Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I just borrow the characters. =)
Chapter 1
As Harry, Ron and Hermione made their daily trek to the Great Hall for breakfast, a small group of Hufflepuff girls followed behind them, whispering to each other and giggling loudly. Neither of the boys were paying them much attention but Hermione apparently had been because she stopped suddenly and turned to glare at the group quite angrily. "I can hear you, you know!" she spat, her eyes flashing dangerously.
The girls jumped, fear visible on their features. The girl in the middle of the group recovered quickly and replied just as angrily, "Good, maybe you'll stop being such a minx if you learn what we all really think of you."
"Why you little--" Hermione took a step towards the group. Harry and Ron were quick to react. Ron put a hand on her arm, holding her in her place, while Harry stepped slightly in front of her and told the girls in no uncertain terms that they'd better get away quick. They grudgingly did so, but not before shooting both boys looks of sympathy.
"What was that about?" Ron asked, letting go of Hermione and watching the group of girls disappear with a look of bewilderment. The look was mirrored on Harry's face. Hermione, however, had her arms crossed tightly over her chest looking where the girls had been with no small amount of disdain on her face.
"I hate Lavender."she stated simply, to no one in particular.
The boys turned back to look at her in surprise. They knew that Hermione didn't always get along wonderfully with the other girls in her dorm, but it was common knowledge that they all tolerated each other. "Why? What'd she do?" Harry asked carefully.
"She started another rumor."
Both boys groaned at this. "What now?" Ron asked. "Have you moved onto shagging people now or something?"
Hermione's head shot up and she looked at him in surprise.
Ron blinked. "Oh. Who?"
"According to Lavender; you."
Ron blinked again. "What!"
Harry laughed at that, earning himself glares from his two best friends. He held up his hands in automatic surrender. Before they could start in on him he said, "Sorry, I couldn't help it." he grinned again. "At least I'm not included in this one, have fun you two."
Ron glared at him, but Hermione's next statement kept him from saying anything.
"And you."
Now Harry blinked. "What!"
A small smile pulled at her lips, to which both boys frowned at. "According to Lavender, I'm shagging Ron on the regular in a relationship that's supposed to be a secret but is extremely obvious to everyone but Harry. And I'm shagging Harry on the side in a "friends-with-benefits" relationship that's supposed to be a secret but is extremely obvious to everyone but Ron." she explained.
"WHAT!!" Harry and Ron exclaimed in unison.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh really now, it can't be that hard to understand--"
Ron cut her off. "Why am I the one stuck dating you and Harry here just gets you whenever he feels like it?"
"Well, gee Ron. Thanks." She crossed her arms back over her chest again and looked at him sourly. "I'm so sorry I'd be that bad to date."
He just waved her off. "That's not important, you never answered me."
Hermione shot him a glare before sighing and saying, "Well Lavender obviously knows that I'd never try for two relationships at once, she knows I'm much too practical for all that, so her obvious answer was that with your protectiveness, temper and jealous tendencies you wouldn't be fit for a "friends-with-benefits" relationship, so obviously you're the actual boyfriend. Harry on the other hand isn't the jealous type and is much more laid back when it comes to my actions so he'd be the perfect choice for a "friends-with-benefits" relationship, however not the greatest candidate for actually serious boyfriend/girlfriend dating situation."
"I'm not the jealous type!" Ron exclaimed.
"I wouldn't be a bad boyfriend!" Harry exclaimed.
Ron and Hermione both stared at him.
"Um, sure Harry, of course you wouldn't." Hermione patted his arm lightly while looking at him as if he was a confused child.
Ron wasn't so subtle. He coughed loudly and it sounded suspiciously like, "Cho!"
Harry glared at them both. "Thanks a lot guys."
"Anytime mate." Ron replied smiling brightly.
Harry sighed in defeat before going back to the conversation at hand. "So how is it that Lavender can know all this about you, but still can get it in her head that you're shagging the two of us?" he questioned.
Hermione shrugged. "Everyone has their faults I guess."
"You're okay with this?!?" Ron asked incredulously, his anger returning.
"Of course not, Ron! I mentioned earlier my current feelings about her didn't I? And I think my reaction to those Hufflepuff girls was proof enough that I am not happy about this particular rumor." Hermione huffed in annoyance.
Ron calmed down slightly at that and nodded his head. "Alright."
"So what's the plan for dealing with this one?" Harry asked. They were so used to all the crazy stories about the three of them flying around that they'd gotten quite used to these types of talks. This however was by far the worst rumor yet. Harry hoped very much that there wouldn't ever be one that could surpass it.
Hermione sighed. "I haven't come up with anything quite yet, but it's a still relatively new rumor so with any luck we can get by today with just ignoring it."
