To just_a_crazy_ravenclaw and TeenagerForever: thank you for your thoughts and feedback :). They really make my day.

Tw for referenced homophobia, because I refuse to believe that blood purist families like the Malfoys and Lestranges are tolerant to those who identify as LGBT +.

Eridani Lyra Lestrange grew tired of her cousin going back in forth between making impressions of Harry nearly falling off of his broomstick to raging about Gryffindor's win. Yeah, it didn't feel nice to lose, but one didn't have to act like an sore loser about it. She had gone into the girls' dormitory. Aiming to be away from her attention seeking prat of an cousin.

She gets an book from her chest and plops on the bed. Opening it to see that piece of parchment fall out. Her letter to Victoria.

Eridani bit her lip. She had liked Vic since their younger days. She loved the way her dark brown eyes lit up when she smiled. Her intelligence. Some of the things that made Victoria Victoria.

Where she came from though, it was best to keep such feelings private. The family that raised her since she was one seemed just as intolerant of those with same sex attraction as they were intolerant of those who were muggle-born or those not human. It was an threat to chances of continuing the family lines of pure-bloods.

She was certain that her parents who were currently in Azkaban would feel the same way.

As for Victoria, she didn't feel comfortable giving it to her. What if Victoria saw her as nothing more than a friend. She'd probably be uncomfortable if she knew that her feelings for her was beyond that.

Why was having an simple as an crush this hard?

"C-can a-any-yone t-t-tell me t-he pu-urpse of-f the Smokescreen s-sp-pell?" Professor Quirrell stammered as the Slytherin first years gathered for Defense Against the Dark Arts one Wednesday in December.

Despite knowing the answer, Victoria never raised her hand. Primarily because he almost always chose her and nearly overlooked the others. Having seemed to recover after nearly toppling over a cauldron the first time she spoke to him. Sometimes she could feel him looking at her intently as she did her assignments. Almost as if he was awed by her, which was creepy.

And right now, he seemed put out that she never offered to answer. Not hiding his reluctance when he called out Tracey and asked, "D-do you k-know, M-miss D-avis?"

Ever since November and throughout December, Victoria found herself staring intently at Professor Quirrell when his back was turned. At first, when Severus insinuated that it was probably the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that was messing with Harry's broomstick, she was skeptical.

Professor Quirinus Quirrell who couldn't finish a sentence without a stutter? Who seemed to have no backbone? That Quirrell? It was absurd to think about it.

Only Severus wasn't an idiot. If he'd thought Quirrell was up to something, then he probably had good reason to. Perhaps he saw something that no one else did or even tried as simple as look into his mind as he does. Combined with the creepy fact that he seemed to hold her in high esteem then the other students.

Victoria could follow Quirrell around, but thought better not to when thinking about Severus' worry and disapproval if she did. An few afternoons ago, she had bought it up to Severus during tea.

"Quirrell looks at me funny," she told him that afternoon. "Almost as if he is in awe at me. Sometimes I feel like he's looking at me."

In that moment, she had seen panic and wariness flash in her guardian's dark eyes. "Promise me never to get in close proximity to him. Should he even make you uncomfortable even further, tell me at once. Is that understood?"

So, she decided to try to read him from an distance while in the classroom.

Something that her friends seemed to notice.

"Think Quirrell is acting funny?" Eridani asked her as they left for Potions. "You have been looking at him like he was going to do something."

"He always acts funny," said Millicent.

"It could be just me, but I found it odd that he was the only one who happened to see the troll get in that Halloween," Kevin suggested. "Plus, he wasn't there at the hall, either."

Had it not been for Severus' suggestion that Quirrell was up to no good, she'd tell Kevin that it was probably Peeves that did it and he was seeing too much into things. Whatever Quirrell was up to, letting in the troll was probably an distraction.

