Chapter 112: Stori!!
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"So, the whole capturing a beetle thing is starting to look a little more enticing, isn't it?" I ask.
I'm confused when her eyes narrow when they are directed above my head.
"What the hell is this, Lerner?" Daphne's angry voice demands from behind me as she throws a copy of the Prophet down in front of me. Glancing around I spot some of the Gryffindors looking at me in shock to have the Slytherin beauty confronting me in the Great Hall.
I suppose they didn't notice me dancing with a Slytherin on at least seven different occasions last night. Luckily the privacy charm extends to her so the others can't hear. It doesn't extend to Blaise and Tracey, who appear to be looking around rather uncomfortably.
"Well I would have said a newspaper, but I've read that article and it seems no more than a gossip rag to me," I say, attempting to seem unconcerned. I am concerned, though.
"You said you wouldn't get Astoria involved!"
I frown at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't speak to any reporters and I certainly didn't expect them to publish such nonsense."
"I should never have let her go with you," she says coldly.
"It's not his fault, Daphne!" Hermione says, standing up, cheeks tinged red with anger.
"Hey, come on, there's no need for this," I say in a placating tone.
"No, there is! You shouldn't let her treat you this way, William! I'm sick of you letting her walk all over you! Most of the article is slandering me, and the Greengrass name gets a mere passing mention!"
"Hermione, Daphne," I say firmly, standing up myself. "Unless you want to give our classmates more fuel for the next round of ridiculous gossip, I suggest we take this discussion elsewhere."
Both Daphne and Hermione pale at that. I'm glad for the privacy bubble that excluded most of the Hall. They still would have seen the expressions, though.
"Now come on, let's throw them off a bit and take a walk." I throw my arm around Daphne, who goes rigid. "You'll have to sell it better than that, Daphne." She relaxes slightly just as Hermione drops the privacy charm, but then she jumps when I start laughing loudly. "Can you believe they actually printed this nonsense?" I say. "What kind of idiots would actually believe this?"
Harry laughs as well. "Somebody's going to get fired," he says, wrapping his own arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"Remind me to get a copy of the Quibbler; I would have subscribed to Teen Witch Weekly if I wanted schoolyard gossip instead of actual news," Hermione says offhand, deliberately not looking at Luna. Luna beams at her anyway.
As we're walking away I turn back to the Slytherin table and catch Astoria's violet eyes peering back at me. I give a small jerk of my head toward the door and she nods.
When we reach the end of the table and Harry and Hermione move toward us, I throw my arm around both Harry and Hermione for good measure.
"That was a nice touch with the Quibbler thing, Hermione," I say quietly, "you made Luna's day. Wish I had thought of that."
Once the door closes behind us, I'm surprised to note that Daphne does not immediately throw off my arm, and her voice has lost some of its iciness. "Why are we walking so slow this time?"
"Waiting for one more," I say mysteriously. I turn to her, Tracey, and Blaise. The latter looks angry about the placement of my arm, but I think he's finally more accepting of the whole 'being friends with Gryffindors' situation.
"Where were you guys headed, back to the Slytherin common room? We can head that way if you like."
"You just want to see the lady in the portrait again," Harry says jokingly.
"She did leave an impression," I say wistfully. "Plus you guys haven't seen her yet, she's got a nice set of—"
"Fine," Daphne says quickly. "That'll be fine."
"Will? Daph?" Astoria's uncertain voice calls from behind us.
Daphne spins on her heel away from my arm. "Stori? What are you doing out here?"
Stori? What a cute nickname! "I wanted to apologize to her directly," I say, then I turn to her. When she's close enough I put up a privacy bubble large enough to encompass all of us.
"I'm sorry, Astoria, I had no idea the Prophet was going to do something like that."
"William..." Hermione warns, and suddenly the tension from the Great Hall is back.
"It's okay," Astoria says. "It only said I was your date, Daphne was Viktor's, and that our father is an important business man."
"You don't understand, father could lose business because of this," Daphne says with an icy glare in my direction. "I wouldn't be surprised if he comes here today to yell at us."
"And how is this William's fault?" Hermione asks in a heated voice.
"If we hadn't...if he never talked to me in the first place, none of this would have happened!"
I flush in embarrassment as Hermione and Astoria both start to argue with Daphne at the same time. "Stop," I say loudly.
"Look, Daphne, what you say is true. Yes, it is, Hermione. We're all just getting to know each other, and I had a great time last night. I really like you and I don't want to stop being your friend, but I'd understand if you or your father don't want you to be mine anymore. I'd understand if you think it's not worth it to have things like this happening."
"I didn't say that," Daphne says frustratedly, looking away.
"Well that's what it comes down to, is it not? You can yell at me if you like, but once you're done, you're either going to forgive me or tell me to take a hike. What do you say we skip to that part?"
Daphne makes a growling sound in her throat, then she turns to Hermione. "Is he always this difficult?"
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