act one: the girl in the bubble
chapter five

Every year, the golden quartet sat in the exact same compartment. Usually, they claimed it was a last resort but to Daphne it had practically become tradition to sit in it. The excuse of the past three years had always been 'everywhere else was full' despite the fact being the compartment they resided in had been claimed by them upon their first year on the train merely as eleven year olds.

Their seating chart varied over time. Originally, Harry and Ron sat on one side while Daphne laid on the other. Then when Hermione came along, the two girls shared a spot. Until their second year when Ron wanted to sit by Hermione and Harry eagerly took a seat beside Daphne. Daphne didn't really care, she just used whoever sat near her as a pillow for comfort on the long journey.

Friendship was a funny thing. In the beginning, Ron and Hermione did not get along. The two often bullied one another until someone got upset, usually Hermione, until everything with Professor Quirrell happened and Hermione found herself caring for him more than she believed she ever would. Ron over time grew to care for the girl and despite being annoyed at her very often.

Then there was Ron and Daphne, the two had met when they were younger and hung out some. Though, mainly Daphne was around Ginny Weasley due to both families thinking the friendship was a good match. The two liked to goof around and crack jokes at times when jokes were definitely not needed, which resulted in a lot of trouble falling back on the two.

Hermione and Daphne were an odd duo. Both had a love for reading, but they differed due to Hermione's constant need for rules and Daphne's constant need for rule breaking. Daphne often snuck into the party of the older house members while Hermione stayed in her dorm an hour before curfew. They often clashed heads, but they often had fun while doing so.

Hermione and Harry were a pair that were almost like siblings. Always bickering and trying to help the other out, yet the other wouldn't really listen to the advice they had been given and still complain. Often resulting in Harry being hit with a book or Hermione just being nearly knocked out by a broomstick. Funny thing to watch, especially when Hermione chased Harry through the common room with a book held high.

Harry and Daphne were the overly dramatic duo. Almost Shakespearian, if you will. Both a tragedy in their own right, but one that would sometimes have a happy ending. Like when Harry would help Gryffindor win their quidditch match and Daphne would nearly fall off her broom due to faking a fainting spell of pure joy to the point Harry refused to fly away from her.

And finally, there was Harry and Ron. The chaotic duo that brought absolute chaos to Hogwarts and often cost the house their points. Running into giant spiders in the woods, a wizard's chess game with live people, not to mention a chamber that Daphne had nearly been sacrificed too by an idiotic professor.

And yes, Daphne was still salty.

Daphne looked as Hermione pointed above their heads at the trunk that sat over top her head, Harry adjusted himself to lean with one arm on his knee and free for Daphne to lean against per usual as Hermione spoke, "It's on his suitcase, Ronald," She sighed out as if she were tired of listening to him speak already.

A few minutes of awkward silence proceeded to pass as Harry looked over Daphne's head at the man, "Do you think he's really asleep?" Harry questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Knowing my Uncle, probably," Daphne muttered with a slight grin as she adjusted herself to be comfortable.

Ron looked completely caught off guard by this new knowledge, "Uncle? Blimey. You're in for it this year, aren't you Daph?"

"I am not! I am a good student," Daphne faked a pout as she continued to make sure that pieces of her hair covered the markings down her face.

Ron let out a small scoff as he shook his head, "Yeah. To the teachers but we all secretly know the truth."

"Mmm sure," Daphne couldn't help but laugh lightly at his words while Hermione seemed focused on whatever Harry had to say.

"He seems to be, why?" Hermione asked while Ron began to look around and acting as if he had committed some huge crime that he was on a warrant for.

Harry looked as if he were trying to figure something out before gently moving, causing Daphne to flinch as she rose up and Harry closed the door, before pausing, "Daphne?"

Daphne let her gaze immediately go to the ground as she responded, "That's me."

The air in the cabin suddenly became smoldering to the girl. Her anxiety slowly rising as she felt the cushion beside her sink back in as Harry took his seat causing her to shy away slightly.

"You flinched," Harry's voice was soft and quiet, almost as if he only wanted her to hear what he had said, "Is everything okay?"

"Just fine," Daphne mumbled as she slowly lifted her head up, making a face as her hair moved.

"Blimey, what happened to your face?" Ron couldn't help but ask as he looked at the girl with wide eyes.

Daphne pursed her lips together, "Wow. Thank you, Ronald. I did this."

"Why?" Hermione looked concerned as she looked at the girl.

"My mother," Daphne whispered back to Harry before looking at the group, "We'll talk about it later. Harry has the floor to talk about his problems at the moment."

