Evan blinked and looked around. It wasn't the Astronomy tower like he expected but an empty classroom. The memory Daphne was sitting on a desk, tapping her fingers anxiously. The family watched as the door opened. Harry stepped inside. His hair was messier than usual, and he looked like he had been running.
Daphne smirked. "You're late," she declared.
Harry shrugged. "Had dentition with Snape," he replied nonchalantly. It didn't take much effort for Lily to tell her son was lying.
He walked forward and kissed Daphne. His hands went around her waist, and she hooked her legs around him. Evan and Mark couldn't help but watch in interest. Both had very limited experiences with girls, and whatever they thought of Daphne Greengrass, she was also hot. Lily would've scolded her boys if she hadn't been so shocked.
"Of course, if your Head of House wasn't such a git, I wouldn't have had dentition," Harry added flippantly between kisses.
"Potter, this works better when you don't talk," Daphne said.
It was hard to miss Harry's amused look. "As you wish," he answered. Harry kissed Daphne's lips, her head, her neck, eliciting loud moans from the Slytherin. Daphne ran her hands through his hair and down his neck to his collarbone. Harry winced slightly, and Daphne pulled away, though her hand remained on his collarbone. She pulled her shirt slightly, revealing a collarbone that jutted out at an odd angle. It looked broken or fractured somehow.
"Harry," Daphne said gently. Harry tried to avoid her gaze, but it was no use. "What happened?"
"Quidditch," Harry replied flatly.
Daphne raised an eyebrow. Lily felt hers raise along with it. "Quidditch?" she repeated.
"Quidditch," Harry agreed.
Daphne stared at him hard, but he didn't seem to mind. Lily looked over at the real Daphne. She was frowning. "Bullshit," the memory Daphne said.
Harry sighed. "Whatever," he answered, heading towards the door. Daphne blocked his way.
"They say you're never in the Gryffindor dormitory at night," she stated. "Got other company?"
Something in Harry's eyes glinted. "Jealous?" he challenged in a low tone. It seemed to effect real and memory Daphne both.
"Concerned," she managed to get out. "Wherever you go at night, it's the reason you have a broken collarbone and bags under your eyes. I think you don't know what you're doing."
Harry closed himself off in that moment. His eyes darkened. "Believe what you want," he hissed, pulling away from Daphne. "It's what everyone else does anyway."
The memory faded, and they were taken to another spot in Hogwarts. Evan guessed it was still fourth year because Daphne looked exactly the same. She was doing her nightly Prefect patrol in the corridor. Apparently she spotted something because she slid behind a coat of armor, listening carefully. The real Daphne smiled a bit.
"What a Gryffindor move," she mumbled much to James's displeasure. He made a noise of protest, but Lily shushed him, not wanting to miss anything. Evan and Mark snuffled their laughter as best as they could.
The memory Daphne leaned in as she heard a familiar voice. "Potter, you continue to amaze me with your incompetence and arrogance."
"Aw, Snape, I had no idea you felt that way about me." Snape and Harry appeared in sight. Snape was his usual dour self, but Harry looked drained. He seemed to be limping, and there were bags prominent under his eyes.
Snape sneered. "I don't know why Dumbledore think you have the capacity to handle this mission. Don't Gryffindors have better things to do?"
Harry laughed, but it was a bitter sound. "Don't worry, Professor," he said. "I'll have time for this in between Quidditch and pranks." It was a mocking tone and Harry's brothers recognized. It was the tone he used when Slytherins bugged them. Harry always said the best response to an insult was sarcasm.
Snape narrowed his eyes, as if trying to discern something. When he didn't seem to find it, he said, "You're dismissed, Potter. Be at my office at eight o'clock sharp tomorrow.
Harry nodded and walked away. The memory Daphne remained positioned behind the suit of armor until Snape said, "You could do with a better hiding place, Miss Greengrass."
Internally cursing, Daphne stepped out from behind the classroom. Snape stared at her, though this look was less severe than the one Harry received.
