A Raven's Quill

Rita Skeeter | Seventeen | Ravenclaw "Sometimes it's hard to find the words to say but I'll go and say them anyway. It's hard out here for a bitch."

[alwayssirius]

Sirius nodded, relieved she was still standing upright. They were so damn close to pulling this off. After saying a quick hello to the Fat Lady (and a few well-placed compliments), he led Rita carefully through the portrait hole, trying his best to block anyone in the common from getting too good a look at who he was with. Once inside, he took a quick look around - and saw, to his vast relief, mostly a couple of First and Second Years. Halle-bloody-lujah.

"Alright, here we go," he murmured, leading Rita upstairs to the Sixth Year dorm. It was blessedly empty. He took her as quickly as he could manage to his bed, helping her to sit down before retrieved the healing potion from a carefully-warded box by his bed. "Here. It has a bit of mint in it, to hide the taste." He pulled the topper off and handed her the vial. "Do you want more pillows? Another blanket?" 

[hello-queenofquills]

Rita relaxed once they had moved into the dormitory and found only younger students sitting around. They would say nothing, she was well aware of it, and so she let her shoulders sag as she stepped up the stairs and to his dormitory. Gryffindor felt uncomfortable, she realized as she sank onto his bed, but not as unwelcome as her own House. If she had gone back to Ravenclaw then things might not have gone as smoothly. The other students in her year would have surely asked questions or pestered her on the way she was walking. This seemed like a pleasant alternative to that. 

"Thanks." Rita reached out for the vial and swallowed a bit back, crinkling her nose at the flavor before handing it over. Mint had never been her favorite but it was one hundred times better than what it must have tasted like without it. The Hospital Wing would have forced something much worse down her throat. "You made this yourself? Talented." And he was. She wasn't sure she was even going to pass potions that year, let alone make something difficult on the side for seemingly no reason. For a moment she wondered why he had healing potions lying around but she was distracted by his fussing. "Sirius, I'm fine." She assured him. "These pillows are wonderful. Seriously, I'm okay. Thank you." 

[hello-queenofquills]

silhouettes; a queen of quills

"I don't believe in being serious about anything. I think life is too serious to be taken seriously." - Ray Bradbury

the optimist - city rain do you ever stop to empathize or are you drowning in your lies? chandelier - sia i'm gonna swing from the chandelier. i'm gonna live my life like tomorrow doesn't exist. on top of the world - imagine dragons been waiting on this for a while now, been paying my dues to the dirt. I've been waiting on this since a child. the bomb - pigeon john i'm the bomb and about to blow up. primadonna girl - marina and the diamonds i know i've got a big ego. i really don't know why it's such a big deal though. i've always liked that - maria mena the only way is to let go and get rid of all my fears of not being perfect. my goal seems perfectly clear. secret - mary lambert i don't care if the world knows what my secrets are. so what?

[alwayssirius]

“You should. And I should change my middle name,” he mused. “Right now my name is practically Star Star Black. It’s terrible. You’d think I’d get something better, with all the pureblood pomp and circumstance, but you would be sadly mistaken.” Even as he spoke, he made the decision to take her up to Gryffindor. He trusted James, Remus and Peter a million times more than the Ravenclaws - not that they weren’t a trustworthy lot, but he knew his friends wouldn’t ask (many) questions, and they’d keep their mouths shut. No matter what. Plus, he had post-moon potions in the dorm, and he could get Rita something immediately. Much safer all around.

“Right,” he said, with conviction. “I’m taking you to Gryffindor. Don’t worry about my lot, they’re much less intimidating than you’d think. Just don’t go telling anyone - you’ll ruin our reputation.” It was an easier trip out of the passageway and into the halls than he’d anticipated, and they managed to make their way to Gryffindor Tower without being seen (and only having to duck into an alcove or two in the meantime).

He set her down gently beside the portrait hole, just out of sight of the Fat Lady. “Okay,” he said, voice low but confident. He didn’t remove the feather-weight charm, in case she needed it in a pinch, but they needed to play this off right. “I’m not sure who’s in the common, but we say we’re working on a… project, if we need. They’ll probably think we’re going off to shag - don’t roll your eyes - just brush it off. Be all confident Rita, I’ve seen that more times than I can count. We’ll go right up the stairs and to the dorm.”

