A Flame Awakened Chapter 8 (Old Chapter Unlocked For All Patrons!) (Patreon)

Content Warnings: Teasing.

“I have a problem.”

“Do you want to elaborate on that, Mione?” Harry asked after a few seconds of waiting for her to continue. 

“How did you know Daphne liked you?”

“She aggressively seduced me, Hermione. That was a pretty big giveaway.”

Daphne turned to lie on her belly and lowered her sunglasses to look at her mate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear any complaining during this ‘aggressive seduction’.”

“I never said I had one,” Harry replied with a crooked grin. “I dunno, Mione. I don’t think you should follow our example. It involves a bottle of firewhiskey and making a lot of bad decisions.”

“It’s true. I fucked a Gryffindor. You can imagine what that’s doing to my street cred.”

Harry chuckled. Daphne had been noticeably less icy around Hermione over the past few weeks. Expanding her circle wasn’t easy and he was proud of her for making the effort to trust more people and show them her real self.

It was the week before Christmas and the holiday spirit had already infected the entire castle. Everyone spent most classes goofing off or planning their holidays. The notable exceptions were Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Snape’s dungeon classroom was devoid of all cheer and Dolores Umbridge was a vortex of negative energy, replacing happiness with her particular brand of unpleasantness wherever she went.

Harry hadn’t let it affect him anymore. He endured Snape’s taunts with a smile and didn’t rise up even once to hit back at Umbridge’s snide comments, no matter how harsh they got. She still found an excuse to make sure he ended up in detention at least once a week so she could ‘work on him’. The words etched into the flesh of his hand ached but not even their hideousness could dampen his happiness.

Dumbledore’s Army had their last lesson a week before the holidays. Harry had promised changes once everyone returned to the castle, intending to seriously implement Daphne’s suggestion to turn the group into a proper fighting force. For the time being, however, Harry, Daphne, and Padma had decided to set aside their plans and schemes and simply enjoy the festivities.

It was Sunday, the sun was out, and for a change, it wasn’t snowing. A light dusting of snow carpeted the green grounds but it was comfortable enough for them to sit on and they had made the most of the opportunity. They were out on the grounds. Harry was leaning against the giant oak tree by the lake and Padma was between his legs, her head resting on his lap. She was reading a book and barely paying attention to what they were talking about.

Daphne had spread a blanket on the ground and was sunning herself, dressed in one of Harry’s extra-large shirts and shorts. Hermione was next to her in her uniform, trying and failing to work on her Potions essay.

“Is this about Krum?” Harry asked. 

“No. That fizzled out. He’s a good friend but that’s about it.” Hermione shrugged and scratched out the sentence she had scribbled on the parchment on her lap. “This is someone else.”

“Do we know this ‘someone else’?”

“If it’s Ronald I’m not letting you hang out with me anymore. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Daph!” Padma growled from behind her book. “Be nice.”

She sighed happily when Harry bent to kiss her forehead and went back to reading her book.

“It’s not Ron either.” Hermione blushed and cleared her throat. “Never mind. Forget what I asked you. My mind is a mess.”

“You need to relax a little. You’re cracking from the stress. I’m confiscating this.” Harry waved his wand. Hermione’s Potions essay wriggled out of her lap and flew over to land on Harry’s waiting palm.

“Harry! We have our OWLs this year! I can’t relax!”

“Yes, you can. It’s nearly Christmas. Yesterday was our last day of classes, this essay isn’t due for three weeks.”

“Fine.” Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “What are your plans for the holidays?” she asked, turning to Daphne.

“Stay in Hogwarts,” Daphne and Padma said together.

Harry shifted uncomfortably under Padma. The girls had informed him of their intention to keep him company but it still didn’t sit right with him. 

“You should take the train back tomorrow morning. Don’t you want to spend time with your families?”

“My mums and dad are in Brazil.”

“My parents would be horrified if I left my husband alone over the holidays.”

“We aren’t married yet, Daphne.”

“Distinction without a difference, love. The point stands. Leaving you alone isn’t the proper thing to do,” Daphne said primly. 

“That’s her way of saying she’d miss you,” Padma said in a theatrical whisper.

Harry grinned and blew Daphne a kiss. 

Hermione blushed and averted her gaze. Which was a mistake because she spotted someone walking alone on the lake’s shore. She squeaked and turned back to Harry. 

“Harry, my essay, please. I need to finish it!”

“No, you don’t.” Daphne stood with a sigh. She grabbed Hermione’s arm and pulled the brunette to her feet. “Come on nerd.”

