Ch. 9 Rita Skeeter
I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO HARRY POTTER
Draco joined the Slytherin table, rather early, since they all got in pretty late, but a scheme was amidst. Pansy pulled him towards her when he arrived, laughing and showing him a list of comments she had scribbled for Rita Skeeter.
"What is this?" He asked her. She giggled and the others looked at him.
"Do you remember that reporter, Rita Skeeter?" He nodded. "She's doing an article on the game keeper and needs our opinion." She smiled evilly and he smirked. He looked over the list again. Some of the comments were pretty bad. He shrugged it off and gave it to her.
"Should be fun to see Potter's face when he sees it. The Oaf nearly killed me with the hippogriff and now with the Skrewts." He added, adding porridge to his bowl. Pansy smiled and scribbled more onto the paper. Draco didn't really care about it much.
"I'm going to send it." Pansy announced when she had taken her time to write down everyone's comments. "Do you want to come with me Draco?" She asked him and he shrugged. Hermione and her friends had not come down to breakfast, but perhaps it was better he did not see her, the previous nights events still fresh in his left to the owlery and Pansy tied the letter to the school owl and let it free. As the bird flapped away, Draco realized what he had just done. Hermione cared for the Oaf. It did not matter that it would bother Potter. She would be affected and then he sighed looking up into the ceiling. "What's wrong?" She asked.
"I'm an idiot, as it turns out." I told Pansy and she shook her head.
"You're brilliant." She told him.
"I'm really not." He told her, hoping the mess he had just begun, by commenting would not blow up in his face.
_
With the Yule Ball now behind them, the castle retreated back to normal. Hermione and Ron had an unspoken agreement to move past their argument. Hermione had seen Malfoy from afar and he had returned to normal. Whatever had gotten into him during the Yule Ball, was certainly gone. The only major change was that Viktor now openly pursued Hermione. He would be there every time she went to the library to study and they would take walks around the lake from time to time. He had even kissed her, but she had stopped it nearly as soon as it had begun. She was not sure how she felt about him yet. The snow fell slanted now and as classes commenced again, Hermione noticed Harry's sudden nervousness. The next task was fast approaching. One day they trudged down to Care of Magical Creatures only to find that Hagrid was not there teaching it. A short Grey Haired woman stood there calling out to them for being late.
"Who're you?" Ron asked and looked at both Harry and Hermione. "Where's Hagrid?" He continued.
"I am Professor Grubblyplank and I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher." She said prominently.
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked loudly.
"He is indisposed." She said and they all turned when they heard laughter coming from behind them. The Slytherin were joining the class now. Hermione looked away from Draco, who seemed to be in one of his worst forms. "This way please!" She called out, leading them away from Hagrid's cabin. Harry looked longer at the house and then turned back to the professor.
"What's wrong with Hagrid?" He asked her.
"Never you mind." She said, looking at him sternly.
"I do mind, though." He said curtly. "What's up with him?" He asked again, but she ignored him. She finished leading them to their destination and Hermione smiled widely. A unicorn stood close by. All the girls cooed over it.
"Boy's keep back!" She yelled. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns! Girls to the front, and approach with care, come on, easy does it." She said and Hermione left Ron and Harry to step closer to the Unicorn, along with the rest of the class. Hermione turned to see Draco approaching Harry. Malfoy handed him something. Harry and Ron along with the other boys read whatever Harry was holding. Hermione's attention was grabbed back to the Unicorn. Hermione looked back and Harry looked tense. Professor Grubblyplank noticed. "Are you paying attention over there?" She stroked the Unicorn, but looked back to see Harry shaking his head. Ron looked over at her and looked grim. Her eyes scanned the rest, looking for Draco. He had skirted to the opposite side of the area and seemed to be discussing something with his friends that they found very funny. When class was over Lavender Brown was going on and on about the new teacher and the wonderful Unicorn.
"What about Hagrid?" Harry yelled behind her.
"What about him?" Parvati said. "He can still be gamekeeper." She said coldly.
"That was a really good lesson." Hermione told them, when the others had moved quickly back up towards the castle. "I didn't know half the things Professor GrubblyPlank told us about uni-" Harry pulled a paper out and held it in her face.
"Look at this!" She took it and read it quickly, her mouth falling open as she did. She stopped walking. She looked around and spotted Draco avoiding her eyes. Rita Skeeter had done it again. She told the world that Hagrid was part Giant and Draco and the other Slytherin had given interviews. She was very disappointed in herself for giving him the opportunity to weasel his way back in her good graces. But even worse she was furious with Rita Skeeter.
