H P Boy who lives Year 7- Summer
Chapter16
Morning Paper
--
Ron and Luna make another appearance...The four of them find out what happens when they anger Bozo The Daily Prophet photographer.
--
Prince ran until his paws could no longer run anymore. Exhausted he curled up in the shade of an ancient oak tree near the lake. He howled mournfully until Hermione finally found him. He changed back to Harry and cried his heart out in her arms until he had cried himself to sleep.
She protectively watched over him, as he slept in her arms.
Draco and Ginny decided that they needed some downtime alone, so they wandered down the hills towards the celebration.
Ron appeared in front of them. "He's gone and had another breakdown again hasn't he." He looked down at Harry's tear streaked sleeping face.
Hermione glared at Ron. "Should I be honored that you actually decided to honor us with another visit or do you like popping into our lives like that and then don't bother even reappearing not even once in almost a week!" Tears shined in her eyes.
"Well ya see I was trying to give you two some get to know each other better time. How was I suppose to know that all of that shit was gonna fall onto his shoulders again!!" Ron glared back.
"Don't you dare raise your voice like that to me, Ronald Bilius Arthur Weasley!" Hermione bristled. "I have had to watch him go through all of it while you and Luna were what, looking for some mystical creature in Albania?!"
"If you must know we were haunting his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, Cousin Dudley, and Aunt Marge. So no we were not lookin for some mystical creature in Albania!" Ron was on the offensive.
"Honestly the two of you can never get along for five minutes can you?" Harry opened one bloodshot eye to glare at the two of them.
"She..." Ron started.
"He..." Hermione started.
"Started it!" They snarled at each other.
Harry buried his face in his hands.
"Look at what you did you upset him again!"
"Me?! Look woman! You're the one who crawled up my ass!"
"I most certainly did not crawl up your ass!" Hermione was near full temper.
"Hello Harry." Luna floated next to him.
"Hello Luna." Harry managed a weak smile. "Just like old times again isn't it."
"That it is Harry." She smiled.
"Speaking of tactless! You are the most tactless female on the planet! Do you not know what certain situations do to a guy! No of course not and so you continue to torture him!" Ron let her have it on something he was dying to call her on.
"Well I happen to play Quidditch better than you ever did! I got everything down in less than a day!" She crammed that little bit of news down his ghostly throat.
"Oh that one was bellow-the-belt, sweetness." Harry whistled under his breath.
"Well at least I didn't fall off my broom, after I finished practice on my first day!" Ron snarled back.
"Another one bellow-the-belt by Ron," Harry winced.
"You know how you were always grumbling about being Harry's sidekick all the time! Well in the Muggle book series that's exactly what you are!" Hermione spat back.
"Those books and that movie say that about me!?" Ron was livid.
"Yes and more… so much more!" Hermione sneered.
"Time-out! Back to your corners…" Harry tried to shout, but his voice was hoarse from howling as Prince.
"Not until you apologize!" The two of them pointed at each other.
"This is gonna last a while." Harry groaned as the two of them went at it again.
"I think they both have issues and they'll work them out. So don't worry." Luna was ever the calm and serene one. "Oh what a handsome wolf," Dragon was sitting on the hill snarling down at something or someone.
"That's Dragon and he seems to be pissed at someone." Harry would have gotten up, but Hermione was in lioness mode. "Luna, would you please go see what he's looking at for me? Hermione isn't about to let go of me anytime soon."
Luna floated over to Dragon and looked down the hillside. "Oh dear we have company."
"Company?" Harry scowled. "What sort of company?"
"Bozo is in a tree over there." Luna pointed to a tree not fifty feet from them.
"Son of a bitch!" Harry snarled under his breath. "Accio, Bozo'scamera!"
Bozo fell out of the tree and his camera flew right to Harry's hands.
Harry went to rip out the film, only to see that he had been in the middle of changing rolls. Well he isn't getting his camera back. "Thanks for the camera Bozo! I've always fancied one!!" He shouted at him. "Oh yeah, sic 'em Dragon!" He commanded the silver wolf that was very happy to comply.