"What's the latest at home?" Ron found himself asking, becoming rather curious about what had been going on in the Lupin-Black home.

Daphne shook her head before putting on a smile, "Not much. Just been hanging around."

"Hanging around Malfoy," Ron couldn't help but spit, causing everyone to give him a sharp look.

Harry and Hermione shared an uncomfortable look knowing exactly where this conversation was about to go. The two often budded heads about who the girl hung around within her family and just about who she dealt with in general.

"Actually, I rarely saw my cousin Caius. I spent the summer with my Uncle and with my brother," Daphne gave Ron a harsh look as she adjusted herself.

"I bet he did that," Ron shook his head as he pointed to the scars on her face, "Bloody slytherin's, you can't let them run you over."

"Don't talk about everyone in the biased slytherin stereotype you have for them," Daphne pointed a finger at Ron, "My father was a slytherin and he is a great man. My brother is in Slytherin and he is good. Caius is misunderstood unlike his brother who is a prick."

"Whatever you say," Ron couldn't help but find himself shriveling back against Daphne's annoyed gaze.

"What do you mean you did that to yourself?" Hermione asked as she found herself becoming worried, "You aren't..."

"No. It's nothing like that," Daphne figured Hermione was referring to self-harm, "I fell."

"There is no bloody way," Ron was quick to comment on that, "Fell onto what? A pitch fork that raked down your face?"

"Ronald, just be quiet," Daphne found herself huffing at the bloke's useless inability to shut his mouth.

Ron seemed to get the memo as he stopped talking. Daphne looked around at the compartment as she sighed. Leaning back against the seat ignoring the worried glances of her friends.

"Things are just changing. Have a few wild times - Atticus and Dad worry enough about me to the point I don't need anyone else worrying," Daphne gave everyone a small look as she sighed, "Now, Harry, don't you have something to tell us?"

Though, Daphne's words seemed irrelevant to Harry in the moment who focused on what his other friends were talking about which caused Daphne to resist the urge to sigh as she put on a smile. Leaning back in her seat as she remained quiet.

"Wonder what he teaches?" Ron looked curious as he looked over at the man, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.

"That's obvious," whispered Hermione as she looked at Ron as if he were stupid, "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Every year, there was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Rumor has it that the position was cursed, and that's why no one could hold it for more than a year. The group had already gone through two and were on their third. Daphne was worried about what it would cost from her Uncle.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," Ron seemed to have his doubts about Lupin, "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway ..." he turned to Harry, "what were you going to tell us?"

"He's strong, he can handle it," Daphne's words seemed to almost disappear as she looked out the window, a glint of sadness rolling through her eyes.

Harry then explained all about Mr and Mrs Weasley's argument and the warning Mr Weasley had just given him a few nights prior at the Leaky Cauldron and then again at the train station. When he'd finished, Daphne looked blankly at the ceiling, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth.

She finally lowered them to begin speaking once again, her voice frail and almost inaudible, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry ... you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry ..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," Harry couldn't help but be annoyed as he then spoke, "Trouble usually finds me."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron asked shakily.

They were taking the news worse than Harry had seemed to expect. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than he was. But then, Harry found himself curious as he looked at Daphne who didn't seem phased by the news at all. Almost as if she hadn't heard a thing he had said.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," Ron shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he spoke, 'No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner, too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione tried to hold onto hope that they wouldn't be in too much danger, "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him, too ..."

The conversation was interrupted by the Trolley witch. Causing everyone to figure out if there was anything they'd like. Daphne remained seated and as quiet as the dead while her gaze remained on the world outside of the train as her ears began to ring.

"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food. Daphne, he's your Uncle? What do you think?"

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously, not giving Daphne a chance to even say anything, "Er – Professor?" she spoke trying to see if he'd answer, "Excuse me – Professor?" He didn't move.

"Don't worry, dear," said the witch, as she handed Harry a large stack of cauldron cakes,
"If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

Daphne couldn't help but sigh as she looked annoyed. She wanted to be able to say something first but it seemed that was unlikely.

"I suppose he is asleep?" Ron offered up quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed, "I mean – he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, nodding at Harry in thanks as she took a Cauldron cake.

He might not be very good company to people who did not know him, but Remus Lupin was a secret life of the party and hero. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain while the sky darkened to a gnarly color, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, Daphne heard footsteps in the corridor again, and the groups three least favorite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Draco Malfoy was a boy that Daphne Black could not stand. The two were cousins, but unlike his brother Draco absolutely hated Daphne. He often teased her and shouted various epithets through the ages. Daphne wanted nothing more than to ring his neck, and there had been a time that she tried to get a beater to hit him.

