Pick up a copy of the Tribune! Characters: Ron Weasley (NPC) and Gideon Prewett Setting: A Chicago streetcorner, midday on January 8, 1931 Summary: Taking a look at today's Tribune Warnings: None to speak of.
"EXTRA! EXTRA!" A redheaded kid in a flatcap waved his last few papers above his head, proceeding slowly down the sidewalk in hopes of catching attention. His breath formed puffs of smoke in the icy air, and the ends of his fingers were red with cold where they peeped out of the holes in his gloves.
"YOUNG WOMAN ARRESTED FOR FIANCE'S MURDER!" he called, because murder tended to get people's attention. "DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S DEATH AT THE HANDS OF LOVE!"
That bit added because the only thing people liked to buy papers for as much as death was love. If he could get 'em both in one headline, so much the better. Selling enough today meant going home early and getting out of the cold, bringing home a good chunk of change for his mother, and maybe skipping the argument about how he needed to get back to going to school.
"JAZZ PLAYER AND ATTORNEY IN SORDID DEADLY LOVE TRIANGLE!"
Okay, so he didn't really know what most of that meant, but dang if it didn't sell papers. Sordid had always been one of Remus's favorite words back when he was first showing him the ropes, and no wonder. Sordid definitely got people's attention.
"All right, Ron, pull over!"
Ron Weasley's face lit up as she turned to see his uncle waving him over, but fell some when he saw the expression on his face. He didn't look happy to see him or the headlines, and Ron didn't guess he could blame him. Uncle Gid used to play in the band with Sirius Black, back before he was a big deal, and he probably felt bad about the guy buying it.
"Sorry Uncle Gid," he said, offering an apologetic look. "It's just I gotta get papers sold, ya know, and it's cold as--"
Gideon shook his head and offered him a smile that was still sad. "Nothin' you need to worry yourself about, buddy." He handed Ron a nickel and let him hand over the paper. "How many more ya got to get rid of?"
"Just four now," Ron said. "Murder always sells big, and with it being some society girl gettin' charged with it..."
Gideon nodded. "Well, go on and get 'em moved, then," he said. "And tell your ma I said hello."
Ron was striding off again, shouting to the rest of the construction crew that were all coming off on lunch. Gideon, meanwhile, didn't have to look far to find the story that interested him - the story that interested everybody. The news of Sirius Black's murder, his alleged connection with Emmeline Vance, and her subsequent arrest for both his murder and that of her fiance was all right there on the front page in good black and white.
But Gideon Prewett had known Sirius Black, once upon a time, and he knew that when it came to that guy, there was seldom anything black and white.