Chapter 10 - A Lily for Luck

The Daily Prophet building was an imposing block of ancient stone, with Gothic architectural details that gave it an air of seriousness and tradition. The newspaper's employees hurried through the wide corridors, with floating parchments and quills furiously scribbling in all directions. The constant noise of discussions, nervous laughter and the sound of hurried footsteps filled the air, creating an atmosphere of frenetic productivity.

Rita Skeeter, always on the move, advanced quickly through the corridors, her heels echoing on the polished marble floor. Her bag swung on her arm as she adjusted the strap with a quick tug, while her eyes scanned the information on a parchment she carried. Multitasking was her motto and no one saw her standing still for long. Her fingers drummed on the parchment, as if impatient to capture the next big story, as she crossed rooms and greeted colleagues with brief, rapid nods without slowing down.

Finally, Rita reached the end of a long corridor, where a dark wooden door displayed gleaming gold letters forming the words: Apolline Delacour - Editor-in-Chief. She took a deep breath, adjusting her hair with a quick and automatic movement, before lightly knocking on the door and entering.

Apolline Delacour was seated behind her imposing oak desk, surrounded by piles of parchments and editions of the Daily Prophet. In her 50s, Apolline was the very image of success. Her platinum hair, characteristic of Veela, shone under the soft light that streamed through the windows, creating a striking contrast with her tanned skin, giving her an air of confidence and exoticism. The white suit she wore, with impeccable tailoring, completed the look of a woman who dominated both the world of journalism and her own destiny. She looked up as she saw Rita enter and a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.

"Rita Skeeter" Apolline said, her voice perfectly controlled. "Sit down. Do you have updates on the Mr. Goodnight case? Or about Lucius Malfoy's jewel found on the day of the incident?"

Rita felt a slight knot in her stomach as she heard Apolline's words. She knew this conversation would be delicate. Sitting down with her typical energy, she quickly thought of how to respond. In recent days, Rita had discovered that all the fuss around "Mr. Goodnight", as he was initially known, was nothing but a misunderstanding. And worse, the one who caused all the confusion was none other than Fleur Delacour, her boss's daughter.

However, instead of sharing this truth with Apolline, the only person who gave her a chance to return to the journalistic scene after a mistake that nearly ruined her reputation, Rita chose a different path. She had formed an alliance with Fleur and Lucius Malfoy, and now she needed to protect this secret at all costs.

Apolline, on the other hand, already knew that Fleur had caused the mysterious "sleep" in Diagon Alley. Her daughter had confessed that she lost control of her Veela powers by accident, resulting in the situation that the Aurors were investigating as the mystery of Mr. Goodnight. Apolline was desperate to protect Fleur, trying to divert the investigation away from her, but as editor-in-chief, she knew she couldn't simply ignore the matter without raising suspicion.

"Well, Apolline" Rita began, forcing a smile as her fingers tightened on the parchments in her hands. "The Aurors are still investigating, but so far, they haven't been able to discover the true purpose of Lucius Malfoy's jewel. There's no solid confirmation that the jewel was, in fact, in the possession of the Malfoy family, despite the recordings they have. Additionally, they are hesitant to summon Lucius for more interrogations, fearing a lawsuit, especially after the first arbitrary interrogation."

Rita, always shrewd, continued, trying to maintain her composure. "And I would suggest that we adopt the same approach. Lucius Malfoy has just been released from Azkaban. If we publish anything against him without concrete proof, he might find the perfect motivation to spend his days suing the newspaper and trying to bring us down. I think we should be cautious."

Apolline nodded slowly, pondering Rita's words. She felt a brief relief in realizing that Rita seemed to be taking a prudent approach, unaware that she was, in a way, protecting Fleur. For a brief moment, a satisfied smile appeared on her lips. "I'm proud of your cautious approach, Rita. It's exactly the caution we need right now."

Rita, unaware of Apolline's internal dilemma, felt relieved and secure in her decision. "Of course, Apolline" she replied, maintaining the smile as a sense of relief spread through her body.

Apolline maintained her controlled smile as she watched Rita settle into the chair. "Rita, while we don't have concrete updates on Lucius Malfoy's jewel or on Mr. Goodnight in general" she continued, her voice calm but firm, "I'd like you to cover another important topic."

Apolline leaned slightly forward, discreetly rolling her eyes before speaking in a careful tone. "I want you to investigate how the fact that the Minister of Magic, Wilma Dean, was hit by Mr. Goodnight's sleep spell on the first day of her re-election campaign ended up giving more prominence to Joseph Bolton's opposition. His supporters, always so loud, took advantage of this incident to further inflame the wizarding world. It's crucial that the Daily Prophet is the first to expose how this incident is being manipulated."

Rita nodded, mentally noting the new task. "I'll start investigating that as soon as possible, Apolline" she said, already planning her next steps. "But before that, I need to pick up the key to my new apartment. I'm moving to Hogsmeade."

Apolline smiled, an approving expression on her face. "Congratulations, Rita. Hogsmeade is a charming place, and being close to Hogwarts will certainly bring new inspirations."

"Thank you" Rita replied, returning the smile. "Before I go, I'll stop by the florist across the street to get a plant. I think it will bring luck for this new phase."

With that, Rita stood up, still maintaining her professional smile and said goodbye. "We'll speak soon, Apolline."

Rita left the Daily Prophet building at a brisk pace, the frenetic rhythm that marked her daily life continuing even outside the office. She crossed the street with determination, her eyes already fixed on the small florist across the way. "A lily for luck" she said to herself, already imagining the plant settled in her new apartment in Hogsmeade.

