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Chapter Eight: In Which Harry Discovers The Grass Really Is Greener



Antonius Elphias Michael Greengrass let the following day's Daily Prophet fall to his lap and stared into space with a blank expression.

His wife sat across the room, listening to the Wizarding Wireless while reading Witch's Weekly. Their house elf was away preparing their meal. "Delphia?"

"Yes, dear," his wife said without looking up.

"Didn't Daphne say she knew Harry Potter?"

She looked up, surprised. "Harry Potter? She's seen him, but they are in different houses so I'm not sure how much they interact. She is Slytherin, after all. I'm not sure she would wish to discuss, it, however."

"Why is that?"

"She's been acting peculiar all week. In fact, since she got back."

"How so?"

"She cried when Botty made her acake to welcome her back home. You were at work, I believe."

"Daphne, our daughter, cried because of a cake?"

"She has been very emotional lately. I asked her to stay in her room or in the gardens until she had better control of herself."

Naturally. "Thank you, Delphia." He left his wife reading and went looking for the elder of his two daughters. She was not in her room, so he went looking in the gardens.

The Greengrass family was pureblood and ancient, though never truly wealthy. It was this lack of wealth that kept Antonius off the Wizengamot. It also placed him in a unique position for a dark family. For though they were not powerful, they practiced many of the old pureboodtraditions that those such as Albus Dumbledore considered dark. Animal sacrifice on the major pagan holidays, the worshiping of the dark magical entities and spirits. Sex magic during the solstices. He was proud of his heritage and bristled at the so called "light" side for condemning it. Even his marriage was arranged in accordance to the old ways.

He lacked the money or resources to be a target of the Dark Lord, but lacked the power to be a sufficient threat to be courted by the Light. And so he and his family stayed quietly neutral in all things.

Once he was outside, he finally caught a brief hint of voices coming from the grove of trees on the edge of their modest property. He folded the paper under his arms and strode across the grass until he heard his daughters speaking.

"...know what's wrong with me."

Making a quick decision, Antonius disillusioned himself and moved closer.

Daphne and her younger sister Astoria were sitting cross-legged under their favorite tree, so close their knees touched. It was a common sight. Antonius knew he was not a warm father, and knew that his wife was a distant and even cold mother. It was, he knew, where Daphne gained her aloof manner.

The only person she ever showed emotion to was her younger sister, and at the moment she was showing it in great bouts of tears.

Astoria's brown hair was cut in a short bob as opposed to Daphne's long, raven-black locks. She held her sister as Daphne cried. "You don't know why it's been like this?" Astoriaasked. She was in her second year at Hogwarts.

Daphne shook her head. "It just hit me one day. It was aday or two after Potter came back from the ministry. I was just eating my dinner and I saw him sitting there with his friends, and it hit me like...like someone had hit me. And I've been this blubbering wreck ever since."

"You really like Harry Potter?"

Antonius froze. He tried his best to figure out his own feelings regarding this revelation. Dismay, for one. Potter was unabashedly from the Light. But if the article in the paper was to be believed, he was also the heir of Salazar Slytherinhimself. Daphne had told him Potter was a parslemouth.

He started to turn away when he heard Daphne said, "Not just like, Astoria. I'm having dreams. Those nightmares that woke me up-I read about it later in the paper. I was there. I was with Harry when he watched those muggleguardians of his die. I felt the cruciatus. It was the worst thing I've ever been through, even worse than when Draco let Goyle try and rape me."

Antonius's stomach churned. There was too much in those words for him to process, and so he turned and ran back to the house. That his daughter was already so close to Potter that she experienced his pain in adream was troublesome. But that Malfoy's son was a party to the attempted rape of his little girl?

He walked stiffly into his house and threw the paper onto Delphi's lap. "What is this, dear?" she asked, obviously a little irritated at the interruption. She did not even look at the headlines on the paper.

"I am going to draft a marriage contract," he said. "For Daphne."

"But dear, she's only sixteen. She won't reach her majority until next Winter Solstice."

"She is of the age of consent," he said.

His wife looked suddenly pale. "Are you going to give her to the Dark Lord, then?"

"No, the exact opposite. I'm going to offer her contract to Lord Slytherin himself."

