Chapter XXI: The Winter Holiday (Part II)
(Michael P.O.V)
"Nev!" Michael called as he raced towards Neville, who was mounted atop Harry's old Comet 140, "Get Big!"
With as much force as he could, he launched the Quaffle towards Neville, who had set up in front of a large tree with three large looping branches that mimicked the keeper goals well enough. With the confidence of an entire day's worth of practice, Neville quickly spun, knocking the quaffle away with the butt of the broom, saving it once again as sweat beat down his brow.
"Not bad Longbottom," Harry said as he hovered by Michael's side, "10 for 14 isn't bad at all."
"Thanks," Neville said panting, it was no surprise to either Harry or himself that Neville wasn't in the best of shape, "You guys weren't going easy on me, right?"
"Have some faith, Nev," Michael said with a chuckle, "I wouldn't be sweating this much if I had gone easy on you, you did good, especially on that old broom.
A bright smile rose on Neville's face, and it was a sight that brought a lot of relief to Michael, as the amount of pain he had seen in his friend's face at the hospital was something he had never wanted to see again. Of course, Michael hadn't gone easy on him, he knew how much he hated pity, and he knew that both Neville and Harry felt the same way. Still seeing Neville take a victory lap feeling triumphant over his show of great defense was something that brightened the day of all three of them.
If Michael was to be honest, today had been shaping up rather nicely. His mother had sent him an owl telling him she understood if Michael hadn't wanted to return for Christmas Day, and Michael instantly jumped at the opportunity to stay at Longbottom Manor for a little longer. It was helped even more from the fact that Harry had claimed he too would be staying at the Manor over the holiday. Michael felt as if he had been gifted an escape, and it was clear from the looks on Granny Longbottom's and Neville's faces that they were thrilled the manor wouldn't be so empty this time around.
Augusta Longbottom or Granny as Michael had become quite fond of calling her had been quite entertaining over the holiday. She had started with embarrassing her grandson with funny stories, things that caused Harry and him to laugh as Neville hid his face in shame, before switching over to tell the boys about her days at Hogwarts. The fact that Granny Longbottom had been so close with Professor McGonagall was a staggering development, and to hear Granny Longbottom refer to the stern professor as Minne had forced Harry into more than a few laughing fits.
More impressively, though Harry, Neville, and he were technically breaking the rules, sneaking out to their lair to practice magic, Granny Longbottom had been more supportive than any of the boys, especially Neville could have imagined. Instead of criticism, she praised the three of them for having the motivation to answer the call to action caused by their shared displeasure at their inability to act during the Hogsmeade attack and retrieved a rather large leather-bound notebook placing it on the desk with a thud.
While Michael was taken away by the sheer volume of documentation in the field of transfiguration, Harry looked simply entranced constantly muttering phrases like, "That's genius," or, "I would have never thought about using that spell for that." And honestly, Michael had to agree as he read a transfiguration spell, in regard to turning an opposing enemies wand into a rattlesnake, clearly, Granny Longbottom was no joke of a wizard.
Michael was even more impressed with the fortitude of the woman as he, Harry, and Neville, watched in complete amazement as she transfigured a stone into a living-breathing miniature dragon that could even blow flames, before transfiguring the dragon into a cookie. Clearly, Michael thought to himself as he marveled at the display before him, I need to take transfiguration more seriously.
However, apart from the quidditch practice, what really made the holiday fantastic was having dueling practice with a proctor and a guide that helped Harry try and explain what he wanted. Even better, both he, Granny Longbottom, and Harry all got to visibly see the improvement of Neville's skill after he had gone to Ollivander with the two of them and purchased a 10 ¾ inch wand made of Cherry with a Unicorn Hair core.
Michael's 12" Elm wand with a Pheonix-feather core certainly didn't lack in power, but the defensive spell capability inherent to Neville's wand was nothing his charms focused wand could even begin to emulate. In fact, Neville's protego spell had been so strong that the shockwave released from Harry's stunner bouncing off it had sent the unprepared boys toppling to the ground. While now that they were better prepared for the outcome, the power placed behind the shield spell was certainly something to awe at.
