Summary: Eccentricity can lead to very good things, especially when your girlfriend is Luna Lovegood. Andrew/Luna.

Disclaimer: Buffy-verse belongs to Joss Whedon, Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing some of their characters for some holiday cheer.

Notes: This was originally written for the 2004 Twisting the Hellmouth Fic For All challenge, #110 Andrew/Luna Lovegood. Post-BtS, Post-HP series.

Underneath the Mistletoe

"Why again are we creeping around a freezing castle at two in the morning?"

"We're hunting for nargles."

"Oh."

Andrew still had no idea what a nargle was, but the idea of finding one seemed to make his girlfriend very happy. Restraining from uttering another whine, he continued his stealthy trek down the dark Hogwarts corridor. He was invited to stay in the castle, but hosts generally don't approve of their guests wandering around in the middle of the night. Reaching forward, Andrew bumped against what felt like an arm. He trailed his fingers down onto his girlfriend's hand and promptly shivered.

"Luna, you might want to invest in some gloves. Your hands are freezing!"

The section of the hallway was suddenly flooded with light, illuminating the suit of armor his hand was entwined with. Jumping around, Andrew was greeted with the amused grey eyes of one Luna Lovegood. Before he could chastise her for scaring him like that, she held her finger up to her lips and pointed to the open doorway a few feet from them. The two inched forward until they were standing directly in the threshold and staring above them.

"The natural habitat of the nargle," Luna whispered, excitement creeping into her voice. Andrew squinted, and then sighed. "I don't see any of your naggly-creatures."

"Nargles," Luna gently corrected. "I suppose the light scared them away. Either that or our voices."

Andrew continued examining the plant above them. Green leaves, white berries…the holidays may have been getting to him, but he could swear he recognized the bough hanging from above. "Luna, snargles wouldn't happen to live in mistletoe, would they?"

"Hmmm," she replied absently, poking the shrub with the tip of her still-lit wand. Andrew had never bothered to ask how big these snargles were supposed to be, but he didn't think they would be able to hide in the plant. That reminded him, 'the plant' was mistletoe!

"Luna," he said, putting one hand on each of her shoulders, "we're standing under mistletoe! Don't you know the tradition?"

For a long moment, Luna just stared at Andrew with her eyes somewhat unfocused. Then, she gently leaned forward and sunk into a kiss that relayed all the passion she felt for her boyfriend and her research. When the two finally broke for air, she had one more thought on her mind.

"Maybe tomorrow night we can go take a ride on the thestrals," Luna murmured into his ear. Andrew's only answer was a contented sigh as he pulled her back up to his lips.

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