Juicy Opportunity (Rita)

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam had to get to Rita first before she went to press, and she wanted to offer a better story than the girl might be writing already. Plus Rita and her were friends...the kind of friends that if you scratched one's back you'd get your own done as well... at least she was hoping, this would be the test of it.

It was funny too...since this wasn't for her. Sam was doing all these crazy spins for...someone else... it was almost unbelievable, in fact if you were in Beauxbatons it would be completely incomprehensible.

Knowing the girl would likely be at the staff offices she came in first. She was known there well enough, or at least her magazine was and was offered a seat right away in a private room so she could wait while a secretary went to go and find Rita.

Sam was offered tea and she agreed while she flipped through next month's magazine and make her own margins of what needed to be changed.

[Rita Skeeter]

Rita was, of course at the staff offices and already working on an article. Though the article had nothing to do with the little love triangle Samantha was concerned about. No Rita had her mind wrapped around another little story, but she took a break when the secretary came to let her know that Samantha Montgomery was here to see her. What she didn't understand is why Sam had come here to find her this morning instead of waiting until tonight when she'd be back in the dorms. It had to be something urgent if that was the case and Rita set her quill to the side and told the Secretary to send her over to Rita's desk.

Meanwhile Rita pulled out a fresh steno pad and set her quill to it, ready for a fresh story in case that was what Samantha was here for.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha raised a brow at being summoned, but it was fine. She rather liked the private room. Still she could cast all the charms she needed to and putting her things in order followed the secretary to where Rita was at.

Smiling at the girl she did the air kiss maneuver and then waited until she was gestured to sit.

When the pleasantries were over Sam was ready to do business.

" So Rita...perhaps you heard a night or two ago about a little spat between Slytherin's favorite Menage aTrois...?"

[Rita Skeeter]

"Oh you mean Rystain and his two lovelies? Yes, of course.. I was going to write about them next actually. Although other than being societies' little children to spoil they don't have any real scoop potential for something other than society gossip and would never make the front page of the gossip columns. It's not like they are a Black, Scotts or Burke child.. even if they are from influental families they aren't in the higher ranks of society yet. Why do you ask, dear?"

Rita's smile was smooth as silk, her eyes calculating and attentive. And she wondered what her friend Samantha had in store for said threesome, well no.. now it was a twosome apparently. But surely Sam had something in mind to come here so urgently and with a side gossip story as her point of subject. Rita wasn't adverse to making a mountain out of a molehill though if Samantha had reason to make the little story interesting.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha shrugged, "But did you hear about Lyra's Fiance?" she asked her eyes on the desk she was completely nonchalant knowing no one knew except for herself Lyra and Rystain, well and Julian of course.

Sam didn't want to appear to eager. She was good at this game not that it was necessary to play of course. She could have simply come out and told Rita that if she wanted that headlining article then she was to print exactly what Sam said, but it was so much nicer and diplomatic to do it this way. Besides it wasn't blackmail it was simply services being traded.

[Rita Skeeter]

"A fiance? It's an interesting set of triangles but is there that would make it front page? Surely there is an angle here that makes it more... interesting for the readers. What is your angle, Samantha? I'm sure you have a reason for coming here but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Just tell me what it is you're offering and I'm sure my sources will remain nameless."

She was familiar with this type of story source, but there were times to be manipulative and there were times where it was unnecessary and cumbersome. Rita wasn't adverse to either method as long as she got the story she wanted in the end. And right now Samantha obviously was more than willing to share a story with her so she might as well get the details without having to play coy to get them.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She nodded before reaching into her bag and pulling out a file on the cover of which was a picture of Julian and Lyra laughing and enjoying a wonderful reunion, opening the file there was a charming picture of Julian himself. There was a stack of pedigree that was accurate but mostly boring society crap and then there was a page of easy facts. Minimalizing Lyra's involvement in the Rystain Lani love triangle and really Romeo-izing Julian.

There was a history depicting Julian and Lyra's childhood acquaintance and all of it nicely packaged.

Sam shrugged, "It's not your front page article, heaven's no...a small skirmish like this is nothing, and affairs are a thing of the past." she said smiling towards Rita, "No one would really care after that brilliant article you wrote on the professor, and this certainly wouldn't top that...I just wanted to come down here personally and see that you got the right facts...about this...small story..." Sam was laying out what she wanted.

She wanted the story between Rystain, Lani, and Lyra to be minimal, she knew it had to exist anyway because it was still gossip. But she wanted it to also spin to Lyra's advantage, painting the argument as nothing but rather the engagement between two society friends to be a bigger event.

"A story like this really wouldn't help or hurt your reputation as a writer and you know that. The magazine's articles concerning our fall spread however would open a few doors. It's undecided as of yet of course which family will be the focal..."

It wasn't gossip, which Rita was amazing at, but it was however a chance to get her name thrown out there for more than the daily prophet. Big wigs and their publishing gurus would see how well Rita wrote and with a push from the right people could help boost Rita's career.

The thing about Rita however, was that, she already was a great writer, she just needed her story...which writing about the professor had done, and then she needed more influence, people in the position of power putting pressure on people like Rita's Editor to give Rita more page space.

[Rita Skeeter]

Rita's mind worked, calculating the very things that Samantha had mentioned and the things left unsaid. She was well aware of the need for that influence by helping Samantha would give her in the wizarding world of media writing. That was all the motivation she really needed, and after all a small gossip article was still gossip no matter which angle she wrote it from. Who really cared which side of the story she gave as long as it was a good twist somewhere and this perspective would only add to the little drama.

She held out her hand for the information Samantha had brought, "I think it sounds absolutely intreguinging, and you know how much I love working with you Samantha. I'll be sure to include this new information into the article, and I'd love to hear more about the spread you'll be needing." It was her way of saying she'd do as requested, and agreeing to the terms of the information being given. She considered Samantha a friend, and really it was a mutually benefiting sharing of information and writing between friends.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam turned the file over to Rita and smiled, "By the by...I think there's a little something extra in there you may appreciate." she smiled, she hadn't mentioned it before but it was her way of saying thank you, in the back of the file was a press pass for DesRosiers upcoming charity dinner the magazine was famous for giving.

Having concluded business she stood a small satisfied grin rested on her lips, " It was lovely seeing you again Rita, we should have lunch sometime to discuss that spread."