Ch 9
Harry opened yet another door and sighed when it turned up empty. Why did Greengrass Manor have to have so many bloody doors anyways? He'd been searching the manor for the better part of an hour and he'd still not found his girlfriend anywhere.
After Daphne had left the parlour, Astoria and Anastasia had continued to scream and shout and argue with each other for quite a few minutes. Harry had tried to intervene a couple of times, but Astoria's stern glares that reminded him so much of how Daphne glared at people she wanted to shut up made him reconsider his decision to involve himself directly. So, he had just stood there and watched, ready to offer any support Astoria needed after such an emotional battle.
In the end, both of them had dug in their heels. Astoria had made it perfectly clear that regardless of what her parents thought was best for her, Daphne, or the family, she wasn't going to give up her boyfriend whom she loved dearly. Anastasia countered that Harry was the ideal match for Daphne and that Astoria needed to put her sister first for once rather than doing as she pleased.
Naturally, with no end in sight, it hadn't taken long before Astoria had fled from the room as waves of anger and sadness washed over her.
Harry had made to chase after her, but Anastasia had begged him to stay just a moment longer. He still hadn't gotten her words out of his mind.
'You like Daphne too,' she had told him. 'And you know that she'd make a better wife than Astoria. Daphne's never found anyone who can make her smile the way you do, and I know that if you open up your heart to her, she'll make you the happiest man in the world. Think about what's best for the both of you and make the right decision.'
Despite wanting to throw the words out of his mind the moment he heard them, he couldn't. His brain kept bringing him back to the words and made him really think it over.
Would he be happy if he was with Daphne?
Yes.
He'd gotten to know Daphne a bit better over these last few weeks. Between studying together at Hogwarts and the time they'd spent together over the break, he really felt like he was finally starting to understand who Daphne was as a person.
Despite her icy exterior, there was a warm, caring, and beautiful woman underneath it all. She was brilliant and clever and witty. He felt like he could banter back and forth with her for hours and never get sick of making her smile at one of his stupid jokes.
If Astoria had never come into his life, could he have ended up with Daphne instead?
Yes.
But that wasn't the way things were.
He had met Astoria first, and he loved her with all of his heart. Astoria didn't hide her warmth beneath an icy exterior; she was kind and caring to everyone she came across, and she had this incredible spark of life inside of her that made her so exciting to be around. She was passionate and fiery and just as brilliant as Daphne was. He loved wrapping his arms around her, tickling her sides, and then laughing as she promised him a slow and painful death unless he stopped tickling her that instant. Then, he'd kiss her to apologise, and she'd always demand more in repayment.
Even now, just thinking about Astoria made his heart flutter. And that was why he needed to find her.
He'd reached the end of the corridor by now, finding empty room after empty room. There were a couple that had been locked, but he'd knocked on them and heard nothing in reply. Perhaps she was hiding in one of them, but he knew that Astoria wouldn't shut him out like that.
Still, he didn't have much else to go on, so he turned round to go and double check the rooms he'd passed by.
Only, he paused mid-stride when Daphne climbed up the stairs at the far end of the corridor and made eye contact with him.
Even from this distance, her eyes looked a little puffy, like she'd been crying. But her expression on her face was perfectly neutral, and there were no signs of tear streaks down her cheeks or anything else to give away any sadness she was feeling.
Harry hurried over to her side. "Are you alright?" He asked, genuinely concerned that Anastasia's words had hurt Daphne more than he realised. He could only imagine what it was like for her to go through something as complicated as that.
"I'm fine," she answered, but her voice hitched.
Without even thinking about it, Harry wrapped his arms around Daphne in a tight hug. She froze in place under his touch, but after a few seconds, she finally relaxed and hugged him back.
Although she didn't make any sounds of crying, Harry could feel her body trembling against his. He hugged her until he felt her breathing start to even out, and then he pulled back from her. She gave him an awkward smile in thanks.
"I'm looking for Astoria," he told her gently. "But I can't find her anywhere."
"The attic," Daphne replied without needing any time to think about it. "She always hid up there on rainy days when she was upset."
"Thanks," Harry smiled at her. "How do I get up there?"
Daphne pointed at a door down the corridor. "There's a hatch in the ceiling in the closet over there," she told him. "Just pull the string and a ladder will slide down for you."
Harry glanced back and mentally marked the door in his mind before he turned back to Daphne. Even though he wanted to go comfort Astoria right now, he knew he couldn't leave this situation as it was. Regardless of his complicated feelings for Daphne, she was his friend if nothing else, and that meant that she deserved his support in times like this.
"Listen, about what your mum was going on about," Harry began awkwardly, but Daphne cut him off.
"Just forget about it, alright?" Daphne replied quietly.
"I don't think—"
"That's right, you don't think," Daphne snapped. "Why are you even bothering to talk to me right now? Shouldn't you be running off to Astoria?"
"You're my friend," Harry told her sympathetically. "And friends help each other when we're having hard times."
"Yeah, well," Daphne muttered, her anger instantly dwindling back down inside of her. "I'm fine. Just go see Astoria."
"I care about you, Daphne," Harry insisted.
"Maybe you shouldn't," Daphne replied, her voice hitching. "It'd be easier that way."
