Harry & Daphne

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Kassien - Runic Animagi
Chapter 5 - Reactions

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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Rated M: Mature, Sex, Drugs, Language, ...

Updated: 6/20/09

Runic Animagi

Chapter 5: Reactions

Our work conditions suck, I'm tired and underfed, overworked and under appreciated. Nobody takes time and care's for owls anymore, and we are the very lifeblood of wizard and magical communication. We should start a union, get better representation and benefits ...we're only a step above house-elves, but at least we don't have to clean up after the filthy beasts. Why did my parents hate me so much to leave me at Gringotts as a hatchling because I was an unauthorized breading of pure blood owned owls. All day I deliver news to stupid wizard customers and then return to the greedy goblin keepers for my next useless assignment.

Like right now, why should I care that I'm delivering a post that will change a teenage girl's life forever. At this moment she is completely oblivious to the doom that awaits her in the form of an activated marriage contract. The poor thing will probably be married off to some stuffy old pureblood bigot who probably follows that ridiculous snake man that no owl would dare go near. The poor girls has no idea her life's coming to a miserable end, but why should I care? I don't get anything out of the deal, I'm just a bloody post owl.

"Bloody post owls," muttered the large shouldered black haired and tanned man as I flew into the kitchen during what appeared to be dinner, and had to roll my eyes at my Divination skills, they waste all the good classes on those featherless beasts.

"What's gotten into you, Dad?" asked the older of the two daughters and the one whose life was going to come crashing down around her any minute, the poor dear. She's relatively attractive too for a featherless beast anyway, with a healthy bronze tone to her skin and not the pasty white of most English pureblood snobs.

"Do you want some food?" she asked me ...ME, a fucking post owl is being given food by the very girl whose life I'm here to destroy ...the poor thing.

Roast Beef! She gave me some of her roast beef right off her plate, I love this girl. Now she's scratching my neck, damn this pureblood prick got a good one. Too bad her dad's not as nice as she is, he almost ripped out my tail feathers getting the blasted letter, while she gently rubbed my ears and face. I am so hanging around here for a little bit to see what happens to this poor sweet girl, maybe there's a dark corner for me to hide in and watch the coming circus.

"It's from Gringotts," the wanker said curiously, really ...I hope the tracking medallion around my neck with Gringotts' seal engraved to it didn't give me away. "Oh dear," he breathed out after opening the letter and reading while his face turned ashen white ...no real surprise there.

"What does it say dear?" asked what had to be the idiot's wife, although why she would marry him is beyond even my divination capabilities.

"To Damien Greengrass, Head of House Greengrass," the father started timidly, I would to in his position since he's likely to get an earful from the women in his life once he finishes reading that letter. "We are writing to inform you that a new Head of House Black has just been named and activated the Black-Greengrass Marriage Contract of 1972, which has been in default since 1974."

"What?" shouted the poor sweet girl who seemed to know exactly what this meant for her as she rose to her full height letting her violet colored eyes blaze furiously at her father.

"Damien ...is this true?" asked the similarly angry looking mother who the daughter thankfully looks more like and seemingly takes after.

"I'm afraid so," he muttered in defeat and hung his head as both older women continued raging and shouting while asking what the hell was going on. "I was supposed to marry Andromeda Black in 1974 when we graduated from Hogwarts, but she ran off and married some muggleborn wizard. Her two younger sisters were already in other arranged marriages, so I was able to marry you, Serene. You Daphne, would have had to marry Sirius or Regulus Black, but one was incarcerated in Azkaban in 1981 and the other killed in 1980 ...I didn't think there were any more Black men."

"Draco's a Black," mumbled the poor girl, and by the sound of it ...she's not going to be too happy with this Draco pillock, "but I thought the Malfoys and Parkinsons had a marriage contract, or at least that's what Pansy's always bragging about ...oh Merlin, my life is ruined. How could you not tell me about this Dad?"

