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Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You wouldn't believe how much it helps me, since I'm often very unsure about everything I write. I hope you like this chapter – it was a bit of a difficult one for me to get through. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All that you recognize belongs to She-Who-Must-Be-Named.

Duality: Trust

oOo

Harry wasn't expecting Daphne to be in the empty classroom he usually studied in with Hermione, but he was struck with an excellent idea as he ambled into the room and started digging out his books. A cauldron was bubbling at the end of the long table where they sat, which probably held Daphne and Hermione's potion's project. Hermione seemed too immersed in her Charms book to look up at him as he sat down across from them, but Daphne gave him a brief smile and asked, "How's the project going?" She rested the enormous tome she was reading onto the table.

"Shouldn't you know?" Harry asked, pausing from setting up his study material to look her straight in the eye. "After all, you wanted to do the Scrying Concoction as well."

Hermione glanced over her textbook at him with a look that clearly said, 'what are you up to now?' He tried not to spare her a look and focused on Daphne, searching for signs in her body language. He wondered if she would lie to him about this.

"Yeah well, thanks to Granger, I can't utilize that gem of a potion. It was a bloody shoe-in for full marks." Daphne looked out of the corner of her eye toward Hermione, who merely glared in return.

"It's also quite the coincidence," Harry remarked casually, opening his Transfiguration textbook to the chapter that he had left to read before the exams. "I couldn't find that potion in the textbook. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you and Nott are up to something."

Daphne narrowed her eyes toward him. "What exactly did Theo tell you?"

Snorting derisively, Harry tried to act natural. "Nothing. I can never get a straight answer out of him no matter what I ask."

"Right," Daphne breathed, pulling out her silver case and lighting up. She blew out a breath full of smoke. "But the thing is, Theo does give straight answers most of the time. They may be a pack of lies, but he's generally the straightforward type." She raised her eyebrows toward him and smirked.

Her eyes were alight with the prospect of a challenge and Harry wanted to laugh in spite. "Unlike you," he said. "You just avoid the question entirely."

"I wasn't aware that you asked me a question," Daphne said, taking a drag off her cigarette and running her finger along the edge of the open book sitting in front of her.

Thinking back, Harry let out a minute sigh. She was right. "Then I'll ask it now: What are you and Nott up to?"

"Well, let's review the evidence, shall we?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow. "One, there's the coincidence with the Scrying Concoction. I like potions, Theo likes potions. It could be a one off. Or there may be some huge conspiracy there. What would we need a Scrying Concoction for? That's the better question."

"And none of it answers the question I asked. I talked with Nott about this," Harry said, leaning toward her and resting his arms on the table, trying to remain calm. He had to keep a clear head. "He told me to ask you about it, since he 'isn't one to go blabbing'."

Harry wanted to pat himself on the back for that bit of quick thinking. It didn't incriminate Nott at all.

"Oh, come off it, Harry." Daphne rolled her eyes and blew out a breath full of smoke. "You know that I'm still investigating and trying to take down Malfoy, what do you think I would need a bloody Scrying Concoction for? It's blatantly obvious."

Merlin, why did she always have to be so bloody evasive?

"It's also bad enough that Nott thinks you'll get him expelled and arrested if he told me what you two are up to," Harry pointed out, hoping that would push her to answer him.

Daphne laughed. "Oh god, really? He needs to switch to decaf. I'm not that fucking evil."

"That's questionable," Harry muttered, leaning back in his seat and narrowing his eyes.

Tilting her head and gazing at him with a doubtful look in her eyes, Daphne bit her lip. "Alright, fine. I need the Scrying Concoction to spy on Draco during the hols. If that plan doesn't work, I'll find another way, but it's always good to be prepared. Happy?"

