Ana manages to locate Alasdair on the train platform before they leave for break and invites him to sit with her on the way back.

She gets a few wary looks from his Slytherin housemates as well as from the Ravenclaws near her, but they both ignore the glances and head onto the train together.

"So how were finals? We haven't really gotten to speak since they started."

Ana normally isn't one to make small talk, but she realized last night that she'll need some form of friend to talk to her mother about or Winona will start fussing. She figures Alasdair is the closest she has, and she ought to be ready to answer lots of questions about him.

Alasdair doesn't seem to mind the conversation. "They were alright. I'm not sure I did very well in Defense, I wasn't expecting more than one essay question so I ran out of time at the end."

Ana nods. "Professor Whits is a tougher tester than I'd expected as well." Of course, she'd finished the exam with time to spare, but considering how relaxed their young teacher is in class it had been a surprise how difficult the exam had turned out to ultimately be. "I almost messed up the Herbicide Potion on the practical portion of the Potions exam." She admits after a moment. "I almost took the cauldron off of the heat before adding the Flobberworm Mucus at the end."

He nods. "One of the Hufflepuff teams did that and the whole potion congealed. Snape was pissed."

Ana can't help but smirk. "I honestly doubt his ability to be anything but pissed."

Alasdair gives a wry grin in return. "I'd defend my head of house, but I'm rather inclined to agree."

Ana chuckles as she glances out the window. "You looking forward to Christmas?"

He shrugs. "My brother is visiting, but not really. I considered just staying at school, but none of the other boys are and I didn't fancy staying in an empty room for three weeks."

Ana nods thoughtfully. "Fair enough. I think my roommates are both on the train as well, though I admit I'm not sure."

Alasdair raises an eyebrow. "Did they not tell you?"

She makes a face. "I'm sure Evie did at some point, but I make a point to block anything she ever says to me from memory."

Alasdair barks out a laugh. "That's the girl who's banned from flying, yeah? She seems like she'd be interesting."

"Sure, she's interested in herself. Honestly she's a huge pain to room with." Ana gives herself a moment to vent, and then reigns it back in. Getting frustrated never helps anything.

Alasdair shrugs. "That's too bad. Maybe she'll get better."

"I hope so. But enough about her, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

They chat for about an hour before both retreat into their books. Ana is confident she has enough information now to satisfy any questions her mother might have about her friends. And Alasdair is a Slytherin which she knows her mother will appreciate.

They pull into King's Cross a little after five in the evening and Alasdair helps her get Dracula's terrarium safely off the train to where her mother is waiting.

Winona smiles at her daughter, and then looks questioningly over at Alasdair.

"Alasdair Macmillan." He introduces himself politely upon noticing the look, with all the grace of an old pureblood family.

Winona smiles, clearly pleased. She speaks with Alasdair for a minute while Ana gets her trunk in order, and offers to wait with him until his parents arrive though he politely declines.

"What a lovely young man. It's unfortunate you're not in Slytherin with him, you could spend more time together."

Ana can almost hear the cogs whirling in her mother's head. "Mom we're only friends and we see each other plenty in classes. Please don't make this something it isn't."

Winona raises her hands. "I'm not dear, just making conversation. It sounds like he's from Scotland?"

Winona is quite glad she'd questioned Alasdair as she had on the train, for the entire ride home consists of Winona quizzing her about him.

"Well perhaps we should invite the Macmillans to dinner sometime over the summer. It would be nice to have a few respectable friends here in England."

Ana pretends to not know what her mother means by that, but she's aware that most of her mother's school friends are either dead or in Azkaban these days. She pretends she doesn't know why. It's much easier that way.

Her father isn't home when they arrive, so Winona ends up helping her daughter move her things up the stairs to her room before heading back down, announcing that dinner will be ready in an hour.

Ana busies herself with unpacking. Her school robes she leaves neatly folded at the bottom of her trunk, along with her textbooks, but her everyday clothes are hung up and her personal effects are redistributed to their proper locations around the room.

Dracula is dropped onto her pillow once everything is said and done and she lies down next to him, staring up at the familiar ceiling of her bedroom and feeling a faint pull of disappointment when all she sees is ebony wood instead of a sky full of stars.

Maybe she'll ask her father if he could enchant her room to look a bit more like the dorms. It's soothing, falling asleep under a calm, open sky.

Winona calls her for dinner shortly after, and the two start without Ana's father.

"So tell me more about Hogwarts, we've really only discussed your friend Alasdair. How are your housemates?"

Ana takes her time chewing and swallowing her current mouthful before answering, giving her some extra time to formulate an answer to the question. "They're alright. I honestly prefer the older students but my roommate Amelia never causes trouble and the boys for the most part seem decent enough, though I don't speak with them often."

"Is it just you and Amelia?" Her mother questions, frowning. "That seems rather small."

Ana shakes her head. "There is one other girl, a muggleborn named Evie. I don't like her very much though, she's caused quite a bit of trouble in just a few months." She pauses to take another bite. "And our year is rather small. I think we have the fewest first years out of the four houses."

Her mother nods in understanding. "Ravenclaw usually does. And my little girl is one of them." She sounds proud, and Ana can't help the warm feeling the rises up in her chest because of it. To think she'd been so worried about whether her mother would be alright with her not being in Slytherin - looking back she feels rather ridiculous.

Her father arrives home shortly after and joins them at the table, and Ana discusses her classes with renewed vigor.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts is probably my favorite class for subject matter, but Professor McGonagall is definitely my favorite teacher, so I'm doing particularly well in Transfiguration as well."

Her father smiles. "That's wonderful to hear Ana. That's a very difficult branch of magic. Oh, speaking of, how did you like your birthday gift?"

Ana lights up. "It's wonderful! I've read the entire book twice already, thank you again."

Her father gives her mother a knowing smile and Winona simply sighs. "You Baba will be visiting in a few days." She says instead, an obvious move to change the topic but Ana doesn't mind. She hasn't seen her Baba since June so she's quite pleased with the news.

