Merlin he hated it.

The ridiculous dressing, the food so rich your belly ached the next day, the music too loud to hold a conversation, the teenage hormones and tears, the fear of looking accidentally too long at a female student in a far-too-short-skirt....

Or perhaps the amusement at the challenge of the last one, wasn't so bad.

Ignan drifted from one group to the next, exchanging pleasantries - handshakes, nods, compliments about the decorations, the turnout of the students, the tournament in general. Each time he adopted his gentleman's smile, the soft word, his cleanest accent. Governors exchanged more interesting quips with him - more familiar this year since he had become Deputy to two different Hogwarts Headteachers.

Thinking to refresh his own glass of wine (the firewhiskey earlier had taken the edge off things and it was more pleasant and occupied to chatter with a glass in one hand) the Hogwarts Deputy encountered someone who did not look all to unfamiliar, which triggered his gut instinct that they had children or relatives at the school.

"Good evening, we haven't met, have we?" He asked politely of Aisling Knight, and readied his hand to shake hers, "Ignan Storm, Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Despite the comments of one Professor Trishna, Ignan Storm didn't appear too perturbed about the niceties of the event, at least to Aisling's eyes. Though, Merlin knows, she had enough familiarity with the sociable smile, the carefully inoffensive comment, and all the other perils of such important events.

"No, I fear I haven't had that pleasure yet. Aisling Knight. With Accidents and Catastrophes." She shook the proffered hand with a smile.  "Though I have heard very good things about your work here." There was a warm ease to her voice, the tone of someone who had already received all the reassurances she might need about his approach to teaching. The girls could write thorough letters, at times.

She summoned herself a small goblet of wine, which floated over to her hand. "It's a lovely event. I find myself quite enjoying it." The complaints regarding the particular choice of music could be left to Tarron. He tended to be much more intimidating in such matters.

Ahh, niceties again. Well, what else was there to talk about with strangers?

Ignan shook Ms Knight's hand, searching through his memories - a mental image of his neat mark book in his mind. There were quite a few Knights to his knowledge - so he tried to imagine a younger Aisling...

"Though I have heard very good things about your work here."

The Defence Professor raised an eyebrow at this, thankfully it wasn't the tone of I've heard things about you, Professor Storm, and I don't like it. Which was the sort of thing he did occasionally hear, not often in person, more often in a howler.

"It's a lovely event. I find myself quite enjoying it."

"Really?" Ignan asked, and then realised with a wince that he'd sounded too surprised, that he might have been a bit too blatant about how he was hating it all beneath the show of face. It was tiring, and he'd much rather be spending it with a smaller group, or with the woman he loved instead on his arm - not alone.

Thankfully he managed to follow it up with a half-intelligent question about her potential children.

"Do you have daughters here, at Hogwarts?"

That tone was rather hard to mistake, but only prompted a knowing, and sympathetic smile from Aisling. It seemed that she wasn't the only person wearing the mask of proper decorum that night. Or the only one with a bit of distaste for it. "But of course, despite its weight."

With the reasons for such being tied into his question, it was easy enough to shift there, though she sipped at her wine first. "Yes, Rowena and Sophia are in their first year here. From their letters, they're quite enthralled so far." There was pride there, in the look in her eyes, the shift of head and posture. Something not yet brittle.

"If you have a few minutes, perhaps we could find somewhere quieter to talk? I would appreciate it, and I'm certain Tarron would as well." Such events tended to result in her husband being cornered by various ministry officials to discuss cauldron thickness. Something which made Aisling's own obligations at these functions seem positively pleasant in comparison.

Ms Knight recalled her twin daughters to his memory, and immediately their faces popped into his mind's eye. They were first years, not ones to cause him trouble, but whether that would change as they got older and took an interest in boys. That was always when girls started to become a handful.

"Ah yes." Ignan replied, "Your daughters are admirable students, you should be very proud." He meant it, for once. A little more acquainted, the witch beside him suggested a more suitable place to speak, which gave Ignan the impression that she might want to quiz him on matters of the school or tournament, or even her daughters after all.

