Ch 23
What a load of absolute shite," Astoria grumbled as she walked slowly ahead of Harry and Daphne down the corridors of Hogwarts. "Can you believe him? What sort of punishment is he even going to give those arseholes anyway?"
"Dumbledore knows what's best," Harry assured her, though he had niggling doubts about that himself. It didn't feel fair that there would barely be any real punishment for those who'd attacked Astoria and Daphne, but he had doubts about his own judgement. While the lingering effects of his use of Dark Magic seemed to have faded, he still struggled to trust himself when it came to his anger.
"He knows the reality of things," Daphne corrected him. "He was right in saying that they probably wouldn't see any punishment by the Ministry. I'm sure we'll figure out what punishment those tossers get anyways; word will get around about it. And if we need to add anything onto their punishment—"
"We won't," Harry interjected sharply. "Dumbledore made his decision, and I… I trust him."
Daphne's face softened a touch. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly.
Astoria blew out a mouthful of air. "I don't think it's okay."
"We'll see what happens from here," Harry replied, trying to placate her. "If they keep escalating things, then we will too."
"But will Dumbledore?" Astoria asked Harry accusatorially as she rounded on him. "Because he doesn't seem keen on doing much to nip this in the bud."
"He promised us that he'd handle it," Harry reminded her, feeling himself getting heated about it. "And he even gave us a private room to stay in."
Astoria shook her head at him in frustration. "It's not enough. I remember when Professor… I mean Barty Crouch Jr attacked you. Daphne and I were in the Hospital Wing and protected you with our own lives on the line, and Dumbledore actually tried to get him punished, not that Minister Fudge would listen to him."
"Which is exactly what would happen now if he brought those Slytherins before the Minister and the Wizengamot," Harry snapped at her.
"Hey," Daphne said as she stepped between them. "What's done is done. You two need to cool off a bit. Why don't we just go to our new rooms and rest up for the night?"
Astoria crossed her arms beneath her chest and turned on her heels. "Fine," she said coldly as she started walking on ahead.
Harry went to follow her, but Daphne gently placed her hand on his chest to hold him back.
"Go easy on her," she said softly. "She was really scared when we were getting attacked. Even if she's acting like she's fine now, I guarantee you that she's not. She wants all of us to be safe, and she's worried that the Slytherins are going to attack you next for how you embarrassed them today."
Well, now Harry felt like an arsehole. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just… don't like it when anyone questions Dumbledore's choices."
"Why are you so dedicated to him?" Daphne asked with genuine curiosity.
"He's always been there to offer guidance to me," Harry answered instantly. Countless memories of Dumbledore giving him words of wisdom filled his time. "Through every trial I've faced here at Hogwarts, he's helped me through them. He's never done wrong by me."
Daphne bit her lip, showing unusual hesitation in her next words.
"Wasn't he the one who sent you to live with your awful relatives?" She asked him carefully.
Harry opened his mouth to answer her and then paused. He'd seen some of the letters that Dumbledore had sent his Aunt Petunia over the years, and it certainly seemed like he'd been the one in charge of Harry's living situation, but Harry didn't know for certain.
"I don't know," Harry answered honestly.
"Well, someone did," Daphne continued. "And I only know of a handful of people who were powerful enough back then to be able to dictate where you of all people would live after your parents lost their lives."
"Even if he did, it must've made sense in his head," Harry argued back, understanding the underlying argument against Dumbledore's judgement that Daphne was implying. "Why wouldn't he send me to my closest family members?"
"That's fair," Daphne replied. "But why didn't he check up on you and see the horrible conditions you were living in? You still haven't even told me everything about your childhood, but what you have told me is terrible. No child should have had to go through what you did."
"Maybe he was too busy," Harry excused the man weakly.
"That's not good enough," Daphne told him softly, placing her hand on his arm. "All I'm saying is that maybe this is something to talk to him about. I know that Dumbledore is a great wizard, but he's not perfect. I want you to think things through and make decisions for yourself rather than just following what Dumbledore tells you is right."
That was… fair, albeit difficult for Harry's mind to accept at the moment. Dumbledore was like the grandfather that Harry had never had. He was a brilliant man who looked out and cared for him, and that was that.
"I will," Harry promised her.
"Good," Daphne said before she leaned in and gave Harry a peck on the lips. "Now, let's get to our new room."
Their private room was located surprisingly close to the Prefect's Bathroom. A large number of portraits stood down a long corridor, but one was ajar. When Harry and Daphne stepped through the threshold behind it, they were both taken aback by the surprisingly spacious room they found themselves in.
In a way, this sitting room reminded Harry of a scaled-down version of the Gryffindor Common Room. A warm fire flickered in a fireplace along the far wall right in between a pair of large windows that overlooked the Black Lake. A sofa and a few chairs sat before the fireplace, and then a large table with seating for eight sat along the right-most wall. The left wall had two doors, which were both opened as well.
"Astoria?" Daphne called out as she stepped ahead of Harry.
"In here!" Astoria replied from one of the connecting rooms.
Harry and Daphne followed her voice to a bedroom. A large four-poster bed sat against the back wall while a single desk and a wardrobe sat against the left wall. The right wall had an open doorway leading into what looked like a bathroom.
"I guess these rooms have two bedrooms in case the married couple is fighting," Astoria said with some amusement as she stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. "There's a bathroom that connects the two rooms though. It has a really nice shower and tub for us, but the counter space is a bit limited."
"We'll make it work," Daphne said with a small smile. "Do you two mind if I have a bath? I'm in need of a bit of relaxation."
"Go ahead," Astoria replied quickly. "It's all yours."
"Thanks," Daphne smiled. She gave her sister a hug and then dipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and leaving Harry and Astoria alone together.
The awkwardness set it almost instantly, but Harry felt a need to defend his choice.
