Chapter 331: Raging Feelings

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 331: Raging Feelings

"I know you are there," Daphne said. She looked ahead to the empty narrow hall that ultimately led to the Gryffindor Common rooms.

"Of course you do." Harry removed his invisibility and walked closer to her. "After all… you have been following me, all the way from Hogsmeade." He said in a low voice. Not wanting to take chances with other people hearing him.

Daphne did not even attempt to deny it, after all, she had been dragging her friend Tracey all over Hogsmead to look at what Harry had been doing and finally followed him here. Instead of that, she punched him on the shoulder.

"You kissed Ginny!" Her face contorted in anger. As far as she was concerned, her wrongdoings were much worse than his.

"Your Occlumency needs work. Your emotions are showing." Harry said casually.

Now she slapped him.

"Maybe I deserve that…" Harry admitted.

"You sure did!" She spat the words.

"Perhaps we can take this conversation somewhere else? The halls are hardly a good location to talk right now… and curfew is just a few minutes away." He looked around. They had been lucky so far, but that was not going to last. Eventually, some students were bound to pass thought this same hall and spot them.

"Fine." Daphne could agree to this much, no matter how angry she was with him.

Harry produced his wand from the holster and extended his left hand for Daphne to grab onto.

The girl seemed hesitant for a moment but eventually did grab his hand, and Harry whisked them away.

In a flash, the duo appeared right in the middle of the inner part of the Chamber of Secrets.

"This should be good enough. It's clean, well-illuminated, and very private," Harry declared.

"It still smells terrible!" Daphne had to cover her nose with a handkerchief. She hadn't been here since the day of the ritual and had not been looking forward to return.

"Ah yes… poor Dobby tried his best to clean the place up, but you know… it was impossible to remove traces of so many basilisks living in this closed space for so long. All day here, dying, eating, and shi—"

"Harry!"

"Yes?"

"We could have gone to that safe room that we've been using before. Remember?... the safe room?"

"Ahh, that one… that is not a good idea. You see, Umbridge gave Filch a Master Key that can open all those unused old rooms. So it's not really so safe anymore," Harry explained.

"I see… still." Daphne looked around. The chamber was completely empty except for the stains left behind by the rituals they tried the previous year. "This is gross… and we can't even sit here."

Harry sighed. "Alright." He held his wand again. "I'll take you somewhere else."

Daphne did not hesitate to grab his hand this time. She did not want to stay here longer than necessary.

In the next instant, she found herself standing on a grassy hill that overlooked the castle of Hogwarts.

It was already dark outside, and the sky was filled with stars that gave just the right amount of light.

"This is beautiful."

"I come here sometimes, when I need to think in peace," Harry said.

"Well, I wish we had come here sooner..." Daphne huffed.

"Sure, but… we are barely inside the school premises." He pointed behind them.

"Just make sure not to go past that rock over there. If you leave the wards, you will trigger the tracking charm on your head," Harry suggested.

"Wait… there is a tracking charm on my head?!" Daphne didn't recall ever hearing of this before.

Harry nodded.

"But that's not important now. You wanted to discuss something about th—"

"Right!" Daphne punched his arm.

"You kissed Ginny!"

"Technically, she kissed me," Harry pointed out while rubbing his shoulder. The girl was stronger than she looked and it was beginning to hurt.

"Don't give me that. What about our deal?"

"Deal? If you mean the contract we made with your family, it did not cover any type of compromise in that regard." It only talked about the possibility of a future marriage contract in the distant future, after both of them were seventeen and considered adults.

"I know what the contract said, but I thought…" She couldn't say it, Daphne knew she was being unreasonable, but she always had this idea in her mind that one day…

"So… does this mean that you and Ginny…" She was unable to finish the sentence. Tears had begun to form in her eyes and even her mind protections were not able to stop her raging emotions.

Harry did not like seeing this usually stoic girl looking like this.

"Look… there is nothing between me and Ginny. It was because of my stupid sister's meddling that today's mess happened. I don't see Ginny that way; she is more like… family, I guess."

He had thought about this more than a few times since he woke up in this world.

Would it be possible for him to have another chance at a relationship, to get more, to have a family? But the answer to that was always the same.

And even if he did… Ginny would not be the one he would choose.

He had loved the Ginny Weasley from his world, the one who became his wife. And a part of him died the day she did.

However… his Ginny was irreplaceable.

Of course, he still cared for this version of Ginny also, and he wanted her to be happy, as well as all the other members of the Weasley family… including Ron.

As well as Hermione, Neville, Luna, and so many others.

That was as far as his feelings for this Ginny went. He cared for her like he cared for his own family.

"Family, is that all?..." Daphne repeated. She then got closer and stood in front of him.

"What about me? Do you also see me as just family, or is there something more?"

"That's…" Harry hesitated to answer.

"If you tell me that it's complicated, I will punch you again," Daphne warned him.

"It is… difficult to say."

She punched him.

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