ritxxskeeter

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

She tutted softly in the back of her throat, teasing, but any further comments were drowned out as he pulled her closer. Contrary to popular belief, Rita knew when to shut up and get on with it. She swung her leg over his as he pulled her onto his lap, straddling him - by now obviously far past the point of caring what it meant for the hemline of her dress. Her hands traveled over his exposed chest, splaying against the warm skin before moving to his shoulders and pushing his shirt off impatiently. She pulled away from him only long enough to grab at her dress, silently singing praises for stretch fabric and the absence of a zipper as she pulled it up and over her head, tossing it on the floor. She paused for a second, as the realization hit her that Regulus was the first person to see her without her clothes on in an embarrassingly long time, and she swallowed, trying not to let the thought make her self conscious. Shaking her hair out, she tried to simultaneously shake off the feeling, grinning down at him and biting her bottom lip.

[ritxxskeeter]

1 17 33 50 68 74 & 90

1. What is you middle name?

Nicole.

17. Who would be your ideal partner?

I’m not convinced there is such a thing. But I suppose someone independent - who wouldn’t mind the hours I put in at work. And loyal. And gorgeous, obviously.

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

A green smoothie.

50. Left or right handed?

Ambidextrous, actually, but I usually use my Quick-Quotes anymore.

68. Favorite school subject?

Transfiguration - then Charms. 

74. Are you ticklish?

No.

90. What makes you angry?

Bad liars? I don’t like being lied to, but if you’re any good at it, I don’t even have to know. Until I find out the truth that is, because I always do, you know.

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

Her words made him freeze for a moment. She wanted him. He had to admit, it wasn’t the answer he was expecting, but he was glad she said it, because he wanted her, too. “Good,” Regulus whispered, pressing a kiss against her neck, “I want you, too.” A cocky smile spread across his lips, pulling back ever so slightly to give her room to unbutton his shirt. Nodding his head at her next words, he moved his hand away from her, reaching to feel his pocket for his wand. However it wasn’t there and he groaned softly as he realized he would have to pull away from her to go lock the door. Regulus moved back, kissing her again before pulling away, “Be right back,” He mumbled as he stood, sighing softly at the distance now between them. His fingers moved to unbutton the rest of his shirt, closing the door with his hip, locking it quickly before turning back towards Rita. “Where were we?” Regulus asked with a smirk, letting his shirt fall to the floor as he continued taking steps to her.

As much as Rita didn't want to see him go, even for the short moment it took him to lock the door, she couldn't help but grin as she leaned up on her elbows and watched. "A Black without his wand? I never thought I'd see the day." She teased, having half a mind to simply sit and enjoy the view as he rid himself of his shirt. But patience had never been her strong suit, and she licked her lips as he drew closer, swallowing thickly. She reached up, unbuttoning the clasp at the back of her neck before she sat up further in order to snag him by the belt loops and pull him back to her. "Somewhere around here." She murmured with a smirk, taking his hands in hers and placing them against her once more, eager. 

[ritxxskeeter]

oliver-adams​:

It felt off, meeting Rita here. It didn’t feel as though she casually ended up at the same café he frequented, it felt as if she was waiting for him. What could she possibly want from him, though? Although he wasn’t overly discreet with anything in his life, surely she hadn’t found any dirt on him. Oliver decided not to worry about it too much for now, considering he hadn’t even had a sip of his coffee yet, and attempt to enjoy his time with Rita. “Every night is a long night when you party as much as I do.” He chuckled once, reaching for the sugar packets on the table between them, and adding a couple more to his coffee. He would need the extra boost to hold a proper conversation. “Which is why I don’t normally schedule my social interactions until the evening, after I’ve had my coffee. And a shower.”