"If you have a few minutes, perhaps we could find somewhere quieter to talk? I would appreciate it, and I'm certain Tarron would as well." The Defence Professor looked surprised at the request but accepted the request politely.

"Of course. Tarron is..?" Ignan asked, curiously. "I believe its a little quieter out towards the entrance hall perhaps."

"I am glad to hear that. " Aisling hadn't expected her daughters to cause any real trouble, outside, perhaps, of eating too much candy. They did take after the mother's sweet tooth, and how generous she had been with sending them packages did not help. But to hear confirmation of their good behavior was quite reassuring. And so she allowed herself to show just a quick twinge of pride, if one rather demure for such matters.

"Of course. Tarron is..?"

"My husband. He's been the Chief Warlock these last few years." It seemed a bit odd for him to not know, though Tarron's position was not quite as visible as some others. And it made the compliment regarding her daughters seem even better, a touch less likely to be tainted by politics.

"I believe its a little quieter out towards the entrance hall perhaps."

"That seems perfect." She half-turned in that direction, head tilted back towards the Hogwarts Professor in that short moment of watching to see if someone will follow. "I do hope this is not too much of an imposition."

"Not at all." Ignan assured her politely, ensuring his features said as much as she looked back at him. He did cast a glance over his shoulder - having come to the dance alone, it wouldn't do for anyone to think he was up to something now, especially with the head of the wizengamot's wife.

"Was there something in particular you wanted to discuss?" Ignan asked, following Mrs Knight out into the entrance hall. The music was quieter, but there were still students milling about, mostly on their way to the bathrooms, and a few back to their dorms, having had enough of the evening and deciding to turn in - alone or arm in arm with someone.

Aisling settled gracefully into a chair. It was not so distant here, with din swirling about, but conversation could be had much easier. And they were still quite in the public view, though not the focus of it. She had no desire for fuss, or scandal. Her expression was carefully reassuring, one which she had obtained far too much practice in, and she had hardly pulled him away just to entrap him in round of tedious niceties.

"No, no burning questions. I simply tend to lack opportunities to speak with the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts. Could hardly resist such an honor." Her smile was a bit warmer than the formal words. The evening may not have gone on too long, but she was rather grateful to be sitting. No matter how well she had aged, she still didn't make a usual practice of being on her feet all evening.

"Though Professor Trishna was rather insistent that you required a respite from talk of students."  There was something of understanding in her voice. She had certainly endured her own share of events and niceties, these last few years. "Unfortunately, he rather neglected to mention any subjects you would enjoy speaking of, so if I must chose a question that would be such." There was that careful mixture of poise and interest. In how she tilted her head towards him, in how her hands gently rested in her lap.  It seemed he had her full attention.

"Though Professor Trishna was rather insistent that you required a respite from talk of students. Unfortunately, he rather neglected to mention any subjects you would enjoy speaking of, so if I must chose a question that would be such."

"Really? That was... hm... kind of him." Ignan replied softly. "I must admit, quite often speaking with parents that is exactly the subject that is the norm - a common ground. Often people are not interested in anything past one's function as a teacher..." and that's the way I generally like it, in those situations, he thought to himself.

"You spoke to Professor Trishna this evening, or do you know him from outside of the castle?" The older wizard asked, stalling while he tried to think of a suitable conversation topic, given his unfamiliarity with Mrs Knight. 

"I spoke to him and Professor Reid earlier. Had never had the pleasure of meeting him before now, though I have read some of his works." She shook her head, finding a bit of amusement in the recent memory. "He seemed rather surprised by that."

They had proven the sort of books that she would not mind seeing have larger exposure, either. That she wouldn't mind buying for the girls. She caught a flash of red hair and pale fabric, and followed it with a bit of a smile before pulling her attention back.

"I haven't had the chance to meet many of the staff, yet. They seem quite the diverse lot, so far." It seemed rather hard to get to know them, with how swiftly they changed in and out. Former staff popped up everywhere.

Ah, and there was that glimpse of Rowena again. Aisling allowed herself to watch the dancers out of the corner of her eye, with most of her focus still on the Deputy Headmaster.

"He seemed rather surprised by that."