"Will she be staying around for Christmas?" Her father doesn't like Baba as much as Ana and her mother do, but he does his best to be polite.

Winona shakes her head regretfully. "Unfortunately not, she'll be returning to her coven after just a day. She says she expects to see some improvement in your studies Ana."

Ana knows her parents think this just means regular magic, but she knows better. The crystal ball her Baba had sent her on Halloween is stashed in the back of her closet, and she decides she'll practice a bit more in the next few days just to make sure her Baba will like her progress. If she does well enough, she'll hopefully get something for Christmas as well.

She excuses herself from the table as soon as she's finished, mentioning her homework so she'll be allowed to go straight up to her room and not be bothered until it's time to sleep.

She hurries up the steps and retrieves her crystal ball from it's hiding place. Dracula, as always, hasn't moved from where she'd left him so she places the ball on the pillow he's not occupying and focuses.

She hasn't had much opportunity to practice, as she rarely gets the dorm room to herself for long (and she just knows if Evie ever sees the ball it will shatter) and she can't be caught practicing this anywhere else in the school. Students might pass over it without question but teachers without a doubt would recognize the Dark magic for what it is.

But now she'll be unbothered by Professors or walking trouble magnets. She closes the curtains and flicks off all the lights before crawling back onto her bed and placing a hand on the crystal ball.

This particular spell isn't particularly difficult but it requires quite a bit of focus, and so the surface of the ball is only swirling before Ana has to pull her hand away, slightly light headed.

She takes a few deeps breaths, waits for the room to come back into focus, and then tries again. She's succeeded a few times before, but never consecutively and never on the first try. Tonight she isn't even able to summon the image she's looking for before she has to admit defeat or risk passing out and having her parents catch her practicing.

She continues citing homework as an excuse to stay locked up in her room for the next few days as she continues to practice. Dracula is left out of his terrarium since he'd ended up cooped up inside of it for most of her time in school due to Amelia being creeped out by him (which is ridiculous, but conversely Ana worries that if she ever does leave him out Evie will manage to kill him, so perhaps it's all for the best).

She of course does have actual homework that she works on when she's too drained to continue practicing with her crystal ball. Readings for potions and defense, an essay for Transfiguration, and a start chart for Astronomy. Professor Binns had stated he'd give them homework over the break but had apparently forgotten since nothing had ultimately been assigned.

Her father is happy to enchant her room's ceiling when she asks, and she uses it to complete her Astronomy homework so she can avoid having to sit in the snow for hours. At night she falls asleep trying to count the stars, just as she does in the dorms.

On the fifth day her Baba appears on the doorsteps. There's no warning, and no indication of where she'd come from, but at seven in the morning there she is.

Ana is thrilled.

Baba spends about half the day talking business with Winona before Ana offers to show her the enchantments on her ceiling as an excuse to leave her parents in the foyer. She's improved quite a bit with the more regular practice she's been engaging in and she's excited to show her Baba what she's accomplished.

"Hmph, what was wrong with your old ceiling?" Baba grumbles, eyeing the glittering stars with distaste.

Ana frowns. "It reminds me of the Ravenclaw dorms." She responds honestly as she pulls the crystal ball out of it's hiding spot. Dracula is back in his terrarium, and it's been pushed well off to the side in hopes her Baba won't take interest in him. As much as she likes the hag - she teaches her the most interesting sorts of magic after all - she's not stupid. She knows that hags eat raw flesh, and she's sure her fire salamander would look like a lovely snack to her aged Baba.

"Who should I spy on Baba?" She requests once she has the surface of the crystal swirling with dark tendrils.

Baba grins. "Why don't we check in on that boy your mother was so eager to prattle on about?"

Ana frowns. She knows exactly who Baba is talking about, but for one thing she doesn't quite know where Alasdair lives so locating him will require more energy. And for another thing, she's not sure she wants her Baba to know where he lives.

But she focuses on him nonetheless, and there's a momentary flicker in the crystal before the tendrils disperse and Ana is hit with a splitting headache.

"Sorry Baba." She mumbles, half disappointed to have failed but also half relieved.

Her Baba frowns. "Well, keep practicing I suppose. I had something for you but it seems you should focus on this for now. Perhaps over Easter."

The sting of the words stays with Ana for the rest of her Baba's trip, and once the hag has left she returns to her room and the crystal ball and tries again.

But once again she's repelled and left with a pounding headache. Deciding to move on for the day, she returns to the foyer to find her mother alone, reading.

"Is dad in his study?"

Winona shakes her head. "Something came up at work. He'll be home tomorrow at the latest."

Ana bites her lip and debates heading back up the stairs, but Winona pats the couch next to her so she instead obligingly sits beside her mother.

"How was Baba? You two were up there for over an hour." Winona prompts, and Ana shrugs.

"She was fine. Insulted my ceiling." She responds awkwardly.

Winona nods. "She would. Hags prefer enclosed spaces you know. I like the new enchantments myself." She adds after a moment.

Ana smiles over at her. "You do? You would love Ravenclaw tower then. The whole place feels like you're sitting under the sky."

Winona smiles in return. "Perhaps, though there's a certain calmness one finds in the lapping of the lake on the windows. I'm not sure I would have traded Slytherin for anything."

Ana perks up at the new information. "Slytherin's common room is under the lake?"

Winona laughs. "Oh, I'm not supposed to say that. Ah well, can't be helped. The common room is up against the lake and the dormitories are fully submerged. I once saw a merperson peering in through the window."

Ana is almost jealous as she and her mother continue sharing stories about their houses, but a bigger part of her is humming contentedly. She may miss school, but she's happy to be home.

The first week home is actually quite nice for Rajani.

She spends meals discussing school with her parents, explaining what she's learned and talking about her new friends in Slytherin (she's very careful to avoid any mentions of people she talks to who aren't Slytherins, as she feels they may not respond well to those ones). She works on her homework during the rest of the day and owls her friends whenever she can. So far Queenie has sent her the most letters of everyone, but both Clary and Eugene have written back at least once.

