Title: Grain of Truth
Ship: Harry/Hermione
Name/Pen Name: Ezgi/StarbuckJr
Word Count: 2045
Theme #/Theme: #6 / A Daily Prophet Article filled with mistakes
Challenge count: 1/7 finished

Content: PG
Spoilers: Books 1-6
Warnings: None
Summary: Harry finds the needle in the proverbial stack of hay, and pays for it.

For the last few months that they were camping out at Grimmauld Place, their correspondence with the Wizarding World has been scant, the news getting to them only by discreet ways. Thanks to Mr. Lovegood’s arrangements, both The Quibbler and The Daily Prophet were being delivered to them, allowing them not to miss out what was happening, which turned out to be not much. Harry and Ron had been reluctant in regards to the Prophet. Both insisted there couldn’t be anything in it that could help them. Ron’s exact words were more along lines of, “That paper is nothing but a shitload of lies, and you are crazier than I think you are if you believe there is anything that will help us find those bloody Horcruxes, Hermione!” Yet Hermione was quite adamant on the subject.
“I will not let any single possibility pass. We need every help we can get.”

If Harry had to be honest, he agreed with Ron wholeheartedly. He wasn’t bold enough to counter Hermione though; it was not like she was asking them to peruse the paper. Every morning she paid the owl, silently took the paper and read from the first page to the last without uttering a word. There hadn’t been a single thing concerning Voldemort or his Death Eaters ever since Dumbledore’s funeral. According to the Prophet, Dumbledore had been suffering from dementia, and was out walking mindlessly around the castle and fell off the tower one night. This had been the breaking point for Harry on his opinion of the paper.

That morning, while the three of them were having a quiet breakfast, an owl came and dropped the paper on the table, right next to Hermione’s plate. Harry could make out his name upside down on the first page, and he felt the anger rise in him. Once he saw Hermione reach for the paper, he quickly put his hand on it, stopping her. He tried to sound calm.

“Hermione, really, there is nothing worth reading. Leave it alone for once.” He tried to smile. “Maybe The Quibbler will hold some clues.”

Hermione frowned and searched his eyes. Seeing the anger he was keeping at bay, she stopped herself before telling him off.

“It won’t take long, I promise. No more than five minutes. I’ll be long finished by the time you two finish your breakfast,” she placated.

Harry inhaled quickly, his lips forming a thin line. Ron had by now stopped chewing and was watching his two friends closely. Harry took a look at the article with his name on it. He could see ribbons and flowers adorning the title.

“I bet you five galleons there is not a grain of truth in that article about me.”

“Honestly Harry, you’re being ridiculous.”

“Ten galleons. There is not one iota of truth in it. Nothing.” He looked deep in her eyes, unwavering in his stance.

“Ten galleons! Whoo! Hermione, I wouldn’t miss this chance if I were you.” Ron drank his pumpkin juice in one giant gulp, turning all his attention towards the two of them.

“Honestly! Alright!” Hermione huffed airily. “Don’t whine if you lose though.”

Harry could see a hint of a smirk on her lips. “Prepare to lose Granger.”

He took the paper and made a show of straightening it. “I’ll read it. Stop me if you think anything’s right. Agreed?”

Hermione shrugged her shoulder. “Be my guest.”

He took a deep breath. “’POTTER GONE MUGGLE? Article by Mina Sweeper.’”

“Who is Mina Sweeper?” asked Ron.

“Sound suspiciously like Rita Skeeter, doesn’t it?”

“Didn’t she promise you not to write anything about me though?”

“She did. I guess she thought I wouldn’t notice it if she used an alias. I don’t have time to waste on her though. I wish I could expose her, but she will have to wait until we get rid of Voldemort.”

“Go on, Harry.”

“‘Could The Boy Who Lived have found happiness in Muggle World? His Muggle upbringing was a well kept secret by no other than the ex-Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, who we know now had been suffering from his withering mind for a long time before his death. Here is our talented reporter telling us latest news about Wonder Boy.

Today, one of my beloved readers contacted me with important news. A true beauty to behold and an avid reader of mine, this young lady came to me with news about Mr. Potter’s recent detours to a high-profile café in Muggle London. This lady, whom I’ll refer as Ms. Shine for the sake of keeping her identity safe and doing her beauty justice, was out for shopping. Having stopped at this café (the name of which I can’t tell) ...”

