oOo

Severus smiled at the small group of Slytherin's gathered in the Common Room. A new Yule log was lying in the fireplace and he set the baskets of holly and ivy down for them to decorate it. He helped himself to punch watching Prefect Millbank show Hermione how to place the Ivy on the log.

"Witches always lay the ivy and the wizards lay the holly," Savoria explained as they gently draped the long vines and their large waxy leaves across the oak log. "Ivy is for the female and a symbol of fidelity and also perseverance. Ivy can grow in the harshest of conditions, always climbing high up to find the sun."

Hermione smiled and they stepped back, letting the boys in to do their part.

"Holly is for the Winter King, and is a symbol of peace and goodwill. It's also useful in protective potions," Savoria continued her explanations. "During the summer months, the oak reigns as king of the wood, but in the dark the holly takes his crown."

"That's so neat," Hermione said, listening raptly.

"The Yule log will burn from now until New Year's day, and we always light the new log, with a piece of the old one," Severus said and joined them as they boys finished. He opened a small wooden box and withdrew a piece of wood. "This brings luck and reinforces the concept of a fire that never truly dies, but only sleeps." He moved over to the massive fireplace and knelt, the wood flaring to life at his silent spell. He lit the fire, and moved back. The smell of the pine boughs under the oak log filled the air and warmth began to fill the usually slightly cool Slytherin dorm.

Thomas Fawley had gone and poured some of the hot spiced punch for the other students, serving the girls first and then the other wizards. He was one of the few that had chosen to remain back to focus on his NEWTs.

"Happy Yule, and good fortune for the year to come," Thomas said warmly.

A chorus of 'Happy Yule' followed and they all enjoyed the hot drink. Severus went and sat down near the fire. This was the only night of the year that he would spend time here in the Common Room among his students. He was unsurprised to see Miss Granger come and sit down across from him. She was fitting in well here, and he was relieved to not see any tension between her and the older students.

"How are you enjoying your first Yule in the wizarding world, Miss Granger?" he asked.

"It's been amazing, Sir," she said. "I love the history and the rituals, and when you lit the yule log I could almost feel the magic in the air." She blushed a little.

"Old rites have a great deal of power. They should always be given the respect and reverence they are due." Severus nodded, her childish enthusiasm reminding him what his own first Yule had been like here at Hogwarts. It had been Slughorn lighting the fire then, but he too had been caught in the magic of the night. One of his very few positive memories of his school days.

"Are there any other rituals that we observe here at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"As a school, no." Severus shook his head. "This year is the first in a very long time that all the Houses have participated in this ritual, as well. I'm not entirely sure why, but the other Houses haven't formally observed Yule for many years. Slytherin always has, but as a group we tend to be rather traditional." That was putting it kindly. "Some students will observe the other holidays that fall on solstices and equinoxes, I can lend you a book that details the major and minor holidays. If that's something that interests you."

"I'd like that, Professor." She smiled and sipped her cider.

"Come by my office after classes resume and I'll have it for you. I imagine you'll be busy finishing your holiday assignments before then." It was rare for a child raised in a muggle home to be so interested in wizarding traditions, and he could understand why Quirrell was so drawn to her. Such an eager mind practically begged to be filled with as much knowledge as they could give her. She would bear watching, just to be sure her desire to know didn't draw her down unfortunate paths.

oOo

Hermione woke early on Christmas morning, something causing her to stir. She sat up, and saw there was a large stack of wrapped gifts at the foot of her bed. She slipped out of bed and started sorting through pile. There were small packages from all her dorm mates, even Pansy. There was a package from Theo and one from Blaise, making Hermione glad that she'd decided to send a small package of sweets to all the first year Slytherins, just in case. Most of them were sweets, though Daphne had sent her a pretty butterfly barrette set with tiny green stones. Theo's package was an entire box of peppermint sugar quills.

There was a gift from her parents, some new pajamas and warm slippers. Then she spotted a small wrapped box. There was no name on the tag, so she opened it carefully. Inside was a piece of polished green agate, on a leather cord. There was a folded piece of paper under it.