"Lord Slytherin? Don't be silly, dear..."

"Read the paper, woman!" Antonius snarled, still too upset by his daughter's revelations to speak calmly. With that, he moved to his study to begin drafting the contract.

--

--

Hermione was done crying. She stood in silence while the wind teased her hair. A touch of soot darkened one cheek.

Luna stood beside her silently holding her hand. On the other side stood Tonks. Remus stood behind keeping close watch on all three of them.

Before them stood the burned out shell of a house cordoned off with yellow muggle police tape. "At least they weren't there," Tonks said. It was the second time that afternoon she had said that.

"They would have been," Hermione said. "It could have been any of us."

"We've placed the LongbottomEstate and the Burrow under the Fidelius charm," Remus pointed out. "And Luna is safe with us. It won't happen again."

"Tell that to Emmaline Vance,"Hermione whispered. "Tell that to all those people in the West Country who died because of the giants."

She took a long shuddering breath, and then turned to Tonks. "I want to see Harry."

"Me too, please," Luna chimed in.

Tonks looked to Remus, who nodded. "I think that's a good idea," the former professor said. "In fact, you should stay there with Harry for the remainder of the summer. We might even consider having Ron and Ginny join you."

"Ron is not happy with me."

"He'd be a lot less happy dead," Tonksmuttered.

Hermione merely nodded. "As long as we get to see Harry."

Tonks gathered Luna, and Remus gathered Hermione, and with a pair of pops the four of them were gone. They reappeared moments later in Hogsmeade village.

The village was strangely deserted, save for a few aurors making rounds. The magical officers spotted the four of them and merely nodded as they started walking to the castle. They cleared the forest and the sparkling valley stretched out before them, dominated by the deep, peaceful lake.

However, as they approached they saw a bright flash of light. "Something's wrong!" Hermione said. She broke into a sprint, and the other three scrambled after her as she ran toward the edge of the lake. As she got closer, she realized it was a wizarding duel. Huge billows of flame seared the air around the combatants, followed by waves of water that transfigured into spears of ice. The ground erupted around them, turning molten and then into glass. She slowed when she realized the sheer, numbing power being exchanged between the two.

She slowed even further when she realized it was Harry and Dumbledore.

Behind her, Luna, Tonks and Lupin finally arrived. It was Tonks that broke the silence. "Merlin's bloody balls," she gasped.

The firewhips and crackles of lightning died abruptly. Harry turned around, his face dripping with sweat. His eyes alit on Hermione, and she felt almost betrayed by the way her heart skipped in happiness. Beside her, she both heard and felt Luna suffer the same reaction.

Perhaps, Hermione thought as Luna darted off toward Harry with a squeal of delight, suffer was not the right term for what her odd friend felt. Hermione lifted her chin and followed at a more sedate and controlled pace. She was not some foolish young girl.

Of course, neither was Luna. However...the blonde launched herself into the air like a missile into Harry's arms. He had no choice but to catch her in a swing. She squealed again with such innocent, childish joy that Hermione could not completely hide her smile.

Even when Luna locked her lips with Harry's in an intense and very adult kiss, Hermione could not quite summon the jealously she should have felt. "Damn compulsion," she muttered.

The kiss parted, and she was pleased to see Harry's cheeks flushed and his lips parted from the memory of that. "What was that for?" he asked.

"I wanted to get one in before Hermione reached you," Luna said. "I read about Susan. Has she kissed your foot yet?"

"Not yet," Harry said. He managed to tear his eyes from Luna and looked at Hermione. "Hi," he said simply.

She stopped a few feet away from him. "I'm very upset," Hermione said.

He frowned with worry, then realization hit and he nodded. "It's pretty odd."

"I feel like I've been dosed with a love potion. Like I'm a bloody slave to this compulsion! I hate it. I really liked Ron. And now he won't even talk to me. And Ginny-she fancied you, Harry. But she sees all us reasonable girls-and Luna, of course-falling head over heals for you and she doesn't have any hope at all. It's not right, Harry Potter. It's not right."

Harry squeezed Luna's hand and smiled down at her for amoment. Luna smiled back with complete acceptance, and then stepped back. Harry turned back to the stormy, angry expression on Hermione's face. She did not move as he walked to her.

