. He is the incumbent lord and heir to the Potters and the Blacks, not some random nobody from the streets who you can just boss around,” she snarled.
Everyone stared, stupefied, at the usually cool and calm Daphne Greengrass glaring at the woman with fire in her eyes.
Daphne was not done though. For far too long had this woman had her fun. First, she sent the dementors with the intention to either kill or frame Harry. Then she tried to pin the blame for the murder of a muggle on him. When that failed, she started to orchestrate the downfall of Dumbledore and Harry, and when even that failed, she decided to come after Tracey and Gabrielle – two of the people she held closest to her heart. This bitch would pay, and she would make sure she did.
“Go and bring a warrant with you. Until then, you better behave yourself as befitting your station, Undersecretary Umbridge,” Daphne hissed. Umbridge glared at her.
“And remember,” Daphne continued. “We will be bringing charges against you for malicious prosecution, once again, when all is said and done and when you’re able to prove nothing. False accusations do have repercussions, after all, as I’m sure the ministry has a little bit of experience with. Don’t worry, that experience will be enhanced in a few months’ time when the trial is held.”
Umbridge glared at the insolent little girl before she dragged her eyes back to Potter who had the gall to smirk at her. All the while, the gathered students watched the spectacle with wide eyes. It seemed the day was full of entertainment, and by the looks of things, it would continue being so.
She gave the green-eyed devil-child one final glare and stormed off.
“Can you even imagine the gall of that woman!” Tracey cried out suddenly. “We all students came out of the classroom together, and all the while we’re been with each other. Harry here has been having his little chat with Malfoy for more than five minutes and still she comes here and blames Harry for helping Delacour escape? Merlin, if she can target someone like that blatantly even though we all are witnesses, who knows what else she has done.”
The students began muttering to each other regarding what had just transpired and what Tracey’s words might mean, and they knew that everything would become the talk of the entire school in no time.
Umbridge wanted to gain a foothold in the school, but as Harry had said, she was impatient, and her impatience would be her biggest downfall. It seemed he had hit the nail on the head with that one.
“Good one,” he praised Tracey who smirked as she walked up to Neville and kissed him gently. The onlooking crowd of students also dispersed shortly as Harry turned toward Daphne and took her in his arms.
“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” He whispered so that only the two of them could hear. Daphne smiled up at him.
“I enjoy the moments, Harry. I never keep count,” she replied.
“Neither do I,” he smiled and kissed her.
XXXXX
Shortly after, Harry asked the others to tell everyone in their little circle to come to the seventh floor near the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy, and it was roughly ten minutes later when they all were gathered inside.
“What is this place?” Susan asked in wonder as she stared around. Harry had finally decided to let them in on the secret of the Room of Requirement. He had been planning to do it at a later date when they truly intensified their combat practices, but advancing it due to the circumstances that suddenly arose was not a bother.
“It’s called the Room of Requirement. The elves call it the Come and Go Room. It can become any room you want and do what you ask it to, with a few restrictions.”
Susan nodded absently as did the others. They looked around the room in wonder, willing different parts to change according to their wishes.
“Boy, Harrykins, you surely don’t do things half-assed, do you?” Fred remarked casually.
“Too true, brother o’ mine,” George continued. “Six years and we never found this room, and here he is, showing us up like this. ‘Tis too unfair.”
“Behave, you two,” Angelina chastised them and looked at the girl who was still unconscious, lying on the only bed in the room.
“That shouldn’t have happened,” Susan whispered in fear. “Gabrielle really tried to kill Umbridge. She is a vile woman and as much as I hate her, the thought of getting rid of her like that never crossed my mind. You can bet she won’t let it go. She has all the proof and the witnesses she needs. The law is also biased against Gabrielle.”
Harry grimaced. He knew the situation had gotten out of hand now.
“I had no idea she would lose control of the situation like that,” he muttered as they all stared at an unconscious Gabrielle. “From what I’ve known of her, she’s always been in control of her emotions. Hell, she has always been teased and even discriminated against for looking like a child and so many people were insulting toward her last year, but she always dismissed them as unimportant.”