Harry nodded. "I guess that'll have to work. Now come on guys, I'm hungry."
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They arrived at the Great Hall shortly after to see breakfast was now well under way. They took a few empty seats at the Gryffindor table and began their usual breakfast routine. Ron would start by piling Harry's food onto a plate and then pass it to Hermione who would cut up his pancakes and sausages before placing it in front of Harry who was busy pouring each of them each a tall glass of pumpkin juice. Ron would then fill his own plate and hand it to Hermione to cut up and then fill her one for her as well. After setting their glasses in front of them, Harry would then butter and jam each of theirs toast and place it on the side of their plates. None of them would begin eating until all of this was done and they all had their food, drink and toast in front of them. (Even Ron with his enormous appetite would wait as patiently as possible, occasionally sneaking a bite of sausage. Something that Hermione almost always caught him doing.) Finally after their perfect breakfast ballet they would all begin to eat and talk about the day's upcoming classes or Harry and Ron would talk about the latest Quidditch match while Hermione would silently roll her eyes with a small smile on her face as she listened to her boys.
At first the other Gryffindors would watch the trio's interaction at breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner) in wonder, but they had long since gotten used to the trios closeness and now looked on with knowing smiles.
Harry and Ron were discussing Quidditch when the familiar flutter of wings signaled the morning mail. Hermione got her usual Daily Prophet while Ginny, who was sitting on Hermione's left, got her usual Witch Weekly. Hermione glanced through her paper quickly scanning the article titles before tossing it onto the table in disinterest. Ginny seemed much more interested in her magazine. She turned to a page in the middle of the magazine and 'eeped in surprise.
"What?" Ron asked glancing at his sister.
Harry and Hermione turned to her as well in curiosity.
Ginny's mouth was hanging open as she looked at the magazine, then she looked up at the three worried faces looking at her and gaped even more.
"Ginny are you alright?" Hermione asked in concern.
Ginny silently handed the magazine over to Hermione in reply.
Hermione looked at her quizzically before turning her attention to the magazine in her hands. When she took in the pictures before her she gasped and dropped the magazine onto the table.
Harry and Ron took that as an opportunity to snatch it up and get a look for themselves. Both boys froze and looked stunned. There were three pictures across the two open pages.
On the left was a picture of Harry and Hermione caught in a very intimate embrace, kissing as if tomorrow would never come. She had her arms around his neck, one hand curled into his hair and the other lightly running along his back. His hands were another story, one was snaked around her waist, pulling the two as close together as humanly possible, but the other was slipped under her robes very obviously cupping her breast.
The picture on the far right was a picture of Ron and Hermione in a similar embrace. Ron had both arms wrapped around her waist pulling their bodies flush against each other and one of his hands was traveling lower to squeeze her ass. Hermione, for her part, had one hand against his chest and the other on the back of his head forcing their lips against each other in a very passionate kiss.
Harry and Ron turned to each other and started talking at the same time.
"I never--"
"I didn't--"
They turned to Hermione.
"We never--"
"We didn't--"
Hermione didn't look at either of them, though. She had her head in her hands and was looking steadily down at the table, her hair acting as a veil from the rest of the world. They couldn't see her face and they didn't need to. They looked pointedly at Ginny and Seamus who were sitting on either side of Hermione.
Looking startled, but understanding their meaning Ginny and Seamus both got up and relinquished their seats to Harry and Ron without a word.
They were by her side in a flash. Harry placed a hand on her arm and spoke softly. "Hermione don't cry..."
Ron moved the hair out of her face so she could look at them and they saw silent tears slowly making tracks down her cheeks. "Shhh, Hermione it'll be okay, it's alright, shhh, don't cry..." Ron comforted her.
"But it's not okay, Ron. Why can't they all just leave us alone? Why do they have to spread rumors? Why do they have to write those damned articles? I haven't even read this one yet and I don't think I want to. Are their lives really that boring that they have sit down and think of scandalous stories just for fun! I act like it doesn't affect me, but it does." Her voiced cracked with emotion, but she continued on. "My mum read that last article and she was so mad at me. And then your mum, Ron…She's never acted the same around me since that Rita Skeeter article about me and Harry and now…now it's just going to be a hundred times worse. Why can't they just let us have some fucking peace?"
Had she not been crying her eyes out during her speech, Harry and especially Ron would've been impressed by the fact that she actually swore, and not once, but twice. Instead they had to settle with Harry rubbing her back soothingly and Ron gently wiping away her tears as she struggled to pull herself back together.
With a final sniff she raised her head and looked at both of them with a grateful smile. Her eyes were still glistening slightly and tinted a soft red but other than that there was no evidence of her tears. "Thank you guys for being so sweet."
