Hagrid had brooded long enough. And returned to teach the very next day, Bolstered by the consolation of the students.
Some days passed, and a new rumor began circulating through the halls of Hogwarts: Aaric was now dating Fleur Delacour as well.
It was true, Aaric admitted internally, even though they hadn't explicitly discussed titles about their relationship yet.
The dynamic just existed, natural and undeniable. However, the public reaction was still a little uncomfortable for him.
He noticed male students and quite a few girls shooting him looks of open jealousy or pointing as he walked down the corridors.
"Give them some time. They will realize it is none of their business, just as they did with me," Daphne told Aaric as they walked down the hallway, with Luna and Fleur beside them as well.
Fleur did not comment. The pointing and whispering were the norm for her, a byproduct of her Veela heritage, and it did not bother her in the slightest. She simply smirked, linking her arm tighter with Aaric's and giving him a shy smile.
Aaric smiled and shrugged, accepting the affection as they kept walking, eventually meeting up with Harry and his group near the entrance hall.
"Where's Ars?" Aaric asked after they had exchanged greetings. They were all heading to the Three Broomsticks to blow off some steam.
"Here!" a voice called from the side.
They turned to see Ars approaching with the Patil twins, Padma and Parvati. Padma had her arm linked comfortably with his.
"You'll live a thousand years, mate," Ron chuckled at the timing.
"Good to see you not sulking and bringing the mood down for once," Parvati jabbed at Ron, clearly still displeased about his behavior at the Yule Ball.
"Give him time... like ten more seconds," Hermione quipped and started to walk the way leading to Hogsmeade before Ron could retort.
The others followed, stifling laughs, while Ron just frowned and shook his head, eventually trudging along after a nudge from Harry.
The group secured a large table in the corner of the pub, the atmosphere relaxing as they settled in. The establishment was bustling, warm, and filled with the scent of butterbeer and woodsmoke.
Aaric had ordered a special hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows that were enchanted to stir themselves continuously in the mug. He took a sip, smacking his lips with a content sigh.
"Is it that good? Let me try," Daphne said, reaching over and taking the drink from Aaric's hands before he could protest. She took a delicate sip, her eyes lighting up.
She licked a bit of foam from her lip with a smile and passed it back toward Aaric. Just as he reached for it, however, she moved the mug past him and handed it to Luna.
"Tasty. I'll order one for myself," Luna hummed happily after tasting the chocolate.
"Thanks, Angel," Aaric said with a wry smile, though the expression thinned playfully when Luna passed the cup to Fleur instead of him, leaning in to give him a distraction kiss on the cheek.
"One for me as well," Fleur commented after taking her share.
Daphne signaled for their own orders, and Fleur finally returned the now half-empty cup to Aaric. He immediately took another sip, sighing in theatrical relief.
"Let's share this one until our cups arrive," Daphne suggested, taking the cup back from Aaric.
The cup began to circulate again. Aaric shrugged, smiling at Daphne, who leaned into him with a mischievous glint in her eyes, resting her elbow on his shoulder.
He poked her nose playfully, making her giggle. He wasn't the type to mind such small teasing; he found humor in it, and the girls knew exactly where the line of respect lay. They wouldn't play pranks that actually demeaned him.
When their own hot chocolates arrived, they made a game out of it, ensuring Aaric got a sip of each of theirs after they would have a sip.
"It was bad enough watching you four drift off into your own world... and now that nasty woman is walking towards us," Hermione said suddenly, her voice dropping as she gestured toward the door.
A witch wearing a bright pink coat and jeweled glasses was making a beeline for their table.
"Skeeter," Ron muttered with undisguised disgust. He didn't bother to hide his expression as the woman stopped in front of them.
"Aaric, dear! What an unexpected pleasure. And the pleasure doubles with dear Harry being here as well," Rita Skeeter chirped cheerfully, her cameraman, Bozo, hovering by her side.
"Quite a popular boy, are you not, Mr. Hawtho—" Rita added, leaning toward Aaric with a scandalous smile that quickly twisted into a frown when she was cut off.
"I'll stop you right there. I don't think anyone at this table or in this village wishes for the pleasure of your company," Aaric said, his voice neutral and patient, as if explaining simple addition to a toddler.
"And I believe we have set boundaries about you approaching me without going through the proper channels." Aaric added.
"How rude, Mr.—" Rita began, bristling.
"I find his words to be rather polite compared to the vile and horrible woman he is talking to," Hermione interjected sharply.
Daphne and Luna exchanged a glance. Daphne had been ready to verbally eviscerate Rita herself, but Hermione had beaten her to the punch. Aaric reached out, squeezing the hands of Luna, Daphne, and Fleur to keep them calm.
Rita narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting to Hermione and ignoring everyone else entirely.
"You don't think you're quite as important as you think you are, do you, dear?" Rita said, her voice dropping to a sickeningly sweet, menacing coo. "Don't mess with me. Silly little girls shouldn't play with fire unless they want to get burned."
There was a beat of silence before Daphne spoke up.
"How is this woman this stupid?" Daphne asked aloud, looking around at the group with genuine confusion on her face. She spoke as if Rita wasn't even there. "She just threatened a Hogwarts student in front of two Triwizard Champions and the heirs of Ancient and Noble Houses. Is she slow, or just dense?"
"Both." Ron said with a nod the next second.
It was the most effective way to antagonize someone like Rita Skeeter. To treat them as if they were beneath notice.
Anger flashed visibly across Rita's face at Daphne's tone, but it was instantly quenched, replaced by a splash of cold fear as the weight of Daphne's words and the social standing of the people at the table registered.
"I was no—" Rita tried to backtrack, her smile faltering.
"Fuck off," Aaric said simply, waving his hand as if dismissing a fly.
Even Hermione did not object to his language.
Rita stood there, stunned. She heard whispers and chuckles from the other patrons of the pub.
"Their drinks are on me!" one of the patrons shouted with a hearty laugh, raising his tankard.
"I'll chime in as well!" another yelled.
Soon, laughter and offers to pay for Aaric and his group's tab rang out from across the room. The village had clearly chosen a side.
Aaric leaned forward, a shark-like grin spreading across his face. "'Dumbledore's Giant Mistake,' you called it, right? You were right about the 'giant mistake' part... and you will soon know exactly who made the giant mistake." he said.
That brought Rita out of her stupor. She took a sharp step back, her eyes darting around the hostile pub.
Realizing she had lost control of the situation entirely, she nudged Bozo and retreated, hurrying out of the establishment as fast as her legs could carry her.
A cheer rose in the pub as the door swung shut behind her. Aaric and the group found themselves flooded with fresh rounds of drinks, sponsored by almost every patron in the Three Broomsticks.
"We will talk about the language you used later," Hermione said, though she was smiling as she jabbed a finger toward Aaric.
The students remained at the pub for another hour, enjoying the victory and the warmth. Eventually, as the afternoon waned, they made their way back toward the castle.
Ars, Padma, and Parvati parted from the group to head back inside, while the rest of them moved toward the edge of the grounds to pay a visit to Hagrid
A/n: Give me your thought on the chapter and reviews on the fic.
And.. you got any power stones? Well, hand em over then..