I bit the bullet and bought a dress. I tried to keep my word and grab the first dress but Beatrice, a rather nice young woman who worked at the shop, decided to take charge. She forced me to try on several monstrosities, and didn't comment about my scars, simply bringing long sleeved dresses like I requested. I wanted something TARDIS blue but she insisted on something to bring out the green in my eyes. In the end she chose something in a royal purple with long, soft, sleeves that clung to my arms, and everywhere else really, save at the legs, where it flared out to allow for movement.

I showed up early to help with set up with the setup of the ball, getting a smile from Minerva.

"See, I told you getting a dress wouldn't be a problem."
I shrugged,

"I let the lady at the shop pick it out. Said it helped bring out my eyes."

She bobbed her head in agreement,

"Well, she certainly knew what she was talking about. You do have lovely eyes."

I shrugged,

"Mom told me I have my dad's eyes."

I helped with the charms for our winter wonderland, whirling around and having fun putting ice crystals in random places. I had a vague memory of Fleur mentioning statues, but didn't really trust my abilities to add up to what the French witch would expect so I left it alone. When kids arrived I stayed out of the way, not sure how to act as a 'chaperone' or whatever. I sat at the Staff table, hair pulled up in an actual hairstyle for once, magically created curls pinned to the back of my head with a crescent moon shaped hair accessory Luna had given me for Christmas. A few strands had escaped and were tickling my neck, causing me to scowl at my menu. Honestly, even with magic I couldn't get my outfit to behave properly. Sirius looked perfect of course. Wait. Of course? Where the hell had that thought come from? I mean sure, he was hot now that he wasn't all bedraggled and starved, but-holy hell, when did I even realize that? And I shall promptly ignore it.

I shook my head, glaring at my porkchops. This was not in 'The Plan'. Not at all. 'The Plan' involved getting rid of the dark idiots, fixing the fuck up of government, keep children from being used to fight a war, and then becoming a hermit to find a way home or waste away trying. It did not include crushes on a fellow professor/students guardian. And also my brand new partner in crime. According to fanfiction he wasn't the type to hold a real relationship, but it's not like I knew anything for sure from canon. I pushed it out of my mind, focusing on the conversation around me.

Poppy was shooting me a funny look, and when I met her eyes she raised a delicate brow,

"Something wrong dear?"

I shrugged,

"Contemplating wave-particle duality and the various other mysteries of quantum mechanics."

She stared at me for a second before sighing,

"I wish you would stop using those complicated muggle phrases when you wish us to abandon a subject. It tends to give some of us headaches."

I stared at her for a second before grinning slightly

"Sorry. Habit."

I did my best to not look Sirius' way, knowing somewhere in my bones that I would give myself away. Or I tried to ignore him, but that was difficult since he sat right next to me and had a thing for elbowing me in the side every few seconds. After five minutes of it I gave up, raising my eyes to the heavens before turning to him.

"Yes?"

He smiled smugly in victory before poking me in the shoulder yet again,

"Just wanted to tell you how nice you looked this evening."

My mind blanked out and I scrambled for the response I would have told anyone else had they said that. Oh yeah, deadpan.

"You too."

Back to poking the salad. He poked me again,

"Everything alright? Nothing went wrong with your project, did it?"

He sounded a bit panicked at the end.

"No, no. Project's progressing as much as I had expected. I'll need to find a...a person, and observe the, eh, issue in progress in order to sort of stream line the-"

"Are you going to launch into the thing again with the big words?"
I thought about it for a second,

"Probably."
"In that case nevermind, I'll just take your word for it."
I rolled my eyes, jabbing at the salad once again. I had assumed we would be back to silence after that. I was wrong.

"So, how has your Christmas been?"

How was my Christmas supposed to be? As far as everyone was concerned I was trapped miles away from home with no family, few friends, and only a portrait to keep me company.

"Fine. Yours?"
"Harry can't wait to head home after this, see Remus and everything. That's when we're actually going to celebrate Christmas. You know, you're welcome to join us. Harry specifically mentioned for me to invite you."

I stared at my salad blankly for a second before looking up at him,

"I…"

Well damn. I hadn't spent Christmas with someone since I started college. Even the Doctor was elsewhere at Christmas, always getting up to something dangerous with other companions. He always assumed I was spending it family, and I never told him differently. That's, what, eleven of them now that I've spent alone?

"I wouldn't want to intrude."

He snorted,

"We wouldn't be inviting you if we didn't want you there. What do you say, flooing over after this soirée ends?"

I hesitated for a few more seconds, this was their what, first real Christmas together? But he was giving the puppy dog eyes, and as a dog animagus he was unfairly good at them.

"Please Mara?"
I sighed explosively,

"Fine! Where are we flooing from?"