“Where are we going?!”

“Shopping. You’re going to help me pick out a few gifts and tell me what ails you.” Daphne paused and frowned when she noticed Susan by the open doors of the castle. It was time for her to throw her boyfriend into the metaphorical deep end of the pool. “Hey, Harry?”

“Hmm?” 

“Your fake girlfriend is in trouble. Handle it.”

She was gone before Harry could even turn, dragging a stammering Hermione with her. 

Harry switched his gaze from Daphne’s retreating figure, scanning the grounds until he spotted Susan. She was walking out of the castle alone… Not alone.

“Crap,” Harry breathed.

“What happened?”

“Half the Slytherin Quidditch team, that’s what,” Harry muttered, gently pushing Padma off his lap. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Harry looked back to make sure Padma was alright before sprinting across the grounds. He managed to reach Susan before the men following her did, but only barely. He slammed into her and wrapped his arms around her curvy body to steady both of them. Nott and the others were mere feet away from them. Malfoy was conspicuously absent but that didn’t surprise Harry in the slightest.

“Play along,” he whispered, not having the time to say anything else before the Slytherins were close enough to hear what he was saying.

Susan looked up at him with big blue eyes, clearly confused. 

“Hey, babe!” Harry said loudly, thinking on his feet. He wrapped his arm around Susan’s waist and pulled her closer. He turned and shielded her from view with his body. “Are they bothering you?”

Susan, who hadn’t even noticed the men following her, froze in shock when she turned and looked at the Slytherins behind her. 

“Y-yeah,” Susan stammered, trembling in Harry’s arms. Panic gripped her chest and her scared eyes flitted between the sneering group and Harry, clearly anticipating a fight. 

“We just wanted to invite her to a Christmas party in our Common Room this Wednesday, Potter,” Nott said. He casually pushed his hand into his robes and the rest of his teammates followed suit as well.

Harry rolled his eyes. 

Daphne would have wept at the ham-fisted attempt at intimidation. 

Giving their house a bad name, indeed, Harry thought with a chuckle. 

“What’s so funny, Potter?” Nott growled. “Why don’t you run back to your slut and let us talk to Bones in peace?”

“Speaking of Christmas… I got a pensieve as a present last year. I wonder what Daphne will do to you when I show her the memory of you calling her a slut,” Harry lied with a calm smile. He felt Susan’s trembling grow more violent and he tightened his arms around her.

If we were connected like me and Daphne are I could share my emotions with her and calm her down. 

His lips curved into a dazed smile as his mind shifted his attention to the binding ceremony. Without bidding it replaced Daphne with the curvy redhead cuddling against him.

Harry mentally slapped himself to get his mind out of the gutter.

Nott had used the momentary reprieve to recover. He was still pale but he stomped towards Harry, pausing inches away from the couple.

“She won’t always be so scary, Potter,” he hissed. “Tell her to watch her back, you never know when someone might decide to bring down the Ice Queen.”

“Is that a threat, Nott?” Harry asked softly.

“Just a warning, Potter.”

“If we’re sharing warnings…” Harry gently pushed Susan against his chest to make sure she didn’t stumble and leaned forward. He lowered his voice to a whisper. He was so close that Nott could see his emerald eyes darken with rage. 

“Come near Susan again and I’ll feed you to my pet hippogriff,” he hissed, his voice sounding otherworldly and almost inhuman. His scar prickled and he buzzed with suppressed power that threatened to explode. The bracelet on his arm appeared unbidden and the seven golden rings on it glowed. “She’s not interested. She’s busy that day and every other day.”

“Doing what?” Crabbe asked dumbly.

“Me,” Harry joked. He smiled when it prompted a nervous giggle from Susan. “Any other stupid questions? Was my warning not sufficiently clear?”

Nott stayed in place, undeterred.

“You’re not convincing anyone with this drama, Potter.” He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the couple. “She’s going to regret this bullshit when you’re not around anymore. And that day is coming soon. Very, very soon. Do the smart thing, Bones. He’s never going to treat you like the blood traitors hanging off his arms everywhere he goes. Come with us and be a real queen.”

“I think she’s made it very clear she’s not interested.”

“Maybe they’re hard of hearing, Gred.”

“If that’s the case we should give them bigger ears to make sure such misunderstandings don’t happen in the future, Forge.”

Harry smirked. He looked around Nott and nodded at the Twins standing behind the group. Fred and George had their wands out and responded to Harry with smirks of their own. 

