"Rolf and I are going to meet up with Daddy in Vietnam for Christmas." Her eyebrows pucker in thought before smoothing out again as she adds, "I don't know if they even celebrate the holiday over there, but it will be interesting to find out."
"They do," Hermione chimes in.
The blonde witch stares at her for a long moment, mild irritation at having had the mystery solved so quickly evident in her gaze. Then, suddenly, her expression clears and she turns to Teddy with a bright smile. "Would you like me to bring something back for you?"
The young boy nods eagerly. He doesn't know much about Vietnam, but he knows that a gift from Luna – especially one from such a far-off place – is sure to be special. "Yes, please." He flashes a quick look at Hermione, who nods in acknowledgment of his proper use of manners.
"You don't have to."
She blinks at him. "Of course I don't have to, Harry. But I would like to, and it sounds like Teddy would like me to as well. Isn't that right, Teddy?"
The uncomfortable look his godson, clearly torn between his desire for the gift and his respect for his guardians, sends him instantly sways Harry. "If you're sure," he concedes.
"When have you ever known me not to be sure about what I want?"
"Fair point."
"I'll miss you when you're away," Teddy says, staring up at her.
"And I'll miss you." She sweeps him into a tight hug, holding him for a few moments before letting him go again. "But that's the way life is. People and things come and go, sometimes unexpectedly, and all you can do is enjoy them while they're with you. If you're always thinking of the people who aren't with you, you might ignore the ones who are."
"But I don't want you to go," he says, pouting, and all the adults – even Harry, despite having turned a little pallid at the topic – laugh.
"How is she going to find a gift for you if she doesn't leave?" Hermione points out.
"You'll come back," Teddy clarifies. At her nod, he adds, "Then I guess you can go."
Smiling down at him, Luna jokes, "Now that I have your permission…"
"Speaking of," Hermione cuts in, "you're always welcome to visit anytime you like."
"That's very sweet of you."
"She means it," Harry insists. "People were so used to just coming and going without announcing themselves when this was Order headquarters that some of them still randomly pop in. We would love warning so we can make sure that we're here, but you can always just drop by… Hermione, you can key her magical signature into the front door, can't you? That way, even if everyone's out, you can still get in if you need to. We changed it after the war for extra protection, but Hermione has set it so all of our friends can get through it anyway."
"Oh, Harry," Luna laughs. "Don't ever change."
Teddy giggles at her words, even though Harry is almost certain that the boy doesn't actually understand them. Speaking of being confused… "What?"
"You might have gotten a little bit carried away at the end there," Hermione explains. "But, Luna, I'm more than happy to key you in. Why don't we go do that now?"
A/N: I went on a park run this morning, and the pain has just begun to set in. Hopefully, it will go away quickly enough that I'll have forgotten about it in time for next week…