act one: the girl in the bubble
chapter seventeen

Over the course of the next few days, Daphne had been questioned by almost every Professor that had happened to pass her. Questioning her about what had happened when Sirius Black had put his hands on her and destroyed the fat lady. Or why she had kept her silence instead of coming right out about what had happened. Much like he had destroyed his reputation over twelve years ago, but that was a story for another time.

The moon, the moon was a sign of constant change. It represented nature, allured blind and compelled forces, the passing and return of allure seasons. Much like many heirs of the delegation of House of Black. Transposed into the mortal sphere, this representation pinpoints moral imbalance, especially regarding the choices of life, the trusting mind, and or repeatedly fluctuating power or repudiating family. Much like the Lupin's had done over the ages.

Daphne had rarely ever met her grandparents. At least on the Lupin side, Daphne never had any desire to meet them after knowing how they treated her Uncle alongside her mother. She hated how they acted like he was an abomination or some sort of mess up when in reality, wouldn't they all be? In her mother's standard, none of them were pure so who were they to judge one man over their mutually tainted blood? In the end, they all bleed red.

A few things had been learned since Daphne had reached Hogwarts. Things that she was sure would help her in the future, one, screw anxiety do whatever you want. If you act like you don't care, then you don't. Plain and simple. Two, know how to react and how to keep things hidden. If you know beforehand and know how to execute a plan that keeps it hidden you'll be fine.

She sounded much like a criminal but maybe that was her father's family in her. She knew damn well she did not take after her mother in any way. Many people expressed how she was like a perfect mixture of the three Black brothers and of course, her Uncle Remus as well.

Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a few strands framing her face. Her necklace hidden under the unbuttoned collar of her shirt as her tie hung loosely. Her robes clinging to her body as they weighed her down while her black shoes scuffed against the floor and her fingers tapped against the wood as her ring sat coldly on her finger.

Daphne sat at her desk as she fiddled with her book, continuously pushing her foot back and forth. She knew that her Uncle wouldn't be in class today, knowing about the full moon cycle. She hid her worry pretty well from others, but she was deeply concerned with her Uncle's health. She knew how hard this had always been on him.

Snape came prancing in and began to wave his wand, causing the wooden panels on the windows to fly shut. Leaving the classroom in a bit of darkness as he made it to the front of the room. It almost reminded Daphne of what the Slytherin common room looked like. He pulled down the projector before turning it on.

"Turn to page 394," Snape spoke slowly as he made sure he pronounced his words carefully.

Daphne looked over at Harry, who was on her left, as she began to flip open her text book. Sifting through the pages as she chewed on her lip. She was waiting for Harry to say something but he halted, looking between Daphne and Snape.

"Where's your Uncle?" Harry asked softly and Daphne shrugged her shoulders, which prompted Harry to move and face Snape as he asked, "Excuse me, sir. Where's Professor Lupin?"

"That's not really your concern, is it, Potter?" Snape couldn't help but snap at the younger boy which caused Daphne to give him a firm glare, "Suffice to say your professor finds himself incapable of teaching... at the present time. Turn to page 394," He snapped again.

Daphne huffed knowing that he watched what he said because Daphne was there. Daphne would not let him sit there and insult her Uncle for something that he could not control. He did not ask for this to happen to him. He never asked to be what he was and he loathed it. Daphne wound up defending her Uncle with every fiber of her being until the very end.

Ron seemed to struggle finding the page in his book as he continued to flip through the book rather slowly. His head leaning against his palm as it held him up sleepily against the desk while he seemed a little down.

"Werewolves?" Ron squeaked out as he looked down at the textbook before his head shot up to look back at Snape.

"But Sir, we've just started learning about red caps and hinkypunks," Hermione was not sitting beside Ron as her bag sat in her lap.

Daphne's blood began to boil as she looked down at the page and back at Snape, "You fat nosed, greasy haired, skanky arse-"

Harry was quick to put a hand over her mouth, despite having a slight confusion on why she was angry, "Daphne," Harry muttered as he tried to keep her from saying anything she'd regret.

"We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks!" Hermione exclaimed as she looked back at the Professor, acting unbothered by Daphne's outburst.

"Quiet," Snape snapped down at the third-years as he continued on.

"When did she come in? Did you see her come in?" Ron leaned over to Daphne and Harry as he questioned who had saw Hermione's entry, but no one had.

