turn and face the strange

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Minerva McGonagall/Poppy Pomfrey Characters: Pomona Sprout, Rolanda Hooch, Albus Dumbledore, Fleamont Potter, Euphemia Potter, James Potter Additional Tags: 1960s, Miniskirts, please don't pay attention to the many anachronisms, Mutual Pining, Hogwarts, toddler James, 1960s Music, basically two emotionally constipated lesbians, one of whom gets flustered at the sight of a short skirt, the other at the sight of quidditch trousers, and they're both trying to be responsible adults, minor internalised homophobia Summary:

Poppy my love, Long time no see. How’s London treating you? Listen – won’t beat around the bush. Old Madam Blainey’s after kicking the bucket. Dumbledore’s on the hunt for a new matron. I thought who better than Pomfrey herself? He loves the idea – told me to get on to you. Understand if you’ve gotten too used to the big city, but consider coming back to Hogwarts won’t you? Pomona misses you. Minnie’s here too but I don’t know if she’s capable of that kind of emotion. Anyhow, gotta fly (ha ha, literally) – get back to us as soon as possible. All my love, Ro **** Poppy Pomfrey is a Junior Nurse at St. Mungo's hospital: unfulfilled, underpaid, recently single and desperate for change. When she learns that the matron position at Hogwarts is opening up, she jumps at the opportunity - not taking into account the prospect of an awkward reunion with old friend and first crush Minerva McGonagall.

reading with my feet tucked under the bedcovers on a sunny day

sitting on the floor eating sushi, laughing and chatting through a classic film

cramped old bookshops; tattered leather bound vintage books

house parties; boisterous laughter and silly costumes and music and wine

chain-smoking in a fur coat

edinburgh in spring; sunlight streaming through the trees in the Meadows and flowers blooming on the side of the road

drinking rosé straight from the bottle

tidying my room only for it to get messy again - clothes strewn on chairs, books on every surface, fairy lights wound around empty bottles

carrying my laundry through a converted 1910s school; the castle visible through the huge sash windows

clubs and bars lining the street under an old stone bridge; laughing revellers spilling out of tiny dark side streets and supposedly-haunted closes

pretending to work and talking softly in a wood-panelled 1800s dining hall; high backed chairs and portraits and painted crests

organised rows of wooden desks in the library reference room; iron ladders leading to higher books; tipping my head back to stare at the ornate domed ceiling

70s music blaring as I let my hair fall from its rollers

my long wool coat flitting around my legs as I carry my shopping home, mary-janes clacking on the pavement and a baguette sticking out of my bag

stained glass windows in the old university library