“I wonder why,” interjected Ron.

“ ... Ms. Shine was having a quiet lunch by herself, when none other than the red haired friend of Mr. Potter barged in with a stunning blonde by his side. Mr. Wesley ...” .

“Wesley?!”

“Wesley, while not as hot a stud compared to Mr. Potter ...”

“That doesn’t count as a right, does it?” asked Hermione. “It’s up to speculation.” There was a mischievous glint in her eyes. Ron was grunting next to Harry.

“Hot stud? You?”

“No, this doesn’t count. Anyway... ‘seems to have a great taste in women. This blonde woman, who was just a few inches short of Mr. Wesley, could have been easily a model, according to Ms. Shine.”

“Is there a picture Harry?” Ron leaned in, trying to see the page.

“Don’t tell me you have been going out with a girl?”

“Of course I’m not, Hermione. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. I just wondered if there was a picture of this chick.”

Hermione bristled at this. Harry jumped in, before they started again.

“No, Ron. Now, if you’ll let me continue. ‘The same, she couldn’t say for Mr. Potter. Following his friend he came in with a girl, both of them sporting shirts in a nasty shade of magenta, as if announcing the world they were a couple. Ms. Shine admits, she couldn’t recognize this lover of Mr. Potter at first. With blonde streaks in her hair, crimson lipstick and outrageous earrings, Ms. Hermoine Granger ...”

“Honestly!”

“Yet another mispronounciation, eh?”

“... couldn’t hide her boring plain looks no matter what-’ That’s rubbish!”

“Go on Harry.”

With a look at Hermione, he took another breath.

“However, Mr. Potter didn’t look like he minded at all. According to Ms. Shine, Mr. Potter couldn’t keep his hands off Ms. Granger. ‘It was a bit hard to watch really.’ said Ms. Shine, ‘They played footsie all the time they sat there. He even barked at the waiter who came to take their orders. He must have thought the waiter flirted with his girl or something, he looked murderous, I swear. Even though I can’t understand why, he was obviously devoted to this woman. And so protective of her.’ Ms. Shine conceded.”

Harry paused for a second. His eyes lost their focus on the text.

“What is it mate? Don’t tell me there was anything true in that drivel?”

“Yes, Harry. I think I would remember if I played footsie with anyone. Or flirted with anyone. Or if anyone couldn’t keep their hands off me.”

Harry raised his head to see Hermione blushing into a faint shade of pink. He looked at her face, this time taking in all the details. The glint in her eyes, the line of her eyebrows, the light reflecting on the waves of her hair, the white of her teeth peeking from between her lips, all started to make him feel uncomfortably warm inside. He knew he wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt her. He knew he would do anything to protect her from harm. Anything. That was true to the fullest meaning of the word.

“Yeah mate, go on.”

“That wasn’t all the unashamed pair was up to, apparently. A true lady herself, Ms. Shine knew it was time for her to depart and leave the shame behind when Ms. Granger started feeding her beloved kiwis.’ Feeding me?!”

“Kiwis?!” said Hermione at the same time. “You are allergic to them!”

“You are?”

“Yes, I am.” He sighed. There wasn’t much left of the article. “Whatever allure his love interest held for Mr. Potter, it seemed enough to keep him away from his past troubles, and possibly prompting him to seek entertainment among Muggles. The Wizarding World may have lost one of its celebrities, but not one of its heroes. The Boy Who Lived showed he couldn’t be trusted when he fled with his tail between his legs the one and only time he faced You-Know-Who. Thanks to the valiant attempts of the Ministry of Magic and the brave Minister himself, the people of Wizarding World can sleep safely in their homes ever since then.”

“That’s all?” Ron said unbelieving. “What a piece of rubbish! Although I think one good came out of it. You won ten galleons mate.”

Ron slapped his back a little too hard.

“Oh, well. I lost. I’ll go get your galleons, then.”

Hermione got up from the table, levitating her plate and glass to the sink as she did so. She left the kitchen for her room upstairs. Ron got up next, sending his dishes to the sink as well. He grabbed another muffin on his way to the living room.

