Chapter 7 Skeeter's Slapped

My head pounded. The soft bed cover hugged my body to create some comfort. Embroidered flower pillows supported my throbbing head. A noise from next to me made me whip around. In whipping around I mean turning as fast as I could in my state of mind.

The sight that met my eyes was a blonde man, Draco Malfoy. I suddenly leapt out the bed and hit into a wall. The bang my body made hitting the wall caused Draco to stir and peer up at me through heavy lidded eyes.

"What are you doing," I cried.

"Sleeping, which is what you should be doing? Last night's events drained me and I was only half as drunk as you so I can't even imagine how you feel," he mumbled, sitting up.

"Eh, what events?"

There was a tap on the curtained window. I opened the curtains to reveal a barn owl with a daily prophet attached to its leg.

"Oh merlins beard no. No, no, no, no," I gabbled at the cover, having opened the window and tossed a Knut into the owls pouch. "How, just how? No, no, no it can't, can it? If it is then how?"

Draco heaved himself up and joined me by the window. He glanced at the front cover, still clutched in my hands, and then did a double take. He stared at the cover and then started to debate with himself like me.

"How? And why? It can't, she wouldn't know. How?"

"That woman needs to be spoken to. She has invaded private property and then done this!" I threw the newspaper from me.

"What are you suggesting?" Draco asked, partly curious partly hesitant.

"Like I said before, that woman needs to be spoken to."

"You can't do this. Eh, you're still partly drunk."

"That's a good thing, I can blame my un-sane mind on it," I said putting on a coat.

"You can't go, not by yourself," Draco retaliated, running out of reasons.

"Fine, come with me."

"B, b, but, Oh fine, wait."

Draco caved and followed me out the door. At the end of the road a small alleyway lead off and we took it. Once we were well hidden in the shadows I whipped out my wand and grabbed Draco's arm. A second. We disapperated then apperated.

The cool stone floors and marble fireplaces could only tell us one thing, we had reached our goal. The Ministry of Magic was still packed considering it was a Sunday. Witches and wizards streamed towards the lifts. The usual Daily Prophet stand was there. I glared at the seller as I walked passed. A few witches collided with each other when they looked at the stall and then at me and Draco but I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was getting my hands on Rita Skeeter.

The lift clanged onto our floor and we got out accompanied by four or five wizards, all muttering about an article on making troll hunting being made illegal. I brushed passed them and headed for a door at the end of the corridor with large silver plaque with glittering green letters that read Rita Skeeter Daily Prophet reporter and editor. I grimaced at the plaque then wrenched the door open.

"Ah lovely, simply lovely. They won't know what's hit them. But remember snappy headlines mean snappy responses."

Rita Skeeter was perched behind an oak desk. A man sat the other side seeming to hang on her every word. A piece of parchment and a quick quotes quill rested on his lap. At the noise of our entrance he jumped out his seat and, realising it was us, pointed obviously. Rita sighed and dismissed the man before she addressed us.

"Good morning. And what can I do for you, dear."

"Oh, we're not your dear's. What you can do for us is explain this," I spat at her, dropping a copy of the Prophet in front of her overly large nose.

She looked down and smiled warmly at the picture of Draco and me kissing on the sofa.

"I rather like the angle, don't you? It really captures the atmosphere of the moment," she said delicately.

My anger started to flood threw my veins. I wanted to slap the woman in front of me and walk out but I wanted to say a bit more first.

"You are a despicable person. You only write this crap because your life is much too boring that you have to wreck others. My mother will read this along with all our family and our friends but I won't care because at least there's something interesting or at least going on in my life that interests people. So what if I kiss Draco, at least someone actually wants to kiss me. I'm sure you would get a kiss if you had a boy friend or a husband but wait you don't. But I'm not surprised because everyone knows your only interest is gossip and trust me no one will go for someone with a sour face like yours especially when your personality is even sourer!"

There was a silence. People from nearby offices craned their necks to see what was going on. I didn't care though. The look on Rita Skeeter's face was too perfect. Her eyes narrowed as she walked round to face me. Our eyes were level as she said her next words.

"How dare you. How dare you talk that way to a ministry of magic employee?" she screeched.

"Oh I dare."

With those words I raised my hand and slapped her round the face.

"That was for going on to private property; for not leaving the divorce alone and for making up rumours. Go back to your lonely retirement where you belong," I whispered menacingly.

I strode out the office and along the packed corridor with Draco at my side. At the lift he turned to me and said "that was amazing. But I think you went a little over board."

"I bet you glad you came. Think of the damage I would have done if it was her and me alone."

With that we both laughed as we got in the deserted lift and pressed the button for the atrium. I had a feeling that Rita Skeeter wouldn't be bothering us for a long time.

That night Draco explained what really happened the night we were drunk. He said that when we had stopped kissing I fell asleep almost instantly. He had picked me up and carried me to my room. After I was tucked up in bed, he couldn't be bothered to go home so he stayed the night.

He mostly bypassed details on the kiss which upset me. To him it meant nothing but to me it meant the world.