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Chapter 3: The Fall Out
Severus raised a lip in disgust as he stared up at the abandoned mill. The walls were beginning to crumble, and few – if any – of the windows retained any shards of glass. Ivy had crept up the first story and was already making headway upon the second. Though time had taken its toll on the structure, there was no mistaking it for any other decrepit mills in Britain. It was the old mill located on the edge of the town of Cokeworth – the very mill his father had worked at until its sudden closure launched the already disagreeable man into the drunken monster Severus remembered as a child.
The Dark Lord knew all of this, of course. He had undoubtedly picked the location purposely to torment his wayward follower. The whole place reeked of the evil wizard's twisted sense of artistry. Nowhere else would serve as fitting a scene for the Potion Master's murder should the need arise.
Donning a stony mask, Snape pushed those thoughts from his mind and picked his way through the dust and rubble until he found light spilling from one of the back rooms.
The inner circle Death Eaters were gathered around the perimeter of the room, each pair of eyes fixing upon the newcomer's form. Severus noted that Bellatrix Lestrange's eyes were especially bright tonight as she anticipated the possibility of bloodshed and violence. He barely registered the hurt look on Lucius Malfoy's face before Voldemort rose from a dusty chair.
"Severus," he hissed angrily as the man bowed before him.
Snape controlled the urge to shudder as the red eyes threatened to pierce through his soul. When the Dark Lord tossed something at his feet, he glanced down and squared his jaw at the sight of the Daily Prophet.
"You have strayed," the wizard accused, "and thought you could keep it a secret FROM ME?"
"Forgive me, my Lord, but I keep no secrets from you," he responded, dipping his head in respect. "I was as surprised as anyone to read those lies."
"Lies?" Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously. He fingered his wand causing a ripple of excitement to pulse through the gathered crowd. "You claim your sexual relationship with that mudblood to be a lie?"
Severus kept his composure as he raised his eyes. He knew better than to beg for the Dark Lord's trust if he wanted to avoid torture. The Dark Lord thrived upon the weakness of his general followers, but despised it in his closest advisors. "I do, my Lord. As it turns out, the swotty chit thought she could try her hand at blackmail, and it backfired, leaving that… insect with the desire for public humiliation. I merely happened to be a handy tool in her quest for revenge."
The dark wizard seemed to calm somewhat with the explanation and had narrowed his eyes to slits as he considered the explanation. "I require proof of this."
The Potions Master calmly met the scrutinizing gaze and instantly felt the Dark Lord ripping through his mind. For once, he had very little occluding to do, and he eagerly pushed forth the majority of the memories from that day. He allowed him to feel his curiosity and amusement at the girl's sudden outburst in the Great Hall, as well as his own shock as the attention turned to him and his disbelief as he read through the article. He showed him most of the conversation in Dumbledore's office, leaving out his subtle displays of concern for the girl's safety as well as the revelation that he was immune to Veritaserum.
When Voldemort was satisfied that he had seen everything of importance and found no evidence of a relationship with the girl, he quickly withdrew and erupted into a fit of dark chuckling.
"It is as he says," he stated to everyone listening. "The mudblood is receiving her comeuppance for thinking she could best a Slytherin at her own game!"
As the group began to laugh – or cackle, in the case of Bellatrix – Severus allowed himself a small smirk. His safety was ensured; now he only had to procure the girl's.
"And the old fool?" Voldemort queried as the laughter died away. "What does he have to say on the matter?"
The dark-haired man sighed and folded his arms. "As you may have seen, he has relieved me of my teaching duties until word is given otherwise from the Board of Governors, but he has made no further decisions. He is waiting, my Lord, to hear of your reaction. Likely he will demand that I protect the girl."
The snake-like wizard thoughtfully rubbed his chin and nodded. "Of course he will, and you shall bow to his commands Severus."
"Yes, my Lord," he nodded.
"I cannot have my spy hindered by false accusations, however amusing they may be," the Dark Lord continued, turning towards his other Death Eaters. "Lucius! You are still in good standing with a number of school governors, are you not?"
"If by in good standing, you mean I am in direct control of their finances," the blonde grinned as he moved forward, "then yes, my Lord, I am."
"The longer Severus is without his position, the more suspicious the situation will seem. You will make sure he is restored to his rightful place without censure."
Malfoy nodded and stepped back into line.