Sahana has spent the entirety of break so far cooped up in her room, writing letters, and Rajani can tell it's starting to bother her parents. And so she's unsurprised when her mother announces a required family outing to go Christmas shopping.

Naturally, 'family' does not include her father, who is busy at work, so it's just the three Misra women going out on the second Wednesday of break.

"I don't understand why this is necessary mother, we don't even celebrate this holiday." Sahana is rather put out by the forced trip, and though her manners and posture are as impeccable ever her tone has the faintest hint of discontent, which is as close as she'll ever get to whining.

"Nonsense, most people do so there's always someone to buy gifts for. Perhaps something for whomever you've been owling so frequently." Vandana smiles knowingly, and Sahana frowns.

"We're only friends mother. And if you must know it's my roommate Mayra, you remember her. She's traveling to Italy with her family so she's keeping updated about what they're doing." She pauses thoughtfully. "Though I suppose I could get her something. She did get me a new chess set last year when most of my pieces were eaten by Yvonne's cat."

Her mother looks disappointed to learn there's no potential romance in her eldest daughter's life, but she accepts the reluctant acquiescence and the three head down the snow covered street.

Rajani wonders if she should get anything for her friends. They had decided not to, but perhaps if she sees something it couldn't hurt to grab it.

Not five minutes after she makes this decision she spots a stuffed bear in the shape of a black sheep and her mind immediately flies to Nia and her self-described outcast status in her family. With a grin, she politely requests a few knuts from her mother and purchases it.

She finds a gorgeous green and silver pendant for Queenie an hour or so later, and though it's a bit more expensive, when her mother hears it's for the youngest daughter of one of the Sacred Twenty Eight families she's more than willing to part with the six galleons required for purchase.

Sahana also manages to find a book on Quidditch strategies for Mayra and she's noticeably more agreeable after this. Rajani is glad for it - she'd been worried her sister might end up staying cooped up in her room for the entirety of break.

Their mother takes them out for lunch at a small Wizarding pub and Rajani lets herself be immersed in the warm holiday cheer filling the small dining area. The air smells of candy canes and cinnamon and there are fairies fluttering all around the ceiling in a multicolored light dance.

Even Sahana can't stop a smile from tugging onto her face as the people around them chatter happily and someone - a very drunk someone at that - starts singing carols in one of the booths.

By the time the three women return home, runny nosed and red cheeked, it's well after dark and they're all in high spirits.

Although they don't actually celebrate the holiday, Rajani has always loved this time of year. There's a strong sense of family and good cheer lacing the air during the last weeks of December that is often lacking during the rest of the year.

Upon arriving home Vandana heads to the kitchen to prepare dinner before her husband returns home. Meanwhile Sahana and Rajani hunt down some wrapping paper and get to work on the presents.

"So how did your mid term exams go? I remember you and Mayra were pretty stressed about Arithmancy." Rajani hopes that the excitement of the day might make her sister more open to chatting with her.

And to her delight, Sahana responds. "Mostly they were fine but I'm not sure I'll be able to make an OWL in Arithmancy truth be told. Of course, Mayra is even more hopeless than I am, what with her head up on a broomstick half the time."

Rajani smiles. "She's fantastic on a broom though. I figure she'll probably make Quidditch captain next year since Avery is graduating."

Sahana sighs. "I think so too but she says she refuses to get her hopes up. She'll be beating herself up over time lost planning plays by the end of the year, I guarantee it."

They continue chatting about Quidditch and school as they wrap the gifts until their father arrives home, at which point they quickly go to greet him.

Over dinner Quidditch once again comes up as Sahana explains to her father who she's been owling, and Rajani remembers that she has a question for her father.

"Father, I was actually thinking of trying out for the team next year. During the games a friend of mine, Eugene Slughorn," Never hurts to name drop one of the Sacred Twenty Eight families, "Noted that I seem to be gifted at spotting plays. Would that be alright?"

Her father frowns. "I don't like the idea of you playing such an undignified sport, but I suppose if you're sure you could make captain it would be a good qualification to have. So long as it doesn't interfere with your studies."

Rajani bites down on a beaming smile and nods stiffly instead. "Of course. School will always come first."

That night she's surprised by a knock on her door. She's even more surprised when it's her sister and not her mother who enters her room afterwards. She sets two parcels on Rajani's desk before turning to her.

"Hey, were you serious about wanting to play Quidditch?"

She nods mutely. "Eugene and I promised we'd try out together next year. I think it could be fun."

Sahana hums distractedly. "Well, if you like, I could talk to Mayra. She'd probably be happy to give you some extra flying lessons if you wanted them. Playing Quidditch takes a lot more than just good balance on a broom after all."

Rajani blinks, both stunned and incredibly touched. "You'd do that for me?"

Sahana shrugs. "Well, only because I happen to be friends with a very avid Quidditch player who would likely have my head if I failed to mention my little sister is interested. So would you be interested?"

Rajani nods eagerly. It's not like she's mind blowing on a broom after all, and it would be rather humiliating if she went to tryouts next year and was the worst flyer there.

Sahana nods in return. "Well then. I'll mention it in my next letter." She pauses and then adds, gesturing to the parcels on the desk, "And don't forget to send your friends their gifts."

Rajani grins. "Will do. Thanks Sahana."

Her sister doesn't respond before exiting back to her own room.

The next morning, before going down for breakfast, Rajani pens two quick notes to Nia and Queenie and attaches them and their presents to Lakshmi's leg and sends her out the window. Hopefully she'd be back by nightfall, but it's the first time she's sent her owl to a previously unknown location and she's worried Lakshmi might get lost.

Then she remembers that Sahana has been sending her owl Sita to Italy every other day and Sita seems perfectly fine, so she relaxes and decides to trust Lakshmi to do her job.

Breakfast is rather quiet, and her father leaves for work half way through, but there have been worse mornings in the Misra household.

