Bab 79: Chapter 79: Potter Rival!
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"Out of curiosity, what of other suitors, if Mr. Potter is unavailable? Once again, humor me." He adds the last when I start to object.
"I'm afraid I'm not terribly well-acquainted with many of them, having only been here a few months. Neville Longbottom is beginning to show flashes of confidence, and he is already brave and fiercely loyal."
"As Longbottom Heir I imagine it would be a lucrative match. And Daphne would have poor Mr. Longbottom wrapped around her little finger in no time." I rub my chin in thought.
"None of the Weasley sons I know would be a good match, I don't think. Beyond that I can merely guess."
"What about Draco Malfoy?" He asks.
"Mr. Malfoy has potential, but he needs to get off his father's coattails before he rides them to oblivion. He wastes his time attempting to set himself up as Mr. Potter's rival, but it's a losing battle, because he simply isn't as powerful magically. When his idealized image of his father is torn down, he may change his behavior and become worthy of consideration."
'I'm afraid I don't know anybody else well enough to offer an opinion." Both of them look thoroughly surprised by this assessment.
"I'm afraid I don't know anyone else well enough to offer an opinion, and really this was too much already." I add before he can ask me about somebody else.
"Are you two quite finished deciding my future for me?" Daphne growls furiously.
"You know that is not how the Greengrass family operates," her father scolds, then his voice grows more gentle. "He was only giving me an honest opinion which I asked for, my dear. I would not dream of making such a decision for you."
He turns to me and regards me silently, lips pressed together in the same way that Daphne does when she's formulating a question.
"What of your family, Mr. Lerner? Will you be meeting them for the holidays?"
I turn away and try to dump my emotions into the Void. "No." I don't elaborate because I don't trust myself to speak.
"No?" he asks, clearly expecting more.
I clench my jaw, then bite my tongue to try and remain emotionless. "My friends are my family, sir." Seeing Daphne recoil as if struck in my peripheral vision breaks my will. Damn it all, not the tears again. I bite my tongue harder to stave them off.
"I'm sorry to hear that, son," the older man says quietly. "I know my Daphne can take care of herself, but I'm pleased she'll have you looking out for her as well."
I only nod in reply.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, but if you'll excuse us, we're going to retire to my room. I have some business to discuss with my daughter."
I nod again and stand up when they do, then shake his hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Lord Greengrass. Daphne," I say woodenly, with a bow to both before they turn and walk toward the stairs.
I plop back down on the table, at which point I release the privacy charm and take several long, calming breaths.
"Can I get you anything, love?" The waitress asks.
"Uh, sorry, I don't have...I'm just taking a bit of a breather over here. I'm just about to join my friends. My friend, rather, over there."
"No worries, dearie, you just came in for that pretty lass and met with her father, didn't you? Poor thing. You just relax and let me get you a butterbeer. On the house."
"Thanks," I say gratefully, then I head over where Hermione immediately attacks. I barely get the muffliato bubble up before the questions start flying.
"How did it go? What did he say? What did you say? I saw them looking over here, what did you say about us?"
"Easy, there, Hermione," Harry says with a laugh. His somewhat loud voice startles me for a second, until I realize it's fine with the charm up. "Give the man a break already. It's not easy for a bloke to meet a girlfriend's parents, you know."
"He's not...they aren't—" she sputters.
"Don't worry, Hermione, I told him that, had circumstances been different, you would be my first choice for girlfriend, but if you and Harry were a couple then I'd have probably asked Daphne."
"Oh hush, what did you really—" At my raised eyebrow her eyes widened and she blushed. "You didn't! Oh my god, William, you did! What in...what could you have possibly been thinking?"
Harry starts laughing hysterically at her shrieks, and my spirits are slightly lifted enough to chuckle. Hermione punches me.
"Ow! Okay, okay, I'll talk. After I dropped that little bit, he seemed mostly interested in my opinion on possible boyfriends for Daphne."
"What?"
"Yeah, it was a bit odd considering I don't know most of them, but I think he appreciated my honesty." I frown.
"It could be that he did just want to meet me – he said I'm the first boy Daphne has written home about that she didn't want to hex. That's certainly the impression he gave, but given what I was expecting, it just seems too frivolous. I can't help but feel he was judging me somehow."
"As a potential boyfriend, perhaps," Hermione says, also frowning.
"Maybe..."
The beverage arrives and I stare into it, wondering if I convinced him of whatever it was he needed to be convinced about.
He seemed to like me, so that's promising. The destruction of Voldemort's soul shards without harming the anchor itself is critical, and it would be great to have two old families digging through their sources trying to figure out if it was possible.
But more importantly, I think I earned a great deal of sympathy from Daphne. I feel a little bad thinking about the benefits of what I had done in earnest, but I have to take every advantage I get.
I think she may be just about ready for some more of my secrets.
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