"I trust Dumbledore," he told Astoria with a sincerity that almost hurt.
"I know," she replied, her voice nearly cracking as she did. "I wish you wouldn't."
"Why not?" Harry asked her, genuinely curious.
Astoria let out a breath and sat down on the edge of the bed. "A lot of smart people have made choices that aren't always right. I think that his choice tonight on how to handle Draco and the others wasn't right," she ended softly.
It took a lot out of Harry to admit this. "I don't feel like you're wrong," he told her. "But I don't know that my opinion is any more right than Dumbledore's. I'm so angry about what those monsters tried to do to you and Daphne that I don't feel like I can trust my own opinion. It feels too biased."
"You have a good reason to be biased," Astoria countered. "Anyone that attacks someone else like that deserves to be punished."
"But I want to see them dead for what they tried to do to you and Daphne," Harry emphasised. "But I know that a punishment like that probably isn't right. Dumbledore's old enough to have dealt with at least a few situations like this before. I think that he has a better insight than I do as to what is appropriate."
"And what if he doesn't?" Astoria asked him bluntly. "Dumbledore was never raised like a soldier like you have. It wasn't until he was in his fifties that he was forced to fight against Grindelwald. He doesn't know the burden of having to grow up knowing that so many people want to hurt you. He's never been married; he doesn't know the reality of having to protect the ones you love."
Harry's heart skipped a beat. "Are you saying that you want to marry me?"
Astoria scoffed, which quickly turned into a laugh. "That's what you took out of this?"
"Well, it's the first time I've ever heard you mention marriage," Harry replied. "I guess I latched onto the word."
Astoria smiled at him as she shook her head. "I can't see myself being with anyone but you," she admitted. "But we're less than a year into our relationship. Maybe later, once we're really sure about everything…"
"But the thought crossed your mind," Harry continued, his own smile brightening.
Astoria rolled her eyes and giggled. "Yes, I've imagined our wedding."
"Brilliant," Harry laughed.
All arguments about Dumbledore were temporarily forgotten as Harry swept Astoria into his arms and kissed her soundly. Her lips felt so delicate against his touch, but she pulled back far too quickly for his liking.
"I just don't want to see you being led astray by a man with good intentions," Astoria murmured to Harry. "Being given a second chance to be better is all well and good, but it can be an incredibly risky gamble."
"I know," Harry agreed. "But even if you can't put your faith in Dumbledore, and I want you to put your faith in me. If I ever once thought that Dumbledore was going to leave you and Daphne in a dangerous situation, there's no way that I defend the man the way I have been. I'd march right up to his office and demand a change."
"And if you didn't get it?" Astoria asked softly.
"I'd take you and Daphne and leave Hogwarts behind for somewhere better," Harry told her honestly.
Astoria's smile told him that he'd given her the right answer.
"Good," she said as she leaned in and kissed him again. "And if you ever want help knocking some sense into that old man's head—"
"I know who to ask for," Harry chuckled.
Their lips reconnected, and it only took a few moments before they were tumbling into bed together. Harry carefully took off Astoria's robes, mindful of her injured shoulder as he went. Astoria, however, had no such care for his clothes and practically tore them off of his body and grabbed onto his rapidly-hardening cock with both of her hands. Harry groaned as she pumped his shaft a couple of times, but this wasn't the time for him to selfishly find pleasure. He wanted to take care of her instead.
Harry gently pinned Astoria back down on the bed and pulled away from her delicious lips. He planted kisses on her breasts and belly as he slowly trailed his way down her body. Her wet pussy was waiting for him as he laid down between her thighs. With a long lick, Harry lapped up her juices that were leaking out of her.
Astoria sighed contently and really settled herself in for comfort as Harry's tongue went to work on her. He knew exactly the way that she loved to be touched, and it was easy to fall into a rhythm that was both familiar and yet had several unexpected twists. Monotony was the death of passion, and Harry strove to always work on his technique to keep his lovemaking with Astoria exciting.
The feeling of her chest rising and falling on the bed as well as the subtle twitches of her body helped Harry to identify what was working best. Naturally, Astoria loved it when his tongue paid special attention to her clit. He knew just the right amount of pressure to apply to have her squirming beneath him.
"You're so good at this," Astoria moaned quietly. Her hands ran through his hair. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"I should be the one asking you that," Harry replied with a bright smile on his lips. His tongue went right back to her clit, and a single touch was enough to make her thighs suddenly clamp down on either side of his head.
"No," Astoria whined. "It's too soon. I want to cum with you inside of me."
Harry chuckled as he wiped away the excess moisture from around his lips and peered up at her. "If that's what you want."
He crawled over top of her, and her hands lined up his cock with her waiting entrance easily. He teased her by pressing himself forward until the head of his cock was just barely parting her lower lips and then holding his position for a couple of seconds. It was only once he saw that adorable pout on her lips that he continued forward.
Astoria unleashed a feral moan as he entered inside of her. Those tight walls of her clung to his shaft wonderfully as Harry pushed all the way in. Once his cock was fully engulfed by her tight, hot pussy, he pulled his hips back and then pushed inside of her again.
He fucked her gentler than their normal lovemaking sessions went. With her on her back, Harry was able to keep a close eye on the bandage upon her shoulder. The last thing he wanted was for him to hurt her even more than she'd already been hurt today, but Astoria didn't seem bothered by her injury in the slightest. Her arms were wrapped around him, her fingers slowly raking down his back.
"You're so beautiful," Harry groaned as he stared down at Astoria's face.
Caught up in the throes of ecstasy, she managed to smile up at him and meet his gaze with her gorgeous brown eyes.
"I love you," she told him. Her voice was like a melody he could get lost in.