Rajani spends the time after cleaning up doing her homework in the study, occasionally making notes to ask Sahana about thing she doesn't understand. It makes her miss the group study sessions she has with the other first years - more often than not someone understands the things that she doesn't, and she usually gets to explain things as well which she's found is really quite helpful.

Lunch arrives part way through her Transfiguration essay, which has been putting up even more of a fight than usual. She grabs her list of questions and hopes Sahana will be taking lunch with them in the dining room.

Thankfully her good mood from the day before has remained in tact, so Sahana is present for Rajani to pester for help. Vandana scolds her girls about there being a time and place to study and that the table is not it, so Sahana accompanies her little sister back to the study after they've put their dishes away.

Even with the fifth year's help it takes the rest of the day to finish her homework, and she still has the Astronomy star chart to complete.

"It's supposed to be a clear night tomorrow." Vandana remarks whens she overhears Rajani's concerns about being about to complete the assignment in time. "Why don't you two do it then?"

Sahana agrees, citing her own incomplete Astronomy homework as well.

Rajani retires to her room to wait for supper, and the rest of that day and most of the next is spent trying to catch up on her Hindi reading. She seems to have gotten worse since the summer.

Lakshmi arrives back at her window armed with two notes and looking rather annoyed. Rajani quickly lets her in and gives her an overfilled bowl of feed to gorge on while she grabs the letters.

The first one is from Nia and is predictably short. Nia has always preferred face to face communication.

You're horrid and I love it. Merry Christmas, prat.

Rajani grins and places the note aside. The second is from Queenie, and this one is much more eloquent.

Rajani,

I was truly surprised when Lakshmi arrived at my window this morning. I know your family doesn't celebrate Christmas and I am touched you would get me something regardless of this. The pendant is absolutely gorgeous and I shall wear it with pride.

Yours,

Queen Shacklebolt

Rajani's eyebrow raises as she reads the note. It's rather stuffy, even for Queenie - and she'd never sign with her real name - so she's unsurprised to find a hastily scribbled addition at the bottom of the parchment.

P.S. Seriously girl, thanks! I'm going to get you something for sure! Happy break and I'll see you at school!

That was more like her friend. Rajani can imagine Queenie's parents standing over her, dictating the first half of the letter. Rajani's parents certainly wouldn't be above doing something like that.

She pins both letters on the wall beside her bed so she can see them before falling asleep.

That night, she and Sahana bundle up as warmly as they can and sit on the front porch, star charts out and telescopes in hand.

"It would be nice if it wasn't so cursedly cold." Rajani observes as she desperately, and fruitlessly, attempts to locate Mars.

Sahana doesn't reply, but Rajani's telescope is pushed slightly left and suddenly she's getting an eyeful of the red planet.

"Oh, thanks." Rajani quickly notes its location and sketches it into her chart. "I wish I could help you with something."

Sahana almost smiles. "Don't worry about it Raj, that's what big sisters are for."

Despite the below freezing temperatures, Rajani feels a rush of warmth. It's been far too long since she last heard Sahana refer to herself as an older sister. Rajani had thought that maybe she'd forgotten.

They stay out much later than they need to, enjoying the stars until their noses start going numb and they have to retreat to the warmth of the house, whispering their goodnights as they hang up their cloaks and hurry back to their rooms.

Rajani knows somewhere in the back of her mind that it's Christmas when she wakes up, but it doesn't really matter since they don't celebrate it. So she gets dressed and heads down the stairs, not expecting the day to be any different than normal.

She's greeted by a small pile of presents sitting on her usual chair in the foyer.

"It's good to see you've made so many friends." Her father notes as she gazes at the pile in confusion.

Sahana appears in the doorway and give the pile an amused glance. "My year usually exchanges gifts after we get back to school." She observes. "It causes significantly less clutter."

Rajani can't help but smile as she gathers the gifts and quickly relocates them to her room. She spends the rest of the day wondering what's in them but not risking the potential disapproval from her parents for shirking her Hindi studies. So she forces herself to sit in her chair, reading the same sentence of her book over and over until dinner has come and gone and she's finally dismissed to her room.

The largest gift is from Eugene, as in accompanied by a note stating that she doesn't need to get him anything in return. It turns out to be a Nimbus 1000 and she places it very carefully on her bed, stunned that Eugene would buy the newest and fastest broom on the market for someone he's known for three months.

Queenie's gift is a broom care kit, and her roommate admits in the note that she and Eugene had collaborated with their present.

Clary has sent a whole mound of chocolate frogs with a note that simply states Be sure to chew with your mouth closed in the most pretentiously cursive handwriting Rajani has ever seen. She laughs until she's choking for breath.

The last gift is also the smallest. Lenox has sent a very simple charm bracelet with a single snake charm on it. She promptly fastens it around her wrist and makes a mental note to get him something as well.

And as she lies in bed that night, after asking her father to help her safely store her new broom, she mentally counts down the days until she's back at school.

Hogwarts feels empty.

It's the best way Franziska can put it. Without all its students inside of them the corridors echo every little sound and makes it all seem so much bigger than when there were hundreds of students rushing about.

Even Peeves is bored and has taken to singing loudly about the crudest things to fill the suffocating silence.

It doesn't help either that she's the only Hufflepuff first year who's staying over the break. International portkeys are expensive after all, otherwise she'd be at home as well.

Franziska spends her days ambling around the castle, reading in the library, and generally feeling lonely. It's rather unfortunate, as the Great Hall is beautifully decorated for the season and yet she can't quite get into the Christmas spirit for all the teachers' attempts.

That changes two days before Christmas when she steps into the Great Hall, only to immediately be pelted with a snowball.

She blinks slowly, attempting to process what exactly is happening, only for someone to come flying out of nowhere to tackle her to the ground. Another snowball connects with the wall behind where her head had been only moments earlier.

"You're a first year right?"

The boy on top of her seems vaguely familiar, and after a moment Franziska recognizes him as Aidan's friend Brandon.