Ignan was amused by the observation. Undoubtedly Tappy thought nobody read his books, but perhaps his fans liked to keep to themselves, or in their homes writing ridiculous stories about wizards travelling to the moon and the stars in tin boxes.

"I haven't had the chance to meet many of the staff, yet. They seem quite the diverse lot, so far."

"Yes, I suppose we are." The Deputy Headmaster agreed. "Besides our international guests even. But it is good to have Minerva McGonagall at the helm again. She's still wildly popular since the last war, and rightly so. Much as I am saddened to hear Herschel was just an interim post-holder, I couldn't think of any better hands." Other than my own of course, a voice in the back of Ignan's head added.

"But I do think our diversity shows the students a little more of magical life outside of Britain. Not to say Hogwarts students are close-minded, but at that age its hard not to be self-obsessed, or preoccupied with appearance and friends." He gestured vaguely to the swirling faces going back and forth in the entrance hall.

"Am I right to assume you studied here, Mrs Knight?"

There were not many names that could command the same respect as Minerva McGonagall, true. Aisling nodded. "Though I do wish that her return hadn't been prompted by such dreadful circumstances." Her voice was soft. The whole matter was rather too close to home. Tarron had lost enough family already.

"It is good for them to have their views expanded a bit. And yes, I did study here; I was in Ravenclaw. Though I expect that there have been some changes since then." She sipped her wine, then toyed with the eagle ring set on a finger. "This is the first time since I graduated that I have been here." Then a small shake of her head. Her earrings wavered. "Though it seems not all of it has changed. The Great Hall doesn't seem that much smaller."

Though the sight of just how young many of the Professors were made all the time she had spent here seem so far away. It seemed as if half of them hadn't even been born when she'd last set foot there. Not that such was a fact she wished to bring up. Tarron's concerns earlier had already made her feel quite old enough. "Though perhaps a bit more full."

"Though it seems not all of it has changed. The Great Hall doesn't seem that much smaller. Though perhaps a bit more full."

"Hmm," The Deputy Headmaster's mouth curled at the edges, "I think there may be a little magic towards that illusion tonight."

His eyes had shifted in the direction of the doorway where the music was flooding from.
"Ravenclaw? I've not yet met a Ravenclaw I haven't admired in some sense. I'd like to think I'd have been sorted into the house had I grown up in Britain, but I suspect if I asked the Sorting Hat, it'd disagree. As it happens its not too happy with me in the role according to what it muttered on the way down from the office at the start of term, traditionalist, it seems." He gave a shrug, "Its a wise hat though. I'd probably not trust me given this year's competitive element."

Shifting forwards he asked Madam Knight,
"Would you have competed, if you'd been here for a tournament?"

"The Sorting Hat does seem to keep one's wishes in mind when making decisions. Though I couldn't say that I understand too much of how it works. There's only so much insight that can be gained from a few moments with it." And with how long it had been since then, the memories could become rather hazy.

And yet some of them remained so clear. "All of the Houses have their own virtues, though. Sometimes it surprises me how much importance we can still allocate to such divisions." Perhaps it that she had not come in with a history related to any of the Houses. Or the variance in such matters within her family. It was hard to be quite sure.

"Would you have competed, if you'd been here for a tournament?"

She blinked, then thought for a moment over her wine. "No, I fear not. I was rather occupied with my studies at the time, and with the war matters were tense enough." Her hand tapped softly against her chair for a moment. "I would have had no wish to make myself more of a target." This whole world had still seemed new and confusing then.

And far too dangerous.

"Ah forgive me," Ignan replied, leaning forwards a little to speak more softly in the noisy surroundings. The war was such a delicate subject, and it was clear Mrs Knight had lived in difficult times for her education from the way she'd phrased things, and the expression adopted.

"I hadn't wanted to assume the period you attended coincided with wartime. I was here to help the Ministry a few years in the seventies. In the nineties I was out of the conflict, just passed through once. I remember even that short visit the whole country felt under siege." He gave he a respectful nod, and then sat back slightly again, rephrasing his question.

"If your daughters were of age to compete this year, would you be happy for them to be Hogwarts champions?"