rita

She stopped at the Leaky for a quick bite, using their bathroom to quickly change her hair and makeup to something more formal - the Prophet’s annual party was always a rather extravagant affair. Rita sighed slightly as the waiter brought her glass of wine, eyes meeting his fleetingly. "Need a date tonight? It comes with free food - it likely won't even make you sick." She joked.

Fenrir was used to the way dogs reacted to him. He just seemed to set off something in them that made them yap and growl and generally be a nuisance. It was a shame because he thought he might actually like dogs if they liked him. He knew better than to kick the dog away though and let Rita handle it, waiting until she’d tugged him away from the door. 

“Its alright. Not much of a dog person. I think they sense it in me,” he chuckled. Fenrir had a look around when he got inside, spotting the stairs and making his way over. “This the bannister causing you trouble?” He asked, happy to just get on with his work. He got the sense Rita could be demanding and didn’t want to make a name for himself as a bad workman.

It took her only a moment longer than usual to calm Brisket, the promise of treats usually got him to sit pretty like a good little boy, and she huffed slightly as she looked back up to Fenrir and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "You're giving him far too much credit." She laughed, patting the pup on his head fondly and ignoring the small whine he let out. 

She made her way to the kitchen as he surveyed the work she'd asked of him, getting Brisket the promised treat and watching as he pranced off with it. "Yes, just there," She called, pointing as she came closer. "At the top. It wobbles a bit, I think I banged into it with…." Rita paused, biting back a smirk and deciding not to finish that particular train of thought. "Something." Or someone. Fenrir would surely be able to fix it in no time at all, if his past work was anything to go by. "And there's a window in the kitchen that's stuck if you've got time." 

-

As the pair of them landed on Rita’s doorstep, an odd wave of emotion washed over him. Ludo knew that the two of them were no good for each other, but now that he was here, in his old home with his ex-fiancee, there was a part of him that wished things were different. Ruining what the two of them had was one of his biggest regrets - perhaps, if tonight went well, he could begin to mend things with her. No, he didn’t want to get back together with her, but he did want to be in her life. As a friend, or whatever she was comfortable with. He was tired of fighting with Rita, of being completely against her. He had spent too much time focusing on himself that he’d made her push him away and he wanted to fix that.

          Rabastan honestly tried living at the manor with his parents, but one morning coming home and having an earful from his mother about his whereabouts had him moving to a flat under the Lestrange Estate. Well although he did send out the address for his acquaintances so his owls wouldn’t mix with his family’s he still was at the manor filching food. 

         So it was one of his fine mornings after a full night of acoustic spells he was back home, dropping dead on the sofa just to be awaken again by the pounding on his door. 

         He took his sweet time to open it, his face softened when he saw Rita right there. “Well, then, let me brew some tea and I’m all yours.” He said taking a step back for her to come in while he went first to the kitchen. “I’m hoping you have something for me.” 

Rita relaxed at just the sight of him, nodding gratefully as she stepped inside and took off her shoes. "Decaf for me, please." She called after him, having filled her morning with coffee in the hopes it might spur her into getting something productive done which, of course, it hadn't. She padded after him and walked into the kitchen with a sigh. "Only the mess I've made of my personal life." She huffed, rolling her eyes and hopping up to sit on the counter top. 

She knew that likely would peak Rabastan's interest, but she wasn't in the habit of telling many people too many of her own secrets. She'd much rather deal in other people's. But still, she felt ready to burst with the need to talk about what was going on, so she eyed him as he made the tea, waiting for the inevitable question. 

Truth be told, he wasn’t having a bad day so far, which was a little surprising if he considered the fact that he was surrounded my blood traitors all day long. The Longbottom guy wasn’t half bad, but too damn happy for Karkaroff’s taste. No. He preferred the silent and brooding type, like Severus. So when he ended his field duties and got left behind to do the paperwork, he wouldn’t complain. Humming and dancing a new bop from a Japanese musician he’d heard the last time he visited his family, he pushed the door open with a silent spell, and stopped dead on his tracks when he saw who waited for him at the room.

