A/N: Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead.--Rita

Based on characters created by J. K. Rowling

Chapter 2—The New Boyfriend

Hermione could not get used to the attention both from the press and from Jack Badham. Jack was extremely attentive and, even though he was slightly loopy, he was more than generous with Hermione. When the press was following him he did whatever he could to protect her and when they were alone, he made her happy.

Now that Quidditch season had started, they didn't get to see each other as often, but he always managed to send her a an owl with a sweet note telling her how much he missed her. Hermione for the life of her couldn't figure out what he saw in her.

She had always been insecure about herself; her looks; the fact that she was muggle born, and she was sure Ron had left because of her. She was not able to forgive herself or stop blaming herself for their breakup.

It took her weeks, months before she began to relax and believe that maybe Jack was the real deal. One evening before he was scheduled an away game, he brought her flowers and a small box.

"What's this?" she asked, staring at the black velvet box.

"For you, darlin'," he shrugged self consciously, "just a little something so you won't forget me when I'm gone."

"But you'll only be away for a couple of nights," she said nervously.

"I know, but, hell, open it up," he said, pushing the box in her hands.

"Jack, you know I don't like for you to give me things." Hermione took the box and turned it over in her hands.

He grinned and kissed her on the cheek. "Open it. It's not going to open by itself, you know."

Hermione was praying it wasn't a ring. Slowly she opened it and breathed out the breath she'd been holding for the past three minutes. It was a locket with Jack's likeness etched on it. Surrounding his face, etched in gold were emeralds and rubies, all sparkling smartly. There were two sapphire chips for his eyes that matched his eye color exactly.

"Jack, it's, uh," she paused, "lovely."

"I knew you'd like it. That there's a prototype. My publicist had that made 'cos we're going to be selling these. I wanted you to have the original. Look, on the back I had it personalize. See? 'To my darlin' Hermione, from your big koala, Jack," he said, showing her the back of the necklace. He took it out of the box and put it around her neck. "Now I'll always be next to you."

Hermione was speechless. It was such a touching gesture. "You don't have to get me gifts, Jack."

"Come on, honey, I love seeing your face when you open the presents I give you. You do like it, don't you?"

Hermione threw her arms around his neck. "Of course I do, I love it," she lied kindly.

Jack beamed. Hermione kissed him. "You're so thoughtful."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled to him tight and deepened the kiss. She reacted to his embrace and relaxed in her arms. She felt secure. Jack was not the kind of man who would make promises and then run away. She sighed contentedly. She was safe.

Suddenly he pushed her away and took the necklace in his hands. "I forgot about this, look," he touched one of the emeralds and she heard his voice coming from the necklace, "Good day, mate," it said clearly in Jack's voice. "I'm a Tornado," it said again.

He touched the one of the sapphires and the face on the necklace said, "I love you Hermione."

Hermione jumped and laughed. "That's adorable," she said.

"Yeah," Jack said, "the ones we're selling won't say that," he explained seriously.

"Gosh, I hope not," she said playfully.

"Do you think my fans will like it?" he asked genuinely concerned.

"Absolutely."

"See, the emeralds and rubies, they represent The Tornados colors. Clever, eh?" He was so proud of the design. Hermione patted his cheek warmly.

"You're very clever, darling."

Despite his bravado, Hermione believed Jack was insecure. He came on like gangbusters, but when it was just the two of them together, he seemed afraid that she was going to leave him. Even though she constantly reassured him that she wasn't going anywhere, he needed to hear the words on a daily basis.

Jack looked into her eyes and took her hand and kissed it gently. "I need to talk to you about something," he said.

"Of course," Hermione said, look at him warily. "Let's sit down." They sat next to each other on Hermione's sofa.

"You know I love you, don't you?" he started nervously.

"Of course."

"I just wanted to tell you that sometimes, uh, well, you know, about the press. Well, they follow me around like a pack of wild dogs, always taking my picture…"

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and nodded.

"Sometimes they take pictures of me in bars and as you know, girls are always coming up to me," he said checking her reaction.

"Uh huh," Hermione said, waiting for the punch line.

"So, I just wanted you to be prepared if you see pictures of me with beautiful ladies."

"Uh huh," she repeated.

"It's all completely innocent, but it makes good copy. You trust me right?"

Hermione cleared her throat. "Can I trust you?" she asked.

"Absolutely, darlin'. I love you. You're the one I come home to."

"Are you telling me you're going to cheat on me, Jack?" Hermione asked, her lip trembling.

"It's not like that, Sweetheart. The ladies come on to me all the time," he explained. He shrugged. "They're very persistent, but believe me, Hermione, it's you I love."

