Veiled Hearts ~ HP Fanfiction (Harry Potter X OC)

Chapter 14: Articles

Celestia read the article twice and laughed along with Daphne and their usual gang of Slytherin girls. It is even funnier because she knew Harry Potter happens to be her boyfriend; Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle joined them. They were standing in a huddle outside the classroom door.

Pansy's pug-like face peered excitedly around Goyle's broad back as Harry and his approached.

Harry and Celestia's eyes locked, and Celestia winked, causing Harry to go red. His friends had their attention on Pansy as she giggled, "There they are, there they are!" The knot of Slytherins broke apart.

Harry saw that Pansy had a magazine in her hands, Witch Weekly. The moving picture on the front showed a curly-haired witch who was smiling toothily and pointing at a large sponge cake with her wand.

"You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" Pansy said loudly, and she threw the magazine at Hermione, who caught it, looking startled. At that moment, the dungeon door opened, and Snape beckoned them all inside.

Celestia laughed again with the group of girls and headed inside, brushing her hand against Harry's.

They soon settled in their seats, Celestia along with her group of Slytherin friends watched Hermione reading the newspaper beneath the table, her eyes on Harry as he whispered talk with Hermione and something burnt in her chest. She chose to ignore it.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," said Professor Snape in an icy voice, and all three of them jumped, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."

The Slytherins grinned.

Snape had glided over to their desk while they were talking. The whole class was now looking around at them; Draco took the opportunity to flash POTTER STINKS across the dungeon at Harry.

"Ah...reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added, snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from Gryffindor...oh but of course..." Snape's black eyes glittered as they fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings...."

The dungeon rang with the Slytherins' laughter, and an unpleasant smile curled Snape's thin mouth. To Harry's fury, he began to read the article aloud.

"'Harry Potter's Secret Heartache dear, dear. Potter, what's ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps...'"

Harry's face was burning.

Snape was pausing at the end of every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. Celestia stopped laughing when Harry shot her a hurt look.

To him, the article probably sounded ten times worse when read by Snape.

"'...Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.' How very touching," sneered Snape, rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins. "Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter - that table in front of my desk, next to Ms Malfoy. Move. Now."

Harry threw his ingredients and his bag into his cauldron and dragged it up to the front of the dungeon, to the empty seat beside Celestia who avoided his gaze.