Their bodies rocked against each other faster and faster as their intimate moment grew in intensity. Their lips reconnected in a passionate embrace as Harry's cock filled Astoria's pussy up again and again.
When Astoria finally plummeted over the edge, her walls became impossibly tight around Harry's cock. The suddenness of it all was enough to allow him to relax and ride the pleasure too, letting his own orgasm fill up Astoria's pussy with his seed.
They stayed in bed until the morning with Harry curled up behind her, his arms wrapped around her midsection. He knew that he'd do anything to keep his love safe.
Were it not for his deepest desire to improve his skills, Harry would've seriously considered not attending Defence Against the Dark Arts today. Snape was a cruel, harsh taskmaster, but he clearly understood the subject exceptionally. Harry couldn't imagine another professor he'd ever had proving such a competent duelling opponent.
But as Harry reached the corridor outside of the classroom with Daphne at his side, all of his thoughts about Snape faded when he laid eyes upon some of those Slytherins who'd attacked Astoria and Daphne. All of them avoided his gaze except for Draco. The blond-haired prat glared back at Harry with vengeance in his eyes. It was clear that whatever Dumbledore had said to Draco hadn't gotten through to him.
Harry had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that his issues with Draco weren't over yet.
"Where were you last night, mate?" Ron asked Harry curiously as Harry and Daphne walked over to him. Hermione stood next to him and looked quite concerned too. "We were worried."
"Sorry," Harry said quietly to Ron and Hermione. "There was an incident."
"A few of my fellow house-mates decided to attack Astoria and me," Daphne informed the two of them calmly. "Harry dealt with them."
"Are you three okay?" Hermione asked quickly, stepping forward to fuss over Harry and check for any injuries.
"We're fine," Daphne assured her.
"Was Malfoy behind it?" Ron practically snarled, staring down the man in question.
"His father was," Harry replied bitterly. "He had the entire Slytherin Quidditch team and a couple of others hunt down Astoria and Daphne and confront them about dating me."
"And Harry put them in their place for it," Daphne smiled up at him.
He had, but it hadn't been good enough. It never should have come to that in the first place. He needed to be stronger, to be able to put down fights like that in an instant, and he needed Astoria and Daphne to be able to protect themselves better. He wasn't blaming them for being ambushed, but he just wanted to see them safe from any harm that could come their way.
"Good on ya," Ron nodded approvingly at Harry. "If I was in your shoes, I don't think they would've even been able to walk to class today."
"I was tempted," Harry admitted. "But Dumbledore told me that he'll deal with the situation."
"I'm sure he will," Hermione smiled warmly at Harry. "He always knows what's best."
Harry nodded, but last night's conversations with Astoria and Daphne had him doubting that a touch.
The door to the classroom suddenly flicked upon in an unusual manner. Typically, Snape wouldn't open the door until his arrival, but he appeared to be delayed today.
After several others entered, Harry, Daphne, Ron, and Hermione trailed in. They found their seats and glanced back curiously towards the door to the classroom.
When Snape eventually strode into the classroom several minutes after class was meant to begin, everyone fell silent. His cloak swished about his legs as he marched all the way to the front of the classroom before turning around sharply and planting his hands on the lectern in front of him.
"We will be practising our protective shield spells today," Snape informed the classroom. "Protego, Protego Duo, and Protego Maxima each offer their own unique benefits to counteract the Dark Arts. As the naming implies, the simple Protego can block the simplest of spells, while Protego Duo can counter more powerful ones. Protego Maxima is typically reserved for spells cast by exceedingly powerful opponents. Each one grows in difficulty to cast. I will expect all of you to manage Protego Duo by the end of the class. Now, pair up and get to practising."
With his stern warning laid out, the desks all suddenly slid across to the nearest wall, leaving a wide-open space in the middle of the room for everyone to practice in. Naturally, Harry found himself standing across from Daphne.
There many months of training over the summer had found them at ease with practising spells with one another. Those nervous jitters and awkward concerns about potentially injuring a loved one had long since faded from memory. Now, they were ready to take each other on as equals.
Ron came to place next to Daphne, while Hermione stood at Harry's left. The others in the class naturally found their spots within moments and drew their wands, ready for whatever was to come.
Snape paced back and forth along the head of the classroom with his hands clasped behind his back. "We will not be relegating ourselves to weak spells in this practice. You all have spent years learning spells that have the power to severely injure another. Duels and battles that take place throughout the world are rarely held to any strict code of conduct. Nevertheless, I will restrict you all from performing any lethal spells, but I do expect you to take this seriously. Those who are not shielding must use spells that are capable of performing some degree of harm. I would recommend the piercing hexes and cutting curses that you all have within your textbooks."
A woman with mousy-brown hair and a personality to match raised her hand. "But couldn't any of us be injured if we get hit by those spells, sir?" Megan Jones asked.
"Then you'd do well to perform those shield spells properly, Miss Jones," Snape replied in his cold, dry voice. "And if I catch any of you holding back, you can expect to receive an additional essay, sixteen inches on the value of practising combat spells. Now, begin!"
After a second passed without anyone casting a spell, Snape clapped his hands together noisily.
"Get to it!" He snapped at the room.
A nervous Ravenclaw was the first to fire off her spell. The Hufflepuff opposite her blocked the spell by snapping his wand quickly, bringing up a shield in the nick of time to stop the Stunning Charm that'd been sent her way.
A murmur rose through the classroom at the sudden attack, but Snape still seemed furious.
"I told you to use dangerous spells, Miss Turpin!" Snape shouted. "If I catch you using anything sub-par again, you'll find yourself in detention for a month! Do what you're told; nothing more, nothing less."
"Sorry," Lisa Turpin murmured under her breath.
It didn't take more than a second for another student to get underway with their attack. There was an immediacy in the air that dictated that everyone had to act quickly, lest they face punishment from Snape. Most of the Slytherins seemed relaxed about it, but the rest of the class seemed anxious.
