There she goes AGAIN [Rita][2]

[Noelle Cheever]

-A young woman, probably just out of Hogwarts approached Noelle with her cappuccino in hand. The poor childs hands were shaking as she approached the veela, and Noelle couldn't help but smile up at her.-

Thank you dear

-She smiled politely and the girl nodded, flustered and giddy before setting it down on Noelles table and rushing off back to her work to gossip with her co-workers about the famous singer sitting in THIER cafe patio, drinking THIER CAPPUCCINO! Noelle laughed and turned back to her paper, staring at the listings in the town she'd so often visited as a student. Although she enjoyed the flat, Noelle wanted something bigger for herself and for when her family and friends came to visit her. Not to mention now that she was raking in more than even her parents were giving her she had no limit on spending. She smiled and sipped her drink before flipping another page. A noise made her look up, and the young waitress stood with a nervous smile next to her table. She stuttered something about an autograph, and the blonde flashed a smile, whipping out her teal colored pen and signing a napkin then pressing it against her lips so there was her trademark red lipstick stain.-

There you go, sweetie.

-the girl giggled a thank you, then took off again back into the restaurant. Noelle turned back towards her house listings and took another sip.-

[Rita Skeeter]

Rita was feeling very pleased with herself today. She had a promotion coming to her, and higher wages, and an assistant. True, she would have to hire him/her by herself, but she could always ask Snape to put up a notice in Hogwarts, looking for new graduates, or soon-to-be graduates to be a low-paid assistant for two years. She shimmied down Hogsmeade high street, then a flash of platinum blonde hair caught her eye. Thinking it was her own reflection, she looked, and then realised it was a bona fide celebrity!

She hurried towards the café, and grabbed a waitress as she approached the singer's table. "Double mocha with a shot of vanilla, NOW," she barked, and sat down opposite Noelle with a charming smile on her face.

"Well, well, well!" she exclaimed. "If this isn't a coincidence! My favourite news item, I mean, superstar, Noelle! How are you darling? Haven't featured you in my column since your last great disaster. How have you been?"

[Noelle Cheever]

-The sound of angry orders hit Noelles ears and she immediately jerked up to see her waitress running away and a bunch of bright blonde girls sitting opposite of her. She cursed mentally in her head as the familiar face sat and smiled at her. Just what I need she thought sarcastically as she made eye contact with Rita Skeeter.-

What do you want, Mademoiselle Skeeter?

-Noelle took another sip of her cappuccino, but its flavor had seemed to turn sour knowing that Skeeter was going to try and get an interview out of her... again. It's true that she hadn't caused any trouble, nor been involved in it in any sort of way in over a year now, but the idea of her living pen struck the feeling of doom wriggling through her body.-

[Rita Skeeter]

Rita had her acid green Quick Quotes Quill out and perched on a notebook before Noelle could even open her mouth, and quickly wrote as Noelle spoke: Miss Cheever greets me warmly, with a friendly smile, and asks how she can help me.

"I'm currently head of a gossip column for the Daily Prophet, and I'll be starting work for Witch Weekly soon, and my readers are utterly agog wanting all the latest news about their favourite singing sorceress! All I hear is 'Celestina Who?', everyone wants to hear about Noelle!" She smiled like a crocodile at the pretty young blonde, and barely even acknowledged the waitress who dropped off her coffee.

"So go on, Noelle ... Keeping a good relationship with the press is rather important, after all. Remember what I did to Amy Warbeck's career ..." She trailed off and smirked in a way that said, I can do it again, and I will. Don't try me.

[Noelle Cheever]

-Although she was smiling… courteously, Noelle was silently cursing the woman with every spell imaginable- she wanted to at least as the quill furiously wrote away. She was right. Keeping a good relationship with the media was something she had to do, because she could tell by Skeeters smile that she would do to Noelle exactly what she did to Amy. Noelle would play her game, she had no choice.-

Congrats on the career moves Rita, you seem like you’re doing well.

-Noelle leaned forward, intertwining her fingers and laying her chin on the finger bridge, her green eyes looking at Skeeter, but all the while focusing on the pen in her peripheral vision.-

So what would you like to know?

[Rita Skeeter]

Rita smiled widely, knowing she had got her way yet again. A little implied blackmail and a determined attitude never failed her. "Oh thank you, Noelle, very kind of you to say so!" Rita said airily, while the Quick-Quotes Quill scribbled away furiously: Singing sensation, Noelle Cheever (21) compliments legendary journalist, Rita Skeeter, (29), on her career progress, and admits to being something of a fan of hers.

