Daphne had been working with Harry for three weeks and the initial exhilaration and excitement had well and truly worn off. The endless angry/envious/confused stares she had to endure from what seemed to be the whole of Hogwarts (including the staff!) and the seeming dead-end she had been met with after thoroughly studying Harry's connection with Voldemort had sapped her energy. She had always worked hard at her studies but this was different. This meant something. This was well and truly hard.

She and Harry had spent almost every evening together either tending to their own studies or with Harry reciting and re-reciting, in excruciating detail, everything he could remember from each time he "connected" with Voldemort. Daphne had thought about it so many times...had cross-referenced her observations against every book she could find on mind magics...and had reached a standstill. Based on everything she had found in the library what Harry was experiencing was truly unprecedented. Even venturing into the Restricted Section using the invisibility cloak came up with no answers. She had thought it through so much she was now going in circles.

Her thoughts always reverted back to three anomalies she could not explain:

In every book, she could find these sort of connections were always one way and always required a master Legilmens. She had no doubt that Voldemort was a master at the craft and if anyone could perform such an act from a significant distance it would be him. But how to explain Harry accessing Voldemort's mind? There were many things she admired about Harry but his ability to discipline his mind was not on the list. There was something beyond Legilmency and Occlumency going on.

Excluding the false images planned by Voldemort Harry's ability to access his thoughts were all rooted in powerful emotion: anger, rage, excitement. As much as the headmaster annoyed her these days she thought he might have been on the right track. Beginning with his mother's sacrifice through the battle at the Department of Mysteries Lily Potter and Harry had consistently and definitively bested Voldemort with their emotions. It was truly fascinating...her cynical, clinical mind wanted to dispute it but there was no other explanation. They seemed to defeat Voldemort by sheer force of will and Voldemort's complete dismissal of such a thing being possible. There had to be a way to harness that emotion. She didn't totally subscribe to Dumbledore's idea that Harry could love Voldemort to death but there was something there to be honed and exploited. Lily Potter had done it once. She needed to do it again.

Then there was the snake. Harry somehow accessing Voldemort's mind was inexplicable enough but somehow seeing through the snake's eyes was another level of baffling. She kept going back to her original reaction when she realized Harry could speak Parseltongue. She was positive all three shared something. She was so close...so frustratingly close to the answer.

She was broken out of her thoughts by the warming of the coin she had been twirling unconsciously in her hand. Her initial confusion turned to panic fearing the worst for Harry's safety. She quickly read the message.

Hermione has invited herself and Ron to study with us in the library so you'll have to pretend you can stand me.

She initially smiled at his joke and quickly became unsettled. This would be her first proper time around Weasley.

She had seen him evaluating her multiple times since she and Harry had started 'dating'. He hadn't seemed angry...just thoughtful. Based on her observations over the years and Hermione's scathing comments about the boy the last couple of weeks this seemed to be uncharacteristic behavior. She could have handled the 'emotions on his sleeve' Weasley she was used to seeing but this thinking, considerate Weasley unnerved her. She was pleasantly surprised so far at how well she had handled the mumbled insults levied her way. Even the ones from her own housemates hadn't fazed her. She hated to admit it but Harry's friends were different. She wanted them to like her.

She found them in the back sitting at 'their' table. Hermione was muttering under her breath to Weasley, a look of unbridled fury on her face. Ron appeared unfazed which seemed to be infuriating her even more. Harry just looked tired. Daphne got the impression that he had been sitting through some version of this for the last six years.

"Daphne!" Harry exclaimed, a relieved expression coming over his face. To her complete and utter surprise, he quickly leaped from his chair and embraced her. 'This is new,' she mused, not displeased in the least.

He whispered in her ear. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. They've been at each other's throats all day and it's doing my head in. They just need to get on with it and shag or something."

She snorted at his joke and noticed Hermione's expression lighten, all traces of her previous anger gone. Weasley was looking at her as well...thinking. It was unnerving.

