act three: vigilante shit
chapter fifty-three

The thing about change is, it comes as swiftly as the blade of the Grim Reaper. And as out of nowhere as the blade of the Reaper. One thing that Daphne seemed to come in so much contact with, yet the Reaper seemed to miss her every time despite how much she begged it to hit her. It somehow missed her every time. Every bloody time.

But part of her knew that there was a reason that she had yet to fall into the hands of the Grim Reaper. To fall into the hands of Death himself, she was a big piece of the puzzle in the game of chess that was the Wizarding War. Daphne had the ability to change the course of it all, she knew the plays and she knew the game. So, what was stopping her?

Daphne's eyes slowly fell over the books that covered her from her Uncle's, her blonde curls falling over her shoulders as her teeth gnawed at her red lips. Twisting her ring around her finger as her mind fell into a loophole that it had when she was given a time to think. What is holding me back? Daphne often asked herself the same question and fell onto one answer.

Her family. The people that Daphne refused to have look at her in a negative light. The people that Daphne refused to let die or watch anything happen to them, and she had already failed at a few of the tasks she swore to never fail. Lucerys' was the only parent that Daphne had, and Daphne did not want her father in his dying days to resent her.

Her Uncles would always be on her arse and she knew that. She knew it was not in any sort of bad intent, or simply just them being out to get her. They wanted her to be the best that she could and wanted to do what was best for her while trying to figure out the upcoming war. Trying their luck time and time again with her, and despite tensions being high, it always came back down.

Her friend's had been through everything with her ever since they had arrived at Hogwarts and became close knit with Harry Potter himself. Running through the heat of the many attempts on their life, taking every cut and jab at their lives... not to mention the moments that they all had shared together. But they all were short tempered, and the war was only further adding to their tensions.

But then there was Atticus. Her elder brother. Daphne felt that deep down inside she didn't deserve the title of sister. The two hadn't talked over the summer, due to the danger and suspicions that would come from it. He knew nothing about his real parents being alive, and Daphne knew she wasn't allowed to tell him. Despite her believing he had every right to know.

Daphne Black was nearly fifteen years old, and the weight of the responsibilities she had on her shoulders made it as if she was an adult. Not a young girl who had barely embarked on what life had in store for her yet, as if she knew anything about long lasting love, politics, and most of all...grievances.

Remus peered around one of the bookshelves as he looked over at his niece before Sirius raised his glass in the air causing Daphne to let out a small laugh, "Hello Firefly."

"Uncle Moony," Daphne lifted her head as she looked at her Uncle's as they both moved to sit on the floor on either side of her, "Be careful, you both are so old you might not be able to get up," She joked.

"Hey!" Sirius took a sip of his drink before looking over at his niece with a look of pure pain as his jaw dropped, "We aren't that old, just thirty-five!"

"Actually, I'm thirty-four," Remus looked over at his friend as he narrowed his eyes at him, "You're older than me, Pads. And I think our niece is directing that solely at you-"

"I can't believe that you're directing this at me, Moony! Bloody hell, after everything we have been through?" Sirius let out a loud huff of air as he let himself sink into his fur coat.

"Now both of you hold on now," Daphne raised her hands between the two as she sighed, "There is not enough time for you to be so histrionic, Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony! No need to get so hostile."

Remus couldn't help but shake his head at his niece as he nudged her arm in the slightest, "Well, it seemed to have cheered you up some."

"Yeah, look at that little smile," Sirius poked the side of the girl's mouth causing her eyebrows to scrunch as she gave him a weird look, "Don't look at me like that!"

"I'll look at you however I'd like, dear Uncle," Daphne teased as she stuck her tongue out at him before rolling her eyes, "And how did you two know I was in here?"

Sirius looked as if he had been waiting for this question as his eyes widened in the slightest as he gave the most shit eating smirk he had given, "You're a miny Moony."

"How long have you been preparing to say that?" It seems that her Uncle Remus had been thinking the same thing as he smirked.

"Long enough," Sirius simply shrugged his shoulders, "She took the best of both sides, from what I have witnessed. Nasty rage and ability to party, much like me I'd like to say. Her father's need to be sophisticated and a pleaser - and you're book loving emotional self."

"He really had this planned out, didn't he?" Daphne leaned more into her Uncle Remus as she whispered into his ear as she grinned, "Now, not even five minutes ago you all were talking about how I was fifteen, which I'm not, and how one day I'm going to be a monster."

"We didn't say that," Remus looked at his niece as he sighed, knowing that she had heard what they were saying downstairs, "They're rubbish concerns, Firefly. From people who barely know you might I add."