“Constant vigilance, Nott. If there’s something that dear Barty managed to teach me last year, it was that. Now bugger off before Fred and George test their new inventions on you.”

Nott growled impotently but did the smart thing and walked away, sweeping around the Twins and stomping into the castle with his posse following him. Fred and George kept their wands pointed at them until they had descended the stairs leading to the dungeons and were out of sight.

“Harry,” Fred said with a grin, turning to look at Harry. His smile grew when he saw his friend was still cuddling the redhead in his arms. “Harry’s much more agreeable friend.”

“Oi! Are you implying I’m ugly?”

“I’m saying you’re a lucky sod and don’t you forget it,” Fred teased. He held out the Marauder’s Map for Harry. “Thank you for lending it back to us.”

“Do I want to know why you needed it?”

“It’s better if you don’t,” George said solemnly. His seriousness was ruined by a quick wink. “We wouldn’t want to lie to our financial backer. Let’s just say it involves a lot of unicorn dung and a violently pink office.”

“Gotcha,” Harry grinned and mimed zipping up his lips.

“Thank you for saving us,” Susan murmured, peeking out at the Twins through the fringe of red hair covering her face. She was still pressed against Harry. Despite her embarrassment at being so easily scared and the strange feeling in her belly that flared up every time her palms pressed against his firm chest, she wasn’t in any hurry to pull away. 

“You’re welcome. Well, we must be off!”

“People to prank.”

“Teachers to annoy.”

“Products to sell.”

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Fred said with a smirk once George had left. He winked at Susan. “Definitely don’t do something we would do. There’s a tiny gray area there, stick to that Miss Bones.” 

Susan squeaked and hid her red face in Harry’s chest.

Fred chuckled and tipped an imaginary hat before turning around and running to join his brother. 

Susan stayed silent until they reached the spot under the tree where he had been sitting with Padma.

“I-It’s okay,” she mumbled, resisting Harry’s efforts to make her sit. “I don’t want to intrude. They’ve left, I’ll go spend some time in the Greenhouses.”

“Don’t be silly.” Padma shifted and patted the empty space next to her on the blanket. “I was reading and Harry was playing with his snitch. You’re not interrupting anything.”

Harry helped Susan sit, his frown growing when he noticed she was still trembling. He picked up the blanket Daphne had left behind and wrapped it around Susan’s shoulders, carefully and gently tucking her into a cocoon of warmth. 

“Who was it?” Padma asked, shutting her book with a SNAP. She glared at Harry when he tried to sit opposite them. She kept glaring at him until he relented and shifted next to a still-shivering Susan. She gestured to Susan.

‘Hug her!’ she mouthed, glaring at Harry when he hesitated. ‘Now!’

Harry wrapped an arm around Susan’s shoulders and pulled her closer. She didn’t hesitate to rest her head on his chest, her need for comfort overriding her shyness.

“Nott,” Susan mumbled, closing her eyes. It had been an extremely stressful week and her nerves were frayed. All she wanted was to melt in Harry’s strong arms and forget the constant harassment by Malfoy and his friends. 

“And half the Slytherin Quidditch team,” Harry growled. 

“Malfoy wasn’t there?”

“Nope. He’s making others do his dirty work for him, as usual.”

“Why are they still after me?!” Susan closed her eyes and trembled violently in Harry’s arms. “We got lucky. Fred and George Weasley helped us.”

“Lucky?” Padma raised an eyebrow. “I doubt it was dumb luck.”

“They said they’d return the Marauder’s Map to me around eleven. I made a calculated decision. I knew they would be searching for me on the map and when they saw me and Susan surrounded by Slytherins they’d come to help us.” Harry shrugged and pushed the map into his bag. “It doesn’t explain why they’re still after her.” 

“It’s psychological warfare. They want to get to Susan’s aunt through her.” Padma turned to Susan with a grim smile. “If all her attention is on trying to ensure your safety she won’t be able to focus on thwarting whatever it is that the Death Eaters are planning.”

“Nott rightly guessed that we’re faking our relationship,” Harry muttered with a frown.

“Makes sense,” Padma said with a sigh. “In the one week you’ve been pretending to date Susan you’ve only spent time with her in classrooms and the Great Hall. Nobody has ever seen you two outside those places. You’re supposed to be marrying her at the end of this year and you spend more time with Hermione than her,” Padma pointed out. “Contrast that with our relationship or your dynamic with Daph. She’s the poster child of public displays of affection. You and I spend all our evenings in the library together. Both of us are regular visitors to the Gryffindor Common Room and your dorm. None of that is the case with Susan. It’s logical for people to think you’re faking it. Malfoy doesn’t think you’re serious about her. It makes him think he can get away with everything he’s been doing.”

