20 years after Hogwarts, alternate universe.
Prompt: Various people's experiences with an unknown female at Hogwarts of your choice, and must involve the word "great" as a recurring theme.
Disclaimer: Doesn't belong to me, except original plot elements! I'm not making any money off of this story.
"She was just one of those girls. The kind that blows you right out of the water, you know?"
"Yeah… I guess." She struggled out.
There was an odd silence, well odd for one of them at least. The man seemed totally unfazed by it. "Fuckin' shit," He ran his hands through his hair in a careless sort of way, "I almost forgot how crazy she was about some shit." He let out a short laugh. "But it was all in a good way, right? I mean I wouldn't know half the shit I know if I hadn't have met her. So fucked up. Too bad I let her get away. Must've been great when they said you could write the book, eh?" He licked his lips and laughed again, seeming to end the conversation, and walked away.
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"So… how did you know her?" She was having a rather difficult time asking a muggle about her, she had no idea how much the man knew about the wizarding world.
"I met her in a club. She was just so beautiful." He paused, then looked back up, "Who did you say you were again?"
"Oh, her cousin. She recently passed, I'm sorry." She lied quickly. "Now, you were saying you…"
"Right, yeah. Well I saw here and went over and all. She was totally uninterested, but, I kept trying. Eventually she gave in and we danced a bit. I guess we dated for a few weeks but… then she said she was too involved with her work. That was it. T'was nice though, great if you ask me."
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"You know how I feel about this. You know it's totally wrong and unethical and plain rude! You're lying to all these people just to-"
"You know I would never disrespect you by interrupting as such ma'am, but, please could we get back to what I was asking you? Please? I just want to finish this so everyone can know-"
"No! I won't do that to one of my favorite students, I will not support this book you dirty, filthy, vermin! Excuse for a wizard if you ask me!"
"That'll be all then!" She said, dodging tea cups and spare quills, "Hope to do this again some time!
After the decidedly disrespectful woman left, the tea cups were repaired and a new pot was brewed. "She should've done things. That student of mine was destined for things," she told herself, "Great things."
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"Well I'd normally I'd say 'Never really liked her much. I mean sure she did just as well as I did at most subjects but… just so dirty,' but if we're being honest here, I'll have to say, well, pretty much the same thing!"
"Why'd you hate her so?"
"I didn't. It's a shame. She could've been useful." He looked away, "She could've been great."
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"I know you were close," She started, assuming she'd have to drag the information out of him, now that he'd already asked her to take notes herself, "but what everyone wants to know is, how close?"
"It's really none of your business now is it? I'll answer, it's not. Plain and simple really." Was all the man could say, now much worse for wear then the last time she'd talked to him. He even had a few wrinkles she couldn't say she remembered.
"I'll tell you what. If you let me know all there is know about your, how should we put it? Relationship! Then I'll let you have a final edit of the book, no strings attached. Minus the part about you two, of course."
He thought it over for a few moments before agreeing. "We were in love for seven years and didn't know for six of them. That last year was spent in secrecy, and if was with anyone else I would've regretted our love being hidden like that. With her though, I don't think it matters how or when or why… it just was." It looked at though he was about to cry. "It was just…it was all it could be. And it was great."
For once the sharp spoken woman was silent. She looked at him, at his face, and felt his sincerity. She wrote down what he had said, word for word, no manipulations, and left. She would hold up her end of the deal, if only to honor their love.
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"It's a great success now you know!" She told the broken lover as she approached his table, hoping to have a drink and chat at least a few minutes.
"Yeah, I've heard." He said, with little enthusiasm, even though he had made his revisions to the biography, which there was many.
With a smile she responded, "Just like her, a great success" and walked away. She left a book on the table he was sitting at, it read, Hermione Granger and All Her Greatness.