[hello-queenofquills]

"From now on I'm calling you Star Star." She said, and fell silent for the rest of their journey. It wasn't much of a situation to hold a conversation through, especially when she wasn't sure how quiet or loud she was being to begin with. Her breathing was heavy as she forced herself to move as quickly as she dared, arms holding tight to Sirius to keep from falling down a flight of stairs. But they had moved through the halls much easier than she thought they would have. There had only been a few interruptions in their journey and for that she was grateful. She wasn't sure mere lying would have gotten them through the watchful eyes of anyone patrolling the corridors that night. But they had made it and that was all she cared about.

"Okay." She whispered after a moment, chest heaving as she rested against the wall. Never again did she want to feel so useless. Walking through the castle should not have been as hard as it was, her body should not have felt so disoriented. It was like she had been given another body completely, something with weak and fragile bones. Merlin, she was angry at Bellatrix for forcing her into that state. For torturing her. "Okay." She repeated finally, looking back up to Sirius with a half smile. "I can do that just...just lead the way and don't worry about me. I'm a better actor than I appear."

[emmelineovance]

"Ahh" Emmeline yelped as she was surprisingly grabbed by Rita. All she had been doing was try to get to her next class without being late. But now that a soaking wet Rita was in front of her, she couldn’t help but laugh. "I would not be surprised if it was either James or Sirius. But I think it might be that boy collecting his bucket back who’s the one you’re looking for." She grabbed some napkins from her bag and handed the blonde some to help dry herself off. Not that it would do much.

[hello-queenofquills]

"Oh, shut it." Rita hissed, waving away the useless napkins as they were handed to her. She let go of Emmeline's robes and took a step away, eyes darting to the boy who was pushing his way through the crowd at the other end of the corridor. Oh, she would remember that curly hair and she would find whatever information needed to ruin a little portion of his time at Hogwarts. As he disappeared, she turned her attention back to the girl she had rudely pulled towards her and raised her hands up in silent apology. "Whoops. Well, I don't suppose you know a spell to get me dried off, do you?"

[labelleatrix]

"Well, well, if it’s not Rita herself" Bellatrix said singing with baby’s voice. "Feeling good, Skeeter?"

[hello-queenofquills]

Rita let go of Bellatrix's robes and took a few paces backwards, hand wrapping tightly around her own wand as a warning. She was supposed to look confident, right? That was what Sirius said. Stand up for herself because their encounters certainly weren't over. Despite being in a crowded corridor, Rita didn't feel safe around the other woman. She could still feel the curse. "Trixie." She said after a moment, holding her head high and refusing to drop eye contact. "I'm feel wonderful. Never been better. Thanks for asking."

[hello-queenofquills]

"That was completely immature!" Rita yelped, cringing under a bucket of cold water that had emptied over her head. The second floor corridor was brimming with snickering students and she outstretched her arms as they passed. Finally she grabbed someone's robes and tugged them to her with a sneer, rapidly blinking water from her eyes. "Who the fuck spends the time to charm a bucket anyway?"

[alwayssirius]

"That’s a good bloody question," Sirius agreed. "Now you see what I mean when I saw you’re strong? I probably would’ve just been a puddle."

Sirius resisted the urge to toss his hair, not wanting to jostle her when she teased him. He had absolutely no qualms about his reputation - pretending he’d been out snogging was the easiest excuse in the book. And it always lead to much less trouble than pranking. And it didn’t hurt that he’d been caught a few times snogging in the corridors anyway. A win-win, there.

"You won’t believe how easily they’ll believe us," he said breezily. "I mean look at me - could you really resist? And look at you. If us snogging doesn’t make perfect sense, well, then this is a world I don’t want to live in.” He brushed a strand of hair off her face that’d fallen free when she’d settled back against his shoulder.

"Trouble’s my middle name, love," he said softly. "Actually, it’s Orion, but I’ve always hated that. It’ll be fine, though, really. Or… well, I could take you up to Gryffindor, but that’s another set of questions we could end up facing. It’d let me get started with all the brewing and such faster, but you know my lot." He began up the stairs, chewing a bit on his lip as he tried to map out the best plan.

