It was an unfortunate consequence of being a pillar of a particular community that one was obliged to be part of certain events that had a tendency to become rather tiresome. Temperance was more than happy to contribute what little spare money the Fairchild household found itself with come Christmastime and she certainly did not resent the time she dedicated to spreading the good word of the Lord to the somewhat less than enthusiastic inhabitants of Hogsmeade, but it did grate on one terribly to see quite how disinterested they truly were.

She could cope with being disliked, but the gazes of those that walked past were practically pitying and she had no time for that at all.

"There now, that's quite enough," she advised a child who was becoming a little too ambitious with the decoration of his gingerbread man. "The Lord did not sacrifice his only son so we could indulge in excessive amounts of buttons Cyril," swiftly she took the icing sugar from the table and strode away before he could begin to cry. She seemed to bring it out in so many children.

Dropping the ill-used piping bag in the makeshift kitchen she and the other ladies had created earlier Temperance didn't stop walking until she was in the fresh, chilly air of the sheltered yard at the back of the hall. It smelt pungent, but she had experienced considerably worse and she definitely needed a moment away from the madness - apparently she was not the only one who valued solitude and in all honesty she had expected more than one patron to slip free of the hall to indulge in Christmas cheer of a different kind.

"Fair warning Mr MacKay: if Mrs Collins smells that on your breath she won't let you back in for pudding."

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Wonderful set by Lady <3