It was very rare that Miranda felt her trust had been betrayed. People were rarely allowed close enough to the ice queen to even make it possible. But she’d worked with the wizard for nearly 30 years. She’d trained beside him in their youth and she’d spent many hours in a classroom with him throughout school. Sandy had never been allowed close enough to Miranda to see the real witch inside and they’d never been best friends. There’d always been a professional distance; but he’d seen the mess losing the first husband had made her.
And he’d let this article be published.

The week hadn’t been a particularly pleasant day for the staff at St Mungo’s. With a head healer still struggling with the after effects of dementor exposure and a husband that was giving her the silent treatment to avoid further argument, he staff were paying the price. Only a few knew why until the article came to light.

This time there were no suggestions to take it easy or that she shouldn’t be smoking. Everyone simply avoided the dragon boss and she didn’t understand the reasoning until she returned home to find Ignan stood beside the fireplace burning something that looked suspiciously like a magazine. Upon asking him what it was, the only grumpy response she’d received was “Rubbish.”.

After finding out what exactly the rubbish was, Miranda decided it was best not to tell her husband that the co-owner of the ‘rubbish’ was on her payroll. Seething, she would deal with that matter more privately.

So Healer Misslethorpe was called into her office early Wednesday morning for a ‘chat’. In the short history of Miranda’s leadership at St Mungo’s, being summoned to the office for a chat was never a good thing. It was normally the last time that member of staff stepped into that office.

Miranda was sorting through final plans for the new potions project when her assistant led Sandy in. It took a good 30 seconds for her to lift her gaze from the parchment to pierce her colleague with a dark glare over the glasses that rested on the edge of her nose.
There were two possible approached to this that Miranda had considered. She could take the personal approach, knowing the wizard well. But he’d pissed her off. She was livid. He would soon be more than aware of it.
“Writing slander about one’s boss is grounds for dismissal.”

Sandy was expecting this conversation. He and Andy knew each other since they were first years. They had never been best friends, but they were friends. As near as Andy had friends. He did not expect her to ask him to come to her office about it. It was not a hospital matter.

"Good morning Head Healer." Sandy greeted calmly. He stood up before her desk. She had not asked him to sit down. If he stayed stood up it would be a short discussion. He forced his hands to stay by his sides. He wanted to hide them. He was anxious. But he forced himself to stand very straight and keep calm. As he waited for her to answer he focused on breathing steadily. After she spoke he waited a second.

"With respect, Andy," Sandy spoke. He paused to stop himself rushing. "Libel is written defamation. It was written by Ms Yukawa." The witch used a pen name when she wrote for Witch Weekly. "I admit that by owning the publication Ms Yukawa used to libel, I am implicated in one of the four elements of the accused libel." He frowned and looked sorry. He was not looking at Miranda but he was not lying. "I am not editor of the publication, Andy. I do not review the text before publication. I do not have day-to-day say on who is hired to write." He looked up at her again. Her stare was enough to make a man stumble over his words. "I- I entirely understand why you are angry. I- I was quite taken aback when I saw it too." He would have to have a very awkward conversation with the editor.

Miranda let Sandy ramble on. She already knew what needed to be done. She’d let the first article slide in January. She’d been furious with it but Ignan and she decided to leave it. They were happy together and this was only ridiculous gossip that would fade. The situation with her and her husband was different and the article was far more damming. Sandy had a lot to answer to.

"I- I entirely understand why you are angry. I- I was quite taken aback when I saw it too." He finished. The entire time he’d spoken, Miranda had simply stared over her glasses at him, her dark eyed glare stony cold.

“So, you entirely understand why I am letting you go. You will finish your shift today and hand your healers badge in.” As if that was now an ending to the conversation, Miranda pulled her gaze away from her old friend and returned her focus to her paperwork.

Sandy was trying to be nice. He and Andy were friends. He frowned.
"Andy. You could just ask me to sort things out." This was just like her. She liked to have control over everything. She was very clever but she was not a people person. He liked Andy because she knew her stuff. She was blunt when time was short. She was willing to try new ideas. They both worked in Spell Damage. "I gave 'Lil Snigger' a warning last time. Actually I gave it to the Editor. I believed they were abiding it until yesterday. I will not lie, Andy. She sells copies. B-But not at the price of my friends." He looked up at her. "I will not hand in my badge at the end of my shift. I will have them both in an office at the magazine, and I will sort this out." He did not look forward to that conversation. "She will not write about you again. Not at my magazine."

As expected, Sandy didn’t take her word as gospel, and decided to continue the conversation she’d ended.
There were few people that were allowed to talk to the witch like Sandy did. She sacked him and he told her no. She kept it formal and he, as one of the very few alive that could get away with it, called her Andy. Professional and personal lines were blurred for a couple that had known each other since the age of 11 and worked together for nearly 30 years.
That was why she was so mad with him.

If she were being honest, however, she did know it wasn’t Sandy’s fault. But she needed someone to blame. The week was getting worse and she was getting sick of the angry silent treatment from her grumpy husband.

Lil Snigger sold copies. The head healer glanced up once more from her paperwork and pushed her glasses up onto her head to get a better look at her old friend and colleague. Her expression was plain, cold.

"She will not write about you again. Not at my magazine." An eyebrow rose, questioning him.

“Hm.” She made a noise and sat back in her chair, surveying him coolly. At least a minute went by as Miranda considered her words silently.

“And what happens about the fact she’s already written about me? People now think Lawrence Musgrave is my secret lover. My husband is furious.”

