Disclaimer – It has come to my attention recently that I unfortunately do not own Harry Potter. Who knew.

It seems like the only national day today is national sardine day which seems like something not worth celebrating. Even the ninja turtles know that! To everyone planning on celebrating Thanksgiving coming up, I wish you a very enjoyable holiday and even more enjoyable shopping time. Yay for Black Friday! Time for a new phone. And to everyone else who already has (Canada) or does not celebrate Thanksgiving I hope you have an enjoyable day tomorrow celebrating National Parfait Day!


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Author Note 1 - I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for all the feedback and messages I've been getting on my stories. I do want to apologize, because while I've managed to keep the stories posting on a consistent basis life had gotten busy and then managed to take a well deserved vacation (first time to the Hawaiian big island), I have been a little behind on my replies and trying to catch up. Thanks again for all the support, it really means alot!


Harry woke the next morning with a sense of calm contentment. The previous evening with the Delacours had gone far better than he'd anticipated, especially after seeing Rosaline after the second task. He lay in bed for a few minutes, replaying the night, satisfied with how things had turned out. Although he hadn't known what to expect when he had been invited, Fleur and her family had been warm and welcoming, even to Hermione, and he was glad to have made a good impression.

His thoughts drifted from the Delacours to Hermione. After he rejoined her in the front hall after his brief chat with Fleur's dad, the two of them, despite being exhausted, had made a detour up to the Astronomy Tower. They hadn't needed to speak much, just sitting in silence, side by side, watching the stars and holding hands. A few gentle kisses had passed between them, their closeness feeling both comforting and exhilarating. By the time they'd returned to the common room, it was well past curfew, and he had seen that his roommates had been fast asleep.

Smiling at the memory of last night, Harry got out of bed, feeling unusually at peace.

Surprisingly, Ron was already awake and moving, a rare sight this early in the day. Harry grinned at the sight of his friend fumbling to get his shoes on properly. As they both got ready, the other boys who had just finished getting ready came over, and naturally, the conversation turned to the Second Task. Dean and Seamus, full of energy, begged Harry to tell them every last detail of the underwater adventure. Harry recounted the events, and the four boys listened in rapt attention, with Ron adding his own enthusiastic commentary from the stands' perspective, chiming in about how nerve-wracking it was to watch.

When they were all dressed and ready, the group made their way down to the common room, where they bumped into Lavender. She was quick to congratulate Harry, but her attention shifted almost instantly to Ron, who received a surprisingly passionate morning kiss, which earned a goofy grin from him. While Dean and Seamus began teasing Ron about the kiss, Lavender turned to Harry and let him know that Hermione had already gone down to breakfast because she had an early morning meeting with Professor Flitwick.

As they descended the staircase, Lavender who had been holding Ron's hand spun around, raising an eyebrow, at the two boys who were still trying to get a rise out of Ron. "Sounds like you're just jealous," she retorted with a smirk as she leaned in and kissed Ron on the cheek, after a second of silence Harry and Ron burst out into laughter at the sputtering response from Seamus and Dean. Unable to come up with a reply, they both eventually fell quiet, though they exchanged amused glances, after a couple flights of stairs they decided to leave Ron alone and quickly resumed peppering Harry with questions about the underwater task.

By the time they reached the Great Hall, it was abuzz with the usual morning activity. Harry spotted Hermione just finishing her breakfast, her head bent over some notes as she prepared for her meeting. She looked up as he approached and offered a small, apologetic smile, but before she could say anything, he shook his head, cutting her off.

"No worries," he said warmly. "Lavender already let me know of your meeting and for what it's worth, I can't really be that upset about sleeping in … I had a terrific evening with you last night."

She blushed faintly at his words, her cheeks tinged with pink. "I did too," she said, her voice quiet, though her eyes shone with warmth. She gathered her things and, with one last smile, headed off to meet Professor Flitwick.

After saying his goodbyes to her, Harry joined Ron and Lavender at the Gryffindor table just as Fred and George bounded over, wide grins plastered on their faces.

