Snow covered Hogwarts Hermione's last Christmas before she became a student. Half of the student body decided to stay at the castle that year and Tonks, Fred, and George were in that number. Currently the four friends were building two snow forts; they had split into guys vs. girls for a snow ball fight. The boys' snow fort was thrown together and they were very busy making snow balls. Hermione and Tonks were currently building their fort that was complete with parapets and held together by magic.

"You girls ready?" Fred yelled from behind the protective wall.

George poked his head above the wall, "Yeah, we're getting tired of waiting!"

"Just about!" Tonks yelled back, and then looked down at where Hermione was constructing the snowballs with wandless magic. "I don't know how you do that, but are you almost done?"

Hermione nodded, "Yeah, I think we have enough."

"Alright, boys!" Tonks shouted, "First to capitulate loses!"

"Capitulate?" George asked.

"What the hell does that mean?" Fred yelled across the snow.

Hermione giggled, "Capitulate means to give up, to surrender."

"Thank Merlin for the walking dictionary." Fred whispered to his twin.

George snorted, "Then yes, first to capitulate loses!"

Tonks and Fred started flinging snowballs, while Hermione and George handed them formed balls of snow. They played all afternoon, neither side willing to give up.

Around diner time, Minerva came out looking for her daughter. She arrived by the two snow forts just in time to see Hermione pop her head above the wall and got smacked right in the face by a snow ball thrown by Fred. The force of the blow knocked Hermione onto the snowy ground.

Hermione propped herself up on her elbows, "Hi màthair! Whatcha doing?"

Minerva raised an eye brow. "It's almost dinner time and since neither your father nor I have seen you all day. And I was hoping we would see you at dinner."

"Of course I want to eat with you guys." Hermione smiled at her màthair. "I'll see you guys later."

As mother and daughter walked back to the castle, the mother could be seen brushing snow off the daughter's back.

Hermione spent Christmas day with her friends and family, presents were exchanged and food consumed.

"So, Hermione" Fred began with food in his mouth.

"Did you make out like a bandit this year?" George finished with a sly smirk.

Hermione blushed bright red. While, yes the professors and her parents had given her plenty of presents, she knew that the Weasleys were not well off and she didn't want to rub it in. "I got you three something."

"You didn't have to do that." Fred ducked his head, blushing.

"We didn't get you anything." George finished for his brother.

Hermione shrugged, "You didn't have to. I wanted to get you three something." She pulled the gifts out of her robe and handed them to her friends. Fred and George both got a red and gold wrapped square package. Tonks received a yellow and black one. Fred and George ripped open their presents and when they saw what Hermione had given them, they tackled her with a hug. Hermione had given them a joke box from Zonko's Joke Shop. "I don't know what's in the boxes, but I hope you like them." she smiled at the boys.

"We love it!" George assured her.

Fred gave her another hug, "Thank you."

Tonks carefully opened her present and saw that Hermione had gotten her a black leather choker with three metal orbs tied to it. "Hermione, this is beautiful. Thank you."

Hermione shrugged, "I hoped you would like it. You always complain that the only jewelry you can find is gaudy, so I assumed that you wanted something simple. It does come with some protective charms."

"Why do I get the feeling that you went into muggle London, found this and then charmed it?" Tonks smiled at the younger witch who had gotten her this wonderful gift.

Hermione grinned, "I did."

Tonks picked her up and spun her around, "This is very thoughtful, thank you."

"It should be able to block most spells, I'm not so sure about the unforgivable though." Hermione admitted.

"I don't care if all it did is being pretty." Tonks assured her. "I like it, thank you."

The day before class started for the spring term, Hermione was wondering about the upper corridors when she heard a man taunting Sir Nicholas. Turning the corner she saw it was another ghost.

"Your request to join the Headless Hunt has been denied." He sneered, "We don't want a nearly-headless ghost." With that her floated through the wall and was gone.

"Nearly-headless?" Hermione asked, "How can you be nearly-headless?"

Sir Nicholas turned around, "Like this." And pulled and his head showing the young witch all that held his head to his shoulders was an inch of skin and muscle.

"I'm sorry, Sir Nicholas, I shouldn't have asked. I must be a sore subject for you." Hermione apologized, "I didn't know that you were nearly-headless."

"Who do you think 'Nearly-headless-Nick' is?" Sir Nicholas asked her.

Hermione shrugged, "I have never heard that name before. I don't hang around most students."

"And young Nymphadora wouldn't call me Nearly-headless-Nick, and those two trouble makers, Fred and George know better than to call people names in your presents." Sir Nicholas smiled at the young witch. "All is forgiven Miss McGonagall."

Hermione beamed at the use of her mother's last name, "Actually it's Granger, but thank you."

"I know, but seeing as there is no one around…" Sir Nicholas trailed off, winking at her before floating away.

Hermione skipped down the hall, only to run into Madam Hooch. "What has got you so… spunky today?"

"Hmm, oh nothing." Hermione smiled at the hawk eyed woman, "Sir Nicholas just called me Miss McGonagall is all."

Hooch pursed her lips, "Do you want to be called McGonagall?"

"Yeah." Hermione looked at the floor and shuffled her feet. "But I know why màthair made me keep my last name. After Voldemort is definitely gone, I'm gonna change it."

"Does Minerva know how you feel?" Hooch was worried that Hermione had kept this to herself.

"Nope." Hermione giggled, "And you aren't going to tell her. I will tell her when I know how to broach the subject."

Hooch watched the little witch walk down the corridor, turn a corner, and vanish out of sight. She sighed and thought to herself. Those two are so alike. I hope she tells Minerva soon, and Minerva takes it well.

A/N I know this is kinda short, but I hope you like it!