The Tangled World!

Parental Relations

Daphne sat in her room, reading through one of the books on muggle sciences that Hermione had given her for Christmas. It was rather fascinating, really, that muggles had been able to exceed magical understanding of the world in certain ways. This particular book was about the muggle understandings of the workings of the brain (a concept Daphne quickly realised was similar to, yet separate from, the magical world's understanding of the mind). Comparing the two was a fascinating endeavour; it reminded her of the difference between the mundane calculations her father used in financial work and the magical calculations her mother used in arithmancy.

Magicals and muggles both seemed to assume that the other didn't understand how the world worked, but the more Daphne looked at it, the more she began to suspect something else. It was almost as if the laws of the world operated on fundamentally different principles depending on whether or not magic was involved...

Before Daphne could consider that idea further, a soft pop announced the arrival of her family's house elf.

"Mister Greengrass wishes to see you, Miss Daphne. He is in his study."

Daphne sighed. When her father didn't confront her about this after she got back, she assumed he was going to be waiting until after Yule for this meeting.

"Thank you, Tillop. Tell him I'll be there shortly."

Daphne watched Tillop give a nod before disappearing. Sighing, Daphne put her book down and used her occlumency to settle her nerves. She'd been getting better at doing that, lately, probably just because school put her in an environment where she had greater need to practice it. Feeling sufficiently ready, she walked down to the first floor and knocked on the door of her father's study.

"Come in." Her father's voice sounded out.

Daphne opened the door and quietly slipped in, taking a seat in front of her father's desk.

Her father shuffled around the papers on his desk for a moment before he spoke up.

"How has your school year been so far, Daphne?" He asked.

"It's been going well, father. I couldn't tell you the exact rankings without seeing the official reports, but Harry, Hermione, and myself are all among the top students in our year."

Her father's face gave no indication of emotion, though the tone of his response conveyed some minor discomfort. "The Harry and Hermione in question would be Harry Potter and Hermione Granger? The 'boy-who-lived' and the 'Slytherin muggleborn' I've heard others speak of?"

Daphne nodded. "That is correct."

"...You are aware that neutrality is important to those in our family business, correct?"

Daphne nodded again. "I am aware, father. I am also aware that my friends are far from neutral figures, at least in the public eye." She shrugged. "But, despite having my share of grievances about befriending them in the first place, I enjoy their company."

"Befriending them was Tracey's idea, I assume?"

"Pretty much any odd thing in my life can be traced back to her." Daphne replied.

Her father shook his head. "That girl, I swear to the Morrigan... Well, If she's anything like her mother, which she certainly is, she'll tend to throw herself into various messes for her own enjoyment. Be careful about letting her drag you into too much, lest she get you into any sort of real danger..." He sighed wistfully. "A part of me would like to cut you off from her altogether, if only for your own safety, but I know that your sister, your mother, Tracey, and her mother would all have my head for it." Her father shuddered. "I know better than to deliberately draw the ire of Melody Davis. She's terrifying once you get past her upbeat exterior..."