"Harry, my boy!" George slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Fantastic showing in the Second Task!" Fred chimed in, giving Harry a playful salute.

"Word on the street is that you've become a bit of a celebrity and have started to make certain people a lot of money," George added with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You lot haven't been betting on me, have you?"

"Betting on you?" Fred scoffed, feigning offense. "Please. We love you Harry, but with the risks you take … betting on you would be a gamble. And we're just smart entrepreneurs."

"Absolutely!" George agreed. "We simply take a small cut from all the bets. Think of it as … handling fees."

Harry laughed, shaking his head as he filled his plate with breakfast. At their insistence, he began recounting the Second Task again, describing the entire encounter from the time he summoned his rune carving kit to his encounter with the merpeople and everything he had seen in the eerie lake depths. Fred and George hung on every word, interrupting only to crack jokes or clap him on the back whenever he mentioned something that even they were impressed with.

Just as he was describing the moment he'd reached the underwater merpeople village, Ron looked up, squinting toward the ceiling. "Post's here," he announced.

Harry continued with his story, barely noticing the steady stream of owls fluttering down to the tables. One owl landed in front of Lavender, dropping off her copy of the Daily Prophet. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Ron and Lavender begin to read the front page together, their heads close, their expressions shifting from curiosity to shock. As he continued talking to the twins he noticed that the Great Hall began to fall unusually silent. After a couple seconds Harry stopped talked to Fred and George and glanced up. As he looked over the hall, he noticed that students all around were reading their papers with wide eyes, many of them casting quick glances his way.

Harry's stomach tightened. "What's everyone looking at?"

Ron handed him the newspaper with an apologetic grimace. "Uh, mate … you might want to read this."

Harry took the paper from him, his eyes skimming over the headline.

"Caught in a Kiss! The Boy Who Lived Charms Britain's Brightest and France's Fairest," by Rita Skeeter.

He groaned, burying his face in his hands as the headline sank in. Rita Skeeter had not only managed to find Colin Creevey and obtain the photograph he had taken but had managed to turn yesterday's post task encounter into some sort of sensationalized romance. He could already imagine the lurid details Skeeter might have spun to keep readers enthralled. Reluctantly, he skimmed the article, which described him as "Britain's most eligible young bachelor" and painted Hermione as his "brilliant but unlikely sweetheart," while Fleur was referred to as "a stunning beauty enticed by his charm." Skeeter even speculated on "potential rivalry" between the two girls.

"Well, that's just ridiculous," Harry muttered, feeling his face heat up as he glanced around the hall. Hermione had already left for her meeting, so she was blissfully unaware of this latest gossip, but Fleur would surely see it soon enough.

"It's not all bad, mate," Ron said, chuckling. "To be fair, it does make you sound rather impressive."

Harry shot him a withering look, but couldn't help a small, resigned smile. "I just wanted a quiet breakfast."

Fred and George, looked to each other before smiling and glancing at Harry. "A regular Casanova!" Fred declared with a mock bow, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Oh, yes!" George added, clasping his hands dramatically. "A tragic love triangle of epic proportions!"

"Very funny," Harry grumbled, but he couldn't completely suppress a smile.

Harry's eyes fell back to the article, which opened with an enthusiastic description of his performance in the Second Task. It seemed that, according to Rita Skeeter, his heroic feat had not only wowed the judges but also caught the attention of both Hermione and Fleur, his supposed "admirers." He sighed, both amused and exasperated, as he began rereading the article.

Under the photograph the article began with a line putting into context the photo before going on to describe the Second Task.

"Unlike the other competitors, Harry Potter did not only rescue his designated hostage but also saved the life of another innocent—Gabrielle Delacour, the little sister of Beauxbatons' champion Fleur Delacour. This brave and selfless act may very well be the reason why Potter was greeted with not one, but two grateful kisses upon his completion of the task: one from the Veela herself, and one from his hostage, Hermione Granger, his rumored girlfriend (more on this on page 2)."