"I'm sorry Daphne, I honestly didn't think you would ever have to worry about it. I thought that the Black Family ended with Sirius," spoke the struggling father, who I can't believe I'm starting to feel a little sorry for ...the poor bastard isn't too bad, just to post owls apparently.

"You knew Sirius Black, the Azkaban escapee and Death Eater that's always in the news?" asked the youngest girl who had yet to speak, but seemed to be following the conversation easily.

"He was several years younger than me, but yes I knew him growing up because of our parents, and at Hogwarts with his band of Gryffindor pranksters," he answered honestly and with a reminiscent smile, probably thinking about simpler and better days of his youth.

"THE Sirius Black was a Gryffindor?" asked the older girl in surprise, and thankfully for me because I was thinking the same thing but can't quite communicate with the featherless beasts too well.

"Yeah, he and his best friend James Potter practically owned the school during their tenure at Hogwarts. That Defense teacher of yours from third year, Remus Lupin was also a good friend of theirs ...all Gryffindors in the same year," answered the dad with a sad shake of his head.

"Potter? ...and Professor Lupin?" asked the wide eyed older girl now much more interested in the story than dwelling in her own misery.

"And some other short kid ...I think his name was Peter. Anyway, the four of them were the best of friends in school and got into all kinds of trouble," continued the dad, ignoring the daughters still wide eyed and questioning look and just continuing with the tale. "The story goes that Sirius Black was the Potter's secret keeper, and turned them over to the Dark Lord, sealing their fate and the Dark Lords that Halloween night of 1981. He also killed the Peter kid the next day after being confronted about betraying the Potters and was sent to Azkaban without even a trial. It's hard to think even now that Sirius could ever have betrayed James, they were practically brothers and Sirius simply worshiped the guy."

"Enough to name James Potter's son the heir of House Black?" asked the sharp girl curiously as she looked back to the letter left abandoned on the kitchen table that sealed her collective fate, and her family members did the same, all seeming to ask themselves the same question.

I'm really not usually this nosey, but something about this whole messed up situation is just intriguing for my boring life and existence. I need this shit to feel better about my own messed up life of work and more work. I slipped away into the darkest corner of the kitchen and took a nap after the family split up soon afterward to retire to their rooms, hoping to get some sleep before I had to return to work. I was woken abruptly by the sound of the family sitting at the table as a house elf appeared and served them breakfast, and took a second to regain my bearings from such a long sleep, I told you I was overworked. Lovely, now we have to put up with those arrogant Daily Prophet owls who thinks their shit doesn't stink ...can they get any smugger pompously holding out their legs for payment, fucking whores.

"Holy Shit, it's true!" exclaimed the teenage daughter in shock as she opened the newspaper and read the headline that would forever seal her fate.

"What is dear?" asked her concerned mother.

"Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One has been Emancipated and named Head of Houses Potter and Black," started the teenage girl incredulously as she read the story to her shocked family, and I'm grateful, since piecing these things together from their reactions and responses gets tiring after a while. "Minister Fudge, late last night in a Ministry staff meeting let slip that everyone's favorite hero was in fact declared a legal adult yesterday on his sixteenth birthday. He has assumed the role of Head of both House Potter and House Black, declared through his late godfather, Azkaban escapee, and Death Eater Sirius Black. All attempts to obtain confirmation or challenge these rulings have been denied by both Gringotts and Mr. Potter himself. For more on the story of Harry Potter and his relationship and history between Sirius Black turn to pages 3-8, for Ministry laws about emancipation and adult status turn to pages 9-11."

"Well ...he's a lot better than Draco Malfoy, Daphne," spoke the mum bravely into the very tense silence that followed the article's reading.

"What?" screeched the affected daughter almost hyperventilating, "he's Harry Bloody Potter, Gryffindor's Golden Boy, the fucking Boy-Who-Lived."

"Daphne," scolded the mum surprisingly, "a lady does not use such language."

"Mum," she whined indignantly, "I have to marry Harry Bloody Potter, the Dark Lord's number one enemy and target and you're going to yell at me for my language?"