Stirring his coffee, Oliver leaned back in his seat and took a long sip. It tasted absolutely amazing, it was exactly what he needed. “So, what brings you to my favourite café?” He questioned, deciding to cut to the chase. Perhaps she really was here by chance, but with the way she seemed to be expecting him, he wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to pry information from him. “They don’t sell the fancy coffee most women love, and they certainly aren’t known for their pastries.” He tilted his head slightly, a smile growing on his lips, “I’m going to assume you were just in the area and had a craving for coffee?”

Rita hummed in response, but chose not to comment. Oliver was fun, sure, but they obviously had very different views about a multitude of things - partying and work clearly being top among them. Her eyes trailed his movements, hawk like, as he reached for more sugar. This wasn't the Rita that had gone out with him at the end of the festival. No, she was back to normal. Shrewd, observant, fake - there was nothing else for it. "Must be nice." She chirped, leaning her head into her hand as she watched him. It didn't sound nice at all, but to each their own, she supposed. 

"What, I can't just stop in for a latte and a muffin?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and breaking a small piece off the top of the pastry in question, as if to prove her point. She chewed it slowly, really in no rush now that he was here. "If you're in here every day, it must be good. I wanted to see what the fuss was about." She shrugged lightly, another small smile tugging at the edges of her lips. He may be hungover, but he wasn't stupid, and it was clear he wasn't sold on the idea that this was all some coincidence. "You're gonna put me out of a job, with those detective skills." She teased, straightening as she nodded once, getting to the point. "I wanted to give you an opportunity to respond to my latest article." 

[ritxxskeeter]

[ritxxskeeter]

oliver-adams​:

Oliver groaned as he got out of bed, both of his hands running over his face before he rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was just past noon, which wasn’t a surprise. He had spent most of the night out at a club and some of the night in someone else’s bed before he had found his way home. The sun was already up by the time he had fallen asleep, honestly he was surprised he hadn’t slept longer. Perhaps it was his pounding headache that had woken him up. Whatever it was, he was awake and there was no chance he would fall back asleep feeling as shitty as he currently did.

Coffee. The only thing that could make him feel better right now. He got dressed quickly, not even caring what he put on, and slipped on his jacket before leaving the house and walking up to the café up the street. The employees knew him well, he was there daily, and had his coffee ready for him almost the moment he stepped into the shop. He reached into his pocket, tossing a few coins on to the counter before he went to sit in his usual spot. But somebody else was already sitting there. Oliver would have been annoyed if it were anybody else, but the familiar blonde brought a smile to his face as he fell into the seat across from her. “Fancy meeting you here.” He said, not quite as cheery as he usually would, “If I would have known I’d run into my favourite reporter, I would’ve dressed up.”

@ritxskeeter​

Rita sat delicately, trying not to show the fact that she was nearly vibrating with excitement. She’d finally caught a lead, and the story had the potential to be huge, if she played her cards right. Sure, she felt a little bad. She liked Oliver - really, she did - but enough to stop her? Definitely not. It hadn’t been hard to track down where he would be, she was told he was here almost every morning, all she had to do was wait. Rita was growing impatient, however, already on her third cup of coffee and entirely unable to keep herself still. Her fingers tapped against her half empty mug and her leg jiggled slightly under the table, and then he walked in. 

Her eyes trailed him closely as he moved to the counter, and then he made a beeline for her and she smiled sweetly at him, raising a hand to wave off his compliment. His favorite reporter? A lot could change over the course of a conversation. “Oliver.” She inclined her head, leaning forward and wrapping both hands around her mug. “You don’t have to on my account, although - I have to admit, you’ve certainly looked better. Long night?”

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

Regulus’ eyebrows raised at her words. Not fast enough. He smiled against her lips, if she wanted to move faster, all she had to do was ask, and Regulus was taking that as permission to stop holding back so much. Although he still wasn’t sure just how far she was willing to go, and he didn’t want to push her too far. He squeezed her leg again, pushing it up so it wrapped around him, and let his hand move a little further up her thigh. Groaning softly as she tugged on his hair, Regulus ducked his head down, planting a couple of kisses along her jaw, stopping just below her ear. “Tell me what you want,” He murmured against her skin, grinding his hips against her lightly, “I’ll do anything you want. Just tell me.”