Harry groaned. Skeeter couldn't have been more dramatic if she tried. He continued reading, finding himself half-amused, half-embarrassed at how she'd spun every moment of the event into a spectacle.

The article went on to detail the champions' various strategies for completing the task. Beginning with describing how Cedric and Fleur had dived in immediately, before using the Bubble-Head Charm to create a pocket of air around their heads. According to Rita, Viktor Krum had opted for a more unusual approach: partially transforming himself into a shark. This alone seemed to fascinate Skeeter, as she rambled on about Krum's "unique" choice for several lines.

"But Harry Potter gave the audience a more impressive show, mainly as he was the only one to complete any portion of the task above the water. He began by summoning a rock from the lakebed. In front of everyone, he transfigured it into a metal armband and inscribed it with what experts believe were runes to help him breathe and move underwater."

Harry shook his head. "I just wanted something that wouldn't break halfway through and lasted longer than gillyweed," he muttered under his breath, thinking back on how the idea had come to him several weeks before the event, during one of his Ancient Runes classes. But Skeeter, clearly, was already weaving it into something mythic. The article continued, gushing over the armband and then diving into Harry's next move.

"To the astonishment of everyone watching, Potter then cast a fully corporeal Patronus (more on this on page 3)—a feat that few witches and wizards, let alone a student, can achieve. Some experts believe he might be the youngest known caster of a fully corporeal Patronus. After preening for the audience, his dazzling silver stag leaped into the lake to help locate his hostage, a sight which left the audience, and this journalist, momentarily mesmerized."

Harry raised an eyebrow. To him, it had been a practical choice; he needed a way to quickly locate Hermione. But Rita had managed to frame it as something almost poetic.

He kept reading, his curiosity piqued despite himself.

"Only after this impressive display of transfiguration, rune carving, and Patronus magic did Potter finally dive into the water, around five minutes after the other champions. By this point, the crowd was holding its breath, wondering if he would be able to make up the lost time on the older students."

Harry shook his head – as if waiting five minutes had been some grand dramatic choice rather than the simple reality of his preparation. Still, he had to admit, Rita Skeeter knew how to create suspense.

The article explained that most of the task had taken place underwater, meaning the audience had been left in suspense until the champions started to resurface. But, Rita had done her homework—or at least, her snooping.

"According to an anonymous source among the judges, they were informed by the merpeople's chieftainess that Harry Potter was actually the first champion to arrive at the location where the hostages were being held, arriving even before the famous Viktor Krum and the Hogwarts star Cedric Diggory."

Harry was surprised to read that Rita had somehow learned this detail. He thought back to how he'd waited at the merpeople's village, peering through the cold, dark water for any sign of the other champions. The memory was still fresh in his mind: the eerie, silent village, and the chill of the water that had seeped through his charms as he'd waited.

The article went on to explain what had happened once he'd arrived.

"Rather than immediately rescuing his own hostage and leaving, Potter showed remarkable patience and restraint, waiting for the other champions to arrive so they could each rescue their assigned hostage. Only when it became clear that the champion from Beauxbatons would not be arriving did Potter step in and convince the merpeople to allow him to free both his hostage and Gabrielle Delacour."

Skeeter added a line speculating that Harry's "courageous insistence" must have impressed the merpeople as well, as they ultimately allowed him to take both Hermione and Gabrielle back to the surface. Harry frowned; she'd glossed over the real tension he'd felt when the merpeople had initially refused to let him take Gabrielle. If they hadn't relented, he wasn't entirely sure what he would have done.

"Despite the delay in convincing the merpeople to allow him to rescue both hostages, Potter managed to make up significant ground on his way back to the shore, nearly catching up to both Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory and emerging from the water only seconds behind Krum, the second-place finisher."

Harry's lips quirked in a small, proud smile. He remembered the rush as he'd swum back, pushing himself as hard as he could, knowing he was almost out of time. The water had resisted every stroke, and his lungs had burned, but the sight of the shimmering light at the lake's surface had driven him forward.

