"Some other time, I'd love to take you up on the offer."
"...That would be wonderful."
"Come on, then, Avery. Teddy, I'll see you in a few days."October had passed, and as the winter months crept ever closer, Keiran was finally starting to feel the people around him move away from the terror of the summer and into the wonder that Christmas could bring. With that in mind, he paused on his way out of the Great Hall after breakfast one day, turning around to look at the students, staff and - importantly - the room itself. Not particularly festive, he'd admit.
After a meeting about the winter holidays in the staff lounge, Keiran approached Teddy, one of the professors he had been making an effort to know better, along with people like Maddie and Selwyn (if the latter was feeling open that day during meals, of course). He wasn't at all sure that he had been succeeding, however, and that led to his question for Lupin:
Would he help with the Christmas decorations, because Keiran just didn't know what to do? He would, brilliant, let's sort it out this weekend while the majority of the students are out at Hogsmeade. Someone else can chaperone this time, it'll be grand. And, oh, wasn't it great that Keiran knew so much about Transfiguration because that meant that they didn't have to go out and find decorations when a flick of the wand could flurry them up as needed? It was, indeed.
And so that was what led to his teasing letter to Avery, saying how he would inevitably do a rather poor job of it and how she would probably make him look the fool if she showed up and did it. Not that Avery often tried to decorate or took much care outside of her own and of Sophie's appearance. Charming little thing that she was, of course, Sophia already wanted to dress up like a princess even though she was only a little over two years old and the dresses looked hilariously oversized on her. But the point was that Avery knew a thing or two about matching colors together, and her Christmas decorations at Bridget's house were bizarrely thoughtful for just a few strings of lights and some tinsel.
He had no idea that she would take it so literally. After all, if he had, perhaps he wouldn't have stepped out when Theodore needed to talk, telling Teddy he would be back later and very apologetically left him on his own. It was sort of spoiling his whole "let's get to know Lupin" plan, and he told Theo as much once he got there, seriously intending to hurry as best as he could.
Avery, it's important to note, had never once stepped foot in the Great Hall before. But Keiran hadn't been in his office like she'd expected, and after asking for a bit of help she found her way there thanks to a young man in a blue-and-bronze striped scarf. Walking up to the doors and peeking in, she had to reign back the shock that bloomed on her face. Merlin, but the place was positively massive. How many students was Keiran in charge of, anyway? Suddenly, his achievement was immensely more impressive. Sure, she would be proud of him no matter how many students or how many obstacles he had to overcome. But
this? Wow.
So it was with an awed expression that she stood outside, divesting herself of her heavy winter coat - which had been brought in case Keiran wanted to touch up the outside as well. Of course, she felt foolish, now, for not registering just how massive the place really was. Like he would bother with much beyond the front door! Some part of her must have suspected that he wouldn't think about the outdoors, because she was standing there in a dress and black tights, and even had on shoes with heels. A teasing smile, pointed in at herself, tugged at Avery's lips as the scarf, too, came off and both garments were slung over her arm. Perhaps she could set them on a table. Gryffindor, maybe? She imagined herself as much more of a Hufflepuff, if she really thought about it, but didn't feel strongly enough to move her things. Instead, she dropped her scarf and cloak into her left hand and lifted her toes so she could sway back and forth on her heels and take the place in. Could she go inside?
And that, helpfully, was when she realized she wasn't alone. Someone was up on a ladder within the Great Hall. And, whoops. It wasn't Keiran who she was now looking massively naive in front of. Well, if he was even paying attention, which she was quite sure he wasn't. Still. After failing to find a good enough excuse to get in touch with Teddy since seeing him two months earlier, she felt guilty.
One of her arms wrapped across her back to reach for the opposite elbow in an attempt to keep her fingers from fidgeting. Then her right foot tucked itself behind her left ankle as she looked up at him, swaying a bit as she threw off her balance.
"Hello, Teddy," she called, stepping into the doorway and blinking a little when the lighting changed, dimmer in the entryway than in the hall, somehow. "I-"
should have written you. I wanted to. But I was... nervous, I guess? Why? "-came by to help Keiran decorate. Is he...?"
She didn't trail off for lack of an idea of what to say. No. Her gaze had drifted upwards, past the ladder he balanced on, and up, up to the ceiling that was - bizarrely, knowing Avery's life - the most magical thing she had ever seen. Her expression froze, lips parted and eyebrows lifted, and she couldn't help herself. She walked in without the permission she believed she needed, and draped her things over the end of a table. It was, in fact, the Hufflepuff table, though she didn't know it. She didn't notice when her arm fell back to her side to match the other one. She didn't see whether or not Teddy was pleased to see her, or if he thought she looked ridiculous for acting like a first year without meaning to.
She also didn't catch the movement of one poltergeist as he flew in. Not that she would have recognized him for what he was either way.