"Bellatrix!"
"Yes, my Lord?" she sweetly crooned, drawing matching looks of disgust from her brother-in-law and Snape.
"I believe that repulsive woman was a former roommate of yours. She is only entertaining so long as she does not jeopardize my plans." He waved one pale hand dismissively. "Dispatch of her immediately."
A disturbing grin erupted on the witch's face. "With pleasure, my Lord."
Her crack of apparition punctuated the room, and Severus hoped that the Headmaster had followed his advice and had already taken the loathsome witch into protection. He listened attentively as Voldemort directed Nott and Goyle to lean on their contacts in the Ministry, and Avery to do the same with his connections at the Daily Prophet.
As ridiculously damaging the article had been to their reputations, it would serve well as a test to see how established the Dark Lord's forces were within the wizarding society. If Snape had not known better, he might have considered that Dumbledore himself had been behind the rumors. As it was, the Head of the Order was probably lamenting the fact that he had not thought of it, and would undoubtedly milk the situation for everything it was worth.
His lips turned up in disgust as he contemplated the possible ramifications of that idea.
"Severus," the Dark Lord called, turning back to him. "You will return to grovel at the hems of that dreadful fool and accept whatever terms he demands."
"Yes, my Lord," he nodded. "And the girl? It is likely that he will –"
"Yes, yes," the wizard interrupted with a wave of his hand. "I am fully aware of what types of stories he will concoct – love and happiness and all other disgusting manners of folly. You will accept it – I will not repeat myself again, Severus."
"Forgive me, my Lord." He dropped his eyes to the dirty floor.
"As for the girl," Voldemort continued. "She means nothing to me. I will not sacrifice my spy over an insignificant mudblood. As I cannot risk you falling out of favor, for as long as she is attached to you, she will remain entirely unharmed."
Snape felt a hint of relief flood through his body as he was dismissed. He held his breath until he had disapparated from the miserable building and appeared in a clearing within the Forbidden Forest. Sighing loudly, he rubbed his forehead and then picked his way through the dark of the night to inform the Headmaster.
"Granger!"
Hermione woke up in a panic and promptly fell off of the sofa, banging her elbow hard against the floor. Holding her hand against her pounding chest, she glanced up fearfully at the Potions Master.
"The Headmaster asked that I wake you," he stated coldly.
"And you couldn't think of any other way besides shouting in my ear?" she hissed as adrenaline coursed through her bloodstream.
"Cranky in the morning, I see."
The witch frowned and picked herself up from the floor, rubbing her elbow. "You're cranky all day, so I don't see how you can be one to judge….sir."
Snape scowled as he yanked open the office door.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"I am to escort you and that tree growing out of your head to your quarters," he sneered, gesturing down the staircase.
Hermione glared as her hands flew to her head, trying to beat her hair back into submission. "Why are we going to my room?"
"You are going to your room to pack an overnight bag." Dissatisfied by her pace on the staircase, he pushed past her.
"Overnight bag?" She paused in confusion before rushing after him. "Where am I going after that?"
"We are going to Headquarters," he muttered bitterly before stepping past the gargoyle.
The girl widened her eyes as she realized she would be walking through the halls alone with the professor with whom she was accused of having relations. Her stomach dropped a bit further when she glanced down and noticed how rumpled her school robes were after spending the night on Dumbledore's couch.
Well, this certainly isn't going to help matters any.
"Professor," she called softly as she tried to smooth some of the wrinkles from her robes. "Why are you escorting me?"
Severus grunted and glared at the floor. "A matter of keeping up appearances."
"But won't this only strengthen rumors? Shouldn't –"
"Circumstances have changed, Granger," he stated harshly, picking up his speed as he ascended the staircase.
Hermione narrowed her eyebrows as she sprinted to catch up with him. "What circumstances?"
When he did not immediately answer her, she huffed angrily and ducked around him, blocking his path. "Why aren't you answering my question?"
Snape dramatically shifted his eyes to the wall. "Perhaps I've reached my quota for the day."
"Professor, what circumstances?"
With a sigh, he turned his head to look at her. As she currently stood a few steps higher than him, they were eye-to-eye, and he could see the fearful demand written in her gaze. He shifted, slightly uncomfortable, and dropped his voice. "The Headmaster will love to tell you all about it… when we get to Headquarters."
