A/N: Just a quick one. Apologies for the delay of an update! Real life sort of throws you in a loop sometimes and everything just went crazy. But here I am, a day early to post the new chapter. Whew! Thanks again to Tyrannicpuppy and Untold Harmony for going over this. Enjoy!
Hermione was running late that morning to work. The dinner last night with Harry, the two kids, and Harry's friends had ended later than they had planned so she had to sleep later than usual. She had dropped off a sleepy Ethan at football summer camp then rushed to The Bookend. She just crossed the threshold of the shop when she was accosted by Margarethe and dragged through to her office.
"Well, good morning to you, too," she greeted her best friend dryly. Margarethe ignored her, pushed Hermione down on one of the chairs in front of her desk then proceeded to lock and silence the door. The combination of spells reminded her of the last time that door was warded the same way. She flushed at the memory and hoped Margarethe didn't notice.
It seemed that she didn't because as her best friend rounded on her, that was when she noticed the concern on her friend's face and that she was holding something in her hand. Dread began to descend in her stomach. Margarethe sighed then handed her the newspaper. With hands that shook, she slowly took the newspaper from her friend's grip then proceeded to open it.
There, smack on the front page of the paper was a huge photo of her and Harry outside Seamus and Dean's restaurant the night before. They stood facing each other as they did when they said their goodbyes and shared a kiss. Just like other magical photos, the one on the newspaper would loop beginning from them speaking and ending with them separating after the kiss. Her face was slightly covered by her sleeping son's head that was leaning on her left shoulder as she carried him, so it wouldn't be clear to the readers what she looked like. Below the photo was the headline in gigantic letters:
The Man-Who-Conquered on a Date with Mystery Woman!
By Rita Skeeter
She went ahead and began reading the article that accompanied the photo and headline.
It seems that Harry Potter, most well known as The Boy-Who-Lived before becoming The Man-Who-Conquered after his defeat of Dark Lord Voldemort in 1997, and now the Puddlemere United and English National Quidditch Team's Seeker and Captain, is off the market.
An anonymous tip told us that Mr. Potter was dining at Firepit, the restaurant owned by Harry Potter's close friends from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—couple Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas—with the aforementioned couple, two children, and a woman.
It was said that he was being more than friendly with a female companion all throughout their meal. The tip described the woman as petite with riotous brunette hair, her fashion style was understated but she carried herself elegantly. They also said that the two were constantly touching each other, and would share significant glances with each other for the duration of the affair.
The pair came out of the restaurant hours later, each carrying a child in their arms (as seen in the photo above this article). Mr. Potter carried his young godson, who had seemed to be asleep, while the mystery woman carried the other sleeping child (the nature of the child and woman's relationship is still currently unknown), whom she left with after she shared a rather intimate kiss with Mr. Potter. The couple went their separate ways, but Mr. Potter waited until the woman left before apparating away himself.
Mr. Potter's last noted relationship was with Ms. Cho Chang, Seeker of the Wimbourne Wasps. They ended their on-again-off-again relationship for good the previous year when Ms. Chang was caught naked in the hotel room of one of her male teammates by Mr. Potter himself during one of their team tours.
So, who is this mysterious woman that our Mr. Potter is obviously quite smitten with? Where did she come from? How did the two meet? Who was the child she was with? Is she the one who will finally end Mr. Potter's reign as the Most Eligible Bachelor in the Wizarding World?
Stay tuned as we investigate this budding romance between The Man-Who-Conquered and his new belle.
Hermione threw the newspaper on her desk after she was done reading it. She released a deep sigh and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She didn't see the other woman take the other chair.
"Chérie?" Margarethe spoke quietly as she waited anxiously for her friend's reaction to that day's headline.
Hermione opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I knew it was going to come out sooner or later. I have been thinking about it since the day I agreed to date Harry Potter." She paused, sighed again, and said, "I guess knowing and actually experiencing it are two truly different things. J'aurais probablement dû être prêt pour ça." (I probably should have been ready for this.)
"What are you going to do now?" The other woman asked. "Are you going to stop seeing Harry?"
