Her confidence and self-assurance began to fade as Harry remained silent...his head staring down at the desk in front of him. She nervously began speaking again to help fill up the silence.

"In the end the words associated with the spell are meaningless...they only provide a guideline...a focal point. The spell is about intent...not the words you say or the color it-."

"Do you really mean that?" he interjected.

She nodded slowly. "I know it's a lot to take in but I think it's the only way and it goes along with Dumbledore's ideas on the prophecy. If I didn't mean it then it wouldn't work...and I mean it...I really mean it."

Harry began speaking, his head still bowed. "It's...I feel the same way...about you. I'm not used to talking about these things but I do."

Something broke inside of Daphne as she processed Harry's words. After everything he had suffered...everything he had done for them...had anyone actually said those words before to him? Had he ever said them? She seriously doubted it. He didn't actually say the word 'love' but it was enough for Daphne. It was more than enough.

She reached for his hand and gently rested her head on his shoulder. "I think that's enough for tonight."

Two nights later their testing session had been completed and Harry was downing a potion for his head while Dobby nervously looked on. Daphne allowed herself a brief moment of levity imagining Riddle, now thoroughly confused and sporting a massive headache.

"I think we should go over my observations to make sure I didn't miss anything but that can wait until tomorrow when you're feeling better," she offered.

"No," he said with a grimace. "We have plenty of time tonight. I'm fine."

"Harry, I hit you with Stupefy ten times...you aren't fine."

Harry ignored her and turned to the elf. "Dobby, could you bring a couch into here...and maybe get us something cold to drink?" The elf nodded vigorously and popped away. Five minutes later a couch and two butterbeers had been delivered with great enthusiasm.

"Thanks for all your help, Dobby," Daphne said genuinely. I think that's all we need for now. I'll call you back when you can take the couch away."

The elf nodded, casting another nervous glance at Harry. "Dobby bring one more headache potion for Harry Potter in case he needs it later. Miss Greeny very good at Stupefy."

With the additional potion now delivered Dobby popped away for the final time. She could hear him muttering "Harry Potter is a great wizard" to himself.

Daphne sat down and in an instant Harry had joined her, lying down with his head in her lap. She began gently massaging his head. She loved his hair.

"That feels really good," he groaned out before immediately refocusing. "So let's recap."

"It can wait Harry, let's just-".

"There is nowhere else I want to be right now," he interrupted determinedly. "I've waited long enough to get rid of this tosser. I'm tired of waiting. I'm fine. Let's go."

"Idiot," she mumbled affectionately, grabbing her notes.

"Well the Runes seemed to help. And it was encouraging that we were able to use your magic as well. Did you feel it at all when I had you focus on protecting yourself instead of amplifying the spell?"

"Nothing," he confirmed. "Maybe a little twinge but I was probably imagining that."

"And when you focused on amplifying the spell it added a ton of power...the diadem took a chunk out of the wall if Dobby is to believed."

"And it felt like a sledgehammer," he winced in reply. "Smart of you to put those cushioning charms on the wall," he said gratefully.

They carried on for an additional thirty minutes discussing what other factors seemed to have worked and what did not. Daphne was in the middle of theorizing on the advantages to casting the spell at seven at night on the seventh of the month when she realized Harry had fallen asleep.

She quietly called back Dobby. "Can you bring us a few blankets? And do you know how much time we have left until curfew?"

"Curfew is in thirty minutes but Dobby will make sure Harry Potter and Miss Greeny aren't caught and Dobby can take you back to your rooms when you want to go. Dobby happy to help great Harry Potter and great Miss Greeny."

"Thank you Dobby. We think you are great too," she offered genuinely.

It seemed to be taking everything in the elf's power not to scream in exaltation at her compliment but he thankfully refrained for Harry's sake.

"Can I ask you something?," she asked Dobby, hoping to get an answer to something she had been wondering about for awhile.

"I know you like being free but would you prefer to be bonded with Harry?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"It is Dobby's greatest wish to be bonded with Harry Potter," he answered immediately sporting the largest smile Daphne had ever seen.

"But you were so happy when Winky bonded. You never thought of asking Harry to do the same for you?"

The elf seemed to be deep in thought. "Dobby wants to be Harry Potter's elf but Harry Potter needs Dobby's help at Hogwarts. Dobby can't help Harry Potter at Hogwarts if he is not free. Being Harry Potter's elf is important to Dobby but helping Harry Potter is most important thing to Dobby. It is hard for Dobby to explain," he finished, shaking his head.

"I understand Dobby," Daphne answered. "I understand."

She woke up with a horrible pain in her neck and Harry's eyes staring back at her.

"Hi," she said groggily. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," he answered as he sat up and downed the other headache potion. "Just a little pain left."

"Good," she replied, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. "I'm sorry I stunned you ten times."

"Liar," he laughed before groaning once again. "So before we leave...next steps?"

"Harry it's three in the morning. It can wait," she said soothingly.

"Five more minutes,' he stated. "I'm tired of waiting."

She took a deep breath. "The seventh is next Wednesday...that gives me five days to finalize everything, talk to my parents and meet with Flitwick one more time. Doing it on the seventh may have no effect but I'd like to try for any advantage we can."

"So next Wednesday or we wait another month," he said matter of factly. "You think you'll be ready?"

""Yes," she replied determinedly. "As ready as I will ever be."

"And if Riddle really did suspect something after tonight it would give him more time to suss out what we are up to if we waited," he continued. "And if we do it next week the better chance we have to prevent whatever Malfoy is planning."

"Yes," she confirmed.

"Then it's a date," he said simply before wrapping his arms around her.

"It's a date," she whispered in reply, leaning into his shoulder and closing her eyes.

The moment was broken as Dobby popped back into the room. "Harry Potter and Miss Greeny ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes, Dobby," Harry replied. "And we are going to need your help next Wednesday when we do the real thing."

Dobby suddenly looked stricken as he gulped and nervously nodded his head. "Dobby be ready. Will do anything Harry Potter and Miss Greeny need. Harry Potter ready for Dobby to take him back to Gryffindor?"

"That's okay Dobby...we can make it back ourselves," Harry answered.

Before Daphne could argue Dobby spoke. "No. Harry Potter should let Dobby take him back. Harry Potter needs to stay out of trouble so he can kill bad wizard on Wednesday." Contradicting Harry seemed to be causing the elf a great bit of pain.

"Harry Potter needs to listen to Dobby and Miss Greeny. Needs to be smart," the elf clenched out.

"So that's how it's going to be? Two against one? Fine. And thank you. I promise to stay out of trouble until next Wednesday," he said resignedly.

"HARRY POTTER IS A GREAT WIZARD!" Dobby shrieked as he lunged toward him, grabbing his hand. "DOBBY WILL COME BACK FOR MISS GREENY!"

Harry had just enough time to smile, grab his bag, and wave goodbye to Daphne before Dobby popped them away.

As the distraction Dobby had provided wore off reality began to settle in. "Five days," Daphne muttered to herself. "This had better work."