I still don't own Harry Potter. This is quite a long, busy chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Twenty Six

The grounds surrounding Hogwarts were soon covered in a fine dusting of snow and the students walked a little faster around the castle, not because they had discovered their previously unknown love of learning, but simply because those who dawdled in the corridors found that their limbs were prone to numbness and freezing.

In the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was rushed off her feet with students who were catching all manner of coughs and sneezes and for the first time in her life Maia experienced chilblains. Her delicate (although Aunt Cassiopeia would have said aristocratic) hands were covered in painful red sores. A rather flustered Madam Pomfrey gave her some cream, before running back to calm a muggleborn terrified after their first experience with Pepper-Up Potion.

A rather disgruntled Maia Black stalked out of the ward, thinking of the rather pathetic letter she had sent home complaining about the cold and the chilblains to her mother the night before. While she was rather embarrassed by the childishness of the act now, she could at least console herself with the compassionate letter and pile of goodies that were sure to arrive in the morning post. That did nothing about the sores on her hands though. Her fees paid that woman's wages!

Wrapping her cloak tightly around her, Maia started to make her way back to the Common Room, and pretended not to notice when she saw Bertram Nott and Queenie Greengrass sneak into an empty classroom together, holding hands and giggling. She made a mental note to tell Daphne when she next saw her, just to see her reaction.

Maia was surprised how quickly the term had passed. She was doing well in all her classes. She was the top Slytherin in her year and she, Hermione and a handful of Ravenclaws were battling it out for the title of 'top student'. Maia had a sense that Hermione would win, not by the fact that she had Seen anything, but simply because Hermione was now firmly established as Harry Potter's other best friend, as the delightful muggleborn who could therefore be used to disprove all muggleborn prejudice and as the unrelenting goody-two-shoes of all the other first-years.

Of course, she knew that the fact Hermione was muggleborn had nothing to do with her magical abilities - that made no difference - but it still frustrated her that she would be deliberately elevated just to prove a point. It was exactly the same as Draco had explained to her about the Weasley's in the Ministry. When she was honest, she knew that Hermione deserved to be the top student purely through her hard work and dedication, but Maia's pride was wounded and that was the end of the matter. She couldn't help but be bitter against the girl who had refused her apologies and now wanted nothing to do with her. She was little better than a fickle muggle, when all was said and done on the matter. Sometimes Maia wondered if she was as bad and prejudiced as Draco, but she decided that she didn't care, at least not when it came to Hermione Granger.

She could hear voices carrying along the corridors, which she recognised as Potter, Weasley and Hermione. They were nattering about some wizard called Nicholas Flamel. She turned the corner and came face-to-face with them. For the first time, she felt oddly exposed and outnumbered. This was also the first time she and Hermione had really been together since they had argued on the staircase.

She clenched her stomach and remembered that she must, at all times, and in all situations, be a good representative for the House of Black, "Good evening, were you in the library?" She asked.

"What's it to you?" snapped Weasley, "Were you eavesdropping?"

Maia fought the urge to roll her eyes, and settled for raising an eyebrow, "Don't be so vulgar. If I heard you, it's simply because your voices were carrying along the corridor."

Weasley looked mutinous and Potter, who Maia was distinctly less disposed to like now that he had helped to turn her friend's head against her and persisted in assuming the worst in all Slytherins, narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What are you doing here anyway? It's getting late."

Maia held up her hands, "Chilblains. I went to see Madam Pomfrey. I can't wait to go home at the end of the week, back to somewhere warm, can you?"

"I'm spending the holidays here."

"Oh" said Maia, not sure why anyone would choose not to go home for Christmas. "Well, I hope you all have lovely holidays anyway."

Hermione shrugged and shifted the weight of the books in her arms, "Come on, it's freezing here, let's get back to the Common Room."

They started to pass Maia. "Merry Christmas" she said, more awkwardly than she had ever said anything since Aunt Cassiopeia's rhetoric and elocution lessons.