And then, of course, came Rita's favorite part of the story.

"Upon emerging from the water, Potter was greeted by a grateful Hermione Granger, who embraced him for his bravery, and then by none other than the enchanting Fleur Delacour, who kissed him on the cheek in gratitude for rescuing her sister."

Harry winced as he read on, knowing that Rita had seized upon the kisses to craft a dramatic "love triangle" narrative.

"This double show of affection didn't go unnoticed by the crowd. The Boy Who Lived, Britain's most eligible young bachelor, seems to have charmed both Hogwarts' brightest student and France's fairest Veela—a possible source of tension as the tournament continues."

Rolling his eyes, Harry skipped over the details she'd included on the supposed "rivalry" between Hermione and Fleur, knowing there wasn't a single bit of truth to it. He could just imagine Hermione's reaction when she finally read this; she'd be furious. And Fleur … well Harry wasn't actually sure how she'd respond.

"The judges, after a brief deliberation, awarded Potter a perfect score in the task, not only for his display of magical skill and bravery but also for his sportsmanship in helping another competitor. This impressive result places him in first position overall as they head into the final event of the Triwizard Tournament, scheduled for June 24."

The article ended on a high note, Rita predicting that Harry's "unique combination of heroism and charm" would lead him to victory in the third task, perhaps even winning him "more than just the Triwizard Cup." She left it vague, but it didn't take a genius to infer that she was implying he might also win over Hermione or Fleur—or both.

Harry folded the paper and pushed it away, looking around the table. Ron was staring at him with a look of amusement, and Seamus and Dean looked as if they were about to burst into laughter.

"Well, mate," Ron said, barely suppressing a grin, "looks like you've made an impression."

"More like Rita Skeeter has," Harry grumbled. "She's made me sound like part knight in shining armor and part heartbreaker! And honestly … I'm not sure which is worse."

Fred and George, who had been listening in, leaned over with matching smirks. "Fancy yourself quite the romantic lead, don't you, Harry?" Fred teased.

"Oh yes, sweeping ladies off their feet left and right," George added, placing a hand over his heart dramatically.

"Just don't start writing me into any songs," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes.

To Harry's immediate regret, he saw their eyes shoot up and was worried he may have just inspired them. After a few more jokes from Fred and George about his alleged "love triangle," Harry decided he'd had enough. Most of the Great Hall was either staring at him or whispering, and he could feel his cheeks burning from the attention. Mumbling an excuse about needing some air, he stood up to leave, catching the twins' voices trailing after him.

"Good luck, Romeo!" Fred called.

"Yes, go find one of your fair maidens!" George added with a laugh.

Shaking his head and trying not to smile, Harry slipped out of the hall. The teasing hadn't been all that bad, but he did want a moment alone to find Hermione and make sure she was alright. After what Rita Skeeter had written, he could only imagine how Hermione would feel, especially given the way the article had painted her and Fleur as romantic rivals. He knew Hermione would see through it all, but he also knew she wasn't one to brush off something like that easily.

As Harry left the Great Hall, he had a single-minded focus on finding Hermione, hoping she'd managed to avoid seeing Rita Skeeter's latest piece. He was only a few steps into the corridor when he spotted Daphne Greengrass walking toward him from the opposite direction, her expression set in a careful mask of neutrality that didn't quite reach her eyes. Her gaze drifted pointedly to the Daily Prophet in his hand before she looked back at him, one eyebrow arching in silent judgment.

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion and let out a short breath. "What?" he asked, stopping just short of her.

Daphne's lips quirked. She glanced down at the paper in his hand again and gave a small small shake of her head, folding her arms across her chest.

"You can't possibly believe everything in that article," Harry said, shaking his head. "You know Skeeter's got a creative way with the truth."

