The Return of Rita Skeeter

A/N: Thank you to all who have read and reviewed. I am so exciting this fic has been received so well! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. As always, huge thanks to my beta, MadBrilliant!

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A week later, Severus Snape and Hermione Granger stood in front of the Wizarding community and received their Orders of Merlin, First Class for their bravery and honor during the final battle. Severus watched Miss Granger as she gracefully accepted her medal. As he accepted his, Hermione watched her professor finally receive the acknowledgment he had always craved. She felt so proud of him. She felt an urge to hold him and kiss him. She felt her face grow hot and she knew she was blushing. She stood next to him with their new medals as their pictures were taken and questions were asked. As the voices grew in number and the flashes from the photographers cameras flickered incessantly, Hermione found herself edging closer and closer to the safety of Severus' strong, solid frame. Both of them were far too shocked and overwhelmed to answer. Kingsley, noticing the dark scowl on the ex-Death Eater's face and the overwhelmed face of Miss Granger, smoothly took over, saying they both were in shock and needed time. He ushered them away from the crowd and back to Hogwarts.

Later, the four survivors sat in the Headmaster's office, which Kingsley decided would remain as Snape's post since he had been the last Headmaster. Hermione would take over as Charms professor since her abilities with Charm work was exceptional. Until a new Potions professor could be hired, Snape would continue as Potions master. While Snape and Hermione had been convalescing, Kingsley had received thousands of offers for help to rebuild Hogwarts. He reported that Madame Maxine was sending professors who had recently completed their apprenticeships in Muggle Studies, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. The meeting had been quite productive, and when the Minister left Hogwarts, he felt confident he had left its care in capable hands.

Kingsley continued to work tirelessly with the Wizengamot to help the nation grieve all the losses it had sustained. Having placed Hogwarts in the back of his mind, he was shocked and appalled when gossip began to spread concerning the older, dark, ex-Death Eater Headmaster and the young, fresh-faced, nubile witch alone in the huge castle with only Poppy Pomfrey as a chaperone.

***

Rita Skeeter, who admittedly was no fan of Miss Granger, fanned the whispers into a mighty roar with an article about the two lone survivors who were trying to find solace and comfort inside the empty castle within each other's arms. The day her article hit the Daily Prophet, Kingsley had choked on his coffee and rushed to Floo to get to the Headmaster's office as soon as possible. There were the witch and wizard in question, eating toast and drinking coffee whilst making plans for the new fall semester. They were deep in a discussion of sorts when he stumbled in, paper in hand. Snape was sitting behind his desk, surrounded by an abundance of paperwork while Miss Granger sat across from his desk on the sofa, arguing a point over curriculum. She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the Minister, and Snape, following her stare, jerked his head towards the fireplace.

"What?" the Headmaster snapped. He knew bad news when he saw it.

"Have either of you read the Prophet this morning?" Kingsley asked.

Hermione got up and offered the Minister a chair. "Please, sir, calm down and have a cup of coffee." She began to pour while he gathered his thoughts and opened his copy of the Morning edition.

"Well, I suppose my question is answered, seeing how calm you both are," Kingsley said clumsily.

Snape narrowed his eyes and glared at the man suspiciously. "Minister, there is a saying that paranoia is not paranoia if there truly is someone out to get you," he said in a clipped tone. "I'm getting a very strange feeling akin to paranoia. Spit it out!"

Kingsley braced himself with a swig of coffee and began to prepare the two. "There is an article on the front page of the Daily Prophet," he said nervously, his eyes darting between them. "Rita Skeeter wrote a piece on her views of the 'goings-on' here at Hogwarts." He handed the paper to Snape who ripped it from his hands and scanned the front page.

Snape stood and let out a tirade of the foulest language as he read the article, and Hermione jumped up and tore the paper from his hands. She made a sort of growling noise deep in her throat, and Snape looked down interestingly at the little spitfire beside his arm. She sat back down, seething in her chair, mumbling something about a small jar with no holes in it before bursting out in fury.

"Damn that foul, irritating, meddlesome bitch!" she snarled.

Snape sat back down at his desk, crossed his legs, and rested his head in one hand. His long fingers framed his face. A sly smile quirked on the corners of his mouth, and he cocked an eyebrow in amusement. Kingsley considered the Headmaster as he watched him drink in the sight of a truly hacked-off Miss Granger with pleasure.

Her brown eyes were ablaze, and her bosom was heaving as she panted with rage. "How dare that woman write such utter tripe? This is complete rubbish! How dare she!"

Snape kept his eye on Hermione with amusement. He had never seen her in such a state. He saw now how she could be a lethal opponent in battle. She had the fury and the frame of mind to keep her wits about her as she unleashed her wrath.

"Minister, isn't there anyway she can be brought up on charges? This is defamation of character!"

Snape tore himself from the sight to call Poppy from the infirmary. As she stepped through the Floo, Hermione gave Snape a withering look.

"Please! Spare me the smelling salts! I'm not about to swoon, for the love of Merlin!" she bit out at the Headmaster.

He smirked as he sat back down behind his desk with a flourish. "Oh, no, Miss Granger. I just wanted Poppy to hear the news as well. After all, we are all family here."

She glared at him and fixed her hands on her hips. "You think this is funny, do you?" she accused.

