Its Christmas time again (Open)

Colin walked into the Great Hall dressed in a blue pinstripped suit, and his hair neatly styled, and looked about all the students with a fond smile. They seemed to be enjoying themselvs. It was a good idea.

He sat at a table, and felt a small twinge of loneliness as he looked at all the couples, young and old. This would have been the sort of thing Kiera would have loved. At Christmas was the time he missed her the most.

But he pushed those thoughts away. This was not the time or place for them. Accioing a drink from a near by table, Colin leaned back and resigned himself to a solitary, but enjoyable evening.

She hesitated before walking in. She was the new Occlumency professor, so she still got a bit of stares. Ignoring her shyness, she held her head up high. She walked over to a man sitting by himself.

"Hello, I am Serenity." She said softly.

Colin looked up at a young woman approached his table. He did not recognized her and figured that she must have been a new employee. It was always possible she was here as someone\s guess - there were many adults about that he did not recongize - but he figured if that was the case then she would not be asking to sit down with him.

He smile and waved a hand at an empty seat across from him, "Hello Serenity, would you care for a seat?"

"I'm Colin," he offered his name, "I teach astronomy - are you knew?"

She sat down, smiling. "Yes please, thank you." She paused. "I teach Occlumency, I had got told that the position was have a temporary teacher. So I thought I would help." She grinned. "Are you liking the ball so far?" She asked.

"Ah Occlumency," Colin nodded softly, "I'm afriad I was never much of a master at that art."

He gave a soft laugh.

Once more he looked about him at all the children and other people who appeared to be enjoying themselves, and smiled.

"You know, I just believe I am."

Silver smiled to herself as she entered the Great Hall and looked at all the happy faces. She wasn't used to such happiness and carefree attitude by people as she was an Auror and there was no time for such occasions. She didn't mind that she was here alone for she had come here to have a good time, even if that meant she didn't have a date.

She got a glass of punch and noticed two people conversing at a corner. Hoping she wasn't interrupting, she went over to them. "Hello, I'm Silver." She introduced herself with a smile. "Mind if I join you?"

"Hello Silver," Colin said, once more waving to an empty seat, "Not at all."

"That is some dress," he said with a smile, "Personally I don't know how you woman manage such things. Suits seem much more simple to me."

"I'm Colin."

She laughed. "Most people can't get a master in that art." She gave him a smile.

She smiled at the girl, who had a attidude she only saw in a Auror. "Hello, I am Serenity." She greeted.

She snorted. "I am not fond of dresses, but this occasion required one. So... I wore a simple dress." She grinned. "I love your dress though Silver. Don't get me wrong"

"Well simple or not, you both look very lovely," he said with a smile.

"So neither of you beautiful women have a date for such an eveing?" Colin asked after a moment, that being the only question that could come to his head at the moment.

She refused to blush. "Thank you. And no, I found no man who caught my eye." She wasn't the type of person who would often have a long relationship. It was mostly a night, and they never saw each other again. She wished for a family though.

"What about you? I see no girl." She asked.

"Oh, um..thank you for the compliment, I guess." Silver replied, thoroughly surprised. She couldn't remember the last time someone had commented on her appearance in a positive way. I really need to get out more, she thought with a sigh.

"A date? Me?" She laughed lightly. "I didn't have time to find a date and even if I did, I don't think I'd get one," she told with a slight grin. "And I'm actually really shocked that you both came here alone." She said to Serenity and Colin teasingly.

Colin smiled softly.

"Well there is nothing wrong with being alone; you can be independant. Isn't that what girls are supposed to desire these days?" He smiled teasingly.

"No, no you wouldn't," he said softly turning a serious for a moment, "My Wife past a few years ago, and its still just me."

Although his eyes saddened slightly he still kept his easy demeanor. He was coming to grips with Kiera's death a little more each and everyday. It was certainly easier to say it out loud.

"But please, don't let that seriousness ruin our find. Silver, I don't believe I've seen you around the school. What do you do?"

"Well yes, that is true I guess. Only so we can find ourselves a worthy man." Silver teased back with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She murmured. "I know you have probably heard that lots of times but..." she trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm an Auror." She grinned lightly. "School has never been my sort of thing. Even when I was a student, I mostly slacked in almost all my classes. The only thing I was good at was Duelling and Potions." She shrugged. "What about you two?" She asked.

She blushed. "No man I was interested in." She shrugged her shoulders.

She smiled sadly at Colin. "Sorry about that." She murmured. She looked at Silver, grinning.

"I was right, how you hold yourself is Auror like." She laughed.

Colin nodded at there apologizes as was due and then moved on to the next topic with easy that came from years of dealing with it.

"An Auror, another job I don't believe I'd ever have enough knowledge to do," he responded with an easy smirk, "I'm just a lowly Astronomy Professor, content to get lost in the nights sky, and put up with some - sometimes more than grumpy - children for the evening."

"How I hold myself Auror like? That obvious, huh?" Silver asked with a laugh. "After a couple of years of being an Auror, you can't help but walk and talk in a certain manner."

"I love it. But the difficult part is the number of deaths you have to deal with in a day. And what is worse is the guilt you have to go through when someone under your protection..." She trailed off, remembering the incident that almost drove her to the edge and nearly made her lose her job." She shook her head and smiled, "Nothing wrong in being an Astronomy Professor as long as you enjoy what you do. What about you Serenity?"

Colin gave her a sympathetic glance, "I can't imagine the strain that must put on a person. I am sure I would never be able to handle it. You must be a very strong individual Silver."

He had barely handled the lose of his wife, Delaney had been the only thing really that had kept him sane. He couldn't imagine working in such an environment.

She smiled and shook her head. "Astronomy is a good subject, I was interested in it but not enough to indulged in it."

"I teach Occlumency." She answered. She stared at Silver, pondering. "I almost became a Auror." She broke off the stare. "But, I am a rash person. It wouldn't be safe, and the people surrounding me." She laughed.

"Oh, I wasn't much fan of Occlumency. Somehow I just wasn't interested in learning about reading thoughts and things like that. I don't mean to offend you, though." Silver quickly added with a smile. "Let's just say it's not my cup of tea."

She smiled softly and shook her head. "I don't think I am strong. I think it's because I can relate to the families that have lost their loved ones. It does put a lot of strain but I can't imagine doing anything else." She looked around at the students and other teachers having a good time. "It's nice to be in such an atmosphere." She murmured. "All I see are carefree attitudes and smiling faces."