"How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out? You don't think that Hagrid told her?"
"No." Harry said, walking again towards the Great Hall. "He never even told us, did he? I reckon she was so mad when he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me, she went ferreting around to get him back." He said and Hermione agreed. They continued to discuss it during lunch. By the end they all agreed."We've got to go see him. This evening, after divination. Tell him we want him back." Harry stopped short after looking at Hermione. "You do want him back."
"I..Well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures Lesson for once- but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!" She added after seeing Harry's Glare. She looked back at the Slytherin table and finally Draco met her gaze. If he didn't know it already, He would after the look she gave him. Hermione, Ron, and Harry tried to see him after dinner that day after classes, but he did not answer. In fact for the next few weeks Hagrid did not return to teaching or his keeper duties. Rita Skeeter's article has circulated throughout the castle and really the wizarding community. In the middle of January they had another Hogsmeade visit and thought that maybe Hagrid would go to town. When they arrived, they were very disappointed to find that he was not there. The tree of them sat down at their own table and ordered three butter beers. They notice that Ludo Bagman is there, in the company of Goblins. When he spots Harry, he pulls him away into another conversation.
"Wonder what that's about." Ron signalled to Harry and Ludo, speaking in hushed tones. Fred and George walk in and look disappointed.
"I wonder what that's about." Hermione said, signalling to Fred and George's disappointed faces. Harry made his way back to their table as Ludo left and the Goblins followed. A few minutes later Rita Skeeter walks in, already talking about Ludo and her next article. Harry aggravated with her, yells from across the tables.
"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry says and people start to watch them. When She realized who spoke, her eyes widened. She smiled
"Harry!" She yelled. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join-?" She said, but Harry interrupted.
"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-got broomstick," He said with reverence. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"
"Our readers have a right to the truth. Harry. I am merely doing my-" Harry interrupted her again.
"Who cares if he's half-giant?" He yelled. "There's nothing wrong with him!" He defended. Everyone in the Three Broomsticks had gone very quiet. Rita Skeeter Smiled and her quick-quotes Quill jumped from her bag.
"How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?" She said and Hermione stood up suddenly and clenched her butterbeer tightly.
"You horrible woman." She said through her teeth. "You don't care, do you? Anything for a story and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman-" Rita brushed Hermione off.
"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand. I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl, not that it needs it." She told Hermione, but Hermione interrupted her this time.
"Let's go. C'mon Harry- Ron." They followed her from the table and out the door, and people watched them as they left. Hermione was furious. She stomped away willfully.
"She'll be after you next Hermione." Ron said, sounding worried.
"Let her try!" She yelled back. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid." She muttered to herself. Ron edged closer to her, warningly.
"You don't want to go upsetting, Rita Skeeter. I'm serious, Hermione. She'll dig up something on you." He warned.
"My parents don't read the Daily Prophet. She can't scare me into hiding!" She said stomping away towards the castle. "And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should never have let that excuse for a human being upset him! Come on!" They nearly ran all the way to Hagrids and Hermione banged on his door. They would not leave today. He would have to see them. After a few minutes, his door opened, but it was Professor Dumbledore who opened. Together they convinced Hagrid that he was wanted back. A week later Flitwick had asked Hermione to meet him after next class and she was angry to find Draco there too.
"Ah wonderful! Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy, thank you for coming. I have something for you." Professor Flitwick handed them both letters. "These are my personal recommendations for you two, to be placed in advanced Charms classes for next year. Your help at the beginning of the school year is still holding very strong. You should both be proud."
"Thank you Professor." Draco said.
"Yes, thank you Professor Flitwick."
"Of course. Alright, you should both get to lunch!" He said cheerfully scooting them out into the corridor. Malfoy went to leave, but Hermione was too angry to let him leave. She followed close behind him.
"I hope you know you're awful." She said, trying to remain calm. He didn't look at her as he spoke back.
"Well, what else is new?" He asked her a smirk spreading across his face.
"Interviewing with that awful woman and for what? What did that get you?" She asked him.
"So far, three weeks without that Oaf trying to get us killed." He told her and Hermione stopped walking.
"Hagrid is not an Oaf, but you are a selfish, pigheaded, Prat!" She told him and walked faster and away from him. She jotted down the stairs and stopped in the entrance hall, looking for Harry and Ron.