Daphne was the first to send off a spell against him. A simple Protego spoken aloud was enough to block her Piercing Hex with little issue. The clashing sound against his shield was echoed by the dozens of other spells blocked by shields throughout the classroom. Then, Harry snapped off his rebuttal right back at her.
The world practically fell away as the two of them entered into something akin to a well-practised dance. Their movements and motions were familiar to each other from their training over the summer.
In a way, duelling with Daphne felt like flirting with her. Anytime he tried a little trick to surprise her, the corners of her lips would curl upwards in amusement and her eyes would glisten with mirth as she came up with her own creative counter. They were teetering on a knife's edge of danger should either of them slip up and mistime their defences, but that was what made it so exciting. It took a certain degree of intimacy and trust to be able to duel like this without fear of a tragic mistake occurring.
Even Snape seemed to be impressed with their work. He was walking along the edges of the classroom, chastising any who failed to perform adequately and doling out more than his fair share of glares whenever someone's spell went awry. Already, he had to pull two sets of partners from the exercise for failing to meet his criteria. But when he passed by behind Harry's back, he said nothing. Not even a single critical remark on Harry's form.
"Weasley!" Snape suddenly snapped loudly. "Your shield is as fragile as your ego is! Focus on your wand movements or you'll soon find yourself on the receiving end of worse than mere words."
Ron's ears turned red, but he didn't dare say anything back to the man who was staring him down.
The second that everyone in the room glanced towards Ron, Harry sensed something wrong was about to happen. There was a magical crack of energy reverberating through the air that left the hairs on his arms standing up.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted what had caused such a reaction. Even though he tried to lower his wand back down quickly, Harry didn't mistake the sight of Draco firing off a curse for anything else. The bolt of red light didn't travel towards his partner, however. Instead, it was aimed right at Daphne's head.
"Dap—!" Harry's lips had barely begun to form the first syllable when Daphne's head snapped round, having picked up on the same magical energy in the air that Harry had. Her eyes widened at the sight of the oncoming curse, but she reacted with instinctual precision.
"Protego Maxima!" Daphne shouted as she flicked her wand into place. A thick, shimmering shield of magical energy appeared in front of her just in time as Draco's curse struck it.
Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on Daphne. A few clearly saw Draco cast the spell while others were looking around curiously. Daphne lowered her shield with her narrowed eyes glaring daggers at Draco.
Fire filled Harry's belly at the cowardly attack on his girlfriend, but he'd barely taken a step out of line when he felt a powerful hand clasp his shoulder.
"Malfoy," Snape said with a hint of venom in his voice, cutting through the silence that filled the room. "Watch where you're pointing your wand. Another incident like this will not be tolerated. Is that understood?"
"Perfectly, sir," Draco replied, almost sounding bored as he did so.
"Get back in line, Potter," Snape muttered under his breath. He didn't remove his hand from Harry's shoulder until he did so.
The rest of the class passed as normal, but Harry couldn't get the thought out of his mind that things between him and the Slytherins who'd attacked Daphne and Astoria weren't finished yet. The fact that Draco had the gall to pull a stunt like this again merely cemented the fact that he was a dangerous enemy. It wasn't that Draco was particularly skilled at magic or a dangerous duellist; the issue was that Draco was willing to flaunt the rules and brazenly attack anyone without any warning.
Harry needed to be more watchful. Never again would he allow his concentration to slip around Draco or his cronies.
When class ended, Harry hurriedly gathered his things into his bag before anyone else had the chance to leave. "I'll meet up with you at lunch in a bit," he whispered to Daphne as he stuffed the last few things into his bag. "I've got something to take care of first."
"Just be careful," Daphne whispered back, seeming to already know exactly what his plan was.
Out in the corridors, Harry's Invisibility Cloak obscured him from sight. He watched and waited as the rest of the class funnelled out of the classroom and went about the rest of their day. Snape must have held Draco back for a private chat, because it took a few more minutes before he left the classroom.
Harry followed behind Draco, keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible until they were a few corridors away from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Then, Harry lunged forward and grabbed Draco from behind.
Draco thrashed against his invisible foe, throwing punches and kicks that missed as often as they hit. Harry took them all with a rage-filled fury and slammed Draco's back against the wall before planting his forearm across Draco's throat.
"Attack Daphne, Astoria, or anyone else I care for like that again and your precious father won't be able to save you," Harry told him seriously.
"Potter," Draco scoffed, grabbing onto Harry's invisible arm. "You've just threatened me—"
"I'm glad we're clear on that," Harry interjected. "Because I hope you know just how serious I am. Ask your father about what happened this past summer. I've learned that I have a bit of a talent for manipulating fire."
There was a degree of recognition in Draco's eyes that told Harry that he must have heard about the Fiendfyre incident in the graveyard.
"I won't give you another warning," Harry said dangerously. "Give up on trying to attack us. It won't end well for you."
Draco nearly sagged to the floor when Harry released him. Harry walked backwards slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Draco the entire time. When the blond prat stood back up, there was defiance in his eyes, not submission.
Harry needed to talk to Dumbledore again. Maybe he'd have some way of helping Harry get this message through Draco's thick skull.
Ch 24
The password to Dumbledore's office had been changed, but Harry was resolute in his desire to speak with Dumbledore. It was less than a day since the Slytherins' attack on Daphne and Astoria, and Draco was already back to trying to harm them. Harry's fingers itched to use his wand against Draco, but Dumbledore's lesson about considering the long-term outcome of his actions still rang clear in his mind.