Noelle's Veela charms didn't work on Rita, because she was too old and cynical to fall for prettiness and glamour. "Well, why not tell me how you got into showbiz? Last time I saw you, you were extraordinarily talented at getting into trouble, and had quite a good grasp of wearing a dress; so you were two thirds of your way to being a diva. You're the surprise success story of the year. How were you discovered?"

[Noelle Cheever]

-Noelle laughed lightly, seeming amused but really quite bitter.-

Well, I've been out for the past year or so visiting my brother and his family, at first I went for my niece and nephews first birthday party. We had karaoke and what not when a friend of my brothers immediately took to my voice and decided to introduce me to a friend of his. It was a long ordeal to say the least, and I may seem convincing enough, but let me tell you, bashing a few eye lashes at her and a sweet smile will get you no where. So we talked, she gave me her card and called me in for a session, and as they say: The rest is history.

-Noelle finishes her story and takes a long sip of her drink, draining it and motioning for another.-

[Rita Skeeter]

Rita nodded blankly, listening while her Quill scribbed down quickly: A bit of a party animal, Noelle spent her time on the French party circuit over the last year, until she was dramatically discovered at a relative's karaoke bash ... Everything it wrote was sensationalised as much as was possible, while Rita made sure to keep her victim interviewee talking.

"Well, how wonderful is that!" Rita cooed artificially, her smile frostier than ever. "And have you written all your own songs, or relied on more talented writers to pen them for you?" She snapped her fingers and beckoned at the hapless waitress, summoning her over without even a "please" or "thank you".

[Noelle Cheever]

-Noelle's eyes flicked uncomfortably to the pen then back at Rita's.-

Well...

-the waitress showed up with her cappuccino and Rita's drink she took it and nodded a thank you then turned back to the journalist-

It's more of a co-operation rather than just one or the other. I write most of my songs, but every once in a while the producers will find one they'd like for me to try out the next time we're in session.

-She took a sip from her cup and casually looked around for a clock, not that she had to be anywhere, she just wanted this interview to end. The more she talked, the more potential damage there could be. But as her producer would say: Jamais terminer une entrevue!* She'd obviously never met miss Skeeter, nor had she read any of her articles-

*Never end an interview! [all translations to French are via google translate]

[Rita Skeeter]

"Fascinating," Rita drawled. Her pen quickly scribbled: Noelle claims she writes in a co-operation with her producers, which anyone can tell means the producers write the songs, and she suggests adding a "woooooh" or an "oooooh" here and there.

She grinned like a shark, and pressed on with the interview. "And what are your songs about? Love and dancing and other such things, I imagine ..." She trailed off, and raised her eyebrows, prompting Noelle to hurry up and answer.

[Noelle Cheever]

Mainly, yes, and about promoting self confidence, family tragedy's, etcetera. But yes, mainly love and the what not.

-she took a long drink of her cappuccino and watched the pen-

[Rita Skeeter]

"How interesting!" Rita said, and leaned forward. "Tell me more about these family tragedies. Give your fans a bit more of an insight into your world. Would these tragedies be something to do with the tragic death of your brother?"

For once, her Quill jotted down exactly what was said, rather than its own twisted spin on it. Rita had enchanted the Quill to write in her style, but also to write exactly what it heard when context meant it was more scandalous than anything she could cook up. She waited, sipping her coffee and trying not to show her anticipation.

[Noelle Cheever]

-Noelle paused, the death of her brother Antoine was caused by her misjudgment, and she'd spent the last few years trying to forgive herself, not that the paparazzi knew about that. It was true, the two of them had never seen eye to eye, but he was still her brother.-

Not quite...

-Noelle looked into her cup at her reflection in the tan colored drink and swirled it so that the face looking back at her disappeared.-

[Rita Skeeter]

The sultry starlet's eyes swim with tears that tell more about her tragic past than she ever will, and her head bows modestly, telling us that this songstress has more to her than just a pretty face. The pain on her face tells of the ghosts that haunt her, and this reporter even feels moved by her plight. The Quick Quotes Quill scratch, scratch, scratched away far more quickly than Rita could ever write, gleefully depicting Noelle's slight gesture as something revealing.

"Oh, there there ... I didn't mean to upset you," Rita cooed, lying through her teeth and skilfully keeping the smugness out of her voice. "Am I to now assume that your new record will deal with these issues through the power of song, and that your fans will have a very intimate look into the life of their idol?"

[Noelle Cheever]

-being snapped out of her slight dream, Noelle turned and looked back at Rita-

Pardon? Uhm perhaps, I suppose it might. We're looking for new ideas, but there's no promise that it will be.

-She avoided glancing at the Pen. She didn't want to know what it would place on the pad.-

Is there anything else you'd like to know?