Harry sat there unmoving, thinking of everything and nothing. He was staring blankly ahead at the chair Hermione just vacated. When he heard footsteps coming from the stairs, he got up too. Hermione came in with galleons sparkling in her hand.

“There you go. You won. Congratulations.” She was smiling, but Harry sensed something akin to uneasiness pass her eyes. He couldn’t think of anything to say. Was he supposed to thank her for the galleons? Rub it in her face?

“I’m going to the library. I left my notes unfinished last night. Better go finish them, before I forget the ideas that jumped my mind. You know how I like to keep notes. Anyway... I’m in the library if you need me.”

She turned and left the kitchen. He looked at the galleons in his hand; he didn’t notice Hermione placing them there. After charming the dishes to wash themselves, he went to his room looking for his stash.

Not a minute had passed when he found himself in the library, approaching the desk where Hermione sat. She looked up from her reading a little bleary-eyed, though her look cleared when she saw it was him.
“Here is the ten galleons you just gave me. And here ...” he said reaching into his right pocket, “is another ten. You won the bet, Hermione.”

“I did? How? When? I mean, there wasn’t anything true in that article, Harry. Even our names were misspelled.”

“No, you won it, Hermione. Really.”

“What was it then? And why didn’t you say so earlier? Why tell me now?” Seeing the look of discomfort at Harry’s face, she tensed. “Is it something private? I mean, if it’s a secret or something ... you know ... you don’t have to tell me. Or anything.”

“I didn’t want to say it in front of Ron.”

Hermione looked positively confused. Harry couldn’t feel himself ready to come clean with his intentions. Some true Gryffindor he was. He quickly searched for something to soothe Hermione.

“Ron likes blondes.”

“He does?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

“Didn’t want to say it in front of him. You know how he gets when we tease him.”

“I know,” she said absently. She then turned to stare at the galleons lying on her notes. Harry felt with a pang maybe he should have confessed the truth. It wasn’t like he lied; Ron indeed liked blondes.

“Don’t let anything that woman says get to you, Hermione. I don’t believe you need to be told that, but still ... I mean, you are not how she described you or anyting. You don’t need all that rubbish. You never have.”

Her eyes was glinting once again. His heart swelled at the knowledge that he made her happy.

“Thank you, Harry. It means a lot to me.”

I couldn't find where else to say this. I want to thank booberry for beta-ing.

S.

That was cute! Good job!

Thank you.

S.

Awwwwwww, Harry. Even if he didn't have the guts to say what he felt. This tie in with the other fic you put up or are they unrelated? Good job, Starbuck!

Thank you. I think the other fic begs for a sequel, however i think this one here would closely follow. If i can manage to turn these two ficlets into a long winded fic, i'd definitely put this in, because it fits the plot line. Say, chapter 3 or something.

S.

Well, it's nice. but it feels...incomplete...like the part where Harry tells her the truth has been cut. I think it should end with them admitting their feelings to each other...

Thanks for the feedback. I never intended this to go as far as them confessing their feelings though. However, if i get to bind this one with my other ficlet, then i'll try to improve some bits of this one, so that it fits to the storyline.

S.

Ooooh! I didn't realize you had written this ficlet too!

I really really like it! Almost as much as the other one in fact. It's these little moments between H/Hr that really express everything. I love how these ficlets don't need a cheesy confession to depict the love between the two.

Although I wouldn't mind a sequel that incorporates both...

I really hope you keep writing H/Hr fanfics!!!! Especially if the DH spoilers turn out to be true...

Thank you very much. As i was saying, and you got that right, i'm not one for outright confessions and actions of love. I also don't like cliches and cheesy-ness. There was none of that in the books for starters, there is not going to be any in DH either. I have no idea what the spoilers include, i'm trying to stay away from them by any means necessary.

As for a sequel... Good news. I started writing it. I may try to blend this one in too, but i'm not sure. We'll see how that turns out first.

S.

I thought it was cute, but it seemed a little...unfinished. I was expecting something more. I don't know...Well, I liked it nonetheless.

i thought he'd confessed his love for her, and yet...



honestly! you make me feel twisted!

I'm glad you liked it. This was a moment of creativity on my part.

S.