Hermione looked at her friend and her eyes spoke of everything she felt. "Je ne peux même pas, si je voulais. (I can't, even if I wanted to.) I—What I feel for Harry, it's… When I think of not being able to see him anymore, there's this… painful feeling in the pit of my stomach and my chest hurts." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing her tears not to fall. "I know I've only just met him but I've never felt so… strongly for someone."
"I know, chérie," her friend said. She knew her friend had never been truly in love in the past. And it seemed like she's already on her way to falling hard for the renowned seeker and saviour of the Wizarding World.
"But I also have to protect Ethan. He's my priority."
Margarethe nodded. "Of course. Maybe you should speak to—"
Whatever she was about to say was cut off when Hermione's mobile phone began ringing. She bent down to grab the phone from her bag, which she dropped on the floor when she sat down earlier. Looking at the screen, her heart rate accelerated upon seeing Harry's name. The feeling of dread came back in full force and it took her three times to press the answer button on the screen of her phone.
"Harry?" Her voice was almost a whisper.
"Hermione, I just saw The Daily Prophet!" His voice was urgent and worried. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you hate the press-"
"Harry," she interrupted him, "It's-it's alright. We knew they were going to find out about us sooner or later, didn't we? And you hate them just as much."
"Well, yes. But I would have preferred that we decided when they would find out about us." She nodded, even though Harry couldn't see her.
"I'm more worried about Ethan, to tell you the truth," she told him.
"I know. The press usually has this unspoken rule about keeping children out of their pages," he replied.
"But both Teddy and Ethan were in the article even if their faces weren't visible."
She heard Harry sigh on the phone, "Merlin. I'm going to have Rita's head for this. That woman has been a pain in my arse since I was a teenager."
They were quiet for a few moments, each lost in their thoughts, before Harry spoke again.
"Hermione?" His voice brought her out of her revery.
"Hmm?"
"I'll do everything to protect you and Ethan, I hope you believe that." She could detect a speck of worry in his voice even as he tried to sound confident.
"Of course, Harry," was all she could say.
"I have to make a few calls to do some damage control. Fucking Rita. Anyway, I'll call you later?"
"Sure. Bye, Harry."
"Bye, Hermione." Then the call ended. She stared at the phone as if it would give her the answers she needed.
"What did Harry say?" Margarethe asked.
Hermione lost count of how many times she had sighed in the last few minutes since seeing the newspaper in her friend's hand. "He said he was going to make some calls and do some damage control. I'm not exactly sure what he meant by that."
Margarethe scoffed. "He's influential, alright, but not that influential. He can tell them to leave you alone until he's blue in the face but the press will print whatever they want regardless of what he would say about the matter."
The brunette woman nodded her agreement. "Right now, the most important thing is keeping the press away from Ethan. But I have no idea how to do that."
The blonde woman moved from her seat and kneeled beside Hermione, taking Hermione's trembling hands in hers. "It's gonna be okay. You have me, you have Alice and Stephen, you have Harry. There's a bunch of people around you willing to help you now. You're not alone in this. You never will be."
Hermione nodded and took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She realized now that people would know about her, she had to show everyone that she had every right to date Harry Potter. She wasn't some push-over and she wasn't about to start now. She wanted to keep seeing Harry and if that meant she had to deal with the press, then that was what she would do while protecting Ethan from them. Her son did not deserve the scrutiny she was about to face, especially from Harry's adoring fans.
Margarethe knew what that look on Hermione's face meant and she inwardly cheered. Her friend was strong-willed and stubborn, yet for a few moments, she feared that Hermione was going to give up the chance for happiness so she could go back to being on the safe side.
"Well, sulking and hiding in here isn't going to help me. Better to just go about my day, like usual," Hermione said as she stood. Margarethe stood with her and gave her a tight hug.
"Everything's going to be alright, chérie. I'll be next door if you need me for anything."
"I know, Marga," Hermione moved away a bit from the hug and gave her best friend a smile. "Thank you for everything."
"Pish posh!" Margarethe let go of her, waving her hand. "We may not be blood, but we are soeurs du coeur (sisters of the heart). We are family, you know that."
