Chapter 4

The Weasley's holiday party was off to roaring start. The house smelled warmly of sugar, spice and everything nice. The kitchen table had been laid with yummy snacks, cookies and hot drinks. The guests mingled back and forth from room to room, talking and snacking.

The sitting room was a roar of conversation as the guests chatted about various topics. The wireless radio continued to play holiday favorites in the background but was often overpowered by the conversation in the rooms. Knocks at the door came periodically and new guests were greeted with cheers of hello and hugs; Lupin and a rather rounded Tonks, hand in hand with a basket of fresh rolls, Hagrid with a large bottle of wine, and Kingsley Shacklebolt with a pumpkin pie were just a few of the guests arriving today.

There was currently a dim in the sitting room conversation as many guests had just returned from the kitchen with plates of appetizers and were currently munching happily. The couch had been commandeered by the twins and their girlfriends. Hermione had moved to sit in a chair by the fireplace near Harry and Ginny and Ron was still in the kitchen, munching away.

A hearty knock came at the door. George, who was the closest Weasley, stood up and opened the door.

"Welcome," he said with a smile to the guests standing outside the door. On the stoop stood Augusta Longbottom and her grandson, Neville. Neville smiled, somewhat shyly as he and his gran entered the room.

Mrs. Longbottom entered the house carrying a large bowl. "George is it? Or are you Fred?" she said eyeing George and then Fred on the couch, who currently had his arm around Angelina.

"George, ma'am." He replied raising his hands to take her cloak but she didn't notice.

"Where does your mother want the food?" Mrs. Longbottom asked, motioning to the bowl in her arms.

"In the kitchen, Mrs. Longbottom. Just through there." He said motioning toward the hallway. She hurried away, without even removing her cloak.

"Hi Neville," Harry said as Neville took off his cloak and scarf, passing them to the waiting George. George placed them on a peg behind the door. Then moved back to join Alicia on the couch.

"How is everyone's Christmas so far?" Neville asked standing a little awkwardly just inside the door. Ginny smiled at him and waved him to come sit by her and Harry. He walked over carefully and folded himself on to a spot on the floor next to Harry's chair.

"How are you Neville?" Ginny asked with a s smile.

"Fine." He replied with a somber smile. "Gran and I just came from St. Mungo's.

Harry nodded, knowingly. "How are your parents?" he asked kindly.

Neville looked up at Harry. "Healthy," he replied knowing Harry would understand.

"I'm glad to hear it, mate. I hope you had a good visit with them." Harry replied.

Neville smiled. "It was good."

Suddenly there was another knock at the door. This time it was an intricate pattern of a knock.

"I'll get it," Arthur Weasley said as he entered the sitting room carrying Mrs. Longbottom's cloak. He hung it on a peg next to Neville's and then turned the handle.

"Happy Christmas!" he hollered to the newly arrived guests. Two smiling white blonde haired guests stood on the stoop holding round blue tins. "Xeno! Luna! Welcome!

"Hello Mr. Weasley," Luna said with a smile.

"Hello Arthur, how are you?" Xenophilius said shaking Mr. Weasley's outstretched hand.

"Fine, fine. We are so glad you could make it." Arthur said taking the Lovegood's cloaks and scarves. "It is lovely to see you again Luna. What do you have in the tin?"

"Dried Dirigible plum cookies." Luna replied with a smile. "Father and I made them this morning. They will provide the party with open minds to accept the unusual."

"Wonderful," Mr. Weasley said, slightly confused.

"Here Luna, let me take them to the kitchen and I will share them around." Xenophilius said taking the tin from his daughter and stacking it on top of his own tin. "You stay here with your friends." He smiled at her.

"Thank you, Daddy." She said and floated away toward the Christmas tree, having caught sight of the golden tutu dressed gnome. Mr. Lovegood and Mr. Weasley headed back toward the kitchen as Mr. Lovegood began to explain the properties of the dirigible.

"Hello Luna," Ginny said as Luna neared them. "Happy Christmas."

"Yes, thank you." Luna said tilting her head as she looked at the gnome. "Is that a gnome?"

Harry chuckled. "Yes it is. It seems to be a Weasley family tradition now to have a gnome dressed as a fairy at the top of their tree."

"Does it bring good luck? Or does it ward off evil?" She said tilting her head the other way still glaring at it.

"Not sure if it brings good luck but it's definitely bad luck for the gnome hanging around our yard come Christmas." Fred said rubbing the spot on his finger where the gnome had bit him the other day. "Bloody git!"

Luna turned her head smoothly and looked at him. "Did he bite you?" She asked in an airily excited voice. "That is good luck!"

Fred glanced at her with his eyebrows raised. "Hmm… lucky you say? Does that mean I will get lucky today?" he asked turning and winking at Angelina.

"Fred Weasley!" She shouted, her head jumping up off of his shoulder, her cheeks red. She smacked him hard across the chest.

"Oi! Maybe not." Fred laughed as Angelina made to hit him again. He jumped up off the couch and ran for the kitchen with the tall chaser in hot pursuit.

Luna watched them go then noticed Neville and Hermione. She smiled at them and lazily walked over, taking a seat on the floor next to Neville and beside Hermione's chair. "Hello Hermione! Hello Neville! How are you?"

"Hello Luna," Hermione said with a smile. "Did you get some nice presents?"

"Oh yes! Daddy bought me a fabulous book about magical creatures. There is a very small section on the Crumple Horned Snorkack." She said, her light voice full of excitement. She turned away from Hermione then in a way that would have been rude had it been anyone other than Luna. "There is a chapter on Thestrals Harry. If you'd like to read it."