“The last week has been absolutely horrible,” Susan whispered in a broken voice.

Harry’s heart shattered at her plight. 

“What can I do to protect her? I promised Sirius and Susan’s aunt I’d keep her safe!” Harry asked desperately, looking at Padma. He already knew what Daphne would suggest. If things didn’t get better he’d break out the bloody butter knife himself but he wanted to see if his more level-headed girlfriend had a different solution.

“Be better at dating her, Harry. You can’t protect Susan if you’re not with her. Invite her to spend time with us. Walk with her to classes. Hold her hand,” Padma suggested, her dark eyes twinkling with excitement. “Kiss her like you kiss me!”

Harry and Susan squeaked. They both turned to look at Padma, their faces sporting identical blushes. 

“You wanted a solution. That’s the solution. If she’s around us Malfoy won’t be able to bother her.”

“And kissing?” Harry asked hoarsely.

“People are going to talk if they haven’t seen you kiss the woman you’re supposed to marry in nine months. Not even a quick peck on the lips?!” 

“I… I suppose…” Susan trailed off, her heart hammering in her chest. “We could do that every so often,” she whispered, looking up at Harry with big blue eyes.

“Once in a while. To keep up appearances,” Harry agreed, licking his dry, chapped lips.

“Don’t forget cheek kisses. And forehead kisses. Those are adorable. I bet Susan will love them just as much as I do,” Padma said cheerfully.

“Right,” Harry breathed. He was suddenly aware of how close Susan was to him. Her soft body pressed into his side. Her head was on his shoulder, her plump lips mere inches from his. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Go on, then.”

“Now?” Susan squeaked, blushing till the roots of her fiery hair.

“If you two can’t kiss in front of me, how will you kiss in public?” Padma challenged.

Harry reached out and gently tucked a stray curl of Susan’s hair behind her ears.

“I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable,” he whispered.

Susan squirmed in his arms. All it did was entangle the blanket tightly around her body. She looked up at him with a shy smile, the very picture of an adorable cinnamon roll.

“I-if Padma thinks it’s necessary… we can try…”

“What do you think?” Harry urged.

“I wouldn’t mind trying it,” Susan admitted shyly. Harry’s smile in response immediately calmed her down. Her eyelids fluttered shut of their own accord when he cupped her cheeks and gently pulled her into his lap.

Their lips met and Susan could have sworn she saw stars. Time stopped and the universe stopped existing. Her focus shifted to the gentle pressure of Harry’s lips on hers. He kept it chaste but he couldn’t help playfully nipping at her lower lip, drawing a surprised gasp from her. His hands shifted to rest awkwardly on her shoulders but she grabbed his wrists and pulled them down to her hips, giving him permission to explore her curves. 

Their lips remained connected as Harry’s fingers dug into her soft skin, neither wanting to pull away. 

Padma grinned, opened her book, and turned her attention to the chapter on Advanced Human Transfiguration.

---

“You know when you said you wanted my help to pick out some gifts I didn’t think you wanted me to help you pick out a gift for me,” Hermione said in an amused tone. She stared at the bag hanging from Daphne’s arm, repressing the urge to snatch the book out of it.

They were walking down Hogsmeade’s Main Street, Hermione reminded herself. Reading while walking with a friend would be rude… and impractical.

She decided to wait until they got back to the castle before she asked Daphne for it. After all, she already knew what it was so what was the point in waiting until Christmas?

“I didn’t buy your gift along with the rest of my Christmas shopping because I didn’t think I’d like you enough to want to be your friend,” Daphne said without an ounce of shame.

“Are you always this brutally honest?”

“Only with the people I like. Or, in your case, find passably tolerable.”

“Thank you for finding me… passably tolerable,” Hermione said, biting her lip to stop herself from laughing. Full of biting wit and possessing a subtle sense of humor, her new friend was a lot of fun once one got past her nominally icy exterior. “Thank you for the book too. I’ve been saving up to buy it for months.”

“You’re welcome. Now that you’re sufficiently relaxed do you want to tell me who has gotten you-” Daphne paused when she noticed the woman leaning against the wall of Madam Rosmerta's pub. “Fuck no,” she swore under her breath and sped up.