Daphne held his gaze for a long moment, then shook her head slowly. "No … I don't believe all of it. Mostly because I doubt you're cunning enough to pull off juggling two girls at once." Her voice was dry, but her expression softened slightly. "But remember what I said about hurting Hermione—I meant it."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but his eyes widened further when he noticed that somehow, in the space of their brief exchange, she had drawn her wand. She held it subtly, half-concealed in the folds of her robes, but there was no mistaking the steely resolve in her eyes.

A grin broke out on Harry's face, and he raised his hands in mock surrender. "I wouldn't dream of it. I'm actually on my way to see her right now."

Daphne's grip on her wand loosened, and with one fluid motion, she slid it back into her robes, a faint smile replacing her earlier stern expression. She took a small step to the side, giving him a nod of approval as he moved past her.

"Sounds good, Po—" She hesitated for a fraction of a second before amending with a slight smile, "Harry."

Harry returned the smile. "See you later, Daphne," he said as he started up the staircase.

Just as he took his first step, Daphne called after him. "And make sure all this other business doesn't interfere with our project, alright? We're still meeting this afternoon to work on the mirror, aren't we?"

Harry turned back, nodding. "Wouldn't miss it."

Daphne flashed him a quick, satisfied smile before continuing on her way toward the Great Hall. Harry watched her go for a second, appreciating her unexpected but genuine loyalty to Hermione, then continued on his way up the staircase.

Harry made his way through the winding corridors to Professor Flitwick's office, hoping that she hadn't finished her meeting and would still be here. And to his luck, as he approached the door, it opened, and Hermione stepped out with Professor Flitwick beside her. They were in the middle of a conversation, but both looked up as Harry appeared in the doorway.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, my other favorite Gryffindor," Professor Flitwick greeted warmly, his eyes twinkling. "Come to visit me, or are you here for Miss Granger?"

Harry grinned and gave the Charms professor a respectful nod. "Good morning, Professor. I'm actually here to see Hermione."

Flitwick's face lit up, and he gave a cheerful chuckle. "No worries, my boy. My door is always open to my students. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some preparations to make for my classes."

Hermione thanked Professor Flitwick for his time, and he waved them both off with a small smile before heading back into his office. She turned to Harry, her expression softening as she looked at him.

"Nice to see you, Harry," she said with a small smile. "You didn't have to come up her to see me, I was planning to come back down to the Great Hall."

"Well," he began, glancing around to make sure they were alone in the corridor. "Have you seen the Daily Prophet this morning?"

She shook her head. "No, it hadn't been delivered by the time I was leaving the Great Hall."

Harry nodded and handed her the Daily Prophet he'd borrowed from Lavender. As she took it, he watched her expression shift the moment she saw the large, front-page photo of him with Fleur and Hermione on either side of him kissing his cheeks. Her face paled slightly as she scanned the headline, and he could almost feel her tension rising.

Hermione's eyes darted back and forth as she read, her expression shifting between disbelief and annoyance as she took in Rita Skeeter's words. After several seconds of silence, she looked up, a bewildered look on her face.

"Well," Harry said with a sigh, "the article isn't quite as bad as I thought it might be. To give Rita credit, most of what she wrote is technically true—apart from that nonsense about a rivalry with Fleur for my 'affection' and the 'love triangle' thing."

Hermione's mouth tightened as she nodded, clearly still processing the article's implications. She took a breath and looked back at Harry, her gaze turning uncertain, even hesitant.

"Harry … are you sure …?" she began, her voice almost a whisper before trailing off.

Harry furrowed his brow, confused. "Am I sure there isn't a love triangle?" he asked with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

But Hermione only shook her head, and her expression grew more serious. "No, I mean …" She hesitated, looking off to the side, her gaze unfocused as if she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. "Are you sure you want to be with me?"

The question hit him like a bludger, and for a moment, Harry simply stared, taken aback. "What?" he finally managed, but Hermione continued, as if gathering all her courage to speak.

