A Scandal

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe is sadly, not mine. I also give credit to Jane Austen, as I used the opening lines of her wonderful novel Pride and Prejudice in Rita Skeeter's article. It is only slightly altered to suit the story.

"That is horrible." Hermione's face contorted into an expression of pure horror.

"I don't know why things like this get printed," said Harry, furrowing his brow.

"What? This is brilliant! Let's frame it." Ron smirked at her.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were mulling over the fact that Rita Skeeter had caught wind of Hermione's inheritance and had wasted no time at all announcing it to the entire wizarding world in an article that was both insulting and overblown as always.

"Burn it, Ronald, please," Hermione moaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No, no, Hermione, just let me read it aloud. Maybe it will sound better the second time." Clearing his throat, Ron began.

----

Hermione Granger: The Wizarding World's Most Eligible Bachelorette

she is currently residing at--

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"Stop!" Hermione shrieked, burying her burning face into her hands. It was too much to bear. Somehow that awful woman had hounded her out, and her precious privacy had been invaded.

"Don't fret, 'Mione. At least she didn't mention your flat chest or your big bum for that matter. I say it's a really flattering portrayal." Ron received a punch in the arm for his troubles. "That hurt!"

"You deserve it, you obnoxious git. I think you are the only person that finds this amusing," Hermione replied, noticing the guilty look on Harry's face.

"I do not find it amusing! I'm just proud that your name is in the papers!" Ron explained lamely.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Of course you are."

"I am!"

She glared at him, and then at Harry, who was studying his own shoes, trying desperately to not be involved in this dispute. "Are you amused by the fact that she gave away my address? Are you amused by the fact that gold-digging opportunists will be pouring into this house at all hours?"

"Oh, come off it, Hermione. No one is going to believe Rita's exaggerations about your stunning good looks--"

"What a thing to say!" Hermione exclaimed, cutting Ron off entirely.

"I was also going to say that you aren't as well off as she says!"

Hermione stood up, upsetting her bowl of cereal in the process. She noted that Harry was trying his best to stay uninvolved, which only made her more upset. Harry was supposed to be Ron's best friend, and therefore responsible for what stupid things came out of Ron's mouth.

"Oh, sod off, both of you!" She then stormed out of the kitchen in a huff.

"I think we set her off mate," Hermione heard Ron comment as she headed off.

"We?"

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Hermione strolled through The Grange's grounds, fuming over the audacity of Rita Skeeter.

"That bint! How dare she?" She emphasized the 'she' by swatting a nearby shrubbery with a twig she had picked up.

She had only been living at The Grange for two weeks! How did that woman obtain information in such a short period of time? The Skeeter-thing must have had spies.

As Hermione hastily paced the grounds, she realized that she hadn't done much exploring aside from the main house, and her reasoning was because the house itself required so many repairs. Hermione suspected that her uncle had kept Bilson the caretaker on out of friendship and not because he was proficient at his job. All that man seemed to do was sit in the wine cellar and drink. Then while surveying the overgrown state the rest of the property was in, she came to the conclusion that the groundskeeper was not any better at his job than the caretaker.

After adding the state of the grounds to her list of frustrations, Hermione decided to take her travels into the forest connected to the property. It was one of the few occasions where Hermione felt safe entering a wooded area.

The only thing I have to worry about here is running into a nasty bunch of nettles, she thought, pausing to take in the pleasing scents and the cooling shade. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back with a peaceful smile. Everything around her seemed to soothe her heated temper. There was no Ron to goad her into a fight, no paint fumes or sawdust to assault her senses, and no hired help to cajole into, well, helping. It was just herself and nature, standing in a place that had remained constant for centuries.

"Beautiful," she sighed, holding out her arms and doing a little spin.

"You may have grown into your looks, Miss Granger, but I would not go that far."

Hermione's eyes flew open, and her heart nearly stopped as she found herself being observed by Severus Snape.

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Once again, Severus found himself heading down the beaten path of the forest on his way to spy on the residents of The Grange.

Severus didn't know why he persisted in observing the home that the three banes of his existence resided in. He told himself that it was merely to make sure they weren't feeling courageous enough to invade his privacy by crossing the woods adjoining their properties. Although, it also could have been because he was bored.

Since the war had ended, and he had retired from spying, the transition into quiet domesticity had not been an easy one. Before, his isolation had been tolerable, as he'd had Albus to confide in. He was finding it difficult to get used to the fact that the only person who showed an active interest in his thoughts and well-being was gone. All he really had binding him to the world was his eight-year-old daughter, and at her age, Justine was hardly someone he would go to for council. He was also convinced that her decided lack of brilliance in everything was her mother's fault entirely.