“Miss Greengrass. Miss Granger!” Narcissa called out. She pushed her hands in her tan overcoat and walked over to them. “May I have a minute of your time?” she asked with a smile that wasn’t returned by either of the girls.

Daphne schooled her expression into an icy mask effortlessly.

“I’m afraid we’re in a hurry, Mrs. Malfoy. We have to get back to the castle.” Daphne slipped her hand into the pocket of her shorts. She relaxed a little once her fingers were wrapped around her slender holly and dragon heartstring wand. Her gray eyes remained ever vigilant, scanning the mostly empty street for unexpected threats.

“Oh, I’ll accompany you in that case. I have business in Hogwarts too. I’m meeting Professors Snape and McGonagall to tell them about two of their errant students who decided today would be a good time for an unauthorized trip. It’s not a Hogsmeade weekend, is it?” Narcissa asked innocently.

Daphne and Hermione exchanged glances.

“I suppose we can spare a few minutes,” Daphne said coldly.

“Wonderful! Let’s step inside. It’s warmer.”

Narcissa twirled around with the grace of a ballerina and pushed open the glass doors of the pub. She walked inside and the two girls followed her.

“I’m going to kill her,” Daphne muttered, her good humor entirely forgotten. “Why aren’t you upset?” she hissed, looking at Hermione from the corner of her eye. She kept her hand around her wand, expecting an attack any second.

“It’s not like we have a choice.” Hermione shrugged. “When you spend enough time with Harry you learn to accept the inevitable with grace. Plus, I admire her intelligence. She reminds me of you.”

Daphne forgot all about ambushes and whirled around to stare at Hermione, utterly aghast at the comparison. “I would never resort to blackmail-”

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, fine. I have and I probably will again in the future. But I’m nothing like her. I have actual standards when it comes to men and if I ever gave birth to such a sorry excuse for a son…”

“Madam Rosmerta has kindly provided us with a private room so we can talk without being interrupted,” Narcissa said, pulling away from the bar counter and the buxom owner who was manning it.

Daphne turned around and smiled politely.

“That’s kind of her. Lead the way,” Daphne said. She discreetly nudged Hermione’s side with her elbow as they followed Narcissa deeper into the pub. “Hand around your wand.”

Hermione nodded and pushed her right hand into the pocket of her jeans.

They walked into a cozy parlor that had a green couch and three armchairs arranged around a fireplace. A fire was already lit and blazing behind the brass grill, flooding the room with much-needed light and warmth. An oak table was placed in the space between the sofas. It had a large silver tray that held a crystal tumbler of Firewhiskey and six glasses.

Narcissa sank into one of the armchairs with a sigh. The girls occupied the chairs opposite her, studying her suspiciously.

“Would you like a drink?”

“Before noon?” Daphne raised an eyebrow. “Surely times can’t be that hard in the Malfoy household, Mrs. Malfoy.”

“Miss Black, please.”

The quiet request wiped the smug smile from Daphne’s face. She leaned forward on her couch and narrowed her eyes. 

“What are you playing at?” she hissed, momentarily losing her composure. 

“I was Miss Black, once upon a time.”

“I doubt your husband let you keep your name after marriage. He won’t like you running around using your maiden name very much.” 

“Oh, I think I’ve given him far greater reasons to dislike me.” Narcissa waved her wand carelessly. A file appeared in the air and dropped onto the table with a quiet THUD. “I stole that from his office, for example.”

“What is it?” Hermione asked, eyeing the manila folder suspiciously.

“Go ahead and take a look.” Narcissa summoned a pack of smokes and a cigarette holder. “You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?”

Daphne waved her hand carelessly before Hermione could object.

Narcissa casually fixed a cigarette into the holder and lit it with her wand. She pushed the slender tip of the holder between her lips and inhaled, letting out a puff of smoke with a sigh. 

“Go on, it’s not a trap.”

Daphne leaned forward and flicked the folder open with a finger. When nothing happened she grabbed it and dragged it towards her, rifling through the pieces of parchment slowly.

“What is all this?” Hermione whispered, staring at the figures scribbled on the yellowed paper with a frown. She didn’t understand a word of what was written on the pages. 

“It’s a ledger of accounts.”

“A detailed list of my husband’s… shall we say, less than legal dealings. It probably isn't enough to get Wizengamot to convict him but a smart person will know shutting down some of his more lucrative ventures will hurt much more than a legal case ever would. A smart person will also realize the folder contains enough information to disrupt all such ventures.” Narcissa leaned into her chair. She crossed her legs, carelessly pushing one slender leg over the other. “As I said, Miss Greengrass, Lucius has far bigger problems than me running around using my maiden name. I doubt he’ll be in a hurry to call me his wife anytime soon.”