Harry shook his head before waiting for Daphne to answer, she shook her head as well and the group fell into a silence. All now trying to figure out when she had gotten there, clearly not at the same time as the others, as her books were still packed away and she was struggling to get them out.

"Now which one of you can tell me the difference... between an animagus and a werewolf?" Snape walked between the aisles of students before coming to a stop as he reached the projector once more, turning around and staring straight at Daphne.

Hermione raised her hand as she awaited for him to call on her. Wanting to answer the question per usual, if she wasn't called on then she'd simply answer it out loud for herself. Daphne watched as the images shifted over and her eyes met Snape's as she glared at him.

"No one?" Snape questioned loudly, acting as if he couldn't see Hermione's hand as his eyes remained on Daphne, "How disappointing."

"Please, sir. An animagus is wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice," Hermione began to speak, not giving anyone else a chance to say or do anything, "With each full moon... he no longer remembers who he is. He'd kill his best friend. The werewolf only responds to the sound of his own kind."

Draco began to howl and look at Daphne with a smirk before Snape spoke, "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's the second time you've spoken out of turn, Ms. Granger, are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know it all?" He sneered as he walked closer.

Ron leaned over and whispered to Harry and Daphne, "He's got a point you know..."

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape sneered as he now stood between the two desks, "Ms. Black, why don't you give me an answer?"

He spun to look at her yet again and Daphne looked clearly angered, "A werewolf is someone bitten, probably on a full moon. They change into the creature with hours of painful bone snapping and in turn, injure not only others, but themselves. Animagus are harmless and not painful, only having to go through a small time to become one."

Snape seemed angrily pleased with Daphne's answer as he turned around and began to walk around once again, "As an antidote of your ignorance, and on my desk, by Monday morning... two rolls of parchment on the werewolf, with emphasis on recognizing it."

"But sir, there's quidditch tomorrow," Harry couldn't help but advocate for both himself and for Daphne since they'd be playing.

Snape then glided across the floor and placed both hands on the table, now leaning awfully close to Harry, their noses almost touching, "Then I suggest you take extra care, Mr. Potter and Ms. Black. Loss of limb will not excuse you. Page 394..."

"Back the fuck up..." Daphne places her hand out as she pulled Harry closer to her while making a face, "No room for pedophilia in this place..."

Snape was clearly aggressively angered by her comment as he pushed back against the table, nearly causing it to flip, "The term werewolf...is a contraction of the Anglo-Saxon word "wer" which means man and wolf. Werewolf, wolf-man..."

The snap of the air flicked against Daphne's face as she whipped through the rain. The rain was flying down on them rapidly as the sky began to hiss and growl. Daphne watched against the Hufflepuff's as she heard the roar of the crowd. Everyone was cheering for Harry... but her brother was cheering for her. Even Caius had shown up.

Harry had gone up a while ago, Daphne had lost sight of him, that was until he came barreling out of the sky and hitting her and her broom harshly right as a bludger did. Sending them both down onto the ground and into a deep darkness.

"Daphne kinda got the hard end of it..." Ron's voice barely met Daphne's ears as she resisted the urge to groan in pain, "You sorta dropped down onto her and her broom and she got hit by a bludger..."

"What?" Harry was clearly panicked by this.

"But she should be fine. You fell a lot but she broke your fall," The twins tried to cheer him up as they shrugged while Daphne's eyes fluttered open.

"You should've fallen elsewhere," Atticus snapped clearly angry with what had happened, "You idiot, going after dementors? What did you think was going to happen, Potter?"

"Atticus, stop," Caius' voice was strong as he looked at the boy, "She's awake."

"She is?" A clash of voices filled her ears as her eyes fluttered open, wincing at the light.

"Oh thank merlin," Remus sighed as he sat in the chair beside her bed, "You had us worried."

Daphne made a face in response, looking at everyone who moved so that she could look across at Harry, "Hope you had a good landing on Daphne's terminal, no more planes here for today or a while."

Harry cracked a small smile, "Ever so funny, Daph."

"Joke through the pain, right, Fred, George?" Her eyes creased before she rubbed her sides in pain, "Jeez man, I hope this pains from the bludger and not someone as tiny as you."

Harry shook his head as he tried not to laugh, "Thanks..."

"How are you feeling?" Ron asked as he leaned more into Daphne's corner while trying to see how she was.

"I feel like a million bucks," Daphne forced a grin as she tried to adjust herself in the bed.

Remus tilted his head to the side at his niece before grinning deviously, "You look like ten. Specifically ten American dollars."

