Geez, writer's block is the bane of my existence I swear. Anyway, sorry this took so long. Hope you enjoy ^^

February 1st

The goggles covering Ruby's eyes didn't hide the fact that she was looking at her friends like they were insane.

"Ground...hog...day?" The little girl sounded out the words they had said, as if trying to piece together what they meant... actually, that was probably exactly what she was doing.

"Did you not have them on Patch?" Nora questioned curiously, leaning as far across the cafeteria table as she could without standing.

"Nora." Ren didn't appear curious, but the way his eyes watched his two friends revealed otherwise.

"Right! I meant the animal, groundhogs." The girl with red tipped black hair shook her head. "They're...uh...Renny?"

"They're rodents that look somewhat like a large squirrel. They dig instead of climb trees." Trust the charmer to explain the creatures easily.

"...Why day?" The silver eyed girl asked, she was clearly at least less confused then before. The door to the cafeteria opened.

"I'll take this one." Qrow stated, walking over to the table. "Back in the time no one but Oz remembers the first medium was found, a girl able to communicate and control groundhogs. It was near impossible to figure out when the spring weather would come, making it harder to get new seeds and such if needed."

"Can't they do without?"

"Sure, they *can*, it was just harder. So she asked Oz if there was any way they could help. After some thought, he figured out a solution. The wizard used an old enchantment to enchant a groundhog here so it could tell when the weather would get warm. From then on February 2nd of every year the medium would ask the groundhog the weather, then direct it to come out to see it's shadow if six more weeks or not see the shadow if the weather is warmer earlier."

"That's so cool!" The large grin on the youngest's face made her mentor smirk.

"Unlike with the children of mages, the enchantment didn't even have a chance of being passed on. That girl lived out her life, and eventually Oz couldn't enchant a groundhog anymore. That medium helped build Beacon, so he decided to keep the tradition here to honour her even if there's no magic to make the groundhog know. It's more of a spectacal for the kids now."

"Groundhog Day!" The utilizer cheered, her best friend giving his own slight smile as the newest member of the trio cheered right along with her. The archangel chuckled.

"Best get to bed early tonight then Kiddo. Gotta be out in the courtyard before the sun even comes up."

February 2nd

To be frank, Qrow had no idea why he'd expected his apprentice to be anything but bright eyed and bushy tailed when she woke up. She'd been that way since practically her birth, and today turned out to be no different. By the time they got down the stairs and out the door the silver eyed girl was practically trembling with excitement, at least they'd remembered the enchanted lantern Oz gave her since it was still dark. The first time the shifter had gotten up to see it, the first year he was here, the event itself had been expectedly underwhelming...the black haired man still went the other three years of his training, he didn't have much choice with Stort-sta-...

"Ruby!" Nora called out to the duo, jumping up and down in hopes of getting them to notice her. The girl that was called at grinned, jumping and waving back. The utilizer had gotten a spot right at the fence that keep them from disturbing the groundhog. The apprentice darted to the edge of the large crowd, hopping as she tried to get the attention of people to please move, but there were so many excited children and exhausted mentors no one seemed to pay her any mind. Her own mentor frowned, shifting forms.

"*Caw!*" The crow landed on her shoulder, making the sound as loudly as his lungs and beak could. Adults and children alike spun on their heel to see him, drooping tired eyes looking more angry as a bird. They were quick to make a path for the silver eyed girl, the few little kids who didn't know his rank quickly pulled by their fellow apprentices to clear out.

"U-um...thank you." The hooded girl murmured shyly, pulling said hood a little further down as she walked towards her friends with an uncomfortable blush on her cheeks. The beak pushed against her cheek playfully, getting her to blink behind her goggles. Then a smile appeared, a finger petting the bird's head as his feathers puffed in disagreement of the action. "Thanks Uncle Qrow."

"Ruby!" The orange haired girl called again, looking as impatient as she was happy. Ren's head was resting against her shoulder, the only thing keeping him up seeing as he was very clearly asleep...that he could do so standing up was a show of many years spent around his best friend and her dragging him around while he's barely awake.

"Caw!" The shifted adult made a loud caw when the utilizer pushed the sleeping boy off her shoulder and began running towards them, watching as he began to fall over with nothing to keep him supported. Luckily someone noticed the charmer, wind magic used to slow his fall until his head landed unharmed on the ground.

"Come on, come on! You're going to be late!" The blue eyed girl grabbed the silver eyed girl's wrist, beginning to tug the smaller towards the spot she'd chosen. "Hurry up, even Renny is-why is Renny on the ground?"

At least she noticed once she turned around. The older girl panicked once she did, letting go and running to her best friend.

