Daphne frowned as she let the comments from her compartment companions wash over. She did not partake in the conversation, if only because she had nothing informative to add. Instead, she simply stared out the window, watching as green pastures, hills and forests rolled across her vision.
Like last year, Daphne had woken up at the same time as always, and after saying goodbye to her sister, she and her father headed to Platform nine and three-quarters. She had been hoping to meet Harry there so they could find a compartment together, but her hopes had been dashed when Harry did not show up. At first she had thought he might have already found a compartment, but when she got on the Hogwarts Express and did a search, she found him conspicuously absent.
"So what do you think happened to him?"
"I don't know. It isn't like Harry to be late for something like this. I simply can't imagine him missing the Hogwarts Express."
"Maybe he ran into a troll on his way to King's Cross?"
"Not funny, Tracey."
…
"Right, sorry. Hey, Daph. Do you think something may have happened to Harry?"
Daphne sighed as she turned her attention to the other three people in the compartment with her. Because Harry was the only one who knew the expansion charm and he was not with them, they had been unable to all fit in the same compartment, thus they had been forced to split up. Sitting with her was Tracey, Lisa and Hermione. She knew that Terry, Blaise and Neville had gotten their own compartment while Susan and Hannah had gone to find their fellow first year Hufflepuff's to sit with.
"I honestly don't have any idea. And I can assure you that if I did, I would not be here." If she knew where Harry was, she would have been with him instead.
Of course, if she knew where Harry was it meant he would have been on the Hogwarts Express and chances were all of them would be sitting together.
Daphne frowned for a moment as the thought crossed her mind that Harry might be in danger, but she quickly shook the thought off. The only person who would have the audacity to do anything to Harry was the Dark Lord, and he was currently a spirit without a body. The chances of them running into each other was slim to none.
"In any case, I doubt Harry's in any kind of danger. He's more than capable of taking care of himself. Most likely there was just something that came up that caused him to miss the train. I suspect he'll send a letter to Professor McGonagall or someone and they'll go pick him up. We'll probably see him at the opening feast or tomorrow at the latest."
Tracey sighed.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Still, I was hoping we'd all be able to sit together in a big group like last time."
Daphne shrugged. The truth was she didn't really like being with all those people. Oh, they weren't bad people or anything. She just wasn't fond of large crowds. Perhaps it was because of how she was raised in a large house with only Astoria as company, but Daphne often preferred solitude to being with a group of people.
"Can't help you there."
As Tracey gave a dejected sigh and turned around to talk to Lisa and Hermione, Daphne looked back out the window.
Her friend bringing up Harry had her thinking about him now. Contrary to her words to Tracey, Daphne was a bit worried for him. Harry was a very punctual individual, and she could not imagine him missing the Hogwarts Express for anything short of some kind of disaster. She could only hope he was alright.
Thinking about Harry also made Daphne think of the last time they saw each other, of that moment within the Leaky Cauldron when everyone else had left.
Despite her training, a small dusting of red spread across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose as she remembered how Harry had almost kissed her. Even now she could remember the half-lidded expression of desire on his face as he began leaning down to close the distance between them. That scene had played out in more than a few dreams since then.
A part of her wondered what would have happened if she had not said anything. Would he have really kissed her? What would being kissed by Harry feel like?
"I want you to get close to him, Daphne."
Daphne shut her eyes tightly as her father's words suddenly rang in her head.
"I want you to be the one he is closest to. If possible, make him fall in love with you."
She had never believed she could hate her own father as much as she did when he said those words. It sickened her to think that he wanted to use her relationship with Harry for his own benefit. Daphne had been so mad that the mask of cold indifference she often wore actually cracked.
.
.
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