This is utterly fabulous! Your Severus and Rita just jump off the page! I absolutely adored the unexpected sincerity of the pitch Rita put together for Snape. It takes a masterful writer to shade and nuance an over-the-top character such as she is, and bring forth surprising depths. You did the same for Snape. His vulnerability in beginning to believe Skeeter may be wanting him for more than "the scoop" or even just the sex, is so delicious. I do believe he's beginning to fall as well!
You've done the next to impossible here with me. I almost have a squick about Skeeter, and its a rare experience for me to read Snape in a het pairing, but I truly love this fic because your art rendered it plausible, exciting, and true. Kudos galore. I look forward to the reveal, and almost hope I've never read anything else you've written so that I can revel in the discovery of a new and accomplished artist!