"He did this all the time at your place?" Daphne just as quietly asked back.
"Almost every night," she replied. "He wanted to cook every meal, but Dobby wouldn't let him."
When Daphne looked surprised, Hermione grinned and whispered, "I'll explain, later."
Both girls knew she meant 'girl talk' time, when Harry wasn't in listening distance.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
When Harry told them dinner should be ready in about thirty minutes, Hermione sent Betsy to inform Tracey and Astoria, if either wanted to come, when dinner would be ready. Then sent Dobby to tell the Longbottoms the same.
Then the two girls retired to Hermione's room to chat.
It took Harry more than five minutes to even notice they'd disappeared. He was working on dessert.
In Hermione's room she asked the other girl, "You're falling in love with him, aren't you?"
It wasn't asked in a harsh, derogatory or anywhere near accusatory manner. Instead, it was asked in a quite simple tone.
Daphne immediately wanted to deny it. Eventually, especially after seeing the care and amusement in Hermione's mien, she gave a sigh and almost morosely replied, "Yes."
Hermione chuckled and dropped to sit on her bed. "Don't worry about it," she explained. "It took me a great deal longer to figure out I'd done the same."
"You're his betrothed," said Daphne, taking the chair at the dresser Betsy had 'moved' there from... wherever. "You should, in some regards."
Hermione nodded and said, "I cannot be upset with you for falling in love with Harry. He's just so easy to fall in love with. After all, I did."
Daphne nodded and said, "Falling in love with your spouse is not an important factor in wizarding couples at our level. It's their biological compatibility that has precedence.
"Of course, it's very nice if you do... but―"
"And what of concubines?" asked Hermione.
"Even less important," she replied. "After all, the relationship is only for the purpose of begetting children to continue a House. There's not even any expectation the concubine need remain with the... wizard... after a male child is born and the line is continued."
"However―" prompted Hermione.
"However..." nodded Daphne. "Yes. I'm sorry. I'm falling in love with him."
"Don't apologise for that," replied Hermione. "As I said, I did, too. You cannot use logic to overrule your heart. It. Just. Happens."
"I don't want to be the cause of any problems between you and Harry," Daphne firmly stated.
"I believe you," said Hermione. "However, I don't think you could, even if you tried. I am very confident in the love Harry has for me."
When she saw the other girl understood, she added, "But, that doesn't mean there is no room in his heart for you, either."
That shocked the blonde.
With a snort of amusement at Daphne's expression, Hermione said, "My main problem with Harry taking on a concubine wasn't you taking his love from me. My main problem was your upbringing. I was worried you had or might develop an attitude that had you look down on me, because I'm muggleborn."
When Daphne appeared she was about to vehemently disagree, Hermione added, "After this past week, together with your behaviour towards me in the past, I know now that's not going to happen. As such, I can also see it's not your intent to try and separate Harry from me. Therefore, I find myself quite content with this... concubinage arrangement. It think it will be good for you both.
"Don't be afraid to fall in love with him, Daphne. I think it'll make you very happy to do so. And you'll make this arrangement much more pleasant for you if you do."
Daphne seemed to struggle a bit with what she was feeling before she sighed and asked, "And... if I want to carry the agreement through to a contract?"
Hermione giggled and said, "I made the same decision back before Harry and I returned to the castle. I've also already let him know I have chosen I will not activate the clause required to cancel the agreement; and want it to go through to contract. He claims the same.
"I don't know if I'm ready to accept he'll need to sleep with you if... when... your agreement becomes a contract. But, I'm working on it.
"However, just so you know and so the air is clear between us, Harry and I haven't slept together yet. But, I feel that'll happen within the next couple of months. And, just in case, I want to at least be his first."
Surprised, Daphne asked, "You mean he's―"
"A virgin?" suggested Hermione. "Yes. As am I."
"I would have thought―"
"No," she replied. "Though I'm aware there are many witches who would happily sleep with him were he to ask, Harry sees them all as 'fangirls' of the Boy-Who-Lived; not the real Harry. He thinks it would be dishonest."
Curious, Daphne said, "But, you don't see him that way."
"No," she replied. "I never truly have. However, I confess for the first few months I knew of him, I somewhat did. He set me straight on that. Plus, until he professed his love for me, I didn't think I was worthy of being his girlfriend let alone his betrothed. That was something else he set me straight on."
"How did that happen, if I may be so bold as to ask?" asked Daphne. "I know what you told me when Harry brought you to visit with us. But, that seemed... odd."
Hermione smiled and told her.
As she talked, Hermione watched Daphne's expression, even seeing when the blonde winced when Hermione spoke about when she went on her rant.
"You're lucky they understood that would be your reaction and didn't tell you off for it," explained Daphne. "I know muggles have a different view on these sort of things, but you're muggleborn and not a muggle. You need to be careful with how you react in certain situations."
Hermione sighed and replied, "I'm now very much aware of that. I need to constantly think about something before my own knee-jerk reactions are set off before I have a chance to stop and think first."
Daphne nodded and said, "What happened after your... lets face it... tantrum?"
"Mum slapped me down for it, then so did Harry," she replied. "Both told me to stop and think it through. Once I started doing that, they gave me some time to read the agreement for myself.
"Then they told me about something to do with magical guardians and muggleborns that scared the living daylights out of me. And, finally, I told Daddy to go ahead and sign it."
"It then took me the rest of that evening and into the next day to analyse it in my mind before I realised it was the right thing to do, all along. And I was being stupid and acting without speaking, when I lost my temper with them all."
"You now accept it," said Daphne.
"Yes," replied Hermione. "But, even then, I did not fully know what that meant. For the next few days afterwards I began to learn more and more what it meant to be the Lady Presumptive of a Noble and Most Ancient House. I think I've still got a great deal to learn."
"You do," said Daphne. "But, you're picking it up fast."
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