CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Betrayal At Its Finest
October 15th, 1978.

         Daphne stayed in bed for over a week, it was a shock to learn that Fabian hadn't left her side either. He had been there when she woke up, he apparently had met Evan and let him stay a few times over too. Fabian was sweet and Daphne liked sweet people. She didn't know what they were or if they were even going to become a thing. But, she could safely say that James Potter was not the first thing that came up in her mind when she woke up. Now, it was mostly Fabian and how nice he was.

Though, she couldn't help but feel thankful that James was the one saving her that day. Honestly it was a blur, but she appreciated the fact that they took care of her, even though they knew what she was.

"Morning, tosser," Evan said, walking through the door and directed himself towards her room. "No Prewett today, eh?"

Daphne chuckled, "No Prewett today. Have you chatted with him before?"

"Yeah while he was taking care of you," he said softly. "Nice bloke. Was it him? The Gryffindor you loved?" Daphne snorted, shaking her head to tell him no. "Merlin, you really fancy those Gryffindors..."

Daphne rolled her eyes with a laugh, "Shove off, Ev..." There was a slight pause before she went on. "How are you? How's school? I feel like we haven't seen each other since I moved in."

He shrugged, "Well, you've been busy," he replied. "Actually, mum and dad wanted me to come see you for a reason," he started, shifting awkwardly in his seat. Daphne watched as he fidgeted with his sleeve like he used to do when he was a kid and he would get uncomfortable.

"Ev, spit it out."

"When you left, dad he--he started to think things through and how you were doing with the Lord, and he--you see, he wasn't sure you'd succeed because you're a woman," he explained lowly. "So, he started telling me I'd take the mark..."

An unwanted gasp left Daphne's mouth as she quickly covered it with her hand, "Did he--Ev, did he make you take the mark?"

"He said that I didn't have a choice and if I--"

Daphne cut him off, "That is not what I'm asking, Ev. I'm asking if you have the mark as we speak," she muttered. "Evan?" She called out for him, seeing he wasn't answering.

"Yes," he replied, looking down at his feet. "But, Daph...I swear I wanted to tell you and I tried to tell him no but he made me...He was drunk and he made me, I swear--" he stopped, choking on some tears.

Daphne felt like she was back in that room James and she loved so much, she was reliving the day she told James what she was--and she could finally understand how bad he was hurt. How he couldn't stop the tears from coming and how betrayed he felt.

Evan was not responsible for this. Her father was. Her father loved to get drunk and whenever he was, he would torture she or Evan if they didn't do as they were told. Probably a bad habit he had developed from hearing Walburga's tales. He was cruel and mean but for a mere moment he had stopped, and she thought Evan was safe with their mother.

"Daph--"

"Evan, is he home?" She asked, starting to sit up in her bed. She softly winced at the pain but stood up.

"Hey, hey, hey, Daph! You're supposed to stay in bed, haven't you heard what Pandora told you?" He shouted as she dived through her wardrobe, grabbing anything that was warm enough for outside. "Daphne, please...He won't listen to you."

"I know," she mumbled. "But he deserves to hear what I have to say. Mum too. I thought you were safe when I took the mark for you. He had promised, Ev...he had promised you wouldn't be involved if I was."

In no time, the two Rosier were in the parlour, taking the ashes off their clothes. Her wound wasn't totally patched up, which wasn't helping at all. She could hear her parents and it was enough to annoy her. She could feel her blood boiling and it took everything from her to not storm in the living room and hex her own father.

It felt as if her mother had sensed their presence as she bursted through the doors with a smile, "Eva--Daphne, darling, what are you doing here?" She asked with a frown. She glanced between the two and gasped, putting a hand on her stomach. "Oh, he told you, didn't he? Don't be mad at your father, love--he..."

"He what, Mum? He wasn't thinking straight?" She asked with a frown.

Her mother nodded, "Well, yes! He wasn't himself that day, Daphne."

Letting out a long and tired sigh, she shook her head, "Don't take his side. You were there when we talked about me taking the mark," she muttered sadly. "You heard him say Evan wouldn't be involved!"

"I know, my love!" She argued back. "But like I said, he wasn't himself," she whispered.

"It doesn't justify his actions," she mumbled. "You could have said something! How can you be so...so stubborn and not say anything to him."

"I'm his wife, not his Mother!"

"But, we are your children!" Daphne said, her tears falling. "You should have said no, you should have told them that we didn't want to be part of this world--that Evan wanted to be an Auror and that I wanted to be a Quidditch player!"

"But, you can do all these things."

"Can I? With this horrid mark on my forearm that will never leave?" She said, raising her sleeve. "Do you think--if this War ever ends--do you think they'll accept me? Or Evan? Don't be a fool," she mumbled. "Now, I'd like to see my dad."

"He's busy," she replied instantly.

Evan sighed, "Daph, let's just see dad another day, eh? You're exhausted and you need to rest," he said, almost begging for her to go back. "Please."

"Ev," she said, using a softer tone. "He deserves it," she added.

"I know he does but not now."

Amalthea reached for her daughter's arm but Daphne moved back, "You do know I love you, Daphne."

"I don't think you understand how betrayed I feel," Daphne started. "Everything I did these past few months was to protect Evan because he doesn't deserve to end up like Regulus! He's bound to do big things but if only you or dad paid more attention to him--to us, you would have known that I did this for him," she explained, taking a pause before continuing. "I took the mark for him, I did what dad told me to do. I killed, tortured, hurt people so he could stay out of it because that was what we agreed to!"

Noticing the house had gone silent, her mother was speechless and had nothing else to say. Knowing she wouldn't be able to see her dad if her mom was there, she took a step back and headed back towards the fireplace. Evan looked at her a last time before she completely disappeared.