"Yeah? What's going on?" She asks as he rolls over and then sits up.

"Age war." Brandon grins. "Come on, let's see if we can get back to our fort in one piece. The fifth years are ruthless."

Franziska doesn't have a chance to ask anything else - like how it came to be that it's snowing inside - before he's off, and she has little choice but to race after him.

She's grazed by three more snowballs, but she manages to dodge most of the others and she soon finds herself crouched behind an overturned table with four other kids, all of whom she recognizes from her classes.

"So... what's going on?" She repeats.

"Age war!" Brandon gives the same incredibly unhelpful reply, and the cheeky grin he gives her after finishing the sentence says that he knows full well that that's not what she means.

"Headmaster Dumbledore conjured a snowstorm halfway through breakfast." The only other girl behind the table says flatly. "We've been stuck in this nonsense ever since."

Franziska blinks. "Oh. Well then, I suppose I'm on your team?"

The boy grins. "Excellent, you're on board then! These three are rubbish teammates." He holds out a hand. "I'm Brandon by the way. I don't think we've really spoken before."

She shakes politely, deciding to not point out that they actually already know each other. "Franziska." She looks to the other three hopefully, but only one of them introduces himself, and thankfully the other two as well.

"I'm Fitwilliam. This is my roommate Finnigan and that's Nabila." He nods to each of them in turn. "I don't really like making messes." He frowns. "Oh, and my cousin is around somewhere with one of her roommates but I reckon they're with the other Slytherins."

Franziska frowns. She's really not surprised to hear that the Slytherins have ignored the apparent age war in favor of teaming together. They've been highly exclusive since day one - if it wasn't for classes and meals she figures she wouldn't see hide or hair of the other house.

"Yeah yeah, Slytherins . Are we going to win this thing or not?" Brandon rolls his eyes pointedly.

As he speaks, Nabila begins packing a new snowball. Just as he finishes the sentence she lobs it at a third year breaking cover and clocks him soundly between the shoulders.

Brandon whoops happily. "There ya go Nabila! Show your Gryffindor spirit!"

Nabila rolls her eyes, but Franziska can tell she's smirking as she rolls a new snowball in her hands.

"Come on Frannie, we're way behind."

And so Franziska find herself crouching down, gathering a clump of snow into her hands and then throwing it at the first person she sees. She misses spectacularly and dives back behind the table to avoid the immediate retaliation.

Nabila has become a snowball machine, packing and flinging them faster than either Franziska or Brandon can manage to. As it turns out, she'd been hit by a snowball from one of the fifth years while Brandon was rescuing Franziska from the front entrance and it activated a strong want for revenge in the quiet girl.

At some point the second years make their way to the first year fort and offer an alliance, which is gladly accepted, and the group of them, now numbering eight, make a renewed effort against the fifth years who are still absolutely destroying the rest of the school.

At one point Franziska remembers that Hunter Vaugnes has stayed over the holidays as well, and she makes an concerted effort to try and target him as often as she can. Her determination is rewarded when she manages to get him right in the face nearly an hour after she'd initially been brought into the little snow war.

Brandon grins. "Way to go badger!" He'd started calling her that when he realized that she's the only Hufflepuff in their group, and she figures there's not harm in one more nickname being added to what is already a rather lengthy list.

Eventually they get tired and have to clean up the mess the Great Hall has been left in.

After a full minute of staring around, unsure of where to begin, a cheeky third year suddenly shouts, "Winners have to clean up!" And everyone gleefully races for the doors, leaving the fifth years looking extremely annoyed.

"It'll be good practice for their OWLs anyway." Someone comments, and Franziska smiles, feeling a bit less guilty about joining the group abandoning the room.

"Hey, you're not leaving already?" Brandon is behind her moments later. "We were going to hit the Gryffindor common room, maybe toast some marshmallows. Did you want to come along?"

Franziska's days become much better after that.

She spends every day with her new friends, though she's not sure if Finnigan quite counts as a friend or not. He rarely joins their gatherings except for mealtimes when Fitzwilliam manages to convince him to sit with the rest of them, and even then he never speaks and eyes them all with clear distrust.

"He'd definitely be a Slytherin if it wasn't for his being Muggleborn." Brandon declares one day as they're stretched out in the Gryffindor common room, enjoying the fire. They generally end up here, and though Franziska far prefers the earthy warmth of the Hufflepuff common room, she doesn't fancy letting people from outside the house in and possibly getting into trouble. They have been to Ravenclaw a few times, but they all agree that the Gryffindor common room, with it's scarlet hangings and constantly blazing fire is the best place to be after an active day out in the snow.

Fitzwilliam frowns. "He's not so bad really." But even he doesn't sound convinced.

Nabila shrugs. She's about as keen as Finnigan to make conversation most days, but she still hangs around the group despite this. Franziska wonders if maybe Nabila had been lonely as well before their group started hanging out.

"I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt." Franziska chimes in, not fully comfortable with the conversation if she's honest. "We don't know his story."

Brandon laughs. "You are such a badger. But sure, whatever. If he wants to get his head out of his arse-"

Nabila whacks him quite soundly with a pillow before he can finish the thought and Franziska snorts as he falls off the couch from surprise.

"Merlin's balls Nabila-"

She whacks him again.

And now he's annoyed. "Oh that's it, get over here you-" And he grabs another pillow and takes a swing but Nabila blocks it easily.

Fitziwilliam and Franziska do their best to stay out of the two Gryffindors' way as they struggle to knock the pillows away from the other's grasp. It's not he first time Nabila has smacked Brandon for swearing, and they always end up tussling because of it. Franziska figures it's a Gryffindor thing.

"So how is your homework coming along Frannie?" Fitzwilliam is polite as ever despite the chaos in the room.

Franziska smiles. "Nearly done. Thanks again for helping me out with Transfiguration yesterday."

He nods, smiling. "What are study groups for? And actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go up to the Astronomy tower tonight to work on the star chart?"

