A Room With a View

Yule, Part 2

Minerva took Hermione's advice and worked quickly to approach Luna about arranging a meeting before the Yule Ball assuming, quite rightly, that news of her marriage to Mohinder would rapidly be eclipsed by reports on those who were deemed most and least fashionable at the ball. Skeeter's drivel was nothing if not predictable, and Luna's story - with no little editorializing on her part - appeared in the Quibbler a scant two days before the ball and was duly picked up by the Prophet the next day. Luna had opted to send the proceeds from the story to the War Orphan's Fund in honor of the Headmistress and her new husband.

The staff had taken the news rather well, all things considered. Sinistra and Poppy had both looked hurt to have been excluded from the secret, but any dented feelings were rapidly shelved in favor of congratulating their long-time friend and employer. Unfortunately, the public had not reacted in a similarly accepting and welcoming manner.

The howlers hadn't begun to arrive until after The Daily Prophet published Luna's story, and said public had been as capricious as ever. Most, oddly enough, had been directed at Mohinder rather than Minerva. He was accused of preying on a "lonely" and "elderly" war hero, using his so-called sexual prowess to maneuver his way into her life and her bed. They'd been alarmed when the first letter for the younger professor had arrived during breakfast the day of the Yule Ball, and Mohinder himself had watched in horror as the red envelope unsealed itself and began to screech. It wasn't until the words "seduced her with your foreign ways and your fancy sex!" that he'd begun to chuckle. Hermione had shrieked and hidden behind her hands and even Severus had chuckled at the look of shocked amusement on the man's face.

Minerva was somewhat less amused and had to be convinced that sending a reply howler was not in her best interests.

Never threaten a Gryffindor's family, Severus thought. Lionesses defend their kin to the death.

He sent a look over to Hermione and reflected that she would likely be just as outraged if he were similarly maligned. The knowledge left him with only warm feelings.

The hubbub around Minerva's announcement certainly served as adequate reaction for those staff who had remained at Hogwarts before the Ministry ball. Everyone who fought in and survived the Battle of Hogwarts had been invited, which meant that the entire teaching faculty and Argus Filch had been extended invitations. Longbottom had been hard-pressed to convince the crotchety caretaker that Mrs. Norris would not be an appropriate escort to the ball. Such arguments were somewhat set back by Mrs. Longbottom's comments that the cat would indeed look "lovely in her holiday finery" and that she was "too well behaved to shed on the Minister of Magic." Severus had rolled his eyes at Luna, now well use to her antics after months of off-kilter comments in the staff room, but Hermione had actively participated in Longbottom's attempts to convince the caretaker that Mrs. Norris would be better served catting around the castle and enjoying a celebratory sardine supper while her owner was wined and dined at the ball.

At long last, Saturday came. While Hermione and Severus were old news on the ballroom circuit - thanks in large part to the Malfoy gala just six weeks prior - Hermione was still determined to look her best. Severus suspected that it was, in part, to give the Skeeter bitch no quarter when it came to critiques of her appearance at such a formal event. She'd spent the morning bathing and buffing as he'd watched in fascination. First, she'd cleansed, then she'd rubbed her skin with what he thought looked like sugar granules suspended in oil. It smelled like apricots and had left the bath slippery enough that he'd nearly bashed his nose into the wall during his own shower. Then she'd smeared mud on her face and product in her hair and lotions on her skin. When she'd finished, he hadn't thought Hermione had looked noticeably different, though he did make sure to make agreeable noises when she held out one smooth leg for his inspection.