This particular Potions class wasn't particularly unusual. Severus paused behind her and Harry's cauldron as they worked on an Herbicide Potion. Saying nothing as he watched them for an moment before drifting to where Andrew was working with Neville. "What mess do we have here?" he sneered.

Harry – Victoria noticed – was gazing at Severus as if he was prepared for him to mortally wound him or something. "Has a teacher ever hated you that much that you think they might try to kill you?"

"Why would he kill you?" she asked.

"That's what it feels like sometimes," he said. "I'd be surprised if I make it through my first year in one piece."

Those words from him alone suggest that he thought Severus was the one who was jinxing his broom. It was easier to think that someone who hated him was out to get him than anyone else.

"Sometimes it's the person you'd least expect," she hinted. Victoria knew she couldn't suggest that it was most likely Quirrell outright, because how would he believe it was if she did.

As soon as they left Potions and were out of earshot, Andrew burst into an furious tirade about Severus.

"It was just one extra measure of crushed ingredients, just one," Andrew fumed, "and Snivellus thinks it warrants ten points being docked?" He looks at Harry. "At least he hasn't given you such an hard time since you started sitting with Vic."

"Doesn't mean he doesn't treat me miserably outside of class," Harry gloomily put in.

"You can sit next to me I you want," Eridani offered.

"No, it wouldn't be right to leave Neville alone to his mercy," Andrew said.

"Why do you call him Snivellus?" she asked. She had been meaning to ask that for some time now. It didn't sound nice. She didn't like it."

"That's the name that dad and his friends gave him back when they were in school, according to what Uncle Moony said," he answered.

"May you please stop calling him that?" she asked. "I know he's not nice to you but that's no reason to call him that. I don't like it either."

Andrew appeared as if he might want to argue before he nodded. "Okay, I'll stop calling him that if that makes you uncomfortable."

"So, one can do magic without an wand or saying anything?" Kevin asks her.

"Yes, but it's complicated stuff," Victoria answered. "It's better than what it was when I first tried it but I still have an ways to go."

The Christmas holidays have arrived. Most of those in Slytherin were home for the holidays. Instead of going to Malfoy Manor for the holidays, Victoria wrote her name on the list of students staying behind for the holidays. Partly because she wanted to see what Christmas was like in the ancient castle. The other because she didn't think she could stand two weeks of Draco's and Cassiopeia's attitude and nastiness. Eridani had signed the list too, obviously for the same reason.

It was quite nice that there were less people in the common room. She was able to take the leather couches near the fire more often without someone beating her to them first. Draco was not here to puncture the air with his obnoxious and boisterous spiels, and that made it all the better.

During mealtimes, the tables seemed emptier. Over at Gryffindor table, it was mostly Weasleys and Harry Potter among the handful of people remaining for the holidays. It was strange to not see Andrew, Hermione, and Neville at Gryffindor table.

After lunch, Victoria and Eridani had gone to the library, and it seemed that Harry and Ron had the same idea.

"Trying to get ahead of your studies so you don't like idiots at the beginning of term?" Victoria asked with jest.

"No, we're trying to look for something," answered Ron.

"Maybe one of us can help you if you tell us," Eridani offered.

"I think we're good," said Harry. The look in his green eyes suggesting that whatever this was, was something top secret. That whatever it was, they didn't want to tell.

The four of them headed off in different directions. Eridani headed over to the magical history while Victoria found herself approaching the Alumni books when she had intended to go elsewhere. Maybe it was because of that one thing that had perplexed her the last time she had looked there.

Riddle. Riddle.

Victoria was still certain that Gaius Mulciber was her father, but the slight physical similarities she shared with this Tom Riddle couldn't be ignored.

Most of the Slytherin students had come from generational families. Had parents and grandparents that had been sorted into Slytherin beforehand, the Malfoys and Blacks one of them. Sparsely, they have a Muggle-born student with no generational history, and so far that seemed to be the case for this Tom Riddle.

