Draco
~*~
Draco tiptoed through the hallways, getting a glimpse at the snow falling to the ground at every window. He had changed from his sleepwear to some simple but formal robes, the fabric shimmering as dark as the sky was with all kinds of fancy buttons and trimmings and patterns. As his figure walked past a window shining moonlight into the corridor, he looked more closely at the patterns of constellations and moons on the material. It suited him well.
It took five minutes and a few wrong turns (even after living in the Manor for seventeen years, it looked all the same and therefore wasn't fairly easy to navigate at this time of night) for him to reach his destination. After walking carefully down the steep steps, he pulled up his sleeve and the barred door seemed to become transparent as he walked through it without opening it. The Dark Mark was the key to opening every room in the Manor.
It took a minute for his eyes to become adjusted to the dark.
"Lovegood," He whisper-shouted.
He heard shuffling. "Draco?"
He walked towards the voice and saw her hugging herself for warmth and pushed against the wall. Her wide eyes watched him as he used his wand to levitate one of the plates floating behind him in front of her. He also gave her a jug of water.
"Is Ollivander awake?" He asked softly.
Luna shook her head, looking sad. "He's been sleeping for days." She gave a single nod in his direction and Draco put another plate of food and a jug by the sleeping prisoner. With a flick of his wand the food had a warming charm on it.
Luna was already eating by now, her hungry hands grabbing for the rolls and ham slices and eating them joyfully.
He watched her eat for a few minutes, then she put the plate down and left half of it untouched. He raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm saving it for tomorrow," She said.
She didn't say for breakfast, she didn't say for later, she said tomorrow. Maybe he should volunteer to take the food down to her instead of-he didn't know exactly- whoever was doing it.
He shook his head. "No, I'll bring you three meals tomorrow."
She looked wary before eating the rest of her plate.
"Why are you here, Draco?" She asked.
He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."
"Me neither."
Silence.
"I've missed you, Draco," She said, ever so quietly that he almost didn't catch
it.
He snapped his head up from watching a spider on the ground.
"What?" He demanded.
"I've missed you," She repeated. "I've missed meeting you in Moaning Myrtle's lavatory to talk. I've missed you pretending to bully me in front of people before we laughed about it in private later. I've missed your friendship. I've missed sneaking out to tutor you on the Astronomy Tower."
He looked away. At the last half of sixth year, she had found him crying in the lavatory, and a friendship blossomed. At first he was aggressive and mean, but he found himself seeking her out when he needed to talk and they became friends. But when seventh year started- everything changed. They didn't talk. She would send him questioning glances in the hallways.
He didn't answer her.
"Do you have any mistletoe in your house? I hope not, you don't want any nargles in your house. It's a lovely evening- I think it's evening, since you look tired- though I do miss Daddy, we were going to spend Christmas together and everything. I do like it in here though, I get to think a lot. Though it is a bit cold, but-"
She stopped as Draco summoned a blanket and draped it on her shoulders. It was a large one, and she snuggled into it, thanking him.
"Now it isn't so bad, but I do miss my friends. Oh, Happy Christmas Draco. What time is it really?"
"A few minutes after eleven," He answered.
She still looked confused.
"On Christmas Eve," He added.
She nodded. "Oh, it's almost Christmas!"
Luna continued to talk, telling him stories and just talking like the old times. He found himself staring at her eyes that lit up when something exciting happened in her story, staring at her beautiful smile, watching her nice hair.
He mentally shook himself. No! This is exactly why you stopped being her friend! You can't like her too much, no love allowed in these times!
But he found it hard to resist himself.
At one point he noticed something moving on the ceiling. He looked up, and saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging there. He gasped, and Luna stopped.
"What is it?"
He pointed at the mistletoe.
"Oh, be careful! The nargles!"
But he was thinking. His mother had put a charm on the whole house that would make mistletoe grow whenever someone found the other attractive, just for today's and tomorrow's Christmas balls.
Many girls had approached him and had mistletoe grow over their heads, and it was them attracted to him. He didn't make any grow- until now.
He looked back to Luna, who seemed to look even more beautiful than she had for the past hour or so.
He couldn't resist- her lips looked so soft and pink, and inviting, and he leaned in, one hand on her cheek, they both leaned in until there was no space between them, and their lips connected.
She was a modest kisser, and Draco kissed her softly as to not change how nice her lips felt. The fireworks went off- literally, that was the magic of wizard mistletoe that senses love- and he didn't stop until a chime of a clock brought them back to reality.
Draco grinned. "It's midnight! Happy Christmas."
Luna smiled. "Happy Christmas."
They both continued kissing softly, before Draco realized that he had a big day ahead of him.
"I've got to go, but remember, I'm coming back tomorrow," He said to a disappointed looking Luna. My my, what a surprise, who knew Luna had a romantic side to her?
She nodded. "Goodnight."
He got to the door and turned around. "I missed you too."
Then he went through the door with a giddy Luna sitting in the room he left.
Ginny
~*~
Celestina Warbeck played on the radio, but I didn't hear any of it. I was sitting on the chair by the window, watching the snow but by really seeing it.
It was Christmas Eve. We had just finished dinner and were sitting in the living room together. Same thing every year.
I tried to imagine I was in the same situation, but a year ago. A year ago, Harry was staying with us for Christmas. Fleur was remarking about how awful Celestina was.
I peeked a glance at Fleur. This year she was silently looking at the wall, holding Bill's hand. Her face was blank. Charlie, Bill, Fred, and George were the same. Well, Fred and George were talking quietly, but that's all.
The place seemed so empty compared to last year. Last year the place was more spirited and Ron and Harry were there.
Ron. Harry. I swallowed the lump in my throat. They and Hermione were gone. I missed Harry so much. And as much as I hate to admit it, I missed Ron too. And Hermione was always a good friend to me.
I sighed. Christmas wasn't the same this year.
The tree was decorated half-heartedly. The fire was on, but there was no warmth. It just wasn't Christmas when they were waiting for a war to break out any second.
I wished I could owl Luna or Neville. But Luna was in Malfoy Manor, and either way I wasn't supposed to owl or contact anybody. My parents had said no communication unless absolutely necessary until things get better.
Would things ever be better?
With that I stood up and left the room, mumbling a good night and a Merry Christmas to everyone as I did.
Harry
~*~
The two of them were shuffling through the snow, only slightly cold thanks to a heating charm. Harry kept an eye out for a house that he hoped would look familiar, but no such luck.
Hermione held his hand so she wouldn't lose him. They walked on, and Harry spotted a church in the distance that he suspected was near a graveyard.
As they got closer to the church, Hermione stopped. Harry looked at her.
"What is it?"
"Shh," She said, holding out her hand. Harry's heart beat fast. Was Voldemort near?
Then she smiled. "Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve."
He stopped to listen to, and heard carols from inside the church.
"It-it is," He said, bewildered. It felt so weird that some people were celebrating a holiday and he was trying to kill He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and stop a war.
He wondered what it was like to spend Christmas with your family, your real family. Harry was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized he had walked in the graveyard with Hermione.
He wandered through the graves as he searched for the tombstones of his parents.
He heard Hermione call his name, but he didn't answer. He was too busy staring at two identical tombstones, and with his heart pounding in his throat, he wiped off the snow to reveal the names. Sure enough, he saw the names Lily Potter and James Potter on the two. Harry could tell Hermione was walking towards him, and when she grabbed his hand, he sighed.
"Merry Christmas Hermione."
"Merry Christmas Harry."
They started to walk in a different direction, and Harry glanced back.
"Merry Christmas mum and dad."
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