Weasley said nothing, but both Potter and Hermione replied with the same, and then they disappeared round the corner and Maia hurried back to her own Common Room, thinking only of the seat by the fire Draco had promised to save her, horrified that anyone of their group had come down with the indignity of chilblains in this horrid, backwards castle.

...

Maia rubbed her hands, which were already in her thick woollen gloves, and blew on them, but it just made them feel as though they were burning.

Draco looked over, "Are they still bothering you?"

"Yes, and Pomfrey's cream did nothing."

Blaise frowned, "I'm sure your aunt will fix them for you straight away. They did look sore last night." He passed her a slab on Honeydukes chocolate, "Here, I got sent this from home the other day, it'll help with the pain."

Maia mumbled her thanks, knowing that Blaise really was a good friend to her, and stared out the window and she ate her way through the bar. It didn't stop the pain, but it soothed it slightly and calmed her urge to scratch her skin until it bled. She was sure that if anyone other than that idiot were in charge of the school, they would ensure the grounds were properly warm. Surely that was what magic was for?

Eventually, the train rolled into Kings Cross station. Dragging her trunk behind her, which was much lighter this time as she had simply left most of her books behind, she crossed the platform and found her mother and Aunt Cassiopeia waiting for her. Caroline hugged her tightly and held her at arm's length.

"I have missed you so much, darling. I'm sure you've grown since you left!"

Cassiopeia nodded stiffly but smiled indulgently in greeting. Maia looked around to see Draco being fussed over by Aunt Narcissa, whilst Blaise was met by a house elf. Tracey and Daphne were both being collected together by Mrs. Davis as they were going to visit to Alps together for the first week of the holidays.

Maia looked around, "Where's father? Is he waiting with the car?"

Caroline frowned momentarily and then smiled, "No, he's just come down with a cold. He wanted to come but Trixie practically ordered him to bed herself and has been feeding him up with stews and Pepper-Up Potions for the last few days. She won't let him escape." Maia laughed, knowing full well that Trixie took nursing very seriously. She still shuddered to think of the death-by-love treatment she suffered at her hands through most of her childhood illnesses.

"Oh dear, I hope he feels better before the celebrations start. How are we getting back?"

Please not side-along apparition, please not side-along apparition...

"I'm taking your trunk back to the house with the Floo, and Cassiopeia will be taking you by side-along apparition."

Great, she thought.

...

As predicted, her mother and father (who was up and about when she got home, though Trixie followed resolutely behind him, protesting loudly that he ought to be in bed) fussed over her chilblains and Aunt Cassiopeia produced a much more effective cream, which had her chilblains cleared up within two days.

During a brilliant dinner that evening though, where she told them all about school and her friends and her lessons, and thanked Aunt Cassiopeia again for the inkwell, she was very happy to be told their plans for the holidays. Aunt Cassiopeia would be staying with them for the duration. They would spend the first week at home as a family, but would go to Malfoy Manor on Christmas Eve and celebrate Christmas (although Aunt Cassiopeia and the Malfoys called it Yule) there. New Year would be spent with the Macmillan family, who were going to host a lavish 'do' for just about everyone who was anyone in wizarding Britain.

That night, as Maia curled up in her (mercifully warm) bed, she hugged herself tightly to think how fantastic this holiday would be. She would have her homework finished within a few days, would spend Yule (she decided that now she was a Hogwarts student, she would start saying Yule like a witch) with her favourite cousin and would get a mound of presents, and would finally get to catch up with Ernie at New Years because she had barely seen him whilst they were in school.

Yes, she thought, as sleep overcame her, it was going to be the best Yule ever.

...

Maia was doing her homework alone in the library a few days later, as Marius and Caroline had informed her that morning that they were going into town to see their Harley Street doctor. Marius was still feeling under the weather from his winter bug, and was reluctant to take up Aunt Cassiopeia's repeated suggestions he visit St Mungos. Maia was almost finished when the older woman suddenly appeared next to her, and reached across and picked up her History of Magic essay.

"Factually correct with a thought-out argument, but overall rather dull. It doesn't contain your usual flair." She pronounced.