At the word sweet Ron pulled back. "Hey now, don't go accusing me of stuff, I just don't like it when you cry, that's it." he said defiantly, obviously miffed at being caught with an emotional range slightly larger than a teaspoon.
Hermione grinned at him anyway and gave him a firm hug and a quick peck on the cheek. Ron awkwardly returned her hug before placing himself a decent distance away from her after she was done with her little show of affection.
Harry started to turn back to breakfast when Hermione suddenly launched herself on him in a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek as well. "Don't think you're going to get away without one too, you both are so good to me sometimes." She grinned as the boys blushed slightly at all the sudden compliments before happily turning to her plate.
"I hate to break up the happy moment and all, but I don't think that little display was such a good idea." Ginny said from behind the discarded magazine as she finished reading the last few sentences of the article.
Hermione swallowed. "How bad is it?"
"Well there is one really cute picture of you guys, but the title could definitely use some work." Ginny replied tossing the magazine back to them.
"You call those pictures 'cute'?" Ron asked looking horrified.
Ginny rolled her eyes and spoke to her brother as if he were a small child. "No, Ron, not those pictures. The one in the middle of all three of you, it's cute."
Ron looked nauseous. "All three of us?" He squeaked.
Ginny giggled. "Oh get your mind out of the gutter."
Hermione spoke up then. "It's okay Ron, it's the one from fourth year, we all have a copy, and it's nothing like the others I promise."
Harry and Ron scooted closer to her to look over her shoulder at the picture in question. It was in the middle of the other two and it was one they recognized and owned. They were by the lake on Hogwarts' grounds. In the picture Harry was on the left, Hermione in the middle, and Ron on the right. They had their arms around each other in a friendly manner and were all smiling and laughing, their eyes shining bright with happiness and comfort. It had been taken during their fourth year before everything had taken a turn for the worse. They all had a copy of said picture. Colin had taken it for them and given them each framed copies as Christmas presents.
The title of the article on the other hand wasn't so familiar and comforting. It read in big bold letters:
SCARLET WOMAN TURNED VINDICITIVE MINX? HERMIONE GRANGER HAS DONE IT AGAIN!
Hermione Granger, Hogwarts smartest witch in decades and resident temptress has struck again. I'm sure you're all aware of her previous toys with the hearts of The Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, and international Quidditch star, Viktor Krum, whom she strung along for an entire year causing pain and heartbreak undoubtedly the entire time.
It has now come to our attention from an anonymous source that she's at it again.
It is now common knowledge around Hogwarts that a certain red-haired Ronald Weasley, son of Ministry official Arthur Weasley and best friend of Harry Potter himself, has developed very strong feelings for the bookish Miss Granger. Things seemed to be looking up for the two as it appeared that Miss Granger returned his feelings and many of their fellow classmates were aware of them having a secret and extremely intimate relationship behind closed doors.
Now one has to ask themselves, what exactly are these two teenagers hiding? Perhaps they just wanted some privacy, to do as they pleased away from the prying eyes of others.
Or perhaps, it was to keep from upsetting our favorite green-eyed hero.
It seems that The Boy-Who-Loves-Getting-His-Heart-Broken just can't seem to get enough of Miss Granger and asked her to participate in a "friends-with-benefits" type relationship. The young witch eagerly agreed. Since her current relationship with Ron Weasley is, or was, a secret at the time to everyone, including Mister Potter himself, he was quite unaware what the consequences of his actions would be.
Ever since, Miss Granger has been seeing both boys at the same time on a regular basis and no one was the wiser.
Until now, that is.
This now leads me to final, parting question. Exactly what kind of girl would get such a sick and twisted pleasure out of playing with the fragile hearts of her two closest, so-called, "best friends"?
Reported By: Cassandra Elliott
Pictures By: Rodney Webster
"Bloody hell." Ron muttered as Hermione folded the magazine and placed in on the table. For once, she didn't scold him for swearing.
"Agreed." Harry said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair. "Who's that Rodney Webster person anyway? And how'd he get pictures like that?"
"Photo-shop." Ginny piped up. "Muggles do it with their pictures, but it doesn't always look right, but with magic you can make just about any image you want in a picture."
"How do you know about that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Muggle-studies. Dad said he'd forgive my low transfiguration grade if I took muggle-studies at least once." she replied.
Hermione nodded distractedly. "Breakfast is about over, you guys want to head out?" she asked turning to Harry and Ron before waving to Ginny.
Harry and Ron followed her out of the Great Hall and towards their first class of the day all lost in their own thoughts.
A/N: Well, tell me what you think!!! =)
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