Hermione smiled. It was true. For years, she and Margarethe only had each other as family. They had gone through so much together that she felt like some ties between blood-relations pale in comparison to their relationship. She kissed Margarethe on both cheeks before walking her out of her office.
"I'll be leaving early later to pick up Ethan. Why don't you come to the flat later and have dinner with us?" The smaller woman asked.
"Mais bien sûr! I'll be there by half-past six, yes?"
"Sure."
Margarethe waved goodbye to her before walking to the connecting door between their shops. Taking another deep breath, she straightened her back, gathered every bit of courage she had, and went on to face the day ahead.
When Harry opened the newspaper that morning, he spewed the coffee he had just drank all over it. Smack in the middle of The Daily Prophet was a photo of him and Hermione, each carrying a child, as they kissed outside Firepit the night before. He inwardly cursed as he scanned the article-of course it was by Rita bloody Skeeter-trying to see if they were able to name Hermione. He felt a bit of comfort when he realized that they had not identified her yet, but then worry replaced his sense of relief. He knew Hermione didn't like the press or being in the limelight and this was exactly what she feared. He scrambled to grab his phone and dialed Hermione's number. He was hoping to catch her before she saw the paper, but looking at the current time, he knew she was already at the bookshop.
"Harry?" He could hear the apprehension in her voice and he hated its presence there. He hated it more that he was the cause of it.
"Hermione, I just saw The Daily Prophet! I'm so sorry. I know how much you hate the press-"
"Harry, it's-it's alright. We knew they were going to find out about us sooner or later, didn't we? And you hate them just as much," she said softly, and he could hear as she tried to control her shaking voice.
"Well, yes. But I would have preferred that we decided when they would find out about us."
They spoke for a few minutes as he tried to think of something to do about the situation before it got out of hand. After their call, he went to his fireplace located in the front sitting room and took a pinch of Floo powder from the jar hanging by the mantle. He conjured a fire and threw the powder into it.
"The Hovel!" He called out his best friend's home. It took a few seconds before his friend's face was visible in the Floo.
"Oh, hey mate! Isn't this too early for Floo calls?" He joked.
Harry shook his head. "I have a bit of situation, Ron. Do you have The Prophet?"
He saw Ron look behind him and nodded. "Yeah, I have it but I haven't seen it yet."
"Go and check it then Floo over here immediately." Harry ended the call and began pacing back and forth in the sitting room. It didn't take more than five minutes before the Floo activated and his red-haired friend stepped out of the fireplace, a frown on his face.
"Bloody hell, Harry! Front page, again!" Ron exclaimed.
"That's not what I'm concerned about. I'm more worried about what would happen to Hermione and Ethan after this," Harry said as he sat down on the couch. Ron sat on the armchair on Harry's right and looked at his best friend.
"The press is going to go after them. You know they will," Ron spoke.
Harry nodded. "I know that. And I need to do something about it. I have to protect them, Ron. They don't deserve to be hounded by the press just because Hermione is dating me."
Ron was quiet for a minute or two, thinking of a plan that could help his friend. He hadn't met Hermione yet but looking at Harry, he could see how important this woman was to his friend already. Ron had heard about Hermione and her son so much from Harry and he couldn't help but notice his friend's happiness when speaking about them.
"How about releasing a statement about your relationship? Wouldn't it be better to pre-empt the press before they start digging about who this 'mystery woman' is?" Ron suggested.
"Do you think that will work?" Harry asked.
Ron shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe we can ask someone from the press. But who?"
They were silent for a few seconds before Harry stood up and hurriedly went to his fireplace, took a pinch of Floo powder, and made another call.
"The Lovegood House!"
It took a little longer before someone answered.
"Oh, hello Harry," Luna Lovegood's serene face appeared in the green fire. "Good morning to you too, Ronald," she said as she looked beyond Harry's shoulder to look at Ron.
"Hello, Luna," Ron returned the greeting. That's when Ron realized what Harry was on about.