“You’re right, Harry. She’s always been very resilient,” Daphne whispered. “Losing control like that…”
Daphne trailed off and quickly turned toward Gabrielle. She had gotten a sudden feeling and she had to confirm it. In a world where there were mind-altering potions and spells, nothing was outrageous.
She started waving her wand over the unconscious girl whose features had finally settled. Everyone watched her go about whatever she was doing, and it was a couple of minutes later when Daphne turned around with a frown.
“Nothing,” she muttered. “I thought she was either hit by a charm or dosed with a potion that would affect her mind, but the scans showed nothing.”
“May I?” Cho asked as she walked over, and started waving her wand over the unconscious girl. They all knew she was training under Madam Pomfrey to be a healer after she graduated, and even though Daphne had started learning advanced healing from the books she now had at her disposal, Cho was still a very capable witch at healing magic in her own right.
The Asian girl also pulled back with a small frown when she was done.
“I recognized most of the scans you ran,” she said, looking at Daphne. “However, I ran a few more that I know. Even those returned negative.”
“It was all her then,” Harry muttered. “That behavior was not like what I expected from her though, at all. I agree that she was insulted, and we all were beyond enraged, but to lose control like that… She almost killed Umbridge.”
“Hasn’t she been behaving weird lately though?” Susan supplied with a small frown. “How she’s been keeping to herself, all quiet. Something’s been on her mind, I think. Maybe the toll became too much after all the humiliation she suffered today. You have to admit… what was in that book was beyond vile.”
A profound silence reigned inside the empty classroom as Harry and Daphne looked at each other with matching frowns. They had an idea, and they could not help but feel guilty.
“Excuse us for a moment please,” Harry said and took Daphne’s hand as they walked away where the room created a secret partition for them.
“What’s up with them?” Ginny asked curiously.
“No idea,” Tracey muttered with a frown as the door shut behind the couple. “I hope they’re not feeling guilty for not doing something before the matter escalated so much though. Those two are like that sometimes.”
Beside her, Neville nodded, and so did each member of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and Ginny.
“Don’t we know it,” the youngest redhead said with a mirthless chuckle.
Everyone stood in silence for a moment, staring at the unconscious girl on the bed.
“Tell me something. Would it really have been such a waste if Umbitch died though?” Zacharias Smith asked, earning him a few looks. “We all know about her by now. There are very few people more deserving of it. She’s a Death Eater for all intents and purposes if you ask me.”
“We are not here to become murderers, Smith,” Neville replied in a firm voice. “We are here to fight against V-Voldemort’s forces.”
“So you won’t kill if it comes down to it, is that what you’re saying?” It was Macmillan this time, his voice uncharacteristically somber.
“If we have to kill in battle, then that is a different thing. Murder in cold blood is not right.”
“When it comes to animals like them, what’s the difference?” Macmillan continued. “The only good Death Eater is a dead one.”
Everyone listened to the ongoing discussion with conflicted emotions, with a part of them agreeing with Macmillan’s final statement.
“Tell me something, Longbottom,” Smith sneered. “Suppose you get this big bad dark lord all nice and ready, totally defenseless but knowing you had very little time. Would you do the deed? Or would you preach this moral bullshit?”
Neville grimaced, and Smith looked around at everyone at large.
“The meaning and value of a murder changes with the target, am I right?” He asked calmly. “Each one of you would jump at the chance to kill him. The difference between killing and murder won’t matter in that case. Why though? Why not Umbridge then? If even half of what we know is right, then she is vile, and the world would be a better place without her.”
There was a moment of terse silence that followed Smith’s statement and everyone looked around at one another, expecting an answer.
Deep in their minds though, they all knew where this war was heading, and the fact that they would have to carry out heinous acts that made bile rise in their throats was slowly dawning on them.
Having the stomach to witness the horrors of war, doing what was necessary so they could see another day… it was a foreign concept they had been suddenly introduced to, and none knew how to tackle that moral battle. The points Smith raised made sense to them, but the voice inside their minds – one that was screaming that they were mad to even contemplate such actions – was ever-present.