"It's not right," he agreed. "I didn't ask for any of this. But I... Hermione, did you know you were the very first person to ever hug me? And during the TriWizardTournament, when even Ron thought I was doing something wrong, you came to me and let me know you believed in me. That meant so much to me."

He reached up and took her shoulders in his hands. She squeezed her eyes shut at the contact. "I think the bond could be severed. It's possible. It might hurt, but these bonds can be broken. I would do that for you, if you ask. If...if you don't want me."

Her chest jumped as she sobbed. "That's just it," she whispered. She reached up and wiped her eye. "I do. That's why I feel so awful. I want you so much. Every breath. Every thought I have is of you. It should have been Ron. But now it's you. And I feel like a tramp. I broke the heart of one of my best friends over a boy I would end up having to share!"

Very slowly, Harry pulled. At first Hermione resisted, but the resistance crumbled as she came into his arms and cried. Neither she nor Harry even noticed when Remus and Tonksleft. When her tears subsided, and she and Harry found themselves face to face sitting on the ground beside abeautiful lake, their lips came together.

An electric thrill sped down Hermione's spine. Heat bloomed in her stomach and spiked downward like lightning. They parted for breath, wide-eyed. Then Luna was there, grinning happily. "Now you know what you've been missing, Hermione," she said. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Hermione nodded mutely, unable to speak.

"For fear of getting more of an eyeful than these old eyes could bear," Dumbledore said, "perhaps it is time we move toward the castle?"

Hermione looked at the old wizard with his twinkling eyes, and could not even find it within herself to be embarrassed. "Did you do this to us, Professor?"

"No, dear, the power of love is not something to be trifled with. The bonds formed from your own innate magic and your own heart. But Ican tell you this, Miss Granger, and I hope you listen well. The bonds you feel cannot develop from avacuum. Harry saw your faces for a very simple reason-because you all loved him, or had within you the capacity to love him. More importantly, he already cared for, or loved you, himself. There is areason he did not see Miss Vane, or Miss Abbott, or Miss Parkinson, who most would agree are also quite attractive young ladies. What you feel is not slavery or a potion, my dear. It is an exaggeration of what was already there. Frankly, I always envisioned the two of you together. Not like this, perhaps, but I knew you cared for each other a great deal. Most of the school did."

"But four of us," Hermione said. She seemed to be getting a hold of herself. Harry stood and helped her too her feet. His right hand lingered in hers, while unconsciously he reached for and quickly found Luna's hand with his left. "How can we possible function in any type of relationship? Jealousy will tear us apart."

Dumbledore, noticing how Harry held both girls, smiled. "Alas, in the area of a woman's love I am somewhat lacking, being an old bachelor myself. But I would ask you, just now, did you feel any jealousy when you observed Miss Lovegood kissing Harry?"

"No."

"And Miss Lovegood, did you feel any jealousy when Hermione kissed Harry?"

"I thought it was quite lovely," Luna said. "Frankly it made me want to kiss them both. I still do, for that matter."

Dumbeldoreactually stuttered for a moment. "Just so," he recovered quickly. "If there is any compulsion in the bonds, Miss Granger, it is to assist in the functioning of your relationship. Come, walk with an old man."

It was a strange sight, Harry walking hand-in-hand with abeautiful girl on either side and the old wizard astep away. "I feel I am cast as Panderus to your Troilus and Cressida," the old wizard said.

"Can I be Cressida?" Luna asked.

"She's not exactly faithful to Troilus," Hermione points out.

"Ohh, she gets more than one man?" Luna smiled. "Well, Harry is going to get four women, it's only fair."

Harry tripped.

"Are you okay, dear," Hermione said, the last word dripping sarcasm.

"The worst part is," Harry muttered, "that she's right. It isn't fair. I don't deserve any of you, much less four of you."

"True," Hermione said. "But if we have a chance at all to make this work, it'll only be because you believe that."

"So what do we do next?" Luna asked. She looked to Dumbledore, being closes to him. "Can we just go have sex yet?"

This time, it was Dumbledore's turn to stumble. "Given the nature of the bonds and titles in place, Miss Lovegood, I believe it would be appropriate to follow the customs in place."