Harry could see Bozo running for his life all the way back to the celebration minus most of his pants.
"I just know that I'm gonna regret doing that, but damn was that fun!" He chuckled.
Hermione and Ron both glared at him.
"What the hell did we say that was so bloody hilarious?!" They snarled.
"Oh, its not you that I was chuckling over, it's this." He held up the new camera for them to see.
Hermione took it out of his hands and looked it over. "This is Bozo's camera. Where did you get it from if you never left my arms?"
"I used Accio to nick it off him from that tree over there and then sent Dragon on his ass."
Luna floated over to them. "Oh, it was so funny! He made it all the way to Dumbledore and without hardly any pants to speak of. Then Dumbledore went and gave Dragon a biscuit for his most courageous efforts to subdue Bozo. He looked livid and swore that he would get even. Then Tonks and Kingsley went and had a conversation with him. He got quiet after that."
"Dragon?" Ron frowned.
"That's Gin's name for Draco's wolf form." Harry grinned.
"I see... So what do you two call each other?" Ron was still getting used to Draco and Ginny being an item, so he changed the subject.
"We call each other by our titles. He is Prince and I'm his Princess." Hermione smiled. "Draco calls Ginny his Cleo, as in his Cleopatra."
"Ginny is a kneazle like Hermione." Harry filled them in, as he looked up at the darkening sky, and then at his watch. "I'm starving and Franc owes us two hot fudge sundaes."
Hermione could see the celebration was once again in full swing. "I'm hungry too, but we aren't supposed to go to the festival tonight."
"Sweetness we were supposed to do our homework which we did and that makes the celebration fair game again." Harry kissed her on the top of her head.
"Oh, go on Hermione be rebellious for once!" Ron rolled his eyes at her.
"Uh, so far she's lied to her parents, seen me naked or just about twice, and I'm just getting started. Trust me when I say that she isn't Miss Prefect anymore." Harry grinned. "Not to mention that I kinda sorta saw her all wet..."
Hermione blushed crimson. "The celebration it is then." She let go of her hold on Harry, so the two of them could get up.
"Hermione Anne did you get to see something that he didn't?" Ron gave her a look.
She blushed even more. "Never mind that the celebration is waiting and so is the food."
"You mean that I got gypped in my vision!" Harry got up and started pacing the grass.
"Well you didn't think that I wanted to actually feel actual labor, so they showed me something better." She got up and ran down the hill. "Let me just say that I have that particular scene committed to memory."
"Son of a bitch mate you really got hosed on that one!" Ron chuckled.
"Hermione!" Harry chased after her.
"Love isn't it just grand." Luna sighed happily.
"Now I know why the adults are so worried about those two. They're like a fuse about to be lit off like one of Fred or George's, Love Bangs." Ron and Luna trailed after them.
--
Hermione lost him in the throng of wizards and witches and slipped into the singing tent.
"Hello Hermione. Are you here for your sundae?" Franc looked to see who had entered the tent packed with wizards, witches, and muggles.
"Franc can I hide in the back and eat it?" She knew that Harry was tracking her.
"Are we having a little lovers quarrel?" Franc arched a brow at her.
"No it's a sort of a put my foot in my mouth and now I'm going to get it sort of thing." She kept looking behind her.
"Yes of course you can hide in the back." He grinned.
She shot into the other room.
"Miss Hermione!" Dobby called to her.
"Dobby! What are you doing here?" She forced a smile.
"We elves are helpin with the celebration Miss Hermione. Is there somethin that I can make you?" Dobby was sporting a four-hearts t-shirt that was just his size.
"Yes Dobby. Could you make me a sundae?" Hermione ignored the two kissing couples on the t-shirt.
"Dobby makes you a sundae." Off he went.
Hermione saw there was a table where Franc and the other volunteers took their breaks and sat down.
--
Harry tracked his prey to the tent, but found that his Uncle was standing in his way. "Not now Uncle Albus I have someone to find."
"Well now that isn't going to happen, so why don't you join me for dinner instead." Albus gave him a look that told him this wasn't a suggestion.