He attempted to move around her, but she quickly shuffled to the side to stand in front of him again.
"Why can't you –" Her words died into a gasp as he grabbed hold of both of her arms and pushed her body to the wall, effectively moving her out of his way.
Before he had let go of her, however, a startled cry came from the top of the staircase. They both glanced up to see a group of Ravenclaws staring back at them in shock. It was rather early on a Saturday morning for any students to be about, but upon noticing the textbooks being carried, Snape realized they must be on their way to a study session before breakfast.
"Five points from Ravenclaw for loitering in the stairwell," he stated as he calmly dropped his arms to his sides. The group of students parted as he strode towards them.
Hermione's face flushed with embarrassment as she slowly followed behind him. Tears were stinging her eyes as she realized just how compromising the position in which they were found had been. Five pairs of eyes bore holes in her back as she dutifully trailed after the dark-robed man, and she could almost picture the headlines if any of the students were to tell anyone.
Which they will. She whimpered in shame upon reaching the door to her room.
"You have five minutes," Severus instructed.
Opening her door, the girl glanced back at her professor and scowled. He stood in the hallway, completely unaffected by what had just transpired. Either he did not fully grasp the gossip it would create, or he just did not care that both of their reputations had probably been tarnished beyond repair.
After she took eight and a half minutes to angrily pack a bag, change her clothes, use the bathroom, brush her teeth, and wrangle her hair into a binder, she joined him again in the corridor. Without a word to her, he set off again towards the staircase.
Hermione glared at his backside and slung her bag over her shoulder before following him.
Absolute silence pervaded the remainder of their journey to 12 Grimmauld Place. Snape stiffly grabbed hold of her arm before apparating them both, and Hermione then quickly yanked out of his grasp the instant they had arrived at their destination.
Without even bothering to knock, he pushed open the front door and waited until she had passed him before slamming it shut.
"FILTH –"
The portrait of Mrs. Black was immediately silenced by a flick of the professor's fingers. Hermione glanced back at him in surprise. No one else could quiet the painting that efficiently – it had taken forever for Molly Weasley to manage something useful.
"Library," he grunted, mistaking her awed expression for one of confusion.
Hermione sighed and stepped towards the door at the end of the hall. As they both crossed the threshold into the Black family library, she barely had time to register the occupants of the room before she felt herself suddenly pushed from behind.
"YOU GREASY SON-OF-A-BITCH!"
Picking herself up from the floor, she whirled around in time to see Sirius Black slam Snape's body against the door frame. Panicking, she rushed towards them and tried to pull on the man's arm.
"Sirius! Let him go!"
Sirius brushed her off and continued to scuffle with the professor.
"Is that jealousy I detect, dog?" Severus sneered, breaking free of his grasp and shoving him.
"Couldn't get a woman your own age to shag you, Snivellus, so you prey on your students instead?" he growled, launching another attack.
"He didn't do anything!" Hermione shouted, glancing desperately around her for help. Her eyes widened at the realization that no one else was doing anything to break up the fight. Fred and George were watching with enough interest that indicated there had been a bet placed on the outcome. Even Remus and the Weasley patriarchs – the three kindest people she knew – were simply averting their gaze and pretending nothing was out of order.
At the sound of something crunching, she witnessed in horror that blood was beginning to trickle from her professor's already crooked nose. He seemed entirely unfazed, however, as he plowed the curly-haired man into the fireplace, causing Sirius to let out a pained gasp.
Hermione grabbed her head with both hands and tried to sort out what to do. When Sirius managed to reverse their positions, pinning Snape against the bookshelf, she quickly made up her mind and darted towards them. Before either of the men had noticed, she squeezed herself in between them and shoved Sirius with all of her might.
"Knock it off!" she yelled, leveling her wand at the man's chest as he stumbled several paces backwards.
Sirius was panting heavily as he glared at the man behind her, but made no attempt at advancing. "Is that it, Snivellus? Too much of a coward that you have to use a girl for a shield?"
Hermione could feel Snape tense up behind her, and in the blink of an eye, ropes wound around Sirius's body. He let out an angry shout as he suddenly found himself hanging from the ceiling by his ankles.
"ENOUGH!"
Everyone turned to stare at the doorway where an irate McGonagall stood with her hands on her hips. "You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Severus, put him down!"
The ropes immediately vanished, and Sirius gracelessly landed on his head.