– Rita Skeeter. – He stated, more to himself in disbelief than anything else. – What the bloody hell are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here, this is restricted session for High Rank Ministry Employees only. – He closed the door behind him, looking around the room to check if any paper seemed to be out of place. 

Smiling at the mention of her name - he didn't sound overly happy to see her, although that didn't surprise her - she made no move to stand. "I'm here to see you." Rita replied easily, as if it were obvious, not bothering to try and play innocent with him. He knew her too well, was already shifting his eyes around her to see what she might have uncovered - as if she would leave such a trail behind her. No, Rita didn't need to dig through corporate papers, and besides, she was here on totally above board, official Prophet business. She ignored the matter of how she'd gotten there, however, and simply went on. 

"They want to run a story on the Auror department." She went on, trying to keep the disdain from her voice at the prospect of such a piece. "So I thought we could… catch up." 

~

Bellatrix had grow up knowing that the people she surrounded herself would be benefical somehow. Whether it was choosing to befriend the individuals she found in detention to recruit them for her bullying tactics or continuing the friendship she had developed with some of the other children of her parents’ friends strictly to always be in the know of any gossip. Everyone she introduced herself to had a purpose to further her in society and Rita Skeeter was no different. She knew the other woman was a viper with a pen, stories made about everyone and every little dirty secret they had, so the witch thought it would be better to stay in a person like Rita’s good graces. Espeically with the recent addition of exposing Regulus and his mysterious disappearance, something that even Bella had no idea what had happened. And the same allegiance to the Dark Lord, the Lestrange woman found it was the perfect cover to keeping things pleasant with the journalist.

So when she heard Rita’s voice from afar calling out to her, the brunette held back an eye roll and forced her lips to form a smirk as she turned towards her acquaintance. “Rita, always a pleasure,” She nodded her greeting, pleasantries were everything right now. “He’s doing well, as busy as ever with work and other things. But enough about him, how are you?”

"I'm sure." She answered with a nod, wondering what Bellatrix might say if they were under any other circumstances. For most people, having a scandal exposed by a journalist might turn you off them. But Rita wasn't a stranger to the fact that most people didn't actually like her - but she didn't mind all too much. In fact, she found it entertaining most of the time. Still, though she'd never show it, conversations like these could be exhausting and she had to steel herself to make it through. It was so much easier when she could perch on a windowsill and simply listen. 

Glad that she wouldn't have to make too much small talk about Bellatrix's life, of which, admittedly she didn't care about, she smiled a little more genuinely, nodding. "Oh, I've been wonderful. I'm sure you've seen the Prophet." With all the excitement lately, there'd barely been a paper that hadn't had her name printed somewhere on the front page. "And I've actually been spending some time with Regulus." She added it casually, but watched her expression closely for any shift at the mention. It wasn't exactly a secret they were friends, but she could hope. "I do worry about him, though." 

-

He watched the confusion take over her features at her comment, and as the rest sank in, he was having a hard time reading her. This could go one of two ways, and he knew he was walking a tightrope here. She could - and had every right to - reject him, considering all that the two of them had been through. Or, she’d be into it, and in ten minutes they’d be in her bed. Ludo waited more patiently than he felt as she contemplated him, a smirk still on his lips. He hoped it worked, both because he was looking forward to spending the night with her, and to keep her away from Regulus longer. He didn’t know what it was about the other man - maybe the fact that he had shown up in Rita’s life right around the time things had started to really go downhill for the two of them - but he didn’t like the idea of them together.