Harry smiled, feeling quite triumphant and surprised at the same time. She didn't lie to him! He was fully expecting her to – he was almost hoping for her to lie as well, only because catching her in a lie would be so satisfying. However, getting her to tell him something was a start. Maybe with a little more pressing on different matters, he could get her to tell him other things. "You could have just made it easier and answered from the start," Harry said pointedly.

"In case this all goes to hell and we get caught, I was trying to give you some plausible deniability. That part's gone now."

"Merlin, you two are mental. Is this how all of your conversations go?" Hermione interrupted, looking back and forth between both of them over her Charms book.

"Not really," Daphne answered, picking up her book – The Exhaustive Guide to International Wizarding Codes and Statues by Cecil Capitulum – and turning the page. "Usually there's more sex."

Harry knew that Daphne was joking from the way that her lips quirked ever so slightly and he wanted to roll his eyes, feel a bit bitter over the entire situation, and laugh all at the same time – especially at Hermione's expression. Keeping a straight face, he just shrugged and opened his Transfiguration book to the section on human transfiguration.

But, as he read, in the back of his mind he kept thinking of ways of getting more out of Daphne. If only he could get her alone for long enough… There just wasn't much time before the holiday, but he had to know more. It was starting to grate on his nerves and all for plausible deniability? Was that really why she wasn't telling him things? He didn't need any plausible deniability. What he needed was to know what she was up to.

Harry looked up at Daphne for a calculating second and then glanced back down at his book, reading and not processing the words. If anything, he was determined. He'd find a way to get the information out of her – sooner or later.

oOo

He should have known that something was up when Daphne left early from their study session, but he thought nothing of it at the time since she didn't have much for homework left to do. Just as he ascended the staircase to the Hall of Hexes to spend a dreaded night with Nott, he heard voices and whipped out his Marauder's Map to see who it was. The little dots of Daphne and Nott moved ever so slightly around each other and Harry pressed his ear up against the door to hear, surprised that they didn't ward the door. Nott was normally quite careful about that.

"It's a long sentence in Azkaban if we get caught!" Nott's muffled voice exclaimed.

"If we get caught."

"Which we will."

"Stop being so fucking paranoid, you twat. The only way we can pull this off without getting caught is if we work together –properly. I've done most of the work already! I can't back down from this."

"…I suppose it is a good plan, but -" Nott's voice paused and Harry practically smashed his ear up against the wooden door to hear more. "There's too much risk."

"Everything is completely controlled, just how you like it. And I already got Johnson on the hunt for some incredibly useful tools. You wouldn't believe how many favours I'm dishing out for those! I probably won't get to sleep for weeks thanks to that."

Harry heard Nott sigh. "Sometimes, Daph, you can get a bit overconfident with your plans. Nothing is infallible. It doesn't matter how much effort you put in - just because you think everything will go along smoothly and we won't get caught, it doesn't mean that it will!"

"Why do you think I'm running it by you?"

"I've no idea, but I'm starting to get sick of you thinking that you can control everything – including me. I don't want any part in this."

"You're already brewing the Scrying Potion, why stop there?"

"Because this is within my comfort zone. You, on the other hand, are talking about Azkaban inducing crimes!"

"Please, Theo. We can't do this without you. I'll do anything. Just name it." Merlin, she sounded desperate. Harry had never heard her sound like that before and it alarmed him.

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"Anything just sounds like trouble, knowing you."

"I could get you the sortilege manual – in full."

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not, Theo. I'm dead serious. Anything you want."

"But the sortilege manual… that's-"

"I can have it to you in three days."

"That's... You're barking mad."

"Hardly. I can do it. Just say you're with me on this."

Harry could tell that Theo was dithering. For a very long moment, no one spoke.

"Okay, I'll help you with your Draco problem – again."

Daphne exhaled a loud puff of breath and Harry heard a bit of rustling and a few mumbled words that he couldn't discern. "I promise we won't get caught."

"Ugh. Don't make promises you can't keep, Daph."

"I fully intend to keep this one."

"Still…"

"So, how's the Scrying Concoction coming along? My batch is only a third as progressed."