His threat against Draco might just spur Draco onto acting more rashly again in the future. It wasn't as though Draco had any love for Harry or reasons to listen to him. Their rivalry often led them to doing the exact opposite of what the other wanted. If he'd humiliated Draco further by doing it in front of someone else or injuring him again, Draco might simply bide his time, pretending to be cowed into submission, before striking when Harry least expected it.
It was painfully frustrating trying to predict other's future actions, and yet that was exactly what Dumbledore was asking him to do. It felt so much easier to nip problems in the bud before they could blossom into something larger.
There had to be some compromise to be found.
Harry's stomach growled when supper came and went, but he didn't move from his place in front of the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. Another half hour passed before he finally witnessed Dumbledore casually walking down the corridor into a cotton-candy-pink set of robes with tiny vibrant blue stars splattered across it.
"Headmaster," Harry said in greeting as he pushed off from the wall he'd been leaning against. "I was hoping I could talk to you."
"I always have time for any of my students," Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Come, come. The password is Peppermint Toads."
Harry repeated the password, and the gargoyle leapt aside and allowed them access.
"Would I be correct in assuming that you're here to speak to me about Mr Malfoy's actions in class today?" Dumbledore asked calmly as they climbed the stairs to his office.
Harry was surprised that Dumbledore already knew about it, but it didn't take more than a second for him to piece the situation together. "You asked Snape to keep an eye on Draco?" He asked curiously.
"And all of the other professors," Dumbledore replied as he opened the door into his office. Fawkes, his phoenix, was happily cleaning his feathers atop the perch on Dumbledore's desk. He barely glanced up in acknowledgement before returning to his task. "I have asked for a similar watchfulness over the others who were involved in the situation."
"Does that include myself?" Harry asked, unable to hide the accusatory nature of his words.
"Indeed it does," Dumbledore answered openly. "I fear that another conflict between you and those Slytherins may only escalate the situation further, regardless of who begins it. That is why I have asked all of the professors to ensure that any hostilities between yourself and those Slytherins be dealt with quickly and referred to me so that I may keep apprised of the situation."
"Then what do you intend to do about what Draco did today?" Harry asked as he sat down in the seat opposite Dumbledore. Dumbledore took a moment longer to sit as he lingered nearby a silver object atop a shelf that was emanating violet-coloured bubbles that popped gently in the air. "Whatever you said to him last night clearly didn't sink in if he's already trying to cause problems again today."
"Professor Snape assured me that he reinforced my message to Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore said with those soothing tones of his.
Only, they did little to soothe Harry's frustrations.
"That's it?" He asked, aghast at the lack of a stronger response.
"I believe that you of all people can understand just how firm Professor Snape can be when he is making a point clear to a pupil," Dumbledore replied with a knowing wink. "I trust that Mr Malfoy's behaviour will improve for the better."
"Like hell the little prat will," Harry snapped angrily. Dumbledore looked taken aback as Harry slammed his palms down harshly against the armrests of his chair. "You can't honestly believe that if he didn't listen to you that he'll listen to Snape."
"Professor Snape has a far closer connection to Mr Malfoy than I do," Dumbledore pointed out.
"And just yesterday you said that his father's influence had only grown on him, that he was surrounded on all sides by darkness," Harry scoffed. "You gave him a second chance, and he already buggered it up."
"I can assure you that we are taking protective measures to ensure that Mr Malfoy is not positioned near you or either Miss Greengrass during meal times or in class," Dumbledore said. He was trying to calm Harry down, but it was only doing the opposite.
"That isn't good enough!" Harry shouted as he suddenly stood up.
There was a ripple in the air as a burst of accidental magic left Harry's body. The portraits of all of the old headmasters and headmistresses shook violently as a wash of magical energy ran through them, and a vase of beautiful yellow flowers shattered, sending water all over the floor. A shelf piled high with books split down the middle, sending them toppling to the floor.
Everything in the room looked like it'd been knocked out of place, everything except for Dumbledore and his desk. He sat calmly in the eye of the storm, barely blinking an eye as everything passed by him.
Air filled Harry's lungs as his chest heaved and he sucked in a deep breath. It took him a second to realise the mess he'd created around him. He felt justified in his anger, but he also felt remorse at having taken it out on inanimate objects like that, especially ones that weren't his.
"Sorry," Harry muttered as he sat back down in his seat.
"Magic is fuelled by a great many sources, and the greatest of those is love," Dumbledore said sagely. "You are worried for the women you love, and your magic is responding in kind to threats made against them. Accidental magic like this happens to all of us, even as adults."
"Has it ever happened to you?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "On more than one occasion."
The old professor didn't expound on that any further, and Harry felt no desire to ask.
"It feels like I'm stuck waiting around until Draco or one of those other Slytherins catches us when our guards are down," Harry told Dumbledore wearily. His body was already feeling the effects of emitting so much magic in a single go. "He tried to use the Killing Curse on me, and Astoria still bears the mark of a dark curse on her shoulder. None of the Slytherins have admitted to knowing what the curse was, so she's stuck dealing with a perpetually-bleeding shoulder until St Mungo's can identify the curse. None of this was started by us, and it's bitterly unfair that you aren't doing anything more to stop it."
Dumbledore gave Harry a sad smile. "I too know the frustrations of such things, but we cannot punish someone for what we fear they might do in the future. All we can do is offer them a chance to be someone better, to make better choices. If we were to punish everyone for their actions in their worst moments, no one would be free from reprisals."
"Even when someone's worst moment ends the life of another?" Harry asked Dumbledore pointedly.
"There is no easy answer to situations like that, but in this case, Mr Malfoy has yet to end the life of another," Dumbledore reminded him. "What he has done is unacceptable, but myself and Professor Snape are working to break him away from his father's, and Voldemort's, influence."
