"Ask him why," George snickered.

"Yeah, tell him," Fred said to Ron, who shot him a very angry look.

"What's going on guys?" Michael asked Harry and the girls, disregarding the twins and dropping onto the sofa beside Harry and Ginny, facing Ron and Hermione. "And Ron…why?"

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded mildly threatening.

"I'm sorry?" Michael asked, turning his head so his ear was closer to Ron.

"He said that while you may have gone off to be a 'hotshot spy' again, he's been putting in a lot of work with the Aurors and now knows spells that…can do a lot of damage to a collarbone…?" Ginny trailed off in confusion, unaware of Michael's previous injury and lingering anger.

"God I've missed you," Jeff said happily, leaning on the couch behind Michael.

"Don't go there," Michael said dangerously, though he was unable to hide his smirk. He was as glad as Jeff to be reunited with his friends from Hogwarts. "Or I'll give Fred and George enough dirt on you to last a Horcrux extended lifetime."

Most everyone snorted as his new measurement of time, but Ron remained aloof, apparently above such things. "They're idiots," Ron said airily, waving a hand at Fred and George. "You'll notice they're the only ones here without dates."

"So you're the cause of this then," Sarah gathered from this, speaking to Hermione. "You like it, don't you?"

"It's… not bad," Hermione shrugged, though she cast a quick look at Ron's face.

"Hmmm…" Sarah made a thoughtful sound, looking a little closer at Ron, then over at Jeff, stroking her chin. Jeff's eyes went wide and he shook his head a little frantically.

"So how have you all been?" Harry asked, as Jeff, Sarah, and Luna all sat down. "Honestly, I expected you to have come back to Hogwarts by now."

"Shouldn't be much longer," Jeff said confidently, nodding at Michael. "I think we've finally got him."

"It's about time," Harry sighed, reclining against the sofa. "I'll be honest, I've never been so glad for the Christmas break. Those kids are taking it out of me…."

"How's Freckles?" Luna asked. "I feel so bad about leaving him."

"He's great," Hermione assured Luna. "Hagrid showed him to the Six and Seventh Years the very next day after you left. Everyone loves him; I don't think anyone will be very happy to see him leave if you ever take him home."

"Except Julius Hopkins," Ron snorted. Hermione looked at him a little reproachfully, but Harry and Ginny grinned.

"Wasn't that idiot in DADA, Harry?" Michael asked, struggling to remember.

Ron nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that's him. He's a little snot and it seems he rubbed old Freckles the wrong way during a Care of Magical Creatures lesson…."

"He didn't hurt him did he?" Luna asked worriedly. "Poor Freckles doesn't like to fight…."

"Nah, he just scared him out of his mind," Harry shrugged.

"Glad to know my work is being carried on in my absence," Michael laughed. "By the way, I suppose I haven't thanked you for having us over Mr. and Mrs. Weasley…."


Michael and Luna returned home for the first time in months after eating with the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione at the Burrow. Jeff and Sarah, who were actually close to closing on a house on their own, so they could, as Michael put it, live in sin, rented a hotel room for the night. Michael and Luna had both told them how badly they wanted them come stay with them for Christmas, but both Jeff and Sarah had refused. It made Michael a little sad and nostalgic to realize they were not declining to avoid intruding on him and Luna – they were doing it to avoid being intruded on.

It was that moment, not the outbreak of war, the duels with Owen Stetnas, or even the discovery of his children that made him realize they would never be children again.

So Christmas morning Michael and Luna woke up late, nearly noon. Michael was surprised when he looked at his alarm clock and found it turned off, but Luna had simply explained that this was the last time for eighteen years they would be able to sleep late on Christmas.

When Luna voiced this practical way of thinking, Michael's first reaction was to crawl back in bed till around six o' clock, but very soon after found he was far too excited. Michael prided himself on not being a sentimental guy, but couldn't help feeling a gush of excitement and joy every time he was reminded, usually by Luna, about how much his life would soon change.

"Have you seen this?" Luna asked very excitedly. Michael was sitting at the kitchen table eating a mixture of breakfast and lunch Michael refused to refer to as brunch. She hurried into the kitchen holding a stack of papers, mostly letters.

"Mail?" he asked. "Nah, I didn't check, we got home so late, and the bills are automatically taken out of my Gringotts vault…."

"Look!"

