The Feathered Serpent: Chapter 10 (Patreon)

Daphne slowly blinked her eyes open and found herself facing the open window. The slight cool breeze of the approaching winter made her shiver a little. A pair of strong arms were wrapped around her, pulling her close to the source of heat pressed up against her back, and she sighed in contentment.

“Mornin’,” he whispered. She hummed softly.

“Mornin’ to you too.”

“You alright?”

She felt him gently stroke her belly over the thin nightdress she had on, and the intimate gesture felt oddly normal. She gave a short nod.

“Much better than last night.”

They remained cuddled up on the bed for a few minutes in silence and she closed her eyes, enjoying his gentle ministrations when Harry sighed. “We should be getting up now.”

Daphne clutched his hands and wrapped them tighter around her body in response.

“Let’s stay like this for a few minutes more,” she replied instead. He didn’t speak, instead opting to bury his face in her blonde locks. Daphne closed her eyes with a smile as he breathed deeply.

The sounds of birds chirping outside the window on the balcony and beyond flittered through as they lay there in silence. In the distance, they could hear the faint barking of a dog that Hagrid kept as well as the giant man’s chiding shouts. Instead of suffocating, the silence was soothing.

It was only after half an hour of prolonged physical contact that Daphne broke the silence. She turned around in his embrace and looked up at his face. He was staring at her with a small smile.

“Let’s get up now.”

Harry nodded and Daphne was surprised when he leaned forward to drop a featherlight kiss on her forehead. She stared at him as he smiled and unwrapped his arms from around her. She watched him get off the bed in silence until he padded over to the bathroom. Only when he was out of sight did she turn over on her back and stare at the ceiling, a small smile affixed on her face.

When Harry emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, he found the room empty. Assuming correctly that Daphne must have left for her room, he went about his usual morning routine.

Daphne was waiting for him outside his room when he walked out after getting ready for the day, and they walked down together. The common room was abuzz with frantic whispers as students stayed huddled in their usual groups and gossiped about the events of the night prior. Harry and Daphne heard them talking about what the creatures must have been, and there were a few speculations as well. They knew that multiple creatures had breached past Hogwarts’ defenses, and a few of those guesses seemed very probable.

They paid the students no mind and together, they walked out of the common room. Students wandered the corridors, a few looking for any evidence that could hint as to what the creatures were. They sighed. Here these students were, treating the ordeal as if it had been some sort of adventurous drill. Little did they know how dangerous the situation had been.

They entered the Great Hall and saw Tracey sitting at her usual place. Wordlessly, they walked over and sat down in front of her. The brunette looked at them and nodded.

Daphne quickly flicked her wand and erected a privacy ward around them.

“It’s done,” Tracey spoke without missing a beat as she twirled her spoon on her plate. “Not that I needed to do much. Your names were not brought up even once. Still, in case it gets thrown into the mix, I’ll deal with it.”

Harry nodded.

“What about Hermione?” Daphne asked with a frown. Tracey looked at the blonde and sighed.

“That is more complicated. Apparently a few ‘Puffs visited the infirmary early in the morning and saw her occupying a bed with bandages around her arms. As expected, it didn’t take long for the gossip to follow. Many students believe that she was attacked by one of the creatures.”

“Make up some story to divert the attention from her,” Harry instructed firmly. Tracey looked at him and shook her head.

“I’m afraid it’s not possible,” she replied, earning a frown from the pair. Before they could refute, she continued, “I could’ve explained her presence as some headache or anything else, but the fact that they saw her bloodied arms bandaged up means it’s impossible to explain it away. What do you expect me to say, exactly? That she fell off the stairs and mangled her arms up so badly it started to bleed all over and she had to stay the night in the infirmary because of that? Fat chance anyone would believe that.”

Harry frowned.

“You have to understand that unless you have a very good explanation, it is impossible to explain a situation away. Give me something if you can, because I cannot think of anything,” Tracey replied.

Harry and Daphne exchanged a look for a moment, trying to come up with something.

“Listen you two,” Tracey sighed, gaining their attention once again. “I understand that you don’t want her name involved in this. Hell, even I don’t want that. But I’m afraid there is no way we can explain this away now.”

“What about a potion gone wrong?” Harry tried.