"Nah I look like ten pounds," Daphne made a face, "If it's muggle money it's good money."

That statement stuck for another few weeks. Snow had fallen and covered the grounds of not only Hogwarts but the surrounding towns as winter fell over the school. Christmas was soon, and Daphne knew how bad it was going to be upon going home for break. A break she'd probably try to stay at school for.

Daphne stood alongside both of her friends in the cold in front of the shrieking shack. Making a face at the building that was supposedly haunted. Though, the only thing that it had going was that it looked like it was going to fall over in a matter of seconds.

"It's meant to be the most haunted building in Britain, did I mention that?" Hermione couldn't help but repeat this over and over again.

"Twice," Ron stated as he looked back at Daphne.

"Do you want to move a bit closer?" Hermione asked while Daphne shrugged in response, "To the shrieking shack?" She now directed this at Ron.

Ron was clearly not into that and put his hands against the barbed wire fence, "Uhm... actually, I'm fine here."

"Well, well. Look who's here," The ever so annoying voice of Draco Malfoy met their ears causing them to turn around and look at the boy, "You two shopping for your dream home? Using my cousin for charity money?" Draco scoffed looking at the three.

"Shut up," Daphne snapped as she placed her hands firmly in her pockets, feeling herself grow hot with anger the closer he got.

"A bit grand for you isn't it, Weasel-bee? Don't your family sleep in one room?" Draco snapped as he looked at the redheaded boy.

Ron looked a little embarrassed as he stared at the snow, "Shut your mouth, Malfoy."

"Not very friendly," Draco snickered as he looked between the two standing in front of him, "Boys, I think we teach Weasel-bee how to respect his superiors."

"I hope you don't mean yourself," Hermione retorted while looking heated.

"How dare you talk to me, you filthy little mudblood!" Draco puffed out his jacket before Daphne grabbed a snowball and chucked it straight in his face.

But Daphne wasn't the only one to do that as another one hit Draco as well from the side. This continued as they tormented the three Slytherin's until they were running off with their pants falling off.

Daphne laughed loudly knowing damn well who was doing this. She knew it was Harry playing tricks on everyone. Pulling them close to the shrieking shack, yanking off their trousers, or spinning them in circles with their scarf.

"Harry!" Hermione laughed as Harry revealed himself from under the cloak once others ran.

"That's not funny, Harry," Ron was genuinely scared while the other three began to laugh.

It wasn't long before Harry then filled them in on an important conversation that he had with Fred and George where he had taken the Marauders map in his possession as he led them through Hogsmeade and away from the Shack. Daphne couldn't help but be curious despite Hermione wanting to turn it in.

"Aren't you?" Hermione questioned as she looked between her friends.

"Sure, along with his invisibility cloak," Ron retorted as he shook his head at Hermione's words.

"Look who it is, Madam Rosmerta," Hermione couldn't help but retort with a grin, "Ron fancies her," Hermione teased.

"Not true!" Ron squealed.

They watched as the minister got out of his carriage and was greeted by other teachers. Daphne and Harry were practically joined at the hip as they listened in closely, both hoping to hear something. And they did. Their names alongside Sirius Black's.

Harry threw the cloak on and Daphne slipped under it as well, the two quickly walking through the snow and getting into the pub and following everyone upstairs to get a fill of the conversation.

"Tell me what this is all about," Harry and Daphne stood shoulder to shoulder under the cloak as they listened in to Rosmerta.

"Years ago, when Harry Potter's parents realized they were marked for death... remember? They hid. Few knew where they were. One who did was Sirius Black. And he told You-Know-Who," McGonagall put an emphasis behind her words and Daphne felt Harry shift.

"Not only did Black lead him to the Potter's that night, he also killed Peter Pettigrew!" The minister exclaimed as he paced back and forth while looking at the two women.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Rosmerta questioned.

"Little lump of a boy! Always trailing after Black," McGonagall explained as she shook her head.

"I remember him," Rosmerta nodded as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Never let James and Sirius out of his sight," Harry backed them up into the wall trying to make sure they were out of everyone's way.

"What happened?" Rosmerta couldn't help but ask.

"Peter tried to warn the Potters and he might have managed to if he hadn't of ran into an old friend, Sirius Black!" McGonagall was really into her explanations, "Sirius wants his niece. He wants her to be on his side or to kill him - and she's just like her father in many ways. She's attached to Harry just as she was foretold to be. They'd die for each other, so we can only fear-"

Daphne felt herself falling into her mind as she ran through everything in her head. Knowing that she had to make sure all the facts were right. But, if he had been this monster, why hadn't he killed her yet?