Wear this for your flying test. It'll bring you luck. - G.M.

Hermione smiled warmly and slipped it over her head, resolving to wear it under her robes all the time. Hermione picked up the last gift, a large box with some weight to it. She opened the box, and inside was a heavy winter cloak, lined in rich emerald green and had a beautiful silver snake cloak pin on it. There was a matching muff for her hands, but a search of the box and wrapping paper revealed no name. There was nothing to betray who had sent her such a lavish gift, and it was clear even to her that this was much more expensive than her standard winter cloak that her mother had bought for her at Madam Malkin's.

Hermione put her gifts away, linger over the beautiful cloak before hanging it up in the wardrobe. She headed off to have a shower and after fixing her hair, she twisted a little bit off her face and used her new barrette to secure it. She'd never really been all that 'girly', but it did feel nice to dress up a little. She headed down to the Common Room and saw Montague sitting here, a smile on his face.

"Happy Yule, Granger," he said.

"Happy Yule, Montague." She wasn't able to help the answering smile that crossed her lips.

"Thank you for the present, but it really wasn't necessary," he said, standing as she joined him.

"I know, neither was yours," she answered, falling into step with him as they left the Common Room to head up for breakfast. "But thank you all the same."

"I have a piece of agate I always wear during games; they're lucky stones," he said. "How did you manage to get a copy of Advanced Chaser Tactics?"

"A friend helped me." She just smiled.

"Well thanks, it'll come in handy for the rest of our games this year," he said.

Hermione paused at the entrance to the Great Hall. The House tables were gone, replaced by a large circular table. The staff were seated around it, a place there for everyone staying over the Holiday.

"Happy Christmas Miss Granger, Mr. Montague. Come and sit down," Professor Dumbledore said, giving them a warm smile.

"Happy Christmas, Sir," Hermione said politely and sat down, finding her seat between Professor Snape, and one of the Weasley twins. It seemed that they'd spread everyone out, not letting people group together. She watched as Graham settled down beside the Puffs, and helped himself to breakfast.

Hermione could see that everyone seemed vaguely uncomfortable with the assigned seats, but they just soldiered along and enjoyed the nice breakfast.

"So, who's going to join in to build a snow fort today?" Professor Quirrell asked, looking around at the kids. That seemed to be just the right thing to say, as everyone started talking about having two forts and maybe having a snowball war. Hermione smiled, thinking it would be a great excuse to wear her new cloak.

"Well, I bid you all a fond farewell, and leave you in the capable hands of Professor McGonagall," the Headmaster said and stood. "Happy Christmas to all of you. I'll see you at the beginning of term." He nodded to the other Professors.

"Ok, everyone that wants to build snow forts, meet me in the Entrance Hall in an hour and we'll choose teams," Professor Quirrell said and shooed them off.

"Are you going to come?" Hermione asked Montague as they headed down to the dungeons.

"Sure, Granger. Can't leave you on your own after all." He chuckled. "Make sure you wear your winter cloak, it's going to be cold today," he said.

"I will." Hermione dashed upstairs and put on her new cloak, leaving the muff up in her wardrobe and opting for her warm gloves instead.

Graham was waiting a whistled. "Nice cloak Granger, from your parents?"

"I actually don't know, there wasn't a name on the package," Hermione said as they headed out of the dorms.

"You should have the Professor check it for spells…just in case." He frowned a little. "You should be careful with things from people you don't know."

Hermione blinked, not having considered that. "But who would want to hurt me?"

"You'd be surprised," he said and grabbed her hand, taking her towards Professor Snape's office. He knocked at the door and entered once they were called in.

"Mr. Montague, is something amiss?" Professor Snape looked up from the essays he was grading.

"Granger got this cloak as a gift, but there wasn't a name on the present. I thought you should maybe check it for enchantments," he said, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Professor Snape stood and came around the desk, drawing his wand and casting a silent spell. Hermione's eyes widened as the cloak began to glow, and little bursts of gold and green seemed to hover in the air around her.