“And which potion mangles up your entire arm?” Tracey asked with a raised eyebrow. “Even if you know one, I won’t suggest it. Everyone would think she’s some amateur who bit off more than she could chew. They would think she’s some overconfident girl who is desperate to prove how good she is. Better they think she was attacked than that.”

“She’s right, Harry,” Daphne said, sighing. “Don’t worry. We’ll deal with it when the time comes. I’m sure nothing will come off it. Instead, it might earn her some sympathy from the students.”

“A few more students were almost attacked last night,” Tracey added, making them look at her. “There was a mountain troll near the kitchens and it attacked Bones and her friends Abbott and Jones before the professors took care of it. Pretty sure everyone knows who were attacked.”

“Those students might develop a soft spot for each other,” Harry mused. “Nothing brings people closer than hardship they endured together. I see.”

Daphne nodded. Hermione didn’t have many friends, and it looked like she could do with more of them. She knew she and Harry were involved in something that didn’t afford them the luxury of having more friends, but perhaps Hermione could have it. There also remained the fact that Bones and Abbott were prominent houses, and although they were already involved with the elder children, it could prove to be a good way to include the younger siblings in their circle. The fact that Bones was the niece of the Director of the DMLE was a bonus.

She looked at Harry who gestured toward the girls sitting at the Hufflepuff table with his eyes. Daphne nodded. As always, they were on the same page.

“Alright then,” Daphne replied as she looked toward Tracey. “We can go with that, but you better make sure the details don’t get disclosed. That is non-negotiable.”

“You don’t have to tell me, Daphne,” Tracey replied with a firm nod. “There’s no way I’ll let what happened last night become known.”

They nodded and started on their breakfast.

Tracey kept looking at them uncertainly every once in a while until Daphne deemed it enough and she looked at her expectantly.

“What is it?”

The brunette sighed, and asked, “Are you two alright after… you know…”

Daphne pursed her lips and gave a short nod.

“It was tough in the beginning, but we’re fine now,” she replied, giving Harry’s hand a soft squeeze under the table. Tracey looked at them and nodded.

“That’s good then.”

XXXXX

“Potter, Greengrass, a word.”

Harry and Daphne stopped mid-strike and looked over. It was McLaggen and Prewett. They looked around at the empty corridor and nodded before they followed the two older students inside an alcove.

“We heard Granger was attacked last night.”

Harry looked at Daphne and nodded.

“She was. There are no worries though. She’s perfectly fine. Just a few broken bones. Nothing Madam Pomfrey cannot fix,” he replied.

“Were you two involved with what happened?” Julia Prewett asked with a shrewd look in her eyes.

Seeing no need to lie to these people, Harry nodded.

“We took care of the creature together before it could do any more damage. There’s nothing to worry about.”

The two Gryffindors exchanged meaningful looks with each other before Justin turned to look at them.

“Look, Potter. As fellow members of the Hierarchy, we’d like to tell you once again that you can count on all of us should the need arise. I’m sure you are more than capable, but if any emergency like the one we had last night comes up, we’d prefer you involved us as well. More wands are always good,” the young man implored.

“I’ll keep it in mind in the future,” Harry nodded in understanding and patted his pocket which housed the medallion each member of the Hierarchy had for communication.

“And don’t worry,” Julia said with a small smile. “We’ll ensure nothing more than the fact that Granger was attacked is known. She won’t be disturbed more than she already must be.”

Surprised, Harry and Daphne gave the young woman a nod. With a parting smile, the two older students walked out of the alcove, leaving Harry and Daphne behind.

“They must know more than they let on,” Daphne remarked. Harry nodded.

“Come on, Snape won’t be happy if we’re late.”

XXXXX

The sounds of approaching footsteps made Hermione turn her head to her left. Her eyes stared at them unblinkingly as they walked in through the infirmary doors and approached her.

“Hey Hermione,” Harry said gently as he helped Daphne into the chair, standing behind the blonde. Tracey walked over and sat on the other side of the bed, worried.

“How are you?” Daphne asked in concern.

Hermione stared at them for a long moment, not saying anything, and they grew even more concerned.

“I don’t know how to feel,” she whispered in the end, her voice breaking as her eyes filled with tears. Daphne and Tracey immediately grabbed her hands in support, mindful of her injury, and Hermione clutched them to her chest like a lifeline.