As a smirk started to form on her lips, Ludo knew he had her. She wouldn’t give him that look if he didn’t. If Rita really didn’t want anything to do with him, she’d have made it known much quicker. “Don’t gotta ask me twice.” He murmured, his grin growing as he stood from his chair and he wrapped one his arms around her waist as he gently pulled her out of her seat. This was the part that was always right between them. No matter how messy their emotions for each other got, they always had a good connection in the bedroom. Ludo kept his arm firmly around her waist as they made their way out of the bar, and he took a few steps up the alley, just far enough so there wasn’t anybody in their way, before he paused his steps. “Ready?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her, giving her a moment to prepare herself before he apparated both of them to her doorstep.

She couldn’t help the smile that lifted the edges of her mouth in return, shaking her head slightly. He was so easy, and yet, she supposed she had no room to talk. After all, she’d been playing the game just as he had, and she found in that moment, as his arm snaked around her waist like it had so many times before, she had no regrets. They fit together just as they always had, and yet somehow, this felt different. Had she missed him? Could she possibly? Either way, she leaned into his side as they walked, savoring the warmth of his body next to hers. She didn’t even care who saw, let them say what they wanted, it wasn’t like the pair of them hadn’t learned to tune it out by now.

The air as they got outside felt cooler than it had before - but perhaps she had just gotten hot in the bar, flushed. Either way, Rita felt a shiver run down her spine and she used it as an excuse to huddle even closer into Ludo’s side. When his steps stopped, she looked up at him, biting her lower lip and nodding, closing her eyes briefly as he apparated them both away, finding herself on her own doorstep when she opened them. An odd choice, she thought fleetingly, making it feel almost like they had never broken up to begin with. But now that they were here, she didn’t want to waste any more time. In a matter of moments they were in the house and she watched him close the door behind him, unhooking her long cloak from around her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor quietly. “It’s nice to have you home.” Rita murmured, and she took a step closer, barely letting him turn around before she had a hand in the middle of his chest, pushing him back into the door and kissing him hard. 

“Rabastan Lestrange!” She called through the wood, knowing if he were home he’d be able to hear her. It felt like forever before the door opened and she lowered her hand with a relieved sigh, raising an eyebrow at him. “I can’t work today, so you have to deal with me.”

Luckily for her, she had cultivated a pleasant, if shallow, relationship with the woman. Nice enough to be able to stop her in the street under the guise of a chat, and that was exactly what she would do. “Bellatrix!” She called once she was close enough, plastering a bright smile on her face. “So nice to see you again - how’s Rodolphus?”

Rita had only calmed slightly by the time she arrived, knowing the halls well and making her way quickly to the floor that house the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but to the untrained eye she looked completely unbothered - happy, even. And luckily, Igor was out when she got there. So she made herself comfortable at his desk and waited, swiveling gently back and forth in the chair. Wheeling it around at the unmistakable noise of his arrival, she smiled, leaning forward on his desk. “Igor.” Rita greeted, not getting up. “It’s been too long.”

-

He didn’t miss the fact that there was more of her skin exposed as he turned his head back to her. Regulus was trying his best to keep himself composed, but she was making that rather difficult for him. Moving his hand away from where it was resting on her back, he let his fingers trail lightly along her side before letting it settle on her exposed thigh. “Mmm.” He hummed, trying to come up with an answer for her question that didn’t make him sound like an absolute dork. Regulus had never been particularly good at flirting, and considering the fact that he didn’t have much blood currently left in his brain, he was even worse at it than usual. “I just hate the thought of you spending the evening alone.” He shrugged slightly, knowing that it wasn’t a great answer, but it was the best he could come up with at the moment, so he squeezed her thigh lightly, hoping to distract her from the fact that he was horrible at flirting.

Swallowing thickly, her eyes darted down to where his fingers tickled her skin, watching the goosebumps his touch left raise as he went. Part of her hated how easy it was to see how she felt about him, but part of her really didn't care. And right now, she wanted him to know. "Oh." Rita said delicately, watching his expression as he answered, wondering if that was the whole reason. It wasn't a bad answer - that Regulus was thinking about her at all sent a thrill through her, but she wasn't just looking for a chat tonight. Her eyes darted once more to his hand as he squeezed her thigh and she licked her lips again. "Well, good thing you've found me then, isn't it?" She asked, scooting herself even closer, the two of them becoming more like one unit, blocking everyone else out at the party. She reached out and tucked a stray hair back in place behind his ear, smirking. "Have I told you I like your horns?" She asked, letting loose a single chuckle as she said it. "I like seeing the bad side of you." 