"Just crank up the heat a little more when you pour in the argent. Decreases brew time."

"Well, obviously… but will it be as effective?"

"It should be. It's not like we're brewing Wolfsbane."

"I guess."

Harry pulled away from the door, certain that they were done talking about whatever Daphne was planning that involved Malfoy and Nott. He looked at his watch and decided to be safe and wait a couple minutes before walking in on them. If he did it now, it might be a little suspicious. His mind was whirling with all the possibilities of what they could be planning. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good if it meant a sentence in Azkaban, but that piece of information didn't narrow anything down.

Leaning against the wall, Harry went over what he already knew. First of all, Daphne was definitely planning to spy on Malfoy using the Scrying Concoction and she was brewing a batch as well. How many mirrors did they need anyway? You could easily enchant a huge mirror with the batch he and Nott were brewing alone. Harry shook his head… he was getting off topic.

Daphne definitely said 'we need you', so it was safe to say that Zabini was involved in the plan. She also needed Nott and it must have been vital… but why would she need Nott and Zabini if she already had done most of the work? Couldn't she just do the rest? Harry's mind whirled, searching for reasons as to why she would need them but he kept coming up blank. It was frustrating.

Nott was good at potions and manipulating people. Zabini excelled in… Actually, Harry knew very little about Zabini so he couldn't assess what she would need him for. Moral support? Daphne… she was decent at a lot of things. But nothing stuck out at him or added up to anything obvious that she could be planning.

With an unsatisfied sigh, Harry stood up and stared at the door, deciding that he waited long enough.

Grasping the handle, he walked through to see that Daphne was sitting on the elongated desk with a half-smoked fag between her fingertips. Nott was stirring the Scrying Concoction, muttering something about the temperature. His hair looked a lot more messy than usual.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked Daphne, figuring that it would look better if he didn't expect her to be there. He really hoped she bought it.

"I had to go over some things with Theo," she answered offhandedly, taking a drag off her cigarette.

Setting his bag down, Harry pulled out his red leather case and lit up, joining her. "Like what?" He raised his eyebrows, sitting next to her on the desk.

She let out a small breath and, being this close to her, he could see just how tired she looked. "Just things, Harry," she said quietly, raising an eyebrow.

"She was inquiring about the Scrying Concoction," Nott muttered, not looking up from the cauldron.

"Oh… Interesting," Harry commented, not knowing what else to say. He really wanted to get Daphne alone so he could talk to her properly. It was a bit uncomfortable being there with her and Nott after what he had heard and he tried to quell that feeling.

Daphne leaned closer to him, placing her hand on his knee. "You shouldn't be so concerned, alright? It's under control. I'm fixing everything," she whispered into his ear.

"How are you going to do that?" Harry asked quietly, glancing over at Nott, who seemed oblivious as he weighed ingredients on his brass scales. Harry took a drag off his cigarette, careful not to get any ashes in Daphne's hair.

"Plausible deniability, Harry," she vaguely responded, her lips ghosting over his ear as she spoke. "You're just going to have to trust me."

Harry swallowed thickly, trying not to be distracted by the feeling of her lips on his ear. "If it's about Malfoy, I'm not so sure I can," he muttered, slightly bitter, and it was thankfully sobering.

Daphne pressed a finger over his mouth, pulling away from him with a guarded expression. He so desperately wanted her to tell him openly about what they were doing and he wondered how he could possibly get Nott out of the room or… maybe if he could get her alone somehow.

"If it's alright with you, Theo, I need to go get something. Would you mind coming with me, Harry?" Daphne interrupted, halting his thought process and he thanked his good luck as he curiously followed her out. She must have wanted to get him alone as well… but why?

Maybe for the same reason he wanted to? That was suspicious. Why would she want to now all of a sudden?

