Chapter 599: Ch 625 - Aphrodasiac Potion? In Hogsmeade~

Alright, Rita Skeeter finally lost it. Her jaw dropped, realizing there was no way she could deal with such eccentric people. It was bad enough being blackmailed over her Animagus status, but ’the Quibbler’ contained three pages detailing how she had been secretly writing magical erotica novels under a pseudonym to sell in the Muggle world as a lucrative side hustle.

"Choose your next few words very carefully, Skeeter," Lucifer advised as he leaned forward over the table to offer the woman some necessary self-help.

"Why would I ever want to publish a story in a rubbish magazine like ’The Quibbler?" Skeeter gritted her teeth, fake nails digging into her leather bag. She hadn’t become a domestic slave to their whims yet, and dropping so terribly low in her journalistic career to write for that laughingstock paper felt humiliating.

"Luna’s father is keen to take Harry’s exclusive interview, Rita," Hermione said joyously, a triumphant smirk curling on her lips. At least this was one magnificent thing ’The Quibbler’ would ever do right in her great opinion.

"It’s a well-known fact that not many people take ’The Quibbler’ seriously right now," Lucifer stated calmly, his voice breaking through the local noise. For a brief, he hadn’t understood why his girlfriend was so happy about the placement, but his operations were sound, "The corrupt way the ’Daily Prophet’ handled the Azkaban breakout story has left some gaping holes in public narrative, and it has already gotten several upper-year students to rethink validity of Ministry’s paper... They are open to new stories and fresh perspectives offering a better explanation of what happened."

"Fine... okay..." Skeeter asked shrewdly, her eyes narrowing as she tried to salvage her margins, "Let’s say I do hypothetically agree to draft this... what kind of professional fee am I looking at?"

"I don’t think Daddy pays people any money to write for the magazine," Luna said dreamily, idly swirling her cocktail onion, "They do it because it’s an honor, and, of course, to see their names printed beautifully in ink."

Rita Skeeter looked as if she had just been force-fed a full gallon of raw stinksap, her face twisting, "I’m supposed to write this life threatening war report for ’free!?"

"You ask that question as if you have a choice in the matter," Lucifer leaned back comfortably in his chair, relaxing as a suffocating pressure dropped over her shoulders.

Hermione took a triumphant sip of her Butterbeer, her eyes widening so far it practically hurt, "We wouldn’t want the ’Department of Magical Law Enforcement’ authorities to receive an anonymous owl about your unregistered beetle Animagus status, would we? Then again, the ’Prophet’ might pay you a lot of gold for an insider’s account of life inside an Azkaban cell..."

Rita glared at both Hermione and Lucifer with the most intense, murderous glare either of them had ever seen on her face, "Tch... not giving choice at all... fine! I’ll write the bloody interview for ’The Quibbler..." Her voice was slightly shaky as she reached into her crocodile-skin bag once more, withdrew a clean piece of parchment, and raised Quick-Quotes Quill with a trembling hand.

"Daddy will be immensely pleased with the copy," Luna said with a bright, serene smile that caused Skeeter’s jaw to twitch with suppressed rage.

"Okay, Harry," Hermione said, turning her head to look at the raven-haired boy beside her, "Ready to tell the public the truth about graveyard?"

"Definitely," Harry said with a conviction, beaming a bright smile at the two girls.

"Fire away then, Rita," Hermione sat back against her chair as she finished the last of her Butterbeer, glad she hadn’t spilled it earlier. Lucifer stood up from the bench to head back to the bar counter to procure her another glass.

xxxxxxx

Sometime after a thoroughly defeated Rita Skeeter left the pub with her notes, Hermione turned her grinning face to look at Harry, "So, what happened during your date with Cho Chang today? Why did you arrive so early?"

"Oh... well..." Harry sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck as he reluctantly recounted pathetic, disastrous excursion inside the tea shop with Cho, "---Then she suddenly began crying over her tea, called me a liar, and said she’d see me around the school."

"Wait a second..." Lucifer started slowly, moving them toward the heavy exit doors as four of them prepared to leave ’the Three Broomsticks,’ "The girl actually thought you were coming to this pub to see Hermione because she assumed you were secretly going on a romantic date with her instead?"

"Exactly! She called me awful for two-timing her with you, my best friend, and then she had the nerve to call Hermione a common slag for cheating on you, Lucifer. I asked if she was really a ’RavenClaw,’ then she didn’t.... even give me the chance to explain that I was strictly coming for seeing what strategy you both plotted..."