Lucius’ curse wasn’t from him being worried about who exactlyhe hit on the other side of the door, it was that he now was going to have todeal with the fact that he hit someone on the other side of the door. Thehappening’s of tonight were going to ruffle enough feathers and he believed inthe general population of the wizarding community enough to think that theyknew something must be amuck. They’d been quiet for quite some time and Halloweenwas the perfect way to almost be that cliché type of scary. He was of courseripped back into reality when the person actually snapped back at him, beforerealizing who he was- in a pleasant way.

‘ Rita ‘ he sighed, relaxing his hand on the door and lettingout a short breath. ‘ As you should be, how dare you be on the other side of meopening the door ‘ He teased lightly while a smile played casually across hisface. ‘ You on your way to the office? ‘

She laughed lightly - politely - and shook her head. "I can only try to be more considerate in the future." She teased, her tone more good natured than it would have been had anyone else been waiting on the other side of the door. She liked Lucius, and not just because he was a powerful man from a powerful family. "I was planning on it, but the mornings been one snag after another." She sighed, rolling her eyes as the only show of her abundant frustration. It wasn't Lucius' problem and she wasn't in the habit of burdening others with her own affairs - especially not after she'd finally gotten her image and personal life back on track after the train wreck of a breakup Ludo had put her through. "But it can wait a little while longer if you wouldn't mind some company. I can go back for that scone I passed up the first time." 

-

“Good.” Ludo muttered at her answer, keeping his arms folded as he sat down beside her. He knew he shouldn’t care what she thought, that she was entitled to whatever feelings she had towards Regulus. But the two of them had been together for so long that it was hard for him to see her with anybody else. Nodding his head slightly, Ludo tried to keep his eyes from rolling. They were friends? Since when did friends act like that around each other? Choosing not to comment on it, he sighed, bringing his chair closer to her.

“No, I don’t want to talk about him.” He replied while shaking his head, letting his eyes trail over her once again. She looked absolutely amazing, and he’d always loved the way her hair looked in braids. It was as if she’d chosen this specifically to get his attention. It likely wasn’t the case, but he could certainly pretend it was. Ludo decided to cut right to the chase - there was a reason that he was here and he was sure Rita was just as aware of it as he was. “No, I want to talk about our costumes. More specifically, how I think they’d look much better on the floor.” He smirked, sending a wink her way.

Rita hid an eye roll at the way he crossed his arms. It didn't take a genius to figure out exactly how he felt about witnessing her cozying up to Regulus Black - but she couldn't deny that she was slightly surprised to see it. He had had her, all to himself - and it wasn't enough for him. So why did he care now? Not that she was complaining, but Rita never did like a puzzle she couldn't solve, and it certainly didn't help her figure out how she felt about Ludo. Either way, she was glad to hear the subject had been dropped. 

She held back a shiver as his eyes raked over her, and her stomach flipped. Sure, this was what she had wanted when she'd picked out her costume, but the last person she thought she'd get it from had been Ludo. Still, she could do a lot worse. "Our…?" She started, furrowing her brow delicately. What could there possibly be to talk about concerning their costumes? But then he went on, and she glared at him, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, Ludo?" She tutted lightly, pretending to be annoyed, before finishing her drink and contemplating the empty glass for a moment. Part of her wanted to blow him off just to spite him - especially after that last line. But a second, much larger part of her wanted something very different. "Well." She finally said, putting her glass down and giving him a look, a hint of a smirk playing along her lips. "Are you going to waste our time with more bad lines, or are you going to take me home?"