"It could be a lot worse Daphne, and you know it," joked her little sister with a mischievous smile that made me instantly like this kid, while the older sister just glared at her clearly not amused. "At least he's cute, rich, and famous."

"I don't want to be famous Delia," the older sister pleaded in exasperation, "if this gets out that we're going to be married I'll be in serious trouble in school and with the supporters of the Dark Lord. I have been successfully avoiding all of that rhetoric and crap for five years now, and Potter can destroy that with one announcement. What about dad and the store? If the Dark Lord learns of this we are as good as dead."

"Daphne relax, I'm sure it won't be that bad, and it can't be any easier on Harry," responded the father consolingly.

"Of course dad, take his side," she replied with a snap, "we all know you want another man around."

"Well yes, of course," he replied with a laugh, trying to ease the tension a bit, "but think about this honey. What does anybody really know about Harry Potter? He keeps his personal life more private than any celebrity or person we've encountered in our society. Yes he is a Gryffindor, but I could have been as well if I hadn't begged the hat to put me in Slytherin and appease my parents and friends, and stay out of the spotlight. It's what this family has done to avoid this war and stay out of both sides sights and minds, and this doesn't change anything."

"Dad, you know I love you, but your dead wrong ...this changes everything," finished the girl almost to the point of tears, but maintaining her composure long enough to storm out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room, leaving the kitchen in a very tense but thoughtful silence that I used to sneak out of the kitchen and start my journey back to Gringotts.

I hate having to give up this real life soap opera, but I need to return to work at some point or I'm likely to be feathered and punished rather severely by the goblin keepers. I feel real bad for the young girl, but her family is right, Harry Potter is about as good as you get ...even us owls know that. I caught up to that stupid and arrogant Daily Prophet owl who is too busy pruning herself to fly to her next destinations. My nosiness is really starting to become a problem, I just had to follow that smug owl to see how other's received the news of Harry Potter's coming to power.

I followed the owl to a rundown neighborhood in the outskirts of downtown London, and easily slipped in unnoticed behind it as it swooped into an enormous kitchen and I quickly found an old bureau in a dark corner that hid me well. This was the most disorganized and mixed group of witches and wizards I had ever seen, and were sitting at one of the largest wooden tables probably ever made. Luckily, the pompous Daily Prophet owl took most of the room's attention until it was paid and preening itself in preparation for it's next delivery, while a girl with the bushiest hair I have ever witnessed opened the paper to read while I contemplated nesting in her enormous hair.

"Oh my God!" she screeched gratingly, making me want to almost leave, but my damn curiosity kept me in place for hopefully a good bit of gossip to share with the other owls as the twenty or so people around the table instantly came to a stop.

"What is it Hermione?" asked one of the seemingly infinite number of redheads at the table, but easily the one eating the most food ...dear lord, how does he swallow that? She has everyone's attention now, and I could sense her apprehension about saying anything but realized there was little she could do to prevent them from finding out.

"Um," she began hesitantly, "Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One has been Emancipated and named Head of Houses Potter and Black. Minister Fudge, late last night in a Ministry staff meeting let slip that everyone's favorite hero was in fact declared a legal adult yesterday on his sixteenth birthday. He has assumed the role of Head of both House Potter and House Black, declared through his late godfather, Azkaban escapee, and Death Eater Sirius Black. All attempts to obtain confirmation or challenge these rulings have been denied by both Gringotts and Mr. Potter himself. For more on the story of Harry Potter and his relationship and history between Sirius Black turn to pages 3-8, for Ministry laws about emancipation and adult status turn to pages 9-11."

"Bloody Hell," spoke the same gangly redhead still with food stuffed beyond capacity in his mouth, only to get slapped by the bushy haired girl and scolded by who must be his mother, as well as the rest of the redheaded litter.

"Way to go Harry," cheered an identical pair of redheaded twins happily as they jumped up and started dancing a fast jig ...oh, I like them.

