A/N: Hey! It's not been so long this time...but I got no reviews for the last chapter, so am once again very depressed. And I've had a crap day – a crap week, in fact – so they would be much appreciated today. I feel like I moan all the time in my AN's. Sorry if you feel like that too. Please review and thank you for reading!

When we finally kiss goodnight
How I hate going out in the storm
But as long as you hold me tight
Oh, all the way home I'll be warm

The fire is slowly dying
But my dear we're still goodbye-ing
And as long as you love me so
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow – Let it Snow, Dean Martin.

They cried all the way to King's Cross. Both Ginny and Viria felt pathetic for doing so, but they were scared, and they didn't know what to do without Luna. Neville had worked out from the few words the Death Eaters had spoken that it was due to Xenophilius' writings in the Quibbler that they had taken Luna; they wanted to punish him for
his good intentions.

"How do you think he's going to get her back?" Viria asked anxiously, snivelling. They were just pulling into the station, and she didn't want Fred to see her upset, though she'd doubtless cry again when it came to telling him what had just happened.

"He'll have to stop writing" Ginny replied, "Which is terrible, because it was doing everyone a lot of good. Including him; people were just beginning to take the Quibbler seriously. And I always thought that if – if Harry ever happened to see it – " she stifled another sob, " – Then he would realise that there's people fighting for him, people still on his side"

"I don't think that'll be enough" Neville cut in. He had not cried, but he had a haunted, determined look in his eyes, "Xenophilius is going to have to pull something big out of the bag to get Luna free of them. She's brave, though. Tough. She'll be alright"

"And if she's not?" Viria retorted tearfully, swiping her eyes impatiently, "What happens then?"

"We think about that we it comes to it" Neville replied, and Viria knew that he wanted, more than anything, to give her a hug. Instead, she kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Neville. You've been amazing this term, when we all wanted to run away. You really helped us"

"You helped me, too" Neville replied. He and Ginny said their goodbyes, also, and Viria and Ginny near ran off the train, trunks clunking behind them.

As soon as Viria saw Fred, the heavy weight lodged in her chest lifted. She felt calm, she felt…relief. He grinned, too, when he saw her, and she ran to him, pushing through throngs of people and flinging her arms around him. But as soon as his arms came around her, too, her tears began to flow again, and she started to cry. Fred
tensed and held her tighter.

"Hey! Hey, Vi? What's happened, what's wrong? Don't cry" he traced soothing circles on her back, and she looked up at him, tears hanging like crystals on her eyelashes, "Vi? Tell me"

"It's Luna" she sniffled, wiping her eyes and nose on her sleeve, upset even more that Fred had seen her so miserable, "The Death Eaters, they – they stopped the train, because of what Luna's father had – had been writing. And they took her"

"Took Luna?" Fred exclaimed, "Just kidnapped her off the train?"

"Yes, while me and Ginny had gone to find the sweet trolley…and when we came back, Neville was there and Luna had been…she was gone" she gulped back another round of tears, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to cry like this. I was going to wait until we got home to tell you, I haven't seen you for four months, and here I am crying like a baby – "

"It's okay" Fred said gently, darting a glance towards Ginny, who was telling her mother what had happened, without tears but with a shrill, hysterical edge to her voice, "You okay now?"

"Mhm" she nodded pathetically, and Fred squeezed her in a fierce hug, kissing the remaining tears from her cheeks.

"Come on" he said kindly, drawing her towards Ginny and Molly, "It's Christmas. You've got to stop worrying about it, okay? Luna will be fine. She may not seem it, but she's a tough cookie"

"That's what Neville said" she mumbled, still downcast.

"Exactly" he replied, "And he's right. So just be calm, come home, and get ready to try and enjoy Christmas. We're going to be without a lot of people this year, but that doesn't change anything, okay? Your parents are coming, remember? Our first Christmas with both our families"

Viria smiled up at him, squaring her shoulders, "Yeah, you're right. Okay"

"I've been getting to know your parents the last few days, Viria" Molly spoke gently, as if wary of setting Viria off all over again. They had Apparated to the little hill closest to the Burrow, Ginny holding on to her mother and Viria onto Fred, and were almost there. Viria felt like she was truly coming home at last. It was odd that the Burrow felt more like home to her than her real home. Maybe it was because she knew her parents were there now.

"I didn't think they were coming that early?" Viria queried, surprised. Molly smiled fondly.

"Well I thought I ought to invite them to come a little earlier, to get to know them before you all got back. We've been getting on ever so well – I see now why you're such a lovely girl, dear"

Viria smiled back, "Thanks, Mrs Weasley"

"Molly" Molly corrected sternly, "And that's quite alright. This Christmas is going to be very different in lots of ways"

Viria and Fred exchanged a glance, thinking about how terrifying the idea of Christmas must be when one of your children was somewhere completely unknown.

Before Viria could offer up some sort of comforting comment, there was a loud shriek from inside the house and her mother appeared, wearing a pink frilly apron (she had obviously felt like she should help out around the house as she was staying for Christmas) and waving her arms about like an overexcited child. Viria couldn't imagine two mothers more different from Molly and her own mother, Giselle.

Viria hugged her mother in return; slightly tense as she felt the perfumed arms tighten around her. She had never had an easy relationship with her mother, who had never really seemed to particularly approve of her daughter. She was much more of a daddy's girl.

"Maman!" she squirmed, wriggling out of her mother's grasp, "Maman, let go!"

Giselle let go of her daughter and beamed, "You do look well! Ah, my darling, we were so pleased to hear your news! And Fred has been most charmant, closing his petite shop to spend time with us the past few days"

Viria had always hated the way her mother intermingled French words with English ones, but they hadn't seen each other for months and she didn't think now was the right time to bring it up.