As the boys descended from their brooms, Harry's stomach growled loudly as both he and Neville turned to him, "Dude," Michael said shaking his head, "How?"
"We had lunch like two hours ago," Neville said with a grin of his own.
"Flying makes me hungry," Harry protested.
"Out of curiosity," Michael said with a grin, "What doesn't make you hungry?"
"Shut up, Corner," Harry said with a chuckle, "Come on, let's get ready, I'm sure Granny A's going to need some help getting everything ready for dinner, it is Christmas Eve after all."
"Right," Michael and Neville said together, and with their brooms swung to rest along their shoulders, and a satisfied grin on their faces, "Last one in's Hippogriff Dung!" And with that, Michael bolted, quickly being tailed by Harry and Neville, a laugh never leaving his lungs.
(Harry P.O.V)
Christmas Day was always one of Harry's favorite holidays, and while much to Harry's displeasure, Sirius had insisted it was safer for the sake of their secrecy that Harry remain at the Longbottoms for Christmas, as Sirius suspected all ties to the Black Family would soon be suspected to more investigation due to Fudge's dementor based mistakes, Harry was glad at least he'd be spending it in the company of his two best friends, and a very terrifying old-lady.
Harry had awoken with a yawn as he rubbed the crust out of his eyes, his body feeling exhausted from the previous day of flying and spellwork. But seeing how the smell of bacon permeated the room, Harry found the motivation required to hop out of bed. As Harry left his guest room, the training schedule they had been undergoing had clearly become ingrained in his two friend's heads as the three nearly opened their bedroom doors in unison.
Harry was always a happy medium between the two boys, whereas Michael looked like he had been in the center of a tornado when he woke up, his blue hair flying everywhere. Neville, seemingly always had the time to get up early and make sure his hair was combed before leaving, despite the fact the boy was still in his sleep shirt and checkered pants. Harry was thankful his hair was cut, of course, clumps of hair still stood up, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had once been.
The three boys all gave each other a silent nod before in a flash, they bolted towards the stairway down towards the kitchen, a growling monster in Harry's stomach despite his large dinner the night prior. He leapt for the stair railing, sliding down as his two friends protested that his actions constituted cheating behind him, but in time, the three had found themselves in the Longbottom dining room, and a happier than usual Granny A was sitting there shaking her head in amusement.
"There's plenty of food for everybody," Augusta said calmly.
"Not if Harry gets there first," Michael and Neville said with a chuckle as Harry mocked offense.
The breakfast was delicious and the smell of pine and gingerbread filled the air really making the house resonate with the spirit of Christmas. It was a secret to nobody that a lot of the joy both Neville and the Elder Longbottom felt came from the fact that it was the first time in years that the house had been filled with cheer and not mourning for the loss of Neville's parents.
With breakfast devoured, the time finally came to open gifts, and while Harry admitted that he had been spoiled by Sirius, Remus, and Andromeda when it came to gifts of Christmas, despite the feeling he had of needing nothing, even he was overwhelmed by the mountain of gifts the three boys had placed in front of them.
As the three boys approached, they exchanged their own gifts with Neville receiving a very odd-looking plant from Michael and the two receiving their own Dragon-Hide holsters from Harry. Though he had insisted that his friends didn't need to buy him anything, Michael had chuckled to himself as he handed Harry a large assortment of prank gags claiming that Harry was a, "Pain in the ass to shop for." And Neville had gifted Harry a Broom Compass for long trips on his Firebolt.
The boys quickly began to sort out their presents from the mountain, and what Harry had realized was that while he had a mountain of gifts, many had come from his "fans" at the castle and while Harry was thankful for all the sweets, the thankfulness died after figuring out that many were laced with love potions thanks to Granny Longbottom. Unfortunately, there was no note, and it had made Harry realize that perhaps he needed to be more careful when regarding his "fans" or else Daphne beating him to a pulp for being an idiot may be the least of his worries.