Harry seemed to realize what he was doing and pulled back, an embarrassed expression on his face. She grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze of assurance. "Glad to see you've missed me since yesterday, Harry," she said purposely loud enough for everyone else to hear.

Harry relaxed. Hermione beamed. Weasley just sat there, evaluating.

After a bit of small talk, the next two hours passed uneventfully as Daphne devoted time to catching up on her normal studies. She was slogging through her Ancient Runes translations when she heard Hermione speaking to Harry.

"Needing a bit of help then?"

She looked to see that Harry had pulled out a textbook. A very worn textbook by the looks of it. 'Must be Potions,' she mused as it did not look familiar to her. Her Potions education had mercifully ended after the required five years. She had managed an Outstanding on her OWLs but had no interest in continuing her 'instruction' under Snape. She had been furious when she learned he had taken over Defence and would be stuck with him for at least another year.

"Not now, Hermione," Harry spat out. Harry had mentioned that he and Hermione had been arguing more than usual this year and it appeared she was about to witness it first hand.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was cut off forcefully by Harry. "I said not now, Hermione."

Hermione closed her mouth but leveled Harry with a glare not quite as fierce as the one previously directed at Weasley. Ron seemed prepared to speak before Hermione cut in. "Not a word Ronald. I'm sick of you making excuses for-".

"Excuse us," Harry said angrily as he stood and quickly pulled Hermione from the table and into the stacks. She suddenly realized she and Weasley were alone. Best to get this over with.

"It's clear you have something to say to me. I'd appreciate it if you would just get on with it. I hope it's not about something stupid like me being a Slytherin."

Her question seemed to take him by surprise. Eventually, he recovered and spoke.

"I may have already raised those concerns to Harry. Hermione then shared with me, in excruciating detail, how stupid that sort of comment was and how much she trusted you as well. I'm actually a bit worried she may have put a hex on me that activates if I call you a sn-, the 's' word that rhymes with cake."

"I'm not joking," he assured her as Daphne raised her eyebrows. He took a breath and continued.

"Look, Greengrass-"

"I prefer Daphne," she interrupted.

"Look, Daphne," he began again, "based on what Harry and Hermione have said you seem to be all right. If they trust you that's good enough for me."

She could tell there was something he still wanted to say. "But..." she prompted.

"Even though I don't think it's true there is a chance you are...I don't know...using Harry."

She began to speak but he lifted his hand for her to stop. "I'm not finished."

"Harry is a good bloke...a great bloke. He's been through a lot and deserves to be happy so...just don't take advantage. If you are just playing around I'm asking you to do it with someone else."

She nodded her head, relieved that she had passed Ron's test, even if it was provisional.

"Right," he continued, now grinning. "You wouldn't happen to have finished that Transfiguration essay due tomorrow have you?"

"Hermione already warned me you'd try this at some point so I'm sorry to say you're on your own."

"Everyone is conspiring against me," he mumbled as he smiled and shook his head, returning to his work.

Daphne laughed. "Any idea what that was about?" she asked as he gestured toward where the pair had disappeared.

"Hermione being insane. I'll let Harry tell you about it. I don't want to risk her hearing me siding with Harry again."

They worked in silence for several minutes before Harry returned and purposely began packing his bag. "Fancy a walk?" he asked her as a worried-looking Hermione came into view.

"Um, yeah," she replied as she quickly packed up.

"Harry please don't-" Hermione blurted.

"Ready," Harry interrupted as he grabbed Daphne's hand and pulled her toward the exit. She gave Hermione an apologetic look as they disappeared from sight.

They walked for several minutes in silence, still holding hands. She could feel and sense Harry gradually relaxing and waited for him to speak. Eventually, he pulled her into an empty classroom that was thankfully portrait-free and collapsed into a nearby chair. "Sorry about that," he muttered.

"It's really no problem Harry. What's going on?" She could tell Harry did not like arguing with his friends.

He handed her the worn textbook she had spotted before. "This is what's going on."