May 22nd: The Power of the Quill
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hp_may_madnessTitle: May 22nd: The Power of the Quill
Characters or Pairing: Tracey, Daphne
Word Count: 914
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: No prompts used today. I'm not entirely happy with the way this turned out, but I was drawing a blank with the prompts. This'll probably be the last time I address the issue mentioned within the chapter.
"Spill it, Daphne."
"Sorry, what?" Daphne asked, startled. Tracey snorted at her friend's obvious preoccupation.
"It was your idea to meet up here for lunch in the middle of the workday," Tracey reminded her. "We've been sitting here for five minutes and you've barely touched the breadstick appetizers, which are the biggest reason you love this place. Either you've got gas or something's on your mind."
"I've never been able to hide anything from you, have I?" Daphne muttered.
"Of course not," Tracey said, smiling triumphantly. "Now why don't you tell me about it? You'll feel better after you get it off your chest, and if you're quick about it you won't even have to reheat the breadsticks." Daphne smiled even as she rolled her eyes, and cast a privacy spell over their table so no one else in the restaurant would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Tracey sat and listened as her best friend explained the most recent developments in her relationship with her husband and sister/lover. She already knew that they'd gotten things settled with Astoria right after the three of them left her flat, but this was the first she'd heard about their dinner with Daphne's parents. Tracey whistled when she heard about what Daphne's father had proposed. She wasn't familiar with that particular law, but then again she wasn't an expert on all things Pureblood like Lord Greengrass.
"So what're you worked up about?" she asked. "It seems like he's given you guys a great way to make an official commitment to Astoria."
"Only to further his own agenda," Daphne said bitterly.
"Of course," Tracey agreed. "He's always been that way, which you know better than me. But no matter what his reasons were, isn't this a really good thing for you? I know you were saying you wished you and Harry could make a real commitment to Stori, and this is as good as you're going to get."
"Yes, but..."
"But what?" Tracey prompted when her friend trailed off.
"Even though father is right about people being fickle and the scandal wearing off eventually, I know they're going to be pretty horrible about it at first," she said. "Astoria's worth every bit of it, of course, but I just...I'm not looking forward to that part of it, that's all. Especially if it's still going on when the baby's born."
"I get it," Tracey said, nodding. Then her journalistic instincts kicked in, and ideas started to form in her head. "Maybe I can help you," she said slowly.
"What? How are you going to do that?"
"I'll write an article in the Prophet," she said, growing more excited as it all came together. "It'll be front page for sure!"
"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd swear you were just trying to use this as a way to further your career at my expense," Daphne said.
"But you DO know me, so you know I'd never do anything to try and hurt you," Tracey said. The waitress approached to take their orders, but Tracey pointed to her menu and waved her away with a smile, pretending they needed more time to think. "It will be huge for my career, I'm not going to lie. But I think it'll also help you avoid a lot of the backlash you're afraid of."
"I'm listening," Daphne said.
"So like I said, you let me write an article on it. That way we can get it out in the open and make sure a bitch like Skeeter doesn't have a chance to break the news and paint you in the most unflattering light possible."
"Which we know she would do," Daphne acknowledged. "Scandals sell papers, and she's got a grudge against Harry and his friends besides."
"Exactly. This way we cut her out of the loop entirely, and we get the truth out there before people's opinions can be swayed by whatever sensationalistic rubbish her or someone else like her would try to write. We don't let them try and portray Harry as some woman-hating harem master, and we make sure to let people know that this is a loving and equal relationship."
"That'd probably help with some of it," Daphne admitted.
"We also need to put a lot of attention on the idea that Harry is going to become Stori's Consort in order to produce heirs for the Greengrass line. I could even get a statement from your father in your support, which I'm sure he'd have no problem doing. That'll impress the Purebloods, who are the group that dislike Harry and would have the most motivation to try and use your relationship to hurt his reputation."
Daphne fell into a thoughtful silence, and they dropped the charm and allowed the waitress to come over and take their order. She continued to mull over Tracey's idea, and slowly began to smile.
"You really think this is going to work?" she asked.
"Leave it to me, Daph," Tracey said. She beat her chest confidently. "I won't let you down."
Her mood much improved, Daphne took a breadstick from the basket and tore into it. She'd barely finished it before she started in on a second, and Tracey hurriedly grabbed one for herself lest Daphne eat them all before she got a chance. She was happy she'd been able to cheer her best friend up, but that didn't mean she was going to forfeit her share of the breadsticks.