Speaking of the Princess, Harry was very surprised to see that he had received a small parcel from her as well, and with a smile, Harry pocketed the gift wanting to open it last. Harry was also surprised to see a gift from Hermione containing a luxury eagle-feather quill for each of the boys, and that had filled him with guilt as he had not even considered purchasing anything for the caring bookworm, he'd have to remedy that at a later time, perhaps an evaluation of his new friend circle was in order.
Finally, Harry grinned as he saw a gift that read From Padfoot, Have Fun! Not wanting to wait any longer, Harry ripped apart the packaging revealing a sharp penknife as black as a nightmare, with a woven handle attached to the bottom with a note that said, Because Alohomora is for sissies. Harry smiled as he held Sirius' knife in his hand before recalling the blade, he'd seen the blade at work, and it had meant a lot to him that Sirius had gifted him one of his most prized possessions.
Tonks had gifted Harry a model firebolt that flew around the room upon command, and instantly Michael had gotten to work looking over the craftsmanship and testing the weight the broom could hold. A crazy-looking grin filled his face as he realized the broom was capable of carrying a small bag full of dung bombs, ending his evaluation with, "Snape's not going to know what hit him."
Remus had gifted Harry a Mokeskin Pouch and with the new amount of books gifted to him by Andromeda, Harry knew damn-well he would need it. Believing to have seen no other gifts for himself, Harry turned to his friend and a bright smile grew on both his face and Michael's as from the next room over, Augusta had walked in carrying a large parcel for her grandson that Harry knew could be nothing other than a broom.
The two boys watched as with trembling hands, Neville began to unwrap his gift and an audible gasp came from Michael upon seeing that Neville had just received a brand-new Cleansweep 11, the top of the line broom for a Keeper. Michael whispered at the sight of it as he said, "Dang Nev, that blows my Comet 260 out of the water. Playing against Hufflepuff next year when you make the team's going to be rough."
"You mean if I make the team?" Neville said confidently.
"No," Both Harry and Michael said, "When."
A smile appeared on the boy's face as he spoke, "Well, do you guys want to try it out?"
For a moment, Harry had forgotten about everything else before Augusta spoke, "Young man, I believe there is one more gift for you under the tree."
Harry turned and found a gift he was certain hadn't been there before. The wrapping was a strange purple haze-like color and was extremely light as Harry lifted it. Slowly, utilizing Sirius' gifted knife, he cut the tie off the gift, and instantly, the wrapping fell apart revealing a fluid-like silky, silvery material blanket. However, the gift wasn't alone, atop the silky cloth was a note that Harry read in intrigue, Your Father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it Well. -Dumbledore.
"What is it?" Neville asked.
"It's a gift from Dumbledore," Michael said in confusion, "I know you two spent a lot of time together, but I didn't think he'd give you a present."
"Yeah," Harry said, "Strange. He said it belonged to my father though."
"Use it well?" Michael said, "How do you use a silver blanket well?"
"Maybe it's like charmed with a warming spell?" Neville spoke with shrugged shoulders, "Try it on Harry."
Harry nodded, pulling the long blanket over his body before causing Michael to drop the chocolate he was currently eating with a thud, "Holy Crap!" Michael said in amazement, "You're freaking invisible Harry! It's an invisibility cloak!"
"They're super rare," Neville said, "I've never even seen one until today. Wow."
"Harry do you know what this means?" Michael said, "Our pranking game just went up to an 11, talk about consequence-free activities."
"I um," Neville said, "Not sure that's what Dumbledore meant by using it well, Corner. These things are super rare, and continuous use makes the magic wear off, you shouldn't use it so much."
"Sorry Corner," Harry said with a shrug, "Maybe for one of two good pranks we can use it, but if there is a chance of it wearing off, I don't want to ruin a memento from my dad."
"Yeah you're right," Michael said with a sigh, "Sorry, just got a bit excited is all."
"Oh don't worry Corner," Harry said with a grin, "I promise you that when we do use, Snape is literally not going to see us coming."
