No second chances| Book Two

"You didn't mean it."

My eyes burned as the flashed burned my pupils. The bright woman in front of us smiled and came up quickly to shake our hands.

"I'm Rita Skeeter! I work for the daily prophet. But you already knew that didn't you. It's you we don't know." She beamed, licking the lipstick from her teeth. I gagged and turned my head, seeing Cedric sitting at the bench on the side of the room.

I had asked him to come for emotional support.

He covered his mouth to hide a laugh before the woman's shrill voice turned me back to her.

"You're the juicy news." She began, walking close to us.

"What quirks lay beneath those rosie cheeks?" She smacked Fleur's cheeks, making my eyes wide.

"What mysteries do the muscles mask?" She grabbed Krum and squeezed his arm before walking to me.

"What secrets lie beneath those curls?" She grabbed a chunk of my hair and bounced it up and down.

"In short, what makes the champion tick? Me, myself and I want to know. Not to mention my rabid readers." As the woman flung her arms around Harry and I, I sent her death glares.

Harry seemed to notice and grew nervous of what I might do.

"So who's feeling up to sharing?" If I pen dropped right now, it might send off a vocal explosion.

"Shall we start with the youngest? Lovely." She yanked Harry away from me and towards a cupboard.

Instinctively, I rushed to grab him back but someone stopped me.

"He'll be fine. He's Harry Potter, of course." A voice whispered in my ear. I sighed and turned around, facing the charming boy.

"She's very aggressive." I mumbled, fixing the hair that she previously knotted. Cedric chuckled and ran his fingers through it.

"She's a writer."

"What am I even supposed to tell her. She'll twist my words anyways." Fiddling with my tie, I loosened it slightly before sitting down in the chair Fleur had just occupied.

"Tell her what she wants to hear. I mean, to an extent. Don't let her get under your skin." Cedric smiled and leaned down in front of me.

"You're loads better at this than me." I smiled back, looking between his eyes for reassurance.

"Yeah, well.." Cedric groaned as he stood up. "You were chosen. Not me. But, you'll be fine. You're just as charming as I am." Cedric beamed, turning over to the camera man as he dropped something.

The cameraman looked at Cedric and blushed before looking away.

"As if." I gasped, gesturing towards the man. We both laughed and turned just as the door opened. Harry followed behind Rita with a glum face.

"Beautiful, the boys sister next." She hollered. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and looked behind me, seeing no one before looking back.

"Not me?" She nodded excitedly and grabbed my arm before yanking me back into the same room. I didn't have time to look around as she shoved me to sit down on the steps.

"So, Marilyn-"

"Marley is fine." I corrected. She looked up from her pen and sent a fake smile before looking down again.

"How does it feel that your brother put his name in the goblet?" I nearly stumbled in surprise.

"He didn't." I said firmly. She chuckled and shook her head.

"Of course not, dear." I heard the pen scratching away at the pad until the woman spoke again.

"Was that your boyfriend out there? He's very handsome. Is he helping you with the games?" I hesitated, a little overwhelmed by the amount of questions.

"Well, yes he is. But yeah, Cedric is very supportive of the whole thing and I'll be getting a lot of helps from my other friends as well." I replied.

"Such as?" She asked, quirking her eyebrow.

"Well, my friend Cho is brilliant with charms and Angelina is a very good athlete and my other friend Fred is very cunning-"

"Fred, you say?" I closed my mouth and looked at her in confusion.

"Yes, my friend Fred. And Cho and Angelina-"

"Would you say you're close with this Fred?" I clenched my jaw tightly. This woman was really pissing me off.

"We're friends, yes." She hummed in response and tapper her fingers on her chin.

"And you're past with Mr. Potter. You two have been through a lot together, correct?"

"Uhm..not particularly..."

"Do you think that your trauma bond with Mr. Potter has made you feel required to protect him?"

"Harry is family. I'll always be there for him." I assured. She hummed once again.

"Did you put your name in the cup after you put his in so you could split the reward. Because you're family of course." My blood began to boil and I clenched my fists, trying my hardest not to blow up.

"I didn't put his name in." I said through gritted teeth.

"And you're the daughter of previous professor Remus Lupin, correct?"

This Bîtch.

"Mhm." I grumbled out.

"Now, due to the history of Mr. Lupin, would you say that his...nocturnal habits..have been passed to you?"

"That's it! That's it!" I yelled, standing up and bursting through the door.

"Marely?" Cedric asked, standing up with the rest of the people in the room as they saw my state.

"That dirty little snake started talking about my dad, and-"

"I was merely asking a question dear." She said calmly, smiling as she knew she got to me.

"Maybe we should-"

"Maybe she should shut her trap before I rip her throat out!" I yelled.

Suddenly, the glass from a mirror that stood next to Rita shattered, causing her to scream and duck. I smirked in victory before rushing out of the room.

"Marley?" Someone called after me.

"That bloody.." A bench flipped over as I passed it.

"Marley!"

"I could kill her." Another one flipped.

"Marilyn!" The voice yelled. I spun around quickly too meet the persons eyes.

"What!" I yelled back.

The remaining of the benches in the hall flung on opposites sides of the wall, crashing down to the floor.

Cedric uncovered his face before walking to me slowly.

"It's okay.." He said slowly. Only now did I realize that a piece of wood must've come off the bench and scratched his face.

My own face instantly relaxed before I stepped closer, bringing my hands to his face.

"You're bleeding.." I said softly. Cedric smiled and grabbed my hands in his.

"I'm okay." He assured. I frowned deeply and gently took my hand from his before waving it over his face, healing the cut.

"I'm so sorry." My voice wavered slightly, trying to keep the frustrated tears down.

"Marley. It's okay." He sighed, pulling me deeper into his chest.

"You didn't mean it."