The Woodward Academy,

Chapter 7: December

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

Officer Garibaldi came into the office, joking with his partner, TJ Allen. TJ was technically senior to Garibaldi, but they were so close in age that they worked in a more side-by-side fashion. Garibaldi was laughing as he passed the secretary for their section of the department.

"Officer Garibaldi?" she said, interrupting their mirth.

"What's on your mind, Nancy? You look very nice today, by the way."

"Thank you, sir. You had a call from Madame Lengel. She asked you to call her back at your convenience."

"Why the hell didn't she just call me direct?" he asked.

"I'm sure I don't know," Nancy replied.

Garibaldi shrugged. "Okay. Thanks."

"Surely."

"And don't call me Shirley!" he said, using their running joke, as she often ended conversations that way.

As they walked away, TJ asked, "What do you think this is about?"

After a pause, Garibaldi said, "Nancy called her Madame Lengel... and she didn't call me directly. I think she may be worried about having this conversation overheard." To TJ, he said, "If Dean Lengel is calling me, it's got to be about David. But calling me in the way she has means it's something a bit private about David. I'm gonna have to take this one in the quiet room."

"I'll be here," TJ told him. "Mired in paperwork, filling out forms, doing your job..."

"But you're so good at it!" Garibaldi laughed as he walked over to the quiet room. It was actually an interrogation room, but the officers used it when they needed to have a private conversation, as well.

Once inside, Garibaldi pulled out his mirror and dialed. "Dean Emile Lengel, Woodward Academy," he said, making sure he got the right Emile Lengel, and not some guy named Dean.

In a few seconds, Dean Lengel's image appeared. "Ah, Mr. Garibaldi. It's good to see you."

"Good morning, Dean. What can I do for you today?"

"I have a bit of a conundrum, actually."

"Oh?"

"I wish to find out what the penalty for something is, but I don't want to admit that anything has, in fact, happened."

Garibaldi's eyes widened a notch. "I've never known you to be one for protecting the guilty."

"Perhaps, in this case, I don't feel that 'guilty' is necessarily a concept that applies."

Garibaldi sighed. "Okay, can we cut the song and dance? We both know you're talking about something that David has... I will throw in the word allegedly... done. Just ask what you want to know."

Dean Lengel pursed her lips for a long moment. Finally, she took a breath and said, "Let us say, just for the sake of argument, that David were to wander off campus without his appointed escort. What would happen?"

Garibaldi shrugged. "Nothing, unless he got caught."

"And if there was, in fact, a witness?"

"Was the witness an officer of the court?"

"No."

"Then, again, nothing."

"I'm confused. The magistrate's order..."

Garibaldi interrupted her. "Don't tell David this, but the magistrate's prohibition can only be enforced if a Rimohr actually sees David breaking the order. The law is in the class of laws that cannot be attested to by witnesses."

Dean Lengel looked flabbergasted. "You're telling me all the trouble we've gone to is basically for nothing."

"Something like that. We kept a very close eye on David in his first semester, and we kept a watch on him in his second semester... but honestly, at this point, we don't consider him much of a risk. Were he to actually get caught off-campus unescorted and doing something he shouldn't, there would be serious hell to pay, but we're not exactly trying to catch him. Why did he go off-campus without his escort, anyway?"

Dean Lengel related the events to him, and Mr. Garibaldi nodded. "The magistrate wouldn't have done anything under those circumstances, even if he had been caught. Oh, he might have given him community service work to do or something, but... Honestly, Dean Lengel, we're not worried about David making friends. We're worried about him making enemies."

"I understand," she said.

"But you can't tell David any of this. If he knew he had free run..."

"I understand that, as well... though I don't think he would do anything with that information, anyway. I will simply let him know that there is no danger to him from this one event."

Mr. Garibaldi nodded. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, that was all. Thank you."

"Anytime, Madame Lengel."

Garibaldi shook his head as he put away his mirror. That kid would make a lousy criminal. His conscience would eat him alive.

-----

David was leaving Herbology with his friends when Cherise confronted him.

"Hello, David."

"Hello, Cherise. Go on ahead, guys. I'll catch up with you." Once the others had moved off, he asked, "What's on your mind?" He knew damned well what was on her mind, and he just wanted to get the conversation over with.

"Where are you taking me this weekend? And it had better be somewhere nice, not to a stupid dakaball game. I want romance, atmosphere, maybe a little necking..."

"I..." David started to say, very uncomfortable with the direction this conversation was starting to go. At that moment, a pixie popped into existence in front of him.

"David Stroud?" the pixie asked.

"Yes," he acknowledged with some relief.

"Dean Lengel would like to see you in her office."

"On my way," he told the pixie, who then popped back out of existence. Turning to Cherise, he said, "Sorry, can't talk now. The dean wants to see me."

"David..." Cherise said in a warning tone.

"Gotta go. Don't want to keep the dean waiting. Catch you later," he said as he was walking away.

Jailla, who was sitting on his shoulder, said, "You dodged that rather nicely."

"Saved by the dean," David agreed. "I wonder what she wants, though."

"We will find out shortly."

David made his way up to Beckett Hall, and into the dean's office.

"Hello, David. You can go on in," Tracy said.

"Thanks." David knocked, and entered when bidden.

"Good morning David. Please have a seat. Oh, hello... I'm afraid I don't remember your familiar's name."

"It's Jailla, ma'am."

"Actually, David, this is an 'Emile' kind of conversation."

"Oh?"

"I've been thinking since yesterday about what you told me, and about what I could do about it."

"I appreciate that."

"I won't make you wait for it. I cannot go into details, but I can tell you that you do not have to worry about getting in trouble for this one specific event."

"I don't understand."

"I talked to... some people," she said, not wanting to make any admissions. "And the nature of this particular violation of the rule is such that you are in no danger from it. Even if... whoever... were to call up the Rimohr office and report you, it wouldn't result in anything."

"Why not?"

"I told you, I can't go into details. There is something very specific about this particular case that gets you off the hook. Don't think you are free to roam around at will."

David nodded quickly. "Not that I have anywhere to go, anyway... well..."

"Well what?"

"About the only place I'd go is to visit Giendia. But that will just have to wait until I pass licensure. Misty won't travel that far from the castle."

Dean Lengel nodded. "Anyway, will this help clear up the problem you're having?"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

She smiled at him. "Don't mention it. How are your classes going?"

"Except for TEM, great."

"What's your problem in TEM?" she asked, curious.

"My brain," he said with a smirk. Dean Lengel chuckled. "I'm just struggling a bit to understand it all."

"TEM is one of the harder subjects. Good luck with it."

"Thank you."

"Go on, get to lunch."

"Yes ma'am. Have a good one."

"You, too, David."

-----

David found his friends at lunch and sat down.

"What did that girl want?" Simon asked.

"That was Cherise," David said. "She wanted to know where I was taking her tomorrow night."

"That's the girl who's blackmailing you?" Gwen asked incredulously.

"Was blackmailing me," David corrected.

"What do you mean, wa-," Nate started to ask, then he said, "Whoops, speak of the devil..."

Cherise sat down next to David, and said, "Hi, guys," to the others in a very sweet and friendly tone. No one even acknowledged it. She ignored that, and turned to David. "So, where we going tomorrow night, lover?" she cooed.

"I'm going to stay in my room and study my TEM homework. As far as I'm concerned, you can go to hell."

Several eyebrows went up at that; David was not usually that nasty.

Cherise frowned briefly, then pouted. "Now, Davey, I thought we had this all worked out..."

"What we had worked out was that you were doing something illegal in order to get something from me. It stops now. I'm not playing anymore."

Cherise's pout deepened, and her voice took on the tone of a hurt little girl. "But, Davey... I can still make that call..."

"Go ahead," he told her shortly. "Do it now. I'll sit here and wait. In fact, you tell the Rimohrs that, if they so desire, I will go and sit in Dean Lengel's office until they arrive. I'm not playing along anymore, Cherise. Either follow through on the threat, or go away, but I'm not taking you anywhere tomorrow night."

Cherise's look changed quickly from pout to angry frown. "You're going to regret this, David Stroud. I never should have pulled you out of the moat last year. I should have let you drown. But no matter. You will be mine, one way or another." She got up from the table and, acting as if nothing ugly had happened at all, she turned to the others and said, "Bye, everyone!"

When she was gone, Olissa asked, "What the hell was that all about?"

David explained the whole situation, including the trip with Giendia.

"Hey," Jim objected, "You told me not to tell anyone."

"That was before the dean told me that, for whatever reason - and she wouldn't tell me specifically why - but I won't get in trouble for this, even if Cherise makes a stink over it."

"You think she will?" Gwen asked.

"Probably not. I'm pretty sure that blackmail is illegal in Dugerra, too, and if she wants to air dirty laundry, I think hers will come out smelling worse."

"What was the thing about pulling you out of the moat?" Simon asked.

David shrugged, shaking his head, then said, "Oh, wait... When I fell off the rock lift, there was someone who pulled me out of the moat and up onto the grass. It must have been her. That's why I recognized her at the tournament last year, but couldn't remember why."

After a long moment, Olissa asked, "Was she responsible for the bird?"

"Yes," David said uncomfortably.

"What bird?" Jailla asked. David had never related that event to him.

"You don't want to know," David told him. "And I'm not going to tell you."

Jailla ruffled his feathers and tucked his beak, feigning sleep after that.

"So you are done seeing her?" Devyn asked.

"Yeah. Didn't want to see her in the first place. You saw what she's like. She's sweet and happy when things are going her way, but that woman is crazy."

Nate said, "At least she's out of your hair."

"I wouldn't go that far," David said. "She's still on the handbook committee. I'm still stuck seeing her once a week."

"Yeah, but that's in mixed company," Nate said. "Just try to ignore her as much as possible."

"I suppose."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Where you been?" David asked as Jim sat down, almost late for class.

"Got caught up talking to Flo."

"Oh?"

"I'm trying to get over what happened. I think I feel even more self-conscious about sex now than I did before."

"You said the second time went okay," David objected. He had not been there.

"It did, I guess. I just worry that most girls aren't going to be as easygoing as Flo is."

"Well, you-" David started to say, but at that moment, Prof. Fibblebitz arrived with another student in tow.

"David, I'm going to switch you out for today. Leonard will take your spot."

"Um... okay, Professor. What's the deal?" he asked as he got up off his stool.

"Nothing major. It's just that we're doing people morphs today, and Jim needs someone he can practice on. You will practice on me."

David raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. It was rare for the teachers to allow themselves to be spelled.

David moved over to Leonard's normal seat, which was off to one side. He had been the 'odd man out' all semester, as there were an odd number of students in the class. Today, that would be David, who sat down as the professor made her way to the front of the room to begin the lesson.