Neville shook his head as Harry and Michael high-fived in glee before finally, Harry only had one gift left to open. Slowly, he reached for his pocket and from the note hanging off the incredibly small parcel, Harry read, Figured that every good Seeker needed one of their own -DG.
With care, Harry slowly began unwrapping the gift, revealing a small glass container with a red plush holder at the bottom holding in place a tiny golden ball that could only be a customized Golden Snitch. Just atop the fold, Harry smiled as it read Flyboy. He slowly opened the case, and watched with a grin as the snitch sprung to life, flying around his head before with his practiced reflexes, he captured it between his index finger and thumb, before placing it gently in his pocket as he thought to himself, Not bad Princess, not bad.
(Astoria P.O.V)
Astoria had a very strong love-hate relationship with Christmas. She loved it because it was one of the few times Daphne would show up at home for a few days when they were younger, and she hated it because as was expected by Pure-Blood standards, they were required to attend or host extravagant high-society parties, something that if Astoria had to put in its most simple terms were horrendously boring.
Astoria growled even more venomously at the thought as this years party was being hosted by her least favorite group of people, the Malfoys. Though she had resented it and was considering writing to Harry to see if he could somehow get her out of it by throwing his name around, Daphne had convinced her not to stoke the fire any more than necessary. It was for that reason that Astoria found herself in front of her full-body mirror dressed in a floor-length, chiffon and lace V-neck party gown, adjusting her itchy ¾ sleeves as Daphne pulled her hair back into an honestly impressive braided knot.
Her sister too looked stunning and Astoria couldn't help but laugh as while her gown was a stormy grey, her sister was decked in a regal purple gown which happened to be Harry's favorite color. Honestly, the dress could have been any color and Harry's jaw probably would have dropped to the floor as the floral lace of Daphne's dress created an elegant overlay atop knit fabric as it shaped a sleeveless, halter bodice with darting that trough a banded waist transitioned itself into a flirty woven chiffon skater skirt that really showed of her legs. Astoria had never wished more that she had a camera to capture the look of her sister just to see Harry's reaction back at school.
With the two of them now dressed, however, their focus turned to a much less enjoyable task, surviving the night at Malfoy Manor. While Astoria had grown used to the cold shoulder of her parents, her sorting into the house of Lions had only seemed to make it worse, and she now dreaded the idea of a summer alone in the Greengrass Manor without Daphne. Their father had entered the room and with a stern face, he spoke, "Now girls, while we are there you will be polite and interact kindly with the scions of these noble houses. You will appropriately represent the Greengrass family name and with some luck, perhaps I will be able to negotiate a proper match for you, Daphne, at the party."
"No, I'm good," Daphne said with a shrug, "I'll find my own match."
"You will do as I instruct you to," Her father said coldly.
"Or what?" Daphne said with a brazen attitude that for a moment reminded her greatly of Harry when faced with unfair authority, "You'll disown me? How will I ever survive?"
"I am your father Daphne," Their father growled, "And you will show me respect."
"Respect is earned, not given," Daphne responded curtly, "And you lost all of mine years ago. So I'll make you a deal, I'll act as you wish at the party as long as you don't start interfering in my romantic affairs. Otherwise, the next headline will read Greengrass Heiress breaks the Scion of the Malfoy's nose."
"You wouldn't dare," Their father spoke, "Finding a proper match for such a disobedient woman would become completely impossible if you pulled a stunt like that."
"I happen to know a very famous man that would find that rather appealing," Daphne said which caused Astoria to grin as she thought of Harry's reaction to reading that headline. Harry would probably propose to Daphne the next day.
Her father stared at them sternly before with a sigh he spoke, "Very well, you will represent the Greengrass family responsibly and I shall not interfere with your choices. However, fail to do so, and I promise you, you will regret it. Be downstairs in five minutes."
Their father turned coat before slamming the door shut behind him leaving Astoria and Daphne alone once again as Daphne growled, "Bite me." Before Astoria realized that Daphne had caught her grinning as she spoke, "What's got you all smiley."
