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What a dream he'd had, pressed in organdy.
Remus locked the bookshop door behind him, pocketing the key and turning to take in the snowy evening in Diagon Alley. Hermione had wanted the shop closed early that Friday, so she'd have time to get ready for the Holiday Shopping crowd. He smiled to himself, remembering her week of frantic planning. He and Ron had simply sat back and watched, as she scolded them both so often for getting in her way. Thus Remus had sat behind the front counter. The Wizarding world might still have had their issues with werewolves, but they were quite fond of war heroes. And Hermione would have hired him to help her start up her long time dream no matter.
Now it was December, after a long autumn of similar lonely walks, first from Number 12 and then from his new flat just outside of Diagon Alley. His nerves were jumpy that night, the last night before their last scholars returned for the winter holiday. Their letters had been sparse and quiet things since October, though Luna's tone had not changed. Remus still did not allow himself the luxury of hope, however.
Still, when he passed by a shop display, her air was around him, stopping his feet. Tripping down the alleyways. He bought Luna her Christmas gift, which the shopkeeper wrapped in silver paper with a subtle blue scattering of flowers. The box smelled of the dusky Sage and Black Rose incense of the shop counter. Later he would find a sprig of mint to tuck into the ribbon.
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Snow was swirling outside of the train windows, as the Hogwarts Express took the Moon Girl and The Nymph home for Christmas. Luna rested her head against the cold window, tucking her legs up under her and linking her fingers together over wool skirt knees. Outside in the car, Denis Creevy frolicked by singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Luna and Ginny looked at each other with ghosts of smiles. Harry's favorite holiday song, when altered slightly.
Another form shuffled by, peeking into their car and leaving Christmas candy behind for both of them. Hareton Chambers it was, he of the moppy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He and Luna had become friends indeed, but he was a sharp Raven. He'd known her heart was spoken for their first potions lesson. He still loved her. He gave to her her favorite flavor cockroach clusters. Luna smiled.
Ginny napped most of the ride back, and Luna was left to her pondering and her popping of clusters into her mouth, willing the train forward as frosted fields rushed by the windows, swirls of snow, juniper and lamplight.
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Their eyes darted back and forth all evening, after the late dinner and during the party in the library. She was wearing the short white jumper, over ice blue blouse and snowflake tights, singing snowman earrings. They waited on tiptoe on opposite sides of the room, while those who were oblivious mingled. Remus had gotten very good at reading her pale eyes, however. He would later call himself a fool, for doubting what he saw there. But it was persistent, over the hum of conversation, Ginny's laughter and Tonks' nearly knocking over the Christmas tree. She was still his.
There was little conversation then. They slipped out into the snowy night not long after midnight, apparrating to his flat. She hopped up the building's stairs two by two, humming a tune, spinning into Remus' flat with a giggle, "This building has such lovely character!" Her dreamy voice floated through the rough walls. The door shut behind him, and he simply stared at her for a time, standing in the middle of the room, pulling off her fuzzy white scarf and mittens. Her cheeks were flushed from the moments in the freezing night, and her hair was slightly static-y from her wool scarf. A familiar slim, white hand clothed in crinoline brushed along the titles on his bookshelves, before she turned back to him, smiling. What a dream he'd had…
He had her in his arms in a moment, pressing kisses to her hair before he found her lips. Those soft, pale, rosebud lips he'd missed for a thousand years and four months. Four months. She gasped at the same time he clutched her tighter, as they had the same realization. For four months, they had missed each other. They had been incomplete, for four months. Luna wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder for a moment, breathing him in. When had she become another? When had her white birch limbs grown entwined with those of the sycamore beside her? When they had seen the same forest.
"I love you," He whispered into her static-y, ash hair, taking in its scent in a deep, cleansing breath. He felt as if he'd never breathed before, "Oh I love you, Luna-love,"
"And I love you," She reached up, a hand through graying brown, the back of her nails a gentle touch. She kissed his brow, "Much missing and love…"
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It was amazing how well one could memorize a face, the flash of a wolf's eyes, and the taste of a Moon Girl's skin. What made a voice breathless and what made eyes slide shut in bliss. What the soft skin in the arch of her throat felt like, when her head was thrown back. The howling outside of the windows was only a comforting welcome back to earth, not a lonely, mournful thing that sounded outside of castle or flat windows. All was warm and quiet inside after a time, Luna resting her chin on Remus' chest, burrowed under a pile of quilts after they'd found each other again. She ran her fingers along one deep, old scar that cut from clavicle to navel, her touch soft and leaving a path on his skin that cooled in the night air.
"I've missed you," Remus whispered, his voice thick and his hands finding their favorite place in her long tresses. Kissing honey hair… "I was quite sure you would forget about an old man like me, you know…"
"You are not old," Luna rolled her eyes, though she grinned, "Oh ye of little faith, Remus Lupin. I am only me with you now," She rested her head against him, blinking a few times; "I should dislike being so owned. But I think that I own you as well,"
"That you do, entirely," Remus smirked, "My dear we are waxing poetical, I'm afraid,"
"Oh gasp!" Luna grinned, pulling a quilt closer about the two of them, "What would Old Emily say?"
"I have the impression that she'd have been jealous, what with never leaving the house," He let out a contented sigh. For another long moment, they were thus, together in their old companionable silence.
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"Merry Christmas,"
"Well now, that is slightly redundant my dear," Luna replied, sitting cross-legged on the floor of Remus' flat some days later on Christmas morning, spice cookies and hot chocolate creating a pleasantly scented fog over the rather sparse sitting room. She took the gift he offered, pushing her rope of hair back over her shoulder. Across from her, Remus smirked,
"Yes, but I am sentimental that way," He reminded her, regarding her dragon-foot slippers for a moment as she opened his gift. Opening the box the scent of mint reached her, making her smile. She took out two books, early editions of Wuthering Heights and Grimm's Fairytales, The Graduate on vinyl. And then…
"Icarus," Her voice was a shaky breath, as she pulled a large snow globe from the box. Oh such a normal gift, a snow globe, save for what was inside. A stone tower, and a youth with feathery wings charmed to fly around in a perpetual storm above a labyrinth. Luna looked up, eyes damp, "You found my messenger,"
"He was waiting for you, I only picked him up," Remus said quietly, reaching out to run his fingers along her jaw, "I imagine you might have more letters to send your mother and father,"
"I do," She said quietly, books wrapped in hippogriff-pajama arms, snow globe before her, Icarus spinning, "I have to tell them that I am in love. They will be quite fascinated, I am sure."
"That they will be," Remus Lupin replied, his voice a hoarse and rough thing, as he took in The Lady Luna Lovegood. What a dream he'd had, long ago, in a house filled with orphans. Of something beautiful returning, growing out of all that loss and sadness, with grateful tears. And so it had.
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Authors Notes: I live! And there is just one more bit!