As Regulus moved her leg around him, she shimmied slightly, trying to get them as close as possible. She inhaled sharply as he moved to her ear, his words sending a shiver of desire down her spine. Anything you want. She had to admit, it wasn't a turn of phrase she was used to hearing, but she liked it. "Famous last words, Black." Rita purred, but what did she want? To lose herself for a while? To bury her problems until the morning? Or to simply not think and just do? After all, they were still celebrating, weren’t they? Throwing caution to the wind, she decided to, for once, lay her cards on the table. "I want you." She whispered, almost afraid to admit it. Her fingers gripped at his shoulders, searching for something more than the fabric separating them. If he was letting her call the shots, she might as well take advantage. Her fingers danced along his collar, undoing the top button deftly and moving quickly to the next until there was enough space for her to slip her hands against his skin with a soft sigh. She moved to kiss a line down his neck, murmuring against his skin. “Lock the door.”

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

Regulus smiled at the feeling of her fingers on his chest. He was no stranger to a casual make out session with a friend, but this felt different. Perhaps it was because of their age difference, or maybe it was because Rita was making a name for herself, whatever it was, it was different in a good way. His hand continued up her thigh, stopping when he reached the hem of her dress. It took all of his self control not to move any higher, his fingers squeezing her leg softly as his other hand snaked around her waist. Regulus leaned further into her, slowly pushing her back on the couch, being careful to do so gently, until he was on top of her. “Tell me if I’m moving too fast,” He mumbled quietly against her lips, silently hoping she would tell him that he wasn’t. Not that he was planning on moving any further than where they were now, not unless she wanted to.

Rita shifted her weight slightly, turning her leg a fraction of an inch under his touch - only enough that his fingers wound up just under the hem of her dress. Not too far, but a clear invitation should he wish to take it. After all, this was certainly not something they'd ever discussed before, and it was obvious to her from their hesitant movements that they both were trying not to push any boundaries. But as Regulus nudged her softly, until she was flat underneath him (one of the best places she'd found herself recently, if she were being honest), she thought maybe they needn't be quite so careful. It seemed, after all, they were on the same page. "Not fast enough." She whispered, a chill running down her spine as the words ghosted over his lips and she smiled against him. Rita ran her hand up his chest and around the back of his neck, tugging at the short hairs there as her other hand found purchase on his hip, keeping him tight against her.

[ritxxskeeter]

lucxmalf​:

“It’s fine,” he assured, seeing that Rita got a bit flustered because of the words that slipped out of her mouth. Someone else would say she got carried away and consider it unprofessional, but he knew how serious she always took her work. Besides, there was no need to took all the fun out of their conversation. “I’m just teasing you. Forgive me, I couldn’t help myself.”

Lucius understood those matters and her worries better than anyone- being in the constant spotlight he also had to choose his words very carefully. At this point, the cautiousness was a habit- even though they knew each other well enough to be more casual, it was hard for both of them to let the guard off completely. 

“I guess it depends on what someone considers the whole package,” he chuckled. He was aware it’s how the majority perceive him- Lucius Malfoy, the poster boy, a perfect match that any respectable family would greet with open arms, and the reason behind it was obvious. “What’s your opinion on it?” he asked, genuinely curious. Rita was probably the only one he knew who will answer this question honestly.

He didn’t give much thought to his future marriage until he returned home, but now it was almost impossible to avoid it since the future came way earlier than expected. Lucius, unlike his father, hadn’t found the one while being abroad. Paris was different now, more liberated and full of distractions. He was young and wanted to live his life at that time.