They continue along this vein until Brandon has admitted defeat and their Gryffindor friends return to the couch.

"Are you two talking about schoolwork again? Honestly, your lives must have been so boring before you met me." Brandon sighs dramatically.

"Given that I met you in September, I don't really find that your presence has had any noticeable impact on how interesting my life is." Franziska fires back cheekily. She'd looked up several new words for her essay and she's maybe been showing off just a little bit. But only a little.

Brandon groans and flops back dramatically onto the couch. "Oh god, you're turning into a Ravenclaw. Fitz, you've corrupted our little badger!"

The other three all roll their eyes at his antics, more than used to them at this point. The group continues chatting until it's time for dinner, and they opt to sit at the Hufflepuff table, as it's the least crowded of the four.

"So tomorrow's Christmas. You think you'll get anything?" Brandon asks around a mouthful of cranberry sauce.

Nabila makes a face. "I imagine my mother will have sent something." She responds flatly.

Franziska nods eagerly. "Oh I imagine so. I can't wait until third year though, when we can go to Hogsmeade. I'll buy all of you some gifts as well!"

Brandon slings an arm around her shoulders. "Oh badger you are too kind."

Fitzwilliam is, for once, completely silent, picking carefully at his food and separating out each ingredient as if they'd personally offended him.

That night Franziska has some trouble getting to sleep, though for once it's due to excitement rather than discomfort at the unfamiliar quiet of the room.

And when she wakes the next morning, it's to a neatly wrapped box at the end of her bed. Jumping up excitedly, she's quick to tear into the wrapping paper and is absolutely delighted to find a football inside. She changes as quickly as she can and races to the Great Hall, present tucked firmly under her arm.

"We're playing football today."

She's met with bemused stares from the rest of the group, and she frowns.

"Oh come on, surely you've heard of football? The greatest sport ever?"

"That would be Quidditch." Brandon supplies helpfully and she frowns at him.

"Best Muggle sport then. Have none of you played it? Really?" She gazes around in shock, and then smirks. "Well then, I guess you'll just have to learn."

They find a long abandoned corridor on the fifth floor and Franziska walks them through the basics, the same way her best friend Rosalinde had when they were six. Brandon picks it up pretty quickly, and Nabila stubbornly keeps at it until her speed and power make up for what she lacks in proper technique. Only Fitzwilliam continues to struggle until he finally decides, after about half an hour, to sit out and simply watch the others play.

Since there are only three of them playing they end up just passing the ball around the corridor for a while. Eventually it devolves and they start trying to steal the ball from one another.

Hours later, the sweaty trio and a notably less sweaty Fitzwilliam wrap up their game, grinning broadly.

"Told you it's the best." Franziska says pointedly to Brandon, and is pleased when Nabila laughs at the remark.

"Oh whatever, Quidditch is still better." Brandon replies glibly.

They agree to get showered before heading down to the Great Hall for the Christmas feast, and Franziska hums as she gets dressed and joins the other Hufflepuffs as they head for the Hall. She's heard good things about the Christmas Feast from her mother, who had spent quite a bit of time over the summer convincing Franziska that staying at school for the entire year wasn't such a bad thing.

When she arrives, she pauses to appreciate the scene in front of her.

A gigantic Christmas tree stands in one corner, covered in ornaments and twinkling lights. There's snow falling over the tables, though this time it evaporates before it can land on anything or anyone. The smell of the Feast is overwhelming, and starts watering in anticipation.

She spots Fitzwilliam at the Ravenclaw table and hurries to sit beside him.

He pokes at his food idly and she has to clear before he notices her presence.

"Oh, hey. Sorry, I'm a bit distracted." He waves his fork awkwardly in the air and she smiles.

"No problem, it's easy to be with how pretty everything is." Franziska says, gesturing broadly at the Hall. "I can't wait until we learn how to do things like this. My house is going to have snow inside for all of December when I'm older."

Fitzwilliam smiles tiredly. "I'm sure your husband will love it."

She grins. "He better!"

They're joined by Brandon and Nabila shortly after, the former of whom complains loudly about wanting to sit at the Gryffindor table.

"Well if that's what you want you can very well go ahead." Franziska says airily, not looking at him as she speaks. "We'll be here at the Ravenclaw table though."

Brandon stays rather grumpy throughout the Feast, but even he softens by the time dessert rolls around and the table is covered in every sweet imaginable.

The four happily gorge themselves until the food vanishes, and then they bid each other goodnight.

However, halfway to the door Fitzwilliam tugs uncertainly on Franziska's robe sleeve.

"Er, did you still want to work on the Astronomy assignment...?"

Franziska blinks. "I'd completely forgotten! Of course, studying with you is always fun." She beams. "Let me run to my dorm and pick up my chart. I'll meet you at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower?"

He nods and she hurries off, feeling a bit bad that the holiday had caused her to forget their agreement. She quickly locates her chart and runs to the tower as quickly as she can.

"Sorry again about all that. Shall we?"

As they sit under the stars, squinting and comparing observations, Franziska decides that staying at school all year really isn't so bad.

He's missed this.

As interesting and fantastic as magic is, Myr has missed the simplicity of his life from before the letter. He's missed playing chess with Cadi and helping his mother make dinner. He's missed his uncle's curio shop and all it's strange antiquities.

Most of all he's missed feeling normal.

Break passes by far too quickly for his liking. He plays a dozen games of chess against his sister before she opens her Christmas gift and discovers the magic chess set he and their uncle have gotten her.

He gets a kitten. A familiar, his uncle calls it. The kitten is a tiny thing, all black fur and golden eyes and tripping over its own overlarge paws.

Myr names him Owen, and he takes to Myr immediately. Uncle Cyril says it's because Owen can sense Myr's magic. Myr thinks it's because he's in charge of feeding the kitten.

Whatever the reason, Owen spends the rest of break happily following Myr around the house, tripping over everything and generally making a nuisance of himself.

