Disclaimer: As my name is nor J.K. Rowling, you know I don't hold the rights to Harry Potter universe. I only play in it for my fun and hopefully yours too.

1 Lessons

"Will you consider inviting me to the Yule ball?"

Harry had already heard this question multiple times. Most Gryffindor girls from third to fifth year had asked it, as well as most Ravenclaw girls and a few from Hufflepuff. Surprisingly, even some Slytherin girls approached him with the same question. Harry answered as politely as he could. "I will consider you, yet you should know that I have no former experience in dancing. If you really want to dance, then you should find some other partner for the Ball."

Yet this time he was most surprised, as the one who asked was no other than the Slytherin Ice Queen – Daphne Greengrass. Still, he gave her his regular answer because it was true, as far as he was concerned. He didn't really want to go to the Ball with his non-existent dancing abilities.

She only rolled her eyes, as if in annoyance, before replying. "You have to go to that Ball, as you are a champion, even if against your will. You already know that you will eventually go to the Ball. You could do worse than to take me as your partner."

"But... you probably know how to dance. You can't enjoy dancing with me, though. I've never learned dancing and I'll probably hurt your feet, stepping on them all the time."

"That only means I have to teach you how to dance."

His mind was finally re-engaged. He looked at Daphne again. He knew she was a very attractive girl. Had he been able to dance, he would have certainly liked her as his partner. But then... she had just said she would teach him...

"If you manage to make me dance properly then I'll be honored if you accept me as your date," he said.

"Are you suggesting that you'll only take me if I succeed in teaching you?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice.

"No, really," he quickly reassured her. "I just don't want to step on your toes all evening. I don't think you would enjoy it either"

"Well, you've now given me the right incentive to make sure that my date dances properly. Let's find an empty room and start practicing!"

"But why are you interested in me at all? You're Slytherin's most sought after girl while I'm a Gryffindor. It may cause you trouble."

"It may cause trouble to anybody who tries to interfere." It was evident why she was called the Ice Queen behind her back. "As for my reasons... Let's say that I have some personal interest in you. You may find more later, if you behave."

With that she opened the door of the nearest unused classroom and dragged him in.

It was the first time he was so close to Daphne and he found that she looked just as beautiful as when seen from farther away. She also smelled nice. It wasn't the same fragrance as Hermione's, but it smelled just as nice and had the same undertone of old parchment. He had already known that Daphne was as serious a student as Hermione and almost as bright.

Daphne wasted no time. She showed Harry the basic position of dancing, where he should put his hand (and where his hands would be hexed if he let them wander) and how he should hold her. She then started humming a tune to start dancing. It was a (very) slow dance, allowing Harry to get accustomed to holding her and moving in tandem with her. He still managed to step on her toes once.

She was quite strict while teaching him how to dance, just as he had expected, based on her behavior in class and on what Hermione had told him about classes she had with Daphne. Still, holding this extremely beautiful girl close for the dance was enough for Harry to accept whatever verbal lashing she had for him. She did put some reinforcing charms on her shoes after the first dance, just to be on the safe side.

In a way, Daphne was reminding him of Hermione. She was just as strict and as helpful as his closest friend. Had it not been for her green rimmed robes, her fuller bust and her different hair, he could almost believe it was Hermione who was teaching him. He didn't express his feelings, though. He wasn't sure how the pureblood girl would accept a comparison with a muggleborn.

"Granger has told me you would prove quite good, although I had difficulties believing her," she said after almost an hour.

"You mean I did well?"

"Well enough for the first lesson. I expect you to improve tremendously before the Ball." She sounded just as strict, but Harry could almost swear that he saw a smile appear for a fraction of a second, making her even more beautiful.

"I didn't know you were friends with Hermione," he noted.

"Not really friends," and Harry thought he heard an almost silent "yet" there, "but we are on good speaking terms. I had to ask her a bit about you before deciding."

"I still don't know why you choose to go with me," he said.

"Is it that important?"

Harry was dead serious now. "With my history, having to fight for my life at least once a year since coming to Hogwarts, I think I'm allowed some suspicion, especially since Slytherin house has never been too friendly with me."

"You'd be surprised to find how many Slytherin girls harbor more than friendly feelings towards you," Daphne said with a tight smile. "I'd really like to learn more about your adventures, as all I've heard were rumors, but we have to get ready for the ball first. I promise that I have no sinister plans for you and am not going to endanger your life unless you put your hands where you shouldn't." There was some mischief in her voice when she said the last words, yet she turned serious again. "I'm willing to give you a magical oath if you want."

