Epeolatry - ✔️

Twenty

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple."
- Oscar Wilde

By the time that the snow turned to rain and the days began to grow longer, Athene was the happiest that she had ever been. She no longer dwelled on the past or the horrors that often haunted her. The woman was filled with a peace that could only be given to her by Charlie Weasley.

After their dramatic reunion, Athene and Charlie had been sure to spend as much time together as they could. It was mostly Athene who made the travels back and forth between Diagon Alley and Romania, but, much to everyone's surprise, Charlie was working on his apparition license so that he could travel with the flick of his wrist.

Life was simple, and it was filled with wonderful people, delicious food, and raving best friends. With the change of weather, the promise of something new was fresh in the air. So Athene wasn't surprised when Rita Skeeter came pounding back into her life one sunny June day. She hadn't heard much of the woman since her article - which had made a mockery out of the Weasley family - had been published in late April. Athene had been thankful that she hadn't had to grin and bear the presence of such a demanding woman, but all good things must come to an end.

Athene was lazing around her apartment, enjoying the fact that she could take a day to herself. She had been planning a shopping trip with Enya for weeks, but when the day came, Enya canceled her plans. The girl's excuse of 'something's wrong with my mum, and I can't come today' didn't sit well with Athene. Enya had been quiet and reserved as of late, and it was quite unnatural.

Athene had just sat down with a new book and a cup of tea when someone knocked on her door. It pained her to leave the comfort of her book, but whoever wanted to see her was persistent. They knocked several times before Athene could get to the door, but everything was explained when a brightly dressed Rita Skeeter was standing in the bright afternoon light.

"Rita," Athene offered a sweet smile, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm," Rita hit back with just as much humor in her voice, "but I'm so glad that you're excited to see me."

"Come in then," Athene opened the door wider so that her uninvited guest could enter her home, "I've just boiled some water."

Rita was familiar with Athene's apartment and wasted no time making herself at home. The woman sat her pompous behind in the chair that Athene had just been in and pulled the tea cup off of the table before her. "It's almost like you knew I was coming."

Athene shuddered at the sight, and her appetite for tea disappeared. "Is there something that I can help you with?"

"Is it so wrong for an aunt to come to visit her niece?" Athene's deadpan look answered that question without words. "Fine. I need another favor, and before you say no, I know you'll want to do this one."

"And why's that?"

"Because you did the first two with me," Rita smiled and drained the cup of its contents, "I want you to go to the final task with me next week."

Athene pretended to contemplate this idea, but she had already expected this from her aunt. "No."

The older woman nearly choked on her tea. Athene's answer completely caught her off guard. "What do you mean, no? You can't just bail on me."

"Please," Athene stood and took the tea cup from Rita's hand, "it's not like you need me for anything anyways. Besides, I already have plans to attend with the Weasley family, and, seeing as you wrote such an offending article about them recently, I don't think you'll be welcome to join me." Athene couldn't help the sense of satisfaction that knawed at her heart when Rita's face dropped into anger. It was a rare occasion for Athene to ever say no to Rita Skeeter and, even when she did, she often ended up doing what Rita wanted. It was tough for Athene to say no when Rita held her childhood over her head.

"You aren't serious, are you?" The sunlight streaming though the window illuminated Rita's face in an unflattering manner. "I've helped you get to where you are, and you will repay me in kind."

"I got myself here with no help from you," Athene stood from her chair with Rita's empty tea cup in hand, "And what use do you have for me in your stupid interviews and articles anyways? All I do is sit around, watch, and do absolutely nothing to help."

Rita watched her with calculating eyes, and it made Athene shudder. What was she hiding? "People like you, Athene. You make them comfortable, even when I am berating them with questions they know will make them look bad. How do you think that I got all of those answers from the Weasley man? He wouldn't have given that information out easily without you there. I'd been trying to get someone from the Ministry to give me the real story since it happened, and I had never gotten closer than when you were with me."

"You're insane," Athene levitated the tea cup away from her as her anger curdled in her stomach. "You have to be seeing things. If I remember correctly, no one was comfortable when we showed up at the Tri-Wizard Tournament for the first or the second tasks."

"Maybe," Rita twirled one of her perfect curls around her finger, "but you know that, more often than not, those competitors gave more information than they would have if you hadn't been there."

"You're crazy," Athene shook her head in clear disbelief. "Get out."

"You know that there's something to it, Athene," Rita spoke slowly and clearly, and it made Athene's mind whirl, "Mr. Weasley, Harry Potter, and all of the others that have been interviewed with you there."

"Get out," Athene pulled Rita from her chair and pushed her through the apartment.

"I wasn't quite sure, at first," Rita dug her heels into the wooden floorboards, "It was quite odd how easy it was to get those children to give me information when I asked the most uncomfortable questions, and I thought it was just their age or immaturity."

"Rita."

"But then, it kept happening," Rita smiled back at Athene as she put her hands on Rita's shoulders and pushed her closer towards the stairs, "And when Arthur Weasley willingly told me of the incidents that even the Ministry wouldn't divulge, I knew that there was something else going on."

Athene stopped in front of the stairs and gave Rita a pointed look. She didn't really want to shove her aunt down the stairs, but at the moment, it wouldn't be such a bad idea. "I appreciate the visit, Rita. It's time that you left."

"Just think about it, Athene," Rita took a step down the stairs, "and maybe you'll see what I do."

Author's Note:
Do you think there's anything behind Rita's words, or is she just a crazy kook or maybe both? We'll just have to see what Athene comes up with.

Question of the Day
Non-fiction or fiction?