“I guess every marriage, arranged or not, requires sacrifices from both sides. And yes, her decision to come to England with my father definitely was a huge one,” he admitted. “My mother was an artistic soul and a painter. After getting married, she became a patron to many artists and still created her paintings,” Lucius pointed at the one Rita watched when he approached her earlier this morning. “She was very proud of it,” he smiled softly. “I would love to show you more of her works, but one of the charities she funded put them on exhibition. This evening is the official opening in the gallery. Today’s event is planned only for the French press and other patrons, but you could come with me if you’re interested,” he offered. 

It was obvious to Lucius that she knew who did the prank with the paintings, but he pretended otherwise to let her enjoy the moment and shine. “Believe me, I do,” he smiled, as Rita didn’t even try to hide how pleased she is. “And what do I have to do for you to spill the tea?”

Rita rolled her eyes at his comment about teasing her, although it was with a rather fond smile on her face. Being teased by Lucius was hardly the worst thing that had happened to her lately. "My opinion?" She furrowed her brow, slightly surprised that he would care enough to ask in the first place. "On you or…? Well, I suppose it's the same thing, isn't it?" Rita murmured, finding she rather had to think about it. She had, at one point not too long ago, thought she'd known exactly what she'd thought. But after her last had blown up in her face rather spectacularly, she had most decidedly not thought of anything to do with dating or relationships for quite some time, choosing instead to focus solely on her work. 

"I suppose…." She started carefully, trying to choose her words in a way that would articulate her convoluted thoughts. Rita sighed tiredly, for once at a loss. "I would just want someone who would respect me - someone who could be my partner, so..." She shrugged with a light frown, knowing it was an oversimplified answer. "I'd imagine you to be fair, at the very least. I don't have you pegged as someone who would make your life any harder than it has to be, anyway." 

She closed her notebook, not minding being a bit distracted for the time being. After all, she'd gotten most of what she came for already. Rita knew enough about his mother's time in Europe, and she had only needed to clarify and fill in a few holes from her earlier life. She relaxed slightly, her small smile returning as the conversation turned once more. It was nice, to see the fondness he so clearly held for the woman. It was something that had been missing in Rita's own life, after all. 

"Seriously?" She questioned, eyebrows raised in surprise. Rita had heard of the opening, but as he said, it wasn't open to the Prophet as of yet. She wondered idly if she'd be allowed to report on it, although she thought she might like to go even if she wasn't. "Yes, of course. I'd love to - if you're sure." She was speaking quickly, unable to fully hide the extent of her excitement. Even if she couldn't report on the exhibit itself, per se, she was sure she could glean some useful insight into the woman for her article. And even more than that, she found, she simply wanted to go, work aside. 

"Very little, I'd imagine." She said, eyes sparkling as she imagined all the things she would love to ask of Lucius Malfoy. But realistically, she knew the information wasn't worth much to anyone - not even her. No, she definitely had some much juicier tidbits hidden up her sleeve, but those were being kept for the day she might need some leverage. After all, Hogwarts had been where she'd…. perfected her craft, so to speak. "It was Goyle. Big shock there." She rolled her eyes. "Always was a bit daft, wasn't he?" 

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

Regulus was positive there was absolutely nothing in the world that could make this better. He was here with Rita, a beautiful older woman, with wine, a crackling fireplace and no strings attached. He was sure there were many people that would kill to be in his position, and he was definitely going to do whatever he could to make it last as long as he possibly could. As her legs fell over his, a smirk crossed his lips and his hand moved to rest on her knee. “I’ll drink wine with you anytime you want.” Regulus chuckled, if drinking wine with her would lead to this every time, he would have absolutely no complaints.

Finishing off what was left in his glass, he placed it down and turned to her again. His hand ran up her thigh slowly as he leaned into her, being careful to take things slow. Honestly, if Regulus had it his way, he’d be all over her, but he wanted anything that happened between them to be on her terms. His other hand reached towards her, resting in the crook of her neck as his lips met hers once more. He kissed her a little softer than he did before, but he never was good at self control and it quickly became rougher as he pushed himself even closer to her.