"Patrolling?" Snape asked smoothly.
Daphne nodded. "Yes, sir," she responded confidently, not showing any fear.
Snape gave a small nod of approval at this and said, "You may return to your dormitories, Miss Greengrass."
Normally, Daphne would've responded to this gesture, but she was unsettled by what she had heard. "Sir, what is wrong with Potter?"
"Besides his genetics?" Snape uncharacteristically quipped. Daphne did not look amused. Seeing his snake's face, he softened. "I would advise you not get too close to Potter, Miss Greengrass. His future does not look too bright from where I am standing." With that, Snape walked away.
The memory faded out, and the next one lead them back to that empty classroom. Evan guessed it was during Harry's fifth year. That was the year he had played the "I refuse to get a haircut" game with their mom. Eventually she won, and Harry got a haircut shortly before the next school year started. Unfortunately, it would continue as something Evan would do his fifth year. It was to be seen if Mark continued on the tradition.
Daphne's hair was longer, but otherwise she looked exactly the same. She was staring at Harry, a frown on her face. Harry ran his hands through his hair.
"You wanted to talk. Talk." Daphne's voice was cold, the tone clearing showing why she was nicknamed Slytherin's Ice Princess.
"I'm trying to!" Harry sounded frustrated and weary, the way their dad sounded coming home from work many days now.
"You're ashamed of me. Because I'm a Slytherin," she guessed.
"No!"
"You're afraid of what your friends will think, what your family will think"
"No!"
"You don't trust me." It wasn't a challenge or a statement, more of a sad declaration. Evan glanced over at the real Daphne, but her face showed nothing.
Harry took a step closer to Daphne. "I trust you, Daphne. More than anyone else right now. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked you here."
Daphne was shouting now. "Then why? Tell me why, Harry! I'm so sick of being your closet buddy when any other girl in the school can talk to you in broad daylight."
Harry's voice was low. "Because it wouldn't be safe. I don't want to see you hurt, Daphne."
Daphne looked at him, her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
The Potters listened as Harry explained his task from Dumbledore, how he trained with Moody every other night, leaving bumps and bruises, how Snape was giving him Occulmency lessons, how most nights he didn't get to bed until two or three o'clock in the morning. Harry spilled his heart out, to be perfectly honest, and Evan had the oddest thought that his brother had never been more honest.
If Harry was spilling out his heart, he was also breaking Daphne's. Evan had never been in love and had his heartbroken, but he figured that if the look of pure devastation on Daphne's face wasn't heartbreak, nothing else could be. The real Daphne seemed to be experiencing the same emotions albeit subdued.
When Harry was done talking, the first words out of Daphne's mouth weren't, "Why?" like Evan or any of their family would've asked. Instead, she asked, "Who else knows?"
"Dumbledore, Snape, and Moody," Harry responded.
"Not your friends?"
"No."
"Not your brothers?"
"No."
"Not your parents?"
Harry shook his head. "Just you."
At that moment, Daphne kissed Harry, threading her hands through his hair. Harry responded in likeness, and it could be guessed by the intense snogging session that they hadn't been doing that in a while.
The memory faded out, and the Potter family pulled their heads out of the Pensieve. Daphne did as well, watching them carefully.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Lily asked furiously. She would've done anything, would always do anything, to help her children, but no one had given her the opportunity.
Daphne narrowed her eyes. "Harry trusted me, and it wasn't my place to." After a moment, she added, "Besides, I would've done the same thing for my family."
The energy seemed depleted from the room, and the Potters quickly left. Later on, lying in his bed unable to sleep, Evan thought about what Daphne had said.
"I would've done the same for my family." Last Evan had heard, the Greengrasses were settled happily in France, Astoria enrolled at Beauxbaton. They had been there for a couple years now, but Daphne remained in England, feverishly perusing the prosecution of Death Eaters. He couldn't help but wonder if Harry and Daphne were doing the same thing after all.