"But I wanted my dessert."
"Oh, I am well aware what you want Harry, but that isn't going to happen, so come this way. I have dinner set up in my private tent." He waited until Harry grudgingly followed him.
"You played favorites." He grumbled.
"No dear boy. Hermione has the ability to stretch out the visions, so she saw what her mind wanted to see. It was never my intention and I underestimated her abilities. You see she is much more of a seer than Sibyll is. She just doesn't realize it. Firenze and I had this fascinating conversation about the two of you and what you could actually accomplish as a team. You see the reason that you always saw the Grim in a teacup or in a crystal ball is because that was your animagus form a black wolf." They sat down at a table loaded with food.
"I'm sorry that I snarled at you, but Ron and Hermione were at it again and then Bozo was spying on us from a tree." Harry placed various foods on his plate.
"Oh yes about that, well, I would think that he is going to want to... What is it that they say in the Muggle World... Pay you back for the humiliation. Now because the two of you were in public eye, you both will handle it with dignity." He gave him another look.
"I was on my own property, so if he did take snaps of the two of us this morning or if he took snaps of us by the pool he's out-of-bounds." Harry countered.
"We shall see what he took in The Daily Prophet tomorrow morning. He had already dropped off his first five rolls of film, before returning to the tree." Albus didn't seem the least bit put out about it.
"Five rolls of film!? I should have stunned his miserable hide!"
"Sending Dragon after him was more than enough humiliation." Albus smirked.
They ate in silence for the next ten minutes.
"You need to be patient with your father. He is new at being a dad." Albus looked over at his nephew.
"If he tries to understand where I'm coming from instead of comparing me constantly to him then maybe I'll listen to him." Harry was digging into a sundae.
Princess padded into the room and jumped up onto his lap.
"Coming out of hiding are you." Harry looked down at the cat as she made herself comfortable on his lap.
"So this is Princess." Albus took at Hermione's Animagi form and smiled.
"Yes this is Princess and she's going to change back into Hermione and have some dinner." He set the cat on the chair next to him.
Hermione was now sitting where Princess was. "Hello Uncle Albus."
"Angel, Bozo shot five rolls of film and that's just what we know of." Harry told her as if it were no big deal.
Hermione spit out her pumpkin juice. "Five rolls of film!" She coughed. "We are going to be front page news again!"
"Yeah, there is that possibility." Harry really was enjoying watching her squirm.
"We're dead and all you can say is it's a possibility!?" She glared at him.
"The thing is angel as far as I'm concerned it was on my property and we didn't do anything wrong. So if anyone else thinks so that's their problem." He went back to eating his dessert.
"Hermione calm down. If Bozo has stepped out-of-bounds this is the only way to catch him at it." Albus remained calm. "Now have some dinner."
Hermione sulkily ate her dinner.
"Harry did you see what my brothers have done with that whole Love Line of theirs?!" Ron appeared behind him.
"Yeah, Ron we know all about it." Harry sighed.
"They're really raking in the galleons with that stuff too." Ron frowned. "I don't know how you two can just sit there and take it so calmly. I mean they're exploiting your relationship just to make money."
"We know Ron we know." Hermione took a bite of her chocolate fudge cake.
"Gods I miss the taste of food." Ron pouted, as he watched her eat the dessert.
"Ron the point that you are failing to grasp is that while yes they are making money on our relationship, Harry being their financial backer and silent partner is making that money as well." Hermione paused to savor a bite of cake. "Harry you just have to try some of this." She fed Harry a piece of cake from her fork.
"Yes angel it's delicious." He let her feed him the cake.
"So Harry do you think that your team is ready for the rematch tomorrow?" Albus smiled at his nephew.
"I guess seeing as it's already been arranged, but I haven't sent owls to the rest of the team." Harry saw that they might have a slight problem.
"I've already arranged for Seamus, Dean, and Colin to be at the pitch tomorrow." Albus assured him.
"Uncle Albus is there something you aren't telling us?" Hermione gave him a look.