He stared at her cautiously with narrowed eyes once they were out of the room, and they walked along the corridor together; Daphne kept looking around for any onlookers as he inhaled deeply at his cigarette. She likely wasn't going to find anyone out because it was after curfew, but she seemed to be overly paranoid. Maybe she needed to switch to decaf as well.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked. They were still on the third floor, not far from the Hall of Hexes, but they kept going. Any empty classroom would do for this, he was certain.

Staying silent, Daphne didn't answer him and just tugged at his sleeve after vanishing her cigarette.

"Come on, Daph. I don't believe that you just want me to accompany you to go 'get something'," Harry whispered to her with a frustrated sigh after they descended the stairs. He yanked his sleeve from her grasp.

"No, I don't. I just thought we could go someplace more private," she said, stopping in front of a random door on the second floor. She pulled harshly at the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge.

"I think you're supposed to push," Harry said, raising an eyebrow, placing his hand over hers and showing her. He wanted to get someplace more private just as much as she did.

"Ah, yes…" Daphne trailed off, entering the dark cupboard where he thought he'd get all the answers, from the way she was acting. He was startled when she suddenly shoved him up against the closed door and kissed him roughly. His cigarette dropped to the floor and his brain unfortunately sent him mixed messages.

He thought she wanted to talk to him about Malfoy and here she was, snogging the living daylights out of him. As he tried to wrap his mind around exactly what she was doing, the sound of her locking and silencing spells set off alarm bells in his head and Harry pushed her away.

"Wait! I don't think we should," he protested, breathing heavily as he extracted her from him and held her at an arm's length.

"Why not?"

Why not? Merlin, she was infuriating! It was obvious why not!

"You can't just tell me bugger all about anything and expect me to…!" Harry let out an exasperated breath. As tempting as it was, it didn't sit right with him. He needed answers more than… this.

Why was she doing this anyway? Was this just to distract him from the conversation that he desperately needed to have with her? Evasive, as always.

"Oh, Jesus, Harry… I thought we discussed this," Daphne said, blatantly annoyed, for which she had no right to be.

With her recent conversation with Nott on his mind, Harry ignored her, deciding to just be blunt about it. "Why do you always avoid telling me everything? Don't you trust me at all?"

She must have let Zabini in on her plan – that's who the 'we' had to be. And she definitely let Nott in on her plan. Why couldn't he know about it? And, now that he thought about it, there was all that other stuff involving her shoulder and Malfoy that she didn't want to talk about, which he tried to respect, but… it hurt that she kept it from him – especially if he could help. There were so many things that she didn't say and he just couldn't get past it all. And then she decided fucking snog him instead of telling him what she should be telling him! He just couldn't stay calm and rational about this for a moment longer. It was too much. He was sick of it.

He was tired of skirting around the issue and he was tired of hearing the words 'plausible deniability' – he needed to know!

"Well that's a hypocritical statement if there ever was one. You haven't told me everything about your life," Daphne said finally, in a frigid tone. "Don't you trust me at all?"

Letting out a sharp tolerating breath, Harry countered, "That's different. There are things I can't tell you!"

"Are you really certain that it's not the same for me?"

"Yes. Unless someone's depending on you to keep things secret so you can be the saviour of the fucking Wizarding World!"

"Christ, Potter. Have you ever stopped to think that you're not the only one involved in that?" He could barely discern Daphne's expression in the dark cupboard, but he could tell that she was rolling her eyes at him from the tone of her voice. "Just because he's after you doesn't mean that we have no bloody importance and that we have to report to you."

"I still don't see why you can't tell me," Harry pressed further.

Daphne snorted. "You really need to get over yourself."

Not expecting her to say that, Harry's brows furrowed and he threw her a questioning look, which she probably couldn't see very well in the light shining through the cracks in the door.

"There are other people involved in this war who are privy to information that they can't tell you," Daphne explained slowly. "Just because you're Harry-fucking-Potter doesn't mean that you need to know everything. You can't fight Voldemort on your own, as much as I know you'd like to."

