"-and that's when my parents were married and the rest is history." Daphne finished regaling Harry with stories of her family line from the late 17 century until now, having launched into it when she showed him the Greengrass equivalent of their family tree, but it had actual portraits unlike the Black Tapestry.
Just like when she had done it in the, well, 'time before' as Harry would call it if he were an utter moron, he had been subjected to different long dead relatives of Daphne looking at him speculatively, with one of her great-great aunts actively jesting that Daphne had found a perfectly suitable husband, and at such a perfectly young age.
"So, what'd you think of the tour?" Daphne asked, the two heading towards where everyone else was in the dining room.
If Harry were honest, it was almost the same as when she had guided him around before. But, even with him knowing a great deal about her family, it was the energy and genuine delight she had in telling him about House Greengrass and showing him her home that had been the most enjoyable for him.
Harry held her arm tighter, keeping it close to him as he smiled at her. "Your home really is beautiful. It feels lived in."
The place had been where centuries of Greengrass' were born and lived. It just seemed to glow in a way Grimmauld Place or the Dursleys' failed to. It had life to it.
Daphne looked pleased at him complimenting her home in such a way, her eyes sparkling like two very familiar sapphires.
"Let's see how my family is faring around Sirius Black, shall we?" Daphne laughed, drawing a smile from Harry.
"Sure, but I want to do something first." Harry whispered in her ear, wrapping his arm around her and spinning her to face him, their faces just inches apart.
"What are you doi-" Daphne was cut off as he gave her a quick kiss, his fingers gliding through her hair as his other hand was resting against her hip.
The Greengrass heiress melted into his embrace, her arms wrapping around him as their lips molded and pressed against one another.
Harry was the one who pulled away first and grinned at the shocked expression on her face, a faint pink tinge colouring her cheeks.
"To tide you over for the evening." He grinned happily, soaking in every inch of her expression.
A generous host deserved a reward after all.
"I..." She paused, blinking her eyes and clearing her throat. "I think we should head back to the dining room now."
The abrupt affection, especially just a few meters from her parents, obviously flustered her. But Harry always did enjoy flustering her. She was practically unflappable under any other circumstance outside of him being a doting partner.
"Agreed, Ms Greengrass." Harry nodded, kissing the side of her head too quickly for her to stop him.
"Enough." She said in an exasperated tone, but it didn't match the smile on her face that lit up her eyes beautifully. But she still made sure he couldn't steal another kiss by letting go of his arm as they entered the dining room.
The room wasn't the most spectacular of all the rooms, but it was still immaculate by conventional standards. A smaller chandelier up top, ivory coloured paint, a few paintings on the wall, and a large, mahogany table at the center.
The first thing Harry noticed was Cyrus looked extremely amused by something Sirius had said. Roxanne, on the other hand, didn't look nearly as amused. And Astoria was just listening in, giggling away.
"Looks like you're enjoying yourself." Harry observed, walking around the table and sitting a seat away from Sirius. "Plenty of good conversation?"
"You could say that." Sirius replied smoothly, looking totally at ease. He then turned to look at Cyrus. "Could you repeat that story to Harry, Lord Greengrass? I'm sure he would enjoy it."
Cyrus shrugged. "I would love to."
Cyrus went on to tell the story of when he was prefect and had happened across two third years causing chaos among a few of the Slytherin house members in their year. It had involved slipping potions into their food with the unwitting assistance of the Hogwarts house elves, which resulted in a few cases of accidental collateral, including Roxanne.
Said third years were Sirius, and Harry's father.
"You seem to have inherited the good sense to not be as chaotic as your father," Cyrus let out a subdued chuckled, eying Harry with a softer expression than earlier, "Unless the rumours that follow you have any truth to them."
Harry scoffed good-naturedly. "Only the ones that paint me in a positive light, Lord Greengrass."
Daphne snickered at that, her father cocking his head to look at the source of the noise.
"I sense that he shared a few details with you." Cyrus said, brow raised curiously.
"A few, but nothing particularly profound." The younger of the two gave a non-answer, not offering elaboration.
Cyrus' eyes narrowed faintly, catching the attempt at evasion. The expression then disappeared so quickly that Harry merely blinked and it vanished.
It's like watching a reflection argue with itself Harry still marveled at how similar father and daughter were. It was actually fairly amusing how much they were alike.
"I believe it is time for supper." Cyrus seemed to drop the previous subject and moved onto another one, glancing at Harry and Sirius. "We can discuss the important matters after we have eaten, is that alright?"
"You'll hear no protests from me about good food." Sirius grinned, looking forward to what was almost certainly going to be an excellent dinner.
"Yeah, our food is awesome!" Astoria chimed in loudly, drawing a look from Roxanne.
"Astoria, inside voice," She lightly scolded her daughter, "Guests are present."
"Sorry." She said sheepishly as she flushed pink.
Harry snorted amusedly at how quickly Roxanne deflated Astoria's outburst. It hadn't changed much when Astoria was 16 and Harry had dinner here. Roxanne had scolded her for something and the girl had been kowtowed like it was nothing.
"Er, Pipsy." Cyrus called out, one of the Greengrass House Elves appearing next to him with a crack sound. "We are ready for supper now."
The House Elf nodded it's understanding. "Pipsy be getting master and guest's food." The elf then disappeared in a crack to presumably the kitchen.
Seconds later, Pipsy reappeared with multiple plates. All of them hovered over to the table, before landing gently in front of them.
"I be bringing silverware, Master Cyrus." Pipsy squeaked out, vanishing in a crack again that was followed by her reappearing with silverware for them.
"Thank you," Cyrus said, looking down at the elf, "You are dismissed."
The elf disappeared for the last time, leaving just the six of them there.
Harry looked down at his plate and breathed in the scent of perfectly cooked beef, savouring it. Whatever the Greengrass house elves did, it made the beef taste like something divine that not even the Hogwarts elves could replicate.
Sure, the chopped vegetables and sides were good, but nothing compared to a well made slice of meat.
Cyrus was the first to start eating, which Harry took as a signal that it was alright to as well. The first bite of meat had him closing his eyes for moment, loving the tenderness and flavour.
"I take it you like it, Harry?" Daphne asked from the other side of the table, her eyes alight with amusement.
"Delicious." Harry replied after swallowing the bite.
"Our elves are quite adept at cooking, even more so than cleaning, oddly enough." Roxanne brought up, wiping her mouth with a napkin. "But, if it isn't inconvenient, I'm curious about a few things Daphne talked to us about, this student group you have for DADA..."
Not surprising. Harry thought to himself. It was definitely something Daphne would share with them because she knew the reason why Harry had requested that Dumbledore sign off on it.
Harry set down his fork and focused his attention on Roxanne, noting the nearly unnoticeable tilt of her head like what Daphne did sometimes when she was intrigued by an unfamiliar subject.
What followed was mostly small talk and a few explanations that centered around classes at Hogwarts and the DA 'study group' Harry had started up. The classes were mostly DADA ones and that brought up the subject of Umbridge.