"Well because you beat them 420 to 80. Puddlemere United has challenged you to a rematch, only this time I believe you will have a full crowd of spectators." Albus sipped his Elderberry wine.
"I don't know if Hermione or Colin is ready for a full stadium of people yet." Harry's juice went down the wrong pipe, causing him to choke and gasp for air.
Hermione gave him a whack on the back. "I don't see any harm in trying to play with people around watching."
"Hermione half of the Wizarding World is camped out here. They'll conjure huge stands. We're talking over a thousand people including the Muggles." Ron tried to get her to see the whole picture.
"Hermione is a natural and Colin can handle a broom. I say we're ready for tomorrow." Draco stood in the doorway of the tent, his arm around Ginny's waist. "Oh hello Ron, sorry that I was an ass around you for all those years, and that you and Luna died. Oh and one more thing I'm dating your sister and I eventually plan to marry her."
Ron took all of this in consideration and then finally spoke. "Look as far as I'm concerned the Malfoy family is dead and you're just Sirius's nephew Draco Black. Now as for that bit about my baby sister who am I to go against truelove."
"Ron you should see what they're doing to the pitch." Luna appeared next to him. "They're conjuring stands. Is there going to be a match?"
"Why yes moonflower it seems that Puddlemere United wishes a rematch and thinks the crowd will give them the advantage." Ron put his arms around Luna.
"Oh well in that case good luck tomorrow." She smiled at the four of them.
"Thanks Luna." Harry grinned then looked at the time. "Well if we have a game tomorrow then we should head home."
"I think that is an excellent idea and I shall see you in the morning. After all you are going to want to get some practice time in before the match." Albus also knew that they really weren't supposed to be there so he sent them all on their way.
--
They arrived home to a quiet house it seemed that everyone had either turned in early or was out doing something.
"Isn't that a little strange?" Harry frowned.
"I know. I actually expected to get shouted at the moment we walked through the door." Hermione looked around, but there was no one downstairs.
"Who knows maybe they're all doing what you asked them to do." Ginny suggested.
"You think that all the adults are reading those books?" Draco frowned.
"I'm gonna turn in before someone comes out of their rooms giving me the third-degree or something." He kissed Hermione goodnight and raced up the stairs.
"Harry what's wrong?" Hermione chased after him.
"What exactly is in those books?" Draco frowned.
"It's our lives in detail, at Hogwarts from day one, only through Harry's eyes." Ginny having almost finished book one explained. "Only I'm not really in it until book two."
"So I really look like an ass in these things don't I?" Draco groaned.
"No Draco Malfoy looks like an ass and you're Draco Black." Ginny kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks Peaches."
"Any time Dragon."
"Shall we go raid the kitchen?" Draco wasn't ready to turn in yet.
"Sure you can make me a milk shake." Ginny yawned.
"What's milk shake?" Draco frowned.
"Don't worry Dragon sooner or later you have to learn to cook." Ginny grabbed his hand and they headed for the kitchen.
--
Hermione stalked back to her rooms, because Harry evidently wanted to brood alone. "If he wants to be that way then so be it, I'll take a nice long soak in a tub full of bubbles!" Her room was stuffy so she opened one of the terrace doors to let in the cool evening air. "The nerve of him to actually close the door in my face," She was still snarling to herself, as the tub filled with her bubble bath.
"It's got to be about tomorrow's game! He must think I can't do it! Well I'll show him!" She got in the tub and put on her headphones, so she could listen to Lord of the Rings. It got her mind off her temper. She lost herself in JRR Tolkien's world something that she hadn't done since she was five.
--
Harry looked over at his parent's portrait, but they weren't there. He didn't know if he should be relieved by this or not. He got ready for bed, took out his contacts, and took a long shower. If they were reading the books then there were pros and cons of what was in them.
First year wasn't all that bad and he really didn't have much of an attitude or temper. He'd just been new to it all, lost in the whole 'Boy Who Lived' story that revolved around him and he'd almost gotten the three of them killed. On the other hand, he'd faced and survived Voldemort for the second time in his life and that had to count for something... Second year was when everyone thought that he was heir of Slytherin and ran from him in terror. It was also his battle with the basilisk, rescuing Ginny, and facing Tom Riddle, thanks to the diary that Lucius had slipped into Ginny's books.