"Luna, are you busy right now? I need to run something by you and it's urgent," Harry told the blonde.
"Of course. I'll be over in a second." Luna ended the Floo call abruptly. Harry barely moved away from the fireplace when it burst to life again and Luna came out. She wore a bright yellow sundress, her signature radish earrings, her wand behind her ear, and not a single blonde hair out of place. Without waiting for an invitation, she went straight to Harry's couch and sat. Looking at Ron sitting on her right then Harry standing on her left, she folded her hands on her lap and smiled.
"Is this about the article on the front page of The Prophet this morning?" Trust Luna to get straight to the point. She was never one for mincing words. Some may see her as flighty and a bit loony but behind those innocent-looking eyes was a sharp mind. She definitely earned her place in Ravenclaw House.
Harry nodded. "We were wondering if it would be wise to release a statement regarding my relationship with Hermione."
"Hmm, I see. So you want to go ahead and confirm the relationship and her identity before the papers do," she said.
"Yes. This way, we could still have a bit of control. Burst their bubble on the mystery of the woman I'm dating at the same time, issue a bit of warning."
"Could be worth a try," Luna agreed. "And you plan to publish this in The Quibbler, yes?"
"Of course. It's the only publication I trust and I know you won't go after Hermione and her son," Harry confirmed. He trusted Luna as much as he trusted Ron. She was one of his closest friends, even almost like a sister to him.
Luna nodded and stood. "Go write your statement and owl it to me before lunch. I'll have it printed first thing in the morning." She walked past Ron but not before reaching out and touching his cheek, then Floo'd out of Harry's flat. Harry looked at Ron and raised his eyebrow, while Ron had a bewildered expression on his face.
"What was that about?" Harry asked.
"I have no idea," Ron replied, still confused.
It was a good thing they didn't have practice that day. He went to his home office as soon as Ron left. He had a statement to write.
She expected more fanfare, to be honest. But maybe because her face wasn't all that visible on the photo of the article, people would not know who Harry's date was or what she looked like. Only her more regular patrons knew she had some form of relationship with the famous seeker because they often saw him in the shop but so far, not one of them had gone to the press about it. Which was a relief, since it would have brought the wizarding community running to The Bookend to catch a glimpse of her. Or maybe that was just her optimism speaking. She was gathering her things in her office, about to leave to pick up her son from football camp when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Hermione. Bad time?" Harry's voice went through the phone audio.
"Not really. Just getting ready to leave to pick up Ethan then do a bit of grocery shopping before heading home."
"Right. Well, I just wanted you to know I've spoken to my best mate, Ron, and a friend who's handling The Quibbler." Hermione's brows drew close together at the mention of the wizarding tabloid. While The Quibbler did write better articles and take the numerous plights of the wizarding world seriously, it also tended to publish stories about creatures with dubious existence and conspiracy theories. Hermione forced herself out of her thoughts to listen to Harry, "... since they haven't figured out who you are yet, we thought that maybe we'll just go first and publish a sort of statement in The Quibbler by tomorrow."
"The Quibbler?" She asked, not quite sure if she was clarifying she heard it right or questioning Harry's decision.
"Yeah. Luna Lovegood, who's the daughter of the original owner, is a good friend of mine. I've already sent her my statement. She will edit it and make sure it gets printed for tomorrow's edition."
"Harry, are you sure about this?"
"Of course," he said with confidence. "The Quibbler has helped me since my school years setting rumors straight that the Daily Prophet tends to publish. They're just about the only member of the press that I trust. Although with the statement, I'm sure we wouldn't be able to avoid the chaos that will ensue. People will still be clamoring to see you."
Hermione sighed. Whether or not they released a statement, once the wizarding world found out about their relationship, there would be pandemonium. Before she could say anything, Harry began speaking again, likely taking her silence in the wrong way.
"I'm so sorry. I know we've spoken about this before but..." he trailed off and sighed. "I know it's going to be a lot to take in. The attention, the scrutiny. It comes with being with me. I try to keep my personal life as private as possible but-it seems like I gave that up the moment I survived the Killing Curse when I was a baby."