Harry felt like they were talking in circles at this point. Nothing he said seemed to be getting through to Dumbledore. The old man trusted in the fact that Draco was capable of change, but Harry doubted as much. From the moment Harry met him, Draco had been nothing more than a selfish prat who sought to lord over others and act with impunity. Even if there was a hope of change within him, it wouldn't be quick or easy, and every day that passed on that road to change would be torturous for Harry, Daphne, and Astoria as they were forced to watch over their shoulders and check every dark corner in case danger lurked from Draco.
And yet, despite these feelings inside of him, another part of Harry still trusted Dumbledore. This was the greatest living wizard in the entire world! He'd defeated Grindelwald, the last dark lord that'd threatened Europe at large, and was now widely respected by witches and wizards all over the globe. He'd offered Harry wise guidance in the past that's helped to set him on the right path, so why did this time feel so wrong?
"I just can't shake the feeling that this won't be the last attack from Draco," Harry finally said after several moments in thought. "Everything in my mind and body is telling me that I'm right."
"We can be fooled by our senses—"
"Are you seriously trying to argue that he's suddenly going to make a change after the pattern of behaviour he's exhibited?" Harry snapped again, feeling his anger rising once more. "As hard as it is for me to see right now, I believe that everyone can change, for better or for worse. But I can't believe that Draco's behaviour is going to change so drastically after what he's pulled the past couple of days."
Dumbledore reached over on his desk and grabbed a sherbet lemon from the bowl that sat there. He popped it into his mouth and sucked on it gently before gesturing at Harry to take one if he'd like.
Harry refused.
Minutes passed in silence as Dumbledore mulled things over in his mind. Harry watched every little minute shift in his expression, trying to piece together what words Dumbledore could possibly say to make this seem right. If anyone could, it was Dumbledore.
Finally, the old wizard let out a deep breath. "I must ask that you trust my judgement on these matters and—"
Dumbledore was unable to finish his sentence before Harry was on his feet and storming out of the man's office. Harry was so full of anger and frustration that he couldn't trust his magic to behave itself for a second longer. He slammed Dumbledore's door behind him as he went out and took the stairs two at a time to get out of there as quickly as possible.
The few students he passed by in the corridors stood clear out of his way as he passed by. Whatever seething expression he had on left more than a few of them with surprised or shocked expressions on their faces. Faintly, he heard someone calling out to him when he passed by one junction, but he didn't care to stop. He needed to keep moving.
His feet carried him throughout countless corridors on multiple levels of Hogwarts, but they ultimately guided him to one destination. It wasn't even conscious on his part—he supposed that some part of himself was seeking comfort, and there was one place where he knew he'd find it.
Astoria was in the Hospital Wing getting her bandage on her shoulder changed exactly as Madam Pomfrey had ordered. Her blood-soaked bandages were piled atop a small tray on the side of the bed she was sitting atop while Madam Pomfrey examined her wound. Astoria's face cringed as the tip of Madam Pomfrey's wand turned green, but that look quickly faded when she saw Harry entering into the Hospital Wing.
"Hey," Astoria smiled at him. "We missed you at supper."
"Sorry," Harry muttered as he sat down on the bed next to her.
Astoria's smile turned into a frown as she noticed his mood. "What's wrong?" She asked with concern in her voice.
"Dumbledore," Harry replied, shaking his head. "I… sorry, I just don't have the energy to talk about him right now. How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright," Astoria half-lied. The cut on her shoulder still looked nasty, and Harry could smell it too. "My shoulder's just a bit sore, but it'll be nice to have some fresh bandages on it."
Madam Pomfrey's grimace spoke for itself. "Your wound is festering," she explained. "Whatever dark magic is still lingering in there is preventing my treatments from working as well as they're supposed to."
"Has St Mungo's not identified the curse yet?" Harry asked, already knowing the answer.
"No," Madam Pomfrey shook her head sadly. "They're still looking into the matter, but the hospital is understaffed as it is. They don't have enough spare healers to research unknown curses at an efficient rate. It'd be easier if you were at St Mungo's where a healer could examine matters directly."
Astoria and Harry shared a look of displeasure at the situation. To have to leave Hogwarts was an extreme action to take, one rarely done except in dire circumstances.
"Would she have to stay there until it's cured or would she be able to travel back and forth just for appointments?" Harry asked.
"It'd be best if she stayed," Madam Pomfrey answered.
"It's alright," Astoria told Harry as she rubbed a comforting hand up and down his arm. However, the action only made him frustrated that he wasn't the one doing the soothing. Even if Astoria was putting on a brave face, Harry knew from experience just how painful curses could be.
"If only we knew what this bloody curse was," Harry sighed in frustration. "But none of those arseholes are admitting to knowing what it was."
Maybe a truth potion would loosen their tongues. Snape was bound to still have some in his private stores in his office even though he was now the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.
"Miss Greengrass," Madam Pomfrey began tentatively. "Not to put forward an idea of false hope, but your family is quite wealthy and has been around for centuries, correct?"
Astoria nodded her head, looking a little confused as to where this was going.
"Well, even if no one is willing to say what spell was used to curse you, there is a chance that you could still remember it. Tell me, does your family happen to own a Pensieve?"
It was like a ray of sunshine had suddenly burst into the Hospital Wing and illuminated Astoria's face. "Not that I know of, but I see where you're going with this," she beamed.
Harry glanced between them curiously. "Err, what is a Pensieve?"
"It's a rare magical artefact that can allow witches and wizards to store their memories inside of it," Astoria explained eagerly. "Think of it like a bowl full of silvery water. You just need to press the tip of your wand to your temple, think of the memory, and you can extract and deposit it into the Pensieve. Then, you can review the memories at your leisure just by entering into it. From what I've read, you act almost like an omniscient observer to the events."
"Precisely," Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Even if the caster performed the curse nonverbally, simply identifying the colour of the spell and any of the wand movements would be a tremendous help towards identifying it."