He grinned,

"My office, right after we change and Harry grabs his things from the tower."
I resolved myself to a day more without research. Eventually dinner ended and the chairs disappeared, leaving me sighing and leaning against things instead. Sirius found me a few minutes later, slumped behind some decorations.

"Well, being a wallflower tonight? We can't have that."

I rolled my eyes, pointing over at one of the tables.

"Your Godson is king of the wallflowers, perhaps you should fix that first."

Ron was snarling about the Bulgarians already and I tilted my head, taking in the scene.

Sirius shrugged,

"He knows what he wants better than I do in this case. If he doesn't want to dance then I won't force him. You however, have not had so much as a single one, and that needs to be rectified."

I just stared at him before putting on a faux mournful look,

"Oh, but all the eligible males are taken, whatever am I to do?"

One of the twins danced by, twirling a giggling Hufflepuff,

"Sorry, Professor, didn't mean to disappoint."

I snorted, smiling fondly at him before turning my attention back to Sirius.

"I'm fine sitting this one out, I think. You haven't danced either. I'd have thought you'd be all over that sort of thing."

"And what makes you think that?"

My brain stuttered to a halt. How would I have come to that conclusion? I've only seen him as being a sort of fun personality, chipper, not the 'popular party' type depicted in what I'd read of his early days.

"It's a party, just seemed like your kind of thing for some reason."

My personal anti-reporter ward around the castle tripped, telling me Rita was somewhere close. I snarled at the floor,

"Skeeter is here."

Sirius gave me an appraising look.

"Do you have a sixth sense for when she approaches? It's uncanny how you manage to know where she is at all times."

I shrugged,

"It's a talent. If you'll excuse me I need to punt her off the grounds."

"Can't someone else do it for a change?"
"Definitely not. I enjoy freaking her the hell out. Makes my day."

I swept out of the room, heading straight towards the gardens, pushing past Ron and Harry with a small smile, and 'stumbled' upon Hagrid and Maxime sitting in the garden.

"Oh, apologies. I was just looking for someone, excuse me."

I continued through the gardens, smirking slightly. Rita had seen me and run, beetle form or not she didn't want to run into me again. She was headed in the direction of the castle and I went to head her off once again, she was clinging to Snape, a dangerous place to be if Karkaroff decided to head him off again. I saw her on his shoulder and for a horrifying second thought I was going to have to ask him to dance as an excuse to brush the bug off.

But he saw me loitering outside and approached.

"I'm sure you can handle the rest of the delinquents hiding out here. I have things to attend to inside."

"Sure, no problem."

I brushed the bug off casually, mentally cackling when she freaked out and flew off.

"Sorry, beetle. Have a nice night."
I flushed the rest of the kids out of the bushes, cackling out loud all the while. Most of it was left over from Rita but some was from their expressions of mortification at being caught. I found Draco with one of the girls from Beauxbatons and simply raised an eyebrow at him, getting him to blush a very bright pink before he scampered off.

At midnight I shoo-ed people toward their common rooms before heading to my quarters, packing with a quick spell and using another to cram things out of sight or disguise them. The Doctor was snoozing in his frame, but I left a note for Zoopy on the desk changing into jeans, a sweater, and my converse before grabbing my bag and making a run for Sirius' classroom. He was in his office, sitting in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk. I stood awkwardly in the door for a second before knocking on the frame.

"We waiting on Harry?"

Sirius shook his head,

"I sent him on to the place, looked a bit tired. Dumbledore insisted on placing it under Fidelius since it doesn't have blood wards quite like at Privet Drive. He's the secret keeper, so you'll have to floo over with me, I couldn't get his attention before he disappeared tonight."

I swung my bag fully onto my back, grateful I still ascribed to backpacks instead of the clunky suitcase style things wizards liked.

"Fair enough. Let's get this show on the road then."
He grabbed a handful of floo powder, holding the other out to me. I took it and he pulled me forwards close to him.

"12 Grimmauld Place"

He pulled me tighter to him before stepping into the flames. It was a tight squeeze, but we were stepping out into another room a second later. The words he said were already fuzzy in my head, but I knew very well where we were. I'd have to be careful not to speak it outloud, though. There was a Christmas tree in one corner, with gifts piled under it. Lights bobbed around it, unattached to the tree or any strings. He pulled me forwards, not letting go of my hand just yet.

"I'll show you where you'll be staying. Harry will probably wake us in a few hours for gifts, though."

The room was of medium size, a bed shoved into one of the corners and a desk in the other. I thanked Sirius as he disappeared down the hall, getting a tired wave in return. It made me wonder what the heck he'd gotten up to while I was chasing off reporters and breaking up lovebirds. I sighed, taking my shoes off and dropping into bed.

~TimeLordOfPie