Found AIAOY 4

Chapter 12

Rebecca had a long scroll of parchment in front of her that was as mostly empty as it had been when she had first sat down to work on her Potions essay.  Sitting with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the Great Hall in one of the study blocks, she was entirely without inspiration.

There were only two weeks left of term and the Yule Ball was only a few days after that.  The professors, sensing the hopes of their students for an easy end of term, answered without words.  Using the O.W.Ls they would all be taking at the end of the next year, homework was given in higher and higher quantities.

Harry had already gotten a good start on his essay, though his attention kept being pulled behind him time and time again.  After he'd turned to look at Cho for the third time, Cho's friend nudged and whispered to her, telling Cho of the attention she was attracting.

Harry smiled, the pumpkin juice in his mouth falling out and dribbling down the front of him.  Rebecca held out a napkin towards him without looking up from her textbook as Cho told her friends not to laugh at him.

"She's done it again!"  Hermione snapped from behind her copy of the Daily Prophet, slamming the paper onto the tabletop before elaborating.  "Listen to this!  'Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to be developing a taste for famous wizards."

Ron had a grin ready on his face the second Hermione started to read from the paper, ready to laugh at the ridiculousness conjured up now.  But as she began, his smile failed.

"Her latest prey, sources report, is none other than the Bulgarian bonbon Viktor Krum.  No word yet on how Harry Potter's taking this latest emotional blow.  And,'"  Hermione's voice lost its mocking quality, trailing away.  "Oh..."  She folded the paper and put it down.

"What?"  Harry asked.

Hermione glanced at Rebecca's downturned head still pointed at the text for inspiration and answered pointedly.  "Nothing."

Rebecca heard the odd tone and look up, privately thankful something had happened to keep her from the blasted essay.  "What is it?"

Hermione moved the paper so that it was on the bench next to her.  "I said it's nothing."

"And I say you're lying."  Rebecca said plainly, her head falling back towards her word.  "All that woman writes is lies.  If it's about me, I don't care."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked up and down the table, clearly happy to look anywhere but at Rebecca.  Rebecca was thoroughly intrigued.

"Alright, now I'm curious.  What's she cooked up now?"  She reached for the copy in front of Ron who stopped her worried.

"Are you sure you want to see it?"  Ron gestured to Hermione.  "Look, if she says it's not a good idea then..."

Rebecca shook open the paper and flipped the the section set aside for the Tournament's coverage.  "Ah."  Rebecca nodded her head slowly, reading exactly what Hermione didn't want her to.  "Where...is...Lavender?"  Rebecca's voice was slow and cautiously level, a sure indicator of the anger rising inside of her.

Hermione shook her head panicked, "No, Rebecca don't do-She's not listening to me."

Rebecca stood up and looked over the Gryffindor tables slowly, looking for the girl.

Harry picked up the paper Hermione's paper from the bench and skimmed the article quickly.  "Harry's sister is also sent spiraling after the moving on of Miss Granger.  A Miss Brown, also a fourth year student, reports that Granger and Potter two had a romantic fling previously.  From the mouth of the witness, 'Oh yeah, they're definitely a thing.  I even heard them talking about starting a lesbian colony once!"