Harry didn't have a reply to that, at least not a simple one. Emotions aren't something one can easily control, but he couldn't tell her that. He didn't want to give her false hope that he'd leave Astoria for her—besides, he doubted she'd even take him if he did that.
Ultimately, Astoria was the one he truly loved more than anyone else in the entire world. He wouldn't give her up for anything or anyone. Even Daphne.
Daphne took a couple of awkward steps back before she turned around and started heading back downstairs. Harry watched her go, waiting until she was out of sight before he turned and walked over to the room Daphne had indicated.
He cracked open the door to find the small storage closet. The hatch was there, and Harry tugged on the string.
Suddenly, the hatch swung upwards, and a rope ladder magically unfurled itself right in front of Harry. He climbed up into the unfinished attic above.
Boxes lined the walls of the attic with cobwebs joining them together. Each was sealed, but several had unusual markings on the sides of them. There were runes, images of plants, and even little notes of some of them. The one directly beside the hatch read: "Do not open until 2167." The box looked ancient, and Harry didn't want to know what sort of strange things an old pure-blood family like the Greengrasses would have stored in there.
Thin streams of light shone in through small windows placed systematically around the attic, but one caught his attention more than the rest. It was the one overlooking the back garden, and Astoria was sat down right beside it in a relatively clean area.
Harry closed the hatch, and Astoria's head snapped around to face him.
Unlike Daphne who had no signs of having cried besides her puffy eyes, Astoria had long tear streaks running down her face. The light mascara she wore was running too, and her face was all red from crying. The moment she saw him, her eyes welled up with tears and her lips trembled as a sob threatened to break loose.
Harry practically ran over to her, watching his head as he went so that he didn't run right into a wooden beam, and dropped to his knees and hugged her tightly to his chest. Astoria let loose them, sobbing against his robes and holding onto him so tightly.
"I'm not going anywhere," he murmured softly into her ears.
If anything, that just made her hold onto him tighter.
Harry felt terrible that Anastasia had put Astoria through all of this. This entire situation was just so terrible, and unless Anastasia backed down, this could be the last time Astoria visited her parents. If he were in her place, he certainly wouldn't want to spend any time around people who were trying to destroy his relationship because they thought they knew better.
Astoria let out all of the tears she'd been holding in during the fight with her mum, and Harry was happy just to hold her throughout it. Eventually though, she pulled away and wiped the snot from her nose.
"Thanks," she murmured as she leaned back against the wall. "I… I…"
"We don't need to talk if you don't want to," Harry quickly assured her.
Astoria gave a slight shake of her head. "No, I want to. It's just hard. I can't believe my own mother would try to break us up just so that she could try to marry Daphne off to you."
"It was a little bit of a far-fetched plan," Harry said, cracking a half grin.
"A lot of people would have gone for it," Astoria admitted bitterly. "Daphne's the one who's going to inherit almost everything here. She's beyond beautiful, intelligent, and caring. She's going to make someone very happy one day. She could have made you very happy."
"I wouldn't have been happy without you," Harry told her sincerely.
"You could get over me eventually," Astoria argued sadly.
"No, I couldn't," Harry said, shaking his head. "Astoria, you mean the world to me. Ever since you've come into my life, I've been the happiest man in the world. Did I ever tell you about the first time I noticed you?"
"No," Astoria answered quietly.
"You were in the library, and my godfather had told me to quit moping around and to find the most beautiful witch I could for the Yule Ball," Harry chuckled at the memory. "I never really spent much time looking at girls before that, but I was so scared to go to the Yule Ball alone that I had to find someone to go with. And then I found you in the library."
Even now, he could still draw up the mental image of her perfectly.
"You were standing in between two bookcases with the light shining on you, and then I saw your big, brown eyes and thought that they were the most beautiful pair of eyes I'd ever seen. You were looking for a book, and you had the cutest expression on your face as you looked through the shelves. I remember how your lips were pursed, and I wanted so badly to run over and kiss you."
"I probably would have smacked you away," Astoria giggled quietly.
"And that was why I needed to get to know you first," Harry winked at her. "I kept trying to talk myself out of it: what could a gorgeous, brilliant witch like you want with an idiot like me? But, I knew that if I didn't give it a shot, I'd be kicking myself for years over letting you get away."
"And then you came over to see me?" Astoria asked, enraptured in the story.
"Mm hmm," Harry nodded. "I asked who you were, and when you said 'yes', I swore that I was hearing an angel sing."
Astoria snorted and rolled her eyes at him.
"No, it's true," Harry insisted. "Your voice was so beautiful that it nearly took my breath away. Merlin, I was so nervous when I sat down to talk to you, but I convinced myself that even if I made myself look like a complete idiot, it'd be worth it just to hear your voice again. You looked so elegant that day."
"Elegant," Astoria repeated as a smile came to her lips. "I remember you calling me that. I thought it was so silly when all I was doing was studying in the library."
"It was exactly how you looked," Harry smiled back at her. "I replay that day over and over again in my head, and I can't believe how lucky I am to have ended up with you. You've helped me so much with the Triwizard Tournament and being the perfect partner I never realised I so desperately needed. I never want to take you for granted, and I'm never going to leave your side as long as you'll have me."
