Tracey just smiled and said, "I'll tell you later. I don't want to set the waterworks off again." And smirked while pointing at Daphne.
Daphne sniffled a little but was clearly very happy.
When mail was delivered all the girls, except Daphne, received a similar coloured envelope and a small white rose in miniature.
When they opened them they each held in their hands a personalised card. After they each finished reading theirs, the four girls each grabbed Neville and gave him a bit of a snogging. Something which was again greeted by hoots and catcalls, especially from the Gryffindor table.
When he sat down, Neville was both blushing like mad and had the widest grin on his face Harry thought he'd ever seen.
"Damn, Nev!" said Harry a little awed. "Four at once? You hound daaawwwg!"
Instead of retaliating, Neville just sat there with a happy grin on his face feeling quite smug about himself. It was Daphne who smacked him on the arm and told him to behave before she turned to Neville and said, "That was very nice, Neville."
At odd times throughout the day, Harry was approached by quite a few blokes to congratulate him on his gift. And to give him a little light ribbing. "Bloody Hell, Potter," said one older male Hufflepuff. "Nice way to make the rest of us look like uncultured apes!"
A few of the more clueless, usually the youngest, wondered what all the fuss was about. After all, it was only a couple of flowers.
When Neville was escorting Hermione between classes, they were about to pass a group of Third Year Gryffindors when a Weasley twin said, "Look out, gents! It's that stud, Longbottom!"
"Hold on to your girlfriends!" called the other one.
Neville just happily grinned as he walked past while Hermione, proudly wearing her own miniaturised white rose pinned to her robes, huffed and said, "Honestly!
Such boys!" And threw her nose into the air as they walked on. They were followed by peals of laughter.
While they were sitting in Herbology that afternoon, Daphne laid her twined roses on the bench while they were working. As Madam Sprout came by she softly asked Daphne, "May I?" and indicated the roses.
When Daphne nodded in response, the Herbology Professor gently picked it up and moved the pair through her fingers. She said, "It's really quite beautiful. You should think about asking Professor McGonagall if she would miniaturise and permanently transfigure it into a brooch for you before it withers and browns."
"That's a wonderful idea!" said Daphne, excited. "Thank you!"
Madam Sprout nodded and handed the pair back to Daphne before patting her on the shoulder. "I dare say you have a day or two before it becomes an issue," she said before walking away.
"Longer, if you like," said Harry softly. "I put a bit of a stasis charm on them."
Thinking a bit, she replied, "No. I'll speak with the Professor tomorrow and ask if she can do it right away. I'd hate to see them get damaged in the mean time."
After class Harry headed directly back to his dorm as Daphne and Tracey descended into the dungeons.
As soon as the ladies passed out of sight he dropped back down to the bottom of the stairs to watch them go down.
He only heard a snatch of conversation between them, and that was Daphne saying, "Well, I hope he wears the iridescent green and white shirt combination the evening I first met him. That would be romantic." With a nod of his head Harry dashed up the stairs, 'Iridescent green and white shirt, it is,' he thought. 'Lucky I packed it.'
At five-twenty-eight, Harry was standing in front of the blank section of wall in the dungeons that hid the entrance to the passage that led directly to the seventh floor.
He was dressed in his iridescent robes with the white under robe shirt, as he knew Daphne wanted. He had on his matching dragon hide boots, wand holster ready on his wand wrist, and had done his best with the hair tidying cantrip out of the cantrip book he'd owl ordered earlier in the school year.
Before he left Ravenclaw tower he caught quite a few wolf whistles and catcalls as he made his way out into the castle proper. However, he knew he looked every inch the proper wizard in his formal attire, and was quite proud of it.
At five-thirty-five, Daphne rounded the corner. Hearing her coming, Harry had already turned to the sound of a pair of ladies heels coming towards him. What he saw when she turned the corner took his breath away. He thanked his lucky stars puberty had only begun to show a hint of beginning its torment upon his body. Else, he'd probably be a gibbering wreck.
Daphne was wearing an iridescent blue gown with light spaghetti-style straps and a shawl of darker blue similar material. But, it was the jewellery she wore which set it all off. She was wearing the necklace and earrings he'd gifted her at Christmas.
Her hair was also done up in what he thought of as a bun. It made her neck look longer and showed off her earrings to good effect. And she wore only the lightest of make-up. Which Harry was glad about, because he didn't think make-up could improve on her natural beauty.
Once she reached him he gave her a light kiss on the cheek before he said, "You look absolutely beautiful."
She blushed and looked down a little before she said, "I like hearing you say that."
"Then I shall say it again," he said. "You look absolutely beautiful."
She smiled at him and gave him a light punch to the arm.
Making sure no one was around, he asked, "Shall we?"
On her nod he reached up and turned the wall sconce. As soon as the opening was wide enough, he led her into the passage. When they exited on the seventh floor Harry quickly led her to the other side of the grand staircase and into the corridor with the Come and Go room. The door was already there, as he hoped it would be, and held the door open while ushering her inside.
As Daphne entered she heard soft French music playing in the background. Before her was a single two person dining table as if right out of an expensive restaurant. It was draped in white linen and set with silver.
But, the biggest shock was that it appeared the table was sitting on a large balcony looking out towards the Eiffel Tower down Pont de Iéna on a beautiful clear late Spring night. Paris was dubbed the City of Lights many years earlier and, seeing it within the Come and Go room, it was clear why. Daphne stood only a few feet inside the door, where she had stopped, clearly in awe at what she saw before her.
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