"Tired?" Ruby guessed, the bird on her shoulder nodding. It calmed any panic she might have had, as she didn't dart full speed to reach the two.

"You must be more careful about Ren's sleep Nora, training has been harder for him lately." Oh, Peach was the one who caught him...that was convenient.

"Harder?" Nora's head snapped up to look at the the woman, eyes wide in horror. "Does that mean Renny can't get any better?!"

"Of course not! I don't know where you'd even get such an idea." The vista laughed. "It just means he needs to focus more, practice more. And get more sleep than you've been letting him." The girl looked at the sleeping boy.

"...He never told me he needs more sleep." She was genuinely upset, it was obvious even without seeing her face.

"We both know he never would." The adult pointed out softly. There's a moment of silence.

"...After this can you bring him back to his bed Vista Peach?" She finally asked, getting a gentle smile. Sleep didn't sound like a bad plan to the shifter.

"Of course D-"

"Umber, it's Umber!" A child called from the back, causing everyone to quickly turn and look past the fence with several children in the back floating to see with wind magic. A small black nose could be seen from the dug out hole, slowly the rest of Umber the Groundhog's head could be made out as it moved a little further up. Once he seemed certain that none of the excited children would rush him or something, he crawled out of the burrow. A cloud covered the sun, no shadow could be seen from the rodent. The children loudly cheered, startling the creature and making him run back into his burrow.

February 2nd

Qrow hadn't meant to fall asleep while everyone was cheering, but he had. Must have caused quite the scene, given the spell keeping him in animal form stopped the moment he fell asleep... especially since he'd been on his apprentice's shoulder. Apparently Oz had caught the shifter with wind magic the moment he was human again, stopping him from accidentally crushing the little girl, and even brought the man back to his room. There was a pancake breakfast feast in the cafeteria immediately after Umber's prediction, then dancing. Apprentices were given the day off from training and so many played outside.

The archmage awoke around noon, finding Ruby in the midst of a snowball fight against Nora and Ren...not that the latter was throwing any at his opponent, he was likely only on his best friend's team because she'd insisted on it. Hot chocolate was served all day in the cafeteria with so many people outside. The high ranking mage watched from the side as the trio played, abandoning their forts and snowballs (Nora had won) to get hot chocolate inside. Once warmed up it was back outside to make snow angels and snowmen, though he laughed when they desperately attempted a snow bird instead of a snowman. They failed miserably in the end, but he appreciated the thought. By the time the parade began at dusk the children had sled, skated and hit an acorn around with sticks.

February 17th

Qrow hadn't seen it as necessary to take one of the training rooms on the second floor, instead using his room, given that his little apprentice had still been getting used to the motions of attacking. She insisted on using a target dummy today, so with a sigh he conceded. The second floor had three bedrooms for archmages, the room connected to the lift and a bedroom right beside it for whoever helped run the lift. The entire rest was rooms that held anything a mage could need for training, like the two with a garden of trees and animals, for when it was too cold to train outside. The shifter needed one with training dummies though, so he brought Ruby to one of the smaller ones close to the stairs. Unlocking it with his emblem, the barrier at the door shattered and allowed him to open it.

"Woah!" The room wasn't that big, not even enough for proper spars, but it was full of dummies and targets and weapons in boxes for those who didn't know what they wanted to use.

"Show me what you can do Kiddo." She still had some way to go before he'd even think of letting her try attacking him or sparring. The dummy actually did help though, helping her to work on how far to be from her enemy.

March 17th

"Uncle Qrow?" He opened one eye to see Ruby leaning over him, an emerald green mage robe on instead of her usual clothes...the red cloak was still on though, as were her goggles.

"Yeah Kiddo?" Qrow asked, sitting up from his bed.

"Why do we wear green today?"

"Oh, that." The man stretched before turning to the edge of the bed and slowly standing...he missed being hungover when he woke up. Gave him more reason to drink again. "Back when mages and utilizers were just beginning to become known a mage man named Shamrock explained the three types of people with his namesake to civilians in Mantle. Today is the anniversary of his death, so to commemorate him we all wear green." He rummaged through the chest against the wall, it mostly held mementos from Summer...but at the bottom was a grey-green vest with gold trim, he replaced the rumpled cloak he had slept in with the vest.

"But why today?" The archmage turned to look at the child, her face was pulled into a confused or maybe even annoyed expression. She looked directly at his face before continuing. "Why celebrate on his death and not his birthday?"

"That's...a good question Kiddo. One I don't have an answer to. You'll have to ask Oz." Determination clear on her face, she spun on her heel and out the door. Her mentor chuckled before following.