Cadi thinks he's absolutely darling and fawns over him constantly. Myr lets her, rather less impressed by the uncoordinated mess of fur and limbs.

He asks his uncle about his wand at one point on Christmas Eve.

"I have a friend, Holly Kiddell. She says I should have been there when you picked out the wand. She says this one won't ever work properly for me."

An odd look had come into his uncle's eyes, just for a moment. Then Cyril was grinning again.

"Don't you worry about that Myrddin. That wand is special, you'll see. If you really want a new one later, well, I can't stop you from buying one."

Myr takes his word for it. He's been doing decently enough is school after all, and wands are rather expensive.

Cadi naturally demands to know all about Hogwarts and magic, and Myr does the best he can to describe what they're doing. Cadi asks if he can show her any spells but the first years had been very clearly informed before leaving that it is illegal for them to perform any magic outside of school until they turn seventeen.

Cadi frowns at this information. "Seventeen? That seems a rather arbitrary age. I suppose wizarding seventeen is the same as our eighteen then?"

Myr can only shrug. "I suppose so."

His sister sighs. "Really Myr, you ought to aks more questions about these things. Knowledge is power you know."

He laughs. "You would definitely be in Ravenclaw."

This of course leads to her demanding more information on the four houses, which again Myr doesn't have enough of to satisfy her curiosity. So they go to Uncle Cyril.

"The Hogwarts houses? Well that's tough. There isn't all that much information on the founders, aside from Slytherin and Gryffindor's fight of course. What is known mostly comes from the Hat."

Myr leaves them to their discussion and decides to wander around the shop. He straightens a few displays and dusts off a few others. The actions are familiar and soothing, a remnant of a life he often feels he doesn't have anymore.

When in the bustle of school it's easy to get caught up and let himself be distracted, but being back home throws exactly how uncomfortable he is in the wizarding world into sharp relief. And as Christmas passes and the new year approaches he begins developing a dull ache of worry in his gut. He's not sure he wants to go back to Hogwarts.

He doesn't get a chance to voice these fears for the first two weeks of break however. Between his Uncle excitedly recounting his own Hogwarts days and Cadi demanding endless information about magic he feels it would be almost disrespectful of their excitement to admit his own uncertainty about the entire situation.

However, a few days after Christmas his mother pulls him aside.

"Myr, is everything alright? You've seemed a bit overwhelmed since you came home." Her voice is soft and understanding and he breaks little inside as he collapses into a warm embrace.

"I just... everyone is so excited about magic except for me." He admits into the sleeve of her dress, not wanting to look up and see her reaction.

She pets his head comfortingly as she sink into a sitting position. "There's nothing wrong with that Myr. Is there nothing you like about Hogwarts? If you still hate it at the end of the year we can pull you out."

Myr looks up at her, wide-eyed. "You... you could?"

His mother smiles. "If you really want me to, absolutely. But is there nothing you might want to stay for?" Her tone is a soft prompt, with no judgement whatsoever.

He thinks about it. "Well, I suppose I do love flying. Coach says I have a good shot at making the team next year since one of the beaters is graduating. And I'd miss Charlie and the girls."

His mother smiles, one eyebrow raised. "The girls?"

He blushes. "Not like that! I mean the other Gryffindor girls! Holly and Fiona and them! I generally get along with them better than with the other boys. Except Charlie fo course. He's going to try out for Quidditch with me next year."

Aster laughs at her son's frantic denials. "Do you not like the other boys?"

Myr shrugs. "I mean, Drake and Brandon are okay, but they cause a lot of trouble. And Remi..." He pulls a face and his mother laughs again.

"Not a fan?"

"Not at all." For the first few weeks he'd had the bed beside Remi's, but after continuously finding the other boy's things on his bed and generally in his space he'd asked Charlie to switch with him. "He has no sense of personal space and he doesn't seem to ever learn. He's lost us a ton of house points but he keeps doing the same stuff over and over again!"

His mother smiles consolingly. "Well can you earn the points back?"

Myr sighs. "We do, but it's not looking good. We're only in third place - only Ravenclaw is doing worse and that's because they have a girl who blew up a broom once. I'm pretty sure she keeps losing them points the same way Remi does for us."

"What are these points for anyway? Is it a competition?"

He nods. "Between the houses. Whichever one wins has the whole Great Hall decorated in their colors during the final Feast. Gryffindor has won twice in a row now so everyone wants to make it three times. It's a lot of pressure, especially since we're behind Slytherin. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for that I think."

Aster frowns. "Slytherin is one of the other houses, correct? Why is it bad that they're above you but not... the other one?"

Myr smiles faintly. "Hufflepuff. And, well, they're Hufflepuff, you know? They're nice enough, Slytherin and Gryffindor have a really long rivalry between them. We lost against them in Quidditch this year. Everyone is furious at Laurel so she's working the team extra hard to make up the points."

Aster tuts thoughtfully. "Well rivalries can be healthy in small doses but it sound like this one might be a little much. Perhaps it's time to let it go?"

Myr can't help bursting into laughter at the comment. "It's not us keeping it going! Slytherins are kind of awful, they stick to themselves and act like everyone else is a duffer, or like they're too good for us. It's just the way things are I guess."

His mother looks like she wants to say more on the subject, but she ultimately decides to drop it. "Well then it sounds like there's a lot of good at Hogwarts along with the bad. Do you think you might just be a little homesick?" She smiles knowingly and he flushes.

"...Maybe a little bit. But after coming home, it's different. I think I'm homesick for when we didn't know about magic. When dad was just an arse, and not a liar as well."

Aster rests a hand lightly on his shoulder. "That would make your Uncle a liar too you know. He's explained to me the laws about secrecy."

"Well they seem silly to me." Myr sighs. "There are plenty of muggleborns in the school, like Fiona or Shaun from my study group. Wouldn't it be easier for them if they already knew magic existed? Now they're as confused as I am about everything. Meanwhile the kids who grew up in the wizarding world don't have to deal with the absolute headache of discovering all this at once."

