Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time

Published: 16. April, 2022

Filius played a slow tune. The melody filled the small hall and the ones listening found themselves humming along (more or less accurately).

"What is this song called?" asked Minerva once the last note had faded away.

"It doesn't have a title yet," the pianoforte replied. "It's an original."

"Oh! How lovely!" exclaimed Pomona. With Hermione's and the Beast's help, she'd squeezed herself through the narrow door of Hermione's room and made it into the hall that held the pianos. The doorways she'd passed were a little...bent in the middle, but as long as Argus Filch didn't notice, no one cared.

A high, clear laugh rang in the hallway and they all turned to the door. Hermione passed the room, dressed in a black cloak and a thick scarf wrapped around her neck. She was walking beside the Beast and both were dragging a sleigh behind them. Their voices faded as they headed out of the castle.

"When was the last time I rode on a sleigh?" sighed Sirius dreamily. "With my hair flowing in the wind, the cold air stinging in my face-"

"While throwing snowballs at your professors," grumbled Horace.

"Those were good old days," Sirius continued. "Days where I still had hair..."

Albus snorted and the lid of the cookie jar opened. "Biscuit, anyone?"

"Don't mind if I do," said Pomona and marched over to the table, on which her colleagues where standing on. The floor shook slightly from the heavy wardrobe's steps.

"Septima, would you like a biscuit?" offered Albus as Filius began playing the tune again.

The protractor shook its head. "I have to watch my waistline."

"You have a great waistline," said Aurora, "A few biscuits won't hurt. It's Christmas in a few days, after all."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "you're so- angular and- sharp-edged-"

The protractor glared at him. "And is that a potbelly I see?"

"What?! Where?" Sirius looked down at himself in panic, expecting his golden chandelier-body from head to toe.

"Better watch out, those biscuits are sneaky," Horace laughed and accepted a biscuit from Albus. The chandelier straightened up and shot Horace a look out of his narrowed eyes.

"Says the right one," said Sirius snippily, pointedly looking at the clock's belly.

Horace frowned and crossed his arms. "That's just the wood of my clock form. It's very thick wood."

The others snorted.

****

"Okay," gasped Hermione and pulled the wild hair out of her red face. She had a white hat on her head, which had a fluffy toorie on top. "Do you want to go first?"

The Beast eyed the hill they'd just climbed the past seven and a half minutes. Below they could see the castle. The wide meadow stretched out beneath them and to the far sides was the forbidden forest. The shield shimmered in the winter air behind them.
"I don't see the point in racing down this hill, only to drag myself up here again," he grumbled and crossed his arms. His black fur seemed to suit him just fine as a shield against the cold, because once again he was dressed in nothing but long, black pants.

"It's fun," Hermione pointed out and turned the sleigh around. She sat down on it and scooted to the front. Then she looked at the Beast with an expectant smile. "Come on, you'll enjoy it, Severus."