" Professor Umbridge." Astoria muttered to herself, saying the title of said woman mockingly.
"Astoria." Roxanne looked at her daughter with a trademark 'mother' look.
"What?" Astoria practically whined, fiddling with her fork. "She's a terrible teacher. Everybody knows it."
"And I don't doubt that," Roxanne remarked with a slight airy tone, "But interrupting Harry when he was speaking to me was rude."
Harry wouldn't lie and say this was a familiar sight to him. There were two extremes with the Dursleys, unlike the soft handed approach Roxanne just made. Either they ignored him or chucked him into the cupboard without supper.
Astoria sank into her seat, averting eye contact. "Sorry, Harry." She mumbled.
"It's alright." Harry replied, giving Astoria some reprieve. "But she's not exactly wrong, Lady Greengrass."
"Roxanne, please," She said, "No need for formalities right now."
Harry nodded his head. "Roxanne. Let's just say that the only 'positive' thing to come out of Umbridge being the DADA teacher is the defense study group."
"Wasn't the curriculum choice for this year from, what was his name... Slinkard?" Cyrus cut in, leaning forward slightly.
He already knows. Harry observed. Cyrus was probably fishing to see how he would reply.
"Yes," Harry nodded, mirroring Cyrus leaning forward in his seat, "And Daphne can easily tell you the difference in how useful it is compared to what I've been doing in the study group."
Cyrus likely noticed that Harry had wised up to what he was doing and gave him a knowing look.
"As expected from someone who can cast a corporeal Patronus at 15." He said casually, his eyes glinting in the light.
"I managed to at thirteen, actually." Harry clarified, enjoying the minute stiffening of the older man's shoulders at the more accurate information.
The faint scrutinizing look that flashed across the man's face slowly faded into a smile, his attention undivided.
"That is very impressive." Cyrus hummed, tapping his fingers against the table, before glancing at his eldest daughter and back to Harry. "Tell me, has Daphne been receiving any tutelage pertaining to the Patronus charm from you?"
Daphne raised a brow in suspicion at her father at him asking that, the blonde probably trying to figure out what her father was angling for.
"Yes," Harry replied, aware of the attention Daphne was giving him at that moment, "I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to conjure the shield before the end of spring."
The blonde's cheeks darkened to a pink shade at the praise and both her mother and father looked at her with twin looks of pride. The uncommon circumstance where Daphne felt put on the spot by unexpected praise was a sight to behold, and Harry hid his smile by taking a drink, holding the cup to his lips for longer than needed.
The conversation was then guided more towards a few questions about why he learned the Patronus, a question or two to Sirius about his own experiences as an auror, and mostly innocuous things.
By the time they had finished eating, Harry felt much more relaxed and, dare he say, content. It felt like the normality he hadn't experienced in months. He and Daphne had gone to her parents every week for dinner once they had become serious in their relationship, and this was the first time since he traveled back.
Another thing lost, only to be regained in some form.
"Do you have any plans after school?" Roxanne asked curiously. They had all finished their food by now, the house elves probably waiting until Cyrus or Roxanne called for them to take dishes.
Harry shrugged indifferently. "Probably become an auror after all the... unfortunate events spawned from the end of the last school year are rectified."
Sirius looked at him with a small amount of uncertainty. He knew what he was hinting at and by the looks from Cyrus, Roxanne, and Daphne, so did they.
In a move that didn't surprise Harry at all, Cyrus focused his attention on Astoria.
"I think now would be an appropriate time for you to go to your room for a little bit, Astoria." Cyrus said, facing his youngest daughter.
Astoria narrowed her eyes in an attempt at mimicking Daphne, but it lacked the proper iciness. "That's not fair. I'm old enough to hear important stuff!"
"Astoria." Cyrus warned, his tone of voice being enough to stamp out any defiance Astoria had. "This is for your safety and you know it."
Astoria glared at her father, but didn't say a word as she stood up from her chair and scrunched her face in irritation, walking out of the room as instructed and going up the staircase to her room.
Once she had left, Cyrus looked at both Harry and Sirius apologetically.
"I am sorry about that." He said, looking deeply uncomfortable at having to speak to his daughter that way, "My daughter does not appreciate being left in the dark about this, but I do not wish for her to hear about information concerning the Dark Lord in this manner. Neutrality would attract hostility nearly as much as open support for you, and the less that know, the better."
Harry didn't reply to the explanation. He understood the reasoning, especially from a safety standpoint. Astoria was far too young and had less developed Occlumency defenses than Daphne, so certain vital information shouldn't be something she was privy to for the time being.
"Shall we get to the important matter that you were invited here to discuss, Lord Black and heir Potter?" Cyrus raised a brow, pressing his thumb and index against his chin as his eyes slowly shifted from Harry to Sirius.
Daphne kept looking between the three and her mother, her expression empty as she employed Occlumency to suppress any nervousness that might have shown.
"I see no reason not to." Sirius replied smoothly, "What about you, Harry?"
"I didn't just come here to see your admittedly beautiful home after all." Harry kept his eyes on Cyrus as he spoke, keeping his tone clear and positive.
The lord of House Greengrass took a deeper breath, a shadow falling across his face that revealed an expression Harry had only seen when Cyrus was dead serious about a topic.
"I want to know the true Harry Potter, not what the Daily Prophet or all the others blather on about." Cyrus stated flatly, his gaze as cold and unyielding as ice. "You proved yourself intelligent and capable by getting yourself acquitted along with your godfather. My daughter was also quite impressed with your duelling skill, even if she has neglected to provide all the details."
Said blonde fought the urge to shrink into her seat, looking uncomfortable at the comment about her.
"But I cannot be certain that hitching the future of my house and the safety of my family to your, or should I say Dumbledore's, cause will be for the best. Lord Black can attest to the ferocity of the previous war, and I find it more than a little difficult to visualize a boy of fifteen, although admittedly talented, being capable enough to defeat the Dark Lord." Cyrus finished and leaned back into his chair, his eyes focused on Harry alone. This would make or break the possibility of Cyrus helping or not. The man was cautious, intelligent, and always looked before he jumped for almost every pursuit in life, and this time was no different.
"Lord Greengrass..." Sirius said, looking at Cyrus differently than he had before.
"I know what you will say, Lord Black." Cyrus interrupted with a neutral tone. "Unlike in the last war, House Black and all its prestige and influence will be behind Potter. But there is only one remaining member of House Black with the name, and that is you. Your skill with a wand is remembered, but your cousin Bellatrix is just as well remembered if not more. I need more, if I am to risk everything."
Sirius' eyes hardened and his face stilled, but he said nothing that could be construed as offensive.
Mind your tongue, Sirius. Harry thought harshly, not fancying having to run damage control if Sirius decided to act impulsively.
"I will let my godson and heir address your... concerns." The Black Lord eventually settled on saying, turning to Harry and giving him a nod to go on.