"Just thinking about you and Harry getting married someday," Astoria said with a shit-eating grin, "You even sounded a bit like him there."
"Potter and I aren't even together," Daphne said with a forced scowl.
"Hey," Astoria said with a shrug, "A girl can dream right?"
"Whatever," Daphne said though she playful shook her head, "Let's head downstairs before Jonathan pops a vein. Do you remember the rules."
"Get your own drink, watch your glass, never leave it unattended, stay in the view of the public, and in an emergency scream fire." Astoria recited, remembering all of her sister's warnings for these 'high-society' parties.
"Okay," Daphne said with a pleased nod, "Well, here goes nothing." The two sisters found their mother and father sitting in front of the floo, and right after her father Daphne had taken the Floo Powder, and with one last eye roll to Astoria which caused her to chuckle, her sister spoke, "Malfoy Manor!" And in a flash of emerald-green, she vanished.
Astoria too took a pinch of the Floo powder, and with one last irritated breath she spoke, "Malfoy Manor!" Before getting swept up by the emerald flames as well. The worst party of the year was set to begin, and all Astoria could think of was, I hope Harry had a better Christmas than this.
(Daphne P.O.V)
The Malfoy Manor was not an unfamiliar place to Daphne. She had been subjected to many nights here in the hope that Draco and she would have created a bond that would spark into romantic interest and keep both Greengrass and Malfoy line pure. But Daphne had always hated it there despite the incredible architecture. The Malfoy home was a handsome manor house that grew out of the darkness at the end of a straight drive that was protected by a black steel gate unable to be opened by muggles due to many well-placed runes. Lights glistened in the diamond-paned downstairs windows surrounded by a magnificent courtyard decorated that was cared for to perfection. The hallways were large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated with beautiful accompanying green and silver carpets.
The floor was a polished stone and the drawing-room contained a long ornate table illuminated by the roaring fire beneath the marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. However, while the drawing-room was Daphne's favorite by far, the festivities spread from the sitting room through the houses large ballroom and into their kitchen. The house was no doubt lavish, and Daphne often felt like a princess when she was young in such a large manor, but none of that could overshadow the disgust she felt towards Malfoy even in her childish years.
Draco was boastful, and while that was expected of the heir of a powerful line, and while it wasn't always unattractive when done tastefully and with restraint like Harry did, there was a quality of Malfoy that made her even less attracted the blonde ponce, and it was the reason Daphne dreaded visiting the mansion, Draco and the Malfoy's, in general, were cruel. No, not to their guests, and most definitely not in the public eye, but to their servant, Dobby, their fury was unrestrained.
Daphne hadn't been in the manor for more than five minutes before she found himself face to face with Lady Malfoy herself the former Narcissa of House Black. Lady Malfoy was a tall, thin, and rather beautiful looking lady with very pale skin, deep blue eyes, long blonde hair, and a most chilling voice. "Ah, Ms. Greengrass," She said kindly, "It's good to see you, it's been so long, you've grown so much since the last time I saw you."
"It's good to see you as well Lady Malfoy," Daphne lied through her teeth, "Time certainly seems to have had no effect on your beauty."
Narcissa smiled, a cold and foul looking attempt at one at least as Daphne imagine she hadn't seen an authentic one in years, "Well, us ladies of Pure-Blood do have the benefits of longevity when it comes to our beauty. It was one of the first lessons I taught you when you were young after all."
Once again Daphne grit her teeth and released a fake smile. Her 'relationship' with Lady Malfoy had been another thing fabricated by her father, as in an attempt to gain favor with Lucius he had wanted Daphne to bond with Narcissa, and learn from her. Learn she did, and her main take away was to never allow herself to fall into a position of such little control of her own life. Narcissa was more of an extension now of Lucius rather than her own person, a trait common for those engaged in Pure-Blood marriages. Though marriage wasn't a thought that frequently crossed her mind, she had many other things to be concerned over, she promised herself she'd never end up like Narcissa.
