Chapter 6
Arriving at work the next morning, Hermione could tell that something wasn't right. As soon as she had stepped into the atrium, everyone around had started giving her sidelong glances and peculiar looks. Merlin, what was everyone's problem today? She hardly doubted that the little black dress she was wearing was the object of such attention and many a scornful look.
As soon as she walked up to the front desk of the law enforcement office, Pauline looked up and gave her a sly grin that simply boded of bad things to come.
"So, Miss Granger, did you have a lovely night last night?" Pauline asked with a smirk. Hermione just gave her a confused look. What was that bloody infuriating woman going on about now?
"Was your night quite satisfying?"
"Excuse me?" The hell? She had no idea what Pauline was going on about. She couldn't possibly know anything about her dinner date with Draco … could she?
Pauline sneered at her before replying. "I was just wondering whether your extra-curricular activities were, let's say, satisfactory?" The woman really needed to learn some class. Who did she think she was to talk to her like that?
"Like I've said many times before, Pauline, my personal life is none of your business," Hermione stated coldly. The woman MUST know something though. Usually her barbs and implied insults were completely unsubstantiated and only meant to taunt, but today's phrases had seemed more direct. Maybe it was just her. Probably just her. Pauline was always making up stories so what would make today any different?
But as the brightest witch of her age, Hermione didn't miss the influx of stares that she seemed to be getting in her own department. And it wasn't just blatant staring – many of the pairs of eyes watching her seemed to be narrowed in disgust and a few people were even shaking their heads at her with confused looks on their faces. What the heck was with everyone today?
Deciding to just keep her head down, Hermione almost ran to her office closing the door behind her. Almost as soon as she sat down in her own personal sanctuary however, the door burst and Eleanor rushed in looking quite harried.
"Hermione, oh thank goodness I found you! I really, really need to show you something!"
"Hey, Eleanor, relax. Take a breath and tell me what's going on." Wordlessly, Eleanor just held up what Hermione assumed to be the newest copy of Witch Weekly. And on the front cover, under a gigantic headline of Reformed Love? was a picture of herself, being led out of De Chance by Draco Malfoy.
Hermione swore. Great. Just fucking great. No wonder everyone was looking at her today! How the hell did this even happen?! She thought she'd made sure that there hadn't been any photographers near where they were walking. And it was no help that she looked positively enamoured with Draco in the picture – he had one hand on the small of her back as they walked down the stairs and she had turned around to face him with a beaming smile on her face and puppy dog look in her eyes. Just fucking great.
Oh, she should have known that this would happen. The whole thing was such a bad idea. How could she have actually imagined, for one minute, that she could have one evening in peace? She was Hermione Granger after all and she had become almost as famous as Britney Spears in the wizarding world.
This whole debacle was just fantastic. What would everyone think of her? Correction, what did everyone already think of her? That Hermione was probably some harlot or scarlet woman who went gallivanting with former death eaters while still being in a relationship. Oh dearest lord, what a nightmare. Hermione could feel her head begin to throb with an oncoming headache at the thought.
She went to grab the magazine from Eleanor and flipped to the second page (which apparently meant that she was prime gossip news) to read the full story.
Reformed Love?
Written by: Anonymous
Just last night, muggleborn heroine Hermione Granger was spotted leaving the newly opened muggle restaurant De Chance with death-eater Draco Malfoy. Though only open for a short period of time, De Chance, has become known as a private, upscale restaurant, priding itself on its discreteness with clientele and fantastic cuisine. This discreteness is evidently the reason for the selection of De Chance for Granger's and Malfoy's late night rendezvous. Hermione Granger is known to have been in a long-term relationship with war hero Ron Weasley, a long-standing friend of hers, while Draco Malfoy is recognized as quite a playboy, having been with many a witch. Is this the beginning of the end for the Golden Couple? Or will Hermione Granger swallow her pride and beg for her loyal friend to take her back? Surely, one can never be too sure of people who choose to be in the company of acknowledged death eaters. Perhaps Miss Granger has grown tired of her relationship with the brave Gryffindor and decided to escapade to more dangerous men? One thing is for certain, this development is one to keep an eye on!
Hermione could feel herself cackling with every continuing line of the article. What the hell was this? The article, or piece of shite rather, that was in front of her made her out to look like a total slag! Cheating on the 'brave and loyal Gryffindor' to move on to 'escapades with more dangerous men?' And who even uses language like 'late-night rendezvous' even more? Not only did the shite label her a slag, but it made Draco out to be a total womanizer, which after what he had told her yesterday, he most obviously was not. So not only was she a slag and Draco basically a man-whore, the only person who came out even remotely well in the article was Ron. And then, it clicked.
The whole piece was basically a love letter to Ronald and Hermione had a suspicion of who wrote the damn thing. Lavender Brown ring a bell? Only that woman would resort to such dirty tricks – there's no better way to make yourself look like less of a trollop than to show Hermione Granger out with Draco Malfoy before the whole wizarding community knows that her relationship with her long-standing boyfriend was over.
Hermione sank down into her chair from the utter exhaustion of her thoughts. What a complete, and utter mess. She had almost forgotten that Eleanor was still in the room until she heard a cheery voice.
"So Hermione, how was your date last night?" Only Eleanor would have the audacity to ask such a question after showing her that blasted magazine. But who was she kidding, the date had been fantastic – Hermione didn't even have the heart to be a little mad at Draco for making her look like that to the general public. He hadn't known what had happened between her and Ronald, and he was just being a gentleman.