"Albus, can this be true?" When would he have done this?" asked a very strict looking older witch with a tight bun of hair at the back of her head while sitting next to a man that looks like an anorexic Santa Claus or maybe that Rip Van Winkle guy.

"I'm not sure Minerva, he certainly didn't say anything to me. Did he talk to any of you about it?" asked the old decrepit version of Santa Claus.

"No," most people chorused as other just shook their heads negatively.

"He did seem a little too accepting of everything last night," contemplated the old man curiously. "I kind of expected him to still be angry at me, or at least more depressed over losing Sirius. Did anyone notice anything?"

"He had new glasses and clothes and didn't look as unhealthy as he normally does after staying with the Dursleys. And there was definitely some awkwardness between him and his relatives, but I kind of expected that after hearing about them for so long," spoke the bushy haired girl knowingly, and getting a few nods of understanding that others may have noticed those things as well.

"I didn't want to say anything Albus, but I noticed he had on some very unusual concealment or glamour charms on that my eye couldn't see through. I just assumed he was covering up some bruises, and probably for a good reason if he didn't mention it to anyone else," spoke one of the most heavily scarred men I've seen who had a really creepy spinning and glowing blue eye that never seemed to stop moving.

"Do you think those nasty muggles are hurting him Albus?" cried the hysterical mother hen ...thank merlin I'm not one from her litter, those poor kids.

"Potter's a tough kid Molly, I think he can handle himself. Besides, if he really is a legal adult, I'd be more worried about those useless muggles," responded the creepy eyed wizard with a smirk, yikes that's scary looking.

"Tonks is on guard duty now, we'll wait until she checks in at lunchtime and maybe have to make another visit to talk with Harry," spoke Rip Van Winkle pompously, as if he had all the answers in the world.

"Hedwig is still upstairs sleeping in my room," spoke the gangly red head who seemed to finally be giving up on his four plates of breakfast, he must have hollow legs, "we could send him a letter?"

"That might not be a bad idea Mr. Weasley," contemplated the old man, who I've just realized is wearing the most obnoxious lime green robes with gold stars on it, who dresses this man.

"You get Hedwig Ron, I'll start the letter," commanded the bushy haired girl scarily, while the stupid gangly red head obeyed like a love struck puppy, how sick.

"Hoot hoot," who is the looker ...damn that snow owl is fucking fine. Look at that defined tail and plump breast ...have you ever seen a finer creature?

Wait, is this the owl they're sending to THE Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the poor sweet girl's future husband ...I've fucking struck gold. This is my lucky day, goodbye Gringotts hello beautiful. Damn, she can fly too ...what can't she do? She's the most exquisite chick on this planet, and I'll follow her everywhere. Uh-oh, maybe not. Why did she stop flying, and why is she staring at me so intensely, can she tell what I'm thinking about doing to her right now?

"Hoot hoot?" I begged with my sexiest and deepest voice I could get away with while giving her my pleading puppy dog eyes as we hovered face to face almost beak to beak ...I could almost kiss her.

"Hoot!" she responded, my goddess responded and has accepted me ...oh glory day! I will follow her until the end of time, and even get to the bottom of this Harry Potter mess.

Okay, this is so not where I expected THE Harry Potter, the Chosen One to live, but I trust my girl. Oh crap, the window's closed, wait ...what's going on in there? Those people are having sex on the sofa and that house-elf is just sitting there varying between watching the couple have crazy sex and some light colored box contraption on the wall. I think I'm going to love Harry Potter!

The little house-elf opened the window and my girl instantly swooped in and made for the naked man as I quickly found a spot to observe for now. Well, I think I have to agree with Daphne's little sister and mum, she could do a LOT worse. This man was built, tall, good looking, and not too bad in the sack based on the moans of the pink haired girl beneath him. Is this really THE Harry Potter?

"Hello girl," spoke the naked man after my girl landed on his shoulder with no fear during mid-stroke causing him to stop his current actions as he took better notice of her. "Did you bring me a letter?"

"I thought Dumbledore wasn't letting her deliver letters this summer?" asked the pink haired girl who sat up in disappointment and reluctantly began putting back on her clothes.