Astoria's eyes were welling up with tears again. She opened her mouth and let out a choked sound before she tackled him with a hug again. "I love you, Harry."
"I love you too, Astoria."
Breakfast was silent the next morning. Harry had come down with Astoria's hand in his, much to Anastasia's disapproval. They had sat down beside each other, still hand-in-hand, and quietly ate their breakfasts. Cyrus had joined them moments later, and then Daphne. Even Hobsy seemed to pick up on the tension in the room and remained quiet as she tidied up the used dishes around them.
Harry thought that they might be able to escape from breakfast unscathed without conflict, but his hopes were dashed the moment that Anastasia cleared her throat.
"Darlings," she smiled at Astoria and Daphne. "I was thinking that we'd start planting some herbs and vegetables today. We have a great mess of seeds to sort through, and you can pick out some of your favourites and—"
"No," came Daphne's quiet reply.
Anastasia blinked, startled at her normally demure daughter refusing to go along with her wishes. "No?" She repeated it like she still couldn't believe that Daphne had said no to her.
Daphne didn't deign to respond to her mum; she just kept on quietly eating her breakfast.
Anastasia looked shaken up for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "It really would be good for all of us to—"
"No," Daphne replied a little more forcefully now. She met her mother's gaze and held it for several seconds. "I think we've all had enough of your little games, mother."
Everyone was staring at Daphne now, even Astoria, but she was just carrying on eating without a care in the world. Cyrus looked like he wanted to say something, but he kept closing his mouth every time he looked over at Anastasia's shocked expression.
Anastasia's eyes turned sad. "Astoria, why don't we—"
"No," Astoria interrupted, following her sister's lead.
Daphne didn't outwardly react, but Harry could see a sparkle of amusement in her eyes as she looked on at Astoria.
Anastasia huffed and slammed her fists down on the tables. "Just because the two of you are upset with me doesn't give you a valid excuse to refuse your chores."
Astoria turned away from Anastasia and looked over to Daphne. "Do you want to go for a walk through the gardens?" She asked her sister.
Daphne nodded in reply.
"We'll be back later," Astoria whispered in Harry's ear before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. As she stood up, Daphne set down her utensils and got up too.
Together, the two sisters left.
"This… this is unacceptable behaviour. From both of them," Anastasia said to the room, her body trembling with anger.
"I'm sure that if we give them a little bit of time, things will settle back down to normal," Cyrus said placatingly, but a nervous bead of sweat dripping down his forehead expressed just how little confidence he had in the plan.
Anastasia let out a little scream and leapt to her feet before storming out of the room.
As the sound of a door slamming closed rang out, Cyrus gave a big sigh and turned to Harry. "Isn't there anything you can do about this?" He asked pathetically.
"I don't think it's my place to interfere," Harry answered cautiously. This was something that Astoria and Daphne would have to work out amongst themselves. Regardless of how they chose to handle their relationship with their mother going forward, Harry would support them.
"But they're completely out of control," Cyrus whinged. "I've never seen them behave like this before. We need help getting them back under control, and you're maybe the only one who could help us with that."
"Have you ever asked yourself if the situation you're in right now is because you're trying to exert too much control?" Harry asked the man. "Astoria and Daphne should be free to make their own choices in life. I know that parents are supposed to help guide their children and teach them what's right and wrong, but you and your wife are meddling far too much in their personal affairs."
Cyrus whimpered as he sagged down in his chair. "I know it's not ideal, but it's for the family."
"I don't know if there will be a family if you two keep up with this," Harry replied.
It was hard to deny the beauty of her family's gardens. Even though her home held so many bad memories for her of her parents neglecting her and pulling Daphne away from her side, Astoria still held a great deal of fondness for it. She loved the attic she used to hide and play in whenever she would get into trouble, the greenhouses out back where she secretly practised magic with her mum's wand, and, above all else, the peaceful gardens she cared for and tended to alongside Hobsy and the other house-elves.
Before her parents started keeping Daphne away from her, she and Astoria used to love running through the gardens together in search of the most beautiful flower that day. They collected them and placed them under stasis charms to keep them as they were until the first day of Autumn. On that day, they bring all of the flowers together in a bouquet and remove the stasis charm. Honestly, the bouquets were a colourful mess due to the child-like arrangement, but they were still beautiful to Astoria.
It had been so long since they'd made a bouquet together. Astoria had tried a few summers ago, but Daphne had brushed her off. But now, as they were walking through the gardens again, Astoria felt like she was a little girl again on a walk with her sister to find the prettiest flower.
Of course, things were different now. Daphne didn't have that same look of wonder in her eyes as they walked. Her head didn't swivel around, kicking up her beautiful blond hair, as she scoured the flowering bushes and plants around them. Her eyes were sad and focused only on the path in front of them. Her body language was closed off and tight, and it upset Astoria terribly to see her sister like this.
They'd been walking for several minutes in silence now. Astoria's weak smile had been met with an awkward one from Daphne, and that had been that. Of course, now that they were far enough away from the manor that Astoria knew they were safe from any curious ears, she knew that she needed to get everything off of her chest.
But that was easier said than done. After the torrent of emotions yesterday, Astoria was exhausted. She didn't even want to talk with Daphne necessarily; she just wanted to wrap her arms around her sister and hold her tightly in thanks for everything that she's done to support her relationship with Harry. Daphne looked like she needed a good hug.