"Okay, class. Today, we're going to do our most difficult morph for the semester. Next week, we'll be doing review, and then finals are the week after." There were many groans about finals, but Prof. Fibblebitz ignored them. "The spell is sakezi negabi. There are no motions to accompany this spell. Simply point your wand at the person you are trying to morph, concentrate on what you want to change, and say the spell. You can alter all of a person's facial features at once with this spell, including their hair. This means eyes, nose, mouth, overall shape of the face, hair color, hair length... even hair style. Concentration is very important, however. Should you happen to not see their nose clearly in your mental image, they very well might not have one when you're done, so be quite careful with your morphs today. This spell is risky, which is why we have Healer Hall standing by in the back of the room, just in case. When you think you are ready, you may begin."

As the rest of the class turned to each other to start their practice, Prof. Fibblebitz walked over to where David was sitting.

"How do you feel?" she asked him, sensing some tension.

"Nervous," he admitted.

She smiled at him. "Don't be. Just relax, and concentrate."

David took a couple deep breaths, and then said, "Okay. Is there anything you'd like to request? Any particular features you want me to give you?"

She pursed her lips and then said, "I'd like to be Prof. Stott for a little while." She grinned at him, and he arched an eyebrow.

"Okay..." he said, and closed his eyes. At least this is something I can visualize pretty easily. I've seen enough of her over the last year or so...

David focused his mind on the image of Prof. Stott, and then he opened his eyes to look at Prof. Fibblebitz, who was smiling expectantly at him. He held his wand low, but still pointing at her face, and said, "Sakezi negabi."

Slowly, Prof. Fibblebitz's features shifted, until they took on a new look. She did look remarkably like Prof. Stott, only without Prof. Stott's eye color. Prof. Fibblebitz looked in her mirror, and smiled.

"Very nicely done, David. Although you did forget to do the eyes."

"I didn't forget," he told her. "I think your eyes are a really pretty color, and I didn't want to change it."

"Thank you!" she gushed. She continued to look in the mirror for a long moment, then put it away. She sighed and said, "I guess you should change me back now."

David nodded, and a quick "zurukken" later, she was herself once more.

"Very good work, David," she told him. "You did... well, I hate to use this word, but you did surprisingly well with this. I expected you to have more difficulty."

"It's probably the face you chose. I spend a lot of time with Prof. Stott, since she's my Potions Master."

"Among other things," Prof. Fibblebitz said, teasing him. David would have blushed, if he could.

"Now, I need to go check on the rest of the class. Some of them are clearly not doing as well as you are. You can leave, if you like. We're not going to talk about anything else today."

"Yes, ma'am." She patted him gently on the arm, and then moved off to observe others.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Koda, get the hell off me!" Simon snapped. "Go hang from a perch, would you?"

Koda, annoyed, flew off in a huff, and landed on one of the metal perches positioned throughout the lunch room.

"He's been awfully clingy lately," Jim said to Simon.

"Yeah, I don't know what his deal is. I'm gonna have to talk to my parents. Maybe they know what's going on with him."

"Do they have bats?" Gwen asked.

"Only in their belfries," Simon replied. The group laughed.

"Speaking of clingy people, has Cherise caused you any more trouble, David?" Olissa wanted to know.

"No, not yet... but it's only been a day. I have a feeling I'm not through with her."

"Is there anything we can do to help out?" Gwen wanted to know.

"Nope. So, is everyone ready for finals?"

There were collective groans. "You would have to bring that up," Nate complained.

"C'mon, you've got a week yet..."

"And I need about three!"

"Are you ready for finals?" Simon asked David.

David frowned. "In everything except TEM, I think so."

"Is TEM really that hard for you?" Olissa asked him.

"Kinda. Every time I think I understand it, she throws in something new that puts everything out of whack again."

The others chuckled. Olissa asked, "You want some help with it?"

"Can you spare the time?" Olissa paused for long enough that her pause was the answer. "That's what I thought. Thanks, anyway. I'll manage."

"Hey, David... what are you doing for the holiday?" Nate asked. "You said you don't talk with your family, so..."

David frowned. "Going to jail."

"Huh?"

David explained the situation to Nate. Nate replied, "Well, that sucks."

"That it does." After a pause, David asked, "Devyn, what are you doing for Christmas...er, sorry, Yule?"

Devyn blushed. "I will go to a special place I have, and spend my time alone."

Gwen frowned. "You could come stay with us..."

"Thank you, Gwen, but I need this time."

"Okay."

Gwen turned to David. "I probably won't be able to come see you while you're at the facility. We're usually pretty busy with family stuff during the holidays."

"That's okay. I'll live."

Gwen smirked at him. "No, you won't!" David rolled his eyes while the others laughed.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Okay, opinions?" Dean Lengel asked.

"I must oppose this in the strongest possible terms," Prof. Delquin Quayde said. "It's bad enough that you let these misfits in here, but to give one of them this level of access is completely intolerable!"

"I personally object to you referring to anyone as a misfit," Prof. Thropp declared.

"Don't tell me you're going to go along with this," Quayde challenged.

"I have my reservations, but I am willing to hear this out. You believe that this is a safe move, Samantha?"

Prof. Stott replied. "I'm hardly the one to ask. I made the request. Obviously I trust him."

"Prof. Edgars, you had him as a student last year, just like I did. What is your opinion?" Prof. Thropp asked.

"Yes, tell us all about the freak," Quayde inserted.

Prof. Edgars stared down Prof. Quayde. "I found him to be attentive, respectful, and diligent. Overall, a fine student and an upstanding young man."

"But he's not a man! He's a demighost!" Quayde objected.

"In what way," Prof. Edgars replied in his deep yet monotonous voice, "does that alter the nature of his character?"

Prof. Quayde had no easy response to that. Dean Lengel asked, "Does anyone else have an objection to this?"

"I will admit to being slightly uncomfortable with the notion," Prof. Rutherford said. "Not because of who he is, but simply because he is a student. On the other hand, I don't like the alternatives, either. I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I would ask that he be... monitored."

"I would go along with that," Prof. Thropp said. "He shouldn't be given free run."

There seemed to be a general consensus among the faculty, and Dean Lengel nodded. "Very well. Let's move on to some other issues, then."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"What a way to kick off finals week," David groaned to himself as he walked into his TEM class. He said hi to a couple people as he walked to his chair, but then he sat down and immediately opened his notebook for some last minute studying of the important concepts. He was deep into his review by the time Prof. Rutherford showed up.

"Good afternoon, class. Are we all ready for this?" There was a loud, collective groan from the class in response. "Good!" she said, smiling evilly. "You have an hour and a half to take the test, as usual. Your time will begin as soon as the test hits your desk." David would have liked to have had the extra forty-five minutes that their normal class time would have allowed, but since the test had to be taken by every class, it had to fit in the shorter ninety-minute class period, as well. He didn't dwell on that, but immediately set to work.

David went through the test answering all the questions to which he could immediately give an answer, first. After that, he started to work on the questions he would have to work at a little bit. He didn't once look up at the clock to find out how much time was left; he didn't want to know that. He did notice as other students started to leave, however.

As the time wore down, David progressed through the test. He still had five questions left, however, and each of them was going to be a bear for him to answer. They involved not only an understanding of what was happening, but some detailed calculations. He was deeply into his second of the five questions when a hand appeared at the top of his paper.

David looked up to see Prof. Rutherford looking down at him, some concern on her face.

"Your time is up, David."

David sighed, and sat back. He looked around, to find that he was the only one left in the room. Prof. Rutherford quickly flipped through his test, and then she sat down in the chair in front of his desk, facing him.

"You seemed to be having a lot of trouble with this subject throughout the semester. I can't say how well you did on the test without grading it, but I did see you struggling with it. Why are you having so much difficulty? We haven't even gotten to the practical portion of TEM yet."

"I think that's actually my problem, Professor. I'm kind of a hands-on learner, and this semester has been nothing but theory. Every time I thought I had a handle on the theory, you showed us another special case, or some point where the theory changed, or where we had to apply a different theory. I just can't seem to keep track of it all."

"Are you taking my class next semester?"

"I'm not sure yet. I haven't finalized my registration."

"Give me one more semester," she asked. "I think you'll do better than you might expect. I've seen students with this problem before, and they tend to be instinctual manipulators. That may or may not be you, but there's really only one way to find out."

"Okay," David said. Smirking, he asked, "Will signing up for next semester get me extra credit on my final?"

Prof. Rutherford grinned. "No."

"Had to try," David said. "I'll see you next semester, Professor."

"Have a good Yuletide, David."

"You, too."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Okay, so, obviously, this is our last meeting for this semester," David said. "Before we go, let's recap where we are so far. Dirk, where do we stand on content?"

"I have about three-quarters of the articles written, in first draft form. I haven't polished any of them."

"Okay, how long do you figure to get those done when we get back?"

"Actually, I'd planned on writing the rest of the rough drafts over break, so I should have them ready for you when we get back."

"Cool. Cherise, where do we stand on imagery?"

"I still need the cover shot, but we have to wait for spring for that."

"Right. JJ, have you discovered any new things lately that you think we need to add?"

"Not since I gave you that last list."

"Lisa, how's the layout coming?"

"I'm sort of stuck waiting until we have final drafts of the articles. I've used the length of the first drafts as a basis for the layout, but I'm assuming they will change with editing."

"But we're down to worrying over size and placement? There are no larger issues we need to figure out?"

"Not that I can see. It all depends on how things go in first review."

David nodded. "Okay. In that case, I guess everyone should just have a good Yule, and we'll meet back here in six weeks. Let's not meet our first week back; everyone will be getting settled in." There was general agreement on that point. "See you guys."

Cherise hung back from the others as they were leaving, and David sighed internally. He did not want to deal with whatever she might want to say to him. Finally, with the other three gone, she spoke.

"Hey, David," she said in her sweet, bubbly voice. He knew this voice to be a facade for the conniving bitch beneath.

"What?" he replied coldly.

"I wanted to give you a chance to change your mind about us going out. There's an end-of-semester party on Friday night..."

"Cherise, I'm in no mood for you tonight. I likely just failed my TEM exam, and I don't need your crap. You and I are never going out again. You had to force me into it the first time, and that should have been answer enough for anyone. Now, go, have a nice winter break, and leave me alone."

Cherise's look darkened. "Just remember, David. I gave you a chance." She whirled and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

David slumped against the podium. Can this day get any worse?

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

The next day was hectic for David. All three of his classes were giving the final on the same day. His brain was turning to mush by the end of the day, which was his Metamorphosis class. He managed to make his way through the exam, including the demonstration portion. When he was finished, he took his paper up to Prof. Fibblebitz's desk to turn it in.

"You look troubled," the professor said quietly.

"Worn out," David said. "Also, I wanted to tell you that I wasn't able to sign up for your class next semester."

Prof. Fibblebitz frowned. "Are you giving up on Metamorphosis?"

"No, ma'am. I'll be taking Prof. Arpilla's class. My schedule just wouldn't work out so I could take your class, no matter how I rearranged things."

The professor sighed. "Well, it happens. I think you'll like Prof. Arpilla. She's a fun teacher."

"So are you," David replied.