Minerva sent a glare towards the Potions Master, who merely shrugged in response.
"Miss Granger, go take a seat."
Hermione's eyes followed the witch's outstretched hand, but looked reluctantly at empty seats next to Molly and Remus. "No thank you, Professor."
"Granger," Snape grunted as he adjusted his nose. "Stop being a nuisance and go sit down."
"No," she repeated, glancing back at him. "I'd rather stand over here and be thought a nuisance than sit with anyone who thinks me a harlot."
"Rubbish! No one here thinks…" McGonagall trailed off as she caught sight of the expressions on the others' faces. Her own face turned harsh, and she fixed everyone with a nasty glare before conjuring up a sofa next to Hermione and Severus. "Now, the both of you will sit! Albus will be here momentarily with Kingsley, and in the meantime you all will behave! I will not hesitate to throw anyone out of this room."
To emphasize her point, she conjured a wingback chair next to the door and sat down with a hawkish look in her eye.
Hermione cast a hesitant glance towards the gathered Order members and then stepped around to take a seat on one end of the sofa. Severus collapsed onto the other end and shot a dangerous look towards Sirius, who had finally picked himself off of the floor and stumbled into the seat next to Remus.
The front door slammed shut, followed by a muffled curse and the shrieking of Mrs. Black's portrait.
"BLOOD-TRAITORS AND FILTH –"
"Oh, SHUT UP, you stupid hag!"
A second later, Nymphadora Tonks appeared in the doorway, sucking on the finger she had pinched in the door. "I swear one day I'm going to set that menace on fire."
Snape rolled his eyes as he dabbed his sleeve at the blood dripping from his nose. "I'm sure your flea-ridden cousin would much appreciate you burning down this hovel he calls a home."
"Oh, because your grease pile is anything to sneeze at, Snivellus!" Sirius retorted angrily, clutching at his head.
"The phrase is 'nothing to sneeze at,' dog-breath," Severus responded.
Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Ooh, pardon me, Professor. Surprised you had time to break away from the dictionary to diddle your students –"
"Enough!" Minerva shouted. "Any more out of you, Sirius, and I'll string you up myself! Wipe the smirk off your face, Severus, or you'll soon join him!"
With a soft snort, George held out his hand to receive the three coins Fred owed him.
Tonks raised her eyebrows at the tension rippling between the two dark-haired men and stepped further into the room. Ignoring the disapproving looks from Remus and her cousin, she chose to flop down on the couch cushion between Snape and the girl desperately staring at the wall. Leaning over, she spoke in a kind tone. "Wotcher, Hermione."
The younger witch glanced over and gave a tense smile in greeting. She grimaced, however, when the Auror pulled out the morning's edition of The Daily Prophet.
"Quite the sensation these days, aren't you, Granger?" she winked.
Hermione let out a sigh and pulled her feet onto the couch. "Now who am I sleeping with?"
"No worries, love," Tonks said casually, unfolding the front page. "So far you're still only shagging everyone's favorite Potions Master."
She then held out the paper so the girl could read the prominent headline.
Truth to the Rumors!
Students Tell All in the Hogwarts Head Girl Scandal!
"Ugh! What could they possibly have to tell?" she groaned, dropping her head against the back of the couch.
"The same load of rubbish as last time," Tonks responded, her eyes scanning the article. "Desperately seeking his attention…Blah, blah, blah…brewing love potions to influence him and keep him interested – drugging a Potions Master, eh? Good on you, Hermione… flooing into his quarters in the dead of night…"
"I don't even have a fireplace in my room!" Hermione grimaced. "And if I did, how would anyone know that?"
"Perhaps they've recently taken up Seeing," Tonks suggested without lifting her eyes from the page.
A loud snort came from McGonagall's direction, and Hermione felt the corners of her lips turn up into a small smile.
"…Making eyes at each other in the Great Hall…" The pink-haired witch glanced up at the man beside her. "Making eyes, eh, Professor?"
A dangerous glare was his only response, and Tonks giggled as she turned back to the paper. "Well if that's how you make eyes at someone, you must be sleeping with the entire student body."
Sirius made a muffled comment but settled into a bitter snarl as Minerva pointed her wand at him.
"…Ooh, though you've apparently been spotted canoodling in the library after hours! How romantic of you two! Such a public setting, though – practically begging to get caught, weren't you?"