If Evan didn't have school, she would have taken him away and kept her with her because he was her everything. He had been everything to her ever since she saw him the first time at St Mungo's. Seeing that he was now bound to suffer made her feel awful. She felt like she failed to do what she had promised to herself: protect him. It hurt. She couldn't even begin on how betrayed she felt by her own parents.

When she got home, it was dark and cold. Her wound hurt more than she thought it would after one whole week of bed rest. Salazar, when did it start hurting so bad? Was it when she shouted at her mum? Or when she got up in a hurry?

"Daphne?" She heard her name being called from her room as she frowned, closing the front door. "Oh, Merlin..." Fabian let out a sigh of relief as he noticed her standing in the foyer. "I thought something bad had happened."

Despite her bad mood, she smiled, "No, sorry. I was at my parents'," she admitted, taking off her scarf and coat.

"Are you alright? Looks like you've cried, Daph..."

"It's because I did," she replied with a dry chuckle.

"What happened? You can tell me everything," he said softly.

Daphne didn't know why she wanted to tell him everything, maybe because he had emphasised the word 'everything' and she actually felt like she could tell him all of it and he would still stay by her side. Would he?

"Fab, you know...I like you more than I thought I would," she told him. "And after everything you've done for me, I think there are a few things that you should know..."

He followed her to the living room as they both sat down and she took a moment to look at him. For the second time today, she was back at Hogwarts telling James. But today, she was an adult and perhaps she knew how to handle things better. And, for some reason, she felt attached to the man in front of her. He felt so warm and--he felt like the sun really.

"Daph..."

"Fabian, I like you and I don't want to hide things from you. I really do want us to become something if you still want me after what I'm about to tell you," she took a deep breath and gulped.

He noticed how stressed she was and grabbed her hand to give it a squeeze, "Show me."

Perhaps showing him was the better option. Daphne raised her sleeve slowly, waiting for a reaction but he stayed completely silent. There it was, the moment of realisation and then once he had realised what he had in front of him, he'd hate her. Just like James did before. Maybe he'd cuss her out or he'd storm out or simply leave without uttering a word.

"Daphne..." he started, running a hand through his hair. "I--Is that why you look so upset? Because you took the mark?"

"No, I took it a year ago," she admitted, relieved that he was okay with talking. Understanding what was going on. "I took it to protect Evan, my little brother. It turns out, my father made him take it not so long ago," she added. "I felt so betrayed because he promised he wouldn't drag him into this but he did it, and--it upsetted me."

"Daphne--"

"Don't hate me, please," she pleaded. "I try to be good, you know. I am really trying," she told him with watery eyes. "I do the best I can but sometimes, it gets a little too much."

"Daphne, I don't mind," he admitted, taking her hand back. "I truly do not mind at all. I know you're good and I know you are doing your best, I can see it. Are you--Do you want to be good?"

She nodded her head, squeezing his hand, "I want to. Now that Evan is one--I don't think I can continue anymore," she told him honestly. "I don't know how to be good."

"Have you ever heard of the Order?" Fabian asked softly.

Daphne nodded, "I did, it was mentioned during a few meetings," she said. "I had this mission and I had to spy people from the Order."

"Who were they?"

"James, Remus, Sirius, Lily...I reckon he's scared of them. They're brilliant."

He hummed, "Yeah, James is not so bad. Did you talk to him before because he looked really concerned when you got hurt."

"We were together," she fussed up rapidly, not wanting to hide anything. "During the last year of school, we were together until he discovered the mark and he left--he got scared and he was confused and hurt, which I can understand."

Fabian nodded, "Did he know the Daphne that I know? The sweet and caring one?" He queried as she hummed. "Well, he didn't deserve you because if he had stayed, the way that I just did so he could hear you out then he'd have known that you didn't have a choice."

Daphne didn't answer as Fabian stood up and sat next to her. His body shifted so he could face her correctly; she did the same and looked at him. He didn't look scared, instead he had one hand in hers as the other caressed her marked forearm. It meant so much to her because he was accepting her for what she was. His hand moved to lay on her cheek and she closed her eyes at the touch. Daphne had missed this feeling of closeness with someone.

"Would it be wrong to kiss you right now?" He asked quietly, the pad of his thumb caressing her cheek. "Because Godric, I want to."

"Do you think it would be wrong to kiss me?"

"No," he answered, bringing his second hand to cup her face. "And I like you too."

Daphne was suddenly taken back to the first time she kissed a boy. If she recalled, it was in a broom cupboard with Thomas Negillus. She was so nervous--actually, she was as nervous as she was today. Fabian leaned in first and gently put his lips on hers. It felt like a firework as she melted into the kiss.

Fabian pulled away and kept his eyes closed for seconds before he opened them again with a smile, "Was it good?" He asked, cocking his eyebrow.

"Bloody brilliant," she breathed out with a wide smile. "Salazar, I--"

Fabian cut her off, "If you ever decide to deflect, go to Dumbledore. He'll help you," he said as she hummed. "I know, the ol' man doesn't have all his head sometimes but he's majestic--and maybe he'll help you."

"What if I could help the Order?"

"How?"

She shrugged, biting her lower lip, "Being a spy..."

"It'd be too dangerous," he pressed.

"It could help mend some things, don't you think?"

"Yes, but--"

"But I can do it, Fab," she cut him off, kissing his cheek. "Stay the night?" She articulated shyly as he nodded his head.

For the first time since the graduation, Daphne slept all through the night without bad dreams or insomnia. She slept all night with Fabian's arms around her and she felt so safe and at peace knowing he was there.

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authors note, i absolutely LOVE fabian and daphne so... yeah...and i think he would 100% support daphne no matter what so YUP. GO FABIAN!