As they pondered upon thoughts previously ignored or never thought of, they had a sinking realization that perhaps they would never reach a consensus and would have to just go with what the situation demanded. The indecisiveness was too strong to overcome.
XXXXX
Harry and Daphne walked inside the small room partitioned for them. It ensured their privacy inside the Room of Requirement and they could talk without the fear of anyone eavesdropping on them.
The room was a rather simple one with a couch in the middle, and Harry led her to it.
The couple sat down and Harry immediately took her hands in his. He clasped his with hers and tugged gently, making her look at him.
“Talk to me,” Harry urged, making her sigh.
“Gabrielle’s issues began when she saw us in that room,” she said softly, coaxing a grimace from him. “She’s been acting weird since that day. Before that, she was at least putting this front, but since then, there’s been nothing. She was ignoring us, almost as if she was trying to forget that we even existed.”
“Or rather I did,” Harry replied. “I get where it’s coming from, but it’s not as if we are in the wrong. We didn’t plan anything. It was a coincidence that she burst into that room right when we were… yeah…”
Daphne let out a small smile at his awkwardness. It was endearing in its unique way.
“But the guilt is there, isn’t it? I’m sure you too felt it.”
Harry gave her a small nod, agreeing with her point.
“No matter how much I assure myself that we are not at fault for the entire situation with Gabrielle, there’s this little voice in the back of my mind that keeps telling me that I am somehow guilty.”
Daphne sighed.
“We agreed to marry each other for duty, but we fell in love so quickly. We agreed to include her in our relationship, giving her the title of the lady of House Black, but she simply gave us her best wishes and told us to be happy. I told her in my letter that I wanted to talk to her about something important, and I was going to tell her about that proposal, but she’s shown no interest in even hearing us out. Whenever I’ve tried to approach her to broach the subject, she’s made some excuse and walked away. What more could we do? It’s not as if we can force her to listen.”
Harry caressed her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing them gently.
“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he whispered. “I refuse to feel guilty for having what we have. Gabrielle made her choice, and as much as she felt hurt after seeing it, it was a result of her choice. Our choices make us who we are, and we live with the consequences of our choices. That is life.”
Cupping her cheek, Harry leaned closer.
“I chose you, and I would live with the consequences of that choice for the rest of my life. I empathize with her, but I won’t shoulder any more misplaced blame for her choice.”
Daphne’s eyes blazed with desire that was mirrored in his, and she pulled him firmly to herself. Their lips met in a ferocious kiss as their shared passion boiled over.
The electricity shot through them both simultaneously as Daphne felt his lips engulfing hers. Her body responded the way it always did when she was with Harry. The goosebumps exploded across her body and she could feel her womanhood immediately warm up and dampen. Her nipples hardened beneath her bra and she longed to feel his touch on her bare breasts.
Slowly, he pulled away. Their lips parted but they could still feel each other, taste each other. Soft and delicious.
They stared at each other for a moment and like moths to a flame, they gravitated toward each other once again.
Her soft, wet lips smacked against his and their tongues darted back and forth in lust, rolling around in her mouth. She had a firm hold on the back of his head while he caressed her back with intimate softness, feeling her porcelain skin through the thin fabric of her Hogwarts shirt.
Their lips caressed each other gently as they made out for a while, and with a final kiss, slow and soft, Harry pulled away.
“I love you,” he whispered. “But we have to go now. Everyone’s outside, and with Gabrielle… yeah.”
Daphne nodded in understanding and pressed her lips against his again.
“I love you too,” she smiled. They stood up and the room conjured a mirror for them to fix their appearances. Daphne noticed, with a blush, that the left half of her shirt was out of her skirt, and as she looked over she discovered the same was true for Harry as well. She belatedly realized that they had been caressing each other over their bare skin all the while they were making out.
“Daph,” Harry said gently. “I want you to just tell Gabrielle about the dual lordship situation. We’ve not had the chance to actually talk to her about it for various reasons, and as long as we don’t, we’ll keep feeling like this. All of us deserve closure, and this is the only way we can get it.”
Daphne nodded in understanding. It was high time she did what she’d wanted to do since Harry first told her about it. Gabrielle had run enough.