The Lady of House Malfoy had taught her another valuable thing, however. The minds of men were for the most part easy to control, and there were two things that drove men to do anything. Sex and Money, while of course for her age that didn't always apply, it was a reason that Daphne did keep herself in the best shape possible. Sometimes a beautiful smile was more powerful than the wave of a wand. Daphne nodded politely, "It was a very wise lesson, Lady Malfoy."
Once again, Narcissa attempted a smile before she spoke, "Well allow me to find my son, I'm sure he'll be most pleased to see you."
"Fantastic," Daphne growled lowly before putting on the fake smile once more and following Narcissa through the halls, sending her sister one last look of warning to stay safe as she left Astoria solo. It was important Daphne played her part because while it may have been a party, the threat-level was incredibly high.
As Daphne weaved between the crowd, she saw a scene that had made her want to vomit. In the center of the dance floor, Daphne was 'graced' with the view of Parkinson aggressively trying to suck Draco's face off. Though judging by where his hands were resting, Draco didn't seem to be protesting very much. The two only broke apart when Narcissa had cleared her throat, and Daphne watched as Pansy swallowed nervously under Draco's mother's glare before scurrying off. With Pansy gone, Narcissa spoke, "Draco, the Greengrass' have arrived, it is time you perform your duties as the son of the host."
"Yes mother," Draco spoke with a nod before Narcissa left and Daphne was awkwardly dragged out on the floor for a formal dance of acknowledgment between the Greengrass Heiress and the Malfoy Scion.
"So you and Parkinson," Daphne whispered.
"Jealous Greengrass," Draco said, moving his hand lower on her back which Daphne instantly stopped, "You could always beg for me to come back."
"I'd sooner die," Daphne said through a forced smile as while the two were whispering below their breath their expressions were still viewable, "And if you don't get your hand off my ass I will hurt you."
"I wouldn't want Potter's sloppy seconds anyway," Draco said and for some reason, Daphne had a certain flicker of fury at the insult not just to her, but Harry as well, "Why you find a filthy half-breed like him worth your attention I'll never understand. His mother was a mud-blood, did you know that? It was a shame that the purity of the Potter line was soiled in such a manner."
"A witch could do far worse than Potter," Daphne returned as Draco spun her, "You, for instance."
"Careful Greengrass," Draco spoke, "I won't sit quietly and have my name tarnished regardless of the publicity. It's best you remember what happened in the common room, and Snape isn't here to save you this time."
"Trust me Malfoy," Daphne said coldly, "I haven't forgotten."
The music had broken from the slower-paced songs, and Daphne was more than thankful to break away from Malfoy's arms as she headed towards the refreshments table where she saw Astoria sitting alone. She took her drink and sat beside her sister before sighing as Astoria spoke, "That looked painful."
"It was," Daphne groaned as she downed her martini glass of McSpratts Spell-Sparkling water before turning to face Astoria, "How was your entry?"
"Better than yours," Astoria said calmly as she sipped her pumpkin juice, "Second Daughters don't get as much attention."
"Lucky," Daphne said with a sigh as she spoke, "Anyways, I've gotta go."
"Where?" Astoria asked.
"The Library," Daphne said, "The Malfoy's have a huge one, and I'm sure it's full of dark books, maybe something in there can help Blaise or-," But she stopped before finishing the second half of the statement.
"Or me," Astoria finished for her however before sighing, "Normally, I'd tell you to give it a break and try to enjoy yourself. But seeing as your alternative is dancing again with Malfoy, I'd rather be nose-deep in books too. Just be careful okay?"
"I was about to tell you the same thing," Daphne said with a grin, "Just keep your head down, we'll get through this and then, we'll be home-free."
(Daphne P.O.V)
The Malfoy library was large, overwhelmingly so, and if possible, it was even larger than when Daphne had first seen it. The gothic architecture had remained the same, as each row was lit by burning green candlelight, and yet, the library seemed to stretch for miles. Slowly, from her purse, Daphne retrieved her gloves to avoid fingerprint tracking or direct contact in case she wanted to open something that possibly held some sort of curse, and as she wandered through the halls, Daphne couldn't help but wonder if Draco had ever stepped foot in this library.
