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"Who?"
That brings me up short until I realize she's asking who the agent is. "I can't say. It wasn't who you'd expect, though. You already know Snape and Durmstrang Headmaster Karkaroff are marked Death Eaters?"
She lets out a breath. "Why do you keep giving me dangerous information? Are you trying to get me killed?"
I frown. "No, that information isn't even that important. I believe it's a matter of public record, even though it might not be public knowledge. I'm just buttering you up with juicy gossip before I turn you on to the real challenge."
"I already told you I'm in, Lerner. There is no need to 'butter me up,' as you say."
I sigh. "There is, actually. I need you to like me, first, and trust me."
She scoffs. "Don't start with that nonsense again."
"It's not. It involves information that is not even mine to give. Information that I should not have. Information far more dangerous than the history of Tom Riddle, Jr."
"That doesn't seem possible."
I meet her challenging stare for several seconds. "What do you know about dark rituals that can grant a form of immortality to the caster?"
Daphne makes a choking sound in her throat. "Bloody hell, Lerner!"
"How else do you think he's still around after getting hit by the Killing Curse?"
"I know that!" she snaps. "You're implying you know what he did to do it!"
"I do. And I was hoping you did, too."
She shakes her head. "I don't know, and I don't want to know."
"Well, that makes my problem a little more difficult. I've already set Hermione on that particular task for now, so maybe we'll get lucky and you can skip that piece. But Hermione and I...obviously our resources are quite limited. I was hoping to enlist a wizarding family who might have hidden knowledge of such things." I don't mention that I've already recruited Sirius for this information-gathering task as well, since the Blacks seem to be more likely than most to keep such information within their family.
"And because I'm in Slytherin, you think my family might have it?" she asks, eyes flashing while she folds her arms.
I shrug. "It's a stereotype, true, but it can't hurt to try."
Her anger fades with a sigh. "I...I don't know if I can help with that," she says, shaking her head. "I'll have to think about it. That kind of information..."
"I know. You'd have to look at yourself. That's not the kind of thing you owl home about, no matter what charms or ciphers you're using on the parchment. You aren't going to tell your father, are you?"
"Of course not," she says with a sharp glare, as if I gravely insulted her. "And you say this isn't the main problem? Sweet Circe, Lerner, what have you gotten me into? What have you gotten yourself into? Who's the agent?"
"I'm keeping that to myself for now," I say with a grimace, still upset that I let that slip. "In fact, what you know stays between us."
"I know, Lerner," she growls.
"Well, I'm just making sure!" I hold my hands up in a placating gesture. "Anyway he is harmless until he springs the trap on Harry, and he's not ready for that yet."
"How could you possibly know that without being an accomplice?"
"Mr. Zabini said: I am well-informed. And it's like I said, I can't have you knowing all my secrets, Daphne. You'd find me less debonair."
She makes her annoyed puff. "You're awful, do you know that? How can you talk about something so serious and then say stuff like that?"
"Sanity. Plus, I do enjoy the faces you make when I frustrate you," I say with a grin. "Yes, exactly like that 'I am about to hex you' face you're making now."
She quickly schools her face into a blank stare. "That's not for your enjoyment, you know."
"I know, but I will admire it anyway. Not as much as the genuine laugh you gave me last time, but those are far more difficult to come by."
She rolls her eyes. "I was laughing at you that time for being so ridiculous."
"If that's what it takes to get you to laugh like that again, you can make fun of me however you want."
She presses her lips together in the expression I recognize as her attempting to hide a smile. "You are the most bizarre friend I've ever had."
"So I'm your friend now?" I say excitedly.
She lets out a quick laugh. "You're like a puppy. I guess you may consider me a friend, as long as you don't tell anybody."
"Anybody can look out and see us walking, though," I point out.
"True, maybe I should Stun you before I leave," she says, looking pensive, "you know, just to keep up appearances."
I laugh. "That's an option. Of course I would have to insist on extracting something of equal value."
Daphne purses her lips as she looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "I'd be careful what you request of me."
"Yes, I suppose a hug and a kiss on the cheek would send the wrong message; I'd probably end up on the wrong end of more than just a Stunner from your friends if you slapped me afterward," I say, rubbing my chin. "Any chance I can bargain you down to an abrupt spin and angry stomp back to your friends?"
She growls a bit when I mention a kiss. "Slap or no slap?"
"Preferably no slap, as I have a rather low tolerance for pain. But I could be convinced for one good, solid hug."
She grunts a negative reply. "Your price is too high."
"Very well, let's back off a bit," I say. "How about you spin and stomp away and I get a genuine smile?"
"I could spin and stomp away anyway," she points out.
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Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 27+ chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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