Title: Christmas Purpose

Summary: Her first Christmas at Hogwarts without her brothers there, and Ginny was miserable.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea.

Author's Notes: A day late and kinda shoddy, but I feel it conveys an important Ginny-Luna message…okay, I just wanted to write Luna.

-----------------------------

Her first Christmas at Hogwarts without her brothers there, and Ginny was miserable.

Partly, she was homesick, missing the smell of mince pies and plum pudding, the popping of the chestnuts roasting, and Ron's yell of pain when a particularly hot one bounces out to catch him on the nose.

Partly, she was Harry-sick. She missed the smell of his aftershave, the sound of his laugh, the timbre of his voice, and the way it rumbled through her entire frame.

Mostly, she missed her family, but Harry is included there, too. She can't seem to escape him. When she heads up to the dorms in the evening, half asleep, she thinks she sees him sitting by the fire, discussing Quidditch or the future battle in fervent tones. Her heart skips a beat, her stomach jolts, and then her sleepy eyes clear, and he's not there.

A hot tear made its way down her cheek, tracing every freckle on the way, and she gazed sightlessly out the window, watching the other students play in the snow.

Some of them were her age, yet they seemed mere babies to her now. She'd seen things they had nightmares about, and lived to tell the tale. She couldn't join in their laughing chatter anymore; pretend the war outside their school didn't exist.

"Oh, hello, Ginny. Feeling a little melancholy?" Luna's voice was serious, and distinctly unnatural because of that.

Pretending to brush some hair out of her eyes, and casually swiping the tear away, Ginny turned to face her. "No, of course not," she lied.

"Now, we don't want your nose to grow." Luna pressed the nose in question. "Beep."

"How did you get in here, anyway? This is the Gryffindor Common Room."

"Neville's face can't tell an untruth," the blonde answered in her singsong way. She crossed to the window. "They're all so happy," she commented. "Don't you just feel like their mummy?"

"What?"

"We're fighting the monsters under the bed, so they can sleep safely." Luna's large eyes sparkled with tears. "It doesn't seem fair, does it? We're too young to be parents to the world. We should be allowed to dream of sugarplums, too."

"No, it isn't fair," Ginny agreed softly, pulling the other girl into a hug, salt stinging her eyes.

"But we have to. We have to protect the babies, and the adults. We can't let them be devoured by death."

"No, we can't."

"And so, we fight."

"Yes, we do." Suddenly, her heart was lighter, her purpose clear. Ginny grinned, feeling stronger, more like herself again. Yes, she missed Harry, but she'd see him again, soon. She'd fight by his side, they'd lick Voldemort, and then they could have their happy ever after.

Luna's lips curved into a tiny smile. "I'm glad you feel better." She placed a gold-and-blue wrapped box in Ginny's lap.

"Thanks." Her gift to Luna sparkled around the blonde's neck, a delicate raven rendered in gold. It was all she could afford, and only because Dad's prospects had improved.

"You're welcome. That's what we're for, best friends. We lend you our wings when yours are tattered." She leaned in, squeezing so hard the redhead nearly squeaked. "Happy Christmas, Ginny."

The End