The last Potter let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when Sirius seemed to restrain himself.
"To be perfectly candid, Lord Greengrass," Harry stressed the title more than his name as his attention left Sirius, fixing Cyrus with an equally as cold gaze as the blond lord had displayed, "I wouldn't trust me at an initial glance either, even if someone I trusted said it was a sound choice." He briefly looked at Daphne as he said the last half, the girl having wisely kept silent as her new boyfriend and father had a sort of battle of wills concerning a rather important junction in what could be a very important alliance.
"But let me illuminate some of my background that few know, and I doubt Daphne told you because she wanted me to tell you," Harry steepled his fingers and tilted his head down slightly, channeling the same unflappable expression Dumbledore fancied as he peered over the rim of his glasses at Cyrus, "First year of school, knowing that I was a wizard for less than a year, I stopped Voldemort from getting ahold of Flamel's stone."
Harry ignored the faint twitch in Cyrus' face at the mentioning of Voldemort's name, which was admittedly impressive compared to most.
"Second year, I killed a basilisk with a sword." Harry continued, flexing his hand subconsciously as he remembered the burning agony that tore through his entire arm when the fang pierced him, "Third year, and I'm quite proud of this, I saved my godfather and myself by casting a Patronus that managed to drive away nearly a hundred dementors."
Daphne audibly gasped, her chair squeaking against the floor as she shot to her feet.
"You never said there were that many." She hissed, her face rapidly paling as her eyes were wide in fright. Harry also noticed she didn't exactly care that her father was looking at her like she'd grown a second head.
"I never needed to give you the exact number, Daphne." Harry replied to her, knowing she would have reacted that way had he been honest. He then looked back at Cyrus. "But let's move on to fourth year."
The look Daphne shot at him let him know that it wouldn't be the end of the conversation, but she had the awareness to not cause a scene in front of her parents. So, she sat back down and stared at him intently.
Cyrus, however, ignored his daughter and continued to look at Harry, patiently awaiting his continuation alongside Sirius and Roxanne.
"None of the tasks until the third one was related to magical prowess, so I'll just skip to what everybody wants to know about the resident Dark Lord that plans on subjugating our nation."
The three Greengrass' all leaned in slightly, while Sirius didn't because Harry had already told him what had happened long ago. With that, Harry explained the lead up to Voldemort being resurrected, then the incident itself, minus the grotesque details relating to his actual resurrection.
"Subjected to the Cruciatus curse by Voldemort," Harry said simply, pausing when Daphne visibly flinched, "Then the Imperious, which I resisted successfully."
"Impossible." Roxanne whispered, almost to herself as she struggled to stay composed after what she just heard. She was almost as pale as Daphne, but looked to be holding herself in check better than her daughter. "Even Aurors broke under his will."
"I assure you that I would have been dead had I not resisted it." Harry replied, narrowing his eyes and squinting at her. "But I escaped because of my refusal to die. I dueled him, and I lived."
Roxanne continued to look disbelieving, but not out of skepticism at his tale. A boy her daughter's age had just admitted to being tortured by someone that could be more accurately described as a natural disaster than a man. Any mother would be horrified.
Cyrus, on the other hand, gazed silently at him with a piercing look, blue eyes narrowed into slits. His hands were still clasped together, but they were less intertwined now. Harry focused in on the minute details of the man's body language, but came up short on dissecting his internal thoughts.
After a long silence, Cyrus broke it with a simple query.
"So, you have witnessed the Dark Lord and his power. What is it that you plan on, now that you have experienced it? Do you think you can fight him as your parents fought him?"
Harry didn't bother stifling the scoff that came from him.
"Fight? No," He replied, his eyes flashing as he felt his skin itch as a frigid and focused rage settled in his stomach, "I plan on killing him."
Harry knew that on his own, he could probably contend with Bellatrix as he was now, bit not Voldemort. Skilled and powerful as he was, he had only just 3 years of official combat training prior to being killed and sent back. It took time, even for prodigious fighters, to reach an elite tier.
But things like the Elder Wand and a functioning mind had a habit of closing the gap.
Cyrus looked unconvinced, lazily raising a brow.
"Men and women far more experienced in combating dark wizards than you have been killed." The man said flatly, sounding unimpressed. "Years from now, perhaps you could defeat him. But that is a long time away when we are in the opening stages of another conflict now."
"Father," Daphne hastily cut in, giving Harry a reassuring look in spite of how nervous she herself appeared. "Nothing says we must openly declare that we are siding with them. We can be patient."
I don't like where this is heading. Harry thought, suspecting what Cyrus was up to. He was more likely than not crafting a situation to give himself greater leverage, or he wanted out.
"I don't think you understand, Daphne," Cyrus addressed his eldest, "The moment the Dark Lord is revealed to be alive once more, we will be approached by his followers. Do you recommend I turn them away? Should I put you and your sister at risk by letting you be in the same house as the likes of Malfoy's son and the other children of sadistic killers throughout the school year? Well?"
"Cyrus." Roxanne cut in, giving her husband a reproachful look. "Why are you asking her this?"
"I want our daughter to, in her own words, explain to me how she thinks I can protect her and her sister under such circumstances." He said firmly, the glint in his eyes causing his wife to pause and look at their eldest daughter.
Daphne opened her mouth to speak, then closed it.
"I..." She paused, then ducked her head and looked down. "I don't know."
I can make an example of one of them. Harry thought to himself, fantasizing once again about carving out Theodore Nott's still beating heart from his chest for what he did. But he set those thoughts aside for now. Right now, he ran through the likely reason Cyrus even said that.
One reason was to convince him to offer more in the deal, while the other... well, there really wasn't another reason. If Cyrus truly was worried about the safety of Daphne and Astoria, he would have already transferred them to a school on the continent; a school like Beauxbatons.
"I doubt you would even stay in Britain," Harry said suddenly, drawing Cyrus and Roxanne's attention back to him, "A few estates on the continent and your business locations being in Spain, and a few in Norway, means you can leave whenever you wish. But you're still here talking with the number one target of Lord Voldemort."
It was only a faint shift in Cyrus' expression, but Harry spotted it. He was surprised, along with Roxanne and Daphne, that he revealed he knew that.
You would never believe me if I told you how I knew all of that. He smirked internally. It truly did pay to be a time traveler.
"I wonder why you would still be entertaining the idea of aligning with me," Harry continued, tapping his fingers against the table gently, "Unless your goal in questioning me is to discover whether I need an alliance between our houses."
Cyrus, in spite of the emotionless mask that suppressed any attempt at reading body language he showed, looked intrigued.
"I am curious as to how you discovered that information." He said, looking at Harry in a completely different light. "But I won't deny that you are correct." The man added.
Daphne flared her nostrils and shot her father a death glare beside him. The reaction pretty much confirmed to Harry that Daphne had not been consulted by her father about doing that to see how he'd react.