"Thank you," she said warmly. "I'll let Cat know to pick on you for me."

David chuckled. "Gee, thanks."

"Any time!" she said with a smile. "Good luck next semester, David. And Happy Yule."

"Happy Yule to you, too."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So, how'd you do?" Gwen asked David. They were sitting together for their last meal before most of them went home for the holiday.

"A's and B's," he replied.

Jim said, "You damned liar. A's and one B, is what he means."

"What did you get the B in?" Olissa asked.

"TEM, what else?" David said, frowning. "I really don't know about that class."

"Will you be continuing with it?" Devyn asked him.

"Prof. Rutherford asked me to give her one more semester before I gave up, so yeah, I'm taking it next term."

"She must think it's going to click for you, then," Olissa said.

"She said something about some people being instinctual manipulators, whatever that means."

Olissa nodded.

"Where's Rick?" David asked. Rick was normally with them at meals.

"He's already gone home," Olissa told him.

"Oh. Kinda early, isn't it?"

"His parents were taking him on some kind of trip."

David nodded.

"Well," Nate said, getting up, "I hate to be the first person to run off, but my parents will be here shortly. See you all next month."

They all said their good-byes, and in fact, the group broke up quickly after that. As David was leaving the lunch room, a pixie popped in next to him.

"David Stroud?" she asked.

"You know, you'd think as often as you've come to get me, you'd recognize me by now," David told the pixie good-naturedly.

The pixie giggled. "Dean Lengel would like to see you in her office."

"On my way," David replied, and the pixie popped out.

David walked up to Beckett Hall, and into the Dean's office.

"Go on in," Tracy said, before he even said hi to her.

David knocked and entered. He found Prof. Stott and Prof. Rutherford sitting along the side of the room, with the dean behind her desk. David hesitated, but stepped forward. "You wanted to see me, Dean?"

"Yes, David. Let me make you even more uncomfortable by covering some pleasantries first. How'd you do this semester?"

"Well enough, I guess. Most of my classes were in the low A range."

"Most?"

"TEM," was all he had to say.

"How bad?" she asked.

"A low B."

"It was a mid-B," Prof. Rutherford corrected.

"Low, mid... grade still sucked," David replied.

"I'd hardly classify a B as 'sucking', David," Dean Lengel objected.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, not wanting to argue with her over it.

"Have you had any problems with students this year so far?"

"Nothing severe," he replied.

"By which you mean..." she prompted.

"Nothing worth wasting your time over," he specified.

"Uh-huh. Well, so are you uncomfortable enough? Is your curiosity just eating away at your soul as to why I called you in here?"

"Something like that."

Dean Lengel smiled at him. "After some discussion among the faculty, it was decided that you will not return to the management facility for the Yule Break. You will, instead, spend the break in Sam's apartment here at the school. That is, if you're willing to put up with her for a month."

"Emile!" Prof. Stott said in mock indignation.

Dean Lengel looked over at her, feigning innocence.

David was a bit nonplussed. The dean saw that, and said, "I thought you'd be happy about this."

David quickly said, "Oh, I am happy not to have to go back to prison. It's just... I have no idea where Prof. Stott actually lives. I've never seen any building labeled 'faculty housing' anywhere."

"Which is why there was a faculty meeting about what should be a private matter between you two, " Prof. Rutherford said.

"I don't understand."

Dean Lengel explained, "The faculty housing is hidden, David. We don't admit students lightly. In fact, the last time a student was in faculty housing was some twenty-four years ago. You will have to agree not to talk about where we live, or how to get there, with anyone other than Jailla."

"Who is Jailla?" Prof. Rutherford asked.

David motioned to the bird sleeping on his shoulder. "Jailla," he said in explanation. Prof. Rutherford nodded. Then she said, "There are a couple more rules you will need to follow, as well."

David turned to face her. "Okay, tell me."

"You will not be allowed to wander around in faculty housing. You must be going to and from a specific place. So, for instance, you will be allowed to travel from Sam's apartment to... well, just to pick one, say Emile's. But you will not be able to just walk the halls unless you are in the company of a faculty member."

"Why didn't you just say your own apartment?" David asked curiously.

"I don't live in faculty housing. I live in Gorumshead," she told him with a smile.

"Oh. Okay, so what other rules?"

"You may only use the entrance that you will be shown. There are others, and you may see them during your stay, but you cannot use them, unless, again, you are with a faculty member."

"Okay, that's not a problem."

"And one last thing... I'm required to say this by another faculty member who is not happy about your presence. If you cause any trouble, you will be forced to leave faculty housing, and return to the facility. You will also only be allowed to stay in faculty housing during the three weeks when your normal dorm room is not available."

"Someone is against this?" David asked.

"Yes, there are a couple faculty members who oppose this. One, rather vocally. You have not had them as instructors, so don't worry about it," Dean Lengel said. "It's not something you've done. It's just who you are that they object to. In most cases, it's simply because you're a student, and they object to having a student given this information."

"Oh," he said. After a long pause, he said, "Hey, has anyone told Mr. Garibaldi? I'd hate for him to have to come over here for nothing..."

Dean Lengel smiled. "I contacted him days ago."

David nodded.

"Anyway," Prof. Stott said, "I'll come get you on Monday, to take you to my place."

"Thank you," he said to Prof. Stott. Turning to the dean, he said, "And please, thank the entire faculty for me. I was not looking forward to another few weeks in that place."

Dean Lengel smiled at him. "Just keep your nose clean, so I won't have to listen to the nay-sayers, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a smile.

"Okay. We'll see you in a few days."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

It was tough not saying anything to his friends before they left for the holidays, but he didn't want to be bombarded with questions. He realized, once they were gone, that if he said something about it when they came back, there would be even more questions that he couldn't answer... but he'd cross that bridge when the time came.

Waiting around through the weekend was difficult, as he was excited to see where Sam lived. On Monday, he packed up his things and straightened up the room. He knew the brownies could take care of it all, but he had nothing else to do, and he was trying to keep himself busy.

When Sam finally knocked on the door, he was already starting to go stir-crazy. He walked over and let her in, taking her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

When he finally let her go, she said, "Wow! What was that for?"

"Trying to release pent-up energy," he said.

"Hmm," she replied. "Got any more pent-up energy?"

"More than you can imagine," he replied.

"We'd better get you back to my place quick, then," she said with a grin. "Is this all your stuff?"

"Yeah, just my duffle bag, and Jailla's perch. Unless you think I'll need my potions kit..."

"No, you can use my supplies while you're staying with me." Sam pulled out her wand and waved it at his stuff, saying, "Prenijeti." When she was finished, his stuff vanished into thin air.

When she saw the look of incredulity on his face, she smiled and said, "There's no reason to carry it all..."

David nodded, and said, "Come on, Jailla."

As they were riding up on the rock lift to the terrace level, David wrapped his arm around Sam's waist. She smiled warmly at him.

"You're not usually this friendly with me in public. Why the change?" she asked.

"Well, there are no students around, and obviously the teachers already know."

"Hmm," she said, kissing him as they reached the terrace. "I think I'm going to enjoy the next three weeks."

David did let go of her so they could walk across the terrace. When they stepped up onto the platform for the lift to take them down to the bottom of the mountain, however, David grew confused.

"I had gotten the impression that the teachers lived on campus somewhere."

"We do," she told him. "You're being shown the most inconvenient way to get there. Now, it might not have been entirely clear the other day, but you are not being given access for just these three weeks. If you have reason to enter the faculty housing area from now on, you may do so. Coming to visit me is sufficient reason," she made sure to emphasize this last point. David smiled at her. "Just remember that you can't be riding the lift with any other students."

"Okay."

They stepped onto the lift, and as soon as it dropped below ground level, Sam said, "magister pasu." She turned to David and said, "You should wait until you're below ground level, just so people don't hear you. If you wait too long, you'll have missed the stop, though, and the lift will ignore you."

"Does it work going up or down?"

"Yes."

"And the words again?" She told him. David nodded. Shortly, the lift stopped, but David didn't see anything except solid rock. "Um... now what?"

"It's an illusion. Just make sure you step in the right direction, or you're going to get a sore nose. Come on." Sam stepped off the rock lift, right through what appeared to be a very solid wall, toward the center of the mountain. David followed her slowly, passing through the illusion, as well.

"Nifty," he said. They were now standing in a long hallway, lit by lanterns hanging on the walls.

"No fireflies?" he asked.

"They don't like being underground."

"Oh. I didn't know that. We'll have to add that to the handbook."

"How is that coming?" she asked as they walked down the hallway.

"I'd say we're on schedule. I feel bad that Dirk is doing most of the writing. I think we should have spread that around, but everyone else wanted to keep the tone of the book the same throughout."

"Well, if he didn't object, then it's on his head," Sam said with a smile.

"I suppose."

Shortly, they reached the end of the hallway, which led to stairs going upward.

"We went down, just to go back up?" David asked.

"As I said, this is the least convenient method of getting to faculty housing."

David nodded. At the top of the stairs, there was more light, which seemed to be natural light coming in through shafts in the ceiling that led upward at an angle. A hallway led off in each direction from the top of the stairs.

Sam said, "Okay, right now, you're back at the terrace level."

So, the teachers live beneath the Academy Moat?"

"Well beneath, yes. The moat's not that deep," she said. They began walking down the hall. David noticed that there were many doors on one side of the hall, but almost no doors on the other. He mentioned it to Sam.

"All the apartments face outward, so that they have windows and sunlight. The doors on the other side lead to... other things."

"Secret things?" David asked.

"Some of them. Some are just mundane things like storage closets and meeting rooms."

"Hmm," David said.

Sam smiled at him, and then pointed to a door. "This is your home for the next few weeks. Try to remember where it is."

"Up the stairs and turn right," he said. "It's the one that says, 'Stott' on the door," he said with a grin.

"Right," she replied, blushing slightly. "Come on in." She opened the door and led him into the apartment. He was astonished at the amount of sunlight coming in. The small entranceway led into a living room, with a galley-style kitchen tucked off to the left. The kitchen was smallish, but serviceable. The living room beyond was spacious, and windows lined the entire wall. The furniture looked very plush, and was covered in a soft, fuzzy fabric colored a muted shade of red.

"How do you hide the windows from the outside?"

"Illusion. It's part of the mountain's magic."

"But don't students ever brush up against the windows? Or throw a ball through one?"

"No. You know how to make solid illusions, don't you?"

"Not on this level."

"Well, it's the same idea, only more advanced. From one side, the wall is solid. From the other, it doesn't exist at all."

"That's cool," David said. Motioning to the bedroom, he asked, "May I?"

"My home is your home," she told him.

David walked into the bedroom, where he found a large four-poster bed covered in a multi-colored quilt that looked very thick. The windows here were curtained, but still let in enough light to easily see by. There was a small dressing area, next to a closet. And next to the closet was the entrance to the bathroom, the most impressive feature of which was a large bathtub, easily big enough for two people to soak in together. He walked back out to the living room, where Sam was still waiting.