"Nymphadora, would you stop glorifying it all?" Molly Weasley chided. "This isn't something to celebrate."
The motherly woman's intrusion earned her matching glares from the three people seated on the sofa, and the tips of Tonks's hair flared red briefly before fading back into a cheery bubblegum pink.
"So you didn't believe it at all?" Hermione asked of the young Auror, a glimmer of hope sparking in her eyes.
Tonks snorted and shook her head. "You do realize how tightly wound our dear professor is, no? He wouldn't be caught dead canoodling anywhere, let alone with a student in the library. Much to my eternal disappointment."
"Nymphadora!" several voices shouted at once. Remus and Sirius wore equally dark glares as they glanced between the Slytherin Head and the Auror.
"Don't call me that!" she hissed back, scrunching the edges of the newspaper in her lap. "And I'm just as entitled to share my opinion of him as you all are!"
"Might I remind you that I am seated directly to your left," Snape sneered in warning.
"It wouldn't be half as much fun if you weren't," she beamed up at him. "Plus, you're proving my point. Still as ornery as ever – clearly the evidence points to you not getting laid."
Severus grunted and crossed his arms bitterly, glaring at Minerva until the smirk vanished from her face.
"Anyone who thinks otherwise is a dunderhead. Merlin, you're practically a monk, aren't you?" Tonks continued, clearly enjoying the discomfort creeping into the room. "If you hadn't been, I'd probably have given you a go."
Hermione bit down on her lip to keep from laughing at the horrified expressions and handful of gasps that permeated the room. The conversation had given her a strange new outlook on the pink-haired witch, but she was immeasurably grateful to have had the room's attention shifted away from her.
Snape had nearly choked on his own saliva, but covered it up by loudly clearing his throat. "I shudder to think of what you may have broken."
Tonks gave a hearty chuckle and let him steal the newspaper from her lap. "Touché, Professor."
An odd silence descended upon the room as her merry chatter ceased. Severus disappeared behind the newspaper, purposely ignoring the number of glares pointed in his direction.
"Oi! Hermione!" George called out, puncturing the quiet.
"We believe you!" Fred smiled.
"Mum didn't –"
"—of course –"
"—but we do!"
"Boys!" Molly shouted, turning in her seat to glare at the twins.
"Just telling the truth, Mum," Fred smirked.
"Like you always wanted us to do," his twin chimed in with a wink towards Hermione.
"Right now I want you to be quiet," the Weasley matron responded.
"We're just saying, Mum."
"You shouldn't have sent her a Howler yesterday."
"Yeah, Hermione's a stickler for rules."
"Barely had her prefect badge before she was threatening to write home about George and I."
"Knew we wouldn't care about detentions or points…"
"…so she went straight for the jugular!"
"A mite unfairly, I might add."
"Unfairly?" Hermione cried with a glare. "You were testing Puking Pastilles on students!"
"We had their consent," Fred shrugged. "And we were paying them."
"And they were Fainting Fancies, thank you very much," George corrected.
"Right, like you didn't test the others on them," she frowned. "And it doesn't matter if you had consent – they were first years!"
The twins glanced about the room, noticing that every pair of eyes were on them now. Molly was barely managing to keep a lid on her temper, while Arthur was staring at them with a look that indicated to everyone there would be a discussion later. McGonagall had pinched her lips in censure, and Lupin fixed them with a disapproving gaze. Even Snape had pulled down the newspaper far enough to glare at them. Only Sirius had an amused expression on his face as he regarded the situation.
"Well, it wasn't like we hadn't tested them on ourselves first," George mumbled while Fred nodded emphatically. "And we had the antidote all worked out already."
"And they were all perfectly fine afterwards," Fred pointed out.
"You couldn't have known that!" Hermione protested.
"See," George gestured to her with his head. "Rule stickler."
Fred nodded to his brother. "Aye. Only way she'd let Snape stick it to her is if it was written in the syllabus."
"FRED GIDEON WEASLEY!"
Hermione felt her cheeks flare red as Mrs. Weasley jumped out of her seat and shouted at her sons. It seemed that action had given the green flag for everyone else to start in on each other. Arthur had stood to calm his wife and had only managed to step into the cross-hairs of her ire himself. In between screaming at her children, she shouted at him for always encouraging the twins' inquisitiveness and never being harsh enough in their punishments.
