"Dylan!" protested Harry, turning him around, waving a hand to wandless cast a privacy charm around them both.
"There are several dozen girls at Hogwarts who fancy you, if not more," Dylan whispered, looking upset. "There are several more in Beauxbatons and Durmstrang as well, but you readily ignore all of them. You hardly speak to them unless they come looking for a conversation but yet, you don't do anything to stop Fleur from blatantly flirting with you. Don't you see how much it hurts Daphne's feelings every time she does that?"
"I really don't understand that," Harry frowned slightly. "Why is Daphne getting so worked up over this? She's becoming more and more withdrawn as the days pass by."
"That's because Fleur has been flirting with you during every meal since she came to Hogwarts and it has increased ever since the Yule Ball was announced. You haven't really noticed that, have you? Harry, she's bloody terrified that Fleur will steal you away from her! You know how much Daphne loves you and -"
"I have told Daphne over and over again that she has nothing to fear from her! Why does she doubt me?"
"It's not that she doesn't trust you, Harry, but the problem is that you don't realise that Fleur might actually be a threat," said Dylan softly. "You haven't observed the impact she is having on Daphne, but Astoria and I have. I'm not blaming you, but unless you fix this right now, it could damage your relationship with Daphne in the future and should that happen, you'll never forgive yourself for it. You're my brother, Harry, and I love you; I don't ever want to see you unhappy, but you will never be happy if Daphne is depressed, you know that."
Harry's form was unusually still as he let his mind wander. Had he been so oblivious to Daphne's emotional needs for so long? He knew that she was a mature, strong-willed and determined girl, but Harry remembered every instance over the past month where she would shut herself away, and Harry suddenly realised that during every instance, he would either be talking to Fleur or about her and sometimes defending the French girl because of her heritage. Was that why Daphne felt like this? Did she think he was attracted to Fleur? Another memory flashed to his mind as he recalled what Daphne had told him several weeks ago when they had been duelling in the Room of Requirement; it was the incident when Daphne thought she had killed him.
"I can't begin to describe how much I love you," whispered Daphne softly, looking into the emerald green orbs as she cupped his cheek. "That's why I'm scared."
"Thanks for your help, little brother. I need to talk to Daphne," muttered Harry. "Where is she?"
"We were supposed to meet for lunch at the usual spot by the large Oak tree in front of Dominic Maestro's Music Shop," he said quietly and left. "Good luck."
...
Daphne Greengrass was standing at the base of a tree, looking at the beautiful Scottish scenery around her. Snow covered the high mountains and the cold breeze blew against her face, making her dark-blonde hair flutter in the wind. Putting her hands into the pockets of her white leather jacket, she activated the warming charms embedded in her clothes to counter the cold wind. Daphne was just about to turn around to head back to the castle when she heard an eagle's cry. Looking up, she saw a familiar golden eagle perched on a branch above her. The eagle's eyes were a stunning emerald green and there was a dark patch above the right eye shaped like a lightning bolt. Looking unconcerned, she turned back to the scenery, a ghost of a smile forming on her lips.
"What are you doing here, Talon ?" she asked, looking up at the bird, her eyes twinkling slightly in amusement as she used Harry's Marauder nickname.
The eagle screeched.
"I'm sorry but I don't speak bird; you'll have to translate," said Daphne as she sat down on the ground, vanishing the snow with a flick of her wand. The eagle made a clicking sound as it hopped to the ground next to her. Daphne couldn't help but smile at the sight of the large bird. It might look intimidating to others with its razor-sharp talons, powerful beak and large wings, but she wasn't intimidated at all. She gently stroked the feathers.
"I know what you're thinking," said Daphne softly to the eagle. "I ran into Dylan and Astoria on the way here. He told me everything."
The eagle made soft sounds as it butted its head against her hand. Daphne turned and looked into its eyes. "I'm not mad at you. How can I? You don't understand any of this. I don't blame you, Harry, I really don't. Don't blame yourself either. Yes, you still are unfamiliar with how to comprehend emotions and how to deal with people, but I'm proud of how well you have improved over the past three years. However, I can't help the way I feel about this. I know that you feel protective of me, and I don't for a second doubt the love you have for me, but… I don't know how to explain it. I feel like I'm not up to the mark when I compare myself to Delacour."
The eagle screeched again and shook its head as Daphne chuckled humourlessly. "I know, in your eyes, I am perfection and you have no idea how much that means to me. According to Mother, it is teenage hormones," Daphne said, shaking her head in exasperation. With a sigh, she continued, "Why do you let her so blatantly flirt with you, Harry? Why don't you put a stop to it?"
The eagle just looked at her blandly. Looking around to ensure no one was watching, Harry shifted back to his human form and sat down, pulling Daphne to his lap.
Holding her with her back to his chest, he said, "I did put a stop to it today. I told her that you are the love of my life and that nothing can keep you away from me. Daphne, she is not doing it intentionally; she is just following her Veela instincts. She is naturally attracted to powerful wizards and I also happen to be immune to her allure. I'm not denying that she has faults; Merlin knows, I've seen her constantly complaining about Hogwarts food and her condescending attitude annoys several people, including me."
....
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