"A little digging and guesswork was all I needed," Harry stated casually, silently pleased with himself, "Potions businesses and apothecaries owned by House Greengrass have maintained sales of ingredients native to the Mediterranean in spite of two different cold snaps that caused the pricing to increase. It's also public knowledge that the dowry given from House Balaguer marrying into your line five generations back was land, and that family was and is just like yours; potion makers."
Cyrus' brows slowly rose, his face twisting into a mildly shocked position. Both Daphne and Roxanne were also caught off guard by the colossal information drop Harry had just admitted to knowing in regards to their revenue stream.
"You simply just confirmed my suspicion moments ago." Harry finished with a grin. "You wouldn't have reacted as you did if I was wrong."
The shock quickly gave way to a smile and then Cyrus chuckled lightly.
"You exceeded my expectations, Harry Potter." Cyrus dipped his head respectfully, before looking at Sirius. "You have trained an excellent heir, Lord Black."
Harry stifled a snicker, unable to stop from shooting Daphne a cursory look.
If only Cyrus knew.
Sirius took the change in tone in stride, smiling slightly. "He's sharp and quick to learn. He'll be an excellent lord."
"Cyrus, that was quite rude." Roxanne scolded her husband, staring at him with an unimpressed frown on her face. "Did you have to test him like that?"
"I needed to ensure he is everything Daphne implied he is." Cyrus sighed, his face twitching and his eyes moving away from his wife to look at Daphne. "I'm pleased that you didn't embellish."
Whether she meant to or not, Daphne didn't exactly disguise the smug expression she had.
"Me? Embellish? I am your daughter, remember?" She smiled sweetly, drawing a huff from her father. "Although I think Lord Black is not the most enthused by what just transpired."
"You would be correct." Sirius said tersely, his eyes tracking Cyrus as their host turned away from Daphne.
"I do apologize for that." Cyrus said, not looking particularly happy about it though. "Would you have done the same to protect Harry?"
"Yes, and that is why I am not truly vexed. I would have done precisely that had our circumstances been reversed." Sirius replied neutrally, ready to drop that particular subject.
A short silence occured that had the two resident lords wordlessly debating to themselves on who would speak next. The next order of business was likely to be agreements and brokering of deals.
"Harry and I can come to an agreement, if neither of you two can decide." Daphne suddenly offered, eliciting a double take from Cyrus.
That was one way to put in the stop to the staring contest between the two Lords.
"Unnecessary." Cyrus deadpanned, clearly unamused by his daughter saying that to force the silence to end, "I can hazard a guess, Lord Black, that your godson mentioning knowledge about a few of my family's business details is related to what you are perhaps wanting access to in the coming conflict?"
Harry listened carefully, leaning forward in his seat. Funnily enough, Daphne did almost the exact same thing while Roxanne was almost casually sitting, watching her husband discuss the important matters.
"Potions, especially healing draughts, will be a priority for both factions." Sirius nodded in reply, adjusting his robes as he sat up for a second before sitting back down. "It would be a boon to be able to purchase them directly."
"In the last war, we sold to neither group directly." Cyrus pointed out, "That was the very reason the Dark Lord never targeted us or forced my... brother," his face twisted into a near snarl, "To impose upon us."
Cyrus was still unlikely to break the illusion of neutrality, so another solution needed to be found. It was already planned out by Harry. He knew how Cyrus thought, and this would solve his little predicament.
Harry cleared his throat, drawing Cyrus' attention. "Have any of the 'old guard' Death Eaters approached you about their master's return?"
"No." He replied simply.
"I see," Harry hummed, acting like he was formulating the plan he already had cooked up, "Would it be out of the realms of possibility that a few bulk purchases of ingredients were made by different 'clients', leaving you unfortunately unable to meet the request needs for them in, say, the next year or two when Voldemort reveals himself?"
"I don't thi-" Cyrus started to say, but he paused and blinked, before turning to his wife. "Actually, that might work. Roxanne, what were the numbers on the harvest this last quarter?" He asked her, the brunette sitting up in her chair suddenly.
Harry sort of zoned out as Cyrus and Roxanne had a quick back and forth on the business details. Instead, he looked at Daphne and winked, making her flush pink and stare at him crossly.
The biggest hurdle had been successfully jumped, and he felt very pleased with himself that he managed.
So, needing to sate his need to have a bit of a cheeky laugh, he flicked his hand that was under the table and hit Daphne in the leg with a weak tickling charm. She predictably squirmed in her chair, her face scrunching to stop from laughing.
Harry smirked to himself, liking that very much.
He did it again, absently listening in on Sirius and Cyrus, after the latter had finished speaking with his wife, to make sure they were still speaking to each other.
Daphne visibly jerked in her chair, covering her face with her hand to stifle the squeak she made.
"Daphne?" Roxanne asked, faintly concerned by her daughter's abrupt action.
Cyrus and Sirius both paused their conversation, before they went back to it when Daphne appeared to be fine.
"My, uh, robe caught on my chair." She explained weakly, before she glanced at him again, then to her parents as a signal to cut it out.
"It would need to be particular ingredients, and it would have to be a marked up price to ward off suspicion on why I sold. But it's possible..." Cyrus' voice cut through Harry's thoughts, drawing his attention away from Daphne glaring at him.
"I trust that you currently, or soon at the very least, have the disposable funds to pay the upcharge necessary to not arouse suspicion?" Cyrus asked.
"More than enough." Sirius replied easily, stroking his beard as he relaxed in his chair. "Does this mean we have reached an agreement?"
Harry couldn't help but look a little closer at Cyrus, trying to catch a hint of what he was thinking.
His sort of father-in-law didn't force him to wait.
"Yes, the only matters to be concluded are the pricing and how you wish the purchases to be done."
Harry couldn't help but groan under his breath. He wasn't looking forward to listening in on this. Daphne had always been the one to deal with a majority of their finances, and the mere thought of having to overhear it was torture.
"Harry," Roxanne said his name, her eyes looking at him warmly, "Is this conversation not a pleasant one for you?"
"Yes." He said flatly, not bothering to lie or say it wasn't a problem. "Sirius understands this better than I do, and numbers bore me."
Cyrus snorted at that, before sighing and looking at Daphne.
"Daphne, would you mind informing Astoria that she can leave her room?"
"I will." Daphne nodded, standing up from her seat.
Cyrus then looked back at Harry. "You can walk with Daphne and look around the manor if you wish. I won't subject you to the particulars your godfather and I will discuss."
"Thank you." Harry said gratefully, taking the offer and rising from his seat as well, following Daphne as she exited the dining room.
They made it only a few meters before she slapped the back of his head.
"Agh." Harry hissed, stumbling as he took a step from the shock of the action.
"That's for tormenting me during dinner, and for omitting information." She glared at him icily, before it faded back into a neutral look and she stepped closer to him as they walked to Astoria's room. "We're even."
