The Anger.

That elicited chuckles around the table.

On the Sunday, Harry invited Daphne down to the lake for a walk. "A walk, Potter?" she asked, one eyebrow lifted slightly.

"I love how you can do that with your eyebrow," smiled Harry, before answering her question. "Yes, I thought we could spend some time together outside before the first frosts turn to permanent ice.

"I thought we could take a walk along the bank of the lake, just the two of us, and just talk of inconsequential things."

"I think that would be a fine idea," she replied. "However, it is still a little chilly out. What say we meet in the Entrance Hall in fifteen minutes with our cloaks?"

Harry nodded, gave her a quick peck on the cheek and said, "See you in fifteen, then." He quickly dashed up to the Ravenclaw Tower. Fifteen minutes later, on the dot, he was back down in the Entrance Hall and waiting.

A few minutes later, Daphne and Tracey walked up the stairs from the dungeons. Tracey whispered something into Daphne's ear, to which the young witch replied, and then she walked off towards the library with a smirk.

Harry offered his elbow to his betrothed and, together, they walked outside into the cool air of late morning.

They had been walking in silence for a few minutes when Daphne said, "I had begun to despair for you, of late."

Surprised, Harry asked, "Why?"

"Well, we've been here together for a few weeks now, and you've not shown me any romance," she replied with a small smirk. "Daphne, I'm eleven!" exclaimed Harry. "At my age boys generally tend to think of girls as 'icky'."

"I know," she laughed. "However, the magic of the betrothal contract changes things like that."

"Huh?" he asked.

"Eloquent, Potter," she said. "What I mean is that the magic of the betrothal contract will bring us closer together, it makes us feel an attraction towards one another; of the romantic kind."

"I... know that it will bring us closer together," said Harry. "But, romantically?"

"What did you think 'bringing us closer together' meant?" Turning to look at him for a few moments, Daphne said, "I keep forgetting you were raised by muggles and were ignorant of our ways. What makes it more confusing is that you worked very quickly to make yourself as knowledgeable as rapidly as you could, reading all those books. But, there's a great deal those books don't cover."

"Hmm..." replied Harry with a verbal nod.

"A lot of what you know about the wizarding world and customs is actually not something a lot of wizards and witches know," she explained. "However, there are things you apparently don't know that every witch and wizard learns as they grow up, well before they reach Hogwarts."

"Like?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Such as, do you know who Rabbity Babbity is?" she asked.

"Errr - no; sorry," he replied.

"A character out of a children's bedtime story," she said. "Another, is that you don't carry yourself - purport yourself - as the Head of a Noble and Most Ancient House should."

"I don't want to put on airs and graces, Daphne," he gently replied. "Especially, around our friends. It's just not who I am. Plus, Malfoy does it; and it irritates me."

"I know," she softly replied. "But, getting back to my point, wizarding children grow up knowing there are very strong magics around contracts; just as there are around magical vows and oaths. We're raised knowing not be involved in one until our majorities."

"Alright, I can understand that," mused Harry. "So, you're saying there are pretty powerful magics relating to our betrothal contract."

"Yes," she replied. "And that it was signed in blood makes it even more magically powerful. It invokes blood magic." "Blood magic?" asked Harry. "I'm sorry, but I've not heard of such other than blood wards. I don't think we study it here, at Hogwarts."

"We don't," she said. "Blood magics, these days, are only legally allowed to be used in contracts. There's even a special quill used, called a blood quill, that's used to sign such contracts. They're heavily regulated."

"Alright, that makes sense. Of course, I know of blood quills already..." said Harry. "I take it that, since our betrothal contract was signed in blood, it's making use of these blood magics. And that makes the magic relating to the contract that much more powerful?"

"Yes," she said. "Part of that is what makes the contract unbreakable. However, the reason I've raised this with you, is that we can find no history where a betrothal contract has ever been signed in blood before. At least, since the Ministry has kept record of these things."

"Cygnus has been looking into this?" he asked.

"He has," she replied. "What I'm trying to tell you is that the magic of betrothal contracts will bring us closer together. It'll make us more - compatible with one another. That the betrothal contract is signed in blood..."

"You don't know what affect that is going to have on us," finished Harry. "Other than it will probably make the magic stronger and, therefore, bring us closer together."

"Exactly," she sighed leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked, glad to see he had grasped what she was trying to say. "You're worried it will change who we are," he said.

"Yes."

"Why?" "Because I fear I may become someone that will be - unwanted - unloved - by my family and friends in the process of becoming a better match for you." Thinking a bit, Harry asked, "Can I let you in on a little not-so-secret secret?" "Yes," she replied, curious.

"It's already changed us quite a bit." Frowning, she asked, "What do you mean?" "Look at how we are now. Look at how we interact with each other," he replied. "Do you realise it's only been a month since we first met?" "I..." she stuttered in surprise.

"Think back to the afternoon, only a day later after meeting me for the first time, when I presented you with that ring that adorns your finger," he said. "Think about how it made you feel."

Daphne walked in a bit of wonder.

"Can you perceive your life without me?" he asked.

A little shocked, she replied, "No."

"And that is what I mean," he said.

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