"Satisfactory?" she asked.

David shook his head at her. "You could live in a tent, and it would still be better than the facility," he told her. "This is very nice."

"Any questions?" she asked.

"Yes. Why do you still have on clothes?" he asked, mimicking something she'd said at the beginning of the semester. She smiled at him as she unbuttoned her shirt.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Don't you decorate for Christm...uh, I mean Yuletide?"

Sam sighed. "I don't usually. Seems like a lot of trouble for just me. Would you like to, though? I'm sure we can conjure up some nice decorations, so to speak."

"I don't want to put you out," David said.

"Nonsense. I've got nothing else to do, anyway. Yule doesn't start until tomorrow. We've got all day to make the place look festive. Eat up," she said, setting his plate in front of him. "We'll get to work right after breakfast."

As he ate his food, he asked, "What would you normally be doing on your break?"

"Not much. Potions work. Also, getting ahead for next semester. As I'm sure you've noticed by now, I have a terrible habit of falling behind."

David smiled.

"Of course, this first week is mostly the Yule celebration."

"What, exactly, happens for Yule? The only part we celebrated was Christmas."

"You'll see," she said cryptically, smiling at him. She turned and called out, "Jailla, would you like some fruit?"

Jailla quickly flew over to the table, which was situated in a corner of the living room area. She cut up a strawberry for him, and he went to town on it.

David watched Jailla for a moment, then asked, "Hey, where's your familiar?"

"I don't have one anymore," she said. "A lot of wizards don't get a new one when their first one passes on. After Yeager died, I just couldn't bring myself to try to replace him."

"What was he?" David asked.

"A peregrine falcon. I named him Yeager because I'd heard a story about someone in Earth by that name who had traveled very fast."

David grinned. "Yeah, Chuck Yeager was the first guy to break the sound barrier."

"Also, apparently, the German word means 'hunter', which Yeager certainly was. His only bad habit was bringing back dead things to share. Ugh."

David chuckled. He turned to look at Jailla. "No, I don't want to share your bugs!"

Jailla swallowed his bit of fruit, and said, "I wasn't going to offer," David chuckled at that, too.

Once they'd finished off their breakfast, Sam said, "Come on, let's go look in one of the storage rooms. I'm sure there are plenty of Yule decorations lying around."

"Okay."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"Where are we going?"

"To Emile's. It's time to begin the Yule rituals."

"Um... I'm not sure how well I'm going to fit in with the faculty..."

"Oh, don't worry. Emile doesn't invite everyone. I think you'll already know most of the people who will be there. This isn't a school function, it's a private gathering."

"Okay." As they walked down the hall, David asked, "So... what, exactly, is going on?"

"I think I'll let Emile explain it to you. She does a better job than I do."

"You just want to make me wait," David complained.

"Who, me?" she asked, trying to appear innocent.

"Yeah, you," David accused.

Sam giggled, but then she said, "Well, we're here, anyway, so you won't have to wait much longer." She knocked, and the door was quickly opened by Dean Lengel.

"Sam! David!" she said in greeting.

"Emile," Sam replied.

"Good morning, Dean," David said. Dean Lengel suddenly put her arm out across the doorway, barring them from entrance.

"No one who calls me 'Dean' is allowed to come into my home," she said sternly.

David would have blushed, and he turned his head down. "Sorry, Emile."

"That's better! Come on in, you two," she said, grinning, and let them pass into her apartment. It was much the same as Sam's, though somewhat larger, with its own dining area and a larger kitchen. Her furniture was slate blue, and comfortable, though not nearly as plush as Sam's. A couple of people were already present. David recognized Prof. Phillips, and said hello to him. He turned to find Prof. Fibblebitz coming out of the bedroom. He assumed she'd needed the restroom.

"Well, hello, David," she said warmly. "I didn't realize you'd be here."

"Hello, Professor," he said in reply.

"Anyone want a snack?" Emile asked, holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres. David took one to be polite, and found it quite tasty. He stood a bit away from the others, as they were all clearly friends, and this wasn't quite his group.

"Troubled?" Emile asked.

"No, I just don't want to intrude."

"Oh, hell, David. Everyone here knows you. You're not intruding."

David grinned, but it was more of a grimace. To change the subject, he asked, "So, what, exactly, do we do for Yule? Or is this it?"

Emile chuckled. "Not quite. Each day of the Yule Festival is different. In Dugerran society, the Yuletide marks the new year, even though we now use the same calendar as Earth, we keep this tradition. So, Yule, for us, is designed to look back, and to look forward. Today is known as the Day of Reflection. First, we gather in a small group, like this one, to socialize and connect with other people. It helps us remember that we're not alone.

"In a little while, we will begin the Remembrance Rite. We will sit down, and, with the aid of some magic, we will relive the past year of our lives. This is to... put things into perspective. We see clearly what went well, and what went badly, and where we made personal mistakes that we should try to rectify."

"So, Yule is a quiet celebration?"

Emile grinned. "No. This is just the way the Day of Reflection goes. Tomorrow is the Day of Celebration. All of the stuff that you remember today that you are happy about, tomorrow you will celebrate in honor of those things. Trust me, it is not quiet!"

David smiled.

After another hour of chatting, during which David finally started to feel like something other than an intruder, Emile called everyone to quiet.

"Come sit by me, David," Sam told him. He sat on the sofa with her, not too closely, since he didn't know what was coming. Emile brought out a large orb. It was made of glass, and hollow, and about a foot across. It sat on a gold stand which had golden feathers arcing upward, to hold the glass ball in place.

Emile looked to David, and said, "This is the Remember Orb. Yes, very catchy name," she said with a smile. "It will... help you remember. Now, once you enter the trance, your memories of the last year will come to you, one at a time. You may choose to not view a specific memory, if it is really unpleasant. Or, you can replay a good memory, if you want to see it a second time. Ultimately, how much time this takes is up to you. The trance will end when you have reviewed all of the memories of your year. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Any questions?"

After a pause, he said, "No."

"Very well. Sit back and make yourself comfortable. You may be here a while."

"How long is a while?" David asked.

"For some people, this takes all day," she replied. "At a minimum, it will probably take a couple of hours."

David sat back, and nodded. Sam touched his arm in support, and then let him go. Emile chanted something quietly over the Remember Orb, but David couldn't hear her. The ball filled with something that looked like confetti floating in water. It changed colors throughout all the hues of the rainbow as it tumbled inside the orb. David watched it with interest, being drawn to it. It was almost as if he could not stop watching it. Shortly after that, the trance began.

David's first memory was of the facility. He had, of course, spent his winter break there the previous year. He allowed the memories to flow naturally, not seeing much of importance here.

As the memories moved on to his return to school, he found much more interest in his first encounter with Sam, and her offer to apprentice him. He watched that attentively, but when it was over, he allowed the memories to flow onward.

Slowly, he replayed his year. The torments by Marcus and his friends, his relationship with Amanda, and his schoolwork. Things passed on to his summer, back at the facility, and the start of his difficulties with Beckel.

I haven't spent enough time with Penny lately, David thought to himself as he relived their time together in the facility.

He relived the prison riot, and then his hearing in front of the magistrate. He watched the ride back to the school, and then moved on to his troubles with Cherise.

I'm glad that's over, he said to himself.

Finally, the memories came to a stop. David had reached yesterday, when Sam and he had decked her apartment in Yuletide decor. He slowly opened his eyes, and found the ball was still filled with swirling twinkles of light, but now, it was not so powerful a draw. He looked around, to find that, while he was not the first to awaken, he was certainly not the last. He saw Emile standing over by the table. He carefully got up, so as not to disturb Sam, and walked over to her.

"How long has it been?" he asked quietly.

"Three hours. You don't need to whisper. Only an emergency could wake them up at this point."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Half-hour or so. My year wasn't that interesting," she said with a grin.

"Sorry to hear that."

"I'm not. I can use a dull year once in a while," she said with a chuckle. "If you need the restroom, it's in the same place as Sam's. Are you hungry?"

"Neither of those things is ever a necessity for me," he reminded her gently. "Though those snacks were pretty tasty."

"Well, they're still available," she said, motioning to the table. David grabbed one.

Sam awoke about fifteen minutes after David, and came over to grab a snack herself.

"Now what happens?" David asked her.

"Now we socialize a bit more. Once everyone is awake, we'll have a small meal, and... well, that'll be it. This first day is a day of preparation, for all the days that follow."

"Do we talk about what we saw?"

"Not usually. If you need to talk about something, then you can bring it up, but it's not usually what you talk about afterward."

"So what do you talk about?"

"Whatever. Family. Plans for next semester. Which students to watch out for. Just general chit-chat. The idea is to wind down from what might have been a tense and uncomfortable experience."

"Oh." Dropping his voice a little, he asked, "Was it a tense or uncomfortable experience for you?"

She smiled softly at him. "Not at all."

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David arose the next morning well before Sam - of course - and, after showering, went out to sit in the living room and stare out the window. Sam's apartment, like most of them, faced the ocean, so he had a long view. He saw a breaching whale in the distance, and there were seagulls flying nearer to shore.

At the appropriate time, David got up and began making breakfast. It wasn't something he was necessarily good at, but he felt like he should do something nice for her, since she had done so many nice things for him.

The smell of cooking sausage roused Sam from her bed, and she came out in her nightgown to see David at the stove.

"Well, good morning," she said to him. She came over and gave him a kiss and a hug, then reached for the cup of coffee that was obviously waiting for her. "How did you know I'd need my coffee first thing?"

"Your coffee cup is actually sitting on the counter," David said with a smile. Sam grinned at him.

"How long have you been up?" she asked him while he returned to making breakfast.

"A few hours."

"Is it always like that for you?"

David nodded. "I only get four hours of sleep each night. No matter how hard I wish, I never get more than that."

"Doesn't that make you tired all day?"

"Not that I've noticed. I mean, I go to sleep when I'm tired... and then I wake up four hours later, wide awake."

"That has to be boring as all hell, here. At least in your dorm room, you can study."

David shrugged. He slipped her eggs onto a plate at that point, and added the sausage. He handed it to her. "It's probably not up to the quality of the cafeteria, but it should be edible."

"I'm sure it's fine. Thank you." She kissed him again, then took her plate to the table. He fixed his own food, and then joined her.

"So, what's in store today?" he asked.

"Today is the Day of Celebration," she told him. "It's a festival. Music, food, games... just general fun. We are celebrating the good things of last year."

"Not that this is true for me, but what if you didn't have any good things last year?"

"Then you're probably not attending the Yuletide," she said with a grin.

"Fair enough. When does the party start?"

She looked at the clock. "In an hour or so."

-----

David stepped out of the side of the mountain with Sam to enter a world of light snow.

"The sky was clear a little while ago," he said.

"It always snows at the Yule festivals, David," she said, grinning. Her meaning was quite clear. They began to walk, just listening to the music that a nearby band was playing. The world had been transformed into a crystal wonderland. The air was cold and crisp, the snowfall remained light, just enough for one to notice. Children were running around, chasing each other and occasionally throwing snowballs.