"I'm not sure a tickle is the same as pain." Harry snorted, having expected her to slap his arm or something along that line. "And I'm sure you wish you could have used a stinging hex, but that pesky Trace."
Daphne gave him a deadpan look as she gazed up at him, her hair swishing slightly as she shook her head.
"Why didn't you share?" She asked, catching that he didn't answer at first. "I can understand to some degree, but why?"
Harry grimaced as they ascended up the staircase, their shoes clacking faintly against the wood and marble. It wasn't that it was that uncomfortable for him to think about. The experience had been obviously terrible, but the reason he hadn't told Daphne this early was more simple than just him not wanting to remember it.
It had hit her hard when he did tell her after their relationship had gotten serious.
"It upset you when you heard it, right?" Harry pointed out, sighing to himself, "I didn't want to be the reason for your Yule celebration having a dampener on it."
Daphne was quiet for several long seconds after he responded with that, the two still walking. But suddenly, she came to a stop.
"Harry." She whispered his name, making him flinch at not knowing what she was thinking.
Harry said a silent prayer that he didn't just bugger things up and took a deep breath, turning his head to look at her.
Her icy blue eyes were fixed on him, her gaze inscrutable.
Eventually, her eyes softened and she got on her toes to stand closer to his height.
"Don't be afraid of sharing what is bothering you." Her hand went up to his face, tracing along his jaw softly. "You're, well, important to me." She let her hand drop, some discomfort at not knowing what word choice to use visible on her face.
Just like when he had first told her, she had insisted he be forthcoming if he ever needed to. And if there was anything Harry struggled with doing, it was disappointing Daphne.
"Alright." He replied, eventually smiling when she smiled faintly up at him. "I promise."
"Good." Daphne smiled softly, the way she did only whenever it was just the two of them, and she leaned forward, resting her head against his shoulder.
Looking down at her, Harry noticed that she had a necklace on…
The one he got for her.
"I didn't even realize you were wearing it." He whispered, causing her to lift her head away from and smile happily, her eyes gleaming.
"Why wouldn't I?" She asked, her hand going up and tugging on the chain lightly. "It's beautiful… and you were the one who gave it to me."
Sometimes, he really couldn't comprehend how blessed he was by taking that deal with Death.
With that question addressed, Daphne looked back down the hall. "I think I need to tell Astoria to stop pouting."
Harry let out a short laugh, flashing a grin at Daphne before taking a step back and turning on his heel to face where she was facing.
"Are you sure you can handle her? She seems like something you'd flee from."
Daphne scoffed, tucking her hair behind her ear before walking forward and flicking her hair up to hit him in the face.
"At least I don't flee from something as dreadful as negotiating about pricing." She countered, smirking when Harry rolled his eyes at what she did.
"Reminder that I can always go back and have Sirius offer your weight in gold for a betrothal between us."
That killed any mirth she had.
"Not even remotely enough, Potter." Daphne said his name delicately, both of them walking up the staircase and turning left.
I couldn't agree more. He smiled as he glanced at her from his peripheral, then back to where they were walking. Harry looked around the hallway and took in the familiar design of it. A few decorations were in place that were old pagan customs from before the arrival of the first Christian missionaries in England, or at least if he remembered correctly from Daphne explaining it.
Daphne quickened her stride and moved further away, coming to a stop at a specific door that was likely Astoria's room.
"Tori." Daphne wracked her knuckles against the door loudly. "Mum and Dad said you can be let loose again."
"Shut up!" Harry could hear the muffled voice of the girl through the door, then the sound of something striking the door like an object had been hurled at it.
He then heard stomping until Astoria pulled the door open, the much shorter girl glaring up at Daphne.
"Oh, showing your boyfriend around the house?" The brunette asked sarcastically, turning up her nose at her sister.
She was not happy at all.
Daphne scoffed and rolled her eyes at her sister's tone. "Yes, and he's staying over. He's taking your room while you sleep in the guest room."
Harry snickered to himself as the girl of just 13 stifled whatever comment she made and muttered it instead, but it still sounded particularly rude from the scowl on her face.
"The sensitive topic is over now." Daphne said genuinely now. She'd probably had her fill of antagonizing her little sister with just a single comment. "It's just boring talk about money now." Daphne turned and flashed Harry a slight grin, which he huffed at.
He just really hated finances and found the entire thing to be a waste of his time. Daphne could have fun splitting hairs about money for all he cared.
"And Harry is tagging along to get away?" Astoria arched her brow suspiciously.
"Do you like listening in on financial haggling?" Harry asked pointedly, noting the unamused look on Astoria's face, "Because I don't fancy wasting my time listening to it."
Astoria looked ready to respond, but closed her mouth and stared with an unusually forceful intent at Daphne. But slowly, a grin formed on her face. "If you're just showing Harry around, I'll follow too and can fill in any curiosities that he might have."
The mischievous glint in the girl's hazel eyes didn't engender any sense of security.
"No." Daphne said flatly, turning on her heel to leave and gesturing for Harry to follow.
"Why, it's not like you're going to snog him in private." Astoria japed, stifling a giggle. "He's not your boyfriend or anything."
Daphne abruptly stopped, rooted to the spot with her back turned to Astoria.
In the fraction of a second before she moved, Harry could see that her fist was clenched, her face twitched where she tightened her jaw, and her eyes flashed dangerously. But Daphne to force herself to turn and face her sister, glaring at her but not saying whatever she was likely thinking.
"Only you would think that. Tracey is right, you are a hellion." Daphne then turned back to walk down the hall. "Come on then." Daphne gestured jerkily for Astoria to follow them, almost stomping her way down to the guest library or whatever it was that Harry had been to on a previous occasion in the future.
It was something he sometimes marveled at that Daphne never did grievously harm Astoria. The girl honestly did know how to press all her older sister's buttons and drive her up the wall.
/
"So," Astoria prompted, rushing to walk between Harry and Daphne intentionally, looking up at their guest, "Can I join that study group?"
Daphne was almost beet red in the face and looked like she was only half a step away from strangling her sister after nearly 15 minutes of non-stop questions and random input designed to aggravate her whenever a topic was vaguely referenced.
Daphne's strong dislike of mice or rats after Astoria's legendarybout of accidental magic at age 5 transfigured her hair tie into one, while she was wearing it, was mentioned, along with other embarrassing things he already knew. But Daphne hadn't technically shared them yet.
All in all, it was a toss up on whether Daphne was more embarrassed by Harry learning a few things from Astoria or infuriated with her sister.
"Do you want to join to get better at dueling or to antagonize your sister?" Harry asked, his tone flat as he inspected the two suits of armour flanking the entrance to the library that looked like they had seen actual combat at one point.
The wide-eyed look from Astoria was like a flare at night in revealing her motive.
"Uh… no?" She said questioningly, taking a step back from Daphne as the eldest fixed her with the exact same look Roxanne had when ready to discipline her.
Harry peered over the rim of his glasses down at her, scrutinizing her facial expressions carefully.
