"It looks great!" Pomona exclaimed, taking in the new staff room. "Minerva really outdid herself." The Room of Requirement had been made to look almost like their old staff room, the same red and gold furnishings, the same house crests, the same desks and sofas, but newer. The furniture was fresher, no old tears in the fabric. Pomona plopped down on the couch, putting her feet up on the cocktail table. "Feels like home!"
Rolanda and Poppy followed behind her, smiling just as wide. "It's nice to have a place again," Poppy said. "It's been a long two months with no staff room, well no staff room without Ms. High Inquisitor watching over us."
"And no Quidditch," Rolanda muttered. Their friend had been very much out of her normal character since Decree 49. Rolanda sat down beside her. "This year has been a nightmare."
"Drinks?" Poppy asked, walking towards the liquor cabinet in the corner. They'd had to remove the liquor cabinet they'd kept in the regular staff room for years after the first staff meeting with Umbridge. Pomona and Rolanda agreed. Pomona was glad to start her Friday off with a drink for the first time in weeks.
As the three friends sat in a comfortable silence, the door slammed open. Pomona spilled her drink on herself, immediately scared it was Umbridge. As she dried herself off, she saw Minerva walking into the staff room, her hat crooked on her head. Severus and Filius trailed behind her. "Minerva, what's wrong?"
"I had my inspection today," she snapped.
"Sounds like it went well," Rolanda muttered, taking a sip of her drink. Pomona cringed at the comment, afraid it would further agitate Minerva.
"We'll find out in ten days," Minerva snapped, slamming her parchments on the table.
"Well, you pass the test for the new staff room!" Pomona cut in, hoping to calm her friend down.
It was silent for a few moments, but then Minerva looked up at her, making eye contact. Pomona held up her drink and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Pomona. I'm sorry for making a scene."
"I've been dreading the day you got your inspection," Severus said, removing her hat and then sitting at the chair beside Minerva.
"Did any of you receive your results?" Minerva asked.
"I did," Filius said. "I guess I passed well enough."
"It makes me so angry," Minerva muttered. "There is nothing I can do about this."
"You're here for us," Poppy offered. "How about a drink?"
"Make it strong," Minerva replied. The group of friends sat in a long silence, Pomona watching as Minerva downed her drink in just a few minutes. "I fully intend on being drunk this evening," Minerva finally said, breaking the silence.
For the first time in a few days, Rolanda laughed, and Pomona couldn't help but laugh as well. Severus looked amused. "We can make that happen," Rolanda said.
Minerva picked up her wand and summoned all of the bottles in the cabinet, bringing them to the table. "Severus, pick your drink."
Severus widened his eyes. "Whisky."
And so the drinking began. Pomona had intended on visiting Mr. Diggory's family for lunch the next morning, but as she watched Minerva pour everyone drinks she thought that dinner may be the best plan in preparation for the hangover the next morning. It had been quite some time since the group had gotten together for a full night of drinking; possibly since before Mr. Diggory's death. The girls had had an evening together after the first week of classes, but nobody had been that drunk. Pomona hadn't felt the desire to drink since Mr. Diggory had passed- up until the last few months, she knew that drinking would make her more depressed. However, the camaraderie that was coming from Umbridge's presence was something that gave her much happiness. There was nothing to say- there hadn't been in weeks. Everyone was miserable, and nobody knew what to say. Albus had been missing for weeks; Minerva had been busy; Severus kept being summoned away, and the rest of them were too scared to do anything. This was the first time they'd all been together, and Pomona felt immense comfort being with her Hogwarts family. Her siding with Dumbledore had caused a rift with the small amount of family she had left. They refused to believe He Who Shall Not Be Named was back; and the sight of Cedric's body replayed in her mind too many times a day to doubt his return. Hogwarts was truly all she had left- something that happened to so many of the staff.
At first, conversation didn't come despite the decades long friendship between them all. It wasn't until they were three drinks in that Minerva broke the silence. "I'm sorry that I'm at a loss for words," she said.