"So there's hope yet," Harry finally smiled. He looked at Astoria. "Do you know anyone who has one?"
Unfortunately, she shook her head. "Pensieves tend to be kept secret by most people. Sometimes, they place embarrassing or personal memories into them. It's rare for someone to share their Pensieve with someone else because of that."
"There was talk of Hogwarts owning one at one point," Madam Pomfrey said as her face scrunched up in thought. "I remember reading about it somewhere, but I can't exactly remember where. The Headmaster may know if Hogwarts still has it."
Harry's face darkened again. He didn't fancy returning right away to the man's office he'd just stormed out of to ask if Hogwarts had a Pensieve he and Astoria could use, but he would just to see Astoria get better faster.
"Why don't we leave this until tomorrow?" Astoria suggested gently, sensing his mood. "One more night dealing with this wouldn't hurt, right?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "We ought to deal with this now."
"Hang on," Madam Pomfrey said. "Let me floo call the Headmaster and ask him myself. It'll be faster this way."
As she bustled off to her office to make the call, Astoria took one of Harry's hands in hers. "We don't have to talk about Dumbledore if you don't want to, but I do want you to know that I'm here for you whenever you do want to talk about him."
"Thanks," Harry said as he kissed her tender lips. He pulled away with a slight chuckle. "I might have just blown up his office a bit."
Astoria's eyes widened before she let out a snort. "A bit?"
"It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be," Harry laughed. "Just a bit of accidental magic."
"He must've had it coming then," Astoria smiled.
She kissed him again just as Madam Pomfrey returned.
"I'm sorry dears, but it seems that the Headmaster has left the castle for the evening," Madam Pomfrey told them.
"Bugger," Harry muttered under his breath.
"That's okay," Astoria said. "I can handle spending a single night in the Hospital Wing. It'll be good to get to really learn to sympathise with Harry's experiences given how often he whinges about having to stay in the Hospital Wing after his Quidditch accidents."
"Oh, does he now?" Madam Pomfrey placed her hands on her hips and glowered at Harry. "You should be thanking me for putting you back together more times than I can count."
"Please don't get me into any more trouble with her," Harry whispered to Astoria, who merely giggled in response.
"Go back to our rooms and let Daphne know what's happening," Astoria told Harry. "I'll see you both in the morning at breakfast."
"Alright," Harry replied as he gave her one final kiss goodbye. "I love you."
After a sheepish wave to Madam Pomfrey, Harry ventured back out into the corridors to head to his room. The fact that they had an actionable plan to identify the curse that was plaguing Astoria lifted Harry's spirits. Even if the Pensieve didn't work out, the fact that she could at least go to St Mungo's helped to ease his nerves. He resolved to write a letter to Sirius about the matter. The Black family was known to be quite dark; maybe Sirius knew of some old books or something that they had that might help out.
The portrait door to his rooms swung open at his approach. The sitting room was empty, though several candles were lit alongside the fireplace, providing a warm glow to the room. But the door into Daphne's bedroom sat open.
"Daphne?" Harry called out as he took off his outer robes and hung them up.
"In here?" She called out from her room.
Harry walked in to find Daphne laying down on her front with a textbook open in front of her. Her beautiful blond hair was done up in a messy ponytail and she was slowly kicking her feet back and forth in the air as she nibbled on the end of a self-inking quill. A piece of parchment littered with notes sat next to her.
"I checked in on Astoria," Harry said as he leaned against the door frame. "She's spending the night in the Hospital Wing so Madam Pomfrey can keep an eye on her."
Daphne looked up with a light grimace. "We figured something like that might happen. I checked on her bandages before supper, and they were bloodier than I expected. She didn't want to get you all worked up though."
Harry shook his head but couldn't help but smile. "You should let me get worried and worked up about things like this. Both of you are incredibly precious to me."
Daphne's cheeks turned a touch pink. "That's very sweet of you to say. Is she doing okay?"
"She says she is. Madam Pomfrey at least has a few ideas on finding a way to identify the curse that got her, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow." Glancing down at the work spread out in front of Daphne, Harry recognised that she was going through their herbology textbook. "Already getting started on our first assignment?" Harry asked her curiously.
"Mm hmm," Daphne nodded in reply as she jotted down another note. "I'm almost done with the chapter, and then it'll only take me part of an hour to actually write the essay."
"Guess that means you can help me with mine afterwards," Harry winked playfully at her.
"And what would I get out of that?" She asked straight-faced.
"My charming company?"
"Try again."
"Help with your defence work?"
"With all the training we did during the summer, our O.W.L.s will be a breeze for both of us. What else have you got?"
"A good shag?"
Finally, Daphne's face cracked as she let out a giggle.
"Now there's an enticing offer," she told him.
Daphne pushed away her notes and books and crawled forward right to the edge of the bed. Then, with a wicked grin on her lips, she beckoned him forward with a finger.
Grinning back at her, Harry walked all the way forward until his crotch was barely a few centimetres away from her pretty face. Daphne's pearly-white teeth latched onto the zipper of his trousers and smoothly pulled it down before reaching in with her hand to grasp his cock. He rapidly began hardening in her hand as she gave him a couple of strokes and then pressed the tip to her rosy-pink lips.
"Astoria told me about something the two of you talked about doing at some point," Daphne murmured cryptically as she kissed his cock.
"Yeah?" Harry asked huskily. "What was it?"
Those brilliant blue eyes met his again. "About you grabbing her hair and fucking her mouth while she was laying on the edge of the bed like this."
Harry stuttered in surprise. "Yeah, but that was with Astoria. She… has a bit more practice with this than you do."
"It's not like I haven't sucked your cock before," Daphne pointed out.