"But they're family," Daphne looked away from both of her Uncle's as she began to stare at the floor ahead of her, pursing her lips together, "I've seen what happens to me and what I become. And as much as I don't want to say it, they're closer to being right than you all are."

"But they're not," Remus looked at her with an expression that caused Sirius to raise an eyebrow before he continued, "They may be blood, but that doesn't make them family. They haven't been around long enough to know you."

"If that's the case, then even I do not know myself," Daphne rose to her feet as she stretched before looking down at her two Uncle's, "We have a guest coming soon that we should welcome. I've got to figure out how to cover my arse, or how not to punch someone."

"Oh trust me, that'll be a show I'll want to see," Sirius couldn't help but laugh at his niece, "You're so much happier now that you are not around a certain few people."

"There's not a constant reminder of what's coming," was all Daphne said before bowing her head at her two Uncle's before she walked out of the library, before calling out, "Need any help?"

She let out a small laugh after hearing the two say that they did not need help. Daphne made her way down the hallway as she took a deep breath as she went into her room to at least fix herself up to look decent. Not like the girl who had barely been out of her room, let alone one who had been filled with so much anger that she let out.

Daphne walked over to her closet as she pulled out a long sleeve black shirt, before adding on a green plaid skirt. Nearly tripping over herself as she tried to figure out if she wanted to wear shoes - as it was her home... but decided it would be weird not to have something on. So, she put on black socks and called it a day.

"You know, you really don't have to get changed," the sudden voice that had knocked Daphne out of her thoughts had scared her to death, causing her to almost hit the ceiling, "Jeez, Daph!"

"I would call out the bloody list of names but they're are too many," Daphne let her hand fall from her chest as she looked over her group of friends, "Please tell me you all did not walk in here while I was changing."

"No," Ginny couldn't help but laugh as she and Hermione moved around the three red-headed boys, "You had tripped over your socks by the time we walked in."

"Very funny," Ron couldn't help but laugh as he looked over at the twin's who stood with their arms crossed while nodding with similar smirks.

"I'm going to murder all of you," Daphne sighed as she began to fiddle with her ring while looking between the two, "Merlin, and to say something back to you, Fred, I can change if I bloody want too."

"Didn't say you couldn't," Fred let his hands raise as he went into surrender, "Simply said that you didn't have to. Big difference, no need to let your knickers get in a twist-"

"Glad to see you're more alive," George joked as he moved to mess with her hair until she grabbed his wrist giving him a look telling him to reconsider that choice, "Jeez, gonna take me out?"

"Of this world, sure," Daphne retorted before hearing the parents call her name knowing what it was time for. A meeting.

Daphne barely listened in to what the adults were saying as her eyes scanned over the shelves in front of her. Eyes going over each and every spine of a book as a smile tried to appear on her lips, before disappearing as if it had never once existed. Her eyes had the faintest glisten of life as her finger slid down the spine.

"He almost killed Harry and Daphne. If that wasn't proof enough..." Remus argued as he ran a hand through his hair looking at Sirius.

Another member let out a loud groan before going on about, "Yes but protecting you-know-what is the most important!"

"Keeping the Ronin at bay is as well," Daphne's head turned in the slightest as she looked over at Helaena who frowned as she met the eyes of the girl.

The words that the others were arguing over were beginning to blend in. Becoming nothing but a slurred mess as Daphne used her hand on the book to keep her steady as she rubbed her other hand against her head before hearing the door open. Feeling the pair of eyes on her that made her know who it was, causing her to shut her eyes tightly.

"Harry," Mrs. Weasley had run out the door, closing it behind her but everyone had made their way to get a view of the boy.

Lucerys and Daphne shared a momentary look, the older man looked worn and tired, but not hurt, "Go see him, Daphne. Don't hold yourself back and go see him," and despite how empty she felt - something inside of her felt alive once again.

Daphne was quick to slip through the other doors, using the passages and shortcuts she had learned in her time in the home to make her way up to the library she often spent time in. Part of her wondering if she should go straight after Harry, or what she should do. Feeling as though his anger would sooner or later be directed right at her - and sooner or later something would happen.

Daphne slipped out from one of the bookshelf doors, only to pause as she came face to face with the boy she had just been thinking about. The girl's entire body freezing as a smile, of nerves or happiness, she wasn't sure which, flew onto her lips. His green eyes falling onto her frame as a smile daunted his lips before the two lurched forward into the others embrace.

Daphne's arms wrapped firmly around his shoulder as she buried her head into his shoulder. Inhaling deeply, despite how long it had been he still had the same broomstick smell to him. One of his arms held her close while the other held the back of her head, almost as if she'd disappear in an instant. As if she was simply never there at all.

