Prompt #563 – Cache – Yule Dilemma – slashluv18 – Harry Potter

[slashluv18]

 Title: Yule Dilemma

Fandom: Harry Potter
Prompts: #563 – Cache
Warnings: None
Pairings/Characters:  Harry/Daphne, Sirius
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 652
Summary:  Harry gets advice.

"Padfoot?" Harry whispered, from his little cache.

"Harry, how are you?" Sirius asked.

"Is this safe?" he asked as he stared at the flickering flames.

"Probably not, but I wanted to talk to you. I heard about the Triwizard tournament. You have to know you're in danger."

Harry was silent.

Sirius continued. "I don't want to scare you but people have died in this tournament. You're underage, you don't have the type of magical experience that the other competitors have, and someone wanted you in the tournament for a reason."

"I know. I just have to do my best to survive and make sure whatever plot there is, fails."

"At least you're not in it alone."

Harry blinked as he tumbled those words over and over in his head. "I guess I'll always have Hermione."

"And Ron," Sirius reminded him.

"Ron accused me of lying about submitting my name. We haven't really talked much."

"He's your best friend—" Sirius tried.

Harry interrupted, "And he should know me better than that. Instead, he allowed his jealousy to rule him. I'll probably forgive him eventually, but I think I want him to work for it."

"Well, it's up to you, but your father and I fought a bit, and we always made up because we were like brothers. You and Ron are like brothers and brothers fight sometimes. It's a fact of life."

"I know," Harry muttered, but he couldn't just turn off the hurt. It was too fresh. He turned to a very different matter. "Padfoot, there's something called a Yule Ball. And as a champion, I have to take a date and dance with her."

"Have anyone in mind?" Sirius asked.

"I asked Hermione to go with me as friends so at least I'd be with someone I was comfortable with. Someone else already asked her, but she told me that even if she hadn't been asked, she would have said no."

"Ouch," Sirius replied. "That girl doesn't hold back, does she?"

Harry blushed. "She said I should ask the girl I actually like instead of trying to play it safe with a friend."

"Oh? A girl caught my godson's attention, huh?"

Harry shrugged. "She's a Slytherin, but she's not like the others. She doesn't bully anyone; in fact, she seems to keep to herself, other than her best friend. She's pretty and smart. And her family is known to be neutral in conflicts. I like her, but I don't know why she would even want to go out with me. Dating the Gryffindor Golden Boy definitely wouldn't make her life easy."

"Well, she should be able to decide if she wants her life to be easy or not, right? Don't take the choice away from her."

Harry took the advice to heart. He knew she spent a lot of time at the library so he stood near the entrance in his free time and waited for her to show up. When he finally saw her, she was walking with Tracey. He wouldn't let that deter him, though; he was a brave Gryffindor after all.

He cleared his throat as the girls approached. "Daphne Greengrass, I was wondering if you would allow me the honor of escorting you to the Yule Ball?"

She arched a perfect eyebrow. "That's a bit formal for you Potter, isn't it?" she asked wryly.

He tried to not let the fact that she didn't give him an answer make him nervous. "Hermione helped me with the wording."

He stared at her.

She stared back. "Well, if I went with you, it would surely annoy the majority of my house."

His shoulders slumped. "I understand." He turned to walk away but her next words stopped him.

"I love the idea of annoying my house. It's a date."

His heart thumped wildly in his chest, and he was afraid he was dreaming. His dream girl actually said yes!