She chuckled and pushed the tip of the holder between her red lips, studying the two girls opposite her with half-lidded eyes.

“Why give this to us?”

“Well, you aren’t the only one to have it. Madame Bones has a copy too. Consider this a freebie.”

“With the actual prize being…”

“All the knowledge I have accumulated from months of spying on the Dark Lord and his followers. He’s been living in Malfoy Manor since his resurrection.” She smirked when both girls sat up straight and looked at her with wide eyes. “I’ve been giving a few memories to Madame Bones every week. She’ll have all the information I possess in a week or two, a few days after the house her Department is preparing for me in Hogsmeade is complete.” 

“You plan to live in Hogsmeade? Why?”

“I like the weather, Miss Greengrass.” Narcissa glanced out the window at the gray clouds slowly rolling across the sky. “It’s pleasant.” 

“If you’ve given all of this to Susan’s aunt, why share it with us too?” Hermione asked. 

“Because she doesn’t trust her.”

“It’s always nice to have a backup plan, wouldn’t you agree?” Narcissa lazily tapped the holder to flick ash onto the wooden floor. “I’m sure Mister Potter will appreciate the information I possess. He has this admirable quality of dealing fairly with everyone. Even the people he dislikes.”

“I’ll be sure to convey your regards when I share the information with him,” Daphne said coldly. She snapped the file shut and dropped it in the bag hanging from her arm.

“No need. I’ll do it myself. If Mister Potter would like this information, he’ll have to come get it himself.”

“Why do you want to meet him?” Daphne growled.

“Envy isn’t seemly, Miss Greengrass,” Narcissa tutted. She was enjoying the little battle of wits between them. It had been far too long since she’d had a worthy opponent. “Or is your bond so fragile that it won’t survive him spending a few hours in the company of another woman? You do seem compelled to wear his clothes everywhere, I see.”

Daphne took a deep breath and counted back from ten. Murder, she reminded herself, wasn’t a viable path forward.

“After spending nearly two decades on your husband’s arm I thought you’d have realized half of politics is simply an act, Miss Black. After all, he’s been using your name and looks since before I was even born.” 

“I never once wore his clothes.”

“I always presumed that was because you were violently allergic to your husband’s bad taste. But then, your taste can’t be much better. After all, you willingly go out in public with a man dressed like the world’s silliest peacock.”

Hermione alternated between looking at the two blondes, silently following what was quickly becoming a highly entertaining verbal duel. 

She wondered if they’d ever realize how alike they were in some aspects.

“Why do you want to meet Harry?” Hermione interjected, deciding to intervene before they took things too far. 

“I’m afraid my former husband and my son have been far too unkind to Miss Greengrass and her family for her to deal with me objectively,” Narcissa murmured. “Harry Potter has a reputation for being a fair man. I’m sure he’d appreciate a new ally coming to him in good faith.”

“You think the Ministry will renege on your deal and want him to come to your defense when they do,” Hermione guessed.

“Very astute, Miss Granger.”

“Which he will do, because he’s the world’s nicest man,” Daphne muttered under her breath. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine. I’ll tell him but I can’t guarantee that he’ll agree to come.”

“I’m sure he will. Wednesday, six pm. We’ll meet again in this parlor.”

“We’ll see.” Daphne stood stiffly and made her way to the door. Hermione followed her. The two girls paused when Narcissa spoke again, her voice barely audible.

“That’s not the only reason I wish to meet him, you know?” Narcissa said softly, gazing into the fire with an inscrutable expression on his face. “Maybe my information will be an adequate apology for the harm I’ve caused to him and all of you through my inaction over the years.”

“Maybe. I hope it is,” Hermione said softly. She followed Daphne out of the room and shut the door behind her, leaving Narcissa alone with her thoughts and regrets. 

Notes:

I felt inspired so got the new chapter out earlier than I had expected! Chapters 9, 10, and 11 are released and you can read them right away! I love Harry and Susan pairings, especially in Multi stories. Susan grounds him in many ways and gives him a sense of humanity and purpose, at least in my mind. Now he's fighting for something (or someone) instead of against something. I wonder how he will act if Umbridge was to ever threaten Susan? I'm thinking of doing a Harry and Malfoy showdown, let me know what you think!