Harry smiled at her. "Yeah, Luna, I would. Maybe when we get back at school you will loan it to me." He said, his tone full of honesty. She smiled at him. She then turned to stare at Neville but did not say a word.

Neville's face began to get warm under her gaze. He turned finally and met her ice blue eyes. "He… hello L...Luna," Neville stammered. He twisted his hands in the lap of his crossed legs. Luna was something else entirely. While many peopled where put off by her weird eccentrics, the people in the room had come to love her for her unusual ideas. Especially Neville. Though he had told no one of his feelings, he often did flush when she was around and stammer like he used to in first year when Professor Snape asked him a question. Everyone else could see that his nerves were because he liked her.

"Hello Neville," she said brightly. She suddenly sniffed the air. "What do I smell?" She sniffed again.

"Mum's got a whole spread of snacks in the kitchen along with hot drinks." Ginny said nodding in the direction of the kitchen. "Feel free to help yourself."

Luna looked around the room and noticed that everyone had either a small plate or mug except for Neville. "You don't have anything." She stated looking back at Neville.

He smiled at her. "No. I've only just got here like you." He said. "Gran and I weren't but five minutes before you."

She smiled at him and stood up. "Let's get some," she said reaching down, taking one of his hands and literally lifting him to his feet. She then dropped his hand and floated off toward the kitchen. "I wonder if there is pudding."

"Ohh..okay," he replied and followed after her.

On the way to the kitchen they passed Ron heading back to the sitting room with a plate piled high with goodies and greeted him with cheerful hellos. Once in the kitchen, they both greeted the other adults who were sitting around the small kitchen fire in the enlarged sitting area. The WWN was more audible in here and they could hear the lyrics to "I'm going to conjure a love potion for Christmas" as they made their way to the table. Luna grabbed a mug and filled it with hot chocolate. She then placed one of her dirigible cookies in it and shoved a gingerbread one in her mouth head first.

"You want one?" She asked Neville with her mouth full of cookie head as she held out a second gingerbread man. She looked up at Neville, her eyes twinkling happily.

Neville smiled and reached across the table to take it from her. "Thank you," he replied. As he took the cookie from her, their fingers brushed. His cheeks flushed slightly, Luna just looked down at the assortment of cookies, looking for her next victim. Neville reached for a mug and was about to pour himself some spiced cider when she put a hand on his arm to stop him. Neville's eyes snapped to her hand and then back up at her pale face.

"You should have the chocolate." She said simply with no explanation.

"Why? I like spiced cider." He said, still gazing at her. She too was gazing at him.

"Because you are sweet. The chocolate is sweet and will keep you sweet." She said gazing into his eyes. "I like you sweet." Neville blushed redder. He nodded to her and she took the mug from his hand and filled it with the rich brown hot chocolate and dropped a couple marshmallows on top. She smiled sweetly as she carefully handed him the mug.

"Thank you," he said, taking it gently from her. He sniffed the mug. "Mmmm… smells good." Her smile widened.

"Shall we go back and sit?" she asked ripping the leg off her gingerbread man and tossing him into her mug to join her dirigible cookie. Together the two bobbed up and down as she shook her mug.

"Okay." He replied. She turned and glided back toward the hallway. Neville followed.

Luna stopped dead in her tracks right at the doorway to the sitting room. Neville came up behind her and stopped too, trying to look around to see why she had stopped.

Harry looked up and noticed the pair standing directly under the mistletoe and smiled. "Hey Neville, look what you are standing under?" he said, trying to keep the laughter of merriment from this voice.

Neville's head shot up and his eyes came to rest of the bunch of green leaves and white berries. His whole head turned red.

"Mistletoe." Luna stated, as she had looked up too. "I hope there aren't any nargles in it."

Ginny giggled at her friend's comment. "It is nargle free. Harry and I checked this morning." She replied winking up at Harry. Harry smiled and winked back.

"Kiss her! Kiss her!" Began the twins taunt. Neville turned another shade of red at this as he looked down at his toes.

Deep down he wanted to kiss her, but his nerves and embarrassment of sharing a first kiss in front of all these people held him frozen in his spot. Luna turned slowly and looked at him.

"Come on Neville! It's Christmas!" Harry encouraged from his chair.

Neville took a deep breath and looked up into Luna's light blue eyes. He saw something there. Was it caring? And kindness? At that moment, he called on his Gryffindor courage, leaned in and made to kiss her on the cheek. Luna, however, had other plans. As Neville was leaning toward her cheek, she turned and kissed him squarely on the lips. Neville's breath caught in his chest as their lips touched sweetly, hers still containing a crumb or two of gingerbread.

The kiss was over quickly as Neville had jumped back in shock. The boys whooped and the girls clapped as the two broke apart. Luna smiled whole heartedly at Neville, who had turned the color of tomato sauce and reached down to take his empty hand.

"That was nice." She replied, smiling brightly at him, as she swung his hand slightly. "Maybe we can do it again sometime." Though no one was sure how it could be possible, but Neville looked as if he had turned an even redder red than he had been but a moment ago.

"Way to go Neville!" George called from the couch where his arm was around Alicia's shoulders.

"You da man Neville!" Fred cheered clapping.

Luna tugged Neville's hand, ignoring or maybe not hearing, the twins' comments. She pulled Neville along behind her as she walked back to their cozy spot on the floor and plopped down, pulling Neville down next to her. She did not drop his hand, but instead scooted closer and gently rested her head on his shoulder as she took a sip of her man overboard hot chocolate.

"Way to go Neville." Harry whisper as he looked down at his friend. Neville just smiled up at him like an idiot.

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AN: This was my first try at Luna and Neville pairing. I love their characters and I hope I portrayed them well. More to come soon!