ONE: First Issue

It's been a month ever since I quit my job at the Prophet.

Three weeks since I broke the news to my family and friends. They gave me their blessings.

Two weeks since I've gotten permission from Luna if I could publish my newspaper in the same place where the Quibbler is published.

A week and a half since Luna asked if we could affiliate. I said yes, of course. The more the merrier.

A week since I've hired my team of reporters.

Five days since I've decided to name the newspaper the Owl Gazette.

Today's not just an ordinary day. It's D-Day. The day the first issue of Owl Gazette will come out.

I'm not scared, I feel dandy. I'm confident the people would read the paper and believe the truth. I'm confident that…

I might fail miserably.

I should have thought of that before I burst in Draco's office and told him off.

I'm doomed.

Last night I couldn't sleep, tossing and turning until dawn fell and I went to the kitchen to get my morning coffee. Three hours later, Vivian woke up and I started pacing.

"Stop pacing, Hermione." Vivian said, as she brushed her shoulder-lengthed auburn hair. "Don't worry so much, you'll get wrinkles."

"Worried? I'm not worried…" I denied.

"Well, unless you're trying to lose some pounds, you better stop pacing." She said, holding me down to the couch.

"Now I want you, to go out in Diagon Alley and check the sales in Flourish and Blotts." She said.

"Why would I want to do that? Nobody might buy it…"

"What with all the advertising, why would no one buy it?" She said, reassuringly. "Now get off your fat arse and go!"

And so I did, I walked out the front door.

"Uh, Hermione, did you forget to change?"

I hugged my coat tighter as I left the bus. I looked around, it was normal; people walking by not even glancing at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. I sighed and entered the Leaky Cauldron.

Everyone held a newspaper in their hands, some reading intently and others talking to each other animatedly.

"This is scandalous! How could she write that?"

"Well everyone likes a scandal every now and then, and this is the truth! Not that shite that they make us read in the Prophet…"

"How could you say that?"

"It's in the article, see?"

I just stood in the doorway, amazed. I must have looked like a goldfish, mouth agape, looking around the whole room.

Then from the bar, Tom the bar keeper waved to me. "Oy, that's the Granger I've been talking about!"

Everyone stood silent and faced towards me. Then they all cheered.

As I walked past the crowd to get to the wall that would lead to Diagon Alley, everyone gave me a pat on the back and told me about how they enjoyed the paper today. All I could do was nod, smile and thank them.

I finally escaped from the crowd and knocked on the brick wall with my wand, revealing Diagon Alley. The crowd there had the same reaction as the one in the Leaky Cauldron. Everyone clapped, cheered and shouted encouraging words to me. Like I did in the Leaky Cauldron, I nodded, smiled and thanked them.

When I reached Flourish and Blotts, Susan Boones, the manager greeted me at the door.

"Hermione! How glad I am to see you…"

"Same here…"

"Congratulations on the Owl Gazette! It's flying off the shelves! Look!" She pointed at the cashier, and I saw that the cashier was very busy, handing people their copies of the Owl Gazette, getting the customers' money and handing back their change.

"I can't believe it, I just thought it was going to be a small company…" I said, still not believing it.

"Don't be so modest," Susan said, happily. "I'm so happy for you! The first issue and it's an instant hit!"

"Thanks, Susan, I appreciate it." I said. I left Diagon Alley and to the streets.

I ran towards the apartment, so happy that I didn't care people thought that I just escaped from the loony bin. When I reached the elevator, I kept pressing 5, the floor that I live in. As the doors swung open at level 5, I rushed down the hallway and knocked at my door.

Vivian answered, wearing curlers and a face mask. "Hermione, what's going on? What's the rush?"

I tackled her and hugged her tightly.

"It's been great!" I said excitedly. "It's flying off the shelves!"

"That's great, but can I live to see your success?" She said, as I loosened my hug.

"My success? We did it! We both did it!"

Vivian and I went back to Diagon Alley that afternoon to visit Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where the Weasleys and Mr. and Mrs. Potter told us to meet them.

We reached their shop and were greeted with applause.

"Hermione, smashing article there…" Fred began.

"Told the truth, and politely insulting the ferret." George continued.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley approached us and said, "We're so proud of you Hermione! Just think, it was as if it was yesterday when we met… Now you're all grown up and chief editor of a newspaper!"

I blushed and said my thank yous.

I saw Ginny and was surprised. "Ginny! You're pregnant!"

"Aye, with Harry Potter the second." Harry said, proudly, touching his wife's stomach.

"And what if it's a girl?" Ginny said to Harry.

"Harriet Potter?" Harry said uncertainly.

We both laughed. "Since when were you this narcissistic?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vivian talking to Ron. My girl best friend and my boy best friend, a couple? In a few years they'd be married, making love and having a thousand babies. I think they were meant to be with each other.

Apparently, Harry thought so too, as he nudged me and pointed in their direction.

I sneaked outside and found a very bewildered Draco complaining to Pansy, his wife, with the Owl Gazette in his hands.

"How can this be? This is not possible…" He said, confused.

"Ah, but it is." I smirked.

"This is outrageous!" He showed the headline that read 'Daily Prophet: Puppet of Scrimgeour?'.

"I told you to be afraid."

"You can not do this! This can't be happening!"

"But then, I did and this is happening." I smiled.

Draco became as bewildered as ever, stuttering and struggling to find the right words to say.

"Hey, on Friday there's going to be a party to celebrate the Gazette's debut. Because I'm a nice, truthful person, you're invited to the party. Bring your friends." I told him. "It's seven o'clock in that muggle bar, Apple Cider. Wear muggle clothes, preferably a clown's."

I walked away, smiling, leaving a confused Draco thinking that he might be slightly insane to think that this could happen.

A/N: I know it's kinda slow and short… But bare with me… Blaise will come in the next chapter… I promise.