The look of absolute fear in those brown eyes of hers was heartbreaking enough on its own but when coupled with her shaking and the tears that sprung from her eyes, it made Harry and Daphne immensely worried for the girl.

“Hey, shh… it’s alright. You’re safe now,” Tracey soothed the girl as Daphne got off the chair and took a seat on the edge of the bed to take the girl in a warm embrace. Harry quickly erected a privacy ward around them.

Hermione clutched her, almost as if to never let go, and Harry kept his hand on her shoulder in support.

“How can I think I’m safe after what happened?” Hermione sobbed into Daphne’s shoulder as the blonde held her. “I-I n-never thought something l-like t-that could hap-happen to me. I-I was only s-studying in the lib-library. When I c-came out…”

The girl broke down, and Daphne tightened her hold on her. She looked over at Harry who could only stare helplessly as Hermione cried her heart out. On the other side, Tracey held her hand in hers, as if afraid that something would happen to the girl should she pull away.

“Mr… Mr. Filch w-was already d-dead,” Hermione whispered. “And t-that m-m-monster w-was…”

“Shh…” Daphne whispered, rubbing the girl’s back gently. “You don’t need to speak about it any further, Hermione. We know what happened.”

She held the girl firmly against her and looked over at Tracey who stared back with a worried look on her face.

“What happened after… you know…” Hermione asked softly as she finally pulled away and slowly leaned back against the wall. Daphne looked over at Harry who gave her a firm nod.

“We killed the werewolf,” she replied with steel in her voice. Hermione gaped.

She stared at Daphne for a long moment and the blonde returned the stare unblinkingly. Shaking, she turned to the side to look up at Harry who gave her a resolute nod. Hermione nodded back absently.

“You killed it,” she stated plainly. Harry and Daphne nodded.

“We did,” he replied. Hermione looked down and nodded to herself.

“It’s dead,” she whispered. Daphne gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

“And it won’t come back,” she replied with a consoling smile. Hermione closed her eyes and leaned back.

The girl was terrified, and understandably so. Even after almost a day of the harrowing encounter, she was visibly shaking. Harry could see discarded vials of Calming Draughts and Dreamless Sleep Potions on the disposable tray placed on the table beside her bed, six of each in total. Not healthy or even recommended, but evidently Madam Pomfrey had to administer so many of those in such a short span.

“It really won’t,” Hermione whispered again.

Daphne looked at Harry helplessly, distressed at the state their friend was in, and why wouldn’t she? She had survived an attempted sexual assault from one of the foulest criminals there had been, and if they had been even a minute late… Harry truly didn’t want to entertain that thought.

He shook his head to clear off those pathetic thoughts and looked at Hermione’s bandaged hands.

“Looks like Madam Pomfrey managed to get you all fixed,” he smiled. Wordlessly, Hermione nodded.

“Pretty sure the Skele-Gro tasted like utter crap, didn’t it?” Daphne teased. Her smile turned into a grimace when Hermione nodded once again, her eyes open and staring into nothingness. She was lost in her thoughts.

“Hermione, please don’t think about what happened yesterday,” Tracey pleaded as she took the brunette’s hand in hers and gave a gentle squeeze, mindful of not putting too much pressure. Her hand was still healing.

There was a few seconds of absolute silence when Hermione raised her head and looked at Tracey, and the brunette flinched when she saw the look in them.

Her eyes were dead.

“Easy for you to say, Tracey. You didn’t have to go through it.”

Tracey shut up immediately and dropped her head, staring down at the bedding as Hermione turned to look at Harry and Daphne who gave her similar frowns.

“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered.

“Oh dear,” Daphne whispered, cupping the girl’s cheek with absolute tenderness as she leaned forward and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead. “We’ll always be there for you. What do you think friends are for?”

She caressed her cheek gently, almost akin to how a mother would console her child. Harry had to bite his lower lip to control his emotions. He so desperately wanted to somehow revive Greyback so that he could kill him again.

Daphne and he had doubted each other and their actions so much before going to sleep the night before. They had questioned their decision to kill Elstan Greyback over and over again, feeling remorse at having to commit as heinous an act as killing. However, after seeing the sight of Hermione and the condition she was in, all those doubts vanished in an instant. When Daphne looked at him, he could somehow feel that she believed the same.

They had shown mercy to Elstan Greyback by killing him so painlessly. That monster deserved much more.