As they walked, every so often there was a booth selling either a trinket, or a food item. David was a bit leery of the food items, though Sam encouraged him to taste as many of them as he could stomach. He did, however, buy a crystal necklace for Sam. When she put it on, it looked as though she was wearing ice.

They spent the morning walking around, looking, listening, chatting, and just generally enjoying the atmosphere.

"Well, it's noon," Sam said. "You want to go to the feast?"

"There's a feast?"

"You can't have a festival without a feast! C'mon." They were already near Byron Hall, anyway, and they entered to find the room decked out in wonderful Yule decorations. The two walked along a table literally covered in food, and they took what they wanted. As soon as they took something, it was replaced, keeping the table perpetually full.

They found Emile eating with Prof. Rutherford, and they decided to join them.

"I thought you didn't live on campus," David said to Prof. Rutherford.

"Everyone comes to the festival, David," she told him.

"You mean, there isn't a festival down in Gorumshead?"

"No. The Academy hosts the festival for this area. Everyone comes here to celebrate."

"Oh."

"How have you been enjoying the festival?" Emile asked him.

"It's very nice, so far."

To Sam, Emile said, "Make sure he joins in some of the games this afternoon. Make him work for his supper."

Sam laughed, but David just shook his head, and dug into his lunch.

-----

After lunch, David and Sam did join in with a couple of small contests. They didn't win, but they had fun, and that was all that mattered. They were walking along, talking, when suddenly, David was gripped in a powerful embrace from behind, and lifted off the ground.

"Whoa!" he said. Sam turned to see who it was, and chuckled. Finally, David's feet returned to the ground, and he turned to see-

"Giendia! Hey! What are you doing here?"

Sam clucked at him. "David, everyone comes to the festival. Weren't you paying attention to Niobi?"

"Who?" he asked, suddenly confused.

"Sorry, Prof. Rutherford."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess it just didn't sink in. Sam, this is my friend Giendia. Giendia, this is Prof. Sam Stott, my good friend and Potions Master."

The two shook hands, and then Giendia turned to David. "It's good to see you again. I thought I wouldn't get to see you until the end of the year."

"Me, either. The teachers sprang a surprise on me, and let me stay here at the school over the holidays. So, how are you liking the festival?"

"I've always loved Yuletide. It's my favorite time of year." Giendia turned to Sam. "You don't mind if I tag along with you two, do you? I haven't seen David since October."

Sam smiled. "Tell you what, I will tag along with you."

"Sure you don't mind, Sam?" David asked.

"I had you to myself all morning. Besides, I think she might be able to drag more fun out of you than I can."

David smirked, and then turned to Giendia. "Okay, what do you want to do first?"

"I believe that there's a snowball fight starting soon..." she said.

"Oh, boy," David said. "Now I'm in for it..."

-----

David, Giendia, and Sam were all hiding behind a wall of snow. Giendia peeked around the wall, and nearly got a snowball to the head for her trouble.

"Yep, they're over there, all right," she said.

"How do you want to handle it?" Sam asked David.

David thought for a second, then looked up at the wall. It was about nine feet tall; much too tall for any of them to see over. Giendia might have been able to rear up, but she'd be much too easy a target. Magic was absolutely forbidden in the snowball fight, but...

"You mind if I stand on your back?" David asked Giendia.

"Sneaky," Sam said approvingly.

Giendia lowered herself to the ground, so David could step on. Sam started making several snowballs, so she could hand them to David. He would not be able to make his own.

When Giendia rose, David had to work to keep his balance, as he was jostled back and forth. Once Giendia was fully upright, David slowly inched his head above the wall. He saw their opponents, hunkering behind a low wall some twenty feet away. He reached down, and Sam put a snowball in his hand. David considered throwing it directly, but that would make it too easy for them to figure out where he was. Instead, he lobbed it in a high arc. His first shot missed the target by only two feet, and he quickly ducked down, so that they wouldn't see him.

After a few seconds, he took another snowball from Sam, and then he turned to Giendia.

"When I throw this next one, they'll probably move. Be ready to step out and nail one of them."

"But you'll fall!" she objected.

"I'll steady myself against the wall. If absolutely necessary, I'll just grab the wall and hang on."

"Okay," she said, unsure of this idea.

David slowly lifted his head above the wall again. The other team was still hiding behind the low wall. He lobbed another shot at them. This one whacked one of them right on top of the head. As expected, when the others saw another shot come in, they tried to make a run for a new spot.

"Go!" he told Giendia, keeping his hand on top of the wall. She leapt out, and David kept his balance as best he could. Giendia fired off a rocket of a shot, nailing one of the runners in the middle of the back. Now the other team was down to just one player.

Giendia moved back behind the wall, and David stood up, trying to see where the remaining opponent went. He saw a head duck behind a berm, and then he crouched down.

"He's hiding behind the snow pile, about fifty feet that way," David said, gesturing. "Giendia... sorry, but you're a really big target. You should stay here and cover us."

Giendia nodded.

"What are we going to do?" Sam asked, caught up in the fun and excitement of it.

"I'm going to head straight up the berm, and jump over him. I'll try to hit him, but chances are, he'll nail me, instead."

"How does that help us?" Sam asked, confused.

"Because you'll come around the end of the snow pile, and smack him in the side while he's busy taking me out."

Sam grinned. "I like it. Let's go!"

Giendia threw a couple of snowballs toward the berm, keeping the other player pinned down, while Sam and David went around the other end of the wall they were hiding behind. They snuck as quietly as they could through the obstacles, until they reached the berm. David motioned to Sam, and she crept down to the end of the snow pile, looking around the end of it to make sure there was a clear path. She nodded to David, who then turned his head to look up toward the top of the pile.

Taking a deep breath, David dashed up the snow pile. He didn't stop when he reached the top, but jumped as hard as he could, twisting in the air as he did so. The player for the other team had heard him coming, and was ready for him. He twisted, slinging a snowball right at David. He could hardly miss at this distance, and the snowball smacked David right in the chest.

Unfortunately for the other guy, Sam had come around the end of the berm just as planned. She fired two quick snowballs at him from a range of ten feet. He didn't even see her before the first one impacted, and the second one actually knocked him down, as he slipped on a slick patch.

David landed in the soft snow of another berm, rolling down the far side of it. As he got up, a whistle blew, announcing the end of the game. Sam went over and helped the other person up.

"Where did you come from?" he demanded to know. Sam just laughed.

"Winner, Sam and the Drifters," the referee announced. The crowd cheered. Sam found David, and together they went to retrieve Giendia, and then left the snowball arena.

"Three wins, no losses. Think anyone will beat our record?" Sam asked David.

"Probably. Depends on how they rank such things. I'm not worried about winning. That was a blast!"

"I don't think sacrificing yourself is a normal wartime tactic, though," Sam chided David good-naturedly.

"Yeah, well... it won't kill me, now will it?" he chuckled. Sam rolled her eyes at him.

They kept walking, and suddenly they found themselves amidst blocks of snow, all cut the same size, and piled up as if waiting for something.

"What's this about?" David asked.

"It's the snow sculpting contest," Giendia told him. "You should give it a try!" she said.

"Oh, I don't know about that," David said.

Sam smiled. "Go on, give it a go. No harm in trying, is there?"

"Then why don't you try it?" David challenged.

"Because I know that I'm lousy at it. I've tried before."

"Uh-huh," David said.

"Please, David?" Giendia asked. "I want to see what you can make."

David sighed. "Okay, but I'm not very creative." David went over and signed in with the judge. He took a quick look at his competitors, seeing a lot of abstract art and even some castle designs.

"How long do I have?" he asked Sam.

"Until sunset."

"Isn't that kind of unfair? If you start late in the day, you don't have much time..."

"Anyone who's really serious about winning the competition shows up when it starts."

David nodded, considering what he should sculpt. Then he got an idea. "You two might as well take a seat. This is going to take a while." Sam went and sat on a nearby bench. As he had hoped, Giendia went and knelt on the ground behind the bench, so she could look over Sam's head and watch David.

David selected several blocks, forming up the base of his design. Once he had the blocks he needed in place, he took the provided tools and began to shave away some of the snow. The blocks of snow were highly packed, to allow them to hold together well, and to allow some real detail in the design, but it was still snow, so David had to be careful, or it would fall apart.

David worked diligently, looking over at Sam and Giendia every once in a while, then returning to his work.

"What do you think he's making?" Giendia asked Sam. Sam had a good idea, but didn't say so.

"We'll just have to wait and see, I guess."

For hours, David worked at it, his design becoming clearer as he worked. Even Giendia could tell what it was after the first couple hours. As he reached the head of his sculpture, however, he blocked their view while he worked. For some time, David very carefully carved at the head, looking back over his shoulder at the others repeatedly.

Finally, David stepped back, and looked over his design. He turned around and said, "Okay, I'm done."

The other two got up to examine it. The sculpture was very clearly of Giendia, as she knelt on the ground, her upper body turned so that she could look back over her flanks, her one hand resting on her back, while her other hand stayed at her side.

Sam smiled at him, but she was waiting for Giendia to speak first.

Giendia stared at it for a long time, completely silent. Finally, she turned her eyes on David.

"Is it really me?"

"Well, it's supposed to be you," David said. "Not sure if I got the face right..."

Giendia stepped to him and embraced him strongly. She pulled him up off the ground, and kissed him, full on the lips, for a long moment. Finally she let him go, blushing, as she was embarrassed at her own outburst.

"It's damn nice work, David," Sam said finally. "The only thing wrong with the face is that the nose is just ever so slightly too long, but I would not attempt to fix it if I were you. You might damage it."

David nodded.

"It's beautiful," Giendia said.

"Well, now that I've finished, do I tell someone?"

"The judge," Sam said, pointing. David went over and got the judge, who came over to see the sculpture.

"Is this your model?" the judge asked.

"Yes," David replied.

The judge looked from Giendia to the sculpture and back, nodding a couple times, and making some notes.

"Very nice work," the judge said, and then walked away. David smirked, and turned to the other two.

"He probably says that to everyone. Now what do I do with it?"

"Just leave it, so other people can see it. You might want to sign your name in front of it, so that people know who did it."

David picked another block, and then, using one of the tools provided, he carved his name into the block. He then set it on the ground next to the sculpture. After that, the three moved off.

"When do they announce the winners?" Giendia asked.

"At tonight's feast," Sam replied.

"Oh. I guess I won't know if you won or not. I have to go home soon."

"I'm quite sure I won't win," David said. "My model is very pretty, but my sculpting skill isn't that good."

Giendia blushed at David's compliment. The trio walked around for a little while longer, and then finally, Giendia announced it was time for her to head home.

"Sam, can I talk to David privately for a second?"

"Of course," Sam said, smiling at her. She walked off toward another of the vending stalls.