"May you burn in hell, Annette," he spat out bitterly at the woman who no longer existed. He found himself constantly cursing the woman, especially when enumerating his daughter's shortcomings to himself.

A curious sight made thoughts of Annette and Justine flee his mind. Just beyond the path, near the edge of the forest, was what appeared to be a young woman. It had been quite some time since he had been able to admire one, and she was an interesting specimen. From what he could discern, her hair was a rich, honeyed brown, and the rays of sunlight breaking through the canopy of the trees made some parts of her curling locks appear golden. The fine material of her white blouse was slightly transparent, and revealed that, while she was not as well-endowed in the chest as he would like, her shape was most pleasing. Severus found himself mentally praising Muggles for inventing blue jeans as he shamelessly admired her shapely bottom.

"Damn!" he swore under his breath as he came closer to the object of his long dormant-lust. He could have kicked himself for not realizing that the only female that would have probable cause to be in the forest so close to The Grange would be Hermione Granger. A fucking student. Well, a former student.

He could see no way to retreat without escaping her notice, even though she appeared to be lost in her own world. He was loath to admit to himself that her rapturous smile was quite beguiling.

"Beautiful," he heard her sigh. He smirked. Now would be the perfect time to reveal himself.

"You may have grown into your looks, Miss Granger, but I would not go that far." He knew that it was a rather low way to announce his presence, but he needed to restore his dignity over the matter of lusting after her.

He resisted the urge to chuckle at the bewildered expression on her face. The beauty he had been admiring certainly waned a bit in distress. Her charmingly fair complexion was now mottled with red splotches, her eyes went as wide as an owl's, and her mouth was fixed into a pale pink 'O.'

"Professor Snape? But you disappeared before the war. You were a deserter."

Hermione's analysis of Severus's departure angered him and made him inwardly lash out at the memory of Dumbledore. Because of the old man's insistence at protecting him, Severus Snape was considered a coward to the wizarding community.

"Yes, you would think that, wouldn't you, Miss Granger?" He sneered at her, proud of himself and the way she winced at the tone of his voice. He still had it.

"Well, w-what was I supposed to think, exactly?" He could tell that she was trying hard to be bold, which surprised Severus a bit. Usually the only person to answer back when he was attempting to be intimidating was Potter. The mere thought of that cheeky brat set his blood to boil, and the only person he had to take it out on didn't deserve--actually, he adored the idea of taking out his anger on the Granger chit.

He bent low to whisper in her ear. "If this were Hogwarts I would strip Gryffindor of every point they possessed on account of your cheek." He then straightened to full height, glaring down at her. "As we are not in school, I suppose I have no power over you. Rejoice in your assessment of my actions; I am sure they are correct as you seem to know everything." He started to stalk away, to leave her speechless and staring after him, but he paused and turned on her again. "Do be careful. This is not the Forbidden Forest, but there are unseen dangers. Wolves would adore a tasty little morsel like you." He smirked at her expression and finally continued on his way.

"Wolves are more afraid of humans than we are of them," he heard her mutter. He looked back to see her retreating out of the woods. Unfortunately, he still maintained his opinion that she had a lovely backside.

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Hermione flung open the front doors of The Grange and stomped into the kitchen. Harry and Ron were busy trying to repair a series of kitchen cabinets, a job that Harry insisted they do without magic. Hermione imagined it had something to do with wanting to feel manly. In spite of herself she did smile for the briefest moment, when she noticed Ron managing to sneak some magic past Harry when he wasn't paying attention.

"Severus Snape," Hermione then stated.

Harry missed the nail he was hammering into and bashed several fingers, and Ron just turned pale and stared at Hermione, forgetting to put away his wand. "Ow! What possessed you to say that name when I had a heavy object in my hand?" Harry asked, before blowing on his injured fingers. Ron merely nodded in agreement.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "I ran into him in the forest next to the grounds. I think he lives near here."

"The coward!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I don't think so. When I called him out on it, he seemed almost hurt by the accusation. Maybe there was a deeper meaning to his actions back then?"

Harry and Ron shook their heads. "I think the nasty git was just looking out for his own interests as usual," Harry commented before standing up and going to the freezer to search for ice.

Before any of them had a chance to think the matter through any further, a knock at the front door caught their attention.

"Bilson, the door!" Ron cried out. There was no response, and the knocking continued. "Ruddy hired help," he muttered before they all decided to investigate.

Hermione opened the front door and peered out curiously, half expecting to encounter Snape once again. It was not Snape.

"Hello, Herm-own-ninny."

End of Chapter.

Author's other note: For those who remember the earlier draft of this tale; Yes, I am not going to overload you with OC's. I seem to suck at writing them, and I kind of lost track of them last I tried. The line in Skeeter's article about women of fortune being in want of a husband is a line from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" with a little tweaking to suit the story.