"For a Slytherin, you can't seem to lie convincingly." He said.
Astoria crossed her arms and turned up her nose at him, scowling visibly.
"Meany." She pouted, her eyes glinting angrily when Daphne laughed at her. But she didn't say anything else.
Harry laughed lightly at Astoria basically giving up on trying to derail the tour, then looked over to Daphne.
"You showed me most of your house, and I think Sirius and your father should be done by now."
"Noooo," Astoria interjected before Daphne could respond, "Not yet, I need to show you the library and talk about Daphne's favorite book."
Daphne's face paled horribly and she shook her head vigorously.
"No." She said harshly, glaring at her sister, "I'll kill you if you say anything."
"Astoria," Harry said with an admonishing tone, "I'm not going to ask Daphne about anything you've brought up, regardless of how amusing you would find it. I'm sure she can tell me plenty of embarrassing things about you."
Astoria scrunched her nose at the thinly veiled threat and ducked her head, before sighing audibly.
"Fine, I'll stop. But only because I'm a good sister." Astoria then walked in the other direction towards the stairs that led to the first floor. "I need to ask mum something, bye!" The girl then vanished down the staircase.
Once she was out of earshot, Daphne started swearing under her breath, a few words loud enough for Harry to hear how… displeased Daphne was with Astoria.
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Harry cut in to Daphne's immeasurably suppressed rant, drawing her attention to him for a moment, "But Astoria acts like an agent of chaos."
The blonde didn't nod her head or anything like that, she just kept pacing angrily.
"She only goes to a certain point, never further." Daphne eventually said, stopping in front of him abruptly and shaking her head irritably. "She ran because she knew she reached the threshold on how much she could press."
Harry laughed in spite of himself, having seen that even when Astoria was older.
"I'm serious about not asking about anything she said." Harry remarked, spotting the relief wash over her at the promise. "That's just not right."
" Nothing about Astoria is right." Daphne huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Well, I showed you most of the manor, so are you ready to head back? I don't think you want to explore the grounds because of how cold it is."
Harry chuckled lightly, reaching out and tapping her shoulder.
"Remember that I can do wandless magic," He smiled, tapping his fingers against her shoulder to make her fidget, "So warming charms aren't a problem."
Daphne bit her lower lip lightly as she mulled over what he had just reminded her about.
Coming to some sort of decision, Daphne stepped back from him and cleared her throat.
"Pipsy." She called out, the elf appearing right next to her with a crack.
"Yes, Mistress Daphne?" The elf asked, looking up at the blonde expectantly.
"Tell my mother and father that I'm going to show Harry around the manor grounds." She ordered, smiling softly, "And tell the other elves that supper was amazing."
Pipsy smiled brightly and nodded vigorously, before disappearing.
Now that the elf had received its orders, Daphne turned back to Harry and reached for his arm, pulling him back to her.
"There, ready to look around some more?" Daphne asked, the wide smile on her face lighting up her entire face and drawing a smile from Harry as well.
"Perfect company for sure." He replied, intertwining their fingers as he let her guide him down the stairs and out of the manor, the two finally being afforded alone time that was both needed and wanted.
/
"I have to learn wandless magic." Daphne scowled, tucking her face into Harry's sleeve as a moderate gust of cold air struck them while they walked around the edge of the boundary between the forest and the grass.
The warming charms he placed on them worked perfectly fine to keep their extremities and pretty much everything else warm, but the charms didn't exactly perform well for anything above the neck.
The weather wasn't that bad comparatively, but it was still cold enough for Daphne to lean up against him. To be honest, he couldn't complain about it; far from it. He got to spend alone time with Daphne, free from the prying eyes of her parents, Sirius, and Astoria.
"We can see about putting that on the list of 10 other things you said you needed to learn." Harry commented, his arm wrapped firmly around his shoulder as Daphne tried to march them to the forested area surrounding the grounds to have a windbreak.
"I can't tell whether you're making a joke at my expense or not." Daphne huffed, her breath fogging and obscuring her face.
"Just pointing out that you keep putting topic after topic on your list of things to do." Harry replied, leaning his head down and kissing her temple. "Don't worry your pretty head about that stuff during break."
"Not funny, Potter."
"Careful, you're starting to sound like your father."
"Ugh." Daphne groaned at him comparing her to Cyrus, the sound muffled by her burying her face into his sleeve. "I cannot believe he actually thought it would be an excellent idea to do some idiotic test on you."
As Sirius would so eloquently put it, 'No shit'.
"I'm just curious whether I impressed him or annoyed him." Harry remarked, being absolutely serious. For all of his publicly unknown insight into Cyrus Greengrass, he was more of an enigma than what Daphne was when they first started interacting in the auror office.
"Trust me, you would know if my father was annoyed with you or not."
Harry still grimaced, spotting the greenhouse up ahead that was currently acting as a bit of a windbreak similar to the trees surrounding them.
"That makes the prospect of him finding out that I'm snogging his daughter behind his back sound outright lethal." Harry muttered, practically feeling Daphne roll her eyes.
"Don't be dramatic," The blonde mumbled in his sleeve, lightly poking his side, "And I'm the one who initiated." She pointed out.
Harry straight stopped walking and stared directly at her, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear and out of her face.
"I don't think that would change your father's opinion, Daph."
Daphne frowned, before pulling on his arm slightly and continuing to walk to the greenhouse.
"Uh, Daph." Harry said, but she ignored him and continued to drag him to the chosen destination. Since she was doing it with what was apparently a single-minded purpose, Harry just let her.
Once they reached the door, Daphne pushed it open and walked in, still pulling him by the hand.
The cold that was slowly building up in spite of his warming charm instantly vanished, replaced by the insulated heat of the greenhouse, which was completely filled to capacity with an assortment of plants that were very expensive ingredients in higher end potions.
"Well, these are nice plan-" Harry started to say, but he stopped and blinked when Daphne turned around and faced him with a light in her eyes he recognized.
"I didn't drag you out to my greenhouse to show you the plants, Harry ." She muttered, smiling and stepping forward and standing on her toes to kiss him fiercely, her fists clenching around the front of his robes and shirt to pull him closer to her rather forcefully. She kept it up and kept leaning into him, forcing him to throw his arm out against the wall of the greenhouse behind as he was nearly overwhelmed by the taste and scent of the blonde Slytherin.
He was startled slightly from how aggressive she was, but recovered quickly and reciprocated, pulling her flush up against him as her tongue pressed against his.
The two were in an intimate embrace for what felt like an eternity, finally being free of looking over their shoulders for someone spying on them.
The two eventually broke away to get much needed air, Daphne panting slightly and her hair slightly askew from the aggressive reciprocation from the raven-haired teen.
"I've been waiting to do that for too long." Daphne said, still trying to catch her breath. Her eyes were sparkling like two sapphires, the sight more entrancing than a siren song.
You have no idea. Harry thought, his right hand slowly going up to cup her cheek.