Characters or Pairing: Tracey, Daphne
Word Count: 914
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: No prompts used today. I'm not entirely happy with the way this turned out, but I was drawing a blank with the prompts. This'll probably be the last time I address the issue mentioned within the chapter.
"Spill it, Daphne."
"Sorry, what?" Daphne asked, startled. Tracey snorted at her friend's obvious preoccupation.
"It was your idea to meet up here for lunch in the middle of the workday," Tracey reminded her. "We've been sitting here for five minutes and you've barely touched the breadstick appetizers, which are the biggest reason you love this place. Either you've got gas or something's on your mind."
"I've never been able to hide anything from you, have I?" Daphne muttered.
"Of course not," Tracey said, smiling triumphantly. "Now why don't you tell me about it? You'll feel better after you get it off your chest, and if you're quick about it you won't even have to reheat the breadsticks." Daphne smiled even as she rolled her eyes, and cast a privacy spell over their table so no one else in the restaurant would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Tracey sat and listened as her best friend explained the most recent developments in her relationship with her husband and sister/lover. She already knew that they'd gotten things settled with Astoria right after the three of them left her flat, but this was the first she'd heard about their dinner with Daphne's parents. Tracey whistled when she heard about what Daphne's father had proposed. She wasn't familiar with that particular law, but then again she wasn't an expert on all things Pureblood like Lord Greengrass.
"So what're you worked up about?" she asked. "It seems like he's given you guys a great way to make an official commitment to Astoria."
"Only to further his own agenda," Daphne said bitterly.
"Of course," Tracey agreed. "He's always been that way, which you know better than me. But no matter what his reasons were, isn't this a really good thing for you? I know you were saying you wished you and Harry could make a real commitment to Stori, and this is as good as you're going to get."
"Yes, but..."
"But what?" Tracey prompted when her friend trailed off.
"Even though father is right about people being fickle and the scandal wearing off eventually, I know they're going to be pretty horrible about it at first," she said. "Astoria's worth every bit of it, of course, but I just...I'm not looking forward to that part of it, that's all. Especially if it's still going on when the baby's born."
"I get it," Tracey said, nodding. Then her journalistic instincts kicked in, and ideas started to form in her head. "Maybe I can help you," she said slowly.
"What? How are you going to do that?"
"I'll write an article in the Prophet," she said, growing more excited as it all came together. "It'll be front page for sure!"
"If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd swear you were just trying to use this as a way to further your career at my expense," Daphne said.
"But you DO know me, so you know I'd never do anything to try and hurt you," Tracey said. The waitress approached to take their orders, but Tracey pointed to her menu and waved her away with a smile, pretending they needed more time to think. "It will be huge for my career, I'm not going to lie. But I think it'll also help you avoid a lot of the backlash you're afraid of."
"I'm listening," Daphne said.
"So like I said, you let me write an article on it. That way we can get it out in the open and make sure a bitch like Skeeter doesn't have a chance to break the news and paint you in the most unflattering light possible."
"Which we know she would do," Daphne acknowledged. "Scandals sell papers, and she's got a grudge against Harry and his friends besides."
"Exactly. This way we cut her out of the loop entirely, and we get the truth out there before people's opinions can be swayed by whatever sensationalistic rubbish her or someone else like her would try to write. We don't let them try and portray Harry as some woman-hating harem master, and we make sure to let people know that this is a loving and equal relationship."
"That'd probably help with some of it," Daphne admitted.
"We also need to put a lot of attention on the idea that Harry is going to become Stori's Consort in order to produce heirs for the Greengrass line. I could even get a statement from your father in your support, which I'm sure he'd have no problem doing. That'll impress the Purebloods, who are the group that dislike Harry and would have the most motivation to try and use your relationship to hurt his reputation."
Daphne fell into a thoughtful silence, and they dropped the charm and allowed the waitress to come over and take their order. She continued to mull over Tracey's idea, and slowly began to smile.
"You really think this is going to work?" she asked.
"Leave it to me, Daph," Tracey said. She beat her chest confidently. "I won't let you down."
Her mood much improved, Daphne took a breadstick from the basket and tore into it. She'd barely finished it before she started in on a second, and Tracey hurriedly grabbed one for herself lest Daphne eat them all before she got a chance. She was happy she'd been able to cheer her best friend up, but that didn't mean she was going to forfeit her share of the breadsticks.