Maia shrugged, "Professor Binns won't notice. He makes history ridiculously boring, Aunt Cassiopeia."

"Don't shrug. It's unbecoming to a young witch of your station. You've been spending too much time with mudbloods, Maia. You're picking up uncouth mannerisms."

"Hardly, Aunt Cassiopeia, most of them won't speak to me."

"Well, that's their own loss, and don't let Binns destroy your interest in history, or I shall institute remedial summer classes."

"Yes, Aunt Cassiopeia."

"Good. Now, I looked into that Parkinson creature for you." She arched her eyebrow expectantly and Maia thanked her, dubiously wondering why her aunt would do such a thing in the first place.

"It may interest you to know that for all her talk, her father was a muggle. Her mother was a pureblood witch, a Brown in fact, which is hardly something to boast about in the first place. It seems that marriage was unsuccessful and that they separated a few years ago."

"I knew she was a half blood, I Saw it."

"Do you plan to confront her with the information? Have you planned any form of revenge for her actions?"

Maia stifled a laugh, knowing that her aunt was deadly serious. "She knows that I am aware. I see no point in lowering myself to revenge, she isn't even worth the effort. It's beneath me to care about her blood status, or about anything else related to her existence."

"She shamed and bad-mouth the House of Black!" Aunt Cassiopeia cried, scandalised.

"And she's a petty bully who looks like a pug. She's stopped bullying me and spent every evening this term cleaning toilets by hand, I simply don't care about her enough to get revenge anymore."

Aunt Cassiopeia muttered something that seemed to include the words, 'soft', 'Hufflepuff-esque' and 'overly sentimental' as she left the room.

Maia said nothing, knowing full well that Aunt Cassiopeia doted on her enough that she would forget it by dinner if she said something to please her over afternoon tea.

...

Yule morning rolled around, with a crisp layer of frost covering the expansive grounds of Malfoy Manor. The peacocks had retreated to their enclosure for safety, huddled closely together, while the Blacks and the Malfoys awoke to find the house brimming with freshly cut holly and ivy draping the furniture, with glittering fairies dancing overhead, and a large Yule log burning slowly in each of the warming fireplaces for luck.

The morning began with each member of the house descending the grand staircase, arrayed in their finest dress robes (expect for Caroline and Marius who remained in their customary muggle attire, much to the indignation of Lucius). They made their way into the dining room to find the table prepared already, with porridge and all the trimmings of a full English breakfast laid out waiting for them.

After everyone was full, they went into the main sitting room, where the presents were laid out under an eight foot, heavily decorated Yule tree. Lucius and Narcissa took their places on one sofa, whilst Marius and Caroline sat opposite them. Aunt Cassiopeia settled herself into the large armchair nearest to the fireplace, from where she could observe the proceedings. Draco and Maia, being young and more interested in the mound of presents that anything else, settled themselves on the floor within easy reach of their spoils.

The two children beamed at their respective parents with identical, hopeful grins. Lucius inclined his head and the distribution of the presents began. Maia hunted out a present each for her Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius and Draco, whilst Draco found gifts for each of her parents, herself and Aunt Cassiopeia. This routine continued for quite some time, whilst the adults remained seated and the children bought their gifts to them. Lucius regularly cast disdainful glances in the direction of his very unwelcome guests, but he had long since accepted that 'the blood-traitor Black girl' was now an established part of his social circle and would never leave, and so he was stuck with her unfortunate parents as well. Luckily, he had had enough time to come to turns with this and had finally mastered the art of disinterested civility. It was not in the interest of his family's prospective inheritance from the Black matriarch to insult anyone she chose favour, after all.

Although she was a cold woman, Narcissa was not, at heart, a cruel one. She was simply content to concern herself with her small circle of friends and her own little family, whilst presiding over her wealth and displaying her social status in public. So, in contrast to her husband, she had a genuine liking for Marius as one of her few remaining relatives on the right side of the Azkaban prison gate, and in Caroline had found a woman much after her own heart in terms of values and outlook, but who had opened her up to the concept of warmth and friendliness. Narcissa Malfoy was not a particularly easy woman to become friends with, but once the friendship was established, it was always a lively and cheerful one.

