A story told in thirteen ficlets, in which Michael Corner learns to love unconditionally and Daphne Greengrass learns to trust.

A/N: T for strong language and for non-explicit sexual situations in later chapters. If there are any readers familiar with my Daphne Greengrass and the 6th Year From Hell and Daphne Greengrass and the 7th Year From Hell series, this is a slightly different take on Michael and Daphne's relationship. This is my attempt to write a more canon-compliant version of how they might have gotten together. I've kept their personalities similar to what I've written in that story. Reprinted from my LiveJournal series, for the HP Rare Pairs Shorts community.

I own nothing.

i. the beautiful side of evil

It is the Sorting Feast of his sixth year.

And for reasons unbeknownst to him, Michael Corner's eyes scan the next table over in the Great Hall. They rest on one particular spot on the table; a girl sitting far away from the other Slytherins, who are high-fiving and cheering Draco Malfoy for doing something . . .

Most certainly evil!

He taps his fork absent-mindedly on his pumpkin juice goblet in front of him. He moves his head to the rhythm to the last wizard pop song he heard on the wireless earlier that day.

"There's magic in the air."

"And I feel it every time you're near . . . me."

"Your heart has cast its spell."

"And because of you I fell--"

"Oh, Mikey! I love it when you sing to me!"

Michael snaps out of his trance and glares at Terry Boot, who flutters his eyes at him and sighs in a horrible, overly sappy manner.

He throws a roll at his supposed best friend. "'M not singing to you, you arse!"

"Maybe not, but I can't help but notice you staring off, all googly-eyed at," he hacks a lung, "them," Terry points towards the Slytherin table, "and you're singing wizard love songs. So," he flourishes his hand, "which one?"

"Which one what?"

"Which of the lovely snakes over there has somehow charmed you?"

Michael scrunches his face in disgust. "Ew! Those are Slytherins over there!"

"Well?" Terry winces. "I'm not saying you've got good taste or anything." He looks at the table with a snort. "But y'are single, mate. And I can't fault you for a little pity shag!"

"Terry!" Padma Patil glowers at him. "I'm eating over here!"

He smiles apologetically. "Er, sorry, Paddy."

"I hate it when you call me Paddy." She returns to her meal.

"I'm not looking for a pity shag!" Michael whispers harshly to his friend.

"Well, what are you looking for, then?"

Instead of replying to the prat, he turns back to the table and finds the spot he was so focused on earlier. Her dark hair falls in front of her face, but he can just make out the look of annoyance, of sneering disgust as she regards her housemates sitting down not a few feet from her. She goes back to her food and she talks to no one. Nor do any of the other Slytherins make any moves to talk to her.

She sits silently, eating her meal and every once in a while, she brushes away the hair from her face and he gets a small glimpse of her strong features.

Michael can't help but wonder why she sits so far away from the rest of her House. And he can't help but think she's really pretty, but only partly because she sits so far away from the other Slytherins.