He paused in his thoughts. "No Ron would kill me if I forgot to mention Aragog." He shut off the water and went back to his thoughts. Third year now that one was a year of firsts and twists. I got to meet my godfather and Lupin, and mastered the patronus charm. He stuck with the more pleasant memories and not on the darker parts of it. That being Dementors, the Rat traitor known as Wormtail, and the feeling of that first taste of anger and rage for the first time in his life.
"No it's not good to dwell on those other parts." He lectured himself, as he pulled on some sweat shorts and a muscle shirt, it was just too hot for sweat pants and a t-shirt. He put on his specs and stepped back in his room. It was then that he noticed his parents curled up on his bed reading what looked like the fourth book in the series.
"So much for turning in, maybe I'll check out the Quidditch video game." He wasn't about to disturb them and then end up bombarded with questions, so he sat down in the other room, and started to play one of his games. Fourth year the Quidditch World Cup, the Triwizard Tournament, no he wouldn't go into that year. Oh, he had seen that Hermione was a girl for the first time. He had developed that crush on Cho. He and Ron were at odds with each other. Rita Skeeter and Bozo made the scene. Voldemort had risen again and Cedric had died.
"Stop thinking about the past and concentrate on the game." He berated himself, but he was in that type of mood. Fifth year, his year of being a prat around everyone. He finally got that date with Cho, only to find that she was really using him to think about Cedric, because she missed him so much. His first kiss and it hadn't been all that great now that he had something to compare it to. Luna had joined their little gang. Toad Lady who could forget her and Grawp can't forget him either. Uncle Sirius and that short time around him not knowing that he was going to die.
He could go on forever, but he wasn't going to do this anymore it just wasn't good for him. "I'll go talk to Hermione." He got up then realized that if he opened the door that his parents would hear it, so he turned back into Prince, silently padded out onto the terrace, and across it to enter Hermione's room.
--
The scent of fragrant rose bubble bath filled his senses. She'd seen him in her vision, so turnabout was fair play. He padded over to the bathroom door, which was ajar. Hmm if she didn't want visitors then she should've locked the door. He nudged it open with his muzzle and silently padded up to the bathtub. She was lost in whatever she was listening to, but had one of her arms lying against the cool porcelain of the tub, so he perched his head near her arm. There were so many bubbles that he could barely make out Hermione.
Hermione absently began scratching his ears, something that he was enjoying immensely, but then he had to muck it up and sneezed. Bubbles went flying everywhere and so did the headphones on her ears. The plus was that he got to see a tantalizing glimpse of flawless sun kissed peaches n' cream skin.
She realized that she was petting something and dove under the bubbles, emerging so only her eyes were level with whoever she was petting. "Harry James! You don't go padding in here all innocent, after closing the door to your room in my face so you can go brood!" She glared into the green eyes of the wolf. "You are not going to get a show so leave!"
Prince whined at her as if to say he was sorry.
"You can save your whining for someone who wants to hear it! If you wish to brood then fine brood, but it might help sometimes if you just tried to talk about it!" She was losing bubbles fast, but she didn't really notice or care.
Prince was starting to get a glimpse of something captivating when she hit him with her towel.
"GET OUT!!" Hermione shouted. "If you wish to talk, then fine we will talk, but you are going to wait in the other room!" She hit him in the tail with the towel again.
Prince yelped in surprise, but reluctantly got up after running his tongue along her arm.
"Oh no none of that you beast! Now get!"
Prince padded out of the bathroom with his tail happily wagging.
"Oh he is going to pay for that you just wait." She got out of the tub and dressed for the night in sweat shorts and a tank top in the colors of Gryffindor. She grabbed her hairbrush and headed out to her room. Harry stood out on the terrace dressed in virtually the same thing that she was.
He turned to look at her and grinned. "You know we really are two halves of one whole."