Her search had been going well until she touched her first book, and a seemingly silent alarm was rung as a pop filled the air. Nervously, Daphne reached for her wand in her bag before she heard a timid voice call out, "Excuse Dobby Miss, Dobby can't allow anyone in Master Malfoy's Library, Dobby needs to show you out."
Quickly, a smile appeared on her face as Daphne turned, facing the House-Elf she had spent so much time with as she kneeled to his level and faced him, "Dobby, it's me, Daphne, Daphne Greengrass."
If possible, the elf's tennis ball sized eyes widened even more as he spoke, "Miss Greeny, Dobby has missed Miss Greeny, Miss Greeny was always so nice to Dobby."
However, the bouncing of the excited elf lost Daphne's interest as she saw the bandages over Dobby's fingers, and slowly, she reached out taking the elf's hand stopping his excited bouncing, "Dobby," Daphne spoke seriously, "What happened to your hand?"
"Master Draco wanted Dobby to do something to Miss Greeny," Dobby started, "But Dobby didn't want to, Miss Greeny was always so nice to Dobby." Tears started to form in the elf's eyes as he continued, "Dobby didn't listen to his masters, so Dobby is a bad-elf. Dobby had to iron his hands."
"What did Draco ask you to do?" Daphne asked as she slowly unwrapped the House-Elf's hand readying her wand to apply whatever treatment she could to the injured creature.
"Master Draco wanted Dobby to put Love Potion in Miss Greeny's drink," Dobby said through tears, "But Dobby couldn't do that to Miss Greeny, Dobby disobeyed his master, Dobby is a bad, bad, bad elf." Quickly, Daphne stopped the elf before he began to beat himself with the book that Daphne had withdrawn from the shelf.
"Dobby," Daphne whispered, "You aren't a bad elf, you are a very good elf, I would have been very sad if I drank a love potion for Draco, you were very kind."
"Dobby did good?" Dobby asked.
"Yes Dobby," Daphne said with a smile, "And your fingers are all better now. Do you still have the potion?"
Dobby nodded as he looked at his fingers crying, "Miss Greeny is so nice to House-Elves, Dobby is so lucky to be Miss Greeny's friend. Dobby will get Miss Greeny the potion right now."
The elf popped in and out within seconds and in his hand, a bottle containing a light pink liquid filled with what could only be Amortentia. Daphne uncorked the bottle and instantly the steam of the love potion filled her mind. Daphne had been exposed to the sent of love potions before, it had once smelled like a hospital to her due to her fascination with medicine but now it smelled of a completely different scent. To her dismay, it smelled of Cedar and Green Apple. Sighing, she quickly recorked the bottle and spoke, "Has his hair been added to this already?"
"Yes, Miss Greeny," Dobby said honestly.
"Interesting," Daphne said, "Let's cause some chaos then, shall we?"
It hadn't taken long before Daphne had calculated her plan, there were so many enemies to choose from, but a truly sinister idea fell upon her as a twisted smile rose to her face, "You ever hear of the story of Narcissus, Dobby."
"No Miss Greeny," Dobby said shaking her head.
"No matter," Daphne said with a smile, "Can I ask you a favor Dobby?"
"Yes Miss Greeny," Dobby said nodding his head, "What does Miss Greeny be needing?"
"I'm looking for a book on Blood Curses or Soul Fragments," Daphne said, "If you can find either, can you bring them to me? I need to rejoin the party before people realize I'm missing?" Dobby nodded enthusiastically and just before he popped away, Daphne smiled, "You're a good elf Dobby, you deserve better than this."
(Daphne P.O.V)
Better than Daphne could have hoped for, she seemingly hadn't been missed at the party, and better still was that Astoria had taken great measures to stay visible in the center of the dance floor. A server had come around carrying a tray full of Party Punch, and Daphne quickly took one from the serving tray and in secret, poured the potion into the drink.