"Let's play a game!" Rolanda exclaimed, having drank more than Pomona had thought. She finally sounded like her old self. "We need fun in this place, at least for the night. I'm tired of being depressed. Truth or dare!"
Pomona snorted at the idea. "We're all too old for that!"
"I'm not doing this," Severus mumbled. Pomona watched Minerva pull his arm down as he stood from the table.
"If I'm doing it; you're doing it," Minerva said, pulling him closer and kissing him.
"Fine," he muttered. Minerva, Severus, and Filius all moved to the sofas, Filius sitting next to Pomona. As Pomona shifted on the coach, she felt the effects of the alcohol beginning to set in.
"Alright- Minerva, truth or dare?" Rolanda asked.
Minerva held the glass of whisky up to her lips and smiled. She looked how she'd looked so many years ago in their seventh year with wine, overlooked by Albus out of favoritism for Minerva, Pomona, and Poppy. "I don't know what to say, Ro. With you I feel like I lose either way. I choose truth."
Rolanda smirked. "You knew if you picked dare, you'd be naked on Severus's lap by the end of tonight."
"She may be, but it won't be in front of you lot," Severus said. His comment caught Pomona off guard, and she laughed loudly. Rolanda looked pleased. Poppy simply rolled her eyes, but Pomona saw that she was smiling nonetheless.
Rolanda leaned forward as if Severus had finally given her what she wanted. "Alright, Minnie. Truth. Have you two done it somewhere in the castle that wasn't either of your rooms?"
"Of course!" Minerva said far more matter of factly than Pomona could believe she'd ever admit to something so personal.
"Where?" Rolanda asked.
"I believe that truth is only one question," Minerva replied. "Not a series of them. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask me next round. I'll ask now. Filius, truth or dare?"
Beside her, Filius poured himself another glass of the strong whisky. "Dare."
And so the evening went. As Umbridge skulked around the castle, as Filch followed behind her, as Albus was Merlin knows where, and as Voldemort continued to rise to power, the old friends shared an evening that felt a little out of place. Pomona felt a tinge of guilt enjoying their company as she knew so many suffered around them. Yet, as Rolanda managed to get Minerva admit to having sex in the staff room and the entryway, and Poppy, on a dare, managed to make Severus transfigure his outfit back into Augusta's clothes that Neville Longbottom had wished for in their third year, Pomona felt a well needed reprieve. It also made her happy to see her friends happy- even if it took a secret room and a few bottles of whisky, and even if it was only for a night.
Finally, the night had to end, and Pomona broke it up. "I'm afraid I have to get to bed," she said, standing from the couch. "I have a rather emotional day tomorrow, and I'd like to not be too hungover."
Minerva reached from across the cocktail table and squeezed her hand. "Come by if you need anything tomorrow night, my dear. Severus told me I owe you."
Pomona smiled. "You never could owe me. You do enough."
"Not lately," Minerva replied, her mood changing. "Not for any of you."
"Not another word, Min," Severus cut in, reaching her hand out to stand her up. "Cut the sense of duty for a night. We made it through without Rolanda getting either of us undressed and with only a few embarrassments." Pomona smiled at his affection as he ran a hand across the small of Minerva's back.
"We should go," Minerva whispered to Severus. He leaned in and kissed her forehead, pulling out some of her hairpins as he did. "Good night, all," Minerva said, leaning onto Severus. "Thank you for tonight." The two left and Pomona hugged her friends good night.
"I'll walk you back to your rooms," Filius said, following behind her. "I'm going back to mine."
Pomona smiled as her closest companion followed her out the door. "I feel like a couple of first years sneaking out of bed," she muttered. "All because of that stupid woman."
Filius nodded. "I know. But, that was fun."
"It was."
They walked in a comfortable silence the rest of the way, Pomona happy that at least one evening that term would be like old times.