"How long can we be gone before they notice?" He asked, still gazing into her eyes.
"Um," She bit the bottom of her lip lightly, looking absolutely gorgeous as she did, "Enough time to make up for the last few days." She eventually settled on, leaning forward and kissing him once more.
Harry melted into the contact, letting his hands settle on her waist and the two, connected in ways others never had been and unknown to Daphne, swayed gently to a soundless song in the island of warmth surrounded by a frozen sea of snow and ice.
/
Sirius and Cyrus came to an agreement on the financial details on the latter supplying the Order with potions and other supplies, the thought of the 40% initial upcharge not bothering the recently elevated Lord Black in the slightest.
Harry pulling what he did probably negated the chance of Cyrus charging even more, but it was always going to be a hefty some to enlist help from the man. He was a consummate neutralist.
But the last 15 or so minutes had been nothing but small talk, all the sensitive subjects already being finished.
"Well, it seems our business is concluded." Sirius said, silently relieved that everything worked out well. "This was a very pleasant meeting and it was a true delight to meet your family."
"The feeling is mutual." Cyrus replied pleasantly, his eyes flicking to Astoria, who had barged into the room right after they had reached an official agreement and had plopped down because, as she put it, 'Daphne is bullying me.' "Do you happen to know where your sister is?"
The young brunette shook her head. "Probably busy snogging Harry." She looked away and muttered petulantly.
"Astoria Rose." Roxanne warned, dropping what was likely her daughter's middle name in a manner that had Sirius involuntarily shivering at because of how similar the tone was to what his Aunt Dorea's was when he was caught doing something outlandishly stupid, even by his own standards as a teenager.
The girl looked like she realized she made a mistake and shrunk under her mother's gaze, looking to her father for salvation.
But Sirius had also caught a flash of irritation flick across Cyrus' face at what his daughter said, before he schooled his features. The man was not enthused.
"As much as I understand the overwhelming urge to antagonize a sibling, Astoria, I do not wish for Harry to be the subject of my ire because of your attempt at a joke. Do you know where they're at or not?"
Before Astoria could respond, two pairs of footsteps could be heard outside the door, Harry's voice being barely audible.
That's… oddly convenient. Sirius thought at the timing, the door opening to reveal his godson and their host's eldest daughter.
It was in the brief two or three seconds of confusion at seeing how they looked that had Sirius' entire world almost crashing down in a violent calamity of noise and fear.
The immediate thing he noticed was that their hair was askew, faces flushed, and Daphne was holding onto Harry's arm.
Oh… bollocks. Sirius' mind completely shut down for a moment, the sight being familiar for a man who had been the very definition of a heartbreaker in school.
Just as soon as terror began to get the better of him, he realized two obvious things.
One, Harry wasn't a man whore like he was, nor was he pining after the Greengrass girl like James had after Lily.
Two, and most importantly, they had snow on their clothes and hair. It meant the flushed faces and unkempt hair was from the chilly winds outside.
The tenseness that had built up in his chest faded just as quickly as it had appeared, much to his relief. But he couldn't help but have a few negative thoughts about Lord Greengrass' youngest daughter for even planting such an idiotic thought in his head.
"I gave Harry a tour of the greenhouse, Dad." Daphne said, moving away from Harry slightly as she adjusted her hair.
Cyrus didn't seem to have reacted in the way Sirius had, just inclining his head slightly and grunting an acknowledgement.
"Since Astoria is here," Harry turned his eyes towards the girl, who smiled innocently, "I guess the conversation is finished ?"
"Aye," Sirius nodded, clearing his throat awkwardly and adjusting his posture in the surprisingly comfortable seat, "Was the tour enjoyable?"
Harry nodded. "As good as can be expected from a welcoming host."
Daphne snorted, a faint grin cracking through the surface of neutrality that Sirius noticed was her typical facial expression.
"Hmmm." Sirius scoffed amusedly, thankful that Harry at least looked to be in an excellent mood. "I think it is starting to get a little late into the evening…"
"Agreed." Cyrus voiced his thoughts that mirrored his own. "This was an enjoyable and… enlightening conversation." The word was stressed at the same moment as the blond lord glanced at Harry appraisingly.
To Harry's credit, he still was implacable under the experienced man's focus and attention. Sirius had required actual teaching to do that where Harry seemed to take to it naturally.
"We thank you for your hospitality, Lord Greengrass." Sirius stood up from the chair, bowing his head slightly out of respect to their host. "And I hope that this is but the first of multiple pleasant meetings."
"As do I." Cyrus agreed, the shadow of a smile appearing on his face. "But I shall retire to my study for the evening, and I will begin drawing up the necessities." The vagueness in what he said was without a doubt because Astoria was now present. "I'd recommend you start early on your end."
Sirius clicked his tongue at the thought of having to do that. Maybe he could drop some of that on Remus; the wanker owed him something after he got unwittingly roped into getting it beaten into the werewolf's skull that Nymphadora had feelings for him.
Hmmm, I think Dora mentioned something about taking him for an outing around Christmas.
"I likely will." Sirius responded to the recommendation, before leaving the table and walking towards Harry.
"I shall take my leave then, Roxanne will show you out." Cyrus then turned and left the room, already tugging at his collar to loosen it before he shut the door behind him, disappearing from sight.
Sirius let his shoulders sag slightly, feeling more than a little fatigued after the four or so hours here. He still wasn't the most accustomed to socializing just yet, but he'd managed a decent enough job today.
"Well, are you ready Harry?" Sirius asked his godson, the teen nodding.
"Yes," He said, before turning to look at Daphne, "This was a wonderful day, thanks for the invitation."
Daphne just simply smiled at Harry, before the blonde heiress walked towards her mother and sister.
"Fridays still for patronus lessons?" The girl asked.
"No need to change it." Harry replied, before turning his eyes towards Roxanne. "Thank you, and Lord Greengrass, for being excellent hosts."
"The pleasure was ours, Harry." Roxanne smiled brightly, looking far more animated and expressive than her husband and eldest daughter. "But I will need to escort the two of you through the wards at the edge. It won't let you leave otherwise."
Sirius took a sharp intake of air, disguising it as a clearing of his throat.
The reveal that they couldn't actually leave technically if they weren't let out set off a particular caginess in him that hadn't been there until… Azkaban.
Calm down, this isn't a prison. Just focus and take a breath. The sole remaining Black with the name put his hand in his pocket, smiling as he concealed the tremor in the limb.
"Then let's get going." He plastered a smile on his face still, swiftly turning to obscure any cracks they might see in his visage. He was probably going to have a drink, or two, to get the edge off once he and Harry got back to Grimmauld Place.
/ (SCENE BREAK)
"So, Harry is an interesting enigma." Her mother stated cryptically.
Astoria had gone to her room, her father was in his study, and it left just her and her mother in the kitchen, just talking in the evening.
"He's not quite that way at school." She pointed out, tapping her index and middle fingers on one of the many different tables they had, the particular one they were sitting at being a smaller one for drinking tea. "He was more guarded around dad than I thought he would be."