April 1st

My blanket is heavy. Was the first thing Qrow thought as he began to awaken. Wait...when did I crawl under a blanket? It was warm enough last night that he was certain he hadn't used one. When he opened one eye he was startled to find a large amount of sticks covering his body.

"You forgot your nest last night Qrow!" Nora grinned, which explained why he was under a bunch of sticks.

"April Fools!" She and Ruby Nora called out loudly.

"Yeah, yeah. April Fools to me." The adult jokingly grumbled, sitting up. This wasn't the first April Fools day he'd been covered in sticks when he woke up. Summer had done it the first year they knew each other, she'd also taught Ren and his best friend about April Fools day with the same prank on him...now they were doing it with Ruby, in a sense going full circle. "Time for breakfast." He got the three back by pretending he'd gotten the last of the food the cafeteria had cooked for breakfast.

April 19th

"Happy-" Qrow began in Ozpin's office.

"If you say 'Happy Deathday' I'll be most displeased Qrow." The older man cut him off, a look of annoyance on his face. The younger chuckled.

"Okay, okay." It was more tradition for him to try and wish his old mentor a 'happy deathday' than an actual sentiment at this point, he'd tried truthfully the first year he was here but after seeing he genuinely upset it made the wizard it became just a little way to annoy him. "How are Tai and Little Dragon?"

"Relying rather heavily on Peter, it would seem. Yang is starting to listen to his stories, so that's good...helps distract her, as does playing with Zwei. She insists on continuing to cook though. Despite Yang appearing to be a civilian she's pestered Taiyang until he began teaching her to fight, she seems determined to protect Ruby when they're older." The black haired man took a drink from his flask.

"That's a nice idea and all, but she's...what, 9 now?" He got a nod. "Most mages and utilizers awaken to their powers before 10. Sure, there have been cases of as late as 14, but those are pretty rare. She'll probably be a civilian her whole life."

"Most likely. Taiyang shouldn't have trouble raising a civilian at least." The bespectacled man stated, getting a scoff as the other man took another sip from the flask.

"I coulda told you that. Hell, Tai would probably prefer if Little Dragon is a civilian. He'd have to protect her, sure, but with him or Zwei around she's honestly safer than if she could fight the Grimm herself." The thought of the blonde girl running recklessly into a fight with a Grimm almost made him feel sick.

"I suppose you're right. I hadn't thought of it like that."

"Tai and I have. We'd have preferred if both-"

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby's voice suddenly cut him off, standing in the lift with the wall open to reveal her and a displeased looking Glynda. The little girl walked out, but the Impetus stayed put with her arms crossed. "Come on, you promised to paint eggs!" The child grinned, grabbing her mentor's wrist and beginning to drag him towards the lift.

"What? I don't remember promising anything!" He disagreed, it sounds real but he isn't actually trying to get away and instead following while putting up the act of struggling.

"Come on!" The apprentice repeated, and the wizard chuckled. The archmage had agreed to no such thing, clearly, but Nora must have put the youngest of the trio up to getting the man. "Goodbye Qrow, goodbye Ruby."

"Bye bye Ozpin!" She waved once she was in the lift, only getting him to chuckle again when his second in command tried to lecture the girl on not using his title.

April 20th

"Uncle Qrow! Uncle Qrow!" The archmage's eyes slowly open, feeling something shaking him. Looking down revealed it wasn't something but someone, his niece grinning. "The Natural egg hunt!" Right... he'd told Oz he was helping hide eggs for the kids this year, since this was his little apprentice's first big Natural Tetrad celebration.

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up." Qrow grumbled, voice low. Despite starting as a celebration of Oz's first death and rebirth (they were years apart but that part wasn't important) it had eventually become four days where civilians were celebrated. Mages and utilizers were to refrain from using magic and dust, unless on a job for Ozpin. Which meant the shifter couldn't just become a crow to hide eggs, he had to do it without magic.

"So what happens with the eggs I find?" Ruby asked as her mentor half-heartedly smoothed his clothes.

"All the eggs are used to make a huge feast for tonight. The kids hand their eggs to the mentors near the entrance to Beacon, and are given prizes based on how many they get."

"That's so cool!" The silver eyed girl was almost vibrating in excitement.

"Hang out with Nora and Ren until you hear the bell go off, okay?" The man questioned, getting a quick nod. In the end she only found 8 or 9 eggs, since other children were either faster or knew the grounds well...she got double the amount of prizes she would have, since this was her first year. A handmade doll, some clothes for the doll, a painted wooden egg that held a little wooden chick, some building blocks and an empty book.

Alright, working on the next chapter now so no need to worry hopefully. See you all next time.