She tossed the topmost piece of mail, a magazine onto the table. He grinned. He and Luna had, of course, taken out a subscription to the Quibbler once they had an address to have it mailed to, years ago. Luna swore to this day that if she ever got the chance she would test the magazine's promised Kumquat Ear spell on Voldemort himself.

Michael didn't have to guess what was making Luna downright giddy. The usually chaotic cover had only one headline, with no side stories. Dead center was a particular happy looking picture of Freckles the Snorkack. The headline was only three words long,

"Now Who's Laughing?"

"So I guess he enjoyed that little meeting we arranged," Michael laughed. "Well, if that doesn't get subscriptions up, I don't know what will."

"It will get you other things too," Luna said, unusually suggestively.

"Luna, are you implying that I brought a Crumple Horned Snorkack back – well, I convinced Harry and Ron to bring a Crumple Horned Snorkack back – from the jungles of Peru to Hogwarts just to get sex?" Michael asked playfully, pretending to be deeply offended.

"Hmmm, it is a little over the top, even for that," Luna replied fairly.

"See!" Michael said, leaning back in his seat victoriously. "Sex was only, like, seventy-five percent of the reason I did it. Eighty, tops."

"You know," Luna said dreamily, "I am getting rather good at Legilimency…."

"Damn," Michael cursed ruefully. "Then I suppose you know why I really did it."

"I do," Luna said, smiling. She beckoned him back towards her, as her belly prevented her from leaning forward much. "And I love you too," she added as their lips met.

They spent Christmas alone in their home together, idly passing the afternoon in each other's company. After a few hours Luna had excitedly asked if Michael wanted to bake Christmas cookies with her, which he was happy to do until she informed him they would not be using magic and held out to him a box of metallic cutters shaped like trees, stars, reindeer, candy canes, and the like. Seeing Luna's eager face, Michael couldn't refuse and had taken the box and set to work in his role of cookie cutter. He had laughed when Luna came over to observe him and asked if he was planning to give some of these cookies to Harry – it was then he had realized nearly half of his shapes were reindeers.

He retaliated by teasing her that she looked like an elf. In reality he thought Luna looked rather cute in her green pajama pants (with little ornaments adorning them, of course) and red maternity shirt, but after a few minutes of this Luna had disappeared off to their room. He was a little worried he had actually offended her for a moment, but she quickly returned with her hair up in a bob, hidden under a festive elf hat.

As good as sport as Luna usually was, she hadn't been able to resist throwing a freshly baked – and still hot – tree shaped cookie at him when she asked what he thought of her outfit now, only to be told he preferred her in the state of dress House Elves went around in.

They spent the remainder of the afternoon on the sofa, relaxing carelessly together and watching a Muggle movie about Santa Claus on the television. Because they had so recently returned home from STRIKE, they had had no chance to decorate their house at all for the holiday. But despite any tree or stockings or presents, Michael felt they had done a good job getting into the Christmas spirit. He almost took Luna up on her offer to hang two of his socks – clean ones – up above the fire.

He relented when she agreed to four, and to write their names on them with a marker Michael had found in a drawer in the kitchen.

"Since I'm writing the names, you can do the magic," Luna said happily, nodding down to the four of Michael's socks laid out before them, freshly picked from his dresser drawer in their room. Michael raised his eyebrows at her. It was a very simple act of Transfiguration, something not beyond even the dullest Wizard. But as she smiled encouragingly at him, he understood. She wanted everything today to involve both of them. So he winked at her, drew his want out of his loose pajama pants, and waved it wordlessly over the four socks. They promptly transformed from short, low cut white ones into large, thick and red Christmas stockings, complete with white fabric across the top where Luna could write their names.

She took her time writing out her own name with a flourish, then moved on to his. Michael had always known Luna was a talented artist, but it was when she worked with the bare minimum that he fully appreciated just how skilled she was. As she finished the last letter of his name she stood back and smiled down at their stockings.

"Shall we just make something up?" Luna suggested, her eyes on the two blank stockings. "I know how you feel about 'Lysander' but we could just use it as a placeholder –"

"I've been thinking about that, actually," Michael told her quietly, also peering down at the socks arranged on their dining table. Luna turned her wide eyes upon him.

"You have?"

"Yeah, I have," Michael admitted. "I had an idea I wanted to run by you."

"Yes?" Luna promptly dreamily, turning to face him in full.

"Well when we were kids, my grandpa used to take us down to that park with the creek to play all day. You remember that?"

