Okay, here is the conclusion. I know I made you wait for it with the Rita/Jerimus thing but I think it's worth it. This fic basically took over my life for the last few days so I hope you get some enjoyment out of it! Thanks again for the reviews!
Rita woke up the next morning in the best mood of her life. She was important to someone at last. Ah, it almost made up for the danger factor involved in being part of the Order. Dumbledore and McGonagall actually needed her help. Perhaps her life as an insignificant little bug was coming to an end. She put on her best dress which was dark blue and black combined in an interesting but not obnoxious design. When she looked herself over in the mirror she decided to really be bold and let her hair fall in blond curls around her face.
She smiled at the teachers she passed in the hallway on the way to breakfast, but only received a blank stare from the face behind Professor Trelawny's enormous glasses and a wince from Madame Pomfrey. Professor Sprout had been quick enough to smile back but Snape only sneered, causing Rita to make a mental note to add him to her possible Death Eaters list.
She read the Daily Prophet as she ate breakfast but not even Juliana's condemning stories could dampen her spirits. Today was a good day, and Rita was determined it would stay that way. She could not remember the last time she had a genuinely good day.
"Miss Granger, hello," Rita said, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders as she approached behind. Her to friends, Harry and Don or Billy, Rita never could remember his name, seemed to prepare themselves of a nasty out burst.
"Hello, Rita," Hermione replied.
"I'll meet you in the Gryffindor common room tonight and we can go through my books. There are a few you simply must read," Rita said.
"Oh, good, I wondered about reading those when I saw them," Hermione said. Hermione's redheaded friend almost choked on his orange juice at the polite conversation.
"They…they're getting along," he said to Harry. Harry's brow wrinkled.
"There is something I need to talk to you about, privately if you don't mind," Hermione said sending a fierce stare toward her two friends. Rita enjoyed seeing them walk off in such bewilderment they could barely navigate through the halls. Rita followed Hermione to a deserted corner near a stairwell.
"I have to get to class but I thought you might want to know. I found out that Mr. Brighthall could be a Nevilos Amorus," Hermione said her voice hushed.
Rita silently digested the information.
"Anyway you seemed to like him so I thought I'd tell you. I want you to understand that this and the book thing does not make us friends," Hermione explained.
Rita gave Hermione a warm smile, perhaps the first well intended smile she had ever given the girl.
"Of course it doesn't," Rita agreed, "I'm not so desperate I need the friendship of the bratty little child."
"You seem desperate to me," Hermione said and looked down at her watch, "I have to go. I'll see you later."
With that the girl looked both ways before heading off down the corridor. Rita thought she was checking to make sure no one had seen the two of them talking in private. Rita sighed deeply and her grin disappeared with the thought of facing Jerimus, knowing he could be a wizard doomed in love.
She wandered the halls for a while, before she finally came upon Jerimus looking down over the stone railing into the courtyard. Most likely he wasn't really looking, but feeling the cool breezes that sometimes got caught between the sky and open floor below.
"Thank you," Rita said as she approached Jerimus.
"For what?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. She stood close to him, placing her hands on the railing.
"Just…everything," Rita sighed. They stood in silence for a while before Jerimus finally spoke.
"Did you really catch Juliana's hair on fire?" He asked with a grin. Rita ducted her head and laughed briefly.
"It was a simple spell, any school child or adult with a brain larger than pea could have stopped it," Rita defended.
"Well," Jerimus responded, "Then it makes perfect sense why Juliana couldn't."
Rita was surprised at the joke but she smiled at it anyway.
"That's your future bride you're talking about," Rita reminded him. Juliana's story had not ruined her perfect day during breakfast but the thought of Juliana's words about Jerimus brought her spirits down a little.
"Please kill me, if ever that were to happen," Jerimus said. Rita placed a hand on her waist and turned to look up at Jerimus. He kept his face turned toward the courtyard.
"You took her to the Quidditch game," Rita accused.
"She needed a date."
"Did you really enjoy her company?"
"Not as much as seeing her in the mud."
"Then why take her?"
"Why not?"
"You are impossible!"
"And you are impatient."
"You like to toy with me?"
"Yes."
"So did Juliana and look what happened to her."
"My hair is a lot shorter, less to catch on fire."
"You find this funny?"
"Very."
"You stubborn, conceded—"
"I take it this won't be a complement."