Rita giggled once, giving him a rather pointed look, although it was softened with a small smile. "I'll hold you to that, Mr. Black." She purred, voice little more than a low murmur as she leaned even closer into his side. It was nice, to be this close to someone again (especially someone so cute) and she was about to milk it for all it was worth. She wasn't sure what he wanted, but she was sure that she would go along with whatever it happened to be. It had been longer than Rita cared to admit, since she'd indulged herself, and what was more indulgent than Regulus Black? 

A shiver ran down her spine at the feel of his hand as it met her skin again and her eyes darkened slightly as they met his for the small moment before he was kissing her again. Rita melted into his touch, smiling against his lips as her hand snaked up his chest, her fingers coming to rest against his collar bone. She made a small, contended noise in the back of her throat as she sank into him and her fingers curled around the collar of his shirt, tugging him against her as she leaned further back into the couch. He had said to get comfortable, hadn't he? It wasn’t like her to be quite so easily convinced, but what the hell?

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

Regulus noticed the pout on her lips as he pulled away, it made his smile widen. She wanted this, maybe even more than he did. It was oddly nice - there was no pressure, no weirdness, just two friends who maybe had a little too much to drink having fun together. When Rita agreed to get more comfortable, his grin grew even wider and he stood from his chair almost instantly. Regulus took her outstretched hand, grabbing both of their wine glasses with his free hand before leading her out of the dining room. He was half tempted to bring her up to his bedroom, but the thought of climbing up four flights of stair was enough to throw that thought out of his head. Instead, he lead her down the hall and into a room on the opposite side, a small sitting room with a fireplace already crackling on the far wall.

Placing their glasses down on the table, Regulus sat down on the sofa. Usually he would choose an armchair, but he wanted to sit next to Rita. He picked up his own glass, taking a sip from it as he waited for her to get comfortable. “Y'know, maybe this is a little weird.” He said softly with a small laugh, “But in a good way.” Regulus shrugged his shoulders, turning to her, his stupid grin still spread all the way across his face. “I just never expected to be here, like this, with you. I’ve gotta say, it’s…” He paused, trying to figure out how to express how he was feeling. “Less awkward than I would’ve expected.”

Any other day, any other circumstance, and Rita would be thrilled to see another pocket of the Black house. But right now, she couldn’t care less. The fire was welcoming and warmed her from the outside, and the wine warmed her from within. She sat close to him - really close, her side pushed up against his as she picked up her own glass once more. She pulled her legs up onto the couch as she got comfortable, draping them over his with a small sigh. 

She laughed at his words, nodding as she took a sip of wine. “Maybe.”  She agreed easily, because it was weird, but he was right - in a good way. A better way than she would have imagined. In fact, before tonight, Rita would never have imagined it. He was younger than she usually ever considered, and while she’d definitely noticed how attractive he was, kissing him had never crossed her mind until a few minutes ago - when it had been all she could think about. “I think the wine might help with that.” She smirked, finishing her glass as if to punctuate her point. “We should drink wine more often.”

[ritxxskeeter]

rxmxslxpin​:

Chuckling softly at her response, his shoulders shrugged. "I never said all our ideas are useful.” In fact, most of them weren’t. They liked to do things that would help themselves out, usually spur of the moment ideas that they spent far too long on. It didn’t matter, though, they had fun together, and Remus figured that was the most important part. “I can’t believe you don’t think that’s front page worthy.” He scoffed, though shot her a smile to insinuate that he was joking. “That’s fine, I’m sure I can find another reporter that’s interested in the story. After all, it’s not everyday you see a flying motorcycle.”

