DIRTY MERCY.

her hair has come undone, and it flows in a river of black down her back, bouncing over her shoulders as she's pulled away from the masses. lips form a surprised O, and she blinks in confusion for a second or two, before she realizes that it’s eloise’s hand that she’s holding. at that realization, her heart skips a beat in her chest, and an almost bashful smile appears on her lips. almost. few people in this world have the ability to make rita skeeter blush, but eloise is always... very close. rita’s not entirely sure as to why. “ ouch, “ she says, but her words carry no hurt. more playful than anything else. “ have i become that predictable ? “ there’s a pause, and she slips into a smile, liquid black eyes studying eloise closely. it seems that no matter how hard you try, you can’t take the reporter out of her ---- the sharp gaze, the biting smile, the lethal quill, it’s all always resting right below the surface, waiting to come out. even when she’s with someone like eloise, she can’t help but analyze. detect. gather gossip. it’s like second nature, ingrained in the very core of her being. “right. i’m following up on rumors about... “ she leans in, lowers her voice carefully, her heart involuntarily beating faster, kicking up a fast paced rhythm, as the distance between them is narrowed. “ a list. it’s supposed to be... uh, important for the balance of power. “ at least that’s what she has heard, when eavesdropping. personally, she would kill for that list. “ you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? “

her curls are wrapped into a messy bun, strands of hair falling down her shoulders in waves. behind her ear is a snake green quill, matching the one that is currently placed between her fingers. tongue sticks out ever so slightly in concentration, as ink scratches against paper, supposedly sealing someone else’s fate. or perhaps just making a small note of what someone in the crowd is wearing. with rita skeeter, you can never be too sure which one it is. a step is taken forward, but her eyes never break away from what she is writing. thus, it’s no surprise that she walks straight into someone, their shoulders colliding. she loses her balance for a second or two, and has to reach out, grab onto something. unfortunately, that something is his arm, so clawed fingers dig themselves into skin, no doubt leaving marks. “ jesus christ, “ she says, quickly letting go. it doesn’t take long for her to slip into a demeanor that’s much more agreeable ( albeit, also more poisonous ), and she soon sports a wide smile. it has yet to reach her eyes. “ sirius black. all alone --- what a treat. “ the quill between her fingers is quickly slipped into the pocket of her coat, but the one behind her ear remains in place, acting more as an accessory than anything else. “ but you wouldn’t know anything about that nasty little rumor about a list, would you? tsk, doesn’t seem like you’d need it. “

         she looks annoyed, glassy stare becoming duller by the minute. less and less attached... closer and closer to snapping. but she forces another semi-sweet smile onto her lips ( though it’s a little sharper than it should be ), and folds her arms across her chest in an effort to distract her hands from the urge of clawing him. “ my mistake, “ she says, through gritted teeth, her words still dipped in a sugary honey that doesn’t reach her eyes. instead, gaze becomes a little more tired. “ sorry --- i think you must have be confused with someone else. hookum, maybe, “ she says, a little breathless, not quite her usual, vibrant self. when a bag is thrown her away, it quickly slips into the pocket of her coat, and she seems to draw a breath of relief. her entire demeanor relaxes, becomes a little less rigid, a little more soft. “ see ----- lovely. couldn’t you just have done that to begin with? "

“ i am susceptible to bribes, you know, “ she replies, amusement slipping into her voice, staining her words with a teasing quality. her pink drink is lifted to her lips, and she takes a long sip, never breaking eye contact. “ but only from you. “ at that, she breaks into a smile, her features becoming softer, less stern. much more comfortable in her own skin ( it’s funny how meadowes seems to have that talent, she thinks. brings her right back to her hogwarts days ). “ i’ll put you in as a foot note, next time. “

she fishes the quill out from behind her ear, a concentrated look on her face as ink hits paper. “ so..... “ she says, voice soft, melodic. a somewhat shy smile appears on cherry painted lips, and focus shifts from parchment paper to eloise. they’re at her friend’s place, and this interview feels different than most --- bit more personal. which is weird, because rita has certainly interviewed her friends before ( with varying degrees of... success ). maybe it’s because she hasn’t whipped out her quick quotes quill yet. or maybe... it’s something else. " let’s see... “ she says, fingers flipping quickly through her notes on the greengrass family, her other hand adjusting her glasses carefully. “ this feels a bit odd, doesn’t it? “ there’s a slight pause, and her smile widens, becoming a little sharper around the edges, more firm. she’s slipping into her element. “ how do you feel about mounting the task of carrying on the greengrass legacy? nervous? excited? “

marlene fucking mckinnon. how fucking wonderful ----- exactly what she’s in the mood for tonight. or maybe not. but the smile that greets her is nothing short of cordial nonetheless, and her touch as they embrace is soft, not giving away any signs of the poison that lingers right below the surface. now when she sees her, she wishes that she had gone in harder, done much worse ---- but there’s still time, for that. despite her anger, her eyes still reveal nothing, stubbornly refusing to show how she is seething underneath all those layers of lies and false pleasantries. " so you see quite a lot of me then, “ she responds, and a clawed fingers circles around her straw, raising it to her lips. a long sip is taken of her daiquiri, and she watches marlene with wide eyes, curiosity and feigned innocence ingrained in her gaze. a slurping sound meshes with the sounds of the bar, before she speaks again. “ mm, well, “ she says, stirring her drink carefully, pretending to be lost in thought. “ we both know that i went easy on you, this time." there’s a silent threat. i won’t do that again. “ how are the boyfriends? doing well, i hope. “ voice is lowered, and she leans in. a little too close for comfort, her neck bending a little to the side, her lips close to marlene’s ear. “ so what did he think of my article? anticipating the follow up? “