"I'll accept your words, yet I'm still wondering about you."

Mischief was now evident in her smile. "Women always need to keep some secrets, if only to make the men more interested."

Harry nodded in understanding. Most of the girls his age were really more women than girls already, although most boys were still quite childish.

Daphne turned all business again. "I'll leave now. Wait here a few minutes before you leave. I think it's best to keep our date secret until the Ball."

That was quite understandable. He wasn't sure how she would be able to stay in the Slytherin dorms after the ball, if she associated with him. Daphne seemed to consider something and then added, "You may only tell Granger, if you like, but nobody else, and certainly not Weasley."

Harry knew it would be extremely difficult for Ron to accept this date, especially if it turned to be anything more than mere dancing for an evening, as he was starting to secretly hope. "I will speak with nobody but Hermione about this," he promised.

Hermione managed to talk with him after dinner, when Ron was occupied with Seamus and Dean. She grabbed his hand and led him to a secluded corner of the common room. She cast some privacy shields before talking. "Has Daphne Greengrass talked with you?"

"Yes. She even started teaching me how to dance."

"Very good! I think she really likes you. Have you accepted her as your date for the Ball?"

"She hardly gave me any choice," he said apologetically.

"Don't worry. I believe most boys will just envy you, dating the 'Ice Queen'."

"As if I need any more attention. Do you have a date for the Ball?"

Hermione smiled mysteriously. "What do you think?"

"Well, by the way you smile I'm sure you have a date, probably one nobody expects. Who is he?"

She just shook her head. "Well, Mr. Potter, you'll just have to wait for the Ball like everybody else."

"It's not fair," he pouted. "You know who my date is but you refuse to tell me who is your date."

Hermione gave it a thought. "I can only tell you he is one of the famous seekers currently at Hogwarts."

Harry didn't need to think about it. "Krum?"

"Well, I'm speaking now with the only other famous seeker at school."

"But how?"

"Not now! I'll eventually tell you, but it would probably happen after the Ball."

\/\/\/\/

Despite Daphne's confidence, keeping their meetings secret proved to be difficult. They had to arrive and leave at different times, use secluded rooms in seldom used corridors and not raise any suspicion. Harry wasn't sure how Daphne was coping, but Ron's questions were starting to unnerve him.

"Where have you been the whole afternoon?" Ron asked him at dinner.

"I've been practicing for the second task."

"Have you solved the clue in the egg already?"

"No, but whatever it is, I need to practice so that I cast my spells more powerfully and more precisely. My life may depend on that."

Ron nodded reluctantly. As much as he liked doing better with his casting, it was just too much work and no fun at all.

\/\/\/\/

"It's quite Slytherin of you to keep silent about your ancestry," Daphne told him as they were dancing. He was no longer stepping on her toes, but he was still too rigid. Some small talk during the dance could help, she thought.

"I know nothing about my ancestry. I didn't even know I was a wizard before getting the Hogwarts letter."

"You didn't know? Who raised you in such ignorance?"

Harry lowered his head. It was something he didn't like to talk about, but now it seemed inevitable. "My muggle aunt and uncle."

She seemed furious about it, asking further. "But now you know everything, don't you?"

He shook his head with embarrassment. "I only know a few bits that the headmaster and Hagrid had told me and some from Professor Lupin." He didn't want to mention Sirius yet.

"Then I think it's about time you learn some more. Don't you know that the library holds a family book of each of the prominent families. Yours is one of them."

"Hermione never told me."

"She wouldn't know, being a muggleborn. It's on the left, as you enter, between the left corner and Madam Pince's position. Nobody likes to go so near her."

Harry smiled. "Yes, not even Hermione." He turned serious again. "You think I should read it?"

"That's the least you should do. Once done, I'm sure you'll find some more information in your vault."

Harry looked bewildered. "My trust vault only holds money, nothing else."

She shook her head. "Not your trust vault – that's only for your tuition and your expenses at school. I mean, your main vault."

"I've never heard of it."

She frowned again. "Being the last of your line, you should have gained access to that vault at your twelfth birthday. I think I should ask Dad to look into this."

"I really appreciate your concern, but why do you even care?"

Daphne stopped dancing. "Potter, when a girl accepts a date, she usually thinks of a possible future with her date. As such, I'd like to make sure that you have access to all your assets and are not exploited by somebody else."