"Harry," she tried to soothe him. "When I agreed to date you, I knew you were famous, probably the most famous wizard in the I guess… I failed to grasp what that truly entailed. But I have no regrets in being with you. None at all."
She heard a sigh from the other end of the line, as if Harry let out a breath he was holding after hearing her words.
"Thank Merlin. I don't want you to regret this-us." Relief was evident in his voice.
"I will tell you if I do start regretting it," she laughed.
"Please do," he replied, chuckling.
"Would you like to have dinner with us tonight at our place? Ethan has been asking about you already and Margarethe is coming over as well," she offered him. She knew they had just been together the night before but for some inexplicable reason, she needed to see him. She needed his comforting arms around her and reassurance that everything would be okay.
"Sure, I'd love to. Do you want me to bring anything?" He responded.
"Maybe some wine?"
"Done. See you later, baby."
"See you later, Harry."
Harry knocked on the door of Hermione's flat at exactly six that evening, a bottle of red wine in his hands. He was about to knock again when the door swung open and revealed the brunette nine-year-old resident of the flat.
"Hello Ethan," Harry greeted him.
"Heya Harry! Mum and Aunt Marga are inside getting dinner together. Come in!" The child quickly spoke then turned, leaving the door open for Harry. He entered the flat and was immediately hit by different aromas that made his stomach grumble with hunger.
"What are they making?" Harry asked the little boy as he was led to the kitchen.
"Some fragrant rice and stewed beef, I think. I helped clean the leaves for the salad earlier, too," Ethan answered. "Hey Mum! Harry's here."
Hermione chuckled as she raised her head from what she was chopping to look at them both. "I heard him them moment you opened the door, little man." Ethan huffed.
Harry went around the kitchen counter and stood beside Hermione at the center island table. He gave a kiss on the cheek and greeted Margarethe who was at the stove mixing the stew.
"Anything I can help with?" He asked.
"No, we 're almost done here anyway. Why don't you and Ethan go and sit by the fireplace and play or something?" Hermione answered without looking at him.
"You sure?" He confirmed with Margarethe who stood by Hermione's other side.
"Bien sûr! We got this, Harry. Go, go," Margarethe responded, waving her hand to make him leave.
Harry rolled his eyes at the women. "Whatever you say." He turned to the boy sitting by the counter. "Come on, little man. Apparently, we're not needed here."
Ethan laughed at the adults then followed Harry to sit on the couch. He already brought out the chess board, which was hidden at the bottom of the coffee table, before the child even sat. They started arranging the pieces in silence as they had done several times before. While Harry was a decent chess player, it seemed Ethan was more adept with the game. Ethan was leading with several wins on their scoreboard.
As Harry made the first move, he looked at the young boy. "Did you hear about what happened today?"
Ethan made his move before answering. "Yeah. Mum told me about the article and the photo in the paper, she even showed it to me."
"I'm sorry," Harry said. "The press can get pretty… eager when it comes to my personal life."
"It's alright. I'm sure anyone who was close to you got to experience that in some way."
"Not exactly. It only happens to the women I date," Harry responded, a sheepish look on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh, so it happened because you're dating my mum."
"Pretty much, yeah. You know how famous I am in the Wizarding World, and not just because I'm a Quidditch player."
The young boy nodded. "Yes, because of the past war with Voldemort. I've read about that in Mum's shop."
Harry couldn't help the smile that answer caused him. "Yes, well, the public has taken a great deal of interest in my private life because of that."
"That's bull-"
Harry raised his eyebrows at Ethan, knowing what he was going to say.
"-crap," Ethan finished lamely. "They don't need to know everything about your life. You don't owe them diddly squat." He huffed.
"I know that. And I'm sorry you and your mum are likely to endure it soon," Harry said as he ruffled the boy's curly hair.
"Pfft. Mum's tough as a nut. She's not easily scared. As long as you promise not to hurt her and never make her cry, we're good," Ethan looked straight at him. His eyes the same shade as his mother's, and just as piercing.