"I'm glad you've all been getting on" she said instead, looking over her mother's shoulder and beaming when her Papa, Frank, appeared from within the house, nattering to Arthur. The two men looked to be getting on well, much to her relief.

"Papa!" she cried, running towards him like a child. Frank squeezed her tightly, and kissed her on both cheeks.

"You look older everytime I see you" he scolded, "I can't believe you're getting engaged. Though he's a lovely lad, I must say. And with a good, sturdy job – "

"Yes, Papa, I'm glad you like Fred" she rolled her eyes, "Are you not going to tell me that you missed me?"

"Um...no. To tell you the truth, the house was much quieter" he teased, and she hugged him again.

"Glad to have you here for Christmas, Papa" she mumbled into his jumper.

"I'm glad to have you too, flower"

"Wake up! Wake up! Fred, if you don't wake up I swear I will sit on your HEAD!" Viria whacked Fred over the head with a pillow, leaning over him in her pyjamas and dressing gown.

"Okay, okay! Merlin's sake, woman, will you get off?" Fred pushed the pillow away, but Viria was rather enjoying herself by this point, and didn't much seem to want to stop hitting him with it. He managed to grab it and throw it to one side, pulling her on top of him instead. She grinned and kissed him.

"Merry Christmas" she whispered, "Everyone else is awake. Me and Ginny have already swapped presents, but I couldn't bring myself to wake you. You're so quiet and serious when you're asleep"

"You're far too sentimental" Fred smiled, "But merry Christmas. What did Ginny buy you?"

"An absolutely gorgeous dress. I'll be wearing it for dinner, so you'll see it later. Oh, and I have to warn you...I wasn't sure what to get you, so I have bought you something, but you'll be getting part of your present tonight. When we're alone"

"Oh?" Fred raised his eyebrows, "I'm looking forward to that"

"I should hope you are. Come on, I've still got presents to open!"

Fred looked over at Viria, who was sitting in the red dress that Ginny had bought her, looking absolutely stunning. She, Ginny, Arthur and Frank were sitting together, playing exploding snap and laughing uproariously. Viria had been knitted her first Weasley jumper, and was so overwhelmed upon opening it that she almost knocked Molly over with her hug. She was holding it now, like a cushion, cuddling it to keep her warm.

"Shall I do it now?" Fred asked George, who was admiring his twin's new Nimbus, the latest model and a present from Viria.

George reluctantly drew his gaze away from the Nimbus and looked around them, "Yeah, you could" he agreed, "No-one's doing anything much"

Giselle and Molly were still sitting at the dining table, playing some sort of board game and talking as they did so. Their friendship had been surprising for everyone.

Fred made his way over to Viria, clearing his throat as he went. Ginny and George both knew what he was planning and fell silent at once, hinting to the others to follow. Viria looked puzzled.

"Have you all gone quiet so you can listen to our conversation? Because that's just rude"

Fred wasn't the only one who laughed, "They've gone quiet so they can see what I've gotten you for Christmas"

Her face turned a pretty, blossoming shade of pink. Her eyes lit up.

"Ooh" she murmured, leaping up from her seat to stand in front of him, smoothing out her skirt, "Oh, what is it? Is it what I think it is? Is it – "

Fred put his finger to her lips, smiling, "Don't guess. If you do I won't give it to you"

Viria fell silent at once, nodding eagerly.

Fred got down on one knee.

Viria gave a badly suppressed squeak of excitement, and Fred raised an eyebrow. She went quiet again, but her bubbling excitement was tangible.

"So, everyone knows that we're already engaged. But I know how much you like romance, and how you like things done properly – "

"Yes, I do" Viria burst out with a vigorous nod. At another stern look, she fell silent again, and heard Ginny laugh. She was almost jumping up and down.

"So I thought I really ought to propose to you properly. And there's a lot of stuff I want to say to you, all of it cheesy and sickly sweet – but I'll save it for later, because we know George and Ginny will only ruin the moment with vomiting noises or some other childish nonsense"

Ginny started to protest, but Viria glared at her so ferociously, eager for Fred to continue, that she thought better of it.

"All I can really say is that I love you, Vi, and I always will do. So I want to ask you, properly, this time – Viria Beauchamp, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Viria shrieked as Fred produced a small velvet box and opened it to reveal an emerald ring that glimmered and glowed on a slender gold band, "Yes, yes, yes! Of course I will! Oh my God, Fred, it's beautiful!"

Fred grinned and kissed her hand before slipping the ring onto her finger, "It matches your eyes"

Everyone in the room burst into a round of applause, and when Viria looked round she saw that both her mother and Molly were crying. She threw her arms around Fred and held onto him for a long time.

"I love you so much" she whispered thickly, tears rolling down her cheeks, "And I can't wait to marry you"

That night, Viria had told Fred to meet her in a small spare room, up near the attic, a tiny room that was never used and had no furniture in it. He wasn't quite sure why, seeing as everyone had seemed fine with them having a shared room of their own, but he could only imagine that she had something special planned, and wanted some privacy.

The room, always a dingy and cold place, had been somehow transformed. The windowsill and the only piece of furniture, a low wooden cabinet, were lined with candles, scented with vanilla and flying an orange flame. Viria had made up a bed for them on the floor with what looked like a pile of duvets, a patchwork blanket cosily on top.

And Viria herself was laying across this bed, looking thoroughly bored from waiting for him, but completely beautiful. In the candlelight the ring sparkled more than ever, and her hair looked even shinier, like silk. She was wearing a sort of corset, of emerald green silk and black lace, paired with sheer black stockings with emerald green bows on the top. Fred decided it best not to ask where she'd purchased an outfit like that.

When she became aware of him there she looked up, cat-like, from under thick eyelashes, a smile playing on her lips.

"Merry Christmas"