"Merry Christmas to me," Jasmine murmured blearily as she opened her eyes. She wiped the remnants of sleep from her eyes and rolled over to look up at the Gryffindor red of the canopy above her bed.

The pale sun streamed through the window, lighting up the empty dormitory; Hermione, Parvati, Lavender and the others had all gone home for the holidays. Jasmine could have gone too, she almost wished she had, but she'd chosen to stay at Hogwarts.

It wasn't that she didn't miss her family, she did, she even missed her little brother, Samwell. But her family were spending Christmas with her grandparents. Her muggle grandparents who had no idea about her being a witch and attending a school for magic. It was just so much easier for everyone involved if she spent her first Christmas at Hogwarts, at Hogwarts. It didn't stop her missing them though.

She sat up, pushing the quilt away, to see a small pile of presents at the foot of her bed. All wistful thoughts of home were driven from her head as she reached for the first red-wrapped parcel.

Four books, two pairs of socks, a jumper, a stuffed lion and more boxes of sweets than she'd ever be able to ear later Jasmine headed downstairs, into the Gryffindor Common room.

"Happy Christmas," Harry called with a wide grin. He was wearing an emerald green jumper over his pyjamas and looked far happier than she'd ever seen him. She smiled back and returned the sentiment.

Ron swallowed whatever it was that he was eating. "Merry Christmas."

Jasmine walked over to sit in one of the overstuffed armchairs near them.

"You're wearing odd socks," Ron said.

She looked at her feet; one was encased in yellow and the other in purple and grey stripes. It was a habit that she'd had since she was small.

"Yes, I am." She caught sight of the books between the boys and frowned. "What are you two up to?" She knew they weren't doing homework; they never did their homework before it actually needed doing, besides, the first years hadn't been given any homework to do over Christmas.

Harry and Ron shared a glance before Harry started to speak. "We're trying to figure out who Nicolas Flamel is." Jasmine quirked an eyebrow; the name wasn't ringing any bells with her either.

"Why?"

Ron nudged Harry and shook his head. The Boy Who Lived looked uneasy for a second and then shrugged.

"Does this have anything to do with why Hermione snuck into the dorms the other week looking like she'd just been running for her life?" She asked all innocence. At the surprised looks she gave them a shrug of her own. "I'm a light sleeper. Have you looked for anything on him in the library?"

"Everywhere except the Restricted Section." Ron looked bored at just the memory of all the looking they'd done and picked up a Chocolate Frog from the table, biting off a leg before it could hop away.

"Want me to take another look around? Fresh eyes and all that, might find something." She was nearly sure that Hermione had scoured every single page in the library with the boys, but hey, they could've missed something. Right?

"Sure, that'd be great," Harry grinned, "We'll catch up with you at lunch?"

"Sure." Jasmine stood up, walking towards the portrait hole. She heard her name and turned back again.

"Nice jumper," Ron smirked, pulling at his maroon creation.

Jasmine's Nan knitted jumpers every year; it looked like someone in Ron's family did the same. Hers was a dull shade of red too. She smiled and finally left the cosy room in favour of the draughty corridors.

Helena ordered her dark knight forwards to batter an unsuspecting pawn upside the hand and then drag him off of the board. She watched carefully as the knight returned to his square, already looking to head off her opponent's next move. As soon as her opponent got back from the bathroom that was.

"Where is he?" a voice from behind her dragged her attention from the board, making her twist in her seat to see a familiar brown-haired Gryffindor staring at a bookshelf with determined eyes.

"Bathroom," she quipped to get her attention. Jasmine turned, frowning.

"Nicolas Flamel's in the bathroom?" Helena almost laughed at the bewildered look on her face; she shrugged instead, offering the other girl a seat with a wave of her hand.

"It's a possibility. Why are you looking for him?"

"Just a project." Jasmine took the seat with a soft sigh. "I've been looking for over an hour and can't find a mention of him anywhere." There was a glance toward the Restricted Section, but somehow Helena didn't think he'd be in there. "Merry Christmas, by the way."

"Merry Christmas, not going home for the holidays then?" It was a subject change and they both knew it, but she didn't call the Gryffindor on it. It would take up more effort than a Christmas morning had.

"Mum and Dad are taking my brother to our grandparents for a bit. They're muggles." Helena understood, even from that brief explanation, why she had stayed. It was easier to not go than have to lie about your entire life to family. "What about you?"

"She's siding with the losing team." A boy cut them off, taking the seat opposite Helena and moving a white bishop across the board to threaten one of her rooks.

"Jasmine, this is my twin brother, Edmund. Edmund, this is Jasmine." His dusty blonde hair was shorter than hers, messier too, but their blue eyes were the same, and when they were younger they had been near identical. Now it was easy to tell them apart, not least because where her robes were adorned with the green and silver snake, his bore the yellow and black badger.

"He's a Hufflepuff," Jasmine said.

"Hence why he's the losing team," Helena replied, urging her queen forth to take care of an invading pawn. "And I can hardly abandon him now can I? I had to share a womb with him after all." One of her rooks was broken in two and pulled off to the side.

"Being a Slytherin is a family tradition. Me making it into Hufflepuff didn't exactly endear me to our father."

"Home's like a battlefield when they're both in it," Helena offered. She shifted one of her own pawns forward into a position to protect her queen. "Chess only with less pieces and more breakages."

Jasmine looked between the two siblings carefully, noticing the differences between them. Edmund's hair was much shorter than Helena's, and sticking out sticking out wildly in every direction. His eyes were the same shade of blue but the teasing glint wasn't there. Then there was the fact that one wore yellow while the other wore green. She would be willing to bet that a pure blood family would've preferred even a Gryffindor to a Hufflepuff.

A few more moves were made on the chess board, she couldn't tell who was winning but she did hear Helena curse under her breath. She suddenly remembered why she'd come to the library in the first place.

"Do either of you know who Nicolas Flamel is?"

"Creator of the Philosopher's Stone. Turns metal to gold and makes the Elixir of life. Handy little thing, apparently." Edmund answered her without even looking up from the board. "Check." Helena cursed, aloud this time.

"Seriously, Ed? You've been playing terribly all morning and now you're showing me up in front of a friend. Really?" Her brother's only answer was a half smirk and another piece being dragged from the board.

She'd just been called Helena's friend. She was the friend of a Slytherin. That felt weird. Not good weird and not bad weird. Just weird. But then again said Slytherin was the twin of a Hufflepuff so weird was to be expected.

She checked her watch, it was nearly time for lunch and she had to meet Harry and Ron. "You two going down for food?"

"Once I've beaten her," Edmund said, grimacing as one of his bishops was dragged bodily away by Helena's one remaining knight.

"We could be here a while yet, you go." Helena smiled as Jasmine stood from the table, armed with information and made to leave. "Jasmine," the Slytherin called after her. She turned to see a wand aimed at her, a second and a muttered spell later there was snow falling from the library ceiling, settling in her hair. "Merry Christmas."