As she reached the front of the florist, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Discreetly, she turned her head and spotted Ron Weasley walking in the opposite direction, apparently coming from Knockturn Alley. Beside him, a stunning young woman with long dark hair seemed deeply engaged in conversation with him. Rita murmured to herself:

"What would a married man like Ron Weasley be doing leaving the most infamous place in the wizarding world, especially in the company of a woman like that?"

Rita's journalistic instincts kicked in instantly. Forget the lily, she thought. This was the story she couldn't let slip away.

"Well, well" she said in a sharp tone, loud enough for Ron to hear clearly. "If it isn't the most famous best friend in the wizarding world… But from what I see, maybe not exactly the best husband, is he?"

Ron Weasley stopped abruptly, visibly surprised to hear Rita's voice. He turned slowly, his face already assuming an expression of discomfort. The young woman beside him also stopped, looking between Ron and Rita, not fully understanding what was happening.

Rita, for her part, maintained the ironic smile, her eyes shining with the anticipation of something that could be a scoop. "So, Weasley" she continued, her voice laden with insinuation, "what were you doing in a place like Knockturn Alley, with such… enchanting company? Not exactly the kind of outing a good husband would make, don't you think?"

Rita had barely finished her provocation when the young woman beside Ron stepped forward, already showing her badge as an Auror in training. "Bruna Nichols" she declared firmly, the badge gleaming under the light. Rita's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly composed herself, the malicious smile returning to her lips.

"Oh, by Merlin!" exclaimed Rita, with a theatricality that left no doubt about her intention to exaggerate. "So, you came to seek help in the underworld, since wizarding expertise failed to discover the purpose of the Malfoy jewel?" As she spoke, her Quick-Quotes Quill was already in action, jotting down everything on her parchment, obediently recording every word.

Before Bruna could respond, Ron stepped forward and grabbed Rita's arm, quickly leading her to a corner of the street where a pile of empty boxes offered a discreet shadow. "How do you know about the jewel, Skeeter?" he whispered intensely, his eyes fixed on hers.

But Rita was not intimidated. In fact, the situation seemed only to excite her even more. Continuing to narrate to the quill, she declared aloud, in a dramatic tone: "Quill, note: Ron Weasley, in a clear act of intimidation, grabs the fearless reporter forcefully, in an evident display of brute force and abuse of authority!"

Ron immediately released Rita's arm upon hearing the words "abuse of authority" leave her mouth. His expression hardened as he tried to remain calm. "You could be sued for obstructing justice, Skeeter" he said, his voice low and heavy with warning.

Rita, without losing her composure, adjusted her clothing and cast a sharp glance at Ron. "If you were a bit smarter, Mr. Weasley, instead of grabbing my arm like a troglodyte, you could have invited me for a coffee and asked what I know" she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's not in my interest for the Aurors not to solve the case, quite the opposite."

Ron, still frustrated but now a bit calmer, observed her closely. He knew that Rita Skeeter played on multiple fronts and had a unique talent for turning any situation to her advantage. Relaxing a bit, he adopted a more conciliatory tone. "Alright, Rita" he said, leaning slightly toward her. "What do you know? Let's talk."

Rita watched Ron for a moment, assessing his change in attitude. A cunning smile appeared on her lips. "As a token of goodwill" she began, her words carefully chosen, "I'll tell you something that might be useful. There are more Malfoy family jewels missing. And from what I know, it might only be a matter of time before those jewels start appearing in suspicious places, all to try and frame Lucius Malfoy."

Ron frowned, absorbing the information. "You think someone's trying to frame him..." he murmured, more to himself than to Rita.

"That's what it seems… but soon I might be able to get you a complete list of those jewels and we can have an idea of what the person who took them is plotting" Rita replied, observing him intently. "Now, Weasley, the question is: what do you know?"

Ron hesitated for a moment but decided to reciprocate the information with something he had. "The primary function of the jewel found in Diagon Alley" he began, lowering his voice, "is to enhance beauty."

Rita grimaced in disappointment: "Enhance beauty? How disappointing! I imagined something more impressive, like giving a Medusa's gaze, allowing incorporeal crossings... But making someone more beautiful? What good is that, beyond the obvious reasons?" She paused for a moment, intrigued, before continuing: "And why did this jewel sneakily appear at Wilma Dean's campaign rally and wasn't in Canada with Narcissa Malfoy?"

Ron shrugged, equally puzzled. "We're in the dark about that as well. We're investigating whether there's something more hidden, some deeper magic we haven't been able to identify yet. But for now, that's all we know."

Rita smiled, satisfied with the exchange. "That's certainly unexpected… a beauty jewel" she said, almost as if thinking aloud. "That seems more like a riddle, doesn't it? I'd say we have much more to discover."

Ron watched her warily but knew that, at least for now, they had exchanged valuable information. "Be careful, Rita" he said in a warning tone, before walking away. "This might be more dangerous than it seems."

Rita just shrugged, still with the same smile on her face. "Danger is part of my job, Weasley. But thank you for the warning."

As Ron walked away, Rita Skeeter was already mentally formulating her next questions and connections. The conversation had been productive and she knew she needed to play carefully. Later, when she met with Fleur Delacour and Lucius Malfoy, she would share the new information obtained from Ron. Her loyalty, though temporary, was with the unlikely trio she had formed. This new information would not only strengthen the alliance but also reinforce her importance within it. She was ready to play her cards, ensuring she remained essential to both while planning to secure her own victory.