"Well, look who it is," Malfoy spoke in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door despite slightly struggling with it and jerking it open, "Potty and the Weasel. Not to mention little halfbreed," Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly, "I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," Malfoy acted smug as he looked at the boy with red hair.

"I'll shove my foot so far up your arse," Daphne rose to her feet as she looked at Draco, "Don't make me get Atticus."

"Aww gonna run to your orphan of a cousin?" Malfoy faked a pout before returning his attention to Ron, "Did your mother die of shock?" Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks' basket to the floor.

Professor Lupin gave a snort as soon as the sound of connecting flesh sounded. Draco stumbled back as he held onto his check while Daphne's hand fell back down once again as she boiled with rage. Everyone in the compartment looks slightly shocked at the outburst while Daphne's eyes slowly widen at what she had done.

"You'll pay for that one, halfbreed. Who's that?" asked Malfoy, taking an automatic step backwards as he spotted Lupin while looking at Daphne with a look of pure rage while her palm pulsing with pain.

"New teacher, Daphne's Uncle," Harry spoke proudly, he too had got to his feet, in case he needed to hold Ron back and jump in front of Daphne to protect her, his hands were clasped softly around the girl's arms.

"What were you saying, Malfoy?" Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose, especially not one that was related to Daphne Black, 'C'mon,' he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.

Ron sat down again, massaging his knuckles, "I'm not going to take any rubbish from Malfoy this year," His face was almost as red as his hair as he spoke, "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and –" Ron made a violent gesture in mid-air.

Harry slowly managed to get Daphne to sit down, his hands gently guiding her despite him noticing the soft flinches or how tense she slowly began to grow. Her eyes seemed distant as the gears in her head turned, regretting what she had done because she was scared of who she was becoming.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful ... he's a professor after all."

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep. The rain thickened as the train sped yet further. Daphne was stuck in her own mind as the conversation from her friends didn't seem to catch her ears. She seemed stunned. The pulsing in her hand had her attention as she slowly looked down at it. Her eyes narrowed slightly as it felt like the pain that had been in her hand was going to the scratches.

Hermione turned to look at Daphne, the girl seemed slightly annoyed, "You shouldn't have hit him, Daphne. That was very irresponsible of you! Not to mention in front of your sleeping Uncle? What would your mother think?"

Harry sucked in a breath as the comment left Hermione's lips. Daphne's lips parted, part of her mind telling her to start yelling. To say something to hurt Hermione, but she wouldn't. Daphne had never yelled at anyone. Ron watched Daphne sadly, noticing the entire shift in her attitude.

"Daph," Ron tried to speak up but Daphne moved everyone off of her as she exited the compartment and shut the door carefully.

Despite her anger, she was not the one to get violent. The girl let her hands grip against one of the seals of the train windows as she let her gaze fall to the ground, her eyes closing as she slowly pressed her head against the cold window.

Daphne tried to breathe slowly. Remembering what her Uncle often taught her to do while having a breathing exercise used for panic attacks but she used it to calm herself down often. She felt the burn of her lungs as she tried to slow herself down.

Daphne felt her entire body begin to tense up as she felt a pair of hands on her. Trying her best not to flinch as she kept her eyes closed. Almost scared to see who it was.

"I don't need help," Daphne tried to be short and simple, needing someone to just leave her alone for a moment.

"I did not say you did, dear cousin," Caius' voice caused Daphne to relax ever so slightly, "I just came to accompany you as you stand here alone. It'd be rude to leave a lady by herself."

"You don't need to be so proper all of the time, Caius," Daphne shrugged his grasp off of her as her grip against the window seal tightened.

Caius let out a small laugh as he shook his head, watching as the girl adjusted her posture letting one hand fall from the window as she looked at him, "Someone's got to have good manners within my family and we both know that it isn't my sorry excuse for a brother."

Daphne scoffed as she tried her best not to roll her eyes, "Tell me about it. He's just as the rest of the sires within our families. But, I don't even think one of his relatives would desire him."

Caius attempted not to grin as he shook his head at his cousin's words, "You're cruel for that one, Daphne."

"What is life, but a cruel game?" Daphne countered as she tilted her head up, "Always must remain so serious, Caius. Let the mystery flow through the castles of your name. Doesn't it get rather boring?"

"It's only boring once everyone makes a conclusion about you, which I will never see for myself," Caius grinned before turning to look at the window as everything blurred from their eyes.