Rita Skeeter had always been nosy. She had been the Lavender of her day and was the quickest communication service in Hogwarts. She had guts - or so she thought- because she tackled the fiercest opponents. Not many had ever beaten her - except for one Hermione Granger - though she kept that quiet. For it was embarrassing that an 15 year old girl could beat a genius such as herself.
Placing her feet up on the desk, she sighed as she felt the familiar burn of firewhisky. She loved winning - it was no wonder that she had been a Slytherin. Sly and sneaky, she had been the only one from the Skeeter household to end up in Slytherin. Her dear brother had ended up in Hufflepuff. Bah! She looked proudly at the front page of the Daily Prophet once again. Yes!
A commotion outside the room awoke her from her thoughts. Her harassed secret, Susan Bones, entered looking frazzled. Rita raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to speak. Susan seemed to falter for a second before she spoke once more.
"I tried to stop them but-" She was interrupted as the door opened again.
There she was. Hermione Granger stood at the door with a cold smirk resting on her face. She turned, seemed to beckon with her hand and there stood the shy looking Dennis Creevey.
Rita racked her brain to why his name was familiar. His brother was the head photographer for the Prophet. She looked at Dennis again. He stared defiantly back at her.
She disreguarded him; he was no threat.
"Dear, what did your muggle parents teach you? Do you not have manners? You were not . . . "
Rita waved her hand, indicating Hermione should leave.
Hermione smiled. Rita Skeeter had messed with the wrong woman today. She didn't move a muscle.
"Oh you poor child. When I wave my hand, I mean leave." Rita said deliberately trying to make Hermione feel stupid.
This was not a good idea. If there was one thing Hermione could not stand, it was an insult to her intelligence. She gestured to Dennis and he reached into his pocket and lifted what looked like a small stone. Hermione tapped it with her wand and it enlargened to a book, reading "Magical laws for a dummy." Dennis placed it onto the desk with a grin at Hermione.
"Now, Skeeter. I will ask the questions here. Like, what do you think it means when I place my wand on your abnormally large nose with words on the tip of my tongue?"
Rita paled. Whilst she could calmly write an article to bring down the downfall of the famous, she knew Granger had been exceptionally gifted as a witch - and things like that don't just disappear. She frantically looked for her wand - it had been on the desk . . .
Turning her head, she saw Susan twirling HER wand in her hands with a sneaky smile.
"Oh Skeeter! I know you are not particularly smart but its OK. I found a book that has lots of pictures in it to help you understand." She pointed to the book on the desk.
Rita shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Dennis, could you please read Chapter 4, Subsection 3, Paragraph 8?"
Dennis looked over at Hermione again. He loved the fact that she could bring the downfall of the annoying little bug - Rita had humiliated him many times - so it was no surprise he was so eager to aid Hermione.
"The ministry of magic has rights to control the Daily Prophet, should the writers of it, slander the name of a powerful figure - an employee of Ministry of Magic - with little or no evidence, with the aim of damaging the reputation of said figure. If this happens, then the figure has the right to appeal. The Daily Prophet shall thus have to revoke the article and fire employees that were connected to the offence."
Rita looked bemused.
"Oh - you don't get it. I'm sorry I should have got a children's book. Basically its sayi-"
"I get it!" Rita cut her off. "But you don't work for the Ministry. You are a healer and part-time book shop assistant."
Rita concluded triumphantly.
With a snap of her fingers, Hermione accioed the Prophet that lay on the desk. Rita looked on in astonishment at the skill Hermione demonstrated - wandless and silent! Hermione ignored her and turned to Dennis.
"Would you read the headline to me?"
"Cheating Golden Trio member finds comfort in Malfoy Heir."
Rita turned a sickly colour.
"Malfoy. . ." She muttered.
With her last strength, Rita protested once more,
"But it says the Ministry figure appeals. It doesn't say anything about nosy little cheats."
Hermione reddened in anger.
"Now get this into your head. Ron cheated. I moved on."
Rita smirked; she waved her hand and her Quick Quotes quill came to life from where it had been lying on the desk.
"Can I quote you on that?"
Hermione's fist clenched. Rita realised she shouldn't anger her - Hermione held all the cards.
"Moving on. Unless you are under Polyjuice Potion, you cannot appeal and have me fired."
Hermione looked at her watch. Any minute now. She turned to the door and it opened.
"Draco, you got my owl?"
He nodded.
"Just five minutes ago. I had to run to make the time."
It was unfair he still managed to look so good after rushing to Prophet building.
Hermione smiled serenely as she looked him over. Draco Malfoy had changed - she realised that. She knew it when he had comforted her after her seeing the newspaper. He had let her cry on his shoulder and had had held her tight.
Rita watched the interaction thoughtfully. Without knowing it, Hermione's smile had convinced Rita that this relationship was indeed 'real'. And being the gossip she was, she would make sure everyone knew that, regardless of whether she got fired.
Draco extended a parchment.
"This is your notice. I suggest you start packing up and they asked you for their company owl and your uniform back."
Rita blinked. It was amazing how everything could go wrong so quickly.
Draco turned and walked out.
"I'll wait for you outside, Hermione."
Hermione smiled at how he said her first name. They seemed to have reached an agreement.
"Oh and Rita, you're lucky you aren't in Azkaban. Did you think that the Ministry had the only records of Animagus? Remember, Hermione Granger is always prepared." And she smiled a cold smile before sweeping out of the room.
Seeing Dennis was still there, she went and thanked him for his involvement. They talked and were saying bye until she felt someone's prescence behind her.
Draco had appeared at her shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist, instictively - protectively. Dennis walked away - giving them space.
"You are a closet Slytherin, Hermione." He said with a smirk.
She smiled, and didn't deny it.
Together they walked out, happy and content in each other's prescence for the first time in a long time.
