'Tis the Season to Lavish the Tree
Author Note: Am I Joanne Kathleen Rowling? Nope. It's not mine, then. This a festive plot bunny that got me and didn't let go. Hope you like it!
Ginny was musing over her thoughts how something was missing in the lovely Gryffindor common room. It was late, and the dying embers of fire helped awaken a festive feel in the youngest Weasley's bones. Then it hit her like an avalanche.
"Of course!" she whispered. "It's December 1st and there's no tree up! The Gryff-" but her quiet soliloquy was stopped by a muffled 'tap-tap-tap' outside the Fat Lady.
"Is anyone there?" Ginny asked to nothingness while the portrait gave a hazy snore. After getting no reply, she opened to the portrait to find her friend Luna Lovegood.
"Luna?!" Ginny asked in surprise, shaking her shoulder as Luna was standing asleep. "What?" the blonde jumped and her eyes opened, jerking awake. "Oh, Ginny, hello... I was sleepwalking. That's why I've got my shoes on - thankfully they haven't been abducted." she smiled. Ginny smiled back, shaking her head fondly. Then an idea struck her. Surely it was apt, but unorthodox. But hey, she lived with the twins.
"Listen Luna, if you're awake enough for this, my common room has no tree, and-"
"Oh Ginny, I'd love to!" Luna beamed, her silver eyes shining even more than usual.
"Really? Well let's get started! Although, I don't think - hang on! Silly me!" Ginny said.
The two girls slipped into the common room. "Wait here." Ginny continued, walking up to her dorm and giving Luna an opportunity to embrace the cosy atmosphere. After a minute the Ravenclaw's vision was drawn to the stars through the open window. She seemed unperturbed by Ginny's jerky return on a broom, although she questioned the redhead's flying - Luna knew Ginny's skills. But then she knew why.
"Miniature tree I managed to snag with a severing spell." Ginny smirked devilishly.
"Ginny Weasley..." Luna chuckled in a seemingly cross fashion, channeling Molly.
"Luna Lovegood..." Ginny responded in the same tone, mischief in her brown orbs.
"Right. This tree shall boldly go where no tree has gone before." Luna smiled.
"Into the centre of a house common room?" Ginny asked, slightly baffled. Luna nodded as she muttered 'Wingardium Leviosa' and the green tree floated around. After a soft 'flump!', the two girls cast 'Muffliato' and started thinking.
"I've got a box of decorations." Ginny said. Luna followed her up the dorm stairs. They untangled everything, and laid it all in a straight line down the stairs.
"I love Christmas." they mused in unison, then chuckled at the weird harmony.
"Let's get this lot down and around the tree, then." Luna grinned. Ginny bounded around, getting into her true Christmassy spirit. "Accio decorations!" And some of them sprang into the hands of the eagerly waiting but not quite hyper girls.
"You do realise now that we needn't lay them down on the stairs." Ginny mused.
"That was your idea, if I remember correctly." Luna responded with a cunning grin.
"We're bad influences on each other, aren't we?" Ginny chuckled, throwing her arm around her blonde friend. "But then again, I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Same here." Luna smiled dearly. "Where should the snitch-shaped baubles go?"
"We've got to water it first, as Muggles would say. Engorgio!" Ginny cast on the tree. Now the tree was a good five feet, they could lavish it to their heart's content.
"I feel small. Like, really small." Luna muttered, tilting her neck. Ginny laughed.
"Lu, it's probably only a few inches higher than me. But still, the blasted tree..."
"Easily dwarves me by half a foot. There goes my best part about this task, then."
"Let's sort out the branches' decorations first, hmm?" A unfathomable emotion laced Ginny's tone. Soon baubles, tinsel and fairy lights were all mixed with aplomb.
"I'll let you put the snitch baubles on, shall I?" Luna pondered with a subtle wink.
"Lu-na!" Ginny exclaimed, reddening at the thought of a certain Gryffindor Seeker.
"Gotcha." Luna beamed, a twinkle in her eye. "You did send Harry that card."
"He was injured. I was being friendly." Ginny responded. "Now back to the tree."
"And tinsel!" Luna bounced around the room dreamily. Soon enough, they got to the fairy lights. Thoughts seemed to dawn on Ginny. She made a noise in her throat.
"We are quite short compared to the tree." she realised. "But magic can solve it."
Soon the duo were levitating the fairy lights to swirl around the branches and land on.
"All we need is the star, which we can... Luna?" Ginny paused at the blonde's look.
"My family's always done the star the Muggle way, just for authenticity." Luna said.
"That's why you feared being tiny a while ago..." Ginny replied, thinking of ideas. "Tell you what, grab the star! I have good balance, stand on my shoulders!" she smiled. Luna's smile lit the room - tiptoeing wouldn't have worked. Ginny bent down.
"Oof! Easy Lu, watch it! Aaaand... there!" Ginny said, her eyes looking up. Luna had done it, putting the golden star on top. She climbed off, and looked Ginny in the eye.
"Merry Christmas, Ginny." Luna grinned with a mega-watt smile.
"Merry Christmas, Luna." Ginny smiled back, embracing her dear friend.
AN: Merry Christmas to you all! This idea needed to escape on Xmas Eve!