Changing Destiny

Sixty: A Subdued Vigil

Daphne

For three days, Madam Pomfrey kept Cedric Diggory in the hospital wing after his death at Voldemort's hands. James wiggled in her arms as he sucked on his green pacifier. She had him bundled up in a blanket, and she kissed the top of his head to comfort him. She murmured a little lullaby, and he settled in to sleep.

Harry sat by Cedric's bedside, freshly cleaned and showered, and wearing a dark black suit looking more like a Malfoy adoptee than simply a Potter. She herself wore a fashionable black shift dress, and wore her blonde hair in a simple French bun.

Seeing Cedric cleaned up, and wearing his full Hufflepuff uniform tore at her heart. He looked like a lifesized doll of her boyfriend, and with his eyes closed one could almost mistake him for being merely asleep. James whined a little, which stirred Harry a little from the malaise he was under as he stared at Cedric lying prone on the bed, his fine, almost delicate hands crossed over his chest as if he were lying in a casket already.

"Oh...Oh, hey, Daphne," Harry muttered, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "You didn't have to bring Jim, Cedric wasn't his dad."

Daphne handed their son off to him, and he held him, smiling warmly. "Of course, I did. He was his second father, you know. Has Mr Diggory given you much trouble about the...you know, being his son's boyfriend, and all?"

Harry idly stroked James's black hair. "At first, yeah, but he came around but..." He looked slightly ashamed, "Um...before the third task, me and Ced' um...hooked up with that French girl Fleur Delacour, the half veela."

Daphne wanted to yell...but then calmed down. No, there was no point in doing that, she was bonded to Harry, and they needed to stay together for Jim's sake, and also because her family would not accept a divorce in this manner. She took a few deep breaths, and sighed heavily, "I see. Thank you for telling me, but both of you could have asked for my consent first."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry. It was a whole 'we might die, what's the harm?' situation. I understand if you want to break up over it."

Daphne took James in her arms, but kissed Harry lightly on the lips. "I get it. I'm guessing you didn't use protection with her."

Harry shook his head. "Yeah, that about sums it up. Are we cool?"

"That was your free pass before marriage, Mr Potter," She admonished. "After this, you are mine...unless either of you knocked her up, then and only then would I accept sharing you."

Harry looked instantly relieved. "I promise I won't ever screw around on you again, Daphne. I love you..."

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Fleur Delacour wore her Beauxbatons uniform, and she looked almost too shy to approach them. "I...I'm sorry, I can come at another time to see him."

Daphne looked over the French girl. Blonde, just like her, but with more veela genes to her. "No, you can come here. I brought James here to see his second daddy. Harry is his father, of course, but there was a fifty-fifty chance of him being Cedric's when I got pregnant. Why are you here?"

Fleur pulled up another visitor's chair, and blushed prettily, crossing her legs. "Well...I'm half veela, as everyone found out from when our wands were examined for the Tournament. Also, veelas can tell within roughly two hours when they conceived a child, and...well, I came here to sort of have a private moment with my child's father."