Naturally, if Astoria tried that, Daphne was probably as likely to push her away as she was to hug her back. After years apart, Daphne felt so familiar and so much like a stranger at the same time. It made Astoria unsure of how to proceed with her.
"Are you okay?" Daphne suddenly asked.
Astoria blinked away her thoughts and realised that she must have been staring at Daphne's face for several minutes now. They were stopped on a rectangular patio with a large, circular fountain in the middle of the stone patio. Thick hedges surrounded the patio while small flowering bushes were placed in pots sporadically around the area with small stone benches as well.
"I'm fine," Astoria answered, slightly embarrassed in getting so lost in her thoughts that Daphne was the one who had to start the conversation.
"Mother really did a number on you yesterday," Daphne grimaced. "I heard the two of you shouting for quite a while."
"Yeah, well," Astoria muttered, kicking at a loose clump of dirt by her feet. "She doesn't make things easy."
"No, she doesn't," Daphne agreed quietly.
Astoria looked up and met Daphne's gaze. "Thank you for having my back, Daphne. Mum is… well…"
"A bitch?" Daphne suggested.
Astoria looked gobsmacked at Daphne's sudden profanity before she let out a giggle and nodded her head. Maybe there was more of the old Daphne still in her than she expected.
"Yeah, a bitch," Astoria repeated in agreement. "I still can't believe that she tried to break me up with Harry like that, and… thank you for telling her off. I know it couldn't have been easy given everything."
Almost immediately, Daphne's entire body went rigid at Astoria's words. Her eyes flickered from side to side as though she was looking for an escape, but Astoria reached out and grabbed Daphne's wrist before she could bolt.
"Daphne, please. It's fine," Astoria tried to assure her. "I know how you feel about Harry."
It was like Daphne had suddenly plunged in icy-cold water. Her eyes went wide with panic and she started to hyperventilate.
"It's okay," Astoria tried again to calm her down, but it didn't do anything to help. Daphne tried to pull away and run, but Astoria held onto Daphne too tightly. "Please, let's just sit down and talk about this!"
"I… I…" Daphne stammered. Suddenly, she pulled hard from Astoria's grasp and stumbled and fell. Her hands scrambled against the stone floor as she rushed to her feet, but she didn't make it very far when Astoria's body-bind curse hit her in the back.
Astoria managed to levitate Daphne's frozen form a moment before she was about to hit her head on the stones. With a sad, sympathetic look on her face, Astoria guided Daphne over to one of the nearby benches. She sat down beside her sister, put her hand over top of Daphne's, and then ended the curse.
"Please don't run," Astoria said softly as she stroked the back of Daphne's hand.
Daphne's body was tense, but she didn't run. She wouldn't quite look over at Astoria, instead choosing to stare down at the stone beneath her feet. "Okay," she muttered.
Thinking back, Astoria remembered the signs that she'd purposefully ignored before. All of the times Daphne had watched her and Harry together, those looks she gave Harry when he wasn't looking back at her, the life that had suddenly come back into her eyes when Harry started becoming friends with her. Everything pointed to Daphne having a crush on Harry.
Astoria hadn't known what to do about it, but given that Daphne had maintained respectful boundaries, Astoria had been fine to let things stay the way they were. After what they overheard her mum say yesterday though, there was no way they could keep ignoring this.
"I don't blame you for falling for him," Astoria began with a small smile. "I mean, I remember just how quickly he wormed his way into my heart. He has that effect on people once you get to know him. He's so charming and handsome and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. He's been there for me when I needed him most, and he helped you out too when you needed him."
"I never meant to feel the way I do about him," Daphne said quietly.
"I know," Astoria agreed. "You're not the type of woman to try to steal away someone else's man, but you can't help the way you feel about him."
"I've tried so hard to stop myself from liking Harry," Daphne suddenly exclaimed desperately, like she needed Astoria to believe her. "And I'm never going to get in the way of you with him."
"Even if you tried, I don't think Harry would let it happen," Astoria laughed lightly. "Do you remember back when Fleur Delacour kissed him after the second task?"
Daphne nodded her head.
"Well, Harry apologised like crazy to me after," Astoria recalled with a faint smile on her lips. "He had a Veela kiss him and all he was worried about was making sure that I was okay and that I knew that she had been the one to kiss him. I bet he could have run off with her if he wanted to—Fleur has had quite the eye for him ever since—but he chose me. I've never had to worry about his loyalty since then."
Astoria bit her lip then as she paused in thought. She didn't know if she wanted to confront this next issue, but she supposed it couldn't be avoided forever.
"I'm not blind to the fact that he likes you too," Astoria admitted quietly.
Daphne's eyes went wide. "No, he doesn't! You can't think—"
"He isn't going to leave me for you, and he doesn't love you the way he loves me, but I would be lying to myself if I didn't see the spark between the two of you," Astoria interrupted gently. "But Harry knows his boundaries and wouldn't ever let you two become anything more than friends while he's with me."
"If he broke up with you, I wouldn't go after him," Daphne told Astoria.
"And he wouldn't go after you either," Astoria nodded. "That's just the type of guy he is."
Astoria kicked her feet up and let out a long sigh.