"It's sultry tonight and this is comfortable." She was steamed at him.
"I really was in my own world, so I didn't mean to close the door in your face. Now as for the rest, the wolf side of me took control and I'm new at controlling him. I think the James side of me is Prince. It was harmless fun and there were too many bubbles for me to see much." Harry gave her his I'm-sorry-please-forgive-me look.
"Just wait Harry James you will get yours!" She promised. "Now are you still brooding or ready to talk about what's bothering you?"
"I was brooding about the past, but then it's not like I can change what happened, so if they wish to ask me stuff then I'll deal with it." Harry was now in a calm almost playful mood.
"I thought that you wanted to turn in for the night?"
"Well the thing is that my parents are sitting on my bed reading the books, so I can't turn in yet." He shrugged. "I might just have to sleep on the couch in the game room."
"Well we know you can't curl up near me, but Prince can." She finally smiled at him.
"I love being an animagus!" Harry was all for that plan.
"It does have its perks doesn't it?"
Someone raced out onto the terrace it was Ginny. "Harry we need your assistance in the kitchen!" She looked like she'd had a milk shake blow up in her face.
"Ginny what in the name of magic happened to you!?" Hermione took in Ginny's appearance.
"We attempted to make a milk shake the muggle way and it kind of backfired on us." She bit down on her lip.
"Oh no, not Mattie's kitchen!" Hermione knew that Harry would be needed, so she dragged him with her to view the disaster.
There was milk shake dripping everywhere and Draco was covered from his head to his toes in the sticky substance.
"You forgot to put the lid on the blender didn't you?" Harry noticed the lid was sitting on the counter.
"I just thought that this was similar to a cauldron and it doesn't have a lid." Draco frowned.
"Well that's a blender and unless you put the lid on it when you're blending this happens." Hermione didn't know where to start with cleaning up. This was going to take all night.
Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and used Scourgify to set the kitchen right again. "Okay now let me show you both how to make a proper milk shake." He had four strawberry milk shakes finished in minutes. "See nothing to it."
"This is something the two of you need to learn when it comes to Muggle appliances. If there's a lid on a device then its there for a reason and you need to use it." She lectured the two of them.
"Hey no harm no foul, besides it's a learning experience for them." Harry grinned as he finished off his shake. "Well I'm gonna turn in." He yawned then winked at Hermione.
Hermione kissed him goodnight and he left the kitchen. "Night you two," She soon followed him.
"Did you notice that they even dress alike?" Draco frowned.
"Yeah, she even has one of his pajama tops, but he doesn't really know that." Ginny giggled.
"His pajama top? How did she get that?" He couldn't picture her raiding Harry's closet.
"Hermione and I did the washing at number twelve, so she just sort of borrowed it." Ginny yawned.
Draco didn't say a word.
--
The next morning Hermione was awakened by the fact that Harry was no longer Prince and that he had his arm securely across her middle. She could just make out the time. They had ten minutes before the Owl Post arrived with The Daily Prophet.
"Harry wake up," She tried to wriggle out of his hold. He merely pulled her closer to him. "I have to focus on getting to that paper first." She kept her mind on her goal and not on Harry. She turned into Princess and easily slinked out of his hold on her.
He rolled onto his stomach and grumbled into the pillow.
Princess padded out onto the terrace and then changed back into Hermione. "Focus on the paper and not on Harry." She chanted to herself. The owl arrived five minutes later with the morning paper. There were three of them, so she had to tiptoe back into her room to get the money to pay the owl. That done she went back into her room and shut the door.
Harry was half-awake watching her. "Sorry about that I don't really know how to keep that form while sleeping yet."
Hermione was staring at The Prophet in horror, as she flipped through page after page. "This is beyond bad." She moaned. "It looks like we were...We weren't but it does look like it! Then this one!! It looks, well, not innocent and it was! He even has us at the pool! That is way out-of-bounds! They have some on Draco and Ginny too!" She fell to her knees on the plush carpeting and continued to look at the paper. "Cho gave them an exclusive on the two of us! She calls me a boyfriend stealer! That I'm only with you because Ron died! Why that little bitch! She is so gonna pay when I get my claws into her!"