"Is it in your nature to call someone a name and then run off?" He asked her.
"I didn't run. I left before I did something that could get me expelled." She told him and he raised his hands.
"I'm terrified." He told her. In that moment the Durmstrang students entered through the Hall and Krum caught sight of her. He walked over to her.
"Is you alright, Hermyone." She smiled and nodded.
"She's fine, all yours mate!" Malfoy said sarcastically. "Cheers!" He said leaving them there. Hermione rolled her eyes.
Draco turned and watched Hermione leave with Viktor and he had to admit, the bulgarian was bothering him now. The article had in fact hurt Hermione, although the way she regarded him, was entertaining. The adorable way she argued with him, was enough to keep doing bad things. Better a scolding then being ignored, he thought. Draco headed to the library where he once again pulled out a parchment and quill.
Hermione,
I can't say I'm completely sorry for commenting on the article about Hagrid. He really does pick the most dangerous creatures to demonstrate. I do however apologize for how it hurt your friend. I am also sorry for making you angry enough that you felt you had to call me a selfish, pigheaded, Prat.
Draco smiled to himself and continued
Although your threat was very entertaining. I do apologize for making your life any harder. I find it terribly difficult to stay away from you. It's rare that I find myself not thinking about you. You would think that it would have become easier.
He pulled out his wand and tapped the paper, making the words disappear. He left and headed towards the great hall. He looked at Hermione and Viktor sitting together. He pushed her hair from her face and she smiled and blushed. He cringed internally and looked away, all appetite leaving him. Pansy appeared as she always had without a sound.
"Would you like to take a walk?" She asked him and he left with her without a word to the courtyard. It was empty due to the weather and hour of the day. She sat beside him, playing with her thumbs.
"Did you have something on your mind?" He finally asked her.
"Do you think you will ever get over her?" She asked and he stared at her, but she looked at her hands. He and Pansy had not spoken much about this.
"I'm over it." He told her, still unable to trust her.
"I can tell you're not. I catch you watching her when you think no one is looking." She told me.
"Leave it." He told her, feeling agitated.
"I only want to help you Draco." She said sadly and he wanted to believe her.
"Your idea of helping me was telling my mother about her." He reminded her and she shook her head.
"I apologized." She said.
"You did." He agreed. "Hermione and I are nothing. Stop worrying." He stood up.
"I'm going to help you anyway." She said and he nodded, still not believing her.
"Was that all?" He asked her and she nodded. "Come on, it's cold." He said and led her back to the castle.
In the next few days, Harry had told them he had not yet worked out the details of his egg and Hermione exploded.
"You should have told us, you hadn't figured it out. There's only two days left!" She told him.
"Yes, Hermione. He knows. Now, come one, let's get to work." Ron said. They sat in the library, studying how Harry could breathe underwater for an hour. Ideas were thrown out there, but nothing seemed to reveal itself. Every moment they had, they spent researching. Hermione checked out massive amounts of books but they found nothing. Harry had felt that he was running out of time. The days turned into hours and before you knew it, they sat up in the library the night before the next trial. Fred and George found them where they were.
"Looking for you." George said to Ron and Hermione. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you Hermione." He said and Hermione looked up surprised.
"Why?" She asked.
"Dunno. She was looking a bit grim, though." Fred said.
"We're supposed to take you down to her office." George said. They all looked at Harry, whose face was drained of color.
"We'll meet back in the common room." Hermione reassured him. "Bring as many of these books as you can okay?" She told him and he nodded.
"Right." When they arrived in McGonagall's office, she did look grim.
"Thank you, boys. That will be all." She told them and Fred and George left.
"What's going on?" Ron asked.
"I'm afraid that you and Ms. Grangers are needed for the next task." She said and Hermione looked frightened. "You will be perfectly safe, I assure you. But you will need to be put under a spell."
"What kind of spell?" Hermione asked.
"It will protect you and keep you frozen, while under the lake."
"The lake?! With the giant squid?" Ron gasped.
"As I said to Mr. Weasley, you will be perfectly safe. You will not even know what's happening. Once your bodies break the surface of the water, the spell will break and you will be reanimated. No harm done." She said and Hermione stared at her.
"Does Harry need to save us?" Professor McGonagall hesitated.
"Mr. Potter will be saving Mr. Weasley." She said. "You however are Mr. Krum's to save." She told her and Ron scowled at her.
