Disclaimer: I do not own any of the H.P. characters.
Part III
It was Saturday, the big day, and Snape was nervous. What if Rita didn't get it? What if she wouldn't leave? He would lose his job and be stuck with Rita forever. All these horrible thoughts were swimming around in his head, making him dizzy. If she didn't react like he hoped… his plan would fail… he would be fired…
"Aaah!" he screamed, holding his aching head, experiencing an information override.
Pop!
"What's wrong, schnook-schnook?" Rita had climbed a twig and toppled out of the jar so she could transform.
"Oh, uh, just a migraine," he lied, even though he was thinking she could give him one easily…
"Well, let's just hope it's gone by game time," she said in a babyish voice, combing out his messy hair with her fingers as if he were a child.
"Please, please let it work," Snape whispered to himself.
"Oh it will, it will," she assured him about the plan that she thought was going to take place, but really wasn't. He had meant the real plan though…
"I guess you're right," he paused, then added, "Punkin'." He went along with it. She had no idea what he really had been talking about.
As they headed toward the quidditch field, Rita in Snape's pocket, he thought. He thought about the real plan, not the fake one. He had to get Rita up into the top box, where guest headmasters or important people from the ministry sat. He had already made secret arrangements, so no one would come in while the plan was being carried out. His heart jumped, but then he felt his pocket (the one that Rita Skeeter was not in) and was relieved. It was there. The key part, or at least one of them, was there; he hadn't forgotten it. He reached the stairs to the top box and began to climb them. Finally! He was inside. A nice table had been set, a bottle of champagne on top with two stemmed glasses that sparkled and glimmered in the light of the window. Snape took Skeeter out and placed her on a chair. Once again, there was the pop of transformation.
"Oooh! Snapey-pie! You're such a sly one!"
"Rita, love of my life, I have something to ask you."
Rita's face became round and red like a cherry, a toothy grin spreading across her face. Snape pulled a small, black box out of his pocket and knelt before her. She was shaking uncontrollably with delight.
"I love you, Snapey-wapey!"
"Close your eyes and hold out your hand. I know you love me, and that is why…" Rita's eyes were closed. Snape opened the box. He slipped a ring on her chubby finger, his own finger covering the top of the ring so it could not be seen.
"Rita, will you…" he looked up at her. "You may open your eyes first Rita."
"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly.
"Anyway… will you… get the heck away from Hogwarts?" Snape uncovered the ring. Rita let out a gasp of sadness and horror. She had to say yes, because it wasn't the colossal diamond she had expected it to be. It was a broken heart made of some enchanted metal, a skull engraved on it. It glowed a crimson red on the out edge, but the skull itself glowed green. It was something called 'The Ring of Evil Hearts.' Snape had broken Rita's heart, and this ring held powers. The power to keep the wearer away from whomever broke their heart. The power to stay with the wearer forever, to be worn permanently on that finger. The power to never be removed. As long as Snape was at Hogwarts, Rita Skeeter couldn't come within miles. Albus Dumbledore apparated into the top box next to Snape. He waved at Skeeter.
"Buh-bye now!" he called, as Rita realized there was even more to the ring. It was a port key, and as if what Dumbledore had said was a signal, she disappeared from sight.
~*~
The next day, Snape was called into Dumbledore's office.
"Severus, you did such a job at getting rid out Rita Skeeter, that I have decided to give you a bonus."
'Yes!' Snape thought to himself. 'Finally! The Defense Against the Dark Arts job! And he said it was a bonus, so I'll still get to teach potions too! This is the life!'
"No, wait, I'm sorry, Severus. I got you mixed up with something McGonagall did. You just get this pretty, blue ribbon!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
~*~
A/N: THE END!!!!! Anyway, please review, I'll be very happy if you do, even if it is a flame! I don't mind! I'm just happy I got this crap typed up for good! Moving on… I am currently trying to finish up on Family Business, and I'm going to try not to start anything new until I can post the endings to two more of my fics, so those will be Family Business, and Rain, hopefully. Rain may take awhile mind you… Ciao for now!