Masquerade (Discontinued)

Chapter III

The Burrow, St. Ottery's Catchpole, England, Great Britain

Sunday the 28th of June 1998

10:00 AM

Gideon stared at the cover page of the Daily Prophet with a blank expression on his face. He felt nothing as he stared down at the gigantic picture of Bella entwined with one Tom Riddle, sucking face. The picture moved so that they separated and Bella looked dazed and Riddle looking triumphant. He could hear his sister looking over his shoulder.

"I can't believe this! Mum! Do you see this?" Ginny shouted behind Gideon. Gideon didn't have to turn to know that his mother was standing behind him as well. It wasn't necessary. Her anger was practically palpable.

"I saw it! How could Albus and Sirius allow this to happen?" Mrs. Weasley demanded, angrily and Gideon wasn't too sure if she was angry on Bella's behalf or not. Gideon frowned down at the paper and caught sight of a ring on her finger.

"I can't believe this! They're getting married! She's marrying her professor!" Ginny spat, angrily and Gideon's brow furrowed.

"Ex-professor," he contributed, quietly. He looked up and over his shoulder and saw the two redheaded women giving him strange looks. Mrs. Weasley's eyes softened as she moved away from the fireplace and the Floo and towards him. She gave him a look full of pity.

He hated it.

"I'm sorry Gideon. That wretched girl…"

"That wretched girl is in love with that man and we can't do anything to change that," Gideon said, softly and he stood and walked away from the kitchen table, his appetite permanently ruined.

Prague, Czech Republic, Central Europe

Monday the 29th of June 1998

2:00 PM

"They're here! I'm telling you, Rita."

Rita looked at her niece in disbelief, shaking her head. Belinda nodded, frantically and she sighed, tapping her wrist slowly, as if to remind Belinda that Rita was actually on a deadline for a damn story.

Well more of a sighting of the elusive and newly engaged couple that everyone in the wizarding world was talking about anyway. They were a story in itself and Rita wanted to be the first to know when all of this had occurred. But, then when she had been about to go out into Diagon Alley, Belinda had appeared in her Floo and had dragged her to Prague.

"Belinda. We're in Prague. Why would we be in Prague?" snarled Rita, angrily. Belinda knew.

Belinda knew that it was hard for Rita's stories to get front page now. It was hard enough to get rehired by the Daily Prophet after Potter and Riddle had humiliated her by calling her out on her more…embellished pieces. No one had trusted her not to…make things up but now that she was back, she was not going to let it go. She was going to be bigger and better and her one way ticket back up would be at least a photograph of the couple together.

Even Belinda knew how much a picture of a kiss between the two would be worth.

"I swear they're in Prague. Christine told me. I don't know but she said that they would be here today because her friend, whom is supposedly close to them, said she was going with them. And remember, Prague is like the capital of music. Bella plays an instrument, right?" Belinda asked and Rita nodded slowly in agreement though she was still doubtful.