Harry took one of the copies and flipped through it. "Son of a bitch!! He didn't miss anything did he?! Oh, he is so gonna pay when I get my teeth into him! Now as for Cho, we will deal with her eventually." He growled.
Draco knocked on her door. "Hermione did you get the paper?"
Hermione got up and let him in. "Oh you could say that." She threw the other copy at him. "Howlers all around for us I would say."
"Son of a bitch! I should have ripped his bloody limb off for this! They took innocent situations and look at what they did to it! They made us look like...it just isn't right!" He snarled.
"Bozo is gonna be dealt with by my Uncle. He went out-of-bounds this time and was caught red-handed by these snaps. Cho is gonna pay dearly when next we meet." Harry made himself known.
"YOU DIDN'T!" Draco glared murderously at him.
"Draco it is possible for two people to actually sleep in the same bed and not do anything!" Hermione growled.
"So you were Prince." Draco calmed down.
"My parents were up all night reading on my bed, so it was either curl up here as Prince, or the couch." Harry got up out of bed and stretched. "No need to go all big brother I'm-gonna-kick-your-ass, Draco."
"I just did that didn't I?" He grinned sheepishly.
"So how are we going to deal with this one?" Hermione buried her face in her hands.
"Deal with what?" Ginny came in with a tray loaded with breakfast goodies. "I may not know how to use a blender, but I can manage to make a smashing breakfast."
Draco walked over and took the tray from her. "Take a look at the morning paper and then ask that question again."
Ginny took the paper lying by Hermione, sat down, and looked through it. "I never knew that Cho was such a bitch. Now as for the others, we didn't do anything wrong, so why act like we did?" Ginny offered the suggestion. "I mean with Draco and me that's all innocent first love stuff, but the two of you that could be a problem. What were you thinking rolling around in the grass snogging in broad daylight and by the celebration no less?!"
"Harry was talking to Wills. They were saying that I ate too many desserts. I pounced on him, began a tickle war, and it kind of got a little out of hand." She explained the picture. "The other, well, we were hiding from everyone and had just sort of gotten engaged, so that's obviously a serious kissing moment. The rest of those are all innocent private moments that should not be in the public eye. It really looks bad that they used the rolling in the grass one with Cho's 'I stole her boyfriend' article." She got up and started to pace the carpet.
"I think Wood set this all up, so we wouldn't show and crush Puddlemere Untied again today." Ginny growled.
Wills having listened to the whole conversation walked into the room from the terrace. "I don't think that I've ever blundered this badly with the press in my life. My baby brother, yeah, but me no I tend to follow the rules." He held up the paper. "This is going to take some major damage control. You'll play Quidditch as if nothing happened. You will grit your teeth and take whatever questions the press is going to throw at you. I can help with Aunt Kath and Uncle Alex and explain the grass photo, so you're in the clear with that one. The others are more tabloid in origin, so you're just going to have to come back with an article of your own in The Prophet and The Quibbler. Think of it as your official announcement, as the Half-Blood Prince and his future Princess. It will help that you already have a title."
"Title?" Draco frowned.
"Lady Hermione Anne Granger." Wills nodded.
"Diana was my mother's first cousin." Hermione added a little more info.
"Her parents don't really like his dad and that side of the family."
Harry looked outside. He had the camera, now loaded with film, and he noticed that Kate was sneaking back into the house. He took some shots with the camera. "So are you and Kate an item now or did she go out for her morning ride wearing what looks like hmm your robe?" He turned and gave Wills a look of someone had fun last night.
Wills raked his fingers through his hair and glared at Harry. "My love life isn't the issue right now. The two of us happen to be twenty-two, besides she's the one who noticed the owl this morning. Kate woke me up.
"We're sorry that our little dilemma ruined your bloody playtime!" Hermione glared at him. "New rule William Arthur Philip Louis, if we have to behave then so do you, and that means no playtime for you or Kate!"