[hello-queenofquills]

"Yes, well, my next article is going to be about how I'm some fearless, resilient force to be reckoned with. Thank you for showing me who I truly am." The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as she spoke, the familiar warmth of happiness from his compliments reminding her that she still held some of her normalcy. It was all she could grasp to at a time like that and it kept her from falling into unconsciousness. She would be alright in time. A potion or two and she would at least be cured of some of the aching, though she wasn't sure if the emotional trauma would ever disappear. 

"Orion." She whispered, eyes fluttering open as he brushed hair from her face. For once she was pleased there was no mirror around. With her hair falling out of the tie at odd places and her eyes rimmed with red she was certain she looked like a complete disaster. Rita didn't necessarily care but she was sure she'd be embarrassed day later. "I like that...for a middle name." She finally responded. "Although I really think it would be more fitting if it was Trouble. Perhaps you should change it."

Oh, where did she want to be taken? Ravenclaw would be comfortable and she'd be allowed to curl into bed until the next morning. But she'd also feel horrifying and unsafe, even tucked away in a dormitory. Gryffindor was not as welcoming as her own House but Sirius was right, he'd be able to brew up a potion much quicker. "I don't mind either way." It was easier than going through the debate in her head. "I'm just...exhausted."

[phoenixscrapbook]

Flowers from a secret admirer.

Taken by Rita Skeeter herself.

Circa 1978

[thegreatercarrow-deactivated201]

Amycus could tell his taunts about Bellatrix’s hunting methods were getting to Rita. He wasn’t attempting to be mean, he was just being honest. No one wanted to get on Bellatrix’s bad side, not by choice usually. Even Amycus wouldn’t deal with her in a bad mood. But the mood brighten slightly when Rita accepted the flask. He even chuckled when she choked on the harsh liquor, and gently rubbed her back. "Good girl, take another drink. Let that stuff settle in your stomach and you’ll feel right as rain, love." He smirked at her bad influence comment and lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug. "I thought girls liked a bad boy."

[hello-queenofquills]

Despite their clashing personalities, Rita couldn't help but feel grateful that he was the one sitting with her. After all, he had brought a flask and she was enjoying the burn of it in her stomach. It sure beat the uncomfortable pains coursing through her body, the twitching in her legs and the paranoia that Bellatrix was crouching right behind her. He might have been a Slytherin with a wild set of rumors following him, but she was willing to forget that for a while. "Thanks." She said after a moment, swallowing back a bit more of the alcohol (surprisingly without coughing) and handing the flask over. "A boy is exactly what you are, Amycus. I'm surprised the other girl's in this school haven't noticed."

[inthefletch]

Dung read silently in the Great Hall, the room empty save for him while other students were busy in class. He heard the shuffling of feet and looked up as someone pushed open the heavy doors and slipped through.

[hello-queenofquills]

Rita had skipped a good amount of courses recently and found herself with a piling list of essays and work she desperately needed to finish. Arms loaded with heavy books and parchments, her bag tossed over her shoulder and stuffed to the brim with quills and ink, she made her way to the Great Hall. It would be empty, unlike the library or her own common room, and she was grateful for that. Honestly, Rita just wanted to be able to focus on something new. She slipped easily inside and stopped halfway towards the Ravenclaw table, eyes narrowing as she met eyes with someone she actually didn't know. "I...thought it would be empty." She announced, shifting the weight of her items uncomfortably.

[alwayssirius]

Sirius Black: Knight in Shining Armour and Human Bird Nest. Now that was a headline he’d like to see. 

He watched as Rita stretched (and cringed) a frown appearing again. They needed a cover, in case they ended up walking right into an auror. Given the time, the corridor by the statue should be empty; the aurors didn’t do the same rounds every day, but they did rotate on every four. it should also put them about… an hour, give or take, until the next Prefect rounds. It was very covenient, having everyone think you never paid attention. Made running amok so very easy.

"We should be in the clear for most of the way, but if the aurors catch us by surprise, we pretend to be all embarassed and admit we were snogging. Lean on me and apologise and act flustered. You’ll have to walk back to Ravenclaw after that, but you’ll need to convince them you’re not hurt. It’ll be fucking hard, but otherwise you’ll end up in the Hospital Wing, and the questions will start rolling in." And he knew they didn’t want that. 