Harry smirked. "You were the one initiating the date."

"Then it's even more important to me. Besides, I never initiated this. I only accepted your reluctant offer. Is that clear?"

Harry nodded silently. He still had a lot to learn, but he had already learned that Daphne was much more than she seemed to be. He actually liked finding new aspects of her and was waiting anxiously for each meeting with her.

He spent most of the weekend in the library, to Ron's dismay. It was not difficult finding the Potter family book and Hermione was more than eager to read it along with him. He noticed Daphne taking a glimpse into the library and nodding approvingly after seeing him there.

It was also very enlightening. Just trying to follow the family tree gave him a lot of insight into the wizarding world and its intricacies. He found out that his great-grandmother was born Black, for example. He found some connection to almost every high-ranking magical family: Longbottom, Bones, Lovegood and even Weasley. Yet going farther on the family tree gave him the real surprises. The founder of the Potter house came from the French DePoitiers family. His descendants married into the Gryffindor and Peverell lines, making the Potter eventually the only living descendants of those families. What surprised him even more was finding that one of his ancestors married the only surviving granddaughter of Salazar Slytherin.

It intrigued him and made him search for another family book – the Gaunt, believed to be Slytherin descendants.

Checking the Gaunt tree he found two discontinuities, where the name passed by conquest. The last Gaunts had no blood connection to Slytherin, yet the Potters had it. This gave him a very different view of his second year. He still wasn't sure if he should be proud of his Slytherin ancestry or keep it as secret as possible, yet it was something to research and to think about.

The Potter book had several chapters describing the political connections of the family. Longbottom was the oldest and most prominent ally. Bones and McGonagall were also close to the top while Weasley appeared close to the bottom, with a comment, "Not always wise". He was surprised to find the Greengrass in the list and quite high in it. Had Daphne known?

He had a chance to ask her when they met for the daily dance practice. Daphne only smiled enigmatically and didn't say anything.

\/\/\/\/

Harry was already dancing quite well, really, and Daphne was focusing on improving his social skills more than his dancing, yet it all made sense to Harry. "A Ball is not only about dancing," she explained. "It is more about seeing and being seen, about making the right impression on other participants, about finding new allies and intimidating enemies." Learning the Slytherin view of the magical world was fascinating, even if frightening, occasionally.

"I wrote to Dad about you. He suggests to take you to Gringotts after the Ball, so you can claim your vaults and your position."

"We're stuck at Hogwarts. How can I go to Gringotts?"

"We can leave for home after the Ball. There's a train specifically for those who'd like to spend the New Year with family and friends. You can come home with me. Dad said I could invite you if I wanted."

"I don't think the Headmaster will allow it..."

"He doesn't need to know. Then, Dad can come to Hogsmeade and you can use the Floo or he can apparate you both to Gringotts, even if you stay at school."

Harry was still unsure. His traditional distrust of Slytherin had not changed much after finding about his ancestry. He still suspected all former Slytherin of being Death Eaters or Voldemort sympathizers. Yet Daphne seemed to be nice and quite caring. She had even hinted at thinking of a future with him, which seemed to be an interesting prospect. The more he spent time with her, the more he seemed to like the idea. Daphne was not only nice to look at. She was smart, witty and funny. He was also becoming aware of her femininity and it affected him in ways he couldn't understand, although he liked it.

Daphne didn't mention the subject again that day, but she asked him the next time, after they finished their practice, "Will you join me for the New-Year at home? There's bound to be a Ball in our house and I loath looking for another dance partner."

"Are you sure about it?" He saw her rolling her eyes and change expression. "I'll come," he said hurriedly, dreading her wrath, "if the headmaster won't stop me."

Her expression changed again. She smiled at him and he felt his heart flutter. "You don't need to tell the headmaster or anybody else. I'll make sure you enjoy your vacation."

She then surprised him again, by kissing his cheek before leaving the room. He didn't understand why she did it, but it was really nice, maybe even more than nice. He kept touching that spot on his cheek all the way to the Great Hall.

Daphne seemed to become closer, Harry thought. She didn't kiss him again, but she was no longer tense in his company. She even put her head on his shoulder while dancing and moved her body closer to his. Harry was afraid she would be offended by the way his body was reacting to her proximity, yet Daphne didn't seem to mind. She sometimes even moved in ways that assured friction between her and the ungainly bulge in his trousers. He wasn't sure if it was deliberate. He couldn't see the smirk on her face, hidden on his shoulder.

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