"I'm glad you were here, David. This is the most fun I've had at the Day of Celebration, ever."

David smiled. "I'm glad I got to see you, too. The snowball fight was fun."

"Why did you sculpt me?" Giendia asked.

"Why not?"

"You could have sculpted Sam... or anything you wanted. Why me, in particular?"

"Well, you're pretty, so you make for a good sculpting subject."

"Sam is at least as pretty as I am," Giendia said, waiting.

"But Sam doesn't come with a stable base for me to sculpt from," David said, grinning and giving in to her wish to know the truth. "I needed something that wouldn't be unstable. People are top-heavy; making one stand up in snow is probably really hard. But your lower body gives a nice, strong base for the sculpting. I figured, if I was going to enter a contest with my first sculpting attempt, I shouldn't go looking for trouble."

"So you picked me because it was easy," she said.

"It was not easy," he replied. "Trust me. It was just less likely to fall apart on me. Besides," he said, trying to end on a note that was more flattering, "as I said, you're pretty, so you make a good subject."

Giendia blushed a bit. "Thank you. Thank you for sculpting me, and for being honest with me about why."

David nodded. There was a brief, uncomfortable silence, and then David said, "I'm glad I got to see you again."

"Me, too," she said. She hesitated, but then she knelt down, so she would be close to eye-level with him. "I'm glad you're my friend, David," she told him. She leaned in, and it was clear to David what she wanted. He leaned in the rest of the way, and they kissed softly. He brought his arms up around to her back, and held her gently as they kissed. After a long moment, they broke apart, and she smiled at him, blushing profusely.

David grinned, and then, just to twist her tail, he said, "By the way, I'm sorry for fondling you...er, your likeness, anyway... in public. It's impossible not to do when you're sculpting."

Giendia's blush deepened to a dark crimson.

"That's okay," she said. "I'm sure my likeness enjoyed it."

David chuckled. Giendia slowly got back to her feet, and he stepped back.

"I have to go now. I hope you and Sam enjoy the rest of the festival."

"Thanks. Will you be back for any of the other days of Yule?"

"I can't. I have to go visit my mom for the other big festival day."

"Oh."

"Yeah. But at least today was good. I hope I'll see you again soon, David."

"That would be nice," he agreed.

"See ya!" she said, trotting off. David waved, and then went over to where Sam was standing, haggling with a vendor over a silver bracelet.

"Oh, just give the man what he wants for it," David said as Sam kept hesitating.

"It's a lot of money," she objected.

David rolled his eyes, and handed the man the necessary granas. To Sam, he said, "Merry Christmas."

She smiled and put on the bracelet. "If you think you're getting off that easy for Christmas, you got another thing coming," she told him. David grinned, and they walked off to continue enjoying the celebration.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

David woke Sam up the next morning by means other than cooking, and the two took a shower together. Finally, they emerged from the bedroom, and both went to the kitchen.

"Nuh-uh, it's my turn to make breakfast," Sam told him.

"Well, I'll just stand here and talk, then," David said.

Sam nodded, and turned to start pulling things out for the meal.

"So what are we doing for Yule today?" David asked while she worked.

"Today is the Day of Redemption," she said as she began preparing breakfast.

"Okay... what's that mean, exactly?"

"It means that if there was anything you saw in your memories the day before yesterday that you need to fix, or that you need to apologize for, today is the day to do it."

"I'm not sure I understand," David said.

Sam explained, "Well, let's say that you got into a fight at some point this year, and it has damaged your relationship with that person. Today would be the day to go talk with them, apologize, and tried to mend things. Or let's say that, oh, you still have in your possession something you promised to return to someone else. Today would be the day to do it. The Day of Redemption is supposed to help you enter the new year with a clean conscience that you have at least attempted to fix all of the things you screwed up."

"Oh. Hmm."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Well, I can't really think of anything from this last year I need to fix."

"Hah! That must be nice," Sam said. "I actually have a fairly busy day planned. I'm afraid you won't actually see much of me until this evening."

"Oh."

"Do you really have nothing you need to fix?"

"Well, there is one thing, I guess..."

"What?"

"Well, I realized that I haven't spent much time with Penny - that's my ghost advisor - this last semester. It was easier last year, because I had classes in the castle, so we ran into each other regularly. I've only seen her three or four times since I got back to school."

"There you go, then," Sam said. "And today is the perfect opportunity to fix that, unless she is likewise off trying to mend things."

"Do ghosts participate in Yule?"

"Some do. Most don't see the point anymore, since for them, one year is much like the last."

-----

Once they'd finished breakfast, David and Sam both left her apartment, to get on with their activities. They used one of the primary exits, rather than the one David was required to use, and then they split up. David made his way to the castle slowly, trying to figure out how he could make it up to Penny.

In the courtyard, David paused to stare at the four statues. He did this often when he came to the castle, as they were impressive. He also took a chance to sense the ghostly energies in the area. He didn't feel Penny's presence.

She might not even be here.

David walked up the lava-stone steps and grasped the handles on the door. The castle did not even hesitate to open for him, and he entered. He wondered where he should go to try to find Penny. He decided to start with the place they'd first met formally, and so he walked off to his right and entered the Sitting Room. He closed his eyes and reached out, and realized there was no one in here at all.

David went to the Great Hall, but Penny wasn't there, either. He began to worry that she wasn't in the castle, but he started to roam the halls randomly, peeking into rooms to see if he could sense her.

Finally, David found her in a bedroom of some kind, staring out a window at the ocean. Without speaking, he faded to ghost form, and crossed the room. When he rested his hand in the small of her back, she jumped.

"Oh! David. You startled me," she said.

"I'm sorry," he told her.

"Quite all right. I was just lost in thought, and didn't hear you."

"Are you okay?" David asked. "You seem a bit... distressed."

Penny smiled sadly at him. "Yuletide is a bit of a sad time for me, I'm afraid. I loved the celebration and ritual, but can't really partake anymore."

"Oh," David said, frowning.

"What's the matter?" Penny asked, cocking her head.

"Well," he said, "I don't want to make you feel worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Today is the Day of Redemption. That's why I'm here."

Penny's face took on a truly puzzled expression now. "I am very confused."

"I came to apologize to you, for not visiting more often this last semester. I should have taken the time out to come up and see you."

"Oh, David," Penny said, her expression softening into a smile. "Thank you for worrying about it, but really, you didn't need to apologize. While I do miss talking with you, we've been together rather more than you might think these past months."

"Been spying on me, have you?" David teased.

Penny blushed. "I am supposed to let Jacob know how you're doing, after all."

"Still, I should have kept in touch better. It was harder, because I didn't have any classes up here in the castle. Still, you're my friend, and I should have taken the time out. I'm sorry that I didn't."

"Your apology is accepted, even if it isn't necessary," Penny smiled at him. "If you still feel guilty, you could make it up to me," Penny said, her eyes flicking over to the bed.

David chuckled at her, and then took her into his arms, kissing her passionately.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

"So is today's festival like the Day of Celebration?" David asked. He and Sam had just left the teacher apartments, and were walking through the lightly falling snow.

"Not quite. There aren't any games on the Day of Expectation. Today is about looking to the future year, to celebrate its possibilities. Most of the attractions today are about the future."

"Oh. So I won't have to lose any more sculpture contests?"

"Honorable Mention is hardly losing, David. There were only two Honorable Mentions out of all the entries."

"I guess. It just feels like a kiss from your sister, so to speak."

"Do you have a sister?" Sam asked.

David chuckled. "No. I'm an only child."

The two walked along, enjoying the music and occasionally grabbing a treat from a food stall. Every once in a while, they'd run across a wizard who was performing magic, and they would stop and watch, like the rest of his audience. After a while, they would move on.

"How have you liked your first real Yuletide?" Sam asked.

"I can see why you guys think that Christmas is the least part of the holiday," David admitted. "It kind of pales by comparison."

"It's still an important part, though," Sam told him. They were walking across the river bridge at the time, and Sam looked off to her right. "Would you like to go ice skating?"

"Huh?"

Sam pointed. The portion of the river between the waterfall basin and the bridge had been magically frozen over, and people were skating on it.

"I can't ice skate," David said.

"You could try."

"I have no skates."

"No one has skates. They provide those."

"I'll look like a goof," he objected.

"Everyone does, their first time. Come on. What else have you got to do?"

"Well, you've got me there," he said.

-----

Ninety minutes and innumerable falls on his ass later, David called it a day for the ice skating. He had finally gotten the hang of it, mostly, but still felt unsteady on his feet.

"You'll do better next year," Sam told him.

David shook his head. "I don't even know where I'll be spending next Yule. I will, I hope, be a free man, but I have no home."

"Well, barring unforeseen circumstances, you are always welcome to stay with me again," she said.

"Thank you," David replied. He gave her a kiss for that, and she happily returned it. Then they continued walking on.

-----

After some further walking, Sam and David came upon a wishing well. It was a true well, in that it went deep into the mountain, but it had not been there the day before.

I love magic, David thought to himself.

"What do they do with the money?" David asked.

"Scholarship fund," Sam said.

David nodded, held the coin in his hand, and made his wish. Then he tossed the coin into the well. He waited, and was satisfied to hear the plop of the coin into the water at the bottom of the well.

"What did you wish for?" Sam asked.

"I wished for a certain vision I've had in Divination to not come true."

"To not come true?"

"It doesn't end well for the person involved."

"It's not me, is it?" Sam asked, a little concerned.

"No, it's one of my classmates."

"Oh. Well, then I hope it doesn't happen."

"Thanks."

"We could check on it. There's a fortune-telling booth over there..."

"Is it run by a real diviner, or is it the kind of scam they have in Earth?"

"Oh, no. It's a professional divination expert."

"Well, let's try it, then. I'd love a second opinion on my own divination."

The two entered the tent, to find the diviner dressed not in the gypsy garb one might expect in Earth, but instead, in traditional wizard garb. She wore a long robe, tied with a sash, and she had upon her head a pointed wizard cap, with a slightly floppy brim. Her clothing was brightly colored, and she wore an amulet that contained an unknown symbol, made of gold.

"Good afternoon. How can I help you two today?"

"My friend would like you to see if his own divination is still true or not," Sam told the diviner.

"Well, then, a professional call. I don't get many of those during Yule. Come, sit. What is your name?"

"David Stroud."

"I can approach this from two angles. I can merely try to divine whether or not you are right... or I can attempt to recreate your divination."

"I think the second would be more useful. Even if I'm right, perhaps you can gather more information than I did, to help prevent it from happening."

"In order to do that, I will need to know the subject of the divination."

"Her name is Olissa Volaire."

"Do you have a picture of her?"

David closed his eyes, concentrated, and intoned, "Opakovani pommet." An image of Olissa, dressed in her school uniform, appeared, as if standing on the table before the diviner.

"Well then! A most useful spell. I'll have to remember that one. You said her name is Olissa?"

"Olissa Volaire, yes."