Harry knew while it was said in a casual way, the threat and weight of the statement was there. The boy was looking out for his mother, even while being quite so young. He was the man of the house and he took it as his duty to protect his mother. He admired the mother and son relationship and he was surprised when the desire to be included in that relationship blossomed in his chest. He also wanted to protect this little family with everything he had. But first, he had a promise to make.
"I can't promise you I'll never make your mum cry, because I most probably will by being stupid. However, I can promise you that I will try. I don't ever want to hurt your mum. " Harry returned the look, something passing between the two males, like a silent agreement. Ethan simply smiled then resumed playing.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off of Harry's chest after his promise to Ethan. He knew he was stupid enough to do something to mess things up but he was serious about his promise to Hermione's son. He hoped that the only tears she would ever cry would be tears of joy and happiness, and that he was the one that caused them.
"Dinner's ready, you two," Hermione called out from the dining table.
"Yes!" Ethan cheered then jumped up from the couch. Harry chuckled as he watched the boy as he hurriedly made his way to the table.
"That one's hungry," he commented as Hermione approached him. He took her hand as she stood behind the furniture he sat on. Hermione bent forward and gave him a peck on the lips.
"How are you doing?" Harry asked as Hermione stood back up.
"Better. I had time to calm down and think things through," she answered. He could see the stress on her face but she was doing her best to show she was unaffected by the article.
"I'm right here, Hermione," he said as he squeezed her hand. "You can lean on me," he uttered softly.
"I know," she responded just as softly.
"I have the statement to be released tomorrow. You can read it and if it's okay with you, I can tell Luna that she can go ahead," he said.
"Mum! A tiny person is hungry over here!" Ethan called out from his place at the dining table before Hermione could even answer.
"You heard the little man," Marga teased the couple as she took her seat, as well.
Harry and Hermione shared a look and a smile then she pulled on his hand, making him stand and they walked to the table together, hand in hand.
Next Day
The Quibbler
Harry Potter's Official Statement
In response to the article published yesterday in another publication, I am releasing this statement, the only one I will be releasing, about this matter.
It is true that I am currently in a relationship with the woman in the photo that accompanied the article. Her name is Hermione and the boy she was seen carrying in the photo is her nine-year old son. Born in England but grew up in France, she and her son moved back home to England two years ago.
She is an accomplished woman, highly intelligent, and a powerful witch. She is the proud owner of a bookshop and co-owner of an event organizing company.
I will request the Wizarding Community to refrain from ambushing and scrutinizing her and her son. They do not deserve such attention. I have long accepted that my personal life can not be kept private at all times but I would like everyone to respect Hermione's, and especially, her young son's privacy. I will not tolerate anyone disregarding their right to their privacy.
That being said, thank you all for taking the time to read this.
A good day to all.
Harry James Potter
Order of Merlin, First Class
Puddlemere United & England National Quidditch Team Captain and Seeker
Margarethe laughed after reading the statement Harry had released that morning regarding his relationship with her best friend.
"Bien, he definitely knows how to threaten everyone without actually saying it. The Order of Merlin at the end is a nice touch, too," she said, still laughing.
Alice and Stephen both laughed when Hermione blushed. She already knew the content of the statement, as he had brought a draft for it last night to dinner at her home. She surmised that Harry must have added the last line at the last minute before it was printed this morning.
"Well," she began, even though her cheeks were still red. "I hope they understood. But I'm sure not everyone will listen to it."
"I would love to see someone test it, though. Harry's quite a powerful wizard. Only the truly stupid would try to duel him," Alice said in excitement.
"I really hope it doesn't come to that. He could get arrested for public disturbance," Hermione grimaced
"Nah. He can challenge anyone to a duel to defend your honour then the challenger will get arrested," Alice replied.
Hermione rolled her eyes at that. It was so old-fashioned and she'd rather not have people duelling for her "honour." She didn't want to draw any more attention to herself, especially since she had a feeling that the statement had probably already been read by all of the British Wizarding Community. She resolved to just go about her day, as usual, just do her work and try her best not to be bothered by the intrusive and nosy public.
It was crazy.