The surname of Riddle didn't appear in the alumni for the turn of the century nor for in the generation that Severus and her alleged brother had gone to school. She did manage to find the last name Riddle twice in the Daily Prophet, but the first time in an article detailing the trial and sentencing of one Morfin Gaunt for the triple murder of an elderly couple and their adult son that went by the last name of Riddle in the summer of 1943. The second time, the Tom Riddle from Hogwarts was interviewed in a article that talked about the shady going-ons at Borgin & Burkes. Curiously enough for the first aforementioned article, the adult son that was killed in the triple murder also happened to be named Tom.

It could have been just an simple coincidence. Two people do happen to share an name without having any sort of relation. It didn't become an coincidence anymore when looking at the Muggle newspaper on the murders (only there, the deaths were labeled as mysterious). Seeing how this Tom Riddle looked like an older version of the very Tom Riddle that attended Hogwarts during the duration of the Muggle Second World War.

She might have to ask Millicent when she comes back, as she lives in Great Hangleton. She might know an few things.

One of the things Severus liked about the Christmas holidays was that there wasn't much chatter from the four tables. Though one downside was the fewer the children, the easier he can hear their conversations. He certainly wasn't interested in hearing what drivel those dreadful Weasley children and Potter were talking about from the Gryffindor table.

Black being absent at least spared him from having a aneurysm.

(If it was any consolation, at least Black and Potter weren't as close as their fathers were. For Potter favored the company of the Weasley boy).

He decided to drift his attention to the sparsely seated Slytherin table. Keeping Quirrell – whose hands were shaking as he cut up his steak – in his periphery as he focused in on his ward. Primarily to see if there was any improvement in her mental shields.

Severus was met with a barrier that he had never encountered before. Yet, it felt as if he was looking through a translucent curtain compared to the impenetrable brick wall of highly skilled Occlumens such as the Dark Lord himself, Dumbledore and Moody. Therefore it was easy to go through it.

He had seen it before. Her memories of searching her lineage, though to see that how far she was today ran his blood cold. Cold as Victoria had no idea how closely related she was to this Tom Riddle. No idea that Tom Riddle and the Dark Lord were the same person. No idea that she was directly descended from the founder of the very house she was sorted into.

Largely, it was because the Dark Lord himself had also studied his lineage when he had arrived in Hogwarts. Just like what his own child was doing at the moment.

When Severus had bought this to the Headmaster's attention after dinner, he wasn't surprised that Albus appeared as if she had expected it to.

"All that doubt about her legitimacy due to Mrs. Mulciber being willing to pass her off to your care, I would have been surprised if she hadn't begun digging," mused Albus as he picked up one of his sherbet lemons. "Only, unlike her father before her, she has more to go upon when Tom only had his middle name to go by in his pursuit of connecting himself to any sort of magical lineage. She even has people to engage with."

"She's not intending to go to me or the Malfoys directly as she had connected herself with Edythe Black," Severus pointed out. "Her half-brother plans on asking his mother and uncle some questions over the holidays."

"In fact, Mrs. Black wrote to me the first month of term," Albus replied. "She's intending on telling her son parts of the truth, not all, at the moment. Regarding Victoria, she asked me how she should proceed. I suggested to keep her distance until Victoria decides otherwise, which she has been doing before."

A couple weeks before the fall term, Narcissa had complained to him that her husband had been dangling Victoria's existence like an carrot to Edythe. Giving her pictures and such of the girl. Her concern was that it was going to complicate things should Victoria make an interest in connecting with her should she dig around and ask questions, and she was not to entirely wrong. For it was heading that direction based on the decisions Victoria was making.

"Narcissa would be displeased if Victoria makes the decision to connect with Mrs. Black," Severus pointed out. "She's unaware that Victoria overheard the conversation of between her and her husband."

"Even if it poses complications, if Victoria desires to see her mother, we should let her," said Albus. "It's best to let everything unfold as they are."