Harry, Daphne, and Tracey sat with Hermione for quite a while, during which they tried to talk to the girl. She would only nod at times, not showing too many emotions, and soon, they were at a loss as to what they could say to ease her pain even a little bit.

A commotion at the entrance to the infirmary made them turn around and they saw Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster enter. They were followed by a middle-aged couple dressed in the usual muggle attire. The couple were looking around frantically, very concerned for something and it was when they saw the woman’s face properly that they realized who they were.

Hermione truly took after her mother.

The moment the woman’s eyes fell on her daughter, she bolted forward without a care in the world. Harry immediately pulled Daphne toward him as the woman all but threw herself on her daughter’s bed, who could only stare with shocked eyes.

“Hermione,” the woman whispered with tears in her eyes, and involuntarily, their brunette friend’s eyes teared up as well. Not even caring that her hands were still healing, she threw them around her mother and crushed herself against her. The woman held her daughter tightly to herself, afraid that some hardship would befall her should she release her.

Harry gestured for Tracey to follow them and he walked away with Daphne a little distance away to give the family the privacy they surely needed. As Hermione’s father sat on the other side, an almost haunted look in his eyes, he waved his wand and applied an even stronger privacy ward around them. No one else deserved to witness that sight, them included.

Dumbledore and McGonagall turned to look at them when they felt the privacy ward go up and they gave him an approving nod each. Harry nodded back and sat on a vacant bed with Daphne and Tracey sitting on either side of him. The professors walked over and grabbed a pair of chairs for themselves.

“I assume you all talked to Miss Granger?” McGonagall asked softly.

“She didn’t talk much,” Tracey replied morosely. “All she did was nod, and it was easy to tell her mind was not here.”

“Hermione has gone through something no one should ever go through,” Daphne replied sadly. “It would be foolish to expect any other reaction. That poor girl… she must be reliving that traumatic experience continuously…”

“Poppy said she had to keep giving her Dreamless Sleep potions and Calming Draughts every hour or two,” McGonagall replied. “Miss Granger barely slept last night even with those potions running through her system.”

“How were those creatures here, Headmaster?” Harry asked suddenly, pinning Dumbledore with a stare. “You said they used secret passageways to sneak in. How did they know about those? Was Greyback a student here once and he found a few?”

“Elstan Greyback has never been a Hogwarts student,” McGonagall replied firmly, her expression one of disgust. “He has never before set foot on Hogwarts’ grounds.”

“Then please tell us, Professor,” Daphne said with ice in her voice. “How did someone who has never even stepped on these grounds manage to not only find a secret passageway, but also sneaked in a mountain troll and an acromantula, all in different locations of the castle, and away from all watchful eyes?”

“Believe me, Miss Greengrass,” McGonagall sighed. “We are as much at a loss as you are.”

“I have a suspicion, if I may, Professor,” Harry remarked, looking at Dumbledore who had remained oddly silent during the entire interaction. Even now, the old wizard didn’t respond, instead choosing to stare into the distance. Harry had no idea what he was thinking about.

“Go on, Potter,” McGonagall nodded with a sigh.

Harry looked at Daphne who also looked curious, before he turned to look at Dumbledore once again.

“I think that someone inside this castle let those creatures in,” he declared, a triumphant gleam entering his eyes when he saw the subtle shift in Dumbledore’s demeanor. The old wizard’s eyes twitched ever so slightly. “Someone who knows about more than one secret passageway. Otherwise, it is impossible to sneak past the portraits scattered throughout the castle. Isn’t that right, headmaster?”

Dumbledore stared at the young wizard with a calm gaze.

“It is indeed true that it would be impossible to sneak past the portraits. However, we cannot discount the possibility of someone outside the castle who had once been a resident here is behind this,” he replied.

“You have your suspicions too, don’t you?” Harry asked keenly. Dumbledore didn’t say anything and instead looked over toward Hermione’s bed. They followed his gaze and saw Mr. Granger walking toward them. Everyone stood up immediately.

“I assume you are Harry and Daphne my daughter has talked so highly about?” Mr. Granger asked softly as he looked at the pair.

They nodded and saw Mr. Granger clench his hands as his head bowed low.

“I have no idea how I can repay what you two have done for my girl—”

“Please, Mr. Granger,” Daphne interrupted the man politely. “You don’t have to think about things like that. Hermione is our friend. There is nothing to repay.”