"Wills, you're our role model while you're here and my godparents wouldn't approve now would they." Harry held up the camera.
"I know that and it was a moment of weakness on my part. I'm not saying that I regret it because hell no I don't, but we do have to be good examples for the four of you." Wills sighed in defeat.
Draco was covering Ginny's ears with his hands. "Wills cool it with the explicit conversation!" He snarled.
"Draco I don't need to hear to know what Wills was up to this morning." Ginny tilted her head so she could glare up at him.
That's when the first Howler arrived by owl.
"Is that what I think it is?" Wills stared at the floating scarlet letter that was soon going to start smoking.
"Get rid of it!" Ginny snarled.
"It will wake the whole house up!" Draco growled.
Another Howler arrived.
"Oh cripes," Harry groaned, as Howler number three arrived.
"Disapparate with them and get the hell out of here!" Draco didn't wish to hear them and the first one was smoking now.
"You three owe me big!" He took out his wand and disapparated with the three Howlers.
"I hope he goes far enough away so the echo around here won't be that loud." Draco walked out to the terrace.
"Oh, no he didn't…" Hermione bit down on her lip. "I think he went to the castle ruins."
"How do you know that?" Ginny frowned.
"I just do. The point is the echo there is worse than the echo around here!" Hermione was now pacing the terrace.
"Good morning you four," Remus came up the patio stairs. "Where's Harry?"
Ginny buried her face against Draco's shoulder.
"Accio Paper!" The paper flew into his hand. "How many Howlers did you get and where did he go?" He seemed rather calm about this and it was scaring the four of them.
Wills held up three fingers.
"Well what's done is done. Now go eat breakfast you have a big day today. Oh, yes you're going to play that game and deal with the fallout that's come from this. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go talk to James and Lily." Remus walked down the terrace and then went into Harry's room.
Then it happened the Howlers let loose their wrath.
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"Why are all of them addressed to me?! I hate being the oldest!" He was standing in the lower part of the old castle when the first one exploded and let loose its wrath.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!
I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR LACK OF TACT LET ALONE YOUR POOR JUDGMENT!! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD INFLUENCE ON GINNY!! AT LEAST SHE AND DRACO WEREN'T SEEN ROLLING AROUND IN THE GRASS!! I SHOULD MAKE YOU COME HOME RIGHT NOW, BUT I AM GOING TO TRUST THAT THIS HAS TAUGHT YOU A LESSON!! IF YOU SO MUCH AS STEP ONE MORE TOE OUT OF LINE I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL REGRET IT!!
Harry's ears were ringing from his Aunt Molly's screaming voice. Unfortunately, he had two more to go.
Minerva McGonagall's Howler was the next to go.
HARRY JAMES POTTER
I AM OUTRAGED BY YOUR SERIOUS LACK OF JUDGMENT!! YOU SHOULD COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS THAT YOUR UNCLE FILLED ME IN ON THIS MORNING'S PAPER BEFORE I SAW IT! YOU AND HERMIONE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO CARRY ON LIKE THAT OUT IN PUBLIC AND BY THE CELEBRATION NO LESS!! I TRUST THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED YOUR LESSON AND YOU WILL MAKE THAT MATCH AGAINST PUDDLEMERE UNITED TODAY!! NOW I WOULD SUGGEST FROM NOW ON THAT YOU THINK BEFORE YOU ACT ON YOUR EMOTIONS!
Harry's head was pounding by this time and the last one blew up.
HARRY JAMES POTTER
CLEARLY IT TAKES TWO!! SO I AM NOT GOING TO REAM YOU FOR THE PICTURE THAT WAS CLEARLY HERMIONE'S DOING!! I AM GOING TO SNARL AT YOU TO THINK BEFORE YOU ACT OR I WILL RETURN FROM HOLIDAY AND TAN BOTH OF YOUR HIDES!
Mattie's Howler was not as bad as the other two, but he got the point. In desperate need of some pain potion, Harry disapparated from the castle.
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Chapter 17
Consequences
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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
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Cindra 2004-2008