Merry Christmas one and all, it's been a year, and it's time to stop in at Hogwarts once again...
A distant gaze focused upon where a sole figure flew in lazy circles above a snow covered land. A few seconds after, she asked her companion that had just stepped out from the castle. "Do you see what I see?" her voice was soft, but on the still winter night, it echoed with a haunting tone to it. "Way up in the sky Hermione, do you see what I see?"
"Harry, my friend," Hermione answered just as softly as her eyes fixated upon the figure of her boyfriend for the past year flying over the quidditch pitch, a practice she knew revealed that he was having some problem that he was attempting to work through. "Flying in the night, with a heart broken by the fight."
"With a heart broken by the fight?" Luna echoed with a curious tone to her voice as she finally turned to look at her strange friend. She really did say odd things at times, but it was alright, sometimes Whimpltons caused the really intelligent people to do strange things. Perhaps she should check the girl for them sometime.
Turning back to look at their mutual friend, she frowned as a sound cut through the night air. It was a sound that she'd heard all too often from the boy, and by the drawn breath of Hermione, she knew that she hadn't been the only one to hear it. "Did you hear what I heard?"
"I did… he has been having a rough time lately…" Hermione answered as she wrapped a scarf around Luna's neck and patted her on the head gently. "Go inside, he doesn't like anyone to see what is about to happen."
Luna could hear the order without the bushy haired girl emphasising it, and decided to comply. "I'll go see about some tea from the elves," the blonde offered, getting a nod from Hermione, which alerted her to just how concerned her friend was over Harry. Or perhaps, she knew Luna enough to know she intended to help make the tea in the first place. "Go… he needs your goodness and light."
Without another word, she walked into the castle, having done her duty for the night. She took her time finding her way down to the kitchens, knowing that the couple needed time to deal with whatever was causing strife within Harry. She only hoped that once they figured it out, they would let her help in taking care of it. She loved them both dearly, but they were both far too self-reliant for her tastes.
Pausing as the stairs she was on shifted to realign with the proper path to the kitchen, she let out a soft laugh. That was one of the reasons she loved them, and would have been more than thrilled to be invited into their lives. She knew she had to wait, and instead chose to seek after something else.
If someone asked her for what she wanted for presents, she might have made up some story about Snorkacks or something else in the Quibbler, but there was a truth that she wanted only one thing in her life aside from the love of the two lions.
At the base of the stairs, she pulled out a picture from in her robes, and stared at the woman holding a little blonde girl with a huge grin on both of their faces. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at the picture, having known as soon as she reached for it what she would find. "I don't want a lot for Christmas…There is just one thing I need…" she began singing softly to the empty hall as she sought out an abandoned classroom. She didn't care about presents under the tree, it would be nice, but hollow and meaningless to her.
Curling up against a wall, she felt her heart bled into the song, while twin trails of moisture rolled down her cheeks. She never let anyone see this side of her, the broken, crying girl that needed something that no one ever could give her.
"I just want you in my home," she continued with a quavering tone to her voice, "more than you could ever know. Make my wish come true…"
"All I want for Christmas… is you… yeah mom…" she tried to finish, before breaking down and crying into her arms while cradling the picture against her chest. She never even heard the approach of anyone, but when two pairs of arms wrapped about her, she felt their warmth seep into her heart and bring a smile to her face as she peeked up to see the two people she had come to love with all her heart encircling her.
"We can't replace her, and never will try… but we're here…" the male of the pair whispered as he stroked her hair soothingly, while the female hummed a tender little tune.
Closing her eyes again, she swore she could feel a third set of arms, and a long forgotten voice whispering into her ear. "I will always be with you, my little moonchild."