"And should he come back…"

"When she finds out who her father is, and that he'll be back, I'm certain that she'll know the stakes," Albus said. "She's as you said: brilliant. Brilliant as Tom was when he first walked through those days."

Severus thought over that exchange as he walked towards his destination. Prepared to thwart his colleague should he make another attempt tonight to take the Stone.

If the Dark Lord were here, he'd be preening with pride at some of the things she was choosing to learn at her age. Yet, he'd would without an doubt disapprove of some of the connections she was creating. One of them the most concerning. Severus hoped that she'd have the self-preservation to at least put some distance between her and certain people when her father returns. She was an Slytherin after all.

Christmas morning, Victoria woke up to see an handful of presents by her bed. Most of them no doubt from the Malfoys, due to the green parcels and the golden ribbons. Others from some of her friends due to the parcels that appear out of place.

"Happy Christmas," Eri yawned, rubbing her hand through her silver hair.

"Happy Christmas, to you too," Victoria responded in kind.

"Should we go to breakfast first or open our presents?"

"Our presents might be taunting us and we might not be able to eat."

"You're right." Eri picks up the first parcel from her pile as Victoria picks up the one wrapped in brown paper. It had felt like an book, and her suspicions were confirmed after removing the rope and tearing the paper.

Guide to Advanced Occulmancy by Maxwell Barnett. She had finished that copy of the book she had borrowed from the Malfoys.

"Severus is always giving me books," she said, setting it aside to read it later. No need to show it off to her friend. "Not that it's bad. I love to read."

She leans over to open more of her presents. An basket of sweets and an luxury quill were among the gifts she had received from the Malfoys; an box of Chocolate Frogs from Andrew; and some Christmas cookies from Millicent.

Some of which she shared with Eridani as they departed to the Great Hall for breakfast. Even if it spoiled it.

"Nice sweater, Harry," she complimented. Noticing that he was wearing practically the same sweater as the other Weasley children. Only they were different in letters and color. "It matches your eyes."

Harry nearly turned Gryffindor red at that. "Thank you," he stammered.

"Did your mom make those?" Eridani asked, looking at the sweaters.

"Yes, and she spent some good time making –" the eldest Weasley began defensively.

"I wasn't insulting you," she interrupted. "They are rather good. Too bad Aunt Cissy thinks knitting of the sort is low class. I would like one."

"Hmmph." Ron's older brother walks away, and Ron just shrugs.

"Don't mind him," said one of the Weasley twins (George if the 'G' on his sweater was any indication. She wouldn't tell them apart otherwise). "He has bad blood with Alphard Lestrange ever since they first stepped foot here."

"Probably because they are both alike, Gred," said the other twin.

Of all the meals that day, dinner was the best. There were a hundred fat, roasted turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce – and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. Not that the Christmas dinners at Malfoy Manor were shabby. They were excellent. It would just be unfair to say that Hogwarts didn't have an spectacular feast as well. When Kevin and Eridani pulled apart an wizard cracker, Victoria had to cover her ears. For it went off like an cannon. Up at the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped his tasseled wizard's hat for an flowered bonnet, and was chuckling merrily at an joke Professor Flitwick had just read him. An few ways down, Severus was silently eating his meal, and Victoria thought that she saw his black eyes glancing at Professor Quirrell every now and then.

Victoria, Kevin, and Eridani had spent that afternoon trying to build an snowman. Only for the three of them to wound up joining the furious snowball fight between Harry and the Weasleys after Harry accidently threw an snowball at Victoria's shoulder when he meant to aim it at Ron. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they parted ways with them at the entrance of the castle before returning to the fire in the Slytherin common room, where Victoria began reading her new book from Severus.

After an meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, Victoria went to bed in high spirits. Not regretting the decision to stay behind at Hogwarts for the holidays.

The Christmas cheer from the day before had not faded by morning when Andrew had got up on boxing day. His very own racing broom that mum had gotten him the day before was nestling in the corner of his bedroom, just waiting to be flown.