"Are you a Nevilos Amorus?" Rita demanded, at the end of the heated exchange.
Jerimus slowly turned his body to face Rita. She had never before asked a question she wanted more badly to know the answer to. Jerimus was silent for what seemed like a passing century.
"Yes."
Rita's heart flew and sank all at the same time with the one simple word. There was a possibility, since he was unable to show how he felt, that he might be in love with her. Even if he was, however, it made no difference. He was a powerful Auror, someone Dumbledore needed in the fight against dark magic. Without magic he would have even less than most, he would be sightless as well as powerless. Rita could not ask him to give that up for her, she wanted to desperately, but there were more important things in the world. She knew that now.
"Oh," she said, quietly. The two of them turned away from each other, to look out over the courtyard once again.
"You were never engaged to her," Rita finally said.
"I don't even like the woman. In fact, she is the opposite of everything I've ever wanted in a woman," Jerimus said with little warmth.
"Then I don't understand why on earth you would—"
Rita cut herself short as she realized something she had never considered before. If Jerimus' goal had been to stop all chances of falling in love it seemed to reason he would align himself with everything he hated in a woman and distance himself from the possibility of love.
"I'm sorry I was prying, I am a reporter you know," she attempted to joke but Jerimus did not crack a smile. "I'll stay out of your way from now on." Rita turned to leave but Jerimus' hand gripped her arm.
"Will it hurt you to leave me?" he asked.
Rita found the question odd, and one she did not feel like answering. If she answered truthfully, she would be putting her heart on the line, the one thing she feared most. The words sort of spilled out of her mouth even though she tried to stop them.
"Of course it will hurt. It has hurt everyday for the past five years-I-have-to-go," Rita quickly said. Tears threatened to appear and Rita never, ever cried. Try as she did she couldn't break away from Jerimus' grasp.
"Look at me," Jerimus said, gently placing a hand under her chin and lifting her eyes to his. "I bet you are still as beautiful as the day I met you. I wish I could see you now."
"Jerimus please don't," Rita whispered her voice trembling. She turned her head away. "You'll risk everything." The grip on her arm loosened.
"You're right," he agreed, and Rita's heart sunk lower than she thought it could, "but risking everything to tell you I how much respect and love you is well worth it and something I should have done long ago."
Rita had to blink vigorously a few times to keep the tears back. Something this good just wasn't possible. Rita had a hard time believing the moment was real and true.
"But your powers," Rita said, taking his face between her hands. His rough whiskers against her fingers felt like she always imagined they would.
"Who cares," Jerimus said flippantly.
"You can't shrug this off. You now have nothing," Rita replied. Jerimus reached up to his face and took her hands in his.
"No, Rita. For the last five years I had nothing. Five years I could have spent with you were wasted. The Ministry didn't want me. Until Albus started the Order I wasted time on pointless missions to keep me out of the important affairs. I couldn't leave that life because I was afraid of loosing magic. I thought it would make me… insignificant, but I finally realized as long as I have you I'm the most important man alive. That is if you still want a blind retired Auror who is impossible, stubborn, conceded and a Squib," Jerimus said.
Rita did not have to think twice about her response to that question. She stood on her tiptoes threw her arms around his neck and brought her lips up to his. All the passion and emotion she had been saving up for the past five years exploded into the most extraordinarily sweet knee buckling kiss she had ever given or received.
"I'll take that as a yes," Jerimus whispered in her ear when the finally parted. Rita put her arms around his middle and pressed the side of her head to his chest. His arms were wrapped tightly around her.
"I've never loved anyone before," she said as she closed her eyes and inhaled his enchanting sent, "but I know I will never again love anyone as much as I love you."
Jerimus made a pleasant sort of exhaling sound in response to her words. His tight hold on her loosened a little and it wasn't until she heard some students coming up the stair well she realized why. Jerimus put an arm around her shoulder and she placed hers around his waist. They slowly began to stroll along the long balcony.
"You know, I didn't lose my powers just now," Jerimus said. Rita had a faint glint of hope that maybe the curse was broken.
"You didn't?" she asked.
"No. I lost them last night, in Albus' office. As I was sitting there watching you stubbornly resist joining the Order I had this…epiphany. All thoughts left me except one. I love Rita Skeeter. You've had a hard life. Despite all that you decided to join with and fight for many of the same people who shun you. I knew you would make the right decision. In our past interviews I saw this caring, brave woman watching and waiting to come out. You would have fought to the death before you would let Bellatrix hurt Hermione, and don't try to deny it, because I know. When you agreed to fight for the Order I just couldn't deny my feelings any longer," Jerimus said.