She thought that it wasn't all that bad considering the past few days and that morning were relatively quiet and calm.
The pandemonium came right at lunchtime.
She was on her way back to the shop after buying lunch for her and her staff—though they had volunteered to go out instead but she refused—when the first flash of a camera nearly blinded her and caused her to jump in surprise. The press descended on her like a pack of wolves and had thrown question after question at her that they were almost unintelligible.
"Ms. Granger, how did you meet Mr. Potter?"
"How long has your relationship with Mr. Potter been going on?"
"Do you see yourself and Mr. Potter getting married?"
"Does Ms. Cho Chang know about you and Mr. Potter?"
"How does Mr. Potter feel about you having a son?"
"Is this a real relationship or is it just a summer fling?"
"Are you only after his fame and fortune?"
The last question actually made her pause in her stride towards her shop. She didn't know who asked the question but she faced the reporters surrounding her with as much confidence as she could pretend to muster. She squared her shoulders and she looked straight at their faces before speaking.
"Mr. Potter and I met a few months ago and did not begin dating until a few weeks later. I am neither after his fame nor his fortune as I only want to live a normal life with my son. That is all. Thank you."
Hermione resumed her walk but instead of being satisfied with her answer (they rarely ever were), they simply followed her again while bombarding her with more questions. She refused to speak and answer anymore questions as she hastened her pace so she could reach the shop faster.
She was grateful when she saw Alice by the door of the shop, waiting for her. Quickly crossing the threshold, Alice immediately closed the door and activated the protection wards so the numerous journalists and photographers were stuck outside. She flipped the Open sign to Closed then turned her back to the people trying to see inside.
"Goodness, that was scary!" She exclaimed as she entered Hermione's office. She saw Hermione sitting behind her desk, her face in her hands. She didn't respond verbally but she nodded her head.
"And Harry had to endure this everyday since he was a child!" Another nod.
"Thank Merlin, I get to leave early today," Hermione said as she dropped her hands on her lap and looked at both of her staff. "Why don't the two of you take the rest of the day off, too? Let's all get out of here and wait for this craze to die down a bit."
"You know they'll be back tomorrow, right?" Stephen asked her.
She sighed. "I know, but maybe I'll be better equipped to deal with the lot of them."
Alice and Stephen nodded. While they rarely closed the shop that early, they understood the need for Hermione to absorb and think about what had just happened. She gave each of them the sandwich and tea that she bought before she was accosted by the press.
"Go and eat. I have to talk to Margarethe about the press possibly hounding her once they figure out her ties to me. Though I think she can handle them better than I can."
"Don't worry so much, Hermione. This will blow over. The press and the people will get tired of this soon," Alice said, trying to comfort her boss.
"Soon can't come fast enough," Hermione sighed again. She left both of her staff as they ate to go and talk to Margarethe. As she was about to cross the connecting door between their shops, she heard the commotion before she even saw Margarethe speaking to the members of the press.
"I will not divulge any private information regarding Hermione and Harry's relationship. They are my friends and I respect their right to their privacy. Something of which all of you need to learn."
Margarethe briefly glanced her way and Hermione gave her nod before going back to her office and got ready to leave.
"They're already speaking to Margarethe," she told Alice and Stephen. "She can handle herself with them from what I saw. Best to get out of here before they can catch me again."
Alice and Stephen nodded and said their goodbyes as Hermione apparated on the spot to an empty alleyway near Ethan's primary school where the football camp was being held. She walked towards the field behind the main building of the school. There were other parents there watching their children as well. She sat beside one of the parents she had grown friendly with since Ethan started going to school there and began chatting with her about their children and their activities. It took another hour before the children were dismissed. Ethan waved at her before heading towards the locker rooms to take a shower and change.
"Hey, Mum?" Ethan's voice called out to her. She turned to her son from her conversation with the other parents.
"Yes, love. What is it?" She answered as she approached. There was a peculiar expression on his face that she did not recognize. He took her hand and moved her away from the other parents.
"There was a man with a camera when I got out of the locker rooms. He was taking photos of me. I got a bit scared so I ran."