"Does it need to be tonight? Can't we go under the spell in the morning?" Ron asked, thinking of Harry.
"I'm afraid not." She said and pulled out her wand. "When you're ready." She told them.
"Alright." Ron said. "Good luck." He told Hermione and Professor McGonagall waved her wand without words and Ron's body went limp and slumped in his chair. Hermione was shocked that he was not breathing. She looked nervously at Professor McGonagall.
"Even if the champions don't figure it out, we will come out?" She asked again and she gave her a small smile. Professor McGonagall waived her wand and Hermione's body went limp.
Draco headed down to the second task with Zabini and Pansy. The stands were nearly empty when they arrived and they got their choice of placement. It was brisk in the early February air. Everyone was bundled up tightly. Zabini was making eyes at a Beauxbaton girl, as the Champions arrived. Harry Potter was nowhere to be seen. It got more crowded and the talk about the event started to sound like a Hum to Draco.
"That water must be freezing." Pansy tried to start up a conversation. It wasn't the first time this morning. Draco nodded.
"Looks like Potter isn't going to compete." Zabini added.
"Think again." Draco added seeing Harry running past everyone and heading towards the judges. "Dumbledore's pet." He muttered.
"Did you hear that?" Zabini said, as he listened to some students walking past. "They took people down there. The champions have to save them." Draco rolled his eyes and then it hit him. Where was Hermione? He couldn't spot Weasley either. Of course she would get used as a pawn in the tournament. But they wouldn't get hurt? He thought about the dragons. What was that buffoon Dumbledore thinking using innocent students? He thought. Pansy who got the gist of what he was doing started searching too. A very long time later, Cedric emerged with Cho Chan.
"There's Cedric." She said, pointing down to where he was swimming towards the dock. "Let's head down." She suggested and pulled him towards her. Zabini stayed, too enthralled by his conversation with the Beauxbaton girl. By the time they reached the bottom platform, Pansy gasped and smiled. She pulled him towards her and spoke in his ear so he could hear her over the screams. "Look, she's there." She pointed. "Viktor's got her." She said and a few seconds later, he saw her being pulled up onto the dock and wrapped in a towel and then a blanket. Viktor remained close to her. Draco breathed a little easier.
"Thanks." He told Pansy. Hermione searched frantically across the water. "Let's start heading back." He told her and took her hand as they left the screaming crowd, another cheer as Harry emerged from the water. He looked back once to see Hermione hug Harry and left the scene with Pansy.
"I hate to see you like this." Pansy told Draco, as they made their way towards the castle. The wind whipped violently.
"I'm fine." He told her.
"You're not." She argued, but stopped when he gave her a look. "Don't be angry with me." She said. Malfoy sighed.
"I'm not." He said to her. "Come on, let's go to the common room. I don't want to be anywhere near the lot of them when the Harry Potter Parade comes through here." He smiled and Pansy laughed. "You truly want to help me?" He asked her as they reached the corridor to the dungeon. She nodded. "Help me by keeping me from her." He said to her. "Remind her of exactly who she thought I was before this." He suggested and Pansy smirked.
"Of course." She said.
"But you can't hurt her, If she comes to harm, I will not be forgiving." And she looked at him seriously.
When Hermione's head broke the surface, she moment there was a shark's head close by hers, to which she screamed and the next she was looking at Viktor who smiled at her. Madam Pomfrey waited for them, holding towels and big blankets. Hermione took the blanket once on the dock and Viktor stayed close to her.
"I would like you to see me this summer. I vill show you my home." He said, but she was too distracted. Harry and Ron, had just emerged from the water and there was someone else. Everyone stood too close to the edge. She could not see. She stood on tiptoes to see them. She could hear Fleur yelling to someone.
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?" She asked. Between the cheering of the crowd and the people standing close to her, she could not hear. Fleur was speaking so quickly now. Her headmaster Madame Maxime held her in place and she was hysterical. Finally though Harry was brought ashore and Ron was pulled in by Percy. Harry was brought close to where she sat and Hermione cried.
"Harry, well done!" She said and hugged him. "You did it! You found out how all by yourself!" She said to him and he stammered.
"Well-" He started. "Yeah, that's right." Harry smiled.
"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Hermowny'' Viktor said, pulling her towards her seat." He pointed at it, to show her, but she just brushed it away.