The beautiful statement was reaffirmed Rita's belief that joining the Order was the right choice. Jerimus was right of course. Rita could slander Hermione's good name all she wanted because it was enjoyable but when it came down to the important matters Rita sided with her brother. He was a fighter and so was she.
"I see. You already lost your powers, so all that stuff about 'having me makes you important' came after the fact," Rita teased. Jerimus looked genuinely stunned.
"No, that's not what I meant I just…I didn't want to tell you how I felt. I didn't want to guilt you into relationship if you didn't feel the same. I was trying to…" Jerimus stopped. Rita had never seen him so disheveled.
"Oh, so, if I had never said anything we would still be arguing like we were five minutes ago," Rita responded. Jerimus smiled widely.
"Rita," he said.
"Yes?"
"We're still arguing."
Rita laughed out loud and leaned into Jerimus' chest placing a hand on it.
"I think," she said lifting her chin, "This is the best day of my life."
"No," Jerimus replied, "We have days far better than this ahead of us." She smiled up at him and thought how romantic it was that he lost everything to love her and was happy despite.
"And many more arguments," she finished. Jerimus stopped in the hallway and stole another kiss from her before another group of students passed by.
"Thank you for putting up with me," Rita said as she packed up her belongings. McGonagall volunteered her afternoon to help as Jerimus was on a mission for the Order.
"You're welcome, my dear," McGonagall replied. The Headmistress placed the last of the boxes on the table as Rita finished collecting the rest of her clothes.
"I take it you and Mr. Brighthall found a suitable place to live," McGonagall said, her robes dragging on the floor as she walked to look out the window.
"Well, it's not a castle, but it will do," Rita responded.
"I'm happy for you," McGonagall said, somewhat abruptly. The statement caused Rita to draw her attention away from folding clothes.
"Uh, thank you."
Rita was sure she sounded stupid, but she had always seen McGonagall as some sort of Queen Witch, always aloof but always wise. She made Rita feel like she should say 'your majesty' after every sentence. McGonagall with her noble chin high looked out the window.
"I…" Rita stammered and then stomped her foot to gain control of herself. "I hope you will come to the wedding."
"Yes, I got the invitation," McGonagall said. Rita nodded once and decided to give up making polite conversation as she had done earlier.
"The young man you are marrying believed in you from the very beginning. I enjoyed the spectacle you made of yourself at the Quidditch game when he brought Juliana along," McGonagall said while lightly chuckling. Rita went back to folding clothes a smirk appearing on her lips.
"Perhaps, being a spectacle is not a bad thing," McGonagall said her voice far off. "Men notice a spectacle."
Rita lifted one eyebrow and walked over to face McGonagall at the window with her arms folded. The old woman placed her aged hands on Rita's arm.
"Always remember to appreciate a man who would give up magic to be with you," McGonagall advised, her voice motherly.
"I intend to," Rita replied. McGonagall nodded and left Rita alone in the room. Rita looked down through the window and saw Professor Dumbledore talking to a group of students in the distance. Rita put a figure to her chin.
"Huh," she mumbled to herself.
She had more in common with McGonagall than she might have guessed. In fact, she suddenly had a brilliant idea for a novel. The plot would involve three generations of women, all quite different on the outside but bound together by the same flaws and desires. The impatient little school girl on the verge of learning about love, the impatient reporter finding love for herself, and the wizened regal witch scared by the loss of love. All three struggling to make their mark on the world, all needing to be significant to someone.
To have known Hermione and McGonagall was to Rita like discovering unknown parts of herself. Nothing in the world could ever change Rita's belief that Hermione Granger and Minerva McGonagall were two of her very best friends.
Rita finished packing her clothes and walked to the door. She turned around and looked back at the room that held the boxes Jerimus would pick up later. The newest edition of the Quibbler was lying on the table. Rita returned to pick it up. Her story had made the front page and sold more copies than any previous issue. The title of her story was printed in bold dark letters.
Join the Fight! Harry Potter Needs You!
Once in the doorway she fingered the ring on her hand, sighed, smiled and turned off the light.
There you have it. Thanks so much for reading! I would love to get feedback if you have the time!