"Very well. Let me see." The diviner gazed quietly into the crystal ball before her. It filled with a green haze, but David saw no imagery within it. This wasn't unexpected; it wasn't his crystal ball, after all.

After a minute or so, the diviner sat back. She looked unsettled.

"I saw the young lady in a hospital bed," she said. David frowned. "You were there at her side, reading a textbook."

"Could you get the name of the textbook?" David asked.

"Yes. It was Volume Two of the Theories of Elemental Manipulation."

"Did you get anything else?"

"No. I'm afraid I was not able to determine the cause of her injury, nor the final outcome."

"Yeah, me, either," David said, upset.

"I do apologize that I don't have better news," the diviner told him.

David sighed. "Not your fault that the future isn't always cheery," he replied. He gave the diviner her fee, and then he and Sam left the tent.

"Olissa is in danger of some kind?"

"Yeah."

"Have you told the dean?"

"Last year."

"Last... you've had this vision for over a year?"

"No. Since about the middle of the Spring Semester."

"Does Olissa know?"

"Yeah. I told her because I thought that Marcus might have been going to do something to her, even though the vision was very fuzzy last year."

"And how is it now?"

"Getting clearer all the time. But she saw something I hadn't seen before. The name of the book. That's the book for this upcoming semester. That means, whatever's going to happen, it's going to happen before May."

"Keep a close eye on it, David."

"Believe me, I check it regularly."

"Come on. Let's try to find something positive to take your mind off it."

"I'm all for that."

-----

The two wandered around, enjoying the day, and when the time came, they enjoyed the evening feast, chatting with other professors and townsfolk. After that, they walked over to a spot where they got into a sleigh, which was being pulled by a pegasus. The ride started off on the ground, making an almost complete circuit of the mountain.

David wrapped his arm around Sam and pulled her close, then he nibbled on her ear, causing her to giggle.

"You cut that out!" she said, laughing.

"Or what?" David challenged with a grin.

"Or I'll wait until this ride lifts off, and push you out of the sleigh!" she replied.

"That wouldn't kill me," David replied.

"No, but it'd get you away from my ear!" she said, grinning.

David chuckled, and the two sat back to enjoy the ride. Once the horse had returned to the spot the ride started, it sped up, and unfolded its wings. After a couple strong flaps, the sleigh left the ground, and the ride took to the air. By coincidence, as they left the ground, the sky was filled with a wonderful red and green aurora which played over the entire mountain. They felt as if they were adrift in a sea of light.

Sam leaned over this time, and kissed David passionately. For the longest moment, they didn't see any of the scenery, as they just enjoyed the embrace. After a while, though, Sam sat back.

"After this ride is over, I think we should go back to the apartment. There's a Christmas present I want to give you, and I don't think I can wait much longer."

David chuckled at that, but didn't say anything. He did pull her closer to him, however, and she came readily.

-----

Sam opened the door, and kept walking. David closed the door, and hung up his coat in the small closet near the door.

"Make yourself comfortable on the couch," she called to him. "I'll be out in a few minutes." With that, she slipped into the bedroom and closed the door.

David smiled. He knew that she must be getting into something 'more comfortable'. He slipped off his shoes, and then went and sat on the couch, as she had asked. The couch faced the bedroom door, which meant that he would see her as soon as she emerged.

When she did emerge, David grinned widely. The outfit she had on was silky, but looked like wrapping paper. In between and just below her breasts, a large bow adorned the front. Sam put one hand up on the door frame and leaned.

"Well? Are you going to unwrap your present?"

"But it's not Christmas yet," he objected, teasing her.

"You get one present Christmas Eve. The rest wait until tomorrow."

"Hmm," David said, smiling as he rose from the couch. He walked over to her slowly, enjoying how she looked. The outfit was blue, with snowflakes adorning it. When he got close, she stepped backward, into the bedroom. He followed her, and then she stopped, standing at a spot where he could walk all the way around her body.

David put his hand on her hip, feeling the smoothness of the outfit she was wearing. He moved around behind her, mainly looking for the way the bow was tied on. He ended up back in front of her, not having found one. He assumed that it must tie in front.

Before doing anything more, he leaned in and kissed Sam, squishing her bow, but neither of them cared. For long moments, their lips and tongues played together joyously. Finally, David broke their kiss and stepped back. He tugged at the bow, and he saw that, yes, it did tie right behind the bow itself. He pulled, and the bow came loose, falling from Sam's form. He tossed it into a nearby chair, and now focused on the real project: unwrapping the dress.

It didn't take him long to find the end, and he quickly pulled it loose, slipping the fabric around Sam, exposing more and more skin. In no time at all, the fabric joined the bow on the chair, and Sam stood before him, completely naked. He noted that she had even shaved her pubic hair, leaving only a small triangle that pointed to her clit. David raised his eyebrows at that, and smiled.

"You are absolutely beautiful," he told Sam, who blushed slightly. He pulled off his own clothing, so that they were both nude, and then he moved to her, pulling her against him. He loved the feel of her firm tits pushing against him, her nipples digging into his chest. He knew she could feel his hard cock pressing against her abdomen. She moaned softly as he once again pressed his lips to hers.

After another long kissing session, they moved to the bed. Sam rolled on top of David, straddling his waist. She leaned down, so that her nipples would slide across his chest as she moved, and then rocked her hips. His cock, trapped between them at the moment, twitched at the pleasant feel of that.

Feeling that, Sam pushed herself upright, and then reached down to take David's cock in hand. She positioned it just so, and then she slid down onto it, her pussy engulfing him in one slow descent. David groaned, enjoying the feel of her pussy rippling along his shaft.

When Sam's hips were resting against his, David reached up and took her tits in hand, massaging them gently.

"Oh, yes, David. I like that," she told him. He slid his fingers over her nipples, and she gasped, then her smile widened. After that, she began to move on him. She used her legs to slide up and down on his cock, sending chills up and down his spine. She wasn't in a hurry, but her movements were getting him quickly worked up, anyway. His hips began to rock in time with her movements, thrusting himself up into her as far as he could go.

Sam sped up a little. She knew that David wasn't going to last long, and so she wanted to bring him off. Then, she knew, the real fun would start.

David clenched his jaw, trying to hold back. He loved the feel of Sam's cunt on his dick, and he didn't want her to stop. The problem was that she was just making him feel too damned good, and finally, with a loud grunt, he slammed his hips up into her and blasted his cum inside her pussy. Sam slid down onto him, fully trapping his dick inside her, and stopped, using her pussy muscles to massage him and pull as much of his cum out of him as she could.

It took David quite a while to stop coming, and after that, he was out of breath. Sam slipped off him, and lay down beside him, her hand caressing his chest while he recovered.

David smiled at Sam, and then kissed her. She kissed back readily, her tongue immediately slipping into his mouth.

David didn't even break their kiss as he faded to ghost form and back. Sam hardly noticed the change, and she was used to him doing it, anyway. Once she felt him back in human form, though, her hand slid from his chest down across his abdomen to caress his cock. It had gone soft, but her deft touch was quickly getting a rise out of it.

Sam broke their kiss and slid down David's body until her head was even with his groin. In just another second, his cock was engulfed by her mouth, her lips sliding along his length. This treatment was rapidly bringing him to hardness, which was exactly what Sam wanted.

Sam continued to suck David's cock long after he was hard. He laid back, enjoying the feeling, though he was a bit confused. She wasn't going to try to get him off again, was she? He couldn't really reach any part of her, so he was forced to simply enjoy her attention, which he did.

For Sam's part, what she was about to do made her a bit nervous, which was why she was delaying by sucking on David's cock. It relaxed her to do so, and she knew that he enjoyed it. Finally, she felt she was ready, however.

Pushing herself into a kneeling position, Sam kept her hand on David's shaft, stroking him to keep him hard.

"Are you ready for your Christmas present?"

"You mean, this wasn't it?" David asked with a smile.

"Not quite. Up until now, I've denied you a certain part of sex. Thankfully, you've not asked me about it. I wouldn't have wanted to say no to you. I don't let most of my partners do this, because if you do it wrong, it will really hurt me, as I'm very sensitive. But I trust you as much as anyone I've ever been with."

David was very confused now. He couldn't think of what she might be talking about. Of course, her hand was still working over his cock, which made thinking difficult.

Sam looked down at David's dick, and shifted her hand in a certain way, muttering, "sliska ilyko." David didn't feel any change, so he had no idea what she'd just done, but now she let his dick loose, and then she got on all fours, right next to David.

"I want you to put that wonderful dick of yours up my ass," Sam told him, looking him right in the eye. "I just charmed your cock so that it will be slippery enough to do the job."

David pushed himself up onto one elbow. "Are you sure about this, Sam?" he asked. "If this is going to hurt you..."

"It will hurt if you do it wrong. Do it right, and it's the best sexual experience I've ever had," she said, smiling at him.

David got up and moved in behind her. He slid his dick between her ass cheeks a few times, just to tease her. She whined in anticipation, and so he shifted, placing the head of his dick at the entrance to her ass.

"You tell me if I'm going too fast," David told her. She merely nodded. He could see that she was biting her bottom lip in anticipation.

David pressed forward very slowly. He had to hold his dick in place with his hand, as the lube charm was so slick that he would slide out of place if he didn't. Slowly, ever so slowly, Sam's butt opened up to admit him. When the head of his cock disappeared inside of her, he stopped, and looked toward her face.

"You okay?" he asked, a bit concerned about her silence.

"Oh, god, David. I've really missed this! It feels so good! But still, be careful."

David leaned forward a bit, letting gravity slide him further in as her ass would allow. He pulled back just a touch, and then leaned forward again, going further this time. Sam let out a long, low moan of obvious pleasure as he continued to pull back, and then slide forward again. Finally, after long moments, his entire length was buried inside of her, and he was resting against her very nice butt cheeks.

"Oh, I knew you'd be good at this," she enthused.

David smiled, and then he started to slowly rock his hips back and forth. He wasn't so much moving in and out of her as simply changing the angle of his body. Sam sighed in contentment and joy. When he felt she could handle more, David did begin to stroke into her, but in small, slow movements.

After a while, David's movements grew larger, but he still tried to keep them slow. Sam was moaning and panting beneath him, loving every second of it. Her body heated up rapidly, and in only a short while, she screamed out her orgasm, writhing beneath him. David did not move while she was coming, afraid of hurting her in her excitement.

When Sam finally came down, David wasn't sure what to do.

"Should I pull out now?" he asked her.

"Oh, fuck, no," Sam said, surprising him. She didn't curse much, even during sex. "I want you to come in my ass, no matter how many of my orgasms that takes."

David chuckled, and then he returned to his motions. He sped up just a little, as her whole body was a bit more relaxed after her climax, and he knew that he could do so without discomfort.

It took four more orgasms for Sam before David approached his own climax. He made sure that she was thoroughly worn out first. Finally, he could feel his own peak coming, and he sped up ever so slightly. Sam was so lost in pleasure, she didn't even notice. When the final moment came, he slid himself deep into her, and blasted his load into her. Sam had a small orgasm on the spot, just feeling his seed pumping into her.

