CHAPTER 6: Christmas at Spinners End.
We Apparate just at the end the Spinner's End, I regain my own composure before I realize Luna as fallen on the ground, I hold out my hand. "Sorry Luna my dear." As I help her up. "Whoever took your father must have set up wards around the house to know if someone entered there without their constant. Did you get what you needed at least?" She smiles, dusts her robes off and replies. "Yes I did thank you, sorry I took longer than I thought, which way to your house?" She says holding out her hand.
I gently take her hand and lead her down the snow covered street. I stop at the last on the left. "This is it." I say, suddenly nervous of what she thinks of it. "It's lovely! At first I think she's lying to me, but then I remember its Luna, She has a way of seeing beauty even, and perhaps most specially, when that person could not see it themselves. "I was thinking tonight if you wanted you can decorate the house? I have everything you'll need." She looks almost surprised. "Oh yes! I'd love too!" I'm suddenly glad I purchased all those Christmas decorations last weekend. They should already be at the house. We walk up to the stone steps towards the front door; I unlock the 3 dead bolts, in muggle fashion in case anyone is watching.
"Well." I say enter, "we'll have to open the shutters I always close them before I leave in September and I don't normally come back till June." She says nothing and pulls me into the dark living room and opens the drapes and shutters. It brightens the room up immediately, the windows are behind the couch, and the fire place is to the left takes up the whole wall. Opposite that the whole wall dedicated to books and a throw rug in the center of the room to tie it all together. Nothing has changed since I was a child.
"Sev sev!" She calls me out of my thoughts. "Want to light a fire? Its cold in here." She sits down on the couch and I turn towards the fireplace and mutter "Poivrons" and a roaring fire lights. I step over to her and sit on the couch with Luna. "We are in for a huge snow storm tonight." I tell her. So I was thinking we'll go to the store right after you put your things in your room and we'll get the tree while were out. How does that sound?" Luna jumps up. "Show where I'm sleeping and let's go! She pulls me up and I lead her out of them room down the hall.
"This is where you'll be sleep, Luna. It's my old room." The walls are bare only a single twins bed next to it a nightstand with a lamp. Across the bed are the desk and the dresser. "Here let me un shrink your things for you." She pulls out her tiny trunk and places it on the floor. I un shrink it. "Let's get going before the storm hits, the store is only a block up and then you can come unpack while I make supper then we'll set up the tree and the living room."
"Luna, supper's done!" I call. She comes running down the hall! "I'm all unpacked!" She comes into the kitchen, her blonde hair waving and she sat down. "Right after supper can we decorate?" "Sure you have you eat first though!" I laugh at her eagerness. "Alright, I'll eat first. What are we having?" She asks all in one breathe. "Were having spaghetti with chicken meatballs and cheese garlic bread, not something made by the brilliant house-elves but I believe it well suffice." She begins to eat, not speaking lost in her own thoughts. I can't read her mind; I've tried to use Legilimency many times she's able to block me out and yet without any use of Occlumency how she does it, I don't know.
"Sev sev! Sev sev! Are you in there?" She once more pulls me from my thoughts. "I'm finished eating, can I decorate the living room now? Please?" I smile and say "Yes, let's go decorate, before you burst at the seams." I wave my wand and the kitchen magically begins to clean up. I walk into the living room, the fire still roaring away. I have already placed the tree next to the sofa and brought out all the decorations. She's already opening the boxes and begins to pull out all the lights. "Sev sev? Why don't you put the tree rug underneath and I'll hang the lights!" She says.
With something that should have taken, barley 20 minutes with magic takes us 45 without. Luna insisted we do it the right way. I sit on the couch, and take a look outside. The storm starting just before we left, only sprinkling at first by the time we had gotten back it was in full force.
The tree is decorated and lit up. The mantelpiece has winter figurines and the stockings hanging off of them. Mistletoe and wreaths hanging all around, Luna was very sure we had cleaned the mistletoe first so the Nargles wouldn't start to come. I look at my watch half past 11. I believe its time for bed for both of us. "Luna, my dear it's time for bed." She looks up from by the tree and gets up. "Yes I think it is. She yawns and goes down the hall to wash her face. I go to my room and slip into some black track pants and loose fitting sweatshirt. I come out and she's already dressed in snowman pjs. She looks absolutely adorable in them. I realise what I was thinking and quickly push the thought away. She walks into her room. I quickly brush my teeth and walk back out to her door. "Luna?" I say, knocking. "Yes?" I hear her say. I enter her room. "I just wanted to say good night and sweet dreams, if you need me I'll just be in the next room. She nods already beginning to fall asleep. "Night night Sev sev, love you and thank you for everything." She's fallen asleep. "Good night Luna, my dear sweet dreams." I close the door slightly leaving it an open an inch. I walk into my own room and fall right to sleep.