He lifted a hand to stop her. "No, Miss Granger. I find this situation to be most distasteful. What I do find extremely entertaining is your magnificent reaction. You have an amazing capacity for fury and rage. I never knew you possessed such a quality."

"I'm so glad I can give you such entertainment, Headmaster," she said silkily. "Now, will you wipe that smirk off your face before I come over there and smack it off?"

Snape glared at her, his black eyes glittering as he spoke. "Tut, tut, Miss Granger. You are now teetering on the precipice. Keep those claws sheathed, young woman! I am your employer, after all," he said dangerously.

"Will someone please inform me as to what is going on?" Poppy said irritatingly.

Hermione snapped the paper upright. "Allow me," she said to the group. "I quote from the front page of the Daily Prophet. Miss Rita Skeeter has the headline in bold,

Love Nest at Hogwarts Exposed!

Since the newly appointed Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, announced the names of the two survivors of the final battle against the criminal, Tom Riddle, AKA Lord Voldemort, a secret, clandestine relationship has been born from the tragedy of that horrific battle.

Should Hogwarts even reopen its doors if this is the type of depraved behavior that is occurring?"

Hermione ended her reading of the article, and Poppy sat dumb-founded in a nearby chair, unable to speak for fainting. Hermione poured her a cup of coffee and got the Mediwitch to focus.

"How dare that vicious woman!" Poppy cried. "After all we have been through, the hours you both have worked trying to put this school back together...oh, this is just awful, awful!"

Poppy turned to the Minister. "Whatever shall we do, Minister?" she implored.

Kingsley hated this entire mess! It was quickly turning into a chaotic situation that had owls pouring into his office as he left and he was afraid to return. Suddenly, he saw in the distance dozens of owls coming towards the windows. Hermione stood and gaped at the sight, looking very pale.

"Oh, no!" she whined. She buried her face in her hands and sat back down on the sofa. Snape calmly let each owl in and methodically untied the scrolls from each leg and gave each one a bite of toast. When he finished with the last one, he noticed some were starting to fume and shake. He jumped and started to rip them open. The Howlers screamed out, dozens of yelling, screaming voices berating and threatening the Headmaster and Miss Granger in unison.

Once the last Howler had burst into cheery flames, Snape then sat down and began to incinerate each letter at a time.

"You aren't going to read them?" Hermione asked unbelievably.

"Whatever for?" He frowned in return. "Why on earth would I want to read letters from people who do not know me and who obviously have no interest in the truth of the matter? I have more important affairs to attend to than to dwell on the one affair that has been concocted in the brain of a meddlesome bint who has spoon-fed bilge to an entire willing nation!" he replied indignantly.

He then in a pique of anger destroyed the entire pile and returned to his previous work. He did not look up, but said acidly, "Miss Granger, you have your N.E.W.T.s to study for, please make sure you study properly. I will be most displeased if I am to defend why I have hired an complete imbecile as my Deputy Headmistress, even if she will be Head of Gryffindor house!"

Hermione smirked. Well, at least he's keeping his sense of humor! she thought. She returned to a book she had been trying to finish on Charms before she sat for her N.E.W.T.s. They went right back to work, with no more to say on the subject. Kingsley exchanged glances with Madam Pomfrey. Oh, there was something going on between the two, but it had not turned indecent...yet.

***

Once Rita Skeeter's article had circulated amongst the masses, Kingsley received more and more opposition about the Headmaster and Miss Granger. One common complaint was that Snape was the Headmaster and should be above reproach. The other, as newly instated instructor, Miss Granger should be a paragon of virtue that the students could look up to. But what to do? A decision had to be made...and fast...before school started in the fall.

So, there the new Minister sat, in his new office, and after reminiscing about the last couple of months, he made a decision. There was going to be yelling and cursing for sure. Perhaps, I should take their wands from them before talking? he thought grimly.

He met with them in the Headmaster's office and told them of the pressure he was getting from the parents of the returning students. By this time, Hermione had sat for her N.E.W.T.'s and had passed with extraordinary marks, the highest grades Hogwarts had seen in fifty years. She even surpassed Snape's record. The Headmaster was far too pleased with Hermione's success to care much about what some parents had to say about a situation that didn't even exist! He had filed the Skeeter issue as a done deal in his brain and went on to more pressing matters. Therefore, when Kingsley met with them to discuss the issue again, Snape was confused as to why such an obviously dead topic needed resurrecting. Hermione argued that they would not be alone for long, that in a month's time, the other professors would be arriving and the problem would resolve itself.

"Besides," she growled, "with all the work being done to rebuild the castle, we have barely been alone! And I have proven that I received my marks on pure talent and old-fashioned hard work!" Her chest puffed out proudly as she spoke, and Snape could not help but stifle a chortle at the sight of her righteous indignation.

She turned her head and glowered at him. "I heard that, you evil bat!"

Snape laughed heartily at her comment, and Kingsley was intrigued. What has been going on between these two? Well, whatever it was, it made the news he was about to break all that much easier to say. It was apparent the two of them had an undeniable sexual attraction between them.

Kingsley replied that as Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, they would continue to work closely together and, although other professors were coming, that would not change the fact. So, he had an idea. They should get married.

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A/N: Oh, snap! Well, the next chapter will give you Snape and Hermione's thoughts on the matter, and yes, I know I am evil. He-he.