So, when Maia opened up a new set of dress robes from Aunt Narcissa, the two mothers fell into an easy discussion of the latest fashions (Caroline liked to keep up with magical fashions, looking forward to the day when she, Maia and Narcissa would trail around the various boutiques to fill Maia's wardrobe for when she came of age) and this, in turn, led to them planning what they (and Maia, because they were far more interested in the subject than her) would be wearing to the Macmillan's upcoming ball.

The distribution of presents took them all the way up until lunch time. When the pile of presents was finally at an end, and Maia and Draco had been suitably indulged and spoiled, Aunt Cassiopeia and Uncle Lucius shared a rare smile with each other and produced two final presents, in small leather boxes, which they presented to Maia and Draco respectively. Each box contained a goblin-wrought gold signet ring, each one engraved with the seal of either the House of Black or Malfoy.

Draco grinned. He had always known this day would come, of course, but it was a moment of glory for him nonetheless. His status in the wizarding world had risen just that little higher, and it was all the more reason for him to lord it other the other students when he got back to Hogwarts. Maia, on other hand, turned towards her Aunt Cassiopeia with her mouth ever-so-slightly open. Marius had clasped his hands together and looked as though he might burst for joy. It was clear that he had not known this would happen. Maia wondered if he would cry.

"Close your mouth, Maia Violetta, or are you so hungry you want to catch flies?" Said Cassiopeia, with a lenient smile. She had been looking forward to this moment ever since she realised that Maia was a pureblood, which had made the decision itself so much easier.

Maia closed her mouth immediately.

"Well, put it on." Aunt Cassiopeia continued, nodding encouragingly.

Maia looked over at Draco who was already wearing his proudly and smiling at her so widely, she thought his cheeks might burst.

She placed the ring on the little finger of her right hand. It glowed slightly as she placed it there. "Really?" She asked, her voice uncharacteristically small.

"Yes. I have, as the acting Head of the House of Black while the other members are... indisposed, officially named you as the Heir. The paperwork is entirely filled out, it's fully settled."

"I thought you would give it to Draco."

Out of the corner of her eye, Maia saw that this had been Uncle Lucius' most desired course of action.

"Your Uncle Lucius and I have already discussed this. Of course, Draco will receive a significant inheritance through the House of Black, but you are the last member to bear the name and Draco will already be Head of one House. I'm sure two would turn his head entirely. And, in cases such as this, when there are only cousins and no direct Heir," though of course, thought Cassiopeia, this should go to Maia on the technicalities anyway, as she was the daughter of the real Head, Sirius Orion Black, but that wasn't an issue they could really bring into play, "the acting Head can make a choice."

"But I'm not a pureblood."

"That's neither here nor there now that the legalities and technicalities have been formalised." And wouldn't be an issue for the blood wards on the inheritance details anyway, thought Cassiopeia to herself.

Maia looked back down at her ring.

"You still haven't said thank you, Maia." Her eldest aunt prompted.

"Thank you, Aunt Cassiopeia."

She looked back down at the delicate and beautiful ring, decided that her aunt was quite marvellous, and ran across the floor to hug her tightly. Aunt Cassiopeia patted her on the head awkwardly, uncomfortable with such open displays of emotion.

...

After another hearty lunch, they went Yule singing around the apple orchards of Malfoy Manor, wrapped up warmly in their various furs. Narcissa wore her new cloak, a gift from her husband, trimmed with ermine. Upon their return, they withdrew again to the sitting room, where the gentlemen (including Draco) busied themselves with a few games of chess. Much to Lucius' ire, he was beaten by the 'fundamentally inferior' Marius on all counts.

The ladies drank tea, compared and marvelled over their various gifts, and discussed the latest gossip, the latest fashions, and quizzed Maia about everything that was going on at Hogwarts.

Narcissa was dismayed that Binns and Peeves still blighted the lives of the students.

Cassiopeia was adamant that neither the teaching nor the curriculum were rigorous enough.