"Those were fun times," Luna confirmed with a reminiscent look. "We used to play tag…and you would cheat and use magic."

"I don't remember that," Michael lied, grinning wickedly at Luna.

"So you want to name one of the boys after him?" Luna asked plainly, tilting her head a little. Michael nodded seriously.

"And, well, we also spent a lot of time with your grandfather too," Michael went on, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, your dad's dad. He used to tell us all those stories about when he was growing up and all the traveling he did."

"We always asked him to tell us the one where he was chased by the dragon in Hungary," Luna remembered. "He had to hide in a cave for a day until it left."

"He always said he was lucky the cave was just long enough to avoid its fire," Michael reminded her with a laugh.

"I miss him sometimes," Luna said, though not terribly sadly. Luna was rarely overly emotional about death, even when her own mother came up.

"I do too," Michael told her. "But you know, I was thinking…."

"We could name the other after him?" Luna supplied. Michael rubbed the back of his neck.

"If you like that idea," he said quickly. "I know I'm just springing this on you on Christmas day and all, but –"

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Luna said softly. As Michael smiled at her, she leaned slightly forward again and went to work. Less than a minute later, Michael was looking down at two more names on the stockings. He simply stared at them for a moment until he felt Luna reach for his hand, then he turned to look at her.

She was beaming happily at him, having already had her fill of looking at the names. They took two a piece – each taking their own stocking and one of the boys – and carefully carried them over to the crackling fireplace. Michael went first, attaching the stockings to the mantle with a Sticking Charm as he lightly tapped each one. Luna did hers next, borrowing Michael's wand, as she had left her own in their room all day. When they were finished, they backed away to take in the scene. There they were, real and concrete. Michael and Luna's names flanked those of their sons, soon to join them in the world.

"Merry Christmas Michael," Luna whispered happily, their hands finding each other again.

"Merry Christmas Loon," Michael smiled back, squeezing her small hand.


"Dad?" Luna called around the house. They were in the cluttered downstairs room and there was no sign of Luna's father.

"I'm here!" he called back from upstairs. "Come on up!"

"After you," Michael said, allowing Luna to lead the way up the iron staircase and into the upper room. The picked their way through the clutter, which now included a tall Christmas tree and a number of boxes.

The second they had climbed the stairs, Xeno was talking excitedly. Not that Michael could really blame him.

"Luna, Michael!" he laughed joyfully. He pulled Luna into a deep hug, then Michael after her. "It's been so long since you've visited, my you look different!"

"Only a few more months and you'll be a grandfather!" Luna said happily. Xeno's smiled momentarily faltered, and Michael noticed.

"They're your grandkids," Michael told him firmly. "You're her father, that makes you their grandfather."

"You're right of course," Xenophillius said, smiling again. "Just like we were right about the Snorkack!"

"We saw in the Quibbler," Michael grinned. "Just today though, we've been gone for a while. That's why we haven't been to visit."

"I tried to get Andromeda Tonks to come, but she's busy with her own family," Luna told Xenophillius. "She was very sorry though."

Xeno's eyes were suddenly very wide, very like his daughter's.

"You saw Andromeda?" Xenophillius asked in surprise.

"Yes, almost every day," Luna replied. "That's where we've been gone to, helping STRIKE. They're afraid they have a spy."

"Xeno…" Michael began, but Luna's father held up a hand to quiet him.

"You need no explanation," he said firmly. "I know you care very much about Luna, and Luna, I know how capable you are. You don't have to justify yourselves to me, I just ask you be careful."

"We are, Dad," Luna said earnestly.

"That's all I ask," Xenophillius said concisely. Michael was very glad to be dealing with this new Xenophillius, rather than the hostile one of their first Christmas meeting. "Now, how did you come across Andromeda? Did she come to you?"

Michael nodded. "She was asked to track us down by the leader of STRIKE. He flipped around and decided he was okay with us being together and sent her to tell us." Michael chuckled. "He was under the impression sending any of his own agents would, ah, set us off."

"I only met her a few times," Xeno said slowly, furrowing his brow, "but Elysina spoke of her often. They were very close, Elysina was an only child and I am aware she considered Andromeda a sister. Another unfortunate loss in contact," he said with a sigh, his slightly crossed eyes on Michael.

"Michael wants to fight her very badly," Luna put in, pulling Xeno from his sullen moment. She had a vague smile on her face. "He wants to test himself against her – and I think, Mum – with a friendly duel."

