Paid In Blood - Revised

Chapter 9

Harry and Daphne reappeared in the main room of the Chamber of Secrets, right in front of the statue of Salazar. She was still wrapped in his arms and wearing the same wide-eyed expression, while Harry was breathing heavily as if he had just run a race.

"What... How?" she asked, her confusion momentarily overriding her anger. "I see, another secret?" she sneered, and pushed away from him.

"No," he replied, releasing her from his embrace. He took a step back and took a few deep breaths, still feeling his heart pounding in his ears.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, still looking at him with an expression of disgust.

"We need to talk," he insisted, looking back at her. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes were practically pleading with her to give him a chance to explain.

"Now?" she asked, not even trying to stop her tears from falling. "Now you want to talk? What if I hadn't seen the memory? Would you have ever told me?"

"Eventually," he responded. She took a step forward and slapped him again.

"WHEN?" she shouted. She pulled her hand back as if to slap him again, but instead she collapsed against him and started repeatedly thumping him in the chest. "You made me like you," she sobbed. "You helped me, you encouraged me. I almost thought I was falling for you. I thought you were the one person I could trust with everything, but you clearly don't feel the same way about me."

He remained silent and allowed her to finish her rant, her tears hurting him more than the blows to the chest.

"When?" she asked desperately. "When would you have told me? Or was it all just a game to you?"

He winced at her accusation, then grabbed hold of her hands and looked her directly in the eyes. Daphne stared back into his, searching for any sign of dishonestly as she awaited his answer. He didn't even hesitate.

"Before I asked you to marry me, either before or during our seventh year, depending on how much trouble your parents would give us."

For a moment, Daphne was incapable of speaking. Harry just stood there looking at her, gently letting go of her hands. There was no need hide the truth anymore. He would tell her everything, as long as she was willing to listen.

"Why? Why would you tell me then?" she asked again, but in a softer voice.

"Because I do want you to know everything, and because you're my partner. I'd always share everything with you, good or bad. Maybe I should've told you earlier, but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, or that I'd scare you off. I thought that if we became close enough, then maybe you'd have an easier time accepting everything I have to tell you."

"Please believe me when I say I never wanted to deceive you, I just didn't see how I had any other choice. I always planned to tell you everything, as soon as I thought you were ready. I swear that everything else I've shared with you, all the time we've spent together has been real. You saw the memory in the Pensieve, so you know how much you mean to me and the vows I want to say," he pleaded, her demeanour slightly softening as he spoke.

"And what makes you think that I would accept your proposal? Or that my parents would accept your request for my hand?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest. After everything he'd just said, part of her wanted to throw herself into his arms then and there, but she needed answers first, so she focused on her anger to help steel her resolve.

"All I could do was hope that you'd fall in love with me again. Your parents wouldn't be a problem. I'd only need a couple of spells to convince them, if necessary," he admitted.