"In future, Miss Granger, I would suggest that any packages you receive anonymously be brought to me before you open them. This cloak has a few innocuous charms on it, but it could have easily been something harmful," Professor Snape said.

"What kind of charms?" she asked, feeling a little strange thinking that her gift could have hurt her.

"A warming charm and a charm to keep the cloak pin from falling off," he said. "Mr. Montague, why don't you wait for Miss Granger in the Entrance Hall. I'd like a private word with her."

"Yes Sir." He nodded and headed off.

"While this present was clearly not meant to harm, I would advise you to be very wary of any future gifts you receive. The wizarding world is a much smaller, insular community than the larger Muggle World, but not all witches and wizards are necessarily good."

"Should I keep it?" Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the beautiful cloak.

"You should, just please bring any future gifts to my attention so I can be certain they are also safe." He gave her a small smile. "I don't tell you this to frighten you, just to make sure you are aware that not everyone who might offer you something does so for your benefit. Always be aware of someone's ulterior motives, because everyone has them."

Hermione nodded, understanding the warning and why he was giving it to her. There was really only one person she could think of that would have given her something like this, but if he'd wanted her to know surely he'd have put his name on the gift.

"I'll be careful, Sir," she said finally.

"See that you are," Severus said. "Go and enjoy yourself, that's enough seriousness for one day." He softened the words with a small smile.

Hermione nodded and left his office, feeling a little strange about how serious both Professor Snape and Montague had been over a simple gift. Surely she wasn't important enough for anyone to want to hurt her. She had shaken off the strange feeling of unease by the time she joined the older boy in the Entrance Hall.

The air was cold and nipped at her skin as they all split into two teams to build forts. The Weasley twins were both on their side, and Hermione was soon laughing at their hilarious jokes as they lobbed snow balls at their brothers on the other side. The older boys seemed a bit more competitive about the impromptu 'war' and Hermione got pulled out of the way of a particularly hard ice ball by Graham, who then returned the volley with vicious accuracy.

Professor Quirrell finally put an end to the war when insults started getting hurled along with the snowballs. He gave a stern look to the one Ravenclaw boy that seemed to have instigated the bulk of the nastiness, but ordered everyone inside for some hot chocolate and biscuits. Hermione hung back a little and approached the Professor.

"Happy Yule, Miss Granger," he said warmly.

"Happy Yule, Sir," she said. "I wanted to say thank you, for my cloak."

"It looks very nice on you," he said with a small smile. "You are quite welcome, but it would be best if you didn't tell anyone it was from me. As a Professor, I'm not supposed to show such favouritism." He chuckled.

"I understand." She felt a little better knowing that it was actually from her Professor. It was nice that he kept looking after her. It was probably silly, but she still remembered how he'd saved her from the Troll…and it was kind of like having her very own knight in shining armour, like in her favourite books. She blushed a little at the thoughts in her head.

"You should hurry, before the boys eat all the biscuits." He shooed her onwards to the Castle.

"Yes sir." She hurried to catch up with everyone else.

oOo

Dumbledore was gone, out of the Country now for several days. This was the perfect time to enact the next part of his plans. Tom slipped out of the Castle, finding his way unerringly in the darkness. A flick of his wand, transfigured his plain teaching robes into a more lavish set, with a hood that would obscure his face when fully lowered.

He passed over the edge of the wards and continued on through the Forbidden Forest, to a small glade that he'd discovered as a student. He drew his wand and cast an intricate incantation. It was easier to summon his Death Eaters when he had someone on hand to use, but this would suffice for tonight. He lowered his hood, bone white wand in hand, and waited for his followers to answer his call.

Like pieces of living shadow, they descended from the air all around him. He counted in his head their number and tallied that against who was still free. Severus was the one he wanted most to return to his side. It would take a great deal of work to successfully win him back, after the disaster of the Potter's demise, but the cynical Potions Master was a prize well worth the pains it would take. A small smile crossed his lips as the last one arrived. Severus' lean figure was clear as day to him, despite the mask that obscured his features.