"I know that you've never found anyone who fits what you're looking for in a partner," Astoria grimaced. "No one except for Harry. I'm never going to give my boyfriend up, but I don't want to spend the next who-knows-how-many years watching you be miserable while I'm thriving."
Daphne sucked in a deep breath. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you deserve happiness just as much as I do," Astoria said, taking Daphne's hands into hers. "And if that means finding a place for you with Harry and me, I'm willing to give it a shot if he is."
Ch 10
Anastasia wasn't there to see them back off to Hogwarts. Truthfully, Harry wasn't sure if any of them wanted her there even if she offered to go.
The last few days of the Easter Break had been awkward to say the least; Anastasia kept trying to act like nothing was wrong, Daphne and Astoria maintained their mutual solidarity against their mum and refused to go along with her wishes any more, and Cyrus kept looking to Harry to somehow resolve this dilemma on his own. Harry did nothing to help fix the problems that Anastasia—and, to a lesser degree, Cyrus—had caused and instead spent the rest of his break spending quality time with Astoria and Daphne.
It had been lovely to finally see the two sisters getting along like sisters should. Still, it came with its own awkward moments where it seemed like neither of them were quite sure how to act around each other. It was usually up to Harry to step in then and get them back on the same page, but he didn't mind in the slightest. He took every chance he had to have the three of them fly peacefully over the Greengrass lands, have a picnic out in the gardens, or even have a good old fashioned water balloon fight—something he'd dreamt of doing ever since he was a kid and had to sit aside and watch Dudley and his friends play in the street on hot summer days.
But now the break had come to a close, and it was time to return to Hogwarts.
Kings Cross Station was as busy as ever when Cyrus apparated the three of them there. He had a sour look on his face, undoubtedly a result of Anastasia making her displeasure around the whole situation known to him. Still, he saw the girls off with a hug and Harry with a handshake before he hurriedly apparated away.
"Think mum's gonna kill him when he gets back?" Astoria asked aloud, still looking at the spot her dad vanished from.
"I'd give it even odds," Daphne joked back, though her expression didn't give away that she was joking. It had taken Harry a while to figure out when she was joking and when she wasn't. Her lips never gave it away; it was her eyes that you had to look at. You could see a little sparkle in them, almost like what Dumbledore had, whenever she was having fun or finding something funny.
"Were they arguing again last night?" Astoria asked as she went to pick up her trunk, but Harry stepped over and grabbed it before she could.
"I've got it," he smiled at her.
Astoria beamed up at him but then turned to look at Daphne, who was carrying her trunk. Suddenly, her pleased look turned into an expecting one, and it only took Harry a moment to catch on as to what she wanted.
"Err," Harry said as he shuffled his and Astoria's trunks awkwardly in front of him. He quickly pulled out his wand and shrunk the two trunks before tossing them in his pocket. "Can I take your trunk for you, Daphne?"
"Of course," came the cultured reply that made it sound like she was doing him a favour by offering him up her trunk.
Harry repeated the same spell and stowed Daphne's trunk in his robes too. Then, the three of them stepped onto the Hogwarts Express.
"Mum and dad were arguing again, Astoria," Daphne confirmed as they started walking down the corridor in search of an empty compartment. "They were up pretty late. Their privacy charms obscured their exact words, but I don't think it's a stretch to guess that it's about us."
Astoria bit back a sigh. "They'll just have to learn to deal with it. I'm sick of listening to a woman who won't even show me any respect."
Harry slipped his arm around Astoria and squeezed her against his side in a show of support.
"If we really wanted to, we could always leave," Daphne pointed out. "We're both adults, and our vaults have enough in them to let us each buy a house of our own."
"Maybe that could be a last resort," Astoria replied with a pained expression on her face.
It was clear that she didn't exactly want to leave her home unless she was forced to, regardless of what her mother did. Harry supposed that there was enough space for Astoria to avoid her mother all day if she really wanted to, which might be for the best if Anastasia was unwilling to change.
"It might be something that comes up sooner rather than later," Daphne added with a backwards glance over her shoulder at Astoria and Harry. "I've just cancelled our summer trip through Europe to visit all of the pure-blood families mum and dad wanted me to meet with."
"You what?!" Astoria exclaimed, leaping out of Harry's arm and rushing to her sister's side.
"I figured enough was enough," Daphne replied nervously, biting her lip. "I didn't… I mean, I thought we talked about—"
"Of course, and my opinion is still the same as it was before," Astoria quickly assured her, sending Harry a furtive glance out of the corner of her eyes. "But I'm just surprised is all. I know that you wanted to help me be free of mum and dad's influence, but…"
"Our talk in the garden helped me put things into perspective," Daphne explained, looking relieved at Astoria's words. "I don't want to be married off to someone I don't love."
Astoria hugged Daphne without either of them stopping walking forward, but Harry was left feeling a little out of the loop. What talk had they had in the garden? And what did Astoria's opinion have anything to do with it? He almost wanted to ask, but he thought better of it given the clearly tender moment Astoria and Daphne were sharing.
"We'll figure something out," Astoria murmured in Daphne's ear.
"My godfather has a place," Harry suddenly spoke up, drawing both of their attentions back to him. "If either of you needs a place to stay, you're welcome with us."