Luna nodded. "So we get married, then we have sex?"

"That is generally the way it is done."

"Do we get married together, and all have sex at the same time?"

By this time, Harry and Hermione were both as red as tomatoes. Luna, however, continued walking along as calm as if they were discussing the weather.

"I think each of you deserves your own wedding, don't you?"Dumbledore suggested. "In fact, the legal loophole that will allow multiple marriages demands it. For you see, legally Harry is five people. He is Harry Potter of the House of Potter and Black, and Lord of Hogwarts, the heir of the four founders. You, Luna, would be marrying Lord Ravenclaw and would assume the title of Lady Ravenclaw."

Luna grinned and leaned over to look at Hermione. "You must admit that does sound much more romantic and mysterious than Lady Gryffindor."

"If we were the Bronte sisters."

Luna giggled. Harry stared at them. "You guys lost me at Panderus," he finally said.

The two girls laughed as they reached the gates of Hogwarts. Hermione sobered, though as they stepped into the courtyard. "Headmaster, did you know about my family?"

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I forgot to tell you," Dumbledore said. He looked genuinely abashed. "Hermione found the need to obliviate her own parents and send them out of the country."

Harry blinked. "You what?"

"It was the night you were attacked," Hermione said. "I was sure they were going to come over me too."

"And they did, but not until after the failed attempt on Minister Bones," Dumbledore said. "Miss Granger's home was destroyed, Harry. She has been staying at the Burrow."

"I don't want to go back there," Hermione said. "It has been a very uncomfortable stay."

"You are of course welcome to stay here," Dumbledore said.

"Of course she's staying here," Harry said quickly. "And so is Luna. In fact, you should get all the Ministry Six back here as soon as you can."

"The Longbottom Estate and the Burrow have both been placed under the FideliusCharm," Dumbledore explained. "As has the Bones Residence. They are as well protected as magic can make them. However, Xenophiliusrefused the Fidelius because of his paper, so I agree that Miss Lovegood is safer here."

"What about Susan?" Harry asked. "Or for that matter, DaphneGreengrass. Is she in danger?"

"The Greengrass family has been aligned with the dark arts for many generations," Dumbledore said, "but they have remained neutral in the affairs of Voldemort. So far they have escaped notice."

"But eventually we're going to need to meet with her,"Hermione pointed out. "When that happens, will she be safe?"

"Only time will tell," Dumbledore said. "Exactly what happens will depend on her father. They adhere to the old traditions, Harry. If she comes to you, it will likely be with a marriage contract in hand."

"We need to meet with her," Hermione declared. "And with Susan. All four of us need to all sit down together and be sure."

"I quite agree," Dumbledore said. "And so we shall. But we shall do so as is appropriate for your ages."

"What does that mean?" Hermione asked.

"It means, Miss Granger, that a sixteen-year-old witch, no matter how brilliant, cannot legally enter into amarriage without the informed consent of her parents. We must fetch your parents and bring them to Hogwarts."

Hermione looked stricken and both Harry and Luna gripped her hands. "My parents? But I obliviatedthem."

"You can undo that spell, Miss Granger."

"But they'll hate me!"

--

--

Daphne remained outside long after her sister went back into the house. She could hear voices from an adjoining property and walked through the trees of their garden until she stood before an old stone fence. She stepped up onto a rock and looked onto another yard not too dissimilar from her own.

Muggles were playing a game in the back garden of the other house. There were perhaps ten of them, of different races and ages. They laughed and played while adults gathered on the back porch to talk casually together over cups of tea or even wine. There was a cake nearby lined with unlit candles. A birthday party?

She knew her parents absolutely hated living so close to muggles. Her father clamored bitterly about the noise of the muggleautomobiles and their radios. He had even snuck out on occasion and cursed the vehicles not to be able to play loud music at all.

But they were not Malfoys. They could not afford a huge estate far from the prying eyes of the muggles. In fact, they could barely afford the home they had. And so they shared three property lines with three other muggle homes around them. They saw muggleswalking by the front of their homes every day, and even had to greet them in the mornings when they stepped outside their wards.

As she watched these children, some of whom looked close to her age, she wished she were a muggle as well. She wished she could live her life in ignorance of the storm gathering on the horizon, where she could be free to love whom she wanted without the threat of retaliation from one side or the other.

