分卷阅读62（2 / 2）

Ron took the paper from Harry’s shaking hands and began to read the second article for himself, cringing every two minutes. “You want to know the damage, mate?”

“Why not? I’ll learn it sooner or later,” Harry grumbled into his drink.

“Well, from the way she says it, you two might as well have been soul mates from birth. It talks about Malfoy being a Veriae, though it doesn’t say much other than a ‘cousin of the well-known Veela’. It also says that you two have been sharing rooms since the beginning of this year, which is true, but then goes on to describe your relationship, the detail of which is utterly false and makes me sick.”

“Doesn’t sound bad so far,” Harry muttered.

“Oh it gets better, Harry,” Hermione seethed at the article. “It talks about how Malfoy has no choice in his soul mate and says, and I quote: ‘In such a time of grief as Draco Malfoy is going through over the loss of his father, Lucius Malfoy, he will become more dependent on his mate’—I can’t believe she actually uses that term!—‘and will be vulnerable to any suggestions he might get from Harry Potter’.” Hermione snorted in disgust.

“It makes it sound like he’s your—”

“Don’t say it Ron,” Harry seethed.

Harry was so absorbed in hating Rita Skeeter that he didn’t notice a large barn owl drop a letter onto Draco’s lap. He did notice the sudden movement from the Slytherin table as Draco stood and abruptly left the room, their eyes meeting for a moment as he did so.

Harry nodded to his friends and followed the blonde out of the room.

Draco stalked down towards the dungeons, pausing only to snarl the password at Medusa before walking into their rooms. Harry followed him silently, ignoring the portrait’s talk about how the poor boy was still distressed from whatever Harry had done and he’d better fix it.

“Did you see the Prophet?” Harry asked as Draco began pacing the room.

“Why would I? I knew what was going to be there,” Draco muttered.

“On the first page or the second page?” Harry queried, leaning against the portrait door.

“The second page?” Draco asked.

“Yeah. The page with the article about your and my secret love affair.”

All color drained from Draco’s face. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. The entire Wizarding World knows you’re a Veriae now. They know that we’re rooming together. I don’t know if they’ll believe that we’re sleeping together or not, but that’s there too. Oh, and there’s the implication that I might be using you for my own selfish gain somewhere in there as well.”

“Bloody hell,” Draco snarled, as he dropped an opened letter on the couch. “Well, that explains this then.”

“What is it?” Harry asked.