Beauty From Pain

Chapter Six

Hermione was impressed by how quickly Theo learned. In her opinion, he was one of the smartest friends she had, and she was grateful that he could keep up with her. Harry and Ron were wonderful friends, but she grew exhausted when teaching them. She always had to slow down, repeat herself, and rephrase the same concept multiple times.

Theo could pick up a simple concept the first time she taught it, sometimes simply by watching. His artwork was incredible, some of the most beautiful designs she had seen, and she was excited to see what he could do if given the right tools.

Despite the pleasant time they spent together, she was disappointed when Theo told her he wanted to keep his apprenticeship a secret. She understood the opinions of his friends mattered a great deal to him, but he was so passionate while learning and seemed so excited to become a tattoo artist. She would be surprised if his friends would look down on him for it, even if they were Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy.

Maybe, she thought with a wry smile, having a retired Slytherin working in my shop will bring about a more diverse customer base. The thought of Parkinson sitting in her weathered leather chairs filled Hermione with amusement.

"What are you smiling at?"

Waving her hand dismissively, Hermione said, "Nothing important. Do you think you can watch over the shop for a bit? I don't have any appointments today, so the only thing you would have to do is schedule future appointments if anyone comes in."

"Of course," he said easily. "I don't mind at all."

"Thank you, Theo. I have a meeting with my friends and Parkinson." She grabbed her sweater from the back of the sofa and made her way to the door. "We're meeting here in the Alley, so I won't be long. Send an owl if you need me."

Theo tried not to look nervous. Not because he would be keeping an eye on Virago, but because he knew Hermione and Pansy were meeting to deal with Rita Skeeter's article. The thought of the women becoming friends during their scheming lunches was not something he thought he was prepared for.

Hermione made her way through Diagon Alley, dodging through clusters of aimless students and chatting adults. She smiled at the carefree atmosphere. They had earned the right to wander through the Alley. It was a freedom that so many had fought for, and she was grateful to see something good had come out of the war, even if it made her trip to The Quibbler publishing office take longer.

When she walked into The Quibbler's newsroom, she was surprised to find no less that ten owls perched on various surfaces.

"Are all of these people wanting to speak out against Skeeter?" She directed her question at Ginny was was sitting on top of a nearby desk and sorting through letters.

"Surprisingly, no. I would say half of them are her fans wanting us to back off our investigation," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes to show just how much she feared the threats.

"Is there anybody in the office?"

"No," Luna answered from her office doorway. "I was supposed to meet with someone, but they canceled. Ginny and I were going to try and sort through these letters and then go get dinner, if you would like to join us."

Hermione made herself comfortable at one of the desks and beckoned an owl over to her. It would take all three of them to sort through everything before dinner. She glanced around the newsroom and marveled at how big their project had grown.

It hadn't taken long for word of what Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Pansy were doing to spread.

They had started by asking a few friends and old school mates to give them testimonies, but soon became overwhelmed by the number of people wanting to talk. Rita Skeeter had meddled in too many lives, and they were more than ready to talk.