"You're here," Daphne's voice was quiet as she slowly pulled back from him, her hands holding onto his arms as her smile dropped in the slightest as her eyes glistened for the first time in a long time, "I've been waiting for the day that they'd bring you here."

"She has," Kreacher muttered as he grumbled on about half breeds and mudbloods, "Mistress Daphne - halfbreed - has gone on and on about you and her little outbursts."

"Kreacher," Daphne almost immediately scowled at the little house elf before sighing, "No wonder Walburga liked you, same sense of loneliness and bitterness."

"Daph," Harry regained her attention, causing her to chew on her lip, "It's good to see you. And not just have a letter - like really see you."

Daphne laughed a little as she looked at the floor before looking back at Harry, "I bet it is," She teased before going on, "It's good to see you too." Despite the racing of her heart knowing what was about to happen, "We've all got a lot to discuss, we better get going to the others-"

"Wait," Harry stopped her from going up the stairs as he furrowed his eyebrows, "I need to ask you something, and the others don't have to know."

Any glimmer of emotion on Daphne's face seemed to drop in an instant, prompting her to bring her lips into a thin line, "What is it, Harry?"

"You've been having dreams, haven't you?" His question was more like a statement, his words almost giving away that he knew what the answer was - he just wanted to hear it from the girl herself.

"Things have changed, Harry," Daphne responded simply as she swallowed everything down, "I've been having dreams and visions - not all the time," She nodded her head in the direction of the stairs before walking up them, "We'll talk more later."

"Promise?" Harry sighed as if he was being kept in the dark, which he was, as he followed behind Daphne.

"Promise," Daphne's answer was short and simple, but she made no effort to say anything else as she opened the door to the rooms where the others were staying as Harry walked in.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione had launched herself into his arms as she hugged him tightly, Ron walking over to see his best mate as she spoke, "Are you alright? We overheard them talking about the Dementor attack. You must tell us everything."

"Let the man breathe, Hermione," Ron couldn't help but grin as he looked at the girl in the room as Daphne leaned against the doorframe.

"And this hearing at the Ministry, it's just outrageous! I've looked it up, they simply can't expel you," Hermione went into a ramble as she went through the many scenarios, "Daphne's looked into it - it's completely unfair!"

Daphne watched as Harry's body language began to shift, she knew how he was starting to get angry as his confusion took over as he became more self-centered, "Yeah. There's a lot of that going around here," He began to walk further into the room as he looked around, "So what is this place?"

"My home," Daphne piped up after a moment as she resisted the urge to sigh as she looked at the floor, "My future inheritance."

Ron looked back at her, giving her a sad smile before he went on to look at Harry as he said, "It's headquarters."

"Of the Order of the Phoenix," Hermione responded, practically bouncing on her toes as she looked at Harry who looked confused, "It's a secret society. Dumbledore created it back when they fought You-Know-Who."

"Couldn't have put any of this in a letter I suppose? Daphne?" Harry retorted as Daphne bit down on the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted blood, "I've gone all summer without a scrap of news. Just trying to decipher what Daphne sent to me - you didn't even sound like yourself."

And so the silence descended as Daphne ignored the tears that burned her waterline as she looked out into the hallway, "We wanted to write, mate. Really, we did. Daphne argued with the adults so much about it - don't bring up that. Only..."

Harry seemed to be quick into this conversation as he retorted, "Only?"

"Only Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything," Hermione spluttered out as she looked back at Daphne, "And now we have a lot to tell you."

"Dumbledore said that? But why would he keep me in the dark? Maybe I could help," Harry began to go through everything and Daphne couldn't help but place her hands on her temples, "After all, Daphne and I were the ones who saw Voldemort return. I'm also the one who fought him. Who saw Cedric Diggory get killed."

"Harry," The twins apparated into the room as Daphne walked out before anyone could grab her arm, "Thought we heard your dulcet tones."

Daphne walked back down the stairs and into one of the many rooms, keeping quiet as she pressed her fingers harshly under her eyes, before wiping away the tears. She knew all along how this would go. She knew he'd be mad at her and she knew that she would be upset and she'd get angry at the adults. The emotions were too much for her as she gripped onto one of the bookshelves, breathing deeply.

Part of her felt as if she was being immature. Overreacting and acting like a toddler that had its lolli taken from it. Here she was standing alone in a room that was overwhelmed with dust, as no one had entered it in years. Her hands gripped onto whatever they could find as she forced herself to swallow down her sorrows, trying to avoid another outburst.

But how do you react when your father's dying, you've been kidnapped, you're changing in ways that others aren't, and everyone's watching you.