"Harry Potter is... Sirius' Black's Godfather!"

Harry didn't hesitate to get out of the pub, moving so fast that Daphne could keep up and leaving her stranded alone in the pub as he ran off and the others followed after him. Daphne's mind was still very much processing the information as she tried to find where they had gone, and it hadn't taken long.

Harry had been yelling when Daphne had arrived. She noticed the tears that had fallen down his cheeks but as she got closer, she noticed how he grabbed his wand and how the other two looked worried. This caused part of her to break as she watched this.

Daphne couldn't help but look betrayed as she stood alongside her friend, her best friend, in the snow where they had just had the time of their lives. Harry looked beyond angry, almost disgusted at the female. Daphne knew the look all too well as it was the one she received from her mother.

"Go on, say it," Daphne's voice became soft as she waited for him to yell, as she waited for him to tell her how much he hated her and her relatives.

Harry stayed silent for a moment before shaking his head, "I don't need to say it."

Daphne tried to place a hand on his arm but he moved away from her, "Obviously, you do. Harry, just please..."

"Please what? Please what, Daphne? Tell you about what your Uncle did? Tell you about why my parents are dead? I can't even look at you! I see him! And I want to kill him!" Harry's tone raised as he looked at the girl, the snow falling delicately on them.

Daphne couldn't help but feel as though she had been struck over and over again by his words, "So... You want to kill me? Harry, did you not even hear what they said about us? What's going to happen - you aren't the only target."

"That's not what I said, Daphne," Harry's tone was malicious, not one he had ever used with her, "And if you get killed so be it, he hasn't done it yet. Maybe you're working with him."

Daphne shook her head as she felt the tears well in her eyes, she refused to let them fall in front of him, "If I worked with him, I would've ended my entire life on spot and if I remind you of him - and he is all you see in me and you want him dead... You want to kill me."

Harry shook his head as he grew angry, "I want to kill him and I am going to kill him. I don't care if it hurts you."

"Obviously, if you are seeing him in me yet refuse to admit you want me dead you do care," Daphne snapped as she looked at him, "You've cared since the moment we became friends. Since we went down to protect the stone. Since I almost died helping you in the chamber since-"

"That doesn't change anything!" Harry yelled, almost ending the fight the moment he saw her flinch and realized what he was doing to her.

Daphne went silent for a moment before looking at Harry, keeping a straight expression and with no emotion spoke, "Kill me like you want to kill him."

"What?" Harry's voice became softer as he looked at her, completely caught off guard by this statement.

"Bloody hell," Ron's voice in the distance didn't stop the fight or even cause it to come to a halt.

"Kill me like you want to kill him," Daphne repeated her words as she pointed to his wand, "Kill me! Do it!" Daphne could feel the tears burning her eyes as the vision slowly became true.

"I can't do this with you," Harry's eyes were glossed over as he shook his head, "You didn't kill them. I can't hurt you, I won't hurt you,"

Daphne felt as her face pulled into a harsh frown as the tears tried to trickle down her cheeks, her heart shattered on the floor in a million pieces, "If you are going to have the balls to say you don't care, then at least have the balls to end it all."

Harry found himself shaking his head at the girl as he looked at her, "He got my parents killed. I never would hurt you, never. Not in the ways you have hurt me."

"I couldn't decide the blood I was forged in. I didn't commit the crimes that he did. I didn't want any of this to happen - and yet here we stand. I knew this day would come but nothing would compare to when it did," She placed her hand to her nose as she refused to let out a sniffle, "I've never tried to hurt you. I couldn't help that he was a relative. I didn't know. I'm sorry you just can't see that we aren't the same."

"Guys," Hermione tried to step in as she looked beyond worried, "This is too far."

"If I worked with him, I would throw away every moral I've had. Every bit of life. Every chance for a better future. Is that what you want? You want me to be like the woman who birthed me. The woman I loathe. You want to blame their deaths on him. On me," Daphne cried out as she pointed at herself, "I know you're hurting and I know you want to fight but please, Merlin, if this is how it will be just kill me! Get the practice!"

"Daph," Ron moved over and pulled the girl back as he held her close, knowing she was trying her hardest to stop crying and knowing she didn't want to do it in front of him.

Maybe the group wouldn't be there forever, and maybe they wouldn't be with each other against the world. But Ron was with Daphne, and he was there to keep her safe.