Watching Brisket as he took off, he turned his attention fully to Rita as he leaned back against the fence. Why were there no benches here? He hadn’t thought to even check as he noticed this area earlier, though he hadn’t expected Rita to show up with her precious puppy. “You can’t expect me to give away all my secrets.” Though she had hit the nail on the head. How could she possibly consider that immediately when it took him and Sirius so long to figure it out? ��C'mon, you gotta give me some air of mystery around it.” But he was nearly bursting, he wanted to talk about it so badly. Remus was proud that they were able to pull if off, to make the thing actually fly. Sighing softly and running a hand through his hair, he nodded as he smiled at her. “Alright, yeah. We charmed it like a broom. Took a lot of tinkering though, it is a machine and not a piece of wood, after all.”

“Look, when you crash it, call me. That’s front page worthy.” She scoffed, her ego slipping into her tone as she rolled her eyes. He could contact whoever he wanted, and maybe even get a story - but it wasn’t her. She furrowed her brow appraisingly as she glanced sidelong at him.. Give away his secrets? No. But that didn’t mean Rita wouldn’t try to uncover them herself - friends or not. Everyone had secrets, and she knew that intimately. But that was a thought for another day. For now, she more than content to sit here together, doing nothing more than watching Brisket run under the blanket of lights in the dog park’s trees.

Still, it wasn’t as if the concept wasn’t interesting. Rita had never heard of anything like it before, and she made it her business to hear as much as she could. “And that worked?” She asked, slightly surprised. After all - she’d only really asked because that was the only other thing besides carpets she knew of that actually flew, not because she thought that’s how it would actually be done. Maybe she really had been underestimating these boys all these years. “But how? Is it literally the same spell? Was that strong enough? Does it still drive?”

[ritxxskeeter]

regulus-blxck​:

Regulus watched her closely, unsure where to go from here. He had given her the option to keep going or to just continue with with conversation, he supposed at this point all he could do was wait for her answer. The corners of his lips turned up as her head shook and he couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across his features as she reached for him again.

Moving towards her again, Regulus found he was rather glad with her decision. It would have been fine either way, but it wasn’t often he got to just have some fun with a girl as pretty as her. As their lips met again, one of his hands found its way to her waist the other resting gently on her thigh. Though it was a bit of an awkward position as they were both sitting on chairs, which gave Regulus an idea. Pulling away from her slightly, his hand squeezed her thigh lightly. “There’s a couch in the other room,” He said softly, “Might be a little more comfortable if you wanted to move.” He suggested with a shrug, leaving everything up to her. Regulus was willing to do whatever she wanted, but he didn’t want to push her boundaries.

The hand on her waist sent her stomach in circles - this sort of intimacy wasn't something she had had with anyone since…. well. Rita definitely wasn't going to think about that now. But she didn't realize how much she missed this, until Regulus' lips had met hers again. But as he pulled away this time, she found a small pout on her lips as she met his gaze. Had he changed his mind? Was this weirder than they'd imagined, after all? The gentle squeeze to her leg stilled her thoughts, and she grinned when she realized he wanted to get more comfortable. She wasn't sure exactly what he had in mind, but she knew whatever it was, she wanted it. 

Rita nodded, biting her lip as she pushed her chair back and stood up, eager. "Lead the way." She held a hand out to him, feet still bare against the floor but she had no intention of slipping her heels back on - propriety be damned. He was gentler than she'd expected, more considerate. The Blacks had a rather well earned reputation, but Regulus seemed different, although she couldn't place her finger on exactly how just yet. But her instinct told her - Regulus was the one to watch. Rita swiped the bottle of wine off the table, and as they made their way back down the hall, she wrapped her arm tightly around his and insinuated herself against him - this time, her thoughts less on the house and family within it and more on the man beside her. 

[ritxxskeeter]

oliver-adams​:

He supposed it came with her choice in career - assuming people didn’t want anything to do with her without wanting something in return. But Oliver didn’t need anything from her. Not this time, anyway. Quidditch season was over, and as much as he would love to just read all about himself in the paper, he didn’t need the attention right now. However it didn’t hurt to get on her good side for when or if he did need something from her. "I don’t want anything from you, dear.” Oliver assured her with a grin, “Just your company.”

