#Daphne is Harry's Yule Ball date to piss off Draco

[realitybitesyouknowit]

 With Sirius locked in Azkaban for betraying the Potters, Albus Dumbledore sees no other choice but to place young Harry with his muggle relatives. Much to the headmaster's surprise, however, another lays claim to the boy and though he attempts to prevent it, Harry Potter will be raised by the last of his magical family, but not one bearing the Potter name... Durmstrang story

currently ongoing last read chapter 30. Harry is currently in his 5th year.

last update was 10/18/23.

Author TheBlack'sResurgence..Me going I know I've read Stepping Back and its companion piece and now I'm wondering why I didn't finish the other stories and its not like Lomonaaeren's never ending list of fantastic reads. gas to check saved stories now cause my brain doesn't know.

[eleonorebirk]

Femslash February Week 3: Jealousy

Harry Potter: Tracy Davis/Daphne Greengrass

“I can’t believe she of all people would come as Krum’s date,” Daphne said. “And did you see her dress robes?”

“I did,” Tracy replied patiently. She cleaned up surprisingly well. It seemed someone had shown her the spells to properly care for and style her kind of natural curls and where to buy wixen dress robes.

Granger was the latest attractive witch Daphne was pointing out to her. Not that she appeared to be aware of what she was doing or the way she sounded. 

At 14, the Yule Ball on occasion of the Triwizard Tournament was the first formal ball they were attending. It was only this summer, at 15, that they would be formally introduced to society and start attending balls and other formal events. It was tradition, so that, in the case a suitable match was likely, the subjects taken in preparation of their NEWTS could be chosen accordingly. 

It also meant that they had not seen their fellow students as dressed up but either in their school robes or casual robes on the weekends. And Daphne, it seemed, was rather worked up by how good some of the other witches looked.

Tracy wondered if it was a good sign for her, a sign that, like her, Daphne was also interested in witches. She wondered what Daphne’s first reaction had been when she’d seen her in her dress robes. “I’ll get us something to drink.”

She was considered the options when a glass was held out to her. “Drink?”

“Zabini.” She nodded in greeting. She frowned when she noticed the smell. “Does that contain alcohol?”

“One of the upper years gave me a class from the spiked drinks when they overheard Draco’s rant about Potter. I figured I could share with someone in the same position.”

Tracy considered him, then accepted the glass and took a sip. “Do you think they’ll get a clue anytime soon?”

“I really hope so.”

~*~

By the next Yule, Daphne had definitely recognized the reason for her preoccupation with the witches at the ball. Tracy was less sure about Malfoy having realized he had a crush on Potter. Men!

Unfortunately for Tracy, all Slytherin students were aware that Potter was telling the truth about the Dark Lord’s return. So, as a half-blood, she needed to keep her head down, to keep her distance from the other students, even those of Grey families like the Greengrasses. She couldn’t risk a fanatical blood-purist to take exception to a half-blood “trying to sully a proper pureblood heiress”.

She had to watch from the side-lines, watch Daphne start flirting with witches, watch her prepare to go to Hogsmeade with some, her only solace the looks of compassion she and Zabini exchanged.

~*~

She could practically feel the increasing cold and darkness by their 6th year. The knowledge that Malfoy was marked was a horrible reminder that things were escalating much more quickly than the last time. Then, it had been years before he had began marking students.

Her contact with Daphne had dwindled to just sharing a table in some lessons. Others, Zabini shared with her.

One day in early June, he covertly slipped a note to her.

‘Draco warned me something is happening soon. My family has a warded property in Italy, near a smaller local school there. Consider it.’

She hated it. She hated the thought of leaving, of losing her home, her dreams. Of perhaps never seeing Daphne again. But she had to live. Her family had to live.

That evening, she sent a letter to her family, then sat down to start on the one she would leave for Daphne.

~*~

“Are you all brain-damaged from the war?” Tracy demanded to know as she stormed out of the fireplace. “You can tell Malfoy that he better not pull Daphne into his clusterfuck of a life, just because he’s now trying to improve his family’s reputation.” She frowned at Blaise. “Or you could finally grow a pair and marry him yourself.”

Blaise didn’t look up from where he was spread out on a settee, reading. “Hello Davis. I see you’re well.��� He briefly glanced up. “And it seems you’re getting along well with my grandmother and aunt.”

Tracy ignored his words, too pissed off still from the notice in the newspaper about an upcoming engagement between the Malfoy heir and Miss Greengrass. “Why the fuck haven’t you stopped them yet?”

“First of all, Narcissa Malfoy is the one who has reached out to the Greengrasses about an engagement between Draco and Astoria Greengrass. People have of course offered for Daphne’s hand as well but she’s made it clear she’s not interested. Second -”

He didn’t get to finish as the door flew open and Daphne Greengrass stalked in, a distressed house elf hurrying after her. “What are your intentions towards Tracy? I will castrate you with a spoon if you’re pressuring her in return for your help!” She was distracted from her fury when he drew his head back and laughed. It was enough for her tunnel vision to clear and for her to notice Tracy standing in front of the fireplace. She looked well, really well. Wherever Zabini had hidden her, it had allowed her time in the sun. Her skin had bronzed, a warm tone that had Daphne wanting to see the contrast it would be against her own paler skin.

“Daphne. Hi,” Tracy said.

“Hello,” Daphne managed.

Zabini stood up and stretched languidly. “Well, ladies, I’ll leave you to talk it out between yourselves.”

“Where are you going?” Daphne demanded, confused by his words. Talk what out?

He glanced back at them, offering Tracy a crooked grin. “Growing a pair.” With that, he left them alone.

“You... you look good,” Daphne said awkwardly when the silence got too oppressive for her. “I’m glad you’re okay, that you were safe.” She was still too furious at the thought of Tracy and Zabini to acknowledge his part in her being safe.

“Likewise.” Tracy slowly came a bit closer.  “I was so worried about you, about what has happening here.”

“I heard you’re coming back to Britain?” She hated this awkwardness between them. They’d been so close before. It had taken Daphne an embarrassingly long time to realize but Tracy was her first love.

“I am, yes. Now that things have settled down, we can come home.”

“Will you and Zabini -? I mean, there are rumours about an engagement.” The words left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Engagement?” Tracy repeated. “Hell no. There is nothing between us. I’m not interested in men that way.” And neither, Tracy suspected, did he have an interest in women. “He’s a friend. A friend who had a way to keep me and my family safe from that madman.”

“Good. That’s good.” Daphne took a deep breath trying to calm her still racing thoughts. This visit had gone very different from what she had expected. She gathered her courage. They were alone. If she couldn’t be honest with Tracy, with who else? “I missed you. I was happy you were safe but I hated that I couldn’t have you beside me.” She paused, trying to read in her face what her chances were. “I would have you beside me always. As my... as my everything. My friend. My confidante. My wife.”

For one horrible, long moment Tracy just stared at her, then she crossed the distance between them with long strides. She tenderly cupped her cheeks. “Yes. Yes, of course. I’d love nothing more.”