Author's Note: These stories are all one-shot, 1000-word responses to the Summer Writing Series Challenge, so each one is not related to
the next.
Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 13)
Challenge: Single Story Week: Harry/Hermione deal with the media discussing their relationship
Challenge Conditions: Each day we'll post a challenge topic as usual, but each consecutive day you
will continue your story from the day before...and on Friday you'll have a 6000+ word story that flows from
beginning to end and includes each of the daily challenges as given.
Title: Quidditch and Quills (Part 2)
Word Count: 999
Hermione stuffed her things into her bag while Harry tried to figure out who could have given her the mysterious quill. A familiar fluttering sound came from above and Ron looked up to see several owls arriving.
"Mail's here," he said quite clearly, as he'd finally finished eating.
Errol dropped a letter in front of him and he picked it up. Hermione got her usual Daily Prophet and paid the delivery owl. Harry watched a little enviously as his friends opened their mail, but decided to put his mind to better use and went back to thinking about Hermione's gift.
"Mum's invited you both to come for Christmas," Ron said, paraphrasing his letter. "She said your parents can come, too, Hermione…if they don't mind dad asking them all about Muggle stuff," he added with a laugh.
Hermione smiled. "That'd be nice," she replied as she scanned the pages of the Prophet. "I'll write and ask them later today."
While Ron and Hermione talked, Harry absently stabbed at a few stray eggs on his plate with no intention of eating them. Why would someone send Hermione a quill, and without a note? It wasn't a very romantic gift, was it? I didn't seem to him the kind of thing an admirer would send, but then again, what did he know? He wasn't very good with the whole girl-boy relationship thing. If he was, he might actually have a girlfriend.
"Anything interesting in the news?" Ron asked as he put his letter away. Harry looked over at Hermione. With the war at hand, they were always curious about the current goings-on outside of the castle, and checking for any sign that Voldemort might be getting closer to accomplishing his goals.
"Not so far. Seems to be the same old stuff…Ministry reports, Death Eater blacklists," she said, flipping the pages of the paper. "Honestly, you'd think they might find…." She stopped, her eyes growing wide.
Ron gave her an expectant look. "Find what?"
Her mouth turned up at the corners. "Something more interesting than Harry's love life, for one."
Harry, who had just taken a sip of pumpkin juice, went into a coughing fit as he choked in response to her statement. She patted him on the back soothingly, but couldn't hold back a grin.
"I'm sorry, Harry," she said with a laugh. "Are you ok?"
He nodded, still coughing a little.
"Who is it this time?" Ron asked, also trying unsuccessfully to repress a smile.
"Well apparently he's gone back to one of his old flings," she said scandalously, holding the paper away from Harry, who was now trying very hard to see the "scoop." He reached for it, but not before she was able to toss it across to Ron. Harry scowled at her playfully.
"What page?" Ron asked.
Harry was still reaching for it. "Let me see!"
"It's in the sports section," Hermione replied.
"Sports?" Ron and Harry said at the same time. Hermione just laughed.
"Go on and read it," she said.
"Give it here," Harry said demandingly.
"Oh, no," Ron smiled and shook his head, holding it back from Harry. "Not that hussy."
"Ron!" Harry hissed, grabbing for the paper, his face turning bright red. He really didn't want to draw any attention to the matter.
"Hussy?!" Hermione seemed affronted briefly, before she broke into giggles. "Oh, this is too much!"
Harry swore, then stood up out of his seat and snatched the paper from Ron's hands.
"Hey, mate!" Ron exclaimed, still laughing. "All you had to do was ask."
Harry turned to the sports page and his jaw fell open. Right at the top of the page, in large and moving back and white ink, was a photo of him and Hermione at the end of the previous weekend's Quidditch match. He had his broom in one hand, and his other arm around her shoulders. They were smiling triumphantly from the huge Gryffindor win over Ravenclaw. What had been cropped out was Ron standing on Harry's other side, leaning on Harry's shoulder with his elbow, and Ginny to Hermione's other side, with her arm around Hermione's waist. Nearly the whole house had met up at the bottom of the stands after the game was over, but apparently someone had snapped a photo of the group and cropped it to suit their purpose. Harry read the caption.
The-Boy-Who-Won: Not only did Harry Potter, Gryffindor Seeker, win last weekend's match against Ravenclaw, but he has apparently won back the heart of on-again-off-again girlfriend, Hermione Granger. The two were spotted in close contact celebrating their house victory just after the game.
Harry groaned. "Why me?"
Hermione snorted a laugh. "Why, if you weren't my best friend, I'd be offended at that!"
"Oh, I didn't mean…" Harry started with a wince. "It's not that it's you…I just…"
"It's ok," Hermione interrupted with a crooked smile. "I know what you meant."
Harry blushed a little and smiled crookedly himself.
Ron watched his two friends like a Muggle at a tennis match.
"So who do you think took the picture?" Hermione asked.
Harry thought for a second. "I don't know. I don't remember seeing a camera. You don't think Colin would…?"
"Nahh, it wasn't Colin," Ron said. "There's some barrel distortion there, and the catchlight is a bit distracting," he said as he pointed to the offending parts of the photo. "He's much more careful with his work than that."
Voldemort himself could have walked into the Great Hall at that moment and Harry and Hermione would not have noticed; both of Ron's friends looked at him like he'd sprouted two extra heads.
"What?" he said when he saw their dropped jaws and astonished expressions. "So I know a thing or two about photography." He shrugged, his ears turning pinkish.
Just then Ginny moved down the table and sat beside her brother. "Are you all going to Hogsmeade today?" she asked.
Coming out of their stupor, Harry and Hermione nodded at her.