Caroline wanted to know why her poor daughter had had to suffer chilblains.

And Maia wanted to know why she had to put up with the likes of the Weasleys, and received plenty of sympathy from her two aunts and her mother. Caroline then wanted to know why the wizarding world did not have separate 'elite' schools for its children, as the muggle world did. This was a rare occasion where Narcissa and Cassiopeia declared that there was clearly something the magical world could learn from its muggle counter-part, once Caroline had explained the complexities of muggle education.

The family then split up to dress for the formal Yule dinner, and returned an hour later to enjoy Yule boar, with all the trimmings. The Christmas pudding was richly spiced and the butterbeer cream accompaniment was delicious. Maia found a sickle in her slice, whilst Draco found a knut and Lucius smiled when he received the galleon. Each of them made their wish and Lucius jokingly (he had had enough elfin wine for his civility to have reached the realms of cheerfulness by this point) asked if she could See whose wishes would come true. Marius laughed heartily, whilst refusing seconds of the red meat claiming he had to start watching what he ate at his age, and Maia declined to comment with a mischievous smile.

After a round of coffee, chocolates and mints they retired to the drawing room with the piano to sing more Yule songs. Maia played at the instrument, her hands dancing over the keys, whilst she sang along, glad that this was the one day of the year Aunt Cassiopeia was unlikely to bemoan her less than perfect pitch.

They then played charades until late into the night and by the time Maia finally got to rest her head on her pillow, it was far later than she had even realised. She curled up and looked at the ring resting on her finger. It was charmed so that it would always fit her perfectly and comfortably. She watched as the moonlight reflected from it and smiled to herself. She could see the future now before her, stretching out beautifully. She and Draco would graduate from Hogwarts. Perhaps they would be Head Boy and Girl together. Draco would go into the Ministry, of course, while she might establish herself in some field of research. They would, of course, be well respected and sources of authority. They would organise their votes in the Wizangamot together, plan the businesses of their Houses together. They would be the very best of friends and would take the wizarding world together by storm, laughing all the way. They would make their families proud and it would all be simply wonderful.

...

On a dark island rock, Sirius Black transformed back into his animagus form, having devoured the only truly satisfying meal he would receive all year. A real Yule dinner was the only concession of kindness made to the Azkaban inmates, although the majority were too far gone to enjoy it after a year or two.

Bella hadn't stopped her cackling all day.

He curled up in a small ball and closed his eyes. Without even thinking, his mantra began all over again.

I'm innocent.

I'm innocent.

I'm innocent.

It was the one thought they couldn't take from him.

He wondered how Annie, Harry and Remus would be spending Yule this year. He hoped that Remus would have access to his vault, to give them the Yule they deserved. Though if he knew Remus, and he did know Remus, he would refuse to touch the blood money of the House of Black. It made him a little sadder than usual to think that his daughter, and his godson, might be going without. He had always planned to spoil them both. Perhaps it wasn't so bad, at least they were being raised properly. Annie's childhood wouldn't be blighted by insane blood-purists. Remus would make sure that she and Harry were both happy, they didn't need to be rich or spoiled. They only needed to be safe and warm and happy.

Then he remembered that Annie was dead and he started to cry and cry and cry some more.

A Dememtor slid past and his thoughts drifted towards his own memories of Yule from home.

They were not happy memories.

He remembered screaming rows, stiff formalities and parents who glared at their children over the dining table.

He remembered his father's cane.

He remembered crying.

He remembered Annie's first Yule.

And he imagined her dying.

He remembered Marlene's funeral.

He remembered Pettigrew's gloating face.

He remembered the rat running away, lost forever.

Bella cackled.

He returned resolutely to his mantra, because it was still better than the misery of insanity.

I'm innocent.

I'm innocent.

I'm innocent.

...

A/N – Thank you again for all the reviews, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. I'm not sure how long this will be exactly – I've written as far as Chapter 37, which is the start of Second Year, so I'll estimate about 10 chapters per Hogwarts year, but I can't vouch for that as some chapters will be longer than others.