The Boy I Love -HEDRIC (2)

39.(HC) I don't have a swimsuit

HARRY

XII

The last anonymous letter that Hermione opened during breakfast let out a smell like petroleum, and it filled her hands with a greenish-yellow liquid that forced her to run to the hospital wing. Things had gone too far. Even Hagrid was very concerned to hear that Hermione had received something so dangerous. During their short visit to the cabin that afternoon, all she wanted to do was talk about how Skeeter could have learned such sensitive information regarding Hagrid. 

She began an interrogation. 

"Have you ever told anyone?"

"Well, the only one who has ever known that is Dumbledore... Intelligent and compassionate man." 

Ron frowned, always surprised at Hagrid's way of referring to the Headmaster. Harry did understand. When you don't have a family present, those who surround you, care and appreciate you are the ones who become it. Not that he entirely agreed, knowing quite well the injustice of Hagrid's expulsion from Hogwarts and so many others times where he suspected the man should have done something about it.

Having so much power and renown had to come with certain benefits. 

"And lately?" she asked again. "Have you told anyone lately?"

“It’s very personal information, so only to trustworthy people.”

Hermione leaned towards Hagrid, suspicious. “Like who…?”

Then Hagrid turned red, an odd look on him. 

"Madame Maxime, well, I… I thought there was something between us," he explained, and Ron nodded. Harry wanted to laugh at his best friend's transparent expressions almost as much as at Hermione's narrowed eyes. “I thought that she, uh, was like me, and when I told her I must have offended her, and she said that she just had a big skeleton. She hasn't spoken to me since that night, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't tell anyone.”

Ron couldn't contain a laugh. “Big skeleton… Only dinosaurs have a bigger skeleton.”

Hermione was so focused that she didn't rebuke him over it. " That night? You mean the night of the Yule Ball?”

Hagrid nodded, and after inquiring about the most exact details as to when and where, she began to mention the possibilities.

"Someone may have overheard you."

"Maybe it was Malfoy," Harry considered, totally seeing him as someone capable of crawling into a bush with his gossipy ears. “He must have heard it and reported it to Skeeter. They must be working together.”

Harry didn't feel like adding that it was against him. 

At least that would be Draco's motivation, he was sure.

Hermione was shaking her head as if she was thinking about it at the same time. “He’s one of her sources, we know. So they do work together.”

"Couldn't have been Malfoy," Ron muttered reluctantly.

“How do you know? Did you spend the night with him?” she asked, laughing.

Harry found it so funny that Ron glared back at him.

"Of course not, but he was very bored and too busy with Pansy. I don't think he's been sticking his head into bushes.”

Even spies take a night off, Harry thought.

XIII

Hermione seemed quite calm considering that she would have to make up for the exams she missed that day, and it didn't take long for her to establish that she would get back at Rita Skeeter if it was the last thing she ever did. Bandaged hands and all, Hermione insisted that she could take care of her own mail and they had to talk her out of receiving any more letters.