"Now why would he be guarded around the father of a friend of his, hmmm?" Roxanne tilted her head, playing as if she were asking an innocent question.
"Mum," Daphne hissed, feeling a tic mark at her temple, "Don't be like Astoria. It's annoying when I feel like I'm the only one in the family that doesn't want to torment me."
Roxanne raised a brow at her daughter speculatively.
"Your fathe-"
" Father… is Father." Daphne deadpanned, fixing her mother with a knowing look. Her mother possessed the same playfulness and more juvenile humour that Astoria had, which never failed to aggravate Daphne, and her father preferred playing word games and twisting her up into knots until she had a headache from becoming so frustrated.
It was maddening! It wasn't like she did anything to them, aside from what Astoria deserved for being a little beast more often than a 13 year old girl.
"And you haven't gotten that second child of yours to stop being a pest still."
Roxanne laughed at how she described Astoria, covering her mouth gracefully as a lady befitting her station.
"It amazes me how far you will go to describe Astoria in different ways without calling her your sister or by her name." She paused for a moment and tapped her cup with her wand, reheating her tea before picking it up and taking a sip with her other hand. "It really is a hereditary trait from your father; I don't remember you hearing his rants as a young child."
"Yes, I've heard this before." Daphne rolled her eyes, the story having been repeated about how she was the perfect female copy of her father in almost every way. "You also didn't defend… ugh, I can't think of anything to describe Astoria right now."
"The second born, second place?" Roxanne offered, raising a brow.
She's mocking me. Daphne thought, sinking into her chair tiredly. Even if it was her father and Lord Black that did the lion's share of the talking and nitty-gritty negotiations, it was still a nightmare to feel as if she were walking on eggshells throughout the entire evening from her father's act and the near paralyzing fear that just looking at Harry would reveal some sort of torrid secret about them to her parents.
And Harry didn't make it easier with that idiotic tickling charm! She was that close to abandoning her carefully concocted plan to get them out to the greenhouse to have some privacy as a couple, but then she realized it would be punishing her as well to scrap the idea.
"But you noticed she hasn't actively sabotaged your room or thrown anything at you since school started." Roxanne pointed out, taking another sip, "She understands how stressful this year is for you, so she's trying to relieve the tension how she thinks works."
"A strange way of showing it." Daphne mumbled, setting her head down on the table.
"You know Astoria loves you." Roxanne said gently, reaching forward and setting her hand on Daphne's. "And I know it because she talks to me constantly."
"About?" Daphne mumbled into the table, still not lifting her head up.
Daphne knew Astoria loved her, and vice versa. But she was a bit curious how her mother would address it.
Roxanne didn't mince her words. "How scared she is for you."
Daphne's thoughts paused for several long moments, her head slowly rising up and her eyes darting to her mother's.
"What?" She asked, blinking slowly.
"Your sister is scared for you because of the students in your year. Nothing I say, even accurately pointing out that not a single person would threaten you because of your position as the heiress to House Greengrass, stops her from worrying from them being the children of Death Eaters."
What her mother just said chilled her to her core. She had never thought of the possibility that Astoria would view the events of the last year through that lense.
"I," Daphne couldn't get the sentence out, still trying to pull her thoughts together after that startling realization, "Why hasn't she come to me about it?"
"Because, as she put it, 'I don't want Daph to be upset that I'm worried'."
Oh, Tori, don't ever think that. Daphne sniffled slightly, blinking suspiciously quick.
Roxanne reached into her pocket to grab her wand again and casted a quick Tempus charm.
"I should make sure your father doesn't stay up too late at work," She said, standing up and putting up the empty cup of tea with a flick of her wand, "Goodnight, Daphne."
" 'night, Mum." Daphne said quietly, mulling over what to do to reassure Astoria that everything was okay.
So caught up in her own thoughts, Daphne didn't realize it until it happened that her mother hugged her and she let out a squeak of surprise.
"I love the both of you," Roxanne whispered, kissing her forehead gently, "If there is anything, I don't care how trivial you think it is, that you want to share, I will listen. I don't want you worried about anything, Daphne, okay?"
Daphne suddenly felt horrible that she was keeping a secret, but she was scared of being honest with her mother. She'd feel compelled to inform her father, then that would cause complications with Harry, and she just… she didn't know what to do.
"Okay, Mum." She said quietly, before her mother kissed her on the temple and left the room, presumably to her father's study.
Daphne just stayed there for the time being, still thinking over that evening and that she could hopefully talk with Harry at school about a few of her worries.
/(SCENE BREAK)
Harry lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling as he mulled over today.
Sirius had practically raced towards the fireplace once they entered Grimmauld Place, grabbing at some floo powder and messaging Remus to get over there and talk with him.
If Harry had to have guessed, he would've assumed it was related to the proper funds being drawn up to send to Cyrus as the deal stated. But the bottle of firewhiskey Sirius had partially hidden in his sleeve as he walked down the hallway said something else was afoot.
It was obvious, now that he knew what to look for. As a young teenager going through his own issues, Harry had overlooked a few things about Sirius that were practically screaming out as red flags that Azkaban still haunted him.
The occasional drinking, which at least involved a responsible chaperone in the form of Remus Lupin, sleeping on the floor instead of a bed, the apprehension in confined spaces like one of the broom closets he had sifted through and quickly froze and stormed out of, and the latest situation at Greengrass Manor.
Sighing as that brought another subject for his still racing mind, Harry thought through that as well.
The good news was that Cyrus was onboard with helping, but the bad news was that it would completely throw everything into even more chaos like an ever expanding spiderweb of cracks that just continued to spread without end.
The earlier breakout of Azkaban was only two months earlier than what had occured, but it still was a change. Arthur not being attacked was another, and there was no connection between him and Voldemort anymore. It meant that if Voldemort set a trap for him, it wouldn't be as it was.
If anything, Harry himself might be able to set a trap.
But that would likely require giving Dumbledore information that's sensitive. Harry reminded himself, grimacing at the thought. Telling Dumbledore he was from the future could go very badly. Sure, he could simply name drop Grindelwald and talk about the Hallows to completely shatter the old headmaster's composure, but that's assuming the best case.
If they prepared a trap, with him, Dumbledore, and the most elite Order members, they may just be able to kill or capture the Death Eaters, if not Voldemort himself if he made a mad dash with Dumbledore for the Horcruxes within the next few days to destroy his anchors.
As if anything could ever go that well. Harry scoffed, rolling over in bed and scowling when he heard a dungbomb go off in the hallway; the twins probably chucking one at Ron or something like that.
Too many loose ends to tie up. He'd just get more people killed, just like when his mistakes got Sirius and Daphne killed, or Cedric because he spared that fucking rat!
Sleep would elude Harry Potter for that night, the bed feeling cold and empty in a way he had never grown accustomed to over the last several months of a now uncertain existence.