Skeeter Chronicles Chapter Eleven

Title: Skeeter Chronicles
Rating: This chapter G
Author: SoLeo
Word Count: +1600
Warnings: *EWE*
Disclaimer: You know I don't own them. 
Summary: In which Rita Skeeter attempts to get the exclusive of a lifetime.
AN: I find that I’m making background info for things that don’t currently play any part of this story and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

Chapter Eleven

I’m eating breakfast in the teacher’s lounge Tuesday morning when a barn owl appears and drops a copy of the Quibbler next to me. I reward the creature for not dropping it in my oatmeal by giving it a small part of my sausage and then shooing it away.

Harry’s on the cover smiling, looking dashing in azure robes, green eyes sparkling. “Harry Potter on the latest gossip surrounding his life and how it has gone too far. –PG20. Open up your windows, Snorkstak’s mating season approaches. –PG8. Lemongrass tea a cure for nightmares. –PG35.” A note was also attached “S- I picked you up a copy in case it sells out. –H”

Usually I stay away from the drivel that Xenophilius publishes, but I find myself glancing at the other articles and chuckling at the contents while eating. I get to Harry’s interview as Filius, Minerva, and Pomona join me for their own meals. It was a candid interview with a reporter that I was unfamiliar with.

“A Discussion with Harry Potter on his life in the Spotlight – Benjie Wallis

Harry, thanks for meeting today. I’m very excited about this opportunity to talk openly with you. I know you have something you are hoping to share, so please go ahead. -B

Alright, mostly this is about my life behind all the gossip. My hope is that my personal life is something that I’d get to keep private. I’m just a wizard. I go to work, I like to go for a pint or just take a stroll with no destination in mind. It’s been so bad that I couldn’t open my door without being photographed or having personal questions asked. I had to resort to putting my home back under fidelis just to get some peace. –H

That does sound horrible Harry, but I’m glad you are here opening up with me today. Maybe if you cleared the air and get out everything you wanted to say our readers would understand your motivations, we are all just so curious about you. Can I start you off? Tell us about who you’re seeing now. This mysterious man is causing quite a stir. –B

 *chuckles* That’s not just mine to say Benjie, what I can say is that I am in a committed relationship, one that I hope will continue for a long time. I realized I wasn’t really interested in girls, and when I told my friends they were understanding and my previous flame Ginny urged me to go out and find Mr. Right. –H

Do you think that this man is Mr. Right? From what you’ve just said this is your first relationship with another man. –B

I think he might be, but if it’s not I hope to stay friends. No one else has ever made me feel the way he does. He really could be my prince. –H”

“Severus, are you listening to me?” Minerva is shaking me by the shoulder to get my attention. “I’ve been calling your name for the last few minutes.”

“My apologies Minerva, you were saying?” I put the periodical down, cover hidden from view. Filius and Pomona are smirking at me, my inattention very incongruous.

“When is the new head of Slytherin house arriving so that we can key him in and strengthen the wards? I’d like to plan my vacation at some point.”

“Mr. Fadden agreed to arrive by the end of this week, so we should expect him any day now. As far as your vacation goes, I know you always go to visit your remaining relatives for two weeks in June. It’s the same thing you have done for years. It should be easy to arrange.” I finish the last of sausage, grab my unfinished reading and head for the door. I’m not going to get enough peace and quiet if I try to read it here. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

-/-/-/-/-/-

“So, it could be love? You’re breaking a lot of people’s hearts out there. –B

I know, but I don’t owe them anything. I’ve done what I needed to and now I want to live my life for me. This makes me happy, becoming an auror makes me happy, being able to go to a restaurant without being asked a million questions by strangers would make me happy too. –H

That’s quite a plea. What about all those children who look up to you? –B

Don’t make this about the children Benjie, because this isn’t about them. When I get stopped in Diagon Alley by kids they are respectful when they ask for my autograph or photo. I’m sick and tired of all the adults that accost me. I’ve had to replace several sets of robes because of all the tearing that’s been done. –H

Can you blame them, you’re quite handsome and they just want to get close to you. –B

Yeah, I can. The right way to get close to me is to greet me like anyone else. I don’t want to be forced to hide behind disillusionment charms whenever I go out in public, that would make my job incredibly hard. If I’m not busy I’m usually very approachable and I don’t mind chatting for a few minutes. If I’m already swarmed, please just move along. There will be other opportunities to see me because I’m not going anywhere now that Voldemort has been taken care of. –H”

A knock on my door draws me out of the article again, I put it under and estimated budget for the increased staff for the year. “Come in.”

“Morning Severus,” Poppy comes in, business as usual. “I’m sorry to bother you, but the new potions teacher isn’t going to be arriving until mid-August and I was hoping I could get you to start building my stockpile. Yours have always been more effective than the ones I get from the apothecary.”

I know I should refuse; I have enough on my plate with the governors, teacher meetings, schedule planning, prospective student profiles. I find that I cannot however. There has always been something soothing about brewing and the methodical process might relieve some stress from the workday. “I’ll see what I can do Poppy, but it will be low on my list of priorities. Running a school has just too much paperwork involved.”

“Of course.” She’s stands there, waiting for I don’t know what. I let the silence draw out, usually that gets people talking to fill the void. “I know you already sent out the letters to the returning post graduate age students, how they’ll need to be teacher’s aids or tutors in addition to studying when they return. I’m requesting that Draco Malfoy be my assistant.”

“Is there a particular reason? You don’t usually have enough to keep an assistance occupied and I had planned on him being available to mentor the younger Slytherins, there’s going to be quite a few upset children sorted into that house this year and they’ll need someone to look out for them.”

“I think it would be more beneficial for him and intra house unity to have the students be treated by a slytherin. The kids need to see that he and his house are not all murdering psychos.”

“I’ll take that in to advisement.” I search for my pile of returning students and make a note by Mr. Malfoy’s name. I’ll talk to Minerva later about her opinion on this. “Is there anything else?”

“I just wanted to say that whatever you’ve been doing differently this past month, it’s really working for you. You look years younger.”

Try as I might I can’t stop my face from blushing. “Thank you Poppy. Now if you don’t mind, I have more paperwork to get back to.”

“Of course, thank you.” After she closes the door I pull out the article again, intent on completing it this time.

“I don’t know, being an auror is a dangerous line of work, Harry. What if something happened to you? –B

I find that risking my life is a lot easier when I have so many great people in the Auror Corp backing me up. I’m not a one many army, and I know when I’m out there in the field that someone is there watching my back. –H

And your Mr. Right, how does he feel about you putting your life on the line? –B

Given the chance I think he’d be right out there with me watching my back for me. There’s no one else I’d rather have do that but he’s got his own life to focus on and he doesn’t need to take care of me twenty-four-seven. He hasn’t asked me to stop yet, so I think he’s rather proud of the work I do. –H

That’s good. What about if you had your own kids, would you want to settle down? –B

I’m not really sure. That would be something I’d have to decide with my partner, it’s not something I can just dictate arbitrarily. Besides that’s something that falls into the ‘private’ category, which is none of your business. –H

Sorry, Harry. Well, any final things you’d like to get out there before we finish up? –B

I just want to remind everyone that it’s only been a year since the war finally ended and a lot of good people are out there giving everything they’ve got to start new. I’m just one person, and just because I was the one that ended things doesn’t mean I didn’t have a lot of help. I’m just trying to get on with my life just like all of you. –H