Astoria beamed at him. "Thanks, Harry."
Daphne smiled at him too. Without the shadow of her parents looming over her, it was nice to see Daphne back to her usual self that he had gotten to know before the break. She would never be as expressive or boisterous as Astoria could be, but the joy in her smile was no less genuine.
"Finally," Astoria sighed dramatically as peered through the small window into a cabin. "We must have gone through half of the train by now."
She yanked open the door and stepped inside. Daphne followed close behind her, leaving Harry as the last one in. He closed the door behind him and pulled out the three trunks from his pocket before he reverted them back to their normal sizes and slid them up high in the luggage racks above their head.
As he did this, he noticed that Daphne and Astoria sat on opposite sides of the compartment from each other. They were both by the window, sitting directly across from each other, and both of them were looking at him expectantly.
When Harry got the last bit of luggage sorted, he turned and looked back at both of them. "There's only one of me, you know," he joked lightly.
"That's alright," Astoria smiled encouragingly at him.
"Just sit beside whoever you want to," Daphne nodded.
This felt like a trap, especially with the innocent, gentle smiles on their lips. Harry couldn't help but feel like he was being watched by two lionesses on the plains who were just waiting to pounce on their prey.
But, really, it wasn't much of a choice for him in the end.
Harry slipped into the seat beside Astoria, and she instantly moulded herself to his side. "Good choice," she winked at him.
"I agree," Daphne agreed from the other side.
Harry looked between the two of them suspiciously. "Is this another test? Like the one from before the break?"
Astoria giggled. "Why? Would it seem more like it was if both of us were wearing lingerie?"
"Mine's in my trunk, and I know that Astoria has hers too," Daphne pointed out. "We could get changed into them if you'd like."
She posed her last sentence like a question, and it confirmed for Harry that this was some type of game they were playing with him.
Harry opened his mouth to fire back with a cheeky joke that would have made his godfather proud, only to stop himself at the last second.
What was going on here?
They were both flirting with him, clearly, but that didn't make any sense. Back on the day when Daphne and Astoria argued with their mum, Harry had talked with Daphne afterwards. There had been an implicit understanding between the two of them that there was a spark there, but neither of them were willing to act on it. But now it seemed like Daphne was willing to.
The problem was that Harry wasn't sure if it was real flirting or not. Surely Astoria wouldn't put up with Daphne flirting with him so openly in front of her face like this, right? But if Daphne was just joking around, that seemed completely out of character for her. Harry hadn't missed the way Daphne's voice had hitched or the unshed tears in her eyes when they'd talked before, and it didn't seem like it would be possible for her to make such a drastic switch to getting over him so quickly like this.
So what was going on?
Before he could do more than begin to think about the situation, Daphne got to her feet, walked over to Harry's other side, and sat down. Then, just like Astoria, she snuggled right up against his side.
Harry could feel his cheeks turning red unwillingly as both women pressed the sides of their breasts against his arms. Their heads rested on his shoulders, and they were both looking up at him through their eyelashes.
Then, Astoria glared at Daphne and suddenly flipped one leg over top of Harry's. She straddled his thigh, pressing her breasts against his chest and leaning in closer to his mouth without exactly making a move to kiss him.
Finally, Harry couldn't take it anymore.
"What the hell is going on?" He exclaimed.
Rather than answer him, Astoria and Daphne both burst out into a fit of giggles and gave him a little space.
"Sorry, Harry," Astoria said, not sounding sorry in the slightest as she sat back down next to him. "It was just a little joke."
"Was it?" Harry asked, raising a questioning eyebrow in her direction.
Astoria just smiled coyly and avoided answering the question as she shifted the topic off to something lighter.
Despite the discussion shifting away from what had just happened, it didn't leave Harry's mind. Their conversation shifted back towards Hogwarts, the upcoming Third Task, and the end-of-year exams. Harry chatted along happily, chiming in with jokes and the like throughout the entire train ride, but he became hyper aware of all of the little looks and touches both women were giving him. They were never so bold again, but they occasionally made subtle comments or little jokes that he felt were directly designed to try to make him blush.
By the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade, Harry felt thoroughly perplexed by the entire situation.
Daphne knew that Harry was going to be one of the first students in Defence Against the Dark Arts today. Despite her frequent misgivings about the quality of professors they'd had, Daphne would definitively say that Mad-Eye Moody was easily the best. Sure, Professor Lupin had incredible knowledge about the various dark creatures that inhabited the world, but his wandwork was nowhere near the ability of Moody's.
It was one of the things that excited Daphne about Defence class: she was learning from a professor who seemed genuinely capable in the subject. It was like his real-world experience as an Auror bled into what he taught, making everything seem so much more practical and exciting.
Perhaps it was why she liked studying with Harry so much. His wandwork was magnificent, and she was able to learn a lot from him. He was like Moody in that way, only Harry was far more encouraging, witty, and handsome.
Although he normally wasn't early to any of his classes, Defence was different for Harry. Daphne saw the genuine joy in his eyes every time Moody announced yet another practical lesson, and Harry was always sure to have the perfect seat to soak in everything that was happening in front of him. He even went so far as to make Daphne move to sit beside him closer to the middle of the room after he started sitting with her in class.