"Me too," the naked man answered before taking the letter and affectionately petting my girl and reading the short note.

"So what does it say?" asked the now unfortunately fully clothed pink haired woman.

"Apparently everyone has seen the Daily Prophet, and they want to come over at lunchtime to talk," he answered seriously before gathering his own clothes and dressing while looking around the large and spaciously expanded room.

"Why ...what was in the Prophet?" asked the pink haired woman who seemed to have no clue what was going on.

"Um ...this," he answered as he walked to the small kitchen area and grabbed the offending paper before bringing it back to the sofa and handing it over as he finally noticed my presence and I had to gulp at the intensity of the green eyes that stared into my very being ...yes, this is definitely THE Harry Potter and now I know why they call him the Chosen One.

"Harry, you're the Head of my family? Were you even planning on telling me that we are now related?" she complained after reading the paper, but the green eyes never left my own even as he answered.

"You haven't been reinstated as a Black yet, Nymphadora," spoke the green eyed wizard who finally returned his intense gaze to the now standing girl.

"You knew about this the whole time?" she huffed indignantly.

"No, just since dinner last night," he answered easily, "Griphook said it was too good of news to be kept quiet for too long ...and well, you know Fudge, he never misses an opportunity to boost his own standing."

"What about Dumbledore?" she asked curiously.

"What about him? It's my life, not his," replied the green eyed wizard with conviction before calling for the small house-elf and having him pack up everything around the room into three open trunks on the floor near the bed. "I'm sorry Tonks, but I have to leave. Dumbledore will just make me come to Grimmauld Place, and I can't be there right now."

"Where are you going to go?" she asked nervously, knowing she couldn't stop him even if she wanted.

"I have several houses now Tonks," he answered with a smirk, "I'll go to whichever is in the best condition or the best protected."

"Oh ...okay, but what about when Dumbledore shows up ...what will I tell him?" the pink haired girl asked a little hyperactively, and probably quite nervous at the moment.

"Well, I wouldn't tell him we've been sleeping together," the wizard replied with a lopsided grin.

"No shit," she answered not amused in the slightest.

"Fine, just stand outside in position and play dumb. Tell them you saw me open the window for Hedwig, and have been watching and waiting for anything else. You shouldn't know anything anyways, so don't worry so much," he responded in exasperation. "When this is over, I'll make you and your mum Blacks again."

"Really? Okay, you got a deal," she answered immediately excited and made sure she was ready to go.

"Good, now get to your post, you've been there all morning, and haven't seen me except to let in Hedwig ten minutes ago. I'll get in touch with you soon," spoke the green eyed man as he then watched the girl disappear and turn his intense eyes back to me. "And who are you?"

"Hoot hoot," answered my girl thankfully as she flew to the man's shoulder and rubbed her head against his eliciting several pets of affection.

"So, he's a friend of yours is he?" he asked my girl questioningly, while looking between us with a knowing smirk on his face. "He looks like a Gringotts' owl, does he have a name?"

"Hoot!" I answered excitedly and ruffled my neck causing my pendant tracking necklace to flip over and the reverse side be seen.

"13 huh? Well, that is no kind of name for my Hedwig's friend," he added while studying me closely with his intense eyes. "How about Lucky?"

"Hoot hoot!" me and my girl chorused together happily, it's official ...I love this wizard.

"Good, now once Dobby puts this room back to normal, I want you two to slip out back and start heading north. Once I've settled down, I'll call for you ...so remember to have plenty of fun too," he spoke to us as equals and not stupid owls ...I'll say it again, Harry Potter is the fucking best, as he gave us both a handful of treats, pets, and a fresh bowl of water to help us prepare for our journey. I truly am Lucky!

AN: I had to get other perspectives, but didn't want to return to a narrator or third person point of view. I hope you don't mind the owl's perspective but it was necessary, and I don't think I'll really need to use it again (except for one small part later). Next chapter will return to Harry's point of view, first person.

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