"I'm only curious," Michael said quickly, his face a little red as both Lovegoods looked at him. He forced himself to shrug indifferently. "I thought she'd be a good opponent, maybe even teach me something."

"Be careful," Xenophillius said very seriously. "Luna, you may not quite understand this, but Michael, I do understand manly pride and your desire to stand tall among all others. I also know you and Luna have become extremely powerful magical beings yet…I would not rush into a duel with Andromeda Tonks. Even in a friendly contest, your pride might come out worse for the wear. Perhaps more than your pride, if you press her."

Michael rubbed the back of his neck. He had not expected Luna's civilian father to give such a grim assessment. How dangerous was Andromeda?

"She's that good?"

"She was Elysina's partner," Xeno replied. "I do not know how the years have treated her, and I may never have seen her demonstrate her power in person, yet…Elysina's tales, actions, and association with her lead me to believe she is capable of great and terrible things."

There was more silence after that, in which Xeno scratched his chin offhandedly, Luna looked all around her old home with great interest, and Michael contemplated what kind of Witches Elysina and Andromeda could have been and how he could ever hope to match their legend.

"Now then, as you may have guessed, I made quite a bit of money when I printed this month's issue of the Quibbler, containing irrefutable proof of the Snorkacks' existence. So I have a few things for you," Xeno said excitedly.

"Oh," Michael stuttered, looking at Luna in horror. They had had no time lately to go gift shopping. Michael's present to Luna clinked quietly in his pocket; he had been worried, having only been able to get it the day before they left.

"You needn't worry about it," Xenophillius told Michael and Luna. "I think that providing me with the greatest zoological find in a century is gift enough."

"So let's go downstairs then," Luna said brightly. "That's a beautiful tree you have in the den, Dad."

"Oh yes, it's lovely, I think," Xenophillius said proudly. "Now then, let's get to Christmas…."

"No mistletoe, I notice," Michael commented with a smile as they headed down the stairs.

"Of course not," Xenophillius said, shocked. "Do you want Nargles in your house?"

As it turned out Xenophillius had gotten Michael and Luna almost everything they could possibly need to take care of infants. Diapers, toys, two cribs, it was all there. Plus a new wallet for Michael and a pair of pajamas for Luna. Michael smirked to himself at that – no more Elf clothes for her.

When it came time for Luna to hand Michael the rectangular parcel she had been clutching, she gave it with a warning.

"Before you open that," Luna told him, passing it to him, "I just want to let you know I haven't at all forgotten about your disability."

Michael frowned. What disability was Luna talking about? Was she playing a prank on him? It wasn't like her to do something like that, so Michael decided to tear into the packaging in hopes of uncovering this mystery.

As soon as the wrapping was torn and discarded, Michael understood her remark. He smiled politely as he looked at the gift, but raised an eyebrow at Luna.

"Loon," he said in a pretend hurt voice, "you know I don't know how to read."

It was the same joke anytime someone suggested giving him a book as a gift. Of course he wasn't actually an illiterate barbarian – he had actually even contributed a small section to a recent Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook – but he had always made it clear to his friends he viewed books as a highly inappropriate gift when there were so many other fine ones, like things that exploded, and alcohol.

"That's all right," Luna said gently, playing along. "You don't need to." She gestured for Michael to look down at the book. He instantly realized this was not some ordinary tome on Quidditch or magic or even exotic dragons of the Far East. He read the title aloud to Luna and her father.

"Michael Jacobs: The Knight of the Kingdom…" he read, now grinning widely. The cover was really beautifully illustrated, if he did say so himself. It was obviously hand drawn and featured a moving picture of himself dressed in a knight's armor, brandishing a wand and sword simultaneously, a smug and yet heroic expression on his face as he gestured up towards a tall castle. A girl with scraggly blonde hair stood leaning over the rampart, dressed in attire fit only for royalty.

"Loon…did you write me a book?" Michael asked, growing more excited by the second. Luna nodded happily, obviously thrilled by his reaction. She seemed to have worried he wouldn't like it. Michael couldn't wait. A regular book written by some boring old man was one thing…but one written by Luna? Michael was certain he would find it plenty entertaining.

"Well, writing is only a part of it," she told Michael. "I also did all the illustrations and charms on the book, which I really hope are still working. They worked for Sarah when I asked her to test it a few days ago."

"What kind of enchantments are on it?" Michael asked, opening the cover. The book didn't look especially long, but the inside cover did bear a note from Luna in the upper left corner. This part he read silently.