"Jack," she said quietly. "Please don't humiliate me. That's all I ask." She smiled at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

He took her hand and kissed it gently. "I swear I'd never humiliate you, Hermione. You mean the world to me; no, you are the world to me."

Hermione smiled, reassured. Shyly, she reached for him and kissed him. When he began to respond, she deepened the kiss, letting him know in her reaction that she wanted more. Ever the romantic, Jack swept her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

The next morning he was gone. Jack left a pink rose on the pillow next to her with a note that said, "You looked so peaceful sleeping there I couldn't stand to wake you. Be back Tuesday. Love, Jack." She picked up the rose and breathed in its exquisite aroma. She saw that each petal of the rose bore his name.

She got up and dressed quickly. She put the rose in water and sat the vase on her dressing table. She looked at it and sighed. He was so thoughtful.

The flat was quiet; Ginny was away with her team the Holyhead Harpies, and for the first time in a long time Hermione was lonely. She had absolutely nothing to do and decided to putter around the flat. She wanted to start knitting Jack a Tutstill Tornados jumper and surprise him when he got back, but she needed to get the yarn. She hadn't planned a trip to Diagon Alley, but there was little else to do.

The first shop she stopped in was a Quidditch store. Jack asked her to pick up a package that he'd ordered. The shop was divided into teams, and out of curiosity, she meandered over to the Tornados' section. The walls were plastered with pictures of the team and many more photographs of a flying Jack, a smiling Jack; Jack with his shirt off, sweating. The poses were very provocative. There were several young girls ogling the posters and action figures. They giggled as they looked at his bare, glistening chest. One of the girls happened to look up and saw Hermione standing behind them. She whispered to the other girls and they all began glaring at her.

Embarrassed, she started to turn away.

"Don't leave on our account," the bold blond said nastily.

"I wasn't leaving," she said, when clearly that was her intent.

"You're Jack's girlfriend, aren't you?" one of the girls asked.

Hermione shrugged and then nodded. "I guess you could say that, yes."

The chubby witch whose yellow hair was cut into chunks shook her head. "You are so lucky."

Hermione giggled. That was not the reaction she expected. She thought the girls were going to band together and beat her up, but they were actually quite nice when they recognized her as one of the Golden Trio, acknowledging the fact that she was indeed Jack Badham's girlfriend.

The term sounded alien, but it had a very nice ring to it once she got used to the sound. She stood talking to the girls for several moments. She was feeling pretty good when she walked outside and walked past a newsstand. She saw the cover of one of the celebrity tabloids, Witch!!! and was shocked to see Jack on the cover and had a drunken, dazed look as the young woman in his lap pushed his face in her very ample breasts, which he proceeded to lick like a dog. He pulled away, grinning like an idiot. Hermione stared as the loop repeated over and over.

He promised, Hermione cried to herself. She felt all eyes were on her. She ran away blindly, pushing her way through the crowded sidewalks. She rushed into the nearest shop, which just happened to be Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

The first person she saw was Harry, who was talking to the assistant. He looked up and smiled at her. Her eyes were glistening as she made her way to him.

"Hermione," Harry said, concerned, "What's wrong?"

She threw herself into his arms and cried. "It's Jack," she said, sniffling. "Did you see the papers?"

Harry shook his head.

"He's on the cover and he's, he's…" she couldn't finished.

"I'm sure everything's all right," he reassured her.

"But he's with another woman," she cried.

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is, Hermione. Just relaxed. Jack said he loves you, didn't he?"

She wiped her nose on the back of her hand and nodded.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure Jack will explain everything when he gets back."

Hermione sniffled a few times and finally nodded. "You're right, he told me photographers follow him around and take all kinds of pictures. I shouldn't get so upset; he is a celebrity after all." She looked relieved. "Thanks, Harry. I'll just talk to Jack about it when he gets back. I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

Walking back to her flat, she again felt like everyone was watching her. He'd told her things like this happen and to be prepared for it. Hermione Granger wasn't the kind of woman who let something like this get to her. Oh no, not her. She held her head high and made eye contact with everyone who passed her. She smiled in a confident way that told everyone she was a strong self-assured female and she wasn't going to let a little thing like pictures of her boyfriend in an apparent inebriated state would keep her down.

She even practiced in her head what she would say to any reporter that had the nerve to ask her for her reaction. She would simply dismiss it with a wave of her hand. Wasn't he funny? she'd say. We laughed about things like this all the time. No, of course it doesn't bother me. Jack and I are just very good friends.

She stuck out her lower lip and thought; I want to cut his penis off. She sniffled again and made it back to her flat where she spent the next two days eating ice cream in bed. This whole celebrity boyfriend was going to take a long time to get used to.