Mudblood and Pureblood.

The Firery, Flirty, First Challenge.

"Harry!" she whispered through the tent flap, "Harry, is that you?" she heard him answer with a short 'uh, huh'.

"The best thing to do is just stay calm!" she breathed, not believing that her best friend of three years was about to battle a real life dragon, "After that you'll just have to..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Battle a dragon!" he added sarcastically, making her feel even more bad on herself.

Ever since the Daily Prophet had published article on the Tri-Wizard Champions, Ron and Harry had grew even more distant. That scoundrel of a witch, Rita Skeeter, had written nearly three times more on Harry than the other champions, and every word was a lie. She wrote about how he had entered to be admired and how he loved to get his way. Even his picture had been altered somehow, Harry had been changing into different poses and showing his muscles off, even though Harry had insisted to anyone that would listen that none of that happened. 

Hermione pushed aside the tent flap and leapt into his arms, her own going around his neck as they collided in a tight hug. It ended as fast as it happened as there was a flash of white. They quickly separated as they looked at where it had come from. Their eyes narrowed as none other than Rita Skeeter came walking towards them a sickening smile on her painted face, her assistant carrying a huge camera in his arms.

"Young love! How..." she looked at her acid green quill that was scribbling down notes as fast as the wind, "stiring..." she smiled wickedly before being shunned out by Victor Krum.

Hermione blushed as she looked at Victor, who looked to her and smiled. She smiled back, thanking him for getting rid of Skeeter. She blushed even deeper when she looked back at Harry. He also had gone quite pink and avoided eye contact with Hermione.

It was a relief when Dumbledor came in and asked her to leave, there were too many boys that liked her in that room.

***

His eyebrows furrowed when he saw the main picture of the front page article. All he saw was Hermione and Harry in a tight hug, their bodies pressed together. He felt anger boil up inside him as he read the new Daily Prophet that had been delivered that morning. His anger only increased when he was reading. 

"I came upon the young couple, encased in each other's arms. The young Champion, Harry Potter held the young Miss Hermione Granger in his strong grasp as she burried herself in his tussled locks. I walked in upon them as Miss Granger expressed her sincere concern's for Harry's well-being, her hands wandering over him hungrily. Harry, the rebel we know him to be, pulled her close and whispered to her seductively that he would he more than fine during his first task. If it were not for the intervention from the Bulgarian Seeker and Drumstrang Champion, Victor Krum's obvious protectiveness over Miss Granger, who knows what sort of juicy news I could have walked in upon. I predict there to be more than just the Tri-Wizard Tournament sparking Harry's and Krum's rivalry! "  

His knuckles went stark white as they balled into fists around the newspaper. He let out a short growl through his gritted teeth before he flung the paper into the fireplace and collapsed onto his bed. Tonight he had his weekly Quidditch practice with Hermione and he knew that he would have to keep his distance now that she was involved with both Krum and Potter!