"So what you're planning has something to do with Voldemort," Harry bitterly deduced. And Malfoy, he added in his head.

"It's a start. And no, I won't tell you."

Bloody Merlin, she was so fucking aggravating, he could scream. Taking a deep breath, he reigned in his anger. Well, if she wouldn't tell him about that, then maybe… "But what about Malfoy and you – that thing that happened…" He couldn't explain it right because he didn't know enough to put together an intelligible sentence. Or maybe he was just so fed up with this that he couldn't think straight. "Your shoulder."

"That's personal," Daphne responded cuttingly. "I don't ask you about Cho, do I?"

"Oh come on - that's different! Cho isn't hurting me – you still haven't denied that, by the way."

"Because I don't like lying to people."

"What you do is nearly as bad." It wasn't lying, but… it still was in a way, regardless of whatever Nott was teaching him!

"But it'll have to suffice, won't it?" Daphne paused and he could hear the snap of her silver case and see her irritated expression as she lit her fag. "There are a lot of things that I don't want to tell you because you'll have a very bad reaction to them. It's better if you don't know – for your sanity and mine."

Harry gritted his teeth. "It's driving me mad not knowing!"

"Better that than being carted off to Azkaban for killing someone. I don't have a contingency plan if that happens."

Harry roughly ran his hand through his hair and sighed, trying to calm the anger that was throbbing in his veins once again. "I wouldn't kill anyone. If I can help…"

"You knowing this information will hurt more than help," Daphne interrupted. "I don't think you understand the importance of information and the consequences of acting irrationally."

Harry's jaw tightened painfully. "Oh really?" he said scathingly. "Sirius wasn't a big enough lesson?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Honestly? You still act on instinct too much and sometimes it's completely wrong."

"But it's more often right!"

"But when there are massive potential consequences involved, you need to understand what you'll be sacrificing and decide if it's worth giving up."

Harry's mind went blank for a moment and he busied his hands to get out his leather case to light another cigarette as he thought of what to possibly respond with. He didn't bother looking for the one he dropped on the floor. It was obviously out since he couldn't smell it burning anymore.

"So what will I be giving up by knowing what you're doing with Malfoy?" he asked, plainly, his tone growing bitterer by the second. "How can I possibly understand the consequences if you don't tell me what's going on?"

"Because it's not about you! It's not what you'll be giving up; it's what I will be giving up! You could ruin everything if I tell you about it all. So I'm sorry if I have to leave you in the dark for a little bit, but it will be worth it in the end," Daphne apologized vehemently. "Just trust me."

Harry exhaled a wispy cloud of smoke and leaned back against the door, feeling quite defeated and having a hard time relenting. His thoughts were racing and he could only think of one thing clearly. "I really need to know, Daph," he said slowly.

"I know you do, but I can't tell you just yet."

Closing his eyes and letting out a sigh, Harry tried to calm himself. He really wasn't going to get anything out of her in here, was he? Maybe calm rationality was the way to go with this, but she just made him so… angry.

"You'll tell me after it's over?" he asked reluctantly, still not wanting to stop pressing her for information. He was apprehensive that she would ever tell him about anything.

"Yes," Daphne said quietly. "I promise that I'll tell you as soon as I have the situation under control."

She paused and he could hear her swallow thickly as he took a long drag off his cigarette. "Are we done here?" she asked, her voice sounded wary.

There was a very pregnant pause where Harry wanted to say so many things, but he knew that it would start back up into the same conversation that they kept having over and over again. It wouldn't get him anywhere if he said anything.

"Fine," Harry said through lightly clenched teeth and Daphne quickly pushed past him, slamming the door behind her.

The entire conversation left a bad taste in his mouth. And despite her promise and all that she said, Harry still wasn't going to trust her in the least. He just couldn't.

oOo

Author's Note: Thank you for reading and please review!