He glanced around to make sure they were still alone, then dropped his voice a little more. “The entrance is five flights up. I’ll carry you up, then we’ll get you ready to walk. Do you want to go right to Ravenclaw? I can bring the potion back to you.” Once had had James’ cloak, it would be a much easier process.

[hello-queenofquills]

"How did I even end up out here?" It was hard to believe that she had crawled her way out of the castle without being seen by a single professor, auror or prefect. Weren't they supposed to roam Hogwarts and ensure students stayed where they belonged? But she was relieved that they hadn't caught her trying to push her way down the stairs and through the doors that led to the grounds. After all, she had been able to calm down and have a private chat with a new friend. Or at least a friendly person. "Seems like the aurors aren't really doing their jobs recently." To say she was bitter would be an understatement.

"Snogging. Really?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows and moving away from him enough to glare. "That is the stupidest excuse in the world. No one is going to believe that I am falling for your charm or that I've sneaked out for that." But despite her serious tone, she was trying hard not to laugh. It was ridiculous to think some prefect would believe them and yet she knew that they most certainly would. Sirius had a reputation, Rita was just another seventh year with a tongue for gossip. There would be no reason to doubt the teenagers. "I'll be able to do that if they catch us. I can't go to the Hospital Wing so I really have no choice."

Five flights up? No, she had no idea where they had ended up but she was grateful that he was willing to carry her inside. "Whatever is easy for you, Sirius. I mean, you are doing me a huge favor and...I don't want you to get caught." For a moment she paused, thinking carefully, before letting her head drop back to his shoulder with a sigh. "Please don't get in trouble for my sake."

[madbearraab]

"I can’t believe I’m going to be murdered by a writer and a ghost. Right I’m going to keep an extra eye on you from now on."

[hello-queenofquills]

"I think the ghost has an advantage but...hey, you can try to keep an eye on us. Knock yourself out."

[hello-queenofquills]

✜

There had not been a day in Rita Skeeter’s life where she was truly terrified. She had seen spiders and monsters of all sorts in her childhood, had conquered the creature under the bed without her parent’s help and had triumphed over the ghosts in her closet with just a makeshift sword. Nothing was too large to handle, nothing drove her under the sheets to hide. She grew up with the mentality that if she was strong and resilient, no harm could come to her. At Hogwarts she had proved to be a talented witch with a clever knack for writing, which got her into quite a bit of trouble. Still, even with the angry words of her peers, she was safe. No one could harm her, she walked the corridors with her head held high and a smile plastered onto her face every, single day. 

Nothing could have prepared her for the terror she experienced when face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange. It didn't matter how she had lived her childhood or how her confidence soared at Hogwarts because facing the Slytherin ruined some of the strength she had held so dearly. After their encounter Rita developed enough of an intuition to keep herself out of trouble, though eventually she became her usual, perky self. But the trauma of that night will forever be with her and she will always look over her shoulder for the other woman.

[alwayssirius]

"I do have incredible hair,” Sirius agreed. He was grateful for the empty grounds as they made their way towards the castle, and rather grateful for the aurors - they may be absolutely useless when it came to protecting the students, but at least they kept most of castle’s population inside after curfew. 

"Hm, a knight in shining armour? You’re right, that would help rid me of my woeful virginity.” He grinned a little to himself at that. “But what if I end up only being pursued by Hufflepuffs, once everyone finds out I’m not really all that bad?”

They’d reached the ivy-covered wall that marked the Smarmy-hidden entrance. It was a Marauder secret (as far as they could tell) but it was the easiest way in. Not that Rita would likely even realise where it was, with her face tucked into his shoulder, but even if she did, well… who knew when she might need a quick escape? He gazed down at her for a moment, glad she couldn’t see the sad smile that had crept up on him. Pressed against him the way she was - especially essentially weightless - she seemed smaller than usual, and rather soft and warm. And her hair still somehow smelled divine. If things were different he’d be intrigued in other ways, but right now he felt torn between sadness and anger. She didn’t deserve to have gone through such torture. And he knew it wasn’t over yet.

"D’you think you can walk once we get inside?" The halls should be quiet, but one never know who’d be lurking about. 

