The parchment in the pink woman's hand suddenly crumbled, and out of the corner of her eye, Charity saw Minerva's fingers twirling in the same motion that the parchment was crumbling. The Deputy was seated beside her, and Charity could practically feel the heat coming off of Minerva every time Dolores Umbridge spoke. Tossing the parchment behind her, Umbridge giggled. "Well I am glad I've memorized everything I intended to say this evening."
"Aren't we all?" Minerva muttered under her breath.
"Did you have something to say, Professor McGonagall?" Umbridge asked in the most polite tone that Charity had ever heard someone use. Yet, it was so sweet it sickened her to even listen to it.
McGonagall opened her mouth, but Dumbledore immediately stood and clapped his hands. "I think we've had enough for one evening, hm? Rebeus and Minerva must be well-rested to greet the first years tomorrow. And, Minerva and I still have much to do before the morning! Have a good night, all. Thank you for your dedication each and every year, and Dolores, welcome to the staff. Dismissed."
"I best freshen up, and then I'll join you and Minerva in your office for the rest of the meeting," the pink woman said, standing from her chair, puffing her chest to make up for the fact that she was still heads shorter than the Headmaster.
"Minerva and I have things handled, Dolores. Get some rest."
"Oh, come now, Albus!" Umbridge said. Charity watched as all eyes went, not to Dumbledore, but to McGonagall.
"Albus is right; these meetings tend to go quite late," McGonagall cut in, her voice sharp. Her face twitched.
"I have been sent by the Minister himself! Surely there isn't something that you two wish to discuss that he would not be able to know?"
McGonagall was silent, and nobody in the room moved. It was the quietest Charity ever remembered a staff meeting being. "I resent the accusation, Delores. We will see you in twenty minutes, my office." With that, Dumbledore left the room.
"The password is gumdrop," McGongall said, throwing Umbridge a clearly fake grin.
"I'm quite looking forward to the three of us working together!" Umbridge exclaimed, following behind Dumbledore as he left.
"Minerva, the password to his office is sherbert lemon," Filius said after Umbridge had shut the door behind her.
"It must have slipped my mind," McGonagall shrugged.
The room was silent for a few, long moments until Rolanda began laughing. "Minerva, what in Merlin's name-"
McGonagall put her hand up. "Don't start with me, Ro. I didn't know who the ministry was sending until she walked in this room two hours ago." She rubbed her temples.
"What's going to change?" Poppy asked, having been silent through most of the meeting.
"I don't know," Minerva answered truthfully.
"They've never sent someone like this before," Pomona said.
"The Ministry is trying to make sure their own propaganda is being taught," Severus said stiffly. "Potter is a liar and Mr. Diggory died a horrible accident, not by murder."
"Cedric was murdered," Pomona added, and Charity could see her eyes tearing up.
"Umbridge is here to ensure that is never discussed." Charity's heart ached for the children who had lost a friend the last term, not only for their loss, but for the lies they were being told about his death. There must have been so much confusion among them.
"I don't trust her!" Filius exclaimed, crossing his arms.
"As you shouldn't," McGonagall added. "Nobody dare trust this woman. If you need something this term, come to me."
"What about Dumbledore?" Poppy asked. "Why is he allowing this?"
McGonagall sighed. "Dumbledore has more things to worry about than our frivolous problems," she said, but Charity could tell there was some deeper frustration there. Dumbledore hadn't been around in months. "I am your Deputy; you may come to me with anything you or your students need this term."
"You're our fearless leader, Minnie!" Filius exclaimed.
McGonagall smiled slightly. "I better be going. Have a good night."
Snape got up to meet her, and Charity blushed as he kissed her cheek. "Don't get him too drunk, Filius," McGonagall said over her shoulder as she left.
Snape and Filius both smiled, something she rarely saw Snape do. They looked like two schoolboys who had been chastised. "We've never done that, now, have we, Severus?"
"Not at all, Filius."
"Min never addressed the real problem with this year," Rolanda said, leaning back in her chair.
"What is that, Ro?" Poppy asked.
"The staff room! She's staff now, isn't she? Umbridge? Whatever her name is! I'm certainly not going to sit in there with the chance that that pink buffoon comes walking in."
"Yes, yes!" Sybil chimed in, speaking for the first time. "The aura of the room changes with her in it."
"That's for sure," Snape muttered.
Rolanda put her hand down on the table. "That's everyone's task by the opening feast tomorrow night- find us a new room! Dismissed!"
Everyone laughed at Rolanda taking over the room as if she were Headmaster. Slowly, the staff began to leave the room aside from the core friend group that Charity had to admit she always wished she'd been a part of. Pomona, Rolanda, Poppy, Filius, and, oddly enough, Severus, were always together. She smiled at them as she began to leave. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Pomona standing behind her. "Charity- what are you doing tonight?"
"I…um, well I didn't have much planned. Just preparing for the term…"
"We know it's the anniversary of Anna's passing. Severus told us."
"I-," Charity opened her mouth to talk, but felt tears welling up in her eyes at the mention of her late daughter, blinking and letting them stream down her face.
"I can't make the same promises I made you about Lockhart," Snape said softly, with a hint of emotion. "I don't know what or who is in the Ministry's head."
Charity nodded, trying to block the emotions she'd become good at suppressing each year before the start of term. "She would have been in my house, drinks are on me," Pomona said. "Don't sit in this year- let's go to the Three Broomsticks, hm?"
"That would be a nice change," Charity admitted.
"Filius and Severus have their chess night planned until Minerva comes back. We girls should have a night!" Rolanda said, putting her arms around Pomona and Poppy. "Join the gang!"
"That would be lovely," Charity said.
Rolanda began leading them out of the staff room, and Charity followed, overcome with emotions and feeling uneasy. Pulling away from the group for a moment, Charity turned to face Snape who now stood with Filius. "Why tell them now?" she asked.
He shrugged. "After last year…I can't promise you your safety anymore. It felt only right to tell them what's going on…I'm not exactly the sentimental type."
"Seems old McGonagall is rubbing off on you," Charity said lightly.
"That she is," Filius said with a smile, rubbing Snape's arm.
"Shut up, the both of you," Snape snapped. "Come, Filius." With that, they were gone.