To my Knight in Shining Armor,

I hope you enjoy this story I created for us. It really didn't take

much imagination, all the themes are real – only a few circumstances

have been changed. I love you more than I could ever say, so I hope

this book can show you and give you a laugh,

Lady Luna

PS: Please don't read this in polite company.

PPS: All our friends consented to appear in this novel, no matter what they say.

"I couldn't go out and get you anything while we were at STRIKE headquarters," Luna was saying, drawing Michael's attention back. "Between the wards and the missions and the pregnancy, I just couldn't make it. So I decided to make you something. I know it looks a little thin," she added, "but I promise there's plenty there. No don't!" she said quickly, as Michael went to turn to the first page to see what she had written. Regardless of her warning on the inside cover, he really wanted to see what this was all about.

Both Michael and Xenophillius looked at Luna in surprise. But she merely smiled placidly. "It's not an ordinary book, even by Wizard standards," she said dreamily. "I wasn't satisfied with simply writing you something and drawing a few pictures. I wanted more than that for this book. So I started working on a spell that would make the experience a little more…real. I really would've liked Hermione's help, I think I would've finished much more quickly were she there, but…I think I finally got the spell right."

"And…what exactly does the spell do?" Michael asked, deciding it was best to close the book for now. He laid it fondly on his lap.

"Immersive storytelling," Luna said mysteriously. "You can read it when we get home, if you like."

"Do I have to wait?" Michael asked, putting on his best puppy dog face for Luna. She considered him with a rather even look.

"Well, it is your gift, you can read it any time you want to," Luna said vaguely. "But I don't think you'd really enjoy reading certain parts as much with Dad here."

Michael turned red and his father-in-law went pale. But Luna simply smiled at them. "It's only a book," she said rather matter-of-factly.

"Nah, this isn't just a book," Michael shook his head. He ran his hand along its cover, feeling the slightly raised lettering of the title under his fingers. "This is something way more than that. I love it and I love you. Thank you."

Luna smiled a little wider at that and Michael knew it was time to make his own move. "Now I've got a little something for you, Loon," Michael said as his wife turned to say something to her father. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the small bottle. "Catch."

"Is that –?" Xeno asked, his eyes wide. Luna caught the little bottle and held it up, staring at it.

"Felix Felices," Michael said, nodding. "That's enough for twenty four hours of luck, so you might want to do half at a time, unless you're planning an all-nighter or something."

"How did you get this?" Luna whispered.

"I know a guy, who knows a guy, whose cousin might be a Death Eater, but definitely has access to rare potion stock," Michael shrugged modestly. "It took a long enough, I barely got it in time…."

"It's… truly wonderful," Xenophillius said, struggling with speech, "to see you two as a family. In that, I feel I have been blessed. Michael, I know you grew up without your parents, and Luna…what can I say? Elysina's parents died young too. It does my heart good to see a full, happy family."

"A family of five," Luna smiled. "Mother, father, sons, and grandfather, it really is wonderful."

"I think we should make a deal," Michael said unexpectedly. "March, or February, or whenever the kids are born, no more regret. No more wallowing in the past, or thinking about what might have been. Our lives are what they are, and I'm pretty happy with the way mine turned out. So do you guys agree?"

"It would be difficult," Luna said quietly, "to never be sad about it again."

"No, that's not what I said," Michael corrected her. "That's human, to feel sad about a parent's death is normal. Trust me on that one. I'm just saying we let the past be the past. It's like, I don't know… like we're holding on to the past so tightly, we're suffocating it, killing everything good about it.

"I think that's a good idea," Xeno agreed. "I've moved past Elysina's death, but you're very right. Our family is going to be whole again very soon, we should appreciate that. Now then, how about dinner?"


AN: So I make a point to very rarely ask for reviews or anything of the sort, its not something I really believe in, but I would like to take a minute here at the end of this chapter to say that I've come back from a very long hiatus - maybe two years - recently and have gone as far as totally purging and rewriting some earlier chapters, heavily editing existing ones, and even adding new chapters, starting around chapter 40 or so. I'm really eager to hear what people think, especially those of you who have stuck with the story so long, 53 chapters in. It'd mean a lot to read a review for this chapter or any of Moonlight War at all, if you have the time after finishing this. Positive, negative, a thumbs up, or a detailed critique, any of it would be much appreciated. Thanks so much for your support.