[hello-queenofquills]

"You do." Rita responded, touching the tips of his hair as if proving a point. "Look at all of it. You could shelter homeless bird's and become an animal lover, too. See, we're making you into a well-adjusted figure. My next article is going to get so many readers." She let her eyes shut again and her hand fall from the scruff of hair she had been lightly tugging at. "Hufflepuff's are an underestimated crew." Which was the exact reason they could get away with so much. People overlooked them, they forgot that House existed. Rita disliked ninety percent of the students, so she wasn't exactly sure why she was defending them at all. 

"I can walk." She yawned, lifting her head tiredly to look around in bewilderment. They had crossed some distance while her head was tucked away and Rita had no idea where they had ended up. Surely Sirius intended on using a secret passageway that she had no idea about. Tonight she felt too exhausted to wonder, she felt too comfortable in his arms and too warm to think. Maybe another day she would badger him about it. But this was not the right time. "As much as I'd like to be carried all the way through the castle, I don't think it would be a good idea." She paused, flexing her arm and cringing at the onslaught of tenderness she felt. "We just might have to move slowly. I'm not sure how much moving I can take right now. I'll try for fast, though."

[ben-ravencroft]

"Ah my little blonde twin. I may just crash all your family gatherings now because mine are a bore. My family is particularly annoying but I hate to go down that road again. I hate the first years….all of them."

[hello-queenofquills]

"Yeah, let's stay away from your family for a while. You can forever be know as an honorary Skeeter. But let me warn you, my entire family drinks and it can become rather awkward. As for the first years, well, everyone hates them. Little brats."

[alwayssirius]

"You did win," Sirius agreed, meaning it. Bellatrix was - and he had no qualms about saying this - fucking terrifying. She may not have been the son her parents were hoping for, but she was the heir, and she was incredibly strong, and she’d been trained just as well as he had. The difference was that she’d wanted to learn - and the darker the better. He’d seen first hand the damage she could do more times than he’d ever wanted.

He couldn’t help but grin at her last comment, though, even as he nodded. “I solemnly swear that I won’t tell a soul. Alttough really, if anyone sees, isn’t it much easier to pretend that you’ve swooned at my good looks?” 

"Here." Without taking his wand from his pocket he cast the feather-weight charm, and carefully lifted her into his arms. "I was born to do this," he said, unable to help himself. Hopefully it would help her not feel so… well, having to be carried around by him. "And you’re not making me uncomfortable. Literally or figuratively - promise."

[hello-queenofquills]

"The brilliant Rita Skeeter swooning over that luscious head of hair you sport, maybe. Anything else would be purely unfathomable." She responded with a grin, letting her arm wrap around his neck to secure herself. Being carried was heavenly though she would never admit it to another living soul, Sirius included. The aching throb in her legs and torso was a large step up from the burning she had felt mere minutes earlier. She felt her eyelids grow heavy and nestled her head against his shoulder. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to be alert to the sounds around them and she hoped he was able to keep them from being caught. 

"You're such a hero." Rita said after a moment, laughing lightly at his jokes. It was working, she didn't feel quite as uncomfortable as she thought she would have. If anyone saw them, well, she was good at stringing together a few lies at the last second. "My next article could be about how you're a knight in shining armor. That'll surely get the girl's all over you, since you seem to need help in that department." 

[thegreatercarrow-deactivated201]

"Fair point, although I wouldn’t be surprised if she came at you again…when you’re least expecting it, and probably more brutal than the first time around. She’ll want the message to sink in very clearly, not just for you but to all those thinking of going against her." He shrugged. "Well, that’s what I would do." Amycus smiled when she glanced at him, pointing out that she too was breaking such a stupid rule, put in place by an interior headmaster. "Breaking rules is more fun when you’re with someone." He reached into his jacket pocket and produced a flask, motioning it towards her. "A little Firewhiskey makes everything better, trust me."

[hello-queenofquills]

"I wouldn't be surprised, either." She spat at him, clutching the fabric of her robes until her knuckles became white. Amycus left a bitter taste in her mouth and her stomach began to churn as he spoke. He was right, though. Bellatrix certainly would come back for more and Rita was helpless to do anything but prepare herself for the onslaught. She didn't want to think about future pain she would endure and she didn't want to think about Bellatrix. After all, she had sneaked her way out of the castle to clear her head of such thoughts. "Firewhiskey." She took the flask from his hand and drank more than she should have, coughing as it began to burn down her throat. "You're sneaking around and you have a flask. You're just such a bad influence."