Glancing back to the group he pulled her away from, his head shook slightly. Upon further inspection they seemed even more boring than he had initially thought. They seemed to be much older than the two of them and they were hardly even talking amongst themselves. It seemed as though he had done her a huge favor by pulling her away. “Yes,” He confirmed with a couple of short nods, “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, darling. Just a couple of drinks with the least boring person at this festival.” Oliver grinned, passing the flask to Rita. “Only the strongest for me, firewhiskey of course. And the flask will never empty, so drink up.”

"The least boring?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she accepted the flask from him, but continued before bothering to start drinking. "You think an awful lot of yourself, don't you?" Rita scoffed, although there was very little bite to her words. After all, from what she'd seen, he seemed to be able to back it up, so she couldn't say much. Not that it had stopped her in the past, but Oliver was fun, and she could use a bit of that at the moment. "Quidditch players - you're all the same." She rolled her eyes, suddenly thankful for the flask in her hand as her thoughts turned to a different player, and she took a rather large swig. 

Sighing, she shook herself, trying not to sour her own mood while she had been having such a nice time. After all, Oliver had never done wrong by her, and she might not admit it, but she rather liked him. Plus, he currently had the booze. "Please tell me you've been up to something exciting." Rita pleased, eyes wide. "I mean, I know it's a festival of lights and everything, but I thought there'd be more than just…. lights." Enchanting and beautiful as they were, she needed a little bit more to keep her attention for this long.

[ritxxskeeter]

lucxmalf​:

“Are they really, though?” the question unintentionally slipped from his mouth. He probably should bit his tongue and agreed with her, as he never questioned his duty to get the perfect match, but the desperate measures his father took to force him to speed up the whole thing made it feel like a burden. Obviously, he never argued that his future wife has to be a pureblood witch. However, Lucius couldn’t stand the idea of getting married to someone who’ll praise the ground he’s walking on only because he’s a Malfoy. The witches his father tried to set up him with were ready to do so, only to get his name. And he didn’t want that. He worked so hard to become the man he was now, and part of him wanted to be acknowledged by it. “I don’t think rushing in those matters is a good thing. I’d rather put an effort to get to know each other before I put a ring on her finger,” he explained with his usual smile.

Lucius gave Rita a moment as he realized his words clearly made an impression on her. He observed his friend in silence, as the features of her face changed- the pictures in the Prophet didn’t do her justice, as she was even more beautiful in person. It’s been a while since they had the chance to speak face to face, and it was so nice to have the chance to discover it all over again. He looked down when she turned back to him, a little smile still on his face. She probably caught him staring, but he didn’t mind.

“My uncle  Gerard worked as a translator in the embassy. My mother decided to move to England with my father so they could send children to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons in the future. Everyone insisted on that, but she came willingly. I don’t believe anyone could force her to do something she didn’t want to. It had to be a big change for her, but maybe she saw it as another adventure. I can only guess.” Lucius explained. His thoughts came to French Rivera when Rita mentioned France once again. “France is a beautiful place, so different than England. I heard opinions that Paris is not as great as it seems, but that’s not true. Paris is magical. I miss it a bit,” he admitted.

Lucius burst out a laugh at the memory. “I do! Merlin, they all were so pissed, I remember their Prefect even tried to pursue his own investigation on it,” he chuckled and glanced at her. “Do you know who did it?” he asked.

"They are from where I'm sitting." She murmured off handedly, a single chuckle falling from her lips with the admission. She froze after a beat though, as she heard how it must have sounded to him. Rita hadn't really meant anything by it, and she'd hate for him to get the wrong idea. 