Harry held his hand out for her and she reached for him. Together, they made to walk out when the room transformed around them, blending the two partitions once more.
They were met with a somber atmosphere when they came closer and curious, Harry asked, “What happened?”
Everyone looked around, sharing uneasy glances as their inner turmoil threatened to overwhelm them.
Killing and murder. Topics no one ever wanted to think about, and yet something they knew they would have no choice but to carry out someday.
When they managed to explain what they were feeling with fragmented inputs from everyone present, Harry and Daphne could only stare at them sadly.
Daphne chuckled a few moments later, to the surprise of almost everyone.
“Daph?” Tracey asked with a frown. The blonde looked at her and shook her head.
“Nothing,” she replied before her eyes fell on the unconscious figure on the bed. “Tell me everyone, who are we?” She asked softly. “What makes us qualified to even know what it’s like, or what it feels?” She chuckled again. “Most of us have faced nothing yet. War… the word sounds so fancy that everyone just blurts it out without any care for what it might truly entail. Merlin, I’ve heard those idiots in our house talking about it as if it was a game of Exploding Snap!”
Harry’s hand tightened its hold around hers, and Daphne smiled bitterly at him.
“We know nothing about war. About murder and killing. What would you all achieve by talking about it? You think you can discuss these things and be ready?” She scoffed. “My great-grandfather fought in a war alongside Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black, and I’ve heard the tales from my father. How he used to say he was never the same after all was said and done.”
She looked around and saw everyone was hanging on to every word she was saying. Feeling Harry give her hand another squeeze, she continued, “Things turn ugly… just because of the mad whims of a man who believes himself above all else… broken bodies, ruined minds, people incapable of doing anything… living the life of a corpse that's awaiting its demise… people lose themselves in a war. Even now I can say that we know nothing. I heard these words from my father over a year ago. Being the heiress comes with a baggage. And yet, these are mere words to me. I can imagine how it must be, but can I truly feel the gravity those words carry? Impossible. Unless we see it, we cannot understand how hopeless things can be. If people knew things would end up like that, they would never wage war. Alas, people realize that only after everything is said and done, and yet, the whims of a madman care about nothing.”
Everyone had their hands clenched tightly, an abstract feeling gripping them.
“You want to talk about murder and killing, right? You want to know the difference? Where it is justified and where it isn’t?” Daphne chuckled yet again. “I might not know much, but I can say with absolute certainty that when the time comes, you won't care about what you thought before. You will either make the choice or the choice will be made for you. What you do with that choice depends on you entirely, and in the end, the only thing that will matter would be the consequences of the choice that was made. Nothing else.”
By the end, Daphne was breathing heavily, and Harry wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest, pushing herself as close to him as she physically could. He caressed her hair soothingly and looked over at everyone who was standing with conflicted looks on their faces.
“We will meet tomorrow after classes end,” he said, making everyone look at him. “Daph and I will handle the situation here. If we are needed, call Dobby. He will bring the message here instantly.”
They nodded and started walking out, their minds full of troubled thoughts. Harry gave Tracey a reassuring look as he held Daphne. The brunette sighed but acquiesced.
Once everyone filed out and the door shut behind them, Daphne slowly extracted herself from his embrace. She looked up at him, only to find him staring at her in concern.
“You okay?” Daphne bit her lip and nodded. Harry smiled gently and leaned down to kiss her.
"That was brilliant, love," he whispered against her lips. "I don't think even Dumbledore could've said it any better."
Daphne smiled and they kissed again, their lips caressing lovingly.
They were interrupted when someone coughed gently and they pulled away, looking down to see an awaken Gabrielle staring at them with a conflicted look on her face.
Harry and Daphne stared at the veela who stared back at them.
“Sorry,” she rasped. “Can I get some water please?”
XXXXX
To be continued…
Comments
Robert
Ugh 30 days until that conversation 😭😭😭 Great chapter. Harry’s verbal execution of Malfoy was perfect. I really like how you are writing the relationship between Harry and Daphne as well. The way it’s developed is great to read. I like how you are giving Daphne places to shine as well. It’s one of the things I really enjoy about your Harry/Daphne stories. Cheers!