She wished she could go to Harry and run away from the magical world entirely.

She turned when heard a pop. "Yes, Botty?"

The female elf smiled. "Miss Daphne, ma'am, Master asks you to comes to him in the library."

"Thank you, Botty, I'll be right there."

"Thank yous, Young Miss."

Daphne started walking toward the house. She wondered if it was her father's turn to tell her to stop acting so emotional and week. Her mother's words still left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she wondered if the older woman had ever feltanything in the whole of her life.

Her mother was in the same chair as always reading a trashy witch romance. Astoria was playing a game of exploding solitaire. She ignored them both and went upstairs to her father's library.

He was seated behind his table with a long roll of formal parchment. Next to him he had open the Greengrass grimoire and book of records.

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized what this meant. Was it really time? Was he going to give her to Malfoy? Or to one of his goons?

Would he give her to the Dark Lord?

"Daphne, sit down, please," her father said.

She obeyed without saying a word and waited.

He poured over the contract with a look of concentration before he sighed, leaned back, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Have you seen the Daily Prophet today?"

"No, Papa."

"Harry Potter has been declared the Heir of the Four Founders. He has assumed a seat in the Wizengamot and votes as Lord Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. According to the paper he is the wealthiest wizard in the world."

Daphne's jaw dropped.

"Didn't dream about that, did you?"

Her jaw snapped shut again and color splashed across her cheeks. "You were listening."

"Yes. You said you dreamed about him."

She looked down at her shoes and said nothing.

"Daphne?" She did not look up at first. "Daphne?" he said again, with a softer tone. "Those boys in Slytherin, did they hurt you?"

"No, Papa."

"Did they try?"

She folded her hands together. "Yes, Papa."

"Have they hurt other girls?"

"Yes, Papa."

"And do you think they will try to hurt you again? Or your sister?"

Daphne growled under her breath at the moisture in her eyes. She hated this...this emotional rollercoaster she seemed to be one. She never cried, ever! And yet here she was bawling like some stupid baby in front of her own father!

"Daphne, are you or your sister in danger there?"

"We are going to class with Draco Bloody Malfoy, of course we're in danger!" she snapped. "Malfoy's already made a few remarks about Astoria, even though she's only going to be a fourth year. It's just a matter of time before he takes The Mark and then anything else he wants."

Antonius sat back in his chair and stared at the anomaly that was his daughter. The cold, aloof girl with the beautiful black hair and eyes that could freeze a man's soul seemed gone, replaced by a terrified, saddened child who was even more beautiful.

"I have something I want you to see," he finally said. He dusted off the setting powder from the parchment and handed it over.

Daphne stared at it unseeing at first, until the name finally registered. "Harry Potter?"

"The Greengrass family has always followed the old ways, but we never followed the Dark Lord. With Potter's elevation as Lord Slytherin, I suspect there will be no neutrality any more. Voldemortwill not stand by and allow the boy to assume the role as Heir of Slytherin lightly. And yet, Potter has done just that. And he has Dumbledore in one pocket and now the minister of magic on the other. If there is any time to form an alliance, it is now. I want to offer your contract to Harry Potter, Lord Slytherin, in return for protection for this house, and your sister."

"You are my father, Papa," Daphne said carefully. "You will do what you feel is right."

"Perhaps. But I will not do this at all, Daphne, if you do not wish it."

She stared at her father in genuine surprise. "You would let me choose?"

"I do not know if I have ever been a good father, Daphne. I suspect your mother has not done well in her role. But I do care for you. I love you, if you wish to use such a vulgar word. As much as is possible within our traditions, I wish you every happiness. If this match is acceptable to you, it could also help save our family from the Dark Lord."

Daphne handed the parchment back. "I don't know if I've ever even spoken with Potter. My dreams were my own problem. But I...I will not object to this contract. I agree it would be a good match for the family if the Light wins. If nothing else, my children will carry the name Slytherin."

"Very well," Antonius said. "I will send the contract on and arrange a meeting with Potter's retainer."

Daphne nodded. "Thank you, Papa." She stood and walked out of the library, only to pause at the door. "I love you too."