Keeping an eye out

[Cyndi Kingsley]

The professor had considered not even looking for a costume because she was certain that she wouldn't find anything that fit her. Being nearly seven months made it difficult for her to find anything that fit her, but in a stroke of brilliance Professor Kingsley had come up with an idea. She had purchased via owl a large black t-shirt. When it arrived, the professor had tried it on and then cut a large hole where her stomach was. The shirt had sat in her office until Halloween. On the day of the feast, the professor had put the shirt on and a pair of black jeans and then gone to work painting her belly the color of a quaffle. It wasn't much of a costume but she hoped it was worth a few chuckles. Cyndi had used her magical camera to take a few pictures of her decorated stomach for her husband, hoping he would get a kick out of it as well.

Heading down to the feast, the professor was immediately hit with the wonderful aroma of butterbeer and the smell of various sweets. She went straight for the table, happy that being pregnant and the deputy headmistress allowed her to quickly reach the front. With a plate filled with treats and a glass of cider, the professor looked for an empty table near the stage. She listened to the music and watched the students, hoping that none of them would cause trouble and make it necessary for her to remove house points as she was so willing to do these days.

 

[Jacqueline Styx]

Professor Jacqueline Black was not typically one for dressing up to go to the halloween feast. Last year, the transfiguration professor had not attended. However this year, she had decided to go in costume. Jacqueline was going to be a black cat. The brunette woman had decided to transfigure into a cat since that was her animagus form. Albeit, her animagus was a fluffy, white Persian cat. Jacqueline put on a black dress before giving herself cat ears and a cat tail. She also transfigured her face so that it was catlike. This year Jacqueline had more of a reason to go to the feast. The woman had not actually seen the magazine for herself, but she had heard the rumors. Some stupid magazine had claimed that the woman was having an affair with an unnamed seventh year. It was not the slightest bit true. Jacqueline loved her husband very much. He had changed her for the better in more ways than he knew. Raziel had everything to do with her closer relationship with her kids from her first marriage.

Jacqueline looked around the great hall, pleased with the way that all of the decorations had turned out. Being one of the transfiguration professors, she had helped with the decorations. Jacqueline looked around the hall for some of her colleagues. Instead, Jacqueline saw her daughter-in-law serving herself at the food table. Not too many people at the school were aware that Cyndi Kingsley was related, if only by marriage, to Jacqueline Black. Cyndi Kingsley was pregnant with what would be Jacqueline's third grandchild. The professor smirked slightly at her costume. She had painted her large stomach like a quaffle. Jacqueline walked smoothly over to the woman. "Cyndi, darling." she said with her British accent evident in her voice. Jacqueline smiled warmly, a smile just reserved for family. "How are you doing? How is the baby?" she asked with honest interest.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi had the glass of cider halfway to her lips when she heard a familiar voice. Turning her head to the side, she didn't find the face she was looking at immediately recognizable but she knew who had greeted her nonetheless. It was an accent unlike most of the other people from the family, but one that she knew belonged to her mother-in-law and colleague. Jacqueline's British accent was as heavy for her as Cameron's southern one was for him. Cyndi would be lying if she said that the woman didn't make her nervous, but time had made her a little more comfortable with being around Cameron's mother when he wasn't around. Cyndi returned the smile and took a sip of her drink before she replied. "The baby's doing great. I just had another appointment the other day and the healer said that everything is going fine." Cyndi had been grateful for that. Regardless of whether she was having a boy or girl, Cyndi just wanted the child to be healthy.

"That's a neat bit of transfiguration" she said, nodding to the woman's ears and face. Looking around the room, Cyndi noticed that there were hints of magic in many of the costumes, including another who appeared to have transfigured herself into an animal. She knew exactly who it was and Cyndi had to chuckle to herself at the girl's obvious lack of concern for the opinion of her classmates. She was certainly brave. "The costumes are quite imaginative this year, aren't they?" she grinned as two students walked passed dressed in a tandem costume. They were the sorting hat and stool. Cyndi liked that costume a lot and made it a point to herself to go up to those students later and compliment them on their costume. "I have far too many sweets on this plate. Help me eat them, Jacqueline" she stated, holding the plate towards the woman. She was supposed to be watching what she ate, but she had developed such a sweet tooth these days and with it being Halloween, the sweets were so available.