"You're well outside the time limit, through, Harry. Did it take you ages to find us?" She asked him.
"No, I found you okay." Harry said, and Hermione waited for him to continue, but didn't. Viktor was still fawning for her attention. Hermione looked up into the crowd, as the judges spoke in a huddle. A conference Dumbledore had called it. Hermione looked up at the crowd of people gathered and then back to Harry. Thanks to his morale fiber in saving people who he did not have to save, Harry placed in second place. Hermione cheered. Viktor frowned.
Pansy had taken the task Draco gave her very seriously. Something Draco had been keen to try to ignore. He didn't want to think about how her devious mind would try to keep him away from Hermione. He did however feel weaker then ever. Seeing her life in danger and seeing Viktor once again at her side had brought him up short. He wanted to just take her in front of everyone and stake his claim. Kiss her, of course he could not do that. It was a week later that Pansy appeared with an article in a magazine. Draco read it at the Slytherin table at lunch and shook his head.
"Really?" He muttered to Pansy. She shrugged.
"What better way to remind her who you used to be, then to do something that you would have done before? Tell me it's not brilliant. That Rita woman was going to run the story anyway. I just gave a quote. And you don't have to do anything. Just don't comment. You had nothing to do with it. Just don't defend her." She said sternly. He rolled his eyes, but later that afternoon he would see just how her plan played out.
The week that followed was not pleasant for Hermione. Everyone was gawking at her in shock that she was the thing that Viktor wanted to save. No one understood it. To be quite clear, neither did she. She and Viktor did not speak too often. He just watched her study and tried to snog her every so often, to which Hermione would always stop quickly. He did however have a wonderful effect on the Slytherin. Whenever Malfoy walked past them, Viktor tensed causing them all to leave her alone without a word. Ron however did not enjoy her company. He often scowled at her for no apparent reason. On a later date, however, Ron, Harry, and Hermione descended into the dungeons for potions, only to be cornered by the Slytherin. Draco kept to the back of the group, his arms crossed, looking at the floor.
"There they are! There they are!" Pansy squealed. She handed Hermione a magazine, while laughing. "Something to interest you in there, Granger." She said. Snape opened the classroom, and they headed in. Hermione looked through the magazine under the table and gasped when she found it. 'Harry Potter's secret heartache' it read. She read through the article, shooting Pansy dirty looks as she read her quote, given to Rita Skeeter. The article described how Hermione had given both Viktor and Harry love potions and was breaking both of their hearts now. She shook her head.
"I told you!" Ron whispered. "She's made you out to be a scarlet woman." To this Hermione could not help but laugh.
"A what?"
"It's what my mum calls them." Ron said and he looked abashed.
"If that's the best Rita could do. She's losing her touch. What a pile of old rubbish." She said and smiled at the Slytherins who watched them. Hermione looked over at Draco, but he was looking away from them. His gaze in fact did not move past them all class and Hermione shook her head in disbelief. Why should he care what the magazine said? Why did he act indifferent now? He knew what that Skeeter woman was capable of. He, better than most, haven given an interview to her. She made up a lot in her articles. But then it hit Hermione.
"How did she know?"
"Know what? Don't tell me you really are mixing up love potions." Hermione glared at him.
"Don't be stupid, Ron. How did she know that Viktor had invited me to visit him over the summer?"
"What?" Ron asked.
"He asked me, right after he pulled me out of the lake."
"And what did you say?" Ron asked.
"But how could Rita Skeeter have known that, she wasn't there. Or was she?"Hermione said mostly to herself, when Snape came up behind them. Snape accused them of not working and found the article. He read it outloud and the Slytherins laughed. He ended up separating them. Ron remained at their table, Harry was sent to the desk beside Snapes and Hermione to her dismay was sent to Pansy's table, where Draco sat close beside her, now stiffening.
Snape was muttering to Harry, who looked murderous.
"Do you miss him already?" Pansy teased Hermione.
"So much." Hermione replied sarcastically. "You must be proud." She told Pansy. "Two articles now you've been quoted. Tell me, where was Rita during the second task, I didn't see her." Draco's eyes flashed to Pansy, who tensed slightly and then smiled.
"She was around." Pansy replied. "Was I right? Did you slip Krum a love potion?" She asked her.
"Yes, It's the same one I gave Draco." Hermione smiled and Pansy's mouth dropped. Hermione continued to pour her ingredients but from the corner of her eye, she swore she saw Draco smiling.