"I know we've been friends for years, and we have so much history together, but … she's a Veela, Harry. She's gorgeous …" She trailed off shaking her head before continuing again. "And you know how the Delacours feel about you after everything you did for them last summer. They all …" She trailed off, her voice growing faint, but he could see the hint of doubt in her eyes.

Seeing her like this tugged at something deep within him, and without a word, he stepped forward and gently placed a hand under her chin, tilting her face toward him. She blinked, her eyes widening as she was forced to meet his gaze.

"Hermione," he said softly, his voice firm but warm. "There isn't a bit of doubt in my mind about wanting to be with you."

Hermione's eyes softened, and he felt her shoulders relax slightly as she took in his words. For a split second, he saw the glimmer of hope and relief in her expression, and he wanted to make sure she truly understood how much she meant to him.

"Asking you to Hogsmeade and then to the Yule Ball was the best decision I ever made," he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And I haven't regretted it for a single second."

A faint blush spread across Hermione's cheeks, and she bit her lip, her eyes shining as she looked at him with an intensity he'd rarely seen. Before either of them could say another word, Harry leaned in and closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers.

After a couple seconds, he felt Hermione melt into his embrace, her hands slipping up to rest against his chest. Her warmth, her scent, the way she leaned into him without hesitation—it felt like everything was perfect.

When they finally broke apart, Hermione's eyes were shining, and there was a soft smile on her face that made Harry's heart swell. She took a deep breath, and he could see the last traces of her doubt beginning to fade.

"Thank you, Harry," she whispered. "For … for everything."

He smiled and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You don't ever have to thank me, Hermione. I'm just glad I found you."

They began to walk, Harry reaching for Hermione's hand without a second thought. Her fingers laced with his, and he felt a surge of warmth spread through him as they strolled down the corridor. There was something easy, natural, about being with her like this. It felt right, as though this was how things were always meant to be.

Kind Regards,

FavoriteAuthor


If you like this content do not hesitate to smash that like button and subscribe. Haha but seriously if you do enjoy the story - do favorite it, other than messaging me or leaving a comment it's the only way I know if you are enjoying the stories and chapters.


Story Note 1 – Well looks like Rita managed to get her hands on the photograph from Colin! Trying to balance a Rita who is still her own individual and certainly has her own motivations (fame) with the individual who doesn't want Harry to tell anyone about her animagus form. So I feel that the way Rita would view this article was more of it being a favor for Harry. Although I imagine Harry will certainly not be entirely happy but at least there is no hard feelings from Hermione … I wonder how Fleur will take the article …

Story Note 2 – Please let me know what you thought of the style for this chapter. I have never incorporated pieces of a newspaper article like this into my writing so had tried several different styles until I have found one I liked. Small excerpts from the article with reactions immediately to them (I had written out the entire article and then had him reacting to the entire article but that felt it was a little dry and awkward). Do let me know if this worked or if there is another way it could/should have been done.


Thanks to those of you out to those of you who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you enjoy them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or reach out to me directly.

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RaiDaniels, cameron 1812, Guest x 3 - Thanks so much for the review and really hope you are enjoying the story!

Ariadne Venegas - Glad you enjoyed it! Well certainly not Gabrielle as especially with the time travel the age gap between him and Gabrielle will be alot but I guess we will see what happens!

Terracotta Tortilla - I felt it worked well with the general theme of the Hogwarts universe being incredibly inconsistent when handing out punishments.

Hudy Leak613 - Glad you are enjoying it and it will be out today as well! Hope you enjoyed it!

Fenrir070 - Really happy you enjoyed it! It took a while to try and picture the right environment and glad it worked!It was a fun chapter to write and introducing the other characters, some of whom (... wonder which ones?!) will certainly play a big part in the story going forward!

Monkey D. Conan - Thanks! I guess we will have to see! But I'd imagine she is pretty deliberate in her actions.

OfInkAndQuill - Obviously it was an important thing that needed to be discussed and this felt like the right time!

littleemberlou - Merci :) Really glad all the characters seemed to come out alright! Hope this Sunday's afternoon read was just as enjoyable!