When David finally stopped coming, he didn't pull out of Sam, but instead laid his body against hers, and gently took her breasts into his hands, massaging them to make her feel wonderful. She couldn't imagine feeling any more wonderful than she did at that moment.

After a few minutes, David did pull slowly out of Sam's ass. He didn't want to ruin a great experience by causing her any pain at the end. His dick slid softly out of her, and she moaned quietly at its loss. David lay down next to her, and she let her legs collapse so that she was now lying on her stomach, her head turned to look at him.

"That is the best ass fucking I've ever had," she told him. David smiled.

"Must be. Your language has... um... grown more colorful."

Sam chuckled. "I just don't know another way to say it. 'Anal sex' sounds so clinical, and what you just did was anything but clinical."

David rolled onto his side and caressed Sam's back. "Thank you for letting me do that. Thank you for trusting me."

Sam mustered all the energy she had left, and slid herself tightly against him. She kissed him softly for a very long time. When they broke their kiss, she smiled at him.

"I'm glad I did. And if you ever want my butt again, all you have to do is ask. Merry Christmas," she said with a womanly grin.

David pulled her close to him, and the two slowly drifted off to sleep.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~

When Sam awoke, David was, of course, not in bed with her. She could smell breakfast cooking, which was what had awakened her, she was sure. Remembering the night before, she smiled, and then rubbed her behind, reliving the pleasure in her mind.

Eventually, she climbed out of bed and threw on a robe, to go join David for breakfast.

"Good morning," he said to her. "Merry Christmas."

"Mmm," she said. "Merry Christmas to you, too." The two kissed, and then she picked up the waiting cup of coffee. "What are you making this morning?"

"Well, I was gonna make waffles, but you don't have a waffle iron. So I made pancakes instead."

"Still sounds good to me," she told him.

As he flipped the pancakes, he asked, "How does Christmas Day go here in Dugerra?"

"Pretty much the same as Earth, I'd expect. Everyone gets together and exchanges gifts, there is chatting and snacks, and maybe a game or two. Why?"

"Just wondered what I was in for."

Sam smiled.

-----

Sam and David gathered up their presents, preparing to head over to the Christmas party.

"You forgot two," she said.

"The one is for Penny. I'll have to go up to the castle to give it to her later."

"How did you manage to get your hands on something ghostly to get her?"

"The same way I did last year. I promised someone a favor."

"And what's the favor?"

"I don't know yet. The person I offered last year hasn't collected yet, either."

"Dangerous, offering favors when you don't know what they are."

"Well, I did say that I wouldn't do anything illegal," he told her, smiling.

"That's good. Who is the other one for?"

"You. And I don't think you want to open it in public," he said with a grin.

"Ooh," she said, blushing.

Sam conjured their pile of gifts to the right place, and then they made their way themselves to the conference room that was being used as the location for the party. When they walked in, several people greeted them, wishing them Merry Christmas and asking how they were. David felt even more out of place now than he had on the Day of Reflection.

"You seem nervous," Dean Lengel said, coming over to David with a cup of eggnog for him.

"Not nervous. Just out of place. I'm a student among teachers."

"You're a friend among other friends," she corrected him.

David smiled in thanks, but said, "You'll forgive me if my brain can't quite make that leap."

Dean Lengel smiled at him. "Of course. But you shouldn't worry about it so much. Just have some fun. Go bob for apples."

David laughed. "I don't think that would be fair. I can cheat." Seeing the look on her face, he reminded her, "I don't have to breathe, remember? I could stay under for five minutes, if I had to."

Dean Lengel chuckled. "Good point. Well, I can't make you have fun, so I am going to go mingle."

David nodded, and she moved off. After a while, Prof. Fibblebitz approached him, with another teacher in tow.

"David, this is the teacher you're dumping me for. This is Prof. Arpilla."

"Now, Professor..." David started to object. She cut him off.

"I know, you had no choice. I just don't like losing a good student. Especially to her. She seems to get all the good ones."

All the horny ones, I think you mean, David thought to himself. Prof. Arpilla was David's height, with silky brown hair, green eyes, an exotic look and a very nice body. He tried not to make this evaluation too obvious, but he had a feeling she was quite used to it by now.

"Hello, David," she said, her voice tinged with the slightest hint of an accent that he had no hope of identifying. "I hope you'll find my class as interesting as Louisa's."

"I'm sure I will," he said politely. Prof. Fibblebitz moved off, while David and Prof. Arpilla talked for a while, just chatting and killing time.

-----

After a while, Dean Lengel made an announcement that the gifts had all been delivered and sorted, and so they could be opened at the leisure of the recipients. David didn't move to open his own gifts right away, but instead joined Sam as she opened hers. He was interested to see what people who knew her better than he did would get her for Christmas. He was somewhat disappointed in the results, but they weren't his gifts, so he didn't say anything.

"Why don't you open yours now?" Sam asked him.

"Okay," he said, taking a seat next to his pile of gifts. A few people who knew him well hung around to see what he'd gotten. He opened the cards first, of which there were several. After that, he turned to the presents.

Like last year, Olissa had sent him a nice box of baked goods, this one even bigger than the last. He offered the dean a cookie, since she was standing there.

As she accepted, she asked, "What did you get her?"

"I got her an Everholz folder." Seeing the look of confusion on the dean's face, he said, "You haven't heard of them? It's this really nice, leather folder, into which you can stuff an insane amount of papers, and they won't ever fall out. It has many pockets, so you can sort your work. Olissa sometimes has an organization problem. I thought it might help her."

"That was very thoughtful," the dean agreed.

David opened Gwen's gift to him next. Inside was what appeared to be a book. It said on the cover, "Encyclopedia Dugerria". He opened it, but found all the pages to be blank.

"Um... I don't get it," he said.

"Open it, and say a word. Something you'd like to know about," Sam told him.

David opened it to the first page and, after a second's thought, said, "Elves." Suddenly, writing filled the pages, along with illustrations and images. He flipped through it, seeing at least a dozen pages of information. Then he closed it. When he opened it up again, it was once more blank.

"So it doesn't keep the information," David said.

"No. As soon as you close it, it goes away. But all you have to do is say the word again, and it will be right back. You can also point to a word in the book and say, "Show me this", and it'll change to show you the articles about that thing. If you want help, you just open the book and say, 'Instructions.' I'm sure Gwen told you this in the note," Sam told him, pointing to the note in the box. Sure enough, she had included several of the more useful instructions to the encyclopedia.

"This is very nifty," he said, turning it over in his hands a few times before finally setting it aside.

"I hope you got her something equally as interesting," Sam told him.

"I got her an iPad." He enjoyed the looks of utter confusion on everyone's face. "It's an Earth device... an electronic device. She loves gadgets."

"What's it do?" Dean Lengel asked.

"It... oh, good grief. That would be so difficult to explain!" The others laughed, and David extracted himself by grabbing for another gift. This one was Jim's, and it turned out to be a new, fancier perch for Jailla.

"Hmm. I hope Jailla likes it. His current perch is getting a little worn."

"What did you get Jim?" Dean Lengel asked.

David would have blushed crimson if he could. He replied, "I'd rather not say on that one." David had gotten Jim The Kama Wizardra: An Ancient Guide to Magical Sex. Dean Lengel didn't press the issue, thankfully.

Devyn's present was a bit of a surprise to David. She hadn't gotten him anything last year. In fact, he'd not even heard from her over break. Inside, he found a very exotic-looking plaque.

Prof. Phillips explained, "It's an elven decoration. I believe this one is intended to bring good luck."

"I can use as much of that as the next guy," David said. He found the design pleasing, and was glad that Devyn had thought of him. He hoped she liked the hair decorations that he had gotten for her. During their sex date, when she had been naked, it was the only thing about her he felt could use any improvement: her hair looked so plain.

Sam had gotten David an extension to his potions kit. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Thank you for this, but I liked my other present more." Sam blushed and turned away, grinning. David chuckled at her, and then turned to Officer Garibaldi's present. Inside, was a new book, The Dangers of Immortality: A Guide to the Undead. David arched an eyebrow, and set the book aside. Also inside the box was another wrapped present. This one said that it was specifically from Zyla. He opened it carefully, and found a fancy carved base. He set it on the table, and it suddenly popped up an image of a pixie. The pixie fluttered, and then, in sparkly words, a sign appeared that said, "It has been 0 days since you've had fun. Good work!"

David chuckled. "Clearly she wants to make sure I'm not overworking myself."

"Good for her," Dean Lengel commented.

"What scares me is how it knows I've had fun today."

Sam laughed. "It magically reads your memories. Don't worry, no one else can access that information."

"That's good to know," he said with a grin.

Dean Lengel's gift was next. It was another book - David seemed to get a lot of books, but then, he was in school. This one was titled, TEMistry for the Frustrated TEMist. David laughed, mostly at himself. "Trying to tell me something?" he asked.

"Just encouraging you to keep at it," she said with a smile.

The last gift for him was from Prof. Fibblebitz. He opened it, and found inside something that looked like a wooden stick, with his name engraved on it. He looked to her for explanation.

"It's a device of my own creation, actually. It's a morphing hygiene tool. If you hold it and say, 'comb', it morphs into a comb. If you say, 'toothbrush', it morphs into a toothbrush, and so on. It can become a comb, hair brush, razor, toothbrush, fingernail file, fingernail clippers... I wrote down the whole list there on that parchment."

David turned it over, and then said, "comb." The wood smoothly shifted, growing teeth which were not wood, but looked like some kind of bone or ivory material. He ran it through his hair a few times.

"And don't worry; it sterilizes itself as it morphs, so you're not putting your hair in your mouth if you use it as a toothbrush."

David chuckled. He smiled at her. "This is very handy. Thank you, Professor."

"My pleasure."

-----

Sam and David left the Christmas party after another few hours, and went back to the apartment. Sam immediately walked over to the Yule tree, and pulled her present out from under it.

"Can I open this now?" she asked him.

"Sure," he said.

Sam tore into it, finding a garment box inside. Inside that was a white negligee, see-through everywhere except the breasts, where the nipples were, in fact, covered with lace. The sleeves were short, barely covering the shoulder.

"Hmm," she said. "It's very pretty, but... white? Do you think of me as pure?" she asked, a hint of a challenge in her voice.

David chuckled. "It can change to any color you want it to be. It's made by ComfortCloak, so it will also keep you comfortable, no matter what the temperature of the room is."

"Trying to say you want to see me almost-naked more often?" she asked him with a coy smile.

"Well, all the lingerie I've seen you in seems to be pretty complicated. I wanted you to have one piece of simple, yet still as beautiful as you are, lingerie."

Sam blushed, and slid over next to him. "I see. You just want to make it easier to get to my body,"

David smiled. "Maybe. Is that bad?" he asked.

"Hell, no," she replied.

He soon had free access to her body once again.

~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~~≈≡≈~~
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