On the other side of the room, Sirius had begun criticizing his younger cousin, who had launched up from the sofa; her hair growing redder with every passing second. Remus was desperately trying to get his best friend to stop yelling at Tonks, who was spending just as much effort telling the werewolf to butt out as she was telling her cousin to bugger off and die.
Minerva it seemed had given up on trying to keep everyone in line and had sunk back in her armchair. With a shake of her head, she closed her eyes and tried to drown out the noise.
Hermione surreptitiously glanced at the Potions professor on the end of the couch. His expression was perfectly neutral, as if nothing at all were happening around them. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she dropped her eyes to the floor and wished she could run away from it all.
"Well, isn't this a lively gathering," a soft voice cut through the pandemonium.
Everyone ceased their quarreling and turned to stare at the Hogwarts Headmaster as he stepped into the room with Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody at his heels.
"If everyone would take a seat," Dumbledore instructed as he crossed into the center of the room, "we can begin."
A small amount of grumbling could be heard as the gathered Order members found their seats.
"I take it you all have read yesterday's Prophet," he surmised a moment later. "It is because of this that I have asked you all here today. In addition, as our discussion will have a significant impact upon Miss Granger's life, I felt it only fair that she be present for our emergency meeting even though she is not an inducted member of the Order.
"That being said, I think it first must be shared that Rita Skeeter has successfully been taken into Order protection just hours before Tom Riddle ordered her death."
Molly Weasley gave a soft gasp, while the others bore varying expressions of relief and utter disappointment.
"A bloody shame," Fred whispered to his twin, who smiled and nodded.
"Unfortunately not before she could submit her latest story, however," Snape sneered, dropping the folded newspaper onto the floor.
"Yes, unfortunate," Dumbledore nodded. "Though even more unfortunate are the consequences it shall mean for those involved."
"Well, what are we going to do about it?" Minerva queried.
The Headmaster bowed his head slightly and folded his arms behind his back. "Our present choices are limited, I fear."
"Limited?" Arthur repeated.
McGonagall frowned. "Clearly we have to do what we can to combat these ridiculous allegations!"
Albus sighed softly and shook his head, much to the surprise of nearly everyone gathered. Only Snape and Kingsley remained straight-faced.
"What does that mean?"
He thinned his lips and took on a sober expression. "It means that the best option we have is to not deny anything."
"WHAT?"
The Headmaster nodded his head in understanding as half a dozen voices cried out in unison.
"You cannot be serious!" Minerva hissed.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must confess I am entirely serious," Dumbledore answered. "Fighting these charges will result in more negative exposure than positive. It will not do us any service to have our spy's every movement scrutinized by the press."
"Got something to hide, does he?" Moody interrupted with a distrustful glance in Snape's direction.
"Alastor," the Headmaster warned. "For once, Tom and I are in agreement. Severus cannot continue his duties if the public is watching him with suspicion. If we combat this, we will forfeit all inside information from the Death Eaters."
Hermione closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. Tears were already beginning to sting her eyes as she listened. Everything had gone horribly wrong, and it was partly her fault. She should have just let Harry do the interview. She had only meant to spare her best friend from another batch of ridicule, but had instead risked the entire outcome of the war. Glancing about the room, she noted the ashen faces of the other members – even Sirius looked troubled – and she knew that everyone had realized that losing their spy would equate with losing the war.
"So you're suggesting we just wait for the fervor to die down?" Remus asked.
"If we do that, Snape will still be out of commission until it does," Moody grunted, folding his arms to his chest. "And there'll be the investigations. Who knows when it will pass out of the public eye?"
"Sounds like lose-lose to me," Sirius stated. "Perhaps we should just cut our losses and get a new spy."
"And just how do you suggest we go about that?" Tonks snapped. "Put up a notice in the Three Broomsticks? Seeking spy, inquire within?"
The curly-haired man glared at his cousin, but kept quiet.
Arthur Weasley glanced uneasily towards the girl on the couch and then to the elder wizard. "What are you suggesting then, Albus?"
A tense silence descended upon the room and nearly everyone looked to the Headmaster expectantly.
"We take control of the story," he said with confidence. "We need the tide of public sentiment to be with us."
Minerva quirked an eyebrow. "And exactly how do you suggest we do that?"
"We let it be known that our Severus and Hermione are in love."