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"You are happy, love." Aberforth commented with a smile on his face. Ariana nodded with the same smile on her face. It was a few days before school would start, and Deanna decided to visit her aunt and uncle after receiving a letter from her girlfriend, yeah, her girlfriend. She told them everything that had happened in the past few months, and of course, they were extremely happy when they had heard that she and Hermione were finally together.

Though both Aberforth and Ariana were worried when they heard about her encounters with Voldemort and the fight with Dumbledore, they pretended not to know a thing and just listened to her story.

"I am, Uncle Ab." Deanna grinned at the two of them. "And I'm complete because I have you two." She hugged the two of them tight, making Ariana and Aberforth look at each other with teary eyes before Aberforth hugged the two just as tight.

They never felt so enraged at every deity up there. Why did they have to choose Deanna of all people? Why did she have to be the heir of the phoenixes? They knew none of them could do anything, but they still had hope. Hope that somehow the prophecy would not be true.

The door suddenly opened, making the three Dumbledores separate. A tall and unfamiliar man in a coat came in. He looked around and when his eyes fell on Deanna, he started his way towards her.

"Order?" Aberforth asked him.

"My name is Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic." Rufus Scrimgeour held his hand out.

Deanna was confused as to why he was there but she still shook his hand. "Deanna Dumbledore, pleasure. What brings you here?"

"Ah, do you mind if we talk alone?" Scrimgeour was glancing at Aberforth and Ariana warily. Deanna looked at him for a moment before nodding and leading him to one of the corners of the bar.

"So, what brings you here, Sir?"

"I've been wanting to meet you for a long time, Miss Dumbledore, but your father has been blocking every chance for us to meet."

"Really?" Deanna was a little surprised at that. Why would Dumbledore stop her from meeting him? Was he a Death Eater or did he know something? Whatever the reason, Deanna had her guard up. If her father did not trust him, it was for a good reason. "And why is that?"

"I just wanted to ask a few questions." Scrimgeour stared at her as if he wanted to know something, and Deanna met his eyes, letting him know she was not going to tell him anything. "As you know, rumors had been going around since your return."

Deanna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She knew now why he was there. Just like the other letters she had received from so many people, he just wanted to know about that.

"And I wonder if you and your father have discussed this certain matter?"

"Yes, we have."

Scrimgeour seemed to think that he was finally getting an answer because he could not hide the tone of curiosity in his voice. "And what have you discussed?"

"What me and my father discuss is between us, Minister." Deanna spoke in a cold tone. A cold tone that send chills through Scrimgeour's body. A tone that told him not to ask questions anymore because he would not get any answers from her. "I was not aware the job of being Minister of Magic included prying into a father and daughter's conversations."

"Miss Dumbledore!" Scrimgeour said angrily. "This is a serious matter. Dark times are coming –"

"Dark times are coming, Sir, but surely you can do your job as Minister without knowing about our conversations?" Deanna raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to challenger her.

Scrimgeour looked as if he could shout at her but he took a deep breath before speaking again. "We do not need to fight, Miss Dumbledore. What we need now is cooperation. If you unite with the Ministry, we will be able to beat him."

Deanna let out a scoff at that. "You expect me to unite with you? You do know I do not agree with what you have been doing. Keeping Dolores Umbridge, locking up innocent people, covering up deaths. You are giving the Wizarding World a false sense of security. Everything that is happening is making alarm and fear rise more and more every day, and what have you been doing? When will you ever fulfill your duty as the Minister of Magic?"

"Miss Dumbledore!" Scrimgeour stood up, slamming his hands on the table angrily. "You are going too far. You and your father..."

"No matter what happens, I won't stand with you. Not in these times." Deanna too had stood up, fiercely glaring at him. "My father was right in not letting us meet. You are just as bad as Fudge was, and you will lose this war against Voldemort if you don't open your eyes and do something right."

Scrimgeour's face had now turned red in anger and embarrassment, and he was about to say something when Aberforth had come up behind him. "I think it's time for you to leave, Sir. The store is now closed."

Scrimgeour opened his mouth and closed it again. Then, he scoffed and glared at Deanna. "Don't regret your decision, Dumbledore. When the time comes, you'll be wishing you joined us now."

"I'm not regretting it now, I don't think I'll ever regret it." Deanna said pleasantly, smiling widely at Scrimgeour who seemed to have enough. He turned around and left the bar, slamming the door as he went.

"Are you okay, Dee?" Ariana asked worriedly from her portrait.

"I think I should've said more." Deanna mumbled, making Aberforth and Ariana laugh. Deanna started laughing along with them, feeling good about what she had just done. She would never join the Ministry if they were not doing their job properly. She would fight and stand with her father until the very end.

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Finally, school had resumed. Deanna took a deep breath as she waited outside the Great Hall. Her friends, even the ghosts and house-elves, had all expressed their happiness for her, and she even got a letter from Hannah during the holidays. Now, she was just waiting for one girl, and she did not know why her heart was beating so fast as if she was someone who was about to ask someone out.

Suddenly, someone had put their hands over Deanna's eyes, making the badger jump. She was about to smack the person, but a soft smile made its way onto her face when she saw who it was.

"Mione." Deanna grinned and hugged her tight, but she immediately let go when she saw there were people around them.

"Hey, darling." Hermione giggled at the blush on Deanna's face and held her hand. "Did you miss me?"

"O-Of course I did." Deanna mumbled and smiled at their linked hands. "I kept on dreaming about you."

Hermione felt her heart warm at how adorable her girlfriend was, and she couldn't help herself from placing a kiss on Deanna's cheek. Deanna's eyes widened and she held her free hand to the spot Hermione's lips had just touched. Her cheeks had reddened even more than they already were.

"My girlfriend is so adorable and shy." Hermione laughed when Deanna's cheeks got even darker, and the smaller girl smacked her playfully. "Now, come on, I'm sure you're hungry, right?"

"I don't need to eat. Just being with you makes me full." Deanna mumbled under her breath, but Hermione had heard it. She blushed at that sudden comment and she nudged Deanna lightly.

"You cheesy badger."

"Your cheesy badger." Deanna winked at her and gave Hermione's hand a tug, finally leading her into the Great Hall where all eyes fell on them.

Deanna covered Hermione's face with her hand and started leading her to the Gryffindor table. Hermione was confused at what she was doing. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure no one else falls for your beauty." Deanna's remark made Hermione blush once more and she kept on smacking Deanna as they sat down at the Gryffindor table with their friends.

"I knew it. You really are a cheesy and boisterous badger." Hermione whispered to her, making the two girls laugh. Deanna was the Boisterous Badger indeed, but she was a Cheesy Badger only to Hermione Granger, and Hermione loved that. Deanna did not have to cover her face because even if thousands of people fall for her, she would still choose Deanna at the end of the day.

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