Next was phase II, act the part. Without interference, Daphne walked towards where Draco was currently talking with Nott and with no courtesy, Daphne quickly broke through the conversation, falling into Draco's lap much to his surprise as she spoke in a sultry voice, "Hi Draco."
For a moment, Draco looked shocked, and then, realizing how he believed his plan had come to fruition, he loosened up as he spoke with a satisfied grin, "Greengrass, have you changed your mind about me?"
"Of course I have," Daphne said smiling, "How could I have been so stupid in not seeing how lucky I was in having you interested in me." She then handed Draco the spiked Party Punch and with a grin, she took his, the two exchanged a pleasant smile before Daphne whispered, "Drink with me?"
Draco like a fool nodded eagerly, and the smile on Daphne's face only grew as Draco downed the spiked punch and wasting no time, Daphne removed herself from his lap as she placed down the drink she had taken from Draco and leaned in to his ear and whispered, "If you ever try to spike my drink again, this will get so much worse for you, now go find a mirror and enjoy yourself."
Draco obviously deep in a self-loving haze quickly raced to find a large window that showed his reflection. Daphne watched in amusement as Astoria walked over to her a look of concern in her eyes, "Please tell me that vomit-inducing scene was part of a plan."
"Of course it was," Daphne said with a grin, "Now sit back and enjoy, this is going to be fun."
"God, you're so hot!" Draco said with a groan as he stared at himself in the mirror, "I mean look at you, wow! I can hardly take it!"
Daphne felt Astoria peering into her with confusion as she turned to her little sister, "Draco tried to slip me a love potion, ended up spiking his drink instead. This is fascinating."
"Would you fuck me?" Draco asked his reflection, "I'd fuck me. I'd fuck me hard."
Daphne couldn't restrain her laughter as Pansy quickly rushed her boyfriend trying to get him to stop acting so strangely. However, at Pansy's touch, Draco pushed her aside and proceeded to slam his face up against the glass, entering a full-blown make-out session with himself, "You're a mad-man," Astoria said now sharing in Daphne's laughter.
Soon, Draco's mother and father appeared, Daphne then turned in the direction that Lucius was coming from and saw that his son's antics had interrupted his talk with the Minister, truly a shameful event. "Boy." Daphne heard Lucius growl, "You're making a scene. Stop this immediately."
"You can't stop our love!" Draco groaned out loudly.
"Dobby!" Lucius hissed and instantly the feeble looking elf appeared. "What is happening with my son?"
"Dobby doesn't know sir," Dobby said friendly, "Dobby isn't a doctor."
Before Lucius could even speak, Draco had begun to disrobe himself, throwing his coat onto his father's face as he began to unbuckle his belt. And in a fit of frustration, Lucius turned to Dobby, throwing Draco's coat to him. Unable to contain her joy at what had just happened, a bright smile appeared on Daphne's face as Lucius bellowed, "Get Draco to his room Dobby, now!"
But Dobby didn't move, instead, he stood there, tears of joy forming in his eyes as he spoke, "Master has presented Dobby with clothes. Dobby is free."
"What! No! You planned this, didn't you! Tell me who you planned this with right now Dobby, that's an order!" Lucius hissed.
"Dobby doesn't take orders from mean master Lucius anymore," Dobby said now standing up straight, "Dobby is a free elf!"
Daphne began to panic as she saw Lucius reaching for his wand, but before she could even react, Dobby had snapped his fingers, and with a push equivalent to a knockback jinx, Lucius went flying through the window of his Manor, sending Draco into a rage at his now shattered reflection. Daphne turned to Astoria and whispered, "Time to go."
Astoria nodded and with a silent whisper, Daphne called out, "Dobby." Instantly the elf appeared before them and Daphne whispered, "Did you get the books?"
"Dobby could only find one," Dobby said, "Dobby put it in Miss Greeny's bag."
"Thank you, Dobby," Daphne said, "One last favor, could you get us home?"
Dobby smiled and nodded, then with a pop, they apparated.