Gellert Grindelwald (that_summer) wrote in novusmundus, @ 2010-04-03 23:02:00 |
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Entry tags: | albus dumbledore, gellert grindelwald, remus lupin |
Who: Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, and Remus Lupin
What: Remus was invited to a small NAA social gathering.
When: Saturday
Where: A large receiving room in the Wilmersdorf.
Rating: TBA - low, probably
Status: Incomplete
There was nothing particularly significant about the soiree being held that night. It was a gathering primarily of internal staff--ministers, advisers. It was hardly the sort of function to which a new military recruit would be invited. Nor had the Dean of Medicine from the university initially been invited; his inclusion was an afterthought, as was that of the other professors and department heads that had been sent invitations in order to make the Dean's presence seem somewhat less of an anomaly.
The party had officially begun ten minutes ago, but it was not quite appropriate for the Chancellor and the Lord Protector to hang around the door greeting people as they arrived. Everything progressed much more smoothly if they arrived after everyone else was already there, and already helping themselves to the tapas and drinks carried around on trays by Muggle servants. As it was not a formal affair, there would be no grand announcement of their entrance; they could slip into conversation more easily this way, the environment lending itself much better to the intimate and complex conversations that were the true point of such parties. No one was invited simply to drink themselves into a stupor. This was perhaps the only time that the internal staff were afforded what they saw as the opportunity to speak to their rulers in a casual atmosphere, without the threat of being blatantly ignored or arrested on the spot for making too daring a suggestion. For Albus and Gellert, the soirees were a chance to review their staff in an intentionally non-threatening atmosphere...and to elaborate on the images they wished to portray to their ministers.
Gellert wore his tie slightly more loosely to these parties than he did around the executive halls. He allowed elements of relaxation to creep into his dress, smiled more quickly and more warmly, even wore the simple gold wedding band that he so often eschewed on a day-to-day basis. He laughed at jokes he thought were cliche and bland, shook the hands of men he found fatally boring, listened to suggestions from people whose knowledge was limited and biased.
...Generally. Other times he would not come at all, or would arrive in the strictest tailored suit without a single hair out of place, the Wand placed somewhere conspicuous and his every word clipped and heated. Because for the most part these gatherings were expected to be so casual, such drastic changes kept with the air of unpredictability that Gellert has so carefully cultivated about his reputation. If his staff could always anticipate his behaviour to be one way in private, another way in his office, and yet another way if they met in the corridor, he would become far too easy to outmaneuver. Unpredictability served perfectly to obscure his true intentions, keeping those who knew him and would otherwise attempt to overthrow him unable to predict his mood, how he may act or respond.
Tonight, though, especially given Remus's invitation--especially given Kastra's staged outburst--relative amicability was the game. Gellert walked at Albus's side down the hall toward the receiving chamber in which the party was being held, hands resting in his pockets and the Wand tucked carefully away inside his jacket. He did hope to draw Remus Lupin away, after a while. There was the matter of Lily Evans's letter to discuss, and insurances to be made that the boy would never leave the service of the NAA. But he knew he must restrain himself to patience. There was the ideal moment for every conversation, and Gellert would not force what would eventually come organically. He only hoped that the opportunity would arise over the course of the party--that he would not be required to wait several more days for it to present itself.