Hermione's heartbeat raced with worry. She took her son in her arms and told him that it was nothing and that she would keep him safe. When she felt like she had reassured her son, they walked out of the school hand in hand. Before they reached the sidewalk, Hermione heard the click of a camera. She pushed Ethan behind her and summoned her wand but carefully hid it from the view of muggles leaving the school. She saw the reflection of the lens in one of the bushes near the school's walkway.
Discreetly moving her wand, she caused the inside of the camera to explode. She saw a spark before smoke began to rise from the bushes, followed by a man, red-faced in fury. Hermione slightly waved her wand again to silence the man when he opened his mouth to speak. Hermione approached him, carefully keeping Ethan behind her. She did not have time to worry about the image she must be presenting the other parents and children behind her.
"You!" She began, vehemently. "Did you not read what Harry said earlier today in the paper? I don't care if you publish photos of me on your piece of trash of a paper but never go near my son ever again. Do you understand?"
She summoned his identification card and pocketed it before rushing towards the empty alley she had apparated into. She and Ethan usually drove home when she brought her car or they would take the bus home. Hermione was so rattled by her experiences that day that she was anxious to get home and get behind the safety of the walls of her flat.
As soon as they reached their flat, Hermione told Ethan to get cleaned up as she prepared their supper. Once her son was upstairs, she took her phone out of her bag and dialled Harry's number.
"Her—"
"Oh my god, Harry! There was a photographer at Ethan's school earlier today!" Hermione barely kept her voice from sounding hysterical. She was shaking so much.
"What?! Is Ethan okay?"
"Yes, yes. He's fine. A little rattled but he'll be okay," she responded. "I dealt with the photographer. I melted the inside of his camera and got his identification card."
"Okay, good. I'll send Hedwig to you right now so she can pick up the ID. He won't get away with this. I already warned people not to invade your privacy," he growled. She felt herself calm at his anger on her behalf. His voice was calm when he spoke next. "How about you? Are you okay?"
"I—" She thought about whether or not to tell him about what happened at Pentagon Alley earlier today, but knew he would be incensed if she kept it to herself. "There were a bunch of people from the press that ambushed me while walking back to the shop from buying lunch."
"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle. But we had to close the shop early because the press basically camped outside of the building. It was ridiculous. And they even ambushed Marga in her office, but she handled it pretty well," she replied, half-shrugging even if he couldn't see her.
"They'll likely be back tomorrow at the shop when you open again."
"Yeah," she sighed. "Harry, I'm worried about what they could do to Ethan. I don't want my son to be stalked and hounded by the press."
"I know, Hermione. And I'm sorry. I'll fix this, I promise," Harry tried to reassure her.
"I don't know if you can actually do anything to stop this. These people… they don't care if they intrude or ruin other people's lives as long as they get a story that sells." Remembering her past, she knew it was something people would consider a "scandal" and the press would gladly latch onto it and share it to the world. True, she was worried about Ethan but she was also worried about how her past could ruin everything she had built for herself. She never really cared about what other people thought of her and while her past was her business, she knew once it was out there, the public would never forget it. And she was sure they would never accept someone like her for their hero and quidditch star.
"Baby, I swear. I'll do something about this. I wish this didn't have to happen to you and Ethan. I'm sorry." She heard the sincerity in his voice.
Hermione knew she shouldn't take out her frustrations on him, seeing as he hated the situation as much as she did. She took a deep breath and tried to shake away her negative feelings.
"It comes with the package of Harry James Potter. Can't have one without the other, right?" She teased him.
"I would have gladly foregone the media circus. But, yeah. Anyway, I'll make a few calls again and deal with this arsehole. I'll call you again later, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Harry."
She put her phone down and began preparing for their supper. She would have to trust Harry to do what he said he would. It was… difficult. For years, she only had herself—and on occasion, Margarethe—to rely on. Besides, this was beyond her control. She was a nobody. She wasn't a celebrity. She hoped her non-celebrity status would help lessen the public's interest in her. But she knew it was too much to wish for. She only hoped that she would be strong enough to face whatever would come their way.