"It's just that you haven't always been able to keep it in your throat for long because of how big it is," Harry pointed out awkwardly. He didn't want to necessarily dissuade Daphne from doing this, but he knew her limits. Astoria had plenty of practice deepthroating his cock, but Daphne was still learning how to manage it well.
"I'm telling you that I can handle it," Daphne assured him. "If it gets to be too much, I'll let you know. Until then, I want you to use me however you want."
Fuck, that sounded so hot. His hips accidentally thrust forward, mashing the tip of his cock against the front of Daphne's teeth. Without needing to be asked, she opened her mouth and took him inside before sealing her lips tightly around him.
"Alright, you asked for it," Harry groaned.
Daphne's ponytail felt so silky in his hands as he grasped it. He tilted her head back to just the right angle that let him push forward straight into her throat. Her warm tongue slithered along the underside of his shaft in such a delicious way. Her cheeks hollowed out as she sucked hard on his cock, taking him deeper until Harry felt him start to enter into her throat.
His hips hesitated then, hoping to give Daphne a moment to adjust, but she just glared up at him with a look that wouldn't have been amiss back when he was first trying to mend her relationship with Astoria.
Well, if she really wanted him to be rough, he could do that.
Harry thrust forward suddenly until Daphne's nose was pressed against his pelvis. She gagged slightly around his cock but recovered quickly enough to try to mask it as nothing more than a minor mistake. The look of pure determination on her face as she recomposed herself told Harry that he was good to continue.
He started moving back and forth, fucking her mouth and throat with ease. The wonderful warmth and wetness that surrounded him sent shivers of pleasure down his spine, and it only grew more intense when he reached her tight throat.
Daphne worked hard to keep sucking on his cock even as his thrusts became faster, but it wasn't always easy. Bits of saliva naturally dripped out of the corners of her mouth and onto her chin, which would then stain his trousers when he buried his cock all the way back down her throat. Her eyes started to water the longer she struggled to get down a good breath, and then she finally choked around his cock.
The sudden tightness nearly made Harry cum down her throat right then and there, but he stopped himself by quickly pulling his hips back.
Daphne gasped as she sucked in a deep breath of air now that Harry's cock was out of her throat. "Fuck, that was a lot."
"I warned you," Harry chuckled.
Her lustful eyes met his. "I want to try again."
"Another time," he told her. "I believe the payment I owe you is a good shag, no?"
Harry quickly started to strip down in front of her, which Daphne watched with rapt attention as she regained control over her breathing. His clothes landed haphazardly around the room, and then he quickly climbed up on the bed behind Daphne.
As Harry nestled himself above Daphne's creamy thighs, he flipped her skirt up and revealed her perfect bubbly arse. "Fuck, you're perfect," he groaned as he grabbed those two fleshy orbs in his hands and squeezed them.
"I won't be until your cock is inside of me," Daphne purred back at him. She had her arms crossed on the bed and her head laid down on top of them lazily as she looked back at him.
Harry felt his mouth go dry as he saw the lust in her beautiful blue eyes. He felt like he was in a trance as he pulled her panties aside, revealing her wet slit, and placed the tip of his cock against her opening.
In a single smooth thrust, Harry entered her tight pussy. Daphne let out the loudest moan he'd heard from her as her walls clenched around his girth.
"You feel so big," Daphne whimpered, looking back at him. "I should've jumped on this cock the night I caught you fucking Astoria in the Prefect's Bathroom."
"That would've been a sight to see," Harry chuckled as he loomed over her. He rested himself on his elbows, using Daphne's arse to help cushion his body as he rocked back and forth, slowly moving his cock around inside of her. "But I wouldn't have let you do it unless Astoria agreed."
"I really do need to get her a good birthday present for letting me share you," Daphne moaned again. "But not until later. Right now, I need you to fuck me."
Daphne's arse cheeks rippled as Harry started to pound away into her pussy. She was so wet that he easily slid in and out of her, and watching her beautiful body squirm beneath him was turning him on something fierce. His balls kept smacking off of her thighs as he fucked her, sending out sparks of pleasure.
Every inch of Daphne's pussy felt perfectly crafted to make Harry cum. Within seconds of fucking her, he already felt ready to burst. Her walls squeezed him in the most wonderful ways, hitting every sensitive spot around the head of his cock.
Harry knew that his angle was perfect for hitting that special spot inside of Daphne that made knees weak. Each time he rammed back inside of her, she let out moans that kept growing in intensity.
"Fuck yes!" Daphne screamed. "Don't you dare fucking stop!"
Harry suddenly clasped his hand over Daphne's mouth to muffle her noises, like they were trying to be sneaky even though no one was around to hear them fuck. He felt more than heard Daphne's growl of pleasure against his hand as she tightened up around his cock.
"You're mine," Harry told her huskily. "All mine."
Daphne said some muffled words against his hand, but her body responded the way he expected. Her pussy kept twitching around his cock as he continued to pound into her again and again, and he could feel the rest of her body beginning to tremble as well.
Finally, Daphne grabbed Harry's wrist and tore his hand away from her mouth.
"I'm cumming!" Daphne cried out. "Oh sweet Merlin I'm—"
Daphne shrieked as her walls spasmed around Harry's cock. All it took was one more strong thrust for Harry's own orgasm to unleash itself, filling up her pussy with his hot, sticky cum as her walls milked him dry.
Harry collapsed on top of Daphne, and they just laid there for a moment catching their breaths. Eventually, Harry pulled out his cock, which was slick with their combined fluids.
After one quick trip to the bathroom to clean himself up later, Harry returned to find that Daphne had stripped out of her sweaty clothes and was heading his way. He was still in awe at the way her breasts seemed to defy gravity and how her hips swayed with every step she took.
"Join me for a bath?" She asked him with a soft smile.
"How could I ever say no to you?" Harry smiled back.