It was obvious that there now important events occurring in their world which she and everyone else she knew were completely oblivious to. It was also obvious that Ares Flamel and Draco Malfoy were determined to be in the thick of it. Daphne needed to know more and she was determined to do so… after making sure her sister would be safe.
She stood up from the desk she had leaned against and prepared to leave the classroom. The soreness of her back made her realize she still had still been sitting with her chest pressed forward slightly to attract Ares attention and throw him off guard. She glanced down at her bustline for a few moments. Daphne considered herself well endowed, especially for her frame, and had use her physical attractiveness on multiple occasions to twist and manipulate people, or even just put them off balance. It was second nature to her.
However for the first time she could recall her attempt had utterly failed. After a second, she snarled in frustration at how easily Ares Flamel seemed to frustrate her. He was a conundrum and she was determined to figure him out, as she left the room as quickly as she could.
Harry caught Draco briefly as he re-entered the Slytherin's house. Draco was waiting in the common room, looking clean from his shower.
Draco saw Harry come in alone and frowned, looking around before murmuring quietly, "You didn't… kill her did you?" His tone indicated that he didn't really think Harry had done so, but that he couldn't help asking the question.
Harry shook his head and snorted, wondering just how easily Draco felt him capable of killing someone, especially so casually, then he realized the idea that Draco felt he might be capable of such casual homicide didn't really bother him. "Not at all. Why don't you go ahead to dinner? I'll catch up with you."
Draco frowned and looked at Harry's flat expression. "Have… plans for tonight changed?"
Harry glanced around, frowning a moment at Draco saying something in a public setting. However the common room was nearly empty and the last stragglers seemed to be heading out after washing up. Harry shook his head with a sigh. "No they haven't. Go on. I want to do a few things, and then I'll catch up."
Draco hesitated a moment longer and then nodded before gesturing to Crabbe and Goyle who were looking longingly at the common room entrance, clearly eager to get to dinner. They eagerly fell into step behind Draco. Harry wondered at how utterly they followed Draco, before he shook his head.
On Harry's world, Goyle had held Harry and several friends at wand point just before the Fall of Hogwarts. Goyle had been determined to drag them before Voldemort. Instead of stunning them and floating them he had tried to march them there while he walked backwards, keeping them under his wand. He made it a grand total of three steps... before he stepped backward on to empty air as the stairways of Hogwarts shifted behind him. He had fallen seven floors to his death.
This of course was before Harry started killing all death eaters on general principle.
Harry watched Draco depart before he headed towards his room. Once he was certain he was out of sight of anyone, he disillusioned himself, determined to work quickly.
At least he was in no danger of getting rusty from lack of practice.
Harry managed to finish his tasks quicker than anticipated. It wasn't as hard as he expected with people around. A simple disillusioning spell, and the general darkness of the dungeon sleeping area made staying hidden relatively easy. None of the ward schemes he encountered gave him more than a minute of challenge. Most of them he simply took down and replaced in quick sure movements, but a couple of them were creative enough or solid enough that he merely added layers on top of what was already established.
He met up with Draco nearly two hours later as Draco left the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle as shadows behind him, both carrying food as they followed.
He had passed Daphne as he exited the Slytherin common room, and had barely broken stride long enough to murmur, "Your sister's room is protected as well as all the others, third year and below. Along with yours and a few others in fourth year, too. You won't stand out this way. Sleep well." He didn't stay for an acknowledgement, just kept walked down the corridor.
He was oblivious to the stunned expression on Daphne's face, and equally unaware of how her gaze followed him down the corridor.
Draco took one look at Harry's expression before dismissing Crabbe and Goyle to fall into step next to Harry. When Crabbe and Goyle stood there looking confused, Draco rolled his eyes and told them to head on back to the common room. The two large boys grunted acknowledgement before obeying.
"You know Crabbe and Goyle tend to eat until the food disappears, and you still didn't make dinner." Draco said with a chuckle watching them leave.
Harry nodded a little bit but didn't reply, and was glad that Draco didn't bring anything else up in the corridor where people and portraits left nowhere to talk privately. They made a quick detour to the kitchens, where Draco watched quietly as Harry asked the house elves for a small dinner, and if they could pack half a dozen meals for a picnic.
Draco made no comments as the house elves excitedly provided a large dinner meal, and then packed enough food into a picnic basket for 15 people. His eyes widened in surprise when Harry knelt down and thanked the house elf that gave him the basket. The thanks set off a wave of excitement through the house elves who all suddenly scampered away to become busy with something.
Harry didn't say anything as they left, shrinking the large basket to more easily carry it and headed off through the castle. It was in one of the corridors that Draco finally said something about the spectacle he had just seen. "Why did you do that?" Harry glanced at Draco for a moment as they walked through the castle moving through the second floor "Have you ever heard the phrase 'You catch more flies with honey than vinegar'?" Harry asked curiously.
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