Sure enough, Daphne was the sixth person to arrive in the classroom today, and Harry was already in his usual spot. He had his books, quill and ink, and wand out on his desk. He looked cute as he bounced his leg restlessly, waiting for class to start.
Feeling a little smirk come across her lips, Daphne subtly drew her wand and cast a subtle Animation Charm on a broken quill that had been left abandoned on the desk behind Harry. The quill suddenly stood up straight and swam through the air like a fish towards Harry's left shoulder. The quill tapped him twice, making Harry look at it.
Daphne slyly slid into the empty chair on Harry's right. "Over here."
Harry nearly jumped in his chair and his head snapped around to face her. He was looking at her strangely, like there was something on the tip of his tongue that he wanted to shout but couldn't.
"What's got you looking like you just drank a Forgetfulness Potion?" Daphne teased him lightly.
Suddenly, everything seemed to click in Harry's eyes and that confident look came across his face. Daphne always found the way he looked at her like that incredibly sexy. It was like he could see right through all of her little games and masks and know her true thoughts and feelings.
"That quill was your work, I take it?" Harry said amusedly.
"Perhaps," Daphne replied evasively. "If it wasn't me though, then you'd better watch your back better. Someone did a good job of sneaking up on you. You know what Moody always says."
"Constant vigilance," Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yeah, I think I've got burned into my brain by now."
"If you did, Potter, then Greengrass wouldn't have been able to sneak up on you so easily like that!" Moody snapped as he walked into the room. His cane clacked on the floor as he hurried to his desk. "That'll be five points for Slytherin, and five points from Gryffindor. Next time, keep a better watch on your surroundings!"
Harry glowered at Daphne, but she merely basked in the glory of getting one over on him.
"You do realise that this means war," Harry told her.
"I know," Daphne grinned.
"And I won't hold back."
Daphne shrugged in reply like she didn't think much of any attempt he could put forth. "You know what they say: all's fair in love and war."
She made sure to inflect her words in just the right way that it was impossible for Harry to miss the meaning behind him. She thought that he'd caught onto the game back on the Hogwarts Express when she and Astoria had pretty much made their intentions clearly known, but obviously he either hadn't pieced it together or he was holding himself back.
Part of her still felt a little bit awkward about flirting with him so shamelessly in front of Astoria. After everything that happened with their mum, Daphne didn't want Astoria to think that she was trying to steal Harry away from her. She supposed that she was lucky that Astoria seemed so understanding and willing to give things a chance.
Even if she'd never be Harry's number one woman, Daphne's heart told her that he could still find a place in his heart for her. She hoped that he could, at least. After having gotten to know Harry, she couldn't imagine having any other man in her life besides him. How was he supposed to find room for her when he had her brilliant, beautiful, amazing sister already?
Defeatism wasn't going to win the day though. Daphne knew that falling into a pit of despair would stop her dreams before they could even begin to take flight. She had to be fearless and try to win Harry over genuinely. If it was meant to be, then love would blossom between them. If not, then at least they both had Astoria to help them through this mess.
"It certainly is," Harry replied, looking lost in his own thoughts.
Daphne bit her lip. This was as good a chance as any to start making her moves.
"You know, I was thinking that we could start up our study sessions again," Daphne said cautiously, watching Harry closely to gauge his response.
"That'd be great," Harry smiled at her. "It'll give me a few extra chances to get some revenge for today."
Daphne chuckled lightly at Harry's words. "Astoria also invited me to join your study group for the Third Task."
"Even better!" Harry exclaimed. "We can study for the Third Task and do our Defence work at the same time."
"Actually, I was hoping we could keep our study sessions just between the two of us," Daphne replied smoothly. "I wouldn't want to disrupt Astoria's studying."
"Oh, yeah, okay," Harry agreed, but Daphne could definitely tell that something was wrong.
Was he worried about being one-on-one with her in private? Daphne wanted to curse her mum for ever bringing up her feelings towards Harry in the first place. He'd been comfortable enough around her while Astoria was there too, so she'd figured that he'd just been able to move past the awkwardness, but there was clearly something still there lingering.
Should she push on? Make her intentions more overt?
No, she decided. Harry was looking a little bit more skittish about the study session idea now, and she didn't want to blow it all up before it could even begin.
Maybe this subtle plan that she and Astoria had agreed too wasn't the right move. Maybe being direct with their intentions would be the better approach.
But these words couldn't come from her. Astoria was the one who needed to explain everything.
Daphne could only wait and hope that things worked out the way she dreamed they would.
All she wanted was to curl up in a ball with Harry's strong, comforting arms around her. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, the way his hands would feel against her porcelain skin, the sensation of their bodies being joined together, and the feeling of pure bliss that they could find in each other's arms.
Daphne knew that she was asking for a lot here, both from Harry and Astoria, but she knew that there was no other man in the world who could compete with Harry Potter.
Harry awoke in the middle of the night to something moving around on his bed. He immediately sat up straight, ready to fight whatever was attacking him, only to find Astoria's grinning face suddenly illuminated as the tip of her wand glowed a gentle yellow.
"Oh, this isn't the bathroom," she joked.
Harry couldn't help the snort that escaped his nostrils at Astoria's stupid joke. "You're an idiot."