Beside her, Harry nodded.

“In fact, we should be apologizing to you,” he replied somberly. “Hermione should’ve never gone through that. I’m sorry we couldn’t reach to her sooner.”

Mr. Granger shook his head and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

“Don’t beat yourself up, lad,” he said gently, looking at Daphne as well. “You two did the best you could, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. You…” the man’s voice broke slightly before he took a deep breath. “You saved my girl from a fate worse than death. I can’t explain what that means to us.”

Harry could only give a small nod in response, not knowing what to say to that. He felt Daphne take his hand and squeeze gently. He squeezed back in response.

“I hope the transfer documents are ready, Mr. Dumbledore?” Mr. Granger asked, earning a frown from everyone apart from the headmaster and his deputy. The former nodded and waved his wand. A bound scroll appeared in his hand and he held it out for Mr. Granger, who unrolled it and looked it over. Wordlessly, he rolled the scroll back up and nodded.

“If this was a non-wizarding school, you better believe your school would’ve been on the verge of shutting down,” the man glared. “However, I’ve realized quickly that our worlds are very different, and so are the laws. I might not be able to do anything, but I will say this, Mr. Dumbledore. It is a shame that something like this befell my girl in a place that boasts of its safety and rich history.”

He looked over at McGonagall and smiled a mirthless smile.

“Remember what you arrived at your home all those years ago, Madam?” He asked. “You said Hogwarts is the best place our daughter could go to learn about her powers. That it was the greatest institution in the Wizarding World and is considered the safest place in this world alongside Gringotts. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s apparent that everything you said was simple marketing and nothing else.”

The professors could say nothing to that, and with a look of disgust, the man turned toward the three students who stood with surprised looks on their faces. His expression softened.

“My daughter is very lucky to have made such good friends,” the man began. “She’s always been a loner, so we were ecstatic when she wrote to us, telling that she had made three brilliant friends. I hope you all will remain in contact after everything is done.”

“Where are you transferring her, Mr. Granger?” Daphne asked gently, resigned to the fact that Hermione would no longer remain at Hogwarts. And after what had transpired a night before, it seemed the obvious choice. No parents would allow their child to stay after that.

“I would’ve preferred for Hermione to spend her life as a non-magical person, but I understand it’s important for her to master her abilities,” Mr. Granger replied. “Mr. Dumbledore was kind enough to arrange for her to transfer to Beauxbatons. We have spent many holidays in France, and Hermione is well versed in the language.”

Daphne nodded, frowning.

“Hermione knows about this, right?” Harry asked as he looked at the man, who nodded with a sigh.

“She does. We just informed her,” he replied.

“And she agreed?” Tracey asked. Mr. Granger looked at her and sighed.

“She nodded. Didn’t even say anything. It’s as if she doesn’t even care.”

Harry and Daphne exchanged a look with each other before they looked toward Mr. Granger.

“Can we talk to her?” Daphne asked. Mr. Granger nodded. Together, they walked over to where Hermione’s bed was. Once they passed the privacy bubble, they saw Hermione wrapped in her mother’s embrace who looked over when she heard them come over. Her eyes immediately fell on Harry and Daphne and tears of gratitude sprung from them. Harry quickly held a reassuring hand up, a gentle smile on his face as he shook his head. The woman nodded tearfully.

Daphne walked forward and took a seat beside Hermione. Tracey sat beside her mother while Harry stood behind Daphne, his hands on her shoulders, squeezing in support.

“Hey Hermione,” Daphne began, making the girl look at her. “Your dad told us about the… transfer.”

Hermione’s eyes widened and she gave an apologetic look. Daphne immediately took her hand gently.

“Hey, you don’t need to feel sorry for this. We understand perfectly,” she reassured the brunette. Harry smiled when she looked at him.

“We’ll miss you, Hermione,” Tracey whispered, tears in her eyes as she stared at the only true friend she had left at Hogwarts after the entire ordeal with Harry and Daphne. “I’ll miss you.”

Hermione reached forward and took Tracey’s hand with her free one, patting gently.

“I have cousins in Beauxbatons,” Daphne said with a small smile, and Hermione looked at her. “One is a couple of years older than us, and the other is our age. I’ll write to them about you. I’m sure they’ll love you.”

Hermione’s mother looked at the blonde with a grateful smile. Daphne nodded.