Andrew was tempted to give it an try right now at the back garden, but resolved to go to the kitchen to get breakfast. Mum wouldn't want him to fly on an empty stomach. Besides, Violet would probably want to play with him outside first.

"Morning, mum, Vi," he greeted cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. He looks around the room to find someone missing. "Where's Uncle Remus?"

"Still in bed," she answered as she slid fresh pancakes onto an plate. "He hasn't been quite well last night."

"He almost forgot his medicine, though," Vi piped up, looking up from her plate of pancakes.

It was every month where Uncle Moony had episode where he wasn't well. He was always under the weather in all his life. Apparently, he was quite a sickly baby when born. Hard for him to keep an job because of his chronic illness.

Andrew hoped that his uncle would get better soon.

"Did you try out your broom yet?" mum asked him as Andrew sat in one of the kitchen chairs next to Violet.

"I wanted to, but you wouldn't want me to test it on an empty stomach," he answered.

Mum smiled. "It is not good to fly on an empty stomach," she said. "One would wind up colliding into an tree thinking about their next meal." She picks up the plate of pancakes. "Now, who wants pancakes for breakfast?"

As he ate, Andrew had noticed that his mother gazed at him with uncertainty. As if holding on her words for an while until she said, "Violet, go and check on your uncle, please."

"What did you do, Andy?" piped up Violet.

"No, I just want to have a word with him," mother answered.

Violet had left the kitchen when mum finally said, "Andrew, there had been something I wanted to talk with you about. Something that I think you might have some semblance of understanding."

His grey eyes turned towards her sea green ones. This had to be pertaining to the letter in response to his first one to her. That some things were better answered in person than on parchment. Even if it was said that he had inherited his father's Gryffindorish tendencies, there was enough of his mother's Ravenclaw in him to figure out what this was about. "Is this about Victoria?"

"To give this context, I'm going to start with this," she began. "Not everyone is honorable. Some people take grotesque measures to exert power over people. And it has an name that I don't want you to find an name for in an few years."

Andrew thought back to the talks his mom had before leaving for Hogwarts. To tell someone if an older student made him uncomfortable and to not overstep his physical boundaries if someone didn't want to be touched. What she was saying sounded more insidious than that and even if he didn't know the word from that one yet, he was able to decode what she was saying. That not all babies are made with love.

"Now you say it, a week into term, she asked me what year you graduated," he said. "It seemed out of nowhere, even if she said she was curious."

He could see realization in her eyes before she says, "Andrew, if she has any more questions, don't hesitate to answer. Now that you know."

It had seemed that his mother knew something that he didn't. Well, the adults tend to speak behind the scenes.

"Are you going to tell, Violet?" he asked.

"Sometime today," she said.

The day before term, the rest of the students had returned to the castle. Faces still bright from whatever Christmas cheer they had experienced at their homes. In the Slytherin first year girls' dormitory, the occupants were regaling their circle of friends the stories about their holidays.

"We went to see grandmum at the home where she lives the day after Christmas," said Millicent as she put her clothes away. "We also saw old Mildred. She used to work at the abandoned Riddle House before that family was murdered."

Victoria looked around. Pansy and her lackeys had left the dormitory while Eridani was busy looking at the dress that Daphne was showing her and Tracey. "What did she do?" she asked as Millicents cat Tabitha jumped on Victoria's bed.

"She was one of maids, and she doesn't hesitate to dish out about the Riddle family." Millicent leans in to whisper. "Apparently, sixteen years before the murder, the adult son caused an scandal by eloping with some cross eyed girl named Merope Gaunt. He came back saying that he was taken in, but those on the magical side of my family might say that she bewitched him."

Gaunt. Just like the last name of the one who killed the Riddles those years ago. Maybe continue her studies during summer holidays, as the Malfoy family library contains records of every ancient wizarding family that has existed.