"Eleanor, thank you for setting it up, I had a really good time. Draco was a wonderful companion," she said truthfully.
Eleanor's face promptly lit up. "He is, isn't he? I was a bit wary of him at first but he really is a great guy. I just knew that you were perfect for each other! So will you be seeing each other again?"
That was the million dollar question wasn't it? Hermione did honestly want to see Draco again, there was no point in lying to herself or anyone else about it. How could she not want to spend more time with someone who for the first time in her life, actually matched her own intellect and presented a challenging conversation?
"I do hope so. However, I do have to deal with this first," Hermione stated holding up the offending magazine.
"Oh please, Hermione," Eleanor scoffed. "Don't worry about that. Anyone who knows you would know that anything in that article is utter rubbish. No one in their right mind would actually think that you were a cheat – the thought is absurd! As if you would do that to someone!"
Eleanor was right, of course. Anyone who vaguely knew Hermione, knew that she didn't partake in despicable acts like that. So why was everyone staring at her as if it were all true?
"Let's say that what you're saying is true, Eleanor. Why is everyone staring?" Hermione looked up at her friend worriedly.
"Well, in my opinion, there are three reasons:
They are jealous – Don't you scoff at me Hermione Granger! Do you know how many women are dying, DYING, to go out with Draco Malfoy? No matter what that article states about him, or how bad everyone claims to think he is, there are plenty of women who would kill to be in your shoes.
They obviously don't know you very well – this kind of stuff does happen from time to time so it's immature to believe that it doesn't exist. What is immature, is to expect that kind of behaviour from you of all people.
They are stupid – I am serious Hermione! Only daft people would actually believe anything written in the gossip column of Witch Weekly."
"That very well may be, but you do realize that the people who believe gossip columns, funnily enough also happen to be the ones who are able to spread gossip faster than anyone? Like Pauline?"
At this, Eleanor full out laughed. "You, Hermione Granger, who saved the wizarding world, who has groups of reporters following her around all the time, and who is the focus of interest wherever she goes, are worried about gossip? Please tell me that you're joking."
She probably deserved that – she did sound utterly ridiculous. The press had not stopped hounding her since the day that old Voldy was defeated and Hermione didn't think that they'd abruptly stop, did she?
"You know what, you're perfectly right Eleanor. Who cares if everyone is giving me scandalous looks in the hallways? I know the truth and that is more than enough for me."
"Exactly right." And why should she be ashamed to be seen with Draco Malfoy? They were not children anymore, and he was no longer a death eater but a good person. She had as much right to be out with him as anyone else. The people who had been giving her scornful looks as she passed by knew next to nothing about her and Draco and had no right to judge.
A shout of 'Hermione!' from down the office floor brusquely cut off her train of thought. Eleanor leaned out the door to check what was going on and immediately groaned. "Not again!"
Hermione leaned over her to check the commotion and experienced a sense of déjà vu as she saw Ronald sprinting across the floor to her office. Just like yesterday, he looked ready to burst in anger. "Eleanor…"
"I am out of here, Hermione. You don't need to tell me twice." She bustled off as quickly as possible to try and outrun the wrath that was about to descend. Of course, this time around, Ronald had no qualms about getting into it with her in the middle of the office foor. He was still a few metres away from Hermione's door before his chest puffed up and he started yelling uncontrollably.
"YOU SLAG! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? HOW CAN YOU EAT DINNER WITH SUCH FILTH?" Ronald shoved the accusatory magazine under her nose before yelling again. "LOOK AT YOURSELF, DRESSING LIKE A WHORE FOR MALFOY! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DOES TO MY REPUTATION? HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? YO –"
Here however, Hermione cut him off with a silencing spell. She had had enough. Her magic swelled within in her as rage started bubbling inside the pit of her stomach. She pointed an accusing finger at Ronald's chest and spoke in a low, cold voice.
"Enough. Enough. I am sick of you coming to my office and belittling and berating me. I have done nothing wrong. I did nothing to you. Nothing! In fact, as I recall, you were the one who left me at home to shack up between Lavender Brown's legs! That fact alone should do wonders to your reputation Ronald."
Dimly, Hermione noticed the shocked expressions on the faces of her co-workers before she turned her attention back to her bastard of an ex in front of her.
"As for last night, since we were broken up when you chose to be with said slag, I have the right to have dinner with anyone that I please, and that includes Draco Malfoy. I have never whored myself out to anyone, nor do I plan on starting, and I most certainly do not look like one. Your current girlfriend is more than capable of claiming that title. Unless you want me to really hurt you, like you know I can, I suggest that you leave me alone Ronald and stop harassing me. Oh, and good luck trying to talk – I put a time component on the silencing spell."
With a sneer worthy of a Malfoy, Hermione turned around and calmly walked back to the office. Enough was enough, she would no longer stand for such behaviour. Just in case any of her co-workers missed the spectacle on the office floor, Hermione decided to write a note to pin on her door, outlining the consequences of mentioning that stupid article to her. After a few rough drafts, she was finally please with the result:
Please be informed,
Upon entering this office, any persons who mentions Witch Weekly or any article pertaining to myself will be hexed immediately and without hesitation. Thank you for your consideration,
Have a pleasant day.
There. She hadn't put her hexing skills to good use recently.