"Sorry." She grimaced, ducking her head slightly as she met his gaze again. "I just meant they could do a whole lot worse. You're kind of the whole package - you do know that, right?" This time, it came off exactly how she meant it - a simple statement of fact. She smiled ruefully, a twinkle in her eye as he explained himself, and she nodded. "See what I mean?" She gestured vaguely between them, his sentiment only proving her point. Some people might be surprised to hear such things coming from him - but she liked to think she knew him at least a little bit better than that. 

Rita was thankful for the moment of silence between them as she collected her thoughts, as it might have been just the thing to save her from any more embarrassing comments falling unbidden from her lips. As her gaze made its way back to his, she held it for a moment, wondering what he was thinking as he looked at her. It was like he could see her - in a way that other people normally didn't, in a way that was more Rita and less Prophet. Perhaps that’s what happened when you opened up around people, although she wasn’t about to make it a habit to find out.

Still, she was getting off topic and she straightened slightly, committed to getting what she came for and not having to waste another of his mornings. After all, an unshakable and unhealthy work ethic - that was what she was known for, was it not? “Gerard...” She murmured, flipping through her papers. “Mhm. Right. So she did it for your family. I can’t say I’m surprised. Did she continue to work, after the move? I’ve got a bit of conflicting stories there, as well.” Really, she was ready to wring the neck of the man she’d taken over for. She only wished she had known all of this beforehand, and didn’t have to bother Lucius at all with such basic questions. 

“Please, remember who you’re talking to.” She scoffed, although she was laughing, not actually offended in the slightest. Her eyes sparkled as she grinned - this was the part she loved. The upper hand - knowing something the others didn’t. And it didn’t happen very often with people like Lucius Malfoy, so she was going to enjoy it. “Of course I know who did it.”

[ritxxskeeter]

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"I’ll see what I can do about a playdate.” Remus grinned, wider than he should have. Would Sirius even like playing with another dog? He knew he loved being a dog, but he wasn’t entirely sure if a doggy playdate would be his thing. He supposed he wouldn’t know until he asked, but he didn’t want to disappoint Rita. Laughing at he watched Brisket, they headed off towards the closed off area. Remus trailed behind slightly, taking his time as each step was excruciating, but it gave him a chance to be entertained watching her struggle with the dog.

“Hmm, what have I been up to?” He repeated, taking a moment to think it over. “Not a whole lot, I suppose.” Remus shrugged, which wasn’t entirely untrue. Besides spending time with the boys and attending Order meetings, he didn’t really do much. Although anytime he and the boys got together it was always interesting. “But you should keep a look out in the sky.” He said rather ominously, waiting to see her reaction before continuing. “Sirius and I recently charmed his motorcycle to fly.” He explained with a grin, feeling rather proud of their accomplishment. “I can see the headline now - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no - it’s just Sirius Black on a flying motorcycle.” Remus laughed, approaching the fenced area and pushing open the gate for Rita and Brisket, entering behind them and closing it.

"Must be nice." She hummed at his answer. Rita much preferred being busy, but there was such a thing as too much of a good thing, as she was learning, and she was afraid of over exerting herself and being able to get nothing done. But she just didn't know where to trim the fat to make more time for herself, so for the moment, she just stressed over stressing too much. "The sky?" She asked dubiously, glancing over her shoulder at him with a doubtful expression. "A flying motorbike? That might just be the most useless thing I've ever heard." She rolled her eyes, although she wasn't surprised. Remus and the rest were always coming up with new schemes, each more ridiculous than the last. 

"Sorry." She tutted, batting her eyelashes playfully as she lifted her chin in the air. "You'll have to come up with something a bit more exciting if you want my byline." She dissolved into giggles, reaching down to unhook Brisket's leash once they were inside the gate, breathing a sigh of relief as he took off, becoming someone else's problem for at least a few minutes. "That is interesting, though. I'm not sure I've ever read about people making anything else fly. How'd you do it? Is it the same as a broom?"

[ritxxskeeter]

Harry Potter female characters ➩ Rita Skeeter