The air immediately surrounding Lucifer radiated with smothering heat, the snow on porch steps melting instantly as his pupils turned a lethal shade, "Where is she right now?" he asked grimly.

"I... I honestly don’t know where she went after storming out of Madam Puddifoot’s..." Harry trailed off, looking a bit terrified for Ravenclaw girl’s future, wondering whether she would even be able to survive another week in Britain if Lucifer bountied her.

"Lucifer, please, she isn’t worth the trouble," Hermione said reaching out to grasp his bicep to calm the rising temper down. Otherwise, if he launched a public magical attack over a name-calling jibe, she would also appear hypocritical after having just reprimanded Ron for racist comments today.

"The bitch called you slut, Hermione. That insult does not sit well with me," Lucifer said, terrifyingly calm as his jaw set, "No harm will come to her person, I promise you that much."

"Then what are you going to do?" Luna asked him curiously in a good mood. Cho Chang was in Ravenclaw house right alongside her own standing, and she possessed a very good idea of what punishment he was going in live show.

"Ravenclaw’s house points will definitely be twenty-five points lower than right now by tomorrow morning," Lucifer said, walking ahead of their huddle down the path.

"Truth be told... I don’t even think I actually like Cho the way I thought I did last term..." Harry admitted freely to his friends, eyes subtly shifting on Luna’s pale cheeks, secretly hoping she would get the romantic hint. But the blonde girl didn’t seem to hear his prompt, staring blankly at the sky.

Hermione looked at his profile carefully. "Are you sure about that, Mr. Potter?"

"Yeah. I think I was just going off her physical looks... and she wasn’t bad at flying Quidditch, sure, but now I know there needs to be more than just a broom connection for real attraction to last..." Harry trailed off, inwardly cursing his own lack of skills with women. Sirius Black was always so proud of his old school seduction skills, and godfather had repeatedly told him that James Potter was an even bigger smooth-talker who had no problem charming witches into his bed.

Clearly, the talent hadn’t inherited into his own clumsy steps.

"Well, if it’s any consolation, I am quite proud," Lucifer said, offering a slow nod of approval over his shoulder, "That is very mature, grounded stuff for ’you’ to say."

"So, it may not be the immediate upcoming issue of ’The Quibbler’ that hosts your interview, Harry," Luna said softly, marking the first time she had initiated direct, conversation with him in two days, "It’ll most likely be printed in edition right after this month’s."

"That’s fine with me, Luna. As long as the true story is gotten out there to public, that is all I want," Harry said subtly shifting winter boots closer to the girl’s steps as they walked, trying his best to close the physical gap without appearing dismissive, and hiding any weird thoughts from her.

"Hermione and I have a private matter before we head back, we’ll catch up with you later," Lucifer announced as Harry and Luna continued walking toward the castle gates together, chatting serenely about whatever bizarre topic she had opened. The raven-haired boy was grinning brightly regardless of the frost collected on left shoulder.

The moment other teenagers cleared the path, Lucifer turned to look down at Hermione, his voice a low pur, "So, kitten... did you like my gift?"

"Yes, Sir," She blushed immediately, her throat tightening as his tone changed into what she secretly craved.

"Tell me how they feel inside you right now..." He commanded softly, his hand sliding down her waist.

"My pussy has been dripping wet all day, Lucifer... and more so since I pushed them deep into this morning," Hermione whispered shyly, eyes darting to the snow to hide her burning face, "The silicone is incredibly soft against... but erratic way the inner weights move around whenever I take a step is a delicious torture... In the best way possible, of course. I guess... I guess that fullness is the reason Rita Skeeter’s eyes were staring at my lap for a while during the interview." She said, her voice shaking slightly.

"Good girl," Lucifer said, fingers reaching up to firmly catch the back of her head and neck, "I haven’t gotten to kiss those lips of yours all afternoon, pet, and if my memory has, I don’t recall it being long enough," he murmured, face resting mere inches away from her mouth.

Hermione said nothing in response. She simply leaned inside his arms, hungrily smashing her lips straight back onto his mouth with consuming devotion.

Her hands reached out, firmly grabbing the wool of his collar to pull him closer against her un-bra’ed chest as the Hogsmeade wind howled around their private sanctuary.

xxxxxx

Author’s Note

If you want to Read my Complete book, including 8th Year, Marriage and having kids, ahead of everyone.

Playing Cards with Pregnant Hermione on a n*de beach, if you’d like to Read now! ??