Sandy nodded. It was difficult.
"No good shutting the stable door after the hippogriff has b-bolted." He agreed. "I am not surprised Ignan is angry. If he was not angry it would be suspicious. He is angry at the article I hope. N-not at you?" Sandy's fingers twisted. He felt bad for Andy. "Nasty, horrible situation. I am very glad you are both fine. I cannot believe what has happened to Lawrence. They should not have let him out of Azkaban." Sandy shook his head. "I will get her to write an apology. How about an interview? How brave you were. How horrible it was. How you and Professor Storm are rock solid." He lifted his palms and shrugged a little.

It was good that Sandy stuttered. He was nervous. He didn’t know how his old colleague was going to react. If Miranda was truly honest to herself and him, she was taking her irritation out on him because she couldn’t on her husband. If she was honest, she’d admit that Sandy was probably her only friend and that she should act such a way.

But Miranda wasn’t the type to admit to ‘friends’ and she certainly wasn’t the sort to sit back and let someone write and feed gossip about her to the public. Sandy was guilty by association. He needed to be nervous. He needed to be worried.

So even after he’d spoken, Miranda continued to stare at him, her glare cold and analytical. She knew what her answer was; she just wanted the wizard to sweat.

“An interview with her?” The witch’s lips twisted slightly as she asked him. “As…interesting as that sounds, I hardly have the time for that. You wouldn’t like what I have to say to her, Sandy.” He knew how vicious she could be with her words. It wouldn’t be wise to put them in print…

“She will be apologising, however. A grovelling one. She’ll detail how the ministry have failed in capturing a dangerous criminal that threatened to kill the head healer.”

"Actually, t-that is not a bad idea." Sandy replied. His readers were suitably scandalized by the Head Healer and her affair with the wanted criminal. "R-readers will want to know the truth about L-Lawrence and you could turn it around. Unrequited love." Sandy shrugged. He appealed to Andy. "Well you and I know it is not that. The readers can think it. Why else would Lawrence keep coming to you?" Sandy frowned. He definitely did not have Lawrence bound up in his house at Oulton Broad. He was careful to keep his thoughts to himself. He knew Andy was a very good legilimens. "I-it really is terrible. The aurors should have got there sooner. I will have a word for you with Solomon Carstairs next time I see him."

“Don’t.” A single word was uttered from the straight faced witch before she sighed. Too rude. Even for her. “I’ve done that and he was rude enough to me. That sort of rudeness masks incompetence.”

Taking a long breath, Miranda pushed her glasses up onto her head and sat back in the chair, watching Sandy carefully.
“Sit down. We certainly won’t be pushing unrequited love. The idea is preposterous.” But the idea would be pushed unless Miranda tackled it head on. Inside she knew that; she knew how much the public gossiped and was sick of being a topic of such scandal. “I’ll do an interview with her.” Dark eyes carefully watched Misslethorpe; he would regret his suggestion.

Sandy sat down. He was surprised Solomon was rude to Andy. Sandy and Solomon were good friends. They had shared many fine years of expensive whiskys. Solomon must be very stressed. He ought to invite him for a drink. Not at home of course. He shrugged at her scoffing of unrequited love. It might actually sell more copies. But he employed people to write. He had pursued healing. It was one way to balance.
"You will?!" Sandy exclaimed. He was surprised. Andy would think it would be entirely on her terms. They would see what they got and make a choice. If she gave them something nobody would read then it would be short. And true. "I shall speak with her after my shift then. A wise decision, Andy." Always be friendly with the press. He was happy she was coming round to the idea.

Was it a wise decision? Miranda felt like it was a rash one, a daft decision for a witch not accustomed to dealing with the press. She suffered from a lack of verbal filter when angry and the very thought of Lil Snigger’s name raised her blood pressure. Mira was known for being vicious with her tongue and actions and she didn’t want that to come out in the gossip magazine’s article. Sandy knew her well and still thought this was a good idea?

“You’re not selling me up shit river, Sandy?” Her voice had a hint of discomfort as she twirled the quill on her desk between fingers. “I’m not good with press.” She employed a witch for managing the publicity of the hospital and acting as a spokesperson. Miranda knew where her strengths lay and they certainly weren’t with dealing with reporters and gossip mongerers.

"W-would I do that to my oldest friend?" Sandy asked Andy. "I will personally speak to Ms Yukawa." He gave her a reassuring smile. "It would not harm you to improve your relationships with the press. The hospital board must have someone to write press releases. The Prophet like a bit of good news for page eleven. Just do not speak to the Golden Snitch. They publish rubbish." It was one of Witch Weekly's competitors. "Your publicist needs to work harder for you."

Her publicist needed to work harder… Miranda’s lips pressed together as she stared across the desk at her ‘friend’ and colleague. Whatever the St Mungo’s spokesperson did on behalf of Miranda and the hospital, she knew there was nothing to stop the slander being written in Sandy’s housewitch magazine. If people wanted to gossip, they would always gossip. The Storm’s had done nothing to sabotage their reputations but desperate gossip writers enjoyed destroying those reputations.

“The hospital’s publicist isn’t there to mop up the mess left from gossiping idiots with a quill and the ability to print on mass.” Her voice was cold, still irritated.

“Don’t put yourself above the Golden Snitch. Your magazine distributes hogwash Sandy. I’m still waiting to give birth.” She took her glasses off her head and propped them back on her nose, taking up her quill and resuming her paperwork.

The meeting was over.