Aster smiles softly. "Well it means other kids have experienced this and come out the other side quite well, doesn't it?"

He sighs. His mother is, as always, probably right. "I know. It's just daunting right now I suppose."

She hugs him again. "You'll figure it out. I know you will. And whatever the best path for you is, know that I will support you wholeheartedly." She pauses. "Well, unless your path involves killing people, but I somehow doubt that will be a problem."

Myr smiles and they head back into the main room of the house, where Cadi is quizzing Uncle Cyril on the workings of the Ministry of Magic.

"Oh, Myr! Did you know the Prime Minister knows all about magic? So I'll be working with wizards once I'm elected! It's all rather exciting." She's beaming, and Myr wonders if she had magic, if she would have been as confused and uncertain as he is now.

"That's pretty cool Cadi, maybe we'll work together someday." He offers, sitting beside his sister on their worn-out couch.

She nods happily. "You'd be a great Muggle liaison I think. Uncle Cy says that sometimes they elect purebloods to that position and it never works out well, which I mean, honestly, what do they expect?"

Myr thinks about the purebloods he knows and grins wryly. "Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm yet to meet someone who grew up in the Wizarding world who has any clue about muggles."

The family and Uncle Cyril spend the afternoon lazing by the fireplace, playing with Owen and watching in amusement as the kitten gets himself repeatedly tangled in the comforter that Cadi has situated herself under. Eventually Myr takes pity on the hopeless furball and picks him up, letting Owen snuggle into his lap until only his ears stick out.

"For all your complaining about him, you two certainly seem to get along." Cadi smiles teasingly at the sight of her brother lightly running his fingers along Owen's back.

Myr smiles indulgently. "He is pretty cute. Not sure he'll be much use at school but really only owls are useful as pets."

Uncle Cyril shakes his head while Cadi begins listing off all the famous magical cats of history. Myr smiles distantly and wonders if there's a book on magical animals he could get his sister for her birthday.

New years eve comes rather quickly, and Cyril keeps the shop closed for the day so he and Aster can spend the whole day with the kids. For their part, Cadi and Myr engage in an old-fashioned muggle snowball fight. Cyril tries cheating with magic and ends up finding himself on the wrong end of three snowballs, fired at him in tandem with Cadi shrieking, "No cheating!"

Aster heads inside to whip up some hot cocoa while the snowball war continues on the front lawn. By the time she returns, all three participants are soaked through and shivering, and she forces them all to dry off and wrap themselves in towels before allowing them back into the house.

Owen attempts to get at the cocoa as well, very nearly succeeding on his sixth attempt. So Myr picks him up and carries him down the hall to his room, where a small cat bed has been constructed out of loose fabric and socks that have lost their pair.

"No chocolate for you." Myr scolds gently as he places Owen into his next. "You'd get sick at best, and I doubt the milk would do you much good either."

Owen tilts his heads,  gaze wide and pleading, and Myr can't help but grin.

"Yeah yeah, you're cute. The answer is still no."

He pets Owen until the kitten has settled down in his bed and is snoring softly, and then heads back to rejoin his family in front of the fire.

"Disaster delayed then Myrddin?" His uncle grins at him, and Myr rolls his eyes, settling back under the comforter with Cadi before replying.

"What's that supposed to mean? It was avoided."

Uncle Cyril smiles knowingly. "Well it's clear Owen isn't the brightest cat in the litter. How will you stop him from having chocolate while you're in class and he's roaming the halls?"

Myr hadn't actually thought of that, but his uncle has a point. It's not uncommon to see a student's cat wandering around the hallways, helping keep the castle mouse-free and coaxing students into giving them scraps from the dining hall. Myr can definitely imagine Owen successfully getting something dangerous from some first year who doesn't know any better.

"I'll keep him in Gryffindor tower." He decides after a moment. "And I'll explain to the guys to not let him out."

Cyril nods. "I suppose that's the best you can do."

The remaining week of break passes much too quickly for Myr's liking, and all too soon they're packing his trunk again.

"Do you have all your homework?"

"Yes mom."

"What about your textbooks? And you didn't leave any potion ingredients lying around did you?"

"No mom. Those are probably Uncle Cyril's."

Aster double checks his trunk twice more before finally closing and locking it. Uncle Cyril, at Cadi's request, levitates the trunk to the car, but only after very carefully checking that nobody else is watching.

Cyril has to stay behind to watch the store, so it's just Myr and his family that head to King's Cross that morning.

The sun is only just starting it's trek across the sky as they drive to the Cardiff train station, and Aster fusses over him again once they arrive.

"Make sure to let Owen stretch his legs a bit once you get on the train. Oh and you'll be a little early for your transfer so get something to eat at King's Cross." She presses several pounds into his hand and he quickly shoves them into his pocket.

"Mom I'll be fine. I did this with Uncle Cyril in September, I know what to do."

She kisses his cheek. "I know but I'll always worry about you dear. Stay safe and write as soon as you can."

He promises and then hurries into the station so he doesn't miss his train.

It takes two hours and ten minutes, and the other travelers in his compartment spend the entire time looking vaguely uncomfortable every time Owen mews. Myr wonders how they'd react if he had an owl instead.

He grabs a quick lunch of fish and chips and he feeds Owen some of the fish upon realizing the kitten's actual food is at the bottom of his trunk.

Then it's ten thirty and he's hurrying towards platforms nine and ten.

"Myr? Hey Myr! Wait up!"

He turns in surprise to find a grinning Evera running up to him. Behind her, her brother is struggling to drag two trunks to the platforms.

Myr frowns. "Shouldn't you carry your own trunk Evera?"

She shrugs. "Kent is Gryffindor Keeper, he should be able to handle this. It's training! But enough about that, how was your break?"

Myr doesn't end up talking much, as Evera has enough to say fo the both of them. As they set up in one of the compartments on the Hogwarts Express, Myr thinks maybe he could do this for six more years.

But he's always going to go home for the holidays.