"Long have I waited to announce my return. Imagine my surprise to return only to discover that most of my followers had renounced me, mere days after my disappearance." He hissed, stalking around the circle of kneeling and quivering wizards. "Not a single one of you went looking for me, and there were whispers…hints that I was still out there to be found. I have returned from the abyss and each of you will need to work tirelessly to regain my good graces." He looked around the circle, identifying most of his men by his intimate knowledge of their builds.

"In the coming days I will call each of you to me, and there will be tasks I will require of you. I have had ten years to plan my return, and we will shape this world into a form of my choosing. The faithful will be rewarded, and those that waver will be punished. You are not to breathe a word of my resurrection to anyone, not your wives, your lovers, or your children. Secrecy is our greatest advantage now. You may all leave, except for Severus," he said and made a dismissive gesture with his wrist. The urge to punish some of them was great, but that would breed resentment and perhaps invite betrayal. No. Caution this time and care.

The clearing emptied rapidly, leaving only a single form kneeling on the cold ground. Severus was perfectly still, as only the Potions Master could manage. He'd always appreciated Severus' iron control. He let the silence stretch and finally decided that this truly was the only way.

"Rise, Severus," he said and with a wave of his hand he dispelled the man's mask. He then pushed his hood back, letting the other man look on his face. There was only the smallest flicker of surprise. So he had suspected, at least on some level. "You don't appear too surprised."

"I had…suspicions," Severus said carefully.

"And now you wonder if I plan to kill you," he tilted his head to the side. "If I'd wanted you dead, Severus, I've had ample opportunity. I know why you stayed with Dumbledore, he left you little choice after all and I did fail to spare your Lily," he said. "For that, I do apologize, but surely you must have realized that a mother would never step aside and allow me to kill her child. That was why you went to Albus, behind my back."

Severus was silent, and just swallowed.

"I'm not going to kill you, I am going to give you a chance to return to my side. But only one. Albus already suspects me, and you will not encourage those suspicions. You will not tell him that I have returned." Tom's voice grew silky and soft. "In return for that obedience, I will swear a vow to spare the boy. I have no interest in the child, and the prophecy you overheard has been fulfilled. He did vanquish me, and I've had a decade to reflect on that defeat. I assure you, that it was well used. If you betray me this time, Severus, my retribution will be swift. Do you understand me?"

"I understand, my Lord," Severus said.

"You have my leave to speak freely here. I can see the questions swimming in your eyes." Tom chuckled and flicked his wand at some fallen logs, transfiguring a pair of chairs.

"Your interest in the girl? Do you intend to harm her?" Severus asked as they sat.

"My interest in the girl is nothing for you to concern yourself with. She is in no danger from me. While many of my followers are puritanical about blood status, I've only ever paid it lip-service. Ability, power, and intelligence are the only things that matter to me. It's why I've always thought so highly of you, Severus and why I'm willing to forgive past transgressions." He leaned back into the chair, casting a warming charm to keep the winter chill at bay.

"Surely Albus already knows who you are," Severus said.

"He suspects, but he has no proof. His little ploy with the Philosopher's Stone was meant to draw me out, and force a confrontation between me and Potter. I'm sure you've worked out that much." It was so pathetically transparent, but he shuddered to think how he might have fallen for it, if he'd been unable to completely possess Quirrell. "If you tell him, then he has more solid ground to move against me. For the moment, I wish to remain at Hogwarts. Can you say that I've done anything harmful to the students? Or have I not worked to correct the issues that have long plagued the school?" Tom grinned. He was enjoying watching the wheels turning in Severus' head. He was trying to reconcile what he had seen of him this year, against what he knew he could be.

"Providing the students are not harmed, I can swear to obey your orders…my Lord," Severus finally said.

"Setting terms, Severus?" He lifted an eyebrow but then nodded. "Things will be different. Spending ten years as a wraith will alter one's perspective and priorities," he said. "Give me until the end of the year, and things will become clearer to you." He had a few months to solidify his hold on Severus, and that was a prize he would sacrifice much to claim. Tom knew the other man's heart, and there were eerie similarities between them. Enough that he wanted to avoid having the other Slytherin as an enemy.