“Also, keep in touch when you’re in France. Don’t you dare forget us, understood?”

Hermione turned to look at Harry and tears sprung in her eyes. He quickly bent forward and took her in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly as she cried.

“Shh… it’s alright. Enough crying already. Look, your mother’s crying as well. Her make-up’s spoiled already.”

That broke the dam. Instead of stopping, the brunette’s crying intensified and Harry felt his shirt getting soaked with tears. He could only rub her back soothingly, trying to reassure her with all he had.

After over a minute, Hermione calmed down slightly, still sniffing as she pulled back to look at him.

“You always say that,” she half-laughed, half-sobbed. Harry smiled.

“That’s because you women care about it so much,” he replied, wiping her tears away before standing up and walking over to stand beside Daphne.

“We’ll be in touch, Hermione. And you better believe we’ll be together during the holidays as well,” Daphne smiled. Hermione nodded, smiling softly.

XXXXX

Hermione left Hogwarts the next day when Madam Pomfrey released her from the infirmary. Her parents came to take her with them, and they expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Harry and Daphne once again, before giving them their address at their asking.

Their daughter might have left Hogwarts after only a couple of months, but within that short span, she had made friends for life.

As promised, Daphne had written to her cousins before Hermione had even left Hogwarts, and a few days later, she received a letter from Hermione, thanking her for the gesture. Last they knew, she was settling nicely in France.

Daphne’s younger cousin was their age, and she had made quick friends with Hermione. However, the scars, both physical and emotional, still remained.

She had written about Hermione having nightmares every night. She told them how their friend would wake up crying during the night and had to take potions to help her sleep. That worried them, and they hoped that her situation improved soon.

The aftermath of Hermione’s departure from Hogwarts was nothing dramatic. A vast majority of students didn’t care since they had no idea who she even was. A few who knew about her though wondered why she had left. That lasted a day or two before they too forgot about it. Tracey had successfully managed to divert any sort of unnecessary attention from Hermione’s case, expertly attributing it to how the weather didn’t suit her and how she craved the sun of France over the grim cold of Northern Scotland. That had been enough.

There were a couple of changes to their circle though. Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, and Megan Jones – the three Hufflepuff girls from their year knew that Hermione had also been attacked, and unlike them, she had been injured as well. They had approached Harry and Daphne about the girl and knew that the attack had a role to play in her departure from Hogwarts. It was akin to an ice-breaker, and ever since, the three girls had taken to joining them occasionally for meals and such. They were not friends, but they were not strangers either.

It was Friday evening, and classes had ended. A few teachers and students were gathered in a large hall with galleries on either side, leaving two sides vacant. It was the usual time for the Dueling Club, but something was different about this one.

This gathering was going to be the first one in which the first-year students will be dueling for the first time. Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy’s duel, if one could call it that, had not been an official one, so that didn’t count. All first-years were unranked, and they would begin by dueling one another. The winners were awarded points while the loser lost points. To acquire a rank, there was a points threshold. Rising above the threshold awarded a duelist the rank, and falling below the threshold took away the higher rank, leaving the duelist with the rank immediately lower to it.

Harry and Daphne had both enrolled in the Dueling Club, along with a few students from the first through third years, all joining the club for the first time and starting without a rank. In normal situations, it would have been challenging for a first-year student to take on someone older. However, their situation was anything but normal.

Harry and Daphne had a simple plan. They wanted to reach the rank of Duke in his case and Duchess in her case at the earliest. It was because only students who had attained at least that rank were allowed to compete in the European Championship, which was their target. Each win came with three points, and to upgrade to the next level they needed sixty points. That meant competing in at least a hundred duels would take them to their minimum desired rank, and if they lost even one duel, the number would increase.

Harry looked at Daphne and whistled as she saw her in the combat attire, earning an amused look from the blonde who gave him a once over as well, giving an approving nod. Harry chuckled.

“Looking nice,” he commented, slowly and deliberately dragging his eyes up and down her alluring frame. The attire accentuated her natural curves perfectly. Daphne rolled her eyes, amused.

“You cut a rather impressive figure yourself,” she replied, looking him over as well. His attire showcased his muscular frame in all its glory.

“Alright then,” Harry smirked as he walked over and joined her near the entrance. “Let’s get this shit started.”

XXXXX

To be continued…