"And yet you still love me," Astoria grinned as she flopped down onto the bed beside Harry, resting her head against his pillow. "What does that say about you?"
"That I'm a fool in love," Harry chuckled and laid back down.
He'd missed the nights of Astoria sneaking into his dorm room. Honestly, he wasn't even sure how she managed to get up here in the first place, and any time he asked, Astoria would just grin and tell him that a witch had to have a few secrets of her own. It didn't really matter anyway; all that mattered was that she was with him now.
Harry breathed in, relishing in Astoria's scent. She liked to wear this floral perfume that smelled of lavender, orchids, vanilla, and a subtle medley of spices that drew him in. He loved it because the scent would still last on his pillow for a day or two after she'd stayed over. It was a wonderfully comforting scent.
"You're my fool though," Astoria smiled at him. "So that helps things."
"Speaking of being a fool," Harry trailed off, wondering if this was the right time to bring things up. Holding onto his thoughts wouldn't do him any good, but he didn't want to ruin the first peaceful night they could have together after a couple of weeks of stress. Though, he supposed it wouldn't really be peaceful if his mind was stuck on other things the entire time. "Is something going on with you and Daphne?"
Astoria didn't seem surprised by the question. However, she did seem a little uncertain as to how to answer. He could see her mind turning and twisting as it tried to come up with a proper explanation, which only served to worry Harry further.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me," he assured her, trying to clamp down on the growing anxiety in the pit of his stomach.
Suddenly, Astoria just blurted it all out. "I know you like Daphne and she likes you too and I'm okay with sharing but it's all so new and real and strange and we don't know how to bring this up with you and—"
Harry stopped her by literally putting his hand over her mouth. Astoria stopped babbling on and just stared at him, waiting for some type of response.
Truthfully, Harry didn't know whether to laugh, yell, shut down, or just dive in head first to this craziness.
"You want to share me with Daphne?" He asked her seriously.
Astoria nodded her head with no hesitation whatsoever.
"Okay," Harry said as he rubbed at his temples. "I'm gonna need you to explain this a bit more to me. Because last I knew, you blew up on your mum for suggesting that I get together with Daphne instead of you."
"That's still off the cards," Astoria pointed out. "There's no way that I'd ever give you up, not even to Daphne. I love you with all of my heart, but so does Daphne."
"She and I aren't together though," Harry replied.
"Not right now," Astoria said tentatively. "But she and I talked about it, and I told her that I'm okay with the two of you being together on the side. I've made it clear that you're my boyfriend and we're going to be together forever if I can help it, but Daphne loves you and I know that you're attracted to her too."
Harry opened his mouth to deny it, but Astoria beat him to the punch.
"Don't lie," she told him kindly. "I'm not mad or anything. You've shown time and time again that you've chosen me over anyone else, and that means the world to me. It's also why I feel secure enough to let this happen."
Harry bit the inside of his cheek. "So, what? You want me to hook up with Daphne?"
"If that's what the two of you want," Astoria answered encouragingly. "Or if you want to take things slow, go on dates, snog by the Black Lake, or whatever else you want."
"But what does that mean for us?" Harry asked her, feeling a pang in his heart. "I'd never want to put you second or to make you feel like you're not enough for me."
"Then you'd better make sure that you don't put me second," Astoria cracked a small smile. "You're not the type of guy to run off with a new girl. We'll still be the same as we have been. We'll go out on dates, shag until we collapse from exhaustion, and love and care for each other just the same as always. The only difference will be that Daphne will be around sometimes to fill in the gaps."
Harry exhaled loudly. This was a lot to try to take in, but it did explain quite a bit. Between the train ride and the general flirtation in class, Harry had begun to fear that something nefarious was going on.
"Daphne knows that she won't ever be able to supplant me in your heart, and she's okay with that," Astoria told him. "She just wants to be with someone who genuinely cares about her and will treat her right. I know that you'll do both. I won't lie and say that it'll always be easy to balance this change to our relationship, but we're all invested in making it work. We all love each other, and I know that none of us will try to hurt each other. But we won't go through with this if you're uncomfortable with it."
He was uncomfortable with it. It was hard for him to picture himself being with anyone else besides Astoria, but it wasn't really like Astoria was going away. She'd still be there by his side throughout it all. The only change would be that Daphne would be in Astoria's place sometimes.
Harry closed his eyes and tried to imagine it. Even though he'd tried to forget, he could still remember just how gorgeous Daphne had looked in her lingerie that day she'd ambushed him as a test. A part of him had wanted to give into her at that moment, but he'd refused because Astoria was too important to him. But what if Astoria had given him her permission that day? What would have happened between him and Daphne?
As his imagination began to run wild, he started to stiffen in his pyjamas.
Harry opened his eyes and looked down at Astoria's smiling face.
"Well?" She prompted him.
"You honestly want this?" He asked.
"I do," Astoria confirmed sincerely. "Daphne deserves to be loved just as much as I do. Besides, you know how Daphne likes to watch us together?"
Harry nodded, his cheeks tinging pink at the memories of Daphne watching him and Astoria have sex.
Astoria leaned in close to his ear and whispered to him. "I think I might like watching the two of you too."
Harry met her gaze, leaned forward, and kissed her. "Okay," he whispered back. "Let's give this a shot."