Beetle at the Burrow
Crinkling her nose in distaste, Rita gazed at the… house? It looked like several mismatched storeys had been heaped on top of each other, without any thought for security, compatibility or worst, aesthetics. The large overgrown garden behind the house with a pond full of croaking frogs didn't help. It seemed that Arthur Weasley was as poor as she had heard. Could it be the reason why he had enchanted a muggle car? Was it for a desperate need for money or maybe, a craving desire to be recognized? Or did it have a more sinister reason like hidden thirst for muggle baiting?
With a twirl of her wand, her robes turned a bright magenta. Someone had once told her that it made her seem more sympathetic. Maybe, this would mellow the poor Arthur Weasley. If not, well, she was sure she would sniff out the truth. Plastering a cheerful smile on her face, she knocked at the door. A short porky woman opened the door. The maroon robe filled with patches seemed inspired from the criss-crossed architecture of the house. And the shock of fiery red hair, desperately held by a similarly bright ribbon, only added to her general unkemptness.
"May I help you?" the woman, who she assumed was probably Mrs. Weasley, asked with a smile.
"Yes, Rita Skeeter from Daily Prophet. Is Arthur Weasley available right now?"
"I'm afraid he isn't home right now," the smile turned more strained and with some hesitation, she added, "Would you like to come in?"
"Sure," Rita smiled. One thing she had learnt over the years was that women (and some occasional men too) craved for gossip-sharing. And gossip was what she lived for. Though, the smile did disappear when she entered the house. Furniture and trappings of every kind were cluttered over the small room. Pots, cauldrons and utensils overflowed on the table. Washed linen were kept on a pair of chairs. She carefully stepped over a bronze trinket that closely resembled a sprinkle doughnut only to stumble over her next step.
"Are you fine, Ms. Skeeter? Sorry for all this mess. The kids just left this morning and it has been a stressful day."
"Yes, yes, it's fine," Rita adjusted her jeweled glasses and frowning at the floor, she continued, "Did I just step on a turtle?"
"No, no you did not," a man appeared to her side and slid the turtle in his pocket. "It's a Dabberblimp, my Luna's pet. Pity she couldn't take it with her to Hogwarts. I'm thinking of petitioning to the Governors to revise the pet list rule."
The absurdity of the situation became clearer when she recognized the stranger. Slightly cross-eyed with shoulder-length hair white as snow, it couldn't be anyone but Xenoplilius Lovegood. For a moment, the news about the distraught Mrs. Weasley seeking comfort in the arms of another man filled her mind but she immediately discarded it. No one would read any news concerning the insane Lovegood.
"Xenoplilius," she nodded dismissively before turning back to Mrs. Weasley, "I'm sorry for disturbing you on such a busy day but I'm sure Daily Prophet readers would love to hear your views about the recent events."
"Okay," the red-haired woman answered warily, "Would you like some tea while we are at it? Or maybe some sponge cake. I have some-"
"No, it's fine," she beamed. With a snap, her crocodile-skin handbag opened and she pulled out her precious Quick-Quotes Quill. She balanced the tip on the paper before continuing, "So, Mrs. Weasley, when did you learn about your husband's tampering with Muggle equipments? How did you feel? Betrayed? Horrified?"
Tears filled her eyes when her husband's name came up. Her eyes held the story of an anguished and defeated housewife who had forever tried to temper her husband's dangerous activities and…
Rita smiled while the quill ran on the paper. It would be the perfect angle- the heart-wrenching tale of the wife who had to suffer for her husband's crime. The public always love a sob-fest. Though, judging from the rate at which Mrs. Weasley was turning red, she wondered if she should try another perspective…
"What do you mean by anguished and defeated?" she shouted as her eyes flew over the words.
"It's okay, Mrs. Weasley. It's time that the wizarding world learns about the atrocities of Arthur Weasley-"
"MY HUSBAND IS AN HONEST AND HARDWORKING MAN!"
"Even the nargles like him," Xenophilius interjected in his signature dreamy voice and when the two women stared at him, he added, "They keep hovering around him."
Rita sighed. This was going to be trickier than she had thought. "I'm sure he is," she tried to appease the woman, "So what do you think drove him to enchant a muggle car? Was it the retaliation for being forever dismissed and looked down upon? Or perhaps, to earn a few more galleons, which is understandable given your… situation."
"Our situation is perfectly fine!"
"Of course. Lucius Malfoy has been openly calling for Mr. Weasley's resignation. It is highly justified given that the Statute of Secrecy was almost compromised due to his actions. What's your reaction to his statement?"
"I think Mr. Malfoy has been infected by the Wrackspurts. Or maybe he has been cursed by the unicorns," Xenophilius said though neither of the women paid him any attention this time.
"Mr. Malfoy has no say about the matters of Ministry of Magic." By now, Mrs. Weasley's face had turned as red as her hair. Her hands clenched the tablecloth tightly as she stared at Rita unflinchingly.
"Lucius is an upstanding member of the society," Rita succintly replied. 'And generous too,' she thought to herself as she touched the diamond hairpin adorning her blonde curls.
But it seemed that the defense of Lucius Malfoy was the straw that broke the camel's back. Mrs. Weasley shot to her feet and started shrieking.
"OUT! I want none of your bigoted drivel in here. Get out from my house before I set the house ghoul loose on you."
It wasn't the first time that Rita's questions had such an explosive reaction, and it would surely not be the last. She toothily smiled at the enraged woman. Summoning the paper and her quill, she took her leave but not before having the last word.
"It was a pleasure, Mrs. Weasley. Hope that you enjoy tomorrow's Daily Prophet."
Rita stared at the heavily-revised report which Daily Prophet's Editor-in-Chief had just handed to her. Major part of her article had been scraped with only Lucius' quote remaining along with the last comment from Mrs. Weasley. Even her title, Arthur Weasley – The Monster in the Muggle Liason Office, has been replaced by the horribly bland Enquiry at the Ministry of Magic.
It wasn't the first time. She smiled as she stared at the retreating back of the old wizened man. She had learnt the importance of patience since she was a child. She will wait. And one day, her words will shake the very foundation of the Wizarding World. Yes, her time will come.
Written for Weekly Elimination Weird Prompt Thing Competition
Mandatory Prompt:
main character: Rita Skeeter
Semi-Optional Prompts:
- additional minor character: Xenophilius Lovegood ; sprinkle doughnut
Bonus Prompts:
- diamond hairpin (5 pts) ; snow (1 pt) ; ribbon (1 pt) ; Rita wears a color other than green (3 pts) ; a frog (1 pt) ; someone mentions unicorns but no one pays attention to what that person says (3 pts) ; "Did I just step on a turtle?" / "No, no you did not." [character who said second line] sticks the turtle in their pocket. (4pts) ; sponge cake (1 pt)